Took my chances on a big jet plane, never let 'em tell you that they're all the same.

Hey, look, another off-topic post!  At least there's one picture of nail stuff in here. 

I'm back home... again.  If you read my post from last week, you may have noticed the part at the end where I said I was going on another trip.  Unlike my crappy fail-vacation in November, this one was actually fun.  So much fun that I'm actually sad to be back here in the windy, frigid, and now shockingly flat-looking midwest. 

It's hard not to want to go back when you wake up to this every morning:

That was the view from my hotel parking lot in lovely San Diego, California.  It was my first time in California and now I understand why people want to live there.  It's gorgeous.  And it has these things:

Normally when Christmastime rolls around, I'm all about snow and cold weather, decorations and Christmas shopping, all that traditional holiday stuff.  This year I just wasn't feeling it at all.  I didn't even put up my Christmas tree!  That never happens.  NEVER.  I am the kind of person who gets really into holidays, so that's saying something.

San Diego was festive in its own charming way, though.  There was a massive Christmas tree accompanied by a snowman made of balloons in the hotel lobby.  There were Christmas lights on palm trees.  And this is what my hotel looked like at night:

 

Is that cute or what?  Oh, by the way, in regards to that hotel... It doesn't get any better than booking your room for half price via Expedia on your cell phone in the hotel parking lot minutes before checking in.  What can I say?  I like to wing it.  It's more fun that way.

I didn't do much polish or makeup wise for my trip, but this is what my nails looked like (and what they still look like currently, just with a lot more tipwear):

OPI Black Onyx, OPI Silver Shatter, Gelous topcoat.  And a crab.

I know I probably shouldn't have picked up that crab, but it was so cute.  It was the first time I'd seen one in the wild!  Not only that, but the first time I'd seen (and touched) the Pacific ocean.  First tide pool.  Lots of firsts on this trip. 

I didn't just choose San Diego as a random vacation destination, though.  At least one part of my trip was planned.  That part was this:

(This is not my video, by the way; all credit goes to Witherwings7 on Youtube!)

I could go on and on about how awesome that was, but I'll spare you (unless you actually want to hear about it?).  The best part about that was that not only did I get to go to both nights of the show, I got to meet the band TWICE.  Best Christmas present I could have hoped for.  I guess that's what happens when you buy gifts for yourself, you always know exactly what to get.  Haha!

So, yeah, I took a much longer blogging break than I wanted or intended to, but I think I needed it.  I figured if there actually was some sort of apocalyptic event this month, would I rather have spent more time taking pictures of my own hands, or spending more time having fun with family and friends and doing things I don't normally get a chance to do?

But, after all this end-of-year holiday stuff is over, I should be settling back in and catching up on blog stuff.  The last couple of months have been unusually busy for me and I've been spending most of my free time working on music and writing, so not much time (or daylight) for me to devote to swatching. 

Once again, thanks for continuing to read my blog.  I hope you all had an amazing holiday and I wish you the best for 2013!

Black Radiance Eye Appeal Eyeshadow Palette in Urban Jungle Swatches and Review

 

My opinion?  Amazing quality drugstore eyeshadow, good price, pretty colors.  On par with sister brand Wet n Wild's Color Icon palettes.  Would definitely recommend.

Cirque Colors French Roast Swatch

    

Cirque Colors French Roast.  A mixture of very fine espresso colored microglitter, warmer brown microglitter, gold microglitter, and dark brown, light brown and orange small/medium sized glitter.

Like Dark Horse, this glitter is extremely thirsty.  It needs a minimum of three coats of good, thick, glossy topcoat to looks its best.  My normal method is to apply Gelous, then Seche Vite, and then another coat of Gelous on top of that, and sometimes another coat of Gelous the next day.  That's how I'm wearing it in these swatches.

Disney Cinderella Collection by Sephora Storylook Eyeshadow Palette Holiday 2012 Photos and Review

Disney Cinderella Collection by Sephora Storylook Eyeshadow Palette

What I liked:

• Lots of really pretty colors.
• Gorgeous collectible packaging.
• It's a Disney princess palette, but it doesn't look like plastic play makeup.  It has a very classic look and feel to it.
• Both trays pull out so it's easier to use.

