Holiday Bling Nails Did

with flash

Whooh what a crazy week! I've been off on maternity leave now since last Thursday and I know I'm supposed to use this time to rest up before the baby comes but really I've been on the go EVERY DAY! But I did find some time last night to do my nails. I wanted to do something not so typically "Christmas" so I did a sort of winter wonderland feel. Please forgive my lack of watermark (please don't steal my pics, they're crappy anyway LOL) since I'm working on my new macbook and don't have Photoshop set up yet :(

without flash

I used Orly Rage with some snowflake rhinestones and little blue and silver beads that I picked up for really cheap on Ebay! Slapped it all on with nail glue (hate that stuff) and Sally Hansen's  Top Coat. Does anyone know of a topcoat or technique that won't dull your rhinestones??


Hope you all have a very Merry Christmas and a Happy and safe Holiday!! All the best leading up to the new year and beyond! And please send me some blessings to get this baby out - its due on Thursday!!!

Karmin G3 Review and Boozemas Party Nails Did

 I mentioned before that I would be receiving a Karmin G3 Flat Iron from the lovely people at Karmin to give a test run! Now I don't straighten my hair too often because it usually takes me about 2-3 hours (I'm not even joking), and that doesn't necessarily include all the prep before-hand like washing and blow drying it! So What I look for in a flat iron is something that is ceramic (I had one with metal plates on it once...never again!), light weight since I hold it for so long, and something that will hit a very high heat. The G3 is perfect for all of these, plus it has the added value over my current flat iron where it can actually straighten then put big curls in by wrapping your hair around the barrel. My current iron is so square and flat that doing that would be impossible and look pretty stupid - so I guess that's why it's one of the top hair straighteners!

So here are some before and after pics - I decided to straighten my hair for my annual Boozemas party. So keep in mind that I had been cleaning all day and didn't get a chance to actually blow dry my hair before I flat ironed it, so it looks WAY drier then it normally would. But you totally see the effect:

Before:

 

After:

 It works awesomely! I can't wait to try it with my full regime of wash, blowdry and straighten. And added bonus - this only took me 1hr 45min - trust me for hair as curly and thick as mine that is AMAZING. I would highly recommend this flat iron - makes a good stocking stuffer ;) And if you DO want one for your very own take advantage of 10% off with this code: GIVEAWAY10

I also did my nails for the party! Little presents! I used China Glaze Ruby Pumps for the base and brushed on crosses of 2030 with a bit of glitter from a nail art pen on top. Then I made very quick bows with China Glaze Emerald Sparkle. I think they're festive and cute!

Bees! Nails Did

Buzz Buzz! I watched "Bee Movie" over the weekend and was inspired to do this manicure! Plus its yellow, and since its one of my favorite colours it was an easy choice for a fun mani! Oh but can I just say that Jerry Seinfeld shouldn't be allowed to do voice overs for movies? He just sounds like Jerry Seinfeld...no different. But its SO obvious. Much like how Nicholas Cage is just Nicholas Cage in every movie he's in. But don't get me started on that man...ugh.

So for the base I used China Glaze Solar Power and for the honeycomb I used Lemon Fizz and a nail art brush. Octagons are hard to freehand let me just say! For the bees I used a yellow, black and white nail art pen. I think it came out super cute!

I also thought for fun that I would post a pic of my work station LOL. So messy! I don't have nearly as many polishes as some of you lovely ladies out there but I certainty put them all to good use!

Holiday Party Nails Did

Ah the Holidays are here again! I love Christmas despite the fact that the last few years in Toronto has been pretty snow-less. But I usually do get all excited about Christmas parties and putting up the tree. This past weekend Ben and I actually had 4 (!) parties to attend!! So I needed something versatile to get me through them all! So I've done gradient's before but I thought it would be neat to do one from left to right on my hand instead of top to bottom of each nail. For the base I used OPI Thrill in Brazil and sponged China Glaze 2030 on my pointer and middle finger, then switched using 2030 as the base and sponging Thrill in Brazil for my ring and pinky. Then I topped them off for some extra glam with red glitter from Midie Glitter 3 and a nail art pen in gold glitz.

And here are some pictures from the parties! Look at me looking all tired and pregnant LOL. And one of the parties was actually a dinner murder mystery. There is Ben being called out of the crowd by one of the actresses and looking mighty uncomfortable! LOL

Bluefly.com

You know what's kinda not awesome? Being pregnant and not being able to shop for clothes. But you know what IS kinda awesome? Shopping on the internet and not spending every penny in your bank account! So needless to say I do a lot of internet window shopping :)

I came across this site called www.bluefly.com and they have some pretty cool stuff! I'm not usually into labels, but every once in a while I like to pretend that I could actually afford something Prada or Fendi without it coming from Chinatown or Canal Street!

