Firstly, I gotta get this off my chest. I’ve been using the flickr app for my iPhone for well over a year now. Today, I only JUST realised that you can upload more than one photo at a time. Seriously, sometimes I am the biggest dumbass.

That aside, I’m going to tell you about the good intentions that I had for this weekend. My wonderful boyfriend Ben had made plans to head out for a drive with a friend on Sunday morning, leaving me at home to begin Swatch-o-rama 2012. I had it all planned out. Plenty of cold Vanilla Coke Zero, snacks on hand, a full bottle of acetone, baby wipes and SO MANY COTTON WOOL BALLS. SO MANY.

Unfortunately, the Universe had other plans.

Yep. That’s my swatching hand.

The worst part is, I have no friggin idea what I did to injure it. I can’t bend it at the wrist without horrendous pain, I can’t flex my fingers and I can’t lift heavy stuff. People keep asking me what I did to it and I have to shrug at and smile feebly. After a week, it still hurts like a bitch, so if things don’t improve soon it’s x-ray time.

But guys, you wouldn’t believe how long my nails are right now. I just broke the middle one (too much bird flipping I assume) and it’s STILL LONGER than my nails usually are. They are growing LIKE WEEDS. Right on!

So yes, during Swatch-o-rama 2012, I planned to put a serious dent in my swatch drawers, because quite honestly, this shit is ridiculous.

I don’t even buy that much polish any more and that thing is STILL overflowing. It’s like they are breeding in there or something. I’m pledging now that by the end of June, those drawers will be EMPTY.

I’ve got so much stuff to show you as well, awesome vintage finds, wonderful swaps and gifts – not being able to swatch sucks the big one. Hopefully my wrist will heal soon.

I also need to make mention of the Gumleaf Mafia. I have a couple of new inductees, but I wanted to hold off on my welcome post for another couple of days while I begin organising something super cool. I’m not spilling any beans yet, but very soon, joining the GLM will give you much, much more than just a link on a blogroll.

Anyone else have dogs? I have to share this:

I was contacted by Jackie Clark from the Mesothelioma Cancer Alliance asking me if she could write a guest post here at Pretty Random. Being someone whose life was changed forever by cancer, I agreed with no hesitation. My mother was diagnosed with cervical cancer in 1982, the same year that I was born. She made the difficult choice to forego cancer treatment in favour of giving me a chance at life. She underwent painful injections and treatments for the six month duration of her pregnancy and I was born thirteen weeks premature. Sadly, my mother passed in September 1983, but each day I wake up was a gift from her that she suffered greatly to give to me.

It’s safe to say that some form of cancer has touched all of our lives, and I think it’s wonderful how Jackie is doing her best to raise awareness for mesothelioma – this is not a form of cancer that we often hear about. I hope you enjoy her post.

Beautiful Cancer

By: Jackie Clark

Beauty is what is on the inside; even if some women think that this is just something less attractive women say to make themselves feel better. It is the truth. A beautiful woman with an ugly attitude or personality is automatically less attractive from the moment she speaks. A woman who is maybe not quite as perfect and beautiful on the outside but has a happy smile and a sparkling personality is going to be the most attractive woman in the room, no matter if the room is full of supermodels.

All cancer, including mesothelioma, is detrimental to your confidence, which can make you feel less attractive and gross. Fortunately, it’s all in your imagination. As long as your personality shines, the rest of you will follow. Now, undergoing treatment for cancer does take a physical toll on your body and your personality, which is why sometimes a new outfit or new makeup can make all the difference.

It is true that beauty comes from within; your confidence is what makes you attractive so keep this in mind – you are a survivor. You are fighting cancer and so far you are winning. If that doesn’t give you enough confidence to be the most beautiful woman on earth, it should. Now, it isn’t uncommon for cancer patients undergoing treatment to feel less than confident and less than gorgeous, but you can change that.

Surrounding yourself with beautiful things can help you feel more beautiful yourself. Next time you feel unattractive or ugly, put on a beautiful dress or your favorite pair of shoes. The power these inanimate objects have is amazing; putting on your favorite designer heels can make you feel instantly more glamorous, which will improve your mood and you will feel your confidence level rising quickly.

