Fun and Funky 4th with #ColourPop and #Milani

Hello, Fireflies!

I don't know how it got started for me, but last year, I decided to wear a fun red, white, and blue-themed makeup and nails look for my friend's 4th of July party, and this year, I decided to do it again.

Gold Lace

 Hello, Fireflies!

Today's Sunday Stamping challenge is "Lacy Lace" I rarely do lace stamps, but I found an interesting pattern on a lace stamping plate from Born Pretty, and chose a vampy base color to pair it with.

Raspberry Butterfly

 Hello, Fireflies!

Sometimes, I love being all matchy-matchy with a look.  I wore a raspberry shirt with a butterfly pattern, and matched my makeup and my nail polish to the colors and patterns!

Needle Marble Imagination

Hello, Fireflies!

It's the last travel nail art for this month!  I decided to ask to you ... Come with me, and you'll be in a place of pure imagination...

Off We Go - Into the Wild Blue Yonder!

 Hello, Fireflies!

It's a new month, and a new theme for the Nail Challenge Collaborative.  July is all about travel for this challenge.  It's such a broad topic, but my first thought was to look at modes of transportation.  So, I took to the blue skies for my first attempt at this theme!

Purplicious Look for Face and Nails

Some press samples; some purchased by me

Hello, Fireflies!

These days, it seems like I am all about the purples!  I've re-discovered some old favorites and incorporated some new loves into this total purple look!

Black and White Fierce Foiled 60's Stars!

Hello, Fireflies!

Today's Stamping Sunday challenge is Black and White - one of my faves.  I used one of Milani's new Fierce Foils as my background, and an out-of-this-world black stamp to show it off.

A Leopard Can Change His Spots If They're Made Of Nail Polish

Hello, Fireflies!

It's almost the end of the month, and I haven't done all 4 of my NCC posts yet!   Today is #3 in the 'animal' challenge.  I haven't really played around with animal prints too much, but today I make a leopard print two ways.

Dottin' Love Is In The Air!

Hello, Fireflies!

It's time for another Challenge Your Nail Art challenge. This one runs through 2/15, and is all about love, love, love.

Well, today, I want to share with you one of the nail art techniques that I love, not only for how pretty it looks, and the many variations you can create, but also because anybody can do it:  The Dotticure.

My Oh Me, Keomi! #NaturalSkincare

Product provided for review.  All opinions are my own.

Hello, Fireflies! 

It may not get that cold here for our Florida winters, but my skin still does need a little extra moisture these days.  I find myself reaching for richer hand creams to slather on at night, and after doing my nails, and when I'm sitting at my desk, or watching TV.. well, all the time, I guess.

Even though it's winter, the scent of Keomi Skincare All Natural Hand Therapy takes me right to spring.

Never Boring Nude NYE Nails

 Hello, Fireflies!

Today's AIS challenge is New Years' Nails.  I didn't have much time to prepare these, since I was traveling all day from visiting my family for Christmas, so I started with what I already had on - Azature Diamond Opal. 

Stamping Snowflakes

Hello, Fireflies!

Today's Adventures In Stamping challenge was about Christmas.  I thought it would be fun to take one "holiday" - Friday the 13th - and turn it into another one!

There's Nothing More Beautiful Than A Great Smile! #TartarScraperkit

Product provided for review.  All opinions are my own.

Hello, Fireflies!

I always say that the best makeup is your smile, and taking care of your teeth can help you feel good about it!  Now, I'm not a dentist, and I don't play one on TV, but I think this Dental Tartar Scraper and Remover Set By Majestic Bombay can really help make your teeth look and feel their best!

Zebra - Ze Garment That Covers Ze Bosoms

Hello, Fireflies!

Today's a two-fer in two ways!  Firstly, I have two posts today - this one, and the announcement about The Makeup Show - Orlando Peepshow/Creepshow competition.  Secondly, the prompt for today's stamping challenge overlaps with one of the 52 Pick 'n Mix Challenge's - wild animals!

I got these totes adorbz zebra charms from The Sparkly Shop, so I had to do zebra nails!

The plates I used were Mash 41 for the stripes on my index and ring fingers -

- and Cici & Sisi 11 for this cool zebra.  Who doesn't really need a nose, apparently.  I sometimes wish I had larger nail beds!  Poor zebra.  I also stamped him on my pinky, but really only got the neck.

I used my Sally Hansen/Revlon white mix and stamped with Milani Black Swift.  I just love a black and white mani!

Didn't I say that zebra charm is adorbz? Totes!

Bottle shot:  Milani Black Swift, and Sally Hansen White Tip (mixed with Revlon Spirit).

What's your favorite wild animal print?

I Adore You, Too, Teadora!

Products provided for review.  All opinions are my own.

Hello, Fireflies!

I am all about the bold lippie.  Mattes, stains, creams, brights, vamps, you name it.  Most of these, I have to remove with makeup remover.  And then, there's the drying weather.

Let's not forget the smooching, either.

My lips are in need of some rehabbing, and when I got to try Teadora's Nourishing Lip Butter, I was excited.

But, but, it's a pot.  I don't *do* lip stuff in pots.  Or, shall we say, I didn't.  I will for this stuff.  It's the most unique lip stuff I've come across.  It's almost the texture of a shea butter - hard, and a little gritty in the tub.

