Zoya “Liberty” Pixie Dust Collection Niuton Chavez Felix

In the spirit of this forth of July, I chose to continue with Zoya’s Pixie dust collection. There is something about the finish to pixie dust colors that I love. 

I can never grow tired of that sand pixie sparkle finish. To commemorate the month of July, and in celebrating independence day, I chose Zoya’s “Liberty”.

Like all of the previous Zoya pixie dust polishes I have tried, this one is no exception to the quality and durability. Like I said before, one of the things I love about this particular nail polish finish is that I don't have to use a top coat. Just use some primer before applying it and it will last at least 10 days with out chipping. Just so you won't stain your nails, apply a good base coat.

Viscosity is good enough for full coverage with just two coats. Brush is great and application is very smooth considering the finish it has. If you are into sparkly blues, you will absolutely love this. Happy Forth of July weekend and 

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!

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?

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!

OPI - "Inni Minni Mighty Bow" Niuton Chavez Felix

Hello Again! As promised, here is the second post for this month.

To celebrate February, the love and friendship month, I went back to red. This time with a little more sparkle. This is OPI’s “Inni Minni Mighty Bow”. I have been wearing this since my last post. 

By far reds have to be my favorite shade, I love reds because not only can you dress it up or dress it down, but it goes well with almost anything. You can wear red with brown earthly colors, you can wear red with white, blue, black, you name it, it is very versatile color. Red also has very much significance, it can project power, ambition, romance, I mean, I can go on and on about it. 

Of course there are different kinds of red shades and in nail polish, different kinds of finishes, but all in all, you can't go wrong with red. If you like reds or deep jewel tone colors like me, this is a must have for your collection. 

Just for fun and for the sake of Valentines, I picked this color which has a nice rich red base with a bright pink shimmer on it.

Depending on the light source hitting it, this shade will either seem kind of raspberry red or kind of candy apple red. It reminds me some of Sally Hansen’s “Unbreakable Heart” when it tends to look more candy apple. As with all OPI polishes I have tried, it goes on smooth and it is just right, not to thick or not too thin. It applies very well with two coats, but as always, I applied three coats on top of my base coat and primer, topped it off with Seche Vite for a long lasting two chip-less weeks of wear. I will end it on that note just to keep it shot and sweet.

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!

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!

VERNIS classique by CHERIMOYA - Red Velvet

This must be the forth or fifth red I have tried. When I finished this last one, I came to the conclusion that red is definitely my favorite nail polish color. Anything with dark undertones and bright shimmers will always get me. From a candy apple red to a deep dark burgundy, reds suit my skin tone much better than any other color I have tried until now. Even purples that I thought did not go well on me, I have tried and liked, it must be deep dark undertones.

Although not all colors are created equal, and the quality of the polish and applying brush varies greatly from manufacturer to manufacturer, If you prep the nail and apply it well, It should not matter what brand it is, It will last. Of course, prepping the nail is of outmost importance, you have to file, brush, clean and prime first, than, base coat them before applying at least two coats of nail polish, if your polish is too thin, go for three coats. Personally, I always, regardless, apply three coats. Finish it of with a quality top coat, and you can enjoy your nails like they were gelish.

This polish is not of great quality, it is very thick and tricky to apply. Fast drying nail polishes are a two bladed sword, they can be very good, or very bad depending on your point of view. This polish is definitely fast drying, but it works against it because you need to work nail by nail coat after coat. Even though I could have added some acetone remover to thin it out a bit, I decided to stick with the original formula to see how it applied of the bottle. The brush is also not professional quality and a bit difficult to work with. Putting all that aside, the color is just wonderful. I absolutely loved this red, but I am a sucker for reds, so I may be biased. 

Like blacks, reds can be dressed up or dressed down, and even though this is not the best quality, it is a very classy color shade. Like the name suggests “Red Velvet” is definitely  “velvety”.

This definitely lights up under direct sunlight. If you look closely under certain sunlight conditions, you can appreciate the orange sparkle shimmer. Under certain conditions, this red seems a bit on the orange side more than red, and that is the kind of surprise I like to have when trying new colors.   Under normal ambient light, the color does not get confused with any other dark colors, it still looks like red.

If you like reds like me, and don't get tired of trying new shades of red, I do recommend trying this out, I think you will like it.  

If I had to rate this, because of the quality of the brush and thickness of the polish I would give it a 2 bottle rating, but with the color being so strikingly beautiful, I will give it 3 bottles. Also, YOU MUST WEAR 2 COATS OF BASE COAT WITH THIS POLISH. I applied 1 coat myself and the color permeated all the way to the nail to stain it. I  don’t have a big problem with that, but if you do, consider it.

