Winstonia Store Nail Foils Review

I have another review to share with you all today! I also received some nail foil from the Winstonia Store to try out and it is so fun! I have wanted to try nail foils for months now and have contemplated so many times just going for it and buying a bunch of colors. 

These foils are #17 from here and I also received some nail glue (which I believe you need to make these foils stick) which is free when you purchase 3D nail art supplies to the end of the month. It took me a few practice trial runs to actually figure a good technique to make these work, but in the end I really like how they turned out. 

To apply these, I cut the foil into small rectangles big enough to cover my entire nail. Look how pretty the foil is by itself! There is a TON of it too, so you won't feel like you're wasting anything. 

I initially tried applying the nail clue with the brush that came with the glue, but was failing miserably when I went to apply the foil. It wouldn't stick and I was getting super frustrated. I realized that the trick to making the foil stick lies with the glue being basically dry and tacky. I ended up applying the glue with a different brush which allowed me to paint a super thin coat of the glue that dried fast (and stays tacky). I think placed the foil over the glue and used a damp Q-tip to rub the foil over my entire nail. You can use your finger or an orange stick for this step, but I really liked using a Q-tip. If the glue has dried enough, the foil will transfer with ease and you'll be able to have a uniform look. 

If you do pull the foil up and it's not perfect, don't worry! Just reapply some more glue over the spot, let it dry, and replace some new foil. Once you find the right combo of glue thickness and wait time, you'll have success :) 

One thing I should mention, I used a fast dry top coat over these, which as you can see, wrinkles the foils - a look I happen to really like. If you want a smooth foil application, use a regular top coat or clear coat so that it doesn't shrink and cause crinkling. 

Has anyone else tried nail foils? How did the application go for you? If you'd like to try some nail foils yourself, use the code WONDROUSLY to receive 10% off of these :) You can find them here!

Happy Polishing :)

Winstonia Brushes review - Sofa King Bueno Girl

*Products provided in exchange for an honest review. Please see my disclosure policy for more info.* 

Today I've got a review of a brush set from the Winstonia store! So far I have used the brushes and dotting tools from this set and I can not say enough good things about the quality of these brushes for the price. After doing a few manis with these brushes and tools, I knew I wanted to do something detail oriented to see just how far these brushes could go. I can safely say I was not disappointed! 

This weekend while visiting home, I had a fabulous wine from a local winery, Chronic Cellars...and I fell truly, madly, deeply in love with their labels! I don't know what it is about the skeleton girl on this label, but I knew I needed to recreate her on my nails and it was a perfect opportunity to do this review. 

The quality of the brushes is surprising considering the $9 price tag for every thing in this set - from the brush hairs to the handles, these just feel good. I used the #00 and #000 brushes for this look and both of them were great. Very little struggling with the hairs to do what I wanted. I did make one small alteration to these brushes as I worked with them a bit - I trimmed 1-2 long hairs off the end - and then they were perfect. They create a fine tip and allow for more detail than you would ever expect. 

The dotting tools are also great. I used them randomly throughout this mani but also in several others over the past few days. They are pretty much your standard dotting tools, but I really like how small the smallest tool goes. I have a few other dotting tools and I can easily say these are the best ones. The kit also comes with a nail buffer that I haven't had a need for yet, but the fact that it is included in this kit is just another plus. On the whole, this kit is an excellent deal for the money. I'm still shocked at the amount of detail these brushes produced! 

If you'd like to grab one of these kits yourself, use the code WONDROUSLY at checkout to receive 10% off this item :) If you don't yet have a set of nail art brushes, I'd say this is an excellent starter set (or normal set!). 

What do you think of this mani? Do you like the wine label or is it not your thing? Would you find nail art brushes like these useful? 

Happy Polishing :)

Zoya Pixie Dust Fall 2013 Swatches

Happy Thursday, Everyone! I'm still feeling pretty lousy and hoping that I'll be on the up and up by tomorrow. For now, I've got some swatches to share with you all! I splurged and bought the entire fall Pixie Dust collection from Zoya a few weeks ago and thought I'd share my experience with them here with you all. It's a picture heavy post to hang in there!

These are my first Pixie Dust polishes and it's safe to say I'm a convert. They are incredibly forgiving polishes to work with, which allows for fast application. They are a matte finish that doesn't require top coat, and they dry in minutes. I actually took my one of these camping with me last weekend and was out and about 5 minutes after applying it. I love that. 

Carter

Carter is a "Royal Purple with matte, textured, sparkling metal finish" and while I don't quite the the metal effect, this is definitely a rich and royal purple. This is 3 coats and was by far the toughest formula to work with - it was a bit on the thick side - but nothing you can manage easily. 

Dhara

Dhara is a "firey orange copper" and I would definitely agree with that description. This orange is fabulous and rich, but I'm frankly a bit confused that it's part of a fall collection. I suppose I could see this worn around Halloween time though? This is 2 coats and had a great formula.

