WHO DAT!?!?

Who Dat? Who Dat? Do we have any NOLA Saints football fans out there?? Today, Nicole from Polish Me, Please! and I are back for our football nail series with our own versions of NFL team nails...and we both found out that we both love the SAINTS! I'm not gunna lie to y'all now....I don't really like NFL or faithfully watch the Saints games. But I love the city of New Orleans, Louisiana and just love the spirit of the Saints team...and Drew Brees is such a lovable respectable quarterback.  My family took a vacation to NOLA the summer after the Saints had won the SuperBowl.  The city was alive with black & gold & "Who Dat" everywhere you looked! It's a contagious love. So by default I guess, the Saints are my only NFL team I like & would ever get behind and watch. Even though Louisiana's huge college team, the LSU Tigers, are my Arkansas Razorbacks' biggest SEC rival...I can't help but love the Saints. I would love to be from Louisiana. I love the soulful character of the Cajun language, jazz music, and I LOVE THE FOOD, and NOLA is just a city with so much heart. What's not to love? Now if only those Saints could improve their current 1-4 season...

So to bring the glorious black & gold spirit to life on my nails I used quite a few polishes.  I badly wanted to do a 'fleur de lis' for an accent nail, but my fine artistic skills were severely lacking last night. I used Essie "Licorice" on all nails except for the ring fingernail. On that accent nail, I used a base of Essie "Marshmallow".  On the thumbs & pinkies I did a french tip with Orly "Luxe".  On the pointer & middle fingers I sponged on Wet n Wild "Glamorous" from the Fergie Collection as a gradient from the cuticle down. On the ring finger accent nail, I put 2 full coats of Wet n Wild "Tonight's Gonna Be A Good Night" also from the Fergie Collection over the white. Love this polish, TGBAGN, small gold hex glitters and lots of very small round matte black glitters in a clear base. Hope yall like this black, white & gold interpretation to represent this NOLA team, GEAUX SAINTS!  WHO DAT!

great trailer set to one of my very favorite artist's songs, "Rolling In The Deep" by Adele

GO CHECK OUT NICOLE'S SAINTS NAILS HERE!

Hope yall liked our Saints nails today!!! Next Friday you can look forward to Nicole & I doing guest posts on each other's blogs and painting our nails for each other's college teams. So next Friday you will see me doing Oregon Duck nails on her blog and she will be doing Arkansas Razorbacks nails here on my blog. Team Swap!!!!

"Laissez les bons temps rouler"

Football Series: Fear The Tusk!

Hey y'all!! Ryan finally here again...I should be working on new Halloween manis BUT my sweet girl Nicole from Polish Me, Please! came to me with an idea that she wanted to do a series of football nails together because she knows how much I LOVE FOOTBALL!!!!! We both also discovered that our favorite NFL team is the same team, that will be revealed later!!! We have about 5 weeks of football themes coming your way! This Friday's is our favorite college team. I love college football the most, specifically my Arkansas Razorbacks! So last season my Razorbacks were having the most rocking season ever, finishing at #5 in the nation, with a 11-2 record - only losing to LSU & Alabama, the #1 & #2 teams in the country who played each other for the National Championship.  I would say that's pretty damn good! We also won our bowl game against Kansas State U. All that goes to say that the SEC (Southeastern Conference is the best in country!) This season is another story.  This past Spring we lost our Head Coach Bobby Petrino to a scandal. He was having an affair with a young female athletics assistant who he actually had been giving money to, had her chosen to be hired over other much more HIGHLY qualified applicants.  They were caught when he was taking her for a sexy joyride on his motorcycle and they crashed. He had someone come pick her up at the scene of the crash before police, media, & ambulances got there. He paid off an Arkansas State Trooper to keep his mouth shut. He lied about the accident, saying he was alone on his ride, to the media and to our school's Athletic Director. Everything came out and he was fired. Our team had to practice with our assistant coaches the rest of the Spring & this Summer.  We got a new Head Coach named John Smith...but he's horrible & nuttier than a damn fruitcake! And even with our QB Tyler Wilson and all of our top starters, we are having the worst season possible. Our 2nd game was against Louisiana-Monroe which we payed them $500,000 to play because it's usually an easy win. We lost & suffered 2 majorly devastating injuries.  The tragedy continued when we lost to Rutgers and got blown apart by Alabama 0-56.  We did finally snag a win last Saturday against Auburn who are 0-4. Woo. Tomorrow we play Kentucky & praying we win. We are now 2-4 & not looking too good. You can be sure that this coach John Smith will be fired for next season once his 10 month contract is up! Now if you go over to Nicole's blog, you will see her nail interpretation of her Oregon college team: The Oregon Ducks! I'm glad we don't play each other & arent rivals!!!

