February 2013 - Of Life and Lacquer

Month: February 2013

Of Life and Lacquer > 2013 > February

Blogger Spotlight: Tina From Light Of The Moon Nails

Posted on 28 February, 2013 by Cynthia

Hello friends! Today I have another lovely lady participating in my Blogger Spotlight series: Tina from Light Of The Moon Nails. I hope you enjoy reading about the fun mani she planned for us.

The moment I saw Nails Inc. Noho, their leather finish, I knew it would be mine….MINE. I am bonkers for textured polish…matte…liquid sand…concrete. You name it, I love it. So when Cynthia asked me to guest post, I knew that I would do something with this edgy, cool and awesome polish. But what to do with it? Why not include one of the (many) polishes that I purchased from Cynthia’s blog sale? And pay homage to Cynthia’s mani that she did with the same polish. So here goes.

I started with Orly Surreal Satin. I absolutely LOVE this polish. Love the coral color….love the finish….love the way it seems to glow from within. Good luck finding this polish. It was originally released in 1997. I think that makes it an antique in the polish world, don’t you?

Next I sponged Ninja Polish The Midas Touch. This clear polish is filled with actual gold leaf flakes, but unlike a lot of the other gold flake polish out there, is half the price. You can purchase this polish HERE They also have a silver leaf polish too, if you’re more attracted to silver.

Next I did a half moon with Nails Inc. Noho. I used hole reinforcers for the half moons, but I think next time I will try to freehand them. I have such a hard time eyeing where the moons should start, especially on my pinky.

I decided it needed a bit more, so I added some gold heart crystals to a couple of tips. Look at that awesome finish on Noho. It has just enough texture, not to much, not too little, and really does remind me of a black leather couch (tee hee).

Finally, because of the crystals, I decided to find out what would happen if I added a top coat. I used one THIN coat of OPI Top Coat. The texture was still there! Don’t use Seche Vite though. No texture if you use one of the thicker top coats. I do, however, like this polish better without a top coat. One more pic and then I‘m done. Thanks again Cynthia!

I’ve been keeping an eye on Nails Inc. Noho so maybe now I will take the plunge and get it! Make sure that you head over there to Tina’s blog to show her some nail lovers support. Click here for her blog. She is a challenge champ!

Thanks so much for stopping by today. If you are interested in being featured in a blogger spotlight, don’t hesitate to contact me. Talk to you later!

China Glaze Avant Garden Collection Part 1

Posted on 26 February, 2013 by Cynthia

Holy Jebus, I’ve had these polishes for a few weeks, and I finally am getting around to swatching them. I picked up 9 of the 12 colors initially, but I decided to swatch these 6 colors to start with because I bought a second set of these colors for my latest giveaway. I wish I had gotten around to swatching these polishes earlier, but things were kind of nutso because of my never-ending flu and all my work troubles. Additionally, I had all that unfortunate damage to my hands because of cleaning products so that definitely derailed my swatching plans. In any case, I am glad that my hands have completely recovered, and I am now at a decent nail length where I don’t feel self-conscious about my nubs. Are you ready to see the first part of my China Glaze Avant Garden Collection swatches? Yes? Ok, here we go!!!!!!!!!!!!

Keep Calm, Paint On Swatch was one of the colors that I was most interested in when I first saw this collection. While I still love this steely blue-green color, it was streak-a-rific. I applied 3 medium coats here to finally get it to look decent. The formula also seemed thin.

When I first saw Fade Into Hue, I wondered how it compared to China Glaze Secret Peri-wink-le. I think it is a pretty color but not that unique. Again, the formula seemed a little thin but I applied three thin coats which gave me pretty good coverage.

Tart-y For The Party is a color that I love–all 5 billion versions of it that are in my melmers. I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of this type of bright lilac colors and will probably continue to gravitate towards them. Tart-y For The Party was definitely more pigmented and thicker than the previous polishes so I only needed 2 coats here.

I refuse to use the same punctuation for this polish that CG used. Mimosas Before Manis has been getting a lot of attention. It’s one of those colors that you either hate or you love. Personally, I can’t get enough of peachy/orange/coral type polishes especially when they have such a beautiful glowy shimmer like this one. The formula was a little on the thick side and VERY pigmented. I applied three thin coats here.

