China Glaze Re-Fresh Mint

I'm back!  Okay, not really.  My Dad is hopefully being released today but I won't be here.  Of course.  I have my own doctor appointments and then I'm going out of town so I can pick my Mom up from the airport on Tuesday.  I'm going to attempt to write a few more posts before leaving tomorrow, but I'm really loving this manicure!


China Glaze Re-Fresh Mint was apart of the Up & Away Spring 2010 collection, but it's just been sitting in my list of untrieds for, well, months.  Mint was a very popular color this spring/summer... I like it but I was never crazy about it.  Well that's because I've never tried it!


I used a base coat of Seche Natural, 2 coats of Re-Fresh Mint and a top coat of Seche Vite.  The formula was a little tricky.  I'm not sure if it's my unsteady hand from not polishing in over a week, or part of my new medicine (a side effect is trembling hands, not kidding), but the first coat was a bit streaky, pooled into my cuticles and the polish was weird.  I'm not very good at wiping polish.  I read one blogger (Temptalia I think?) who wipes the top plastic of the brush on the bottle's edge first so she doesn't get "runny polish" going down the brush.  I believe Scrangie mentioned in her blog that these polishes specifically had a problem of excess polish running down the brush - but either way, that's exactly what happened to me in the first coat.  I had to do extra wiping on the bottle neck in order to make sure not to have SURPRISE! POLISH DRIPS while polishing.  The second coat, I got wiser and was able to smooth out all the streaks, pooling and mistakes.  I still ran my nails with some polish remover using a small eyeliner paint brush to clean up before applying my Seche Vite.


This color is a very pretty mint green creme, almost pastel.  Sun picture, go!

Shade picture, go!

Interesting note, my hands nearly GLOWED in the shade like a neon does.  I first noticed that at church, which is always an appropriate place to stare at your nails, right?  ^_^  


Ooh also, I'm going Tuesday to get some crazy nail shopping out of the way.  I'm talking Lippmanns (for sure!), MAC, and if I'm lucky some awesome China Glaze dusties and some OPIs.  I'm super excited about this trip and just can't wait!

China Glaze [official website] can be found online through several etailers, including my favorite Head2Toe Beauty [official website], Sally's Beauty Supply [official website] as well asTransDesign [official website].

Disclosure: The product[s] in this post was [were] provided to me by the company for consideration.  For more information, please read this post.

ManGlaze "Mayonnaise"

Starting today, August 13th, ManGlaze is offering their new matte white nail polish called Mayonnaise.  Also, back in stock is their matte grey Fuggen Ugly which has been slightly revised.  Unfortunately, that's all the information I have, but I read on Twitter that Fuggen Ugly is all the same you love, plus just "more matte."


You can purchase ManGlaze on their website [official website].

Models Own Promotion

I have been lemming Models Own for awhile now - they are a company across the pond and so that means I have to figure out Euros again but also shipping costs.  Well, right now they are on a quest to get 10,000 "Likes" on Facebook before the end of August.  You can read more here.  When then get to 10,000, they will send all of the Facebook fans an exclusive voucher which will give you to 50% off your order when you spend £20 or more!*


Now, Facebook and blogging has been a tricky thing, I've noticed.  I work for a game/application on Facebook, so I literally am friends with every one I work with, my producer, my supervisor, my boss, my CEO even.  My CEO has talked to me on Twitter.  My whole social networking scene has all been public for awhile.  I've lost friends from it, I've gained friends from it.  It's been interesting.  But I've also noticed that some people are very reluctant to "Like" something on Facebook because it shows their full name on the page and then it shows up on their Facebook feed.  Facebook does allow some privacy measures still, but unless you work there (or for a company that works with Facebook like me), it can be hard to find everything.  Facebook is also changing how applications get to access some of your profile space starting August 23rd, but that's way off topic now.


The point is, I want Models Own stuff - haha, so please do go to their Facebook Fan Page and click "Like" - it won't hurt you!  They are more than halfway there, but they need your help!


*Terms and Conditions

1. The 50% discount voucher will only be available if the Models Own Facebook page reaches 10,000 likes by August 31, 2010
2. The voucher entitles UK customers to 50% off any order of £20 or more
3. The voucher entitles International customers to 50% off any order of £30 or more after the discount has been applied
4. Discount voucher cannot be used with any other vouchers or offers
5. Standard delivery minimums and rates apply for all orders
6. If we feel your order contains an unusual amount of items, we reserve the right to charge you more postage. We will contact you by email first to ensure you accept the extra charges. If not, we will promptly issue you with a refund

Polish Organizing (and stuff)

So I finally opened my polish racks today (that came in August 2nd) and one was smashed on 2 shelves.  :(  I'm working with UPS and the seller to fix this because at $70 a piece, this is no bueno.  I may be able to use super glue?  But I'd much rather not.  I've already been talking to my Dad (who is still in the hospital) about building a table for my polish racks but he wants to make a whole elaborate piece of furniture on wheels... oh geez.  So for now, they are all sitting on my dining room table.

Oy.  I'm also still in painting, so that's why my "white" wall is actually two toned (paint and primer).


I think I'm going to organize by brand and then by color.  I really like having them all by color because then I can look at dupes but I like having them by brand because the bottle sizes all line up.  I'm weird, I know it.


Here's the current list of my polishes (also available on my sidebar) - listed are how many bottles of that brand and then the brand.  I don't have my base/top/matte coats listed except for ManGlaze, but eventually I'm going to do those too.

Number/Brand

2       10

2       A Beautiful Life

3       American Apparel

6       Barielle

6       Bon Bons

1       Borghese

1       Chanel

41     Cheeky Monkey Cosmetics

225   China Glaze

7       Claire's

8       CND

6       Color Club

2       Confetti

2       Cover Girl

4       Dusty Round

1       Dusty Square

37     e.l.f.

5       Essie

2       FingerPaints

2       Hot Topic

1       Illamasqua

5       Jolly Rancher

2       Loreal Paris

1       Love My Nails

2       M.A.C.

4       ManGlaze

3       Milani

1       N.Y.C.

1       Natural Glow

18     Naughty Nailz

1       Nfu-Oh

22     OPI

3       OPI (Nicole)

8       OPI (Sephora)

3       Orly

1       Piggy Paint

6       Piggy Polish

4       Pure Ice

1       Rescue Beauty Lounge

1       Sally Girl

23     Sally Hansen

4       Savvy

5       Sinful Colors

2       Spa Ritual

2       Sula

14     Urban Decay

12     Wet n Wild

51     Zoya

And with China Glaze coming out with a whole 12 piece set for Christmas and then 12 pieces in the Spring with Anchors Away, well - let's say I'm going polish nuts.  I'm also really wanting to get some Nubars and Nfu-Ohs but my wallet is begging me to wait.  I'm supposed to close on my house tomorrow (it was supposed to be today), but things have been crazy.  Thanks for reading and I'm looking to get some swatches done now that I have my polish out again!

Blogs of Note

Starting off my series of "Blogs of Note" - blogs that I follow either because I found them, I know the author, or whatever crazy reason I have.


Today's Blog of Note is my friend Chele whom I met through work (kinda).  She's literally JUST starting out, but she's been a big supporter of mine, so please, do check her out at Polished & Frosted.


I'm hoping to make this a weekly post - possibly on Fridays?  Any suggestions (or even suggestions for your blog) feel free to either leave in the Comments section or email me at krystal@polishgalore.com