Serum No. 5 - Day Glow

Hi everyone! Today's post is on an indie brand very new to me, Serum No. 5.

I believe this brand is most popular for this polish, Day Glow. It's a lemon color during the day but once it hits some darkness this baby glows! The polish dries matte and if you want to apply a top coat it does not affect the glow. It was a bit streaky but it evened out well in about 3-4 coats.

I couldn't get a great photo in complete darkness but unlike other glow in the dark polishes I've tried you don't need complete darkness for it to glow. You can achieve the glow in a very dim place, hence the name Day Glow.

Above each photo describes where it was taken.

In the closet with the door open (during the day)

Outside

I loved this polish! I think it would be perfect for a night out in the club or for Halloween!

You can check out this and other glow in the dark polishes by Serum No.5 at serumno5.com.

Zoya Magical Pixie Dust

Hi everyone! Today I'll be sharing some new polishes I recently received from Zoya.

Check out each polish on its own with my review below the photo.

Ever since their release of the pixie dust line I fell in love!! Because of these pixie dusts, Zoya has become one of my favorite mainstream polish brands. For anyone not familiar with the pixie dust line, it's their take on textured polish. In my opinion pixie dusts are the best textured polish in that they have the most beautiful sparkle and glitters in them while still maintaining that matte, textured finish.

Recently Zoya has released a new formulation of the pixie dust, Magical Pixie dust, which contains a bunch of holographic chunky glitters in a textured base. The formula on both I'm going to show is exactly the same. Applying the first coat was very easy, however once the second coat applies the polish turns all goopy and very thick, mainly due to those chunky glitters. Unfortunately I didn't enjoy either of these polishes because of this. With trial and error, I tried applying just one thick coat but it still didn't work.

Both photos below have 2 coats with no top coat.

Zoya describes Lux as a rose quartz with hex particles

Zoya describes Vega as a blue opal with hex holo  particles

Both of theses are just eh to me. They are gorgeous to look at the in bottle but on the nail it looks like a clumpy mess. I probably won't purchase anymore if other colors come out in this Magical Pixie Dust line. I still have love for Zoya and am looking forward to their annual Earth Day promotion in April.

Zoya Magical Pixie Dust are available at Zoya.com and retail for $10 each.

China Glaze City Flourish - The Remix

Hey guys! Today's post is a remix of my previous post on the China Glaze City Flourish collection. When I started swatches these polishes I knew they would look great with a holo finish so I did just that, added a holo top coat.

The holo top coat I added is by Liquid Sky Lacquer, one of my favorite indie brands. With this top coat you can pretty much duplicate any holo polish out there.  All swatches have just one coat of the holo with no top coat.

The first is my favorite At Case Value

Lotus Begin

In A Lily Bit

Spring In My Step

Peonies & Park Ave

Petal To The Metal 

The holo top coat is currently out of stock but a little birdie told me her restock is 3/1. You can check out Liquid Sky Lacquer on the site here.

OPI I Just Can't Cope-a-Cabana Leopard Print Mani

Happy Friday! Today I have just a quick post on some nail art I did a couple weeks ago. Leopard print manis are one of my favorites. I love it on just an accent nail to give your manicure a great look.

The yellow is OPI I Just Can't Cope-a-Cabana and the gold accent is Sephora by OPI Looks Like Rain, Dear. Hope you all have a great weekend!

Deborah Lippmann Spring Reveries

Hi everyone!  Today I have my picks from Deborah Lippmann's latest collection , Spring Reveries.

The polishes scream Spring. Pastel creamy colors are my favorite! They all remind me of Easter and that my birthday is soon approaching.

First is Spring Buds, a creme pistachio color. It's got some yellow undertones if you can't tell from the picture. It was a little streaky but evened well with the second coat. In the photo is 2 coats plus top coat.

My second pick is Tip Toe Through The Tulips, a peach creme. This one reminds me of a creamsicle pop. It's nothing really unique about the color but I still love it. It was very streaky but again evened out well. Here is three coats plus top coat.

Saving the best for last is Blue Orchid, a baby blue creme - Love! This was definitely my favorite out of my picks. It was a good two coater. In some lights it leans periwinkle but the picture shows it's true blue color.

I loved these colors so much I knew I wanted to incorporate some nail art. I did a gradient chevron manicure using nail vinyls.

Deborah Lippmann polishes can be purchased at Sephora or Nordstrom and retail for $18 each.

