Crystal File 058: Essie Love Beverly Hills XX

Well, the holiday season is in full swing! For many of you gals that may mean pulling out your favorite sexy, festive reds for tips and toes. I have to say, Love Beverly Hills has definitely joined my list of favorite reds. I was initially afraid it would be far to warm and golden for me, due to the intense golden shimmer apparent in the bottle. The shimmer comes from the addition of pure 24 Carat gold!

I was pleasantly surprised to find that once applied, the golden tone mellows and blends with the red base, creating a gorgeous foil like glow. This is an intense red, however, and not for the faint of heart.








I hope you're all done shopping, and all set for lots of holiday fun with family and friends! I hope to post again before i travel for the holidays, but if not, i wish all my readers the best the season has to offer!

Crystal File 57: Happy Holidays and all that Jazz!

Tis the season....to be super busy! I apologize for not having had many lovely pics for you as of late. Believe it or not, i actually do have pretties i'd like to share, but between nasty (sunless) weather and running all over the place to shop, swatching just gets put on the back burner!

I have three more Romantiques to photo so that i can post the six you all haven't seen here. I also have Essie, Love Beverly Hills xx waiting in the wings. I still need to share the Fall Barielle colors with you all as well! Oy, the list keeps getting longer. I may even be able to get my hands on the upcoming Spring/Summer OPI Miami South Beach collection over the holidays, wouldn't that be nifty?! At any rate, i've not forgotten you all, and i truly hope to be able to get some swatch work done before we leave for the Christmas holiday. Keep your beautifully manicured fingers crossed for sunny weather :)

Crystal File 56: Let's Welcome a New Blogger!!

Hullo ladies! I'd love it if you could all help me welcome a new blogger into our polish obsessed plane of existence :) Her name is Michelle, and she is one of my most wonderful MUA pals. You can visit her new blog by clicking the "A Stroke of Color" link on the right side of my page under favorite beauty blogs.

Michelle is not only a really sweet gal, she's also a master or Konad nail art. And if her awesome nails and fabulous personality aren't enough to win you over, she's also a competitive swimmer!

So, please take a few minutes and cruise over to her blog site. I'm sure you'll enjoy not only the site content, but getting to know Michelle a bit as well.

Crystal File 55: Why NOT to use Acetone to Thin Your Polish!

On the topic of thinning polishes using acetone, i have to advise against it. While acetone may work to thin the polish, it can also be damaging to the chemical composition of the polish, potentially harming the wear and shine of the product.

Using nail polish thinner (available at your local nail or beauty supply store, Ulta, Sally Beauty Supply, or via and etailer like head2toebeauty) is the best option. Thinner is specifically designed to replace the solvents that have evaporated from your polish, which is what causes it to thicken.

You'll notice that acetone is not on the original ingredients list of your polish, but ingredients like Butyl Acetate and Ethyl Acetate (common thinner ingredients) are two of the most common polish ingredients. That's why they're in your thinner, because as i mentioned, the purpose of thinner is to replace these solvents.

So, i know that its a common misconception that using Acetone or polish remover to thin your polish is ok, but i seriously advise you to invest in a bottle of polish thinner instead. Using thinner will not damage your polish, just remember to use it sparingly so you don't over-thin. Many thinners, such as my favorite, Seche Restore, come with a small glass eyedropper to help you control the amount you add. While Restore is my favorite, it does contain Toluene (one of the Big Three chemicals). If you'd prefer a thinner without Toluene, Beauty Secrets thinner is available at Sally Beauty Supply, and doesn't contain Toluene.

I hope this helps dispel the myth that its fine to use acetone as a polish thinning agent! I wouldn't want to see any of my lovely readers tossing a precious pretty because it became a dull, chippy mess every time they tried to wear it :)