Trend Week: Magnetic Polish

Oh yes, remember when this was the craze? Pretty much every company made some, some were right in on the trend and others came later (Orly, looking at you). I own about 3, maybe 4 magnetic polishes. But this one, Nails Inc Trafalgar Square is by far the best.

I started with one coat of Trafalgar Square and let it fully dry without using the magnet. I applied the next coat one nail at a time using the magnet that came with the polish. This polish has the strongest magnet of all the ones that I have.

This mani was a pain to photograph. It wanted to be blurry in almost every photo. But this polish practically glowed in real life. It reminded me of black/grey tigers eye.

So, the magnetic polish trend. Yay or nay?  Do you still have a bunch, collecting dust?

Trend Week: The Crackle Polish

This week I wanted to focus on a few past and present trends in polish. Today we have the crackle polish. 

***Word of warning, well, not really, but this week my photos were taken out of order, so today I have nubbins, tomorrow I don't. Sorry, but wanted the trends to be in order that they appeared on the market****

Oh man, when I first got into polish crackle was the new "it" thing! How cool is that!? It's like it's alive! And after a few months.....the crackle trend died down, way down. I'm sure you all have one or two (or more) tucked away in a drawer never to see the light of day or the flash of a camera again. Am I right?

These are two China Glaze Crackles: Cracked Concrete and Crushed Candy. I just recently acquired these two a few months ago. Huh? Who still sells crackles? Not too sure, I was given these two by the beauty supply store I go to. Buy two China Glaze polishes and get a crackle for free! He told me that he had bought too many, that he thought the trend would last longer, and now he is stuck with a ton! And hey, I'm not going to deny him giving me free polish! :)

But I kind of like these two colors, especially the grey one! Shocking, I know! :)

Here is what I used as my base colors (with flash): China Glaze For Audrey and China Glaze Recycle (both one coat!).

Stay tuned for tomorrow's past trend! What is it going to be?

(Oh and sorry about the nubbins going on here, stupid Target Cafe chairs are too heavy and broke two nails way down, so had to even them out as best as I could)

TGIF: NerdLacquer Don't Blink

Wahoo! It's Friday! TGIF: Thank Goodness, Indy Indie Friday! And today I have a lovely one for you! NerdLacquer: Don't Blink. This was one of my biggest lemmings for the past year. I bought other polishes like this to help with the lemming but I knew nothing could compare to Don't Blink. And I was right!

Here is NerdLacquer: Don't Blink, two coats, no undies except Essence peel off base coat. Just look at the gorgeous-ness of this polish! It is heaven!

The application of this polish is perfection! The glitter applied evenly and smoothly! It helped that I had my polish tipped upside down before I used it to disperse the glitters! (cap was securely screwed on!) Thank you NerdLacquer for creating such awesome polish!

For those of you who aren't aware, this polish is based on a famous Doctor Who episode: Blink. It is about weeping stone angels that come alive when you aren't looking at them. It is one of the most intense Doctor Who episodes!

Don't forget to check out NerdLacquer store
NerdLacquer on Google+ to stay up-to-date

Don't forget to check out Emma over at Manicurity and her TGIF mani!

Color Club Cherubic

Oh my goodness! This polish is amazing! This is the strongest holo that I have! This is Color Club Cherubic (two coats, indoor Ott Lite). Just look at that! Wowza! This is a beautiful nude holo!

This is with a flash. Sort of freaks out with holo-y goodness! :)

This is in direct sun. It's even more holo in person! This polish does not disappoint! Very wonderful application and formula! And the wear is wonderful too!

Another direct sunlight photo. Look at that holo fire! Hello gorgeous!

Have you tried any of the Color Club Holos yet?

My Favorite Things: April

It's nearing the end of the month, so that means more of My Favorite Things! I originally got this idea from Emma at Manicurity, and now many other polish ladies are doing it too! I love this idea and am so glad more are doing it and creating their own spin on it (Missy from Gnarly Gnails). 

favorite new (tried) polish: OPI What Wizardry Is This?

This polish is just amazing!

favorite new (UNtried) polish: Candeo Smores

favorite new (tried) indie polish: This is a sneak peak for this Friday! Shhh, don't tell! This is Don't Blink by NerdLacquer! Wowza! Of course I couldn't show you the whole mani, tune in on Friday! :)

  favorite new collection: Probably the Zoya PixieDust Collection. This was also my answer for my previous Favorite Things, but now I own 5 of them! (almost doubled my Zoya collection with them!). I have some of the older line and the new summer collection! Stay tune for some swatches!

favorite manicure you did this month: I chose two of my favorites:

My Liger from the Digit-al Dozen Does Animal Week

My Labyrinth mani from The Digit-al Dozen Does Animal Week.

 favorite new technique or tip: Really cleaning the nail after apply moisturizer and before applying polish. Not a new tip but one that I don't always remember and am trying to do better with! Oops! :)

favorite new makeup item: I recently bought a ton of makeup, I was bad. I bought Urban Decay Naked Skin Beauty Balm, love this stuff! I also bought two of the new Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencils in Mushroom and Ether. And my next favorite thing is Sephora Color Reveal Lip Balm. This balm is awesome! Very moisturizing! And it changes color to the perfect pink on my lips! And no real color transfer either into cups or anything! Bonus!

