Christmas Day Manicure!

This is a little late, but better late than never! For my Christmas Eve/day manicure, I wore China Glaze Glittering Garland with Twinkle Lights on my tips. It was my first time doing tips, so it wasn't perfect but I was happy with the results and it's now one of my favorite manicures.

Glittering Garland is a deep forest green jelly with green-gold flakes. They make the polish glow and add something special. I probably wouldn't like it as much without them. Twinkle Lights is Christmas in a bottle with a mixture of green, red, and gold glitter. I missed out on Party Hearty last year, so I couldn't pass this one up.

Glittering Garland was opaque in two coats. Application was great, I had no problems. A thin coat of Twinkle Lights went on each tip. For the tips, I used manicure strips that I got at a garage sale this summer. My whole neighborhood took part and one house had nail stuff. The sale was over by then, so it was all free, but I only took the strips. I re-did three nails since I lifted off the tape too early. I used two coats of Color Club top coat. 

Glittering Garland is now one of my favorite polishes! It's very beautiful and I have nothing like it. Twinkle Lights is also pretty and I'm glad to own it. Both are winners in my book. Belated Merry Christmas to everyone, hope you all had a great day!

China Glaze Snow Globe and OPI Cuckoo For This Color!

I'm sorry for being so absent! With Christmas around the corner, I've been very busy. Before I get started, I just wanted to say that I got my first flaky polish from the FingerPaints Special Effects collection and I won a giveaway for the first time! I'm excited about both. Back to my post! For my next Christmas manicure, I wore China Glaze Snow Globe over OPI Cuckoo For This Color, a dark emerald green.

It was my first time wearing both. CFTC is a dupe of China Glaze Emerald Fitzgerald, which I had wanted but couldn't find, and I got CFTC not knowing that at the time. Snow Globe is an opalescent multi-colored glitter in a clear base. The glitter looks green, purple, blue, pink, and gold. It's hard not to stare at the bottle. The glitter popped over CFTC's dark base.

CFTC was opaque in two coats. I layered one coat of Snow Globe on top. It was thick, but not a pain. I then used a coat of Color Club top coat. I had tip wear on the second day, but I think it was because my application was rushed and I didn't fully let my coats dry. I also apologize for my ugly clean up. I accidentally made my gap too big. Again, I was in a rush. 

Sorry for the quality of my pictures. I didn't have much sun to work with and I have evident tip wear. My index finger was camera shy too.

Maybe it's not exactly a combination that comes to mind when you think of Christmas, but it's still pretty and now I can say that I've finally worn Snow Globe! I really do love this combination, so maybe next time I'll take my time putting it on.

Nail-Aid To The Rescue!

On my right hand, which I never use for pictures, my nails are peeling. They're short and growing, but the layers are separating. On my left hand, my middle finger nail is doing the same. It seems like it happens every time it gets to a certain length and it's super annoying.

At Ross there's a nail treatment brand called Nail-Aid with 4 products: 3 Minute Artificials, Collagen Nail Builder, 1 Step Fast Growth, and Triple Wrap Thickener. Each comes in a colored box: pink, green, yellow, and orange. They're straight forward in telling you what they're meant for. On the back of a box for example it'll say "Problem: nails that split and break easily." There's even user testimonies. They're US made, 4-Free, cruelty free, and cost $2.99 each. After research, I learned that they're good quality and they work. You can order from their website and get free shipping with any two items ($6.50 each). There's something for everyone. The products at Ross aren't listed. I think this is because they're newer versions. They're essentially the same products, just different names. Also, these products are apparently sold at Walmart, although I've never seen them at mine before.

Yesterday, I went to another Ross for Sally Hansen Nail Prisms. I didn't find any, but I saw a Nail-Aid treatment that wasn't at my Ross, Extreme Steel Hardener, for nails that split and peel in layers. I figured I would try it for $2.99 since I wouldn't be going back to that Ross any time soon, so I bought it and went home to test it out. It's recommend that you apply two coats and wear it every three days, alone or as a top and base coat. I put it on my thumb and while it dried slowly since I used thick coats, my nail was shiny and smooth.

Here's a look at the packaging. It's pretty simple, even cute.

Here's a closer look at the bottle. It's also very simple.

Although I haven't been fully able to test this product out, I'm hoping that it'll help my peeling nails and get them back to looking how they use to before they broke. Fingers crossed!

Color Club Sugar Plum Fairy

My previous posts were my manicures over the past months, but I'm now caught up. I just finished wearing Sugar Plum Fairy. It's from this year's Beyond The Mistletoe collection from Color Club.

 

It's a glitter bomb! It's a purple (described as lilac) silver glitter. It also has tons of holographic glitter and the effect is strong. It was a party on my nails! It's beautiful in any type of lighting, even in the shade when the holo isn't as strong the purple stands out more and the rainbow particles are still visible.

