Monday, May 31, 2010
Giveaway winner!
8:20 PM | 
Posted by
Dainty Darling Digits |
We had a total of 86 separate followers with a total of 253 entries! The winner of The Good, The Bad & The Pretty giveaway is: Laura of Sawan- Heaven! I'll be contacting you to find out where to send your goodies!Thank you to everyone who participated and I can't wait to have another giveaway! As I'm about to cross over into 200 followers I'm already preparing something for you :)
And here is the summer playlist as made by my followers, a really good mix of stuff on here! I've mixed in some of my favorites too :)
Kinks- Sunny Afternoon
James Otto- Groovy Little Summer Song
Mamas and the Papas- California Dreamin'
TLC- No Scrubs
Coheed and Cambria- Time Consumer
Bob Seger- Against the Wind
David Guetta feat. Akon- Sexy Chick
Len- Steal My Sunshine
Wonder Girls- Nobody
The Ataris- Boys of Summer
Armin Van Buuren- Wouldn't Change A Thing
311- Love Song
The Format- Tune Out
Jason Mraz- I'm Yours
The Vengaboys- Ibiza
Rhianna- Rude Boy
LMFAO- Shots
Grease- Summer Nights
The Eagle of Death Metal- Cherry Cola
David Guetta Feat. Kelly Rowland- When Love Takes Over
Cobra Starship- Good Girls Go Bad
Buraka Som Sistema- Kalemba (Wengue Wengue)
Beyonce- Single Ladies
Beach Boys- California Girls
10CC- I'm Not In Love
Mungo Jerry- In the Summertime
Tracy Chapman- Fast Car
Lady Gaga- Summer Boy
Usher featurin Will.I.Am- OMG
Sara Bareilles- Bottle It Up
Armin Van Buuren- I Found You
Frankie Valli- Grease
Smokey Robinson- Cruisin'
Bobby Brackins Feat. Ray J- 143
Justin Bieber- Love Me
The Asteroids Galaxy Tour- Around the Bend
Vincent Delerm- Fait Si Beau
Aly & AJ- Walking on Sunshine
Lady Gaga Feat. Beyonce- Telephone
Katy Perry- California Gurls
David Guetha- I Love Memories
Sublime- Scarlet Begonias
Lady Gaga- Pokerface
Christina Aguilera- Not Myself Tonight
Weezer- Island in the Sun
Aqua- Barbie Girl
Giveaway over!
I'll be announcing the winner later tonight so stay tuned! Thanks to everyone who entered :)
Sunday, May 30, 2010
11 older OPI swatches
This is the majority of my OPI collection. None of them ever see any love from me and are all from older collections. These are all either 2 or 3 coats, none of them were difficult to apply.
With all the drama going on with OPI I will no longer be purchasing or swatching the brand because I don't wish to support them any further. I think the way they have handled things is very wrong, between the bloggers and e-tailers there is plenty of reasons they don't deserve my money. I never thought that their polish was worth the $9 (US) price tag and this just seals the deal. Why give advertising to a brand that threatens to sue bloggers when they technically have done nothing wrong? My blog may be small but I still don't feel comfortable giving them free advertisement.
With all the drama going on with OPI I will no longer be purchasing or swatching the brand because I don't wish to support them any further. I think the way they have handled things is very wrong, between the bloggers and e-tailers there is plenty of reasons they don't deserve my money. I never thought that their polish was worth the $9 (US) price tag and this just seals the deal. Why give advertising to a brand that threatens to sue bloggers when they technically have done nothing wrong? My blog may be small but I still don't feel comfortable giving them free advertisement.
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Giveaway ends tomorrow! Enter now.
Just another reminder- if you haven't already today is the last day to enter the giveaway! It ends tomorrow night at 6pm EST. You can click the link in the sidebar or click here!
Thursday, May 27, 2010
ChG Lemon Fizz & Happy Go Lucky
I've had this for awhile and never bothered posting it. I kinda hate these nail decals. They are stick on and I just feel like they look...lumpy. Blah. We are currently going through a heatwave here in the northeast so I'm keeping this short since my computer room is about 90+ degrees right now!
