Matte Moments

When it comes to mattifying my manicure I can be pretty resistive. I REALLY like it when my nails are shiny, but sometimes a girl likes change. When the mood strikes me, it helps to have a decent matte top coat to make everything look meticulous. I think I found a good one!

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Before I even tell you what matte top coat I am using, can we please read the warning on the bottle?! Go read ... I'll wait...

I would be one pissed 7 year old.

When I first received this matte top coat by MASH, I only dipped one toe in the pool, so to speak, to test the waters. Actually quite literally my pinky is the only mattified finger here.

This was at least 3 coats of KleanColor - Fuschia Glitter

MASH matte top coat is only on the pinky; the rest of the fingers were probably Seche Vite.

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Orly - Meet Me Under The Mistletoe

What a fantastic green!!! Gollie g. 

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Right?!

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It is equally as awesome with matte top coat. Good job MASH!

Here is an equally fabulous green (see more here) made LESS FABULOUS...

Sinful - San Francisco

I don't know... it kind of takes the life out of it.

BUT in terms of matte top coat quality... it is superb.

I do like a nice matte cream on occasion. It makes me feel like I am wearing Illamasqua's rubber finish polishes. That dirty post can be found here.

This is Revlon - Rock with MASH matte top coat.

Look how smooth!!










How good is this matte top coat?

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Battle of the top coats...

Seche Vite vs. MASH

.... uuuhhh, it's like apples and oranges people. They are both great.

 Bonus picture here!

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Barielle vs. MASH

Barielle Matte-inee is the only other matte top coat I own.  This is Barielle Matte-inee over Lime Crime - Peaches <3 Cream

You may not be able to tell from the picture, but there were visible streaks in the finish. Sad face. This is probably why I don't use it much. I am not sure whether the problem is the brush (it's horrid!) or the formula, or a combination of both.

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MASH matte top coat is like butter. The brush and formula worked like a charm EVERY time.




Can I just say how much I enjoy a mattified pastel!

More Lime Crime Pastels can be found here.










More manicures with MASH...

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I decided to layer Orly - Royal Navy with a bunch of glitters and mattify them!

Bonus picture here!

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Left to Right:

Pinky: Finger Paints - Asylum
Ring: Revlon - Galaxy
Middle: Revlon - Radiant
Index: Orly - Royal Navy shiny!
Thumb: Orly - Royal Navy matte!









I am completely convinced. Not only does MASH deliver a high quality matte finish, but the dry time was great too. What is your favorite matte top coat?

MASH matte top coat is $7.99 for 15mL (0.50 fl.oz.)

*This product was sent for review*

Nail P0rn

Hey dudes.  I'm going on vacay with the fam.  It might be quiet for about 2 weeks.  I'll leave you with nail porn...

KleanColor - Midnight Queen

One of my absolute faves.
It is mainly blue, but has small pieces of purple.  It's magical.

Color Craze -Treasure Island
(BCC556)

This is a fine blue and green glitter. It takes 3-4 coats, but it's so worth it.

A generous gift from the lovely and beautiful Emily from Green Eyes Pink Nails

Catrice - Absolutely Chinchilly

Revlon - Scandalous
aka Facets of Fuchsia

KleanColor - Puppy Love

My nails look awfully plump here. Do. Not. Like.

China Glaze - High Maintenance


Like sex.















Oh yea, check my ovals!

Not gonna lie, I bought this for the name.

Essie - Poppie Cock

However, it should be called Poopie Cock, no?

Finger Polish Mania, do you approve ?

China Glaze - Sugar High

Sugar High can look pink or peach depending on the light.  You can see more of it's range in the video below...

Essie - Mucho Dinero


They look better oval when they're longer.

Want to make your nails oval? Read the post here, or watch the video below...







YouTube Channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/loodieloodieloodie

Beat the system!

I never understood why the directions on some nail treatments called for an extra coat everyday or every other day. Are you suggesting your miracle juice is able to penetrate through the layer (or four) I put on in the previous few days?! That would be fantastic! However, I'm a beauty skeptic, remember? Once the product is dry, can more product absorb through and penetrate the nail?

The following is my brain daydreaming...
I imagine after a polish has dried (or cured) it can have small pores (or cracks). That, I can accept. Whether it actually happens is another question.  However, I do remember seeing the following video explaining how soak off gels work, which supports the mere possibility in regular polish.


In this situation, a chemical solvent (or perhaps the word molecule may be more appropriate) seeps through these engineered cracks or pores and is able to reach the dissolvable portion of the product. Is this possible for regular polish or treatments?

Let's assume the mere possibility:
My mind can imagine such a process for treatment products. Perhaps after the first layer has dried/cured enough cracks or pores exist and the treatment molecules are small enough to fit through and make it to  the nail nail surface. However, how likely would it be that companies actually engineer their treatment products like this? I have no idea.

Now let's assume this does NOT occur with regular polish and treatments:
There are two main reasons I can think of for these directions to exist, both are purely based on my gut and experience. My guess is they have you reapply the product merely as a coat of physical protection, which in reality any decent base coat or topcoat can provide (it's likely more cost effective too).

