[Review+Swatch] China Glaze Iron Out Details

Press Sample

Hi guys! I'm excited to show you today's polish from China Glaze's new Crinkled Chrome collection. It's essentially like a foil version of the texture polishes we've been seeing - only better in my opinion. These look just like crinkled aluminum foil on your nails, so you're in luck if you're into that look. :P

[Nail Art] Painterly Stars

Press Sample Affiliate Links

Today's look was inspired by the blue details in my last nail art look. I love how well Milani Blue Zoom and Aqua Brisk mixes together, so I expanded that look onto the full nail. I also added in some gold accents to pull the whole look together.

What I Used

Milani Blue Zoom

Milani Aqua Brisk

China Glaze Mingle With Kringle (gold accent)

Born Pretty Store gold star studs*

BPS drawing brush*

To get this look, I started out by painting my nails with 2 coats of Blue Zoom. Once it was dry, I added a drop of Blue Zoom and Aqua Brisk next to each other on a piece of paper. After lightly swirling the colors together, I used rough brush strokes to create the mixed effect. I finished off the look, by adding light strokes of gold to complement the gold studs and accents.

By the way, these gold star studs are the same as the neon ones I used here. These are much more versatile since they're gold. They also hold up well to acetone - so yay for recycling. :) If you're interested in purchasing them, use my code F10X31 to receive 10% off your order.

What do you think? Is this a look you would wear?

Liz

[Nail Art] Hello!

Press Sample

Have you guys seen the new 2014 lacquers from Milani? I love using Milani's cremes for nail art because they are usually opaque in 1-2 coats. So I put together this quick nail art look with a few of the new shades.

Polishes Used

Base: Peach Innocence + Vanilla Almond

Hello: Power Periwinkle + Blue Zoom

Arrows: Aqua Brisk + Blue Zoom

Glitter: Sugar High

This color combo kind of reminds me of a desert sunrise. I'm pretty sure MS Word Art is responsible for me making that association. I used to play around with it quite a bit for my elementary/middle school projects. Oh, dear. Haha.

By the way, the cremes I used here were all opaque in 2 coats! I'll have my full review up in a few days, so look forward to it! :)

♥ Liz

[Nail Art] Neon Starburst with BPS Studs

Press Sample Affiliate Links

Hi guys! I haven't done a nail art post in a long while, so this post is going to fix that. :]

[NOTD] China Glaze: Be Merry, Be Bright + Elfin' Around

Press Sample

Hey all! Today I'm wearing this pretty coral-red from China Glaze's Holiglaze collection (Holiday 2013). I love warm reds like this, and the metallic finish gives it an extra oomph in the shine department. This is one smooth coat without top coat.

I topped it with a coat of ChG Be Merry, Be Bright for some added sparkle. Be Merry, Be Bright is filled with multi-sized red and purple glitters. It's hard to see on Elfin' Around, but I liked how the cooler red glitters in BMBB added some depth to the warmer base.

What's on your nails today? Let me know in the comments below! :)

Liz

Healthier Nails for 2014: Tips & Products

Press Sample

Hi guys! I hope you all had a wonderful time with the holidays and the New Year's celebrations. Now that we're officially in 2014, it seems like a ton of "New Year, New You" posts are popping up everywhere. Have you made any New Year's resolutions?

I'm personally not a fan of the whole resolution thing. I used to make them, but never acted on them. So I learned not to make them in the first place. Haha. Don't get me wrong, I always have goals I want to accomplish regardless of whether it's a new year or not. In the end, I believe a resolution won't change anything, but a right mindset will. At least this has been true for me.

But if you're the type who likes the little kick in the pants New Year's resolutions can give you, here are few tips for healthier nails.

Oh hey, you get to see my bare nails! I don't think I've ever shown them on my blog, because they were always badly stained. So that's where the lemon comes in. To preface this, December 2013 was a bad, bad time for my hands and nails. Not only were they dry and flaky, but something odd had also happened to my hands.

My home uses pumped well water, which needs to be softened regularly as it can contain a lot of iron. I guess we had a few days of hard water, because one day I noticed that my hands were speckled black along my cuticles, under my nails, and anywhere with dry skin (which I had a lot of). As a result, it looked like I had a play-date in the dirt and didn't wash my hands.

After a lot of fretting and searching, I decided to give the old lemon trick a try. I actually did this before for my yellow stained nails, but didn't see an improvement. So I was doubtful, but guess what? It worked! On top of that, my nail tips are whiter than ever!

Here's what I did:

Dove Chocolate and Nicole by OPI Ring in the New Year with an Irresistible Sweepstakes

25,000 winners to receive DOVE^® Dark Chocolate-inspired nail lacquer kit

HACKETTSTOWN, N.J. (Jan. 3, 2014) – DOVE^® Dark Chocolate and NICOLE by OPI^® celebrate the New Year with the launch of the “Discover Your Dark Side in the New Year Sweepstakes.”  The Facebook-based promotion will randomly award 25,000 entrants with two exclusive NICOLE by OPI^® nail lacquer shades inspired by DOVE^® Dark Chocolate: “Better After Dark” and “Promises in the Dark.”

As the #1 solid dark chocolate on the market[1], the unique, silky-smooth taste of DOVE^® Dark Chocolate lives up to people’sexpectations of what chocolate should taste like. Available in four varieties, including new DOVE^® Silky Smooth Sea Salt Caramel Dark Chocolate, DOVE^® uses carefully selected cocoa beans to deliver its signature taste and a special process that delivers the unique, silky-smooth texture.

“In 2014, we want to encourage people to discover the delicious taste of DOVE^® Dark Chocolate, which offers a creamy taste experience that shatters the perception that dark chocolate tastes bitter,” said Roy Benin, Chief Consumer Officer, Mars Chocolate North America. “With this sweepstakes, we’re putting the silky-smooth taste of DOVE^® Dark Chocolate at people’s fingertips with the always smooth nail polish experience from NICOLE by OPI^®.”

Enter the “Discover Your Dark Side in the New Year Sweepstakes”

From now through February 5, 2014, DOVE^® Chocolate Facebook fans can enter once per day for a chance to win one (1) of the 25,000 NICOLE by OPI^® kits, which include:

§  A coupon for a free DOVE^® Dark Chocolate Bar (1.34 oz. - 1.44 oz.)

§  Better After Dark NICOLE by OPI^® Nail Lacquer Bottle

§  Promises in the Dark NICOLE by OPI^® Nail Lacquer Bottle

To enter, simply “like” the DOVE^® Chocolate Facebook page and click on the Sweepstakes tab (https://www.facebook.com/dovechocolate/app_548734081871225) to enter your name, email address, shipping address and date of birth.  The Sweepstakes is open to legal residents of the 50 United States who are age 13 or older on or before December 27, 2013. All winners will be selected at random by an independent agency in the week following the sweepstakes. 

For more information, please visit www.facebook.com/dovechocolate or www.facebook.com/nicolebyopi.