What I wore (June 2015)

Hey guys! Its the last day of June-whoa! I haven't been blogging much this month, I've mostly been just enjoying trying out and wearing some of my newer polishes! Most of these have been posted on Instagram but I need to document them here so I can mark them with my little sticker system! I thought I would type up a couple thoughts on each before we head to the pool- I'll keep it short because my keyboard is being super wonky!

This is Loaded Lacquer "Double Shot of Sriracha". Let's be honest, I bought this for the name! I'm not as super in to holos as a lot of people, but this is gorgeous! It photographs a little darker than it is. It's pretty sheer on the first coat, but surprisingly opaque on the 2nd! I'll probably do 3 coats the next time I wear it though.

Loaded Lacquer Sriracha

Loaded Lacquer Sriracha

This is Polish My Life "Birthday Suit", a really pretty creamy nude that almost glows against my super tan-at-the-moment skin! I think this is 2 coats, but I didn't write it down. I've worn this before but not as a full mani! I love it!! 

Polish My Life Birthday Suit

After a couple days (ok one day) I felt a strong urge to add some gold. I used zig zag nail vinyls and my favorite nude-gold polish Pipe Dream Polish "Champagne Kisses" 

Pipe Dream Polish Champagne Kisses

I also wore Zoya Ginni in an effort to have a mani hold up against going to the pool so much! We all know water is the ENEMY! It lasted a couple days, I actually thought it would last longer. 

Zoya Ginni

Lastly is Loaded Lacquer Dragon Fruit, an almost neon pink jelly. Jellies are meant to be a little sheer and applied with several thin coats to look squishy. This is 3 thin coats. This surprisingly has held up the best against the salty water of the pool! Hooray! 

Loaded Lacquer Dragon Fruit

Last night I couldn't decide if I was going to swap out polish or add....I didn't want to take off Dragon Fruit yet so I added more gold (sheesh) using lightning bolt nail vinyls and matte topcoat! I actually started with my Zoya matte topcoat, and after 2 coats it still wasn't mattifying for some reason. I've never had a problem with it before, so maybe Zoya just doesn't like jellies?? Weird! So I added a THIRD coat, one of OPI matte topcoat, and ever so reliable it worked! Yipee! 

Bliss Polish Mermaid crown

Loaded Lacquer Mintallica and Picture Polish Tiffany nail art

Hey guys! This post has been in my drafts forever-I wore this weeks ago! I just have been wrapped up in summer and going to the pool almost every day. I just want to soak it up as much as possible! When I get home I'm totally wiped, and then there's all the regular non-nail stuff I have to keep up with! So blogging for me may be limited to swatches during the summer, but I'm still posting my current mani's on Instagram! :)

This is an awesome look I wore weeks ago after I got a Loaded Lacquer and Picture Polish orders both almost a the same time! (purchased myself) I thought these 2 would look amazing together.



Here's a quick look at Picture Polish Tiffany by itself. I still have a review post on PP coming soon!
How gorgeous is this!!!!



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Mintallica is a dense glitter in a clear base. It has silver, gunmetal and mint glitters in all sizes. I had no problem getting the larger glitters on to the nail!



Mintallica

I just used single chevron nail vinyls to do the one accent nail and a sponge to pack the glitter on to my ring finger!





CDB Lacquer "Touchdown" Swatches and Revew

Hey guys! I'm using "Throwback Thursday" as an excuse to write up a little blog about this polish! My friend Beckie of Polished by Beckie sent me this a few months ago a little surprise! I just love her :) We share an affinity for the New England Patriots and this polish was made with them in mind. It's from another indie brand, CDB Lacquer. Its a light gray crelly with tiny little red and navy blue glitters in it. This was surprisingly more opaque than several other polishes I have of this type! I just wanted to show her off a little! This is 2 coats and topcoat (usually these types of polishes require 3 coats or more for me). Unfortunately, I don't think it's available anymore, sorry guys!

This wound up being my Memorial Day/travel to Florida and back mani!





direct light



filtered light

Catch 22 Designs nail art

Hey guys! Today I have a little nail art for a collaboration I was asked to be a part of for my friend Shannon of Catch 22 Designs! I met her at the TN nail girls meet up last year and she is awesome. She makes really cute keychains and jewelry out of nail polish! How awesome is that! The piece I'm holding in the pic is a bracelet I won at the lunch for coming the closest to guessing how many polishes she had based on a pic. The polish she used for the piece is Pipe Dream Polish "Carribean Dreaming" which I don't have (YET) but I do have Rhythm and Blues which matched well enough!


Here's a link to her shop,  check it out!

I did a watermarble accent on my middle nail also using Pipe Dream Polishes, All In and Happy Hour, over a white base of OPI Angel with a Leadfoot. I also added a little China Glaze Fairy dust inside the clover I drew with a dotting tool and Happy Hour.

