Saturday, June 30, 2012

Spontaneous Saturday: Guest Post- Lit From Within

*I want to first welcome you all to my new feature for Saturdays! I'm going to call it Spontaneous Saturdays. Saturday's will now feature a range of different things, it could be a guest post. bottle spam, a post on something that interests me that week, or anything. I wanted to have a day where I could shake things up a bit, and be a bit spontaneous! Today, I have for you a great guest post from Nidia, a member of our Central Florida Beauty Blogger group. She's very sweet and I love the message behind her blog!


Hi!  I’m Nidia, and I run a blog called Lit From Within.  I first want to thank Steph for allowing me to guest on her wonderful blog!  I’m the first to say that I’m imperfectly painted, and there’s nothing wrong with that.

My blog mostly focuses on nails and nail art, but I believe in promoting the idea that all women should feel beautiful.  Sometimes, my friends tell me that they can’t paint their nails because they’re too short, or they’re too old for glitter, or too shy to wear bright lipstick, or even too embarrassed to go make-up free.  I think we need to throw away that fake rulebook and embrace what makes us feel good about ourselves.

I am loving this multi-layer nail polish trend, so that’s what I have for you today. 


Here’s how I did it:  after I applied my basecoat, I used two coats of Revlon Buttercup, a very pale yellow.  Then I took a makeup sponge and applied a little bit of China Glaze Metallic Muse (light blue) and Orly Ingenue (metallic pink) for some sparkle and color.   I love painting daisies on my nails because they’re an ‘imperfectly perfect’ flower – in nature they all look slightly different, and no one cares if they’re missing a petal or are different colors.  I started with a white base of the flower, and then colored in the petals with Sally Hansen HD in Wavelength (hot pink/coral) and Hue (yellow) and then dotted in the centers with Pure Ice Black Rage for detail.
I hope you like it!  If you decide to make your version of it, I hope you’ll leave a comment and let me know.  Have a great day!

*Many thanks to Nidia for this great post! 

Happy Saturday!

Friday, June 29, 2012

Milani Dark Coffee

I have never been one to reach for brown nail polish. It's been hard for me to not associate the color brown with not so nice things. Lately, I've been craving some brown though.  I think brown can be a very sophisticated color when done right. It's nice variation from black or other dark colors. Here is a new core line Milani brown polish that I quite like.

Dark Coffee


Dark Coffee is a dark brown creme.

This is very simple, but I like it. I never thought I'd like brown, but after this polish I changed my mind. I've been picking up some more browns here and there. This applies nicely smoothly. I love the richness of this color. I don't think I'd care for it as much if it were lighter. The dark color makes it classy. I think if you're hesitant about brown this color may ease you into it!

*This product was provided to me for my honest review by Milani

Happy Friday!

Thursday, June 28, 2012

Once Upon a Polish: Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs

I have another Once Upon a Polish for you today! I saw this one a few months ago, and it sold out fast! I'm glad it was restocked, and I was able to pick it up. When I look at Once Upon a Polish's etsy shop, I see it is still in stock today. 

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs over Sation Hail to the Pink


Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs is a mix of shredded black glitter, black hex glitter, silver holo hex glitters, and white hex glitters in a clear base. 

I love this glitter! I like the addition of the silver holo glitter and the shredded black glitter because it makes it unique against the other black and white glitters out there. This would look great layered over any color. It's very versatile. This is also easy to use. I always like to mention that because in the past glitters could be difficult to apply without really fishing for them. You will not have problems with this glitter!

Happy Thursday!

Tuesday, June 26, 2012

Talk it Out Tuesday: Blogger Confessions Pt. 2

I did Blogger Confessions Pt. 1 back in November. These are just some more things I can add to it.

1. I don't think I know how to file my nails properly. I use an emery board,  glass files scare me because of the sound they make against my nails. It gives me the shivers. Someone file my nails please?

2. I love looking at nail polish display pictures, probably even more than nail swatch pictures. I get giddy when I see Frazzle and Aniploish's display posts. I wish there was some magazine/catalog with pictures for nail polish displays from the past 10-15 years. -drool-

3. My posts from when I started blogging to a year into blogging scare me. My nails are nasty long and my polish jobs are horrendous, but I keep them up here anyways. I have learned that prefer my nails short though for sure!

4 . I'm officially no longer afraid of green nail polish.

