Candi's Addictions

My newest addiction! High End Blushes!!!

2013-09-08T22:38:00.001-04:00

Hi, Everyone! I hope you are doing fine and that things are going good for you.

You might have noticed that I took a little break from blogging and from nail polish,etc. in general and basically dropped off the face of the earth. Things got REALLY crazy at work and they still are crazy but I decided that I needed to take sometime for myself to do things that interest me so here I am in my little slice of the internet again. While I have been away I have done very little shopping for nails :( but on the positive side, I have discovered a love for makeup. Don't be scared you won't see me making an tutorials on YouTube anytime soon but I have taken some baby steps and purchased some high end (probably classified as mid end to the hard core MUA). Because the items were by no means cheap for me, I am choosing to refer to them as high end. ;)

Over the course of the past couple years I have acquired 18 Nars blushes and 9 Tarte blushes for my baby makeup stash and for the most part they are all loved. I know there has been mass debate about which one is better and depending on who you ask you are bound to get different answers. So I will let you know which one that I am loving the most after I post pan pics and swatches of both collections.

When I dipped my toes in the deep end of the high end blush pool many moons ago I started off with NARS Love Joy at a Sephora SA suggestion since I am a WOC ( woman of color) And that is one of the most flattering colors for us. I really liked the packaging, the silkiness of the product, the payoff as far as pigmentation, etc. Pretty much anything that you can think of to say positive minus the expense. But as they say sometimes you get what you pay for or so I believed at that point in my life so I got over the heartburn of the price pretty quickly. Flash forward 10+ years and I am out looking for a blush to treat myself for having to deal with all of the drama that I am dealing with at work. So I ordered online NARS Armour because I wanted a blush to brighten my face and make me look less tired and stressed. I fell in love all over again with NARS. Some months later my blushes pro created in their drawers and I have now have a pretty healthy collection. I am planning to post some pics and swatches tomorrow once the sun comes out.

It is good to be back!

Happy Valentine's Day!

2010-02-14T21:51:00.001-05:00

Happy Valentine's Day everyone! I hope that everyone had a good day with their loved ones. My DH had to work today but he was so sweet he bought me a dozen roses and some chocolates. We are planning on celebrating tomorrow (weather permitting...since we are expecting 3-4 inches of snow overnight and some black ice. So the roads will be nasty.)

I thought that I would show you what I wore today.

OPI's Sun-body Loves Me. Not the traditional red but I love orange-y reds and bright colors so this one suits me just perfectly. Plus the name is just so cute.

And what I wore last week was....

OPI's DS Glamour. This has to be one of my favorite colors of all times. My goodness this color just makes me weak in the knees. My pics don't do it justice and please excuse the dry skin. Winter is so very cruel.

Thanks for stopping by! Have a good night everyone!

Sally Hansen Honeydew

2010-02-05T21:22:00.001-05:00

Sally Hansen Honeydew, originally uploaded by Candi's Addictions.

Today I bring you a gorgeous color that I have wanted to get my hands on for the longest time. It was worth the wait.

China Glaze VIII

2010-02-03T07:59:00.000-05:00

Good Morning, Everyone!

Today I would like to show you China Glaze's VIII

I ABSOLUTELY L-O-V-E this color. It applied so nicely and it is one of the vampiest colors that I have ever had the pleasure to use. I don't wear vampies as often as I would like but next time I am in the mood for a vamp then this one will be the one that I reach for. (This picture was snapped without a topcoat. See how glossy it is? And I also would like to apologize for the lighting. It has been gray and overcast for it seems the last month or so. I am so sick of winter!!!)

I hope that you all have a great day and thanks for stopping by!

My Disclosure Policy

2010-01-23T18:08:00.002-05:00

This policy is valid from 23 January 2010
This blog is a personal blog written and edited by me. This blog accepts forms of cash advertising, sponsorship, paid insertions or other forms of compensation.
The compensation received will never influence the content, topics or posts made in this blog. All advertising is in the form of advertisements generated by a third party ad network. Those advertisements will be identified as paid advertisements.
The owner(s) of this blog is not compensated to provide opinion on products, services, websites and various other topics. The views and opinions expressed on this blog are purely the blog owners. If we claim or appear to be experts on a certain topic or product or service area, we will only endorse products or services that we believe, based on our expertise, are worthy of such endorsement. Any product claim, statistic, quote or other representation about a product or service should be verified with the manufacturer or provider.
This blog does not contain any content which might present a conflict of interest.
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Long time no see

2009-12-23T18:52:00.001-05:00

OPI Play Til Midnight , originally uploaded by Candi's Addictions.

