Saturday, September 29, 2012

Respect the 'Stache part 5

Part 5! Almost done, we can do it! This is the second and final drawer in my plastic tower thingy. This holds my Color Club, some randoms, and my Sally Hansen polishes! Just as a reminder: I got this awesome idea to name this type of post Respect the 'Stache from Bee over at Bee Polished. Go over and check out her stash and her amazing blog!

Sorry for the slightly blurry photos. Grrr! Camera and lighting weren't not playing nicely!

Randoms:


(Top l-r) Covergirl Sparklers, Covergirl Fireworks, Covergirl Crushed Ice, Covergirl Quicksilver
(Bottom l-r) Revlon Whimsical, Revlon Scandalous, Hard Candy Silver, Avon Luxe Life, So Easy Stripe Rite Yellow, and Sinful Colors Nail Art Fashionista.

Color Club:


(Top l-r) Worth the Risque, Revvvolution, Where's the Soiree?, French Tip, He Loves Me, Put a Pin in it, Disco Nap
(Bottom l-r) Magic Attraction, Kiss Me Mistletoe, Fashion Addict, Alias, and Platinum Record.

Sally Hansen:


(Top l-r) Glass Slipper, Diamonds (not sure it's suppose to be that color, it's old >_<), White Veil, Princess Cut, Loves Me Not, Trouble Maker, Starry Starry Flight.
(Bottom l-r) Speedy Sunburst, Mochoachino, Coco-a-go-go, Silver Sweep, Fuchsia Shock, and Sheer Buff.


(Top l-r) Disco Ball, Twisted Pink, Very Cherry, Rockstar Pink, Red Carpet, Crushed, Pumpkin Spice
(Bottom l-r) Mint Sorbet, Ivy League, Teeny Greeny Bikini, Going Green, Emerald City, Teal-y Cool, and The Real Teal.


(Top l-r) Blizzard Blue, Blue Me Away, Deep Blue Sea, Lacey Lilac, Deep Purple, Posh Plum, Purple Pizzazz
(Bottom l-r) Set the Stage, Time to Shine, Twinkle Twinkle, Wet Cement, Grey Area, Gunmetal, Midnight Sky, and Black Out.


Are there any in this post that you would like to see as swatches? Or from part 1 or part 2 or part3 or part4?

Friday, September 28, 2012

Thank Goodness, Indie Friday - Sassy Lacquer Pumpkin Spice Review

 

So I have a special addition of TGIF: Thank Goodness, Indy Indie Friday! Today I get to review a fantastic polish by Sassy Lacquer called Pumpkin Spice (new version). I am totally excited about this! **Warning - Picture Heavy!**

Carrie (the mastermind behind the indie brand) started off as a blogger for Reflections, Sassy Nails, and Silly Diversions. Sassy Lacquer was created by Carrie as a result of her love for pretty lacquer (which she creates wonderfully!), earlier in 2012 with her first collection that launched in April. Carrie makes all her polishes by hand in her home in sunny Florida, and each are made with raw ingredients and are "3 Free"! Since April she has been releasing a new "line" of lacquers every few months. 

The polish that I am review today, Pumpkin Spice, is from her Fall 2012 line and is currently available through her Sassy Lacquer store. So, let's take a closer look....


This, my dear readers is Pumpkin Spice.  I will give you a minute to pick your jaw up off the floor. This is a stunning polish! I have shown you it here alone without anything under it but a base coat. Starting with my index finger is 4 coats, 3 coats on my middle finger, 2 coats on my ring finger, and 1 coat on my pinky finger. 


This picture is a bit blurry to show you all the glitter aspects of this polish. This polish contains a clear base with ultra fine brass glitter, a touch of ultra fine red glitter, a smidgen of ultra fine black glitter, a pinch of burning leaves glitter, fine white glitter, small orange matte glitter, small orange metallic glitter, and small brown glitter. Look at that shimmer! 


Since I have helped Carrie in the past with naming her polishes she approached me again to help her with her Fall and Winter lines. So she sent me some images of her swatches and I saw this polish and knew right away this needed to be called Pumpkin Spice. (actually this is a new version of the polish and this looks so much more that pumpkin spice than the original!). What's more fall than pumpkin spice? I add it to everything this time of year! :)


So let's take a look of it over some colors. Here, starting with my thumb and working l-r are: OPI Skull & Glossbones, OPI Dutch 'Ya Just Love OPI?, Nails Inc Hampstead Gardens, China Glaze Custom Kicks, and Finger Paints Black Expressionism. Isn't it just perfect over any color!? And look at that ultra fine glitter shimmer away!


Now, let's talk about the formula of Pumpkin Spice. It is perfect! Seriously! It applied like a glitter dream with the perfect mixture of glitters! In the bottle it looked like it would be gloopy but it's not! And the shine! Wow!


