Julep - Cameron

Hi there!

I am a Julep Maven "American Beauty" and in my first box I received this pretty pink named Cameron. I think it is named after Cameron Diaz, who is one of my favorite actresses, so that is a plus! Otherwise, the color is a pretty traditional pink. There's nothing too special about this polish. The formula was nice and opaque in two coats, but it's not my kind of color really.. but it's still nice!

Below are two pictures of Cameron and the second picture, though it is blurry, it is more color accurate. My camera hates pinks like this! So I tried my best, and here they are!

Pretty right? Like I said, this came in my August Maven box and along with this I got a Fall 2011 (not released yet!) polish called 'Alfre' which is a smoky/frosty purple that I will post swatches of soon! I also got the Julep base coat in my box and Facial for Hands scrub which I LOVE! The stuff is amazing.

Everything in the Maven box is full sized and it is $19.99 a month subscription. If you're interested you can sign up to be a Julep Maven HERE!

Thats all for today, thanks for reading!
Lynnie

Orly - Fowl Play

Hi there readers!!

Today I am going to show you something more fun than I did yesterday (ew.. that Shellac mani) and that is Orly - Fowl Play. This was just released in the Orly Fall 2011 Birds of a Feather Collection. This is said to be pretty close to the much coveted OPI - Merry Midnight, and while I do not have that one to compare, this is pretttty amazeballs!

What you see above is one coat of Fowl Play over CND - Fedora (Shellac). I read that you could put nail polish over the Shellac mani without ruining it, but by this point I didn't even care if it got ruined, so I said to myself, why not do something fun! And in my opinion, this layering combo is GORGEOUS! Just look at those flakies and that bright blue shimmer. I'm in love. 

I feel like this one is going to be sold out in a hot minute, so be sure to pick it up ASAP at a local beauty supply store near you! You do not want this to be 'the one that got away' :D

What do you think about Fowl Play? Are there any other colors in the Birds of a Feather collection that are must haves?

Thanks for reading!

Lynnie

Barielle Haul

Hola!

Today I am showing you my recent haul from Barielle. They were running a 30% off sale on their website, and I combined this with a 15% off coupon code that I received for signing up for e-mails, so really, I got 45% off! Go me! So anyway, I decided to pick up the entire Karma Kollection that was released (really late) for Spring 2011. Check out my new pretties

L-R; Positive Zen-ergy, Do Unto Others, Soul-er Powered, Gotta Have Fate, Buddha-ful and Welcom-OHM

I'm excited to try these! Especially layering combos with Buddha-ful! Have any of you gotten anything from the "Karma Kollection" which one is your favorite? Which one should I try first?!

You can purchase Barielle polishes directly from their website here! Currently they are having a 20% off sale and their polishes are always buy one get on 50% off!

Thanks for reading!
Lynnie

I got.. Shellac'd

I know.. before you say it.. I know. And looking back, I ask myself the same question. WHY pay someone else to do my nails when I can do them either just as well, or sometimes even better.

Well a few weeks ago one of my friends asked me if I wanted to go get a manicure with him. At first I thought in my head (waste waste waste) but, he seemed pretty excited about it, so I decided what the heck? I'm a working girl now, I can afford to go get a manicure. So we did a little research and found a salon in our area and while looking at their website I saw they offered Shellac. I have been hearing such good things about this ever since it came out last year, so when I made our appointments, I made mine for a Shellac manicure.

I was unimpressed from the get-go. The people at the salon were so unprofessional, they were (excuse my french) bitching at each other the whole time we were there about other clients and how busy they were and bossing each other around. I'm sorry but usually when I go to a salon I want it to be a fun experience and relaxing, but instead I felt extremely uncomfortable.

THEN the girl who "prepped" my nails, chopped them all down, and I honestly think she had no idea what she was doing, my pointer finger, you will see, is completely lop-sided. WTF people?!

So we get to the color part, and there are patches everywhere on the first coat, so I take a little breather, and wait for the second coat of color, and still, patches! By this point I was completely fed up with these people to say anything about it.

