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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!

The Lacquer Ring – Inspired By Frosso

Posted on 23 October, 201422 October, 2014 by Cynthia

I had totally forgotten about today’s The Lacquer Ring post. I am such a spaz that I didn’t even realize that we are almost at the end of the month, so when Amy mentioned it last night, I had to scramble. At first I was going to pass on the post, but today we are posting manis inspired by Frosso. In case you don’t know her (duh!), she is the hands behind the now retired Lacquer Me Silly. Now, I am still refusing to acknowledge that she officially retired from blogging because she is one of the first bloggers I became friends with. It’s like the end of an era! She will still be around on IG so it’s not like she stopped liking nail polish, blogging just wasn’t a priority in her life anymore and I totally get that. There are days when I want to shut it all down because I think there are a million blogs out there that are better or have more followers or blah blah blah. But you know what? I am unique…uniquely crazy. There is no one out there like me so I will continue to hoard my polishes and hopefully entertain anyone who stops by. Since Frosso is the queen of gunmetal, I took out Zoya Marina. Is this considered gunmetal? Maybe. Kinda. It didn’t matter because I wanted to use it since it’s my mom’s namesake polish and I was thinking of calling her today to bug her for a recipe. Anyway, let me show you what I did for my mani.

This is three coats of Zoya Marina. It was a little thinner than I am used to with Zoya polishes, so I ended up applying three coats to cover up bald spots. This is almost frosty, but I think they color saves it for me. I was going to stop there because I was just going to keep it simple and classy, but I had to bling it up.

As an accent, I used OPI Muppets World Tour. I lurve this. Seriously. LOVE. I think it’s such a pretty glitter and it goes great with this color.

So what do you think about today’s mani? I know it’s simple, but I just really like it. Don’t forget to check the other manis linked below. Thanks for the visit, and I will talk to you soon!

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Stamping Saturdays #41

Posted on 18 October, 2014 by Cynthia

Well hello there and welcome to another Stamping Saturdays! I haven’t posted much in the last week, but I won’t get into it here because I have a lot to share and I’ll never get through this post. Ha! I am super happy with the weather lately because it’s finally starting to feel like fall. I’m going to do a ton of stuff around the house today so I’m kinda looking forward to everything being spic and span. For today’s mani, I used one of my new pretties: OPI Christmas Gone Plaid.

I really hate that my pictures make this polish look darker than it is. It’s actually a lot more green in real life and it’s gorgeous! The good news is that OPI Christmas Gone Plaid (press sample) is super amazing, smooth, opaque and incredibly shiny on its own.

I just wanted to jazz everything up so I applied a coat of Nubar 2010 which is one of my favorite flaky polishes.

This large houndstooth design is from plate MoYou London Pro Collection 18 (press sample). I just love houndstooth everything!

Well, what do you think about this mani? I hope you’re doing well today and that you are enjoying your weekend. Thanks for stopping by today, and I will talk to you soon.

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Zoya Matte Velvet Collection – Re-released!

Posted on 13 October, 201412 October, 2014 by Cynthia

I was a big fat swatching failure this weekend. I thought that I would have time to do a lot of swatching, but I ended up just being lazy and watching tons of movies. Hey, it was a relaxing weekend, sort of, so I guess it’s all cool. On Saturday I picked up my new camera and shed imaginary tears of frustration because I am a tech dunce and have been having a lot of issues trying to get all the settings just right. It’s not a complicated camera, but it’s complicated to me! So I’m sorry if my pictures look off or different–you let me know what you think. One of the collections that I did swatch is the Zoya Matte Velvet Collection because I had been looking forward to playing with the colors that I didn’t have and boy this collection does not disappoint. Don’t you hate it when companies discontinue colors that everyone wants? Well, now we don’t have to complain about not being able to get these beauties because the whole collection is being re-released! Woot! Let me show you just how gorgeous these polishes are.

