OPI: A Butterfly Moment

Hello hello! I hope you're all having a lovely day! Thanks for taking the time to check in and see what I have on my nails! Today I am going to show you a polish I received for consideration from the Mariah Carey collection that came out a while back.

This is A Butterfly Moment, what a totally Mariah name! I am not sure the name can get more Mariah than that! LOL. This is a really subtle pink/tan color with some beautiful gold microshimmer.  This is such a pretty neutral, work appropriate, conservative but fun polish. I like it a lot more than I thought I would.  I think it's extremely versatile; it's pink but it's nude, it's gold, but it's not... The gold microshimmer makes it for me. Without it it would be super boring but with it, it's just lovely. The gold adds a warmth that will look awesome with darker skin tones or if you're rocking a summer glow.   This is like a shimmering sands look. It's Gina approved.

The formula is ok, but beware, it can be streaky. Take your time applying this one to avoid brush strokes. It's on the frosty side so you know how those can be. Otherwise, I used two coats for full opacity and I think it looks great! 

So, do you dig it? I want to know what you think of this one! Let me know in the comments below! Have a beautiful day! 

Disclosure: This product was provided by PR for review purposes. All reviews are 100% honest and done at my discretion. For more information please see my Disclosure Policy. 

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OPI: What Wizardry is This? (Liquid Sand)

Hello beautiful readers. Happy Saturday! I hope you're all having a nice relaxing weekend. I am going to an Arbonne party tonight. I have never tried any Arbonne products so if any of you enjoy the brand let me know what your must haves are.

Today I want to show you a polish that was sent to me for consideration. This is What Wizardry is This? from the OZ Great and Powerful Collection that came out a couple months ago. This is a Liquid Sand finish, and it's super pretty! 

What Wizardry is This? is a deep bronze-y brown color with gold shimmer.  The gold shimmer in this is absolutely stunning. I just love the way this one looks on.  I am pretty positive that this would look amazing on every skin tone.

Application was easy as pie. I used two coats for full opacity. Being that it is a liquid sand finish it's a textured matte. I do not use a topcoat with these Liquid Sand polishes because I want to keep that textured matte finish. If you do use a top coat on these they will lose that matte and appear like any other shimmer. So you can wear these two ways! 

Love it or leave it?

Let me know your Arbonne suggestions in the comments. Have a nice weekend!

Disclosure: This product was provided by PR for review purposes. All reviews are 100% honest and done at my discretion. For more information please see my Disclosure Policy. 

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OPI: Honey Ryder

Hello friends! Happy Monday! I hope you all have a wonderful week ahead of you! Today I want to show you another OPI Liquid Sand color that was sent to me for consideration. This is Honey Ryder from the OPI Bond Girls Collection. This is a really pretty golden shimmering sand color. I love it! 

As with the other Liquid Sand polishes, this is a textured matte finish. I cannot get enough of these. I am so happy to see new colors in this finish! 

The formula was great. I had no issues with application whatsoever. You don't want to use a top coat with the Liquid Sand colors if you want to keep the matte textured finish, but these dry really quickly between coats so it's not really an issue.

  

What do you think of this one!?

Random Bits:

• Yesterday I spent all day cooking for the week. Let's hope this makes life a bit easier during the week. Here's what's on the menu: Baked Spaghetti Squash and Cheese from Skinny Taste (I just baked the squashes to make prep time less), Cilantro Lime Shrimp from Skinny Taste, Mediterranean Quinoa Salad from Skinny Taste for lunches this week, and while I was preparing all of those things I had Chicken a la Criolla simmering in the Crock pot, also from Skinny Taste. If you haven't checked out Skinny Taste and you love to cook, you should. Gina's blog is amazing (and who doesn't love the name Gina? LOL). 
• Saturday, the 27th, is my Birthday! We're going to NYC to see Wicked! We've seen it before but we're going with friends who haven't seen a Broadway show so we thought Wicked would be a great way to introduce them to Broadway.

Disclosure: This product was provided by PR for review purposes. All reviews are 100% honest and done at my discretion. For more information please see my Disclosure Policy. 

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OPI: When Monkeys Fly! Over Glints of Glinda

Hiya! I hope you all survived Monday! LOL! Since I showed you Glints of Glinda yesterday I thought i would show you When Monkeys Fly!  which I swatched over Glints of Glinda. (These were sent to me for consideration). When I saw this collection I really thought I would love the glitters, unfortunately they look 100X better in the bottle than they do on the nail. Major bummer!

When Monkeys Fly! is a bronze gold glitter with holo glitter suspended in a clear base. Unfortunately it does not transfer to the nail as nice as it looks in the bottle. The glitter particles are few and far between and difficult to disburse onto the nail. I hate when glitters require a million coats to show up because the clear base gets gunky and gross. It makes me sad that this did not work for me because the color in the bottle is really pretty. I even tried shaking, putting it upside down, putting it on its side... nada. Also, the large gold/bronze pieces that DO make it to the nail have a tendency to curl up and make a mess. Sad day for me.

