Sinful Colors Seaweed

Sinful Colors Seaweed

Seaweed is a light, murky olive-grey and is opaque in 2 coats. (Now that I look at it again, perhaps 3 coats may be best). I really like Seaweed, though it is one of those shades that people either love or hate. Anyways, the formula was a little thick and did get a little stringy, but it's not too bad to deal with. It dried surprisingly quick for a somewhat thick polish! Once it dried, it had a nice shine. 

Seaweed was part of the Adventure Island collection, which had dupes of OPI's Pirates of the Caribbean: Stranger Tides. Seaweed is a dupe of OPI Stranger Tides, Essie Da Bush, and Sally Hansen Creamy Olive. (These were the only ones I could think of off the top of my head.) Fortunately, I have Creamy Olive and was able to do a comparison between the two polishes, which you can see below.

Index and ring: Sinful Colors Seaweed. Middle: Sally Hansen Creamy Olive.

Both polishes are very similar to each other, though Creamy Olive is a little lighter. If you have one, then you don't need the other. If you don't have either, then I recommend getting Creamy Olive. The formula was wonderful, applied like butter, and dried to a smoother-looking finish, though it still takes 3 coats to become opaque and has a paddle-style brush (which many people don't like). Creamy Olive is also relatively easy to find (last I checked). 

No more posts until Friday (probably). My ochem class is (FINALLY) ending and I have an exam and lecture and lab finals coming soon. x__x

See you guys on the other side of the day!

- Michelle

Sinful Colors - Collection

First and foremost, I am aware of the situation with Sinful Colors and the pamphlets they distributed. Revlon has issued a public apology on their facebook page in regards to this issue. Because I did not believe that Revlon was at fault for this shameful act, I supported them and still do. On the other hand, I am still against Sinful Colors because I have not heard about any (public or private) apologies from them and/or the PR company they chose to create the pamphlet. If Sinful Colors does decide to act and reconciles with the two bloggers (and the nail blogging community), then I shall chance my stance accordingly. I am only posting swatches of my Sinful Colors collection and (soon-to-arrive) haul to keep my word with you guys. If you guys want to know more about this situation, then please google it. I will not posting up any links and/or pictures about it.

Second, these swatches will be very strange. I managed to get a big, ole papercut on my pinky and I did not want it to sting upon meeting with its foes, soap and nail polish remover. (I curse the sheet of paper that cut me!)

Third, I didn't have time to swatch Seaweed. I will be doing that tomorrow. It is not a part of Sinful Colors core collection so I don't regret not getting to it. It was released as part of the Adventure Island collection, which was well-known for having dupes of the OPI Pirates of the Caribbean: Stranger Tides polishes. The chances of finding it are slim. 

1 coat of Pearl Harbor over Migi Nail Art Pen Black

Pearl Harbor is a glitter that flashes green and blue and was so pretty! I thought there would be some flashes of purple, but they only appeared in the bottle (or is it just my eyes?). It is best for layering. It is shown with 1 coat over a black creme. The formula was great and it dried quickly with no grittiness at all.

1 coat of Opal Glitter over Migi Nail Art Pen Black

Opal Glitter is a multicolored iridescent glitter and is shown with 1 coat over a black creme. It is best for layering. It is very similar to Essence Space Queen, but I unfortunately can't compare because I used it all up for frankening. Opal Glitter's formula is great and it was easy to apply. The dry time was quick. Opal Glitter dried without any grittiness.

Timbleberry

First of all, this picture is color accurate even though Timbleberry is quite bright! *does a happy dance* Timbleberry is a somewhat bright coral creme that heavily leans pink and is opaque in 2 coats. The formula was terrific! It applied like butter! The dry time was fast and the finish was extremely shiny. I think I said this before, but it's on my favorites list!

Citrine

Citrine is a red-orange crelly that is opaque in 3 coats. My nail line was still visible after two coats, but was completely covered by the third coat. In reality, Citrine really does have red in it; it is not as orange as shown in the picture. The formula was, again, great to work with and applied well. The dry time was also fast and the resulting finish was very shiny.

Though Citrine was included in the Wow Pop display and is hard to find, you might be lucky tomorrow (which is the last day of the Walgreens Sinful Colors sale) and score it! (Just like I did!)

