Aimiing High with the Air Force!!

HELLO FELLOW FOLLOWERS!!

I know you're wondering what the...???  Well, let me explain - we have a son who is stationed in Korea and since the day he landed I've been asking for nail polish (surprise, surprise)!!

Well for those of you who know - Nfu-Oh is a Korean nail polish - and that's what I wanted from him, I don't ask for much from him - over $100.  After a couple of months of humming and hawmming on his part he finally sent me a package.  I came home today, opened the mail box and I saw his chicken scratch handwritting on a flat rate box - saw the international label said nail polish and became VERY excited!!

But then I heard rattling - a lot of rattling - as I took the box out of the mailbox, carefully - as if it were something hazardous or something - wait - nail polish IS hazardous!!  :-O

My heart skipped a beat - because I just envisioned broken bottles inside - but I didn't smell anything - so I know it was just poor packaging on his part.

Here is what he sent:

Oh boy...I could not have not have been more surprised and happy if Fabuloustreet had showed up at my door with 100 bottles for free! 

(okay - i lie)

I couldn't tell you the names of these colors to save my life - but this one here is my favorite - even before swatching it...

I knew she was going to be my favorite!!

Look at all that glimmer and shimmer and shine with glittah!!  YIPEE!!

I do not have Lippman's Happy Birthday - but this one sure looks close to me!

Now for those who do have the Nfu-Oh's you know that there are no names on the polishes, just numbers, well these are no different..

Needless to say I have thanked my son profusely!!  And little did I know - his father was in on the whole thing and never let out a peep!!  MEN!!

I know he had to have taken some female friends with him and clearly they have a good understanding of nail polish because they picked out a great selection.

So, to my favorite oldest son, thanks again and we miss you!!

I will be swatching these for your viewing pleasure very very soon, so until then I leave you with this.....

 To every servicemember who has given their lives for our freedom and the right to even have such priviledges of wearing any color np we want to wear - I say THANK YOU!!  

To every servicemember in uniform and for every servicemembers family members who have waited for them to return home or who have sat by the phone waiting for their phone calls - I say

THANK YOU!! 
and to every retired servicemember who has served our country proudly and honorably, standing tall and looking good (I'm a sucker for a man in uniform)again, I say
THANK YOU!!  THANK YOU!!  THANK YOU!!

(Thank you Mr. Man, for 21 great years in the Navy)

Til Next Time...Happy Nail Polishing!!

XOXOXOXOXO

A Hidden Treasure truly was untiil now!!

HELLO FELLOW FOLLOWERS!!

First - some well needed house cleaning to take care of - please take note of the page links at the top of the page.  These links will become the life line to this blog when it comes to updates outside of the PSA's that will be listed as they become known to me.  Also - if you are a blogger who is having a give-a-away leave me a comment or contact me so that I can add it to my give-a-ways section and  your link will be added to this section.  I can only help those who help me - and the blog world is all about helping each other!! :-)

Today I bring you something that has all the nailboard in a tizzy and in a running fit to find this beauty...and someone swapped it to me!!  Little ol' me - they swapped it with!!  I only had to give up a pint of blood and my right pinky - but it is soooooo worth it!! :-)  Thank you Kelly - you're the best!!

Application to me - was flawless!!  The brushes do require a learning curve if you are more comfortable with the prowide brushes of other np brands.  I did not mind these at all.  The strokes were smooth to me.  Not streaky at all.  3 coats of both colors with no problems.  As I have said many times before - I have yet to meet a np or brush that I can't work with or make chip resistant (see my manicure routine here on in the link at the top of the page).  The flakie was also very smooth to the touch.  Only one top coat was needed to complete the manicure, which was surprising.  Not bumpy or rough at all.

On with the show:

Here sits Hidden Treasure and Midnight in New York

I swatched this one first - Midnight in New York:

Now, if you have ever been to New York - from which I was born and reared until I left at the age of majority and joined the Army - I can attest to the fact the nights in New York are very dark -

But never in my 18 years there did I ever see any red shimmers in the sky unless it was the fourth of the July or planes flying yoo low!!

The red shimmer is very slight but yet very classy to me. 

Just a hint of the shimmer to make it interesting

Then I had to put on the long awaited for Hidden Treasure:

and boy did she not disappoint!! She is truly a Hidden Treasure! Look at the glow and flakies in this baby!!

 

Now, since I don't own any Nfu-Oh's, yet, I decided to try a Funky French first - just to see what all the fuss of a flakie was all about: 

I will admit I have asked my friends who have Nfu-Oh's what was the equivalent and I've been told that #38 is of the same quality.  Now, I personally do not have it - so I will have to take my friends word for it.

Look at the shimmer and shine in this baby!!

