Glitzology Skeleton Key & Pixie Dust - Swatches and Review

Hey everybody!

I meant to have this post up yesterday but apparently I forgot to post it... No matter though! I still have time in this year :D

Today I'm showing you the last two Glitzology polishes I have! First up is Skeleton Key. This is the last one I bought during her $5 sale. I saw black and white glitter with purple shards and hexes and it was instant love. I've shown one coat here over China Glaze Elephant Walk. Formula was a dream, a little thick but chock-full of glitter.

Finally, Pixie Dust has very fine pink holo glitter and satiny pink hexes and translucent squares in a shimmery (almost frosty but not really) base. I've shown one coat over a lavendery pink polish from Charlotte Russe. This particular polish is not my favorite because I'm not a pink lover, but it's a beautiful soft look depending on the base you use.

What do you all think of these two Glitzology polishes? I'll admit Skeleton Key is one of my favorites but I really loved all the polishes! There's something for everyone with the glitter mixes and Stacy is always willing to help with anything. I definitely have come to appreciate the personalized service from most indie sellers, you can tell there's a person behind the brand and it shows in the personal touches and it shows with Glitzology as well.

Remember to like Glitzology's page on Facebook and check her stocked Etsy shop for new polish releases and sales, right now she's having a new year's sale for 25% off with the code NEWYEARSKISS25 and if you order 4 full sized bottles, she'll include one more full sized polish for free! She's also started offering cuticle oil at her shop too, cupcake scented :D

Have a great day lovelies and a happy new year if I don't see you before!


*Glitzology Pixie Dust was sent for review. For more information, please refer to my Disclosure policy*

Glitzology Cotton Candy & As You Wish - Swatches and Review

Hi all!

Today I have a couple more Glitzology polishes to share. I bought these during her last $5.00 sale after seeing swatches on Globe & Nail. Both polishes were pretty thick and loaded with glitter but it helped to apply easily since you don't have to fish to find glitter on the brush.

First up is Glitzology Cotton Candy. It's a mix of pastel glitters in a sheer tinted base. I've shown one coat over Wet 'N Wild On a Trip and the accent nail is China Glaze It's a Trap-eze. I did this mani in a rush for a friend's birthday party and the whole look was very candy like. The tinted base in Cotton Candy has a delicious shimmer with a slight blue flash to complete the candy frosting look. I think she really nailed the inspiration from cotton candy!

Next is As You Wish, inspired by the movie The Princess Bride! I love that movie so hard, I had to have this based on the name alone but, thankfully, it's one of my favorites from Glitzology so far! I've shown one coat over SOPI Cartwheels on the Catwalk. As You Wish features matte white and holo-y teal big hexes with an assortment of smaller lavender and purple glitter. This would look great over a light purple too!

I really have to take a second to mention how sweet Stacy is. I initially messaged her because of shipping prices through etsy and she replied quickly and helped me out, no questions asked. Every single interaction with her has been great and she really is invested in creating her brand so she'll offer some things that other sellers just can't/won't. For example, she can create a custom order if you wanted to a discontinued color or want one of her polishes without bar glitter.

For news and sales, like Glitzology on Facebook and check out her stocked Etsy shop! I know she's releasing new colors (starting today, I believe) and she's currently holding a 25% off sale with the code NEWYEARSKISS25 and, if you purchase four (4) full size bottles, she'll include one more for free!

What do you think about these? Tired of glitter yet? ;)

My Christmas Mani - KBShimmer Clown Puke!

Merry Christmas!! I hope you're all having a great day with your families and enjoying some yummy food! Last night we made spinach lasagna rolls with ground meat and tomato sauce on top, rice with pigeon peas, salad and pumpkin double layer cheesecake for dessert. Hopefully today will be equally delicious :D.

Ever since I saw THIS manicure at The Polished Perfectionist, I knew I would have to recreate it so I ordered KBShimmer Clown Puke (and one more, I have incredible self-control). Clown Puke is a 'everything but the kitchen sink' polish. Basically, an amazing glitter bomb with everything thrown in there. It's no secret that I love rainbow glitters but I think this beats them all. Just amazing with flawless application. Such professionalism from the brand itself, I can't wait to try more polishes from them!

