NYC New York Color 16hr Smooch Proof Lip Stain

***PRESS SAMPLE***

Now I know that I normally post nail polish posts but I really wanted to start to get into make up posts as well. I mean, let's face it, I'm a girl, I love make up just as much as I love nail polish.

I was lucky enough that when I got a box of goodies, the people over at NYC New York Color sent me some goodies in that box also. Among those goodies they sent me a couple of their 16hr Smooch Proof Lip Stains. I have never tried a lip stain but have heard that they are great because they don't come off on your cup when you take a drink or you don't leave a mark when you smooch. So you can imagine how excited I was to try out these lip stains.

They sent me two different colors and I am very pleased with the colors I got because they are pushing me outside my nude/neutral comfort zone and I am really liking where I'm going!

Opening up one of these lip stains you are going to see the tip and at first I was like "Whoa! How do you apply with a tip like this?" But once I applied I figured it out. It's a pointed applicator that allows you to use the very tip to line and then the rest to fill in. The fine tip was very precise and made it very easy to follow the lip line. No need for a liner here! Oh and the staying power, well, I didn't wait to see if they lasted 16hrs because I went to bed but I can tell you that they do have staying power!!!

The two colors they sent me were Unstoppable Red and Endless Spice. Unstoppable Red is going to be great for going out on the town and dressing up, at least for me anyway (at least until I gain the confidence to wear red lips to the office). Endless Spice I think is going to be more for an everyday color for me. Here they are swatched on the back of my hand.

Now here's what they look like on me...

Unstoppable Red is a bright Red with to me I detect a blue undertone but with it being a stain it's hard to tell.

Endless Spice is a rich spicy brown that is really warm and for some reason on my lips looks way different than it does on the back of my hand.

These can be purchased for roughly $5.99 at your local Walmart, Target, and some drug stores.

Sally Hansen Fuzzy Coats

***PRESS SAMPLE***

So remember how I told you that the people over at Sally Hansen sent me a box of goodies? Well, these babies were among the goodies in the box. Now I remember seeing these in the store when they came out and thinking that they wouldn't be that easy to work with or I just wouldn't like them so I never bought any of them.

First let me tell you about them. These Fuzzy Coat polishes are basically just a micro bar glitter topper that you can either layer over another color polish or you can build into a full coverage. Now I know many people have worked with glitter polishes that have bar glitter in them and are thinking what I was thinking "Ugh, that bar stuff is gonna lift and just be a pain in the butt to work with" but let me stop you right there. I thought those same things too, until I tried these.

These are very easy to work with and I think  it's because they are micro bar glitter that they are easy to work with. They did not lift and they were not rough either. I did not add a top coat to these when I took these pictures. I used just a base coat of the Sally Hansen Maximum Growth (which they sent me to try and I'll be posting about once I've tested it out for awhile) and then added 3 very thin coats of the Fuzzy Coat polishes. Again, I used no top coat. They dried pretty quickly and I continued with my day once I got the pic taken and such. They were easy to apply, dried nicely, and were smooth to the touch once they were dry.

Now on to the colors...

This one is called Fuzzy Fantasy, it is a lime green and white micro bar glitter.

This one is called Wool Knot, it is a light blue and white micro bar glitter.

And lastly this one is Tight Knit, it is a royal blue and white micro bar glitter.

Sally Hansen polishes can be purchased at just about any store such as Target, Walmart, Ulta, Walgreens, CVS, etc. You can also find more information on Sally Hansen products on their site here.

Zoya Nail Polish New York Fashion Week Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Zoya Nail Polish: SS14 New York Fashion Week Custom Color Development and Show Participation.
Zoya Nail Polish continued to be a fashion force of color during New York Fashion Week by providing custom nail colors for designers Peter Som, Zang Toi, Timo Weiland and Rolando Santana.

The time required for custom color development is worth the effort; previous collaborations have resulted in increased recognition for nails as a key part of each shows individual beauty story. Brand awareness is a benefit of the recent fashion week success of Zoya. According to Leo Reyzis, Vice President of Art of Beauty (parent company to Zoya Nail Polish), “in merging the world of fashion with that of professional beauty, Zoya has created a unique custom color opportunity the benefits both the designer and the Zoya brand’. The custom color collaborations allow designers to see color via a different medium than the fabrics they are accustomed to working with. “Creatively, it gives designers a risk-free way to venture into nail polish without having to launch their own beauty line”. Overall, it’s a wonderful experience for all parties involved. As a courtesy, Zoya also suggests the designers name each color for a woman representing the collection, brand or as a nod to someone special, “it’s a bigger part of the collaboration than most people realize” says Reyzis, “naming the color makes it personal… and that’s special”. Most of the designers also choose to gift the color to show attendees, allowing everyone to take home a piece of the show right away!

