Pretty & Polished: Bashful Bouquet (2 ways) NCC April~Pastel~Week 1

Afternoon everyone!  I am excited to be back into my challenge group again, known as The Nail Challenge Collaborative.  We have done weekly themes for the seasons all through last year.  I unfortunately, didn't finish the last 2 :(  April marks the 1 year anniversary of the group and I am excited to still be here and join the new challenge.  Things have changed a bit, and I quite like these changes.  It will make it easier for me to keep going with the challenge themes.  Instead of having a pre planned weekly schedule, we are going to have a them for each month.  We can do what ever we want each week of that month for the theme.  Make sense?  Ok, so our first ever challenge was a pastel one, wanna see mine?  Click HERE,  little nutty huh?  That was back when I first started blogging.  Any who, since our first challenge was a pastel one, the theme for April is pastel ;)  I have been saving this polish for this challenge cause I find it very appropriate.  Pretty & Polished Bashful Bouquet is a mix of pastel glitters in a clear base.  FUN!  I did my mani 2 ways, glossy top coat and matte top coat.  Which do you like best?

Base Coat:  Rejuvacote

Base Color:  Zoya Shelby (2 coats)

Glitter Topper:  Pretty & Polished Bashful Bouquet (1 coat)

Top Coat:  Seche Vite (glossy)

Top Coat:  Essie Matte About You (matte)

I prefer the matte look.  It's so soft and pretty.  I often forget about my matte top coat.  I think I am gonna leave it next to my Seche Vite so I can see it all the time :)

There are a few of us doing the NCC challenge.  Please head over and visit their blogs, great stuff!!

XOXO  Mandy

Pretty & Polished Cuticle Oil {Review}

Hey all!  A few weeks ago I received a sample of cuticle oil from Pretty & Polished for review.  With the Holidays and all, I am finally ready to post my review.  Here is what I received, sorry for the cell phone pic, but it's all I had when my son decided he loved the oil too and sadly dumped half of it out while I was out and the kids were home with dad.  Yes, I am blaming dad for this one! 

I got a little dropper bottle and a cute file.  Isn't it cute?!?!  So hanging out in my purse :)

You may have seen other reviews for oils or balms from Pretty & Polished, and originally the oils were dispensed with a roller ball, which had me super excited.  I was planning on getting one as soon as I ran out of my sample.  But then the news came that the roller ball failed :(  So now the oils are going to stay in droppers.  Which, if you ask me, is still better than a brush.  It's so simple to just grab a bit in the tube and dab a little drop at the top of my cuticles and rub it in.  Purse friendly and quit easy to apply.

Here is some info I received from Chels:

"Cuticle Oils will be packaged in dropper bottles that contain 7.3 ml of product (which is 1.3 more than the old packaging).  We will also be releasing new scents within the next 48 hours!"

Sooooo, you get a little more bang for you buck!  Here is what the new bottles will look like:

I received fruit punch and it smells delicious!!  It's not too strong and doesn't fade away fast.  When I have my hands close to my face a while after using the oil, it still smells good :)

I have loved Pretty & Polish nail polish for a while, my collection is steadily growing, and now I can add the oils to one of my favs from the shop.  Chels has expanded her shop to include lots of great things like oils, balms, jewelry, gift sets and nail art tins.  Check out the SHOP and see for yourself.  Beware, your wallet may suffer LOL

XOXO  Mandy

Pretty & Polished coupon code

I know I have been MIA for a while.  With Christmas and family staying at my house to visit, I haven't had much time to do my nails let alone blog.  But I got an e mail this morning from Chels at Pretty & Polished and thought I should share some good news :)

Chels is offering a few of us bloggers a 10% off coupon code to share with our readers and FB followers.  You can go to her store HERE and use code Blogger10 to receive 10% off your order.  The code expires on Jan 4th at 12pm EST.  So take a few minutes and get something you have been looking for :)