Zoya Veruschka

Zoya Savita

Zoya Harlow

Zoya Posh

Zoya Loredana

Zoya Dovima

Sooooooo? Was I right? Aren’t these freaking gorgeous? I know that mattes aren’t for everyone, so you can definitely top coat them and transform them into shimmery gorgeousness. I prefer to leave them matte since that’s what’s special about them. The formula on all of these is pretty easy to work with if you just work quickly and don’t overwork the polish. For my swatches I used two coats of polish, and they all dried lightning quick. Which color is your favorite? I can’t make up my mind between Veruschka and Savita. This collection can be purchased on zoya.com for $9 each but they will only be available for a limited time so don’t drag your feet if you want them. You know how polish freaks roll and they will all disappear.

In celebration of this gorgeous collection, I am introducing a new rating system today to give you an overall idea as to how strong the polish boner is for each collection I review. The rating system will tell you how much my brain was thinking, “Shut up and take my money!” and is based on a scale of 1-4.

It should be no surprise that my final rating is:

You really nailed it with this re-release, Zoya.

Stamping Saturdays #40

Posted on 11 October, 201411 October, 2014 by Cynthia

Sweet baby Jesus on rollerskates, I think I came down with some sort of stomach bug yesterday. My stomach was killing me all day, but I just seem to get sick for random reasons. I didn’t eat anything bad yesterday. In fact, I ate pretty well: yogurt, apple with peanut butter, string cheese and a chicken salad–this was before dinner. Anyway, I think my system has never been the same since I had my gall bladder removed a few years ago. My stomach feels pretty normal now so whatever! Suck it, stupid stomach issues! Yesterday after work I went to my nail polish places and I kind of went overboard. You see, I was feeling pretty good because my manager was giving me kudos for something and then even the director of our department stopped by to tell me what a great job I did. It’s always nice to be recognized for doing a good job, right? Sometimes it feels that the only time you hear from management is when you mess up, so it’s a nice surprise to hear positive feedback too! Look at all the stuff I got:

I tracked down the rest of the Cuccio Colour Precious Metals collection so I was beyond excited. I also found the Essie Winter Collection (which seems so wrong!) and some Color Club Halo Hues that I hadn’t picked up yet. And lastly I picked up a few dreamy Kiara Sky cremes, one of which I will be using for today’s Stamping Saturdays. Ready to check it out?

This beauty is Kiara Sky Teal The Spotlight. You’re welcome. That is all I really have to say. It’s gorgeous, has a gorgeous formula, it is shimmery, buttery and opaque. Perfection.

The color totally made me thing of the ocean so I used my MoYou London Sailor Collection Plate 07 (press sample) to stamp this wave design. I’m really digging this! After the fails from the previous weeks, I’m glad this design turned out.

What are you up to today? I don’t have anything exciting planned so I think I’m just going to swatch my little heart out. My fingers are scared in advance, but I’m also really excited to try out all my new pretties! Thanks for stopping by today, and I will talk to you soon.

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The Lacquer Ring – Vampy

Posted on 9 October, 20149 October, 2014 by Cynthia

I know I’m super late for The Lacquer Ring post today, but I wasn’t in the mood to do my nails last night and then tonight I was having issues with my camera so it took me a long time to get it to work. The camera did not want to turn on and then it would shut off by itself. I think that it is finally time to get a new one. I’ve bought 2 cameras lately and returned both because they just didn’t work out for me. I use a point and shoot camera that was under $150 a couple of years ago so I’m not looking for anything crazy fancy or expensive. I have my eye on a Nikon that is $100 so I’m going to go check it out at Best Buy this weekend. I’m excited about going camera shopping! Today’s prompt is vampy, and I received the perfect polish today.

OPI Sleigh Parking Only is a new polish from the Gwen Stefani Holiday Collection. I am a little surprised by how much darker this polish looks on the nail. It’s a beautiful dark raisin polish with a great formula. I applied two coats for my swatches above and it covered perfectly. It dries incredibly shiny which you know I love when it comes to cremes.

I could not leave my mani nice and simple so I applied one coat of OPI Snowflakes In The Air. I adore this glitter and love how it pops against the dark base.

