July Favorites

I have to say this month went by so fast I have six family birthdays in my immediate family this month.  By the time I get to August I am exhausted not to mention five pounds heavier.   Then, in two weeks is my anniversary.  This is then big ten.  It is weird because I still feel like we are newlyweds.  My husband is still in crutches from his surgery and I expect he still will be come August 15th.  I have been shopping like crazy.  So much that it is at the point that I wear something new everyday and I think I am going to have to take some stuff back.  Oops.  Definitely need to have a blog sale.  I have about half the polishes I want to sell about it is at around 100 with my husband home though I think I am going to put him to work.  So, July was hectic.  I don't see things getting better until September, so I will just ride it out.  I do have something really cool.  I hope to post it tomorrow but don't hold me to it I never know what is going to happen with my husband home.  Goldie just wants him to go back to work so we can take our little siestas and spend all day in the polish room.  I think I kind of want the same thing now, too.  So, even though July was hectic.  I did manage to put out some posts that I really liked.  So, here are my July favorites.

 

This was the fourth of July manicure in two different ways to wear it.  I like it because of the simplicity yet you could really stamp them out or just wear them plain.  I don't know which I like better.

 

 

This was another one of my favorite polishes and posts.  What is so funny is that I had been need to talk to my Li'l Sister aka my best friend and she called just as I was about to insert this.  We talked for an hour and I cried and she cried and we comforted each other and it just reminded me how lucky I am to have two Li'l Sisters

 

 

 

 

 

The return of Bootie Babe was a highlight during the month of July.  I think the formula is so great and who couldn't love the bottle.

 

  

 

 

This was a cute manicure because like I said I have been doing a lot of nail art to match the clothes I am wearing.  Adding the lady bug was just for fun.  It was very whimsical.

 

 

How could this new beautiful Chanel not be one of my favorites?  Enough said.

 

So, that is the roundup of my July favorites.  Do you agree?

 

Ciao Bellas,

Patty

 

Day 1 Mish Mash Challenge

Today we start our new challenge that will last until Dec. 31.   We will be posting every Wednesday.  Today’s Challenge was creating a manicure with the color purple.  What I did was a gradient dot manicure.  Using all Butter London Polishes I started with PItter Patter, then used Scoundrel to create the next set of dots and finally finished with Muggins.  It is fairly easy to do, you just need to ensure you are using the right colors if you want to do a gradient.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So make sure to check out my blog every Wednesday for our new challenge and see what the rest of the girls did.

Ciao for now bellas,

Patty

 

 

 

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Sisters

I was blessed and cursed with two little sisters.  If you are in my position you know the benefits and horrors of having little sisters.  We are five years apart so that was a burden but they used to do anything I told them to do and believed any stupid story I told them.  The funniest that my sister and I laugh about is our church behavior.  There is a point in a Catholic worship where you offer the sign of peace by shaking hands I would always turn to her and squeeze hand.  She would cry and I would get scolded.  One day it was that time to shake hands and I promised I would not squeeze it  and in all honesty I was not going to squeeze but once that clammy skinny hand was in mine I just could not help myself I squeezed and then she is the one that got in trouble.  I think that was the turning point for me and I started to become very protective of her.

When I saw this new polish I knew I had to have it.  It is called Lil Sister from Whimsical Ideas by Pam.  So, I used pink from the Deborah Lippmann's Girls Marnie.  I used Deborah Lippmann's Let's Hear It For the Boy as an accent nail.  This polish went on very well straight from the brush I did not have to do much manipulating of the glitters which is really great.  Another great hit from Pam.

A little sister will always be there when you need her.  Mine is and for that I am very thankful to have a Lil Sister.

 

 

Ciao Bella's,

Patty

The Overexposed Dress from Macy's

If you live anywhere a Macy's you have seen this dress. Well guess who has it.  Yes me.  I would have never expected to buy a dress that was going to gain such over exposure.  I kind of always prided myself in being a bit of a trendsetter.  In high school, I never shopped in the stores that other girls did and was voted best dressed.  So, every time I see my dress in another flyer or commercial I want can't help but laugh at myself.

So, this summer is the summer of the artsy matchy manicure for me.  When I wore this dress I did this manicure.

It is not a watercolor but a technique I saw in YouTube by the beautiful Ms. Jen Fabulous.  I painted my nails with all Essie polish,  I used Cabana Boy as a base color then dotted Boom Boom Room, Madison Ave., Saturday Disco Night and OPI's Need Sunglasses.  Ok, the main thing is that you ensure that the base color is dry.  I always go ahead and put a coat of Seche Vite on.  Seche Vite is good in different stages of it's age.  When it new it is thin and watery and that is the best time to use it when you need to ensure your polish is dry like for stamping, gradients, putting glitter polish on etc.  So, now that my nails are dry, I randomly plopped some colors on my nails.  Then got some Saran Wrap and pressed the polish down to cover the nail and then gently removed the Saran Wrap.  Once the polish was dry I applied top coat.  It does take a little work but the results are really nice.









