Stash Swatch Initiative: Milani Jewel FX Lavender

Hello!

Milani Jewel FX Lavender. Indoors, artificial light, no flash.

Today, I have another simple glitter to show you. This one is from Milani's Jewel FX Line and is called Lavender.

Lavender has two sizes of lavender-colored hex glitters in a clear base.

Milani Jewel FX Lavender. Indoors, artificial light, no flash.

Swatches today are one swiped on coat of Lavender over yesterday's Sally Hansen I Lilac You swatch plus one coat of NYC In a New York Minute topcoat. Unlike Tuesday's glitter polish, Essie Set in Stones, I found this one had an excess of the clear base. I let some of the base drain back into the bottle before applying this, and I found that with this little trick, it applied easily.

Milani Jewel FX Lavender, matte. Indoors, artificial light, no flash.

I've had this one for quite some time, but I think I bought it at CVS.

Milani Jewel FX Lavender. Indoors, artificial light, no flash.

More soon! ^_^

Stash Swatch Initiative: Sally Hansen I Lilac You

Hello!

Today, I have a quick swatch of a polish I just picked up a few days ago. This is Sally Hansen I Lilac You - a pale, lilac creme.

Sally Hansen I Lilac You. Indoors, artificial light, no flash.

Swatches today are one coat of Sinful Colors Base Coat, two coats of I Lilac You, and one coat of NYC In a New York Minute. For the most part, this polish applies well. It is just a little finicky when it comes to over-manipulation - it will drag and bald just a bit if overworked. My only other complaint is Sally Hansen's terrible, paddle-brush. I have never been a fan, but this is a gorgeous color despite that.

Sally Hansen I Lilac You. Indoors, artificial light, no flash.

I purchased this polish just last weekend on clearance at Ulta for less than $2! I did see it on clearance at Walgreens prior to that as well, so this might be a discontinued shade. I love it's muted tone. It's just the most perfect shade of lilac.

Sally Hansen I Lilac You. Indoors, artificial light, no flash.

More soon! ^_^

Stash Swatch Initiative: Dance Legend Be Mine

Hello!

Today's polish is Dance Legend Be Mine from the Mist Way collection.

Dance Legend Be Mine. Indoors, artificial light, no flash.

Be Mine is the softest lilac jelly with translucent gold flakies. This is so delicate and wonderful.

Dance Legend Be Mine. Indoors, artificial light, no flash.

Swatches today are one coat of Duri Rejuvacote, one coat of Sinful Colors Nail Hardener, three coats of Be Mine topped with one coat of Seche Vite. This polish is rather sheer and will bald if not dry enough. It does need a little patience during application, but otherwise, a beautiful polish.

Dance Legend Be Mine. Indoors, artificial light, no flash.

I purchased my bottle from Llarowe.

More soon! ^_^

Stash Swatch Initiative: L'Oreal Sexy in Sequins

Hello!

I'm back with a few swatches this week finally! Here is one from L'Oreal's Hidden Gems Collection from fall of last year. This is Sexy in Sequins.

L'Oreal Sexy in Sequins. Indoors, artificial light, no flash.

Sexy in Sequins is a deep purple texture polish with small silver hex glitters (which show up purple on the nail from the purple-colored texture base tinting them). It also has the most incredible shimmer of any texture I think I have. It's got gold, orange, and purple shimmer bits that make this polish so interesting to wear.

L'Oreal Sexy in Sequins. Indoors, artificial light, no flash.

Swatches today are simply two coats of Sexy in Sequins over a base coat of Duri Rejuvacote. Formula was not problematic, and application was a breeze.

L'Oreal Sexy in Sequins. Indoors, artificial light, no flash.

I am pretty sure I bought this at CVS back in Maryland well over a year ago now. It disappeared from shelves out there quickly, but I have actually seen the display here in the Midwest recently (at ShopKo, I think!). So, if you missed out on any of these, they are still out there, but by now, are probably pretty elusive. Good luck!

L'Oreal Sexy in Sequins. Indoors, artificial light, no flash.

More soon! ^_^

Copycat NOTW: Bat Swarm!

Why hello there!

