Orly FX Black Pixel

Hi all!

More pretty nails to show you!  (What did you expect, right?)

I'm still slowly drifting into the more muted tones of Fall but that doesn't mean I can't have fun with my manicures, right?

Today, I have more special effects finish polish to share.

Orly FX Black Pixel

Say hello to Black Pixel from the Orly FX line, MegaPixel FX from last Spring.  (Yes, I said Spring, but it's black!)

This collection was yet another response to the new textured finish polishes, one full of glitter and fun metallic colors.  This polish is a black base with silver mini-hex glitters all through it.

Of course, as mentioned, this one dries with a textured finish, but one much more subtle than most I've used so far.

I've seen some describe it as simply a glitter polish with a little extra something to it.  I'd say that's kind of close, but I do really like the smoother feel of this texture as compared to others I've worn.

This particular polish was the only one I picked up from this line, simply because metallic-glitters aren't always my first choice to reach for when I'm starting a new manicure.  But I'm glad I did get this one.

What do you guys think?

Let me know below and leave me questions and comments!  Follow and Like me on al your social media too!

Hugs & Kisses & Great Polishes!

~ Cat

Double Post: L.A. Girl Sand Storm & China Glaze Hawaiian Punch

Hi everyone!

Sorry to bring in another catch up post, haha.  I'm trying to get back  to regular posts but haven't quite made it.

Hopefully, some pretty polishes will make up for my irregularity.

L.A. Girl Sand Storm

First I have Sand Storm from L.A. Girl's summer Sand Blast collection.  This polish is a nice nude, sand color with that added element of texture.  The formula is nice and goes on evenly.  This is two coats which gives a nice texture on the nails.  I like this as one of my polishes that I could theoretically wear to work and still have fun with finish.

Obviously, this was the L.A. Girl answer to the new textured polish trend.  The Sand Blast collection had eight textured polishes, most of which had creme bases, though there were a couple with hints of shimmer, very different from a lot of the glitter heavy textured polishes we've been seeing.

The texture on these polishes is great, not uncomfortably gritty and is actually closer to what I'd expect of a polish described as a leather finish since there is a bit more gloss to the creme bases.  Also, these textured polishes are quite a bit friendlier to the pocket if you're looking to try the trend without having to shell out $8 or more. 

As far as I know these are still for sale on L.A. Girl's website, though I found mine at the local grocery/drugstore.

China Glaze Hawaiian Punch

Next I have a classic China Glaze, Hawaiian Punch.  This polish is a sheer red juicy jelly base with a subtle pink frost to it.  This particular shade of China Glaze has been around for a while, originally released in the old bottles, long before the reformulation of the polishes. 

The formula on this one was kind of a double edged sword.  The application was smooth and pretty even, what I normally expect from jelly polishes.  However, the dry time was kind of ridiculous!  I left about 10-15 minutes between coats and then used a quick dry top coat and still knicked the heck out of one of my nails.  I rarely have bad luck with dry time with jellies, but every now and then you get one.  So I'd say be patient with this one.

Also, if you're not a fan of VNL, you may want to paint this over a base color, this is three coats and it's not anywhere near opaque as you can tell.

What do you guys think of these?  Do you have any polishes that just go against what you expect from certain formulas or finishes?

Leave me comments and questions!

Hugs & Kisses & Great Polishes!

~ Cat

Essie Cashmere Bathrobe

I have some pretty things to share!

As I've been talking about, all the Fall collections have been appearing and recently I was lucky enough to stumble across the Fall collection from Essie.

Now, in general, this year's Essie Fall collection is a little blah as compared to more recent collections.  But sometimes Fall collections have a bit of a lull.

However, there were a few colors in this collection that caught my eye, and I have one to show you today.

Essie Cashmere Bathrobe

This is Cashmere Bathrobe, a dark grey creme base with silver/blue glass flakes through it.  This color is gorgeous!  As with most Essie's the formula is smooth and goes on well.  There is a lot of pigmentation in this one, enough to get away with two coats, though I did my usual three.

Essie always does a good job of creating cozy fall colors with a little something extra while still being nice and simple.

As I said, I only picked a few...technically a couple and the other is a beauty also.  Can't wait to show it off!

What do you guys think of this one?  Leave me comments or questions below!

Hugs & Kisses & Great Polishes!

~ Cat

China Glaze Gothic Lolita

Hi everyone!

Hope you're all doing well this fine day!

I'm sure some of you started school again today (if you haven't already started last week), so I hope that was a good day for all of you!

Have to admit I miss first days of school...the other like 200 days of school not as much, but first days were always a lot of fun.

But now I have my fun with nail polish, since I didn't find out how amazing nail polish was while I was in school.

Today's manicure certainly falls in the fun category for me even though its simple.

China Glsze Gothic Lolita

This is Gothic Lolita from China Glaze's Electrop Collection in the Spring of 2012.  This polish a fun, flirty light purple base with a hint of fuchsia/violet shimmer in it.

I'm loving this color for the stage between Summer and Fall, it's bright and playful but still has a kind of warmth or whatever it is about certain purples in the Fall.  I'm sure that makes no sense haha, but nonetheless, this is a great color for this time of year.

Also, as a side note, the formula on this one is a dream, not streaky or patchy, maybe even a one coater if you're good at even coats.  And the dry time is great!

I'm excited to get into my Falls (as I mentioned before) but having a nice pop of color like this makes me smile.

What do you all think of this one?

Leave me comments and questions below!

Hugs & Kisses & Great Polishes!

~ Cat

Maybelline Color Show Vintage Leather Collection: Antique Teal

Have a swatch semi-review thing for you all today!

With Fall fast approaching, that means all kinds of new collections popping up all over the place, some you may have already seen and some that have yet to appear but are just as highly anticipated.

One collection to appear in my local grocery/drugstore and probably at some of yours too is the new limited edition Maybelline Color Show collection, Vintage Leather.

This collection consists of 10 leather finish (basically matte) polishes is your typical fall earth tones.

