Cynthia, Author at Of Life and Lacquer

Author: Cynthia

Of Life and Lacquer > Articles by: Cynthia

The Lacquer Ring – Teal

Posted on 6 November, 20145 November, 2014 by Cynthia

Thursday! Yeah!!!!!!! I am so glad that this week is almost over because work has been very “challenging” this week so I am really looking forward to the weekend. Saturday is my Peanut’s 1st birthday party so this crazy auntie is getting ready to spoil the bejeezus out him. Additionally, I will have him next Tuesday for the whole day since I don’t work on Veterans day. Yay to Peanut time! I was planning to skip today’s The Lacquer Ring post because I just haven’t really been in the mood to blog, but I changed my mind after Lesley told me she was going to work on hers. Since Amy picked teal (big surprise!), I went searching through my melmers and decided to use China Glaze Custom Kicks.

Yes, China Glaze Custom Kicks really is teal but two thing happened: 1) I think that my bottle changed color slightly because it was very badly separated and it had some white in it which was weird 2) My lighting and camera LOVE to make everything more blue. In real life, this color really is more green, I swear! This polish also has the most beautiful golden shimmer that just makes it look a million times more interesting. It can be hard to see the shimmer on the nail, but when the light catches it–hot diggity! I was planning to do some nail art on this mani, but I just couldn’t bring myself to do it. It’s so beautiful in its simplicity that I just wanted to leave it untouched–that, and I got kinda lazy but let’s forget I just wrote that and admire the polish, ok?

So how has your week been so far? The other night I had a spectacular dream about quitting my job in the most outrageous way. I don’t really want to quit my job because I really do like it even though it can be really exhausting on certain days. I have just come to the conclusion that I don’t like working and I will never like working because it involves me waking up early in the morning. Can you tell I’m not a morning person? But hey, at least I don’t work at 5 am anymore which really killed my soul. Don’t forget to check out the other teal manis below! Thanks for stopping by today, and I will talk to you soon.

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Zoya Wishes Collection Holiday 2014

Posted on 3 November, 20142 November, 2014 by Cynthia

Hi! How was your weekend? Mine was way too short as usual, so here I am lamenting the start of another work week. I didn’t manage to get through my swatching pile so now I’ll have to do a few polishes every night to catch up–at least that’s what I always say and then get too lazy. I did manage to swatch the Zoya Wishes Collection for Holiday/Winter 2014. I was so looking forward to this collection because last year’s collection was a total winner in my book. How did this year’s offering fare? Let’s find out.

Zoya Prim

Zoya Haven

Zoya Willa

Zoya Imogen

Zoya Nori

Zoya Thea

Where to start? Well, it’s safe to say that I dislike this collection. It would be an understatement for me to say that I am OVER the super magical ultra super duper Pixie Dust formulation. They never dry down matte which is what I think would make them look a little more special. Thea and Nori are very pretty, but Imogen is kind of a snoozefest. Now for the other three…Prim, oh Prim! Metallic, frosty, brush strokes. Enough said. I didn’t care for Haven either because it’ kind of metallic as well, but it doesn’t show brustrokes like Prim. The color isn’t something that I’d go out of my way to wear again. Willa is a good basic black with a nice formula, but that’s about it. You guys know I really love Zoya, but this collection is just a miss for me with the exception of Thea and Nori. What do you guys think? Will you be picking up any of these shades? You can purchase these polishes for $9 each (or $10 for the Pixie Dusts) over at zoya.com. Thank you for stopping by today, and I will talk to you soon!

Stamping Saturdays #43

Posted on 1 November, 2014 by Cynthia

I’ve been super frustrated with my pictures lately which has made me not even want to swatch. I just hate how they are turning out lately and even though I take like 30 shots of each mani, I feel lucky if I even get one shot that I am mildly satisfied with. I don’t know if I’m being extra picky or if I’m just having a really bad run with my new camera. Anyway, today I am posting SUPER LATE for Stamping Saturdays even though I got this mani done late last night. Let me show you what I came up with.

