"Truffin" Tuesday!! Barielle Green Apple and O.P.I My Paprika is Hotter than Yours!

Hello and happy Tuesday! 

  SO sorry this post is running late. I got distracted yesterday while working on my hair. I got into one of my cray cray funks and decided I wanted to re-do my hair colors. I've been taking Folic Acid supplements (per my doctor) and my hair, and nails have been growing SO fast!! But, anywho... My roots were KILLING me, so I got wrapped up in that project and completely forgot to post this awesome mani I did with Truffle's pick(s).  

 Muffin is still refusing to pick lol. She will just sit there looking pretty like "What, what do you want human?". This week though, Truffle decided to join in the fun and picked me some shades to play with.

 I don't know what it is about this look but I LOVE how it turned out. The color combination is weird and yet it works so well. Truffle picked for me Barielle's Green Apple and O.P.I My Paprika is Hotter than Yours. These are both phenomenal, vibrant shades!! They both have amazing formulas, incredibly saturated and creamy! I used Two coats of each shade. For the triangle Purple accents I used Zoya Pinta. I finished the look off by adding some contrasting "glequins" and topping the whole look off with Twee & Honey's This is Matteness- matte top coat.

 And here are the kitties doing their thing.

 And because I loved these shades together before I even added accents. Here are my base colors. I am smitten with O.P.I MPIHTY!! That said, my camera was not a fan lol. It is an AMAZING Summer/ Spring shade and if you even remotely like Oranges, you will want this baby. Green Apple by Barielle is a really fun and unique shade and you can't beat that Barielle formula!

 I'm loving all these fun and quirky shades for Spring and Summer. I think those are my favorite seasons for nail polish. I had so much fun working with these colors and I can see why Truffle has trouble deciding ;).

  Time to go finish working on my hair!! I will have pics for you guys as soon as it is done ♥.

(**OPI and Barielle products provided for my consideration**)

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31 Day Challenge 2012! Day 31: Re-create a Mani

OMG!!!

  SO sorry I didn't post this earlier today! I had them ready to go and it totally slipped my mind that today was Tuesday!!! I'm caught up in the Holiday haze I guess lol. Too many 3-wick BBW Candle fumes? Anyways! Today is day 31 of the 31 day challenge!! We had quite a few hiccups, we lost a gal, but Sammy and I made it to the end! Battered, bruised and bloody, but we made it (dramatic much? lol) . So for my recreation I actually chose one of Rie's manis.
  I figured since I re-created Sammy's Dior nails for my day 30 nails, that I would pick one of Rie's looks for my final day. Miss Rie was not able to finish the challenge, she did make it pretty far in though. I went with Miss Rie's Tribal manicure. Now... you guys know my hatred of all things tribal right? So yeah, I was pretty much shocked at myself for loving this look so much. Miss Rie was inspired by a fellow nail blogger as well. This is a different take on tribal, and it just stole my heart!

 My base color is Bettina Starfish. The black accents were done with Milani Black Swift. The white accents were done with Milani White on the Spot, and the yellow with Milani Yellow Whiz. The accents of soft Blue are Zoya Jo. I was surprised at how simple this lok was to achieve and how much I loved it! Thank you Miss Rie for the inspiration!!

  So, that is it guys!!! I will be doing a recap post soon with all of the looks. I also want to update my 31 Days of Nail Art tab. I think it will be cool to see what a year of practice can do in terms of improvement.   I'm glad we did the challenge again, even though it took us quite a bit longer than 31 days. We did it!!! Now to focus on some Holiday nail art!! Don't forget to stop by my challenge partners Rie and Sam's to see their looks!

More about → 31 Day Challenge 2012! Day 31: Re-create a Mani

Chick Nail Polish Fall/ Winter 2012 Releases

Happy humpday!

  Today I have some new releases by the uber cute, Vegan- friendly brand- Chick Nail Polish. I've been a fan of this brand from the very first time I saw their adorable Chicky logo. Last year All A Twitter was one of my top polishes for the year. I've never been let down with Chick NP's formula either! I think these would make such cute gifts. 

