New Nail Swatches!

I know I said that I'm on a no-buy, but I bought a couple bottles of Essie polish before that started. And I also have a bunch of stuff coming in the mail, just putting it out there so no one thinks I'm a loser who can't stick to a no-buy!

Anyway, I was on the search for the Essie topcoat (the one with the shiny metallic cap) but I couldn't find it anywhere so I ended up getting 2 polishes instead. 

I've seen Chinchilly all over Tumblr and I loved it. The formula isn't amazing though. It went on a little goopy and sheer in places. I had to paint my nails twice because I messed up the first time, I painted it on too thickly and it wouldn't dry and it started creasing. Using two or three thin coats worked better for me. It's wearing pretty well, 4 days and no chips yet!

I love love love dark reds but I don't think I own one that's so obviously a jelly polish. I adore this color and the formula is pretty great for a jelly polish, I used 3 coats.

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And, on a completely unrelated note, my friend came back from a semester abroad and she bought me...

A STARBUCKS EAR CAP!!!

I've been wanting one for a while but they have been pretty pricey (more than I want to pay for a ear cap anyway) where I've seen them. Isn't it adorable? I'm so in love with it and I'm going to try my best not to misplace it like I usually do.

Oh you know...

Just the things I want but can't buy because I'm supposed to be saving up for a big purchase. I'm going on a no-buy soon. & It so happens that just as I've decided to go on a no-buy, all my favourite companies come up the the most amazing things. 

I've been the biggest fan of Archie comics ever since I was a kid, I was obsessed with collecting & reading them. I'm definitely Team Betty though, are you? 

I knew I wanted to own pieces from this collection when I first saw it (hello blushes & eyeshadow quad & face powder!). The packaging is too cute ♥

MAC is releasing EIGHT new pro longwear paint pots! :O I think I've said it more than enough, but paint pots are my absolute favourite thing from MAC (the MSFs come a very close second). Look at the gorgeous shade on the top row, I need them all! 

I know I'm definitely going to get Vintage Selection & Let Me Pop (3rd & 4th ones in the top row). These were first seen in the Champale collection in 2010 and I didn't get them because I wasn't into wearing much eye makeup then.

And finaaaaally, the pastels from China Glaze's Avant Garden collection. I'm a sucker for pastels. I haven't looked up swatches yet, but I probably have something similar to the lilac & periwinkle colours in my collection. I'm pretty sure I'm going to get the darker pink, mint & white colour though. 

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I just need a teeny bit of self control, I'll pick out a couple of things to buy from each collection and I won't go overboard :/

Essie's Turquoise & Caicos & China Glaze's Whirled Away!

I purchased a couple of the polishes from the China Glaze Cirque du Soleil collection a month ago (I posted it on Instagram), but I completely forgot about them until I chanced upon swatches recently. I loved Whirled Away the moment I saw it but I had no idea how to wear it. 

I looked through the swatches on Google and decided that I liked it best over a pastel/light colored base so I whipped out Essie's Turquoise & Caicos ♥

Turquoise & Caicos has to be one of my favourite mint green/turquoise nail polishes. It's SO gorgeous & the formula is pretty great. The first coat may look sheer and patchy, but the second coat evens everything out. I have no problems with the formula at all. 

I had a bit of trouble applying Whirled Away though. In all the swatches I've seen, all the "glitter" pieces seemed to be well distributed & even. However, when I tried to paint it on, it was pretty hard to get the pieces to go on evenly. I actually had to fish out the white hexagonal pieces and put them on using a dotting tool.

I really love how unique Whirled Away is and I love how these two polishes look together. Whirled Away is definitely worth the extra effort it takes. 

F.I.N.A.L.L.Y.

After whining & complaining for a year, I finally got the iMac :') My MacBook Air died a sudden death & it was going to cost me an absolute fortune to repair her, so I went ahead and bought a new computer instead. 

I had to wait two weeks for this baby because it was new & sold out on the Apple website, but it was TOTALLY worth the wait. I received it on Boxing Day and I was overjoyed :')

I got a MacBook Air in June 2011 (she only lived 1.5 years :( ) and I knew I'd never be a Window's user again. I love how sleek Apple products are and I prefer the Apple OS to the Windows' one. Aaaaand, the best part about the iMac is that the CPU is built into the monitor itself, so it takes up waaaaay less space. My room is tiny, and I need all the space I can get.

Isn't she a beauty?!

Please excuse my cluttered desk, I shall take this opportunity to do a 'Current Faves' post. 

You can see a bottle of Bioderma (favorite makeup remover EVER), Juicy Couture makeup bag (got it on sale and love it because it's hugeeee), Bath & Body Work's Mahogany Teakwood candle (I'm rationing it!) and my current go to nail polish (OPI's Quarter of a Cent-cherry).

New Year's Day Nails!

HAPPY NEW YEAR, EVERYONE! May 2013 be the best year you'll have so far!

I wanted to go all out, glitter bomb for my New Year's Day nails. I love glitter, and what better occasion is there to wear glitter?! So I pulled out my most bimbo pink and brightest silver/gold polish and piled it on my nails :D

I used OPI's Teenage Dream & China Glaze's I'm Not Lion.

I layered a layer of OPI's Panda-monium Pink under 2 coats of Teenage Dream. I only had to use ONE coat of China Glaze's I'm Not Lion, I adore it!

I usually only use glitter polishes for accent nails or nail art but I went all out this time. And I really like how it turned out!