Friday, August 31, 2012

NOTD: China Glaze Crackle

Hey y'all!  Happy Friday!  I thought I'd do a quick little post this morning to share my nails of the day.  I haven't used a crackle polish in FOREVER so I thought I'd give them a little love today.

This is China Glaze Pink Voltage with China Glaze Black Mesh and then to top it all off, China Glaze Fairy Dust.  



I forget about my crackles sometimes but I still really love them.  What about you?  Do you still like crackle polish? 

Hope everyone has a great day, thanks for stopping by! XOXO 

Thursday, August 30, 2012

Nailventurous Pinkerball and a Tinkerbell fail

Hey y'all!  Hope everyone is safe and sound after Isaac!  It's slated to roll through here today. Hopefully it won't be too bad.  The last hurricane we were in, Rita, we were without electricity for a few days.  I am very whiny and grouchy without air conditioning. 

Today I'm going to share a lovely polish made by the even lovelier Amy of I'm Feeling Nail-Venturous. This little beauty is Pinkerbell over China Glaze Go Go Pink.  I LOVE Pinkerbell and Floam. 


Obviously when I hear "Pinkerbell" I automatically think of tinkerbell so I decided to do some Tink nail art too.  BUT, it was a total fail and it makes me sad. 


Let's ignore the fact that she actually doesn't look like Tinkerbell at all lol   This is a total "When good top coats go bad" scenario.   I don't know what happened to it.  You can see she has bubbles coming out of her nose and the wrinkles at the tips of my nails.  WTH?  I've never had this happen before with Poshe.  And it only happened on my ring and pinky fingers on this hand.  Oh well, they can't all be winners.  :(  I still love Poshe though, she was just having a bad day I think.  :::Sigh:::

Well, thanks for stopping by today!  Have a great day! XOXO


Wednesday, August 29, 2012

China Glaze Glitter Gradient



Hey y'all!  I hope all of my Louisiana friends are safe today.  Hurricane Isaac is barreling straight up the middle it looks like.  It's supposed to get to us late tonight or tomorrow, but we won't get it near as bad as South Louisiana.

Today I have a really pretty glitter gradient to share with you guys.  I took advantage this past weekend of Sally's 50% off red ticket clearance and got two new China Glaze polishes for 97 cents each.  Woop, woop!  I love me a good deal!!!

I got China Glaze Blonde Bombshell and this little beauty. 


Seriously China Glaze, I love you for making this polish!!!  You made it just for me didn't you? ;)

I decided to put In Awe of Me and Blonde Bombshell together and make a beautiful sparkly gradient.  They go great together don't they?  Very fall like! 


I love Blonde Bombshell too, it's a great glitter polish.  I painted one nail before I actually did this mani and it was full coverage in two coats.  I love glitters like that!   And I love this mani and I love polishes named Amber.  :) 

Thanks for stopping by today! XOXO



Tuesday, August 28, 2012

Born Pretty Store Rhinestone Review

 Hey y'all!  Today I have a new review to share with you from Born Pretty Store. This time I am reviewing the 1800 Nail Art Rhinestone Glitter & 3g PRO Acrylic Glue. This set retails for $3.75 AND Born Pretty Store has free shipping to anywhere in the world.  It comes with 12 different colors of rhinestones and the storage wheel is included.


I love the size of these stones, they're small so you really could do a lot of designs with them.  I will work on a few more to share with you soon.  The first mani I tried them out with I only used the black stones and I LOVE how it turned out.  They were the perfect finishing touch. 



The glue really held up well. I didn't even put a top coat over it and not one fell off over the course of the day while I was wearing this.  And I even washed dishes twice and they stayed strong, that's pretty good!  I will definitely be using them again soon.  It's a great product and very affordable.  

If you are interested in purchasing from Born Pretty Store, they gave me a coupon code for my readers.  Use the code NV7X31 to receive 7% off of your purchase.  They have a huge variety of Nail Art supplies, accessories, and lots of other products. 


Thanks for stopping by, have a great day! XOXO

These products were sent to me for review by the company for my honest opinion. 

