Tigirlyly Konadicures

Weekend manicure: Suede again

2012-02-18T15:12:00.000-08:00

So I went back to full time work this past week. It's hard to leave my little one at daycare, but I got bills to pay. Once again I decided to try a suede, this time OPI We'll Always Have Paris.

I really like this polish. it's like a matte metalic shimmery dream. My bottle was a little thick. I was brave and put some drops of thinner into it. Crossed my fingers that I didn't ruin. Polish was perfect after thinning, the suede effect wasn't ruined. (Sigh of relief)

Best part of suede polish, if I'm tired of it...apply a topcoat. :0)

This is with ONE coat. Dries fast, which is perfect with a 12 week old newborn in the house that loves to cuddle with mommy.

I'm still rockin' the Gelish base with this manicure. I also have a 'nad planned for this color. Hopefully my lil' man will take a nap longer than 20 minutes so I can get it done.

I also noticed I hit 400 followers, I have a little "something-something" to celebrate. Will post shortly.

Finally time for 'nadding.

2012-02-10T18:30:00.000-08:00

My son's baptism is this Sunday. Therefore a proper manicure is in order. I realized I haven't stamped since the end of November...that's 3 months. Holy cow! Well I can definitely tell I'm a little rusty. Stamp position is off and I smeared like crazy. (I really need to get some seche vite, but I still have 1/2 a bottle of Out the Door and 1/2 a bottle of Poshe before I buy any more TC)

So I did a Gelish base with Gelish Sheer elegance. Then used konad white with m51. I attempted to do tips with m19 but it was an epic fail and I decided to forgo the tips.

This is such a simple manicure, it will go with everything. Best part of the gelish base color on my nails, a swipe of non-acetone remover to remove my 'nad and I have a glossy canvas for my next manicure.

giveaway alert

2012-02-04T11:45:00.000-08:00

Fierce Makeup and Nails 650 follower giveaway

Win a bottle of DL happy birthday!

Click here for details: ends 3-31-2012

A lavender beige creme?

2012-02-02T17:06:00.001-08:00

I am still wearing my gel overlay (going on 2 weeks today) and decided to remove my old polish. Decided to try the mini size Zoya I got with my last Birchbox.
Zoya Kendal is a lavender with beige undertones. Applied smoothly without any streaks and opaque in 2 coats. (1 coat if you are a little heavy handed with the application)
All this buzz about Revlons Whimsical made me grab my DL GITA. I think GITA looks great on this color.

(sorry for cruddy phone photo)

Here Today...Aragon Tomorrow Suede

2012-01-27T13:44:00.000-08:00

So I have been testing out doing a UV gel base and regular polish on top. I just removed my magnetic polish with non-acetone remover and the UV gel underneath still looks great. (Sweet)

I needed a polish that dries quick and choose to go with OPI Here Today...Aragon Tomorrow Suede.

Looks lovely in the bottle...I'm not sold on it. I may just have to apply a topcoat or a CND effect to it at a later date. My nubs are slowly growing out, hopefully in 3 weeks my nails will be perfect for my Lil' man's baptism. :)

First Mommy Manicure: Magnetic Nail Polish

2012-01-20T15:32:00.000-08:00

So my little guy is 7 weeks old. Finally hit the "I have a 4 hour sleepy time". So I wanted to try out a nail lacquer I got as a Christmas gift. nails inc. magnetic polish in "trafalgar square" which is a great chrome magnetic polish.

First I had to trim all my nails short as diaper changes and onsies are hazardous to long nails (at least for me). Furthermore I suffered low cracks to my thumbs and left ring finger...hence the nubs.

The magnet is on the cap making a wave like appearance. Polish is super easy to apply and dries quickly.

Can't wait for China Glaze's magnet polish to come out.
I also purchased some magnets on ebay for $5 to make diagonal, stripes and star patterns.

Short mobile post : essie's a cut above.

2011-12-10T15:36:00.001-08:00

So my lil man is 12 days old today. I'm sleep deprived and still figuring out breastfeeding, but it is totally worth it . I just wanted to share a small post regarding nail polish that I purchased while at walgreens while picking up some baby supplies . I came across Essies luxeffects line. I only purchase pink glitter nail polish, named a cut above. I can't wait to use it but with all the diaper changes I will have to hold off for a while.

Bedrest ended this past Monday.

2011-12-03T15:39:00.001-08:00

Just wanted to say my bedrest was ended with a great surprize. I ended up have my son on Monday. He's my tiny little monster! Born 3 weeks early. Just wanted to post that for the next few weeks I'll be tending to him and my nail posts will be lacking.

So I will post an older "blue" manicure today: Lippmann's GITA!

On bedrest so it's nekkid nail time.

2011-11-27T19:53:00.001-08:00

Well I've been officially placed on bedrest. Baby maybe here sooner than anticipated. Therefore, my gelish sandwich manicure was removed today.

So here are my "nekkid" nails. Note there is no topcoat...I just buff my nails plates to this shine. As you can tell no nail damage from the Gelish UV gel nails. My thumb has 2 patches to help grow out 2 horribly low snags. So for those apprehensive about gel nails...don't be. If you soak properly and gently glide the remaining residue off with an orange stick your nails will be fine.

I actually trimmed them again...pregnancy really makes your nails grow like weeds!

Gelish Sammy Day 7: Holding strong!

2011-11-25T04:48:00.001-08:00

Hopefully everyone is having a good day today. Mine started off bad...insomnia, washing machine destroyed my baby-to-be's crib bumper and then my doctor put me on bed rest. So I'll be soaking these off over the weekend :(

But wanted to update what my Orly Fowl Play Gelish Sammy is doing.
Its holding on strong. No chips. Minor tip wear. Nothing major.

Weird part is the Out the Door Top coat I used to seal the stamp on my accent finger peeled off in a big sheet. Otherwise my manicure is holding up pretty well.

In conclusion of my Gelish Sandiwich experience...it works well. So anyone in need of a long term commitment to their manicure (vacay's business trips, etc...) this is the way to go.

Day 3 of Gelish "Fowl Play" Sammy updated with Konad!

2011-11-20T12:09:00.001-08:00

So it's day 3, and looking good.
First I noticed my application of Fowl Play is just horrid. Must be more diligent next time, and wear UNDERWEAR...it's so sheer!

Excuse the ratty cuticles...I've been handwashing baby items all weekend, getting ready for my little one. So excited for the big day...3 1/2 weeks and counting.

So I just stamped over the Gelish with China Glaze "Magical" (Copper chrome from Romantique collection) added a blue/teal rhinestone and a top coat of Poshe. (Oh how I miss my Seche Vite) I had a minor smear on my right hand...but I always show you all my left hand anyways. I used GCOCL A02 plate and added a few dot's as an extra touch.

My next test will be to remove this look in a few days with non-acetone remover and see if it does any damage to the Gelish. I'll keep you all posted.

Gelish Sammy Part 2: with a dark regular polish

2011-11-18T18:05:00.001-08:00

So with my last Gelish Sammy, the pale pink of Revlon's Starry pink worked great. So I figured I'd give a darker color a whirl this go around.

I decided to go with Orly's Fowl Play. I only used 2 coats...but as you can see in my photo the flash washes it out a bit. So I recommend to either wear some "underwear" or just go with 3 coats.

This is Day 1 photo...

Lets keep our fingers crossed that is can stay on just as long, if not longer. I tried my best to make the Gelish foundation and top it off as thin as possible this time.

I'm really pleased with the Gelish so far. I actually trimmed all my nails with the last manicure. Definitely adds some strength to my nails.

