Judo...Orange?

Recently I've been wearing a lot of previously posted favourites, so I haven't had much new to share. Sometimes I get into a rut with a polish or two and just fall madly in love - when that happens I just don't want to wear anything else. Maybe I should do a round-up post of my favourite spring polishes...let me know if that appeals to you!

That being said, I've been working really hard at my new job recently (but I LOVE it!) and I decided I needed a treat. I've had my eye on the Victoria Beckham Nails Inc polishes for a little while, and I thought that one of those would be a perfect luxe present to myself to celebrate one month on the job. I picked "Judo Red". The light pink looked nice and neutral, but the idea of a chic tomato-red polish just felt more special and celebratory. I imagined it as a beautiful accent to all of my monochromatic clothes. (Seriously, taupe is a "colour" to me.)

Too bad it's not tomato red on me but carrot orange instead.

This picture doesn't represent it's full level of orange-ness. In most lights, it strongly resembles OPI A Roll in the Hague (post here). If it looked like this photo in real life, I would be over the moon. THRILLED. Alas, it does not. 

Not that orange polish isn't lovely. It is! In this case, the dream and the reality just didn't match up. My skin tends to make warm things look even warmer, and that might be the case here.

I am not a big returner of makeup (clothes are another story). I am one of those people who researches a purchase to death before taking the plunge, and I hate knowing that the items I return are typically destroyed, per store policy. And I NEVER (repeat: NEVER) return nail polish. If it's not love, I usually find a friend to adopt it. However, this one was so pricey, it's going back. Plus, I've already identified it's replacement: Chanel Coquelicot. It looks to be a touch deeper and one step redder, and perhaps it will be my ideal tomato-red polish!

Tomato, tomato. Perhaps the colour just isn't for me?

k2k

Clean Blue Slate - Essie Find Me An Oasis

Light blue polish is not a typical choice for me, but right now it feels like a breath of fresh air. Having a new job and being done with grad school (and actually done DONE - my paper got accepted last week!!!) feels like an actual fresh start. I've wiped the slate clean.

Essie Find Me an Oasis is exactly that - clean. It's a beautiful pale blue that is actually even less blue in reality than the in the above photo. (NB: I swapped out the photo in the original post for a more colour-accurate one!) I happen to think that gold jewelry really sets off the colour. It's funny, in my adult life I've always been a yellow-gold kind of girl - do you have a metal colour you tend to stick to? I'd be curious to know if so, which one, and why!

I hope you're all having a great weekend,

k2k

First Day at Work: Essie Lady Like

After some deliberation, I figured out which nail colour to wear to my first day of my new job! (Tomorrow!) I'm going to go with Essie Lady Like...

Lady Like is a really special shade. In the soft light of morning (which is when I took these pictures), it looks rather lilac. In the afternoon sun, it becomes more of a warmer nude-mauve. I first posted about it here when it was first released in 2011 (so much time has passed!! eek!) and at the time I wasn't sure about it. Right now, I'm loving it. It's neutral enough for colour-phobic me, but has enough of a hue to make me feel like I'm actually participating in spring! (Look, I'm even wearing a floral ring - who am I!? This one is from Henri Bendel. I love them for accessories and you can find the ring in various colours here.) 

I'm a bit nervous about my first day. I think it's a good nervous though - I feel like the next part of my life is starting, and I've waited and worked for so long to make it happen! Fingers crossed that I don't majorly screw up though!

What are some of your favourite polishes to wear to work? 

k2k

Renewed green: Essie Maximillian Strasse Her

To those who were kind enough to respond to my pre-interview post - THANK YOU!!! I interviewed and got offered the job the next day. I felt great about it, and accepted! 

For the first time in a long while - years and years - I feel a sense of hope. I feel like everything in changing - in a good way. I feel like maybe all the effort and struggle of my PhD will somehow end up being worth it. How fitting that this comes right at the beginning of springtime, when nature is undergoing its own renewal.

