Friday, April 29, 2016

Different Dimension Mic Drop

I've never bought a group custom until now. I'm terrible about following indie FB groups. I'm in a handful including Portal to a Different Dimension, but I hardly ever remember to check it along with the other 20+ groups I'm in. I am horrific multi-tasker. I don't know how people follow and keep up to date with so many groups. It hurts my brain to think about it. I don't know what kind of luck I had to come across this polish in my feed, but I did. I've heard about other groups doing customs before, but never was able to catch them (the bad multi-tasking thing). I was able to spot this one though and I needed this polish!

Mic Drop
Mic Drop is a hot pink creme base with golden holographic glitter.

Collection: Different Dimension March 2015 Group Custom

Color: You know how I feel about golden holographic glitter? If a polish has golden holographic glitter I must have it. Mic Drop is insanely awesome. I love this hot hot pink with that gold glitter. It's bright, summery, and and definitely my type of color.

Formula: Excellent formula. I used 2 coats above. This applied smoothly and easily.

Price: Sadly, this is no longer available as it was a group custom that had a 72 hour purchase window. That being said, I do believe group customs will be continually for Different Dimension so be sure to join Portal to a Different Dimension so you can get in on the action..

Overall: I adore Mic Drop. This is vibrant and peppy shade that I adore. You know I love that golden holographic glitter, and that's what makes this polish for me. This polish is a stunner!

My Rating: 5 out of 5 *Golden* Paint Splatters
Happy Friday!

Wednesday, April 27, 2016

China Glaze Violet Vibes

I thought we were past the stage of tricky purples in nail polish, but I guess not. Those of you who have been on the nail polish scene for awhile will remember how when brands attempted to neon purples some of them would look purple in the bottle, but more pink on the nail. Plus, they'd photograph funky and have weird formulas. Well, China Glaze last summer gave us a tricky purple.

Violet Vibes
Violet Vibes is a medium bright grape purple creme/jelly(?).

Collection: China Glaze Electric Nights Summer 2015

Color: This is one of those purples that looks more purple on the bottle, but looks more pink on the nail. It also photographs more pink than it is, but it's still really more pink than purple? That makes no sense, but this is just one of those weird purple polishes that is just weird. I know that's such helpful commentary.

Formula: Ugh. What is this? This has this weird thin, jelly like formula that dries all uneven and matte. I used 3 coats above. It's not a pleasant formula to work with. I rarely comment on wear time, but I will on this one. I have this on my toes. I usually can wear a pedicure color 3-4 weeks with out any wear or chips before I have to change it. This chipped on my toes in less than a week. Not just one chip or a tiny chip. This chipped off in chunks on multiple nails.

Price: You can find this on e-tailers in the $3.50-$7.00 range.

Overall: Nope. The color isn't bad. It's pretty despite it not really being the color I expected. The formula is what really kills this polish. It's exactly the same type of terrible formula "neon" purples like this have had in the past. Sinful Colors Dream On would be a prime comparison and example as far as what type of polish this is like. I'm not impressed.

My Rating: 1 out of 5 Paint Splatters
Happy Wednesday!

Monday, April 25, 2016

Darling Diva Beau Job

Ahem. What a name for a polish!

One of the things I like about some indie brands is that they offer grab bags. They're mystery grab bags that usually range from $20-$25 for around 5 polishes. This is a great steal because these days you can easily spend $30 on just 3 indie polishes.

The indie world is still a bit overwhelming for me. If I like a brand, but I can't decide what I really want to get, a grab bag is the perfect way to go for me. The cool thing about grab bags is they often include prototypes or limited edition polishes you can no longer purchase in the regular rotation. When I do group gift exchanges I often put indie grab bags on my wishlist. That's how I ended up with this polish from Darling Diva! I've always liked this brand, but when it comes down to deciding what I want I can't make up a mind, so a grab bag does that for me!

Beau Job over a purple creme
Beau Job is a color shifting shimmer pigment (green-blue-purple shift) with multichrome flakies in a clear base.

Collection: Last Night in Vegas LE Duo 2015

Color: This is one of the coolest nail polishes I've ever seen. It's like all the magical unicorn power in one polish. The color shifting shimmer is strong and vibrant on the nails and the multichrome flakies really add beautiful dimension. This polish is liquid magic.

Formula: Excellent formula. I used one coat. It applied easily and smoothly.

Price: This one is no longer available for purchase, but I got it in a grab bag, so you may score one too the same way. Darling Diva grab bags are $20 and can be found on her site.

Overall: I don't have another polish even remotely like this one. This is gorgeous and so unique and complex. What's interesting is the duo it was released with, it was paired with a lighter purple. I personally think you really get the best effect with this polish layered over a dark color. That color shift really pops against dark colors. This is a great topper and I'm very impressed.