$36 later.. here are the pictures of the worst manicure of my life.

I guess the pictures don't look THAT bad.. but here is the worst part. You know how it's marketed to last up to two weeks?? ... Four days. My nails were all peeling off on the fourth stinkin day.

I know a lot of people have had huge success with Shellac, but I guess I'm just not one of them!

Thanks for reading my rant.. I'll have more exciting things to show you next time!!

Lynnie

SH Barracuda + Essie - Kisses & Bises!

Hello readers!

Today I am showing you the color that I chose to wear to my cousin's wedding last weekend. Since my dress was bright coral, I went with a complementary color, light blue (SH CSM- Barracuda) and layered Essie- Kisses & Bises over it. K&B really added something special to Barracuda, it is sheer with flashes of pink, which looked great with my dress! 

I know this picture isn't the greatest, but it is the only one that captured the subtle beauty of Kisses & Bises. It's hard to tell, but can you see the shimmer? Try enlarging the pic to see it better, it was truly gorgeous.

My sister and I at the wedding! :)

So what do you think of this combo? I can't wait to try Kisses & Bises over other things- what are your favorite layering combos with this polish?

Thanks for reading!
Lynnie

Color Club - Pure Energy *shield your eyes!*

Hey there!

JUST LOOOOOOK at how bright/insane this color is. Like... wow. This is a gorgeous neon blue with green flashes to it, which of course you can't really see in my pictures. But this is one hell of an awesome blue, and it has a special place in my collection! Blue is one of my favorite colors to wear on my nails, since I am cool toned, it really compliments my skin and it's so fun to wear!

The shimmer in this blue makes it much more wearable (in my opinion) as opposed to just a neon blue. Formula was kind of hard to work with, I needed four coats for this to become opaque, but hey- it's so worth it!

Oooooh! So bright, so juicy, so perfect! What do you guys think?

Lynnie

Zoya - Pandora. yes, yes and YES!

Hellllooo!

Today I am showing you a newly released Zoya from their Spring/Summer/LE (I think it's LE) Touch collection. When the press release and swatches came out of this collection you could say that I was less than enthused. Don't get me wrong, I love a good nude. But they can be boring at times, and to be honest I really didn't even give this collection a second chance... that was until I saw ALU's swatches of the Touch Collection here. And that, is when I fell in love with Pandora. 

I love that this is a 'full coverage' nude, as advertised by Zoya. And there is a beautiful shimmer in this polish that is almost unnoticeable. You can see in the picture that Pandora leans more pink than nude, but it is cool toned, and that is what I love most about it. I think it really flatters my skin tone, and formula and application were on point. Just two coats of this beauty and I was good to go!

What do you think about Pandora? Did you pick up any polishes from the Touch collection, if so, which ones did you get?  Do you love it as much as I do?!

Thanks for stopping!
Lynnie

Sally Hansen CSM - Gray by Gray

Hi!

So today I am going to show you one of my favorite Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure polishes, this is Gray by Gray, it is part of the core CSM line, and it is so gorgeous! Gray by Gray is a (go figure) gray toned medium blue with a slight hint of turquoise in it. The color is unlike anything in my collection, and the formula is the bomb. GbG went on in two easy coats and drying time was great too! Take a look 

Ahhh.. I love the creaminess of this shade. It is so perfect for that transition into fall, not too summery but not too dark either. This bottle is just full of 'win' in my book. What about yours??

Thanks!
Lynnie

Model's Own - Blue Gem

Hey there!

Today I am showing you a polish that I purchased last summer during the Model's Own 50% off sale, that happens to be going on right now as well. I purchased 5 polishes during that sale, including this one, and it ended up being around $35 with shipping, which isn't bad considering these came from the UK. However, I was quite disappointed in their formula. As far as I know, they are not big 3 free, they dry matte, which if you like that kinda thing, that's good for you, but I don't! And also the ones I have tried have required at least three coats for full opacity. Meh.. here's Blue Gem.

