Mango Bunny Polish Sunkissed Neons Collection

*Press Samples*

Hi everyone! Today I have a new-to-me brand called Mango Bunny Polish. I was so excited when they contacted me to review their gorgeous Sunkissed Neons collection for summer! These shades (with one exception) are all brights/neons with strong gold flake shimmer and a subtle holographic effect. These have already been available previously for a pre-order period, but their official release date is May 1. They will be available individually for $7.00 each or you can buy the entire 6-piece collection for $36.00.

Press Release: Zoya Island Fun and Paradise Sun Collections for Summer 2015

LIVE THE LIFE!
ZOYA ISLAND FUN & PARADISE SUN

Scofflaw Spring 2015 Mini Collection

*Press Samples*

Hi everyone! Today I have Scofflaw's new limited edition Spring 2015 Mini Collection to share with you. These bright hues are screaming late spring/summer to be, so they are releasing at the perfect time! This collection will be offered during one restock only on May 1 at 6 CDT (this Friday), but don't worry about having to have fast fingers to snag them because Finch is offering these for a 24-hour pre-order. Be sure to mark your calendars so you won't miss this event!

Nail Pattern Boldness Heady Topper

*Purchased by Me*

Hi everyone! Sorry I've been a bit absent this week. I have a ton of upcoming stuff to show you, but I had to take a slight mental break from swatching/blogging this week. I'm going to be getting back to it this weekend, and next week should really kick things into high gear because I have lots and lots of stuff in my swatch queue. For today, I'm going to share a mani with you that I did AGES ago (I really don't even remember when I did it to be honest). Back around the first of the year, Llarowe had a major sale and I picked up a Nail Pattern Boldness polish that I had been eying for ages, and that's what today's post is about.

Nail Pattern Boldness' Heady Topper is a sparkling holo glitter topper filled with silver and gold microglitter in a slightly different sizes. Formula was really nice and it spread easily and the glitter coverage was great for a topper, but it was, of course, sheer so it let plenty of the base color shine through. I do not think this would be one I would try to wear on its own because it wouldn't build up easily, and it's really not meant to be worn that way. I used 2 coats of Heady Topper over China Glaze More to Explore from the spring Road Trip Collection. The thing that sets this apart from other holo glitter toppers is the use of the gold along with the silver and the varying sizes of the glitter, so I think it is a truly special topper. I really love versatile polishes like this that you can pretty much use over anything just to give your mani some extra bling!

Nail Pattern Boldness polishes are available on their website. Be sure to follow on Facebook and Instagram for swatches as well as updates on new collections and restocks. Nail Pattern Boldness polishes are also available from Llarowe. Thanks for looking everyone!

Smitten Polish Opalescent Elements Collection

*Press Samples*

Hi everyone! Today I have the brand new Smitten Polish Opalescent Elements Collection to share with you. This collection consists of 4 neon jellies filled with iridescent flakies. These are AMAZING and you need them in your life if you are a flakie lover...just sayin. These will be available for pre-order on April 25th at 2:00 PM central time. *EDITED....I originally had the date wrong!*

Smitten Polish Terra Opal with Stamping

*Press Sample*

Hi everyone! Just like the massive upcoming KBShimmer Collection I spoke about yesterday, I have another upcoming collection from Smitten Polish in my clutches that is a MUST HAVE and I'm giving you a bit of a teaser today. They are neon jellies with iridescent flakies y'all! SO PRETTY! I've worn two so far, and I didn't want to take either of them off. I will hopefully have swatches up early next week of this 4 piece collection (they will be available for pre-order on April 24th), but for now I wanted to share some stamping I did with one of them.

For this mani, I used Smitten Polish Terra Opal (neon green jelly with iridescent flakies) as the base and then stamped with an image from MoYou London's Kaleidoscope plate 6 and Mundo de Unas Black. I ordered a Creative Nail Stamper from Color 4 Nails and this was my very first time using it and I really think I'm going to enjoy it. It picked up my image well and stamped very crisply. I also had a pretty easy time getting my images centered and straight (which is crucial for symmetrical images like these), which was fantastic. It's probably the most difficult thing for me to do when I stamp, which is why you see a lot of questionably placed/lopsided images from me. These definitly weren't perfect, but a nice improvement over my usual mess. Overall, I'm very excited to play with it more!