For today's post, I have one polish from the collection, and I'd be happy to do color swatch-fest pics of all the colors soon.

Maybelline Color Show Antique Teal

This is Antique Teal, a dusty blue color that reminds me more of denim than leather but is still very pretty.

These polishes have a smooth matte finish but what makes them different than most mattes is the fact that Maybelline incorporated flakes to add a little more texture and add to the "leather" look.

My experience with this polish is kind of so-so.  Being a matte, painting the first coat can be kind of tricky since it dries so quickly.  If you don't work fast enough and use a thick enough coat, the polish can pick up quite a bit.  But the second and third coats even out much more easily.

The color payoff was great and I didn't have a whole lot of staining, though there was some during removal...it is a blue polish after all.

The bigger problem I had was lasting power.  Since it's a matte, top coat isn't advised if you want to keep the finish (thank you captain obvious).  All of that is fine with me, I've never had bad luck with mattes without top coat, but this polish...dang.  In the pic, I'd painted my nails the night before, as I usually do and by the next morning when I took this picture the edges had worn so badly!  You can see it in the picture.

I'd say, as far as this collection, for the unique factor and the colors definitely worth the buy, but don't paint it too far in advance if you're trying to coordinate for an event or an outfit, you'll have some issues with wear at the tips otherwise.

What do you all think?  Have you tried the Vintage Leather polishes?  Have you had better luck?

Leave me comments and questions below and Like and Follow me on all my social media thingies!

Hugs & Kisses & Great Polishes!

~ Cat

Finger Paints 15 Seconds of Frame and Orly Mermaid Tale

Who here wants to see a bright and sparkly manicure!?

Then you've come to the right place!

Since I'm desperately trying to cling to Summer colors I had to do a little glitter for my recent manicure and keep colors nice and cheerful.

Finger Paints 15 Seconds of Fram and Orly Mermaid Tale

 For this particular manicure I started with Finger Paints 15 Seconds of Frame, one of their 2013 Summer Neon colors.  This one isn't exactly a true neon, it doesn't dry to that semi-matte finish like neons do, but it's certainly bright and very pretty.  In person it's a bit more blue toned, more of a super bright teal or turquoise color but just amazing.  There's almost a jelly aspect to this polish and as you can tell its a bit sheer but really only in direct light.

To add a little bit of sparkle, I went for my Orly Flash Glam FX glitters and found Mermaid Tale, a matching teal/turquoise glitter made up of tiny hex glitters and larger hex holo glitters.  The coordinating color tone kind of gives a fun almost mermaid scales look to my accent nail...or at least I think so haha.

What do you guys think of this one?  I'm hoping to keep some summer brights on for a little while longer, but I'm sprinkling in a few more Fall shades to ease into the season (not to mention the new Fall collections!)

Leave my comments and questions below!


Hugs & Kisses & Great Polishes!

~ Cat

Catching up from a busy week...

Hey all!

I have quite a bit of catching up to do.  So sorry, but this last week has been busy with job interviews and my still new obsession with my Netflix account and catching up on all the shows I never got to watch like a normal person rather than a nocturnal beast, haha.

Anyway, leaving my crazy blabbing behind I suppose I should do the catching up now, huh?

China Glaze Unrefined

First up is China Glaze Unrefined from their Texture collection from this summer.  This polish is a blue-toned pink creme base that has the sandy grit texture that's all over the place right now.

These polishes are great as both polish in general and as far as the textured polishes go.  They apply smoothly and the colors are gorgeous.  As far as the texture, these aren't too gritty or anything, so if you're still a little iffy about the grit finish, these might be a good option.

 I was able to score the whole line on clearance at Sally's in their last clearance markdown weekend.  If you guys would be interested I can do a swatch-a-thon of the whole collection, just let me know.

Savina Pumpkins and China Glaze Glistening Snow

Next is Savina Pumpkins a pretty much neon orange-peach shimmer polish.  This color is so pretty and fun for summer, but it being so close to the end of summer (I know I'm sad too) I thought it could only be improved with a little bit of a glitter gradient, so I added China Glaze Glistening Snow, a silver holo glitter polish.

This manicure was a lot of fun, and I'm loving Pumpkins.

Bongo Canary Island and Sally Hansen Diamond

Finally I have Bongo Canary Island, a bright pale yellow creme with almost a chartreuse tinge to it.  This polish is not neon exactly but it is a very bright sunny color that would look great with that Summer tan you surely have ;-)

Of course, with my bucket list entry of eventually finding a truly yellow holo (it's my unicorn) I decided to give myself the next best thing and added a quick coat of Sally Hansen Diamond as a holo top coat, which you can kind of see in the picture.

If you're curious about Bongo, you can find them at KMart and possibly Sears I'm not sure, but the formulas I've tried are all really nice for an inexpensive polish.

So anyways, that's all caught up for the last week!  Hopefully I can stay on top of things for the next few days and keep you all up to date.

What did you guys think of these manciures?  Any of you want to see some CG Texture swatches?  Leave me comments or questions below!

Hugs & Kisses & Great Polishes!

~ Cat

China Glaze Stroll

Time for more pretty nails!

I was able to dig up a few gems from older China Glaze collections at one of my local beauty wholesalers, which is always really exciting.

The manicure I'm sharing today is one of those said gems!

China Glaze Stroll

This is China Glaze Stroll from the Retro Diva Collection of 2009.  This polish is a deep burgundy red red jelly base with lots of golden glass flake in it.

Once again its another polish that glows from within.  The polish applies like a typical jelly but is prone to picking up if the coats aren't dry enough or if you apply too much pressure but with a light hand this polish is a dream.

I'm really excited about some of the other surprises I found and can't wait to get around to sharing them!

What do you guys think of this one?

Leave me comments and questions below!

Hugs & Kisses & Great Polishes!

~ Cat

Product Review: China Glaze Real Nail Polish Appliques in Loop Hole

I actually have a product review for you guys!