Gelish Sandwich Update: Day 11

2011-11-14T18:28:00.001-08:00

This is my update photo of Day 11 of my Gelish Sammy with Revlon "Starry Pink"

Not bad at all, it being so light...I'm planning to keep it on until this Wednesday.
Minimal tip wear to all nails.
Only 1 chip to my pinky (which I'm blaming on the glitter in the polish anyway)
But major outgrowth!!!!

So is the Gelish Sammy a success...11 days totally.
I bet with a gel polish you'll get a full 14 days!

So do I recommend this technique...I sure do.

I think next time I want to try some of my OPI suedes, so I'll just do a UV gel foundation only and apply my suede polish without a topcoat.

PSA: As seen on TV Konad Dupe at Sally Beauty Supply

2011-11-13T14:01:00.001-08:00

I was just checking my email for the weekend and notice Sallybeauty.com had a 20% off entire order online coupon. So I decided to see if there is anything worth purchasing.

Look what I found...

It's a konad DUPE. From Salon Express.
$9.99 online. ($9.79 for club members)

Looks like copies of m20, m25, m51(maybe not totally sure), m57, m60 from the stock photo.

Kit contains scraper, 2 sided stamper, holder and 5 plates. (40 designs)

I think it's a great price from someone interested in getting started. I may purchase a couple for stocking stuffers this year.

Click here for link.

Birchbox and Day 6 Gelish Sandwich Update

2011-11-10T07:48:00.001-08:00

Hi everyone, it's a 2 for 1 post today.

First my Birchbox, not a high in value as the last box, but still worth showing.

Anastasia Beverly Hills HydraFull gloss in "Sugar Pink" Retails at $21, my sample's worth: $9
Great size for my purse. Will be keeping this gem.

Guerlain Shalimar Parfum. Retails at $84, my sample's worth: $1.60
Smells like proper old lady. Probably will send as a freebie in a swap.

Kerastase Elixir ultime. Retails at $54, my sample's worth: $2
Interesting product: can be used to cleanse root prior shampooing, condition damp hair, as a shine product on dry hair, or add to ends for smoothness.

Thymes Eucalyptus Body Lotion. Retails at $24, my sample's worth: $4
Plus a single use sample of Kimono Rose. Will pack this in my hospital bag when it "go-time" to have my baby. (5 weeks left to go...and I'm feeling like I swallowed a basketball)

Birchbox value for November: $16.

Second my Gelish sandwich update with Revlon Starry Pink.
Like my previous post, stated I'm not totally sold on this polish so I've already managed to swap this polish for a MAC lippie already.
This is day 6.

Faint tip wear which is hard to see with the light color of the polish. No chips! And check out my outgrowth. So I'm thinking this may actually hold up for another couple of days. So far the Gelish Sandwich manicure works. This is gonna be great when baby comes since I won't have much time to do my nails with a newborn in the house.

Colores De Carol giveaway

2011-11-04T18:19:00.000-07:00

Click here for details...

Day 1: Gelish sandwich with Revlon Starry Pink

2011-11-04T14:19:00.000-07:00

Well today I decided to do a trial run of the Gelish "sandwich" featuring Revlon "Starry Pink"

I'm not sold on this color. I think I may swap it. I bet I can dupe it with a milky pink and DL fairytale glitter. I choose it because it's a fun neutral and work appropriate.

My method:
1. pH bond
2. Gelish foundation. Cure 1 minute.
3. 2 coats Revlon, waited 15 minutes to airdry.
4. Gelish Top it off. Cure 3 minutes.
5. Remove tacky layer.

First impression: it really does leave a tacky layer, but the Cleanser and lint-free wipe take care of that problem. My nails feel "thick" but it may be secondary to applying the products too thickly. I guess I'll get better at it with time. So I plan on posting what happens over the next few days. Rumor has it, may mani can stay chip free for 2 weeks or so. Wish me luck!

Otherwise my plan B is to do a gel overlay on my nails, and proceed with the usually regular NP and topcoat.

In regards to stamping, after experiencing this tackiness in person: stamp after last step and apply a good top coat. I think the Gelish Top it off will smear Konad.

Nail Mail!

2011-11-03T09:11:00.000-07:00

So excited about my package today. I could hug the UPS man! This was my birthday present to myself. Sallybeauty.com had a special 25% off online over Halloween weekend. I figured now was the best time to invest in my UV lamp.

Let the great "gelish sandwich" experiment begin! Wish me luck. My sister is my first guinea pig for the experiment.

That's so Fresh "guess his name" giveaway!

2011-11-02T19:00:00.000-07:00

So her baby is only 2 weeks away (maybe sooner)

Great giveaway...try to guess her little one's name!

Click here for details...

Prizes include..

Giveaway ends when baby arrives!

PSA: ULTA OPI 2 for $10 on discontinued colors

2011-10-30T15:31:00.000-07:00

So look what I spied in the Sunday paper...

I haven't seen this in the regular OPI nail racks...will have to check the clearance bins out...the Sit Under the Apple Tree is calling my name.

So you can see I've already clipped out the 20% off one item coupon...haha

Happy shopping, and hope you can score some discontinued OPI!

"Faux" Hot Wired Mummy Manicure.

2011-10-29T15:43:00.000-07:00

Happy Halloween Weekend!

So the inspiration for my Halloween manicure comes from Konad and one of the limited edition Salon Effects from Sally Hansen.

Konad "Mummy" using S 06 plate and my faux version of Sally Hansen "hot wired" using m70. I have not purchased or tried the salon effects line, however some of the designs can easily be mimicked with Konad/stamping. So the pattern on m70 is more "splatter" than "barbed wire" but I still think it's a decent dupe.

Please excuse the ratty cuticles...I'm trying just to push back and not cut them any more.

How to recreated my look.

Accent finger:

3 coats of Orly French "White Tips" and 1 coat of China Glaze "Goulish Glow".

Konad special black with plate S 06

Filled in 2 of the lines with Revlon "Black with Envy"

2 dots of Orly French "White Tips"

2 Tiny red rhinestones

Other fingers:

3 coats of OPI "Fiercely Fiona" and 1 coat of China Glaze "Goulish Glow"

Konad special black with plate m70

Oh how I dread the drag of my black special polish. Can't wait until I'm done being preggo so I can go back to SV!

I've been waiting to use my ChG GG FOREVER. Love the effect. Plus I got to use a lot of my untried polishes. Just wish OPI fiercly fiona was a tad more green. Otherwise I think this is a great Halloween themed manicure.

Hope you all like my weekend look.

Accent Cheetah!

2011-10-21T18:24:00.000-07:00

So tomorrow is my birthday. I had so much to do on my "to do list" today...only a fraction of it was finished.
...but there is always time for nail polish!

My birthday manicure features all my favorite things: ChG For Audrey (my fave ChG color ever!) Essie "master plan" (I love gray-taupes) and animals prints (oh how I love my m57...I just wish I never used the metal scraper on it...ps that plastic scraper works great)

Here's my KOTD...

I hope I can make it through work tomorrow without a chip! I LOVE this look so much I definitely will repeating it with other color combos.

Still thinking about what to have for my Halloween mani...but it will definitely glow in the dark for sure. I bought some ChG Goulish Glow and I dying to use it. I have to bottle sitting next to my kitchen window to "soak up" some sun.

My Mood Ring Manicure

2011-10-14T18:44:00.000-07:00

So I've been dying to try this manicure since I saw it on a few blogs. So called "mood ring" manicure. For my base I used Zoya Kelly.

