Mish Mash Challenge Week 4 - Untried Nail Art Technique! 2 different manicures!

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Hello Lovelies! Man, am I late with this post! See what happens when I take it easy? Haha! Actually part of my lateness is due my own indecisiveness. I had one manicure in mind for this week's challenge, but I wasn't 100% satisfied, so I tried something else on the other hand. Then I couldn't decided which one to use, so I'm posting them both and you lovelies can decide which you like best.

Both manicures are brush stroke manicures, just different techniques. This first manicure was done with the polish brushes and is comprised of random brush strokes of 5 different polishes. I used A-England Camelot as my base, and Sally Hansen HD Polishes in DVD, Byte, LCD, Spectrum, and Resolution for the brush strokes. Once the brush stroked were finished, I stamped using Bundle Monster Plate BM 208 and Konad Black to create a Mosaic style manicure. I really dig how this one turned out!

Also, I photographed this in different lighting and I'm still getting used to it. Forgive the brightness here, okay? :)

I really dig how this turned out, even if you can't really tell it's a brush stroke mani. Those HD Polishes are beautiful and have great color, but they're also sheer and full of flecks, which makes getting the brush strokes to show is tough.  Not a total fail though since I love mosaic designs and this one was great fun to wear.

The next brush stroke technique is more along the lines of the awesome Ozotic mani from Fashion Polish, except I used Jewel Tone polishes. This technique is done with a fan brush as opposed to the polish brush, but still derives its effect  placing soft, random brush strokes of polish at random on the nail. A-England Camelot is the base color again, with A-England Avalon, Order of The Garter,  and L'Oreal The Muse's Attitude, The Mystic's Fortune, and The Mystic's Future for the brush strokes.

Also, I'm showing you my left hand here, which is uneven since I'm letting it grow out to match my right hand. I've actually managed to refrain from using my middle nail as a soda can opener!

Now I *really* like this one, however the jewel tones are kinda hard to see in photos. I dig how the brush strokes are a touch more blatant (thanks fan brush!) and I adore Jewel Tones on black. This was also much faster than the HD Mosaic Brush Stroke Mani since I didn'thave to use multiple brush strokes for each color. And of course, no stamping.

 I think the Jewel Tone is my fave, although the mosaic is so colorful and fun. What do you think? Which is your fave?

While you're at it, check out all my girls and their awesome manis!

An InLinkz Link-up

I'll be back later today sometime with the first polish from the upcoming Polish TBH Diagon Alley Collection. So excited to share these with you lovelies! Such an amazing collection - I mean, it's Polish TBH, so I don't expect anything less than amazing! I'll be showing the entire collection over the next few days, so be sure to check back often. I also have some amazing polish from Cinema Swatch Lacquers and Squishy Face Polish coming up as well.

Thanks for stopping by and Happy Polishing!
-Kimber




















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Insomniac

After having done a lot of edgy, artsy looks lately I wanted to do something wearable. Yeah, yeah, I know that some of you will probably look like this ---> O_o <--- when I call this look wearable but I do think that most of my readers would actually wear this look. And if you think it's too much you can always tone it down! :)

There are a few eyeshadows on the market that look like this duochrome beauty; the pigment Blue brown by M.A.C., Inglot's pigment in #85 and the one I use here - Insomnia by Makeup Geek to mention a few of them. They are so yummy you'd like to eat them for breakfast! :D

To keep this look balanced and appropriate for a day at work I like to combine the vibrant eye look with a nude toned lip gloss and a flawless looking skin!