In honour of spring, renewal, and hope (heavy), I feel that it is only fitting that I am wearing a fresh GREEN! This is Essie Maximillian Strasse Her.

While this colour truly feels fresh and modern to me, it brings back memories of times past. As I was looking at it on my nails, I could feel a memory trying to wriggle free in the back of my brain. It took me a while, but it finally hit me - this is the colour of an old school portable Olivetti typewriter! It feels odd to wax poetic about the predecessor of the laptop while typing on a thoroughly modern machine the Olivetti would recognize only as a robot from the future. And in a way, it is.

(link)

I am not alone in re-discovering my love for this colour! I am told by my auto-industry-devoted father that the colour of the Olivetti typewriter was the inspiration and source for the verde chiaro paint colour of the re-imagined Fiat 500. (NB: My mother has this car - albeit in white with red interior - and loves it! I have to admit, it is super adorable.)

(link)

This spring I hope all of you find something old to make new again, and find your own renewed energy - wherever it may come from - even if it's just a nail polish.

k2k

Job Interview Candidates

I (FINALLY) graduated with my PhD in December. I haven't discussed my experience here much here. It is still a raw, open wound, and I am just relieved to be done. Sadly the "real world" requires that I do things like "pay bills", "buy food", etc. so I am job hunting even though my confidence is at an all-time low.

There is GOOD NEWS though! I have a job interview next week! (The bad news is that I'm super nervous, even though many of my friends work at the company already.)

I need your help!

When I feel pulled-together, I act more pulled-together. Outfit, makeup, hair and accessories might seem like frivolous things to be thinking about ahead of the interview, but I need all the confidence boosters I can get. Will you help me pick out the right interview nail polish?

The candidates are (L-R):

Essie Brides to Be
OPI Don't Bossa Nova Me Around
Essie Brooch the Subject (post here)
YSL Beige Leger (post here)

Which do you like best? Being a sheer, Essie Brides to Be is the most conservative. Where I am interviewing is a more casual workplace, so I could definitely go with something more opaque. OPI Don't Bossa Nova Me Around has a more springtime feel with its white base and lilac tone. Essie Don't Brooch the Subject blends in more with my skin, and I think the almond colour has a nice chicness to it. YSL Beige Leger is one of my newest favourites, but I'm worried that it will be noticed as "odd".

Any other suggestions would be welcome as well - what would you wear to an interview???

k2k

Birthday Grey - Essie Petal Pushers

It is my birthday.

I struggle on my birthday.

I like this polish.

(a birthday haiku)

Essie Petal Pushers is a stormy grey with a strong hint of blue, and in the right light the barest hint of lavender. It is identical in undertone to Essie Cocktail Bling, just a few shades darker.


L-R: Essie Petal Pushers; Essie Cocktail Bling

How are you at dealing with birthdays? I'm obviously terrible at it.

k2k

My Own Skin - Essie Spin the Bottle

Essie Spin the Bottle has appeared on the nails of so many bloggers and YouTubers lately, and every single time I've seen it flash on the screen I've eyed it jealously. I gave in and purchased it a few days ago, and thanks to the magic of the internet, it showed up at my house yesterday. I couldn't wait to try it out!

Nudes are sometimes difficult. Many pull too pink on me, and if I'm being honest, I feel super awkward wearing light to medium pinks. Like I'm trying to masquerade as someone younger or cutesier or something. I just don't feel like me.

The good news is, this feels like me. So much like me in fact, that I had to think about where I'd seen it before. Turns out it is the more saturated sister of my favourite (until now?) nude Essie polish - Topless & Barefoot. Both have this fleshy peachiness to them that makes them much more wearable for my skin tone - which is quite yellow. Spin the Bottle is simply richer, and a tad bit warmer than Topless & Barefoot. Spin the Bottle is VERY close to my skin tone, which is a look that sometimes creeps my out, but I think it has just enough peach in it to hold its own.

