Tuesday, June 7, 2011

Wednesday, June 1, 2011

Nina Ultra Pro: Molten Ruby

Nina Ultra Pro is a brand that I think is sorely over-looked.

Molten Ruby is a mid-toned red with gold duo-chrome which almost makes is orangey and bronzey.


This is another one of those, "Uhg, how many pictures can I take before it's true to color??".


And there's the money shot. Finally! I love Nina Ultra Pro polishes, they dry fast, have interesting colors, and the formula is great! I need more of this brand, and plan on picking more up soon.

Monday, May 30, 2011

China Glaze: Re-Fresh Mint

I was in the mood for a funky color that don't normally wear, so I chose Re-Fresh Mint.

Re-Fresh Mint is a light minty green color with a creme finish. I added Nicole by OPI: Step 2 the Beat of My <3 to accent. Goofy name, I know, but I wanted to get one of their heart glitter polishes. :)

I had an oddly difficult time capturing the tone of this polish, but this picture is the most accurate. Overall I like this polish, this was from the Up & Away collection, but is now part of the permanent display available at Sally. It applies like most creme polishes, thick and opaque.

This color is a great spring time polish!

Monday, May 9, 2011

China Glaze: Pom Pom

Hey guys! I haven't been doing any nail posts lately, but the sunshine excited me so much today that I had to take a picture. Also, I'm not 100% sure that anyone cares about my nail polish quite as much as I do, but oh well XD

Pom Pom is a medium pink jelly based glitter polish with small pink glitter and medium round silver glitter. Two coats of this polish made it almost opaque, but I can still see my natural tip line. But I don't care, it's too pretty to bother me.


I adore this polish. I've owned it for months, and this it the first time I've worn it. I have to say... I am dreading removing this. I love glitter, but the removal process is murderous. And I have another glitter that I've been saving because of this same dread, haha.

Until next time, have a good day, guys!



Saturday, April 9, 2011

Face Full of Drugstore!

Hard Candy Tinted Moiturizer
Hard Candy Fox in a Box
Hard Candy Glossaholic
Wet n Wild Vanity palette
Wet n Wild Lust palette
L'oreal Carbon Black Liquid Lineur Intense
L'oreal Carbon Black Mascara
L'oreal HIP Liner Black Shock

Sometimes it's good to be cheap!
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Thursday, April 7, 2011

{{UPDATE}} KATHY LAGOLI: Spam/Hacking/Phishing E-mail Attempts

Yesterday I received and email (that was in my spam inbox) with the subject "RE: impassionate vanity". So I got concerned that I missed something, and opened it.

This is how it read:

"Hello, would you be available to discuss this on the phone, Kathy"

I responded to it with a brief message saying that I cannot give out my personal phone number.

Then I received a second email this morning:

"Hello, hey didn't hear back from you, are you still in business? Kathy"

I responded again to her because I was annoyed by the stupid questions and said that I don't have a business, and I run a blog in my spare time.

I haven't heard anything back thus far, but I'm hoping that my two responses have not set me up for something horrible.

At anyrate, I'm posting this because this is an obnoxious attempt to get people's information and rip them off. Share this blog post and get the word out there! Do NOT send Kathy Lagoli ANYTHING.



{{UPDATE}}

I recieved a failure notice after I sent out a response to them, so either they deleted their email, or it's just not a real address.

Wednesday, March 30, 2011

How To: Long Natural Nails

Since I grew my natural nails out to the same length I used to keep my fake nails I've been getting TONS of questions. I created a video, but for reasons we will not get into I removed it from YouTube. Onto my routine!

Filing and Maintenance

To be honest with you, I do not file my nails very often anymore. I find that it shreds my nails, and promotes breakage. But if I do need to file I use a fine grit nail file.

Tip:
When you file you need to file in only one direction, not in a sawing motion. This is why many people have splits, cracks and peeling. That sawing motion is tearing the free edge of your nail and making it weak.

Tip:
Glass or crystal nail files are excellent for natural nails!

I push back my cuticles once a week (or every other time I polish my nails) with a cheap-o cuticle pusher.

Tip:
Don't clip, cut or trim your cuticles. They grow back faster if they are removed this way. Pushing them back lasts longer!

Polish Procedure

Here I will outline step by step what I do when I paint my nails:

Step 1:
Remove polish with regular acetone nail polish remover. (I do not feel it is necessary to use any 'nourishing' polish remover as I do not feel it works)
Step 2:
Push cuticles back
Step 3:
Put down two coats of Nail Magic Botanical Nail Strengthener.
Step 4:
Use two-three coats of desired nail lacquer.
Step 5:
Two coats of Nail Magic Top Coat, or Out the Door Top Coat.

Making your nail polish last isn't always about the quality of the nail polish. A lot of the staying power is all in your application technique. Even coats and a good top coat can help tons.

