“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!

Butter London “Disco Biscuit” Niuton Chavez Felix

Even though we are just finishing February, I wanted to express the feeling of this beautiful month. The month of Aquarius. The unconventional. The month of Love.

I was browsing thru Pinterest and came across a photograph of a swatch from Butter London “Disco Biscuit” and I was awe struck.

Only one other nail polish color has moved me so much as this one, and that was Chanel “Taboo”. This is my first time wearing hot pink nail polish and I have to say, I love it. I have pale pink shirts and pink ties, but aside from the light pink base used for french manicures, this is my first pink nail polish. The first thing I just loved about this polish were the blue sparkles that it has. The contrast of the blue with the hot pink of the base, works extremely well.

This is my first Butter London nail polish, so aside from the color, I did not know what to expect. The verdict for me is not so great. The color is very thin, I usually apply 3 coats of polish, but this was so thin that I had to apply 5 coats on top of the base coat for the color to really come through like you see it on the bottle.  That poses a problem because there is not enough time for the polish to dry and the later coats become chewy. Three coats definitely wont cut it unless you are ok with partial coverage. The square bottle is ok to hold and the brush is fairly decent. Color is absolutely wonderful if you can get full coverage. One of the things I noticed is that the polish dries to a mate finish, so if you like mate finish you will love it. I opted to apply high shine Seche Vite high gloss top coat. All in all, I ended up with mixed feelings about this polish. The color is extremely beautiful but the quality of the polish itself  is not as good as the color. The mate finish was also unexpected. Color wise it is a keeper, but it is definitely nothing I would buy again. If I had to give this a rating, I would give it just 3 bottles. Until next time, happy polishing!

Morgan Taylor's "Time to Shine" and L.A. Colors "Blue Lagoon" Niuton Chavez Felix

I guess it’s a little late, but Happy New Year! Being January still, I think it is in order. Better late than never.

Anyway. Something curious happened to me a couple of weeks ago. My 5 y/o daughter, like most 5 year olds, Is a fan of Disney's Frozen.  So I wanted to surprise her doing a Frozen inspired nail color combo. I gave some color combos a thought. Aqua Blue, White and Deep Blue. I also thought about getting some white and silver. I ended up using an old favorite called “Blue Lagoon” from L.A. colors and a previously unknown to me  called “Time to Shine” by Morgan Taylor.  

I did not want to get too elaborate with nail art, I just wanted it to be enough to get noticed by my daughter and just enough to try to get as close to the Frozen theme. When I finished applying “Time to Shine” I was awestruck. I just discovered that I LOVE GLITTER! Wow! I have to say, I did not get why so much people love glitter, I guess the child in all of us goes into hiding. Now I get it and I am not putting it away. Combining it with “Blue Lagoon” makes it pop even more. I applied it on two nails as accents and I have to say, I just loved the way it looks.

“Blue lagoon” is my “go to” color when I feel I want to wear a dark blue nail polish shade. It really applies very smoothly, perfect viscosity, great nail brush. Three coats to make it last. When it came to “Time to Shine” I thought that it would be a 4 or 5 coat. Many glitter formulas come in transparent polish so It you want to get full coverage of glitter, it can be tricky. Fortunately, “Time to Shine” comes with a grey-silver base, so I just used the usual 3 coats on top of my base coat. Finished it of with “Seche Vite” top coat and used “Fast Dry” drops from Orly. I encourage you to try glitter on at least one of you nails if you have not done it already. At least you will know if you like it or not. Believe me, it is not the same looking at some one else nails with glitter that looking at your own nails with it. I have become a fan of glitter. 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!

ESSIE "CROCADILLY" Niuton Chavez Felix

It has been a while since I posted, sorry for that, but I have been a little tied up at work. But hey, here I am, still kicking. 

I am currently wearing a very nice shade from ESSIE. This is actually the first time I give ESSIE a try and I have to say, I absolutely love this color.

