Drugstore Halloween Pt. 2: More Bonita Witches Ball!

Hey everybody!  I hope your weekend has been wonderful. :)  Today I have three more polishes from the Bonita Witches Ball collection to show you.  I had already picked up Eat, Drink & Be Scary and was so impressed with the formula that I picked up more whilst polish shopping with Mr. Sweets.

First up is one I just really like, and I can't quite figure out why.  Oh well.  It's called Dying to Party.  It's a grey-tinged white creme with silver shimmer, a ghostly look, if you will.  I love polishes like this but keep forgetting that they don't look good on me.  I did have some streaking issues with this one and used three coats.

Next is one I purchased for this fall's campaign of "I'm Determined to Get Over My Hatred of Orange." :)  This is Cocktails and Carving, a pumpkin orange that's absolutely loaded with silver shimmer.  This polish is almost a one coater, but of course I am me and therefore did two.  Cocktails and Carving is dustier than the photos show, sort of like a pumpkin PIE orange.  It's very pretty.  It made me rather tempted to squirt Reddi-wip on my fingers.  Mmmmmm...Reddi-wip...

Another super-gorgeous-and-nearly-one-coat polish in the collection is Too Cute to Spook, a berry/fuchsia with a heavy silver shimmer.  I know you all are extremely shocked to read that this one had Lacquer Reverie written ALL over it. :P

And here is Eat, Drink & Scary that I've already shown you, complete with swollen fingers. :D  You can read the full review here.

I apologize for the lack of angle variety in tonight's post, but I have lately been suffering from crustacean cuticles and can't seem to hide it in pics!  UGH!!  :/  The Witches Ball collection is available at Rite Aid for $2.49 each.  These polishes wear very well, and I highly recommend them if you're looking for an inexpensive polish fix! 

Thanks for stopping by, and have a lovely day! <3

Skittles for Essie - A Tribute

Hey everybody!  

Many of you may have read this past week that Essie Rae of IHeartPrettyPolish has decided to take an indefinite break from blogging.  This was a difficult decision for her, but she ultimately feels like this is the best thing for her life right now.  Essie has become a dear friend to me over the past few months.  She was the one who encouraged me to start my blog.  Her blog was also the very first polish blog I ever followed.  I think I was her 27th follower! :)  So about 1200 followers later, Essie still always made the time to encourage me in my blogging and just be a good friend in general, even from 1497 miles away.

The lovely Christine of Polished Marvels had the wonderful idea for a few of us to honor Essie in the form of a tribute skittlette.  Now you all know I don't do nail art, and even the idea of a skittlette made me panic (I never let on to Christine...LOL), but I just put together some memories of Essie's manis from over the past year and a half, and it all came together. :)

 

Essie's Skittlette: Starring Zoya Dannii, OPI OY-Another Polish Joke, Maya Cosmetics Imagine

Way back before I was blogging and looked upon Essie as quite the nail polish rock star (I still do, by the way), she did a Friday Favorites post featuring Zoya Dannii.  Dannii was my very favorite polish for a long time.  I thought to myself, "Well, it's official.  This girl has great taste." :D  I even got up enough courage to COMMENT on the post!

Zoya Dannii is a medium purple shimmer.  It's a completely beautiful polish with the usual fantastic Zoya application.  I painted my thumb and index finger with Dannii and my pinky bookend with another shimmer, this year's favorite gold, the fabulous OPI OY-Another Polish Joke.

For my middle and ring fingers, I used Imagine by indie company Maya Cosmetics.  Essie featured a Maya Cosmetics polish about one week before I started my blog, and I was not very familiar with indie companies then.  But per usual Essie, she made the polish look so good that I looked up Maya myself. :)  Imagine is a sheer white base with purple and yellow gold satin glitter and some tiny iridescent glitter.  Because Imagine is so sheer, I layered it over Zoya Kendal, and oddly enough, it still looked white! 

The finished look shows how well the matte satin glitter of Imagine compliments the shimmer of Dannii and OY.

And could I ever "imagine" blogging without having known my dear friend Essie?  No.

