I apologize for going M.I.A., but one thing lead to the other and I found myself simply unable to get back to the groove of writing. Before I try to placate you some more, let me explain exactly what happened.
First off, my trip to Vancouver was a blast. It's an awesome city and I was very happy to catch up and spend time with my brother (who, wouldn't you know, actually bulked up with them muscles in the few years I haven't seen him). Sushi heaven at Tojo's, belugas with love handles at the Vancouver Aquarium, seeing Storybrooke from Once Upon A Time in person, high tea at the Fairmont Empress, smelling the roses at the Butchart Gardens...all in all, it certainly was worth every penny of the round trip airfare! Unfortunately, by my second day there, I was already feeling that scratchiness in your throat that I know almost always means I'm coming down with a cold. I suppose it didn't help either that to maximize our stay, we usually had pretty early mornings and very late nights. So, it's no surprise that I finally did get a cold. I developed the runny yet congested nose while in flight and let me tell you, descending from high altitudes when your ear just can't seem to pop hurts. A lot. Not even chewing gum helped. Suffice to say, I was glad to be home but unhappy about being sick.
Now, I only had a couple days to recuperate because the weekend promised to be a busy one, what with all the birthday celebrations AND Thanksgiving going on. I loaded up on lozenges, fluids and vitamin C but by the second day, I was coughing like mad, ran a fever and was spewing what honestly looked like slime. Off to the doctor I went and got my much needed antibiotics. I certainly didn't want to be passing this off to anyone else! By the weekend, I got my coughing somewhat under control with extra strength lozenges (the kind that numbs your throat is just divine at this). I also kept sanitizing and washing my hands, because, well, better safe than sorry, right? Dining in the dark at O Noir was a very interesting experience. Cosmic bowling was surprisingly fun (especially when you're not the lowest scorer, hurrah!), too. The Cutie Pie turned two with a Dora the Explorer themed party (with matching pinata!) and Mr. J turned officially old. The festivities probably took more out from me than I thought, so I ended up vegging out and catching up on sleep for the rest of the week.
And THAT is why I went M.I.A. I'm feeling loads better now (though still coughing a bit) and I'd like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who sent warm thoughts my way on Twitter and Instagram. You guys really are awesome, you know that? Anyway, I kind of went a bit overboard with swatching yesterday that I wasn't able to do a post. That said, this will be the "I'm back on the proverbial horse" post while I work on the actual posts that do involve what we're all here for: nails and nail polish. I've got some festive nails I sported for the celebrations I talked about earlier (thankfully, I had the foresight to photograph them before I took them off) and I'm really excited about the first Halloween themed nail art I'll be showing you tomorrow (they came out so well!). So definitely stay tuned for those in the next few days!
And because this post became one gigantic wall of text, here are some photographs I took yesterday (when it was horribly overcast and windy) of my favorite tree in our backyard. The wind was blowing so hard and I feared I wouldn't be able to get photos of when all the leaves finally turned red. Last year, I waited too long and most were blown off by then. Maybe in a few more days I'll have a fully red tree shot (if the wind cooperates).
Thanks for sticking it out with us and keeping Hammie company while I've been away! We hope your week is turning out to be a great one!
Showing posts with label Indulgent Intermission. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Indulgent Intermission. Show all posts
Tuesday, October 16, 2012
Monday, September 10, 2012
Indulgent Intermission: (Mis)Adventures in Stain Removal and OrigiNails Bubble White
Since it's a rare day that you'll find my nails unpolished, I've never really bothered much with the staining that frequent polishing leaves behind. Sure, I faithfully use base coat. I even double up for colors that I know for certain will leave unwanted traces behind. But I've learned the hard way that not all base coats are created equal. My favorite still remains the Nail Tek Foundation II Ridge Filling base coat. I've gotten absolutely no staining at all when I was using it. The only problem is that it's not exactly cheap, nor is it readily available (as of this writing, you can only get it from the Shopping Channel or, with a lot of luck, at Winners). In a bid to find cheaper and easily sourced alternatives, I turned to Orly Bonder. Let's just say that didn't quite go well. Heck, I got massive staining after using it under another Orly - Orly Sweet Tart, to be exact! My nails have never been quite the same since. If you really think about it, it has become a vicious, seemingly never-ending cycle: use nail polish - get stained nails - use nail polish to cover stained nails. So in an effort to end said cycle and proudly sport my nekkid nails, I picked up this packet when I last hit up my local Sally Beauty at Carolina's suggestion.
As I was trying it for the first time, I went for the smaller 11g packet.
Tuesday, July 17, 2012
Indulgent Intermission: Out For the Day
Ironically, while the mercury keeps rising outdoors, I'm bundled up in bed with a heat pack as my best friend. See, I was helping out at my sis's in law pop up shop at a local night market over the weekend...and, well, I ended up throwing my back. (Underestimating those stock boxes was a gross understatement) I've been ordered to take it easy, so here I am typing out this post on my trusty tablet. Luckily, it's nowhere near as sore as it was on Sunday so I should be back on the proverbial horse tomorrow. In the meantime, how about a couple deals to check out?
