My Kind of French MANicure Niuton Chavez Felix

Hello my fellow polishers! 

If you follow my blog, you may have noticed I was absent for a while. 

My life has had some twists and turns that have absorbed my time quite a bit. All changes, fortunately,  are for the good and advancement of myself. 

Some of these changes are job related and others are spiritual related. But all is more than good. 

Due to these changes I just haven’t been looking to purchase new nail polish shades, so no new swatches have been posted because of that. 

The purpose of the blog was not in any form intended to be a “nail polish review” blog, but somehow, that was the form it took. 

Letting it sit for a while has given me the time to refocus the main objective of this blog. It is OK for men to wear nail polish. 

These last couple of months I have been going to the salon to have my nails done with gel polish. 

I started doing them with gel polish more than anything because I didn't have time to go shopping for nail polish. On occasions where I would go shopping, I just didn't feel enamored of any particular shade I saw at the stores. Everything I saw was very close to something I already had.

One time I went to have my nails done and I saw a very nice pink with blue shimmer polish. When I asked my nail tech to apply it, she told me it was gel polish, so from that point forward, I have been doing gel ever since.

I have always loved shiny top coats, and I have to admit, you can’t beat gel polish for that. Even Seché Vite, which has the best top coat shine for regular polish, can't match gel top coats.

As far as how long it lasts, now that I am wearing longer nails, I am more conscious about them and take better care of how I handle things to avoid breaking a nail. So for me at least, both regular nail polish and gel based nail polish is the same when it comes to how long it lasts. I almost always outgrow them before they chip.

I have always liked french manicures but never did any on my nails because from my point of view, the nails have to be a bit longer for the french to look nice. Also, french manicures look very nice and clean, but a bit boring for my taste. Si I opted to have the french effect with color.  

I have also been experimenting with different color combinations and white tip length.

Nevertheless, I let my nails grow so I could sport a nice french manicure, and let me tell you, unless I need to cut my nails short for some very strong reason, I don't intend to shorten them any time soon.

Letting my nails grow just a bit has been a very pleasant experience for me. They are great for scratching. I just love to scratch my scalp and run my nails thru my hair ( I wear my hair long) and they are fabulous to scratch my back. 

Anyway, I hope you keep coming back to read my blog. I will be posting more, but less often. I will be venturing into other kinds of activities and traits that are considered "female", but that when we start to discern about them, we can come to the clear conclusion that we make them like that, but that there is no real solid reason why they should be that way. We have the power to change things. Of course, nail polish in no exception. Remember, one of the universal immutable laws is that everything is constantly changing. 

In the mean time, Happy Polishing!

Nubar “Geisha Blaze” Niuton Chavez Felix

We are full spring ahead,  25 days into the season. Time to change that polish again!

Last February I tried my first pink, Butter London’s “Disco Biscuit” and I had a so so experience with that particular polish. You can read it here. So in my quest for that great hot pink nail polish, I looked and searched all over until I found Nubar’s “Geisha Blaze”. 

Definitely my kind of shade! 

I can highly recommend this nail polish line. This was my first experience with it, has a great brush, and at least with this bottle, the nail polish was superb. Not too thin and not too thick, just right for a three coat application. Finish was perfect, Color was super, hot pink with a slight hint of purple hue. This color really jumps at you when the sun hits it. It is absolutely gorgeous. 

Definitely what I was expecting. Perfect for spring and even summer. 

Pair it with a great fuchsia shirt or spring blazer. 

Also looks great on the toes. 

This is a keeper for me, as far as pinks, this one will be hard to top. 

If you are into pinks, give this one a try, you will not regret it. Until next time, happy polishing!

“Khloe has a little lam lam” from the Nicole by OPI Kardashian collection Niuton Chavez Felix

March is here and so is green! Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

March, the month of Pisces, at least until the 20th. It’s element is water which brings out the green. When I think of green, I think of a forest green, or a green landscape like Ireland. 

