Pahlish: La Belle Endormie

Purchased by Me

Coocoo les filles! Today I'm featuring my very first Pahlish. Pahlish is an indie brand that is new to me, but not to many of you, I believe she is pretty popular! However, I'm still kind of new to the indie world, so lots of them are new to me!

I'm going to be honest, this was an impulse purchase, I saw a swatch and said I NEED THAT! and then bought it. That's pretty much the entire story. ;)

Amazing Chic Nails: Autumn Collection

Press Sample

Helloooooo! Today I have a special post that includes three polishes from a new-to-me indie brand Amazing Chic Nails made by the talented Fiona! She began her shop in March of this year and that makes each one of these polish even more impressive! All of her lacquers are vegan, cruelty and 3 free, and are NEVER tested on animals!  

The two full size polishes are from her new Autumn collection which is releasing on September 1st and the mini is from her Late Summer collection. Lets jump right into the swatches!

Freehand: Animals

Purchased by Me

Press Sample

So I talked last week about the Freehand Nail Art group on Facebook - this week's challenge is Animals. I was super excited for this challenge because I recently sent my friend this adorable bag from Mod Cloth and I knew I had to make a tiny fox to match! 

I used a base of Formula X and a new glitter polish from Amazing Chic Lacquers Falling Leaves. (I'll be posting a full review soon, I have one more lacquer from her Fall collection to share, as well as one from the late Summer collection!)  Isn't it a beautiful glitter?! Love!

The fox is acrylic, I mixed the orange myself. Turned a little more orange than I had hoped, but I think the overall fox is adorable.

Here I did a quick matte top coat. Love those glitters! Anyway, I think I matched it pretty well, don't you? Thanks for looking!

♥ Pooka

Check out the other girls' Animal manicures below

Light as a...

Press Sample

Purchased by Me

Hello lovelies. Today I have some stamped nail art to share with you using my new Sugar Bubble plates that I am SO in love with, as well as to announce an awesome restock going on tomorrow. Keep reading to find out all the details!

To create this look I started with a subtle gradient base using Aurora Lacquers Sailor Eyes (swatch and review here) and I Love Nail Polish Admire Me. (Unfortunately, this beautiful polish is discontinued! However, Barbara has a TON of other beautiful colors on her site ilnp.com)

Next I picked up my new Sugar Bubble plates and used SB 22 for the middle and ring fingers and SB 15 for the feather on my pointer fingers. These stamp like a dream! I can't wait to get more of her plates! Finally, I added a complex glitter from Aurora Lacquers, Nixie. Ahh, I could probably write a novel about this glitter. It's complete perfection. One coat and it sparkle and shines like you wouldn't believe. I actually received two compliments on this manicure, both were about the glitter!

Here's one of just the gradient, don't those colors transition flawlessly? I love it! Did I mention that the Aurora polish is practically a one coater? Yep. Awesome. 

Finally, here's a sun shot to show off all that amazing sparkle that my lights don't pick up. Just, WOW! I really loved this entire mani and wore it for about four days!

Onto the restock news, Aurora Lacquers is restocking the Summer Mystic Mermaid collection tomorrow (08/05/14) at 4pm EDT so pick up a bottle of Sailor Eyes and Nixie while you can! She also has a purple holo to DIE for. Seriously, check out my swatch/review of the collection!

You can purchase Aurora Lacquers on their Etsy site: www.etsy.com/shop/AuroraNailLacquers

And follow them on Instagram @AuroraLacquers

and find them on Facebook here www.facebook.com/AuroraLacquers

The holographic polishes retail for $12 and the glitters for $10 each. 

Do you own any Aurora Lacquers? Will you be giving them a try during the restock tomorrow? Let me know!

 ♥ Pooka

Julep Maven March 2014 "Rivera Collection" Review

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Oh lawd. Where did the time go? Is it already the end of the month? Shame on me, I received this on the 3rd! But shh, don't tell! Better late than never right? Ok, let's not waste more time, I'm going to jump right in!

Julep Maven is a monthly nail polish and beauty subscription service. For $19.99 a month you receive three polishes/two polishes and a beauty product/two beauty products each month depending on your preferences at sign up. Each month Julep creates unique colors to go with each "style profile" so you always have fresh colors for the season. It's like getting a present each month! To be totally transparent, this is a recurring subscription service, if you don't cancel your sub before the 24th of each month, you will be charged and sent your monthly maven box. However, you can cancel at absolutely any time without a fee or penalty! There is a code for your first Maven box free at the bottom of this post!

March's collection was SO wonderful. I think I loved EVERY SINGLE POLISH! But, I could only afford my regular box...(plus two  addons >.> ) As I'm so late posting this, I only have the polish swatches and unfortunately not the picture of the box or the lip gloss that came with it. (Which was beautiful.) Each polish shown below is two coats. 

Julep Maven Rivera Collection

Blazing in Brazil

Purchased by Me

Hello Spring beauties! Are you suffering the cold front, too? Yesterday there was snow falling from the sky and flowers falling from the trees as I walked to my car. It was an interesting juxtaposition! It seems like it may be warming up a little, and I surely hope it does. My brother's outdoor wedding is in just over two weeks! Cross your fingers for us that it's warm for the ceremony and reception.

