NOTW: Two Weeks of Jamberry Christmas!

Hello! Merry Christmas! I hope you are enjoying the holidays!

I have two different looks to share with you today that I did while wearing some Jamberry nail wraps as accent nails.

The first, is this peppermint candy look I wore last week:

Indoors, artificial light, no flash.

I used Zoya Elisa and Orly Au Champagne here over my base coat of Duri Rejuvacote plus Sinful Colors Nail Hardener. I stamped the candies with Zoya Elisa and Bundle Monster plate BM-213. The candy cane stripes are nail wraps from Jamberry. I was a little sad to see that the red on the wrap was much more orange-toned than my polish, which made this one my least favorite of the two designs.

The second, is this festive little number I'm currently wearing:

Indoors, artificial light, no flash.

This mani features OPI The Color of Minnie over my basecoats, which is a punchier, brighter, and more orange red than Zoya Elisa. While it still doesn't match the red on the nail wrap perfectly, the colors do play nicer together. After that was topcoated and dry, I used one dabbed on coat of KBShimmer Kringle All the Way to add some sparkles to my middle finger and double-topcoated it smooth.

I hope your holiday is bright and cheery!

More soon I hope. ^_^

NOTW: Classy Christmas Skittle

Hello!

I'm excited to share these nails with you today! I absolutely love the burnished, rich colors.

Indoors, artificial light, no flash.

I started with a base coat of Duri Rejuvacote and then painted two coats of OPI Sleigh Ride for Two, the burgundy shimmer, and Zoya Hunter, the deep green creme. The gold glitter is Sinful Colors All About You, and the silver hex glitter is Essie Set In Stones. I stamped the various gold snowflakes with Orly Luxe from Bundle Monster plates, BM-323 and BM-H01, and then I added individual glitters picked out of Set in Stones. Two coats of topcoat followed that.

Indoors, artificial light, no flash.

Nicely festive, yet not over the top.

More soon! ^_^

Stash Swatch Initiative: Powder Perfect Fading Tapestry

Hello!

Today's polish is another from Powder Perfect's Abandoned Mansion collection. This one is Fading Tapestry.

Powder Perfect Fading Tapestry. Indoors, artificial light, no flash.

Honestly, I wore this about a month ago, and I thought I'd posted it already. Guess not, so here it is!

Powder Perfect Fading Tapestry. Indoors, artificial light, no flash.

Fading Tapestry is a gorgeous red holo with gold flecks. It is saturated and bright. You can't really go wrong with this one any time of the year. It is beautiful!

Powder Perfect Fading Tapestry. Outdoors, sunlight, no flash.

Swatches today started with one coat of Duri Rejuvacote plus one coat of Sinful Colors nail hardener. Then, I used two coats of Fading Tapestry topped with one coat of Seche Vite. This went on really nicely, and I didn't have any problems with it at all.

Powder Perfect Fading Tapestry. Outdoors, sunlight, no flash.

Like yesterday's polish, I purchased this bottle from Harlow & Co. So pretty!!

Powder Perfect Fading Tapestry. Indoors, artificial light, no flash.

More soon! ^_^

Stash Swatch Initiative: OPI Magazine Cover Mouse

Hello!

This is OPI Magazine Cover Mouse!

OPI Magazine Cover Mouse. Indoors, artificial light, no flash.

Magazine Cover Mouse is a saturated red texture polish with a heavy gold and pink shimmer. It's gorgeous! It does give off a Christmas-y feel though.

OPI Magazine Cover Mouse. Indoors, artificial light, no flash.

Swatches today started with one coat of Duri Rejuvacote and one coat of Sinful Colors Nail Hardener. After that, I applied two easy coats of Magazine Cover Mouse and was on my way. I had no problems with this polish, and one coat was almost enough.

OPI Magazine Cover Mouse. Indoors, natural light, no flash.

I found my bottle dusty-hunting at K-mart recently.

OPI Magazine Cover Mouse. Indoors, artificial light, no flash.

More soon! ^_^

Stash Swatch Initiative: Rainbow Honey Work It Out

 ***Products in this post were sent for review!***

Hello!

