tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-68295756556386271032024-03-13T04:06:45.281-07:00The Glitter Cyborgflorencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16685069120407742762noreply@blogger.comBlogger23125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6829575655638627103.post-60085805236665650382014-02-03T06:52:00.001-08:002014-02-03T06:53:14.100-08:00I really hate the "skittles" term in nail art.florencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16685069120407742762noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6829575655638627103.post-10676821702237378942013-10-15T09:27:00.005-07:002013-10-15T09:28:09.040-07:00New Direction?I'm thinking about turning this into a blog for all of the awful dates I've experienced thanks to a number of dating websites. Thoughts?<br />
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Also, I regularly cut my cuticles. I am the scourge of the nail community. florencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16685069120407742762noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6829575655638627103.post-11187058607840833542013-07-01T11:08:00.000-07:002013-07-01T11:08:30.547-07:00EhI'm kind of over indie polish.<br />
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(cue backlash)florencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16685069120407742762noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6829575655638627103.post-13284806831354788292012-10-02T05:50:00.000-07:002012-10-02T05:50:01.364-07:00OK, clearly, I'm really bad at blogging.<br />
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For those who are interested, you can follow me on Instagram (florence__x), where I regularly post pictures of my manicures and other beauty related items.<br />
<br />florencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16685069120407742762noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6829575655638627103.post-15715544274011204332012-04-20T09:41:00.001-07:002012-04-20T09:41:18.812-07:00Illamasqua 3D Aztec NailsHello!!!!<br />
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It's been a while, I'm terrible at this. But last night I tried out the "3D Aztec" nails that Illamasqua is using as a part of their beautiful Human Fundamentalism collection.<br />
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I don't have any of the polishes from that collection, but used contrasting colors from my own collection and followed <a href="http://www.illamasqua.com/explore/tutorials/3d-aztec-nails/" target="_blank">the tutorial for this look</a> they posted on their website.<br />
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Check 'em out! I think they came out pretty good!<br />
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The above pictures were taken in fluorescent lighting, no flash. <br />
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The above photos were taken in low indoor lighting with flash. They are most accurate in color.<br />
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For this look, my base nail color was Sephora + Pantone's Tangerine Tango Cream (which I actually think is more of a jelly - there is still some visible nail line after two coats), which was very nice. The set was too pretty to start using these polishes, but I couldn't resist!<br />
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The purple used on both my nails and the triangles is OPI's Grape, Set, Match from the Serena duo. Two coats were used for the triangles on my real nails, and three were used on the acrylic extensions. I love how orange and purple look together. Finally, the mini orange triangle sandwiched on the acrylics is three coats of Wet'n'Wild Craze Scratchitti, which is a very pretty bright orange (though not neon).<br />
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Scratchitti isn't nearly as forgiving with ridges as is Tangerine Tango, though, which is why I opted for it as my base color. I recently had UV gels on my nails and the buffing caused some ridges that are growing out ssssssslllllloooooooooowwwlllyyyyyyy. <br />
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I <b>LOVE</b> how this turned out! I used nail glue and assembled the pieces of the acrylics together before adhering them to my nail. Everything was topped with a good heaping helping of Seche Vite to smooth things out and make them shiny.<br />
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I hope you like this look as much as I do! It took a while, but with some prep can be done relatively quickly. <br />
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Thanks for checkin' 'em out!<br />
<br />florencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16685069120407742762noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6829575655638627103.post-40532137750189948732012-03-15T12:25:00.001-07:002012-03-15T12:25:39.015-07:00YEESSSSSI know it's been a while. I'm a terrible blogger. I'm sorry. BUT - I got my hands on some of the Wet'n'Wild Be Jeweled collection today (swiped up the last two bottles in the store) and was so excited I wanted to share.<br />
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L - The Crown Is Mine || R - Born Into Privilege </div>
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Woo! I can't wait to use these. </div>
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Expect a lot of picture SPAM coming SOON!!</div>florencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16685069120407742762noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6829575655638627103.post-74660187543694742792012-01-25T05:53:00.000-08:002012-01-25T05:53:15.592-08:00Ulta & Layla?Morning!<br />
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Apparently Ulta now sells Layla Magneffect nail polishes? I'd only seen them recently at a few online etailers (like AveYou), but that's pretty awesome!<br />
