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Thursday, November 27, 2014

A2Z Series Week 5 - E is for Elegant

*purchased by me*


Hey there!  It's week five of the A2Z Challenge, and this week E is for Elegant.  To me elegant is a very simple and refined look which I think this manicure is. 

  
I started with two coats of Zoya Dovima and let them dry completely.
Using Nailene Perfect Tips, French tip guides, I added Zoya Raven to the tips.  


I think of black dresses and tuxedos when I think of elegance, and I would totally wear a manicure like this if I was attending a black tie affair! 


With Thanksgiving on Thursday I did rush this look a little bit and chose something very simple.  Hopefully I'll have more time next week to think of something creative.  

What do you think of this look?  What would you do for elegant nails? 

You can purchase Zoya nail polishes at www.zoya.com and don't forget to follow them on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram

Don't forget to check out the other bloggers participating in the challenge and remember to check back every Thursday to see all the creations.  Next week is F is for Fashion.  Leave me a comment letting me know what you'd like to see for this theme!  For the complete A2Z Archive head over to the hubpage HERE

Thanks for reading. 

An InLinkz Link-up

Tuesday, November 25, 2014

Pumpkin Pie Nails

*purchased by me*

Hey there!  With Thanksgiving on Thursday, I decided to do some nail art featuring one of my favorite things about Thanksgiving  - Pumpkin Pie!  


I started with two coats of Essie Partner In Crime as my base color.  I did a review of this color yesterday which you can see here


Using tape I made a triangle on my ring finger and painted it with F4 Polish Punkin Pie which is a custom polish I had made last year.  Then with a dotting tool and Essie Sand Tropez I added the crust of the pie. 


I loved how my pie slice turned out so decided to add a slice to all of my nails! 


And no piece of pumpkin pie is complete without whipped cream!  I used Rica Whiteout and a toothpick to make my whipped cream.  

What do you think of this look? What are some of your favorite things about Thanksgiving? 

Thanks for reading and have a Happy Thanksgiving!

Monday, November 24, 2014

Essie Partner In Crime

*purchased by me*


Hey there! Today I have for you Essie Partner In Crime.  This color is from their Fall 2014 Dress To Kilt Collection and is a rich, dark brown creme. 


I've been trying to get into brown polishes so bought this one realizing I have no dark browns in my collection.  This is two coats with topcoat, but I could have gotten away with one coat. 


The formula on this polish was great. I'm regretting not getting any others from this collection. 

What are some colors you don't have many of that you want to try?

Don't forget to follow Essie on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.  

Thanks for reading! 

Saturday, November 22, 2014

HPB Presents: My Fall Favorites!

*purchased by me*


Hey there!  For those of you that don't know I'm in a Facebook group call Hobby Polish Bloggers.  It's a fantastic group of nail polish bloggers where we can get advice and feedback on our blogs or just chat with fellow bloggers.  Each month we do a link-up, and this month's theme is fall favorites. We didn't have much direction on this just to post our favorite things about fall whether it be nail polish related, beauty products, activities, or something else.  I decided to go with a recap of my favorite fall nail polishes and beauty products.  This is the first month I'm participating in the link-up, and I'm really excited about it!  Let's jump right in!

Nail Polish

 

The Zoya Entice Collection is by far my favorite fall collection this year.  I love Zoya's cremes, and this collection did not disappoint. They were great on their own or for nail art (especially stamping!).  My favorites from the collection were Ryan, Genevieve, and Claire, but I really love all the colors!  I already did two posts on this collection with some nail art as well, and you can see them here and here

Cuticle Care


Last month I bought Sunny's Body Products Fall Exclusive Box from 365 Days of Color. I had been looking for some new cuticle care products, and the fact they were pumpkin/fall scents sealed the deal for me!  The cuticle oil is Autumn Harvest, the cuticle balm is Pumpkin Crunch Cake (my favorite of all the scents from the box), and the intensive cuticle therapy is Caramel Apple.  Using the cuticle oil & cuticle balm throughout the day and the intensive cuticle therapy at night has really made a difference for my cuticles. 

Hand Creams


My hands have been so dry this fall, and I have two hand creams I use throughout the day. Sunny's Hand Cream in Pumpkin Apple Butter and Sally Hansen Nail & Cuticle Hand Creme.  I keep one in my purse and one on my nightstand so I have moisturizer no matter where I go!

Lip Balm


Last but not least is actually my favorite of all my fall favorites!  It's Sunny's Lip Saver in Pumpkin Pecan.  This lip balm has been a life saver this fall. My lips are normally dry, but this keeps them hydrated and soft.  I will be so sad when I run out because this was a limited edition box, and I love this flavor! 

