[Nail Art] Aiyoohehe Chinese Studio Stamping Plate 043

Press Sample

Hi everyone! Not too long ago I came across Aiyoohehe stamping plates and became obsessed with them. I own the entire Miyazaki collection and absolutely love them. They also have some really cute superhero and anime inspired collections. I've been wanting to try more of their plates, so I was excited when Lady Queen offered to send me some for review.

The plate I have today is hehe 043 from the Chinese Studio collection. It has a really cute cat girl on it! Unfortunately, I couldn't get her ears on my nails, but isn't she still adorable?

Products Used

OPI Worth A Pretty Penne

Milani Black Swift

Creative Shop Stamper

Here's another look I did using different floral images from the same plate. Perfect for fall!

Products Used

Pretty Jelly Werewolf Tricks

China Glaze GR8

Seche Vite Dry Fast Top Coat

Creative Stamper

Verdict: The images are beautiful and well etched. I had no problem picking up the different images with my stamper.

Availability: You can find this plate NA0575 Nail Art Stamp Template at Lady Queen for $2.99. Lady Queen is an online retailer for nail art, fashion, and beauty related accessories. You can use my coupon code NRLC15 to receive 15% off your order.

What do you think? Have you tried Aiyoohehe plates before?

[Nail Art] Let's Be Hipster with MoYou London Hipster Stamping Plates

Hey guys! Today I have a quick stamped mani I did a while back. This was done with MoYou London plates 02 and 08. By the way, have you seen their latest Enchanted collection? They're really killing it with their newest designs!

Polishes Used

China Glaze Kinetic Candy

China Glaze Lemon Fizz

China Glaze Thistle Do Nicely

Milani Black Swift

I've improved my stamping technique since this mani, so I might do an info post with my favorite stampers soon. :)

Until next time!
Liz

[Nail Art] MoYou London Origami 05

I Bought This

Hi everyone! It's been a long while! I feel really bad for leaving without notice. This blog has always been at the back of my mind, so I felt like I would be returning soon. Eventually the days became months, and the return post became more and more intimidating.

If there's anyone who still reads my blog, I hope you'll forgive me. ◕︵◕ I can't post as much as I'd like, but I am devising a schedule so that my posts are more consistent. There's so much I want to do between this blog and my indie brand Pretty Jelly - I got a little overwhelmed and had to focus on just one for a while. Well, enough blabber! If you're here, you probably just came to see the nail art. :P

I did this mani a while ago and actually got to wear it for a few days! I really love the cute origami designs MoYou London has come out with. I used Origami Plate 05 for this look. :)

Sorry about the grainy quality of these photos! I forgot to change my camera settings and didn't notice the quality until later.

Polishes Used

China Glaze For Audrey
China Glaze Kinetic Candy

China Glaze In A Lily Bit

Milani Doll Face

Milani Spotlight White

Milani Black Swift

Color Club Harp On It

I used a mix of the saran wrap techinique and the sponging method for the base color. Then I did reverse stamping for the origami characters. Isn't it adorable? I can't wait to use this plate again. :)

Until next time (there will be one!),
Liz

Pretty Jelly Dark Magic: Holographic Flakie Multichrome

Hi everyone! Did you all celebrate Valentine's Day yesterday? I really wanted to do a girly pink mani for Vday, but I didn't feel like taking my current mani off - which is this pretty polish from my indie brand. It's a dark anti Vday purple...like my soul. ^^

Is it just me or are evil villains much more interesting than the heroines? I recently started (and finished) Once Upon A Time, and I really love all the villains. So while I'm waiting for season 5, I decided to create a dark purple reminiscent of the ominous rolling smoke clouds in the show.

It was cloudy when I took these pics, so I couldn't capture the scattered holo. :( It has a subtle shift from blue-purple to red-purple.

If you like this polish, it's currently available at my Etsy shop for $12. It's limited edition, so I only have a few quantities in stock. Also, I ship worldwide! :)

Thanks for reading!

