Orly Prepster

I must admit, I got a flutter of excitement in me when I read that Orly was going to release a collection named "Prepster". Can you blame me? It didn't quite live up to my expectations, but it didn't totally disappoint either. Here's a photo of the display:



Prim and Proper: Lavendar Shimmer
Tennis Anyone?: Nude Creme
OMG: Fuschia Pink Creme
Polo Princess: Pale Pink Creme
Country Club Khaki: Taupe Creme
Cashmere Cardigan: Iris Blue Creme

The only one I've purchased is Polo Princess (I have *unintelligible murmer of total* polishes, but no Eastery pink creme!) Prim & Proper, Cashmere Cardigan and OMG are also nice colors. Very fun, very spring-y. Tennis Anyone? looks like a Band Aid color (not very appealing, in my opinion...there are a skidzillion better nudes out there). And Country Club Khaki? I think the phrase I'm searching for to describe it is "butt ugly". I've noticed concrete colors are trendy this year, but do you know any preppy ladies that would actually paint their nails the color of mud? Me neither. I'm a little sad there's not a green to complement the pink, but realistically I'm probably the only preppy-gal out there who'd paint her nails green (come on, it'd be a fun pedicure! lol)

These are available at Sally Beauty and Ulta right now. They're also up on my favorite places to order polish online: TransDesign, Head2ToeBeauty, and 8ty8Beauty. Orly is sold for $3 and change online. Shipping is a bit steep, so unless you're going to order more than 6 polishes, I'd just pick them individually at a store. (If you are going to order online, I suggest that ladies in the South order from TransDesign--they're based in Georgia and we get our packages in just a couple days!)

(A semi-related rant/tangent, I hate the word "Prepster". It just makes me cringe! I think too many years spent at a Prep School will do that to ya...I never heard the word from outsiders in a complimentary sense. Whatever, I loved high school, I got to wear plaid, khaki and polo shirts every day, haha...actually, things haven't changed much!)

Friiiiday...

Just another Friday with some random thoughts to throw out there to y'all...

* I read "Pink, Green & Southern" yesterday, and have been chomping at the bit to get to TJMaxx to check and see if there's anything Lilly in my size. I have a feeling it's been picked over by all the uppity women around here, but it can't hurt to look!

* I need to stop in Publix after work for dinner fixings, so maybe I can swing into the Maxx real quick then. Hubby is having some friends over (I guess "we" are having friends over, truly, but they're "his friends that I like") for some NCAA viewing. Specifically his alma mater, FSU. (How does a Gator/Nole couple work? How did this happen?!) I'm thinking I'll make baked ziti. I'm also thinking I want to do something fun for dessert, but I'm not sure what yet.

* Not to brag, but I'm pretty proud of my bracket after day 1. 13-3! And I even predicted a 5-12 seed upset.

* I'm wearing the prettiest nail polish of all time. China Glaze "It's 5 O'Clock Somewhere" (I wish it was 5 right now!) It's a glass-flecked magenta/fuschia that absolutely glows. It deserves a picture. Too bad I went to sleep with it apparently not totally dry, so I have a dent and sheet marks. I was hoping to make it last all weekend, but my OCD/Prissy self will probably want to re-do tonight.

* I put some sunless tanner on my legs last night. L'Oreal Sublime Bronze gel. It's really great stuff and in the past I've had fantastic luck with it, but I think I'm out of practice. Out in the daylight this morning I could really see my mistakes. I'll probably do another coat tonight to even things out. Even so, a blotch or two is better than melanoma, right>

* An old semi-not quite-sorta kinda-not really-boyfriend found me on Facebook last night (2 years after me deciding he was an immature brat not worth my time and not talking to him since). I have to admit, it was a little bit fun getting to answer his question, "so what's new with you?"

Random Musings...

* St. Paddy's Day dinner went well, despite some confussion and unnecessary drama. The smashed potatoes, steamed/buttered cabbage and especially the corned beef turned out great! I watched Martha on DVR after dinner, and although I did not brine my brisket for 2 weeks prior to the holiday, I think mine turned out better looking than hers.

I didn't add green food coloring to the 'taters. I meant to. Mom used to always do that, and in our milk too. Meh. I figure I'll do that for future kiddos, for sure. And (a sure sign we're getting old) we didn't go out for green beer either. We just sat around watching the Magic lose, drinking Smithwicks.

* I'm leaving work a bit early today to help dad pick out new flooring and bathroom tile for the remo. Working on this has taught me that I never want to build a house--too many decisions, and so expensive! And it isn't even my money I'm spending! My poor dad though, he's even more clueless on it than I am, so for his sake I try to take charge and not show how insanely flustered it all makes me feel.

