NOTD: Matte Tips

Matte Tips

Here is a quick nail of the day post featuring Essie Matte About You topcoat.  I also used Sinful Colors Black on Black polish and Fing’rs Heart 2 Art Nail Art Striping Tape.  This is a great idea for a night out.  I think that this is a very sleek look with the glossy black nails and the matte black tips.  This is a great special occasion look for those who aren’t fans of nude or light shades, but still want elegant nails with a little bit of a harder edge to them.  The gold striping tape is a great touch for a bit of bling that is still very classy.  You can definitely do matte tips with any shade of polish, but I really love the way it looks with black polish.  It has a “black tie” vibe to me that I like very much.  I hope that you do too.

Matte Tips

Matte Tips

I am hoping to get some Holiday nail looks up soon so that you can start planning ahead.  Though, I have to admit that my nails are thrashed from packing.  Things are progressing steadily with the move.  We found a new place that we are very excited about and signed the paperwork today.  Technology is a wonderful thing.  We were able to take care of everything from the opposite coast, with no trouble.  All that’s left is to notify our billing agencies and utilities about our move and to finish packing.  We have about two and a half weeks, and then we leave North Carolina for California.  Thanks for your patience during this process.  I am posting as often as I can with everything going on.  I will keep you updated on what you can expect as we get closer to go-time.  🙂

NOTD: Happy Halloween Mani

Halloween Mani

Hey everyone, today I have a quick Nail of the Day post to share with you.  This is my Happy Halloween manicure.  I think it looks adorable, and am really happy with it.  The best part is that it took no time at all to do, which is great because, as you know, right now no time is exactly what I have.  My nails are pretty short right now because of packing and whatnot, (I also apologize for the sad state of my nails and cuticles, but you know how it is) and I think this works really well for short nails.  I used Sinful Colors Citrine and Black on Black for the polish, and topped them with water decals from Born Pretty.

 

Halloween Mani Water Decals

Here are close ups of the water decals.  You can find them here at bornprettstore.com (For 10% off on regular priced items, use coupon code BBBK31.) They are super cute, and they took minutes to apply.  I’m really getting the hang of water decals now, and I love how easy they are.  Obviously, it’s too late to order for this year, but keep them in mind for next year.  If you want to achieve a similar look, I believe I saw that Kiss has some Halloween themed nail stickers at Walgreens for $2.99.

Halloween Mani

Here is a look at both hands.  It’s not the most complicated manicure I’ll ever do, (or frankly, the neatest, lol) but I like it.  It’s perfect for something last minute before Friday gets here.  Speaking of, I am happy to say that my costume is all set with a couple days to spare.  Yay!  No last-minute running around this year.  It’s our last year here in NC with my niece, so the Hubs and I are going over to my sister’s house.  We are all dressing up and taking the kids Trick-or Treating.  I’m going to be a Fall Fairy with a gigantic tu-tu, ’cause that’s how I roll. 😉  How about you?  What are you doing for Halloween?  Are you dressing up?  Let me know in the comments below.

EOTD: Simple Fall Eye with the Sleek Sunset Palette

Simple Fall Eye with the Sleek Sunset Palette

Here is a simple transitional Fall eye look, using the Sleek Sunset Palette.  I tend to wear neutrals and golds in the Summer, and then move toward orange reds and greens in the Fall.  So, in September, I like to bridge the gap with warm looks like this that are subtle, but still have the warmth of those Fall colors.  My back is still giving me problems, and I am kind of bored, so I pulled out my Sleek Sunset palette and the new Crown Brush that I received in my Ipsy bag and decided to play.

Sleek Sunset Palette

These are the three colors that I chose to use.  I laid down the soft peachy-pink first.  Then deepened the outer corner a little with the plum-brown shade and carried it down to the bottom lash line.  I wedged some of the cranberry lightly in the crease to warm everything up, but wanted to keep it very subtle.  I used the pencil brush side of the Crown Brush to lightly smudge some of the black shadow for eyeliner.  For some reason, the shades are hard to tell apart in the pictures, but you can definitely see more definition in real life.

