It Only Takes a Spark-le to Start a Fire!

So yeah, yesterday was one of those days that you wish never happened, started, etc. I was one of the 'lucky' people at my company who lost their job yesterday. Sweet, huh?! (if anyone knows of any available awesome jobs in the Vegas area, please let me know!! :-D) I'm trying to look at it as a blessing, there are a ton of roads I could take at this point... I could work at night, and go back to school to get a culinary degree, I could get another graphic job, I could get a bartending or cocktail job, I could work at the casinos... the possibilities are pretty endless. I'm going to turn this situation on it's ass. :-D For today's nails I really wanted to do something fun and sparkly, so I used the new Nubar Sparkles polishes I bought at the International Beauty Show to do an ombre. :) These polishes officially kick ass, I can't stop looking at my hands, they're SO sparkly. I even ended up doing a matching pedicure!! :)



I used 3 coats of Nubar Petunia Sparkle, with Nubar Violet Sparkle sponged on the tip half of the nail. Topped everything off with 2 coats of Seche Vite top coat to smooth out the glitter coats. :)

So... what should my next endeavor be?

Mode - Jaded

Here is my final Mode costmetics polish.  This one is called Jaded.

Like the others, it applied smoothly and thinly.  This is a beautiful teal shimmer.  I can still see tiny brush strokes, but they certainly don't take away from this lovely colour.

This looks very similar to Revlon Aqua Blast.  I will have to do a comparison swatch to see.

I'm planning to do a whole week of holo posts cause I just got my Nfu Oh holographics in the mail, as well as some more of the OPI Designer Series holographic polishes.

Zoya Nail Polish is Fashion Forward in Nail Pro

Zoya Nail Polish was BIG at New York Fashion Week this year and the Nail Pro's May 2010 issue highlighted all of the nails that made NYFW even more glamorous.

" ' I noticed that more and more designers are willing to be more creative when it comes to the nails, and they're paying more attention to nails than in the pat. Nails were colored whimsical and edgy. I  hope it continues moving forward.' " -Sunshine Outing, manicurist for Zoya who did the nails at Toni Maticevski and Thuy.

InStyle Magazine shows you the smart way to be beautiful (and green)!

There is no need to sacrifice beauty for brains....

In it's recent "10 ways to Green Your Beauty Routine" article, InStyle Magazine put the focus on great color with a healthy formula - Zoya Nail Polish. Proving that Zoya's Adina and Reece are as smart as they are beautiful!

Zoya Swatches on Flickr

Look at all those beautiful Zoya Nail Polish swatches... Flicker Post by makeupmasla

Thanks! This is great tool to use when working on your Zoya Nail Polish Exchange picks!

Zoya Nail Polish Fairy Control

A couple of the Zoya Nail Polish Fairies were flitting about and getting into a bit of trouble today... One was so bad that her wings were taken away by the Fairy Enforcer!!!

Zoya Nail Polish in Australia

Zoya Nail Polish's Truth or Dare collection for Fall has made it's way to Australia,( It is Fall in Australia), and Professionalbeauty.com.au a website for the Professional Spas and Salons in Australia - loves it.

“ 'Whilst the Matte nail trend is in full fashion force this season, high shine, metallic shades in coppery reds, golds and pink juxtaposed against edgy shades of purple, plum, sapphire and jade are also some of the hottest hues of the season. ' ”-  Sharon Mazzeo, Zoya Nail Polish Distributor for Australia.

OPI Creme De Menthe...A Mint Green with Gold Shimmer

I have been lemming (wanting) Creme De Menthe for awhile.  I seen it on ebay added it to my list and waited, debated and kept asking myself "should I purchase this polish"?  It surely wasn't the average price of an OPI polish.  You get my drift!!  It was $$.  As I looked each and everyday seems like the number left of them was decreasing.  One day I just click the button  without hesitation *BUY IT NOW*  Oooh Ah!! I'm so glad I have it because this polsih is HTF (hard-to-find)  and was glad to add it to my collection.

on to this wonderful polish...
2 coats

You can see a little of the gold  shimmer

I wish you could see this irl, pictures doesn't give this polish justice.