The only thing I was missing from Amy Grace's mani was China Glaze Holly-Day but it was released last year and I didn't think I would find it. Then, because christmas miracles happen, I found a mini while shopping at an outlet mall with a quiet little beauty supply! I'm showing two coats of Holly-Day and one of Clown Puke.

HHHNNNNGG such a perfect Christmassy combo! I'm so in love with this, I didn't even use a peel off base coat because I want it to last a little longer than forever. My favorite was my thumb so you get a macro of thumby.  

Guys, I have to confess that I didn't 'get' the whole glitter fascination before. It was pretty but many left me 'meh'. While I'm still super picky about which glitters I purchase, I'm definitely an official glitter addict. I like me pretty shinies O_O. Although, I will admit I feel like a fraud for not doing more nail art recently. I just wasn't feeling the holiday vibe but I hope to get back in my groove soon!

Have you discovered the magic of glitter or was I the only one that was late to the party?

Happy Holidays! 

How To: Basic Manicure Routine

Hi all!

I've been meaning to do a post detailing my routine for giving myself a manicure and the products I use for a while now. It wasn't until a very nice reader emailed asking for the post that I got up my butt to do it. This is going to be pretty wordy so I'll get right to it.

Word of warning first: What works for one person will not always work for someone else. Most of the items I describe are pretty universal in that they won't cause any harm but, for the nail hardeners and treatments I recommend Loodie's series on hardeners and treatments so you can determine the real problem with your nails. In my case, my nails were hard and they grew quickly but peeled like a mofo. If this is your case, you'll probably benefit from most of the products I use.

First thing I do is remove my old polish. I make a mix of glycerin and pure acetone in the little bottle to get my diy version of Zoya Remove. The result is very effective at removing polish but doesn't dry out my cuticles as much as pure acetone would. If you're interested in learning more about this, Loodie's was the original post I saw that explains it and Wacky Laki has a great simpler tutorial.

Glitzology Boy Girl Party & Lulu Bonanza - Swatches and Review

Hi all!

Today I have some indie glitters from Glitzology! I was super excited for these polishes and they did not disappoint. I have 4 more to show you, but for now we'll start with Boy Girl Party and Lulu Bonanza.

Boy Girl Party is a mix of various types of matte blue, red, pink and white glitters. I've shown one coat of BGP over Orly Snowcone. Application was a breeze, the polish is jam packed with glitters so there's no fishing required, I just dabbed on the coat and brushed normally to make it smooth. No problem with glitter just accumulating at the tips though if I let the brush dry out too much it could cause some very minor clumping. Definitely not as bad as other glitters I've tried and so worth it for the result. I didn't even know/forgot that this polish had star glitter until I got one on my ring finger so they're not hard to find.

Next up is Lulu Bonanza. "This polish is a mix of emerald green, matte white, silver and holo silver. It features lots of green glitter, matte white glitter, hexes, and bars, as well as silver and holo silver squares and shreds." (Taken from Glitzology's etsy shop because I suck at describing polishes).

Lulu Bonanza was an unexpected favorite for me! The mix of green, silver, holo and white glitter won me over as soon as I put it on. I've shown one coat over Bettina Ocean and Orly Le Chateau. This polish is a bit thicker than Boy Girl Party but you can still control how much glitter you want on your nails. On my ring and pinky finger I did a more sparse coat and for my middle and pointer finger, I loaded the brush with glitter and dabbed it on.

Though neither glitter felt rough or thirsty, I topped both with Gelous and Poshe just to ensure a glass finish for macro mode and they were both smooth to the touch that way. I'm super happy with these polishes, I had been craving some good glitters and these definitely fit the bill. I keep thinking of layering combinations and the jelly sandwiching possibilities are endless! I can't wait to show you guys the other polishes I have.

Glitzology is having a 50% off sale until Friday the 21st! Just use the code DOOMSDAY50 and you can get full size polishes for $4.25! Her shop is stocked and she ships fast so check her out on Etsy and like her on Facebook to keep up with new polish releases and sales. Also, if you're not a fan of bar glitter, just message Stacy and she'll make the polish without bar glitter. How nice is that?!

