BSB: Beauty news, makeup swatches and pictures, nail polish articles, makeup tutorials, product reviews, and how-to's from a MAC-trained makeup artist.

The Nail Ninja: Ginger + Liz - Not on the First Date (nail polish swatches, pictures, review)

Another great shade from Ginger + Liz, but this one has The Ninja eating her words.

Not on the First Date seemed to be a pretty beige-nude-mannequin-hands shade the first time The Ninja looked at it in the bottle. When she slicked it onto her nails, though, what she found was a putty-purple. Or you could call it a lavender-greige. Not completely unusual, but the exact shade is one that found no duplicates in The Ninja's stash.

In fact, The Ninja was yearning for a shade like this all Spring, but had long since abandoned hope until meeting this polish. Reading a bit more grey indoors (but still with a lavender bent), outside brings a new perspective: this is a greyed-pale purple. Perfection! 

On the downside, application was a bit runny and the Nail Ninja found some of the lacquer pooling in her cuticles if she hurried. This was not an issue when careful, and the color was opaque in two coats. As with all of the other experiences The Ninja has had with Ginger + Liz polishes, wear was great- 4 days of hard ninja use before a small chip. 

The minor shrinkage visible on some of these swatch pics was an anomaly, and can be blamed on a new base coat technoque The Ninja was trying out, and not the polish. A previous wear of this shade had no such issues.

 

 

 

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Guest swatcher, Pippa, makes an appearance:

So what do you think? Are you "over" colors like this? Interested in adding it to your  stash? Do you ever feel stalked by ninja cats?

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bath & Body Works: Halloween!

I'm tragically bad at coming up with Halloween costume ideas. I'm quite artistic and enthusiastic, but lack the creative spark, I guess.

But Halloween is my favorite holiday, hands down, and one thing I can do to celebrate is to decorate!

Cue Bath & Body Works' seasonal collection, Halloween Spook-tacular Boo-tique. It's all available now, so be sure to snap it up!

I'm pretty sure I could find an end table the baby can't reach and plop the Haunted House Luminary ($35) on it. The glow-in-the-dark hand soap is  scented in B&BW fan fave Warm Vanilla Sugar. That would work well in the upstairs bathroom.  Currently the store is having a 4-for-$10 special on Anti-bacterial products, which is great, because I'm running low on my beloved anti-bac handwashes! Speaking of anti-bac, I'll probably need one of those glow-in-the-dark handi-bac holders!

I love the scent of Fall goodies, and that's a ton better than smelling bathroom or diapers in the trashcan, so I'll get room sprays in several scents! But do I pick Caramel Apple (golden apple, brown sugar, creamy caramel, anjou pear, nutmeg, and vanilla), Creamy Pumpkin (creamy caramel, gingered pumpkin, vanilla, golden amber, and warm cream), or Pumpkin Patch (fresh pumpkin, ground cinnamon, brown sugar, vanilla cream), or Sweet Cinnamon Pumpkin (spicy pumpkin puree, sweet butter, vanilla cream)? All of those scents are also available in candles and other room-scenting products.

I know the kids would get a kick out of the Ghost Hand Soap pump ($10) (also Warm Vanilla Sugar) and the expandable pumpkin towel ($2.50), but the Skull & Crossbones Tote ($40) is all for Mama!

All that said, how freakin' adorable is that Bat SCENTBUG Home Fragrance Fan ($14.50)?  Since I am a Halloween collector, I have no problem putting one in my office year-round. PS: Did you know that the SCENTBUG was the winner of The Fragrance Foundation’s 2010 FiFi Award for Interior Scent Collection? High praises!

 

 

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Feel like tossing a bunch of these in your cart? Hate the kitschy stuff? Does anyone else think it odd that the "Caramel Apple" scent doesn't have any apple notes in it?

 

The Nail Ninja: Butter London Fall/Winter '10

Seasonal polish collections often reflect the trends of said season. Fall/Winter  '10 is about texture, layering, and depth. Clothes will be delightfully layered (though isn't this always the way in Fall and Winter?). Texture played a large part of the FW shows, especially in my favorite way: chunky knits over sheer fabrics paired with slick leather. Those things really create that feeling of "depth", as also can be seen in the recent hair trend of ombre locks (they fade gradually from a light root to a darker end, or vice versa). These are all some of my favorite things!

