My Lucid Bubble

Unexpected Hiatus

2013-04-10T10:00:00.000-04:00

I have the plague. Not really but I do have bronchial pneumonia and feel like utter shit. My nails have been without nail polish for about a week because I can't breath. I'm annoyed that I am sick because I can count on both hands the times I have been ill and it was always minor. I suppose I was due for something a bit more serious but still *pout*! I'm still buying polish though. Ha!

So while I am being pissy and sick I won't be blogging. I actually cut all my nails off so I can try a new treatment. That should be fun! Remember - wash your hands, cover your mouth when you cough and don't wipe your nose on your sleeve.

Blog Love: Sharing is Caring

2013-03-27T10:00:00.000-04:00

Blog Love! Here are some new to me blogs that I want to share. Please feel free to post your blog or a blog that you like in the comments. The more the merrier!

NailsnBling
Drama Queen Nails
Paint the Rainbows
Mirma Nnatalia
Dressed Up Nails
Jenlingyang
Kell's DIY Nails
The Lacquer Diaries
Jessica's Nail Tales
AnnaBean's Nails
Haus of Polish
LacqLustre
We are the Wicked
Glossed Nails
Polishically Uncorrect
Hysteria of Decay
World of Polish
Mimi's Mani's and Other Beauty
Lacksuse
Tasty Tips

Ooh La Lacquer I'm A Matte 4 U

2013-03-26T10:00:00.000-04:00

I was browsing Etsy and came across Ooh La Lacquer and the matte glitters. I really like matte glitters so I went for it because I seem to be easily swayed. Plus, the price is really nice at only $5 a bottle. They are very well made. I had no issue with the polish being thick or gooey which is sometimes an issue with these matte micro-glitter polishes. I also had great glitter payoff with just one coat. I'm very, very pleased.

I'm A Matte 4 U is a combination of blue and pink matte glitter. This is one coat of over Essie Bond With Whomever.

An extreme close up. It's sweet looking isn't it? Like candy.

Normal photos.

Butter London 2013 Summer Holiday Collection

2013-03-25T10:00:00.000-04:00

I'm a fan of Butter London and I like that I can usually get them with a coupon code or through a sale. It makes the price tag a bit easier to swallow. I saw that b-glowing had the 2013 Summer Holiday collection and since I had a coupon I bought them. I am a bit iffy on the collection as a whole. They are all pretty but nothing new or exciting. I find it kind of boring especially considering the amazing holiday colors they recently released. I loved all of those but these not so much. I do like them but I suggest waiting for a sale if you do fall in love with one but I think these could be duped from other brands that are on the cheaper side.

Bit Faker is an opaque mix of browns, bronze and orange/red glitter. This is one coat with topcoat.

Bobby Dazzler is a pewter/tarnished silver with hint of a lilac undertone. It's very reflective and has a wonderful formula for a chrome polish. It wears well too. I wore this one for close to two days and except for the pointer finger it looks good. This is two coats but I could have done one easily.

Champers is a champagne shimmer. It's a very flattering color on me. This is two coats. The second photo is blurred to show the shimmer better.

Marbs is a bright gold shimmer. It looks oddly green toned on me in reality. I'm not the biggest fan of this one but I can see it looking amazing on someone with darker skintone - which is about 90% of the population. This is two coats.

Poole is the odd man out with this collection. They are all metallic in nature except for Poole which is a dusty aqua creme. The formula is not perfect in that it doesn't self level completely. You can see some creasing in the below photos. The first photo is color correct. It reminds me of other dusty green/blue/aqua colors polishes. This is three coats.

Sun Baker is a vibrant orange shimmer. I like this one! It's very juicy and bright and cheerful. This is two coats.

Orly Boho Bonnet

2013-03-19T10:00:00.000-04:00

I had to take Thom to the vet yesterday because he was clawing at his mouth and growling and hissing. I thought at first that he was choking so I stuck my finger into his mouth to check. He wasn't choking but I did notice that he has a nasty looking tooth in his mouth. Poor fuzzbutt. He is on antibiotics and will return to the vet on Friday morning to have a tooth (or two) pulled and some extensive cleaning done. I do have to say that Thom is a stud! He was so very good at the vet and is taking his pills without complaint. It doesn't hurt that I offer him chicken before and after but he is just a sweetheart.