Now as I stated I have no Nfu-Oh's, but - I do have an equivalent:

 

(LOOK AT THE GREEN GLIMMER AND GLOW ON MY FINGERS THAT I COULD NOT CAPTURE EARLIER - THIS POLISH IS SUCH A CHAMELEON I CAN HARDLY STAND IT!)

I can hear the wheels in your brain churning saying these two are nothing alike!! 

 

You're assesments of the bottles would be absolutely correct - the bottles are nothing alike - BUT - on the fingers:

They are exactly alike!!

Can you tell which hand has which np on it??

Go ahead, guess!  I'll wait ---

(Jeopardy music plays quietly in the background)

Okay times up!!

Betchya didn't see THAT one coming now did ya??

I changed nothing from the first mani pic to the last.

I hear that this polish color combination also looks like GOSH Rainbow - SOOOOO, if you have the Nfu-Oh #38 and or the colorama #27 you may not need this Hidden Treasure - but as for me - I'm glad I found this little Treasure - because to me she is a dream come true and just like a genie in a bottle - you can put her on any color and she will change the dynamics 10 fold.  Thanks to my coloroma - I won't be needing a back up of the Hidden Treasure!! *whew*

I will be trying her over other colors and giving you previews as I do them.
Until then check out Body and Soul and check out all the colors she has already swatched on a nail wheel with HT - simply an awesome demonstration!  Thank Mary - great job!!

So, until next time...Happy Treasure Hunting and Nail Polishing!!

XOXOXOXOXO

Beautiful Blogger Award

• The rules for the award are to list 7 facts about yourself and tag 7 (or more) bloggers with the award by

• 
  
  Posting the logo on your blog or post
• 
  
  Pass the award on to 7 or more bloggers
• 
  
  Link to your nominees
• 
  
  Commenty on their blog to notify them
• 
  
  Link the Lovely person who awarded you

Here are 7 things about me:

1. I ♥ Nail Polish - DUH!!

2. I like reading and belong to a book club

3. I really enjoy a good cigar every now and then (don't judge me!)

4. I'm the biggest procrastinator when it comes to cleaning

5. I have two boxers that are my heart and protectors

6. I Love my Husband more than words can ever describe

7. I Love Kitchen Gadgets and do Pampered Chef for the gadget discount

Picking just seven bloggers was super hard...so here are the one's I've chosen that I just love to read:

The Blogs I tagged are:

Nailbeautiqued.blogspot.com

blacknailpolishandlipgloss.blogspot.com

susies1955.blogspot.com

PolishorPerish.blogspot.com

Getchanailsdid.blogspot.com

fortheloveofnails.blogspot.com

Nihrida.blogspot.com

R3Daily

Thepolishhoochie

NYnaildiva.blogspot.com 

My Bar - You Bar - Nubar!!

Hello Fello Followers!!

Today I bring to you a swap that I really didn't know why I decided to swap for it, except for the fact that I had no Nubars and the swapper wanted a color I had two of - so I figured I'd give it a try - and I'm so glad I did!!  Thanks Cathy!!

This little girl had me dancing around my deck after I applied her.

This Girl is GAWGEOUS and I do mean GAWGEOUS!!  I did a full mani for this -

she was not to be swatched but to be worn in her fullness and glory of beauty!!

Do you see what I see??  Glitter, Glamour, Shimmer and Shine!!  OH!  I was just bowled over with this baby!!  Her application was flawless.  The first coat was a little sheer - so I was worried and then I thought, man - this is going to be PITA because it's so sheer...

But then I applied that that second coat and my face lit up - and I squeeled just a little bit because I could see her coming into her own!! 

I was bowled over with it showing brown, purple and tad bit of red shimmer - it truly reminded me of Rasberry Truffle!!

I finally brought her in out of the sun because I didn't want her to melt.  She was fabulous from beginning to end - she did take about 3 coats - which I did not applying because she was a dream to apply.  Even in the house she was just delicious to look at!!

I finally had to stop looking at my hands and decided to look in my fridge and pantry for some chocolate!!  :-)

Nubars can be purchased from http://www.bynubar.com/

So, what do you think -

do you have this Nubar's that are good enough to eat? 

Thanks for looking, thanks for sharing and have a happy nail polish day!!

XOXOXOXOXOXO

My first Jessica

HELLO FELLOW FOLLOWERS!!

Today I bring to you another RAOK for me.  My friend Janet had a nail polish that she didnt want anymore, go figure, so she let me have it - and when she sent it to me - she had incllded a new brand of nail polish for me - Jessica!!

Shantung was a petty Copper Orange.  I liked it so much, I do believe if I were still of child bearing years, I would name my next girl child after this np.

She is stunning in the bottle, but when I put her on the nail - OH BOY....

...did she ever shine!!  She was just stunning to me!! 

