Bettina Ocean + Update

Hi there, long time no post!
In my defense, I have a good excuse.  As I mentioned before, I've been -desperately- looking for job and my payers where finally answered.  Last week I started in a new job.  I'll be on probationary term for 3 months and if everything goes well, it will be permanent. 
Please keep me in your prayers! :)

Now to the polish: here is what I wore on my nails a couple weeks ago
Bettina Ocean with some studs I got at Icing.  I took the picture 4 days latter, so that is why the gold stud is a bit peeled.

I have many more manis ready, pictures just needs to be cropped and watermarked, but I'm waking up at 4am to get ready for work and then getting back home at about 5:30 pm so I'm too tired to work with them.
Think once I finish with Pueen's Love Elements and Gals Fairy set, I'll be on track again.

Until next lovelies!

Sinful Colors: Super Star

I promised to reduce the amount of glitter polishes in my collection, but this Sinful Colors got me; is kind of a perfect combo! :)
Superstar is a super pretty blue jelly with purple and aqua glitter.  In my experience, jelly glitters become somewhat difficult to manege when applying the second coat but this one was the exception.  

3 coats of Super Star over China Glaze Blue Years Eve
no topcoat

Sinful Colors: Ice Dream

Ice Dream can be easily described as a glitter explosion!
Its fully loaded with silver and blue glitters.  I recently dropped my camera two times and since then it have been acting up, specially when I try to photograph glitters, so this one gave me a hard time. 

indoors without flash

ring finger: 2 coats of Ice Dream over China Glaze Blue Years Eve

indoors with flash

China Glaze Blue Years Eve

Blue Years Eve (2011 Holiday Collection) has a sheer blue base filled with blue glass fleck with aqua shimmer.
Just Gorgeous!

3 coats, no top coat

outdoors without flash

Kleancolor: Pastel Purple

To me, is very difficult to get into pastel shades. Whether is clothes, accessories  makeup, nail polish; I don't like how they look on me.  I love everything spring but can't make myself to wear a color like this, even when I think is pretty.

Pastel Purple is a bit darker in person and almost completely opaque in one coat, but the consistency is very thick so I had to go over with a second coat to make it look even and smoother.

Sinful Colors: Endless Blue

I Purchased this color because judging from the way it looked on the bottle I didn't had anything like it.  I was like "meh, never know when I'm going to need something like this and its only $.99"
I'm so glad I got it! Its the most beautiful royal blue I've seen.

In person, is opaque enough with two coats but when taking pictures with flash, you can see some nail line.  Did 3 coats on my middle finger and the nail line was gone.  Like with any color as pigmented as this, I would recommend applying a thin layer of white polish first to minimize staining. 

Sinful Colors: Winterberry

I got Winterberry during the last Walgreens sale on Sinful Colors.
This is a beautiful gray-ish plum shade with silver shimmer.  Application was a really nice, opaque in two coats and no streaks.  Despite the silver shimmer, its not frosty.

China Glaze: Immortal

With this shade you can wear work-appropriate nails and have a little fun too!

China Glaze Immortal (from the Halloween 2012 Collection) its a medium grey with subtle pink, blue and purple shimmer.  The application was really nice.  The only down side I could find is that it needs 3 coats to achieve full opacity.  I'm impatient when it comes to wait for my nails to dry.  But since the color is so pretty, the shimmer gives the gray that cute touch, still makes nails look elegant; I can see myself learning to be patient and wearing it quite often :)

The shimmer is lovely! and its stand out more in person, but not to the point of being flashy.

Kleancolor: Holo Green

Despite how it looks on this pictures, Holo Green is a bit paler in real life; like the pastel version of a holo so whats not to love about it! :)

Glitters and holo usually dries fast but Kleancolor polish base is on the thick side, this one takes a little longer.  Here I did 3 coats on itself but bet it looks prettier layered over a darker base.  It has a grainy texture so I recommend doing two coats of topcoat but! be sure the polish is completely dry to avoid shrinkage (specially with Seche Vite)

Sally Hansen: Salon Complete Manicure in All Fired Up

All Fired Up is the perfect cherry tomato shade.  Red (or any variant of it) is timeless, a classic and this shade particularly would be perfect for summer - both hands & toes -

It has a great formula; opaque in two coats and a shinny & smooth finish.