Here's what I've been wearing this week! I was inspired by this pin.

Halloween Nail Art. 

I started with one coat of Duri Rejuvacote and one coat of Sinful Colors Nail Hardener. After that I used two coats of Color Club Fashion Addict sealed with one coat of Seche Vite. Once dry, I created a gradient with Color Club Fashion Addict and Wild at Heart. After another coat of Seche Vite, I used Konad Special Polish in Black to stamp my bat swarm from image plate, BM-H08. Everything was then topped with NYC In a New York Minute!

I've missed the blog -- if I can, I'll play some catch up with hauls and story-time this weekend. Life has been like a rollercoaster this past month leaving little time for nails. I'm a bit out of practice, so my right hand, pictured up there, turned out much better than my left. Even my nails have been in sorry condition lately, so I definitely need to refocus on moisturizing before we get back to swatches! Offda.

Hopefully, more soon! ^_^

Stash Swatch Initiative: Powder Perfect Widow's Walk

Hello!

Today's swatch is Powder Perfect Widow's Walk from the Abandoned Mansion collection.

Powder Perfect Widow's Walk. Indoors, artificial light, no flash.

Widow's Walk is a gorgeous, deep, saturated purple with holo shimmer. I was lemming this from the first swatch I saw!

Powder Perfect Widow's Walk. Indoors, artificial light, no flash.

Swatches today are one coat of Sinful Colors Base Coat, two coats of Widow's Walk, and one coat of NYC topcoat. Formula is nice on this polish. It glides on smoothly and covers evenly in two quick coats.

Powder Perfect Widow's Walk. Outdoors, sunlight, no flash.

Powder Perfect is an Australian indie brand, so it was a little hard for me to find. I tried a few places with no luck (they only ship within Australia from their Etsy site, and a U.S.-based retailer I'd never heard of had website issues every time I attempted to buy this polish so I eventually gave up there). I ended up purchasing this bottle in a little haul from Harlow & Co where it was still in stock at the time of publishing this post!

Powder Perfect Widow's Walk. Indoors, artificial light, no flash.

More soon! ^_^

Stash Swatch Initiative: Milani Cupid's Touch

Hello!

Today I have Milani Cupid's Touch swatched up for you!

Milani Cupid's Touch. Indoors, artificial light, no flash.

Cupid's Touch is my ideal Radiant Orchid shade. It's exactly what I was expecting when I read about this year's Pantone Color of the Year nomination. That being said, my pictures turned out a bit more vibrant and more pink than this is in person. It is a more soft and muted shade.

Milani Cupid's Touch. Indoors, artificial light, no flash.

Swatches today started with Sinful Colors Base Coat, one coat of Cupid's Touch, and one coat of NYC In a New York Minute. This has an excellent formula, and I was able to get away with one careful coat of this beauty.

Milani Cupid's Touch. Indoors, natural light, no flash.

I purchased my bottle at K-mart.

Milani Cupid's Touch. Indoors, artificial light, no flash.

More soon! ^_^

NOTW: Ready for Fall with Cozy Plaid!

Hello!

This week's mani was definitely ready for Fall! I used two coats of Powder Perfect Widow's Walk on my thumb, pointer, and pinkie. My middle and ring fingers got three coats of Sally Hansen Big Smoky topcoat before I stamped the plaid image from Konad plate m60 with Konad Special Polish in Black. I used one coat of Seche Vite over everything to complete my cozy look!

Indoors, artificial light, no flash.

Even though temperatures this summer have been really quite nice and mild, I am definitely ready for fall and snow! I'm so glad to be back in Minnesota--here's to a proper winter! I've missed it!

More soon! ^_^

Stash Swatch Initiative: China Glaze History of the World

Hello!

Today, I have another polish from The Giver collection to show you. This one is History of the World.

China Glaze History of the World. Indoors, artificial light, no flash.

History of the World is gorgeous, dusty blue-purple creme. I think this is my favorite from the entire collection! It is just lovely, and I think it will my go to fall mani color.

China Glaze History of the World. Indoors, artificial light, no flash.