So there you have it.  Until next time have a great weekend and always have a great nail polish day!

Mode - Blue steel

Here the second of the three Mode cosmetics polishes.

This is Blue Steel *sucks in cheeks and stares intensely at camera*

Despite not being able to get images of Derek Zoolander out of my head now, I want to express what a lovely polish this is.

It really does match the blue steel name very well, because it's a blue metal colour, with a light blue shimmer. It reminds me of that blue crusher dust that you compact down with a whacker before laying pavers. 

It applied very smoothly with no brush lines. This was two coats.  YAY fore Mode polish again.

Oh, Quit Your Waning!

So I think I may be tired lately... there are two nights this week so far that I've passed out on the couch, etc. before 8:30 PM! :-P Last night it was about 6:45, and I slept the whole night. That can't be good, right? So much going on lately! Next Friday, I need to make a wedding cake for my friend Jessica's wedding... I'm a little scared because it's the one cake in a person's life they're not likely to forget. :-/ I also need to make some ice cream for class on sunday, I'm thinking Chocolate Cayenne, Fresh Strawberry, and Vanilla Bean. (Banana, too, if I can find ripe bananas at the supermarket). I'm hoping to do a 1-tier practice of the wedding cake on Saturday, and I hope to GOD it looks awesome. lol On the bright side, tomorrow is Friday, and at least over the weekend I won't have to worry too much about work, just personal obligations! :)

Today's nail art was inspired by the phases of the moon, which are: New Moon, Waxing Crescent, First Quarter, Waxing Gibbous, Full Moon, Waning Gibbous, Las Quarter, Waning Crescent, and Dark. (according to wikipedia.org) As of the time of this blog post, we are nearly at the full moon! :-D I only used TWO colors for this art- black and white! Oh, and by the way, the ring finger on my right hand is new CND Shellac, which would explain why it's not decorated with art.. lol I'm testing their 2-week claim, because if if can stay on me, it'll stay on anyone.





I used American Apparel Hassid
for the background, as well as mixed with American Apparel Cotton for the greys, and also used American Apparel Cotton
to lightly sponge over the base to make 'stars'.

What is going on with this blog? First, all the talk of 'brazilians', and now a Waxing Moon?! :-P (bad joke, I know)

CURRENT MOON

moon phase info

Nail Color Layering Zoya Nail Polish Style!

Looking to add a bit of zing to your bling? Layer a sheer  "Zoya Glamsicles" nail color (Zoya Southbeach Ice, Zoya Vegas Freeze, Zoya Soho Punch, Zoya OC Cooler, Zoya Manhattan Mixer, Zoya LA Pop) over Zoya Luna UltraGlitter to get this fun summer glitter nail look.

 ...and while we are talking layering, try adding the "Zoya Glamsicles" gang over a dark color too -  (Try Zoya Raven). Experiment and have fun!

Thanks to My Lucid Bubble for this fun post on layering over darks...

Estee Lauder Ultra Violet!!!!

When I saw a picture of EL Ultra Violet on MUA....oh how beautiful!!! I thought it was sold out by the time I was able to run to the Mall. Little-ole-me didn't have to worry, because there were several left. I even had to go back and pickup one for my son because he was surpising his wife for their anniversary. (I must say she was happy  :)  No swatching this baby!! It is just too beautiful not to enjoy for a couple of days!!

1 coat Nail Magic-hardener
1 coat SH Nail Quencher-base coat
1 coat Barielle Camo-ridgefiller
1 coat CND Stickey
2 coats of Ultra Violet polish
1 coat of Revlon Color Stay Top Coat
1 coat of Seche Vite Top Coat

Were you able to get Ultra Violet?  I hope so, its a wonderful polish to add to your collection.

