It's My ***30th*** Birthday!

Just thought I'd toss up this post since it's after midnight ... I have to be up at like 5am so I should be in bed, and I'm about to, BUT since I'm up - I hereby give you all permission to celebrate with me =)  In fact, I started celebrating today with homemade ice cream cake that a co-worker made me:

I'm going back & forth between being OK & being freaked out about being 30, but I'm determined to put a positive face on it, so bring on the gifts & spoiling.  Tomorrow ... uh, later today ... is the 25th anniversary celebration at work - I will be enjoying it like it's my party LOL.  Since I have the blog I am one of the photographers for the event & I also think that will be fun.

Later on ... well, we'll just see what develops =)  What did you do for your last birthday?

Then I will be off Friday & Monday & Tuesday.  I plan to sleep & to get caught up with everything I possibly can - and everything else I'm sad to say is going to get chucked.  If I can't get on top of it with 3 full extra days off my job, I'm never going to get on top of it.  I need a clean slate, whether that slate is carefully polished clean or side-swept with an extended arm ;)

I wore Nubar Moon Shadow the other day, so I have pics of that to edit ... and pics too of the worst break I ever had that I suffered wearing it.  I also recently did my first collaboration on YouTube & that will be going up Friday, so stay tuned!  Thanks for reading.

~Colette

NOTD: Zoya Gemma

So, with only a few days until I chop my nails, I've been trying to make the most of the long nails while they're around.  I've been looking forward to wearing Zoya Gemma from the Intimate collection since I got it ... and sadly I'm a bit disappointed.  In the bottle there's such a strong purple/periwinkle flash, but it all but disappears on the nail:

It nagged at me for a while, what it reminded me of, until I figured out that it's very close to Essie Sew Psyched.  Sew Psyched is a bit more grey, but they're definitely in the same family.

Thanks for reading =)

~Colette

China Glaze Crackle Metals & Ulta OPI Exclusives

It took me 4 Sallys to track down all 6 from the Crackle Metal collection, but it was worth it =)

Left to right China Glaze Tarnished Gold, Cracked Medallion, Platinum Pieces, Latticed Lilac, Haute Metal, Oxidized Aqua.  I didn't notice until I was taking pics for this post, that the bottles are 2 different styles!  Most have the "Crackle Glaze" bottle, but the silver & teal just have "Crackle" off to the side of the normal China Glaze. Weird.

I also picked up this on clearance at one of the Sallys - I don't even remember which one LOL, and I forgot to include it in the vid:

Finger Paints Amethyst Atelier.

Next OPIs from Ulta - as I mention in the vid, if you want more than one free bottle with their current promotion, talk with your sales rep because it is one free over $15.00, rather than buy 2 get 1 free ... it equals out to the same amount by with the dollar requirement it took 2 transactions for me to get my 2 free bottles:

Top:  Ulta Exclusive Shimmer into Summer collection - Glitter-ally The Best Silver Ever, Sparkle Teal Sunrise, I'm an Aqua-Holic, How You Blue-In?  Bottom:  from the Nice Stems collection - Be a Dahlia Won't You & I Lily Love You.

And from the Born Pretty Store:

I received this Violet Crackle from Laushine to review.  You can save 10% there using the coupon code "CWJ691" through the end of the year on any nail art or nail polish products from their site.

Here's the vid with some swatches & comparisons:

After the fact, I decided I really wanted to see if I could get I Lily Love You & Sparkle Teal Sunrise to look like they do in the bottle with some layering.  And with a colored base rather than plain, or over black or white, I was really quite pleased.

Right is I Lily Love You over Sally Hansen Digital, left over Be a Dahlia Won't You:

I like I Lily Love You over Be a Dahlia Won't You - maybe they were meant together since they're from the same collection.

For Sparkle Teal Sunrise I tried 4 different base colors - left to right layered over:  I'm an Aqua-Holic, How You Blue-In?, Zoya Charla & China Glaze Watermelon Rind:

I think it is closest to bottle color over Watermelon Rind, but I also really like it over How You Blue-In?  Which do you prefer?

Thanks for reading.

~Colette

(Some products were sent to me for review)

NOTD: China Glaze Starboard + Cracked Medallion + Matte Magic

I actually wore this most of last week, 3 or maybe even 4 days.  I started out with China Glaze Starboard, from the Anchor's Away collection:

On top of that I added Cracked Medallion from the new Crackle Metals collection:

I'll be editing the vid with swatches of all 6 colors later - I expected them to be a bit more of a chrome finish, rather than a kind of slightly sparkly metallic, but I still like them all.  Top coat does make quite a difference in the finish - no topcoat on pointer & middle, Seche on ring & pinky:

After wearing for a few days, I topped it all with Matte Magic:

As usual this weekend, I am not getting done as much as I thought or as much as I want & need to - but Thursday is my birthday, and I took off work Friday & the following Monday & Tuesday, so hopefully I'll be more efficient then =)

Thanks for reading.

~Colette

Guest NOTD: Wet n Wild Bird Bath + Sally Hansen Ink Splatter

Here's Mom's first crackle manicure - done with Wet n Wild Bird Bath + Sally Hansen Ink Splatter:

I think she said her favorite nails was the thumb, although I don't remember if it was this thumb or the other - she had a lot of fun wearing this.  I think she's hooked on the crack polish just like me now =)

Thanks for reading.

~Colette