Born Pretty Store sponsered Giveaway on NPA!

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Hey guys,

thanks to at least 10 of you using my Born Pretty Store 10% off discount code QHL91, BPS have provided a $20 voucher prize for an NPA giveaway!

All you have to do is fill out the rafflecopter widget below. Good Luck! And Happy Easter!!! The winner will be drawn in 1 week.

a Rafflecopter giveaway


xxx
NPA 

A Good Friday Mini Swatch Spam

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Good Friday to you ladies!

I have some random swatches for you today:

 Cult Nails Fetish

Fetish is a black wax finish from Cult Nails' Two Year Anniversary Collection. That basically means it's a matte finish, perhaps slightly satin-matte? I applied two easy coats, though one thick coat would do if you are pinched for time. I did get a few bumps on my nails which might have to do with the thickness of the polish. I'll try adding a few drops of thinner next time I wear Fetish. Fantastically naughty name, no?

Specialita HITS Mari Moon Unconventional

I've had Unconvential for at least nine months, and have woefully, only worn it twice!!! This multichrome from the Mari Moon inspired collection is magnificent though! What looks like a red-purple duochrome in the bottle actually shifts pink-purple-blue,orange/yellow-red! Here I've layered two coats over Fetish, but you can get away with 3 thin coats alone. The formula is very thick so I recommend thinning it to avid tip shrinkage. It's the perfect subtle multichrome, to ease you in to the trend!!

Nicole by OPI For Gold Time's Sake

 For Gold Time's Sake is a magnificent mix of micro flakes in a sheer antique gold base. It looks to be primarily made up of gold and colour shifting flakes in purple-blue-fuchsia. It is beautiful and intricate and no matter what the lighting, it is a sparkling sensation!!! I applied 3 thin, not quite watery coats for full coverage.

I hope Good Friday is treating you well, have you been munching on chocolate already?!

xxx

NPA

Cult Nails In The Garden Pre-sale is LIVE!

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Cult Nails "In the Garden" Collection Pre-Sale Event now through April 7th! See Maria's blog post with swatches of the collection here!!! Save over 30% off retail price! All 5 colors for only $40! RESERVE YOUR SET TODAY! Cult Nails "In the Garden" Collection This new 5 piece collection features season appropriate colors, with Cult Nails Award Winning and Vegan Friendly formula!  From left to right, above, are "You're My Dandy Lion", "Morning Glory", "Kiss My Rose Bush", "Ay Poppy", and "Let's Get Dirty".  Maria's blog post details each color with descriptions and swatches.  Click the link at the top of this message to see the blog post.  The collection is available for pre-sale now, through April 7th, for the preview price of $40.  (The retail value is $60)  Pre-sale orders are expected to ship by April 10.  Reserve your set at this excellent price today!  http://shop.cultnails.com

Cult Nails, 7777 N. Wickham Rd, , Suite 12-408, Melbourne, FL 32940

 

China Glaze Fancy Pants & Glequins

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Ahoy-hoy all, I got back from camp Tuesday night and am only just recovering! It wasn't like we did a lot; but sleeping on 2 inch thick foam mattresses in old wooden bunks that are built into the cabin didn't make for a peaceful nights sleep!

We got to 'handle' cows, horses and chickens. I certainly need all the practice I can get because  unfortunately I am not as confident or naturally gifted with animals as I would like. The horse was my favourite in the end, though it started out worse than the rest!!! I fumbled around trying to put the Halter on, and was hesitant with picking up his hoof, but once I got that done, we had some wonderful cuddles (well I stroked his neck a lot and he seemed pleased with me!)!

And chickens can be surprisingly well behaved! I thought I was at risk of being attacked by beak and claw but all they did was try to flap their wings (which she couldn't because I had my thumb in the right place!). Smelly buggers though!!! I couldn't get out of the pen fast enough.

Now for the final Avant Garden lacquer I have to show you:

China Glaze Fancy Pants & pink glequins

 This was my first time trying to use loose glitter (or 'glequins') in a manicure. It's not like it's hard to place each hex on the nail, but it is time consuming and I still need to find a better way of gluing them on rather than just using a clear polish, because once they were on the nail they were not at all mobile, thus the wonkiness!!!

