Friday, January 31, 2014

OPI Gwen Stefani Collection - Swatches & Review!



Hey guys! Who else is excited that it is Friday? Anybody have any fun plans today or this weekend?
Not a lot going on here (what else is new!) Today I'm going to head to Sephora to get my birthday gift
 before the month is over! Yeah, I'm a procrastinator! Probably going to get groceries too... fun times!

Well today's post is featuring the new Limited Edition Gwen Stefani Collection from OPI!
I'm so excited about this collection, I love the colors and Gwen Stefani!
I don't know much of her new music but I still listen to No Doubt all the time!


Tuesday, January 28, 2014

Nicole by OPI Carrie Underwood Collection - Swatches & Review!



Hi guys, Happy Tuesday!! Man I can't believe that it is about to be February already!
I feel like January has flown by! Hopefully the rest of  winter flies by too, I'm ready for warm weather!

Today's post is the Nicole by OPI Carrie Underwood Collection!
I may not be a fan of Carrie Underwood but I am a big fan of this collection!

Nicole by Opi American As Apple Pie
American As Apple Pie - Two coats.

American As Apply Pie is classic red creme with a subtle micro shimmer.
The shimmer isn't in your face but I love it, it has an amazing formula - went on smoothly & evenly.
I wore this for days, I just couldn't bear to take it off!
 My husband actually commented twice in one day about what a pretty red this was!
He doesn't usually pay much attention, so that is a big deal!

Nicole by Opi Backstage Pass (2)
Backstage Pass - Three coats.

Backstage Pass is a deep, vampy browned plum with subtle fuchsia microshimmer.
It started off sheer but built up beautifully at three coats.

Nicole by Opi Carrie'd Away
Carrie'd Away -  Three coats.

Carrie'd Away is a full coverage gold micro glitter polish/topcoat.
I haven't tried it layered but it seems to be a perfect density for layering or building it up on it's own.
The formula was great, went on very smooth and dispersed evenly.

Nicole by Opi Carnival Cotton Candy (2)
Carnival Cotton Candy - Three coats.

Carnival Cotton Candy is a confectionery pink creme.
The formula was awesome, not too thin or too thick.
I used three coats but I'm certain that you can get the same coverage in two thicker coats.

Nicole by Opi Color Me Country
Color Me Country - Three coats.

Color Me Country is a medium pink crellyish creme polish.
I used three coats and it was the perfect coverage. Opaque with a hint of squishiness.

Nicole by Opi Fisher Queen
Fisher Queen - Two coats.

Fisher Queen is a dark purple polish full of purple shimmer.
The formula was good, it went on a little patchy at first but I think I should have just waited a little longer in between coats.

Nicole by Opi Goodbye Shoes
Goodbye Shoes - Two coats.

Goodbye Shoes is a interesting greenish grey creme polish.
I love this colors, I can't think of another polish similar in my collection!
The formula seems thin on the first coat but evens out perfectly with the second coat!

Nicole by Opi Lips Are Dripping Honey
Lips Are Dripping Honey - One coat over Sweet Daisy.

LADH is a mixture of gold glitter, gold iridescent glitter, and gold holographic glitters in a clear base.
It has good coverage, not super dense or too sparse,a perfect medium!
Application was easy, it went on evenly effortlessly.

Nicole by Opi Love My Pups
Love my Pups - Four coats.

Love My Pups is a delicate faint pink crelly polish.
It is very sheer and I needed four coats for opacity, it went on pretty even for me but it was just super sheer.
I think this is a perfect polish for jelly sandwiches, but I'm not sure how often I will wear it on it's own.

Nicole by Opi Party Bus
Party Bus - One coat with minor placement over Love My Pups.

Party Bus is a concoction of three different sizes and shapes of holographic glitters in a clear base.
I found it to be a little more sparse than I'd prefer, but one coat with a little bit of placement gives decent coverage.
It may require a bit of fishing for the large glitters if you want more on the nail.

Nicole by Opi Sing Like You A Bee
Sing You Like A Bee - Two coats.

Sing You Like A Bee is a complex white and gold shimmer polish, with a pretty green luster.
It is really impossible to capture! Absolutely gorgeous though.
The formula is great, a little thick but it slides on evenly. Great to wear alone or layered.

Nicole by Opi Some Hearts (1)
Some Hearts - Three coats.

Some Hearts is a pretty red toned coral crellyish creme polish.
The formula was very good, it went on super easy and even.
I used three thin coats but I think two coat would easily suffice.

Nicole by Opi Southern Charm
Southern Charm - Three coats.

Southern Charm is a pretty nude creme polish.
It was a little sheer so I used three thin coats.
It went on nicely, not perfectly even but not streaky for me either.