Ahhhhh…Fancy Pants. My dear, sweet Fancy Pants. You are my favorite. This polish had the best formula of the 6 colors I swatched today: super pigmented with a good consistency. I love it. That is all I have to say about that.

Sunday Funday is such a beautiful, bright and saturated creme. I have to be honest–as much as I love glitter and shimmer and all those other finishes, there is nothing better than a rich and glossy creme. This one also had a pretty fantastic formula. If I had been a little more careful, I could have gotten away with one coat!

Now, if you want a chance to win your very own set of these 6 colors, make sure that you enter my current giveaway. There are only 5 more days left to enter so don’t miss your chance. The set I am giving away is brand new polishes–all purchased by me for you: my wonderful readers.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

So what do you think of the first half of my China Glaze Avant Garden Collection swatches? Do you like these as much as I do? I know the formula was a little tricky on some of these, but I’ll forgive them for that since the colors are just so pretty. Let me know what you think…especially if you’ve already purchased some. I’ll be putting up these up on my blog sale (because I may or may not have purchased back ups–I’ll never confess) in case you’re interested so check it out. Thanks for stopping by today, and I will talk to you soon.

Blogger Spotlight: Tami From Polished Dreams And Life Things

Posted on 25 February, 201325 February, 2013 by Cynthia

I haven’t forgotten about my blogger spotlights and today I am very happy to have Tami, from Polished Dreams And Life Things, share an awesome review for you.

Hey Peeps! I’m very excited to be writing a guest post for Of Life And Lacquer, I feel honored too. Wow, there are people out there that actually think my content is worth reading. Thank you ladies. Besides my first ever guest post, this is also my first post with my new camera and laptop. I’m lucky to have a hubs that is supportive (he’s an enabler) of my hobbies (my addictions). You may notice by my swatch photos that I had to cut my nails down to stubby little nubbins. Lame! At least I have pretty polish.

Today I am stoked to share 2 gorgeous Kunimitsu Nail Potions with you! The talented owner, Jessica has been sharing her awesome hand-mixed and frankened nail potions since late 2011. All of her polish is made with a 3-free base too. She has many gorgeous polishes listed on her Etsy store, with lots of new potions just released! I can’t wait to get my hands on them, but for now I’m going to show you Nice Planet!

Awesome Sauce is what this is, I love those colors. This polish kinda reminds me of a speckled jelly bean…Nice Planet! is inspired by our home planet Earth. Jessica describes it as “What I imagine space travelers would exclaim once laying eyes on the jewel we all live and breathe on, Earth. A white polish with subtle green shimmer with glitters of green, teal and gold.” The green shimmer doesn’t really show on my photos, but trust me it’s in there. Even without the green shimmer showing it’s still pretty. Here’s a close-up for good measure…

There’s small gold, light green, and teal glitters mixed in with the larger green and teal circles. It’s so friggin cute, my photos do NOT do this polish justice. Nice Planet is unique but versatile, a must-have for any polish obsessed chick. I’d totally rock it for St Patty’s Day or any other time for that matter. It has the perfect consistency and dry time is good. The finish is smooth enough that one thin topcoat is all you really need. I had no issues with glitter placement either, the formula is very easy to work with. I love those circles! Very planetary.

The next Kunimitsu nail potion is Eclipsed, inspired by Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of The Moon. It’s a holo/glitter top coat containing spectra-flare, black bars, medium black matte squares, and small multi-colored hex glitters that totally set it off. Spectra-flare isn’t cheap, so obviously Eclipsed costs a bit more than the other KNPs. You can get a full size bottle for $10, but it’s so worth it! It’s perfect, seriously. Very psychedelic. I think Mr. Floyd would be proud. I only purchased the mini, and as soon as I used it I knew I screwed up. I really need to get the full size bottle, I love this stuff! I decided to swatch it with a few different colors. Here’s a shot of Sinful Colors Happy Ending with 3 coats of Eclipsed and a coat of Seche Vite…

The formula of Eclipsed is awesome. It goes on smooth, I had no issues with the bar or square glitters. The polish consistency makes it so easy to arrange the glitters where you want them. I like being able to easily add or remove the bars and squares without jacking up my finish. I was curious to see what Eclipse looked like over yellow, so I decided to swatch it over Sally Hansen Insta-Dri Lightening. The swatch shows 3 coats of Eclipsed with a coat of Seche Vite.

