Polish Galore

Dr.'s REMEDY Noble

2012-01-25T12:15:00.011-06:00

The final color of the Fall Fever 2011 collection from Dr.'s REMEDY is Noble, a dark blue creme. For this manicure I used a base of Duri Rejuvacote, 2 coats of polish and a top of CND Air Dry.

Okay, so I need to clean up better on my cuticles... funny how we always notice things like this LATER. :| But seriously - check out how nice this color is! It's a straight creme, but a beautiful navy blue.

In the shade, this picture just looks weird - it's like my nails have a green cast to them? Either way, this picture doesn't show the true blue (hah) that this color has to offer.

Finally indoors with the flash and the color really pops here! I can't wait to wear this color again but with shorter nails and in the winter. And maybe with some white glitter over it... ^_^

Dr.'s REMEDY [Website] [Facebook] [Twitter] Enriched Nail Polish is available for $16 online at http://www.remedynails.com or by calling 1-877-323-NAIL.

Disclosure: The product[s] in this post was [were] provided to me by the company for consideration. For more information, please read this post.

Sally Hansen Teams Up With White + Warren

2012-01-25T00:15:00.008-06:00

Now, granted I don't really live in a cold climate, but I know many of my readers do, so I wanted to share another good gift idea from Sally Hansen! Please enjoy the following press release!

SALLY HANSEN TEAMS UP WITH WHITE + WARREN

TO PAMPER AND PROTECT YOUR HANDS THIS WINTER

Frigid weather doesn’t mean you have to say goodbye to flawless hands. Nail authority Sally Hansen is teaming up with luxury cashmere designer White + Warran to offer consumers the warmth of beautiful gloves that they can slide their perfectly primped hands into. For a limited time, every consumer who purchases a pair of White + Warren Fingerless Gloves from the White + Warren website will receive a complimentary Sally Hansen Manicure Set filled with manicure must-haves.

Protect your hands against the drying effects of cold winter weather with White + Warren’s luxe cashmere fingerless gloves, and beautify your nails with Sally Hansen’s ultimate manicure kit. The nail essentials set includes:

• Expert Nail File – to help you achieve the perfect shape for your nails;
• Nailgrowth Miracle Serum – for instantly softened and smoothed cuticles that resist dryness and damage as they grow;
• Complete Salon Manicure in Right Said Red – an all-in-one formula that delivers base coat, vivid color, growth treatment, strengthener and top coat in one smooth polish;
• Dry, Chapped Hand Cream – an ultra-moisturizing, gentle lotion that leaves hands touchably soft all season long

The gloves can be purchased at http://www.whiteandwarren.com for $40 at this time and the Sally Hansen set comes with each purchase of the gloves for a limited time.

Overall Beauty Sneak Peek

2012-01-24T17:25:00.002-06:00

PolishGalore is on Instagram!

Today, I had an awesome mail day. I normally wait for my mail lady like a kid on Christmas Day, but since I knew I had this package coming from Overall Beauty, I was REALLY excited when she pulled up to my house today. I originally placed an order on 5 January for Glitter Gal Light As A Feather (original 0.3 fl oz bottle/$14), a-england Lady of the Lake and Tristam ($12/each), and then from Kim at Overall Beauty Minerals, I wanted to try her Road to Nowhere Collection samples ($12) and Your Majesty sample ($1.50).

Overall Beauty Minerals is her own brand of eye shadows. Currently, she is reformatting her greens/purples/blues to make them all natural so some items you see above are no longer available. Her colors are pure mineral pigment and no fillers. Overall Beauty Minerals are animal cruelty free.

Like I said, I originally orders the Road to Nowhere Collection which was Going Nowhere, Road Rage, Deadend Street, 100 Miles To Go, Wrong Turn, Yeah I'm Lost, Area 51 and Last Exit. When I ordered them, Area 51 (a glittery green/grey from the picture) was no longer available.

Photo courtesy of Overall Beauty

Additionally, Your Majesty is no longer available but she was able to include it in my order. This is a beautiful shimmery lavender purple that has a bit of a light blue tint to it. Brooke from Blushing Noir has an amazing post here of her swatches.

Now, I cannot speak about Overall Beauty's shipping because I ordered KNOWING that my order wouldn't be shipped immediately, which is why there was such a long time between my order date and ship date. However, when the order was shipped, it arrived with all items in heavy bubble wrap (to prevent breaking or spilling), then sealed in a bubble envelope and THEN sealed in a flat rate envelope. Because my order was over $50 USD, I did have free shipping. (For the record, Kim offered to ship my eye shadows immediately and then ship the nail polishes to me when they arrived at no extra cost to me, but I told her I could wait for everything.)

Now, I know you see extra colors up there in my eye shadows. Because I ordered the Road to Nowhere collection, Kim added a brand new color called Polished, a silver that is in the same vein as RtN, and also With A Twist, a lavender that is now being offered since Your Majesty has been discontinued. She also sneaked in Mermaid's Hair (a light green) which I'm excited to check out. I was super impressed to see that each one is sealed in plastic with a perforated tab so you know that no product has leaked out or been used before.

I will be swatching these over primer when I get some sun outside so you can see what they look like. I've been obsessed with pigments for awhile and now I feel like if I blog about them, I can justify the fact that I have so many of them. Seriously, it's sicking sometimes...

Overall Beauty [Website] [Facebook] [Twitter] sells their own line of mineral makeup as well as many other brands to include a-england, BB Couture, Ozotic, piCture pOlish, Cult Nails, Dazzle Dry, Glitter Gal 3D, and much more!

Dr.'s REMEDY Defense

2012-01-24T12:15:00.000-06:00

I'm back with some swatches! Finally, right? I'm trying to still battle being sick and I've had almost 6 straight days of CLOUDS. The one day I have sun? I'm in bed all day sick. Yep. Dr.'s REMEDY Defense was from their fall 2011 line and is a "deep red" creme. Unfortunately, my bottle had leaked in its cap, so I lost like 1/3rd of the polish in leakage. I cleaned it up with some acetone but couldn't get it all out of the square cap. As a result, I'm not able to separate the square cap from the round cap inside.

I used a base of Duri Rejuvacoat, 2 coats of polish and a top of CND Air Dry. The polish itself was like most dark red cremes I've tried - which you'll see below.

Yep, streaky. It's like the pigment just didn't want to sit right. Now I'm not sure if this is accurate of this color, or if it has something to do with mine being exposed to the air for so long until the leak dried itself up, sealing the bottle off.

Same here in the shade - you can see that while shiny, this color just didn't really go as opaque - more like a jelly.

Indoors with a flash - I'm a bit torn on this one. You can sort of see the brush strokes on my ring finger, but is it just me that really sees this? I'm also just not in love with the color - but that's a personal preference, not something indicative of the brand.

Dr.'s REMEDY [Website] [Facebook] [Twitter] Enriched Nail Polish is available for $16 online at http://www.remedynails.com or by calling 1-877-323-NAIL.

Disclosure: The product[s] in this post was [were] provided to me by the company for consideration. For more information, please read this post.

RUSK at the Golden Globes!

2012-01-24T00:15:00.002-06:00

Did you watch the Golden Globes? I fought it for awhile before I realized that I didn't understand what people were saying on my Twitter timeline anymore, so I decided to finally turn it on... and eventually turned it off. While most beauty friends of mine were gushing over Zooey Deschanel's Tuxedo Nails (yours truly included), there were many more red carpet beauty finds including Nancy O'Dell's loose bun. Please enjoy the following "how to" from Rusk!

Image courtesy of Y Public Relations

For a long night of chatting with Hollywood royalty at the Golden Globe Awards, Entertainment Tonight Host Nancy O'Dell needed a chic and elegant hair style that would stay in place. O'Dell's stylist Heather Haynes opted for a loose bun – an easy-to-create style she suggests for any red carpet wanna-be:

STEP 1: Haynes began by spraying a generous amount of Rusk's Thick Body and Texture Amplifier throughout Nancy's towel dried hair, with emphasis on the root – particularly at the crown of the head.

STEP 2: As she blew out Nancy's hair, the thickening spray helped create body and volume. Haynes blew out the hair in sections, using a round, boar bristle brush and again, paying close attention to the root to emphasize volume.

STEP 3: Once Nancy's hair was dry, Haynes used a dime sized amount of Rusk's Deepshine Oil – spreading it evenly throughout the hair. If you suffer from dry or split ends, it's best to use additional oil on the ends – this will condition the hair and eliminate frizz.

STEP 4: Haynes created a simple side part and swept Nancy's hair into a high, loose pony tail – making sure to leave enough volume at the crown of the head. She then tucked the loose hair from the pony tail under, securing with bobby pins to create a neat bun.

Image courtesy of Y Public Relations

STEP 5: For the quick finishing touch – Haynes sprayed a misting of Rusk's Deepshine Oil Finishing Hairspray around the entire look. This formula is perfect for combatting flyways and frizz that can creep up during a long night on the red carpet.

Image courtesy of Y Public Relations

Time to get CRACKING for Chinese New Year!

2012-01-23T22:03:00.001-06:00

Do you celebrate the Chinese New Year? Are you still into crackle nail polish? Please enjoy the following press release from Pure Ice!

Chinese New Year is observed for two consecutive weeks, and is popularly known as Spring Festival. It usually starts from late January and early February. The variation in the date of festival is due to the changes in the track of the new moon. The Spring Festival ends on the 15th day when the Lantern festival is celebrated. Pure Ice has a quick and simple nailpolish set to help you achieve this perfect look.

Image courtesy of Bari's Beauty Bubble

In 2012, Chinese New Year Day will be celebrated on January 23. The New Year festival will start from January 22 (Chinese New Year' Eve) and end on February 6 (Lantern Festival). 2012 marks the 4710th Chinese New Year, and this time it is the Year of Dragon according to the Chinese zodiac calendar.

The Dragon is the 5th sign of the Chinese zodiac and it is regarded as an auspicious symbol which stands for power, good luck, success, and happiness.

Since ancient times, the Chinese New Year was considered as the time to honor ancestors and heavenly deities. In addition, it was the time to organize family gatherings and grand feasts.

There is a legend associated with the celebration of New Year in China. There was a monster named Nian who used to harass the villagers by eating their crops, cattle and taking away their kids. The villagers had no other option but to place food at the entrance to their homes so that the monster would eat it and go away without harming them.

One day, the villagers realized that the monster was scared of red color. So, they adorned their doors and windows with red paper cutouts and spring scrolls. The villagers also burst crackers to frighten the monster. Since then, Nian never came again to the village. Hongjun Laozu, a Taoist monk, was the one who captured the beast later on. Since then, the Chinese have been celebrating the capture of Nian on their New Year's Day.

Chinese New Year is celebrated with fireworks, lion dancing, dragon dancing and cultural performances on the street. Families organize reunion dinners on New Year's Eve and make special preparations like spring rolls and Chinese dumplings.

You can celebrate with Pure Ice Crackle Duo Gold & Red (ShowStopper) and ring in the Year of the Dragon in style.