Smitten Polish is available from their Big Cartel Shop as well as from these international stockists. Be sure to follow Smitten Polish on Facebook and Instagram for updates on restocks and new collections. Thanks for looking everyone!

Distressed Neon Look Featuring New KBShimmer Bleached Neons

*Press Samples*

Hi everyone! Today I have a quick and easy nail art look to share with you that I decided to do for my weekend out of town. I got a HUGE BOX of KBShimmer's upcoming summer releases yesterday in the mail and I will be sharing full swatches of those with you over the next week or so, but I couldn't resist pulling out a few to play with. I was pressed for time since I was packing to go out of town last night, but the new bleached neon cremes (see full press release for those here) were calling to me. For this mani, I started with a base of Rum Me the Right Way (yellow) and then I used Chalkboard Nails' distressed mani technique over Rum Me the Right Way with In Yacht Water (blue) and Bahama Drama (coral). This created a fun, tie-dyed sort of look and I loved it just like this so I didn't add the black on top like you see in a traditional distressed manicure. If you want easy, but striking nail art, there is nothing simpler than this technique. The most important thing is to wipe almost all of the polish off of the brush before doing your strokes on top of the base color so you get the nice, feathery looking finish.

KBShimmer products are available from their website as well as from Harlow & Co. (Canada) for international customers. Be sure to follow them on Facebook and Instagram for updates on new collections and to see swatches of all of their polishes. Their (three!) Summer Collections are going to be released on May 15th, so be sure to mark your calenders! There will be more previews and swatches soon!

What's your favorite nail art look when you are in a hurry? Sorry for the quick post and run, but I'm off to have fun this weekend! Thanks for looking everyone!

Floral Double Stamping Featuring Elevation Polish Cerro Torre 2

*Nothing to Disclose*

Hi everyone! Today I have some double stamping to share with you that was inspired by Love Varnish's fabulous floral double stamping. She has done it several times on her blog in different color combinations, but this is my absolute favorite one. So drawing my inspiration from that mani, I started out with Elevation Polish Cerro Torre 2 as my nude base. Then, I used an image from MoYou-London's Pro XL plate 10 for and stamped first with white (Mundo de Unas White) and then flipped the image and stamped with black (Mundo de Unas Black). I really loved this fun twist on neutrals! Everything about this mani is a neutral color, but it really pops and looks chic.

Elevation Polish Cerro Torre 2 is a neutral nude creme polish. I was worried when I purchased this that it was going to lean too yellow to look nice on my skintone, but that wasn't the case at all. It was actually a great neutral nude color and one of the few I own that doesn't have a lot of pink undertones that looks nice on me. Formula was extremely nice and it was perfectly opaque in 2 coats. It's a fantastic nude if you are in the market for one!

Elevation Polish is available from creator Lulu's Big Cartel Shop. She has a lot of info on restock dates and availability on the Big Cartel site as well as on her blog. Her shop is restocked on the 7th and 22nd each month unless otherwise noted. 

Have you tried double stamping yet? What do you think of the look? Thanks for looking everyone! 

U By Kotex Helps You Become an #UnderWarrior for Spring

Hi everyone! Spring is here and it's inching closer to summer every day, so it's time to pull out the colorful warm-weather outfits that have been hiding away in your closet. As you ditch the dark, drab winter clothes, the last thing you want to worry about are leaks messing up your khaki shorts or gorgeous pastel dress, so U by Kotex with 3D Capture Core is here to save them!

I remember when I was younger having to wear these huge, bulky pads and not only did they not provide very good leak protection, you would have to be really mindful of clingy pants and skirts because you were pretty much wearing a diaper (c'mon...we've all been there, right?). The fabulous thing about U by Kotex Ultra Thin Pads is that not only are they thin and comfortable, but you will never have to worry about a "pad outline". Yeah...that's a thing...and it's not pretty. The thin, clingy materials of the super cute leggings and palazzo pants that are totally hot this spring will be no worry for you if you are wearing these!

The U by Kotex with 3D Capture Core line is sure to have something to fit your needs. They are available in Cleanwear pads, AllNighter pads, and Security pads all with the one-of-a-kind 3D Capture Core Technology that locks away leaks. So whether your concerns are about leak protection during the day or wanting to protect your cute PJs at night, U by Kotex has you covered to help #SaveTheUndies!