Now... how does those translate into nail polish trends? The Ninja suspects we'll be seeing quite a bit of shimmer, interplay between different textures in one mani, and delicious jelly polishes.

Nonie Creme, head of Big-3 free polish brand Butter London, interpreted this Fall's trends into 4 shades:

1. Bumster This unusual shade is mustard, ochre, yellow-brown. It's named after a style of pants designed by Alexander McQueen in 1996 in which the waistband slung low and showed off the wearers' bums.
2. Marrow We know that purple is huge this Fall, and the shimmer in Marrow adds intriguing depth. The original version of this dark purple shade was custom-mixed for the AW10 Vena Cava show. It reminded the designers of bone marrow. By many accounts, though, the color being sold isn't the same as that spotted backstage, which was more greyed-out and murky.
3. All Hail McQueen This is "the tribute polish" in honor of Alexander McQueen. The opaque beige version of Yummy Mummy (a Butter London top seller) is heavily doused with holographic glitter. Note: this is not "a holo polish"; it's a holo glitter. The former would give off a uniform holographic rainbow effect all over the nail. All Hail McQueen has holo glitter, each particle of which shines like a holographic prism.
4. Victoriana The Victorian Age, in color. A "textured vintage blue", to be exact, which apparently is a blue with green tones. Again, shimmering particles add depth and texture hee.

Take a looksie:

I'm sad I didn't get samples to try - they look bangin'! I'm especially intruiged by All Hail McQueen because I'm obsessed with holo glitter, though you know I'm a purple addict so Marrow also calls to me. I'd like to check out Bumster, because though it's not technically a neutral (too warm!), it's an unusual color that will compliment Fall nicely. I'm gradually getting addicted to the all-to-trendy (in the nail world) greens and blues, with my favorites being a mix of the two shades that is particularly flattering on my cool skin. Will Victoriana fit the bill? All Lacquered Up got this collection to review, that lucky Michele; swatches are here.

Each polish retails for $14 (well worth it if these are like the rest of the polishes in the line). Buy them online at ButterLondon.com or check the site for other retailers.

YOUR TURN:
Have you tried Butter London? Like it? Leave it? Do these colors entice you? Are you excited for Fall? Are your pants falling off, or are they securely in place?

BPAL: Vampires Don't Sleep Alone - the look back

I've just finished reviewing the final scent in the recent release from  Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab (BPAL): Vampires Don't Sleep Alone. Now I'm kind of sad it's over. I need more BPAL!

The series is based on the book "Vampires Don't Sleep Alone"*, a vampire dating how-to written by  BPAL founder Elizabeth Barrial and  D.H. Altair (of Dark Delicacies). If you're not familiar with BPAL, you may find this post helpful. Other BSB reviews of BPAL perfume oils can be found here, and if you feel like losing yourself in myriad reviews, take a look at BPAL.org, a the BPAL fan forum.

On a whole, this is a great collection of perfume oils. I enjoyed testing them all, as usual, and there were no overt "fails" for me here. On each review, I've taken pictures of each bottle so you can see the beautiful artwork done by Julie Dillon.

You can order from this page, though at this point you'll have to scroll down quite a bit to find them (so many new releases!).

The scents are as follows (click the scent name to see the review):

CICUTA
Dry, dusty rose petals, candle smoke, frankincense, and saffron.

INTERFECTOR
Ruthless, unfeeling, and inhumanly violent: tobacco, sharp woods, frankincense, and bunn.

TOMBEUR
Deadly and seductive: vanilla-infused sandalwood, blood musk, antique patchouli, vetiver, lavender, bitter almond, amber, and a trickle of Snake Oil.

SILENTI
Grave beauty: Spanish moss, lilac, wisteria, myrrh, and olibanum.

TRANSEO
GA cologne that (almost) blends well into human society: benzoin, orange blossom, cumin, King mandarin, gaiac wood, juniper berry, Calabrian bergamot, Ceylon cinnamon, and blood camouflaged by wine.

