Tuesday, September 30, 2014

Darling Diva Polish WitchEE Collection

*Press Samples*

Hi everyone! Today I have another absolutely amazing collection to share with you from Darling Diva Polish (sans crazy gifs). The WitchEE Collection was inspired by Witches of East End (which I'm sad to say, I have not ever watched...but I do intend to at some point). This collection consists of 5 holographic shades in lovely fall colors as well as a holographic topper. Regardless of whether you know anything about the show or not, this collection is just to die for. It looks like a lot of these are currently sold out, but fear not...Carrie usually has restocks very frequently so keep watch on the Darling Diva Facebook page for announcements about those.


Monday, September 29, 2014

Darling Diva Polish Fischy! Fischy! Fischy!

*Press Sample*

Hi everyone! Today I'm sharing a gorgeous polish that is supporting a great cause. Any of you that know Carrie from Darling Diva Polish know that she has a huge heart for animals. She does a lot of work with the Basset Buddies Rescue of Wisconsin, which aides in rescuing and fostering dogs. This beautiful polish, Fischy! Fischy! Fischy!, was created in memory of Fischer, a beloved Basset Hound that was rescued by Basset Buddies. The polish costs $15 and 100% of the proceeds will go to Basset Buddies Rescue.

Fischy! Fischy! Fischy! is a multichrome holo that has a strong blue/purple shift (with a touch of gold at extreme angles). The colors in the multichrome shift are so gorgeous and saturated in this polish. Formula is fantastic and it only requires 3 thin coats for full coverage (no need for a base color). Here are a million pictures to oogle. It's gorgeous and for a great cause...you can't beat that!


Sunday, September 28, 2014

CANVAS Lacquer Girl Gang Trio

*Press Samples*

Hi everyone! Today I have the Girl Gang Trio for you from CANVAS Lacquer. This trio is available both individually in full-sized bottles or as a set of minis for a limited time. This trio has a variety of finishes and colors that are lovely for fall.


Saturday, September 27, 2014

Born Pretty Store Colorful Rainbow Flower Full-Nail Water Decals

*Press Sample*

Hi everyone! I recently reviewed my first ever full-nail water decals from Born Pretty Store, and today I have some more to share with you. These water decals are the Colorful Rainbow Flower pattern (product #16211). Like the decals I reviewed previously, the design is just gorgeous and looks like a mini painting on your nails. I will say that the color of the decals is a bit more muted than the pictures on the website, but I actually prefer the more muted look (it looks more like a painting). I really love using these decals as accents instead of as a full mani, but you certainly can do that if you prefer! On the nails that didn't have the decals on them, I used a-England Galahad.



Friday, September 26, 2014

FingerPaints Masquerade Affair Collection Swatch and Review

*Press Samples*

Hi everyone! Today I have the FingerPaints Masquerade Affair Collection for you which is a limited edition collection that was released this month. This collection contains 4 rich and decadent shimmering polishes which remind me of Mardi Gras.


Thursday, September 25, 2014

Pahlish "With Arms Outstretched" September Duo

*Purchased by Me*

Hi everyone! Today I have the Pahlish September Duo to share with you. This duo is called "With Arms Outstretched" and it is a lovely coordinating fall glitter topper/flecked creme base. The duo will only be available through the end of September, so be sure to snag it while you can on Pahlish's website!


Wednesday, September 24, 2014

Falling Into Fall: Vamp + Matte Featuring Pahlish An Caisteal Ruadh and Born Pretty Store French Tip Guides

*French tip guides sent for review, polishes purchased by me*

Hi everyone! It's officially fall now and it's finally starting to cool off just a teensy bit here in the deep South. Well...at night at least. Vampy colors are classic for fall and I really look forward to this time of year when I can dust off all of my vampy polishes (although I have been known to wear them pretty much whenever). Another thing I LOVE to do with a vampy polish is matte it...especially if it has some sort of amazing shimmer or flakies in it. This mani pretty much encompasses all of these things.


