OPI I Don't Give A Rotterdam!

3 coats.  I Don't Give a Rotterdam! is a dusty perwinkle with silver shimmer flecks and subtle gold sparkle.  The grey is pretty prominent, so it tends to lean more grey or blue depending on the lighting.  Even though IDGAR came out in the spring, I think it makes a nice winter shade as well because of the grey in it.  What do you think?

Do you like the macro shot above?  I might start adding this to my swatches if I can.  My camera's not the best, so sometimes I don't get clear macro shots.  But this is a feature I'll try to add in the future. ^^


Liz

The Stash: Essie

I admittedly don't own a lot of Essies.  I used to be quite enthusiastic about them, but their collections haven't been catching my eye as much lately.  I did really want Camera from their Summer 2012 Poppy-Razzi collection, but it was sold out everywhere. :/  Otherwise, I tend to gravitate toward other brands because I don't like Essie's small round brushes.  I think their bottles are really cute though, and I love how the drugstore ones have color coded labels at the top.

My first Essie was Coat Azure from the Spring 2011 French Affair collection.  But my oldest bottle is probably the darkest one called Night Cap.  Not sure when that one came out, but it's a watery dark blue/teal tint.  It's discontinued, but I was able to get it because I won it from Body & Soul. :)  Since I have so little Essies, I can definitely pick a favorite: School of Hard Rocks.  (PS. It looks amazing with Essie Shine of Times - my favorite combo.)

I think my group of Essies need some more friends...like Leading Lady from the new winter collection. :P

(*edit: I replaced the original picture with a better one. ^^)

What are your favorite Essies?  And which shade was your first?  


Liz

Julep Nora

Hi all!  Today I have the other suede matte from my November Julep Maven box.  Nora is a suede purple with silver metallic shimmer.  It can look a bit dirty and muddy in some lightings, so I prefer it glossy more than matte.  The formula was the same easy two coat formula that Julep Hailee had.  I would recommend applying this in medium coats and working quickly if you're finding application tricky.  However, it's the easiest matte formula I've come across so far.

Isn't it prettier with top coat?

If you're interested in joining Julep Maven, you can do so by signing up via my affiliate link.  Be sure to use code PENNY at checkout to get your first box for only penny. ^^

What do you think of Nora?  Do you like it matte or with top coat?


Liz

China Glaze Deviantly Daring

I dropped by Sally Beauty Supply a few days ago for non nail related reasons, and of course, I came out with a few polishes.  I finally found the sale rack at my Sally's!  I can't believe I never saw it. -_-  I seriously just had to turn around.  Anyway, I noticed a few China Glaze polishes I wanted in the racks for $3.29 each and came away with two.

Lately, I've been curving my impulsive polish buys.  I must admit, the crazies have transferred over to makeup instead.  But makeup costs more, so I've been doing more planned purchases than impulsive ones.  I'm also saving up for the China Glaze Hologlam collection, so I kind of do an either or thing: this or Hologlam?  Hologlam usually wins.

So here's the first polish I got!

Deviantly Daring, 2 coats: a green-teal-blue duochrome.  Even though there's three colors, the green is a bit elusive, so I wouldn't call this a multichrome.  It's also a more subtle duochrome.  Rather than seeing two colors simultaneously on the nail, I noticed that the polish as a whole shifts from teal to deep blue depending on how the light hits it.

I got this polish knowing the duochrome wouldn't be super strong, so I was actually more impressed than disappointed.  I think the color is gorgeous, and it's more duochrome than I expected it to be.  The formula was excellent as well: good consistency and two-coat pigmentation.  The only downside is brushstroke visibility, but that doesn't bother me much.  The above picture is in direct sunlight, and the rest below are in indirect sunlight.

Do you own Deviantly Daring or any of the other polishes from the Bohemian Luster Chrome collection?  What did you think of them?


Liz

piCture pOlish Ruby Blou

I'm currently wearing this over Milani Black Swift!  Ruby Blou is a clear based polish with red, silver, and sky blue glitter in medium and fine sizes.  It was easy to use and applied evenly across the nail.  Doesn't it look great paired over black like this?  I'm wearing two coats here.