Ok, my photography skills are obviously lacking in this photo. I’ve been experimenting with different backgrounds, I think the black background works better. I’m very pale too, so yellow really isn’t the best color for me. I also did not realize I had overdone the cuticle oil. Sorry about that! To make up for it, I saved the best for last. Here’s a swatch of Eclipsed over Spoiled Checkin’ Into Rehab…I left out the black squares and only used a few bars for this swatch. I thought that would be the best way to do it over a dark purple. No bottle in this shot. I find it ridiculously hard to include my thumb in the bottle shots and I really wanted you to see it. This one was a very distracting combo for me, I couldn’t quit staring at my fingers.

So, the verdict on Kunimitsu Nail Potions…I love ’em! They are unique and easy to work with, reasonably priced for the quality too. I can’t wait to order more. If you have not tried Kunimitsu yet, you really should. Click here to be directed to the KNP Esty shop. The polish is gorgeous and the prices are very reasonable. I had a very hard time deciding which ones to try first! I want all of them. To stay on top of KNP happenings and new releases, like her Facebook here. Now I’m going to close my review with some awesome news. I’m having a mini-giveaway on my blog! Yay! It’s my first time doing a giveaway, so I’m really excited about it. Please click here to enter. Good luck!

A big thank you to Tami for sharing yet another awesome indie brand with me and all of you. I hope you have enjoyed Tami’s post–she cracks me up and I’m glad I’ve gotten the chance to meet her. She actually won one of my giveaways (check out her awesome swatches of the Sation polishes she won here.) Don’t forget to enter her giveaway! Just click on the picture below if you didn’t follow the link in her blog post.

If you’re interested in being featured in a future blogger spotlight, don’t hesitate to contact me!

Venique Acting Is Living

Posted on 24 February, 201324 February, 2013 by Cynthia

Today as I prepared to watch the Academy Awards, I was trying to decide if I should do my nails. When I looked over at my bin of polishes to be swatched for my blog, I zeroed in on the Venique Goes Hollywood Collection. How fitting, right? Then I went with the purple which ended up being called Acting Is Living. Well punch me in the eye and spit in my Orangina fantastic! It’s no secret that I obsessed with purple, so this was a perfect choice. Are you ready to see this gorgeous and shimmery grape purple that is Venique Acting Is Living?

Venique is a new to me brand, but I had head about it through friends and other nail polish afficionados. In looking deeper into this brand, I was able to obtain some information about the formula. Venique Nail Lacquer is made with Sil-Tek, which is a silicone-based ingredient that causes the polish to be flexible and therefore isn’t as susceptible to chipping. Additionally, each coat is supposed to dry in about 4 minutes. One of the more interesting formula points is that if your manicure loses its shine, you can lightly buff your nails and you will regain the shine.

Now, I haven’t worn this polish very long so I can’t speak about its resistance to chipping, but I did think it took longer than 4 minutes for each coat to dry. I applied 2 coats and found that the polish was very, very thick and went on streaky. I decided to mix it for a few minutes hoping that the second coat would be nicer. Once I applied the second coat, the polish was pretty self-leveling and I got an even, glossy result even without top coat. For news about Venique, make sure that you check out their Facebook page here.

You may have noticed a change with the layout of my post. I have decided to stop watermarking my pictures, and I’m am uploading them individually instead of in a collage format. I am aware of all the picture stealing issues that arise if pictures aren’t watermarked, but honestly, I don’t think it’s worth it. If someone wants to steal your swatch pictures, they will do it–watermark or not. I had decided to use a watermark after my pictures for the WNW Saved By The Nail Collection were used in videos and sites all over the net without my permission and without giving me credit in most cases. Now I just want to focus on improving my photos/photography skills and getting rid of the watermarks.

