HPB October Halloween Mani Link-Up

Hi all! Today I have a mani as part of a link-up with other bloggers from a Facebook group called Hobby Polish Bloggers. Hobby Polish Bloggers is for bloggers who do it more casually and just for fun than some of the huge bloggers out there. It is a great group of women who encourage each other and share tips and tricks about blogging and polish and I am so glad to be a part of it. (That was quite the run-on sentence I know.) We will be doing monthly link-up posts to help support each other and hopefully introduce people to some new, fun blogs.

Of course, this month the theme is Halloween; which made me very happy. I love Halloween and this part of the year in general. Because my absolute favorite holiday movie is Nightmare Before Christmas I decided to attempt a mani based on it. I usually don't attempt any sort of elaborate artwork, and this isn't really very elaborate, but for me it was a stretch and I'm really psyched about how it came out!

I got the idea for the Jack face and stripes from a pic I had on Pinterest (here). And I had seen tutorials for patchwork nails and kind of winged it for colors for the Sally nail. Unfortunately, I am definitely not ambidextrous so my other hand does NOT look like this. I used some Jack and Sally water decals. But some of them didn't want to lie flat and the polish got kind of goopy on a few nails because of it so I didn't take a pic.

But, yeah, I hope you enjoyed my attempt at Nightmare Before Christmas nail art. I had fun doing it but I'll probably stick to simpler things for the most part in the future.

How about you? Any Nightmare Before Christmas fans out there? I would love to see any nail art that any of you have done (doesn't have to be NBC related). Thanks for stopping by and be sure to check out the ladies who are linked below!

'Til We Meet Again...

Rebecca  :)

An InLinkz Link-up

OPI Swimsuit...Nailed It!

*Purchased myself*

So I'm in the process of putting all of my polishes onto swatch sticks instead of nail wheels (although I'm at a standstill because I need more sticks). So far I've gotten 200 done and I'm only through 2 brands of polish. It's kind of relaxing and therapeutic for me though so hopefully I can get more sticks soon and continue on with it.

In the process of doing this though, I'm coming across all kinds of polishes that I've forgotten I had or forgotten how awesome they are. One of the polishes I knew I had to wear ASAP was Swimsuit...Nailed It! by OPI. This polish is from the Miss Universe collection from 2011. I came across it a few months ago at TJ Maxx for $3.99. I've been getting some awesome OPI deals there recently. But anyway, here is a pic of this beautiful polish.

For some reason I didn't really think much of this when I first saw pictures of it but I'm so glad I have it now. It's a gorgeous, shimmery, sparkly blue foil that I could not stop staring at. If you ever come across it I suggest snatching it up!

'Til We Meet Again...

Rebecca 

BFTE Cosmetics Pumpkin EVERYTHING!!

I was very excited to open up my mailbox yesterday and see my order from BFTE Cosmetics. A few weeks ago the owner Kim posted on Facebook that she was going to have a pumpkin-themed Fall collection and as soon as I saw the swatch pics I knew I had to have it. Fall is my absolute favorite season and I love that everything pumpkin is released everywhere. Appropriately, the collection is called Pumpkin EVERYTHING!! I also ordered the COTM (color of the month) and she threw in a few samples as well. This was my first BFTE order and I have to say that I really like the packaging. It is very sleek and simple and pretty.

I swatched everything over Urban Decay Primer Potion.

Pumpkin EVERYTHING collection

Top Row L-R: Pumpkin Glow, Pumpkin EVERYTHING!!, Pumpkin Patch, Pumpkin Spice

Bottom Row: Pumpkin blush (not blended out)

In short, these colors are amazing! They are soft and blendable and the sparkle to all of them is just gorgeous. I also ordered the COTM shadow (Grape Leaves) and received a few samples as well. 

L-R: Amityville, Harvest, Chocolate, Grape Leaves

Again, the sparkle and color shift to these colors is just gorgeous and I can't recommend this company enough. You can order the Pumpkin EVERYTHING!! eyeshadows here and the Pumpkin blush here. It is limited edition so if you want it don't wait!

'Til We Meet Again...

Rebecca 

Born Pretty Store Nail Decals

*Press Sample, Purchased Myself*

I just wanted to write a quick little post to show you a mani I did recently with some decals from the Born Pretty store. I started off with a base of Essence Hello Marshmallow!. (The exclamation point is part of the name, it's not because I was super excited about the polish). 

I got this polish at Fred Meyer when I was living in Washington. Unfortunately, I now live in California in an area where there is NOWHERE to buy Essence pretties. Boo! Anyway, this is a really pretty lavender polish. The only thing I didn't like about it was that in the bottle there is an incredible blue iridescent sparkle that does not translate to the nail. It didn't matter what lighting I was in or what angle I was using; I could NOT see it. It's a bummer really. So then I added the decals I picked out.

