Time to Shine by Sally Hansen

At first I thought that maybe Time to Shine from the Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear Fall 2011 collection would be too flashy for work. As it turns out, despite the high amount of shine, this was actually a very workable polish colour.  Falling in between a champagne and a light gold, it's just the right tone to make it somewhat more of an everyday polish than if had been a more yellow gold.  Pictured here is two coats of polish but I think that it could use an application of three coats to really bring out the shimmer, especially when you can see some very nice red reflection in there.  A good choice for a small price.

My Tummy is Growling with Food Inspired Polishes

Despite having recently lost over 40 pounds, I still find myself spending a lot of time thinking about food.  Now, don’t start thinking that I’m depriving myself of the foods I love because I don’t do that.  I just eat less of it while forcing myself to do one of the things in life that I really hate to do: exercise!

If you’re someone who’s dieting or trying to lose weight then you know how difficult it can be since food is everywhere.  Even in nail polish names:

 

Now that Fall is just around the corner, people are going to be consuming a lot less of these slushy coffees in a cup.  Sally Hansen’s Iced Coffee from their Complete Salon Manicure line looks like a nice creamy neutral in the bottle but once you get it on your nails, you can see how watered down it really is.  This is two coats but it’s streaky and with plenty of bald spots in its application, this one’s a real disappointment unless you want to try for three coats.

Sometimes it seems like I can’t start my day without one of these to get me going in the morning.  Espresso from Joe Fresh is a dark brown shimmer that in a weird sort of way, reminds me more of raisins than coffee. The formula on this is pretty good but as usual, the wide and round bottle cap makes the nail painting a little awkward but it was good in two coats. Maybe if I would stop doing my nails in the dark, I might get a sleeker application.  If you are looking to buy this polish, I would suggest that you head out to your local Joe Fresh now.  Espresso has been discontinued and it currently selling at $1.74 CDN, so once it’s gone, it’s gone!

If there was one thing I cut out of my diet, it was truffles.  Not because I ate too many but because the chocolate ones usually retail at $2.00 and up and the fungal variety can start at $55.00 per pound!  When you’re on EI, truffles are not on your grocery list.

This truffle I could afford to spring on as it’s going to last a lot longer than the 30 seconds it would take me to eat a double chocolate raspberry from Godiva’s.  Sally Hansen’s Hard as Nails Truffle isn’t really a brown as you would expect but is a dusky pinkish crème.  In fact I find that the colour is a bit difficult to define but I do know that I like it.  The Hard as Nails line is not really known for trendsetting colours or textures but I find its good value for your money as the polish itself is quite durable and the formula is thick without being goopy.  That’s two coats in the photo and it’s smooth and shiny even after a couple of days of wear.  Maybe this week I’ll treat myself to a couple of rum truffles!

Essie's Brand New Bag Collection for Fall 2011: The Minis - Part One

Fall is on its way!  Yay!  Summer is great but Autumn is my favourite season. No more sweating, smog alerts, really smelly garbage, rumbling air conditioners, mosquitoes, open toed shoes, dudes on the bus whose deodorant gave up hours ago, girls in short shorts who should not be wearing short shorts, road construction...Hmmm, now that I come to think of it, I don't like summer all that much after all.  Have any of you noticed how bug repellent completely ruins your mani/pedi by making the polish soften up and take the shine away?  I hate that!

I'm looking forward to cooler days and fantastic fall foliage to photograph (try saying that ten times fast) and of course, fall clothes and makeup.  I have to concede that my recent loss of forty pounds requires that I buy new clothes but somehow, I'm resistant to spending the money on things that I actually need.  I never need polish but I'll always want it!

Lady Like

First up is Lady Like and that's an apt description for a colour like this.  A pinkish beige creme, it's a subtle colour which, most likely, would go with any item in your wardrobe without giving you that mannequin hand look.  That being said, I love the look of mannequin hands!  The application was pretty good.  This is two coats and it didn't streak, nor are there any bald spots.  If this colour is the kind you like, you wouldn't be wasting your money by picking it up.

Carry On

I need another wine coloured nail polish like I need an additional hole in my head or a third nipple!  But I keep buying them anyway because nothing says "Fall" like a deep wine creme polish.  Carry On makes me think of how, once the sun starts to set early, I switch from fruity white wines to deep Merlots & Shirazes.  I like how it's not extremely dark and somehow has a muted tone to the colour but I wouldn't call it an exceptional colour.  There were also a few bald spots as well.  What was exceptional about this polish was that I wore it for four days without a single chip and stayed glossy as well.  So it's a keeper in terms of durability.

So now I'm off to the 2011 Fan Expo Canada with one of my favourite people in the world...

This Guy!

Essie's Brand New Bag Collection for Fall 2011: The Minis - Part Deux!