Dermelect Hand Recovery System

2012-01-23T21:44:00.002-06:00

Don't panic but Valentine's Day is coming up really quickly. Instead of the usual flowers or chocolates (which are still welcomed by the way), how about getting the lady of your life a hand recovery system? Please enjoy the following press release from Dermelect.

Image courtesy of Dermelect

Hand Recovery System

For the manicure obsessed

Launchpad Nail Strengthener – a base coat developed to fight aging nails
Makeover Ridge Filler – base or top coat developed to improve nail appearance
High Maintenance Instant Nail Thickener – a top coat developed to strengthen brittle nails
Rejuvenail Fortifying Nail & Cuticle Treatment
Timeless Anti-Aging Hand Treatment

SRP: $69.00 on www.dermelect.com

Nail Files "Jersey Shore Up In The Painted Nail" Breakdown

2012-01-22T12:15:00.000-06:00

I'm a bit behind in finishing my breakdowns of season 1 of Nail Files... after meeting Katie in July at Cosmoprof, I felt like my life was complete. Okay, not complete - I still need to get a pedicure down at the Painted Nail... but still!

So after a sleepless night, I decided to clear out my DVR queue and realized I still had 4 episodes of this awesome wonderful show! There has been zero word from TV Guide if or when a season 2 would air, so I'm not sure what's going on there. Time to beat on the Facebook Wall of TV Guide Network!!!

In this episode, we had so much happening. First, the girls from the Jersey Shore dropped in. Considering that their reality shows are produced by the same SallyAnn Salsano, I'm not very surprised. The Jersey girls hold nothing back from sex tips using Jolly Ranchers to toe licking (equally ew).

They did raise a great point though - where else can someone have such a relaxing experience?! Not just the whole cocktails idea, but just a relaxing spa experience, and especially for the right price.

Walter Time! I really want to meet him, just because he reminds me a cuddly teddy bear.

Tina. Tina! I think Tina has succumbed to Reality Show Syndrome. She's single-handedly decided to "Save the Salon" from reality show drama. Um fail!

So - next we had Amy's dog party. Now, I think Amy is amazing - Katie raved about her baking, many times. (Hey Katie, glad you enjoyed the funfetti! I'll keep note of my raincheck for my nails!) In case you didn't know, Amy has started her own bakery, Brown Sugar Marketplace - you can Like her on Facebook now!

More Tina drama as the episode continues. I feel so bad for Nichole, the store manager. She's really stuck in such a crap place.

Now I've never personally witnessed the drama that Tina has self-produced but holy cow. The fake email, the fake clients... crazy doesn't begin to explain it!

By the way, I absolutely LOVE the rainbow organization of Katie's nubar polishes!

Back to Walter Time and Katie's attempting to bake. dun dun dun! Call on Amy! (If she ever ships her cupcakes, I'm getting a dozen. I just asked her if her cookies are available... I hope they are because they are extremely affordable. Let's just say I spent a little over $200 on cookies as thank you gifts and well, my wallet isn't happy!)

Over to the Zoom Room for Austin's birthday party - that's Amy's 8 year old dog by the way. They have gone all out - red carpet, pictures, podicures (polish), celebrity dogs. Oh. And humping dogs, and poo on the floor. (Sorry friends, but I'm a cat person for sure.)

Back at the salon, cue the dramatic music because Tina has walked in! This girl wants some serious camera time! Okay, so it may not be as dramatic as I'm saying. Reality shows need to show the "best" moments, and by best I mean the ones that you sit on the edge of your seat to watch. (I have a degree in TV, really, so I feel qualified to say this ^_^). Katie was pissed though - you can tell. Oh, and then Tina resigns and gets haughty. That's pretty real right there.

By the way, Katie does NOT act like she's perfect. Hanging around her at Cosmoprof for the time that I did, really showed me how down to earth she is. We even had this awesome little disaster at a restaurant and Katie was cool and calm about it - didn't complain at all (even when they overcharged her because somehow we miscalculated the cash we left behind).

Next week is the Oscars - which I've watched and will have the breakdown coming!

CND Shellac Salon Certification Program

2012-01-21T12:15:00.008-06:00

With all the confusion about gels, long lasting polish, and my personal favorite, Shellac, I'm glad to see that CND is taking these steps to make sure you get what you're asking for at your local salon! Please enjoy the following press release from CND!

CND Cracks Down to Ensure Quality Control

With Shellac Salon Certification Program

January 2012 - As Nail Professionals and consumers can attest, all nail services are NOT created equal! Factors include the skill and proper training of the Nail Professional and the quality of the products used. CND Shellac Power Polish™ is a one-of-a-kind product with easy, non-damaging removal that sets it apart from "me-too" products and gel manicures. When used as directed, it comes off quickly and easily without harming the natural nail - no filing is necessary for application or removal.

So what happens when consumers ask for a CND Shellac Power Polish service, but receive something completely different (although they may be told it's CND Shellac)? CND hears stories continually about women who have unintentionally tried "gel-polish" and Shellac pretenders, and then ruined their nails trying to remove it. Salon clients across the U.S. will soon be assured that the CND Shellac services they receive have CND's official seal of approval.

CND is cracking down on CND Shellac fraud by implementing a CND Shellac Salon Certification Program. This program deploys CND Education Ambassadors to visit salons across the country who registered on cnd.com as Shellac Salons. To be a certified CND Shellac Salon, a CND representative will visit the salon, provide training and review protocol (no mixing systems or filing on the nail...ever!). Salons that meet the criteria will be awarded CND's seal of approval. Look for the "Certified" window cling in the entrance to the salon and icon on cnd.com's Salon Locator.

"Our CND Shellac Salon Certification Program will ensure the ultimate experience for clients and will provide a great incentive to Nail Professionals to provide exemplary CND Shellac services," says CND Co-Founder, Jan Arnold.

As an educated consumer, here are some pointers for making sure you receive the REAL CND Shellac:

1) Look for the CND seal of approval on the window of your salon.

2) Ask if the salon uses CND Shellac products.

3) Watch the products that are being used during the service - if you do not see "CND Shellac" on the bottle, it's not Shellac.

4) During removal, do not allow soaking of nails in a bowl of acetone - request CND Shellac Remover Wraps or cotton and tin foil removal method.

The program is rolling out first in New York, California, Nevada, Colorado, Ohio and Chicago, and will expand across the US in 2012.

If you want to report on progress of the CND Shellac Salon Certification Program in your region, please contact Rachel@red-pr.com.

About CND

Founded in 1979 and based in Vista, CA, CND (Creative Nail Design, Inc.) is the global leader in professional nail, hand, and foot beauty. Deeply committed to advancing the nail care industry, CND devotes significant time and resources to product research and development, education, and customer support. Additionally, CND is an industry-leading advocate for the role of nail care in personal beauty and fashion. For more information about CND, please visit cnd.com.

New CND Shellac Shades

2012-01-20T12:15:00.000-06:00

While I'm off battling a cold (boo), please enjoy this press release from CND!

6 NEW SHADES OF CND SHELLAC™ POWER POLISH™

Nailing Spring's Hottest Trends

January 2011 - CND, pioneer of runway nail fashions, is releasing six gorgeous brand new shades of Shellac Power Polish to the line-up in March 2012. CND Shellac is the effortless alternative to basic polish because it dries instantly and delivers endless mirror shine with absolutely no chipping, smudging or dulling. Whether you're a classic taupe addict or a metallic iron maiden, with 36 shades there is a sophisticated look to suit all digit desires. CND is your one stop resource for new product news, expert interviews and seasonal nail trends straight from the catwalk.

Say HELLO to the new colors:

Silver VIP Status

Gold VIP Status

CityScape

Rubble

Dark Lava

Silver Chrome

Silver VIP Status: Sheer Diamond Shimmer Effect - Great for layering over any color
Gold VIP Status: Sheer Golden Shimmer Effect - Great for layering over any color
CityScape: Creamy Dove Gray
Rubble: Mushroom Taupe
Dark Lava: Stormy Raisin
Silver Chrome: Iron Metallic

CND Shellac comes off gently in ten minutes with convenient, hygienic CND Shellac Remover Wraps that limit skin exposure to acetone by keeping it pinpointed on the nail. CND Shellac color comes off from the inside out. The high-tech 'quick release' base coat causes it to flake into small pieces that gently slide off the nail without filing off the surface of the nail - unlike gels that require at least a half hour of soaking to remove.

CND Shellac is a professional salon service product. Manicure prices typically range from $25-$45 and pedicures from $40-$60 depending on location.

About CND
Founded in 1979 and based in Vista, CA, CND (Creative Nail Design, Inc.) is the global leader in professional nail, hand and foot beauty. Deeply committed to advancing the nail care industry, CND devotes significant time and resources to product research and development, education, and customer support. CND is an industry-leading advocate for the role of nail care in personal beauty and fashion.

Dr.'s REMEDY Balance

2012-01-16T00:15:00.000-06:00

The Dr,'s REMEDY Fall Fever 2011 collection brought some rich but modern hues to the fall season. As with most square polishes of late, the top pops off to reveal a smaller round brush. It's not necessary to remove the square case for polishing. I used a base coat of Duri Rejuvacore, 2 coats of Balance and a top of CND Air Dry. Formula was good. Balance is a red creme - listed as a "brick".

My house has brick walls so I thought it would be fun to photograph in front of one. However, this sounded better in my head than it showed up in real life.

Here in the sun you can see how lovely the color is. It doesn't have too much blue to it, but isn't a true red.

Not much difference in the shade. It's almost like a dark red melon?

Finally indoors with the flash, you can see a bit of streakiness in my opacity but otherwise a good little red polish!

Dr.’s REMEDY® Enriched Nail Polish is available for $16 online at http://www.remedynails.com or by calling 1-877-323-NAIL. You can "Like" them on Facebook and follow them on Twitter

Disclosure: The product[s] in this post was [were] provided to me by the company for consideration. For more information, please read this post.

Nicole by OPI Orna-Ment For Each Other

2012-01-15T22:32:00.000-06:00

I must admit, I hate store-limited collections because I do live in a small town, but when I was on my way to Florida in November, I made my boyfriend stop at a Target to look for the "Holiday Glitters!" Good news - we found them. Bad news - they sat in the truck of our car in Texas while I was in Florida for a week and it got REALLY cold outside. The polish evaporated quite a bit and got thick and hard. I added a ton of nail polish thinner but I never got to try the polish in its original formula. Regardless, here is Orna-Ment For Each Other!

I originally wanted to wear this as my Christmas manicure. I used a base coat of Duri Rejuvacote, 3 coats of polish and a top of CND Air Dry. I did this on 23 December and by Christmas, this is what my nails looked like. Now, fair warning, my right hand always chips faster than my left, and my index finger always chips faster than any other nail I have. Also, sorry for the awkward hand placement.

As you can see, this is a red glitter in a red base with a tiny bit of gold glitter in it. It's a nice little festive touch to a normal red glitter.

Indirect sun shows some texture, and yes - this polish was gritty even with a top coat.