Lancome Spring 2014 French Ballerine Vernis in Love

Hi everyone! Today's post will be on a few new polishes I'm excited have as additions in my collection. I have a couple from Lancome's spring 2014 collection. I wish I could have grabbed them all but unfortunately the other 2 were sold out.

First up is Undercoat 030M. It's basically a white creme. I find it quite intriguing shopping for polish. I always do my homework before any purchase. Wherever I go the salespeople act as if  they're really giving me new information. I can't blame them, they're just doing their job right? But when I purchased these polishes I really didn't feel the need for Undercoat. If you're into polish like myself who doesn't have a white creme in their collection? The sales woman raved about how this was intended to make any color pop more on the nail because it was matte and not shimmery like most white polishes. Well she was right about the added pop of color but my $.99 Wet N Wild does the same thing. The difference is obviously the formula and the brush. Applying these polishes make me love polish even more. The brush is so wide and flat which is perfect for my larger nail beds. In the photo is 2 coats with no top coat.

The last one I purchased from this collection was Rose Satin, a very vibrant pink creme. I applied 2 coats over 1 coat of Undercoat but could have gotten away with just 1. The photos lean hot pink but it's more of a rosey pink hence the name. Again great formulation! The brush allows just 2-3 brush strokes so I really enjoyed that.

I also picked one from the core line since the other 2 from the collection were sold out, Gris Angora. It's  a grey creme with some purple undertones. Here I used 2 coats under 1 of Undercoat with no topcoat.

Overall I'm pretty happy with these polishes. The formula alone is worth the price tag. Undercoat initially seemed like a basic white creme but it is difficult to find a good alternative that isn't too goopy. This one was a winner and I found myself grabbing this a lot recently for my base on any nail art.

Lancome polishes can be found at most department stores or Lancome-USA.com and retail for $15 each.

China Glaze City Flourish - Peonies & Park Ave

Hi everyone! Today I'm excited to share with you China Glaze's newest collection for Spring 2014, City Flourish. The collection has 12 polishes in total. Like other previous collections, China Glaze gives you the option of buying a set of 6, separated into two packs. Of course you can purchase each individually, however I find buying a pack of six more cost efficient (said this polish addict). The 2 sets in this collection are Peonies & Park Ave and Pollen In Love.

I opted on half the collection, Peonies & Park Ave which has mainly pastel cremes. In my experience China Glaze doesn't have the best formulas, especially with their Spring and Summer collections. However they have some great colors so in my eyes a little more attention to application is well worth it.

This collection is no different. I will say the formulas are not the best, but there certainly have been more worse. For the most part, all of these polishes shown have the same consistency, chalky and streaky. It took me forever to apply these babies. I found that waiting about 5-7 minutes between applying each coat while applied thin goes a long way. In each photo 2 coats plus top coat was used. Also ALL of these polishes need a very good top coat. None are self leveling, some worse than others, even with a top coat.

So without further ado onto the polish!

First up is At Case Value, a pastel blue. This polish was a little streaky on the first coat but once the second is applied it was opaque. Again a good top coat will make it level out good. This was one of my favorites.

Second is Lotus Begin, a purple creme. This one was thin and watery like. Again streaky on the first coat but looks fab with 2 plus top coat. Loved this one!

Next is In A Lily Bit - LOVE! It's a lilac creme. This was a surprise favorite from the collection for me. It was also a little streaky on the first application but worked out well with a 2nd plus top coat. Did I mention how much I loved his one?!?!

Next is Spring In My Step, a very pale pink creme. This one was very watery and extremely streaky. It was my least favorite of the collection because of the color payoff. It's just not for me.  Some nails even required a 3rd coat. And even after top coat was applied some nails didn't level out nicely.

Peonies & Park Ave had the best application of the 6. It's a bright pink creme. It's got a somewhat rubbery matte finish so it definitely needs top coat, unless you like it matte. I will definitely be using this on my toes all summer.

Lastly Petal To The Metal is a coral creme. This one had the worst formula. It's was so thick even thinner didn't help. Because of this it was also one of my least favorites.

Overall I did enjoy the pastels of this collection, At Case Value, Lotus Begin and In a Lily Bit. Patience with application plus a good top coat is highly recommended for this collection.

I purchased these on transdesign.com for $19.50 but they are now sold out. They are also available at beyondpolish.com or eBay.

KBShimmer - Valentine's Day 2014 Trio

Hey guys! I know Valentine's day is over but I have one last V Day related post to share with you all.

