St Patrick's Day: NOTD 3

I wanted to do a leprechaun for St Patrick's Day. This one definitely didn't turn out as well as I had pictured it in my mind. I like how his hat looks, and the beard seems okay, but it kinda goes downhill from there. Anyway, here it is:

I did the hat with these dots from Dollar Nail Art. I used Elf Innocent for his skin, a mix of SH Xtreme Wear in Sun Kissed and So Sexy Red for the beard, clothes are Xtreme Wear Emerald City, shoes are Xtreme Wear Black Out, and China Glaze Midnight Kiss for his belt. The background is Elf Mint Cream.

St Patrick's Day: NOTD 2

My second NOTD for St Patrick's Day is the pot of gold at the end of a rainbow. So I could get more designs done, I switched to using false nails for this series, but my original plan for this one was to have the rainbow would continue from the thumb over to the ring finger. The design below with the pot of gold would then be on my pinkie nail.

I used bullion beads from Dollar Nail Art for the gold. The pot is Color Club Revvvolution and the background is OPI What's With the Cattitude?. For the rainbow I used (in order red to violet) SH Xtreme Wear in Cherry Red, Sun Kissed, Mellow Yellow, Green with Envy, and Blue Me Away, and Sally Girl in Your Majesty.

March Greens: Layering Lime Lights

Today's green is Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear in Lime Lights. This is an iridescent pale green. My index finger shows three coats and it's still incredibly sheer, so this one is made for layering. 

Left to Right: 3 coats Lime Lights; LL over SH Xtreme Wear in Green With Envy, LL over China Glaze Jolly Holly, LL over SH Xtreme Wear in Black Out.

I love how this polish adds a little unexpected shimmer to lighter cremes and totally transforms black.

St Patrick's Day: NOTD 1

Here's the first in my series of St Patrick's Day nail art. I'm not sure how many I'll end up doing. It all depends on how many ideas I can come up with.

The green is Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear in Emerald City and the gold is China Glaze Midnight Kiss. The heart rhinestones are from Born Pretty. The tiny balls I found at Dollarama, but the colour bleeds out of them. Born Pretty has similar balls, which I plan on reviewing soon.

Heart Rhinestones (Click image to go to Born Pretty Store)

March Greens: Emerald City

Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear in Emerald City is a true medium-dark emerald green shimmer. Not too yellow or too blue. This is two coats, but it could use a third to even out a bit of patchiness. It's just slightly darker than the photo shows.

I'll have my first St Patrick's Day nail art up later today so check back in a few hours for that.

NOTD: Patchwork using SH HD Laser

I haven't been posting very often. I was determined to do better in the new year, but I underestimated how little time I would have to blog with the new puppy. I spend all day chasing after Rosie and keeping her out of trouble. Then, I go to work and by the time I get home, the last thing I have time or energy for is sitting at the computer. But one look at her cute little face and it's all worth it. And once she grows up a bit, I'll have more time to focus on posting here. 

Rosie loves playing in (and eating) the snow.

Rosie and our older boxer, Sarge

Anyway, back to the nails. I was wearing SH HD in Laser the other day and I wanted to change my nails but was too lazy to remove it and start over. So I figured this was the perfect time to finally do a patchwork design. I used SH Xtreme Wear in Ocean View and NYC in Midtown to pick up the blue and purple/fuchsia duochrome of Laser. This was super easy to do with painter's tape, although you can see a couple spots where the polish leaked under the tape. I think it's straightforward enough that I don't have step-by-step pics, but if anyone wants to see a tutorial for this look, let me know in the comments.

My First Water Marble

I've been meaning to try water marbling for ages but never got around to it until now. I think a lot of the reason I waited was just because it seems too intimidating. But it's actually pretty easy. Well, the basics are easy, but I know it's gonna be a lot harder to do some of the designs I've seen. 

I used SH Xtreme Wear in Twisted Pink and Plum Power for the marble, over a base of Elf Passion Pink. I just wanted to try out the technique this time, rather than an actual design, so I ended up with a very random marble effect.

