Halloween Manicure

So this did not turn out how I was hoping. I need to find a good black stamping polish :(

Base should be familiar - it's the Color Club Nouveau Vintage. I don't own any dotting tools (rumor has it my birthday will be changing that!!!) So the moons are uneven :(. My tips are cool - that's French Tip Dip Kit available here. Use coupon code boo for 30% off after you register. I'll be doing a whole post on this amazing little kit soon!

I like how the thumb turned out though.

 This is Rebel Spirit - so dark that it's nearly black with two coats which is somewhat of a shame. On the tips it great though!

In closing Happy Halloween everyone!

Color Club Nouveau Vintage and the base to my halloween mani

So I showed that I had one of the Back to Boho Color Club collections last week - here's the one I wanted to try the most: Nouveau Vintage

Sorry about the lack of clean-up. Like my title says this is the base for my halloween manicure so I hadn't done cleanup yet.

How do I even describe this? Well not like my helpful hubby who deemed it, "Robot turd" - wow right? It has a vampy berry base with green and gold flecks that results in this amazing finish. It's so unique and stunning. It's not at all what I thought it'd be. I just adore this! The PERFECT Fall nail polish :)

The most I look at the color the most in love I fall. It has a stunning color, paints nicely (this is three coats, but that's forgivable). Such a wonderful win!

My kiddos all agree too - my sons really want me to paint this one them ;)

My first (SUCCESSFUL) water marbling experience + BM fimo sticks review

Whew - it has been an AMAZING weekend. Went to my first ever women's retreat and it was much different then I thought it would be in such an incredible way.

Anyhow - I know, I know - on to the part about my doing a nail care and art workshop. Before anyone goes ballistic I informed the people signed up that I am not a licensed nail tech. That out of the way I was able to get to the good stuff. As you may remember I tried water marbling once - it was somewhat of a disaster. Turns out the trick is filtered water (finally saw a tutorial that said this). So equipped with a jug (seriously CHEAP), my orange stick, and Sally Hansen Mint Sorbet, Essie Sexy Divide, Orly Rock Solid, and a base color of Sally Hansen Emerald Express I got:

It came out so gorgeous! I just love how Rock Solid came out sheer with sparkles to let the base color shine through. Epic!

This is the other hand (the one I never really show). Isn't amazing how all the nails turn out so different? Seriously - filtered water is the key!

Onto the Bundle Monster fimo cane sticks. You can see the flower decorations on my accent fingers. They came in the package that Bundle Monster sent me to share at my workshop (one of the gals was nice enough to let me have two slices from one of her sticks to show here).

Basically they are like more detailed rhinestones - it's a whole stick of design and you use an exacto knife (or box cutter if you're like me) to slice off a thin piece and then glue it (using nail glue - not included) to the finished nail. No top coat over.

I believe this is package B - There's 4 different package types with a variety of designs in a about 3 in. sticks (that equates to a TON of manicure bling).

Just so you know if you do not like rhinestones you will not like these. They are 3D nail art. I've had mine on for a day now and I never snag them and they don't appear affected by water or anything.

All in all I'm super happy I got to try these cause I had no plans to buy them. I do plan to get them now along with rhinestones and dotting tools. Enter "Thank You" in your checkout to receive 15% off your next order!

*The product specified was sent to me by a company to share and review. My review is not enhanced by their offer.*

Nail Polish Deal: 50% off Zoyas, OPIs, Essies and so much more!!

I'm so excited I can hardly contain myself. I shop deal sites like a mad fiend. I can't get enough of them and the nail deals I usually see are for brands I've never heard off so this is insanely amazing!!

How it works: you buy the voucher from here. It's to a site called bloom.com which has all kinds of makeup and skincare items at the regular prices. The voucher is 20 dollars for a 40 dollar value AND free shipping. I RARELY see the free shipping so I am hooked!! Some of the brands I spy:

CND effects
CND sticky base
Zoya Smoke and Mirrors
Zoya Summertime/Sunshine collections (other assorted Zoya colors as well)
POP Glam collections
Megan Miller collection
OPI Texas collection
OPI Pirates of the Carribean collection
OPI Touring America Collection
Essie Summer collection
Sally Hansen HD collection
.....and SOOOOO much more!!!