Lancome has a current special gift with purchase offer ongoing on their website. Any order over $50 gets you a deluxe sized blush, mascara and lipstick among other skin care goodies with promo code BRIGHT at checkout. Better yet, if you subscribe to their newsletter, you can get 2 travel sized samples and free shipping with any order, just enter promo code JULYSHIP at checkout. (Need help with ideas? What about a couple tubes of their Rouge in Love lipsticks?)
Ebeauty just released their summer picks and bundled them all in a pretty tangerine cosmetic bag that you can purchase for a great price of $30! Here's a run down of what you'll get:
Boscia Vanilla Blotting Linens (value of $12 for 100 sheets)
Atelier Cologne Orange Sanguine (deluxe sample size)
Lippy Girl Cosmetics Organic Mineral Blush (value of $15.50 for 3.5g/0.15oz.)
Mèreadesso Tinted Lip Treats (value of $28 for 1.2g/0.42oz.)
Nail Tek Mini Swarovski Crystal File in Pink (mini size)
NYX Cosmetics Xtreme Lip Gloss (value of $17.99 for 11ml)
Cargo Lash Activator Mini Mascara (deluxe sample size)
IT Cosmetics Bye Bye Pores Airbrushed Bronzer (value of $29 for 6.8g/0.23oz.)
Perricone MD Face Finishing Moisturizer (value of $79 for 59ml/2fl.oz.)
Embossed tangerine cosmetic bag
Pretty good deals, huh? So what are you waiting for? Get those click happy shopping fingers to use! ;) (And see you tomorrow when we resume our regular programming!)
Lancome has a current special gift with purchase offer ongoing on their website. Any order over $50 gets you a deluxe sized blush, mascara and lipstick among other skin care goodies with promo code BRIGHT at checkout. Better yet, if you subscribe to their newsletter, you can get 2 travel sized samples and free shipping with any order, just enter promo code JULYSHIP at checkout. (Need help with ideas? What about a couple tubes of their Rouge in Love lipsticks?)
Ebeauty just released their summer picks and bundled them all in a pretty tangerine cosmetic bag that you can purchase for a great price of $30! Here's a run down of what you'll get:
Boscia Vanilla Blotting Linens (value of $12 for 100 sheets)
Atelier Cologne Orange Sanguine (deluxe sample size)
Lippy Girl Cosmetics Organic Mineral Blush (value of $15.50 for 3.5g/0.15oz.)
Mèreadesso Tinted Lip Treats (value of $28 for 1.2g/0.42oz.)
Nail Tek Mini Swarovski Crystal File in Pink (mini size)
NYX Cosmetics Xtreme Lip Gloss (value of $17.99 for 11ml)
Cargo Lash Activator Mini Mascara (deluxe sample size)
IT Cosmetics Bye Bye Pores Airbrushed Bronzer (value of $29 for 6.8g/0.23oz.)
Perricone MD Face Finishing Moisturizer (value of $79 for 59ml/2fl.oz.)
Embossed tangerine cosmetic bag
Pretty good deals, huh? So what are you waiting for? Get those click happy shopping fingers to use! ;) (And see you tomorrow when we resume our regular programming!)
Tuesday, May 22, 2012
Indulgent Intermission: Why There Was No Post Yesterday
First off, (belated) Happy Victoria Day, fellow Canadians! It's been a hectic extended weekend for me, more so because it's also my birthday weekend. :) I really haven't had time before Monday to schedule a post so instead, I thought I'd let you in on how I spent my extra long weekend (which is actually extended till today, haha!). Don't worry, I won't ramble on like I tend to and instead let my photos (where I have some) do the talking.
Saturday was get-all-the-pending-chores-out-of-the-way day. But it was nicely capped off with a quick jaunt over to Main Street Unionville to enjoy the ridiculously awesome patio weather with Italian fare at Il Postino, paired with a glass of Chardonnay for me and Merlot for Mr. J.
We had to walk off the Bailey's crème brûlée so we ended up heading over to Toogood Pond for a spell before calling it a night.
Serendipity played a role when we headed to Cora's for brunch and ended up sharing a table with my sis in law and her guy. It was good catching up since we've all been so busy that the last time we'd gotten together was way back in Easter.
Mr. J had softball practice later that afternoon, so while he sweltered out in the sun, I caught up with the Starks on my trusty Kobo under a tree. Thank goodness for Claritin though; it was a sea of dandelions and pollen galore.
Dinner with the family was a blast: especially with Peking duck on the menu! My niece is all grown up now, too! I also found out that I had unwittingly contributed to my other sis in law's burgeoning obsession with nail polish. Oops. :P
Ended the night with fireworks; it was an impressive 20 minute show, too! (Took out the fancy camera for a spin and got a little carried away...)
Monday brunch with friends at Montana's to catch up some as we haven't really met up with them since we got back from our trip. They got me my favorite gift yet: a Stark mug!