Small disclaimer - the formula on Spin the Bottle is not the most excellent I've ever used. It took 3 thin coats - which is what I do for most things - but application was a little worrying and streaky until I got to that final coat.

L-R: Essie Spin the Bottle; Essie Topless & Barefoot

As you might be able to see from the bottle shot, I've used about a third of Topless & Barefoot already. I see Spin the Bottle being an equal staple in my collection, despite the sub-par formula. Sometimes it's hard to find a nude that makes you comfortable in your own skin - I found this, and I'm sticking with it!

What's your favourite nude right now?

k2k

Lilac of the Moment - Chanel Tenderly

After being a little reticent at first, I have fallen head-over-heels for this colour! Chanel Tenderly is a lilac-grey that leans to the warmer side. It strikes a beautiful seasonal balance between winter and spring. It feels simultaneously feminine and a little edgy.

Application was a charm and the consistency is lovely and creamy - I used two painless coats.

I was initially feeling a little sheepish about my purchase - as you know, Chanel nail polish isn't cheap! - because I have several other colours in this family. However upon comparison, Tenderly has unique qualities that make it a standout in my collection.

L-R: Essie Merino Cool; Chanel Tenderly; OPI Parlez-Vous OPI?

In the bottle, the shades look more similar, but once painted on and dried, you can see that Essie Merino Cool is significantly darker, and OPI Parlez-Vous OPI? is cooler. I think the added warmth in Tenderly makes it worth having, and honestly I think it suits my pale but very warm-toned skin better than the other two. (Not that I don't love them too!) However, if you have any of these in your collection, you might not want to splurge on the Chanel!

I'm truly having a moment with this colour! I know this isn't a makeup blog, but I had to share my latest makeup love/find/obsession that goes perfectly with Chanel Tenderly - Bourjois Colorband Eyeshadow Crayon in Mauve Baroque. It is available HERE, from ASOS.

Not only is the colour gorgeous and very Tenderly-like, the formula seems to really set and wear like iron. I am considering picking up a couple more shades, but honestly Mauve Baroque is the most unique of the bunch.

Is there a particular colour you're really feeling right now?? Let me know what your colour of the moment is - I'm always looking for inspiration!

k2k

Sidling into Spring - Essie Stones & Roses

Although it's a balmy 75F here in North Carolina today, I'm not *completely* ready for spring yet. I think my years in Chicago taught me to be wary of sunshine in February. Though I might not be wholly in the right mindset yet, this colour was too beautiful not to share! This is Essie Stones & Roses from the Resort 2015 Collection.

Essie usually knocks it out of the park with their resort collections, and I think this one is no exception. Although this was the only shade I picked up for the moment, I adore the colour story this collection tells. Stones & Roses is not quite pastel, not quite bright and not quite neon. This makes it supremely wearable, but so cheerful. You can bet I'll be wearing this on my nails frequently come spring and into summer.

A little comparison with some Essie classics:

L-R: Essie Cantaloupe, Essie Stones & Roses, Essie Carousel Coral

Cantaloupe is decidedly more orange than Stones & Roses, but around the same shade level, whereas Carousel Coral has a similar pinkness, but is deeper.

Stones & Roses may not be the most unique colour in the world, but it is a wonderfully balanced addition to my collection. I think it flatters my skin tone as well. (Which is approximately NC15 for those of you who speak MAC!) Have you picked up any of the Essie Resort 2015 polishes? Let me know if you have - I could be tempted to get another! I hope you are all having a fabulous weekend.

k2k

Smokey Purple - Chanel Charivari

I probably should have shown you Chanel Tenderly today. I'm in a purple mood and I know that one is new and all, but the fact that companies are releasing Spring collections earlier and earlier is starting to irk me. I'm one of those traditional people that just isn't in the mood for pastels and brights until the sun is out and the air is warm!

