Road Trip!

Happy Friday!

I finally received my China Glaze spring polishes in the mail! I decided on the Road Trip Read set, although there are still a few from the Destination Unknown set I would like as well.

From left to right displayed in the packaging is I Brake for Colour, Pinking out the Window, Pack Lightly, Wanderlust, Bohemian Blues and Dashboard Dreamer.

I Brake for Colour is a deeply saturated coral creme. It leans more red in the photos, but in person you can see the orange undertones. One coat is shown on the swatch wheel!

Pinking out the Window is a neutral pink creme. Nothing really exciting, this is two coats on the swatch wheel.

Pack Lightly is a light peachy pink shade. In the bottle there is a slight shimmer, unfortunately it is not really visible on the nail. This is two coats are shown on the nail wheel

Wanderlust is a light lavender/pink shade (it actually appears more colour correct in the photo above, far right beside Pack Lightly). The formula on this one was very thin. It has a gold shimmer throughout, however it is very subtle. Three coats are shown on the nail wheel.

Bohemian Blues is probably my favorite of this collection. It is a bright periwinkle blue creme. This shade is unlike anything I own plus it has a great formula and is long lasting! Two coats are shown on the nail wheel.

Last is Dashboard Dreamer, this was another one that I really wanted. It is a pale blue creme with a pink/orange shimmer, it reminds me of Sinful Colors Cinderella or Cult Nails Princess. Both are along the same lines. I was kind of disappointed with this one since the formula was so thin. I think I needed three to four coats on the nail wheel! It was so sheer. It is pretty though, so I'll have to try it out on the nail before coming to a final conclusion on where I stand on this polish.

So far my favorite is Bohemian Blues and my least favorite is Pinking out the Window based solely on originality of colour.

What do you think about this collection; Which are you favorites?

Target Closing Polish Picks

Target has just started to liquidate (if you can call it that) merchandise since their stores will be closing their doors in Canada this year. Kind of sad, I think they didn't give it enough time and the locations of their stores were not the greatest. They only just opened up a location close by late summer 2014! After renovating and setting up shop for less than a year the are shutting it down.
I was able to score some polishes for a reduced price, I won't argue with that! My first trip I purchased Sally Hansen, Mint Sorbet and L'Oreal, Too Dimensional?, both of which I have already worn

I'm pretty sure that they were only about 10-20% off, but the Xtreme Wear polishes were originally priced a lot lower than I have seen them before, just under $2 before the discount. I got Mint Sorbet for just over $1 and Too Dimensional? for just over $3. Not too bad.

As for sales, in the first week I went, nothing I was really reduced all that much... yet! But I'm sure anything that was discounted well was already scooped up before I got there. I waited until they dropped the prices any further before heading back a week ago and picked up a few more polishes which includes some Cover Girls and a Sally Hansen

From left to right I have Cover Girl Outlast Stay Brilliant Vio-last and Goldilocks and Sally Hansen  Triple Shine, Statemint.

Vio-last is a saturated blurple creme and Goldilocks is a deep orange based yellow, it reminds me of the shade of a school bus. Typically I would have not purchased the Cover Girl brand of polishes since I don;t usually consider them when shopping. However, I was impressed with a polish  was  gifted recently (Bon Bon)  and decided to try some others. They have some great brights. I got these both for 50% off the original price which made them under $3 each.

Sally Hansen Triple Shine, Statemint is a yellow based lime green creme. I also got this at 50% off, which came to under a dollar because the last ticketed price was clearance.

Swatches for all three polishes are shown below at one coat each!

I don't think I will be heading back to a Target before they close their doors in Canada. I still think it's a shame they are closing so prematurely, it may have worked had they given it more time. At least I still have the the U.S locations when I am cross boarder shopping.

Fun With Nail Wraps!

I was recently offered a sample from a former co-worker of mine who has been dabbling in Jamberry Nail Wraps. Obviously I accepted! Today I have a mani inspired by the nail wraps I received, Wild Flower.

Wild Flower is a bright and sunny floral pattern with a sky blue base and a variety of muticoloured flowers. I used the wraps as an accent nail on each hand and combined it with Sally Hansen Triple Shine, Statemint. Statemint is a yellow leaning green creme, it contrasts perfectly with the bright floral pattern of Wild Flower.

 

Statemint applied well in two coats and dried fairly quickly. I applied one coat of Seche Vite over both the polished nails and the nail wraps. What I love about these wraps is that they are vinyl which makes them pliable and really stick on to the nail! You simply heat, apply and push the vinyl wrap on to the nail. I have tried these wraps before and they were surprisingly a lot more durable than I had anticipated. This time I tried it over a base of Bio Seaweed Gel UV base (which are applied to the rest of my nails as well). I found the wraps held up on one nail better than the other and came to the conclusion that it was the gel beneath that had it peeling slightly at the base of my nail since the wrap went lower than the gel base.

Even with the slight peeling at the base of one nail it still held up surprisingly well to day to day activities such as washing dishes, cooking and showering. The hot/warm water did not effect the bond of the wrap on the nail which was great. I'm curious to see how it would hold up in a hot yoga class, maybe I will test these out again next time, I once had a fake nail pop right off in class! Oops!