I know it's been forever since I've done any form of real review, but that means it's about time right?

Anyways, let's get going.

For this review I'm going to show you some China Glaze Real Nail Polish Appliques.

China Glaze Real Nail Polish Appliques in Loop Hole

These appliques are in the pattern Loop Hole, a mod 60s vibe look that are a lot of fun to look at.

Now, this product is kind of bittersweet for me.  The pattern is really cute and that's obviously a plus.  Along with that, application wasn't too bad.  These kind of applied more like a sticker (for example Kiss decals or Jamberry) even though they're described as real nail polish.  That was nice, I have trouble with the Sally Hansen nail polish stickers being too thin or fragile when I apply them, so these being a bit more substantial was a big benefit.

So on the pro side we have cute look and decent application.  But there are a few cons.

First of all, the sizes that these appliques come in aren't in nearly a wide enough range and, though you can't really tell in the picture, I had to go with best fit on all my nails and pretty much all of them had shape/size issues, either too wide or too narrow or too round.  Now, as you can tell in a quick glance you can't notice the problems, but if you're OCD about your manicures like I am, you'd be wanting more size/shape options too.

Then the other con, removal.  Now, the instructions for these says you simply remove it with nail polish remover.  Now I don't know about you, but my go to everyday nail polish remover is not pure acetone.  I tried my usual Nourishing remover (typically the blue one) and didn't even make a dent in the applique as far as removal.  I had to come down to the foil method, which I've done before, not a huge deal but kind of annoying when I expected to remove it with my usual easy swipes of remover.

So, overall...

I'd say for people who like wear manicures for more than a couple days these might be good, they stay really well and apply fairly easily.  Also if you'd don't get obsessed with the "perfect" manicure you'd be fine with these too if they don't exactly fit your nail shape.

However, if you're like me and change your nails fairly often or just need to know that when you look at your nails you have to know they look perfect, I'd look into other nail appliques.

Hope you all enjoyed this review!

Leave me comments and questions below and follow me on social media!

Hugs & Kisses & Great Polishes!

~ Cat

Ruffian Manicure: Sinful Colors Mesmerize and Sally Hansen Coin Flip

I'm back with my first attempt at a Ruffian Manicure!

Now, some of you have probably heard of this style of manicure under a different name, I know I did, either reverse french or cresent moon manicure or something else, they're all the same.

I ended up finding out the name "Ruffian Manicure" after doing a little browsing on the internet.  From what I understand the name comes from the origin on the design at a fashion show, but I could be wrong.

Anyways, I think the design is really pretty and sophisticated looking so I decided to finally try one for myself.

Sinful Colors Mesmerize and Sally Hansen Coin Flip

For this one I used Sinful Colors Mesmerize, a deep eggplant purple with a blue tone from the new Heart and Soul Collection, and Sally Hansen Coin Flip, a rose-gold foil polish.

To do this technique I started with three coats of coin flip as a base.  Then I went back over with two coats of Mesmerize, making sure to leave just a sliver of Coin Flip showing at the base of my nails.

The two colors together, the jewel tone and the metallic, look so nice together and I like it as an alternative sophisticated style to the french manicure which has never been my favorite.

I definitely think I'll be doing this look again in the future!

What do you guys think?

Leave me comments and questions and follow/like me on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, and Tumblr! (Info in the About Me)

Hugs & Kisses & Great Polishes!

~ Cat

Zoya Ray and Studs

Who here likes studs in nail art?

I know I do, and I was super excited to finally come up with a manicure to use them in, and I'm even happier that it came out as well as I'd hoped.

Zoya Ray

This is Zoya Ray, a deep emerald green shimmer.  I know this one is a little less like my usual bright summer color manicures, but it's still a gorgeous color.  As per usual with Zoya, the formula is a dream and goes on smoothly and evenly, no brush strokes and no streaks.

But as I mentioned before, when I picked this color I got the idea to finally use the stud wheel I found at Claire's.  This wheel has a lot of shapes in silver and gold and a few gemstones too.  For this manicure I chose the small, silver triangle studs. 

I LOVE LOVE LOVE how this manicure looks...maybe it's the fact that my nails remind me of Slytherin...or a superhero, but either way I think this is in my top list of manicures.

The studs add a nice edgy touch but are still elegant, and what's better, when you remove the polish with polish remover it doesn't effect the finish of the studs like it would with rhinestones, which is an added bonus.

What do you guys think of this one?  Have you had any fun manicures with studs or other nail art elements?

Leave me comments and questions and follow me on social media!

Hugs & Kisses & Great Polishes!

~ Cat

Orly Melodious Utopia

Hi all!

Time for another manicure!!

I'm really enjoying the bright colors I've been wearing lately, and I wanted to wear another one that is just perfect for Summer.

Orly Melodious Utopia

This is Melodious Utopia from Orly's Hope and Freedom Collection from this year.  This polish is a bright yellow creme base with a lot of orange/pink flakies through it.  The formula for this one can be a bit sheer and streaky if you aren't careful, I suggest slightly thicker coats and I went with four coats total for this one to make it as opaque as I could.

This color is a lot of fun for Summer, obviously, and even better if you're working on a tan because it just pops!

I love my yellow polishes, they're some of my favorites, and it's so sad that I don't have very many.

What do you guys think of this one?  Do you find any colors that just seem to pop with your skin tone? 

Leave me comments and questions below and follow me on social media!!

Hugs & Kisses & Great Polishes!

~ Cat

(Late) Pink Wednesday: China Glaze Sunset Glow

Hi everyone!

Sorry for the late post, but I got really busy Wednesday and Thursday, and didn't get a lot of time at home to sit and type up a post...or repaint my nails for that matter haha.

But tonight I have that post for you!

I always love Pink Wednesday, but this week was particularly exciting because I was able to use a new polish I received in a swap that is from China Glaze's pre-2000 (pre-Big 3 free) collections. 