Check them out they even have stuff for guys and Ben totally digs these Gucci shoes. But I'm already giving him a baby for christmas so he'll have to buy these himself!

 

Harry Potter Nails Did

Put ya nails up if you love Harry Potter!!

So good. See, I may hate Twilight but I LOVE me some Harry Potter movie franchise. This past weekend I saw the latest movie which is 1/2 of book 7 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. It was seriously fantastic and was what I consider to be the closest adaptation to the books since the first and second movies. It was also a little sexy! But I won't ruin that part for a few of you who haven't seen it. GO SEE IT ALREADY!!

So I thought I'd do a little Harry Potter theme. For a base I simply used China Glaze Liquid Leather. On my thumb I did the HP logo in China Glaze 2030 and dusted on some glitter from a nail art pen in gold.

For the golden snitches I used 2030 for the ball part and then a silver nail art pen for the wings. You can't see it too well but I also swiped on some iridescence onto the wings with OPI Happy Anniversary.

I think they're super cute and I can't wait to see the part 2!! You can bring a baby to the movies right? *sigh*

Man vs Food Nails Did

 I LOVE the show Man Vs Food. I think its because I can just live vicariously through the host while he eats all of the delicious things that I could never think to put into my body! If you haven't seen the show its on the Travel Network and basically this guy goes around the US sampling really outrageous food and then every episode ends in a food challenge.

He's done things like try to eat a 12 patty hamburger, eat 5 extremely hot chicken wings, 180 oysters and so on. He did eat the most delicious looking hamburger ever though - the grilled cheese burger. And yea, this is the replica that I made, and ate, not gonna lie. IT WAS AMAZING.

So I did the show logo on my nails. For the base I used Nubar NV2 then brushed "x"'s with OPI's Curry Up Don't Be Late, My Big Break, and a purple nail art pen. For the (very badly done at least in the head) wrestler man, I used for his skin a mix of China Glaze White on White, Lemon Fizz and Colour Club Pardon My French. The "vs" is China Glaze Solar Power outlined with a black nail art pen. And lastly the burger bun is a mix of China Glaze Solar Power and Coconut Kiss with nail art pens for the toppings and Rimmel Torrid for the patties.

Yea I'm hungry again...

Tame Those Curls!

As you all know I have really curly hair, and if you don't here is a picture:

So, every once in a while I like to straighten the whole thing out really just to get rid of all of the tangles I miss whenever I'm washing it...which is most of my head :P

I was approached by Karmin about one of their best straighteners called the G3 and I can't wait to try it out! They are rated as some of the best hair straighteners on the market and the prices are pretty reasonable especially if you straighten your hair regularily or if you need a heavy duty straightener (like I do) to tame those curls!

Check the reviews out and if you're interested you can use this nifty coupon code to get 10% off a Karmin product!

GIVEAWAY10

 

Keep an eye out for my follow up review of the G3 and a before and after pic of my hair!!!

Nursery Tree Nails Did

So I was waiting all week since my last nail art to do this art after I went to get my special mani and pedi with paraffin wax - and then it turned out to be pretty much the worst manicure I've ever had...EVER. You'll see the girl literally hacked at my cuticles. The paraffin was neat, but I won't be going back to that salon. I pulled out OPI's Banana Bandana, and they put two coats on which looked like 1 coat it was so streaked. It was so bad I should have taken a picture, but I asked that they not waste a top coat and by the time I got home most of it was smudged off and I replaced it anyway. Bah. So anyway I was still feeling yellow so I put on China Glaze Lemon Fizz and did some nail art with a black, white and green art pen. I thought I would do a design to match the decal that Ben and I just put up in the nursery of a really funky/modern tree! Hope you like it!!!

Dark Night Nails Did

I hope everyone had a Happy Halloween! This week I actually sported another variant of a mani I did last year called "Ouch Scars" only this time on my natural nails, so I didn't make a post about that. However I did sit down and actually DO my nails for the first time in what feels like forever! These are my Dark Night nails, complete with moon, dark sky and even some bats! They're kinda halloweeny...but also not :)

For the base I used China Glaze Coconut Kiss and then sponged on Orly Russian Navy in kind of a diagonal pattern. Then I used a white nail art pen to do the moon and shaded it a bit with a silver nail art pen to give it some depth. Lastly for the bats I used a black nail art pen. I actually really love how the gradient looks. And its kinda nice to sit down and do some actual nail art for once in a long time! I missed it...but I also miss having energy!!

Thought I'd share my costume with you. I made myself a Jack-o-Lantern shirt complete with a cap I made outta felt! Can't believe I only have 8 more weeks to go! Get this baby out!