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
ChG Watermelon Rind + My cosmetology experience
It seems everyone but me owned this polish but finally I do and gosh it is gorgeous! Dark green glass flecked goodness. Yum! 3 coats, great application as always from China Glaze.
One of my followers asked about my cosmetology school experience. I figured I might as well throw this on a post since it may be lengthy and I hope my advice will do her some good :) I will first say that I live in NY and state laws are a little different everywhere, especially in the amount of hours needed to graduate.From when I was about 13 the only thing I really wanted to do was go to cosmetology school (okay and be a mom but if I was going to have a career this is what I thought I wanted), I had an extreme love for makeup, nails and dying my hair and it seemed perfect. When I was 16 I enrolled in the cosmetology program in my town which was in a technical school. It would take longer, about 2 years and cover 1,000 hours but I was technically still in high school at this point (I graduated that year) so that sounded great.
Everything I enrolled to learn we didn't. There was no makeup education like I had been told there would be, no nail course (that was a large extra fee). I was disappointed. Really, those were the reasons I wanted to go. I did love the chemistry of dying hair but other than that, I was bored. I HATE hair styling and cutting- which made up 98% of the course. I also sucked at it. Most of the homework equated to fingerwaves and curler sets and by the end of the first year I had done so many I hated it with a passion.
I finished the first half with an average of 103, perfect attendance, had done every bit of extra credit for hours and I was top of my class. I really tried to like it! Still, I dreaded the thought of returning but the 2nd year was supposed to concentrate on pedicures, manicures, facials...
I finished the first half with an average of 103, perfect attendance, had done every bit of extra credit for hours and I was top of my class. I really tried to like it! Still, I dreaded the thought of returning but the 2nd year was supposed to concentrate on pedicures, manicures, facials...
I returned still not happy with my choice of being there and truthfully ended up skipping the class quite often. Instead of covering new material we returned to the same things we had learned last year- or at least I had- everyone else seemed to have forgotten. I met my husband that year and realized what I (and it turns out hubby) really wanted was to get married and have a family and that was all (please no hate, this is my choice).
When I graduated the course (which only means I had 1000 hours of attendance) I still never learned to do the single hair cut (which was given as an assignment twice, how was I supposed to learn that?) that I would need to get my state license. I suppose this can be chalked up to a crappy school or teacher. I think the moral here is: research. And don't settle for a mediocre school. If you have something you specifically want to do like makeup or nails I would strongly recommend going to a specialized school instead. I will also mention (and this could be an issue with the area I live in) out of the girls I went to school with (around 25 that I've kept in touch with) only 3 are working in the career field.
A couple things to consider before going into Cosmetology that most don't know:
- To be an esthetician (massage, facials, skin care) you need additional training on top of your cosmetology license.
- You need to learn anatomy, lots of it. This is because you are being licensed to touch people.
- It is extremely hard on your back, knees and hands. You are on your feet all day, often bending yourself in awkward positions and constantly using your hands.
- It usually doesn't may all that well. Depends on what you do I suppose.
- You are breathing in A LOT of harsh chemicals. Perms, dyes, nail supplies, bleach, and much more.
Anyways, I just thought I would share if anyone was interested.
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Color Club Tangerine Scream + Giveaway reminder!
Three coats of Color Club Tangerine Scream. This is a really interesting color, it's orange orange with a blue green sheen. Very different. Application was lovely, there is still a little VNL but not horribly.
Just a reminder that my first giveaway runs until next Monday the 31st at 6PM EST. If you haven't entered yet now is the time! I'm already plotting my next one (a bigger one!) so come on and help make my first one a great one :)
And guess who placed a big ol' Bundle Monster order last night? Can't wait!
Monday, May 24, 2010
Mascara comparison mega post!
Yes, I know this is a nail blog but nails are closely related to one of my other loves: cosmetics. And one cosmetic staple is mascara. They release a LOT of new gimmicks and formulas and it is hard to know what is and isn't going to work. I figured I would swatch my collection and give you some mini reviews so you can see how well different mascaras match up. As of right now I believe these are all currently available.