But if you rub your finger over it, it melts and then you can apply it to your lips.  For more exfoliation, scrape a little bit of the balm out, and you'll get a more gritty texture that melts away after a few minutes.

I've been using this for weeks now, and I've barely made a dent in the tub.  For $15, it's a bargain!

The products at Teadora are made with their proprietary Elixirs - Rainforest Youth, Hydration, and Restoration, each containing ingredients to target a specific purpose.  What's also important is what their products DON'T have - no parabens, synthetic fragrances, silicone, gluten, Phlalates, sulfates, harsh chemicals, or animal products.  Their products are 100% vegan, and they do no animal testing.

Not only does the lip balm feel great, taste amazing, and is made from great ingredients, Teadora is committed to doing business in a socially responsible way, by using ingredients that are fair trade sourced, sustainably harvested, carbon reduction focused, recyclable and biodegradable.  They are also involved in efforts to help preserve the Amazonian Rainforests.

Teadora Lip Butters come in two versions - Rainforest at Dawn, and Rainforest at Dusk.  The Dawn Lip Butter is in a flavor they call Laranja, and is a light, sweet orange.  It is DELICIOUS.  Totally addictive.  Dusk's flavor is called Acai-Acu, and is a berry-chocolate blend.  Yum.

As always, you know I'm loving something if I'm inspired to do nail art!  I based this on their logo - in color on my middle finger, and the black and gold version on my thumb.  To do this nail art, I used Milani Black Swift, Sally Hansen/Revlon white, Sephora X Enriched, A Rhyming Dictionary Polish Show and Tell, China Glaze Metro Pollin-tin, and Urban Decay Bang.

If you'd like more information about Teadora, which means, "I adore you" in Portuguese, or to purchase any of their butters, oils, cleansers, or other skin care products, you can find them on their website, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, and YouTube.

How are you taking care of your lips?

One Fish, Two Fish, White Fish, Three Blues..

 Hello, Fireflies!

I'm picking back up with the 52 Week Pick 'n Mix challenge this week, and combining the 3-blues prompt with the domestic animal prompt.  Let's see.. shall I make a blue dog, a la Blue's Clues?

I start with this really nice, bright, opaque blue from CoverGirl, called Out Of The Blue.  This is ONE coat.  Easy, breezy, beautifu-  wait.  Wow, that's good marketing. You were thinking it, too, weren'tcha.

I started to do a chevron French tip with OPI Keeping Suzi At Bay, a medium blue jelly, but then when I added Sally Hansen Insta Dri Teal-y Fast, I just kept adding stripes.  It's not a fishtail, but along those lines.

I really liked how this turned out.  These colors look good together.  I took a few pictures in case adding the animal part to the mani completely failed!

When I had all the blues picked, I thought of fish! And these cute goldfish from Cici & Sisi 11 fit the bill.  I stamped with Milani White On The Spot.

Up close, you can see all the lines of the blues, but from a reasonable distance, it just looks like light and shadows in the water.

Everybody, now, "Just keep swimming, just keep swimming!"

I've never owned any kind of fish before, but I do like watching them sometimes.  Have you ever owned fish before?  What's the attraction?

Stamped Scary Skulls

Hello, Fireflies!

Today's Adventures In Stamping challenge is to get ready for Halloween with something spooky or scary!  I saw this stamp from Cisi & Sisi 11 plate, and I knew I had to try it.

I started off with Milani Black Swift, which is quickly becoming a favorite black.  It's one-coat shiny awesomeness.

I love how gold and silver look stamped over black, so I alternated Essie No Place Like Chrome and Maybelline Bold Gold.

I couldn't fit more than one skull per finger, so I tried to get one clear part of the stamp on each finger. That upturned profile skull on the middle finger gave me so much trouble! It must have known, somehow, what finger it was on.

Bottle shot:  Milani Black Swift, Maybelline Bold Gold, and Essie No Place Like Chrome.

Are you getting out the black polish for a Halloween mani?  What's your favorite black?

The Nightmare Before Christmas - Jack and Sally

Hello, Fireflies!

For my last NCC Stripes challenge of the month, I wanted to incorporate stripes and one of the most popular Halloween traditions - watching The Nightmare Before Christmas.

This mani was inspired by one I saw on Pinterest, but I cheated and used a 3-D charm for Jack's face.

I painted all but my middle finger with Revlon Spirit, and then used a black striper to freehand the black stripes.  The middle finger was painted with Milani Black Swift, and then the charm was applied.

Bottle shot:  Revlon Spirit, Milani Black Swift, and a black striper.

What's Jack without his girl?

 This was inspired by a mani done by The Nailasaurus, but it reminded me of Sally.

I started off with a white base to make sure that the colors were bright.  Then, I used striping tape to mark off the different sections.  Even thought it would be nice to paint one color at a time, it dries too quickly for that - and dry polish gets pulled off with the striping tape.  So, do one nail at a time.  I painted over the white lines with black polish and made the stitches, too.

Bottle shot:  Revlon Spirit, Nails Inc Bond St., Wet 'n Wild Pleasure Pier, Urban Decay Bang, Finger Paints Go Van Gogh!, and a black striper.

Wouldn't it be neat to have one hand done like Jack, and the other like Sally?