Revlon Ruby Ribbon

Hey there!  Merry Christmas!

I know I have been totally out of touch, but I've been working like a mad dog at work and I've been too tired to post.  I haven't even done any Christmas shopping, and only two days till Christmas... oh well, it was kind of like this last year too.

Anyhow.   Today, I have a matte suede polish to show you called Ruby Ribbon, #863, by Revlon.  I bought this last year and it sat in my untried pile till now.... crazy.  Below is two coats with no top coat and it dries pretty fast.

The glitter is China Glaze's Party Hearty, from Christmas 2011.   Ruby Ribbon, its a deep, deep ruby color with some silver shimmer in it....sometimes the shimmer kind of makes it look dusty.

Above is with a shiny top coat - Revlon's quick dry.  I think I like it better shiny.

It's okay... not too exciting.

Well, that's it for now.  I somehow have to get back into the swing of things here in nail polish world.

Jessica - Crocodile Crackle

Tonight I have a cool croc-crackle polish to show you from Jessica.  This is called Brown Croc and it is one coat over a sheer called Beautiful.  The two polishes come together as a kit, I found this at Marshalls. 

Above is my left hand and has one THICK coat of brown croc which makes the cracks bigger/wider.

Now here is my right hand with one THIN coat.  This to me looks more crocodile like.  I know I have major tip wear here.  I wore this for three days.  I normally take photos right after painting but lately I've been lazy... and totally thrown off schedule.

The instructions say to wait for the first color to dry before applying the crackle polish...which I did.  I don't know what would happen if you didn't wait... and I noticed this took a bit longer to crack than regular crackle polish too.  When I started to wonder if I got a bad bottle, it started cracking..... cool huh?

Here's what the bottles in the kit look like.

That's it for now, until next time.....

Essence - #116 Gorgeous Bling Bling

Hey there!  Long time, no read!

I apologize for missing in action.  I will explain at the end of this post, but first I have a simple work mani to show you, a nice terracotta with gold flakies from Essence.  This one is called Gorgeous Bling Bling.... below is two easy coats.  I thought this was a nice polish, it stood out in a sea of reds, pinks and neutral nail polishes, yet, is tasteful/respectful.

I got my 8 ml bottle for $1.99 at Ulta.

My husband's mother passed away, in her home, and on her own terms on November 16th. I wasn't going to say anything but decided maybe I should since she let me do a post on her nails last year.  So we travelled down to Florida for her funeral and my husband and I stayed down there for Thanksgiving as well.  Needless to say, I was on the road for two and half days and had spotty internet along with a hectic schedule so... that is where I have been.  Although we are all saddened by her death she is in a better place. 

Well, that is it for now.  Thanks for stopping by.

Sinful Colors - Savage

Hey there!

I have a quick swatch to show you for this weekend.  Savage by Sinful Colors reminds of those polishes that have a rubber-matte like finish.  I didn't have any issues applying this, and the blue is quite bright.  I'm not sure if Sinful intended the finish to dry this way.  Maybe it does dry flat, because is leans neon and some neons dry flat.  Here it is two coats.

I did not add a top coat because I ended up adding an indie glitter on top, called Sea Monster by Priate Polish.  Click here for that post.

If you like mattes, a matte top coat would probably even out the paint. 

That's it for now.  Enjoy.

Reader Recommended Posts & Give Away Winner

Happy Tuesday Morning!!

The Giveaway is finally over and the winner is Christine L. from Steamy Nails!  Lucky!!!

If you didn't win, don't feel bad. I will have another big holiday giveaway coming up soon, with multiple prizes, so keep in touch!

Thank you to everyone who has participated.  I am more than pleased at the turn out and the links that were provided are very nice indeed.  I hope you find these links to be helpful and inspirational. I learned several new things by taking a look at them.  The first half, I sorted the topics by alphabetical order. Then the second half of the list is all nail art related, grouped by design. The very last link is how to make a light box for photographing nails or products.

Check them out and enjoy!