Tuesday, September 23, 2014

Indigo Bananas Swatch Spam

*Some items in the review were press samples, some were purchased by me*

Hi everyone! Today I have 3 beautiful polishes to share with you from Indigo Bananas! I have fallen in love creator Andrea's beautiful creations, and I hope that you like the ones I have to show you today!

Storm Drops is a pale blue crelly with grey and white flakies and fine green shimmer. Formula was great with this polish and it builds up nicely at 3 thin coats. The shimmer is more apparent in certain lights (you can see it better in the macro shot). This is definitely the soft and delicate beauty in the Summer Rains Collection.


Monday, September 22, 2014

Pahlish Le Bijou du Roi with Stamping

*Purchased by Me*

Hi everyone! Today I have a gorgeous Pahlish to share with you from the fall Royal Reverie Collection. Le Bijou du Roi is a deep royal blue jelly filled with copper flakes. The jelly formula was nice, but dried pretty quickly as blue jellies like this tend to do (think Revlon Royal), so it's best to work quickly when you are applying the polish to avoid any stringiness. I think it is something with the ultramarine pigment used to get this brilliant blue that cause blues like this to dry quickly and also have a semi-matte finish. Application was good and I used 3 coats for this mani plus topcoat. I adore the combo of copper and blue, and the flakies floating in the blue jelly add all sorts of wonderful depth to this polish.


Sunday, September 21, 2014

Darling Diva Polish Temulence over KBShimmer How You Dune?

*Some of the items in this post were previously reviewed*

Hi everyone! Today I have a beautiful layering combo courtesy of a very limited edition Darling Diva Polish and a neutral creme from KBShimmer. Darling Diva Polish Temulence was a small batch that Carrie mixed up and included with random orders during one of her restocks, and I was lucky enough to receive one! It is a linear holographic base filled with blue/green flakies. When I was swatching KBShimmer's Fall Collection, I knew that I had to put How You Dune? back on because I was totally smitten with the greige creme. Then, as I do, I had to layer something over it and Temulence seemed like it would be the perfect thing for a soft and pretty mani. I loved this combo so much! I need to wear Temulence again over a darker color so that you can really see the flakies better, but the flakies against the lighter color were very ethereal and lovely (and very shy for the camera). This is 2 coats of Darling Diva Polish Temulence over KBShimmer How You Dune?



Darling Diva Polish is available from creator Carrie's Big Cartel Shop. Darling Diva Polish is also available from Llarowe (US), Mei Mei's Signatures (Singapore), and Edgy Polish (Sweden),  . Follow Darling Diva Polish on Facebook and Instagram for updates on new collections and restock news. 

KBShimmer products are available from their website as well as from Harlow & Co. (Canada).  Be sure to follow them on Facebook and Instagram for updates on new collections and to see swatches of all of their polishes.

What do you think of this combo? Are you like me and just can't leave a creme alone? Thanks for looking everyone!

Friday, September 19, 2014

Hobby Polish Bloggers Facebook Giveaway!

*Giveaway*

Hi everyone! I've joined with a group of awesome ladies from the Hobby Polish Bloggers group on Facebook and we are hosting a giveaway! A huge thanks to Krystal from Polish Galore for organizing this fabulous giveaway. Keep reading for all of the details!



There are 3 Prizes (will be given to the winner via Paypal)
1st Place: $165
2nd Place: $90
3rd Place: $75

