Essie - Power Clutch

We've all done it. We finally buy a polish that we've been lemming for ages and then when we finally get our perfectly polished hands on it, we don't wear it. Instead it sits there for weeks, months even, with the condescending label "untried" over it while staring at you reprovingly (I can hear my unused bottle of OPI You Don't Know Jacques growling at me). That is precisely the case for me with Essie Power Clutch. I purchased this polish back in August after drooling over the swatches of it I had seen. However, I'm just now getting around to wearing it for the first time.

I honestly don't know what's taken me so long to wear this polish; it's excellent! I'm a huge fan of dark, saturated shades. I love the edginess of them. Power Clutch is a blackened charcoal grey creme that has a touch of green. The greenish undertone gives this polish a murkiness that makes it more visually interesting than you ordinary grey creme. The green in this polish isn't pronounced and is only slightly evident when I place my hand near something green.

The formula was pretty good. I used three coats because I had some balding that occurred even after my second coat, but the formula was smooth and had the perfect consistency. This polish is nice and glossy on it's own, but I always use a top coat and used one coat of Sally Hansen Insta Dri Top Coat (which doesn't shrink the mani!).

Honestly, I love shades like this so much that I'll wear then in the middle of summer when it's 100 degrees outside.

That's all for now and thanks for stopping by and reading! It's time fore me to stop procrastinating and get back to my school work!
-Alana

Snowflake Nails

Hello! :)

I've mentioned a few times that I love cold weather and snow. When it snows I look forward to wearing warm plush slippers, being wrapped up in a blanket on the couch with a good view of the window so that I can watch the snow fall while sipping hot tea with the company of a good book. I also look forward to going outside and throwing a few snowballs. ;)

This past Sunday morning I opened my blinds and was surprised to see that it was snowing. It snowed moderately for a few hours and then it eventually stopped. I was hoping that it would accumulate, but it only stuck to the trees. Regardless, I  was happy to see some real winter precipitation and I'm hoping for a generous snowfall before winter ends. (Enough snow to get class cancelled ;) ).

I decided to do nails that were inspired by this weekends snowfall. Okay, I feel like I have to have a disclaimer here: I do not like the final outcome of these nails. I've gotten complements on them, but I'm still not trilled with them. Seche Vite shrunk this mani like crazy and I wanted the snowflakes to be more prominent. Something about it looks lumpy to me. Seche Vite didn't entirely smooth out the glitter. >:(

See what I mean!? It looks lumpy! >:( Im soooo disappointed because it looked so epic in my head! I actually pouted a bit when I finished doing this. Oh well. I did this on Sunday and will be removing it today because it's driving me crazy. I wanted to get at least a couple days wear out of this so that I feel like I didn't waste my time. What do you guys think? Am I being too dramatic? haha

What I used:
- China Glaze Sea Spray
- China Glaze Snow Globe
- Color Club Luminescent (for snowflake stamp)

That's all for now and thanks for stopping by an reading! <3
-Alana

U.K. Nails

Hello all! :)

I really wanted to post this yesterday but I didn't get around to taking the pictures. Yesterday was the start of my Spring semester and I was dealing with class schedule issues (my university's fault -_-). I got them all resolved though! :) I don't have a class until 2 today so I have a chance to post. :)

For the first week of classes I decided to do nails inspired by the United Kingdom's flag. I actually don't think I can give a decent explanation for why haha. It gave me a chance to practice free-handing and I dunno, I just like the U.K's flag and I've always wanted to travel there, so why not?! And a significant portion of my followers are from the U.K. so, it just seems fitting. :)

This actually might be one of my favorite manicures that I've done. I've gotten to many compliments on this in the past day. I've had several people say to me, "How did you DO that!? Awesome!" :). As my base color I used two coats of China Glaze First Mate and then used one coat of China Glaze Skyscraper on top. To free-hand the flag I used a dotting tool to draw the design in white using N.Y.C 134A. I then used China Glaze Hey Sailor! to continue the detailing. I used a dotting tool for the cross and then used a nail art brush for the diagonal lines. It took me about an hour and 40 minutes to complete this on both hands, which isn't as long as I thought it would take.

