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Nails

Celebrate Halloween with the Glitter Polishes in Lippmann Collection’s Celebrate Set

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After my out-of-body glitter experience with Lippmann’s Happy Birthday polish last week, I thought I’d go cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs when I spotted the sparkly bottles in their 10th Anniversary Celebrate Set ($35, limited edition).

If you really think about glitter — and I mean REALLY think about glitter (LOL!) — there are different kinds, right? From the Celebrate Set, I’d expected shiny happy glitter, but it surprised me with darker, less shimmery shades.

The color 411…

Ruby Slippers: For this shade, Lippmann jammed bits of red glitter into a black jelly base. The glitter bits vary in size, and the resulting polish, a semi-opaque black with a medium-shine finish, strikes me as something that would go well with sexy Halloween costumes, perhaps a nurse or traffic cop. 🙂 It’s not something I’d wear every day, but it earns points for originality. Makeup and Beauty Blog Rating: B

Funky Chunky: I just could not get this color to look pretty… It’s a shiny black with black hexagon-shaped glitter, which, in theory, could be very cool, right? Nope, not for me. While it has potential, it looked bumpy and messy, like fresh tar. That, and the glitter hardly even sparkles, BOO! Makeup and Beauty Blog Rating: C-

Superstar: This polish packs small bronze glitter bits in a brown jelly base. I’ve liked the color ever since I saw it in last year’s Holiday 2008 collection. I still think it’s fun and totally appropriate for fall. Makeup and Beauty Blog Rating: B

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Ruby Slippers

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Superstar
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Lippmann Collection Says Happy Birthday to You with Lots of Glitter Love

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lippmann happy birthday

The year was 1999… I’d finished school and moved back in with my parental units while I looked for a job and tried to unwind.

My BFF/dancing buddy J. Money and I were also deep in our clubbing phase. I’ll never forget — it was the same thing every time we’d go out. One of our Filipino parents would ask, “Are you girls going to the disco?”

LOL!

Or, “Are you going disco-disco?”

Hearing parental units refer to “the club” as a disco… That’s just so funny. It always cracked us up. 🙂

Still, there are times when “disco” just feels like the better word, ya know? — like when it comes to Lippmann Collection’s Happy Birthday ($18), the newest addition to their permanent nail polish line.

This stuff’s so blinged out and sparkly that it would be a shame not to wear it to “the disco,” ha!

It’s all about taking glitter to the next level, with bits in a plethora of shapes, colors and sizes — red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple and silver.

For a full-on, eyes-rolling-to-the-back-of-the-head glitter-gasm, try three coats. 🙂

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Three coats!

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Two coats — when you’re in the mood for quieter glitter

So far I’ve only worn Happy Birthday by itself, but I’m guessing it would look extra festive layered beneath a polish in solid black or red.
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It’s That Sweet Time of the Year, Essie: Essie Winter 2009

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“This season, I wanted to create a new set of classic, yet fun colors that are wearable on every skin tone.” – Essie Weingarten, Founder and President

YOU GO, E-Money, with your “I’m every woman” approach to nail color.

The shades in Essie’s Sweet Time of the Year Collection for Winter 2009 ($8 each) should flatter a rainbow of skin tones and appeal to a range of colorful personalities.

Which ones suit you?

  • Classic dames: If pearls, little black dresses and patent leather pumps speak to your soul, then try two rich coats of Lollipop, a creamy, candy-apple red.
  • Trendy types: Do you like life on the edge? Take a bite out of creamy Mint Candy Apple. Go for three layers with a base coat to avoid streaks.
  • Subtly sassy: A whisper of sheer, creamy pink’s just *so* quintessentially Essie. Wear Rock Candy when you’re in the mood for a dash of color. Try two coats for blinding shine with a hint of pink.

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Is Whitney Wearing Lancome’s Indigo Paris Nail Polish?

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Fellow nail polish nerds, did any of y’all spy Whitney’s blue nails on last night’s episode of The City? I am CONVINCED my girl Whit was rocking Lancome’s Indigo Paris, a favorite of mine for fall.

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Can I reality TV dish with you for a sec?

It’s about The Hills and The City, two of MTV’s most progressive and enlightening programs, LOL!

LOVE The City, but I barely made it through five minute of The Hills before I had to look away.

I can’t suspend disbelief anymore when it comes to the Kristin/Justin Bobby/Audrina love triangle. It just feels kinda … fake, like a really bad counterfeit purse, ugh!

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That, and I think my Speidi cup hath runneth over. I can’t take those two anymore. They made me choke on a meatball — that’s how angry I was.

After coughing it up (it even caught air and launched across the room), I said a prayer of thanks and pledged to live a Speidi-free lifestyle from now on.

Thank goodness The City was actually pretty entertaining. Whit’s fabulous blue nails were hawt! 🙂

They’re visible toward the end of the episode. Whitney and her new frenemy/roommate, Roxy, are sitting at work, discussing the previous day’s photo shoot.

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I could totally be wrong, but isn’t her polish a dead ringer for Lancome’s Indigo Paris ($18)?

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Makeup and Beauty Blog: Random Acts of Beauty, Vol. 1

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One girl. 24 hours. Three random acts of beauty.

10:17 a.m. — While packing, I stumble upon an ancient artifact buried deep in the bedroom closet: my pink and green Caboodle makeup organizer, ooh!

Back in the early ’90s, Caboodles were a staple of teenage makeup life. This one housed all of my first makeup treasures (like Clinique Raspberry Glace lipstick… so old school!) and kept them safe and secure.

caboodle

Over time, its role changed from Protector of Makeup to Defender of Costume Jewelry and Random Keepsakes.

I haven’t opened it in ages… My heart quickens! I dust off the top and brace myself before opening the lid.

