Friday, October 1, 2010

Dusty Drugstore Find

In the comments on my last entry, shortwidenails asked "How often do you go to Rite Aid? Twice a week?" The answer, as is often the case, is, "it depends". Times like now, when there's a lot of new stuff coming out, I'll stop more often at more stores. Last week, I was probably in at least three CVSs, three Meijers, four Rite Aids, and maybe six Walgreens (because I was hoping to find the new Sally Hansen Complete Salons on sale there). One of the positive things about my long commute through suburbia is that I drive by a lot of retail outlets. Some routes are better than others; the one that goes past a Sally's, an Ulta, a Dollar Tree, and a CVS within about two blocks has been quite dangerous to my budget. When I get really busy at work or am saving up for a vacation or am just overwhelmed by how many untrieds I have, I won't even stop to browse anywhere for a week or two at a time (though I will always go down the beauty aisle at the grocery store, even though the last time I found anything good there was ages and ages ago). Every now and then, I'll go on a polish hunting safari when Mr. Karen is out of town, hitting stores outside of my usual stomping grounds. It was on just such an expedition last weekend that I found the beauty I have to share today: Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear in Night Lights, a charcoal grey holo.

I'm not sure how old this one is; it's got a white cap, so it's definitely not current. I found it on a bottom shelf, packaged in a gift set with two lipglosses; the box was in somewhat shabby condition, like it'd been unearthed from some dusty storage area and just tossed in the Sally Hansen section. I debated for about half a minute before the "you've never seen this polish before and you like SH and holos" side of my brain won out over the "you barely remember to wear the lip glosses you already have" side, and I took it to the register.

I first swatched it on its own; at three coats, it pretty much reached bottle color, though there was still a hint of visible nail line. I barely noticed the VNL, though, because even indoors the holo sparkled.





Outdoors in the sunshine there was even more rainbow sparkling.







I then tried one coat of Night Lights over two coats of Borghese Notte Black. Here's the combination indoors:





And outdoors in the sun:





The layered look was definitely darker, but seemed more silver-y and less sparkly to me. Next time I think I'll do two coats of Night Lights over black (or maybe another dark base—forest green, maybe).

25 comments:

  1. wow! I have this in my untrieds, I need to put it on ASAP it's gorgeous

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  2. Awesome find, great post!

    I find that I go to drugstores a lot to see new collections only when I am doing a swap!

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  3. I like it over black, it looks awesome!

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  4. Awesome find!

    I love hunting for polishes and trust me I too pop into store I can!!

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  5. Awesome find! I liked it better by itself, or maybe with some underwear?

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  6. wow, this reminds me of my first polish ever, it was from wet n wild though.

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  7. It makes me think of OPI My Private Jet but it's not the same. Gorgoue find!

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  8. It looks really nice over the black. :)

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  9. Wow, such an awesome find. I think you made the right decision in getting this. It's a beauty :D

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  10. AAAAMMMMMAAAZZZIIINNNGGGG!!!!!! so jealous. what a great find

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  11. I'm just going to be petty and confess that I'm very, very jealous. :) What a great find!

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  12. I love colours like these... who knew a gem was hiding away! Thanks for sharing...
    BV

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  13. Woah, that is a really pretty combination!

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  14. Oh,my!I want it!!!It looks great on you eiter way!Amazing find!

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  15. Oh my god I've been dying for that. I've looked every where for it, I can't find it :( It is sooo pretty.

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  16. Karen,I really enjoy the way you write. It's such a fun. I like that polish as well, layered on the dark base even more.

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  17. "I was probably in at least three CVSs, three Meijers, four Rite Aids, and maybe six Walgreens" ...so cleary I need to up my search for polishes. i'm always the last one to the recently released collections. argh!! Unfortunately/ maybe fortunately canada doesn't have as many places to get nail polishes from so I don't have to go to many different stores to hunt for new releases..but at the same time lots of other people also hunting for new releases are visiting the same stores i'm visiting.

    and my gosh that sally hansen is an awesome find. I like it alone, true color.

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  18. I really like that one- I will have to keep my eye out for it.

    I love these types over a dark color- wonder how it would look over a dark blue?

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  19. I *think* this is floating around somewhere in my stash because I bought a whole pile of these before they got rid of the white caps. I'll have to take a look though. I like it over black!

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  20. Wow! *___* Congrats on the awesome find!

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  21. I love how a simple base coat can change the whole look of another polish! I love this color! I may have to hunt it down!

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  22. That is such a cool color! I love finding polishes that time forgot... it is so rewarding! I think I like the way that polish looks over the Borghese black better than on it's own... it seems to stand out more, I think!

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Thank you for reading and commenting! I greatly appreciate knowing I'm not just talking to myself here. :) I'm moderating most comments now due to the spate of spammers who claim to be looking for sexy times.