Then the magic happens with CND effects.
Order of application:
1. Center of nail with CND effects Emerald Shimmer
2. Thumb side of nail with CND effects Ice Blue Shimmer
3. Pinky side of nail with CND effects Violet Shimmer

Let dry...and finish with CND effects Copper Shimmer to the entire nail plate.
Look at the multi-chrome goodness

Slightly blurring but you see the effect...

Different angles to demonstrate the effect.

If you don't own CND effect, I highly recommend them. Super fun and easy "nail art"

Happy Polishing!

October Birchbox.

2011-10-14T13:34:00.000-07:00

So I changed my setting at birchbox.com from Classic to Low Maintenance for this month. These are the goodies I got...

AHAVA Mineral Foot Cream. 1.3 fl. oz. (Full size 3.4/$19) worth about: $7

Anastasia Beverly Hills "Clear Brow Gel" 0.085 fl. oz (Full size 0.28/$21) worth about: $6

Number 4 Hair: "Lumiere D'hiver Reconstructing Masque 1.5 oz (full size 5.1 oz/$58) worth about $17

Sunday Riley Modern Skin Care "Juno Transformative Lipid Serum" 5 mL (Full size 30 mL/$125) worth about $20

Bonus: mints.

So at least for this month's box I made out like a bandit...I got roughly$50 worth of luxury samples/product for $10. And no perfume! :)

So I think I'll keep my setting on Low Maintenance for a while...all these items will be put to good use.

Swap Nail Spam!

2011-10-07T14:31:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to share some of my newest swap gems.

First I got my greedy lil' hands on Milani Dress Maker. (Happy Dance) Now to compare it to my other minty polishes (ChG Refresh mint and Essie Mint candy apple) It appears to have some shimmer in it. Supposed dupe of Chanel Jade.

Next Revlon Carbonite...supposed dupe of Chanel Graphite. Reminds me of OPI brand new skates...looks like another comparison to do.

Lastly Revlon Starry Pink. It's the only one I really wanted from this particular collection. I think I can dupe this though with a Milky pink and DL Today was a Fairy Tale...hmmm...looks like I got a lot of swatching to do.

Gemma revisited, stamped and improved!

2011-10-01T14:08:00.000-07:00

Just as promised I would stamp over my Zoya Gemma.

So this is what I'll be rocking at my baby shower...

with these shoes...

So I did this with my Gemma...

How to recreate:

Konad m60 paisley print with special black polish.

Accent: sponged OPI Simmer and Shimmer (2/3 of nail) with OPI Absolutely Alice (1/3 of nail) and one coat of CND Effects Sapphire Sparkle to the whole nail. Konad m60 flowers with special black polish. Finished with 2 teal rhinestones.

What do you all think?

Finally got around to wearing Gemma.

2011-09-30T19:44:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone,
I feel I have the plague! I have had this horrible cold the last few days. Arghghgh!

This weekend is my baby shower so I'm hoping by Sunday I'll feel better. I needed to paint my nails and decided to grab Zoya Gemma.

I love it! The olive green is perfect for the Fall like weather. So glad I was able to swap for this, although my "faux gemma" (Essie Sew Psyched topped with CND effect Blue shimmer) was a pretty decent dupe.

Plan on 'nadding this tomorrow, if I'm not too tired.

Glitter in the Air

2011-09-24T14:44:00.001-07:00

Happy Weekend.

No stamping today just wanted to try out a couple of my "untrieds"

Today I have Lippmann's Glitter in the Air. I applied a total of 4 coats (yep 4...grrrr) over 2 coats of Hard Candy Sky.

Not sure if I like this. I may end of swapping GITA out.

My flakies comparison...

2011-09-23T16:02:00.000-07:00

So I spotted a flakies from Studio M: Covered in Diamonds and without hesitation purchased it.

I own 3 flakies
Sally Hansen "hidden treasure"
Sinful Colors "green ocean" (really goopy and seriously thinned out with thinner)
and now
Studio M "covered in diamonds"

First I love the different size flakies and bluish/cool iridescent colors of Covered in diamonds. What I don't like...it's super GOOPY! ICK.

None the less...let me compare...

Base is 2 coats of RBL iconoclast.

So in the end I'm disappointed in the consistency of Studio M "covered in diamonds"...but hopefully over time the thinner will make it more managable.

Polished Casual giveaway

2011-09-19T17:57:00.000-07:00

Click here for details

Ends 9-24-2011

Refined and Polished 300 follower giveaway!

2011-09-19T17:52:00.000-07:00

Click here for details

Ends 9-23-2011

Paws to Polish giveaway!

2011-09-19T17:48:00.000-07:00

Paws to Polish is having a giveaway

"It's my party and I'll have a giveaway if I want to!"

click here for details

Ends 9-20-2011

Anyone out there doing a "Gelish" Sandwich with Konad

2011-09-18T13:45:00.000-07:00

Happy Sunday!

I came across an interesting technique called the "Gelish" sandwich. This technique combines both UV gel and regular nail polish. I'm super interested if this works well...I don't feel like investing a lot of $ to buy colors ofShellac/Axiumm/Gelish color gel nail polish if I can use this technique with my existing colors.

So what I gather how this works...
1. Prep nail with PH bond product. (I would assume any nail dehydrator or Isopropyl Alcohol should do the trick)
2. Apply Gelish Foundation Gel. Cure for 1 minute with UV
3. Apply nail polish, and make sure it's dry completely. (otherwise per my research your polish can wrinkle underneath...new meaning to cracked polish)
4. Apply Top it off Gel Sealer. Cure 3 minutes with UV
5. Wipe tacky surface with Hand and Nail Harmony cleanser.

So my questions...
1. Has anyone done this technique before
2. When do you Konad? after all the after step 3 or step 5.
3. Should I buy a UV light a Sally's or shop around. Whats the appropriate wattage necessary.

Any comments are much appreciated!

Lacquered Me Giveaway

2011-09-18T13:32:00.000-07:00

Lacquered Me Giveway

Click here for details.

Ends 10-3-2011

September Birchbox.

2011-09-15T08:54:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to share my Birchbox goodies.

Befine Night cream: Allergen Free and Fragrance Free. Nice sized sample at 15 mL. Will be using this ASAP.

Jouer Lip enhancer. Tried it out already. Decent lip balm, but didn't see any real "plumping" going on.

Jurlique Hand Sanitizer. In my purse as I type this blog entry. Smells minty. I'm a hand sanitizer junkie.

Salvatore Ferragamo, Attimo L'Eau Florale. Not my cup of tea...another fragrance sample that will go to my mom.

(Note to self: need to find a way not to receive fragrance samples from Birchbox)

TREAT: Birchbox friendship bracelet...going to Goodwill.

Overall pleased with my box this month.

Giveaway Alert: Zoya's up for grabs!

2011-09-12T17:35:00.000-07:00

Win all these gems from Zoya!

Click here for details. Ends: 9-17-2010

Giveaway Alert: Chanel Peridot!

2011-09-12T17:31:00.000-07:00

Win this pretty! Click here for details. Ends 9-16-2011

Giveaway alert! Essie Braziliant Collection!

2011-09-12T17:29:00.000-07:00

Win the entire Essie Braziliant Collection!
Click here for details

Ends: 9-15-2011

A "Wicked" & "Bad Romance"

2011-09-10T15:00:00.000-07:00

Happy weekend everyone,

I got a super duper fast manicure for you today. I had to work until 3.00pm and have a wedding at 6.30 tonite. Hair needs to be shampooed, blown and styled and nails were naked when I got home! Yikes!

So I'm wear an eggplant colors dress. PS maternity dress shopping is tough!

I decided to go with Lippmann's Bad Romance, but at $18 a pop I need to conserve this gem. My solution--layering! So 1 base coat of Essie's "Wicked" followed by one 1 coat of Lippmann's "Bad Romance" and the color was PERFECT!