The shade shows all my tip wear. I don't know if Nicole by OPI just doesn't play well with CND Air Dry or if I'm just THAT hard on my nails. Either is possible.

Finally indoors with the flash - the gold is a bit hard to see here but it's still there.

So since I had so much tip wear in just 2 days, I decided to add a coat of Glitter In My Stocking, a gold glitter in a yellow base.

I didn't sponge or anything - just used the nail brush and brushed it on my nails. It wasn't perfect but it did hide the tip wear.

You do have to do about 3 coats to cover well. I used one coat on my pinkie, 2 coats on my ring finger and 3 coats on my middle and index finger. It's like a thick French? Either way I liked it and it made my manicure last a little longer. :]

Nicole by OPI is available at ULTA, Meijer, Harmon, HEB, Sears, Target, Wal-Mart and more for around $8 a bottle. For more information, visit their website, follow Nicole by OPI on Twitter and become a Facebook fan.

Color Club Boho Mojo

2012-01-13T12:15:00.000-06:00

There's going to be a lot of pictures today because Color Club Boho Mojo from the Back to Boho collection is a weird little color. It's the greenish silver pearl color and with pearls come streaks! I used a base of Duri Rejuvacote, 2 coats of polish and a top of CND Air Dry. Formula was otherwise good.

Extreme sun here to show that it's not completely opaque with my 2 coats.

You can see the olive silver here in the sun as well.

In this shade picture it's more silver than green (I think?)

Okay, it's really silver here - and loads of streaks!

Finally indoors with the flash - olive, silver, pearl. Not my favorite but definitely a fall color. I read somewhere that the best way to hide the streaks of pearl is to add a coat of glitter - I should have done that!

Color Club is located on several etailers, including Head2Toe Beauty which has it for $3.00. You can also Like them on Facebook and Follow them on Twitter.

Disclosure: The product[s] in this post was [were] provided to me by the company for consideration. For more information, please read this post.

Layla Ceramic Effects 34

2012-01-13T00:15:00.002-06:00

I first talked about Layla Cosmetics back in May 2011 (whoa) when they were talking about bringing their Graffiti line (crackle/shatter) to the US but instead they brought their Magneffect line (I swear, I will be reviewing them in 2012). While at Cosmoprof, they also had their "ceramic effect" line, which was the normal line of polishes. I got this and a gold color. CE 34 is a dusty purple grey with purple shimmer. I used a base coat of Duri Rejuvacote, 2 coats of polish and a top of CND Air Dry. Just as a note, you don't have to wear a base coat or top coat with Layla... old habits die hard!

Let met tell you about this brush... it's LONG. On the left is the Layla brush, on the right is a Seche Vite brush. Despite the extra length, I didn't find it harder to paint my nails.

Here in the sun you can see a faint pink shimmer on the nail. Definitely a big fan of this kind of color.

Meanwhile in the shade, the color takes on a dark purple/grey look, no shimmer to be found here!

Indoors with the flash? Hello shimmer! I definitely am a big fan of the formula and color.

Ceramic Effects retails for $9.95 but I've seen it on sale for as low as $8.50.

Layla Cosmetics is distributed to the US through the Luxcon Group who has a Facebook Page to several online websites including Zappos, AVEYOU, Brigette's Boutique, Amazon, and Drugstore.

Disclosure: The product[s] in this post was [were] provided to me by the company for consideration. For more information, please read this post.

China Glaze ElectroPop

2012-01-12T12:22:00.003-06:00

Remember this? Well they are here! Please enjoy the following press release from China Glaze!

Los Angeles, CA - (November 2011): Where heavy metal meets rocker chic, China Glaze® introduces the Spring 2012 collection, ElectroPop. Inspired by all things girly, edgy and fun, the 12 shades of ElectroPop bring out the inner rock star in all. For flash and glam this spring, China Glaze® hits the stage in style!

ElectroPop Shades include:

Kinetic Candy – Touch the sky in light blue crème

Electric Beat – Periwinkle nails for a wink worthy performance

Aquadelic – Pool blue for nighttime gigs and daytime fun in the sun

Gaga For Green – Green lacquer for the girl craving the limelight

Sunshine Pop – Shine in the spotlight in bold yellow

Make Some Noise – Rock the mic in tangerine

Wicked Style – Party cocktail tropical punch

Fuchsia Fanatic – Fuchsia pink for the rocker diva in us all

Gothic Lolita – Steal the show on girls night out in seductive purple

Dance Baby – Hit center stage in cotton candy pink

Sweet Hook – Blow a kiss in dreamy lilac

Techno – Glitter confetti polish for a dazzling topcoat finish or all over finger tip bling

ElectroPop is also available in:

6 Piece Collection of “Brights”: Techno, Aquadelic, Sunshine Pop, Gaga for Green, Make Some Noise and Wicked Style

6 Piece Collection of “Lights”: Fuchsia Fanatic, Dance Baby, Electric Beat, Kinetic Candy, Sweet Hook and Gothic Lolita

12 Piece 3D Counter Display

36 Piece Rack

ElectroPop will be available February 2012. Individual shades retail for $7; 6 piece collections retail for $42.

China Glaze is free of DBP, toluene, and added formaldehyde. China Glaze nail lacquers are available through salons and professional beauty supply stores nationwide. For more information, visit: www.chinaglaze.com or follow China Glaze on Facebook and Twitter: http://twitter.com/ChinaGlaze

China Glaze is a division of American International Industries.

About American International Industries

For nearly 40 years, AII has been the leading manufacturer and worldwide distributor of innovative, quality beauty and skin care products for men and women. Our product lines include Ardell, Andrea, Body Drench, Bye Bye Blemish, Checi, China Glaze, Clean + Easy, Clubman/Pinaud, Duo, European Secrets, EzFlow, Fright Night, Gena, GiGi, Gypsy Lash, IBD, Jeris-Lustray, No Tweeze/Micro Tweeze, 'N Rage, Prolinc, RAW, Seche, SuperNail, Surgi-Care, Waterworks, Winning Nails, Woltra, Woody’s, and Youthair. For more information, visit our website: www.aiibeauty.com.

Illamasqua Vice

2012-01-12T01:17:00.000-06:00

Here's a change of pace - Illamasqua Vice from Theatre of the Nameless. The coolest part of this collection for me is the rubber/plastic finish, much like ORLY Purple Pleather. I used a base of Duri Rejuvocate and 2 coats of polish.

I've mentioned this before, but the square cap comes off for a smaller round top. It's not necessary for painting but some people prefer it over a square top.

Here it is in the sun - nice and rubbery and red. It's not matte, it's not shiny... love the different finish here!

In the shade, the color is really nice and strong. The red/purple berry is a great compliment for my skin.

Indoors with the flash is a bit hard on the eyes but not terrible.

Then, because I can't leave things alone, I added a top coat of CND Air Dry.

I don't know if it's a reaction of CND with Illamasqua or just the rubbery finish but check out how weird this turned out! I left my pinkie alone but the other nails just seem streaky now.

It's a bit better in the shade but still - no bueno. I will have to try a different top coat next time to see what the difference is.

For those in the States, you can purchase Illamasqua from Sephora [official website] for $14 a bottle.

Disclosure: The product[s] in this post was [were] provided to me by the company for consideration. For more information, please read this post.

China Glaze Trendsetter

2012-01-11T19:40:00.000-06:00

I love China Glaze. I've loved them ever since I got (back) into nail polish back in mid 2009. I would own every single color if I could and never buy another brand again. (Oh yes, I said that.) But honestly, I hate this color.

Trendsetter is a NYC mustard brown with gold shimmer. At least, I think this is what NYC mustard looks like. I'm going off super limited knowledge of one episode of "Girls Next Door" that was on at the gym one night. This polish was from the fall 2011 Metro collection.

I used a base coat of Duri Rejuvacote, 2 coats of polish and a top of CND Air Dry. Formula was a little thick on the brush but then would be runny on the nails, so as always, thin coats to win.

This color is definitely darker that OPI Simply Smash-ing and more opaque. The boyfriend hated this color, and normally he's pretty forgiving and interested in what I'm wearing (even the blues, which I'm always iffy on).

I like this color much more in the shade. You can see the shimmer, it doesn't completely clash with my skin tone... I'm liking you a little better, Trendsetter.

This is another one of those polishes that doesn't like to be focused on with the flash. Or I just suck at being still - either way, I apologize for the blurriness. Indoors with the flash and you can see the shimmer and the unique brown yellow of this polish. This will probably sit on my shelf for a good long time, I'm telling you right now.

China Glaze can be found online through several etailers, including my favorite Head2Toe Beauty, Sally's Beauty Supply as well as TransDesign. You can like them on Facebook and follow them on Twitter.

Disclosure: The product[s] in this post was [were] provided to me by the company for consideration. For more information, please read this post.

Color Club Artsy Crafty

2012-01-10T12:14:00.000-06:00

Lately I've been ridiculously "Artsy Crafty", mostly working on cross-stitch projects but that can be talked about another time. :] (Or just go to that link to see.) Today's Color Club is from the Back to Boho Collection and is a dark pine green creme Formula was good on this. I used a base of Duri Rejuvacote, 2 coats of polish and a top of CND Air Dry.

Here in the sun you can see that this is a pretty dark and opaque green. Frankly, I think it's beautifully pigmented but not my style.

You can see how lush it is in the shade as well. Great for fall or for a base for some nail art or Konad.

Sorry for the slightly blurry indoors with the flash picture. Not much else to say here. If you're looking for a good formula, opaque and pigmented dark green creme, look no further!

Color Club is located on several etailers, including Head2Toe Beauty which has it for $3.00. You can also Like them on Facebook and Follow them on Twitter.

Disclosure: The product[s] in this post was [were] provided to me by the company for consideration. For more information, please read this post.

Rafflecopter Giveaway!

2012-01-09T11:09:00.000-06:00

After all the information that came out in 2011 about bloggers and giveaways, I had partnered with the Beauty Blogger Coalition for my giveaways and that's where I learned about Rafflecopter.

They have gained a lot of popularity and to kick off 2012 & their new version of Rafflecopter, they are having their own giveaway!

The giveaway starts today, 9 January and lasts for one month. To enter, simply say who referred you [Krystal Seidel]

Please note that this giveaway is open to legal residents of the US and to Canadians age 13+.

One winner will receive an iPad2 (Wifi, 16 gig)
One winner will receive an Amazon Kindle Fire

If you win, and listed that I referred you, I will also win a Kindle Fire. (Sweet!) Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Naked Nails

2012-01-08T00:15:00.002-06:00

So I like to go at least once a month to have my nails shaped and my cuticles removed. It's relaxing for me, and I know I'm in good hands (hah!)

I took these pictures before I went in December - I've been using Duri Rejuvacote every day and am shocked at how long my nails grew! I don't notice any extra strength in them, but the length has been great!

You see my left hand all the time, but I also have my *dun dun dun!* right hand!

Boo awkward hand position.

