Guest Post Over At Emma's Space

This link  will take you over to a guest post I created for Emma over at Emma's Space. Emma is another lovely girl I met in those a Facebook groups I've told you about. Emma has been away this week working on preparations for the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. How cool is that!

Go take a look at the post and have a great day!

Cheers all,

American Horror Story Collection, Ruby White Tips Launch Today!

Just wanted to let you guys know that the Ruby White Tips American Horror Story Collection launches today on Etsy at this Link. I'm partial to this collection because it was the first I was given the opportunity to review for, so I thought I'd blast this out there. It really is fabulous as well. Go check out the whole collection, but my fave is Supreme!

As a refresher, below are the pics from my reviews of Rubber Man with and without micro glitter!

Hope you guys all check out the collection. Laura was super kind, and a dream to work with!

Cheers all

Born Pretty Water Decals!

I'm currently working on relationship building with a few select brands, one of which is the born pretty store. They let me know about a current promo that's on until January 25th and offered my readers this 10% off promo code! UNGX31

This is the Born Pretty Link to the promotion.
I myself checked it out and am pretty excited about the bunny's, laces and sugar skulls. The cost on most of these is down to $.88, so it's definitely worth a look see ladies.

Hope you don't mind me sharing this deal with you, but its a steal!

Cheers all,

Laquerlicious Shoreline Cruise with Freehand Sailboat Nail Art

This is another fab polish from Laquerlicious called Shoreline Cruise. This is only one coat over two coats of Naby Sky. I adored the glitter combo in this polish. All blues, greens and yellows in a huge mix of shapes and sizes. I think this would be super versatile over dark polishes, but even more so in the spring. It's just so fresh feeling.

For the art I decided to use the polish name literally as my inspiration, and I'm glad I did. This is exactly the kind of nail art I like when other people do it, so I'm kind of proud. I've been preparing a bunch of freehand the last few days, so I hope you will look forward to seeing them.

For the sunset and water I used the following,

Sally Hansen White on as the base.
Naby Sky and Sation It's all Navy Baby for the water.
NYX Fierce Purple, Avon Painted Peony and OPI Shop Til Sunset for the sunset.
The island and boat were done on the horizon line with black acrylic.

This last photo is indirect sunlight.

Any requests for specific freehand? I'd be happy to be challenged, just comment below!

Cheers All,

Laquerlicious Melted Ice Cream, and Nail Art

Just a quick and adorable one , if I do say so myself!

This is a base of NYC Lexington Yellow. Then I went over it with one coat of Melted Ice Cream by Laquerlicious over top. I also added two fingers of acrylic lilac paint stripes to keep practicing my striping. The first pass of each stripe left them fading out towards the end. I really liked the look, so I simple went in for a second pass at one end of each, and left the opposing ends faded.

You can see on a couple spots where this particular glitter topper was a little thick, especially after top coat. Next time I would thin this down a bit. All in all I loved the look.

Cheers All,

Purple Gradient Stamping, Ruby White Tips Time Of Our Lives Accent

These were quick and lovely, my favorite! These base polishes were Sally Hansen Diamond Strength All Aglow and Crystal Beading. I've used them before for base gradients because I can just use the brushes for the gradient. The line isn't too harsh between the two once I add art over top. The white nail is Sally Hansen White On with Ruby White Tips Time Of Our Lives on top for my glitter accent finger.

Stamping was done with Bundle Monster Plate BM-314 and Konad Special White.

These were one of those rare ones that you wear and don't want to remove after a day. I think I wore them for three days!

Cheers all,

Lac Attack Amortentia, Valentines Beauty

I wanted to start giving you options for what to wear at Valentines! I love Valentines, but even though some folks don't, we can still all have fab looking nails for the holiday. I plan to give you a few looks over the next few weeks, maybe even an anti-valentines look for those who'd like to go that route.

I started with a simple Layering look. No nail art skill needed, but definately Valentines appropriate. This is one coat of Lac Attack Amortentia over China Glaze High Voltage. My favorite neon pink.

The next Valentines look is vintage roses, and I loved the look and hope you will too. I'll post those for you soon, along with some non Valentines related goodies!

Cheers All,

Ruby White Tips, Misfit Toys

Hello all!

Today I have another swatch from Ruby White Tips with some art at the end. This amazing polish is called Misfit Toys. It was launched around Christmas and then reformulated into a wet holo version as well. I have that wet holo version for you today.

First things first, I never really liked holo's because they always ended up dragging on the second coat and showed every imperfection and dip in my nails. Let me say this polish had ZERO FORMULA PROBLEMS! This was perfection! The manicure is two coats of Misfit Toys over a base of light grey.

