Summer Ready Swatch Spam!

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Hello my loves! 

  Today I have some swatch-y spam for you guys. I've had these pics sitting in my folders for some time now.... So I figured, why not do a spam post?

 These shades are all kinda screaming Summer to me. What are some of your favorite Summer shades? Or do you not really follow seasonal colors? Me, I kinda wear what I want, when I want. But I do tend to gravitate to Spring and Summer shades because they are always so bright and happy. 

 All of these swatches are shown with a top coat. 

LVX Nail Color in Mynt

 Mynt by LVX is a lovely, clean Mint creme. I found the formula on this shade to be AMAZING. Normally, these types of Pastel-ish, minty greens can be a pain in the butt to apply. That was not the case with this beauty. I did Three easy coats of Mynt for my swatch. 

LVX Nail Color in Deco

 Deco is an amazing shade of Melon-y Coral creme. I knew I would love this shade the second I unpacked it! I am a sucker for these types of colors. This shade is insanely flattering and easy to wear. I used Three thin and easy coats of Deco for my swatch. 

Zoya Gaia

 Gaia, Gaia, Gaia... This color.. Ok.. So this color is BEAUTIFUL, stunning really... A Pearly, shimmering White with the most perfect Golden shimmer running though it. Bridal perfection... That said, this color has a horrid formula! I found it to be patchy and uneven.. I needed Four thin coats to get it to look even and opaque. Maybe layering it could remedy that problem, but it could also ruin that squishy effect... I suppose the color payoff is definitely worth the work I put into the application though. 

Essie Tart Deco

 Tart Deco is a vivid, hot Melon-Coral shade. This shade is a more vibrant cousin to LVX Deco. The formula on this color is a little patchy, but not problematic. I used Three thin coats for my swatch. 

Zoya Sari

 Sari is a lovely, nude Pink jelly. Colors like these are great for French manis, or just to add a healthy glow to a nakey-look. I used Three thin coats for my swatch. 

LVX Nail Color in Indigo Bleu

 Indigo Bleu is a deep Violet-Blue creme. This shade is intenesely pigmented and very easy to apply. I could have almost done with one coat. I used Two thin coats for my swatch. 

Zoya Josie and Zoya Destiny

 Zoya Josie is a beautiful Grass Green creme that applies like a dream. I used Two easy coats of Josie. For this look I did an accent in Zoya PixieDust in Destiny. Destiny is a hot Coral texture laced with strong Golden shimmer. I used Three thin coats of Destiny. 

  Any faves in this bunch? I am really in love with Gaia. I hate the formula on that color, but my gosh it is just beautiful! I also really loved Mynt and Deco by LVX. Though I must admit, this Summer has turned into the "Summer of the Textures" for me. I've been wearing Textures non-stop since they all started coming out! 

 What have you been wearing lately?

More about → Summer Ready Swatch Spam!

Born Pretty Embossed Metal Decals

Embossed metal sticker decals from Born Pretty. 

Gold swirls placed on top of Zoya Bevin.

This first set can be found here for $2.98. Option #1.

 It's easy, just peel and stick. Apply topcoat if you choose.

You can tell from this angle I had some lifting on my pinky nail. I thought I had pressed the stickers down firmly enough, but after I applied topcoat, this happened.

Silver snowflakes. Part of a sheet with many other designs including hearts and flowers.

This set can be found here for $2.98. Option #3. 

 These were placed over Kleancolor Cobalt.

Again, I had problems with them lifting. This particular snowflake had been positioned on a fold, and it just popped right back up. For the partial snowflakes, I just cut them with nail clippers and applied with tweezers. You can also see little silver flecks, and that's because the topcoat seemed to drag some of the silver off. :( Overall, it's a unique set of decals, but I wish they stuck down better.

More about → Born Pretty Embossed Metal Decals

LTHP heads over to Nailitmag.com!

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Happy Saturday everyone!! 