I do hate how thin my nails are and yes I have loads of ridges, but keep your nails free of stains by always using a base coat before you polish your nails. :]

How To Remove Glitter Nail Polish

2012-01-07T12:15:00.000-06:00

Glitter nail polish: It's BEAUTIFUL but yes, it's a pain to remove! I used to be one who would take pure acetone and stick my fingers in it, leaving me with cold wrinkled fingers that were very dried out. I also would attempt to take a little cotton wipe and scrub*scrub*scrub my nails until I could scrape it all off. I've even peeled glitter polish off before (do not do this.) Then, one day, I read about the foil method.

Now many a blogger has their method, their tools, their tricks. This is simply the way I've been doing it. :]

Materials
-Zoya Remove+. This is step "1" in the Zoya Color Lock system. It's a mild acetone remover with a pleasant lavender scent. I also adore the plunger top, which allows you to get the remover just where you want it. You can also relock the bottle's lid for travel or storage.
-Felt. I bought mine at Hobby Lobby - I'm using white as I'm not sure how acetone and dyed felt react.
-Aluminum foil. Just a square will do - you'll be crumpling it up as you go.

I like to use 2 pumps of Remove+ straight on my square of felt and then wrap the felt around my finger tip. This allows for all the remover to be on your nail, not your skin.

Next, wrap a square of aluminum foil around your finger. Wrap as tightly as you can so there is some pressure on the felt.

Do the rest of your fingers on one hand. After the last finger, wait a good 5 minutes before attempting to remove. Yes I know this part is boring. Do it anyway.

I like to unwrap the foil from my finger, and then pressing down on the felt, pull it off my finger.

Fold over the felt and remove any glitter that didn't come off in the initial slide of the felt. Providing you covered your nail in felt, it will be easy to remove.

Finally, treat your nails to a cuticle oil of your choice. I'm using Julep Essential Cuticle Oil from my September American Beauty Julep Maven box. [Julep referral link]

Ta da! Hopefully this makes your glitter wearing a bit more bearable!

Color Club Sugarplum Fairy

2012-01-07T00:15:00.000-06:00

I'm so in love with Sugarplum Fairy from the 2011 Winter Color Club collection "Beyond the Mistletoe" that I've worn it twice already. That's saying something. I tried hard to snag a bottle when I was at Cosmoprof Las Vegas but they wouldn't let me take it. But now you're MINE.

In the promo picture, the color looked lavender. In person, the color looks much more silver but I assure you it's a lavender base with tons of holographic glitter. I used a base coat of Duri Rejuvacote, 2 coats of polish and a top of CND Air Dry. The polish formula was slightly thick and you'll see that application was a tiny bit patchy. I don't care, I love this polish.

BOO CLOUDS. Okay, so this color is pretty hard to photograph. Because of all the crazy awesome glitter, it just looks better blurry. I have some crazy blurry pictures here but I'm saving your eyes because they will just becoming obliterated.

Here in the shade you can see the purple much better. And you can also see some of the splotchy/patchy parts. I'd like to thin my bottle out a bit at another date.

Indoors with the flash: Middle finger is a bad patchy offender, but overall I really love this color. I was able to wear this for several days before the polish started to chip on me and then I HAAAATED taking it off because it's so pretty!

Color Club is located on several etailers, including Head2Toe Beauty which has it for $3.00. You can also Like them on Facebook and Follow them on Twitter.

Disclosure: The product[s] in this post was [were] provided to me by the company for consideration. For more information, please read this post.

China Glaze Love Marilyn

2012-01-06T12:15:00.000-06:00

More Eye Candy from China Glaze - this is Love Marilyn! This is a clear base with red and silver glitter. I really wish this had been a red base but since it's not, I just grabbed City Siren to layer under.

I used a base coat of Duri Rejuvacote, 2 coats of polish and a top of CND Air Dry. This is a "thirsty" glitter and even after 2 coats of CND Air Dry (taken after the photos), my nails were still gritty to the touch.

So the glitter totally got messed up on my pinkie, but still you can see the range of the glitter. On the bare nail (pinkie and ring) it's good because you have both small and medium red glitter but on the ring and middle finger where I have a coat of City Siren, you don't see the red glitter as much as you see the silver. (Whoa that was a really long sentence.)

Kind of the same story in the shade? It almost reminds me of Ruby Pumps with a kick of silver. Why silver, I wonder.

Finally indoors with the flash and it just looks like a hot mess. The glitter is way too much for my camera to handle. Lovely glitter, must use foil to remove (post coming soon!).

Disclosure: The product[s] in this post was [were] provided to me by the company for consideration. For more information, please read this post.

China Glaze City Siren

2012-01-06T01:42:00.000-06:00

How many red cremes can a girl have? (Don't make me really answer that one.) Pulling from the Fall 2011 Metro Collection, City Siren is deep red creme is pretty awesome. I used a base coat of Duri Rejuvacote, 1 coat of polish and I skipped a top coat because I loved the shine on this color.

So the sun was hiding for the day, so here's a nice cloudy picture. Boo. But yes, look at the shine! Look at the opacity! Love love love!

Here in the shade is also just really in your face. It's like "HELLO OUT THERE." Why did I wait so long to use this?!

Finally indoors with the flash and you can barely tell where my nails end and my bottle begins, haha. Can't help it - I love this color and she's sticking around for a long time.

Disclosure: The product[s] in this post was [were] provided to me by the company for consideration. For more information, please read this post.

NYC/Rusk Being Sexy Event

2012-01-05T21:42:00.000-06:00

Please enjoy the following press release from Rusk! I have a bunch of Rusk products (hair) and use their blow-dryer all the time!

RUSK hosted Being Sexy Hair Care Preview

with Sexy New York Housewife Sonja Morgan & the Sexy Firemen of the Nations Bravest Calendar

Building on the success of Being Sexy® Hair Spray, Rusk is excited to introduce an entire Being Sexy® lifestyle brand of salon professional hair care products. Featuring Shampoo, Conditioner and a full-range of styling and finishing products including a gel, mousse, creme, oil and the original ultimate finish Being Sexy® hairspray. Formulated to deliver voluptuous volume, tousled texture and seductive shine for “uninhibited hair,” these new products are sure satisfy.

To celebrate the launch of these sexy, inspired products, Rusk haircare is hosting a special product preview on December 15th, 2011 at the Chelsea Room (222 West 23rd Street) with special guests: New York Housewife Sonja Morgan and the firemen of the Nations Bravest Calendar. Also in attendance will be celebrity stylist Jon Reyman to provide hair consultations and share expert styling tips and tricks to get the very most out of the new Being Sexy line of products. Samples of all seven launches: Being Sexy Cream, Being Sexy Oil, Being Sexy Gel, Being Sexy Hairspray, Being Sexy Mousse, Being Sexy Shampoo and Being Sexy Conditioner will be available, exclusively at this preview before they hit shelves in Ulta and salons across the nation in March 2012.

China Glaze Oh How Street It Is

2012-01-05T00:15:00.029-06:00

Hello Oh How Street It Is, a screaming almost neon orange from the 2009 Kicks collection! If you haven't heard, Pantone Color Institute has named "Tangerine Tango" the top color of 2012. China Glaze recently promoted a statement saying that you can help capture this trend with the above polish, so in order to be (at least somewhat) current, I decided to pull it off my shelf.

Tangerine Tango in its bold orange glory.

For this manicure, I used a base coat of Duri Rejuvacote, 2 coats of polish and a top of CND Air Dry. Polish formula was great, despite the bottle sitting on my shelf for over 2 years.

Again, this is not a neon color but it is VERY neon looking. Neons dry matte, but not this creme!

Extreme sun angle!

Even though this is a picture in the shade you can see how bright this color is. It's definitely going to be an interesting year if this is what everyone will be wearing. I attempted a picture indoors with the flash, but the camera just couldn't handle it.

So instead, I'll leave you with the press release from China Glaze :]

===

Tangerine Tango Announced as Top Color for 2012

Embrace the trend with vibrant “How Street It Is” from China Glaze®

A hue that “emanates heat and energy,” Tangerine Tango was announced as the top color of 2012 by Pantone Color Institute. A bold orange that blends red and yellow to create a shade that recharges and excites, Tangerine Tango will soon be popping up in fashion, beauty and home accessories everywhere. Capture the trend today with How Street It Is by China Glaze®! A vibrant reddish-orange that flatters a range of skin types, “How Street It Is” is the perfect way to wrap your hands around this top color!

Available now through salons and professional beauty supply stores nationwide, China Glaze® “How Street It Is” retails for $7.

China Glaze® colors may change from season to season, but the formula remains the same amazing longwearing lacquer with hardeners. Designed with the professional in mind, the high-quality and finely bristled brush is great for ease of application. China Glaze® is free of DBP, toluene, and added formaldehyde. Best of all, the non-thickening formula provides excellent coverage. For more information, please visit www.chinaglaze.com.

China Glaze® is a division of American International Industries.

ICMAD: Get With It... Get Healthy!

2012-01-04T15:15:00.000-06:00

Please enjoy the following press release from Y Public Relations - and if you're in California, you may want to look into this! New Years Resolutions don't have to be broken!

ICMAD Hosts Get With It…Get Healthy to Benefit Look Good…Feel Better^®

Inaugural Health & Wellness Event Featuring Celebrity Fitness Expert, Kathy Kaehler

Palatine, IL (November 29, 2011) – Learn how to eat right, get organized, and stay active without fad dieting or crazy regimens that never last. The Independent Cosmetic Manufacturers and Distributors Association (ICMAD) will host their inaugural health and wellness event, Get With It…Get Healthy, which will benefit the national charitable organization, Look Good…Feel Better^®. Taking place on Friday, February 17^th at the Balboa Bay Club in Newport Beach, CA, this one-day event will take place the day after the ICMAD Technical Regulatory Forum.

The concept of this event is to adopt a fit and organized way of life that is compatible with today’s hectic lifestyles. From the foods you eat to the exercises you do, it all comes full circle in the way you look and feel. ICMAD is proud to announce that celebrity fitness trainer, Kathy Kaehler, will host the entire day with three life-centric sessions which incorporate nutrition, health, and maintaining a fit lifestyle. Well known for her A-list celebrity clients, television appearances, and as an expert in the fitness industry, Kaehler provides a wealth of real-world knowledge to help others lead a healthier and more productive life.

“This ICMAD event celebrates life and how to live it to the fullest. I am honored to partner with ICMAD and help people create a practical way to eat healthy, get organized, and stay active,” says Kathy Kaehler.

The intimate sessions hosted by Kaehler will benefit Look Good…Feel Better^®, a national charity organization providing care for women patients undergoing chemotherapy treatment. The organization has deep roots with ties to the beauty industry and has the full support of ICMAD, Personal Care Products Council and its member’s companies. The Balboa Bay Club will also host a Beauty Bar with nail, makeup, lash, and skin stations, at reduced costs that will also benefit the charity. Guests can also bid on an array of silent auction items throughout the day.

“It’s exciting and rewarding that ICMAD is a catalyst in contributing to Look Good Feel Better. We believe that having our industry of beauty, cosmetics and personal care creates a win-win scenario with gratification for all.” says Pam Busiek, President & CEO, ICMAD.