Each designer nail palette was created in direct collaboration with Zoya Color Developer, Rebecca Isa, who held true to the brand commitment to provide toxin free*, long-wearing, beautiful professional nail color for natural nails.

Isa delivers an extensive background in cosmetics and a one-of-kind knowledge resource to designers taking the nail color plunge. Her cosmetics color understanding on behalf of Zoya Nail Polish marries well with that of the designers understanding of fabric allowing the color to seamlessly meld with the collections and remain as attractive in the Zoya bottle as they are on the nail.

Peter Som: For Peter Som, Isa developed three new polishes; Zoya Edie (blue cream), Zoya Alexa (green cream), and Zoya Stella (peach cream). “The inspiration for the Peter Som custom trio was - Where land meets sea… - the serene marine blue represents the water, the vibrant green represents the lush plant life surrounding the water and the soft peach is the delicate first bloom of spring flowers. Eddie and Alexa are full coverage and very pigmented so that a shaded half-moon mani can be achieved; which is exactly how the shades were worn coming down the runway”.

 

Zang Toi: “The inspiration for the Zang Toi trio was found at the ballet and in the beautifully lux fabrics he used to create his modern ballet babe” says Isa. “The two softer shades in the collection were a Spring blue (show name - Boy Toi) and a soft pink (show name - Ballet Babe) - both have full coverage with two coats so they are more dense than traditional spring pastels. The drama comes from the onyx black (show name - Black Swan) with a full glossy finish that looks almost like liquid vinyl. For the show Zang Toi chose to put all the models in high drama wearing the black polish with irregular stripes of matte top coat to add texture and accent”.

 

Timo Weiland: “For Spring 2014 the design team of Timo Weiland was looking for a rich signature indigo that would perfectly balance the blues in the beautiful collection.” The indigo Isa created for Timo Weiland “is fully pigmented and balanced so that it stays blue even with multiple coats; it flatters any skin tone and is a wonderfully wearable shade that looks especially fresh for the season”. In addition to the custom blue, the Timo team selected an existing color, Zoya Maura, as the perfect red for some looks. Models wore either solid Timo or Maura nail on both hands.

 

Rolando Santana: “The inspiration for Rolando Santana’s trio was the artwork of Frida Kahlo - bold, bright and beautiful. For the show, models wore a combination of Natasha (nude cream) and Sara (yellow cream), creating a nude base with a vertical yellow petal accent which was fresh and original a perfect accent to his beautiful collection” said Isa. A third color, Maria (a deep fuchsia cream) was created as a compliment to the others for the show gift box.

 

Fashion week also drew Zoya attention at the shows of Nicholas K., Chadwick Bell, Mark and Estel, and Alexandre Herchcovitch, all of which selected Zoya Nail Polish as the nail color and care provider for their amazing shows.

Nicholas K.: Kicking off Mercedes Benz Fashion Week as the very first show, Nicholas K. paid tribute to the designing duo’s childhood memories of Native American traditions in monochromatic hues flowing from white, to tan and finally to black. For the nails, Zoya manicurists applied two coats of Zoya Noot (charcoal green-gray cream), topped by a matte and then finally a chevron “arrow tip” to each nail in Zoya Edyta (deep sparkling green).

 

Chadwick Bell: “For Spring and Summer 2014, layering color is going to be a strong trend” said Isa. Designer Chadwick Bell created his own custom layered look using several popular Zoya colors starting with a nude pink-beige base (Zoya Erin), topped by a sheer white-gold shimmer (Zoya Gaia) on most nails and then added a random accent nail of nude (Zoya Jacqueline) under a single coat of gold (Zoya Goldie) and topped that nail only with a matte topcoat. Chadwick wanted the nails to be extensions of the Anndra Neen jewelry which was also featured in the show.

 

Mark and Estel: There is nothing subtle or uncreative about the new world collection of design duo of Mark Tango and Estel Day, with Zoya Noot (charcoal green-gray cream) on hand the models walked the runway in solid nails that smoldered and complimented the black “cat eye” liner and Avant Garde Jewelry designs. The Made in the USA line featured monochromatic colors in untraditional Spring and Summer use of heavy fabrics and was awash with cutouts, zippers and sheers. The collection was a crowd pleaser to all senses with a live performance of the music and fashion duo for the show finale.

 

Alexandre Herchcovitch: Black but not basic, the Zoya Raven (satin shimmer black) and an ultra-glossy Zoya Armor top coat manicure on models added edge to the almost solidly black and white, graphic collection of Brazilian fashion design sensation Alexandre Herchcovitch for the 2014 Spring and Summer collection.

