Tag Archives: nails

Nov14

The Digit-al Dozen: Color Contrasts (day one)

Posted on by
Standard

I accomplish a lot of things in the bathtub. Get caught up on YouTube videos, say hello to all my Instagram friends. Occasionally I read a magazine in there. Often though, I use my bathtub time to get a head start on my next manicure. There I am, peeling off my nail polish in that magical, addicting way that only a peel off base coat can provide. And then I lay my peels on the edge of the tub to take care of at some point before the housekeeper arrives to discover my slovenly ways. 

But sometimes I just don’t get to them in a timely fashion. I don’t know why scooping up the peels and walking five steps to the trash can is so hard, but it is you guys! I am well aware they are laying there, watching me with their flashing, glittery eyes. However, when I get out of the tub, most of the time my legs are noodles and even getting out of the tub – by hauling myself up dangerously by the spigot – is a feat unto itself. And then all the drying and the lotioning and the dressing and the towel hanging. Ugh. That is all exercise if you ask me, and I don’t take kindly to that sort of behavior. 

Why am I telling you all this? Cuz the other day while I was bathing, I knocked all my peels into the tub with my elbow. I didn’t realize it until later (possibly much later) when I looked down and noticed them, all sparkly and festive, surrounding me like I’d purposely poured myself a bath full of rose petals, but way way less romantic and sane. 

And because my laziness knows no boundaries, I just left them there. I’m sitting in a sea of nail polish peelies, finishing my YouTube and Instagram – and probably shaving my legs at some point, but who really knows? – and then getting out, letting the water drain, trapping the peelies on the bottom of the tub where it’s quite possible they might stay for all eternity. 

That’s how you know you are crazy. 

(Also, I wrote this entire blog while in the bathroom. Another sign.)

It’s time for another Digit-al Dozen week!  This month’s prompt was color contrasts, and I enjoyed creating these manis so much! I looooove using contrasting colors and how striking they look. Someone knew what they were doing when they paired these colors together, I think.

First one I did was a blue and orange mani. I kept it simple because the contrast makes such an impact, and I absolutely adore this design:

See?! It’s magical!  Here’s what I used:

BLUE: Pretty & Polished Brisky Business – part of their new Winter 2016 Collection I just reviewed yesterday 

ORANGE: L’Oréal I Like it Chunky, which is a horrible name for a polish but the glitter is so spectacular 

STRIPING TAPE: I got mine from Amazon, like rolls and rolls of it for a dollar or something stupid cheap like that

I hope you like it. I think it looks so chic and fancy!  I could wear this design a billion times over and not get tired. And I get tired easily (detailed example written above). 

Don’t forget to click the button below to see all the other manis from the Digit-al Dozen girls!  Back tomorrow with more pretties. 

Later, loves!

Nov13

Pretty & Polished: Winter Collection 2016

Posted on by
Standard

I have two cats, and they are both a couple of ding dongs.

Don’t get me wrong; I love my fur babies.  One of them, Chloe, I’ve had for almost 17 years.  She’s an old lady, a bit crochety, and sleeps 25 hours a day, but she’s such a little sweetie.  And Oliver, my 6 year old, still has those cute little kitten qualities that made me scoop him up in the first place.

But don’t let ANY of that fool you.  You hear about other people’s cats, the ones that kill snakes out in the backyard or save a family of five from a burning house.  You know, hero cats.  Also known as, NOT MY CATS.  No, unfortunately I get one that likes to eat grass, then throw it up on my rug.  And Chloe, the old one, likes to bring me little turds and put them in my bed – while I am in it, sleeping.

THEN, to top it all off, neither one of them will let me pick them up and carry them around the house on my hip.    Seriously, who wouldn’t want this?  If anyone would like to volunteer to move me about from room to room, that’d be great, cuz THAT sounds like an amazing time.  The least amount of effort on my part is ideal.

Plus, would it kill them to play dress up with me, to at least one time put on a pair of pantyhose so I can post a pic on Instagram?  Forget about it.  And the only time I get a kiss is when I stick my hand in their face while they’re bathing and they lick me on accident.  

I’m traumatized by their lack of love.  I need nail polish.

Good thing I have the Pretty & Polished Winter 2016 Collection to make me happy: 

That’s a lot of polish!  Twelve of them to be exact.  There’s crellies and glitters, dusty cremes and multi-chromes.  And ALL, fabulous.  So go get yourself a little snack or have a Starbucks handy (minimum), and find a comfy place to sit – cuz this one’s gonna take a minute.  And who wants to go to work today anyway?

First up is Blue Balls:

The 12-year-old boy inside of me is just laughing, laughing, laughing.  And the 42-year-old in me is rolling my eyes at myself, and now I’m almost certain this is how crazy starts.  Let’s move on, shall we?

I stinkin’ love this!  The base is a really delicate light blue crelly, and it’s loaded with blue dot glitters of all sizes and shades.  It is so much prettier than I expected it would be.  I mean, it’s lovely in the bottle, but on the nail?  Heart eyes times a billion.  Definitely one of my faves in the collection.

I did three thin coats here, and the glitter payoff is crazy good.  No fishing (i.e., no effort) allowed.  My favorite!

Macro time:

Now you want this.  I’ve already decided.

Next is Spike My Cider:

Well, hello good lookin’!  Only two polishes in, and already I’m a big pile of goo.  This is the one that made me email Chelsea, the creator and mastermind behind Pretty & Polished, to ask her WHAT. IS. THIS. VOODOO?  My mouth hung open right out of the gate with this one.  Quite possibly drooled a bit (but in a ladylike way, to be clear).

At first glance, this polish appears to be gold, but while it does have some golden qualities, it’s actually a light brown holographic packed with holographic brown glitter.  Who knew how gorgeous brown could be?  Suck it, blondies.

This had excellent coverage as well.  I did one coat and could easily have been done.  But one coaters are no fun for me (cuz I am not a normal person), so photo shows two coats.  Dries dull, so add top coat.

Aaaack!  My eyes!  This collection is already ridiculous.

Now, Shameless Sugarplum:

I guarantee you have absolutely NOTHING in your stash that’s anywhere close to a dupe of this polish.  Go on, check.  (Told ya.)  That is what I love about Pretty & Polished – there is always something so incredibly unique and different available.  This right here is that.

Base is a light pink crelly with a soft gold and pink shimmer packed with blue, pink and purple glitters.  It’s one of those polishes that made it entirely too dangerous to be driving a car, what with all the not looking at the road and everything.  So, at minimum, you have an excuse to stay home from work today.  Pajamas for everyone!

Coverage here is two regular coats.  Glitter load is heavy but application is pretty smooth.  I think you’ll really like it.

You see that shimmer?  And that cat hair?  Macro = success!

Heres That’s Just Plum Dandy:

Where my purple lovers at?  This one is for you!  What a delicious deep plum, amirite?  Aside from the  polish smear I left on the tip of my pinky, this swatch is pretty much perfection.

Look at her under the lights, though: 

Glorious!  This is one of Pretty & Polished’s Dusty Cremes, a very unique creme formula you can only find at P&P.  If you’ve never used a Dusty Creme, you must fix that stat.  Ultra smooth and creamy, mostly two coats (but occasionally three), and self-leveling.  They are a dream to work with.  Again, an effortless polish for the lazy ones like me.

The only issue I had was trying to photograph the dusties.  I couldn’t capture them.  The polish is pretty dark, so there isn’t much contrast between the two.  And I take pics with my iPhone, which isn’t the most amazing set up ever made.  I mean, I bought a lightbox and two LED lamps – that’s about as far as my swatch budget will go.  However, anytime someone wants to buy me a Nikon, I will accept your gracious gift.  Just putting that out there in case y’all weren’t sure.