I really like how these turned out. Looking at it now, I could have been more creative with some of the nails but they were still fun to look at. There is quite a rainbow of colors in these decals so they would look good over a variety of colored bases. 

You can buy these decals at the Born Pretty store here. And if you use code AILX31 you can get 10% off! They are less than $2.00 to begin with so it's a really good deal.

'Til We Meet Again...

Rebecca  

Glitter Guilty Cloudy With A Chance Of Neon

Hi! Today I have a polish for you from a new-to-me indie brand: Glitter Guilty. A little while back I won a Facebook giveaway for a $10 gift certificate for the brand. Her polishes run around $8/bottle so I was able to cover one fully with the certificate and then I went ahead and spent some of my money for a second bottle (I couldn't just buy one you know). Anyway, one of the colors I chose is called Cloudy With A Chance Of Neon. It is a gray crelly base jam-packed with neon hex glitters. Now, I love a good white crelly with glitter but I also love a good gray nail polish. So when I saw polishes with a gray crelly base it was kinda hard to contain my excitement. The other polish I bought is also a gray crelly.

I used 2 thin layers for this and it applied perfectly. The glitters came out easily without fishing and as long as I used thin coats and waited for it to dry in between, there was no dragging of the glitter on the nail. I then applied a coat of Gelous to even it out a bit (it was a tad bit bumpy because of the glitter) and a quick dry topcoat.

And then, because I couldn't leave well enough alone, I applied a matte topcoat (NYC Matte Me Crazy). And I love the polish even more this way!

I really love the combination of the gray and the neon. It is super pretty and a bit more edgy than the usual white crelly base. You can buy Glitter Guilty polishes here. She has some very pretty polishes and I definitely suggest you check them out.

'Til We Meet Again...

Rebecca  :)

Neon And Nude

Hi guys! I did a fun little mani a few days ago that I wanted to share with you.

I started off with a base of Did You Ear About Van Gogh? by OPI; this was in the Holland Collection from Spring 2012. I was able to snag this beauty at TJ Maxx for $3.99. I am a total sucker for a good nude polish.

Then I added Clowning Around by Polish Me Silly and some neon studs that matched some of those colors.

Now, I love white and neon together but something about neons with a nude base looks even better to me. It looks edgier or something. Whatever it is, I'm kinda obsessed with this mani. At first I was going to go more all out with the studs but it was difficult enough for me to even get one on each nail in a semi-straight way. There is definitely no complicated nail art coming from me any time soon.

Anyway, I hope you like this mani; it's perfect for Summer and I can't stop staring at it. Have a great week!

'Til We Meet Again...

Rebecca  :)

LynBDesigns Nightmare Revisited

Hi! I just wanted to write a quick little post to show you an awesome polish: Nightmare Revisited from the Nightmare Begins collection by LynBDesigns. I won this in a giveaway a few weeks ago from Accio Lacquer and Gothic Gala Lacquers. It was quite a coincidence because I am a HUGE Nightmare Before Christmas fan and this is the second polish from that collection that I have won in a giveaway.

Anyway, Nightmare Revisited is an insanely gorgeous polish described by the maker as "fuchsia raspberry jelly linear holographic polish". She also said that it "doesn't just stun you, it kills you dead" and I would have to say that is a pretty apt description. My jaw literally dropped when I saw this baby in the sun. When I was living in Washington I got out of the habit of wearing holo polishes because the sun was so scarce and I didn't want to waste the pretties. Well, let me tell you, now that I am back in the sunshine state I will be busting out the holos! But that's enough talking... on to the pictures.

Is that gorgeous or what? My pictures don't even begin to do it justice (and please ignore the nastiness on my ring finger, the door of my refrigerator tried to eat my finger). I literally could not stop staring at my nails whenever I was in the sun. 

This polish is still available here and it looks like the rest of the colors from the collection are still available as well...which is good because I have the urge to complete the collection now.

Have a great weekend!

'Til We Meet Again...

Rebecca  :)

Some BFTE Swatches

So, a few months ago my friend Kim (who writes the Libby's Pink Vanity blog) started hinting that she had something big in the works. A few weeks later she dropped the bombshell that she had bought BFTE Cosmetics! How awesome is that? She gets to play with makeup for a living now and I have to say that I'm a bit jealous. Anywho, when she found out that I had never tried the brand before she sent me some samples to play with...she's kinda awesome like that.

