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

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 *Product(s) Featured purchased at discounted price for review. Please see Disclaimer/Legal Page for more information** 

 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      


*Product(s) Featured purchased at discounted price for review. Please see Disclaimer/Legal Page for more information**
   
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Daring Digits Trailer Park Boys Collection : Bubbles and DD Cuticle Oil Balm

Hello lovelies! Man, these late posts are driving me nuts! Today the battery on the Rebel died right as I went to take pics. It takes forever to charge, so here I am a good 5 hours later than anticipated. It's definitely time to invest in a spare battery.

Today I have the first of 3 polishes from a brand new collection from Daring Digits (Big things are happening at DD - you'll want to check back often to make sure you don't miss out!).  If you're not familiar with the Canadian Slacker Comedy "Trailer Park Boys", you really should hit Netflix and check it out. TPB is a mockumentary style show about Julian and Ricky, 2 guys who just can't stay out of jail, and their eccentric friend Bubbles, who lives in a shed with his plethora of cats. Also making appearances are Lucy- the very definition of trashy and Ricky's on and off again girlfriend, Sarah-Lucy's bitchy roommate, Trevor and Corey-Julian and Ricky's incompetent lackeys and fall guys, J-Roc- a white rapper who really is convinced that he's black, And Mr. Lahey and Randy- Trailer Park Superviser and his Assistant, who are also lovers. 

I stumbled across this show about 6 months ago, and watched every single episode plus the movies in about 2 weeks. TPB is definitely not a show for everyone, but it does have a large cult following. So if you find off the wall bumbling weed dealers funny, you'll dig TPB.

I'll also be sharing one of my Holy Grail cuticle care products - one of 2 that has totally changed my cracking, bleeding cuticles for the better- Daring Digits Cuticle oil Balm.  Be sure to click read more!

Today I'm sharing "Bubbles", a gorgeous glitter topper packed with green/teal/purple iridescent shimmer and iridescent glitters. This baby is absolutely beautiful and looks amazing over almost any base color. The iridescent shimmer really pops over darker colors, and is evident in most lighting. Bubbles also truly captures the spirit of Bubbles from TPB, reminding me of coke bottle glasses and bubble machines!

This is 2 thin coats of Bubbles over L'Oreal After Hours (Navy Jelly) and topped with HK Girl Top Coat:

 Gorgeous! I am a huge fan of iridescent shimmer. Toss in some glitter and wow! Stunning!

Formula and application are true Daring Digits - perfection! Bubbles is thick enough to carry all that glitter yet not too thick to work with. Usable straight from the bottle with no thickening during use, no clumping glitters, etc. Bubbles applied smoothly with just the right amount of glitter in each brush stroke. This girl does not dry very textured at all - all I neede for a smooth finish was my regular top coat.

Now I know this has nothing to do with the TPB Collection, but I have to share this with you guys. Awhile back I shared Daring Digits Cuticle Scrub with you all, and let me tell you, I still love that stuff and refuse to be without it. I currently have 3 peppermint, a citrus and a vanilla scrub in my arsenal. Along with the scrub, I've been using Daring Digits Cuticle Oil Balm and my cuticles have never been happier.

I used to swear by CND Solar Oil, but man! Is that stuff messy and since it's a true oil, it rubbed off fast. I used to have to drench my cuticles in order to get results. Enter Daring Digits Cuticle Oil Balm! This isn't your run of the mill oil, or cuticle balm. It's a perfect balance between the 2. Made with The balm contains the following: Beeswax, Coconut Oil, Safflower Oil, Canola Oil and Vitamin E, and is unscented. It comes in this adorable little tin (great for carrying in a purse or bag!), and despite looking like a balm, it has a very low melting point so as soon as your finger hits the surface, it thins out and becomes something like a thick oil. A little bit goes a long way, and this stuff has staying power. I can put this on at bedtime and despite shoving my hands under my pillows, wrestling with covers and shoving the cat off of my head, it's stays on as opposed to rubbing off right away. Usually during the winter my cuticles are so dry that they crack, bleed, and there is no amount of moisture that can heal them. Since I have been using DD Cuticle Scrub and Cuticle Oil Balm, my cuticles are almost entirely healed and never feel dry. I love this stuff!!!!!

Daring Digits can be found at DDPolish.com.  The Cuticle Scrub is available in Peppermint, Citrus, and Vanilla and runs $5.25 for a 2oz. jar.  DD's Cuticle Oil Balm comes in a 1 1/4oz. tin and sells for $4. I cannot recommend these enough!

DD's Trailer Park Boys Collection is being released tomorrow, March 1! Currently all polishes are on sale, so check the website for pricing and availablity.

What do you think of Bubbles? Have you seen Trailer Park Boys?

Be sure and stay tuned - I'll have the second polish from the TPB Collection on Saturday!

Thanks for stopping by and Happy Polishing!
-Kimber

Daring Digits: Gene

Hello lacquered lovelies! Happy Thursday! Just a stone's throw away from the weekend!

Today I am thrilled to bring you the first of many polishes from the amazing Daring Digits. Daring Digits is an Indie Brand (you know how I love my Indies!) from right here in Albuquerque! How cool is that?!? Ashley is the brains behind DD, and not only does she create some really amazing polish, but she lovingly handmakes each and every bottle. I love that kind of personal touch.

