May 31, 2012

Giveaway Time: Nicole by OPI Kardashian Kolor Mini Sets!!!

Nicole by OPI will soon be releasing two adorable mini sets of some of the best Kardashian Kolor polishes!! Thanks to the awesome people at Nicole by OPI, I have your chance to win a set of four mini polishes here today!

The Nicole by OPI Kardashian Kolor "Sophisti-Cuties" set contains:

 Follow Me On Glitter, a full-coverage charcoal gray base packed with small silver glitter and large holographic glitter. This is three coats and one of my favorite polishes in the Kardashian line!

Hard-Kourt Fashionista, a luscious shiny dark chocolate brown creme. This is two coats.

Khloe Had a Little Lam-Lam, another favorite of mine! I can't tell you how many times I wore this deep peacock teal creme these past few months! Two coats.

My Empire... My Rules, a great neutral taupe that would be flattering on a wide range of skin tones. This dried very shiny as well, three coats.

The Nicole by OPI Kardashian Kolor "Celeb-Bitties" set contains:

 All Kendall-ed Up, the perfect bright fuchsia creme. Super shiny and great formula! Two coats.

 Kim-pletely in Love, a unique sparkling pale pink. The shimmer in this one is almost like silver glass-fleck. Very cool! Three coats.

 Sealed With a Kris, a classic deep cherry red creme. Kind of squishy looking, but not quite a jelly. Two coats.
Wear Something Spar-Kylie, a great medium pink base packed with silver and pink glitter!! My favorite of the Celeb-Bitties set!! Three coats, but you could definitely get away with two!

So that's the pretty stuff... now for the contest rules!
First, pick which set you'd like to win, Sophisti-Cuties:


or, Celeb-Bitties:

To enter, just be a follower on Google Friend Connect AND leave a comment on this post, telling me which of these sets you'd like to win!! That's all! Easy peasy for this giveaway. The giveaway will end Thursday June 7, 2012 at midnight Eastern Time.

The polishes in this post were sent for review. For more information, please read my Disclosure Policy

New Sally Hansen Summer Insta Dri Shades!!

Attention: Be on the lookout for these bright and sassy Sally Hansen Insta Dri shades, coming soon or already available at a drugstore near you!!!


I have a GREAT love of the Insta Dri line, so I kind want them all, but especially the green!

May 30, 2012

Sally Hansen Rock of Ages Salon Effects!!



GET ROCKER CHIC NAILS
WITH “ROCK OF AGES”-INSPIRED SALON EFFECTS
REAL NAIL POLISH STRIPS
FROM SALLY HANSEN

THINK: Amp up your nail design with some serious rock star treatment.

WHAT THEY ARE: Edgy prints and patterns inspired by the head-banging film adaptation of the Broadway hit from New Line Cinema, “Rock of Ages,” distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures and in theaters nationwide on June 15, 2012.  Get ready to rock with the Rock of Ages Salon Effects Real Nail Polish Strips collection from Sally Hansen. The manicure breakthrough from nail color authority Sally Hansentakes you back in time to the 1980’s, the decade of big hair and big dreams.

The revolutionary peel-and-apply nail polish strips are available in eight limited edition patterns inspired by “Rock of Ages,” a rock ‘n’ roll romance story told through the heart-pounding hits of the 80’s most legendary bands. From rock star fashion to the decade’s hottest runway trends, like lace and neon hues, these designs are bold, colorful and guaranteed to leave you ready to rock. Just peel, apply, file and go, for a flawless, rock-star approved, real-polish manicure without the fuss.

The ultimate fashion accessory, Salon Effects Real Nail Polish Strips are developed with an innovative DBP, Toluene and Formaldehyde-freeformula that offers trendsetting, no dry-time nail looks which last up to ten days. Each Salon Effect Real Nail Polish Strips kit includes 16 nail polish strips, a cuticle stick, mini file/ buffer and instructions for easy at-home application. When you’re ready to change your nail strips, simply swipe nails with your favorite Sally Hansen polish remover for an instantly clean slate.

AVAILABLE PRINTS: Red-y to Rock, Rock N’ Roar, Zip It!, Star Quality, Amp it Up, Good Gene’s, Fingerlace Gloves, Sticks and Stones


Rock of Ages_Patterns_SELECT_FIN


WHAT IT COSTS: $9.99

WHERE TO FIND THEM: Sally Hansen products are available at chain drug stores, food stores and mass merchandisers nationally.