Face

*CC cream  Light (Lumene)

*Studio Finish Concealer (M.A.C.)* 

*Touche Éclat #1 (YSL)* 

*Mineral Veil (Bare Minerals)

*Bitten (Makeup Geek)

*Wonderblush Cleopatra (Make Up Store)

Eyebrows

*#391 (Inglot) 

*Brow powder Dark brown (Anastasia Beverly Hills)

Eyes

*Shadow Insurance (original) (Too Faced)

*Pigment Insomnia (Makeup Geek)
*Sketch (M.A.C.)* 

*Bitten (Makeup Geek)
*#351 (Inglot) 

*Gel liner Immortal (Makeup Geek)
*False eye lashes #701 (Red Cherry)

Lips

*Natural Code Lip gloss Milk Chocolate (Lumene)

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Would you wear this look or is it to much for you? For everyday use or as a night time look?

*Not cruelty-free

Try It Out Tuesday: Maybelline Color Show "Holographics" - Mystic Green"

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Hello lovelies! Welcome to (the late night edition of) Try It Out Tuesday! I'm very excited to be joining my girl Gini from Sassy Paints for TIOT. What a great way to get through some of my gigantic stash of untrieds!

Today's polish is from the "Holographics" Collection that Maybelline's Color Show line recently released. Note that the word Holographics is in quotes up there....Yeah, someone needs to look that word up because these polishes are nowhere near Holographic. If anything, they are very mild duochromes with a very metallic finish. I picked up 2 of these when they first came out, solely because I like the colors - I was well aware that these had zero holo to them. Still, it kind of irks me that these are being marketed as Holos. Very misleading.

For today's TIOT I chose Mystic Green to try out. This color is a gorgeous green with strong yellow undertones. It does have a slight color shift to a darker, more emerald green, but otherwise it's just a pretty metallic polish.

This is 3 coats with topcoat:

I have to admit - I do love the color. But I just can't get past the "holographic" claim being so far from true, as well as some other things....

Mystic Green's formula was a pain in my hind end. Very thin and watery at first, only to thicken up into a glop fest. Application was just as rough with a lot of streaking, some serious balding and dragging, and since the polish thickened up a ton - bubbles. The kind of bubbles that even the best top coat can't get rid of. If Mystic Green was an actual Holographic polish, it might be worth the hassle. But......it's not. I am disappoint, Son.

I do have another color from this collection to try out, and I'm really hoping that the formula isn't as bad as Mystic Green. These colors are truly beautiful, so it's a shame that they don't hold up (at least in my eyes...who know? I may have a bad bottle.).

Have you tried any colors from this collection?

I'll be back tomorrow with more Indie awesomeness so come back soon!

Thanks for stopping by and Happy Polishing!
-Kimber




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Nail Pattern Boldness: Alpha Nail!

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Hello Lovelies! I regret to say that I have a raging migraine today, so posts will be short and sweet. I'm currently sitting in a dark kitchen, wearing sunglasses and praying that my meds kick in sometime soon.  I'm also bummed since all the new growth on my left hand is now gone. I managed to bust 2 nails yesterday while attempting to stop the hatchback on my car from falling onto my head. I'm not sure which is worse, breaking those nails or getting whacked in the head with the hatchback door. That door comes down hard, and hurts pretty something fierce, but honestly I think I may take that over losing every millimeter of growth I had gained back. Meh. Fun stuff!

Today I have a seriously awesome polish to share with you all. And when I say seriously awesome, what I mean is that I really don't even need to write a review.....All I really need to say is "look at this polish and drool. It's perfect in every way, and you NEED this.". It's *that* good.

I'm sure all of you are familiar with Nail Pattern Boldness by now. NPB is a personal fave, and Allison's creations never ever disappoint. Glitter Food and Glitter-A-Peel have changed the way I wear  glitters - and most polish for that matter! I was lucky enough to receive some of her polish to share with you all, and despite already loving the NPB's I have, I've fallen even deeper in love.

Today's polish is Alpha Nail, the first Duochrome from Nail Pattern Boldness, and an Epic Win. Alpha Nail is a gorgeous and jaw dropping blue/purple/fuchsia duochrome topcoat, and is one of the most beautiful polishes I own. This is one of those dangerous polishes, since I was staring at it constantly and had to make a conscious effort not to stare at my nails while driving. But enough of my raving - I'm sure you want to see this pretty, am I right?

