Jilltastic Blogger Mystery giveaway

Hey guys, there is another giveaway going on with 12 bloggers in all. This giveaway is to celebrate Jill from Jilltastic Nail design reaching 3,500 Facebook fans.

She really wanted to celebrate this milestone. We decided to have a Mystery giveaway. You won't know what you are winning until you receive your prize in the mail.

My prize is a polish and some extras. I'm so excited!! Are you?

Here are the other blogs that are participating:

Beauty Gnome
College Polished 
365 Days of Color
DIY Polish
Beyond Beauty Lounge
XO, Noelle
Jilltastic Nail Designs
Princess Polish
Manicurator
Peace Love Lacquer
Munchy's Nails

Go ahead and follow me via GFC for a head start! Don't forget to follow these blogs above as well!!

Must be 18 or older to enter.
Must LIKE and/or FOLLOW host facebook pages and blogs.
USA Only.. (sorry International followers) (see official terms and conditions below)

a Rafflecopter giveaway



Thanks for reading,
xoxo -Tamala

Takeover Thursday: Katie from Nails by Katie

Hello everyone! My name is Katie, and I'll be taking over the blog today! I'm SO excited to be doing this, I'm a huge fan of Tamala, and I can't thank her enough for letting me participate!

So before we get started, I'll tell you all a bit about myself. I'm pretty new to the whole beauty blogging scene, I just started up my blog about 3 months ago. I've been obsessed with nail polish my whole life, but I just got into nail art about 2 years ago when I kept seeing it everywhere, and instantly fell in love with it. It's quickly become a passion, and I'm hoping to go to school to get my Nail Technician's license soon. On my blog I post my nail art, swatches and reviews of new polishes I get, DIY manicures that I do (I'm a big DIY fan :p), and things like that.

You can find my blog at: http://www.nailsbykatieee.tumblr.com/

So again, a huge thank you to Tamala for letting me take part in this Takeover Thursday! Now on to the nails! ;)

So today I'm going to show guys a quick, easy way to make your own nail art decals! It's so simple that anyone can do it, and all the supplies you need are things you most likely already have around your house. Making your own decals is not only a cheaper alternative to buying them, but it gives you creative license to make them however you want them, and like I said, I'm a big DIY girl. :)

It's also perfect for those who are just getting into nail art, or those who have shaky hands.

Let's get started!

What you will need:

●Nail Polish of Your Choice

●Clear Top Coat & A Base Color

●Plastic Sandwich/Ziploc Bag

●Nail Polish Remover & Cotton Ball (optional)

●Craft/Hole Puncher

Step 1: Lay the plastic bag down on a flat surface, and quickly wipe it down with a cotton ball soaked in polish remover, and allow it to dry for a few seconds. 

This step is completely optional, but I find that I get better results when I do it because it removes any sort of oils or residue from the plastic.

Step 2: Using your base coat, paint a thin but opaque layer onto the bag and allow it to dry. 

You can use whatever color you prefer, or even a clear base coat, but I would recommend using white because it makes it easier to get your main colors opaque in a minimum amount of coats so that your decals don't come out too thick. I used Sinful Colors "Snow Me White."

Again, you could skip this step, but I would definitely recommend doing it so that your decals aren't too thin or sparse, especially if you are using multiple colors on one decal.

Step 3: Paint your color(s) over the base coat. Depending on the polish you're using, I would recommend doing 2-3 coats just to be sure it's completely opaque. This is the part where you get to get creative! You can use whatever colors and/or designs you want! You could do one solid color, multiple colors, layered colors, you could even top it off with a glitter top coat to make sparkly decals! I did multiple colors for mine. The colors I used where all Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear: "Twisted Pink," "The Real Teal," and "Celeb City."
Once you're finished your creation, gently place the bag on a flat surface somewhere out of harms way, and let it dry overnight.