I used the pink glitter from a 12 pack of multi-coloured glitters I bought from Born Pretty Store.

China Glaze Fancy Pants

Fancy Pants is a blue toned purple with fabulous fine pink shimmer flecks. The first photo is more colour accurate. The shimmer can be quite subtle indoors or in the shade, but in the sun it shows up to add a little kick! The formula was much nicer than the other two shimmers and you could get away with two coats.
Certainly a favourite purple polish of mine!!!!

Are any of you going away for Easter? I'll probably stay home, but loving my 5 day weekend!!!!!!! So much sleep to catch up on!


xxx
NPA

China Glaze Keep Calm, Paint On with Happy Hands Motherboy

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As far as I'm concerned these are the two greatest polishes since sliced bread.
And when I say something is the best thing since sliced bread, I mean it.

Do you know how difficult I find it, slicing a loaf of bread? Long story short, it looks like a rat has chewed the slices apart...

China Glaze Keep Calm, Paint On & Happy Hands Motherboy

Keep Calm, Paint On is a fabulous pastel mint shimmer. The shimmer is fairly subtle and kind of pearly white. The best part about KCPO is that the mint leans slightly more yellow than blue, so it doesn't look gross on me and I ain't got no lobster hands, yeyeah!
The formula is kinda crappy though, just like Mimosas Before Manis. I thinned this out in anticipation, so I managed only two medium coats.

I had intended on putting Motherboy on all my nails, but I liked KCPO so much that I only ended up using it for an accent on my thumbs and ring fingers. It's a freaking fantastic matte glitter combination with pink, mauve (as in halfway between lilac and lavender, mauve. It seems like the polish makers think mauve is a pinky brown hue but I'm telling you it's a purple with pink undertones; lighter than lavender but darker and more purple than lilac. Wikipedia that shit if you're not buying it.), baby blue and pale green matte glitter. The pink is the only non pearl/satin finish glitter so it stands out giving the polish a bit of a bright kick.
Like most Happy Hands, Motherboy dries pretty bumpy so you need some thick topcoat for a truly smooth and glossy finish. I used two coats for these photos.

Having course every day is getting me in to the habit of painting a full manicure each time I change my polish, which so far has been almost every single day!!! I was getting really lazy and usually only having my swatching fingers on my left hand painted, unless I was going out somewhere special. It's got me using all my untrieds too, woop, woop!

I should be back from camp tonight, hopefully not too tired, with enough spirit to change my polish!!!!


xxx
NPA

First attempt at roses with China Glaze Mimosas Before Manis

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So I tried another new to me nail art technique last week. Though it was pretty bad looking up close, from a distance (and to the lay/muggle eye) they looked pretty fantastic!!!

Since everyone has been posting swatches of the China Glaze Avant Garden Collection, I wanted to do something a little different by posting some nail art using each polish separately.

China Glaze Mimosas Before Manis with roses, stripes and polka dots

 First off, Mimosas Before Manis is pinkier in person, my camera just hates these types of corals. I love the bright pink/orange coral with subtle shimmer but the formula is not the greatest. I thinned it a little which helped to reduce the uneven streaks, but I used 3 coats to get it looking even. The coverage was also a bit of a problem. I often find these sorts of formulas are opaque and yet you end up with VNL after two coats still. I still think MBM is worth the extra effort though.

I painted the stripes and dots with OPI Alpine Snow using a striper brush and dotting tool, respectively. Then I used my dotting tool to make blobs of purple for the roses and acrylic white and green paint with a detail brush to make the rose swirls and leaves.

I definitely have to work on the control of the brush and steadiness of my hand, but all in all it's an impressive first try in my book!!

And here is three coats of MBM with one layer of Seche Vite:

China Glaze Mimosas Before Manis

Aaaaahhhh, how I love my subtle shimmers!!!!

The posts from today until Wednesday have been scheduled because I'm away at camp; handling cows, horses and chickens, Oh My!!!

Which Avant Garden lacquers did you snag??


xxx
NPA

The secret to staying warm this Winter: Elevation Pata Puffer

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It seems like almost everyone has a Puffer jacket in NZ.
In fact the other day one of the girls in my course was wearing hers inside the classroom. Yes, inside the classroom. It's been F***ing HOT all Summer, we're in a pretty severe drought throughout most of the country; so I have no idea how she wasn't filling an inflatable paddling pool with her own sweat, but since having lived in Christchurch I've noticed that Aucklanders are incredibly wimpy in the 'cold'.