China Glaze Trendsetter

Look what I found!  These swatches are from over a year ago.  I guess I forgot to post them.  This is Trendsetter from last year's Fall 2011 Metro collection.  Trendsetter is a green leaning mustard yellow with gold shimmer.  It's an unusual color, one I've affectionately nicknamed...er...baby poop.  It's definitely one of those hate it or love it colors.  I personally think it's a great color for fall.  It looks perfect against brown leather. :P

The Stash: China Glaze

China Glaze was my first non drugstore brand.  My first purchases were Ahoy, Starboard, and First Mate from the Spring 2011 collection: Anchors Away.  I can't remember which one I used first, but I've been a fan of China Glaze since.  I also think China Glaze has the most diverse selection of finishes including holos, flakies, and duochromes.  I'm looking forward to their new Hologlam collection!

I honestly can't pick any favorites from my stash.  I love them all, but I do fuss over my OMG holos a bit more. ^^

Do you remember your first CG?  Which shades are your favorites?  Let me know in the comments!  I'd love to hear. :)


Liz

Zoya Giveaway Winner Announced!

Congratulations to Sarah T.!  I've already emailed you, so please reply back within 48 hours.  If there is no reply by then, I will have to draw a new winner.

Thank you to everyone else for entering!  It was really fun reading all your comments on your favorite Zoyas!  Don't worry if you didn't win.  There will be more giveaways in the future. ^^


Liz

China Glaze Cirque Du Soleil: My Picks

Happy Turkey Day!  Aka Thanksgiving. :)  Thought I'd post this really quickly while waiting for the turkey to cook.  I've been pretty excited about this collection from China Glaze, so I swatched them all yesterday when I got them. ^^

Julep Hailee

Julep recently came out with some matte suede finishes in their November Maven box.  I've always admired the OPI suede shades, so I was excited to see these.  I got It Girl for this month, which came with two suede mattes.  Hailee is one of them and is a smoky khaki with metallic silver shimmer.  It has a great formula, especially for a matte shade.  I'm wearing two coats here without top coat.

Here's Hailee with top coat.  I like how it looks both ways.

What do you think of Hailee?  Are you a fan of suede finishes?


Liz

The Stash: Zoya Edition

Hi all!  I'm currently holding a Zoya giveaway, and for one of the entries I asked a few question about people's Zoya preferences.  I thought it would be fun to answer those questions myself, starting with Zoya.

Why I love Zoya:  I love the variety of colors and finishes Zoya comes out with, particularly the shimmer flecked ones (think Sunshine collection).  Plus they have cute bottles that line up so neatly in my Helmer.  On top of that, I love how connected Zoya is with their customers.

First Zoya:  My first Zoya purchases were Rica and Faye.  Of the two, I wore Rica first. :)

Favorite Zoya:  This is such a tough question, so I'll go with my current favorite for this season, Valerie.  It's gorgeous and perfect for fall and winter.


If you haven't entered my giveaway yet, you can find it here (US only, ends 11/23).  If you haven't commented in the giveaway or won't be entering, definitely comment with your answers to the three questions below!  Also, let me know if you like these posts and which brands you'd like for me to cover next. :)


Liz

Nicole by OPI Kardashian Kolor Holiday Glitters and Shimmers

Hi guys!  Hope you're all enjoying the weekend.  Today I have for you the new Kardashian Kolors Holiday 2012 collection!

All is Glam, All is Bright, 3coats: opaque glitter jam packed with fine silver, red, and pale blue glitter.  As expected, this color is super glittery.  It tends to look like a pale pink with red and blue sparkles at arms length.  It took me 3 coats to get it opaque and the formula was easy to work with.

China Glaze® and Ardell® Introduce Exclusive Collections Inspired by Paramount Pictures’ new 3D Film, “Cirque du Soleil™: Worlds Away”

LOS ANGELES (November 15, 2012) – China Glaze® and Ardell® announced today their partnership with Paramount Pictures to offer exclusive collections of nail polishes and eyelashes inspired by the upcoming 3D film, “Cirque du Soleil: Worlds Away” in theaters December 21^st. 

