Frosty the Snowman Nails

Hi everyone! This is a design inspired by a post by thatleanne  I saw her design and just had to try it myself. I used China Glaze's Sea Spray for the base and China Glaze's Snow Globe for the glitter, and then for the white I used China Glaze's Snow, for the black I used Color Secret's Little Black Book, for the green I used Essie's Pretty Edgy and the orange I used Sally Hansen's Sun Kissed. I am slowly but surely getting better at this  nail art thing.

Hope you enjoy!!! Head over to thaleanne's blog to see how to do this, step by step. If I can do it, so can you! 

As always, thanks for stopping by and taking the time to read my blog (and to comment, I love comments). It means a lot to me! I hope you have a fantastic holiday, whatever holiday you celebrate! 

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Rudolph Nails!

I am so excited to share these festive nails with you! I saw a bunch of similar designs online and on Instagram and I just had to try them! I don't do a lot of nail art but I am really happy with how these came out! 

I used the following colors: China Glaze Ruby Deer, a White Striper, China Glaze Snow, Zoya Chantel, Nuber Toasted Marshmallow, China Glaze Dance Baby, Color Secrets Little Black Book, and Essie Little Brown Dress. 

  

So what do you think? I am really excited about them! Please let me know if you've done any cool holiday nails.

Disclosure: Some of the products were  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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Last Minute, Easy to Find, Stocking Stuffer Ideas

Hello everyone! I hope you're all doing well and for those who celebrate, I hope you're ready for Christmas. If you're not all done with shopping don't fret, I have a few suggestions for last minute stocking stuffers that should be pretty easy to find. These are a few of my favorite tried and true items and I would love to see any of these in my stocking. This post is not sponsored in any way. I used promotional images from the official websites, I did not take these photos. 

First up is CND Solar Oil. This is a fantastic product that works hard to keep your cuticles and nails looking fresh and hydrated in the cold weather. 

I use this all times of the year as my go to cuticle oil. After removing a manicure, filing and buffing my nails, I slather this all over my nails and cuticles, rub it in for a minute or two then wash it off. If I am feeling super dry I will put some on and keep it on (just using a little less than I would during a manicure). 

This stuff smells divine, like sweet almond oil. It's absolutely beautiful smelling. 

You can pick this up at CVS for around $8.00 to $10.00 depending on your location. 

Photo Credit: CND.com

Next up is my favorite hand lotion from Bath and Body Works. This is the True Blue Spa Shea Cashmere & Silk Hand Cream.  This retails for around $10 from Bath & Body Works but right now it's going for $6.00 in stores and online.

This is one of the best hand creams I have ever tried. It smells amazing, like vanilla and almond with a touch of sandalwood. It's quite a sexy scent. Be warned though if you're sensitive to strong scents you may not like this. The scent will last through several hand washings and lingers for quite some time. I love that but it may be a turnoff for some of you. 

This is one of the only hand creams I can tolerate on my hands. It sinks in quickly and doesn't leave my hands feeling greasy, just insanely moisturized. I love love love the feeling of this cream on my hands and rarely use other hand creams. Nothing has compared to the scent and feeling of this one. It's a real winner in my book. 

 Photo Credit: Bathandbodyworks.com

Next up is the world's greatest quick drying top coat. I cannot live without this in my collection, I just can't. I keep several back ups of it available at all times.

This is a quick drying, high shine top coat that has become a cult favorite though out the years. I have yet to find a top coat to live up to the expectations this has created. It will seriously change your nail polishing life. I swear. It makes giving yourself a manicure so much faster as it cuts down on drying time. The result? Perfect nails in no time flat.

If you haven't tried this, trust me, you need it. It's not a luxury, it's a necessity.

You can find this at CVS, Sally Beauty Supply and a few other similar stores for around $6.99 - $9.99 depending on your location. 
Photo Credit: Seche.com

Next up is a good old lip smacker lip balm in plain ol' vanilla. I have lip balms that I love more than this one but we're talking last minute stocking stuffers so I wanted to suggest a great product that was easy to find in a snap.  I've seen Lip Smacker products anywhere for CVS and Walmart to my local grocery store.

I love the good old classic  vanilla lip smacker. It's actually a pretty great quality balm to have in your purse. It's super moisturizing, smells and tastes great and only costs around $1.75.  I think this little balm would make anyone happy from your little sister to your mom. Can't beat classic.

Photo Credit: Lip Smacker

And last, but most certianly not least is a stocking stuffer for the reader in your life. I know all of my lovely followers are into beauty but I am sure there are some on your Christmas lists that just are not. Well if they are into books, and I mean books, not Kindles LOL, they will love love love my favorite book marks from "Last Line".

I have mentioned these on my blog before but I just love them and wish more people knew about them. They are the best bookmarks and never fall out. They clip to the side of your page and allow you to mark exactly where you left off last time you read.

I get mine at Barnes and Noble for around $1.99 for a two pack. They come in a variety of fun colors too.  I can never have enough of these lying around!

So that's all I have for you today but I hope it helps you make those stockings a little more full this year. 

What are your favorite items to stuff stockings with? 

Images are promotional images and were not taken by me. I have not received any of these products for free  they are just things I love and use.  This post is not sponsored in any way. 

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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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Easy and Festive Holiday Nail Art

Hi Everyone! Today I have some fun and festive holiday nails to share with you. Excuse my dry skin in the photos, that's what happens when it is freezing! Last week I painted my nails white, which is something I rarely do. I actually really liked the look of just the stark white but after a day and 1/2 I got tried of it and decided to jazz it up a bit. Here's what I came up with, and it couldn't be easier. 