I apologize to those of you that visit my blog for my absence. With the holidays, work, and the flu not to mention my loss of power for 3 days it has been hard for me to update my blog. I thought that I would share with you my current NOTD which is OPI Play Till Midnight. I didn't realize that this polish had little glitters. I couldn't see them when I wore it today during the day but they definitely pop under a daylight bulb. Quite spectacular and unexpected! I hope that you and yours have the Merriest of Christmases in case I don't have an opportunity to login before then.

Nicole Overwhelmed

2009-12-04T03:00:00.001-05:00

Nicole Overwhelmed, originally uploaded by Candi's Addictions.

Long time, no see. I haven't been able to get online very much the past few days and I haven't changed my mani in several days. So there wasn't very much that I could show you. :>( This is Nicole Overwhelmed and it is the same mani that I have had for the past 3 days. I just took this pic so it is holding up very well, I might say. (Thank you, Seche Vite.)

Talk to you soon and thank you for stopping by!

China Glaze Blue Sparrow

2009-11-30T19:36:00.001-05:00

China Glaze Blue Sparrow, originally uploaded by Candi's Addictions.

Just about as close as you can get to the perfect blue. I love this color but I don't like the clean up. I need to try the trick of a acteone soaked cotton ball and tin foil because this took forever to remove. Next up....???? Probably a Nicole which one I don't know. :>D

Carolyn New York Wise Guys

2009-11-22T21:06:00.001-05:00

Carolyn New York Wise Guys, originally uploaded by Candi's Addictions.

Today I spent the day outdoors. It was the first sunny day that I have seen in awhile and I wanted to enjoy it. So I got a glass of ice tea, some shortbread cookies, and The Fellowship of the Rings and spent some time reading in the sun. It was lovely. After that I finished some housework and then I treated myself to a polish change and this is what I chose. Sadly this company is not in business any longer but I was able to pick up a few colors before they went under and this is one of them. This is just one coat of color. Unbelievable! And I must say that the brush is very nice. Not too big and not too small just right.

Have a good evening!

A blast from the past…OPI Kris Kringle Makes Me Tingle

2009-11-20T17:12:00.003-05:00

I took my mani off last night and have replaced the color yet. I am such a klutz that I turned over the bottle containing the last bit of remover that I had left so I will have to wait till I can get to the store this weekend to do another polish change. I have lots more colors to show you and I have some old favorites that I would like to wear again like this one:

This is OPI's Kris Kringle Makes Me Tingle which is one of my favorite browns. I think that it will suit most people. It is festive without being flashy, interesting without being tacky, etc. I could go on and on. Every time that I put it on, I think to myself that I should wear it more often. It is just one of those colors that makes you happy.

I wasn't able to go to work today because we have been having some major car issues such as brakes and tires. $$$$$$ :>( So I spent the day catching up on my soap operas. (I watch Bold and the Beautiful and The Young & the Restless) and eating tons of junk food like Smart Food Popcorn, Flaming Hot Cheetos, and how could I forget the obligatory Reese's cups. Yummy! I don't know how I will ever lose those 20 pounds that I want to if I can't stay disciplined enough to stop with the junk.

Thanks for stopping by to see me,

Candi

China Glaze Ruby Pumps

2009-11-19T22:09:00.001-05:00

Ruby Pumps0001_1, originally uploaded by Candi's Addictions.

As promised, I present one of China Glaze's most popular color. Ruby Pumps!!!!!!! What is there to say about this that hasn't already been said before. I have always loved red polishes. I have a mega ton of reds and I am still attracted to new ones daily. But this is one of my top 3 favorite reds of all times. I wish that I had some shoes exactly like this.

China Glaze C-C-Courage

2009-11-19T21:54:00.001-05:00

C-C-Courage0001, originally uploaded by Candi's Addictions.

I am so upset that I back to nubbins again. I have been trying to grow my nails out and today when I was leaving work and locking up my desk. I broke a nail! It broke completely off so I cut the rest of them off. I know that some of you ladies out there are super talented and able to reconstruct a nail or mend a broken nail but I can't. So when I have a break I don't have a choice but to cut them all down.

So tonight when I was trying to decide on a new mani I swatched this pretty. Royal purple with itty bitty silver sparklies...check...sign me up! I think that this is my second favorite of the collection but perhaps the one that looks the best on me.

I love to sleep in…

2009-11-19T10:45:00.001-05:00

I must be one of those people that never get enough sleep. A couple of my favorite things to do are takes long naps and sleep in. I could probably sleep standing up. I have found that I am neither a night owl nor a morning person. I am a mid-day person, if such a thing exists. My idea of a perfect lazy day is to get up about 10:00 or 11:00am, have a cup of coffee, and then read some of whatever book that I happen to be reading at time. Fix and early lunch of fruit and cheese with crackers and a nice ice cold Pepsi © and then take an hour or two nap afterwards. Ahhh sounds so relaxing just typing that out and reading it back. I changed my mani last night and I am currently rocking China Glaze's Ruby Pumps. I will have plenty of pictures to show you later when I get home.

