Random Nail Art - Halloween

Hey guys!  Today's post is just some random Halloween nail art.  I don't have very many stamping images that I'd consider Halloween appropriate, and I don't do freehand so it was a bit tough for me to think up something.

Random Nail Art - Halloween

I'm not sure the accent fits the rest of the nails, but I was just messing around and I really like how the other nails turned out and the spiderweb stamping turned out great.  The spiderwebs were suggested by my friend Novi at Colors Frenzy and she really has a talent for nail art.  For all of my nails except the accent, I painted them with Barielle Suntini and then I sponged on FingerPaints Black Expressionism, then again with Suntini in a circular motion.  I really like how it turned out.
 

Products used:

Barielle Suntini
FingerPaints Black Expressonism
Moyou Pro 05

Color Club Harp On It 

HK Girl Topcoat

Accent nail:

Barielle Suntini

BM-224 Plate

Mundo de Unas Black

HK Girl Topcoat

What do you plan to wear on your nails for Halloween?

Blogger Problems - Breakage

Hey guys!  Today I wanted to chat a bit about another Blogger Problem that I've been dealing with.  A while back I posted about my "filing mishap" and how frustrating it was.  Recently I had a crack on my middle nail that I was able to save with some nail glue.  I tried gel, and the Orly Nail Rescue kit and I didn't like how it looked in photos, because it looked awkward being built up more than the other nails. 

I was actually able to repair it using the nail glue on the underside of the nail for a few weeks, until I made the mistake of going out without at least a basecoat of Duri Rejuvacote.  I went out with bare nails, and when I came home I noticed I had a crack on the same nail on the other side and it was close to meeting and coming off completely.  I managed to save it for a day, but unfortunately the next day it completely snapped off while I was trying to pry apart some frozen bread to put in the toaster.  Foiled by toast!

Blogger Problems - Breakage

 So, now I'm left with a couple options and I'm not sure what route I should go.  I haven't had a break on my swatching hand (except my thumb) since before I did my Duri Rejuvacote Challenge and I've just been filing my nails down every time they get too long.  As noted in the photo above I do have some length left on my middle finger, but the unevenness is making my OCD flare up something awful.  The other nails are just how I like them, but it will take a while for me to grow out my middle nail so it's about the same length.

Should I?

• Take a break from swatching and do more beauty products for a while until my middle nail catches up a bit.
• Blog as is with my middle nail shorter than the others.
• File them all down to approximately the same as my middle nail and start over.

So dear readers what should I do?  Here are the options I thought of, if you have more suggestions, let me know.

KBShimmer - Leaf of Faith

Hey guys!  Today's polish is from a new to me brand KBShimmer.  They're definitely not new in the Indie polish world, but this is my first time trying anything from them.  I am part of a small group of "lacquerheads" and they are some of the awesomest ladies in the world and I received a decant of Leaf of Faith from Maja, who wanted to share her love of KBShimmer with me so I could try it out.  The description in italics below is from KBShimmer's store.

I love cremes, holos and shimmers and while I love the look of glitters, I'm not necessarily fond of the application of them and Maja kindly sent the decant so I can try out one of the KBShimmer jelly glitters that they are famous for.

KBShimmer - Leaf of Faith

"A deep Cabernet red jelly is the backdrop for glitters in red, orange and gold.  The glitters in this polish add depth and interest with subtle changes in color as the jelly picks up the colors of the glitter. A scattering of holographic glitters gives this polish sparkle and shine."

This is three coats of Leaf of Faith with one coat of Seche Vite.  The first two coats were very thin and I did a thicker third coat with more glitter.  I've only applied jelly glitters a few times, so I'm not very practiced at it, so it took a bit more patience and babying to get the glitter coverage I wanted.  I have to say that it was actually good and easy to work with and while there are a couple patchy spots, this is definitely user error.  The glitters do lie nicely flat and one coat of Seche Vite was enough to make it mostly smooth.

KBShimmer - Leaf of Faith

The depth and sparkle of this polish is incredible.  It was well worth the extra attention I paid and I definitely think I'll have to pick up a full size of it.  It is is super squishy looking, but still offers full coverage in three coats.  When I put on the first two coats it was looking a lot more on the pink side, but the third coat gave it that perfect dark red hue and really pulled it all together. 

So good news and bad news folks, I now have a new brand that I am interested in.  I'm thinking I may need another helmer and my wallet is not going to be happy.  Are you a KBShimmer fan?  Did you pick up any of the colours from the fall collection?

KBShimmer's store is US only, but for Canadian and International polish fans it's available at Harlow & Co.  To keep up with KBShimmer news and restock information subscribe to their newsletter.

KBShimmer: Store, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram
Harlow & Co: Store, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram

ChickAdvisor GOSHGoddess Campaign Review

Press Sample 

Hey guys!  Today's review is brought to you by the Chick Advisor Product Review Club.  I was chosen as one of six lucky Canadian ladies who received a #GOSHGoddess review kit with four Gosh products.  They came in a cute makeup bag to store them in as well.  Product descriptions in italics are from the the ChickAdvisor Product Review Club campaign page.

