Milani Fall Fashion Trends: Glamazon

Polishes used (all Milani):

Silver Dazzle (2 coats)

Jewel Fx in Hot Pink (spots)

Black Swift

Glamazon!  It sounds like glamour + amazon, doesn't it?  So I decided to do an all glitter leopard print mani.  I've never used glitter pieces for leopard spots before, but I think it turned out alright. :)  Oh, and in case you were wondering... one coat of Seche Vite kept this mani glossy.  No top coat eaters here. 

Would you wear an all glitter leopard print mani?  Let me know in the comments! :)


Liz

*Polishes used in this post were provided by Milani.

Please view my Disclosure Policy for more info.

DR.'s REMEDY® PUTS PINK IN THE SPOTLIGHT THIS OCTOBER

Get Gorgeous Tips and Give Back During BCA 2012 

   

Pink is the go-to hue this fall as beauty brands tap into every gradation of the standout shade in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness month.  Dr.'s REMEDY® leads the way in the fight for the cause by teaming up with Living Beyond Breast Cancer, whose mission is to empower all women affected by breast cancer to live as long as possible with the best quality of life.  The good-for-you ingredients and lack of toxins in Dr.'s REMEDY® Enriched Nail Polish offers a safer, healthier option for nail care, giving you peace of mind.  And, during the month of October, Dr.'s REMEDY® is tickled pink to donate 10% of the proceeds from the sales of three pink shades to Living Beyond Breast Cancer, an organization who ensures that women who are newly diagnosed, in treatment, beyond treatment, at high risk or living with metastatic disease are well cared for by providing educational resources and support services relevant to their age at and stage of diagnosis.    Made with organic ingredients, vitamins, wheat protein, tea tree oil, lavender, and garlic bulb extract, Dr.'s REMEDY® 100% Paraben free, vegan nail polish is the #1 podiatrist recommended brand.  So, polish your nails with pride and show your support in the hopes for a better battle with breast cancer with Dr.'s REMEDY® Enriched Nail Polish, the healthier nail polish choice, in three inspiring shades: HOPEFUL Hot Pink: A Hello Kitty-meets bubble gum shade NURTURE Nude Pink: A damsel-in-distress, barely there beautiful PURITY Pink: A ballet slipper, sheer hue          Dr.'s REMEDY® Enriched Nail Polish is available for $17 online at www.remedynails.com or by calling 1-877-323-NAIL.   About Dr.'s REMEDY® Dr.'s REMEDY® is a line of doctor-inspired cosmetics that is dedicated to using clean, hypo-allergenic ingredients. The brainchild of two New York-based podiatrists, Dr. Adam Cirlincione and Dr. William Spielfogel, Dr.'s REMEDY® proves quintessentially-perfect for any person looking to better the condition of her skin and nails. Their Enriched Nail Polish is the first-ever nail polish on the market created by doctors and approved by the American Podiatric Medical Association.  Made with organic ingredients, vitamins, wheat protein, tea tree oil, lavender, and garlic bulb extract, Dr.'s REMEDY® vegan nail polish is the #1 podiatrist recommended brand.  Dr.'s REMEDY® is sold online at www.remedynails.com or by calling 1-877-323-NAIL. About Living Beyond Breast Cancer For twenty years, Living Beyond Breast Cancer (LBBC) has been empowering women to live as long as possible with the best quality of life regardless of educational background, social support or financial means. Founded in 1991, LBBC has been committed to providing national educational programs and services that include a website, lbbc.org; a toll-free Survivors' Helpline, (888) 753-LBBC (5222); national conferences; free teleconferences; networking programs; quarterly newsletters; publications for medically underserved women; healthcare-provider trainings; recordings and the Paula A. Seidman Library and Resource Center.

OPI So So Skullicious Review (Halloween 2012)

Eek! I forgot today is Wednesday, so I don't have my ABC challenge nail art today. :( I'll probably get that up tomorrow, but in the meantime, I do have this pretty sweet Halloween mini lacquer set from OPI. :)

First off, how cute is that packaging?  I love how OPI took the Day of the Dead route this year instead of the usual Halloween stuff.  I'm quite smitten with the festive packaging and matching nail decals.