I am watching Grey’s Anatomy right now and am patiently waiting for Scandal. I love that show! I have a crapton of polishes to swatch this weekend, and I have no idea how I’m going to get through them all, but I’m going to give it my best shot. Aren’t you happy that tomorrow is Friday? I’m looking forward to the weekend laziness for sure. Don’t forget to check out the other manicures for today’s The Lacquer Ring posts. Thanks for stopping by today, and I will talk to you soon.

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Stamping Saturdays #39

Posted on 4 October, 2014 by Cynthia

Hello. I’m melting today. I’m super upset about this shitty weather because it makes me miserable. The dry heat and the winds make my allergies go nuts so I’ve been a total mess the last few days. Today I woke up early for my Saturday morning movie ritual and I watched Gone Girl. Man, that movie was a mindfuck. I had not read the book but I knew the plot and all because I had googled it when everyone started talking about the movie. That is one of my most annoying habits even to myself–I like to google everything such as movie plots, TV show summaries…you name it, I google it. I know it seems ridiculous since part of the enjoyment of watching a movie is to be surprised. I don’t know when I started doing this, but it’s a habit now. Anywho, I highly recommend the movie if you’re looking to watch something this weekend. I know I’m posting super late today, but I just had a crapton of stuff to do today and then it was so hot I just couldn’t function. I don’t have AC in my apartment so it gets super hot. Enough complaining about the weather–let me show you what I did today for Stamping Saturdays.

For my base color, I used Super Nails Cookie Dough (press sample). I have never seen a polish more aptly named!

This is two easy coats of Cookie Dough. The formula on this polish seemed a bit thick at first, but it applies easily and is very opaque. I like the base color of this polish, but I don’t think that it looks too good on me. Maybe it would look better on someone with a different skin tone.

I’m totally meh on this combination. I don’t thin that I made the right choice here because everything looks muddled. From far away it looks cool, but up close it doesn’t quite mesh. In case you’re wondering the jigsaw puzzle design comes from Bundle Monster plate BM 319.

So how has your Saturday been? Anything exciting going on in your life? I’m going to jump in the shower and meet up with a girlfriend for a cup of coffee since we haven’t had time to catch up lately. Hopefully I can get some watching done tomorrow otherwise I’m not going to have too much to post next week. I am so crossing my fingers that I start making it to the gym after work because I’m at a crossroads here. Let me know what you think of Super Nails Cookie Dough. It’s my first experience with the brand, and I quite liked the formula and application. 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!

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Zoya Ultra PixieDust Collection Fall 2014

Posted on 22 September, 201421 September, 2014 by Cynthia

I think that for the first time I am uttering these words in a sincere manner: HAPPY MONDAY!! I am taking a couple of days off from work, and I am enjoying the crap out of them. Instead of doing nothing all day which is one of my favorite things to do (sleeping being another favorite), I am babysitting my little Peanut. He turned 10 months old and is now crawling and getting into EVERYTHING. I am planning on taking him to the mall for a ride on the carrousel and then maybe a trip to the toy store because his auntie loves to spoil him. Besides the Peanut/Auntie time, I don’t have much planned today. This weekend I did some swatching and a lot of Netflix watching–namely Sons of Anarchy. I am not up to season 4 but I kind of want to stretch it out because I don’t want it to end!!! I know this is the last season so I’m going to be sad. Well, one of the collections I swatches this weekend is the Zoya Ultra PixieDust Collection for Fall 2014. To be honest, I first thought that these polishes looked like Valentine’s Day threw up in my polish. They are all red…? Before I get into it any further, let me show you my swatches.

