Tuesday 30 November 2010

Try A Textured Mani

Source: Glamour Magazine

Think of your nails as a showpiece accessory (they’re jewelry, but cheaper), and apply a polish with sparkle—like chunky glitter or gold flecks—built in. “It’s all about texture,” . Another way to wear the trend: Try a dark, opaque shade, with a sheer, shimmery layer on top.


9 more days to enter Win It Wednesday!!!  Click here to enter

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Monday 29 November 2010

Holiday Giveaway #2 11/30/10 - 12/7/10 - CLOSED

UPDATE 12/7/10 - Giveaway is now closed.  I will be selecting the winner soon.  Giveaway #3 will be posted shortly.

As my giveaway #1 is ending on 11/30/10, I figured I'd go on and open this one up to get the entries started. Heck, it's November 30th to some of you all... right? :)


















This is one of the mini sets from OPI's Holiday Burlesque collection. I chose this one specifically because it had three of my favorite colors from the collection, The Show Must Go On, Let Me Entertain You, and Ali's Big Break. It also has Tease-y Does It, which I know many of you LOVE. I've also added 2 OPI AvoJuice Juicies, Jasmine and Cran-Berry.

As always, giveaway is open to international readers.

To enter, please fill out the form below:

I apologize for the unpretty-ness of this form. It's huge and I can't figure out a way to make it fit better in the space (if you are good at html and can give me some pointers... point away). Everything should fill out just fine, though. If you are noticing errors, please let me know and I may have to resort to another entry method. UPDATE - I've managed to make the form look a bit better, but I had to change my margins so now some of my other stuff doesn't fit right. I'm sure this doesn't matter to anyone but me, but it's only temporary. :)


Color Club Partners with Amethyst Jeans!



Enter to win one of 20 holiday totes given away over the next five weeks!


You and your BFF will each receive an Amethyst Jeans tote filled with a pair of Amethyst Jeans, shimmery lip glosses and a holiday set nail polish set from Color Club and a shampoo and conditioner set from Totally Texty! Contest runs from November 29th through December 31st, 2010. Go to http://www.facebook.com/amethystjeans to enter!

For more information call Color Club at 800-221-8080, email support@cosmeticgroup.com or visit us online at www.cosmeticgroup.com


Until next time please have a great nail polish day. (✿◠‿◠) Share/Bookmark

I'm on the Top Blog List!!!!

I'm honored to say that Nails Beautiqued is listed on the top 2010 Manicure and Pedicure Blogs by the Online Cosmetology School here

Thank you everyone I'm glad that all my Resources are helpful!  (I'm blushing)  Also, Congrats to all the blogs that are listed!!

 

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Blue Monday, Claire's Chunky Blue

By rmcandlelight Chunky Blue




Blue Monday by Annie Lee

Good Morning "Nailbeautiquers", It's Monday again and I have another awesome blue to show you.  It's Claire's Chunky Blue.  I'm sure you've seen this one, but not on me.  I love it!  It's so vivid and breath taking. The hexagon glitter is not sparse on the nail as you can see. It's also packed full of blue fine glitter in a royal blue base.  I used  3 coats  to spread evenly. Then sealed the deal with 1 coat of Revlon Colorstay topcoat to make my mani super shiny!



     

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Sunday 28 November 2010

Color Club Partners with Amethyst Jeans

I just got this press release from Color Club and thought I'd pass it along. :)

Here's the text as it's a bit hard to read in the pic...


Enter to win on of 20 holiday totes given away over the next five weeks!
You and your BFF will each receive an Amethyst Jeans tote filled with a pair
of Amethyst Jeans, shimmery lip glosses and a holiday set nail polish set from
Color Club and a shampoo and conditioner set from Totally Texty!

Contest runs from November 29th through December 31st, 2010. Go to http://
www.facebook.com/amethystjeans to enter! Happy Holidays!







































Nubar Sale Code

As I just reviewed Nubar's holiday collection, I went to their website to see if I could develop any lemmings and I discovered they are offering a 30% off sale through November 30th. The code is NOV3030, and it takes 30% off of your order of $30 or more. If you order $75+ after discounts, then you will get free shipping as well.

Nubar Holiday Jewel Basket

Nubar is a brand that I have never had the chance to try. I've thought about placing an order here and there and never got around to it. So, when I got the opportunity to try their new Holiday 2010 collection, Holiday Jewel Basket, I was more than a little excited.

Per Nubar's website and PR materials, Holiday Jewel Basket is their most discounted collection. The cost is $49.95. It contains nine total bottles, which breaks down to 1 creme, 4 glitters, 2 glitter/flake topcoats, and 2 treatments. That's $5.55 a bottle. The set also comes with an adorable wire and bead hinged basket, which would be perfect for holding cotton pads or q-tips. Unfortunately, mine was swiped by my 4-year daughter as a bed for her stuffed kitten, and I can't seem to find it, so I don't have a picture of it. BTW, it makes a great bed for a Beanie Baby. ;)

Normally when I post a collection, I post the colors in alphabetical order, as that's how I label the pictures. However, as this one has several distinct groupings, I'm going to break it up by finish.


