Here is a macro bottle shot of Sassy Lacquer Pumpkin Spice. Ah-mazing!

Now, your mission, if you choose to accept it (and you should) is to go over to her store and purchase your own wonderful bottle of Pumpkin Spice so you can make all your manis this fall just a bit spicier! :)

Oh and guess what? Carrie loves to make custom lacquer's! So if you have a polish that you wish existed go and talk to her! :)

Email: sassylacquer[at]gmail[dot]com
Blog: http://www.kcrephmams.blogspot.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Reflections-Sassy-Nails-and-Silly-Diversions/274691922570635

 

Don't forget to check out Emma's TGIF post over at Manicurity

*The product in this post was sent to me for review.

Thursday, September 27, 2012

Just a little Ramble

So, today there is no mani, I feel the need to ramble. Gasp! Wait a minute I thought this was a blog that featured manis? Well, yes it is but I would like to thank you all for reading my little blog. When I started this blog last year I never thought anyone would ever read or take notice.

But I have since learned of the wonderful little notch in the world (well, not that little) that is the polish community. It is filled with wonderful women and men who generally care for one another and try to lift one another. If only that rest of the world did as such. Don't get me wrong, I know of the drama and such that also happens in this community, I mean we are only human. (Well, some may not be....too spooky perfect swatching and just one eye? hahaha! Some may know who I am talking about).

But I digress.

My main focus is to thank you, the reader, who has stuck through it with me through failed mani to triumphant mani and all that is in between (which is most!). So thank you so much! I am not one to write a lot in my posts because I love blog posts that are more picture focused. So, I am not sure that you all know me or who I am. And truth be told I am not sure who I am yet in the world of blogging. There are days where I love it and then, there are days in which I want to chuck it all in the trash.

Yep, it's true. There are days in which doing another mani causes anxiety and I just don't want to do. But it's getting better. Truly it is. Don't take this the wrong way, I am not sitting there freaking out when I polish my nails (well, not super bad at least!). There is anxiety but sometimes the fun is just sucked out and I get panicky that this isn't what you the reader would want to see or heaven forbid I don't post! I don't show enough nail art.....I'm not spooky perfect in my swatch or painting....I don't follow all the trends.......I have substituted a mani on wednesday for a book review or blog shoutout....my photos aren't perfect.....etc etc etc.

But you know what?

This is my blog and I decide what goes on and to heck with everything else! If you the reader didn't like it you wouldn't read it! And so what if I don't have the thousands and thousands of followers or page hits. What I do have are a select few awesome followers and a few manis that I am super proud of! This blog, like life, is a journey and should be enjoyed and not fretted over! (ha! Easier said then done!)

Not sure why I am doing this post. Just thought I would ramble and figure things out. So there may be days in the future where I don't post and as much as my inner self freaks out over it (I might lose every follower if I miss a day!) my brain and heart need to be in it totally and wholly for it to be spectacular.

It is getting late as I ramble on. So if you have made it this fair in this weird jumble of mixed up diarrhea of the brain and keyboard then congratulations! And thank you for stickin' it out yet again! This is why I don't write much in my posts I ramble (dude how many times have I used this word in this post? 4? Really? Seems more, well 5 if you count the title!)

But now I have a question. Is there anything that I should change? Not to get more readers, but to be more interesting? Is the layout horrible? Should I drop Wednesday Reads? Or Blog Shout Outs? Should I add more features like a get to know me feature? Anything you would recommend? Anything at all?

I only ask this because I would like you the reader to be more interested and excited about my posts. I am joining with some others, for a Halloween challenge beginning next month. I hope to try and attempt some more nail art! Eek!

And one last thank you! Can't wait to see what you have to say! :)


Here is a very cute little song to enjoy!

Wednesday, September 26, 2012

Blog Shout Outs - Cuti-CLUE-les


Today's blog is Cuti-CLUE-les! If you haven't checked it out before you need to. It's an Irish Beauty Blog and I love it! Her accent even shows up in her writing style! Brilliant! She's kind of a geek too with some Super Mario nail art!

She does such great freehand nail art that I bow to her! No, really, it's fabulous!


Uh, see what I mean! Fabulous! If I even attempted that it would look like a puddle of goo! Hahaha! :) Please click on the photo to be sent to her original post.

 

She does gorgeous swatches too!


She does these posts were she shows you what she currently craving at the moment! Such a cute idea!


She has also done some pretty striping tape manis!


Oh and another amazing freehand nail art because this is the one she did as a guest post for me! Love!

Please go and check out Cuti-CLUE-les! You won't be disappointed! Find her on facebook too!

I'm going to be doing Shout Outs every other week with Wednesday Reads on the other weeks. If you would like your blog featured or you know of a blog that should be featured in Blog Shout Outs, please send me an email at geekyowl[at]gmail[dot]com.

