China Glaze Crackle Glaze is HOT.

I feel like I'm late to the Crackle/Shatter party here. Just because I haven't purchased or wrote about it doesn't mean I didn't desire the ever living heck out of it.
I've just had a lot on my plate.

Yesterday I took a bit of time for myself and went over to Sally Beauty after work. The one down the street from my salon is open until 9, which is totally awesome because I get off at 8.
I was gonna check out the new Finger Paints, but as soon as I walked in China Glaze was sitting right there in front beside the register!
Oh, let me tell you I wanted to buy every single one but I had a slow day at work and didn't have much in the way of tips to be spending. I started my collection with Cracked Concrete and Broken Hearted.

1 coat Broken Hearted over 2 coats OPI Who The Shrek Are You?

The premise behind these crackle and shatter nail polishes is pretty simple:
1. Put on a base if you like to (I didn't here)
2. Put on a coloured nail polish.
3. Wait for that coloured polish to completely dry. Not tacky dry. Not "yeah, this'll do" dry. TOTALLY dry.
4. QUICKLY brush on a coat of crackle. I doesn't have to be perfect. In fact, it's probably not going to be so I wouldn't try if I were you. Besides, it's gonna crack up undoing all the smooth beautiful work you just did.
5. Watch the cracks form! For this China Glaze, it started happening almost immediately. The tag on the bottle says 3-5 minutes but my first finger was already cracked when I moved on to my next.
6. The crackle polish dries with a matted finish and is bumpy, so finish up with a good thick top coat. I used 2 coats of OPI Rapid Dry, but only because that's what I had handy right there. I'm not sure that was the best for this polish.


I can say with absolute certainty that I LOVE crackle polishes. It's such an easy way to have interesting nail art that everyone will go bonkers for. I like that I was able to wear my two fave colours without looking like a kandyraver kid. Not that there's anything wrong with kandyravers, I just think I'm too old for that.

50,000,000 Elvis Fans Can't Be Wrong

Did I ever talk about the Milani One-Coat Glitters?
I got them on Christmas at the only open store that day: CVS.
I had to go for the whole collection because they were aaaahhhhh-MAZE-ing!!!

One of my favourites is Gold. Yes, just Gold. No clever names. Gold.
Ya know why? Cuz it's gold. Very very gold.

I wanted this one to last and BLING for days so I got:
1 coat Orly Bonder
2 coats Milani Gold (Honestly, none of them are "one-coat glitters")
1 coat OPI Gold Glitter Top Coat (part of the holiday collection a few years ago)
1 coat Out The Door
1 coat OPI Rapid Dry

It lasted through 3 days of work. A record!

I can't wait to put this back on. It reminds me of this album cover:

Bundle Monster Contest!

A few weeks ago, I got my first Konad set. I loved it. LOVED it! So of course my broke ass went out and got the Bundle Monster set. It's way cheaper than Konad and works really awesome. Sure, it has some problems - the plates are un-backed and kinda sharp and the full-nail designs are too skinny for thumbs - but there is a whole new set coming out that addresses those issues!!

To celebrate, Bundle Monster is doing a contest where the winner gets the new set!
I'm sure all the established nail bloggers have this wrapped up, but even so I'm entering. I love doing the stamping plates so much and I get so many complements on my nails. Today, the lady at the bank was gaga over it!
I feel so pretty!

Why I have been gone...

Oh, the American Dream (tm)...
Work hard, give your life to a company, turn down several lucrative offers in the quest for stability....
And get laid off anyway.

The small hospital my man works for has been purchased by another, large corporation. The move was supposed to bail out the hospital from unfortunate financial problems. They're in a low-income area and cater toward older patients - people that really can't pay for care. It's a problem in our nation and that's as much discussion as this subject will get from me.

The really biting thing is that the corporation has decided that saving the hospital from ruin means closing down a majority of the facility and dismissing many of the staff... Including my guy who uses his wages to pay our rent and utilities while I'm in school full time.

Of course, this came right when we're up on our lease in our current apartment and have decided to move. We're looking at having a final paycheque coming on Tuesday but if it does not come in a timely fashion, his unemployment insurance payments will be coming too late to keep us off the street.