Monday, August 27, 2012

Silver Gradient and Stamping

Hey y'all!  Happy Monday mornin' to ya!  :)  Today's nails are again brought to you by Essie No Place like Chrome.  As well as Sinful Colors Secret Admirer and Sinful Color Black on Black. 

I started with a gradient using No Place like Chrome and Secret Admirer.  It's pretty subtle but I love how it turned out. 


Then I added a stamp, using Konad M64.  This is my favorite image! 



I love how this mani turned out and I LOVE No Place like Chrome, it's the perfect silver metallic. 

Thanks for stopping by today, have a great day! XOXO

Sunday, August 26, 2012

Essie No Place Like Chrome Swatches and Stamping

Hey y'all!  Today I have swatches from Essie No Place Like Chrome that is from the Mirror Metallics collection.  I got it last week as a Klout Perk.  I was so happy to get this one, it is so pretty. 


It dries really fast and has full coverage in 2 thin coats.  I haven't done a stamping mani with it but I have played around with it and it is great for stamping.  This is definitely the nicest silver I own, it's very nice. 

 
I did a little stamping design on it with Kleancolor Pink Metallic, this is a great combo, don't you think? 


Have a great Sunday! XOXO

Saturday, August 25, 2012

Lisa Frank Nail Art

Hey y'all!  Yesterday I had the honor of doing a guest post on Sincerely Stephanie, I was so excited when she asked me to do a post for her.  I sent this in to her a few weeks ago and it has been killing me waiting for it go live lol.  So today I thought I'd share the nails I did for her with my readers too. I think they may be my favorite nail art I've ever done.  I mean, who doesn't love Lisa Frank?  Bright fun, colors, seriously, what's not to love???? 


The artwork  was done using white acrylic paint, China Glaze Sunshine Pop, Kleancolor Neon Orange, NYX Between Mauve and Purple, Kleancolor Neon Purple, Sinful Colors Innocent, Sinful Colors Why Not, Spoiled Permission to Proceed, and NYC Greenwich Village. The background was a gradient done using Kleancolor Metallic Aqua, Metallic Sapphire, and Metallic Fuchsia.  You can actually see THIS post to view the background without the nail art. 


Thank you again Stephanie for asking me to be a part of your blog!  :)   Everyone be sure to go check out Sincerely Stephanie, she has a great blog and is also a very talented nail artist. 

Have a great day everyone!  XOXO

Friday, August 24, 2012

Litte Big Town "Pontoon" inspired nail art

Hey y'all!  So, I've had this song "Pontoon" by Little Big Town stuck in my head for 3 days now.  After hearing it so much on the radio lately, I went ahead and downloaded it yesterday.  It's my new favorite song!  I thought I'd challenge myself a bit and do some Pontoon inspired nail art ;)  I've done some rock and pop inspired nail art but this is my first country nail art. 


I don't know if people can actually tell what my middle finger is but there's a verse in the song that goes "Try to keep it steady as you recline on your black inner tube"  That's supposed to be legs criss crossed over the side of an inner tube.  



The Coors light is for the verse " Reach your hand down into the cooler, Don't drink it if the mountains aren't blue".  Luckily for inspiration and prop purposes, I had a Coors Light that's been in my refrigerator for about 2 or 3 months.  And the mountains are blue so it's good and cold...but I didn't drink it.  I actually poured it out because it was expired haha.  We're big drinkers, can't you tell? 



Thanks for checking out my post today, I hope you liked it! XOXO

Thursday, August 23, 2012

Simple Geometric Pattern with Tutorial

Hey y'all!  I finally got my new tutorial video completed yesterday.  I spent a good 4 hours total just trying to get the thing uploaded and edited.  Hopefully next time will be easier.  It's was a learning experience for me haha. 

Anyway, this nail art and tutorial are inspired by the Geometric pattern I posted on Tuesday.  This is just a faster, more simpler version.


The polishes are Sinful Colors Black on Black and the grey is a Franken I made.  Naturally it smeared a bit when I put the topcoat on it haha.  Story of my life! I really like this design though and hope y'all like it too! :) 



I really hope you enjoy this tutorial and it inspires you to do the design. 


