Essie Bordeaux

No comments:

Rich maroon jelly. Maroon, defined as a brownish crimson shade, is the perfect description of red Bordeaux wine (also known as Claret). It looks brighter on the nail (compared to the bottle), but it deepens in low lighting. It’s still looks red, just deeper and sexier.



The formula has a tendency to be patchy. Be sure to give it a few more minutes between coats and to paint with a light hand. I prefer doing three coats to bring out the richness of the jelly.


Doesn’t this look gorgeous? It was taken directly under a fluorescent daylight bulb. It’s distinctly darker because it was taken at night. While it may be lighter in daylight, it certainly matches the bottle color here. I think it looks beautiful either way.

Thanks for looking!

Aritaum 14 Vacation Blue

No comments:

Collection: Modi Glam Nails

Happy 43rd Earth Day!

Teal blue jelly with gold foil. The foil particles remind me of the Zoya foils, especially Charla. When I first got this, I thought it was a dupe, but nope. Charla has a greener base with a lot more foil.



Vacation Blue has the same thin jelly consistency that is easy to control. My smile line can still be seen here, but I barely noticed as the gold foil is so eye-catching in real life.

One important note: please use a good stain prevention base coat. I used a cheapo base coat and my nails turned blue! After just one hour! I haven’t done a full manicure with it yet. My tips are to paint carefully so it doesn’t get on the skin (see my ring finger) and to remove it in one swipe (instead of rubbing it and getting the color everywhere).

Thanks for looking!

Polish peels:
• China Glaze Strong Adhesion Base Coat (1 coat)
• Aritaum 14 Vacation Blue (2 coats)

Orly Stone Cold

1 comment:

Collection: Mineral FX (2011 Fall)

Sapphire blue jelly with small blue flakes. Light It Up Blue is an annual event on April 2nd for Autism Awareness. The date might be over but the whole month is dedicated raising awareness so I wanted to contribute this gorgeous blue manicure.


For more information on autism, please visit:
Autism Society
Autism Speaks
Autism Association (Singapore)
Autism Resource Centre (Singapore)



This polish has a thick base, presumably to suspend all the little blue flakes. In the photos above, the jelly base appears sheer at the tips but they are opaque in person.

Thanks for looking!

Polish peels:
• Michelle Base (1 coat)
• Orly Stone Cold (3 coats)
• Seche Vite Dry Fast Top Coat (1 coat)

Three Beauties Radiant Silver

No comments:


Silvery base with a purple/ green duochrome. This is a color that was rather popular in 2011; it has many relatives out there. I don’t own the others but Wet N Wild Gray's Anatomy looks like a sheerer match.



As with most duochromes, there are some visible brushstrokes (first two nails). To prevent that, I sponged on the last coat on the other two nails. Whether layered over black or by itself, the duochrome looks equally strong to me. I actually prefer the softer look of it alone.



The formula was great. My camera couldn’t capture the green very well, but it’s really strong in the last two images.

Polish peels:
• NailTek Foundation II (1 coat)
• Three Beauties Radiant Silver (1 coat) over black – index & middle fingers
• Three Beauties Radiant Silver (3 coats) – ring & little fingers
• Seche Vite Dry Fast Top Coat (1 coat)

Innisfree 101 Girl’s Skirt

No comments:

Collection: Poem (2012 Summer)

Pale sea foam green and gold micro-glitter with small blue hexes. This is a sheerer (and cheaper) dupe for Deborah Lippmann Mermaid’s Dream. It sadly doesn’t look its best under macro mode. It very pretty in person and reminds me of clear seas.



Although it’s not as opaque as Mermaid’s Dream, the formula is smooth and easy to control. This has the same scent as Autumn Leaves, though it seems stronger here. With two coats of top coat, it’s smooth enough to pass muster, but I recommend another coat with you’re really picky.

Polish peels:
• PVA Glue (1 coat)
• Innisfree 101 Girl’s Skirt (3 coats)
• American Classics Gelous (1 coat)
• Seche Vite Dry Fast Top Coat (1 coat)

Polish Days: 7 Deadly Sins

11 comments:

This month’s theme is the 7 deadly sins – envy, gluttony, greed, lust, pride, sloth and wrath. I confess to having committed all of them before, some more than others. Instead of any specific sin, I was inspired to do a blood splatter. Because it was blood that washed my sins away.