I'm back!

I've been a pretty lackadaisical blogger for a while now, but I'd like to change that!  I moved house, got a new job, got some chickens and have been working on increasing my fitness level as well, so I let blogging take a bit of a back seat.

I'm hoping to stick to a Tuesday/Thursday posting schedule.  As my polish collection has done nothing but grow lately, I've got even more to share.

Let's start with my current manicure:

I used Zoya's Jaime as a base, and jazzed it up with one of the new Maybelline Brocades, Gilded Rose, and Sally Hansen Glitter Gun from the Rent the Runway collection (see a fantastic overview here: http://nouveaucheap.blogspot.com/2013/08/spotted-new-sally-hansen-limited_22.html).

Application Notes:

• The application of Jaime was very nice; I still had visible nail line at 2 coats, but no streakiness or tricky application, which can be the case with a pastel like this.  
• Gilded Rose is just perfect; opaque in 2 coats, smooth even before you add topcoat, stunning.  I might just buy a backup.
• Glitter Gun was a shot in the dark for me, because a lot of the major brands kind of miss the mark with glitter mixes like this, but I was pleasantly surprised!  Simple application, not too much dabbing to place the glitter, and a free-flowing base that didn't gloop up.

I, much like Wendy Torrance, love pink and gold together. Gorgeous!

Artsy Wednesday: Two Colors

NEONNNN!  

I chose neon yellow (China Glaze Celtic Sun), and a neon pink (Zoya Ali), to create a yellow and neon orange (yay color theory!) saran wrap manicure!  I love this for summer, and it goes nicely with my new Curlformer curlers (which I purchased with my own money).

NEON!

Check out the other Artsy Wednesday bloggers; they all do some pretty gorgeous work (and we have two new participants, Makeup and Masala and Every Little Polish)!

Lab Muffin

Maria's Nail Art

Valiantly Varnished

Unnaked Nails

Nail & Polish

Beauty Gnome

M.A.S.P.O.O.A.S.E
Makeup and Masala
Every Little Polish

Artsy Wednesday: Pastels

Watercolor manicure time! I used Zoya polishes for this beaut, Gaia as the base, and Jaime, Blu and Neely for the watercolor effects.

Watercolor manicures are super easy; dot one-three small dots of polish (straight from the bottle brush) on your painted/topcoated nail, then dab a small brush with pure acetone (no gelatin, no fragrances, no non-acetone; pure acetone is a must for this) on the polish dots. The polish will spread as you continue to dab, creating lovely dreamy watercolor-like dots of color.

Check out the other Artsy Wednesday bloggers; they all do some pretty gorgeous work!

Lab Muffin

Maria's Nail Art

Valiantly Varnished

Unnaked Nails

Nail & Polish

Beauty Gnome

M.A.S.P.O.O.A.S.E

And don't forget, I'm having a major giveaway, including 3 Zoya minis as a prize (Plus an Ulta giftcard, a Sephora giftcard, and a Llarowe giftcard as other possible prizes)!  Click the image below to enter!

Indie Spotlight: Hot Mess Lacquers

*none of the links in this post are affiliate links
Hot Mess Lacquers is a personal favorite for me.  I own a fair number of her line already, and so when I got the opportunity to review polishes for my blog, I jumped at the chance!  Hot Mess Lacquers  was kind enough to provide three polishes for review, and I even got to select one myself, with the other two being surprises.

Unsurprisingly, I love all three. A lot.  I knew I got a Hot Mess package in the mail by the fun neon pink zebra duct tape, but I didn't expect coordinated wrappings for the polishes!  I love these kinds of details, they make getting packages so much fun.

For review, I was given "All Hail the Queen", an Alien movie series reference, "Across the Trailer Park", and "Bourgie Bitch".  I love the Hot Mess labels; they really make a statement, but you can still see the polish in the bottle, it's a great design balance.

Below are the gorgeous swatches:

First off, All Hail the Queen.  I love the Alien movie series, even the terrible 4th movie.  I rarely get into a horror series, but I think the grandeur, the good acting and the quality of the cinematography is beyond compare for these movies.  So, to get a nail polish themed after these movies was extra fun.  What was extra, extra fun?  Discovering that the label was printed in the title font for the Alien movie; such attention to detail is a fantastic example of why I love Hot Mess.