I'm debating holding out to see if the Muppet collection goes up but the POP Glam has me wavering (want it NOW!).

Hope you score this deal - if you do leave me a note with what you ordered!
  
http://www.plumdistrict.com/three_for_free/d1fe330361/click

Julep Alfre and the Colombus Day special

So, honestly, I'm not sure I've ever really seen a Colombus Day special, but no complaints here! I've been wanting Julep Alfre and the special was Alfre and a 1 oz. bottle of Glow On hand lotion for 9.99!!

For those of you wondering I do like the Glow On lotion - it has a lemony smell and it feels so good on the skin. Simply fantastic:

It's a really fantastic dusty purple with a lovely shimmer. Really an incredible fall color. Easily a one coater but I do two simply because that's what I like! I'm so in love with this color *dreamy look* Looking at it I'm regretting taking it off, but I have something super amazing to show you next - be sure to stay tuned ;)

Epic nail haul/mail and my apologies

So much to say! WOW what a weekend - epic nail mail. I did the Zoya BOGO4 and score Zoya Midori (and Zoya Noel for my recent giveaway winner - my first outgoing nail mail!). But when the package arrived it was, alas, missing Midori! However they got it sent out right away and it arrived last Friday. Happy day. But wait - there's more!! Saturday arrives and delivers a Julep package containing the Colombus Day special (Alfre and a 1 oz. bottle of Glow On) and Stefani.

THEN my girlie over at Constantly Redone shows up with a gift of adoration: The Back to Boho Color Club collection and a Maurice nail polish (unnamed but oh so gorgeous rosey-copper color) - and today she comes over with Revelon Facets of Fuschia and some of those super cool nail polish remover pads (in pear scent). Oh and I snapped up a Sally Hansen Inst-Dri I'd been dying to get my hands on.

The apology is for skimping on posts - I'm on a no buy status AND prepping for a women's retreat wher I'll be hosting a nail workshop. I have all this amazingness and so very much more coming up. Really a very happy, exciting time!!

Brash: Toxic Purple: Not for the feint of heart

This purple is ELECTRIC! It looks a little more subdued in the pictures but it is incredible! Dark but bright and vibrant. Not really sure how else to describe this one:

It takes a bit to build up. 3 coats to be opaque and four to really get the color solid. All the Brash nail polishes seem to share this trait. Incredible color, but not highly pigmented.

Sorry about the bubbles there.

With flash so you can see the shimmer in it - this looks more blue then it really is but you see the vibrancy here - pretty amazing right?

I added OPI silver shatter and Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear Twinkle Twinkle over the top.

Brash haul and Brash Totally Teal Swatches

Hey everyone - quick post before workout (doing Jillian Micheal's 30 Day Shred and Couch to 5K). I hit up Payless Shoestore for the last day of their BOGO1/2 off sale to grab up a few of the new Brash polishes. The collection is hit and miss for me and I only grabbed four that I knew I wouldn't have dupes of.

From left to right we have Toxic Purple, Metal Orchid, Copper Crunch, and Totally Teal. I let my hubby pick the color I did first and he picked (as you know from the title) Totally Teal.

This is THE perfect teal color. Slight shimmer and perfect blue/green ratio to make a perfect teal. I love it. The formula is thin and takes a little work, but the color is so worth it! Sorry about the little owie on my pinky finger there. Not sure how that happened either :(

Brush comparison - that's a Zoya brush (I figured most of us would have some of these around due to their generous promos). So the Brash brush is longer and a little thinner. It worked nicely around my cuticle bed and gave surprisingly nice coverage. All in all these bottles are a definite win.

