CoverGirl Golden Opportunity Swatch

Hello Everyone!!!

I've had a bit of an absence you could say, especially with life in general and the end of the semester coming full throttle ::大学院生の生活/life of a graduate student:: BUT I'm happy to be back and enjoying my short, but welcome, winter break! So far my R&R has included watching old Disney movies with the family. Oh the childhood nostalgia *tear*! Today I have a swatch of yet another Outlast Stay Brilliant Nail Gloss from CoverGirl! I present to you, Golden Opportunity!

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with flash

Golden Opportunity is a very nice gold foil with high shine! The formula leaned a little on the thick side but was very easy to work with. I got great coverage with the first coat but perfect opacity was reached with 2 coats. Though it's not the most unique color, I still loved it.

without flash

without flash

I think CoverGirl did as great a job with Golden Opportunity as they did with Black Diamond. If you don't have anything like it in your collection and want something of good quality that is inexpensive, I would recommend it. It's also a perfect color for the holidays!

Hope you all enjoyed the post! What's your opinion of Golden Opportunity?

Comment and let me know!

Don't forget to SUBSCRIBE!!!

Until Next Post!!! ^_^v

Liebster Award! ヽ(*⌒∇⌒*)ﾉ

Hi, Everyone!!!

I'm beyond excited today! I've been nominated by MissLanage for a Liebster Award!!! This emoticon basically sums up my happiness ☆*:.｡. o(≧▽≦)o .｡.:*☆!!!!

The Liebster Award is given to help bring awareness to the profiles of up-and-coming new bloggers with less than 200 followers. It's a great way to show support and to give a nod to newbies like myself ^_^.

Instructions

1. Post 11 random facts about yourself

2. Answer the the 11 questions you were asked by the blogger who nominated you

3. Come up with 11 of your own questions for your 11 nominees

4. Post links to the blogs of the 11 bloggers you've nominated (not including the blogger who nominated you)

11 Random Facts About Me

1. I absolutely love video games
2. I draw and sketch
3. I have been married with my husband for 3 years but we've been together for 7 years (since we were 16)
4. I've been doing Yoga since 2006
5. I love to read
6. I love scary movies but, if they're really scary, I generally can't sleep for a week
7. I really want to go to Japan!
8. I love chocolate covered strawberries
9. I love caramel apples!!!
10. I have started collecting Peruvian lanas (hubby is Peruvian).
11. I bake! My finest creation? My Tres Leches cake!!!

Questions from MissLanage

1. Where in the world are you?
- I'm currently in Gainesville, FL, USA!!!
2. What is your favourite holiday destination?
- Definitely New York or Chicago. That will probably change aft I leave the country for the first time (hopefully this summer!)
3. Do you have a nail tech qualification?
- Nope
4. How many polishes do you own?
- Not a lot shockingly! I only have 84, though the collection is constantly growing. Check out which ones here!
5. Do you have any other hobbies?
- Too many to keep track of! I name a few above but yoga and drawing have to be the biggest two next to my nail polish obsession and blogging.
6. Do you speak any other languages?
-I speak English, Creole (I'm Haitian ^_^), Japanese, French (though I'm starting to forget it since I never practice), and am currently learning Spanish
7. Why did you start blogging?
- I always wanted to start a blog but didn't know what it should be about! Seeing other great nail polish blogs inspired me to focus on nail polish. I wanted to meet other people who are obsessed with nail polish and love it like I do! I wanted to share my thoughts and opinions on nail polish and be a new resource for nail art, swatches, etc. 
8. Do you have any pets?
- I have an absolutely adorable black lab/chow! His name is Riley
9. What kind of music do you like most?
- This is such a hard question! Especially since I listen to so many artist from so many different genres! At the moment I'm loving my J-Rock (Japanese Rock) music.
10. What is your favourite book?
-Another hard question! One of my favorites was the book, Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoyevsky. It seriously forces you to think. 
11. How was your day today?
- So far so good! I've been working on my thesis and class presentation which can be very blah for lack of a better word. But this award has definitely brightened my day up ^_^!