China Glaze Sunset Glow

This is Sunset Glow, a pretty rosy pink based polish with a nice, warm golden shimmer in it from the Tropical Escape Collection of 2000.

As I mentioned, this color is from the time before Big 3 (4,5) Free so it does contain a little bit of formaldehyde as many older nail polishes do.  It has been discontinued and is considered HTF as far as I know.

So, despite its old formula, I do have to say this polish is great to work with.  You could probably get away with one coat but I went ahead and did three just because I got a bit sloppy on the first coat (it was late).

The finish was not as shiny as newer formulas but looks just fine with top coat.  The color is gorgeous and the tint that the golden shimmer gives is a lot of fun for Summer!

I'm so happy I was able to get my hands on this, big thanks to my wonderful swap friends who always help me get my hands on my lemmings!

What do you guys think of this one?  Do you have any older, discontinued polishes that you just love having in your collection?

Leave me comments and questions below!  Follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, and Tumblr!

Hugs & Kisses & Great Polishes!

~ Cat

Wet N Wild The Clock Strikes Orange & American Apparel Redondo Beach

Hello again!

What time is it?

Time for another manicure of course!!

Are you excited, because I know I am.

I have a fun, simple manicure for you all that follows the fun bold color black trend of the summer.

Wet n Wild The Clock Strikes Orange & American Apparel Redondo Beach

For this manicure I started with three coats of Wet n Wild's The Clock Strikes Orange from the new Limited Edition Pop Art Craze collection from the Wild Shine line.  This collection is a set of six creme (though I'd go so far as to say crelly...creme jelly) polishes in fun bright colors for summer.  The Clock Strikes Orange is a great medium shade orange, a very flattering color for those who are a bit wary of oranges especially if they lean a bit yellow.

For my accent nail I used three coats of American Apparel's Redondo Beach from the Sheer collection, a sky blue crelly polish.

Now, even though orange and blue make a nice combination anyway, but I didn't just choose this one.  I had fashion influence on this one also...I wanted to match my new dress!

Sorry it's blurry, but this dress is from Dots Fashions

It's cute right!!

Sorry, haha, I rarely find cute, affordable maxi dresses, so when I do I get very excited.

Anyways, I hope you all liked today's manicure, be ready for more soon!

Leave me comments and questions below and follow me here as well as on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, and Tumblr!

Hugs & Kisses & Great Polishes!

~ Cat

China Glaze Harmony

Hello all!

I have another manicure for you!  Isn't it exciting to actually have one within a week from the last for once?!  HAHA.

Today's polish is so pretty, and I'm so glad I managed to find it in a clearance pile at my local Ulta, especially since it's an older collection.

China Glaze Harmony

This is China Glaze Harmony from the Romantique Collection of 2009.  This polish is a really pretty amethyst purple metallic color that has a surprising color pay-off.

The Romantique Collection was all metallic polishes, all very pretty, and I was lucky enough to find this one and another (without a bottom label sadly) in the same clearance pile. 

The two polishes I did get have a GREAT formula that could probably be opaque in just one coat, but I painted two coats just because my first coat was a little thin and came out kind of streaky, but that was my fault.

I'm in love with this polish, the color, the finish (especially since there are practically no brush strokes, a big deal for a metallic polish), and the formula.

What do you guys think?  Have you tried the Romantique Collection?

Leave me comments and suggestions below and be sure to follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, and Tumblr!

Hugs & Kisses & Great Polishes!

~ Cat

Mint Manicures for Talia Joy

Hello all,

Today's post comes from a bit more serious of a place, but not necessarily a sad one.

As some of you may or may not know, the online beauty community recently lost one of their own.

Talia Joy Castellano passed away earlier this week after a long battle with neuroblastoma and leukemia at the age of 13.

There have been so many people touched by Talia's story and her passion for makeup and fashion.

Losing this amazing little girl has hit the online beauty community hard, but it has brought us all together in such a big way as we all take the time to remember just how much of an impact such a young girl has made on us all.

Today is an example of all of us who love and will miss Talia greatly honoring her memory.

In her final days, Talia posted a mint manicure, and in honor of her I am participating in Mint Manicures for Talia Joy so that I, and the other participants, will take a little piece of Talia with us today and share it with the world.

Butter London Two Fingered Salute

My mint polish for today is Butter London's Two Fingered Salute, a dusty mint green polish with copper glitter.

I chose this polish, not just because it was mint, but because it was even more perfect because it had a great sparkle to it, just like Talia.

I will always remember the warmth and joy Talia had and the simple love for life she showed.  She was beautiful and brilliant and just shone everywhere she went, even when she may not have felt her best, she knew that life was precious and worth living.

It may sound odd, but I hope I'm like Talia when I "grow up" and remember that everyday is a gift and that you make your own life beautiful.

We will never forget Talia Joy, she will have a place in our hearts forever and no one will ever be able to shine quite as bright as she did.

~ Cat

Pink Wednesday: Sally Hansen Sugar Coat Treat-Heart

Back to regular posting for me (hopefully)!

And I think it's only fitting that I come back with a Pink Wednesday post (a day late but still).

You have to love your pink polishes, especially when they're insanely sparkly and have great texture.

That's the polish I have for you all today!

Sally Hansen Sugar Coat Treat Heart

This is Treat Heart from the Sally Hansen Sugar Coat collection.  This polish is a very sparkly dusty pink color with the new trend of sand textured finish.

As usual, this polish applied just as well as my other Sugar Coats, nice and even, and looks best in three coats I think.

I felt like Barbie (in the best way) with this polish on!  It was sparkly but not extremely bright and just added a nice soft look while still having fun with texture and sparkle.

What do you all think of this one?  Have you tried the Sugar Coats or any of the other new textured finish collections?

Leave me comments and questions!  Follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr and Pinterest!

Hugs & Kisses & Great Polishes!

~ Cat

SO MUCH CATCHING UP TO DO!

I'm going to jump right in for this post because there is A LOT to cover, haha.

Besides, who are we kidding, we all know you're here to see the polish, not to listen to me blather on!