Aqua

Aqua is a blue shimmer that has flashes of green (that doesn't show very well in the pictures) and is opaque in 2 coats. Aqua reminded me of a shimmery mermaid tail, and I did not expect it to be so pretty! I thought it was just your run-of-the-mill blue shimmer... Because it was packed with shimmer, I thought I was going to have a hard time with brushstrokes showing, but they mostly disappeared as the polish dried. The formula was a little sheer, but the second coat covered it up perfectly. Aqua dried quickly and was shiny.

Notice anything different? I squovaled my nails! They are now sooo much easier to take care of (in my opinion) and I don't have to waste time making sure all my nails are rounded well.

See you guys on the other side of the day!

- Michelle

Sally Hansen Thinking of Blue

Sally Hansen Thinking of Blue

Thinking of Blue is an indigo creme that is opaque in 2 coats. It has a little purple (making it a true indigo) that you can't really see in the picture. The formula is great and it applied very well. Thinking of Blue dried fairly quickly and very shiny. Since it was so saturated and such a dark blue, I was worried that it would stain. Fortunately, there was no staining upon removal! Color me impressed! :D (No pun intended.)

With all the bright colors and glitters I've been seeing lately, I really needed a break! A dark-colored polish seemed like the perfect choice. (I also have a thing for dark-colored polishes. I can't wait for all the fall and winter collections to come out!)

What colors do you prefer? Brights or darks? Or maybe some sparkle? :D

- Michelle

Sinful Colors Cream Pink

Sinful Colors Cream Pink

Cream Pink is a fun hot pink with subtle, but noticeable gold shimmer. Contrary to what the picture depicts, the beautiful shimmer comes out to play more in real life. Cream Pink seems to have a neon-like quality to it as it is BRIGHT (but not painfully so, fortunately!), though it oddly dries with a nice gloss. Identity issues, anyone? The formula was a definite hit and it applied like butter. Not to mention Cream Pink also dried fairly quickly! Score! When Sinful Colors does the formula right, it is ah-mazing! (The opposite can be said for their misses...)

Cream Pink is another one of those polishes that have been on my wishlist for a LONG time. I'm so happy I finally have it and can wear it! It's now one of my favorites!

Has anyone else bought a polish recently that's been on her wishlist for the longest time?

See you guys on the other side of the day!

- Michelle

Julep Kate

Julep Kate

Kate is a stark white with very subtle shimmer and is opaque in 2 coats. Julep describes Kate as having a pearl finish, but it is actually more like a creme with a sprinkling of shimmer. I was really hoping that the shimmer would be more pronounced on the nail, and that Kate would resemble Nicole by OPI It's All About The Glam. Like all Julep polishes I own, this little one was also thick enough to be opaque and dried quickly. Unfortunately, it bubbled once it dried, though I'm not ruling out that my ceiling fan may have caused it. (It's in the high 90's right now.) The bottom line is that I'm quite disappointed with Kate. If you're looking for a nice, delicate white with shimmer in it, then Nicole by OPI It's All About The Glam is much more worth it. It's also more affordable and more easily accessible. (From what I know, Julep can only be bought from Julep.com and Sephora.com.)

I will be posting a comparison between Julep Kate and Nicole by OPI It's All About The Glam soon. Stay tuned! :)

Kate was included in the Julep Maven July 2012 box. You can sign up for Julep Maven using my referral link.

See you guys on the other side of the day!

- M

Julep Daphne

Julep Daphne

Daphne is a very dusty/greyed-out seafoam green creme and is opaque in 2 coats. It was a little sheer on the first coat, which is very atypical of Julep polishes. I find that Julep polishes have incredible opacity on only the first coat, but (to reiterate) it was not so with Daphne. The formula was nice to work with and the dry time was relatively fast. But honestly, I'm disappointed with Daphne. She's nothing like what the promotional picture and the Julep blog's swatch showed. I wish she wasn't so greyed-out and murky.

I will post a comparison between Daphne, Julep Robin, China Glaze For Audrey, Ulta Mint Condition, and Essie Turquoise & Caicos soon. Stay tuned! :D

Daphne was included in the Julep Maven July 2012 "It Girl" box. You can sign up for Julep Maven using my referral link.

