Friday, 31 August 2012

Nail Mail: Nail Polish Canada Haul

It's Friday!! :D  I hope everyone has exciting plans for the weekend!
 
I have my haul from Nail Polish Canada today :)  I love Nail Polish Canada because when you place an order over $25, shipping is free!  :D  Which is awesome!  And they have some pretty good deals on polish sometimes!
 
Let's see what I opened up!

 
The box is purple!  How is that for them catering to their customers?!  ;)

 
Filled with peanuts for protection during shipping :)

 
And wrapped in bubble wrap so everything shows up safe and sound, and in on piece :D
 
First up is Essie Mesmerise.  I first saw this polish on Swatch and Learn and fell in love!  So when I saw it was available on Nail Polish Canada, I knew it was mine! :D



 
Next is Zoya Irene.  This polish was on sale on Nail Polish Canada, regularly $8.75 and I paid $6.80!  I realize it's probably because it's "out of season", but I don't care, lol!  This is my first Zoya (yay me!) and I got it because I don't have anything like it, and it was on sale! :D  This is is an interesting olive shimmer polish and can't wait to try it :)



 
And next we have Zoya Summer.  Again, this polish was on sale, regular $8.75 and I got it for $6.80 (it is currently $6.00 if you go now!)!  Again, it is probably "out of season" but I was looking for a pale pink colour and after looking at swatches I liked this one the best.  It is a very soft pink/peach colour.  This is my other first Zoya polish :)




And the reason for the purchase was I was advised of a Discount Code to use to get a Soulstice polish for FREE!  So the first thing I did when I went to Nail Polish Canada was find the Soulstice polish I wanted to try.  The one that stood out for me was Geneva.  This is a shimmery dark mauve colour.  It looks more burgundy-ish in the bottle (swatches to come in a couple days).




To bring my total order to $25 I decided to get Essie Protien Base Coat.  I thought maybe this would help to prevent my nails from peeling.  No harm in trying :D  It came in a box, similar to all Essie nail treatment products.  The base coat looks like a milky white polish, so maybe it's chock full of good stuff for nails :D






If anyone is interested, I just checked and the Discount Code for the Soulstice polish is still in effect, so if you want to try out one of these polishes use the Discount Code TRYSOULSTICE783 upon checkout and you will get it for free (regular $8.50)! :D
 
Anyone have any of these colours?

Thursday, 30 August 2012

Nail Mail: 365 Days of Color Haul

Happy Thursday peeps!  Waaaaahhh I'm SO excited for this challenge that I am hosting starting Saturday, September 15!!!  What??  You don't know what I'm talking about?!  Click here for the details!  Come and join us, everyone is more than welcome to participate -- bloggers and non-bloggers alike! :D

Anywho, today I have for you one of my nail hauls that I came home to the other day.  I was so excited to see this in the mailbox when I got home from work!  It was my 365 Days of Color order!  Weeeeee!

*practices calming breathing exercises*  Ok, chillax!  LOL!  I think I'm sniffing too many polish fumes!!

Let's take a look at what I got :)







*record scratching*  HOLD THE PHONE!  What does that say at the bottom?!


A FREE GIFT?!  :O ... :D  Seeing this little "love note" made my day SO much better!  AHHHH I just can't contain my excitement!!!! :D  So let's go look at what I got :D

Everything was wrapped so well in bubble wrap -- and yep there are 3 there when I only ordered 2!!! :D

First up, My Little Cuppycake.  This is from Sunny's new collection, End of the Rainbow.  This is a lovely white based glitter with matte glitters in it in different shapes and sizes, even in shards!


It looks like icing in a nail polish bottle!  YUM!  Haha! :D  I love the look of this and can't wait to put it on! :D

Next up, Too Pink to Function.  This is a really beautiful pink based glitter with  matte glitters in different shapes and sizes (mostly medium hexes and squares and tiny squares).  She says that there is a blue and teal shimmer through the polish but it's not overly evident in the bottle -- we will look more closely when I do my NOTD with it :)


I love the look of this polish, and again, I can't wait to try it on!  I need more fingers guys! :D  I want to have some of everything on all at once!

Alright, and finally!  The "big reveal"!!  This is the polish I got for my free gift!  It's called Darya, and I can't find it in her shop so I'm wondering if it's part of a new collection she's working on!  It looks similar to I Put a Spell on You from her Hocus Pocus/Hallowe'en collection, but I don't think it is the same one.


Look at that beautiful glitter!  The colour is stunning, I love teal!  It looks like there are big squares, small squares and hexes all in a clear base.  Can't wait to try this one out, make sure to watch for my post using it :D

After seeing her post with a swatch of I Put a Spell on You this is definitely not the same polish :)  What could Sunny be up to?!  LOL!