Arabella

Arabella is a very pretty fuschia with the same "metal" finish as the rest of the collection. This reminds me a bit of Zoya's Blaze, but I think this has more pink in it. This is almost a one coater, but I used 2. Again, great formula and easy to work with.

Tomoko

While I'm not quite sure of the name, this champagne color is one of my favorites from the collection. I was not expecting to love it as much as I did and it was just so elegant and romantic. This is 3 coats (since it's a bit more sheer and light) and was a breeze to apply.

Chita

A fabulous forest green, Chita made me feel like I had moss or grass growing on my fingertips! While this may sound creepy, I really loved this color. I don't have a green quite this rich and, well, green. This is ONE coat! Excellent application. 

Sunshine

While blue doesn't come to mind when one hears the word sunshine, that may change after seeing this polish. I am in love. I think this is my favorite of the collection. Zoya calls it "Van Gogh Navy Blue" and I couldn't agree more. I am actually really tempted to use this as a base and recreate Starry Nights. This was another one coater which is excellent for polish wasters like myself and the formula was perfection. 

Overall, I really love this collection. Some of the colors are a bit bright for a fall collection in my opinion, but I can see them being worn for certain holidays. The formulas are almost all perfect and easy to work with and you can't ask for much more when it comes to nail polish. My favorites from this collection were Sunshine, Chita and Tomoko. You can purchase the collection from Zoya here. If you've never bought or made an account with Zoya, by clicking that link and making an account, you should receive a free bottle of Zoya polish which can be found in your "My Coupons/Promos" section. More info on it here. 

What is your favorite from this collection? Does this feel like a "Fall" collection? 

Happy Polishing!

Born Pretty Store Review - 3D Flower Decals

*Products provided in exchange for an honest review. Please see my disclosure policy for more info.* 

Tonight I have a review of some cute 3D flower decals from the Born Pretty Store! I really love nail art products from here because there are just so many fun, easy AND inexpensive products to choose from. It seems like they have new items up every time I look through their site (and they don't have just nail art supplies - I can get in trouble over there! ;) )

The nail art decals that I chose are super easy to use and really cute and pretty to wear. These decal easily peal off of the plastic film they come on and I'd say for the price, you get a TON of these things. There are 12 different styles ranging from roses, to daisies, to feathers and each style have variations therein. There are 25+ decals per style so overall, you get roughly 300 decals for a little under $5 (or cheaper with my 10% off code - SRL91!).

What I really appreciate about this set is the variety. For my first mani, I went with Julep's Francis and decal number TJ019. I love love love the fact that they provided a shape that would fit just perfectly in the curve around my cuticle! I think these are so pretty and add a unique and easy version of the half-moon technique with absolutely no effort at all.

There are very minimal instructions included with these but they are easy enough to use. Paint your base polish and let dry completely. This will make it easier to reposition the decal if you aim poorly your first few times ;) I used tweezers to place them were I wanted. The instructions also recommend that you place 2 coats of top coat over the top of these, but I had some issues with that. My top coat sort of bunched up around the edge of the decal which you can kind of tell in the first mani. For the second mani, I went without the top coat and I think it looks better. The only foreseeable problem with this is likely reduced durability of the decal but I think it's an okay compromise. These are also super easy to remove with some acetone - a bit more work than normal polish, but nothing you can't handle! **Ninja edit: so after not using a top coat, the decals peeled off fairly quickly so I'd recommend using a thinner top coat that hopefully won't bunch :) **

This look is Julep's Nellie with decal number TJ013.

Overall, these seem like a really quick and easy way to add that extra little something to any simple mani. I think if you use a thinner top coat you won't have issues with the decals bunching in any way. I can definitely see myself using these on an accent nail in the future. Be sure to use my code SRL91 to receive free shipping and 10% off your entire purchase! There only needs to be one more purchase with my code and then I get to host a giveaway for you guys!!

Happy Polishing :)

Belle of the ball

So I'm actually in Yosemite right now, but I figure I should be a good blogger and schedule some posts for while I'm gone! Sometimes when I'm not feeling up to doing nail art, having a nice and well made indie polish with loads of lovely glitter in it is a great thing to fall back on. 

Belle made my The Hungry Asian is definitely one of those polishes that you can go to with ease. I really love how feminine and simple this polish is. 

 Belle has small pink hex glitter with some copper hex glitter mixed into a sheer milky base. This was about 3 coats to opacity and I'm sure if you layered this over a white first the coats would be reduced. Overall, this is yet another great polish from THA. Great application, little to no fishing for glitter, and an all around great polish. 

Unboxing #NDL07 from Quarterly Co.

This quarter's delivery from No More Dirty Looks via Quarterly Co. is for girls a bit more girly than I am. I don't do manicures or even keep nail polish around. I simply keep things clean, short, moisturized, and smooth edged. I won't let that color my opinion though because most ladies like to keep their nails a bit more decorated. 

Glass Nail File from Czech Glass

Since I like to keep my nails simple - this glass nail file is my favorite part of the package. Before now I didn't even know glass nail files were a thing. It's pretty, easily cleaned, and lasts forever. The enclosed letter (still envelope free!) says it allows more precise shaping and is less harsh on nails than emery or steel. 