All swatches are done on clean eyelashes- no primers, no eyelash curlers and no combing out the clumps! All mascaras are the blackest black you can get from that line. This way you can see exactly what you are getting from each tube:) I don't have a macro lens so the picture may be a little iffy. All pictures are bigger if clicked!
I will mention that my lashes on my left eye grow in weird clumps and mascaras swatched on that eye will appear a little more clumpy than they should ;)
First off: my bare eyelashes!
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Mascara #1- L'Oreal Telescopic Explosion.jpg)
This is the newest brush gimmick: weird round thing. It is supposed to allow you to lengthen and separate every lash from any angle and get every last little lash. I do like this mascara except for one problem: when you try to get the inner lashes your outer ones hit the wand where there is all this caked up mascara causing huge clumps! I've tried scraping it off first but it doesn't work. It is a little too much work to get it to come out right but it does look great. The formula smudges really easy though. Mascara #2- Maybelline Colossal Volum' Express
I actually love this one! At least the formula. It separates nicely like it should and it lengthens tons! Look at my bottom lashes- check those babies out! It doesn't give a lot of curl but when I wore this to go out I felt like I was almost wearing fake lashes. I like the huge lashes look so this makes me really happy. The big downside though- this brush is huge and clumsy! It is seriously monstrous. I thought the name colossal was for the way the lashes look but nope- must be the brush!
I actually love this one! At least the formula. It separates nicely like it should and it lengthens tons! Look at my bottom lashes- check those babies out! It doesn't give a lot of curl but when I wore this to go out I felt like I was almost wearing fake lashes. I like the huge lashes look so this makes me really happy. The big downside though- this brush is huge and clumsy! It is seriously monstrous. I thought the name colossal was for the way the lashes look but nope- must be the brush!Mascara #3- L'Oreal Extra-Volume Collagen Waterproof
This is on my mascara crap list. Ugh. It DOES curl the lashes pretty well but other than that...it is a clumpy hard to use mess. It takes a LOT of effort to get this to not be a giant clump and it is just not worth it for the outcome. Do not recommend this at all!
This is on my mascara crap list. Ugh. It DOES curl the lashes pretty well but other than that...it is a clumpy hard to use mess. It takes a LOT of effort to get this to not be a giant clump and it is just not worth it for the outcome. Do not recommend this at all!Mascara #4- L'Oreal Double Extend
This was one of those that came with a primer. This is an okay mascara, doesn't do anything great. The primer is supposed to help build length but doesn't seem to. The color of the primer is whitish so when you apply the black over it it just turns gray. The cool thing about it though is that it comes off easy in weird little tubes! All in all the primer thing is more work than it is worth and I will pass on other mascaras like this.
This was one of those that came with a primer. This is an okay mascara, doesn't do anything great. The primer is supposed to help build length but doesn't seem to. The color of the primer is whitish so when you apply the black over it it just turns gray. The cool thing about it though is that it comes off easy in weird little tubes! All in all the primer thing is more work than it is worth and I will pass on other mascaras like this.Mascara #5- Rimmel Glam'Eyes
I've tried many Rimmel mascaras over the last couple years and I've found all of them to be decent. Not usually anything groundbreaking but at a couple dollars cheaper than most other brands they are worth a look. This is a pretty good stand-by that I wear on "little" makeup days.
I've tried many Rimmel mascaras over the last couple years and I've found all of them to be decent. Not usually anything groundbreaking but at a couple dollars cheaper than most other brands they are worth a look. This is a pretty good stand-by that I wear on "little" makeup days.Mascara #6- Maybelline Lash Stiletto
My favorite mascara of the bunch! This stuff does a lotta separating, lotta lengthening, little curling and the color is black black black. Love! I love the formula- it is the right kind of "wet" and it applies like a dream. The brush is simple and not to huge or small. All around great mascara!