My 11 Questions to my nominees

1. When did your nail polish obsession first start?
2. Who is your blogging idol?
3. What is your favorite movie?
4. What is your favorite brand of nail polish and why?
5. What is your favorite TV show?
6. What is the name of your favorite nail polish?
7. Is there anything you're looking forward to in 2013?
8. What is your favorite color?
9. How often do you do your nails?
10. Do you ever get your nails done at the nail salon?
11. What is your biggest pet peeve?

My nominees (in no particular order)

Beauty and Fashion on a Budget

No Nekkid Nails

Chop Suey Nails

The Nail Polish Challenge

Polished Paramedic

Get Polished Up

Totally Nailed

Lissa's Polish Addiction

Erinzi's Nails

Polished Art

Skeleton Nails

Hope you all enjoyed the post! Thank you again, MissLanage for the nomination!

Don't forget to SUBSCRIBE!!!

Until Next Post! ^_^v

CoverGirl Black Diamond Swatch

Hello, Everyone!!!

It's finally the end of the semester...FREEDOM *William Wallace/Braveheart voice*!!! Well...not yet. There is still the matter of turning in that thesis. However, I'm still pretty excited. Hope everyone else is having a great week so far! As some of you may know, CoverGirl has come out with their new Outlast Stay Brilliant Nail Gloss. The point of difference? It's so shiny you don't need top coat! *Gasp*. I passed by them at the Walmart and had to pick up a few. Today I present to you, Black Diamond!

Black Diamond

I was actually concerned about having to paint my nails with a clunky cap. After painting a few fingers, I somehow realized that the cap actually comes off ^_^.

with flash

with flash

Black Diamond is a VERY shiny black jelly. I absolutely loved it! I actually have no plain black in my collection so I was really happy this looked so nice. It was also a 1 coater! Though I reached perfect opacity with 1 coat, I used 2 coats for this swatch and no top coat! The formula was a bit thicker than usual but still very easy to work with.

without flash

without flash

I think CoverGirl did a great job with their new, Outlast Stay Brilliant Nail Gloss! I'm happy I randomly ran into this at Wal-mart. It was an inexpensive, great find!

Hope you enjoyed the post! Have you all tried the new Outlast Stay Brilliant Nail Gloss? What did you think of it? Comment and let me know! Thank you for reading!

Don't forget to SUBSCRIBE!!!

Until Next Post!!! ^_^v

How-To: Tape Manicure Tutorial

Hi Everyone!

I hope you all are having a great week! For me, these next two weeks are gonna be ridiculously busy. I can't wait until the end of the semester! Speaking of school, as some of you may know, I bleed orange and blue. I'm both a UF alumna AND current student. So today, I have a Gator themed Tape Manicure Tutorial using OPI for you! And, of course, feel free to use whatever colors you want!
*WARNING this post is both picture and copy heavy!*

Here's what I used!

(L to R) OPI Germany Collection Unfor-Greta-bly Blue and Deutsch You Want Me Baby?

1. Get your tape ready! That means removing the stickiness. You can refer back to my first tutorial to see how!

2. Base Color: Do your manicure as you normally would! I have 1 coat of base coat and 2 coats of Deutsch You Want Me Baby? Allow your manicure to really dry. You don't want the tape to leave smudges. Skip the top coat for now! That will go on at the end.

3. Tape: After your manicure is completely dry, carefully place your tape at whatever angle you please. I make sure the tape is gently pressed done especially around the cuticles. You want it placed down enough to make sure your next color does not go under the tape. It may look like it, but I do not completely wrap tape around my finger. If you do so it may be harder to take off.

4. 2nd Color: Add your second color over the tape. Don't use too much nail polish! You don't want it to flood under the tape! I used 1 coat here and still got perfect opacity.

5. Remove tape: I give my nail polish a few seconds to settle before removing the tape. However, wait to long and you won't get a crisp edge. I really carefully, and slowly, peel off the tape going towards the line that separates the two colors. I find that peeling across causes jagged edges.