Rainbow Honey Work It Out. Indoors, artificial light, no flash.

Today's post is the lovely Rainbow Honey Work It Out.

I love this dreamy coral creme! It is has a vintage feel, and I think it's absolutely great.

Rainbow Honey Work It Out. Indoors, artificial light, no flash.

Swatches today are two coats of Work It Out over a coat of Sinful Colors Base Coat. I topped this with one coat of NYC In a New York Minute topcoat for extra shine. This polish is very nice and fluid, so it glides on smoothly without any issues.

Rainbow Honey Work It Out. Indoors, artificial light, no flash.

My bottle was sent to me for review, but if you love it as much as I do, you can find it here. It is a part of Rainbow Honey's newest collection, Summer Mixtape! And, as I said yesterday, use the promo code MIXTAPE20 for twenty percent off your order until the end of August!

Rainbow Honey Work It Out. Indoors, artificial light, no flash.

More soon! ^_^

 ***Products in this post were sent for review!***

NOTW: Vintage Half-moons

Hello!

I have the last mani from the vault scheduled today. Finally!! This one was the direct result of my watching the Great Gatsby. 

Indoors, artificial light, no flash.

I started with one coat of Duri Rejuvacote and one coat of Sinful Colors Nail Hardener. Once that was dry, I blocked off my half-moons with paper hole savers. I used one to two coats of OPI Got the Blues for Red before removing the hole savers. I topped everything off with one coat of Seche Vite for a super glossy look.

Classy!

Indoors, artificial light, no flash.

More soon! ^_^

Bonus NOTW: Red and Sparkly

Hello!

Here is yet another mani from a few months ago. It was one of those times when I was craving bright red nails. But I wanted to use one of my new polishes too, and the resulting combination isn't really the best...

Indoors, artificial light, no flash.

This is my usual base coat combination (Duri + Sinful Colors Nail Hardener), and two coats of Zoya Sooki for the red polish. On my accent nails, I started with a coat of OPI Every Month is Oktoberfest and layered one coat each of Rainbow Honey The Bubbly and Rainbow Honey Dearly Beloved over my middle and ring finger nails, respectively. One coat of topcoat, and this was finished.

I'm not crazy about the bright red mixed with the darker polishes. I was expecting the burgundy of Every Month is Oktoberfest to play against the red a little better, but even so, I rocked this one for a few days.

More soon ! ^_^

Stash Swatch Initiative: Sally Hansen Lava

Hello!

Today's swatch is Sally Hansen Lava.

Sally Hansen Lava. Indoors, artificial light, no flash.

Lava is a pretty glass-fleck, duochrome polish that shifts from orange to pink. It wants to shift to red, but doesn't quite get there. The final look is bright and metallic.

Sally Hansen Lava. Indoors, artificial light, no flash.

Swatches today are one coat of Sinful Colors Base Coat, three coats of Lava, and one coat of NYC In a New York Minute. This polish is much sheerer than I expected, so I used three coats. It will bald and streak if you are not patient and start on another coat if the first isn't dry, but once applied, it's stunning.

Sally Hansen Lava. Indoors, natural light, no flash.

I purchased my bottle recently on clearance at either Wal-greens or Wal-mart... my memory fails me! Happy hunting!

Sally Hansen Lava. Indoors, artificial light, no flash.

More soon! ^_^

Stash Swatch Initiative: Pure Ice Freedom

Hello!

Since I just picked up this polish last week, I thought I'd swatch it right away (not to mention it was my 4th of July weekend manicure!). This way you might have a chance to find it, if you want it. It is Pure Ice Freedom.

Pure Ice Freedom. Indoors, artificial light, no flash.

Freedom is a heavy mix of red glitter in a clear base. I see small hexes, tiny hexes, and micro-glitter. In addition to all that sparkly red, there are medium sized blue hexes and a few shiny silver stars. How patriotic!

Pure Ice Freedom. Indoors, artificial light, no flash.

