1. POLICE FILES: It’s official – Miss Bun is the queen of awesome packages

   April 21, 2011 by pam

   Miss Bun, tell me. Did they have special Preparing a Package 101 and Advanced Surprise Planning classes at Emerson? And if they did, did you take them and ace them?
   
   Because seriously, you are the queen of packages.
   
   Every time I prepare a package for you, I rub my hands gleefully and think, “Ooh, this is going to be good…” But you cream me. Every single time.
   
   You need a crown, a scepter and a jester so you can continue to rule over the Kingdom of Surprises.
   
   If you’re a Polish Police regular, then you know that Miss Bun and I love sending top secret nail polish packages to each other. You can’t call them swaps because we never go “Okay, I’ll trade this for this.” It’s always “OMG I got you something! You’ll never guess what it is!” And the special packages are usually hand-delivered by friends who meet up with Miss Bun. That’s the funny thing – Miss Bun and I have never seen each other IRL but she’s already met a number of my friends. But that bit about us not meeting yet doesn’t matter – because she’s still one of my most favorite people in the world. And I know we will get to meet in the future. And hang out. And have fun. And go crazy.
   
   Last week, my friend JJ went to Hong Kong and he brought a package for Miss Bun.
   
   And he returned with this:
   

   

   The bag made me laugh. Too funny.
   

   

   I tore into it and saw all kinds of crazy goodies hidden inside.
   

   

   I pulled this out. So cute!
   

   

   I opened it.
   

   

   I love the little notes Miss Bun put on everything.
   

   

   Lip Smackers! How did she know I’m obsessed with Lip Smackers? I cannot stop buying them. I always have one in my bag. Looks like my grape bubble gum one will be replaced with this baby.
   

   

   And this! How did she know I love tin cans?! Magic, I tell you.
   

   

   What’s in this red bag?
   

   

   Beautiful bottles from Shiseido! I didn’t even know Shiseido made polish! I can’t wait to try them both.
   

   

   I reached into the bag and found this little envelope.
   

   

   The card inside is so pretty. I can get hypnotized by it.
   

   

   Miss Bun writes the sweetest notes. <3
   

   

   Miss Bun knows I love paper and I love that she sent me this.
   

   

   It reminds me of my own favorite magazine in grade school, “Pambata.”
   

   

   Miss Bun, I wanna know what these mean:
   

   

   

   Oh yes, you really don’t have to explain.
   

   

   So adorable. Love.
   

   

   I couldn’t wait to find out what this was.
   

   

   And when I saw these, I laughed. Miss Bun has a knack for finding the best things. Tip Top Polishers? That’s what we are.
   

   

   And then the rain of polish began.
   

   

   Gosh Miss Minty. So beautiful.
   

   

   This little package made me squeal.
   

   

   Yes, Miss Bun and I have Bieber fever. And yes, we’re both watching his concert – she’ll watch in Hong Kong, I’ll watch in Manila. And we’re both going to scream.
   

   

   Sigh, Miss Bun. You have the power to make me feel like a giggly 14-year-old.
   

   

   And Miss Bun wasn’t done yet.
   

   

   Such a beautiful blue. She knows how crazy I am about blue polish.
   

   

   You’re right, Miss Bun. There is no more room in my Helmer. But I will make room for these. And you know what I’m going to do? When I get my new Helmer (yes, I think I need a new one), I’m going to create a special Miss Bun drawer to hold all the pretties you’ve given me.
   

   

   Holy hell. PRETTY. PRETTY. PRETTY. I can’t decide which one to wear first. Miss Bun is a mind reader. If I had a lineup of Gosh bottles in front of me, I would have picked these out too. Amazing.
   

   

   And the magic wasn’t over yet. I felt like a kid on Christmas Eve, drowning in gifts.
   

   

   Orly Royal Velvet. I had to stop and just gawk at this bottle. Holy crap. I can’t wait to see it on my nails.
   

   

   Forget what I said about Christmas. Make that Christmas AND Birthday.
   

   

   AAAAAAGH. Beautiful. These were on my wish list for months. I didn’t even know when I’d get the chance to buy them because it’s hard to find bottles of China Glaze here. And now they’re here…
   

   

   Crazy.
   
   I pulled out a bigger envelope out of the bag. Miss Bun had written a sweet poem on it. What could this be?
   

   

   And when I opened it, I gasped. And I swear, I almost cried. Because remember this?
   

   

   How many people in the world would willingly and gladly undress their bottle of precious Chanel and give you the box just to make you happy? Thank you, Miss Bun. You are amazing. I haven’t put Khaki Brun in the box yet. I want to take a video of that moment so I could show it to you.
   
   And as if I wasn’t already overwhelmed, the magic continues.
   
   Remember Chanel Jade? Yes, the one I played with and finally returned to Miss Bun?
   

