Goodies in the Mail

I completed a swap with Fleur just before I left on vacation last month. She sent so many things I couldn't fit them all in one photo, and that's not even considering all the sweet treats she sent (which I somehow found time to sample long before I managed to organize the photo shoot) or the Essence stampy plate (which I failed to get a good picture of, unless you think glare and the reflection of my camera are good).



Top row, left to right: Butterfly Ashanti 353, Butterfly ?, Manhattan 67C, ccuk Midnight Blue, Vollare Joy 288. Bottom row: Catrice London's Weather Forecast, s-he 427, 375, 378, 500, and 381.



Left to right (all from Essence): lavender cuticle oil, Cute as Hell Date Me & Naughty But Nice, Return to Paradise Fruit Punch, Nail Art Twins Victory, Secrets of the Past Matryoska Doll, and Creamylicious Chocolate Shake.

It was really hard to decide which polish to try first. I was very tempted by Victory, which was the one that started this swap when Fleur commented on an entry where I mentioned I was stalking it. I decided to save that for a time when I could wear it as a full mani for longer than a few days, as it's very special to me. Fleur searched many stores for it on my behalf and when none had it in stock, she sent me her own bottle from her stash, which was so sweet of her. So Victory will wait for another time. Instead, I chose s-he 375, which is a warm lilac shimmer, a color that makes me happy. It was still a bit sheer after three coats, which didn't bother me, as the sheerness seemed to add a lightness to the look of this polish. I'll definitely be wearing this as a full mani sometime, though I might wait until spring. I'm also curious to try layering it over something dark; I think that might work very well.





The other really great package I got recently is the prize from PerryPie's Nail Polish Adventures 1st Anniversary Giveaway. I was so thrilled when I got the e-mail telling me I'd won! Here, too, there was more goodness than would fit in one photo.



Top row, left to right: Essie Lacquered Up, Sally Hansen Guilty Pleasure & Shooting Star, American Apparel Peacock. Bottom row: Joe Fresh Peacock, Espresso, Wine, Butter, Mint, Powdered Blue, and Nude.



Left to right: Billie Gold, OPI Mad as a Hatter, China Glaze Ruby Pumps, Nicole by OPI Volunteer Cheer, Quirius Cresskill Eve, and Claire's Magic.

Again, it was a difficult choice as to where to start; I settled on Quirius Cresskill Eve because it's a new brand for me. I was impressed; this olive green shimmer went on in two coats.





Packages like these make me wish I could just stay at home and swatch for days on end. Many thanks to Fleur and PerryPie!