Zoya Oswin

Zoya Arianna

Zoya Noir

In the bottle, Arianna and Oswin look almost exactly alike. On the nail, they do look slightly different: Oswin is more red while Arianna leans more berry. They are both nice but they don’t make my heart skip a beat. Enter Noir…ahhhh, Noir. You are such a gorgeous, sexy bitch. I absolutely love the dark base on this polish. These polishes are supposed to dry super matte but only Oswin dried completely matte on me. Zoya did share a video about how to apply these. When I first saw the video I snickered because how many of us need a video in order to know how to apply polish? However, I now know why my polish didn’t dry completely matte:

After the first swatch, I used OPI’s Glitter Off which is why I think the polish didn’t dry completely matte. I also didn’t allow enough time in between the first and second coat. Matte or not, these are pretty. Am I all excited about this trio? Nope. The standout for me is Noir and I can’t wait to wear it again. To purchase these polishes, you can go to zoya.com where they retail for $10 each. Thanks for stopping by today, and I will talk to you soon!

Stamping Saturdays #37

Posted on 20 September, 201420 September, 2014 by Cynthia

Holy shitballs. I can’t believe I am currently enjoying day 1 of my 4 day weekend. And how am I enjoying today, you ask? By watching episode after episode of Sons of Anarchy, of course! I completely blame Emma for getting me started on this show, and she was 100% right–I love it. I am just starting season 2 and I suspect that I’ll be able to get through a couple of seasons over this long weekend. Next week is a big TV week for me because 2 of my favorite shows are coming back: Scandal and The Blacklist!! My TV life will be complete when The Following comes back, but it seems that I will have to wait until next year for that. I think I might have to stop watching so much TV, but to be honest I tend to watch while I do other stuff like cleaning or doing my nails so at least I’m being somewhat productive. For today’s Stamping Saturdays, I decided to go extra glittery so let me show you what I did.

This gorgeous polish is NYC Blue Majesty (press sample) from the Crystal Couture Collection. It’s a very opaque glitter with a very pigmented blue jelly base. Unfortunately it stains something fierce so make sure that you double up on base coat. I didn’t use any base coat and ended up having to buff the staining away because it was so bad that not even pure acetone worked. You may also have noticed my super short nails. I don’t normally like having my nails this short, but since I broke my pinky nail I just decided to file them all down.

Because there is nothing more gorgeous to me than a white and blue mani, I stamped this image from plate MoYou London Pro Collection – 02 (press sample). I really like how this mani turned out despite my nubs.

So what are you up to this weekend? I’m really happy that the weather has cooled down dramatically. Earlier in the week it was around 100 degrees and now I’m enjoying upper 70’s and low 80’s which is heavenly. I just hope that it stays this way so I can enjoy my mini vacation. I hope you’re doing well, and thank you for stopping by today!

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KBShimmer Fall 2014 Collection

Posted on 12 September, 201411 September, 2014 by Cynthia

Yay Fall is almost here…NOT! When I walked out of the office yesterday, I was punched in the face with 100 degree heat. Needless to say, I was not impressed. This weekend is supposed to be even hotter so I’m already upset about it. Maybe I will go to the beach and just get burned to a crisp the way I always do…or maybe I will go to some air conditioned place all day so I don’t have to deal with heat stroke. Shitastic weather aside, one thing I am super psyched about is the awesome collection I have for you today. What collection am I talking about? Well, it’s the KBShimmer Fall 2014 Collection, of course! Proceed with the swatches, posthaste!

KBShimmer How You Dune?

KBShimmer Hugs And Wishes

KBShimmer Stonewashed

KBShimmer Rust No One

KBShimmer Up And Cunning

Holy shit, now that is what polishgasms are all about. I have never EVER tried a KBShimmer polish that wasn’t superb. The formulas on these cremes is just deliciously buttery, smooth and glossy. They apply like a dream and the colors are unexpected but somehow fit in perfectly with a fall collection. The holos…the holos! I use different lighting for the holos because I want to show you what they look like out in the sun since they are just spectacular. They are so easy to apply as well–just a perfect formula. All of these polishes applied perfectly with two coats. I just can’t rave enough about these beauties.

You know you want these pretties so get them! The Fall Collection will be available for sale on September 15 so check them out here. Also be sure to follow KBShimmer on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for all their latest news. So which one is your favorite?