I think next time I will choose colours that contrast more so the marble effect is not so subtle. You know, I'm not a big fan of subtlety.

Have any of you tried water marbling yet? I know I'm probably the last person not to, so I'd love to see what you guys have done. Any tips or tricks to share?

Christmas NOTD 8: Snowflakes & Snowmen

I had a few requests to do either snowmen or snowflakes. So I have two versions to share--stamping and freehand.

First up, SH Pacific Blue as a base with SH Celeb City stamped on using m37 for the snowmen and BM14 for snowflakes. Then I sponged on SH Disco Ball. 

I also did freehand on my sister's nails. This is over China Glaze For Audrey. After painting on the designs with white polish, I used loose iridescent glitter. Clearly, I need to practice freehand nail art.

Christmas NOTD 3: Gingerbread Men

This design turned into a fail. It was supposed to be gingerbread men, but they look more like amorphic alien blobs. That sometimes happens when I try to freehand nail art. I might try these again; I haven't decided. Anyway, I wanted to share this anyway because I like the idea of gingerbread men nails, even if it didn't turn out so well.

I used Ardene Barely There as a base, Rimmel Hot Cocoa for the gingerbread men, Wet n Wild Black Creme for the buttons, and SH Xtreme Wear Blue Me Away for the eyes. I forgot mouths, which is another reason they look so wrong. :/

Tag + Ivy League

I know I said it was time for a no-buy, but here's something you should know about me: I'll always say it's time for a no-buy but I won't actually do it until my far more reasonable sister convinces me I have to slow down. So, I'm planning just a couple more hauls online (it doesn't count if it's online, right?) THEN I'll stop for a bit. So, I was looking through swatches on Imperfectly Painted trying to decide which polishes to get and I came across this tag from a few months back that I haven't done. I love when I get a chance to know more about bloggers, aside from their makeup and nail polish likes and habits. So, hopefully you guys find some of this interesting. But I won't be offended if you skip to the end for a nail swatch.

50 Things You Never Knew About Me

1. What time did you get up this morning?
Noon. I usually work nights so I don't get along well with mornings.

2. How do you like your steak?
Not a steak person at all. I've been vegan for almost two years.

3. What was the last film you saw at the cinema?
The Town. Ben Affleck AND Jon Hamm? Awesomeness. Even aside from them, it was really good.

4. What is your favorite TV show?
All time, I'd have to say Jeopardy. I know that's such a nerd answer, I apologize. Right now? I love Mad Men and White Collar.

5. If you could live anywhere in the world where would it be?
It would definitely have to be close to a big city. I'd like New Jersey just so I can go to Devils and Giants home games.

6. What did you have for breakfast?
French fries with hot sauce and vegan Becel. I tend to eat meals at the wrong times. For example, after the dinner rush at work I usually have a bowl of oatmeal.

7. What is your favorite cuisine?
I really like Middle Eastern. And Italian is a classic.

8. What foods do you dislike? or rather don't prefer?
It always seems to surprise people that there are a lot of veggies I don't like. Broccoli, cauliflower, celery, etc. And obviously, I'm not a fan of meat, cheese, eggs, any of that stuff. (Though I do love Daiya vegan cheese.)

9. Favorite place to eat?
I like Fresh in Toronto because they have such an amazing vegan selection. For fast food, you can't beat Pita Pit.

10. Favorite dressing?
Either balsamic vinaigrette or something with sesame, soy sauce, ginger, that kind of flavour.

11. What kind of vehicle do you drive?
I have a sweet bike. It's pink and has a basket. And splash guards for the tires. It is my pride and joy.

12. What are your favorite clothes?
As much as I hate to admit it, I like sweat pants and hoodies. They're just so easy to wear. But I also love dressing up and looking nice even when I have nowhere special to go.

13. Where would you visit if you had the chance?

I definitely want to travel across Canada. So far, I've just been to Quebec, and obviously Ontario. There's also a few cities in the States.

14. Cup 1/2 empty or 1/2 full?
I'm really not a fan of this question; like it's supposed to tell you everything you need to know about me.