 



 



 

Ciao Bella's,

Patty

Dior Birds of Paradise. Samba

This season Dior has managed to put out two of the most popular colors of the season.  A metallic teal and a crème mint.  Both came in a box and are half the size of a large bottle of Dior polish.  Which in a way I think I like because truthfully the only bottles of polish I ever really finished have been OPI's My Boyfriend Scales Walls and Black Onyx and Chanel's Black Satin.  Little bottles ensure full use.  Neither one of these polishes have names I just call them one and two.  The metallic polish really surprised me with it's smooth application.  I wondered if it was a dupe for Chanel's Azure but you can clearly tell that they are different and not dupes.

 

 

Chanel on the right.  Dior on the Left.  They look like dupes in this picture but they definitely are not.  The Dior is much greener.

 

 

 

 

 

As far as the creme color goes it went on like cream cheese frosting on a red velvet cake ( craving chocolate).  The color is just gorgeous as it is the "color" of the season.  I have no complaints.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ciao Bellas,

Patty

I Have Been Cheating

Yes, I have been cheating on my beloved Lemony Flutter.  I kept seeing everyone's beautiful nails and noticed how everyone's cuticles were just so pretty.  So, I tried many things that actually were doing more harm than good.  I tried a cuticle pumice stone.  That was the worst.  My nails started breaking.  I started using Sally Hansen's Cuticle remover, the one in the blue bottle and it seemed like I had more problems.  I just did not go as far as cutting.  But my cuticles looked like crap.  So, I just stopped and literally slept with Neosporin in on my cuticles and band aids.  I had to do something.  So, I heard that Blue Cross and Blue Shield Cuticle remover was pretty good, so I tried it and instead of using anything to scrape the cuticles off, I just got a nail brush and bought this soap called sand stone from Lush. 
Now, my cuticles started to heal so, I started using the Dior cuticle crème and did notice changes in a week's time.  The problem with this crème is that if you don't use it for a day or two your cuticles start to react by peeling, at least that is what happened to me.  It is a great product but it is expensive, $24.00 for a little jar 10 grams but you only need a little bit every night.  I still use either Lush's Helping Hands or Handy Guguru. 

 

 

I first felt so guilty but when I did notice a difference.  I wanted to see if I would get the same results with Lemony Flutter the results were close except for me it took longer to get them in the condition they were in with Lemony Flutter but their is one advantage to Lemony Flutter, it seems like you can miss a day and you are not at square one.  Lemony Flutter costs about $18.00 but you get 45 grams.

 

 

I do tend to use a little more Lemony Flutter than the Dior because the Dior is just loaded with emollients.  Lemony Flutter just has a very different consistency.  The Dior turns almost to an oil consistency once you put it on and you need just a tiny amount.  It does not have any odor like Lemony Flutter, which a lot of people complain about.  Personally, I love the smell. 

 

So, what am I using right now the Dior but I still keep my Lemony Flutter which I use once during the day.  I just can't stop Lemony Flutter.   I think even though the Dior is so good I will never give up Lemony Flutter.  I have just always been Lemony Flutter's Cheerleader, I had to confess that there are other cuticle crème's that work just as well even a little better.  So, that is all I have to say about that.  You can look up reviews on the Dior Crème and probably won't find a bad one although most people do complain about the price.

 

Ciao for now,

Patty

 

 

Bootie Babe is Back!

the long awaited return of the cute little bottles with the bootie shape is finally here.  I know I have waited a long time for this and when they became available to be honest I was a little disappointed because of price but more importantly a $5.00 shipping charge,  For the rest of the summer the polish is 33% off but you still have to pay shipping charges but the 33% off does defray the shipping.  They have several colors now, neutrals and even some holos.  This one in particular is a holo.  It is called Butt and Brickle.  There is a darker one called one that resembles this one but I went lighter.  The application was really smooth, fast to dry but did need three coats because of it’s color.  I got one other one a white holo and a lavender.  I haven’t swatched those yet but will do it as soon as I can so you can see them.   Meantime, you can buy Bootie Babe on their Facebook website.   Each bottle is $8.00 plus they are having a great giveaway. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Besides the bottle being so cute I have to admit that this is a seriously sound polish buy.  With the darker colors on the older version there was a little staining but they wear well and are easy to use so don’t let the bottle fool you this is a really good product that just happens to come in a cute bottle.  So, check them out if you haven’t.

Ciao bellas,

Patty

A Reward For Myself

If you have noticed I have not been posting as often as usual.  The problem, my husband’s Achilles heel injury.  If you have ever taken care of a sick spouse, boyfriend or and man I think you might know why I needed a reward.  Last Thursday was the surgery and I am just not used to this.  So, I had a gift certificate from Macy’s and when I saw that Chanel had released their autumn/fall polishes this was my favorite it is called Alchimie.  I would describe this color as a shiny olive, it is like you would take a raw olive and then put a coat of Seche Vite over it.  It is really pretty and so neutral.  I put it against some clothes and it pretty much went with everything I had even some reds.  The formula is much like the other Chanel’s I have reviewed first coat a little streaky but the second coat completely took care of the streaks and it looked perfect.  This is two coats with one coat of top coat.   I am back to Seche Vite.  It is just easier to come by than the Nubar top coat.  This polish did not go unnoticed when I wore it out.  I did get several what color is that questions.  Although, when I did say it was from Chanel I got a little of a sad look but said sometimes you just need to treat yourself.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It is good to treat yourself but when I do treat myself it is usually after doing something unusually nice for someone or knowing that I am going to so yeah, do it for yourself and play it forward.

 

Ciao bellas,

Patty