Other Info

I do not want anyone to think that my natural nails come easy, because they don't. It's a lot of maintenance. I'm very careful to keep my hands out of treacherous situations and I keep them manicured all the time. I believe that the amount of product I keep on them is a huge factor in why they are so strong. Don't get me wrong, they certainly have broken before, and they chip from time to time, it's the nature of the beast.

China Glaze nail lacquer has nail hardeners in the polish. That's one of the main reasons I use it so much, it's like a double whammy of strengthener for my nails.

My nails have always been garbage. They used to flake, peel, and break off like shells crumbling. So that's why I work so hard to keep them maintained.

I used to wear gel nails, for about a year to a year and a half. I did my own, and it ruined my nails. December 2009 is when I started my quest to have my own healthy nails.

I have blog posts about my favorite top coats, and about the Nail Magic Botanical Nail Strengthener.



That's all folks! If you have questions please feel free to message me on Facebook, or email me!


Sunday, March 13, 2011

Manicure of the Day

Alright! So, I painted my nails a totally plain color last week. As plain as neon yellow gets, but in terms of designs and whatnot, it was plain. Until I got bored. I taped off my tips and painted them with the black crackle from China Glaze, Black Mesh.

And then I took it further.

I added Konad! Woohoo! I love this, it's totally 80's. It reminds me of acid washed jeans and off the shoulder t-shirts.


This is Konad plate m57 with the black special polish. I have to say that this is the funkiest manicure I've rocked in a while, and oddly enough, it really got no attention.


Left hand

Right hand
As my tips start to wear it looks more and more retro, dirty, and grungy. I just love it! :)



Monday, March 7, 2011

Manicure of the Day - China Glaze Crackle: Lightning Bolt

More Crackles, I know, I'm kind of beating a dead horse. Oh well!

Lightning Bolt! I like that name, it's fun. This is layered over Flip Flop Fantasy and is a little lighter and more coral in real life.

I have to say, that out of all of the crackles, this is my least favorite. It cracks just fine, but I dunno. It's one of those "What can I use this with?" colors. Besides black or grey.


Maybe it was just the wrong color combo for me. At any rate, I didn't feel like I could use anything but a thick-ish coat of this, otherwise it was just not opaque enough.

This picture is a little more color accurate. I don't have much more to say about this. If you like white and think that you would like this, go for it! This isn't really for me, but I won't give up on it yet!

Wednesday, March 2, 2011

Manicure of the Day - China Glaze Crackle: Cracked Concrete

Holy alliteration!!
Anyway, I have only a few more crackles to show off and I used the black over a really fantastic neon pink (Pool Party) but like my last post the crackle polish cracked and separated my base color, and it looked like utter garbage. I chose not to share it because it was really that bad. 

On to Cracked Concrete!
I used this over 5 Golden Rings from a holiday that was released forever ago. It's a nice soft glittery gold, I thought it would be an interesting combination.

Cracked Concrete is a medium gray and applies the same as the rest of the crackles. At some points I felt like I was using way too much but it's probably because my base color is so light.


This picture is a little more color accurate. It's not my favorite manicure, but it's different looking.


I think that this is a fun color, but it stumped me a little bit since I didn't know what to pair it with that wasn't black or white. To me the most usable colors are the black, pink, and purple. I haven't used the white or the blue yet, so we shall see!

Saturday, February 26, 2011

Manicure of the Day- China Glaze Crackle: Broken Hearted

More Crackles! I love these, they have infinite possibilities. :D

I'm wearing Broken Hearted over Sun Worshipper from the Summer 2010 collection.


Sun Worshipper is a neon shade, so it dries matte. That's partially why I selected it as my base color. Mattes dry very quickly, and since I'm impatient, that works for me.

The odd thing about what happened with this combo was the crackle actually cracked my base color so you can see my nail underneath. I'm wondering if it's because Sun Worshipper is a matte... who knows. I'll experiment further with mattes as base shades. It's not incredibly noticeable, and it doesn't bother me because these colors together are just so fabulous.

Broken Hearted is a wee bit on the thick side. But not very difficult to use. It gets streaky but evens out slightly as it dries. Top coat also helps to conceal those lines. It cracks perfectly, of course if you use a thin coat it will crack more. I'd say I used an average coat. Heavier coats will result in less cracking.

Right hand. I'm not sure what else to say besides, YAY! I love pink and orange.

Tuesday, February 22, 2011

Konad!!

My Konading supplies arrived last week, and I'm super excited!

Konad is a nail art stamping system that consists of metal plates with laser etched designs, special polish, a scraper and rubber stamp. How it works is the special polish is applied to the metal plate on the design of your choice and the excess polish is scraped off using the scraper and the design is then picked up on the rubber stamp and then quickly applied to the nail.
The designs can be layered and combined with other things like stickers, rhinestones and glitter.
For more info visit this site: www.wowsocool.com

Now for the swatches!

This is my first attempt at Konading. I used plate m14 and the black and white special polish. The special polishes are super thick and cannot be used as regular nail polish as they do not dry. This is why they appear so clearly and pigmented on the nail. The polish is instantly dry after stamping.


