The Great Pretender

My birthday was yesterday.  I took Friday off since my day was on a Saturday.  I refuse to work on my birthday.  I always do something just for me whether it be a spa day, or buying myself a splurge item.  This year it was either a new iPad, which I need, or a new camera, which I want.

I went with the camera.  It's one of those fancy DSLR ones, a Canon EOS Rebel T5i for those out there who know these things.  I'm the first to admit, I have no idea what I'm doing and will definitely be taking some classes to learn how to use it to its potential. Let me just say, it takes amazing pictures.  I actually took my mani pics with it and you'll see those in a few posts from now.

The bummer is, I used to be able to crop and manipulate my pics on my point and shoot, then upload and write my post.  Apparently, the fancy cameras don't let you do that.  I did figure out yesterday that on the CD that came with the camera, there is a program for editing.  Just one more thing I need to figure out.

I've decided I want to take nature photos.  Of the birds in my backyard, the hummingbirds in flight, trees etc. I will start another instagram page for that stuff. I'm all sorts of excited.  I already know a tree that has flowered that for years I've wanted to take a picture of.  I just hope the storms the other night didn't make all the flowers fall off.  Cross your fingers as I'm going later today to take pictures of it!

On my actual birthday?  I sprayed my driveway for weeds.  Yup, my life is all sorts of excitement!  I spent literally 3 hours bent over spraying every inch of my very long driveway.  It is so overgrown though, I fear I will need to do some touchup next weekend. I do have 2 gallons of the stuff mixed up in my sprayer just for that.

Let me just say that when I was done?  I was in pain and am still in pain today.  My back is sore and my right thumb is still numb literally from holding down the spray button.  I sure hope I get the feeling back in my thumb!

Anywho, a while back I showed you my original Clarins 230-that elusive rare polish that I just love. Well today's polish is touted as a dupe.  We shall see if it is.

Here is your silly bottle shot.

This is Rescue Beauty Lounge Moulin Rouge, Colors by Llarowe The Great Pretender and Bettina Chic.

I started with skittles.

Sun

Sun

Indoor Sun

Indoor Sun

Oh how I love this Rouge!  So dark and vampy!  Next I simply added a layer of Pretender.

Indoor Sun

Indoor Sun

Sun

Sun

Serious shimmer goodness here people.  But is it a dupe?  Not for the Clarins, but it IS for the Max Factor Fantasy Fire that was big a while back.  This has the same blue jelly formula as Fire does.  So if you missed out on Fire, get this!

What do you do for your birthday?

Until next time people.  Any thoughts out there?