Competition Red - Pin-up red creme. The lone creme in the collection, this one is a classic red creme, but it's also got a touch of brown in the base. As it's pretty basic, there's not much to say. Formula was perfect. Pic is 2 coats.

Gold Glitter - Dense, fine, bright yellow-gold glitter in a clear base. I love the gold in this one. As I've been using the term "old gold" lately as a descriptor for several golden polishes, I almost wanted to use the term "new gold" for this one. The gold is very bright and clear. It doesn't work with my skin, however. Hence the redness around my nails. The application on this one was great. Because the glitter is so dense in the base, it only took 3 coats to reach opacity, and it was actually more like 2 coats and then a thin, third coat to cover a few bald spots.

Grass Green Glitter - Slightly-chunky green and gold glitter in a clear base. The application on this one was not as smooth as Gold Glitter. It took 4 coats to reach opacity, and on the last coat, I had to "place" the glitter in places. It was also a bit rougher in texture than Gold Glitter, and the 2 glitters to follow, but I evened it out pretty quickly with a coat of Nubar Diamont. All that said, I love this color. I know Emerald Sparkle is the holiday green glitter, but I have to say, if you want a brighter green for your holiday manicure, definitely check out Grass Green Glitter. Also, I absolutely love the pops of gold in this glitter. It makes me think of a field of grass scattered with dandelions.



Red Ruby Glitz - Fine red glitter in a red jelly base. This one just screams HOLIDAY to me. This is 3 coats, though in terms of opacity, I could have been okay with 2. However, the glitter in this one is very fine, so it "floats" in the jelly base, which means it adds dimension with each coat. Of all the 4 glitters in this collection, this one had the best application. If practically flowed on the nail.

Silver Glitter - Bright silver glitter in a clear base. This is the silver equivalent to Gold Glitter. It's very bright and has a ton of shine. Normally with silver glitter, I find it rather boring and flat, unless of course, it contains holo glitter. However, this was not the case with this polish. I was parrakeeting my nails like crazy. The formula and application were identical to Gold Glitter. Pic is 2+ coats (meaning 2 with a thin third coat in places to cover thin spots).




2010 - Thick clear base with red-based multi-chrome, rainbow flakes. I wanted to show you this one, and Pixie Dust (below) on naked nails, as well as on a dark base (but these are definitely meant for layering). This one, I had trouble coming up with a descriptor. I don't own many flakes, so I hope I did it justice. Basically, the flakes in this one change from red to orange to golden with a bit of green thrown in (much like the flakes in Barielle Elle's Spell). They almost look like flames. From what I gather, 2010 is a dupe to Sally Hansen Hidden Treasure (which I have yet to see in person, much less own). I liked before, and then I put it over the black base and... wow. It was beautiful. This is 2 coats on both the naked nails and the black nail.

Pixie Dust - Very fine, iridescent silver, blue, green, and purple shimmer suspended in a thick clear base. This is one of those polishes that you have to see in person to fully appreciate. There's something almost ethereal about it. In the bottle, it looks like swirls of fine snow and it's practically on mesmerizing. It's equally beautiful on the nail, and I think it would look amazing over any of colors in the shimmer particles (silver, blue, green, and purple). Pic is 2 coats on all nails.

This set also contained Diamont, a thick top coat, and Nubar's Foundation Nail Base Coat. In this review, I used Diamont over Grass Green Glitter and Silver Glitter. I have yet to use the Base Coat, as I like to give treatments a more thorough review. I plan on using the Base Coat over the next few days, along with Diamont, and I will report back in a separate post.

All in all, I must say I'm impressed with this gift set/collection, as well as with NubarNubar, but nonetheless, I love it. I've already created a small wishlist of Nubars I want to try in the future. :)

Nubar's Holiday Jewel Basket is available at their website, bynubar.com.

These were sent to me for review




Friday 26 November 2010

It's A Beautiful Morning!



My family and I are making a quick run up north, I surely hope it's not too cold.  Hopefully I'll find some Rite-Aids.  I'll see you on Monday!

Those of you that haven't entered my Win It Wednesday Giveaway please enter here

Everyone please be safe!

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Thursday 25 November 2010

Nicole by OPI Holiday Magic

Hi all, I hope everyone had a safe and happy Thanksgiving (in the US) and a safe and happy Thursday (everywhere else).  :)

Today, I have for you the new Nicole by OPI Holiday collection, Holiday Magic, Like big sister, OPI, this holiday collection is half glitters.  No, they aren't the full on glitter-bombs (well one kinda is) of Burlesque, but I still approve.  :)  There are also 2 shimmers which are perfect for the holiday season.


Bring on the Tinsel - Blue, red, green, and silver glitter in a clear base.  Of the 2 glitters in this collection, Bring on the Tinsel, is the most Burlesque-glitter-bomb-y.  However, the glitter in this one seems much finer than the glitter used in the Burlesque glitters.  I love this one.  The colors are beautiful and they play so well together.  Plus, I was able to reach full coverage in 3 coats.  