♥ Liz

[Nail Art] Bananas with MoYou London Tropical 08

I Bought This Press Sample

Quick post today! I've been testing out the new OPI Infinite Shine lacquers, so I decided to spice it up for my wear test. It's true I've been consuming a lot of bananas lately, but I think this out-of-place "winter" mani is my plea for warmer weather. (Yay, Chiberia...) Anyways, I hope you guys are staying warm. Unless you're already somewhere warm - then I hate you. I'm just kidding. :P

What I Used

OPI To The Finish Lime!

OPI Pretty Pink

Urban Outfitters UV

Milani Black Swift

MoYou London Tropical 08

[Review+Swatch] Jordana 2015 Modern Matte Lipstick Collection, Balm Stains, & Lip Liners

Press Sample

Happy hump day! We're halfway through the week. :) Today's post is another lipstick collection - this time from Jordana's new 2015 line. First up, I have their Modern Matte Lipsticks. All of my swatches were taken in natural daylight. I noticed these looked cooler on my lip than on my skin. They look more like a true matte with much less sheen than the Milani or ColourPop mattes. Application is smooth and creamy, and the lipstick will dry down and set in about 5-10 minutes. Most of these were very staining, especially the darker/brighter colors.

Bare, Blush, Frappucino, Tease, Classy, Adorable

01 Bare: "deep pink nude."
02 Blush: nude.
03 Frappucino: "rich brown nude." This one has orange undertones to it.
04 Tease: "rosy pink."
05 Classy: dusty mauve pink.
06 Adorable: "bubblegum pink."

Popular, It Girl, Dare, Pretty, Caliente, Style

07 Popular: deep, blue-toned pink.
08 It Girl: bright fuchsia.
09 Dare: "deep berry." Applies a little unevenly, but it's not too noticeable.
10 Pretty: "terracotta."
11 Caliente: hot, warm-toned red.
12 Style: "true red."

I also have swatches of the two new balm stains and lip liners. The balm stains reminded me of two that I already owned -Honey Love and Cranberry Crush - so I swatched them together below.

Rose Crush, Pink Love, Honey Love, Gorgeous Peony, Fresh Fig, Cranberry Crush

Rose Crush (liner): warm rose. Easy to apply and covers well.
Pink Love (liner): deep muted pink. It's also warm-toned and applies easily.
Honey Love (balm stain): medium plum-pink. Perfect MLBB shades and leaves behind a similar stain.
Gorgeous Peony (balm stain): "sheer nude pink." It's lighter and pinker than Honey Love. This one leaves behind a warm pink stain with a tinge of orange. It'll change throughout the day, so be aware of that.
Fresh Fig (balm stain): "deep crimson red."
Cranberry Crush (balm stain): sheer cranberry red. It's not as dark as the packaging, but deeper and cool-toned compared to Fresh Fig.


Final Thoughts

Modern Mattes: Nearly all of these applied beautifully. Dare was a little uneven, but still looked okay. I don't remember any of these emphasizing dry spots or lip lines. Some shades set faster than others, but once they set, they won't transfer. They can feel a little dry once they set, but I'd say the wear is still comfortable. One con I should mention is the fragrance. It's the sweet, waxy smell some lip products can have. Not a fan of it, but it does fade within an hour. Overall, I really liked these. My favorites were Bare, Tease, and It Girl.

Easyliners + Balm Stains: I love that the liners are retractable, which makes them so purse friendly. Both colors applied smoothly without skipping or tugging. I'm a fan of Jordana Balm Stains - I reach for them more than my Revlon ones. They're moisturizing and glossy and great for low maintenance looks. The new shades apply smoothly and can be worn sheer (1-2 swipes) or built up in 4-5 swipes.

Availability: Jordana Cosmetics is available online at jordanacosmetics.com or in stores at Walgreens. Modern Mattes (0.12oz/3.52g) retail for $2.49 each. Easyliners (.009oz/.25g) retail for $1.99 each. The Balm Stains (0.095oz/ 2.7g) retail for $2.99 each.