I'm going to try to put together a tutorial for the other one too, but it may be a week or two before I get to it, that one is pretty time consuming.  I have a question for y'all though, which would you like to see more:  A Video Tutorial or a Step by Step Photo Tutorial?  Let me know in the comments please!  Thank you!!!  :) 

Wednesday, August 22, 2012

Essie Stroke of Brilliance glitter Gradient



Hey y'all!  I had intended on today's post being a part 2 of yesterday's Geometric Pattern Nails  I have a tutorial planned for a similar, simpler geometric pattern but I'm having some technical difficulties. :/  Hopefully I can get everything squared away today and get it posted tomorrow. 

So today I am sharing a really pretty glitter gradient I did using Essie Stroke of Brilliance and Finger Paints Art Nouv-Yellow.




I love glitter gradients, don't you?


Tuesday, August 21, 2012

Geometric Tuesday

Hey y'all!  Today is a special challenge post that I'm doing with a group of nail friends.  Our theme is "Geometric".  Maybe it's the dumb blonde in me (no offense to my blonde readers, if you're reading my blog, you're obviously not dumb ;)  )  but I wasn't sure what exactly I was supposed to do when geometric was picked lol.  I failed geometry in high school, so clearly I'm the dumb one haha.  So I went on a google journey and found some really amazing geometric patterns and found one that I thought would look pretty cool on my nails. 




I'm not sure if this design has an actual name or not so we'll just stick with Geometric Pattern Nails.  I love how they turned out.   The polishes used are Pure Ice French Kiss, NYX Between Mauve and Purple, the grey is a franken I made with Pure Ice Magic Base and Wet and Wild Black Creme.  The black outline is just black acrylic paint.  Acrylic paint is just so much easier to work with when doing tiny detail like this.

I had a lot of fun with this challenge, it was a for real Challenge for me lol.  Be sure to check out the other awesome participants in Geometric Tuesday below.  XOXO 

Monday, August 20, 2012

MSMD: Chalkboard Nails~Betsey Johnson style Leopard

Hey y'all!  Today's Monkey See, Monkey Do mani is inspired by a post by Sarah at Chalkboard Nails.  Her Betsey Johnson inspired Leopard Print mani.  I always love Sarah's leopard mani's, she does a fabulous job. 


I used Sally Hansen Golden-I with a coat of Sinful colors This is It for the base gold, and Ulta Chocoholic and Sinful Color Black on Black for the leopard spots.


Thanks for stopping by XOXO.  Be sure to check out the other participants in this week's MSMD below.

Saturday, August 18, 2012

Layla Holographic Effects Ultra Violet

Hey y'all!  I HAVE to share the awesome find my husband came across today at a rummage sale.  He found me a Layla Holographic for...wait for it....ONE DOLLAR!  $1, can you believe that?  I can't believe someone wanted to get rid of this little beauty.  Their loss, is my gain though.  I have been wanting a Layla holo since I first saw them but being the cheap ass I am, I just couldn't bring myself to spend the $15 on it.  After putting this baby on though, I will be getting the other colors I want even if I have to sell one of my kids to do it.  Just kidding....maybe.

The one he got is Ultra Violet.  O.M.G!!!  It's memorizing and it's officially my new favorite polish.



   I would marry this polish if it were legal. 


He did find a few more polishes too.  I got Orly Opposites Attract, which is a magnetic polish, the Layla Holo, and Red Carpet Camera Flash.  I don't have a UV light for the Red Carpet but he didn't know you needed one for that, he just saw it was pretty and thought I'd like it :).  I have the best husband ever, I'm just sayin'!



Friday, August 17, 2012

Blue Suede Shoes

Hey y'all!  Happy Friday!  Today's post is kind of a part 2 of yesterday's post.  Part of the Walking in Memphis nail art contest was that we were to do two different manicure's.  'Fun & Sassy' and 'Sexy & Classy'.  My Beale Street mani was my Fun & Sassy and so today I'm going to share my Sexy & Classy. 

Keeping with the Memphis theme, this one is inspired by Memphis being "The birth place of the blues" AND Elvis' blue suede shoes.  I used Ma.nish.ma Electric Blue, Sinful Colors Black on black and LA Colors Live for the dots.


I love french tips with this design, it's just different.   What do you think of this design, do you like it? 