Clean Up Process
http://www.lacquerized.com/2010/02/clean-up-in-6-easy-steps.html

Recommended by Helena at Lacky Corner

http://nailpolishinmyeyes.blogspot.com/search/label/Cuticle%20Clean%20Up

Recommended by Toni Anne Berman

http://polishorperish.blogspot.com/2010/09/how-to-get-that-picture-perfect.html

Recommended by Manicurette

Cuticle Care

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9szl80dRnIs

Recommended by Steamy nails

http://loodieloodieloodie.blogspot.ca/search/label/Cuticle%20Care

Recommended by Jenn, Paperbacks and Polish

Cuticle Cream – Badger

http://nouveaucheap.blogspot.com/2012/07/my-new-holy-grail-cuticle-product.html

Recommended by Michele

Filing and Shaping Nails

http://loodieloodieloodie.blogspot.hk/search/label/Nail%20Files

Recommended by Elizabeth

Nail Care for Long and Healthy Nails

http://www.makeupveda.com/tutorials/item/134-nail-problems-?-here-are-some-tips-for-long-and-healthy-nails

Recommended by Lulu

Nail Polish Bubbles

http://thebeautydepartment.com/2012/04/avoiding-nail-polish-bubbles/

Recommended by Angelica Ng

Nail Polish Finishes by Type

http://www.lacquerized.com/2010/04/finish-it-up.html  

Recommended by Lacquer Tracker

Soybean based Nail Polish Remover

http://irelishnailpolish.blogspot.com.es/2012/10/soy-nail-polish-remover-by-karma.html

Recommended by Criminal Nails

Nail Art tutorial

http://nailside.blogspot.nl/2012/09/tutorial-vertical-lightning-bolt.html

Recommended by Cait

http://www.thebudgetfashionista.com/archive/bow-nail-manicure/

Recommended by Lulu

http://www.lucysstash.com/2012/06/ladybirdladybug-manicure-with-tutorial.html

Recommended by Aylin Leto

Galaxy Nails

http://pinterest.com/pin/86131411593719354/

Recommended by Calli

Nail Art Gradient

http://manicuriously.blogspot.com/2012/05/ombre-with-fizzy-pop.html

Recommended by Abby

http://www.thenailasaurus.com/2012/04/gradient-nails-picture-tutorial.html

Recommended by Sharon

Glitter Gradient

http://pshiiit.com/2011/11/05/video-tuto-pshiiit-se-degrade-avec-essie-et-opi/

Recommended by Ruth

Make your Glitter Mani Super Smooth

http://idrinknailpolish.blogspot.com/2011/10/tip-tuesday.html

Recommended by Drastic Actions

Epic Comparison of all Indie Black and White Glitter As of 05/12

http://www.chalkboardnails.com/2012/05/ultimate-black-and-white-glitter.html

Recommended by the Sneakerette

Water Marbling FAQ: Filtered vs. Tap Water, Room Temp. vs. Cold

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wZFJubfWGWg&list=SP4B6CE9EFF85ED1C1&index=16&feature=plpp_video

Recommended by Funkiichicka

What Works Best for Stamping
http://www.ooohshinies.com/2011/09/how-to-mix-and-match-for-stamping.html

Recommended by Alison G

How to Make a Light Box for Photography

http://www.chalkboardnails.com/2012/03/intermediate-nail-photography-lightbox.html

Recommended by Tami McTaggart

Pirate Polish - Sea Monster

Hello out there!!!

Tonight I have another indie glitter to show you, from Pirate Polish called Sea Monster.  Sea Monster is an aqua glitter with some holographic square glitter and matching jumbo hex glitters.  Maybe the jumbo glitters are the monsters in the sea of aqua glitter, which could represent all the plastic trash swirling around in the real ocean.. maybe? 

Well to me, looks like crushed crystals.  It's really pretty, very sparkly, I never once thought of monsters or swirling trash, or seaweed or what ever the heck else is in the sea.... anyhow.  I wore this over three different polishes, so hang on, this is going to be a pic heavy post, and I'll keep the text to a minimum. 

One coat over Sinful Colors Savage

One coat over one of my frankens...

I tried a glitter gradient here, over one of my frankens, I'll post later.

Bottle shot here.

Over a lavender, Sugar Plum Fairy by Funky Fingers.

Artsy photo, I thought the lighting was interesting here. 
Also over Sugar Plum Fairy, click two posts back for a swatch.

Do you like???  I do!!!

The jumbo glitters stick out, but they all do.  Just slap a thick, thick coat of top coat over it and it will be fine.