Meh... it just disappointed me. Oh well! Have you had better luck with this glitter?

Disclosure: This product was provided by PR for review purposes. All reviews are 100% honest and done at my discretion. For more information please see my Disclosure Policy. 

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Zoya: Godiva

Happy Monday! Let's prepare for a great week! What are you all up to this week?

Today I have one of the Zoya Pixie Dust colors to show you. I have been waiting for these for a while and am so excited they are finally here. Pixie Dust polishes are textured matte sparkles and come in six colors. Zoya is retailing these for $9.00 each, which is $1.00 more than their standard polishes.

This is Godiva is a nude with white sparkles. It reminds me of a sugar cookie topped  with that really pretty shimmery sugar! It's just stunning!

The formula is a textured matte, like the OPI Liquid Sand Polishes. I used two coats for full opacity and skipped the top coat on this one to keep that texture and flat look. It's super easy to apply and dries quickly. I sit for a minute before applying the second coat, to make sure it all dries in a reasonable time - you don't want to end up with wet layer upon wet layer because then it will never dry.  I really did not think I was going to like this finish but I really do. It's so interesting and beautiful! 

Isn't she lovely? I am really a fan of this new trend. I am usually not a fan of the trendy nail polish that comes out (crackle, caviar) but this is a movement I can get behind. I really love the complexity of the polishes in this finish. Stay tuned this week for the rest of the Pixie Dust polishes! I am currently wearing Dahlia and loving it!

Have you tried any of the Pixie Dust polishes? What do you think of this trend? Which is your favorite? What do you think of this one!?

Disclosure: This product was provided by PR for review purposes. Share the Love Affiliate Links used. All reviews are 100% honest and done at my discretion. For more information please see my Disclosure Policy. 

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Prettily Inspired Polish (Etsy Store) Review

Hi everyone! Thanks for stopping by the blog today. I have three polishes to show you from an Etsy seller named Chelsea. Chelsea's store is called Prettily Inspired Polish and she hand mixes all of her 3-Free polishes in small batches. She's got an every changing variety of unique and fun, mostly glitter polishes. 

Up first is Kiss me at Midnight. This polish is a gold and blue micro-glitter along with small gold hex glitter and larger gunmetal hex glitter suspended in a sheer dark blue/green base. Boy is that a tough one to describe! It's got a lot going on. 

The jelly base on this one is super sheer but tinted that dark green/blue, almost grey color. You won't be able to build it up to a truly opaque state but it's more of a topper glitter anyway. The jelly base provides a high shine so it will look good over most any color you can think of. I put it on my bare nails for the swatch and over black on my ring finger to show you some variety. 

Next up is Starlet which Chelsea describes as containing "micro gold hex, small matte pink square, matte pink stars, medium red hex, large iridescent clear hex, and ultra-fine iridescent white glitters" in a bight pink jelly base. 

This one is really interesting and has a lot going on. I love the little pink star glitter particles. This is something really fun to throw on for Valentine's Day. This is two coats:

Last, but certianly not least is my favorite of the bunch and to me, the most unique: Lettuce Leaf. Chelsea describes Lettuce Leaf as containing "micro purple, small matte neon yellow hex, matte white square, medium matte neon green hex, and holo green square glitters in a clear base." I actually don't think this base is clear though. It's ever so slightly tinted highlighter yellow/neon green. I think the photo clearly shows that.  This is two coats:

I had no issues applying any of the polishes. Formula was consistent across the board, not too thick, not too thin. I found the larger glitter particles in all three of the polsihes to go on abundantly and evenly. Sometimes larger glitter sinks to the bottom of polishes, that did not happen with any of these three.

Chelsea sells these, and more, in her Etsy shop and a 15ml bottle will run you $9.95 USD which is a pretty standard indie rate. Be sure to stop by her Facebook page for more photos and occasional special offers. I really like all three of these polishes. I can tell Chelsea puts a lot of thought into creating these polishes. It's nice to see something unique on the market and it's fun to support small businesses. 

Disclosure: This product was provided by PR for review purposes. All reviews are 100% honest and done at my discretion. For more information please see my Disclosure Policy. 

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Happy Super Bowl Sunday 2013

Happy Superbowl Sunday! My husband has been a 49ers fan his entire life so today is a big day! 

Go Niners!

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Zoya: Piaf and Jacqueline (Lovely Collection Spring 2013)

Today I have two colors from the Zoya Lovely Collection for Spring 2013. But first I must vent:

Now, I have said it before, but find myself saying it a lot more lately, COME ON ZOYA, what is with these names?! Seriously, I am all for unique, but until you have Gina, which is relatively common, can you spare us the PIAF? Seriously, no offense if it's your name but I have never even heard it before. Weird!!! I looked up Piaf and apparently it is French and means "sparrow" and is a famous French singer. 