No wonder St. Patrick’s Day is in March. Love the green, it represents Life and Abundance. The color of money. The color of Ireland. The Irish and the deep culture they have.

So this month I chose “Khloe has a little lam lam” from the Nicole by OPI Kardashian collection.

One thing for sure is that OPI products are mostly keepers. This one is no exception.

This is a very nice deep emerald green cream color. No glitter, no metallic finish. Just pure cream color.

As with all other OPI products, the brush is very nice. The only thing I can not get use to is the shape of the bottle. It is very nice to look at, but a bit tricky to hold when applying nail polish. Other than that, I really like this polish. The shade is dark, depending on the lighting, It can look almost black. Only when the sun hits it can you see the rich color this nail polish has. Totally oposite from last month’s experience, this polish is just a two coater for full coverage. 

The polish glides with no streaks.

If you like jewel tone colors like me, this is for you.  It is a perfect color for the transition to spring and more brighter or pastel shades. One thing I noticed is that this particular color, goes very well on short nails. I can honestly say this is a 5 bottle rating. Remember to file, prime, base, color and top coat for a full 12 day manicure without the use of gel polish. Until next time, Happy Polishing!

Orly - "Haute Red" Niuton Chavez Felix

First and foremost……

In the spirit of the holiday festivities, I decided on red nail polish for this post.  This is Orly’s “Haute Red” nail polish. It is a classic. Even though it’s not gel based, this cream color base spreads like butter on the nail.

Orly now makes most of it’s color’s on both gel and regular nail polish, so it you like this red and would like it on gel, it is available.

Before I tried this color, I had an old favorite on, “red velvet” by Cherimoya with a couple of accented nails using Orly “Lux”.

There is something about red nail polish that is so cool to look at. Personally it feels empowering. So many reds out there that it is impossible to name them all. I have my own share and the stash keeps growing. 

Just to finalize this post, I would like to make a point on the poll results so far. Close to half of the poll respondents, 46% do not care what people might think. Kudos to all those who live happy and do not live by what others think. But it seems that FEAR is still a big factor on why men don’t wear nail polish. Close to 35% of poll respondents are still afraid of what people might say. Just 18% of respondents don’t want to be labeled as something they are not, which is a valid reason, but still, falls into the “what might others think or say” category. 

I say go for it! and make it a new years resolution to live your life to the fullest and fearlessly. If you fall into that 35% or even that 18% bracket, and would like to wear nail polish, go ahead, you will never look back and I guarantee you will feel empowered.

Happy Polishing!

OPI "Alpine White" Niuton Chavez Felix

We just had a monster heat wave where I live and thought about going all white on my nail polish. I had already begun my transition to fall colors, when I realized that I had not worn white before. 

I am not a big fan of very bright colors, and that might have something to do with that, but white is one color that I like very much. Like black, it can be elegant and casual at the same time. It will look cool at the beach and chic at the night club.

At first it was the weather that got me in the mood for all white, it is very hot right now, but after I pondered at it a bit, I got inspired by two of my favorite movie franchises, star wars, and star trek. 

All white inspires cleanliness, futuristic landscapes and a high sense of style. Just look at the stormtrooper, the rebel ship deck and the Enterprise. Clean, modern, futuristic, elegant.

 For this post, my five year old daughter wanted to get into the act. She had her tiny toes and fingers done in a french mani with some flower decorations. She just loves that I wear polish and she also likes to wear polish. It is mom that won’t let her do it often, maybe on some long weekends or on vacation because of school. Anyway, she likes when daddy and her can wear the same color.

For this endeavor I picked OPI’s “Alpine White” that I used for a previous nail design. Like all OPI colors I have tried before, this is pro grade. Nice streak free application and three coats and a top coat will cover like gel. If you prep the nail with a buff and you use primer and a base coat, you nails with last two to three weeks. So if your neck of the woods is also going thru a heat wave, or you want to try something stylish, you can go all white for the remainder of summer which is just days away, or you can also wear it thru the fall and winter. Until next time, Happy Polishing!