Until next time please have a great nail polish day (*_*)

Mode - Glitterati

Just look at this little beauty!  This is 'Glitterati' by Mode Cosmetics.  I picked this (and a few others) up from Price Attack - which is actually a hair salon / supplies shop, but they also have a few great brands of polish. 

Glitterati is a rich purple jelly, with tiny irregular shaped micro flecks throughout.  It applies totally smooth, not rough like a glitter and had a super glossy finish.  The colour pigment was good, especially for a jelly polish.  This was three coats.

This pic shows a close up of the beautiful sparkly flecks in this polish.

Fabulous polish, awesome finish and a really beautiful purple colour. 

I love it when you find a really fantastic polish unexpectedly. YAY!

Zoya Swatch Till You Drop

There are 300 plus Zoya Nail Polish colors. So it's understandable that you might become overwhelmed when trying to find the colors that are right for you, but never fear there are lots of bloggers out there to help you! Recently many bloggers have been posting  Zoya swatches to help people pick out the colors they want for the Zoya Polish Exchange, but you can use this wonderful resource to help you at anytime.  Here are three blogs that have stepped up their game,

First is Scrangie-  She swatched 34 colors. Below is Zoya Anne and Zoya Brie. You can see the others here.

 Secondly is Nail Fanatic- She swatched 7 colors. Below is Zoya Charity and Zoya Alix. You can see the rest here.

Thirdly is Laquer Laine- She swatched 29 colors. Below is Zoya Savita and Zoya Posh. You can see the rest here.

All of the fairies want to give a big thank you to the above bloggers and all of the other bloggers who are showing great Zoya Nail Polish swatches!

Wet Paint sale on Ideeli!

Hey all!! Just a note to let you know about the Wet Paint Glaze System sale on Ideeli.com today!! Everything is deeply discounted- there is a set of 15 polishes for $50, original price is $150! It's a pretty neat idea, and with those 15 polishes you can create 102 different colors!!



Here is the link! Wet Paint Sale on Ideeli

US Shipping only unfortunately. :(

Picture is from ideeli.com

Oh, How Tacky!

Hi everyone!!! I hope that this lovely April day finds you well ( and not wind-blown, like here in Vegas!! lol) Today's nails were inspired by something at work- my cork board!! :) I thought it'd be something different, and plus, when I did the dinosaur nails the other day, I thought the background looked like cork, so I thought I'd used that idea as a design! :)



I used MAC Abalone Shell (I wish I'd picked up multiples of this- I <3 it), with Zoya Dea pretty heavily sponged over it, then topped with CND Super Matte, which BTW isn't MATTE AT ALL!?!?!?, don't get it. After that failed, I went to my go-to matte topcoat, Essie Matte About You. Next, for the thumb tacks, I used CND Green Scene, American Apparel Downtown L.A. for the red tack, Pure Ice French Kiss for the blue tack, American Apparel Poppy for the orange tack, and CND Bicycle Yellow for the yellow tack. I mixed each with American Apparel Cotton to highlight, and American Apparel Hassid to shade, except the yellow tack, which I mixed American Apparel Poppy with to shade. for the metal part of the tack, I used American Apparel Hassid mixed with China Glaze Millennium. FOr the items tacked up, I used American Apparel Cotton for the white, American Apparel Hassid for the black, and American Apparel Downtown L.A. for the red. For the shadows of the tack on each nail, I used a mix of topcoat andAmerican Apparel Hassid. Topped the tacks off with a coat of Seche Vite top coat, being careful not to get any on the matte portion of the nail.

Totally tack-y, right?!

And, as a bonus sneak peek into part of the giveaway prize.... (hand screened by yours truly)

Zoya Flash and Sparkle - recent blogger coverage

Zoya Ivanka is one of the six captivating beauties in the Zoya Sparkle Summer 2010 Collection, so it comes to no surprise that beauty blogger KarlaSugar can't keep her eyes off it.