-Open worldwide 

-Must be 18 years or older to enter

-Runs from Sept 17th to Sept 30th

Sponsors:
acidicice http://www.acidicice.co.za
Addicted to Polish http://addictedtopolish.blogspot.com
BeginNails: Every Journey Has A Beginning http://www.beginnails.blogspot.com
B'Nails http://boomernails.blogspot.com/
Canadian Nail Fanatic http://canadiannailfanatic.blogspot.ca/
Carinae L'etoile's polish stash http://www.carinaeletoile.com
Copycat Claws http://www.copycatclaws.blogspot.ca
Doctor Crafty https://doctorcrafty.wordpress.com
Fashion Footing http://fashionfooting.blogspot.com
I Feel Polished http://www.ifeelpolished.com
Imperfectly Painted http://www.imperfectlypainted.com/
LacqueredGeek http://www.facebook.com/lacqueredgeek
Lavish Layerings http://www.lavishlayerings.blogspot.com/
Les essais beauté de Schette http://schette08.free.fr/essaisbeaute/
Lit From Within http://beautylitfromwithin.blogspot.com/
Lustrous Lacquer http://www.lustrouslacquer.blogspot.com
Manic Talons http://www.manictalons.com
Manicure Addict http://www.manicureaddict.com
Pamper with Polish http://www.pamperwithpolish.com
Peer Pressure Polish http://www.peerpressurepolish.com
Plump and Polished http://www.plumpandpolished.com
Polish Galore http://www.polishgalore.com
Polished and Glittered http://www.polishedandglittered.com
ProcrastiNails http://www.ProcrastiNails.com
Sammy Gail's Nails http://sammygailsnails.blogspot.com
Sassy Shelly http://www.sassyshelly.com
Shelby Lou Nails http://shelbylounails.blogspot.com
The Dalai Lama's Nails http://www.thedalailamasnails.com
The Polished Hippy http://thepolishedhippy.blogspot.com/
The Polished Mommy http://www.thepolishedmommy.com/
The Sparkling Hoard http://www.thesparklinghoard.com/
xoxo, Jen http://xoxojen.com


Zoya Rocha

*Purchased by Me*

Hi everyone! Today I have a simple creme mani to share, but man is it a gorgeous creme! Zoya Rocha was released this summer as part of Zoya's Tickled Collection, and it is a bright orangey red creme. Formula was superb and it covered evenly and smoothly in 2 coats. There is also the slightest hint of shimmer in this polish which isn't really visible on the nail, but just adds to its glossy finish. Rocha may be a summer release, but there is never a bad time for a great red polish!




Zoya polishes are available at Zoya.com and other retailers that carry Zoya polishes. Be sure to follow Zoya on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter for updates on new collections and deals. 

Do you ever just crave a simple creme mani or do you have to jazz it up? I usually have to slap SOMETHING on it at the very least, but on occasion, I just prefer it plain. Thanks for looking everyone!

Thursday, September 18, 2014

Dance Legend Holy Diver

*Purchased by Me*

Hi everyone! Today I have a beautiful Dance Legend to share with you from the Wow Prisms line. Holy Diver has a bright turquoise jelly base filled with scattered holo shards. Formula was top notch and built up nicely to opacity (this is 3 thin coats, but it would have been ok at 2 coats). Holy Diver is another amazing Wow Prism...this line just ever ceases to impress me!




Dance Legend polishes originate from Russia and you can order direct from their website (shipping took 2 months to get to me in the US from Russia, and I've heard that is about average). They are also available from Llarowe and Color4Nails which both ship to the US and internationally. 

Wednesday, September 17, 2014

Glam Polish Maleficent

*Purchased By Me*

Hi everyone! My Pirate Nail Art Challenge nails were a massive fail for today's prompt, but I hope I can redo them later. In the mean time, I have I flipping gorgeous polish to share with you from Glam Polish. I just can't get enough of their holo glitters! The beauty I have for you today is Glam Polish Maleficent, which is a dark purple holo base filled with purple and fuchsia holographic glitters in different sizes. Formula was nice and could build up to opacity on its own, but I really like to wear these polishes layered. I used 2 coats of Maleficent over OPI Do You Have This Color in Stock-holm for this mani. This polish is so blingy that I could barely get my camera to focus on it. I used a combination of a thicker topcoat + quick dry topcoat to smooth out the glitter. This is a stare at your nails all day sort of polish....it's just awesome!




Glam Polish is available from their Big Cartel shop (ships to Australia and the US only) as well as from these international stockists. Follow them on Facebook and Instagram for updates on new collections and restocks as well as to see lots of beautiful swatches! Thanks for looking everyone!