Pirate Polish is made by the very talented Lacquer Tracker, she has a blog and and etsy store.  Check it out here.  Oh, and her Christmas glitters are out now.

Thanks for stopping by!

Ruffian Gone Wrong

Hey Guys!

I really love this color combo, but need to find another way to wear it.  Rose gold with Tiffany blue.... I tried to do a ruffian with Anise's Wildcat and China Glaze's For Audrey.  Maybe Wildcat wasn't thick enough?  I don't know....

Below is one coat of Wildcat.

I wasn't impressed with Wildcat's formula, it was actually kind of sticky and I kept pulling the paint off with my brush... goes on like a pastel.  One stroke and leave it alone, can't go back over painted areas or else it just pulls off and clumps.  Anyone tried anything from Anise?  They're available at DSW shoe warehouse for $6 a bottle, but they are always BOGO 1/2 off.  This is my first bottle from them. 



You MUST CLICK ON THE VIDEO, before you leave, it is only 3 seconds long!

NO H8 - Funky Fingers - Sugar Plum Fairy

Wow, I did, three posts in the span of 36 hours!  I don't want to miss out on supporting No H8. Luckily I have the day off from work to join in!  Here is a nice lavender with gold shimmer from Funky Fingers, the same company as Color Club.  There should be a Color Club dupe to Sugar Plum Fairy.  Two coats.

In this photo, the gold shimmer is more apparent.

Now it is obvious why bullying should not be tolerated, and the person that started this mess should understand why people start blogs and why people read them.  Part of it is getting away from picture perfect magazines and to see how real women, in real life, wear and interpret fashion and what not.  Everyone has a special talent that they bring to the table, and if the "clean up or die" group can look past messy cuticles then maybe they might be able to see where someone's strengths are.  AND hey if you can't stand to look at messy cuticles then just click off.

The main reason why I support No H8 is because we should move towards a kinder world and it starts with being kind to each other, tolerating differences, and embracing diversity.  When we keep moving forward and evolving, culture changes for the better.  Bullying used to be though of as a rite of passage, wearing eyeglasses was not attractive, and smoking indoors was the norm... Not anymore.  It is amazing where we can go when we have an open mind and do the right thing.  Even when the right thing is not popular.  Luckily anti-bullying is popular.

Speaking of cruelty, Color Club and Funky Fingers is one of the few nail polish companies endorsed by leapingbunny.org - an organization that endorses cruelty free cosmetics.  Some people will say we "need" to test on animals, or we will end up testing on humans.  Well we do/did test on humans and we were barbaric with that too, just look at the Tuskegee trials in Alabama back in the 60's and 70's, and that is not an isolated incident.   If we (us nail polish consumers.. consumers in general) don't start to demand that cruel practices stop, it will continue.  The manufactures will not find other methods of testing if we don't demand that they stop the cruelty. The market will meet the demands of customers or go out of business.  Cruelty free for a kinder world for humans, animals and the eco-system.  No more bullying, human to human kindness will hopefully translate to human to animal kindness and human to eco-system kindness.  That's the message we need to send.

I first heard about No H8 here.

China Glaze - Jolly Holly

Hey there lovely ladies!!!

Another quicky, but beautiful swatch to show you today.  This is Jolly Holly from last year's China Glaze's Holiday Collection.  Two coats with Revlon's Quick Dry top coat.

Isn't it a gorgeous blackened, shimmery, green?  Must HAVE!

If you missed the blue version of this click to yesterday's post, here.

OPI - Unfor-Greta-bly Blue

Post Election nails!

I decided to wear blue to mark the occasion of President Obama being re-elected.  So here is OPI's Unfor-Greta-bly Blue, from the Germany Collection... a royal blue with blackened shimmer, along the same lines as Germanicure and Oktoberfest.  The formula is a little thin, but builds nicely, and dried uber smooth.  I did three coats.  The top coat is Out the Door.

Under florescent light.

Under halogen light.

A very nice, fall, wintery blue to have in a collection.

That's it for now!

GIVEAWAY! One Year Anniversary!

Hey everyone!

I'm hosting a small giveaway to celebrate my one year anniversary, which is November 7th!  I certainly have grown quite a bit in a year.  I've met some wonderful people, improved my photography skills and have stopped biting my nails... I think permanently, because I don't have the urge anymore.   So far, I am not bored; none in the least.  I am still excited to read other bloggers' posts and I am constantly amazed at the talent and creativity out there.  So what I'm trying to say is, that you can still count on me to continue to post nail and nail polish related content through 2013.

