Saturday, February 28, 2015

Brushed Nail Art plus Stamping with Literary Lacquers

Good morning, dear readers! I hope this post finds you well and you have had a wonderful start to your weekend! For today's post, I wanted to share a nail art look I created using polishes from Literary Lacquers. Let's do this!
To create this look, I started with Zoya Neely as my base. I then randomly brushed on Literary Lacquers polishes The Mad Ones, The Ultimate Outlaw, Miss Bennett, and Everything You Love. I wanted the dry brush look, but because these shades are a little on the sheer side with a single coat, I did go over the first brush strokes a second time for a little more depth of colour.
I decided I wanted a little something extra on top of the dry brushing, but I didn't want to take away from the shades of the polishes I had already used. I used Color Club Luminescent with Bundle Monster stamping plate BM-505 for a subtle flash of foiled colour. I was pretty happy with this look, but in the end, I had to add a few blue stones in some of the bubbles to complete the look. Everything was sealed in using HK Girl top coat from Glisten & Glow.
This fun nail art look certainly has me ready for spring!

I hope you enjoyed today's post! Have a wonderful day!
XO!

Wednesday, February 25, 2015

Born Pretty Store Gold Ringed Disc Review

Press Sample

Good morning, dear readers, and happy hump day! I hope you are enjoying a wonderful day, and for those of you with snow, please stay warm!

For today's blog post, I wanted to share some ringed gold-coloured discs I received from Born Pretty Store to review. Let's check them out!
The discs are available in both silver and gold, and each colour comes in a set of ten. I received the smaller 3mm size, but they are also available in a larger 4mm size.
I had a different nail art look in mind when I first knew these were coming, but once I had them in hand, I had to come up with a different look. The discs are very flat and firm, and if you have very curved nails, they do not bend at all to conform to your nail curves. They are really cute, but that is something to keep in mind if you want to create a nail art look with these. This is why I opted to go with the smallest sized disc set.
I actually really love how this came out! The rings in the discs add a nice little something extra without being over the top. They can be purchased from Born Pretty Store here. You can also save 10% on all full-priced items using discount code QWL91.

Polishes used:
Zoya Daisy
Zoya Eden
Zoya Leslie
Zoya Lillian
Zoya Purity
Zoya Rayne
Zoya Tiana
Zoya Willa

I also used NailVinyls to help me create this look.

I hope you've enjoyed today's post! Until next time, dear readers, have a wonderful day!
XO!

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, February 24, 2015

The Jedi Wife Celebrates 3 Years with Literary Lacquers

Good morning, dear readers! I have a quick post today to share with you my newest giveaway. In a previous post, I shared swatch photos of Cast From Stormhold by Literary Lacquers, a polish designed to celebrate my 3 year blogiversary. Amy has generously provided 2 bottles for me to giveaway to 2 of my readers! If that wasn't awesome enough, she also included bottles of Phenomenal Woman, the polish I designed for the first Literary Lacquers Community Collection! I'm really excited to be giving away this duo to two winners, and I hope you are too!
This giveaway is open internationally, and it will end at midnight PST on March 17th.

Good luck, and a special thank you to Literary Lacquers for these prizes!


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Monday, February 23, 2015

Girly Bits Cosmetics Gradient Nail Art Look

Good morning, dear readers, and happy Monday! I hope you all had a wonderful and hopefully much more exciting weekend than I did. This weekend has been a blur, but we're mostly settled in at the new house! There is still a mountain of boxes out in the garage, but I'm choosing to forget that they exist for the time being. ;) I did get my nail area set up so I can continue with photographing my swatches and nail art. Speaking of nail art, I have a simple look I wanted to share with you today. Let's check it out!

In a previous post, I shared the new Girly Bits Cosmetics polishes created to celebrate three blog's third birthdays, mine included. Let's Do This!, Snafu, and Winter Sanctuary coordinate well together, and I wanted to create a simple gradient nail art look using this shades.
Even though we worked separately in designing these shades, I love how they play together!
All three of these Girly Bits shades are now available from the Girly Bits website. You can also follow Girly Bits on Facebook and Instagram for more photos and shop announcements.