5. I once got asked to review a mouse pad with a smiley face on it. Yes, because that makes sense with my blog?

6. I'm sure OPI hates me for my A Color to Diner For review, and Model's Own hates me for my Tropical Sun review. Actually, I doubt they've even read it, but if they did I'm sure I'd never be considered for their PR list.

7. If someone asks me what color I'm wearing and it's some really obscure, discontinued, or HTF color or brand, I just tell them a easy to find color similar to it instead of telling them what it really is. I'm sure this makes me sound awful, but it really avoids a long-ended awkward conversation. If the person is nail addict that's a different story, but the non-nail addicts it's not worth the energy. :P

8. I hate painting my toes, but I do it anyways. It's really like a chore for me, but I have to keep them looking pretty.

9. My nail polish icon is Joan Rivers. She jumped started my bright blue craze when I saw a bright blue polish she was wearing on Joan & Melissa show on WE TV. I also love her nails on Fashion Police she's always sporting some trendy and funky color at the age of 79!

10. Some of my favorite blog posts from others are nail art. I love looking at nail art, but unless someone else is going to do nail art on me I can't be bothered. Nail polish is my escape, doing nail art would require time, dedication, and patience I do not want to put into it.

11. I love my new camera (Nikon Coolpix 6100). It has totally changed my blog and photos for the better. It does have one tremendously annoying flaw. It changes all my oranges to corals, pinks, or reds. It does not capture the color orange. I always have to adjust my colors in the photo later on. It's annoying.

12. I still have never tried nail stamping. I have some plates, but I need the stamper....I will eventually try it. I'm just afraid I'll completely stink at it.

13. I worry about the sanity of people who are willing to spend $100 on one bottle of nail polish on ebay. I'm sure this will offend someone. Sorry, but livelihood > nail polish. Plus, with all the franken supplies out there now I'm sure you could make something similar or dupey on your own.

I think that's all for now.

Do we have any of these things in common? Do you have an blogger or nail polish addict confessions you want to share?

Monday, June 25, 2012

Sally Hansen White Veil

A few months ago I ran across the Sally Hansen Jewel Overcoats. I saw a few colors that did not do much for me, and and 2 empty slots for another color. I found out later the missing color was White Veil, and I wanted it. I scoured Walgreens for weeks, and I never saw it. I finally just gave up. I didn't need it badly, and since it was limited edition I figured I lost my chance. A few weeks later I was over at Ulta with Pretty Little Bottles, and she suggested I look for it there. I pretty much laughed her suggestion off thinking I'd never find it. I found it though! It out of place in their drugstore nail polish display. As much as I thought I had let go of my attachment to this polish, I was very excited to find it!

White Veil over YSL Bleu Majorelle


White Veil is a mixture of small semi-transparent white glitters and larger gold hex glitters in a clear base.

This is the weirdest/coolest glitter I own. I love these little white glitters they are so unusual! I think they pair nicely with the gold glitters. This glitter was also easy to work with. I didn't feel like I was fishing for glitters. Short and sweet. This is a awesome little glitter. I just wish these were not limited edition!

Happy Monday!

Sunday, June 24, 2012

Share With You Sunday: 6/17/12-6/24/12

Posts I'm Loving:
Nailtopia shows us her neon dots manicure.
Kelsie's Nail Files shares with us her manicure inspired by her new blog design.
Haute Lacquer shows us her Feeling Citrus-y nails.
Polka Polish shares with us her stained glass nails.
MandysSecrets shows us her neon skittles nails using striping tape.
Sonoma Nail Art shares with us her "Let's Do It" nails.
Cat's Adventures in Lacquer Land swatches OPI Did It On 'Em

Posts You're Loving:
NAILED IT! shows us her neon gradient using Orly polishes.
Make-up/Music/Money/Me shares with us her layering experiment using WnW glitter polishes.
Kelly's Nail Blog shows us her "Something Fishy in the Deep Blue Sea" manicure.
Polish Obsession swatches Models Own Indian Ocean.
Life in Color! swatches Cirque Dark Horse and Epoch.

You can submit your links for posts on Sundays here

Reader Manis of the Week:



Name: Secretary`s Nail Art
Location: Oslo, Norway 
Manicure Description: This is my cupcake nails! For this mani I used a dotting tool for the icing, a pencil for the base of the cupcakes. French white from H&M, NYX Matte Baby Pink, ESSIE - Little Brown Dress and a pink rhinestone as a "cherry-on-top".
Favorite Polishes: I love ESSIE polishes and China Glaze, ESSIE - Trophy Wife, and Aruba Blue are my absolute favs.
Blog: http://secretarysnailart.blogspot.no/



Name: Violence
Location: New York City
Manicure Description: Illamasqua Milf
Favorite Polishes: Too many to many! But my favorite companies are definitely Essie, Opi, China Glaze and Illamasqua!
Blog: http://violentlybeautiful-screamviolenc3.blogspot.com/

You can find information on how to submit your manicures for Sunday posts here. I need manis for July! 