Swatches today are a base coat of Duri Rejuvacote, one coat of Sinful Colors Nail Hardener, one coat of China Glaze Strap On Your Moonboots, one coat of Freedom, one coat of Gelous, and one coat of Seche Vite. This polish provided a surprisingly dense glitter coverage with one coat. I did mostly swipe this one on but dabbed it on as well when needed. The stars were reluctant to come out of the bottle, but I think that may be due to just how few there are in there.

Pure Ice Freedom. Indoors, natural light, no flash.

I really liked how this ended up. It could use a few more stars per bottle, since I think those are what made this look so cute. I found my bottle at Wal-mart just a few days ago. It was a very popular release last year, when I couldn't find a bottle. My husband even tried ordering this polish from an online retailer for me last year, but was sent multiple other polishes, a partial refund, and an apology because they ran out! So happy hunting if you missed it last year -- it's baaaack!

Pure Ice Freedom. Indoors, artificial light, no flash.

More soon! ^_^

Stash Swatch Initiative: Wet'n'Wild Red Tape

Hello!

Today, I've swatch the bright red polish I used for last week's GOT Polish Challenge. This is Wet'n'Wild Red Tape!

Wet'n'Wild Red Tape. Indoors, artificial light, no flash.

Red Tape is a crazy-bright red-orange creme which has a slight jelly-like finish.

Wet'n'Wild Red Tape. Indoors, artificial light, no flash.

Swatches today are one coat of Sinful Colors Base Coat, two coats of Red Tape, and one coat of NYC In a New York Minute. The formula is good and smooth, but my brush on this little bottle is terrible. It's very large and fluffy.

Wet'n'Wild Red Tape. Indoors, artificial light, no flash.

I purchased this bottle about three years ago -- about the time I first moved out here and started getting into polish. I don't think I have anything comparable in my sizable collection at the moment, so I do hope Wet'n'Wild still has this color as part of its lineup. It's bright and eye-catching!

Wet'n'Wild Red Tape. Indoors, artificial light, no flash.

More soon! ^_^

GOT Polish Challenge: Chevron

Hi!

Today's GOT Polish Challenge prompt is "Chevron"!

I started with two coats of Wet'n'Wild Red Tape, which is definitely one of my older polishes. I did take swatch pictures of it before I continued on with the nail art, so expect to see a full-fledged post on that in the next few weeks. I remember that I purchased Red Tape sometime in 2010, soon after I moved out here. I hope it's still available from Wet'n'Wild in some form because it's a vibrant red-orange unlike anything else I have.

Indoors, artificial light, no flash.

After that was mostly dry, I sponged Barielle Lemondrops over Red Tape in random places. I hit that with one coat of Seche Vite. Once it was all dry, I used the fantastic chevron image from Bundle Monster plate BM-201 and Konad Special Polish in Black. A quick coat of NYC In a New York Minute and voila!

Indoors, artificial light, no flash.

Bright and fun! I did attempt to do a nude and black chevron-shaped french tip before these, and it was a complete fail. So, in my frustration, I nubbinized my nails and went with this look instead! When all else fails, stamp it!

More soon! ^_^

An InLinkz Link-up

Stash Swatch Initiative: OPI Sleigh Ride for Two

Hello!

Today I have a recent OPI offering to show you. This is OPI's Sleigh Ride for Two.

Sleigh Ride for Two. Indoors, artificial light, no flash.

Sleigh Ride for Two is a gorgeous merlot with matching shimmer. It is warm, cozy, and chic!

Sleigh Ride for Two. Indoors, artificial light, no flash.

Swatches today are a base coat of Seche Clear, two coats of Sleigh Ride for Two, and one coat of NYC In a New York Minute. This polish has the great OPI formula -- it's thick enough so it's not streaky but glides on effortlessly.

Sleigh Ride for Two. Indoors, artificial light, no flash.

This is a classy, classic OPI polish. Great for fall and the holidays!

Sleigh Ride for Two. Indoors, artificial light, no flash.

I purchased my bottle recently from Ulta.

More soon! ^_^

Stash Swatch Initiative: Zoya Posh

Hello!

A festive red polish for today -- this is Zoya Posh!

Zoya Posh. Indoors, artificial light, no flash.