You can check out more love for Essie today here:

http://polishedmarvels.blogspot.com/2013/09/skittles-for-essie-tribute.html

http://www.must-stash-em.blogspot.com/2013/09/skittles-for-essie-tribute.html

http://liesllovesprettythings.blogspot.com/2013/09/skittles-for-essie-tribute.html




Thanks for stopping by.  And thanks, Essie. <3

God Bless America! Emerald & Ash Stars and Stripes Forever

Hey everybody!  As I've said before, I love my country!!  And tomorrow we will celebrate the 237th birthday of America, land of the free!  And tonight, my nails are celebrating along with me. :D  You may remember when I featured the Armed Forces Collection by a new indie label called Emerald & Ash...well, today I have for you Stars and Stripes Forever, a super patriotic polish that screams "My Country 'Tis of Thee!"

Emerald & Ash Stars and Stripes Forever

It's the Star-Spangled Banner in a bottle!  Stars and Stripes Forever is a mix of red bars, small white and large blue hexes, and white stars in a clear base.  I layered it over Sally Hansen Celeb City for a patriotic polish party. :)

Emerald & Ash Stars and Stripes Forever

I am pretty sure the white stars are iridescent, because in the photos, they're glowing on the nail. :)

Stars and Stripes Forever is a fun polish, and it's also very sparkly.  The blue glitters in particular have a lot of flash.

Sweet Land of Liberty, of Thee I Sing!

You can purchase Emerald & Ash polishes on their website and on Etsy.  All their polishes are 3-free and not tested on animals.  You can pick up the 11ml size of Stars and Stripes Forever for $6.50.

Thanks for stopping by, and have a wonderful and safe Independence Day!

God Bless America!

I Hate Summer! But I LOVE Summer Indulgences! (Pic Heavy)

Hey everybody!  Yes, it's true.  I know I'm in the minority here, but I truly and fervently dislike summer.  Summer inevitably reminds me of the 3 things I avoid like the plague:  sun, water, and sweating.  During summer, I have to practically style my hair into a beehive so that it will shrink down to the right amount of fluffy by the time I arrive at work.  It's all very distressing.

However, there ARE things about warmer months that bring a smile to my face, such as homeade ice cream...store bought ice cream...ice cream cones.  I like ice cream a lot...it's one of my indulgences.  What an awesome segue! :)  Today's post is the absolutely beautiful new Summer Indulgences Collection by Pretty Jelly.  Lovely Miss Liz says about her charming creations:  "Whether it's chasing down your favorite bands at music festivals, sipping your favorite drinks while reading a book, or taking a nap among the flowers - this summer take a moment to indulge in your favorite things."

Pretty Jelly Summer Indulgences Collection

 The Summer Indulgences Collection is made up of 5 polishes...there's something for everybody here.  Maybe even 3 or 4 for everybody...

First up, we have Daydream, a white base with green, yellow, and neon pink glitters.  I used 3 coats for the pics over China Glaze Princess Grace, which, I discovered, is pretty much the worst polish ever invented.  Daydream still looks lovely over it though...very soft and feminine. :)

 

Festival is a really fun glitter topper filled with neon pink, blue, green, yellow and white glitter.  There are also green and white stars and small blue bars.  This is an excellent glitter that behaves very well on the nail. :)  I layered 2 coats over OPI You're Such a Budapest to get the partaaaaaay started.

Electric Limeade is a light yellow creme base with neon green and neon blue glitter.  And this limeade is electric because of the holographic glitter!  Just look at that delicious sparkle! :)  You could use 3 coats on its own, but I used 4 for the photos.  Mmmmmm!  I'll take another glass, please! 

UGH!!  How pretty is this one??  This beautiful glitter topper is Wildflowers, a mix of pale purple, pink, blue, yellow, grey glitters.  And the pink is CIRCLE glitter!  This is 2 coats of Wildflowers over L'Oreal Club Prive, but you could even layer this one over a sausage and cheese biscuit and it would look great.

And now for the pièce de résistance:  Melon Sangria!  I know you all just *love* all my food references...so let's say it together:  FRUIT SALAD!!  Melon Sangria is a coral jelly packed with large white, green, yellow, orange, and pink hex glitters.  I layered 2 coats over OPI Suzi's Hungary Again!...I really don't know why it looks patchy in the pics, because it didn't in the least in real life.  It's pretty squishtastic.  And so awesome that it wins the coveted ring shot:

Now THAT'S some Pretty Jelly.