Topped with one coat of Gelous and INM Out the door topcoat.

UPDATE..

So I had some nail stickers! Hurrah for fast nail bling! I used Cina "Precious petal" stickers.

Oh and my new cocktail ring...sweet isn't it? (and a shot of my right hand)

Yellow mani/pedi for Labor day weekend.

2011-09-03T10:57:00.000-07:00

Hello followers,I finally had time and energy for a post worthy manicure/pedicure. CAUTION foot/toe pics below! Also my skin is super duper white. I was advised not to tan during pregnancy. Second trimester is so much kinder to me than the first. My "bump" is totally out there for the world to see. I even had a stranger just reach out and pat my belly (don't like that at all)So on to the nails.Base color is China Glaze "Lemon Fizz". It's pretty thick...I had to thin it out when I did my second coat. Takes a little practice to put on without streaking, but if your going to 'nad over it, I would not fret about a streak or two.

Next I used Konad m69 diagonal stripe print to my nails with special white polish.

Now for the bling...ceramic flowers, pearls and gold bullion.

I'm proud that I still can reach my toes to paint them, with my growing belly. Hubbie promises that when I can't reach he'll paint them (but won't stamp them..sign) Maybe I can get him to put nail stickers on...hmmm.

TraceFace Philes "because I can" giveaway

2011-08-31T18:46:00.000-07:00

The TraceFace Philes "because I can" giveaway

Click here for details!Ends: 9-23-2011

Imperfectly Painted: Back to the Grind Giveaway

2011-08-27T13:44:00.000-07:00

Click here for details. Ends 9-9-2011.

DIY gel nails at home?

2011-08-27T13:14:00.000-07:00

So I stopped by Ulta to pick up some Essie nail polish remover. (My latest love I've discovered...is $16 bucks for polish remover pricey? Yes...but it don't stink and strip my nails dry.)

So I came across a new display at Ulta
"RED CARPET" Gel nail polish.

Supposedly it's a product just like OPI axxium or CND Shellac. Has anyone tried this stuff before?

Nubbies!

2011-08-22T18:48:00.000-07:00

Need some advise...what color can I pull off this upcoming weekend with these nubs!

I torn one of my nails on my right hand down to the pink...could not save it. Thus out came the clippers. Sigh!

Do you think I can pull off China Glaze "For Audrey" or should I go neutral with Essie "Master Plan"

A "one of a kind" birthday!

2011-08-18T21:31:00.000-07:00

As promised this is a late post with my vacay mani.

Simply but summery in my opinoin.

Base coat is Essie "One of a Kind" and 1 coat of Lippman's "Happy Birthday".

Essie "one of a kind" is a great "BRIGHT" orange red. It's more orange than RBL Chinoise (which hand down is my fave red). I went with 2 coats, and still with VNL. Maybe 3 would do the trick. Topped with 1 coat of Lippman's "Happy Birthday"

I know Lippman has come out with other polishes that use Happy Birthday glitter, one with bubble gum pink base and one with a jelly black base. I'm not sure if I'll purchase those. Maybe buy a few jellys and do a jelly sandwich. If anyone has tried this let me know.

Happy polishing!

The Trace Face Philes 1300 Followers Giveaway!!

2011-08-18T21:28:00.000-07:00

The Trace Face Philes 1300 Followers Giveaway!!

Click HERE for details!
Ends 9-9-2011

My nubbies and August Birchbox.

2011-08-14T12:04:00.001-07:00

Sorry for the lack of nail post. I just haven't had time to polish let alone konad my nails. I do plan on doing a pedicure this Monday after work. So I'll post...sorry if feet gross you out. I have to say there has to be something in prenatal vitamins, because my nails are super strong. I don't even wear OPI nail envy or Barielle Nail protein anymore. I had to cut them short to do some gardening. So I have some nubbies for now.

So on to my birchbox. I how I love birchbox. The samples are an awesome size.

Blinc Eyeliner...supposedly waterproof. I got a wedding in September, will see if that's true. Retails $24 for 0.21oz. (Sample size 0.02oz)

Carol's Daughters Monoi Repairing Hair Mask. Will use this tonite as my hair treatment--used my Instyler yesterday (the steam/smoke from that barrel just fries my hair). Retails $29 for 7 oz. (Sample size is 0.7 oz)

Pangea Organics Cleanser for combo to oily skin. Retails at $28 for 4 fl oz. (Sample is 1 fl oz)

Wei Tibetan Chrysanthemum Correcting Eye Treatment Pads. To depuff and brighten. Retails at $60 for 10 pads. (Sample is 2 packs with 2 pads) Also will try this tonite.

July birchbox...it's got a Zoya!

2011-07-17T08:13:00.000-07:00

Geez I'm so sorry it's been weeks since my last post. :(

Wanted to share my birchbox: Cynthia Rowley edition.

So what's in my box...

Philosophy one step cleanser, 1 fl. oz. Hopefully this is compatible with my skin. Retails at $20 for 8 oz.

Nuxe: Huile Prodigieuse Multi-usage Dry oil, 10mL, 0.33 fl oz size. Smells like proper old lady to me. Will be using this to smooth fly-aways. Retails at $30 for 50 mL

Redken shine flash 02, 2.1 oz. Great travel size. I live for shine spray...my highlighted strands always need a little more shine. Retails $17 for 4.4oz size.

and my fav item:
Zoya in Pandora. mini 7.5 mL size. Gorgeous nude with a hint of metallic sheen. Will have to be my next mani-pedi. (I promise to post)

Lilac French

2011-06-25T09:23:00.000-07:00

Hopefully everyone is having a happy Saturday.

I finally got to sleep in for a change. Plus I'm feeling up to a manicure! Yah! (Being preggo really zaps the energy out of you)

I wanted something pretty. I grabbed my Lilacism from Essie and did my tips. No base color just my Orly Bonder. Not wearing polish for the last 3 months really has given my nails a great boost in color. (No more yellow!) For some "bling" I did one coat of Out the Door "Silver Holographic Top Coat"

Now to the stamping: konad white with m45 polka dots.
Fimo flowers to ring and thumb fingers.
Finished with Out the Door topcoat. P.S. this topcoat smears konad...argh! (Sigh how I miss my Seche Vite...can't use it for at least 25 more weeks)

The finished look is "okay"...does anyone have good tips on using Fimo nail art?

Hope you like my look!
Happy polishing!

June Birchbox...so in love with Birchbox!

2011-06-17T18:15:00.000-07:00

Just got my birchbox for the month of June. I got the blush I spied from other users posts. (Happy Dance)

So what was in my box...

Kate Spade "Twirl" EDP spray: great scent. Definitely will purchase this one.

Kiehl's Ultra facial oil-free lotion. A nice sample before the product hits the store. I'm hoping this will help with my skin. (Being preggo definitely has given me acne and not the "glow" I was hoping for)

Laura Geller "Baked Blush n' Brighten":in Apricot Berry: the gem in the package in my humble opinion. This is NOT a sample but the full size deal. 9 gram/0.32 oz. Total score. Retails at $29.50, and remember that a birchbox is $10 a month. (Happy Dance!) Great color with a little shimmer. I'm a die hard fan of Benefit boxed blushes (Dandelion,Georgia,Dallas, etc) but I think I'll be using this product over the summer months.

Xen-Tan "Deep Bronze Luxe": I'm a glutton for self tanners. Definitely will try this baby out on my pale legs this summer.

Plus 2 Orange Towelettes from Herban Essentials. (Perfect little wipes for quick clean ups) A little pricey at 20 towelettes for $15. I'm sticking with travel baby wipes for now.

