Candy Lacquer "Cupcake Blizzard"

Happy day, darlings!  It is a happy happy day indeed here in Portland, for my boyfriend flies in this afternoon just in time for our anniversary!!!  In the meantime I have been studio-ing it up (I was surprised to realize I was there for 10 hours yesterday... usually my 12-15 hour days don't start until a few weeks out yet), trying to get schome schtuff done to clear out this week for some adventures in Oregon.  I haven't had a studio since I started this blog, and oy, I forgotten how terrible your nails get after hours in the woodshop and studio, building (and sanding!) models.  Right now I'm building my urban context site model, and I have been learning the hard way that if I want to have any shot at posting a manicure, I'm going to have to snap it before leaving the house because it sure won't be picture pretty once I leave the White Stag (our beautiful historical architecture building, on the same block as the Portland Oregon sign!).

The concept of 'studio' is often confusing to those outside architecture or design fields, so allow me to elaborate: studio is the core course form of the architecture education.  It is the class in which we create our major architecture projects (one building per term, in Oregon), and is worth more credits than a normal lecture class but demands infinitely more hours.  These projects are very personal to us, are the building blocks of our portfolios, and so studio essentially owns your soul until final review.  That's the gist of it, anyway :)

So anyways, nail polish: this is one that I've wanted to share with some of its collection fellows but then I keep forgetting to glitter up the undies I had chosen before I remove a manicure, so argghhh fine here it is anyway.  Candy Lacquer released all manner of fun glitter for this holiday, and this is one that I didn't even need to see to love; I heard the name and was like come to me, you little bottle of perfection.

 

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OPI: Gwen Stefani Holiday 2014 Collection ["Rollin' in Cashmere" trio, etc]

Hello darlings, and Happy Monday to you!  What with school started up in full force once more (for the last semester of my life!!!) the posts will be fewer and farther between, most unfortunately, and despite a desperate backlog of swatches, holiday and otherwise :(  However, I just had to get this one up for multiple reasons: one, because all of these polishes were popping up for excellent deals immediately after Christmas at TJMaxx, Marshall's, etc, well in advance of when I would normally expect these to appear at discount stores (uh, usually next year!).  But indeed, the Rollin' in Cashmere trio featured here (incorporating "Rollin' in Cashmere", "Comet in the Sky", and "Snow Globetrotter") was snapped up at TJMaxx for *$9.99* by my savvy Auntie Deborah, who very kindly loaned it to me for swatching and news-sharing, before she tried them even.  Thank you oh so much, Auntie!!  You may consider this your bargain-hunting hit list, kittens.

Laquerlicious "Snow Much Love!" & Serum No. 5 "Snow In Love"

Happy King's Day, kittens!  Well, this is it I suppose.  Even I can't stubbornly sustain the holiday season any longer.  Not that I won't probably still be posting "winter celebration" type posts now and then, since I still have some holiday swatches out on my desktop ether... hope y'all don't mind!  Winter break didn't exactly proceed as planned, and now that I am back in Oregon and school is in full march, I haven't had and won't have terribly much time for posting  :(  Until June, my thesis studio owns my soul.  And then it will all be over, mwahaha haha!!!

Well so anyways, yesterday marked the Twelfth Day of Christmas, and today is the official End of All Seasonal Splendor, therefore I am determined to squish in my Christmas Day polish pick, plus my Twelfth Night lacquer look.  Snow and love are two of my very favorite things, so of course I was powerless to resist these charming polishes!!  If these two were not insentient bottles of chemical and color, I would guess that, should they meet, they would be the most bestest of friends.

Christmas Eve NOTD: Girly Bits "Eggnogaholic" + Orly "Halo"

You know, I'm not usually all that into eggnog, but I was having a lovely tea time with my dear friend Grace yesterday, and kind of rediscovered the eggnog magic.  Every time I have gone to make tea during the last week I would look in the fridge at the eggnog, and ask whoever happened to be nearby if they thought a dash of it would be good in tea, and everyone unanimously was like ew no gross Marisa, what the blazes are you thinking, but then yesterday I finally just went for it because whatever YOLO and, you know what?  It was absolutely amazing.  I made everyone in the house try it, and they all agreed that it was delicious.  A big ol' mugfull of hot water steeped in Celestial Seasonings Nutcracker Sweet black tea, plus equal parts eggnog and skim milk, plus a bit of agave nectar for extra sugar with that spice... heaven.

Unfortunately, today when I went to recreate my scrumptious treat, I was quietly devastated to discover that we were out of both Nutcracker Sweet and eggnog.  :(  Bigelow Eggnoggin' black & green tea blend was just not the same.

Thankfully I have a beautiful eggnog confection that my giant, college-football-playing brother cannot devour, like he does any and all other edible things: the aptly-named glitter crelly by Girly Bits, which served as the base for my Christmas Eve manicure.  Inspired by snow angels, shining stars, and all things beautiful and bright, I was and am so in love with these heavenly lacquers together in seraphic harmony.

Candy Lacquer "Polar Unicorns" + "Santa's Beach House" ... Christmas In July

 Hello, darlings!  The glitter pretties I have to show you today were actually released this past summer as part of the Christmas in July collection, along with déjà-vu "Rudolph's Rum Punch", and while I almost love Christmas enough to want to celebrate it year round, I'm most in the mood for it around, well, Christmas!  I just really like immersing myself in the season and moment at present, and so I have actually saved these since August to enjoy during the most festive and wonderful time of the year!