Tuesday, September 16, 2014

Pirate Nail Art Challenge: Oceans

Hi everyone! Today for the Pirate Nail Art Challenge from Challenge Your Nail Art, the manis all must be ocean-inspired. I decided to do a coral reef design after seeing this fabulous mani from Nail Polish Society, so naturally I took a ton of inspiration from her work. For this mani, I started out with a base of piCture pOlish Ocean, and then used acrylic paints for the sand, anemone, seaweed, corals, and starfish. I've always wanted to do a coral reef themed mani, and adored the way this turned out!




What do you think of this ocean-inspired look? Be sure to check out what all of the other ladies have in store for today's challenge! Thanks for looking everyone!


Monday, September 15, 2014

Pirate Nail Art Challenge: Sea Creatures

Hi everyone! Today I have my first post for the Pirate Nail Art Challenge that is being put on by the Challenge Your Nail Art Group. September 19th is International Talk Like a Pirate Day, so from the 15th-19th we are going to be doing sea and pirate themed nail art. For more details on the challenge, see this post by Be Happy and Buy Polish.


Today's theme is "Sea Creatures", and I did a bit of an unusual interpretation of that theme. I was really inspired by the girls doing the 31 Day Nail Art Challenge to do a different take on an animal print, and I wanted to do some nail art inspired by my absolute favorite shell...the shell of the abalone! While they look pretty plain on the outside, the inner lining of the abalone shell is coated in mother-of-pearl and the beautiful iridescence displays a rainbow of colors.


For this mani, I started off with a base of KBShimmer Eclipse (black creme). I then randomly dabbed on some multichrome holos from Darling Diva Polish including We Will Rock You, Bohemian Rhapsody, Crazy Little Thing Called Love, and Fischy! Fischy! Fischy! Finally I used a fine nail art brush and black acrylic paint to create the pattern of the abalone shell. I finished the whole thing off with a coat of Darling Diva Polish's Pryzmatic Performance Enhancing Topcoat.


And I just had to pose with my beautiful abalone shell necklace. I'm so pleased with how this turned out!


So what do you think of this look? Did I got too far out of the box for the sea creatures theme?

Be sure to check out what everyone else did for the challenge! Thanks for looking everyone!


Sunday, September 14, 2014

Falling Into Fall: Colors by Llarowe Burnt Sugar

*Purchased By Me*

Hi everyone! I've told you all over and over again that I'm so into browns this fall, and this one is no exception! I've had Colors by Llarowe Burnt Sugar for a pretty good while now and I've just been waiting for fall to wear it. Burnt Sugar is a lovely brown linear holo. The holo effect of this polish is stunning and super linear. Formula was nice too, with great coverage in 2 coats. On the subject of brown holos, the color of Burnt Sugar is a more neutral brown, while Smitten Polish Seasonal Lattes, (that I reviewed here) is much more warm toned. I figured since those are the only brown holos that I owned, it was worth mentioning because they are definitely different and it is worth owning both if you love browns.




Colors by Llarowe polishes are available from Llarowe as well as Harlow & Co. They are restocked regularly (they sell out pretty quickly) and Leah Ann also opens up for pre-orders sometimes to make acquiring them easier. There is now a Facebook page for Colors by Llarowe, so check there for lots of swatches and updates on Colors by Llarowe happenings as well as on Llarowe's main Facebook page and Instagram. Thanks for looking!

Saturday, September 13, 2014

Chaos & Crocodiles Spam Part Deux

*Some of these items were press samples, some were purchased by me*

Hi everyone! Today I have a bit of random Chaos & Crocodiles swatch spam to share with you! These are all just delicious, so let's get on with the pics!


Friday, September 12, 2014

Born Pretty Store Full Nail Green Lotus Water Decal Review

*Press Sample*

Hi everyone! Today I have a mani that is quite a departure from the fall inspired looks that I have been favoring lately, but it is totally refreshing and beautiful! I recently received some full nail water decals from Born Pretty Store for review. I have only ever used the smaller decals in the past, so this was a new experience for me. I was a bit nervous to try them, but I was pleasantly surprised with the finished result.