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


Friday, February 20, 2015

Literary Lacquers Cast From Stormhold- A 3rd Blogiversary Custom Polish

Good morning, dear readers! I hope this post finds you well and you have wonderful weekend plans ahead of you! Today is the big move day into my new home, and I will be spending the weekend getting settled as quickly as possible. Now let me get to today's post!

My blog has turned 3, and in a previous post, I shared Let's Do This!, a custom made by Girly Bits Cosmetics to celebrate my blogiversary. I have been a sneaky blogger because I had ANOTHER custom made as well! I have had the pleasure of working with Literary Lacquers for a few years now, and I really wanted to work with Amy to create a polish for the occasion. She has made customs for several people, but I really wanted mine to be available for those that may want a bottle for themselves. We decided that the best way to make that happen would be for me to design a polish from her upcoming spring collection. I present to you a sneak peek into the spring collection with my custom, Cast From Stormhold!
The new collection is titled Magic and Mysteries. Each polish from this 8 piece collection was inspired by a piece of literature filled with magic and, well, mystery! When I first learned the theme of this collection, I knew I wanted my polish to be inspired by Neil Gaiman's Stardust. I absolutely love the story- both the novel itself and the film.
Cast From Stormhold was inspired by the topaz necklace being thrown into the darkening night sky by the Lord of Stormhold on his deathbed as his sons eagerly anticipated hearing which one of them would be named the next lord. I wanted this polish to capture the intense emotions in the room, and Amy did just that perfectly!
The red-leaning purple base is filled with tiny silver glitters, silver glass flecks, and gold flakies. I may have squealed a little bit when I put this on my nails for the first time (ok, ok, A LOT!); this is even better than I had imagined! I used two easy coats and top coat for these swatch photos.
The Magic and Mysteries is scheduled to launch on March 9th. The 8 piece collection consists of 3 holos, 4 glassy fleck shimmers, and 1 matte glitter. They will be available on the Literary Lacquers Etsy shop here. Be sure to follow the Literary Lacquers Facebook page for photos of the remaining polishes from this collection and for shop announcements.

Don't go too far since I have a special Literary Lacquers giveaway coming soon!

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

Wednesday, February 18, 2015

Epically Epic Soap Co. Lip Balm Review

Good evening, dear readers, and happy hump day! We're already closer to the weekend now that it is later in the day. Yay! Of course I'm stressing out about the weekend since the movers will be here in a few days, and I'm about to hit frantic mode to get last minute things tossed in boxes.

For today's post, I wanted to share the new lip balms I bought from Epically Epic Soap Co. on etsy. The shop has released a limited edition Ice Cream Collection, and I HAD to pick up a few of them! Let's check them out!
This was my first purchase from Epically Epic, and I liked the simple but elegant packaging. I'm happy to report that the shipping was very reasonable, and I didn't feel as though I paid an inflated price for nicer packaging. While I do appreciate nice packaging, I don't like having to pay extra for it!
There are a whopping 18 flavor choices in this collection, and I somehow managed to limit myself to 3 flavors. I chose Rainbow Sherbet, Green Tea Mochi, and Root Beer Float.

Oh my goodness, dear readers, I love these balms! They are so smooth and creamy! Unfortunately, my pregnant self cannot handle the Root Beer Float flavor- it is too strong for me, and that is just sad! I can enjoy root beer still, and I love root beer floats, and I'm a little upset I can't enjoy that particular flavor right now. I do really enjoy the other two, and I have one on my desk and the other in my purse as I speak (type?).
These lip balms are also vegan for those of you that use vegan-only products.

All three of these flavors are currently available at the Epically Epic Soap Co. Etsy shop here along with other ice cream flavors and other products. I certainly see more Epically Epic products in my future!

Until next time, dear readers, have a wonderful evening!
XO!