"Polar Unicorns"

"Santa's Beach House"

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Different Dimension "Ready, Set, Snow"

Well hi, snow angels!!  I wasn't actually sure if we would have a white Christmas here in western Montana, and was feeling a little blue about it... but then, low and behold, come Christmas Eve a light, sparkling snow began to fall, and by Christmas morning everything was blanketed in winter white.

We usually do have snow, and the mountains are always snow-capped in winter, but down in the valley we are a bit more susceptible to warm spells traveling inland from the Pacific.  It comes and goes, so snow is always a precious presence for me.  We had been bereft for several weeks, but then last Thursday afternoon, a few hours after my dear grandma passed, a few magic flurries breezed through.  While the forecast had already predicted some snow for the day, I liked to think that Grandma Marilyn was fluttering her new wings, and shaking down some snowflakes for me.  In memory and celebration, I painted on this shimming snow polish, and watched the snowy sky dance.

Fair Maiden "Sleigh Bells In The Snow" & "The Stars Are Brightly Shining"

"I'm dreaming of a white Christmas // just like the ones I used to know // where the treetops glisten // and children listen // to hear sleigh bells in the snow..."

I cannot help myself; these polishes make me want to sing!  There's the obvious cause of blatant suggestion - "O Holy Night, the stars are brightly shining..."- but also, these lacquers are so radiantly gorgeous that you might just be inspired to "fall on your knees!".  You may even "hear the angel voices!"  Oh night divine, indeed.

 

"Sleigh Bells In The Snow" + "The Stars Are Brightly Shining"

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Lucky 13 Lacquer "Some People Are Worth Melting For" {Frozen: Day 7}

"Olaf, you're melting!" - Anna

"Some people are worth melting for.  ❄ *♥* ❄

...Ehhh just maybe not right this second!" - Olaf

Lucky 13 Lacquer "Some People Are Worth Melting For" [Revlon "Northern Lights"]

"...just maybe not right this second!"

"Some People Are Worth Melting For" is a snowman glitterbomb full of black hexes, golden orange triangles, and pearlescent white glitters in squares and hex glitters, large and small.  This composition is pure genius.  I mean, even if you didn't know about the Olaf reference this is the perfect illustration of a melted snowman.  It should be woebegone, but there is something so happy about this mani!!  It makes my fingers want to do a twinkle dance ❄

Lucky 13 Lacquer "Some People Are Worth Melting For" [Revlon "Northern Lights"]

Pür Minerals "Let It Glow" bronze, blush, & brighten cheek trio

It was only when I started typing out the name of this holiday set that the name hit me: "Let It Glow".  LET IT GO.  I guess now we know why I felt an irresistible draw to the set... it's that flurrying Elsa power, at it again.  Serendipitous indeed that I randomly decided to swatch this box for the last day of my Frozen swatchathon! ❄

"Naughty & Nice" ... "Sugar & Spice" ... "Glisten & Glow"

bareMinerals *Holiday 2014* The BIG TOP

Welcome, ladies and gentlemen, and step right up!  Prepare yourselves for splendor, wonderment, and a spectacle the likes of which you have never imagined!  I present, for your fascination and delight... it's the "20-piece blockbuster color collection" that will take your breath away, and it's brought to us for a limited time only by bareMinerals... it's the one... the only... *The Big Top*!!

Glam Polish "In Summer" {Frozen: Day 2}

"Winter's a good time to stay in and cuddle, but put me in summer and I'll be a... HAPPY SNOWMAN!!!"  Oh, Olaf.

"IN SUMMER!!"

Well, my demanding friend Miss Grace insisted upon some Olaf, so Olaf Grace shall get! :)  Today's Frozen-inspired polish comes to us from the magnificent Glam Polish out of Australia, and was part of their *You're Never Too Old To Be Young* collection, released this past August.  It may technically be about summer, but to me this is a most perfect encapsulation of a winter wonderland!!

Glam Polish "In Summer"

Rainbow Honey : The Yokai Collection : "Kitsune" & "Hebi" swatches

Hello, goddesses!  Many of you have been waaaiiiiting and waaiiiting for the Yokai, and as of this month they have returned, and doubled!  Last fall Rainbow Honey released the first three Yokai, and I'm so happy that you're here to help me welcome Part 2.  In case you were wondering, yokai are "a class of supernatural monsters in Japanese folklore".  The word yokai comes from the kanji for "bewitching, attractive, calamity" and "appartion, mystery, suspicious". (Thanks, Wikipedia.)  The pair I have for you today deliver on all counts (especially attractive)!  I thought they made particularly bewitching couples when paired with some of the polishes from the September Mystery Bag <3

Rainbow Honey : The Yokai + guests from the September Mystery Bag

Nails Inc. Ballet Sheers "Mayfair" & Garden Party "Westbourne Gardens"

Happy Hump Day, darling readers!  I've been sitting on these swatches for a while now; sometimes, I'm just too lazy to write about things.  It requires thinking, you know.  Also, I knew they'd come in useful right about now, when time is of the essence and every moment is under siege with a million things to do.

One of my very first posts (the second, in fact) was about the Nails Inc. Ballet Sheers Collection, but it was missing one polish... which we shall see today!  Oy, it's a little embarrassing to look back at my early posts.  Such struggles to hold onto that nail polish bottle... like most newborn things, it's so awkward that it's almost kinda cute.  And yet, that was a mere two months ago!  Ah, well.

Anywhoo, here's "Mayfair" and "Westbourne Gardens" for ya. 

Nails Inc. "Mayfair" + "Westbourne Gardens"