A Very Merry Christmas Eve

I will be traveling A LOT tomorrow and decided that a pretty Christmas nail art mani with trees, snowflakes or any other such decoration would not hold up very well under all the luggage hauling and layovers I have to endure. With that in mind, I turned to an untried, Crow's Toes Black Widow, a blue-leaning black holo with glitter and red sparks. It took three coats to get it smooth, I blame the glitter, and two layers of topcoat, but now I feel as though my nails have armor on them! Office friendly, as they are pretty much black inside, but as you can see, flash and Ott light make them come alive with rainbows and flashes. I don't notice any color shift as some have reported, but I am thrilled with the results. And yes, half my quart bag is remover and polish :P

Christmas in Florida

So we are celebrating our family Christmas together early this year due to schedule conflicts, and I was trying to decide on a mani last night. When I realized it is predicted to be 82 degrees Saturday, I went with a hot summer mani, and it makes me SO happy! Maria at Cult Nails is having a warehouse clearance and I picked up a couple colors I had been drooling over, Ay Poppy! (persimmon crelly) and You're My Dandy Lion, a sunshine yellow cream with a bit of golden shimmer. The shimmer isn't as noticeable on the nail but that suits me fine. It does add a depth to this glorious yellow. It took three coats for opacity, and Ay Poppy! was perfect in two. Merry Christmas, Florida, now go home, you're drunk. HK Girl topcoat over.

My First Magazine Credit!!

go look, order this magazine (only a teaser online...) Beauty and Lifestyle Bride Premier Edition

Throwback Thursday! (I did the polish Thursday...)

I was challenged in a group by Debbie Crumpet to use Thursdays to try untrieds or anything unused in over a year. I dragged out Essie Sew Psyched, one of my first TEN polishes, maybe my first five...and clicked around looking for ideas to jazz it up. I remember feeling so risque wearing khaki green polish to work back then.....2009? I stumbled onto Vicky at Boombastic Nails- GORGEOUS work she does, go, follow her... here. I forgot how lovely this green with gold shimmer polish really is- and I stuck with the rules using Lacquistry Witches Wart, I haven't used it since October 2012....

Untrieds ROCK!!

I've been polish challenged lately, having to try all the holiday polishes I've been sent for review. I'm not a swatcher, I wear polish for at least two days unless it's really really awful, so when I get a chance to wear anything I want, it's usually something FABULOUS! Colors by Llarowe Oh Christmas Tree fits that label nicely. It's a deep evergreen holo, perfect in two thin coats. A squooosh lighter than Glitter Gal Lizard Belly, and a tad bit less opaque.  I'm not as sold on Crows Toes Indian Summer, the purplish/red duo/multichrome. Even after four coats it's patchy and a bit lumpy. Stunning, but meh on application. Not sure what to do there, but it does take pretty pictures- these are all with topcoat in various lighting and flash.

Glitter, glitter, glitter

My latest review on Beauty and Lifestyle Bride magazine

More Colors by Llarowe

OK, so CbL? What's CbL?

Colors by Llarowe is a line designed by Leah Anne Larowe of www.llarowe.com fame. Restocks of her deeply colored heavily holographic polishes are things of legend, so I set my face as flint and decided to see what the fuss was about. Two hours and six polishes later, I see the light. Well, the rainbows. I wouldn't say these are the best holo polishes EVAH because I don't think they are. They are pretty amazing though, even for two coats I needed (some reviewers seem to get away with one coat)  Here is Obnoxious Annie and Black Gold, Texas Tea with Lippmann Gel Effect topcoat. Application was easy and cleanup a cinch.

Yes, Leopard print!

from my Beauty and Lifestyle Bride post here

Caramel Apples? Elevation Jellies

I bought these a long time ago, with the thought of doing the tortoise shell mani, but realized I hadn't bought the third color needed :( So I painted 4, yes 4 coats each of Elevation Temperance and Cascade. They're both true jelly polishes, sheer yet buildable in three or four coats. This is post-mani, red cuticles and all, but I wanted to show the squishiness and gloss they have. I wore this four days with not the slightest bit of wear or chips- Bettina Pro-B Color-Fusing base and Color Enhancing topcoat.

 

Bettina Grandeur Collection for the Holidays!

See my write up  here

MSMD Tuesday....

My lovely inspiration is the ever classy Bee of Bee Polished. She did a black and white mani for a group challenge here that I pinned and vowed to try. Of course, I switched up the colors a bit- Orly Grave Mistake and OPI Roll in the Hague.

oh, and here's a cute baby pic for fun- my 3 month old granddaughter

Reluctant Femme: Bloggers+Indie Brands = OTP Part 1:R.E.S.P.E.C.T

Reluctant Femme: Bloggers+Indie Brands = OTP Part 1:R.E.S.P.E.C.T: I've only been blogging for just over a year, so I'm hardly what you'd call an expert on the subject. However, for a good ten ye...

Bridal pink dresses and nails! My first Editorial!

http://blbride.com/?p=3391

MSMD Wednesday?

Loving watching youtube videos from Candice aka MrCandiipants here. I made the mistake of watching MOST of the tutorial for fall flowers, then did my nail art. Forgot the leaves at the end of the video, clearly proving the art is flowers, so mine are a bit more abstract. Bummed. However, the gorgeous base colors I have on are from a new-to-me brand, Priti NYC. These are Italian Alder and Paper Birch from Dusk in Paris fall collection. Beautiful application and brush.  Lippmann Gel Lab topcoat. The artwork is dabbled various pastel polishes.

BRILLIANT!! The Digit-al Dozen: How to...Using Striping Tape

The Digit-al Dozen: How to...Using Striping Tape: Hey guys! This is Missy from Gnarly Gnails bringing you our first 'How To' segment! Today we are going to talk about.... ...

Sunday Dotticure!!

Three coats of the lovelywaxy lime green Butter London Jaded Jack is my base for a few shaded dots today. Lippmann Gel Lab topcoat makes it smooth and glossy.
  I used LVX Cashmere and Viridis for the dots.

 

ANNNNND I'm Back!

Priti NYC sent me this by mistake (their's, not mine, I'm thrilled) Giant Granadilla is a slightly deeper, and a tiny bit jellier version of one of my top 5 polishes, Finger Paints Cordur-Orange. I'm loving it so hard, I paired it with an accent of NerdLacquer Gorramit. Two coats of each, topped with Lippmann Gel Lab topcoat. Love love love.

Neglect.....

So what happened was.......I have so many Christmas and fall polishes to review in my roll as Nail Director for Beauty and Lifestyler Bride magazine www.blbride.com  that my nails have been looking like this

and this

so now you understand? I will get a reprieve shortly and get back to our regularly scheduled nail art. Thanks for being patient!

Best Halloween Manis I found this week!

http://blbride.com/?p=3289

Yipes! Stripes! MSMD

Yipes, stripes, Beechnut's got 'em, yipes, stripes in Fruit Stripe gum, yipes stripes five different flavors, get Beechnut's Fruit Stripe gum! Ok so now if you're over 50, you'll have that jingle in your head all day, you're welcome!

I didn't set out to make my nails resemble the gum from my childhood, I actually was doing a MSMD of the wonderful Manicurity here.  However, I'm not a white base person, so I used LVX Cashmere as a base. It's a creamy stone color you could also call a warm pale gray. I also don't lean towards primary colors much, so Bettina's Resort collection with it's tropical shades fit my taste.  After finishing, this song came into my head I hadn't thought of in many years, and I have to admit, they do look a little like the gum-