“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!

Deprogram your Mind and Empower Yourself

For centuries, men have been programmed not to show “soft emotions”.  We are taught that men showing their feminine side makes them vulnerable. This is just “conditioning”. It is totally quite the oposite. It makes us stronger human beings. 

Gender expression is more widely accepted now thank’s in part to the equality movement that has stirred the collective consciousness of humanity toward that end, as well as the scientific community that has looked deeper into the gender issue and now have scientific proof to back it up. 

Humanity is maturing. At least many humans are, others are still resisting the inevitable, a few are regressing. The fact that humanity is starting to understand that sex, sexuality and gender as well as gender expression are totally different things, gives  more widely acceptance of some behavior in men doing what used to be considered female only activities or conducts. The same can be said with women doing what was for a long time considered male only activities and conducts.

We now understand that the sex we were born into has nothing to do with our sexuality,  and that sexuality has nothing to do with gender identification or gender expression. Although there can be so many combinations it can sometimes get confusing and that is why we have to educate ourselves.  

There are so many sex, sexuality, gender identity and gender expression combinations possible that it is pointless for me  to name them all right now. I just know that at the end of the day what really counts, it’s the fact that we are all human beings, and that in itself is above ethnic race, citizenship, profession, sexuality, sex, gender identity, political or religious beliefs.

This leads me to conclude that being a heterosexual male gender identified man who thrives on a patriarchal state of being and uses his left side of the brain (male side) more than his right side (female side), or a heterosexual female gender identified woman who thrives on the matriarchal state and uses her right side of the brain (female side) more actively than her left side (male side), are both out of balance human beings. They are the total oposites, the end of both spectrums, macho and feminist.

Let me explain. The perfect balance, and the way I have concluded humanity is heading as we evolve , will be balanced male or female with both gender identities and a balanced gender expression (androgynous) that embraces both patriarcal and matriarcal states of being and will be proficient in using 100% of both sides of our brains. 

I understand that sex and sexuality are genetic traits, even gender identity, but gender expression up to this point in humanity could be conditioning because we are wrongly taught to suppress our gender identity if it does not fall in the same category as the sex we are born into.  If we are born male, we are expected to “act like a boy/man”. If we are born female, we are expected to “act like a girl/woman”. 

Please stop to analyze and think this. What is acting? Acting is the ability to transform into a convincing character in front of an audience to a degree that the audience no longer sees the actor as a performer but a completely different being, thus, “acting like a man” or “acting like a woman” is not being true to yourself, it is just playing a role to convince someone or some group about what they think who you are. But what about how you feel, what you think, how you identify? Why do we have to act out an identity that is not our own?

As you can see from the graphic I devised to try to explain it all, using myself just as an example,  I identify as a heterosexual  male who is to a certain degree female gender identified (the yellow dot). Why? Well Because I am very logical and analytical (my male side). I enjoy Art and consider myself very creative (my female side) while at the same time,

I love meditating and I lean more into the altered state of consciousness rather than the dogma. I also like to do some things that are considered female and I am very comfortable with that because I know who I am.

Why do I say all of this? Simply because this mental conditioning (if you are male you have to be macho and if you are female you have to be girly)  is mostly just that, conditioning, and it has to stop in order for humanity to evolve.

For the human being that does not realize this, there will be suffering and internal conflict until he/she realizes and accepts the truth about themselves. Mostly because that suffering will be driven by fear of the unknown more than anything else.  Humanity is coming full circle after millennia and are coming to terms with the fact that we are all one gender, just like before we are born into this physical realm. We are all human spirited perfectly  balanced beings, and we all have very powerful traits that are inherently genderless.

Our collective consciousness creates our reality, and that is why we have been seeing so much change in the world lately. The violence, the prejudice, the hate, they are all reactions out of fear of the unknown, out of fear for change. The more we know, the less we fear, the less we fear, the more we thrive.

As humans we are mentally conditioned and we are put in a box, we are compartmentalized by the will of others. It is time for us as humans to be truly free. 

Many human beings think they are free, but they are really not, it is just an illusion, because they are slaves, but they just do not realize it. They do not take time to analyze, to think and realize they are enslaved to a set or rules imposed by someones ideals, good or bad, but nevertheless not our own but someone else's. 

They are enslaved by debt, enslaved by society, enslaved by doctrine, enslaved by their own ignorance.

We do not have to limit ourselves, we can embrace and act upon both states, feminine and masculine, that will make us better human beings. We have the capacity for that and so much more. As human beings, our faulty conditioning by others interests is holding us back on our path to evolution.

¿So what has all this have to do with men wearing nail polish? Everything…..

The only thing keeping men from wearing nail polish is ignorance and fear. Fear is a negative emotion of a future event. We can choose to embrace or reject fear. The future does not exist, so fear does not exist. We create our own future with our present.

Free your mind, explore the possibilities, think, analyze and act upon your conclusions without fear. Follow your heart, it never fails to show you the right path. Be true to yourself and you will find the truth within. What do you think?

Minty Fresh Creme Color Niuton Chavez Felix

Hello my fellow polishers! With Spring in full Swing, I got inspired to do the minty theme. 

I rarely go for bright colored polishes, but lately I just got bored with the dark jewel toned or metallics and have been diving in to more creme based lighter tones. Why limit ourselves? Last month I did a very nice blue from L.A. Colors called “Aquatic” and this time I dove into a bit brighter tone, although not neon like. I was at my local Walmart and I found this color in a big display full of all kinds of colors. They were just $2 so I picked four tones, a nice dark blue, a nice lavender, a pretty purple and this minty color. I just could not resist.

The only drawback is that these bottles of paint do not have names to the colors, which is something I really like to have fun with. I have a strong suspicion that these nail polishes are from O.P.I. and are just rebranded to sell in bulk because the bottle is suspiciously similar to O.P.I.’s, and the consistency of the polish as well as the brush are eerie similar. This particular color also looks very much like OPI “Gargantuan Grape”. 

This minty green branded “Premium” Nail Lacquer looks very nice, although it is a bright color, somehow it does not “jump at you”, it’s a subtle bright tone. 

It goes very well with white, black, brown and jeans, as with multi colored spring/summer shirts.

I think it can be worn elegantly if you “dress it up” with a nice silk scarf and a nice white spring jacket. All in all, I think it was a steal.

If you see these “Premium” branded nail polishes at your local Walmart, do not hesitate to get some, they are definitely a steal. Hope you get some and 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!