My Rating: 5 out of 5 *Golden* Paint Splatters

Happy Monday!

Sunday, April 24, 2016

Weekly Wax Wrap Up: 4/17/16-4/24/16

This was really good wax week. It wasn't a perfect week, but I tried a lot of new wax I liked. I'm also happy because I got a lot of new wax this week, so I have a lot of new stuff to try!

Colonial Candle Topaz Waters
Scent Description: Sail away in the crystal clear water of St. Barts with sparkling bergamot, blue freesia, and driftwood.Top: Fresh Bergamot, Blue Mandarin, Black Anise - Middle: Blue Freesia, Geranium, Mediterranean Lavender - Bottom: Tonka Bean, Driftwood, Turquoise Musk
My Thoughts: This is a very unique water scent. It's unlike anything I own in the water category. It has a masculinity to it, but it's mellowed by floral and citrus. It's so hard to describe because it's so unique. This scent is excellent though. It's very fresh, crisp, and sophisticted.
Scent Throw: 4/5
Where To Buy: Colonial Candle 

Colonial Candle Simple Breeze
Scent Description: Take in the fresh outdoor feeling of dewy greens and a hint of lavender and geranium. Top: Dewy Greens, Ozone, Citrus - Middle: Lavender, Geranium - Bottom: Sandalwood
My Thoughts: This smells like a fresh laundry scent. I usually do not laundry scents because I can find them so strong and very harsh. This was PERFECT. There were no harsh or chemically notes whatsoever. This had a very soft scent of fresh air, lavender, and other florals. This had a very solid throw, but was not overpowering in anyway. I had just finished cleaning the house when I put this in the warmer and this was the perfect scent.
Scent Throw: 4/5
Where To Buy: Colonial Candle

Candles by Victoria Whispering Winds
Scent Description: An extremely unique blend this cucumber mint fragrance begins with top notes of garden-fresh cucumber, ripe banana, and juicy clementine; followed by middle notes of cyclamen blossoms, African violets, and Madonna lily; sitting on base notes of palm fronds, spearmint leaves, and cool peppermint.
My Thoughts: When I smelled this on cold it smelled like straight up Altoids. It has a very heavy peppermint smell. When melted, you get a strong background note of peppermint, but you also get some green and floral notes too. I felt while the peppermint note is the main note it was well balanced with other notes too. It didn't come off as a straight peppermint scent or anything Christmas-like. It's a very crisp clean air scent with greenery. I quite liked this scent. 
Scent Throw: 4.5/5
Where To Buy: Candles by Victoria

Colonial Candle Fresh Aloe
Scent Description: A fresh fusion of Polynesian palm leaves, rainforest bamboo, and sparkling citrus. Top: Soft Bergamot, Lemon Slice - Middle: Neroli Blossom, Water Lily, Marine Accord - Bottom: Fijian Palm Leaf, Polynesian Hibiscus, Sea Grass
My Thoughts: This is a very fresh and green scent. I definitely get those green notes form it right away. I do detect some slight water and citrus notes in there too, but it's mainly a green scent. I really like this scent, it just did not have a strong enough throw for me to really notice it. 
Scent Throw: 2/5
Where To Buy: Colonial Candle

Ten Digit Creations Lavender Patchouli 
Scent Description: earthy patchouli, herbaceous lavender, and sheer musk
My Thoughts: Patchouli is typically one of those scents people either love or hate. I sometimes love it and sometimes I don't. I really like it in this lavender blend. This is really nice blend of earthy, soothing, and perfumey. This scent reminds me of how my grandparents house smelled. They had some potpourri that smelled just like this. Yes, this does have kind of an antique and vintage quality to it, but it's nostalgic so I like it! This one had a strong throw.
Scent Throw: 5/5
Where To Buy: Ten Digit Creations 

Happy Sunday!




Friday, April 22, 2016

Throwbacks Week: Maybelline Street Art Blue Beats

Remember when black and white glitters were all the rage? I remember when you could only find these types of glitters from indies. In early 2014, Maybelline decided to do their take on the black and white glitter, but adding colored matte glitter with black instead. This was one of my favorites from that collection and I loved seeing a drugstore brand take on the trend.

Blue Beats over Sinful Colors Endless Blue
Blue Beats is a mix of varying types of a black and light blue glitter in a clear base.

Collection: Maybelline Street Art Collection January 2014

Color: I love the use of the blue matte glitter paired with the black. I love this color combination and how it does offer something unique rather than just black and white glitter. I like how these colors really stand out against my base color.

Formula: Excellent and very easy to use glitter formula. There was no fishing or dabbing glitters here. I used 2 coats over a base.

Price: This was a limited edition collection, but you can still find it online if you search in the $3-$5 range.