What I didn't like:

• Some of the colors sting when their fallout gets in my eyes.  I don't usually experience that with Sephora-brand shadows.
• Most of the colors don't apply true to pan color.
• Some of the shades are too soft and dusty with poor payoff.
• There's a fair amount of fading and color-changing with these, even when worn over a primer.

Overall, it's a decent quality palette with an interesting variety of colors.  The blues and golds seem to fit the Cinderella theme, but I'm not so sure about all the browns, blacks and other neutrals.  They don't seem very princess-y to me!  This would make an awesome gift for someone who loves Disney and is into makeup, or someone who loves to collect palettes (like me!).  The payoff and formula of the shadows isn't amazing, though, so if you're looking for a top quality, versatile, interesting and all-around awesome palette for daily use, I'd personally go with the Urban Decay Vice palette instead.

Random Ozotic Swatches

Ozotic 746

Ozotic 752

Ozotic 757

Ozotic 761

(Sent for review.)

Sally Hansen Nail Prisms Coral Amber

Really old pictures of a really old color.  I love these Nail Prisms.  Glad to see that Sally Hansen is getting back on the duochrome/multichrome thing, but still nothing quite like the old ones.




Sally Hansen Nail Prisms in Coral Amber.  This one is a complex color, but it looks so plain here.  In real life, the color shifts are so much more obvious.  There's coral, of course, but multiple types of coral.  Pink-coral, red-coral, orange-coral.  Then there's a sort of pinkish-purplish hazy flash when you go to the extreme end of the pink side, and a green and gold hazy flash when you tilt the polish to the orange side.  This finish is more shimmery and less frosty than some of the other prisms, but it's still just as sheer.  This is four coats and I think it could benefit from a fifth.

Also, quick status update: If you're reading this on Wednesday morning (which I hope you are because I had a weird hiccup with scheduled posts publishing on the wrong date, resulting in blogs from the future!), I'm out of town, away from my computer, and hopefully having fun.  It was sort of a spur-of-the-moment impulsively planned trip, but I think it's going to be worth it (especially after last month's failed trip).  And hey, if the apocalypse is really going to occur on the 21st, I'd prefer to go out with a bang, doing something I love and having a good time! 

That being said, you'll see a few more bare bones picture posts while I'm gone.  I know that's probably annoying, that not everyone likes to look at pictures without reviews (though, for most people it seems to be the other way around!).  It's Christmastime and I've been rather busy with lots of life things, so, sadly, I haven't had as much time or energy to put into blog stuff as I'd like.  That will all calm down after the new year, assuming the sun doesn't explode this week...

Anyway, thanks again for reading and for all the super cool comments you leave me.  You guys are the best part of blogging.  And if I'm not back on here by then: Merry Christmas, blessed Yule, and happy holidays. ♥


 

Deborah Lippmann Cleopatra in New York Holiday 2012 Swatches and Review

 

Deborah Lippmann Cleopatra in New York.  This is a black jelly base with medium sized gold hexagon glitter and large sized gold hexagon glitter.  The black base is just sheer enough to let all the glitter show through without drowning it, covering it, or making it look lumpy, but opaque enough to provide full coverage.  I think Deborah Lippmann really nailed the balance between black base and glitter on this color.  The jelly + glitter combination works really, really well here.

The formula on this was great.  Thinner than I was expecting, but not runny.  The glitter applied evenly without me having to dab it on.  The jelly base is opaque enough to give complete coverage in two coats (what I'm wearing here).  It's a little rough with all that big hex glitter, so I used two coats of topcoat.  Dry time is fast.

I really like this one.  I have so many black with silver glitter polishes, but very few black with gold glitter polishes.  Black with gold seems to be a trend this year.  I used to be a die-hard black+silver fan, but lately I'm preferring this black+gold combination.  I also love this polish because it matches perfectly with this shirt I got from Target (mine is black, of course).

Anastasia Beverly Hills Want You To Want Me Eyeshadow Palette Holiday 2012 Photos

(Sent for review.)