Tuesday, September 25, 2012

Teal Tuesdays - 3 Color Mani


This week's tealicure is a 3 Color Mani! What to do, what to do? So this week was really crazy and busy so I decided to do something very simple and I actually really like how it turned out! :)


Yep, I used my mani from yesterday as the base! :) Nope, not cheating at all. That's planning a head! :) I call this a Freckled Funky French Tip. (oh the alliteration!)

So I used China Glaze Pelican Gray and topped it with Holo Top Coat 14 and 20. I then tipped it with A England's Saint George and Wet 'n Wild's Tangled in My Web.


What do you think? Too simple? Too weird? :)


Teal Tuesdays was started because teal is unloved and needed its own day of celebration!
Teal is a medium to dark bluish green color of low saturation; a dark cyan.
Open to interpretation, anything green with a hint of blue or blue with a hint of green is welcome here!
Aqua, Turquoise,Tiffany Blue, etc etc...all are welcome - we do not discriminate!
Click the Teal Tuesdays logo on this post or in my sidebar to be taken to the facebook page!



Some of the other blogs participating are:
Caitlin's Creative Corner
Cherries Sweets
Colorsplash Nails
Elyssian Beauty
Fancy Phalanges 
The Frenzied Polisher
Gaga for Nails
Gnarly Gnails
Geeky Owl
Klutzy Hands Nails
The Lacquered Libra
Love in a Bottle
Mandy's Polish
Ms.Meow's Nails
My Rusty Nails
Nails Beautiqued
Nail Polish Lane
No Holos!
Once Upon a Polish
Patchouli & Lace
Persistently Glittery
Polished Art
Simple-and-Beautiful
Subtletyisoverrated

Monday, September 24, 2012

Monkey See Monkey Do Mondays: China Glaze Pelican Gray and Spectraflair Top Coat


Monkey See Monkey Do Mondays are where we re-create manis from different blogs or pictures we have "pinned" on Pinterest, and link back to the original blogger!

Did you know it's been over a month since I did my last Monkey See Monkey Do! Wow, time sure does fly. Well while reading my Bloglovin' feed I came across this beautiful post and found out that I could totally replicate the mani! Yes!

The blog is: Sweet Tips Nails and here is her mani!


She used China Glaze Pelican Gray and topped it off with a Spectraflair top coat she had created. Isn't it stunning! (Please click on the image to be taken to the full post) She goes on and adds some awesome stamping! But I also loved this mani just like this. Simple? Yes, but gorgeous!


So, I started out with China Glaze Pelican Gray. And let me tell you, this was the worst China Glaze polish I have ever worked with! It was super runny and flooded like crazy! But at least it was easy to clean up. This is two coats as it is a bit sheer. Sorry for the bit blurry pic, lighting didn't want to work all that great! :)


I then added a coat of Holo Top Coat 14 which I got from Copious from the seller: Andrea Osvath. She makes some awesome Spectraflair Holo Top Coats!


Just another picture of the holo goodness! :) But I didn't stop there!


I also added one coat of Holo Top Coat 20 for some extra holo goodness! I love this! Super simple but very complex! :)

Thank you Jen from Sweet Tips Nails for such an awesome mani! :)

Would you like to join Monkey See Monkey Do Mondays? Click the image below or the one on my side bar.


Saturday, September 22, 2012

Respect the 'Stache part 4

 Part 4! Woot! Woot! This is the first drawer in my plastic tower thingy. This holds my random drugstore-ish finds! Just as a reminder: I got this awesome idea to name this type of post Respect the 'Stache from Bee over at Bee Polished. Go over and check out her stash and her amazing blog!


(Top l-r) Ulta Pink-a-Boo, Ulta Bombshell, Ulta Mermaid Heaven, Ulta Tail of Two Cities, Ulta Tip the Scales, Ulta Don't Be Shellfish, Ulta Tutu Cute, Ulta Lav-ish, and Ulta Blue for You
(Bottom l-r) Confetti Pink Confetti, Confetti First Kiss, Sally Girl Glow in the Dark, Sally Girl (don't know the name!), Pixel Show Me the $, Pixel Text-Us, No Name Brand (freebie) Wild Thing, and Nail Savvy Chrome.

Sinful Colors:


(Top l-r) Pearl Harbor, Pinky Glitter, Unicorn, Green Ocean, Call You Later, and Show Me the Way
(Bottom l-r) Mint Apple, Rise and Shine, Savage, Kissy, Nail Junkie, Cinderella, and Amethyst.

Pure Ice:


(Top l-r) Oh Baby!, Spit Fire, Love, Heart Breaker, Busted, and Rio
(Bottom l-r) Platinum Magic Base Coat, Glam Rock, Emcee Me, DJ Spinner, and Vintage Remix.