Spent the rest of the day at Vaughan Mills. Crazy crowds. Enough said.
Taking it easy today but looking forward to hitting up Caffe Demetre before seeing West Side Story tonight! Then a late dinner after, but I don't know where as Mr. J is keeping it a surprise.
Overall, an awesome weekend, indeed! Tomorrow's going to be rough. I know it.
Hammie wonders: How was your weekend? What's one thing you make a point to do on your birthday weekend? Do you still celebrate your birthday?
PS. I just noticed...167 Followers?? O.O You guys are awesome, THANK YOU!!!
Also had a major fan girl moment when I saw this today *major grin*:
Saturday was get-all-the-pending-chores-out-of-the-way day. But it was nicely capped off with a quick jaunt over to Main Street Unionville to enjoy the ridiculously awesome patio weather with Italian fare at Il Postino, paired with a glass of Chardonnay for me and Merlot for Mr. J.
We had to walk off the Bailey's crème brûlée so we ended up heading over to Toogood Pond for a spell before calling it a night.
Serendipity played a role when we headed to Cora's for brunch and ended up sharing a table with my sis in law and her guy. It was good catching up since we've all been so busy that the last time we'd gotten together was way back in Easter.
Mr. J had softball practice later that afternoon, so while he sweltered out in the sun, I caught up with the Starks on my trusty Kobo under a tree. Thank goodness for Claritin though; it was a sea of dandelions and pollen galore.
Dinner with the family was a blast: especially with Peking duck on the menu! My niece is all grown up now, too! I also found out that I had unwittingly contributed to my other sis in law's burgeoning obsession with nail polish. Oops. :P
Ended the night with fireworks; it was an impressive 20 minute show, too! (Took out the fancy camera for a spin and got a little carried away...)
Monday brunch with friends at Montana's to catch up some as we haven't really met up with them since we got back from our trip. They got me my favorite gift yet: a Stark mug!
...along with a few of my other presents this year. :)
Spent the rest of the day at Vaughan Mills. Crazy crowds. Enough said.
Taking it easy today but looking forward to hitting up Caffe Demetre before seeing West Side Story tonight! Then a late dinner after, but I don't know where as Mr. J is keeping it a surprise.
Overall, an awesome weekend, indeed! Tomorrow's going to be rough. I know it.
Hammie wonders: How was your weekend? What's one thing you make a point to do on your birthday weekend? Do you still celebrate your birthday?
PS. I just noticed...167 Followers?? O.O You guys are awesome, THANK YOU!!!
Also had a major fan girl moment when I saw this today *major grin*:
Wednesday, May 16, 2012
Three Weeks, Eight Cities, Four Connecting Flights, Two Port Destinations and a Whole Lot of Fun! (Part 3: San Antonio)
When my aunt asked if I wanted to accompany her on a company sponsored, four night, all-expense paid vacation to San Antonio, Texas, I couldn't very well say no. Who was I to refuse a free vacation? The only catch was it was right after our scheduled cruise (and I couldn't bring Mr. J with me, boo). I practically had less than one day in between trips to re-pack my bags then I was back in the airport en route to Calgary (where my aunt lives and where we were flying out from). I didn't even get to spend 24 hours in Calgary to catch up with all my cousins as I got in at 1:30pm and our flight out was at 7:00am the next day (but we needed to be at the airport by 4:00am). Suffice to say, I had only an hour of sleep before we went on our way to San Antonio, Texas! (Warning, yet again: photo heavy post ahead!)
I honestly didn't know what to expect so I was pleasantly surprised to find how awesome this place was.
Monday, May 14, 2012
Three Weeks, Eight Cities, Four Connecting Flights, Two Port Destinations and a Whole Lot of Fun! (Part 2: Boston)
After Bermuda, we hit some rough seas and gale force winds that had the ship rocking and rolling. The crew suggested green apples to prevent seasickness and I had one, but it just didn't do it for me. Thank goodness for packing Gravol! Even with the less than pleasant weather, we got to Boston with the sun out! (Again, photo heavy post!)
Our first glimpse of the Boston skyline from the port. A bit cloudy but it clears up soon enough.
Friday, May 11, 2012
Three Weeks, Eight Cities, Four Connecting Flights, Two Port Destinations and a Whole Lot of Fun! (Part 1: Bermuda)
Okay, so I promised a trip post and here it is! Sorting through all the photos we took had me wishing I was back in vacation mode (although at this point, it hasn't really shut off yet)! I also realized it would be way too many photos to do just a single post on so I'll be dividing it into three parts: two posts for our cruise and another for my San Antonio adventure. (Warning: Photo heavy post ahead!)
(via Lonely Planet)
The beach we were most excited about: Horseshoe Beach!