Nicole by Opi Sweet Daisy
Sweet Daisy - Three coats.

Sweet Daisy is a peach creme with a touch of squishiness.
It went on really nicely. I love the color so much! I don't have many peach shades so I love this addition!

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I'm really loving this collection! It has a great array of shades. Cremes, shimmers, and different kinds of glitters! 
It's really well rounded and I love that. Love My Pups is very sheer so I will likely only use it for glitter/jelly sandwiches.
I don't consider the formula bad though. I'm not a huge fan of Party Bus but I wasn't disappointed in any of these polishes.

For my favorites of this collection - this is a hard choice!
I know that American As Apple Pie is definitely on that list! I've been so into reds lately and it is perfect.

I also really love Sing You Like A Bee, Backstage Pass, Some Hearts and Sweet Daisy!

I kind of wish i understood some of the names more but I know nothing about Carrie Underwood or any of her songs, lol! Just not my type of music.

This limited edition collection is available for purchase for $7.99 at the following retailers:
CVS, Duane Reade, HEB, Kroger, Kmart, Ulta, Walmart, Fred Meyer, Meijer, and Harmon locations.  

In Canada, these shades will be available for $10.99 each at Shoppers Drug Mart, Target Canada, Walmart Canada, Jean Coutu, London Drug, and Loblaws.


To stay up to date with Nicole by OPI you can follow them on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter!


Nicole by Opi Carrie Underwood Collection (2)

Are any of these shades calling out to you?
Which are your favorites?



Sunday, January 26, 2014

An Irresistible Sweepstakes from Nicole by OPI & Dove Chocolate!


Hi guys! Today's post is a very exciting one for me!
I was recently accepted into the OPI Blogger Network! I am so excited about it :D

So be on the lookout to see more polishes from OPI and Nicole by OPI on the blog!
Today's post is a special one brought to you by Nicole by OPI and Dove Chocolates.

They have teamed up together for an amazing sweepstakes!
25,000 lucky winners will receive two Nicole by OPI Dove Chocolate inspired polishes and a coupon for a
bar of Dove Chocolate! There are more details on the prizes and how to enter at the end of the post!

Nicole by OPI Dove Duo

Nicole by OPI Better After Dark
Better After Dark - Three thin coats.

Better After Dark is a really nice red toned brown, packed full of pink micro shimmer.
The formula went on well, it was a little sheer and streaky at first but evened out nicely. 

Nicole by OPI Promises in the Dark
Promises in the Dark - Two coats.

They really nailed it with Promises After Dark! It definitely reminds me of dark, rich chocolate!
The formula on this was really amazing! Two easy coats.


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I'm loving this polish duo and the chocolates are so yummy! My husband doesn't like dark chocolate but he LOVES these!
London and Sky are bigger fans of the Sea Salt Caramel filled chocolates.

I love both but I'm kind of a chocolate purist. I love the pure, rich dark chocolate! Seriously delicious!


Here are the details below on how to enter and what you could win!


Enter the “Discover Your Dark Side in the New Year Sweepstakes”
From now through February 5, 2014, DOVE® Chocolate Facebook fans can enter once per day for a chance to win one (1) of the 25,000 NICOLE by OPI® kits, which include:

  •   A coupon for a free DOVE® Dark Chocolate Bar (1.34 oz. - 1.44 oz.)
  •   Better After Dark NICOLE by OPI® Nail Lacquer Bottle
  •   Promises in the Dark NICOLE by OPI® Nail Lacquer Bottle

To enter, simply “like” the DOVE® Chocolate Facebook page and click on the Sweepstakes tab (https://www.facebook.com/dovechocolate/app_548734081871225) to enter your name, email address, shipping address and date of birth.  The Sweepstakes is open to legal residents of the 50 United States who are age 13 or older on or before December 27, 2013. All winners will be selected at random by an independent agency in the week following the sweepstakes. 

For more information, please visit www.facebook.com/dovechocolate or www.facebook.com/nicolebyopi.


Be sure to follow Nicole by OPI on Facebook and Twitter to stay updated with upcoming releases and sweepstakes!


Nicole by OPI Dove Duo (1)

Hurry up and go enter! I mean polish and chocolate! What could be better?!?


Saturday, January 25, 2014

Sinful Colors Holiday Tinsel & Glitter Topcoat - Swatches & Review!



Hey guys! I hope you are all having a great weekend!
Today's post is featuring three of the Holiday Sinful Colors Tinsel & Glitter topcoat polishes!


Check them out below!


Sinful Colors Silver Rainbows
Silver Rainbows - One coat over Contrary Polish Fluorite.

Sinful Colors Spiked Ice
Spiked Ice -  One coat + dabbing over Contrary Polish Graphite.