 On a side note: Julie also released an amazing cuticle oil this past Fall. It is a Tangerine- Ginter scented cuticle oil and it has an amazing texture. I LOVE how it smells. Sometimes I want to wear it as perfume.
To see close up swatches of these Four shades just continue reading♥.

Chick Nail Polish Rocker Chick

 Rocker Chick is a beautiful Blackened plum with fine Magenta and Copper micro-shimmer. This color has a great formula and it is very saturated with color. The shimmer in this shade is great because it pulls the shade out of looking-Black-all-the-time territory. I used Two coats for my swatch and no top coat. 

Chick Nail Polish Biker Chick

 Biker Chick is a very shimmery Silver foil. This is a really nice, clean and shiny Silver. My camera was having issues with this shade because it is just so bright and reflective. The formula on this pretty is very good and does great in Two easy coats. 

Chick Nail Polish in Hipster Chick

 Hipster Chick is an awesome squishy Lime Green base packed full of twinkling glitter and "pixie dust". I.LOVE.This.Shade. The formula is really nice and almost jelly like. The glitter has a really good spread. This color dries with the slightest texture so a top coat is a must. I used Three easy coats for my swatch and Cult Nails Wicked Fast top coat.

Chick Nail Polish Punk Chick

 Another winner for me! Punk Chick is a very, very bright creamsicle Orange creme. This shade is really fun and eye catching. I love Orange, so by default I am a fan. The formula on this shade is really nice and does well in Three thin coats.

 Chick Nail Polish is non toxic, cruelty- free and vegan friendly. They retail for $8.00 on www.chicknailpolish.com. I am looking forward to trying the base coat and I am already a HUGE fan of Chick's Cuticle Oil. My picks from this group are definitely Hipster Chick and Punk Chick. Oh and I love the names!!

Which are your picks?

(**Chick NP products provided for review**)

More about → Chick Nail Polish Fall/ Winter 2012 Releases

31 Day Challenge 2012! Day Thirteen: Animal Print

It's November! 

 WHAT?! Anyways today Sam, Rie and I are taking on the 13th prompt in the 31 Day Challenge. These nails are inspired by, and in honor of, my beloved bearded dragon. Her name was Amelia, she recently passed. She had a long, happy and healthy life. I got her as a little baby and later on she was "adopted" by my mom and brother later on. They loved her very much too. It only made sense to do some nails in her memory ♥.

  I started with a base of Julie G nail polish in 9 to 5. I then cling-wrapped some Bettina Sunrise. You cannot really see the contrast of the cling-wrapping but it looked really cool in person. To give it some flash I sponged the tips with Julie G in Metallic Heels. The stamping was done with Bundle Monster plate BM224 and Bettina Orange. I topped it all off with some Seche Vite. 

 Here are two of my favorite pictures of Amelia. She had the prettiest peach, orange and red color scheme. She was a sweet little lizard. Beardies are great pets! 

             

Now don't forget to stop by my challenge partners Rie and Sam's to see their Red looks for day One!

More about → 31 Day Challenge 2012! Day Thirteen: Animal Print

O.P.I So So Skullicious Halloween Minis for 2012

Good evening loves!

  This time around I have the adorable Halloween minis set that O.P.I released earlier this month. This set is made up of Four "Day of the Dead" inspired shades. The kit even includes the most adorable Sugar Skull water decals to accent the colors! I'm not normally big into Halloween but nail polish is the exception to that "rule". Halloween polishes always seem to be fun in a different, quirky kind of way. Which is why I love 'em! 

O.P.I Mourning Glory

 Mourning Glory is a classic Black creme. The formula on this black is opaque and pretty dense. I did see a hint of "smoke". When compared to O.P.I Black Onyx you can see a very slight difference. Black Onyx is like a patent leather Black where this is more of a "normal leather" black lol. I used Two coats for full opacity. I'm still a sucker for a plain Black manicure!

O.P.I Hi Pumpkin!

 Hi Pumpkin! is like a radioactive shade of Pumpkin Orange creme. This is a FUN color. I practically wanted to eat my nails when I wore this because it looks like candies. Perfect little Halloween candies. The formula on this shade is easy to work with. For the swatch above you see Two coats, some nails required a thin Third coat.