Well, that's all of my fall favorites!  Pumpkin is my favorite thing about fall which I think you can see!  What are some of your favorite fall beauty products?  What's your favorite thing about fall?  

Thanks for reading! 

Friday, November 21, 2014

Fan Brush Nail Art

*purchased by me*


Hey there!  Today I have for you my first fan brush, nail art manicure.  I had been wanting to try this for a while and decided it would look cool with some fall colors! 


I started with a base of China Glaze Kalahari Kiss which is a light golden creme. I've honestly had this polish for years, and this is the first time I'm wearing it. It's an interesting color, but I'm not sure how I feel about it on my skin tone.


Using a fan brush from a set of nail art brushes I ordered on Amazon I painted layers using Sinful Colors Citrine and Essie Partner In Crime.  As I mentioned I have never tried this before, and I love how it turned out! I even got my six year old nephew's seal of approval! 

Have you tried fan brush nail art yet?  What colors would you use?  I can't wait to do this again with different colors.  Maybe I'll do red, white, and green for Christmas! 

Thanks for reading! 

Thursday, November 20, 2014

A2Z Series Week 4 - D is for Dark

*purchased by me*


Hey there!  It's week four of the A2Z Challenge and today's theme is D is for Dark.  I had an idea what I wanted to do, but it was so dark it didn't photograph well so I had to come up with something last minute, and this is what I decided on!  


To me dark means colors like grey, navy, and black. I started with my basecoat and then painted two coats of Zoya Raven  which is a black creme with a slight silver shimmer.  I added topcoat and let it dry completely. 


Using Nail Vinyls and reinforcements I did different designs on my nails and painted them with Zoya Dahlia.  Since I like the way Dahlia looks textured I did not add topcoat. 

What do you think about my dark manicure?  Is it dark enough for you or would you do something else? 

You can purchase Zoya nail polishes at www.zoya.com and don't forget to follow them on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram

Don't forget to check out the other bloggers participating in the challenge and remember to check back every Thursday to see all the creations.  Next week is E is for Elegant.  Leave me a comment letting me know what you'd like to see for this theme!  For the complete A2Z Archive head over to the hubpage HERE!

Thanks for reading! 

Wednesday, November 19, 2014

PRESS RELEASE: NAHA Introduces the Nail Professional of the Year Category


The North American Hairstyling Awards (NAHA) introduces the Nail Professional of the Year category. Created with participation from NailPro Magazine, OPI and CND, the Nail Professional of the Year award is the most prestigious recognition a nail professional can attain. Entrants should show a multitude of skills, such as embellishments, nail art and salon nails, demonstrating the excellence and artistry of the nail industry. Entrants must be a certified nail technician and do not need a hairstylist to nominate or enter the category.  All entries must be submitted online by 11:00pm EST (8:00pm PST) February 19, 2015.   

NAHA is founded by the Professional Beauty Association. PBA is the most prestigious photographic beauty competition in North America. Each year, individuals are recognized in various categories for their outstanding skill and artistry in the professional salon industry.  NAHA entry and recognition adds prestige to a stylist’s or salon professional’s portfolio and places these individuals amongst the industry’s brightest and most talented artists. NAHA is part of PBA Beauty Week, North America’s largest, most inclusive beauty event.  NAHA is held on July 12, 2015, at the Mandalay Bay Resort in Las Vegas, NV. For more information, visit probeauty.org/naha.

Monday, November 17, 2014

Zoya Entice Collection - Veronica and Nyssa

*purchased by me*

Hey there!  Today I have for you the remaining two colors in the Zoya Entice Collection - Veronica and Nyssa.  

Zoya Veronica


Zoya Veronica is described as a full-coverage, brilliant, red wine.  The picture above was taken indoors and is not completely color accurate. 


This picture of Zoya Veronica was taken outdoors in the shade, but was the most color accurate I could get. The formula on this was great.  This is two coats with topcoat. 

Zoya Nyssa


Zoya Nyssa is described as a full-coverage, milk chocolate brown cream. This is two coats plus topcoat. I've never been a fan of brown polishes on my skin tone so I'm not really sure how I feel about this on me. 

Nail Art


I did stamping with these two colors just like I had done with the other four.  I used MoYou London The Pro 01 XL plate to achieve this look. 


I'm still really impressed with how the Zoya Entice Collection polishes stamp, and their flawless two coat application.  These two aren't my favorite on me, but they're still great colors, perfect for fall. Which is your favorite color from this collection?  