[Review+Swatch] Zoya Naturel Satins Collection for 2015

Press Sample

Hi, everyone! Can you believe it's already February? Today I have the rest of the Zoya Naturel Satins collection for you. If you missed my first post, head on over here for more info on the satin finish and my in depth review of Ana. The rest is all below, and the swatches are all shown without top coat to show the semi-matte finish.

[Review+Swatch] Zoya Naturel Satins Ana

Press Sample

Quick and simple swatch today! :) This is Ana from Zoya's new satin finish collection for Spring 2015. The collection features soft, muted colors to flawlessly transition you from winter to spring. The satin finish is described as a "hybrid between matte and glossy polishes and is not intended to be worn with a top coat." I believe the finish is similar to those labeled vinyl or rubber from other brands.

Ana, 4 coats: a "light toasted almond cream" satin. Mine applied a little unevenly, but was passable at 3 coats. I did an additional coat for pictures. I've seen reviews stating opacity at two coats however, so maybe mine was a dud? With that said, I found dry time to be perfect: slow enough to take your time applying, but fast enough to move onto the next coat. The polish levels nicely as it dries, and I think it's best applied in medium coats.

I was in the mood for something Valentine's Day inspired that wasn't too obvious, so I grabbed my MoYou London Fashionista 08 plate and stamped the same design across all my nails using Barielle Barefoot In Bermuda. I skipped top coat to maintain the satin finish. I think it kind of reminds me of scrapbook paper. ^^

Verdict: Overall, I'm a fan of the satin finish and can't wait to try the others from this collection.

Availability: The Zoya Naturel Satins collection is currently available at Zoya.com for $9 each.

[Review+Swatch] New Milani 2015 Lip Products: Color Statement Moisture Matte Lipsticks & More

Press Sample

Hi, everyone! I'm kind of obsessed with lipsticks as of late, so when these arrived on my doorstep, I couldn't resist trying them.

From Milani's new 2015 release are eight new matte lipsticks that are designed to be smudge-proof and comfortable to wear (#60-67). I also received creme shades from Milani's Color Statement line as well (#45-46). The packaging is sleek and sturdy enough for travel. I love that you can view the color from both the bottom and the side, making each color easy to find.

Catwalk Pink, Power Pink / Innocence, Naked, Blissful, Diva, Orchid, Glam, Passion, Confident

There are the two new Color Statement lip liners that were recently added to the line as well. I swatched all the liners and lipsticks together for you below. Keep scrolling to see my review!

Pretty Pink, Catwalk Pink, Power Pink, Innocence, Naked, Blissful

13 Pretty Pink (lip liner): "soft pink" with a frosty sheen. The subtle frost makes this color a bit sheerer when compared to other lip liner from this line. It's still fairly pigmented, and the soft formula makes it easy to use.
45 Catwalk Pink (creme): "cool, girly pink." It's not as light as the color coded bottom suggests, but this makes it much more wearable. It applies evenly and feel moisturizing on the lips.
46 Power Pink (creme): "bright fuchsia." Applies evenly and does not emphasize dry spots. Leaves behind a stain.
60 Innocence (matte): "pinky nude." This one applies a bit unevenly on me and emphasizes dry spots I didn't even know I had. Even after the exfoliating, the results were rather flaky.
61 Naked (matte): medium brown-toned nude. On my lips it looked more like a brown-rose color. This one's gorgeous with a great formula to boot: good pigmentation and even application. Looks great paired with Pretty Pink.
62 Blissful (matte): "girly blush pink." It's a nice cool-toned dusty pink with a hint of mauve. Same excellent formula.

Diva, Orchid, Glam, Passion, Confident, Bordeaux

63 Diva (matte): "bright fuchsia." It a teeny tiny bit less smooth looking on the lips and can emphasize dry spots. As long as you exfoliate, it will look fine.
64 Orchid (matte): bright, red-toned pink. It's very pigmented, even, and creamy.
65 Glam (matte): warm toned deep plum. This one is noticeably uneven on the lips. Drier spots on your lips will color darker and look more purple.
66 Passion (matte): hot, red-toned orange. Great formula.
67 Confident (matte): "bold brick red." Wonderful application.
12 Bordeaux (lip pencil): rich wine red with a matte finish. Wow, Bordeaux is so soft and pigmented. I love the matte finish and it applies evenly.