Candelight (3 coats) / Mourning Glory (2 coats) / Hi, Pumpkin! (3 coats) / A-Rose from the Dead (2 coats)

The polishes themselves aren't nearly as exciting, but do fit in with the theme.  The colors are bright and darker than they look in my pictures.  Candlelight was a bit streaky and hard to work with, but the other polishes were well-behaved.

These nail decals are so cute!  I fumbled with them a little because I've never used water decals before.  Thankfully, I managed to get them on intact. :)

Verdict:  The polishes were average in terms of color and formula.  The selling point of this set is without a doubt the eye-catching packaging and nail decals.  With that said, I love this set.  I'm a sucker for visuals, and this one has me wrapped around its little finger.

Availability:  So So Skullicious will be available for a limited time beginning September 2012, at Professional Salons, including Beauty Brands, Beauty First, Chatters, Dillard’s, JCPenney, Pure Beauty, Regis, Trade Secret, and ULTA, for $12.50 ($14.95 CAN) suggested retail for each mini pack. 



What do you think of this set?  Have you picked it up?  Let me know in the comments! :)


Liz

*The polishes reviewed in this post were sent to me for my honest review.

Please view my Disclosure Policy for more info.

Milani Fall Fashion Trends: Colorblock

Hi everyone!  In the next few days, I'll be showing you the nail art looks I created for Milani's Fall Fashion Nail Trends promotion.  I was asked a few weeks back if I was interested in working with Milani, and of course I said yes!  Above, you can see the four trends I was given to draw inspiration from.  First up is my Colorblock design.

 Polishes used (all Milani):

 White on The Spot

Black Swift

Totally 80s (yellow green)

Dude Blue

Colorblock was the easiest trend for me to do, since it was the most straightforward.  For this look I used both tape and freehand painting to make the designs.  All freehand painting was done using the brush provided in the polish.  I did not use any nail art brushes for this, since I wanted anyone to be able to recreate it.

The most complex design is the one I did on my thumb and ring finger.  For this design, I started out with a white base.  Then I painted a rough horizontal stripe in the middle using Totally 80s.  Then using the rounded edge of the polish brush, I painted Dude Blue on either side of the green stripe.  See how the edge of the brush naturally creates a rounded design?  Once everything was dry, I used tape to create black triangles, and went back in with white to touch up any mistakes.

I actually ended up doing several versions.  This is the first version I did, where I added Jewel Fx Teal to my middle nail.  Once I did that, I realized I didn't like it.  So I re-did the middle nail to get the design shown below.

This is the third and final version I did, where I redid the middle nail again.  Totally 80's takes a few coats to become opaque and was slow drying.  In the end, the yellow green part looked as lumpy as it did in my other version.  Oh well, some days are better than others.

Milani's promotional display will be available at Walmart starting October 1st!  The display will carry all the polishes used for the Fall Trends project.  The display will also have a QR code available that leads to Milani's website.  From there you can access Milani's Pinterest board to view all of the designs created by us blogger participants.  Feel free to go there now and check out all the cool nail art! :)


Liz

*Polishes used in this post were provided by Milani.

Please view my Disclosure Policy for more info.

Butter London All Hail The Queen

All Hail The Queen (aka All Hail McQueen), 3 coats: medium beige brown with holographic and red shimmer.  AHTQ is opaque in 2 coats, but I did 3 for pics.  It has exceptional formula and glides on flawlessly.  The holographic particles are very finely milled and only come alive in the sun.  They sparkle like multicolored shimmer rather than creating any prisms. 

You can also see this gorgeous red shimmer at certain angles.  It was really hard to capture, but you can see it best on my ring finger (where the light hits it).  I would say the above pic is the most accurate.  It's a bit darker in real life.

Do you own All Hail The Queen?  What are your thoughts on it?





Liz

OPI Pink of Hearts 2012: Breast Cancer Awareness Duo

"I Think in Pink and the new sparkle-packed hue You Glitter Be Good to Me. This duo pack is designed to raise awareness and funds for breast cancer research and support. In 2012, OPI will donate $25,000 in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month (October) to Susan G. Komen for the Cure^®. OPI will also donate $5,000 to Rethink Breast Cancer in Canada."

shade

I Think in Pink, 3 coats: a sheer medium pink with a touch of blue.  The formula and dry time was about average for a sheer polish.  The blue in it makes it a bit more flattering for cool-toned skin, but overall it's not bad.

shade

You Glitter Be Good to Me, 1 coat over ITIP: a clear based glitter polish with small light pink hexes and medium fuchsia hexes.  I found the formula great for a glitter and the glitter is pretty dense.  I'm not sure if it can be built up to opacity, but it seems like it can be achieved.  I actually really like how this glitter looks over ITIP.

direct sun

It was cloudy most of the day, but I did manage to get this one sunlight shot when the sun peeked out for a few minutes.


