Lippmann Collection 10th Anniversary: Funky Chunky

Good morning, Dear Reader!

Today I'd planned to wear a color called Lucy in the Sky, but it's a happier shade than I'm feeling today. Instead, I thought I'd show you Lippmann's Funky Chunky, which really just looks like Fade to Black with textural issues.

I'd planned Lucy in the Sky because today is the first anniversary of my mom's death, and although only doctors and the IRS called her by her given name, Lucille, when I was a kid my dad would run around the house singing Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds.

I'd also planned to tell you a funny story about her, but I'm too much of a train wreck to come up with a good one. I'll just tell you she had the classic Irish gift of gab, and she'd tell funny stories all the time, but she'd be dying laughing the whole time with her super contagious laugh, so a whole room full of listeners would be laughing with no idea why we were laughing.

Ah, I just came up with a classic... She was also a practical jokester. She was a nun for 18 years, and once while cleaning the church, found a great big dead cockroach. She picked it up and saved it, and when she had a chance, slipped it into the rosary case of another nun who was often the target of her jokes. The next day during prayers when the other nun opened her rosary case, saw the roach, shrieked, and my mom started maniacally laughing. She was funny as hell. I miss her a lot.

Back to Funky Chunky - it's really just chunky, and not in a good way. The hex glitter doesn't show at all, it just screws up the texture of the polish. This is far from my best application, but I assume you'll forgive me. I selected pictures that best show the textural issues I'm talking about.

Isn't that weird how the glitter doesn't show? I didn't need Superstar, so I paid a lot for Ruby Red Slippers since this one's a great big fail.

Last day for the unrelated note: check out my dad at Woodlines. He has a piece for my mom today, but his is more upbeat.

That's all for now, Dear Reader. Until next time, love and nail polish to you!

Sally Hansen Nail Prisms Emerald Amethyst

Good morning, Dear Reader!

My Lippmann Ruby Red Slippers is holding out without chips or tip wear (thank you, Diamont!), and I still didn't feel like using the sandblaster to remove it this morning, so today I have some old pictures for you. These are from last summer, of one of the best Sally Hansen Nails Prisms ever: Emerald Amethyst.

I'm assuming I used two coats over a black base. Here it is in various lighting to show all the colors.

That one's a classic. I can't imagine why Sally Hansen discontinued that line. If you have the good fortune of running into this one, snatch it up!

Here's the obligatory unrelated note (only one more day after today, I promise!): take a look at my dear ol' dad's work at Woodlines.

That's it for now, Dear Reader. Until next time, love and nail polish to you!

Nubar Pink Dot: More Hex Glitter

Good morning, Dear Reader!

I didn't feel like breaking out the ol' sandblaster this morning to remove Lippmann's Ruby Red Slippers, so I have recent pictures you haven't seen yet instead. They're of another hexagon glitter, Nubar Pink Dot, over Nubar Malvasia from the Vineyard Collection. I'm sure the Nubar glitters would work fine over other B3F polishes, but I've stuck to using them over Nubars because those are the fastest drying on me. If I'm doing two coats of color and two coats of glitter, I care about the drying time of what I'm using quite a bit - too much to experiment!

This is two coats of each with a base and top coat.

I L-O-V-E the glitter in Pink Dot. Both the finer holo glitter and the hex glitter flash a zillion colors as light shifts, and it's like a little party with tiny disco balls on my nails! As with yesterday's glitter, the finished manicure is not something the average woman would wear to work, but it's versatile in that the base color is work appropriate, and two coats of Pink Dot and a coat of Diamont later, and it's a weekend mani. Pink Dot (and its cousins Martini, Purple Fire, Sour Candy, etc.) are just a wash of color best used over a coordinating base color to add a boatload of sparkle. They're also surprisingly easy to remove - no sandblaster required.

