NOTD: Illamasqua Prosperity and Max Factor Fantasy Fire

Super, SUPER quick post! I got a new camera! Whoopie!!!! I need to play with it to figure out how to use it so I can get some better pictures up here! I did a quick one with my mani for today. I added Max Factor Fantasy Fire to Illamasqua's Prosperity from my last post, and of course it is GORGEOUS!

Could be a better picture but I haven't had a new camera in YEARS so this is like alien technology to me. Give me a cell phone and I can have it figured out in minutes....but a camara? Nope. Haha I think I'll do some swatching this weekend as practice!

Illamasqua Prosperity

Hello all! Sorry its been so long! I made s HUGE mistake a few weeks back and decided I didn't have time to do my nails, so I had acrylics put on. Bad BAD idea. First: I know I hate acrylics. Getting junk between my fake and real nails is just nasty. Second: I didn't choose a good place. My nails got destroyed. I wasn't even worth it because I soaked them off a week layer. Lesson learned.

Anyway, I had to rehab my nails for awhile. They're still weak, and there is a ridge where my new nail is growing. I've finally gotten it to the point where it isn't so noticeable! (Except when I wear chromes, which sucks since I picked up the China Glaze Bohemian Collection and STILL haven't gotten a chance to wear them!)

Now, my polish today! We don't have an actual Sephora in my town. The one we have is in a JC Penney and they have almost nothing for nail Polish. Boo! I can never get myself to order from their site though because the city an hour away from me has a Sephora, and they DO carry polish... I just never have time to go up. Finally made it this weekend and picked up my first Illanasqua, which I've been lemming for for awhile! I only grabbed Prosperity from the rubber mattes because I was on a budget and wanted some Nails Inc. too!

Prosperity is of the limited edition Rubber Mattes Illamasqua put out. There are 5 or 6 other bright colors that I didn't grab since I at least just wanted the purple! This was my first dealings with this brand and if this was their not-so-good formula (based on some other blogs opinions) then I'm amazed because I thought it was great!! It went on in two easy coats and didn't bubble at all! I'm not 100% certain I'm sold on the finish, but it's interesting. Not matte but not shiny. Rubber is very accurate!

The only thing that might be a negative for some is the polish dried a lit darker than the bottle color. I was expecting a brighter purple but as you can see, its still very dark. I'm on with that but it might bother others.

Finally, forgive my picture and future pics as well. My camera is missing so these are all from my phone! And sorry if this post is covered in typos. I'm writing it from my phone as well because I don't want to dig my laptop out to transfer the images. Haha lazy, I know!

***and sorry if the pic is in a random spot? Phone app = pretty terrible stand in.

China Glaze: I Herd That

Ha. Ok, so I guess I lied yesterday when I said I was going to do a layering combo for today. I DID do a layering thing, but the nail polish fairy must be out to get me. I did a jelly sandwich with OPIs Care to Danse and Nubar 2010/Fingerpaints Asylum. It looked really neat but for some reason it just didn't want to stay on my fingers! Over lunch today the polish on my pinky nail just completely fell off. (like if you paint your nails and don't let all the layers dry, then rub your finger against something. It just kind of shears off the nail.) This was weird because it was hours and hours after originally painting them! So, that's a bummer. Lucky for you all I have a plan B!

I picked up a few of the Safari Collection China Glaze polishes when I was at Sally's the other day. This pick is sort of odd for me because normally I do not like glitters. Not one bit. I own very few and the ones I do I got because they were cheap or I wanted to try them out because I *hoped* I would like them. It never works! Haha Anyway, I saw a swatch of I Herd That and just fell in LOVE. I don't know what happened, but I think we might get married (Ha, not really! But remember those grade-school taunts? If you love it then why don't you marry it!) So.... check it out!

I had a really difficult time getting the true contrasts of the glitter to come out. There seems to be a mix of holographic glitter, gold glitter, and some darker coppery glitters. The effect is truly amazing. I didn't want to take it off! The formula on this was beautiful. My pictures all use topcoat, but this polish dries to an interesting matte finish. It does have texture to it, but not as much as a lot of other pure glitter polishes. All I needed was a coat of Gelous and one of Seche Vite and it was smooth!

If you like glitter, this is absolutely a must-have polish! The fact that my glitter-despising self likes it should say a lot! Like I mentioned, I found the collection at Sally's and they would probably have it at Beauty First as well. (Although, Beauty First in my area is slow at getting stock in.)

I hope you all have a good night and happy Friday! 

Quickie Product Review (with no pictures. You'll see why!)

