Grab Bags!

Hello readers!

I am sorry for the extremely long hiatus. Unfortunately I've been working a lot so I haven't been able to keep up with the blog so I'll only be posting every once in a while. What makes it extra difficult is that I can't wear polish at my job. :( I apologize if anyone was looking forward to a post or anything like that. For now, I'll only be posting when I have a chance.

However, I have still been active in buying/selling/swapping polish and have some grab bags going to get some funds back in my paypal. I have made a google doc. to make it easier for everyone, but basically all of the single polishes on my blog sale are up for grabs. If you'd like to check out my grab bag sale, you can go here. I am still open to swapping for items on my wish list as well.

Thank you for reading!
Nicole

Influenster Spring Vox Box 2013

Hello lovelies!

I have been away for a while but now that I'm done with school I should be posting more blog entries soon. Today I'm reviewing the Spring Vox Box from Influenster.

If you aren't familiar with Influenster, it's a program where you fill out surveys and they will send you products based on your answers to try. The only thing you have to do once you get your products is write reviews of the products. So basically you get FREE products and all you have to do is review. Piece of cake! If you'd like to find out more, click here or go to Influenster's website to sign up for free. :)

Now on to the box!

This is basically how everything came in the box

 All the goodies!

So here's what came in the box:

1.  Secret Outlast Clear Gel Antiperspirant/Deodorant
2. NYC New York Color Applelicious Glossy Lip Balm in Big Apple Red
3. Broadway Nails imPRESS Press-on Manicure
4. Tastykake Kandy Bare Kakes in Reese's Peanut Butter
5. OSiS Dust It by Schwarzkopf Professional 

Everyone got 1-4, but there were two different products from Schwarzkopf Professional that we could have received. They were OSiS Rough Rubber and OSiS Gelastic. I have no idea what any of these products are, but maybe some of you do?

"Secret Outlast Clear Gel Antipersperant/Deodorant leaves fewer white marks on clothes than the next leading invisible solid! And, with 48 hour odor and wetness protection at such a low price, why pay more?" This product retails at $4.95.

 My scent was Completely Clean but I'm not sure if that's the standard or if it was possible to get other scents. While I'm not usually a fan of gel deodorant because they're sticky, I actually liked this one. It worked a lot better than the normal non-gel deodorant I usually get and it lasted a lot longer. It smelled really clean, but I'd like to try some fruity scents if they have any. It didn't leave any white marks on my clothes, as the description suggested, but I didn't wear it for 48 hours (a girl's gotta shower, you know?!) but I'm not entirely sure it would have lasted that long. As for the wetness protection, it worked great! I worked in the deli last night at work and I sweat a LOT but I didn't smell it; I only smelled the deodorant. A+

"NYC New York Color Applelicious Glossy Lip Balm delivers color, shine and moisture in one single swipe! The unique apple-shaped core is filled with Shea Butter, Jojoba Oil, Vitamin E, and Avocado Oil to give lips a healthy, irresistible look." This product retails at $2.99.


I don't use lip balms a lot because I only have problems in the winter with my lips being dry and such, but this balm is pretty nice. The color is very slight but it's pigmented enough to where you can tell that you have gloss on your lips. It is pretty moisturizing, but not for very long; maybe a couple hours. I tend to lick and bite my lips a lot so that may be why. I like the shape of the applicator as well. It's nicer than the regular balms I us. I also thought the little apple core inside the gloss was adorable! I probably wouldn't buy this again, but it is a nice product.

"Broadway Nails imPRESS Press-on Manicure feature advanced nail technology, so you can get a salon-perfect manicure in seconds - simply peel off, press on, and you're done. There's no drying, a killer shine and a manicure that lasts up to a week!" This product retails between $5.99-$7.99.
 
If you read my blog (or looked at the name), you know that I am a nail junkie. Nail polish, nail art, fake nails, what have you; I love it all. I was super anxious to try these because they seemed to be a LOT easier than your typical fake nails. No annoying nail glue to deal with! Unfortunately I am not a fan of animal prints so I won't wear these, but I gave them to a friend to try and she thought they were great! While it wasn't a 'salon'perfect manicure,' it was pretty close. She said they were easy to use, lasted a while, and did have a great shine. I plan on trying a different design and trying them myself, but for now I hope you're okay with my friend's review.

"OSiS Dust It is a multi purpose mattifying powder that adds incredible root lift, texture and control." This product retails for $23.50.

I have NEVER heard of this product or anything like it. I don't really do much with my hair other than shampoo and condition it, other than the occasional straighten/curl for a special night, so this is way out of my league. And is it just me or is the description kind of confusing? It doesn't even say what to do with it on the bottle, which is even more confusing. All it says is, "lightweight powder to texturize," "soft matt effect," "light control & separation," "long lasting hold," and "natural feel." What? Okay, so where the heck am I supposed to put this powder stuff? Sorry, Influenster, but I can't even try this product. It's that confusing. And I would NEVER pay $23.50 for a little bottle of this stuff.