KBShimmer is definitely my favorite indie brand! I love how consistent her formula is, never failing to give that perfect application. I also appreciate her customer service. Rarely does she announce a restock enabling easy access to her site. Also you never have to worry about polish selling out. She's truly an example of how all indie makers should be.

Anywho, she released a trio for the holiday which included a holo, glitter and crelly polish.

First is Whole Lava Lovin'. It's a red/magenta linear holo that is very strong. I'm not a big fan of red polish but this one definitely has some pink undertones so I love that about it. Here I used 2 coats plus top coat. Formula wise application on this was the best of the 3.

Next is Falling For Hue which is a crelly (mix between creme and jelly finish) polish. The glitters in here are a mix of red, pink and fuchsia hexagonal shapes. I think she does this formula the best! Usually chunky glitters like this are so thick and a pain to apply. But this one is kind of streaky on the first coat. This is not a complaint in terms of chunky glitters. You'll need a good 3 coats though to get it opaque and that's what I used in the photo below, plus top coat. 

Lastly is U Rock My Heart. This polish is loaded with multiple glitter shapes including hearts, stars, circles, hexes and shreds which are all black and neon pink in a clear base. Polishes like these can sometimes be tricky to apply but this one wasn't that bad. I did have to dip the brush in the bottle a few times to make sure I got a mix of all the shapes. Turning the bottle upside down 30 minutes before you apply is sometimes helpful with this. In the photo below I used just one coat over Essie To Buy Or Not Buy plus top coat. 

A couple weeks ago I did some nail art with this glitter topper.  In this gradient I used Butter London Teddy Girl, Polish My Life You Love Me and You Rock My Heart. The studs were purchased from eBay. 

 

This trio is still available at KBShimmer.com and retail for $8.75 individually. The whole set is $24 and comes in a KBShimmer box.

Happy Valentine's Day

Hey Guys! Happy Valentine's Day. I hope you all are having a great day and even better weekend!

Today I'm excited to share one of my favorite polishes this year to date. Liquid Sky Lacquer came out with a Valentine's Day collection and I was lucky enough to get my hands on 24 Karat Rose. Her releases have been crazy lately, with polishes quickly selling out.

24 Karat Rose is a thermal polish with gold flakies. In its cool/cold state it's a rose-pink color with visible gold flakes. When warm, it's turns into a nude-golden color, again with visible flakies. Having long nails, I really can get the full effect of this polish. Normally my nail beds are the nude color and tips turn pink. I love the ombre look! The polish is a bit sheer so 3 coats were needed.

This first photo shows 3 coats with top coat.

The second photo shows 3 coats with a matte top coat.

I prefer the matte look but both are gorgeous. The formula was amazing! My only complaint is I wish I had a larger bottle. I was only able to snag a mini which will probably give me another 2 manis. But surprisingly the mini was very easy to work with unlike other brands. The brush was nice and flat and wide.

Unfortunately this one is sold out but you can check out others on her site here that are somewhat similar.

Polish My Life - Love Me, Love Me Not

Hey guys! Today I have more Valentine's Day polish to show you.

One of my favorite indie nail polish brands is Polish My Life. New on the scene, all of the polishes I've tried from this brand are superb! Shaneka makes the best creme polishes than any other indie brand out there. Actually most indie brands don't make much cremes, they usually are more into chunky glitters and holos.

All the polishes I've tried from this brand are usually opaque in 1 coat and super shiny! And I just love the flat brush for application. However for these photos each  show 2 coats with no top coat.

So today's polishes are from her latest collection, Love Me, Love Me Not.  Released for Valentine's Day there are 3 polishes, 2 are cremes and one glitter.

First up is No Love Lost. It's a purple, periwinkle creme. Perfect formula and super easy to apply.

Next is You Love Me. It's a bubblegum, Barbie pink creme. Again, great formula and easy application. If I sound redundant it's because they are that good. 2 coats with no top coat. 

Lastly is the glitter from this collection, named Love Machine. The glitter is in a clear base with red, pink and white hearts. Some of the hearts are opal also! Finally some red and pink hex glitters. It was very easy to use and removal of this was better than most glitters. For the photo I used one coat over No Love Lost. 

Ok so its no surprise I absolutely love everything from this collection, especially the cremes. All these are available on her site here and retail for $9.00 each. 

Liquid Sky Lacquer Valentine's day holo duo

Hi everyone! The next few posts will be dedicated to Valentine's Day.