Overall: I love this fun glitter and it reminds me I need to use glitter toppers more. I usually at bar glitter, but it works in this polish because it is mixed with other glitter shapes. It looks like confetti. I love the color and how it makes a statement on my nails.

My Rating: 5 out of 5 *Golden* Paint Splatters
Happy Friday!

Wednesday, April 20, 2016

Throwbacks Week: OPI Pink Me I'm Good

I'm noticing a trend here, not only because I've posted two OPI polishes in a row, but because I've posted two OPI exclusives in a row. OPI is a solid nail polish brand, but it's never really been a favorite of mine if I'm judging mainstream brands as a whole. That being said, OPI makes some amazing exclusives and this one is probably my favorite. This polish was released as an Ulta exclusive for Valentine's Day in 2010.

Pink Me I'm Good
Pink Me I'm Good is a strawberry pink jelly with golden iridescent glitter.

Collection: OPI Ulta Valentine's Exclusive 2010

Color: You didn't see polishes like that then and I don't see them now. I absolutely love jelly polishes with golden iridescent glitter. I see awesome glitter glues that look like that, but not enough nail polish! I love this pink shade and I would bathe in golden iridescent glitter. I love it so much more than just white iridescent glitter.

Formula: This formula has thickened up quite a bit over the years, but some thinner always does the trick. I used 3 coats here.

Price: N/A as far as I know this is long gone if you snag one of these consider yourself lucky. It was VHTF after it's release in 2010.

Overall: This is a polish I break out every year. I love the jelly quality and the glitter. It's really a unique polish in my collection into today with all the amazing offerings we have now. This is one of those polishes I'd save if my house was on fire.

My Rating: 5 out of 5 *Golden* Paint Splatters
Happy Wednesday!

Monday, April 18, 2016

Throwbacks Week: OPI Feel the Mo-heat-oes

This is the time of year where I've fully transitioned into spring and summer colors. No more neutrals no more dark colors. I'm a very seasonal nail polish person. I don't match my nail polish to the season because I feel like I have to. I just really like to! We don't really have seasons in Florida, so changing up my color palette seasonally is the only way I really feel like the year is going by. Plus, I don't really feel like wearing dark vampy colors in April or neon yellow in November. This OPI throwback has been a go-to polish for me the past two years.

Feel the Mo-heat-oes
Feel the Mo-heat-oes is a pastel mint green creme.

Collection: Hello, Flamingo! CosmoProf Exclusive Summer 2014

Color: I love this shade of mint because it's really unique to my collection even though I have plenty of mint greens. This one is more of a true mint green in my opinion because it leans almost exclusively to the green side and doesn't really have any blue undertones.

Formula: The formula on this polish is excellent especially for being a pastel shade. I was surprised. I used 3 coats.

Price: This was a set sold exclusively to CosmoProf stores for licensed beauty professionals only. I'm not one of those, but I got this on eBay at the time. I still see this available on e-tailers in this $10-$20 range. It's a bit pricier because of it's exclusivity.

Overall: This is definitely one of my favorite greens. My only complaint is the name. The name is great, it's just a PITA to type and remember where the hyphens go. First world problem, I know! Besides that, it's a great color. I love the formula and it's one of my favorite OPI polishes.

My Rating: 5 out of 5 *Golden* Paint Splatters
Happy Monday!

Sunday, April 17, 2016

Weekly Wax Wrap Up: 4/10/16-4/17/16

This was unfortunately a dud week for wax. I was pretty disappointed in two of these I tried this week. One of the waxes I tried was great and another was alright, but I'll explain that later. I'm hoping for a better wax week this next week!

Ten Digit Creations Amarige
Scent Description: top notes of peach, plum, orange, mandarin, with the sweetness of rose wood and neroli. Middle floral notes of mimosa, neroli, tuberose, gardenia and acacia. Base notes of musk, sandalwood, vanilla, amber, tonka bean and cedar
My Thoughts: This a dupe the popular 90's Givenchy perfume.This perfume is so nostalgic to me. I remember teachers and other "grown ups" when I was younger wearing this and I loved how elegant the scent was. This dupe is spot on. It's a very aromatic, perfumey, and sophisticated scent. I definitely get a strong white floral note paired with muskiness and citrus. It's such a beautifully complex scent. It's really great, but definitely not for people who are sensitive to perfume smells. It's strong, but amazing to me!
Scent Throw: 5/5
Where To Buy: Ten Digit Creations 

Wilma's Lavender Leaves
Scent Description: Fresh lavender together with notes of sage, bergamot, rose and teas
My Thoughts: I had high hopes for this one because it had such an interesting scent description. I love lavender and that paired with the other herbal notes and rose sounded amazing. This just smelled like straight up lavender to me. I could not pick up any of the other elements which was very disappointing. Also, this had almost a non-existant throw. I could hardly smell it in my small bedroom.
Scent Throw: 1/5
Where To Buy: Wilma's Shop

