Lippmann Collection - Lady Marmalade

Deborah Lippmann's Lady Marmalade was a giant lemming for me. It is long discontinued and I figured I would only find it if someone was selling it on a blog sale. I found a gal on MakeupAlley while talking about a potential swap that was willing to part with it. Score! This polish is a warm strawberry pink with smooth glass fleck that has a slight violet tinge. This is three coats.

I love slaying lemmings! What your most wanted discontinued polish these days? I still have a long list of them, but it's always awesome to cross one off.

Essie - Barbuda Banana

Happy Monday friends! I have a special polish to show you today, a vintage Essie polish. It's a pastel yellow called Barbuda Banana. It's a little hard to find but I managed to snag it on Evil-bay for around $15, which is a lot for an Essie, but it's one I've wanted practically since I got into polish. I've heard tell that the formula is hell-worthy, but honestly I didn't have trouble with it at all. This is four coats, as it is on the sheer side. It's got the tiniest most subtle bit of shimmer in it, barely detectable, but when you do catch a glimpse of it, it just melts your heart!

I don't know why but pastel yellows are one of my favorite colors of polish ever. Are there any types of colors you'll search the earth for no matter how hard they are to find?

OPI - Midnight Blue Glitter

Hi friends! This polish is called Midnight Blue Glitter by OPI. It is a vintage polish from 2004, it came out in the Tuxedo collection. It has a sheer charcoal watery base and is full of dark grey, blue, silver, and teal glitter flakes. This polish is borrowed from my bestie, Mickelle. I wasn't convinced of its beauty until I saw some swatches that have been popping up recently on my reading list from fellow bloggers. I thought at first it was a little boring but the subtle duochrome of the glitter is really beautiful, I love that turquoise pop that comes out from certain angles.

This polish was pretty sheer, pictured here is three coats. I have heard this is great for layering over blue or black polishes. I think it is lovely and has an understated glamorous quality to it. What do you think?

I am sorry that I haven't been posting as much during the last two weeks. I actually just got laid off from my job, and needless to say, it's been a little bit trying to my sense of well being. I have never had this happen before, my company is closing so it came as quite a shock. I am alright and know I will get another job soon, but it is definitely an experience I would rather not have to go through. I was at this company for over four years so I definitely have invested my heart and soul into it, it is hard to see it just fall by the wayside. I have been trying to keep positive and now I can find a career that is tied into what I went to school for, really live up to my potential. I know it will yield positive results in the end, but it is still hard. Thanks to everyone for your support, you're awesome and I love you!

China Glaze Drinkin' My Blues Away

We all have lemmings. There are polishes we see on blogs and fingers of those we admire that we covet but fear we may never own ourselves. It is an ache for beauty deep in the pit of our souls. Drinkin' My Blues Away was a lemming like that for me. I NEEDED this polish. It was like I needed to hear a sweet symphony wafting on the breeze. I longed to taste the blissful sin of rich chocolate or see a masterpiece painting in a museum. Sometimes you just CRAVE splendor with voraciousness you can't explain! Ok, ok, I may be sounding a little dramatic, but for real y'all, that is how bad I wanted this polish.

I received this in a blog sale from my unparalleled and inimitable friend Ange. It is a mini from the Tequila Toes collection circa 2006. I really like mini China Glaze bottles, they are to die for adorable and the brush reminds me of Chanels'. (HINT, HINT, make more please!) The blue is deep like the ocean, the formula is a sultry jelly glass fleck, buildable in three coats. It ends up looks very watery, so on point with summer. I love how the shimmer reflects blue, pink, and mostly purple!

I wore this mani for a week straight. Un-freakin-heard of! I couldn't bare to take it off! And oh yeah, these photos were taken three days after I applied it. Yeah, the old formulas rocked *le sigh*. 

I think China Glaze tried to evoke some nostalgia with this year's summer collection on a couple shades, especially in Blue Iguana and Cha Cha Cha. You just can't fix what ain't broke, though. This baby will be my precious. And I will hug him, and squeeze him and call him my own.

OPI Berry Good Dancers

This is OPI Berry Good Dancers, from the 2006 Radio City Rockette Reds collection. It's a raspberry pinky color foil with silver shimmer sparkles. Very pretty, not super shiny. It's the kind of polish that really eats topcoat *shrug* not always a bad thing. I do really like this color though not as much as I thought I would. It's not the best shade on me I don't think. This is two coats.

China Glaze No Tan Lines

I love my oldies and this is a golden oldie, literally. No Tan Lines by China Glaze is a super sexy metallic sun gold shimmer that came out circa 2002 in the Bali Bliss collection, at least that's what the China Glaze Wiki tells me. My gal pal Jeannie from My Latest Obsession keeps the information Wiki up in case you ever need the 411 on something China Glaze related. This is two coats of hotness. I got this baby on ebay for less than $5 :) What a find eh?

Essie Ruby Slippers

There are a lot of "ruby slipper" themed polishes out there. China Glaze Ruby Pumps is a notorious and often copied one. Essie's Ruby Slippers is unlike all of the glittery red shades I've seen with the Wizard of Oz moniker. It's a discontinued and vintage-y polish, not sure what year it came out.

The glitter is red and maybe gold, it's hard to tell but there is a definite gold ember-like glow against the darkened red jelly base. There might be some pink sparkles buried in there as well. What I love most about this polish is that it is really easy to apply for a glitter, it wasn't lumpy and thick or anything. People commented on my mani asking if I got glitter gel nails, which I find a terrific compliment. I used one coat of Seche Vite to smooth it but it wasn't terribly bumpy either.