Next up is the gorgeous Sleighing It!:

Oooooooh!  What is this one?!  Chelsea made a multi-chrome and I’m just beside myself with giddiness.  I love polishes that shift in color between angles.  They’re just so fun to look at.  Very distracting, though.  Driving is difficult, working is difficult, picking things up with your hands is difficult.  Who else models holding a coffee cup with a spectacular mani?  Or does an obsessive amount of pointing at things?  Or just sticks your fingers in people’s faces in general?  Look at mah nails!

The weird ones, that’s who.  So sorry.

Okay, this one would make carrying around an LED lamp all day totally worth it.  Look how beautiful she is under the lights!  You get this stunning red to orange shift and a bit of holo, and OMG I can’t concentrate on anything else.  For real, I’m done.  Goodbye.

Okay, just seven more polishes THEN I’m done.

Here is Rocks in My Snowballs:

Doesn’t this one look exactly like dirty snow?  Chelsea nailed it!  It’s snow after 18,000 cars plow through it.  It’s nightmare snow.  Basically, anti-snow.

In case you didn’t catch that, I am not a fan of snow.  Back when I was a kid, snow meant happy things, like snowmen and no school.  But now as an adult, snow gets you NOTHING.  Work cancelled because of snow?  NOPE.  Chance of getting stuck in a hideous, hardened dirty snow rut?  A billion percent.

I’m getting hives.  Let’s move on.

This polish – despite its dirty snow connotations – is super fun.  It has a white crelly base loaded (and I mean, LOADED) with black, white and grey glitters.  Formula is a little thick, but I did two careful, thin coats and then dabbed on a coat in specific areas that needed a touch-up.  If you have trouble with the thickness, add about 10 drops of nail polish thinner (NOT acetone, you savages!) and shake it up to thin it out a bit.  Works brilliantly.

I added two layers of top coat to smooth it out as much as possible.  The longer I wore this one, the more I really enjoyed it.  I had it on all day at work, and I’ll admit to a couple times where I was typing like a supermodel.  What does that mean?  I dunno.  But you nail girls get it.

Next up is Throw Some Glitter on It!:

Bling bling!  This one is for festive party nails, for sure.  One of these days when I manage to get out of pajamas, I’ll put on this mani again and socialize cuz it’s the perfect polish for it.  It’s made for a Little Black Dress and a glass of champagne.

Under the lamps:

I can’t even begin to decipher what’s going on in there.  Full coverage glitter bomb, I know for sure.  There’s definitely pink and orange glitters.  And blue.  Purple.  Maybe a few flakies.  I did three thin coats here, but if you sponged on your second coat, that might be all you’d need.

Macro porn!

Fun, right?  (Very.)

Next we have the Obligatory Christmas Polish:

The last crelly in the lot.  It is straight up Christmas time.  Red and green glitter with gold holo sparkle in a white base.  I’ll definitely be doing some holiday nail art with this one.  And it may be “obligatory” but I think it’s pretty special, regardless.

The crelly formula on this one is absolutely amazing.  Usually white crellies can be difficult cuz they are too milky and require manipulation to cover uneven spots.   But this one is your new best friend.  Two coats and DONE.  It’s a real live Christmas miracle!

You want it, oh yes you do.

Another multi-chrome.  Here’s Brisky Business:

Excuse me, what now?  Did all my dreams just come true?  OMG, this.  Excuse me, I need a minute …

Okay, that picture didn’t help much either.  Are you dying, cuz I am.  What a stunner!  I literally have no words.  ZERO words.  Maybe I should just stop now before I turn into a bumbling idiot.  This polish makes my mouth hang open and odd throat noises come out.  Uhhhhhhnnnnnnnnn.  (See?!)

If you can’t tell, this one is my favorite.  A dark blue to purple dream boat.  Color shifting flakies.  Heaven in a bottle.  The end.

Two coats of ectasy.  How will you ever be the same again?

Focus now.  Next is I Need a Taupe-ical Vacation: 

I DO need a taupe-ical vacation!  Or a vacation period.  I know I just went on one, but that is beside the point.  Do you think it is easy to get up every day, go to work, then come home and put on pajamas and have your husband make you dinner while you polish your nails for four hours all while trying to cram in 16 episodes of The Walking Dead and then leave time to lay on the couch doing nothing for a while?

See.  Vacation = justified.

Another dusty creme, a lovely soft taupe.  You can definitely see those dusty specks in this one.  And to make it even better –  (Well, better for you.  I am the crazy one, remember?) – it was almost a one coater!  Excellent coverage and super smooth.  What else could you want or need (aside from the vacation, that is)?

Last multi-chrome of the collection and I’m so so sad.  This is Yule Thank Me Later:

Chelsea did such an amazing job with these.  If you’re into pretty polishes, this one has your name written alllll over it.  (For real, I checked.)  And anyone who likes mermaid nails, well, here ya go:  your perfect base.  If you’re not quite convinced, what is wrong with your eyes?!, but also here is a shot under the lights in case you just prefer to be thorough:

Okay, all good?  Good.  I see no logical reason you’re not buying this.  It’s got blue, it’s got green, with golden shimmer and a flakie explosion.  Case closed, people.  Put it in your basket.

If you’re taking notes, I did two coats plus one layer of top coat on this one.  Nice formula.  Happiness-inducing.

And now we’re at the end.  Here is the last polish in the collection, a fun glitter topper called I Busted My Glass:

I put this over black so you could see all the colors in this topper.  There’s bars and shards of different sizes, both metallic and holographic.  Little baby hexes too.  Now, I’m no expert on swatching toppers, but I think this turned out pretty good.  (Toot, toot!)  You could show this off on top of any color base and it would look amazing.  There are no rules.

Sparkly!  That’s what I love about it – the way the glitters reflect the light.  I don’t normally buy glitter toppers cuz they make me nervous (I know, what kind of problem is this?), but application here was easy. You get lots of glitter on the brush and they were very easy to spread around.  If toppers are your thing, this is one of the best.

The round up:

I was impressed by this entire colletion.  Definitely some winter pretties, but also lots of glitz and glam for holiday parties and get-togethers.  I can’t think of any better collection Chelsea could have done.  It’s perfection.  And you want it.  Just so you’re clear.

If you purchase the whole set, cost is $90 and you get free shipping.  If you’re only able to snag a few singles, the dusty cremes are $7.50, the multi-chromes are $9, and the rest are $8.50 each.  These will be available tomorrow, November 14 – so write yourself a little Post-It.  You do not want to miss out!

DON’T FORGET: Get 15% off your order using code dianna15

Click here to order.  Do it!  And thank you thank you thank you for reading this post all the way to the very bottom.  Internet high fives for you.  You may continue to read this blog.

Later, loves!

Nov10

 Glisten & Glow: Winter 2016 Collection

Posted on by
Standard

I’ll be glad when this bowl of Halloween candy is off my coffee table.

I mean, it’s our fault, I guess.  We live in a neighborhood that no one purposely drives by unless you live here.  So it’s not actually a surprise that we get approximately two trick-or-treaters on Halloween night.  And that includes my two grandchildren.  But we bought 18 bags of candy just in case this year would be our year.

It wasn’t.  What the hell am I supposed to do with 76 pounds of Rice Krispy Treats?  If you guessed eating them, sadly, you are correct.  Ugh.  I’m fat.

So before I slip into a sugar coma, let me tell you about some nail polish.  I have the Glisten & Glow Winter Collection for you.  If you like rich, glossy cremes, you better have yourself a seat and your smelling salts handy:  it’s about to get serious.

Presenting:

I know!  Delicious!  Especially that one that looks like butterscotch pudding.  And the caramelly chocolate one, too.  OMG, I need a candy bar.

First up is this luscious deep forest green called Coats & Curling:

Welp, this is starting out well.  Cuz GREEN.  Isn’t it the most glorious color?  If you’ve been reading this blog for a while, y’all already know how much I love green.  And if you haven’t been reading this blog for a while, you’ve got over 200 posts to read, so GET ON IT.  Work and food are overrated anyway.