I imagine it would look gorgeous with some golden studs or a copper/bronze stamping over it.

daylight, with flash

daylight, no flash

Revlon: Carbonite

I found Carbonite at Walgreens on a clearance bin.  This was one of those polish purchases when I'm going with the intention of restock makeup essentials (foundation, London-Soho Beauty Sponge, falsies glue, etc) but this lonely polish was looking at me with sad eyes and it was less than $2.....

This metallic dark grey with silver and gold shimmer is a keeper.  Application was opaque-in-one-coat great, good formula, dries fast and an excellent for stamping.

Sinful Colors: Beau Khaki

Here is another good green option for St Patrick's; a creamy and elegant dusty green.

The name its odd, but the color is lovely!

Kleancolor Chunky Holo Teal over Sinful Colors Exotic Green

Oh, Hi there March!

I welcome you with a cool pairing!  

Kleancolor Chunky Holo Teal over Sinful Colors Exotic Green

The only Teal bit of this Kleancolor polish is the base color, but still, its super pretty and fun to play with, depending on the polish you layer it on.

Orly: Mysterious Course

Mysterious Course, Part of the Dark Shadows Collection that came out on May 2012 is a blue/purple with blue duo-chrome.

with flash

w/o flash

This is my kind of color! :)

Its dark, but the beautiful duo-chrome adds dimension to it.

Sinful Colors: Last Chance

Looks like I'm getting ready for St Patty's with all this gorgeous green polishes!

Last Chance is a very dark green, but just perfectly dark because you wouldn't mistake it for black. The  formula is a cross between creme and jelly, opaque enough with two coats.  From all the formulas, this mix of creme and jelly is my favorite because it makes application easy and the super glossy finish.

Here I did a jazz-it-up test with Kleancolor VIP & My Rightful Throne

Do you already have your green picks for St Patrick's? 

Esika Extreme Moisturizing Lipstick in Fucsia Cautivante

At fist glance, the color looked intimidating to me even tho I have a secret-soft spot for bold lipstick shades. I'm self-conscious about my big lips and bright colors makes them look bigger.  I don't like the shape of the lipstick because it makes it difficult to apply but the bright berry shade won me over! Nothing that a lip brush couldn't solve

As you can see on the swatches; this shade has a great color payoff without being too loud.  It compliments my skin tone and would look even more beautiful on someone with a darker skin tone.  I love to use it when I'm dressed in all black or barely did any makeup on my eyes because it brightens up the hole look.  You can see its moisturizing properties due to the slight shine finish, but doesn't feel  greasy or slippery. It is soft enough that I could dab a little on my finger and rub it on my lips for a hint of color; like it was a lip stain; but not too soft that it would bleed our or run all over your face.

bloated & after one drink

The stain while its fading out looks beautiful too!

It mix really nice with softer pink shades to tone it down

mixed with Jordanna Matte Lipstick in Pink Flair 

Disclaimer: Product was purchased by me.  This post express my honest opinion based on my experience with the product. 

Essie: Watermelon...and a tragedy

Couple weeks ago, I went to Rio Piedras (metropolitan area in Puerto Rico); in a part where they have lots of sidewalk kiosks selling anything from jewelry, to toys, fruits, electronics to even makeup & nail polishes.  In one of them I found brands like China Glaze, Orly, Nicole by Opi, Rimmel, Revlon & Essie from $1.50 to $2! This where my picks:

CG Cranberry Splash, Essie Watermelon, A Cut Above, As gold as it gets

Sorry for the horrible Instagram pic!

Here I used Essie Watermelon & A Cut Above

Then, something terribly happen after taking the pictures for the blog.... 

Don't know how, but the bottle just slipped of my hands, hitting the floor & staining the wall, my clothes and the sofa :(
I love how Watermelon looks on me, so I plan to go back for a backup.