See you guys on the other side of the day!

- M

Julep Robin

Julep Robin

Robin is a true robin egg's blue creme and is opaque in 2 coats, though it could have been a one-coater if applied more carefully. I didn't have much sun today so I couldn't capture Robin very well. She looks so gloomy! :( The formula was good, though it was a little thick so you might have some trouble with leveling. You probably can't see it, but I had this problem on my middle finger. It also dried relatively fast and shiny. 

Robin is NOT a dupe of China Glaze For Audrey. I will post a comparison between Robin and For Audrey, along with Julep Daphne, Ulta Mint Condition, and Essie Turquoise & Caicos soon. Stay tuned! :D

Robin was included in the Julep Maven "Classic with a Twist" intro box. You can sign up for Julep Maven using my referral link.

See you guys on the other side of the day!

- M

Marbling: Black & Dusty Mint-Sage

Marbling with Black and Dusty Mint-Sage with top coat

Today's mani is very simple and easy to do! I found this mani quite a while ago, but finally got around to doing it today. The sky is very gloomy today and has been wanting to rain, yet it's very humid and HOT. (I'm thinking a thunderstorm will arrive soon...) I wanted to do a fun mani to cheer me up! :) The polishes I used were Sally Girl TTFN and Sally Hansen Black Out. I used an orange stick (but a toothpick will work too; perhaps even better) to marble the two colors and applied a top coat to make the mani look more polished.

I followed Love, Blair's instructions, but not to a T. Since I decided to use my lighter color as the base and my darker one for the tips, I had to improvise a little. Below are some tips to do this awesome mani.

Tips:

1. Do one nail at a time and work quickly.
2. Use opaque polishes! You will not be able to go back and fix the opacity. However, if still you want to use a polish that's not very opaque, then make sure to paint 1 coat of that polish before doing this mani.
3. Use slow-drying polishes!  If the polish dries too quickly, then you cannot marble well (or at all). This mani already requires you to work quickly and one nail at a time.
4. (When using your lighter color as the base) Paint 1 coat of your lighter color on your entire nail first. It is definitely easier to do it this way!
5. Dab the colors onto your finger. This ensures there's enough polish to marble with and prevents it from drying too quickly before you even have a chance to marble. Don't dab too much, though, or you will get cuticle pooling.
6. When the end of the orange stick/toothpick gets gunky with polish, switch to the other end. If not, the polish will get stringy and hard to control.
7. Dab some more of the color you used for your tips after the mani has dried for a more refined look. (Just make sure not to cover your awesome marbling look! :) )

Please don't let the list of tips intimidate you! This mani is really easy to do; it just takes a learning curve. :) Have fun!

P.S. I love the pattern on my pillow and my Rilakkuma pencil bag. OuO

See you guys on the other side of the day!

- M

Julep Rose

Julep Rose

Rose is a fantastic watermelon creme, right on the red-pink territory, and is opaque in 1 coat. Can you believe that?! That's how amazing Rose is. It has officially jumped up to my favorites list! Rose applied very well and was thick enough to be opaque in as few coats as possible. She dried quickly and very shiny. As shown, she dried darker than the bottle color. In real life, she's just a little bit brighter. I'll definitely reach for Rose a lot this summer!

Rose was included in the Julep Maven "Classic with a Twist" intro box. You can sign up for Julep Maven using my referral link.

What polish has recently jumped up your favorites list? Let me know! :)

*Please click on the picture for color-accuracity.

See you guys on the other side of the day!

- M

Julep Mila

1 coat of Julep Mila over 1 coat of OPI Samoan Sand

3 coats of Julep Mila over 1 coat of OPI Samoan Sand

Mila consists of multicolored fine glitter and is like a fine glitter version of Milani Gems. It looks like it's heavy on the silver glitter, but it actually has a fairly equal ratio of every color. Mila is SO pretty! You have to see her in real life to believe it! Mila can be used as a layering polish with 1 coat or built up to opacity with 3 coats. The formula was nice to work with and the glitter was easy to apply. Mila dried relatively quickly and a teensy bit gritty. It's nothing a thin coat of top coat can't fix though!

Mila was included in the Julep Maven July 2012 "It Girl" box. You can sign up for Julep Maven using my referral link.