I'm really thankful that my career has been in in a field where the expectation is that we're all a little eccentric and the pool of talent is primarily men who don't notice things like nail polish (at my last company, I was the first woman to join six men, and left a department of twenty-three leaving behind only one other woman). I've always worn conservative clothes and whatever nails I want to work, and as long as I'm producing high quality material, no one has cared one bit. It's never interfered with a rapid climb up the ladder for me, and I'm grateful for that. If work required me to wear sheer neutrals, I certainly would, but BOY am I glad it never has! In fact, the only comments I've ever received on my nails at work was from one guy with whom I'd trade barbs all day, and he'd say,"Cut those damn things off!" as he passed me because of the clicking while I typed.

I have no idea what has suddenly made me aware of the general wearablilty of nail polishes, but I am. As I said, I'm just grateful that it's not an issue for me because I have too much fun with it.

Here's our unrelated note, which I promise I'll quit tacking on after Tuesday (Tuesday's a special day, which I'll tell you about then): check out my dad, the very best dad in the universe, at Woodlines. He's just way too cool!

That's all for now, Dear Reader! Untl next time, love and nail polish to you!

Lippmann Collection 10th Anniversary: Ruby Red Slippers

Good morning, Dear Reader!

Today I have one of Lippmann Collection's Nordstrom Exclusive 10th Anniversary colors for you, Ruby Red Slippers. It's a black jelly replete with red glitter and red hexagon glitter - it's what Lubu Heels wants to be when it grows up!

This is three coats over a base with a top coat.

I absolutely love this polish. I think it's hot. However, as I was applying it, I did question how generally wearable it is. I can't imagine the average person would wear this to the office. For the weekend though, this is one hell of a nail polish!

That's what I have for you for now, Dear Reader. Until next time, love and nail polish to you!

Essie One of a Kind & Konad Plate M4

Good morning, Dear Reader!

I have another Konad plate M4 Konadicure to show you today. This time, I used Essie's One of a Kind as the ase. One of a Kind isn't, really. It's a basic tomato red creme, but a good color nonetheless. This is three coats with a base and top coat.

To it, I added the woman's face image from M4 using White Konad Special Nail Polish.

That's it for now, Dear Reader. Until next time love and nail polish to you!

Total Beauty Follow Up & Konad Plate M4

Good afternoon, Dear Reader!

I want to thank you for all of your comments and emails about the Total Beauty issue. I really appreciate the thought that went into each of them.

I have a follow-up from Total Beauty's CEO, Emrah Kovacoglu. It's via video on YouTube, and if you're interested, here's a link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=udWpruT_gqc

Comments are disabled on the video, but in it, Mr. Kovacoglu gives the viewer his cell phone number and email address if you'd like to make your opinions known. If you don't have the patience to get through a YouTube video to get that information, the phone number is (310) 993-4002, and the email address is emrah@totalbeauty.com. Both of these appear to ne temporary, as the email address sending the video to me was slightly different, and noted a new cell phone number, but I thought I'd pass that on to you in case you'd like to take your concerns to the source.

Last night, I promised you pictures in my next post, Dear Reader, so let's put that ugliness behind us and move on to happier things! Today I have a Konadicure using Konad Plate M4 for you. I started with a foundation of Zoya Ali, which is a hot pink from this summer's La-Di-Da Collection. I'd place this one about halfway between Essie Punchy Pink (the brightest and most retina-searing) and Nubar Hot Pink (the most wearable) in terms of tone as well as vividness. Ali took three coats to be opaque and even, and as soon as it was dry, I went at it with the Konad.

I used two patterns from M4 with Blue Konad Special Nail Polish, which was really sufficient. However, whenever I use M4, I can't resist adding the "Kiss Me" lips pattern to my ring finger, and today was no exception. Here's the finished manicure in the sun. Ali is a bit darker and more neon - the sunlight washed it out a bit...

I should have stopped shy of the white on my ring finger, but I couldn't help it - I'm a fool for that pattern!

Our unrelated note: if you haven't aready, check out my dad at Woodlines. I'm so proud!

That's all for now, Dear Reader. Again, thank you so much for your comments, emails, and support, and until next time, love and nail polish to you!

