NYC City Proof Swatches

Hello, Fireflies!

I am obsessed these days with eyeshadow, metallics, and shadow sticks, and these NYC City Proof Waterproof shadows are bringing it! (Well, one I picked up isn't metallic, but it's still pretty.)

Spring Fever Voxbox - Part I #SpringVoxBox

I am so excited to tell you about my Influenster Spring Fever Voxbox! Today is part one of all the coolness.

First up, the Broadway Nails imPRESS Press-on Manicure in Space Cadet.

Pretty cool, huh?  There is gold glitter that flashes when you move your hands, too.  To put these on, I just removed the backing, like pulling off a piece of tape, and stuck it on.  That's it.

The major complaint I've heard about these nails is that they're too small for many of the bloggers.  Well, here's one time my teeny nubbins have come in handy.  These fit me perfectly.  Here's a side view where you can see that they lay nice, and not too thick. You can see some of the gold shimmer, too.

Here's the only problem I had - my nails are thin and a little bendy, so there was a gap in between the Impress nails and my own.  I was worried about the possibility of moisture or dirt getting stuck in there.  Also, it's hard to tell from the pix, but the ends were a little rough.  I just took a nail file to them to smooth them out.

I would definitely wear these for a fun outing, or when I didn't have time for a full mani.  They were so easy, and they stuck really well.  And, they're affordable, at $5.99 - $7.99 a set. I couldn't do a longevity test, though... such is the life of a nail blogger!  Gotta change that polish!

Next up, NYC New York Color Applelicious Glossy Lip Balm in Big Apple Red.

See?  I had to change my polish to match my awesome new lip balm.  (This is WingDust Zambezi Sunset with a silver nail art striper)

You may notice that the top of my balm is a little mangled.  *hangs head in shame*  I took my BRAND NEW lip balm, used it once, and then I accidentally left it on my car's dashboard while I had dinner.  In Florida.  In summer.  When I went to use it after dinner, it kinda smushed.

The good news is that once I brought it inside, it solidified very nicely again.  The cute apple on top is deformed, but the balm is good to go!

I thought this balm had great color payoff, especially for the price ($2.99).  I was expecting sheer with a little tint, but this actually gave my lips a nice color!  And, it felt nice, not sticky or gooey.  It is a balm, so it doesn't last that long, but it is very moisturizing.

What do you think?  I'm impressed so far!  I'll have some more reviews and nail art tomorrow, too!

If you'd like more information about Influenster, you can find them on Facebook or on Twitter @InfluensterVox .  You can find Broadway Nails on Facebook, too.  NYC New York Color has a Facebook page as well.

Indie January - Two Birds

Today I want to show you polishes from Two Birds, two sisters who love crafts and make some pretty awesome polishes.

Crossroads.  This was part of their Halloween collex from 2012.  I didn't discover it until after that, and loved it so much, it topped my list of fave polishes for 2012.  Orange milky bases are pretty rare, and this one is so juicy.  I love how the purple and orange glitters just pop.  No problems with application, no fishing for glitter.

I also loved how it matched one of my fave shirts!

Strawberry Limeaid.  On my ring finger, I started with one layer of the glitter, but realized it needed undies, so I used NYC Peach Sparkle, a supposed dupe for NARS Orgasm.  This was an LE I asked someone to buy for me, as it was only readily found at Rite-Aid.  It's sheer, but pretty.

I love how vibrant the peach looks after putting on Strawberry Limeaid.  It definitely has more pink than Crossroads, but still has that ripe, juicy feel to it. The lime green glitters are unobtrusive, but add subtle contrast.  I think this is a clever mix of colors!

Old Magic.  This one was hard to photograph.  I don't think the pix do it justice.  In Real Life, the blue is a jelly, and the glitters are more noticeable, but still subtle.

I think Picture Polish Festival added a nice punch of flakie goodness.  I think you can also see that the blue is more jelly here, and not as dark.  I did not want to take this off!

With all the Indies on the market now, it's refreshing to see some colors and textures are still fresh.  Are you a fan of the orange base?

If you'd like more information about Two Birds, they can be found on Facebook, and also have a store on Etsy.

Indie bling

I'd like to show you some Indie polishes I recently bought.  I haven't really jumped on the 'milky white' glitter train before now, but I love this one by Sparkles By Julie.  This is Water Lily, a shimmery white base with pastel glitters.  No undies.

I painted a few flowers with Nails, Inc Baker Street just for fun.  Really, though, this polish needs no embellishment, and I likely won't do that next time.

I love fall colors.  Unfortunately, here in Florida, we don't get much of a fall season, so I'm just going to wear these whenever I want.  I started with this lovely bronze from Cos Bar, which was sold at Target briefly.  I ordered it online and got one of their summer beauty bags with my purchase, which was pretty cool.  This is a lovely bronze, applied nicely, and I loved the color.

It seemed a natural match to pair it with Lush Lacquer Cheetalicious.  Truthfully, though, I don't think it needed undies - look at that coverage!  I love this look.

Who doesn't love a matte glitter?  Actually, this one I think looks better sparkly, but you gotta try it once, right?

The last Indie for today is over a green base.  I started with Borghese Menta, which was a little too sheer for my liking, so I layered it with NYC Big Money Frost.  I know, I know, it's a frost.  I like them.

Darling Diva Polish makes some of my fave Indie creations.  I wasn't wowed by this one, but it's still pretty.  Hubby thought it reminded him of leprechauns.  I wasn't feeling the dragon vibe, I guess.  It would probably look better over a different color.

Right hand:

Any of these your style?  The subtle white, coppery bling, or dragon scales?