"I wore Ivanka to go swatching last weekend, and I could not stop admiring my nails in the sunlight. It was like arriving at the Emerald City.  Of course, Ivanka looks even more remarkable in person (such an amazing and intensely green flash!)" - The Next Best Thing To Going Shopping Yourself 


Blogger for  The Shades of  U just got a hold of the Zoya Flash Summer 2010 Collection and she is majorly in love with how fun the colors are. 

" I have a few of their collections in my nail polish stash, but when I saw the Flash collection, I just had to have it, so I bought this set on the Zoya website. I am such a sucker for cream polishes and the colors are so bright and cheerful, they really do scream 'summer!'." - The Shades Of U

You can read her thoughts and see her swatches on Zoya Robyn, Zoya Jancyn, Zoya Dana, Zoya Jolene, Zoya Perrie, and Zoya Maura here.

Beauty Supply Store....Wild and Crazy, Larousse

Going to the Beauty Supply stores, wig/weave stores are really fun.  It's like going on a treasure hunt!  Or like a kid in a candy store.  That's what I feel like sometimes. lol!!  They have so many variety of polish brands and each store is different.  The prices are just right. You can find these type stores just about anywhere in the U.S.  I found several Wild and Crazy brand polishes.  Today,  I am featuring Larousse.  Pearlized cream pinky/lilac.  Very soft spring color.  I used 3 coats to cover my Visable nail line...(VNL)

I decided to add some stickers that I picked up at Walgreens. Brand is Kiss Nail Accents.  I could have been a brides maid :)

That's what I have for you today.  I hope you enjoyed seeing this one. Do you have any Wild and Crazy lacquers?  Which ones do you have?  Until next time please have a great nail polish day (*_*)

Holy holo foils Batman

This here is my first ever attempt at doing foils.  It almost classes as a fail, as it was really bodgy job. Let me explain.

First I put on one coat of Ulta3 Snazzle.  This gave me a shiny base on which to put my foil, and if I had gaps in the foil, hopefully they wouldn't be too noticeable.

I cut up all my little foil pieces and then applied some glue to each finger on the left hand.  I let it dry and then applied to foils, starting with the pinky.  I pretty much managed to everything that I read online that you should try to avoid.  Eg

• don't touch the glue on the nail (I bumped mine umpteen times),
• let it totally dry before applying foil (I'm not that patient),
• don't apply glue too thick (I read this one after doing my nails, wondering what I did wrong, I thought the more glue the better and in some cases it just stayed wet.)
• peel the foil backing off the nail quickly (I read this after the fact too, I peeled mine soooo slowly)

In the end I had a lot of gaps showing my polish beneath.  BUT the effect was still good. 

Super super shiny and metallic, with awesome holo madness.

I tilted my nails here to show the holo pattern of the foil.  I think this pattern was very forgiving too, it hid a lot of the flaws in my application.

I also read online not to apply a quick dry top coat, as it crinkles up the foil.  I listened to this and applied a generic brand top coat I had.  I let that dry for about 10 mins and then put on Seche Vite.  I saw a little crinkling at first, but it relaxed out as it dried.

I bought a sample pack of 25 foil designs, so I will see if my application gets any better with practice.

Has anyone else tried foils? Got any more tips for me to get better adhesion?

I'd Like the Brazilian, Please!

OH MY GOODNESS! For those of you that are new to the blog- WELCOME, or bem-vindos!! (I hope that translated correctly on Google Translate! lol) I am SO excited and thrilled from the HUGE HUGE HUGE response on my blog yesterday from the country of Brazil! I received 112,000 page views yesterday!! (thats about two-thirds of what I generally get in a MONTH!) So in honor of all my awesome new readers- I give you today's nail design- the Brazilian flag. :) Obrigado!!!



