Stamp Sadness.

Hi all!
Well I have managed to keep the same polish on for 3 days now.. no chipping, no tip wear... I'm so impressed!  I'm not sure if its the actual polish (Essies Smooth Sailing) or the new top coat I tried..  Essence Gel-Look Top Coat.  I have read both good and bad reviews on this top coat, but I am sick of Seche Vite chipping and pulling my nail polish on the edges so I thought I would give it a try.  It was about $3 at my local Target store (can also buy in Priceline) and so far so good!  My mani is still intact and is nice and shiny. But after 3 days I am getting a touch bored with it.. lol  So I decided to try some stamping.  I am a novice stamper, and so I'm not sure if its the cheapie plates I have, the nail polish I chose, or my lack of skill but they are so blah I am not even putting up pics.  Patchiness, complete crookedness, its just all round badness.  lol
Oh and for us Aussie nail polish addicts, Priceline is having a 3 for 2 sale on Sally Hansen.  Yay!  I picked up a top coat I have been hearing good things about the Sally Hansen Diamond Strength Diamond Flash Fast Dry Top Coat.  Whew that's a mouthful!  It's awesome though, Super shiny and dries very fast!

I heart Essie & Ulta3!

Conversation between me and my hubby today..

Me: Ooh look at all the nail polishes in the Ulta3 bin!  And only $2 each!

Hubby:  *sigh*

Me:   What? I'm just going to look....... ooh this colours lovely, wow look at the shimmer in this one, oh this ones weird, I like it...

Hubby:  Well you have $10 cash, buy 5.

Me:  You're an enabler.. but ok, if you insist.

haha!   I didn't need much convincing did I?  ;)

Anyway, here are the 5 I chose...

For some reason I went for all the pinks.  The 2nd from the end on the right is Twilight Fever.. an unusual brown, purple mix.  Oh and the one on the far right is Golden Twilight.. my friend bought it from Avon and didn't like, so of course she thought of me!  It looks black but then has a lovely gold shimmer through it.  Can't wait to try it.

On my nails today I have Essies Smooth Sailing, a lovely blue.  On the Essie website they describe it as 'a breezy lavender blue with a reflection of pearl'.  I really do like it, the pearl is quite subtle.  

On my pinkie is Essies Luxe Effects Stroke Of Brilliance.  It just came in the mail and I couldn't wait to try it.  lol  Excuse the cuts and dents on my fingers, I dropped a bbq hood on them.. ouch!

Stamps!

Hi all!  

Just had to share the adorable stamping plates that came in the mail today!  I am trying to remember where I bought them from.. it was online but unfortunately there was no receipt or anything in the parcel.  If I remember where I will edit this post and add the link.

See the Hello Kitty stamp?  How cute!  Plus I love the dots on the other one.. cant wait to try them out.  :)

You're Turning Violet, Violet!

Love the name, love the polish even more!  Unfortunately my camera didn't like it, I just could not get any decent photos. I will post a couple that turned out ok, they definitely don't show the awesomeness of this polish though.

No great pics but you get the idea.. purple blue glittery gorgeousness!!!  I wanted to get the photos before I took it off tomorrow, as I have chipped it already.  :(

On a different note.. I am completely embarrassed about my cuticles.  They look horrible, especially in close ups.  Can anyone recommend a good cuticle cream/oil?

Oh and in the mail today came something I have been waiting on..  Nfu Oh Victorian Polish Number 051!!  How adorable is the bottle!!  So excited.. it's probably what I will put on tomorrow, it looks so gorgeous.  :)

Liebster Award!

I am so excited.. I just got nominated for my first award! Yay! Thanks to Mel my issta for the nomination!

 :)

The Liebster Award is given to new bloggers with less than 200 followers. Here is how it works...

1. Each person tagged must post 11 things about themselves.
2. They must also answer the 11 questions the 'tagger' has set for them.
3. They must create 11 more questions to ask bloggers they have decided to tag.
4. They must then choose 11 bloggers with less than 200 followers and tag them in their post.
5. These lucky bloggers must then be told.
5. There's no tag backs.


11 things about me:

1) I collect coffee mugs and socks (and nail polish lol)

2) I am a huuuuge Stevie Nicks and Kate Bush fan

3) I can't sleep without the tv on.

4)  I cannot walk in high heels, I fall right over.  lol

5) I have had operations on both my knees, and will need more.

6) I would love to live in NYC.

7) I am addicted to reality tv.. except Jersey Shore.  lol

8) I love taking photos, but hate to have my photo taken.

9) I am extremely fussy about how my bed is made, and usually don't let anyone else make it.