Also, a new Valentine polish is coming out, so keep a look out for that one.  As well as a new collection called "Save the Dauphine Collection", due out on Jan 16th.  There is some surprise news to come, which I will share when I know more.  So, for now, enjoy 10% off your order and Happy New Year.  I will be back soon with more nail art and swatches :)  

Pretty & Polished: Tart

Getting ready for Thanksgiving?  We have been trying to get ready to go camping all weekend.  Didn't get as much done as we had hoped, but things are moving along ok.  My boys are so excited to go out to the desert.  They can't wait to get on their quads and go!  I on the other hand, am excited about deep fried turkey, that's how we do it in the desert :)  DELICIOUS!

Prob should get on the topic of polish, huh?  I was on FB the other day when a girl asked if any one liked the milky based polishes full of glitter.  I couldn't give her an honest answer cause I haven't tried one.  I know I am not a fan of the white bases stuffed with glitter, but I had a purple base on my rack I hadn't tried.  Enter P&P Tart!  This is one of those polishes I took a chance on when I ordered it.  I am glad I did.  I love this polish!!  

Base Coat:  Rejuvacote

Polish:  Pretty & Polished Tart (3 coats)

Top Coat Seche Vite

This covered pretty well in 2 coats, I added a third coat to get some more glitter, you know I love glitter!  I topped with Seche Vite and loved how smooth my nails were.  The wear on this polish is great too.  I have had this on for almost 3 days and no sign of chipping.  No tip wear either.  Which is weird, cause usually after I take a shower, my tips are bare.  But not with this polish.  

This particular color reminds me of Easter, and so I will be bringing this baby back out in Spring :)

Hope you are enjoying your Monday, I know I am!

Pretty & Polished: Love Always, Candy Cain

I feel like it's been a while since I posted.  I don't usually post on the weekends, it seems every one is out and don't really take the time to check in on the blogs they follow.  Which is fine, I am totally guilty of that!  It was a 3 day weekend so I guess it has been a while LOL

Today I am sharing the last of my P&P Holiday Collection polishes, Love Always, Candy Cain.  This one is gorgeous in the bottle and lovely on the nail.  It's a clear base jammed with red & white hearts, hex and micro glitters.  I decided to layer over black for a fun darker look.  My only complaint about this one is the white glitters all seem to hang out at the bottom of the bottle, even after shaking it up just before applying.  But that's ok, I have a few polishes I have to go fishing in.  It really isn't a big deal for me.  

Here is how my mani turned out:

Base Coat:  Rejuvacote

Base Color:  Wet N Wild Ebony Hates Chris (1 coat)

Glitter:  P&P Love Always, Candy Cain (2 coats)

Top Coat:  Seche Vite

A nice bonus to this polish is that it will also be great for Valentine's Day.  Layer over white or pink and voila, V-Day mani!

Happy Tuesday!!

Pretty & Polished S'no Mans Land

It's official, the Pretty & Polished Holiday Collection went on sale this morning.  I really wanted to do this post this morning, but my hubby had the day off and I really needed him to help me do some cleaning and re-organizing in our room.  It took much longer than expected, but I am quit happy now :)

As you know, I got some of the P&P Holiday Collection a bit early.  Today I am going to share with you S'no Mans Land.  It's a lovely white iridescent polish with some rainbow micro glitters and some large and small white hex glitters.  Here is the best bottle shot I could get:

When I ordered this one, I chose a mini cause I had no idea how pretty it was in the bottle.  I now wish I had ordered a full size.  

My original plan was to layer this over a dark blue and after testing it on a piece of paper, I changed my mind.  It was pretty, but it wasn't what I was looking.  So I decided to use it alone.  I am glad I did.  This one is a nice soft shimmery white polish.  It's perfect for a soft touch or even to wear to a wedding. If you aren't into bright colors, this is a great soft look with a little glitter.  Which you know I love!