Monday, February 16, 2015

Zoya Delight Swatches and Review

Happy Monday, dear readers! I have no idea where this past weekend went, but I have found myself in yet another week already. We've started the process of moving into the new house, and this week will be filled with finishing up packing and moving the furniture. You're totally jealous, right? ;) It will be nice living in a place that is all ours, and I can't believe it's here!

It has been a beautiful warm day today, and what could be better than the new Zoya Delight collection! Let's do this!

Daisy
What a cheery yellow! I never thought I would see the day that I would say this, but this yellow is my favorite shade from this collection. It is beautiful, and I just love the shimmer! The colour is a little on the sheer side- as is most of this collection for that matter, and I used 3 easy coats for these photos.

Eden
Eden is a nice bright pink cream; I'm personally glad to see a brighter pink in this collection instead of something more pastel. Eden was one of the more densely pigmented polishes from this collection, and I used 2 coats for these swatch photos.

Leslie
This soft lavender shade screams spring! I really love the turquoise flashes in this polish. Unfortunately I couldn't quite capture the flash with my camera, but it is definitely present while on the nails. I used 3 coats for these photos.

Lillian
I love this aquamarine cream shade! It's such a pretty colour; I may have to see if I can come up with some sort of nail art look with it soon! The formula was a little on the thin side so beware of flooding, and I used 3 coats for these photos.

Rayne
Rayne is another great shade in this collection! The turquoise flash is the perfect addition to this polish! I used 3 smooth coats for these photos.

Tiana
When I first heard the name of this polish, my head went immediately to the protagonist of the Disney film, The Princess and the Frog. This pistachio green cream is such a fun colour, and also very appropriate for the season. I used 3 easy coats for these swatch photos.

I'm really loving Zoya's approach to collections right now- a nice mix of finishes and colours that are perfect for spring. Sure, they often have 2 part collections, one in cream and another in a metallic or shimmer or some other finish, but a single 6-piece collection that hits on both feels more manageable and more easily affordable that choosing from 2 sets. I also really like the range in colour depth- some are a little lighter while others are a little more bold. I feel like this collection truly has something for everyone, and I certainly will be rocking it this season!

The Zoya Delight collection is currently available at Zoya.com and in many Ulta locations. Each bottle retails for $9. 

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



Saturday, February 14, 2015

Girly Bits Cosmetics: Harlow & Co Exclusives

Good afternoon, dear readers, and Happy Valentine's Day! I hope you are having a wonderful day, be it celebrating with your sweetie, spending time with friends, or enjoying a little anti-Valentine's day fun! We don't really celebrate Valentine's day at our house, so it's just another busy weekend day here at the Jedi household. I had considered doing a little nail art, but I couldn't quite get the design just right and opted to not bother. Besides, I still have this post to share to finish up my week of Girly Bits Cosmetics! Let's get to it!

For today's post, I have two shades from Girly Bits that are sold exclusively at Harlow & Co. They are currently out of stock on the website, but they should be stocking in the near future- get those wishlists ready! You're going to love these!

From Far and Wide
From Far and Wide is a gorgeous aquamarine holographic polish accented with golden shimmer and blue/green iridescent flakies. Perhaps I am slightly biased being a March baby, but this is definitely in my top five Girly Bits polishes ever! I could tell it was going to be something special when I saw the bottle, but having it on the nails is breathtaking!
The formula of From Far and Wide is perfect- not too thick or thin, and it applied really smoothly. I used two easy coats plus top coat for these photos.

Islands in the Sun
Islands in the Sun is an aquatic green-blue jelly microglitter accented with iridescent and holo microglitter. It is sold as part of the It's 5 O'Clock Somewhere duo with Glam Polish. Islands in the Sun definitely has a tropical feel to it. I am looking forward to sporting it on my toes as I dig them in the sand next time I am at the beach!
Islands in the Sun has a great formula that was easy to work with! I applied two coats plus top coat for these photos. There is still a touch of visible nail line, especially with the bright lights, but I really adore this depth of colour even with vnl.