From the big top to the big screen, visionary filmmaker James Cameron and writer/director Andrew Adamson invite you on an all new 3D adventure: “Cirque du Soleil: Worlds Away.”  A young couple who is separated must journey through the astonishing and dreamlike worlds of Cirque du Soleil® to find each other as audiences experience the immersive 3D technology that will allow them to leap, soar, swim and dance with the performers.

The new China Glaze® and Ardell® “Cirque du Soleil: Worlds Away” inspired nail polish and eyelash collections will bring to life the wonderfully exotic artistry that is presented throughout the film. The China Glaze® nail polish collection combines rich crèmes, soft shimmers and bold glitters to create 12 limited edition shades including:

         Whirled Away – Black and white collage glitter

Ozotic Scatter 915

Finish
915 is a duochrome polish with holographic shimmer flecks.  The duochrome base has some gold in it, but mainly shifts from apple green to blue and aqua.  I think the holographic flecks set this polish apart from all the other chrome polishes we've been seeing lately.  I love how glow-y looks on my nails and the holo shimmer has the tendency to catch me off guard.

Floral Nail Art with BPS Studs

Hi all!  I know we're approaching winter, but I really wanted to do some floral nails.  So here they are.  I think this is my best set of floral nails yet.  And I just realized I always use a mint base color... I should change it up.  But this time I added studs!  Exciting, right?

For this look, I used Urban Outfitters Smush as the base color.  Then I layered one coat of OPI Don't Touch My Tutu! and Pirouette My Whistle over it to soften the mint.  For the flowers, I used OPI Sparrow Me The Drama and Dr.'s Remedy Youthful Yellow.  (Here's a tutorial on how to do the flowers.)  The leaves were done with Revlon Rain Forest.  I also added a spray of white flowers by dotting on Milani White On The Spot.  No tools were required for this look besides a bobby pin. :)

 

As for the studs, the ones I used are the 2mm round gold studs* from Born Pretty Store.  They come in the bag shown above, and as you can see, there are a lot of studs in there.  I actually love these studs a lot.  I prefer them over rhinestones and they don't lose their luster or bleed when topped with top coat.  They're also much flatter than rhinestones, so they don't come off easily or trigger the 'picking' instinct in me.  I already have a few other (more season relevant) designs in mind, so you'll be seeing these studs again. :P

You can find the studs on BPS for $5.90, and they carry a lot of other studs in different shapes and colors as well.  You can also use my code F10X31 to get 10% off your total! :)

That's it for today!  What do you think of this look?  Do you ever feel like wearing seasonally inappropriate nail art? -.-

Liz 

*The studs reviewed in this post were sent to me for my honest review.

Affiliate links are indicated with an * sign.
Please view my Disclosure Policy for more info.

Zoya Giveaway Sponsored by Verve 360!

Hi everyone!  It's time for another giveaway! :)

This one's sponsored by the lovely folks at Verve 360 Pittsburgh hair salon.  Verve 360 is a full service spa, studio, & salon in downtown Pittsburgh.  They offer both salon services (hair, nails, facials, waxing) and wellness services (pilates, yoga, & private training), so definitely check them out if you're interested.

So what are the prizes you ask?  One lucky winner will win two Zoya polishes from Zoya's Fall 2012 Designer collection: Natty and Toni.

Natty (ZP629) - Smoked navy blue cream  / Toni (ZP627) - Dark maroon red cream

You can also check out my swatches of Natty (here) and Toni (here).  They're both great shades, and I've personally been loving Natty quite a bit.

To enter, just follow the directions in the Rafflecopter widget below!  This giveaway is only open to those residing in contiguous US (no Hawaii or Alaska), and will end on 11/23 at 12:01am EST.

Good luck, everyone!  And of course, a big thanks to Verve 360 Pittsburgh hair salon for providing the prize! :)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

My Etsy Shop is Now Open!

