OPI Melon of Troy + BR Miracle {vacation pedicure}

I just got my vacation mani/pedi. Essie Mademoiselle for the manicure and OPI Melon of Troy for the pedicure:

I have on my new Miracle jeweled sandal in New caramel from Banana Republic. I love all the 3-hour sales they've been having lately. They usually don't include shoes in those but these got a promotional markdown not too long ago. I added in a black boatneck 3/4 sleeve tee from Old Navy, making my total over $50 and got free shipping too.

The Miracles are nicely padded and the caramel is a gorgeous soft neutral. I like the embellishment too. I don't know if you can tell from the pics, but the front straps on mine were quite different in width from each other up at the top. I'm going to look at it as "handcrafted".

My girls got pedicures today too. The pink is OPI Pompeii Purple and the purple is China Glaze Coconut Kiss. Both have a coat of OPI Techno (super glittery) over:

So I know I have been packing for a long while and I'm still here... but I have gotten to this point:

Look! I've saved a whole half a suitcase for my husband.

(He will throw some things in there 30 minutes before we leave for the airport.)

I hope everyone has a wonderful 4th of July weekend!

xoxo

OPI Don't Socra-Tease Me + Jacks

Oh, it feels good to be back in a pair of Jacks.

I'm not really wearing these today - what with it being all dark, rainy and chilly here for days on end -- just trying them out with my latest pedicure color and getting ready to throw them in a suitcase. We are heading out for a tropical vacation very soon! March has been a rather difficult month and I am ready to start April off with some sun & sand, relaxed family time, and possibly a cocktail or two. Hawaii posts coming up before too long...

OPI "Don't Socra-Tease Me" (a bright, shimmery coral from the 2004 Greek Isles collection)

Jack Rogers Navajo Sandal in Gold

xoxo

OOTD 12.30.10 {darks + tan + Thrill of Brazil}

My outfit today is dark, dark, dark but I've added my new Royal Tan Revas (purchased with the $50 gift card Tory Burch sent for the holidays, thank you very much Tory Burch!) and I have on the cheery OPI color Thrill of Brazil, fingers and toes.

Loft sweater dress in navy, Loft V Neck Cardigan in Dark Grey Melange, Target leggings in black, Tory Burch Tumbled Leather Revas in Royal Tan, Stella & Dot Signature Clover Chandelier Earrings in Silver, Michele watch, DY bracelets

the Stella & Dot Earrings

OPI Thrill of Brazil

TB's Royal Tan is a dark tan - very similar to Ugg's Chestnut

Winnie wanted to be in the shoe shot. Hi, Winnie!

xoxo

OPI Bogota Blackberry {+ what do y'all think of those lights?}

This morning I went for a long overdue pedicure and chose OPI's Bogota Blackberry... not as dark as my current mani ( Black Cherry Chutney) but still a pretty, rich, ruby/burgundy hue. Both polishes were packaged together, along with Brisbane Bronze, in a little mini trio I either purchased or received as a giveaway at Ulta awhile back... but hadn't gotten around to wearing yet. I really like them both.

So, while I'm thinking about polish and nail salons... I'm wondering what people think about those UV lights many places have you put your hands and feet under while your polish is drying. I used to sit there under the lights, wondering if it was really drying my nails any faster, and then I started thinking: exactly what kind of UV light is this? Surely different than those tanning beds, right? But if it's drying my nails, what is it doing to my skin? Now, I know we are exposed to light and all sorts of things all the time but if I can eliminate one little potential hazard, why not?

pic from dukeandthedoctor.com

And then I heard something about it on the news and started doing a little research. I recently found this article which explains the devices and potential/possible risk. This article explains how it only works on certain topcoats (more expensive ones that contain a certain kind of acrylic polymer). And here's what the New York Times had to say.

So now, I opt out of the lights and I really cannot tell any difference in the dry time.

Has anyone else been hearing about this?

xoxo

OPI Black Cherry Chutney

pic from echemist.co.uk

After a few weeks polish-free I felt like a nice dark Fall/Winter color... so today had OPI's Black Cherry Chutney put on for my manicure. From 2008's India collection, this is one of those nearly black purples but with a little bit of a red sparkly shimmer in the light.

inside

outside in natural (very gray day) light

I'd love to hear if you have a favorite dark polish for Fall!