Happy Polishing!

CHANEL 583 "TABOO"

Before I begin, I would like to thank all the visitors who chime in with their comments. I have been receiving positive comments about the blog and that certainly motivates, but more than anything, what drives me to keep it up, is the fact that I can see the traffic and how it originates via the blog's analytics. Last Month I posted a small poll widget on the blog to see how many visitors were men. No surprise here, at least as far as the people who cared to put their two cents worth, 95% of visitors are male, just 5% are female. Of course those numbers will change, but the majority of visitors who voted, showed me that they wanted to interact. This blog has seen more than 10,000 visitors since it was created, and that is also a growing trend, so I see there is interest on the subject. Last but not least, the question’s and comments as well as the emails I receive show me this is not just a growing trend, it seems many men have been painting their toes for a very long time, they just don’t show them, so If I can put my two cents worth to help men shatter their fear and show their emotions and expressions thru nail polish, I will keep at it.

Purple, the color of royalty. There is something empowering about wearing this color. Since I am a Professional Photographer I see color a bit differently than most people. With my left side of the brain I see color as the reflection of light on different surfaces. Black is the absence of light, while white is the combination of all primary colors. It is my right side of the brain, that makes me feel the emotion that color brings out in me. It makes it even more enjoyable to appreciate colors when you understand and feel them at the same time. CHANEL does a fantastic job at combining different colors to create emotion when looking at their nail polishes.

With “Taboo” they have created, at least in my personal view, a very EMOTIONAL color. This to me is a POWERFUL shade. The base is a magenta and blue combination that turns out a beautiful deep cosmic violet shade. The kind you see on the Hubble telescope galaxy pictures. To top it all, they added bright red and blue sparkles that shimmer beautifully when the sun hits them, reinforcing even more the cosmic premise. I look at my nails and imagine small galaxies on each nail.

Under ambient lighting, it takes on a deeper purple, more absent of color, even though it looks nice enough, you will appreciate this more outside than indoors. This is by far, the best shade of purple I have tried, it is elegant, mysterious, edgy and classy at the same time. If you are a spiritual person, you will absolutely love this shade, it will help open awareness.

As with the other CHANEL colors I have tried, the formula is perfect, two coats will do, and it goes on smoothy. I love purple nail polish because it goes with just about everything, from blue jeans, to white pants, and it goes very nicely with  brown, gold, silver or black sandals. This is a keeper for me, I am sure it will be for you too. 

Finger Paints - Who’s Hue?

Summer is here now, time to change colors again. Since last color was blue, I decided to  try a shade I was given as a gift six months ago for Christmas. As a matter of fact, I still have to try on a couple more colors I was given as gifts. This time around, it is a color that looks very strange on the bottle. 

One of the things I like to enjoy about nail polish, is the fact that not all colors are exactly as they are shown on the bottle when you pick them. They all have a slight element of surprise.  Many factors come into play to achieve a desired result. When you look at the color shade inside a store under fluorescent lighting you perceive a certain color, but depending on the amount of coats you apply and different lighting conditions can give you another result. 

Sometimes other factors play into the element of surprise, like last week, when I applied a metallic purple from CHERIMOYA VERNIS CLASSIQUE. The moment I applied an ORLY top coat, the color changed from metallic purple, to a dark crimson. It actually looked very nice, better than the color I was expecting, but not nearly close to what the original color looked like. 

Anyway, todays post is for Finger Paints - Who’s Hue?. And let me tell you, the name of the color is spot on. 

This was really an unexpected pleasant surprise for me. At first, I really had not felt attracted to this color. Purple is one color that I like, but that for some reason, even though I love reds, blacks and blues, somehow, purple was not something I thought It would look good on me, but I never gave it chance either.

This, like almost all other shimmery colors, is a three coater. The color is a strange, purple, semi-metallic, with deep red and silver shimmery sparkle undertones. Kind of like red grapes.

It really lights up under the sun beautifully. Looks very nice on toes, and I just love it on my finger nails. Under fluorescent lighting conditions it looks like a real dark reddish purple. Like all dark colors, certain lighting conditions might make it look darker than it actually is. 

This one does not act funky or change color when you apply a top coat on, everything glides nicely. The applying brush could be better, I prefer thicker brushes than the one provided. Over all, I am very pleased with the end results. If I had to pick a purple shade again, this would probably be it. If I had to rate this, I would give it 4 out of five bottles. 

Happy polishing!