Giveaway Winner!

So it's time to announce the winner of my first giveaway! The winner will receive a Konad starter kit, the Konad polish of their choice and will be entered in an additional drawing to win $200 of Konad supplies, all courtesy of Nail Polish Canada!

A big thanks to everyone who entered! I really enjoyed having the opportunity to give some goodies to my readers so shoutout to Nail Polish Canada for providing an awesome prize! I had 34 valid entries and assigned each validated entry a number from 1-34, then used a random number generator from random.org to select a winner.

The winner is... Marlee!

Congrats Marlee! I've sent you an e-mail at the address you listed in your entry. The e-mail has instructions on how to claim your prize so please e-mail me back within 24 hours or else I will have to choose another winner as per the contest rules. UPDATE: I have received an e-mail from Marlee so the giveaway is now officially closed! :)

I hope you all have a great weekend! I'm glad it's here since I think I didn't do so hot on the quiz in my geology class this morning... It's always nerve-wracking when you have your first quiz or test with a professor because you don't know what their exam style is like and this one was not what I was expecting. Oh well. You win some, you lose some, right? Rescue Beauty Lounge Catherine graced my digits during this ill-fated quiz, so I'll be showing her off to you tomorrow! Stay tuned. :)

Orly Green Apple

This polish was a gift from the ever-generous Rach of stuff i (s)watched and boy, did she ever nail--no pun intended--this one! Few polishes make me happier than a perfect green! Orly Green Apple originally came out in the Hot Stuff Collection and as the name implies, it's the color of a green Granny Smith apple.

Green Apple looks so summery and fresh. If you haven't guessed by now, I really love it! The formula is on the streaky side but nothing unmanagable. I used three coats here. I like how this color is bright but also has an almost pastel-like softness to it. It reminds me of a cross between OPI Gargantuan Green Grape and Essie Navigate Her. Ironically, I dislike green apples (too sour for me) but I adore Orly Green Apple. :)

Finger Paints Motley

I recently made my first Finger Paints purchase when I picked up three of the new Special Effects flakies at Sally. I couldn't find Twisted though, the one I wanted most! Ugh!! But that's okay (sort of...I guess...not really), I at least came home with some other new goodies.

The first one I have to show you is Motley, an iridescent blue-green flakie in a sheer, milky base. This is two coats of Motley over two coats of my favorite black creme, Rimmel Black Satin.

With flash...

I also wore Motley over my OPI Ski Teal We Drop manicure that I showed you yesterday.

And some with flash...

I actually like it much more over black than over Ski Teal We Drop. The black brings out the colors in the flakies more and really makes them pop. Blue and green are my favorite polish colors so naturally I'm going to love a blue and green flakie! The formula was completely cooperative and smooth so that's a plus as well.

Normally I don't pay much mind to the Finger Paints display at Sally-no particular reason, I just never got into the brand-but I'm really glad I gave these a shot. All of the Special Effects polishes look super similar in the bottles to the point where it's tough to tell them apart without consulting the labels but they definitely come alive on the nail and each one has its own look and personality. I'll be wearing the rest of the ones I picked up in the very near future. These polishes are limited edition and seem to be creating quite a stir--the three I bought from my Sally were literally the last ones left in the store--so hopefully you have better luck than I did and find all the ones you want! :)

OPI Ski Teal We Drop

Just a reminder that there's only a little time left to enter in my Konad giveaway, so be sure to get those entries in if you haven't already! The giveaway ends at midnight tomorrow. If you've been dying to try stamping, you're getting an instant starter kit with polish, plates and all the other tools you'll need!

Alright, so today I've got Ski Teal We Drop for you, a rich teal creme from the Swiss Collection. I love teals and this is one of my favorites. OPI discontinued this beauty back in November but it's still easy to find it at stores and online; the existing supply hasn't dwindled yet. It sucks Ski Teal We Drop isn't permanent anymore because OPI doesn't offer a whole lot of colors like this one. Why not discontinue one of the endless array of pinks instead? (Sorry pink polish lovers!) But I digress...