  I just wanted to do a quick post to let you guys know that I am over on the Nail It! magazine website with a guest post. I went with a texture theme, since I am slightly obsessed with this trend. I also did a look with some of the shades from the Cult Nails In the Garden Collection, for the ladies who do not like textures at all. I hope you guys like these looks! I had a lot of fun working on these. 

To find out the details behind these Three looks, just head on over to nailitmag.com. You can also read a short interview [HERE].

 I've had a minor setback here (I am also waiting on a middle nail break to grow out)... Ever have something happen to you that makes you feel really old for some reason? So, yesterday.. I was having a coughing fit... and I threw my lower back out  -___-. I mean, REALLY? Who does that? lolol... Who throws their back out from a coughing fit? Anywho, I'm taking it easy and hoping for a speedy recovery because I have lots I want to get done. I am also dying to play with my new Pueen stamping plates!! I have not had a chance to get into those yet, the designs are SO adorable!!

I hope you guys will check out my post for nailitmag.com! Happy Saturday everyone!

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More about → LTHP heads over to Nailitmag.com!

Zoya Summer PixiDusts and Stunning Collection- Skittle Ruffian Nail Art

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Hello and happy humpday! 

  Today I have, yet another, skittle mani to share with you guys. This look features Five of the new Zoya Summer PixiDust polishes as well as Four of the new Summer Stunning collection cremes. When I was sitting down to do my swatches of the Summer PixiDust polishes, I could not decide where to start. So I decided not to start at all... And wear them in a mixed texture look instead. These colors are just too fun and too beautiful and I could not resist playing with them. 

 This look started with all creamy bases. From thumb to Pinkie: Julie (from the Spring collection), Yana, Rocky, Thandie and Darcy. Then I decided to do PixiDust ruffians over my Skittle base. I wanted to do monochromatic skittles, with mixed textures. These colors were PERFECT for the look I had in mind since Zoya released shades which all complemented each other.
 For the ruffians I used (from thumb to pinkie): Stevie, Miranda, Liberty, Beatrix and Solange. I did Two thin ruffian coats over my creamy bases. I wore this manicure for about Five days? IDK, it was a LONG time in LTHP time, I could not believe how well they held up. These Summer PixiDusts have amazing formulas, much like their Spring "ancestors" lol. There is a mix of Foily texture and the Original PixiDust look as well. If you enjoyed the first PixiDust set, you will LOVE and ADORE this new Summer PixiDust collection.

 Here are some shots of my base colors. The new Summer cremes all had fantastic formulas and all did well in Three thin coats. Yana (index), Thandie(Orange) and Darcy(yellow) had a very slight shimmer to them, barely there, but really pretty. These are really vibrant, fun and perfect for Summer.

 What are your thoughts on mixed texture manis? I really enjoy them and make for quick and cute nail art. I can't rave enough about the Zoya PixiDusts, they are just beautiful, and I love the vibrant colors and how much they sparkle. The Summer cremes are adorable and fun. Zoya always has my heart when it comes to Summer colors. 

Skittle all the nails!!! 

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More about → Zoya Summer PixiDusts and Stunning Collection- Skittle Ruffian Nail Art

Natalie's Koi Fish

These nails are inspired by this look from Natalie over at heartNAT. It's been pinned on my "nail art inspiration" board over on Pinterest for a while now. I don't have the same polishes she used, and I don't have the fancy koi fish image plate she has, but it's still pretty cool. :)

 The polishes I used were:

Base of Orly Decades of Dysfunction. Then I sponged on - L'Oreal Macaroon Me Madly, China Glaze Flirty Tankini & Passion For Petals, & Zoya Ziv.

Then 1 coat of Essie Shine of the Times for an extra "fish-scale" vibe.

Then stamped M.A.S.H 39 with Konad black

More about → Natalie's Koi Fish

Zoya PixieDust Nyx and Vespa and a PixieDust Recap

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Hi loves and happy Friday!! 

  Today I am showing you my last PixieDust combo as well as recapping the other combinations I wore with these pretties. My final combination was a simple alternating color mani with Nyx and Vespa. Once again I was completely blown away by the wear on these polishes and how beautiful and sparkly they are.

