SUMMER BUBBLES: Del Sol color-changing* polish

I have owned Del Sol First Kiss for quite a while and decided it was time to try it.

  

The "before" silvery pink color is very close to how I remember my first nail polish ever: Love My Nails Innocent Pink, given to me at age six by a student teacher who knew not what she wrought. I kept it for years and years, until it finally got sort of yellowy and unfortunate. Then I barely missed my last opportunity to buy another before the brand went defunct; you could buy it at Walmart forever, but when it finally occurred to me, all I could find were some godawful magenta ones in a clearance bin.

  

My older, more sophisticated palate decried the color as TOTES BORING (also the VNL was unacceptable), so I stamped it with the bubbles from Mash-43 in China Glaze Galactic Gray (very subtle effect). Then I got all glitter-happy and added a layer of OPI Pirouette My Whistle to simulate MORE BUBBLES.

* There were too many layers of top coat to allow enough UV light in to change the Del Sol. Sometimes I fail to think these things through.

  

It does change color nicely in the bottle, so presumably, if you don't slop on endless UV-filtering top coat, it will also change on your nails. I ordered it from Sally's, but they have a wider variety on the Del Sol website in delightfully redesigned bottles. SWEET.

YET STILL MORE MERMAIDS: Layla Softouch 10

This is a mermaid color in spirit if not in name. The internet gods tell me #10 is "Turquoise Splash."

  

I really like the finish on this line. It is rare, if not unique, but wear time is not very good.

  

Immediately after these pictures, I snapped off my left index nail below the quick. Angst happened.

  

If I'd been wearing base coat under it and a nice thick sludge of Seche Vite over it, I'd probably still have that nail. JUST SAYING.

OPI LIQUID SAND: at least it's purple

OPI's Facebook page claims this will be available "as early as" January 2, 2013. I purchased this on December 29, 2012 and saw it in a salon the day before. Do they purposely give us a fake availability date and then release them sooner to make us all excited that we found something early? Or it is a failing on the retail side? what-ever.

I was not interested in "matte glitter" and object to Mariah Carey so had no plans to pick up any of the OPI Liquid Sand polishes. Then I was at Ulta, and then there was a purple one, and why does this always happen....

  

OPI Can't Let Go. I like it more than expected. Dry time is pretty good, and it's holding up well for lack of top coat. I've had this on about forty-eight hours, and there's just some minor tip wear...but I have an overwhelming urge to pick at it.

  

I am afraid this may require lasers to be removed.

  

The texture is interesting, but two thick layers of Seche Vite transform it into shiny love-love as shown below. Although SOMEONE just told me that looks "kind of like vomit," so I guess it's personal preference.

  

HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY (or, as I like to call it, Wednesday)

My fingernails are my one acknowledgement of Boom Day, as I can wear neither red nor blue in any flattering sense and have to work. Whoever complains about lazy government employees obviously never worked for small government.

  

Here we have a Sally Hansen Hard As Nail Xtreme Wear White Out under OPI Red Shatter with an accent nail of China Glaze Blue Year's Eve and Konad white stars from plate m3. It would have looked better with more stars, but for once I quit while I was ahead.



Originally I tried to paint them solid red and stamp white stripes, but the full-nail plates are not wide enough for my particular full nails. Or long enough, but I can fudge that with colored French tips. I tried to extend the stripes by hand, but it looked like a drunken five-year-old's masterpiece, so I redid them. At 11:30pm on a Sunday. PRIORITIES.

  

Lots of positive feedback on this one. It's holding up pretty well, too; day three and only very minor tip wear. I'm hoping a couple more layers of Seche Vite will take it through Saturday.

HOLO WHAT: Layla Flash Black

I decided to continue with the skull theme (Konad m28) for budget meetings this year, lovingly displayed on a holo accent nail (Layla Flash Black) in a sea of black claws (China Glaze Liquid Leather) just waiting to rip someone's eyes out. I mean happy to change any numbers you want. Coworkers' response was, overwhelmingly, "cuuuuuuute!!!"   (sigh)

  

The sun was not as cooperative as it was for Ultra Violet, but this does hint at Flash Black's gorgeous potential to destroy the world. I mean to make up some reasonable end of year estimates.



The little aurora rhinestone didn't sparkle as much as I'd hoped but it may be due to the thick coating of hot buttered rage. I mean excitement at putting the bond limit to public vote.

  

I like to paint my nails particularly shiny for situations where I need autohypnosis not to inflict blunt force trauma on anyone. THESE ARE GOOD JOBS RIGHT right.