Thursday, August 16, 2012

What's in the Makeup bag?

Hey y'all!  I don't know if you've noticed the Blogher tab at the top of my page lately but it now has Blogher TV installed.  There are a lot of great videos that are played, so if you get the chance you should check them out.  I love the Girls in glasses videos.  I watched one today that inspired this post, the "What's in the Makeup Bag?" video. 

They showed everyone what was in their makeup bags, so I'm going to show you what's in MINE! :)


My makeup is probably not all that impressive to the Makeup Guru's but what can I say?  I'm a stay at home Mom on a budget. ;)  I do love my drugstore brands though. 


This is the stuff that is in regular rotation.  Well, the Sally girl shadows aren't really in regular rotation but they are really pretty and do get worn from time to time.  They hardly wear off at all and are very bright for 99 cent eye shadows.  I mostly wear the neutral colors but I do like to change it up if we're going out.  I pretty much keep is simple though on a day to day basis.   I LOVE these Essence eyeshadows, they are so pretty.  The silver one is called Starlight and it really shimmery and has a little bit of glitter in it.  I wear it with the charcoal color that's in the Elf pallet.  It's sexy! ;)

I love the Avon Smooth Mineral powder foundation, it has great coverage and is really light.  I don't like to feel like I have foundation on and powder foundation is perfect for me.  Lately I've been wearing the Maybelline eyeshadow pallet more than anything.  Then black eyeliner on top and bottom lashes.  I usually wear Rimmel eyeliner, it's AMAZING and stays on all day long and goes on just as smooth as liquid liner.  I'm out right now though so I'm going between the Cover Girl and LA Colors eyeliners.

Now, my mascara.  Maybelline Great Lash is always a good 'go to' mascara but I love the Maybelline Volume Express, and the one I have is waterproof.  I pretty much only wear waterproof during the summer.  It's so hot and humid here, I'll have raccoon eyes 10 minutes after I walk out the door. Yuck!

My new favorite lipgloss is the Revlon Crantilly Lace.  It's a cranberry color with a little gold shimmer.  It's tinted nicely for me and isn't too dark.  I also wear the Baby Lips Peach Kiss a lot, it's kind of a nude, it's really pretty on and moisturizes well and feels good on my lips.

Well, that's what's in my makeup bag!  What's in yours?  If you do a "What's in My Makeup bag?" post let me know so I can check it out :).  XOXO   

Beale Street Inspired Nail Art

Hey y'all!  Today I have some nail art I did for a contest.  The theme for the contest is Walking in Memphis.  You were supposed to do nail art inspired by the great city of Memphis.  My first thought was Elvis!!!  Buuuut, that was a stipulation, it couldn't be just about him because Memphis is about more than just Elvis ;).  After Elvis, the next thing I think about is singin' the Blues because Memphis is "The birth place of the blues" and that leads me to the 2nd biggest reason I want to go to Memphis....BEALE ST.  I've never been myself, but it's on my bucket list. I imagine Beale St. to be a classier version of Bourban St. and you know how much I love me some NOLA

One of the things that always sticks out in my mind from the photos and videos I've seen of Beale St. is the amazing neon signs in front of the shops and clubs.  I love neon signs, they're works of art to me.  The streets are just lined with big bright signs, I love it.  So that's what my contest nail art is inspired by, the neon lights of Beale St.


The thumb is Memphis Music, Index is Tator Red's, Middle is BB King's Blues Club, Ring is a Beale St. sign, and pinky is Black Diamond. 


For these I used Sinful Colors Black on Black, NYC Big Apple Red Creme and various acrylic paints using two small sized paint brushes....and lots of patience lol.  Towards the end of this one I started shaking so it's a miracle my lettering came out decent.  I also noticed while I was working on this, I tend to hold my breath when I'm painting.  I never really noticed that I do that but I think I do it a lot.  When I'm done I'm always really drained feeling, I'd bet that's why.  I'm weird!  ha

Have you ever been to Memphis?  Do my nails do it justice? 

XOXO.

Wednesday, August 15, 2012

NOTD: Stamping with Konad

Hey y'all! Thought I'd just do a quick post this morning to share my nails of the day.  My base is China Glaze Kinetic Candy and I stamped with Kleancolor Neon Purple and put dot accents on the flowers with Kleancolor Metallic Aqua.  I used Konad m64.