For my nails, I wanted to interpret our mascot saying "Fear The Tusk"!!!!! We are the only 'Razorback' in sports...unique! And our Hog has tusks, literally we have a real hog that rides around campus on game day and onto the field named 'Tusk'.  So for my nails I used Wet 'n' Wild "I Red A Good Book" on my thumb, pointer, & pinky nails. I used China Glaze "I'm Not Lion" on the ring nails. And I used Essie "Licorice" on the middle nails with a Sally Hansen nail art pen in white to draw tusks, then topped that nail with Essie "Matte About You" mattifying topcoat. Do you fear the tusks???

Now here's what you can expect to see from Nicole and I over the next 4 weeks:

October 12: Our College Football Nails

October 19: Our Favorite NFL Team Nails

October 26: Team Swap - Nicole does Hog nails here/I do Duck nails on her blog

November 2: Our High School Alma Mater Nails

November 9: General Football Nails

Go check out Nicole's Ducks nails here!!!

Hope yall liked our 1st nails, college nails, of this little football series we are starting!!! Check back each Friday to see what football inspired look we've brought you, and maybe you can do the same thing with your nails and just swap the colors for your favorite team!!!! GO HOGS! Woo Pig Sooie! 

WIDE AWAKE...

I'm wide awake. Yeah, I was in the dark. I was falling hard. With an open heart. I'm wide awake. How did I read the stars so wrong? I'm wide awake. And now it's clear to me. That everything you see. Ain't always what it seems. I'm wide awake. Yeah, I was dreaming for so long. I wish I knew then. What I know now. Wouldn't dive in. Wouldn't bow down. Gravity hurts. You made it so sweet. 'Til I woke up on. On the concrete. Falling from cloud 9. Crashing from the high. I'm letting go tonight. Yeah, I'm falling from cloud 9. I'm wide awake. Not losing any sleep. I picked up every piece. And landed on my feet. I'm wide awake. Need nothing to complete myself, no. I'm wide awake. Yeah, I am born again. Outta the lion's den. I don't have to pretend. And it's too late. The story's over now, the end. I wish I knew then. What I know now. Wouldn't dive in. Wouldn't bow down. Gravity hurts. You made it so sweet. 'Til I woke up on. On the concrete. I'm wide awake. Thunder rumbling. Castles crumbling. I'm wide awake. I am trying to hold on. I'm wide awake. God knows that I tried. Seeing the bright side. I'm wide awake. But I'm not blind anymore.........

I’M WIDE AWAKE.

Hey yall! The Olympics are coming to a close and so has my patriotic 'Team USA' mani. But i can't even begin to tell you how excited I was to do this current mani, and more to actually write up the blog post, about my inspiration. I've always loved the insanely gorgeous & inspirational Miss Katy Perry...but never as much as I am in love with her right now because of "Wide Awake".  She has always just been this genius of instant hits, she makes ridiculously catchy songs, has been very unique & quirky with her sense of fashion.  During/After the release of Teenage Dream, she just really started coming out with new deep sensitive material with some thought-provoking messages in her videos & an insight into her personal realities. The lyrics & the video for 'Wide Awake' does just that & then takes it 10 levels deeper. We all know about Katy getting a divorce from Russell...that's a nice big scandal for the ruthless & heartless paparazzi/media.  There is so much symbolism in this video, I'm just in love with it. I can't get enough!