This is a lovely polish. It's both blue and grey with a soft but not stark look on the nail. I planned on putting some glitter over it but never got the chance.

Look at that face! So sweet.

Julie G Frosted Gum Drops Hot Cinnamon

2013-03-15T10:00:00.000-04:00

I really like the textured trend going on in the polish world. I saw the Julie G Frosted Gum Drop collection and was kind of excited so I ordered it during the pre-sale that Jesse's Girl had online. They arrived and I was happy though I was amused that the special pre-order gift was some cheap toe separators. I gave them to Gus to play with and he acted like I gave him a brick of gold.

I decided on Hot Cinnamon first since it looked amazing in the bottle and it translates just as well to the nail. It's a strawberry red with a matte texture finish but it also shimmers. The below is two coats and the application was good and it dried faster than I thought it would.

Here it is in the shade and you can see the texture. Pardon the cuticles.

Here it is a bit blurred so you can see the shimmer. It's so pretty!

Some normal shots.

Missha The Style Lucid Nail Polish Dazzling #3

2013-03-14T10:00:00.000-04:00

As far as I know this polish doesn't have a name but a number. It's from the Dazzling collection from Missha and it's number 3. It has a really cute bottle and an extremely wide brush which I'm not a huge fan of but I love glitter. I bought this on Ebay along with a few others. I do love trolling Ebay looking for polish.

The base on this was thick and the glitter is on the sparse side for such a complex mix. Thinner will take care of the base and I'm enjoying it. This is one dabbled coat over Essie Maximillian Stasse Her.

Orly High on Hope

2013-03-13T11:30:00.000-04:00

This manicure shows some wear because I applied my basecoat as cuticle oil by mistake. I keep my oil mix in a China Glaze bottle and it was sitting next to my China Glaze Fast Forward and I wasn't paying attention. Ew, crusty cuticles.

High on Hope is a really gorgeous polish. It's as if you mixed a little bit of Orly Space Cadet with OPI Ink and got this polish. The below is three coats with topcoat. It's a beautiful polish and my photos just don't do it justice.

Here it is in the shade and partial sun. You can see the color flash here.

Essie Maximillian Strasse Her

2013-03-12T10:00:00.000-04:00

Essie Maximillian Strasse Her is a sage green with little hints of blue. It's a lovely color and I had no issues with the formula. The below is two coats with topcoat.

Jade Extasy

2013-03-11T10:00:00.000-04:00

The third newest holo from Jade. Extasy is a grey based blue that gives it a smokey quality. The formula is a bit thinner compared to the other Jade holo polishes but not horrible. The below is three coats with topcoat.

Jade Uau!

2013-03-09T10:00:00.000-05:00

This is amazing. Really. Uau! is a rustic orange with a slight metallic feel and it just glows. This looks like fire on the nails. This is one of the more unique holo polishes I have seen since it's not a pastel or a soft shade. It's perfectly named as well since Uau translates to Wow in english. I think? I really and truly love this polish and the wonderful formula just makes it even better.

This is two coats with one coat of topcoat. I purchased this at Ninja Polish.

Just look at it! *sigh*

Jade Irresistivel

2013-03-08T10:00:00.000-05:00

I bought this polish from Ninja Polish but it can also be purchased from llarowe though it is currently out of stock.

I really like the Jade holo polishes. They have a wonderful formula and a very strong holo finish. I was all giddy when I saw that there were new color available. I, of course, felt the need to own them because I like being a glutton. Irresistivel is a pale nude gold with some very faint shimmer woven throughout. It's a really beautiful color. The below is two coats with one coat of topcoat.

Orly Coachella Dweller

2013-03-07T10:00:00.000-05:00

Sometimes a nice creme is what is needed. Coachella Dweller is from the newest Orly collection and it has a sort of soft diffused look on the nail. This is two coats with topcoat.

Nails Inc Feathers Cornwall

2013-03-06T10:00:00.000-05:00

I really like the Feathers collection from Nails Inc. I was a bit hesitant because I am not the biggest fan of bar/string glitter but these are small and matte and bright. They really do give a brushed/feathered look to the nail. In photos they look sparse but in reality they have a more opaque look to them. I found that these polishes look much, much better in real life as opposed to in photos.