Happy Monday :)

xoxo

The Mossimo Ponte Leggings {+ a new OPI polish & small mention of Cher}

I was alerted to the fabulousness of these ponte leggings by Shasta, who writes for CupcakeMAG. She said they were very much like J Crew's pixie pants at a fraction of the price. Now, I never did buy any of the pixies, but I can attest that these Mossimo Skinny Ponte Leggings are wonderful... the fabric feels and looks great; they are thick, comfortable, and definitely give me a feeling of support or being rather "firmed up". There is a seam front and back down the legs, and wide elastic waistband. No zippers or closures. I put mine through the washer and (accidentally, even though the tag says tumble dry is okay) the dryer inside-out... and they came out beautifully. Then I went out and bought a second pair.

Here are a couple ways I've worn them so far:

Old Navy Cowlneck Tunic Sweater in Graphite, Mossimo Leggings, J Crew Brewster boots (last year)

a little chilly -- so I added a J Crew outlet denim jacket from a few years ago before I headed out

the leggings again, with an Old Navy Perfect V-Neck Tee, Target Mossimo Boyfriend Cardigan in Heather Oatmeal, Gray Uggs and Burberry scarf

This boyfriend cardi from Target is priced at just $20 and comes in lots of colors... even a couple with stripes. It is just the length I like with leggings. It is pretty thin -- you can see the outline of my tee sleeve easily in the pics.

Also, please pardon the three shades of OPI polish on my thumb that I was testing out at the salon... which brings me to this:

pic from edwyse.com

Yes. That is Cher on the left (Cher! My Cher story is here.) and when I walked into the nail salon and saw this display, I knew I must get one of these colors for my pedicure. I chose "Let Me Entertain You", a sparkly, shimmery, bright and happy fuschia:

pic from beautyaddict.net

Great pics and reviews of the Burlesque collection can be found at All Lacquered Up.

Happy Weekend!

xoxo

OPI Ink

image from amazon.com

"Ink" is from OPI's Bright Nights collection of 2007. Right now I have it as both mani and pedi -- though I am more comfortable with this hue just on my toes for the day-to-day. It is definitely a bold blue/purple/sparkly shimmer (pink glittery flecks). Fun color for sure, but I am going a little more neutral for the next manicure.

with flash

without flash

xoxo

Just a Little Rosti at This {OPI's 2010 Swiss Collection}

We are really really enjoying Summer. I'm not quite ready to let it go. But... the temps are starting to dip and we're getting a little gray rain... so Fall boots, pumpkin spice lattes, and dark nail polish colors are beginning to gain appeal for me again. This color is dark but not super dark... just a very deep brownish-red. Or reddish-brown. Rust, I'd say.

I recently bought it ("Just a Little Rosti at This" from OPI's new 2010 Swiss collection) and took it along to my latest pedicure. I like it so much it'll be my next manicure too.

Happy Tuesday!

xoxo

OPI Over the Taupe

I love short, dark nails for Fall and Winter but usually go very pale (or no polish at all) the rest of the year. Today I felt like some darker color - but being it's July didn't want to go too dark.

So I went for a nice mushroom-y taupe for a change: OPI's Over the Taupe. I've seen this hue compared to Chanel's popular Spring 2010 Particuliere, like in this mention at Splurge vs. Save. It's a pretty soft color and definitely needs 2-3 coats.

I've got 2 coats on in the pic below. And, you may notice, a long gray sweater... because although we had a nice little heat wave of temps up to the low 90's recently, this morning my car thermostat said 59 and it appears we are back to gray and rain for awhile here in the Pacific Northwest.

Hope everyone is having a great week!

xoxo

My Current Coral {OPI Mod-ern Girl}

Mod-ern Girl

OPI's polish, amazon.com's pic

I've been all about the strappy shoes lately and it may just be because I recently got my first Spring-y color pedicure for the season. (That and the recent Target collaborations with Miss Trish and Cynthia Vincent, of course).

I usually wear pinks, but last year I went on a search for a perfect coral for a change and I like it every bit as much this year. It is from the Mod About Brights collection, which I believe is from 2008, and is on the pinky side of a bright melon... straight, slightly sheer color with classic, un-sparkly shine.

here it is with Tory Burch's Arabian Pink (and Winston)

Happy Tuesday!

xoxo

OPI Meet Me on the Star Ferry

On a recent trip to Ulta, I got to check out OPI's Hong Kong collection (Ulta only sells it in retail stores, but amazon.com has it online). I'd been looking forward to this... I love OPI's nail polish names and themed collections - and this one especially.

