ABC Challenge 'N' - Nails Inc. Sweets Way

Hi all!

Still being a pretty terrible blogger/nail enthusiast but I did manage to find a super old post that coincided with this week's challenge so here it is!

This mani was done in a rush for my neighbor's baby shower and while I truly enjoy the braided nails look, for the love of polish, don't ever use a sheer base glitter polish for the braid. This mani would have been so much better if I would have just used a solid white as an accent nail. Oh well.

Two coats of Nails Inc. Sweets Way, Essie Bikini So Teeny and Bettina Cotton Candy.

Thank you all for still being here despite my slightly irregular/sparse posting and I will answer all your comments soon, it annoys me to no end to have unanswered comments! I'm actually  pre-scheduling this and I'm nodding off as I type so I'm off to bed and feeling productive :D

Have a great day!

Fancy Taffy Pants!

Hi all!

Today's post is for the ABC Challenge but I just had to go with that cute title instead of my usual "ABC Challenge 'L': blablabla".

This mani was actually completely coincidental. I painted my nails Friday with a new polish and kept it on until Tuesday (which is forever) but I had absolutely no idea or inspiration to do some nail art for today's post. It was then I realized that the mani I had worn all weekend had a polish starting with L so I used these pictures instead. I really didn't want to share this just yet for several reasons, which I'll go into later, but I didn't want to keep missing posts.

I started with two coats of China Glaze Fancy Pants and added accent nails of Lacquerlicious Tart Taffy, which had been a long time lemming ever since I saw Mimi's pics on her blog, so when a 25% off sale appeared, I pounced.

This looked so pretty but Fancy Pants chipped HORRIBLY. Within 24 hours I already had small chips at my nail tips and eventually it started peeling off in sheets. My mom had this same mani at the same time and hers didn't even last a full 10 hours, but she also has her hands submerged in water far more than I do.

Also, I ran into some issues with my Lacquerlicious polish. First of all, it's sinking :(. I can tell she's using suspension base and I know from several people that none of her polishes ever did this so it's probably a case of a bad batch. Either way, turning it upside down for a minute takes care of the problem right quick. The other issue is that it seems like some of the glitters stained my nails. It was very very faint and barely noticeable but I saw it and thought I had a rash on my nails. I am not very logical when it comes to nails. A very wonderful person indeed had the same two polishes and is trying out this combo as well to see if it stains the nails so I will update this post later with her findings and tell you if it was just me or not.

UPDATE: My very nice tester informed me she did not have any staining with the Lacquerlicious polish and she wasn't even wearing base coat! So it might have been an adverse reaction with my base coat (Nailtiques).

Small personal announcement: I'm starting a new job on Monday! That's pretty much the reason my nails have been so sad lately, I've been running around getting everything done before I start. I don't anticipate it will disrupt the blog too much but I will let you know if anything changes.

Whew! That was a much longer post than I anticipated and I didn't even go into the whole China Glaze/Vampy Varnish situation. Let's just say that as a blogger, I'm not happy with China Glaze.

Have a great day loves!

MASH Matte Topcoat Review

Hey all!

Today I'll be sharing my thoughts on the MASH Matte Topcoat. There's more pics than usual here so I'll just get right to it.

I started with two coats of KIKO 335 and added one sparse coat of Bokeh Effect by Makeup Withdrawal. I loved this combo, the base color of Bokeh Effect is very similar to the KIKO and I die for those copper glitters.

But this is a review! Get focused. Then I added the MASH topcoat to all the nails except my ring, on which I applied Essie Matte About You for comparison's sake since its the only other matte topcoat I own.

 

Both topcoats dried at the same speed but, as you can see, the Essie is more of a true matte while the MASH is more satiny. I personally prefer the MASH over Essie because the texture of the Essie was always a bit uncomfortable to me, I find it chalky. Also, the Essie appears to lighten the base color a bit and is very flat while the MASH one retains some sparkle and doesn't alter the base color.

All in all, another win from MASH for me! I really enjoy this topcoat so much more and the appearance it gives. I'm dying to use it over a gradient now, saw a matte gradient on IG recently and my eyes popped out of my head.

What do you think? Agree with me about the appearance and finish of these matte topcoats or do you have another favorite?

Have a great weekend loves!

Product featured was sent for review, all opinions are my own. For more information, refer to my Disclosure policy.

