Merry Christmas everybody!
I hope I'm spending it in pure relaxation mode - the holidays wear me out!!
Anyway...here we go with my picks for the top polishes and collections in your local salons, boutiques, drugstores and specialty shops!
The 12 Days of Polish - #2
- Sunday, December 22, 2013
- By Missy
- 0 Comments
Here comes #2 of the Top Ten!
These all easily could have been Number Ones, but just barely got squeaked past by a few others...don't let that fool you though, these are all exquisite polishes that you NEED in your life, trust me!
Hola!
I'm late today, shoulda done this much earlier but I did one of those "oh I will just do this tomorrow when I wake up"s and what do you know - I got sick, stayed up all night and then slept all day.
Come 7 o clock at night I can finally keep my eyes open without a raging headache, so here comes the post!
Remember when I used to do the Back in Time series? Well, Ashley and I took a break from it while she was off on vacation and now we are getting back into it. Today we do our own, then late in the month we do each others! Let's check it out!
I'm late today, shoulda done this much earlier but I did one of those "oh I will just do this tomorrow when I wake up"s and what do you know - I got sick, stayed up all night and then slept all day.
Come 7 o clock at night I can finally keep my eyes open without a raging headache, so here comes the post!
Remember when I used to do the Back in Time series? Well, Ashley and I took a break from it while she was off on vacation and now we are getting back into it. Today we do our own, then late in the month we do each others! Let's check it out!
 | So yeah - today is the Mexico prompt for 33DC - and mine was just a fail. I waited til the last minute because I was slammed all weekend with BS, and then once I did it at the last minute it was a total suck. So I'm just not doing it. I've stressed myself out with trying to get a weeks worth of manicures done before tonight because I won't be able to do them the rest of the week til basically Sunday. So I'm annoyed and that makes me just say eff it. So...I effed it. Instead though! Instead you get some super cute nautical decals to check out. |
 | Helloooooo!!! Tape Week sees its finale today...it's been fun and I love tapes, but I'm glad its done. Sometimes 2 theme weeks back to back takes it out of me and this did it! I'll be glad to relax a bit and get to doing some swatching and a few reviews I have lined up for you guys. So let's get into it. |
 | Hey guys!! Is it seriously Friday? I don't even know...like...how that happened? I thought yesterday it was Wednesday and it's thrown my whole brain off now! I feel like I have been in la-la-land all week! But guess what? NAILS DID TODAY! |
This Post Contains:
Born Pretty Store - Plate QA39
Sally Hansen - Lick-O-Rich
Essie - Little Brown Dress
China Glaze - Passion
Todays theme is Louis! Of the Vuitton variety!
I recently got this stamping plate to review from Born Pretty Store so OF COURSE I had to do the LV image first! But I'm glad I got it in time for the 4th so I can hopefully get around to doing something Liberty related with this, AS WELL AS hello....there is a UNION JACK on this thing you guys!! It's like all of my favorite shiz all on one plate. Almost.
So here is the plate, which you can buy HERE for $2.99US and Free Shipping. It comes in the standard blue taped covering that you remove before using.
Here is the un-wrapped version of the plate. So shiny! I love this part before I muck them up with polish and acetone and they're just so pretty and bright and shiny!
For this mani I am using Sally Hansen Lick-O-Rich Sugar Coat, Essie Little Brown Dress and China Glaze Passion.
This was my first foray into stamping over textured polishes, which if you ask me, the lovely Katee at A Girl and Her Polish has mastered and possibly pioneered...she is the master at this, and I feel like I sucked pretty bad at my first try!
I did the same thing here that I did for my First Editions mani last week, where I started with a texture polish and since I didn't have a brown one, I sponged brown over the top to achieve a brown textured leather look.
Then I stamped the LV image design on with China Glaze Passion and added a few gold round glitters I will be reviewing later on from KKCenterHk. I think I overdid it with the texture, then sponging the brown THEN i sponged a little matte top coat to dull it down some and I think it kind of lumped the texture up some so it made the stamping look super wonky in some places, but it definitely came across how I wanted aside from that!