So, of course I had to swatch them and share with you all. They are all swatched over Urban Decay Primer Potion. In all pics:

Top Row L-R: Flirt, Within Reason, Emerald City

Bottom Row L-R: Diva, Peacock, Dirty Deals

 Ottlite

 Natural light

 Flash

Sunlight

I literally gasped when I saw these in the sunlight. The colors are very pretty indoors in regular light but they absolutely come alive in the sunlight! I couldn't quite catch the amazing sparkle in Dirty Deals but believe me, it's gorgeous. They have so much shimmer and sparkle. And they were a dream to apply; buttery, blendable, just the perfect consistency.

So, if you haven't tried BFTE Cosmetics yet run, don't walk, to her website here. Tell her I sent you!

'Til We Meet Again...

Rebecca  :)

Sugar Skull Minerals Spam

A few weeks ago I won a giveaway from a brand that I've been wanting to try but haven't had the money to: Sugar Skull Minerals. I received 6 sample baggies as well as a larger blush and eyeshadow.

And now for the swatches (done over Urban Decay Primer Potion).

Top Row L-R: Conundrum, Bikini, Penny Pincher

Middle Row L-R: Sweet Dreams, Marco Polo, Cannon Ball

Bottom Row L-R: Mermaid, Heart Throb (blush)

Bikini, Marco Polo and Cannon Ball are from the brand new Pool Party Collection.

 Ott Lite

 Natural light

 With flash

Sunlight

I LOVE these shadows! They applied like a dream and the colors are so pretty; especially in the sunlight. The shimmer and sparkle are gorgeous. And as pretty as they are over regular primer I bet they would be absolutely amazeballs over a sticky base (which I don't have yet). 

You can buy Sugar Skull Minerals here. She sells small sample bags for $1.25, large sample bags for $2.25, small jars for $6.00 and large jars for $14.00. Right now through July 9th there is a special for 6 small jars used in an awesome rainbow eye look for $25.00 which is a great deal. And there is also a sale for 25% off of any size order using the code SSM25 until July 11th. This is a perfect time to try this company so go check it out!

I hope everyone is having a fantastic weekend.

'Til We Meet Again...

Rebecca :)

More Eddie Funkhouser Pretties

Hi all! Today I have the last of my Eddie Funkhouser pretties to share with you.

The first is Hyperreal Pure Pigment in Catchlight.

The website describes the color as "metallic sun gold flash" and I would say that it is a spot-on description. 

You can see how it catches the light at different angles and reflects different hues. It's really pretty and I think it would look great as a highlighter color or on the inner corner of the eye.

Next up is Graffiti Liquid Liner in Haze which is described as "metallic luscious grape". 

Purple is one of my favorite colors and this shade is absolutely gorgeous! It's such a bright, saturated purple and the metallic sheen is so pretty.

Eddie Funkhouser cosmetics can be purchased from the website here, at select Rite Aid stores, at urbanoutfitters.com and at Gloss 48. The products are amazing quality for the price and I highly recommend that you check it out.

'Til We Meet Again...

Rebecca  :)

A 4th Of July Mani

Hi all! I'm back! We're finally settled back in California after a very long, frustrating, and tiring move. I just wanted to write a quick post to say Happy 4th of July to my American friends and show you a mani that I did for the occasion.

I used China Glaze First Mate, OPI Alpine Snow, Zoya Sooki, Elemental Styles U.S.A-mericium and Vivid Lacquer Paint Me Patriotic along with some cardboard cut-out stars, striping tape and dotting tools to make this fun skittle mani.

So, yeah, that's all I've got today. Have a safe and fun day!

'Til We Meet Again...

Rebecca  :)

I'm Moving!

Hi all! I just wanted to write a little post and let you all know what is going on with me at the moment. I've never been a very regular poster but now I'm in the middle of a huge move from Washington to California and things are stressful and horrible. All of my pretties are packed and I really want to play with them. Oh, and we have no place to move to as of yet. We are leaving next Wednesday and we still haven't secured a place in California. It's a lot more difficult getting back than we had anticipated. But once we get settled again, I will unearth the pretties and start playing and taking pics again. Have a good weekend!

'Til We Meet Again...
Rebecca  :)

A Paris Sparkles Spring Mani

Hi all! Happy Easter to those of you who celebrate and Happy Sunday to those of you who don't.

A while back the owner of the Etsy shop Paris Sparkles Facebook page posted that anyone who posted about her business on their Facebook page would receive a free polish of their choosing from her shop. I chose Celery Stalker.

Celery Stalker has a light green base, almost mint green, but a bit more yellow. It has a faint shimmer running throughout and a great combination of glitter (from dark blue, to pink, to magenta) in all different sizes. The glitter came out of the bottle easily in all different combos and I didn't have to fish for it at all. I did 2 coats and there is no VNL. My only recommendation is to wait for the polish to dry between coats; otherwise it can be a draggy, streaky mess. But if you wait between coats it is a dream to apply.