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Layla's polishes worked really well for me so I'm thrilled to see them becoming more widely available. They are priced at $15.50 and are available online <a href="http://www.ulta.com/ulta/browse/productDetail.jsp?productId=xlsImpprod4070003">HERE.</a>florencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16685069120407742762noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6829575655638627103.post-17113048429286814792012-01-18T08:20:00.000-08:002012-01-18T08:20:31.842-08:00I Lily Love Super BassLate last week, I was thrilled to receive my Christmas present to myself - a mini-haul!<br />
In that package, the following colors arrived at my office's doorstep...<br />
OPI - I Lily Love You<br />
OPI - Metallic 4 Life<br />
OPI - Super Bass Shatter<br />
China Glaze - Glittering Garland<br />
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I couldn't resist using at least (2) of these ASAP for a manicure... and I guess you can tell which ones those are from the title. Onwards!<br />
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Nicki Minaj is awesome. She is super talented and from NYC to boot! BOOM-ba-dum-bum-BOOM-ba-dum-bum hey!<br />
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Though I don't love this collection as much as OPI's Katy Perry collection, there are still a few gems in it. Metallic 4 Life and Super Bass Shatter, specifically. I also purchased "Save Me" separately, but it's less than thrilling. Perhaps if there were more holo bar glitters and less silver micro-glitter, it may fascinate me more.<br />
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This manicure is holding up very well thanks to the acrylic powder I had applied last week. In addition to a new nail oil I've been using, my fingers look pretty darn good for once! Let's see some pictures, mmmyes?<br />
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This combo consists of (2) coats of Funky Fingers Gaga Glitter, (1) coat of Super Bass Shatter, and (1) coat of I Lily Love You, all topped with one coat of Diamond Dry to leave it perfectly smooth. This picture leans a little more red than the look actually is - it's far more purple. But let's blame that on fluorescent lighting. You can also see some of the beautiful flakie & glitter colors from I Lily Love You in this shot - check out the blue sparkles on my ring finger! Love. <br />
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Gaga Glitter is a bright pink creme with fine holo glitter scattered throughout. It is basically what the pinks in Color Club's Starry Temptress collection should have been. The holo glitter is very fine and barely visible to the naked eye in this combo. <br />
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The shatter applied and cracked very well. I tried to layer it on thick, since I like big cracks that are prominent and show a good deal of the base color. Super Bass Shatter does that, surely. It applied sheer but became more opaque as it dried and came together, thankfully. I was afraid it was going to be a jelly shatter like Red & Navy shatters by OPI, which I despise.<br />
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This picture is blurry, but my main objective here was to capture how sparkly I Lily Love you is on this combination. There are some BIG flakes on my middle finger, and the blue sparkles on my ring finger are really prominent again in this picture. <br />
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This picture was taken in the dark with flash, and is perfectly true to color. It doesn't showcase the glitters and flakies as much as it does the difference between Gaga Glitter & Super Bass Shatter. The previous three pictures make the combination seem like the colors are much more similar than they truly are, besides both being in the pink/red/purple family of colors. <br />
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What is nice about this combination of colors is that it's "cool" but at the same time not outrageous. When I wore this into the office, no one reacted by saying OMG WHAT ARE YOU WEARING ON YOUR NAILS. The comments were more like, "That looks really nice!" instead of "Wow, that's.... different."<br />
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I have no problem wearing "different" colors to work, but in some places this is more of an issue than others. <br />
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I hope you enjoyed this post! Coming up soon, I'm going to compare China Glaze Glittering Garland & Revlon Rainforest... they are both gorgeous!!<br />
<br />florencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16685069120407742762noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6829575655638627103.post-91007576213619514772012-01-18T05:37:00.000-08:002012-01-18T05:37:00.004-08:00TAKE ACTION AGAINST SOPA<a href="https://www.google.com/landing/takeaction/">https://www.google.com/landing/takeaction/</a><br />
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Please follow the link and sign the petition! Tell Congress NOT to censor the web!<br />
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<br />florencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16685069120407742762noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6829575655638627103.post-51591885351554924402012-01-17T10:09:00.001-08:002012-01-17T10:09:15.340-08:00Can I SayI have to admit - I really despise those 3D lemon/lime slice nail art things.florencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16685069120407742762noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6829575655638627103.post-89896411547406567182012-01-05T07:22:00.000-08:002012-01-05T17:39:30.181-08:00Winter is Coming... GAME OF THRONES Concept NailsLast night, around 9PM, I should have gone to bed. But I was feeling inspired due to the very cold weather and book I'm reading - "A Feast For Crows", which is the fourth book of the Song of Fire & Ice series by George R. R. Martin.<br />