Wednesday, May 2, 2012
Indulgent Intermission with Kelsie of Kelsie's Nail Files
You know what the best thing about blogging is? I think it's a general consensus when we say it's the wonderful people you meet that make it such a rewarding experience. Finding like-minded souls who understand your insatiable need for shiny things (for me, at least, and nail polish for Carmela) somehow makes you feel less... strange and alone. (I've been called a magpie hamster a few times and while it's not something I'm particularly proud of, I like to take it as a compliment rather than an insult.)
Kelsie from Kelsie's Nail Files might be new to the blogging scene (so are we, until we realized we've already been doing this for over 7 months and thought, where on earth did the time go?) but this hamster knows that this is one nail artist to watch out for; she's going places. And we're not just saying that because she's a fellow Canadian. Her freehand skills are definitely up there and I expect she'll only improve with time! Have you seen her Easter design? It's easily one of our favourites (dots for Carmela and a bunny for me, win-win)! So when she heeded our distress call on Twitter, we were beyond ecstatic to have her over. Take it away, Kelsie!
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*blushes* Such kind, glowing words! It was our absolute pleasure to have you, Kelsie! In truth, we're very lucky to have the honour of your first guest post. This vector mani is superb! One thing we love about Kelsie's work is her clean, crisp lines. In our mind, it's what easily sets her apart from the flock. Don't you agree that she's a nail artist to watch for? See more of her work at Kelsie's Nail Files. Oh, and don't forget to say Hammie sent you!
Kelsie from Kelsie's Nail Files might be new to the blogging scene (so are we, until we realized we've already been doing this for over 7 months and thought, where on earth did the time go?) but this hamster knows that this is one nail artist to watch out for; she's going places. And we're not just saying that because she's a fellow Canadian. Her freehand skills are definitely up there and I expect she'll only improve with time! Have you seen her Easter design? It's easily one of our favourites (dots for Carmela and a bunny for me, win-win)! So when she heeded our distress call on Twitter, we were beyond ecstatic to have her over. Take it away, Kelsie!
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First of all I am so honoured to be doing a guest post (my first one nonetheless) at Polished Indulgence! When Carmela sent out a tweet asking if anyone was interested in doing a guest post, I couldn't resist!! I am fairly new to the blogging scene and I pay close attention to the many writing styles and photos of other bloggers. The nail art and swatches at Polished Indulgence are absolutely stunning, but I especially admire Carmela's writing style and Hammie, the mascot, is just the cutest!
Thank you so much Carmela and Hammie for having me on your lovely blog!
I wanted to create something original for my first guest post, and I can safely say that this is something I have not done before. I had vector swirls in mind when I created this, but it turned out quite different than I originally imagined. Regardless, I am very pleased with the end result :)
Base: Sally Hansen Salon Manicure Midnight in NY
Layers: Orly Shine on Crazy Diamond and Sally Hansen New Lengths Ceramics Urban Chic (thicker sparkles on the tips)
The nail art was freehand using a nail art brush, dotting tool, and Sally Hansen Insta-Dri Whirlwind White
And there you have it! My first ever guest post! Again, a big THANK YOU to Carmela and Hammie for giving me this opportunity to showcase my nail art!! :)
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*blushes* Such kind, glowing words! It was our absolute pleasure to have you, Kelsie! In truth, we're very lucky to have the honour of your first guest post. This vector mani is superb! One thing we love about Kelsie's work is her clean, crisp lines. In our mind, it's what easily sets her apart from the flock. Don't you agree that she's a nail artist to watch for? See more of her work at Kelsie's Nail Files. Oh, and don't forget to say Hammie sent you!
Monday, April 30, 2012
Indulgent Intermission with Marisa of Polish Obsession
Between Carmela and I, a sparkly accent nail or two is something we tend to gravitate towards. Me for the shine (obviously!) and Carmela for the added oomph, as she likes to call it. So we're very pleased to have such a mani to show off today, thanks to the lovely Marisa from Polish Obsession.
We salute Marisa for her everyday posts. Just trying to maintain our MWF schedule is taxing enough for us without adding mommy duties in the mix, but Marisa juggles it all with equanimity. We adore the mix of brands, colors and finishes that she features, as well as covering different price points that are sure to appeal to a wide audience. Indeed, the mark of a nail polish lover! We've been so happy to have gotten to know this sweet lady who leaves us some of the best comments that brighten up our day. :)
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Marisa, don't sell yourself short! What nail art you've done has been pretty amazing (those little red hearts are a favourite!) and we're more than happy to have you over. This color is right up our alley and truly spring appropriate. I must have Carmela get some of those Elixir Lacquers! The sparkly accent nails are my personal favorite, but can you blame this hamster? It looks wonderfully delicate yet fun, all at once. This is but a taste of what Polish Obsession has to offer, so in the spirit of "Simon Says", Hammie says stop by and show Marisa some love. (Oh, you know you have to do it. Wouldn't you want to?)