Sinful Colors Top Me Off
Top Me Off - One coat over Contrary Polish Rainbow Hematite.
See my Contrary Polish On the Rocks Collection Review here.
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I really love Top Me Off, it is definitely my favorite of the three! The formula went on easy and evenly.
Spiked Ice requires a little bit of dabbing to have a even coat but application wasn't too tricky.
I wish Silver Rainbows had more glitter in it though, the coverage is a little sparse.
Nothing an extra coat can't take care of though! 



The Sinful Colors Holiday Tinsel and Glitter Topcoats are available for purchase exclusively at Walgreens for $1.99 each.


Be sure to stay up-to-date with Sinful Colors on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter!



Sinful Colors Holiday Tinsel and Glitter Topcoats


Friday, January 24, 2014

WoW - Where have I been?



Hi guys! I just wanted to make a post saying that I am sorry I fell off the grid recently!
After New Years we were heading home from my sister's house and we got in a car accident.
Don't worry nothing too bad, luckily we were all 100% fine. Not an amazing way to start off the new year though!
We headed back to my sisters house after the accident and decided to wait out the snow and leave the next day.
So that is what we did! But then on the way home, about an hour out our tire popped on the interstate. *sigh*
It was just a really not great start this year lol!

So we finally got home and then after a couple of days it was my birthday! (The 5th!)
For my birthday my family headed up here with their laptops in tow to have a birthday celebration of sorts lol.
We snacked, ate cheesecake and played a lot of WoW. So yep, pretty much a birthday LAN party with my family, hehe.

For those of you who don't know what WoW is, it's a MMO called World of Warcraft.
Me and my hubby have been playing early 2007. But I quit about 2 years ago.
My husband deployed and I stopped playing due to less time, and pretty much gave up gaming in general
with a couple of annual exceptions. It's hard to try to raid with a small child, so I quit.
But Sky is older now, she likes to play with her toys alone sometimes, likes to color, or plays her DS
or ABC Mouse (amazing btw) so I get some time to play without the guilt now!

Well...mostly. Now I feel guilt for not blogging! I just wanted to take some time off from the stressful start of the
year and do something I missed so much with my family, something I sacrificed to be a better mother.
(Not that all people have to quit doing something they love to be a good parent!
I personally am just bad at juggling time and spent too much time on WoW)
I continued not playing because of my blog and how much time it takes, not that I mind usually!
I just know doing both will be hard for me which is why I didn't give in... until now! D:

But I just hit level 90 on my main character the other day so I should have more free time now.
Started raiding with my hubby, sister, and bil again for the first time in years!
Anyway I just wanted to let you know why I haven't been blogging, and don't worry I'm not quitting or anything,
I just felt I needed a "me break" and a break to feel the joy and love for blogging again.
I'm so sorry for this long and text-y! I just felt you guys deserved an explanation from me. :)

Now that I explained, here are some screen shots from WoW!

Here is my main, my mage! Does the name look familiar? hehe
My druid!
Here is my Rogue :) This was my very first character. She was so awesome when the level cap was 70.
I really need to level my alts. I have other characters on my old server as well.
Some screenshots of Hyjal, I was flying through to go to level up my Archaeology and I just love this place!
I just wish it was the Eye of Sauron! hehe
I *believe* this was in the Siege of Orgrimmar but I'm still learning the new raids D:
I got a new awesome staff from this run :D

I also feel the need to mention that I named my character "Snookie" that because I used to call my husband that when we were younger. (Way before JS) I hate reality tv shows and it has nothing to do with Jersey Shore, lol.
That show ruined my nickname for him :( At least that nickname anyway.

Do any of you guys play WoW or another mmo? If you play wow let me know which sever you are on!
I've been tempted to do wow nail art in the past, now that i am playing again I might have to!

Thursday, January 23, 2014

Jindie Nails Holiday & Winter Polishes - Swatches & Review!



Hi guys! How is every bodies new year going? Mine is busy!
I know I haven't been posting much but I have been swatching, more post really soon!

Today's post is featuring Holiday & Winter polishes from Jindie Nails!

Jindie Nails A Holo Night
O Holo Night - Two easy coats. Perfect formula. 

"a blackened navy blue linear holo with violet/blue shimmer and SpectraFlair throughout."

Jindie Nails All of the Lights
All of the Lights - One coat over Nars Zulu.
Very good coverage and dispersion! Only one coat needed!
(LOVE this combo!!)


"a holiday glitter topper loaded with small and medium sized matte and metallic dots in green, red, turquoise, 
baby blue, magenta and silver all in a clear base packed with silver and turquoise flecks and shimmer."

Jindie Nails Holly Dazed and Confused
(LE) Holly-dazed and Confused - Two coats.
Application was good, the glitters tried to bunch up a little bit on the nail though.