What do you guys think? :)  All 5 of these polishes are crazy gorgeous and behave so nicely.  Application is great and the dry time is very fast.  The Summer Indulgences Collection is already making me feel better about the quickly approaching season.  That and ice cream.

You can purchase the Summer Indulgences Collection and other Pretty Jelly polishes on Etsy!

Thanks for stopping by, and have a lovely Monday! :)

Emerald & Ash Semper Fidelis and In Times of War & Peace

Hey everybody!  Today I'm wrapping up my Emerald & Ash Armed Forces Collection posts with a double feature!  This is pretty daring of me because I don't usually take pictures of my left hand.  The middle finger nail on my left hand is a wonky shape and refuses to grow at all.  So do me a favor and look at the beautiful polish and not my wonky nail. :)  So far, I have shown you polishes representative of the U.S. Army, the U.S. Navy, and the U.S. Air Force.  Today I have Semper Fidelis (United States Marine Corps) and In Times of War & Peace (United States Coast Guard).

From the halls of Montezuma to the shores of Tripoli, we have the gorgeous and glittery Semper Fidelis! 

Emerald & Ash Semper Fidelis

Semper Fidelis is packed with different sizes of red, gold, and black glitters that correspond with the official U.S. Marine Corps logo.  I used the dab method for this application, and I only needed 2 little dabs for each nail because I was able to get so much on the brush.  I layered Semper Fidelis over Layla Ceramic Effect 20 (Mocha) and the result was beautiful!

Emerald & Ash Semper Fidelis

"First to fight for right and freedom

And to keep our honor clean:

We are proud to claim the title

Of United States Marine!"

Semper Fidelis is so shiny and reflective that I had trouble with the focus.  That's a good problem to have! :)

And last, but not least, we have In Times of War & Peace, a beautiful red, white and blue homage to our maritime safety and security patrols.  I live on the river, so I often see the U.S. Coast Guard out when I'm fishing. :) 

Emerald & Ash In Times of War & Peace

In Times of War & Peace has hex, square and micro glitters in a clear base.  There are also blue stars!  Of course, this would also make a wonderful Independence Day or Memorial Day polish.  The glitter was very easy to work with and applied evenly.  I layered In Times of War & Peace over Zoya Miley.

Emerald & Ash In Times of War & Peace

"From Aztec Shore to Arctic Zone,

To Europe and Far East,

The Flag is carried by our ships

In times of war and peace!"

I have really enjoyed wearing my Armed Forces Collection polishes this week.  I love the whole idea of an Armed Forces themed collection period.  I believe my favorite of them all is Wild Blue Yonder. :)  

For every polish sold from the Armed Forces Collection, Emerald & Ash is donating $1 to the USO.  Emerald & Ash polishes can be purchased on their website and on Etsy.  Emerald & Ash polishes are 3-Free and are not tested on animals.

Thanks for stopping by, and have a wonderful day! :)

Emerald & Ash Armed Forces Collection: Sails Set to the Sky

Hey everybody!  Today I have another beautiful polish from the Armed Forces Collection by Emerald & Ash.  This is Sails Set to the Sky, representative of the United States Navy.  Anchors Aweigh, my boys! :)

Emerald & Ash Sails Set to the Sky

UGH...it's so cute!!  Sails Set to the Sky incorporates the colors of the U.S. Navy's official logo.  This polish is a combination of white stars, and white, navy blue, and gold matte glitters in a clear base.  The gold is a very yellow gold.  I love the tiny white glitter...it looks like a snowglobe. :)  For the photos, I layered 2 coats of Sails Set to the Sky over Sally Hansen Celeb City.  

Emerald & Ash Sails Set to the Sky

The application on this polish was good.  I had to fish around for stars a bit, but it was worth it. ;)  I used a nice coat of CND Air Dry to smooth it all out.

I got an enthusiastic compliment from somebody today while I wore this polish that went along the lines of "I LOVE THE NAILS!"

Stand Navy, down the field, sails set to the sky!

I just love this polish.  I especially love the yellow gold.  Very flashy!  What's not to love about flashy?  Well...I guess I can think of a couple of things...but this isn't one of them! :)

For every polish sold from the Armed Forces Collection, Emerald & Ash is donating $1 to the USO.  Emerald & Ash polishes can be purchased on their website and on Etsy. 