Sally Hansen Sugar Coat Cherry Tart

First up is Cherry Tart from Sally Hansen's new Sugar Coat collection.  This polish is a bright cherry red creme based, textured polish. 

I'm loving these Sugar Coat polishes, the texture on them is the perfect (or at least I think so), it's not too gritty but it adds a fun effect.  Not to mention it's nice to have textured polishes that aren't glittery, not that I don't like my glitters, but sometimes you just want a color.

China Glaze Hologlam Strap On Your Moonboots

Next, I have China Glaze's Strap On Your Moonboots from the Hologlam collection.  This polish is kind of a dusty sapphire blue holographic.

When it came to the Hologlam collection I'm a bit torn.  I won't say I dislike them because that isn't the case, but I wasn't as wow-ed as I would have liked.  The holographic effect on these is very subtle and the colors are all a bit...I dunno...dingy looking.  They're pretty, just not what I expected from a holographic collection by China Glaze.

Essie Sunday Funday

Next, is a prime example of polishes that I just couldn't catch on camera, especially since I didn't have sunlight and had to use LED light.  This is Essie Sunday Funday, a bright coral pink with a subtle shimmer to it.

This polish is so much fun for summer, and looks lovely in the sun with that little sprinkling of sparkle.

Pure Ice Free Spirit & Julep Sofia

Now we have another bright summer mani, this is Pure Ice Free Spirit with a coat of Julep Sofia over it.  Free Spirit is a pretty grass green color with a very slight shimmer.  Julep Sofia is an irridescent green and turquoise polish that, as far as I know even glows in the dark (I could be wrong). 

Sofia over Free Spirit left a really pretty subtle glitter effect that added just a little bit of extra to this manicure.

Finger Paints It's Bitsy Spider

Next is Finger Paints It's Bitsy Spider, a lavender polish with a great light blue flash of shimmer.  This polish is lovely and so much fun with that almost duochrome effect of the blue and purple together.

I was afraid this polish would be too sheer, but three coats made it COMPLETELY opaque and I just love it!

L.A. Girl Hologram Black Illusion

And lastly I have Black Illusion from L.A. Girl's new Hologram collection.  This polish is a black base with lots of holographic glitter bits in it.

The application of this polish (and the others in the collection) is very much like a jelly, but they all go opaque in three coats.

I'm told this polish is a great dupe for Zoya Storm, and there are a few others in the collection that are supposed to be dupes for some highly coveted Zoya polishes!  I'll be doing a collection swatch fest for these soon.

There!  I am all caught up with manicures I did over the last 2 ish weeks!

What do you all think?  Don't forget to leave comments and questions and suggestions below!

Hugs & Kisses & Great Polishes!

~ Cat

Last Two LGBT Pride Manicures - Color Club Eternal Beauty & KB Shimmer Oh Splat!

Hello everyone!

As I mentioned earlier, I'm SO SO SO sorry for being MIA for so long!

Since I went out of town, it has been insane here, and trying to get my schedule back to normal took longer than I expected. 

But I'm back now, and I have been taking manicure pics the whole time so now it's time for me to play catch up!

So let's get this train rolling!

I have to start with my last two manicures that I did for LGBT Pride Month.  I wasn't able to post these while I was out of town, and just haven't had time to post at all since I came back :(

Color Club Halo Hues 2013 Eternal Beauty

The first manicure I did while out of town was from the Color Club's 2013 Halo Hues collection in Eternal Beauty.  This is a gorgeous violet purple polish with AMAZING holographic effects to it.  I knew I had to use this one for Pride because, what's better than purple that makes its own rainbows?!  Not to mention it's called Eternal Beauty, which is a great reminder that each and every person in the world is always beautiful being exactly who they are!

KB Shimmer Oh Splat!

And then my very last LGBT Pride manicure for this year was KB Shimmer's Oh Splat!  This polish has a kind of off-white cream colored base with TONS and TONS of rainbow hex glitters in all sorts of sizes.  This one is basically another Pride Parade polish, PACKED with "confetti". 

Admit it, you can never go wrong with tons of rainbow glitter, right?!

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And of course I had to add one more serious blurb at the end, but this one is a happy one.  As most of you know, in this Pride Month, the US Supreme Court decided that not only was Prop 8 in need of being repealed, but that DOMA was unconstitutional, therefore opening the doors for legitimizing the legalized marriages of LGBT persons in the US (and hopefully these legal marriages will include even more states very soon).

But it was only fitting that this decision was made during Pride Month, making it all the more outstanding!

To finish my LGBT manicures, I wanted to add a fun yet heart-warming video I found that I think just sums it all up wonderfully.

Thanks everyone for following my participation in Pride Month 2013!

I had SO MUCH fun showing my support this way and sharing it with all of you!

Don't forget to leave me questions and comments, and follow/like all my social media thingies!!

Hugs & Kisses & Great Polishes!

~ Cat

SO SORRY!

Hi everyone!

I'm so sorry I've been away for so long!  I've had a lot going on, I was out of town for a while and I've been adding a lot more working out and other things to my schedule.

On top of that I'm applying for jobs again, hoping something sticks this time.

I swear I haven't forgotten you all!

I'm coming back very soon, and I have been taking pics of my manicures!

I have a few new collections I'll be swatching for you all, and of course lots of fun polishes in general to share!

Sorry again for the hiatus, but I am still here, I swear!

Hugs & Kisses & Great Polishes!

~ Cat

LGBT Pride Month Manicure #7: Rainbow Stripes

Here comes manicure #7 for you guys!

Loving all my rainbow nails lately, so I had to play with my acrylic paints and do rainbow nail art again!  I even pulled out my striping tape!

Ready to see it?!

Alrighty, here it is!

LGBT Rainbow Stripes

For these nails I started by putting on my striping tape, after my base coat of course.  For each nail I used five strips of striping tape (which took FOREVER i might add lol).

Then I painted each nail with two coats of OPI Sapphire in the Snow, a deep eggplant purple creme polish. 