Verdict:  The two polishes are nice individually, but are great paired together!  Overall, a very nice set that should excite all glitter lovers.

Availability: Pink of Hearts 2012 will be available September and October 2012 at Professional Salons, including Beauty Brands, Beauty First, Dillard’s, JCPenney, Pure Beauty, Regis, Trade Secret, and ULTA, for $14.95 ($20.95 CAN) suggested retail.

*The polishes reviewed in this post were sent to me for my honest review.

Please view my Disclosure Policy for more info.

 

***

P.S.  
Besides the pretty polishes, I did want to talk about breast cancer.  While breast cancer hasn't directly affected my family, it is something that seems to linger like smoke.  When my aunt was diagnosed with breast cancer, we also worried for my mother.  Whether you are a mother, a wife, or a daughter, please take the time to do your monthly self check ups.  I think Breast Cancer Awareness month is a great reminder for us (women) to care for our health and support other women as well.  I wish you all good health and happiness!

Liz

Preview: Zoya Holiday/Winter 2012/13 (Pre Order Starting Soon)

It’s time to celebrate... so make sure you celebrate in style!


The NEW Zoya Ornate Collection is the perfect to decorate your nails with stunning jewel tone colors and special effect pigments this season. Featuring six stunning, glittering, crystal shades in our new Power Pigment Full Coverage Formula. Superior coverage and dynamic color in one. All in the long-wearing, toxin free (BIG5FREE) formula you love... Each one is as beautiful as the next.

Zoya WINTER/HOLIDAY 2012/13: ORNATE Collection

·       Blaze (ZP641) - Cranberry Glitter Glam Crystal - Featuring Power Pigment Full Coverage

·       Electra (ZP642) -  Holographic Tinsel Special Effect- wear it alone or layer it for extra drama

·       Ziv (ZP644) - Gold Foil Glitter Crystal - Featuring Power Pigment Full Coverage

·       Storm (ZP645) - Black with Multi Color Crystal Shimmer - Featuring Power Pigment Full Coverage

·       Aurora (ZP646) - Plum with Multi Color Crystal Shimmer - Featuring Power Pigment Full Coverage

·       Logan (ZP647) - Green Foil Glitter Crystal - Featuring Power Pigment Full Coverage

ZOYA IS THE NEW COLOR OF FASHION!

Ultra long-wearing, glossy nail lacquers by Zoya are BIG5FREE - all formulas are completely free of harmful industrial chemicals such as toluene, camphor, formaldehyde, formaldehyde resin and dibutyl phthalate (DBP) that are known to cause cancer and birth defects.

Find over 300 other Zoya shades at www.zoya.com. Each and every name has a color as unique as the women who inspired it.

$8.00 ea. US. Shipping October 15, 2012.
Find Zoya Ornate on Zoya.com

**UPDATE: Based on the immense initial response to the PRE-ORDER of our Gilty Pleasures Gift Box, Zoya has decided to make Zoya Ornate also available for PRE-ORDER starting sometime prior to Monday on Zoya.com.

Which colors are catching your eye?  They all look great, but I can't wait to see swatches of Storm, Blaze, and Aurora. :)

Liz

Rivka Holographic: Serena

Serena, 2 coats: light blue holographic polish.  The holo is both linear and scattered.  I don't think my pictures do this polish any justice.  The holographic prism were a bit difficult to capture on camera.  It looks stronger in real life, but the pastel prisms seemed to disappear on camera.  You can see the holo effect a bit better in the pictures where my nails are at a sharper angle.  The formula was excellent and even though I wore this without top coat, I didn't get any tip wear during the two days I wore it (dishwashing was involved).

