Breedlove Hoops

A few months ago Brian convinced me that we should celebrate our "half-iversary" because we didn't have enough holidays to enjoy together. The idea is that it is half way to the date of our anniversary, kind of like a "unbirthday."

The day before our celebration Brian told me to be ready to leave the house as soon as he got home from work. I thought the request was strange, but I made sure I was ready to go. Once we got going he told me that we were headed to the Vista House. It was warm and sunny for once, so I was happy to go. The Vista House was packed when we got there despite it being a weekday. We toured the house before heading out to the upper observation deck.

It is my pleasure to bring you another installment from Octopus Party Nail Lacquer. The summer collection contains eight brand new shades that are perfect to heat up your spring and help you transition into the warmer months.

Shore Fire

Laguna Bleach

Sizzler

Model City Polish released Ghost Stories and a ton of other gorgeous holos last autumn. I wanted them so badly that I had to practically sit on my hands to keep myself from buying them all. I had planned on picking a few of them up in October, but we had a break in and decided to replace a few of the stolen items first. It took Model City's Easter egg sale to remind me that there were holos I needed! I'm really glad I picked this one up.




Ghost Stories is a black scattered holographic polish. It has a subtle shimmer indoors, but really sparkles out in the sunshine. I used two coats to achieve full coverage, but you could definitely get away with one coat if you are careful. I was rather impressed with the color composition overall. Ghost Stories is truly a black holo polish.

Over time I have discovered that many black holos appear more silver because of the amount of holographic glitter added. For me, that silver tone takes away from the polish because I'm looking for a solid black. Another frequent issue I've come across with black holos is that they contain such a small amount of holographic glitter it may as well not exist. Ghost Stories is the perfect balance between solid black and sparkly holo goodness.

Polishes used: Model City Polish- Ghost Stories, Orly- Bonder, Poshe- Top Coat



What must have holographic colors do you own?

Last week I had the opportunity to see my brother for the first time since Christmas. We don't get to see each other often because of his crazy work schedule, so I wanted to make the most out of this trip. After settling on hiking we couldn't make up our mind on which hike to try. After much debate we agreed upon Angel's Rest.

The hike certainly wasn't easy for a novice hiker like myself. On average the trail grade was 10-15% which resulted in an elevation gain of 1450 feet. I stand at a measly 5' 4" while my brother is over 6'. He was practically racing up the trail most of the way while I was scrambling behind.



Our hike started off with an immediate climb and a great view after only five minutes.


About .6 miles into the hike we reached the top of Coopey Falls. You could see the falls earlier on in the hike, but I wasn't willing to get close enough to the edge for a photo.



This was probably my favorite hike so far because the view from the top made the difficult hike entirely worth it. If I were to hike this again, I would do it on a cooler day and after I had broken in my hiking shoes more.


We ended our day at McMenamins Edgefield so that we could refuel and get our passports stamped. The passport program is a $20 purchase that rewards you for visiting different McMenamins locations. Brian and I both have passports, so when we completed our Edgefield pages we each got to choose a prize. If you are local I recommend checking it out!

Hey guys! I'm back with part two of the Family Don't End With Blood collection by Finger Lickin' Lacquer. The collection was inspired by the tv show Supernatural. The colors I reviewed are scented, but you have the option to order them unscented. If you missed part one of the collection you can find it here.

Oh, Baby

Hello Boys

Knight of Hell

Moose

Call Me Meg

Hey guys! Today I have part one of the Family Don't End With Blood collection by Finger Lickin' Lacquer. The collection is inspired by the tv show Supernatural, and features many of your favorite characters from the show. The colors I reviewed are scented, but you have the option to order them unscented.

Hunter's Helper

Hey Assbutt

Croatoan

Polishes used: Finger Lickin' Lacquer- Croatoan, Revlon- Top Coat

Cherry Pie

Fight the Fairies

This collection will launch on May 20th to coincide with the final episode of season nine. All polishes retail for $8.50 each, but you can save 10% by using the code SEASONTEN on any purchase over $10.

Let me start off by saying that I LOVE Pretty & Polished colors. Thermals are so much fun to have despite their short shelf life. I feel like Pretty & Polished has some of the most unique thermals available. Unfortunately, most of my experiences with their thermals haven't been positive.

Let's rewind for a second, back to before I blogged about nail polish.

Last Summer I purchased Cuttle Fish and April Showers. Cuttle Fish changed like a champ and exceeded all of my expectations. I love thermals so much that as soon as I took off Cuttle Fish I knew I needed to wear April Showers. Unfortunately, April Showers was super gritty and anywhere a piece of pigment appeared the polish had issues transitioning between colors. I contacted Pretty & Polished with photos and was told that the gritty texture was normal and that they had no reports of issues with April Showers. After a great deal of back and forth over a month they finally sent a replacement bottle and a bottle of top coat as an apology for taking so long to replace the bottle.

It's been about a year since I had that experience and Pretty & Polished was having a 25% off Spring Cleaning sale, so I decided to give them another try. I ordered four colors, two of which are thermals. I decided to wear and photograph The Fifth Beetle first, so let's take a look at those photos:

The Fifth Beetle (bottle 1)

The Fifth Beetle (bottle 2)

Tomboyish