See you guys on the other side of the day!

- M

The Liebster Blog Award!

The Liebster Blog Award is given to upcoming bloggers who have fewer than 200 followers. The Meaning; Liebster is German and means sweetest, kindest, nicest, dearest, beloved, lovely, kind, pleasant, valued, cute, endearing and welcome.

I was nominated for the Liebster Blog Award by I Relish Nail Polish! just this morning! Talk about a great start to the long day I have ahead of me! Thank you so much, Jenni Lee! She photographs amazing, high quality swatches and writes very informative posts about nail polish-related things (such as what those weird pictures mean on the polish bottles and great reviews of top coats). Not to mention she has beautiful nails! Her posts are very easy to read; I like how she is terse and direct. Her blog has a nice, simple layout that allows the reader to focus on what's important. The background does not distract the reader from the swatches and reviews. Make sure to check out her great blog!

Requirements:

1. Each person must post 11 random facts about themselves.
2. Answer the questions the tagger has set for you plus create 11 questions for the people you've tagged to answer.
3. Choose 11 people and link them in your post.
4. Go to their page and tell them.
5. Remember, no tag backs.

11 Facts About Myself

1. I LOVE sleeping. And I sleep very deeply. It is very likely that it will take you at least 5 minutes to wake me up.
2. I have 3 Ulta boxes completely filled with nail polish, and 2 small Julep boxes that have a few polishes in them. (It seems like a lot, but I only have 128. A collection that pales in comparison to those of other nail polish bloggers.)
3. My favorite color is turquoise. Mint is a close second. Then rich purple... Actually, this list can go on and go. :/
4.  I like cold weather. I feel vegetated in hot weather... Which is my city's weather of choice.
5. I haven't watched TV in years (well, okay, I do watch it occasionally with my family). I'm alive and well. Probably smarter too since quite a few shows are sooo dumb nowadays. (Where are those awesome 90's cartoons?!)
6. I really love drawing, but I haven't had much time since I got to college. (Swatching and reviewing only takes 15-25 minutes. When I draw, I like to go full out.)
7. I played the piano until 5th grade and learned how to play a few chords on the guitar in 6th grade for an enrichment class.
8. I'm short. Like, REALLY short... ;___;
9. My nickname is "Boss". Cool, huh?
10. I like love 9gagging. Check out 9gag sometime! (And your soul shall then be stolen...)
11. I can't think in the mornings because I'm so tired. Like right now. Zzzz. (That's why I sound so loopy.)

11 Questions Asked By I Relish Nail Polish!

1. What are you looking forward to this week/month?

I'm looking forward to Thursday and Friday! On Thursday, I'll get my WAH Nails Book of Nail art and, on Friday, I'll get to sleep in and take the day slowly. I'll be able to swatch... And then have to study.

2. What have the last few years taught you?

You have to face everyday with courage and the strength to keep on going. Nothing's going to stop for you. You make your own way in this world. The future is far away, but the hard work is worth it. Always have hope... Something that lingers inside you. Something that gives you strength.

3. What would I find in your refrigerator right now?

Lots of yogurt, organic milk, carrot juice, Naked Green Machine juice, some Vietnamese food, and boiled eggs. That's all I remember right now.

5. How many close friends do you have?

Seven. I choose my friends carefully (my close ones especially so). I don't care about how many I have, just about who they are.

6. If you won $20 million in the lottery, what would you do with the money?

I'd put quite a lot of it in a bank account to invest, another large bit to organizations/charities that I support, pay for college (so my parents won't have to), keep my grandparents strong and healthy, and save a little for personal expenses. My family and friends have all they would ever need and more. They're happy (or should be).

7. What was the last movie you went to see?

I believe it was The Artist at my college theater.

8. What is the last book you read?

Does my organic chemistry book count? Haha. If not, then La Muerte y El Ser Humano (Death and the Human Being), a philosophical book written in Spanish that I found in my college library. I, unfortunately, only had time to read several pages before it was due.

9. Age and do you feel your age?

I'm 18 (19 next month!), but I feel like an overprotected teenager who can't do anything she wants and can't have a life until she gets into dental school. (The latter were true words from my mother.)