I used CND Green Scene as a base, used tape to tape off the diamond shape, painted CND Bicycle Yellow, then removed the tape. For the blue, I freehanded a circle with Pure Ice French Kiss, then used Sally Hansen All the White Stuff for the white band across it, as well as little dots (for the stars). I also used CND Green Scene to paint little squiggles for the words Ordem e Progresso ("Order and Progress"), since I can't paint letters that small. :-D Topped it all off with 2 coats of Seche Vite top coat.

Thank you to all my new readers, Brazilian, American, or whatever country you're from!! You rock, and I appreciate you!!

BTW- keep an eye out for a giveaway in the next few days- I was planning to have one for 1500 followers, but the follower count went up by 100 in a day, so I wasn't ready for it! lol Still finishing part of the prizes, and figuring out what the contest rules should be!! :)

How to use Zoya Color Lock System

The Polish Exchange is underway and once you receive your Zoya Nail Polish it is important that you know how to get the best wear out of your polish. The Zoya Color Lock System is specifically designed with Zoya Nail Polish in mind and will help your polish last as long as possible with 5 simple steps:

1. Zoya Remove +
 How to use: Thoroughly saturate a cotton ball or pad with Zoya Remove+, firmly press pad to nail for a few seconds and wipe until existing polish is completely removed and nail bed is clean. Remove surface oils from clean nails and prepare nails for new color by wiping each nail with Zoya Remove+.

2. Zoya Anchor
How to use: Apply one coat to clean, prepped nails. This will form a bond between the nail plate and polish, which will prevent peeling and chipping.

 

2. Zoya Get Even
How to use:  This is an optional basecoat - If your nails are uneven it will fill the nail surface with a dense fiber-like formula that grips to the nail creating a smooth surface. Apply one coat to clean, prepped nails.

3. Zoya Nail Professional Nail Lacquer
How to use: Apply two coats of Zoya Professional Nail Lacquer on top of Zoya Anchor Basecoat/ Zoya Get Even Ridge Filling Basecoat

4. Zoya Armor
How to use: Apply one coat over Zoya Professional Nail Lacquer. This protects nails from yellowing UV rays and keeps your nail color strong. Re-apply every two days for extended color wear.

 
5. Zoya Fast Drops
How to use: Apply one drop to base of each nail, tilt hand and allow product to spread naturally. Polish will dry in just five minutes. This drys polish faster and increases color vibrancy. To extend your color up to two weeks, apply over Zoya Armor Topcoat every two days.

Zoya Nail Polish is Part of a Kind Life

 Alicia Silverstone is a Hollywood actress that almost everyone knows for her roles in Batman and Robin and Clueless, but what you may have not known is that she is super conscientious about the way she lives. She believes in living life to the fullest and healthiest. Her new website, The Kind Life, is her way of sharing information to help others live healthy and happy. Zoya Nail Polish is a part of Alicia's healthy lifestyle, because it allows her to wear great polish without put harmful toxins in her body. Alicia goes to Recess Salon in Los Angeles and Sweet Lilly Salon in New York City, because they  are both eco-friendly salons that carry non-toxic products, including Zoya.

"Both of these salons use Zoya vegan polishes.  Zoya polishes work just as well as the toxic stuff.  I avoid nail polish that contains dibutyl phthalate/DBP (a substance that was banned from most nail polishes in the US in 1996), formaldehyde (a carcinogen), and toluene (a liquid that smells like paint thinner, and can cause neurological harm if inhaled)… not good for you!! These are all toxins that could affect your nervous system, and cause serious health problems." - The Kind Life

DH Got his....Nails Beautiqued!!