Session One: Let’s Work It Out

Time: 10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.

Session Overview: Train with Kathy Kaehler and learn the exercises and routines she does with her top celebrity clients in this engaging morning work-out session.

Session Two: Get Organized

Time: 12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m.

Session Overview: Learn how to get organized in the kitchen and quickly plan healthy meals for the week ahead. Kathy Kaehler will teach her celebrity favorite, Sunday Set-Up™, program in this session. Lunch will be provided.

Session Three: Adopt a Healthy Lifestyle

Time: 2:30 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.

Session Overview: Learn how to bring nutrition, food preparation, organization, and exercise all together and keep it going!

Each session is $100 individually. A package of all three is available for $275. A portion of proceeds benefit the Look Good…Feel Better^® charity. For more information on the Get With It…Get Healthy event activities and to purchase tickets, visit www.getwithitgethealthy.com or www.icmad.org.

China Glaze Haunting

2012-01-04T12:15:00.016-06:00

I went polish diving and pulled out Haunting, the name sake of the Halloween 2011 collection from China Glaze. This is a black creme with TONS of silver microglitter. The bottle is a bit deceiving though - there's much more glitter on the bottle than what comes out on the nail.

I used a base coat of Rejuvacote by Duri, 2 coats of polish and a top of CND Air Dry. The formula was good.

Full sun - see how there's still a good amount of black in there? It made me feel a lot better about this color, since the bottle looks more grey and not the kind of grey that I like.

Extreme sun! Love that blue background (which is sky baby!)

Here in the shade you can again see that the glitter is spread throughout the polish, making it look haunted. Right? ;]

Finally indoors with the flash - honestly, this polish just rocks. I love that it's so different - unlike anything I currently own. If you can still find it (online, clearance racks), get it. You won't regret it.

Disclosure: The product[s] in this post was [were] provided to me by the company for consideration. For more information, please read this post.

Julep Trina

2012-01-04T00:15:00.004-06:00

I became a Julep Maven back in August when the program started. Now I'll be brutally honest, their Maven program has had some errors... first the referral system was not working and while they did offer ALL Maven's a free box one month ($20 savings for the user), not all were happy with that apology. There have been other issues with their PR writing a blog posting using blogger pictures that were not credited. That is a huge unspoken NO in the blogging world as bloggers work hard to photograph and edit their pictures and then to not be credited was very frustrating. For the record, I was not one of the bloggers whose pictures were used, but I did recognize some of the nails. They have also changed their referral system from $15 store credit to a point type system. Your friend has to remained enrolled for 30 days after their first Maven box for you to get your 1 credit. After 2 credits, you get a free box. I know that they were also offering Maven boxes for 1 cent using the code SHAREON, but I do not know if that offer is still valid. Please note that the above Julep link is linked to my referral link, and if you join the Maven program using my link, I will get 1 credit providing the above was adhered to. Oh and finally, I learned that my blog was being used in a court case against Julep because they are using the same "naming" system as Zoya Nail Polish - using women names for their polishes. Last I heard the court case is still pending.

That being said, I haven't had any personal problems. My box changes have always gone through without any issue (you can change what kind of box you receive), I haven't had any charging issues (once had 2 pre-authorizations but only one charge), haven't had any shipping issues, and I'm really happy with the way that people who go into the salon, are treated (they have salons in Seattle).

Enough about that, let's get to the polish. Trina is a shimmery deep aubergine (eggplant) from the November "Polish Lover" box. I'm originally an "American Beauty" Maven boxer (heh), but I couldn't resist switching to the Polish Lover that month (3 polishes, no other beauty products). Please note in my bottle picture that the top of the polish does come off like Chanel, Illamasqua or Dr.'s REMEDY to reveal a smaller round handle, but it's not necessary for polishing.

I used the Julep Base Coat ($14), 1 coat of Trina and a top of CND Air Dry. I do have the Julep Fast Dry Topcoat but couldn't find it when polishing my nails. This polish was so super thick that I'm going to have to add some thinner. I had to wipe my brush several times.

Here in the sun you can see how deep of a color this is. I really like that while it's a dark plum, it doesn't have the red and blue sparkles that you typically see in colors like this (think China Glaze Let's Groove).

The shade just kinda is "ick"... the color is so dark that it doesn't translate well on camera. It's a great fall color and I always love darker color on shorter nails. I don't see me pulling this one out too many times this year though.

Finally indoors with the flash and you can see how pretty this purple truly is, but it is just a bit dark for me. Vampy purples aren't really my thing, but this is a pretty one! Just thick formula'ed.

You can purchase Trina on Julep's website for $14.

Julep is available on their website for $14 a bottle. You can like them on Facebook and follow them on Twitter.

NOTD: 3 January 2012

2012-01-03T12:15:00.001-06:00

Many moons ago, Nailene sent me a great press kit that had lots of stickers and some glue, and lots of PERFECT tips - french polish guides. (Dearest Melissa, I'm sorry this got stuck on my shelf and never used!)

As much as I loved Fashion Friday by itself, I decided that I wanted to make it even more funky, so I put down some of the tip guides and added a coat of Jesse's Girl Girls Night Out (also from the JulieG collection). For my middle finger, I laid the guide sideways and made the dot freehand. Obviously I didn't let it dry long enough and that's why you see smearing. I topped the nails with CND Air Dry.

As you see, I'm not an expert at nail art, but these guides do help you make some crisp lines! I'm definitely happy with it. I need to really look at all these other items that were in the bag because there are some cute stickers - a quick way to add instant glam to any manicure.

Nailene has a "Where to Buy" located on their website. You can like them on Facebook and follow them on Twitter.

You can visit Jesse's Girl on their website, Like them on Facebook and Follow them on Twitter.

Disclosure: The product[s] in this post was [were] provided to me by the company for consideration. For more information, please read this post.

Jesse's Girl Fashion Friday

2012-01-03T00:15:00.022-06:00

I wanted a fun color to wear, so I decided to grab the Jesse's Girl Fashion Friday from the JulieG collection. This is a happy red purplish creme. I used a base of Duri Rejuvacote, 2 coats of polish and a top of CND Air Dry. Formula was smooth.

Hello sun! See what I mean about it being such a happy little creme! It's almost a throwback to an 80s fuchsia, or maybe I'm just making all that up. Works for me either way.

In the shade, this color reminds me a little of Color Club Mrs. Robinson except this is definitely not a matte finish and not as neon. Still, always good to look for twins/dupes!

Finally indoors with the flash and this is a hot color as far hitting the camera flash and just being super bright. I know I'll wear it in the future, but this is one of those where I have to be in the mood for something "loud".

The JulieG Collection is a limited edition collection available at Rite Aid stores starting Labor Day weekend and will be available online at Jesse's Girl Cosmetic's website. They retail for $3.99 each ($1 more than the original core line).

You can visit Jesse's Girl on their website, Like them on Facebook and Follow them on Twitter.

Disclosure: The product[s] in this post was [were] provided to me by the company for consideration. For more information, please read this post.

Sephora by OPI Be-Claus I Said So

2012-01-02T12:15:00.000-06:00

I went to 2 different Sephoras to track down the Glitter and Sparkle collection but I found it! Be-Claus I Said So is a micro and larger hexagonal red glitter in a clear base. I used a base of Duri Rejuvacote, 2 coats of polish and a top of CND Air Dry. I originally tried wearing this color alone (pinkie and ring finger) but decided it needed a good base so I used Cult Nails Quench.

Here in the sun you can see that it definitely needs a good red base coat unless you still want to look like you have weird red bumps on your nail. The coverage is more opaque looking because of the microglitter but still not okay for me.

I love how the glitter really glows in a jelly like way over the index and middle fingers. Such a pretty color even if it takes a bit of prep work to get it all pretty.

Indoors with the flash really don't do justice for this pretty color. I almost made this my Christmas manicure but at the last minute, I couldn't find where I put this bottle (since I had moved everything around!). Go figure!

You can purchase Sephora by OPI in Sephora stores or online here for $9 a bottle.

deborah lippmann Do Ya Think I'm Sexy?

2012-01-02T00:15:00.000-06:00

I have been obsessed with deborah lippmann's Do Ya Think I'm Sexy? since it was first spotted in mid-February 2011 during Fashion Week. The working title was "jessica rabbit", but as you know, Deborah names her polishes after songs. This is a large hexagonal glitter in a clear base.

On my pinkie and ring fingers, I have a base coat of Duri Rejuvacote, 2 coats of polish and a top of CND Air Dry. On my middle and index fingers, I've added a base of Cult Nails Quench.

Now, Deborah had said during her group interview that I was in, that all her polishes are designed as 2 coaters, so that's why I used 2 coats. Granted, I love this SO MUCH MORE over an existing red creme, because on the bare nail, it reminds me too much of a really bad case of chicken pox (sorry!). Well, really, of shingles (which I had in my early 20s).

Forget anything else, go buy this polish because of how awesome it looks in the shade. Yes. Go. Post done.

Okay fine, here's indoors with the flash - not as gorgeous, but still, I'm in love with this polish. What a way to start 2012! This is a limited edition shade, but you may still be able to pick it up in stores.

deborah lippmann [official website] sells for $18 a bottle. You can also Like her on Facebook and follow her on Twitter.

Cult Nails Quench

2012-01-01T12:15:00.026-06:00

While I was trying to find a perfect red to layer some awesome upcoming red glitters, I figured that Cult Nails Quench had to be the best red in my stash. I know Maria (creator of Cult Nails) wasn't going to just put out any old red, so I was excited to finally put it on. LOOK how that bottle glows up there!

I used a base of Duri Rejuvacote, 2 coats of polish and a top of CND Air Dry. The formula was a bit sparse on the first coat, but the second coat smoothed it all out and made it super perfect. I don't know how she constantly does that with her formula, but she has consistently with all the polishes I've tried!

In the sun, this polish is hot hot hot! I finally figured out what's up with my index finger - my nail is just thin. That's why it never looks "polished" well - too thin of a nail! So I'm totally calling Quench a jelly - it's so pretty and squishy!

In the shade, this color appears a little darker, but it's really a true pigmented red - kind of like OCC's Lip Tar "NSFW". Bold and in your face!

Indoors with the flash and you can see that it's not just my index fingernail that is thin - most of them are. Duri has kept them from breaking but they are still thin. At least they aren't splitting or peeling.

If you haven't purchased Quench, what are you waiting for?

Cult Nails available in their shop for $10 a bottle or now you can purchase from Overall Beauty. You can like Cult Nails on Facebook and follow them on Twitter. Once they reach 5,000 Likes on Facebook, Maria will be offering all polishes for only $5!

Zoya True

2012-01-01T00:01:00.008-06:00

I was hoping 2012 would be the year of the holos but it looks more like year of the flakies! Please enjoy the following press release from Zoya! (You can click on the images to see them larger)

Oh lookie!