15. Where would you want to retire?
Somewhere in Canada. Free healthcare is a retiree's dream, isn't it?

16. Favorite time of day?
Between midnight and 4am. I'm a night person, for sure.

17. Where were you born?
Toronto, ON.

18. What is your favorite sport to watch?
Hockey. Even though this season has been a bit depressing so far.

22. People watcher?
Yes. So much fun.

23. Are you a morning person or a night person?
Night

24. Do you have any pets?
Bonnie-a black lab, Sarge-a boxer who thinks he's a person, and Harry-a cat who thinks he's a dog.

25. Any new and exciting news you'd like to share?
My sister is coming home for the weekend to go to the women's show with me. That's kinda exciting. And I'll tell you all about it on Monday.

26. What did you want to be when you were little?
For a while, I thought lawyer. That's so sad. Kids shouldn't want to be lawyers.

27. What is your best childhood memory?
One that really stands out is going to pick up one of our puppies when I was about twelve. There was a room full of tiny yellow labs. I love puppies. I think a lot of what I remember from my childhood focuses on the pets we had or our friend's pets. My dad's friend had a pit bull that was the nicest, sweetest dog I have ever known. Every time they came over, I would play with the dog for hours. 

28. Are you a cat or dog person?
I have both and I love both. I don't understand being just one or the other. Liking dogs doesn't preclude someone from liking cats.

29. Are you married?
Yes. To Jon Bon Jovi. He just doesn't know it yet. Other than that, no.

30. Always wear your seat belt?
Yes

31. Been in a car accident?
Yes. Last year. I was on my bike, but there was a car involved.

32. Any pet peeves?
So many. Poor grammar and spelling is one, or two. "Would of" instead of "would've or would have". Oh, and pink jerseys. My favourite colour is pink and most of my clothes are pink but NJ Devils colours are not pink, so why would I wear a pink Devils jersey. I don't know what marketing genius thought up that one. Being a girl doesn't stop me from wearing team colours. It shouldn't be so hard to find girl's sizes in the real team colours. Ok, I'm done with that rant. I'm just saying Don Draper wouldn't put up with that.

33. Favorite Pizza Toppings?
Sun-dried tomatoes, spinach, red onions, roasted garlic, pineapple, and mango.

34. Favorite Flower?
I don't really have a favourite but I like hibiscus. And also snap dragons, but not nearly as much as my sister does. ("Aw man, these aren't even snap dragons." Sorry, that's an inside joke.)

35. Favorite ice cream?
I love peanut butter soy ice cream.

36. Favorite fast food restaurant?
Pita pit or Subway.

37. How many times did you fail your driver's test?
Just once. And that was enough. I don't drive anymore. Hence, the wicked-awesome bicycle.

38. From whom did you get your last email?
Sister

39. What store would you max out your credit card?
Forever 21, H&M, Sally Beauty, Tiffany's (in my dreams)

40. Do anything spontaneous lately?

I cut my own hair. Big mistake. I used to do it all the time when I had super-long hair but it's a whole other story with short hair. It started as a trim in the back. And now I look like my brother at age 12.

41. Like your job?
It's not too bad. I work at a sports bar. I expedite orders and also work in pantry and take-out. When it's not busy, I can watch the hockey games, so that's pretty cool.

42. Broccoli?
No thank you.

43. What was your favorite vacation?
I went to Montreal with my sister in the summer. That was pretty cool.

44. Last person you went out to dinner with?
It's been a while. I don't remember. Unless a quick snack at McDonald's with my dad counts.

45. What are you listening to right now?
The computer is kinda buzzing. Other than that, silence.

46. What is your favorite color?
Pink. But I also like purples and teals/aquamarines.

47. How many tattoos do you have?
None. Tattoos freak me out almost as much as piercings do. And I'm way too indecisive to have something permanently put on my body. I change nail polish every day for goodness sake!

48. What do you like to do when nobody else is around?
Snuggle with my cat and watch tv.

49. Favorite Movie?
I have so many. I love musicals. And brat pack movies. I really liked Jersey Girl but I think I'm one of three on that. Stand By Me will also be one of my tops.