Step 4: Gently peel the dried polish off of the plastic bag. Using your craft/hole puncher, punch out your decals!
Paint your nails however you'd like, I used Essie "Lapiz of Luxery" with Wet'N'Wild "Sparked" on the accent nail, and let them dry completely. It's super important that they are dry to the touch, so you don't mess up your nail polish when you place your decals.(Trust me, I learned that the hard way! :p)
Once your nails are dry, it's time to place your decals! Do this by postioning the decal on your nail the way you want it, and smooth it down so it lays flat on your nail. Seal it 1-2 coats of your clear polish, I used Sally Hansen Advanced Hard as Nails Strengthening Top Coat, let your nails dry, and you're finished! :)

The finished product is beautiful nail decals, that you made yourself out of real polish!
If you have a steady enough hand and detailing brushes, you can even cut out the hole puncher and freehand designs!
I know that there's a lot of tutorials like this out there, I by no means invented this idea, but I just thought I'd share so that anyone who hasn't seen it yet can give it a shot! Share the wealth and all that. :p
These decals come in super handy if you're like me and can't paint with your non-dominant hand to save your life, LOL. :p


Well, that's it for me! I hope you all enjoyed this tutorial! :)
If you did, you can check out my blog if you'd like! I'm just beginning so its a small little following, but it's a lot of fun! I'd love to answer any questions or feed back you might have.
Have a wonderful day, everyone! :)
~Katie

Links of where to find me:
My Blog: http://nailsbykatieee.tumblr.com/
My Blog Twitter: http://twitter.com/nailsbykatieee
Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/katiemichelle94/


Great Job Katie!! I may have to give this a try!! I knew there was a way to make your own, I just never kow how!! Thanks again.

Please don't forget to follow her on her above links!!

Thanks for reading,
xoxo -Tamala

w7 Salt n Pepper

Today's post is about another w7 polish! I'm so happy I was able to get these polishes! Yesterday's post was Lava Flow (here) and today's is Salt n Pepper. This polish is almost the same as Lava Flow, but there is no red added. Salt n Pepper is a white base with black matte glitter.

Salt n Pepper is adorable! I can see this polish also being called Chocolate Chip Or Cookies n Cream. It just reminds me of ice cream.

Take a look:

Black and white beauty

Salt n Pepper

I really like Salt n Pepper. I had no application issues. It was very easy to apply and I had no Formula issues. I was so happy to share Lava Flow and Salt n Pepper with you guys, but I've saved a blue one for last!!! Mosaic will be posted soon.

As I stated yesterday, w7 polishes are only available in the UK. I was lucky and the lovely blogger Louise at Painting Nails and Baking Scales from the UK was able to track down these polishes and send them to me. Thanks again.
What do you think of Salt n Pepper?

Please like, Share and Comment...

Thanks for reading,
xoxo -Tamala

(Salt n Pepper was purchased with my own money. See Disclaimer tab for full disclaimer.)

w7 Lava Flow

I am so happy to be able to show you this polish. When I first saw pictures of w7 polishes, I fell in love!! I immediately wanted Lava Flow, Salt n Pepper and Mosaic. Today, we will discuss Lava Flow. It is a gorgeous glitter polish. Lava Flow is a white base with small black and red glitters. The black glitters seem to have a matte finish, while the red glitters are shiny. I love the contrast.

Take a look:

Lava Flow has the same bottle shape as OPI and is easy to hold when polishing. Lava Flow has a good formula and easy application. I had no problems with this polish at all. It is very light and I was in love with my nails the moment I applied the polish.

The pictures show Lava Flow with two coats and no top coat.

I must say that I cannot wait to share Mosaic and Salt n Pepper with you guys. Until then drool over Lava Flow's gorgeousness!!

w7 polishes are only available in the UK as far as I know. I was lucky and lovely blogger Louise at Painting Nails and Baking Scales from the UK was able to track down these polishes and send them to me. Thanks again.

Please like, Share and Comment...

Thanks for reading,
xoxo -Tamala

(Lava Flow was purchased by me. See Disclaimer Tab)

OPI Strawberry Margarita

I don't like anything Strawberry. I don't like strawberries, strawberry flavored drinks, strawberry candy and so on. I think I may have finally found something strawberry that I like and guess what? It is a nail polish!! :-) Of course, it would be! OPI Strawberry Margarita caught my eye when I was browsing on Copious one day. I had a $10 credit and I really wanted this bright pink color. (if you aren't on Copious click HERE and receive a $10 credit just for signing up!!)

