FingerPaints Drummer Boy

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

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

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!

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

FingerPaints Winter Sky

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!

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

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

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

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

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