If your interested in getting your own Birchbox, check out their site. www.birchbox.com.

Simply French

2011-06-12T07:49:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to share my simple manicure/konadicure.
French manicure utilizing Orly "Bare Rose" and Konad m19.

Plus the real reason for the lack of "polishing post" is that I'm expecting and my doc doesn't want me to be exposed to nail lacquer frequently. Plus I never realized how many polishes I own that are not Big 3 Free.

This weekend I had to do my nails, I have a wedding. No naked nails allowed!

Spotted CND and CND effects at my Local Meijers

2011-06-05T16:48:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to share a PSA post.

On my usual stop to Meijer's for groceries I discovered they now carry CND nail polishes and several of the CND effects!

Unfortunely the effects were completely sold out. Will have to stop by again in the middle of the week and see if they have been restocked.

So if you live in the Midwest...run to Meijer's if you have been lemming for any CND polishes.

Happy Memorial Day!

2011-05-30T08:38:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to post a brief note...

I would like to sincerely thank all US veterans and active military for their service.

My holo collection! Squeal!

2011-05-22T05:49:00.000-07:00

First I wanted to share my completed China Glaze OMG! After seeing swatches of TRONICA...I knew I preferred the linear holographic polishes. So began my search on Amazon, Ebay, and MUA. 2 grueling months later I have all 12 bottles.

I also snagged up a bottle of OPI DS Original! (PS this OPI is not Big 3 Free...first ingredient is Toulene)

Look at that holo-effect. Lovin' it!

It's gonna be another month until I can polish my nails. I just seem to be breaking several nails at a time down to the nail bed. Also my old habit of biting on the snagged ends has not helped the situation at all. Grrr.

Happy Polishing!

May 2011 Birchbox.

2011-05-15T08:04:00.001-07:00

Just wanted to share my birchbox...
sorry no nail polish this month.

Stila Eyeshadow in Java. Great stuff, it can be applied dry as eyeshadow or wet as a liner.

Bulgari "Mon Jasmin Noir" fragrance sample. Smells wonderful. It's described as "waves of ripe fruit with a base of heady jasmine"

AHAVA mineral hand cream. (The gem in this package in my opinion) Awesome rich cream texture without the greasy feeling. Definetely gonna purchase this in the future.

Archipelago Pomegranate soap. Highly fragrant, great soap for the powder room.

Question for my followers

2011-05-07T16:57:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone!

I am wondering what I should do with some of my China Glaze Crackles. I'm really not fond of the pink, white or purple colors. Should I

a. make them a giveaway prize

or

b. Swap them of MUA.

Please let me know.

My new Deborah Lippmann's finally arrived!

2011-04-30T09:29:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to share my new Lippmann's: Happy Birthday and Glitter in the Air

No swatches as my nails are horrible little nubs. I cut them all super short since I broke one down to the nailbed. OUCH!

I have supplied a link to nailgal.com for swatches: Glitter in the Air and Happy birthday. (But I'm sure everyone following my blog already knows how awesome these polishes are.)

I can't wait to use this polishes. I plan on layering glitter in the air over Hard Candy "Sky" or OPI "What's up with the cattitude". As for Happy Birthday...it's will go over anything! (Truly a birthday party in a bottle).

It'll be several more weeks before I can polish. I'll keep you all updated!

My giveaway winner!

2011-04-23T17:14:00.000-07:00

After reviewing all entries I had 96 official entries.
Utilizing Random.org
lucky number #18

And the lucky gal is...

CallMeKayla!!!

I have sent an email...you have 48 hours to reply.

Thanks to everyone that participated.

One more day to enter my 300 Follower Giveaway

2011-04-21T06:10:00.000-07:00

That's right, just 1 more day! Click HERE for details.

My First Birchbox!

2011-04-17T14:59:00.000-07:00

I am super excited that my very first birchbox came with a Zoya Nail Polish! Squeal!

So whats in my box....

Juice Beauty: Green Apple Peel

LIV GRN: Earth Eau de parfum. (Smells great, will be pouring this into my atomizer later this evening!)

Weleda: Wild Rose Smoothing Facial Lotion. (I'm very particular of my facial lotions, but this will work great as a hand lotion in my purse)

Zoya: Jules (from the intimate collection) (It's a fairly nice size mini .25fl oz 7mL ...compared to the full size Zoya "posh matte" .5 fl oz 15mL)

Plus a Bloomin' seed paper (sorry already planted it)

So for my first box, I think $10 is totally reasonable for such large samples!
For more info on Birchbox, click on link provided.

Taking a break from polishing.

2011-04-17T14:57:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to let all you lovely followers know that I am taking a break from polishing my nails. I still will be doing posts but not as frequent as before.

My sorry looking weekend manicure.

2011-04-10T12:52:00.001-07:00

First sorry for a long break since my last entry. It's been chaotic at work and home improvement took a little longer than anticipated. (Hopefully the floors will be done on Wednesday)

Second sorry for the cr*ppy photos below of a less than stellar manicure job. I finally got around to wearing my Zoya Adina. Gorgeous duo-chrome purple with green shimmer. LOVE IT! I got this free during their facebook promo. These photos are off my camera. (I can't find where I put my camera) Also this is after a couple days of wear...sorry for the chipped index finger.

(At least the new floor looks good in the background...haha)

For a better look at this gem click here for link to nailgal.com (great photo depicting Adina in all here glory!)

Giveaway: Deborah Lippman Polish

2011-04-01T15:26:00.000-07:00

You've nailed it is having a giveaway to celebrate her 1 year anniversary.

Click here for details
Ends April 15th.

My master plan!

2011-03-30T17:30:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone.

I'm actually on a "stay-cation" this week...so I will post my mid-week manicure. Yah!
First I will preface with I broke my thumb nails really short put into our new flooring..Natural birch flooring. (No more icky gross carpeting!)

So my master plan...update my house because since the drop in the market made my house value drop by $45,000. !!!! Hopefully with the updates(master bathroom...and the kitchen are next) hubbie and I may come out even.

It's only fitting that I wear Essie "Master Plan" I finally broke down and purchased it on walmart.com when it had free shipping. I love greys! It a tad lighter than chinchilly but darker than playa del plantinum. More of a taupe-base grey. It's supposedly a dupe of Lippmann's "Waking up in Vegas"

I gave it some flair with an accent nail: m9 with 2 red rhinestones.

Hope you like!
Happy Polishing.

Passion and Black Diamond = Golden Cheetah!

2011-03-26T14:25:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone and happy Saturday.

I am going out to a bachlorette party tonite and needed a wild and sexy manicure. What's more sexy than an animal print...cheetah! Roar! Haha!

So here's my look...slightly matte because I wait a total of 15 minute after I stamp to apply my Seche Vite. This little trick prevent the smudges with Konad black!

Steal my look:
Accent: China Glaze "Black Diamond"
Fingers: China Glaze "Passion"

Konad m57 with Konad black and China Glaze "passion"

Everyone have a great weekend!

Gelato...yummy treat and polish.

2011-03-19T08:45:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone.

This weekend I made chocolate gelato for my hubbie. Then I got to thinking...I have a nail polish called gelato.

My base color is China Glaze "Gelato" which I would describe as a dirty nude pink This is 2 coats, still with visible nail line but I like it anyway.

(Don't know why this photo is a little Lobster-esque aka red)

Stamped with special polish in White with Konad m66. Oh how I love that bamboo print.

Makes me think of spring! Can't wait for winter to be officially over.

Nail addicts anonymous 1 year anniversary giveaway!

2011-03-18T18:28:00.000-07:00

Click here for more details!