Total Beauty Media's CEO Turns on Us

Good evening, Dear Reader. I thought I was done, but then something happened I wanted to tell you about.

Vanessa at Casual Lavish brought Total Beauty Media's newsletter to my attention, which contained a message from its CEO. I've been a part of the Total Beauty Network for a few months, but promptly ended that relationship after reading the CEO's letter. You may notice their logo is no longer on the upper right side of the page.

Emrah Kovacoglu, Founder and CEO of Total Beauty Media, Inc., released his message that says:

"Big numbers like this means big interest from ad/marketing/PR firms. In their fervor to court bloggers to write about their products, they're offering incentives -- from free products, to trips, to outright compensation. "

Companies do send me samples to review. Those are trinkets. I have links on the "Online Resources" tab above to where I've previously bought the same stuff, and it's run me from $2-$5.50 each. The time that goes into swatching and photographing is worth more than the $2 - I do it to show polishes to you, Dear Reader. Trips? Compensation? No.

Mr. Kovacoglu continues, saying:

"Professional mass-media journalists are bound to these standards: objectivity, accuracy, truthfulness, fairness, public accountability, and limitation of harm. They're bound to presentation standards such as clarity, correct spelling, and formal dialect. But most bloggers are not classically trained professional journalists; they are individuals who had the guts to start talking publicly about an area of passion that had.

Add in e-mail, texting, IM, Tweeting, etc., and the presentation standards in blogging are blurred. As in, it's acceptable (sometimes cool or funny) to misspell, cut corners, or not be as polished. That is what establishes your authenticity. However, whether you are a professional journalist or a blogger, publishers have a responsibility to hold true to ethical standards in journalism. It's not worth ruining a reputation or selling out in the short run for small amounts of money or free products. Bloggers must stay true to their readers. It's what will keep and grow the reader base -- and it's what drew brands to work with them in the first place.

It is also the responsibility of brands, agencies, and companies like Total Beauty to hold our bloggers true to those standards."

I tell you, he had me with him until the last part. I'm 37. No one needs to hold me to ethical standards, I live by my ethical standards. To imply that I'm in need of someone to help me resist the draw of $2 trinkets is ridiculous. But wait! There's more!

"Now, back to why your brand shouldn't be working with bloggers. (Directly, anyway...) One of the things we encourage our bloggers and brands to do is work through Total Beauty for product reviews via our Sneak Peek program. The reason? We have developed a community of vetted bloggers who are impactful, truthful, and not compensated for their posts/reviews -- and we continue to monitor that community. We guarantee to get your products in the hands of the right bloggers, and that they will use your product as recommended, post about it on their blog, and review it on TotalBeauty.com...

We can ensure a buffer between their blog and brands, so that they are not penalized by a negative review, if that is what they truly feel. I've had many bloggers complain to me (three in just the last week alone!) that they sometimes receive products from brands they just don't like, but they fear if they don't review it (or review it negatively), they'll never hear from that brand again. "

So many things are wrong here! Companies should not work with me? I was being monitored??? I think not. Guarantee the products are sent to the right bloggers? I'm prevented from giving my opinion on that. My thought is that the real reason is for this setup is that if bloggers work with companies directly, Total Beauty doesn't get a link, their traffic doesn't increase, and their advertising revenues don't keep going up. As far as complaining that one won't get freebies from a brand she doesn't like, that makes no sense. If a company cuts me off based upon a review, I'll go back to spending the $2-$5.50 for what I want and showing it to you. If a brand I don't like cuts me off, that means I get less crap in the mail that I'll never use.

The bottom line here is that I do not need some commercial network pretending to dictate my ethics. I've been approached by companies asking me to sell you out, Dear Reader, and you know what? I didn't. Without you, there's no point to this blog, and I certainly don't need some imagined Big Brother to help me behave properly within that reality.

I'm not alone in my feelings on this message from Mr. Kovacoglu. Here are links to others' reactions to this message:

Casual Lavish

BeautyandFashionTech.com

Purely Cosmetics Shopaholic Stuff

The Gloss Menagerie

Beauty Junkie London

British Beauty Blogger

Tomorrow, I'll be less indignant and give you pretty pictures. Until then, Dear Reader, love and nail polish to you.