Sally Hansen 230 "Plum Power" Niuton Chavez Felix

There is something about purple. It spells Royalty, finesse, chicness. There are many shades out there.

I have tried various kinds, one my favorites being Chanel’s “Taboo” with it’s sparkly red and blue shimmer that make it look like a little galaxy. 

I thought that I would never look at another purple that would captivate me like taboo, but low and behold “Plum Power” from Sally Hansen’s Hard as Nails Xtreme wear nail color line. 

This is a magnificent color, it is definitely a keeper. Sally Hansen is a sure bet for quality. Just the right amount of viscosity for a three coat flawless application and perfect coverage.

This is a perfect color to start making the transition from summer to fall. One of the things I just love about this shade is the fact that it is not quite a metallic shade nor is it a creme.

No shimmer or glitter, just pure pearl finish. Just like the fruit when it's maturing, this nail polish tone varies depending on the light and the angle you look at it. I personally think it is a very special tone and finish. 

I just love how this color contrasts with gold. It goes very well with earthly fall season colors. It contrasts wonderfully with green tones and it looks fabulous with gray.

If you like dark jewel tone colors like me, you will absolutely fall in love with this one. Until next time, Happy Polishing!

L.A. Colors "Aquatic"

Spring is in the air, sunny weather, easter eggs, chocolate, swimming pools. I rarely post twice in a month, but this time I just could not resist this blue. It reminded me of some blue shirts that I have. I also have a blue watch, some blue shoes and many blue ties. 

So I was walking down my local drugstore and this shiny blue bottle caught my eye. My first impression was that it was too bright a blue. I usually don’t go for bright colors on nail polish, but this time, there was something about this blue that begged me to try it on. 

With the easter festivities coming I thought, why not!. I mean, we paint our cars blue, we wear blue clothing, so why not paint my nails with this blue. After all, blue is a color for boys right? Riiiiiight…. 

Anyway, I have to say that I just love it! I think I have not had so many compliments on my nails since I wore Malice from Chanel.

The brightness on this tone is an attention getter, but in a good way. It is the kind of color, that even though it is not a holographic, metallic or shimmer, you can contemplate it again and again. Several people even thought I was wearing Gelish.  This cream based blue is called Aquatic from L.A. Colors, it’s from their color craze line. I have to say, until now, I have not had an L.A. Colors nail polish that I do not just love.

It is a three coater, goes on smooth and does not streak, as you can clearly see from the photographs. It is a keeper for me, I am sure you will love it too. Until next time! Happy Polishing!

ORLY - LIQUID VINYL

I am anxiously waiting for the fourth season of my favorite TV series. One of the things I like about Game of Thrones is the contrast that exist between the different kingdoms.

From the desolate ice wall near Winterfell, to Kings Landing or Qarth’s grandeur to the darkness of Harrenhal. With a few exceptions, Game of Thrones is as dark a TV show as they come. Crude, Rude and to the bones. And as always, the books are better. 

This is the first time I have worn pure black nail polish. I chose Orly’s “Liquid Vinyl” because I wanted to somehow look a bit dark without having to look like a rock star or an emo, I thought I could achieve this by wearing very glossy instead of matte. This was to pay homage to my favorite TV show and the black three eyed crows. This polish wears more like a rubber cat suit, goes on very nicely, with a creamy wet finish. As always, I topped it of with Seché-VIte Top Coat. Looks very edgy.

I paired it with my Game of Thrones sandals and love the look. Two coats will do to cover well but three are much better. I seldom wear cream colors, but this black is a cream that I can wear many times over.

Orly polishes are professional grade, they apply very well. This nail polish, based not on color but on consistency, brush, and finish deserves a 5 bottle rating.

Love the finish,  It should work great as a base for nail art or to combine with other top coats with sparkles or shimmer as well as for stamping, the kind of must have for all occasions. Until next time, Happy Polishing!