More detailed info on features:

CleanWear® and AllNighter® Features:
• Have 3D Capture Core* that quickly draws in and locks away wetness
• Period pads with super-soft sides for your comfort
• Uniquely shaped pads with wings for a secure fit that helps prevent bunching
• Unscented ultra-thin period pads for women (free of artificial scents and fragrances).
• Easy-open wrappers in four fearless designs.

Security* Features:
• Have 3D Capture Core* that quickly draws in and locks away wetness
• Period pads that are breathable with a cottony soft touch
• Uniquely shaped pads with wings for a secure fit that helps prevent bunching
• Unscented ultra-thin period pads for women (free of artificial scents and fragrances).

And finally, can we just comment on how pretty they are? U by Kotex is certainly celebrating women with these bright colors and designs; I feel like they are making a spring fashion statement of their own! They are perfect to have stowed away in your purse for whenever your period strikes.

U by Kotex wants you to become an #UnderWarrior too and wear your spring outfits with no fear of leaks! You can easily pick up some Free Samples that best fit your needs so that we can all #SaveTheUndies together! It's really easy to do, just enter your mailing information and you will have some samples on their way.

A huge thanks to U by Kotex for sponsoring today's post! Thanks for looking everyone!

Glam Polish Masters of Illusion Collection

*Press Samples*

Hi everyone! Today I have Glam Polish's gorgeous limited edition Masters of Illusion Collection to share with you. This collection consists of 9 shades that have everything you can imagine packed into them: holo pigment, glitter, color shifting shimmer and glass flecks, multichrome flakies, silver flakies...just name it and it is probably a part of these super sparkly polishes. These beauties are for sale now in Glam Polish's shop.

Press Release: Girly Bits Hoop! There It Is Collection Preview

*Press Release*

Hi everyone! Neons! I can't get enough neons and these new neons from Girly Bits just look fabulous! The glitter topper look great too because it will be perfect to coordinate with all of them! Take a close look at this upcoming collection with this press release from Girly Bits.

Press Release: KBShimmer Summer Collection Part 1

*Press Release*

Hi everyone! Summer is fast approaching and KBShimmer is getting ready to release a whole bunch of polishes to get you ready for fun in the sun! Up first are some gorgeous bleached neon cremes along with 2 sparkly glitter toppers. There are some more things in the works as well, so stay tuned, this is just part 1 of the summer releases! Here are full details about Part 1 of the Summer Collection straight from KBShimmer.

Born Pretty Store Exquisite Water Marble Water Decal

*Purchased by Me*

Hi everyone! I'm working on swatching some things this weekend that I will begin sharing on Monday, but for today's post I'm actually sharing a mani I did a pretty good while ago (back in February, I think?). I had forgotten about it until I ran across these pictures in my pile of unposted mani photos. I only have two photos of this particular mani, but it really doesn't need too many pics to get the idea. ;)

AGES ago, I purchased these Exquisite Water Marble Decals from Born Pretty Store because I just loved the color scheme and I was intrigued by something that would mimic a water marble without all of the work. Since they were so colorful, I decided to use neutral base so they would really pop (I used Zoya Rue here). Now...I thought these ended up looking very cute but as far as them looking like an actual water marble was going on...I don't think they quite met the mark. On these decals one side of the design was flat so it was designed to lay up against the edge of your nail and the other side had the lovely marbled ripples. As you can see, my nails are quite wide so when they were placed against the side of the nail they only reached a little over halfway across my nail leaving a pretty wide expanse of my base color on the other side (thus detracting from the "marbled illusion"). I gave some thought about just centering them on my nails, but the one flat side of the design just hanging out in the open space looked extremely awkward. All of that being said, it still an extremely cute look but I just wanted to point out that I didn't think you were going to fool anyone into thinking you did a real water marble with these.