* I'd been wanting a pale, opaque pink for my nails. So I bought Orly's "Polo Princess" from their new spring '09 "Prepster" collection (right up my alley). Well...I am not sure I am in love. The application is less than perfection: it's kind of streaky, even with 3 coats. And it seems to have bubbled a bit in a few places. This mani definitely won't last past tonight.

* I went on Facebook last night and browsed pages of girls I went to high school with. I looked at 3 pages, and all 3 girls are expecting! Yikes and yowza! I closed out of that pretty quickly, haha, didn't want to catch that bug!

Zoya

(I always read "Polish" as in "Eastern European Country" when it's supposed to be "nail laquer", and vice versa...just felt the need to point that out.)

Anyhow, I don't know how up on nail polish brands y'all are, but let me tell you a bit about Zoya. Before I became addicted to NP, I'd never heard of soooo many amazing brands. All I knew were OPI and the drugstore brands. I may have vaguely known of China Glaze (ChG). Anyhow, Zoya is a brand that's actually been around for a while, but really isn't readily available in stores. www.artofbeauty.com or www.zoya.com (same site), along with a few eBay sellers, are the only way for me to get my little Floridian hands on these puppies. Are they worth the shipping and the wait? You betcha!

They're a "Big 3 Free" formula, meaning they don't have the nasty potentially cancer-causing chemicals as ingredients (which, sadly, are the ingredients that make NP smooth and easy to apply). Most of the big companies these days are "B3F", but in my opinion Zoya has nailed the formula like none other. Their polishes are smooth and "creamy" and apply so effortlessly. I love their bottles too.

SO! They've got this awesome deal going on. Just go to www.zoya.com/exchange and it'll explain things better than I can. But basically, you send them in your old unwanted funky bottles, and for $3 apiece they'll send you Zoyas of your choice! They retail for $6 +shipping, so you're getting these beauties for less than half price. This deal only lasts til the 28th of February. (EDIT: they've extended the offer thru April, yay!)
The lovelies I've picked to come live with me:

Rihanna, Annie, Layla, Moxie, Lillith, Evangeline, Dakota, Jacy, Irene, and Casey.

Mostly pinks, a few assorted reds and plums/purples, 1 orangey shade, and a green that I am strangely drawn to. I'm generally not a green NP girlie, but this one calls to me.

I just remembered a small stash of old NP bottles under my bathroom sink that came home with me when we were cleaning out mom's stuff. I'm now contemplating opening up my carefully wrapped package and stuffing a few more bottles in there! I'm sick, I tell ya, sick! Buuuut *rationalization* Zoya is proll'y my fave brand. And to get it after the sale, I'd have to pay a lot more. And shipping a couple extra bottles can't be that much more, can it? LOL...save me from myself.

Nailed!

Good morning, my lovelies (I like to pretend people are actually reading this, that way I feel a bit less like I'm standing in a room alone talking to my cats).

If you hang out with me for more than 5 minutes, you will come away knowing that I am a gal with a slight nail polish obsession. I was a horrible nail biter until about 2 years ago. It was a habit my sister and I both picked up from my mom. So gross, so unladylike. I'd hide my hands whenever possible! Then one day my vanity kicked in full blast and I was able to quit. You know what it was? Meeting my future husband! I just knew that he was The One and in time I'd have a ring to show off, so I needed presentable hands. LOL!

So now I buy nail polish like my life depends on it. I am not the typical gal when it comes to choosing colors. Traditional Frenches, pales and sheers generally do nothing for me. I like to joke that in a previous life, my nails belonged to a flamboyant black woman. I have every color in the world. My favorites are pinks (of course), reds, and purples. 90% of the time, that's what I wear. I also own quite a few blues, greens and...well, you name it, I own it. I love color! I keep my nails pretty short, so I don't feel I'm too garish when wearing, say, today's bright juicy fuschia.

Today's Monday Mani, kicking off Valentines Day Week, is Zoya Audrina. Zoya's "Gossip" collection is from Summer 2008 and all polishes are named after characters from "The Hills" (or so I've heard, I have never watched the show because reality tv---especially reality tv about people who's lives in no way reflect reality---annoys the living daylights out me). In any event, I love my nails today.

This lovely photos is not my own, it is taken by Michelle at A Stroke of Color ( http://astrokeofcolor.blogspot.com/). It is one of many wonderful blogs devoted to nail polish, and I highly suggest you check it out for some inspiration and admiration! One of these days I'll start taking my own photos. Like I need another thing on my "to do" list, right? Haha