MISERICORDIA
Eons of grief and unending hunger: magnolia, black currant, castoreum accord, lavender, labdanum, amber, rose otto, and opoponax.

PHILOLOGUS
Ancient books, crackled parchment, faded incense, and candle wax.

VESPILLO
A grounded, earthy scent, evocative of the soul’s finer qualities: patchouli, clove, neroli, night-blooming jasmine, sage, and iris.

SANCTUS
Diabolically otherworldly: golden osmanthus, lily of the valley, celestial musk, and frankincense.

VILF
Because isn’t that what this book is really about? Vampire smut: patchouli-infused honey, red musk, red sandalwood, red ginger, pink pepper, Peru balsam, dark Eastern florals, Himalayan cedar, smoky vanilla, bitter clove, and leather.

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Did you find any lemmings here? Have you already tried some of these? If so, what were your thoughts? And does anyone else have the urge to re-watch all of the True Bloods with me?

BPAL: Vampires Don't Sleep Alone - Sanctus

The Sanctus are considered by some pious vampires to be the saints of their kind, and from what we have gleaned, they are very likely the stuff of myth.

SANCTUS
Diabolically otherworldly: golden osmanthus, lily of the valley, celestial musk, and frankincense.

Keep reading for the review...

Buy Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab (BPAL) perfume oils here.

NARS Vintage Polish coming to a fingernail near you?

Officially, NARS doesn't have anything to say (yet) about their Vintage Nail Collection for Fall '10, but I've spotted a few tidbits here and there. I can't tell you prices (though usually BNAS polishes are $16) but I was told October 1st is the date we can expect to see them in the US.

What I do know:

That's hot.

The shades:
Mash army green infused with gold
King Kong copper brown infused with gold
Midnight Express deep navy
Zulu forest green
Full Metal Jacket gunmetal gray

 

I will own Zulu, which is a cult classic, much-hyped, well-loved green. I must have it. I don't care what it takes.
I'm pretty sure Mash will come home with me, too. Er... King Kong is also pretty rad.

What do you think, ya'll? Are you lemming Zulu? Going to climb a building for King Kong? Jumping on a train for Midnight Express? Is anyone concerned that I've mentioned gorillas twice in one day?

Polish lovers: I bet I can make you spend $75 in the blink of an eye!

Les Khakis De Chanel, three takes on "griege chic", were created for Fashion's Night Out. Available Sept. 10th, they'll set you back $25 bucks a piece.

What say you?

_{I say someone better book a makeover ASAP so I can pick these bad boys up! ;)}

BPAL: Vampires Don't Sleep Alone - Philogus

The Philologi are scholars and philosophers that have dedicated themselves to the pursuit of knowledge, utilizing their extended lifespan to further their research. They are usually reclusive, and some were once Transeo that have rejected the bustle of human society in favor of solitude.

PHILOLOGUS
Ancient books, crackled parchment, faded incense, and candle wax.

Keep reading for the review...

Buy Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab (BPAL) perfume oils here.

The Nail Ninja: Best Manicure Ever? Ginger + Liz Tuck Me In, Illamasqua Harsh (nail polish swatches, pictures, review)

Could this be it? The Nail Ninja's  best manicure ever? The one that, if forced, she'd wear for the rest of her days? It's quite possible. Pictures first, then we'll talk...

 

_{Note: The Ninja's new iPhone 4 takes great pictures, but for some reason her
skin always comes out a bit red. The nail color, though, is true.}

That's Ginger + Liz's new silver polish, Tuck Me In. It's opaque in two coats with zero brushstrokes. NONE. Application is smooth, with no dragging or pooling. Wear is excellent - The Ninja gets 4 days until a minor chip, with only minimal tipwear. The brush is also stellar - flat, even, with just the right number of bristles.

The Ninja adores silver polishes. Wearing a silver manicure is, if it suits your skintone, a chic and sexy classic that really looks nice in almost all situations. It's pretty, it's tough, it's uptown, it's downtown. Some people wear white as their signature; The Ninja wears silver. The is The Best Silver Ever, no question.