I love how she tells this intricate story in just 4:37. It's her own autobiography mixed into this creepy edgy dark fantastical fairy tale. She's lost in this labyrinth, of life really... just that feeling of being lost in the midst of all the shit & you can't find your way out of the trials & struggles.  I love how she is saved by the nostalgia of her childhood, her young innocent self saves her from herself when it seems hopeless. In turn, she teaches her former little girl self some better versions of reality....like the fact that all the fairy tales about 'Prince Charming' arent exactly accurate. I LOVE WHEN SHE PUNCHES HIM! Don't we all wish we could go back & tell ourselves not to be so naive & be less vulnerable??? I sure know that I do. But the reality is, we cant. So we have to learn things the hard way & come out stronger. I can't get over how much I'm in love with the song & video. Some days, I just listen to it on repeat...every time I'm driving in my car. Both heartbreaking & empowering. 

All of this inpired my current mani. I could never pull it off, but i freakin LOVE her blue/purplish hair in the video. But Katy Perry can look stunningly beautiful no matter what her hair color, or even without hair in her amazingly patriotic video for 'Part Of Me".  She's simply wonderful. So to go with her beautiful blue hair, I painted all my nails with 3 coats of a Revlon classic, "Royal"....pretty fitting for Katy since she is music royalty.  Then to go along with the lyrics, "...how did I read the stars so wrong?" For my ring finger accent nail, I used the new Wet'n'Wild Fergie star glitter "Hollywood Walk of Fame"...also ridiculously fitting for this because the video gives some symbolization of the crippling effect fame & celebrity has had on her. I told yall I was excited about this entire mani/blog post ensemble!! :) The star glitter is set in a pretty thick clear base, making it difficult to work with. I didn't like how it looked when I tried to place the stars individually separate from the whole base. I wanted a more natural, randomly placed look/feel...plus theres little tiny flecks of glitters & hairies mixed in so I wanted all that incorporated onto the gorgeous Royal blue jelly. 

LOVE how she ends it with little Katheryn getting back on her bike, stronger & more aware of the world around her. EPIC. Did you notice Katy rocked 4 different manis in just that 1 video??? That's it for now...this is probably my longest post to date.  But I just couldn't say enough about the beauty of this song, this video, how it inspired my nails, and just how beautiful Katy Perry is. FABULOSITY! Hope yall liked the mani too! Did you buy any of the Fergie glitters/polishes? I always love to hear your stories! Until next time....

3...2...1...Swaggie

"If I was your boyfriend, I'd never let you go. I can take you places you ain't never been before"

Hey y'all!!! It's been a little over a week since my last blog post and today's is dedicated to my unashamed love for Justin Bieber.  If you don't already know, his favorite color is purple...which is also my very favorite nail polish color!  I'm not embarrassed to say that I have always loved JB & ESPECIALLY LOVE his new single "Boyfriend".  He's 18 & the same age as my brother but he is just getting cuter & cuter.  Love his new short spiked up hair & the way his voice sounds now that he's gone through puberty.  HAHA!! **Cougar Alert**  Anyways, I haven't had a chance yet till now to use a new Wet 'n' Wild called "On A Trip"...part of their new MegaLast collection.  It's a gorgeous milky purple cream.  I don't have anything else like it & I have at least 30 different purple polishes.  I put this on my toes & used it for a French-tip style mani.  I don't like the WnW brush at all but the polish is great.  ...And I wish those were my hands in his music video ;D 

Look at that face!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 After doing just the purple french tip, I went back & added a thin black strip with
Revlon ColorStay in "Stiletto"

"Boyfriend" video teaser... 1:06 - 1:53

The Justin Bieber "Boyfriend" single...full video hasn't been premiered yet!!!!!

So, was this too much for you??? Do you like The Biebs? Are you a Belieber? Did you like this purple? Did it have SWAG? Have you ever tried any Wet 'n' Wild colors? :D

Swatchalicious Mania!!!!

