Lit From Within..

You all have every right to laugh at my blog song. I crack up every single time I hear this song. It's way too funny. Plus my boyfriend knows how to do Will.I.Am's voice perfectly hahaha

As I predicted, my 4th mani lasted ONE day LOL I just missed my base coats too much. UGGGHHH The IMPORTANCE of a base coat! It makes all the difference in the world. It not only prevents your nails from staining but it also helps make the polish last longer without chipping.

I received a few questions from friends about Orly's Bonder and I admit, I bought it for my holographic polishes but I have yet to ever use it. I stayed true to my NailEnvy considering how thin my nails are, but I decided to try it out once I finally got home from vacation. Which, by the way, was not that fantastic. It rained every single day in Virginia. It drove me nuts. I am literally happy to be home.

My beautiful friend Mama Sparkles had mentioned to me (and a few of our other lovely friends) her nightmare-ish application of Sally Hansen's HD Blu. I already own the entire collection and I know all too well the sheerness of this polish! It will take maybe 5+ coats to get any kind of opacity to this polish which happens to be so beautiful in the bottle!

I don't mind layering polishes but this is a warning to those who don't like them. Practically ALL of Sally Hansen's HD polishes are layering polish.

It really doesn't come alive unless you have an opaque base. Depending on the type of base polish, you'll only need 1 coat of that polish and 2 of Sally Hansen HD polishes. So she's the inspiration for this manicure I have this week, which is literally a STUNNER! I don't want her giving up hope and others like her either on this polish because it has so much potential.

I don't know what it is about the HD polish, but they're in a world of their own. They kind of light themselves from within the nail. You'll see what I mean.

I layered Sally Hansen HD Laser over Rimmel Lasting Finish PRO Midnight Blue.

I didn't want to use black because I really wanted to get as close to the bottle color as possible so I chose an opaque color that was closest to the colors in Laser.

The photos, as usual don't really do this polish any justice. IT IS GORGEOUS in person! I am still wearing it and it's already day 3.

This is next to my desk lamp. I mean seriously? LOOK at those colors!

As always I will post WAY more photos than I need. I was trying to get the colors on camera. It's a color you cannot stop staring at.

The problem with these indoor photos is that I couldn't capture the beautiful purple in the shimmer. It literally confused my camera and turned it blue, every single time. I wish I could get my photo taking skills in order.

My slightly failed closeups LOL I think my background was WAY to dark. You can see a *hint* of the purple I've been talking about on my nail on the left.

And another.. I can't believe I can't cut down these photos to like 3 max.

My hand upon my hip. I know, totally pointless photo. I am after all the Nail Narcissist LOL *snortwheezegasp* I'm JK.

This ends the indoor photos. I think this photo BEST represents the colors indoors. This is without flash.

Outdoor photo of the bottle. Can you all see the purple in there? Unfortunately this was day 2 and it was a rainy day! No sun to show the sparkles

Day 3 was more successful with sunlight to show better photos of this color.

This was used strictly for the bottle. Those colors exist on the nail that are in the bottle!! You can just barely see them in the photos of course.

My favorite photo!

Thanks for reading!

Song Currently Playing On This Post:

Will.I.Am - Big And Chunky

'Cause Baby You're A Firework

Good Morning everyone and Happy 4th!!

I am here in Virginia typing this up and about to go out and enjoy my vacation. Celebrated my birthday yesterday, very mildly, I don't mind mild. I'm officially 25 years old! WOO HOO! I can now legally rent a car in the State of NY LOL. I know, big whoop.

Independence Day is one of my favorite holidays next to Halloween and Christmas. My mom used to dress me up and take me out to the city and tell people I was lady liberty. She did call me that, I guess because my birthday is so close to Independence Day, I've always been spoiled with these spectacular birthdays. Fireworks I simply love. If I hear fireworks, I run like a child to wherever they are to watch.

It's too bad they're illegal in NYC.

Good thing I'm not in NYC huh? hehehe *commence finger blow up!* LOL just kidding, I wouldn't dare touch a firework, I'll leave that to the pros.

Anyway, I finally did my patriotic mani, I said I WOULDN'T do but, meh, my nails begged me for it.

Now, please be lenient on judging my nail art skills. This is the very first time I freehand any kind of design on my nails using those teensy brushes. It was a B-I-T--, you guys get the rest. It's nothing fantastic but I tried and although it was a nightmare to do, I am quite proud of myself.

Be warned, I am sharing a lot of photos LOL AS USUAL!

I seriously need to point out that I HATE Sally Hansen Insta-Dri Whirlwind White. It's a stark white polish that is actually a nightmare to apply . This of course is only personal opinion. I don't know if it's the polish or the brush, I will vote that it's the brush.

I do not expect this manicure to last because I forgot my base coat at home and didn't feel like buying another one.. it's already trying to lift and peel in every corner. *sigh* It's okay though, I don't think I'd want patriotic designs on my nails after Independence Day anyhow LOL

This is my right hand. I am right handed. I almost had an aneurysm trying to use my left hand to paint these designs. You can visibly see errors but I don't think it came out too bad!

