12 Manis of Christmas: Santa/Rudolph!

*Disclaimer

Hello dolls!

It's been a few days since my last post and I've missed you all haha ;)  For my 3rd festive mani of the season, I decided to tackle no. 2, "Santa/Rudolph".  I decided to use some Jamberry wraps that I received from rep Stacey Henderson :)

 Colors Used: Jamberry Nail Wraps, Simply Beautiful - Emerald City

I think the thing I like most about Jamberry nail wraps is that they're easy to use and really helpful when you're in a pinch.  I mean I slapped this look together pretty quickly before heading out the door to work.  And since I'm pressed for time these days, I can use all the help I can get in the manicure arena haha.  For those who are unfamiliar with how these wraps work, listed below are the application instructions...

I have used Jamberry wraps in the past and am really surprised at how the product has expanded.  On the plus side, the wraps are good for multiple manicures because they don't "dry out" like other wraps tend to.  This means you can use them as a full manicure, or mix and match like I have doe here and still have plenty to spare.  I also love that there are so many varieties of patterns and designs to choose from!  

Average wear time for these wraps is between 1 - 2 weeks.  I never keep a mani on for that long so I can't speak from personal experience, but I work with a lot of women who do wear them regularly and love that they can clack away on their keyboard without worrying about wear & tear on their wraps.

My wrap choices were "Santa Suit" and "Reindeer Games", both of which can easily be found under the Fashionably Festive tab when shopping.  If you don't currently have a Jamberry rep, but are interested in the product, reach out to Stacey for consultation :)  Jamberry Nail Wraps retail fro $15.

What do you think?  These totally have me in the Christmas spirit!

Until next time!

Stef <3

* This product was provided to me for review.  I received no payment or other compensation for the review of this product.  The opinions stated here are completely my own.  The contents of this review are based on my direct experience with this product.

12 Manis of Christmas: Ornaments!

Hello dolls!

It's that time of year when I decide to personally challenge myself to some Wintery/Christmas-y nail art!  I know that there are quite a few of these challenges floating around, but I've been creating one for myself since I first started blogging... so why stop now?  Lol...

So here is the master list of the looks I will be creating between now and Christmas *crosses fingers*.  I won't be going in any particular order, just sort of when I feel like it haha.  First up for today is ornaments!

 Colors Used: Smitten Polish - Between the Baubles, Acrylic Paint

How gorgeous is this polish!!  This is from Smitten Polish's new  Holiday Collection... I just had to have it!  I applied 2 smooth coats.

Then, using some new acrylic paints my sister-in-law bought me (see here), I free-handed my ornaments with a small detail brush.  Top coat and voila!

If any of you would like to participate in this challenge with me, I'd love the company!  I hope you all have a fantabulous day :)

Until next time!

Stef <3

Thanksgiving Gone Flannel!

Hello dolls!

Happy Thanksgiving to you all!!  I have a quick post to share with you today.  I haven't had a tone of time to spend on my nails this week, so I decided to keep my mani simple...

 Colors Used: OPI - Christmas Gone Plaid, Sally Hansen - White On, Acrylic Paint, OPI - Matte Top Coat

I simultaneously love and hate this mani lol.  I'm obsessed with this nail color right now; it's just perfect.  It applies like butter!

 I started with 2 coats of my base colors, with white for my accent color.  I painted 3 vertical green  stripes (center and both sides) with Christmas Gone Plaid and once it set I then painted 3 horizontal white stripes with acrylic paint.  To get the flannel look, I used a detail brush and went back with my green polish to apply diagonal lines in alternating boxes.  Doing this with nail polish was difficult, not gonna to lie.  I would recommend using acrylic paint for small detail work like this. But, alas.  

I topped my accent nail with OPI's Matte Top Coat and the rest of my nails with a Salon top coat I get from my local nail supply store

A little messy, but I'll take it!

Well, I'm off to go watch some Supernatural with the hubs before we head over to my parents house for family craziness lol.  Have a happy and blessed day :)

Until next time!

Stef <3

Santa's Coming!

Good evening, dearies!

With less than 30 mins until it's officially Christmas (in California), I thought I would share a mani I did a few days ago using Shimmer Polish's "Cindy" (*disclaimer)...

 Colors Used: Shimmer Polish - Cindy, Konad - White, Sinful Colors Nail Art - Time Off, Avon - Gold Glimmer

I started with 2 coats of Cindy over a red base.  Cindy is a compacted red glitter polish in a red jelly base.  It applied with perfection!  I think the thing I love most about Shimmer's are that they dry with little to know bumps/lumps/grit after top coating.