10) I cannot stand the heat (not good when you live in Australia)

11) One of my biggest regrets is that my Nana never got to meet my son before she passed away.



11 Questions from Mel:

1) Have u read 50 shades. Why/ why not? Or do you want to?   

I started to read it.. couldn't get through the first chapter the writing is so bad.

2) Do the people you work with/friends/family know that you blog?

Hmm.. my hubby does, but I don't think anyone else does.. it's never come up.

3) Do you think you will be blogging in 10 yrs time?

Probably.. i have alot of polishes I haven't tried yet to get through.. lol

4) How do you keep your polish organised? By colour or brand?

It's vaguely organized by tried and haven't tried  lol

5) Do you have a spreadsheet to keep track of your polishes?

Nope, but what a good idea!  :)

6) What is your favourite place to go for a holiday?

When we lived in the US it was NYC, now that were back in Australia it's Victor Harbor.

7) Where have you gone overseas that was a good experience?

Only place i have been overseas is the US.. I lived there for 8 years and my son was born there so it was a great experience!  :)

8) What moment has defined your life?

Definitely the birth of my son.

9) What super power do you wish u could have?

Teleporting for sure!!

10) What is the best free thing/competition you have won?

Haven't won anything.  :/

11) What is your favourite fruit and why? 

Bananas, I just love the taste of them.




11 Questions for my nominees:
1) If you became a multi-millionaire overnight, what would you buy?

2)  If you could meet any one person (from history or currently alive), who would it be?

3)  What book are you currently reading?

4) The last thing that made you really laugh out loud?

5) Describe yourself in three words.

6) What is something fun you are going to do today?

7) Favourite book/movie when you were a child?

8) If you could live anywhere in the world, where would you live?

9) Have you ever won a trophy?

10) Do you touch-type?

11) Are you a morning person or a night owl?

My Blog Nominees:

Apply Polish Here

Beads.  Nails.  Food.

Nail Treasures

Parisian Blue Sky

Lacquer Buzz

Musings Of A Beauty Addict Mum

Maisky

Nail Gun XS


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Latest haul!

ooh completely forgot I wanted to share the polishes that came in the mail on Friday.. I was so excited I actually jumped up and down!  lol

First up is Smitten Polish'  'You're Turning Violet, Violet'.  An amazing mix of purple holo glitter, plus dark blue holo glitter, in a purple base.  Can't wait to swatch this one!

 Next is AphroditeLacquers 'Nebula'.  A gorgous black polish with sky blue shimmer, silver and sky blue glitter.

 This is another from AphrodieLacquers, called 'Supernova'.  A black polish, with fuschia, pink, and silver glitter.  So pretty!  These are both from the 'Outta This World' collection.

 Next up is one I have been wanting for a while, Dollish Polish' 'It's A Me, Mario'!   This polish has a clear base, and is full of different sized blue & red glitter and large stars.  I cannot say (or even think) the name of this polish without saying it like Mario does!  lol   I picked this little beauty up at Llarowe.

Next is one I found when I was out shopping.. it's NYC Color 'Goldfish'.  I just love the name, and the brightness.  I cannot find a website for NYC Color (if anyone knows it please feel free to share!), but I picked this up in my local Big W and it was $2.

Ooh and thanks to Kaz of Parisian Blue Sky for her tip on finding Max Factors Fantasy Fire (Clarins 230 dupe) at her local Target store.  I rushed right out and there it was at my local store!  So happy!  I also checked Priceline and they had it there also.. and it was only $5!   $5!!!!!  You do not even want to know what i paid for one off EvilBay.  So I plan on checking back every few days and hopefully getting myself a lil FF stash.. may even do one as a giveaway when I get a few more followers.  :)

random babbling...

Hi all!  

No swatches today, the weather has been soo gloomy here I can't get any decent piccies.  Hopefully it perks up a bit tomorrow, have a wedding to go to.. so of course my thoughts all day have been 'what nail polish should I wear?'  lol  I have decided to go with..

I'll Be Frank, from ROKK96.  Its browny, reddy, purpley shimmery loveliness.   Hopefully will be able to get a decent pic of it tomorrow.

I am quite excited for the wedding tomorrow.. it's of a friends of mine whom I have known for about 20 years.  I first met her when we were in our late teens and we were busy partying together.  We have been through alot, boyfriends, babies, marriages and the very sad death of her long time partner and father of her children.  That was a few years ago now, and I am so glad she has found happiness again!