I like to wear deep greens this time of year. When I first saw this shade on the shelf of my local Walgreen’s I thought it was a dark metallic grey. It is from ESSIE's Snakeskin magnetic collection.
This is the kind of polish that has metal on it so you can put a magnet to it. The name is “Crocadilly” and like the name suggests, it is a dark crockadile green with a metallic overtone.

I have to say, I like it very much. This has to be my favorite olive green to date. The fact that this is has metal in it actually serves it better because the consistency of the polish is so much nicer, it kind of glides smoothly when you apply it. I really didn’t care to put the magnet effect over the polish, which it is like a snakeskin or crocodile skin effect, but without the effect, it looks metallic.  I really picked it for the color from the bottle, not for the effect, and let me tell you, when I finished applying it.... WOW!

I like it so much that it has been almost a month since I first tried it on and I have done my nails twice now with the same color, which is very rare for me. 

I love greens because I can wear them with mustard colors, blacks, khaki, greens, browns, etc., perfect for the fall/winter season.

I really don’t know if it is the metal formula, but the only thing I noticed and I did not like about this polish is that it chipped a bit after just 6 days. I usually prep my nails and polish lasts on me for at least 10 to 12 days without chipping, but for whatever reason, this polish chipped way before, never the less, I give it 4 out of 5 bottles as a rating. If you like magnet polishes, you are going to love this, If you like dark green’s you are going to love this too. If you ask me, this is a must for any avid nail polish addict's collection. Until next time!

Happy Thanks Giving and 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!

Morgan Taylor Nail Polish

Over the last few weeks I have been trying on a new brand of nail polish brand named Morgan Taylor.

They are a new company as far as I know. Have not heard of them before until now. They market as professional grade nail polish. For what I understand, the professional meaning is that they have secure and reliable brushes as well as trending colors. 

They seem different, from the bottle to the brush. As nail polishers know, we are always looking for more variety. There can never be so much colors. We always want more, we always want  something different. 

I tried three of the newest colors they have. “Going Native”, “Varsity Jacket Blues” and “Stop, Shop & Roll”, the last one being my favorite.

Polish consistency is pretty good, the brush seems pretty good also. For being marketed as professional grade, they seem to fit the bill nicely.

I tried them all with three coats. Of course every time before I applied the polish, I buffed the nail bed, applied primer and base coat. After three coats I topped it of with Seche Vite top coat. I just love the shiny finish.

I just loved how “Varsity Jacket Blues” stood out. It seemed electric. Not quite neon, but bright enough to get your attention. Love it on my toes. Never got tired of it. It has just the right amount of brightness for me, not to distracting, but enough to enjoy it and know it is there.

“Going Native” is a sea green color. It was nice, the kind that you can wear with black, brown or green clothing. But not something I would go out of the way to get though. It applied very well and even seemed like gel polish. No streaks  or lines left from the brush. I am not knocking it, but I would not repeat it.

Now when I tried “Stop, Shop & Roll” I had the most compliments I have had with any nail polish I have worn to date. 

Depending on the light source It is a green june bug or jewel rhinoceros beetle color. It also looks like a peacock feather green/blue. 

I have to say it is AMAZING. The closest comparison I have to this color attention getting wise is CHANEL “Peridot” of Missha HGR01, but still, to me, Morgan Taylor’s is even more stunning. This is definitely a keeper for me, if you like bright pearl greens you will love it. 

With summer in full swing now, I have been experimenting with lighter colors. I am leaning toward light blues, light greens, and even some bright blues, though not as bright as neon, but still brighter that I am used to. 

I have to say, the feeling I get wearing these colors is  EMPOWERING. I really don’t know why, but that is the way it makes me feel. So go ahead, wear some nail polish and experience the power. Happy Polishing!

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!

Liebster Award Nomination

Angela from http://olderladieslikecolortoo.blogspot.mx has nominated this blog for the Liebster Award.

