File Wise Nail Files, a New Concept In Nail Filing

Hello, my nail filing friends. Today I have a new product I came across that I think might be a terrific idea. Now, I haven't tried them myself, but the concept sounds solid. File Wise Nail Files are a new concept in nail filing. These ergonomically friendly styled files are designed for your comfort and ease while filing your nails. And they're cute too. They come in different colors, patterns and different grits as well.
Check out the website for details and pricing. File Wise Nail Files.

If you order a set of these files, drop a comment about your experience.
Ciao Bellas!

Black and Silver Studded Mani

Hello lovelies,
I hope you enjoyed your Thanksgiving Holiday. Now that it's over, everyone will hop on the Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales, in preparation for Christmas. Before I gear up for the next holiday, I need to post this last non-holiday related mani. I wanted to try out a sheer black polish I came across by Sally Hansen called the Big Smoky Top Coat.

I did a simple black stamping design over a clear base coat, and layered the smoky top coat over it. Simple.
I'm going to start on a few holiday manicures. Let the Christmas countdown begin.
Ciao Bellas.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Hello friends,
Are you excited about sitting around the table with friends and family? Or are you planning to enjoy a not so traditional Thanksgiving day?  We always visited family, or had family over for dinner, but things changed last year, this time, when my husband lost his fight with cancer.  This year, we're spending the day with others who may not have loved ones to share the day with. We decided to help make someone elses Thanksgiving the best it can be. So we're bringing food and cheer to seniors in a nearby  retirement home. My boys are looking forward to it, and I am too. We're thankful to be able to brighten someone else's holiday.

This is the second of two manicures I did for the occasion. The first one seemed more appropriate for Christmas. I think, subconsciously, I was jumping ahead a few weeks. So, I decided to do something that was decidedly in the spirit of turkey day by adding a turkey and colorful feathers to a rustic gradient background.  Initially, I told myself I wouldn't put turkeys on my fingers, but I ended up doing just that. And it worked!

Share your Thanksgiving mani details in the comments below. What colors did you use? Enjoy the holiday, and try not to get too stuffed.
I'll post again later in the week.
Ciao for now.

China Glaze's 2015 Desert Escape Collection

Greetings Lacquer lovers,
I hope your weekend was enjoyable. I didn't come any closer to preparing for the holiday, but I enjoyed spending some quality time with friends.

I may have come to the end of my China Glaze Craze, so I'm finishing up with a vibrant summer collection that launched in June of this year.

I didn't commit to the full size bottles, instead, I got the mini set, and I'm glad I did. Collectively, the selection of colors was well thought out, but a couple of the colors were less than impressive on their own.

My favorite in the set is Meet Me in the Mirage. It's a bronzy gold with tons of metallic shimmer, and subtle pink undertones. It adds another dimension to the set which is dominated by cremes. Probably the least interesting is Don't Mesa With My Heart, which is a  pink cream. The formula is good, but the color isn't unusual, and it doesn't stand out in a line of pinks. The Heat Is On is a bright tomato red creme, and like the pink, it isn't unusual or different than other tomato reds. One color that does stand out, though, is Don't Desert Me which hovers between fuchsia and plum pink. It's my second favorite after Meet Me in the Mirage. Rain Dance the Night Away is a straight turquoise. Not a whole lot of description necessary, just simply a creme turquois. It's refreshing to see a basic creme done well, and it suits the collection perfectly. I think it completes the collection. It's usually a good idea to include a neutral or nude in a collection, so they included a light, clean sand color called What's She Dune. Initially, it seemed to be tossed in as an afterthought, but without it, the collection would be lacking.

As a whole, the Desert Escape collection is an attractive set. The packaging makes you want to pluck the set right off the shelf, but looking at the polishes independently, a few are easily overlooked and forgettable. The creators made wise choices in colors, but maybe a more diverse selection of finishes might make this "Ok" collection a "super" collection.