6. Do your clean up then give the entire manicure time to dry!

7. Put on your favorite top coat and seal those edges! 終わり, in other words, you're done!     

Final Product

with flash

without flash

without flash

Hope you all enjoyed this tutorial and give it a try! Thank you for reading!

Any questions? Email me or comment below!

Don't forget to SUBSCRIBE!!!

Until Next Post! ^_^v

A England Limited Edition Holy Grail Swatch

'Ello Loves!

For all who celebrate, I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving (and if not a wonderful day yesterday ^_^)! I know I did. I still feel stuffed from last night. As soon as I was done eating I was ready to sleep! Speaking of sleep, I learned a new fun fact from watching a Thanksgiving Special on History Channel. Apparently, there is not enough tryptophan in turkey to make you sleepy after eating it. What gives us post-prandial somnolence, the fancy word for drowsiness after eating aka the "itis," is a high intake of carbs!!! Somehow...I'm not surprised. Today I have a swatch of a very popular polish from a england!!! Please enjoy the Limited Edition Holy Grail!!!

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with flash

Holy Grail is a brilliant gold shimmer! I'm always saying live life vibrantly, well, with this polish you have no choice! It is warm toned and simply amazing. The polish was a great consistency and easy to work with. It wasn't too thick or thin. My 1 problem with this polish was, believe it or not, the smell. You can call me an addict if you want to but I normally love the smell of nail polish. This, however, was REALLY strong.

without flash

without flash

 a england recently revamped the color and re-released Holy Grail! If you want this one, the original, you can actually get it on sale for £5 which is about $8 on www.a-england.co.uk! Look under the Mythicals collection. What could possibly make this better you ask? SHIPPING IS FREE!!!

Hope you all enjoyed the post! Have you tried either of the Holy Grail polishes? Comment and let me know what you thought of them! Thank you for reading and don't forget to SUBSCRIBE!!!

Until Next Post!!! ^_^v

OPI Holiday Avojuice Skin Quenchers

Hope everyone out there reading who's from the USA is having a Happy Thanksgiving!!! For everyone else, hope you're having a great day!!!

Hydrate Skin this Holiday Season!

OPI Introduces Holiday Avojuice Skin Quenchers Hand & Body Lotions in Vanilla Snowflake and NEW Peppermint Shimmer

            This holiday season, OPI releases Avojuice Skin Quenchers Hand & Body Lotion in two limited edition scents, Vanilla Snowflake (a blissful blend of sweet vanilla and buttercream) and new Peppermint Shimmer (a soft peppermint aroma with a kiss of shimmer).  These lotions are a festive way to keep skin hydrated and healthy during the season’s unforgiving cold weather with smooth, rich and moisturizing formulas.

            Holiday stress and winter chill can make skin dull and lifeless, but saturating hands and body with the aloe and avocado extracts in Peppermint Shimmer and Vanilla Snowflake can rejuvenate and reinvigorate dry skin, making it feel moist and silky smooth.

“Though the holidays are a festive and joyous time, the winter cold can be harsh on skin,” said Suzi Weiss-Fischmann, OPI Executive VP & Artistic Director. “Peppermint Shimmer and Vanilla Snowflake are both delicious fragrances, but they are also designed to completely moisturize skin, leaving hands and body feeling soft and replenished.”

In addition to the regular bottle, both Avojuice lotions will be available in miniature sizes, perfect for stashing in the car, carrying in a purse, or giving as a stocking-stuffer.

full size

mini

full size

* I know I'm missing a picture of the mini Avojuice Skin Quencher in Peppermint Shimmer but for some reason the pic sent to me by OPI did not work. Just image the Vanilla Snowflake mini in blue ^_^*

2-2-2-2 OPI Avojuice/Holiday 2012

New OPI Avojuice Skin Quenchers Hand & Body Lotion in Peppermint Shimmer  and Vanilla Snowflake will be available beginning November 2012 at Professional Salons, including Pure Beauty, Regis, Trade Secret, Ulta, Beauty Brands, Beauty First, Dillard’s, and JCPenney, for the suggested retail price of $1.95 ($2.50 CAN) for each 1 fl oz and $7.95 ($9.95 CAN) for each 6.6 fl oz.

