Thursday, June 18, 2015

Neon Chevron Gradient with China Glaze Bottoms Up and Flip Flop Fantasy

Press Sample

Hey Everyone!

Today’s post has a little different twist to it! One of my Instagram ladies Dvi aka @naiidazzlee asked me to take part in a B-day mani collab for Bev of Nailed The Polish aka @nailedthepolish and of course I said yes, love Bev! We were tasked to either recreate one of her manis or do an inspired by mani, so I chose to do both. I copied one of her manis on 2 nails and then went all freestyle for the rest of the mani haha I happened to have the same polishes so it was a good match.

 Neon Chevron Gradient with China Glaze Bottoms Up and Flip Flop Fantasy

And here is the lovely Bev! And the rest of the ladies and manis! Top R and down: @lacquerandspice, @justagirlandhernails, Yours Truly, @naiidazzlee, and @alondralovespolish.

 Neon Chevron Gradient with China Glaze Bottoms Up and Flip Flop Fantasy

And here are muy fingahs. This is not a color combo I would have put together, the cremes sure, but pairing them with the subtle holo? Never would have done that but I LOVE THIS! They look so great together, really unique.

Tuesday, June 16, 2015

Winstonia Store Dotting Tool review and leopard nail art!

Affiliate Code, Press Sample (Some of these items were sent for review)

Hi Guys!

Hopefully this week is treating you well, the weather by me has been so crappy. It’s been raining for about a week straight and it’s not letting up anytime soon. Come on! It’s Summer! I’m supposed to be sitting in my driveway every day after work with a frozen drink and yelling at all the neighborhood kids for leaving their garbage all over my lawn. This is a true story, I’ve actually become this lady lol Hey, just don’t act like an ass outside of my house and leave your trash and we can all exist peacefully. Haha!

Winstonia Store dotting tool nail art review

Well onto my mani that I’m so in love with. I was sent a new dotting tool from Winstonia Store for review, I was like dotting tool? Why do I need a new dotting tool? But now that I’ve used it I’ve seen the light! It’s actually pretty great and I think they’ve improved the whole dotting experience. It’s a metal double-ended barrel and the tips unscrew from the ends and then can be stored inside of the barrel. It comes with 8 interchangeable tips, so instead of having 4 double-ended dotting tools you can now have one! It’s very well made and has a good weight to it. It feels pretty fancy actually haha The only downside that I could think of, would be if you were in the middle of doing a mani and wanted to switch out a tip you’d have to unscrew one and potentially mess up your in-process mani. But for this mani I only needed to 2 size tips so I just screwed them in before I started. I don’t think I’ve ever needed more than 2 sizes for one design so I don’t see myself running into this problem but I thought it was worth noting.

Winstonia Store sent me a 10% discount code, use code TWISTAR. Pretty clever code right? HA! Love it.

Color Club Diggin' The Dancing Queen Different Dimension swatch leopard nail art

This purple! I reviewed the Color Club Poptastic Pastel Neons HERE and then I also did a bunch of stamping manis with this collection HERE. I’ve been wanting to use ‘Diggin’ The Dancing Queen’ again and leopard seemed purrfect! Like my review said, these polishes got mostly bad reviews BUT I find using 2 coats over 1 coat white undies and they are sooooo pretty! They’re a little thick but sheer but the white undie cancels it all out and they’re worth it to me.


Friday, June 12, 2015

Neon Chevron nails featuring Orly Passion Fruit and Key Lime Twist

Press Sample (Some of these items were provided for review and photography)

Hi!

You may see a lot neons from me now that it’s actually Summer in my neck of the woods, prepare yourselves. And I can never just seem to wear a plain neon, I always have to make it crazy and loud and a little obnoxious as if it wasn’t already lol I busted out an untried today, ‘Passion Fruit’ from Orly and paired it with another Orly ‘Key Lime Twist’ because ever since I used a while back it’s been sitting at my polish desk giving me puppy eyes and begging to be used! So I did and I still loves it. Check it out!

Neon Chevron nails featuring Orly Passion Fruit and Key Lime Twist

In the bottle ‘Passion Fruit’ is a red leaning pink but looks a little more pink on the nail, could be because I used a white undie. It applied easily and smoothly but I think next time I’d do 3 thin layers as opposed to 2 thicker, it looks fine but I think it might look a little nicer with 3 thin coats. It dried to a matte rubbery finish but I topped it with a glossy top coat.

