Maybelline Revitalizing Color - Caribbean Sunset

APPLICATION: Smooth
COATS: 1 and 2 shown in photos
TOPCOAT?: Only after nail art
SOURCE: Dollar Tree
COMMENTS: I've been trying to get back into using my older nail polish, and wanted something that was simple and wouldn't be too distracting in church. I purchased this as part of a two-pack, and the other item was a strengthener with calcium - which I decided to use as a base coat. The formula was surprisingly amazing on this. I expected it to be watery like some of the older polish I have. The color... maybe it's because I don't wear colors like this too often, but it's gorgeous and refreshing!
I wore one coat to church, then added another afterwards and stamped a pattern from my Magnonails XL B plate. Finished up by outlining the pattern with tiny dots using the same nail art pen I used in my last post.

(Photos taken with phone, so not as clear)

One coat:

Two coats - so shiny!

Maybelline - Turqoise Seas

Application: Smooth
Coats: Never enough
Source: I think Dollar Tree
Comments: This looked so pretty in the bottle, but what a waste. It left me feeling the same way I did after Nigeria lost to Argentina this morning. Frustrated and disgusted. I couldn't wait to take it off, it was that bad. Too sheer. I can't even guess at when I would have gotten to bottle color. There was visible nail line even after three coats - I don't usually mind this, but it annoyed me in this case.
I tried it alone, and when I saw how sheer it was, I decided to paint my remaining fingers in black, white, and pearly white as bases. This is shown in the first picture.


Next, one coat over the base colors, and a second on my ring finger.

Then two coats over the bases and pinky, and a third on the ring finger.

No more time to waste. I was done.
I'm not even sure what I'll do with this one. It's not even promising for frankening. Yuck.

Mo' polished blues...

Rimmel - Marine Blue (index and ring fingers)
NDB - Tahitian Pearl (middle and pinky)
Maybelline - Jaded Blues (accent)
Application: Both the NDB and Rimmel went on nicely. However, the Rimmel was a tad difficult because of the flat wide brush. I used a separate brush to apply the Maybelline stripe.
Coats: 2 of each.
Source: NDB from Skyline Beauty, Rimmel from one of the drugstores (CVS, Rite Aid or Walgreens), and Maybelline from Dollar Tree
Comments: I realized I hadn't worn any of my NDB colors as a full mani, so pulled out Tahitian Pearl. Then, I shopped my swatches for a color that was close to it and found the Rimmel. These are quite close, but the NDB Tahitian Pearl has more green shimmer in it. I couldn't get my camera to capture that accurately (grrr!). In the bottle, the Maybelline also looked similar to the NDB, but with much more green shimmer, so I used that as an accent instead.

Maybelline Jean Jacket

Application: Yucky brush, polish was lumpy at first but fine after thinning.
Coats: 2
Source: Dollar Tree
Comments: I love this color in the bottle - where it also has a purple shimmer. That shimmer didn't show on my nails though, so this mani lasted just one day. I put a sticker on my ring finger - didn't help much.

French - Boo Creme, Violet Water, Cristallo Shimmer

Hello! I was out of town for a while and unable to post. Just got back and want to put this up before I go to sleep.

Sally Hansen - Boo Creme
Maybelline - Violet Water
Borghese - Cristallo Shimmer

Application: Smooth, but my hands aren't the steadiest.
Coats: 1 of each
Source: Target, my stash, and Big Lots respectively
Comments: Colors used are listed above. I made the mistake of using a ridge filler underneath this, so the gel-like purple doesn't look as good as it could. I also free-handed the tips, so not too neat. This was done in a hurry, so turned out kinda blah. Passable for work though. I love the stickers - $1.79 at wallyworld.

ABOP's Ugly Awesome Polishes

Brooke over at Getcha Nails Did had this fabulous concept about nailpolish that is ugly to the point of being awesome. You should definitely read her post about it if you haven't yet.

Well, I dug up a few of these (and there are many more, but I believe in giving each bottle in my stash a chance to shine).

Maybelline Passing by Pink, Sally Hansen Classy Frost, Chill Frost, Forsythia, and Sation Purple Royal

Colors are in reverse on my nails:

3 coats of each - mostly because the chalky Passing by Pink (on pinky) was still streaky on the second coat. Yes I know, I have a dent in my middle finger.

They're starting to grow on me at this point. I can't stop looking at Purple Royal (thumb). Is it a "jelly"? Classy frost (ring finger) went from looking like mud in the bottle to chocolate on the nails.

And then of course I do with these what I do with manis destined for destruction. Try out some stamps on them of course!