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Stamping Saturdays #65

Posted on 15 August, 201521 August, 2015 by Cynthia

Hello. Have you melted yet? It’s in the 100’s here so excuse my foul mood. Anytime that it gets hotter than Satan’s butthole, I tend to lose my shit. You see, I live in a coastal city so we don’t really need air conditioning except for a few weeks during most Summers. Even then, it’s not anything that we can’t handle, but for someone who hates the heat, I just become a miserable grump. Last night I was debating if I should even attempt to do a mani for Stamping Saturdays because I figured the heat might make my polish act up, but I am glad to report that everything went fine. I initially thought I might be able to polish my nails near a fan, but you know how that went. Anyway, let me show you the simple design I ended up with today.

I started with 2 coats of Pretty & Polished I Never Kiss and Spell. Can you believe that this is my very first Pretty & Polished?! When I saw that this baby was on sale, I jumped right on it and ended up picking up a few others as well. I was very impressed by how quickly I got my order so that’s always a big plus for me since I hate waiting for orders to ship. This polish has a very delicate holo shimmer that is not super noticeable unless the light hits it just right. The formula is nice and opaque and only requires 2 coats for full coverage. The finish does dry down matte, but you can always top coat it like I did if you prefer a shiny finish.

A few weeks ago, I bought some plates from Born Pretty because they were 50% off. Since I’m usually a cheapskate, I only bought 6. Now that I have received them, I should have gotten more because they are kind of amazing. This image comes from Born Pretty plate BP-L009 and I used Mentality Black Opaque for my stamping polish. I really wanted to do some fancy decals, but it’s just too darn hot so I once again went for something simple.

I know people tend to be very “opinionated” when I change my nail shape, but I took the plunge anyway. I decided to go with an almond shape about a week ago and now I am just waiting to get more length so that I can do some serious swatching. I’m afraid to ask: what do you think of my new nail shape? Well, I’m going to spend my afternoon with my peanut brat so I hope you enjoy your Saturday as well. Thank you for stopping by today, and I will talk to you soon!

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Stamping Saturdays #64

Posted on 8 August, 2015 by Cynthia

Have you ever had some really awesome ideas for nail art but the execution turns out to be more than problematic? I had that happen to me yesterday. Ultimately I blamed it on just being tired at the end of the week and decided to fall back on something simple and clean for my Stamping Saturdays mani. I decided to use one of the gorgeous holos that I recently purchased as my base color.

This is Ooh La Lacquer Wine Thirty. What can I say about this polish besides professing my love for the color, formula and holo? It’s beeeeutiful! I am actually expecting 4 more of these pretties in the mail today if only USPS would hurry up!!!

For my stamped design, I used MASH plate #40 for this swirly design. I feel that you can pretty much stamp anything over holo and it will look great. I wish I could have come up with something more creative, but it just wasn’t meant to be.

Do you have anything fun going on this weekend? I hope to get a lot of things done, but it’s hard when all you want to do is stay in bed all weekend binge watching stuff on Netflix. Ha! Anyway, I hope that you’re doing well, and I will talk to you soon!

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Stamping Saturdays #60

Posted on 27 June, 2015 by Cynthia

Look at me participating in Stamping Saturdays again! I find it a little funny that I am in such a good mood today because I had such a rotten June. In fact, despite the really crappy start to my month, I’m going out on a positive note because so many positive things are waiting for me right around the corner. I really hope July is a much better month! Anyway, today I wanted to use the mani I’ve been wearing for a couple of days because I couldn’t bare to remove it. I know some of you may hate seeing polishes that you can’t get, but can you begrudge me for wanting to showcase this pretty?Since Ninja Polish is back, I figured I might as well use one of my favorite polishes from their line: Mystic Glacier. Isn’t just breathtaking?

It’s very difficult to capture the amazing color shift in this polish, but I think these pictures give you a good sense of how majestic this polish is. I got some new lighting, and I’m still struggling with figuring out the best settings on my camera so excuse these sort of weird pictures. I freaking love houndstooth, so I decided to use the houndstooth image from Bundle Monster plate BM-322 and used Mentality Black Opaque for the stamping polish. Pretty, eh?