Illamasqua Wayward & The Illamaskonadicure

Good afternoon, Dear Reader!

I have another Illamasqua to show you, Wayward, which is the elusive two-coater bright yellow. It went on perfectly, and is a bright, cheery yellow creme.

However, Dear Reader, by now you know that I am constitutionally incapable of leaving a creme alone, don't you? I did an elaborate Konad pattern on my tips inspired by a mani I saw on a message board.

I started with Apple Green Konad Princess Polish and Konad plate M19. I used the stamp to create a guide line for me to fill in the rest of my tips using Apple Green with the brush, since I've never been able to do a decent freehand Funky French. I applied a coat of Diamont to dry it, then used White Konad Special Nail Polish and Konad plate M45 to stamp polka dots on the Apple Green, double stamping each tip. One more coat of Diamont to seal it, and it's a finished manicure.

Is it completely 1967 over the top? Certainly. Do I love it for that rather than despite it? Of course! I think this one's great fun. The polar opposite of elegant, but great fun.

Again, on a completely unrelated note, and I'll probably be saying this all week, check out my dear ol' dad at Woodlines. He's one cool guy!

That's all for today, Dear Reader. Until tomorrow, love and nail polish to you!

CNY Mugged on the Six Train

Good morning, Dear Reader!

Today I have a real classic for you that I don't think I've shown you before: Carolyn New York's Mugged on the Six Train. Unfortunately, I've heard reports lately of nightmarish customer service issues with CNY, so if you like it, now might not be the time to buy.

It's a classic vampy purply red, and this is thre coats over a base with a top coat. CNY's have a good formula and great brush, so it went on really well.

It's darker and not quite as shimmery in indoor lighting, but it looks so good in the sun that I had to take the pictures in sunlight.

On an entirely unrelated note, check out my dad at Woodlines. I'm really proud of him!

That's all for now, Dear Reader. Until next time, love and nail polish to you!

Orly Mint Mojito, Konad Plate M32, & a New Site

Good afternoon, Dear Reader!

I'm really just posting right now to show off that I have the coolest dad in the universe, but thought I'd give you some nail pictures while I was at it so it would be relevant. Check out my cool dad at Woodlines. He's pretty impressive.

The promised nail pictures are of an Orly Mint Mojito Konadicure.

That's it for today. Until tomorrow, love and nail polish to you!

Nubar Hot Pink & Konad M69

Good morning, Dear Reader!

Today I have another summery manicure to show you. It started with yet another neon pink, Nubar's Hot Pink from the Get Hot with Nubar Collection. I haven't used this one in a while, and was struck by how nicely it applied and the fact that it's a two-coater (most neons take more). It's definitely neon, but without the retina-searing quality of Essie's Punchy Pink.

I decided to stamp it with Blue Konad Special Nail Polish. I was eyeing one pattern on Konad plate M69 that I've admired on my short-nailed friends and have been afraid to line up for a double stamp, then opted for the kind of knit-stitch pattern on the same plate instead. I stamped my left thumb, decided I didn't like it, and removed it. Then I threw caution to the wind and went for the one I've been eyeing and fearing for some time. Much to my surprise, I did a reasonable job lining up the double stamps.

It's not perfect, but it ain't half bad, either. I did the stamping on this one by applying the first to a finger, which left one of the lines with a flower at the very top, then applying the second stamp to the same nail turning the stamp upside down and lining it up as I went. It took just under fifteen minutes to do both hands.

Even though it's not perfect, this one makes me really happy. Of all the summer brights, pink is my favorite - this one, Punchy Pink, Color Club's Pink Lust, Pink Rush, and Lazer Pink. I simply love really bright pinks, and Hot Pink is and exceptionally good one. Little rows of flowers on string would make me happy anytime, but especially now since I've been so intimidated by this pattern for a while. I'm all excited that it worked!