That's all for today and thanks for stopping by and reading. <3
-Alana

Zoya - Anja

I'm going to try and keep this post brief. I haven't eaten breakfast yet and I'm still in my pajamas and I need to go grocery shopping for my apartment back at school. It's way cheaper to get food here and take it back to school when I'm on long breaks because at school there is only a Harris Teeter and a Kroger. Not the cheapest. (I'm especially looking at YOU Harris Teeter!!)

Anyway, my current mani is Zoya Anja. I love this color, mainly because it's dark and vampy. This shade actually has a very trace amount of glass flecks in it. I didn't notice until I held my bottle up to my desk lamp. The glass flecks are so sparse and that I almost thought I was imagining them being there, but they are definitely there. They disappear on the nail 99.99% of the time (perhaps a bit of an exaggeration. I'm a history major not a math major....), but there are those times when, in direct sunlight, you can see a bit of sparkle. Lovely. :)

The formula was excellent. Highly pigmented and smooth. I barely had to do any clean-up and what clean-up I did have to do what my fault. I used two coats for full opacity and one coat of Sally Hansen Insta-Dri Top Coat.

I. Love. This. Polish!

That's all for today and thanks for stopping by and reading! When I get back from running errands I'm going to be spending the rest of my day washing laundry and packing. I go back on Monday where I will once again study like a fiend non-stop until May. I just realized how horrible that sounds. Don't worry people I have fun too! ;)
-Alana

Kreative Blogger Award and China Glaze Haul

Hello! :)

I was originally going to just do a post on the new China Glazes that I picked up today while I was out and when I got on blogger Emilie at greeneyespinknails informed me that she has passed on the Kreative Blogger Award to me. Thank you so much Emilie! :) You can see the new polishes I got at the end of this post. :)

The rules for this award are: 

• Link back to the person who gave you this award
• Complete the questions below (and 7 random facts)
• Award this to 10 other bloggers

1. Name your favorite song: Uuuuh, I have so many "favorite" songs. I don't even know... a current favorite is "Every Teardrop is a Waterfall" from Coldplay's most recent album Mylo Xyloto. 
2. Name your favorite dessert: I have two favorites. Key lime pie and strawberry cheesecake. Yum!
3. What ticks you off: Hmmm, people who are conniving and deceitful. 
4. When I'm upset I: Well it depends. If it's an issue I'm willing to talk about then I talk to a person who I'm close to. If it's something I'd prefer to keep to myself I just reason things out in my head and then listen to music haha. 
5. What's you favorite pet: I don't have a dog, but I think dogs make the best pets!
6. Black or White: Black
7. Biggest Fear: I have a fear of failure. 
8. Everyday attitude: I'd say that I'm fairly easy going and quiet on a day to day basis. 
9. What is perfection: As of right now, that delicious piece of peppermint bark I just ate. I love chocolate. 
10. Guilty pleasure: Nail polish, duh ;) 

7 Random Facts: 

1. I'm left handed! But I  can also do several things with my right hand or the right side of my body. 
2. My parents refer to me as "The Yankee" because I was the only one out of my parents and my brother and sister to have been born up North. And I like cold weather. I take it as a compliment. ;)
3. I'm 5'7" which is why I prefer to wear flats over heels because I'm already taller than the majority of my female friends (and some of my guy friends) and I don't like the feeling of towering over people. With a pair of heels I can reach to almost 6 feet. But I'm the shortest person out of my parents and siblings.  
4. I'm really good at impersonations. People tell me I could do a stand up comedy act doing impersonations. 
5. I think that British English has cooler words than American English. "Blimey" is probably among one of my favorites. And I actually use the term "loo" because I think it sounds better than saying, "I have to go to the restroom!" I think it sounds a bit more subtle haha. And if I could some how acquire a British accent I would because I think it sounds awesome!
6.  I'm very straight forward and at times rather blunt. I'm that person who usually ends up saying out loud what everyone else is thinking but is too scared to say out loud. But I still try to be as tactful as possible. 
7. I have a pretty awesome immune system. I rarely get sick and I didn't get sick at all this past semester while everyone else around be had colds.

