Monday, September 30, 2013

SoFlaJo Jugular Vein Swatches and Review

Press Sample

Good afternoon, dear readers, and happy Monday! I've been having issues with my blog account that have finally been resolved (knock on wood!), and I am eager to start sharing my reviews with you again! Today's post features Jugular Vein, a beautiful red polish from SoFlaJo's new Halloween Collection, "A Snake on the Hand is Worth Two on the Toes". Just look at how lovely this colour is!
I used two coats of Jugular Vein for the photos above.

I absolutely love dark blood-red shades, and Jugular Vein was no exception. It went on smoothly for me, and the colour is simply amazing. This colour is perfect for when you want something a little shimmer, but nothing too flashy.

Jugular Vein and other polishes can be purchased from the online SoFlaJo shop located here.

Until next time, dear readers, have a wonderful day! 


Disclaimer:  The products reviewed above were provided to me for my honest and unbiased opinion. All thoughts stated are entirely my own and are based on my use of said products.  I love receiving feedback from my readers, and any comments left here are the express opinions and/or property of the individual authors.  Therefore, I, the author of this site, cannot be held responsible for the opinions held by others.  I reserve the right to remove any comments that I find to be harmful, unnecessary, or not constructive for other readers.



Wednesday, September 11, 2013

Born Pretty Store Flakie Nail Polish Review

Press Sample

Good morning, dear readers! I have another lovely polish from Born Pretty Store to share with you, and I hope you enjoy it! 

Flakie polishes still have a special place in my heart, and I was eager to try out the Born Pretty Store flakies. I first started with two coats SpaRitual Instinct, a vibrant purple, and I topped it off with a single coat of the flakie. Rather than using names, these polishes are numbered. I used colour #5.

Shade
Sun
The application was easy for this polish, and it is densely packed! I only used a single coat for the above photos, and I am impressed with just how many flakies were present! This polish does have a little bit of a stronger smell than many of the other polishes I've used, but it is far from the worst smell. It shouldn't be an issue for you as long as you work in a ventilated area.


If you're interested in this or one of the other Born Pretty Store flakie polishes, here is the direct link to check them out. If you're planning on doing any nail art, you should check out the site as there are so many things to choose from!

Save 10% by using my coupon code QWL91 towards your purchase of anything from the site.



Until next time, dear readers, have a wonderful day!
XOXO!

Disclaimer:  The products reviewed above were provided to me for my honest and unbiased opinion. All thoughts stated are entirely my own and are based on my use of said products.  I love receiving feedback from my readers, and any comments left here are the express opinions and/or property of the individual authors.  Therefore, I, the author of this site, cannot be held responsible for the opinions held by others.  I reserve the right to remove any comments that I find to be harmful, unnecessary, or not constructive for other readers.

Monday, September 9, 2013

Mont Bleu Nail Files, Tweezers, and Compact: Review and Giveaway

Press Sample

Good morning, dear readers, and happy Monday! I hope you had a wonderful weekend and took some time to get some rest and relaxation! It's a grey and rainy Monday here in Arizona, so how about a post featuring some bling to brighten up the day?

Mont Bleu prides itself as a leading manufacturer and supplier of glass nail files, but these are not your usual glass files. Made from tempered Czech glass, these files from Mont Bleu are decorated with Swarovski crystals! They make other items in addition to their glass nail files, and for today's post, I'm going to share my opinions on the files, tweezers, and compact I was provided for review.


Let's start with the nail files! I was sent a small nail file (3.54in/ 90mm) and a medium nail file (5.32in/ 135mm).
I have tested a variety of glass files before, but none have compared with these exquisite files provided by Mont Bleu. They have combined beauty and function in these files, and I don't ever want to use a different nail file again. Made from tempered glass, these files are more durable than files that have been made from standard glass. Don't get me wrong: they're still glass and can still break, but they won't break quite so easily. While this is a feature I can appreciate, I was even more delighted with the grit in the file itself. Rather than being sprayed onto the file like several other brands I have tried, these files feel as though they have been etched: the grit is built into the glass and going nowhere! This lends itself to a significantly longer lifespan than inferior files. I have put these files to quite a bit of use over the past 2.5 months, and they still file just as well now as they did the day they arrived in the mail. After each filing, all they need is a quick rinse under water to remove buildup, and they're ready for the next use. 