Soooooo..... haven't really had the time for taking pictures of nails and lips.
I have, however, been keeping up on the blogs and read one about the way the industry encourages us to buy products.

I've been thinking a lot about that.
The standard has changed. It used to be that companies would sell us - the professionals - on a product and then we would sell it to our clients. I think it's a great method. After all, we have the knowledge to assess our clients' needs. One thing I've learned is that most every woman thinks her hair is thin and thinks she needs more protein... When actually all they need is a few layers and a moisture treatment. When a client is left to their own devices, they'll grab products because they smell good, not have the results they desired, blame it on the company, and fall back to a particular drugstore brand that seems to be popular because it's so homogenized that each type works exactly the same for anyone's hair.

But now companies are cutting stylists out of the mix.
They're marketing directly to the consumer, assuming the average 18-24 year old women is educated about herself enough to make an informed choice.
There's been several times that I've seen a product launched in fashion magazine several months before their PR writeup in trade publications... And now they're getting product to bloggers before even brochures end up at the distributor.

Once was a day that I would have weekly sign-ups to get samples from the companies. Many of the products I swear by today just appeared on my doorstep without my even asking. I used to get at least one of everything Paul Mitchell introduced. You know what the result was? My salon completely sold out of Paul Mitchell Shampoo Three within a week of my discovering the cache in our back room. It's a great product. I know it's a great product. Because my fellow stylists never had the joy of experiencing it, my clients - who live in an area with a water hardness level of 25-40 - didn't know it was a great product.
Why isn't Paul Mitchell getting Shampoo Three in the hands of every stylist working in a hard water city?

So I replied to the blog post with my thoughts:

Something that's really really been bugging me is the way that - in America anyway - companies are now releasing to the bloggers before the professionals.
In the past, the salon was where women went to get the latest scoop on what's new and hot. Now, we're not even getting samples for ourselves anymore.
This month, my salon got packettes of a Matrix Biolage Shampoo that's been out for over a year. We got them this month because Biolage is our special but (a) we should have gotten them in advance of the special deal so people could experience before coming back in to purchase and (b) most of my clients already have this in their shower, negating the need for sampling.
Even OPI pulled this crap, releasing Black Shatter information to bloggers almost a whole month before the promo materials hit the distributors (and 2 months before the product itself hit shelves).

Part of me almost blames the industry. If professionals took pride in their career and subscribed to the trade publications, checked out what their distributors had on a regular basis, and fostered relationships with the PR people, WE would still be the first line.
But most stylists - and even less nail techs - discuss retail with their clients whatsoever. I have clients who have been coming to my salon for years (I'm new there) that still use a drugstore shampoo/conditioner notorious for causing dulling buildup that can end up damaging the hair. Have their previous stylists never properly educated them on caring for their hair? How do I live in a VERY hard water area and less people know we offer clarifying treatments then when I lived in a soft water area?

It's a whole new world and I'm honestly not sure that I'm ready to work in it.

OPI Tuxedo Collection

A recent post on Body and Soul, a blog I follow, reminded me of the beauty that is was is the Tuxedo Collection by OPI.
She titled it "Old School!", to which I replied "oh come now, it's not THAT old..."

Then I found it in a 2005 advertisement in a nail magazine.
For the fashion world, that's ANCIENT!!!

Even so, it capitalised on one classic rule of fashion - black never goes out of style.
Which to me is kind of funny because this was one of the first times that black was IN style for nails. Previously, black nails had pretty much been reserved for goths, punks, and all the other rockin' counterculture kiddies.  We had to stock up during Halloween and put up with the sheer, spotty coverage of what Markwins gave us. (And I do have to say now, Markwins is putting out some quality stuff - just look at everyone's reviews of the Wet N' Wild holiday palettes.)

Not only did OPI give us deep opaque coverage in a lush black creme - they gave us 3 different finishes!

