Nars Desperado

Forget the groundhog. Spring is officially in full swing for me once the clocks spring forward that extra hour, which it just did yesterday. I know a whole bunch of you will be moaning about that one hour less of sleep but that's not a bad trade off with better things coming like warmer weather and much more sunshine! While I haven't exactly jumped on any of the Spring 2012 nail polish collections (partly because I wasn't feeling them much and mostly because my wallet had a restraining order underway), I'm revisiting old favorites from past spring collections. At the (oft alarming) rate of polish accumulation I'm going through, it's nice to sit back and enjoy what you already have instead of constantly running after the next big thing. Today's beauty is just that, a Spring 2011 release (with a surprising possible dupe, read on to know what it is!):

Probably the only yellow toned gold I'll ever be able to pull off with aplomb.

Nail Art Wednesday: Red and Gold Ruffian Nails

I'm spoiling you this week. You get not one, but two nail art posts to celebrate the year of the dragon! This was supposed to be the mani I'd be sporting while reveling in festivities and stuffing my face silly with abalone, lobster and char siu (barbeque pork). I did a dry run (which is what you'll see in the next few photos) but realized it didn't quite have the Asian feel I wanted it to have. So it was back to the drawing board for me. Now, I'm not one to waste photographed manis (and Hammie insisted I honor the promise of nail art on Wednesdays) so here you go, my attempt at a reverse french; otherwise known as a ruffian manicure:

Red and gold had the makings of a great Chinese New Year mani!

We wish you a prosperous Year of the Dragon!

In lieu of the usual polish review on Mondays, we decided to showcase my Chinese New Year mani instead. It is, after all, the start of a new lunar year, the year of the dragon!

Apparently, the year of the dragon is big news as having a baby in this year is believed to guarantee the family good luck in the years to come. Not to mention that the dragon baby, especially if it's a boy, is believed to be destined for much success and prosperity throughout his/her life. I've even heard of stories where babies born in the year of the dragon are invited over to neighbors homes so that they can play in the house and hopefully rub off some of their innate luck. Needless to say, I wanted to incorporate a dragon into the design but my freehand skills aren't quite up to par yet so I ended up with something that looked distinctly Asian (to me, at least) instead.

新 年 快 乐! 恭 喜 发 财!

Xin Nian Kuai Le/Happy New Year! Gong Xi Fa Cai/May you become prosperous!

Orly Rage might have been a self-fulfilling prophecy

Are you one to follow the trends as they come and go? I'd like to say I try without feeling shallow, fickle and bandwagon-y. I like to think I'm more of a connector than a maven. Now, that brings to mind the Law of the Few that Malcolm Gladwell talked about in his book, The Tipping Point. He says that there are three different kinds of people that dictate why something becomes a trend and why another doesn't. There's the salesmen who take an idea/product/practice and (un)wittingly make other people want it because of the sheer persuasiveness of their personality. Mostly, without even trying. These are the Joneses of the world, so to speak. Then there are the mavens who are the early adopters of trends. They make it their business to know what the next best and biggest thing is and you can bet your bottom dollar that they'll also be the first ones to have it. Last but certainly not least, there are the connectors, who, with their vast social network, spread the word about this latest trend. There are a host of other factors that contribute to making something into a social epidemic aka trend/fad/whatever else you want to call it that are talked about further in the book, but we'll stop at that for for our purposes. (It really, truly is a great read. If you haven't read it yet, I highly recommend it, along with the rest of Mr. Gladwell's other books.)

So where was I going with that? Well, mid to late 2011, rose gold was such a huge trend. It was everywhere. This sort of makes me wonder if Orly had an inkling it would be so big when they first released our featured polish for today in the spring of 2010. Orly Rage became THE rage.

"A prophecy...that misread, could have been."

Orly Luxe wishes you a luxurious year ahead!

...Aaaaand we're back. Sorry about the commercials but we've been swamped and the schedules haven't really been back to normal. Give me 3 more weeks and everything should be running just as smoothly as before. See, next week my sis in law (who lives in Whitby but works close to our place) and her adorable daughter will be staying with us for a few weeks while her hubby goes overseas for business. Guess who's playing babysitter? No complaints yet as I get to spend quality time with my niece, but feel free to ask me again after the first stinky diaper. We're also celebrating Chinese New Year on the 25th so that's still part of our holiday season, which just doesn't seem to end. Lots of preparation and traditions that need to be observed so I don't really get to breathe easy until February kicks in. Anyway, Hammie just shot me a look that clearly said I should get on with it, and so I shall.

It was hard to pick the polish to open 2012 with. I felt it would set the tone for the year ahead so I had to pick well. I was gravitating towards flakie polishes as they seem to be quickly becoming a trend. But I felt I didn't have enough time to do them proper justice so instead, I went with a happy metallic that is much favored to mean wealth:

El Dorado's got nothing on this.

Nail Art Wednesday: Red Jelly and Gold Glitter

Sometimes, especially when I'm pressed for time and can't change my polish, I like to jazz up what I already have on with glitter or flakie top coats. It's fast, easy and it looks like you put in a bit of effort even if you really didn't. It's also a great way to ease yourself into doing (and sporting!) nail art. While I had Sweet Tart on, I remembered the nails I had seen from a Sephora Holiday 2011 email (I'm weird like that. I find I notice people's nails even more since I've begun blogging.) so I decided to do my own take on it.

The idea.

The result.

Nail Art Wednesday: Red, Gold and Green Checkered Nails

Are you as excited as we are that Christmas is almost at hand?? I know, I know, there's probably still a ton of stuff to do, but let's not forget the reason for the season. Maybe a breather or two and a nice cup of peppermint mocha should calm the holiday-weary soul. And while you're at it, how about another take on the perennial colors of Christmas:

Get into the spirit!