Last Wedding of the YEAR Nails Did

I guess its just that time in my life now but I've been to more weddings this year than pretty much any other year ever! But the last one was great. This time we celebrated Amy and Sheriff who had a very interesting Jewish/African fusion wedding. It was fab. I love multicultural weddings where I get to learn about other people's traditions! I learned that its custom in Sheriff's culture to do a little dance while your family members shower you with money! They were seriously surrounded by people throwing US dollars at them! It made me feel like they were in one of those game show boxes where money is blown all around you!

So, as always I was in a rush - and though you may not be able to tell in this pic I smooshed 3 of my nails and had to redo them in 5 minutes while Ben is screaming at me to get in the car LOL. I used China Glaze White on White then did a (very crudely done) ruffian with China Glaze Liquid Leather. I also used Konad Special Stamping polish in Silver with a Bundle Monster plate, then threw on a rhinestone. For all the stuff I used I was pretty meh about it and the pictures TOTALLY doesn't do it justice...it did look a little better. Plus because of the rush I didn't get to actually clean up my cuticles. Note to self - 15 minutes is not enough for a manicure! When will I learn?

Blog Award!!

So I was totally honored to see my name pop up for this blog award from OnlineCollegesandUniversities.net! Thanks to them and congrats as well to all my fellow blog winners - we're all so awesome :D

Online Colleges and Universities

Dapper Grey Nails Did

I don't have too much to say about this mani - it's just ok. I rushed it because I had to bolt out of the door to get some pizza with my girls so I just did a simple french using China Glaze Recycle for the base, White on White for the tips and some dots of black from a striper pen. Thing is it chipped the next day cause of the STUPID Sally Hansen base coat I've been using. BAH.

Ben also tells me it reminds him of Totoro...which actually makes me kinda like it just a bit more.


So, there you have it. And another crappy iPhone picture to boot!

Minx Nails Did

So my friend Nikki and I went out to one of the 2 salons in Toronto currently doing Minx nails. It was something that I had been wanting to try for a while but just putting off mostly cause I've been lazy LOL. Anyway, we made a date to do it, and I have to say...I'm a little disappointing. I mean, the result is lovely! But when it comes down to it its just a foil pressed on and applied with heat.

The longevity of it was so upsetting - the technician told us that it would last 7 to 10 days and that evening/next morning the edges already started to roll. I'm not sure if it was the application or just the nature of Minx itself, but it was disappointing. The great thing is that they LOOK awesome for the short amount of time that they're adhered properly. I got a mix of this funky 80's confetti motif with the mirrored silver (the one Beyonce rocked - not that I care...but there you have it).

All in all for $55 for 4.5 (3 of which they looked ragged) days that's a lot of polish I coulda bought...but I guess to try it once it was okay. Sorry for the crappy iPhone pic, but at least its from an iPhone 4 so its not that bad!

Mod Kiwi-licious Nails Did

Where have you been Mr. Blog??? Sorry about the hiaatus! Ben stole my camera while he was in Germany for 10 days and then I've just been going 120% at work and the last thing I want to look at is my laptop when I get home :( BUT I do have 3 whole posts coming up (two with wicked bad iPhone pictures, so I apologize in advance).

om nom nom

So preggo-me has me really into kiwi's lately. Actually I devoured about oh, 15 in the past week alone!!! So I thought I'd do a little modern homage to my favorite fruit of the moment (although I've already moved onto watermelon, I'm so fickle like that) with some kiwi inspired nails! I used Nubar Green Tea for the base and a simple black striper pen for the "seeds". Simple...and for its simplicity it lasted all of 2 days!

Dear Sally Hansen Extended Wear Base Coat:
Does extended wear mean for more than 2 hours? Because that's all I'm getting out of you. You are the worst base coat I have ever ever used and I hate you.

Eyeko Polish Review and Giveaway 2!! WINNER

Thanks to everyone who entered the latest Eyeko Polish Giveaway! These polishes are super cute so I hope the winner really loves them. Before I announce it, here is the mani to go with the giveaway :) Sorry for the iPhone pictures - Ben just left for Germany for 10 days :'( and he took the camera. Pfft. Men.

I used Eyeko's Petite Polish for French Nails for the base, and then sponged tips with Eyeko Punk Polish for Neon Nails (which I've decided is my favorite Eyeko polish yet).

Then (cause I haven't done any actual nail art in forever - sorry...but this baby makes me tired!) I free handed the Eyeko logo using black nail art pens with the tiniest touch of blue for the eye. I also used a water decal from Viva La Nails. If you guys haven't checked out their decals I highly recommend their sampler pack specifically for bloggers and youtube artists that you just have to pay shipping on and they send you many fun goodies!