What do you think? You already know that I love Rock N'Roar! 

Rescue Beauty Lounge Aqua Lily Needs an Armed Guard!



I delayed in posting this gorgeous polish, Rescue Beauty Lounge Aqua Lily, because of it's sold out status. However, Ji Baek has since announced that Aqua Lily will be in the next Bring It Back collection!!! Woo hooooo!! She probably decided to include this polish in the next Bring It Back collection because this is the kind of polish that people try to steal from you. When your friends and family (*ahem* Mom!) see this on your nails, they immediately want to "borrow" it. And you may never see it again!!


Aqua Lily is a unique turquoise polish with RBL's famous "hidden shimmer". The hidden shimmer is a stunning pinky purple color!! The shimmer wasn't hidden that often here, as you can see from the pictures. I could even see it in my boyfriend's not so brightly lit basement, so I'd say it's pretty nicely visible. I prefer visible shimmer, so this means that I LOVE THIS POLISH!! Turquoise plus pink shimmer? YES!!


This is three coats of Aqua Lily, but you could definitely do two if you weren't planning on photographing it with a macro lens! The formula was great and so easy to control! I will be needing a security guard for this polish to prevent my friends from walking off with it.

(with flash)

Rescue Beauty Lounge Aqua Lily should be available again later this year. Definitely sign up to be a V.I.P. and be notified of their pre-sales. Their polishes are very easy to obtain as long as you pre-sale them. Once the regular sale starts, all bets are off and things sell out fast! Have you seen the latest collection, by the way? It's based on Georgia O'Keeffe's art and I NEED Jack in the Pulpit!! Ji said she needs a new photographer to take the pictures that they use on the website before this collection can be sold... you know, Ji, my boyfriend is a professional photographer!! (do you think I'd get free samples if he took their pictures??? How about I make him work for polish?! LOL). i am only partially joking.

Sign up to be an RBL V.I.P. to find out when Aqua Lily will be sold again!

May 28, 2012

Tasty Memorial Day Glitter Sandwich


Happy Memorial Day to my U.S. readers! How are you celebrating/commemorating today? We had a small BBQ with my uncle (a veteran) yesterday. Today, my boyfriend and I are finally going to see The Avengers!! I am sporting a red, white, and blue glitter sandwich for the occasion.


This tasty treat is one coat of Nicole by OPI It's All About the Glam, two coats of either Lynnderella Bibbitty Bobbitty Boo Blue or OPI Gettin' Miss Piggy With It, and finished with another coat of Nicole by OPI It's All About the Glam.


This was definitely not what I was going to wear today, but the idea popped into my head and I wanted to try it! I'm glad I did, it's a lot of fun. Lynnderella Bibbitty Bobbitty Boo Blue is now discontinued, but Lynnderella Mlle. Violette de Blue is not too far off, just a hair more purple.


Some polishes in this post were sent for review. For more information, please read my Disclosure Policy.

May 27, 2012

Gorgeous Chanel Glossimers in Calypso and Jalousie!


I have a problem. A lip gloss problem. I LOVE me some gloss and have TONS of it. But, despite the fact that my room runneth over with gloss, I keep purchasing more. Fortunately, in the case of these two Chanel Glossimers, the purchases are often quite worth it!! On the left here we have Chanel Jalousie, a stunning deep fuchsia pink gloss with very very fine shimmer. Jalousie is one of the more pigmented Chanel Glossimers I've come across.


On the right is Chanel Calypso from the Chanel Summer 2012 collection. Calypso is my kind of gloss, a juicy orange with gold shimmer flecks. The shimmer in Calypso is much more visible than the very fine shimmer in Jalousie. Calypso is also pigmented, although less so than Jalousie.


Jalousie on the lips. This was a bit of a light application. Jalousie can be MUCH more pigmented than this. When applied a little heavier, it looks just like my arm swatch above.


Calypso on the lips. Love. Again, this could be applied heavier for a bit more color, but I really like it this way.

Chanel Calypso and Jalousie are available now online at Chanel.com.