Up first is a shot under my pot lights. I always head straight for these if I need to look at a holo....or jewelry!

Below I stamped on some clouds from BM-312 and used Konad White!

I really can't say enough about this polish. It went on like butter and as you can see the holo flare was pretty spectacular! This polish was another sent to me for review from Ruby White Tips and you can find this and many other lovlies at their Etsy page linked here.

This last photo was just me goofing around with bottle shots. I've been working a bit on showing you guys more since the New Year rolled around. Hope you enjoy the new look so far.

You'll also find an Inlinkz below for other girls participating in a very casual challenge. This weeks prompt was weather, so that's why we had those cute little clouds stamped.

Cheers All,

Liebster Awards

So it's Liebster award time, and I was chosen for my very first time by both Emma of Emma's Space and of Emma of  Saucy Nails to be a part of it. Check out both Emma's blog when you have a chance. Both are very nice fellow bloggers I met in one of my Facebook Blogger groups. Saucy Nails even started out her journey at the same time as me in August.

If you have a blog, you should definitely look into these Facebook groups. They are an amazing resource and great place to network with fellow bloggers. I've met many wonderful girls.

Now on to the award. So what is a Liebster Award? It's a blogger to blogger award. You are nominated by and in turn nominate blogs you feel deserve recognition and have in this case 200 followers or less. Emma chose me among 11 other bloggers for this award, and I in turn choose 11 bloggers. There is also a small questionnaire attached so that your readers can get to know you better.

In case your curious, when I googled it The definition of the word Liebster in German came up in the search at it means sweetheart, darling or beloved!

Below are the answers to bot sets of questions!


Here are the first questions:

1. How long have you been blogging for? Only since August 23 of 2013. It was my birthday present to myself to start a blog as a creative outlet and mommy break!
   
2. Where is your favourite place to blog (eg bedroom, train..)? In my kitchen when my small fry is napping with a coffee is ideal, but it's been known to take a whole day off and one to get a post done if its a busy day.
   
3. Have you met anyone famous? Were they nice, or not? No, but I almost got to interview Sean Connery when I was in journalism school. He ended up being too busy for us.
   
4. Do you play any musical instruments? Nope, not at all...ever! I'm in no way musical, but I love to dance.
   
5. Do you have any pets? What are they, and what are they called? I have a large fish tank filled with about 40 cychlids. Cychlids are the most beautiful fresh water fish you can get. I am a boxer person though. We've had three.
   
6. What is your favourite sport/sportsperson/sports team? I'm not really a sports fan for watching. But I played everything under the sun in school. Field Hockey, Soccer, Competitive Swimming, Rugby, Track...etc.
   
7. What is your favourite colour of nail polish to use? OOOOh, I'm a huge fan of polishes in my two fave colours. Tourqoise and Coral.
   
8. Post a link to your favourite manicure post, and a reason why (if you don't have a mani post, your favourite post will do!)? My recent fave!          
9. What is the best make up tip you have received/heard of? I jut got a brand new manicure stamping tip today. Roll and stick a piece of tape to the surface you are working on and tap your stamper on it between stamps. Takes all left over polish off the stamper without needing acetone.
   
10. If you could only use 3 make up products for 1 year, which 3 would you pick? Ummmmm, Nail Polish, Acetone and Eye Liner!
    
11. Where do you see yourself in 10 years time? A hockey or sports mom of two active teen boys with a continuing manicure infatuation and a loving husband.
12. Three unknown facts I'd like to share. I'm in my mid thirties, and have been with my husband since we were 16! I love movies and cuddling up on the couch to watch them. I can do the cup song thing that's all over YouTube! 

Here are the second set of questions:

 1. What inspired you to start your blog? I thought, 'I can do this, I'm creative and have a multimedia educational and career background. Now that I'm a stay at home mom I wanted this outlet for myself. A space to be girlie, artistic, creative and talk with other grown-ups with similar interests. I hope to never lose the community aspect of this hobby. I don't have many women in my life, so this also gives me a sense of the feminine that was missing in my life. 

2. When did your love for nail polish/ nail art begin? My son asked me to do Halloween nails two Halloween's ago and my love of nail art was born

3. Do you practice your talent on anyone (family/ friends etc.)? My good friend Rachel is a huge support for me in my nail obsession, and I repay her this support in all the manis she wants. I also do manis for my bestie and her adorbs daughter, as well as my 14 year old neighbour who gets me to do special occasions for her. 

4. What is your blogs goal. Or is it just for fun? It's mainly for fun, but I don't ever do anything half way so I hope to someday be well received and loved  by a larger audience. 