Currently I’m engrossed in watching Sense8 on Netflix. Have you checked out this new show? It’s freaking amazing! I’m just sorry that it’s only 12 episodes long. Well, I hope that you’re having a great weekend so far. I’m looking forward to a short week for the 4th of July long weekend. Thanks for stopping by today, and I will talk to you soon.

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Stamping Saturdays #59

Posted on 20 June, 201520 June, 2015 by Cynthia

I fell like it’s been forever and a half since I did one of my Stamping Saturdays post–almost 4 months to be exact! I know I’ve been pretty bad about blogging this whole year actually, but I just have become kind of apathetic about stuff. I want to want to blog again, but I just feel so tired and lethargic most of the time. We are pretty much halfway through the year and I need to get my butt in gear and make myself feel better physically. Yeah…I know I talk about this all the time, but I think that I’ve finally reached the point of no return–I am sick of feeling sick. Let’s see what this moment brings about! Today I wanted to share with you a mani that I did a while back but never got around to posting on my blog. I started off with my favorite Color Club Halo Hues shade of all time: Eternal Beauty.This is seriously the most gorgeous purple holo that I own. Not only is the formula pure perfection, but it just looks like my purple dreams come true.

I dosn’t normally like to stamp over holo polishes, but I think this ended up looking pretty awesome. I used Mentality Black Opaque to stamp this flower image from CHEEKY plate CH44.

So whaddayathink? I really loved this mani, and I got so many compliments from random people. I honestly don’t think that we will ever get tired of holo polishes, right? Well, I hope that you like this mani as much as me. Don’t forget to check out the other stamped manis from the ladies below. Thanks so much for stopping by today, and I will talk to you soon!

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Stamping Saturdays #58

Posted on 28 February, 2015 by Cynthia

I really need to start planning my Stamping Saturdays manis a little better because I always end up having to do everything in a rush the day of. Even thought I did my mani last night, I just procrastinated on writing up my post and now I had to wait until I put Peanut down for his nap. He had a really fun-filled morning: first we took him out to breakfast and he ate some pancakes, scrambled eggs and orange juice. Then he went shopping at Ulta with his grandma and then finally to the grocery store to pick up some stuff for dinner tonight. It’s a tough job being an auntie! Anyway, let me show you what I did for Stamping Saturdays before I get waaayy off track.

It is no secret that I love Illamasqua, so when I saw them on Hautelook for a second time, I took it as a sign and I bought a bunch of polishes. Don’t worry–this was before my no-buy. Normally these polishes were like $17 at Sephora, but I got them on Hautelook for $7.50!!!!!!!!!!!!! I would have gotten more than 6, but the colors I wanted were already sold out or I already had the ones that were available. If you’ve never purchased on Hautelook, you should definitely check them out. If you’re interested, you can use my referral link here but don’t feel obligated to. Currently the have a great LORAC sale that I wish I could partake in, but I am going to extend my no-buy to make up too. Anywho, this gorgeous purple/pink is Illamasqua Obsess. The formula is perfect and it’s so beautiful!!!!

I didn’t really want to stamp it up, but hey…it is Stamping Saturdays! I used an image from Born Pretty plate Born Pretty 10 (press sample) and Mentality Black Opaque. I’ve been using this Mentality stamping polish pretty much non-stop because it’s amazing. The thing I like most about it is that it does not smear at all like my Konad Black.

Well, what are you up to today? Currently I’m getting ready to binge watch House of Cards because Season 3 was just released yesterday. Holy crap Kevin Spacey and Robin Wright are a dynamite team on that show. Now if only we could get Season 3 of Orange Is The New Black!!!! I hope you’re doing well today, and thanks for the visit. Talk to you soon!