Sources (clockwise): upstylemagazine, pureplacements, pureplacements, junipers journal

favorite TV show right now: Started watching Hannibal. Very interesting, very dark. Still not too sure on it. I like the main character but Hannibal is hard to understand! Anyone watching it?

currently reading:  The Mermaid's Madness by Jim C. Hines. A twist on The Little Mermaid story with Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, and Snow White as some of the main characters. Very fun!

Doctor Who: Impossible Astronaut Day

For some reason, that I can't remember, I have these pictures on my camera of my mani and hands covered in tally marks. Why is this? I don't remember doing this? Why am I holding River Song's journal? What is going on?

I wish I knew what was going on. But I can tell you that I did use Zoya Shay (two coats) and China Glaze Matte Magic. But for some reason I have used a sharpie to make tally marks.............

Source: GeekPeeks

 Why does Amy Pond have tally marks? What's going on? Why don't I remember doing this?

OPI: You Don't Know Jacques Suede and Designer de Better

This is just a quick post to show you what I wore to work (well, only for a few days at least!). I just wanted something simple and easy to do. I chose OPI You Don't Know Jacques - Suede (two coats) and OPI Designer...de Better! (two coats). I really love how this looked and can't believe I hadn't tried Designer de Better yet! Gasp! :)

This is taken with a flash, look how it all sparkles! Oooh! Ahhhh! :)

TGIF: Model City Polish: Dipping Chocolate

Hello Owlets! Today is Friday so that means: TGIF: Thank Goodness, Indy Indie Friday! Today I am showing you Model City Polish: Dipping Chocolate. This is a stunningly gorgeous holographic brown! Yes! It is so gorgeous that my camera couldn't fully capture it! This is two coats under artificial light (Ott Lite).

Here it is in the sun, and my camera still is not doing it justice. In person, the holo flash is much more prominent, I promise! The application of this polish is super wonderful! It was like using a top name brand polish!

While headed to work I took a picture of my nails using my phone (hence the different angle). This is with HK Girl Top Coat. This polish is just gorgeous! I am so impressed with the quality of this polish. And the wear time is fabulous! I had it on for four days and it barely chipped.

Go check out Model City Polish etsy store for more amazing polishes!
And don't forget to check out Model City Facebook page to be kept up-to-date!

Don't forget to check Emma over at Manicurity for her TGIF post!

China Glaze: Galactic Gray and Cosmic Dust

Today I have the two new China Glaze Holographics for you: Galactic Gray and Cosmic Dust. These are my first China Glaze Holos!

The picture above is taken indoors with artificial light (my Ott Lite). It is also two coats of each polish. Galactic Gray shows the holo flash much better than Cosmic Dust (which seemed to be too shiny for the camera!).

Here it is in the sun. You can still see the holo flash in Galactic Gray the best, but now Cosmic Dust is flashing a bit! ;)

As you can see, Cosmic Dust shows more of the ridges in my nails than Galactic Gray. Oh well, truth be told I got Cosmic Dust more for stamping and accents than for full on manis! I hear they stamp nicely! I'll have to give them a try and let you know!

Have you tried the new holos yet? What are your opinions?

Goodies.co March Box Review

Today I have my review for my March box from Goodies.co. This is one of those monthly subscription boxes but for food!

For just a $7/month subscription including taxes and shipping, the Goodies Co. box features 5-8 delicious new snacks hand-picked and delivered directly to your doorstep. You get to receive a surprise every month, sample new snacks and expand your palate without breaking the bank. (from the Goodies.co website)

 $7! Yep, that's what I thought so I decided to try it.

A quick photo of everything that I got! This month's box was breakfast themed! Love it!

Jovan's All Natural Instant Breakfast ($7.99/ pack of 5). This was my least favorite out this month's box. The flavor wasn't too bad but it didn't stay mixed together :(

Rip van Waffles Stroopwafles ($7.98/ pack of 6). This was super yummy! It is a thin, sweetly spiced caramel-filled waffle. Yum!

Ola! Handbaked Granola ($5.99/ 9oz bag). You can never go wrong in my house with granola and this was super yummy, and perfect on yogurt.

Rickland Orchards Greek yogurt Coated Granola Bar ($6.49/ pack of 5). Ok, now this wasn't too bad. The texture was fine but I wasn't too impressed with the flavor. But that is just because I don't like Blueberri Acai. But I wouldn't mind trying another flavor.

Bonne Maman Strawberry Preserves ($4.99/ 13 oz jar). This was so yummy and tasted like homemade jam! I would buy this again!