While the purple was still wet, I peeled off the striping tape and let the polish dry then. 

Once the purple base was dry I went into the striped with my acrylic paints.  The difference in thickness between my bare nail and the purple made it a bit easier to stay in a straight line with my paintbrush (though as you can see it didn't always stay that way).

I do love how the rainbow stripes pop against that dark purple background!

What do you guys think?

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Today, instead of sharing a song, I want to share a story, one that breaks my heart.

It's something I think a lot of people don't realize of if they do don't understand the significance of it, so I'd like to pass it along.

Love is love, and whether an individual likes it makes no difference, all consenting adults in loving relationships should be allowed to love how they want without interferance from someone who has no right to say otherwise.

Leave me comments and Like and Follow me!

Hugs & Kisses & Great Polishes!

~ Cat

P.S.  I'll be out of town for the next week or so so I probably won't be able to post regularly but I will be doing my nails for Pride still and taking pics, so I'll do a catch up post when I get back if I can't do them while I'm gone!

LGBT Pride Manicure #6: Rainbow Dot-icure

Hello all!

I have more colorful Pride nails to share (of course)

Today I have my 6th manicure for Pride Month and if I do say so myself, this one is cute and fun!

The inspiration for this particular manicure came across my Pinterest (as so many GREAT manicure ideas do).  So when I saw the photo I knew I'd have to do something similar for this month of rainbows!

Rainbow Dot-icure

I really enjoy doing dot-icures, there's something about them that's so abstract but still cute...if that makes any sense at all.

For this particular one, I of course had to have fun with the rainbow theme with this one.  Doing it was simple, and quick.  I just picked three shades of each color I needed and used two different size dotting tools to place random dots of each polish on my nails. 

I found it was easiest to start with the medium shade, then the darkest shade, and ending with the lightest shade so it would pop on top of the other colors more.

Now, since I have fifteen colors (not to mention my base color which was OPI I Theodora You), I won't waste your time by listing them all, since you can customize this manicure to whatever you'd like.  However, if there is something you'd like to know, feel free to ask!

And be sure to let me know what you guys think!
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Today I have another song for you!

Sorry I'm a music lover, do I like to pick music to fit certain moods and I keep hearing songs that I think fit the spirit of Pride and have messages the world needs to hear right now.

Like this one for example!

Hope you're all having a great week, and a great Pride Month!

Leave me comments and Like and Follow me!

Hugs & Kisses & Great Polishes!

~ Cat

LGBT Pride Month Manicure #5: Purple with Rainbow Trianlges

Manicure #5 time guys!

For today's manicure, I wanted to go a bit more literal with the symbolism and really just play up the Pride element that much more!

Plus I was able to have some fun with my acrylic paints and do a little nail art!

Essie Play Date

For this manicure, I started with three coats of Essie Play Date, a beautiful springtime purple/lavender creme polish. 

Then, to do the rainbow triangles, I took some scotch tape and taped over the part of my nails I wanted to keep the purple color, leaving a triangle space bare.  Then using my acrylic paints and a very fine brush, I painted the rainbow stripes in the triangles.  I removed the tape and topped it off with a layer of top coat, and voila!

I'm actually really proud of this one, and just love how it came out!

What do you guys think?

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Today I want to share another song with all of you.  It's one of my new favorites and I just can't stop listening to it.  The lyrics are beautiful and are so powerful.

I hope you enjoy it!

Be sure and leave me comments and Like and Follow my social media!

Hugs & Kisses & Great Polishes!

~ Cat

LGBT Pride Month Manicure #4: Rainbow Ombre

Manicure #4 is here you guys!

These Pride manicures are so much fun!  (Helps that I LOVE anything rainbow and/or purple of course).

I decided I wanted to try a bit more focus on the rainbow today I went with a look I saw done on CutePolish's YouTube channel!

So now, I give you my attempt to do this technique.

Rainbow Ombre

For this manicure I started with a white base of OPI My Boyfriend Scales Walls.  Then over that, I followed CutePolish's instructions for sponging on my three colors.  The polishes I used were Julep Bethany, Nikki, and Taylor.

Now, my sponging technique isn't nearly as flawless as hers is obviously, but I do like how the ombre turned out.

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Today I want to share a song with you guys, one that I heard a while back and thought the message was great. 

I've heard a lot of songs lately that mean a lot to me, especially during this month, just because their meanings are just lovely and strong and so positive.

So, instead of giving a huge schpeel i'll just share the song!

Leave me comments and Like and Follow me!

Hugs & Kisses & Great Polishes!

~ Cat

LGBT Pride Month Manicure #3: L.A. Girl Quicksand and Tie Dye Nail Foil

It's time for another Pride manicure for you all to see today!

I'm getting more and more excited about this month one because I can finally burn through some of my unused purples (of which there are many) and I get to try things in my nail art arsenal that I've wanted to try and just haven't been inspired to use before now.

Today for example, I was able to use a new polish I found at my local grocery store and some of the nail foils I'd gotten a while back!

L.A. Girl Quicksand and Tie-Dye nail foil

For today's manicure I started with my main color, L.A. Girl Quicksand from the new Sand Blast collection that I just found at my local grocery store.  Apparently the textured trend has started hitting the less expensive drugstore brands, which is fine with me!  This one is a very pretty violet purple (i know it shows more blue on film, but trust me it's a very grape violet purple color).  I used three coats, but I probably could have gotten away with two since it's quite pigmented. 

One thing I really like about these L.A. Girl textured polishes is that the grit of the texture is a lot finer than some of the other brands like OPI or even the Sally Hansen.  Obviously, every brand is trying to have a little bit of unique quality in their textured polishes, and the coarser grit isn't bad by any means, but this one is probably a bit more tolerable for those still a bit wary of the sandy texture.