Anyway, that's neither here nor there, LOL. My point is that I love the name of Elevation's LE polish from 2012; Pata Puffer. This came to me via Fingers' giveaway and after 6 months I've finally got some decent photos of it!!!

Elevation Pata Puffer

Pata Puffer is the shiz! And it is as close to Lynnderella Garden of Even as I'm ever gonna get (shakes fist at lack of international shipping and exorbitant bottle prices!!!).
In a fuchsia-red violet base, sits ultra-fine matching holo glitter and small, pinker holo hexes that glow in the light. I'm sorry it's not still available, guys. The formula was alright, I can't remember if I used 2 or 3 thin coats, though my gut is telling me it was likely 3 (because I can't handle unevenness or bald spots - OCD!). I topped it with a coat each of Glitter Gloss and Seche Vite, which gave a smooth and shiny finish.

Now whenever I reach for my Puffer jacket this winter (and I probably won't since it's Auckland ahahaha), I'll think of PP and have the urge to redo my nails!!!

Elevation just restocked yesterday, so you might be able to get your hands on some of her newer pretties now!


xxx
NPA

KKcenterHk French Water Decals Review

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Ok, Michaela is having a kind of depressing day. Not only can I not wear nail polish while in clinic, I also have to have short nails! As in Netball short!!!! Waah waah waaahhh!
That's two days a week of naked nails and 100% of the time stubby nails. These animals I'm going to be nursing had better be grateful!!!! :) Just jokes.

Awh, shit; at least I might be able to prevent breaks and splits...

 Anyway, with only one more week of nail freedom I got round to trying out these french tip water decals from KKcenterHk. I'd been putting them off because my nails never seemed long enough to carry them off, but desperate times...

I wanted to do a traditional french mani but my nails are a bit orange (I just got some Orly nail whitener so will be trying it out soon) so I first applied 2 coats of OPI Samoan Sand (my most favourite semi-sheer nude).
Then I added the decals:

 OPI Samoan Sand with KKcenter HK french tip water decals: WDB068

The decals are great, only my nails are fairly small and narrow so there was a lot of excess I had to remove with acetone and scissors. That led to a wee bit of tearing caused by trying to move the decals around while they were too dry, but you couldn't tell unless you examined my nails right in front of your eyes.

Once I slid the decals in to place, I let them dry and painted on some Seche Vite. Once that dried I used some scissors and my cleanup brush to remove all the excess decal around the sides and tip of my nail (it was sort of like nail wrap cleanup using the brush instead of a nail file). With the excess gone, I applied a final coat of Seche Vite, wrapping the tips.

I love the final look, but I wouldn't repurchase these in particular because they are just so large on my nails. I do however recommend these to anyone with long and/or larger nail plates. Luckily KKcenterHk also have skinnier french tip decals too and I can see myself trying those in the future.

These are only $2.82 for 15 decals, so cheap as chips, right?! Here is the direct link. You can use my 10% off coupon NPA10 on any order at KKcenterHk. This icon on my top left sidebar will also take you to their website:

KKcenterHk is also running an Easter promo right now:
Buy 1 product Get 8% off
Buy 3 products Get 12% off
Buy 5 products Get 20% off

Hope your weekends are off to a great start!


xxx
NPA

Happy Hands Mayonegg

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Oh Happy Hands, your Arrested Development Collection is the gift that keeps giving!!!!

'Her?'

If you don't get that reference you need to get yourself the series DVD pronto.

Happy Hands Mayonegg

 Mayonegg is a white creme with white shimmer flecks and matte yellow hex glitter. This perfectly embodies Anne's or 'her' favourite snack food: a hard boiled egg squirted with packet mayonnaise!!!!

I'm not a fan of the formula. It's thick and streaky and dries pretty bumpy in 2-3 coats. I smoothed it with a layer of both Glitter Gloss and Seche Vite.

It really felt like I had fried eggs on my nails!!!

Hope your week is going well ladies, take care,

xxx

NPA