I mean business!

Helloooo!

Today I wanted to show you the business cards that I recently made for my blog. I have started telling more and more 'real life' people about my blog, and figured that it would be easier to make these cards and hand them to someone when talking about my blog, instead of writing all the info down or having to rely on someone remembering the URL and everything to check out my blog, to me it just made more sense to have a handy dandy card!

I made both of these cards on moo.com. Which is a really fun site with tons of really cool designs to choose from, or you can upload your own images.  Take a look!

What do you think of my business cards? Do you have business cards for your blog, if you blog? If not, are you now thinking about making some?

ALSO- If you don't mind having a 'moo.com' logo on your card, new members can get 50 free business cards from moo.com, you just have to pay for shipping and handling. What a deal! Follow this link to get your free pack of Moo cards.

Holy Grail Series Part 1: It's more than a cotton square!

Hello!

Removing nail polish may not be the most exciting step of the manicure process, but it is one of the most important steps. So tell me, how do you remove your nail polish? Do you use Cotton balls? Paper towels? How does that work for you? If it is not working of if your process could be better, I may have something of interest to show you in this post! 

Today I am kicking off my Holy Grail series by showing you what I use to remove my nail polish. This series will consist of beauty items that I could not live without. 

To remove nail polish I only use CVS Ultra Premium Cotton Squares. These are pretty awesome. They are lint free, and though they are cotton, they do not leave those annoying little fuzzies all over your nails like you get with regular cotton balls. 

Depending on what kind of polish you have on, you can definitely get away with only using one square for all ten nails! If you have on glitter or a dark polish that may be harder to remove you may need two or three squares, but still, not bad! 

I use one corner of the square at a time, and then after that side is full of polish, I fold the square in half, and use those sides until it is in one tiny folded up square, and all my polish is gone!

These can be found at CVS for around $3.50 for a pack of 160 cotton squares. These can sometimes be found on sale for Buy 2 get 1 free, and that is usually when I stock up!

So what do you use to remove your nail polish? Would you consider trying out these cotton squares? If so- let me know how you like them!

Pomegranate Lacquer Fall 2012: Cardigan & Curator Swatches & Review.

Hello there, readers!

Do you remember my first post on the brand Pomegranate Lacquer a few months ago? (If you don't, here it is) Well today I have two new Pomegranate Lacquers from their Fall collection to show you. Be prepared to be wow-ed! 

I love when polish companies mix it up for Fall and step out of the comfort zone of vampy berry and wine shades. So when I saw that Pomegranate Lacquer offered a bright teal jelly for Fall, I was on board. 

First up we have Cardigan which is a gorgeous turquoise jelly. My pictures are not 100% color accurate, but they are close. Imagine this being a bit more green, and much brighter yet deeper at the same time. Complex and absolutely stunning. Very rich looking. This was 3 coats, and it applied perfectly.

Curator is a black jelly base packed with silver and gold glitter. This one is so pretty, and different than anything I currently own. Since the base is jelly; with each coat it kind of sandwiches glitter from the previous coat, giving it a super complex finish! It does dry kind of matte, so a shiny top coat is in order if you want to shine this baby up.  This is 3 coats of Curator.

Bottom line, these two are fab, I can't even tell you how much I love Cardigan, don't get me wrong Curator is an awesome black glitter, but Cardigan is just absolutely breathtaking, and it really needs to be seen in person to understand its depth and beauty.

What do you think about these two? Which is your favorite? Be sure to check out pomegranatelacquer.com to see the rest of their Fall collection and like them on Facebook. 

 

These are available now and retail for $9 each.

Products provided for review.

Purple Cheetah Nails!

Hi!

Today I got super fancy and did a full manicure of nail art! Usually I just do accent nails, but I figured what the heck, let's give it a whirl. 

So, here we have a cheetah print design using three shades of purple. I used my assortment of dotting tools to create this look, and I was surprised at how easy it was, AND how good it looks for being my first attempt! See for yourself! 

To create the cheetah print I started with a base of Zoya Marley, then added irregular dots of butter LONDON Lillibet's Jubilee, and then outlined those dots irregularly with Sally Hansen CSM Good to Grape. 
I think the shades of purple look great together, and adding Lillibet's Jubilee made it even more eye catching because of the foil finish.

