Quick and Easy Wish Fulfillment

This drive-by swatching is an addendum to my last post, for the reader (the blogger behind Lacquer Ware for Tips and Toes) who requested to see Chi Love That Milky Way Shake with a matte topcoat. Great idea - thanks! After seeing the Chi matte, I also took it one better with a comp, because I was instantly reminded of the OPI Suedes finish.

OPI You Don't Know Jacques Suede on index, Chi Love That Milky Shake mattified on middle and ring. I used 3 coats of each, then one coat of Essie Matte About You on the Chi. The finish is the same, but the OPI has a bit more sparkle to it. Sometimes, the matte topcoats seem to add a veil to the sparkle. Still gorgeous, though! I love how delicate the Chi looks.
Your wish is my command! ☺

Chocolate Milkshake

I've never tried Chi polishes before, so when I found a few on clearance at Ulta, I picked them up. I'm glad I did! I almost passed this one up in favor of the more flashy blue and purple, but it whispered "You need me. I'm unique." so eloquently that I couldn't leave it.

Chi Love That Milky Way Shake. 2 coats, no topcoat, full sun. Soft milkshake brown/tan with silver sparkle. I only meant to swatch this, along with the two other Chi's I got that day, but it was so beautiful and perfect, I ended up wearing it! I'm really surprised at how much I like this - I couldn't stop admiring it! I can't believe I almost left it behind! It applied beautifully, too. Perfect thickness, with no bubbles or other mishaps.

It's funny - as much as I appreciated it alone, the first thing I thought was "This would be a fantastic foundation for a stamping." This is stamped with Sally Hansen The Good Earth, shown in my lightbox. I wore the falling blocks for my full mani, and love it! What do you think? Next time, I'm doing the leopard spots.

I'm back, and changing things up a bit!

Boy, this blog is sad! I haven't posted since January 08? Really?!?! Anyway, I've decided that my blogging horizons need to expand, so it won't be just BPAL anymore. Though I will still blog about them occasionally. Nope, my focus has changed to include any and all beauty products that I'm obsessed with at any given moment.
Right now, that obsession has been nail polish! I've always liked polish, mostly because I love anything with COLOR, and even more so GLITTER! My only trouble was just that: polish always seemed like more trouble than it was worth. That all changed about a month ago, when I stumbled across my first nail blog (Scrangie, I'm lookin' at you!) All those gorgeous swatches, and I was hooked! So, here I am, back at my own blog, and I was inspired to update it, mostly so that I could post my own blingy, beauteous swatches.
Enter the painted Lady fingers contest, at http://paintedladyfingers.blogspot.com/2009/12/ladies-choice-of-diamonds-contest.html, and how could I not update my blog? Since she's hosting a contest to give away Diamond nail polishes, and I haven't tried them yet, it seemed like perfect timing. Thanks for the little push I needed, Ms. fingers! :)
No more rambling today. On to some pics!

Maybelline Salon Expert Lavish Sable. One of the best things ever found in a Big Lots for $1! Love this polish - it's a rich, burgundy/cognac/mahogany type of color that never looks black. Lavish, indeed. For some reason, I just want a subtle black woodgrain Konad for this one. This is 2 coats with topcoat, no major application issues (other than my usual sloppiness), taken under a full spectrum lamp. Seems color accurate on my monitor.

Thanks for reading!