I thought this was another absolutely perfect shade for Spring; it reminds me of grass and flowers. 

You can purchase this or any of her other pretty polishes on her Etsy shop here. They sell for $8/bottle and there are quite a few that I would love to try. I hope you all have had a great weekend!

'Til We Meet Again...

Rebecca  :)

A Revlon Spring Manicure

Hi all! I was trying to figure out what the heck to put on my nails that was Spring-like (without the hassle of trying to do something artistic) when I came across this gem on my nail wheels: Revlon Wintermint. It is from the Parfumerie line of scented polishes that was released a while back. I knew I had to have this one because I fell in love with Deborah Lippmann's Mermaid's Dream when I first saw it and had heard that this was a pretty close dupe to it. I have a hard time paying $18 for a nail polish and this is a much less expensive version of it. Even though it's called Wintermint it feels very Springy to me.

It kinda reminds me of Easter eggs and Spring flowers and I really love it. It smells like mint but the scent was so light that I barely noticed it.

It's finally starting to feel like Spring here. There is some sun interspersed with the rain and the tulips and daffodils are popping up everywhere along with the cherry blossoms. Has Spring sprung where you live?

'Til We Meet Again...

Rebecca  :)

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Hi! Here is my final St. Patrick's Day mani right under the wire. Better late than never right? Doing this mani reminded me why I don't do nail art; I suck at it and I don't have the patience for it. First off, here are the polishes I used:

 L-R: OPI Fresh Frog Of Bel Air, OPI Alpine Snow, BB Couture Apollo

L-R: China Glaze Mingle With Kringle, China Glaze Starboard, Spoiled Show Me The Money

And here is the finished look:

On the thumb I did a base of Alpine Snow topped with Fresh Frog Of Bel Air. On the index and pinky fingers I used a base of Starboard topped with Show Me The Money. The middle finger is a base of Alpine Snow taped off with Starboard and Apollo. And the ring finger is Mingle With Kringle. For some reason I decided to do the glitter toppers before the taped off Irish flag finger. When I was cutting the tape I mangled my thumb on one of my hands with the finger holes of the scissors. When I peeled off the tape for flag one of the pieces broke in the middle so I had to use tweezers to try and remove it and totally jacked up the polish in the process. Then on the other hand the polish seeped under the tape and messed up my straight line. It was an aggravating, frustrating mess! I'm surprised they look even half as good as they do. I have to say I absolutely love Mingle With Kringle which I got this weekend at Sally for $1.72 or something ridiculously cheap like it.

So yeah, not my prettiest mani but it'll do. Hope everyone is having a good day! We had a little potluck at work and now I'm sitting at home with my honey; we're too old to go out drinking and carrying on. And that's just how I like that.

'Til We Meet Again...

Rebecca  :)

Feelin' Froggy With Cult Nails

*I purchased this*

Hello again! I'm back with my second St. Patrick's Day mani. This time I used the perfect green for the holiday; Feelin' Froggy by Cult Nails.

This was from the Fairy Tale collection and is a really pretty green with amazing blue shimmer running throughout.

Unfortunately, it doesn't look like this polish is available anymore. But you can get any of the other amazing Cult Nails polishes here.

That's it for today! Short and sweet...

'Til We Meet Again...

Rebecca  :)

A Daring Digits St. Patrick's Day Mani

Hi all! I have been so completely exhausted and unmotivated this week but I knew I had to get on it before St. Patrick's Day was over since I have a few things to show you. I won this polish in a giveaway a while back and as soon as March hit and I started thinking about the holiday I knew it was the perfect polish to use. It's called Kelly and it is gorgeous!

I has a light tan crelly base with different sizes of green and white glitter with a scattering of tiny reddish/orange glitter throughout. 

It really feels like St. Patrick's Day in a bottle to me! The colors of the large glitters are perfect and the tiny red glitter makes me think of red haired lads and lasses.  I love that the base isn't clear so you don't have to worry about undies that complement the colors. The glitters all show up amazingly well within the base and it was a breeze to apply. I am absolutely in love with this polish.

I hadn't realized until I went to the Daring Digits Facebook page here that the shop had been closed up for a little while. I don't have the money to buy indie polishes very often and don't often go on their pages to taunt myself with what I can't have. But I do remember drooling over the polishes whenever I would see them. But from the looks of it the shop will be re-opening with a brand new perspective very soon and after trying this amazing polish I will definitely keep an eye out for that.

Have you done any manis for St. Patrick's Day? I would love to see them!

'Til We Meet Again...

Rebecca  :)