Just kidding.  Food (or just Starbucks) gets a pass.  And as soon as I can do my job wearing pajamas all day, we’ll readdress that situation then.  As of right now, though, the point is moot.

What am I talking about?  I dunno.  Where’s that dang candy bar, that’s what I really meant to say.

Doesn’t she look pretty all glossy like that?  This is two fabulously creamy coats. I love, I love!

Then I attempted some nail art:

It’s a pretty basic dotticure, but I used three other colors in this collection to make the dots.  And I tried to gradient them all nice-like, but you know I can’t handle making random patterns.  Last time I attempted something random, I spent like 2 hours and a lot of meticulous effort putting glitter in extremely specific places.  OCD really sucks sometimes.

In other words, you better love this.

Next up is Mittens & Mountaineering:

Well, who just wrapped me up in a warm blanket and handed me a bunch of kitties?  This color makes me feel so happy!  I don’t understand it when people don’t like brown.  Brown is comfy, cozy and relaxing.  UNLESS, you are brown grass under 2 feet of snow, well then I don’t like brown very much at all.  But I’ll take a brown campfire, a brown pile of crackling leaves, and lots and lots of brown food.  Like chocolate (we’ve discussed this already), lattes (duh), and gravy.  Gravy?  YES.  I would drink a mug of brown gravy if people weren’t so judgy with their eyes.

Yummy.

I probably shouldn’t blog when I’m hungry.  Although, at least there’s no risk of coming home from the grocery store with like 22 bags of Little Debbie cakes.  No, I’ll just sit on my couch, in pajamas, blogging, with Halloween candy in my mouth instead.  Success!

Did I mention these cremes stamp?  They do!  Here’s a little wheat stamp design using one of the other colors in the collection, and I think it turned out pretty good.  Showed up well over the dark base, which I find impressive as these polishes are not specificially stamping polishes.  I really love that about them.

Now we have Long Johns & Luge:

I told you it was butterscotch pudding!  Now you can’t unsee this.  I’ve put Snak-Paks on the grocery list for this weekend.  Glisten & Glow, what are you doing to me?  Why can’t I see salad in your polishes instead?  Whyyyyyeeeee?

Still two coats.  Every polish is consistently good so far.  Ultra rich, ultra smooth, ultra creamy.  Perfection in a bottle.

Sooooo, I’m pretty proud of this nail art:

I did a dry brush using three colors over the butterscotch base,  and it turned out super cool.  Added an awesome ikat chevron pattern on top, and it literally hurt my heart to remove this mani.  This is why I’m your favorite blogger.  The sacrifices, people.  THE SACRIFICES.

Next up is Flannels & Figure Skating:

What a beautiful cranberry rosy pinky red (i.e, best color description EVER).  This one looks so pretty and elegant on the nail.  Kinda girly but a bit sexy too.  It’s the opposite of a high five after cuddle time, let’s just say.

Wow wow wow.  I really love this color!  But then I did this:

And now I love it even more.  They watermarble!  Holy moly, guys.  These polishes spread in the water like a dang professional.  I’ve been on a streak of terrible watermarbles lately, and this collection has renewed my faith in myself.  They worked perfectly and effortlessly.  So very pleased.

Although don’t mind the pinky nail.  I don’t know what that is.  Looks like a nipple.  Okay, that you DEFINITELY can’t unsee.  Regardless, enjoy!

Here is the lovely Scarves & Snowboarding:

Let’s call this one a dusty, teal blue, not quite navy.  I know, that’s suuuuuper helpful.

But beautiful, so honestly, what else matters?

I can see so many winter landscape manis happening with this one, can’t you?  Looks like the perfect backdrop for a snowy night sky.

So naturally I did butterfly nail art!

Winter = blah.  In fact, my favorite thing about this winter so far is this collection of polishes.  That’s it.  Glisten & Glow, you’re the winner!

I do like this mani though.  I can’t get over the fact these stamp, and stamp well.  I get so excited when polishes do double duty.  It’s practically saving money, and therefore, you’re buying this entire collection.  I’ve decided for you, so you can get back in  pajamas now – your day is done.

Last polish is Hats & Hockey:

A deep dusty plummy purple, and all you purple lovers need to get on board.  It’s lovely!  But then I got her under the lamps and look:

Okay, gimme your smelling salts; imma need those.

Why is it I can take a picture of this mani, crop it, watermark it, post it on Instagram.  Then, and ONLY then, once I post it on my blog at the very last minute right before publishing, I notice I’ve got paint on the tip of my middle finger and now all I can see is that little smear and I just want to reach my hand into the screen with a brush and some acetone and get that shit OFF.  Oh the hives.  The hives, they are a creepin’.

Decided to use this polish strictly for stamping, which I’ve put on top of one of Glisten & Glow’s older shades, Peach Bellini (still available!).  Now, stamping over this base muted the purple color out more, but I still love what I made.  It’s so much better than the disaster I created right before this one.  The one you’ll never ever see because I have a reputation to uphold. (As a nail art genius, to be clear.)

The round up:

My, my, how pretty they all look.

So here’s the plan:

You’re gonna click here, first.  Buy all the polishes.  Toss in a couple of HK Girl top coats because I’ve used that in every single mani pic (except for the matte nail art ones, obvs), it is ridiculously glossy and all the cool kids are doing it.

Then you’re gonna go on my Instagram and click follow because we are best friends whether you like it or not.

Later, loves!

Nov6

Peachtree Polish: Sparkling Holiday Collection

Posted on by
Standard

Hubby told me if the Cubs won the World Series, he was probably going to cry.  And so I looked forward to that little gem for an entire week.  I even reminded him a couple times, just in case he forgot the plan:  watch game, Cubs win, he cries.  But when the Cubs did win, and he did not cry, I felt as if I got cheated out of the only thing that mattered to me.  I mean, I watched that entire 3 hour game ON PURPOSE just waiting for my big moment.  I even jumped off the couch really fast to cheer for the team and peed my pants a little bit.  Certainly that gets me something?  Something, plus interest.  

Don’t worry; I’m making a list.  The trade-in allowance for a single tear is var var high.

I got new polishes, guys!  Bonny from Peachtree Polish sent me four new pretties to review for you.  This is their Sparkling Holiday collection:

So pretty!  We’ve got two shimmery polishes and two festive glitter toppers.  Putting them side by side like that, and I would like to just fast forward to December 25 right now please.  And then quickly skip to April 1 so we can go ahead and get Spring started.  We are barely out of the 80-degree weather here, but I already miss it so bad.  

First up is Southern Pine:

Now if you previously purchased the Peachtree Polish Fall Collection, you already have Southern Pine.  But it really is the perfect Christmas green, isn’t it?  So here we go.  We’re doing it again. Yay!

Look at her under the lights:

Good gracious, that shimmer.  That right there is why green is my favorite color.  I could wear this one everyday, but I have 800 polish children, so I can’t play favorites.  But this one knows.  She knows the depths of my love.

Macro time!

Yep, it’s official:  you’re buying this collection.

Next up is Poinsettia:

You know, I don’t wear (or own) a lot of red polishes, most likely because a red is a red is a red.  I know, I know, the girl who has at least 30 shades of purple polish just said that.  Assume I’ve been kidnapped and someone else is writing this blog, because somehow that makes more sense.

Anyway, this red is special.  It’s loaded with this glorious golden shimmer.  Take a look:

Did your mouth just fall open?  Maybe pass out a little bit?  Cuz mannnnn, this red got me.  It glows!  It’s truly such a lovely red.

You know what’s next:

Okay, now for the glitter toppers.  This first one is called Silver Bells/Gold Balls:

This one is a mix of silver and gold glitters in a clear base.  It was really hard to macro in the bottle because – while I’m no scientist (surprise!) – I assume clear bases don’t photograph all that well.  You know, cuz INVISIBLE.

Below shot shows three ways of wearing the topper:

Pinky nail has 2 coats over nothing; ring finger has about 3 coats sponged on for a “full coverage” effect.  And the other two nails have the topper over Southern Pine.  Which is your favorite way? 