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This is more commonly known as part of the "Game of Thrones" book series, which was awesomely adapted into a TV show in 2011 by HBO, and will be starting its second season this coming April. So excited!<br />
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One of the first families the reader/viewer is introduced to in Game of Thrones is the Stark family. Their family sigil is a gray direwolf on a white field. Their family words are "Winter is Coming".<br />
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See more of my inspiration and pictures of how the concept manicure came out after the jump!<br />
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Ahh, Ned Stark!<br />
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Though I didn't have this desktop wallpaper in front of me when I did my nails, this was the general feeling/motif I was trying to recreate. The fading light and winter winds, the falling snow in the Stark family sigil colors. Winter takes its form in the books in many, many ways - there isn't anyone who is able to escape its icy grasp in all forms.<br />
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I am nowhere near as artistically talented as the lovely Leslie over at <a href="http://polishartaddiction.blogspot.com/">Polish Art Addiction</a>, so I was not going to attempt recreating the direwolf.<br />
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But I think I captured the feeling pretty well!<br />
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The pictures above were taken in the following lights, top to bottom respectively: fluorescent, no flash; fluorescent, no flash (and the pinky looks oddly photo-shopped?); indoor lighting, no flash; and fluorescent again. </div>
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This was basically a gray fade/ombre with super chunk glitter accents. It's fun to call it super chunk because that is also the name of a candy bar... and now I'm thinking of Super Troopers. CANDYBAAARZ.</div>
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Anyway, some detail shots...</div>
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I varied the direction of the fade on my left index and middle fingers. The top-down fade came out better than I expected, and I like bunches more than I expected. This picture was taken in fluorescent lighting, no flash.<br />
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This picture captured both the fade detail and the super chunks really well. It was taken in the subway (you can see my train pulling in on the top left corner.. wooops).<br />
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For this concept, I used the following:<br />
Wet'n'Wild Wild Shine - "Metallica" -- silver metallic<br />
Sephora by OPI - "Break a Leg Warmer!" -- dark opaque gray<br />
Wet'n'Wild Wild Shine - Clear<br />
Funky Fingers - "Stage Dive" -- the super chunk & mini/medium hex silver glitter.<br />
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This started off with two thin coats of Metallica as the base color. Then I painted stripes of Break a Leg Warmer on one nail at a time, and waited it to dry for just a few seconds. Then, using the Clear polish, dabbed, poked and wiggled the edges of Break a Leg Warmer across the nail. Since Break a Leg Warmer is so opaque, I only had to do one thin coat for each stripe to get both good coverage and fading. Finally, I topped off the faded nails with Stage Dive, which recreates the falling snow in the desktop wallpaper above.<br />
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Metallica was mostly opaque after its second coat - the first went on very sheer. If I were wearing this color on its own, three coats would have been best for optimal coverage. It's a great metallic silver that doesn't get brush-stroky! And for 99 cents, you really can't beat it. I love Wet'n'Wild.<br />
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Break a Leg Warmer was my second favorite polish out of the Urban Ballerina collection Sephora launched in Spring 2011 (around the timing of Black Swan becoming a huge hit, coincidentally). As noted above, one coat gives you some serious opacity when you apply it. It is a good, true gray. It isn't greige or tauple or any of those colors. Just good, awesome gray. <br />
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Stage Dive is really, really chunky. It was released as part of Funky Fingers' Platinum Record collection, and I think it was basically a glitter that Color Club didn't feel like using in their Backstage Pass collection (both companies are owned by Forsythe. Love!). To smooth it down, I used a thick coat of Seche Vite, and then topped off the edges with Diamond Dry. All of the nails (with the exception of one - yep, it's that thumb right in that picture there with the lump of glitter) are perfectly smooth.<br />
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Overall, I really love how this turned out. It's icy, cool, makes my hands look like they're made of "red" like they do when it's cold, and fading into the darker days of winter (just as it seems like NYC is finally doing, too). <br />
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With that said, I'm off to read some more! I hope you enjoyed this post! <br />
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<br />florencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16685069120407742762noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6829575655638627103.post-45409118527949529622012-01-02T18:33:00.000-08:002012-01-02T18:35:08.210-08:00Opalescent ShatterHappy New Year!! 2012, woo!<br />
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I went bare-nail on New Year's Eve, I had run out of time! But I wound up doing my would-have-been NYE manicure on the first day of 2012. So it's still a "New Year's Mani", right? I think that counts. Onward!<br />
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<a name='more'></a>For this combo, I used Sinful Colors' "Lost in Silence" and Sephora by OPI's "Opalescent Blast" polish.<br />