Wilma's Lavender Cucumber
Scent Description: Green cucumber and soothing sage blends with wild lavender.
My Thoughts: I love lavender blends, so I try to try as many as I can. I have never seen a lavender cucumber blend before, so I was excited about this one. This smells exactly like a blend of lavender and cucumber. You get that herbal fragrant soothing lavender scent paired with that fresh, watery, and sweet cucumber. It's really the perfect blend of fresh and soothing. I liked this blend, however, like the previous one it didn't have a strong throw. It smelled strong when I was 2-3 ft away from it, but any further I could hardly detect it. 
Scent Throw: 1.5/5
Where To Buy: Wilma's Shop

Ten Digit Creations Alcatraz
Scent Description: jasmine, honeysuckle, vetiver
My Thoughts: This is a dupe to some Lush fragrance, but I've never tried it so I can't compare. This is a straight white floral scent. I also swear I'm picking up some coconut in there. I love white florals because they're very fresh, clean, and tropical smelling. This is great, but I'm not so sure I like it as a home fragrance. This smells more like something I'd want as a hair product or soap product which makes sense because it's a dupe from Lush. It's just missing something for me as home fragrance. I think it needs some citrus note in it to liven and freshen it up for me to like it more. This did have a strong throw though.
Scent Throw: 5/5
Where To Buy: Ten Digit Creations

Happy Sunday!

Friday, April 15, 2016

Glam Polish I'm Shore You Did

I have some bitterness toward Glam Polish. I oogled over the brand for a long time, and when I finally caved and purchased some I was disappointed (i.e. Sealieset Thing I Ever Heard and Get Otter Here). I just feel like the holo and glitter magic I saw in swatch photos didn't translate on to my nails. I felt the polishes were dull and muted in comparison. I honestly hadn't bothered swatching the rest of the polishes I bought because I was so bummed out by them. I did decide to try one out the other day, and I have to say of the bunch this one lived up to my expectations.

I'm Shore You Did
 I'm Shore You Did is a silver linear holo mixed with silver and multi colored holo glitter.

Collection: Glam Polish Under the Sea Summer 2015

Color: What attracted me to this polish was the added multi-colored holo glitter. There are silver holo polishes galore out there. I don't have the time to go through every indie silver holo offering and determine which one is the best. I have a few and I'll make do with what I have, I don't need every version. That being said, when there is one that has some extra flair I'm into it. This is one is great and it definitely stands out as different among other silver holo gliters. The holo effect in this is great and what I expected.

Formula: The formula on this was great and easy to apply. I used 2 coats.

Price: This is $11.00 on the Glam Polish site.

Overall: I really do like this polish, but it hasn't won me over to the brand. I'm still pretty bitter. I have noticed Glam Polish has taken on some new swatchers that I feel give a better representation of what the polish looks like in general. I'm not saying the others don't, but they have fancy cameras that really highlight every glimmer and sparkle in a polish. That maybe how a polish looks in that exact moment, with that exact lighting, and that exact angle, but isn't really how it looks generally. This is why when shopping it's so important to look through various swatches. It's also important to read reviews. This is something that we do tend to lack on Instagram. We see a pretty photo, but don't get a review. Reviews are equally important as a photo. There are many polishes I've posted here that look great in photo, but I have issues with and tell you in my review! I could go on and on about this subject, but that's for another blog post. I do like this polish though and was happy it wasn't a dud like the others.

My Rating: 4.5 out of 5 Paint Splatters

Happy Friday!



Wednesday, April 13, 2016

Salon Perfect In Too Deep

I've been trying lately to take notice of nail polish in stores. I've been let down by mainstream lately, and drugstore polishes don't do much for me either. I just don't even bother looking these days, but the past few weeks I've been taking a second glance. I have noticed some new colors at Walmart and this one caught my eye from the Salon Perfect brand.

In Too Deep
 In Too Deep is a true primary blue jelly.

Collection: Salon Perfect Neon Pop

Color: This is part of their neon line, but this isn't neon to me. This your good ol' primary color blue. It's a true blue. It's even more saturated than my camera could pick up. I love this color and honestly don't think I have a blue as true as this color.

Formula: Oy vey, this was somewhat of a mess. The formula on this was very thin and loose. It applied unevenly and this was just a messy polish. I had to apply 3 coats for opacity and even then you can see it's just uneven.  It's somewhat expected in a color with pigmentation like this, but it could of been better.

Price: This was $3.99 at Walmart.