Today, the sun is out, but the air is decidedly not warm, so I was in the mood for something a little smokier, and I chose Chanel Charivari. You would think this dark purple with a hint of grey would be easily dupe-able, but I don't have anything else like it in my collection.

I somehow remember this being lighter, but I'm admittedly loving the richness of it.

I hope all of you affected by the snowstorm in the northeastern US are staying safe and warm!

k2k

Tickling My Fancy - YSL Beige Leger

After trying out YSL Gris Deco and falling in love, it really was only a matter of time (days) before I purchased my next YSL polish. Unfortunately, none of the stores near me sell YSL polishes in the flesh, so I have to rely on online swatches to choose my colours. I was a little dubious about this one - YSL Beige Leger.

Many people have likened this to OPI Tickle My France-y, which I hated on me. I think I called in "vomit-inducing" in this post. It was just too mauve/purple/cool for my skin tone and really did make me feel a little sick to look at. But I loved the IDEA of the colour. (Yes, I see a therapist.) Luckily, I found a comparison of the two in this particular blog post. Beige Leger looked exactly how I had hoped Tickle My France-y would have looked on me! She even compared them, and the OPI was more mauve, while the extra touch of warmth in Beige Leger made it harmonious with the skin.

TL;DR - I bought the polish.

Turns out a hint of added warmth can make a HUGE difference. I don't feel revulsion when I look at my hands! Depending on the lighting, Beige Leger can look more fleshy pink, more cafe au lait nude, more skin-like peach - but in my opinion, it always looks polished (ha!) and a lot more modern than the standard white-based neutral pale colour.

Count this as added to my all-time favourites.

k2k

Chanel Provocation & A Recipe for Chip-Free Chanel!

I very rarely repeat polishes within the same month, but this is an exception. Chanel Provocation is an excellent vampy colour that straddles the boundaries of cool and warm, making it work beautifully with almost any outfit - camel, grey, cranberry, navy, black, etc.

(OK, so maybe I don't wear much colour...but the point remains. It's neutral. And delicious.)

Chanel polishes are notorious for chipping extremely easily. Which is atrocious considering the price-point, and was certainly true for me. Until recently, when I discovered this cocktail of base coat and top coat. Now, my Chanel polishes last a week with zero chipping! A WEEK. I obviously do get tip-wear, but no chipping or peeling. Which is madness.

The base coat in question is Essie All in One. As you can see, it is well-loved by me. I find that it works well with many different polish brands. Surprisingly, the top coat that locks everything in place is Seche Vite. While a classic, it is laden with non-B3F chemicals that typically make it play not-so-nicely with B3F polishes. What can I say though, it works like a charm!

Disclaimer: Yes, I know. Body chemistry is individual, and this might not work for everyone! I just thought I'd share because I know that so many people share the same problem with Chanel polishes, so I thought maybe this might be the solution for at least a few of them.

These little gems are readily available and I'm willing to bet that quite a few of you have them hanging around. If you have a Chanel chipping problem, I say give it a shot! (And report back, I would love to know if this works for anyone else!)

k2k

Lady in Grey: YSL Gris Deco

My first-ever YSL polish! I have contemplated purchasing this for months. Gris Deco is a soft grey colour with the barest hint of shimmer not only appealed to me somewhere deep in my neutral-loving soul, but is also completely unique in my collection.

This stuff is expensive. Chanel expensive.

However, application was a dream. I was concerned the huge brush would be unwieldy and messy, but it turned out to be perfect. If it were any larger it would have been too big for my pinky, which required only one swipe. I used three thin coats, and the effort was minimal because of how few strokes were needed. Lovely.

The colour is outstanding - a delicate grey with near-invisible shimmer that just manages to give the polish a porcelain-like quality on the nail. I adore this. It's an office-appropriate neutral that isn't a boring sheer (and I LOVE boring sheers), or one of my typical taupes. I also happen to think it pops beautifully against gold rings. The combination of the warm gold and the cool grey is reminiscent of the luxe packaging and just makes my heart sing. (My rings are from Henri Bendel. The harness ring looks to be sold out, but they have other versions available. The midi rings are here and on sale at the moment!)