Swatches today started with one coat of Duri Rejuvacote plus one coat of Sinful Colors Nail Hardener. After that, I only needed two effortless coats of History of the World to reach a nice finish. I topped this with one coat of Seche Vite. This polish has a great formula, which applied without issue.

China Glaze History of the World. Indoors, artificial light, no flash.

I purchased my bottle recently from Sally Beauty. Pick these, and any others you like, up from the collection when you see it because even the caps say "Limited Edition". They won't be around long!

China Glaze History of the World. Indoors, artificial light, no flash.

More soon! ^_^

Stash Swatch Initiative: Zoya Stevie

Hello!

Today's swatch is Zoya Stevie!

Zoya Stevie. Indoors, artificial light, no flash.

Stevie is a pretty lilac textured polish with silver shimmer. It's sweet-looking and lovely.

Zoya Stevie. Indoors, artificial light, no flash.

Swatches today are two coats of Stevie over my base coat combination of Duri Rejuvacote plus Sinful Colors Nail Hardener. Formula on this was fantastic. It glides on nicely, and I found no problems.

Zoya Stevie. Indoors, artificial light, no flash.

I purchased my bottle some time ago, either from Zoya or Ulta.

More soon! ^_^

NOTW: Secret Garden

Hello!

I am fail blogger again! But I regret nothing, Azeroth needed me! I'm a hero, don't you know? ^_^

So, since I've been playing too much World of Warcraft and don't have any pictures edited for this week, let's go all the way back to January in Maryland when I wore this beautiful mani.

Indoors, artificial light, no flash.

This started with my normal base coat combination. Then, I used two coats of Zoya Odette, which was then topcoated with Qtica Extending Topcoat. After a lot of dry time, I stamped the swirls with AEngland St. George. The glitter accents are the fabulous, Rainbow Honey Metalmark. Lastly, I used one coat of NYC In a New York Minute to seal everything in. I totally loved this look so much. I might have to revisit it!

Indoors, artificial light, no flash.

More soon! ^_^

Preview: China Glaze The Giver Collection, My Picks

Hiya!!

So, I just got back from Sally's and look what I have to show you!!

My picks from the new China Glaze collection, The Giver!

I did really quick swatches of these as soon as I got home, so I could show them to you. I haven't seen these swatched up by the big-name bloggers yet, so I was surprised to see them out on the shelf.

Indoors, artificial light, no flash.

My picks are Friends Forever, Right?, the palest of pink cremes; History of the World, a dusty blue-purple; and Boundary of Memory, a black, silver, and copper microglitter. I used three coats of Friends Forever, Right? and Boundary of Memory. History of the World only needed two. Formula on these is impressive, especially the pale, Friends Forever, Right?. It doesn't have any of the normal problems we usually see with such pale colors. It self-levels really well. It's not streaky, and it is applies very smoothly. I could've gotten away with two coats, but I nicked it at the last second and did a quick fix with a third coat.

I didn't think to snap a picture of the display or swatch wheel, however... but I do remember seeing one other microglitter, a white one, in this collection. The rest looked to be cremes. There are some interesting shades here, but very subdued and fall-like.

More soon! ^_^

Bonus NOTW: Lilac Skittles

Hello again!

I've got so many manis from my hiatus earlier this year that we're doing extra posts until the blog is caught up! This pretty lilac number was on my fingers for our roadtrip to South Carolina a few months ago. In fact, I snapped the last picture outside in downtown Charleston, near the South Carolina Aquarium. It was a beautiful day!

Lilac Skittles. Indoors, artificial light, no flash.

I started with my base coat combination of Duri Rejuvacote and Sinful Colors Nail Hardener. My middle finger got two coats of Color Club Fashion Addict, while the rest got two coats of OPI Don't Bossa Nova Me Around. I used some striping tape and Color Club Fashion Addict with Color Club Wild At Heart for my ring finger. The stamps were done with Wild at Heart. The geometric images are from BM-202 and BM-213, and the hippo you can barely see on my thumb, is from the FUN stamping plate #3. One coat of NYC In a New York Minute and off we went!

Lilac Skittles. Outdoors, sunlight, no flash.

More soon! ^_^

Shining Stars

Hello!