 All Hail the Queen is an olivine jelly with forest green square glitter and golden-orange hexes in at least two sizes.  The coverage is fabulous; the swatches below are 2 coats, no topcoat.

I love the square glitter in this; it's a great departure from the typical hex, and the effect is insecty, lizardy, alien.  It's also appreciable that it's not a grey or black polish; it's not too literal, but it gives the great hidden, haunting, non-human effect that the films provide as well.

Next, Across the Trailer Park.  While I was given All Hail the Queen and Bourgie Bitch as surprises, I chose Across the Trailer Park.  I was looking forward to the deep blue with blue and green hexes, but I had no idea it'd be such a bright, peacocky color that made my nails look like they were covered in sequins!  Below is two coats, no topcoat:

Three thin coats would eliminate all visible nail line, but I didn't mind the hint of it with two coats.  The base is a bright peacock jelly, and the two types of hexes plus the mini blue glitter provide a fantastic finish.  I dabbed this a bit to ensure I got good glitter placement, but the application itself was smooth.  I didn't have to worry about bald patches or dragging at all.

Finally, Bourgie Bitch.  I think I gasped when I saw this one, and I'm so glad Hot Mess Lacquers picked it out to send to me for review.  It's a baby blue base with a pink flash, all with baby blue and rose gold hexes, along with two sizes of golden glitter.  Below is two effortless coats:

This polish is so subtly beautiful.  The dreamy, almost robin-egg blue with the pink flash, the glittering bits of gold adding luxury, oh my nails are so pretty right now!

You could draw some parallels to Revlon Whimsical or Deborah Lippman Glitter in the Air, but this polish is SO MUCH prettier.  I always thought Whimsical looked a little...barfy.  Just the wrong tones together.  Bourgie Bitch, along with being a beautiful full coverage, has a charming pink flash and golden glitter to really round it out as a beautiful polish.

I'm so flattered to have been selected to receive these polishes for review from Hot Mess Lacquers, and I am pleased to say that all three polishes here covered well in two coats, have fabulous glitter combos, and are just a pleasure to apply and wear.  A+!

*All products reviewed here were provided by Hot Mess Lacquers for review.  All opinions are my own.

Artsy Wednesday: Valentines

I used a tape stencil for today's manicure, and even managed to film a quick how-to video!  I went pretty simple with this one, just a heart accent nail, but the tape stencil makes it way, way easier to get an even heart.  I'm definitely no pioneer with this technique, but I do think it's worth showing off!

While I could've gone frou frou fancy with the colors, I stuck to fresh, almost neons, because I am just yearning for some warmer weather.

Check it out:

I'm really honored to be able to participate in Artsy Wednesday, and you should all DEFINITELY check out these other, very talented Artsy Wednesday participants.  

Pretty Purple Polish

Lab Muffin

Maria's Nail Art

Valiantly Varnished

Unnaked Nails

Nail & Polish

Beauty Gnome

Lacquered Lunatic

Artsy Wednesday: Creative with Crackle

I have never owned a crackle polish, until yesterday.  I never actually liked them, but the whole point of my wanting to participate with Artsy Wednesday was to try new things, right?  Right??

I ran out to Sally's to snag one of the China Glaze crackles that are practically always on clearance there, and picked up Haute Metal, a rosy metallic crackle.  I figured "creative" required more than just crackling the whole nail, so I did oblique stripes per nail, over Orly Ingenue.  Thus, a fairly pretty, candylike manicure was born!

Upon staring at my nails and trying to think of other ways I could use crackle, it occurred to me that it looked like a similar texture to a lipstick print.  I may try using this on valentines, to make little lip prints on my nails.  We'll see!

I'm really honored to be able to participate in Artsy Wednesday, and you should all DEFINITELY check out these other, very talented Artsy Wednesday participants.  