Strawberry Margarita is a bright pink polish. It is a creme and is very in your face, but that's why I like it. It is  a great summer color and wears really well. The first day I got this I immediately put it on. I loved the way it applied and I had no issues with the formula.

Take a look:

The pictures are beautiful and give a good representation of how this polish looks in person. I give OPI an 'A' for Strawberry Margarita.

Here's Strawberry Margarita as a base color for 365 Days of Color Glittercide (review here):

What do you think of Strawberry Margarita?


Thanks for reading,
xoxo -Tamala

(See Disclaimer tab for full disclaimer)

Guest spot ft ME!!

Hello Everyone!! I was a guest blogger for Love for Lacquer on June 20, 2012 and forgot to post a link here. Ooops!! Go check it out here!!

Thanks for reading,
xoxo -Tamala

Beautifying Nail Kit

Today's Fun Freestyle Friday post is dedicated to Dead Sea Premier Beautifying Nail Kit. Dead Sea Premier Beautifying Nail Kit is a stimulating beauty treatment for your nails. It is supposed to erase ridges and help your nails shine. It also is supposed to help reduce snagging, and help your nails stay in better condition in order to grow longer and stronger.

Have you heard of this kit?

The contents of the kit are as follows:

Buffing block
Handy and Body Cream
Mineral Rich Cuticle Oil
Nail File



The Mineral Rich Cuticle Oil is formulated to soften and condition cuticles. It helps the nails grow and helps with the shaping of the nail bed. Application: after buffering, apply cuticle oil to each cuticle.

The Nail File is like other nail files except Dead Sea Premier claims it smooths "away rough nail edges and shape your nail faster and easier than ever before."

The Hand and Body Cream is cream for your hands and body. It is light and glides on easily to allow your skin to breathe, which leaves the skin soft and supple. It is enriched with Dead Sea minerals and natural plant extracts to soften and smooth the skin. When used in combination with the Mineral Rich Cuticle Oil, it help to improve the flexibility of the nails and helps reduce flaking and breakage. Application: massage into your skin after bathing and throughout the day as often as required.

The Buffing Block has three different steps involved. It is a new high tech design buffer that help to bring gleam to the nails and stimulate blood circulation underneath the nails, which encourages healthy growth. Application: remove any nail polish from nails, wash your hands and dry them thoroughly

Step 1: The blue strip removes the lines, ridges and rough texture of your nails. Buff each nail back and forth for 2-3 seconds. Your nails should be smooth. Repeat every 4 weeks.

Step 2: The grey strip removes all remaining ridges and stimulates blood circulation. Buff each nail for 2-3 seconds. Repeat every few weeks as necessary.

Step 3: White side. This side is made out of silk. Buff each nail 5-10 seconds until you reach a glossy shine. This shine won't come off of your nails. 

I really like the Buffing Block and  Mineral Rich Cuticle Oil. I have been using this kit and I can definitely see a change in my nails. I really like how the Buffing Block leaves my nails shiny and cleans up the ridges. I really have a hard time with my nails sometimes because they always seem to flake and snag. This system is really helping with that. 

I like the way the Hand and Body Cream leaves my skin feeling, but I have to be honest and say I don't really like the smell. It's not overwhelming or too strong or anything like that. It's just a weird smell to me. 

If you have problems with your nails peeling, flaking or dry nails and cuticles, I would advise to give Dead Sea Premier Beautifying Nail Kit a try. It will help with these issues. You can find Dead Sea Premier on Facebook and their website. This kit retails for $39.99 and has more scents!

My nails are a working progress, but I will show you guys my two favorite naked nails :-)

Do you see the shine? This is from the kit. 

(My pinky nail is still a little yellow from a polish that stained it and my pointer nail is coming along.) 

Thanks for reading,

xoxo -Tamala

(Dead Sea Premier Beautifying Nail Kit was sent to me for review. See the Disclaimer tab for my complete Disclaimer.)

Takeover Thursday: Jessica from Sparkle and Shine Nails

Dupe-finder: OPI Glitzerland vs. Julep Sienna

Hello lovelies! Thank you, Tamala at Tall Girl in Heels, for letting another tall girl take over your page :-).