Notd: China Glaze Dorothy Who?

2009-11-18T19:56:00.001-05:00

China Glaze Dorothy Who?, originally uploaded by Candi's Addictions.

Long time, no see. It has been a crazy day at work the last few days and I have been up to my eyeballs in other people's work not to mention mine own. I am sure that we have all been there. Right? I received this pretty in the mail today from a friend and I used my work break to put it on. Excuse the wear because I didn't have a proper top and base coat at the time. But it put a smile on my face and made the rest of the day bearable.

What is there to say about this color that hasn't already been said. It is a mid to deep blue jelly with a megaton of silver and blue glitter. It is a like a darker version of Stroke of Midnight by China Glaze if you have ever seen that one. I didn't have any trouble at all with the application it went on extremely smoothly and the picture is with two coats and no base and top. I am so thrilled that China Glaze was able to re-release the Wizard of Ooh and Ahz Collection. Finally a nail polish company that listens to what their customers want.

I am over the moon with this polish!

Notd: Teal Franken

2009-11-15T22:01:00.001-05:00

Teal0001_1, originally uploaded by Candi's Addictions.

I just finally got a chance to change my mani. I was wearing Atlantis earlier but I wasn't able to snap a pic before removing it. I had tip wear after just one day so I will have to re-do that mani again and make sure to take a pic because I think that the color was really flattering on my skin tone.

I received this Franken from a friend and just now had a chance to try it out. I don't have anything that matches this color in clothing but I think that it will make a great accent color. My pic is showing it a bit bluer than it is in real life. It is a tad bit more green and has a golden sheen to it. Really pretty color!

Thanks for visting!

Today's KONADICURE:New Snow Leopard

2009-11-14T12:31:00.001-05:00

New Snow Leopard, originally uploaded by Candi's Addictions.

I have a dear friend who has a terrrible rash and I did this KONADICURE in her honor so we both have matching spots now. I think that it reminds me of a 80's, glammed up, heavy metal snow leopard. LOL. It is a fun look. I have enjoyed it and I hope that you liked the pic.

Thanks for stopping by!

Today's Mani is Sci Fi by China Glaze

2009-11-12T06:44:00.000-05:00

Last night, I had such a hard time finding time to do a mani. So this is just a polish change. Everything that could have went wrong did. First, I couldn't decide which color. I knew that I wanted to do a metallic but they were all jumping out at me from the drawer begging me to pick them. So I just reached in and grabbed one and this was the lucky one. Next, I couldn't find my cotton balls. (Still haven't found them. I have looked in all of the usual places.) So I had to use bath tissue. Yes, I had to keep it real there for a moment. Sorry if that is TMI. LOL. And since I am running extremely low on remover the tissue didn't soak up the remover and hold on to it so I ended up using a lot of both! So I will have to try and make this mani last as long as possible since I won't be able to pick up some remover until this weekend. (I have enough for possibly two more changes if I can find that darn bag of cotton balls :>) So don't be surprised if you see another post from me before then) One of the ways that I personally can extend a mani is by using good base and top coats. Some of my favorites bases are Rock Hard, SH Nail Quencher, Zoya Anchor, and Creative Nail Design's Stickey. A few of my favorite top coats are Rock Hard, China Glaze's Fast Dry, CND Air Dry, Zoya Armor, and Sally Hansen's Insta Dri. But for this mani, I used CND Stickey and SH Insta Dri.

Without further adieu. I present to you China Glaze's Sci Fi

As you can see the KHROMEs are more forgiving that the Romantique's although they have somewhat similar color schemes. This is like brushed steel with a hint of lavendar. It is so reflective it is like having tiny little mirrors on each of your nail beds. I can't wait to KONAD over this baby. I am thinking M57 leopard spots in purple might be cute. I will give it some thought throughout the day and I will post whatever KONADICURE that I come up with for you bloggers.

Have a good day!

China Glaze Gussied Up Green Konadicure

2009-11-09T18:17:00.001-05:00

Gussied Up Green M30 and M54.Pastel, originally uploaded by Candi's Addictions.

I used plate m30 and M54 and the KONAD Special Polish in Pastel Green to create this amphibian look. Love it. What do you think?

China Glaze Outta Bounds

2009-11-08T20:31:00.001-05:00

Outta Bounds, originally uploaded by weedita.