Do you like my purple cheetah print nails? How do you think this design turned out? What is another beginner-level design that I can try? 

Some of the products in this post were provided for review.

OPI Pink of Hearts 2012 Swatches & Review

Hello!

I can't believe it is nearly October, where did time go?! Did you know that October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month? In honor of this, and to hopefully raise even more awareness, OPI has launched their Pink of Hearts duo for 2012. 

This set consists of two pink polishes, one is glitter and the other one is a sheer creme. I know what you're thinking, and yes, keep reading for a jelly sandwich of these two! 

You Glitter be Good to Me is a total glitter fest, could you tell by the name? This consists of bright magenta hex and small pink glitter. It vaguely reminds me of some of the Muppet glitters from Holiday 2011 with the mix of large hex and small glitter particles. This went on very easy, and I didn't have to 'place' glitter anywhere. Very pretty and sparkly, shown below is three coats.

I Think in Pink is a soft bubblegum pink creme. I love how this one looks, so feminine and pretty! It went on a bit sheer, but was perfect in 3 effortless coats and it dried super insanely shiny, giving it almost a jelly effect. This is the winner here for me, its perfectly girly, and the formula was A+!

You Glitter be Good to Me layered over I Think in Pink.

Last and most awesome, a jelly sandwich of the two! Three coats of I Think in Pink, one coat of You Glitter be Good to Me, topped off with another coat of I Think in Pink. I really like this combo, I love how the small glitter particles in You Glitter look like shimmer coming through the jelly sandwich. Very pretty!

So that's all for today. What do you think about this set and my layering of the two? Which look is your favorite? I'm thinking that You Glitter be Good to Me would look fantastic sandwiched in a white or gray jelly, or layered over a black creme.. oooh my the opportunities are endless!

This set will be available in October and will retail for $14.95.

Products provided for review.

OPI - DS Mystery

Hi!

Today I am showing you another long time lemming that I recently scored in a blog sale. This is OPI DS Mystery. I saw this in an Ulta probably a little over a year ago.. your typical story of an OPI DS; the silver cap drew me in, and the gorgeous gold flecks in a mysterious base color, it was so interesting. I liked it, I wanted it, but $12 was a bit steep for this newb at the time. So I passed it up, and hadn't seen it in a store since.

Granted, I'm sure I would have been able to swap for this, or purchase it on e-bay or Amazon on numerous occasions, but there was always something I wanted more. Until I saw it in a blog sale for $3! Mine. 

Yep, I love it. The name fits it so well, because it really is mysterious. The base of this polish is purple. But on the nail it really looks almost greenish. The gold flecks of glitter are breathtaking and I honestly couldn't stop starting at my nails when I was wearing this.
My only gripe is that it went on pretty sheer. There were no formula issues with dry time or dragging, but I did need 3 coats for full coverage.

So, what do you think about DS Mystery? What is on your nails today? Are you getting into darker more 'fall colors' or do you not play by the rules of the seasons? 

Beauty Blog Coalition Weekly Roundup

Hi!