If you are interested in this awesome stamping plate, make sure and use my coupon code below to get a discount!!
Have a great weekend you beauties!!
 | Well hello there Untried Polish Challenge! I bet you think I forgot all about you! Actually I just had a pretty busy week and put you off til the weekend so I could finish this challenge! Oh...hi. So yeah, today is another prompt in the Untried Polish Challenge, and there is only one more left after today! Though this shoulda been finished up last week but you know...Dexter week and all that... |
Todays prompt is for a Creme polish. How about 3? Oh yeah..over-achiever right here!
Todays choices are Essie No More Film (sent to me by the lovely Kirsten!), Color Club Wild Cactus and Sally Hansen Heat Flash.
So I did a base of white and then added some ziggem zaggem tape!
It wasn't at all what I was going for, but I guess sometimes some of the best mani's really aren't!
It looks quite Aztec-style to me, which is not something I'm into, but it's fun to go outside the polish box now and then!
All of these polishes were really awesome to apply.
I have been kind of impressed with some of the Essie polishes I have used lately, the formulas have gotten a lot more pigmented!
Don't forget to check out all the other awesome ladies doing this challenge:
Masha at Lost In Lacquer
Raine at Lacquer Lily
Raine at Lacquer Lily
Amy at Fancy Side
Amanda at Designer Nail Accents
Sam at Polished Art
Patricia at Polished and Glittered
Lizajane at Organic Neglect
Blueberry Pie at Blueberry Nails
Kristina at Lacquer Fetish
 | Today I've got a cute little decorative piece to show you. When I first saw these adorable little cameo-esque nail decorations from KKCenterHK, I knew I had to try them out! They completely reminded me of some little victorian jewelry! Let's see what they're all about! |
KK CenterHK - BlueSea Oval Brown Floral Nail Decorations (2 pk)
Here is a comparison so you can see the size of these decorations against an american nickel. If you have small nails this might be too big, but this fit fine on my ring finger with room to spare all around it. These are available HERE and retail for $4 for a package of 2. At publishing this design was sold out, but if you check HERE you can find the large assortment they carry. And check the bottom of this post for a coupon code, as always!
For this mani, I'm using Color Club Nomadic in Nude and Sally Hansen Olive Branch.
For the ring accent I simply dotted some dots in nude to make a sort of pendant to visually hold the cameo. For all of the other nails I used some round studs I got from Born Pretty Store.
The cameo itself is made of a hard plastic, it does not bend and therefore it does stick up off of your nail a good deal. I found these to be cool for photo purposes, but for everyday wear I don't think you'd want to deal with how easily they could come off your nail. They are definitely more of a novelty item, but awesome all the same!
So what do you think of this mani? Does it pull off the victorian cameo look?
Here is a coupon code you can use to receive 10% OFF any order you place with KKCenterHK:
**some products in this post were sent to me for free by the company of their pr firm in exchange for my honest review**
How to get your own Gnarly Gnails!
- Thursday, October 04, 2012
- By Missy
- 2 Comments
This isn't something I'm EVER asked about - but I see my stash of cuticle care and hand care products growing to the point that even my boyfriend has noticed so I thought I would share with you lovely readers what I use!