This is 2 thin coats of Alpha Nail over A-England Camelot:

Okay, someone needs to shape her nails..... ;) Despite the wonky nail shape that I have just now noticed, Alpha Nail is ZOMGWTFBBQ!!!!!! Look at that color shift, and how vibrant the colors are. Just beautiful. For a first duochrome? Allison has an Epic Win here. *Drool Drool Drool!!*

Alpha Nail's formula was nothing short of perfection. Just thick enough to carry all that duochrome goodness without any risk of flooding or dripping, yet not too thick to work with, with zero thickening during use. Application was stellar with no dragging, balding or glopping. Dry time was fast and Alpha Nail boasts superior shine, even without top coat.

Honestly, if you don't own Alpha Nail, you should. Call me an enabler, but this is truly a must have in my book. I'm already planning when I can wear this beauty next, and cannot wait to see what it looks like over a navy blue, indigo, and purple. $20 says it's freakin' killer!

You can find Nail Pattern Boldness on Etsy, or by visiting Lllarowe. NPB polishes are in high demand, so grab them while you can! Full size bottles run $9.00, save for Glitter Food (which you need if you are a glitter fan!) and Glitter-A-Peel (I can't live without this stuff - no more soaking in acetone to remove glitters or flakies!), which run $8.00. You can follow NPB on Facebook for re-stock info, new releases and swatches, and you can also follow NPB's Blog.

I cannot say it enough: buy this now!

What's your take on Alpha Nail? What's your favorite NPB?

I'll be back in a bit with another ABC Challenge mani so stick around!

Thanks for stopping by and Happy Polishing!
-Kimber



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Catrice- George Blueney

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Hello again Lovelies! It's been a busy day and I am wiped out and feeling horrid at the moment, but I have a moment to post so here I am. I actually managed to nap for a bit tonight - hubby was hanging out with the little one so that I could get some rest since I slept maybe 2 hours last night and I was feeling bad tonight, but woke up a few minutes ago and decided that I needed some Fruit Loops.

Tonight I have one of the newer Catrice shades to share with you all. This is another of the 35 Catrice beauties that Simona from Light Your Nails picked up for me. Have I mentioned that I really need to have her pick my polish colors for me? She grabbed some incredible colors - there isn't a single one that I don't love!

George Blueney (yup,  what a name, right?) is a seriously stunning Blue shimmer with hints of purple duochrome goodness. I love these types of blues - dark and shimmery with subtle flashes of color. So sexy! I had red that the purple was less visible on the nail than in the bottle, but I was able to see more of those lovely purple flashes on the nail. Go figure, I'm always backwards. ;)

This is 2 coats of Catrice George Blueney with top coat:

Oh how I love this color! The purple isn't all that evident, but if you look closely, it's there!

George Blueney's formula was wonderful, with no thickening or glopping up during use. No application issues either, and this beauty could easily be a one coater if you're okay with slightly thicker coats.

I do feel that I should mention the brush on this girl - it's one of the newer paddle style brushes and those are a bit wonky for my tastes. It has a rounded edge, which always ends up feeling a bit like a mop to me. Worth it for this gorgeous color though! Wear is excellent as well - this polish survived a lot of torture today and I have very little tip wear (one nail) and zero chips. Bonus!

This is definitely high on mu list of fave blues and I'll be pulling this out of my stash often.

What do you think of George Blueney (still SMH a bit at that name! haha!)? What is your favorite Blue polish?

I'll  be back tomorrow with Letter V for the ABC challenge, so be sure to drop on by!