Simple Fall Eye with the Sleek Sunset Palette

I think it is a good transitional eye that is so simple to do.  It literally took a few minutes for the whole thing, brows, mascara, and all.  I am surprisingly really loving the new brush that Ipsy sent me.  I don’t like dual ended brushes, but this one is really good.  The pencil brush side comes to a stiff point, and the shader side has an unusual shape that hugs the eye socket and is quite effective.  At any rate, here is my Eye of the Day (even though I’m not going anywhere).  I hope that you like it.

Mini Zipper Patterned Water Decals fom BPS

Mini Zipper Patterned Water Decals

I am loving these Mini Zipper Patterned Water Decals that I received from the Born Pretty Store.  I have several reviews of their products up now, so be sure to click on the Born Pretty Store link under “Categories” on the right hand side of the blog to see all the items that I have received from Born Pretty and how they worked for me.  The cool zipper pattern set is an item that I have been eying since BPS first contacted me in June, so I am glad that I am finally getting a chance to review it.  Read on to see my thoughts.

Mini Zipper Patterned Water Decals

This item is the Mini Zipper Patterned Water Decals, but there are similar zipper patterned water decals that Born Pretty sells.  The Fashion Zip Fastener Zipper Water Decals are also available.  They are a little different than these ones.  I chose the Mini Zipper Patterned Water Decals because they have both the gold and black zippers on one sheet, so they are a little more versatile.  The black ones really inspired my playful side.  I love zipper patterns, and the subtle punk vibe they offer.  I had to give these decals a try.

Mini Zipper Patterned Water Decals

This is my third attempts at using water decals, and this time around it could not have been easier.  If you have been reading along, you know that the previous two attempts have been a little tricky, but that was not the case here at all.  If you aren’t sure what water decals are, they are basically temporary tattoos for your nails.  They arrive with a clear plastic sheet over the designs that you remove.  Then cut out the design you want, soak the designs in water, peel away the paper backing, and stick them on your nails.  You need to take your time because the paper backing needs to be soaked through.  You will know when the decals are ready to be applied when they slide off the paper backing with ease.  You do need to be careful placing them on the nail because, although they don’t easily tear, they can get wrinkled up and fold onto themselves.  It is nearly impossible to unfold them once they are stuck to themselves that way, so use some tweezers to help yourself out.  Once on your nails they can slip around a little while they are still wet, so press them down once they are placed, and then don’t touch them until they are completely dry.  I had absolutely no issues whatsoever.  These decals were a snap to use and took no time.  These smaller designs are so much easier to use than the full nail decals that I have used in the past.  I highly recommend that beginners start with smaller patterns like these.

Mini Zipper Patterned Water Decals

Since I’m not a young whippersnapper anymore, I didn’t want to go too wild and crazy with the punk zippers.  I actually love the subtlety of the zippers against the staid bluish background.  The base color here is Zoya Bevin from the 2012 True Spring Collection, and the contrast accent color is Sinful Colors Athens from the 2012 Castaway Collection.  The combination is a little bit more sophisticated, but still fun.  I love the look.  I really, really love it.  I am definitely getting more of these Mini Zipper Patterned Water Decals and will probably get the Fashion Zipper Decals as well, which I think are more of a metallic finish.  If you like zipper accents, then these are the bomb dot com.  The only negative thing I have to say, and it’s a nit-picky thing, is that I don’t love how some of the zipper pulls cut off.  It’s fine for the longer designs that end at your nail’s edge, but that’s not possible with all of the designs.  I would have preferred full zipper pulls on more of the designs, but again, that’s being really nit-picky.  These decals are great.

Mini Zipper Patterned Water Decals

The Mini Zipper Patterned Water Decals are priced at $1.68 on the BPS website.  Their prices are usually pretty good.  As I’ve mentioned in previous reviews, the Born Pretty Store is located in China, so shipping will take two to three weeks.  On the upside, shipping is free worldwide with no minimum purchase amount, and orders ship within 24 hours.  Check out their website bornprettstore.com, or facebook page for more details.  For 10% off any regular priced items from the website, use coupon code BBBK31.  I have been pleased with all of the items Born Pretty has sent me for review, but these Mini Zipper Patterned Water Decals may be my favorite.  They were just so easy to use, and they look great.  I am sold, and definitely recommend them.