ABC Challenge 'I' - Barielle Island Breeze

Hi all!

For today's challenge I planned to do a quickie Illamasqua swatch but I found all my Illamasqua shades have been featured here already (some more than once). So, I went through my untrieds and found this little gem, Barielle Island Breeze! I don't have very many Barielles, just a few here and there that I've picked up at TJ Maxx (and the elusive Falling Star, which I totally should have posted for F day of the challenge but just figured it out now. GRR) but they really have some lovely colors.

Onto the polish! Island Breeze has a steely blue base between turquoise and aqua with a greenish shimmer that makes the polish look lit from within (I am really, epically bad at describing polish colors). I used three coats of Island Breeze, though it looked great at two I just wanted a third coat to saturate the color and shimmer. Then I did my very first glitter gradient with Jordana Cosmos.

The shimmer wasn't as apparent on the nail as on the bottle but it's definitely more shimmery than my camera captured. Looking back now, maybe the third coat was counterproductive and hid the shimmer. I have to add that the formula on this polish was just wonderful. Not too thick or runny but buttery and amazing. Also, I'm pretty happy with the glitter gradient! It still doesn't look as amazing as other ladies make them look but it's not bad for a first try.

What do you think? Any tips on how to do glitter gradients?

Have a great day!

It's a Blue Anniversary!

Hi all!

About two weeks ago, a very exciting day happened, my one year blogaversary! Yeah, I did this mani in honor of the event and just got around to posting it now. My suckiness has been discussed.

Let's go straight into the mani, then we'll get to the mushy stuff. Recently, my mom went on a work trip to Spain and Morocco (lucky, right?) so when she asked what I wanted her to bring for me, my answer was "Um, I dunno. Stuff, I guess?". I'm very eloquent. Anyway, then I found out/remembered they sell KIKO in Spain and I quickly drafted a list of all the Kiko's I wanted and this baby was at the top of the list.

KIKO 336 is a electric cobalt blue polish that had my heart when I first saw Nail Stories' swatches of it a while back. I used two gloriously blue coats and then added Ninja Polish Sticks 'N Stones on pinky, ring and thumb and added studs and rhinestones from the Born Pretty Store on my pointer and ring finger.

Ignore the missing polish by the cuticles on the pointer finger, I added topcoat before taking pics and effed up the cleanup.

Now, mushy stuff. I know everybody says this in these kinds of posts, but I truly never expected such great feedback when I started the blog. I mean, my pictures were dreadful for those first couple of posts and I'll never forget that first person that followed my blog. Mostly because I felt flattered yet slightly ashamed she followed and I had such crappy pictures, so I tried and tried until they got better. I still don't think they're perfect, in fact you're going to be seeing some changes soon, but I'm ok with where they are now. I'll also never forget people who helped me in the beginning, like Kimber who answered my annoying emails on how to take pictures. I've met some truly great people through this blog and I'm just excited about continuing with it and seeing what can happen. I'm a person that never finishes what she started so to still be here and still love it after a year is a great success in my eyes.

So, from the bottom of my heart, thank you for reading my blabbering and still being here even when I disappear for a couple of days. 

See you tomorrow Thursday with an ABC Challenge post!

KBShimmer No Whine Left and Clearly on Top Quick Dry Topcoat Swatches and Review

Hi all! That title was a mouthful. (That's what she said) (Yes, I set myself up for a joke. I get lonely)

A while back, KBShimmer debuted a new quick dry topcoat they developed to avoid the common problem with Seche Vite, the dreaded shrinkage. It's also meant to smooth over glitters so you no longer have a bumpy surface without having to add multiple coats of top coat. In the images they shared on their facebook page, they showed the top coat over No Whine Left (which was a huge lemming for me) so as soon as the top coat was available I snapped it up and No Whine Left came home with me too. So today I'm sharing a mini review of the top coat and swatches of No Whine Left

First, let's start with the swatches. No Whine Left is a really unique color combo, it has a plummy base with bright blue and pink glitters in various sizes. It applied easily and it was opaque in two coats with no clumping or gooping.

After painting my nails, I topped all my nails with Gelous + another top coat except one nail that had two coats of the KBShimmer top coat. How did the KBShimmer fare against the glitter taming powers of Gelous?

