Product Review: Salon Effects Pt. 2... One week later.

Hey! I'm sure you all saw my review of Sally Hansen Salon Effects... I just wanted to show you a progression of what they looked like until I took them off.

Here they are on Day 4. You can see slight growth starting to show at the cuticle line, and also a flaw in the ring finger cuticle line. The flaw is there in the original pictures as well... It came from tearing off the paper tab during application. But check out the tips! Very slight tip wear, and no chips!

Day 7. Lots of growth showing, and the flaw on the ring finger went nuts. I've been doing a lot of crocheting lately, and it snagged on some yarn. It was all down hill from there. There were small chips starting to form at the corners of my nail... but it was the growth that really started to bother me. So, they came off 3 days early.

Over all, I'm really surprised that these outlasted me. I'm SO hard on my nails (as I've mentioned before), so I just can't believe they held up as well as they did. Again, at $10, I wouldn't buy them all the time, but for my next vacation to Europe, you can bet this is what will be on my nails!

Custom Painted Harry Potter Toms! *geekgasm*

Hey guys! I'm totally fanigirly happy right now! When I went to the Harry Potter Midnight Release, I heard about a store that sold custom painted Toms that's in Downtown Disney in Orlando! So when we went to Orlando for HP Geekend 2011, I went to Curl by Sammy Duval, bought some Toms, and headed to the counter to talk to the artists. This is how the conversation went.

Me: Hi, people that paint Toms! I want to get my Toms painted!  (Yes, I really said that. This is how I approach people.)

Artist: Okay, what do you want on them?

Me: Harry Potter.

Artist: Okay, what do you like in Harry Potter?

Me: Ummm.... Everything.

Artist: Uh, we can't put everything from Harry Potter on Toms.

Me: Well, I know.... but I don't know what I want!

Artist: Do you like happy stuff or dark stuff?

Me: Happy stuff! And I'm a Gryffindor.

Artist: Okay, I've got this! I'll surprise you.

Me: OK!



So, I left, having no idea what I was getting. I told her that I'd seen some with a Snitch across the toe, and that I was in Gryffindor, and I wanted "Mischief Managed" on them. She assured me they'd be awesome, since she's a HP dork too!

Well, I got them in the mail today. I. AM. SO. HAPPY!!!!!

Mischief Managed

"I open at the close"

Hogwarts crest

Gryffindor crest

I want to wear these all day, every day. They did SUCH a great job!! I love love LOVE them! I don't even know what to say. :D :D :D :D :D

FingerPaints Fall Fashionista Collection (Fall 2011): Swatches & Review

Exciting post today! I have the new FingerPaints Fall 2011 collection to show you! I posted a press release for this collection last week, and I have been excited to see them in person. Well, SURPRISE! Here they are! This collection consists of 9 beautifully fall-icious shades! (Yes. Fall-icious is a word.)

Catwalk Queen: A dusty mustard yellow creme. I have to admit, when I saw the promo pics, I wasn't impressed, and to be honest, I don't think I would have picked it up in stores either.... But color me surprised! I actually love this! It reminds me of a nude, but yellow! Gorgeous. 2 coats.

Stunning Stilettos: A light gray creme. The perfect shade of wet cement. Absolutely beautiful. A bit darker than Zoya Dove.... Perfection! 2 coats.

Cordur-Orange: A beautiful red-orange creme. This is the perfect Thanksgiving orange.... It reminds me of a turkey! One coat!!!

Vintage Velvet: A deep blue-green creme. The color reminds me of the felt-y stuff on a pool table, but maybe a bit darker. Maybe a forest green crayon! Fun! 2 coats.

Military Green: A light gray-green creme. Almost like a lighter version of Zoya Gemma, and without the shimmer... This is one of my favorites! It reminds me of sage. 2 coats.

Haute Taupe: A light beige-brown creme. What is my deal with brown polishes lately? I never liked them much before, but here lately I've been loving some browns! This one is the color of melted Hershey's. 2 coats.

To-Teally Chic: Dark teal creme. There are probably a hundred dupes for this one, but it's my first. More of a "true teal" than Zoya Breezi.... Not as dusty, a bit brighter. I'm a sucker for blues! 2 coats.

Purple Pinstripe: Muted mauve-purple creme. Loving this one too! It reminds me of antique furniture..? 2 coats.

Raspberry Tafetta: Berry creme. Ready..? Ooooh! Ahhhh! Yep, my favorite! I was so excited to see this one, and I was NOT disappointed! Gorgeous gorgeous gorgeous!! It's like raspberry pie filling... Delicious! 2 coats.

Overall, I am loving this collection! There is not one color that I don't like.... and that surprises me! I would have passed a few up originally, but they're all beautiful and worth hanging on to. They'll hit stores August 2011, so keep an eye out in your friendly neighborhood Sally Beauty Supply!

