Halloween(ish) Water Marble

Hi friends! OMG I cannot believe it is just a few days until Halloween. And then a month later Thanks Giving and so on until the end of the year. Holy crap time flies when you are an adult.

Anyway, if you follow me on IG, you may have seen a sneak peek at a water marble I was desperately trying to not eff up, and guess what? It was a success! By that I mean I managed to get a water marble design on all of my nails (except my thumb - but we're not gonna talk about that).

Neon Green Waves

Hi friends! Well I actually did it. I pulled out my brushes and did some intricate free hand nail art! I had this mani from Sarah at Chalkboard Nails pinned for ever and since I have all the awesome neons (except the blue) from KBShimmer sitting on my desk, I figured I might as well play!

Twinsie Tuesday: Neon

Hi guys and gals! Ready for another Twinsie post? This week we are doing neon nails! I am all about bright polish, so this was a really fun theme for me.

I combined one of my favorite things, a gradient, with leopard print. This is something that when I first started nail art I didn't like all that much, but now it seems that I have wanted to do it more and more often. And I definitely love it for summer!

Takko Lacquer Summer 2015 Collection Part 1

Hey guys and gals! So if you have come to my blog looking for the new Takko Lacquer summer release, you are in for a treat! Today I have part 1 of 2 posts for the new summer colors to be released June 18th at 8pm EST.

The entire collection is flat out gorgeous, as always. It has a variety of different finished, neon, jelly, flakie, shimmer, holo and glitter, so there is something for everyone. And now all Takko Lacquer polishes are infused with Vitamin E (on top of being 5-free and vegan) to help promote strong, healthy nails. The only noticeable change is that the polishes are slightly thicker and dry to a satin finish. They all still apply fantastic and now have the added bonus of actually making your nails better from the inside too! How cool is that? I don't think I have ever heard or seen a polish that does that. 

One more thing before we get to the swatches. Along with the seven new polishes in the summer release, Takko Lacquer is introducing a new high shine scented top coat called Sugar High. I will post a full review along with the other three polishes on Wednesday but  I used the new top coat for all the swatches in both posts. 

And now, sit back and enjoy all the drool-worthy goodies I have for you all today!

Please Note: Products shown were provided by the company/creator for review purposes.

Takko Lacquer Electric Flamingo, El Nopal, Floridazed & Afternoon Delight

Twinsie Tuesday: Polish Received In A Swap

Hey guys and gals! Hope you all are doing well and staying warm! It is cold here in my little part of the world, and if it is cold here, then it is frigid everywhere else!

Today's Twinsie Tuesday theme is "polish received in a swap" and I happen to have quite a few awesome polishes from swaps with my fellow Twinsies! The two I decided to use for today's post came from Jessica and a former Twinsie - Cordia.

Rainbow Gradient Glitter Placement with Born Pretty Neon Circle Glitter

Hey all! Hope you guys are having a great week! It has been super hectic around here with school stuff and the Mr.'s job change (his last day at the old place was yesterday, eep!) and I am trying to muddle my way through, haha! But I am managing to find a few moments to blog and catch up on social media. Though I am not as active as I wish I were. So thanks to you all who don't give up on me if I don't have the time to be around as much!

Today I have more goodies from Born Pretty. This time around, I went a little more complex and used a glitter pot full of neon circle glitter! 

Please Note: Products shown were provided by the company/creator for review purposes.

Born Pretty Neon Circle Glitter Pot

Sunday Stamped: Neon Kisses with MoYou London Hipster Collection

Hey y'all, happy Sunday! Today's post is a late, we were up all last night watching Oklahoma! out at the Zilker outdoor theater. Yes, I am a musical nerd. Love them! Anyway, instead of being a good blogger and scheduling my post yesterday before we left, I decided to do it today after sleeping in and a late breakfast, lol!

I have two new things to play with, some of the China Glaze summer neons and new MoYou London plates. I used both the neons and the MoYou Hipster collection plate as well in my previous post, here. I personally think the two products are perfect for each other!

Embellished Gradient with Born Pretty Water Decals

Hey everyone! Happy Thursday afternoon! Sorry for the late posting, I totally forgot about today's post and never had it written up. Oops! 

Today, I have the second of three Born Pretty product reviews for you all. If you missed the first one from last Thursday you can read it here. For this week's post I am reviewing some water decals!