Zoya Willa (press sample) is a full coverage black creme. Nothing fancy about this polish, but it is one of those nice staple polishes to keep in your arsenal.

For this design, I used plate Bundle Monster 308 and Color Club Halo-graphic. It stamps pretty well over black, and it looks really pretty in the sun.

So what do you think about this mani? Did you do anything fun for Halloween? I spent my evening with Peanut and taking him trick-or-treating. He was a cute little dragon as you can see below.

I can’t believe that he will be 1 year old next week! He is such a freaking cutie pie. Well, I hope you’re having a nice weekend, and I will talk to you soon.

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LCN Sweet Serenity Collection Winter 2014

Posted on 30 October, 201429 October, 2014 by Cynthia

Wednesday down and two more days to go before the weekend is here again. Is it pathetic how much we look forward to our weekends? I am also looking forward to Halloween because it’s my nephew’s first Halloween, and I can’t wait to see him in his little costume. Guys, I just don’t know what to tell you today. I feel like all of the winter/holiday collection are letting me down with their sheer boringness. I don’t think boringness is a word but it’s fits perfectly in Cynthia World so let’s just use it, ok? Normally I completely adore everything that LCN puts out, but I just can’t say that about their latest collection. The LCN Sweet Serenity Collection for Winter 2014 is comprised of 4 shades that just don’t pique my interest, but let me show you what I’m talking about…

LCN Sweet Serenity

LCN Tender Lace

LCN We’re Meant To Be

LCN Delicious Me

Is it just me? Am I not seeing something in this collection? I don’t find that the colors go well together and that brown just looks ghastly on me. The collection’s namesake polish also looks terrible on me and the color is just not something I would ever think of wearing again. It’s a shame because I like the soft matte finish–maybe if it was more pink? Tender Lace is really pretty but boy is it patchy–it needed 4 coats to even it out! The last color, Delicious Me, is nice and the formula was not problematic but it’s not that interesting. I’m sad about this collection–like super sad! It has definitely been an off year for winter/holiday collections and this one is no exception. What do you think about this collection? I am very interested in hearing what you think. Thanks for the visit today, and I will talk to you soon.

Faby Italian Nail Couture

Posted on 29 October, 201428 October, 2014 by Cynthia

For US lacqueristas, we tend to have all the major brands at our disposal so we don’t know what the ladies in other parts of the world go through to get certain brands. Well, today I have a new-to-the-US brand to share with you: Faby! Faby who? Well, let me share with you a little about Faby:

Faby is a high-quality, professional line of nail care products with over 175 brilliant, richly-pigmented colors that capture the essence of Italian style. But Faby offers more than just a manicure; wearing Faby is a color experience. With shades that are inspired by Italian culture, music, literature, cinema, and fairytales, and each with a story to tell, Faby nail lacquers are an expression of person style that encourage you to make a statement and live “La Bella Vita.”

How’s that for an introduction? I have to say I’m a little biased to ANYTHING Italian because I adore Italy, and it was basically my home away from home while I was living in France. Now, let me show you the three shades I got to try out:

Faby A Long Summer

Faby Faby Is My Best Friend!

Faby Jump On My Magic Carpet!

I am so glad that they sent me 3 cremes to try out because I think cremes are the litmus test for polish companies–if they can’t do cremes right, then I don’t know what to tell ya. Fortunately, all three polishes had a great formula. They were very opaque, creamy and easy to control. Even better, they did not need any top coat to have that amazingly shiny finish. While this trio of colors isn’t my favorite (I’m not a fan of orange and brown isn’t on my lust list), they definitely were a pleasure to work with. Here comes the but…the price. You guys know I’m not opposed to paying a lot for my nail polish (hello Tom Ford!), but I’m not a sucker either. These polishes retail for $18 each which I think is pretty steep. You can read more about Faby and see the wide range of colors that they offer at fabyusa.com. I also wanted to mention that Faby is cruelty-free and 5-free which I know is important to many consumers. Let me know what you think of these polishes! Thanks for the visit.