Here are 10 bloggers I'd like to pass this award to:

1. A Polished Touch
2. A Wig Wam is Not a Teepee
3. Both Hands Polished
4. dameliac
5. Glamo Nails 
6. Goose's Glitter
7. Holly and Polish
8. Nail Nerd
9. NicNack'sNails
10. SeeSarahSwatch

Once, again, thank you Emilie for thinking of me! :)

And lastly, I would like to show you all the China Glaze polishes I picked up. Sally's Beauty Supply Store had the polishes from The Metro Collection and China Glaze's most recent holiday collection reduced to 1.99 so I snagged 4. Three of which were already on my wish list.

 From left to right: Glittering Garland, Skyscraper, Twinkle Lights, Snow Globe

Unfortunately, my photo does not doe these polishes justice. Especially Snow Globe. I have no idea why my camera made it look so weird. But still, look at all that glittery goodness! :)

That's all for today, thanks for stopping by and reading! <3

-Alana

Comparison: Zoya Cynthia vs. OPI Ski Teal We Drop

Hello dear readers!

First, I would like to say that these past few days have been very exciting for me, blog-wise. I've gotten massive amounts of visitors and a handful of new followers, all within a span of about 3 days. That makes me sooo excited and happy! :D Thank you so much to all my new followers and those who comment with dedication. Without you guys this wouldn't nearly be as much fun and I appreciate all of you! <3

So for today I have a comparison for you all. I acquired Zoya Cynthia back in late September and then acquired OPI Ski Teal We Drop, I believe sometime in October. When I brought Ski Teal We Drop home I thought, "OH SNAP! PLEASE TELL ME THIS ISN'T LIKE CYNTHIA!" (Yes, I was that dramatic). But I have no idea what I was thinking because these two polishes couldn't be more different. Lets take a look:

OPI Ski Teal We Drop: Index and Ring fingers

Zoya Cynthia: Middle and Pinky fingers

See what I mean? These two polishes are so different it's not even funny. How in WORLD did I think they were similar? Perhaps since I was at school at the time all that studying made me have a lapse of judgement.... And why does my skin look pale!? I guess it's time for me to just accept that my summer tan is loooong gooone (yes, I've been in denial...). Here, I am reminded of one of my roomates who is half Dutch and always gives me a look of disdain when I complain about having lost my tan. And I quote her, "Are you kidding me!? You're always tan! I'm the one who's pale and white! At least you can tan, I just burn!" My response, "Well, life is that way sometimes. You can't deny that I've gotten significantly lighter..."Can you guys tell I'm in a humorous mood? ;)

Ski Teal We Drop is definitely way lighter than Cynthia and is a pure teal. Cynthia is a blackened teal with the most microscopic silver shimmer that only becomes visible in direct light, which gives if a dusty, almost smoky appearance. Formula-wise, both had great application and required two coats. So I'm very pleased to have both of these, as they are both rather pretty in their own distinct way.

And before I wrap things up I would like to share with you a photo that has made my day:

Photo Credit: Tumblr

Matthew Lewis and Tom Felton bromancing it up. I have a bromance obsession. It's just so cute....

Okay enough of my ramblings. I hope someone found this comparison helpful! I figured that if I was curious about these two polishes then perhaps so was someone else. :) That's all for today and thanks for stopping by and reading. <3
-Alana

The Versatile Blogger Award! :)

Hello all! :)

Today I received the Versatile Blogger Award from Wig Wam at A Wig Wam is not a Teepee. (I love the name of her blog by the way. I'm part Native American and so I find her blog name particularly clever ;) ). So first I want to say thank you for passing this on to me! :)

Okay, so now I have to state 7 things about myself. I love doing these kinds of things (and reading them) because they can get pretty entertaining haha. Here it goes:

1. I'm still on vacation from school. My semester hasn't started yet. I still have another week of being blissfully relaxed and doing absolutely nothing except watching mindless television, staring at nail swatches all day, and becoming even more addicted to Tumblr. But this is just the calm before the storm. My upcoming semester is going to be tough!