My favorite mascara of the bunch! This stuff does a lotta separating, lotta lengthening, little curling and the color is black black black. Love! I love the formula- it is the right kind of "wet" and it applies like a dream. The brush is simple and not to huge or small. All around great mascara!Mascara #7- Cover Girl Lash Blast Luxe
This is supposed to be a "shimmery" mascara to highlight and bring out the eyes. Eh, nothing great. It is basically a metallic dark gray color that you can slightly see on the bottom lashes. Really not all that eye-catching and kinda disappointing. The formula is nothing great although a little clumpy, I would pass on this one.
This is supposed to be a "shimmery" mascara to highlight and bring out the eyes. Eh, nothing great. It is basically a metallic dark gray color that you can slightly see on the bottom lashes. Really not all that eye-catching and kinda disappointing. The formula is nothing great although a little clumpy, I would pass on this one.So that does it!
What mascara do ya'all use? Any horrible ones that stand out? I'm curious :)
Sunday, May 23, 2010
SH Yellow Kitty + new hair rant
I have to take everything negative I said about this line back (well, except for the price- that is still horrible). This yellow was the best I've ever used. This is 2 coats of beautiful jelly like Yellow Kitty with the best application I've yet to have from a yellow (why are they always streaky?).
Messy konad in a Insta- Dri coral color (will add name later)
And my new hair- which I HATE.
This color began at navy blue-black. N'Rage called it Purple Plum and the color swatch at Sally's was more purple than this color in the pictures and this is after washing my hair 16 times using every trick I know short of buying color oops. I did a test for a few minutes to see how it would take but when left on the full amount of time (I've never had it make a big difference other than how long it lasts) it was so dark. Seriously, from bleaching my hair to go pink it is so damaged I don't want to do color remover or bleach the color out.
I have never cried about my hair before but I did. I killed my hair to get it so light and it was so much work and to have it be so dark again...I'm very frustrated. I think I'm going to take the bottle back to Sally's and see if I can exchange it but I doubt they will.
Friday, May 21, 2010
China Glaze Wagontrail
Dear Wagontrail,
Everyone loves you and I want to but I just can't. That beautiful green gold shimmer you give off in bright light and in swatches is gorgeous but why can't you show it off all the time? In real life you are a boring dark dark green and that inner beauty just doesn't show itself. I am heartbroken to say that I have swapped you away. I hope your new owner can love you like I can't...
Thursday, May 20, 2010
Seche 50% off at CVS
Just letting you know, I hit up 3 CVS stores here and all of them had Seche on sale 50% off. I think they are switching to the new bottle design I saw at Sally's but this is a great time to stock up!
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Great environmentally friendly giveaway!
Alright, I am a sucker for things like this and I think this is a great giveaway.
Over at How doth the little crocodile she is giving away a very interesting reusable water bottle from vapur.com.
To quote her: "Have you heard about the global water crisis? Hopefully your answer is a big fat "YES!" and you've already started doing your part to stop it. If you haven't, well, it's time to get on the bandwagon! Bottled water has become a huge industry in the United States and around the rest of the world. Every year 38 billion water bottles go into landfills...38 billion! I can't even wrap my head around all the wasted land and resources that could be used instead of having disgusting dumps! Only 23% of water bottles used are recycled! It's ridiculous. You know what I say? Stop using disposable water bottles all together! If you aren't worried about landfills, then worry about oil! It takes 17 million barrels of it to make the water bottles in the US market each year! Oil that could fuel 1.3 million cars for a year."
I have forever been trying to get my friends and family to cut down on buying bottled water but it seems most people believe tap water is somehow tainted and buying gallons of bottle water and filling your own bottle isn't convenient enough. Here in NY state there is now a bottled water tax, you would think that would help cut down but it hasn't. I'm not saying I never ever buy bottled water or beverages but 95% of the time I don't. I would just like everyone to consider the impact something as simple as buying bottled water can have in a short period of time and consider making a switch!
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Nautical Nails!