Base Coat:  Rejuvacote

Polish:   Pretty & Polished S'no Mans Land (2 coats)

Top Coat:  Seche Vite

I had a hard time photographing this one on my nails.  This is one of those polishes that is so much prettier in person than in a photo.  I am wearing it right now and still loving it.  

Have you purchased any of the P&P Holiday Collection?  I sure hope so!!

Happy Friday and hope you have a WONDERFUL weekend <3

Pretty & Polished Happy Holodays Duo

Pretty & Polished has a Holiday collection coming out this Friday the 9th.  I was fortunate to be able to purchase some in a pre sale to review.  So I have for you today the Happy Holodays Duo, which consists of a ruby red holo appropriately named Ruby, and a red and green glitter simply known as Glitter Topper.  Easy right?  I had to pick up this duo when I saw it.  It's right up my alley and has the things I love the most.  Red and Glitter!!

Let's get started.  Ruby is meant to be the base color, it's an awesome ruby red.  It went on smooth and was opaque in 2 coats.  As I was putting this one I was falling in love, I LOVE this red holo.  It's not super holo like the new Color Clubs or the Brazilian Jades, but it has just the right amount to make me happy :)

Here is Ruby alone:

Next up is the Glitter Topper.  This one is soooo pretty in the bottle.  It consists of red and green hex & micro glitters in a clear base.  It's jam packed!  I did 2 coats over Ruby as was very pleased.  This topper is not sticky at all and spreads nicely.  When I was done I looked at all my nails and I just have to say that I am so glad I picked up this duo.  I have a business Christmas Dinner to go to next month and this is the combo I will be wearing.  I am loving this!

Here is Ruby with Glitter Topper:

Isn't it just awesome?!?!  Well, I think it is.  Of course this is much more sparkly in person.  Seems no camera can capture all the sparkles of wonderful glitter polishes.

If you are looking for something fun and glittery for the holidays, this is a great duo.  The glitter topper will look good over a black or gold polish as well.  I will have to give that a try.  Lots of fun to be had with these :)

If you already have some Pretty & Polished polishes, then you know the polish is great and the customer service rocks!  

Just had to share one more pic LOL

Happy Thursday!!

Pretty & Polished: Rat-a-tat

Happy Halloween!  Pretty much every nail blog is show casing a cool Halloween mani.  I just wasn't really into Halloween this year so I didn't do one.  I have been sporting fun black and glittery nails which is fun for me.  My nails are still pretty short so I like the dark vampy look.  Which is actually great for Halloween :)

Today I wanna share with you a polish from the Indy brand Pretty & Polished.  Chelsea makes some great polishes and I am fortunate to own a few. 

Today I have Rat-a-tat.  I love this glitter polish.  It's a clear base packed with teal and black hex glitters, bar glitters and micro glitters.  You might know that I am a huge fan of glitter polish, this one does not disappoint.  I did 2 layers over a black base.

Base Coat:  Rejuvacote

Base Color:  Wet N Wild Ebony Hates Chris (1 layer)

Glitter:  Pretty & Polished Rat-a-tat

Top Coat:  Seche Vite

What do you think of Indy brands?  Have any, want any?

Pretty & Polshed: Hello Dolly and Easy Glitter Removal

Yesterday was my 6th wedding anniversary and I wanted something pretty and sparkly on my nails.  I chose P&P Hello Dolly.  It's a mix of purple, pink and white glitters in a clear base.  I chose not to use any underwear, I wanted to see how this one did on it's own.  I also wanted to try out a new technique for removing glitter polish.  I ended up doing 4 thin layers of Hello Dolly.  I prob could have done a couple more, but honestly, I had to make sure my nails were dry so I could get in the shower and get dressed for dinner :)

Here are my pretty purple sparkly nails

Base:  Elmer's Glue (more info below)

Base Coat:  Rejuvacote

Glitter:  Pretty & Polished Hello Dolly (4 thin layers)

Top Coat:  Seche Vite

Now, onto the new removal technique.  If you follow lots of nail blogs, you have prob heard about using glue as a base so you can just peel off your polish.  I thought it was a great idea and this was a perfect opportunity to test it out.