   

   She sent it back. She refused to accept it.
   

   

   Yes, Chanel Jade is here again. And yes, we will tango again. But one day, she will go home and be with Miss Bun again. Yes, Miss Bun, the Chanel Jade saga isn’t over. This has really become the sisterhood of the traveling polish.
   
   Thank you, Miss Bun. This package means so much to me. And it’s not just because of the wonderful goodies you’ve given me – it’s knowing how carefully you selected each precious bottle you put in the bag, each wonderful surprise, the love and care and thoughtfulness that went into preparing such a beautiful package.
   
   Mission accomplished. In fact, you kicked this mission’s ass.
   

   Category police files | Tags: chanel,chanel jade,china glaze,first mate,friends,gosh,i'm a belieber,justin bieber,khaki brun,miss bun,miss minty,nicole by opi,orly,package,royal velvet,starboard | 14 Comments

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2. MUG SHOT: Orly Cosmic FX – Out of This World, It’s Not Rocket Science and Galaxy Girl

   April 20, 2011 by pam

   I have three out of the six awesome colors in Orly’s Cosmic FX collection.
   

   

   One was a gift from the awesome Miss Bun and two were sent to me by Sprint Asia, Orly’s distributor here in the Philippines.
   

   

   Out of This World, It’s Not Rocket Science, Galaxy Girl

   Let’s start with my favorite – Out of This World.

   

   Out of This World is a gift from Miss Bun.
   

   

   Orly describes this as “purple with pink silver FX”.
   

   

   But to me it’s a deep purple that has pinkish purple and greenish gold shimmer.
   

   

   So pretty.
   

   

   This was three coats.
   

   

   This is It’s Not Rocket Science.
   

   

   Orly describes this as “green with gold blue FX”.
   

   

   It’s green, it’s chartreuse, it’s sparkly, it’s crazy.
   

   

   It’s swampy color that could be scary if it weren’t so pretty.
   

   

   But it is pretty.
   

   

   I wasn’t sure how wearable this color was going to be until I tried it on.
   

   

   This was two coats. Like the other two colors I have from this collection, the formula is great, application was easy.
   

   

   This is Galaxy Girl.
   

   

   Orly describes it as “purple with blue green FX.”
   

   

   This color reminds me so much of bruises.
   

   

   And as someone who constantly gets them (I’m a big klutz), I know this description is pretty accurate.
   

   

   A lot of people have said that Galaxy Girl is a dupe for Formidable!, one of the three polishes in MAC’s Venomous Villains collection.
   

   

   I would have to agree.
   

   

   This was two coats.
   

   

   Here’s a closer look at Out of This World, It’s Not Rocket Science and Galaxy Girl.
   

   

   I love all three of these colors and now I’ve been asking myself why I haven’t bought the other three colors in this collection.
   
   Luckily, it’s not too late.
   
   Bottles of Orly Cosmic FX are still available at Pure Beauty. And the best part? Unlike in the US where they were sold at a higher price than the regular Orly colors (regular colors go for $7.50, these were sold for $10 each), they’re available here for only ₱349.50.
   
   Pure Beauty is at the second floor of Serendra in Bonifacio Global City, Taguig.

   Category mug shot | Tags: cosmic fx,galaxy girl,it's not rocket science,orly,out of this world | 8 Comments

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3. MUG SHOT: Orange you glad we have Etude House in Manila?

   by pam

   It’s an orange orange day here at Polish Police. Wait, make that orange and red.
   
   Korean brand Etude House sent me a bunch of goodies last week and I am happy to report that I love them all.
   
   Today you’re going to see the nail polishes they sent me. I will save the other stuff for another post.
   

   

   I got really excited about this.
   

   

   Tangerine Petit Darling Nails Kit is from Etude House’s new Miss Tangerine collection.
   

   

   There are three shades in the collection and you’re supposed to layer them for an easy gradation mani.
   

   

   These are the three colors in the kit: Tangerine Pink Nail Color, Sparkling Tangerine Pearl Coat and Bling Bling Tangerine Pearl Coat
   

   

   And this is how they look when worn together:

   

   Pretty cool huh?
   

   

   And it’s crazy easy to use.
   

   

   First you paint your entire nail with Tangerine Pink Nail Color.
   

   

   Then you paint the upper half of your nail with the Sparkling Tangerine Pearl Coat.
   

   

   This Sparkling Tangerine Pearl Coat is a sheer peach polish with pretty gold and silver round medium-sized glitter and fine gold and silver sparkle.
   

   

   Then you paint the tips of your nails with the Bling Bling Tangerine Pearl Coat.
   

   

   The Bling Bling Tangerine Pearl Coat is a sheer tangerine polish with fine gold glitter and silver sparkle.
   

