Pretty Little Things: April 2010

Hello everyone,

Here is my outfit for Monday, April 26th, 2010. We had a Model United Nations practice conference/debate, and since I'm on the press team (and as of today, I'm editor *snaps for me*). The dress code was formal, with skirts and dress pants for girls, so I decided to give my own twist on the typical white blouse/black slacks/Mary Janes. Enjoy!

Cardigan: Giordano Ladies, Black and White Top: Chocolate Factory (from Marshall's), Harem Pants: Giordano Ladies, Heart Bangle: Local Boutique in Taipei,

Initial Necklace: Club Monaco

(Closeup of the silver heart bangle) I think I have TOO many bracelets, let them be charm bracelets, bangles, or those really childish jelly bracelets that were huge a few years back. I cannot own enough, but I do love this one a lot, considering the simplicity of it.

(Closeup of Initial Necklace) "A" is for Awesome, as it is for Adrienne! (Just kidding, but seriously, I'm right, no? :D)

I pimped out my Lenovo X200 laptop yesterday in order for it to be recognizable among so many others at the conference. I used a nice bordering tape to do this design on the cover of my laptop. It cam out pretty cute, so I think I may be keeping it on for a while.

(Closeup of cover design) I like black/white borders like this one A LOT.

The screen/wallpaper of my laptop. Florals (especially Liberty florals, don't even get me started) are a HUGE love/obsession of mine. Added a little "I love Paris" sticker next to the built in webcam, which makes it look uber adorable as well.

Some Russian nesting doll bordering tape that I purchased last night for 45 NT (the two other designs came in a smaller roll, and were 12 NT each). I LOVE Russian nesting dolls.
♥

-adrienne.

Hello everyone,

This post is a pretty exciting one. I usually don't opt for beauty-related posts (this is absolutely NOT going to be a sole beauty blog, I promise!). However, I absolutely love nail polishes, and I have finally decided to dedicate a post to it. Here are some oft favorite colors for the coming spring. I mixed in some local Japanese/Taiwanese brands, so if you're not in Asia, don't worry. I bet there are dupes worldwide!

Here we go!

1. OPI's Jade is the New Black

This color came out with the OPI Hong Kong Collection. I loved Chanel's Jade Nail Lacquer, but wasn't extremely happy with the extremely ridiculous price tag. OPI polishes are very opaque (unless they are specifically are said to be sheer, or a top coat). I also love greens like this for spring, but instead of mint, I mostly opt for this color. An absolute must for a daring individual.

2. OPI's Passion

This color is extremely sheer, so unless you pile on about three or four coats, all you will get is a shiny, top-coat like effect. However, I do love this "nail-color-but-better" kind of look. The color is great paired with a white tip for a French manicure. Spring is all about naturals (yes, that means no more dark reds, which I am obsessed with), so OPI's Passion is great for everyday when you want a clean, neat, and flawless nail.

3. Canmake #13: Blue Sherbet

Canmake is a cosmetics company based and founded in Japan, but they ship their products all over Asia. If you live in Taiwan (or anywhere out of Asia, to say the least), you cannot find this color. I purchased this color in Okinawa when I went on holiday, and to say it bluntly, I have NEVER seen anything like it. Canmake polishes are very sheer, but are very buildable in terms of opacity. This color is described as "a sweet blue, like refreshing sugar-coated candy" on Canmake's English website. Blue makes Asian skins look a tad bit jaunty, but if you don't mind, or you don't have Asian skin or skin with yellow undertones, this color is the epitome of spring!

4. Canmake #10 Lavender Milk

Another GREAT Canmake polish, the website describes it as "a gentle, sweet lavender". This looks pretty similar to OPI's Done Out in Deco, which I also own. Done out in Deco is very opaque, and has a grey undertone, while as this color is more of a sheer wash of lavender. Most Canmake pastels are a milky consistency, so I usually opt for three or four coats. However, they dry very quickly, making application not as time consuming.

5. Canmake #19 Gold

While this color isn't actually gold in itself, it does have major sparkle and shimmer going on. The website describes this as "a polish packed with silver lame particles in a translucent gold base". I love to wear this color of creamy and shiny blacks (think Chanel Black Satin). It's also great to wear by itself and has enough sparkle and shine to be worn in spring.