Oh, and not to be outdone by myself, here’s another version:

This all took like 80 years to do.  Someone deserves a gift card.  (Me, to be clear.)

Here’s a weird macro of my ring finger:

And now, Garland:

This is a festive little mix of different sizes of red hexes, green bars and some holographic sparkle.  It’s the type of glitter you find in strange places days and days after messing with it.  So thank goodness this version is contained safe and sound in a clear base; otherwise, I’d no doubt be digging around in my underpants, picking them off my ladybits.   How’d that get in there?!  It’s one of life’s greatest mysteries.

Like the last glitter topper, I treated this one in the same way – 2 coats over nothing on the pinky, 3 sponged on coats on my ring finger, and 2 coats over Poinsettia on the other two fingers.

Then I did this one over white because I had another 80 years to spare:

If you assumed this mani gave me anxiety, you assumed correct.  When you have OCD, there is no such thing as random glitter placement.  Looking at my actual, true attempt at “random” gives me the hives.  I just wanna reach into the screen and move some of those glitters around.  Someone needs to invent that, please.

One more macro:

As a special treat, if you purchase the 4- or 3-piece set (with or without Southern Pine, depending on whether you purchased it previously in the Fall Collection), you get a cute Christmas tree charm from Charmed & Dangerous.  I love free stuff!

I added the charm to Southern Pine and Poinsettia both because I am nothing if not thorough:

Well, you get the point.

The round up:


The Sparkling Holiday collection released yesterday, so you’re all good to go!  Click here to purchase.  Set is $28 (or $21 for the 3-piece), or $8 for a single polish.  Also available in minis.  Remember though, no charm unless you buy a set. Sooooo, inother words:  YOU’RE BUYING A SET.

Later, loves!

Nov4

Night Owl Lacquer: Fall Collection 2016

Posted on by
Standard

Things I Learned While on Vacation #163:

It takes at least 33 seconds of flying in an open-air biplane before your hair gets whipped into a frenzied mess.  And another .25 seconds after that to have a full blown panic attack.

It’s my husband’s fault.  He wanted to take a tour of the city of Louisville by riding one of those historic biplanes – you know, the kind with wings on both top and bottom and no roof or beverage service.  I did have my hair in a ponytail, but not because I had any foresight of what was to come, but more because it had been 3 days since I’d washed it.

Whaaaat?  No one could tell.  Pretty sure, anyway.

Anyway, as soon as our plane lifted off the runway, the 80 mph winds got me big time.  I didn’t think about it at first, but as soon as we leveled out and I settled in for a relaxing flight, I reached up to play with my ponytail.  Or the big ball of rat’s nest that used to be my ponytail.

I couldn’t focus.  I could no longer see the sights I was meant to see.  It was really hot in the cockpit despite the fact if I moved my head one inch to the left, I’d have one of those skydiving faces where the mouth blows open and the cheeks ripple violently in the wind.  All I could do was spend the next half hour trying to simultaneously untangle my hair and hold on to the ponytail in fear of further damage.  How beautiful does Louisville look at 8000 feet?  I have no freaking idea.  But I got a $275 receipt anyway.

But let’s talk about polish because that at least doesn’t give me the hives.  I received a gorgeous set of fall polishes from Night Owl Lacquer to show you.  Look:

Well, those colors look amazing together.  If anyone crochets, I’ll take a blanket that looks just like this.  I’d do it myself, but I don’t need another pot holder.

I really need a longer attention span.

Here’s Autumn Winds:

Oooooh, dreamy!  This looks just like a campfire, if you ask me.  A smokey grey loaded with tons of copper shimmer.  The contrast is stunning.  One of the only reasons to love fall – colors like this.

Not that I don’t like fall.  But only early fall.  Once it hits 60-degrees, I’m done.  However, this polish helps.

Two pretty macros:

Well, I’m not sure we can top this one.  It’s basically the prettiest color that ever lived.

But then along comes Be Thankful:

Alright, I seriously can’t take this.  I looooooove oranges like this.  Warm and fiery, like sparkling leaves.  I know, I know.  Summer just can’t quite do this.  Summer does neon.  I don’t want to wrap myself up in a neon blanket.

Fiiiiiine.  Points for fall.

The base here is a reddish copper with copper flecks.  So I guess not technically an orange.  Either way, it’s absolutely stunning and one of the best reasons why you’re buying this collection.

Macro porn!

I’m getting woozy.  This polish has got me loopy.  I’m drinking a rum and Coke, but I’ve been sipping from the same glass for like three hours, so pretty sure that has nothing to do with it.  

Next up is Harvest Moon:

Now it’s just getting stupid.  How can we have three gorgeous polishes in a row like that?  Is that even possible?  Quick, someone do the science.  Should we buy lottery tickets next?

Isn’t this pale gold so stunning?  It’s literally glowing.  It’s got loads of gold micro flakies in it, and I’m basically a melty pool of goo right now.

Macros next!

You love it, oh yes you do.

Here is Autumn Nights:

Welp, if I had a mic right now, I’d totally drop it.  Like literally drop it, and walk right out of the room.  

I love dark polish.  I’ve mentioned this before, maybe in this same blog post, I dunno.  But I just love the look of dark colors on my nails.  Makes my fingers seem less pale, although I’m sure you just scrolled up to look and now you think I’m crazy.  Listen, this is a darker shade of pale for me; trust me, it’s better.

So this polish is a dark navy blue with copper flakies in it.  I applied two coats even though this one didn’t really need it.  It was basically a one coater, which I’m sure a lot of you will appreciate.  Not me, cuz I can polish for 17 hours straight and never blink an eye (unless someone puts a Starbucks in my face), but I’m sure all the rest of you are normal human beings.

You know what’s next:

You can see those copper flakies in that one.  So pretty.

Last polish in the collection is Sunshine on Falling Leaves:

Oh, green, how much I love thee.  What an awesome ending, right?  Despite all my oohs and aahs about all the other  colors, green will always be my baby.  It’s my comfort color.  I love all shades of green, but especially ones like this.  

This one is a shimmery olive green packed full of gold holo micro glitters and gold holo shreds.  It’s perfection and the collection wouldn’t be complete without it.  It’s fall in a bottle, but just the warm part.  Like today, when it was 80-degrees.  That kind of fall.  The only fall that matters.  Because after the warm part, things turn brown.  And then naked.  And despite what you’ve heard, naked is not an attractive look for anyone.  Unless you’re Leonardo DiCaprio.  I assume, anyway.

More macros:

I die!

The round up:

Lindsay, the maker of Night Owl Lacquer, has truly outdone herself.  I loved the last collection she did, but this one just blows me away.  Every single one of them had a super rich color and requires either one to two coats, but more like one-and-a-half coats, although I don’t know if that’s a thing.  Regardless,  you’ve gotta get it!  It debuts later today at 10pm MST so click here to order.  You can thank me later.  I like gift cards.  And nail polish-shaped packages.  Thanks.

Later, loves!                                                                                                                               

Nov3

Blush Lacquers: November 2016 Releases

Posted on by
Standard

I don’t know what all you’ve got going on today, but I’ve just rearranged your schedule.  This post is about to be a long one, so let’s get our priorities straight.  Grab your snacks, a cozy blanket, maybe some diabetic circulation socks just to be safe, cuz we’re gonna be here for a while.  Work will understand.

And I muted Full House, so I can concentrate.  Who’s the best, most dedicated blogger ever?  (Me.)

One of my most favorite brands is Blush Lacquers, and I’ve got their entire line of November releases to share with you today.  I’m feeling quite blessed that I received such a ginormous PR package, and every single polish I unwrapped was a workout of constraint, lest I jump up and down too much and accidentally exercise, which I do not take kindly to.  Pajamas are meant for lounging, that’s it.  Well, and driving to Starbucks.