Here are all the swatches together! Click or open in new tab to enlarge.

Final Thoughts

The lip pencils are soft, pigmented, and apply easily without tugging. I was particularly wowed by Bordeaux. The creme finish Color Statement lipsticks were also superb in both pigmentation and application.

The matte Color Statement lipsticks had a few misses, but most were excellent. When first applied, they feel very creamy and slightly moisturizing. After about 10 minutes, the lipstick will dry down and set, making it smudge-proof with zero transfer. It can feel a tiny bit dry, but it wasn't something I noticed unless I was focusing on my lips. For the most part I forgot about it, so I would agree that the wear is comfortable. My favorites were hands-down Naked and Confident, although Orchid and Passion are nice too. For reference, I have light-medium warm-toned skin (around NC20-30).

Availability: Milani Color Statement lipsticks retail for $5.99 each per 0.14oz/3.97g. The lip liners retail for $3.49 each per 0.04oz/1.14g. Milani Cosmetics is available at CVS nationwide. You can also order from milanicosmetics.com. Use code XOXO until 2/3/15 to receive 30% off all lipsticks.

[Review+Swatch] ColourPop Cosmetics Lippie Stix, Pencils, & Eyeshadow

I Bought This

Hi, everyone! Happy (belated) New Years! Sorry I've been gone so long without notice. Once the holiday season started, I had to devote all of my time to Pretty Jelly. I had some collection swatches that never got posted, so I may do some throwback posts. ^^

Today I have a non polish related post (gasp), but there will still be color and sparkles! ColourPop Cosmetics seems to be a fairly new makeup brand that's been blowing up on Youtube more recently. I actually came across them on Temptalia first and was elated to see true purple lipsticks in their color lineup. I'm obsessed with purple lipstick, but they are so hard to find, so I grabbed a few of those as well as some other colors. :)

First off, the packaging is very cute, complete with holographic labeling. My orders are always well packed in a sturdy box, and each item is in its own individual packaging as well. It's all topped off with some info cards and a handwritten note.

[Review+Swatch] China Glaze Apocalypse of Colour Collection for Halloween 2014

Press Sample

Hi! I have another Halloween collection for you today. This one's from China Glaze and is ominously named the Apocolypse of Colour - enjoy! :)

[Review+Swatch] Sally Hansen Halloween 2014 Big Glitter Top Coats

Press Sample

Hi guys! Halloween is coming up in a few days! To be honest, I'm not a fan of Halloween and the whole blood/gore/horror genre. But I do love seeing everyone's Halloween manis. If you're looking for simple, quick fix for your Halloween mani, check out these two glitters from Sally Hansen. :]

Costume Glitters, 1 coat over OPI Cinnamon: silver and silver holographic glitter top coat. The formula was great - easy to apply with good glitter payoff. My light box always cancels out the holo effect, but you can see the holo squares and hexes in the bottle. :)

Dressed To Thrill, 1 coat over OPI Sleigh Parking Only: gold and holographic glitter top coat. I can't tell if the squares are gold too, but it looks silver in my pictures. This is like the gold version of Costume Glitters, and applies just as well. It's so sparkly in real life!

Verdict: They're simple and easy glitter mixes that work over any color. It's a great way to glam up your mani, and not just for Halloween!

Availability: Sally Hansen nail polishes are available at most mass retailers. Click here for a specific list of stores.

[Press] Enter The Zoya Color Laboratory!

HALLOWEEN FUN STARTS AT 10AM (EST) TODAY!

____Go Mad For Zoya & WIN*!

Are you "MAD" for Zoya?! Now's your chance to bring the color of your dreams to life! Step inside our virtual color labooooooratory (muahahaha) to experiment with color and finishes to "mix" your very own shade. The Zoya color animator offers various pieces and parts (finishes, opacity and hues) to play with - feel free to use the description section to elaborate on your masterpiece. Give your creation a name, submit it, and there's a chance we will bring it to life!

