Mish Mash Challenge Week 10 - Triangles!

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Hello Lovelies! I have finally made it back to post! I've been having a very hard time posting this week since my littlest has decided that I shouldn't be able to do anything save for chasing him around in an attempt to stop him from destroying the house. I'll sit down to post and he will immediately run up and start yanking on me and screaming and crying. It's very tedious, and I really hope this phase ends soon. I haven't even been able to clean, since he finds that unacceptable as well. It looks like I'm going to have to start writing my posts at night and scheduling them for the mornings, even though when I do that, they never seem to actually post. Ahhhh Blogger problems!

Today I have this week's Mish Mash Challenge mani to share with you all. I've been dying to get this posted since I love the design. This week's theme is Triangles, and although I had some much more intricate designs in my head, lack of time led me back to stamping. I'm fully okay with  that though, since stamping is my very fave type of nail art and I'm falling in love with it all over again.

For this manicure I chose Sinful Colors Cotton Candy, a pink creme with subtle silvery shimmer, as my base color. Because I didn't want to stick with just one straight color, I added a gradient using Sinful Colors Outrages, a bright raspberry pink. Then I grabbed my trusty DRK-A plate from Dashica beauty and used Konad Black to stamp on this ultra-cool geometric pattern that includes lots of funky triangles. My only complaint is that my Konad Black is close to empty, and I had to thin it down to make it usable. This led to some streaking when I went to top coat, but it's not really obvious IRL. If Dex permits, I'll be ordering more Konad black today.

Man, I love gradients and stamping! The smearing from my poor old Konad black makes me cringe, but since I know it's just from thinning it down, I can live with it. I'm also so very in love with Dashica's Big stamping plates. I really need to order a couple more of those. I swear they're the best stamping plates around.

I also really love the polishes I used here. Cotton Candy was a dream to work with, and although Outrages is more of a crelly, it still works well for a gradient. Plus, how long has it been since I've done a gradient mani? Feels like ages!

What do you think of my Triangle Mani? Be sure to check out all the Mish Mash challengers and their Triangle nails!

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I'll be back (Dexter willing!) tomorrow with some Lac Attack and more Indie swatches. I'm slowly but surely catching up! I also have some cool nail art supplies from Born Pretty Store to share, so watch for those.

Thanks for stopping by and Happy Polishing!
-Kimber








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Sinful Colors Leather Luxe Collection : Leather Loose! A late TIOT mani

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Hello Lovelies! Happy Wednesday! I am running a day behind because, let's be honest, I was a slacker yesterday. For the first time in weeks I didn't have to spend all day running around or working, so I did some much needed relaxing and allowed my ADD to run free.

Yesterday was also Try It On Tuesday, and I had my mani all planned out and ready to go, when I ran into the new Leather Luxe polishes from Sinful Colors. I had to bring a couple home with me (the rest will be coming home on Friday), and one of them was insisting that I use her right away for TIOT. I managed to do the mani, but underestimated the power of my slacking and did not manage to actually crop and watermark the photos until very late last night. And in true slacker fashion, I fell asleep as soon as that was done. So now I am a day late, since I obviously did not manage to work on my Mish Mash Challenge mani for today. I regret nothing. Don't Judge Me. :)

At least I have a gorgeous polish to share with you today! This beauty is Leather Loose (I feel like that should be Loose Leather, but ok) from Sinful Colors' new Leather Luxe Collection. In my opinion, this is *THE* stand-out and must have polish from this collection. LL is a deep brown with a multitude of golden flecks. This girl is also a matte polish, giving the effect of leather (or it's supposed to anyway...it kinda lacks the wrinkly texture, but I'm okay with that) on the nail.

I chose to show this beauty with the Matter finish, as opposed to adding top coat, but I  should mention that with topcoat this polish is still amazing. Tons of depth and gorgeous color and shimmer.