Let’s get started.  First up is the November Color of the Month, Rust-ic Beauty:

I could probably end this blog right now, and you’ll buy everything in the shop anyway.  Isn’t this color absolutely insanely gorgeous?  This is my favorite kind of orange, earthy and rusty.  It’s comforting to me.  I do not like fall because of it’s proximity to winter, but this orange makes it bearable.

Base here is a rust orange with a rust orange shimmer.  It’s pretty on it’s own, but get it out in direct lights, and you’re a big pool of goo.  Look:

Gah!  See?!  I’m sliding out of my seat as we speak.  It may get really hard to ty o[pe here ina dsecond …

Focus!  Sorry.

For my macro lovers:

You’re buying this, just so you know.

For the main collection this month, Victoria was inspired by the characters in the BBC series, Sherlock:

As usual, it’s a set of six polishes, but it’s a little different this time as they are all cremes.  Lovely cremes.  Rich, pigmented, delicious cremes. Want, want and need.  You’ll see.

First up is The Blind Banker:

This is one of those “ugly” colors that I am magnetically drawn to.  They don’t always suit my skintone, but I love them anyway.  Gimme all the poopy greens and weird mustardy yellows.  The more unique, the better.

So, this one is a chartreuse green.  And it’s gorgeous.  It’s the color of Tupperware from the 1970s.  Tell me you had a least one ugly green flour canister on your counter as a kid.  That thought brings me so much joy.  Eeeeee!

OMG, they still sell Tupperware.  Brb.  I need to buy a Sandwich Keeper or something.

Next, is this sexy deep berry called The Woman:

Holy moly, she’s pretty!  For real, all these polishes are so glossy, you may not even need a quick dry top coat.  Unless you’re me, that is.  Cuz I don’t have time to wait around for my polish to dry.  Nothing says I got shit to do like ten freshly painted fingertips.  Like, I can literally be comatose on the couch for hours, but as soon as I finish a manicure, I suddenly need to find a paper clip at the bottom of my purse.

Check out how rich this color is under direct lights:

Heck ya.  You’re getting this one.

Here’s Moriarty:

Now this is my kinda nude.  Darker, more brown.  Taupe-y.  Makes my pale fingers look a skosh more model-y.  I mean, I know I’ll never be asked to caress the prizes on Let’s Make a Deal or anything, but this color gives me hope.

So yes, a brown leaning taupe creme.  Reminds me slightly of cereal milk after you’ve fished out all the Cocoa Krispies.  You agree?  Or maybe you just like cornflakes, and in that case, I feel sad for you.

Look at this beauty under the lights:

Wowza.  I hope you’re still awake cuz you don’t wanna be missing this one.

Next up is Mycroft:

Like your polish a little more dramatic?  Me too; dark polish is the best.  They’re the kinds of polish that give you a boost of confidence.  Makes you feel like you could punch someone real hard instead of the noodle arms you usually have.  I’m speaking for a friend, obviously.  The concept of noodle arms is foreign to me.

*crickets*

Ugh.

A bad ass little polish is what I’m trying to say.  Looks good in all lighting situations.  So you can leave your LED lamp at home.  Hooray!

Now, Watson:

Don’t be showing me no chocolate brown polish now.  I can’t take it; my knees are already weak as it is.  (Noodle arms notwithstanding.)  I have a strong magnetic attraction to things with food connotations.  I have bought so many moisturizers with the word “whipped” on the jar, it’s not even funny.  Cuz while I know they’re not actual whipped cream, the idea that they could be makes me want to buy them more.  Might be a jar of dog turd for all I know, but if it’s whipped dog turd, somehow that makes it better.

OMG.  Shut up, brain.

Dead.

Still dead.  Did I not mention how amazing this collection is?  For real, y’all.  I may say really stupid things occassionally (read: a lot) in this blog, but I’m super serious this time.  For a batch of cremes, these are some must-haves.

Did I spell occassionally right?  I’m too tired to even check.

Okay, you know I checked.  There’s only one “s” in occasionally.  But guess what?  We’re moving on.

Last one is Sherlock:

Couldn’t end the collection without a stunning navy blue.  It’s officially my new go-to navy.  Previously, every navy nail art I would do, I’d use Urban by Revlon.  But come on.  It’s so much more cool to use Blush Lacquers.  It’s true; I checked.  Indie polish is a billion times better.

Under the lamps:

I’m literally speechless.  This blue is all the happy words poured in a bottle.  It’s stunning.  Glorious.  Want, want, and NEEEEEEED.  The Sherlock Collection is no joke. 

Let’s end on the highest high note possible shall we?  Victoria has collaborated again with other makers this month to bring you the most gorgeous BLUSH Box ever made.  Here is Autumn Leaves:

Told you.  This box is the epitome of fall.  If you’re like me and need a really good reason to be done with summer, this be it.  

Let’s start with the Blush Lacquers offering.  Here is Fall-ing For You:

What can I say that hasn’t already been said?  Victoria is amazing at what she does.  Her polishes are elegant, unique, handmade little masterpieces.  I can’t even comprehend how she achieves this each and every time.  Here’s a scenario:

ME (making a polish):  Let’s take this red and put some glitter in it.

VICTORIA (making a polish):  Let’s take this red and put some MAGIC in it.

Ugh.  It’s the magic that makes it possible. And I have zero magic.  I wouldn’t like Victoria if I didn’t love her so much. So technically (according to etiquette books), I should shut the ef up.

This polish has a beautiful coppery-red base with a good measure of holo and some gold to bronze flakies (i.e., magic) thrown in.  Under the lamps, she just GLOWS:

You already want this box. The voodoo is working.

Macro porn!

One of the indie makers collabing in this box is MDJ Creations, and Melissa’s offering is Golden Glow:

Everyone needs a good gold.  But instead of just being good, we got a GREAT one.  Perfectly fall, but will definitely be useful for the upcoming holiday season as well.  It’s truly versatile and so so beautiful.

Base here is a light cool-toned gold, then she had to go all braggy with it by adding micro rainbow flakies and holographic micro glitter.  Take THAT! all the rest of all the other golds.  Why be basic when you can be this?  Result is bright with an almost metallic finish.

Of course it is.

It’s so holographic, my picture looks blurry.  Or maybe it is blurry.  I’m no professional.

Look at these macros, though:

So pretty, it hurts.

Last of the polish contributions is this one from Lindsey with Tonic Polish called Leaf Pile Leap:

Okay, for real?  This box is insanely good.  What an epic finish to the polishes.  You see, this polish right here is why fall colors are my favorite.  It’s a crackling campfire, a mug of hot chocolate, a pile of fiery leaves.  It’s all the beautiful things about fall minus the 60-degree weather (the not-so-favorite).

It’s your Pumpkin Spice Latte.  Did I get your attention now?

This one has a black base although you’d never know it.  There are so many metallic copper shimmers in it, it looks brown.  A glorious, cozy brown.  Toss in a bunch of holo and some pink to green shifting flakies, and I. AM. DONE.

Good God.  Sometimes polish makes me speechless.  This is one of those times.

While I find my voice, enjoy these awesome macros:

Try finding something this pretty at Walgreens.  Spoiler alert: you can’t.

And then there’s this:

I don’t even know.  I had a dorky moment.  But I paid $1.49 for that flower, so I had no choice.

Last item in the box is a Heather’s Hues Cutie-cle Oil pen in the scent, Maple Leaf:

Do you like pancakes?  Do you like them covered in syrup?  Then you are correct!  This cuticle oil smells like heaven.  I don’t know if you’ve ever used cuticle oil in a pen, but it’s the best way.  The most convenient and easy way.  And when faced with choices, convenient and easy is always at the top of my list.

Now, I’m no scientist (surprise!), but this oil contains almond oil, and that might mean something to someone with an allergy.  Or maybe it won’t.  Like I said, not a scientist.  Also, not a mathmetician.  Or an athlete of any kind.  I’m quite the catch, you might say.

The round up:


First of all, everything is amazing.  I can’t think of any valid reason why you’re not buying these.  I mean, it took like 5 days to write this blog post, so I’d say you owe me.