Thursday, June 11, 2015

China Glaze Japanese Koi skeleton and Cross mani

Press Sample (Some of these items were provided to me for review and photographing)

Hi Guys!

Last night I was swatching more of the Love Angeline Stuck on Love Nail Shields and decided to recycle a couple of the cross nails into this crazy mani. It’s definitely crazy! It combines all the things I love, vinyls, neons, glitter, studs and charms. I don’t think I could have added one more piece to it haha! These are the type of nails that arrive before you do and shout “Look at me! Give me your attention because I’m a needy mani!” Let’s get to it.

China Glaze Japanese Koi skeleton and Cross mani

This eye blistering safety cone orange is China Glaze ‘Japanese Koi.’ If Japanese Koi were actually this neon I would definitely have a giant pond full of them and give them all names and we’d be BFFs. Love this color! Aren’t China Glaze neon’s the best? I layered 2 coats over1 coat China Glaze ‘White on White.’ ‘Japanese Koi’ has a nice formula, considering it’s a neon, and applied smoothly but I think a white undie is necessary for this one otherwise it will just be that sheer neon with visibile nail line. I don’t mind doing undies. I’m always kind of confused when people say they hate doing a white undie for neons but then will instead just do 4 layers of the neon when they could do 1 undie and 2 coats of the color….. ? For me at least, I end up doing less coats with an undie and I much prefer how they look over white. Why wear a neon when it’s not the brightest neon? I like when a neon is NEON haha! Can I say neon any more times?

Wednesday, June 10, 2015

Bundle Monster Around The World stamping plate set review

Press Sample

Hey Everybody!

Today I have a new stamping plate set from Bundle Monster to review, this is the 5 pc XL Around The World stamp plate set. This was my first time trying Bundle Monster’s newer XL plate designs and I’m pretty impressed. They came with a blue plastic backing which helps with handling and makes them sturdier and they are etched very well. All the images I have tried on plate BM-XL151 picked up and transferred well. I will be posting looks with each plate over the next couple of weeks. But the plate that spoke to me first lol was the Shanghair Summer plate, BM-XL151. I was also sent Bundle Monster’s new stamp plate scrapers in 2 thicknesses, 0.5mm Ultra Thin Nail Stamping Scraper and 1mm Thin Nail Stamping Scraper Card Set. I tried the .5mm scraper for this mani and it’s FABULOUS!! It seems like people don’t talk much about scrapers but I think they’re just as important as the stamper! They can make a crappy plate stamp so much better. The thinner and more flexible the better, and this one is perfect. I think it’s my new fav scraper!

Here’s a better description of the plate set taken from the product page.

DESCRIPTION

Take a trip Around the World with these internationally inspired steel nail stamping plates! Around the World features designs from: China, Egypt, France, India and Japan. Have a macaroon in Paris while visiting the Great Wall of China, you can travel the world through your manicures! Choose from (5) unique plates: (BM-XL151) Shanghai Summer, (BM-XL152) Pharaoh-est of All, (BM-XL153) Parisian Perfection, (BM-XL154) Paisley Delhite and (BM-XL155) Kyoto in Spring. The scraper and stamper are NOT included. *APPLICATION*: Apply any color nail polish to your chosen image on the stainless steel plate. Using a scraper, remove any excess nail polish. Using a stamper, stamp the image in a rolling motion. Stamp the design directly to the nail. Not only are our nail stamping plates easy to use, but your design can be changed as easily as a coat of nail polish!

HIGHLIGHTS

- Take a trip Around The World with this internationally stylish stamping plate set!
- This plate set is inspired by China, Egypt, Paris, India and Japan.
- Plate Size: 4.75 in x 2.4 in.
- Plate number: BM-XL151 through BM-XL155
Source: 5 pc XL Around The World stamp plate set

Bundle Monster Around The World stamping plate set review

Here is the stock photo from the website, 5 pc XL Around The World stamp plate set.

Bundle Monster Around The World stamping plate set review

Andddddd here are the actual plates! I never know how to photograph stamping plates lol And the white card is the back of the scrapers, on the front they have images of the designs from some of the stamping plates, a nice little touch.

Bundle Monster Around The World stamping plate set review

Finally after all of that! Here is the first mani I did using the plates. The Shanghai Summer plate BM-XL151 has a lot of nice designs. Perfect for layering and telling a little story if you want, or there are plenty of standalone images.