   

   I used two coats of the Bling Bling Tangerine Pearl Coat to get a deeper color on the tips.
   
   The awesome thing about this nail kit is that while you can wear all three polishes together, you can wear them on their own too – or with other polishes. My favorite is the Bling Bling Tangerine Pearl Coat.
   

   

   Look at how crazy it looks when worn alone.
   

   

   It reminds me of those sugar-dipped orange slice-shaped jelly candies.
   

   

   So pretty and sparkly.
   

   

   This was three coats.
   

   

   The formula was great – really easy to work with.
   

   

   This entire set just costs ₱328 (just a little over $6).
   
   But we’re not done with the orange explosion yet.
   
   This is Lucidarling Fantastic Nails 07.
   

   

   It’s an orange polish with gold shimmer.
   

   

   I love this color – it’s so bright and happy!
   

   

   It’s perfect for summer.
   

   

   This was two coats.
   

   

   And this baby, which comes in a heart-shaped bottle, costs only ₱128.
   
   This next bottle is from the Petit Darling Nails line. This shade is OR205 or Tangerine Sherbet.
   

   

   Of all the Etude House polishes in this post, this was the one I struggled with the most.
   

   

   It was a little thick and streaky.
   

   

   But the polish evened out after three coats.
   

   

   It’s a pretty color – another nice summery shade.
   

   

   I’m just not sure it goes well with my skin tone.
   

   

   This bottle costs only ₱98.
   
   With all the red polishes out there, it takes a lot for a red to impress me.
   
   But my god, this bottle made me go wow. And like Tangerine Sherbet, this bottle costs only ₱98.
   

   

   RD102 or Very Red is also from Etude House’s Petit Darling Nails line.
   

   

   The name doesn’t lie – it is very red.
   

   

   The formula is great.
   

   

   Super smooth, creamy and glossy.
   

   

   I used two coats for this, no top coat.
   

   

   This color made me think of Miss Bun who loves loves loves red nail polish.
   

   

   And it made me wish I had discovered it sooner so I could have sent a bottle along with the package JJ handed over to her last weekend.
   

   

   I am definitely getting you a bottle of this, Miss Bun.
   

   

   I need to see this on your nails.
   
   
   You can find Etude House products at SM Cubao Department Store, SM Fairview Department Store, SM Makati Department Store, SM North Edsa Department Store, SM Pampanga, SM Fairview, Festival Mall, SM Iloilo, SM Manila, SM Megamall, SM North The Block, SM Southmall, SM Bicutan, SM Cebu, SM Sta. Rosa., SM Iloilo, SM Pampanga. Visit Etude House Philippines’ website.
   

   Category mug shot | Tags: bling bling tangerine pearl coat,etude house,korean,miss tangerine,nail polish,or205,rd102,sparkling tangerine pearl coat,tangerine petit darling nails kit,tangerine pink nail color,tangerine sherbet,very red | 29 Comments

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4. MUG SHOT: Excuse me, waiter.. there’s a bear in my manicure

   April 18, 2011 by pam

   If it were up to me, I would have played with fimo sticks a long time ago.
   
   And I did try. I ordered a bunch of sticks from an Ebay seller in Hong Kong last year. It was such a great deal too – just $1.25 for 25 sticks. My total with shipping was less than four dollars. But for weeks and weeks, nothing arrived. When I finally asked the seller where they were, he said he shipped them to Las Vegas.
   
   He shipped them to Las Vegas but I was in Manila. He got confused – he sent it to an old address I had on my Ebay account, not the one I gave him. I never got those 25 sticks – they are lost in the land of crappy shipping.
   
   But last Saturday, during an accidental trip to Rockwell’s Coachella Bazaar, I stumbled upon a stall selling fimo sticks. They were a little overpriced at P50 each but they were right there in front of me so I bit. I just got three. I figured if I really liked them, I can turn to Ebay again.
   

   

   I carried these around for days. I got such a kick out of whipping them out and seeing my friends try to figure out what they were.
   

   

   “Ang cute!” is their collective reaction but they still couldn’t figure it out. And when I say, “They’re for my nails!” they look even more confused.
   
   But they really are for my nails.

   

   You’re supposed to slice these rods really thinly to produce adorable little designs you can use for nail art. I had a hard time getting them to be really thin. I used a cutter – the kind you use to attack illustration boards with – and I’m sure the normal person wouldn’t have a hard time. It’s me. Sharp objects and I just don’t mix.
   
   I managed to come up with these – they’re cute but not as thin as they should be. Yes, I chose bears for my first fimo experience. Not fruits, not flowers.
   

   

   I chose colors that would match my teddy bear theme. I went for MAC Rich, Dark, Delicious and MAC Earthly Harmony and Chanel Khaki Brun.

   

   And for picking up the little fimo pieces and placing them on my nails, I used tweezers.
   