Shade

Flash

Shown above is three coats, and as you ca see from the second picture, there is still VNL, and the color is pretty spotty. Overall I guess I am glad that I had the chance to purchase some Model's Own last summer during their sale, but I don't think I will be participating in this one.

Thoughts on Blue Gem or Model's Own in general? Will you be participating in their 50% off sale that will start when they hit 50,000 likes? Find more info about that here

Thanks for looking!

Lynnie

Ulta Haul! & LLWS News!

Hey there!

Just showing you my most recent Ulta Haul, I had two $3.50 off any $10 purchase coupons, so I ended up saving $7! Gotta love it :)

Ulta - Lav-ish, Ulta - Into Astrono-me?, Orly - Nite Owl, Orly - Fowl Play

Has anyone else noticed the new Ulta bottles? They also have a new brush which is small and flat, (I love me some flat brushes!) I am so excited to try these new fall colors- and I also need to make a lightbox, because I KNOW, my pictures suck. Haha, but if you enlarge it maybe you can see the sparkle/shimmer in these polishes.

So that is that- and if any of you are watching the Little League World Series going on right now, the Mid-Atlantic team (Clinton County Keystone-rs) is from my hometown! It's prettty exciting, considering South Williamsport (where the LLWS takes place) is only 28 miles from my hometown which is Clinton County! So I have been going to most of the games in S. Williamsport to support the little guys, so if you happen to be watching it- cheer for the Mid-Atlantic boys! Let's go Keystone! :D

Okay that's the end of my little spiel. Thanks for reading!
Lynnie

Zoya - Reva

Hey Readers!

First - do you like the new layout? I have been trying to think of a more catchy, nail polish-y name for my blog ever since I started it, and this morning I was laying in bed and it came to me :) hehehe. So I am now 'Oh so Lacquered' I think it's pretty cute!

Next, today I am going to show you a polish from my recent Zoya Haul, this is Reva, a heavily pigmented berry shade with gold shimmer. This went on easily in two coats and the finish is absolutely gorgeous, take a look- 

I wanted to take a picture in the shade so you could see that gold foil-y finish. Shown above is two coats and a top coat. 

Reva came out for Summer 2011 in the Sunshine collection, and it was one that I was on the fence about, and  ended up not getting, but I am so glad I bought it during their 50K Flip-Out Promo, because it is too gorgeous! 

What do you think about Reva? Do you 'like' Zoya on Facebook? You never know when they are going to announce a great promo over FB, so be sure to do that here

Thanks for reading!

Lynnie

Woaaaah Hello glittery goodness!

Hey readers!

Today is going to be a quick post because I really don't know what to say about this polish, I can only let the pictures do the talking! Take a look at this unique dark brown shimmer party on my nails that is OPI Holiday Glow..

Like.... honestly, how great is this!? The formula was a bit tricky, it took four coats to become opaque but drying time wasn't an issue. I am totally smitten with this polish, it is unlike anything in my collection and I can't wait to wear it during the holiday season :D

Thanks for reading!
Lynnie

Cult Nails - My Kind of Kool Aid

Oh hellllo!

I'm sure you saw my post the other day about liking Cult Nails on Facebook here because once they reach 5,000 likes all the polishes will be marked down to $5 for one day, so I thought it was 'totes appropes' (totally appropriate) that I post swatches of one of the Cult Nails polishes I recently got! This is My Kind of Kool Aid, I had wanted this ever since the Cult Nails brand launched, it was one of the original colors, and it is to die for! Take a look..

Disregard my cuticles, this was taken before my Healthy Hoof experiment started :D. But how gorgeous is this color? It is a perfect subdued lavender with silver microshimmer. The formula was also on point, shown above is two smooth coats. 

I am really loving the Cult Nails brand and can't wait for the sale, the new fall colors are GORGEOUS! Cult Nails polishes are usually $10 and can be purchased here. Do you own any Cult Nails polishes? I am thinking that I want to get - Devious Nature, Iconic, Living water and a few fall colors during the sale, how about you? :)

Thanks for reading!
Lynnie

OPI - Lourve Me, Lourve Me Not

Hi!