Happy St. Patrick's Day.

2011-03-17T08:22:00.001-07:00

Good morning everyone.

So I had a big chip to my last manicure. Sigh...
Today I work all evening...so no green beer for me. Double sigh...

Last night I wanted to play around with one of my new CND effects: Blue shimmer.

I layered it over Essie "Sew Psyched" in an attempt to make a dupe of Zoya "Gemma". Well it's not a dupe, but still looks pretty. I have several photos to demonstrate the effect. Overall I'm happy I was able to swap for a couple of these effects. After I'm done finishing my OMG collection (ps does anyone have a bottle of BFF??? I desparately need it to finish my collection) I plan on buying a few more of the CND effects.

So what do you think...like it?

As for this weekend I will be purging my nail polish collection, off to the swap list with a bunch of unused polishes. So if you have a MUA account keep your eyes peeled.

xoxo and happy polishing.

A Pink-n-White St. Paddy's Manicure

2011-03-13T14:11:00.000-07:00

Good afternoon everyone.

I have been swamped at work, so my nails have taken a little break. I have just been pushing back my cuticles and buff shine my nails.

But I needed something for St. Patrick's day. I went with a simple French an accented with a 4 leave clover. I don't like the konad m22 clover. Instead I love the GCOCL A02 clover. I wish it were a tad smaller...but it works well on my thumb nails. I than added a little LA Colors Art Deco green glitter.

Steal this look:
2 coats Orly Beverly Hills Plum
White special polish with m19
Green special polish with GCOCL A02

Sorry for lack of my weekly post: Cracked Lavender Manicure

2011-03-05T07:05:00.000-08:00

First I'm sorry about the delay in my usual weekend post. It's been CRAZY the last few days, and this weekend I'm at a conference.

Wanted to share my manicure from last weekend. (This weekend I have short nubs with Lippmann's Across the Universe)

The soft lilac/lavender really looks awesome peaking through the gray.

Steal it:
2 coats ChG Agent Lavender
1 coat ChG Cracked concrete
1 coat Seche Vite

My China Glaze Crackle

2011-03-02T17:44:00.001-08:00

So excited just had to share. I stalked my local Sally's for weeks. Finally got my greedy lil' hands on them.

Lapis of Luxury Faux Marble and my new Airbrush tan addiction.

2011-02-19T06:50:00.001-08:00

Good morning everyone.

I found myself pulled to Essie Coat Azure...but it's kind of similar to Lapis of Luxury that I could not justify purchasing it. (further more...it's Tax time in the US and I own this year...grrr)

So on the my manicure: Essie Lapis of Luxury with China Glaze "Adore" and m78

I purchased a lovely periwinkle blue top at New York and Company that I will be wearing this Sunday for a bridal shower. I think this will be a perfect matching mani. I'll post some pic tomorrow.

Top can be purchased at http://www.nyandcompany.com

Now on to my new addiction: at home airbrush tanning. I like to do the "mystic tan" at the salon...but at $15 a pop...it's gotten $$$
So I found this little gem on amazon.com the AirGlow by Beauty Fusion. (It's like $80 on Sephora.com...but I got it for $35...TY Amazon!)

I'm slowly getting use to applying the tanning solution. (Definetly takes practice..this time I only have 1 slight darker patch on my inner arm) The solution that comes with the kit is very light...only good if you're fair like me. But it stinks!!!! (hard liquour...drunk bum kind of smell) I have purchased some solution via eBay and it works ok. Plus I recently swapped and got a bottle of Sunlove solution. I'll be trying that one soon.

300 Follower "Thanks for following" Giveaway!

2011-02-13T07:25:00.001-08:00

Yesterday I noticed that I have 300 Followers! Yah!

As a token of my appreciation I am having a little giveaway.
The prize...

China Glaze: Party Hearty
China Glaze: Jolly Holly
China Glaze: Mrs. Claus
Essie: Matte about you topcoat
OPI: Top Coat
LA Colors: Art Deco in White (konad compatible)
1 Rhinestone nail wheel.

All items are brand new.

The rules:
1. Must be a follower. Okay to be a new follower.
2. Leave comment below.

That's it--super simple!

Ends 4-22-2011 at 11:59 CST (First year anniversary of my blog)

Valentine Day...Bad Romance.

2011-02-11T18:56:00.000-08:00

Good evening everyone.

No stamping nail art tonight. Just wanted to share my weekend manicure: Deborah Lippmann's Bad Romance. A black base nail lacquer with magenta glitters...reminds me of China Glaze Mummy May I?

(links to swatches from nailgal.com)

Short and Sweet (or should I say edgy?)

Dupe Comparison for Lippmann's "Happy Birthday"

2011-02-10T09:13:00.000-08:00

Good Morning everyone. It's disgusting cold here in the midwest: -9 F. Brrrr!

This morning I had some free time to do some quick swatches of glitters that are dupes of Deborah Lippmann's Happy Birthday. I do plan on purchasing it soon...but these are the nail lacquers I have come across.

Milani "Gems", ULTA "Pinata-Yada-Yada" and Wet'n Wild "Party of Five Glitters"

For this comparison I added China Glaze "party hearty" as a reference of how viscous (thick)and dense the nail lacquers are to eachother.

One coat of each:

Two coats of each:

Three coats of each:

The glitter in both Milani and ULTA are very similar except that Milani's glitters are a lot more dense.
I disliked the formula of the WnW...very goopy. I may swap this little guy away.

My conclusion: Milani very dense and easy to apply. The ULTA is okay...also easy to apply. WnW I'm not impressed with it, but for $2 maybe a little nail polish thinner would make it easier to apply.

Happy Polishing!

Need help with nail polish choice

2011-02-07T19:12:00.001-08:00

So I have a little problem, I bought this dress to wear to a wedding in April...what kind of nail polish should I do?

Plus any ideas for makeup looks?

For anyone interest I got this dress at Windsor.

Vote for my Entry!

2011-02-07T17:01:00.000-08:00

Konad Addict is having a Valentine's Day Manicure contest.

Please vote for my entry.

Click here for link.

Steal this look:

China Glaze Rainbow 2 coats
China Glaze Fairy Dust 1 coat
Stamp with Konad m80 and m22 in special black polish.

Superbowl Sunday Manicure: Go Packers! and Lippmann Dupe Alert!

2011-02-05T19:25:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone,

It's Superbowl time! Hubby wants Green Bay to win. It breaks my heart as a Chicago native to cheer for the arch-rival Packers, but gotta keep hubby happy.

So in tribute to the cheeseheads of Wisconsin: a green and yellow manicure: (warning: nubbies ahead...fatal sweater accident with Mr. Thumb again!)

I used OPI "Jade is the New Black" for the green. It's amazing, I love this color. Blue and purple by far are my favorite colors...but this applied like a dream! Green truly is the new black...must invest in a pair of green heels.
The yellow: China Glaze: "happy go lucky"...which took 3 coats to opacity. (Not loving that as the UP and Away collection so far has wowed me)

Stamped with Konad special polish green and yellow with plate m63

So how do you like it?

Plus I just joined MUA. It's so addicting. Look for Tigirlyly...for potential nail lacquer swaps. I realize my polish collection is just way too big. My goal is the thin it down to 100. I'm at 180 yikes!

Now to the dupe alert: I found a reasonably priced dupe for Deborah Lippmann's "Happy Birthday". Ulta "Pinata-yada-yada" is a decent dupe of the glittery goodness that comprises Lippmann's "happy birthday". At $5 it's a steal.

Caught the Black Shatter bug.

2011-01-30T17:31:00.000-08:00

Like most nailphiliacs, I too have caught the OPI black shatter bug.