   

   I asked the guy manning the stall if I should use nail glue to attach them and he said no, that I should just place them on wet polish to make them stick.
   
   And that’s what I did.
   
   I painted my nails with my base color. For the second coat, I painted one nail, attached a bear, painted the next nail, attached a bear… I had to do that to make sure the polish was still really wet when I placed the bear.
   

   

   So cute.
   

   

   But then came the crazy part. Top coat.
   
   Because my fimo slices were thicker than they should be, I had to to use thick coats of top coat too.
   

   

   The whole time I was trying to get the top coat to cover the bears entirely, I was thinking, “Holy crap, this can’t be right.”
   

   

   I was a little freaked. I thought they’d never dry.
   

   

   But they did, eventually.
   

   

   And when they did, and when I could move my hands freely, it hit me.
   

   

   Awesome! I have bears on my nails!
   

   

   And then I took a bath. At first I was really careful while shampooing my hair. I kept checking my nails every two seconds because I was afraid the bears would get caught on my hair. But they seemed fine so I stopped checking.
   
   But when I glanced at my right hand before I picked up my conditioner, I was horrified.
   
   I lost a bear. In my hair.
   
   I sound like Dr. Seuss, I know. But at that point, I wasn’t in the mood to rhyme. Because the bear? In my hair? I couldn’t find it.
   
   And I had no time to even try.
   
   I had three options – one, ignore the missing bear and go out with only nine bears on my nails, two, repeat the entire process on my ring finger (base color, bear, top coat) or three, do a shortcut – just put another bear where the missing one used to be and cover with a top coat.
   
   I had no time to spare – my friends and I were catching a show and we couldn’t be late. So yeah, I did number three.
   
   I put a dollop of polish on the exact spot where the runaway bear used to be, put another bear on top of it and covered it with a top coat.
   
   And soon my mani looked as good as it did pre-shower.
   

   

   And soon, the bears and I were enjoying our night out.
   

   

   A couple of them must have enjoyed too much – because while at the show, I looked down and saw that two other bears had disappeared. And I wasn’t even doing anything crazy – I was just sitting there.
   

   

   That’s when I knew that my relationship with my precious bears were not going to last long.
   

   

   They’re adorable, sure, but they were too high-maintenance. I couldn’t keep checking and checking my nails all day. And if one of them did fall off, a quick fix would be hard to do, especially if I’m out, which I always am.
   

   

   I know I’m too blame though. I’m sure the bears wouldn’t have fallen off if they were as thin as they’re supposed to be. They would be able to stick completely on the nail and there would be no edges for my hair or my bag strap or whatever to get caught on.
   

   

   So my first fimo attempt was like most first relationships – cute but kind of a failure.
   
   This doesn’t mean I won’t try again. Next time, I’ll make sure I slice the fimo rods really thinly. Or I’ll just buy them already cut to make life easier.
   
   You can find fimo sticks online – on Ebay or Multiply. Local sellers sell them at around P20 a piece.

   Category mug shot | Tags: bears,chanel khaki brun,clay,dark,delicious,fimo,fimo nail art,fimo rods,fimo sticks,mac earthly harmony,mac rich,nail art | 16 Comments

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5. POLICE FILES: Cute overload with MAC’s Quite Cute collection

   by pam

   I will admit it – I like cute things. Not as much as my friend Tatin does but still. Stickers, little charms, pink and purple anything – I never outgrew them.
   
   So when I saw the photos of MAC’s Quite Cute collection for Summer 2011, I kvelled from the cuteness.
   

   

   In fact, when I saw the photo above, I zoomed all the way in so I could see every little detail. And I decided I want everything she’s wearing on her arms – yes, including the crazy shoelaces. They would look awesome with my pink and purple Doc Martens.
   
   But we’re not here to talk about my shoes.
   
   We’re here to talk about this explosion of cuteness.
   

   

   Naturally, I immediately zeroed in on the three bottles of nail polish in the collection.
   

   

   This is Ice Cream Cake (creamy blue pink). I love that name.
   

   

   Mischievous Mint (a creamy pale blue mint). I know they are not dupes but this will ease the pain of still not being able to find a bottle of MAC Peppermint Patti anywhere. Trust me, I’ve tried.
   

   

   This is Little Girl Type (creamy pale lavender). Lovely. This was one of my favorite colors growing up. And it’s still one of my favorite colors now.
   
   I love all three colors – I can’t wait to wear them. And in my excitement, I’ll probably end up wearing them all together. I promise to post swatches as soon as I get my bottles.
   
   This adorable collection will be available here in the Philippines starting May 7. You can find MAC at Glorietta, Trinoma, Shangri-La Mall, Rockwell and Marionnaud.

   Category police files | Tags: ice cream cake,little girl type,mac,mischievous mint,nail polish | 6 Comments

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