PINK Jelly Sandwich!

So we had an earthquake and a hurricane in the same week.  Business as usual in Maryland, I suppose.  ;-)  I hope everyone is safe and well.  In my neck o' the woods, we didn't really see much besides some heavy rain and wind for a couple hours.  We were fortunate to have kept power the whole time.  We dodged a big bullet, and having lost my home to Hurricane Katrina in 2005, I'm grateful.  While Jessie rocked an awesome weather-appropriate manicure, I was a doofus and picked just about the farthest thing from "Hurricane Manicure."

So I started out the weekend with Desire, a bright pink jelly from Revlon's Just Tinted release.  These polishes mimic their Just Tinted lip color, so they're a sheer wash of color.  The formula on this was a little thick, and I had a surprisingly difficult time getting an even application.  It took me three coats to get it looking good.  I'm partially blaming Revlon's abnormally long brush, but I think next time I'll add a few drops of thinner to see if that helps.

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I'm not gonna lie.  I absolutely hate the name.  Desire.  It screams 1980s frosty pink, doesn't it?  That being said, I LOOOOVE the polish!  It's bright and fun and squishy looking.  Jellies used to weird me out so much, but I'm telling you, once you fall for them, you fall HARD.  I can't get enough!  I can speak very highly of the wear as well.  I wore this while eating crab at a friend's birthday dinner and only suffered a teeny tiny chip on my right index finger.  If you've ever picked crabs, you know how awesome that is!

The next day was Irene-is-coming Day, so I decided to rebel against the storm and create another jelly sandwich!  Mmmm...jelly sandwich...

I started with one coat of OPI Teenage Dream over my Revlon Desire manicure.  Teenage Dream is pretty sheer, and you could leave it just like this if you wanted.

Then I added one layer of Revlon Desire, followed by one layer of Pure Ice Rio.  Aaaand...ta-da!!

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I was really happy with this combination, objectively.  I think Teenage Dream is perfect for a pink jelly sandwich, and Pure Ice Rio is just the crowning glory with that gorgeous blue shimmer in a pink base.  Subjectively, though, I kind of hated it.  I'm a girly-girl, but for some reason this just felt over the top girly to me.  I felt like I needed cotton candy and pigtails.  (My hubby though I was crazy when I told him that, by the way.)  I don't know how to explain it, but as much as I loved Desire on its own, I just couldn't stand all the glitter.  Eh, you win some and lose some, right?  ;-)

As far as I know, Revlon's Just Tinted line is limited edition, so grab those polishes now while you can.  I got mine at Bed Bath & Beyond for less than $5 with my 20% off coupon.  OPI Teenage Dream is limited edition as well, but you may still be able to find it in some stores.  If not, Sinful Colors Pink Glitter (original, right?) and Sally Hansen Strobe Light are pretty close for super cheap.  

I'm just about out of ideas for jelly sandwiches, so let me know if you guys know of any good combinations, or have any ideas for combinations that you'd like to see me try!  :-)

(Minus the Peanut Butter and) Jelly Sandwich!

Lately the big buzz on the MUA Nail Board (besides Orly Fowl Play, of course) is the jelly sandwich - lovingly dubbed the "jelly sammich."  If you're new to the concept, as I was, the idea is to sandwich a chunky glitter in between layers of a jelly finish polish.  It softens the look of the glitter and make it look suspended in the jelly.  A layer of shimmer or glitter on top is extra - just like condiments!  I hope you're hungry, 'cause this one's delicious!  ;-)

First of all, I have ZERO creativity when it comes to layering ideas, so this one is just one of the popular layering combinations.  For this one you'll need the following polishes:

-Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear Purple Pizzazz

-Sinful Colors Hottie (dupey to OPI Last Friday Night)

-Pure Ice Rio (I've also seen this combo with Clarins 230 or Pure Ice Heartbreaker, and they all look amazing!  Rio was all I had...)

First let's start with Purple Pizzazz - an amazing bright purple jelly with red/purpleish irregular shimmer.  The application was unbelievably amazing!  I used two coats, and while there's definitely VNL in real life, it's not nearly as noticeable as these pictures would have you believe.  Ott-Lites are like x-ray vision for nail polish.  :-)  

DISCLAIMER:  I apologize profusely for the fact that these photos are completely and totally unbelievably color inaccurate.  *sobs*  I dreaded posting these just for that fact.  I tried desperately to adjust them with my photo editor, but I just couldn't get it right.  Purple Pizzazz looks completely blue in these photos, but it's not even remotely blue in real life.  Definitely more of a red-leaning purple.  Bright, but still has depth.

These photos are under my Ott-Lite:

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 I snapped this one in my bathroom for a change of lighting.  This is MUCH closer to actual color, but it's still off.  I'm sorry!

In one word, Purple Pizzazz is AMAZING.  Even if you have no desire to use it in a jelly sandwich, you NEED it!  It's stunning.  Mesmerizing!  Unfortunately I think it's discontinued.  You can definitely still find it in your local drugstores, but be prepared to hunt for it.  I went to about six different stores before I found it, and then I found three.  Feast or famine, right?

So then, I added one layer of Sinful Hottie, one more layer of Purple Pizzazz, and one layer of Pure Ice Rio (this layer is just to add some extra shimmer - you can stop at the second layer of jelly if you want).  Here's the magical result!  (Again, this is definitely purple in real life.  Stupid lack of camera skillz...makes me haz a sad.)  Definitely click to enlarge to see all the goodies going on here!

Ott-Lite:

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Another attempt at color accuracy.  It's definitely close.  This also shows the complexity of the layering.  It almost looks like a flakie in real life!

I was unbelievably happy with this!  It looked sooooo awesome!  Glittery and sparkly and squishy!  I'm really loving seeing everyone's combinations on the Nail Board, and can't wait to show you guys more!  I've got a few more combos up my sleeves.  :-)

Have you guys tried a jelly sandwich?  Any recommendations for ones that I should try??