Happy Sunday!

Friday, June 22, 2012

Models Own Tropical Sun

I'm channeling a bit of OPI A Color to Diner For here. I impulsively bought this along with  Models Own Indian Ocean when they released more Beetlejuice colors. I  really hate it. It's certainly not as ugly as OPI A Color to Diner For, but I certainly have more buyers remorse from it because I bought this from the UK and paid a lot of shipping for it. This color just did not cut if or me at all. I'm very disappointed.


Tropical Sun




Tropical Sun if a coral-pink with a golden-yellow shimmer and random silver glitters.

This is a mess. It's sheer, frosty, brush-strokey, and the random glitters are horrible afterthought. I actually do like the colors, but the finish and all the components added to it really ruin it. I think if it were a glass fleck vs. a frost it would been so much better, and they should do away with those pointless glitters too. The glitters make me irrationally angry. I do not understand why you would put silver glitters in a warm-toned polish that is already busy enough with the frost finish and the intense shimmer? It's like they knew they screwed up on this color already, and felt adding those glitters would help it. No, they don't.  Can you tell these glitters bother me? Haha. I've read reviews on this polish, and a lot people love it. You guys may love it too, but I'm pretty set in my opinion on this...clearly! :P

Overall, nice color scheme,  that is ruined by a poor choice in finish and evil glitters that have turned this blogger into grump about this polish and the $$$ she wasted purchasing it.

Happy Friday!

Thursday, June 21, 2012

Sation Hail to the Pink

Let's be honest here, whenever I'd see Sation nail polish I would completely pass it up. It was a brand I remember seeing in the early 90's on nail polish racks in small little manicure places. Whenever I saw them recently, they seemed be in the same exact bottles from 20 years ago with the same range of colors. Recently, Sation revamped their image, and Sation is now on my radar. They sponsored our recent Central Florida Beauty Bloggers meetup, and I got to try this polish.

Hail to the Pink




Hail to the Pink is neon hot pink jelly.

This is highlighter pink, and it's jelly! I know there are other colors like this out there, but let me tell you this is the best formula I've seen on a neon ever. This only took 3-4 coats. It applied smoothly,  and without any streaks. The color is evenly distributed. I was really surprised!

I'm so glad Sation revamped their brand. It was much needed, and it got my attention. You can see a lot more from Sation on Let Them Have Polish!'s blog. These polishes are available for purchase on Miss Professional Nail website for $5. My only complaint is I hope I can see these in stores sometime soon. I think with their new selection of colors and new image they really need to be showcased in stores. People need to see these in person!

**This product was provided to me by Miss Professional Nail for my honest review.

Happy Thursday!

Wednesday, June 20, 2012

Zoya Jaime

*I have a guest post over at Refined and Polished today! Thank you Lakeisha for the opportunity!


While I was working on my spreadsheet and going through all my polish. I was reminded why I love Zoya so much. They really make special colors. I ran across so many unique finishes and colors when going through my stash that I do not see from other mainstream brands. I think a lot of their older stuff gets swept under the rug though. I must admit some of my favorite Zoyas are the long and forgotten ones. I picked this one up recently with one of their promos. I think it's an old one, and I don't know if it came in some collection, but it's great!

Jaime 




Jaime is a soft lilac creme with a subtle lilac/pink shimmer.

What's strange about this color is when searching for it on the Zoya site, search for it as "Jaime". The bottle I have on the bottom says "Jamie" though. They're both the same color. I love soft colors like this. It's very feminine, and the shimmer gives it something extra special.. Zoya rates this as a 3 on the scale of 1 (sheer)- 5 (opaque). You'll need 3-4 coats of this. I didn't find it to be streaky or difficult to work with at all. I'm very happy with this color.

Happy Wednesday!

Tuesday, June 19, 2012

YSL Bleu Majorelle

I know this will be an unusual post for me,since I have very few high end polishes. While at the CF Beauty Bloggers event at Neiman Marcus event a few weeks ago, I saw the beauty rep. from Yves Saint Laurent wearing this blue polish from their line. The first thing I said to her after her presentations was that I was coming back to buy that polish, and I did just that. I'm still in my bright blue phase, so I couldn't pass this up.  It's not everyday I'd throw down $25 for a nail polish, but I happily did for this one.