FTC Disclosure: The product reviewed in this post was provided to me for free by Born Pretty Store for consideration.  This does not guarantee a positive review, and my thoughts on these products are 100% honest.  No other type of compensation was accepted.

BPS Nail Art Decoration Wheel of Round Rhinestones

BPS Round Rhinestones

I have another nail art review for you, thanks for the Born Pretty Store.  I have several reviews of their products up now, so be sure to click on the Born Pretty Store link under “Categories” on the right hand side of the blog to see all the items that I have received from Born Pretty and how they worked for me.  Today, I am reviewing the Nail Art Decoration Wheel of Round Rhinestones.  This product was sent to me for free.  I am not usually one who goes for bling on my nails, but I decided to step out of my comfort zone and give these rhinestones a try.

BPS Nail Art Decoration Wheel of Round Rhinestones

The official name of this particular wheel is the 90Pcs/Box Nail Art Decoration Wheel Acrylic UV Gel Round Rhinestone (9 Sizes) and you can follow the link to the product page.  Born Pretty has hundreds of stones and studs in very shape, size, and color imaginable, but I chose to start out simple.  Like I said, this is a departure from the norm for me.  I was concerned that the stones would be difficult to apply or that I would find them too large or annoying to wear.  I am not a texture girl when it comes to my nails, but I was pleasantly surprised.

BPS Nail Art Decoration Wheel of Round Rhinestones

The BPS Nail Art Decoration Wheel of Round Rhinestones contains 9 different sizes, from very small to decently large.  What’s great about the rhinestones is that you don’t have to just use them on your nails.  You can also, for instance, apply them to your lash line or the corner of your eyes with lash glue for a dramatic eye look.  Another option would be a rhinestone birthmark on your cheek for a costume look.  Stepping away from beauty for a moment, you could even use the rhinestones in craft projects.  While I will probably never dip into the larger half of this wheel for my nails, I can still get use out of all the sizes in various ways.  They are clear, silver backed rhinestones, good for several different uses.

BPS Round Rhinestones

I thought the rhinestones were very easy to apply.  I didn’t even need nail glue.  I topped my nails with a coat of Seche Vite and pressed the rhinestones in to the top coat.  I recommend using tweezers on the small stones because it’s hard to get your fingers around them.  I used the smallest stones on all my nails, and stones from the third and fourth slot for the ring finger.  Though I was worried about how far the stones would stick up out of my nails, I didn’t need to be.  The smallest stones hardly stick up at all.  As you get larger, the stones will have more height, but I don’t find them obtrusive.  Do keep in mind, though, that I all of the stones that I used are very small.

BPS Nail Art Round Rhinestones

Here are some more shots and the close ups an give you a good idea of how far the stones stick up off the nail.  I used Wet n Wild Blue Wants to be a Millionaire for my polish.  I will definitely use the BPS Nail Art Decoration Wheel of Round Rhinestones again.  I am actually really surprised at how much I like the look.  I have been wearing them for a few days, and so far so good.  They seem really secure, with just a topcoat of Seche Vite (before and after).  I’m sure with actual nail glue, they would have even more longevity for you gel nail ladies.  I can’t really think of any negatives.  The Nail Art Decoration Wheel of Round Rhinestones is a good product.

Born Pretty Store

The Nail Art Decoration Wheel of Round Rhinestones are on sale right now for $3.49 and, in general, Born Pretty has some very good prices on nail products.  You should know that the Born Pretty Store is located in China, so shipping takes a long while.  Plan on two to three weeks.  On the upside, shipping is free worldwide with no minimum purchase amount, and orders ship within 24 hours.  Check out their website bornprettstore.com, or facebook page for more details.  For 10% off any regular priced items from the website, use coupon code BBBK31.  I am enjoying exploring nail art with the items the Born Pretty Store sent to me, and have a couple more to review.

FTC Disclosure: The product reviewed in this post was provided to me for free by Born Pretty Store for consideration.  This does not guarantee a positive review, and my thoughts on these products are 100% honest.  No other type of compensation was accepted.

