Houndstooth Nail Stickers

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I can't tell you how much easier it is to apply nail stickers, compared to water decals! 

Born Pretty Store sent me some black houndstooth nail art stickers to review.

Cult Nails Falling Hard with Houndstooth nail stickers

Application was a breeze. You just peel them off the backing card and place on your nail. I just had to trim the ends - which I recommend before you put them on your nails. They are thicker than decals so you can't just sever the ends easily. I had to use nail scissors.

I sealed this mani with some Seche Vite.

I am disappointed that once applied, they became grey in colour... However, these stickers come in gold, blue and white too, so all is not lost. I think the gold would look hot!!!!!

Next time you're at BPS, feel free to use my 10% discount coupon QHL91. Remember they have free worldwide shipping too!

xxx

NPA

Cult Nails It's A New Day Collection

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Wow, I've been gone for a while now guys. 

I do not even know when I blogged last... 

First I was uninspired, then I just got busy. Funny how having a full time job makes me more inclined to fall straight in to bed when I get home, rather than set up my light box, pull off a manicure & snap away, hey.

I've sort of missed being out of the loop in the beauty/nail blogging world - even if my wallet has been rather chuffed!!

Tonight, I have the last nail related purchase I made before taking a break from it all:

It's A New Day came out in April (I had to search that on the interwebs because I seriously had no idea when I got these - it feels like a lifetime since a nail polish parcel arrived on my doorstep).

Designed as a spring collection it contains surprise, surprise, some pastel-esque hues.

Cult Nails Evolution

 Evolution is the star of this mini collection. A semi-sheer pale peach crelly - it takes about 4 coats to give full coverage, but the squishy shine is worth that extra dry time! Whenever I wear this dream I get loads of compliments. It is gentle enough to look almost neutral, but the hint of peach still makes it stand out - the best office appropriate compromise!

Cult Nails Falling Hard

Falling Hard did not play nice with my camera. In person, this is a cool, purple leaning light-medium pink; but my camera sucked most of the colour out of it. This is in the wheelhouse of Essie A Splash of Grenadine, which I also have, but it has a creme formula and covers nicely in 2 coats.

Cult Nails New Day

New Day is a pastel sunny lemon creme. It doesn't have as problematic an application as some yellow pastels, but I still felt the need to do 3 coats and add some Seche Vite to smooth out the finish. Considering I purged all my yellows last year, it is quite nice to have one again - just in cases.

Though these are some nice staples for any collection, none of these lacquers are terribly unique. However, the collection came with a stamping plate that I couldn't pass up! It has an argyle pattern!!!!!!!

I have only tried out the handwriting stamp - and I didn't use my Seche to topcoat so it smeared bad - but I know I'll try more in the future.

Let me know if you can figure out what that wee paragraph says - all I can get from the photos is "...joined the" & "... and fell". I think Love might be one of the missing words?

Just so you know, I hope to post a couple of times a week from now on. I still do my nails most nights, I just haven't been getting in to the nail art because it takes too long and I get sooooo sleepy!

I've got some products reviews I ought to have posted a few months back, so stay tuned my pretties!

xxx

NPA

Nail Shields: Take Two

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I recently tried some nail shields from Hex Nail Jewelry and while they were alright, they looked funny with my square nails and were a little wide for my nail plate.

I got some advice in the comment section that I should wear them with the oval end at my cuticles. It worked!!! They look infinitely better, dare I say, "AWESOME!"

 Barielle Buddha-ful & Nail Shields

I like wearing them with a soft mani too.

Thank you to Arachne646 for the tip!

xxx

NPA

Cadillacquer Breaking Bad Selection

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The Breaking Bad Collection is a mix of beautiful shimmers and subtle holos. Today I'll be showing you my picks! They are so awesome it makes me really want to watch the series! I really ought to have by now, right?

Cadillacquer Pinkman

 Pinkman - named after the character Jesse Pinkman (a former student of Walter White who becomes his partner). It's a beautiful pale, dirty pink shimmer with gold-green flecks. Two coats is all you need.

 Cadillacquer Cap 'n Cook

Cap 'n Cook is a red toned purple scattered holo with a pink shimmer flash! It's super flattering on my warmer skin tone. Again, two coats.

 Cadillacquer Blowfish

Blowfish (not sure what this name refers to - I need to watch to find out!), is a pretty pale green shimmer with blue-green flecks. It's so delicate - the most wearable green I own. This is also a two-coater.

 Cadillacquer Carwash

Carwash is a blurple scattered holo with a bit of a pink flash. All blurple lovers NEED IT!!!! Again, two coats.

 Cadillacquer Say My Name

Say My Name is an aubergine scattered holo with blue-purple flecks. This leans a little brown, which I like. I feel like it'll be my new 'go to' this winter. Again, two coats.

 Cadillacquer Yeah, Science!

