Saturday, June 25, 2011

Blogger Love! Varnish Vixen

I got in touch with one of my favourite Nail bloggers, Rory who runs Varnish Vixen blog (who doesn't like fox themed things?), who also has a neat eclectic steam-punk style. I asked her if she'd do a Blogger Love interview for you all and she agreed! Also because she is mainly a nail blogger I had to add in a couple nail polish questions for you too! Thank goodness she was so patient about it all!

1) Favourite Nail Polish Brand and why?
I couldn't limit this to just one brand.  My top three nail polish brands are: Rescue Beauty Lounge, Essie, and China Glaze.  Rescue Beauty Lounge because their formula is perfect and there are times when I just want to put on two easy, opaque coats and be done.  Essie because it wears like iron on me.  China Glaze because they have great colors are reasonable prices. 

2) Most unique Nail Polish(s) you own?
I guess I'm going to go with Rescue Beauty Lounge No More War.  It isn't wildly unique, but I've never seen anyone on the street wearing anything like it! 

3) Are you more of a Morning, Day, or Night time person?


 I'm a morning person.  When I was young I had to get up at 4:30 AM every morning for swim practice and the habit stuck with me.  Now I only get up at 5 AM!

4) Something you struggle with on a day to day basis?
Ummm...I guess I struggle to have patience with other people and with myself.

5) Favourite Animal?
Elephants are my favorite animal.  I spent the first 10 years of my life in Oahu, Hawaii and the local zoo let patrons interact with their elephants.  There was a large park outside of the zoo (complete with awesome banyan trees!) and they'd take the elephants there and let them interact with the kids...pet them, teach them about their teeth, how to clean out the pads in their feet, give them baths, etc.  So for a very long time I wanted to be an elephant care giver.   

6) Favourite Colour?
Right now it is orange and navy.

7) Preferred foundation coverage and finish ex. Heavy coverage, matte
 I have mediocre skin with some scaring around my jawline along with a healthy dose of Irish redness.  I even out it's appearance with Clinique Almost Make-up.  (Not sure where that falls on the spectrum, but it is very sheer, and has just enough coverage to smooth out some imperfections while making it look like I'm not wearing anything.) 

8) How old are you?
I am 26.
 
9) What do you do in everyday life? If you’re a student what is your major?
Right now I work at a hospital in an administrative position.  I go to school part time at night and am working towards my MBA in Healthcare Administration.
 
10) First makeup brand that really got you interested in cosmetics?
I really didn't know anything about cosmetics up until the last 6 months.  I pretty much only wore Clinique's Almost Make-up and mascara.  In the last 6-8 months I've acquired a decent amount of NARS and Too Faced products.

11) Do you have any makeup or skin care items that are perfect for you? (HG items) If so which- include shade names please.
 I don't know if they're perfect for me, but I love NARS bronzing powder (can't remember which shade) under my cheek bones, NARS Orgasm on my cheek, and NARS Albatross on my cheek bones.  

12) What is your favourite food? Drink?
My favorite food is...really all foods.  I'm not a picky eater.  My favorite drink is Smuttynose IPA.
  
13) Favourite Gem Stone?
 You know, I don't really like "real" jewelry.  I like cheap-affordable costume jewelry as accessories, but I couldn't be bothered by anything fancier.  My birthstone is a topaz and I used to think that was really unfortunate back when I was a kid and birthstone rings were the thing to have. lol.

 14) Do you have any pets in your life? If yes, what are their names (and can we have pictures?)
I have no pets.  E and I tried to adopt a dog from the local shelter a few years ago and it just didn't work out.  He was a 130 lb. 2 year old chocolate lab and he just couldn't live in a one bedroom apartment on the 28th floor of a building (in an area with no parks).  That combined with both of our work schedules and we realized that as much as we loved him, it was inhumane to keep him.  We had to take him back to the shelter after 72 hours.  It was really, really, really sad. (It was a no-kill shelter, for what it's worth) :(

 15) One place you’ve never been that you want to visit?
There are a lot of places I want to visit.  I spent 2 months after I graduated from undergrad back-packing through Europe alone.  I'd like to go back, only this time with E.  I'd specifically like to do a whirlwind trip with him through Paris-Amsterdam-Bruges-Munich-Interlaken. In a perfect world we'd do the whole thing by bike. (okay, maybe not the part to Switzerland because that could be a lot of uphill riding!!)
  
16) What inspired you to start your blog?
Around this time last year, I got serious about quitting my nail biting habit.  I thought that if I got a manicure each week, I might stop.  I did that for a while and then realized I couldn't afford a salon manicure on a weekly basis, so I started buying polish for myself.  Once I started researching polish online, I immediately found nail polish blogs.  After following quite a few blogs covertly, I decided to start my own.  I wanted to help fill the internet with swatches for other women like me who didn't want to commit to a purchase before seeing the product and thought that having pictures of my nails up on the web would be additional motivation to not eat my fingers.
 
17) What are some of the most useful things you’ve learned about since you started blogging?
Hmm...well, I've learned a lot about how camera's work, I've learned how to hack away at html, I've learned about a lot of new products I never would have known existed without bloggers recommending them, and I've learned that online communities can be as real and fulfilling as "real life" communities.  
 
18) Favourite Season?
Summer (although I love fall too).  I grew up in Arizona and I love the feel of hot wind on my skin...I like it when the heat feels like the air is coming from an oven...but I hate humid, sticky heat.  
 
19) What do you use to take your blog photos? What type of computer?
I use an Olympus E-420 to take my photos.  My computer is a Lenovo laptop that runs Ubuntu (Linux OS) and I use GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program) for editing.

 20) What genre of movies/books do you like?
Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Adventure.
 
21) Other hobbies or events that you’re involved in?
 I'm pretty athletic.  I love cycling, running, and swimming.  If I could be outdoors and active all day long, I would be.  

22) Most unique eyeshadow you own?
All my eyeshadow is conservative.  NARS Brousse or Too Faced Romantic Eye are probably the most non-natural eyeshadow shades I own.
 
23) Most unique lip product?
MAC Morange or Cover Girl Divine Divine...or Illamasqua Sangers.  They're all very bold.

24) Favourite colour combinations?
Right now: Orange, lapis lazuli blue, navy blue, white, and red.

25) Favourite piece of jewelry? Why is it your favourite?
  My Claddagh ring.  I've had it since I was 16 and I never take it off (not to exercise, not to sleep...)  I don't really consider it jewelry, but it's the only thing that I have that isn't totally trivial.

26) Best drugstore product you’ve tried?
 Burt's Bees...I'm a big fan of all their products.

27) Random fact you'd like to share about yourself?
 Ummm...I used to buzz cut my hair, but now I'm growing it out and it's taking forevvvvvvver. :(

No comments:

Post a Comment