 

EOTD: Sweet Valentine’s Look

Sweet Valentine’s Look

Friday is Valentine’s Day and my husband, who couldn’t wait, gave me an early Valentine’s present with the Maybelline Master Hi-Light blush in Mauve.  I’ve had the blush and one of the bronzers for about a week now, and will be doing a full review later this week.  In the meantime, though, I wanted to post this Eye of the Day.  I loved the colors in Mauve, and thought that they would make really beautiful eyeshadows.  I had planned on doing a golden-pink Eye of the Day for a soft Valentine’s Day look anyway, and this fit really well for that.  I played around a little and took pictures to post.  The lighting is a little warmer than usual because it was starting to get dark outside and I had to use indoor lighting.  I hope you enjoy.

Maybelline Master Hi-Light blush in Mauve

This is Mauve.  I’m a sucker for pretty things, and I could not resist.  I’m on a limited “no-buy” for the year because of our move, so I didn’t want to buy them for myself, but I kept talking about them.  The Hubs listened, and he got me Mauve and Deep Bronze.  They are so pretty!  I have been using Mauve everyday since I got it, but need to play with Deep Bronze a little more before the review.

Sweet Valentine’s Look

For the eye look, I applied the golden shade all over the lid, followed by the light champagne shade to the brow bone and the inner corner.  I used the cranberry shade in the crease, which was pretty warm, so I applied the dark mauve shade over it do deepen it up and give it some dimension.  This look is supposed o be sweet and light for those who don’t do smoky eyes and I think that it works really well for that.  This is totally appropriate for day to night if you are going out right after work for drinks with the girls or dinner with your sweetie.

Sweet Valentine’s Look

I lined my eyes with a combo of black and brown shadow just go give my eye some definition and darken my lash line.  You can definitely do more with liner, but again, I wanted to keep it sweet and simple.  I use Maybelline the Rocket mascara.

Sweet Valentine’s Look

I hope that you like the look.  I am planning to do a bolder, darker Valentine’s look later this week, but it depends on how the weather treats me.  I use natural light for my pictures, so if it’s dark outside, I have a hard time getting good shots.  We are having a winter storm for the next couple of days, so I’ve got my fingers crossed that I can get a look up.  I know the lighting in these shots was different than usual, but was it alright?  I’d really appreciate the feedback on that.  I don’t want to do a EOTD or a tutorial if you can’t really see it, so let me know in the comments below what you think.

E.l.f. Glitter Nail Polish in Dream Maker

e.l.f. Glitter Nail Polish in Dream Maker

Today I have a quick review of e.l.f. Glitter Nail Polish in Dream Maker.  And, since Punxsutawney Phil predicted 6 more weeks of winter for Groundhog Day yesterday, I figured that I’d incorporate Dream Maker into a quick winter nail look.  First, the review.  There are seven shades in the Glitter polish line.  According to e.l.f.: “Accent your manicure with dazzling Glitter Nail Polish. Each glitter top coat features different glitter effects for a range of sparkling options that best reflect your personal style. The bristle design glides color on flawlessly, and quick dry formula gives perfect application every time. Key nutrients infused with Vitamin E for stronger, healthier nails.”  E.l.f. polishes are free of Toluene, Formaldehyde, and Dibutyl Phthalate (DBP).

e.l.f. Glitter Nail Polish in Dream Maker

Dream maker is a clear base with holographic glitter in two sizes, small round glitter and larger hexagon glitter.  At first I thought the smaller glitter was silver, but on the nail you can see that they too are indeed holographic.  The glitter does a really good job of flashing a wide range of colors when it hits the light in the right way.  You can definitely see greens and blues, as well as reds and yellows.  The formula is long-wearing and quite good for only a $2 polish.  I’ve gotten a solid 5-7 days of wear, so it’s a good topcoat in and of itself.  The larger hex glitters are decently populated for even application.  I didn’t feel the need to “place” them, but sticklers for evenness may still want to.  All in all, it’s a really good polish.