Please Note: Products shown were provided by the company/creator for review purposes.

Pipedream Polish Memory Loss

Hey everyone! After a whirlwind of a weekend, including a last minute trip to San Antonio, I am back with some awesome Indie polish today! Pipedream Polish is among one of my favorites and the newest collection, "A Night In Vegas," is beyond amazing. Eleven new polishes, four glitters and seven neons, make up this fun summer collection. April did a pre-sale a few weeks ago, and naturally I grabbed a bottle. It has taken me for ever to get it watched and photographed, but this is one seriously stunning polish!

Please Note: Products shown were purchased by me for my personal use.

Pipe Dream Polish Memory Loss

Memory Loss is a bright almost neon teal crelly with green and teal hex glitters. I loooove this polish so damn much. The color is perfect, as well as the slight transparency of the crelly base that makes the glitter look like it is floating. The formula was a little thick but not problematic. This is two medium thick coats topped off with two coats of KB Shimmer Clearly On Top. It is top coat hungry, so that extra coat is needed to help smooth it out.

(Macro)

This is the only one I picked up from the Night In Vegas collection, but after seeing all the ahhhhmazing swatches, I am determined to grab a few more!! I definitely see a neon rainbow gradient in my future!

As of right now, the entire collection is in stock on the Pipedream Polish website and April is really great about keeping things in stock as well. On occasion, a popular polish will sell out very fast, tho! So If Memory Loss or any of the other fantastic polishes from this collection strike your fancy, get it quick!

Please Note: Products shown were purchased by me for my personal use. All opinions are my own. For more info, please read my disclaimer.

Pipedream Polish is available on line. Products retail for $8.00 a piece.

Rainbow Honey Summer Mix Tape Collection

Hey guys and gals! Another late post I am afraid. I'm still feeling sick from the stomach bug I had yesterday and have managed to do little to nothing productive today. Thankfully I had everything put together for this post and just needed to add the finishing touches before publishing it! 

This weekend, much to my surprise, I received some goodies from Rainbow Honey to review on the blog. The Summer Mixtape collection is being released in two days and I have three polishes to share with you guys. Plus a little bonus from Dee at the end of the post!

Please Note: Products shown were provided by the company/creator for review purposes.

Rainbow Honey Control

Control is a neon fuchsia with pink and purple fleck shimmer. It is the most ridiculously obnoxious bright pink ever and I frickin love it. So. Much. I am gonna wear this on my toes all summer long! The formula was slightly thicker and had some leveling issues, but smoothed out perfectly with a top coat. It does dry to a satiny finish as well, due to the neon pigment.

(Macro)

Rainbow Honey Work It Out

Work It Out is a dusty red toned coral crelly. This is such a unique shade, the dustyness just really puts it over the top. A certain mainstream brand that releases a ton of nearly identical reds every year should take note. While I don't have many reds in my stash (a grand total of four, I believe!) this polish is definitely a stand out. The formula is good, a little thin. I needed three coats for full coverage. It dries super glossy, but I finished it off with a top coat to seal it.

Rainbow Honey Elevate over Work It Out

Elevate is a glitter topper in a clear base full of various colors and shapes of glitter with a purple shimmer. The primary color is aqua with pink, green, yellow and white mixed in. It also has circle and triangle glitter shapes. There is a whole lot of stuff going on in this bottle! I really like the triangle glitters, I think they add a funky and unusual look to the glitter! The formula was good and easy to work with. I used the dab & spread method to apply because of the amount of glitter. I used one coat to get the amount of glitter coverage I desired. 

(Macro)

There are nine more polishes in the collection and from what I have seen on IG, they look very cool. And as a super nice gift for the release of the collection, you can take 20% off your purchase! Use the code MIXTAPE20 on your next purchase (expires 8/31/14). The Summer Mixtape collection goes on sale July 18th!

Please Note: Products shown were provided by the company/creator for review purposes. All opinions are my own. For more info, please read my disclaimer.

The Summer Mixtape collection is available on line. Products retail for $10 a piece.

.

Twinsie Tuesday: Stripes

Hey guys & gals! Time for another Twinsie Tuesday post! Today's theme is stripes, something I love but never ever do.

