Back! and Free!

[blamebrampton]

Actually, it's more like Back! Knackered! and Panicking! as if I have just realised how soon it is until I am going to England and France (haircut and H1N1 vaccine have both been booked! New suitcase and an extra few tops required!)

I have several hd_hols fics to beta, so this is going to be a quiet week from me, but I also have some loot to give away. One of the fun things about magland is that there is often beauty loot going at tiny prices or for free. Alas, I sometimes have impulse control issues when it comes to things like, shall we say, nail varnish. I now have four bottles of brightly coloured varnish that need to find new homes, as they are not designed for people with pale blue-red skin with minuscule amounts of olive-gold in their complexion. If you have the same colouring as me, alas, these are not for you. Looking at them, I think you want to have a lovely rich skin colour for best results.

Ideally these would go to one or two people, but I'll take whoever gives me the best or funniest reason why one or more should go to them. Just comment, and let me know which colour/s you'd like. Bugger the postage, give a few dollars to someone who needs them with my best wishes.

1 bottle Zoya Professional Lacquer in Jo: a soft, pale blue with a metallic shimmer. It's almost lilac, and has a lovely finish to it. A little transparent, I think three or four coats would be idea with this one, but the overall finish is nice.

1 bottle Bourjois So Laque! in Bleu violet: an opaque blue-purple, mid to dark tone. Almost Cadbury's purple. It's actually the best of the lot in terms of opacity and smoothness, two coats without undercoat or topcoat look very good. Alas, no photo I could pilfer, but Google it if you're keen.

1 bottle Mavala varnish in 241 Red Crystal: a cerise-red that would be better with multiple coats (I stopped at two). This is my least favourite, but I think that could be because I was too lazy to apply it properly, and red is a bit unforgiving at the best of times. Sadly, no photo for this one, either, and it's a mini bottle, so I;d prefer to send it with one of the others if anyone would care to ignore my persuasive anti-sales pitch.

1 bottle Shu Uemura nail enamel in P220 (a Fall 2009 Limited Edition): rich old gold in mid colour value. This one is Google-able, too, but no pix I can insert. It's a nice subtle metallic and has a good coverage, with a formula that is less ghastly than most nail varnishes. Looking at the rush job I did, I think this would benefit from a good preparation as it's a bit streaky on my nails without base coat and with no pre-buffing. Basically a very nice colour and texture, just naff on me.

In an annoying side note, John Coates, the head of the Australian International Olympic Committee is on TV at the moment saying that Australia should give more money to elite Olympic athletes. He has just said with a completely straight face that his athletes deserve an extra $100 million per annum because every Australian athlete has the right to aim for international success. I have friends who have multiple post-doctoral degrees and who work in research science and who earn less than $50,000 per annum. Some of them earn far less. FUCK YOU, COATESY!

I am willing to bet that the benefit to Australia of world-class scientists is significantly greater than that of world-class athletes. Alas, there is no Nike Laboratory for Geoscience ...

Comments

[cinnatart.livejournal.com]

Other than the fact that you probably shouldn't send the blue and blue/purple ones to me (and if you decide -for some fucking insane reason that MY answer deserves a bottle I'd never wear the red or gold - just saying) because I'm sure someone else would truly appreciate them - I CAN tell you that IF you DID send them to me, I have about five male, gay friends who would love you for it next time we hit the cities (Minneapolis/St.Paul and/or Chicago) for drag night. We always gather, dress each other in pretty things, do each other's make-up, and paint each other. No, I'm not joking. I love my men.

That and my toes are pretty in blue. *wiggles blue toes right now*

When is your trip again?

[blamebrampton.livejournal.com]

Oh now THAT is a GOOD answer. If anyone comes up with anything better for those two, then I will look out some more exciting shades for you at our next Beauty Sale, which the beauty editor promised would be before I go away (on December 5). At $1-2 per bottle, it's easy to grab a few!

[cinnatart.livejournal.com]

Okay well, while you're looking, (lol) I have such a difficult time finding anything resembling a decent shade of green which is not ridiculously dark, or ridiculously lime coloured, so if you find any medium shaded green ones at any time, pick them up for me and I'll work out payment/shipping with you after? =)

And, glad you liked the answer. I love those boys - wish I saw them more than just once every other month. *pouts*

December 5th! My, that is soon. I'm excited for you though! I love when my friends travel - they always have stories to tell, and I live vicariously through them =P

[blamebrampton.livejournal.com]

I will, but you're to spend the money on yourself for me!