Dream Maker over NYX Fig

In light of out recent snowfall (I’m in NC),  I opted to do this winter nail look to reflect snow at night.  This is two coats of Dream Maker over NYX polish in Fig.  I could have gotten away with one coat of Dream Maker for a more subtle look, but I wanted to really sparkle.  I also feel like two coats is populated enough that I don’t have to place the glitter for it to look even enough for me.  I definitely recommend Dream Maker, as well as the rest of e.l.f.’s Glitter Nail Polish line.

Essie For the Twil of It

Essie For the Twil of It

I am really trying not to buy anymore nail polish because I have so many, and for the most part I’ve been successful.  But, when I saw Essie For the Twil of It from the Fall 2013 collection I had to have it.  The only Essie nail polishes I own are the special effects top coats, so they aren’t regular polishes.  I wanted to try Essie and I’m a real sucker for duochromes.  I resisted Essie For the Twil of It for about a month, but I finally caved and am glad that I did.

Essie For the Twil of It is a really beautiful metallic steely gray that shifts from teal to purple.  There is an iridescent shimmer that can be seen in the sun.  It is much darker than WnW Gray’s Anatomy, and Essence Where’s the Party which is also more purple.  It is a dead-on-dup for OPI Peace & Love & OPI, but I’m not a fan of OPI’s formula, so I passed on that one. I definitely think the shade is a must-have for this Fall.

I am loving the formula of Essie For the Twil of It.  It’s metallic, so I did worry about streaking, but Essie seems to level itself out.  It looked a little streaky in application, but it fixed itself after a minute.  Now that’s quality!  I could have gotten away with just one coat because the opacity is really great, but I usually do two, so that’s what I did this time.  I topped with Seche Vite.  I painted my nails Monday night, and now it’s Thursday and there are no chips.  My nails chip pretty fast, so I am really pleased with the longevity.  (I used CND Sticky Base Coat, which may have something to do with it too.)  Pardon the nick on my ring finger.  That one was my fault and I was too lazy to fix it.  You know how it is.

Essie For the Twil of It- direct Sunlight

Here is a shot in the sun where you can see the shimmer come out of that steely gray.  It will go so well with the wine and berry lip colors that are trending for Fall.  All in all, I am very pleased with Essie For the Twil of It, and I’m glad that I broke my ban on buying nail polish for this one.  For the Twil of It get’s my stamp of approval and I think you should check it out.  Essie is available at drugstores, Ulta, and Target.

NOTD: Gummy Green

Hard Candy Gummy Green

It’s been ages since my last nail of the day post.  Last week in my “Spotted” post, I showed you the huge collection of Hard Candy polishes that came out this year.  The polishes that really caught my eye were the Candy Sprinkles line.  Today I am wearing two coats of Hard Candy Gummy Green topped with a coat of Seche Vite.  I bought two shades in the line, so stay tuned for a review.  In the meantime, enjoy this NOTD post.

EOTD: Rainbow Eye Look

Rainbow Eye

It’s another gloomy, rainy day for me, so I wanted to bring some color back.  I was playing around with my Coastal Scents Go Palette in Sydney, and came up with this really fun rainbow eye look.  I love how it came out.

Here is the Sydney palette:

Coastal Scents Go Palette in Sydney

First, I started with my trusty NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil in Milk because it is awesome for really making colors pop.  I used the top yellow in the inner corner, and the two lower pink/purple shades in the crease.  For the lid, I used the four green and blue shades, also bringing the darker blue into the crease.  I brought the blue and green down under the lash line to finish the look.

Rainbow Eye

Rainbow eye

I am really pleased with the look.  My niece (who is turning 7 in a week and a half) wants to have a costume birthday party, so maybe I’ll go as a fairy or something with this on my eyes.  Concert season is approaching, so maybe you want to try a similar look for you summer concerts or music festivals.  Or, hell, wear it to the company picnic just to keep people guessing.  Anyway, I hope that you enjoyed the look and that you have a great weekend.  Hopefully the rain will let up so that I can go out and take some pictures of the new spring blooms.  I love winter, but it does become a drag to see all of the trees and plants so dead-looking.  I’m not a fan of the bugs or the pollen, but I have to admit that Spring is really beautiful.  🙂