Enjoy this week's Beauty Blog Coalition Weekly Roundup! :D

• Polarbelle finds a new favorite with Revlon Kissable Lip Balm Stain in the perfect wine color called Crush.
• Is it green? Is it gray? What is is this color?! Lawless Lacquer has a hard time describing this unique and pretty polish from Takko Lacquer.
• Enter to win the entire Karite Special Hair Care line from Stephanie Louise- All Things Beautiful!
• Mimi's Mani's shows another neutral beauty from Zoya.
• Retrodiva's Beauty goes backstage at Mercedes Benz New York Fashion Week with TIGI who created the hair for Nicholas K's Spring/Summer 2013 show.
• Fancy topcoats are the latest nail craze! Nidia of Lit From Within reviews the Facets collection from Ninja Polish - three beautiful topcoats over 4 different undies.
• Cosmetically Challenged is all about peace love and happiness and she reviews the new Sation NailStock Collection.
• After an almost two week trial with Armani's new Maestro makeup, the Beauty Professor weighs in on her experience.
• If you want a glamorous fall look, be sure to check out The Dark Side of Beauty's Autumn Glam tutorial featuring Glamour Doll Eyes cosmetics!
• From makeup to skincare to haircare, Christina from Curls N Pearls shares 13 must-try beauty products for fall.
• The Blonds created a "psycho beach party" for their Spring 2013 theme. Advicesisters.net explores the show and backstage beauty from Creative Nail Design, MAC Cosmetics, and Morocconoil.
• Hair guru, Guido -- is responsible for many of the elite hair trends seen during Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week!
• Come see the 4 Target exclusive Maybelline Color Tattoo 24 hour eyeshadows swatched and reviewed by Polarbelle.
• The Stepford Witch got her hand's on the Sugarpill Limited Edition Pressed Eyeshadow in @#$%!. Check out her blog for a quick review, photos and swatches!
• Mama Mia! Cosmetics Aficionado is giving away a Clarisonic Mia!
• BeautyTidbits shares the skinny on the new Jane Iredale Glow Time Full Coverage Mineral BB Cream SPF 25.
• Sheila from Painted Ladies test drives and falls in love with Future Derm Time-Release Retinol 0.5.
• The Lacquered Lady is giving away a set of Jessica Custom Color nail polishes. Be sure to enter for your chance to win!
• BeautyJudy shares her Unapologetically Strong Degree Women story...what's yours? You could win $5,000 towards meeting your fitness/personal/career goal!
• Sarah from Scottish Beauty Blog finds out what lies beneath. Her skin that is with the Elemis Skin Lab. The results might look like a petri dish but it's all good. Well, pretty much.
• Midnight Manicures shows you the do's and don't when it comes to Essie's no place like chrome polish.
• Find out the correct way to use some of Mally Beauty's products at Beauty Info Zone. Lisa learned the hard way and wants to save you from her grief.
• Phyrra tells you 'how to shop for wigs online' just in time for Halloween!

I spy...

Hello!

I hope everyone is having an awesome weekend, wherever you are! I am visiting a friend in Philadelphia for the weekend with my twin who is coming up from Maryland! I am super pumped to be spending the weekend with those two, we are guaranteed to have a good time (hey Abby and Anna!) 

I think my pet posts have been going over pretty well, so here is another picture for you! This is one of my favorite pictures of Izzie AND Pipey, yes look closely for the puppy. Do you spot him?!

Have a good one, and be sure to stop back, I have some pretty cool things to show you this week!

Fishtail Accent Nail

Hey!

Guess what I have for you today? That's right, I have one of my favorite looks to show you, which would be an accent nail and skittle mani! For this accent nail I tried a Fishtail braided look. This is all freehand, so be impressed by my skillz, people! ;-) Check it out below.

I am totally loving this design (which was super easy by the way, here is a great tutorial on how to do it yourself!) I am also really digging these colors together, and the silver strip in the fishtail is a great way to add a different texture to the 'braid' and make it more complex looking. Overall this is a very fun and easy look!

To create this look I used:
OPI - My Boyfriend Scales Walls (white)
China Glaze - Custom Kicks (turquoise)
OPI - Pink Friday (pink)
Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear - Celeb City (silver)

What do you think about the fishtail braid effect? Have you ever tried this? If you haven't yet, I hope this post inspired you to give it a whirl! :D

Some of the products in this post were provided for review.

Behold.. Misa Heartbreak

Hiiii!

I'll start off by saying that I am completely blown away by today's post. This is Misa Heartbreak. I recently picked this up in a blog sale for $2. Heartbreak has been on my wish list since I've had a wish list, and that's quite awhile.

Unfortunately this polish is pretty old, and I've never been able to get my hands on it, until now. I thought I would never have a chance to own this polish.. and I had almost given up on it. So you can only imagine my excitement over scoring this beauty for $2. 

That. Pink. Shimmer. I can't even handle how pretty this is! It is kind of mediocre under indoor lighting and in the shade- just a basic gray with subtle pink shimmer. But wow does it come alive in the sun. If this polish couldn't get any better, formula was so easy, just two smooth coats for full coverage.

What do you think about Heartbreak? Tell me about a polish that you've nearly given up on finding until it fell in your lap. If you don't have one, tell me about a polish you wish that would happen with! 

Sally Hansen Diamond Strength - Glass Slipper

Oh hi there! 

I have a quick post for you today! This is Sally Hansen Diamond Strength Glass Slipper. This is a very pretty polish perfectly suited for layering. I layered this over Rescue Beauty Lounge Chinoise, and I just love this combo.