The water decals come in a full sheet that you have to cut apart and there are 10 decals in sizes to fit all of your nails. I was worried that they would not be wide enough for my nails when I first saw them, but it turns out they were pretty darn close (and I have wide nails). I would recommend to paint on a base color that is similar to the background of the decal you are applying just in case there is a sliver of nail on either side that doesn't get covered (I used KBShimmer Honeydew List with these). The decals I used were the Green Lotus Pattern (item XF1420). You apply them similarly to regular water decals in that you soak them in water and then lift them onto the nail and position them how you want them. While they are still damp, you can use your finger to smooth out any wrinkles that might occur (but be careful and try to avoid wrinkling them if at all possible). You can then you trim off the excess bits that are hanging over the ends with nail scissors, but to really finish off the ends and around the cuticle, use your clean-up brush dipped in acetone and the decals will "clean-up" just like polish to create a clean line and it will also seal the tips. Top with a topcoat and you are done!


Here is a close-up of the thumb. It really is such a gorgeous design, almost like a painting.


For my other nails, I also used KBShimmer Honeydew List as the base and then lightly sponged on KBShimmer Stonewashed (that I had thinned out with acetone) to create a subtle mottled look. Of course you can pick up KBShimmer's fabulous cremes on their website.


Overall, I really liked using the full nail water decals much more than I thought I would. I will have to say that they are a bit more time consuming and finicky than regular water decals just because you have to trim them and be more careful with positioning, but they were still pretty simple to use. And you can't argue with how gorgeous they are! I have some more that I will be wearing very soon that very different than these, but just as pretty.


Be sure to check out Born Pretty Store for all of your nail art supply needs (you can use my coupon code JCX31 for 10% off your order).  I've always had great experiences with ordering from them at very reasonable prices. Also, you can't beat free worldwide shipping! You can also follow Born Pretty Store on Facebook and Instagram.

Thursday, September 11, 2014

Pretty & Polished October Beauty Box Review

*Press Sample*

Hi everyone! Today I have Pretty & Polished's October Beauty Box to share with you. This box is full of fun polishes and products that are perfect for fall and Halloween!

Wednesday, September 10, 2014

Darling Diva Polish Pageant Collection Swatch and Review

*Press Samples*

Hi everyone! Today I have the amazing Pageant Collection from Darling Diva Polish that was inspired by one of my favorite "dumb comedies" ever. "Drop Dead Gorgeous" is a comedy from the late '90s that I remember as being one of the first "mockumentary" type films I ever saw. This has turned into one of of my favorite forms of movie and TV comedy today (like The Office, Parks and Recreation, and Modern Family). It is set up to be a "behind-the-scenes" look at a beauty pageant in a small town in Minnesota, but then things start to take some pretty crazy and terrible turns along the way. Pretty much...you get to see the worst incarnation of a "pageant mom" ever. So many people have never seen this movie (it's definitely not Oscar-worthy stuff!), but if you have, you will totally get all of the crazy references of the names of this collection. Some of them are more than a bit crass (and I'm going to censor some of them a bit for the blog) but they are totally "Drop Dead Gorgeous". So if you are easily offended...YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED! Just look at the pretty polishes. :D If you haven't seen it, no worries...I have gifs and pictures for you (please indulge me a bit, I had a lot of fun with this post!)


Tuesday, September 9, 2014

CrowsToes Candied Brains Anyone? for October's A Box, Indied

*Press Sample*

Hi everyone! Boy, do I have a treat for you today...if you like candied brains (everyone does, right?). CrowsToes has a gorgeous glitterbomb for October's A Box, Indied. I know that Halloween is Lauri's favorite holiday, so I'm not surprised that her Halloween-themed contribution to the box is totally off the charts.



