The ALU Archives – Sinful Show Me The Way

The ALU Archives focuses on older, beloved shades from the All Lacquered Up stash. This week, we continue on with the Archives’ green theme for March. It’s been so incredibly beautiful and warm here in the Cleveburg and I noticed some of the ten billion daffodils in our yard starting to pop up. The previous owners were major green thumbs. The boyfriend and I, not so much. However, the new growth inspired me to look for a grassy green. That brought me to drugstore fave Sinful Colors Show Me The Way. I seriously don’t write about Sinful enough. It’s such an underrated brand. They have a wide color range with some outstanding greens and blues and if you’re looking for a cheap, glossy jet black for frankening or just to wear, you can’t beat their Black On Black creme.

Show Me The Way is a mossy, yellow tinged, metallic looking sparkler. The formula is semi-sheer with a jelly-ish feel that requires three coats. What I love is that the specks of micro-glitter float in the polish so you get a completely smooth finish, similar to the China Glaze glass flecked formula. Also, it prevents the metallic nature of the gold shimmer from leaving brush strokes on the nails. Basically, it’s pretty damn fab.

Sinful Colors polishes retail for $1.99 and are carried at a number of drugstores but I have the best luck in my area at Walgreens and Discount Drug Mart. At Walgreens, the display is typically on fragrance counter. According to the Sinful Colors website their products are also carried at Eckerd, Longs, Meijer, Safeway and number of other regional chains.

OK raise your hands kids. Where are my Sinful lovers? What’s your favorite shade?

Happy St. Patrick’s Day

For ’tis green, green, green, where the ruined towers are gray,
And it’s green, green, green, all the happy night and day;
Green of leaf and green of sod, green of ivy on the wall,
And the blessed Irish shamrock with the fairest green of all.
~Mary Elizabeth Blake

I am not the least bit Irish but that doesn’t stop me from loving St. Patrick’s Day, the greenest day of the year. With my undying love of all things emerald, is it any wonder. It’s the one day when draping yourself in it is perfectly acceptable.

Of course that means green is shade of the day for nails and I’ve put together my picks to best express your Irish Pride or just join in the fun. All the polishes featured are current and available for purchase.

My St. Paddy’s Day manicure is of the gorgeous Sinful Colors San Francisco. Sinful Colors is a drugstore brand that you can find at Walgreens. They have a wide variety of shades and are very reasonably priced. The formula on this one is similar to a jelly finish. It spreads like jam on the nail. But the color is so outstanding that I’m willing to play to get it right.
For a darker more forest green look, check out NYX Las Vegas, butter London Thames, Zoya Suvi, China Glaze Outta Bounds and Rescue Beauty Lounge Recycle. And if you want a bolder emerald or springier green, look for Rimmel Underground Camouflage, Carolyn New York Greenwich Ave, Sinful Colors San Francisco or China Glaze Treehugger.
So what are you wearing for St. Patrick’s Day? Have a favorite green I left out?

The Black Polish Trend

I wouldn’t be a true polish fanatic if I didn’t pay homage to the biggest trend to hit the polish world since Uma Thurman donned Chanel Vamp in Pulp Fiction. Chanel’s introduction of Black Satin caused a frenzy like I have never seen. The insane eBay prices, the story about Sarah Michelle Gellar stealing one from a party, the waiting lists at Chanel counters for a re-release, it’s madness. Pure madness. And with the release of Chanel’s new black for spring, Noir Ceramic, the craze continues.

(l-to-r) Misa Stiletto, Milani Black Cherry, Zoya Yasmeen, OPI Lincoln Park At Midnight, OPI Black Tie Optional (DC’d)

(l-to-r) Revlon Dark Pleasures Talk Dirty, Creative NFS, Creative Blue Blood (DC’d), Misa Blueberry Glaze, China Glaze Up All Night, Revlon Dark Pleasures Midnight Affair

(l-to-r) OPI Espresso Your Style, Orly Talk Dirty, Creative Fedora, Sinful Colors Black on Black, Zoya Raven, Orly Goth, Misa Wishing On A Star