10. Children and or pets?

Pets. I feel like they truly care and love you more. I also do not like children. (I tolerate them if they are well-behaved though.)

11. Why do you think people follow your blog?

I like to believe they follow me because they like what they see and think my blog has potential. (I also believe some of my followers, who are bloggers I follow, know how hard it is to gain support.)

My Questions for the Nominated

1. Why did you decide to blog?
2. What polish is on your nails right now (or was recently)?
3. What colors do you usually wear on your nails?
4. What have you learned in the past few years?
5. Five years ago, what did you think you'd be doing now? What did you want to do? 
6. When you were little, what did you want to be?
7. What was the last book you read?
8. What was the last song you listened to?
9. What was the last movie you saw?
10. What website do you regularly visit? 
11. Why do you think people follow your blog?

The Nominated! (This was very hard so there aren't many.)

http://www.rialovespawlish.com/
http://alisnailnews.blogspot.com/
http://www.burkatron.com/
http://lacquerandlattes.blogspot.com/
http://www.nailnoir.com/
http://veganclaws.com/

Julep O Canada!

1 coat of Julep O Canada! over 1 coat of OPI Samoan Sand

O Canada! has ruby red and iridescent glitter in a clear base. Unlike America the Beautiful, this little one is best for layering. Nevertheless, it is very pretty and delicate! The formula was nice and easy to work with. For the most part, the glitters painted themselves, except for a few misbehaving red glitter pieces that I had to dab onto my nails. (Shame on them!) Dry time is a little slow because of the dabbing, but is worth it for such a pretty polish! Unpatriotically, I'm thinking that I'll reach for O Canada! more than for America the Beautiful. The latter seems only appropriate for Memorial Day, Independence Day, and 9/11 while the former is much more versatile.

O Canada! was included, free, in the Julep Maven July 2012 boxes only for residents of Canada, but it could have been bought as an add-on. You can sign up for Julep Maven using my referral link.

I thought I'd post up O Canada! for some fun and sparkles. I mean, who doesn't hate Mondays?

Which one would you reach for more? America the Beautiful or O Canada?

See you guys on the other side of the day!

- M

Julep America The Beautiful

1 coat of Julep America the Beautiful over 1 coat of OPI Samoan Sand

3 coats of Julep America the Beautiful over 1 coat of OPI Samoan Sand

America the Beautiful is a beautiful mix of fine red, multi-sized blue, small silver, and silver star glitters in a clear base. The star glitters are very sparse so, sadly, I managed to get only one (and it is hiding on my ring finger). It applied easily, except for the star glitter; you need to fish them out and dab them onto your nails. I really like how fast it dried, though it was a little gritty and dull. However, a top coat will easily fix those problems!  America the Beautiful is sheer enough to be a layering polish, as in the first picture, or can be built up to opacity. I personally prefer it as a layering polish because I don't want to waste such a gem! 

America the Beautiful was included, free, in the Julep Maven July 2012 boxes only for U.S. residents, but it could be bought as an add-on. You can sign up for Julep Maven using my referral link. 

How would you wear America the Beautiful?

See you guys on the other side of the day!

- M

"It Girl" Julep Maven July 2012 Box

"It Girl" July 2012 Box

Sorry, guys! I totally forgot I haven't posted this up! I blame my bad memory... and my recently contracted cold. I hate you, Rhinovirus.

So anyways, I received my box either last week. And then O Canada!, my add-on, on Monday. I wanted to take a picture of all the polishes together, but I wasn't (and still not) home when O Canada! arrived. :( The "It Girl" July box came with Kate, Mila, and Daphne. As I am a U.S. resident, I received America the Beautiful (free). So that's a grand total of roughly $25! (Compared to retail price of $70 for five Julep polishes.)


I will be posting some swatches of the polishes over the weekend! :D (I have given into my Overlord Camera and decided to use it.)


You can sign up to become a Julep Maven using my referral link and use the coupon code "COLORS4ONE" to get your intro box for a penny!


Happy (early) July 4th everyone! I'm thinking of eating lunch with my parents and grandparents, if I'm up to it tomorrow. (Immune system, please produce more B cells.) And then maybe watch the fireworks with them. What are your plans for tomorrow? 


See you guys on the other side of the day!


- M