The white for the base is OPI's Alpine Snow, I used three coats for the opacity shown. I used these dotting tools from Born Pretty to go in and create the dots.  I went with the following festive colors all by China Glaze, Phat Santa, Jolly Holly, Ruby Dear and Mistletoe Kisses. All I did was go in with a few different sized dotting tools and randomly placed the dots on the top and middle of my nails. It could not be simpler. I just take a thick piece of paper and place a tiny dab of the color I want to dot onto the nail. I do this one at a time to avoid the nail polish drying. Then I dot away. 

I think the end result is pretty cool, if I do say so myself. This takes no real nail art skills just some time, and honestly not much of it. 

What do you think of these nails for the season? 

Take a look at a similar design by Heather (Kira) at Peace, Love and Polish. Great minds think a like!!! How funny !! Thanks for sharing in the comments Heather! 

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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Nicole by OPI: A Gold Winter's Night

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas! Today I have a festive color from Kardashian Colors to share with you. This is A Gold Winter's Night. It's got tons of silver, holo and gold bar glitters suspended in a clear base. 

Now I am going to be honest with you all. I don't like bar glitter. I just don't. I know it's popular  but you know what? Crackle was popular too and I didn't like that either. It's a matter of personal taste and I just don't dig it. That doesn't take away from the nail polish as a product, it's just not a product I am interested in buying.

That said, the formula on this is nice. While the glitter is suspend in a clear base it is quite densely packed and if you did more than the two coats I show below I don't even think you'd need a colored base. This would however go nicely with a gold base coat or even silver. The glitters are fun and festive, mostly gold with some holo glitter particles dispersed  those have a nice sparkle when the light hits them. 

While this isn't my cup of tea it doesn't mean other beauty fanatics won't be drooling over this holiday lacquer. It's a nice take on holiday glam, a little less obvious than green or red. 

What do you think of this one? what do you think of Bar Glitter in general. Let me know in the comments below.

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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Nicole by OPI: Kardashing Through the Snow

Hello there by beautiful readers. Happy Wednesday, we're almost to the weekend! Hang in there, just keep swimming! We got some snow yesterday where I am, wet icky snow. Yuck! I really do not like winter in Connecticut. Honestly, I need to just move already to somewhere warm!!! Where would you live if you could choose anywhere in the world? More realistically though, where would you live if you could pick any US state?

Onto the nail polish. Today I have one of the Kardashian Kolors holiday offerings. This is Kardashing Through the Snow. Nicole by OPI calls this a multi-hue glitter. When I saw the promo images for this one I was excited, it looked amazing. I didn't realize it was going to be so sheer! I wanted to swatch this one on my bare nails to show you the true color and finish but to me, this is most definitely a topcoat. I think this would look nice over green, white or red for the holiday season, maybe even a nice silver.

The glitter in this one is suspended in a clear base and is pretty fine in nature. It's got that glitter grit thing going on but a nice thick topcoat will take care of that that right away. 

Overall, it's just "meh" to me. I will play around with it for some holiday looks but I am not overly excited about this one. 

What do you think?

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: Aurora

Hi everyone! I hope you're all doing well! Today I have another polish from Zoya's Ornate collection to show you. I am telling you, if you get one collection in its entirety this season let this one be it! Each color in this collection is absolutely gorgeous! 

This is Aurora which, incidentally, is the name of my favorite Disney Princess, Sleeping Beauty! Zoya describes Aurora as "a full coverage, medium sugarplum purple flecked with a high concentration of micro fine diamond holographic glitter. The rainbow holographic sparkle turns this plum purple into something truly captivating." This color is absolutely stunning. The holo microglitter is just beautiful!

I needed only two coats for full opacity on this one. I usually take photos right after I do my nails but this is after a day of wear. I didn't have the time to photograph them when I normally do. I think the polish still looks perfect!!

What do you think of this one? Aren't the Ornate polishes simply beautiful!?

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

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Happy Halloween with Camo Nails

Hi everyone! Happy Halloween. It's been an interesting few days here in Connecticut due to Hurricane Sandy but my area was not hit too hard and everyone is okay! I can't say the same for friends in New Jersey and New York but at least they are all ok, even if their homes are damaged and they are without power. We got lucky, we only lost power for 2-3 hours on Monday night and nothing was damaged.  Please know all of you who were in the way of Sandy are in my thoughts as you rebuild and recover. 

Happy Halloween nonetheless. Steve and I went to a Halloween party on Saturday night and I was an army chick (lame, I know) so I did some camouflage nail art to match my costume.  I can't take credit for the color ideas, I used the colors DandyNails used in this Youtube Tutorial. Thanks Dandynails! It was super simple.

Here's a list of colors: 

1. Base: OPI Uh-Oh Roll Down the Window

2. Sephora by OPI: Caught with my Khakis Down

3. OPI: Get in The Espresso Lane

4. Rimmel 10 + Minerals:  Black Satin

5. China Glaze: Matte Magic

All I did was paint all nails with OPI's Uh Oh Roll Down the Window then, using a dotting tool I drew in the lines all over with the different colored polishes until I got my desired look. Then I topped it all with China Glaze's Matte Magic because I feel like matte just made way more sense than shiny would. Couldn't be simpler. 

So what do you think of my Halloween costume inspired manicure? I am not good at nail art so this is about as creative as I get. I am trying to get better to keep the blog interesting but I am just not an artist. ;-)

On a semi-related note: I cannot stand how matte nails feel! I don't know what it is but they freak me out! I am such a weirdo!

What are your plans for Halloween? I want to know your Halloween traditions! Halloween in New England is usually amazing but these last two years have been a huge bummer due to weather. I know lots of areas around me have cancelled Halloween for safety reasons in light of Hurricane Sandy. I feel so bad! It's the second year around me that Trick-or-Treating has been cancelled. Last year we had a huge snowstorm  These kids can't catch a break!!!   Whatever you all decide to do have fun and be safe! 

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