A blast from the past from the photostream. Isn't this the most perfect green in existence? Don't answer that. LOL. I don't think that my wallet can afford to go on the hunt for any HTFs at the moment. For me it is a toss up between Emerald Sparkle and this for the coveted spot of favorite green in my book. Another Top 20 color for me.

China Glaze Yee Haw!

2009-11-08T20:27:00.001-05:00

Yee Haw!, originally uploaded by weedita.

Another polish, I rediscovered through looking through my photostream. I just love this color. You don't hear enough about it but it is understated enough to wear in the workplace but still interesting enough to wear on the weekends. I think that it looks great with my skintone.

China Glaze Reggae to Riches

2009-11-08T17:10:00.001-05:00

Reggae to Riches, originally uploaded by weedita.

Another of my favorite China Glazes. I really love this color. I was looking through my photos to pick my next mani and I came across this beauty. It just sings of summer and lazy days by the pool. I wish that I could have one more day of summer. Fall is kicking my butt. I am sick and just don't feel well today. I don't have the flu but I have a pretty bad cold. Me thinks.

Misa Poppy Dreams

2009-11-08T17:04:00.001-05:00

Misa Poppy Dreams, originally uploaded by weedita1.

This was a pre-cleanup Konadicure with Misa Poppy Dreams. You can'tr really see the strawberries that well because they are upside down. Duh! This is the first time that I have used two colors for the stamps.

Misa Dirty Sexy Money

2009-11-08T17:02:00.001-05:00

Misa Dirty Sexy Money, originally uploaded by weedita1.

This is a Konadicure with Misa Dirty Sexy Money and KONAD Special Polish is Pastel Green. I really liked this combination. I got a lot of compliments on this mani.

My Halloween Mani

2009-10-31T23:13:00.000-04:00

Hi, Viewers

I would like to present my Halloween mani. It is Creative Nail Design's Orange-a-Peel. This may be a HTF now since this company has recently overhauled its entire color range and products. I had to the best of intentions of doing a really awesome mani but as usually life got in the way. I will be changing tomorrow to something more work suitable but I have enjoyed wearing this for a day.

We didn't have any trick or treaters at the house tonight. I think that the rain kept everyone indoors. Boo. But on the plus side, I have 2 bags of candy to dispose of. :>)

Other than nail polish, one of my other interests is reading. Currently I am reading "Lost Souls" by Lisa Jackson. I am on Chapter 6 and I have struggled through this book for some reason. It is entertaining enough but I the pacing is off for me and seems to drag. This is my first book that I have read by this author but I have heard good things about her books so I am determined to finish it.

Here is what the editors say about it:

From Publishers Weekly
Kristi Bentz, having recovered from her last encounter with a sadistic monster in bestseller Jackson's Absolute Evil, faces an equally terrifying ordeal in this frantic paranormal thriller. Four female students associated with a vampire cult have gone missing at Baton Rouge's All Saints College, where Kristi is pursuing a journalism degree and plans to write about true crime. Kristi by chance rents an apartment once tenanted by one of the missing girls and begins investigating the case, thinking it might make a great first book. Kristi's old college sweetheart, Jay McKnight, provides an unexpected surprise (and protection) when he shows up as the fill-in for one of Kristi's professors. Not too surprisingly, Vlad, the mysterious serial killer, sets his sights on Kristi. Adding hot sauce to the blood bath is Kristi's new supernatural ability to detect anyone marked for a life-or-death struggle when she sees a person go from living color to deadly gray or black-and-white. Jackson peppers the action with insights into the challenges faced by law enforcement agencies trying to solve crimes in post-Katrina Louisiana. (Apr.) Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Sounds really good right? Well it did to me too! I love parnormal fiction, mysteries, and thrillers. And a dash of historical romance to lighten things up a bit but this book is a snore so far. I am hoping that it picks up a bit when I reach the half way point because as of right now the foreshadowing is killing me and I just want something to happen.

Well, that is all for now. Thanks for reading if you got this far. I hope that you stop in again soon. Nighty Night.

My Week of Manis

2009-10-16T20:59:00.000-04:00

The weather was cold and rainy here all week so for my manis this week I wanted some fall colors and these China Glaze colors fit the bill. Take a peek.....

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3534/4018286896_e788524ee8.jpg
China Glaze Drive In

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2689/4018286850_e6f5897ca3.jpg
China Glaze Style Wars

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2510/4017525655_9d684c1440.jpg
China Glaze Street Racing

China Glaze is my favorite brand of polishes. They have the best color selection, they are easy to find, and the price is right. So you will see lost more posts of this brand to come.

I am trying to grow out my nails but I have the urge to whack them off and go "commando" with the nubbins (a.k.a. really short nails.) :>)