Pretty Purple Polish

Lab Muffin
Maria's Nail Art
Polished Genius
Valiantly Varnished
Unnaked Nails
Nail & Polish
Beauty Gnome
Lacquered Lunatic

Swatchfest: Zoya Oranges, Pinks and Reds

I now declare this Zoya week at my blog!  It's gonna be all Zoya, all the time.  I have a whole bunch of Zoya polishes, and I wanted to swatch and photograph them all for you guys.  I did so in a comparison format to show you (and myself) the differences between the colors.  This post will be the oranges, pinks and reds that I own.  On to the swatches!

I've got Pru and Tess to show you first.  Pru is a purpley-pinky, soft dusty color with a gold shimmer in it.  It's a pretty unusual color, and I really like how different it is from the purples or pinks I own.  Tess is a pretty incredible rose metallic that I took a total gamble on buying, as I couldn't find many decent swatches.  Below is a SINGLE coat of Tess!  Incredible!

 Index/Middle: Pru,  Ring/Pinky; Tess

 Next, I've got Rica and Tiffany.  I was a little worried when I bought Tiffany that it would be too similar to Rica, but I was pleasantly surprised as to how different they were.  Rica has much brighter pink and orange tones, while Tiffany is a nice pinkish-gold shimmer.  I think Rica would be a great version of this pinky-orange-gold for the summer, and Tiffany a perfect option for the fall/winter.

 Index/Middle: Rica, Ring/Pinky: Tiffany

I recently discovered that I actually look okay in orange, so I bought a few oranges from Zoya to enjoy.  Kaufda is a reddish copper that is pretty unusual and very, very flattering.  I chose Pia to get a brighter orange that wasn't a neon creme.  I'm not sure how Pia compares to, say, Lianne, Elise, Ginger or Sienna, but I do like how brilliant it looks, and it has a nice shimmer.  I did have visible nail line with 2 coats, I think a third would be in order to make sure that's all covered up.

 Index/Middle: Kaufda, Ring/Pinky: Pia

These next polishes aren't similar at all, so the comparison part of the manicure is kind of moot, but they are both fabulous summery pinks.  Ali is a super neon pink that dries with a rubbery, semi-matte finish (like most neons), while Rory is a metallic lavender-pink that applies like a dream.  I could've easily gotten away with one careful coat for each of these polishes, but I did two to be safe.

 Index/Middle: Ali, Ring/Pinky: Rory

Sparkle pink!  I love both of these sparkly pinks.  Astra is packed with magenta and silver glitter in a clear base; it's kind of amazing how well it covers without being gritty or gummy.  With two coats of Astra, I didn't have any visible nail line.  I swatched it next to Gilda, which is hands-down the best pedicure pink ever.  It's a glassfleck cool-leaning pink that just pops without being a typical neon.  It's a great base color for watermelon nail art too!  The visible nail line in this picture isn't as noticeable in person, but a third coat would eliminate it for sure.

 Index/Middle: Astra, Ring/Pinky: Gilda

Next, the reds!  Jade is the first, a jelly-like red glitter polish.  The glitter is very subtle, but the tint of red is a particularly classic red, so it'd be a good go-to for glamour.

Next we have Nidhi and Reva.  Nidhi is a warm-leaning red with gold/blue microglitter in it.  This color is super hard to capture, as it has a subtlety in its blue flashes and gold shimmer that you probably need to experience in person.  Next is Reva, a darker red with straight gold shimmer, a simpler color but with a bolder impact.

 Index/Middle: Nidhi, Ring/Pinky: Reva

 Index/Middle: Nidhi, Ring/Pinky: Reva, Thumb: Jade

Finally the vampiest of the bunch, Blair and Valerie.  Blair is a deep burgundy with a glowing shimmer that looks just gorgeous, and is going to be perfect for winter drama.  Valerie, probably technically a cool color but very warm-leaning, is possibly one of the greatest polish colors ever, so I saved it for last (best for last and all).  Valerie is a dark purple/burgundy base with gold/silver/possibly some green shimmer to it.  I'm always surprised when I put it on, as to how fascinating a color it is.

 Index/Middle: Blair, Ring/Pinky: Valerie

Check in later this week for the cool-toned Zoyas I have!

Disclaimer: All products for this post were purchased with my own money.  All opinions are my own.