We salute Marisa for her everyday posts. Just trying to maintain our MWF schedule is taxing enough for us without adding mommy duties in the mix, but Marisa juggles it all with equanimity. We adore the mix of brands, colors and finishes that she features, as well as covering different price points that are sure to appeal to a wide audience. Indeed, the mark of a nail polish lover! We've been so happy to have gotten to know this sweet lady who leaves us some of the best comments that brighten up our day. :)
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Hi fellow nail polish lovers!! I’m so grateful to Carmela to have this opportunity to share on her blog. I was truly honored when she asked me. I really love reading her posts and seeing her beautiful nails ;0).
When deciding on what to come up with, I thought, maybe I should try some nail art because Carmela is pretty good at it and posts some every once in a while. But I was kidding myself; I’m not great at nail art, so I decided to go with one of my favorite polishes, Revlon Lily. Lily is a beautiful pastel purple from Revlon’s Top Speed line. While the first coat is streaky, it completely levels out with the second coat. It’s a very easy pastel to work with.
I love a mani with an accent nail, so I decided to add Elixir Lacquers Supa Sugar Bee to my ring finger and thumb. Elixir Lacquers is a fairly new indie brand from a fellow nail blogger, Nicole from Nail Polish Wars, and Supa Sugar Bee was a polish released in the first collection. It is such a beautiful glitter that goes really well with Lily.
For my mani, I used Essie All in One Base, two coats of Lily, one coat of Supa Sugar Bee (ring and thumb) and Seche Vite Fast Dry Top Coat.
I was really happy with the way this manicure turned out. It’s very simple and pretty, but the accent nails definitely grab attention. I hope you all like it as much as I do.
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Marisa, don't sell yourself short! What nail art you've done has been pretty amazing (those little red hearts are a favourite!) and we're more than happy to have you over. This color is right up our alley and truly spring appropriate. I must have Carmela get some of those Elixir Lacquers! The sparkly accent nails are my personal favorite, but can you blame this hamster? It looks wonderfully delicate yet fun, all at once. This is but a taste of what Polish Obsession has to offer, so in the spirit of "Simon Says", Hammie says stop by and show Marisa some love. (Oh, you know you have to do it. Wouldn't you want to?)
Friday, April 27, 2012
Indulgent Intermission with Esther of Fab Fingertips
Blue is our absolute favorite color here at Polished Indulgence. Why then, you might be wondering, is everything purple? Now that was mostly my input. Not to undermine our love affair with blue at all, but because purple has always been associated with royalty and, hence, indulgence. Makes sense, no? Nonetheless, we love a great blue and along with Esther from Fab Fingertips and her impeccable taste, today's featured polish is no exception.
This one hot momma (and we mean that in the most non-insulting, complimentary and positive way possible) has such an amazing style that we'd love to emulate but instead opt to live vicariously through. Indeed, who else would have the gumption to sport sparkly foil lips (I've read somewhere than an appropriate adjective for these would be 'amazeballs') and teal lipstick? We love the mix of nails and beauty on Esther's fabulous blog, and enjoy ogling her latest nail designs. But our favorite aspect is how she holds her nail polish bottles like a veritable hand model. Love! (P.S. I might be personally biased as this lovely lady is also very generous with the hamster treats, for which I'm very, very grateful. So sue me.)
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Hello everyone, I am Esther from the blog Fab Fingertips, and I want to say a big thank you to Carmela for inviting me to do a guest post for her! I love Carmela’s perfect nails and I feel very privileged to be asked.
I don’t know about you but I’m slightly addicted to feeding Carmela’s blog mascot Hammie! Have you had a try? If you have no idea what I’m on about look to the left of the blog and down a bit!!
On with the post! I am featuring today a different colour from Max Factor. All the hype surrounding Fantasy Fire meant that some equally beautiful polishes from the same range were slightly overlooked. But I’m here to bring you one of them, this is Meteorite, a beautiful blue with silver fleck/shimmer.
Below is the polish under bright sunlight along with a close up photo to see the shimmer!
Below is under warm tone bright spotlight and slightly out of focus to see the shimmer!
This is a truly beautiful polish and was opaque in 2 coats, but I did three for the purpose of photos. The bottles by Max Factor in the Mini Effects are notoriously small and expensive but in my opinion are worth it. Let's face it, if you really like a colour you’ll always buy more of it! Well, knowing what us polish addicts are like.
So I hope you have enjoyed looking at this post and I will be sending dear Carmela a bottle of it to say thank you for letting me guest on her blog! Hope you are also having a fantastic holiday Carmela! :)
Thank you everybody! xxx
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What a gorgeous sparkly blue! How wonderfully generous that Carmela gets to have her own bottle of it! Thank you so much! Generous with the treats *and* with nail polish, too? Seriously, how can you not love Esther? It was such an honor to have you on the blog; indeed, the pleasure was all ours. This is one ecstatic hamster on a sparkle high so before I wax poetic over the merits of visiting Esther over at Fab Fingertips, do us all a favor and just click the link. (You know you want to.)