5. Who was the first person (blog) you followed? Kelsie of Kelsie's Nail Files. I just fell in love with blogs because of her and she's also a fellow Canadian. 

6. What is your go to polish? and why is that your first pick? I don't have one. I'm an equal opportunity user. I do have a few I return to as bases for art, but I use what I want to wear. 

7. Do you have multiple polishes of a single color (so you never run out)? if so what is it? No, my stash isn't this large. 

8. If you had the chance to create a polish what would be the shade and name for it? It would have to be my blog colours in an Indie style crelly with small glitters and I would call it Lady Maid.

9. What does your spouse, family, friends think of your addiction? My friends chuckle, my husband thinks I'm certifiable...almost!!

10. What do you prefer. Stamping or free hand and why? I'm good and freehand now, but go back and forth. There are some looks that are just better with a stamp, and with practice anyone can master it. 

11. What nail technique would you say you have mastered since starting your blog? Freehand, stamping and gradients. I'm pretty slick with these, but water marbles still beat me every time!!

Here are my questions:

1. How long have you been blogging for?
2. Where is your favourite place to blog (eg bedroom, train..)?
3. Have you met anyone famous? Were they nice, or not?
4. Do you play any musical instruments?
5. Do you have any pets? What are they, and what are they called?
6. What is your favourite sport/sportsperson/sports team?
7. What is your favourite colour of nail polish to use?
8. Post a link to your favourite manicure post, and a reason why (if you don't have a mani post, your favourite post will do!)?
9. What is the best make up tip you have received/heard of?
10. If you could only use 3 make up products for 1 year, which 3 would you pick?
11. Where do you see yourself in 10 years time?
12. Three unknown facts you would like to share!

I tag:

Aimsobsession.blogspot.com

Boomshakalacquer.com

Kansasnailgraffitiblog.blogspot.com

Teeterttaughttips.blogspot.ca (my  good friends soon to launch blog)
http://partlycloudywithachanceoflacquer.blogspot.ca/
http://www.teetertaughttips.blogspot.ca/

I may add a few folks to this list as my much longer list got edited down by everyone having just over the 200 follower threshold!

Thanks for all the support everyone and for this long read!
(Oh and I apologize for the weird formatting in this post...what is going on!!!!)

Cheers all,

Ruby White Tips, Rubber Man 2 Review, Swatch and Art Test

This is the second part of the eview for Ruby White Tips Rubber Man...because...it comes in two versions!! One with the micro glitter I reviewed for you last post and this one without glitter.

Now I'm a glitter girl for sure, but this one won my heart in the contest between the two. It's equally squishy and has a great formula too, but this one spoke to me more. I loved that the warmer version of this is slightly pinker, and I loved that it was like liquid jello for the fingers and that the transition was even more spectacular! It's just such a cool polish!

Above you will find the warm, and below the cold transition.

Please ignore the greasy finger prints above, I've since learned to quickly wipe the bottle since my hands are oily when taking these photos.

Transitions are a little more difficult to capture, but I think these two pictures above capture it pretty well. As a bonus I did some quick art/striping practice so you can see how cool a thermal is with a little something on top. Do not be afraid to use your thermals for art ladies!

Above is warm, below is cold.

As before Laura's marvelous creations can be found on ETSY here and use coupon code LADYMAID you'll get 10% off till March 31.

Cheers all,

Ruby White Tips, Rubber Man Review and Swatch

So folks this is it, my first official swatch and review for an Indie!!! Squuuuuuueeeeeeeeel!
Ok now all business. (Squeal!)
Ok, really!

This squishy jelly thermal polish is from the soon to be released American Horror Story Collection from Ruby White Tips. The lovely and talented Laura Toff was willing to take the chance and let me review this, so here goes!

This is two coats of Rubber Man followed by two coats of KB Shimmer Quick Dry for shine. As with other thermals, this goes on better in thin coats. Laura actually created two versions of this polish and the one in the pictures below is the one with fine micro glitter. In some light these glitters look black in others they fire reddish and copper. In all lights this is lovely.

The above shot is the cold transition of this, or as cold as I could capture indoors. Outdoors this was almost black. In general I find the cold version to be in the brown family.

The above two are the warm transition. I find this kind of a coppery colour...but at it's lightest it's almost pink. (I think I just decided that a thermal is a more difficult review for your first!)

These last two show the amazing and dramatic transition.

This last is a bottle shot in sunlight.
So, what does everyone think of this one? Personally I can't wait to see the rest of the collection...I may have heard there is a hot hot pink in there...or that could be a rumor.

Laura's marvelous creations can be found on ETSY here and use coupon code LADYMAID you'll get 10% off till March 31.

Cheers all,