Kiss Me at Midnight - Deep chocolate-cherry shimmer.  No, this one is not terribly unique.  In fact, there've been several similar colors released this year.  However, what sets this one apart, IMO, is the fact that this one looks blackened around the edges, very similar to Zoya Isla or ChG Thunderbird (though of course, those are much lighter reds).  The shine on this one is beautiful, and there is almost a velvety finish to it.  Formula was flawless.  Pic is 2 coats. 


Spark My Mistletoe - Small red and holo glitter and large hexagonal glitter in a clear base.  Unfortunately, the glitter in this one seems so fine that I don't think you could ever reach full opacity (like with Bring on the Tinsel).  Pic is 4 coats, and I think I could have done 4 more and it would never completely covered my nail.  However, As soon as I pulled this one out of the box, I knew it would make an amazing layering polish.  And I was right! It looks especially fantastic over OPI Ali's Big Break.  


Stuck in the Chimney - Faded, purple-based,  dusty red with golden shimmer.  In the bottle, the purple in this one is much more evident than on the nail (though it is still there).  Without doing a direct comparison, this one looked very similar to OPI Diva of Geneva, but in studying swatches, they are nowhere near dupes.  Diva of Geneva is lighter, more purple, and has more golden shimmer.  Also this one had the same blackened-around-the-edges affect, like Kiss Me at Midnight, that truly sets it a part.  This one had a perfect formula, though it was prone to faint brushstrokes.  Pic is 2 coats.

All in all, I think this is a great collection.  All 4 colors, even the shimmers, have something about them that makes them totally unique.  Nicole by OPI is available at big box and drugstores nationwide.

These were sent to me for review

FreeCycling!

By rmcandlelight
Free Cycle Haul

Freecycling is when a person passes on, for free, an unwanted item to another person who needs that item. From silverware to mobile homes, etc.  Lawd, knows I really don't need any more polish. (giggles)

Look what I got from my first free cycle haul. Check to see if you have a Free Cycle in your area here you maybe able to get some free polish. I got a HTF! (cartwheels)

                                                                

                                                                      Click to enlarge
From Left: Love Bites (no name) its one of those polishes you're not suppose to shake. Petites: Soda Fountain, Loreal Shock Proof: LE Orange Crush, OPI Paris Couture For Sure Glitter Topcoat and NYC: (no name) its a glittery purple.  

OPI Paris Couture For Sure Glitter Topcoat is my prize!  You never know what you might find.

Can you identify the no names?


 Until next time please have a great nail polish day. (✿◠‿◠) Share/Bookmark

Wednesday 24 November 2010

Zoya B1G2 Sale on Giftsets

I just wanted to a quick post to let you guys know of this great Zoya sale.  Through Monday, they are offering B1G2 on selected gift items (click to go to sale).  There's actually a really good selection of items, with some of them even being nail polish gift sets (including a nail polish and a lip gloss).  Faced with a multitude of teacher gifts, I picked up 9 Smart Spa sets with a bottle of Zoya Lauren for $61.  Not including the polish, which I mainly got to get me the free shipping, each gift was $6.  That's far less than other stuff I was looking at and comparable with making cookies or another homemade gift.  Plus, I get to be the "oh you shouldn't have" super-thoughtful mom!  Yay!

Sale ends 11/29/10 an there is no coupon code.  Discount is automatically applied.

Finger Paints Winter Dreams Collection Swatches and Review


Winter Wishes: Gold fine glitter. It's a thick base covered really well with the first coat. I used 2 coats.  This would be great to wear with a black and white formal affair.

Holly Good Times: Gold/Red glitter I used 2 coats, could have used another coat. Formula was great!

Mulberry Madness: Deep Berry w/silver glitter, very vibrant and impressive.  I like this one.  Used 2 coats.  Not very shiny as you notice here.  After applying topcoat Wowzer!  Sorry no picture.   

Mistletoe Mischief: Hunter deep green w/green shimmer.  A little more deeper then what my picture is showing.  I love it!

Just Plum Fun:  Deep purple plum w/shimmer, opaque with 1st coat used 2 coats.  This is one of my favorite fall colors.

Merry Mittens: Red w/gold glitter dispensed throughout the bottle and is very visible on the nail. Used 2 coats.

I love this entire collection.  No application issues.  Winter Wishes was the only one on the thick side but, still applied well.  I thought Mistletoe Mischief  was going to be a jelly but it was only jellish with the first coat.

These were sent to me for review  
 

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Tuesday 23 November 2010

How Sweet It Is!

By rmcandlelight
'Sweet'

Was in Dollar Tree the other day looking for some old SH Prisms.  Only found one 'diamond' not too thrilled about it.  It's a grey weak holo but good to use for frankenings to make other holographics.  Well, anyway I picked up Sally Hansen 'Sweet'.  I would describe it as a cinnamon red.  I am really impressed and guess what I think I'm starting to like reds *-*  It's a frost which I really don't like but this one isn't bad at all no brush strokes.




I don't know what collection this came from.  Do you have it?

Ring Finger nail art used LA Colors Art Deco nail art lacquers in white, black and gold glitter
sometimes a polish doesn't have to be expensive to love it.

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