"a deep hunter green jelly with red, silver and white dots throughout.  
This one's also loaded with silver shimmer and flecks of real silver throughout."

Jindie Nails Just Claws
Just Claws - Two easy coats. Perfect formula. 

"Formerly Mrs. Claws, is a beautiful, highly pigmented darker pink, linear 
holographic polish that shows a gorgeous rainbow prism effect in the sunlight."

Jindie Nails Polo
Polo - Three easy coats. Perfect formula. 

"a gorgeous blurple linear holographic polish with indigo/violet shimmer flecks."

Jindie Nails The Snow Must Go On
(LE) The Snow Must Go On - Three coats.
The formula was okay, not as great as the other Jindie crelly's I have and love.
Which makes me think I may have just gotten an off bottle. It was still not bad to apply just a little thicker than I prefer.


"a fun white crelly polish with neon green stars, matte red stars, matte dark green stars pastel 
green hex, red metallic and matte dots, and green dots and squares and a little shimmer."

Jindie Nails Vixen (1) Jindie Nails Vixen (2)
Vixen - Two easy coats. Perfect formula!

"a deep burgundy/wine linear holo with color changing flakes & SpectraFlair throughout."
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I'm really loving these polishes, especially the holos!
All of the holos in this post had amazing formulas, seriously killer! I hope Jen makes more!

These are all gorgeous but I have to saw Vixen stands out to me, the flakies add such a special touch. Truly gorgeous.

Also I have been testing out Glisten & Glow HK Girl Topcoat! I used it for all of the swatches in today's post. 
Review to come! I have to say that indies are really beating mainstream topcoats in my opinion!


Jindie Nails polishes are available for purchase from http://jindienails.com/ and from the distributors below.

Femme Fatale Cosmetics
Harlow & Co.
Llarowe
Mei Mei's Signatures 
Norway Nails
Rainbow Connection


Be sure to follow Jindie Nails on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter!

Jindie Nails

What do you think of these? Which one stands out the most to you?

Friday, January 17, 2014

Contrary Polish On the Rocks Collection - Swatches & Review!



Hi all! I'm so sorry that I've been AWOL lately! I have a post to give a sort of explanation coming up soon!
I know I said I wanted to start off strong this year but it just didn't happen, LOL! Anyway, more on that later!

Today's post is the recent Contrary Polish On the Rocks Collection!
Get ready to be absolutely astounded by gorgeous shimmer!
Contrary Polish On the Rocks Macros Contrary Polish Almandine
Almandine - Three thin coats.

"an oxblood red with gold to green color-shifting shimmer"


Contrary Polish Dioptase
Dioptase - Three thin coats.



"a bluish green with antique gold and green shimmer"


Contrary Polish Fluorite
Fluorite - Three thin coats.

"a blurple with green to pink color-shifting shimmer"


Contrary Polish Graphite
Graphite - Three thin coats.



"a muddled grey jelly with varied shimmer/micro-flakes - gold, silver, pink, grey"


Contrary Polish Obsidian
Obsidian - Three thin coats.

"a near-black purple jelly with varied color-shifting shimmer - green and blue shifting to pink and blurple"


Contrary Polish Tigers Eye
Tiger's Eye - Three thin coats.

"a bronzy brown with metallic gold shimmer"


Contrary Polish Rainbow Hematite
Rainbow Hematite - Three thin coats.

Rainbow Hematite is a special treat for those who order the collection directly from Contrary Polish!
It is a gorgeous purple-ish grey linear holo. It is more holo than it looks in my photo!


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I'm incredibly impressed with this collection, I'm consistently blown away by Contrary Polish and her epic use of shimmer. She is just amazing with it! I've said it before many times but I use very thin coats.
I believe many of these could definitely be used with two coats instead of three, I just prefer really thin coats.
A couple of these were a little sheer and a tiny bit patchy on the first coat but they evened out perfectly.

I always try to do my best with pictures but ..it really doesn't do many of these true justice!
Especially Fluorite and Obsidian! I have to say this is my new favorite collection by Contrary Polish.
I love the colors, the shimmers and the theme. I had a rock collection as a girl :)

If not my favorite then it is definitely tied with her last collection!
(See my review of the No Place like Home Collection here!)


To purchase this collection directly from Contrary Polish you can go to her blog.
In her sidebar she has instructions on how to order them from her!

Or you can purchase her polishes from the following stockists.

Llarowe
Femme Fatale Cosmetics
Norway Nails
Rainbow Connection
Mei Mei's Signatures

Also be sure to follow Contrary Polish on Facebook and Twitter to stay up to date!

Contrary Polish On the Rocks Collection (1)