My Holiday Beauty Wishlist

Gift giving is tricky. You want to give the recipient something they will like, but on the off chance they don't like it, you don't want to have spent so much that you both feel like the money was wasted or so little that they feel like you got them the cheapest, crappiest thing instead of something they actually want.

I know it's wrong to complain about a gift, and I am truly thankful that I've ever been given gifts at all. But... I've been on the receiving end of some of those crappy gifts and let me tell you, it doesn't feel good. I'm not talking about gifts that maybe weren't what you had in mind, but the other person still spent time and effort picking it out or even making it by hand with you in mind. No, I'm talking about the ones that clearly say, "I resent being obligated to buy a gift for you, so I'm just going to give you some random junk."

I could share a few stories about countless extended family Christmas gatherings, where every year I'd get a pair of driving gloves, despite the fact that I was like, seven years old, couldn't drive and the gloves weren't even my size. When I was a little older, I guess some of my extended family decided they didn't like me as the weird goth kid so they got me floral-print overalls and a pink shirt with flowers on it. I've gotten golf tees, used batteries... One year I had a birthday party and a few of my classmates gave me an empty container of candy, a broken comb and a The Lion King soundtrack jewel case that had no CD inside.

Actually, I don't remember where I was going with this... I suppose the moral of the story would be "Don't buy people thoughtless gifts or something you found in a dumpster, unless it's really, really cool." And no kid wants golf tees or driving gloves. Unless they golf or drive, in which case, by all means, go right ahead.

That said, here are the top ten things I put on my letter to Santa this year...

ghd Scarlet collection. Does this look sexy or what?


Megan Miller Collection nail polish. Cork handles! The colors don't look unique but you know what a sucker I am for packaging.

Temptu Everyday Luxury Set. I've always wanted to try airbrush foundation and I like the way this looks.



Lolita Lempicka Couture Black. I WANT THIS SO BAD. I already love Lolita Lempicka and now they have one in this awesome bottle? I may have to buy this for myself this year.


Make Up For Ever Wild & Chic Aqua Cream Collection. A lot of the shades I've been wanting to try plus a bunch more, all in a sweet looking case that comes with a brush.




Bare Minerals Insider Introducing Color Shift Eyecolor Set. I played with the color shifting shadow in the store and even though it's a color I'd have a hard time wearing, I can't stop thinking about it. It's so cool. And here it comes with a few other items for creating a look with it.


Kat Von D Tattoo Chronicles Candelabra Edition palette. Love the design, the colors look great and I'm a fan of the Kat von D/Sephora shadow formula.



Dr. Martens LANGSTON Petrol boot. One of these days I'm going to have these. We're meant to be together.



Guerlain Spiritueuse Double Vanille. I've wanted this for so long and now I think I've missed my chance to buy it. D:

And then there's this....

Nail Polish Wishes

I have been thinking a lot lately about new nail polish collections. Wondering what types of colors the polish companies are creating and why. What influences them? Is it fashion? Art? Or is it just the numbers, new creations based only on what sells?

I fully understand that I (we) are a different type of nail polish consumer. The main difference between me (us) and your average salon consumer is a big one: Volume. While the average salon patron or nail polish customer may purchase one or two polishes every couple of months, perhaps spending up to $20, we, the nail polish connoisseur, are no strangers to purchasing twelve polishes at a time, usually more, spending more on one polish purchase than the average polish consumer will in her lifetime.

Polish connoisseurs like you and I buy polish because we love color, and we love being able to have a little fun with our nails. We don't buy polish because we have to maintain our perpetually sheer-pink tips and our only bottle of Essie Ballet Slippers is running out. We buy it because we love it.

In my opinion, that should give us more pull with polish companies when they consider the colors for their collections. I feel like the only look at what the salon consumer is likely to purchase, but us polish junkies need some love too!

Please don't think I am being ungrateful and whiny- I know that polish companies have been very good to us. They've been listening to what the nail polish connoisseur wants, and giving us a little something every season. I mean, even Essie, the queen of sheer pinks, gave us Mesmerize this season. China Glaze gave us two unique collections, Romantique and Summer Days. Zoya's spring collection rocked my socks, and do I even have to mention Barielle and Color Club? I know they've been good to me, but I still can't help but feel like some things are missing.

Here are my nail polish wishes for this year.

I want....



GREENS!!! Specifically, Mazoo's 'Bahama Greens'. But really, I'll take all the greens I can get. Please skip the light golden-shimmer greens, please! We need a variety of greens in all tones and finishes. The world is severely lacking in dark to medium greens. We have a reasonable amount of light greens with gold shimmer, as well as pale pastel green cremes and chromes. We need more Zulus, more Recycles, more Evergreens, more Date Nights, more Rainforests, more, more more! And we need creme, yes, but frosts, shimmers, glitters, duochromes, jellies and holos! May this be the year of the greens.