That's what I have for you for now, Dear Reader. Until next time, love and nail polish to you!

Coral Blue Konad Princess Nail Polish over Volt of Light

Good afternoon, Dear Reader!

I told you I'd be back with something a little better than this morning's Wet N Wild, and here I am!

Now I have today's Konadicure for you to see. I got up early, so I was up for the effort of Color Club's Volt of Light from the Electro Candy Collection as a base. Volt of Light is one high-maintenance nail polish! On its own, it take me six coats to reach bottle color, and today over a soft white base, it still took four coats. However, for a great highlighter yellow shimmer, it's occasionally worth the effort. Since I had the time before the rest of the world awoke today, I went for it.

Once Volt of Light dried (about 20 minutes after a coat of Diamont), I stamped it with a swirly ribbony pattern from Konad Plate M69, using Coral Blue Konad Princess Nail Polish. I really love my Konad Princess Polishes - they're great colors, and they work so well for stamping, providing a clean, crisp stamp. They're still 20% off with code "nailphile" at Wow So Cool, with free shipping over $20, so if you're thinking of trying them, now's a good time.

Here's what the finished manicure looks like.

It's kind of a retina-burning manicure, but I'm really digging the neons and brights for Summer. With the Fall collections already coming out, there's barely been time to enjoy the Summer colors, so I decided to go back to those and have some fun with them (Fall will come soon enough!). Even though Color Club's Electro Candy Collection is high maintenance in that each takes a lot of coats to be opaque, I really love this collection's colors. I just have to make sure I have sufficient time for all that polish to dry when I use them!

That's all for today, Dear Reader. Until tomorrow, love and nail polish to you!

Wet N Wild Chrome Cobalt

Good morning, Dear Reader!

Today I have a polish I recently found in a Wet N Wild display, one of their Chromes. I love a good shimmery chrome, and I couldn't pass one up in cobalt. As I found when I used it yesterday, I should have.

I used three coats, it's neither chrome nor cobalt, and I can completely see my nails through it. I wouldn't call this one a success by a long shot, but since I have not seen any of these online, I thought I'd show it to you anyhow. From the looks of it, I think it would need five coats to be opaque (which I did not have the patience for), and the bottle is teeny tiny - 0.29 oz.

This is the three coats with a base and top coat.

See what a big difference there is in color on the nail and in the bottle? Quite a disappointment.

I'll likely have something else for you later today, Dear Reader, as I'm not thrilled with leaving a great big failure up all day! Until then, love and nail polish to you!

Essie Punchy Pink Konadicure

Good afternoon, Dear Reader!

I have pictures from last week I haven't shown you yet, what with all the swatches I've shown you lately. It's a see-it-from-the-moon Konadicure with Essie Punchy Pink.

I was told this color was "whorish and unwearable" by a blunt friend, and either because of or despite that, this manicure got more compliments from men than any I've ever worn!

That's all for now, Dear Reader. Until next time, love and nail polish to you!

Nubar Forest & Konad Plate M59

Good morning, Dear Reader!

I'm finally free to use my Nubar greens without feeling guilty, so I'm having some fun with them. Today I used Forest, the creme, and added a little Konad to it. Well, not so much little...

I started with a coat of ridge filler, added two coats of Forest, topped it with Diamont, then two patterns from plate M59 and another coat of Diamont. Now my nails are as girly as can be.

That's it for now, Dear Reader. Until next time, love and nail polish to you!

Nubar Wildlife

Good evening, Dear Reader!

I just got around to doing a mani today, and I used a little pretty that just showed up this afternoon: Nubar's Wildlife. That's the sixth of the Going Green Collection that I didn't have for you when I showed you the rest, and since they're available now, I thought I'd show it to you.

The mani is a coat of ridgefiller, two coats of Wildlife, and one of Diamont. I took a zillion pictures because even the tiniest change in light makes this one look different. This is one hardcore Nubar duochrome!!!

How's that for a killer duochrome, huh? I love it!

That's all I have for you today, Dear Reader. Until tomorrow, love and nail polish to you!