 Ok, so I had all these polishes just waiting to be tried out.  I spent all of Sunday swatching these cheapies....all kinds of random brands needing to be tested.  Pretty much every color got a quick 3 coats, no base & no top coat for these. Only problem with "swatching", you can't actually test the polish's wear time, so who knows how long the lacquer formula lasts. But without further adieu, lets get on with it :)

 Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear: "Mint Sorbet"

(natural sunset lighting, indoors) This is a great milky pastel with a touch of light green. It is applies opaque easily with just 2 coats. I liked the quality of the polish, especially for $2.  Good brush & good application. Great Spring color & affordable.

new Wet n Wild Fastdry: "Teal Of Fortune"

(natural sunset lighting, indoors) another polish available at Wal-Mart for less than $1.50 per bottle...these pics don't do it justice because the teal-green & gold shimmery flecks weren't really picked up by the camera.  Its surprisingly AWESOME! good formula, nice wide brush & fantastic glitter!

Revlon: #089 "Sunshine Sparkle"

This is a lovely pastel yellow that has super-fine silver shimmer mixed in.  It is a fun color to get you ready for Spring...this picture makes it look more 'yellow' than it really is. It is a more pale milky on.

Revlon ColorStay: #220 "Rain Forest"

(left, artificial warm lighting. right, fluorescent lighting) Here's one of the 2 polishes from this swatch that I won't be able to stop raving about.  First of all, Revlon's new ColorStay polishes have a phenomenal formula..the brush is wide & full.  You just can't beat this deal, this quality for less than $5!!!! I am now in love with this color.  An intense emerald green jelly mixed with fine gold flecks that reflect the deep green. I HIGHLY recommend this polish, any color from this ColorStay line really.  Incredible!  

Sally Hansen Diamond Strength: "Black Tie"

I've seen this color swatched before & decided I had to have it.  It's an almost-black cream base but get a duo-chrome effect with some blue-teal-pink iridescent shimmer blended in.  It's a truly fabulous polish...great quality lacquer...good brush...great contoured handle...more than worth the $3

Revlon: #230 "Popular"

A soft pink milky base filled with small round pieces of glitter & larger hexagonal silver glitter.  It layers really nicely.  This is a very feminine glitzy pink & of course worth the $4

Revlon: #441 "Radiant"

Another fabulous glitter by Revlon! (I'm still waiting to own 'Facets of Fuchsia' & 'Whimsical'.  This is a clear jelly base, completely packed with small round blue-turquoise glitter pieces, mixed with larger blue-turquoise & silver hexagonal pieces.  The silver pieces give this glitter a nice extra pop!

Pure ICE: "Purple Reign"

(Natural sunset lighting, indoors) Ok I am going to just RAVE about this bottle of polish!!!! You don't even know. Of course the photos don't do it justice & display its total beauty.  I had no expectations for this $1.97 bottle of polish from Wal-Mart.  The brush was a little thin, but what a diamond in the rough...a total treasure.  This gem is a beautiful earth-toned purple mixed with the finest rose-gold shimmer.  It was opaque after 2 coats.  Its truly gorgeous...my new favorite polish as of now! What a MUST-BUY! :)

Nicōle by OPI: "Count On Me"

This is an EXTREMELY sheer polish...more meant for layering than for wear on its own.  In the bottle, it looks like it would maybe apply after opaque.  But below on the left is 4 coats & its still very sheer.  Don't be discouraged tho, it may be sheer but its densely packed with a complex iridescent shimmer that gives a duo chrome effect.  In some light/angles, it shines a sunset pink...sometimes gives off a brilliant blue-teal hue...and other times an extraordinary blue-purple.  I wanted to try to make the most of this chromatic shimmer by layering it over something opaque.  Below right, I layered "Count On Me" over my new favorite Pure Ice "Purple Reign"...given, this covers up 'Purple Reign's' glamorous rose-gold shimmer.  Anyways, I think every polish blogging girl needs "Count On Me"($7) as an essential layering piece in her repertoire! I bet it would look good over any purple or a black creme! :)