Driven To Distraction

I'm at work hence I should be working but all I can think about is the 300 brand new swatch sticks waiting for me at home. They were delivered before I left, enough time to unpack but not to play. Boooooo!

Disgusting Pig

I almost forgot I'd taken this photo.  I was out on my first ever bag 'em and tag 'em hunt for nail supplies at the end of August when in marched this 'lady' and her friend with a mission in mind.  She went straight to the polish, grasping for white.  Before I could formulate a "what the fuck?!?" in my head she'd done a quick little touch up of her manicure and placed the bottle back with me staring at her the whole time.  I must have had a look on my face like when you step in a dog turd but she cared not a jot!

Surely it's not just me that finds that gross?  I suppose I should be grateful she wasn't in urgent need of cream for piles or something to soothe a "feminine itch" or God only knows what I'd have seen.  And photographed.

And almost as a side note, here was what I came back with... ooops!

Advent Nails

What with Sunday marking the start of Advent I figured I had the perfect excuse for my first ever Christmas nails.  I think they look cute if a little haphazard.

The background is done in my current favourite blue, Orly's Royal Navy.  It's a strange polish to me; if you don't give it a good hard shake you miss out on the shimmery aspect as it hides out in the bottom of the bottle and it dries (quickly) to a slightly matte texture.

Polish:
Orly - Royal Navy
OPI - Pirouette My Whistle
Barry M - Lady (snowman & snow covered ground)
China Glaze - Ruby Pumps (scarf)
China Glaze - Liquid Leather (eyes & buttons)
China Glaze - Breakin' (carrot nose)
Zoya - Holly (tree)
Zoya - Louise (trunk)
Revlon - Golden (star impersonating splodge)

Not Enough Hours In The Day

Before a LONG day at work and a return home which signaled the start of a hand battering bonanza this looked okay.  I had a few compliments from both colleagues and customers which I shamefully lapped up and was going to keep it on for tomorrow to rinse some more mileage out of it but alas it shall not be so.  The polish is all chipped and really I should wait to do it again and get new pictures but I still want to have a record of this mani as it made me feel wonderful.

Left Hand:

Right Hand:

And now to deal with the drama of a belligerent ingrate of a teenager.  I thought a perk of not having kids was not having to deal with their shit but nonetheless here I am preparing for war :( 

November Haul

I've kept the postman reasonably busy this week.  First up I had the Zoyas from http://www.nailcareclub.com/ in Giovanna, Logan and Louise.

Then there was the OPI from http://www.beautybay.com/ in Don't Talk Bach To Me, I Saw... U Saw... We Saw... Warsaw, I Juggle... Men and Polka.com.

And finally Nubar Moon Eclipse, NCLA Sugar Fix and Essie Kisses & Bises (not a mispelling) also from Beauty Bay.

This is how observant I'm not.  The glitters in Sugar Fix and Polka.com are identical as far as I can tell.  To be honest I'd have still ordered both as they look totally different in the clear and grey bases but still.

Bearing in mind that I haven't actually worn any of these yet, I'm VERY pleased with my choices and look forward to trying them out.  I keep picking them up, oohing and aahing over them then putting them away, which I think has become a ritual for me.

I also had a lovely new Helmer delivered so that kept me busy yestereday with the putting together of the thing and then the filling of the thing and the changing my mind about what goes where so the emptying of the thing and the repacking of the thing...

Ruddy Bubbling Blue

Yesterday evening I dedided to try the Essie - Aruba Blue that I'd been lovingly admiring in the bottle for the last few days.  The only thing that stopped me putting it on the minute the postman dropped it off was the certain knowledge that it could only disappoint me.  The colour wouldn't be so rich, it would be too streaky to bother wearing or maybe it would stink like a festering sewer but yesterday I decided to give it a bash.  I was so wrong, everything about it was great!  I have mastered (almost) the art of making a cup of tea without ruining wet nails which I can then sit with while my nails dry fully.  As I sat down I noticed I'd gotten something on my nail "NOOO!" but it'd be okay I'd just redo it.  But wait, I'd messed up another?!?  Bubbles?!?

I've read a LOT about applying polish in the last couple of months and though gutted that I'd have to start again I was fairly confident I could beat this.  I would start from scratch, make sure each of my two coats of colour were fully dry before moving onto the next step and just to be sure I'd try a different base coat... In fact I used TWO different base coats the second time round, one on each hand.  I applied the colour as thinly as I could as I'd read that would be the most likely culprit, the solvent in the bottom of the thick layer getting trapped in the semi dry surface area.  After much faffing around I looked down proudly at my nails and yes all was well with the world but some time later IT HAPPENED AGAIN!  MORE CHUFFING BUBBLES!  I don't know the cause and although it's not hugely obvious till you get up close it bothers me quite a bit and it's sucked all the love out of this polish for me.

Every Month Is Oktoberfest

I knew I liked OPI - Every Month Is Oktoberfest when I saw it in the bottle and I knew I liked it when I saw it on my nails but then I wasn't sure where else to go with it.  I was going to take it off and try something else and figured I'd use the opportunity to practice placing striping tape since I have real trouble with that and end up wasting loads in frustration.  You wouldn't think the painting of nails would lead to so much swearing but then it's nothing compared to my knitting swears.  Anyhoo, I grabbed Sally Hansen - Pennies For Heaven and got to work.

As it turned out I really REALLY like this combination of colours and think they work well together.  So much so that I decided to try Pennies for stamping.  My stamp placement leaves a little (lot) to be desired but things can only get better right? Right?!?

And yes that's my poor damaged digit which I'd tried to cover with a glue on when the nail tore below the edge of my finger but which I think suffered more due to being smothered.  It's recovering and growing out slowly but surely.

I'm not sure if anyone else would think these stripes work but I really like it and it's the best result I think I've had so far.