This is 2 coats of Leather Loose, no top coat:

Dear god, I love this polish! And I'm not a big fan of browns. This one is just....I don't know. It's beyond words. It 's deliciously dark and vampy, and a great shade of brown. Like an espresso bean with shimmery gold flecks. I love this so much that I still haven't removed it to start on my Mish Mash Mani. Told ya I was slacking!

You may notice there is an additional watermark on my ring finger....I'm a bit tired of my photos popping up on random "nail" accounts (i.e. someone with all stolen pics taking credit for bloggers' hard work), so I added that ring finger watermark to make it a bit harder to steal. I hate having to do that, but I put a lot into my pics. I hate messing with photos in photoshop or gimp, so I shoot a ton of photos to capture the color correctly. I also agonize over which photos to use, then crop and watermark them which takes forever since I have a toddler that will not let me do more than 3 minutes worth at a time.

But back to le polish!

Leather Loose's formula is good, but not without issues. This girl thickened up on me rather fast, however it was nothing that couldn't be remedied by a little shake between hands. I also have to ask you to keep in mind that I live in the desert and it's hot as hell (literally) here in the summer, so certain finishes will thicken up on me fast. Mattes tend to be one. Application was easy peasy (as long as I shook the bottle gently in between hands and coats) and dry time was fast, fast, fast. Like Porsche 911 Carrera on the Autobahn fast (yeah, yeah, there are faster cars, but Porsche will always be my fave). Finish is smooth and the color is vibrant and saturated. With top coat, this color really pops, bringing out the gold fleck.

I love this. I just love it. If you pick up just one polish from the Leather Luxe Collection, it should be Leather Loose. The rest of the collection is quite beautiful as well, but this one really stands out in the crowd.

What do you think of Leather Loose? Have you grabbed any of the Leather Luxe polishes?

I will have my Mish Mash Challenge post up tomorrow morning. I'm starting on it in a few minutes since slacker time is officially over. Not that I'm motivated. Slacking is a vicious cycle! Time to make some coffee, right?

Also keep an eye out for some really awesome new and new to me Indie Brands coming to KLK over the next week or so. I have Some holo goodness from Squishyface polish, Mint Polish, Elixir Lacquers, Cinema Swatch Lacquers and Gothic Gala coming up. I'll also have swatches from the upcoming Polish TBH Diagon Alley Collection this week! You do not want to miss those!

Thanks for stopping by and Happy Polishing!
-Kimber



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Mish Mash Challenge, Week 2 : Taping! (And proof I still have a left hand!)

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Hello lovelies! This post is a touch late, but better late than never, right? I woke up sick on Monday, and unfortunately I pushed myself too hard on Tuesday and wasn't able to get this manicure done until last night. Thankfully whatever evil virus I had managed to pick up has packed it's little germ laden bags and left.

This week's Mish Mash Challenge theme is taping, and I have to tell ya, I had no idea what to do for this. I didn't want to do anything I had done before, which was tough since I love tape manis and have done a ton of them. Eventually I settled on combining taping with a gradient, a look that I've seen floating around lately. I really love this look, but I didn't manage to re-create it as well as I would've liked. I had a 3 year old trying to tackle me at random, and a really crappy roll of tape. The 3 year old I could work around, but tape manicures just don't come out right when you have an unruly roll of tape. I have no idea what the issue was, but my tape just would not stay stuck down to my nails. I used actual scotch tape this time - I think I'll end up going back to painter's tape since I don't seem to have any issues with that stuff.

For this potential fail I used OPI My Boyfriend Scales Walls as my base, then taped off my nails in an inverted stiletto. Then I grabbed my trusty makeup sponge and used Sinful Colors Gel Shine in Spitfire, Royal Flush, and Nouveau Purple to create the gradient within the taping. The colors were actually inspired by a roll of paper towels of all things! After removing the tape (and swearing for a few moments since my lines came out wonky since my tape didn't stick well), I topped everything off with a coat of HK Girl and called it done.