Color Club Nouveau Vintage

2011-12-31T12:15:00.012-06:00

I literally have 3 boxes full of polish that I have been needing to show you. I pretty much skipped every fall collection, as they are my least favorite polishes when I see them, and then when I finally put them on my nails, I like them SO much more. This has happened for three years straight. LEARN, Krystal.

Jumping back to 2011 Fall, Color Club's Back to Boho collection included this "vintage frosty gold" - Nouveau Vintage. I feel it's more of an olive with antiqued gold in it. Well, close enough, right? I used a base of CND Stickey, 2 coats of polish and a top of Color Club 0-60 Speed that was included in each 6 piece section of this collection. (PS: It didn't dry in 60 seconds for me. After 5 minutes, the polish was still dentable.)

Okay, what is this color? It's like a base of reddish brown, and then a green shimmer and a gold shimmer layered on top. But it's all in ONE color - just 2 coats of this stuff! It's like a crackle coat has been built into polish.

Even close up, I just can't pin down WHAT this color is! It's amazing!

Here in the shade, I'm just drooling. Why did I wait so long to put this on?!

Indoors with the flash shows a bit more of that red undertone as well as all the shimmer on top. I love you Nouveau Vintage.

Formula was a bit weird - not thin but a bit thick? I had to make sure my brush was wiped well before putting a coat on.

Color Club is located on several etailers, including Head2Toe Beauty which has it for $3.00. You can also Like them on Facebook and Follow them on Twitter.

Disclosure: The product[s] in this post was [were] provided to me by the company for consideration. For more information, please read this post.

China Glaze Material Girl

2011-12-31T00:15:00.034-06:00

Happy New Years Eve (kinda - I mean, it's a whole 23 hours until I'm sipping champagne and watching the ball drop)! I thought I'd check out some glitters for the holiday, and realized I could post China Glaze Material Girl from the Eye Candy collection. Did anyone else think that the promo picture looked like Christina Aguilera? So this collection was duped by both Wet n Wild and Sally Hansen, but more about that later. Notice that in the bottle picture, it almost looks like there is some holographic glitter in there, but nope - it's just all pink glitter in a clear base.

I used a base coat of Duri Rejuvacote, 3 coats of polish and a top of CND Air Dry. The formula worked well but the glitter was gritty, even with the top coat.

Here in the sun, I had to think if this was Pom Pom for a minute! Nope, the pink is lighter in color but still - it works! I'm shocked at how opaque it is, despite being in a clear base. Good job ChG!

The shade is also pretty lovely. Notice the different sizes of glitter - large, small and micro.

Finally we have indoors with the flash - nothing new to say. I think this color really save Marilyn to me - that classic pink dress from her Gentlemen Prefer Blondes movie (although that was super hot pink). Don't forget your felt to remove this glitter! (I'll have a post up soon for glitter removal!)

Disclosure: The product[s] in this post was [were] provided to me by the company for consideration. For more information, please read this post.

OPI Swimsuit... Nailed It!

2011-12-30T12:15:00.020-06:00

The finale of my Miss Universe reviews is Swimsuit... Nailed It! I originally HATED this color and avoided it, especially after I heard from other bloggers that it was staining their nails. However, LOOK at this bottle shot! It almost glows! I kept thinking "Is this a DS?" (It's not, by the way.)

I used a base of Duri Rejuvacote, 2 coats of polish and a top of CND Air Dry. Formula was great.

These are my nails! I can't believe how amazing this looks. No crazy photoshop, no false nails - it's all me. I'm in love with this color, this finish, the smoothness of the polish, how insanely pretty it is!

Indirect sun - still some amazing shine and just beautiful glow to it!

In the shade, you'll note a bit of a green/red cast over my picture - this is from my red wall, sorry about that!

Finally indoors with the flash - not much to say here... the shimmer was a bit overpowered by the flash. I wore this color for a few hours and didn't have any staining of my nails, but I did have to scrub with my nail brush to get all the shimmer off. I'm shocked by this color, but definitely in a great way. I can't wait to wear this one again!

OPI is available at Professional Salons, including Beauty Brands, Beauty First, Chatters, Dillard’s, JCPenney, Pure Beauty, Regis, Trade Secret, and Ulta, for $8.50 ($10.95 CAN) suggested retail for each Nail Lacquer. Please visit their website for details [official website].

Disclosure: The product[s] in this post was [were] provided to me by the company for consideration. For more information, please read this post.

Jesse's Girl All Things Girly

2011-12-30T00:15:00.022-06:00

Bouncing back a bit to the JulieG Collection from Jesse's Girl Cosmetics - this is All Things Girly, a peach creme that to me, just says Julie. It's such a happy color! I had just gotten a manicure the morning before, and decided to start using Rejuvacote by Duri, religiously. It's a nail growth system that my nail tech uses every time I see her (about once a month). I used 2 coats of polish and topped it with CND Air Dry.

So, I had icky weather but there's a bit of sun out there! While this is not a neon, it is a happy bright color.

I actually prefer this color in the shade! It's a nice color that I think goes well with my skin (no lobster red hands!) Sadly, I did find the formula to be a bit streaky, although it doesn't look bad in the final pictures.

Go inside, add the flash, and my camera goes nuts. It wouldn't focus and every picture made this color look neon. I give up, but at least you can enjoy the outcome.

he JulieG Collection is a limited edition collection available at Rite Aid stores and online at Jesse's Girl Cosmetic's website. They retail for $3.99 each ($1 more than the original core line).

You can visit Jesse's Girl on their website, Like them on Facebook and Follow them on Twitter.

Disclosure: The product[s] in this post was [were] provided to me by the company for consideration. For more information, please read this post.

OPI Crown Me Already!

2011-12-29T12:15:00.014-06:00

Going back to OPI's Miss Universe - now it's Crown Me Already! a multi-sized glitter in a clear base. Honestly, this polish looks best layered either over another color or over itself, but I didn't know that until I swatched. I used OPI Natural Nail and then put 1 coat on my pinky, 2 coats on my ring finger, 3 coats on my middle finger and finally 4 fantastic coats on my index finger. I sealed all with OPI Top Coat.

In the sun, you can see that oddly, it doesn't seem to matter if there's 1, 2 or 3 coats... it's either 1 coat or like... 4. I don't understand it, haha. The larger hexagonal glitter was a bit hard to get onto the nail but I was able to get it there eventually.

In the shade - same story. This was before I got my manicure (as you can tell) but tomorrow, you'll start to see how much my nails grew! (Sadly, these pictures are like 6 weeks old... I'm a bit behind right now).

As for this polish, I can't wear it on its own - I need it to layer. Frankly, I'd prefer to wear Servin' Up Sparkle if I wanted a glitter like OPI layering polish.

OPI is available at Professional Salons, including Beauty Brands, Beauty First, Chatters, Dillard’s, JCPenney, Pure Beauty, Regis, Trade Secret, and Ulta, for $8.50 ($10.95 CAN) suggested retail for each Nail Lacquer. Please visit their website for details [official website].

Disclosure: The product[s] in this post was [were] provided to me by the company for consideration. For more information, please read this post.

Del Sol Ruby Slipper

2011-12-29T00:15:00.030-06:00

This is the polish that I've had my eye on ever since I heard of "color change" polish by Del Sol. Ruby Slipper is a silver glitter in a clear base when it's in the shade.

To test this, I put CND Brilliant White for my pinky and ring finger, China Glaze City Siren for my middle finger and a bare nail for my index finger. Then I put 3 coats of Ruby Slipper over each finger. The only finger I sealed with top coat (Seche Vite) was my pinky.

First let me show you what this color looks like when the sun hits it.

BAM. Hello red.

Over white, Ruby Slipper had more of a pink effect because the clear base is actually a red color changing effect. Over red, it just looks silver glitter mixed in. On my index finger, first I see that I sucked at polishing and got it all over my cuticle. (Oops), but it did work pretty well. I think I like this best over a red.

After being in the sun, all colors faded back to silver.

Del Sol may be ordered online for $10 a bottle with free shipping on orders over $50. You can also find stores with their Store Locator. For social media, Del Sol has a Twitter, a YouTube channel, a Google+ page and a Facebook page.

CND Brilliant White

2011-12-28T16:39:00.000-06:00

I realized that I use this color a lot but have never dedicated a post to it. CND colour Brilliant White is a core color - a nice bright white. For this, I used a base of CND Stickey, 2 coats of polish and a top of OPI Top Coat (it's all I could find at the moment).

Okay, so ignore the huge nick in my middle finger. I bumped it right when I walked out the door. Now I've had my bottle for quite some time, so I'm not sure if the formula has been affected, but I noticed that this color was a bit patchy for me. Not what you'd hope, but pretty typical for whites.

Here in the shade, the color looks a bit dusty? I think it's just the reflection of the light off my roof that I was shooting under. It's still a good base but I have to layer something over it to feel better.

Oh the flash. It tells how streaky this color is, and uneven - patchy as I explained before. I still love it and am glad I have it, but I'm still on the search for a "perfect" one coat white. :]

CND is available for $9 per colour, and $11 per effect and you can find locations to buy here.

TransDesign and Head2ToeBeauty has the colours for $4.50 and effects for $5.50.

OPI It's My Year

2011-12-28T02:07:00.000-06:00

Continuing with the Miss Universe collection - here's It's My Year, a purple base with gold microglitter. It's like the sister of Rally Pretty Pink. I used a base coat of OPI Natural Nail, 2 coats of polish, a top of OPI Top Coat. Formula was great but as you'll see in my pictures, not as opaque as I thought.

Here in the sun, you can see what I was talking about as far as the opacity of this polish. While I love the color, not a huge fan of seeing my nails. A base coat of white would help cover your nails and make this color pop.

I had to snag a picture in some indirect sunlight (semi-shade). Seriously, this purple slays me. It's just a nice beautiful orchid like color.

Shade picture - the gold isn't nearly as strong here, which is interesting because on my swatch card, all I see is gold.

And finally indoors with the flash - lots of visible nail for me. Boo!

OPI is available at Professional Salons, including Beauty Brands, Beauty First, Chatters, Dillard’s, JCPenney, Pure Beauty, Regis, Trade Secret, and Ulta, for $8.50 ($10.95 CAN) suggested retail for each Nail Lacquer. Please visit their website for details [official website].

Disclosure: The product[s] in this post was [were] provided to me by the company for consideration. For more information, please read this post.

OPI Congeniality Is My Middle Name

2011-12-25T00:15:00.003-06:00

Remember this lovely OPI Miss Universe collection? Seems like a lifetime ago for me, but that's because I've been seeing swatches of OPI Holland pop up on Tumblr and wow, I'm in love with some of those shades! But back to the swatch at hand (hah). Today is Congeniality Is My Middle Name, also called "CIMMN" by many bloggers, although I have no idea how to pronounce it. Maybe it's like "cinnamon" but you just run the last syllable into the n sound at the end. Works, right? This is a beautiful wine-berry shimmer that looks like a creme in the bottle but sparkles on the nail.