Here’s the lowdown on the goods:

November Color of the Month – $9

Sherlock Collection – $45 full set or $9 each

November BLUSH Box – $30

All release on November 3 at 7pm EST – which means they’re available now and you need to GET ON IT.  Click here to buy!

If you made it to the end of this blog post, you need to pat yourself on the back for being so amazing.  I appreciate you, cuz if it weren’t for you being here, I’d just be talking to myself.  And I’m prettttty sure that’s how crazy starts.
Later, loves!

Nov1

Pretty & Polished: Throwback Collection and 5 Year Anniversary Exclusive

Posted on by
Standard

It took a total of 30 seconds after the Walking Dead season 7 premiere before someone on Facebook ruined it for everyone.  Don’t they know I’m only on season 5 right now?!  And that I somehow have to watch the next 32 episodes trying to unknow what I know.  Ugh.  People are assholes.

I’ve been trying to catch up.  I’ve got nine weeks worth of US Weeklys just sitting on the counter, neglected.  I’m still not reading the last 150 pages in that book I started reading 20 months ago.  I haven’t watched Dancing with the Stars AT ALL.  I’ve mentioned this before, but I’m really terrible at balancing my life.

Granted, my husband and I have made great progress on The Walking Dead.  We went from episode 1 to episode 50-something in the course of two months.  And this all truly surprises me because if you’d told me back in August I’d be loving a show about zombies right now, I’d swear you’d got your facts wrong.  Cuz there’s zero comedy in it.  No one is drinking coffee in Central Perk.  AND, Leonardo DiCaprio is nowhere to be seen.

I’m also the girl who went from never polishing her nails to owning over 800 bottles in less than a year.  So what do I know?

I’ve got more Pretty & Polish beauties to share with you!  The month of November is Pretty & Polished’s 5th anniversary, and to celebrate, Chelsea has come out with one anniversary exclusive polish and an awesome Throwback Collection.

Let’s start with the collection:

Oh, how intrigued you are!  This Throwback Collection is a revamp of four of their original polishes from back in the day.  They come in their original bottles and labels but with the updated and improved formula you know and love.  Also, they’re only $6.50 each.  Whaaaat?! I know; practically free.

First one is Mannequin Hands:

So elegant!  If we’re gonna do a light-colored polish, it’s gotta be one like this.  It has to be soft and dainty and remind you of peaches and cream.  Or mannequin hands, except my mannequin has the hands of someone with a water retention problem, and therefore you’d better take the peaches instead.

The base on this one is a very pale pinky peach. A light smattering of peach and pale pink glitters. Goes on opaque in about three thin coats.

I’m surprised how much I loved it.  In the bottle it was definitely very pretty, but on the nail, it’s so much lovelier than expected.  It’s the best kind of surprise.  Well, after Leonardo DiCaprio in pajamas holding Starbucks in my living room, that is.

Macros:

Next up is this purple jawbreaker of a polish called Tart:

How fun is this?  It’s like the colors of a birthday party or something. Or the pair of floral corduroy pants I wore in the 7th grade.

OMG, best throwback collection ever.  Now if someone could make a polish inspired by black clunky shoes and a pair of Hammer pants, you’ll know everything there is to know about my life.

Base here is a medium lavender with fun confetti glitters of different sizes and colors and a tiny dusting of sparkling flakes.  I did two thin coats plus a dabbed on coat to make sure I got the glitters where I wanted them.  Excellent glitter payoff though – no fishing required!

More macros cuz I know you love them! (Right? Right.)

Next, we have this awesome black and white glitter topper called Valentino:

It’s hard to swatch a topper.  I agonized over the best way to showcase it for you.  So naturally, I did all the things.  When in doubt, go overboard.  That’s basically the motto for everything I do in life.  You don’t end up with 17 sizes of crochet hooks and a duffle bag full of back issues of Penny Press puzzle books for nothing.  Well, until you sell them all at a garage sale that is.

So this first shot is my attempt at a full coverage something or other.  I sponged on about three coats on three of my fingers with a one pass deal over a grey polish on my pinky:

Next shot shows the same pinky and full coverage ring finger, but just two brushed on coats over naked nails on the other two:

Lastly, here are two brushed coats over a grey polish on all my nails:

In case you were wondering, all this took AGES.  I don’t put much effort in anything, so this is a var var big deal.  If I expended this much energy on everything else in my life, I’d most likely be president of the universe by now.

And now, some macros:

I like this topper; it’s very chic.  Kind of a formal tuxedo type of feel.  It would look so cool on top of a hot pink, or even a neon.  Ooooh, like a yellow neon!  OMG, I just invented the best mani ever.  Pretty sure someone needs to send me a Visa gift card then.

Finally, here’s Day Trippin’:

I saved the best one for last.  Holy moly, look at it!  I’m not real good at thermals, but I couldn’t keep my eyes off this little lady.   It was a dangerous situation on the way to the grocery store.  Well, according to my husband, that is, who was sitting in the passenger seat holding onto the Oh Shit handle and pumping on his imaginary brakes.

He’s so rude.  But did you die?!  No you did not.

Here’s a shot of Day Trippin’ in it’s warm state:

So shiny and glossy!  I’d be perfectly okay if this polish stayed this way forever.  Which is a good thing, cuz my nails stay warm most of the time anyway.  With the exception of Monday thru Friday from 8:30 to 5:30 when I’m sitting in the meat locker that others refer to as my office.

Here are a few transition photos:

Oh my god, are we done?!

No.  Here are a couple more pics:

Clearly I had trouble making a decision.  I just wanted to make sure you were absolutely certain how much you love this polish.  Lots and lots.  You’re buying this in about 2.5 seconds.

In addition to the Throwback Collection, Chelsea has also made a commemorative 5 year anniversary polish called I Got 5 On It.  She’s super pretty:

Dark polish!  Yes, ma’am.  This polish makes me so incredibly happy.  A maroon brown with tones of purple and a lot of fuchsia flash.  There is nothing NOT to love in here.

Under the lamps, it’s a killer:

The holo!  The shine!  And that perfect cuticle line!  Sometimes having OCD pays off just a little.  And then other times it’s annoying , especially when you’re trying to go to bed, but first you have to check all the doors, physically touch the locks because although you can clearly see they’re locked, it could just be a figment of your imagination (you never know!), and then open the door that leads to the garage to make sure the garage door is shut although when you shut it a mere four or so hours before, you said out loud to yourself to REMEMBER THIS DOOR IS SHUT but somehow that is a moot point at 1 in the morning.

Was that a run on sentence?  Probably.

But back to the polish.  Let’s end with some spectacular macros:

Gah!  In love.

The round up:


Both the Throwback Collection and the 5th anniversary polish debuts today – right now in fact because I’ve got this blogging thing down to a science.  Here’s the scoop:

Throwback Collection – pre-sale will run from November 1 through November 14, with shipping to begin on November 15.  Each polish is $6.50.

5th anniversary polish – available to ship now!  Cost is $9.

Lastly, don’t forget to use my coupon code (dianna15) to get 15% off your order (excludes beauty boxes).  Now aren’t you glad you read all the way to the end?  (You are.)

Later, loves!

Oct24

Glam Polish: Gobblefunk Shimmers (LE)

Posted on by
Standard

My husband suggested an idea for my own nail polish color. He said it shall be called No Pants Sunday, and that it would be a super pale nude or possibly a plain white. With freckles in it. I’m not sure if I should be offended, or pleased he’s speaking the language of my people.

Yes, I’m pale. Yes, I’m also super pale. All of that is true. And it’s not even the Irish Fair Maiden kind of pale. Unless you like the shade of chalk that’s been dipped in yogurt, then I’m not winning any hot bodies contests any time soon.

To be clear, though, it’s mostly my legs that are pale as they never ever see the sun. I am not a leg girl. Unless I’m headed out to the Fat Knee Convention, I keep my legs covered up. The rest of my exposed skin is more of a red, anxiety-flush version of pale. In other words, my husband loves me for my brains.