The formula on Ski Teal We Drop was fantastic; almost a one-coater. I used two coats here, however. This is definitely a great teal creme to have in your collection so if you like this one, pick it up while you still can. NOPI Khloe Had A Little Lam Lam (which you can see HERE) has quite a bit in common with this polish, but I'd say Ski Teal We Drop leans more blue compared to the dark emerald slant of Khloe Had A Little Lam Lam.

Wet N Wild Spoiled Preview

Wet N Wild has a new CVS-exclusive line out called Spoiled, featuring 72 colors--and some of the most WTF-worthy polish names ever haha. Some are new colors while others appear to be re-releases of some limited edition Wet N Wild polishes. In particular, I spotted a few polishes originally from last year's notoriusly hard-to-find On The Prowl Collection. (Cougar Attack, Correction Tape--now known as Trust Fund Baby, etc.) These are available at both CVS stores and the CVS website for $1.99 each.


I haven't seen these in person yet but for such a good price, I'd like to check these out sometime! Here's a look at all 72 colors. Click to enlarge so you can get a closer look...and of course read the questionable names. I can't decide if the names are funny in a trashy way or just plain trashy. I mean, "Use Protection"? Really, Wet N Wild?

Have you seen any of these at your local CVS yet? How do you feel about some of the names?

a-england Lady of the Lake

Theyyy'rrreee heeereee! My very first a-england polishes arrived the other day and I couldn't wait to try them! I got the much buzzed about scattered holos Tristam and Lady of the Lake during a-england's anniversary sale. I'd wanted them forever and the price was right so I finally just went for it. The amazing part is that even though these shipped to me all the way from the UK, international shipping is free on all of a-england's orders! How awesome is that?!

If you're not familiar with a-england, they're an indie polish brand based in (Where else?) England and made a big splash in the blogopshere with their first collection, The Mythicals, which is themed around the legend of King Arthur. Today I've got Lady of the Lake to show you, a scattered purple holo that is lovely beyond words. It doesn't get much more luxe than this.

And finally, one with flash:

I think the sheer amount of pictures I posted is evidence to how much I love this polish. It's ridiculously beautiful and I can see why this brand gets so much buzz in the blogosphere. The formula is silky smooth and covered easily in two coats. This is a scattered rather than a linear holo but the holographic effect is still quite apparent. I keep staring at my hands and watching the little rainbows appear! Lady of the Lake is just too gorgeous! If you're a holo lover-or just looking for a new brand to try-you need to check this polish out. I really can't recommend it highly enough.

 

I'm so glad I finally got to try a-england and I am not let down one bit! I already have the upcoming a-england collection, the St. George-inspired and linear holo-filled The Legend, on pre-order and eagerly await its arrival. You can buy a-england from either their official website or from US stockists like llarowe and Overall Beauty

Nicole by OPI Peas and Q's

Here's kind of an obscure NOPI for you--at least, it's not one I seem to see an awful lot of on the blogosphere. Peas and Q's came out a few years ago and I believe it was a Target-exclusive. It's a mint green creme with a touch of dinginess to it.

 

I love this color to pieces but there's one big problem: the formula is honestly one of the worst I've ever used. I think I've got a dud bottle or something because this is just bad. It's incredibly streaky but yet somehow also very thick, like trying to spread glue on your nails. I used four coats here and it was more or less an ass-ache the whole way through. If the formula wasn't so dreadful this would easily be one of my go-to colors but I guess it just wasn't meant to be. Such a shame. I still like to wear this every now and again because I enjoy the color so much, just not the process of getting it on my nails. :p

What's the worst polish you've ever used in terms of formula? I'd say this one and OPI Austin-tatious Turquoise are right up there with the worst for me, but I love the colors enough to put up with their less than stellar formulas. Are you willing to overlook bad formula if you like the end result or is bad formula a dealbreaker for you?