China Glaze: The Hunger Games in Stone Cold Matte

With a constant influx of new polishes, I don't know how anyone can keep up! But, I do admit, I'm having fun trying.

Take a peep at this new shade...

If 'The Hunger Games' is not the hit of the year, I'm curious to find out what will be. And how is it that I forgot that 'Stone Cold' is a matte? I mean, it's PERFECT!

China Glaze hit the nail polish jackpot with their 'Hunger Games' collection. As soon as my local Sally's Beauty Supply store got these in, I was there within the hour!

In the bottle, 'Stone Cold' left me...well, rather cold. It is the matte effect that won me over...

I like this edgy look. And I think the way the light reflects off the nails is fascinating.I have two coats on.

When it came time to change out my manicure, I got a thought at the last minute. What would 'Stone Cold' look like if I put a coat or two of 'Luxe and Lush' over it...

Sort of cosmic! And that fascination I had for the matte, that got bumped up. I only needed one coat of 'Luxe and Lush'.

This mix could be hard for some to like. However, I found it cool...

The look with 'Luxe and Lush' reminds me of a polished slab of granite.

How many times have you seen 'The Hunger Games' movie, so far? Did you like it? And, did you wear any of 'The Hunger Games' polishes to the movie?

Midnight Matte Sounds like a Cowboy Name

Who would have ever thought that a metallic metal nail polish would look so hot...

This Nubar is 'Midnight Matte.' Once again, I would have never picked up this color before nail blogging (BNB). I mean, it's a darker gray, it looks sort of gritty and it isn't shiny. Well, it is all those things but gritty. It just looks that way; it's smooth. I'm thinking of a cowboy that talks like Sam Elliot.

You can hear is voice in your head too, can't you? See....

On my ring finger is an Incognito sample I got at the Orlando Premiere Show. A demonstrator put this on me. It didn't 'test' too well. Meh.

Nevermind, it's 'Midnight Matte' that you have just fall for. This is just 2 coats. Wears like metal too!

 

I picked up an entire collection of Nubar Mattes called 'Night Sky Collection'. The other two shades that came in this collection are 'Sunset' (reviewed here) and 'Twilight'. I'll visit 'Twilight' soon. :)

Do you like matte metals? Would you like your GPS to have Sam Elliot's voice? No? Just me?

Throw A Couple of Things Together And See What Rises

Take 2 hot colors that don't go together and put them together. Shake. Polish. Admire.

Here's the recipe...

Take 2 coats of Nubar's 'Sunset Matte'...

 

 A golden shimmer that dries matte and looks totally rich...

 Allow the admiration to cool down some before proceeding.

Next, find a sparkly top coat to unmatte 'Sunset Matte.' I chose Finger Paint's 'Sapphire Shimmer'...

Make sure you allow the color to shimmer slowly...

 Once 'Sunset Matte' has dried completely, apply 'Sapphire Shimmer' on top; coat each nail...

See for yourself if this sets up right for you...

 If you like it, share with your friends. If you don't care for it, throw it out and fine another recipe.

Bon Appetit!

Heaven's 'Too Turquoise' Nail Polish

Something that is fun for me is to discover new brands of nail polishes.  Since I'm very new to nail blogging, I'm not having such a hard time doing this.  I am going to shops I normally would not and finding places that I do shop, that sell nail polishes.

Grocery stores are not my normal place for shopping for any beauty products.  However, I'm finding new-to-me stuff and even some dusties.  While out playing tourist, I stopping into a grocery store called 'Goodings.'  This used to be quite the grocery store when I lived in Orlando at the end of the '80's, beginning of the '90's.  Very up-scale and a feast for the eyes too.  Goodings is all but gone because Publix grocery stores have gobbled them up.  I stumbled across one in the tourist section of town, though, and had to check them out.

Here is a polish I found there and this brand is totally new to me...

This is 'Too Turquoise' from the Heaven Company.  I only found one listing for this actual product online.  Here, Layniefingers discovered it, too, at the grocery store.  Hey, her photo shows it was only $1.99!  I paid $8 for mine.  I see Gooding's still wants to be an upscale store!

This is a frosty, sea-foam green...

For not being a huge fan of frosts, I'm delighted to have this one.  This is 3 coats and just the tiniest bit streaky.  It was gone by the third coat, save for the thumb nail.

And, my luck, this polish played very nicely with my camera.  This is dead on.

So, why not play with the polish some more?

I mattefied it.  I used Color Club's Matte Polish and toned down some of the shine.  It was sort of like putting on the soft focus filter.

Have you heard about Heaven polishes before?  Laynefingers found hers in Albertsons.  We have just a few of those here, so I'm going to stop in and see if they have it.  I'd much rather pay $1.99!

Yes, I Am Matte as A Hatter

A post on my inability to not leave well enough alone, gave insight to just how egotistical I can be.  It is pretty presumptuous of me to think I can improve on someone else's work.  It's a lie we tell ourselves,  like we drive really good, it's the rest of the drivers that are idiots.

And, here I go again, not leaving well enough alone.  Honestly, I'm just playing with nail colors and methods.  I don't think mine is 'better.'  A better way would be to say it is 'interesting.'