I decided to wear Cornwall first which is a blue and white bar glitter. I wore one coat over Orly Boho Bonnet. This is one coat kind of dabbled on but it has great coverage. It's not shiny even with topcoat and when it's removed those little bar glitters tend to go all over the nail. I think it looks so cool!! I bought these at Sephora.

CrowsToes Um, No...He Went To The Pawn Shop

2013-03-05T10:00:00.000-05:00

I love this polish. LOVE! I seriously thought about buying a back up bottle and it's very, very rare that I do that. It has an interesting vintage feel to it and looks really great over a number of different base colors and it can be built up to worn alone. Love this one!

I bought this at llarowe. This is one coat over a blue that I can't remember with one coat of topcoat.

Here it is with indoor light. Doesn't it have a vintage feel?

Sephora + Pantone Universe Mini Graphic Effects Lacquers

2013-03-04T10:00:00.000-05:00

Last year I bought the Tangerine Tango set and was not very happy with it. I loved the color but the formula and selection was blah. This year I thought I would be a bit happier because the color is Emerald. Yes! A deep luscious green is right up my alley. When I saw this set from Sephora I bought it because I love green and I'm a sucker that doesn't learn from past experience.

This set has three mini bottles (0.3oz) with each color having a different finish: shimmer, metallic and glitter. The formula on all of them is gooey and gummy and needed thinner - a lot of thinner. I also question this green being called emerald. I find them too blue leaning to be what I call emerald and I would put them in the jade green category. The glitter is the closest to my version of emerald green. I suppose they are a shade of emerald green but I wanted that deep lush green of a gorgeous emerald stone. Hmph.

Emerald Shimmer. This is more of a pearl finish and really reminds me of a creme de menthe color. It's very pretty, I admit, but the formula was fussy and not easy to worth with and this required 3/4 coats. I just don't see this as emerald. Does anyone else think the same?

Emerald Metallic. This one is a big fail. It's a creme base with holo glitter but the holo sparkle is very, very faint. It essentially looks like it has tarnished silver glitter in a green base. It looks like a badly made franken. This is three coats.

Emerald Glitter. This has a slightly tinted base with green glitter. The base is not tinted enough to be opaque but it's tinted enough that it would color a base color unless it was green. The best way to wear this would be over a green creme. This is four coats because I wanted to wear it alone. Nothing exciting and there are much better green glitters out there.

Nail Obsession Tag

2013-03-01T10:00:00.000-05:00

I haven't done a tag in awhile. I saw this one on Lovely in Lacquer and thought I would post my answers. I would love to hear your answers as well so post them in the comments or put a link if you blog them.

Favorite brand of nail polish?

If I had to pick one it would be China Glaze. They have enough variety to please me and I like the formula and brush. I think Essie would be my second pick. For Indie it would be CrowsToes.

Glitter or no glitter?

Both! I love a good shiny creme polish but I am drawn to the sparkle of glitter.

When or how often do you change your nail polish?

Daily. If I don't do a complete change I am adding something to it. I can do a complete manicure change in under 8 minutes.

What's your favorite color on your nails?

As much as I love green nail polish I really think I look good in a basic black creme.

Darks or brights?

Again, both. A vibrant teal or purple is yummy. A vampy red or emerald green is good as well.

What color are you wearing on your nails right now?

They are naked because I am waiting for a package and I want to be prepared.

Matte Nails: are they in or are they out?

I remember wearing matte nails in the mid 1990's so they will never be "out" for me.

What's your opinion on the french manicure?

They aren't for me but I do see their appeal for others. It's a clean and basic look that is easy to wear.

Favorite winter nail polish color?

I don't do seasons when it comes to polish. I do look forward to the fall/winter/holiday collections because they are always colors that I like.

What is your ultimate polish lemming?

A few Revlon Street Wear polishes are on my long time lust list. I had to sell most of mine a few years back and I am slowly finding them again. Oh! Sally Hansen Nail Prisms in Lavender Gold. If you have one that needs a new home will love you forever!!

What's the most you've ever spent on one bottle of polish?

$62.17. It was worth every penny.

What polish in your collection have you worn the most?