Inspired by Apollo's new life vest. I used Sally Hansen Insta- Dri in Whirlwind White as a base on the pointer and pinkie and Rapid Red on thumb and middle. I used China Glaze Ink as a base for my ring with a coat of Medallion over it. The lines on all nails are China Glaze Ink and the anchor is drawn with Art Deco nail art in white :)
Sunday, May 16, 2010
China Glaze Kiwi Coolada
I have completed my Pool Side collection! Yay! I truthfully didn't think I would like this one much but I actually do.
Kiwi Coolada- 3 coats. This had the same application as the others which I didn't have any problems with. It did look a little streaky before top coat but once I applied that everything looked fine.
Lately I've been ruining my nails sewing for the pup. This is Apollo's new "visiting Grandma" dress (since my mother is a hippy).
Kiwi Coolada- 3 coats. This had the same application as the others which I didn't have any problems with. It did look a little streaky before top coat but once I applied that everything looked fine.
Lately I've been ruining my nails sewing for the pup. This is Apollo's new "visiting Grandma" dress (since my mother is a hippy).
Saturday, May 15, 2010
OPI Shrek swatches and comparisions
I'm sick and so you get swatches!
Who the Shrek Are You? 3 coats.
Sally Hansen Insta-dri in Lickity Split Lime, Shrek, Lickity Split Lime, Shrek. I thought these would be pretty close but not really. Shrek is more yellow toned and a bit lighter. It is a fun color and looks green enough that it doesn't wash me out.
Rumple's Wiggin. 3 coats.
China Glaze Light As Air, Rumple's, Revlon Gum Drop, Rumple's. Neither of these come close to Rumples, he is a little darker and true purple toned. I've only seen the first Shrek so what the heck is this name all about? Rumple's Wiggin?
Fiercely Fiona 2 coats (looks like it needed 3!)
Orly Spark, Fiona, China Glaze Happy Go Lucky, Fiona. In lamp light this looked pretty yellow but in sunlight and with flash it shows it's green side. This is a really weird color. It is almost a mustardy shade with a hint of green.
What's with the Cattitude? 3 coats.
Zoya Yummy, Cattitude, China Glaze For Audrey, Cattitude. Not even close! I realize now I should have compard it to CC Take Me To Your Chateau but it totally slipped my mind. This is a true baby blue and is very pretty.
All in all these are great colors and I've yet to see dupes of these. I do think they may be easy to franken since they only seem a shade off or a hint of another color different.
One thing I noticed when swatching was these are SHINY. These all are no top coat. The application was good. I had some bald spots but when I swatch I'm impatient, I think if I waited in between I wouldn't have an issue.
Who the Shrek Are You? 3 coats.
Sally Hansen Insta-dri in Lickity Split Lime, Shrek, Lickity Split Lime, Shrek. I thought these would be pretty close but not really. Shrek is more yellow toned and a bit lighter. It is a fun color and looks green enough that it doesn't wash me out.
Rumple's Wiggin. 3 coats.
China Glaze Light As Air, Rumple's, Revlon Gum Drop, Rumple's. Neither of these come close to Rumples, he is a little darker and true purple toned. I've only seen the first Shrek so what the heck is this name all about? Rumple's Wiggin?
Fiercely Fiona 2 coats (looks like it needed 3!)
Orly Spark, Fiona, China Glaze Happy Go Lucky, Fiona. In lamp light this looked pretty yellow but in sunlight and with flash it shows it's green side. This is a really weird color. It is almost a mustardy shade with a hint of green.
What's with the Cattitude? 3 coats.
Zoya Yummy, Cattitude, China Glaze For Audrey, Cattitude. Not even close! I realize now I should have compard it to CC Take Me To Your Chateau but it totally slipped my mind. This is a true baby blue and is very pretty.All in all these are great colors and I've yet to see dupes of these. I do think they may be easy to franken since they only seem a shade off or a hint of another color different.
One thing I noticed when swatching was these are SHINY. These all are no top coat. The application was good. I had some bald spots but when I swatch I'm impatient, I think if I waited in between I wouldn't have an issue.