50. Coffee drinker?
Not so much. I love the smell but I don't drink it.

As promised, here's SH Xtreme Wear in Ivy League, and the compulsory accent nail with gold glitter.

This is an apple green with gold shimmer. I don't wear greens too often but I like this one. It's a nice, bright spring colour, which explains why I'm showing it to you in November.

Limited Edition Xtreme Wear

I told myself I wasn't going to buy every single new Xtreme Wear. But I just can't seem to help myself. I picked up four more yesterday and they're on sale this week at Pharma Plus ($1.99) so I'll probably get the rest this weekend.

Left to right: Mystic Lilac, Fireberry Red, Plum Burst, Cherry Punch

Sally Hansen did a great job with this collection and I'm having a hard time choosing a favourite. I thought it would be Purple Gala or Concrete, but after I swatched Mystic Lilac I wasn't so sure. It looks nice enough in the bottle, but on the nails you can really see how gorgeous this polish is. Pale greyish lilac with iridescent green shimmer. Mystic Lilac is subtle enough to be work-appropriate but still has a wow-factor when the light hits it.

Fireberry Red is the perfect fall version of Red Carpet. Dark and deep and dramatic. I already know this will be my Christmas nail colour.

Plum Burst true plum creme. Nothing too special but still a nice colour.

Cherry Punch looks like fruit punch with string and regular glitter mixed in. About half this collection seems to follow the same pattern of a shimmer base colour with the same glitter. You can pass on these if you have In the Spotlight or any other string glitter top coat since most of the base colours aren't very unique or special.

Have you guys tried these new Xtreme Wears yet? Which are your favourites?

I'm Michelle and I have a problem...

I think I'm addicted to nail polish. There's just something about using a new colour for the first time. Or the feeling you get when you finally find something you've been searching for. More than once that has caused me to come home with a bag full of polishes when I go to the store for something unrelated. Well, today I actually went for nail polish, but not nearly as many as I ended up buying. After seeing the new Xtreme Wear limited edition colours, I couldn't stop thinking about them. I want to wait for a sale, so I only bought two for now. But while I was at Pharma Plus, I saw the new Sally Hansen HD display. And I had a tough time choosing just one. 

Left to right: Sally Hansen HD Laser, Xtreme Wear Concrete and Purple Gala, Hidden Treasure

Hidden Treasure! I don't think there's anyone left who isn't in love with this one. My sister found two bottles at Zellers a while ago so we each have one but when she spotted this today, I knew I'd regret not buying it. I'm trying to decide if I should save it as backup in case more lines don't realize how coveted flakies are right now. Or should I pass it on to someone still lemming it?

I also went into Sally Beauty for polish thinner and ended up buying a China Glaze. Fairy Dust (the name is perfect!) is a holographic glitter. I can't wait to try it over black, and any other colour.

And since I can't be near a Walmart without checking out their nail polish selection:

I picked up Wet n Wild Caribbean Frost, French White Creme, Blue Moon, and Tickled Pink. I originally had about twice as many in my basket but managed to narrow it down since I had near-dupes for the others. For $1.57, these wear pretty well and there's a decent selection of colours. I also got some Rimmel Recover foundation for five cents each (that's right, $0.05!). Between two of us, we cleared out the display. I love finding makeup on clearance and you just can't beat that price. The same foundation was on clearance for eight bucks at the drugstore.

NOTD: Red Carpet

Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear Red Carpet

This is three coats, but you can get away with two. First photo is with flash, second is in natural light. This tends to photograph lighter than it actually is. The flash photo is closest. It also has more sparkle, and just shine in general, than shows up in these photos.

I also swatched this with matte top coat:

Does anyone have China Glaze Ruby Pumps? How does it compare to Red Carpet? I wonder if it's worth having both.

Latest Xtreme Wear Swatches

All photos are with flash. Caribbean Coral is on the left; Going Green, right.