You'll also notice that I'm showing my left hand today! I have finally managed to get some length without busting that middle nail doing something stupid. I'll still be swatching on my right hand, but you'll probably see my left hand for nail art (unless I manage to bust another nail by using them as a lever to open my Diet Coke).

Although I like the idea of this mani, I am bummed that it didn't turn out as well as I had hoped. Still wearable, but macro mode is unforgiving, so you guys to get to see all the flaws!

I'm dying to try this again with better tape and some different colors. It's such a quick and easy tape mani that I see myself trying this a few times before I get tired of it.

What do you think of this technique? Did I fail here?

Don't forget to check out all my awesome polish sistah's and their tape manis!

An InLinkz Link-up

I'll be back later this evening with a new polish from Love, Angeline! I also have a new beauty from Gypsyanna Polish coming up tomorrow, so make sure to drop in!

Thanks for stopping by and Happy Polishing!
-Kimber




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Fandom Cosmetics RAM Collection (Inspired by Daft Punk!!) - Don't Stop The Dancing

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Hello Lovelies! Yay for Friday! Normally this means Flakie Friday, but I actually have 2 posts for you all today. I'm trying to get some catch up done, as well as finding some time to go and comment on blogs. Of course, I'm also so tired that I'm literally swaying back and forth. One of these days I will sleep like a normal person.

In case I haven't mentioned it before, I am a HUGE Daft Punk fan. Die Hard, obsessed, secretly hoping Guy-Man will somehow end up single and run into me somewhere and be my little baguette for all eternity kind of fan. I'm that fan that knows every word of "Technologic" and can actually manage to make it through each verse without running out of breath.

So it's only fitting that today's first post is the 2nd polish from Fandom Cosmetics RAM Collection. This is the collection that I begged Fandom to create, and they obliged, creating 4 incredible polishes matching photos that I sent of live shows and videos. This incredible glitter is called "Don't Stop The Dancing", and is inspired by this image of Daft Punk performing "One More Time" during their "Alive 2007" tour.

When I first saw pictures of this polish, I literally gasped. Fandom managed, once again, to take the image that was my inspiration and bottle it up. Don't Stop The Dancing is a vibrant mix of
blue, indigo, ocean spray green, eden pink, and deep purple holographic hex, as well as bright yellow dots in a clear base. And it's just as in-freaking-credible as it sounds.

Although Don't Stop The Dancing is a serious Glitter Bomb (opaque in 2-3 coats), I decided that I needed to pair it with an Indigo/Blurple Base. Ya know, cause I could. ;)

This is 1 coat of Don't Stop The Dancing over Sinful Colors Into The Blue, topped with Glossy Glam Top Coat:

Can I just say.......Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!! So much love!!!!!!!!!!! This polish is just incredible. Jaw dropping, eye popping, can't stop staring incredible. In fact, I was literally stopped at 3 different stores by groups of women wanting to see this polish.  * Beams* I guess my inspiration for this one is good, no?  Just look at those colors....*sighs*. I will wear this polish so many times that I will probably need at least 5 backup bottles.

Don't Stop The Dancing's formula is simply perfect. Just the right mix of glitter and base, perfect consistency. Application was stellar as well - no clumps of glitters, no curling glitters, and even coverage.  It would seem like you would have to do a little fishing for those yellow circle glitters, but nope! I didn't fish or hand place a single one. DSTD has excellent dry time as well. It does dry just a touch textured when layered, so I'd add some Glitter Food if you wear this alone.

One of the things I always need to mention with Fandom polishes is that these glitters are unbelievable shiny and vibrant. The colors are so saturated, blindingly shiny, and the holo glitters are amazingly reflective. I sweat Fandom uses the most gorgeous glitters out there.

Once again, Fandom Cosmetics blows me away. I knew that this collection would be everything that I had dreamed of, but it's just mind-blowingly perfect. I have 2 more from the RAM Collection to share with you guys this coming week, and trust me - they are EPIC. Even if you're not a Daft Punk fan, these are beautiful, versatile, and a stellar addiction to any polish addict's stash.