In addition to a good nail file, a good pair of tweezers is a must-have grooming item. I have always been loyal to my Tweezerman tweezers, and I am happy to say these work just as well for me. They easily grip stray eyebrow hairs that have needed to be plucked. I admit that I expected the Swarovski crystals to make grasping with these tweezers difficult, but I am thrilled to report that I didn't have any trouble with them on the handle whatsoever. I currently have these tweezers on my desk next to some nail art supplies, and they have been used to assist in several of my nail art attempts recently. I may still have the slightest preference for my Tweezermans, but these work nicely at a fraction of the price.

Last up is this beautiful compact from Mont Bleu. As you can see in the photo above, there are two mirrors inside the compact: a standard mirror and a magnifying mirror. It also opens completely flat, a feature that all compacts should have in order to be useful. Mont Bleu compacts are available in either metal or plastic, and the one above is plastic. While it has survived in my bag without any issues, it still feels a little flimsy to me, and I'm not sure how long it will hold up with continuous use. I admit I haven't been as rough with it as I tend to be with compacts because it feels like it will break with normal use. I have not handled one of their metal compacts to compare the two, and I am not loving the plastic one. With the exception of the Swarovski crystals, this compact looks and feels cheap. If you like the look of this, you probably will want to spend the little extra money to get the metal compact.

Final Thoughts
Mont Bleu glass nail files are of exceptional quality, and I absolutely love mine! If you are looking for a glass file or just don't like using cheap emery boards, you should pick up on from Mont Bleu. The tweezers are also nicely made and recommended as well. The plastic compact hasn't won me over, and I'll reserve judgement until I can try one of their metal compacts.

Links, Additional Information, and a Giveaway!

Mont Bleu products can be purchased from their online store Design Glassware by Mont BleuUse the code "BLOG" to save 20% on your purchase!

They can also be found on Facebook and Twitter.

Mont Bleu has generously decided to sponsor a giveaway, and one lucky winner will receive a gift card for their store valued at 25 € / $30. 

Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway


Disclaimer:  The products reviewed above were provided to me for my honest and unbiased opinion. All thoughts stated are entirely my own and are based on my use of said products.  I love receiving feedback from my readers, and any comments left here are the express opinions and/or property of the individual authors.  Therefore, I, the author of this site, cannot be held responsible for the opinions held by others.  I reserve the right to remove any comments that I find to be harmful, unnecessary, or not constructive for other readers.

Friday, September 6, 2013

Nire's Desire Tropical Delusion

Press Sample

Every once in a while, I have the pleasure of sharing swatches of a polish that just will not photograph well for me; today's post features one of those polishes.

I have previously reviewed a few nail lacquers by Nire's Desire Polish, and unfortunately I did not get to include my personal favorite polish at the time due to my camera's inability to capture the awesomeness of the polish. I even attempted to photo edit, something I prefer to not do other than the basic cropping and resizing, and that was even more disastrous. In the end, I decided to reswatch and take photos with a different camera. Thankfully the swatches I have for you today of Tropical Delusion are more accurate than the first set of photos I took. Let me share the photos with you and then talk about the polish afterwards.


Unfortunately, these photos are still a little off. While Tropical Delusion is blue, it has a hint of green making it the tropical blue that I love. 

Tropical Delusion is highly pigmented, and depending on how thick you apply your polish, you may only need one coat. I used two thin coats for the photos above, but I only needed the second coat on two nails where the polish was a little thin in my first coat. The formula was nice, and I was quite happy with this polish!

Nire's Desire Polishes retail for $8 at the etsy shop, and you should definitely check them out! They are currently having a shop promotion where if you buy three polishes, you get a fourth free! There are some gorgeous colours in the shop, and I'm looking forward to seeing this indie brand grow!


Disclaimer:  The products reviewed above were provided to me for my honest and unbiased opinion. All thoughts stated are entirely my own and are based on my use of said products.  I love receiving feedback from my readers, and any comments left here are the express opinions and/or property of the individual authors.  Therefore, I, the author of this site, cannot be held responsible for the opinions held by others.  I reserve the right to remove any comments that I find to be harmful, unnecessary, or not constructive for other readers.