Transdesign haul + My thoughts on OPI
My Transdesign haul: OPI Shrek mini set, Color Club- Mrs. Robinson, Rebel Debutaunte, Chelsea Girl, Tangerine Scream, Electro Candy, Magic Attraction, Fashion Addict, Orly- Supernatural, China Glaze- Kiwi Coolada, Solar Power, Color Club- Warhol, China Glaze- Flip Flop Fantasy, Custom Kicks, OPI Dress to Empress, Color Club- Gossip Column (from Warhol to Gossip Column were for a friend), manicure bowl and brush, fiberglass wraps and gel resin, and Konad plate M55. I also picked up OPI pedicure minis in Smooth, Soften and White Tea Massage Lotion to try out.
I'm sure you have all heard about the big thing between OPI and e-tailers. If you haven't, OPI is suing (I was trying to find articles explaining but failed- if you have any please post in comments!). So while most e-tailers have already taken down their OPI section all together and Transdesign is liquidating I figured I would make a big OPI order before it was to late.
It turns out I really don't like OPI. I spent forever searching over the OPI section and looking for swatches but I ended up only purchasing the Shrek mini set and ordering a bunch of other things. I can't justify spending $5+ on a color that is most of the times not so special. I've had a weird grudge against OPI for a long time. It begins with the price- why do they deem themselves so special that they cost so much? I find their formula to not be as nice as a lot of companies, their brush until recently really sucked and their color selection (once again until recently) was 90% reds. Any color I want is LE and rare, it's annoying. When I was a cosmetology student we only used OPI and those brushes were such a pain and something about those bottles- the tops would get stuck so hard and then there was no grip to the handle...I could go on all day about this. I actually have quite a fair few of OPI colors but I NEVER use them. I'm talking 3 years + on these things.
Once they are gone from e-tailers I will no longer be purchasing OPI. It simply doesn't fit in my budget! I also can't pick up OPI anywhere local like I can most other brands- the store an hour away has it but no new collections!
I'm curious to know- what are your feelings on OPI? Love it, hate it? Let me know!
Friday, May 14, 2010
Pre-blog nail art
Because I am too damn lazy to edit pictures right now and I found these on my computer the other day...enjoy some of my pre-blog nail art :D
Fingerpaints Easel Come, Easel Go (I HATE this brands names) with an Ed Hardy nail tattoo and a little flair added with China Glaze Ink. Look how short my nails were! So weird to me now.
China Glaze Agent Lavender stamped with fauxnad Hello Kittys, bows and noses filled in and holographic glitter polka dots on the other fingers. This is one of my favorite NOTDs ever!
China Glaze (I think it's called...) OMG stamped with konad diamonds and sparkles. Check out my pretty shower curtain in the back ;)
NYC Polyester Pink, China Glaze Bermuda Breakaway tips and silver nail art pen. cute rung from Forever 21.
Franken mint green (Orly Mint Mojito + White) stamped with konad.
A Sinful glitter applied only to tips. Reminds me of a mermaid tail.
China Glaze DV8 on tips, neon pink stamped with konad was a Sallygirl mini and holographic glitter nail art pen.
Fingerpaints Easel Come, Easel Go (I HATE this brands names) with an Ed Hardy nail tattoo and a little flair added with China Glaze Ink. Look how short my nails were! So weird to me now.
China Glaze Agent Lavender stamped with fauxnad Hello Kittys, bows and noses filled in and holographic glitter polka dots on the other fingers. This is one of my favorite NOTDs ever!
China Glaze (I think it's called...) OMG stamped with konad diamonds and sparkles. Check out my pretty shower curtain in the back ;)
NYC Polyester Pink, China Glaze Bermuda Breakaway tips and silver nail art pen. cute rung from Forever 21.
Franken mint green (Orly Mint Mojito + White) stamped with konad.
A Sinful glitter applied only to tips. Reminds me of a mermaid tail.
China Glaze DV8 on tips, neon pink stamped with konad was a Sallygirl mini and holographic glitter nail art pen.
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