Nail of the Day: OPI DS Extravagance

I love this polish.

DS Extravagance is fairly pretty indoors, a dark purplish garnet color with a little bit of shimmer.  I was actually a little disappointed with it at first, since I put it on in the evening and could only see it by lamplight, where it was a rich, deep color, but totally not summery.

But this morning, when I saw it in the sun? Holy moly!  Just stunning!  Scattered holographic shimmer! Raspberry color!  I'm in love!

Not only that, but this is a single, solitary coat.  It took me 5 minutes to paint my nails, and they were dry in no time with my Out the Door topcoat.  Can't beat that!

I'm hoping to put a gradient over this later, so I'll make sure to post pictures once it's done.

Field Test #1: Milani Digital

Why am I showing you a manicure with a chip in it and dry cuticles? Because I just spent the day stripping wire, wiring sensors, attaching the sensors to experimental trees, and generally crawling around on my hands and knees in the dirt endangering my nails.

I got a new job recently that involves a lot of fieldwork, and I figured it'd be a great opportunity to test out the durability of polishes!  Milani held up really well; that chip on my thumb was in a spot I dented last night after I painted my nails, so field work can't be held entirely responsible.  I used the Julep basecoat and Out the Door topcoat, with 2 coats of Digital between.

I think the Milani 3D line is highly underrated; a beautiful scattered holo polish with a fast dry time and only 2 coats to hide a visible nail line.  I just love them!  Here's a manicure with three other 3D polishes, Hi-tech, Cyberspace and Hi-Res:

GORGEOUS!

I'll be field testing (literally!) different polishes this summer, so stay tuned for durability testing galore!

Jazzing up a manicure with stamping!

Yesterday's manicure was plenty of fun, but I thought it could use a little jazzing up.  I created a Dusk/Dawn look with Salon Express plates SE20 and SE21, putting little setting/rising suns and stars on my nails!  I'm really pleased with how this turned out, I've definitely gotten way better at stamping.  I'll do a full stamping tutorial post someday, but you'll just have to enjoy this pic for today!

Julep Maven June Box and Gradient Manicure!

What's a Julep Maven?  I am!

Morgan, Sandra and Sasha

Julep is a salon on the West Coast that has started selling their own line of nail polish.  They decided a good way to gain a national audience was to set up a monthly subscription service where you pay a flat fee and get nail polish delivered right to your door!  Enabling? Yes.  Fun? DEFINITELY.

 Above is the June It Girl box; I got 3 polishes, a bonus SPF 15 chapstick, and two pixi stix!  I also got a voucher for a free polish, since this is my first monthly box (you start getting the monthly boxes after you get your intro box).  The freebies for newbies seem to change around (a makeup bag was the last one), so if you sign on, you may get a different one!  I paid $19.99 for this box; that's the typical monthly fee, and you get at least $40.00 of product; some styles get 3 polishes, some get 2 polishes and a spa product like lotion, sugar scrubs or cuticle oil.

I did a sponged gradient manicure with Morgan and Sandra, and I love the look!  It reminds me of Lisa Frank folders, and is pretty simple to do.  Zoya has a great tutorial on how to get the look.  I have plenty of pinks in my collection, but I definitely don't have any purples like Morgan!

How do you become a Julep Maven?  Go here: http://julep.com/?r=19631454 and take the style quiz to see what style you are.  You can use the code PENNY or COLORS4ONE to get your first box for $0.01! (taxes may apply for your state)  Monthly boxes cost $19.99 regularly, and you're able to decide to skip or cancel your subscription before the 24th of each month if you sign on.  


When you sign up for Julep Maven, you take a style quiz to see what your personal style is, and you'll be assigned that style for your monthly subscriptions.  My personal style turned out to be Classic With a Twist, but the great thing about Julep is, you aren't locked in to your style.  I liked the It Girl colors better this month, so I just logged in and chose that style for this month!  You can also skip a month, if finances are tight or you just aren't feeling the colors.  It's a pretty great program, flexible and convenient.

Disclaimer: All products in this review were purchased by me.  The Julep link is a referral to the Julep Maven program provided to my by Julep.com.