6. Essie #635 Secret Affair

Now on to Essie polishes. Spring is all about simplicity to me, and this color just shouts it. I've had this polish for the longest time and as you can see, the bottle only has about 1/4th of polish in it. This is great for an otherwise busy floral outfit (bonus points for spring!), but it looks great with just about anything from neutrals to denim to ruffles. They sell Essie in Taiwan for an obscene price (470 NT at Hands Tauling. That's $14.99 folks), and since I got this a while back in America, I'm not sure if you can still get this color.

7. Essie Tea and Crumpets

Another bronze shimmery color, I really can't seem to get enough of these. I initially got this color at Hands Tauling (local Japanese-chained everything store) for my grandma for her birthday. Yes, it sort of looked like one of those colors that grandmothers would wear on their toes. My grandma used it once and claimed it "made her look sickly" and returned it, dignity intact, to me three days after receiving it. Tea and Crumpets has a beautiful coral and pink shimmer with gold sparkle in it. A nice choice for days where nails aren't a top priority.

8. Essie Shorts Shorts (Polish #1 in Essie's 2008 Neon Shorts Collection)

This pink reminds me of OPI's Elephantastic Pink that came out with the India collection so many months or even years ago. The Essie Neon Shorts collection came out in 2008 with four limited (or so I believe) edition polishes. I purchased the mini set that came with all four of the polishes from the collection. Short Shorts is a hot neon pink that goes on opaque with one coat. It's more of a summer polish than a spring polish, but I think it works in both seasons when paired with the correct outfit and accessories. As I previously mentioned, this is a limited edition color (as are all the Neon Shorts polishes), so if you can't find this exact color, any neon pink will do.

#9 Essie Bermuda Shorts (Polish #2 in Essie's 2008 Neon Shorts Collection)

Bermuda Shorts was my go to toenail polish for a while in 2008, and since then, I've probably used 3/4 of the bottle. There is BARELY enough polish for two full paintings of toes and fingers, so I'm saving it for a really really special occasion. Bermuda Shorts is a rich, vibrant, and creamy neon purple/magenta color. Again, this is a VERY eye popping color (as are all polishes from this collection), so it might also work better as a summer color. This is limited edition, but if you do want to find something similar, I suggest OPI's Pamplona Purple from the Spain Collection, which is a more slightly toned down creamy purple.

#10 Essie Mini Shorts (Polish #3 in Essie's 2008 Neon Shorts Collection)

Mini Shorts is a total LOVE for summer, but I have worn it a couple of times this spring so far. I did a killer tiger stripe pattern with this as a base, and I will post a picture up soon. It goes on opaque on a first coat and is a bright, glowing orange color. It looks great with a neutral outfit, as do most of these Neon Shorts polishes.

#11 Essie Shorty Shorts (Polish #4 in Essie's 2008 Neon Shorts Collection)

I don't usually opt for yellows, especially not this neon one, since it makes my Asian skin look a sickly yellow. However, since I've acquired a sort of tan, this makes me look more bronzed than yellowish brown. I guess I've never wanted to be tan (I've prided myself and my super pale Asian skin since I was little), but I guess this color makes me glow instead of look dry and brown.

#12 Estee Lauder's Petal Pink

Petal Pink is my all time go to pink color. It enhances my nails and makes them look amazingly shiny and natural, like I spent two hours buffing and perfecting them. This color is pretty old, since I remember getting it about a year ago. I know there's some time limit to keep polishes, but since I switch off, I use this one extremely sparingly. This is an extremely classy polish that makes me look slightly more professional and put together. If you cannot find this at your Estee Lauder counter, I suggest Essie's Ballet Slippers which has collectively become a cult favorite.

Now for an over view of all the polishes!

(From left to right) OPI's Jade is the New Black, OPI's Passion, Canmake Blue Sherbet, Canmake Lavender Milk, Canmake Gold

(From left to right) Essie Secret Affair, Essie Tea and Crumpets, Essie Short Shorts, Essie Bermuda Shorts, Essie Mini Shorts, Essie Shorty Shorts, Estee Lauder Petal Pink

Thanks for reading!

♥

-adrienne.