It's exactly the same! Unfortunately, two coats of top coat or Gelous + top coat weren't enough to completely smooth No Whine Left, which was unexpected since it didn't look like it was going to be a hungry glitter but there you have it. The KBShimmer also dries super quick. I'm still collecting new top coats for part 3 of the top coat comparisons but I can tell you it's close to Seche Vite and no shrinkage at all. The only thing I still have to see is if turns all goopy like Seche at the halfway mark. Rest assured, I'll let you know if anything turns sour but as of now, me + KBShimmer top coat = <3.

You can find KBShimmer polishes and their top coat on their site here. For international buyers, you can buy through Harlow & Co, though I believe they still don't have the top coat available.

Have a great weekend loves!

White Owl Lacquers Heightened Emotions Collection - Swatches and Review

Hi all! ITS FREAKING FRIDAY. I'm excited about today :D.

Today I have for you the Heightened Emotions collection for Valentine's Day from White Owl Lacquers! While the first collection was inspired by Harry Potter, this is inspired by The Vampire Diaries, of which I know nothing except they inspired some pretty cool polishes. If you missed my first swatches of the brand, do the clicky here.

First up is Come To Me, a milky white jelly base with different shaped matte blue glitter, some iridescent squares and pink ROUND glitter. Application was very straightforward, only the round glitters wanted to move around but if you let each coat dry that won't be a problem. I'm showing 3 coats.

Now, there was an issue with bleeding glitter in some of the bottles so my swatches have the blue-tinged base instead of the milky white base. I actually really like the bluer base as well as the white one but if you received a faulty bottle please contact Mara and she'll take care of it.

Next up is Never Let Me Go, the pinker sister to Come To Me. This is also a milky white jelly base but with MORE round glitter and the iridescent squares. Application was a breeze as well and I used 3 coats.

And finally, A Little Danger. This is a clear based glitter topper featuring ROUND glitters and iridescent glitter. Yes, more roundies! <3. This is the only one that was a little tricky because a lot of the round glitter seemed to have settled at the bottom but turning the bottle upside down for a few minutes before applying took care of it. I've done one 'dabbed on' coat over China Glaze Def Defying.

What do you think of these? I'm especially in love with Come To Me, those bright blue matte glitters are all kinds of pretty. Also, ROUND GLITTER. I need all the round glitter in the world.

You can find White Owl Lacquers on their store here and you should like them on Facebook for important information and special offers (sometimes free shipping with minimum purchase or discounts with a special code!). Mara's also on Twitter and Instagram, yesterday she shared pictures of the new bottles and they are adorable!

Have a great day lovelies!

Disclosure: White Owl Lacquers provided to me for review. All opinions are my own. For more information please refer to my Disclosure Policy* 

ABC Challenge 'G' - Pop Beauty Grass (and Glitter!)

Hi all!

First off, I'll admit I don't like these pictures. I was literally sweating a fever out when I took these and they just don't look as good as I'd like. This cold (or whatever it is) has kicked my ass so hard that on Monday I was bedridden all day because my body ached so much I could barely move so I feel I couldn't do this awesome mani justice. 

Now for polish! I started with two coats of Pop Beauty 'Grass' (of which I don't have pictures alone because they turned out horribly), then added one coat of 'Algae Bloom', a beautiful franken by Mimi from Makeup Withdrawal! I was so excited to get some of her frankens as a bday present, I've long admired them from afar. Grass is a neon green and the perfect base for Algae Bloom's radioactive green base but it looked a little too neon for me so I added one coat of Zoya Frida to deepen the color.

Like I said, this mani was so much better in real life and could have looked better in pictures but I just wasn't up to it :\.

Unfortunately, Mimi has no plans as of yet to sell any of her pretties because she's like Gollum and wants to hoard them. I have a few more frankens that I'd like to share with you and I hope you don't hate me because they're not readily available.

Have a great day lovelies!

White Owl Lacquers Swatches & Review

Hi all!

I am pretty excited to be able to share this brand with you today. White Owl Lacquers is a newish indie brand by Mara of Mara in Polishland! Today I'll be showing 3 of the 6 polishes from the "After All This Time" collection which was inspired by Harry Potter! I flippin' love the Harry Potter movies and books and I completely geeked out with these.

First up is Pumpkin Pasties, inspired by the candies sold on the Hogwarts Express. I don't know about you, but that cart full 'o candies always made me jealous. Application was effortless, the jelly base built up nicely, didn't thicken up during use and I didn't have to fish for glitters. 3 coats by itself.