In my last post, I showed Revlon's Perplex and then notched it up with some Wet 'N Wild's Dasher.  I thought it was very pretty, and I wanted to wear it for a few more days than usual.  While contemplating my next manicure, I spied my little bottle of China Glaze's Matte Magic.  And magic, indeed.  Here's where I couldn't leave it be...

Matte Magic is like magic to me.  I never thought I'd want, or like, my nails to look matte.  However, you can see that I have, obviously, changed my mind.

What have you changed your mind on that you never thought you would?

Taking It To The Matte

Do you know any 'all or nothing' types of people?  How about those types that find something new and then just OD on it?  Should you not like those characteristics in a person, well, you might want to just skip over this post.

There has been a lot of ooohhhh'ing and awwwww'ing with the Christmas collections in 'Nail Whoville.'  And, rightfully so.   I don't think I've changed my (nail) clothes this many times in one day since I was in high school!

Honestly, I wasn't a 'wild child'.  I had lots of fun but I wasn't loose off the line like Lindsay Lohan or Britney Spears.  And, about as 'out there' that I got was sporting some red, racy nail polish.  I'm sure I had just one red color and wore it a lot.  I still love to wear red nail polish.  Makes me feel saucy!

Wouldn't it be blasphemy if a Holiday collection did not have a least one red in it?  Yep, right up there with the Grinch that stole all the red nail polish!  Shutter!  Thankfully, we got reds, and are they saucalicious!!!

This is from Finger Paint's Holiday collection: Mulberry Madness...

Madness is right.  I went a bit 'squeee-ing' over this one.  Don't know what 'squeee-ing' is?  That's what you do when you find those pair of shoes you have been wanting for 2 months and they are on clearance at 90% off and the only pair left is your size, and you've got them!

Indoors or outdoors, this red wins.  This is a dark, fuchsia that has red and lavender/purple micro glitter.  Perfect color for a holiday party.  I have on three coats.  I put a third one on this morning because I had tip wear over night.  No funny business; it just wore off.  I think it was because I used Seche Prep instead of regular alcohol to prep for color.  So, this jelly base polish didn't wear long. 

Not to worry.  I still wanted to play.  Here's where the overkill comes in...

Matted.  This has a totally different attitude.  OK, a cat hair got in there.  Ugh...how'd that happen?

Nail polishes, shine or matte, are of no concern when it comes to Libby and Sebastian.


Just one coat of China Glaze Matte Magic.  And it is magical.

Matte shouldn't be photographed in the direct sunlight.  Naw...it is a softer side of vamp.  It actually deserves candlelight.  Hmmmm...I wonder if I can convince my hubs on that.  I guess not.  It was burrito night.



Do you wear any reds for the Holidays?  Got a favorite one?  What 'all or nothing' attitude do you have?

Matte About Mistletoe

I love the legend of Mistletoe.  The Druids used it to ward off evil and illness.  When they harvested it, they would put a white cloth down around the tree to catch the mistletoe.  The mistletoe would lose its magical powers to heal if it touched the ground.  I think the mistletoe of today has touched the ground.  Why is it that the creepiest guy will want to lay one on you when you accidentally stand under it?

I tried on Orly's "Meet Me Under the Mistletoe' from their holiday collection...

 It wouldn't be called 'Mistletoe' if it wasn't green, would it?  Check out the micro-glitter green in that green base!  This one will probably be revisited on St. Patrick's Day.  Shhhh...don't tell, just another Pagan holiday in disguise!

Indoor light.  Eeee...tip wear!  Only after a couple of days.  Not so lovely.  So, just focus on the glamour of the color.

High shine!  You can really see that glitter on the nails.  What you see in the bottle is what you get on the nail.  Now, isn't that how it should always be?

If you want to get a Holiday green, this is one that you can get and just forget about all the rest.  I'm going to show you more in just a minute.

The first coat of 'Mistletoe' was watery for me.  I was trying to use the thinnest coat I could, hoping that I could increase the dry time.  After reading and writing nail blogs, I've come to not always judge a polish by it's first coat.  And with that, the second coat of 'Mistletoe' came to life.  Smooth, sparkly and deep.  Definitely the good Orly standards in this one.

I liked it so much, I didn't want to change it out.  But, then like a wicked Christmas Grinch thought, something crept into my brain; I'll use something else I bought!

China Glaze Matte Top Coat!  I used two coats here.  These are indoors with the sunny window that didn't have sunshine today.

Outdoors in that overcast light.  So much for sunny Florida today.

Save for the stinkin' tip wear, I ooh'ed and awe'ed at this transformation.  'Mistletoe' went from sparkly and fun, to a look that was chic and had sophistication.

Good gravy, what am I doing? I'm channeling Dr. Seuss!  It just takes me over and my brain, it's on the loose!

And, now I have another 'Mistletoe' look and I don't want to take this one off either.  But, there are other kiddies lined up to sit on Santa's nails.

For not liking matte polishes, I think I've come around.  Do you try matte top coats?  This one did some nice things for 'Mistletoe', don't you think?  I bet you still like Dr. Seuss, too!