You can use other polishes if you like, but I definitely recommend playing around with it first. Thick polishes with a cream finish, and metallic finishes work the best. My base color here is Sugar High by China Glaze, and in the background you can see that I broke my thumbnail off! D:


The black special polish smearsssssssssssssssssss all over unless you use a thick topcoat and work gently. I had no issues with the white smearing or anything. Cleanup of the process is slightly messy and the black is yet again unruly. I ordered my Konad from Amazon from the seller Beauty Knockout. Amazon lets you get more bang for your buck since this seller offers most of the Konad line for half off.

RIP thumbnail! Uhg terrible.

Anyway, I'm loving this and need a better set up for it than using my trumpet case on my bed haha.

Saturday, February 19, 2011

Sultry Blue and Bronze Makeup Tutorial

Manicure of the Day- China Glaze Crackle: Fault Line

China Glaze Crackle is here!! I'm stoked. I purchased all the colors and will be sharing them as I use them!
The color lineup is:
Black Mesh - A plain black
Cracked Concrete - A creamy medium grey
Lightning Bolt - A stark white
Fault Line - A shimmery purple
Broken Hearted - A medium pink
Crushed Candy - A light pastel blue

Aaand here we go!

Fault Line over China Glaze White on White


These new polishes are remniscent of the Cover Girl crackle polishes from forever ago. I only owned one and it was a funky grassy green. It never looked right because it was so thin, but these China Glaze Crackle glazes are fantastic!

These do take some getting used to. Firstly, you MUST let your base color dry fully. Next, you do need to work quickly with these because they dry very fast. These are not for the nail perfectionist. I just slop the color on evenly as possible, don't try to cover the whole nail seamlessly, and don't try to double dip and layer because by the time you come back the polish will be halfway through it's drying process. These NEED a top coat, unless you like the matte finish they have.

I've been reading reviews of these polishes and a lot of people are having difficulties. I read one review that said the purple didn't crack much, if at all. But as you can see, mine cracked a ton! I tested them all and had no problems at all. So if you purchase, test them out and be a tiny bit patient.

And this is my right hand, just to show you how it cracked on my other hand.
Overall, I'm so excited that crackle polish has been re-released! It's such a fabulous grungy, messy and funky way to liven up your regular manicures!!

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Drugstore Haul: Wet N Wild & Jesse's Girl

Monday, January 24, 2011

Wait, what??

Weird! I bought two, Cotton Candy (not pictured) and Not So Blueberry. I'll let you know how it works!
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Wednesday, January 19, 2011

Manicure of the Day

China Glaze extravaganza over here! This is Black Diamond and on my middle finger is Tinsel and Nova for a fabulous blingy gradient effect.
Black Diamond is a dark grey polish with shimmer, no glitter.


Nova, (the polish I am holding) is a fantastic mixture of large and small holographic silver glitter pieces.



 Tinsel is a straight up small silver glitter, very thin, a little runny.



Wednesday, January 12, 2011

I just want to take a moment...

To give a shout out to:

Russia
Germany
Greece
Algeria
Mexico
Austrailia
Canada
Pakistan
United Kingdom
Sweden
Brazil
Malaysia
Spain
Hungary

And of course all of my fans in the USA!

Thank you for the support, and your visits!

Monday, January 10, 2011

Orly Haul

This haul was from a while ago, and as far as I know these colors are still available online. I will link to them at the end of this post.



Keep in mind that all of these shades have fabulous glitter that is ridiculously difficult to capture. I have provided close-ups of the bottle, and swatches. Click to enlarge any of these pictures!!

Enjoy! :)

Winter Wonderland
A milky off-white base infused with tons of white chunky/small flaky glitter and micro glitter.
This polish is from the "Tis the Season" Collection.


Galaxy Girl
Purple-ish plum brown base color with teal reflects. in some lights it's plummy, in others is brown. Lovely.
This polish is from the Cosmic FX collection.


Lunar Eclipse
An intense medium bright blue with purple reflects. The reflects are much more intense than my camera could pick up. Amazing, though.
This polish is from the Cosmic FX Collection.



It's Not Rocket Science
A darkened acid green with teal reflects, when swatched it comes off a touch orangey. Really interesting.
This polish is from the Cosmic FX Collection.


Meet Me Under the Mistletoe
A dark foresty green that leans slightly blue toned, with Medium green and greenish-yellow reflects. The green and yellow reflects almost counteract the blue tones of this polish.
This polish is from the "Tis the Season" collection.


So I finally own all of the Cosmic FX collection, you know, it only took me forever. haha
Either way, I purchased these because they are different from anything I own.
That's my new mantra when it comes to purchasing new nail polishes, they have to be different in some way to what I already own. Otherwise I'll have to make up an excuse to justify my purchases ;)

If you see anything funky in the land of nail lacquers, let me know!



Orly Cosmic FX Collection can be purchased here.
Tis the Season and Cosmic FX Collections can also be purchased here

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