I personally like the look over 1. glitters, 2. chromes, and 3 neons. I feel those base colors really "pop" under the black crackles.

So this weekend look was with OPI "gift of gold" and OPI "black shatter".
I have trimmed my nails and filed them slightly more oval than my usual squoval...jury is still out if I like this new shape.

(Once again, excuse the cruddy phone picture...need to charge the battery on my camera)

As a side note I found Essie at Walgreens...well I found an empty display case. I am on a search for dive bar and master plan.

Happy polishing!

My first Lippmann's and they are all Glitters!

2011-01-28T17:50:00.000-08:00

Just wanted to share my new lovelies! Sorry for the sub-par photo...it's off my phone.
(Yes I'm a glitter junkie!)

Across the Universe, Bad Romanance, Today was a Fairy Tale (with "virgin diamond dust") and Boom Boom Pow (with 24k gold)

So that's what I spent my fun money from my last check. (That and the AirGlow Glow Fusion airspray tan gun)

New Plates

2011-01-24T20:08:00.000-08:00

Just wanted to post a big thank you to Hilda at Tips on Nails for my new plates, M62 and M75. Will post new manicure this weekend!

RBL Chinoise and my new found nail goodie. (Updated)

2011-01-19T19:32:00.000-08:00

Good evening everyone,

I decided to change up my nails and red.

Rescue Beauty Lounge "Chinoise" is what is gracing my fingertips...at least for the remainder of the week.

Application is a dream. Super glossy finish, this photo is WITHOUT a topcoat. (Crazy shiny)Overall "Chinoise" is the ultimate orange-red shade at least to me.
I have 3 coats on...and you still see my smile line. Does anyone have any tricks/tips so I can hide my smile line?

I also purchased some Blue Cross Cuticle remover at Sally's today. This stuff is amazing. Just few drops on the cuticle, push back and all the loose dead cuticle literally turns to mush and wipe away. I can't belive I waited so long to use this stuff. Plus it's super cheap $5.99 for 1 pint!

Okay I decided on a stamp. The floral pattern from m24.

Happy polishing!

Coupon code at wowsocool.com

2011-01-16T18:53:00.000-08:00

Just wanted to share a NEW coupon code for wowsocool.com.

Code is "wowsocool" to get one item (valued at $6.99) free with orders over $35.

Excludes "build your own kit"

Remember free shipping for orders over $20 with the US!

Perplex is finally mine!

2011-01-14T18:52:00.001-08:00

Good evening everyone.

First I like to say my last manicure remained chip free for a whole 7 days! New record for me. The only thing I did different is I actually waited 5 minutes between coats...it was the longest I ever spent on a manicure. I'll see if this manicure makes it just as long.

On to my new nails. I search many CVS, Walgreens, and ULTA's to find Revlon Perplex. I finally scooped it up at my local ULTA last week. It was tucked away in a bin with clearance nail lacquers. I snatched that sucker right away. So perplex is supposedly a dupe for Chanel's paradoxal. It's gorgeous, just love it.

Now on to the "bling"
I did not want to obscure the great color so I just did my thumb and ring fingers as accents.

Steal this look:
2 coats Perplex
White Konad with m57
Gold Glitter from LA Colors Art Deco
Gold bullion as embellishments. (I bet this little guys fall off with 24hours)

Faux Lace Manicure

2011-01-07T17:52:00.001-08:00

Good evening everyone.

I have seen a couple of other 'nads which mimic the lace print from Sally Hansen's Salon effects. (Minx like product). I have not personally tried the salon effects...but I figured I can 'nad something similar. (I am finally showing my thumb now...it's slowly growing out--stupid sweater)

So here is my attempt:

I utilized the net pattern on m57. This was followed with the floral flourish on m77. To fill in any "bald" spots" I also used the flourish on m51. I think it turned out great.

Base coat is Essie "Playa del Platinum" (Luv it!)

I also have a question...this is my bottle of Seche Vite.

As you can see there is not much left in the bottle. I have kept the constinency near perfect with Seche Restore. My problem is "how do I get it out the the bottle?" Does anyone have any tips because at this level even holding the bottle horizontal the brush doesn't reach the product. Should I just bite the bullet and toss it?

Until next time, happy polishing!

ps. unnecessary photo of my cat...just wanted to share :)

Bundle Monster, "Happy New Years" Giveaway Winner

2011-01-01T10:03:00.000-08:00

And the winner of my New Years' Bundle Monster plates is...

Kylie!

I have emailed Kylie, she needs to respond in 48 hours!

I would like to wish all the participants and all my followers a happy and healthy new year!

New Year's Mani: Look Rich, Be Cheap with Mr. Wrong!

2010-12-31T17:58:00.000-08:00

Good evening everyone,

Just want to show you my New Year's Eve manicure:
Hard Candy "Mr. Wrong" with RBL "Look Rich, Be Cheap" as an accent.

I thought the two colors go wonderful together. (Plus it matches my cocktail ring)

Note: the camera made the colors show my "smile line" which is not visible in real life.

Mr. Wrong is a dark metallic charcoal/pewter with micro gold shimmer, with a hint of purple
Look Rich, Be Cheap is an awesome gold glitter with a few purple glitters.

I love this look!

Steal it: 2 coats Mr. Wrong on all fingers except ring finger
Ring finger: 1 coat Mr. Wrong with 2 coats Look Rich, Be Cheap

Beautyburg giveaway

2010-12-24T13:00:00.001-08:00

What's the prize...
Benefit Coralista blush
China Glaze Party Hearty Nail Polish
China Glaze Oh, Ruby Deer set - with Ruby Deer, Sugar Plums nail polishes
China Glaze Rejoice! Set - Mistletoe Kisses and Mrs. Claus lacquer with holiday candle
Milani Jewel FX in 530 Gems
MAC Blue Ming Nail Lacquer
OPI Burlesque Glimmer & Shimmer Set - Let Me Entertain You and Show It & Glow It lacquers with 1 Body Shimmer
OPI Couture Color 3 Mini Set
OPI Ulta Exclusive in Gift of Gold
OPI Ulta Exclusive in Plum Full of Cheer
Nars Zulu Nail Polish
Nars Mash Nail Polish
Sally Hansen Xtreme Beauty Kit - with Night Lights
Sephora by OPI 18 Minis Collection
Wet n' Wild Wild Shine in Confetti
Wet n' Wild Megalast Nail Color in Blackmail

Click here for details.
Ends 1-31-2011

Stamped my Wicked manicure!

2010-12-24T12:45:00.000-08:00

I think it turned out great. (See previous entry regarding the base color)

Konad Special White polish m59 and green rhinestones!
Merry Christmas everyone.

A Wicked Party Hearty Manicure

2010-12-24T10:27:00.000-08:00

Good morning everyone!

So I am wearing a burgundy sweaterdress to Christmas Vigil Mass tonight. I didn't think the minty nails would work well with it.

So I pulled out my swatch wheel and compared it to the color of my dress. The winner was Essie "Wicked", which is a great vampy deep red.

A little China Glaze "Party Hearty" for a more festive Christmas look...

(hiding my nub of a thumb nail...no free edge on that finger sigh...)
I'm still thinking I may stamp some snowflakes on my ring finger for an accent. I'm not sure if it will look good with the glitters. I have yet to stamp successful over a glitter polish.

For all my followers who celebrate: Merry Christmas! (Wesołych Świat Bozego Narodzenia to my fellow Poles!)

A minty winter manicure

2010-12-22T21:29:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone.

