Zoya Pepper

I have tons of nail polish, but I don't have everything. I was recently craving a medium brick red creme. I didn't have one. I saw Zoya Pepper on many blogs, and knew that was brick red creme I wanted, however, I felt could find a similar shade at the drugstore. I mean reds are really common nail polish colors?

Wrong. I could not find what I was looking for. I found cooler-toned deep reds. I found stuff too dark. I found stuff too light. Then, when I thought I found a winner it was jelly not a creme. That became this biggest issue was a ton of deeper or warmer reds were jellies not cremes. Why?!? Cruel world. Blarglemonster.

So, in immense desperation because I couldn't find the Zoya fall collection at Ulta yet, nor did I want to pay $8 + shipping on one color, I begged someone to swap Zoya Pepper with me. Many thanks to Essie over at iHeartPrettyPolish for obliging. The medium brick red creme crisis had ended.

Pepper

Pepper is a medium brick red creme.

Color: If I had not rummaged through the drugstore like a crazy person, I'd probably say this is an everyday warm red creme. No, it's not. This is actually a unique shade of red and it's a true creme.

Formula: Easy breezy. No issues. I used 2 coats.

Price: $8.00 on Zoya website. You may be able to find this at Ulta now.

Overall: I love Pepper! It's the perfect not too dark fall-winter red. The formula is great, and it fills a hole in my collection. I also think this would make a great holiday red,  if you're looking for something a little more subdued and classic.

My Rating: 5 out of 5 Paint Splatters

Happy Monday!

Mini Giveaway: Sally Hansen Bling in the New Year

How does pop up mini giveaway sound?

I'm giving away two shades from the holiday Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure Bling in the New Year collection!

The Prize:
One winner will receive the colors Twinkle Toes-y and Midnight Glitz. *Giveaway prize was purchased by me. 

Guidelines:
-Giveaway is open to USA residents only. *Note if you are international and have someone in the USA willing to ship to you, you may enter. I will only ship to USA addresses.
-Giveaway is open until Thursday, Nov. 14th @11:59PM EST.
-One winner will be chosen and will have 48 hours to claim their prize.
-Enter using the Rafflecopter widget below.
- All entries are optional, but be sure the email you have attached to your Rafflecopter account is an email you check.
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Happy Sunday!

Help! Who are your fave handmade indie brands?

It's getting near that time of year again. Imperfectly Painted every year does a best of year poll. This poll is posted on December 1st, and it asks you your favorites in nail polish this year. In order to start working in this year's poll I need your help!

One of the categories is favorite handmade indie brand of 2013. There are TONS of indie brands, so I  cannot list them all. What I can do is poll you first, and ask you who your top 2 are. I will then calculate those results, and the 5 indie brands who receive the most mentions will be the nominees in this category.

On the form below please list your choices. It does not matter which choice you put first or second. 

Quick Guidelines:
*You must only pick indies made by hand (This excludes brands like Cult Nails & Pretty Serious).
*You cannot mention the same brand twice.
*You have until November 17th to vote. 

Glitt-A-Licia Guest Post: Black Friday

Ahhhh...It's the time of year that I love. Soon that magical day will be here and people everywhere will have the holiday spirit! I look forward to this day every single year since I was a little girl. So let's get our game faces on and grab that $1 DVD out of a toddlers hand (his mom only brought him because he is little and can get through the crowds.) Let dignified ladies turn into UFC fighters over a cheap, never heard of that brand tv. Let's put fear over the workers pulling straws as to who will be opening the doors this year, because the dude who did it last year is still in a full body cast.

Yes my friends! Of course I was kidding in the paragraph above (do not, I repeat, DO NOT assault toddlers over a $1 DVD), but Black Friday is slowly approaching. Nothing can stop this force of nature from coming, not even time! They have already released some Black Friday ads as of Nov 1st.

I have gone every year to Black Friday back when it was actually fun and not scary. My aunt and cousin would spend the night at our house and we would stay up with the sales ads and plan our shopping strategy. We would laugh and play cards, then be up by 2am hitting the sales! We would have this planned so perfectly, it was like we were robbing a bank!

Oh the memories I have of Black Friday! When a particular store had the Cracker Jack sale, my little cousin wiggled through and got a whole box of Cracker Jacks! We hid on the side and opened every Cracker Jack packs only to find they were all 10% off, so we passed them out to other people who did not get a coupon.

One year, my mom's purse managed to get wrapped around some guy's neck in all the chaos! Both of them had no clue her purse was wrapped around his neck until they started going opposite directions and she nearly choked him. Lol! That was the same year my mom was going to buy me a table top fountain for my room and the people would not let her use the coupon because it had a plug! Lol!!!!

I have jumped on counters, grabbed items put of workers hands, and witnessed fights. I have stood in line for hours at the check out just to save $2. Oh, and being pregnant did not slow me down! Two years ago I was 5 months pregnant carrying a crib mattress all over the store just to get to the check out and get told it was not on sale. My hormones took over, and needless to say, I got my mattress ;) lol

Now, most of the fun of Black Friday has disappeared. The deals are posted weeks in advance. Who even needs to get the Thanksgiving Day paper for the sale ads when everything is on line? My aunt and cousin don't spend the night, and I have moved over an hour away.  Furthermore, Black Friday has gotten scary and dangerous. Heck, someone shot the glass out of one of our local stores!

Now, I shop Black Friday online in my jammies and pray the sites I shop do not crash. Nevertheless, my mani today is in honor of all the good memories of Black Friday. Polishes used in this mani Super Black Lacquer Murdered Out, Glitter Gal Turbulence, and Wicked Polish Black Friday from Llarowe's A Box Indied.
(I freaking love this WP!! It reminds me of Revlon Street Wear that I wore in high school!!)

Under my stove light with no flash

With flash

With flash and blurred

With flash and blurred

A close up of my index finger in the third pic

So there you go! Let's go shopping!!!!

Sparkle on Reader,
Licia

Cult Nails Lamestain

If I haven't seen swatches of nail polish, I definitely buy from what I see in the bottle. If what is in the bottle looks amazing, then there is a good chance (not always) that it's going to look good on the nail. I will admit, Cult Nails Lamestain was not a color that struck me in the bottle. Lamestain color is blackened creme and part of the All Access collection. I bought this as a set, and this color out of all rest I figured would probably not wow me. I was very very wrong. Lamestain on the nail is totally different story!

Lamestain

Lamestain is a deep ox blood creme.

Color: This color is dark, but it doesn't translate as straight up black on the nail. I can see the red tones in this polish. Lamestain is just one of those chic, elegant, and sexy on trend colors that everyone needs. I couldn't stop oogling over my own nails when I wore this. I'm from a cool and fashion forward, but I felt like was pretty darn cool wearing this!

Formula: Excellent. I used two coats above. This formula is super shiny and glossy too, that's what I believe makes this color.

Price: $12.00 on the Cult Nails website. This is pricey compared to most of my polish, but well worth it.

Overall: This is not a typical color for me, but I am in love. It's colors like this that make me fall in love with nail polish again. The color is rich and dark, but is nice variation from your standard black. The formula is on point and glossy. Great all around polish. I say every girl needs this! Must have.

My Rating: 5 out of 5 Paint Splatters

Happy Friday!