I hope everyone is enjoying their Saturday. Today I am showing you an older OPI called Lourve Me, Lourve Me Not. I am bias to this polish because of the name, because I went to the Lourve with my sister last May.. but the color is stunning as well!

I am loving the color, its a deep berry/purple with pink shimmer, totally gorgeous. But, I have a bone to pick with the formula on this. I had major application issues. It was finally opaque after nearly four coats, and took forever to dry. Finally I was too tired to stay up and wait for my nails to dry, so I went to bed, and thought they would be okay- WRONG, I woke up to sheet mark and dent city. No thank you.

Overall I think this is a great color, but unless I have all day to wait for my nails to dry, I don't see myself reaching for this again, maybe I could layer it? What are your thoughts on Lourve Me, Lourve Me Not?

Thanks for looking!
Lynnie

China Glaze - Grape Juice

Hey there!

Today  I am letting the pictures do the talking... seriously, I don't even know what to say about this polish, so just look!

This is the BEAUTIFUL China Glaze Grape Juice. Like, how stunning is this girl? Medium purple with silver glass flecks? I am such a purple girl, and this has a very special place in my collection. I layered one coat of Grape Juice over Zoya Mira. I read that it applies a bit sheer, so I figured why not layer it, and the combination in my opinion, was perfect.

What do you think about Grape Juice? Are you loving it as much as I am?

Thanks for looking!
Lynnie

Healthy Hoof Week 1

Helllo!

As I said yesterday, I am going to start a little experiment with a new cuticle treatment called Healthy Hoof. Today I am going to show you the results after one day of use.. and so far, this stuff is seriously AMAZING.  However.. if naked nails totally freak you out LOOK NO FURTHER.. The pictures and review of Week #1 will be under the cut =)

Healthy Hoof Experiment!

Hi there readers,

So here is my problem lately, I have been using CND Solar Oil on a regular basis, but my cuticles are still cracking and tearing, so obviously something isn't working! I did some research for a nice cuticle cream and came across several results.. Burt's Bees Lemon Cuticle Butter (which I have at work!) and Gena Healthy Hoof.  I went to my local CVS today and there it was, a 1 oz jar of Healthy Hoof in the nail polish section.

I was so excited that I found this so easily, and when I got home and used it, I knew we were a match made in heaven. So here starts my experiment. I am going to photograph my naked nails and cuticles weekly to see the progress of Healthy Hoof and *hopefully* improvement of  my otherwise dry and peel-y cuticles. I also read that this makes nails stronger and healthier, yay!

Here are some photos of the jar itself to give you an idea of the texture!

The texture is a semi solid cream, and smooths over the nail and soaks into my skin very easily, without the oily residue that is  left behind on most other cuticle treatments. 

I am excited about this segment! And the first installment will be tomorrow, so prepare yourself for naked nails now.. ahh! 

Thanks for reading!
Lynnie

Like Cult Nails on Facebook!!!

Hey everyone!

You should head on over to Facebook and "like" Cult Nails! Maria said that once they hit 5,000 likes, she will put the nail polish on sale for $5 for 1 day!!!! So be sure to like Cult Nails and help them reach 5,000 for an AWESOME deal!

*photo from Cult Nails*

CLICK HEREEE 

Check out my Ulta Freebies!

Hi there!

Just thought I'd post quick today to tell you about my recent trip to the BRAND NEW ULTA the just opened about a half hour away from me :) I had off on Friday so I drug my sister on a road trip so I could check out Ulta and hopefully pick up some new goodies!

As far as the goodies went. I only found one polish that struck my fancy - they didn't have the Fall OPI collection out (boo!) But I found an old China Glaze that I HAD to have, Grape Juice. This is a pretty medium purple with silver flecks, but that's another post!

When I checked out, I got a free goodie bag! How exciting! And this is what was in it..