**The products above were provided to me in exchange for my honest and unbiased opinion.**

Glitter Sammich! Sally Hansen Polar Bare + Essence It's Purplicious

Hey guys! I'm still testing out these SH Salon Effects, so I'm posting old manis until they're done! I'm starting to run out of material! D: But, I have something fun to show you anyway!

I tried my hand at a glitter sandwich!

First, I used 2 coats of Sally Hansen Polar Bare (one of the Complete Salon Manicure shades that I reviewed last week), and topped it off with Essence It's Purplicious, a clear base with purple large square and teeny hex glitters.

Then, I added another coat of Polar Bare on top! Here's what I came out with:

Interesting effect! Almost reminds me of what DH Glitter In The Air should have been. LOL

I hope you guys had a wonderful monday!

Funky Fingers Baby Baby Baby

Today I have a gorgeous one to show you.... my very first Funky Fingers! Many many thanks to Megan for picking them up for me!!

Baby Baby Baby is a clear base with powder blue holographic glitter. Wanna know the fun part? This is 2 coats. TWO! AND, this was after 2 days of wear. WOAH! I bought Gelous top coat just for this.... it dries just a bit gritty, and was soaking up Out The Door like a sponge. I love it though! I got so many compliments on this! :) Also, for those of you that know me, this name is quite ironic. ;)

Thanks Megan!

Product Review: Sally Hansen Salon Effects in "Show Your Stripes"

More goodies from Sally Hansen! I was sent some Sally Hansen Salon Effects. Every time I hit Walgreens (which is at least once a week), I look at these. I've been interested in them, but with a $10 price tag, I've always been hesitant to try them. I was thrilled when I pulled these out of my package!

Sally Hansen Salon Effects in Show Your Stripes; Check, Please!; Wicked Bamboo

Sally Hansen Salon Effects are strips made of real nail polish and come in a variety of designs... from nail art like you see above, to glitter, to solids and neons! They're easy to apply, remove with regular nail polish remover, and best of all, they bost a 10 day, chip-free wear time! Like I said, I was anxious to give these a shot, seeing as I'm very hard on my nails and very rarely can keep polish on for more than a day without chips.

First, I decided to use Show Your Stripes, a black and silver polka-dotted/zig-zag design.

When you open the box, you'll find 2 packages of 8 strips each, in varying sizes.... along with a mini nail file, a small orange stick, and detailed instructions. The strips fit "any nail" from the tiniest pinky to the widest thumb. They also are shaped differently on either end, for more round or more squared cuticle lines.

I have heard mixed reviews about Salon Effects, but in my experience they were very easy to apply. I had no trouble finding the right sizes for my nails, but I can imagine that not everyone would have as easy of a time that I had. For smaller nails, I'm sure that just trimming down the larger strips would suffice, but for larger nails, I could see there being a problem. I used the second to largest size for my thumb, and second to smallest for my pinky.

To apply, you simply pick the strip that is closest to your nail size, peel off the clear and paper backing, and carefully press the design to your nail. The hardest part for me was lining up the cuticle and centering the strip, but I'm sure that will become easier with practice. I also found the tip of using the flat side of the orange stick to smooth out the design very helpful... It worked very well to smooth out any wrinkles or bubbles. After the design is flat, smooth, and completely adhered to your nail, use the small file to wrap the design around your nail and smooth off the excess.

Sunlight

All in all, I really like the result! I was worried that application would be tedious, but it was very easy!

I still think the $10 price tag is a bit steep, considering I rarely will spend that much on a single bottle of nail polish, and I can do designs like this on my own with stamping plates. But, for someone that doesn't know how to do those things, these are a great option!  Now, the real test will be how long they last! I'll keep you guys updated on how they look in a few days!

Have you used any of the Salon Effects designs? Which ones? How long did they last for you? Would you use them again?

OPI announces Pink Shatter for Breast Cancer Awareness!

OPI Announces New Pink Shatter: Pink of Hearts Nail Lacquer to Support
Susan G. Komen for the Cure^®

            OPI launches the limited edition Pink Shatter: Pink of Hearts Nail Lacquer to support Susan G. Komen for the Cure^® in its promise to save lives and end breast cancer forever.  The 2011 Pink of Heartsedition will follow in the footsteps of its namesake 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010 Nail Lacquers in raising awareness of breast cancer for the fifth year in a row, during the months of September and October (National Breast Cancer Awareness Month).  Unlike previous shade incarnations, this year’s Pink of Hearts Nail Lacquer marks the debut of fan-favorite Shatter coat in OPI’s first pink shade. 

“We are continuing to support Susan G. Komen for the Cure in the hopes of increasing breast cancer awareness, while inspiring and empowering women.  The organization’s dedication to this cause is unwavering,” remarks Suzi Weiss-Fischmann, OPI Executive VP & Artistic Director.  “OPI is proud to join with Susan G. Komen for the fifth consecutive year to offer Pink Shatter: Pink of Hearts.  By launching our first-ever Pink Shatter coat, we hope this exciting new textured hue will generate lots of awareness for this cause.”