Thanks for stopping by, have a great day!  XOXO

Tuesday, August 14, 2012

Green Jelly and Glitter Sandwich

Hey y'all!  I haven't done a Jelly sandwich in a while so I thought today would be a good day to do one.  Are you in the mood for a little jelly and glitter?   I really don't have that many jelly's in my stash.  I think I only have two or three.

Today I went with Spoiled's Permission to Proceed and the glitter is China Glaze Techno.




I really like this green, it's really vibrant and bright but not quite neon.  What do you think of my glitter sandwich?  Are you fan of jelly polishes?

Thanks for stopping by today, XOXO.

Monday, August 13, 2012

MSMD: Back to School Edition

Hey y'all!  I feel like I've been starting a lot of posts with "I'm sorry I haven't posted much" but yeah, I'm sorry I've been slacking so much.  I hope I can get back in the swing of things this week.  Today was my kid's first day back to school.  Hallelujah, thank ya Jesus, AMEN!!!  Haha, no, seriously though, I actually love Summer and them being home and it always goes way too fast.  They are at a new school this year so everyone was extra nervous this morning.  I'm proud and SO relieved to say though, they both had a really good day and like their new school.  Nothing but smiles and happy faces when I picked them up this morning.  So, Yay for that!

With today also being Monkey See, Monkey Do Monday, I thought I would do a little back to school nail edition.  My nails were inspired by the most awesome Nails by Kayla Shevonne: Chalkboard Nails. It's a super cute design and it's perfect for back to school, don't you think?


The polishes I used were China Glaze Gaga for Green, China Glaze Kinetic Candy, China Glaze Lemon Fizz and Wet and Wild Flirty Rose Creme and it was topped with Hard Candy Mattely in love.  



And of course, my daughter had to have some special nails for her first day too.  Her nails are inspired by the lovely Kelsie's Nail Files: black and white. I thought these were perfect for her because she LOVES to draw and she's very talented.  :::Bragging Mom Alert::: She's actually in the gifted program for visual arts.  I'm a proud Mama!  :) 


  Thanks for stopping by today.  If you or your kids are starting back to school this week, I hope you have a great first day and a great school year.  XOXO