I also want....






Camouflage colors! Drab green, olive, dusty grey, dirty brown. Not enough of these colors exist in the world, and I don't want to have to resort to 'frankening' my own. They are chic ad much as they are edgy, and I think people would be open to them if they had the option to buy them. And not just the traditional Woodland camouflage, either! How about desert camo, snow camo, urban camo, heck, even pink camouflage pattern themed colors? You could sell them in sets of three or six. It would be awesome.


I want....



More holo colors! Not just duplications of the holographic colors we already have, I want entirely new shades of mesmerizing holographic goodness! We don't really have a true red holo, nor do we have a dark blue or green holo. We don't have a yellow holo that isn't gold, and we don't have an orange holo that isn't pink. I want darker hologrpahic shades to contrast with all of the very light bordering on pastel holo shades we already have. And I wand more smooth holo like this Nfu Oh- it's extra awesome.


Also,







I want more unique glitters!! We have plenty of gold glitter, plenty of silver glitter, heck, even plenty of plain holographic glitter. I want more funky shades! Dark colors are especially rare. I bet people would love a dark blue glitter, and just look at the frenzy that China Glaze Emerald Sparkle caused! I know that a few people were even hoping for black glitter, and I think it could work. How about darker shades with a handful of holo glitter? Think about the Massini glitters and how much they rock. And don't be afraid to mix shades together, like these mind-blowingly awesome gems in a bottle:





I also NEED....





More Magnetiques! We only have a blue and a brown, think of the possibilities! And don't make them country-exclusive and don't make them limited edition. Does Lancome hold the patent on these? If not, why hasn't anyone else created these?! I have never gotten more compliments on my nails than when I wear Bordeaux Esmee.


I want...



More Mattes! I have both ManGlaze shades, and two Knockouts, but all together that's only six matte shades available for purchase. Two blacks, a grey, a white and a pink. You can do better than that. Matte is cool, we just need more variety. How about a matte red, a matte blue, a matte olive or a matte green? I think the green should look like moss, and maybe even be named moss.


And last but not least, we need more...







FLAKIES!!! The polish finish that magically transforms a plain polish into something special. There's nothing like flakies. And really, outside of Nfu Oh, there are no flakies that are easy to find. There are maybe one or two readily available shades from CND and Nubar, but other than that they have all been discontinued. Flaky polishes are truly unique and the possibilities for creating opal-like shades are endless. Please give us more.


There are a ton more things I'd like to see created by polish companies, but I could really go on all day. This post is long enough with my demands :) Maybe I will do a part two?

I hope that one day I get to see some of these things come to life. Every time a polish company releases yet another red or sheer pink (on top of the thousands and thousands in existence), I feel a little bit sad and wonder if it could have been something awesome instead.

To China Glaze: A Special Message from Mazoo (and the rest of us!)

Hello China Glaze,

I hope you are well. I however, am not. I have a fever. And the only cure is more green nail polish.

You may remember the Bahama Blues Collection from Winter 2008. This is probably because you made it. I remember it too, because I bought the whole thing. You know what else I would buy? A green version. Serious.

I have taken the promotional picture for the Bahama Blues Collection and used my "mad photoshop skillz" to make it look a tad more "foresty". Yes, I know that isn't a word. I even posted the picture on the MakeUpAlley Nail Board to conduct a little market research. The reaction from all who posted seemed to indicate that ladies would "stabba bish" or "cut a ho" to get their hands on a set. If you aren't familiar with such colloquialisms, that means that these ladies would really, really like some more greens.

I also used the aforementioned photoshop skillz to make a purple version, and a yellow. These versions were also highly regarded by nail board ladies, but honestly, those bishes can wait. I want some greens.

I have come to the completely unbiased conclusion that green shades equals money in the bank. The frenzy over your own Emerald Sparkle? That was no accident. The crazy prices girls are paying on eBay for OPI Rainforest, Jasper Jade & Golf Course Green? That's because we LOVE the greens. Supply is not meeting demand. Suzi thinks that we all want more red. She is WRONG. Don't be like Suzi China Glaze, don't go there girlfriend.

In closing, I would just like to beg unashamedly for some green goodness.

pleasepleasepleasepleaseplease.

Yours Sincerely,

Mazoo.


(Note from Scrangie: Thank you so very much for letting me post this, Mazoo! To everyone, please spread the word!! WE WANT GREENS!!!)