Thanks for stopping by and Happy Polishing!
-Kimber






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ABC Challenge Post!! 'S' is for Wingdust Collections - Sunset Glow

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Heeeeelllloooo Lovelies!!! I know it's been a few days since my last post, but in all honesty I needed some down time today. Yesterday was my beautiful Son's 3rd birthday, as well as my youngest Niece's High School Graduation and party. Mom had chemo on Monday...honestly I picked the wrong week to take time off! Should've done it this week! Anyway, all that combined with my newfound all encompassing insomnia (I literally sleep maybe 3 hours a night if I'm lucky, and not at all last night) and stress, plus the fact that I haven't been eating much at all, left me shaky and feeling faint today. I spent the day resting and nibbling and am feeling so much better.

Which means it's now catch up time, so I'll be post spamming I'm sure! But hey, that means more awesome pretties for you! Win? I hope!

First of all, If you weren't aware, my 500 GFC Follower giveaway is live, live, live! Enter to win the BG Cosmetics Holographics Collection! This collection is still in pre-order and is in high demand, so you don't want to miss the chance to win! Enter here!

If you've been following me on FB, you know all about my Pure Nail Oil™updates....check out my big reveal and all that Pure™ has done for me here!

I know I owe you all a Q and R post, and I'll get that done, I promise. But for now, let's just jump straight to "s" and pretend that I didn't have to skip anything.

I was going to do some nail art for "S" but just did not have time this week, so I reached for a polish that I have been dying to wear for some time.

"Sunset Glow" is an absolutely gorgeous duochrome layering polish from the incredible Wingdust Collections. I have been obsessed with Wingdust since I first saw them on Sassy Paints, and it has really made me sad that I haven't been able to wear mine yet, what with life getting in the way and all. I was thrilled to be able to grab Sunset Glow and finally show her off! Words don't really do this beauty justice at all, and in all honesty? Pics don't do much better. This polish is a real chameleon, and looks different yet equally stunning in different lighting. This one definitely improved my mood!

This is 1 coat of Wingdust Collections "Sunset Glow" over A-England Camelot:

*Le Sigh*! So beautiful! You can see the duochrome effect fairly well on my index nail, and my god! Isn't it just gorgeous!?!

Also, please note the lack of editing here...yay for Pure Nail Oil™ (If you missed my big reveal and review, you really need to see it. Click here!)!!

Sunset Glow was absolute perfection - The formula was flawless with no thickening at all, and application was just dreamy. I only needed one thin coat to achieve the effect you see here. A second coat does increase the color, but I love the sparkly effect shown here, so I left it at 1. There was zero dragging, balding, or gooping and dry time was lightning fast. I wore this for around 36 hours and had no tip wear and not a single chip to be seen.

Wingdust polishes are so amazing, loves. Stephanie is a true genius! Sunset Glow is an absolute masterpeice and one of my new fave layering polishes. I really want to layer this with Pure Ice heartbreaker and see what happens!!

If you have yet to check out Wingdust Collections, head on over to Wingdust on Etsy, or Llarowe and check them out! Full size polishes sell for between $7-$10, but they go fast so don't wait! You can also follow Wingdust on Facebook for up to date re-stock information and new releases.

I'll be back tomorrow (and ya know, every day until the end of time!) with some awesomeness from Fuse Nail Polish, Nail Pattern Boldness, Polish Addict and more!

Don't forget to check out all my awesome (and incredibly patient and supportive) Polish Sistah's and their letter S manicures!






Thanks for stopping by and Happy Polishing!
-Kimber

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ABC Challenge : "P" is for Polish TBH - Luster Dust

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 Hello Lovelies! Welcome to another (late) ABC Challenge post! I swear one of these days I will get a challenge post up on time. Lately its seems that just when I get ahead something happens to put me behind again. This time it was plain old exhaustion. I've been staying up until around 5 am every night for weeks now since Dex has been highly resistant to going to bed. I stay up and do a manicure and watch Angel with B (I got him into that show...he denies it but he loves it!), and head to bed around 430-5am. Then I am back up around 8am. Yesterday my body said no more, and I ended up napping for around 3 hours in the afternoon and I passed out with Dex around 1130 last night. I feel nice and rested today though, so hopefully I'll be able to get ahead again today. 

