Diamond Cosmetics Haul (Plus Gifts)

I received my DC package a few days ago, the FedEx guy got me just as I was leaving. I will swatch these ASAP!

L to R: (top row) Moonsand, Starshine, It's Electrifying, Hypnotic (these four are the Winter 2010 collection), Essie Matte About You (this was a gift from my sister), (bottom row) Turquoise Glitter, Red Glitter, Decadence, Orange Blush, Sugar Coat Me

My friend Katie also sent me a very nice gift!

L to R: (top row) Absolutely Alice, Dazzle Me, Marquis d'Mauve, (bottom row) Revlon Minted, Essie Mint Candy Apple, China Glaze Fairy Dust

She also included these adorable little Le Creuset magnets!

Here is the red one next to my 5.5-qt. Le Creuset Dutch oven:


Happy holidays, hope you all got what you wanted!

Absolutely Alice

I had to try this one out as soon as I received it!

I'm sure you've seen a million swatches of this one already, but it really is gorgeous. Bright, turquoise blue glitter with a sprinkling of gold. With good application you could probably get away with two coats, but I am wearing three in this picture. You can never have too many glitters!

China Glaze Party Hearty

Here are some quick and dirty photos of my mani today before we head to the bf's mom's place:


China Glaze Party Hearty over MAC Jade Dragon. I love this, the different glitters over dark green are kind of like ornaments on a Christmas tree!

Happy holidays!

I Won!

I just wanted to quickly post that I just received my lovely package from Misa for winning her first giveaway!

The China Glaze Party Hearty pack and Orly Winter Wonderland were the prize, but she generously included lots of extras! There was a mini Orly Top 2 Bottom (base and topcoat), a mini Urban Decay De-Slick in a Tube, Konad nail stickers, and five Beauty Diary masks! I've never tried any of these so I'm really excited.

Thanks again, Misa!

Diamond Cosmetics Rubies and Diamonds with Konad M71

Another Christmas mani! I was a little lazy about fixing the middle finger so it's a bit off to the side. The red base is Rubies and Diamonds from Diamond Cosmetics and the gold stamps were done with Diamond Cosmetics Party Hearty, a rose gold foil. I topped off the bows with some yellow-orange resin rhinestones. Rubies and Diamonds is really beautiful on its own, bright red jelly with red and gold microglitter. I am wearing four coats in the picture. Party Hearty worked perfectly with the Konad plate, as I'm sure most foils do. The bow is from the M71 plate.

Just a few more days until Christmas, hope everyone gets some great gifts!

Diamond Cosmetics Midnight Blue with Hidden Treasure

I ordered a couple of Nfu-oh polishes and hopefully they get here soon. I didn't get all the ones I wanted, but for now I will satisfy my flakey craving with this:

(Excuse the tip wear, I messed around with my nails before they were full dry.) Midnight blue is a blacked blurple, mostly navy but leans purple. I'm sure you all know about Sally Hansen Hidden Treasure by now. I always see it over black and while it does look good that combo does not appeal to me much. I think it looks a lot more interesting over colors, especially dark colors. This one is dark enough to offer contrast but the fact that it's a blurple instead of black makes it more interesting. Obviously not a holiday mani but I still have time to get a couple in before Christmas!

Diamond Cosmetics Code!

Diamond Cosmetics is offering free shipping until 5 a.m. (Eastern time, I assume) Sunday (Dec. 19)! Code is HOLIDAY. I have to admit that I have not swatched even half of the polishes I have purchased from them, but so far I have been very impressed. They have a lot of beautiful, unique colors and they are only $2.25-$2.75 each! Here are some quick and dirty bottle pics of my DC collection:

L to R: Cherry Tobacco, Rubies and Diamonds, Sparkling Sherry, Cotton Candy, Don't Teal My Heart Away, Froggy, Seafoam Spray, Oh Tiff!, Tranquility, Serendipity


L to R: Blue Diamonds, Midnight Blue, Crushed Velvet, Monarch Masquerade, Matte Black, Starry Night, Chainmail Charm, Never So Evergreen, Concrete Jungle, Party Hearty, Like Satin, Pink Flaminglo

I ordered the winter 2010 collection (Moonsand, Starshine, It's Electrifying, Hypnotic), Red Chunky Glitter, Turquoise Glitter, Sugar Coat Me, Decadence, and Orange Blush. I want them all! The only ones I would advise against are the glow-in-the-dark polishes. Maybe the others are better, but Pink Flaminglo is very sheer and didn't glow all that much. A friend of mine bought all four and said they were pretty sheer so even if you do decide to try the glow-in-the-dark polishes, it probably isn't worth it to buy more than one. Also, the shipping will show as part of your total but I called CS and they said that once the order actually goes through the shipping charge will be taken off. Happy shopping!