Join Zoya on the new live.zoya.com for all of latest shows, events and happenings images and follow Zoya Nail Polish (@ZoyaNailPolish) on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest for all of the latest looks…
*BIG5FREE: Zoya’s vegan friendly formula is free of formaldehyde, formaldehyde resin, toluene, dibutyl phthalate and camphor.

ZOYA IS THE NEW COLOR OF FASHION!zoya.com

Philly Loves Lacquer "Roll On for Ataxia" and Fighting Ataxia

As many of you know from my previous post. I partnered up with Esther from Philly Loves Lacquer and we created "Roll On for Ataxia" to help raise money for research for Ataxia. A portion of total sales of "Roll On for Ataxia" will go to the National Ataxia Foundation to help fund research. This cause is very dear to me. Ataxia affects some very important people in my life. You can read more of our story here.

My husband Kevin has SCA2 (Spinacerebellar Ataxia Type 2) and so does his 15yr old son August, as well as many other members of his family. Watching August and Kevin go through the struggles that they encounter everyday has made me realize that not only is life short and you should live everyday to it's fullest, but I should try and do what I can to help find a cure so that other families do not have to go through the struggles and heartache we go through.

August has already lived way beyond when the doctors said he would. Hah! What do doctors know! But we do realize that everyday could be our last with him. We are thankful everyday he wakes up because then we have a new day and we are thankful at the end of that day for the day we had. Kevin isn't as advanced in the disease as August and it's a mystery as to why August developed it so early and why he progressed so quickly but I do realize that my time with Kevin is short as well. I am thankful for everyday I have with them.


Partnering up with Philly Loves Lacquer and creating "Roll On for Ataxia" is my way to help raise money for research. So now for the moment you all have been waiting for....let me show you how lovely this creation turned out! Esther really outdid herself with this one. I also want to say that when we were brainstorming this polish every idea I had for it, Esther said it. Every step of the way it was almost like she was reading my mind! To me it just meant that "Roll On for Ataxia" was meant to be!

In honor of International Ataxia Awareness Day, we decided to make "Roll On for Ataxia", with a portion of proceeds from total sales going to the National Ataxia Foundation for research. Roll On is a white crelly base with a mix of light blue hex, light blue hearts, matte turquoise hex (small and large), turquoise hearts and dots, aqua daisies, matte grey dots, and white micro bars. I have it over a base of white. The application was smooth and easy! I didn't have to manipulate the larger glitter either. This is two coats of Roll On over white.

International Ataxia Awareness Day is September 25, 2013. For more information please visit the National Ataxia Foundation's site.

"Roll On for Ataxia" goes on sale on Philly Loves Lacquer's Etsy shop on September 25th so don't miss out! And don't worry, we'll remind you so you don't forget, lol! I hope you all enjoy this one as much as I do! Plus as an extra special bonus Esther sent me an extra bottle to give away to one of you special followers so check out that post as well and enter the giveaway to win your own bottle of "Roll On for Ataxia"!

Win a bottle of "Roll On"

As I promised, here it is!

Philly Loves Lacquer and I are giving away one bottle of "Roll On" to one lucky winner. Unfortunately at this time I am only able to ship to US addresses only. One winner will be chosen on Friday October 4th!

Enter below and good luck to everyone!!



a Rafflecopter giveaway

Sally Hansen Sugar Coats

***PRESS SAMPLE***

 

The lovely people over at Sally Hansen recently sent me a box of goodies and I am excited to share some of what I received with you today! I have to tell you, when I got that box I was like a kid on Christmas day opening presents. I was so excited and just ripping into it, lol! It was a good thing I was the only one home when I opened it because I am fairly positive my husband would have just shook his head at me and told me that there was something wrong with me. But he's a guy, what does he know, right!!?

 

 

Among the box of goodies were 4 of the Sugar Coat polishes. I don't have to remind you guys how much I love the textured polishes so you can imagine how excited I was. I was even more excited when I unwrapped the bubble wrap and seen the colors. I LOVE these colors!!! I feel that for me they are perfect for fall.

 

 

I know I've tried one of the Sugar Coat polishes before but after trying out all 4 of these I have come to the conclusion that my other bottle I tried previously was a bad batch because these 4 were all amazing in their formula! The formula was great, application was so smooth and easy. The texture once they are dry is similar the the CG textures and I LOVE those so I am in love with these. I used a base coat under these and of course no top coat. With each color I applied 2 coats of color over my base coat and then let dry. Dry time was average for textured polishes, about 3-5 minutes I think it was. I kinda lost track of the time cause I was getting ready to set the table and put supper on the table.