I've amassed 92 wonderful followers in a year and this is my first giveaway.  Seeing as I don't have many followers and about 300 hits a day, there's a better chance than most,  that if you enter this giveaway, you'll win.

Rules First:

This giveaway is open internationally, but I can not ship to Mexico, Central America, South America, Russia, the Middle East and Africa.  I know... I'm very sorry, (insurance reasons).

Requirements:

You must be a GFC follower, or follow via Bloglovin.

You must leave a link in the comments section to a nail related blog post or you tube video that you have found helpful.  It can be a how-to, nail and hand care, product review, etc.  Please also include what the post or video is about.

Dates:
Starts now.  Ends November 12, 2013, eastern standard time, midnight.  I will announce the winner on Tuesday morning.

Prize:

OPI DS Magic, OPI DS Opulence, Badger Shea Butter Cuticle Care Balm (USDA organic!), 2 Revlon Crystal Files.

Good LUCK!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Halloween Night! China Glaze - Ghoulish Glow

Yep, yep... everyone is out trick or treatin and I'm at home posting..... a Halloween mani from hell.

Does this look scary?  No... oh, okay.

Happy Halloween!!!

Here is three coats of Ghoulish glow all by itself.  It is translucent, kind of foggy looking.



And in the DARK!  The more coats you put on the higher the glow intensity.

Then I added some nail wraps.  These were a total bitch to put on right!  I'm not doing this again.

You can go ahead and tell me - "Ummm, Jenni, this looks like a five year old did your nails.."
Go ahead.  I won't be offended.  I might get defensive, but I won't be offended.  Plus my hands look terribly dry!  I'm cringing!

Horrible, horrible, horrible.  It took me an hour and half to apply these wraps and there was no way this was going to be wrinkle free.  The cashier at Sally's warned me that they were horrible.  She advised me not to go all the way to the edge because of peeling issues.  Well they started peeling at the cuticles instead.  On top of it, after apply Seche Vite, the entire nail wrap just start to pucker.  Testament to the Seche Vite shrinkage theory.

Here they are in the dark!  Neat, huh?

I painted black tips to hide all the wrinkling at the tips, which worked out okay.
But they still look bad to my standards.

In the dark again.

See the puckering from Seche? 
Black tips are Sinful Colors Black on Black.... an excellent black to own, I might add.

Here are my nails without the bottle so you can see how they really glow.

Well that's it for now!  I hope everyone is having a nice time tonight. 

Thanks for all the caring comments in previous post.  My hubby, animals and I survived the storm.  All of us are intact, no damage to anything or anyone.  I am content indoors with electricity and heat!  There are many things to be grateful for right?

Go Pink Wednesday - Candeo Colors - Melonball

The last pink Wednesday!

This is going to be a short post... This is one coat of melonball sandwiched between two coats of Orly's Rose Colored Glasses. 

Have a looksie.

I am so grateful to have been able to participate in Go Pink Wednesday.  It was fun sharing with all of you wonderful ladies!

Happy Halloween!

I have a Halloween mani I may try to post later today.  We shall see.  Yea for electricity and heat!

Funky French with Bare Bones and Brownstone

Hey there!

I don't know if I'll be around the next couple of days.  Hurricane Sandy is suppose to make landfall tomorrow morning and I'll probably be out of power, thus no Internet....   so God help us!  The grocery stores have been ransacked and there was crowd at Lowes madly grabbing at the generators.  There were three large stacks (36 generators) and I looked at them, walked away, got some outlet covers. (I'm painting a spare bedroom.) When I came back, my husband says.. "Look! One whole stack is gone already!!!"

So I said, "Do you want to get one?"  (They were $649).

He answered, "What's the wattage output?"  What kind of answer is that?  Silly goose!

"Beats me?"  I said back to him.... I think he started panicking because the crowd was, then he started to frantically read the side of the boxes.  I can see how the panic is contagious.  I started hoarding canned ravioli at the grocery store, just because other people were hoarding food too.  I put a few back.