Used:

O.P.I. - MBSW

Maybelline Color Show Bleached Neons - Son Of A Peach

Maybelline Color Show Bleached Neons - Day Glow Teal

Striping tape

Yep, still lovin' the bleached neons. Perfect for nail art and summer manis. I have seen some displays floating around, so if you are looking for them, don't give up!

Well that's all from me today. We're off to swim class! Don't forget to check out the stripes of my fellow TT ladies. And have a great Tuesday!

Alaina at The Little Canvas

Amanda at Amandalandish

Amber at Nails Like Lace
Anna at Going to the Showing
Bridget at A Painted Nail

Casey at CaseyLane Loves Polish

Chelsea at Nailed Blog

ChiChi at I'm Just Me...ChiChi

Cordia at Seriously Swatched

Elizabeth at Did My Nails

Erin at Paint Those Piggies

Jessica at Blue Velvet Lacquer

Kelly at Tuxarina

Lakeisha at Refined and Polished

​Lisa at The Polish Playground

​

  Marisa at Polish Obsession

Róisín at Cuti-CLUE-les

Stephanie at A Little Polish

Tiffany at Polished To Precision​

Maybelline Bleached Neons Summer 2014 LE

Oh hai friends! Many apologies for the sporadic posting as of late! I just don't know what it is about my schedule sometimes. I can go a whole month without anything crazy going on, and then the universe seems to decide to dump everything on me at once! April (running into May) has consisted of school stuff non stop, parties, brunch dates with fellow nail gals, more parties, camping trips, wedding receptions, birthdays. Oi. I don't see a free weekend in sight! I'm hoping to keep posting at least once a week, but don't get too worried if I go radio silent for a little while.

But, I do have a fun summer collection to share today! And I wanted to get these out a.s.a.p. since they are LE (limited edition) so you guys will have a chance to grab them if you like the swatches!

Please Note: Products shown were purchased by me for my personal use.

Maybelline Color Show Pink Punch (Bleached Neons Summer 2014 LE)

Pink Punch is a vivid bubble gum pink neon. The color has a slightly faded, or washed out look going with the "bleached" theme.  This is three coats on its own without a white base. The formula was pretty standard for a neon, streaky and thick. I did experience some cuticle drag in between the first and second coat. Allowing a bit more dry time between the second and third remedied the issue. Top coated with HK Girl by Glisten & Glow for a shiny finish.

Maybelline Color Show Coral Heat (Bleached Neons Summer 2014 LE)

Coral Heat is a red leaning coral neon. It looks kinda dupey for ChG Flip Flop Fantasy, but I don't have it to compare. This is three coats on its own without a white base. The formula was thicker and more difficult to work with, but not a complete loss. Thicker coats, with plenty of dry time in between make application possible. But it is still a pain! Top coated with HK Girl by Glisten & Glow for a shiny finish.

Maybelline Color Show Ultra Violet (Bleached Neons Summer 2014 LE)

Ultra Violet is a vibrant orchid purple neon. Out of all of them, this is the most neon, and captures that "bleached" look the most. This is two coats on it's own, without a white base. The formula was much more workable with a relatively easier application. Top coated with HK Girl by Glisten & Glow for a shiny finish.

Maybelline Color Show Citrus Collide (Bleached Neons Summer 2014 LE)

Citrus Collide is a pastel yellow neon. It has both the pastel and neon quality, without the chalkiness you would expect of a yellow this light. This is two coats on it's own, without a white base. As problematic as some of these are, I expected Citrus Collide to be the worst, but it actually isn't that bad. The formula is thick, but not horribly so (Pink Punch, Coral Heat and Bleached In Peach were all noticeably thicker). After a streaky first coat, a thicker second coat made it opaque. It did have some leveling issues, but top coating it smoothed everything out. I did notice that using a top coat changed the color slightly, bringing out the neon more. Top coated with HK Girl by Glisten & Glow for a shiny finish.

Maybelline Color Show Lime Accent (Bleached Neons Summer 2014 LE)

Lime Accent is a lime green neon.  It again, balances that pastel, yet neon so well. This is three coats on it's own, without a white base. Surprisingly, the formula was very thin and watery. But I was able to get full opacity with three coats, so all in all, not so bad. Top coated with HK Girl by Glisten & Glow for a shiny finish.