This one hot momma (and we mean that in the most non-insulting, complimentary and positive way possible) has such an amazing style that we'd love to emulate but instead opt to live vicariously through. Indeed, who else would have the gumption to sport sparkly foil lips (I've read somewhere than an appropriate adjective for these would be 'amazeballs') and teal lipstick? We love the mix of nails and beauty on Esther's fabulous blog, and enjoy ogling her latest nail designs. But our favorite aspect is how she holds her nail polish bottles like a veritable hand model. Love! (P.S. I might be personally biased as this lovely lady is also very generous with the hamster treats, for which I'm very, very grateful. So sue me.)
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Hello everyone, I am Esther from the blog Fab Fingertips, and I want to say a big thank you to Carmela for inviting me to do a guest post for her! I love Carmela’s perfect nails and I feel very privileged to be asked.
I don’t know about you but I’m slightly addicted to feeding Carmela’s blog mascot Hammie! Have you had a try? If you have no idea what I’m on about look to the left of the blog and down a bit!!
On with the post! I am featuring today a different colour from Max Factor. All the hype surrounding Fantasy Fire meant that some equally beautiful polishes from the same range were slightly overlooked. But I’m here to bring you one of them, this is Meteorite, a beautiful blue with silver fleck/shimmer.
Below is the polish under bright sunlight along with a close up photo to see the shimmer!
Below is under warm tone bright spotlight and slightly out of focus to see the shimmer!
This is a truly beautiful polish and was opaque in 2 coats, but I did three for the purpose of photos. The bottles by Max Factor in the Mini Effects are notoriously small and expensive but in my opinion are worth it. Let's face it, if you really like a colour you’ll always buy more of it! Well, knowing what us polish addicts are like.
So I hope you have enjoyed looking at this post and I will be sending dear Carmela a bottle of it to say thank you for letting me guest on her blog! Hope you are also having a fantastic holiday Carmela! :)
Thank you everybody! xxx
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What a gorgeous sparkly blue! How wonderfully generous that Carmela gets to have her own bottle of it! Thank you so much! Generous with the treats *and* with nail polish, too? Seriously, how can you not love Esther? It was such an honor to have you on the blog; indeed, the pleasure was all ours. This is one ecstatic hamster on a sparkle high so before I wax poetic over the merits of visiting Esther over at Fab Fingertips, do us all a favor and just click the link. (You know you want to.)
Wednesday, April 25, 2012
Indulgent Intermission with Joanne of Northern Nails
Why yes, we're turning dotty here at Polished Indulgence! Oh, goodness me. I hope you didn't think I meant the mad, eccentric sort, but, well, actual dots. With Carmela's new found fondness for polka dots, I'm fairly certain she's ecstatic with Joanne's take on them.
Joanne, whom we fondly call Jo, is someone we feel we'll be eternally grateful for. For starters, she snagged us our first Barry Ms (wahoo!) AND just the most coveted little bottle of polish called Fantasy Fire. Then, she comes to our rescue like a mind reader on a mission with this gorgeous take on the polka dotted design. Coincidence? We think not. Best of all, she's become such a great friend that we're so glad to have met. After seeing what awesomeness she has in store for us, do visit her at Northern Nails as this is only the tip of the iceberg!
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Hi all! Well, the lovely Carmela asked me if I could do a guest post for her while she was on holidays , how could I let a fellow nail polish buddy down? Never! So here we go with what I hope is a good enough mani for you all! Hope you have a fab holiday, Carmela!
This mani is a favourite one with me, as I am pretty poor at freehand art, so I rely a lot on stamping or dotticures. Without further ado,here is my springtime dotticure.
For this mani I used:
Base: Power Basecoat
Base Colour: Two coats of Cutex, Sweet pea
Dots: Collection 2000, White
Topcoat: Rimmel Super Dry
I love this shade of green (actually I am a sucker for any green) but this muted pea green is yummy; it applied opaque in two coats with no streaking.
Next, I used the Collection 2000, white to dot random dots on my nails and topped off with a topcoat, I really like how this turned out and reminds me of some kind of mushroom, maybe one you might find Tinkerbell sitting on, then I remembered a Tinkerbell that I have what do you think?
Hope you all enjoyed my springtime Mani!
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This is lovely, Jo! That military-esque green reminds me a bit of Fingerpaints Military Green but a whole lot richer and more vibrant. Doing the dots in white certainly led to a spring-time feel! Now while this humble lady freely admits that her freehand work *might* need more practice, her stamping skills are pretty topnotch! Trust this hamster when he says you need to check out her other designs over at Northern Nails!
Joanne, whom we fondly call Jo, is someone we feel we'll be eternally grateful for. For starters, she snagged us our first Barry Ms (wahoo!) AND just the most coveted little bottle of polish called Fantasy Fire. Then, she comes to our rescue like a mind reader on a mission with this gorgeous take on the polka dotted design. Coincidence? We think not. Best of all, she's become such a great friend that we're so glad to have met. After seeing what awesomeness she has in store for us, do visit her at Northern Nails as this is only the tip of the iceberg!