For a bit of extra bling on her ring fingers, The Ninja topped Tuck Me In with Illamasqua's Harsh, a midsize silver glitter in a clear base. What you see here is only one coat of Harsh. Sure, it's a bit difficult to remove, but holding a pure acetone-soaked cotton pad on the nail for a few minutes will allow you to slip it off of the nail without too much trouble. Wear is, as with all Illamasqua polishes, excellent.

To summarize: this is officially The Ninja's favorite manicure. If pressed, she'd wear silver polish (this silver polish) on her tips for the rest of her life, and wear China Glaze's Coconut Kiss (purple) on her toes. And that, friends, is all there is to say.

_{This polish was sent to me for consideration.
For more information, see my About tab.}

BPAL News: It's Autumn! It's Halloweenie! It's my favorite time of year!

It's time.

Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab (BPAL) announced today that their Autumn scents are now on their website and ready to be sold.

My wallet weeps, but my heart leaps! Corny? Yes, but I'm addled by the lure of Halloweenie!

For those of you who aren't on the mailing list, click through the cut below to see the reposted bulletin listing all of the new scents.

I'm walking around like a zombie dreaming of these:

• All Souls 2010 (I love incense!)
• Calaveras (Are you kidding me? With my obsession of the Day of the Dead? My skeleton collection? I need this.)
• Flor de Muerto (I plan on a marigold as my next tattoo - it's a flower that represents my Day of the Dead "thing" and also my daughter's birth month)
• Lambs Wool 2010 (Um, yum!)
• Pumpkin Latte (Are you kidding me?!)
• Pomegranate I (sigh...)
• Pomegranate V (wow)
• The Infernal Lover

I'm sure I can think of some moe if I look again. ;)

How 'bout you?

 

BPAL: Vampires Don't Sleep Alone - Interfector and Tombeur (a two-fer)

Over the centuries, vampires have classified their own kind, and in the past, these classifications became the root of a rough caste system that some vampires still adhere to today...

There are two types of vampires that humans, and often other vampires, need to be wary of: the Interfectors and the Tombeur.

INTERFECTOR
Ruthless, unfeeling, and inhumanly violent: tobacco, sharp woods, frankincense, and bunn.

TOMBEUR
Deadly and seductive: vanilla-infused sandalwood, blood musk, antique patchouli, vetiver, lavender, bitter almond, amber, and a trickle of Snake Oil.

Keep reading for the reviews...

Buy Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab (BPAL) perfume oils here.

 

 

 

Going Gaga over those nails! Lady Gaga on the cover of Vanity Fair

 

Love her or loathe her, Lady Gaga is at the front of the trends. Okay, sometimes she's waaaaay in front of them. For example, The Ninja has yet to start wearing muppets or gravity-defying shoes or latex and meteorites (though she was incorporating masks into her looks long before Gaga).

On the cover of September's Vanity Fair, "the style issue", she brings a newish trend (long popular in the nail fanatic underworld) out into the open. Check out her cover, above. Not only is she wearing Tavi's hair color, but she's also rocking the hot shade for tips: grey. In this particular case, it's Lippmann Collection's Waking Up in Vegas. Which really isn't grey - it's really more of a greige-stone. Which is ok, since Gaga's hair isn't really grey, it's really more of a greige-lavender.

Note: The Nail Ninja has this shade and could have SWORN she posted a review, but can't find it now. Consider it coming tomorow. :)

More pics from the Vanity Fair article (and a really cool video from the shoot!) follow...

Are you a Gaga fan? Have you worn greige, grey, or stone-colored nail polish? How do you feel abotu the senseless death of muppets for fashion?

China Glaze Vintage Vixen Re-cap (Fall '10)

So we've come to the end of the China Glaze nail swatches for Fall's Vintage Vixen. In all, a great collection! Aside from any problems with colors and your skintone, there are no clunkers in the whole set. That's why The Ninja loves China Glaze! She'll be sporting these colors this Fall and for a long time to come.

Review:  Each color is incredibly well-done. The Ninja gives every color a ★★★★★ FIVE STAR rating for quality! Below, each color is rated just in the parameters of this collection (meaning- a few of the colors are stand-outs), but one must keep in mind that as far as the big picture these colors are all streak-free, easy to apply, and well-wearing with no major application problems.