Yeah, Science! is my absolute favourite from the Breaking Bad Collection. A soft lilac purple shimmer with pink-purple flecks! Of course, it's another two-coater.

The formula on all of these is sort of thicker than the usual creme but it is very manageable and applies nicely - sort of self-leveling. 

Cadillacquer is an amazing indie brand from Switzerland. They are a bit pricey on e-tailer sites but you can buy direct for about US$12 and she ships internationally for reasonable rates.

xxx

NPA

Old School: OPI Flower to Flower

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Flower to Flower was released as part of a four piece summer collection when I first started collecting nail polish. It seemed to be sold out straight away; so it was the ever elusive pink that everyone raved about and I couldn't get my hands on.

OPI Flower to Flower

Surprisingly it is very similar to China Glaze 100 Proof Pink - only with a warmer cast and the shimmer particles are ultra fine.

Flower to Flower covers well in two coats and goes nicely with my warmer skin tone, but I can't say I love it...

So my little HTF haul only netted 1/3 wins. Just goes to show that lemmings are always worth the price tag!

Which lemmings were your biggest let downs?

xxx

NPA

Old School: China Glaze 100 Proof Pink

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I hopped on Ebay to buy some HTF (hard to find) lacquers last month. I came away with three, and over the next few days I'll be sharing them all with you.  

First up is:

China Glaze 100 Proof Pink

100 Proof Pink is a medium pink with glass fleck shimmer. I was a bit disappointed in it because I thought it would be more barbie pink... Or squishy - you know? Instead it is sort of blah. It is non-3Free so it has a thinner formula, but no strong smell and still needs three thin coats for full coverage.

So I could take or leave this China Glaze, how about you?

xxx

NPA

Pink Wednesday :as close to V-day as my nails got

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I'm sure it's the same for every single gal out there. If you don't have a Valentine, your nails probably shouldn't look like they do either! 

I've never had a great reception to my nail endeavors from the male species, but I had to get into the V-day mood a little so I sported pink nails most of last week and did some nail stamping once too...

 Zoya Gei Gei with MoYou London stamping from Tourist Collection 07

I can't decide if I like or hate Zoya Gei Gei.  It's a little pearl/frosty/uneven with flecks of shimmer that puzzle me somewhat. And on the other hand it's a soft, pretty pink... I needed three coats to even it out and get appropriate coverage. I stamped it using my go to Konad Light Pink Special Polish. 

The plate is one of the XL image ones (which FYI are way too big for my nails) with some gorgeous french inspired designs.

xxx

NPA

Essie Madison Ave-Hue

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I'm scratching the bottom of the 'Edited' folder here guys... Madison Ave-Hue has been sitting patiently for at least 6 months asking me repeatedly,"Why do you hate me mama?"
I actually do like you, but you just don't inspire me. Meh.

Essie Madison Ave-Hue

Madison Ave-Hue is a blue-toned pink with fine white flake shimmer. The formula is nice enough, I got away with two coats here, then I added some INM Out the Door because it dried a little dull and ever so slightly textured due to the flakes.

I thought it might have been the same base colour as Essie A Splash of Grenadine so I compared the bottles for you (and me!)

 Essie A Splash of Grenadine v Madison Ave-Hue

A Splash of Grenadine is definitely more purple so you can easily own both - HOORAY!

xxx

NPA

Lilypad Lacquer Pink Sugar

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WOWZA! You all need to get Pink Sugar NOW!

Lilypad Lacquer Pink Sugar

Pink Sugar's an amazing hot, blue based pink with tons of colour shifting flakey shimmer and linear holo effect. The shimmer gives it a real blue/purple/fuchsia flash that is AMAZING!!! The formula is on the thicker side of things, but it goes on opaque in two thin coats.

Lilypad Lacquer is available from the following stockists:

Etsy

Femme Fatale

Llarowe

Have an amazing Wednesday my polished pretties!

xxx

NPA

Rocking my Serum No.5 GITDs!

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I got a couple Serum No.5s from a post-xmas sale and they are WONDERFUL!!!!

Serum No.5 Atomic Peach

Atomic Peach is a pastel peach glow in the dark lacquer with a sprinkling of gold micro-glitter. It's a touch brighter (and less white) than the photos show and the GITD effect is very strong - it glows a yellow/green. The formula is alright, a little grainy (with the GITD pigment and all) and you need about 3 coats for it to even out - the Seche Vite helps with that too!

Serum No. 5 Pink Lantern

Pink Lantern is a hot pastel pink GITD. It's much pinker and brighter than in the photos too and glows a white/pink/orange in the dark. It needs about three coats to even out too and again the Seche Vite helped with this and added the glossy finish it needed!

My fav is Pink Lantern but I do love my peachy-nudes so Atomic Peach is certainly a close second!

xxx

NPA