First I have an indie brand, Liquid Sky Lacquer. From all the polishes I have from her line I have no complaints. Carolyn makes some great thermal polishes and is becoming a very popular indie brand in the nail community. I also love her customer service. The polishes comes in a sheer/mesh type little baggie usually mirroring the color of the polish.  I'm big on customer service and we all should be. Part of what we pay for is not just for the product but the overall experience.

Today I have her latest Valentine's day holo duo, 2 gorgeous holo polishes. The holo is subtle but very classy and delicate.

Thinking of You is very light purple holo. There are some flakes in this polish but not very visible on the nail. The photo shows 2 easy coats with top coat. 

The second polish is Love is in the Air, a light pink holo. Both have silver bases and this one also has some pink flakes which is more visible on the nail than Thinking of You. Again, 2 easy coats with top coat. 

I love both of these polishes! The formula was amazing and they are very unique holos fitting for Valentine's day. Both are still available on her site here and retail for $12 each. 

OPI Brazil Spring 2014 - Part 2

Hi everyone! Today I have the second half of my picks from the OPI Brazil collection. You can check out my other picks in my previous post from my part 1.

Again these swatches are no different from my part 1, they are all 2 coats with no top coat and the formula is just as amazing! I'm pretty pleased with my picks so far. I can't say enough how easy they were to work with so without further ado on to the polish.

First is Live.Love.Carnaval. It's a coral creme, nearly a 1-coat polish but the OCD made me do 2 with no top coat.

Opi Scores A Goal is what I compare to a raisin. A dark purplish red creme. Surprisingly this was my 2nd favorite from the collection. It's a bit runny but very opaque in 1-2 coats. 

Lastly is Amazon...Amazoff which is a teal creme. This one stained badly so I suggest using a couple of base coats. It was also difficult to clean the cuticles so be extra cautious with application. Still it's a gorgeous opaque color. 

Overall I'm so happy these are apart of my collection. I definitely recommend the bright colors from this collection.  To me none are true neons as they don't require top coat (for longevity) and all are cremes and super easy to work with. 

OPI Brazil Spring 2014 - Part 1

Hello

Today I have some polishes from the OPI Brazil Spring collection. I originally purchased only 2 from this collection as I thought the colors didn't seem unique. But after using one of them and seeing all the gorgeous swatches on Instagram, I had to pick up a few more.

I passed on all the neutrals from this collection. I'm slightly overwhelmed with neutrals, especially since Zoya's latest release of the Naturel collection. The bright cremes from this collection immediately stood out to me.

I'll be breaking this collection into 2 posts. ALL of the polishes had an amazing formula. I used 2 coats for each polish and no top coat just for swatching purposes, they were shiny as is.

First up is Kiss me I'm Brazilian, a pink creme that looks absolutely stunning on tanned skin. The first coat applied a little streaky but it evened out just fine with the second coat.

Next is I Just Can't Cope-a-cabana. Another creme and by far the best yellow formula I own. Yellow polishes tend to have the worst formulas but this one does not disappoint. And this one definitely wins hands down for the best name!

The last one for this post is Where Did Suzi's Man-go? A true orange creme, another stunner on tanned skin. This one is my favorite of the bunch.

Again I loved all of them but my personal favorite from this bunch is Where Did Suzi's Man-go. They all had excellent formulas, self leveling and didn't require a top coat in these photos. 

These polishes are now available at professional salons and also at Sally's Beauty for $8.00 -$9.00. 

Hello! I finally decided to dive in and start my own blog. I've been a fan of many blogs for years now, mainly nail and fashion related. I always took pictures of my nails and said it's something I'd like to do one day. But then life got in the way. With a full time demanding job and mommy of two, sometimes finding "me time" is quite difficult. I'm jumping into this blogger world ready for the challenge to juggle it all!

To start off today's post will be a quick one. I'm not too big on nail art mainly due to lack of patience. However last week I ordered some nail vinyls from nailvinyls.com which were super easy to use.
They come in all different designs such as lightening bolts, stars or hearts. My personal favorite is posted below in chevrons.

The colors are all by OPI which you'll soon see for many reasons is hands down my favorite mainstream polish brand. The studs are from eBay.

Colors used: OPI "Fly" (teal)

"Crown Me Already" (silver glitter)

"I Vant to be a Lone Star" (pale blue/silver)

Thanks for reading and joining this journey with me!