big trees and sparkly nails

we're back!!!

big tress was a big hit but i'll start with my review of the mani i had while we were gone...

opi crown me already! from the miss universe collection:

after purchasing this gorgeous, sparkly masterpiece i let it sit in the closet for the better part of the month before putting it on.  my job allows me to be creative with my nails but always with the expectation that they be classy, not flashy.  i suspected that this silver glitter explosion would look on the nail as it does in the bottle, like a heaping mound of shattered disco balls.

fortunately i was mistaken.

on the nail this looks more like a starry night in the woods.  in fact i think the next time i wear this it will be over a midnight blue background.  here's my snapshot of what this mani looked like on me.  please note the checkered tablecloth in the background.  :)

crown me already! is a multi-particle glitter in a crystal clear base.  the smallest particle is tiny, almost shimmer sized.  next up is a larger, glitter sized square. the largest is a chunky hexagon.  the application is fairly dense - the pic above is just two coats.  there are enough of the larger pieces that i didn't feel compelled to move any from where the brush placed them.  i used one layer of opi's standard topcoat over but probably should have used two to really smooth things out.  the feel on the nail is rough but not jagged. 

what i loved about this product: 1) the finish! regardless of how it looks in the bottle this had such a subtle, starry sparkle that i wore it to work after returning from our vacay. 2) the application - even and surprisingly smooth for such a glitter packed gem.

what i didn't love about this product: 1) the larger, hex shaped pieces have the tendency to peel/flake off.  i think i could have prevented this with the application of a second layer of topcoat. 2) as with all glitter heavy polishes it takes a LOT of effort to remove.  i spent about two hours cycling through polish remover, washing, applying moisturizer then polish remover again.  i've done two subsequent polish changes and i still have a few flecks of glitter on some of my nails!  :)

my next entry will cover the highlights of our trip but in the meantime i'll share a photo of the most awesome campsite ever:

 a wooden bridge, a flight of stairs and a glimpse of our fab tent perched on the top of a hill.  glorious!