Zoya Nail Polish can be purchased at www.zoya.com.  Don't forget to follow them on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.  

Thanks for reading! 

Friday, November 14, 2014

Colors by Llarowe Obsessed with Marilyn

*purchased by me*


Hey there! Today on the blog I have Colors by Llarowe Obsessed with Marilyn. I bought this back in October and wore it earlier this month so that's why my nails are longer in these pics!  


Obsessed with Marilyn is described as a deep, blood red, glowing holo. This is two coats.  It dries to a satiny finish so I added topcoat to make it shiny.  


I have been in love with dark reds and burgundies this fall, and this one surely does not disappoint!  What colors are you loving this fall?  

Colors by Llarowe can be purchased at www.llarowe.com.  

Thanks for reading! 

Thursday, November 13, 2014

A2Z Series Week 3 - C is for Copy Cat

*purchased by me*


Hey there! It's week 3 of the A2Z Series, and this week C is for Copy Cat!  I've been sick all week so wasn't feeling motivated for this at all.  I was glad we had to copy something so I didn't have to come up with something on my own!  I honestly didn't know what I was doing until I got a package from Zoya in the mail, and they included a Fall 2014 Trend Guide with different manicure ideas. I liked a lot of them, but chose this one using Loredana and Harlow from their Matte Velvet collection


I started with Zoya Harlow on my thumb, index, and pinky fingers and Zoya Loredana on my middle and ring fingers.  Using single chevron Nail Vinyls I created the bow look with Harlow. 



This is my final look! I've had the Zoya Matte Velvets since I started collecting polish in 2011, and I'm glad they came back out cause it reminded me to show them some love! I can't wait to try other nail art ideas with them! 


Of course I had to add topcoat to see how this manicure would look shiny. I like it both ways, but really love it matte. 

What do you think of this look? What polishes would you use for it? Do you prefer it matte or shiny? 

You can purchase these Zoya polishes at www.zoya.com, and don't forget to follow them on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram

Don't forget to check out the other bloggers participating in the challenge and remember to check back every Thursday to see all the creations.  Next week is D is for Dark, and I already have something in mind for it!  For the complete A2Z Archive head over to the hubpage HERE

Thanks for reading! 


Wednesday, November 12, 2014

Paint Shop Polish Review

*press sample*

Hey there! Today I have for you a new to me indie brand, Paint Shop Polish.  Candi, the creator, sent me four of her beautiful polishes to review. I received two scattered holos and two glitter toppers.  Let's jump right in!

Scattered Holos


Silver Bells is a gorgeous, silver, scattered holo. It applied flawlessly, but was pretty sheer so I decided to layer it over a creme and do an accent nail of it on its own. On my index, middle, and pinky fingers I have two coats over two coats Zoya Carey (a light grey creme), and on my ring finger is four coats of Silver Bells alone.  As you can see I still have some VNL even after four coats so I recommend layering it. I finished up with topcoat which did not dull the holo at all. 


Meet Me By The Mistletoe is an evergreen, scattered holo. This one was also sheer so I layered it as well. On my index, middle, and pinky finger is two coats over two coats of Zoya Purity (a white creme), and on my ring finger is four coats by itself. As you can see, there really isn't much of a difference layering or not. Next time I want to try layering it over a green to see how it looks.  This color reminds me of a Christmas tree with colored lights on it. It's really pretty!

Glitter Toppers


Mouse Wishes is a glitter topper with different sized blue hexes, blue squares, silver holo shards, and silver holo Mickey Mouse glitters.  I had no issues with application except for the Mickey's which I had to fish for and dab on. I love the silver and blue glitters together. Perfect for a winter manicure. This is one coat with topcoat over four coats of Silver Bells. 


Sinh is a glitter topper with different sizes of white hexes, white circles, and white leopard spots. To be honest I had a hard time getting the glitter out of the bottle for this one especially the leopard spots. The bottle seemed to have too much base. I ended up dumping some out of the bottle and getting the glitters on the brush that way.  The leopard glitters are heavier so tend to sink to the bottom. I did keep the bottle upside down for a little while, and I'm pretty sure it's the opening in the mini bottle that made it so hard for me to get them out. You shouldn't see this with a full size bottle.  I layered Sinh over four coats of Meet Me By The Mistletoe, and I think they make a nice combination for the holiday season.

I really like these polishes, and think that Candi did a great job.  Silver Bells is my favorite of the four I received, but they're all gorgeous.  You can purchase them in the Paint Shop Polish shop, and don't forget to follow them on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest

Thanks for reading!