ORLY - Sea Gurl

Hi you all! It has been a long time since my last post. Sorry for the delay, no excuses here. Just been putting it off for other stuff. January came and went by and I did not upload my start of the year polish. I will make it up by doing it this month and posting twice, and since I already had the photographs from last month, here they are.

I got the inspiration for this color from fashion magazines. I saw that metallics are trending, specially silvers, golds and coppery colors in shoes (I got a couple of metallic sandals I am dying to wear once the weather permits by the way), bags and accessories are also trending silver and gold metallic, so I had a good pretext to use a color I was given as a present over the Christmas holidays. 

This is ORLY - Sea Gurl. It is a very interesting color. It looks kind of metallic silver, but it is actually a greenish grey that has silver shimmer on it. I thought it would be a great color to wear in January, kind of wintery grey.

This is one color shade that does not vary much from light source to light source. It looks exactly the same when the sun is hitting it directly, or if you are looking at it under ambient or fluorescent lighting. 

It is very much like any cream color when it comes to color consistency under different lightning conditions, but the difference with this color, is the silver shimmer they added to it. 

It goes on very smoothly, Orly polishes are professional grade, not very thin to be a shimmery polish. As always I went with 3 coats for a good 2 week chip-less application.

I give this Orly color a 5 bottle rating, I think this neutral, kind of metallic look and shimmery color is great not just for winter, but for any time of the year. 

It can look edgy with a leather jacket and you can dress it up with a tuxedo, or dress it down with an untucked sleeves rolled up dress shirt. A very good color to have on any collection, you will not be disapointed.

Until the next post, happy polishing!

CHANEL - 637 MALICE Niuton Chavez Felix

We are just days away from thanksgiving. Once we leave that celebration behind, the Christmas countdown begins. Away with the orange, brown and autumn colors. It is time to express the Christmas spirit and celebrate the holidays that mark the year end and new beginning. 

Reds have to be my favorite shade. Lucky for me, there is an abundance of red pigmented nail polishes. I had been putting of wearing what has to be my favorite shade of red for about a year now. Although it is not a new color, it is an everlasting classic by now that many nail polish manufacturers have tried to emulate unsuccessfully.

Even though some have come very very close, there is still nothing like Chanel’s “Malice”. A special limited edition color from Chanel, “Malice” is simply stunning. It is a deep jewel tone burgundy red color that ads enough shimmer to make it stand when put under the sun.

It is elegant, the kind of color that screams “chic” and is the perfect color to wear all thru the holidays.

Under ambient light it tends to look deeper with more brownish tints. This polish has something unique to it. Instead of the usual shimmer it gives of a “velvety” look. Malice is definitely not for everyone, aside from the steep price, it seems engineered for the counselor or demanding nail polish wearer, It applies nicely in two coats with a shiny finish. Of course I applied three coats as usual and even though this particular nail polish does not need a top coat to make it shiny, I applied Seche Vite top coat for a long chip-less 15 day wear.

This is definitely a 5 bottle rating nail polish, a very nice addition to any nail polish collection. It is hard to find at the regular selling price these days. If you find it a half decent price, grab it, you will not be disappointed.

Happy Holidays and Happy Polishing!

OPI - Deutsch you want me baby? Niuton Chavez Felix

November, the last month before we enter the years end. There is something special about November. The final stretch you could say. All around the world there are special rituals and festivities in the month. It all starts on the sunset of October 31^st with what we know as Halloween, but in actuality it started as “Samhain”, which is still celebrated to this day and is a pagan celebration that marks the end of harvest season and the beginning of winter, or the “darkness” season and is an Irish/Scottish tradition.  

India has “Diwali”, and although it may fall between the middle of October and the middle of November, that festival of lights is one of the most important festivities of the whole year. It celebrates the good over evil theme, hence the “light” will always prevail over darkness. 

The same can be said for Mexico’s “Dia de Muertos” (day of the dead), second only to Guadalupe’s Virgin Day and Christmas in importance, it is where people remember their family members who have departed from this world. 

