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I want to try a new kind of post today called Rant/Rave. It will be housed under this Poppycock section of my blog.

Originally when I re-did the website I meant to have this, but never got around to it. This will be an area where I will mostly be posting quick (or long) blurbs about things (not nail polish related) that I want to either rant or rave about. I thought about starting a whole different blog for this since this is the “real” me, but just never got around to it. Who knows, maybe in the future I will!

I don’t know if you can tell from my regular nail posts, but I’m a fairly cynical and sarcastic person. It’s probably a huge reason why I am such a fan of Dooce, Nothing But Bonfires and Full of Snark. I’m not Mrs. Negativity, but I’m not all about flowers and unicorns either. I try not to let that bleed too much into my nail posts because it’s not really appropriate, but those of you who follow me on Twitter might have seen that side of me. I wasn’t really aware of the distinct separation until a Twitter friend asked me if I was ok because I had been posting some “sharper” tweets. But really, that’s totally who I am, I tend to shoot my mouth off when things annoy me, and if I happen to be on Twitter when that happens, then people see it.

I have become much more blunt in recent years. Probably around age 30 or 31 I became much more comfortable in my own skin, and I decided I’m not gonna waste my time trying to impress others. I don’t waste my time at work making friends with people who I don’t really like, because I’m there to do a job, that’s it. I don’t waste my time trying to still be friends with people who I used to be friends with if we have nothing in common anymore. Life is too short people!

So without further adieu here are some things that bug the hell out of me:

1. People who steal my pics and use them on eBay or other sites without crediting me
2. Spitting in public
3. Crocs
4. People who act like they are humble and always say “little old me” but really are total braggarts
5. When people spell “a lot” like “allot” or “alot”

That’s all for now, lest you start revolting and never come back, LOL!

Let me know YOUR rants I wanna hear them!

-VV

Welcome to another edition of my Top 5 polishes!

Since it’s the holidays I thought I would feature yet another common holiday color, silver.

I didn’t have as hard a time sifting through my silver polishes and finding my top 5 as I thought I would. These ones really stood out to me.

And now in no particular order, my top 5 silver polishes (and remember some of these pics are old and not that great):

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Party people guess what?? It’s time for another cool giveaway!

I will be giving one lucky (random) winner the limited edition Fall ’09 Zoya Matte Velvet collection. It will include three colors which are: Loredana, Dovima and Posh.

There are two ways to enter (to double your chance of winning!).

1. Enter by leaving a comment telling me what your favorite Zoya polish is

2. Enter by following me on Twitter and reweeet (RT) the following: RT@VampyVarnish: RT to win Zoya Matte Velvet Collection! http://tinyurl.com/ycwhbur

Please only enter once. If you don’t see your comment right away it’s because I have to moderate some comments, so don’t panic!

The contest is open from now until Saturday, December 12th at 11:59 pm, Pacific.

I will notify the winner of the contest via email on Monday, December 14th, and they will have 48 hours to respond or I have to choose another winner.

If you want to see swatches of these colors, check them out here.

Good luck!

-VV

Ni Zao (good morning in Chinese)!

This morning I have a new brand of nail polish to show you. The brand is called HJ Manicure, and it was launched in 2009 by Helen J., who is a manicurist and model based in London.

HJ Manicure is comprised of both seasonal colors as well as limited edition colors and nail treatments. The polishes come in both regular sized bottles (15ml) and mini ones (5ml), for select shades.

There are about 30 colors right now available, and she just released her winter collection called the Snow Collection.

The formula on the ones I tried was pretty good. I did have some tip shrinkage with one of them, but that could be because I was in a huge rush to swatch it before the sun disappeared.

I apologize in advance for the horrific pictures. I took these inside in a tiny swatch of sun peeking through my sliding glass door. Plus I always find mini-bottles hard to hold and have your hand look decent! Peep ‘em out!

R8

R8 is a dark primer grey creme. This is much darker than RBL Concrete or Stormy, in case you wondered. This one is from her core collection, and is available as a mini. This was two coats.

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1. How is your week so far? Not great, I have a nasty cold.

2. What’s your favorite ice cream flavor? Ben & Jerry’s Coffee Toffee Heath Bar Crunch, hands down! I love coffee flavored ice cream.

3. What’s on your nails? Nothing, I have been sick and totally not interested in painting my nails only to stay home on the couch.

4. If you could have 1 totally extravagant Christmas present (price doesn’t matter) what would it be? A totally re-done (but authentic) huge Victorian mansion on 10 acres of my own land, and not in the Bay Area. Don’t know where, but I would like it somewhere not this crowded and expensive, but also not in the middle of nowhere. Also it cannot snow there, and needs to be warm and sunny most of the time but low humidity. Does that place even exist?

5. What’s the weather like in your neck of the woods? COLD! There has been a rare Bay Area freeze, and it’s been in the low 20′s overnight at my house and 40′s during the day. I have even seen snow!

6. What’s your favorite article of clothing? I think I will go with my orange, down, Gap puffer jacket. So cozy and warm even though I look like Kenny from South Park.

7. If your house was on fire and you could only grab three things (only inanimate objects), what would they be? Photo albums, my iMac and my safe.

8. What is your favorite eyeshadow palette? Right now Urban Decay’s Book of Shadows II.

9. If you could only wear one color of nail polish for the rest of your life, which one would it be? Why did I ask this? This is REALLY hard but I think I am going to say China Glaze Wagon Trail.

10. What’s on your agenda this weekend? Hmm I am hoping I feel better. If I do, I would like to do some swatching, though I think it’s supposed to rain all weekend. Also need to get my tree and decorate the house!

Copy & Paste

1. How is your week so far?

2. What’s your favorite ice cream flavor?

3. What’s on your nails?

4. If you could have 1 totally extravagant Christmas present (price doesn’t matter) what would it be?

5. What’s the weather like in your neck of the woods?

6. What’s your favorite article of clothing?

7. If your house was on fire and you could only grab three things (only inanimate objects), what would they be?

8. What is your favorite eyeshadow palette?

9. If you could only wear one color of nail polish for the rest of your life, which one would it be?

10. What’s on your agenda this weekend?

-VV