So, I've spent the last few days being sick. I thought I had strep throat, but it turns out it's just a nasty, NASTY cold. Anyway, I spent yesterday in bed after taking a trip to my local Walgreens for assorted medications and throat drops. (FYI, Cepacol. It numbs EVERYTHING. uh-MAZING!) Anyway, while I was there I noticed they had the Gel Perfect nail polish things on sale so I grabbed on. I've always wanted to try it but I change my polish so often that it seemed like a waste of money. Since I was sick I figured hey, why not? Then I don't have to mess with my nails for a few days! (They look so nasty when they aren't painted. Ewwww!) My plan was to review the product and do a wear test with it to see how it worked out.

Well, I don't know if maybe I did something wrong.... but the product was TERRIBLE. Absolutely horrible. I don't have any pictures because I painted them then fell asleep. I was sick and didn't want to get the camera. I believe it's supposed t last for up to two weeks so I figured I would just take pictures today. Well, in less than 4 hours I managed to chip the ring finger of my right hand. I was annoyed--not really--but since that isn't my picture hand I just ignored it. My left hand looked fine. Too bad that didn't last! Today at work, so less than 24 hrs after applying the polish, I had a GIANT chip in on my index finger and thumb on my left hand! Really?? I've had plain polish last longer than that and I didn't use my nails nearly as much as I usually do!! I was so disappointed with the wear time.

The other thing that really got to me was the smell. The smell alone is enough to keep me from every trying this product again. I think the activating polish has the same chemicals as the glue for press-on nails, so you might as well just sit there and stiff the glue from one of those kits. That's what it felt like, and the smell never went away! Anyone ever use the Nabi Magnetic polishes? Those smell bad... this was worse.

So, that's why there are no pictures of the mani at all. I never had a chance. All in all, I am definitely glad I picked this up while it was on sale. Ugh. If anyone has used this an it has worked for them, let me know. I'm curious to know what techniques you used that I just must not know!! I think I should be able to get a post in tomorrow. I'm going to try and layering combo for you! Hopefully it turns out the way I am picturing it it my head!

Have a good night everyone!

....and OK fine. Oogle this. Not related in any way to above griping!

Bonus picture to make me feel better about being so wordy  in the post! Max Factor Fantasy Fire over Zoya Yasmeen! This was sooooooo pretty!!

*Disclosure: This product was purchased by me*

Girly Bits Hocus Pocus (aka the best polish ever if you love holos like me!)

Hey everyone! Today I've got for you what is probably one of my new favorite polishes! Girly Bits Hocus Pocus! Hocus Pocus is a really simple holographic top coat that can be used with any base polish. I wanted to try and show you all exactly what that means with a bunch of before/after-type photos!

First though, this is what I actually ended up wearing for a few days. Unfortunately, I wasn't quite genius enough to take any pictures of Zoya Yasmeen before I added Hocus Pocus. Oops.

Over Zoya Yasmeen

Over Zoya Yasmeen

Over Zoya Yasmeen

Over Zoya Yasmeen

 If that wasn't enough to make you swoon, check under the jump here for more pictures with different colors!

NOTD: My first jelly sandwich!

Hey guys! Just a super short post for today. Yesterday I tried my first jelly sandwich mani! It's definitely not the most awesome thing in the world -- compared to others I've seen -- but I thought it turned out pretty neat!

I used Don't Touch My Tutu! from OPI and a random Orly glitter I picked up on my last trip to Sally's called Can't Be Tamed. (It's got small purple hex glitters with black microglitter in a clear base.)

The results:

It reminds me of those candies that come out during Easter that are the speckled egg chocolates. Anyone else see that or even know what I'm talking about?? Haha 

Coming up this week I have another creation from Pam at Girly Bits that I'm in love with! I hope you all have a great weekend!

Girly Bits: Street Magic

I have a beauty for you all today! I managed to get my hands on a mini of Street Magic when the Girly Bits store did their last restock. I was hoping to get Shift Happens (like a lot of others, I bet!) but it was sold out by the time I was able to place an order. I'll try again next time, but until then this gorgeous polish will hold me over!

Not a lot of words for this one. It's soooo PRETTY! I chose to layer it over a dark green polish today and love the way it turned out! This flashes from gold to green to blue to bronze depending on how the light hits. My camera didn't want to capture anything other than the gold, for the most part, but I tried. This is really one you do need to see in person! It's worth it!

(Direct lamp light - Indoors)

(Lightbox. This didn't work well. I was hoping to get some of the other colors.)

And the beauty of them all (for me anyway):

(Direct Lamplight - Indoors)

Aren't you just drooling? I took a ton of pictures of this but all of them either ended up blurry or only half my nails were in focus! Oh well. You can catch a little more of the green shimmer here.

You can pick up Girly Bits polishes at her store http://girlybits.bigcartel.com/ or at Llarowe. You can also check out her BLOG to keep up-to-date on restock status.... or look at all the pretty pictures!