Instead of layering, I wore it solo and used three coats. It was thick, but manageable and fast drying. Two coats of top coat fixed the grittiness. I tried the foil method for removal and it was amazing! It was simple and I hardly had any clean up after. I can't believe I've never tried it before. FYI, Funky Fingers Sand and Stilettos is a dupe.

Now time for some pictures! It was raining on the first day I took them, sunny the next. I added a picture in indoor lighting, as well as a blurry one to highlight how sparkly it is.

Look at the rainbow in the bottle! So pretty.

 

 
  I'm in love with Sugar Plum Fairy for being so sparkly and holographic. If glittery polish is your thing, then this has your name written all over it!

Haul...yet again!

I really didn't expect to buy much polish after my last haul, but I can't help it. I found some awesome polishes last week, along with a set of tools that I'm excited to show you!

The beauty store I went to last Monday on a whim is nail polish heaven! They had OPI, China Glaze, Zoya, Orly, Essie, NYX, Manic Panic, Color Club, etc. Because of my previous haul, I couldn't go crazy but it was hard since I wanted just about every color I saw.

Here are the two that I got:

Orly Galaxy Girl. I wasn't so sure about it at first, but my mind changed the more I saw swatches. It's been the hardest for me to find, but there were 5 bottles of it at the store!
 

OPI I Lily Love you. I was the most excited about this one! I wanted it the most from the Nice Stems collection. There was only one bottle left, so it was definitely meant to be.

Before I show my last nail polish find, here are the tools I got. A few months ago I saw a blog post about cosmetic applicators from the Target brand Up & Up. They're like Q-tips, but much different and cooler! I found a box of them last week.

Here's a picture of them:

They're especially designed for makeup tasks, such as fixing/cleaning up your nail polish! As you can see, one side is pointed and the other is a flat paddle. They're not as fluffy as a regular Q-tips, making it easier for a smoother clean up. I don't have many tools for clean up, so before I would use a regular Q-tip which isn't easy. Until I get some paint brushes, these are perfect for me. I've only used them for a glitter manicure so far and even though cleaning up glitter isn't super easy, they helped a lot! They only cost $1.99 for a pack of 75.

Now my most exciting find! I went to Ross yesterday not looking for anything specific. I wasn't finding anything new or exciting, so I was about to leave but as I walking past a shelf of bath products there was a random pack of these...

Sally Hansen Nail Prisms in South Sea Pearl, Blush Diamond, Diamond, and Ruby Diamond! I've never seen these at Ross before. It was a set of 5, but sadly Lapis Amethyst was broken and I couldn't find another set. As sad as I was, I wasn't going to pass it up in case I wouldn't get the chance again. I was given a discount too, so it made it even more worth it. The South Sea Pearl bottle looks crappy because I had to use polish remover to clean off the polish from the broken one. I still want Lapis Amethyst or any other color, so I might get another set if I find one and since it's cheap, it won't hurt the wallet too much.

That's it for my haul! Hope you're able to find some awesome things yourself!

Color Club Lumin-Icent

For my first pick from the Color Club Foiled collection, I chose to wear Lumin-Icent. It's a icy, pale blue. The name definitely fits the cold look of the polish.

I loved how it looked when I was painting it on my nails. It was like they were being dipped in metal and it really did brighten them up. The formula was easy to work with. Foils are typically opaque, so it only took two coats. I also used one coat of the Color Club top coat that came with the set.

It was easy to photograph, so I didn't have to take many pictures but the sunlight wasn't so great. These were taken on the fifth day of wear. The only major chipping was on my index finger, but that was my own fault.

 

 

For me, this polish is a hit. It went on well, it wore well, and the color is beautiful and unique to my stash. I'm excited to swatch the rest from the collection, but they'll have to wait after I get through my Christmas colors. If you don't have many foils, the Foiled collection is a great introduction!

Zoya Crystal

I don't have much experience with Zoya, but I've always loved their colors. One of them was Crystal which I wanted for a long time. 

I thought you could only buy Zoya online but I was wrong. Where I live there's this small beauty store that I went to this summer for the first time and they had tons of Zoya! I snatched Crystal up right away. The owner also told me that if there's ever a Zoya that I want that isn't there, she'd order it for me. I can't wait to go back!

I love Crystal and I'm so happy I own it. It's gorgeous in the bottle, but even better on. I love the shade of blue, but the gold flakes make it special. It reminds me of an iced, non-glitter version of OPI Absolutely Alice. Because of it's cold and icy look, it's perfect for winter. It's also a dupe for the hard to find OPI Reflecting Pool.

I did three coats. It was sheer at first, but it built up well. I had a fun time photographing it. I took about 50 pictures! I couldn't help myself, it's that beautiful. Lots of pictures coming up just to warn you. They were taken after I painted my nails and cleaned them up.

Sad news now. A few days after wear, I broke my middle finger nail digging for a box under my bed. The lid always gets stuck under the bed frame and my nail broke when I pulled too hard. I filed the rest to match. Sucks because I was really happy with my length. I was planning on filing them down eventually because some of them were peeling too much. Just didn't think I'd have to file them so short.