I think this is a real find and I'm lucky to have gotten a full size bottle in a swap. *swoon*

China Glaze Lavender Lynx

Keeping in tone with the rest of the polishes that I've posted this week, this one is a vintage one as well. China Glaze Lavender Lynx is an oldie, discontinued but not as hard to find, there seem to be a lot on ebay (which where I got mine) and it isn't too expensive at all. This gorgeous soft shimmer is a fab grey lavender with hints of other colors but no real flash of duochrome. Very chic and sexy! This is three coats. It's a little watery, but it is old formula so it's a bit to be expected.

I got the new Misas and Chanel Mimosa this weekend so I will be swatching those for you soon! Stay tuned luvas :D

OPI Rainforest

Hello hello my friends! I hope this week has been well for you all. I have had a rather stress filled, albeit fast moving week so I'm looking forward to the weekend. My niece (she's 20) is getting married today if you can believe it, haha that's Utah for you ;) I am not even dating anyone *sigh* Oh wells what can ya do. I had a mini breakdown yesterday because I'm turning 25 in June and I feel like I'm already over the hill *parb* yep ridiculous I know haha.

Enough rambling, on to the good stuff. I have another rare vintage gem to show you today, OPI Rainforest. A not-so-unique, but still cult classic lacquer, Rainforest is an old old old polish, I have no idea when it came out (do you?) but it was a while ago. I have heard tales of people paying a pretty penny for this elusive prize when they managed to find it on ebay, but I was very lucky and was able to get it in a super reasonable swap. It's an emerald green, thin, old formula shimmer that gave me a slight frosty finish, but is still the bomb diggity (do people still say that?). This is three coats.

*WHAM* *POW* *ZAP* Take that lemming!

China Glaze Out on Safari

Ok lacquerheads, the beeyotch is back!! *le sigh* That was the biggest un-scheduled un-Kellie-planned pause of my blogging life and me-no-likey. In case you missed the drams, up until about four hours ago, all my photos hosted on Photobucket were missing in action :( They had a server malfunction that lasted almost 48 hours (forEVER in internet time) and it was driving me nutso. But now all my images are back woohoo! And I'll be checking back into hosting on Picasa (Blogger's main host) like I used to. In case you're wondering, I was not savvy on how to host high resolution photos on Blogger's system until today, and I want only the best for my precious readers of course!

Anyhooo.....

I figured I'd come back in style with a doozy of a polish, and so I shall. This is the one, the only, Out on Safari by China Glaze. Oh yes, you read that correctly. This baby is one hard to find vintage lacquer that any collector would break a nail to get her hands on. I was lucky enough to score this in a swap with my lovely friend Faerieberry (thank you my love) after lusting after it for many moons.

Out on Safari is a khaki green mossy shimmer polish that is so super unique I doubt it will ever be duplicated. Very shiny and very flattering, surprisingly almost haha. This is three coats. Oh my gosh, dare I say, could it be? I think this may be my new favorite polish. of. all. time. O_O

Aaaaww :) It's good to be back. I should have the new Zoya and Color Club collections posted sooner rather than later. Thanks for sticking around luvas!

OPI Mauve-lous Memories

This is an older OPI, from their 25th Anniversary collection which came I out in 2006, at least I think. Don't quote me on that. Mauve-lous Memories is a lovely mauvey-pink with slight pink and silver shimmer. La la love it! It's not anything crazy, just very ladylike and grown up--which I assure you I am not ;) But it's nice to pretend every once in a while. This is three coats. Excellent formula, and I think it even is big-three free as it has a green label.

Are there any polishes you have that make you feel like a real "lady"?

xoxo,
kelliegonzo

Urban Decay Twisted

Urban Decay Twisted is a long ago discontinued polish from the past. I acquired this rare vintage gem from a lovely gal in a swap. I seem to be craving more "antique" polishes lately, so I apologize if I am giving you hard-to-find lemmings by showing them on my blog. Sometimes when I find myself aching for inspiration and feeling sluggish in wanting to paint my nails, I think about my rare beauties and it gets me all shook up inside and happy for lacquer again.

Twisted is a unique polish, sheerish (4 coats worth), sandy dirty antique gold with lots of shimmer that flashes brilliantly. I am in deep lust with this fellow. He shall be mine foreva. Urban Decay, bring back the gorgeous old polishes you used to spoil us with PLEASE!!

Rimmel Mania

This is Rimmel Mania, an oldie but a goodie. I la la love colors like this, oozing with yummy color and glazed with shimmer. I'd call this a deep marine teal with a deep blue base and interwoven subtle golden shimmer. It reminds me of a peacock *sigh* a symbol of beauty for the animal kingdom. We need more polishes like this!! I got this baby in a swap with a lovely gal on MakeUpAlley. The formula was perfect, two coats.

China Glaze Channelesque

*Dun da dun dun DAAAAHHH* Today I have for you perhaps the most iconic China Glaze nail polish in existence. Channelesque is a purple taupe creme with some hidden shimmer. Along the lines of Sephora by OPI's Metro Chic and newer polishes like Essie's Merino Cool and Rimmel Steel Grey. I've heard that in their spring collection, China Glaze is releasing the color again, under a different name. But this baby is the original, the hawt, sexy, non big-3 free babe. This is three coats in sunlight.

I can't wait to see the new polish, called Below Deck, when the Anchors Away collection comes out!  I'll definitely have to do a comparison for you :)

xoxo,
kelliegonzo