Why is posing with jewelry so hard??? Some people make it look just effortless! I had the hardest time..it kept sliding around all over the place, haha.

Updated Basketball nails for 2015!

Hey guys! Happy Sunday! I'm still so excited about American Pharoah's win for the Triple crown yesterday!! For today I decided to re do my basketball nails from last year so I could film. These nails are my 2nd most pinned nails on Pinterest--Yall love some basketball! These couldn't be easier to do. You don't have to use a textured polish, you can use any orange or brown even polish....I just like the way it looks because basketballs are textured! You can see my original post here.

I used Zoya Beatrix for the base, it's a bright orange textured Pixiedust and my fav for basketballs. When I first did these, I used a black striper which you can buy pretty much anywhere these days. But I have found that it's so pigmented it always smeared when I used it...ALWAYS. (Like when adding topcoat). So I ditched it and use a striping brush now and regular black polish, which is available in pretty much any nail art kit or at a craft store...just look for a long skinny thin brush!

Zoya Willa

After your base is dry, just dip your striping brush in the bottle...I used Zoya Willa, and make a big "X" on your nail with straight lines. Then, add a curved line at the top end and the bottom end. I have the shakiest hand ever and I can do this, so that tells you how easy it is! You can have all your basketballs going in the same direction or not, its up to you! I didn't add topcoat because I used a textured polish!

Be sure to check out my Instagram page for the video tutorial!
Direct link---------> https://instagram.com/p/3o2TegIQZU/

Zoya Beatrix

American Pharoh nails for the Belmont 2015!

Hey guys! Here is my weekend mani! I'm not the hugest fan of horse racing, but my kids love it and I appreciate the history that might be made today! We will be rooting on American Pharoh to win the triple crown!

The pattern on Victor Espinoza's silk is turquoise and yellow polka dots....easy enough to replicate on nails, right??  The main part of his silk is turquoise with 3 diagonal yellow dots and the sleeves *seem* to have random dots on them, but it was hard to find a good enough picture to copy!

Also...do I need a reason to use OPI Can't Find My Czechbook? No, no I do not! The yellow is The Best Yellow Ever, OPI I Just Can't Cope-aCabana.

This was a really simple look to accomplish! I just used the largest dotting tool I have to make the large dots and topped it with Seche Vite. On my thumbs is OPI What's a Little Rain Forest? from the mini liquid sands in last year's Brazil collection (otherwise known as my favorite collection ever)

Be sure to check out my Instagram account for the video tutorial!
Direct link ------->>>   https://instagram.com/p/3mZ1QfoQfL/

China Glaze Desert Escape Collection for Summer 2015: Swatches and Review

Hey Guys! I'm excited to bring you my review of the summer collection from China Glaze! Availability is a little different than usual on these, all purchasing info is at the bottom so be sure it read it carefully! This is my favorite collection from China Glaze in a long time!! I don't have the previous 3 collections (from just this year alone!) but everyone is raving about them as well. They seem to be hitting it out of the park this year :)

This collection is inspired by "the tones found in the vast desert landscape where glowing pinks and reds are cooled by a serene turquoise and glisten against shimmering neutrals" and I think that's very fitting! My mom lives in Phoenix now and especially after visiting her there last year these colors really represent that part of the country, especially together! This color combo is also super hot right now, if you've been to Target recently you know what I'm talking about! ;)




Desert Escape Collection 2015

Loaded Laquer Dashboard Dancing and Picture Polish BonBon nail art

Hey guys! Today I have a mani I wore several weeks ago! I was super sad to take it off :(  I recently received my yearly (or twice yearly) order from Picture Polish. I mentioned before, I order several a time directly from them to get the best deal! I also have some newish Loaded Lacquers I'm dying to get into so I've been combining them a lot!

This is Picture Polish "BonBon", a gorgeous blue cream. So simple yet so beautiful! Previously my favorite blue cream was OPI Ogre the Top Blue, buutttttttt I think I have a new favorite now!

The glitter is "Dashboard Dancing" from Loaded Lacquer. Its a fully loaded glitter bomb topper with turquoise, pink and purple hex glitters of all sizes in a clear base.

I did have to color correct the blue a little so excuse the wonky skin tone!


 

For this look, I just used some straight nail vinyls after the blue was dry and marked off an area for glitter. I applied the glitter to a sponge to sop up the base and then dabbed it on. I used Picture Polish Bright White and a striping brush to make the white lines after removing the vinyls, then a quick coat of top coat and done! Be sure to check out my Instagram page here for a  quick little video tutorial! I just don't have time to make longer versions right now, but hopefully I will soon!



Here is Bon Bon in all her glory. I will have a post coming up soon with swatches of the first half of the batch of my new PP's!