Midnight Blue Glitter, Black Satin, Black Onyx, Alpine Snow

This pic is junk. I'm sorry. I swear I went to photography school. Really.
Anyway, OPI offered in the Tuxedo Collection:
Midnight Blue Glitter, a charcoal gray glitter with deep blue specks (needs 3 coats, but I give it 4).
Black Satin, almost a precursor to the Suede Collection - it is black with silver/gray shimmer and a gloss finish. It really looks like when you put a gloss topcoat over the Suede polishes.
Black Onyx, a beautiful pure black creme that is opaque in 2 coats and hard wearing.
Alpine Snow, a standard white shade. It had always been our beauty school standard for french tips but on the whole nail I find it needs a minimum of 3 coats, sometime 4, for complete opacity.

The ads all showed different ways to give yourself a tuxedo manicure like doing the tips black or even drawing a little bowtie on the nail. I actually find the suggestions to be clever and it would be really fun to go to a black tie event with that kind of whimsy (and that thought may be the reason I've only been invited to one black tie event).

Alpine Snow and Black Onyx are now part of OPI's standard line. I've seen Black Satin pop up from time to time at the nail supply shop but I don't know if it is old stock or if OPI releases small amounts. Midnight Blue Glitter, to my knowledge, has not been produced since 2005. It can be found on eBay usually without the HUGE markup of other discontinued shade.
With storage in an outside garage for a year, my bottles did not suffer a bit (they were inside in a closet the rest of the years). Some of my polishes show separation from having frozen then been subjected to heat so bad all my LPs warped, but the entire Tuxedo Collection applied just as the day I bought it.

Glitter and Gel Part 2!

I've talked a few times already, I think, about how much I love the OPI Designer Series. Somehow, I missed out on China Glaze OMG (found some at the supply shop today, though) so I'm diggin' the holo sparkle of DS.

After the success of the iPod glitterizing with Spitfire, I decided to take my Divine manicure into a more permanant arena...



I didn't get a "blur-o-vision" of this one, but the holo on this is pretty amazing too! Divine sparkles with blues and silvers. Very lovely and multi-dimensional.

I used the same method as before but did both the front and back this time. On the back, the brushstrokes didn't level out all the way. I'm not sure if I should be using more or less gel, a wider brush, or thinner product. Time will tell.

Til then, here's some rad pics of the project...

Matching nails. This is just too good of a shade. I may need more bottles!

I wish this captured the many colours of the sparkle better.

I see blue, and I see silver, and I see gold, and I see....

OPI Japanese Rose Garden

Found this one in my polish box this evening when I was going through it for green polishes.
Pinks like this usually aren't my thing (exception, Mod About You). I go for hot pinks like China Glaze's Pool Party or glitters like OPI Glow It and Show It. I don't recall how this one came to me. I imagine it happened the same time as Let Them Eat Rice Cake and Miso Happy. I'm pretty sure I've never worn it.

With flash, tungsten lit (I swear I'm trying to get into CFLs)

Japanese Rose Garden is a lovely salmon pink with a silver frost. Very delicate and feminine. I really see this as a princess colour. I can't wait to do some rhinestone nail art or lace Konad stamps with it.
The consistency of this was really off. It took 3 rather thick coats to get full opacity. The formula was rather thin, but runny and streaky, leading to globby bits that got to thick in some areas. I used Rush Top Coat, but can see brushmarks. That's the way frosts go, I guess.

No flash.

I rather love this shade. It's very fun to try out things that don't fit with the Punk Rocker Who Loves Barbies version of myself. I can already see parts where this is peeling off my nails though, so soon it will be back to some kind of glitter.

More of my fave polishes!

When it comes to nail colours, I like to think I'm quirky or a little different. In some ways I may be, but I haven't really changed much at all for years. I've always gotten the same colours - green, pink glitter, blue, and black.

This week's new purchases were no different. When I moved from Chicago to Indianapolis, very little stuff could come with me, but I was sure that my best nail polishes did. Here's what I had (with my new ones now added)

1) Absolutely Alice from OPI's Alice in Wonderland collection.
This is by far one of the best glitters OPI ever made. Once I moved all my stuff from Chicago to Indy (a year after I moved my body here), I found a box of nail polish dating from 8th grade to my beauty school 8 years later. In it, I found 4 or 5 different blue glitters. Not a single one is as good as Absolutely Alice is. Not a single one could have such nice coverage in only 2 coats. This polish is perfect. Absolutely perfect.