RGB Nail Lacquer

I usually only paint my nails for special occasions, but this punchy Too Red color is fun and classic. Other colors people may have received in this mailing were Coral, Punch, and Pink. This product is five-free meaning it does NOT contain formaldehyde, toluene, DBP, formaldehyde resin, or camphor. Yay!

PRITI NYC Soy Nail Polish Remover Pads

These 100% biodegradable wipes are disposable, but are made with essential oils and other non-toxic ingredients. Tiny and easy to carry with you in case you have a manicure emergency. They arrived in this little tote which is cute and I'll totally find a use for it after the individual wipes are gone.

Coco Allure Snap Dragon Swatch and Review

Good evening everyone! In the world of nail polish, I think everyone would agree that aside from all of our polish drying up, breaking a nail is without a doubt our biggest fear. And that happened to me today :( quick, someone play me the world's smallest violin! 

Breaking my nail may have no real world implications, it is still pretty darn frustrating! I was cleaning my house (gasp!) and I look down to see a CHUNK of the nail on my index finger just missing. Yes, a chunk. WHAT? And, of course it's on my left hand so I can't just pretend it didn't happen. That will teach me to clean again! ;) Nail art sort of left the picture after I trimmed my nails down so I moved on to my second love - indie polish!

Enter Coco Allure's Snap Dragon, a super pretty lilac jelly base with tons of neon blue, purple and orange hex and round glitter in varying sizes. I snagged it about 3 weeks ago from Llarowe and I'm so happy I decided to go for it!

 

The formula is pretty great and easy to work with for the most part. It is a jelly base so you'll have to apply several coats to reach opacity, but it's nothing that isn't easily dealt with. These photos are 3 coats. 

The only really issue I have with this polish is the amount of fishing I ended up doing for the glitter. In the macro/closeup of the bottle, you can see how the glitter has settled at the bottom and that made it difficult to get on my brush. However, I just flipped the bottle upside down for a good five minutes and that seemed to help tremendously. 

Overall, I'm really happy with this polish. This is the only Coco Allure that I own but I don't think I will hesitate to buy more in the future. What do you think of this polish?

Happy Polishing :)

One Love Lacquers Summer Collection Review

*Products provided in exchange for an honest review. Please see my disclosure policy for more info.* 

So excited to share the latest collection from Victoria over at One Love Lacquers! I was lucky enough to review her first Peter Pan Collection and even luckier still that she asked me to review her new summer looks :) 

I am seriously digging the polishes she's come up with this time. They are the perfect summer colors, with neons, glitter, and shimmer, oh my! My soul has been craving colors like these and I am completely in love with them. I suppose that's why they're "One Love" lacquers ;)

Just Peachy is exactly that, peachy and fabulous and peachy! It's a lovely light orange creme jelly (crelly) with some subtle and beautiful gold shimmer to it. The formula was excellent and I had no issues with thickening as I applied more coats. Always a plus in crellies! The shimmer is subtle enough to add just enough interest without going overboard. This is 3 coats.

Just Peachy - Direct sunlight

Just Peachy - Indoor Lighting

I decided to show the rest of the polishes in the collection over a white base color because it really makes the neon pop and I think you get more out of your summer colors. 

Tan Lines is a fabulous neon coral crelly that, if you're blindingly white like I am, will actually improve your tan. This color is so bright and fun that it makes you look tan in comparison. Perhaps the perfect color to ease into summer with. It took 3 coats to opacity and had a great formula. 

Tan Lines - Direct Sunline

Tan Lines - Indoor Lighting

Fly Away is light blue crelly that over the white base color looks baby blue (and I love it). It has small gold, silver, and light blue glitter to add some interest and had an excellent formula. No fishing whatsoever for the glitter and applied great. Shown is 3 coats over white.

Fly Away - Direct Sunlight

Fly Away - Indoor Lighting

Blow My Heart Up quite literally did that. I fell madly and deeply in love with this polish. I'm not normally one for wearing bright pink by itself, but OH MY WORD. I love this polish. It's another neon crelly (3 coats, shown over white) and has purple hexagon and magenta square glitter. It's to die for in my opinion. I think the square glitter sold it for me. I love it. 

Blow My Heart Up - Direct Sunlight

The formula for this was also great, though I did have to fish a bit to get the glitter out. I do think that is to be expected with bigger glitter like this though, so it definitely not a deal breaker. 

Blow My Heart Up - Direct Sunlight

Blow My Heart Up - Indoor Lighting

Yet again, I am completely in love with and enamored by this summer collection. Great formula all around and really fun and bright colors that make you want to go layout by the pool, like yesterday. My picks would definitely be Blow My Heart Up and Fly Away, but I really enjoyed wearing the whole collection.

You can buy One Love Lacquers at Victoria's Etsy shop for $10 for a full bottle, and $5 for a mini.

Happy Polishing :)