Both of these shades are absolutely stunning! As I mentioned previously, they are not in stock at the moment, but they should be restocking soon. You'll want to keep an eye on the Harlow & Co Facebook page to find out when they will be available for purchase on the website. You don't want to miss these!

Until next time, dear readers, have a great day and enjoy the rest of the weekend!
XO!

Thursday, February 12, 2015

Girly Bits Cosmetics: St. Patrick's Day Duo Swatches and Review

Good afternoon, dear readers! It's been a little crazy here the past couple of days, but I really wanted to get this post up asap. I'm going to keep the chitchat short and share the polish, which is why you're really here anyway. ;)

For today's post, I have the beautiful new Girly Bits St. Patrick's Day duo to share with you. St. Patrick's Day is usually all about the green and gold, but rather than using the traditional colours, Pam, the mastermind behind the brand, opted to do something a little different. She decided to showcase the holiday with more earthy colours, and they sure are beautiful! Let's check them out!

Is That a Shillelagh In Your Pocket?
Is That a Shillelagh In Your Pocket? is a medium brown holo with an added splash of green-gold shimmer. It is unlike any brown holo shade that I have, and it is my favorite of the two polishes in today's post. I had such a difficult time photographing this shade, and my Photoshop skills are atrocious. It's not quite as "brown" as shown here and looks slightly more taupe in person. The formula is perfectly smooth and easy to work with; I used two coats plus top coat for these photos.

I'm Not As Think As You Drunk I Am
I'm Not As Think As You Drunk I Am is a warm light camel shade loaded with fine gold and green shimmer. The golden shimmer was much more obvious on the nails, but I could still see touches of green on occasion whenever I would move my fingers around. The formula for I'm Not As Think As You Drunk I Am was a little on the thick side, and it made application a little trickier. I had a little bit of thinner patchy areas when I first started to paint my nails, but they filled up easily with a slightly thicker second coat of polish. I'm going to add a drop or two of nail polish thinner to my bottle so it is easier to work with in the future, but I prefer to swatch and review with polish exactly as it arrives. I don't think this particular shade of nude works the best with my skin tone, but it is still a beautiful nude polish! I used two coats plus top coat for these photos.

Both of these polishes will launch on the Girly Bits website of February 16th at 12 noon EST. They will retail for $13 CAD, which is approximately $10.50 USD. 

Be sure to follow Girly Bits on Facebook and Instagram for more swatch and nail art photos and well as shop news! Also, don't forget to enter my Girly Bits 3 year blogiversary giveaway!

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

Tuesday, February 10, 2015

Girly Bits Serendipity: A Peek into the March A Box, Indied

Good morning, dear readers! I hope this post finds you well! I am beyond thrilled to say that I am mostly caught up on swatching after having a busy weekend without power when I actually had time to swatch. Yesterday was a little intense from dealing with bright lights and the glare of a computer screen for hours on end, but HOORAY! I may even get to do some nail art for Valentine's Day yet! That's another post though, so let me focus on the one for today.

If you've been following the indie nail polish world, you have likely seen the monthly subscription box, A Box, Indied, sold by Llarowe. For today's blog post, I present to you Serendipity, the Girly bits polish that will be found exclusively in the upcoming March A Box, Indied. Let's do this!
Serendipity is a pinky-bronzed holographic polish loaded with pink and lavender glitters. It will complement a large range of skin tones beautifully, and it is one of those polishes that can sway directions based on your skin tone. With my naturally tanned olive looking skin, it definitely has a pink lean to it, but others may find it pulls a little more nude. This colour is gorgeous, and it is my current favorite almost nude polish!

The formula of Serendipity was perfect- the application was so smooth, and I had no issues whatsoever with it. I applied two easy coats plus top coat for the swatch photos shown here.

The March A Box, Indied launches on Llarowe on February 26th.

I am off for another busy day! Until next time, dear readers, have a wonderful day!
XO!





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