FYI: Cinco de Mayo is NOT Mexican Independence Day

but it IS a great excuse to break out my newly acquired bottle of China Glaze Party Hearty! Wearing it is basically the only reason I did this manicure, which also explains why my "eagle" is really just a brown blob. By the way, Mexican Independence day is September 16th, and that's when my family celebrated. Cinco de Mayo is really a American celebration of Mexican culture on a historically significant day, a day in which Mexican soldiers were vastly outnumbered by better equipped French soldiers and still won a battle.

      Isn't Party Hearty beautiful? Good thing it matches the flag, or I may have had to wait til Italy's Festa della Repubblica (Republic Day) on June 2 to be able to wear it!

Shifting perspectives-China Glaze Optical Illusion over 2 blues

China Glaze Optical Illusion, sunlight

People on the autism spectrum can have problems with empathy. In one experiment, researchers give autistic children a plastic candy container and fill it with something unexpected, like an eraser.  Afterwards, adults ask the kids what another child will expect to find in the container. The autistic kids say that other kids will expect an eraser. The reason? Kids with autism often have a hard time thinking from the perspective of other people. This lack of empathy is another example of how the workings of an autistic brain are different than the brain of someone without the condition.

For this post, I decided to try using China Glaze Optical Illusion over a couple of types of blues. Optical Illusion is a green based polish with multicolored glitters that has a purple color shift. I think the different underwear really changes the way the color shifts in this duochrome polish. For more pictures and to learn what I layered them over, keep reading!

Shattering some myths-OPI Turquoise Shatter over Color Club Factory Girl

OPI Turquoise Shatter over Color Club Factory Girl, sunlight

Just wanted to post these as I've done a lot of blue manis for Autism Awareness month, but haven't been timely with editing and posting them.

First, here are a couple of common myths about autism I'd like to debunk:

1. Vaccines-Autism is not caused by vaccines. The study that started that idea has been proven to be scientifically inaccurate to the point of embarrassment. I think part of the reason this myth is so powerful is because the age at which children begin to get more vaccinations coincides with the age at which they begin to be diagnosed. However, correlation does not equal causation, as a great science professor always told me.
2. Cures- There is no cure for autism. Period. There are many techniques that can be used that may vastly improve the functional capacity of someone on the spectrum, but there is no "cure." A healthy diet can definitely improve things for someone on the autism spectrum, as can things like speech therapy, occupational therapy and an autism-specific educational environment. All of these factors will be part our efforts to help those on the spectrum until we find a real cure.
3. Celebrity- Just because someone is a celebrity, doesn't mean they are a scientist. I'm sure Jenny McCarthy truly believes she cured her son through good nutrition. She didn't! Either her son is on the autism spectrum and became much more functional, but not cured, after she changed his diet, or he was misdiagnosed as autistic in the first place. Jenny is a big proponent of the "vaccines cause autism" camp and also claims she cured her son's autism, but she has no scientific training in medicine, psychiatry, neurology, or any other science to back up her claims. Anytime someone makes any claims about a disease, you should really question their evidence for those claims. Celebrities should be no exception.

OPI Turquoise Shatter over Color Club Factory Girl, sunlight

And now, onto the polish. I tried this look out last summer and loved it so much I knew I'd make it one of my looks for Autism Awareness Month.  I started with 2 coats of Color Club Factory Girl and then applied a coat of OPI Turquoise Shatter.  Loove! Since I adore both pastels and the color turquoise, I couldn't help going gaga for this look. It's very bright and cheerful, so I really enjoyed sporting this manicure again.

Comparison-Milani Gray Tux vs.OPI Metallic 4 Life

OPI Metallic 4 Life on wheel, Milani Gray Tux on right

I spotted this possible dupe last Monday when I stepped into Walgreens. Gray Tux immediately stood out from the other polishes in the display because it looked so much like OPI Metallic 4 Life from the Nicki Minaj collection.  After comparing the two on a nail wheel, I'm pretty confident in calling them dupes. Both are black jellies with silver regular and hex glitter.  Looking at them in person, I can't tell them apart. I feel pretty confident in calling them dupes!

OPI Metallic 4 Life on wheel, Milani Gray Tux on bottom

Revlon Sheer Seafoam= Why Bother?

Bare nail wheel on left, 3 coats of Revlon Sheer Seafoam on right

I understand that they put the word "sheer" in the name, but when a polish is still barely visible at 3 coats, I have to wonder why anyone would bother with it! I saw this polish as part of the Revlon Escapism display at my local Walgreens and was immediately drawn to the color. I happened to have my nail wheel on hand and started polishing. The color was invisible at 1 coat, so much so that I couldn't tell which of the clear nails on my wheel had the polish on it. It didn't get any better after a 2nd or 3rd coat. In case my nail wheel pics don't convince you, here's a few pictures I got of the polish in the bottle. It's too bad because it seems like an amazing color that could've been a great sheer if they'd gotten the formula right. The way it stands, I'd say this polish is a waste of money. Join me after the jump for a few more pictures.


Revlon Sheer Seafoam brush on neck: see the near transparency?

Definitely obsessed-Orly Sweet Peacock

Orly Sweet Peacock with China Glaze Cleopatra gradient, sunlight

People with autism often have a particular subject matter that they are really obsessed with. I've experienced a wide range of them, from a 6 year old who loves ocean creatures to a kindergartener who loved to talk Angry Birds to an 13 year old who did school work to get to look at pictures of trains on the internet . And in fact, Thomas the Train is very compelling to a lot of autistic children. I've worked with one preschooler that was totally obsessed and have heard specialists who was giving a talk about the autism saying something like, "there's always been a particular interest, even before Thomas." Not everyone with autism has a special topic that they love, but if you find yourself interacting with someone with autism, don't be surprised if they have a subject matter they're as knowledgeable about as we are about nail polish!

I've got Sweet Peacock back in November but it was one of my untrieds until now. It really shouldn't have been, given how much I love turquoise. I'm glad to report that this one is beautiful, and impressed me on the nail more than it did in the bottle.  I also sponged the tips to try out China Glaze Cleopatra. It's one of my friend Esmeralda Pearlfinish's favorites, and now I can see why. To see more pictures and learn how this mani came about, join me after the jump!

Judging by Appearances-Jordana Celestial over China Glaze Lemon Fizz

Jordana Celestial over China Glaze Lemon Fizz, sunlight

Autistic children do not look any different than any other kids. Because of this, parents of autistic children often struggle with being misjudged when their child acts out. This is also part of the reason that autism seems to be more prevalent than in the past. There were probably many people on the autism spectrum who went undiagnosed or misdiagnosed before this condition became better understood.

For this post, I'm sharing Jordana Celestial with you. I was surprised to find several Kmarts down in the LA area. (Both of the ones near me are about 30 minutes away.) I found Celestial when I stopped in at the Kmart in Carson City.  To see more pictures of this light blue glitter, and to learn what yellow it's over, keep reading!