I literally JUST glanced up at the "Title bar" on this page and came up with this outrageously corny name. I used two colors from OPI's Brazil collection, so I thought, Brazil! I was trying to summon the warm weather gods with this one, doesn't look like it worked. : /

Maybelline Knitted Gold

Purchased by Me

Hey dolls, I know it can't be just me. You know when you see a polish that you just need? I mean, you NEED it. The world may stop spinning if you don't paint it on your fingers? (Ok, I'm being a little dramatic, but you don't what I mean.) Well, that polish for me was A England She Walks in Beauty. Wow, what a stunner. Gold shimmer with chunky rose glitter; I needed it in my life! That was until I couldn't find a single place that had it in stock! Guess everybody needed it. Then I stumbled across this, which to me is a pretty dead on dupe - Check it out and tell me what you think.

Maybelline Color Show Knitted Gold 

Mint Chevrons + Messy Mansion Plate 12 Review

Purchased by Me

The new year has begun and I have had it up to here (points to eyeballs) with the dark nail lacquers! I'm so ready for Spring. Though, isn't that the way it always goes? In the Winter I'm ready for Spring colors, in the Spring I'm bored with pastels and I want bright Summer colors and... as habit would have it, yes you've guessed by now, in the Summer I'm ready for the colors of Autumn. So here I am, mid January with pastels. I hope you can appreciate it anyways. ;)

More pictures after the jump...

New Years Eve Nails

Purchased by Me

Hello friends! I simply can't believe that New Years Eve is upon us. Did the year really begin and finish? Was I awake for any of it? O_O Anyway, I created this look because what says NYE more than black and glitter? Nothing, I say! So here you have it. I hope you enjoy.

Winter is Coming.

Purchased by Me

Ha, I can't even lie. I'm such a poser. I don't watch Game of Thrones yet. YET! Key word. I was too involved with breaking bad to veer into another show and then school and work got in the way. (I'm full of excuses) but I did read the first book, does that count? ;)

For sure, winter is coming, can you see my dry old lady hands?! Yikes! But the mani was too cute not to share. So here she is, dry hands and all.

Honey Bee

"Oh oh my honey bee, I said oh oh my honey bee. Won't you save your honey baby, won't you save it all for me?  You're the buzz around my tree, you're the buzz around my tree and I've been waiting for so long you see to find somebody to satisfy me. " -Martin Harley Band

This mani was inspired by my new yellow polish from Sinful Colors "Unicorn". I started with a base coat of Sinful Colors and then I applied 3 coats of Unicorn. The black is Sinful Colors "Black on Black" and I created the bee line with my A.S.P Nail art brushes. 

The stripes on the bee were created using scotch tape that was cut into strips. (I really need some striping tape! :) I created the eyes with a dotting tool and Sinful Colors "Snow Me White" and I used the black with the tip of a pin to create the eyes.

The thumb was hand painted with the nail art brushes and topped off with L.A. Colors Art Deco "24 karat" and folks, this is my right hand! Yes I did indeed paint it with my non dominant hand.

It's glossed off with a quick dry coat of Seche Vite! 

See the swatch of the base color "Unicorn" here.

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Nautical Nails

So, I have this bad habit of not changing my nail polish until I absolutely HAVE TO. Meaning, chips, cracks, or out growth (Too much visible natural nail) etc. So needless to say, I'm thankful that I have some girls in my life with pretty nails so I can practice my designs. 

These nautical nails were done on my awesome sister-in-law April. Bless her for sitting through a couple of hours worth of painting and drying (and fixing! My niece is only one, so changing, bathing, feeding, ... all of these are not "wet nail polish friendly" activities)

Enjoy the pictures! I'm still trying out different styles to capture the nails in the best lighting.

I started with Sinful Colors Base Coat

The blue is Sinful Colors Sinful Shine with Gel Tech "Break Away" (Exclusive to Walgreens)

The red on the accent finger is Pure Ice Siren (I adore this red, it applies smoothly and it the perfect bright red)

The gold is L.A. Colors Art Deco in "24k Glitter" I applied this using a small art brush to make the anchor and the "buttons" but I used the actual striping brush that comes with the nail polish to create the faux french tip on the red nail. The art brush is not a nail specific one, just one that can be picked up at a local craft store.

The white is L.A. Colors Art Deco in "White". To make the strips on the pointer finger I used the actual brush that comes in the nail polish because it is a striping brush.

Tip: Instead of trying to draw straight lines to make stripes, try placing the finger being painted on a flat surface and steadying the hand holding the brush next to it. Instead of moving the brush along the fingernail, place the tip of the brush at one end of the nail and rotate or "roll" your finger under the brush. So the nail being painted it moving, and the brush stays still. 

To make the heart, I used the art brush and added a small bit of the white polish to create a glossy effect and the black polish is Sally Hansen Hard as Nails in "Black Out."

These nails are topped off with a coat of Sally Hansen "Clear'd for Takeoff."

Hope you enjoyed these, maybe I'll try to coordinate with a patriotic holiday next time I do a Red, White and Blue theme. :)

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