This weekend was pretty busy for me especially since I had to work on Saturday. I ended up going out with a couple of friends to let off some steam. We ended up eating a yummy dinner, getting a drink, singing some corny karaoke and then just having some intense girl-talk. I want to share something with you that was like an epiphany for me…courtesy of my friend Nancy. As most women tend to do when girl talk is involved, we were discussing men. Ah, men…yes. Anyway, I was telling them about a guy I had met whom I no longer fancied for a few reasons. I told them that he was just “weird” and that I had lost interest. Then Nancy tells me: “But you’re weird. You can’t expect to date a “normal” guy. That’s just not going to happen.” I looked at her for a moment and realized that she is 100% right. One of my best friends has been calling me “freak” for the last 15 years–he never even calls me by my name anymore, so you know there is some truth to it. I guess I like to think of myself as unique and not weird. I’m just special. hahaha This made me think that maybe I shouldn’t be so quick to dismiss others as weird or strange since apparently we’re in the same boat. So there you have it.

How was your weekend? I hope it was interesting and full of fun stuff. What do you think of Venique Acting Is Living? Have you tried Venique polishes before? I’d love to hear what you think. Thanks for stopping by today, and I will talk to you soon!

Disclosure: The products featured in this post were provided to me by the manufacturer or their PR firm. For more information, please see my disclosure policy tab here.

Winner Announced – Silly Lily Winterberry

Posted on 22 February, 201324 February, 2013 by Cynthia

Another giveaway is over, and I am happy to announce the winner of my favorite Silly Lily Polish ever: Winterberry! And the winner is…..

Congratulations, Iliana! I have sent her an email and she has 48 hours to respond before I pick a new winner. Don’t fret if you didn’t win this polish, you can still purchase your very own bottle at Silly Lily’s Etsy Shop. Go and show her some love so she can continue to make lovely creations. She is currently running a promotion so take advantage of it: “New promo: Buy any 2 full size, non-clearance polishes and receive a SURPRISE! unlisted mini polish for free. No coupon code needed – valid until 2/28/13”

Also, don’t forget that I have ANOTHER giveaway running right now. I am giving away a 6 piece set of polishes from the China Glaze Avant Garden Collection. Make sure that you enter by clicking on the picture below.

Today is technically my Thursday since I work tomorrow, but I will have Sunday off so I can enjoy the Oscars. Are you a fan of the awards shows? I have to admit that I love tuning in for the pre-Oscars fashion show on the red carpet but I also love the awards themselves.

Thanks everyone for participating in my giveaways, visiting, reading and commenting. I’m pretty excited that I’m nearing 1,000 blog email followers so thank you for taking the time to support my nail ventures.

Much love,

Jindie Nails Swoon

Posted on 21 February, 2013 by Cynthia

I don’t want to utter these words just to have them come back and bite me in the ass, but I’m going to say them anyway: I think I am finally kicking the flu to the curb! I did not feel like a gremlin shit of my head when I woke up this morning so I was already feel lucky. I took a few people’s advice and I gargled with warm salt water and that really seemed to help the issues I had with phlegm. Gross, I know. Today was my first day working my regular schedule which has me starting at 5:00 am. This is quite a feat for me because I am not a morning person, but I requested these hours because I want to have time during the day to do things I love. It’s a definite trade off, but I think I will make it work.

After I left work, I ended up going to Ulta to pick up a few things like cuticle remover, some essence polishes and a new hair dryer. I also stopped by Yogurtland for my favorite treat:

I was a little surprised to see a new “Gel-like” essence top coat so I grabbed it. My Ulta also seems to be stocking a lot of essence nail art items so that’s exciting. I tried to decide which one of my new Jindie Nails polishes to try out today and I ended up going with Swoon.

When I first saw swatches of Jindie Nails Swoon, I knew that it had to be mine. I was totally in love with the milky blue base and round glitter. Once I applied it, I think I realized that the base covers up most of the beautiful glitter. I found this polish a little difficult to apply because the glitter just didn’t want to cooperate! I had to really fish for the bigger hex glitter. Despite this, I still like the look of this polish.

What do you think about Jindie Nails Swoon? Is this a polish that you would wear? Have you had enough of these milky-based polishes? I don’t think I have reached saturation point yet so I’m still enjoying them.

