Hey Everyone!
Most addicts, of any kind, have a memory of what “did it” for them…what made them cross the line from casual user to ADDICT. Good thing for me my only real addiction is nail polish 
The polish that “did it” for me was Sephora by OPI Mermaid to Order. It was around the time when Sephora first came out with their SOPI line. This was the first time I had seen such bright and unique colors. I didn’t buy much polish back then, I was much more into eye makeup so I was always spending my money at Sephora. I didn’t have any OPI, Essie, China Glaze or brands like that because I didn’t really know they existed or had seen them anywhere. Little did I know what a domino effect Mermaid to Order was going to cause me. My polish collection has grown to over 400 since then consisting of countless brands, but I still hold a soft spot for Mermaid to Order.
Since I’ve progressed so much since my first time using Mermaid to Order I figured I’d add a little something with A England Princess Sabra (otherwise known as tristam eyes).
Mermaid to Order & Princess Sabra (tristam eyes)
Mermaid to Order is a metallic turquoise green, I absolutely loooove this color. It’s a metallic so its prone to visible brush strokes, but it is all worth it because the color gives off a gorgeous glow. This is one of only 2 bottles I’ve had that I am more than half way through because of regular use. The formula became a bit thick since its so old so I added some thinner and it did the trick. I plan on buying another bottle in the near future…It may be my first time I have to buy another bottle of the same color. Good thing is I do not see Sephora discontinuing this shade any times soon as it is included in their “Nailed It” mini set of the top 10 best selling colors (yay).
For the following mani I used Princess Sabra as a gradient effect. I liked the two together because it reminded me of a tropical beach with the gorgeous turquoise water and shimmery sand.
Mermaid to Order & Princess Sabra (tristam eyes)
Mermaid to Order & Princess Sabra (tristam eyes)
Mermaid to Order & Princess Sabra (tristam eyes)
Ever notice the beads of water that form on your nails in the shower? Well in the shower I noticed the beads and got inspired to replicate them for this mani since it was already screaming tropical beach water. I used my Seche Vite top coat and simply let a bead form at the tip of the brush and dotted it on my nails. You could use a dotting tool as well, but it was easy enough just using the brush. I applied tiny and larger sized clear dots, but the tiny dots didn’t really appear at all in the pics. It was a fun effect, but not comfortable at all considering I had bumps on my nails so it didn’t last long as I picked them off.
Mermaid to Order & Princess Sabra (tristam eyes)
Mermaid to Order & Princess Sabra
Do you remember a particular nail polish that “did it” for you? Or if not, one specific polish in your collection that has a special meaning or memory attached to it? I remember Mermaid to Order was also the very first polish that my boyfriend had noticed and commented on, he was even interested to know the name and became intrigued by my nail polish names for a while.
22 comments
Skip to comment form ↓
neilanie besana
June 2, 2012 at 1:23 am (UTC -4) Link to this comment
vacation mani! i love the water beads but i agree with you, they would annoy me too. the nail polish that did it for me was OPI my private jet and now i cant stop. my poor wallet=(
Frosso
June 2, 2012 at 11:26 am (UTC -4) Link to this comment
Thanks! I was never lucky enough to get my hands on the original MPJ, it wasn’t until this year that I was even able to find the newer version. I have a lack of OPI availability in my life
I can totally see how it could “turn” someone into addict mode though!
Candy
June 4, 2012 at 3:21 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
When I saw MPJ original, I discovered linear holos. Dangerous indeed!
Candy recently posted..Essie Sure Shot & It’s Small, Creepy World
Frosso
June 5, 2012 at 1:10 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
Oh holos will definitely do it lol
My Nail Polish Online
June 2, 2012 at 2:02 am (UTC -4) Link to this comment
Beautiful gradient! I also love how the water beads are looking on your nails!
I don’t have one particular polish that did it for me, there was a whole world out there that I simply couldn’t choose just one from! My first order online contained 13 polishes, and I thought that was all I was going to buy! 13 shades would have been enough, don’t you think? (I owned maybe 5 other polishes by then). A couple of weeks later, I was ordering a second time, and then a third time, and…. here I am
My Nail Polish Online recently posted..Depend 2027 Raspberry
Frosso
June 2, 2012 at 11:33 am (UTC -4) Link to this comment
Wow, you just dove right in lol.
Nicole
June 2, 2012 at 4:18 am (UTC -4) Link to this comment
I thought that was actually water on your nails and I was like “look at you so clever with the staging!” haha. That looks very cool but I’d definitely be picking on them and ruin my entire mani. I think these nails look awesome, I see the sand and water thing you’re talking about but also to me it kinda looked like some crazy duochrome effect from far away. Maybe I’m nuts but that was my first thought when I just caught a glimpse of em. The polish that did it for me was Sally Hansen Mega Shine. When I realized how FANTASTIC your nails can look just by using a good topcoat it totally did it for me. When I was younger I never wore tc, didn’t even know what it was for. Now I wouldn’t dream of leaving the house without it. Topcoat is king and it made all the difference for me. I used to rock chipped tips… not anymore!