The collection: 

• Riveter Rouge – Deep red shimmer ★★★★☆
• Foxy – Burgundy frost with shimmer ★★★★★
• Goin’ My Way – Brown frost with copper shimmer ★★★★★
• Classic Camel – Khaki crème with gold micro glitter ★★★★★
• Swing Baby –  Taupe frost with silver micro glitter ★★★★☆
• Ingrid – “Greige” crème with copper micro glitter ★★★★★
• Hey Doll – Rose frost with shimmer ★★★★☆
• Bogie – Plum frost with shimmer ★★★★☆
• First Class Ticket – Deep purple frost with shimmer ★★★★☆
• Midnight Mission – Navy blue frost with silver micro glitter ★★★★☆
• Emerald Fitzgerald – Turquoise green frost with shimmer ★★★★★
• Jitterbug – Grey chrome with silver micro glitter ★★★★☆

Back-up worthy:
Foxy is an incredibly beautiful wine-red base with a warm shimmer. The color is probably close to universally flattering, and a real winner in The Ninja's book. Ingrid is a winner not just for being another mushroom shade, but because it brings something original to the table: a bit of a green undertone and a lovely copper shimmer. Goin' My Way is a lovely coppper-loaded brown that's perfect for Fall. It really sings when well-lit but doesn't lose it's charm in regular lighting, either, which is no mean feat. Emerald Fitzgerald is a deep blue-green (not emerald!) with just the right amount of shimmer and should be a big hit this Fall. The Ninja bets that wil be the first color to sell out on most China Glaze displays. And then there's Classic Camel - a stellar shade that is very, very unique. The only downside is that aside from nail collectors and the rare person who finds this a match to their skintone, this cool color will probably be overlooked. A shame, because it's really unusual and pretty!

Swing Baby:

Ingrid:



Goin' My Way:
Riveter Rouge:
Jitterbug:

Bogie:

Hey Doll:

Midnight Mission:

First Class Ticket:

Foxy Lady:

  Classic Camel:

Emerald Fitzgerald:

In which The Ninja gets drunk on champagne! (China Glaze: Swing Baby from Vintage Vixen)

Did The Ninja save the best for last with the China Glaze Vintage Vixen collection? She just might have...

Swing Baby is a taupe frost with silver microglitter, according to China Glaze, but The Ninja would call it a champagne shade with a foil finish.

The application was smooth, but the coverage may drive some of you nuts as there's slight VNL after the third coat.

 Read more about the Vintage Vixen collection here!

It may not be The Ninja's absolute favorite from the collection, but it's in the top 4!

Take a look...

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MAC Venomous Villains collection details

Let me preface this by saying that this collection has my favorite Pigment, Melon; a 'magically cool liquid powder" in bronze and sheer with silver and pink reflects; two greasepaint sticks; nail polishes including one with "multichanging pigments"; burgundy, wine, red, coral and fuchsia lippies, and my favorite bright lipglass of all times, Hothouse; not to mention the Disney special packaging.

I am seriously saving every penny I have for this collection, not only just to stock up on Hothouse! ;)

The details...

Cruella

Lipstick
Innocence, Beware! - light yellow pink (Cremesheen)
Heartless- Cherry Red (Amplified)

Lipglass
Wicked Ways- Light nude with gold pearl
Devilishly Stylish- Deep fuchsia with pink pearl

Eyeshadow
De-vil- rich copper (VP)
Sweet joy (repromote)- creamy pale gold (Frost)
Carbon

Rapidblack Eye Liner

Beauty Powder
Her own devices -cool nude

Powder Blush
Darkly my dear- mid-tone brown plum (Matte)

Evil Queen
Lipstick
Toxic Tale- Bright coral (Satin)
Sinister- soft brown plum (lustre)

Lipglass
Strange Potion- soft coral pink
Hot house- Deep raspberry with pink pearl

Eyeshadow
Her Alter Image- Light violet (VP)
Vainglorious- Bronze burgundy (Frost)
Vile Violet- Deep blue purple (Matte)

Penultimate Brow Universal

Beauty Powder
Oh so fair -mid-tone pink with gold pearl

Powder Blush
Bite of an apple- soft coral pink (Matte)


