NoTE-Dorothy Who?

Last night...late last night, I got the crazy urge to polish my nails. So I did.

1 coat Zoya Get Even Ridge Filling basecoat
1 coat China Glaze Midnight Mission (my fave blue)
2 coats China Glaze Dorothy Who? (blue glitter)
1 coat Poshe fast drying top coat

I've used Dorothy Who? before, and it was sheer enough, despite the glitter, to require three coats. I've had good results from layering a coordinating color under glitters before, so decided to do that here. Perhaps I should have chosen a different color base, since Midnight Mission is darker than Dorothy, but it's not bad. Not what I was expecting, but not bad.

Dorothy by itself will produce a somewhat bright, eye catching blue glitter look. Layering it over MM produces a darker, subdued look. The glitter looks flat, somehow. The texture IS flat, which is not how it is on its own. On its own, it's the typical bumpy glitter feel, which requires one or two coats of Gelous or very thick top coat to cover.  Blue glitter-awesome. :D

NoTE-Kotori and Silver Shatter

Zoya Kotori, three coats, still not completely opaque. This color shines when applied over a black creme polish, otherwise it's too sheer on its own.
Silver Shatter over Kotori, one thick coat. I used a thick coat because I'd read on OPI's blog that if you use a thin coat, it can look muddy. I'm not convinced thick coats are the way to go. I'll have to try thin ones next time. Silver Shatter doesn't shatter as much as the black does, so there is more of the shimmery silver taking up all the attention. Perhaps I should have used Zoya Jo or China Glaze Midnight Mission instead of Kotori. Oh well, you live and learn.

MAC Blue India. Again. I spent the last couple days wearing stupid colors. Zoya Dharma, then Laurie. I hate them. They're fine if you like sheer colors, but I don't. I need to SEE color on my nails, and those two were NOT cutting it, so late last night/early this morning I put Blue India on. I love this color, and it seems right for the weather.  We have spring weather, but it's also overcast quite a bit, so the teal blue fits. It was either this or OPI Done Out In Deco, which I also love.  Now if I could just find a quick dry top coat that doesn't shrink my polish, I'd be thrilled. :/

NoTD for Wednesday

I've had this color on for a bit more than 24 hours. I've been a bit brutal with my nails, so I've already chipped one, and have some tip wear on some others. Oh, the color! Yes, you'd want to know, wouldn't you? Zoya Kelly, new for the fall. It's a beautiful, deep, grayed blue with a tendency to look a little purplish in some lights. Creme, no shimmer, and only two coats. I really like this one. It's a bit edgy, and good for the fall season.

I still have Edyta to wear. I'm not sure I like that one, but it might be one that grows on me. It's a weird color. The base is this bright aqua/teal/blue color, but so loaded with gold shimmer, that it turns this golden green. Very strange.

NoTD-MAC Blue India

I put this on Monday night, and it's still going strong.  The very first time I saw this color, online, I was intrigued. I was allowed to swatch it on a nail at the counter, and fell in love. It's the most expensive polish I own, but the formula is top notch, and the color is amazing. Worth every penny. I can't stop staring at my nails, it's that good. It's fall weather, for Cali, and seemed to call for a more autumnal color. This fits right in.  Sometime soon I'm going to break out the Zoya Kalista, but not just yet. I'm lost in the greyed teal of this one.

I went to the mall the other day and ran across a display of the OPI Swiss collection. After a bit of hemming and hawing, I walked away with Ski Teal We Drop and Lucerne-Tainly Look Marvelous. BOGO half off. (buy one get one) From the first moment I saw Ski, I wondered just how close to MAC Blue India it was. I've just done a comp, but the lighting's not right, so no pics. I did every other finger with one or the other color, and did both on my thumb nail. Ha. Ski IS very much like Blue India, but it's deeper, more vibrant, and has more green, making it a truer teal. Blue India is a grayed slate blue. Wearing them side by side, you'd never mistake them for each other, but if you were to wear one or the other, I doubt a "civilian" would be able to tell them apart. I'm undecided if I'll return Ski. I like the color, but I certainly don't need it. Then again, I don't have anything else exactly like it. Ah, I'm waffling again. I could justify it by saying if I return it, then I can afford a bottle of Remove +, and that's far more important than this color. I guess. :D

I received these China Glaze polishes the other day; Emerald Fitzgerald, Midnight Mission, First Class Ticket, Bogie, and a ChG ridge filling base coat and Poshe quick dry top coat.

I had some time tonight, so instead of using the next to last untried Zoya, I decided to go with Midnight Mission, and use the two base and top coats. First impression of ChG's ridge filling base coat: it goes on as a nude shade, unlike the Zoya, which goes on sort of milky. ChG takes about three times as long to dry, and seems to cover as well as Zoya. Two coats of Midnight Mission, then a coat of Poshe, which did a great job of drying the polish quickly. It seems to be a little thinner and smell less than Seche Vite.

Right after applying the second coat, I severely smudged a finger, and had to enlist the man's help to remove the polish from that finger. Poor guy had no idea what to do, so it took quite a while. One of these days I'll have to show him how to do it quickly, just in case I need him again.

I was polishing in the bathroom because there's better light in there, but the awkwardness of the counter height made it very difficult. I ended up with polish all over my fingers. I won't be working in there again.

So...thoughts on Midnight Mission: It's gorgeous. It's been described as a navy blue with silver shimmer, and that seems a very accurate description. It's definitely a fall/winter color, but I couldn't wait. I'm also anxious to see it in sunlight, as that will bring out the color and shimmer so much better than lamplight. I swear I see a bit of tip wear already, but I'm not sure. It could be a faulty application, or freshly filed nail edges. I'll keep this on for a couple days to test things, then probably get bored and try a different color, like always.