Nail Art Wednesday: Gift Wrapped Nails

Today I have more Christmas-inspired nail art to get you in the Christmas spirit! I'm actually still in the process of writing out all my Christmas cards (I know, I know, I don't think they'll make it in time either, but that's procrastination for you) and I still have a stack to go through. But when it comes to gifts, I like to pride myself in being one heck of a gift giver. That's assuming I know the giftee well enough and have had enough time for reconnaissance. See, the trick is to pay attention. Throughout the year, everyone will tell whoever is willing to listen what exactly they like. People like to talk about themselves that way, whether they realize it or not. (Little trick I've learned: In most social settings, when in doubt or at a loss for words to keep a conversation going, usually asking what the other person thinks or anything that pertains to them is enough to keep the awkward silences at bay.) Once you have this information, getting the perfect gift is easy. It then becomes a waiting game to make sure I get the best deal and sometimes, when I'm lucky, I have my entire shopping list all checked out even before December hits. (As of this writing, I am officially done for a week now with all the shopping and the gift wrapping. Okay, enough gloating.) Anyway, on with the nails!

Gift wrapped with ribbons on top.

Nail Art Wednesday: Peppermint Candy Inspired Red and White Nails

One of the best things about the holidays are the Christmas treats that we can all rely on to appear every year. Now, I'm not particularly fond of eggnog (I'm thinking I have yet to taste a really good recipe for it and the one you buy in cartons just aren't the best) but the gajillion chocolate treats that pop up each year are definitely a big hit! One of my favorite drinks from coffee shops is their cafe mocha (no surprise there), but with a dash of peppermint, it suddenly says "Happy Holidays"! Isn't it funny how certain food/tastes convey different events? Like turkey is to Thanksgiving, so is peppermint is to Christmas! It happened that I was munching on a peppermint candy cane while brainstorming ideas for holiday nail art. This is what I ended up doing:

Peppermint Candy Canes and Peppermint Candy inspired nails

NYC In A New York Minute Scenestealer Grey can gladly steal any scene

You know when something's so bad, it's good? Think stinky tofu (it's not called stinky for nothing but I heard it tastes awesome) or Rick Astley (I apologize in advance to any Rick Astley fans who might be reading this). I suppose the same can be said for Zoolander, the satirical comedy that poked fun at the fashion industry and the models that everyone wanted to be like. I particularly thought Ben Stiller as the slow but well meaning male model, Derek Zoolander, was a riot. And one of his "signature looks" is what immediately came to mind when I saw today's polish:

Blue Steel: "I'm pretty sure there's a lot more to life than being really, really, ridiculously good looking. And I plan on finding out what that is." (Image Credits)

Steel blue shimmery awesomeness.

OPI Movin' Out and Happy (Canadian) Thanksgiving!

Ever read a book or watched a movie or tv series that had such a huge twist that you're left with mouth ajar and completely speechless? There was Darth Vader's classic line: "Luke, I am your father..!" Not so much oomph with that now since the prequels came out. Another classic is finding out that Tyler Durden and the Narrator (Hammie says: Don't you find it strange that Edward Norton's character doesn't have a name? No, really. Google it.) from Fight Club are the same guy. Before the last of the Harry Potter books came out, finding out that seemingly omnipotent Dumbledore dies before reading Book 6 would have a hardcore fan wailing in despair. (I've seen it happen.) More recently, protagonist Ned Stark dying and Daenerys Targaryen hatching dragon eggs from Game of Thrones were two of the bigger shockers from the first season. These huge twists often either justify what's happened so far or further the story to bring it to heights that it wouldn't have reached without the big shocker.

Oh Sean Bean, why must your characters always die..?

The same is true for the polish I have for you today. Its chameleon like quality makes it "must have" material despite being an older polish. Yes, the formula isn't 3-Free but when you see the magic it does, that doesn't really matter so much any more. Special polish for a special holiday! WARNING: Photo-heavy post after the jump!

Don't let that demure pink fool you.

NYC In A New York Minute in Spring Street

We, here at Polished Indulgence, believe that indulging and being polished and put together doesn't have to mean spending a lot of money. There are a lot of great alternatives to high end brands and their offerings. A high price tag doesn't necessarily mean a better quality product. Half the time, you're paying for the brand. Case in point: L'Oreal Group of Companies. Their consumer line includes Garnier, L'Oreal Paris and Maybelline New York. Each has their own niche and fairly affordable prices. Then you have their luxury brands among which include Lancome, Giorgio Armani and YSL Beaute. Ever heard of the L'Oreal Infallible Loose Eyeshadow being very similar to the Giorgio Armani Eyes to Kill Silk Eyeshadow? Same parent company. Now, I'm not saying they're exactly the same, but I am stressing the fact that you CAN get a similar product without breaking the bank. Huge cosmetic companies usually structure themselves so that they can appeal to both low and high price point consumers to maximize profit. So, why pay them more when you can get something similar for less?

That's exactly what NYC In A New York Minute in Spring Street is all about. It's a great cheery red orange shade that dries fast and shiny even without top coat for only a couple of bucks. How can you go wrong with that?

Just what the nail doctor ordered for dreary Fall days.