Ohh! L-R; Luscious Pear Bath and Shower Gel, Ulta Professional Nail Polish in Black Diamond, Ulta Extreme Wear Gel Liner in Smoke, and Bare Minerals Matte Foundation in Medium Beige 

At this point I was actually in search of new eyeliner, so you can imagine my excitement when I saw the gel eyeliner in the goodie bag, and all that other great stuff too! So I decided to post a picture of my first experiment with the gel eyeliner..

I'm not the BEST at putting on makeup or whatever, but I really like this eyeliner and the texture is really cool, and that part about 'extreme wear' yeah, believe it! My eyes looked exactly like this when I woke up in the morning after probably 16 hours of wear. GOOD STUFF!!

Overall I am really pleased with this cool little goodie bag that I received from Ulta (with a purchase) at the new store opening in Mucy, PA! Have any of your Ultas ever done this before? And what do you think about the eyeliner?? I think it's smokin! :P

Thanks for reading!
Lynnie

Help!

Hellooo there!

So I am going to a wedding this weekend, and this is what I am wearing..

I bought it a few weeks ago at Gap and I love it and can't wait to wear it! Here's my problem.. what color do I paint my nails? Usually if I am wearing a patterned dress I pick one color from the pattern.. but this is solid. I'm so lost, please help me!!!

Thank you SOOOO much!

Lynnie



Zoya Dree & CG White Cap!

Hi readers!

I am showing you another beauty from the Zoya Smoke and Mirrors collection today, and that is Dree. This is a color that I typically NEVER go for, I have this thought in my mind that colors like these just don't look good on me, but as I was placing my order on the Zoya website, my boyfriend was sitting next to me and suggested that I buy Dree. I was hesistant at first, but I am glad I took a chance and stepped out of my nail polish 'comfort zone'

The color is gorgeous and the formula was typical of Zoya, which was a wonderful and easy two coater! I think this looks great on me, and it is something different than I usually wear, and, my boyfriend was happy too :) I actually got a lot of compliments on this too! However, on day 2, I feel like I needed to spruce it up a bit.. and that is where White Cap comes in to play.

WOW. Honestly, do I need to say anything else? The gold in WC works fabulously with Dree.. and turns out to be a masterpiece. What do you think about this combo?

Zoya polishes retail for $8 and can be purchased at Ulta, other beauty supply stores, or online at their store here! Also- check out their Facebook page because they are always having great promos!

Thanks for reading!
Lynnie

Zoya - Neeka.. *OMG*

Hello there!

Today I am showing you a beautiful new polish from Zoya. Meet Neeka, from the Fall 2011 Smoke and Mirrors collection. This is the polish that I was most anticipating from this collection, and needless to say it did NOT let me down.

Neeka is a gorgeous smoky purple with stunning gold micro glitter. This is a polish that I have really never seen before, it is totally unique and just breathtaking.. without further ado, here is the beautiful Neeka.

OMG. Like... oh.. my.. god.. do you see this?! How amazing is this polish? Zoya makes such stunning purples, and this is no exception that is for sure.

Formula on this was great, it was opaque in two smooth coats, and I had no chips for three days! Usually I change my polish every other day, but I couldn't bare to take this off because I loved it so much. What do you think about Neeka? Did you pick up any of the new fall collection during their 50K Flip Out Promo? (WHICH by the way, I am now totally in love with Remove+)

Zoya polishes retail for $8 and can be purchased at Ulta, other beauty supply stores, or online at their store here!

Thanks for stopping by!
Lynnie

Sally Hansen - Model Behavior Swatches & Comparisons!

Hi there!

I will start today with a brief story as to how I ended up with the BEAUTIFUL polish that is Sally Hansen - Model Behavior, from the Spring 2011 Prabal Gurung Collection.

I was shopping for some polish for my boyfriends mom for her birthday (we share the same love for polish.. love it!) and came across Model Behavior. My BF's mom is very trendy, and like me- she enjoys wearing fun colors. Well, on my way home from Target, I was looking at this, and the more I looked at it, the more I loved it and didn't want to let it go!