Color Club Object of Envy

I wanted to do something festive, so I went with a green glitter.

This color is super pretty, but I have been so spoiled by the Milani Rockstar glitters. This is five coats! Still, it's a lovely kelly green glitter and it's not as gritty as a lot of glitter polishes (Color Club seems to have smoother glitter somehow). Besides the fact that it requires so many coats, application was just okay. A bit thin, and took a bit long to dry (compared to most glitters).

Gotta get in all the holiday manis I can before they're over!

Milani Rockstar Heavy Glitter

Swatches, finally! This collection is really gorgeous. I'll start with the one-coat glitters.

Gold Glitz:


This one is a mix of gold and orange-y copper glitter. It's a nice warm-toned gold, just a little bit ghetto fabulous! Way better on the nail than I expected!

Purple Gleam:


Mix of dark and light purple? Or maybe purple and black? Hard to tell. It's just a shade darker in real life. I am not normally a huge purple fan but I do adore this one. Then again, I really loved this entire collection!

Red Sparkle:


Red is another color I'm not a big fan of, but this one is so pretty. It's a very saturated ruby red, great for the holidays!

Silver Dazzle:

This one is a steely gray glitter. I would say it's the most subtle of the bunch. Kind of like the glittery version of a dark, stormy gray. Seems pretty unique!

Blue Flash:

This turquoise glitter seems to be a mix of turquoise and light turquoise glitters. I think the "3D" effect I mention later is most evident on this one. Some people have asked if this is similar to China Glaze's Dorothy Who. I can't say for sure because I don't own DW, but it seems like Blue Flash has finer glitter and lacks the silver glitter that DW has.


The collection also includes two "Jewel FX."

Gold over Purple Gleam:


Gold over Blue Flash:

Gold is just a bunch of gold hexagonal glitter suspended in a clear base. There's quite a bit of glitter packed in there, though, so I don't think it would be too hard to layer on the glitter to fill the nail.

Gems over Red Sparkle:

Perfect holiday combo!

Gems:

This is three coats of Gems on my thumb. As you can see, it's a mix of small and large hexagonal glitter in silver, gold, red, green and light blue. I personally am not sure I like the look of this on its own, but it's great for layering.


This collection is really amazing! They are called one-coat glitters and the glitter is very densely packed. With some careful application, you could probably get away with one but I used two for the red and purple. They all seem to be a mix of light and dark versions of the same shade. This combined with the fineness of the glitter really gives them depth. With top coat, they have an almost 3D effect, kind of like those Magic pictures from the 90s. Drying time was quick (even the Jewel FX) and application was a dream! Hardly any cleanup needed at all. These really are the best glitters I've ever tried!

These were on sale at CVS, BOGO half off and they retail around $4.50-$5 per bottle. I read somewhere that the official release date for these is supposed to be in February so if you can't find them, don't worry! I am sure they will be available to order on the website soon.

Milani Rockstar Haul!

Here's a quick bottle pic for now, I will be swatching soon! These are all so pretty IRL, can't wait to try them all!

Top row (L to R): Red Sparkle, Purple Gleam, Blue Flash, Silver Dazzle
Bottom row (L to R): Gold Glitz, Gold, Gems

Color Club Red Velvet

I felt like doing a vampy color, and this did not disappoint!

It's a black base with lots of red glitter. I know this color is not unique, but I've never tried one like it before so it's new to me! Very goth, mysterious, and glow-y. Plus, the name is so sexy and fun! The formula was good, it actually reminds me of Rescue Beauty Lounge polishes--applies almost like a matte polish, first coat is streaky, average-to-slightly-quicker drying time. With careful application you can definitely get away with two coats, but I used three. I think I will have to remember this one for Halloween next year!