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I can't say that I am tired of crackle polishes yet, but they never turn out on my nail the way I'd like them to!<br />
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Lost in Silence is one of those not-quite-black colors. I don't know which collection it is from, but I know it isn't in their core line of colors. It was sitting next to Secrete Admirer & Black on Black at my local Duane Reade, and it looked so lonely! I snatched it up.<br />
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The above photo is taken in indoor lighting, no flash. It is a very, very dark charcoal gray jelly polish. On the first coat it is very sheer, the second gets the color closer to opaque. I used three coats of Lost in Silence for full opacity in this manicure.<br />
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This photo is taken indoors with flash. Compared to the dark background of the photo, this picture shows the true color of Lost in Silence pretty accurately. I like the color overall. It looks a bit dusty too, which is always wonderful. There is no top coat in either of the above two photos - the finish of this polish on its own is quite glossy. <br />
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This polish would. not. dry. It drove me pretty crazy. I wound up using Diamond Dry on top of the worst drying nails to speed the process up.<br />
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And since I wasn't sure what to pair this lovely shade with, I decided to test out my Opalescent Blast on top.<br />
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This is one of the more original crackle colors I've seen to date - it is translucent and sparkly, and looks a bit duochrome depending on the light. In the bottle, you see purple, pink (dominant) and gold flashes. On the nail, this looks mostly pink. All of the photos with the crackle in them were taken in natural light.<br />
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I really should stop using pictures that highlight my torn-to-bits cuticles. This wacky weather is driving my poor skin crazy.<br />
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I tried to get a good picture of the bottle of Opalescent Blast so you have an idea of what it looks like in the bottle versus how it turns out on the nail. It looks like one of those "mother-of-pearl" sheer white colors that were popular a while ago.<br />
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These photos represent the color very well and catch a bit of the duochrome. In the first bottle picture, the gold flash is pretty dominant. The second photo showcases more of the purple flash, and the last photo captures all three colors pretty well.<br />
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I like this combination, but wish the crackle had come out differently. The formula on this was a bit gloppy - you can see the result of that in the last picture of my nails, specifically on the thumb & middle finger. There were bigger cracks and the opalescence was pretty visible. Otherwise, this manicure was pretty productive - it knocked out two of my untried polishes with one combo!<br />
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Sephora by OPI also has a Gold Opalescent Blast polish, which didn't really capture my interest. If I recall correctly, it flashed red but seemed even more sheer than plain Opalescent in the bottle.<br />
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The opalescent blast colors are available on Sephora's website if you don't have a store near you - they retail $9.50.<br />
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That's all for now, folks!florencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16685069120407742762noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6829575655638627103.post-46009014622419665762011-12-27T18:07:00.000-08:002011-12-27T18:07:20.063-08:00Magna-CrackleToxic Shore got destroyed pretty quickly. One hour of cleaning out my car, and done. But that just meant I got to play around again that night!<br />
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Check out magna-crackle after the jump.<br />
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<a name='more'></a>This turned out "just okay". I was hoping for a better result, but I can't say I'm entirely displeased. Here we go!<br />
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All of my fingers are torn up. Please ignore that.<br />
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This combination was made using Layla Magneffect polish in "11 - Silver Galaxy" and OPI's "Navy Shatter".<br />
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I used the shatter to cover up where the magnetic effect wasn't as prominent, hoping the jelly-like consistency of Navy Shatter would still allow some of the magnetic waves to show through. <br />
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But I am not pleased with how this particular Shatter polish crackled. It is far too thin for my taste, especially on my right hand:<br />
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These pictures were taken indoors, with a softened flash.<br />
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The Navy Shatter looks so stringy! It is definitely headed into my "share" bin. I don't hate it so much that I am going to remove it immediately, though. Maybe tomorrow night.<br />
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During application, my top coat erased the middle third of my right thumb. Ugh, that is annoying. But I grabbed the magnet really quickly and was able to resurrect the wave:<br />
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Not as prominent as the outer thirds of my nail, but it's there! It looks like one of those spiral-things outside of a barber shop, the way the three waves work themselves out.<br />
