A Sunny Sunday and a Baseball Game

I got the opportunity to take in the Giants vs A's game yesterday at the Oakland Colliseum with the bf and a couple of friends. There are definitely worse ways to spend a Sunday afternoon than out in gorgeous weather with some good friends, hotdogs, and a game! And ours seats were awesome!

Orly - Kiss the Bride

Brace yourselves for another Orly polish! 

Kiss the Bride is one of those almost whites with a hint of pink, which I love. This kind of color was made super popular by the Kardashians as the whole family sports them on their show. I have a couple Essie polishes like this that I have loved and this one definitely gets added to the list. It is surprisingly opaque and super flattering against my skin - especially when I've got a bit of a summer tan :) This is another polish that can go virtually anywhere... the beach, the office, the bar... and is cute and appropriate. I also think that this would look great paired with Orly - Rage, so I will have to put together a combo mani here in the near future. Love Love Love.

Orly - Terracotta

Terracotta is another of the polishes I snatched up for half off last week and turns out it is one of my favorites of the bunch! It is a bright coral that leans towards red. It is a little more bright than what I would normally think of as a "terracotta" color, but what's in a name anyway? The formula on this is awesome, with nearly complete coverage in one coat, a super smooth application, and, as you can see in the photos, a gorgeous, shiny finish. I super recommend this for girls, like me, who don't love extreme reds as this is a softer way to go in that direction!

Mani of the Day and a Giraffe

As promised, here is the first manicure from the polishes I picked up at Peninsula Beauty the other day. This one is Orly Rage over Essie Flawless. My diagonals are not perfect here as I just free-handed my use of Rage. If you wanted a more perfect line, you could use tape, scotch or nail tape, but when you use tape you have to make sure your first color is completely dry (and I mean let-dry-overnight level dryness) and I wasn't feeling very patient at the time. I am not a huge fan of flawless, it is a pretty pink, but doesn't really differentiate itself from the dozens of other pinks in my collection... but I am loving Rage. It is a champagne foil with a bit of a pink tint that really compliments my skintone and as you can see, it is really very shiny!

I also wanted to share this little guy with you that I picked up at Forever 21 today. Isn't he cute?!  You can pick up in gold or silver here. I am also very excited about the bright purple jeans that he is resting on in this pic! I have been lusting after some great colored jeans and I snatched these, along with a pair of turquoise ones, at F21 as well! 

Now only to find the perfect pair of red jeans before football season....

Polish Haul from Peninsula Beauty

This weekend I had a Groupon deal for $30 at Peninsula Beauty that was close to expiring so I headed over to my local shop to pick up some fancy beauty supplies. When I arrived I discovered 3 large bins full of polish for 50% off! Woo Hoo! Turns out that PB is replacing their Orly collection (they will continue selling the nail treatments) with China Glaze, which is a total thumbs up in my book. I have never really been all that interested in Orly polishes, I only had 3 before this haul. I always look at the Orly rack, but it just seems like none of the colors are unique. But who can resist a big ol' pile of discount polishes?? I walked away with a nice little haul ranging across the color and finish spectrum.

The colors I picked up, listed by brand, clockwise from the upper left corner are:
Orly: Ancient Jade, Rage, Kiss the Bride, and Terracotta
Essie: Real Simple, Looking for Love, and Flawless
OPI: Meep-Meep-Meep, Pepe's Purple Passion, Warm & Fozzie, and Last Friday Night

I'll be testing out these shades all week, so check back for swatches and manis to see what these polishes are all about!

Essie - Turquoise & Caicos

Featured as the base color in my last post, Turquoise and Red Polka-Dots, Essie's Turquoise & Caicos is among the most used polishes in my collection. This aqua shade that is truly reminiscent of the gorgeous oceans of the Caribbean is demure enough to wear to the office, yet its cheerful and bright demeanor is anything but mundane. Please forgive the slight tip wear seen in these photos as this manicure was a couple of days old when I got around to taking the pictures. If you work in an office where it's appropriate to wear polish other than nudes and neutrals, I definitely recommend giving this color a try, I guarantee that you will receive loads of compliments!

Turquoise and Red: Another Adventure in Polka-Dots

Today's manicure featuring turquoise and red polka-dots is brought to you by special request. This is not normally a combo that I would rock but I have had fun sporting it over the last few days. With a base of Turquoise & Caicos and dots of Russian Roulette, this Essie mani is what the mushrooms would look like in a Made-By-Melissa version of Mario, none of this plain-old red and white stuff. I think that next time I would do a coat of top coat in between the turquoise and the red as that might help a bit with the darkening that I experienced in the dots, but in the sunshine they still come through bright cranberry red, so it wasn't too much of a problem. Also, something to keep in mind when doing any kind of nail art when your colors are drastically different, make sure that your art paint doesn't get too tacky or you will end up with visible drag lines. You can see them a bit on my index finger, especially in the first picture. To avoid this, just make sure that you replenish your little puddle of polish between every few fingers!

Tiffy, this one is for you, I hope you enjoyed it!

Not-at-all-Mellow Yellow

Happy Go Lucky is another polish from the Up and Away collection from spring 2010. This is definitely not an everyday polish, even for me. I much prefer the more subtle look of Lemon Fizz, but this bright yellow creme has a time and a place. In a very strange weather anomaly for June in California, it was freezing and rainy yesterday, so naturally it was the perfect time for a bright, sunny polish. Happy nails always pick up my spirits on a gloomy day!

Currently Lusting - Turquoise Handbags

MICHAEL Michael Kors michael kors tote, $350
Locking bag, $50
Tory Burch leather shoulder handbag, $536
Christian Louboutin mini handbag, $769


I am currently obsessing over having a turquoise leather handbag. It would just be such a wonderful way to add a pop of color to any outfit and is perfect for the summer months! I particularly like the Michael Kors one here but don't know when I will be willing to anty up 350 buckaroos for it. I would also drool over a turquoise Coach bag like they have sold in the past but unfortunately they don't have any in their current collection *tears*. For the meantime I will just continue to dream and fawn over ever aqua bag I see...