[cinnatart.livejournal.com]

K how about I donate the postage costs to Amnesty International. Or I could do the Humane Society. I'm volunteering for both this year. =P

[treacle-tartlet.livejournal.com]

Don't beta mine if it makes your week too stressful! There are a few other people reading through it, so put it at the bottom of your list.
*kisses*

[blamebrampton.livejournal.com]

EVERYBODY GETS A BETA!
*kisses back*
*Waves at Probably A Girl*

[treacle-tartlet.livejournal.com]

You are marvellous :)
If you ever send me nail polish, it will end up adorning the small girl's toes. I have put the Sydney book and that coppery eyeshadow and a present and a card in a package, now all that remains is for me to actually go to the Post Office.
Probably-A-Girl is Probably-Jemima

[blamebrampton.livejournal.com]

Well, I have these magnificent friends who inspire me ;-)

I shall look for some suitably silly lolly colours in the next sale! Small girl will look ridiculous and have a jolly good time showing the goats her toeses. And no rush on the Sydney Book, the only visitors we have beetween now and year end are Peter and Vicki, and they've been here often enough to know how it goes! Plus, I'll be OS, so if J is an appalling host, I need never know ;-)

And GOOD name! Can I be an Evil Courtesy Aunt?

[treacle-tartlet.livejournal.com]

I'm banking on you being Evil Courtesy Aunt! Speaking of corrupting the innocent, my festive gesture this year has been to buy a book called The Twelve Terrors Of Christmas by John Updike, with illustrations by Edward Gorey :)

[blamebrampton.livejournal.com]

Oh that's EXCELLENT! If she likes it, I can do an audio version.

[treacle-tartlet.livejournal.com]

I did also buy her a CD of Willo the Wisp, which we have both been enjoying listening to in the car. I was so excited when I found it, as I wsa beginning to think I had imagined it!

[phoenixacid.livejournal.com]

You're back! I hope you had fun!

I have rich skin colour. But unfortunately, with my red face and green circles around my eyes, wearing those colours will probably make me look like a Christmas ornament. XD

Oh, and answer to your question: Yes, I did guess you right! Hence the stalking, see? :)

[blamebrampton.livejournal.com]

I did! But I am so sleepy now, and have so much to do ... And YAY! You're a lovely stalker!

Yeah, I hear you, they make me look as though I have had a HORRIBLE disease -- I think the excitement of $2 cosmetics sends me a little round the twist. However, I have great sunblock and hair care products, so I came out ahead even after postage.

[meredyth-13.livejournal.com]

I'm sure it's several thousand points off my 'are you an Aussie' score, but I really believe that for the most part sport should be just that - something people do because they like it, and it's fun, and it gets fitted in between going to work and on weekends.

The Olympics should be amateur, football codes should be amateur, sponsorship should just cover things like training and equipment and travel and running clubs. Local clubs should represent their community, and be training up youngsters from that community, not buying in people.

I don't care how good people are at it, it's just sport.

I'm such an old grouch.

Welcome home, however briefly, honey. Can you fit a 100kg woman into your bags for the UK? I have a passport. *looks hopeful*

[blamebrampton.livejournal.com]

YES YES YES YES! That's why Chariots of Fire is inspiring and the current Olympic coverage is mostly banal. (Except for Matthew Mitcham.)

And you do not weigh that much. But you do weigh more than 23kg. Sorry!

[meredyth-13.livejournal.com]

Yes, but Matthew would be just as awesome if he were a total amateur. :D

And *cough* actually, I do - a bit over, and that's after losing about 4-5kgs in the last month or two. I have hopes of maybe making double figures if I keep working.

I would be prepared to pay the excess baggage (always liked to think of myself like that) but I suspect you'd also need a team of porters to move your suitcase. *ponders* this plan obviously needs some work.

*hugs*

[deensey.livejournal.com]

HI. ME. :D

[blamebrampton.livejournal.com]

I need best or funniest, not bossiest :-P

[deensey.livejournal.com]

I thought bossiest might help?

YOU CAN HAVE THE JOY OF SEEING MY VERY BRIGHT NAILS COMING AT YOU DOWN THE NEWTOWN STREETS!

Protection, as you might call it!

[blamebrampton.livejournal.com]

Heh! Well, I have a spare red in case someone else comes in with better reasons. You are attractive by virtue of no post ;-)

[tyghra.livejournal.com]

Dougal & I don't do nailpolish any more... doesn't last 10 seconds on my digits'n'toes before being chipped and I never sit still long enough to do a good job either. I gave any I had away yonks ago and then inherited my mum's collection of about 50,000 bottles of red in varying hues! Kept my black for years just so I could put a dot of polish on each of my new tools as they entered the fold. Quicker than engraving and I'll know 'em if they ever surface by that same dot.