Well, we didn't get one.  I hope we don't regret it, but I can live without electricity for a day or two and the environment might feel a little relief if some of us can actually stop burning some fossil fuels for a day.  I really start to get concerned when the water gets shut off.  The last time that happened was 2003, with Hurricane Isabelle.  Well we have two, 50 gallon rain barrels so we can at least flush the toilets.

Anyhow, I leave you with this funky french to have a gander at.

There's Bare Bones, my most visited swatch.

Bottle shot of Brownstone.

Revlon's Bare Bones is my number one, most visited post of all time, which amazes me.  It is a nice color and all but the formula is not the best.  It's from the colorstay collection which I have come to conclusion that the extra cost is not justified.  I don't think it lasts longer than regular polish and they take forever to dry.  Plus they don't work very well with my China Glaze top coat.  I had some bubbling issues (after applying top coat) and the paint started to run all over the place too (also, after I applied top coat).  I forgot I should have used the Revlon quick dry top coat instead.  Oh well...

Brownstone is from last year's China Glaze Metro collection.  Don't be a smart ass and ask me uptown or downtown because I don't think that matters. haha  Anyways, its a nice rusty brown and the formula on that is superb.  My bottle has been sitting around for over a year and I didn't have to shake it, it still looks new.  Where as bare bones,on the other hand, the pigments were separating and it needed a good shaking and inversion for a couple of hours before I decided I could paint with it.

Soooo, if your in the Mid-Atlantic or Northeastern U.S.,  (Shout out in the comments section!)  I will be hunkering down to ride out the storm with you.

Otherwise, I'll see you after the storm passes and the sun comes back out!

Orly - Mermaid Tale

Happy Friday!

Today's post is going to be picture heavy because I had such a hard time capturing the allure of Mermaid Tale, a glitter from Orly's Flash Glam Fx Collection.  Mermaid Tale has green holographic hex glitters mixed with green micro glitter. It really sparkles and flashes aqua, yellow and orange in real life.  I decided to layer one coat over Kiko 374.  Either my skin looks gross or the glitters look flat...  Take a look.

Indirect sunlight.

Lots of aqua flashes.

Yellow shows up on the middle finger.

Pinky finger is clear in this photo.

My skin looks gross but here is a nice shot at the bottle.

I've had this bottle since June and am now just getting to it!  Too many bottles, such little time! I think this would look really pretty over a light blue polish....hmmmm for spring!  Or over a red for Christmas!

Thoughts?

Kiko - 374 - Dark Brown Shimmer

Hey guys!

Today I'm going to show you a wonderful nail polish from Kiko, a brand we can't get here in the U.S. The lovely M over at Criminal Nails and I had an awesome swapping experience. Apparently the prices of OPI and China Glaze are out of control in Europe, and I'm always drooling at swatches of Catrice, P2, Anny and Kiko, so I think we are grateful to have become swapping buddies!

Here is Kiko, number 374, a dark blackened brown shimmer.  Gorgeous color and gorgeous formula to match.  If you can be consistent at painting each nail with a thick coat, this could be a one coater.... but I'm not, so this is two coats.  You can't tell, but my pinky and ring fingers are one coat.  Kiko is made in France, by the way; it's nice to see something not made in China for once, not that I expected it to be.... anyhow.

Below is what M chose for me, she has really good taste.  Kiko 374, 363, 362, 300.

Before you leave today, I urge you to go and check out Criminal Nails!  M is brutally honest and her designs are bold.  By day, she's a lawyer, and in her off time, I think she's kind of a misfit. I have a feeling if she lived in America she would drive a Mustang and have a Harley in the garage. She makes it a point not to be an advertising machine for nail polish manufacturers and showcases her style and shares her ideas.  I can truly appreciate that and find it refreshing.

Well, that's it for today.  Thanks for stopping by!

Go Pink Wednesday - Zoya - Alegra

Hey there!

It's time to honor Breast Cancer Awareness again!  I'm wearing a special, sparkly, fuchsia, metallic foil polish; Alegra from Zoya.  Below is two coats.

Alegra totally reminded me of Ahoy... but my memory is obviously foggy.  As you can see below they are totally different.

A very good place to learn about breast cancer is from the American Cancer Society. http://www.cancer.org/cancer/breastcancer/index?ssSourceSiteId=null 

All of the information provided there is from experts in the field, up to date and peer reviewed.
Muy importante!

Well that's it for now!  Add your post below!