There are some BIG things in the works over at Daring Digits, including some brand new polish and hand/nail care products that will seriously blow you away (I'll be reviewing those within the next few days)! Ashley is also celebrating her One Year Anniversary of making polish, check out her blog post here for all the info! 

Today I am showing you one of Ashley's newest creations, and one of my personal faves, Gene. Gene is a truly stunning glitter topper jampacked with gold, teal, purple and pink micro and flake glitters. I'm sure I'm missing some colors here ! Gene is named after the legendary Gene Roddenberry, who I'm sure you will recognize as the creator of Star Trek. Being a Star Trek fan myself, I immediately thought of Mr. Roddenberry when I first laid eyes on Gene.  Alone, Gene is a soft, subtle glitter with a hint of color, layered over a dark color, it becomes something utterly celestial. I chose to layer Gene over a Navy Blue, however I will be showing you what it looks like over a lighter color in a later post.

All photos are 2 coats Barry M Navy, topped with 1 generous coat of Daring Digits Gene (some photos intentionally blurred to show color) :

Wow! Look at that! This polish is something to behold!

Formula:
This is the first Daring Digits polish that I have used, and I was immediately impressed. This polish had perfect consistency - not too thick, not too thin, without any thickening or clumps of glitter.

Application:
Gene applied like liquid silk - smooth and even with just the right amount of glitter with every brush stroke.  Gene was designed to be layered, but I'm fairly certain this baby could be worn alone with 3 good coats. Dry time was fast, and wear is impressive. In fact, I'm still wearing this as a full mani and have zero chips and minimal tip wear even after tons of typing and some plumbing work! Gene does not dry gritty, so all you need for smooth finish is your regular top coat.

I am so in love with this polish.  It's like having a little galaxy on my nails, without the time and effort of creating a galaxy manicure. The combination of color and texture here is just gorgeous, and I cannot wait to show you how this baby looks over a different kind of base. Gene really is incredibly versatile!

Daring Digits polishes are 5-free (you read that right, no big 3, plus no Formaldehyde Resin or Camphor), and available via DDPolish.com. Full size bottles will run you $6.50, but keep an eye out for anniversary specials - including a free LE mini that will only be availabele as a gift with purchase during February!  Right now the shop is on vacation due to the upcoming anniversary festivities, but will re-open tomorrow, 2/1, at 9:30 pm MDT. Be sure to follow Daring Digits on Facebook and Blogger for updates!

What do you think of Gene? Are you loving this polish as much as I am?

Be sure to stay tuned for more goodies from Daring Digits and some BGCosmetics!

Thanks for stopping by and Happy Polishing!
-Kimber

**Product(s) featured sent for review. Please see Disclaimer/Legal page for more information**

31 Day Challenge (V.2!) Day 5: Blue Nails!

Hello ladies! Welcome to day 5 of the challenge! I have added another participant to the links, so please update! :) Also lots of luck to all of the bloggers starting their own version of this challenge today (they're doing theirs daily though, which we all know I am not about to try again!)!

Today's challenge was Blue Nails, and I have to admit I was excited about this once, since blue is my fave color to wear on my nails.I will apologize in advance since I may be posting another blue after this. Tomorrow is my birthday, and I usually choose a blue for my bday. :)

I went in a different direction with these as well. I hadn't stamped for awhile, so I knew I wanted to whip out my stamping plates, but I didn't really want something that overshadowed the colors. I opted to try out some subtle stamping, since I've seen a few ladies do some really awesome subtle stamped manis.

I chose Sinful Colors Rain Storm as my base color (purchased before the picture debaucle came to light), and stamped using Red Angel RA113 and Barry M Navy.  I was absolutely thrilled with how they turned out, and am actually still wearing this mani!

This was very tough to capture well though. In some angles it shows up well, others not so much. I think it shows the design best in the shots where I tilted my nails back a bit. I also apologize fot the slight lobster hands. I'm naturally slightly pink and  when I shoot in my lightbox it seems to really capture that.

I have to admit, for once I am happy with how my stamping came out. This mani got a lot of compliments, and I do believe I will have to try some more subtle stamping. Love!

As for Rain Storm? That polish is perfection. Such a gorgeous shade of dusty blue, formula was absolutely fab, application was a breeze as well. I'll be showing that one on her own later on.

Don't forget to check out the other Varnished Vixens to see their Blue Manis!


-Kimber at Kimber's Lacquer Korner
-Kat at Hooked On Polish
-Diana at Nails By Diana
-Aly at Wonderland Beauty
-Meredith at Perfectly Polished
-Nicole at The Color Republic
-Kate at The Painted Pony Nails
-Cee at Absolutely Cee
-Sam at Polished Art
-Nail Narcotics
-Nicole at Nicole Gets Nailed
-Shelby at Shelby's Swatches
-Stephanie Louise at All Things Beautiful
-Mixed Mama
-Joanna @ Sweet Polish of Mine
-Patty Greenberg
-Liz and Lisa @ Lozlosa 
-Mari at Nailista
-Greta at How Was Your Day?
-Miss L at Beauty by Miss L 
-Gini at Sassy Paints 
-Chameleon Stampede 
-Pam at Nail-E-Glance
-Me, Myself, and Polish 
- Robin Sparkles


Thanks for stopping by and Happy Polishing!
-Kimber