YSL Bleu Majorelle




Bleu Majorelle is a bright cobalt blue creme.

This polish is positively perfect in every way. The color is to die for. This is that bright blue I've been needing in my life. It is very vivid and pigmented. It really has a brightness to it unlike any other blue I've seen. The formula and application of this polish was great. It had a thin flat brush, which I really liked.

I found out this color was inspired by the Majorelle Garden, designed by Jacques Majorelle in Marrakech, Morocco in the 20's and 30's. This shade of blue is used throughout the garden and the color was named after Majorelle himself. I'm a history buff, so to have a tidbit of history with the nail polish is very cool. 


I really love this color despite its hefty price tag. It was very worth it to me. I've found my high end polishes to continue to impress me. That being said, I will still not frequently shop high end brands. I certainly don't have the budget for it, but on the rare occasion for a special polish I'll give in!


Happy Tuesday!


Monday, June 18, 2012

Sally Hansen Arabian Night

Spring 2008 when Sally Hansen Arabian Night polish came out I was about 6 months away from entering my polish addiction. I did not care about nail polish. I never looked at collections. If I wanted a nail polish I usually just found Maybelline or Cover Girl one in the color I needed and moved on. Then, when I got into nail polish I started reading posts on Sally Hansen Arabian Night, and I fell in love with this color. The problem was by that time it could not be found anywhere.

This is a problem in the nail polish world. When it comes to drugstore limited edition polishes, when they're gone they're likely gone forever. It's very hard to find them. I always had this polish in the back of my mind, but never felt I would find it. A few weeks ago, I saw someone post on it on MakeupAlley, I decided to just google on a whim to see if anything came up. What came up was great! I found it! I found it for $2.99 too on Cassie's Cosmetics. I've used Cassie's Cosmetics before to buy Sally Hansen Nail Prisms and other long discontinued products, but I was so thrilled to find Arabian Night on here. I had not seen it there before. Of course, I swooped it right up! It felt good to quell a 4 year lemming.

Arabian Night


Arabian Night is a medium-dark grape with a golden glass fleck shimmer.

This is gorgeous! You know me cool-toned colors paired with golds/coppers/bronzes is so my thing. Polish companies...do you hear me again? I love the richness of this color, and I am over the moon that it is now mine. I have absolutely nothing bad to say about this, then again I've been wanting it for so long how could I?

I really recommend Cassie Cosmetics to those of you looking for some of the polish nostalgic favorites. There are so many discontinued products from different brands on that site with very reasonable prices. This was my second purchase from them and on top of that they ship fast too!

Happy Monday!

Sunday, June 17, 2012

Share With You Sunday: 6/10/12-6/17/12

Happy Father's Day out there! I can't believe it's already the middle of June. Where does time go?!?

Posts I'm Loving:
Pointless Cafe compares royal blue nail polishes.
Chalkboard Nails teaches us how to create a starfish manicure.
Neverland Nail Blog shows us her nail art she created using a straw.
The Nailasaurus shares with us her Sandy Sandwich nails mattified.
Morie's Nail Art shows us her gold star nails.
Enamel Girl shows us her tape manicure.

Posts You're Loving:
Make-up/Music/Money/Me shares with us her nail care routine.
polish cart shows us her nail gradient using Revlon Whimsical
Polish Obsession shares with us her purple jelly sandwich nails.
A Little Polish shows us her manicure using GlitterFest Water Wings.
Confessions of a Sarcastic Mom shares with us Snow White and the Huntsman polishes.

You can submit your links for posts on Sundays here

Reader Manis of the Week:


Name: Amanda
Location: New York
Manicure Description: I am obsessed with dotting tools and creating different types of dot manicures. For this mani, I used Sinful Colors Neon Melon and black acrylic paint. I used the other end of a paintbrush, a bobby pin, and a toothpick for the different sized dots.
Favorite Polishes: I love china glaze polishes and sinful colors. They have amazing colors, affordable and easy to find.
Blog: http://www.sincerelyobsessedwithpolish.blogspot.com/
Tumblr: www.jnjnails.tumblr.com



Name: Sarah at Starlight Radiance
Location: South Carolina
Manicure Description: This is actually Sally Hansen Salon Effects nail strips in Animal Instincts and I am loving the pink zebra pattern. (Am I cheating...?) I got these to review from Influenster and love them! Easy peasy lemon squeezey!
Favorite Polishes: Del Sol Heartbreaker, Sally Hansen Strobe Light, FingerPaints Twisted, and right now I'm lusting over Zoya Zuza
Blog: starlightradiance.blogspot.com

You can find information on how to submit your manicures for Sunday posts here. I need manis for July! 