I am on my third bottle of OPI La Boheme. I bought three when it was first released because I knew I would love it. I can't see buying it again since I have other polishes that give me as much joy and it's discontinued. I have purchased black polish a number of times. I've used up a bottle of China Glaze Rainstorm. I can't think of any others.

Rainbow Polish Sky Walker

2013-02-28T10:00:00.000-05:00

Sky Walker is from the Star Set 2 collection that is inspired by Star Wars from Rainbow Polish. I saw it available and bought it happily because I have the first set and enjoy it. Wonderful formula and great glitter payoff without any work.

This is one coat of Sky Walker over CND Miss Wu with one coat of topcoat.

CrowsToes Heartshaped Box of Horse *!@#!

2013-02-27T10:00:00.000-05:00

I love CrowsToes. I'm always excited when I see a new collection released. When the ValenCrows collection was available from llarowe I bought them right quick. She does glitter extremely well plus I enjoy her as a person. This is a glitter packed polish with brown, copper.gold and red glitter. The best part is that there are different shaped glitter which includes square. I love square glitter! I want more square glitter. I'm very happy with this polish.

This is one coat of Heartshaped Box of Horse *!@#! over a pearly white that I made myself. One coat of topcoat over everything.

Opps! No Post!

2013-02-26T15:08:00.000-05:00

I got distracted and realized that I didn't post anything today. I got a new toy! I bought a Google Nexus 7 and I have been really involved in playing with it.

Here is a cat photo to make up for no nails. Alfred and Gus snuggling together. So sweet.

Zoya Pixie Dust Vespa

2013-02-25T10:00:00.000-05:00

Zoya Pixie Dust collection is six polishes with a sugared matte finish. I love, love, love the finish and feel of them all. They are all matte but still sparkle. It really does look like you sprinkled really fine sugar onto your nails. Very cool. I was sent the collection for review and have had a chance to wear them all and each one was a huge pain in the ass to apply. They have a gooey gel like consistency and if you don't wait for the first coat to 100% settle you will get major dragging and balding. They take forever to dry if they dry completely at all. The brushes on all of them are really soft and wonky in some way which made applying them even more of an issue.

I am a huge fan of the finish and feel of the Pixie Dust collection but I am not a fan at all of the formula or the brushes. I've seen the reviews for this collection on other blogs and I can't be the only one who got bad brushes and had issues with the formula. Maybe Zoya just hates me. I really hope another company comes out with this finish because I just can't work with the Zoya collection. I'm really, really glad I didn't pay for these. I highly suggest waiting for a sale.

This is Vespa a soft green. It's three coats and the second application. I did use thinner - lots of it - but the formula was still a pain.

Blog Love: Sharing is Caring

2013-02-20T12:00:00.000-05:00

A few blogs that I would like to share. Hope you enjoy them!

Peace, Love and Polish

Ozotic 601

2013-02-19T10:00:00.000-05:00

Another holo. I'm not bored of wearing them yet so you may be seeing a few more. Ozotic 601 is a scattered holo and I prefer them a smidge more to the linear finish holo polishes. It really does look like it moves in waves when I wiggle my fingers. I may be easily fascinated.

This is two coats with topcoat.

Color Club Cherubic

2013-02-18T10:00:00.000-05:00

Cherubic is from the first set of holo polishes that Color Club released. It's a gorgeous nude holo with a really wonderful formula. All of the polishes from the Halo Hues collection have a lovely formula. I am hoping that Color Club puts out other colors. I would love to see an orange, rust, red, deep green and a grey. That would make me happy.

This is two coats with topcoat. No special base at all needed. I seem to be on a holo kick of late.

Layla Coffee Lover

2013-02-16T10:00:00.000-05:00

I love coffee and caffeine. I love the bubbles of an icy cold Coke and the slight bitter taste of a strong black espresso. I drink iced coffee all year round. I enjoy a cup of hot, hot, hot coffee with sugar right before bed. I love coffee so when I saw that Layla was putting out a holo with coffee in the name I knew I was going to buy it. Luckily, it's a great color. It's oddly sophisticated for a holo since usually they run to the soft or pastel color range. This is a smokey kind of brown. The formula is fussy but an aqua base really helps.

This is two coats with topcoat.