I made my bottle of "glue base" a few days ago.  It's super simple, just clean out a polish bottle by swirling some acetone in the bottle and dumping out.  Repeat as needed to remove all the polish.  If your bottle has polish in it, dump the polish out before adding the acetone to clean.  Then you need to clean the brush.  Just pour some acetone in the cap, dip the brush and wipe with a paper towel.  Simple!  Once your bottle is clean and dry, add some glue.  I used regular school Elmer's glue.  Make sure to fill the bottle so that the brush is always completely submerged so it doesn't get dried out.  Here is mine.

All you have to do now is paint a thin coat of glue onto your nails.  Do not paint polish until the glue has completely dried.  You will know it's dry when you can no longer see the glue on your nails.  It dries clear :)  Make sure not to get any on your skin.  This may cause your polish to peel sooner than you'd like.  Once the glue lifts a little, it just peels right off the nail.  Quick note, if you are like me and like to apply a cuticle cream or oil before painting your nails, don't do it right after the glue.  It will come off.  Ask me how I know LOL

I decided to go ahead and use my base coat.  I figured if you are supposed to apply it every day, over polish, then surely a thin layer of glue wasn't going to prevent it from getting to my nails.

Next, paint your awesome glitter mani.  I recommend wrapping the tips of your nails.  This way you seal in the polish around the glue and you don't have to worry about bumping your nails and possibly having your glue release when you are not ready.

I only left my mani on for about 24 hours.  I showered, did my hair, got dressed, went to dinner, the mall and then to the movies.  No wear and tear where as before I may have bumped a nail and lost a small chunk of polish.

Taking this polish off was so stinking simple I can't even believe it!  I used a cuticle pusher that I got in a mani/pedi kit.  I love it because it's plastic, washable and safe for my nails,  not like the metal ones.  I will never use one of those again!  Here is mine, just in case you wanted to see :)

Using the angled end, I just pushed it under the polish and it came off in sheets!  It was so easy!!

Now, your nails aren't going to look all perfect and pristine when you take the glitter polish off.  At least mine didn't.  I had a little bit of glue left on a couple spots.  But all in all, pretty damn good for not having used a drop of polish remover.  My nails looked like this:

I washed my hands and applied a little cuticle cream and then they were like this:

( I have a couple repairs :(  please don't mind them)

I will never wear a glitter polish with out using my glue as a base first.  There is another bonus.  If you have any repairs on your nails, you no longer have to fear the glitter polish.  Since you won't have to soak your nails in acetone to remove the polish, your repairs are safe and intact when you use the glue method.  I don't know who came up with this, but I am so glad they did.  

Will you be trying out this technique?

Lazy Days of Summer: Summer Days and Summer Nights

Happy Labor Day!!!  I am sharing 2 Summer Challenges with you today.  I am behind and trying to catch up.  Numbers 11 and 12 are Summer Days and Summer Nights.  Where I live it's pretty damn hot during the day.  So I decided flames were appropriate LOL  The evenings are kind of cool with clear skies, which is why I chose Galax-E from Pretty & Polished for my Summer Nights Mani.  Super simple and to the point :)

Summer Days

Base Coat:  Rejuvacote

Base Color:  Milani One Coat Glitter Red Sparkle 

(one coat, really!)

Stamping Plate:  MASH 48

Stamping Polish:  Sally Hansen Insta Dry Silver Sweep

Top Coat:  Seche Vite

Summer Nights

Base Coat:  Rejuvacote

Base Color:  Pretty & Polished Galax-E (2 coats, no underwear)

Top Coat:  Seche Vite

There you have it, 2 challenges in one.  I hope you enjoy  your Labor Day :)