Maleficent
Lipstick
Violetta (Repromote)- Violet Purple (Amplified)
Dark Deed- Burgundy plum (Amplified)

Lipglass
Revenge is sweet- light yellow purple
Wrong spell- Deep plum with pink purple

Mineralize Eyeshadow
My Dark Magic- Deep pink with pink pearl/ Deep plum with purple pearl
She who Dares- Deep navy with blue pearl/ Deep forest green with lime pearl

Beauty Powder
Briar Rose- Soft violet pink with pearl

Nail Lacquer
Bad Fairy- Red with multichanging pigments
Formidable!- Teal green with pink pigment
Mean & Green- Purple with teal pigment

Dr. Facilier
Lipgelee
Resort Life (repromote)- off white with pink pearl

Greasepaint
Slick black- true carbon black
French Quarter- Black green with multi colour pearl

Pigment
Melon- bright golden peach
Brash and Bold- bright magenta
Push the Edge- deep bright purple with pearl

Magically Cool Liquid Powder
Truth and Light- sheer shimmer reflects silver and pink
Cajun- Sheer bronze reflects gold

Mirror
I'm so vain - Round special decoration compact mirror

_{Via Spectra's Specky Becky}

In which The Ninja sees a Ghost (China Glaze: Ingrid from Vintage Vixen)

What more need be said? Ingrid, a gorgeous mushroomy shade that leans brown compared to many of the other taupe-stone-mushroom-greiges in recent history, is one of the stunners of the China Glaze Vintage Vixen collection. That is, if you like the whole taupe-stone-mushroom-greige thing. If you don't, you won't like this.

The Ninja is especially enamored with the stunning coppery shimmer that is coy in indirect light but really becomes apparent when seen in stronger light. 

This reminds The Ninja of the clay spinning on a potter's wheel, but with eensey glimmer bits. C'mon now!

Read more about the Vintage Vixen collection here!

It applied like buttah, with no pooling or clumpy behavior. Stunning from bottle to nail!

Take a look at the swatches, some of which look a little milky but that's a trick of the eye or maybe the camera. It's by no means a milky color.

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_{This polish was provided by the company for consideration for review.
Please feel free to read about my review policies by clicking the About tab at the top of the page.}

In which The Ninja pictured herself as a statue (China Glaze: Goin’ My Way from Vintage Vixen)

Sexy molten bronze. Just a hint of shimmer from the copper within. That's how The Ninja needs to be immortalized! Marble is for chumps. Ninjas are warriors and warriors are made of molten sexiness.

China Glaze's Goin' My Way looked like a really good brown in the bottle.

The second it hit The Ninja's nails, she realized it was something more. Something special!

Granted, The Ninja has been feeling the browns lately, but even if that weren't the case she'd still realize that this shade is her destiny.

 Read more about the Vintage Vixen collection here!

The Ninja doesn't want to take this one off. Ever.

Opaque in two even coats, this was easy to apply with no issues to speak of. No glitter here, unless the shimmer is actually eensey copper reflects glitters.

CG describes this shade as "brown frost with copper shimmer." Accurate. What they don't tell you, though, is that inside, out of direct light, this polish looks like a metallic bronze. And then when you take it outside, step back! "Lit from within" has nothing on the burning embers of shimmer!

Take a look:

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_{This polish was provided for consideration by the company's pr firm.
Please feel free to read about my review policies by clicking the About tab at the top of the page}

In which The Ninja is a tiny little bit disappointed. (China Glaze: Riveter Rouge from Vintage Vixen)

The Ninja wanted to love Riveter Rouge. Instead, she just likes it. Considering the surprising reaction she has had to the rest of the China Glaze Vintage Vixen collection, she really expected that this would be a hit. While the reflects glitters - the teensey, tiny shimmery goodness that is in the other colors - is here, it's not enough to really make this a sparkling red, and that's what The Ninja had wanted. Instead, this color is a bit like a deep red velvet (but with the aforementioned teensey tiny shimmer).