Well, there you have it!  That is my polish haul from 365 Days of Color.  Want to get your own?  Visit her shop and see what kind of other goodies she has available :)  P.S. - her Miracle Balm is da-bomb-diggity!  And she has a "free shipping" special (not sure when the end date is for it) on right now, just use the Discount Code FREE upon check out to get your entire order shipped for FREE! :D  WEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!

(I think I need to cut back on my polish fume exposure, I'm turning into the Mad Hatter!)

Wednesday, 29 August 2012

Erica's Nails and More Nail Art Challenge #1

So for this nail art challenge, I did some looking around in the online nail polish world to see what kind of challenges are out there, maybe there was one that already existed that I would want to give a try.  Not finding anything where I wanted to try everything on the list, I decided to come up with my own by taking ideas from other challenges and making one that I thought everyone would enjoy.  I also wanted to start off with only 10 days rather than a 31 day challenge, because 31 days can seem like they take forever to get through.  I tried to come up with a list of fairly simple nail art designs so that everyone can participate, no matter what skill level you may have, and in hopes that everyone who participates can use what they have and not have to run off to the store for each day because they require something in order to keep up with the challenge :)  If there are any questions about any of the days, please let me know.  I have also put up example pictures for each day so everyone has something to reference during the challenge.  There are a few ladies out there with great tutorials for all of the nail art designs I have included, so when in doubt, search Google or YouTube! :D

RULES

1.  You must be a fan of/like my Facebook page.
2.  Use your imagination to complete each day.  Try to incorporate some sort of nail art into each day.  Example -- for "favourite colour", try not to just paint your nails a solid colour, try to incorporate a little "flair" into it :)
3.  Submit your entry by either posting it onto the Facebook page or e-mail it to me at ericamccabe28@gmail.com.  I will be keeping track of all participants to make sure I get an entry from everyone each day.  I will post them into photo albums on Facebook as well as include them in blog posts (with permission from everyone of course), so make sure to include what you used in your design and your blog or Facebook page information if you have it so I can include it with the picture :)  Please try to submit your entry before 11:59pm EST for each day of the challenge.  I will post the day's photos on the blog the following day.
4.  The work must be your own and on your own nails, you may use fingers or toes.  Please include at least 4 fingers or toes in your photos :)
5.  You may use any type of polish or paint to create your design.  Nail stickers (except full-nail designs like Sally Hansen's Salon effects nail polish strips), nail stamping, loose glitter, rhinestones and/or other small 3D nail art add-ons are perfectly acceptable.  If you are unsure about something, let me know :)
6.  Start date:  Saturday, September 15.  End Date:  Monday, September 24.  I want to give everyone as much time as I can so that new people finding the Facebook page and blog are able to join in.  Make sure to invite your friends to like the Facebook page and join in on the fun!
7.  For the last day, you may recreate any of the other 9 days of nail art, whether it's because it was your favourite one to do or it was one that you wanted to "do over".  You may also choose to replicate another participant's entry from one of the other days, if you do this, please include who's entry you replicated with your entry (just an "I really liked <insert name>'s entry from Day 3, this is my attempt at it" kind of note) :)  Also, for day 10, I may do a Facebook vote for the favourite day 10 entry and have a little prize for the entry with the most "likes".  I will let you guys know what I decide before the challenge starts.  This will also depend on the number of participants.
8.  Please comment below if you will be participating so I have an idea on number of participants :)
9.  *The most important rule*... HAVE FUN! :D  This challenge is not about "who is the best", it's about showing off the talent you have :D


Examples:

Day 1 -- favourite colour
Either paint a base colour with your favourite colour or create nail art with your favourite colour.  Make sure to let us know what your favourite polish is (brand and name).
Day 2 -- favourite animal
Show us your favourite animal on your nails and tell us why it's your favourite :)  It's like Show-and-Tell! :D
Photo Courtesy of Mary at Swatch and Learn
Day 3 -- favourite season
This can be either seasons (spring, summer, fall, winter) or holidays (Christmas, Easter, Hallowe'en, etc.).

Day 4 -- seran wrap nails
This is a fairly simple technique.  Simply paint your nails a colour.  With one or more other colours, simply put a drop on a paper plate/piece of tinfoil, scrunch up a piece of seran/plastic wrap and dip into your drop of polish.  Dab onto your plate or foil to take off excess polish and sponge onto your nails.  You can search Google for tutorials.
Day 5 -- gradient nails
There any many different methods for this, use whichever method works best for you!  Check out Google for all the different ways to accomplish gradient nails :)  For this picture (my first attempt) I used an eyeshadow brush to apply each colour.  It didn't turn out quite how I wanted but I still liked the effect :D
Day 6 -- polka dots
Use dotting tools, toothpicks, ball point pens, needles/pins, stamping, etc. to create a dotticure!










Day 7 -- flowers
Create flowers in whichever way you find easiest!  I used nail art stickers for these as I wanted to use them up!  Use dotting tools, toothpicks, needles/pins, brushes, stamping -- whatever you are comfy with :D
Day 8 -- galaxy nails
These are fairly simple to execute and look great no matter what!  Check out Google for great tutorials!