If you can’t go anywhere during your treatments but want to feel more confident and beautiful, put on some makeup. Even though you are naturally beautiful, it is no secret that putting on makeup will make you feel better about yourself so go right ahead. Playing up your best features will make you even more gorgeous so if you have lovely lips, try a deep red lip color. If long, lush lashes frame your big blue eyes, add a pop of color with mascara and a little shimmer at the corner of your eyes to make them appear bigger and bluer. Truth be told, makeup and clothes are not what make you beautiful. Your confidence and personality are the key to your beauty, but sometimes you need a little help to make yourself feel more beautiful, which is where shoes and clothes and makeup are beneficial.

Thank you Jackie for a wonderful post. It’s heartbreaking to think of the emotional and physical tolls that cancer treatments take on those going through that stressful ordeal. We beauty bloggers write about beauty because we feel that beautiful things enrich our lives and make us happier, and for a cancer patient that more than likely goes double.

If you’re reading this and are going through treatment, or you know someone who is, please don’t forget to remind them how amazing and beautiful they are every single day.

Jackie Clark joined the Mesothelioma Cancer Alliance in 2009 as research assistant after graduating with a bachelor’s degree in English and a minor in fitness and nutrition. Jackie’s experience in technical and medical research has allowed her to assist in the development of medical content and outreach efforts, with specializations in alternative care, cancer support programs, and social media campaigns.

Read more: http://www.mesothelioma.com/blog/authors/jackie/bio.htm

Surely it’s still Sunday somewhere in the world, right? That’s my story anyway and I’m sticking to it. Rather than my usual bottle spam that I hit you with of a Sunday, I thought I’d share a few photos from what I did on Sunday. My boyfriend and I decided to take a trip to a local wildlife park. He hadn’t been since he was a kid and I hadn’t been to this one at all, and considering it’s only about 30 minutes from our house, that’s pretty sad.

Anyway, enough gabbing – here’s my photos.

First up, is a wombat having some lunch. This was pretty cool and wombats are pretty much nocturnal and this was the first time that I have ever seen one up and about during the day. I guess he couldn’t resist that lucerne hay.

Next, a couple of Kookaburra’s hanging out on a log. There were HEAPS of Kookaburra’s there yesterday.

This little Tasmanian Devil was running laps around his enclosure. These guys are massively endangered and he was so cute!

Although not native to Australia, I couldn’t help snapping a few pics of this Peacock when he decided to show off his plumage. There was an albino male peacock there too, but he was a little more shy. He was probably the most stunning thing I have ever seen!

I snapped this pic of the Water Python – I thought you gals would appreciate its magnificent rainbow sheen. It’s like an oil slick – absolutely gorgeous!

There were so many baby Koalas in the nursery! If you thought the big ones were cute, multiply that by about a thousand and you’re somewhere in the ballpark of the cuteness of a teeny koala.

I couldn’t resist snapping this pic. His pose is incredible!

This little Wallaby was very eager to eat out of my hand, but I think he liked the ice cream cone more than the food inside it.

Finally, I decided that I couldn’t get to thirty without having met a Koala. This little guy fit the bill nicely.

Karianne shows off the beautiful Show from Luradana @ Neglelakkmani

It’s Ten to Midnight with Glitter Gal @ Nailed.

I am now regretting my decision to pass on Misa Persian Carpet in the past @ Scrangie

I am very interested in these Flormar polishes! Check out this beauty @ Polish Insomniac

Fabulous Chemistry Swatches @ The Polish Haven

Want More Holo? You can’t get much more holo than Jessica Disco Diva @ Yesterday’s Nail

Butter London Tart With A Heart is simply breathtaking @ Goose’s Glitter

One of the most beautiful polishes ever made, China Glaze Atlantis @ More Nail Polish

Have a fabulous week everyone!

