Orly Androgynie

Yes, I really am painting my nails this often.

This polish is from Orly, and it's called Androgyine - a name I have to check on the bottle every time I type it.  It has fine gold glitter and larger multi-colored glitter suspended in black jelly.  I got a tiny bottle of this in my Christmas stocking last year, and I liked it so much I bought a bigger bottle.

Application here is three coats, with a layer of OPI RapiDry Top Coat.  It's like you're building depth, and it makes your nails very interesting to look at.  I find myself trying to peer into them, like I'm squinting up at the night sky, looking for more stars.

The glitter is not densely packed, and it is hard to get lots of the larger glitter onto your nails, because the glitter tends to sink to the bottom of the bottle, but I sorta like it this way.  It's not an in-your-face glitter bomb.  It's deep and mysterious.

I took the pic with my iPod and edited it in Snapseed.  I love that app.  Usually I am very much a Photoshop snob, but I just can't get enough of iphoneography and the filters.  It's making me love photography again, and I didn't think anything could do that.

Orly Ignite & Essie Mint Candy Apple

Orly Ignite

Essie Mint Candy Apple

Today I painted my nails twice.  The miracle of quick dry top coat allows this, as well as a tiny paint brush and pure acetone to clean up my messy cuticles - not perfectly, as you can see by the photos, but well enough that they don't make me want to cry.  So I painted my nails with Orly's Ignite this morning, loved it, and went to the store this afternoon where I picked up a bottle of Essie's Mint Candy Apple and just had to try it. 
Orly's Ignite is a bright, warm red jelly polish.  It's a bit sheer on the nail.  It doesn't matter for me here because my nails are short, but if they were long you could see your nail line.  I did three coats here, but it looked fine at two. 
Essie's Mint Candy Apple has a watery formula, which I think is typical for Essie polishes.  It was very easy to flood my cuticles, but despite that it's a two coater.  The first coat goes on streaky, but full coverage is possible with two coats.  I love this color.  It was part of a winter collection, but it feels very spring-timey to me.  
I put some Set in Stones on my ring finger, because I will use any excuse to wear Set in Stones.  It looks lovely on pale colors like this - it reminds me of a speckled robin's egg.

Weekend DIY: Washi Tape

And this is just a tiny monochromatic fraction of what I want to do with washi tape.

1. gift tags by konfettiform.blogspot.com | 2. tea lights by trendenser.se | 3. cupcake flags by trendenser.se | 4. binder clips by downtowntape.com | 5. washi tape bunting by paperklipdesign | 6. iphone cover by dean terry | 7. heart bunting by thesweetestoccasion.com

Nail Polish Collection

This is the state of my collection currently.  It is ever growing.  I tend to favor dark, vampy colors, but I'm trying to add some brighter, paler colors.

My very favorites are:

• Essie Plumberry: a pink raspberry creme.  It's so flattering to my skin tone and a pretty, cheerful pink.
• Essie Midnight Cami: dark, deep shimmery blue.  It looks awesome on short nails.
• Ulta Little Black Dress: a shimmery black/dark gray.  When I wore it for the first time I touched up every little chip so it could stay longer.
• A England Iseult: the prettiest pale pink shimmer ever concocted.
• Essie Set in Stones: favorite silver glitter polish.  Ever.

Birthday Nails!

People will try to tell you that tomorrow is my 30th birthday, but they are lying liars who lie.  I'm turning 29.  Again.

In honor of the occasion I painted my nails again.  (There was a tiny chip on my left ring finger... that's a good enough reason, right?)

I used Essie's No More Film, which is a lovely dusky violet creme.  The formula is great - nearly a one coater.  I spiced things up with some of my favorite glitter polishes on my moons - Ulta's Indigo Go Girls and a dash of Essie's Set In Stones.  I love Set in Stones.  It's so bright and eye catching.  I can't stop looking at my nails whenever I wear it.

I also used some of Essie's Good to Go topcoat for the first time, and it is amazing.  My nails were dry to the touch almost immediately, and an hour later they'd set completely.  (We got pizza for dinner, and the box was being difficult and I got my nail pinched between cardboard, and I was SURE that my nail would be messed up, but it wasn't.  It was still perfect.  I couldn't believe it.)

I used Snapseed on my iPod to edit this photo, and can I just say how awesome that app is?  It's awesome. 

Freaking Adorable Finds: Washi Tape

1. plum and gray washi tape by kitchenkitchenfun | 2. black and gray dots washi tape by kitchenkitchenfun | 3. christmas dots washi tape by moderntape | 4. mint love washi tape set by thesewingpost | 5. yellow chevron washi tape by thesewingpost | 6. pink stripe washi tape by jossiehouse | 7. japanese cloud hearts washi tape by happytapes | 8. gold dots washi tape by moderntape

Polka Dot Applique Wristlet

I busted out my sewing machine for the first time in months today, and I made myself a wristlet.  It has a pocket on the back for my iPod, and little pockets for my cards.  The zipper wraps around two sides, which is such a pain and I will never attempt it again, and it has a little vent in the side.

It's...  not the prettiest thing I've ever made, but it was nice to sew a bag again.