I also wanted to do a quick preview of the Hard Candy matte top coat:

Left to right: with Seche Vite, without top coat, with HC matte top coat
As you can see, it's a bit more matte than a satin/leathery finish, but not quite as matte as some true matte polishes. I will have to do a more extensive review another time. On another note, look at the effect that Seche Vite (or any top coat) has! Besides adding a glossy finish, it really gives depth to the color.

Color Club can be found at some Bed Bath and Beyond locations, as well as several websites. This one was part of a (very cheap!) set I found at Ross, though, so go take a look!

T-Day Weekend Haul!

Hope everyone had a good one!

I did head to Wal-mart on Black Fridy, but not until the evening. It wasn't too busy and I didn't really look for any crazy deals (I was probably too late anyway). I just wanted to look at the Hard Candy stuff and I was so giddy! Maybe it's a little juvenile for some, but I love it all! So much glitter. Here's what I walked away with:

Nail polishes in Envy, Sky, and matte top coat; glitter eyeshadow and eyeliner duo in Ammo. Here are swatches:


The eyeshadow is supposed to be a cream, but it feels more wet, like a gel. It's basically just a lot of green glitter in a clear base. The eyeliner glided on nicely, but I'm skeptical about the staying power of both of these. I guess we'll see.

Sunday, I decided to head to Ross to see if I could find any Color Club sets since I've been hearing that people have been able to find them there. Score!

Electro Candy and Untamed Luxury Covered in Diamonds, $8 each yay! There was another set of glitters, but I resisted because I already own almost all of them, haha. There were also a few incomplete sets.

Oh also, that one bottle in the middle is Orly Shine, which I got for free from Ulta with this coupon:

Click the picture, print it out, and take it to the nearest Ulta to pick from a selection of three colors! Hopefully it's not too late! Shine is a silver foil (bright and shiny, not dark like the picture shows), Oh Cabana Boy is a neon pink, and It's Up To Blue is a pretty teal shimmer.

Very excited to try all the colors!

Milani Disco Lights

Happy Black Friday! I did a little online shopping but I personally hate crowds so no brick-and-mortar stores for me today! The BF and I have gotten almost all our holiday shopping done online as well so hopefully we won't have to shop too much during the holiday season.

Anyway, I wanted to wear something a little special for Thanksgiving yesterday, so why not a glitter?

Blurred to show the sparkly goodness:

This is Milani Disco Lights, four coats with top coat. I love, love this color! I told myself that I wouldn't be buying any more new polishes for a while, but I saw this at the drugstore and couldn't resist. I'm so glad I picked it up! It's a really gorgeous champagne pink glitter. It's still very sparkly and shiny of course, but the face that it's pink lets it blend into my skin a little so it's a bit more subtle than some other glitters. The amount of glitter was pretty average, four coats to cover. Each layer took about five minutes to dry which is on the slow side, but I think this helps to prevent the bottle from getting crusty and makes the glitter easier to work with. You can find Milani polish at CVS and some Walgreens stores.

Hope everyone is getting some good deals, but remember to take care of yourselves!

Rescue Beauty Lounge Teal and Sally Hansen Age Correct

Hi everyone, sorry for the lack of updates! I've been trying out a new topcoat and really wanted to see how it lasted before posting. First, though, the color:

This one was a bit of a surprise. It's really a true teal, a mix of blue and green, a bit on the darker side. Very pretty color, unexpected but understated. This is one coat, but as you can see, I should have added another. The flaws are highlighted because of the flash, though.

As I've mentioned before, I've been having a lot of problems with RBL polishes. I usually get a lot of wear out of nail polish, but with RBL I had been getting sizable chips literally within 12 hours of application. I looked up reviews on MUA and saw that one of the highest-rated base coats is Sally Hansen Age Correct No Chip Base and Top Coat (quite a mouthful). It has been discontinued, but don't worry, it's easily available on ebay and Amazon for around $5 shipped. As a base coat, it dried quickly. As a top coat, it took a bit of time (probably 10-15 minutes or so to dry completely) and although it does have shine, it applies thinly and doesn't give you that glassy finish like Seche Vite. Despite this, it held up well! I took the picture after four days, I think. It's my non-dominant hand, but my other hand looked about the same, maybe slightly more wear. This is only with one coat of polish, and for me less coats usually means more chipping. Overall, I highly recommend this product! I think next time I might try it as a base coat only, or add a coat of Seche Vite on top.

Why do they stop making such great products?!