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The Lacquer Ring – Gradient

Posted on 26 February, 201525 February, 2015 by Cynthia

I’m starting to think that my fellow Lacquer Ring-ettes hate me. A few of them were bemoaning the gradient prompt but whatever…it was my turn to pick! How spoiled and self-involved did that sound? I am actually super happy with my selection because my gradient turned out really great–in my opinion anyway. I’ve always had issues with doing a good gradient so I’m happy that wetting the sponge made a huge difference for me. Are you ready to see what The Lacquer Ring has in store for you today?

This is my amazeballs gradient. Isn’t it pretty? I used two of my favorite Illamasquas: Nomad and Noble for the gradient. In fact, I have used these same polishes before in a gradient but this time I did a vertical gradient just because I felt like it. I 100% believe that this gradient looks great because the polishes are just perfection. I am still not over the fact that Illamasqua is no longer sold at Sephora, but I am happy that I could buy a bunch on Hautelook for a deep discount.

To finish off my mani, I used Mentality Black Opaque and a chain-link design from MoYou London Pro Collection Plate 02 (press sample). Don’t you think the stamping just brought it all together in an awesome way?

After all my talk of how awesome this mani is, watch everyone hate it. Sometimes when I think I do a spectacular mani, no one cares but when I do a dumpy one it gets tons of attention and likes…what’s up with that? Anyway, I hope that you like my gradient mani today and don’t forget to check out the other manis below from my gals.Thanks so much for stopping by today, and I will talk to you soon!

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Stamping Saturdays #56

Posted on 14 February, 2015 by Cynthia

Heeeeeeeeey! Can you tell how excited I am? The reason why I’m so happy is because I have a 4 day weekend and I’m going to be the laziest person in the history of the world. In fact, I’m still in my pj’s right now and I don’t care what anyone thinks. Last night my friend and I decided to go watch 50 Shades of Grey. I know, I know. The theater was packed which didn’t really surprise me, but I was surprised at how bad the movie was. The books were so poorly written that they made me want to barf, but they were somewhat entertaining so I thought maybe the movie wouldn’t be too horrible but it was. I think Jamie Dornan is hot lava, but I don’t think he was what I was expecting for the Christian Grey character. On the other hand, Dakota Johnson was good in he role. Overall, the movie was choppy and just strange. When I got home, I saw that I had gotten some free passes in the mail (thanks, OPI!!), so I’m going to give them away so they don’t have to be mad like me about paying full price to see this film. Anyway, let’s move on from putrid films to awesome nail polish! For today’s Stamping Saturdays I have another holo beauty to show you.

I had such a hard time finding Orly Mirrorball, so when I finally found a bottle, I freaked out. It’s a really gorgeous and delicate linear holo with small holographic glitter. The formula felt a little thin, so be prepared to apply 3 coats

I used a delicate stamp from Konad plate M73 and Mentality Black Opaque stamping polish. I really like how this turned out.

What do you think about this mani? I hope your weekend is going well and that you enjoy your long weekend if you get Monday off. Thanks for stopping by today, and I will talk to you soon.

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Stamping Saturdays #55

Posted on 7 February, 20157 February, 2015 by Cynthia

I’m sorry that I’m showing you L’Oreal Masked Affair today because I know how hard it has been for some of you to get your hands on it. Ok, I’m not that sorry because it is a gorgeous polish, and I was excited to find it after all the swatches I had seen. I normally have a hard time finding drugstore stuff like this because the stupid displays have like 2 of each polish, so this was a major win. I don’t think that we will ever get tired of holographic polishes–this is definitely a good one. Let me show you this baby on its own before I show you how I jazzed it up for today’s Stamping Saturdays.

Ghhhaaaaa! Gorgeous. There are plenty of silver holos out there, but this isn’t really silver–it leans lavender and has a unique finish. The formula is a little thin which is normal for drugstore polishes, but it does build up nicely. I applied 3 coats for my swatches above.

Since I didn’t want to cover up a lot of this beautiful polish, I used a delicate stamp. As usual, I used my Mentality Black Opaque polish for the stamping. The image I used comes from plate MoYou London Pro Collection 18 (press sample) which is one of my favorite plates!

