While I totally want to talk about how this is the FIRST manicure I have done since being in Germany, because jet lag is kicking my ass. I just can't. Not when the color name is so oddly hilarious that I just can't stop shaking my head over it.

Kiko doesn't actually list names on the the bottle, instead just giving it a color number designation. Instead you have to go on to their site (not the US one mind you) to match up the number to the name. So now you can picture my utter baffled delight when I saw that this pink stunner was named Pearly Pink Mexican.

I just...what does that even mean!?

I did find that most of the jelly/glass flecked polishes started with "Pearly *color* *another word*". But Mexican? Where did that even come from!?

Okay I should probably move on.

As I said above this Kiko was officially my first mani since getting here. Let's just say when you can pass out standing up, due to jet lag, that nail painting just isn't happening.

So after a recent prompt of "wear an untried pink polish" in a nail group that I'm in, I grabbed this Kiko. Pearly Pink Mexican. Or PPM for short.

PPM is a jelly based glass fleck. Think of all of those glorious Zoya colors if you need a visual. It is a bright, hot pink with some magenta undertones. It applied beautifully and went on in two easy coats. Though I did three coats on some fingers due to my nails being super long, which is causing a wicked visible nail line on pretty much everything I've been wearing. Oh and it is a bitch to photograph. This polish truly does range from a hot pink to magenta depending on the light. Right now, typing this, it is magenta. Outside in full sun it is a bright, blinding hot pink. 

{Outdoor: partially cloudy}

Brand: Kiko
Availability: Throughout Europe, both online and storefront. Small smattering of US storefronts up and down east coats. 
Coats: 2-3, with 3rd coat to hide my very white VNL. 

To say that it's been awhile is the understatement of the century. So I'll keep it simple with the reasoning. 

Life can get busy. Life has been busy. 

Life is still very much busy and yet I somehow find myself in Dresden, Germany. For a month no less. 

This came about due to Nate starting his PhD and his advisor needing someone to come to Germany to learn about a new piece of equipment that the school recently obtained. Somewhere between that point and a few days ago Nate and I decided that it would be great for me to come. So here I am, in Dresden, for a month with Nate.

Well sort of with Nate. As he's pretty much working a 9-6 job on a science campus while I chill in a dorm room that looks more like a IKEA decorated jail cell. 

We do our best to get out in the evenings, but are quickly learning that Germany works very differently from the US. Meaning that shops close early. Like 6-7pm early with a few (very few) 8-9pm stragglers in the main part of Dresden. People here actually want to get home and relax. It's a nice idea, but still shocking to two people who don't mind wandering a Super Target at 10pm. 

That being said we have done some wandering already. We've been here, officially, a whole week as of today. So we have had a weekend to wander. Now again when I say weekend I really mean Saturday, because much like how most shops close early during the week, pretty much everything is closed on Sunday. 

We're adjusting to a lot more than time change.

Of course while here I do want to take in the sites and see all of the things that are older than the US x2. But I also have some top priorities. Of which happen to include...

BUYING ALL THE INTERNATIONAL POLISH.

Yep, between buying chocolate, wine, beer, shoes, beer and food, I also must procure all of the amazing European and German nail polishes. It just has to happen. And let's just be honest, I've already taken in a stellar haul from my first weekend here. With more hauls to happen in the very near future. 

So, seeing as I will have all of this amazing polish AND I can't really work on anything Emerald & Ash related while overseas, I will instead share with you all my hauls and swatches of the many polishes I encounter and buy. 

Hope that works for you. 

Cause it's totally happening.

And because you made it through this long winded wall of text just to learn that I'm going to be sharing my international polish purchases with you...

I give you my first haul from this past Saturday.

Where I found both brands I knew of and had never heard of in my life. As well as stepping foot into my very first ever KIKO!

YAY!

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My first stop was any drug store that I saw. And I saw a good handful of them. The Astor's and Rival de Loop's were my first grab and new to me brands. With me pretty much falling over from happiness with I found a Catrice display. Did you know Catrice's color names are flipping hilarious!? Cause they are. NAte and stood at the display for much too long just laughing at the names. So perfect. Misslyn was my last drug store procurement for the day, a brand that I haven't heard of, but will be one that I will easily get more of. 

Kiko.

Kiko, Kiko, KIKO. Man I dreamed of this day. I was overwhelmed. Polishes were one sale. I may have blacked out. All I know is that I grabbed a bunch of stuff and woke up with a Kiko bag. I grabbed a lot of duplicates so that I can gift them to friends back in the states. It was pretty much a "one for me annnnddddd 5 for them" kind of thing. One of the employees followed behind me restocking the empty shelves. I felt some shame at that moment. But polish. Polish and a pretty eyeshadow is all that matters. 

So there's my haul from one day. It was a glorious, grab all the things kind of day. With plans to go back to Kiko and hit up as many drug stores as possible while here. I mean I need more gifts for myself and others.

Hope the start of your Thursday is wonderful back in the states!