Happy Sunday!

Saturday, June 16, 2012

Playing it Safe!

Hey everyone!

I'm sure some of you have noticed while trying to visit some nail blogs you've been receiving a warning about malware. If you see this on your blog or someone else's please notify them to remove their blog roll. I would remove your blog roll as a precaution anyways even if you do not get a malware message. I'd also recommend visiting Google Webmaster Tools if you have a blog through Blogger. If you just google "Google Webmaster Tools" it will lead you to their site where you can login, and it will show you if there are any alerts or critical issues with your blog.

I think there are some sites that are completely infected, while the others are just infected due to having content from the blogs that are infected. If you are the latter then removing your blog roll should fix the problem. I'm not sure what the fix is for the sites that are completely infected, but I'm sure Google Webmaster Tools may have some suggestions or tutorials on how to solve the problem.

I hope whatever the core issue is here it gets resolved ASAP!

Key point here: REMOVE YOUR BLOG ROLL! 










Friday, June 15, 2012

New Jordana Specialty Glitter Shades

I think it's safe to say 2012 is the year that glitter nail polish has been fully recognized and appreciated. I'm thrilled about this, it's nice to walk into stores or shop online and see a plethora of glitter polishes. Earlier this year, Jordana released a bunch of specialty glitters to their line. I reviewed Copper Blaze here. They have just released their final 6 shades in this collection. I have those today to show you.


L-R: Red Flash, Galaxy, Purple Party, Confetti, Carnival, & Outer Space

Red Flash


Red Flash is a densely packed glitter consisting of red small hexagonal and large hexagonal glitters in a clear base.

This was 3 coats by itself. This has great coverage. You may have a few small bald spots, so if this bothers you go ahead and use a base. This is a great red, and I might add a hot polish.

Galaxy


Galaxy is a densely packed glitter consisting of silver-gray small hexagonal and large hexagonal glitters in a clear base.

This was 3 coats by itself. As far as finish goes this is just like Red Flash, but in a different color. I love these are dark silver gray glitters as opposed to the true silver glitters we're used to. It's a nice a change. You'll get good coverage with this, but it won't be perfect, so if that bothers you paint on a base beforehand.

Purple Party



Purple Party is a densely packed glitter consisting of mainly medium purple glitters with silver, blue, pink, and possibly gold glitters mixed in there.

This is a 2 coater tops. You are going to get 100% full coverage here. I love glitters like this! I love how they added multiple colors into the purple. It gives the polish depth and brings it to life.

Confetti over a yellow creme


Confetti is a fuchsia large hex glitters in a clear base.

This is 2 coats here. This is a definite layering polish. I love it over yellow or other contrasting colors. I like this color too. It's perhaps not the most original, but it's a good glitter polish.

Carnival



Carnival is deep blue jelly with small blue glitters and large blue, green, and silver glitters mixed in.

Hello!!! Gorgeous! Do I really even need to comment on this one? It really speaks for itself. It's a gorgeous deep jelly, and with those glitters added in -swoon-. I absolutely love jelly glitters, they are my ultimate favorite and this doesn't disappoint.

Outer Space over dark purple creme


Outer Space is a mix of small light blue hex glitters with larger purple and gold hex glitters in a clear base.

This is 2 coats. This is better for layering too. I don't know, I'm not really feeling this one. It just seems a little wimpy against the previous glitters. The color combination isn't my favorite either. I would of preferred a darker blue glitter or a teal glitter. These are just personal things though. As far as formulation go, it's a good glitter. I'm just not a personal fan.


I really enjoyed these glitters. I love the variety of shades and colors. My favorites of the bunch are Red Flash, Purple Party, and Carnival. You know what I love about these polishes too? They're only $2.99 a piece on the Jordana website. I think these are the most affordable glitters out there at the moment. You can safely buy handful of these and not feel guilty. I've also been able to find the specialty glitter line at KMart. If you have a KMart near you it would be worth a look.

*These products were provided to me by Jordana for my honest review. 

Happy Friday!