My first for the year! Yay! Woohoo! Party! My nails are in pretty good shape at the moment (watch me break one as I finish typing this sentence) so I am really hoping to be able to get through some of my swatch drawers this weekend. They’re full to overflowing again (ugh) and I really need to make some more room before I start buying any more stuff. I got through twelve polishes last night though, so here’s a handful of colours fresh from the oven. Enjoy!

Wow, have you ever seen a look of total defeat like that? Heheh poor pup. I probably need to bath my dog too. Joy. If only he gave up as easy as this guy. Have a great weekend everyone!

I’m not sure if this is just an Aussie colloquialism, but over here we refer to cheap wines (and cheap alcoholic drinks in general) as two buck chuck. Because it costs a few bucks and will ultimately end up with you riding the porcelain bus. HEEE EXPLAININ’ JOKES. The Australian people are a classy bunch, in case you didn’t realise. Occasionally, although very rare, you’ll be able to find a cheap bit of plonk that doesn’t fall into the “chuck” category. (Hello Gossips Sweet Lips Moscato $3.79 a bottle ooooh yeah) Where I am going with this long winded analogy, is that these two buck foils are not of the “two buck chuck” variety like most cheap polishes on the market. These foils are nothing short of AMAZING.

I found these at a beauty supply in the DFO outlet at Jindalee while holidaying in the Brisbane area. They had a whole stand of them, and I of course raided anything resembling a blue, green or purple. Then I found the pink and the black which I really couldn’t pass on either. They have no names or numbers or distinguishing bottle features, so I’m pretty sure that is brand is as budget as they come. They also stink to high hell, which probably points to them being manufactured in China. Also, the labels are applied unevenly.

I have to say, I was actually doubting spending ten bucks on these as I took my purchases to the counter. Every factor outside seemed to point to them being of questionable quality, but I am SO FREAKING GLAD I took a chance on these bad boys. WHO LOVES FOILS? THIS GIRL DOES, THAT’S WHO.

Let’s break out the big guns right off the bat, OH YEAH. PURPLE. Fabulous medium purple that’s not too blue or red and so damn foily that it will foil your pants off. Hands up who still has pants on? NOT ME.

The next shade is a tad more reserved than it’s purple counterpart, but this green foil still packs a mighty minty kermit booger punch. Sorry about that, I was just listing green things off the top of my head. It’s the fumes of these polishes I think. Or maybe the Sweet Lips Moscato.

Speaking of Muppets, as much as the last shade brought Kermit to mind, this one makes me think of Miss Piggy. It also reminds me of a much foilier (is that a word?) version of the much sought after OPI Classic – Star-ring The Rockettes. Not sure what Suzi was going for with that hyphen, but I am not sure what Suzi is doing half the time with her names. Probably huffing black label OPI fumes. DELISHUS.

Oh be still my thundering heart will you get a load of this blue! BLUEST FOIL EVER. BLUER THAN THAT NEW COLOR CLUB ONE. OKAY WELL, I DON’T HAVE IT TO COMPARE BUT I ASSUME THIS IS BLUER. ALSO, WHY AM I STILL YELLING?

Yeah, that’s right. BLACK FOIL. Well, as close as one could get to a black foil anyway. I’LL TAKE IT.

By now you can probably see why I am excited over getting these for two bucks each. I also bought a couple of jellies with glass fleck from the same brand (a blue and a purple that resemble those scented fizz Revlons) but they were sheer and gross and let’s never speak of them again.

You can probably gather from this entry I am back to blogging at my worst finest and that I have also had way too much caffiene. See you all tomorrow for the first Saturday Swatch Party of the YEAR! WOOOOO!

This is my third year writing this post (wow, how time flies! See 2010 here and 2011 here) and I am such a fan of lists and putting your wishes down on paper, or a blog entry in this instance, that I am going to do it again. Not only because it seems to have some sort of cosmic HTF attracting powers when I do these posts, but also because it’s fun to look back upon lemmings fulfilled.