Monday, September 8, 2014

JulieG Bourbon Street

*Purchased By Me*

Hi everyone! Today I have a really awesome drugstore find from JulieG's Mardi Gras Collection, which I stumbled upon recently in my local Rite Aid. I found it to be sort of an odd time of the year for a Mardi Gras themed collection, but they are pretty, so who cares? The polishes in this collection are meant to be worn textured, but you can add topcoat and they have a whole new look! I only have one from the collection today, but BeautyJudy has the entire collection up on her blog, so you can check it out and you will see that this collection is pretty awesome! I can already see a few more that I want to pick up before they disappear.












 

Sunday, September 7, 2014

Press Release: Zoya Fall 2014 Ultra PixieDust Collection

*Press Release*

Meet the next generation of our best-selling textured, matte and sparkling Zoya PixieDust formula ­ Zoya Ultra PixieDust! Three shades featuring both fine micro glitter and mega hex particles for tone on tone 3D effects. This easy glam nail is available in 3 shades in a gradient of red, wine and plum hues. No base or top coat required.



a-England Dancing With Nureyev with Subtle Stamping

*Purchased By Me*

Hi everyone! Today I have for you the subtlest stamping ever. When I put on a-England Dancing With Nureyev, I thought that the perfect thing to use to stamp would be China Glaze Strap On Your Moonboots from the Hologlam Collection because it just seemed like they would pair perfectly for tone-on-tone holo stamping. Well, they almost paired too perfectly!



Saturday, September 6, 2014

Pretty & Polished Fall 2014 Collection Swatch and Review (Partial)

*Press Samples*

Hi everyone! Today I have 4 polishes from Pretty & Polished's Fall 2014 Collection to share with you. This collection totally embodies fall and has a variety of finishes that are sure to please everyone! This collection is set to release on September 15th on the Pretty & Polished website.



Thursday, September 4, 2014

Smitten Polish Fall 2014 Collection and LE Out of the Darkness

*Press Samples*

Hi everyone! Today I have Smitten Polish's Fall 2014 Collection to share with you! This collection contains 3 new microglitter jellies and 3 new linear holos and they are all just stunning. I also have swatches of a  limited edition charity polish for the month of September called Out of the Darkness for Suicide Awareness Month that will release along with the Fall 2014 Collection. All of these polishes will release Friday, September 5th at 2:00 PM Central Time. Let's have a look at these pretties!




Wednesday, September 3, 2014

Falling Into Fall: Chaos & Crocodiles Fireside Nights over Zoya Claire

Hi everyone! Today I have another fall-inspired mani to share with you. Last winter, I picked up Chaos & Crocodiles Fireside Nights and I've been holding onto it for fall. The glitters are, of course, supposed to represent fire, but I think of falling leaves whenever I see this polish. I started off with a base of Zoya Claire (from the new Entice Collection) because I thought that the deep burgundy would really make the glitters pop. I used 2 coats of Fireside Nights over the base for this mani. Might I say, this glitter was so well behaved for a chunky glitter. It spread really well and smoothed out perfectly with 1 coat of a thicker topcoat and 1 coat of a quick-dry topcoat. Fireside Nights hasn't been restocked in the Chaos & Crocodiles shop lately, but creator Sarey brings back older polishes from time-to-time, so it's always possible that it will make a reappearance.


Tuesday, September 2, 2014

KBShimmer Fall 2014 Collection

*Press Samples (some were purchased by me)*

Hi everyone! Sorry I've been MIA for most of the week, but I was out of town for a bit at a football game and at the lake (unfortunately, I have the sunburn to prove it). Today I have the KBShimmer Fall 2014 Collection to share with you! I was able to pick 5 from the collection to swatch and then I just couldn't narrow it down, so I purchased the rest of them! That's how awesome they are! There are 3 cremes, 2 holos, 1 glitter topper, and 4 glittery jellies/crellies. These are scheduled to be released on September 15th on KBShimmer's website. Let's get on to some swatches!

KBShimmer-Fall-2014