 Zoya Nyx is a lovely Cornflower Blue texture packed with lovely Silver shimmer and glitter. This shade does best in Three easy coats. I also advice waiting a bit between coats to make sure the textured bits do not clump together. Vespa is a really delicate Sage green with that same beautiful Silver Sparkle. Both of these colors are really flattering and easy on the eyes. I wore these babies for about Five days and had very minimal chips.

 Now, Zoya has been, in a way, called out by their fans for going a little photoshop- happy with the Summer PixieDust promo pics. And I kinda get it lolol. I mean they were obviously re-touched with the cute added starry sparkles and whatnot... We know they are sparkly, faeries, there is no need to resort to over photoshopping. That would be like taking a picture of an already beautiful model and trying to shop her to make her "even prettier"... Generally it ends up taking away. So, I took a blurry pic to show just how sparkly these are. And the answer is: INTENSELY sparkly. The best part is that the sparkle seems to float over the textured surface and the "encrusted" sparkles give it this cool precious stone look. But no pic will ever do these true justice.. Just try one out. I promise, it will be LOVE at first try.

I won't go into detail about these combos since they have been previously shown. But I will go ahead and link the original post in case you have any questions. Below are London and Chyna. 

 And here are Dahlia and Godiva. 

 After trying all these, I am very giddy to try the new Summer PixieDusts. Zoya did an amazing job on these colors and the sparkly finish that they chose. I will be honest, I wanted to hate this textured trend... but I don't. I really am loving it a lot and I really like all the different takes from all the different companies. I have to say though, Zoya's are, by far, my favorite! From this group in particular I really adore Chyna, Godiva and  Vespa.
 I know I've said it a lot but the wear on these is AMAZING!!! These are also sheer enough that they can be layered over other colors, or eachother, to create really cool effects. I am really excited to see the vivid Summer shades. These are just AMAZING. They apply like a dream, they dry fast enough and are just beautiful. Textured nails have become my new weekend thing because I know they will always wear like iron and start lots of conversations :D.

 Do you have a favorite shade from this collection? And if so how did you rock your PixieDusts?

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More about → Zoya PixieDust Nyx and Vespa and a PixieDust Recap

Random Purple

I've still been lacking in the nail art department lately.... Just not a lot of inspiration floating around at my house these days. I've got a couple of swatches and product reviews coming up, so maybe that can distract me enough to climb out of my creative block.

 For this random look I did the other day I used the following things:

I did a gradient with Rimmel I Lilac You, Zoya Malia & Mira. Then stamped Konad m36 with China Glaze Millennium. Then one coat of China Glaze Fairy Dust for some tiny holographic glitters.

More about → Random Purple

Zoya PixieDust in Chyna and London

(**Zoya products provided for review consideration.**)

Good morning and happy humpday!! 

  Today I have my second PixieDust combination. This past weekend I chose to wear Zoya's Chyna and London(Grey) together. I put these on last Friday and wore them until Monday. Much like Godiva and Dahlia, the wear on these was incredible! I had minimal chips on my nails after Four days of rough wear. 

 Both London and Chyna have AMAZING formulas. Chyna is incredibly saturated with color and deep Ruby Red glittery, sparkly goodness. I've seen many girls describe it as a textured Ruby Slippers (pick one lol... there are so many versions) and I completely agree. It is just beautiful, rich and complex. I did Three thin coats of Chyna.
 London is a slightly sheer concrete Grey base, but it builds up easily in Three coats. London is packed with fine Silver sparkle and as it dries the sparkle becomes more obvious. With all of these textured polishes, it is best to wait a few minutes between coats. This picture was taken 45 minutes after application. As you can see they are already, pretty much, dry here. They did continue to harden and become more textured looking.

 I really loved these Two together. Chyna is in-your-face beautiful and London is painfully chic and edgy. Once again I am adoring what Zoya has done with the textured polish trend. I don't think I can pick a favorite from this PixieDust collection. They are all so pretty in their own special way.