Nicole recently posted..Orly Flash Glam- Mermaid Tale Review
Frosso
June 2, 2012 at 11:31 am (UTC -4) Link to this comment
Lol I think I did try to take pictures once with real water droplets just to see what it would look like, but I didn’t like the placement of them so it never worked. So I found an alternative
I did totally pick them off and ruin the mani though :/ It looks a lil duochrome in the bottle, but its just the metallic finish because its not at all on the nail.
Haha, I never used top coat either! I don’t think I even used base coat for a while…the things we learn when we grow up
LittleMonsterx14
June 2, 2012 at 12:39 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
this is a gorgeous polish! no wonder it turned you to the polish side!
LittleMonsterx14 recently posted..Do Owls Eat Skittles?
Frosso
June 2, 2012 at 4:08 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
Hehe thanks! I’ve loved turquoise polish ever since this one
Lauren Christie Mary
June 2, 2012 at 3:18 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
I translate my polish collection into a timeline of my life. I can remember when and where I acquired each polish, and each one brings back memories of a certain time. I have so many amazing shades, but Brucci Luscious Lauren reminds me of my late Aunt Marilyn, who was an absolutely amazing fabulous woman (I owe my flamboyant fashion sense to her)! We used to get together with my Aunt every Thursday as I was growing up. We usually went to the mall or Genovese and out to eat before visiting at her house. Dark shades were just becoming the rage in high school, and I bought this deep purple at one of our Genovese hauls (How could I resist a polish named after me!). I remember being back at Aunt Marilyn’s house in her big comfy chair looking at this bottle of polish. She passed in 2001, but I still own this memory of my visits with her. Cheers to you Aunt Marilyn xoxo
(PS…Mermaid to Order got me hooked on SOPI thank to you Tiny!!! Always one of my fave vivids!)
Frosso
June 2, 2012 at 4:10 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
I tried Googling Luscious Lauren, but only dirty stuff came up lol. You have to show me a pic some time. You’re lucky to have had someone to pass down the fabulously glam and flamboyant fashion sense you have acquired
drinkcitra
June 2, 2012 at 11:40 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
I love Mermaid to Order! I actually have the tiny version of it lol. It’s so pretty. omg I absolutely love that you added the “water droplets” on them! It’s like you just got out of a nice spring shower! lol. It’s so gorgeous…
drinkcitra recently posted..Skittle mani to Girl’s Day “Oh! My God”
Frosso
June 3, 2012 at 12:50 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
Yay, now you just need to upgrade to a big one
I would have gone through two bottles already if I had the tiny one! Glad you like the water drops, I always like the look of water on nails but never thought to use clear polish until now…duh 
Katie - Missys Manis
June 3, 2012 at 1:27 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
This is sooo pretty, I love it!
Katie – Missys Manis recently posted..Summer Challenge Day 9 – Jubilee Street Party
Frosso
June 3, 2012 at 1:36 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
Thank you
Candy
June 3, 2012 at 2:33 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
Im not sure how I came across the news, but it was Katy Perry’s OPI Shatter set that did it for me. I remembered my friend in highschool had crackles (old school crackles) and I was curious about them, but unable to get them. Then I just HAD to have that black shatter. That was a little over a year ago.. And then I found blogs, and discovered new colors, finishes, textures….it all went downhill from there
Candy recently posted..Zoya Ki…and Weird Dante
Frosso
June 3, 2012 at 3:02 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
Oh I remember the shatter craze when it first started. It was so hard to get the black! That was the first time I bought nail polish from Amazon, and I’ve been buying from there pretty often ever since. Blogs were a big influence too…especially seeing we both have our own now haha.
Artemis
June 3, 2012 at 3:09 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
I wish I could remember what nail polish color started it all for me. I kind of went from getting weekly salon manis to doing them on my own. I do remember that my first OPI was Vodka & Caviar and it was a gift from a co-worker/friend. To this day, it’s probably my favorite red.
Artemis recently posted..Sation Board Girl Blue
Frosso
June 3, 2012 at 3:20 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
Isn’t it so much more gratifying when you do your manis yourself now? I was never a regular salon customer, only occasionally. The last time I went was on my bday and by the end of it I was like, I could have just done this on my own and it would have looked exactly the same…maybe ever BETTER
Plus I like my selection more than most salons now anyways lol.
Erin Elizabeth
June 3, 2012 at 11:31 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
Cool!
Erin Elizabeth recently posted..Three Month Challenge – Week Two, Horizontal Gradient
Frosso
June 4, 2012 at 12:29 am (UTC -4) Link to this comment
Thanks