OPI Gwen Stefani Holiday Collection 2014

Posted on 28 October, 201427 October, 2014 by Cynthia

I was catching up on episodes of The Voice, and I was getting in the move to write up my review for this collection since I was watching Gwen on the show. Does anyone else think she looks more amazing than ever? How does she not age? I remember being in high school and freaking the fuck out when their Tragic Kingdom album came out. I still listen to that album often–ahh, simpler times. Every time I start talking about holiday collections, it surprises the heck out of me that in a few days it’s going to be November. Where did the year go? My little nephew is going to be 1 year old in a couple of weeks–when did that happen??? Soooo….where to start with this massive collection? Before I even saw bottle shots, I knew that Gwen + holiday would mean a whole lotta red and I was not wrong. Before I start rambling, let me show you the 18 polishes that make up the OPI Gwen Stefani Holiday Collection.

OPI Fashion A Bow

OPI Cinnamon Sweet

OPI What’s Your Point-settia?

OPI Red Fingers And Mistletoes

OPI First Class Desires

OPI Sleigh Parking Only

OPI Just Be-claus

OPI Kiss Me-Or Elf!

OPI I Carol About You

OPI Christmas Gone Plaid

OPI In A Holidaze

OPI Love Is Hot And Coal

OPI Rollin’ In Cashmere

OPI Unfrost My Heart

OPI I’ll Tinsel You In

OPI Snow Globetrotter

OPI Comet In The Sky

OPI So Elegant

Swatching a collection this large can seem like a huge chore, but I actually got through it rather quickly because the formula on all of these polishes was superb. They all applied easily and of course the OPI brush is perfect for my nails–I just can’t rave enough about it. I am feeling conflicted here: while I love the formula and the colors are really nice, I am just left feeling flat. Is it too much red? I don’t know. I just keep thinking of how majestic the Skyfall collection was a couple of years ago and how this doesn’t even compare. There are a few shades like Red Fingers and Mistletoes, First Class Desires, Snow Globetrotter and Christmas Gone Plaid that I LOVE SO HARD, but the rest I can live without. I kept going back and forth between liking and HATING Rollin’ In Cashmere and I think I have settled with disliking it. The color just looks horrible on me, but I can see it working on other different skin tones. You already know that I hate I’ll Tinsel You In because it’s silver and a foil. Barf. I guess the good news here is that your wallet will thank you for passing on a lot of these shades. If you have plenty of reds, then you don’t necessarily need to pick them up from this collection. Now I want to hear from you: what do you think about this collection? Thanks for stopping by today, and I will talk to you soon.

KBShimmer Winter Collection 2014

Posted on 27 October, 2014 by Cynthia

I woke up this morning, “jumped out of bed and put on my best suit. Got in my car and raced like a jet…” Oh, wait. That wasn’t my morning, that was Magic’s! Anyway, I did jump out of bed because I thought I was going to puke in my sleep. For the last couple of weeks, I have been getting used to new medication and my stomach is still rebelling so the bathroom has become my best buddy as of late. It is getting easier but sometimes it just hits me like a ton of bricks. I’ve been feeling blah since yesterday but it all exploded today. Let’s just move on to the polish before I really cross the TMI line…or did I do that already? So I am super excited to be showing you some of the polishes that are part of the KBShimmer Winter Collection for 2014. The collection consists of 11 new polishes and 5 returning holiday shades. Let me show you the 8 that I chose as my favorites.

KBShimmer Snow Way

KBShimmer Sugar Plum Faerie

KBShimmer Turnip The Beet

KBShimmer Too Cold To Hold

KBShimmer Dressed To Gild

KBShimmer Fallen Angle

KBShimmer Flake Dance

KBShimmer Deja Brew

Sweet baby Jesus on rollerskate–the textures! THE TEXTURES! How gorgeous are those textures? I was hoping that there would be a creme or two (red or green) to pick from just because KBShimmer makes the best cremes, but there were none. This whole collection scream holiday and is just so festive! I think that the only one that seemed a little out of place is Deja Brew BUT it’s pretty damn gorgeous so I can overlook that. I don’t have a single holo with that kind of rich base color so I had to jump all over that. The official release date for the KBShimmer Winter Collection is 11/1 so mark your calendars and make sure to hear on over to KBShimmer.com for information on the entire collection. These polishes retail for $8.75 each. In addition to the new collection, KBShimmer will also be offering some promos:

-Free Shipping For All Orders over $40 on KBShimmer.com No code needed. Runs from 11/01-12/31

-Free With a $70+ Purchase, Holly Back Girl, a white Christmas crelly polish with red and green glitters. Use code HBGFREE to receive free polish and free shipping with $70+ purchase. Runs from 11/01-12/31

-Free samples! While supplies last, we will be sending out a sample in each order. Samples may include scrubs, lotions, vinyl nail decals, soaps, etc. Orders will also include a branded emery board.

-Free Snowman Glitter! The first 400 orders will receive a bag of 1000 snowmen glitters perfect for winter nail art.

What do you think about these beauties? Are you in love with them like me? Thanks so much for stopping by today, and I will talk to you soon.

Super Nails – Part 2

Posted on 26 October, 201427 October, 2014 by Cynthia

Do you have it when a TV show makes you root for the “bad guys?” That’s how I’m feeling about The Sons of Anarchy right now. Netflix finally has season 6 available so I’m almost done watching the entire season in 2 days. I can’t believe where this is headed and I did not see the whole Tara situation coming. HOLY crap. Of course I already read some spoilers so I know what happens, but shiiieeettt that’s some messed up tv. I will be caught up this week so I’ll start watching the current season–just totally sad that it’s the last season. This afternoon I have the second part of my Super Nails post and I think these three are my favorite. Let’s take a look at them.

Super Nails All Star

Super Nails Bouncing Baby Boy

Super Nails Bundle Of Joy

Aren’t they adorable? These can look very different depending on the base color that you use so the possibilities are endless. My person favorite is All Star because it’s so bright and happy–I also think I picked the perfect base color for it. To learn more about Super Nails, make sure that you check out KC’s etsy shop for all of her fun creations. You can also find Super Nails on Facebook and Twitter. Thanks so much for stopping by today, and I will talk to you soon!

Stamping Saturdays #42

Posted on 25 October, 2014 by Cynthia

Happy Saturday and welcome to today’s Stamping Saturdays post. I’ve had a rather productive morning packing up blog sale orders and running some errands. I have been looking forward to the weekend since like Monday so I’m just enjoying my day so much. I also just noticed that season 6 of Sons of Anarchy is now on Netflix so I will be binge watching some Netflix tonight! So for today’s post I used one of the lovely holo polishes that I acquired recently: Color Club Halo-graphic.I shot Color Club Halo-graphic in two different types of lighting so you can see what it would look like in the shade and out in direct light. This is such a spectacular holo! I absolutely love it. The formula is perfect like all of the Halo Hues.

I then used an image from Bundle Monster plate BM-306 for this flowery design. I really like how it turned out even if it does cover up a lot of the holo.

What do you have planned for this weekend? I have a bunch of swatching to do so that’s going to keep me busy while I catch up on all my shows. I hope you’re doing well, and I will talk to you soon!

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Super Nails – Part 1

Posted on 24 October, 201427 October, 2014 by Cynthia

Hey!!!! Are you happy it’s Friday?? Uhm, I am!!! I can’t wait for the weekend so I can spend some time vegging out. Another thing I’m excited about is trying out a new brand: Super Nails. I had 6 polishes lined up to show you today, but let’s just say there there was an unfortunate even with my memory card. The other three polishes will be on the blog this weekend, but for now enjoy these three pretties.Super Nails Beautiful Baby Girl

Super Nails Catwoman

Super Nails Fruit Loops

I found all of these glitter toppers really fun because they can transform any polish. I am thinking of wearing Fruit Loops to my nephew’s 1st birthday party because it’s so festive and bright. To learn more about Super Nails, make sure that you check out KC’s etsy shop for all of her fun creations. You can also find Super Nails on Facebook and Twitter. Thanks so much for stopping by today, and I will talk to you soon!