Side note, back in 2006, I was in a "scholarship pageant" and won Miss Congeniality. I hold dear to that title and trophy. A few years prior, Eva Longoria was in the same scholarship pageant and walked away the winner.

Oh the good ole days.

Back to the polish. I used a base coat of OPI Natural Nail, 2 coats of polish and a top coat of OPI Top Coat. The formula was nice and smooth.

Here in the sun, you can see how this is a great red/purple (rurple?) shimmer. It's not too red but definitely not too purple and the shimmer is nice and subtle.

I was pretty obsessed with this color in the shade, especially the bottle! It's just such a little chameleon - almost duochrome like!

Finally indoors with the flash and you can see the shimmer a bit more and a huge "hot spot" of light where my flash really hit the nail. Lovely color! OPI has always been great with reds.

I'd like to wish all my readers a great holiday season! Today is Christmas Day and I'm having my family all to my house later today.

OPI is available at Professional Salons, including Beauty Brands, Beauty First, Chatters, Dillard’s, JCPenney, Pure Beauty, Regis, Trade Secret, and Ulta, for $8.50 ($10.95 CAN) suggested retail for each Nail Lacquer. Please visit their website for details [official website].

Disclosure: The product[s] in this post was [were] provided to me by the company for consideration. For more information, please read this post.

FingerPaints Drummer Boy

2011-12-24T20:45:00.000-06:00

Today I have FingerPaints Drummer Boy, a blue glitter in a clear base. I originally was hoping for a blue base but the good thing with clear bases is that you can use it over anything.

I used a base coat of CND Stickey, 2 coats of polish, and a top of Seche Vite. On my index and middle fingers, I started with a coat of CND Stickey, then 1 coat of Winter Sky, and finished like the above. (In case you're wondering, I paint my nails from pinkie to index finger.)

Okay, apologizes for this blurry picture. My camera freaked out in the sun and just couldn't handle it.

It did much better in the shade. The glitter could probably have used more than 1 coat of Seche Vite to keep down the bumps in the glitter.

Finally indoors with the flash - I'm a bit iffy on this color. While I love a glitter, I don't know how many uses I have for a blue glitter. I think this would work well over a white to give you a punch of color without the overpowering blue theme going. By itself, I just can't deal. The glitter didn't stain my nails any, but I just don't like seeing so much VNL underneath. Maybe a nice nude under? I can't think of any other blue glitters in clear bases that I have off the top of my head, so this could be a keeper on that fact alone.

FingerPaints can be found in Sally's Beauty Supplies stores and online for $4.99 USD each. They are a Sally's Beauty Supply exclusive brand, so you can follow Sally's on Twitter and like them on Facebook as well as follow their blog.

Disclosure: The product[s] in this post was [were] provided to me by the company for consideration. For more information, please read this post.

FingerPaints Special Effects Collection

2011-12-24T00:15:00.002-06:00

How freaking cool are these?! FLAKIES. And flakies at an affordable price! Now these are a Sally's Beauty Store exclusive, available in stores only starting in January. I was able to purchase an advance copy from my local Sally's on behalf of the corporate office - many many thanks to Sally's for making that possible! Price on these are $5.49 a bottle but with a Sally's Beauty Club card, they are $4.99. I paid a total of $27.01 which included Texas sales tax at 8.25%.

Twisted, Flecked, Flashy, Motley and Asylum

China Glaze Colours from the Capitol

2011-12-23T00:15:00.016-06:00

So if you follow me on Twitter, you may have seen the on/off love between China Glaze and the Hunger Games. However, it's officially ON! I have The Hunger Games in my possession now, and I'm going to start reading them so I can figure out exactly what's going on. Here's what I do know - China Glaze looks like it's coming out with a flakie! I could be wrong...

More information will be posted when I receive it. I'm definitely excited for Luxe and Lush!

Holiday Beauty Blogger Giveaway Winner!

2011-12-22T12:31:00.000-06:00

The winner of the $500 Visa gift card giveaway is Dolores V. – entry #22144! Congratulations and thanks to all who entered!

FingerPaints Winter Sky

2011-12-22T12:15:00.019-06:00

Back to the swatches! Today I have FingerPaints Winter Sky, a shimmery blue. It's a lot like Zoya Phoebe, but not matte and just a bit lighter in blue tone. The formula was very nice but I did have a bit of staining with this color.

I used a base coat of CND Stickey, 2 coats of polish and a top of Seche Vite.

Here in the sun, you can see the shimmer. Sorry for the colors being a bit hot - the sun was not cooperating with me! I have some large mosquite trees that hang over my sidewalk, so sometimes it's hard to get the sun between the branches.

The shade worked a lot better for me, but strangely, it makes this color look way more teal than blue.

Finally indoors with the flash - you can see that gorgeous shimmer! Like I mentioned above, I did have some slight staining with this polish but I just cleaned well with Zoya Remove+, washed my hands with a nail brush and some soap, and then applied cuticle oil and I was good to go!

FingerPaints can be found in Sally's Beauty Supplies stores and online for $4.99 USD each. They are a Sally's Beauty Supply exclusive brand, so you can follow Sally's on Twitter and like them on Facebook as well as follow their blog.

Disclosure: The product[s] in this post was [were] provided to me by the company for consideration. For more information, please read this post.

SkinCareRx & Apothica Giveaway!

2011-12-22T01:14:00.000-06:00

Sorry for the late notice but I wanted to let you know that Apothica and SkinCareRx are having their 12 Days of Giveaways and there is still time to enter! It ends on December 24th.

To enter SkinCareRx’s giveaway, go to http://facebook.com/skincarerx

To enter Apothica’s giveaway, go to http://facebook.com/apothica

Nail Rock

2011-12-22T00:23:00.000-06:00

Please enjoy the following press release from Nail Rock! To view larger, you may click on the image.

About Zoe Pocock

Known for her technical excellence and creativity, Nail Rock’s Creative Director Zoe Pocock kicked off the recent explosion in nail art in 2006 by creating the internationally acclaimed “Louboutin Manicure.” Pocock is a leading celebrity nail technician with clients including: Adele, Barbra Streisand, Eliza Doolittle, Fergie, Kelly Osbourne, Kerri Hilson, and Meryl Streep.

Previously head manicurist at top UK salons including Daniel Galvin, Daniel Galvin Jr, Charles Worthington and Windle & Moodie, Pocock swapped the salon floor for session life. Under her direction Nail Rock has become the UK’s leading nail wrap brand with trend-led designs and easy to use, long lasting applications.

With such a strong creative streak she’s a big fan of change and Nail Rock has Pocock constantly using her creativity to design new nail wrap patterns each season as well as working with top brands on exclusive collaborations including Folli Follie, Meadham Kirchhoff and Mulberry.

Most recently, Zoe worked with major British charities Children in Need and Jeans for Genes by creating customized Nail Rock wraps for retail to benefit the organizations.

Zoe’s work has been featured in Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, Grazia, Glamour, Cosmopolitan and Tatler.

Dermelect Resilient Stem Cell Regenerating Treatment

2011-12-21T15:49:00.001-06:00

I had posted earlier this month about the Dermelect Skin Regenerating System and was given the opportunity to review the Resilient Stem Cell Regenerating Treatment. This is supposed to "boost epidermal regeneration while reversing damage by free radial agents. The treatment leaves skin looking rested and supple." You are supposed to put it on your clean face twice daily "in a gentle circular motion". I normally forgot that part and just smoothed it into my skin.

The key ingredients in this product are Alp Rose (Plant) Stem Cell, AHA and Mushroom Extract. The Alp Rose (Plant) Stem Cells are extracted from the Swiss Alpine Rose. AHA is derived from fruit acids and helps exfoliate and moisture the top layers of the skin. The mushroom extract is an anti-inflammatory that helps reduce skin irritation and can impact the appearance of fine lines and collagen production.

A little background on the Alpine Rose: "The Alpine Rose: Defying the odds, the Swiss Alpine Rose is an anomaly that grows remarkably beautiful while being exposed to the most unfavorable of conditions: mile high altitude, extreme dryness, severe cold and an intense sun/UV index. Usually, roses are known to oxidize quickly once picked and exposed to the environment. The Alpine Rose has an amazing extended life span of up to 100 years. The key to its unlikely longevity lays chiefly in its unusually resilient stem cells." (Information from Dermelect's website.)

Even though there is only one once of product, I found it has lasted quite well. I used this product twice a day for two weeks and still have a considerable amount left. It does smell like dried roses, a smell I personally love, but isn't overbearing. The cream does dry quickly into your skin without leaving a greasy or oily film behind. I have normal to dry skin, and having a moisturizer in my life is a must.

Did my skin look "well rested and supple"? Well it didn't look any worse. I haven't had an issue with fine lines yet, so I didn't have a need for improvement in that area. It did help having a moisturizer twice daily during these winter months - my skin didn't flake or peel like normal. I also did not have any breakouts during my 2 week trial. My skin is normally pretty much acne-free already - but it's good to know that I didn't experience any issues.

Here are some images of the box.

Dermelect Resilient Stem Cell Regenerating Treatment sells for $79.00 for 1 oz. Dermelect is shipping this item for free. You can also purchase the entire Skin Regenerating System for $159, also on their website.

Dermelect Cosmeceuticals products are available on their website [official website]. You can like them on Facebook and follow them on Twitter.

Disclosure: The product[s] in this post was [were] provided to me by the company for consideration. For more information, please read this post.

Polish Storage Rack

2011-12-19T11:40:00.000-06:00

It's my birthday! My real one! I'm 28 years young today.

While I'm out celebrating (heh - more on that later), I wanted to share something I did this past weekend.

I had been looking for a way to store my polish other than "the floor". If you recall, I have been using spinning acrylic racks but I've outgrown what I have. Now I have polishes in boxes everywhere. Until I have them sorted, this is what I have for now.

The boxes are all either nail supplies, press samples or things I've purchased.

Base and top coats, plus 2 kitties!

I bought the rack from Sam's Club for $60 but now it's out of stock for delivery. It holds up to 700 pounds per shelf, so I figure I'm good. One of my geeky Facebook friends noted that I have approximately 6 and a half gallons of paint if you combined all my nail polishes together.

Illamasqua Corset Nails

2011-12-14T12:15:00.001-06:00

I have Vice and Kink and hope to attempt this look soon! Please enjoy the following press release form Illamasqua on how you can create easy but sexy nail art using their new polishes from Theatre of the Nameless!

Illamasqua urges you to be daring this holiday season by embracing your alter ego with corset inspired nails. Taking a lead from the 1920s Berlin Boot Girls use the hottest nail shades of the season in this easy 4 step guide to get kinky corset nails that will be sure to turn heads at any holiday party.

Steps:

Start off with a base coat of Illamasqua’s Nail Varnish in Vice (burgundy). The Nail Varnishes are hardwearing, chip-resistant and one coat should give you that unique rubbery finish just like a boot.
Once the base coat is dry use Nail Varnish in Faux Pas (blue/violet) along both sides of the nail.
Using a Black Nail Pen create a lace up effect from one side of the Faux Pas color to the other. Depending on nail size three crosses should be enough.
When the nail has dried use Nail Rhinestones at each point of the criss-cross to give the nail a lace up corset look.

