Claire's: Happy/Earthy

Well I grabbed these mood polishes a while ago when I saw a bunch of them one day at the mall. And I have to say - I'm really disappointed. Maybe it is that I'm too cold. Or warm. I don't know. But for the most part these polishes don't change at all. At least the ones I've tried. I got 4 of them, but I only wore 2 and just didn't even feel like trying the other two. I'll definitely get around to swatching them one day. But probably not any time soon. 

I also am not a fan of the finish. I know some people like the semi-matte finish (a la Orly Plastix collection) but.... for the most part I don't. Sometimes it really works, but most of the time I hate it. Well, here are some pictures of Happy/Earthy. My favorite of the two I've tried. Though that isn't saying much. 

Diamond Cosmetics: Wild Thing

Surprise! Hot pink! What a change from the usual fall/winter colors. I don't think my camera took very good photos of this polish. But whatever. You get the point. It is a reallllly bright neon salmon polish. It dries matte, as you can tell. Good coverage. I have yet to really find a Diamond Cosmetics polish that I am truly disappointed with. 

Color Club: Puccci-licious

Here is my ideal purple color - a nice blue leaning cool purple. This is Pucci-licious by Color Club. Surprisingly this polish dried matte. I guess it is so bright it is slightly neon, although I wasn't expecting that to be the case when I ordered it. But I enjoy the matte-ness, because that means it dries super fast. 

Zoya: Veruschka

I have to admit I was extremely hesitant to purchase this polish, because I had problems with Zoya Crystal staying on and because it is a matte I figured it would be much worse. Wow was I wrong. This wore like glue! It might be because I followed the advice of other bloggers and made a 'sandwich' with coats of CND Sticky and Veruschka. Anyway, I love this polish! I love the matte finish, mainly because it is still sparkly. I love that it is a dark green that maintains its green-ness on the nail. 

Diamond Cosmetics: Matte Mulberry

Sorry that I haven't been posting that much lately. Regular old end of the semester bullshit got in the way. But now I'm pretty much done with all the major assignments for my actual classes this semester, and all I really have to focus on now are my thesis proposal, and the applications I have to complete for PhD programs and for Law School. Although every day I'm thinking that going on for more school seems like a huge mistake. I've been told by countless people that even after I get a PhD I might be stuck working at a community college as an adjunct for 10 years! I'm qualified to be an adjunct professor right now - so why on earth should I waste the next 5 years of my life and hundred of thousands of dollars on getting a PhD?? Aside from my own pride, and the desire to force my brother to call me Dr. ______, it just seems to be an impractical decision. I'm already in enough debt. I don't want to be dirt poor for the next 5 years pouring over research being forced to read old documents in Spanish and Dutch. I don't even speak Spanish or Dutch. 

So.. I figure I'll apply to some schools anyway, but I would really rather just get a Museum Studies Certificate while I'm doing my Masters right now, and then get the hell out of here. I'm so ready to be done with school and get on with my life and maybe make some money for a change instead of living off of student loans. 

Sigh... such big decisions. 

Anyhoo, I ordered some more polishes from Diamond Cosmetics and this beauty was part of the haul. I absolutely adore it! Matte Mulberry. I don't even like matte polishes, but I love this one. And it actually doesn't seem to be that matte. It is more like the finish on those Orly Plastix collection - which was a combo between shiny and matte. Reminiscent of vinyl seats or something like that. 

I love the color - a purple/punk fusion that definitely leans more on the cool purple side. I just think it works well with my skin tone and it looks sharp because the finish is so different from what I normally wear. If you're buying from DC I recommend adding this to your cart. It is only 2 bucks. How could you go wrong? 

Matte Across the Universe

Hey,

Before I took off Across the Universe, I was curious what it would look like if I put a matte top coat on it. So naturally I fulfilled my curiosity. And I love it! It is bizzare. But cool. I took lots of pics.

I think this picture shows off the awesomeness best. Obviously the glitter still reflects the light while inside the matte top coat, but the whole effect is more muted and subdued. I love it. It is a great way to change up the polish and extend the mani. And with a 20 dollar polish, who doesn't love that idea, right?

Here is what my matte top coat from Diamond Cosmetics looks like. Very murky! At first I thought they messed up and accidentally gave me another Concrete Gray. But they didn't. 

Overall I love this look! Next time I wear this polish I am definitely going to be slapping some matteness over it on the second day.