Although I applied a top coat of Seche Vite over the nail wraps, although it is not really necessary it adds some extra shine.

For more information on this and other nail wraps, feel free to contact Brenda directly though Facebook and like her page or visit her personal profile through Jamberry. Thanks again for the samples!

Under The Sea

Happy Friday! I was totally inspired by a polish name for this mani. When I found a cool glitter polish at Five Below while I was cross boarder shopping last month, it looked interesting. I turned it over to see the name, Sea Glass, that's totally what it was! The different shapes and colours were the perfect representation of sea glass and I knew I needed to add this polish to my collection. I could already envision the polish combos I could create with this glitter topper

I decided to layer Sea Glass within Zoya, Freda, the lone polish I had not used yet which is apart of the 2012 Gloss collection. I found it was the sheerest of the bunch, but it is buildable and easy to work with. I applied one coat of Freda and followed it with a coat of Sea Glass. The glitter applied easily with a good ratio of glitter to base polish. I let that dry a bit before applying another two coats over top the glitter.

 

I could have added another coat to help build up Freda further, however I liked the overall look and didn't want to add too many layers of polish. Including topcoat (I applied another base of Bio Seaweed UV gel previously) I used a total of 5 layers of polish! The photos show visibility of my nail line more so than in real life.

The photo below most accurately depicts how the polish looks on my nails in reality. Freda is a great jelly polish, it applies smoothly, is self leveling and did not bubble with multiple layers.

Overall I love the glossy, squishy look of this glitter sandwich. My only regret is not getting more of the purple and green glitters on the nail. I love how they reflect throughout the murky teal jelly like bubbles of water floating up to the oceans surface.

March Haulin'

I have been pretty good lately and limiting my polish purchases. I did order a set of the China Glaze spring polishes, but that hasn't arrived yet...

Other than that collection (I just purchased the Road Trip Ready set), I have picked up some randoms during the month of March. I will start with a few I picked up while shopping across the boarder.

Revlon, Confident - a red jelly polish with red glitter in various shapes and sizes.

Funky Fingers, Sea Glass - A glitter topper with pastel blue, pink, white green and purple glitter in various shapes and sizes.

Next was an impulsive "sale" purchase... although most usually are...

I don't regret this one though, that's always good!
Nicole By OPI, On What Grounds - A bright pastel blue textured polish with darker blue and brown textured flecks.

It is really interesting. The texture is like stucco, which I hate in real life, but love in this polish. It is very similar to the texture used in China Glaze, Bump in the Night. What I love about Nicole by OPI's take on it us the addition of coloured "flecks" or pieces of whatever they have put in it to give it some extra depth. Very unique in my collection. It's as if a turquoise stone was ground in to tiny pieces.

Nail Fail

It may not appear to be a"nail fail" exactly, however I do pride myself on great photography and editing...

I wanted to do a simple mani refresh with Color club, Pardon My French and Bundle Monster plate BM-423. From afar it looks great, maybe even in the first two photos I have displayed as well.

I have a feeling it may have been the actual plate that threw me off with this one. The design may have been too deeply engraved and with the stamper being squished on top, it created the weird texture with in the design. You can see more clearly in the photo below.

Not the worst nail fail, but it still bothered me to the point of removal for a different Easter mani. I'll have the play around with different stamping polishes to make this pattern work because I really love it and want to get a nice clean image the next time I decide to try it out.

Have you had problems with this design as well?

March Favorites

This is an ongoing monthly post which highlights some of my very favorites from the month past. 

Today I have my most favorite things from March. Check it out below.

Favorite Base: Bio Seaweed UV Gel Polish No Sanding Base
As you have noticed for most of the month of March I have used a UV gel as my base. Not only is it versatile in avoiding staining and adding a smooth base for chromes and holos to shine, but it also gives my nails some extra strength.

As an extra bonus it contains no formaldehyde, toluene, DBP, BHA or solvents! Five minute soak-off removal makes it a breeze to remove and it works with LED or UV lamps (I have an LED). It doesn't require any sanding, primers or bonders and is touted as strengthening for the nail and enriched with minerals and vitamins to promote natural nail growth and shine.

Manduka eKO Yoga Mat
Not only the Manduka eKO mat super grippy but it is also eco-friendly and is made from biodegradable, non-Amazon harvested, natural tree rubber. I had been looking for a new yoga mat for a while now and was hoping to get one that was more natural without icky chemicals. I didn't realize how bad my old Everlast yoga mat was before making the switch! I can hold poses better now thanks to the dense, level and grippy surface. I LOVE this thing!

Favorite Shade This Month: China Glaze Four Leaf Clover
My favorite shade of the month is the perfect bright green, perfect for spring and St. Patricks Day! What made wearing this polish even better was the fact that I avoided staining to my natural nails with the help of my Bio Seaweed Gel base. I swear I am not sponsored by them in any way, it's just a great product with minimal effort! For more information on Four Leaf Clover, check out my original post here.