(Top l-r) Love & Beauty Silver, Love & Beauty Rust, Love & Beauty Purple/Silver, Milani Purple Gleam, Milani Gems, and Piggy Polish Sunshine on Snowflakes
(Bottom l-r) NYC Empire State Blue, NYC Sidewalkers, NYC Starry Silver Glitter, p2 Forever, p2 Groovy, Del Sol Ruby Slippers, and Del Sol Foxy.


(Top l-r) Claire's Candy Shop, Claire's Blast Off, Claire's Drops of Jupiter, Icing Lemme See Your Peacock, Hot Topic no name, L'Oreal Brit Invasion, and L'Oreal Owl's Night
(Bottom l-r) CQ Golden Green, CQ Silver Taupe, Jesse's Girl Firefly, Jesse's Girl Confetti, American Apparel Factory Grey, Love & Beauty Purple to Light Pink (Color Changing), Nina Maple Syrup, LA Colors no name, and Old Navy Tip Toe 24K.

Mayer Disney Villains: 


(Top l-r) Ursula 39, Queen of Hearts 54, Cruella De-vil 38, and Old Hag 18
(Bottom l-r) Evil Queen 37, Maleficent 49, Maleficent 47, and Old Hag 32.

Wet 'n Wild:


(Top l-r) Kaleidoscope, Sparkled, Behind Closed Doors, Party of Five Glitters, Correction Tape, SaGreena the Teenage Witch, Teal of Fortune, and Hannah Pinktana
(Bottom l-r) Through the Grapevine, Grays Anatomy, Rustic, On a Trip, 407A, Black Creme, and Tangled in My Web.

Are there any in this post that you would like to see as swatches? Or from part 1 or part 2 or part3?

Friday, September 21, 2012

Thank Goodness, Indie Friday - Glimmer by Erica Muy Caliente


It's Friday Friday (and now I hope that lame song is in your head! Muwahaha!) and you know what that means! TGIF: Thank Goodness, Indy Indie Friday! Can I get a woot woot! :) I decided to revamp the layout of TGIF a little. I really liked how Emma over at Manicurity sets up hers, so I thought I do a similar layout! :)


Today's polish is Glimmer by Erica's Muy Caliente! And my goodness is this polish hot hot hot! The pictures above are two coats each on the index and middle fingers and one coat each on the ring and pinkie fingers. Just check out this polish! It's a clear base with a mix of reds, yellows, oranges, and a hint of fuchsia glitters! Gorgeous! And how did it apply? Marvelously! I almost had to scrape off some glitter before applying! I love that! :)


Here is my weekly Indie Skittle! Left to right and each with one coat of Muy Caliente is Essence Romeo, Catrice Blue Cara Ciao, Finger Paints Flip Flop Fuchsia, and Catrice Lost in Mud. I absolutely love this glitter over all colors! It is stunning!


See how it just pops with the colors! Perhaps my favorite of this skittle is the first one, Essence Romeo. I love how Muy Caliente just steals the show with it! And my pinkie (Catrice Lost in Mud) makes a good fall mani combo!


A light shot to show you the glow and fiery aspect of this glitter! Wow!


Glimmer by Erica's Muy Caliente was $10 and can be purchased, along with her other amazing polishes at her etsy site here.

And don't forget to check her out on facebook here.


So what do you think of this hot hot hot polish? Fantastic for fall!

Don't forget to check out Emma's TGIF post over at Manicurity!

Thursday, September 20, 2012

Doctor "Hoo" Nails


So I decided to enter a contest on Instagram. Well, I almost had to because the theme for the contest was Owls! Woot woot! It was hosted by Manicure Mommy. And this was the mani I entered! Doctor "Hoo" nails! :) He is wearing a fez and bow tie like the 11th Doctor! Oh and please excuse the nail wear on the Doctor, I forgot to take a picture of this with my normal camera right after I did it! I was so intent on getting my phone camera to work for Instagram!


Here are the owls as they started out. I used L'Oreal Owl's Night for his body and spots with Orly Nite Owl for his belly. Are you seeing a theme in the polishes I chose? I kind of had to use those colors, right? His eyes are Essie Good as Gold and Wet 'n Wild Black Creme. His itty bitty beak is Klean Color Metallic Mango.


Another quick shot of the owls. I just loved how they turned out! :)


For his bow tie and fez I mixed Zoya Sooki and Catrice Lost in Mud. I then outlined it using a Black Sally Hansen Nail Art Pen.

This was my first nail art contest to enter and I was one of five finalists! Sadly I didn't win (I came in tied for second, I believe, and now I am third for votes) but I had a lot of fun doing it!


Well, since I am not actually up-to-date with my Doctor Who (I'm only on season 4!) I will leave you so I can go do some more fantastic watching of some wibbly wobbly timey wimey...stuff! :)