Overall: I don't hate this, I just wish it were better. It's not the worst polish by any means, I prefer a thinner formula over a thicker one. This formula was messy and I can definitely see it staining your skin if you get it on it. It was uneven and just not a joy to work with. I love the color though. This is just one of those polish where you cant have it all.

My Rating: 3.5 out of 5 Paint Splatters
Happy Wednesday!


Tuesday, April 12, 2016

Weekly Wax Wrap Up: 4/3/16-4/10/16

This post was meant for Sunday, but since that was my blog birthday I pushed it back to today. I had a fairly good wax week. I didn't have any waxes I detested, so that's a start! There are many weeks where I have one I really can't stand. This week not everything was a favorite, but nothing was a dud.
Colonial Candle French Lavender
Scent Description: Whisk away with this soft and soothing lavender fragrance. Top: Fresh Green - Middle: Lavender - Bottom: Musk, Woody
My Thoughts: This isn't my favorite type of lavender scent, as I prefer a more herbal take, but I still like this one. It does have some of those herbal notes, but it has softness to it and I think touch of powderiness that I believe comes from the bottom musky and woody notes. I'm not usually into powdery scents, but this one works. It's a nice balance of soft and soothing. 
Scent Throw: 3.5/5
Where To Buy: Colonial Candle

Mainstays Darkest Sandalwood
Scent Description: N/A
My Thoughts: This is a very masculine scent, not in the sense that it smells like cologne, but it's very rich and deep. This smells like pure wood blended with leather and hint of bergamot.  I'm not usually into woodsy scents aa they tend to have a sweetness to them I find unpleasant. This one is just so dark, rich, and complex I'm not really getting any of that. The problem with this one is throw was poor.
Scent Throw: 2/5
Where To Buy: Walmart

Wilma Victorian Cleaning
Scent Description: Our own blend of clean cotton linens and lemongrass with a slightly green note.
My Thoughts: The main note I'm getting from this lemongrass with a hint of laundry scent in the background to balance it out. This is a pure lemongrass scent too. It has that amazing herbal aromatherapy-like quality. I liked this blend. It's a very crisp and refreshing scent.
Scent Throw: 4/5
Where To Buy: Wilma's Shop

Colonial Candle Rainshowers
Scent Description: Capturing that moment when the rain first falls, carrying hints of ozone, clary sage and oakmoss, saturating the ground and cleansing everything it touches. Top: Ozone Mint, Grapefruit, Glacier Water Accord - Medium: Sage Clary, Lavender - Bottom: Oakmoss, Coumarin, Tonka Bean.
My Thoughts: There is a lot going on in this scent and that means it could go either way. It can either be awful or spectacular. This one is spectacular. This is such a sophisticated and unique clean water scent. I can identify all of the fragrance notes it listed. It's a refreshing blend of herbal, minty, water, and green rolled all into one.Those are all my favorite type of scents, so it's no wonder. This one had great throw, but the scent only lasted for a few hours. I wish it lasted longer!
Scent Throw: 4/5 
Where To Buy: Colonial Candle

Re-Melts of the Week:
Ten Digit Creations Cool Citrus Basil
Ten Digit Creations Sea Salt & Ocean Breezes

Happy Tuesday!

Monday, April 11, 2016

L.A. Colors Family Ties

I spotted this color on a trip to Walmart last week.  I had never seen this "Color Last" line before by L.A. Colors and I don't see it listed on their website, which leads me to assume it's a Walmart exclusive. I can't confirm that though. This line claims to last 10 days on the nail. I'm not going to test out that theory as I never wear nail polish more than 5 or 6 days at time. I just bought it because of the pretty color!

Family Ties
 Family Ties is a bright neon fuchsia pink jelly.

Collection: L.A. Colors Color Last

Color: I feel like there are so many hot pinks out there, but not many that go into this shade route. This is more of fuchsia, but it's still pink, it's just cooler toned than other hot pinks. I absolutely love this color. It's really vibrant and saturated.

Formula: When I first purchased this I thought it was a creme. It looks so opaque in the bottle, but when I applied it I realized it was a jelly formula. It's more opaque jelly, but it does have that squishy factor for sure. I used 3 coats above. I found the formula great and easy to apply.

Price: I didn't save my receipt, but I'm pretty sure this was either $1.99 or $2.99 at Walmart! I'm sorry I forgot, but I can't look it up either because it's not listed.

Overall: I really adore Family Ties. This color is amazing. I love the vibrancy and the surprise squishy factor. The price is great and it's always nice to find a great polish at such an easily accessible store.

My Rating: 5 out of 5 *Golden* Paint Splatters
Happy Monday!


Sunday, April 10, 2016

Imperfectly Painted Turns 6! *Personal Post*

*This is an extremely long personal post, so feel free to skip. 