Products Needed:

Nail Varnish in Vice ($14, Sephora)
Nail Varnish in Faux Pas ($14, Sephora)
Black Nail Pen
Nail Rhinestones

FingerPaints Frosty Night

2011-12-14T00:46:00.000-06:00

Moving over to the FingerPaints Merry & Bright Holiday Collection, first up is Frosty Night, your basic silver glitter in a clear base. I made the mistake of thinking this was a silver base and decided to wear it over bare nails. Oops.

I used a base of CND Stickey, 2 coats of polish and a top of Seche Vite. Removal was typical of glitter but not very gritty with a top coat added.

Mostly sun! You can see that obviously VNL is going to be shown as again, this is a clear base with silver glitter.

I do however like the coverage that only 2 coats provides. You can see a bit of excess on my cuticles but the polish was really very well behaved.

Finally indoors with the flash and again - silver glitter... clear base. :] This would look lovely over a red for a subtle but fun kick on holiday nails.

FingerPaints can be found in Sally's Beauty Supplies stores and online for $4.99 USD each. They are a Sally's Beauty Supply exclusive brand, so you can follow Sally's on Twitter and like them on Facebook as well as follow their blog.

Disclosure: The product[s] in this post was [were] provided to me by the company for consideration. For more information, please read this post.

Color Club Santa's Cinnamon

2011-12-13T12:15:00.000-06:00

Christmas is coming up fast! While I'm not sure I'd use this for a Christmas manicure, it's definitely in my running. Color Club came out with Sally's exclusive scented polishes and I ended up grabbing Santa's Cinnamon because of the squishy glitter look and I love cinnamon.

I used a base of CND Stickey, 2 coats of polish and a top of Seche Vite. Formula was quite good. The smell was also pretty strong after the top coat dried (please make sure you let your top coat dry before smelling your nails). I have a nail stick that I painted over a month ago and I can still smell cinnamon on it.

In the sun you can see it's a nice glittery red. Nothing new to talk about.

Here in the shade - I love the squishiness of this color!

Same color? Nope, this is Color Club Ruby Slippers. Sure looks the exact same.

Back to Santa's Cinnamon indoors with the flash - very pretty color! Removal was not an issue.

Color Club is located on several etailers, including Head2Toe Beauty which has it for $3.00. You can also Like them on Facebook and Follow them on Twitter.

My Makeup Routine

2011-12-13T00:15:00.001-06:00

Okay, so be gentle.

I'm not a makeup girl. I own a lot of eyeshadow palettes, pigments, singles, and almost every 24/7 pencil by Urban Decay (eyeliner)... but when it comes to foundation? Forget it. I have pretty red skin (been asked several times if I have rosacea) that's also pretty dry. I've tried 4 different kinds of "green" primer but I always feel like I look like the Hulk afterwards. (For reference, I've tried Smashbox Photo Finish Color Correcting Foundation Primer in Color Adjust, Make Up For Ever HD Microperfecting Primer in 1 Green, FusionBeauty Prime Results Anti-Redness Primer, & Pur Minerals Correcting Primer-Green.)

Before I even started wearing makeup, the only thing I'd put on was Fruit of the Earth Aloe Vera gel. Yep. When I realized that it was making my skin look like it was peeling off during the day, I moved to Saint Ives facial moisturizer. While it did the job of moisturizing, I was still left with very red skin.

My most recent trip to Sephora was also my determination to cover my red skin without looking like the Hulk, or cakey, or oily. It took three associates and several brands before we finally found that this combination worked best for me.

First Aid Beauty Anti-Redness Serum - $34 for 1.7 oz
-One pump into the palm of my hand, apply to the entire face.

Sephora Collection Pro Foundation Airbrush #55 - $34
-This was the brush recommended to me for the rest of my makeup application. I haven't had any bristle fall out from this brush and it does bounce back to its original fluffiness after washing.

Hourglass Veil Mineral Primer SPF 15 - $52 for 1 oz
-One pump on the back of my hand, applied with the Airbrush starting in the t-zone and working over the face in small circles.

Hourglass Illusion Tinted Moisturizer Oil Free SPF 15 in Ivory - $55 for 1 oz
-One pump on the back of my hand, applied with the Airbrush starting in the t-zone and working over the face in small circles. Tap the brush only in areas that need extra coverage.

Hourglass Oxygen Foundation Mineral Powder in No. 2 - $46 for 0.46 oz
-Sweep Airbrush over powder, apply to cheeks, t-zone and chin.

Now for the results, right?

Here is my before, freshly showered, nothing on my face at all.

You can see how I have red cheeks and chin, a blemish on the right side of my mouth and freckles across my nose and cheeks.

After - my skin tone has been evened out without appearing overly cakey. The blemish is less noticible and the freckles and redness are mostly covered.

The associates had suggested a cheek stain but I just wasn't ready for that yet. It does kind of leave my face void of color but I tend to add eyeshadow/liner/mascara and some type of lip color or gloss. Either way, I'm very happy that the redness is less apparent without me looking green!

Del Sol Sassy

2011-12-12T12:15:00.036-06:00

While I was in San Antonio last month, on a segway tour (oh yes), I found out that there is a Del Sol store right in front of the Alamo. I decided that I couldn't leave without going in and getting my first color changing polishes from this lovely little company.

They were have a sale at the time of 3 polishes for $25 (I believe was the deal), so I picked my three and received a cute Texas gift box set packaging. This is Sassy, which my boyfriend picked out. It starts out as a light pink and then is supposed to change to an orange color. Del Sol is very careful to point out on their website that the colors you experience may very depending on the UV-Index of the sun, the number of coats you apply and the temperature. They do say they will replace the polish if it's not what you like. I chose a relatively warm day to check out this polish.

I did not use a base or top coat and this is 4 layers of polish.

First this is the color in the shade. You can see that even with 4 coats, you can still see my VNL on most nails. It's a light pink with a gold almost shimmer over the nail.

Then I got in the sun and let the sun do its stuff. While my bottle did not go as orange as shown on Del Sol's website, there is a definitely difference in the color.

I also grabbed one last picture in the shade before the color cooled down. It's definitely a nice novelty item!

Added bonus - here's my boyfriend, me, and my best friend on our segways in front of the Alamo (this is also about the time I saw the Del Sol store!)

Del Sol may be ordered online for $10 a bottle with free shipping on orders over $50. You can also find stores with their Store Locator. For social media, Del Sol has a Twitter, a YouTube channel, a Google+ page and a Facebook page.

Sinful Colors Wish

2011-12-11T12:15:00.000-06:00

Please enjoy the following press release from Sinful Colors!

SINFUL COLORS HOLIDAY 2011 - WISH

Bells are jingling, snow is glistening and merry tunes abound: It's the season of shimmer (aka: the holidays) and glamour, of course. And your nails deserve a little gift and loving too. Welcome the SinfulColors holiday 2011 collection, Wish, which delights and excites. The collection takes classic colors - like red, green, silver and blue - and kicks them up a notch to be fashion-forward and festive to ring in 2012.

The complete SinfulColors Wish collection for holiday 2011 includes:

Five gem-inspired shades of polish:
OUT OF THIS WORLD: a perfect silver with swirls of glimmer
MIDNIGHT BLUE: a bold, bright twist on navy
SUGAR SUGAR: a candy cane, red-hot tint
DADDY'S GIRL: a deep purple with a drizzle of shimmer and glitter
LAST CHANCE: an emerald with depth and allure

Two metallic shades of nail art:
FLOWER GIRL: a bronzy gold with tons of sparkle
FASHIONISTA: a glitter-laden pewter

SinfulColors surpasses the masses with more than 150 amazing shades of nail polish, including the above-mentioned shades. All hues are available for $1.99 at major drug and mass-market stores nationwide, by calling 1-800-448-0763 or online at www.walgreens.com.

No-Miss Country Christmas

2011-12-11T00:16:00.000-06:00

Christmas is coming up fast - today my boyfriend said "Let's get a tree!". I was kind of happy with my little tinsel tabletop tree, but maybe I need to get into the spirit and invest in a nice 6' to sit in the living room. Maybe. To help get me in the mood, I figured I'd bring out No-Miss nail polish in Country Christmas - a festive red and green glitter in a clear base.

I used a base coat of CND Stickey, 2 coats of polish and a top of CND Air Dry. For white I used CND Brilliant White and for black I used nubar Noir.

For just 2 coats, this does cover well! I don't prefer it on the bare nail or really over black but absolutely love this color over a white.

Same story in the shade. Over black the colors just don't pop as well to me as they do over white.

Finally indoors with the flash. If you're looking for a nice red and green microglitter, this is a great one to have. There isn't any filler colors (silver/gold/blue) which I like and the glitter is a fine cut so it's not too big. Removal wasn't terrible using the foil method which apparently I need to add a little tutorial for my non-nail polish loving friends who look at me like I have two heads when I say "Just use the foil method." Coming soon!

No-Miss can be found in several health food stores like Whole Foods or purchased on their website for $7.95. You can follow No-Miss on Twitter or like them on Facebook as well.

Disclosure: The product[s] in this post was [were] provided to me by the company for consideration. For more information, please read this post.

CND Sheer 24K Sparkle

2011-12-10T22:39:00.000-06:00

The complimentary "effects" in The Look 2011 by CND is Sheer 24K Sparkle. It's a nice gold flakie in a gold base.

I decided to try this look over Dark Amethyst, Midnight Sapphire, CND Brilliant White and nubar Noir. One coat of the effect was used on each swatch.

Here in the sun you can see that it's a bit hard to see this effect properly. The sun really washes the color out which is sad because it's a nice color!

The shade is much better. I love this gold because it goes perfectly for both my high school and college alma maters (black and gold for high school, blue and gold for college). Over white, however, this color doesn't work at all.

Finally indoors with the flash - again this color doesn't stand out as well as it should. It almost gets lost over the purple as well which is sad because the colors do compliment each other well. I'm still very in love with the effects line - from the way it changes the colors to the opacity of the polish itself! Pair it with CND Stickey and CND Air Dry and you definitely have a winner!

CND is available for $9 per colour, and $11 per effect and you can find locations to buy here.

TransDesign and Head2ToeBeauty has the colours for $4.50 and effects for $5.50.

Disclosure: The product[s] in this post was [were] provided to me by the company for consideration. For more information, please read this post.

Pop Beauty Blog

2011-12-09T00:12:00.001-06:00

If you're into Pop Beauty, you'll definitely want to read the following release!

Pop Beauty creator, Sara Strand is giving readers an all-access pass to everything that is Pop – introducing:

Please click to see original size

On her new site, Sara will discuss inspirations behind the Pop brand, what drives her creatively, as well as her flares, tastes and passions in all that is POP culture. These musings in fashion, makeup, art and music will be updated monthly, sharing an in depth look into Sara's taste-making style.

To join the fun subscribe today at: http://saras-sonnet.blogspot.com/