An alternative title for this post could be MY FRIENDS ARE AWESOME.
Because they really are.
I normally make a big deal out of my birthday but not this year. And I couldn’t, even if I wanted to. I was going to turn thirty on a Thursday – and on Thursdays I stay in the office until late to close the pages of my newspaper section. Yes, there is such a thing as birthday leave but I felt I had no right to take it for two reasons. One, I had just been away from work for two weeks when I was sick (and because of that my boss – who is awesome, by the way – had to go to work on her birthday) and two, I am leaving for a long vacation in the US eleven days after my birthday. Disappearing on my birthday just didn’t feel right.
My biggest plan for my birthday was to bring out the chunky glitter.
Oh yes, it was time for the chunky goodness the wonderful Miss Bun had sent me a couple of months back.
And I knew I wanted to wear it with black – and I thought, why not Chanel Black Satin?
We all know my heart beats extra strongly for Chanel.
Oh yes, it was the right choice.
And so on the eve of my birthday, I took my usual spot in the bathroom and did my birthday manicure.
And just like that, I fell in love with Deborah Lippmann.
And now I want all her chunky glitter. All of it.
I loved my birthday manicure so much that I posted a photo on Facebook and added this caption: “This birthday girl is drowning in deadlines and will be working all day. But that’s okay – because I have a party on my nails.”
And soon, I found out that I wasn’t the only one who liked my manicure.
On my birthday, I woke up and immediately continued transcribing an interview for an article I had to finish that day.
Then I went to the office.
And my friends were awesome because you know what they did? They went over to my office and ate chicken and cake and drank wine and hung out there even when I spent hours ignoring them because I was still rushing to finish another article. They turned my work night into a party.
It was a pretty awesome birthday – made even more awesome by new bottles of polish I got that day.
First there were these bottles from Tatin.
Oh my god, I didn’t know Miami Peach had a sexy gold shimmer. I can’t wait to wear it!
I also got these sweet babies.
My birthday was the day I realized how sexy Dior polish can be.
I honestly thought I was going to spend the next day, Friday, going to a couple of events before relaxing with my friends by watching a movie.
But no, that’s not what happened.
I skipped the Muji event and went straight to the Nokia one. Then I went to the office. Then I thought I was meeting up with Jill at her shop but no no no, I was wrong. She asked me to go to a hotel instead. And that’s when I knew something was up.
My friends had planned a surprise party for me.
Yes, they are the sweetest. And yes, they totally spoil me.
There was a lot of food (Jill’s carbonara tops my list of all-time favorites) and a lot of drinks and I was surprised because more and more people kept arriving. Even my grandma was there! So awesome.
I received a lot of presents that night including this sexy red Revlon from Melay and Dann.
Before my birthday, people kept asking what I wanted and I kept saying nothing except maybe handwritten letters because I love getting letters. I really didn’t need gifts – having my wonderful friends in my life is enough.
The party ended at 5 in the morning on Saturday and at that point I was so tired that I ended up crashing on the hotel bed still wearing that day’s clothes.
Hours later, I had more carbonara for breakfast before checking out of the hotel. We headed straight to Shangri-La Mall because I wanted to go to Rustan’s to shop for polish.
I got this fantastic Dior polish that I just fell in love with – Melisse – along with two Nars bottles.
It took me ages to decide which Nars bottles to get because M Butterfly and Schiap look great too but with the help of J, Momon, Tatin and their nails which they allowed me to paint on, I finally went for King Kong and Full Metal Jacket.
For dinner, we went for Japanese. I decided to paint my nails with Melisse while waiting for the food. I love that color so much.
“When will you take off that polish?” Tatin asked.
“I don’t know,” I said.
“If you take it off tonight, you have to buy us ice cream,” she said.
I laughed and continued eating my spicy kani salad and birthday noodles.
When I was done eating, Jill placed a box in front of me.
I thought the surprises were over but I was wrong.
Jill had gotten me the Venomous Villains polishes. So freaking cool.
Bad Fairy and Formidable survived the trip to Manila.
But Mean & Green couldn’t handle the excitement. She exploded.
Crazy.
But I was too touched by the surprise to be sad about Mean & Green.
And then, Tatin handed me a big paper bag and said, “This isn’t a birthday gift.”
And oh my god, my jaw dropped.
Because a lot of bottles I bought these past months had finally arrived from the US.
MAC’s Alice + Olivia collection.
So Rich So Pretty, Morning After, Military.
MAC’s Fall 2010 Nail Trends collection.
Earthly Harmony, Concubine, Jade Dragon, Ming Blue, Imperial Flower, Rain of Flowers.
Ming Blue made Jill sad because she ordered me one too. Now I have two Ming Blues.
Then there was the Hello Kitty Vestral White I won in an Ebay bid.
Now only the pink one’s missing from my Hello Kitty MAC collection.
And my bottles of Santee Vikini Green arrived too. I first saw this color on Agent Lover Marie and I bid for it on Ebay. Miss Bun, one of these bottles is for you.
A big pile of polish will not be complete without Chanel.
And here they are finally, my complete set of Les Khakis.
Now my backup bottle of Khaki Vert won’t be so lonely.
Tatin was right. My Dior mani didn’t even last two hours. I immediately removed it to play with my new bottles.
That night, I took a lot of bottle pics. And I decided to shoot other newly acquired bottles that I haven’t had time to post about.
Like Nars Zulu and Midnight Express.
Jelly love.
Lucerne-tainly Look Marvelous and Diva of Geneva which were given to me at the OPI event.
Orly La Playa, a fabulous blue.
My first Manglaze.
Lele brought this bottle of Matte Is Murder to me at the hospital to cheer me up.
It worked.
These bottles of Barielle which were perfectly packed by Nikki.
Myrza’s Meadow, Falling Star, Slate of Affairs, Sweet Addiction. I can’t wait to play with Falling Star.
The Barry M Nail Paints that Gibbs brought home from London.
These babies had an exciting time too because the airline lost the luggage they were in. So glad the luggage was found.
Here’s a closer look.
Berry Ice Cream, Strawberry Ice Cream, Mint Green, Lemon Ice Cream.
Spring Green, Blueberry Ice Cream, Cobalt Blue.
I put all these new bottles in the Smurf lunchbox which was one of J and Momon’s gifts to me.
I love it – almost as much as I love the beautiful letters my friends wrote to me.
The next day, Sunday, I had to get up earlier than I would have wanted because I was assisting Jill in a shoot.
There I was, bent over the glass sink, brushing my teeth when a little black box hiding under the glass caught my eye.
There was a note written by Jill: “Yes, this too!”
I picked it up and sucked in my breath.
MAC In The Buff.
Nuts. Especially since on Saturday night, as I was updating my wish list, I thought, “Oh yeah, I still don’t have MAC In The Buff.”
Not anymore.
Nuts nuts nuts.
It was a great 30th birthday. And not just because I can practically swim in polish.
It is wonderful to be surrounded by sweet souls who show you their love and care unabashedly, by people who support your obsession even if they think it’s crazy, by friends who refuse to let you not make a big deal out of your birthday.
I love you guys so much. I am the luckiest girl in the world.