I started this blog on April 10th, 2010. I think if you told me I'd be blogging for 6 years then I never would of believed you. I don't think I would of believed I would of lasted a year! I think what has kept me going is the gratitude I have for this blog and how it has changed my life. I had a difficult childhood. Not remotely difficult in comparison to many, but I struggled with self-esteem very severely.

I was bullied so severely as a child that I have diagnosed PTSD from the emotional abuse. I also lived in an area with a bunch of "one uppers" and  overachievers that no matter what I did I was never good enough. That abuse and childhood pressure left some very deep scars that really did not really present itself until adulthood. I lived with debilitating social anxiety and a constant fear of judgment and rejection from people. I barely left the house and often when I did it resulted in massive panic attacks. Needless to say, I did not have friends and felt very alone.

In December of 2008, I was at Target and came across this mini Sally Hansen Lacquer Shine nail polish gift set. I believe it was a set of 4 colors in mini bottles a shimmery blue, purple, pink, and red. I don't know what enticed me to buy it. I never really painted my nails often, but the colors just caught my eye. I bought it and that night I painted my nails with the pink color. The color was awesome, but I wanted to try the other colors too. So, the next day I painted my nails with the purple, then the next day the blue, and so forth. That's how it started. There was something about having this fun splash of colors on my nails that I could change whenever I wanted that I found joy in.

I then joined MakeupAlley and started following the nail board. I became aware of bloggers like All Lacquered Up, Vampy Varnish, Scrangie, and Kellie Gonzo through the nail board. I also learned that there were other brands of nail polish besides OPI and Sally Hansen. There was this awesome brand called China Glaze that had this amazing color called Ruby Pumps. It was early in 2009 when I took my first trip to Sally's Beauty Supply and bought my first China Glaze nail polishes, Ruby Pumps included of course. Throughout 2009, I changed nail polish on a daily basis. A new color every single day, and if I couldn't decide I'd alternate between two colors on different nails.

I had toyed with the idea of starting a blog for a long time before I actually started a blog. I had a lot of fears about starting a blog. The bloggers I saw had perfect nails and perfect polish jobs, and I knew I couldn't replicate that. I was afraid of that type of pressure getting to me and ruining my love of nail polish. I have spent my entire life chasing perfection that I never could obtain. I spent my life feeling inadequate compared to everyone else. I knew if I started a blog I wanted to break free of those expectations I've put upon myself. I wanted to be OK with being imperfect, and I wanted people to know when they came to my blog that imperfection is what they were going to get.

That's how the name Imperfectly Painted was born. It would be another 6 months before I actually bit the bullet and started this blog. This blog gave me the space and the voice to just be myself. I never in my entire life gave myself permission to just be me. I always was trying to be like someone else to win someone's approval or feel like I could be accepted. I told myself when I started this blog this would be my project for me and would be by my standards only.

It was through this blog that I actually made my first friends as an adult. It was through this blog that I felt supported not only as a blogger, but as a human being. I've shared a lot on this blog besides for nail polish and have realized how I'm definitely not alone in my experiences and feelings. I appreciate you, my readers, because you've helped me feel like valued person. You gave me the gift of kindness and friendship when I really needed it the most.

My biggest accomplishment I feel with this blog is that I've remained true to myself throughout it all. This blog has remained virtually unchanged since it's fruition. Yes, my nail polish painting skills have improved, but the content is the same. I admit, that it's hard. There are bloggers who have blogged as long as me or even much less who have become very successful and professional bloggers. I always knew if I went that route, this would become a painful journey of chasing perfection yet again. This blog and nails was my "me time". This has never been a career goal or aspiration for me. This is my outlet.

This blog gave me a lot of confidence in my real life. My first time getting out of the house for a real social event was to meet some local bloggers here in 2011. I remember being so sick with anxiety the night before, but I went and I'm happy to say that I'm still friends with some of those people. I have met some wonderful people in the blogging community and continue to do so. I've had amazing opportunities with local beauty shows and last summer attending Cosmoprof NA in Vegas. It's not the events or the nail polish that mean the most to me though, it's meeting people. I have such a fondness for this community because I relate to it so much. I feel so many of us share similar backgrounds and experiences outside of nail polish that brought us to nail polish so that the connection is very genuine.

I admit, that I do remain a fairly guarded person. I see so many wonderful friendships in the blogging community, and I'm so envious of them. I'm not an easy person to get know. I know that, but it's not because I'm standoffish or not interested. For some reason, I find it easy to reveal all of my feelings in a blog post, but feel uncomfortable doing it with a person on one one. I do still struggle with feelings of inferiority and worry about being a burden to other people. My biggest void in this blogging experience is definitely a lack of friendships. I have met many great people, but haven't really formed many friendships. I am so admittedly jealous of people who have close-knit nail buddies they have group chats with or text all the time. I do hope that will change, but that's something on me because it's my insecurity that is holding me back.