I finally finished my Christmas shopping today. Everything thing is wrapped and under the tree. I have been torn about what kind of manicure to sport for the holiday. In Chicago we will have a white Christmas. Therefore snowflakes are in order. Originally I was going to do a French tip with China Glaze "Ruby Pumps", but snagged my thumb nail on a sweater about a week ago. So I'm stuck with nubbin's for awhile.

So plan B...minty. I had to choose between Essie Mint Candy Apple vs. China Glaze Refresh-mint. Essie won.

Steal this look:
1. 2 coats Essie "Mint Candy Apple"
2. 1 coat China Glaze "Wireless" topcoat (for a little shimmer)
3. White polish to stamp Konad m59 snowflakes
4. 1 half-pearl to the accent nail.
Viola! Minty Snowflakes!

Mrs. Claus

2010-12-17T17:20:00.001-08:00

Just an update on my manicure for the weekend. Wearing China Glaze "Mrs. Claus"
It is very sheer and took 3 coats to get to this stage. You can still see my smile line. This is a great shimmery holiday look without being over-the-top Christmas-y.
(Note I had a horrible incident with a sweater...resulting in a serious snag. Caution I have quite a 'nubbin on my thumb)

I like it, but next time I will definitely layer it over a magenta pink (or the pink from China Glaze romantiques collection)

I feel this base coat is too "bling" for a stamp. (But you never know...)

Experiment: Search for a dupe of OPI Black Label My Private Jet

2010-12-12T07:49:00.001-08:00

Hi everyone,

Just wanted to share what I have been doing this today. I have a bottle of OPI My Private Jet, which is not the nice original black "full of holographic goodness" polish. My version looks slightly brown/purple to me. I was purchase in the Fall of 2009.

Photo of my bottle of OPI "MPJ". As you can see its a green label.

So I was hoping "maybe if I layer a holographic topcoat" it would look like this...link to swatch of original OPI MPJ (nailgal.com)

Here are all the "holographic" and holo-glitter topcoats I own.

Now to the experiment. 2 coats of OPI "MPJ" as a base coat for all nails. Followed by 1 coat of the above mentioned topcoats.

Now a zoom shot.

Sigh, not a perfect dupe-but close.
First I was totally disappointed with ChG Wireless--looks no different from the base coat at all.
The following are glitter polishes "fairy dust" and "golden enchantment" (gold version) of Fairy Dust. These look nice, but identical to eachother. On a lighter base color one can differentiate the gold vs. silver. (You can kind-of see the difference between gold/silver in the zoom photo)
Lastly is Northern Lights TC--which I was told would make my MPJ look "awesome" It looks very similar to the Fairy Dust version...but northern lights has smaller glitters and it is not as thick as Fairy Dust.

Conclusions:
1. If you have China Glaze Fairy Dust I don't think you need Northern Lights.
2. Still don't an exact dupe but I think it may work?
3. Must find black label OPI "MPJ" for true comparison...any suggestions where to look?

XOXO

Ink-y Floral Half Moon

2010-12-11T07:01:00.001-08:00

Just want to share my new nail look.

First I trimmed my nails shorter. (due to a snag...sigh)
However I think the darker vampy colors look pretty on shorter nubbins anyway!

Base coat is OPI Ink! which is a lovely dark purple with some glitter.

Now bare in mind, that I didn't stamp anything on this color until 3 days later. (Look minimal to no tip wear! Happy Dance) I utilized China Glaze Millenium and konad M80. I was gonna use the m19 for a ruffian looking mani...but I haven't tried a half moon manicure. I kind of like it. :op
I also put a little bit of China Glaze "Fairy Dust" to the half moon part as well for some additional sparkle.

Have a great weekend, and happy stamping!

Chinchilly, a manicure for my Aunt Zofia

2010-12-04T16:07:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone.

My aunt Zofia lost her battle with brain cancer last month. This Monday, 12-6 would have been her 60th birthday. Gray is the "awareness" color for brain cancer. This is the manicure I will be sporting for the next several days.

I noticed that China Glaze has a line(promotion) called: Rainbow of Hope

"Recycle" is the color for brain cancer. Alas I don't have this color. So I substituted Essie "Chinchilly" for my base coat.

I used OPI topcoat and Essie quick-e drops instead of my usual Poshe/Seche Vite. (Definitely takes a lot longer to dry--but high glossy finish)

For my accent: the fairy on konad m35 and I also used a flower swag from konad m54.
A little "glitter" from China Glaze "Golden Enchantment" (It is just like a gold version of fairy dust) I finished the look a pink rhinestone.

I already own several of the colors from this promotion: Four Leaf Clover, Bahamian escape, platinum pearl, secret periwinkle and happy go lucky. I plan of purchasing peachy keen and frostbite for sure as well as the remanider as part of the proceeds go to research.

RBL Scrangie and OPI Burlesque Glitter

2010-12-03T07:33:00.001-08:00

Sorry no stamping artwork to share today. (for now...haha!)

I finally got my hands on Rescue Beauty Lounge: Scrangie. It's so pretty, a purple with blue duochrome quality. (links to swatches on Nailgal.com)

I had to "bling" my accent finger and decided to go with OPI "Show it and Glow it" the purple glitter from the burlesque collection. (I wish it had just a touch more blue glitter, but I felt that Simmer and Shimmer would have been too much blue)

(No Flash)

(With Flash)

To steal this look:
3 coats of Scrangie to all finger except accent
Accent finger: 1 coat RBL Scrangie and 2 coats OPI Show it and Glow it.

Sale Alert

2010-11-30T18:16:00.000-08:00

Just wanted to share this info with my US followers.

If you have a Sally Beauty Supply near you, you may want to stop in and check out the polish in the clearance bin.

I scored the entire China Glaze Awakening collection (Mummy may I, Zombie Zest and Ick a body) for $1.99 a bottle. Also the Orly cosmic Fx polishes are selling for $3.99 (you may not find Space Cadet, but if you want the other colors...I snagged Haley's comet)

So I got 4 nail polishes for under $12. (Nice!)

My Black Friday Mani.

2010-11-26T08:36:00.000-08:00

Hopefully all my US followers had a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday. (I managed to eat enough food to gain 3 pounds-yikes!)

So I didn't get up super early for the big "Black Friday" sales. I did get to Target and Ulta at 8.00am today. I wanted to get all the glitter polishes from OPI Burlesque collection...and figured it would be restocked for todays sale. I was correct. I nabbed all 6 glittery polish from that collection!

Now on to my manicure. This was inspired by a look on WowWowNails page.

Sorry for the glare in the photos below...stupid flash.
How to recreate:
2 coats OPI "Calling all Goddessess" (or any white pearl color)
Konad m78 with China Glaze "Harmony" for the zebra and China Glaze "Poetic" for the leopard spots
China Glaze "Fairy Dust" applied to the zebra tip portion only.
1 coat of Seche Vite.

Sorry another pedi...

2010-11-21T07:42:00.001-08:00

Another simple pedicure.

Steal it:
Base: China Glaze "Gelato"
Konad m66 with special polish in White and Black
1 coat Seche Vite

Orly Galaxy Girl and dainty floral.

2010-11-19T18:46:00.000-08:00

Good evening everyone. My last manicure suffered a huge chip this morning while doing groceries. I am happy to say my pink "ribbon" manicure last 6 days. (A new record for me--maybe this "stickey sandwich" technique really does work)

Now on to the new mani...Orly Galaxy Girl. Not as impressive as Space Cadet. If you plan on getting any of the Orly Cosmic Fx: just invest in Space Cadet.

I had a difficult time photographing this beauty: click here and here for some Nailgal.com swatches.

All it needs is a little embellishment: Konad 35 with Sally Hansen Insta-dry Whirlwind White.

Have a great weekend.