Thursday, June 14, 2012

Once Upon a Polish Dragon Spit

*I want to thank all of you who commented on my last post. It meant a lot to me, and helped me gain some peace of mind and a better perspective. I will be replying to all of you later today.*


I think I can officially declare that I have a favorite indie brand. My favorite indie brand is Once Upon a Polish. I love the originality of her polishes. The formulation on her polishes is superb. I think this is one of the reasons her polishes stand out to me. Her polishes are glitter bombs, and these apply so smoothly and easily. They are not clumpy at all. The other thing I really like Once Upon a Polish is Kimberly the creator. She is very kind, and answers questions/requests quickly.. I am all about service, when a seller goes out of their way to make a customer feel appreciated it means a lot! This is a polish I bought from her shop recently.

Dragon Spit over Zoya Arizona


Dragon Spit is a mix of holographic red,purple, blue, and orange small and large hex glitters and bar glitters in a clear base.

This polish is awesome! I love the color combination, and it definitely makes me think "dragon spit". It looks fiery! I'm not typically a bar glitter gal, but I think this works well with this polish. I think without it, the polish would definitely be incomplete. What I also like is you're not fishing for glitter at all. This just 2 coats of the polish, but with one you'll get great coverage. I wouldn't try to wear this alone, but for layering it's perfect. It gives a great effect!

Dragon Spit is not currently available, but Kimberly is good about restocking her polishes in a timely manner. She still has some other polishes available on her etsy shop. You should check out her Facebook page too where she updates everyone on her restocks.

Happy Thursday!

Tuesday, June 12, 2012

Talk It Out Tuesday: Blogger Identity Crisis

*Be forewarned. I'm not doing so hot confidence wise lately, so I'm sorry for the whiny post. I really need to vent these feelings or else it will eat me up!*

In the scheme of the blogging world I'm not sure how I fit in or if I even fit in? This is something that has been racking at my confidence lately, and I need to figure it all out. See, even a 2+ year blogger struggles with these issues!

I've always been happy having my own little corner in the blog-o-sphere. I've never really been really friendly with a ton of other bloggers (I am friendly, but not really friends if that makes sense). I've never really gone the same route as other bloggers. I've always just done my own thing and I was cool with that, but now I'm starting to wonder if it is putting me at a disadvantage. I'm starting to wonder if my personality and blogging style are making me unapproachable or seem standoffish to other bloggers, readers, and/or companies? I am not the easiest person to get to know. I'm an introvert, and I'm not very trusting of people. I internalize a lot, and I wonder if this makes me come off as aloof? If so, that's not the case at all. If anything it's insecurity that prevents me from being very sociable.

I've never been part of the "cool kids" club. I've never been Miss. Popularity. I've always kind of done my own thing in my own way. In ways, I like this there is no pressure to be the best or the greatest. There is no pressure to live up to other peoples expectations and standards. I just wonder if me beating to my own drum is causing me to fade into the background?

I never got into blogging to be the next most popular nail blogger. I really do not even want to be. I think one of the best things about my blog that I will always 100% feel confident about is that my blog is personable and relatable. I'd rather feel I am connected to my readers than represent a ton of nail brands get all the PR samples. Is this the wrong approach? Should I want to represent more brands, get samples, and provide reviews? Should I try to be a go-getter and take advantage of more opportunities?

I feel like I am very modest as well. I don't see myself as special or better than any other blogger out there or any other person who reads my blog. One of my biggest pet peeves is big headed and self important people. I think if anyone who read my blog and thought that about me I would be devastated. I really see blogging and my success through blogging as absolutely humbling, and something I so grateful for. The problem is am I too modest? I am so modest at times I reject compliments and do not see my worth as a blogger. This isn't good either. I work so hard on my blog, and I should be able to reap the rewards of it without feeling guilty. It's difficult for me to see the shades of gray. I see it as two options, be modest or be completely arrogant. I'd rather be modest, but there is a happy medium here. I just need to find it.

I'm definitely struggling here. I'm not sure how other bloggers view me. I'm not sure how other people and companies view me. It's difficult because my blog is so uniquely me, but at this point in blogging am I doing myself a disservice by being this way? I hate feeling like I'm on the outside of the blogging community, but I don't want to lose myself either.

I know I'll eventually find the happy medium to this. It will take time and probably a lot of counsel from friends and family though. I absolutely love blogging, and it is major part of my life. I want to feel good about what I do, but I don't want to sell myself short either.

I'm not writing this to garner sympathy or for people to validate me. I really want to some advice, and sometimes it's nice to know you're not alone. I'd love to hear your experiences with this too.