I will say my favorite aspect of blogging is reviewing. I enjoy speaking to you all as if you're my friend. If something is super duper sparkly amazing I will say it like that and add a million exclamation points throughout the review even though that doesn't sound very professional. If a polish is ugly and crappy, I'll say it's crap even though that's not very tactful. I appreciate you all being accepting of my writing style and how I chose to express myself on here.

Overall, in this nearly 1,300 word essay I'm just trying to say how grateful I am for this entire experience. I'm grateful to myself for having the courage to start this blog and to give myself that freedom to be myself. I am grateful to my readers, the people I've met, and the friendships I've formed for supporting me and being part of such a positive journey for me. I started this blog when I was 23 years old, and I'll be 30 this summer. This blog saw me through a time of really discovering and appreciating my identity. It's these meaningful experiences and of course my love of glitter and shiny things that keep me going.

Thank you for being a friend.

Friday, April 8, 2016

Sinful Colors Hit The Dance Glow

I never came across Sinful Colors Bling It On collection, but I heard a lot of great things about it. Thankfully, a local friend stumbled across it and picked up some colors for me. This collection consisted of a bunch of colors with cool shimmers, flakies, and glitters. I have Hit The Dance Glow to show you today.

Hit The Dance Glow
Hit The Dance Glow is a sheer fuchsia jelly mixed with iridescent glitter, blue/purple iridescent flakies, and a blue flash shimmer.

Collection: Sinful Colors Bling It On Fall 2015

Color: I do not see nail polishes like this made much anymore. I remember fuchsia paired with that blue flash shimmer were popular in the 90's. I think that's the only type of color my aunt wore! Anyways, this is updated. It has a jelly finish and I love all those fun glittery elements. It has a cool effect that is glowy and shimmery.

Formula: This applied easily and smoothly. The problem with this is it's very sheer. I used 4 coats above and it still isn't as rich of color as it is seen in the bottle. I tried layering it and I found that a lot of the sparkly fun bits in there do get lost on the nail over a base color. This is a lot of coats, but still doable for me as 3 coats is usually my max. A 4th isn't going to be dealbreaker for me, just more than expected.

Price: This was $1.99 at Walgreens. I don't think this collection around anymore though.

Overall: I like Hit The Dance Glow. Yes, it's not a perfect polish, but it does have some unique yet nostalgic properties that makes me like it. It's definitely not a type of polish I'm used to seeing this days which is nice for a change.

My Rating: 3.5 out of 5 Paint Splatters
Happy Friday!

Wednesday, April 6, 2016

OPI She's A Bad Muffuletta!

I have another polish from the OPI New Orleans collections to share with you today. This is probably the color that caught my eye the most. I love punchy red cremes especially as we transition into summertime especially on my toes. Shes A Bad Muffuletta! fits that bill and looks like it maybe my go-to pedi color this summer.

She's A Bad Muffuletta! 
She's A Bad Muffuletta is a vibrant pinkish-red creme.

Collection: OPI New Orleans Spring/Summer 2016

Color: This a great punchy color. This isn't neon, but it's bright and definitely makes a statement. I love the hint of pink to this shade too. This is one of those colors in my eyes that you can't go wrong with and would suit nearly everyone.

Formula: Excellent formula. OPI formulas are usually a bit streaky and uneven for me. This one is perfect. It applied opaquely and evenly in 2 coats.

Price: This is $10 in stores, but I bought it on eBay for around $7. I highly recommend finding this on etailers as I can't swallow paying $10 for OPI now.

Overall: This is a great vibrant and fun color in this collection. I love the intensity of this shade and that it's not a true red. True reds get so boring. The hint of pink in this makes it fun and different. The formula was great and this just all-around solid great color.

My Rating: 5 out of 5 Paint Splatters
Happy Wednesday!

Monday, April 4, 2016

Native War Paints Sweater Dress

I have another Native War Paints polish to share with you today. I will say after trying my second polish from the brand I can 100% confirm that Native War Paints is the absolute queen of shimmers. I heard angels singing when I put on this polish and I still think I hear some. This is one of those "it" polishes that will be forever revered in my nail polish collection.

Sweater Dress
Sweater Dress is a royal purple with an intense golden shimmer.

Collection: Native War Paints Cozy Sweater Collection Fall 2015

Color: Do you hear the angels too? Look at this polish! It is heavenly. I love this purple shade, but that shimmer? It is the best shimmer I've ever seen in nail polish, hands down. The end. This is the absolute best. 

Formula: Excellent formula. It was easy to apply and I used 2 coats. 

Price: This is $8.50 on Native War Paint's site

Overall: Go click the link above and buy this polish now. You needed it yesterday. I'm sad I didn't get it when it was released last year because it would of been on my Top 25 of 2015 list for sure. This is an insanely beautiful polish. This is an absolute must have! 