Favorite On-the-Go Moisturizer: Deborah Lippmann The Cure
I have been using this off and on and have recently started packing it in my work bag to use during the commute before and after work or during work should my cuticles need some moisture. Patented raspberry cultured stem cell Extract soothes while red algae, shea butter, sodium hyaluronate and Vitamins A, C, and E hydrate and deeply penetrate the skin.

The bottles looks small but only a small amount is needed. Can we talk about the packaging for a second, because it is amazing! I love how it looks, so pretty and modern. But I guess for the hefty price tag, you are paying for it! This was gifted to me otherwise I cannot see myself spending this much for a cuticle moisturizer. However, now that I own it, I do love it.

Until next month! Finally glad to get some real spring-like temperatures. Can't wait to wear some more brights and pastels!

Merry Easter!

Was anyone else's Easter reminiscent of Christmas morning? SNOW in April? When will this winter end! Luckily the weather was warm enough to melt the fluffy snow by the next day and the sun was shining brightly again Monday morning.

I wanted something light and bright for Easter so I chose China Glaze Dandy Lyin' Around. Little did I know it would also match the snow! Dandy Lyin' Around is a soft white crelly polish with a beautiful glass fleck shimmer that shines throughout. I used two coats in my photos below. It provided decent coverage at tow coats, however some people may be fore comfortable with three. It appears slightly more sheer in the photos than it does in real life.

I decided an accent nail of chevrons would be a great pattern for Easter. I chose a soft pink, Sally Hansen "Chrome Nail Makeup" in Amber Chrome. It's been a while since I have used my nail art plates or a chrome polish. I'm not sure if it was my lack of practice or the plate it's self but the pattern was not 100% opaque, it looked like it had a texture running throughout. Luckily it was not completely visible to anyone but me, However, in a test mani I tried out before this one it bothered me to the point of removal! That post to come next week.

For the accent nail I used Bundle Monster plate BM-423. I have to get back in to stamping, so much fun :) Maybe once my China Glaze Road Trip polishes arrive in the mail I will be inspired with some spring printed nails.

Color Club Pardon My French

I have another lovely spring polish today, I just love spring polishes! This is another Color Club polish, Pardon My French, which is a baby pink creme with just a slight hint of yellow which makes it a slight coral pastel.

The formula was just okay. The first coat was streaky, the second coat was a little less streaky, but also not 100% opaque either. For the third and final coat I decided to add some thinner to the bottle of polish to add one last thin layer to even out any remaining streaks. This is common for me to do so I don't have loads of polish on the nail which can lead to bubbling or premature wear/peeling.

Three coats still did not produce 100% coverage, however, once I added a good coat of Seche Vite it helped to even mostly everything else out. I would say the final mani looks about 95% opaque, the camera, however, does not appear to show the polishes flaws. From a distance it looks great, so it works for me!

Color Club Bell Bottom Babe

Happy Friday, Good Friday that is! Let the long weekend Easter feasting begin...

Also time for my first summer polish of 2015! Well, it's not in your face summer neon, but it was apart of the Color 2014 Poptastic Summer collection. The 2014 collection, not to be confused with the originals from a few years back, is a compilation of neons with shimmer running throughout. I chose to wear Bell Bottom Babe.

 

Bell Bottom Babe is an almost periwinkle blurple base with a pink/purple shimmer. The first layer was quite thin, but the second coat built up pretty well. In hindsight a third thin coat would have been perfect, although it is not 100% apparent in the photos.

 

As an accent nail I layered a thin coat of L'Oreal, Too Dimensional? over my ring fingers and thumbs. Too Dimensional? is a glitter based polish with gold and purple glitter of various sizes in a deep purple base. I LOVE it! It is so smooth on the nail unlike most other glitters that can dry gritty.

I've included a few other right hand shots above to show you even nail shape. They will all be a little shorter and closer in relation to each other in my next post! Happy Easter to those who celebrate, hope you all have a great long weekend!

Cosmic Fate

Holo photo spam ahead!

I haven't worn a holo polish in a while and was feeling springy, so today I have (what I think is) Color club Cosmic Fate. This polish doesn't have a label at the bottom unfortunately, but I am pretty sure it is Cosmic Fate... I hope!

In the bottle the shade appears to be a peachy nude holo, but on the nail it looks more of a peachy pink, more saturated that I originally thought it to me. Maybe it's just my skintone? I am still wearing my Bio Seaweed Gel base, I find that when I have worn this before under a holo polish it really helps the holo to come through more and look glossy without a topcoat. It also makes application a breeze! I don't recall if Color Club's formula for holos is usually difficult, however, I did not need to apply a special (ie. Aqua Base) base polish.

I only needed two medium coats for full opacity and it dried quickly and smoothly as most holos do. What a rainbow effect! So fun and bright. Below is a photo of my rarely seen right hand, in case you can't tell in the photos above, I had a break in my middle nail, of course, just when everything else is growing out perfectly! I figured I should include a photo with a more even length of nails.

I plan on filing my nails down a bit, not to match the break exactly, but to help them look more even. I'll do this after removing the gel base in a few days.