If you have yet to check out what Fandom Cosmetics has to offer (you really need to....honest!), You can head on over to FandomCosmetics.com to take a peek. Fandom specializes in fan-based polish - literally something for everyone - from Harry Potter, Star Trek, Sailor Moon, Hunger Games, Doctor Who, Game of Thrones, and a whole ton more. A Star Wars collection is in the works (keep an eye out for swatches!) as well. Full size bottles run $8.50, full collections $30.50 . Make sure to follow Fandom Cosmetics on Facebook and Instagram for sales, new releases and more.

And if you missed the big announcement....Fandom Cosmetics is actually none other than our own Ketlyn Austen, formerly of BG Cosmetics and her awesome partner, Jessica. Keeping that secret really sucked! However, I had no clue it was Ketlyn when I first started eyeing Fandoms's polishes and adding them to my wishlist. Are you surprised??? (I was!)

What do you think of Don't Stop The Dancing? Any Daft Punk fans out there??

 I'll be back later this evening with an epic polish from Polish TBH for Flakie Friday (You DO NOT want to miss it.....it's a doozy!).

Thanks for stopping by and Happy Polishing!
-Kimber



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Flakie Friday (Super Slacker Edition!) on Sunday: Sinful Colors Daddy's Girl

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Hello Lovelies! This post did not want to be....yet here it is! I had this ready to go on Friday evening, but my mom had chemotherapy on Monday and Friday was her bad day this time around. I was over at her house since she was dehydrated and sick as a dog. I was able to get her back to as good as possible, but she was still nauseated and icky when I left. So these photos sat on my laptop with the intent to post  them yesterday. But......when I went to watermark them....GONE! Someone had shut down the laptop without saving my photos, so I had to start all over again. With my schedule these days, I wasn't able to get them done until late last night, and I was so tired that all I could do was fall into bed.

Better late then never though, am I right? And I've learned that I really need to save my photos any time I walk away from the laptop!

For today's Flakie Friday (sunday) installment, I chose an old favorite. You're probably all familiar with Sinful Colors Daddy's Girl, an absolutely gorgeous purple jelly packed with teeny tiny, ultra-fine duochrome flakes. This was my first flakie polish, although I had no idea it had flakies at the time. It's still one of my favorites and I really should wear it more often. The duochrome in the flakies is gorgeous, although less apparent on the nail than in the bottle. The purple jelly base is so vibrant and squishy - and for just under 2 bucks you can't lose! Thankfully it's part of the core line so it's always available.

This is 3 coats of Daddy's Girl, no undies. It does make my hands lobstery, but with polish this pretty? Who cares!

Isn't this girl just gorgeous? She was tough to photograph accurately, but oh so worth it! If you take a peak at the bottle ins ome of these shots, you can see the duochrome shine. I do wish it translated to the nail a bit more, but hey...it's still awesome!

Daddy's Girl also has one of the nicest formulas of all my Sinfuls. No dragging or balding, but she can get a tough thick while you're polishing so I keep my thinner handy. Application is easy peasy, although she is a touch sheer so you will need at least 3 coats if you want full opacity. I also recommend a quick drying top coat since this baby does take a bit to dry.

I think this polish will always have a place in my top 10. There is something about purple jellies that just make my heart sing.

What do you think of Daddy's Girl? Do you own this amazing polish?

I'll be back this evening (hopefully!) with some Live Life Polished, and I also have some Nail pattern Boldness coming your way.

Thanks for stopping by and Happy Polishing!
-Kimber



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Flakie Friday (The late because I chose an odd combo version!) : La Femme Destak

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**Edit** Apparently the photos look good depending on your monitor. They look great on my iphone, but not so great on my laptop. Go figure!**

 Hello Lovelies! Welcome to yet another late edition of Flakie Friday! This week I had this ready to go on time - although when I went in to choose my photos.....disaster! They were nowhere near color accurate and my usual lighting was way too bright and washed out the photos. So I pulled out all my photo equipment and tried again. This time, I managed to capture the base color, but the flakies were all wrong. So I photographed a third time, this time in very low lighting and with pretty much every camera setting imaginable tweaked somehow. My skin tone is still a bit wonky, and the photos are slightly overexposed, but that's the only way I could capture this manicure accurately. Lesson learned - do not mix a neon base color with flakies! Also, Susan is taking this week off, but will be back with more flakie goodness next week!