I cannot comment on wear right now, because I just applied this last night. My fingers are crossed that it doesn't go all chippy the way some more expensive polishes have on me in the past. (Speaking of which, I have an exciting post coming up sharing the top/base coat combo that makes my Chanels chip-proof!) If wear time is solid, you can bet I will be purchasing more YSL polishes.

Have you tried YSL polishes? What are your favourite unique colours in the line?

kittytokaren

Happy New Year! (from the missing blogger, kittytokaren)

Hello PoP readers!

If you are a new-ish reader, you will have no idea who I am. If you have been around longer, you may not remember me! Hi, I'm kittytokaren, aka k2k. I love simple, elegant manicures, Essie polish, and colours most would consider 'boring'. I gravitate to nudes and darks, and generally fear colour and glitter (with a few exceptions...). I rock short nails, and am constantly looking for better ways to keep my cuticles and hands from drying out.

I disappeared these last couple years in to the vortex of cancer and academia. As I'm sure many of you will understand, it is maybe not the healthiest thing in the world to ditch ones hobbies in the face of a mountain of stress, but it happens.

Now, at the end of 2014, it all came together. I was declared (almost - pending one more check-up!) CANCER-FREE, I finally (and surprisingly...interesting story) graduated with my PhD in Genetics & Molecular Biology, and life is going to be VERY different in 2015! I'm both scared for and excited about the future.

I wanted to share my NYE manicure with all of you, to ring out the wild and wonderful year that was 2014, and to say hello to 2015. I thought of you all when I applied it - I combined an old favourite, Essie Jazz (reviewed in this post with my favourite title of all time), with a gold glitter gradient using the classic Essie Golden Nuggets (also seen here and here) and newly released Essie Rock At the Top.

I don't know what my career is going to look like, I don't know where in the world I'm going to end up, but I do know that I want to take better care of myself in 2015. That includes indulging in the hobbies that I love, like writing on PoP, interacting with all of you, and sharing the polish love! I may not keep up with new collections as much as I used to, but I want to share my manicures and my passion.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! I sincerely hope that each and every one of you have an amazing 2015.

Much love xx,
k2k

Lab Muffin's Top 13 Polishes of 2013 Part 1: Mainstream and Boutique Brands

2013 was a big year of swatching for me, and it was the year where I think Australian indie polishes really blossomed. It was very difficult to pick just 13 polishes that I loved, but I certainly tried! I limited myself to one polish per brand only, and to polishes that I discovered in 2013 (though they weren't necessarily released last year). Here we go, with the mainstream and boutique (i.e. small company but not hand-mixed) picks...

First, I obviously have to mention my collaboration shade, piCture pOlish Ultra Violence. The literary amongst you will know that the name is inspired by Anthony Burgess's book A Clockwork Orange. I love the holo iridescent glitter against the rich purple! I've included a bottle of Ultra Violence in my 2nd blogiversary giveaway here.

I blogged about the stunningly pretty Pretty Serious BSOD here earlier. What happened next was that while wearing it, my laptop did actually have a heart-stopping BSOD moment, in the middle of thesis-writing! Luckily I didn't lose anything, but Kaz was too sweet, and in her usual above-and-beyond customer service style, she sent me a few polishes to dull the pain.

OPI Keeping Suzi At Bay is a gorgeous blue creme that is both interesting and elegant. It may be my favourite creme shade ever. I think dark blue is actually quite work safe, but definitely not boring.

ulta3 Triple Threat was a big surprise for me. This is a complex holo glitter jelly that's indie-worthy, but comes at the ridiculously budget-friendly price of $2.

