Love that color!

 Hello, Fireflies!

Today's challenge is about the color I love.  Well, my favorite color is midnight blue, but it's hard to find a perfect midnight blue polish that doesn't go too black.  Plus, it doesn't really say 'Valentine's' to me.  So, I picked my husband's favorite color, purple.

Revlon Transforming Effects Top Coats

Hello, Fireflies!

Isn't this blue gorgeous?  It's actually a little deeper in color and so beautifully shiny and jellied in person.  It's KB Shimmer Low And Be Bold, a cobalt blue-lovers dream.  Though absolutely gorgeous on its own, I decided to see how the color was transformed by using the new (and not LE!) Transforming Effects topcoats from Revlon.

Sunday Stamping - Broken Heart

Hello, Fireflies!

Today's Adventures in Stamping challenge was to use pink and black.  I've been gearing up to do some Valentines' Day manis, and thought this might be a great opportunity to do a 'broken heart' one with these colors.

Purple-Grey Wallpaper

Hello, Fireflies!

I was playing around with some of my Black Dahlia Lacquers, and came up with a design I thought might fit this months NCC Wallpaper challenge.

It starts with Black Dahlia Japanese Painted Fern, a medium grey with purple shimmer.

Reviva Labs Nasolabial Fold + Multi-Peptide Cream - a Great Cream With A Weird Name #RevivaLabs

Product Provided For Review.  All Opinions Are My Own.

Hello, Fireflies!

I'm learning the lingo of skincare.  I can say, "hyaluronic acid" three times, fast.  I am realizing the benefits of Niacinamide, and Retinols, and have tried more plant oils than you can shake a stick at.

So, when I was asked if I wanted to try Reviva Labs new Nasolabial Fold + Multi-Peptide Cream, my first response was, "Naso-what?" Maybe, yours was too.  I'm glad I can now pronounce it and I'm really glad I tried it, because now I have a fighting chance against those stubborn deep wrinkles around my nose (naso) and lips (labial)!

Dress Dotticure

Hello, Fireflies!

Two posts today! I needed a little nail art in my life, so I wanted to show you this dotticure I did to match a dress.  I've used this dress as an inspiration for a stamped nail look before, too.  It's one of my fave dresses.

Happy Thanksgiving! #ChallengeYourNailArt #FallingForNailArt

Hello, Fireflies!

Today's the last day of the November Challenge Your Nail Art Fall-ing for Nail Art Challenge! 

MMMM... Pie! #ChallengeYourNailArt #FallingForNailArt

Hello, Fireflies!

Today's Challenge Your Nail Art prompt is for Fall Food.  Nothing says Fall to me more than baking!  It's too hot here in Florida to do a lot of baking in the summer, anyway, but the really good apples don't get ripe until the Fall.

So when I saw this nail art (original author unknown) for cherry pie, I thought, well, I'd rather have apple.

I started off with Revlon Orient Express, but it was too red, so I put a layer of OPI Glints Of Glinda over it, which gave it a milky, softened look that was more like what I wanted.

I used a short brush to daub Zoya Flynn in a cross-hatch pattern, like a lattice-top pie.  To give it more dimension (and golden-brown deliciousness,) I added little spots of Lacquerhead Polish Ashlyn, a dark brown holo.

Yeah, it still looks like a cherry pie, I guess.  Which is okay.  It's still pie, after all.

Bottle shot:  Revlon Orient Express, OPI Glints of Glinda, Zoya Flynn, and Lacquerhead Polish Ashlyn.

Will you be indulging in a little pie this week?  What's your fave?  It's so hard to decide, but a good peach pie is hard to beat!

MDSun (shine) on my face makes me happy...

Product provided for review.  All opinions are my own.

Hello, Fireflies!

Have you heard about MDSun? The founder of MDSun, Dr. George Sun, is a plastic surgeon who specializes in biochemical research.  He created his pharmaceutical and cosmeceutical lines to give his clients the best products to either maintain their plastic surgery results, or to give the best non-surgical results.  I had the pleasure of trying two of their most popular products: the Super Hydration B Serum, and the Intensive Eye Gel. 

Did I like them?  I'll give you a hint - I did one an homage nail art that is one of my most recent favorites!

Lady In (Cherry Smoke) Red

Hello, Fireflies!

I have a red, vampy look today, from my nails, to my makeup!

Let's start with the nails, shall we?  This blackened red is the kind of glowing color I fall for every time. I love how the shimmer makes Revlon Divine look like glowing embers!