 

 

Now on to the colors!

 

 

The first one I have for you is a beautiful white called Sugar Fix. Who says you can't wear white after Labor Day?! I know I'm gonna!! I forsee something good for Christmas with this one in the future! :)

 

 

 

The next one is a gorgeous teal called Spare-A-Mint. I remember seeing this one in the store display and it caught my eye but for some reason I didn't pick it up that day and when I went back, they were all sold out so I'm super happy I have it now.

 

 

Next is a yummy purple called Gummy Grape. This one is going to be a fun one for me because I have many plans for this one.

 

 

Lastly I have a beautiful deep navy blue called Laughie Taffy. I have a feeling I am going to be wearing this one a lot this fall. I just love wearing dark colors in the Fall and Winter.

 

 

 

You can purchase Sally Hansen polishes at your local Target, Walmart, drugstore, Ulta, or just about any store. You can also check out their site for more information on all their products.

 

 

Julep Josephine

Today I thought I would share with you one of the polishes I received in my September Julep Maven Box. This is Josephine. Julep describes her as a deep teal grey creme but on me I thought she was a deep navy blue creme. I guess it's one of those too close to call colors.

I love this color and it is perfect for fall! I can see that I will be using this one a lot. I love dark colors and I seem to be able to pull them off very well!

Now for me Julep's formula has been hit or miss but I got a good one with this bottle. The formula was great, I didn't have to add any thinner. It went on smoothly with no streaks or clumps. I used a base coat and 2 coats of color.

Then because I had just picked up the Salon Express Stamping kit I decided I was going to give that a try. I added a cute little heart stamp in white to my middle finger and thumbs just for something fun and flirty. Once it was dry enough I added a top coat of Out The Door to seal everything in and add some shine and protection. All photos were taken indoors with no flash.

I think this mani was a success! Julep is a monthly subscription and it is $19.99 per month. If you are not already an Maven and would like to join please use my link at the bottom of the page to join. Just click the "What's your Style" icon and it will direct you to Julep's site.

A Collaboration with Philly Loves Lacquer and Fighting Ataxia

I've partnered up with Esther of Philly Loves Lacquer to do a polish collaboration to raise money for an illness that is very close to me and my family - Ataxia....

For those who do not know what Ataxia is, it's a neurological disorder that attacks the nervous system and coordination, and it slowly gets worse over time. But it is so much more than that, I just cannot put it all into words...it has taken so much from me and my family. This is not a story we usually tell.

 

This disease affects my husband Kevin, my step son August who is only 15, we do not know yet if my 12yr old step daughter will develop it so we have to wait and see, my two brothers-in-law, a sister-in-law, a sister-in-law who passed away about 6 years ago, my mother in law who passed away in 2009, a nephew who is 15, and many more in the family. I cannot begin to tell you how it feels to watch your child just deteriorate into a shell of a child. I remember the first day I met him and the first words he said to me (he smiled and said "my Dad thinks you're cute"). Now, I would give anything to just hear him laugh or say hi, or even smile, oh that smile... it makes me melt.

 

(August in 2009)

 

 I can't tell you how frightening it was sitting in ICU thinking we were going to lose him and having to watch my husband make out his son's Health Care Directive. It is heartbreaking to me to watch my husband get frustrated with himself because he can no longer work a job and provide for his family and do many of the things he used to do because of this disease. My husband can still walk but I know that soon he won't be able to and he will require the constant care that August does and things will greatly change for our family again but we will fight on. For my husband this is just the way life is, it is nothing to him, it is a way of life, it is all he has ever known. I admire his courage and strength.

(Our family photo from 2012)

It makes me ache every day knowing that I am going to outlive my family and there are many nights I cry myself to sleep at night with this thought in my head. We are not the only family out there living like this, struggling like this, fighting like this. This is a fight so many families have to fight. This is our chance to fight! This is our chance to help fund research! WE ARE THE STRENGTH BEHIND ATAXIA!!!!

 

International Ataxia Awareness Day is September 25, 2013. For more information please visit the National Ataxia Foundation's site.

In honor of International Ataxia Awareness Day, we decided to make "Roll On", with a portion of proceeds from total sales going to the National Ataxia Foundation for research. Roll On is a white crelly base with a mix of light blue hex, light blue hearts, matte turquoise hex (small and large), turquoise hearts and dots, aqua daisies, matte grey dots, and white micro bars.

 

 

It will be available for purchase on September 25th. Be sure to check MLM for swatches in the next week or two, as there will also be a chance to win a bottle of Roll On!