For those of you that don’t know me, my name is Jessica, and I have been running the blog Sparkle and Shine Nails since March of this year. My interest in nail polish probably started a year before that, thanks to a good friend of mine whose stash far outnumbers mine, hehe. Besides the blog, I am a graduate student wanting to be a professional school counselor. I think Harry Potter is the best book series EVER, and I have a very wonderful husband who encourages me in everything I do, including my addiction :-). 

So now that you know a little about me, I want to share a little something with you. A month or so ago, Ulta had a sale on OPI polishes, where if you bought two, you got an Ulta-exclusive OPI polish free. I didn’t have a pale gold polish yet, I love OPI’s formula, so I bought Glitzerland.  Glitzerland came out with the Swiss collection in the fall of 2010, but can still be found with OPI’s regular line. It’s a very pretty pale golden shimmer-borderline-foil polish, unlike any gold I had.

Fast-forward two months, and I find a nice blog sale with some decently priced Julep polishes (only $3!!). I have never owned Julep polishes before because of price.  So I came across Julep Alfre (lavender metallic frost), ordered it…and got Julep Sienna by accident. Sienna is another pale golden shimmer- foil polish, very similar to Glitzerland (hence the reason I ordered Alfre instead. Though as a side note, the blog owner was FABULOUS, and sent me Alfre for free, allowing me to keep both Julep polishes!)

I know there many a polish-girl who will own very similar polishes, which is very helpful for polish-girls like myself, who for whatever reason (mine being finances) don’t want dupes in their stash. However, when you do have colors that you believe are dupes, you have the chance to tell girls who want a certain color which polish is a better deal or better formula. In this case, for someone looking for a nice pale gold foil-finish polish, here are two options for you :-).

First, here’s the bottle shot:

As you can see, in the bottle with no flash and artificial light, they are very close. Sienna does look a little paler and less shimmery than Glitzerland. Next test is on the nail, so below I will present the colors with one coat, two coats, then three coats. There is no base or top coat on any of these, to help give an accurate representation of the actual color.

one coat flash

one coat natural 

two coats flash

two coats natural

three coats flash

three coats natural

And here’s one last picture of it from a little further away, to give an idea from afar how similar or different the colors are.

Okay, here’s the lowdown on colors, formula, and bottle/brush. Then you can decide which polish you prefer!

Color: While the colors are similar, they are NOT identical. Sienna is more champagne-colored than Glitzerland. If you were to compare the pictures TO a bottle of champagne, Sienna is the liquid and Glitzerland is the golden foil wrap around the top of the bottle. But the colors ARE similar.

Formula: Both polishes have a thin, slightly running formulas. If you aren’t careful, there may be a little pooling around the cuticles, and with a foil finish like that, the chances of streaking are high.  However, as you can tell in the pictures, Glitzerland is more sheer than Sienna, even though the color is darker. Sienna was opaque in two coats, whereas Glitzerland had a slight visible nail line at two coats and needed the third to completely cover. 

Bottle/brush: The OPI brush is hands down one of the easiest brushes to use and apply polish with. The Julep brush wasn’t bad, though, just smaller.  The OPI bottle is also much fuller than the Julep bottle. OPI standard bottle size is 0.5 oz., while Julep is only 0.27 oz. In terms of bottle size and retail price, OPI generally retails $8.50, while Juelp retails $14, so compared to the amount provided, Julep costs much more (but does offer deals like the Maven program).

After seeing these two polishes together and getting a little info, which one do you prefer? Let me know at the following:

Blogger: http://sparklesandshinenails.blogspot.com/

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/SparkleAndShineNails

Email: sparkleandshinenailz@gmail.com

And once again, thank you Tamala for letting me take over!

-Jessica (Sparkle and Shine Nails)

Great post Jessica! I really like how you gave us the low down on the possible dupe here. Thanks again for taking over today. :-)

Thanks for reading,
xoxo -Tamala

365 Days of Color: End of the Rainbow Collection

Today, I'm am very excited to bring you two new colors by 365 Days of Color End of the Rainbow Collection. I was very excited to receive Too Pink to Function and Glittercide! How adorable are those names. Both were easy to work with and I had no application issues.