Thanksgiving is soon upon us, so I'm preparing a Thanksgiving Day manicure. Check back in a day or two. Until next time,
Ciao Bellas.

China Glaze: Inspired By a Window Seat

Hi there Friends,

Since the theme this week seems to be China Glaze, I can't leave out another of my favorites. So, here's For Audrey.  I have to assume that it's named after Audrey Hepburn who starred in Breakfast At Tiffany's. That well known birds egg blue that's associated with the jewelry store is unmistakable. I think they got pretty close. Perhaps not dead on, but certainly close enough.

This design was inspired by a window seating area that I simply had to duplicate. I didn't make a match, but just like For Audrey, I got close enough. Can you just see yourself sitting there reading a book? Or, better yet, polishing your toenails! Speaking of toenails, are you taking care of yours? I think mine need some attention. Just because we're not sporting sandals and flip flops doesn't mean we should ignore those little piggies. I think I'll choose something sparkly.

Picture found on Pinterest

I based the design on the butterfly pillow and colorful throw blanket.

Here are a few of the polishes I used.

Ladies, life is starting to catch up with me and I'm struggling with juggling my schedule and blog. I don't get home until 9:30 most evenings, and painting my nails that late is...well, it's not something I can keep up with. My weekends are for my boys and my mind is void of blogging and painting. So, I'm going for three posts a week. More if I can. I really do wish I could dedicate more time, but there's that place that I have to go to everyday. The one called A Job. Can you believe they actually expect me to be there for eight hours a day. It's tragic! All that time I could be blogging. And they just steal it away. Such a loss. So, I'll stumble along trying to keep up the pace. Right now, I'm in a coffee house (not Starbucks, unfortunately) and the coffee is horrible here. Just short of undrinkable. But, my kids are at practice and it's one of my few quiet opportunities. So, I'm writing, and listening to the soothing music, and trying not to show on my face, how much I detest the coffee. I know, I could just not drink it, but seriously, I'm up at 5:30 every morning. I get like four hours of sleep. I NEED the caffeine right now. Well, I'm sure I'll have another China Glaze this week. I'm just stuck right now. I think I might start reaching for my Sinful Colors. Do you know how great they are? Yeah, I need to hop on Sinful Colors. Till next time.

Ciao Bellas!

A Better Cup of Java: An Old Manicure, But Fitting

Hi Buttercups!
Yesterday's experience at the coffee house was less than satisfying. I admit that I'm one of the thousands of Starbucks Snobs who can only be satisfied by that special brew. Not my fault, I was forced into it. It was Hubby's fave and always in the house, so what choice did I have? That stuff is addictive. Well, the horrid gook that I suffered through yesterday, reminded me of a manicure I did over a year ago. So, I thought I'd search for it and show it to you today.  Also, it gives us a short break from my China Glaze whirlwind.

That was a fun manicure to do. Tomorrow, we're going back to China Glaze.
Au revoir!

Inspired by a Brown Floral Print Bedroom Set and China Glaze

Hello Lovelies!
Today I have another China Glaze. Yes, I know, my last couple of posts highlighted China Glaze. What can I say, It's one of my favorite brands. This lovely, rich, glossy brown is Goin' My Way? from the 2010 Fall Vintage Vixen Collection. I'm attached to this lacquer; this is my second bottle. Don't know what I'll do when it's empty. Buy another or move on. It's the perfect brown, but there's got to be another one out there somewhere. If you have a suggestion, let me know. I'm up for trying something new.

When I came across this bedding set, I knew I wanted to do a mani just so that I could use Goin' My Way? I don't think I'd want to wear this manicure for very long, but it was fun to do.

What do you think of brown polishes? Do you have a favorite one?
Ciao for now.

China Glaze Hologlam OMG A UFO

Hello friends,
Guess what? I have another China Glaze Holographic polish for you today. I think I'm on a CG roll here. So, let's just go with it.