Sooo.. I decided to keep it for myself (bad Lynnie!) and got her Essie - Wrapped in Rubies instead :D But anyway, here is the beautiful polish that I kept for myself.. and I am so glad I did!

 While I was painting my nails, this color reminded me of something that I already have.. so I looked through my stash and found a few colors that I thought could be potential dupes, but i was wrong. Take a look..

Zoya - Breezi, Sally Hansen - Model Behavior, Sally Hansen - Brisk Blue

L-R; Model Behavior, Model Behavior vs. Breezi, Model Behavior vs. Brisk Blue, Model Behavior

My picture isn't the greatest, but you can definitely tell the difference. Breezi is obviously much more subdued and darker, and Brisk Blue is brighter and more of an electric blue.

The formula on Model Behavior is out of this world, and the color is so stunning. This was from the limited edition Sally Hansen Spring 2011 Prabal Gurung collection, so if you can still find it, grab it! I found mine at Target and it was the last one, so good luck!!

Zoya Haul!

Hey everyone!

I just wanted to take a minute and post my most recent Zoya haul. I made this order during their 50K Flip Out Promo a few weeks ago, where you got a free 8oz flipper of Zoya Remove+ with any purchase! I jumped on this opportunity to pick up the majority of the new Fall 2011 Smoke and Mirrors collection and a polish that I had missed out on this summer - Reva. Take a look at my lovely haul!

L-R; Reva, Neeka, Nimue, Yara, Dree, Marina, Cynthia

Can't wait to try these out and show you! :D Just from the bottle I am totally loving Neeka and Yara (click on the picture to enlarge to see that pretty sparkle!)

That's all for now- have a good night!
Lynnie

OPI - Ski Teal We Drop

HI!

Yes, I am alive! I am so sorry for the lack of posting lately, tomorrow is actually the big day that my sister is moving, so it has been a crazy week, but soon I should be back in action and posting regularly :)


Today I am showing you a color that I have really been lemming forever. It is OPI Ski Teal We Drop. I had tried swapping for this so many times, and every time I saw it in person I passed it up (silly me!) and got something else.. but I finally purchased it a few weeks ago, and I LOVE it. Check it out!

This is an utterly gorgeous dark, almost smoky, teal. It was perfect in two coats, and I think it really flatters my skin tone. STWD came out in the Fall 2010 Swiss collection by OPI, and this is such a winner in my book!

What do you think about Ski Teal We Drop? Do you own this or any colors similar to it?

Well, thank you for reading, and I promise I will be posting more regularly soon!
Lynnie

Orly - Pixie Dust & Girl Power!

Helllloo there,

First - I am super sorry for the sporadic posting lately, my sister  is moving to Maryland this weekend.. so I have been spending as much time with her as possible, and blogging has kind of taken a back seat. But I had a few minutes today so I am going to show you a polish that I have been lemming for SUCH a long time, that didn't really live up to my expectations..

This is Orly - Pixie Dust. You will see that it is a gorgeous color, but on me, I just don't really know how I feel about it. It kind of left me feeling like it was missing something, or it wasn't just right, I'll let you be the judge!

Mehhh... maybe it's cause my cuticles are ROUGH.. or the color isn't working for me, but what do you think?? 

ALSO I wanted to share good news that happened to me today.. 

So I am 6 ft tall, and have always been self conscious, I absolutely love high heels but I have never had the confidence to wear them and be even taller. Well, that changed when I started reading articles online, about girls in my same situation as me who empowered me to JUST DO IT, so last week I bought a pair of Steve Madden 2.5 inch heels and wore them to work today, for the whole day! go me :D. I have three other pairs of high heels that I have never worn, because of my fear.. but I am breaking them out now, because from now on, I don't care if I'm 6'0 or 6'4 or anywhere in between.. I'll do what I want, and not care what others think

Thanks for reading! And if you're tall like me.. wear the heels, you won't regret it!

Lynnie