Do other bloggers out there have any experience with a blogging identity crisis? 


Happy Tuesday!

Monday, June 11, 2012

Del Sol Starry Night

I have known about Del Sol for years way before I was really into nail polish. I discovered Del Sol in the summer of 2000 in Hawaii. My parents and I were on vacation there, and came across a Del Sol store. I was 14 at the time, and when I saw they had color changing nail polish I had to have it! My first polish from them was Ruby Slipper, and it's still one of their colors today. I never used to do my nails much, but whenever we were on vacation and we saw a Del Sol store, I went straight for the polish! Now, as a full fledged nail polish addict my Del Sol love hasn't faded. They also graciously offered to sponsor the Central Florida Beauty Bloggers at our last meetup. This was the cool polish I got. It's a new color too!

Starry Night


Starry Night indoors (top photo) is a mix of plain gold glitter, gold holographic glitter, and a subtle purple shimmer in a clear base. In the sun (bottom photo) the clear base turns into a deep purple. 

This color rocks! Sure, glitters in clear bases are not something I typically do on my nails alone, but in the sun..whoa! This polish has such a dramatic change. This takes seconds too. You're not sitting around twiddling your thumbs waiting for the change, it is instantaneous. You will need full sunlight for the color to get this dark, but even with partial sun or cloudiness you will notice a change. That's kind of the cool thing about this polish depending on the light you may get a lighter purple or a deep one. This an awesome color by Del Sol! 

What I also love about Del Sol is they really have a polish for everyone. They have glitters, shimmers, cremes, and sheers. They also have colors that have dramatic changes in the sun and some colors that have more subtle changes. There is a lot of variety! 

Del Sol polishes are $10 and be found on their website. They also now have many store locations.

*This product was provided to me for review by Del Sol

Happy Monday!


Sunday, June 10, 2012

Share With You Sunday: 6/3/12-6/10/12

I saw so many amazing posts this week. I have a lot to share with you! I was bookmarking blog posts one after the other. I'm so impressed with the creativity of so many bloggers!

Posts I'm Loving:
DIY Polish & More! shows us her rainbow dots nails.
polish insomniac teaches us how to smooth out bumpy glitters.
Beauty Mamas shares with us her pink and green polka dot nails.
Love. Varnish, chocolate and more shows us her vampy gradient.
Lacquered Lover swatches some new Avon polishes.
Ice Queen's Nail Parlour shares with us her OPI Fly and China Glaze Riveting nail look.
Marias Nail Art and Polish shows us her tropical flowers nails.
iHeartPrettyPolish shares with us her Orly Pixie Stix manicure with a flair.
Nails in Nippon teaches us how to create tweed nails.
Polish Love shows us her neon tribal nails.
Varnished Valkyrie shares with us her Jubilee nails.
Pretty Little Bottles shows us her beachy stripes nails.
Jessica's Nail Tales swatches Amy's Nail Boutique's Cotton Candy.

Posts You're Loving:
JnJnnails shows us her nail art using China Glaze Four Leaf Clover.
Gotham Polish introduces us to CIRQUE nail polish.

You can submit your links for posts on Sundays here

Reader Manis of the Week:


Name: Jen
Location: Roanoke, VA
Manicure Description: Cover Band Lacquer's Sticks 'n Stones (one coat) over Ludurana Espledido (two coats)
Favorite Polishes: Orly Royal Navy, ManGlaze Matte is Murder, ManGlaze Santorum, HITS Apollo, MAC Plasma Blu, China Glaze Blue Sparrow
Blog: thepolishedzombie.blogspot.com


Name: Katy
Location: New Hampshire(yeah i know you don't see that too often lol)
Manicure Description: I just recently had a birthday(May 14th) and got some polish as presents. I'm slowly working my way through them(I still have some from Christmas I haven't used lol) and decided to try Sinful Colors Dream On with an accent nail of Pure Ice Beware. I have a swatch on my blog if you're interested. My camera seems to hate purples so sorry for the not so great picture, in person it's a tad darker. I also have a question to ask about Sinfuls. Does anyone else's Sinfuls change color in different lights? I have a few other colors that do and I don't know if they all do that, if they're supposed to, or if it's just my eyes playing tricks on me.
Favorite Polishes: Hmmm this is a hard one lol. I think I'd have to go with anything Zoya. Right now I'm lusting over the summer collections but my favorite Zoya that I own would have to be Jolene. I wear it whenever I feel like being super girly. I'm also a big Sinfuls fan. If only my mom had the video camera so you all could've seen how happy I was when I got my first one :).
Blog: yetanothernailblog.blogspot.com

You can find information on how to submit your manicures for Sunday posts here. I'm in need of manis for next week and the rest of June!

