Pink Wednesday — OPI Aphrodite's Pink Nightie

Here's another classic OPI shade for Pink Wednesday: Aphrodite's Pink Nightie. It's a cool toned pink shimmer. It's leaning toward the frosty end, and it can be a little tricky to apply with the brush strokes. They're not too bad, though. They look more obvious in pictures than they do in real life. I believe this swatch was three thin coats, though I could've gotten away with just two.

Finally, I just want to say thank you to everyone for reading, following and commenting! In the past month I have been discovering so many great nail blogs and meeting so many lovely people. The community of nail bloggers has been so welcoming. I'm having a lot of fun on our little corner of the internet! =)

Nostalgia — Sally Hansen The Good Earth

Remember the old line of Sally Hansen Salon polishes? In the spring and the fall they would come out with six colors inspired by that season's fashions. They came in these great square bottles with a rubberized cap. For some reason, I just really love the way these old square bottles look. I know I bought colors that I might not have been interested in otherwise, simply because I think polish looks so good in this kind of bottle. There's plenty of colors in the new line that I like, but I never wind up getting them because the bottles are so ugly.

The Good Earth was from the Fall 2008 collaboration with designer Tracy Reese. There were so many good colors in that collection, now I wish I'd gotten all of them. It's a rich, dark, chocolate brown with very subtle gold shimmer.

The formula is lovely. I did three coats, but you could certainly get away with just two. The brush is a traditional round brush, and much easier to use than the gigantic mops of the new line. (Did I mention how much better the old line was??) The rubbery cap is just perfect for precise control of application. Why do they always discontinue the products that were so perfect?

French Manicure with Revlon Starry Pink

Revlon Starry Pink is a milky, cool toned pink with silver glitter. The formula is packed with small round and medium sized hex glitter. Three to four coats gives you an opaque look, but I thought this would be a fun polish to use for a French manicure. I painted two coats of Starry Pink over one coat of Misa Heaven White on the tips.

And here's a plain swatch using three coats:

The formula is easy to use, and I didn't have any trouble with streaking. I found this polish along with Revlon Facets of Fuchsia in a seasonal display at CVS.

Wet n Wild Teal of Fortune

Teal of Fortune is the other Wet n Wild polish I picked up last week in CVS. It's a gorgeous glass fleck shimmer, very similar to (and possibly a dupe for) Zoya Charla and OPI Catch Me In Your Net. It's part of the permanent line so you should be able to find it in any Wet n Wild display.

I used three coats. You can see the nail line is still slightly visible in certain lighting conditions, but it's not likely anyone will notice. Instead, they'll be distracted by the saturated, shimmery color!

How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Acetone

Today I have a more wordy post for you! I want to talk about acetone, and hopefully clear up any misconceptions people might have about it. To keep this fun, I've included two pictures of my little cat, Mini. She's supposed to be an indoor cat, but lately she has been slipping out the door at every opportunity. She only runs for about 5 feet, though. As soon as she reaches the lawn, she starts chowing down.

Now you're in the mood to read about acetone, yes?

Many people are under the false impression that "acetone free" or "non-acetone" polish remover is somehow safer or better for your nails. This just isn't true. Acetone is an extremely safe and effective solvent when used properly. It's just as safe as any other type of nail polish remover. Acetone is used safely in much (MUCH!) larger quantities by other industries. You will not become overexposed to acetone by using the small amounts needed for manicures.

Just follow these easy rules:

· Use it in a well-ventilated room. Don't huff it!
· It's not intended for consumption. Don't do shots!
· It's flammable. Don't do your nails by romantic candlelight!

Is it bad for your skin?

Some people notice that their skin turns white where acetone comes in contact with it. This may look disturbing, but it's not a sign of damage or any other problem. Acetone is just temporarily dehydrating, which is a quality that makes it great for preparing the nail plate for a manicure. There's no need to worry about it as your skin will naturally restore its moisture levels within about 30 minutes. Just dab on a little cuticle oil after you finish polishing, and you're good as new.

Non-acetone/acetone free polish remover is actually MORE drying for your skin, simply because it's a less effective solvent. It works more slowly so you have to use more of it for a longer amount of time. This means you spend more time in contact with it and are exposed to more of it. Unless you are actually allergic to acetone, there's no need to avoid it.

I believe the main source of confusion about the safety of acetone comes from the marketing attached to non-acetone removers. These removers are usually made from either methyl ethyl ketone or ethyl acetate, but the main phrase advertised on the bottle is "acetone free". Without actually lying to us, those words imply that acetone is something we should avoid. So don't fall for this marketing trick; if you want to use acetone remover, then go right ahead!


Source: Nail Structure and Product Chemistry by Douglas D.Schoon

Mini enjoys a fresh salad.