And that's all I have for you guys today! Haven't thought up a new mani yet but I think it will be something very summery. Maybe, we'll see.

Thank you all for reading and have a very safe and enjoyable Independence Day!

Song Currently Playing On This Post:

Katy Perry - Firework

Sinful Colors Adventure Island

Hey everyone!

Guess what? I'm finally on vacation!! Ahhh hopefully this will rekindle my spirits.

I'm roadtrippin' around the south and am currently laying over in Maryland. I'm not a big MD fan but it's just a stop to sleep before going to Virginia. I'm visiting King's Dominion for the first time in my life! I'm such a huge kid sometimes and maybe I need something like this to get me back into being happier.

Aside from that, my birthday is tomorrow! I hope to spend it quite glamorously. *ONLY in your dreams Rox! LOL* and I also hope to visit my first Ulta. I know, I am so behind! Living in Staten Island, I have no access to an Ulta, I never really tried venturing out to New Jersey to find one either.

Although I have no new manicures to share for today, it's just a post about ramblings, some things I've seen, places I've been thus far and blah blah blah. Uninteresting stuff LOL but I just felt like sharing.

I feel all executive-like with my laptop in a hotel hahaha

I'm planning on doing a birthday manicure that is also consistent with Independence Day hoping it doesn't end up looking like a hot mess. I don't want it to look TOO patriotic for my birthday.

It's day 5 and my mood polish has finally chipped. It's screaming to be rid of, but I don't see the point in changing it up to go to an amusement park, so later tonight I'll work on that mani and hopefully have photos and a new blog post to go with it!

I visited my mom in PA to drop off my son for two weeks. I miss her so much. I haven't seen her since January and it kind of sucks. I'm sure she enjoys Kenneth's company for the two weeks he'll be there on vacation.

While shopping for food and whatnot, I found a Rite Aid and I don't have many Rite Aid's in Staten Island, so I decided to check in and see what they had. I've gotten quite the haul. I think I have about 20 new nail polishes LOL ummm addicted much? They were having a buy one get one 50% off sale and I just needed to get in on that. Plus they have the Petites Color Fever polish line that I love.

I also stumbled across something I didn't see in NY, Sinful Colors Adventure Island Collection.

CLEARLY a collection in mimicry of O.P.I.'s Pirates Of The Caribbean Collection. Some colors didn't match up and I had a few FOR A WHILE that they've just thrown into the collection

*coughRise&ShinecoughEasyGoingcough*

Darn that cough!

But others were new. I picked up only three: Beautiful Girl, Star Fish, and Adventure Island. I'm missing Seaweed, Verbena, and Open Seas. I plan to hunt these down before coming home!

I'm sorry I have no photos yet as I am about to take a quick nap, it's been a long day! But I plan to take a few and update the next post in a collective haul. (Tonight if I'm not too tired from all the amusement park fun!).

I realize I may actually be a month late on this collection but hey, it's new to me! And I'm excited! The colors look very promising. I'm still going to buy my O.P.I. POTC though. It's a terrible need to have O.P.I EVERYTHING LOL

Thanks for reading!

Song Currently Playing On This Post:Katy Perry - Teenage Dream

Tequila Sunrise

Ooh, I have a fun manicure toooodaaaayyy!

I bought a few mood polishes from Justice about a month ago.

Justice is a clothing store made just for little girls.

I was pretty skeptical because I heard the Claire's one wasn't any good, and these polishes from Justice are about $6 each! I find that pricey for a kid's polish. I mean, isn't polishes for children made with limited ingredients so it's less toxic? Don't they make them easily peelable to reduce using polish remover? So why would a polish cost THIS much???

Well, regardless, I heard it was good so I bought them during the Memorial Day Sale (40% off everything!) Saving me about 2 bucks and change.

I chose 4 colors and will go back because I hear they're having an Independence Day sale which is 40% off everything again as well! I want.. no wait, NEED to get the rest of the colors.

The ones I currently have are: Berry Pink/Neon Pink, Blue/Neon Blue, Orange/Yellow & Green/Yellow.

I decided to go with Orange/Yellow because I needed something sunshine-y to bring my mood back to happy land. It sort of works! You all know from my previous post, I've been going through a lot and am really depressed.

I just don't want to be down in the dumps anymore.

Changing my nails from the poop brown and adding sunny colors really do help. Even if it's only a little bit.

Because children's polishes chip easily, I use the sandwich method to prevent it from happening.

Sandwiching is where you apply one coat of polish to your nails, then one coat of top coat, another coat of polish and another coat of top coat, being careful to also paint the tips to prevent it from lifting and peeling.

It helps the manicure last longer.

This really reminded me of a Tequila Sunrise and I love summer cocktails.

You know, orange juice and tequila in a highball glass, bright red grenadine carefully poured down the side of the glass and stirred with a swizzle stick to create the effect of the sun rising in the glass?

So tasty and delicious.

I know, I am a drunkard LOL

Mood polish is a color changer using your body temperature. IDK why they call it "mood" polish since it's nothing of the sort. Depending on whether you're hot or cold, the color changes. Orange when cold, yellow when warm. I finally have my nails long enough to get the gradient effect (cool tips, warm nail bed).