Aside from the design, I found that the quality of these decals was great and on par with other water decals I've purchased from Born Pretty Store. Since they are on the larger side, you do have to take care not to let them fold in half when you remove them from the paper because they will stick to themselves and you don't want to have to pry them apart with tweezers if you don't have to (though soaking them in water again really helps with this if it occurs. They were plenty long enough for my my nails and would also work for nails a bit longer than mine. The excess at the tips and cuticle melted away easily with my clean-up brush and acetone leaving a clean edge. These were really fun to wear and almost gave me a retro vibe. I think I wore them for a few days actually and had no issues with them lifting or peeling. Just writing this post has made me want to go pull out some water decals to wear from my stash, so you will likely see some more soon! I always love using them because they really jazz up a plain mani and very limited skill is required to use them.

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. 

Thanks for looking everyone! 

Lulu's Favorite Things: Emerald & Ash Cuticle Oils

*Press Sample*

Hi everyone! Lulu over at Elevation Polish has brought back "Lulu's Favorite Things" to Elevation Polish's website. This is an assortment of nail and hand care related products from different makers that she uses and loves and wants to share with Elevation Polish fans. I was able to choose one to review and I decided that I would go with a product that I have personally used a good bit and can give you a thorough review of: Emerald & Ash's Cuticle Oils.

Floral Stamping with Zoya Harlow and Elevation Polish Cloud Peak

*Some items in this post were provided previously for review*

Hi everyone! Today I have a simple stamped mani for you. This mani was born out the need to jazz up a mani for another day of wear (I get bored easily) and the desire to see how well the Zoya Matte Velvets stamp. I ended up wearing Elevation Polish Cloud Peak after I got done swatching the Wyoming the Wild Collection because I couldn't bring myself to take it off (it's sooooo pretty!). I recently saw someone on Facebook (I wish I could remember who, it was in my newsfeed) stamp with one of the Zoya Matte Velvets and I had pulled out Harlow to try it out when I got a chance. I thought the purple flecks in Cloud Peak paired so well with the pinky plum of Harlow, so the stamping commenced. I used a floral image from the MoYou-London Pro XL Plate 10 to stamp and I tried to vary the placement from nail to nail so that the flower wasn't exactly the same every time. Overall I was really impressed with how crisply Harlow stamped and I love that the gorgeous shimmer comes out when topcoat is added. I've used the Matte Velvets as bases for stamping before because they dry so quickly, but now I'm definitely going to be pulling them out to stamp with quite often!

Zoya brought back the Matte Velvet Collection this past fall and they are still in stock at Zoya.com if you haven't picked them up yet. Elevation Polish's new Wyoming the Wild Collection goes on sale tonight at 9 PM CDT in their shop so you can pick up Cloud Peak and the other beauties in that collection.

Don't you love it when you find new ways to use polishes in your collection? Thanks for looking everyone!

Indigo Bananas Mega Chrome Flakie Holos

*Press Sample*

Hi everyone! Today I have some amazingly gorgeous polishes that were recently released from Indigo Bananas. They released a whole line of Mega Chrome Flakies at the start of the multichrome flakie craze and now there are holographic versions of those. There are a total of 15 of these and I chose 3 to try out (and now I want them all!). These are all currently available in the Indigo Bananas shop.

Orly Sugar High Collection

*Purchased by Me*

Hi everyone! I'm completely lacking a cute Easter mani today like I was planning because I've been too busy with work, but I decided to share a springy collection with you guys. Today I have Orly's new Sugar High Collection for Spring 2015. This collection consists of 4 cremes and 2 shimmers in soft spring colors (with one exception). When I saw the promos for this collection, I really loved how cohesive all of the colors were (and the names because I love to bake), so I decided to get them all. I ordered mine online, but I've seen displays out in stores for them already, so they shouldn't be too hard to locate now.

Elevation Polish Wyoming the Wild Collection + Khongoryn Els

*Press Samples*

Hi everyone! Today I have Elevation Polish's new collection for April, the Wyoming the Wild Collection. This collection contains seven brand new polishes which were inspired by Lulu's adventures in Wyoming (read more about her inspiration in her blog post). Along with the Wyoming-inspired collection, Khongoryn Els, an old favorite Elevation Polish, is being re-released. All of these are set to release on April 7th at 9 PM CDT.

Pahlish Buccaneers and Buried Gold Collection

*Press Samples*

Hi everyone! Today I'm very excited to show you Pahlish's new collection called Buccaneers and Buried Gold. Not only are the names pirate themed, but the limited edition labels are skull and crossbones! They are the CUTEST! This collection is launching this Sunday, April 5th at 7 PM CDT.