2011 was a good year on many fronts, especially for ticking things off the ol’ wishlist. Rarities procured in the last 12 months, but not part of my 2011 top ten include:

NARS Mash, Rimmel Amazon, Sally Hansen Jealous Frost, Revlon Laser Lavender, Revlon Crimson Shimmer, Maybelline Copper Chick, Rimmel Sonic, Chi Chi Amazon, Chanel Cobra, MAC Mint Julep, MAC Superstar, MAC Cyber, Creative Raven, Revlon Jungle Zing, Revlon Gold Zing, Revlon Night Zing, Revlon Really Zing, Chanel Metallic Vamp, Creative Last Call, Creative Magic, Biba Battle Dress, Lancome Pop Petrol, Dior Marine Blueberry, NARS Arabian Nights, Clarins Metallica, Revlon Night Spell, Chanel Lame, Chanel Matador.

Of the ten (or so) that I listed last year, I was actually lucky enough thanks to some amazing friends to tick a couple of them off the list! I also managed to snag one more lemming right at the end of the year when a lovely reader spotted Revlon Hot Roxx on eBay and emailed me about it. Too awesome!

Illamasqua Boo was a bittersweet gift from Scrangie and The Girl With A Bow. After my bunny Boo passed away, these two tracked down this for me and I seriously blubbered all over the place like a big fat goof when I opened the package. You girls are amazing.

Color Club Neon Teal (!!#@#@#$@#$@$@%!!) was a surprise from a long time friend who just so happens to be the best darn Dusty Hunter in California. I’m still grinning at the fact that I get to tick this one off, thanks so much C.

Pictured here with Lippmann Today Was A Fairy Tale is China Glaze Sunburst! Also procured but not pictured is Cherry Bomb and Stardust. Yep that’s right – I now have a FULL SET of vintage China Glaze String Glitters. BOOYAH. I actually ended up with two bottles of Sunburst this year – and thank you to the lovely ladies who made that happen!!

So while I didn’t clear the list entirely, I made a pretty good dent in it! So let’s get to this years list!

ZINGS – Image and Image
I’m still looking for Mango Zing, Cherry Zing and also an unknown one that belongs with my European Zings. Plus, there may be more that I don’t know about. I want them all. ALL OF THE ZINGS. ALLL OF THEMMMM.

LANCOME JAZZY – Image
Super old gorgeous blue green metallic from Lancome. YES PLEASE.

COLOR CLUB PRECIOUS GIFTS – Image
Probably not unique but I am a SUCKER for those old Color Club logo bottles. Beautiful pink jelly with multi coloured fleck glitter.

CM ENCHANTED FOREST – Image
Gold green duochrome goodness. Do I really need to say anything else?

CHINA GLAZE CROCODILE LOUNGE – Image
Practically prehistoric China Glaze streaky pale frosty hot mess. Don’t judge me. IT’S GREEN.

NARS AFTER DARK – Image
There are apparently two versions of this gorgeous inky purple shimmer from NARS. I’m not picky, I’ll take either!

ORLY COOL CUCUMBER – Image (Also, HOLY BALLS WHAT ARE THOSE OPTIC ILLUSION POLISHES!?!)
Gorgeous green creme with copper shimmer in the huge litre bottles (okay exaggeration) that Orly used to sell polish in. I have heard that it is streaky and sheer. Also – don’t care.

CHANEL NIRVANA – Image
Jelly Red with silver glass flecks aaaahhh huminahuminahumina. PLUS IT’S CHANEL TOO. OMG.

MAYBELLINE ALL I WANT IS PURPLE – Image
All I want is All I Want Is Purple. A Purple version of a Night Sky polish.

REVLON MESMERIZED – Image
Gorgeous Green/Brown/Blue Revlon Multichrome. Been after this one for years.

Thank you to everyone who made 2011 a lemming squashing year for me. I hope you all find your unicorns in 2012. Adios!

And what a year it has been. 2011 felt like a transitional year for me. I learned a lot. I grew a lot. I came to understand myself a lot better. I ticked a few things off “the list” (You know “the list”. Everybody has a “list”). 2011 set a lot of things in motion and I have come out the other end better, stronger and faster. Kinda like the six million dollar man, but with boobs.