Since this was my first Jessica - I rally had no idea what to expect - but I actually never have any expectations with np.  I have yet to meet a np I can't work with and that I can't make to last at least a week if I wanted it to.

 

Before I even opened the bottle, I knew I was going to be wearing her as a full mani - so I went through my whole manicure procedure - this is NOT a swatch.  See above link for my manicure routine.

From the time I opened the bottle and applied the first stroke I was in heaven.  The application on Jessica is exceptional, at least to me it was.  every stroke was even and there was no going back to straighten anything out.  I am a 3 coater by choice - but I could have gotten away with two.

I have no complaints about this polish what so ever. 

I was going to Konad her today - but on the way to the Post Office today I broke a nail.  I was able to save it and it was on the thumb.  Thank goodness I had my nail file with me (I never leave home w/o it) otherwise I would have gone back home to change my mani - yes, I'm that anal when out in public. 

Well, that does it for me today!!  Once again, I have to thank my girl Janet for her graciousness.  She knows I'm a nail polish nut.  I actually have her hunting out colors for me too - but I think she enjoys it because she finds them!! :-)

Until next time....Happy Polishing!!

XOXOXOXOXOXO

Oh - do YOU have any Jessica's and if so, what colors?  I need more!!

FYI:

Sally is still having their buy 2 get 1 free

Barielle.com is buy2 get 1 free w/ 15% off Code of 15OFFONCE

Zoya.com has started their np exchange til June 30

 Check your Ross, TJMaxx, Marshalls and Dollar Stores for bargains

If you haven't checked out these blogs, you need to - now:

Nouveau Cheap

Drugstore Divas
Oh Lovely {coupons}!

They may not be new to you - but they sure are to me, so I thought I'd spread the word and the wealth.  They share their tips, secrets and savings on being a penny pincher with pride!!  I don't know about you but - I need to save all   the money I can so I can buy more nail polish.

Dollar Store Score!!

HELLO FELLOW FOLLOWERS!!

I hope you all enjoyed my introduction to spring with the Up and Away collection.  One day soon I will do a comp on some of the colors I have that may be close in color to some of these.  But today is NOT that day!! :-)

Today I am showing you that the Dollar Store, Dollar Tree, Dollar General, Family Dollar or any other bargain basement shopping can render you some great results:

These were some few odds and ends that I picked up because, well, they were a dollar a piece.  Those colored pots in the middle - they are acrylic paints!!

I like to dabble in nail art occassional so I thought this was great for me.

I have on occasion on another dollar day haul have actually found the Art Deco Pens, for, that's right $1.

  

One thing that is really great about some dollar store finds are the TWO in a package for a $1 - and before I started blogging I have even on occasion found Coloroma nail polish which are usually packed 3 to a pack for, you got it $1.  Those really get me excited - but on this day two packs were good.

I took these all out of the packages to show them to you in their true colors.  I labeled them so that you could know they really weren't the same color.  The great thing about these kind of polishes is that they are great for layering or using for frankening, if that's your thing.  You also want to stock up on clear np's from the dollar store that you may find for frankening.  You never want to use the good stuff like OPI or Diamont!!

One thing that is really great about the dollar store finds is that

for packaging, they sometimes put two very similar colors or sometime even the same color in these packages, which is fine - because I love to swap and you would be surprised how many people are looking for the older bottles, models and formula before the B3F days.  I am one of those older version is better collectors.  I really don't think there is any other brand that has changed their shape and formula more times than Sally Hansen!!

Now L'Oreal is incomperable to any other in it's older formula.  In it's hay day it was the nail polish that was considered high end - today it went for - you got it $1, actually .50 because they were packaged in packs of two!! :-)

Now these three here I almost left at the store because, well, they were packaged individually and I had to pay a whole dollar for them!!  That hurt my feelings!  That's what happens when you go dusty bargain basement hunting - you get spoiled.  Then I went to Sally's - I had to - they were having buy two get one free!  Who can pass up free??  Not ME!! :-)....AND I had a 20% off coupon for entire purchase!!  KA-CHING!!

I know I said buy two get one free but I could't decide which one to put back so I got them all and bought two blue Finger Paints to get one for free (don't know why I didn't take pic's of the FP)  The Candle Apple was beautiful - I wore that one with my Konad I posted a few weeks back. 

These I really could not capture the true color or vibrancy from.  They really are gorgeous in real life!!

Chocolate Mint      Champagne      Gotchya Grape

I've been back twice since these pictures were taken - I'm a sucker for sale!

 FYI - PSA

ZOYA IS HAVING THEIR NAIL POLISH EXCHANGE AGAIN - NOW!!

 Click below for all the details - this is one sale you don't want to miss!! 

http://www.zoya.com/

Until next time...Happy Polishing!!