This is OMG A UFO. Cute name. You guys know that a well named polish goes a long way with me. Unfortunately, the name isn't enough to carry this one. Nice color? check. Fair application? Check (although a bit streaky), Consistency? Check. Holographic? Not quite. I have this Color Club Halo Hues meter, and this polish falls a bit short of the mark. In the light you can see a bit of the holo affect, but indoors it becomes just a gold colored polish.

OMG A I GO by China Glaze

OMG A DUO by China Glaze

For this manicure, I was inspired by fabric swatches.

Would you try out this collection or do you already own a few? What's  your experience?

China Glaze Hologlam Astro-Hot

Hello fashion fingered friends,
Yesterday I had a red China Glaze creme polish for you. Sticking with the China Glaze theme, today I have one of their holographics in a pretty lilac pink. It's called Astro-Hot from their Hologlam Collection. I've found China Gaze holo polishes to be on the weaker side of the holographic spectrum. In a recent post, I showed you a few holo polishes from Color Club's Halo Hues collection, which is the meter by which I gauge all holographic polishes. For me, the China Glaze Hologlam collection sits near the bottom of that scale. With the few that I've tried, I had to double check the bottle to be sure that they were supposed to be holographic polishes. Needless to say, I was not impressed. The colors were nice, though, so I can't be too disappointed. Hopefully, China Glaze will come up with a better formula and give it another try because I so love China Glaze.

What's your favorite holographic polish? I have to broaden my holographic horizon and find a few more. Any suggestions?
Ciao for now.

Mediterranean Charm by China Glaze

Hello lacquered friends,
Today I have a throwback from the China Glaze 2004 Monte Carlo Collection called Mediterranean Charm. I was in the mood for a red polish, but I'n not so fond of the traditional red red. I reached for Mediterranean Charm because of its vibrant not-quite-red, not-quite pink, not-quite-orange quality. This is a very wearable red.

How do you like your red? Are you a true red, orange red or pink red person?
Ciao for now.

In Honor of Those Who Served in the US Armed Forces

Hello friends,
Today's manicure is for Veteran's Day to honor those who served in the U.S. Armed Forces. Originally Armistice Day, Veteran's Day was renamed in 1954. These men and women laid their lives on the line for our country, and they should, indeed, be honored.

I decided on camouflage because I've never attempted it before.  For a first try, I think it turned out pretty good. What do you think?

Ciao for now.

Color Club Halo Hues Holographic Polish Review

Happy Manic Monday  friends,

I hope you had as pleasant a weekend as I did. No activities for the kids, no classes, and minimal errands to run. I'd say I had a pretty restful weekend. Today I'm playing catch up. I've been eager to write this review for some time, but quite a few things pushed it further down my To-Do list. Finally, it's time to talk about Color Clubs Halo Hues polishes. I fell in love with these gems on the first stroke of application. As far as holographic polishes go, Color Club is top of the line. The smooth application and rainbow effect put them far ahead of most. There's holographic, then there's Holographic and my rating scale starts at Color Club. If a holo polish comes close in comparison to Halo Hues, then it's good. I purchased a set of six from Live, Love Polish, and I used four of them in the designs below.

Over the Moon

Over the Moon is a soft blue holographic. I used two coats for all of these, that's all you need.

Eternal Beauty, Harp On It

Eternal Beauty is a lovely lilac. You can see how sunlight captures the holographic effect. Harp On It is a reflective silver.

In direct sunlight

Cherubic, Beyond

Both Cherubic and Beyond are holo nuetrals. Cherubic is a light beige with a holographic finish. Beyond is a dark gray holo. All four of these polishes require only two coats and apply smoothly. I experienced no pooling or streaking. And a clear top coat did not diminish the holographic effect.

These are hands down, my favorite holographic polishes. When and if that changes, I'll let you know. But until then, I'm going to enjoy Halo Hues.
Ciao for now.