O.P.I Candlelight

 Candlelight is a nice warm Yellow creme. I would describe this as an Egg-Yolk type of yellow. I actually really like it! The formula on this Yellow was a nice surprise. It was not excellent by any means, but easier to work with than my one an only other O.P.I Yellow, Need Sunglasses? For the photo I did Two coats (I was also using this as a base for a glitter that day), but in reality this color would probably do best in Three thin coats.

O.P.I A Rose from the Dead

 A Rose from the Dead was an unexpected Halloween shade for me. A Pink for Halloween? Sure haha! This is a really pretty shade of Blushing Pink creme. It is vivid and muted at the same time. The formula on this shade is a dream and does great in two easy coats. Also, this color is insanely flattering!

 And just for fun here is a quick look I did using O.P.I A Rose from the Dead with some indie glitter layering and Two Skully decals from the O.P.I set. I'm not much for Halloween nail art myself, but this look I really do like because it is not your traditional Halloween color scheme.

 I have quite a few Halloween Collection posts coming your way so I hope you guys dig Halloween polishes as much as I do lolol! This little Halloween Set by O.P.I is a must have, even if just for those freaking ADORABLE skully decals! The polishes are cute, fun and great to work with but the decals bring it all together! The packaging on this set is adorable as well and I don't nomally notice things like that. 

 The set is available now from O.P.I retailers. 

  Thoughts on halloween nail art/collections?

(**O.P.I products provided by PR for review**)

More about → O.P.I So So Skullicious Halloween Minis for 2012

31 Day Challenge 2012! Day Two: Orange Nails

Happy Caturday!! 

  I'm keeping in really short and sweet cuz it's late Friday nite and I wanna go chill with the hubster lolol! The prompt for today is Orange Nails. I kept it simple by doing a "BWitches Brew" jelly sammich. 

 For this challenge look I started with a base of Zoya's Ziv(swatches soon). I followed my base with Three thin coats of Twee & Honey's Viscera(swatches soon). To create the sandwiched look I topped Viscera off with O.P.I Barre my Soul followed by O.P.I Ya'll Come Back Ya' Hear? The layering of different toned jellies gave the glitter and metallic base underneath a smoldering, yet murky look. Hence why I dubbed these my "Bitches Witches Brew" nails.

 Thanks for stopping by! Sam, Rie and I will be back tomorrow with our next prompt, which is Yellow nails.  Now don't forget to stop by my challenge partners Rie and Sam's to see their Orange looks for day Two!

(**All products provided for consideration**)

More about → 31 Day Challenge 2012! Day Two: Orange Nails

O.P.I DS Indulgence and DS Luxurious for Fall 2012

Hey it's Monday!! 

  

  I trust ya'll had a fantastic weekend! Mine was pretty mellow. The husband and I just hung out, I worked on some friendship bracelets and took it easy. As many of you know my health has been all over the place and as a result my polishing has slowed down practically to a stand-still. Luckily I have a lot of swatches sitting in my folders ready to go. This week I will be playing catch-up hopefully as next week will be FULL of doctors visits and even a small surgical procedure. 

  As a result of all this I will be featuring some lovely bloggers next week as I do not want the blog to go silent while I work on getting some answers and getting healthy. That's right! Guest posts on LTHP :D! You guys will be treated to some features by some of my favorite bloggers and some of my lovely gals from my #FLBeautyBloggers group. 

 Today I have some quick swatches of O.P.I's new DS Releases for Fall 2012. This year the DS releases are Two beautiful Gold-laced glassfleck shimmers; One Red based, One Orange based. These may not be holographic but they are still pretty spectacular. 

 O.P.I DS Indulgence is a deep Red, almost Raspberry toned glassfleck strongly laced with micro Golden shimmer. This color looks like flames. My photos do this no justice. The formula on this color is really good. I used Three coats to give my nails a really intense finish. This is really quite beautiful. 

O.P.I DS Luxurious is a bright Tangerine Orange strongly laced with that same burning Golden micro-shimmer. Once again this is a spectacular shade. I really love this for Fall as well as the Holidays.  My camera totally freaked out at this particular shade of Orange. This color definitely glows. This color also has a great formula, I also used Three coats for Luxurious. 