Gosh Lip Lacquer in #006 Funky Lips

GOSH Lip Lacquer is like a 2 in 1 product: an intense rich color of a lipstick plus the shine of a gloss. Enriched with Argan oil and Vitamin E to keep lips soft and nourished!

GOSH Lip Lacquer in #006 Funky Lips has me a bit conflicted.  It is indeed highly pigmented and shiny, but I wasn't overly pleased with the application.  I found that it didn't go on evenly.  I even took it off and exfoliated my lips and upon the second application it was a little better, but still not quite even.  I didn't have issues with the doe foot applicator, so it's likely the product itself.  It also isn't overly sticky which is great, but it does transfer.  It left a bit of a stain behind and my lips still feel moisturized hours later, but after a few sips of my drink I'd need to reapply.

GOSH Prime 'n Set Powder

 GOSH Prime 'n Set Powder is another 2 in 1. Use as a primer to minimize pores, fine lines, redness and imperfections and to create a flawless matte look. Then use it as a setting powder over foundation or mineral powder to lock make-up in place and keep unwanted shine under control.

I actually really enjoyed using the Prime 'n Set powder.  Instead of using it under a mineral powder foundation I used it under and over my BB cream.  It went on my face easily and practically invisible.  I found my BB cream went on smoother and I used a little less than normal.  After that I used it to set the BB cream and even though the one I use sets fast, Prime 'n Set made it stay even longer than it usually does.

GOSH Crazy Volume Mascara

GOSH Crazy Volume Mascara features a unique oversize fibre brush which adds dramatic volume and extreme length in one easy stroke.  With no clumping or flaking, Crazy Volume Mascara ensures a smudge-free, highly defined look that lasts for hours and is perfume and paraben-free.

Sorry GOSH, not a fan of this mascara.  I found the wand holds way too much of the formula on it and even after wiping it off on a piece of toilet paper it still had too much. It did lengthen my lashes, but didn't provide a lot of volume. I also had issues with my lashes sticking together too much so I had to separate them.
 

GOSH Forever Eye Shadow Stick in 06 Plum

 GOSH Forever Eye Shadow Stick is a creamy, soft product which is easy to apply and blend.  The beautiful color delivers maximum, pure metallic color that lasts for hours.  Forever Eye Shadow is perfume and paraben free.

The eye shadow stick is my favourite of the four products.  I absolutely love how it just glided on. It didn't drag or feel overly greasy or heavy. The colour payoff is excellent and can be applied heavier or blended depending on your preference. I really liked the glitter, but did have some glitter transfer to my lashes. I am a big fan of shimmery shadows, and think I could have a lot of fun with this. The colour itself did stay put and set nicely.  It also worked well as a liner, and despite being a thicker crayon I managed relatively thin lines. I'd love to see this crayon in non sparkly shades to use as liners as well.

Swatch of GOSH Forever Eyeshadow Stick in 06 Plum and Lip Lacquer in #006 Funky Lips

Here is a quick swatch of the Forever Eye Shadow Stick and Lip Lacquer.  You can see how sparkly the shadow is and that the lip lacquer is more pink than shown in my bottle photos above.

So overall I like two out of the four products.  I'd love to check out the variety of the eye crayons and I would probably repurchase the Prime 'n Set, but a little goes a long way so I won't need to for some time.  Have you tried any GOSH Cosmetic products before? 

You can check out more reviews on ChickAdvisor for the #GOSHGoddess Campaign and many other products.

I received these products through the ChickAdvisor Product Review Club. I received samples to facilitate an honest review, but all opinions will be always be my own

Random Nail Art 10-2-2014

Hey guys!  Today's post is just a quickie.  I recently received some Mundo de Unas stamping polishes from a friend to try out.  She kindly decanted some of her full size Mundo's into minis for me.  I love stamping, but I get frustrated by polishes that don't pick up or transfer well and I've been wanting to try the Mundos for a long time.

One of the colours I got was #15 Mexican pink and I thought it would look excellent over Girly Bits Protect Your Girly Bits from the What Really Happened in Vegas Collection which I reviewed here.  The image comes from Sugar Bubbles plate SB018.  I used one coat of HK Girl topcoat to seal it in and didn't have any smearing.

I only needed a drop of the stamping polish on the plate and it picked up perfectly.  The image is nicely etched as well.  I noticed in fact that it picked up best when I just barely touched the stamper to the image instead of pressing all the way down like I need to do with some polishes/stamping polishes. 

I'm happy with how it turned out.  It's just some simple stamping, but I think the pink really complements the purple.   I totally need to get more, but I'm waiting for them to restock their sets again as I think I'm going to go big and get 36 full size stamping polishes to max the shipping to Canada.  Let me know what you think in the comments below.  Let me know if you're a stamper and if you've tried Mundo de Unas stamping polishes before.

If you'd like to know more about Mundo de Unas, Sugar Bubbles or Girly Bits, check out their info below.

Mundo de Unas: Store, Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest

Sugar Bubbles: Facebook

Girly Bits: Store, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Pinterest