It will be my sons first wedding, and when he tried on his shirt and tie today I nearly cried!  My baby is growing up.  I have been practising with him all week how the wedding will go.. once the music starts he has to stop talking, and can't start again until we are all clapping.  lol  Hopefully he can handle being silent for that long!  I always have a small amount of guilt when I ask him to be quiet, after all the speech therapy he has been through to start talking!

Hope everyone has a great weekend.  :)

Confection!

Just a quick post today, I had to show you my newest polish, Confection from Smitten Polish.. I just love it!  This is with 3 coats.. still a bit sheer for me so i think next time i will layer it over a white or very pale pink.  Will be perfect for a wedding I am going to this weekend,  its like having confetti on my nails!  ;)

Updating the no buy situation.. I am absolutely hopeless.  :-/

I just ordered the OPI New York City Ballet Collection.  They are not usually colours I would wear, I tend to go for the darker shades.  But I have been seeing alot of swatches of them lately and I just fell in love!  Managed to find them on EvilBay for around $5 each plus shipping.  I already have Barre My Soul, so of course I had to have the whole collection.  ;)

I have the colours I want from the Spiderman collection on the way to me, so I just need to get the Germany Collection and I will be happy.   Well, at least until I see another collection I want..  oh wait, that would be the True Blood collection from Deborah Lippmann.. eek its never ending!  lol

No buy a complete failure

Well this was supposed to be my no buy week, and I failed dismally.  First I saw an adorable mini pack from Models Prefer in Priceline that was only $7, and well, it would of been a crime to not buy it!  ;)

Catch of the Day had their OPI sale, and of course I had to buy there!  OPI polishes for under $10, plus I managed to cross 4 off my wish list.  Then I recieved my 2 Smitten Polishes in the mail, and  loved them so much i went right onto their website ad bought 2 more!  lol   I would of bought more polishes as I have been drooling over Deborah Lippmann's True Blood shades, but (probably luckily)  HSN doesn't ship to Australia.

Oh well, I will jut have to try again next week.  ;)

Black chunky holo

Hey all!
Hope everyone is having a great weekend!  Ours has been pretty quiet, between us all being sick and plus the freezing cold weather we haven't ventured out much at all.

I have taken the opportunity to play around with my blog theme... can't seem to find one that I can customize to my liking though so just sticking with this one until I can.  If anyone can recommend a website that has purty blogger themes that can be easily customized it would be appreciated!  :)

Today I have a swatch of Kleancolors Chunky Holo Black polish.  I was a bit nervous at first, as I had read on other websites about the horrible odour that Kleancolor polishes have.. I didn't have any problems while I was applying it, but after it had dried I went to scratch my nose, and omg!   But the polish is so beautiful I don't care what it smells like.  lol

I have it layered over Sinful Colors Black on Black.. what an awesome polish that is!  One coat and it was perfect.  I am on day 3 and no chips or wear at all.  I don't know if its the polishes, or the new base coat i used, Essie's Fill The Gap.  Either way I am very happy.  As usual, I apologize for my terrible cuticles.  lol

Oh and on my ring finger I tried out my new matte top coat.. love how it looks, may do all like that next time.  Are you a matte fan?

What a catch! ;)

OMG! I am so glad I just went and checked my email.. had one from Catch Of The Day. Usually I just delete their emails, but today the subject line caught my attention..

'SOS! OPI Nail Lacquers - ALL Under $10'

I think I may have actually stopped breathing for a second... lol  Now $10 may seem like alot to readers in USA etc, but here in Australia we pay anywhere from $17 - $20 for OPI in a store.. if you can find it at all that is.

So of course I had to buy.. my no buy week is all shot to hell anyway, so I am restarting that on Monday. ;)

I had to choose quick as they only have limited stock and I noticed a lot had already sold out! But I did manage to snag..

Into The Night

Just Spotted the Lizard

My Boyfriend Scales Walls

Number One Nemesis

All of them on my wish list, so I am one very happy camper! :-D

My tiny nail polish collection.

Well, it actually is tiny compared to some I have seen online.. and yes I'm completely jealous.  ;)

I am trying to find a storage solution for it.. currently the polishes I have tried are in my hallway cupboard and the ones I haven't are scattered over the kitchen table.  lol

*sigh*

Well my no-buy lasted approx 2 hours!   lol   I swear I had good intentions, but as I walked past Price Attack I saw they had ROKK96 polishes 3 for $19!  I am trying to get some decent piccies of them, but the complete lack of sun where I am is making it difficult.

Yesterday I finally got to try out Revlon Royal, and wow what a colour!  Application was a bit eh, but not sure if i'm at fault or the nail polish.  ;)

This is Revlon Royal, with flower stamp from a kit I bought at Ned's.    Blah, my polish application is so crap around my cuticles! So sorry!  lol

Green goodness! (photo heavy post)

There are not enough words to describe the awesomeness of the colour I have on my nails right now. It is Hey Jude, from Enchanted Polish Beatles Collection.