In stock now are the 5 holiday glitters from my Holiday 2012 collection: full size $9 (visit shop here).  To celebrate the opening of my shop, I am currently offering a 10% discount on all orders now till 11/24.  Just use code: NEWSHOP10. :)

I don't have the holographic shades yet, but I will be releasing them color by color.  My goal is to launch them in December, so hopefully they'll be up by then.  Also, if there are certain holographic colors you would like to see, feel free to leave suggestions in the comments!  I will take them into consideration. ^^

Also, please make sure to follow me on Twitter (@liquidjelly76) and Facebook for real time updates on my shop!  I will update via blog as well, but all news will be announced on twitter and facebook first.

And I want to say thank you to everyone for all the support and encouragement!


Liz

My Nail Care Routine

Hey all!  It doesn't look like the sun's coming out anytime soon.  I should just get a full spectrum bulb and build a light box. -_-  Since I can't swatch, I thought it was about time I showed you my nail care routine. ^^  (Disclaimer: I don't claim to be a professional, this is just what I do/use to care for my nails.  Also, all of these items were purchased by me; none of this is sponsored.)

NOTD: Etude House Pajama Party

Hi everyone!  Today I'm wearing this pale blue polish with rainbow glitter.  It's kind of like Deborah Lippmann Candy Shop only with a blue creme-jelly base.  I'm wearing three coats, and the formula was about average.  It's a bit of a slow drier, so you just need to let each coat dry a bit before moving on to the next coat.  I love that there's orange and yellow (not gold) glitter in here.  I also like that the red glitters are all small, allowing the medium purple hexes to stand out.  Overall, it's really cute.  I think it would make a perfect spring time color.  I'm just wearing it now... because I really wanted to try it. :P

Oh yeah, this line of Etude polishes all had these awkward labels on the sides of the cap.  I would have been fine with it, but they were also stiff and not very sticky, so the corners kept peeling off whenever I'd twist the cap.  That got annoying, so I broke my strict 'original labels on' rule, and peeled them all off.  I replaced them with handwritten labels, which I placed on the bottom.  This might be a good idea if you want to re-label yours in English as well. ^-^

That's it!  Hope you all had a great weekend. :)

Liz

*edit: If you'd like to purchase Pajama Party, I found two sellers on Ebay selling them for $4.99 each with free shipping (not affiliated).  If you're interested in purchasing any, here are the two sellers: Seller #1 & Seller #2.  For the record, I did not buy mine from Ebay, so please make sure the sellers are reliable before purchasing.

Etude House Nail Polish Haul

Hey all!  Hope everyone had a safe and fun Halloween!  There weren't that many trick-or-treaters this year, so we have a surplus of candy.  I'm keeping them out of sight though, since I'm trying to watch what I eat. T__T  I love Reese's Peanut Butter Cups...

Anyway, my dad just came back from a 3 week trip to S. Korea!  I wasn't expecting him to get me anything, but he did! :)  8 glitter polishes and a flakie from Etude House! :D  I can't even picture my dad standing in Etude House.  It's so girly and pink there...so I was really surprised. :)

All of these polishes are from Etude House's Dear My Party Nails line and retail for 3,000 won each (about $3 USD).

PWH902 Sparkling Champagne, PPK002 Evening Dress, PBL601 Pajama Party

PPP502 Halloween Day, PGR701 Helium Balloon

PWH904 Mirror Ball, PBE102 Golden Bell

PPK004 Peach Punch, PBK802 Club Party

And in case you were wondering if Club Party is a DL Bad Romance dupe... I don't think it is.  At least, it's not a dupe for Revlon Facets of Fuchsia.  Club Party's glitter is much more magenta/raspberry than fuchsia.  So pretty!  I think I might like it even more than Facets of Fuchsia. :)

I don't think there's an Etude House in the US, but you can find these easily enough on Ebay.  I found two sellers on there selling them at $4.99 each with free shipping.  If you're interested in purchasing any, here are the two sellers: Seller #1 & Seller #2.  I've never bought anything from either of the two sellers, so please use your own judgement if purchasing from them. ^^

What do you think of these?  Have you ever tried any polishes from Etude House before?


Liz