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I love the color of Silver Galaxy, and that it has glitter in it (this is the only magnetic polish that I'm aware of to do this). Its wave effect is more subtle than the Nails Inc. polishes, or even the other Layla colors. But it is still possible to get a strong enough wave that it is noticeable, though. I find myself staring at it constantly and just moving my fingers around.<br />
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OOOOH. SPARKLY OBJECTS. YUM.florencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16685069120407742762noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6829575655638627103.post-3830339458843738882011-12-27T17:31:00.000-08:002011-12-27T17:35:31.374-08:00Toxic ShoreBeing that I had a few days off, I was able to indulge in some experiments! Check 'em out after the jump.<br />
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This is basically a hodge-podge of new colors obtained over the Christmas weekend... At first, there wasn't a clear design in my mind (and based on the pictures you may think there still wasn't! ha), but I think it wound up looking pretty cool.<br />
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All pictures were taken in natural light, with a legit camera instead of my phone. HA. Anyways...<br />
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This is Nails Inc. Houses of Parliament magnetic polish, layered with Wet'n'Wild "Shield" & "Rustic" from one of the craze collections.<br />
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The way it turned out, it looks like the purple is a clearly polluted body of water, with the "rustic" deposits of sludge along the shoreline, and the gold "Shield" color being the sand.<br />
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It reminded me of one of the bodies of water in StarFox, like on MacBeth or Venom.<br />
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The magnetic polish makes it look like the "water" is really flowing! That turned out so cool, I think. The lighter brushes of Rustic (particularly on my ring finger) remind me of a layer of foam that sometimes lingers on the sand after a wave breaks and recedes. That faint trace is still there, even though most of the foam has already gone back out. <br />
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I always polish my right hand first (excuse the cuts along my cuticles), so at this point I hadn't realized what I was making. Some of these are more a "shoreline"/accidental diagonal French manicure. Blah.<br />
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I only did a swirl of the magnetic polish across my left thumb and pinkie - it was meant to look like a rivulet of left-behind water when a tide rolls out, and is slowly making its way back to the big body of water. Next time I'll use a nail art brush to accomplish this. <br />
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Not the most perfect interpretation of a toxic body of water, but not too bad for messing around, I think!<br />
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Shield & Rustic are such gorgeous colors, I'm really glad to have been able to pick them up while I was in a supermarket recently. I've only ever seen the remnants of this collection at Five Below on clearance, so this was surprising, since not many stores stock this collection anymore?<br />
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This was a fun manicure to do. The idea was a bit abstract, and also came out that way - but also, what body of water actually has borders of super straight lines, no particulates of any kind, or random patches of earth/sand/stone?<br />
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I hope you enjoyed reading this and looking at the pictures as much as I enjoyed just messing around with polish on Christmas night!florencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16685069120407742762noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6829575655638627103.post-29855771229510913432011-12-23T10:03:00.000-08:002011-12-23T10:03:42.359-08:00Plaid About You - Day 5!After (5) days of training, work, having my hands submerged in water a lot, cleaning up after kittens and cleaning in general, this is what "Plaid About You" looks like...<br />
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...after the jump!<br />
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Wowza.<br />
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They still look pretty darn good!<br />
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There has been some obvious regrowth, and general tip wear. But otherwise, this manicure is still intact. There is a small chip there on the side of my thumb closest to the bottom of the picture, but that nail broke last night so I'm not faulting the strips. The design isn't fading, the top coat is still pretty glossy, and overall, I'm loving how long and well these strips are lasting.<br />
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My right hand (which tends to be more dominant) also has a chip on the thumb, and my ring finger's nail broke during jiu-jitsu. So after filing that down, applying another layer of top coat - et voila! Good as new, if just a bit shorter. But one item that is a little bit of a bugger...<br />
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See how the edges of the strip are curling upward?<br />
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Oooooooh man it's annoying.<br />
I want to just flick it off already, but resisted for the sake of this update.<br />
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But from afar, it doesn't take away from the pattern or that it's worn (5) days. <br />
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There have been some comments around the blogosphere that this could be due to using top coats like Seche Vite - causing shrinkage on the strip. I've used Diamond Dry as a top coat for this manicure, and it does have the same ingredients as Seche Vite, but not in the same concentrations. <br />