Maybelline Color Show Bleached In Peach (Bleached Neons Summer 2014 LE)

Bleached In Peach is a yellow toned peach neon. I am swooning for peach shaded this year, and so wanted to love this one. This is three coats on it's own, without a white base. The formula was in between Pink Punch and Coral Heat in terms of thickness and work-ability. I am hoping that a generous dose of thinner will help it some, because I can't let it go! Top coated with HK Girl by Glisten & Glow for a shiny finish.

Maybelline Color Show Dayglow Teal (Bleached Neons Summer 2014 LE)

Dayglow Turquoise is a bright blue neon. While this doesn't quite have the faded/bleached look as the previous colors, it is still bright enough to be a nice option. This is two coats on it's own, without a white base. It also boasts the best formula out of the bunch, almost a one coater. But I felt that a second coat would give it more life. Top coated with HK Girl by Glisten & Glow for a shiny finish.

I love the concept of this collection. I am all over the bright/neon pastels. And I think these capture the Bleached Neon look quite well. While about half of these are problematic, they are not without hope. In some cases, polish thinner might be a viable option. My favorite, based on color and formula is Ultra Violet, but I have my fingers crossed for Bleached In Peach!

Please Note: Products shown were purchased by me for my personal use. All opinions are my own. For more info, please read my disclaimer.

Maybelline Color Show Bleached Neons are available for a limited time. Products are available at many drugstore locations, including Walgreens. Prices vary by location.

Floss Gloss Swatch Spam

Hey everyone, happy Wednesday! So I am official obsessed with bright shades, and my recent tax refund fueled hauls have proven that! After my Lime Crime spree, I went on a hunt for more polishes like those. This is my first experience with Floss Gloss, but I have been eyeing their creations for some time. When they had a sale recently, I totally caved and bought a few!

Please Note: Products shown were purchased by me for my personal use.

Floss Gloss Lean

Lean is a vivid almost neon purple. This is Floss Gloss's version of Pantone's color of the year, Radiant Orchid. It is almost neon, but not entirely. The color is incredibly saturated, but doesn't glow like most neon polishes. I soooo love the color! Pretty sure this is gonna be one of my color obsessions this year. And that's totally fine with me, cause it's fantastic. Formula was good, smooth and creamy, self leveling and opaque in two coats.

Floss Gloss Wave Pool

Wave Pool is a neon aqua cream. This is a true neon, right down to the crap formula. While the color is fantastic, the formula will stop me from wearing this alone ever again. Strictly nail art for this baby. Unless a bit of thinner fixes some of the issues. It is a thick streaky lumpy mess. You can see some of the unevenness on my pointer and ring fingers in the bottle pic above. Even after two coats of top coat, it still didn't want to even out.

Floss Gloss Pony

Pony is a neon peach cream. It is a lot brighter in person, and kinda freaked my camera out a little! I was hoping for a more subdued color, but it is way too much for my pasty self. Formula was actually worse than Wave Pool, if you can believe it. After three coats, I still had some patchy spots, and some leveling issues.

Floss Gloss Con Limon

Con Limon is a neon lime green cream. The color is insane! It has just enough yellow undertones that I can wear it without lobster hands. Again, the formula was a big let down. Instead of it being thick, Con Limon was incredibly watery. This is four coats. I never have to use that many coats! Not even with jellies! Even at three, it was still a streaky mess. 

Needless to say, I am soooo disappointed! Not only with the formula, but with the polishes themselves. The bottles are minis, running at .18 flz for $8.00, while most brands (including indies) offer .5 flz for roughly the same price. These are less than half! While I think the colors are really fun, and I love that Floss Gloss is a lady business, I just can't get over the glaring problems. If you don't mind paying the price for tiny bottles, Lean is a great color with a great formula. And maybe, if the rest were as good, I wouldn't be so upset. 

Well, I apologize for the not so fun post, but I wanted to give my truthful experience with these polishes, because I haven't really seen one. Most blogs have glossed over the poor formulas. I'm not sure why, because the whole point of a swatch/review post is to give the most accurate information. And I will always do so.

Okay, enough negativity! Today, I have shown you the swatches and tomorrow I have a fun nail art post with Lean and Wave Pool. Cause when life gives you lemon, you paint that shit gold! (atmosphere, anyone?)

