The Blogging Year Recap

2016 is over. Wow. When I flip back through pages of blog posts, it feels like so little time has gone by. In fact, 2009 feels a lot like yesterday. (Well things were full of change and hope back then).

I'm still enjoying blogging, and that's key. I hope you are enjoying the polishes with me.

There are many changes in blogging and I don't think social media blogging has eradicated bloggers like me, yet. Yet. The challenges for me is time and accessibility. Instagram is very phone-centric, so I hope the new Sony A6000 will be up for that challenge.

I'm off the SinfulColors mailing list, much to my relief, and I don't have anyone offering me polish. Yay! So while I am not super timely with new things, my reviews will be my own. It's hard to be objective when you have free stuff arriving in the mail, despite disclosures and disclaimers.

This year I plan on trotting out a heck of a lot more indies and more stamping. I have to say I love both and with a better camera it's only my skillset that won't do right by it.

Finally, here are a few of my faves from 2016, enjoy!



FUN Lacquer Anna

OPI Into the Night and RBL Pardonne Moi stamped with white pearl (if I recall!) and topped with Orly Precious Metal

Maybelline Sand Storm stamped with Sally Hansen Frost Freeze

Guppy 77 over Sally Hansen Gray by Gray

Borghese Capriccio Blue stamped with Revlon Captivate

Sally Hansen Model Behavior

Illamasqua Muse

OPI Ro-Man-ce On The Moon accented with Milani Silver Dazzle

China Glaze All Wrapped Up

Petites Banish

Essence Back to Paradise

Diamond Cosmetics Tranquility franken

Nicole by OPI Sing You Like a Bee topped with Hidden Treasure all over Color Club Coastal Creme

American Apparel Tshirt

Dior Equis

Layering: Revlon Snow Bunny franken, SinfulColors Pinky Glitter, and Cover Girl City Lights

Morgan Taylor Making Waves

Dear Readers, thank you for reading my little nail polish journal!

Happy 2017!! (fingers crossed!!)

Dior's Delicious Little Christmas Collection

Hard to believe this little collection came out back in 2011. I had to have it and it's just a gem.

It's from Dior's Les Rouges Or holiday collection and I ended up getting it shipped to me from Nordstroms because I live so far from one that I couldn't just drive over to one, and I didn't want to miss out on this one.

Let's get started, but before I do, a few things: no top coat, all are three coats, but only one truly needed three coats.

Dior Equis

Remember: no top coat. Stunning formula. Dior never lets me down. Ever. And this is no exception.

The gold shimmer is super fine and asserts itself equally with the creme pigment.

It's not a taupe, it's more of a deep hazelnut that, due to the gold, pulls into an army khaki.

It's so beautiful, a perfect confluence of formula, color, and finish.

Not available online, but may pop up on eBay.



Dior Or Divin

This pearly gold is the one that needed three coats, but it really is such a beauty that it's hard to be tough on it.

It reminds me of Nars Versailles and has that same soft "Age of Reason" subtlety.

I couldn't find it online, either.



Dior Merveille

Perhaps the star, or if not the star, the one you can't take your eyes off of.

Under the tutelage of this amazing gold shimmer, this rich Chinese Red turns vermillion.

Creme, like Equis, and almost more of a jelly, hence the glowing quality of this polish.

No doubt a polish worth finding. Good luck!



Dior Apparat

Deep burgundy red shimmer with a strong taste of gold.

The color can dip warm, but it lends complexity rather than just muddiness.

I love it as much as the rest. It is both elegant and regal.

Not online anywhere at this time.



I love this whole collection. It's upscale elegance doesn't feel too rigid, but evokes luxurious fabric and interiors that are in keeping with a Parisienne pied-a-terre.

Thanks for reading my little nail polish journal!

Dior Silver Purple and Maybelline Purple Rage - Comparison

Finally got Christian Dior's Silver Purple swatched.

While I was poking around organizing by color, I found an old Dollar Tree purchase, Maybelline Purple Rage.

Organizing by color has its advantages when you don't have a spread sheet. 

Here's Purple Rage:

Deep grape charcoal gray. Some silvery frost, but more of a refined shimmer.

Three coats, needed thinning and definitely showing some brushstrokes.

It also bubbled. Much frustration.

Fixable with a dose of thinner, as you shall see later.

Dior's Silver Purple

As you can see it is similar, however it's a bit of a better formula, quite easy to use, and it's a favorite.

Three coats, but two were only necessary.

It's such a great polish.

I compared them in the bottle, then on the nail:

In the bottle the difference is apparent. 

Left to right:

Dior - pinkie

Maybelline - ring

Dior - middle

Maybelline - index

I thinned the Maybelline with 20 drops of thinner, which made a considerable difference, and it looks like a very near dupe.

This is under a daylight corrected lamp.

You can see the more read leaning base on Maybelline's Purple Rage, where Dior's Silver Purple remains much more restrained by comparison.

I like them both, am very glad I found a back up for my beloved Dior.  

Thanks for reading my little nail polish journal!

Summer Faves

I've reblogged many a polish, but I've never done a "favorites" from old pix.

Here's a few that I like a lot!

Your Such a Kabuki Queen.
The best of rich magenta pinks that I own. Love it!

Color Club Screamin' Fuchsia (my typo life!)
Such a great color. This is without a white base, It would KILL with a white base.
I love it so!

Dior Peppermint over BBCouture Bassins Bleu.
A cool, delicious soft minty of a glass fleck that is quite gorgeous.
Splash of cool  on a hot summer day.

Color Club Revv'd Up with Sally Hansen Purple Diamond. Nothing like holo in the sunshine!


Hope you enjoyed! Thank you for reading my little nail polish journal!

Bassin's Bleu and Dior Peppermint

BB Couture's Bassin's Bleu was a limited addition polish to help out Haiti.

I bought two: Bassin's Blue and Kyona Beach.

Here's is Bassin's Bleu:

I love this color, but it took a little tweaking in Photoshop Elements to match the bottle, I think I got it.

Then I added some of Dior  391, Peppermint. It's a sheer top coat:

Here are some more photos: (just cuz I love the color and the glitter!)

A close up with the label of the Dior 391:

Peppermint has a distinctly blue cast to it.

Here's a bottle comparison to Zoya South Beach Ice

Identical in texture to the Zoya, but a different color.

Thank you for reading my little nail polish journal!

Dior Lemon Balm...what else can I say? FABULOUS!!!!

I found this on eBay. A good seller. A great polish.


First: one coat.


Yes.


One. Coat.


Second: Sizzling shimmer.


Yes.


Sizzling. Shimmer.

This was taken under a daylight corrected lamp.

This was taken under a daylight corrected lamp.

This was taken outside in the afternoon sun.

I really don't know what the color is, and it's just a gorgeous dark puce color with this stunning rainbow shimmer.

Stunning.

I am fond of these purply browns. 

Puce. 

There ya go. From a lowly Sally Hansen (remember the glitters? Puce!), to the heady heights of Dior: Puce.

Thanks for reading my little nail polish journal!