Then, to tie in the signature rainbow of Pride, I went to my Dollar Nail Art nail foils and pulled out Tie-Dye Surprise, a fun tie-dyed pattern foil with a holographic hex pattern among the colors.  I decided to stick the foil on over a base of white polish (I think the base coat helps it stick better) and I was even more excited when my top coat didn't ruin the tie-dye pattern!

I'm really loving this manicure!

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Today I just have a happy note to make, a story that made me smile this week.

I'm sure some of you have seen the article about the gay couple who were awarded Cutest Couple in their New York high school, but just in case I thought I'd share.


http://www.cnn.com/2013/06/04/us/new-york-same-sex-couple-yearbook/index.html

I just loved seeing this story for so many reasons, but the biggest one being that this simple story, of a high school overcoming hate and acknowledging the value of love no matter who it's between gives me hope that the younger generations are already overcoming some of the prejudices we're still fighting now.

Let me know what you guys think about today's manicure and well anything else really!

Also, don't forget to Like and Follow me!

Hugs & Kisses & Great Polishes!

~ Cat

LGBT Pride Month Manicure #2: Lush Lacquer Sugar Daddy

I'm back with my second manicure for Pride Month!

I'm getting more and more excited as I'm thinking of ways to incorporate Pride into my nails.  I have so many ideas, I hope I can pull them all off haha.

For today I wanted to have a little more fun with the theme of Pride itself.  It's a not so secret dream of mine to go to a huge Pride Parade and just meet a bunch of people and just have fun dancing and laughing with everyone.  Sadly I still haven't gotten to at this point in my life, but that didn't stop me from bringing the Pride Parade to my nails!

Lush Lacquer Sugar Daddy

For today, I decided to wear Lush Lacquer's Sugar Daddy, a sheer white based polish packed with rainbow hex and bar glitter!  With the base being so sheer, I decided to paint two coats over a two coat base of OPI My Boyfriend Scales Walls.  And for this one, when I say packed with glitter...I mean PACKED! 

I just had to use this polish for Pride because all it makes me think of is rainbow confetti raining down on the fabulousness of a Pride Parade (or so I assume it looks).  Who doesn't want to be covered with rainbow confetti rain and have a grand old time at a parade?!?!  Exactly, no one.

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Now for my moment of being more topical.  After my first post, I decided I wanted to add something to each post that was uplifting and affirming, or just plain supportive.  Today, I wanted to share a speech from a show that I just recently have become OBSESSED with, Queer As Folk (I know I'm super behind.)

I adore this show and how it addresses all the diversity and similarities in the LGBT community as compared to the straight community, making it a point to show that there is no difference, people live their lives how they want whether they're gay or straight.  But of course there are always moments of deep emotion and one of these moments hit me hard simply because it was one of the few times that anyone, let alone a tv show managed to voice my personal beliefs so well, so I thought I'd share here.

I couldn't agree with these words more.  I am the apparent anomaly of a Christian Ally (more common than most might think).  So as such, I want to say that I don't for one moment agree that the God I believe in hates anyone, especially for a reason like their sexuality.  We were created in love and anointed as the children of God, no matter what, completely unconditionally.

Now, I know a lot of people personally who have been persecuted by so called "Christians" simply for being themselves and loving who they wished, and I want to apologize.  No one has the right to judge you, especially for something that isn't wrong. 

So for this Pride Month, I say be proud and if someone decides to tell you you can believe what you believe because of who you are, reply simply that you'll be praying for them and wish them love.

LGBT Pride Month: Kick off manicure!

Hi all!

So today is June 1st, and in case you didn't know, it is the first day of National LGBT Pride Month in the US!

Now, if you haven't noticed my Proud Ally sticker on this blog, then I guess it's high time you know that I am a proud (and rather emphatic) supporter of the LGBT community and it's causes.

So, when it's Pride Month, I can't just sit idly by with normal manicures, NO!  When I have so many color options at my disposal, it's only fair that I use my polishes to show my love and appreciation for all things rainbow and purple and for my friends and family that are a part of the LGBTQQIAAP community.

So for today, I have my first LGBT Pride manicure in what will be my MONTH OF PRIDE series of posts!

Megan Miller Velvet Lounge and rainbow gems

I thought I'd start of with something simple and straightforward.  Now some of you may have seen the manicure I took inspiration from (after all it's all over Pinterest haha).  In that image the base is a black with the rainbow gems, topped off with a matte top coat.

For my manicure, I wanted to have a little bit of a change so I first decided on a purple base (it is Pride, right?).  For that I use Megan Miller Velvet Lounge, a nice deep eggplant purple color that is basically a jelly-creme, sheer enough for some but buildable.  Then I simply added my little rainbow nail gems, off center and stuck on with a rather thick line of quick dry top coat and a toothpick dipped in top coat to make it sticky enough to pick up the gems.  I also decided to stay with the gloss finish instead of matte, simply because I prefer how the gems catch light with the shiny finish rather than otherwise.

I'm really excited about this manicure, and I'm even more excited to experiment with more rainbow and purple options as the month goes on!

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Now, I want to be serious for a moment.  LGBT rights are a very important subject for me and at the moment, for the world.  I have a very large soft spot on my heart for anyone and everyone involved in the changes that are being made everyday to ensure that we can truly say we are the home of the free. 

I want to make sure that anyone who reads my blog knows that I am a proud LGBT Ally and am always here for anyone and everyone who may need someone to talk to when they fear there may not be anyone there.  Remember, you are always, ALWAYS loved.  There is someone in your life who will be there for you, and if for some reason you can't find them right now, I'm here for you!

To all my readers LGBT or straight or anything else you may identify as, I hope you will always remember, though it may seem like the world is struggling to accept what is around them, it's their problem, not yours.  You were made to be just who you are and someone has a problem that, its just it, its THEIR problem.  But I know things can be difficult, and with the epidemic of bullying we have in the world, and especially on the internet, it can seem like there is no escape from the indescribably cruelty of human beings.  However, even though it's been said and may sound trite, things do get better, don't give up, your life and your place in this world is so valuable.