My giveaway for a bottle of Silly Lily Winterberry ends in about an hour, but I will have to pick a winner tomorrow after work because I’m going to try to get in bed by 8:00. I’m such an old lady! Anyway, let me know what you think about this polish. If you want to get this or any other Jindie Nails polishes, make sure that you check her etsy shop this Saturday for a restock. Thanks for stopping by and I will talk to you soon!

Pomegranate Nail Lacquer Royal Fairy Tale Collection

Posted on 20 February, 2013 by Cynthia

Today I have two shades from the Pomegranate Nail Lacquer Royal Fairy Tale Collection to share with you. I wasn’t planning on doing any swatching until I got a little more length to my nails, but I just need to get over it and accept my nubs! This is actually my first experience with Pomegranate polishes, and I have to say that I am incredibly pleased with the quality. Before I get too much into it, let me show you the 2 shades I have: Rose Garden Romance and Prince Charmer.

Rose Garden Romance is one of those amazing reds that I can’t get enough of. It is so incredibly pigmented and bright that my camera wanted to freak out on me. In fact, this color is ALMOST a neon. You could get away with one coat if you’re careful, but I applied two thin coats.

Prince Charmer…ahhh, you’ve stolen my heart. I am in love with delicate shades like this one especially because it’s such a beautiful greyed lavender creme. The first coat seemed somewhat sheer, but the color builds up nicely. I applied 3 thin coats here.

I am so happy to have gotten the opportunity to try out this new-to-me brand. Unfortunately, now I have yet another brand to drool over–my wallet is weeping! What about you? Have you tried Pomegranate Nail Lacquer? Will you be picking up any of the shades from the new Royal Fairy Tale Collection?

To get more information about Pomegranate Nail Lacquer, make sure that you check them out on:

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pomegranatenaillacquer

Twitter: https://twitter.com/FreshJuicyColor

Website: http://www.pomegranatelacquer.com/

Thanks for stopping by today, and I will talk to you soon!

Disclosure: The products featured in this post were provided to me by the manufacturer or their PR firm. For more information, please see my disclosure policy tab here.

Celebrate Good Times! – Giveaway

Posted on 18 February, 2013 by Cynthia

As some of you may know, I have been going through some pretty intensive training for my new job these last 4 weeks. My employment actually depended on passing training successfully so I’ve been really stressed out lately thinking that I might be unemployed again. Well, today I finally got the news that I have passed my training and will be starting my job in the coming week. More than 50% of the people that started with me in training either dropped out or were let go so I’m still shocked that I’ve made it through. I know that I was down on my job a couple of weeks ago because it seemed so difficult to get the hang of everything, but I have started to feel a little more confident in my abilities. I just wish I could get to a point where the sound of the phone ringing at my desk won’t make me want to shit my pants. (Ok, that’s disgusting but I know some of you know what I’m talking about!)

Besides being happy about having landed this job AND passing the training, I am also really excited about reaching some milestones–namely 1,000 likes on my Facebook page. I am also very close to reaching 1,000 Twitter followers and my blog isn’t that far behind. I just want to thank all of you and my favorite way to give back is to give you pretty polishes! I decided to pick up an extra 6 bottles from the China Glaze Avant Garden Collection to give away to one lucky reader.

I know I’ve said it before, but I want to remind everyone to confirm your subscription to my blog via email in order to be eligible for this and all my giveaways. I was so bummed out when I was trying to pick a winner for my Euro Centrale Minis giveaway, and so many people who entered were NOT showing up as subscribers so I had to disregard their entries and move on. The only mandatory entry is to be a blog email subscriber, and all other activities are optional. As always, this giveaway is open worldwide but PLEASE make sure that you know what the customs restrictions are in your country before entering.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

I am on an unofficial swatching break right now since I nubbed my nails last week AND my hands are still recovering from the unfortunate chemical damage that I inflicted on myself during my last cleaning binge. I have also been super stressed because of work so I’ve been lagging on swatching, catching up on my favorite blogs and even more shameful: responding to comments on my own blog. Let me just say that even if I haven’t responded YET, I do read every single comment. I love to hear what you all have to say so I feel like such a turd for not responding in a more timely manner.

