New York Biology Eye Gel and Retinol Cream #NEWYORKBIOLOGY

Press Samples.  All opinions are my own.

Hello, Fireflies!

Sometimes, a product ticks all the boxes that you look for in skincare, and it works great.  And sometimes, it ticks the boxes, and for some reason, it just doesn't work for me.  I tried two products from New York Biology as part of my skincare routine last month, and both things happened to me!

Fogless Shower Reflections

Product provided for review.  All opinions are my own.

Hello, Fireflies!

Before getting the chance to review this Fogless Shower Mirror, I never knew I needed a mirror in my shower.  Now, I think I always want to have one!

Stamped Swirly Chrome

Hello, Fireflies!

Today's stamping challenge was to use a plate that ended in '0'.  Easy enough.  I tried revisiting a technique I haven't tried in a while... and I think I need more practice with my chrome stamping polishes!

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?

Stamping Over Shiny Stripes

Hello, Fireflies!

Two challenges today, and two posts! If you'd like to see my last Challenge Your Nail Art post with my campfire nailart, click HERE.

Today's Sunday Stamping challenge was to stamp over a striped base. 

I've been loving all these metallic chromes and foils lately, and I just picked up two from the SephoraX line on clearance.  This is Artic, an icy blue.

I took Glacier, which I thought was pink, but is actually silver, and made freehand stripes - just using the regular brush.  In Real Life you could see these better, but the contrast isn't huge.

Also, these polishes brought my camera to it's knees.  It was begging me, no more! No more shiny! These polishes are ridiculously shiny.  If it could be too shiny, it would be.

I thought it would be clever to take this Sisi & Cici08 stamp with this crosshatch pattern, and put it over stripes. 

You know, like diagonal lines in different directions over a vertical striped pattern? Crazy!

Funny, right? haha. ha.  ha. *ahem*

I wasn't trying to line up the pattern, but I have to admit that I like the centered one on my ring finger a lot. 

Not only did these chromes reduce my camera to tears, but I couldn't seem to get a precise stamp, either.  These polishes laughed in the face of anything trying to capture them.  They just could not be contained or subdued. 

These chromes just want to let their freak flag fly. 

Both of the chromes came with their own special base coat, too, not pictured.  SephoraX Glacier, Artic, and Cult Nails Nevermore.

How do you feel about the resurgence of  metallic chrome polishes for Fall? I'm so happy!

TRI-Chrome Plaid-ish Art

Hello, Fireflies!

In this month's Birchbox, I received this cute mini polish in a rose-gold pink from Ruffian Nail Lacquer, called Rosary.  I think metallics are back, y'all!

So, I kept going with the metallic theme, and pulled some other chrome polishes from my stamping drawer.  This funky lime green is Wet n Wild I Got A New Com-Pewter.

I never think about putting pink and green together... and then I have to for this challenge, and I'm like, hmm.  I kinda like that.  Who knew?

As it happens, the hubby has been playing the Lego Harry Potter games, and we decided to watch the first movie (again) tonight.  Then, I see what the name of this Wet n Wild Chrome is:  Hog-Quartz School.

Coincidence?  Is there really such a thing?  You decide for yourself...

I had plans to continue with this mani... and maybe I do! But that's another look for another time.  Maybe next week's TRI-challenge!  In the meantime, I really love this.  Kinda looks like a preppy-but-punk schoolgirl pattern.

Bottle shot:  Ruffian Rosary, Wet n Wild Chrome I Got A New Com-Pewter, and Wet n Wild Chrome Hog-Quartz School.

Have you ever had a creative look in mind, but halfway there decided you really liked where you were and just stopped? 

An InLinkz Link-up

Push and Shoved into a Barbed Wire

Hello, Fireflies!

Today, I want to show you a polish that has polarized the polish world! Most people either love or hate this polish - OPI Push and Shove from the Gwen Stefani collection.

It's being billed as a 'mirror' chrome.  If you are looking for a polish you can use to apply your lipstick in, then, sorry, you're out of luck.  It is, however, an incredibly shiny, reflective silver, the likes of which I have not seen before.

Yes, it will show every dent in your nails.  See where the Dremel bit my thumb when I was grinding my dog's nails.  It isn't recommended that you use a ridge filler with this polish; in fact, they only want you to use the special basecoat that comes with it, Lay Down The Base.

Why they only give you a teeny tiny bottle of the base, I have no idea.  I suppose they think we'll be bored with this look before we run out of base?  I've seen evidence that it makes a superb stamping polish, so that's something.

Today, though, I stamped over it, with DRK-B and Cult Nails Nevermore.

I'm so badass with my chrome polish and my black barbed wire.

If you met me on the street, that might not be the first word you'd think to describe me, but you'd be wrong.  I'm so badass.

In fact, I am SUCH a rebel that even though the instructions CLEARLY and EXPLICITLY state not to use topcoat, I threw caution to the wind and used it anyway.