Last is the product I was most excited to try; a Tastykake Kandy Bar Kake! I live in Arizona and we didn't have these until Hostess went out of business, but I've been hearing my boyfriend (who lives in Pennsylvania for college) talk about these and I have been wanting to try one for 3 years.

"Tastykake Kandy Bar Kakes are light and fluffy chocolate enrobed caked with a delicious creme filling in a unique kandy bar shape. Available in S'mores, Peppermint, and Peanut Butter." These retail at $4.49 per box.

Oh. My. Gosh. Can you say DELICIOUS?! Yes, I am a larger lady. Yes, I have the biggest sweet tooth of anyone I know. BUT that does mean I am good at knowing which sweet type things are good and which aren't. This Peanut Butter Tastykake was just awesome. The cake was super fluffy, as was the peanut butter filling. I have to tell you, I almost didn't get a picture of it I was so anxious to eat it. But it was well worth the wait! Now I have to try more Tastykakes. Haha.

That's it for now! Did you get an Influenster box and different products than I did? What did you think? Let me know in the comments.

Thanks for reading!
Nicole

Rainbow Honey Siren Song

Hello again!

I am terribly sorry that there has been so many gaps since I started this blog. It's mostly because I have had no time because of school and my job but now that I'm unemployed for the moment I have a little time. I'll try to put up posts every once in a while when I get inspired but I can't promise anything, unfortunately. I do apologize for this.

I received my first Rainbow Honey in a swap this weekend and it was so pretty I had to put it on! I figured a teal would look lovely with it and I think it turned out great! As always, please ignore my awful clean up job and this time somehow the tips of my pointer and middle fingers got screwed up. How? I don't know. Things like this happen often. Haha. This is Essie Turquoise & Caicos with accent nails of Rainbow Honey Siren Song:

Close up of the accent nail

Unfortunately the Essie was super streaky and left bald spots, which is common for Essie polish in my experience. It ended up being fine after 3 coats but I think that's too many. The Rainbow Honey went on great! I got tons of glitter in one layer so I left it that way. I normally don't like polish with a ton of glitter but this one was completely beautiful and worth it. All of the glitter layed out super flat. If you didn't know, Siren Song has a light blue-ish base but I didn't want to have a bunch of layers to get it opaque so I chose to layer it over the Essie. I think it turned out great!

What did you think? Would you layer the Rainbow Honey over a different color or just leave it by itself? Let me know in the comments!

Nicole

Daring Digits - Tin Man

Hello lovely ladies!

Today I have for you some swatches of Daring Digits Tin Man, which is in the process of being discontinued. :( I have been lemming this polish for a while and when Daring Digits had a sale, I HAD to buy Tin Man. I love the way they packaged them, too!

As you can see, I even got a little package of extra glitter! I thought that was awesome because some people love glitter more than others. I also received an extra! Daring Digits Golden Dragon:

Such a nice touch! If I didn't love Daring Digits enough already, this pushed me over the edge. I will have swatches of this one for you tomorrow or Wednesday depending on how much time I have.

Without further ado, here is Tin Man!

Tin Man is micro holographic round glitter, medium holographic squares, and red hearts in a clear base. The micro holographic glitter is amazing and super shiny, as are the squares. I chose to wear it over Confetti Lonesome Dove. Tin Man was super easy to apply and it was really easy to get the micro glitter, square glitter, and heart glitter out. I am not the biggest fan of glitter so it was nice to not have a glitter bomb right off of the bat. I just think it's so pretty. I topped it off with HK Girl and I am in LOVE with it! I have been wearing this manicure for 6 days and I have no shrinkage, tip wear, peeling, etc. It's wonderful.

I am in love with this polish, but what do you guys think? Let me know!

Thanks for reading,
Nicole

Nail Art Society Review

Hello ladies and gents!

As promised, here is the post about the Nail Art Society bags. I was lucky enough to subscribe before they raised the prices, so I pay $9.95/month instead of $19.95/month that it is now. So far I have only received the December and January bag. Here we go!

December bag:

Stella Luminous Nail Kit and nail art glue

Cherimoya Nail Polish Removal Pads

with Cuticle Oil - Orchid Scented

Cherimoya Matte N A Polish

I feel bad because this really isn't a fair review since I haven't used the Stella kit or the polish remover pads. BUT I have used other jewels and polish remover pads.

The Jewel Kit comes with a TON of different sized rhinestones and an orange stick. In my experience, the nail glue isn't entirely necessary to use with the rhinestones, but I change my manicure constantly. So if you want to keep your manicure for a while and want the rhinestones to stay, definitely use the nail glue.

I have used polish removal pads before and they are really oily (because of the cuticle oil) so I'm not really the biggest fan. They are definitely good for removing the nail polish but I don't think the cuticle oil is that great. When I use cuticle oil, I only put it around the cuticle and sides of the nails, but when you use the pads they get all over your fingers and it's very difficult to clean the oil off. They're probably good for on the go if you figure out a way to get the oil off of your fingers easily, but I don't like them.