SO those are my treatment products. My favorites and top picks are:
Cream Style Products - Lansinoh Lanolin Nipple Cream (available at most mass merchandiser stores like KMart, Target, WalMart - in the baby section)
Lotion Products - Kiehls Creme de Corps (available at most department stores and Kiehls)
Balms - Sunny's Miracle Balm, Badger Cuticle Care and Skin Food (Sunny's is available at http://www.365daysofcolorpolishes.com/, Badger and Skin Food are avilable at Earth Fare and possibly other health food and nutritional stores)
Oils - OPI Avoplex (most places OPI are sold, beauty supply stores)
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| This is my "collection" as of publication. Not pictured here is OPI Avoplex, but I do show it further down. |
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| It all fits somewhat neatly in this basket that i keep next to my bed for any skin emergency I may have! |
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| Here is my "cream" style skin products. Nadinola Cocoa Butter Cream - a nice thick lotion, its not quite a cream, but it does a good job of hydrating hands and body and has a decent smell (I am pretty grossed out by synthetic chocolate smells, but cocoa butter I can handle) Kiehls Creamy Eye Treatment w/Avocado - I know, right? An eye cream? They are actually very emollient, and this one is slightly greasy - it broke me out on my eye area but it works great for some cuticle moisturization! Lansinoh Nipple Cream - So...when I got into polish in January, I came right in the midst of the nipple cream craze. People couldnt grasp a nipple cream for your cuticles?! I have been using this stuff off and on for about 20 years now, since I was pregnant! It worked great for stretch marks and it works on so many things, cuticles, lips, elbows, etc..It is the thickest product I have ever used and a little goes a long way! I have had this tube since about November of 2011 and though I only use it about once or twice a week, its not even halfway gone yet. Bebe Cream - This is a recent acquisition I received from my love Angi in Germany who sends me the coolest stuff. It is a super thick lotion/cream for babies that moisturizes my hands awesomely. It smells like baby lotion/powder, which I hate, but since I've only been using it before bed, I don't have to smell it for long, and it works great as an overnight hand cream. Hard as Hoof - this cream is supposed to harden your NAILS - and truth be told, I've used it about 3 times and put it away. Not enough time to see results, it just turned out I probably bought something else right after and liked it more, so I cant give this a thorough review at this time. |
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| My more "lotion-y" products: Silk Elements Shea Butter Lotion - picked this up from Sally Beauty a few months ago and I really liked it. I think it was about 2 bucks on sale. It nice and thick and has an ok smell. My boyfriend really likes the smell of this, while I am a little put off by it, though I can't quite describe why. I do like this as an overnight cream for my hands though. It seems like a lot of product, but I feel like I've only used it about 10 times and it's almost gone. P2 Ultra Fresh Hand Lotion - Another item I was sent from my friend Angi in Germany. This is a thin lotion that works good for on the go, not greasy or overly thick and I have a small travel size I usually throw in my makeup bag. Kiehls Creme de Corps - super thick lotion. It smells lovely and is great for day or night use. I have been using this lotion for years and years, it is my go to body moisturizer. |
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| My "Oily Balms" for lack of a better term... California Mango Treatment Balm - this was something I saw on MUA nail board and thought I'd give it a try. It smells awesome, its consistency is that of a oil based balm. Its just OK. Its not super thick, it blends into your skin very quickly and it gone pretty quickly too. Some may like this, I tend to prefer my treatments to stay on my skin for awhile. However, this is a huge container and will last you such a long time for the 8 or 9 bucks it costs its not a bad value. Skin Food - this is the little guy in the brown tiny container on top of California Mango. This was something we were given as samples when we were at Earth Fare a few months ago. It's actual for sale container is a push up tube (similar to Bed Head's Original Bed Head Hair Stick but in a paper container, not metal). Its got a terrific scent and is all organic and handmade. A really great product, and I love its application, when I run out of my samples I am totally buying the full size, I believe it's about 10 bucks. Badger Balm Cuticle Care - Another find from Earth Fare. Love the smell (its citrus-y combination of orange and lemon), its completely organic and contains Shea and Cocoa butter. It comes