Angel of Mine Creamy Baby Oil

I haven't posted in quite some time! I was standing on my bed to hang this poster, and foolishly decided to jump down instead of stepping off carefully...needless to say, I've been nursing an injured ankle for a few weeks, which hasn't left much energy for even manis!

I've said in the past that dollar stores can be a beauty treasure trove, and Angel of Mine Creamy Baby Oil proves it again! It comes from Dollar Tree, one of the few remaining dollar stores where everything is actually a dollar. It's a light-to-medium moisturizer; it's rich enough to take care of flaky skin on my hands, but not rich enough for cuticles. It absorbs really quickly, which is hard to find in something so moisturizing. The scent is a little more grown-up than traditional baby oil, with a definite note of sandalwood, but not overpowering; I like to use this to seal my AmLactin/cover up the urea smell on days when my perfume is floriental instead of fruity.

The only thing I don't like about it is the very liquid texture---sort of a thin gel/crème---however, it's called "creamy baby oil," not "baby oil crème," so I can't seriously complain. I've learned not to get distracted after dispensing into my hand, though, as it tends to end up on the floor...but even if I do, it's only US$1 for that awfully cute 10-oz. bottle!

Color Club Over the Moon

Color Club Over the Moon is a beautiful sky/ocean blue linear holo, with a strong rainbow effect even in dim lighting. It goes on much more saturated/warmer-toned than it looks in the bottle, happily. I ordinarily wouldn't put anything over a holo, but I was in a Hawai'i state of mind at the time; the blue linear holo base reminds me of the Pacific ocean, while the glitter accent (Glimmer by Erica Rainbow Star Sprinkles) reminds me of the near-permanent rainbow in the sky above. 

While I'm thrilled with the color and holo effect on Over the Moon, the formula is a bit of a disappointment after Harp On It, which applied nicely and didn't chip for over a week. Over the Moon needed to be thinned, yet was pretty sheer - I needed one normal coat, plus one thick coat. It started chipping the next morning in the shower, which I'd expect from most linear holos, but not from a CC Halo Hue. Happily, though, it shares Harp On Its topcoat tolerance, in that the rainbow flare isn't dulled by my current choice, Hong Kong Girl. I bought all my Halo Hues from enospring.com - US$7 for a standard 0.5-oz bottle, a bargain compared to most linear holos (usually around US$11 for 0.3 oz).

Usually I'd use the bottle as a prop, but I thought you might enjoy looking at one of my new necklaces as well. I won't link to the shop, as I'm now concerned that the art used was stolen, but I bought all four turtles: Michelangelo just happens to be the cutest/most neon. All this TMNT stuff makes me feel like a seven-year-old again, but without the bedtime and restrictions on candy!

Deborah Lippmann Lady Sings the Blues

I'm not going to say that Deborah Lippmann Lady Sings the Blues is my first-ever HG polish. There are other polishes that I love for their wearable beauty (Revlon Lilac Pastelle) or because they're ultra-flashy yet go with everything (Color Club Cloud Nine). However, Lady Sings the Blues is the first time a polish has ever totally captured my personal aesthetic all at once, letting me wear my soul on my nails. It's black and blue, my favorite color combination; it has that sheer jelly base that makes it look a trillion miles deep; it reminds me of the ocean, the rain, and city skylines at night. I knew from the moment I saw the first pics that this polish would end up being a firm favorite.

As you'd expect after all that raving...it does have its flaws. It needs to be applied over black polish - this is two thick coats over black. Like most jelly glitters, tipwear is practically instantaneous. It seems to take forever (~20 minutes) to dry, although that could be a side effect of the humid Texas summer. I don't care. It's worth the fuss and the price - I got it for US$14 on Amazon, quite a savings compared to the usual price of DLs. Pick this one up if you like dark and glittery, because it is divine.

Sinful Colors Endless Blue + Darling Diva Ringer

I want to apologize for the tipwear and kitchen sink you're about to see. I usually have pretty high standards for the pics I upload. However, the color and finish of this mani are too amazing to let it go unseen by the Internet.

This picture is not Photoshopped. My nails really are an intense, ultra-saturated blue with strong purplish-pink shimmer. This is two thick coats of Darling Diva Ringer over one of Sinful Colors Endless Blue. Endless Blue is the Sinful answer to Nails Inc. Baker Street and the other ultramarine blue crèmes that have been all the rage lately. As a bonus, it's opaque in one coat, which makes it a real live unicorn among Sinful polishes, which are infamous for still showing VNL after five coats. Darling Diva Ringer is supposedly a dupe for the legendary and discontinued Clarins 230 - I wouldn't know, as I've never seen it in person. If you own both these polishes or any of these dupes, it's a must-try layering combo that reminds me of a brilliantly lit nebula. That makes it very appropriate for the playing of Mass Effect, which is a bonus!

TMNT 2012 is awesome

I've been getting very into this series lately, and with moments like this, how could I not?

I'll probably end up posting more animated GIFs pics in general from the series here since Blogger will host larger files than Tumblr, but I'll confine them to this post. Also, if you want to check out my brand-spankin'-new Tumblr (which is so far all about TMNT2012), it's here: radiumcandy.tumblr.com

I promise actual beauty content soon, but my last manicure was a catastrophe (Milani Enchantment), and I've been busy with the Mass Effect series after *finally* replacing my XBOX 360. If anyone in the polish community saw my nails right now, I'd be banned from MUA and have my blog deleted.

Ruby Kisses Crystal Glosses in Hot Voodoo and Flirt

I was interested to discover these at the beauty supply store down the block today. I had no idea Ruby Kisses made lip gloss! The ice pink on top is Hot Voodoo, a name I could swear I've heard somewhere else; the coral-ly peach is Flirt. They're both very sheer and will probably only show color if thickly applied over pale lipcolor; however, they're super shiny and positively laden with subtle, slightly iridescent clear sparkle. They're very thick and sticky (my preference) and have a generic tropical fruity scent (not my favorite, but acceptable) as well as a slight sweet flavor. At US$2 for 0.5 oz, it's a good bang for one's buck, too!

Finally, a makeup case I can love instead of just make do with!

For me, the dollar store is a kind of paradise lite - not as awesome as Hawaii, or a good Thai restaurant, or even the beauty supply store, but still frequently a source of treasures. I think this kind of love affair with cheap and tacky is what Gretchen Wilson was talking about when she sang "You might think I'm trashy, a little too hardcore, but in my neck of the woods, I'm just the girl next door." If this doesn't convince you of my pedigree, ask me about my family's lawn ornaments made out of shotgun shells, or my great-grandfather marrying his cousin. ANYWAY...

It fits my eye and face makeup well, and I could probably cram all my lipcolor and a few nail essentials in there as well. I could also dump the makeup out and use it as a travel toiletry case, although I'd worry about runs in the "satin." Not bad for US$8 at Dollar General. We recently got a huge new one that has a full range of Wet n Wild nail polish, and a very good range of L.A. Colors cosmetics and polish both - I'm becoming a big fan of L.A. Colors' standard line of lip glosses. Remind me to review Orchid and Altered Beige one of these days.

(Note the eye shadow quad, brush, and mascara in the drawer. The first two are Cover Girl - I'm always intrigued by the shadow sets that are supposed to enhance a given eye color, even though I know perfectly well which colors enhance my green eyes. I just couldn't resist this snazzy little set, especially since the brush looks and feels good for a d/s brand. The mascara is a sample I got from Chanel when I bought myself Sky Line nail polish for my birthday - both still untried because I'm nuts.)