Wednesday, September 4, 2013

Literary Lacquers: Literary Liquors, Part II

Press Sample

Good morning, dear readers, and happy hump day! It's hard to believe it is Wednesday already, as the holiday weekend always throws me off. In case you missed my previous post, I shared four polishes from the upcoming Literary Liquors Collection by Literary Lacquers. I have the remaining two polishes to share with you this morning.

Pan Galactic Gargle Blaster
Hmmm... I'm just not really sure how to describe this specific shade of blue. It's a rich blue (that's also a little on the arm side but not so much that I'd call it teal) holo with added holo glitter. Inspired by The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams

I used three coats of Pan Galactic Gargle Blaster for the following photos.

Sun photos

Indoors (with flash)

Closeup
I love this polish! Ok, so I might have said that about every one of the polishes in the collection, but Pan Galactic Gargle Blaster is gorgeous and definitely appeals to my need to wear blue shades lately. The base shade of blue is stunning, but the addition of the holo glitter just makes me swoon. The formula was superb- not too thin or too thick, and the application was flawless. The only negative thing I have to say about this polish is wearing it is going to make you wish you were on a tropical island staring at the ocean instead of being stuck in the sweltering desert surrounded by lots of brown. Or maybe that's just me... This colour is just too beautiful to have just one bottle, and I need a backup bottle. Perhaps two.

Two At the Very Most
Martini top coat- Black hexes, white squares, gunmetal hexes, silver chrome hexes so shiny that they reflect light like a disco ball, a touch of holographic microglitter and added green circle glitters (for the olives, of course!) This polish is inspired by the martini, literature's most beloved cocktail. The name refers to the quatrain attributed to Dorothy Parker:
I like to have a martini,
Two at the very most.
At three I'm under the table,
At four I'm under the host!

I couldn't decide what colour to wear this over, so I decided to showcase it over all the polishes in the Literary Liquors collection. I dabbed about a coat on my nails and topped them off with Glisten & Glow HK Girl top coat for these pictures. I hope you're ready for lots of photos!

Over Strawberry Ice Cream Soma

Over Jack Rose

Over Pan Galactic Gargle Blaster

Over Dandelion Wine

Over I'm Drinking Stars
The formula of Two At the Very Most is a little thicker than the rest of the collection, but it was still very easy to apply. The glitters broke up and dispersed very easily over my nails. It did dry rather quickly for me so I recommend working fast to get those glitters where you want them. I'm sure working next to a fan didn't help, but I needed some relief from the sweltering heat! I love the way this glitter top coat just works with a variety of base colours!

Links and additional information
The Literary Liquors collection will be available for purchase from the Literary Lacquer Etsy shop this Thursday, September 5th at 12PM MDT (that's TOMORROW at 11AM PST/2PM EST). Full sized bottles are $10, or you can purchase the entire collection at a discounted price of $55. Keep an eye out on Amy's Facebook page for shop announcements, news on future collections, and other fun activities.

Phew! Now that was a lot of photos! What do you think of this collection? Are there any colours you need to have?
 Until next time, dear readers, have a wonderful day! <3


Disclaimer:  The products reviewed above were provided to me for my honest and unbiased opinion. All thoughts stated are entirely my own and are based on my use of said products.  I love receiving feedback from my readers, and any comments left here are the express opinions and/or property of the individual authors.  Therefore, I, the author of this site, cannot be held responsible for the opinions held by others.  I reserve the right to remove any comments that I find to be harmful, unnecessary, or not constructive for other readers.

Born Pretty Store: Zipper Water Decals

Press Sample

Good morning, dear readers! I have another item from Born Pretty Store, my favorite supplier of nail art supplies, to share with you today. I am totally in love with water decals right now as an easy way to show off nail art, and these cute zipper patterns were no exception. I layered them over two coats of Zoya Raven and topped it off with Glisten & Glow's HK Girl top coat. Check these out! 



How cute are these?!? They applied really easily (tip: use tweezers to help set the damp decal on the exact location of your choosing), and I love the look of my nails. The only issue I had was I applied the top coat a little thinly, and as a result, some of the nail decal drug off. Just be sure to use a slightly thick coat and you won't have to worry about it. 
Here is a direct link for these awesome zipper pulls! I think they are fun for a nice "punk" look.