So - now the winner! Drumroll please......

 Alexa1202!!

Congrats Alexa! I'll be sending Chi Chi and Tea Rose your way.

An email is on its way to you!

 

Thanks again to everyone that continues to enter and enjoy my blog :)

Niki*

Girly Stars Nails Did

It's seriously been one of those weeks. So in order to make myself feel better I thought I'd do something cheery and out of character. The cheery is the stars which I love, the out of character is definitely the pink!

It made me smile even though it only lasted 2 days. I really REALLY need to go out and buy another bottle of OPI's base coat. Right now I'm using a Sally Hansen brand and I'm lucky if my polish wears more than a day :(

I used Eyeko's Punk Polish for the base, and then a Bundle Monster plate with Konad special black polish for the stamp. I know its simple, but sometimes after a hard week you just have to keep things easy.

If you haven't already - take some time to enter my latest Eyeko Giveaway!

Eyeko Polish Review and Giveaway 2!!

Contest is now closed. A winner will be announced shortly.

The lovely people at Eyeko sent me two of their latest polishes Chi Chi for Girlie Nails and Punk Polish for Neon Nails to check out! I love these polishes more and more every time I get to sample them mostly because they're so compact so I carry them with me where ever I go!



Chi Chi Polish for Girlie Nails

Girlie indeed! This polish is slammed full of pink glitter with just a hint of gold flake in them. This is two coats I'm showing. It looks like a great layering polish and would look amazing over another metallic like a gold or silver. The application is smooth, but like most other glitter polishes you have to use some muscle to get it back off your nails!



Punk Polish for Neon Nails

So I'm really not a girlie type of girl, but every once in a while I get a hankering for a really hot barbie pink and THIS polish is it. I've had China Glaze and OPI pinks on before but this pink is truly the perfect neon pink that reminds me of when I used to play with dolls. It goes on superb in one coat but this is two just to make it pop. Like most neon polishes it is matte, but slap some top coat on it to really make it shine.

You can buy these polishes from the Eyeko website for £3.50 or about $5.45USD each. They also have a special on right now where you can buy all the pinks: Tea Rose, Petite Polish, Punk Polish and Chi Chi Polish for $11.50!

OR, you could take the chance to get two of these precious pinks RIGHT NOW!

I'll be sending one lucky winner Eyeko Tea Rose Polish and Eyeko Chi Chi Polish to call their very own.

Eyeko Giveaway

Rules of Entry

1. You must be a follower of this blog and leave your email address in the comments :) Mandatory
2. Post about this giveaway and review on your blog and post the link in your comment. 1 extra entry
3. Tweet about this giveaway and post a link to your tweet. 1 extra entry

That's it!

The giveaway will end on Friday September 24th at 7pm ET. I'll contact the winner through email.

Moby wrap nails and review

I was really pleased when CSN approached me to do a review on one of their products, especially because they have a really great baby store called CSNBaby that has lots of baby things that I'll be needing for December. First off let me say that their site is great - and their sister site Diaper Bag Boutique is too if you're looking for a deal on a diaper bag. They also have free shipping on many of their items and a great sale section where you can get some items for 90% off.

I've been looking at the Moby Wrap carrier for a while now since they're flexible and you can tie them in many ways so that you get optimum comfort for your little one. They also can be used to hide breastfeeding or just to run around the house with the baby strapped to you while you clean or do other chores. I ordered mine from CSNBaby and it was at my house in just over a week. So its pretty compact, it comes in this roll with a bag and an instruction manual.

Its really really long so that you can knot it in many ways and it fits all body types, and is super soft. I'm doing the newborn hold in the picture where it wraps across my belly, around my back and ties on my side. This is the first time I've ever wrapped it so I think I need to do it a bit tighter next time. Since I don't have a baby yet (still baking) Sapporo decided to help out. You can tell he loves it...right? Hahaha no he wanted out.

I love this carrier because its super versatile, soft and distributes weight all around my body opposed to just on my shoulders like other carriers. Also I'm really impressed with the customer service of CSN and the speed of shipping - even to Canada. Its a good alternative for us Canadian mom's who can't get a lot of items at home. CSN has over 200 stores to choose from so take a look and you're bound to find something you like!

Also, because this is a nail blog too I thought I'd do Moby Wrap nails! I used China Glaze White on White (3 coats of it!) for the base and then striped on China Glaze Recycle to make the wrap seams. They're kinda abstract and I love them but the White on White was soooo hard to get even and not streaky. So annoying!

Hope everyone is enjoying the first taste of fall! Or the last taste of summer?

*This item was partially furnished to me by CSN, yet my review is unbiased. Please see below for full disclaimer*