Each bottle of Pink Shatter: Pink of Hearts has a special pink-ribbon tag and pink cap wrap to call attention to breast cancer awareness.  OPI will also be making its annual donation of $25,000 to Komen for the Cure. Pink Shatter coat contains no DBP, Toluene, or Formaldehyde, and it also features OPI’s exclusive ProWide^™ Brush for the ultimate in application.

The limited edition Pink Shatter: Pink of Hearts will be available throughout the months of September and October 2011 at Professional Salons, including Beauty Brands, Beauty First, Chatters, Dillard’s, JCPenney, Pure Beauty, Regis, Trade Secret, and ULTA, for $8.50 ($10.95 CAN) suggested retail for each Nail Lacquer. 

            For more information, please call 800-341-9999 or visit www.opi.com. Follow OPI on Twitter@OPI_PRODUCTS and become a Facebook fan!

Catrice Hip Queens Wear Blue Jeans

Happy Saturday! I was going through my pictures this morning and noticed that while I mentioned Hip Queens Wear Blue Jeans, I never actually posted the pictures! OOPS!

Hip Queens Wear Blue Jeans is yet another pretty sent to me by the wonderful Kati P. Its a dark, dusty denim blue with pretty blue glitter. You see that glitter in the bottle? Yeah.... Too bad none of it made it to my nail. That was a bummer, but the color is gorgeous! And the name is funny.... Just picturing the queen wearing blue jeans..... *gigglesnort*

Product Review: Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure

Hello lovelies! I'm so glad to be back! My schedule has FINALLY slowed down a little bit.... I'm glad I can get back to blogging! I sure did miss you guys. :)

Today, I have a really exciting post for you guys.... Last week, I received my first product review package from Sally Hansen! I have 7 colors from their Complete Salon Manicure line to show you.... Let's go!

Sheer Me Now: A pretty sheer off-white creme. Applied perfectly in 4 coats. It reminds me of lightly toasted marshmallows!

Boca Mocha: Gorgeous creme light brown.... exactly the color of Hershey's chocolate! Perfect in 3 coats.

So Much Fawn: I love this color! I think this is my favourite of the 7. Beautiful creamy fawn.... the name is perfect! 2 coats.

Pedal to the Metal: A crome silver with lavender undertones. This one gave me trouble.... but I think that was operator error... Gorgeous color! I want them all to look like my pinky! 3 coats.

Kook-A-Mango: A gorgeous orange-red.... For me, it looks somewhere between mango and strawberry. Like the perfect Strawberry Shortcake red! Also one of my fav's.... 2 coats.

Pat Me On The Black: A blackened plum creme. This is a gorgeous vampy color that reminds me of Zoya Casey. I'll be doing a comparison of the two. 3 coats. 

Polar Bare: A sheer jelly white. I was worried that this would be yet another "french tip white" in my collection, but it's so much more! It's so much softer, and the fact that it shows the nail color underneath and that it's not so "stark white" makes it gorgeous! Definitely not like white out on the nail. 3 coats.

The brush on these was pretty great.... the end of the bristles are in a rounded shape, so it's very easy to flare the brush out across the nail and get even coverage. The formula on all of these was great.... a little thin, but easy to work with. I'm loving all of the colors!

You can pick these up for about $8 where ever Sally Hansen products are sold.

Have you tried any colors from the Complete Salon Manicure line? Which of these are your favorites?

**These products were provided to me for review in exchange for my honest and unbiased opinion.**

Follower's Pick Friday! Catrice Easy Peasy, Lemon Squeezy!

Happy Friday! I've got last week's Follower's Pick for you..... I guess I didn't take into account that I would be on my way to Orlando last friday! hah! I had a super fun trip... I'll throw some pictures onto the end of this post for you guys! But, before that, here's Catrice Easy Peasy, Lemon Squeezy!

The name of this color makes me so happy! I say "Easy Peasy, Lemon Squeezy" all the time. My wonderful friend Kati sent me this color in my last swap package.... and I love it! It's a beautiful yellow-lime green that was perfectly opaque and beautiful in just 2 coats! So sunshiney and happy.... I love it!


Now for some geeky-goodness.... Here are some pics from my Harry Potter Geekend with my friends Desiree and Kristin!

Me being a big nerd! Waiting to be one of the first to see the last...

Professor Umbridge (Destiny)

Moaning Myrtle (Desiree) and her toilet

Moaning Myrtle (Desiree) hiding behind me

Belatrix (Kristin) showing her dark mark with Snape

Finally here!

Desiree, me, and Kristin being geeks at Hogwarts!

Butterbeer... Delicious!

I was in heaven.... :)

Me and the train conductor!

Finally going to Hogwarts!

Dumbledore's Office.... Sherbert Lemon!

Brb, memories...

Me and Hogwarts!

Kristin and I by the Ford Anglia!

Getting chosen by my wand at Olivanders!

That was seriously the best weekend of my life.... Everyone needs to go to Hogwarts!!