Saturday, August 11, 2012

Beauty Blogazons Weekly Roundup




  • Emily Hudspeth, hair design and makeup artist: Getting polish remover (and other beauty products) for FREE from CVS! To celebrate, I did a fun crackle manicure that will be great for college football season.
  • Lola's Secret Beauty Blog: Looking for the perfect "golden-laced pink-peach" blush for a natural glow- then look no further than Youngblood's Crushed Mineral Blush in Sherbet! This is a real stunner!
  • Cosmetics Aficionado: NYC Summer Crush is a palette that screams tropical with it's warm pink, orange, yellow, and purple colors, but how does it perform?
  • adore-a-polish: In this post Kristina breaks down to the bare necessities in what she brings on her theme park adventures.
  • Midnight Manicures: brings you two beautiful unique polishes from the China Glaze Bohemian Luster Chrome Collection, No Plain Jane and Deviantly Daring.
  • Confessions of a Sarcastic Mom: Confessions of a Sarcastic Mom brings you several polishes from Layla Cosmetics
  • TheFabZilla: Tight lining the eyes can be intimidating. TheFabZilla shows you her technique in 3 easy steps.
  • Ishah x Beauty: Olympic Fever abounds, check out my Olympic themed nail art for this month's Polish Days.
  • Phyrra: Phyrra tells you how to go Back to School Gorgeous! They're budget friendly, too.
  • GlitterPukee: GlitterPukee talks about the awesome Aussie cosmetic line Eye of Horus. The products are perfect for anyone with sensitive eyes. They are waterproof but super easy to remove. Want more? Great swatch photos are just a click away!
  • Ooh La La Polish: Looking for an easy & fun nail art challenge? Check out the "My Favorite Things" challenge at Ooh La La Polish!
  • Lisa's Nail Obsession: Simple, yet modern, and it goes with everything. The Tutti Frutti Stripes Nail Design.
  • the passenger element: Why I had to cancel by Glossybox Subscription (spoiler: unimpressive)
  • Pinked Polish: Wanna see a Scandalous Polish??? Melissa at Pinked Polish, Tried it on Tuesday
  • Beauty Product Review: Want big, bright eyes? Find out how I get the look with Smashbox's Brightener!
  • Polarbelle: See the Layla Cosmetics booth at Cosmoprof 2012 and all the beautiful items that Polarbelle experienced.
  • My Newest Addiction Beauty Blog: Laura loves Lhasa! This week's Taupe-tastic Tuesday features the beautiful shade by NARS.
  • Liquor, Lube and Lipstick: How did I get over my aversion to wearing "vampy" colors? By wearing one with glitter, of course!
  • Aly Loves Lacquer: Aly Celebrates Her 20th Birthday with Freehanded Cupcakes
  • makeupmaniac16: Too Faced Smokey Eye Shadow Collection: Review + Swatches
  • Mani Curiously: Looking for that perfect red polish? Check out E's ode to butter LONDON's Come To Bed Red!
  • Stephanie Louise- All Things Beautiful: Ready for fall? Here are the swatches of Zoya's Diva collection complete with the MUST HAVE FeiFei!
  • Liesl Loves Pretty Things: Liesl loves China Glaze Bohemian collection! Check out the possible Lippmann Sugar Daddy dupe here.
  • Beauty Binge: Beauty Binge declares Christmas in July when she reviews the July Glossybox!
  • Gorgeousskin: Urban Decay's Naked Skin Foundation- was it love or not so much?
  • Beauty Info Zone: How much can you spend on one face? Find out what Marcia from Beauty Info Zone spent on her face in the Makeup Wars.
  • Love my Nails: Cute nail polish art that's both simple and chic!
  • Makeup Chronicles: Until 8/13, get a free gift from e.l.f. when your order is over $20!
  • Mama Fashionista: Mama Fashionista takes a look at some of the newest (and most extravagant) innovations in nail polish. 18k gold leaf and black diamonds, oh my :)
  • A Little Polish: Looking for a great nude polish this Summer? Check out Stephanie's favorite here!
  • Samarium's Swatches: Sarah from Samarium's Swatches is celebrating her Blogiversary by having a Giveaway!
  • MakeUpMom123: Awesome August Giveaway! Three Great Prizes Including an Indie Nail Bundle, Make Up Bundle & Amazing Hair Care Bundle. Enter Today!
  • beyond Beauty Lounge: At home facial peel
  • Shades Of Beauty, Inc.: NOTD: My own Mermaid's Tail...Orly Royal Navy & Essence Choose Me
  • Beauty by Miss L: Miss L from Beauty by Miss L tried loose nail art glitter for her manicure for the first time.
  • Adna Cosmetic: How to get the golden look for summer
  • Captivating Claws: Are you a glitter-lover?? If yes, you'll love these beauties from Shimmer Polish!!
  • The Glossy Pages : Evie Evan takes us on a Concealer Crash Course
  • Baking Beauty: Are you looking for some new makeup, but you're short on cash? Baking Beauty highlights the weeks best beauty coupons.
  • Media Maven: Media Maven helps you to achieve a flawless back-to-school beauty routine in 5 minutes flat!
  • Amber Did It!: Amber shares a metallic gradient manicure
  • DeyiMizu: Look fresh with a simple Champagne Gold FOTD
  • Patty and Goldie's Day Off: Come explore the Whimsical by Pam nail polishes
  •  

    Friday, August 10, 2012

    Pink and Black Stripes

    Hey y'all!  Sorry I haven't been very active this week.  Hopefully I can get back in the swing of things next week.  Today I have a manicure that I had stored away in the "vault" for days such as today. 

    China Glaze Pink Voltage and Sinful Colors Black on Black.  I used *Born Pretty Store striping tape to get clean stripes with black on black.  As you can see though, my camera HATES neon pinks, it makes me sad.




    I started to put a top coat on it but I loved the matteness of the pink and the shininess of the black.  I thought it was a pretty contrast. 

    Thanks for stopping by, I hope you enjoy your weekend! XOXO

    *This product was sent to be for review.