Please Note: Products shown were purchased by me for my personal use. All opinions are my own. For more info, please read my disclaimer.

Floss Gloss is available on line. Products retail for $8.00 a piece.

Lime Crime Les Desserts d'Antoinette Collection

Hey guys and gals! It sure does feel good to be blogging again on a regular basis! I sure did miss this little space and all of you.

Today, I have the entire Lime Crime nail polish collection, Les Desserts d'Antoinette, swatched up for you guys! When I first started blogging, this collection was all over the place, but I wasn't sure how badly I needed it. Once I started seeing all the amazing nail art designs that came from these lovelies, I began to have some serious lemmings. I finally caved and asked my wonderful, habit supporting husband for the whole set for Valentine's Day. They are sold out on the Lime Crime website, but Harlow & Co. has them in stock and for roughly the same price. And even though I had to wait a little bit longer for them to arrive, I am so thrilled to have them among my polish babies.

And since these are absolutely perfect for nail art, I am devoting this whole week to Lime Crime designs! But first the swatches and review!

Please Note: Products shown were purchased by me for my personal use.

Lime Crime Les Desserts d'Antoinette - Parfait Day

Parfait Day is a bright pastel pink cream. It seriously reminds me of bubble gum! Great color if you like softer pinks. Formula was really goo for a "pastel" shade, a bit on the thicker side, but definitely not problematic like most pale colors. 2 coats for full coverage. The first went on a bit streaky, but the second smoothed it all out. 

Lime Crime Les Desserts d'Antoinette - Peaches ♥ Cream

Peaches ♥ Cream is a bright pastel yellow-toned orange cream. This is a bit more neon in person and not the best for my skin tone, but man do I love that color! This was the thickest out of all of them, but still not really an issue, just something to be aware of. 2 coats, streaky on the first, with a leveling second coat.

Lime Crime Les Desserts d'Antoinette - Crema De Limón

Crema De Limón is a bright pastel yellow cream. This yellow is totally like whoa, in your face bright! But yet, it still manages to have that soft creamy look of a pastel. And for a yellow, this formula is straight up amazing. Not as thick as Parfait Day and Peaches ♥ Cream, I still needed 2 coats, but had no issue at all.

Lime Crime Les Desserts d'Antoinette - Pastelchio

Pastelchio is a bright pastel lime green cream. Now this one is definitely neon. It practically glows! Again, one that is no good with my skin tone, but since I plan to use these strictly for nail art, I really don't care! Another two coater, pretty much the same as before.

Lime Crime Les Desserts d'Antoinette - Once In A Blue Mousse

Once In A Blue Mousse is a bright pastel sky blue cream. Out of the whole set, this one has the most "pastel"feel, almost a dusty quality to it. The formula was a lot thinner than the previous ones. 2 coats for full coverage, and once again, streaky on the first with the second smoothing everything out.

Lime Crime Les Desserts d'Antoinette - Lavendairy

Lavendairy is a bright pastel lavender purple cream. Like Once In A Blue Mousse, this one has an almost dusty look to it, and not as bright s the others. Out of all of them, this is my favorite and most wearable for me. The color is super pretty and great for spring. Thinner formula, needing 2 coats for full coverage.

Lime Crime Les Desserts d'Antoinette - Milky Ways

Milky Ways is an almond cream, similar to O.P.I. My Vampire Is Buff. We all know how much I love that shade, so this is a no brainer and once again, perfect for nail art purposes. Out of all the polishes, this is also the only that needed a third coat. After two, there were some visible patchy spots.

I frickin love this whole set and I CANNOT wait to play around with them! I really think they are worth getting, especially if nail art is something you are into. And I really hope Lime Crime comes out with more collections, because this is just too good to not have a follow up.

And, just to be clear, I am well aware of the controversy over Lime Crime and the founder Doe Deer. Just because I purchased the polish does not mean that I am an ignorant consumer. I honestly wanted them and felt that it was worth the purchase. I hope that anyone reading who may be against the company can respect my choices and leave it at that.

Please Note: Products were purchased by me for my personal use, All opinions are my own. For more info, please read my disclaimer.

Lime Crime Les Desserts d'Antoinette is available on line at Harlow & Co. Products retail for $8.50 CAD (that is $7.73 USD) a piece.