Shopping My Stash: Illamasqua Superstition Swatches and Review

Hello, hello!

Today's post is a little different.  I recently joined a group on Facebook centered around supporting each other when going on a low or no buy.  The reasons to limit spending on polish or to stop it entirely are varied but some of the more common ones I've heard are:

• I have too many untrieds
• I've spent way too much lately and I need to reign it in
• I have too many polishes! 

^I know that one may seem unlikely--I mean how many memes have we seen like this?

Source

But it's true.  Some people reach a number of polishes they're uncomfortable with and until that's addressed they won't buy any more.

While I'm not officially limiting or cutting myself off from getting new polish, my polish buying has gone way way down in recent months.  That doesn't mean I can't still enjoy my hobby though!  One of the ways you can get yourself through a low or no buy is shopping your stash--go through your collection and rediscover the gorgeous polishes you may have forgotten you had.  I bring to you one such polish in my collection: Illamasqua Superstition.

Superstition is a purple leaning fuchsia.  This is 4 thin coats and NO top coat!  This shined almost as much as a jelly it was so impressive.  Application is smooth perfection as always with Illamaqua.  This is why you spend $14-$17 per bottle for these.  I may have gotten this back when they were $14 at Sephora, I can't remember.  The formula is great, I love the bottle shape

While the polish is opaque in 2 coats, less coats definitely lean more pink but the more I applied the more purple-y fuchsia it became.  I had a particular mani in mind when applying this so I wanted a more purple leaning look.

I liked this color so much I even painted my left hand which is a rarity for me, as strange as it may sound.  Usually my non-swatch hand is a mix of whatever polishes I wanted to try out really quickly.  I could also see this as being a great pedicure color when I'm taking a break from my classic favorite red.

Have you ever gone on a low or no-buy before?  What are some of your tips of getting through it?

Nail Crazies Unite February Week 1: Anti-Valentine's Day Nail Art

Hey guys!  I've been trying to get more into nail art and stamping lately (I've only got a ton of plates, maybe I should use them huh?) so I joined a group on Facebook called Nail Crazies Unite to get me more into it.

Each month there are weekly prompts and week 1 for February is Anti-Valentine's Day.  I'm not a gushy Valentine's Day type and I'm not an Anti-Vday type either.  I prefer genuine moments of romance and affection over the course of the year so I guess I'm in the middle?

Polishes Sneaking Into Your Stash!

Well dear readers it's finally happened. While shopping my stash today I found a color I have absolutely no recollection of buying.  I have probably over 1,000 polishes (despite my recent attempt at purging) but surprisingly I remember every single one of them.  There has never been a time where I found a polish in my collection and think "Oh yeah, I forgot I have this one" or "Where did I pick that up?"

And then there was today.  I'm looking in my stash for OPI Sapphire in the Snow and while looking around I spot a white-ish polish.  Thinking it's OPI My Boyfriend Scales Walls I pick it up and consider using this slightly off-white instead of the true white for my upcoming mani.  But then I notice the shimmer.  Lo and behold it's actually OPI Moon Over Mumbai.

My reaction:

... Wait, what? Where did this--?  Wait, WHAT?   I don't even-- Where did this come from?  Did I steal this??

I know the "Did I steal this?" sounds strange but truly that seemed more likely than the idea that at some point I picked up this polish, looked at it and thought "Yes, I will buy this!" and now have no memory of it.  I know my memory sucks most of the time but this is polish we're talking about.

It's not that it's a bad polish, it just doesn't strike me as a ME Polish.  As it is I only own OPI My Boyfriend Scales Walls and the true white I was thinking of using (Finger Paints Paper Mache if you were curious) for nail art purposes.

She can wear anything

From what I've read online Moon Over Mumbai from the Spring 2008 OPI India Collection is a sheer, dove gray with a pearly finish.  Some reviewers on Makeupalley insist there is a pinkish and/or lilac hue to it.

So I think the best thing to do under these circumstances that the polish of unmemorable origin be released to someone who will love it properly.  Off to the blog sale it goes.  Luckily I can tell from the treads and the level in the bottle it's unused so there's that.

Do you ever find polishes in your collection that you don't remember buying?

Blog Sale Update

Hi guys!

I just updated my Blog Sale page with a bunch of new polishes and added pictures that I recovered from the old blog.  I have a TON of polishes, many are brand new or very lightly used (mostly swatched on a nail wheel, some used for 1 mani etc) and many are below retail!  I've got lots of indies and mainstream polishes that need a good home so be sure to check it out!