My Rating: 5 out of 5 *Golden* Paint Splatters
Happy Monday! 

Sunday, April 3, 2016

Weekly Wax Wrap Up: 3/27/16-4/3/16

Here are the new waxes I melted this week.

Colonial Candle Spring Awakening
Scent Description: Rejuvenate the energy of spring with a mixture of fresh apple, grapefruit, and sun dried cotton.
My Thoughts: I really enjoyed this scent. I definitely get a strong green apple note from this which reminds a lot of the Suave Juicy Green Apple shampoo they've had for ages. That green apple note to my nose is paired with a blend of some type of  light floral, greenery, and cotton notes. This is a really nice blend. It's very fresh and green. My only complaint is I wish it had a stronger throw. 
Scent Throw: 3/5
Where To Buy: Colonial Candle

Better Homes & Gardens By The Pool (Splash + Coconut)
Scent Description: N/A
My Thoughts: This is another one of those duo packs you melt together. The "Splash" side smells like a a blend of salty ocean water, a light floral, and pineapple. The "Coconut" side smells like Hawaiian Tropic sunscreen, pretty much a blend of coconut and pineapple. These melted together smell exactly like how you smell after a day at the pool. You know when your skin smells like a mixture of sunscreen and chlorine? It's a pretty artificial smell, but it's nostalgic to me as it reminds me of the summers I used to live in the pool as a kid. I did tire of it after a few hours because those pineapple notes can get too sweet, but it's definitely a scent I would melt again. Not a favorite, but I like it enough. 
Scent Throw: 4.5/5
Where To Buy: Walmart

ScentSationals Orchid Paradise
Scent Description: I hope heaven is like this
My Thoughts: Really ScentSationals? What kind of scent description is that? This is one of those scents that fooled me. On cold sniff, I got a fresh and crisp floral with maybe some sweet watery notes, when melted this overpowering powdery note came out. It smelled like scented baby powder. I really don't like powdery florals. I know violets are like that. I guess orchids are too? This one to me smelled really different on cold than when melted. It tricked me! I sure hope heaven doesn't smell like this. 
Scent Throw: 4.5/5
Where To Buy: Walmart

Colonial Candle Harbor Mist
Scent Description: Treasure the clean scent of gentle florals, musk, and a touch of sweet pear.
My Thoughts: This is my kind of scent. This an amazing blend of ocean air, soft floral, slight fruity note, and hint of perfume. It really does match the description. I love fresh and clean scents like this with some added elements to make it special. My beef? This had a very light throw. It was very disappointing because it smells so great in the package. Bummer.
Scent Throw: 1.5/5
Where To Buy: Colonial Candle

Re-Melts of the Week:
Mainstays Soothing Spa
ScentSationals Spa
ScentSationals Lavender Glow

If you want to chat retail wax, join the retail wax FB group!

Happy Sunday!

Friday, April 1, 2016

Pure Ice Fairytale Forest

I have the last of the Pure Ice Fairytale Forest polishes to share with you today. This was collection that was released early in December. The collection was limited edition, but there could be a few stragglers hanging out in a Pure Ice display. I adored this collection. I thought it was unique for a drugstore price collection especially in a time when drugstore/mainstream polish is waning in appeal. This color however, I think was a dud in the collection and I'm peeved at how they made this one!

Fairytale Forest
Fairytale Forest is a steely frosty blue shimmer.

Collection: Pure Ice Fairytale Forest Winter 2016

Color: I can't. I can't. I can't. If you recall from my other reviews of this collection (Tales Untold, Precious Jewel, and True Love's Kiss), these were pastel cremes with beautiful glass fleck golden shimmer. Well, that beautiful glass fleck golden shimmer is in this color too. You just can't see it because instead of a creme polish they paired it with this frosty shimmer blue crap. In person, you can see that gold shimmer in the bottle, but on the nail it's completely covered up by this atrocious blue frost of sadness. The color isn't bad, but it doesn't fit the collection and it's just not a nice finish much less a modern finish.

Formula: The formula applies nicely. I used 2 coats here. 

Price: This was $1.99 at Walmart. I can't fault the price.

Overall: Why?!?!? I almost feel like I can't fault it because everything else in the collection was great. It was a unique collection at $1.99 a pop. This color just doesn't make sense and I don't know why they thought this would look nice? Why bother putting that same shimmer in this color but use a frost? Frost polishes do not pair well with glitter or shimmer. The frost will always overpower those elements. It's stupid a amateur nail polish mistake that I'm clearly overly upset about. I'll get over it, but come on now. No more frost polishes of sadness please. 

My Rating: 1 out of 5 Paint Splatters
Happy Friday!