2) DS Divine from OPI's Designer Series
The Designer Series is everything it has ever said it is. It has amazing coverage, intense holographic sparkle, and long wear. Divine is 100% pure Barbie. I'd pair it with Stila's or MAC's Barbie cosmetics collections (more on Stila's later). When I wear this, I have trouble not looking at my nails. Now that I'm going to take a job back in a salon, this will have to be vacation polish. Yes, it's that distracting for me.

3-7) See yesterday's post.

8) Russian Navy from OPI's Russian Collection 
I believe this is now in the normal stock. At least, we had it in line at Ulta last year. I remember when it came out everyone was ga ga for the fact that it was "off black". It really is deep. When the Russian Collection hit shelves, I was spending too much money on fine art supplies (though little of what I've ever made could be called "fine" art) so I got a knock off version. Too blue! The OPI version has this... something about it. It's blue, true, but it's not dark blue. It's something different.


9) "Summer French"
This was one of the new polishes I got this week too. I hate the way it looks on the wheel though. In actuality, it's a very sheer red shade. This is very like the polishes used in the 20's and 30's. I'm trying to get a more retro aesthetic to my fashion lately, so I figured I'd give this a go. The jury's still out on it. It seems to be a "private label" polish and I got it at the pro supply store but Orly's Beverly Hills Manicure is very much like it.

10) Miso Happy With This Colour from OPI's Japan collection
Sadly, I think this one is discontinued. I have always called it my "going to court" polish. On my skin tone, it is very natural but still finished. It can have a sheerer coverage, but I always do 2 coats - usually without base and top because it gets removed rather quickly... Not because it's a bad colour; because it's just not really "me".


11) Let Them Eat Rice Cake from OPI's Japan collection
I'm pretty sure this one is supposed to be a sheer coat. When done with only one, it doesn't get streaky like so many other sheers do. It's a little light for my tastes, but it was given to me at a beauty show so it went into the grandmother-approved collection. I've worn it several times to go do bridal trials or office job interviews. Sometimes, you have to play dress up.

12) Barefoot in Barcelona from Espana by OPI
Holy crap holy crap holy crap this is my FAVOURITE COLOUR!!!!!
I know I don't usually tend toward the neutrals, but this one is just so timeless and classic I don't think anyone can pass it up. In fact, the ENTIRE Spanish collection was perfection in a bottle. I call it my "rich lady" colour. My hands just look so refined and my nails look long and well formed when I wear this. It really goes well with any skin tone. I think everyone should own it. Even better - it comes in a no-chip gel polish form! Just be sure to see a professional to have it applied. OPI's UV gels are NOT for consumer use!


13) Can You Tapas This? from Espana by OPI
Lucky 13 - Can you Tapas This? NO YOU CAN'T!
If I had the money for the whole collection, I would have bought it. Can You Tapas This is a perfect deep burgundy with just a hint of brown to bring it neutral. It's another of my "rich lady" polishes. Very chic, very vintage! This is a wonderful colour for the 20's smokin vamp. I think this one has gone into the in-line collection as well.


Looks like I have a few more spots on the colour wheel. I can already think of a few that are missing. Lincoln Park After Dark, for one. Black Satin from OPI's Tuxedo Collection belongs on there too.
What do you think? What colours would you put on your wheel of favourites? As an inaugural blog contest, the first commenter to this post will receive a full-size OPI polish in my choice of colour. Perhaps one of my faves will become your new fave!

New Nail Polish

I have ALWAYS been a fan of nail polishes!
As a young girl, my mother subscribed to a faith that did not allow the wearing of cosmetics or nail polish (or slacks, or jewelery, or modern hair styles, or...). That faith worked for her, but as a fan of New Wave bands like Culture Club and Missing Persons it didn't work for me.

You mean Boy George is a boy?! All the better!