Posh is the third, and final, Matte Velvet I purchased when the collection made it's quick return last month. It is a rich, matte red.

Zoya Posh. Indoors, artificial light, no flash.

Swatches today are simply two coats of Zoya Posh. Of the three I have, I think this has the best formula. I didn't have any issues with it, and got perfect coverage with just two coats.

Zoya Posh. Indoors, artificial light, no flash.

Sorry to be a tease, but this polish was a limited edition and is sold out! Check out Zoya's Facebook page for any future announcements about the availability of this collection.

More soon! ^_^

NOTW: Santa and Blitzen!

Hello!

I am so excited to show you my first holiday mani this year!

Merry Christmas!

After my usual base coat combination of Duri Rejuvacote and Sinful Colors Nail Hardener, I started with two coats of Zoya Elisa on all my fingers except the middle and ring finger of my left hand, which got two nice coats of Zoya Flynn. Once that was good and dry, I started on the nail art.

Indoors, artificial light, no flash.

For my left hand, I was inspired by this pin on Pinterest. The santa face was really easy to do. I placed a piece of scotch tape across my nail and used one coat of Zoya Elisa to fill in the hat, removing the tape immediately. Then, I used a dotting tool dipped in Milani White On the Spot for the hat's details. I used a small nail art brush and the same polish for his beard. I love how the brush strokes turned out to look like hair! A smaller dotting tool and Cult Nails Nevermore for eyes, Zoya Sooki for his nose. How cute!?

Indoors, artificial light, with flash.

The reindeer is another story. I wanted to use the image from Bundle Monster plate BM-H01, but as with all my attempts to stamp a large expanse of polish, I failed repeatedly. Once I got most of the image transferred, I gave up and used a small nail art brush to fill him in. I used Zoya Louise for his face and ears, and Zoya Cheryl for the antlers. Zoya Robyn and Cult Nails Nevermore rounded out the eyes. This took forever, and once I was done I was so worried I'd ruin him before he dried! Freehand is just not my thing!

Indoors, artificial light, no flash.

My right hand was stamped using Konad special polish in White and Bundle Monster plates: BM-H03, BM-SE1, BM-302, and BM-H01.

Everything got a generous coat, or two in some cases, of NYC In a New York Minute.

I am SO happy with how this turned out! It's worn like iron, and nine days later, still looks great!

More soon! ^_^

Stash Swatch Initiative: Zoya Pepper

Hello!

Today I have Zoya Pepper to show you!

Pepper is a simple, brick red creme... or red pepper red, I suppose! Rich and warm! I'm a fan of red polish, and I'm glad to have this darker beauty in my lineup.

Zoya Pepper. Indoors, artificial light, no flash.

Swatches today are a base coat of Seche Clear, two coats of Pepper, and one coat of NYC In a New York Minute. This has a great formula -- no issues!

Zoya Pepper. Indoors, artificial light, no flash.

Along with Hunter, Louise, and Flynn, I received Pepper for free as part of a promotion Zoya was running a couple of months back. They do great promos, announced via their Facebook page, and ordering from their website is easy, if you don't have an Ulta nearby.

Zoya Pepper. Indoors, artificial light, no flash.

More soon! ^_^

Stash Swatch Initiative: Color Club Winter Affair

Hello!

Quick post today to show you a polish from Color Club's winter 2012 collection. This is Winter Affair.

Color Club Winter Affair. Indoors, artificial light, no flash.

Winter Affair is a deep wine-colored polish with gorgeous shimmer, there may be a tiny bit of gold, fleck-like flakies in there too. It is a beautiful polish!

Color Club Winter Affair. Indoors, artificial light, no flash.

Swatches today are a base coat of Duri Rejuvacote, one coat of Sinful Colors Nail Hardener, two coats of Winter Affair, and one coat of Seche Vite. This has a great formula. It flows smoothly and stands up to a lot of manipulation. Pigmentation is good -- nearly a one-coater.

Color Club Winter Affair. Indoors, artificial light, no flash.

I ordered this polish last spring from Head2Toe Beauty, who will still have this available now.

More soon! ^_^