Monday, November 10, 2014

Brooke Anderson by Gabriel Cosmetics Nail Collection

*press sample*

Hey there!  Today I have a new to me brand that I was sent two polishes to review from the Brooke Anderson by Gabriel Cosmetics Nail CollectionI posted the press release a few weeks ago.  

Southern Belle
 

Southern Belle is a boysenberry creme that applied easily and was completely opaque on the second coat.  I finished up with topcoat although it was really shiny without.  

Darlin'


Darlin' is aqua, turquoise, silver, and purple glitter in a sheer green base.  I didn't realize it was in a darker base so first I did an accent nail over Southern Belle.   


Then I did two coasts of Darling' on its own.  As you can see it's still kind of sheer so next time I will layer it over a similar color base.  The glitter placement was great. I didn't need to dab or fish for glitters at all. 

My first impression of this brand is really good.  As you know I love cremes and the formula and application on Southern Belle was great! As I mentioned, the glitter placement on Darlin' was good which is what I look for in a glitter polish. This collection is available on http://www.gabrielcosmeticsinc.com/ through the holidays.  They retail for $8.50 each. 

Thanks for reading!
 

Thursday, November 6, 2014

A2Z Series Week 2 - B is for Bold

*purchased by me*


Hey there! It's week two of the A2Z Series, and this week B is for Bold! I knew I wanted to use my neon polishes from Pipe Dream Polish, and figured I'd try water marbling again. I had heard these polishes water marble like a dream, and that's totally true! 


The colors I used are 110 Degrees, All In, and On The List.  I only own these three from the Pipe Dream Polish A Night In Vegas collection, but will definitely be getting the others. I finished this manicure off with KBShimmer Clearly On Top. 


What do you think of my bold look? I need some practice with water marbling still as you can see I messed up my index finger a little. What would you do for a bold manicure? 

Pipe Dream Polish can be purchased in their shop. Please like them on Facebook and follow them on Instagram

Don't forget to check out the other bloggers participating in the challenge and remember to check back every Thursday to see all the creations.  Next week is C for Copy Cat!  For the complete A2Z Archive head over to the hubpage HERE!  

Thanks for reading! 

Wednesday, November 5, 2014

Sinful Shine Prosecco

*purchased by me*


Hey there! Today I have for you Sinful Shine Prosecco.  This color kind of came out of nowhere, but is now huge in nail polish world.  It's a greyish beige with gold shimmer.  


I wasn't sure how I'd feel about it on my skin tone, but I really like it. I think it's great for both work and play!  Both of these pictures were taken indoors.  It looks different in different lighting. This is two coats of Sinful Shine Prosecco with topcoat. 

What do you think of this color? Did you fall into the hype and get one for yourself? It's currently available at Rite Aid in the Sinful Colors holiday display. 

Thanks for reading! 

Monday, November 3, 2014

Zoya Entice Collection

*purchased by me*

Hey there! Today I have for you four colors from the Zoya Entice collection. This collection is made up of six creme polishes perfect for fall. I have Claire, Genevieve, Margo, and Ryan for you.  

Claire


Zoya describes Claire as a warm, rich burgundy with a flawless, full-coverage cream finish. This is two coats of Claire with topcoat. This color just screams fall to me! 

Genevieve


Zoya describes Genevieve as a cool leather grey in a flawless full-coverage cream finish.  This is two coats of Genevieve with topcoat. There's a hidden shimmer in Genevieve that makes this polish so beautiful. 

Margo



Zoya describes Margo as a modern red plum in a flawless, full-coverage cream finish. This is two coats of Margo with topcoat.  This was a little more purple than my pictures show. 

Ryan


Zoya describes Ryan as a classic indigo in a flawless, full-coverage cream finish. This is two coats of Ryan with topcoat, but this can totally be a one coater. I have a thing for navy blue polishes, and Ryan definitely does not disappoint!

Nail Art



I tried out stamping and was really pleased how this turned out. I started with a base of Margo and stamped Genevieve on top using MoYou London The Pro XL 01 plate. 


For this looked I started with Claire as the base and stamped with Ryan using MoYou London The Pro XL 01 plate. 

I love how the Zoya Entice Collection stamps!  I can't wait to add Nyssa and Veronica to my collection when Zoya has another one of their great promos.  I would recommend any of these polishes to someone who loves a good creme, and they're all perfect for fall! 

Which is your favorite from this collection?  For me, I would say it's Ryan, but it's so hard to choose!  You can purchase them at www.zoya.com.  Remember to give Zoya a like on Facebook and follow them on Instagram and Twitter.

Thanks for reading!