To protest No Pants Sunday (the polish, not actual no pants on Sunday, of which I am a super huge fan), I give you some gorgeous Glam Polish shades that are the exact opposites of nude.

This is one of their newest collections called the Gobblefunk Shimmers. Five spectacularly blingy shades celebrating the 100th birthday of one of the world’s best storytellers, author Roald Dahl. 

Let’s go! First up is Whoopsy-Splunkers:

Okay, stop. Did you just die? Cuz I sure did. What a glowy, gorgeous thing. They look like literal metallic foil on your nails. Glorious.

Here’s a shot taken under the lamps:

Squeeeee!  And we’re just getting started, so I’ll be a mushy pool of drool and goo by the end of this blog. 

The base on this shade is an indigo blueish purple that’s loaded with crimson color shifting glass fleck shimmer and holo flakes.  It’s such a cool mix!  Look at it up close:

Formula on this is to die for. Two easy and flawless coats. No effort required. If this polish was a person, it’d be my best friend.  We’d be so awesome at pajamas together. Throw in some Netflix and Doritos, and life = succeeded. Effortless, like I said.

Nail art alert!

These polishes make excellent bases for fun nail art. Here, I used some candy swirl vinyls I got from Lanika Vinyls and they are the best of this style I’ve ever used. See those clean lines? That’s not cuz I know what I’m doing, AT ALL, I can promise you that.

Next polish is Phiz-Whizzing:

The camera might’ve freaked out on this one cuz my fingers look so tan and lovely!  I mean, see the below picture for sad portrayal of actual life. Ugh. 

Ahhhh, there I am! Flushy and fleshy. Did I just break the internet? Probably so. 

Phiz-Whizzing is a teal jelly with gold and green color shifting glass fleck shimmer and holo flakes. First pic was taken in the light box and pulls more green, while the second one under the lamps pulls more teal. Either way, I’m in mad, passionate love. It’s the green of my dreams.

Again, two precious coats. 

I thought this was the perfect mermaid shade, so of course I did some cute mermaid nails:

Uber Chic Beauty just came out with a mermaid stamping plate, so what excellent timing!  However, don’t ask what I was attempting on my ring finger. Clearly, I don’t always know when to stop.  Stamp all the things!  That’s my motto. 

And now, Splitzwiggled:

Good gracious, I’m speechless.  How glowy and gorgeous is this? (Very.)

Under the lights, though:

I need at least 17 emojis to properly describe my love for this shade. It looks red in some lights, but it’s actually a magenta jelly full of gold glass fleck shimmer. What the hell is glass fleck shimmer? I dunno, but I want it all over my body.

Is that TMI? Not in this group!

Dead. 

Still dead. 

Then I did this wackadoodle nail art:

You see, I was trying to make strawberries laying in a field of green vines. In my head, this looked nothing short of an art piece. But in reality .. meh. Again, a prime example of how NOT to stamp all the things. Someone needs to take away my stamping plates. 

Just kidding. I will cut you. 

Ready for a jaw drop? Here’s Gloriumptious:

Okay, it’s getting serious now. You’re buying this entire collection. I’ve decided for you. 

Has there ever been a more splendid couple than fuchsia and blue? Besides Fritos and bean dip, the answer is NO.

Gah!

Went a little simpler with my nail art on this one. I bought the entire stamping plate inventory from this new company, Lina Nail Art Supplies, which means two things:

1.  Not stamping all the things is proving to be var var hard right now, and

2.  Someone needs more responsibilities, like an electric bill or something. Cuz, again, I BOUGHT THEIR ENTIRE INVENTORY. What is wrong with me? In my defense, though, I wanted every last one of them.

So here’s a design using their Make Your Mark 02 plate:

I love the contrast of the blingy fuchsia and the glossy black creme. I made a success of this one! Toot toot!

And lastly, we have Time-Twiddler:

Perhaps the most subdued of the bunch, but definitely not boring. This one might be a manifestation of me in polish form:  wearing pajamas, looking all chill, but still awesome AF cuz look at mah nails! Hair might not be combed, but dammit my hands belong in a magazine.

Ooooh, she pretty all glossy like that!

Color here is a deep violet – more royal purple than Whoopsy-Splunkers, the first polish I showed you. And those glass fleck shimmers –  purple, this time – are just so perfect. This polish looks like black light. Check it:

See what I mean? This one sets one heckuva mood. Sexy little thing.

Busted out some chevron vinyls that I got from Polished Vino not too long ago, and made this easy design:

Sometimes simple is best. 

The round up:

Holy moly, what a fabulous bunch of pretties. Guys, you have to get this collection. Every single one of them. They’re pretty. They’re shiny. They’re smooth and easy.  Two coats and done. Why are you still thinking about this?! Get on it, girlfriends!

Well, not til October 28 at 2pm EST that is. On that day, you can buy them here. Shipping to the US is quick and cheap cuz they have a supplier in Michigan just for us! They do ship to some other international locales, which you can check here.

So, what to do between now and October 28 then? Besides watch season 5 AND 6 of The Walking Dead before some asshole ruins season 7 before you ever get there, that is? Scroll my Instagram.  Duh.

Later, loves!

Oct23

Squishy Face Polish: Fall 2016 Indie Shop Exclusives

Posted on by
Standard

Things I Learned While on Vacation #127:

Waiters at fancy restaurants don’t like it when you tell them their octopus you just ate tasted exactly like a chicken mcnugget.  I thought it was a compliment, because it was less weird than I expected it to be.  I had prayed to the Baby Jesus there’d be no tentacles on my plate, and to my vast, immense, limitless relief, there wasn’t any.  So the only other thing to hope for was that it tasted good.

I’ve had octopus before.  About 15 years ago I went on a boat tour in Mexico where the tour guide took us to some out-0f-the-way oceanside restaurant for lunch. Menu was extremely limited, and my traveling partner decided the “seafood platter” was the way to go.  Listen, I knew it was octopus, but it looked like a tator tot, so naturally I wanted it real bad.

Do you know how long it takes to chew one tator tot-sized piece of octopus?  AGES.  It was rubbery and gross and never got any smaller.  I gave up after roughly 17 years and swallowed the thing whole.  And been traumatized ever since.

Flash forward to 2016 where the only two options on the tasting menu was either octopus or beef tongue. Well, this is a disaster. No meatloaf at least?  Ugh.

Thankfully, however, this version was actually pretty good.  Granted, I didn’t want a whole bucket of it (I mean, it’s not actual chicken mcnuggets), but I could chew it with roughly 97.95768% success.  But when I tried to share my joy with our server, you could tell no one had ever compared his fancy octopus to something you could get at a drive-thru window for a dollar.  His response was less excitement and more a polite heh heh before turning to my husband asking how HIS meal was.  Where phrases like “good balance,” “complex flavor,” and “cleanse the palette” were thrown out all willy nilly.

Show off.

Guys, I got nail polishes!  (And therefore, I WIN.)

Alice from Squishy Face Polish sent me these two beauties.  Look:

Best. Macros. Ever.  Amiright?!

Alice created these two lovelies exclusively for the Fall 2016 Indie Shop event that’s being held in Torrance, California on November 5.  If you are already going, then LUCKY YOU.  If you haven’t decided yet, well the fence is no place for a lady.  In other words, you’re buying tickets in about 2.5 seconds.

The first polish is called Mon Cheri Petit:

If you purchased a VIP swag bag, then this little lady is alllll yours.  And because VIP tickets are all sold out now, there’s only about a million people jealous of you.  How nice does that feel?  It’s your prize for having the foresight to purchase your tickets early.  I suppose there’s some kind of life lesson in there  somewhere, isn’t there?  Early bird gets the worm and all that.  But unless there’s a 5am plane taking me on a tropical vacation, I’m not doing early anything.