If you like Serena, check out Jenny (black/grey holo) from this collection as well! :)


Liz

ABC Challenge: B

B is for black bow tie! :)  I was originally going to do black tie affair, but I put a girly twist on it by using a rosy nude instead of a white.  Now I'm afraid it doesn't look too "black tie affair"-like at all.

OPI My Very First Knockwurst

OPI Pirouette My Whistle

Milani Black Swift

black rhinestones

Don't forget to check out all the other lovely 'B' manis below! :)

Liz

My Coterie Order: Butter London

Hello everyone!  I received my Coterie Order yesterday, and I thought I'd share what I got.  On the left (top to bottom) are Knackered and All Hail The Queen.  On the right, I have Wallis and Matte Finish Top Coat.

Ee~  I'm still pretty psyched that I got all this for only $11.  That's less than one retail-priced Butter London polish ($14)!

If you're interested in getting this deal, I believe tomorrow is the last day for this deal (19th).  To join go to Coterie.com* to sign up.  Once you're signed up, click EVENTS.  Scroll down and click on BUTTER LONDON.  Choose the set you want and pick your colors.  At checkout use $25 off code: VIPMEMBER.  I'm not sure if that one still works, so if it doesn't, you can also use ZOEREPORT.

The Matte top coat set is sold out, but the Hardwear Top coat set is still available. :)  Here are the colors they have available.

They also have a new event going on as well for Kevyn Aucoin. https://www.coterie.com/shop/campaign/the-iconic-eye  If eye kits are your thing, you can take a look at those too.

Did you take part in the Butter London event?  If you did, which colors did you get??


Liz

Links followed by an * are referral links.

Liquid Jelly Nail Art Giveaway (US + International)!

If you're a nail art enthusiast, you're in luck!  I'm giving away 3 nail art items provided by Born Pretty Store.  Here's what's up for grabs. :)

If you'd like to see the prizes in more detail, click on each picture to visit their individual product pages (contains affiliate link). 

This giveaway is open to both US and international followers.  To enter, just follow the instructions in the Rafflecopter below.  Good luck! :)


Liz

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Nude Pink & Black Triangles

 OPI You Callin' Me a Lyre?

Milani Black Swift

No macro shots for this one.  It's not as neat as I want it to be.  It didn't bother me in real life, but I really did not like how any of the pics came out. 

I also had the hardest time keeping myself from globbing glitter or flakies onto this.  In the end, I was able to keep it sleek and simple, but my fingers were itching to add something to it. 

Does anyone else have this problem?  Please tell me you do.  I don't want to be weird.  Haha.


Liz

Happy Saturday!

Today I leave you with a no-skills-involved nail art mani.  If you invest in some striping tapes and rhinestones, you can do some easy mistake-proof nail art.  The hearts aren't exactly rhinestones...  I'm not sure what they're called actually.  Glitter maybe?  I bought mine from Ebay, and it came in a wheel with other hearts and stars.  The base is what you saw yesterday (RBL Aqua Lily) and the glitter is Milani Jewel Fx in Gold. 

Hope you're all enjoying the weekend! :)


Liz

Rescue Beauty Lounge Aqua Lily

I remember anticipating Aqua Lily's release date.  I'm a die hard turquoise/teal/aqua fan (not just for nail polish), so I was already in love with the color.  The pink shimmer just makes it extra amazing.  I signed up for an email reminder, and planned to man the computer when it went up.  Unfortunately, I got the time wrong.  I hurried to the computer and saw that it was sold out.  What?!  It's only been an hour or two!  But we're meant to be...  I was so frustrated.  Thankfully, there seems to have been a glitch because a few minutes later ( I sulkily refreshed the page) it was back.  I snagged it and only sighed in relief when my order confirmation came.  We were meant to be after all. ^__^

Models Own Purple Blue

Like it's name, Purple Blue contains duochrome shimmer flecks that shift from blue to purple and pink.  At extreme angles you can even see some orange.  I think this was 3 coats. 

I got mine at Urban Outfitters on sale for $5 (retail $10).  If you can't find it there, you can also purchase Models Own polishes from http://www.modelsownit.com.

P.S.) My internet access is still limited, so I'm posting this from the library again. T__T  Unfortunately, I have to run home now, so sorry this post isn't as detailed.  If you have any questions, just ask in the comments!  Also the UO sale for Models Own polish might still be going on if you're interested in this shade.


Liz