Inside: a time capsule of my teenage years. 🙂

First, evidence that my evolution into a CCL (crazy cat lady) began at an early age.

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Then, my vision wavers when I see this dress clip thing-a-ma-bobber, and it’s suddenly 1993 again. I’m at school, and girls are wearing them clipped to the backs of loose, floral-print dresses all around me.

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I return to the present and find a small manila envelope… I’m intrigued. What’s inside?

EWW! It’s my old braces!

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Sifting through my Caboodle’s long-forgotten bits and bobs, I smile, lost among memories. It’s the first time in many days I’ve felt present and “in the moment.” No stressing over work, packing, bills that have to be paid — nothing.

2:30 p.m. — I’m petting Tabs with my foot. I glance at my toes and note how massively ‘TOW UP my pedicure looks.

It’s down to polish remnants, and it’s not a pretty sight.

I don’t have much time to spare (must. continue. packing.), so I reach for a bottle of Rimmel 60 Seconds Nail Polish ($3), aka drugstore nail polish savior of time-strapped women everywhere.

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It delivers rich, even color and dries in — yup, you guessed it — about 60 seconds flat. With 26 color to choose from, there’s a shade for many moods and occasions.

Finally, my feet are cute once more; order has been restored.

11:49 p.m. I’m tucked beneath the covers in bed and starting to drift to sleep. El Hub is quietly explaining how The Final Four college basketball playoffs work…
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The Chanel Jade Collection: A Softer Alternative to Fall’s Dark Nail Polishes

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chanel jade

What’s up, Jade-a-kisses?

Ever since I saw pictures of the Chanel runway models rocking jade green nails earlier this year, I’ve been dying, DYING to get my hands on the Chanel Jade Collection polishes.

This month the two limited edition shades, Jade and Jade Rose ($25 each), finally hit Chanel Makeup Studio and boutiques shelves. I ordered mine online last week from Chanel.com, and both pastel cuties finally arrived on my doorstep last Friday.

Chanel Jade background

Beauty junkies first got a glimpse of the colors in Paris last March during the Chanel Ready-to-Wear Fall 2009-2010 show, when Monsieur Karl sent a collection of black clothes punctuated with pale pink and jade green accents down the runway.

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One Way to Remove Glitter Nail Polish

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Would you believe my glittery Illamasqua Harsh mani lasted all but one day?

It wasn’t the polish’s fault. Coco and Co. were to blame! Late yesterday afternoon, the new Chanel Jade nail polishes I’ve been dying to try arrived in the mail (swatches coming soon!).

Glittery nail polishes can be notoriously difficult to remove — so difficult, in fact, that some women refuse to wear them at all. Those little bits of glitter will just grip nails with a fierceness and refuse to let go!

When I sat down to remove my polish a few minutes ago, I remembered that a few of you, including reader Sarah, asked about it too.

Hi, Sarah. 🙂 Here’s a way to remove glittery nail polishes that works pretty well for me:

What you’ll need

Glitter polish removal, step-by-step

  • Start by thoroughly soaking a cotton ball or pad with the nail polish remover.
  • Place the soaked pad on the nail, making sure you cover it from cuticle to tip, and gently press down.

Acetone removers and glitter polish: There are many different varieties of nail polish remover, but ones containing acetone (a colorless, flammable solvent also found in many household cleaners and chemicals like paint thinner) seem to work faster than the non-acetone polishes I’ve tried, at least when it comes to removing glittery polish. Acetone is not a green chemical, however, and can be rather harsh on nails (making them dry/brittle), so I try to limit my use of it to polishes with glitter.

One brand I like is Zoya’s Remove +. It works well without over-drying my nails.

  • Hold the moistened pad in place for 30 seconds to give the remover time to work its mojo.

TIP: When I don’t have a clock nearby, I hum the Happy Birthday song to myself three times. That takes me about 30 seconds. 🙂

  • Gently slide the moistened cotton ball/pad from the cuticle to the tip of each nail. Most of the glitter should rub away, but remove whatever’s left with the same pad.
  • Repeat the same process for each of your other nails.
  • When you’re finished, wash your hands and nails well to remove the acetone and any stray bits of glitter that were left behind.

A remover just for glitter polishes? While surfing the web I spied a remover specifically designed for glitter called Cutex Glitter Girls Acetone Nail Polish Remover ($3). Have you given it a try? If you think it’s any good, please let me know.

  • You can help to keep your nails healthy after using acetone on them by using a nail polish moisturizer like Nailtiques Nail Moisturizer. It has a thick, rich formula and a light vanilla scent.

Sin Nombre: Beautiful cinematography, intense story

sin-nombre

How was your night?

I rented Sin Nombre, a subtitled film about a teenage Central American gang member who tries to escape the gang by heading north to the US. He joins up with a Honduran family also heading north but for different reasons.
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Illamasqua Nail Varnish in Harsh: Every Girl Needs Some Bling

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(If you’re reading this in the feed, there’s a video embedded in this post.)

Happy Friday, Sparkle Motions!

Ya know, sometimes it’s the little things that matter most…

This week was a rough one for me (lots of stress eating, yikes!), and I needed a way to unwind. I decided to reward myself with an at-home mani using one of fall’s hottest nail polish colors, gray.

I thought about busting out one my faves from Barielle, Essie or Zoya but felt like a little more bling.

I knew I wanted something in the gray/silver family, and I found my match in Illamasqua’s Nail Varnish in Harsh ($14).

One of the 22 nail colors in Illamasqua’s permanent polish line, it shines on its own or layered on top of other polishes. Although, technically, it isn’t a fall release, I think it fits really well both with the season and my current mood. 🙂

Friday night?

I don’t have a lot going on tonight other than maybe a movie and the start of my packing.

What are you up to? Tell me about your makeup today.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

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