When my father married a cosmetologist in October of 87, every holiday spent with him was like an act of rebellion. I spent my days in the salons where she worked and played with the haircolor swatch rings, putting the samples up against my own hair (Level 5 Ash Brown, I discovered) and thinking of all the cool punk rock things I would do when I grew up. Punk would never die, after all... Not like disco!
His wife was also certified to do Tammy Taylor nails. Acrylic nails were the new hotness back then and not every salon offered manicuring services. Tammy Taylor was (and still IS in many ways) the best system available so as word got around that she used the best products, her reputation grew... And as her reputation grew, her collection of nail polish colours grew!

When I was younger, I could only paint my nails with my right hand. The boys I played "superhero" with would tease me and call that my "COOTIE HAND!" It was a bit of a duality - I only "had cooties" when I would do things outwardly girly. Otherwise, I was just one of the boys - except for that one hand.

Back then I would usually wear whatever my dad's wife had available. There were always beautiful reds but also shades like "Muted Wine", "Dusty Plum", and "Windswept Arbor". In other words, "mauve". There was also tanning beds in her salon (nothing I ever took part in) so she always kept around "California" colours like neons and pastels. I always gravitated toward neon pinks and various greens.
The mid-90's came and her design focus changed. She opened her own salon and put aside nails for styling people like Courtney Love and Beck. My tastes still leaned toward obnoxious nail colours though.  My mother and I finally came to an understanding on nail polish so I started buying from the Delia's catalogue and brands I could get at K-Mart like Street Gear and Jane.

As I grew up, I found the only thing that changed was my brands. I started wearing Orly, OPI, and Creative (now CND).  I would sometimes have to mix shades to get what I like but eventually my generation "grew up" and started making the decisions - like putting BLACK NAIL POLISH (3 shades, in fact) into OPI's fashion collection! For the first time, I didn't have to stock up at Halloween.
OPI continued the trend of previously avant-garde colours and the rest of the salon brands followed suit. Today, I can find most any shade I could ever dream of having....

And in fact, this week I found 5 shades I dreamed of having!

1) OPI Burlesque Collection; Sparkle-isicous (gold, red, pink, and blue sparkles)
2) OPI Burlesque Collection; Show It and Glow It (various pink and silver sparkles)
3) OPI Shrek Forever After Collection; Who the Shrek are You? (an intense chartreuse green)
4) OPI Coleccion Espana; Here Today, Aragon Tomorrow (dark, almost black, green)
5) China Glaze Rainbow of Hope; Ovarian Cancer/Four Leaf Clover (light blue-green)

Aren't they all just so interesting and beautiful?
I can't ever resist glitter nail polish. When I saw a preview this summer that OPI was doing a collection based off the movie Burlesque I was pretty excited. OPI polishes and strippers? Well that's gotta be a HOT collection. Then I found out that CHER was going to be in the movie and I just went over the moon. CHER?!??! I LOVE CHER!!!!! As always, these glitter polishes are a wonderful quality. They only needed 2 coats to get the coverage shown and dried as quickly as the other polishes.
Shrek and Aragon took me some convincing to buy. I have always loved green polish but I never get the coverage I expect. I loved every other colour in the Spanish Collection, but shied away from Aragon. I had a manicure at my favourite place in Indianapolis and decided on that colour and was not disappointed. It opened the door to not only add it in to my collection but to also try Shrek and the China Glaze Four Leaf Clover.
A "psychic" once told me that seafoam green is my "power colour". I'm not very sure what she meant, and she said that I would be stinkin' rich by now, but neither of those points detracts from the fact that Four Leaf Clover is one of the most lovely shades I've seen in a long time. And when you purchase any of the Rainbow of Hope colours, China Glaze will donate funds to cancer research organizations. Check out the shades - they are raising awareness for not only Breast Cancer (pink, of course) and Colon Cancer (brown, LOL) but also Male Breast Cancer (a lovely blue) and a very fall chic grey Brain Cancer.

I really love all these shades. I've gotten out of my usual practice of weekly polish changes. I'm hoping this new purchase reignites my passion for this simple accessory.