NOW - Thursday, October 31st (10:00am ET) Piece together your creation for a chance to have it custom created just for you! The highest voted shade will win, so don’t forget to share your creation with your friends and family after it's been submitted!

http://www.zoya.com/content/category/Halloween_Color_Lab_2014

How It Works:

1. Go CRAZY! (You know we are) Create a custom shade using the Zoya Polish Animator
2. Name your creation and describe any additional elements you would add to the polish.
3. Submit (and don't forget to share!) your custom shade for a chance to bring it to life! Have more than one color you’re mad about? Create as many as you'd like!
4. One winner will be selected on October 31, 2014 at 9am EST

*Terms and Conditions
Purchase not necessary to enter. Valid Art of Beauty account required in order to participate. Enter NOW through 10/31/14 (9:00am ET).One winner will be selected and contacted by 5pm ET 10/31/14. Please allow up to two weeks for production of custom shades. Winning shades will be created based on Zoya's Creative Director's interpretation of the description and cannot be returned, exchanged or duplicated at a later date.

[Nail Art] Chevron Floral

I Bought This Affiliate Links

Hi everyone! :) Today I have a short nail art post for you. I started this mani with something much simpler and sweeter in mind, but I went a little crazy with the water decals. Now it's a bit more flamboyant. LOL. Hope you still like it. :)

What I Used

China Glaze In A Lily Bit

Milani Black Swift

MoYou London Fashionista 05

Born Pretty Store Floral Water Decals*

[Review+Swatch] Zoya Matte Velvet Collection

Press Sample

Hi everyone! I have a quick review of the Matte Velvet Collection from Zoya today. The only other matte I own from Zoya is Phoebe and compared to Phoebe, these were a breeze to apply. They don't try too quickly, so you can take your time applying them without worrying about bald spots. While they dry matte, they also contain shimmer, which gives them a velvet-like finish.

Posh, 2 coats: "medium cool-toned wine red with metallic red shimmer and a velvety matte finish." As mentioned above, the formula is easy to apply with a nice medium consistency.

Harlow, 3 coats: "rich, saturated rose plum packed with sparkling metallic shimmer in a velvety matte finish." The shimmer in this one is more fleck like, similar to a suede-matte finish. Harlow's sheerer than Posh, but can still reach opacity in two careful coats.

Savita, 3 coats: "bold, vibrant medium purple with strong red and gold shimmer with a velvet matte finish." There's even some blue in the shimmer. Once it dries down, the shimmer becomes a bit more muted, but will still remain visible. It goes without saying that this color looks amazing with top coat. The purple color is so vibrant - it's to die for!

Veruschka, 3 coats: "deep evergreen garnished with strong metallic shimmer in a velvety matte finish. Green lovers will like this! Probably my second favorite shade from the collection.

Loredana, 3 coats: "medium gunmetal grey, packed with silvery shimmer and a velvety matte finish." Sadly, my least favorite shade. It's sheer and doesn't build up as nicely as the others. As you can see, even after three coats, you can see my tips. The color feels a bit flat as well. Since there's a dark grey-black in the collection, I feel like Loredana doesn't really add anything. I wish Zoya did a deep sapphire or vibrant cobalt instead.

Dovima, 3 coats: "smoky charcoal-black with strong silver shimmer and a velvety matte." It's a gray-black that isn't too dark. The silver with the matte finish lightens the color and gives it more dimension. Between the two grays, I prefer Dovima.

Verdict: Overall, a nice collection of velvet mattes. I love velvet/suede finish polishes when they're done right, and this collection has some really nice ones. The only color I didn't like was Loredana, but the others were all great in color, application, and pigmentation. My favorite is Savita, but Veruschka and Posh are close seconds.

Availability: Zoya MATTEVELVET colors are available exclusively on Zoya.com and in ULTA beauty stores (ask for them).