Nabisco Newtons Triple Berry ($4.49/ pack of 6). Oh! A brand and product I am familiar with! And of course they were yummy! Will be buying these!

Erin Baker's Breakfast Cookie ($7.80/ six 3oz cookies). Oh my goodness, these are so yummy and delicious and filling! Perfect for your breakfast! Definitely buying these!

BelVita Cinnamon Brown Sugar Breakfast Biscuits ($3.99/ pack of 5). If you have not tried these yet, run to the store and get them now! These are just so delicious! I have bought a few boxes already! They are perfect for breakfast or a snack!

Wanted to show you the big ol' box it all came in. Look at it compared to a Finger Paints nail polish bottle! Dang! But it is now holding my acrylic paints! :) Waste not want not!

Have you tried a Goodies.co box yet? Can't wait to see what I get for April!

Milani: Shady Gray and Spoiled in Fuchsia

Another quick mani. Today I used Milani's Texture polishes! And I love them too! They are a bit more gritty than OPI What Wizardry Is This, but just as easy to take off (still easier than glitter!). The Milani Textures were a bit more runny but application was just as nice.

I used two coats of each: Milani Shady Gray and Spoiled in Fuchsia. Spoiled in Fuchsia was runnier than Shady Gray which is why is looks a bit more shiny I guess. But after it completely dried (and they dry pretty fast) the looked the same.

The wear time for these are pretty good, about three to four days depending on how rough you are with your hands. Oh and word to the wise, be careful what you wear for clothing while wearing textures......they snag on things! :)

OPI: What Wizardry Is This? and Lincoln Park After Dark Suede

So I was promoted at my job and am now one of the managers where I work! I am very excited! (more money = more polish, right?) But it leaves me less time to do a lot with my nails. I hope to be able to post daily still, and if I do it will probably be more swatches and simple manis (unless it is The Digit-al Dozen Week). So I thought I would give you a heads up. :)

Today I have a simple, but what I thought lovely, mani. I used OPI What Wizardry Is This (Liquid Sand) and OPI Lincoln Park After Dark Suede. Both two coats and both stunning polishes! Wow!

What Wizardry Is This is from the Oz Great and Powerful collection and is just a stunning golden brown liquid sand. The texture is perfect, not too gritty to be annoying but enough to notice. The application was easy! (And taking it off was easier than glitter!) Lincoln Park After Dark Suede is a stunning metallic purple with a flat/brushed finish. I love suedes! It was almost harder to take off Lincoln Park than it was What Wizardry!

Have you tried any of the Liquid Sands, or any texture polishes yet? What do you think? Me? I love them! Can't wait until I can get some more! (Looking at you OPI with your Bond Girls collection!).

The wear time for these are pretty good, about three to four days depending on how rough you are with your hands.

The Digit-al Dozen Does Animal Week Round Up!

 

So it is the end of Animal Week with The Digit-al Dozen. Sad! There have been so many amazing animal nails! Did you miss any? Don't worry, here's a round up of the week!

TGIF: The Digit-al Dozen Does Animal Week - The Lady Varnishes Castle Beyond the Goblin City

'Allo! Today is Friday so that means it is TGIF: Thank Goodness, Indy Indie Friday! It is also the last day for The Digit-al Dozen Does Animal Week. The Indie polish used today is The Lady Varnishes: Castle Beyond the Goblin City.

I hope you all know either by the name of the polish or by the cute/freaky worm guy what movie this is inspired by..........Labyrinth! Ah-yeah! Jim Henson creatures and David Bowie (in tights!)! What's not to like!? The little worm guy is one of my favorite characters from the movie so I figured I would count him as an animal! :)

I used OPI My Boyfriend Scales Walls (two coats) as my base for my first two nails. I then used acrylic paints to draw him. I dipped my nails into blue flocking powder to create his fuzziness! How perfect! :) Next we have The Lady Varnishes: Castle Beyond the Goblin City (one coat) over China Glaze Concrete Catwalk and HK Girl Top Coat. And finally we have three coats of Castle Beyond the Goblin City with HK Girl Top Coat.

This was before I put on the 'Allo and the HK Girl Top Coat. As you can see, Castle Beyond the Goblin City dries a bit plastic looking. The truth beauty of it shines through with a top coat.

The Lady Varnishes: Castle Beyond the Goblin City is a grey jelly with green micro glitter and iridescent and grey hex glitter. I have come to find out that a lot of polishes from The Lady Varnishes are thicker, this one is. So I bought my first polish thinner from Sallys and added some. It made the the application normal. So, yes it is thick, but it can be fixed! Yes! Which is fab because I love this polish and she has so many other awesome looking ones!

Bottle shot and macro bottle shot of The Lady Varnishes: Castle Beyond the Goblin City.

Don't forget to check out The Lady Varnishes etsy shop.
And to stay up-to-date, The Lady Varnishes Facebook page.

Don't forget to check out Emma at Manicurity for her TGIF post (she's my partner in crime!)

And don't forget to check out the other ladies and their final animal nails!