Top photo was taken under the lamps so you can see the pink and gold shimmer.  This is truly a very pretty polish. Super girly, delicate, elegant.  The type of polish you wear when you want to drink cappucino out of a tiny cup.

Here’s a shot with a matte top coat:

Looks like satin, doesn’t it?  Or the dreamiest cotton candy you’ve ever seen.  Either way, you VIP girls are gonna love it.

And lastly, a macro:

I die!  Heart eyes everywhere.

Next is the polish created for anyone going to the event, even the people who just randomly walk into the event by accident.  She’s called Ville de L’amour, a dark and mysterious little lady:

Aaaaaah!  Dark polishes are my thang.  This one looks so amazing on the nail, especially on mine because it tends to distract from my super pale, almost see-thru skin.  And don’t get me started on the sausage fingers.  Blech.

This one is a black holo filled with lavender, crimson, turquoise, blue and purple shimmers.  I got opacity in two super easy coats.  It’s an effortless polish, perfect for lazy people like me.  Wanna paint your nails while taking a nap?  You could probably make that happen with this one.

For funsies, I mattified it:

And then I made this macro:

Oh my goodness, all those shimmers just get to me!  Not a basic black holo – this one is special.  And you need it.  If you live anywhere near California, getting yourself to The Indie Shop is your new top priority.

The round up:

So about this Indie Shop.  Here’s the info:

WHEN – November 5 from 10am to 3pm PDT

WHERE – Doubletree Hotel in Torrence, California

HOW – Aside from the VIP tickets that are now sold out, you can get an early entrance ticket for $7 or a general admission ticket for free as long as you bring a donation of new or gently used clothes and toys for local shelters.  Click here to buy tickets.  Do it!  Also, take me with you.

More links!

Indie Shop Facebook page – click here

Indie Shop Fan Group Facebook page – click here

Instagram – click here; you can see pics of the polish exclusives from the other attending brands as well

Alright, that was super thorough.  Who’s the best blogger?  (ME.) 

If you’re headed to the show, let me know in the comments below.  If you’re reading this in the future and you already went to the show, tell me what you got.  Also, follow me on Instagram because I’ve been writing this blog post for over two days now, and it’s the right thing to do.  Okay, thanks.

Later, loves!

Oct16

Night Owl Lacquer: Witchcraft & Wizardry Collection

Posted on by
Standard

Current status:  sitting in a hotel room in Louisville, Kentucky.  Hubby is napping and I’m wearing no pants.  Clearly, I’ve made myself at home.

So yes, we decided to take a short little vacation this weekend.  We truly tortured ourselves to get here.  I had to wake up at 3:30 in the morning to catch our flight.  Imagined what that looked like, trying to get dressed while still under the covers, brushing my teeth with my eyes closed.  How I managed to walk out the door wearing two of the same shoes is beyond me.  But it’s what happened on the actual plane that was the most horrific.

People all around me doing normal plane-riding stuff:  reading books, playing video games, chatting with their seat neighbors.  Me, I’m laying my head on the window falling asleep with my mouth hanging open.  I know this cuz I kept waking up about 90 different times to close it.  The last time I did it, I woke up to the watchful eyes of the flight attendant.  How long was she standing there?  I mean, clearly I do not want a drink.  Ugh.

Anyone else out there an ugly plane-sleeper?  I do it just about everytime.  I’m surprised I haven’t ended up on someone’s Facebook like a People of Walmart or something.  That I know of anyway.

But you came here for the polish.  I received this awesome Harry Potter-inspired collection by Night Owl Lacquer called Witchcraft & Wizardry.  Look how pretty they all are:

Right?!  Such gorgeous colors.  Let’s do some close ups!

First one is called Always, a black jelly base packed with violet and iridescent rainbow flakies:

This polish was inspired by Snape and the general spirit of how he uses the word “always” in the book.  If you are a Harry Potter fan, you’ll know exactly what this means.  I haven’t read a Harry Potter book for about 10 years, so I am not a good source of info.  I am on book 5 out of the 7, so at this point NO ONE HAS DIED and maybe I just want to keep it that way.

Here’s a shot under the lamps:

You can really see the purple show up here.  At first glance, I thought the entire polish was purple, so it’s amazing how transforming flakies can be.

Mandatory macros!

Glorious!  Purple polish lovers, pay attention.

Next up is A.P.W.B.D., a polish inspired by Albus (something, something, something) Dumbledore.  Oh my gosh, I’m terrible at this.

Anyway, it’s a medium gray polish with lots of blue shimmer and blue flakies.  I think its the perfect representation of Dumbledore, with his long gray beard and all.  Probably full of glitter.  And cute baby field mice wearing little britches.  Possibly also some Dorito crumbs.

This was a true surprise for me.  I don’t normally prefer lighter polishes, but the blue shimmer just pulled me in.  

Now for something sexy.  We have What’s Fluffy Guarding?

Apparently, Fluffy is guarding the Sorcerer’s Stone because that’s what this polish is inspired by.  It’s a gorgeous deep red jelly with copper holo glitter and red micro flakies.  And I flippin love it.  There’s so much depth in here.  Jelly formulas are the best.  Heart eyes times a billion.

Ugh.  Can I just paint all the surfaces in my home with this?  Well, actually can someone just come do it for me? Cuz y’all know I aint getting off the couch unless there’s a Leonard DiCaprio holding a Starbucks in the other room or something.

So I thought this red was going to be my favorite, but then I picked up Goblins Love Gold.  It’s the best gold ever invented.  Look:

This one was inspired by Gringotts and is a bright shimmery gold with gold holo shreds and lots of gold holo glitters.  It’s gold overload.  A golden-palooza.  And it just glows no matter what lighting you’re in.  So magical and perfect.

Uhhhhhhhnnnnnnnn.  That’s the sound I make when my brain malfunctions.  This polish has got me loopy.

Check out these macros:

Eeeeep!  I told you.  So I’m thinking this one is my favorite now.  I think it’s pretty unique.  I mean, it’s a gold, but it’s a pretty special gold.  Let’s do all the surfaces in my house with this one now.  I may even consider helping you do it.

Just kidding.  I like pajamas.

Perhaps the most clever polish in the collection is this one, Snowy Owl:

It’s inspired by Hedwig and looks exactly like owl feathers. How did Lindsay do it? A little Harry Potter magic perhaps?

The polish itself is white but it’s loaded with a ton of gold shimmer. It’s really quite elegant. Throw in some gold and midnight flakies and you’re the belle of the ball. It’s so lovely!

Okay that bottle macro was ridiculous. If you somehow manage to walk away from this, your Harry Potter magic is going the wrong way. Also, something is wrong with your brain. 

Last one is Forbidden Forest:

A green! I’m so excited to see this one. Green always makes me happy. 

Inspired by the magic of the Forbidden Forest, it’s a deep shimmery green full of copper and gold holo glitter and gold holo shreds. I did this swatch in our airport hotel room so I’ve still got this polish on right now as we speak. And it’s held up really well. You know, with all the rock climbing and gold panning and trout fishing we’ve done since we got here.

Again, kidding. We took naps.

However, yes, I was the dork that carried in a light box and two LED lamps into a hotel lobby. See what I go through for you guys?  Now people think I’m some famous photographer working for Vogue or something, and ugh, so embarrassing. 

The round up:

Every single one of these polishes was a two coat dream. Application was simple, no fuss. My favorite kind!

And the best part? They’re available NOW. I tried to get this blog post written in time for the release two days ago, but vacation and all that (insert eye roll). However, I think it’s worked out well cuz now you don’t have to wait. You can click here and go shopping immediately.

Each polish sells for $9 but if you buy the whole set for $50 you save money and get free shipping (for US customers). And of course I recommend the entire set. I mean, you read this whole post right? You want all of them. (I checked; you do.)

Gonna go out and explore now (I guess). Can’t go on vacation and stay in your hotel the whole time, according to society who apparently doesn’t know me very well.

Later, loves!