*gasp*

I know.  You both love me and are slightly more afraid of me now.  I understand.

Truth is, I didn't see any change in the polish.  Not right away, and not the next day, either.  Your mileage may vary.

Bottle shot:  OPI Push and Shove, Lay Down the Base, and Cult Nails Nevermore.

Are you a secret badass?

Stamp-o-ween

It's Sunday Stamping, Fireflies!

I don't wear this enough.  It's the gorgeous, waxy-finish 1-coat black that is Cult Nails Fetish.  I usually topcoat my stamps, but I wanted to see if I could pull of this one without topcoat.

I used this full nail spiders and webs stamps from Shany 25, and Essie No Place Like Chrome, my favorite silver stamping polish.

I am totally diggin' on the silver chrome over the rubbery black.  It was even more awesome in Real Life.  I think everyone needs this black - or at least get the Cult Nails Wax That topcoat.  it's not matte, it's not shiny.  It really looks waxy.

I had these little gold spiders that I wanted to use.  My camera freaked out between the shiny black bottle, the shiny silver chrome, and the shiny gold. 

Bottle shot:  Cult Nails Fetish, and Essie No Place Like Chrome.

It just feels so right to wear all this black this time of year.  Halloween is so much fun for manis! What kinds of Halloween manis are you rockin'?

Metal Head

Hi Fireflies!

Bang Your Head! Metal Health will drive you mad!

Avon Brushed Metals won't drive you mad, but they are pretty Metal.  This is Dusky Copper.

I love this polish.  It really does look like textured metal! This is pretty much one coat - it's thick, but has a pretty good formula.

I wanted to try a 'watercolor' mani with lots of metallics, so I used Maybelline Bold Gold and Essie's No Place Like Chrome, Penny Talk, and Nothing Else Metals. 

I'm not sure how I feel about it.. I kinda like the patina look, like it's water-worn and maybe even melted a little.  But, it also looks a little muddy.

I wanted to try a different look that showcased the metal texture, so I just added some large hexagonal gold studs, and topcoat.

Metal with metal.  Yeah.  That's Metal.

Bottle shot:  Avon Brushed Metals in Dusky Copper, Maybelline Bold Gold, and Essie's Nothing Else Metals, No Place Like Chrome, and Penny Talk.

How do you feel about metallics?  Only for stamping? As long as their shiny and reflective? Or do you like this brushed metal look?

Sunday Stamping - Really elusive unicorn

I am kinda embarrassed about today's post, Fireflies.

At least it starts off well - this beauty is Liquid Lacquer All Lilaced Out.

It's a beautiful delicate lilac with a subtle linear holo and a purple shimmer.

I used the alternating rainbows stamps and the starburst stamps on Winstonia W111, and the unicorn on W117.  But, here's the embarrasing part.

Apparently, the unicorn is even more elusive than I thought, because I forgot, apparently, to take pix of anything other than my thumb.

*hangs head in shame*

I was really inspired by this guy:

So, hopefully he'll make you feel better about missing the actual mani.  And, if I can't laugh at myself for that dumb mistake, I can laugh at that guy.

Here's the bottle shot:  Liquid Lacquer All Lilaced Out, Maybelline Amethyst Ablaze, and Essie Nothing Else Metals.

Better luck next week, I hope!! 

Out for a Night Stroll in the Sick, Sad World

Previously on Lit From Within..  when we last left our heroine, she was investigating a new Indie brand called Daphine Polish.  We join her now trying out some glitters.....

Hi, Fireflies!  This gorgeous blue jelly sprinkled with holo glitter is called Night Stroll, by Daphine Polish. 

My fave color is Midnight Blue, but it's so hard to capture in polish because it can so easily go too far into black.  This one comes pretty close.  Being a jelly, it doesn't get too dark too quickly.  It actually took about 4 coats to get this opaque.

I thought these whale and mermaid stamps from Winstonia were pretty cute, so instead of just a Night Stroll, we can go for a night swim.  The stamp was done with Essie Blue Rhapsody.

This next polish was so hard to photograph, I can't do it justice.

This polish is a greenish gold shimmer, that almost comes across as a duochrome with glitters.  It's part of her Daria collex, and references a bizarre news show.

I decided to do an abstract gold bamboo stalk, so I took my trusty Maybelline Bold Gold and a long striper, and made some art.

I love how it turned out.  So easy to do, too! This polish has such depth, it makes everything look good.

As I said in my review yesterday, I thought that the formula on this new Indie was really good.  I loved the colors, too.  I only have two critiques:  one, she packed the bottles in sticky bubble wrap, so the bottles all have sticky residue on them.  And, two, all of her labels have black writing, which makes it hard to read some of the labels over darker polish.   I've already been in touch with her, though, and she's getting rid of the sticky bubble wrap, and will get more labels as her shop expands.  If you'd like more information about Daphine Polish, you can find her on Facebook and her Etsy shop.  *Update 8.23.13* Daphine has let me know that she has new white labels available!