NOMINEE

I am grateful for the opportunity she has given this blog with the nomination, it will serve as another way to create consciousness about the fact that nail polish is for everyone to enjoy and is not exclusive to women.

She gave me 11 questions to answer, so here they are:

1.- What was the inspiration for the name of your blog?

Since I am very straight forward guy, the name of the blog says it all I guess.

2.  Do you have a dedicated nail/beauty room or just a small space?

small space I guess, I just do it at my home office desk or go to my friends nail salon.

3.- What is your favorite mainstream polish and your favorite indie polish?

Mainstream OPI, I find the quality and colors to be outstanding, as well as the price. Indie, I have yet to purchase one, though I have several Generic Brand or No Name polishes.

4.  What are some of your hobbies?

Nail Polish of course!

I have been getting into nail art/designs lately, sandal shopping and studying about the origins of humanity and its behavior.

5.  If you could vacation anywhere in the world, where would it be and why?

Montreal, Canada. I just have to go there, don’t know why, I just need to go.

6.  Do you see yourself blogging 5 years from now?

Yes, creativity and imagination are things you just don't shut off.

7.  Do you like it quiet while you blog or do you need background noise?

Neither, I find it easy to adapt to any circumstance. I do like background music however, I choose the kind of music depending on what I am blogging about.

8.  What do you want to be when you grow up? (I believe we are all kids, at heart, and it's never too late to be what you want to be!)

Not to sound pretentious, I think I am and do what I like and what my heart tells me to do. I like to constantly push boundaries. I am a Professional Photographer, A web marketing specialist, a Certified Network Engineer, a Small Business Owner, Entrepreneur, a Nutrition Counselor, Tech Support Specialist and Lecturer. I think I can even handle more, but I have yet to find something else that I feel passionate about to do. As humans, I have found that our potential is limitless.

This is the kind of work I do in Photography

9.  Morning person or night owl?

Night Owl, I can do more when the kids are sleeping.

10.  Any special plans for the summer?

Nothing Special planned for this year, but things can change at any given time.

11.  And last, but not least, what lead you to starting your own blog?

My own experience. 

I have always kept my nails groomed, both fingers and toes. 

I have always liked pampering. 

As a male, when I stated to contemplate wearing color, like many men, I searched the internet and found very little information on the subject. 

I had been looking for an excuse or a solid argument for me to wear nail polish. Then I realized that the only thing keeping me (and other men) from wearing nail polish was fear. I really didn’t need any ones approval to do it. To me, fear is a choice, it is a negative emotion about a future event. As far as I have concluded, the future does not exist, we construct it ourselves in our present.  So I decided to be fearless. To live the now. 

I started the blog to create consciousness about it. As I have stated many times in my blog, painting our nails is an emotional form of self expression. As men, we are programed to suppress our emotions/feelings because we are mentally conditioned that doing so makes us vulnerable, especially if those emotions/feelings are so called “soft” emotions/feelings, like crying, compassion and self expression (among others) unless it is what a society/group deems "acceptable".  
We are thought that it is OK to “fit in” and not “stand out”. We are thought that it’s OK to be part of a group and not stand out as “individuals”. Because when we do, we are “conditioned” that acceptance by others can be cruel, so we tend to hide our insecurities within a group. We tend to "blend in" to hide.

Another thing we are mentally programmed/conditioned into is that, we are “given” choices to choose from, but we are not allowed to “explore” other choices other than those “offered”. 

As humans, we have the right to express, explore, think and act with freedom as long as we do not attempt on others rights and freedoms. When we respect others choices and/or right’s, peace reigns. When we try to impose or violate other choices or rights, there is conflict. It’s as easy as that and you can take that to any level. 

Well there they are. Feel free to comment, ask, elaborate, interact or comment on this post, that is what is all about.

I will list my nominees in my next post, so stay tuned.

Cheers 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 - 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!

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!