Next up is Dwelling on Dreams, inspired by the scene in the first book/movie with the mirror of Erised. Very heartbreaking moment for Harry but it gave us an awesome polish. I've shown two coats over Orly Snowcone though you could wear it on its own at three coats.  This is one of my favorites! Formula was great again, no thickening or glooping and the glitters spread easily.

Last but not least, is Kittens and Teacups which was inspired by Professor Umbridge. I hated her so hard, like I legit cheered when she was done as headmaster. This is definitely meant as a delicate polish and not a glitterbomb. I've done 3 thicker coats by itself on most nails but my pinky needed a 4th for some reason. Application was fairly easy, no thickening during use but I did have to be careful while polishing because you could easily swipe off the glitters while polishing.

Sidenote: I have no idea why my ring finger nail is flaring out at the tips like that, I haven't changed my routing or filed it differently and it's downright depressing to see it like that :(.

Any favorites from the ones I've posted here or any other White Owl polishes you've liked? I have my eye on Basilisk Venom and Phoenix Tears as well as the spring collection that's coming soon! 

You can find White Owl Lacquers on their store here and you should like them on Facebook for important information and special offers (sometimes free shipping with minimum purchase or discounts with a special code).

Have a great day lovelies!

Disclosure: White Owl Lacquers provided to me for review. All opinions are my own. For more information please refer to my Disclosure Policy* 

ABC Challenge 'F' - Revlon Facets of Fucshia

Hi all, happy candy day!

Today I'm finally back with day F of the ABC Challenge and I've chosen a semi-untried, Revlon's Facets of Fuchsia! This polished caused a big hooha when it came out due to it being fantastic and glittery in a time when indies were practically non-existent. Thankfully, Revlon heard our cries and it is now a permanent core shade and was renamed 'Scandalous (but since my bottle is Facets of Fuchsia it totally counts for the challenge). 

I'm showing one coat over black undies.

This was a semi untried because I wore it once last Halloween, to a dark nightclub where it got zero love and it hadn't been posted on here yet. Application was super easy and I love the simpleness of the glitters! It harkens back to a time before the 18,000 indie brands and glitter bombs.

Now, if you're at all interested in the crapmess my adviser got me into and why I've been gone for a week, click the Read More button below. Otherwise have a great day doing whatever you're going to do, whether it be celebrating valentine's day with a loved one, friends or not celebrating it at all!

ABC Challenge 'E' - Essie No More Film

Hi all!

So, when I sat down to do my nails I knew I didn't want to use an Essie for this challenge day because that was too easy. Then I found an untried Essie and that resolve went out the window.

I chose Essie No More Film and layered Sally Hansen Snow Globe for the bigger hex glitters, then Spoiled My Saturn Broke Down and finished it off with Essie Matte About You.

I did this in such a hurry that it looks sloppy. No gusta :(. I  like the actual mani though, its just that my cuticles were acting up and being all dry and weird so polish seemed to stick to them. No More Film has such a wonderful formula, I can't believe I haven't tried it before, this was just one coat! I'm pretty sure it's going to work great for stamping too.

Now I'm off to do my nails because I refuse to be naked on my birthday! :D

Have a great day lovelies!

Mish-Mash Between Spring and Winter

Hi all!

Today I'm back and taking part in the Polish Days hosted by Hannah from Polly Polish! I always enjoy seeing how many of us participate and how everyone interprets the theme. This theme should be fun since it leaves a lot of room for interpretation. Aand the theme is... Back to Nature! Hannah wanted us to be inspired by nature, whether you're knee-deep in snow or are just over winter and ready for spring. Of course, here in Puerto Rico, it's never really winter (technically).

I call this manicure a mish mash between spring and winter because that's what the weather feels like right now. It's cold (ok maybe not cold, brisk? It's around 60-70F) during the nights but some days are super sunny and hot. Also called a mish mash because it's a very wintery mani featuring a spring polish and a dandelion stamped so... yes ok?

I started with two coats of OPI Can't Find my Czechbook, from their new spring 2013 collection and layered OPI Pirouette My Whistle from their Ballet Soft Shades a while back. Then I added studs from the Born Pretty Store and a stamp from Nailz Craze NC01 image plate.

So, I'm pretty sure you can tell I had no real idea or direction with this since I didn't have time to do complicated nail art. It's just something very simple that made me happy but still fit the theme.

Have a great day!