in a tin similar to Burts Bees Cuticle Cream, but has a much looser consistency, verging between a cream and a balm. Burts Bees Lemon Butter Cuticle Cream - Most of us nail-ites know about this stuff. Available all over the place, this lemon scented cuticle balm is a nice thick balm that oils up your cuticles and sinks in nicely. The lemon smell, it puts me off a little, as does the type of balm like this that I feel I don't get enough of unless I can see it. Most people I've read just smooth their finger over the balm and rub it on their cuticles. I however, take the tip of my thumb and scrap it up and spread it on that way. Sally Hansen Nail Growth Miracle Serum - eh. I read RAVE reviews of this product so I had to go out and get me some. Sadly, after about a week or two of consistent use, I really didn't see a difference in anything I'd consider a miracle. Its a thick liquid solution you put on your cuticles and nails with the accompanying eye dropper. It runs about 10 bucks. 365 Days of Color Sunny's Miracle Balm - Ok...I've had this and it's companion Cuticle Oil for about 3-4 weeks now. I can honestly say that THIS is my most favorite cuticle product of the moment. It has the same consistency as Burts Bees, a hard oil based balm. It is much more emollient though, and yet it feels much much lighter on the skin. Its like a thin veil of moisture that really packs a punch. I have the creamsicle scent and it is amazing. It smells like eating a cremesicle in a 50 year old vintage shop. Its got that incense/patchouli bottom note in it that is just lovely. Seriously, in the 20+ times I've applied this, I HAVE to smell my fingers each and every time, at least 10 times every time. Its ridiculous. |
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| And lastly - my Oils: Essie Smooth Trick Cuticle Oil - sigh. Oils seem so hit and miss to me. You'd think an oil can do no wrong, but I guess it can to me. I was itching for a new oil so on a trip to Walgreens about 2 months ago, I decided to give this a try. I really liked the oil application system, its like a ball point pen tip that the oil comes out of and reaches into every corner of your nail. Alas, its just an ok product that I really saw no results from. It moisturized and then it went away like it had never been there. 365 Days of Color Sunny's Cuticle Oil - I like this oil. Its got a roller ball application - which is something I have been wanting ever since I knew it existed. But I didn't want to shell out the 18 bucks Julep wants for theirs, so I was happy to try this out instead. I like patchouli, so I got that scent and it's very nice and not overpowering like uncut patchouli. The oil is nice, its not overly thick and it doesnt disappear right away. That said, its just a nice scented oil that I havent seen excessively awesome results out of. Just a nice solid moisturizer. OPI Avoplex Oil - THIS is my favorite oil. I like the easy brush on application, even though it's not very travel friendly. But it is hands down my go to oil product. I use it after every manicure I do, it helps to dry my nails a little faster and moisturize them at the same time. After about 10 minutes it has absorbed enough into my skin that I can photograph my nails but its effects last much longer. |
SO those are my treatment products. My favorites and top picks are:
Cream Style Products - Lansinoh Lanolin Nipple Cream (available at most mass merchandiser stores like KMart, Target, WalMart - in the baby section)
Lotion Products - Kiehls Creme de Corps (available at most department stores and Kiehls)
Balms - Sunny's Miracle Balm, Badger Cuticle Care and Skin Food (Sunny's is available at http://www.365daysofcolorpolishes.com/, Badger and Skin Food are avilable at Earth Fare and possibly other health food and nutritional stores)
Oils - OPI Avoplex (most places OPI are sold, beauty supply stores)
You may be like me, and hold on to dreams of ever owning coveted and hard to find guys like Starry Starry Night or that famous Clarins one.
Or Illamasqua Raindrops.
Thats MY hardcore lemming. I'm obsessed with grey polishes, which is weird since you don't see them much on here..but I am! And if you add in some textural aspects to it, like flecks that make it look like granite or dew, I'm swooning.
So I was going through my polishes one day and found a few I thought might combine to make my dream come true...let's check it out.
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| I started with a base of Zoya Dove, added a coat of Sally Hansen Glass Slipper, which is a clear flakie, then I topped it with a very sheer Grey Jelly polish by the Gap. You could sub that for OPI My Pointe Exactly. |
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| Photo Credit: Scrangie. Illamasqua Raindrops. |
So what do you think, did I come close?
Don't forget to enter the Gnarly Gnails 500 Follower Giveaway!
Ends 9.01.2012 and is open Internationally!