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The first strips I had tried out, "Bling it On!", definitely didn't last this long - I wonder if that's because it was a glitter? Have you tried/compared the different types of strips and how well they wear - shimmer, glitter, creme and patterned?<br />
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Based on this experience, I'm really looking forward to continuing to use Sally Hansen's Salon Effects nail strips. I have "Misbehaved" - the fishnet pattern, as well as the lace design at home waiting to be used. <br />
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Since I'm off next week from work, expect more posts!<br />
<br />Enjoy your holidays!!<br />florencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16685069120407742762noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6829575655638627103.post-29458646556822168832011-12-22T10:46:00.000-08:002011-12-22T10:46:02.355-08:00Gaga's Workshop - Edge of Glory DuoGood afternoon!!<br />
Being the monster cyborg that I am, I love me some Lady Gaga. So I was thrilled when I looked at the Gaga's Workshop by Barney's website to view her nail polishes, strips and press-on's!<br />
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The Edge of Glory duo really caught my eye. You can check it out <a href="http://www.barneys.com/Cosmetics/GAGA_COSMETICS,default,sc.html?prefn1=designer&prefv1=Deborah%20Lippmann">BY CLICKING HERE.</a><br />
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$45 is a LOT to pay for two polishes, especially if one is a black creme. 25% of the proceeds go to the Born this Way foundation, and for a limited time you can get 25% using the promocode MONSTER25. Granted, it IS by Deborah Lippman... but when I checked out swatches of this polish, it looks like a flakie that could be duped in the new Finger Paints collection!<br />
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Have you compared them? Would you purchase the Gaga polish set? What do you think?florencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16685069120407742762noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6829575655638627103.post-52934711280683876942011-12-20T11:37:00.000-08:002011-12-22T10:27:10.347-08:00Holiday RobotsHello all! Christmas is finally upon us, and personally I can't wait for it to be over.<br />
After Christmas-y things started popping up even BEFORE Halloween, it's about time! Don't get me wrong, it's great giving out gifts to my family and I love that part. But jeez, the holidays can take a lot out of you!<br />
What do you think of the Christmas season? Is it all too much, too little, just right? Does it stress you out too?<br />
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Yesterday was my office's Christmas party, which means I actually put effort into how I looked for the day! Pictures of the look and accompanying nails after the jump!<br />
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<a name='more'></a>The look was meant to be a glimmery, golden/taupe eye with red lips, to match my sparkly gold sequin shirt and red nails. I think it worked out!<br />
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Indoor light, no flash. <br />
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Indoor with flash, true to color. My eyebrows clearly need grooming.<br />
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For this look, I started off with UD Primer Potion in Sin, then applied my highlight shade (Sephora Mono Eyeshadow in "Peach Beige 13") all over the browbone, down into the crease and towards my inner eye. I used the golden shade in L'Oreal HIP metallic duo "SHOCKED" all over my lid, and the green blended into my crease (the green tint shows up well in the first photo, which is mainly why I included it). <br />
I was HOPING that would be enough, but the color payoff I got with the HIP duo left something to be desired.<br />
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I applied UD's "Maui Wowie" all over my lid, and then "Twice Baked" lightly into the crease, on top of the L'Oreal duo already applied. This was more satisfying. For my Winehouse-style liner, Sephora's long-lasting liquid liner in "Glittering Black" did the trick - the glitter is very noticeable to the naked eye! I usually pat on a second coat of this liner to ensure a true, dark line with no bald spots. That's what you see in these photos. For my lower lid, I lined the rim and under the lash line with Sephora Electro liner in "Cocoa", and topped off my lashes with a few coats of CG Lash Blast in Black Platinum. <br />
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Have you ever used the HIP metallic duos before? I felt the color pay-off was less than great. Granted, there was basically NO shadow fall-out, which I love, but I would rather have fallout and good color payoff. Especially since L'Oreal HIP is supposed to mean "High Intensity Pigments"? Did you have this issue with these shadows? I had wanted a bunch of these, but now I'm reconsidering.<br />
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For my festive nails, I used Sally Hansen Salon Effects strips in "Plaid About You"! I love this pattern and think it's adorable. But plaid is adorable year round, right? These colors remind me of cozy flannel pajamas.<br />
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Application was easy as pie. I used my fingers to push the strips onto my nail and secure them around the edges, rather than the cuticle stick included in the package. The warmth really helps to stretch the patterns over your nail and help them adhere. I was able to use most strips twice (using one half and then the other) on most of my nails since they are so short. I would have been able to use only one packet of strips if my thumb strip didn't split down the middle when I peeled it!<br />