"Faith, courage, service true with honor over, honor over all!" (Anchors Aweigh)

Thanks for stopping by, and have a lovely evening! :)

Happy Memorial Day!

Hey everybody!  Are you enjoying your Memorial Day weekend so far?  My family is having a cookout on Monday, which will consist of hamburgers, sausage dogs, potato salad, and eating too much in general. :)

I am an extremely patriotic girl...always have been.  I love my country!  I wanted to do a patriotic mani in honor of this very important holiday, so I employed Pure Ice Hit the Floor, Milani High Speed White on the Spot, and China Glaze Frostbite for the task.  

Pure Ice Hit the Floor, Milani High Speed White on the Spot, China Glaze Frostbite

Pure Ice Hit the Floor is a deep, glittery red that looks great as my anchor color.  After all, America and sparkles are two of my very favorite things! :)  

Pure Ice Hit the Floor, complete with patriotic fingerprint

Milani White on the Spot is a thick one-coater and a bit Liquid Paper-ish, but (1) its almost cartoonish result sort of goes along with the fun aspect, and (2) I don't own OPI My Boyfriend Scales Walls. :)  China Glaze Frostbite is the absolutely perfect All-American blue.

Every heart rings true for the red, white and blue!!

I used a couple of Broadway Nail appliques for the stars and topped the whole thing off with CND Air Dry.  I really love how this turned out!  Makes me want to sing all the U.S. Armed Forces themes that I learned back in school.  Those are some great theme songs!  My personal favorite is "Anchors Aweigh" (U.S. Navy). :)

God bless America!

So how are you spending this Memorial Day weekend?  It's fun to be off work and with your family cooking hot dogs and eating ice cream, but take time on Monday to remember why we celebrate this day:  to honor our fallen service men and women who have fought for our freedom and made the ultimate sacrifice.

I hope you have a lovely evening and a very safe and happy Memorial Day! :)

Winters by Oopsie Daisies

Hey everybody!  Lately, I've been in the mood for a new white polish.  You know, one that doesn't make you look like you had a run-in with Liquid Paper.  I did some looking around and found Winters, from the Earthbound Collection, by indie label Oopsie Daisies.  This is a seriously cute polish, and I was drawn to the glitter colors right away.  I tend to like cool...dare I say?...wintry colors.  And this color definitely conjures up images of ice and snow and evergreen trees and being snuggled up somewhere warm drinking something choco-tastic.

Oopsie Daisies Winters

The Earthbound Collection is a tribute to the classic Super Nintendo role-playing game of the same name.  How cool is that??  I never played Earthbound, but I played another 1990's RPG every chance I could, a PC game called Quest for Glory.  I know how attached you can get to those great 90's games, when the graphics were kinda lousy but the storylines were so fun, so I think it's terrific how somebody took inspiration from her favorite video game! Winters is  described as "inspired by, of course, the town of Winters. A white creme base with blue and green glitter and sporadic pops of purple to represent the elusive sea creature, Nessie."

Winter always was my favorite season.

Wait.  What?  Did you say "Nessie?"  I thought so.  And that's all it took.  Anybody who knows me knows that my dearest improbable wish is for The Loch Ness Monster to be real.  My second one is for somebody to invent a machine that records your dreams in Blu-ray format.  Anyway, the purple hex glitter representing Nessie had me throwing Winters in my shopping basket before you could say "They found Bigfoot!"

Green, blue, and purple hex glitter!!  And it does NOT look like Liquid Paper! :)

I used 3 coats of Winters in the photos with one coat of CND Air Dry.  The application was smooth, and I didn't have to fish around for glitter.  No streaking either...not a good idea in winter anyway! :P

Winters bottle shot

I was having a little difficulty capturing the vibrancy of the glitter, but the bottle shot comes closest.

Trees, snow, water...and NESSIE!

This polish is adorable, and I can't wait to try more from Oopsie Daisies!  And how cute is that bottle??  You can find the lovely Winters and the entire Earthbound Collection in Oopsie Daisies' Etsy store.  So check them out! :)

Now I really want to play some Quest for Glory.

Have a great evening! :)