OPI Grape Set Match

   I finally got to wear OPI Grape Set Match from the Serena Williams Collection. I know I said I'd wear last week's Pink Wednesday mani for a week, but I got bored with it. Plus I was getting really stressed out with work and I know I'm stressed out when I get this urge to paint my nails. Seriously. Last semester, during hell week for teachers (aka the one, two weeks before finals week) I was daydreaming of painting my nails while teaching in class.

   So anyway, here it is finally. And I'm glad I chose to change into this color. Looking at it makes me happy.

   The first picture was taken at a weird angle, I know, but it's just so hard to capture its shine and color because of all the micro glitter. 

  The photos were taken right after I applied the polish. Look at it; hardly any mess to clean after. I thank OPI's idiot-proof brush. (Except that little smudge on my palm. Ok, maybe not so idiot-proof)

   This color is just so happy and lively it makes me want to bust a move every time I look at my nails. I don't know if it's because dark purples go so well with my skin tone or if Grape Set Match is simply fabulous in itself.

Pink Wednesday - Stamp Succes!

It's still Wednesday in other parts of the worlds so this still counts, right?

No, you're not dreaming, those are really MY nails and yes, I used stamp art on them, and yes, I did it MYSELF. I just have to emphasize that because it's a fact that I suck at art. I am conquering my art-idiot self!

It's still far from perfect, but they do look pretty decent for a stamping newbie. And I'm so proud of it I think I'll wear it for a week!

I was hoping to use as base a pink polish that looks more pink than the one I have on - San San Tea Rose. But it was the only pink I have that's light enough to make the black (Calar) stand out. For the stamp I used Konad stamping plate S9.

I wasn't really planning to do a Pink Wednesday mani since I've been so busy these days, but the mani I had on chipped so I was forced to change it, so I thought, I might as well do a Pink Wed.

This was what I was wearing:

This is obviously the practice mani.

And I was so nervous at first. I was planning to stamp just the nails on my left hand but after seeing and liking the result, I got the courage to do my right hand as well. And it looked even better, I think.

Left hand

Right hand

I'm right-handed so it's really surprising that my left hand exceeded expectations. Maybe I'm like Rafael Nadal when it comes to nails - writes with right hand, kicks ass with left hand. Or maybe I was just lucky. I think it's the latter. :)

 

The Search for Mystery Pink Begins

   My niece celebrated her first birthday last Sunday. And since she is our superstar, the apple of our eyes, the family pet, the theme of her party was Princess. Do I even have to tell what the theme color was? Okay, fine, here's a clue: it starts with P and rhymes with ink.

   I was thinking of getting a princess-y mani but I was so busy the days before the party. The closest I could get to following the theme was this:

   I can't tell you the brand and name of the polish because I don't know them. I got my mani from a salon and I did try to find out what the brand was, but it's nothing I recognized. I just remembered that it was Epsa-something (or was it Epspa?) and the shade was 112. I figure it's Asian, as Etude House and The Face Shop assign number codes to their polishes as well and they're both Asian, Korean to be specific.

   I can't tell you either about the formula and the application because, as I have mentioned, a nail technician applied it, not I.

   The color was perfect; it went with my outfit. Plus I was starting to think that pinks don't look good on me, until I found this. It was like finding true love. What's disappointing was it started to chip just a couple of days after application. :(

 

Her Royal Highness was not amused.

"Off with its head!"

    Neither was I. I want that exact same shade of fushcia fucshia fush oh wtf hot pink! I shall find you, True Love Pink!

 

Late Post - First Day of School (Work)

   There's a reason I haven't posted in a loooong time: I started work two weeks ago and as I mentioned in my previous post, I now work full time in Ateneo.Today is Saturday but I woke up at 7:30 am, panicked for a whole minute that I was already running late (my first class starts at 8:30), then realized I didn't have work today. Sheesh.

   Anyway, here's what I wore on the first day of school.

two coats

   NYX Purple Ink. Formula is great, application is easy, and it lasted the whole week. At first I thought it would be similar to OPI Grape Set Match but I think this is darker. I haven't tried the latter yet so I'm not sure.

   My cuticles look horrible, I know! I misplaced my beloved Burt's Bees Lemon Butter Cuticle Cream and I don't want to buy a new one yet in case I find it. But, yeah, my cuticles are suffering so maybe I should buy already. :|

Blah

   As the title suggests, I'm not feeling very glittery today. I don't know if it's just the quarter life crisis, the knowledge that I'm going back to work in a few days (and starting next semester, which is next week, I work full time, meaning 6 classes in Ateneo alone. That's a lot.), the crazy Manila weather, or the fact that I'm down with cramps.

   I actually wanted to cheer myself up by wearing some glitter or flakes polish, but the last time I wore glitter (last week's Pink Wednesday mani, which I failed to blog about) I regretted it the moment I had to use two cotton balls soaked in polish remover just for one nail.

   So I decided to wear this instead.

With flash. I regret not cleaning it up before taking a photo. Forgive me.

   I don't know how to describe the color. It's a cream periwinkle? bluish-purple (blurple)?

No flash. Still looks bluish, right?

   Application is okay (two coats) and the color is pretty despite it being unidentifiable, but right after I finished painting my nails I noticed some bubbles forming. And no, I wasn't painting my nails in front of the fan.



   It's one of the Kelly polishes I bought in Bangkok. In the pictures it looks more blue than purple but when I bought it it looked purple to me. Or maybe I really should have my eyes checked.

  It's raining now. I'll end this and go mope in a corner.

Eeeeekkkk!

   I've been wearing this mani for a week!

   I wanted to do another Halloween mani but my niece wouldn't let me. She's now starting to walk/run and it's just impossible for me to sit still for at least ten minutes. That also explains the lack of posts. I'm writing this as her mom gives her a bath.

   Left with no choice, I decided to wear a polish from Cutex's Halloween collection (It was actually released months ago, but it's perfect for Halloween so I'm calling it that.)

   This is Under a Spell. It's a lovely blue matte.

It's matte, I promise.

 And like I said, I've worn this for a week and there's still no chipping. Plus it dries fast, making it the perfect polish for Babysitter Marvi.

   I also have the green one in this collection, Spooktacular, and it's also one of my favoritest polishes ever. When Marielle takes her afternoon nap later I'll probably change into this polish.

   I love mattes! 

I love you, too.