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Hi all! Well, the lovely Carmela asked me if I could do a guest post for her while she was on holidays , how could I let a fellow nail polish buddy down? Never! So here we go with what I hope is a good enough mani for you all! Hope you have a fab holiday, Carmela!
This mani is a favourite one with me, as I am pretty poor at freehand art, so I rely a lot on stamping or dotticures. Without further ado,here is my springtime dotticure.
For this mani I used:
Base: Power Basecoat
Base Colour: Two coats of Cutex, Sweet pea
Dots: Collection 2000, White
Topcoat: Rimmel Super Dry
I love this shade of green (actually I am a sucker for any green) but this muted pea green is yummy; it applied opaque in two coats with no streaking.
Next, I used the Collection 2000, white to dot random dots on my nails and topped off with a topcoat, I really like how this turned out and reminds me of some kind of mushroom, maybe one you might find Tinkerbell sitting on, then I remembered a Tinkerbell that I have what do you think?
Hope you all enjoyed my springtime Mani!
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This is lovely, Jo! That military-esque green reminds me a bit of Fingerpaints Military Green but a whole lot richer and more vibrant. Doing the dots in white certainly led to a spring-time feel! Now while this humble lady freely admits that her freehand work *might* need more practice, her stamping skills are pretty topnotch! Trust this hamster when he says you need to check out her other designs over at Northern Nails!
Monday, April 23, 2012
Indulgent Intermission with Marta of Chit Chat Nails
Hello there! Hammie checking in. You see, Carmela was getting run down by all the little errands and things on the to-do list before the trip that she had me take over writing some of the posts. Now, as strange as it might seem to you, hamsters are pretty busy themselves! Between exercising with my wheel to keep fit and hobnobbing at the Hampstons to keep the folks happy, I don't usually have a lot of down time, myself. But I was determined to help (a hamster does not go back on his word!) and I was a hamster with a plan. Okay, so it wasn't originally *my* plan but it worked!
The ever-so-gracious-with-the-hamster-treats Marta from Chit Chat Nails suggested culling together some guest posts to take the load off some. My, what a genius idea! I'm honestly surprised Carmela didn't think to do it sooner, but knowing her penchant for taking on a lot all at once, she probably realized too late that it was all just too much to do with the time frame she had. Luckily, we've had a few amazingly talented and kind-hearted ladies come to our rescue!
As she provided us with our eureka moment, it seemed only appropriate that Marta gets to fire the opening salvo. What more can I say that hasn't already been said about this Nail Artist Extraordinaire? I gravitate towards her design aesthetic that always has that touch of elegance, no matter how simple or intricate the design is. Now that, my friends, is a feat in itself as elegance is something I believe to be an innate quality that can neither be learned nor acquired. Apart from that is a sense of whimsy, that coupled with elegance, brings forth wonderful color and design combinations that speak volumes of Marta's lovely personality. Oh, and have I mentioned she's very generous with treats?
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Hello Lovely Ladies:
I am so glad to be here while Carmela is away on a much needed vacation. I hope she is resting up and having a wonderful time!!! In the meantime, I am super honored to be here!
I'm Marta and I run a little Canadian blog, ChitChat Nails. I'm so happy Hammie was willing to step down and allow me to put together this Guest Post ;).
I think very highly of Carmela; she is intelligent and I really enjoy her kind spirit and spunk for life! A while back I did a polkadot accent-nail manicure and Carmela mentioned that she is on a big "polkadot kick". Armed with this 'knowledge' I have come up with what I hope is a fun and sophisticated polka dot design. I hoped to channel Carmela's personality, the way I perceive it. I'll let you be the judge. ;) Onto the manicure:
I started by painting my nails with one coat of OPI Planks a Lot followed by two coats of OPI The Colour to Watch (I applied the cream first because I know that The Colour to Watch is VERY sheer).
I then used a BornPrettyStore dupe plate, m79, and Sally Hansen Whirlwind White. The accent nail is two coats of China Glaze Marry a Millionaire.
I liked how this turned out, but I felt the itch to pull out my matte topcoat, and so I did ;) using the Joe Fresh brand:
Here are all of the shades that I used to achieve this look:
I hope you enjoyed this look. Shortly after I turned 30, I started to question my manicures for "age appropriateness" and the polkadot look is something that I keep going back and fourth on: is it cute and age appropriate, or is it too cute and too young for me? What do you think? Do you have a polkadot guideline that you think should be followed?
THANK YOU FOR READING!
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Now, isn't this just sublime? Elegance with that sparkly accent nail and subdued purple. Whimsy with the white polka dots. If Carmela were here, she'd be squealing about how she absolutely adores the polka dot look. Thanks to Marta, I'm starting to understand why. And if that doesn't give you the itch to check out her blog, Chit Chat Nails, I honestly wonder if there's something wrong with you. No, really, get yourself checked; it might be something serious.