Do you have a favorite textured polish yet? Or is this trend just not for you?

(**Zoya products provided for review consideration.**)

More about → Zoya PixieDust in Chyna and London

Geometric Squares

I've been feeling a little down and like a nail blogger failure because I haven't had much of my own nail art inspiration. I feel like I'm in a creative block. :( So the only nail art I've been doing is inspired by other bloggers.

Today it was this look from Whitney at Dressed Up Nails.

I used China Glaze Lemon Fizz, For Audrey, & Zoya Dea. 

All of the details were done with a skinny nail art brush.

More about → Geometric Squares

Zoya PixieDust Godiva and Dahlia

Good morning lovelies!! 

  I'm sorry about the gaps between postings. I seem to be on a upswing and I've been really taking advantage of this surge of "good-feeling". I actually went out this weekend and had a good time with the husband. Yesterday I was catching up on a ton of emails, doing some swatches, working on a little project I'm pretty excited about and did not get a chance to work on a Muffin Monday. 

  But anywho... last Friday I finally got a chance to wear some of my Zoya PixieDust polishes. These are Zoya's take on the textured polish trend. I've decided to wear them in pairs since they compliment each other so well. For my first go I went with Godiva(nude) and Dahlia. 

 These both have amazing formulas and they apply easily and evenly. They are both somewhat sheer, but they build up very easily. For both of these shades I used Three average coats. With these polishes it is best to wait a few minutes between coats to avoid "the lumps". Both Godiva and Dahlia have a beautiful Silver sparkle that seems to float on the surface of the texture. These are beautifully executed by Zoya and the sparkle makes them so chic. These were fully dry (on me) within 45 minutes of application.

 The texture on these is not distracting to me, and I am a picker. More good news, there was absolutely zero snagging of clothing. The wear on these was amazing, I polished my nails with them on Friday and just took them off yesterday! I had minimal chips on the corners of my nails. To remove I placed small bits of cotton soaked in acetone on each fingernail for a few minutes, then slid them off while applying some pressure. This got about 90% of the polish off and the rest came off very easily.

  I really, REALLY like these and I am so excited for the Summer Pixies!! I can't wait to try the rest of the shades in this collection. I kinda wanna try some nail art with them. Not sure how, or what yet but I'm sure they will look awesome in some nail art. There is something delicate, yet edgy about these and that makes me love them even more! 

 Have you tried the PixieDust polishes yet? What are your thoughts?

**Zoya products provided for my honest review. For more information please see my disclosure policy**

More about → Zoya PixieDust Godiva and Dahlia

Blue Floral Water Decals

I finally used the other half of this set of water decals from Viva La Nails. I've had them since April 2011..... So check out the other half here and laugh at how my pictures have improved.

I used them over Zoya Kristen for a light vintage blue overall look.

More about → Blue Floral Water Decals

Born Pretty - Round Glequins

Hi guys! I have some more items from Born Pretty to show you today. I hope by now you've seen or heard of "glequins" before... I have several posts with the hex versions. Today though I have some ROUND ones from Born Pretty! I like having the ability to make perfectly sized polka dots! Check it out:

Left is the larger size, found for sale here, 12 colors for $7.60

Right is the mini size, found for sale here, same 12 colors for $7.60

Top is larger size, bottom is mini size. Individually placed in wet topcoat over Orly Snowcone.

 Top is larger size, bottom is mini size. Individually placed in wet topcoat over Orly Snowcone.

I wanted to do super blingy/all over placement and this is what it looks like:

Painted my nails with Sally Hansen Celeb City as a base color.

 These silver ones catch and reflect so many different colors! It's gorgeous!

Here I used them a different way. I painted my nails with Zoya Marley, then stamped black polish and Konad m79. Then placed the mini black round glequins as part of the pattern.

 

Don't forget that I have coupon code if you make a purchase from Born Pretty:

More about → Born Pretty - Round Glequins