Glittercide

Glittercide is a colorful glitter top coat. It has small multi-colored glitters that include red, blue, green, gold and silver.  Glittercide has great coverage. I never had to fish for glitter. The Glitter was on the brush with no issues at all. 

Pictures show Glittercide over OPI Strawberry Margarita:

One coat of Glittercide

One coat of Glittercide

Two coats of Glittercide

Two coats of Glittercide

Glittercide can be used on its own or with a base color.

Too Pink To Function

Too Pink to Function is love! I adore this polish. I cannot stop looking at my nails. They truly are gorgeous.  Too Pink to Function is a pink base with blue shimmer, different glitter shapes and colors that range from blue, green, red, orange and purple. Too Pink to Function is definitely a girly-girl's dream polish!!

The pictures below show two coats of Too Pink To Function and no top coat. My husband said my nails look like candy :-).

 

Sunny over at 365 Day of Color has already began selling the End of the Rainbow Collection. Her Facebook page is here and Bigcartel store is here!

Head over now because these are still available. Other colors include: My little Cuppy Cake, Head Peach in Charge and Soak up the Sun.


Thanks for reading,
xoxo -Tamala

(Too Pink to Function and Glittercide were sent to me for an honest review. All opinions are mine.)

Pomegranate Nail Lacquer

Today's post is all about Pomegranate Nail Lacquer. I saw a post about this polish and instantly felt I needed to try it. This company has great polishes!!

Per their website, "Pomegranate Nail Lacquer is high-quality, long-wearing, chip-resistant nail polish made in the USA. We offer gorgeous, juicy colors in a variety of finishes.

Safety is important to us. Our polish is "4-free," meaning it contains no toluene, formaldehyde, dibutyl phthalate (DBP) or camphor. 

We love animals, too. Our products are cruelty-free: not tested on animals."

 Today, I will be reviewing Enchanted Lagoon and Princess of Persia. 

Enchanted Lagoon is a bright pea green. This polish has a great application and I really fell in love with it. Enchanted Lagoon is a creme polish that I thought I'd never like, not because it is a creme, but due to the color. I like green polishes, but this is a green I would normally stay away from. It is surprisingly gorgeous.

In the pictures, I used 2 coats and no top coat.

The finish on Enchanted Lagoon was smooth. There isn't a need for a top coat to smooth out the texture or to give it a nice shiny look. Enchanted Lagoon does that on its own.

Up next is Princess of Persia. Princess of Persia is a hot pink color with a pink shimmery finish. The application on this beauty was great as well and I received so many compliments when I wore her. No complaints on Princess of Persia at all.

The pictures of Princess of Persia also show two coats and no top coat.

Simply gorgeous!! The shimmer is so beautiful in the sunlight.

I decided to add an accent to each of these colors using the other color. Check them out:

Enchanted Lagoon with Princess of Persia lines added to the ring finger.

Princess of Persia with Enchanted Lagoon dots added to the ring finger.

 What do you think of Princess of Persia and Enchanted Lagoon? 

Pomegranate Nail Lacquer retails for $9 on their website. They can be found on Facebook Twitter and Pinterest.

Thanks for reading,

xoxo -Tamala


(Enchanted Lagoon and Princess of Persia were sent to me to review for my honest opinion. All opinions are my own. Check out the Disclaimer tab for more information)

Purple Pulse

Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure Purple Pulse is a lovely dark bubble gum grape-purple with a hidden surprise of tiny pink, purple and royal blue shimmer. I thought this was a great take on the whole grape-purple colors I've been seeing lately. Most grape-purples have been purple cremes. Purple Pulse adds a beautiful shimmer and the combination is awesome.

Purple Pulse has the great spatula brush for easy application. The formula was also great. I have no complaints about this polish. I really liked it.

I took the pictures this way so you would be able to see the shimmer. Can you see the shimmer in the pictures? I love it! I'd definitely recommend going out to you local drug store and picking up Purple Pulse. She doesn't disappoint!!

Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure polishes can be found at your local drugstores. They retail for about $7 or so. (You may also like: Calypso Blue)

Thanks for reading,
xoxo -Tamala

(Purple Pulse was sent to me to review. All opinions are my own.)