2. I have a fan girl crush on Rupert Grint. I do think he has a bit of an unusual look (not in a bad way hahaha), but something about him seems endearing to me. That and he makes a pretty great Ron Weasley. And he was hilarious in the movie Wild Target too! (If you haven't seen it yet and you want a movie that delivers laughs, I suggest you watch it.)  I mean look at this face: ;)

                                 

3. I am currently bummed that we have had a very mild winter where I live, which can actually be said for the majority of the States. I actually really like cold weather and snow. :) I like the cold so much that I have never been past North Carolina in the States because during the summer I can't stand the extreme heat. It gives me migraines. 

4. I really want to go to Spain. My dad lived there for a few years while he was in high school and still talks about how much he really liked it there. And since Barcelona is my favorite soccer team, it's a goal of mine to see them play live one day. 

5. I love the Lord of the Rings movies. I have seen them so many times that I know them all by heart, word for word, and I still am not tired of watching them. In fact, I'm going to watch them this week before I have to go back to school. 

6. Speaking of school, I have a love hate relationship with school. I love the independence of being a way from home and basically living with my friends, but being more than half way done with my undergraduate university career means that each semester gets harder. I've never studied so much in my life. Studying gets tedious and thats where the hate part comes in. But I still love my school and the great people that I've met there. And I know that all of this hard work will pay off. :)

7.  I'm a bookworm. I love to read. I wish I could spend all my free time with my nose in an excellent book, with my nails painted of course ;). I'm currently reading Three Cups of Tea. I just started it yesterday and I'm hooked on it.

The next rule for this award is to pass it on to 15 bloggers. These are in no particular order. 

1. Both Hands Polished 
2. dameliac
3. Greeneyespinknails
4. Laura's Lacquers 
5. Nail Stories 
6. Nail Nerd
7. Nails by Kayla Shevonne 
8. Nailspotting
9. NicNack'sNails
10. Polish Vixen
11. Sara <3's Pretty Little Things 
12. So Nailed 
13. Spaz & Squee
14. The Nail Network
15. The Polished Medic 

Wheeeew, that took me a very long time to do! hahaha :)

That's all for now, thanks for stopping by and reading! <3

-Alana

Mint Green Sparkle

Hello! :)

Today I'm going to show you all a mani that I did using one of the polishes I got from my sister while she was in Korea. I used the mint green creme from the Korean brand Skin Food as my base color. The formula of that polish was a bit thick, goopy, and super streaky. I added some polish thinner and application became soooooo much better! I used 3 coats to get a nice even look. I think that these application issues just had to so with this particular shade because I tried out of the other polishes my sister got me and the application was perfect.

 Then I applied one thin coat of China Glaze White Cap. Man, that polish is just stunning. It added warmth to the mint green, which looked a bit stark against my complexion. I love how light and sparkly this combination is and I can't wait to see how White Cap looks with other polishes in my collection.

Unfortunately Seche Vite kinda messed up all  my hard work. it shrunk white cap at the tips, which really frustrates me because I wrap my tips to avoid this issue. >:( You'll see what I mean in the photos. What I usually do to prevent shrinkage is also to wait about 5 minutes to apply Seche Vite so that it's still wet enough to penetrate all the layers of lacquer but not result in massive shrinkage, which generally works pretty well for me and I usually get little to no shrinkage. Perhaps I should have waited a bit longer for White Cap to dry and I could have prevented this. Oh well, I still love this mani!

I really like this mint green creme on its own, but White Cap takes it to another level!

That's all for now, thanks for stopping by and reading! <3
-Alana

New Year's Nails

Happy New Year's! :)

Today I will be showing you all the nails I did for New Year's. I  rung in the New Year with my best friend and her family and spent the majority of yesterday with her as well. :) I did my nails on New Year's Eve, but hadn't had the time to do this post until to day because well, I wasn't home and was away from my laptop.

I wanted an elegant mani; one that looked celebratory but will still be wearable for the next couple of days. So I opted for  coats of China Glaze Black Diamond, a black shimmer polish, and stamped the swirl design from the BM-201 plate in gold using China Glaze Passion and topped it all off with one coat of Sally Hansen Insta-Dri Top Coat. Take a look:

I really like this mani. It's really simple but has an elegance to it. My mom and best friend really like it. I quote my best friend, "Your nails look sooooo cooooool!" hahaha :). I am also extremely partial to this swirl design and I can't wait to try it out in other color combinations. 

Well, that's all for now and thanks for stopping by and reading. <3

-Alana