So here she is, Piaf. Piaf is a metallic spring yellow. At first I thought it was ugly but now, looking at my photos of it, I actually sort of like it. It's a really pretty color for spring, it's light and subtle. This reminds me of a little chick at Easter time.

The formula on this is a bit strange. Zoya calls it a metallic but to me, while it looks slightly metallic, it's more just textured. It's like it's got a ton of microshimmers embedded in the color. I think it makes for a pretty cool look.

The formula on this one is on the thick side. It goes on without problems though. I only needed two coats for full opacity, which is always a plus in my book. It dries really really fast, not that it matters when you use Seche Vite, but it's something to be mindful of when applying so it does not goop up on you. 

Next up is Jacqueline (a real name!!). This is a really nice, fully opaque creme nude. I love this one!!! I am a sucker for cremes, and nudes, so it's only natural I'd love this one.

This is a really nice and flattering nude, it's a beige/putty colored nude that I think works on a variety of skin tones. It's got no real pink undertones so it doesn't give us pale/olive toned girls lobster hands. This is the perfect wear to work color if you're in a highly conservative office environment.

The formula on this is a dream. I love it. It's the perfect creme consistency. I love cremes that are super shiny and this one fits the bill for me. I only needed two coats for opacity. The first coat was a bit streaky, but as you can see the second just made it perfect, and these photos are without the help of a topcoat so you can see it really applied just beautifully. 

So what do you think of these two? I am shocked by how much Piaf grew on me, well, not the name LOL. I love Jacqueline and I think she'll be in my normal rotation of polishes for sure.

Happy New Year to everyone around the World! I hope 2013 is a fantastic year for all of you. I hope to make the blog even better and more fun for all, stay tuned and thanks for making 2012 a great year. Love you all !

Disclosure: This product was provided by PR for review purposes. Zoya share the love affiliate links were used.  All reviews are 100% honest and done at my discretion. For more information please see my Disclosure Policy. 

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Sparkles by Julie: Santa's Bag over Black

Hello my pretties. Thanks for checking the blog today! I have a fun polish from a wonderful Etsy seller named Julie. This is Santa's Bag by Sparkles by Julie. It's such a fun festive glitter!

Santa's Bag is a red, green, gold and white glitter suspended in a clear base. I layered mine over black but make sure to check out the Etsy listing for it to see it over some more festive holiday colors.  The glitter in this is all different sizes and there are even some red hearts in there! I love it! It's everything you'd expect something called Santa's Bag to be! It's full of holiday cheer and love!!

Julie lives in the great state of Hawaii but her polishes make their way to you very quickly. This one is $8.00 which is a pretty standard indie price. I really love the look of this festive glitter.  What do you think of it? Guys, wait until you see the other fabulous polishes I have from Sparkles by Julie, you're going to flip over Graffiti! It's awesome!

Disclosure: This product was provided by PR for review purposes. All reviews are 100% honest and done at my discretion. For more information please see my Disclosure Policy. 

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OPI: The Spy Who Loved Me

Happy Friday ladies and gentlemen!  I hope you all have fun plans for the weekend. I have a packed weekend ahead with holiday parties and a trip to the "North Pole" with my nephew. This is my favorite family tradition that my parent's started when I was just a child and now I am passing it down to my husband's family and my nephew. There's a place not to far with an amazing old Steam Train. This time of year they transform the train into the North Pole Express and visitors get to see ride the train to the "North Pole" to pick up Santa and Ms. Claus. On the way to the "North Pole" elves sing and dance and pass out complimentary hot cocoa and cookies. Then once Santa is picked up he comes around and greets each and every child.  It's really adorable and I am so happy to be able to share one of my favorite childhood memories with my husband, brother in law, sister in law and nephew. Can't wait! 

Since Christmas is fast approaching I figured I'd show you all a red today. This is OPI's The Spy Who Loved Me and it's part of the Skyfall Collection. The Spy Who Loved Me is a lollipop red with some subtle gold micro-shimmer. The gold micro-shimmer is more detectable in the bottle than on the nail, once applied it blends in with the red and gives that lit from within glow. 

The formula on this is jelly like but not quite a full on squishy jelly. It's fairly sheer so I would say you'd do best with three coats on this one.  It's got a gorgeous high shine to it that makes it more special than the average red in my book.  While it can be considered a pretty festive red, I do think this works throughout the year and I would consider a color like this classic and safe for most situations. 

Application was beautiful like most OPI polishes. I had no issues at all other than it being a bit sheer which I think is intentional and actually adds to the lacquer's appeal. 

Want to win this beauty and the rest of the Skyfall Collection? Check out my giveaway here.

What are your plans for the weekend? Do you have any fun traditions like my North Pole trip?

Disclosure: This product was provided by PR for review purposes. All reviews are 100% honest and done at my discretion. For more information please see my Disclosure Policy. 

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