Essence - (S)Lime up!

Weird

I like them, weird colors. Unusual colors never seem to bore me, and they're sure something else amidst the usual pinks and reds. But there are times when weird just isn't flattering anymore. At least, that's how I feel about this lime creme by Essence called Lime Up! They sure love exclamation marks over at Cosnova.

It was to be expected I wouldn't be gung-ho on this color, since I couldn't embrace OPI's 'Who The Shrek Are You?' either. As you probably already know, these two colors are very much alike. They're not dupes though: Lime Up! is a bit on the lighter and less muted side than its more expensive semi twin. This color probably is a lot more flattering on those with darker skin than mine. I believe Lime Up! came out last fall and is now part of the core Colour & Go collection by Essence.

Application

The application was actually pretty good though, definitely not as bad as some other Essence polishes I've tried. I applied three coats and experienced no problems like bubbling or streakiness whatsoever. I've worn this color for four days without any signs of chipping or even tipwear. Quite impressive for a budget brand, I'd say! But four days of wearing this slimy color were more than enough, if you ask me.

Essence Colour & Go polishes cost 1.25 EUR or 0.99 USD for 5ml.

Well, I Declare!

Happy Fourth of July to my US readers!

I love doing holiday themed nails, so I knew that I was going to do a design for today. I wanted to do something different than the stars and stripes, so I did my interpretation of the Declaration of Independence! Did you know that

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."

has been called 'one of the best-known sentences in the English language"?

I've always been a history nerd. Yes, I was that kid (the only one) in the biography section of the library checking out historical biographies, presidential biographies, etc. for fun rather than for homework. Though my favorite president to read about then (and now) was Abraham Lincoln, I still loved burying my nose in an ancient hardcover about Washington, Jefferson, pretty much name it. Fascinating stuff, really.

Anyway, to the nails. I sponged them to look like aged parchment, then painted certain recognizable words on each hand.

I used: American Apparel California Trooper as a base, then sponged China Glaze Classic Camel in spots, then sponged a mixture of China Glaze Classic Camel and American Apparel California Trooper over that, then sponged a little bit of CND Blackjack over that and on the tip edges.

And as a bonus, a picture of my guilty boyfriend. He attempted to make me watch Star Wars by turning it on the TV when I was getting ready, so when I came back out, I was half-watching it while I was putting on my shoes, that is, until I saw R2-D2 and realized what was on, and stopped watching it. To explain this, I am 30 years old and have never watched any of the Star Wars movies, and I intend to keep it that way. :)

Who me?!  Never. I had no idea that there was a Star Wars marathon on TV!

Have a happy and SAFE Fourth of July everyone!!  Keep all your fingers!