In this Pride Month, I remind you to be PROUD of who you are, no matter what you identify as, and know that there are people like myself who are PROUD to say you're in the world. 

Feel free to contact me if you ever want to talk, or just need someone to listen. (catsclawspolish@gmail.com

Leave me a comment and Like and Follow me in all your social media (check the About Me section for info).

Hugs & Kisses & Great Polishes!

~ Cat

Last Manicures of May 2013: OPI Ya'll Come Back Ya Hear with Sally Hansen Fuzzy Coat Peach Fuzz, Revlon Brilliant Strength Intrigue, & China Glaze Snap My Dragon

As the title says (my way of avoiding calling this a catch up post lol), these are the manicures I wore for the last week of May that I made sure to photograph to share with you all!

Kind of weird to think that May is already over...and I'm still in my parents' house (womp womp).

Oh well, at least I have my polishes and my desperate obsessions with geeky fandoms to console me.

*sobs in the corner*

Alright...I'm back and okay.  ON TO THE NAILS!

OPI Ya'll Come Back Ya Hear & Sally Hansen Fuzzy Coat Peach Fuzz

First up I have a fun glitter gradient using one of the new Sally Hansen Fuzzy Coat collection polishes, Peach Fuzz.  For this manicure I started with a base of three coats of OPI's Ya'll Come Back Ya Hear, one of the sorbet shades from the Texas Collection which is a nice sheer medium orange jelly.  Over that, I sponged on a gradient of Peach Fuzz, a polish made up of peach and yellow mini matte bar glitters.

The Sally Hansen Fuzzy Coat collection is essentially the "drugstore" answer to the Nails Inc. Feathers collection.  I was actually really happy to see these in stores since I was in love with the Feathers polishes but had absolutely no desire to pay at least $10 per bottle.  The colors in this Sally Hansen collection are a lot of fun and the effect of the glitters are really unique, so I can't wait to use the others I have!

Revlon Brilliant Strength Intrigue

 Next I have Revlon Intrigue from the Brilliant Strength line.  This polish is a really pretty periwinkle blue with a little sheen of purple and silver.  I've never tried this line from Revlon before, I've seen a few swatches of other colors online but Brilliant Strength FINALLY made it to my store recently so I thought I'd try this color since it was so pretty.  I have to say the formula on this polish was great, smooth and can be opaque in two coats, though I went with my standard three.  Once it was dry, I was even more surprised that it actually did make my nails feel a bit stronger than using regular typically does, so that was nice, since I never feel like my nails are strong enough.

China Glaze Snap My Dragon

Then finally, for the last week of May I wore China Glaze's Snap My Dragon from the Avant Garden collection.  This polish is a gorgeous bright red with a slight pink tinted shimmer.  It went on smoothly and looked great, no streaks even with the shimmer being slightly frosty.  I do have to say, I'm not used to wearing bright red polishes, most of the time I go for dark, vampy reds if any reds at all, so I often forget how fun these are, especially as it gets closer to summer.  I did have a little problem with some skin staining as I was removing this one, but a little extra cleaning got rid of that no problem, and the staining wasn't on my nails at all.  Just another color I love from the Avant Garden collection!

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So what do you guys think?  Are you preparing for summer months and manicures?  What do you look forward to wearing on your nails?

Leave me comments and don't forget to Like and Follow me on social media (info in the About me section).

Hugs & Kisses & Great Polishes!

~ Cat

So much catching up to do!

Sorry sorry all!

I know my hiatus has been even longer than usual, the last week was INSANE with stuff happening.

But I am still here, alive and well, and have been taking pics even though I haven't been posting.

So yay for that!  Let's get started!

Kleancolor Metallic Yellow

First up is Metallic Yellow from the Kleancolor Metallics collection.  This polish, being a "metallic yellow" is clearly more of a gold, but a very rich buttery gold.  This Kleancolor collection, from what I'm told is GREAT for stamping, so I'll have to try it.  The colors are bright and super pigmented and most go on completely opaque in one coat.  They can be a bit tough to remove when done as a full manicure, but I'm sure stamping won't be that bad.

OPI Glints of Glinda and Sinful Colors Social Ladder

Next I have OPI Glints of Glinda from the Oz the Great and Powerful Soft Shades collection.  This polish is a soft tan nude sheer polish that looks lovely if you want that sheer, natural nail look but just have to have polish on.  I can imagine it might look a little odd on people with extremely fair complexions, but I'd give it some trial and error before disregarding it completely.  Over Glints of Glinda I thought I'd try a nice subtle sponge ombre with Sinful Colors Social Ladder, a sheer nude shimmer.  Now when I say subtle, I mean subtle, but the two together made a very elegant look that would probably be great for weddings or special occasions.

Sally Hansen Sugar Coat Sour Apple

Then I have another new polish to show off, this one from Sally Hansen's most recent collection, Sugar Coat.  This is Sally Hansen's answer to the recent textured finish trend, following the OPI Liquid Sands and Zoya Pixie Dusts as well as the other textured lines that are coming out.  This polish is called Sour Apple and is a gorgeous minty green color.  The texture on this one is nice, not overly gritty and a nice change from the more common sparkly textured finishes.  This one went on perfectly in two coats and has a really nice bright color pay-off as do the others I have from the collection.

a England Ophelia

Last but not least, I have Ophelia from a England, a black base polish with a beautiful violet shimmer in it.  Sadly, in the picture it is nearly impossible to see (my lighting sucks) but in sunlight that shimmer glows and gives this polish a lot of depth and light.  The formula on this one was AMAZING, I got it opaque in two coats and may have even been able to do just one if I'd painted thicker coats.  It's a great polish and a brand worth looking into if you haven't already.

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So yea, these are the polishes I've worn for the last week!  Sorry again for being so late about posting all of them.  I really am trying to keep up haha, but it might still take a little while, so my apologies!

If you have anything you'd like to see, leave me a comment and don't forget to Like and Follow all my social media!

Hugs & Kisses & Great Polishes!

~ Cat