Glass Slipper is a white/silver flakie glitter in a clear base with huge flakes. The flakes are mostly silver, but can flash iridescent depending on the lighting. 

I love the effect this has over Chinoise. And I can't wait to try it over other polishes. Since this polish has a clear base, the layering opportunities are endless! What else should I try this over?

Formula was really easy to work with too, it wasn't too thick or too thin, and the shown above is just one coat of Glass Slipper over Chinoise. 

So, not only do I love the polish itself, but the name is equally as perfect. Cinderella is my favorite movie of all time.  And I will be reminded of that every time I wear this. 

source.

Essence Colour & Go - Walk on the Wild Side

Hi!

I have another new Essence Colour & Go polish for you today! This is Walk on the Wild Side it is a deep hunter green with bright green glittery shimmer. This is the same finish that we saw in Grey-t to be Here with the larger flat glitter specks, just a different color! Check out this pretty green!

This is so 'fall'. It couldn't be more 'fall' if it tried! I just love how this looks, it's so pretty and I have nothing like it in my collection. Formula was awesome, it flowed on the nail in two quick and easy coats.
The brush on these new polishes is flat and wide, like a paddle brush, but not as wide as the Sally Hansen CSM ones. It works really well and I barely needed any cleanup.

Do you like Walk on the Wild Side? What do you have on your nails currently?! 

Rescue Beauty Lounge - Chinoise

Hey there!

Who loves a great red polish? I know I do. Today I am showing you a great staple red polish, this is Rescue Beauty Lounge Chinoise. It is cool toned (love!) and super juicy. 

The formula was a bit sheer and I had patchiness in the first two coats, but it was perfect in 3. Take a look! 

Lurve! This red works wonders for my skin tone. Often times reds pull too orange or too warm for me. But this really is perfect.
One weird thing that happened to me while I was wearing this was that on the third day of this mani after I took a shower the color had faded and was much darker. It was really strange, but could be due to the base coat or top coat I used. Hard to tell, but I won't let that stop me from pulling this out again (probably many times) in the future! :D

What is your favorite red nail polish? Do you like Chinoise? If you are a cool toned gal, would this be an option for you? 

My week in Instagram pictures!

Happy Sunday!

Take a look at my week in Instagram pictures! If you don't already follow me, you totally should HERE. :D There are a few pictures on IG that I did not upload here, because they will be blog posts at a later date, and I don't want to spoil the fun!

My sweet Izzie girl taking a nappy

"And then my friend was like, why do you only have glitter on one nail?"

The Oscar de la Renta live stream pre SS13 fashion show madness.

Sally Hansen Rock of Ages Salon Effects in Sticks and Stones

"Huh?" says Pipey

My nails matched my dress, perfectly! RBL IKB:2012 

Me and one of my BFFs Alden 

These pants are a magnet for cat fur

Well that was fun! Are you guys on Instagram? If so, what's your name- I wanna follow you! Would you like to see a 'weekly roundup' of IG pictures in the future? 

Pipey & Izzie Episode 2!

Hello!

I hope everyone is having a nice weekend! Anyone doing anything fun? Since my first pet post went over so well, I figured no one would be mad if I did another one ;-). 

Izzie. Just look at those paws!

"Don't look at me" - Pipey

Besties! They love each other.

The Hungry Asian - Belle

Hello!

So, as you can tell from reading my blog, I don't feature too many indie nail polish brands. I show some here and there, but I mostly stick to mainstream brands. However, The Hungry Asian is an indie brand that I can not stay away from, I want them all! 

From that intro I'm sure you've gathered that I am showing you a polish from The Hungry Asian today, you're smart!! :D This is Belle, a sheer white base with large brown hex and small pink glitter. Shown below is 3 coats.

And how adorable is her packaging?! I mean really. I love nail mail as it is, but for it to look this pretty when it arrives is a complete other level of love!

Back to the polish: I love how Belle looks in 3 coats. The sheer white base covers the first few layers of glitter, sandwiching it in the base, giving it such pretty look. You could layer this polish over a plain white, but I don't think you would get the same effect of the sandwiched glitter.

What do you think about Belle? Have you ever heard of The Hungry Asian before? If so, what is your favorite polish by her? If not, you should totally check out her Etsy site for more droolworthy creations!