This is without top coat. Caribbean Coral is a gorgeous shimmery coral. It's not too pink and not too orange. I really like this colour but I have way too many corals. I always seem to buy them because they're so pretty but I don't wear them enough. 

Going Green is the perfect St. Patrick's Day colour. I just wish I had bought it months ago. It's about the colour of really healthy grass, with just enough shimmer.

I also swatched with matte top coat. I love Caribbean Coral with the matte finish. Going Green, on the other hand, loses everything that makes it special. The swatch photo looks much shinier than it really is. It's really just a dull, boring, completely unspecial green.

NOTD: Pink + Orange

This NOTD is really easy. The inspiration for this was butterfly cupcakes my sister had made for Mother's Day (sorry no pic of the cupcakes). Obviously, any two colours would work, although, cremes are better for this. 

Start with two coats of your base colour (Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear Fushia Power). Then using either a small brush or a dotting tool, place a dot in the center of your nail and five dots around it. (I used Xtreme Wear Sunkissed for the dots.) Finish with top coat when the dots are nearly dry to blend them into the base colour. See, very easy to do, but I think it's cute for spring. 

Just a note about brushes: check out dollar stores or craft stores for paint brushes. You can usually get a variety of sizes for less than it would cost for specialty nail brushes.

I wonder what would happen if...

I layered VIP Pink over black? Inspired by my recent obsession with glitters over black bases, and realizing I hadn't worn VIP Pink in a while, I did a quick swatch.

This is one (generous) coat of VIP Pink over two coats of Elf Black. With flash. I love how the pink jelly base fades into the black, leaving gorgeous pink glitter.

What are some of your favourite layering combinations?

April Favourites

Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear
I guess this one is a bit obvious. But I love the colours, they apply well, and they're really inexpensive. Tons of swatches here (and a bonus NOTD).

Joe Fresh Style Lip Stain
I keep meaning to review and swatch these. They apply like a felt-tip marker, last 5+ hours without fading, and are fairly cheap ($6). Couple of issues with these: they're only available at Fortino's; there isn't a ton of selection (some colours are nearly identical); and, the colour of the stain doesn't always match what you'd expect from the packaging (usually quite a bit darker). Overall, though, I love them because they are so easy to apply and don't wear off too easily. Berry is a perfect dark red and Lilac is an amazing fuschia. (I'm just starting to get into purple lips--and I don't know why it didn't happen sooner.)

Elf Studio Eye Primer & Liner Sealer

And, finally, warm weather! We had a few amazingly gorgeous days. Now it's cold and miserable and rainy. I guess that's Spring.

Xtreme Wear Glitters

Two coats of glitter over two coats of black. Left to right: Disco Ball, Strobe Light, Rockstar Pink, Shooting Star

Even More Xtreme Wear Swatches

I've had these three colours for a while but just keep forgetting to post swatches. The photos aren't the greatest; it seems lately that none of my photos are turning out. The bottom is without flash, artificial light; top is with flash.

Left to Right:
Purple Potion-Violet with a blue highlight. Most similar to the flash pic. It's close to Deep Purple but lighter and brighter.
Fuchsia Power-Bright pink frost. Very similar to Twisted Pink, without the shimmer. Really don't need both these colours.
Black Out-Black. Not much else to say about this. Except it goes on smoothly and it's completely opaque with two coats.

The rest of my Xtreme Wear Swathes are here and there.

Xtreme Wear Swatches

As promised, here are the swatches for my newest Xtreme Wear colours. (The first set of swatches is here.)

(Left to right:)
Virtual Violet: Lavender with a blue iridescence. It makes me think of what Lime Lights would be if it were purple, if that makes sense.
Deep Purple: Dark purple with blue and pink shimmer. Brighter than this pic shows, but dark.
Pacific Blue: Medium blue creme. Somewhat darker than this pic. It dries a lot darker than it looks in the bottle.


And, I forgot to mention with the rest of the swatches, my one big issue with these polishes is actually more with the bottle. The caps aren't always consistent. Some are white (I think these are the older ones), some are dark metal, and some are taller and skinnier. Not really a big problem, but it kinda bugs me that they don't all match.