Rescue Beauty Lounge Look Rich Be Cheap

RBL number three! This one is a glitter so hopefully it doesn't chip as quickly. I first fell in love with this color when I saw it on Sara at a meetup. It was so sparkly!


This is a very shiny gold glitter with bits of purple. It mostly looks gold but the purple makes it more interesting and sophisticated somehow. Great for Lakers fans, too! This is four thin coats in the picture, but there are still some bare areas. The glitter reflects so much light, though, that you can hardly tell. Really gorgeous color, much better on the nail than in the bottle. I can never tire of glitters, I've been looking at my nails all day!

Definitely looking forward to the other RBL glitters!

Rescue Beauty Lounge Scrangie

Happy Friday everyone!

I wanted to wear something special for the weekend and I picked Scrangie!


Very pretty color! The base is a red-based purple and when the light hits it there's an aqua shimmer. There's a fine shimmer and also some sparkle (microglitter? glass fleck?), so it's much prettier and more complex than a plain frost. Application was okay, this is three thin coats and there are still some bare spots. I have to say that although I am loving the RBL colors, I am not impressed with the formula or wear. They're fine, but not as amazing as I had hoped, certainly not as buttery-smooth as the Chanels I have tried. They show tip wear very quickly. Still, I'm hoping the other colors will be more impressive; we will see. Maybe it's because I am using Seche Vite, which is not 3 free. I have heard that when you use a 3-free polish it doesn't mix well with a top coat that is not. I'll try to look for a 3-free top coat this weekend.

Have a great weekend!

Rescue Beauty Lounge Anne

I was so excited to try my new Rescue Beauty Lounge polishes I could hardly pick! I decided on Anne (from the Tudor collection) because it looks like a great fall color.

It's kind of an grayish, olive-ish brown with bronzy shimmer, and there's also purple microglitter that looks more pink on the nail. I really love these colors that can be listed under multiple color families. Application was easy, the formula was easy to work with. The first coat was pretty streaky, but it evened out nicely with the second. Still, be careful of bald spots!

More RBL swatches to come!

Foil Method

I've been asked about this a few times, so I thought I'd do a tutorial. This is a great way to easily remove glitter polish or designs that require many layers of polish and topcoat, or even just a plain mani. Also, this is a great method for removing soak-off gels, just soak your fingers for a longer amount of time (and you may want to use pure acetone instead of regular polish remover). The idea is basically to place the nail polish remover against your nail for a few minutes to break down the polish so that it is easier to remove. The foil (or plastic wrap) prevents the acetone from evaporating too quickly.

First, get your supplies ready. Use your favorite nail polish remover, preferably one that's nourishing/conditioning so it's not as drying as pure acetone. Make sure you have some cotton pads ready, too. I like to use Swisspers and cut them into quarters. I used to use some from Target, but they were much lower quality. I cut them in half and folded them b/c even though they were the same size, they were so full of air that one layer was not enough. Lastly, make sure you have five (or ten, depending on whether you want to reuse or not) small pieces of foil, squares that are about 2.5 inches on each side are sufficient.


Soak the piece of cotton with remover and place on the nail.


Take the piece of foil and wrap it around the finger and cotton, then fold the end over the finger.




Repeat this with the other fingers on the same hand. Best to do this one hand at a time, as it is not all that easy to work with foil-wrapped fingers!


Leave it on for three to five minutes, then, one nail at a time, remove the foil and use the cotton to swipe off the polish. Almost all the polish should be gone, but use the cotton to rub off little bits left behind.

This is the remains of my masquerade mani. I needed to scrub off the polish under the stones, but it was very easy overall. This was base coat, three coats of polish, three coats of glow-in-the-dark polish, and a thick layer of top coat.

Be sure to moisturize your nails and cuticles thoroughly afterward.

Hope this helps!

Rescue Beauty Lounge Sale Haul!

I have been waiting for this sale for months, and it finally happened! Not only that, but two days later, my package is here!

I love the boxes! I am a sucker for packaging.

Here's my entire RBL collection (for now!):

From top, clockwise: Anne (not on sale), Locavore (tracked this down in a store), Look Rich Be Cheap, Frugalista, Bangin, Teal, Scrangie
I bought Teal and an extra Scrangie as gifts, but I'm kind of having a hard time parting with Teal! Can't wait to try these.