My "Pink" Breast Cancer awareness post

So when PaA announced a pink Monday challenge I knew I wanted to head out and grab Wet N' Wild Hannah Pinktana. The swatches I had seen looked pink to me. I'd say this is a pink-purple or a purple-pink with micro-glitter that makes it hard to stop looking at *dreamy look*.

 So the swatches I saw were pink and this looks more purple to me. But observe:

Now we see more pink! It's like magic and with all that yummy microglitter amazingness I'm inclined to say it it.

Now this design comes from Konad stamping plate m4 (one of the first plates I ever bought). I was drawn to this design. The half face is so glamorous and yet so lonesome to me. I added the rhinestones as a woman facing something such a breast cancer sees how precious life is. Seeing through those eyes is something none of want to face but so many do anyhow.

When I was about 10 or 11 I remember reading this book about a young girl diagnosed with cancer. Not breast cancer of course, but I was so struck by the image she gave. How, in a time of no awareness, her friends pulled away from her like she was contagious. It broke my heart. This thumb art represents the pain and anguish a person who feels so separate and desperate.

Sorry for the long post. Many of us have lost loved ones to breast cancer (and other forms of cancer). I know I have. Be blessed and take a moment to seek out survivors and fighters to tell them you care.

Essie Morticia's Nail set deal

In case you haven't heard HSN clearanced a set of limited edition Essie nail polishes. Someone posted a free ship code: C53126. I'm probably not ordering it even though I'm DYING to, but I'm on a no-buy status so here's to those of you who score this awesome deal!

Hope one of you grabs this up and swatches these out. They look 4th of July to me, but that blue and red look like they have some serious potential!

More On The Prowl: New Year's Eve manicure

Wait....it's October? Well when I did this manicure my husband LOVED it and said it reminded him of New Year's Eve! I think it's cute when he names my manicures or picks out my colors:

This is Correction Tape and On The Prowl. Easily my two favorites from the collection (of course I don't have Behind Closed Doors which saddens me GREATLY).

On The Prowl is a glowy, deep purple with subtle shimmer. Not an easy one to clean up but so worth the hassle anyhow.

 

Correction tape is a lovely assortment of multicolored hexes in pinks, purples, blues, and golds that is unique and paints on surprisingly nicely for the size of glitter. It has a clear somewhat jelly base that the glitter suspends in nicely. 2 coats here.

Brash - new Payless Shoestore brand

I watch my friend's kiddos and she, often, shows up with new nail goodies for me to try out. It's a happy arrangement. Introducing the Payless Shoestore nail polish: Brash.

Front and back of the bottle and, obviously, the accent finger is sporting this new color called Sparkling Bricks. Deep burgundy with gold micro glitter flecks. Not overly original but oh so gorgeous! They have several other colors and BOGO1/2off right now so I may be heading back to pick up a few other pretties. Brush is nice - not too stiff and doesn't seem to shed. Wonderful fall color. Pictures is 2 coats with a tip of Zoya Reva.

The other nails are adorned with Zoya Cynthia - another polish she passed on since she was one of the Smoke and Mirrors winners (seriously how lucky is that?!). But it's like I win too so I'm not complaining *winks* 2 coats and tipped with Zoya Kotori.

My ENTIRE yellow collection...in one picture

I asked my hubby to pick a color for me the other day and he says *cue dreadful music* yellow. Do you own a color simply because it feels wrong to not have at least one color of each of the rainbow colors in your collection? That's yellow for me. So here's my entire yellow collection (spruced up a bit):

So this is Zoya Creamy. I bought her just so I would have a yellow. The top half is Zoya Reva and, strangely, I adore how this turned out. Both images are from the first Bundle Monster set (stamped sideways so the image fits the finger).

The thumbnail is in the shade so you can see how it looks without direct sunlight. Also those are NOT Konad stamping polishes. I no longer use stamping polishes. That black is readily available right now and is Wet N' Wild Black Creme (seriously at 0.99 cents how can you go wrong) and the white is Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear White On.

Have a great day everyone! This was one of the last sunny days here. Tears!