Something Blue wedding mani featuring James Allen Ring nail charms

This post contains affiliate links and Press Samples

Hey Everyone!

Today I have my next mani featuring the James Allen Rings nail charms that I received as part of the Preen.Me Preen Me VIP program! Since I’m a weirdo along with my manis I wrote a little fanfiction story of me and a-hem, Damon Salvatore from Vampire Diaries. What? I couldn’t resist! Want to read the first 2 chapters of my story and see the first mani? Check it out Rose Water Decals Wedding Mani Featuring James Allen Rings Nail Charms. Ok let’s get on with the pics.

Something Blue wedding mani featuring James Allen Ring nail charms

For the “wedding mani” of my 3 part series, I wanted to go non-traditional because well, I’m a non-traditional kind of girl hehehe. I went with a nude and “something blue” look and actually that’s the name of the blue polish! It’s ‘Something Blue’ from Julep.

Something Blue wedding mani featuring James Allen Ring nail charms

Keep reading to find out all the products I used for this mani!

Monday, June 8, 2015

Glisten & Glow Clubbin' Teal Dawn - July 2015 A Box, Indied swatch review!

Press Sample

Hey Everyone!

Today I have a lovely sparkly holo to share with you! It is ‘Clubbin’ Teal Dawn’ and it’s the Glisten & Glow contribution to the July A Box Indied. A Box, Indied is a monthly polish sub box featuring some of the biggest and hottest brands in the Indie polish world. The July A Box, Indied will be available on June 26th, follow @aboxindied for swatches and updates. When Jill sent this to me she had me at teal lol I always love sporting a good teal color. Once I put this baby on it just felt like Summer in a bottle, taking pics in the sun sure helped! I swatched this one the day before I left for vacation so about 2 weeks ago, I raced home from work because the sun was shining and here in Buffalo, NY you don’t know how long you’ll get sunshine. So while you’re looking at these swatches you can imagine me sitting on my concrete driveway in the front of my house in my business casual work outfit. I wonder if my neighbors saw me, and if they did, what were they thinking? Who cares! Swatch on!


Glisten & Glow Clubbin' Teal Dawn - July 2015 A Box, Indied swatch review

See I told you ‘Clubbin’ Teal Dawn’ was pretty! I’d call it a warm teal aqua holo. This pic was taken in the sun, again imagine me sitting in the middle of my driveway taking this pic hehe. It throws beautiful rainbows and would be a great color to wear to the beach. This is 2 smooth and easy to apply coats. Very good formula and of course topped with HK Girl Top Coat.

Friday, June 5, 2015

China Glaze Meet Me In The Mirage Tribal Stamping Nail Art

Hey Everyone!
 
Surprise surprise, another China Glaze Desert Escape collection look lol  I loved the way ‘Meet Me In The Mirage’ and ‘Rain Dance The Night Away’ looked in the mani I did last week, see it here.  So I just copied myself and put them together again!  I think it kind of looks like a copper penny when it gets tarnished, you know, like when they’ve been sitting in the cup holder of your car for too long and one too many Dairy Queen blizzards have sweat all over them…… No?  Just me?  Ok, let’s just get on with it.

China Glaze Meet Me In The Mirage Tribal Stamping Nail Art
 
This lovely rose gold is ‘Meet Me In The Mirage,’ I originally reviewed it here.  I’m still in love with it.  It’s not unique but I dunno, it just speaks to my polish soul.  Really nice and easy formula to work with, this is 2 coats.

Thursday, June 4, 2015

China Glaze Don't Desert Me black lace stamping nail art

Some of these items were provided to me

Hey Everyone!

I’m just getting back into the rhythm of posting as I was on vacation last week and part of this week. I went to Atlanta to visit my best friend (my best friend Kristie was the co-author of this blog for 5 years before I switched it over to a nail blog) that was moving back home, we sadly had to make her move early and suddenly as she received terrible news that her nephew who has been ill was having more complications. 6 year old Ethan lost his battle and went to Heaven this week. I will be posting more about his story and a mani inspired by this beautiful soul most likely on Monday after I have attended his Memorial Service. Ethan smiled through all of his health issues and lived his life as if he was not sick so in his honor his family along with myself are determined to never take life for granted and live every day to its fullest potential. So, I will continue doing the things I love and that includes creating beautiful art that makes me happy because he was happy! Fly high Ethan!

China Glaze Don't Desert Me black lace stamping nail art