Actually, it took me 4 hours to get this posted. For some reason blogger would not upload any photos! I had to mess with it for a good while, reboot my router countless times and switch to a different browser twice to get these uploaded. Hopefully this is a temporary issue - I do not want to have to deal with that more than once. 

Just a quick reminder: the 80's Hits Colelction giveaway is only open for another 5 days! Get your entries in now!!! There are 2 daily entries (please remember that the FB entries only count if you post on your own wall, not mine), so don't forget to grab those!

Since I managed to hit 500 GFC followers this month, I'll be starting a new Giveaway on 5/1. This time I'll be giving away the entire BG Cosmetics Holographics Collection! Woohoo!!!

Today's challenge letter is "P", which I have to admit I had much larger plans for. I ran out of time and ended up going with some stamping, since I'm trying to work in more nail art these days. I do alot of Indie swatches, which is okay since Indies are my passion, but I miss nail art. I think stamping counts, and I really do love to stamp. 

For this challenge I chose a polish from one of my very fave indie brands, Polish TBH (in fact, I should have some more showing up today, I hope! I love new review polishes!). The polish is called "Luster Dust", and is from the brand new Spring Collection. This baby is a layering polish that consits of tiny pink flakies that shift in the light from purple to blue. I chose to use multiple coats of this color to bring out the pink, but I plan on swatching this alone to show the color shift. 

I started with a base of Orly's In The Navy, a beautiful deep, shimmery navy blue. I added 3 coats of Polish TBH Luster Dust (since I wanted to really see the pink), then stamped with In The Navy and Born Pretty Store plate QA8. I dig the way it turned out, but it was very hard to capture in pics. IRL Luster Dust is so very Vibrant, and the navy blue is much more shimmery. 

I could not hold onto the mini bottle to save my ilfe, so most of the photos show the Orly bottle. :) My stilettos were getting way long, and since they were looking ragged and I can't hold onto mini bottles, I shaped them and took a little length off last night. 

I am loving Luster Dust! I'm a huge Polish TBH fan anyway, but this baby is just awesome! I love how you just one coat gives a slight duochrome shift, but you can build up into this awesome shimmery pink. This is the second time I've worn this, and I just love it. I promise to show Luster Dust without stamping, and at one coat soon!

LD's formula and application were awesome. LD is a touch thicker than I expected, but I did not need thinner at all. This girl spread out onto the nail evenly and was easy to control. One coat is perfect for a subtle hint of pink with a slight blue shift, 2-3 coats builds up the pink. Obviously this looks fabulous layered over darker colors, but is actually really pretty over pink and purple as well.

You can grab your very own bottle of Luster Dust at Polish TBH on etsy. The SPring Collection is out as well, so don't forget to check those out! Full size bottles run $8, minis $3, save for thermals which are a few dollars more. Don't forget to follow Polish TBH on Facebook for updates and re-srock info as well. 

The stamping plate I used is from Born Pretty Store, plate QA-8, Item number 4938. This is the same plate that I used for my letter M manicure, and I love it! You'll definitely be seeing more of the designs from this plate - it has checkerboards and skull and crossbones images! The engraving on this plate is wonderful - nice and deep with no rough spots. The images transfer perfectly and I have yet to need to re-do a single nail with these images. This little gem sells for a whopping $2.99, and for that price? It's a steal! I will definitely be checking out more of these plates.  If you are interested in grabbing this plate, you can head on over to BornPrettyStore.com, or just click here. Don't forget to use the code below to save 10% on your order!

What do you think of Luster Dust? Are you a fan of these kinds of topcoats!

Don't forget to check out all my polish sistahs and their letter P manis!





Be sure to check back tomorrow for some Flakie Friday goodness!

Thanks for stopping by and Happy Polishing!
-Kimber      


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