Nars Desperado and a damnable cruelty free lacking

OK...this color was sort of achieving a cult-like status for awhile. I kept seeing the bloggers talking about it. It's one of those unique, odd, strangely fascinating colors that for me, at least, sometimes causes me to say "They really LOVE this?". Actually, I did love it on me. My skin tone does not really lend itself to golds and yellows. It just doesn't. My coloring is much more suited to silvers, steels, greys...and yes. Black. **Currently debating an ill-advised Deborah Lippmann haul...Fade to Black. Might need that. And some of the neutrals...no! Wait for a freebie give away that you don't already have, idiot!!** AUGH! See what it's like in my head? It's exhausting! Back to Desperado...
It's an odd, odd color. It's buffed bronze, but more gold. It's understated, but it has a red glitter in it, if you can spot it. It's neutral, but it's definitely not. Hm. What do you think?

OH, and as Nars has been iffy on animal testing, here is their statement: lower right hand corner
However, they are owned by Shisheido, which I did not know, and Shisheido animal tests. So. My bad...you won't see any more Nars on here, I'm afraid. Poo. They have some fun colors and I love some of the makeup. Crap. Well, I can't not boycott Nars if I'm gonna boycott OPI for being owned by Coty.

Gah. Whatever. I took the pics so here's a look at it, in case you're not being as strict on the cruelty free as I am:

I was playing with the settings on the camera on my phone? Didn't this come out better? Yes. If only hooking up my actual camera wasn't going to require building a whole new wheel...you have no idea. I'm scrupulously neat at work, my desk is always cleaned off. Home? Yeah. You are lucky if you can even find the desk.

Regardless...fairly spectacular color, isn't it? Too bad it's owning company achieved it at another creature's suffering. It's not THAT great. It's an odd burnished gold? I guess? I liked it on me. However, it didn't stand up to dishwashing. Not that I expect my polishes to do fantastically well, but I do expect more than one sink load. What have I been saying? Expensive polishes don't think we do such menial things as dishes. I had done a whole series of pictures on how I repair chips with this polish but now having actually determined the cruelty status I won't be using those. I did redo them with a BB Couture though, so that post is coming. As well as a post on the BBC I was wearing when I did it, which I loved and had many compliments on.

Happy polishing!

**Shakes Fist at Illamasqua**

Curse you Illamasqua and your stupid release your wild child inner self mantra and your stupid "put this code in and get a free something" coupons! I love/hate you!!!

Yeah. I got nailed again. Actually, the RBL cursing should have been second but I had forgotten that I hadn't posted I had an Illamasqua haul coming. From England. Because I'm a make-up droolie. I also went on a quest for the perfect cobalt/royal blue eyeliner, but that's another fist shaking sequence to be directed at Estee Lauder...however, I digress, and also promise to spare you that one. Though you might get swatches of the eye liners just because. That needs it's own post.

Back to Illamasqua. Yes, those evil Brits sent me an lovely little email about how they had chosen their most faved cult colors and if you spent so many British Pound Sterling that you could get one free! I have no real idea of what the conversion rate is and when it comes to Illamasqua, I could barely care. The stuff is fab. I don't just mean the nail polish, though there are a few in that haul, I mean the make up. Wears all day, builds fantastically, great colors with great names (I amuse myself by creating named looks based on the color names? Because I am that big of a make-up geek. Today it's Sinful Fatal Soul because...those are the colors I'm wearing. Sin, Fatal, Soul. I am a genius. I am the Wile E. of the make-up junkies. You don't need to say it. I already know. **eye rolling**)
Are you still reading this? WHY??? You crazy.

Anyways. Yes. There will be an Illamasqua haul coming. I am trying their lipstick for the first time and adding to the shadow and blush I already have because...well, why the f not. I also hauled a couple off Sephora because Britain was sold out. Say What?? Tis true.

**Gives up fist shaking and just sinks to ground in abject defeat.**

Anyone else jumping on the yellow polish trend? I keep buying them but I've yet to wear any yet. I've been in the running for this promotion and while I wouldn't say Desperado is exactly what you want to wear in an interview, it does say "risk taker" and "confident" without saying "Total fucking loon". I hope. As I thought I would do only phone interviews from here on out only to go to work this morning to "Surprise! Interview in person today!". Oops. And she did note it. Either that or the fabulous citrine ring I was sporting to complement it.

At any rate, I picked up I think two yellow Illamasquas and a yellow RBL....I don't quite know why. I think I like the edginess of them. Hm. If anyone is still with me out there, let me know your thoughts on the yellow trend the Gaga gave us. If I can nail down the job thing I might be trying it soon. I DO have Load from Illamasqua, which I loved. It's a very pale yellowish white. Think of....well, it's aptly named, let me put it that way. **wink wink, nod nod**

Happy polishing!

**Shakes Fist at Rescue Beauty Lounge**

Curse you, Ji Baek and your gorgeous, amazing, gorgeous, fabulous...did I mention Gorgeous? Nail polishes!!! **Shakes fist**

Crapola, lads. She's brought back two of my long time lemmings: Chinoise and Plie. Supposedly the perfect red and the perfect ballet pink and...how the not very mighty have fallen. Yeah...because I just can't bear to pay for shipping. $108 later...(and what? FIVE polishes as well?) I have a problem. A big one. I'm an addict. I admit it. I love nail polish. I have too much...I could never wear it all...and yet, I acquired more. I did manage to talk myself OUT of hitting Cheeky Monkey and RGB. RGB is a brand I haven't tried yet, they're priced in the RBL league and I had waited to hear back from their customer service about the cruelty free. They are! So I may be purchasing a few of those, but I'd like to get some payments made before I start getting completely stupid. Do we think? Yeah. We do.

I do have a big post in mind for the latest color *teaser alert* Nars Desperado. It didn't survive much in the way of dishwashing so I have taken lots of swatches to show how to repair it. Though it didn't take a beating, it did repair beautifully. So I will have those posts coming up.

As well as pics of the latest shameful RBL haul. Chinoise...oh I have lemminged thee....but you will be mine. Oh yes. You will be mine!