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

Has anyone tried these before? Are they good? Let me know!
Don't forget to SUBSCRIBE!!!
Until Next Post! ^_^v

Have We Been Duped? Essie Winter 2012 Collection

Hello, Everyone!

We're all off to a very busy week again! I wonder if everyone from the USA who reads this blog is anticipating Thursday like I am. I can't wait to get stuffed like the Thanksgiving turkey that my mom will be making! Today I have a few comparison for you all. Rest assured we have not been duped!

If you really want to get Essie Snap Happy but have OPI Red Lights Ahead...Where? don't worry you haven't been duped! Snap Happy is a basic creme with a nice splash of orange. Essie used the perfect word when they described it as vermilion. Red Lights Ahead...Where? in contrast, has strong coral notes. It also has a squishy finish. 

 Mermaid Tears is a light green creme. Where's My Chauffeur? leans a little more on the blue side become the perfect turquoise. Fly leans closer to a bright teal creme. Each of these colors have room in any nail polish collection.

Hope you enjoyed the post! Are there any dupes you can think of for any of the colors in the Essie Winter 2012 Collection? Comment and let me know! 

Thank you for reading my blog and don't forget to SUBSCRIBE!!!

Until Next Post!!! ^_^v

Essie Winter 2012 Collection Swatches

Hello Everyone!

I hope you all have been having a great weekend. To say this week was hectic for me would be an understatement! I've been working on my thesis literally everyday. I can't say this wasn't expected though. At  the end of the semester everything seems to come to a head. Life of a graduate student ::sigh::. HOWEVER there has been an upside to this week. Christmas came in November in the form of a package of Essie polishes!!! I present to you the Essie's Winter 2012 Collection!

(L to R) where's my chauffer?, snap happy, leading lady, butler please, beyond cozy,  she's pampered

with flash

with flash

no flash

no flash

Where's My Chauffeur? is an amazing turquoise polish with a creme finish. This was seriously love at first stroke for me! Where's my chauffeur? was already beautiful in the bottle but WOW. The color was vibrant and the formula was a dream to work with. One of my favorites from the bunch. Here I have 2 coats 

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with flash

without flash

without flash

Snap Happy is a beautiful red-orange creme. Though this is a very typical color I was happy to find that this one was a true one coater! My smile line *poof* disappeared with one coat. I still did 2 for this review though.

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with flash

without flash

without flash

Leading Lady was another favorite from this collection! Essie decided to throw a glittery dark-red jelly into the mix! This is perfect for the holiday season. The formula was great and I reached perfect opacity with 2 coats.

matte finish - flash

matte finish - flash

matte finish - no flash

With topcoat and flash

with topcoat and flash

 Butler Please satisfied my blue craving in an unexpected way. It turns out this true cobalt blue turned out to have a matte finish! The formula was great! I reached opacity with two coats. I decided to do some swatches with top coat for you all as well.

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with flash

without flash

without flash

Beyond Cozy was my absolute favorite of this collection. The gold-silver sparkle in this was gorgeous!!! I could not stop looking at my nails! For a polish with so much glitter this had a surprisingly good formula. I also reached perfect opacity in 2 coats which I feel is rare with glitters. Perfect holiday color! 

with flash

with flash

without flash

without flash

She's pampered is in my opinion a basic red with the slightest tinge of raspberry. I actually had to debate this with my husband and a friend. We all finally came to a consensus that the raspberry was in there. If you don't already have a red like this in your collection this would be a great addition. This was a very nice creme  with a great formula. Perfect opacity with 2 coats.

This was a great collection from Essie and they remain the Queen of Cremes in my book! My favorites were Where's My Chauffeur?, Leading Lady, Butler Please, and Beyond Cozy (can't get over how great this one was!). If you don't already have reds like Snap Happy and She's Pampered then I think they would be good additions to any collection.

Hope you enjoyed the post! Which colors did you love? Are you adding any to your wishlist? Comment and let me know! Don't forget to SUBSCRIBE!!!

Until Next Time post! ^_^v