I currently have a crazy backlog of swatching which includes:

China Glaze Avant Garden Collection

Nubar Sweet Escape Collection

OPI Oz Collection

Venique Goes To Hollywood Collection

Jindie Nails lovelies

Jade Holos

Oy vey! When am I going to get all of this done?I think that I am going to have a very interesting weekend. Now that I will have my permanent schedule at work, I think I will be able to schedule things better. I also want to thank all of you who sent me incredibly encouraging emails and private messages on Facebook when I was struggling with work. It meant so much to me and it helped me stay positive despite feeling overwhelmed.

I am very fortunate to have so many things to celebrate right now! Thank you for your continued support.

Winner Announced: OPI Euro Centrale Minis

Posted on 16 February, 201316 February, 2013 by Cynthia

One more giveaway done and complete! I really like being able to do this for all of you who stop by and read my blog. I know that my fellow bloggers out there know how disheartening things can get when you feel down on your blog–like no one reads it and no one cares. I think we all have those moments about things we care about, so I try to shake it off because I know that I have made some amazing friends through this little venture. I hope that you will all continue to visit.

I wish I had a better and easier way to let people become followers, but the problem is that wordpress does not have many functions for that except to allow people to subscribe via email. It seems that some of you have reported that the system is being glitchy and that you never received an email so you could confirm your subscription so I’m really sorry if that happened. I hope that it was just a temporary glitch because I will be having a bigger giveaway hopefully in the coming week or two to celebrate reaching 1,000 likes on FB and I’m pretty close to that on Twitter as well. Thank you all for all the support!

The winner of the OPI Euro Centrale Minis is…..

I have sent Christina an email, and I am waiting to hear back from her. Thanks to everyone for participating in this giveaway and don’t forget to enter my other giveaway for a bottle of Silly Lily Winterberry.

You can enter here to win this beauty:

Thanks for stopping by today!

Zoya PixieDust Collection

Posted on 15 February, 201315 February, 2013 by Cynthia

Ok, I have to admit that I am a little embarrassed by these swatches. I don’t know what I was thinking, but I was swatching this collection in very low light so I didn’t even notice what a crappy job I did. Additionally, I took these pictures during the cleaning tsunami of February 2013 so my hands look so raw and gross. In fact, I did something that I never EVER do to my pictures…I airbrushed my cuticle on my ring finger because it was raw and a little bloody. I know that many bloggers out there photoshop and airbrush their pictures, but I am very anti photoshopping–what’s the point? Show off the polish AND your hands for what they really are. There is nothing that I hate more than seeing pictures where the person photoshops their skin so much that they end up looking like they have mannequin hands. Ultimately, it’s none of my business what other people do–it’s their blog, their pictures. Now, before anyone gets their panties in a bunch, I am not directing this towards anyone; it’s just an observation and an opinion. Before I dig this hole any deeper, let me show you the Zoya PixieDust Collection.

Here they are. Aren’t they pretty?

Chyna

NYX

Godiva

London

Vespa

Dahlia

Instead of talking about each polish individually, I figured I would do it all at the end since the formula on these polishes is pretty much the same across the board. It is very important that you let each coat dry before you apply the next. I applied 3 coats in order to get full coverage. The rough texture of this polishes did not bother me at all which I already knew I’d be ok with after trying the OPI Liquid Sand polishes, but I kind of missed the chunkier look of the Liquid Sands. If you’re looking for a finer alternative, then the PixieDust collection might be right for you. Personally, I wish the colors were more vibrant and interesting. I think the colors here are very nice, but they don’t excite me. I would have wanted to see a purple and a dark green or anything more exciting. Despite the not so exciting color palette of this collection, I still think these are definitely worth picking up if you want to try matte glitter.

If you’ve never tried Zoya polishes and want to get a coupon for a free bottle, you can create an account by using my referral link here. The only caveat is that you have to pay for shipping, but if you purchase 2 more bottles at the same time, they offer free shipping. This only works if you’re opening a brand new account with them.

What do you think of the Zoya PixieDust Collection? Will you be getting any of these polishes? Do you have a favorite?