Thanks to the lovely ladies at <a href="http://nouveaucheap.blogspot.com/2011/11/review-sally-hansen-salon-effects-real.html">Nouveau Cheap</a> who commented with this tip for using each strip twice!! It makes these nail strips a real bargain to use them twice.<br />
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The picture above was taken after (1) day of wear. After application, I applied Sally Hansen acrylic gel polish and then Diamond Dry. No chips yet, which is a good start for me! I gave them another coat of Diamond Dry this morning so I could re-cap the edges of the nails.<br />
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"Bling it On!" was the first set of Salon Effects strips I tried, and they did NOT last for me. I'm hoping it's because I wasn't that great at applying them my first time and it was a glitter. Some tips I picked up from round 2:<br />
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<li>Use your fingers to ensure the strip is thoroughly adhered - avoid using the stick if you can!</li>
<li> In order to get the design on the caps of your nails, it works best to fold the design in towards your fingertip rather than just pulling the design over the top. Then file downward!</li>
<li>Do NOT use base coat. Dry, natural nails here. Go over your nails with polish remover before application to be sure (this is also in the instructions - but it's important!)</li>
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I'm trying to see how well this set will wear, so I'll post an update with that.<br />
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As a follow-up on my Holiday Hair Idea post, look what I spotted at CVS! Man, I should cash in on that.<br />
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And last but not least, who doesn't love kitties?<br />
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Thanks for reading! <br />
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12/22 - EDITED: Correct the name of L'Oreal HIP Duo. Sorry for any confusion!florencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16685069120407742762noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6829575655638627103.post-25177389281270201662011-12-13T06:46:00.000-08:002011-12-13T06:46:24.832-08:00Perplex Cuts AboveTime for my first polish post! I was really happy with the way this manicure turned out, especially since I was falling over with sleepiness while I was doing it.<br />
Pictures after the jump!<br />
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<a name='more'></a>For this combination, I used Revlon "Perplex" and Essie's "A Cut Above" from the Luxe Effects collection. The combination is so pretty (and glittery. drool.)! <br /><br />
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This picture was taken in natural light, the morning after I did the manicure. I tend to leave the messiness around my cuticles and tips when I finish doing my nails. Allow me to explain!<br />
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Taken outside yesterday - natural light, no flash, overcast. <br />
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I work in general contracting & construction management, and handle a bunch of materials (tile, metals, etc.) on a daily basis (not to mention paper). I also train in Brazilian jiu-jitsu and Muay Thai, and both of those require a lot of handiwork as well. Case in point - my nails don't stand a chance!<br />
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I've found that if I leave some of the mess around my nails, that is the first to chip off, instead of my manicure. It's a little added protection against my life, so to speak. By the time the first day of having my nails polished comes to an end, the majority of the mess is gone and my nails look pretty good. Pictures of that are below.<br />
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The formula on Perplex turned out to be a little tricky for me. Though on the first coat is was nearly opague, this polish seemed both runny and thick at the same time, if that doesn't sound like too much of a contradiction. I found that I really had to load the brush up with color to completely cover a nail. Otherwise I got a streaky, draggy mess. But if there was too much polish on the brush, it kept running no matter what I did to clean it up. It dried relatively quickly though, which is a plus.<br />
The vibrant purple shimmer that is noticeable in the bottle did not translate onto my nails, to my disappointment.<br />
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A Cut Above applied well. This glitter was the only one out of the new Luxe Effects collection that I didn't have a close match to already, so it was the only one I picked up. The glitter spread really nicely for the most part, except on my middle finger, and I didn't have to move it around to distribute it evenly. The coppery tone of the pink is gorgeous. A great glitter polish indeed! I have some ideas for it when spring time rolls around...<br />
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Indoor fluorescent light, no flash.<br />
See how much cleaner the manicure looks today?!<br />
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I lost a couple of pieces of glitter and some length on my ring finger last night thanks to jiu-jitsu. But overall, this held up pretty well. The fluorescent lighting really captures the dustiness of Perplex, though the natural light picture is the most true-to-color.<br />
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As a base coat, I first use Sally Hansen Diamond Strength treatment on my bare nails, then top that off with CND's "Toughen Up!" Base Coat. Two coats of Perplex, one coat of A Cut Above, and then one thick coat of Diamond Dry top coat. I added an extra coat of Diamond Dry last night as well.<br />
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Indoor with flash.<br />
This picture makes Perplex seem very purple, almost similar in tone to OPI's Grape, Set, Match! The glitter seems a bit more pink here as well.<br />