Before I get to the polish, I want to thank everyone again for all the wonderful comments that have been left on Kalli's story. I can't believe how far that one post has spread! It's wonderful! Please feel free to share our story anywhere you would like. Several of you have asked if that is okay and it's more than alright. 

I also want to thank Leah Ann from Llarowe - she shared pictures of my Autism Awareness Ribbon Manicure as well as Kalli's story. She is also donating proceeds from the sales of one her polishes from April 2 to an Autism related charity. I was very touched to Leah Ann's reaction to Kalli's story, and her willingness to share openly. Thank you Leah Ann!

Also, one of my fave Indie polish goddesses, Christian from Polish TBH, will be donating some of the  proceeds from the sales of her blue polishes during the month of April. How awesome is that?? This is a great excuse to pick up some awesome polish - hint hint hint!!! The shop is currently on vacation but will re-open in about a week.

And last but nowhere near least, please check out some of the awesome polish jewelry from Puzzled and Polished  (Link will also be on my sidebar tomorrow) Mandy is also an Austism mom, and the proceeds from her jewelry go to Walk Now for Autism Speaks (her team is Christian's Crusaders). She has also developed an app that provides calming scenes to help when our kids are feeling sensory overload. Hopefully we'll be seeing this app become available soon! Mandy works tirelessly for the Autism Community and, more importantly, is an amazing mom to Christian. Let's help support her and Autism Awarness!

And now....polish!

Today's Flakie is a gorgeous little gem that I picked up from Llarowe. La Femme Destak is a mylar flakie with a red/gold/green/teal duochrome shift. Since this is a mylar flakie, the color shift is entirely dependent on your base color. Darker colors will show the colors better than a lighter base, however this flakie looks awesome over almost any color. 

Since I love the red/gold color in this girl, I wanted to layer over a brighter base color in order to keep that color dominant. Great idea, unless you have to photograph it! ;) I chose Sinful Colors Endless Blue, a bright, highly saturated neon blue with the weirdest formula ever. The result is stunning IRL, and I wish it transleted in photos. 

This is 2 coats of La Femme Destak over Sinful Colors Endless Blue (Polish colors are accurate - skin tone is not!):

Despite not being the best photos ever, isn't Destak awesome? I love Mylar flakies. How can you not love a flakie that still has a ton of color over lighter colors? I mean, look at that red/gold in Destak - I love how it looks almost fuchsia in some lighting.

Destak's formula is perfection. It's thick enough to carry a ton of flakies but thin enough to be easy to work with. I had no issues with flakie placement, clumping, or dragging. Application was stellar - Destak practically applied itself! Despite being packed with flakies, I had no issues with glopping or gooping, and the flakies lay perfectly flat on the nail. Well, I did have one rogue flakie on the very tip of my index finger, but that happens with stilettos. :)

I wish I could rave about Endless Blue, but that polish had the funkiest formula ever! It's thick, yet it still has a tendency to flood, and it did not want to stick to the sides of my nails. The color is worth the strange application, but I have never had a polish act like that! 

I can't wait to try out Destak over some other colors. I have a feeling she would look awesome over a deep purple or a navy blue.  

Want your own bottle? Destak and other La Femme beauties are available at Llarowe! Destak sells for $8.00 for 9ml. 

What do you think of this combo? Would you wear a flakie over a neon base?

Be sure to check back soon! I have Julep's holographic, some more awesome Daring Digits, BG Cosmetics and Polish TBH coming up!

Thanks for stopping by and Happy Polishing!
-Kimber       


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