A different kind of post for today - a sampling, if you will! A friend of mine recently got her hands on the mini set of OPI's Coca-Cola collection, and while visiting, I played with two of the shades. I used OPI Get Cherried Away for all my fingers but the ring finger, which got painted with OPI A Grape Affair. I think I used two coats of each over Sinful Colors Base Coat with Seche Vite on top.

OPI Get Cherried Away with OPI A Grape Affair. Indoors, artificial light, no flash.

After a few days, I livened things up with some nail art. I stamped the cascading star image from Bundle Monster plate BM-H25 with Zoya Trixie and added one coat of Black Cat Lacquer Discotraxx on my accent nails. This then got topped with one coat of NYC In a New York Minute.

Indoors, artificial light, no flash.

More soon! ^_^

Stash Swatch Initiative: Cirque Vaudeville

Hello!

Today's polish is Cirque Vaudeville!

Cirque Vaudeville. Indoors, artificial light, no flash.

Vaudeville is a muted lilac with pretty gold to green shifting shimmer. I mostly pick up on the gold shimmer, but in sunlight, I can see some green sparks as well. I think this is the translucent/iridescent type of shimmer because, in some light, it is barely there. It's not what I was expecting, which was a more solid, opaque gold shimmer. However, this made for a much more subtle, gorgeous look.

Cirque Vaudeville. Indoors, artificial light, no flash.

Swatches today are one coat of Duri Rejuvacote, one coat of Sinful Colors Nail Hardener, two coats of Vaudeville, and one coat of Seche Vite. This polish applies very nicely. It is smooth and even, so with just one coat, you can get a subtle lilac 'blush' of color on your tips.

Cirque Vaudeville. Outdoors, sunight, no flash.

I purchased my bottle directly from Cirque a while ago. Vaudeville was part of their debut collection, Dark Horse, and I see it still available on their website today.

Cirque Vaudeville. Indoors, artificial light, no flash.

More soon! ^_^

Stash Swatch Initiative: Milani Jewel FX Fuchsia

Hello!

Milani Jewel FX Fuchsia, layered. Indoors, artificial light, no flash.

Today's polish is Milani Jewel FX in Fuchsia.

Milani Jewel FX Fuchsia, layered. Indoors, artificial light, no flash.

Jewel FX Fuchsia is simply medium and tiny shiny, fuchsia, hex glitter in a clear base. I wasn't in love with Zoya Normani from yesterday, but adding this topper made the whole thing look lovely!

Milani Jewel FX Fuchsia, layered. Indoors, artificial light, no flash.

Swatches today are one coat of Jewel FX Fuchsia plus one coat of Gelous and one of NYC In a New York Minute over yesterday's Zoya Normani swatch. Formula is good here -- great glitter coverage and easy application. I did use the dabbing method to spread the glitter out evenly, but you could easily swipe this on for a more random look.

Milani Jewel FX Fuchsia, layered, matte. Indoors, artificial light, no flash.

I purchased this bottle quite awhile ago. I'm fairly certain I found it at CVS, where I saw it still for sale recently.

Milani Jewel FX Fuchsia, layered. Indoors, artificial light, no flash.

More soon! ^_^

Stash Swatch Initiative: Zoya Payton

Hello!

I have a gorgeous polish to kick off this week with! Check out Zoya Payton!

Zoya Payton. Indoors, artificial light, no flash.

Payton is a beautiful deep plum-purple jelly with holographic fleck-like bits.

Zoya Payton. Indoors, artificial light, no flash.

Swatches today are one coat of Seche Clear, two coats of Payton, and one coat of NYC In a New York Minute. This applied easily with zero issues. It is nicely opaque at two coats, yet retains that jelly-like squishiness.

Zoya Payton. Indoors, artificial light, no flash.

Payton is gorgeous! She is similar to earlier the Zoya holos, Storm, Blaze, and Aurora. Ahh, I have much love for this one!

Zoya Payton. Indoors, filtered sunlight, no flash.

I purchased my bottle directly from Zoya during a promotional sale. Stay tuned to their Facebook page to catch one of their frequent sales or promo codes!

Zoya Payton. Indoors, artificial light, no flash.

More soon! ^_^