I bought it at Llarowe, and this is how they describe it..
'Hey Jude is a Multi chrome holograpic nail polish that shifts from greyed khaki lilac to an amazing teal green to purple.'

Honestly, that doesnt even begin to cover it.. I just cannot stop looking at my nails! I nearly even walked into a tree I was so busy staring at them in the sun! lol

I am going to let the photos do most of the talking.. sorry there is so many, I was trying to capture the gorgeous colours in it! Click on the photos to enlarge them.

(my dog, who never misses a photo opportunity)

Oh and on my pinkie is Out Of The Blue from BYS Glam Glitter collection.  I picked it up yesterday and couldn't wait to try it out.  ;)

So what do you think?  I am so in love with this colour, I think it's a definite must have for every nail polish collection!

Matchy-Matchy!

Getting ready to go to birthday party today, and just realized my nails are all matchy matchy with my top! Lol 

So happy with how this plastic wrap mani turned out, especially since its the first time I have ever done anything like it! Can't wait to try it again. :)

Plastic wrap mani!

Just a quick post today, as I am still feeling pretty blah. Just wanted to show you my first attempt at the plastic wrap mani.. what do you think? Excuse the bald spots and polish on my cuticle.. lol
 If anyone has any tips on getting the polish off my cuticles without ruining the rest of the polish, it would be much appreciated! ;)

To be honest, at first I wasn't too sure about it.. but after I added 2 coats of a shiny top coat it looked much better! Will have to do the rest of my nails now. lol

: Tutorial from Glitter, She Wrote :

*cough sniffle splutter*

Don't get too close, i'm sick! My son sure loves to share his school germs. ;)

 Not too sick that I couldn't paint my nails though.. lol   Although I don't think I did a very good job.. it seems a bit thin and streaky.  It looks better in real life than it does in the pic.. it wasn't until I looked at the pic that I realized how bad it was!  lol  Oh well, tomorrow I plan on adding some stamps and black tips, so that should hide it all. ;)

The colour is China Glaze's Secret Periwinkle. I love love love the colour, but I found the polish to be quite thin.. honestly I think I could of gone for 3 coats.  For top coat I used OPI's RapiDry.   First time I have tried it, and I quite like it.  Although since the bottle I have was a teeny tiny sample one the brush was teeny tiny too!

 Will post more pics tomorrow... have a good night all!

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My first swatch!

I just had to share this.. I tried my new Scandalous by Revlon nail polish today, and omg!  I luuurrve it!   A lovely black base with pretty pretty purple sparklies through it!   This first pic is Scandalous with 3 coats.. I probably could of gotten away with 2 coats but I felt it needed the 3rd to even it out.. although that is more the fault of my nail polish applying skills (or lack of lol) than the actual polish itself.  Also one coat of Sally Hansen topcoat.

(click on piccies for bigger view)

Not the best photo, I apologize, my camera did not want to behave today. I decided to add a black tip, so today is a day of firsts!  My first swatch, and my first tape mani!  yay!  :)

I used Essence Galactic Black for the tips.  This is the first time I have used it, and I love it!  A deep black with very subtle shimmer through it.  No topcoat, but only because I was in a rush the get the photos while the sun was out for 2 minutes.  lol   I cant wait to try this mani again, but with OPI Lincoln Park After Dark Matte on the tips.. which i'm hoping will arrive soon!

Bargain!!

I just could not walk past these today.. i found them at my local Woolworths store for only $1.20 each!  Now, I'm not to sure about the yellow.. it's not a colour that i would usually wear.. maybe on my toes?  If not, it will be great for stamping and dots!  yay!

Brand is NYC Color and the colours are Luv Lime, Femme Fatale, Cabernet and Banana Split.

My latest obsession...

is nail polish.  Well, its always been something i loved, but in the past month or so my obsession has definitely kicked itself up a notch!  I haven't always had nails, I used to be an extreme nail biter.   But I have managed to keep them long now for quite a few months, so I'm hoping i will be able to keep them that way.  To reward myself i have been splurging on a few nail polishes online.. it's hard to find what I want here in Australia, so yay for eBay!  ;)

I will share a pic of the 2 I picked up today... actually my hubby picked them out for me and i must say I am very impressed with his choices. They are both Revlon. The blue is 'Radiant' and is a clear base with blue, silver and green sparkles. The purple is 'Scandalous' and is a black base with big purple sparklies through it.

So many sparklies! Do love!