Orly Digital Glitter is one of my top 5 Orly polishes, ever. I usually think of Orly as a brand which does salon-friendly classic polishes well, but whenever they come out with something a bit different it's usually ridiculously cool (Fowl Play! Space Cadet!). I love the unlikely brown/purple/red combination - it's a bit steampunk in my opinion, and makes me think of Neal Stephenson novels. To top it off, the purple shimmer is duochrome.

I will be back soon with some of my indie picks of 2013 - hold onto your wallets!

Silver glitter gradient over nude nails

Sorry for the absence! Hope I can make up for it with this, one of the prettiest manis I've worn in ages, and a contender for favourite bridal design:

It's a gradient of Maybelline Color Show Silver Gleam over OPI Malaysian Mist, which I did using my cotton bud glitter gradient method - it's so much easier and more precise than sponging for me! It was hard to get a gradient up the nail with such a dense glitter, so I literally dotted polish with the tip of the bud up my nail, like a big woolly dotting tool.

I wore this to Spa and Beauty Expo, and it lasted me almost a week - the glitter tips are great at keeping tipwear at bay!

Alanna Renee It's a Boy!

Alanna Renee, an Aussie indie brand, recently released a collection called Bundle of Joy. I swatched a couple of the collection right before the release date, but after the release, I had to buy one more - It's a Boy! This is a pale blue creme with no yellow tones at all. In the bottle there are little glass flecks, but on the nail they pretty much disappear, but the creme is left looking a lot shinier than usual. Sneaky!

I ended up using this as a base for my Totoro nail art for Artsy Wednesday - it's a perfect complement to the brown tones. I was inordinately proud of that mani!

In case you didn't know, Alanna Renee is made by Alanna of Pretty Purple Polish, one of my first blogging buddies. Naturally you can buy her polish in Australia via her site, but Color4Nails and Shoppe Eclecticco offer international shipping.

Rainbow gradient

I love gradients - they're easy and impressive, even if clean-up (and the resulting angry dry skin) is a bit of a pain. Here's one I did recently using some Bio Sculpture polishes, which I wore to a meetup with some Sydney nail fanatics:

And here's what it looks like after I covered it with permanent marker, using PVA to stop the marker from streaking (see the tutorial I did here)

I wish I'd thought of it sooner! I'm also quite surprised by how much darker it looks after the markering - I mean, it should be pretty damn obvious since I'm covering 60% of the nail in black, but the contrast between the original and the final is pretty striking to me. Silly irrational human brain!

(You may have noticed that I used the same colours as I did for this gradient Movember mani, because I am clearly somewhat lacking in imagination and if the colours are from the same collection, that's my gradient choices done. But seriously, that Bio Sculpture collection has the prettiest matching gelato colours. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.)

Liquid Sand dotticure

I'm not a massive fan of creme liquid sands - they look kind of lumpy and plastic to me (unlike the shimmers, which I generally love to death). So I've decided to try using them for nail art... and surprisingly, I really like the result. Win!

The base is OPI Keeping Suzi at Bay, a deep dark blue - it's my favourite out of all the cremes from the upcoming San Francisco collection (click for my original swatches). I dotted over it with OPI Wharf! Wharf! Wharf! which is slightly darker. I didn't really enjoy wearing it as a full mani (see the liquid sand swatches here), but this was completely different.

I'm looking forward to trying out a similar thing with OPI It's All San Andreas's Fault, the other creme liquid sand from the collection, in the hopes that it'll also grow on me.

What do you think of creme liquid sands? Yay or nay? Fad or innovation?

Nubar Boyfriend Jeans

I've been having a love affair with cremes, particularly neutral cremes (yay autumn!) - this is Nubar Boyfriend Jeans, which isn't a neutral, but a muted shade, which hits almost the same spot for me. It's quite work-safe in my opinion, while still being a bit edgy and, dare I say, fashionable. 2 coats, no top coat.

Annoyingly, this isn't great colour accuracy-wise - in person it's a fair bit more greyish, but the lighting was terrible for this swatch!