May 26, 2012

Squishiness of the Week- Essie Camera


When I showed you Essie Action, from the Essie Summer Poppy-Razzi collection, reader jaljen noted that it looked like a jelly. I didn't think it did until after adding top coat (it dried matte-ish), making it not a true jelly. Jelly fans rejoice though, because the polish in today's post, Essie Camera, is a true jelly though! Camera is a bright, almost neon, but not quite, coral pink. It was more pink than I was expecting, but altogether a lovely color. It dried like a real jelly- shiny, even (no streaks), and translucent.


I wasn't expecting any of the Poppy-Razzi polishes to be jellies, I thought they were your standard neons. I am very excited that a coral pink jelly now exists!! I am definitely going to try jelly sandwiching this baby. This is three coats and the application was lovely. Being that this is a jelly, there is some VNL.


Look at the juicy goodness! Like watermelon Jolly Ranchers!


I think this last picture is the best color representation. By the way, I love how these have "Poppy Razzi nail lacquer" written right on the bottle. For a nail nerd like myself, it's nice to have a permanent reminder of what collection a polish came from. Although, I have a very good memory for stuff like that!

The Essie Poppy-Razzi Collection is available now at a CVS near you, or wherever you buy Essie!

May 24, 2012

Summery Born Pretty Store Nail Stickers NOTD!


My NOTD today is a summery concoction using Born Pretty Store's flowery nail art stickers. These flower stickers are so perfect for a summer mani, especially with a bright orange base! I used three coats of Tangerine Tango Matte from the Sephora + PANTONE collection. As you can tell below, these stickers are slightly glittery, which makes me love them even more.


After my base color was dried, I simply peeled the stickers off of the sheet and applied them on my nails. I tried to use a good selection of the stickers so you could see most of the ones from the sheet. Not pictured are the flowers with pink fishnet design, as I didn't think the pink would pop on the orange base. I finished off with a layer of top coat to seal the stickers in.


These stickers are super easy to use and look amazing on a bright base! They adhere well to the nail and lay perfectly flat, so there are no edges to catch anywhere. My favorite nail is my ring finger nail, but I love all of these designs. I'm glad these come in packages with 10 sheets because I will be using these all summer!



You get 10 sheets like this for $5.23! There are something like 23 stickers on each sheet, so that is a really good deal. These won't expire or go bad either, so you can use them for many manis in the future. If you're not a fan of flowers, Born Pretty Store also carries nail stickers featuring Angry Birds (so cute), bows, butterflies, Hello Kitty and even the Chanel logo! You can see all of their designs here. I kinda want the Angry Birds ones now LOL.


Overall, I highly recommend these stickers if you're looking to add some easy pizazz to your mani! Remember to use the code ERJ61 to receive 10% off of your next Born Pretty Store order.

These stickers were sent for review. For more information, please read my Disclosure Policy.

May 22, 2012

Sephora 15 Days of Beauty Thrills is happening NOW!










SEPHORA Launches “15 Days of Beauty Thrills”

On the heels of Sephora’s newly announced, personalized web experience, the world’s largest specialty beauty retailer is launching “15 Days of Beauty Thrills” for its loyal clients as a thank you to its biggest fans. A lavish, unique prize will be revealed each day during “15 Days of Beauty” and rewarded to one lucky Sephora fan; so 15 days, 15 prizes, 15 ecstatic fans. Prizes include extravagant trips overseas, makeovers by well-known artists, celebrity swag, and exclusive opportunities provided by Sephora’s high-profile, luxury brands.

Sephora’s “15 Days of Beauty Thrills” begins on Monday, May 21 and fans can enter directly on Sephora.com each day for a chance to win one of the amazing prizes. As well, daily prizes, “Mini-Thrills,” which range from deluxe samples to full size product, are available with any purchase online. For more information, including a sneak peek at some prizes watch,http://youtu.be/Nkj0_dTNN5o 

Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream!



When I started this mani, I actually intended to add white glitter also. BUT, I saw how the minty green (China Glaze Re-Freshmint) and black glitter (Wet n Wild Tangled In My Web) was looking like mint chocolate chip ice cream, and I had to stop there. You see, mint chocolate chip is my FAVORITE ice cream flavor!! Yummmmmmmm!


This is two coats of CG Re-Freshmint, one coat (with some assistance) of Wet n Wild Tangled In My Web, and one coat of KnockOut Cosmetics Flatte Top, a matte top coat.


I think the matte top coat really made it look more like ice cream. This look is really fun, I highly recommend you try something similar with any mint green polish and black glitter polish!