Nominated for a Leibster Award

 

 

The other day I opened up an email and had a wonderful surprise. I was nominated for a Leibster Award by Patrycja from Drenched in Lacquer. I had no idea what this award was and why she would possibly nominate me, since I've been blogging for a very short time. So I went over to her blog to read more about it and the Leibster Award is one that is given to bloggers to nominate other bloggers which have under 200 followers. This is a great way to discover new blogs! Leibster is a German word that means "beloved person, darling, or favorite." I'm so excited to be nominated! I am so new to blogging that I never knew there were awards like this.

Rules:

1. You must link back to the blogger who nominated you.
2. Answer the 11 questions given to you by the blogger who nominated you.
3. Nominate 11 other bloggers with less than 200 followers.
4. Go to the blogs you nominated and notify them of your nomination.
5. Give your nominees 11 questions to answer.

 

My Questions from Patrycja:

 

1. If you had to paint your nails only one color for the rest of your life, what color would it be? I think I would choose black.
2. Why did you start blogging? I love nail polish and I wanted something to do with my love of polish besides just painting my nails
3. What is one thing that most people might not know about you? I am very shy
4. Where do you see yourself 10 years from now? I imagine things wouldn't be much different than they are now...married to my husband, living on our farm, and working at my job I love
5. Do you speak any languages aside from English? only the little bit of Spanish I remember from high school
6. What is your favorite book & movie? My favorite book is a few from Christopher Pike and my favorite movie is Sweet Home Alabama
7. What was/is your favorite subject in school? It was a toss up between cooking classes and English/Creative Writing classes
8. What accomplishment are you most proud of? I made the National Dean's List in college and was invited to study in Australia
9. Are you open to trying new foods? yes and no, I'm a very picky eater so if it has something in it I don't like I might not try it
10. Where would you love to travel to? I would love to go to England and Ireland
11. What did you want to be when you were little? Has this changed over the years? I wanted to be a teacher. I still wouldn't mind being a teacher but I don't think I'd go back to college again to earn my teaching credentials

I Nominate:

1. Rupali from Nails Right Here
2. Kelli from The Nail Polish Challenge
3. Tabitha Nicole from Kiss on the Chic
4. Tabitha from I Dream of Laccquer
5. Jess from The Pawlished Life 
6. Amy from Indie 500 Nails
7. Jenna from That Gal Jenna 
8. Patrycja from Drenched in Lacquer
9. Christa from Possibly Polished
10. Corynn from Lacquer Heads of Oz 
11. Pamela from The Nail Sensation

  My Questions:

1. What made you decided to start blogging?
2. If you could go anywhere in the world right now, where would it be? 
3. Do you have any hidden/special talents?
4. What is your favorite type of music?
5. What is your favorite color/what color do you have most of in your nail polish collection?
6. How big is your nail polish collection?
7. What is one thing most people might not know about you?
8. Do you have any pets? If so, what are they?
9. What is your favorite holiday?
10. Do you have any siblings?
11. What is the job/occupation you wish you had?

Well that's all! I know some of my nominees have a tad bit more than 200 followers but as I was looking through the list of bloggers, I couldn't find 11 with under than 200. If I nominated you and you accept please comment a link to your post! :)

Nailtini Mai Tai

This beautiful coral color I received in my August Ipsy box and I have to say, I was unsure of this color but I love it. I just wasn't sure how this color was going to look on me. In the bottle it looked more orange than coral and most oranges don't look good on me but I decided to try it on anyway.

Once I put it on one hand I decided that I liked the color and applied it to the other hand as well. Now this brand is new to me, I had never heard of it and never used it before but Ipsy has been so great at introducing me to new brands that I figured they wouldn't steer me wrong.

As you can see it is more of an orangy-coral but this creme is gorgeous and perfect for summer! I used 1 coats of color over my base coat and then topped it all off with a coat of Out The Door. The pictures were taken indoors with flash.

Nailtini products can be purchased online or if you are an Ipsy Glam Subscriber you probably receive them in your Glam Bags from time to time. If you are not a Ipsy Glam Bag Subscriber use my link to join.

Mom's NOTD-Butter London Fash Pack

For Mom's NOTD this time we decided to do something a little different for her.

I used Butter London's Fash Pack as my base and then she just wanted some striping tape along the tops of her nails. So while her polish was still a little tacky I added the gold striping tape to around her nail line and on her ring fingers I added a second line of tape.

I went with the gold striping tape because I thought it would bring out the gold shimmer in this beautiful lacquer from Butter London and I was right, it did bring out that gold shimmer. Then to seal it all in I added a top coat of Out The Door.