Rimmel London 60 Seconds Camouflage ushers in the Christmas cheer with greens and golds

I don't know about you, but when you combine red, green and gold the first thing that comes to mind is Christmas, my absolutest, favoritest time of the year! (And maybe that song by Culture Club..) So throughout the month, you'll see a smattering of red, green and gold polishes here at Polished Indulgence. We're kickstarting the month with one of my green pretties that has a gold shimmer to it from another cheapie but goody brand that my cousin swears by (a mommy who can only get her nails done if they dry faster than her little boy can climb out of his crib).

[Red] Gold and green, [red] gold and greeeeen...

Nail Art Wednesday: Rainbow Zebra Patterned Nails

Whenever I see these pretty colorful nail art, I can't help but rave about them. It looks like so much fun! But you wouldn't catch me sporting them on my own nails. I guess I'm more of a "subtle nail art" kinda girl where I prefer tone on tone color combinations as compared to high contrast ones. I recently had a hankering for some rainbow goodness to combat the grey, dreary fall days and decided to go with high shine instead of high color saturation. I was thinking of layering it with a black crackle to tie it all together but remembered I've been meaning to play a bit more with the makeshift black stamping polish I discovered (thanks to stamper extraordinaire, Marta!). This is what I came up with:

Subtle but with enough oomph to pack a punch.

OPI Warm and Fozzie on a Special Day

Happy 11.11.11! Next year will bring us 12.12.12 and then it'll be a century before we go back to 01.01.01. Needless to say, today is pretty special. Not just because of the date numbers or because it's Remembrance Day but most importantly, because the man who loved me first was born today 64 years ago. That's right, it's my Dad's birthday today! :D I'm a huge Daddy's Girl so to celebrate, I picked an extra special polish to feature. I was floored when I first saw it; it was so much better in person! It reminds me of a warm hug or a hot mug of cocoa with marshmallows swimming in it on a gray, gloomy day. It screams Autumn but with all the happy, warm thoughts that come with it. Whoever named it was a genius. I present to you, OPI Warm and Fozzie:

A warm hug on your fingertips.

Nail Art Wednesday: Poppy Nails for Remembrance Day

Out of the night that covers me,
Black as the Pit from pole to pole,
I thank whatever gods may be
For my unconquerable soul.

- Invictus, William Ernest Henley

One thing about me that always surprises people is when they find out I underwent a bit of military training. Nothing fancy as it was required in university, just marching about, really, and learning basic survival skills. Even then, my job throughout the whole experience was mostly administrative: took tally of attendance, processed the required paperwork and coordinated with the different platoons to make sure everyone was on the same page. I was lucky. Most of my friends had to endure hours under the hot sun perfecting their marching cadence and carrying heavy rifles. See, the people in the administrative team are those considered physically unfit. I just so happened to be the first casualty of the year when I hyperventilated after a hard run of exercises that were supposed to "loosen the muscles" on the first day. It was the first year that females were required to take the course, too, so everyone was skittish. I guess I looked pretty terrible with no ability to talk, gasping for air like a beached fish, that the instructors immediately moved me to the administrative team after I was rushed to the infirmary. All I really needed then was a paper bag, but that incident ensured I had one of the easiest jobs.

Suffice to say that Remembrance Day is one of those holidays that's close to home. I imagine, the horrors of war is more than a hundredfold of the hardships of military training. No one really wins until the fighting is ended. It's senseless violence that should be condemned. So to commemorate the sacrifices of all those who have fought in armed conflict both past and present, I proudly wear my poppy nails.

Red poppies symbolize the memory of those who died.

L'Oreal Owl's Night

Ever since I randomly got an owl necklace from Suzy Shier (it was on sale for $5!) and got a lot of compliments on it, I've started to have a thing for owls. Well, not entirely. I still think that if I saw one on a dark, Halloween night, I would definitely run away panicked like a headless chicken, screaming my head off. Assuming of course that all I'd have seen are two huge, round, gleaming eyes.  And if I were to hear a loud "hoot! hoot! hoot!", that will almost make me pee in my pants. Almost.

While what I have for you today won't cause any panic attacks or screaming hysteria, this unique color might very well make you pee in your pants in excitement.

Excited yet?

Nina Ultra Pro Mossy Britches

Ever seen a nail polish color and knew you HAD to own it, by hook or by crook? First, it was Chanel Peridot, the one Chanel polish that *almost* made me break my self-imposed $10 maximum price per nail polish bottle. In the end, Hammie convinced me that $25 was just too much to spend on one nail polish when I could get four or more for the same price. (I've heard rumors that Hammie hails from the Hamstons but this is one sensible, penny pinching hamster so I don't think so!) Then, came Butter London's Wallis but at $14, it was still over my limit. These green/golds were killing me! Not even wearing Nubar Wildlife could kill the crazy lemmings from these two. So I hit the interwebs in search of something that might be similar (I was so far gone, I didn't even need a dupe) without killing my budget. This is what I found:

Look at that pretty!

Nubar Gold Leaf

One of the best things about Fall is the changing colors of the leaves. It's like one big showcase of Mother Nature's fashion looks. One day she's sporting greens. Next you see her in oranges and reds. Then some earthy browns are thrown into the mix. With a gorgeous blue sky as the backdrop, this kaleidoscope of colors can be so much awe-inspiring.

A quick look outside reminded me that I had a polish in my stash that mimics Fall colors so well that I can't believe I haven't reached for it since the season officially started!

Isn't that just gorgeous?