Friday, June 8, 2012

OPI Ogre The Top Blue

It's time for another edition of  "I didn't want this polish when it came out, but 2 years later I desperately needed it". I am so thankful  for Amazon and eBay. I know when it comes to VHTF polishes it's a nightmare,  but for those limited edition ones that are not laced with nail polish magic it's pretty good. I'm still going through my bright blue phase, so naturally I wanted to try this one out from the OPI Shrek Forever After collection. Bright blue is definitely my color right now, hence my blog background. I can't get enough blue!

Ogre the Top Blue



Ogre the Top Blue is a medium vibrant cyan blue creme.

This is another blue win in my book. The formula on this was great too. I can't believe I didn't want this one when it came out? Oh well, my tastes have changed. I just worry what polishes am I passing up on now that I'll be oogling over next year.

Any other bright blues you think I should try?


Happy Friday!

Thursday, June 7, 2012

L.A. Girl Glitter Addict Celebrate

I love L.A. Girl polishes.  I've steadily started to obtain more of these, and I'm starting to have a little collection going. I absolutely love their collections, namely their Disco Brites one. Their polishes are really affordable and come in such a range of finishes and colors. I just wish they sold these at CVS and Walgreens. I'd really stock up! L.A. Girl cosmetics was also a sponsor for our Central Florida Beauty Bloggers meet up. I reached out to them, and they kindly sent us some pretty polishes for us to try! This is an awesome glitter I got.

Celebrate over L.A. Girl Disco Brites Hustle


Celebrate is a mixture of red, pink, orange, light blue, dark blue, and silver tiny hexagonal and large hexagonal glitters in a clear base. 

This is not a dupe to all of those other multi-colored glitters out there. This is glitter is definitely unique. It's also builds up easily. You're not going to have opaque glitter here, but with one to two coats you'll get nice coverage with it layered. I hate fishing out glitters, but this isn't the case with this one! 

*This product was provided to me by L.A. Girl Cosmetics.

Happy Thursday!

Wednesday, June 6, 2012

Neiman Marcus Beauty Blogger Event

This past Saturday, the Beauty Bloggers of Central Florida met up for a great event at Neiman Marcus. I made a contact through Neiman Marcus last summer, and I reached out to them about our new local Beauty Blogger group. Neiman Marcus graciously offered to host us one morning and introduce us to all of their wonderful brands in their cosmetics department.

This was a wonderful opportunity and experience. It has only become clear to me recently the importance of bloggers in the beauty industry. I never realized just how much influence bloggers really have on consumers. I must say for Neiman Marcus to recognize the value of bloggers in the beauty world was very special.

The event was very informative. We all were separated into four groups, and we rotated around to four stations where 3-4 beauty specialists from each brand gave us the background about their brands and introduced us to some of their top products. I learned so much about each individual brand and their mission, passion, and love for making women feel beautiful and confident. This information really brought this all home for me. As beauty bloggers or people in the beauty industry we love beauty products because they make us feel good, they boost our confidence, and they allow us to be playful and creative. It was nice to see that people in the beauty industry and these brands share the same sentiment about beauty that bloggers do. It's not just sales for them, and it's not just page follows or Facebook likes for us. This is a passion for all of us alike and we like to share that message and purpose with either their customers or our readers!

I want to briefly go through the different brands that presented to us with some facts and products from each of them. I also will link each brand to their page on the Neiman Marcus site as well as links to the particular products.

**All photos were taken either by Phyrra or niftyBA. Thank you for letting me use your fabulous pictures! 

Chantecaille





Tom Ford



Yes, I had to go back and purchase that bright blue polish. It's called Blue Majorelle





I wanted to announce that between now and June 10th Neiman Marcus is having their Camp Gorgeous event. You will receive a complimentary bag with a variety of beauty samples with any $85 beauty or fragrance purchase. 

I am so grateful to Neiman Marcus Orlando and all of their staff who helped to organize this event. A special thanks to all the beauty specialists that took the time to explain their lines and provided our group with samples. It was an amazing event and wonderful learning opportunity that we all gained so much from.

**Photo credits: Phyrra & niftyBa

Happy Wednesday!