Definitely a pretty color, and worth checking out if you are new to red, want a bit new red that has some depth, or are a huge red collector... but still not the most special color in the collection. In fact, as far as the colors swatched so far go, this shade is in the last position in regards to "WOW Factor". 

Application was lovely, though. Swatches below are two coats, which were nice and smooth. There was a slight tendency to pool in the cuticles, but that may have been The Ninja's hands and the late hour. 

Again, The Ninja wants to stress that this is a lovely color. It just falls a bit short of her expectations after seeing the rest of the collection. That said, it will still be worn by her fairly frequently!

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_{This polish was provided for consideration by the company's pr firm.
Please feel free to read about my review policies by clicking the About tab at the top of the page}

In which The Ninja was not correct (China Glaze: Jitterbug from Vintage Vixen)

The Ninja is never wrong. I'm sure that's not surprising. However, sometimes she is not correct. This is one of those times.

She has already told you that she prioritizes the colors in a collection and swatches the least interesting and the clearly "wrong for her" shades first. She also eats the good stuff on her plate last, pushing lima beans and carrots down first to get it over with. It's a technique that works well for her.

The Little Ninjas are always around, so The Ninja can't swatch a whole collection in an afternoon, like other bloggers. She'd love to lose herself in a collection for that long but, alas, the pesky Little Ninjas are always needing attention of some sort.

So, while working her way through China Glaze's Fall collection, Vintage Vixen, she worked from least to most as best she could (with a few surprises along the way). But then she made her first miscalculation. She missed Jitterbug. She had meant to swatch it early on, in the "least" portion of the program.

 Read more about the Vintage Vixen collection here!

It's not that Jitterbug is not cute. Of course it is! It's grey (gray) which is one of The Ninja's favorites. It's just that when she looked at Jitterbug, The Ninja thought it looked familiar. Done before. Not too original. That was miscalculation #2.

CG calls Jitterbug "grey chrome with silver micro glitter". That's an apt description. But it's more than that, too. Where The Ninja expected it to be like Zoya's Freja or MAC's Studded (if it had a topcoat on it), it wasn't. It was darker than other shades of this nature, and the round glitter bits weren't quite as large as in Studded, if memory serves. Tomorrow The Ninja will post a comparison of this shade to those two, so look for that, ok?

Two coats weren't enough - this was The Ninja's first 3-coater of the collection. While the shade is dark and sultry, VNL ensued until the third coat. Weird. Also, she didn't notice a light spot on the ring finger until editing the photos and is unsure if that was an application error (likely) or if a 4th coat was required.

This isn't a shimmer, by the way. It's a deep chrome grey with small, round silver glitter evenly distributed throughout. Nor is this a metallic, even though it's almost silver. However you classify it, it's very pretty.
 

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Please excuse the sloppy swatching. The Ninja was feeling dizzy and the polish smell was enough to make her want to toss her ninja cookies. Cleaning up with acetone was not an option.

_{This polish was provided for consideration by the company's pr firm.
Please feel free to read about my review policies by clicking the About tab at the top of the page}

In which The Ninja contemplates nasal mucus (China Glaze: Bogie from Vintage Vixen)

The Ninja can only imagine the conversation at China Glaze headquarters (which she pictures as being a giant castle full of magicians and cool bubbling vats of color):

Magician: We made a new smoky plum shade.
Bottle Namer: Sounds perfect for that new collection coming out in the Fall!
Magician: Um... whatever.
Bottle Namer: The whole collection has a random vintage theme that's not terribly clear-cut, so we can throw anything at it as long as the color is Fall-ish. Now, if only I could come up with a name...
Magician: Whatever, dude. *wipes paint off of hands onto pants*
Bottle Namer: Bogie!
Magician: Whatev--- Wait. What? Like a booger?
Bottle Namer: Huh? Ew, gross. No! Like Bogie and Becall. You're nasty.
Magicial: Um... that's what we call it in England.
Bottle Namer: We're not in England. No one will notice. Trust me.
and SCENE

Regardless, Bogie is a sultry, dusky plum shade with eensey amethyst microshimmer and maybe some eensier silver. Very gorgeous, very easy to apply, very opaque in two glorious coats.

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_{This polish was provided for consideration by the company's pr firm.
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