Lastly, I received two Cherimoya Matte polishes in Blockbuster (silver) and Mystery (berry). When I first saw that they were matte, I was disappointed because matte is one of the 'trends' that I'm not a fan of. However, I decided to see what they looked like with a top coat and they looked 10 times better than without. The formula was great but a little thick, as is expected of matte polishes. But they was very easy to use and worked pretty well.

-Unfortunately I didn't take any pictures of swatches because I just did a manicure (which I will post tomorrow) and didn't want to remove it because I love it so much. However, once this manicure comes off I will do swatches for you. I do have swatches on swatch sticks, so let me know if you would like to see those.

Onto the January Bag!

Swarovski Crystals

Stella Nail Art Tweezers

Layla Magneffect Polish

In my opinion, this bag was on par with the December bag, but the polishes are WAY better.

 

So first are the Swarovski crystals. Yes, I said that right. SWAROVSKI! I was shocked when I saw what they actually were. I'm sort of scared to use them because of what they are. I have drooled over their jewelry and such for a while, so I was thrilled to find out the brand. Anyways, I haven't used them yet because I'm afraid, but I'm sure they're more beautiful than regular rhinestones. I will use one or two when I post swatches of all of the polishes, I promise!

 

Next ar the Stella Nail Art Tweezers. I am sorry to say that they are horrible. :( I tried to use them to pick up the crystals from the flower case and not only did they not pick up the crystals, but they actually scratched the bottom of the case. Color me sad. :( They might work for other things, but they definitely don't work for the crystals.

 

Lastly are the Layla Magneffect polishes. Apparently we were supposed to receieve one of these polishes and also a black Stella nail art polish, but I receieved two of the Magneffects instead. I am not compaining! If you are familiar with Layla polish, you know how expensive they are. So getting two wasn't a problem. The problem was the fact that they're magnetic. Matte polish, magnetic polish...it seems that NAS is a little behind on trends. I have magnetic polish and they were fun while they lasted, but much like the crackle phase, the trend is long over. I have not tested the magnet, but will include swatches in the post with the rest.

 

Well, as you can see, I am not really that happy with these bags. I'm sure they worked for others, but they were old trends in my opinion. Was the value of the products worh it? I'll let you all decide. I will say that I'm staying subscribed to NAS for at least next month, but if they're anything like the past two bags, I may just save my money. Let me know what you think in the comments!

If you would like to subscribe, you can go to Nail Art Society's website.

 

Thanks for reading,

Nicole 

****I did not receive these bags to review, nor do I have any affiliation with Nail Art Society. I am just a customer.**** 

'Back to School' Mani

Hello gems!

Today I've decided to show you my back to school mani. I didn't want to do something school themed because...I don't know. I just didn't feel like it, I guess. Haha. So I did something a little different. Please excuse the bad paint job. I did this manicure on Monday morning and it has since chipped. :( But here it is!

My ring finger looks so bad. I'm sorry! Chipping. D:

 This is two coats of Nicole by OPI (NOPI) Mer-Made For Each Other with Orly Mermaid Tale on the accent nail. I swear I didn't do these two polishes together because they both have 'mermaid' in the name, although I love it! I actually was trying to find undies for the Orly for my swatch sticks and the NOPI looked best. I loved it so much I had to try it!

I LOVE the brushes in the NOPI bottles! They're thick and awesome and are really easy to use. You can basically cover like 90% of your nail in one swipe. I love it! Plus NOPI's generally have great formulas in my experience and Mer-Made For Each Other was no exception. The Orly was packed with glitter so I wiped a little bit of it off because I'm not the biggest fan of glitter AND I wanted it to be an accent, not take up the entire nail.

So, what do you think? Despite the ugly ring finger due to chipping and re-polishing, I'm quite happy with this manicure. :)

I'll be back tomorrow or Thursday with a blog post about Nail Art Society.

Thanks for reading!

Nicole

Month of Untrieds Post 1

Hello all!

Tonight I have for you a manicure that I did for the 'month of untrieds' event we're doing in a group on Facebook (Show Me Your Top Coats). I've been really 'busy' the past two weeks (depressed and lazy is more like it) so I haven't really done much with my nails since my KBShimmer manicure. This is my first contribution to this event but I'm not really sure if I like it or not.

This is Zoya Neeka with accents of Picture Polish Mask-A-Rade on my ring fingers and thumbs.

(Please excuse the pictures, I'm still learning (and doing horrible!) with lighting and such.)

In this picture you can see more of the gold and red tones of Mask-A-Rade.

I'm not sure how I feel about this manicure just yet. It may be the way I painted my nails, but Zoya Neeka looks NOTHING on the nail like it does in the bottle. I'm an airhead and forgot to take bottle shots, but in the bottle it's a much lighter and prettier purple with shimmery pink undertones. On my nails the purple is much darker and you can't really tell what color the shimmer is. I'm kind of disappointed. :( However, I'm kind of pleased with Mask-A-Rade. I received it in a grab bag and immediately was disappointed, since I'm not the biggest fan of glitters. On the nail it's actually very pretty and it's a really fine glitter polish so it really isn't that bad. :)

What do you think of this polish? Do you love it, hate it, or are you kind of in the middle like I am? Let me know if the comments.

~Nicole