Here's a picture with the new length. This was taken almost right after they broke so they look a little haggard. My middle finger nail looks crooked, but it's only some some chipped polish that makes it look that way.

After wearing it, Crystal has become one of my favorite polishes. I really didn't want to take it off! If you don't already have it, what are you waiting for!?

China Glaze Midtown Magic

Midtown Magic is the only color besides Skyscraper that I got from the Metro collection. It grabbed my attention immediately.

It's a darkened, almost black, brown base with gold and red flakes. It's a color that looks beautiful in the shade because of how the flakes stand out, but in the sun, it glows. I absolutely love it! It's completely unique to my collection. I have nothing like it, nor have I seen anything like it before.

It's darker then shown in my pictures below, due to my Color Club Vivid top coat, which is slightly tinted. It altered the color. I didn't realize how much until I was standing under fluorescent lighting and one nail that was drying and had no top coat was clearly dark, while the rest were murky looking. I had a feeling that it altered some of my previous manicures, like China Glaze Frosty, but I wasn't sure if it was just me. I decided that I'm just going to be using it over glitters from now on.

So I hate the pictures I have of it. It's extremely beautiful and I didn't do it justice at all. I waited too long before taking pictures. I not only have tip wear, but my top coat started to fade and peel in some areas. I really hate how it looks. I almost didn't want to post this.

 

Hope the pictures weren't too bad! Trust me, it's a million more times beautiful than I was able to show. If you don't already own this, go and get it! You have no idea what you're missing. Thanks for reading!

Haul/Unexpected Finds!

 I was planning on doing a haul post eventually, but it was my find on Tuesday that pushed me over the edge to do it now. I meant to do this yesterday, but my camera battery died and it became late. I took pictures in my bathroom, so I apologize for the quality. These are my nail polish finds during November. I have some awesome things to share! 

  The Color Club Foiled collection from Ross that I found early in the month! It's only $7.99 for all 6 colors, plus a top coat! That's such a steal considering I wanted most all of the colors and online they can cost as much as $3.10 per bottle or $21 for a set. If you want the Foiled collection, go there if you can! They had a bunch the last time I went.

Snow Globe, Twinkle Lights, Glittering Garland, Let's Groove, and OPI Excuse-Moi! I got these from CosmoProf when my sister took me with her a few weeks ago. All of these are so beautiful and I'm glad to have them in my collection. The unexpected find from the group was Let's Groove, which I've been dying to have for a long time now! It was a random bottle so I got lucky! 

 It's All In The Cut and Believe Me, It's Real from Wet N Wild's Ice Baby collection! I got them at Walgreens last week. The display was practically empty and I missed out on Back Alley Deals, but I was lucky to get these. They're gorgeous! 

  Last but not least, Tuesday's find that pushed me over the edge to do this post. I'm super stoked/happy about this one! 

Color Club Beyond the Mistletoe collection!! I went on a whim to Ross and I'm so glad I did! I was hoping they'd arrive soon. Again, only $7.99 for the entire set! They're so freaking beautiful and I can't wait to swatch them. Seriously, if you are interested in this collection, go to Ross! I'm sure you'll get lucky! My store had about 6 sets in stock, plus a couple of the Foiled and both Back to Boho sets.

Okay, so usually I don't buy this much polish during a month, but I couldn't help it with the great deals I scored! Hope you're just as lucky in your finds!

Sephora by OPI: Tempted By Teal

Tempted by Teal is my first Sephora by OPI polish. It's from their Garden of Good & Evil collection. My mom was nice enough to get it for me while we were both at Sephora for my free birthday gift back in September. It was either this or Looks Like Rain Dear, which I've been wanting for a while, but since this one was limited edition, I figured it was the better choice. And it's beautiful too, so no complaints here.

As you can tell from the name, it's a teal polish and it's a metallic. Looking at the bottle, there are streaks of gold in it, but that's really only for the metallic finish. Sometimes, I did see bits of gold on the nail, but it's not super noticeable. 

It's kind of blah and boring in the shade, but in the sunlight, that's when it really comes alive and shines. It's super beautiful. I hardly have many pictures in the shade, compared to how many I have in the sun. And there are a lot of pictures in this post, just to warn you.

I don't own any metallic polishes besides this, so I don't know if all of them are opaque but I'm pretty sure this one was from what I remember. I think I did about two coats, but then again my brain is a bit foggy.

Here are some bottle shots. You can really see the gold that I was talking about. Excuse the smudge on the cap. I stupidly smeared my finger against it when I was painting another nail.

Now some shade pictures. Not every exciting, but still a nice color.

See, the sunlight brings out all the magic!

This was a nice way to go for my first Sephora by OPI polish. I wouldn't exactly call this color unique as I'm sure there are many dupes for it, but for my collection, it was. So if you are lacking a metallic polish in your collection, this is a nice way to start. Thanks for reading!