The other thought I had was, these directions are a marketing/selling tool. They make the consumer feel like they are doing something everyday to help their nail situation. Meanwhile, more of the product is used up, forcing the consumer to buy more to sustain their results. In the end the consumer feels like they have really contributed to their nail health (yay accomplishment!), while the company is ecstatic over their bottom line (they probably get a party with fancy champagne and hors d'œuvres *jealous*).

I like to beat the system. Ya know, stick it to the man! Treatments that come as a lacquer, I generally only apply to the actual nail surface. All other subsequent coats would either be a base coat or topcoat, depending on whether I already applied colored polish.

Summary:
This is all just me thinking aloud. I have no proof of anything. I wish I could be more concrete, but until I learn something new, I say don't waste your expensive treatment products as extra layers.

As a reward for making it all the way to the bottom of this post I'll show you meat and a franken:

Because who doesn't like meat in their mouth, duh!

Prosciutto.

The franken!

Really easy to make!

I used Revlon - Tropical Temptation and NYC - Starry Silver Glitter.

I've swatched Revlon - Tropical Temptation here. It somewhat resembles Revlon - Make Mine Mango here.









I have a Nail Treatment/Hardener Series, click here.

Why Revlon Why?!

Things happen.  I understand.  I will let this one slide ...

I've bought Revlon Royal several times.  Simply put, it is amazing <--- the most overused word out there I know, but my vocabulary is small, so ... it's AMAZING ... capitalization give it more pizazz right?

Revlon - Royal
2 coats ... no topcoat


















The HORROR ...

What in the Sam Hill?!  All of the goodness sank to the bottom. 

The good bottle is on the bottom.


Oh, but I couldn't just leave it at that.  I had to explore.

Oh hi there pigment.  You got lost from the suspension.  Let me reintroduce you.

Shaking did not work, so I had to poke it, then mix it up.  Unfortunately, after a while it begins to settle again.  I have since seen another bottle like this in the store.  This must be an "off" lot that is lacking in the ingredient needed to keep the pigment in suspension.  On the bright side, my forearms are guaranteed a workout with each use.

The final mani ended up being ...

Revlon - Royal (2 coats) topped with Revlon - Radiant.

Revlon - Radiant also goes by the name of Mosaic.

Revlon - Radiant/Mosaic is pretty nice.

Basically, anything over Royal turns to magic ... and I like magic.

Are you a fan of Revlon - Royal?  Have you had issues with your bottle?

A lazy week for my nails

What happens when you combine pretty nail polish with laziness ... a mani that just wont die.

Day 1

Revlon - Pink Chiffon

3 coats, maybe 4. Perhaps it was the coffee talking, but I had some issues with streakiness.  Still the color was just so calming.

Day 1

After a little top coat everything was golden ... no pink.

Day 1

Under warm light.

 And then I bought Revlon - Popular (aka Revlon - Starry Pink) and thought it would be a perfect compliment.

Day 4

Son, I was not disappointed.

1 thick coat topped with top coat.

Day 6

At some point I started noticing the dreaded regrowth at the cuticle *shudders*, and some tip wear.

Day 6

Also some chippage on the thumbs.

Day 6

But honestly the wear was only visible in macro mode.  That combined with how pretty it was and my lazziness ....

I slapped on some top coat and called it a night.

Day 7

However, the next day I could not ignore it any longer ... the regrowth was taunting me ... very loudly.

Mani Dead.

Happy Holidays!

How about some spam to go along with the season?!?!

My newest addition ...

China Glaze - Crystal Ball

Everything I imagined and more! :D

OPI - Funny Bunny topped with
Finger Paints - Asylum

Reminds me of snow in the moon light!

China Glaze - Gussied Up Green

A green I tolerate ... no, actually I really love it!

China Glaze - Stroll

This is a really special polish ... I promise more pictures in the future.

Nubar - Star Sparkle

I want snow sooooo bad!!  This will have to suffice.

China Glaze - Wagon Trail

Sexy blackened green.

China Glaze - Heart of Africa

Remember this dirty post?  This is the clean version.

When it's cold outside these two frenemies meet up on the heater.

May your holidays be filled with friends, family and lots of love and happiness!

Don't look, my meat is showing

I started rock climbing recently ...

uuuh ... minus the heels.  What the hell was she thinking?  I mean yes there are sexy shirtless men there, but still ...

Landa and Angie have been talking about their short nubs on twitter lately.  I thought mine were short, until I started climbing.

So, I went to town.  Every time I saw a nail file ... I filed.  Eventually I hit my meat. 

photo credit

See the meat sticking under my pointer.

The other hand did not fare much better.






My fingers tips are so sore.  I agree with Landa and Angie ... nubs can suck.

What's a girl to do? ... Quite whining ... tuck ... and go.

I tucked my sore skin under the nail and did a new mani!

The old mani was:
OPI - Do You Lilac It?
topped with Pure Ice - Oh Baby!

Tucked and ready for action with ...

China Glaze - Ruby Pumps

In the shade.

Reminds me of Color Club - Ruby Slippers

I think the China Glaze is slightly deeper red.

Do not adjust your screens ...

I went to a drag show recently because I heard they do splits.  I was not disappointed.  Can you imagine the meat tucking this move required?  If only she was wearing ruby pumps this post would come full circle.