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Please forgive the quality of these photos, they were taken with my EVO (which does a decent job, for the most part). I'm too lazy to carry my camera around.<br />
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That's all for now... I hope you enjoyed this!florencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16685069120407742762noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6829575655638627103.post-58939458098823309402011-12-10T19:54:00.001-08:002011-12-10T20:02:36.486-08:00Sludgy.<div><p>My sludgy eye of the day. Forgive the quality of these pictures, they were taken with my phone but show the colors relatively accurately. </p>
<p>My inspiration today was just looking at the "Comfort Zone" wet'n'wild palette. Besides the fact that I have very warm toned skin, browns and greens bring out the color of my eyes nicely. I thought of sludge and smog and thought it would be cool to try shading the crease area only. <br></p>
<p>For this look, I used the wet'n'wild Comfort Zone palette for my lid and crease. I will update this post with the exact colors when Im at a computer. Sephora's Peachy Bronze eyeshadow is the brow highlight, and Sephora's black waterproof retractible liner on my upper lid, smudged out. For my lower lid, I used Wet'n'Wild Olive pencil liner. Mascara is LORAC 3D lashes in black. </p>
<p>Pictures are with and without flash, respectively.</p>
<br/><img src='http://lh3.ggpht.com/-XWrTHblyqu8/TuQq_LQChDI/AAAAAAAAAFA/uoCr76ztpAM/IMAG0202.png' /><br/><img src='http://lh3.ggpht.com/--NEQGkqYzK0/TuQq_rYAmrI/AAAAAAAAAFI/gq-c7NpqWno/IMAG0203.png' /></div>florencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16685069120407742762noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6829575655638627103.post-15335595533811325942011-12-09T05:44:00.001-08:002011-12-09T06:17:45.170-08:00CHINA GLAZE MAGNETIX. PUMPED<a href="http://www.body-soulbeauty.com/2011/12/china-glaze-magnetix-collection.html">Body and Soul - China Glaze Magnetix Preview!</a><br />
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Mary at Body and Soul posted the preview (link above) of China Glaze's Magnetix polishes that are coming to stores in 2012!!<br />
I am PUMPED. The olive green on the left-hand side of the display looks gorgeous, and they have (3) different magnets! I've been craving a star magnet, but it is darn near impossible to get your hands on one of the L'ancome magnetic polishes.<br />
Thanks Mary!!florencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16685069120407742762noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6829575655638627103.post-21457413880845584942011-12-07T08:30:00.001-08:002011-12-07T10:44:16.828-08:00Cute Holiday Hair Idea<div>
Good morning!<br />
Starting this out with my first real blog post - it's pretty simple, but cute, and an easy way to jazz up your hair if you are lazy like me.<br />
This morning, the Christmas tree was going up in my office. I'm a sucker for all things sparkly, so when I saw random threads of tinsel laying around, I couldn't resist putting them in my hair.<br />
See more after the jump!<br />
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My first idea was to subtly add a bit of sparkle to my hair. Braids were in big-time this year, so I added a few strands of tinsel into a tiny braid near my face.<br />
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You can see it slightly more prominently towards the bottom of the picture and near my eye - the slight sparkle that catches the light.<br />
All that was done here was holding the tinsel with a section of hair to be braided. Then continue to braid as normal from there and secure with an elastic, the tinsel shouldn't slide out. This would be a cute way to do one of those "halo" braids for a party!<br />
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Another way to be a little more forthright with your tinsel-wearing fun is to treat the strands as hair extensions. This takes a little more work to make it smooth, but it looks like your hair is made out of SPARKLES. Mmmyes.<br />
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Given my limited resources here, I used a tiny rubber band (similar to those you get that hold utensils together from a take-out place) to secure about 5 strands of tinsel near my scalp. This would probably work best behind the ear or nape of the neck using this method.<br />
It's probably best secured with a bead, like those used to put feather extensions in. And then, of course, it can go anywhere. But this was an impromptu urge for sparkle, so please bear with me.<br />
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I may try to experiment with other types and colors of tinsel as we move through the holiday season. It also helps if your hair has a bit of texture to it, in order to help hold the style.<br />
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My hair is naturally very fine and thin, but last night I was too lazy to style my hair and simply sprayed Bumble & Bumble Surf Spray in my damp hair before going to bed. That added a little wave and grittiness, plus a matte finish that helps the tinsel's sparkle to stand out.<br />
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I hope you enjoyed my first real post, more to come (soon)!</div>florencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16685069120407742762noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6829575655638627103.post-87285947795285220872011-12-07T05:27:00.001-08:002011-12-07T05:27:56.379-08:00Coming Soon!A real post! Hang in there (please)!florencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16685069120407742762noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6829575655638627103.post-11181940687250789012011-12-01T06:32:00.001-08:002011-12-01T06:56:27.125-08:00Powering UpI'm new here. Expect lots of pictures, randomness, and glitter.florencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16685069120407742762noreply@blogger.com3