What do you guys think? Like the polishes?

*Glitzology polishes were sent for review. For more information, please refer to my Disclosure policy*

Swatch Watch: Picture Polish Kryptonite Swatches & Review

Hi ladies!

Today I have swatches for what was my #1 lemming for most of 2012, Picture Polish Kryptonite! This beauty was made for the blogger collaboration earlier this year by Kittie who runs More Nail Polish blog.

It was instant love for me as soon as I saw it, the jellyish deep green color, the crushed holo pigments or whatever magic is in this that makes it look like crushed glass. Just breathtaking in my opinion. I'm showing two wonderful coats of green prettiness.

HHHNNGG Can you see why I love it so hard? It just looks so complex and with so much depth! Love love.

Sidenote: I have decided not to write a post over what happened in Cleveland because my heart aches and my head hurts every time I try to wrap my head around what happened and why. Just hold your little ones close.

Have a great day :)

Greendient Spirals

Hi all!

As you read this I will be finishing my last essay and I AM PSYCHED. I really gave it my all this semester since it was my last one for my bachelor's degree! And then...stuff happened. Lol, technically I already completed my course requirements BUT since I'm receiving a federal grant that covers the cost of my studies and leaves some monies left over, I decided to study another semester to do some research which I haven't and would need for grad school -.-

Aanyway, nails. I recently purchased my picks from the China Glaze Cirque Du Soleil collection and I'm using two of them today. I started with two coats of Def Defying, the bright green. Then I gradiented with Hanging in the Balance which is the bright blue in the collection. However, since I sponged the blue on top of the green the blue turned...less blue.Whatever, then I stamped with DRK-A and the spiral image I love so much.

I really liked the result even if it does look a little too similar to this previous post. I even instagrammed/tweeted this mani in process. It was actually pretty fun! My twitter name is @PolishedKat and my instagram is @hookedonpolish, just in case you want to follow too :) I post pictures of nails and dogs and the occasional cat.

What do you think? In which direction are your thumbs pointing?

Have a great day ladies and enjoy the weekend, I know I will!! (By that I mean I'll sleep, paint my nails and watch netflix. Perfection)

Swatch Watch: Bettina Sparkles Swatches & Review

Hi ladies!

Today I have a simple swatch for you. About a month ago, I went into Walgreens in a super rush (don't remember why) but as per usual, I walked in through the beauty department and this new rack of Bettinas stood out. I had never seen the colors before and they were named, not numbered as is the custom for core colors. I assume this is probably the winter collection but I haven't seen anything floating around yet. Anyway, I grabbed this little baby (and maybe one more for a friend) and dashed out of the store in a hurry again.

This pretty is called Sparkles. It has an amazingly buttery two coat formula jam-packed with golden shimmer. I consider the color so pretty that I didn't even add anything on it! The pictures seem color accurate to me, maybe a tad greener. It's a very bright teal aqua color (gosh I'm horrible at describing colors) but the shimmer makes it more subdued and ... elegant? I have no idea, it's just pretty to me.

Beware though, this gave me major shimmer herpes and some staining. The staining was taken care of as soon as I removed it with some whitening toothpaste but the shimmer was only slightly annoying when removing as long as you change your cotton bud between nails and avoid rubbing it all over the place. Just leave it soaking on the nail for a couple of seconds then wipe off!

What do you all think? You like?

Have a great day, you deserve it because you're awesome!

Black Spots Over Green

Hi all!

Sorry I've been a little absent, between school and christmas-type social obligations my 'me' time in which I blogged and such has been scarce. For those of you who commented on my post about my friend's passing, your words really meant a lot and I wanted to let you all know that his death saved 5 other lives because of organ donation. We said our goodbyes to him on Thursday and, while it was very hard to see him like that, I always find funerals help to start the healing process. He is and will always be incredibly missed.

Let's get ourselves happy and look at some nails, yes? This is a mani I did last week when I was super rushed and contemplating some type of self harm because of a presentation I had due the next day. In order to keep my sanity, I decided to take a break and do my nails but it had to be quick so I grabbed from my untrieds pile on the table and these two looked perfect for each other.