Be sure to check out Born Pretty Store for all nail art needs- they have LOTS to choose from! You can also save 10% by using my coupon code QWL91 towards your purchase of anything from the site.

Until next time, dear readers, have a great day!

Disclaimer:  The products reviewed above were provided to me for my honest and unbiased opinion. All thoughts stated are entirely my own and are based on my use of said products.  I love receiving feedback from my readers, and any comments left here are the express opinions and/or property of the individual authors.  Therefore, I, the author of this site, cannot be held responsible for the opinions held by others.  I reserve the right to remove any comments that I find to be harmful, unnecessary, or not constructive for other readers.

Tuesday, September 3, 2013

Literary Lacquers: Literary Liquors, Part I

Press Sample

Good morning, dear readers! I have swatches of the about-to-be-released polish collection designed by the lovely Amy of Literary Lacquers to share with you today. I may have gone a little overboard in taking photos (377! *gulp*) so I decided to break this up into 2 posts. Don't worry, I'm not sharing ALL 377 photos, but there are quite a few for you to enjoy. This post features 4 of the 6 polishes in the collection.

Rather than sounding like a broken record, I'm going to start this post by saying I used three coats of all these lacquers and the formula on all of them were sublime. I have no issues to report; they applied smoothly and perfectly (as I've grown to expect from Amy's polishes). They all dried reasonably quickly and are simply divine!

Are you ready to be dazzled? I sure hope so!

Jack Rose
Warm coppery brown holo, kind of the color of magical apple cider. Inspired by The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway

Sun photos

Indoors (with flash)

Close up

Jack Rose is arguable my favorite lacquer from this collection. I love brown holographic polishes, and these copper-leaning beauty is no exception. This colour is perfect for the fall! The fact that it reminds me of caramel-covered apples is a delicious bonus. ;)

Strawberry Ice Cream Soma
Warm pink crelly holo- I call this one of my "office holos." Indoors, it's a shimmery pink with a touch of purple shimmer, in the sun or bright light a full linear holo rainbow emerges. Inspired by Brave New World by Aldous Huxley

Sun photos

Indoors (with flash)

Close up

I really have been loving pink polishes lately, and Strawberry Ice Cream Soma is the perfect shade for when you just want to feel pretty in pink.

Dandelion Wine
Mustard golden yellow holo with orangey-pinky color shift, I'm describing it as the color you remember summer as when you look lack after the weather has gotten cold. Inspired by Dandelion Wine by Ray Bradbury

The sun did not want to play nicely with me when I swatched this one unfortunately. These are all indoors with flash.

Close up

Can I just say how excited I am Amy created this polish?!? I know yellows are not the most popular colour and even I've fought with them from time to time, but I love the complexity of Dandelion Wine! The colour shift adds a little something extra to this polish, and it is gorgeous! Even if you have a yellow holographic polish, you still need this one in your collection.

I'm Drinking Stars
Champagne linear holo, opaque at 3 coats or a fabulous holo top coat at one coat over pretty much anything, this is not a golden champagne, but a neutral pale taupe. Inspired by Still Life With Woodpecker by Tom Robbins

Sun photos

Indoors (with flash)

Indoors (no flash)

Close up
I'll wasn't particularly excited about I'm Drinking Stars when I first saw the bottle, but I fell in love with this polish as soon as I had it on my nails. Delicate with a touch of colour, I'm Drinking Stars is the perfect polish when you want something muted indoors but comes to life as soon as your nails are in bright light.

Links and additional information
The Literary Liquors collection will be available for purchase from the Literary Lacquer Etsy shop this Thursday, September 5th at 12PM MDT (that's 11AM PST/2PM EST)Full sized bottles are $10, or you can purchase the entire collection at a discounted price of $55. Keep an eye out on Amy's Facebook page for shop announcements, news on future collections, and other fun activities.

Stay tuned for my next post where I share swatches of the remaining two polishes from this collection! Until then, have a wonderful day! <3


Disclaimer:  The products reviewed above were provided to me for my honest and unbiased opinion. All thoughts stated are entirely my own and are based on my use of said products.  I love receiving feedback from my readers, and any comments left here are the express opinions and/or property of the individual authors.  Therefore, I, the author of this site, cannot be held responsible for the opinions held by others.  I reserve the right to remove any comments that I find to be harmful, unnecessary, or not constructive for other readers.





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