Now those last 2 paragraphs of yours are far more interesting. Completely with you as I watched it at the same time thinking much the same thought about possibly the same person/s. What an idjit.

[blamebrampton.livejournal.com]

Hee! Yes, I have one great red, one back-up red, a neutral and a black, all of which might be used twice a year if that. I love the idea of painted nails, but having an hour to do them properly rarely happens, plus I am not sure the chemicals are a good thing.

As to John Coates ... seriously, MORE money? It's not good enough that Australia comes sixth in the world in the Olympic tally? (And note that the Olympics were meant to be about individual success ...) It's an obscene use of money, really, but one that so many people seem to think is a normal state of affairs, alas.

[shocolate.livejournal.com]

well, even apart from you should send the red and gold ones to me, because I am possibly the only Gryffindor lover on your flist, just the word 'Mavala' is the most glamorous word in my vocab, because my mother wore it, when I was little, and it was my absolute epitome of sophistication...

[blamebrampton.livejournal.com]

Now that's a FABULOUS reason. And I will be in London in a few weeks, so it will be cheap!

[shocolate.livejournal.com]

it's an oddity, isn't it? I seriously doubt it is the world's most elegant nail varnish brand, but it sounds more glamorous than Chanel or Lancome!

[blamebrampton.livejournal.com]

It's a great name. And the bottle is very attractive!

[blamebrampton.livejournal.com]

PS I love the Gryffindors, too! One day I will have time to write my Gryffcentric long Marauder story!

[hollyxu.livejournal.com]

Varnish looks pretty, but I cannot stand the fumes. My friends make D: faces when I tell them that I despise perfume and nail polish for that reason...

As for the H1N1 vaccine, I have been warned that it will make you very sick for weeks. I hope it doesn't happen to you.

And welcome back!

[blamebrampton.livejournal.com]

Thank you! Yes, they can be pretty ghastly. Two of the above are low-fume, and I have to say they were significantly better than the other two!

Most flu vaccines make people who have reactions feel a bit unwell for a few hours to a few days. Annoyingly, I tend to react a bit. The US H1N1 vaccine seems to knock people around a bit more than the usual seasonal one or the Australian vaccine, but certainly much less so than the actual flu!

Seasonal flu vaccines I've had in the past have been pretty minor in side effects, especially compared to the two weeks of painful uselessness followed by two more of sleep that a normal flu seems to condemn me to, so it should be all right ;-)

[ladyjaneva.livejournal.com]

I got the H1N1 vaccine a week ago. The german version is a bit different from the american one (and I don't know about the Australian one), but I felt like crap the day after ( and went into whining mode) and needed a lot! of sleep for 5 days or so. Besides that I was fine.

[aldehyde.livejournal.com]

ummmm because i will coordinate outfits and makeup to complement the colours, and most probably post pics and reviews of the nail varnish, and entire ensemble?

:D :D :D

coincidentally enough, i picked up a few nail varnishes this weekend, and i was actually considering getting something similar to the shu uemura colour you described :D

[felinophile.livejournal.com]

You should on no account send me nail varnish because I broke most of my nails over the weekend. Also, because I have teal hair, adding any more colour to my person makes me resemble a lorikeet!

[enchanted-jae.livejournal.com]

I would love some beautiful new nail polish. My reasons aren't funny, but I do have naturally long nails that look smashing in flashy colors. And, if I can garner a sympathy vote, one of my nails has never been quite right since I got the tip of that finger cut off when I was a mere lass of 14. I don't like to NOT have polish on it, because it looks weird.

[pinque.livejournal.com]

Because I have crap nails and wearing something like a pale metallic blue might shame me into taking better care of them?

But really I'd go for micolerose and her fabulous gay men friends though I am very jealous. I have not enough style to have fab gay friends to do nails with.

[ladyjaneva.livejournal.com]

"impulse control issues "

I like the sound of that...

[uminohikari.livejournal.com]

H1N1 vaccine is less painful than regular flu vaccine! I was v surprised.

Have fun in england and france~~

[sarcasticpixie.livejournal.com]

Ooh, ooh! I'll play!

I would be a fabulous recipient for the violet-blue and the gold because I am currently engaged in an epic nail-off with my director, i.e. the woman to whom I am Executive Assistant. I am currently winning thanks to OPI's Merry Midnight, but she's got 30 years and several hundred thousand dollars on me and I can use all the help I can get. Aussie polishes might put me over the top for the month! And I'd be glad to send the postage to Planned Parenthood of Massachusetts.

/waits patiently for hd_hols fics to start going up