My darling husband was so patience and kind to sit and let me groom his nails.  I have to keep up with his cuticles because they are really bad.  Everytime I stop into Sally's or a beauty supply store when I pick up any type of cutlcle oil or cream I pick one up for him as well.  First,  I trimmed and filed his nails, soaked them in a solution that consisted of olive oil, baking soda, hydrogen peroxide, and some random liquid soap.  I pushed his cuticles back. Then lotioned and gave him a hand massage.   Here are the pictures :)

Thanks honey for getting your nails beautiqued!!  It was fun :)

Ladies, thanks for looking have a great nail polish day (*_*)

BYS - metallic angel

I've said it once and I'll say it again. I love metallic polishes.  This beautiful polish is BYS Metallic angel. This polish is made up of tiny irregular shaped metallic flecks that are silver and tan in colour.  The light reflection on this looks pink, but it's really more of a tan/neutral coloured metallic.

It was great to apply, very smooth and even and no streaks.  In sunlight this polish is spectacular.

Indoors this polish is much more subtle and you can really see the different coloured metallic particles.  It was a little sheer, this was three coats, however it dried very fast so many coats is not a problem.  Indoors you can still see a slight visible nail line, but in sunlight you can't see anything because of the blinding reflection.

This was my first BYS polish - which is another Australian polish brand.  These retail for $4, which is very reasonable for polish here in Australia (where a bottle of OPI costs $20). Very happy with this polish, I actually wore it for about three days! I can see it staying in my regular rotation.

Splat!

Happy monday!!! It's *bleepin* hot here today in sunny Las Vegas, and definitely doesn't feel like April should. :-D Today's design is simple again, I got home late after the show last night, and was too tired to do anything intricate, but I still dig the color combo- Flip Flop Fantasy is positively retina-searing, the picture doesn't do it justice! :) I'm sitting at my desk right now having a 'Flip Flop Fantasy'... wishing I was at home sitting in the shade wearing flip flops, my comfy jeans, and a t-shirt!! No such luck, it's a work day! The play last night was fantastic, and if any of you should get the chance to see 'Confessions of a Mormon Boy', I'd highly recommend it. It's hilarious, entertaining, charming, and heart-wrenching all wrapped into one story.



I used China Glaze Flip Flop Fantasy as a base, with MAC Showy applied by dipping the end of a straw in the bottle of polish, then aiming it at the nail, and forcefully blowing air through the straw to splatter it. I topped it off with 2 coats of Seche Vite top coat.

Flippety flop! (I think it's about nap time for this redhead- why can't we have siestas here in the US?)

Zoya Nail Polish is the Perfect Accessory for your Shoes

We all know that shoes are a great accessory and it is also important to know that that perfect pair should never be marred by a less than desireable pedicure (or even worse - no pedicure at all!). PrettyCity understands that, and they have paired some of this seasons hottest sandals with the hottest nail shades, which naturally includes Zoya Nail Polish. 

Zoya Nidhi was paired with Christian Louboutins' and Zoya Jancyn with Hale Bob's white jellies. We think they are both matches made in Happy Feet Heaven!

People Magazine and People StyleWatch are lovin' Zoya Nail Polish this week!

The most recent issues of People StyleWatch and People Magazine have hit the news stands and Zoya Nail Polish is right there with them. People StyleWatch is feeling the metallic celebrity nail trend... the fab beauty editors StyleWatch think Zoya Trixie is a great way to create the popular foil finish look with adding some shimmer to make it "extra-fun" while Zoya Perrie from the Flash Summer 2010 collection is  noted by the beauty crew at People as a fun nail color,

All we have to say is; They like us, they really like us! The feeling is mutal :)

Hello Kitty Plate...Fauxnad??

A while ago I bought some nailart plates from ebay.  They aren't the Original Konad.  The ladies over at MUA/nailboard call them Fauxnad. lol!!  In my opinion they work as great as konad :)  After I saw the hello kitty on a plate I had to get it!!   Here are the supplies I used:  (pictures are clickable to enlarge)

Just apply the black polish to the design, use scraper to swipe off the excess polish.  Pick up the design with the stamper and apply to the nails.

I just found out you can order this plate along with others as a set from maytheps-au-com  to the left click nail stamp & image. (Set A)  Until next time please have a great nail polish day (*_*)