The ever-so-gracious-with-the-hamster-treats Marta from Chit Chat Nails suggested culling together some guest posts to take the load off some. My, what a genius idea! I'm honestly surprised Carmela didn't think to do it sooner, but knowing her penchant for taking on a lot all at once, she probably realized too late that it was all just too much to do with the time frame she had. Luckily, we've had a few amazingly talented and kind-hearted ladies come to our rescue!
As she provided us with our eureka moment, it seemed only appropriate that Marta gets to fire the opening salvo. What more can I say that hasn't already been said about this Nail Artist Extraordinaire? I gravitate towards her design aesthetic that always has that touch of elegance, no matter how simple or intricate the design is. Now that, my friends, is a feat in itself as elegance is something I believe to be an innate quality that can neither be learned nor acquired. Apart from that is a sense of whimsy, that coupled with elegance, brings forth wonderful color and design combinations that speak volumes of Marta's lovely personality. Oh, and have I mentioned she's very generous with treats?
--------------------------------------
Hello Lovely Ladies:
I am so glad to be here while Carmela is away on a much needed vacation. I hope she is resting up and having a wonderful time!!! In the meantime, I am super honored to be here!
I'm Marta and I run a little Canadian blog, ChitChat Nails. I'm so happy Hammie was willing to step down and allow me to put together this Guest Post ;).
I think very highly of Carmela; she is intelligent and I really enjoy her kind spirit and spunk for life! A while back I did a polkadot accent-nail manicure and Carmela mentioned that she is on a big "polkadot kick". Armed with this 'knowledge' I have come up with what I hope is a fun and sophisticated polka dot design. I hoped to channel Carmela's personality, the way I perceive it. I'll let you be the judge. ;) Onto the manicure:
I started by painting my nails with one coat of OPI Planks a Lot followed by two coats of OPI The Colour to Watch (I applied the cream first because I know that The Colour to Watch is VERY sheer).
I then used a BornPrettyStore dupe plate, m79, and Sally Hansen Whirlwind White. The accent nail is two coats of China Glaze Marry a Millionaire.
I liked how this turned out, but I felt the itch to pull out my matte topcoat, and so I did ;) using the Joe Fresh brand:
Here are all of the shades that I used to achieve this look:
I hope you enjoyed this look. Shortly after I turned 30, I started to question my manicures for "age appropriateness" and the polkadot look is something that I keep going back and fourth on: is it cute and age appropriate, or is it too cute and too young for me? What do you think? Do you have a polkadot guideline that you think should be followed?
THANK YOU FOR READING!
--------------------------------------
Now, isn't this just sublime? Elegance with that sparkly accent nail and subdued purple. Whimsy with the white polka dots. If Carmela were here, she'd be squealing about how she absolutely adores the polka dot look. Thanks to Marta, I'm starting to understand why. And if that doesn't give you the itch to check out her blog, Chit Chat Nails, I honestly wonder if there's something wrong with you. No, really, get yourself checked; it might be something serious.
Friday, February 17, 2012
Indulgent Intermission: A Whole Lotta Tags!
I've been utterly remiss with answering all the blog awards that I've been tagged in that I decided to take one day to do them all. Yep, you read that right. See, it's gotten so bad that I've been tagged twice with the same award now! Bad, Carmela, bad. At any rate, I'll try to keep this as short and sweet as possible and break it up some with photos so it's not just a huge wall of text. Sounds fair? Okay, let's jump right into it, then!
Wednesday, January 4, 2012
Indulgent Intermission: The Nail Polish Tag
Okay, okay. I know what you're thinking. "It's Wednesday. That means it's Nail Art Wednesday. THIS isn't Nail Art Wednesday." Now, before you throw a full-fledged tantrum to make it clear that you're upset, give me a chance to explain. I ran out of scheduled posts. And all the photos for today's would-be post still needs to be weeded out, cropped and watermarked. *hangs head in shame* That being the case, I figured what better time to do this tag from Mary over at Swatch and Learn? (Something is always better than nothing, yeah?)
The way this works is I answer 10 questions that give you a chance to get to know me better (yay!) and I tag 5 other bloggers to do the same. I'll take a cue from Mary and tag everyone who reads this instead! You don't even need to be a blogger and you can even pick just the questions that speak to you.
TAG, you're it!
The 10 questions are as follows:
The way this works is I answer 10 questions that give you a chance to get to know me better (yay!) and I tag 5 other bloggers to do the same. I'll take a cue from Mary and tag everyone who reads this instead! You don't even need to be a blogger and you can even pick just the questions that speak to you.
TAG, you're it!
The 10 questions are as follows:
I'm definitely looking forward to your answers! :) Read mine after the jump!
- How many polishes do you have?
- What is your favorite brand of nail polish?
- Do you like crackle nail polish, or do you hate it?
- What is your first nail polish brand?
- If you’re going to have a nail polish line, what are you gonna name it?
- What nail polish color does not complement you?
- What color does complement you?
- Who are two of your best nail art friends?
- What was the best nail polish gift you have ever received?
- Make a speech [about] thanking the blogger who tagged you.
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