This was when I ran my hands under warm water and allowed them to air dry.

I was "OOOHing and AAAAHHing" like a 7 year old at the effect.

I wanted to get all fancy shmancy and take pictures with these horrible hydrangea buds my landlady has outside my living room window. I HATE those damn flowers!

In the sun. Please excuse my haggard looking cuticles. I forgot to put cuticle oil on them before taking the pictures. I'll get this cuticle thing down soon! Gotta buy more stuff especially made for my cuticles.

I DID have a nightmare-ish experience while applying this, as I do with all yellow polishes. It created bald spots and I had the misfortune of doing my nails RIGHT before I walked my son to school. (I am such an idiot) One hand was fully done with the sandwiching, the other needed at least two more coats and by the time I got back home, this sucker smeared right off my base (it REALLY NEEDS TOP COAT SANDWICHING! YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED)As far as the bald spots go, I noticed the sandwiching helps prevent the bald spots from happening in the first place.



Indoor Flash. Not too bad this polish is! Can't wait to try the others. I think I'll give them all cocktail names LOL The green will be a Crocodile, Blue will be a Blue Hurricane, and pink will be a Shirley Temple.

Cheers!

Song Currently Playing On This Post:Super Junior - Bonamana

Nothing Special..

This week has been trying on my nerves.

I don't know what is going on but every cosmic thing is driving me nuts.

Murphy's Law.. I live by it lately. I was so down and out of it, I really couldn't do my nails to reflect a mood I wasn't in.

I stuck with basics and of course, wouldn't it be hell to apply?

I apologize for the really short post but I'm so sour. I hope I can get out of this funk.

Also, a little rant, why does everyone love OPI's You Don't Know Jacques? It drove me nuts! It kept creating bald spots, it was very runny. Maybe it's just my ill experience with applying polish but it gave me a tough time. And it shows! I didn't bother taking more than one photo of the mess.

After a day I couldn't stare at poopy plain brown nails any longer so I added some nail art I got from Walgreens a long time ago by Kiss.

I know it's not the best but what else can a girl do when it's just one of those days?

Song Currently Playing On This Post:

112 - Cupid

Galaxy Sin.. A Gradient.

I surely did call this mani "Galaxy Sin" LOL

Well, mainly because I'm Sin, and my nails have that starry night gradient which is surprisingly easy to do. I cannot post photos of the actually process because I never intended on doing tutorials but I got so many compliments and requests to do a tutorial, that I must oblige when I do this mani again. (which will be VERY SOON because this design had me staring at my nails all the time!

Quite obviously a gradient is when a darker color fades into a lighter one, and vice versa.

I wanted to go with a purple galaxy and the idea was AMAZING in my mind. However, I've been so determined on collecting polishes, I neglected the fact that I barely have any cremes -__- (you don't NEED cremes but how odd would it look to go from a creme to a shimmer? I guess the way I'm explaining it doesn't sound entirely too bad, but trust me I think you guys understand a little. If not, show me I'm wrong! I'd love to see photos of some awesome gradient manicures ).

I used quite a few colors and before you think it weighed the nail down, it totally didn't!

I should list everything but I assume a photo would be best to go with it LOL

All photos are linkable to enlarge it. By all means, enlarge the photos for details.

Left to Right:

Sally Hansen Salon Manicure in Delphinium

Sally Hansen Hard As Nails in No Hard Feelings

FingerPaints' Hue Rang?

Orly's in Charged Up

Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear in Black Out
and a Cosmetic wedge, yes, a cosmetic wedge.

I painted my nails with the lightest color first; Delphinium.
I then cut the wedge to apply my polish, and brush the polish straight onto the wedge. Starting from the tips of my nails, I patted on No Hard Feelings (not all the way to the end of my nail of course, You have to be able to see the lighter color.)
The harder you press, the darker the color, so press lightly.
I then followed the same methods I used with No Hard Feelings using Hue Rang? and Charged up.
And the tips I used Black Out and you gotta be careful with the black, you don't want to put too much so just pat it onto a paper towel after you brush it on your wedge, THEN pat it onto your tips.

Go over the darkers with a little of the lighters and blend it in by patting only of course.

I didn't take a photo but I forgot the glitter I used for my tips to mimic a shimmery galaxy was Sinful Colors - I Miss You, a very pretty magenta/purple chunky glitter. I'll add the photos of the other polishes I missed later, I promise.

After all the colors have been patted on I applied Out The Door's Northern Lights (a clear top coat with very, very, very fine holographic glitter, it's lovely and reminds me of stars!) You can find it at Sally's for around $5. Lastly, Seche Vite, because I COULD NOT sit and wait for it to dry. Which it actually dried a lotttttt faster than I thought!! I was literally out the door within 10 minutes. Granted they weren't fully dry but they weren't dentable.
On to the picture hoaring! **WARNING** tons of photos of both my left and right hand. I couldn't decide which to use. Which is usually always the case with me.

I saved the super duper close up for last.. I mean seriously.. THIS is a closeup, click on it, I dare you LOL

Song Currently Playing On This Post:
Backstreet Boys - All I Have To Give