I have two coats of Essie Mojito Madness with Sation I Paint in Peace on my accent nails and I topped everything with one coat of the black Fergie glitter from Wet 'N Wild.

I originally passed on Mojito Madness when it first came out but I saw it the other day and just had to have it. It's such a nice bright color and it has a great formula so I'm definitely psyched to have found it. Sation I Paint in Peace is a gorgeous deep green with silver shimmer and I LOVE IT. The formula is a little thick but not unmanageable and it covered completely in one coat! I really suggest picking up the Sation polishes if you can find them, I've yet to be disappointed.

Thank you for looking and have a great day lovelies!

Bling-a-ling-ling! (Feat. Born Pretty Store glitter)

Hey guys,

Today I have a post for Polish Days! I really enjoy these monthly events so I didn't want to miss out on this one (although I'm a day late). This month's theme was 'Bling' inspired by the fact that Ms. Polly Polish herself got engaged (Congrats Hannah)! Her ring is absolutely beautiful and unique so we went blingy for the occasion. 

I really wasn't planning this mani, sort of just sat down and painted my nails with what I wanted. As luck would have it, it turned out pretty nice! I started with two coats of Color Club By Design, a lovely plum creme. Then I added a coat of Orly Miss Conduct, normally a pink scattered holographic polish but layered over the dark plum it looks berry-colored. Or something. It's just extremely pretty, I really can't stop staring at my nails.

The diamond glitters are from Born Pretty Store, of course! I received this a little while ago and saved it to use for this event. Since it's diamond shaped and holographic, what could be better for a blinged out mani? As usual, this glitter comes in a little tub with way more glequins I could ever need. I love these so much though! I already have a couple of ideas on other ways to use them.

I really tried to capture the sparkle in this as best I could, but methinks I need a new lamp. Just trust me, you're better off if you get yourself a bottle of Orly Miss Conduct. I almost didn't because it's so pink (here is a color accurate swatch) and I never wear pink but I'm so glad I did. I even semi-killed a lemming with this combo.

If you're interested in these specific glitters, you can find them HERE (Item id: 791) and remember there's a 10% off code!

Sometimes, Words Fail You

Hi ladies,

No nail post from me today. I have some pics edited waiting to be posted but I received the news that a friend I met through my boyfriend was involved in an accident. There's this fad in PR called 'Bicijangueo', which basically means people hang out on their bicycles all through different areas in big groups. He was riding with some friends on Friday night, a friend got a flat on their bike and had to wait for someone else to get a car to take the bike home, so he continued on his own. At around 5am Saturday morning, he was hit by a car who ran a stop sign. Thankfully, the driver stayed with him, called the ambulance and even rode with him to the hospital. More importantly, the driver tested negative for alcohol.

He was pronounced dead yesterday morning.

Doctors said if he had been wearing a helmet, he would have survived. Some broken bones, but he would still be here. Nobody knew or thought it was this bad. Saturday evening my boyfriend called his friends, who told him there was some swelling in his brain and they had to drain that before he would wake up, but everyone was optimistic. We all just thought it would be another story he could tell in a couple of weeks.

 I feel such sadness and it's crazy because I didn't know him that well.We had hung out several times during my almost 2 year relationship, but he and I weren't really close. It just hurts to know he was so young and he had so much incredible talent and so many goals he never got to accomplish. His death is also a reminder of how fast everything can change. In a split second, someone isn't here anymore. If I feel this sad, I can't imagine the sorrow his family and close friends must feel. He was truly an incredible human being and I'm not just saying that because he's gone, he just was. He was kind, giving and never said no to anything anyone needed.

Anyway, I'm sorry this post ended up being so long but I have a very tough time expressing my feelings unless it's in writing and this is the place I feel most comfortable doing so.

His latest piece.

Be safe, enjoy what you do and say what you feel. Life is too short.

UPDATE: His family decided to donate his organs and 5 lives were saved thanks to his organs! It definitely helps ease the pain to know that he lives on in a way and was able to give a second chance to other people.