So what are you up to today? I’m watching Peanut today so it’s been a busy morning. I just managed to put him down for his nap so that’s why I’m posting this kinda late. Anyway, I hope you’re having a nice weekend, and I will talk to you soon.

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Stamping Saturdays #54

Posted on 31 January, 2015 by Cynthia

Hey girls! Saturday is here again which means it’s time for another Stamping Saturdays. Last week I ended up doing my mani early because I knew I would be ridiculously lazy this weekend. In fact, I have gotten a lot of swatching done so I am almost caught up….until more collections start to drop. Ever since Friends was added on Netflix, I’ve been watching episodes non-stop. I actually have the whole collection on DVD, but it’s so convenient to have the entire series on Netflix. I had forgotten how much I loved the series! Anyway, let me show you what I came up with today.

This beauty is China Glaze Dashboard Dreamer from their Spring Road Trip Collection. It’s the most gorgeous bay blue with a delicate microshimmer throughout. The formula isn’t great, but I think that I can be forgiving for a color this gorgeous.

I then used and image from plate MoYou London Pro Collection 18 (press sample) and Mentality Black Opaque stamping polish. The more I used this Mentality stamping polish, the more I love it. It’s very opaque and it doesn’t stain at all the way the Konad one does.

After I finished my stamping, I decided to apply a coat of China Glaze Fairy Dust just for some added sparkle. I think that it ended up muddling the manicure overall, but it looked really pretty out in the sun.

So what do you think about this mani? I liked it but it definitely is not one of my favorites. Don’t forget to check out the other Stamping Saturdays manis below. Don’t forget to join us by adding your link below and by using the hashtag #StampingSaturdays on IG so I can find you. Thanks for stopping by today, and I will talk to you soon!

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Stamping Saturdays #53

Posted on 24 January, 201524 January, 2015 by Cynthia

Aren’t you guys happy that the weekend is here? Last night I found Masked Affair at my local Rite-Aid and I am still wondering why the display only has two of each polish…is that ridiculous or what? Anyway, I had a pretty big polish week because I bought a ton of new stuff that I’m already regretting but hey–that always happens to me. As usual, I had no idea what I wanted to do for today’s Stamping Saturdays so I just went with the flow. Let me show you the gorgeous polish that I used as my base.

This gorgeous polish is OPI Taylor Blue (press sample). If you don’t know the story behind this polish, make sure that you read it here. This gorgeous polish is so incredibly shiny and has a beautiful crelly consistency.

I then used Mentality White Opaque to stamp an image from plate MoYou London Sailor Collection Plate 07 (press sample). While the Mentality polish stamps beautifully, it has more of a pearl off white finish and I was really looking forward to an opaque white creme. I got so excited with my mani, that I top coated it with OPI I Can Teal You Like Me (press sample) before taking pictures of it. Womp womp. I really love how this looks but dang those bubbles kill it. I’m getting irrationally upset with the bubbles so I may have to take Emma’s suggestion and try the Dance Legend Top Aquarelles.

Minus the bubbles, I love this!!! What do you think? I’m starting to feel really gross because of the Santa Ana winds which make my allergies go bonkers…i’m not looking forward to that so I’m loading up on Benadryl. I have an eye exam later this morning which I’m not looking forward to. Lately I’ve been having tons of issues with my vision which is a huge concern since I’m diabetic. However, I’ve had all the check ups with my doctor and she said my eyes are perfectly healthy. I’ve noticed that I have a lot of trouble seeing up close now with my glasses, and by the end of the day, my eyes are so painfully dry that I can barely see. I bought some eye drops last night and when I got home I realized it said they were for dry “aging eyes.” Yep, I’m old. Well, I hope you’re having a nice Saturday so far and don’t forget to join us for Stamping Saturdays by adding your link below and tagging your posts on IG with #stampingsaturdays so I can find you. Thanks so much for stopping by today, and I will talk to you soon.

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