I’m aware that I am aging myself with that joke, but whatevs. *Pours another glass of wine*

Earlier this year I lost my beautiful three year old mini lop bunny Boo. It was unexpected and not having her around still hurts to this day, but the love and support that I got from you guys while I grieved for her made me feel very lucky indeed, even to the point that a couple of you even tracked down a hard to find Illamasqua polish that shared her name.

Only a few weeks ago I had another health scare with my other black mini lop, Jables. It breaks my heart that my bunnies are such fragile creatures, but thankfully after a few days at the vet my little baby came home and is once again eating me out of house and home.

I had some great times with some great friends this year. Some of those friends even had feathers.

My love of awesome pop culture t-shirts continued and expanded in 2011. Those of you that are on my facebook friends list would have seen many additions to the “Kaz Wears Shirts” photo folder. I blame 80′s tees.com for being so awesome. Side note: I also discovered Community and my life will never be the same. I know you’re married, but please marry me Joel McHale.

I turned 29 this year, which prompted some massive changes in my life. My wonderful boyfriend sent me roses at work. I also did a horror movie makeup workshop – something I had been wanting to do for a long time. Pretty gruesome, huh?

My company, Pretty Serious Cosmetics grew from a concept and a dream, into a reality. We aren’t completely up and running yet, but we are very very close. I can’t begin to tell you how excited I am.

I managed to squeeze in IMATS and a Motley Crue concert all in the one weekend. I might not have the energy that I did ten years ago, but clearly I still know how to party.

With all the changes I went through this year, I think the thing that changed the most often was my hair. This year saw me with black hair, black & blue hair, brown hair, brown hair with a rainbow gradient, red & blue hair, and finally I finished the year with rather festive red & green hair. Who knows what the next 12 months has in store for my majestic flowing mane. I’m thinking pink and purple.

My hope for all of you is that when you wake up in the morning on the 1st January, 2012, you realise the gift that you have been given. Another year to love, learn, forgive, laugh, cry, experience and live. Nothing is set and stone and we all forge our own paths. You are the one that makes your life awesome, not anyone else.

So go forth my friends, and be fucking awesome.

I know I will be.

After my post the other day on my Nails Inc Crystal Caps, I thought I’d dig them all out and photograph them for Bottle Spam Sunday. I don’t have that many though, well not enough to facilitate an entire Bottle Spam Sunday post, so I thought I’d take shots of all my Nails Inc Glitters too! Enjoy!

I can’t seem to find my bottle of Fitzroy Square, which is a blue glitter that should be in these pics too. I also have the following on the way to me now via a lovely friend in the UK. I can’t wait to get these!

I’ll be sure to spam you all with tons of photos when these gorgeous ladies finally make it to me here in Oz. But for now, it’s link love time!

Karianne shows off her gorgeous tips with Ozotic 532 @ Neglelakkmani

More Ozotics goodness, this time the lovely green 120 @ Scrangie

Fabulous shots of the Beetlejuice Collection @ The Polish Haven

I ran straight to eBay to pick up some Sally Hansen Opal shades after reading this post @ Goose’s Glitter

Check out these amazing Avon holiday polishes @ Stephs Closet

Carli has convinced me that I NEED Models Own Magenta Pearl @ Vintage Musings of a Modern Pinup

Here’s hoping we all have an awesome week!

Wow, it’s been a while since I’ve done one of these! So how has everyone’s week been? I hope you all had an awesome Thanksgiving and if you’re outside the US, I hope you had a pretty rad day nonetheless. And hopefully you’ve all had a bit more restraint than me with these Black Friday sales, because Amazon, 80′s Tees, Sugarpill, NARS & Nails Inc have all seen my credit card in the last couple of days. Time for a no buy? You bet. But the good news is I think I’m finally starting to get back into the swing of things with the blog, so lets get this Saturday Swatch Party started!

It’s been weeks and this is still funny.

Have a great weekend everyone!