My husband used to travel to Hong Kong a lot for business (before kids) and I went along a few times. He would be working all day so I got to wander around the city and shop and sight-see by myself quite a bit. On one trip, I remember taking the Star Ferry alone and feeling very adventurous. (Getting on any kind of unfamiliar public transportation can be a little nerve-wracking for me. I once got on the wrong bullet train in Japan, and let me tell you that is not something you are happy to find out once you are in motion.)

outside

inside

Anyway, this polish is called Meet Me on the Star Ferry so I had to get it, being that I liked the color too. It's a shimmery mauve-y-darker violet. A little bronze-metallic. In the sunlight you can see the sparkles but it isn't so sparkly-shiny that it's flashy.

A nice transition if you're done with uber dark nails for the season but not ready to jump to the corals and bright pinks.

Oh - and Happy Spring!!!!!

xoxo

Sephora by OPI Personal Shopper

A few weeks ago I cashed in some beautyinsider points at Sephora for their OPI nail polish reward (the current 500 point perk). This set contains three 15 ml polishes: Personal Shopper, Dear Diary... and I'm with Brad. Today I went for a pedicure with Personal Shopper - to me a perfect, true basic red - a happy color. I'm going to love this with the navy blue I've been adding to my wardrobe lately.

If you haven't already, you can sign up and check out all the details of Sephora's reward program here.

I hope everyone is having a great start to their week!

xoxo

OPI Flashbulb Fuchsia

pic from amazon.com

This is such a fun, bright color! Perfect for a holiday. I don't know if it's relatively new or rather old... I just held my flip flop up to the colors at the nail salon and picked one that kind of matched.

This fuschia is bright and has a shimmery silvery-blue iridescent-ness to it, if that makes sense. Very shiny and girly. It is from the OPI Brights collection and you can try it on, virtually speaking, at www.opi.com.

Happy Wednesday!

xoxo

OPI Sapphire in the Snow

For most of our holiday activities this year, I wore more blues/purples/silver instead of my more typical Christmas red/burgundy/gold so the nail polish I chose was OPI's Sapphire in the Snow from the Holiday Wishes 2009 collection.  

I would describe it as a very dark velvety-blue purple that comes close to the popular dark burgundy shades in lower light.  In bright light or with a flash in pictures, you can really see the blue-purpleness.  In regular or dimmer light, it actually looks kind of close to Give Me Moor from the Espana collection, which I own, so used to do touch-ups.

Here it is in a Blackberry snap at the salon:

Here is a snap with the flash, next to my ATL cardi in "Violet Stone":

And here is a snap in natural light without a flash (in the car on the way to Grandma's).  This and the first pic look most "irl" to me:

Happy Tuesday!

xoxo

OPI Tickle My France-y

I've had this polish for a few weeks - I purchased after reading HeidiG's review.  So today after a fun week with OPI's Give Me Moor on fingers and toes, I took in my Tickle My France-y for a manicure.  The color on me looks lighter and less gray than it does in the bottle.  I took a couple of pics - the second with more natural light - as I felt it was a little difficult to get the color in a photo.

I think this is a great color for transition and Fall when you are feeling like something soft but not too sheer or pink:

xoxo

Moor, Please!

I just got my OPI Espana Collection "Give Me Moor" mani/pedi and am feeling so Fall!  

When my 4 yr old saw it he said "Black?!" but then upon closer inspection said "Oh! It's Lollipop Dark Purple!"  Why, yes, it is!

I tried to position my hand like HeidiG and other nail polish aficionadas - it was difficult! not sure if this is the pose

toes too, of course!

Anyone else switching over to Fall colors and have a recommendation or two??

xoxo

Fun with O.P.I. {Espana!}

First of all, have you seen this great brochure?!  I love it!  It showcases the new Espana collection along with O.P.I. classics, softshades and brights.  What a great reference guide.  I picked mine up at Ulta at Pier Park in Panama City Beach, where, I might add, I also got to see the new Fall Espana collection in person finally!

I tried out 3 of the new colors on my thumbnail and settled on Barefoot in Barcelona and Give Me Moor.  Suzy Skis in the Pyrenees looks much more gray than I thought it would.  I dabbed it on next to Russian Navy:

L-R: Barefoot in Barcelona, Give Me Moor, Russian Navy; Suzi Skis in the Pyrenees is at the top

Ulta was having a "spend $10 on OPI, get a little set free" deal, so with the two polishes I received this lovely "pretty little pinks" set with three mini lacquers.

3.75 ml sizes of Princesses Rule!, I'm Indi-a Mood for Love, and You're a Pisa Work

I also checked out a little Lilly and perused Target today after a morning at the pool, so stay tuned for more on Panama City Beach shopping in a day or two!

xoxo