Since yesterday's declaration from the POTUS about the status of transgender individuals in the military, things have been stressful in my house.  Not because anyone close to us is currently servicing as a transgender servicemen, but because the topic is so hot that everyone that knows that Amanda is transitioning wants to discuss it and it's stressing her out.  I will admit that I have been following the topic on social media pretty closely, but I have to stop myself from mentioning anything I read to her because I don't want to add to her stress.  It's hard to watch someone you love change fundamentally, I don't always know what to say to her to ease her stress.  It's not only the crap coming from the White House that is bothering her, work is stressful, being afraid that some stranger at the gas station will be unkind is stressful.  Seems like the simplest things I do everyday are really hard for her.  She mentioned she wanted to take a break and get away for a while, but she's afraid to go on a road trip because of who we might encounter or not knowing where the trans-friendly bathrooms are located.  As her spouse I have taken on the role of her protector and I volunteered for it, but there are times I feel woefully unqualified for the task.  What do you say when someone you love is so stressed that asking if she's okay stresses her out?  I think the answer is not to saying anything,  I hold her in my arms and I pray.  I pray for strength, I pray for clarity, but most of all I pray that our world doesn't revert to a less tolerant state of mind.  The statistics are frightening, I think I recently read that 43% of transgender people attempt suicide at one point or another during their lifetime. That number is staggering and it includes people who haven't yet accepted that they are transgender, those who know who they are but haven't come to terms with it, those who are in the middle of transitioning, and those who have lived as their chosen gender.  These are people that need love and support and more often than not do not get it.  I have vowed that WILL NOT be me.  I am an Ally, I am a partner, and I refuse to make my spouse's life harder simply because her gender identity doesn't match the body she was born in.  This journey is just beginning for us and I am quite certain that there are more twists and turns to come, but my resolve is steadfast and I will admit that I am sometimes very tired.

Hug the ones who love and support you & don't stand for anything less.

Jenn

From the untried pile...

Recently I went through my entire collection and cataloged every polish in it using swatch sticks.  This is when I realized that I have quite a few more than 20 polishes in my untried polish stash.  It is actually closer to 60 polishes, she says rather sheepishly...   

So with that omission I have decided that I am going to make an effort to wear those untried polishes ASAP. 

Zoya Earth Day Polish Haul

I ordered six polishes in April during the Zoya Earth Day polish sale:  Aurora, Ivanka, Chita, Charla, Chyna, and Seraphina.  I knew the sale was coming and that I definitely wanted to take advantage of those lower prices.  I did my research, watched some YouTube videos, and then made my selections based on input from Bloggers and YouTubers that I follow regularly. 

So far I've worn all of them with the exception of Chita, but I've only taken pictures of three of the polishes on my nails (see below).  I just haven't gotten around to Chita yet and since summer is upon us I feel like its much too nice for a army greenish color. 

SuperChic Lacquer is a brand I came across on Instagram, which led me to watch a bunch of YouTube videos, which led me to purchase three polishes from their online store. 

These are three polishes from the Dreamology collection:

Realm of Erotica, No Rest for the Wicked, and Wake Me Up (from left to right)

Before I knew it I was obsessed with holographic polishes.  It's been all downhill from there...

  

As soon as I tried them I knew they were different from the mainstream brands I usually find at TJ Maxx, Marshalls, and Nordstrom Rack, they also cost a bit more than polishes from the bargain bin.  This was now an investment! LOL....I'm kidding of course.  About the investment thing, not about the beauty of these polishes. 

They dry down to a dull finish that can be corrected with your favorite top coat

I find that they dry down to a less than shiny finish (see swatch sticks above), but when you add a top coat...BAM!!!  These pictures are taken in natural sun light.

No Rest for the Wicked ~ SuperChic Lacquer

Realm of Erotica ~ SuperChic Lacquer

I don't know where my swatch picture for the purple polish went, I'll need to take another picture next time I wear it.  A few notes about these polishes: They are very pigmented, so a base coat is a must and they tend to stain the skin upon removal.  I only have darker colors from this brand, so I'm not sure if this goes for any of the lighter colors as well.  The bristles on the brush from their current bottle were a little unexpected, they are very short and I was worried about it causing problems with application, but it ended up being fine.  See photo below. They are about $10.00 per bottle plus shipping.  They do have a free shipping promo right now. (I am trying to resist buying anymore at the moment) I covet these polishes so I always wear my favorite long wear base coat from Nubar to make my manicure last as long as possible.  I know this seems like a strange thing to mention, but I normally save my more expensive base coat for my favorite polishes.  I tend to change my polish sometimes daily depending on my schedule and when I'm going to change it quickly I don't use the Nubar base coat.  My untried polish stash is 20 polishes deep at the moment. The price is comparable to full price OPI polishes in the core collection or any of those specialty collections they offer throughout the year and quality-wise they are definitely better because they are so unique.  As a side note:  I never buy OPI or any other mainstream brand full price.  Why would I?  I can always get a coupon at the drugstore (my last one was for $5) or wait until they are on clearance at other stores (i.e. jcpenney, ulta, etc.)