 Now for my "thing" with these. I don't know if I can justify the price-jump on these. Are they spectacular colors? Absolutely, without a doubt. But what made these DS polishes so special was that they were holographic, and they had the diamond dust or whatever. Which I suppose they still have, but we are not buying these because of the diamond dust, now are we? We went crazy over these because they were holo. Now last year they released some complex glitters, this year they went to complex glassfleck. I don't know if these are fully worthy of that Silver Cap, beautiful as they are. I'm so torn...

  What are your thoughts?

(**OPI Products provided for review**)

More about → O.P.I DS Indulgence and DS Luxurious for Fall 2012

N-n-n-n-n-Nick- Nick-Nick- Nickelodeon- Nails!

I'm a kid of the 90's....

**Quick Edit**: Holy smokes guys! This is my 800th post!! Let's celebrate with some SLIME!!! 

  And in the 90's Nickelodeon was KING! I miss 90's Nick SO much. Remember Doug, Clarissa Explains it All, Hey Arnold and Rocko's Modern Life!? Man.... Those were the days.... Thank goodness for Netflix and their thorough availability of so many of these shows! So back when Nick was King they were all about the Slime and their colors were always this radioactive, Snot Green and... Well... Radioactive, Cheetos Orange. 

  Since I was such a huge Nick fan-girl it only seemed fitting I pay tribute to one of my favorite childhood memories with some slime-y nails using two of China Glaze's Summer Neons for 2012. 

  These colors are PERFECT for a Nick inspired mani! I used Orange you Hot? and I'm with the Lifeguard. I did the bases in alternating colors and the drip in similar fashion. My drips are not the best but I think they work for the look I was going for. I had so much fun working on these and thinking back to the countless hours I spent wishing I was on Family Double Dare and Guts... I topped it all off with some INM Nortern Lights.

I hope these bring back some fond and fun memories for some of you! My husband pretty much cracked up and busted out laughing when he saw these and immediately yelled out "N-n-n-n-nick" LOOOl!

  Ahhh the memories.

(Image Source)

 I can name EVERY character in this photo lol. Can you? 

I hope this mani does Nick proud lol!! Any 90's Nick fans in the house?

More about → N-n-n-n-n-Nick- Nick-Nick- Nickelodeon- Nails!

Nails Inc. Floral Street and Kings Cross Crackle

Good evening all!

  I know crackle polishes just became a "thing" again just last year, but doesn't wearing a crackle feel old school now? Nail trends come and go crazy fast don't they? Nails Inc. recently sent me one of their new Special Effects Crackle polishes to try along with a lovely White creme so I paired them for an eye catching look. 

 Kings Cross is a vivid neon Orange crackle. The formula on this crackle is the best I've ever come across. It applies like a jelly and you can really have a play on crackle textures. Meaning, the formula on this allows for thinner or thicker application for thinner or thicker cracks. It is very easy to work with.
  As you can see Kings Cross breaks up great and smooth. I hate when crackles get "lumpy" and you end up needing 17 coats of top coat to smooth it out. Kings Cross gets an shiny squishy texture once top coated and it looks awesome. The only downside is that I don't know how many colors this crackle would look good over since it's slightly sheer.

Here is my base color Nails Inc Floral Street. The name threw me off lol :D.

 This polish was such a pleasant surprise. The formula on this color is so smooth, even and perfectly pigmented. This is not a very bright White. This is a "soft" White. The formula is not a jelly creme but it applies like such. This you see here is just Two effortless coats of Floral Street. This might just be my new favorite White creme.

If you like shatters but have had issues with formulas I suggest checking these crackles by Nails Inc. Out. Nails Inc. polishes are available at Sephora.

Thoughts on neon shatter? I kinda love it. 

(**Nails Inc products sent for review**)

More about → Nails Inc. Floral Street and Kings Cross Crackle

When Sh*tty Swatches happen to AMAZING Colors- China Glaze Riveting

Good Morning...