 
Day 9 -- French tip variant
Put a spin on the Classic French Manicure with polka dots, lines, stamping, etc. -- use your imagination!










NOTD: Summertime Nails

Hey everybody!  Happy Hump Day! :D  I can't believe it's Wednesday already.  And with the Labour Day long weekend coming up, I can't believe the summer is coming to an end already!  That being said, I am glad because I am so done with heat.  We haven't had many overly-hot days here in South-Central Ontario in the last little while, but still.  When you are a winter person, the heat melts you from the inside out :(

So to wrap up summer, Brittnie over at Painting Outside the Lines is having a Summer Nail Contest.  Click here for details. Here is what I came up with.



Thumb nail:  Beach ball nails inspired by cutepolish's tutorial.
Index nail:  Strawberry nails - everyone love fresh strawberries in the summer! :D  That's one thing I miss during the winter months.  Sure, we can get California strawberries, but they just aren't the same!
Middle nail:  Watermelon nails - watermelon is a staple for summer BBQs and parties!
Ring nail:  Bikini nails!  I thought this would be cute to attempt on nails, though while I was painting it I had the song "Yellow Polka Dot Bikini" in my head and I should have done an itsy-bitsy, teeny-weeny one with yellow polka dots ;)
Pinky nail:  Flipflop nails - you can't go through summer without wearing flipflop/thong sandals at least once!

This is going to be the true test -- let's see if I can remember what colours I used.
Thumb -- L'Oréal I Will!, Julep Daisy, Essie Mesmerize (new!), Jessica Red Delight
Index -- Random cranberry-ish red from a make-up kit (no brand or name). Julep Courteney, Jordana Black, Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear Mellow Yellow
Middle -- Julep Courteney, L'Oréal I Will!, Jessica Prune Whip, Jordana Black
Ring -- Julep Alyson, Julep Morgan
Pinky -- Julep Lily, Julep Daphne, L'Oréal I Will!

Whew!! :)

And there you have it!  My summertime nails -- now I'm ready to embrace the snow and the cold :D  Are any of you guys participating in Brittnie's contest?

Tuesday, 28 August 2012

NOTD: Julep Sandra

Look out Julep Morgan!  Julep Sandra's trying to take your place in my heart!

For those of you who see me flitting around Facebook talking about Julep Morgan (a stunning purple shimmer polish) know how much I am absolutely in love with the colour, so for another polish to take its place is saying A LOT about the colour!  For those who don't know what the heck I'm talking about, I will post a manicure with Julep Morgan soon and you can see what makes my heart race in my world of polish :D

Alright, enough about Morgan, this post is supposed to be about Sandra.. sorry Sandra :(  Sandra is the last colour of my August Mystery Box.  She is a beautiful not-quite-fuchsia pink shimmer polish, described by Julep as "friendly, frosted magenta".  That's EXACTLY what it is.. magenta!  That colour name slips my mind a lot, I know what I mean but can never think of the right word.. Magenta, magenta, magenta!

Anywho, onto the pictures!







I apologize, I didn't get these painted in time to get sunlight shots -- man oh man the days are getting short, eh?  I have really been noticing in the last few weeks how early it is when the sun sets!  And you know what that means!!  THE SNOW IS COMING!!!!  :D :D :D

Ok, jeez it's like I have A.D.D. today -- the nails -- holy moly what a wonderful pink!  I call it "new-age Barbie" pink.  It makes me think of Barbie, but it's not quite light enough to be true Barbie pink.

I have a great manicure planned in my head with this colour and Julep Morgan, so make sure to keep your eye out for it! :D

Do you have this stunner?  If you don't, go now and get it!  Want to try out Sandra, but don't want to pay retail?  Who does?!  Click here to take your style quiz to become a Maven yourself and you can get Sandra for 20% off, just for being a Maven!  How cool is that?!  Don't forget to use the Discount Code COLOR2012 upon check out to get your Intro Box for only $0.01!

Monday, 27 August 2012

NOTD: Julep Rachel

Happy Monday ladies!  I hope everyone had a great weekend and a great start back into the work week.  How many are going back to school in the next week or so?
I have Julep Rachel for you today that I got in my August Mystery Box.  I'm still not sure of this colour, it's my least favourite from this box, and my least favourite polish from Julep to date.  I'm not a big fan of browns, expecially for nail polish.  I think the only way to wear brown polish is with nail art on top.




This is a penny-coloured polish, a very brown-copper colour.  It did apply nicely though -- this was only 2 coats of polish, so it became opaque easily, and it does have a shimmer to it.  This is not a colour I would want to get again, I just don't think that nail polish should be this kind of colour.  That's only my personal opinion of course.
What do you guys think?  Is this a colour of nail polish you would wear?