Spain celebrates San Bartolomé de Pinares Festival every November and the British have Guy Faukes Night every November 5^th.  

Of course there is the American tradition of “Thanksgiving” where as with Mexico’s Day of the Dead tradition, Thanksgiving is next to Christmas and Easter, the most important Holliday in America, if not the most. 

It is also celebrated in Canada, Puerto Rico and Liberia. One of the things I like most about “Thanksgiving” is that this celebration is mostly non-religious, even though it is rooted by the Protestant Catholic Church, today we have Roman Catholic Thanksgiving Mass, but everything was inspired by the church from England. It has since morphed into a mostly non-religious good harvest celebration that can go cross religion, which in my personal point of view, is a good thing.

My personal opinion is that it can be celebrated by all religions because it really does not really touch on any religious themes, except for the fact that we give thanks to “The Lord”, “God”, the “Creator” or whatever name you want to give it. We can give thanks to our neighbor, our family or whom ever we want. It is about being “Grateful”. 

Even the Japanese celebrate “Labor Thanksgiving Day” influenced by the American occupation after the second World War.  

What do all these festivities have in common? Orange! They have in some way or another the colors of fall and fire. Red, Orange, Yellow or any combination of these. 

That is why I picked OPI - Deutsch you want me baby? As my last fall season color.

This is for my taste, the best burnt orange color yet. Not a new color though, it is from OPI’s Germany Collection introduced in 2012. 

The more I use OPI’s line of polishes the more I like them. Their quality is consistent. It is a burnt orange color with a very visible red saturation. The photograph where I hold a tomato tells it more than words can.  

It reminds me very much of Sally Hansen’s “Unbreakable Heart”, although it has some orange shimmer to it, I would not consider this a shimmery color, looks more metallic than shimmery, specially under artificial lighting.  

The kind of metallic that reminds me of christmas tree ornaments. What I like about this color is the fact that it maintains it’s color and does not morph into other shades like other colors I have tried. it preserves it’s color consistently across all lighting conditions.  

Application went on very smoothly, not streaky at all. Three coats are needed to achieve total flawless coverage. This is a keeper for any collection. 

Five bottles as a rating. Get it while you can if you don’t already own this. 

Happy Thanksgiving everyone and Happy Polishing!

Nina Ultra Pro "Maple Syrup"

Continuing with the fall season color palette, I decided to go with a darker color this time. While keeping a bit the camouflage theme, going brown helps with my wardrobe selections a bit more. I found I had this color from last year, I got it for christmas 2012, so I went for it. 

This is Nina Ultra Pro “Maple Syrup”, It is a brown base with orange shimmer to make it stand out. Like, well.....Maple Syrup! I think the name is spot on. 

Like all shimmery colors, it stands out under direct sunlight. 

Under ambient lighting it tends to reflect less light, the shimmer is still there, but the color looks richer, more chocolate than maple, although not that dark. 

Under artificial lighting conditions though, the orange shimmer make the color take on a dark copper shade. 

To prove this, I took a picture on top of an orange colored rug, so you can look at the light reflecting on the toe nails and you will see what I mean. 

So in a sense, without being a holographic color, you can consider this like it is one of those 3 for 1 colors. 

I really like the thick brush Nina Ultra Pro uses on their products. Consistency is very good, two coats will do it, but as always, I go for three and top it off with Seche Vite top coat, my favorite. 

This color applies very nicely, it is not streaky. 

This color goes very well with gold, brown, beige, green, orange, brick red and all earthly colors. 

I absolutely love this color and would recommend it very much. If I had to rate it, I would give it 5 bottles. 

Even though it is a couple of years old, it is not that hard to get, you can grab a bottle at amazon for less than $5. If you are lucky, Sally’s might still have some. Reading some reviews on amazon I see that many people give it a bad rap, NOT SO. They probably don’t know how to properly apply nail polish. 

Remember to clean, file buff, prime, base, paint and top over for a long lasting beautiful non chipping application that will last up to 10 days. This is definitely a keeper. 

Happy Polishing!