  Today is the day the awesome died... OMG I pretty much hate this swatch but I don't have anything else ready to post. The lights I use did nothing for the awesome shimmer and the Sun was far gone at this point. No amount of editing would make this look right so I am very sorry about this crappy picture but I will have a re- swatch soon.

 I can't believe I doubted my NEED of this color. This amazing metallic shade of fiery Orange is packed with Gold glassfleck shimmer. The formula on this color is amazing and perfection in Two coats. There is not much I could say about this color that has not been said... I mean it just glows. I could not stop staring at my hands and I predict it will be on my toes pretty much all Summer long and possibly on my finger tips even more. I seriously love this color. Needless to say these pics are kinda pointless because they are not even close to how amazing and glowy this color is.

If you have been doubting your need of this color.. DON'T!! This is absolutely spectacular.

Thank you for stopping by and be on the look-out for a re-swatch soon!

More about → When Sh*tty Swatches happen to AMAZING Colors- China Glaze Riveting

O.P.I Ya'll Come back Ya' Hear? Glitter- Jelly Sandwich

Good morning loves!!

  Yesterday was my first day at work and it went great! I'm really excited about this job. It feels good to have a nice job with normal hours. The people I work with are all really nice as well. That always makes things a lot better :D. I'm super happy!

  Today I have my first glitter-jelly sandwich. As a treat to my self for getting this new job I rewarded myself by getting an Orange jelly. What color more perfect than O.P.I's Ya'll Come Back Ya Hear? (which has an amazing formula). I am so IN LOVE with how this turned out. And I also cannot believe that it took me so long to try one of these. They look like some sort of candy or cracked glass marble... LOVE THIS!

I started with Two coats of Ya'll Come Back ya Hear? Then I applied one coat of $OPI Only Gold for Me. I decided that was not blingy or flashy enough so I switched to Milani's Gold FX which really gave me the fish- scale look I wanted. So I "applied" Two coats of Milani Gold FX. I finished off with one more coat of YCBYH? and topped the whole thing off with some Seche Vite for extra shine and to dry all those layers o.O 

I'm not looking forward to removal.. But who cares when it looks this awesome! I feel like a fiery mermaid or something. I have soooo many ideas for more glitter-jelly sandwiches. These are a great and easy way to make your nails look fierce and like you put a ton of work into them... YAY!

Have you tried a glitter sammich? What is your favorite combo?

More about → O.P.I Ya'll Come back Ya' Hear? Glitter- Jelly Sandwich

Bringing in the New Year in Butter London Jaffa

Good Morning!!!!!! And to those of you hungover *whispers* Good Morning.....

**NOTE** Yesterday I broke my middle nail on my photographing hand. As a result I decided to start the year off fresh since I had a broken nail on my other hand as well and cut all 10 nails down to nubbins. THIS is what they look like now :D. I kinda like them :D. I will have a post about this look soon.

  I hope everyone had a safe and happy NYE. I had an awesome night just chillin' with the hubs. Today's  post is my very first ever butter LONDON polish and I am loving it! I know Orange isn't the color one normally thinks of when it's cold and gloomy out in a lot of places, but this baby will brighten any one's day. So, I'm thinking now... That I need some more BL's in my life after trying this awesome Orange beauty!

butter LONDON Jaffa

Isn't this the yummiest looking color you've ever seen? I love this shade of Orange. It is like an Orange popsicle melted on my nails. The formula on Jaffa is AMAZING! It is somewhere between a creme and a jelly which gives this color a perfect, juicy and shiny look. The brush on these is amazing and it glides so smoothly and perfect. Jaffa requires Three coats for full opacity but it is the easiest Three coats you will ever apply. A Jaffa, BTW is a type of seedless Orange. How fitting right?!

Just for fun here is a shot of Truffle, who likes to think of my ligh spot as her own personal sunning place. She will literally shove me out of the way when I am taking pictures just to lay there and look back at me like "look mommy, I'm so cute". She was talking to Mr. LTHP :D.

I'm hoping 2012 is a great year for my family and I and everyone out there. I am so excited to see what this year brings. Hopefully more amazing colors like Jaffa.

Have a great day loves!

♥ Cristina

(**product provided for review**)

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