XOXOXOXOXO

Up and Away Collection (3 of 3)

HELLO FELLOW FOLLOWERS!!

Well, I must say - this has been a very busy 3 days for me swatching and switching and swatching some more!!  I will admit if any of these pictures seem a little dinky at some sort or if my hand positioning looks a little weird - It's because I was doing opposite colors on opposite hands to save time.

I am by no means ambidextrious - but I am impatient - so I would take the picture with my right hand of my left hand in an upside down position and then in my little photo program FLIP it and make everything look "normal". :-]

Unless otherwise indicated all of the following is a base coat, white base np (which helps with pastel colors to 'POP' and make them a little more vibrant), 2 coats of np and a top coat. 

P.S. for swatching purposes I use CHEAP base and top coats!!

ON WITH THE SHOW!!

First up for your viewing pleasure:

(no white based used)

There wasn't a damn thing lucky about this Four Leaf Clover!!  The number should have been 666 instead of 866 - it was the devil and all his demon spawn to try and capture the green that it really is!!  I swatched this thing on two different days on two different hands (we only have two anyway, right?) and this is what I kept getting:

IT'S SUPPOSE TO BE A BRIGHT AND VIBRANT GREEN!!

GREEN I TELL YA!!  GREEN!!

I look at my hands and think wow this is a pretty color (and I don't even like the color green unless it has dead presidents on them - remember, I have horror thoughts of my days in the Army from green) and my nails look gorgeous - I look at the screen...

...and get this!!  I tried it inside the house, outside the house, in the shade, in the sun, in the closet, out of the closet... ARRRG!!  Trust me - I may not know how to fenagal a camera, but I know my damn colors!!!

NEXT!!!!

Now this truly was something sweet to apply!  Easy application, it was streaky the first coat - but what pastel isn't, right?  The second coat took it right to perfection:

Here she is in my kitchen window.  Pretty perfect pastel pink!!  Just girly enough not to make you think of Barbie but not so pink to make you think of Pepto Bismol either!! (or a Mary Kay car of days gone by)

See, she almost looks like a perfect pink bubble from bubbalicious bubble gum!  (Don't mind the wonky ring finger - long story that involved, doctors, blood and a very L-O-N-G needle)  I digress!!  I brought her inside so you could see her in the natural light.  She could make any spring outfit chic and classy!!

And then...

Minty - this absolutely was - re-freshing - not so much.  If I had to say I had a problem with any one of the np in this collection - this was my only problem child - but after a good scalding - she settled down and applied perfectly!!  So I guess you could say it was operator malfunction!!

I never did get on the Chanel Jade train - she left the station before I could even buy a ticket to get on board, so by the time I realized what a mint or Jade even was (my mind was thinking either the candy or the jewelry), the only thing close to a jade I came to getting was the Claire's Dream Catcher, which is STILL in my untrieds!!  :+{

...and here she is inside - why do I suddenly have a taste for peppermint ice cream?  She really smoothed out once I applied the top coat.  I don't think I'll be having anymore trouble out of her ever again!!  She's a beauty, she is!!

And last in this series...

(no white base used)

...and boy was I ever!!  She was the softest shade of teal I think I own.  She really stands quite well on her own accord.

Here she really was Flying High and so was my dog!!  He came flying by me chasing the puppy and swiped me just as I took the picture!!  I wanted to kick him - but he has no concept of all the hard work that goes into trying take a picture and hold your hand and...anyway - I couldn't take another one that gave me this accuracy - so I left it in!!

...and here she is at my window - this is pretty color accurate.  She will be getting plenty of action this summer, that's for sure!!  She's a beauty!!  Application was a dream, coating was just right and the top coat just put it right over the top of magnificent!!

Now I know for those of you have the OPI Collection or at least the colors Jade is the New Black and Suzy says Fung Shey - are they similar?  Similar, maybe, but far from dupes!!

My camera died before I could do a nail comparison,

but I did get the bottle comparison: 

ChG Four Leaf Clover on the Left - OPI Jade is the New Black on the Right

ChG Flying High on the Left - OPI Suzy says Fung Shey on the Right

Well, that does it for me today and for this collection! 

Now I can honestly say none of these are untrieds any longer!!  Okay, so they were swatches and not full mani's but I wore them - at least on one hand - so that counts!!  That's my story and I'm sticking to it!! :-}

So tell me, do you have any full collections that are still in your untrieds?  If so which ones and why?

P.S. We all ask questions for a reason because we love to read your responses.  Who knows, one of these days we may have a give-a-way to the person who has commented the most on our posts for this blog site!!

We really do read each and everyone of your comments - and we do our best to answer each and every one.

 

So, until next time - happy polishing!!

XOXOXOXOXO