This mani also made me think, why don't more companies make black glitter polishes? They rock! And what awesome stuff is Wet n Wild going to do this Halloween??

May 20, 2012

Essie Poppy-Razzi Collection: Action


I mentioned in my Essie Braziliant post that I bought three of the four Summer 2012 Essie Poppy-Razzi polishes and today I have one of them to show you. Essie Action is a bright neon mango color that I knew I had to have upon seeing the first promo pictures of this collection. It's one of those weird colors that I'm a sucker for.


Essie Action is bright, but it's not one of those neons that makes your eyes hurt. I enjoy all kinds of neons, so this is OK with me.


I'm a little disappointed that this is three coats and I can clearly see a lot of VNL happening. I know I can layer this over white, but I prefer neons that don't need layering. Another thing worth mentioned is the formula. It wasn't the greatest. It was pretty thick and also dried SO fast that if you tried to do any more than the regular three brushstrokes, it would streak and glob up. I definitely recommend covering the nail as quickly as possible for an even application. This shouldn't be a deal breaker when considering this polish, but just realize this may require some effort to apply.


Overall, I do love colors like this, so I like Action quite a lot! The Essie Poppy-Razzi collection also includes Lights, Camera, and Bazooka (no clue what Bazooka has to do with paparazzi or filming, but whatevers). I will be showing you Bazooka and Camera fairly soon. I got my Poppy-Razzi polishes at CVS, so check around for them at a CVS near you!

May 19, 2012

Why Didn't I Buy This Earlier: Essie Braziliant


Fact: I love orange polish. Fact:I love bright shimmer polish. Fact: I love Essie brights. So, why did I wait until last month to buy Essie Braziliant, from last summer's Braziliant collection? I honestly do not know the answer to this question!! In any case, I am now the happy owner of Braziliant and I LOVE IT!!!


Essie Braziliant is a hot red-orange with lovely shimmer. The shimmer definitely sets it apart in the sea of bright oranges in my collection. Braziliant is a really flattering color on me, and I can see it working on a wide variety of skin tones. My previous favorite Essie orange was Essie Mini Shorts, but it may have just been replaced.


Braziliant also has an excellent formula with a perfect consistency. It was very pigmented and only needed two coats for full opacity. Overall, a fabulous summer color. If you, like me, skipped it last year, you should definitely pick it up now. And Smooth Sailing too, while you're at it! I made sure not to make the same mistake this year, by the way. I recently bought three of the four Essie Poppy-razzi polishes and you'll be seeing them soon!


Essie Braziliant is still available at Apothica.com.

Any big Saturday plans? I have lovely plans that include sitting around in my pajamas and reading a book!! (This never happens for me, so it's very exciting).

This polish was purchased with funds provided to me by my sponsor, Apothica.com. For more information, please see my Disclosure Policy.

May 17, 2012

Born Pretty Store Ylin Mood Polish


I enjoyed the last two Born Pretty Store polishes I tried so much, I have another one for your viewing pleasure!! With Born Pretty Store's wide selection of nail art, this polish fits right in! Ylin Mood Color Changing Polish starts out as a medium purple creme and dries to a bit of a matte finish. This is the color you will see most of the time while wearing this polish.



When things start to heat up (i.e. you run your nails under hot water, hence the wet hands here), you get a gorgeous sky blue color!! I do apologize for the quality of this picture but this is the ONLY picture I could get of all of my nails when they turned blue.


I did have fun watching the color change! There was a cool breeze today, so my nails would be all blue when I went outside, but they would start to change before I could take the picture!


For some reason, my pinky changed first and the others stayed blue for quite awhile. I must not have had my pinky in the hot water long enough.  Below, you can see just a teeny bit of purple starting at the tips. Sorry for all of the water drops, but I wanted the blue to stick around long enough for me to photograph!


Born Pretty Store's Mood Polish is a really fun polish to wear. I can't wait to wear this as a full mani and watch the fun after showers or on a really hot day! The formula on this was pretty good, easy to apply, opaque in two coats. I would maybe use a third coat next time to make it look more even when it turns blue. I did not use top coat in these pictures, as I liked the semi-matte finish this has!

Ylin Mood Color Changing Polish is available on Born Pretty Store's website. Don't forget to use the code: ERJ61 at checkout for 10% off of your order!

This polish was sent for review. For more information, please see my Disclosure Policy.