I paired Revlon Divine with OPI Today I Accomplished Zero to punch up the glowing aspect.  These two polishes are peas in a pod. Polishes in a pod?

Bottle shot:  Revlon Divine, and OPI Today I Accomplished Zero.

I wore those nails with a red and black dress, so I decided to carry the red and black theme to my makeup.

I really love the Smashbox Cherry Smoke palette I used to create this look.  The reds are completely wearable, and don't make me look like I've been crying.

 Boys totally make passes at women who wear glasses.

What I used:  Hourglass Ambient Lighting blush and powder palettes, Smashbox Cherry Smoke palette, Ageless Derma Powder Foundation in Cool Beige, Cover FX Mattifying Primer with Anti-Acne Treatment, Cover FX Anti-Age Smoothing Eye Primer, and Cover FX Blemish Treatment Primer,  Cover FX Powder in Medium (used as bronzer), Physicians Formula 2 in 1 Lash Boosting Eyeliner and Serum in Ultra Black, Rimmel Scandal Eyes Retro Glam mascara, Stila Brighten & Correct concealer, Ellis Faas lipstick in Ellis Red, and Too Faced Bulletproof Brows in Brunette.

How do you wear red?

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've Come To Suck Your Blood, uh, Nail Polish!

Hello, Fireflies!

There are some vampires we love, some we hate, and some we love to hate.  This villainous nail art was inspired by this tutorial, and they are so cute! They're not sparkly, either, though a little glitter could change that!

I painted all my nails with my Sally Hansen/Revlon white mix, and then added the black details with a striper.  The eyes were multiple dots, and then, there has to be some blood, right?

My husband has been playing all the LEGO movie games, and maybe that's influenced me, because I kinda think these guys look like little LEGO vampires! Can't you just imagine them with little LEGO capes and "U"-shaped hands, running after some hapless LEGO victim?

Bottle shot:  Sally Hansen/Revlon white, Wet 'n Wild Black Creme, and Revlon Cherries In The Snow.

Who is your favorite famous vampire?

An InLinkz Link-up

Monsters In Love - Frankenstein's Monster and Bride

Hello, Fireflies!

If you saw yesterday's patchwork mani, and with today's Frankenstein's Monster and Bride mani, you might sense a theme - that Halloween monsters are known for being stitched badly!  Was no one proud of their craftsmanship?

Today's mani is inspired by this Pinterest roundup post - they couldn't identify the original artist, and neither can I, but if you can point me in the right direction, I'll be happy to give credit!

I decided to add the hearts because they are monsters in lurve.  Look how they have goo-goo eyes for each other... You could break out this design for an alternative Valentines' Day mani!

Bottle shot:  Sally Hansen White Tip mixed with Revlon Spirit, Finger Paints Go Van Gogh!, Revlon Cherries In The Snow, Wet 'n Wild Black Creme, and stripers in black and white.

Is there a romantic side to your Halloween?  My husband and I like to do couples' costumes!  One year, we were stereotypical tourists, another year we were 'Old and Retired' Han Solo and Princess Leia..

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?

Ghosts In The Mist

Hello, Fireflies! 

Today, I have a boo-tiful no-water-marble-turned swirly ghosts mani to show you!  This is straight up a Robin Moses design.  I just did it in polish instead of acrylic, and with much less talent than she has.

Still, this is the first even remotely successful needle drag marble I've ever done, so let's celebrate!

I painted the nail with OPI Glints of Glinda, and then, while the second coat was still wet, dropped little bits of Revlon Sequin (silver), Sally Hansen Raisin The Bar (metallic pink), and Finger Paints Black Expressionism (black) and Paper Mache (white) on one nail at a time.  I ran a small nail art brush through the drops of polish to create the swirls, then pulled the excess polish off my finger the way Robin Moses taught me to.

Using a little more Paper Mache, thinned a little with polish thinner, I added the ghosties and outlined them with the black striper and added the faces.  Then, I added in some of the pink glitter.

Bottle shot:  OPI Glints of Glinda, Sally Hansen Raisin The Bar, Revlon Sequin, Finger Paints Black Expressionism and Paper Mache, and nail art stripers in pink glitter and black.

I think these may be the prettiest ghost nails I've ever done! Brava to Robin Moses for their conception and great tutorial.  Are you more of a fan of the gory Halloween, or the pretty costumes?