Back! Ish. With Barracuda!

Hey Guys!

Sorry I was gone for so long, I had finals and then got really sick, and had to eliminate as much stress from my life as possible. As much as I love blogging about makeup and checking out what all of you guys are doing on your blogs, it was one more thing weighing on me that I felt guilty about not doing, so I had to give myself a "pass" on that until I finished up some other things! I wish I could say I'm back to regular scheduling, but I'm going on vacation tomorrow, so it'll be another week or two before I get back on track! In the meantime, I figured I'd show you a little of what I've been up to. I have way too many posts photographed and backlogged to go through them all now, but I'm loving what I have on my nails right now, Barracuda, part of Sally Hansen's Complete Salon Manicure spring line! It's a light blue that leans turquoise, but definitely isn't even close to being part of the green family! Which is great for me, because polishes that are green or yellow do not look flattering on my skin tone, but I find myself lusting after these cool, springy pastels. These polishes retail for ~ $7.99, depending on where you get them, and come with .5 ounces of polish; I bought mine at Bed, Bath & Beyond for $6.29, and I know that some drugstores often offer BOGO's.

This is my third day with Barracuda on my fingernails, and there has been absolutely  no chipping or peeling, and very minimal tip wear. This is practically a miracle for me, since I manage to screw up my nails the first day I paint them, or maybe the second if I'm being extra careful. I used Sally Hansen Nail Nutrition Green Tea + Olive Growth as a base coat (I think it's helping my weak nails!) and Seche Vite as a top coat. My only complaint was with application; while I like the design of the brush and the formula of other polishes I've tried in this line, this one was a beast to try to get on! It was thick and gloppy on the nail, and pooled in my cuticles. I know that pastels can do this, which is why I wrestled through it, but it's still unpleasant, even if I know it's not exclusive to this line of polishes! As for the line in general, though, I have had good luck with the formula, and I really like the bottle; the brush is easy to hold, and the shape of the brush is nice for avoiding your cuticle but covering the entire nail precisely.

The bottle! No flash. 

Barracuda! (Who else has the Heart song stuck in their head right now?) 

Barracuda on my nails with flash! This is what it looks like outdoors, too. 

The Complete Salon Manicure brush; I rather like it! 

And a good shot of Barracuda on the nails, no flash! 

Rating: 7 out of 10

This one is losing points for the formula and application! I know that this is the price I pay for wanting a pastel color, but it's still a pain! Other than that, the bottle and brush are a great design, and the color is fabulous! A sky blue with a hint of depth in drab lighting, and a true blue turquoise in sunlight, it's a winner for summer! I am so infatuated with this color right now, I hate to take it off; I might put it right back on my toes as soon as it comes off my fingers!