I then did a simple Santa Suit on my ring finger using Konad White.  I know that this polish is made for stamping but... well, I just suck at stamping lol.  It's absolutely great for nail arting over glitters so that is it's new purpose in my collection ;)  I added a belt using a Sinful Colors striper and the gold with a nail art brush.  I top coated with OPI Rapi-Dri.

Eeeeee I love it!!

Merry Christmas errbody :D

Until next time!

Stef <3

* This product was provided to me for review.  I received no payment or other compensation for the review of this product.  The opinions stated here are completely my own.  The contents of this review are based on my direct experience with this product.

A Christmas Eve Inspiration!

Hello my loves!

I can't believe Christmas Eve is finally here... hallelujah!!  This has been by far the busiest season for singing I have ever had and my nails have definitely suffered for it :(  I mentioned last week that I broke a nail on my picture hand and am now down to nubs *sigh*.  It's so hard to be inspired to do nail art when my fingers look and feel like stubs lol.  So I've been occupying myself with other things... like building a new work/nail station (!!!!), but that is for another post ;)  This post is about the ladies who inspired a mani that makes my hands feel pretty again lol...

 Colors Used: Sinful Colors Nail Art - Time Off, Spellbound Nails - Pishsalver (Drink Me)

I was perusing thru my Instagram feed the other day and saw this fabulous mani by @hillarykozuch where she combined black tips with white glitter.  I loved it!  She mentioned in a comment that she was inspired by Cajon De Los Esmaltes and I thought, "Oh, how nice!".  I then went about my merry way...

Last night while racking my brain trying to think of a quick and simple Christmas-y mani I got frustrated and went to Google.  Lo and behold Ms. Cajon's mani popped up!  It was fated that I try this look and I'm so very glad I did.  My nubbies look presentable lol.

Thanks for the inspiration ladies!

I hope you all have a very lovely day!  I'll be back later with some... "shimmer" ;)

Until next time!

Stef <3

A "Spellbound"-ing Christmas Giveaway!!

Hello, dolls!

I have a very special post for you today.  One of my all time fave indie brands is hosting a giveaway and I was invited to be one of the bloggers participating :D (*disclaimer)...

Ashley, of Spellbound Nails,  has put together a lovely Christmas collection based on the poem 'Twas the Night Before Christmas.  Here's what Ashley has to say about this collection...

 "I think this poem is one of the most well know things about Christmas. Children learn the basics of it at an early age and it sticks with them into their adult lives. Do you not immediately, upon hearing 'twas the night before Christmas, finish the line?? I thought it was the perfect inspiration for a holiday collection. And how could I create a Christmas collection without giving a slight nod to the Twelve Days of Christmas? I did this by having 12 polishes in this collection."

I have 3 of them to share with you today :)

Not Even A Mouse

This polish "is a white crelly with red and green hex glitter and red mickey mouse shaped glitter. Inspired by 'Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse'."  I applied 1 thin coat over a white base and loved it!  I did have to fish for the Mickey's to get them on the brush, but that's pretty typical with large/chunky glitters.  My plan is to wear this polish to Disneyland when I go.  Maybe next week-ish?

 Happy Christmas To All

This beauty is "an evergreen jelly base filled with red, green, and gold dots that act as both lights and ornaments, silver holographic micro-slices for tinsel, and for the top of the tree beautiful gold holographic stars. Inspired by 'But I heard him exclaim, ere he drove out of sight, "HAPPY CHRISTMAS TO ALL ..."  I was surprised by how much I loved this polish!!  All of the pieces picked up rather well and the tinsel was an awesome touch.  This is one thin coat over a hunter green base.

 Ashes & Soot

Last but not least is the polish i saw and had to have a big bottle of!  I feel like I love Ashley's black jelly/crelly/glittery polishes more than is normal lol.  They're so stinkin gorgeous!!!   This stunner "is a black jelly polish with tons of navy and purple holographic glitter and a really lovely rainbow shimmer. Inspired by 'And his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot'."  Gah!!!  I'm in love <3  This is 1 coat over a black base.

(If you've made it this far I commend you!  Hahaha onto the giveaway we go :D)

Ashley has graciously decided to giveaway 6 mini's from her Christmas collection.  Swatches were also done by my fellow bloggers Varnished Reputation, Painted Nubbs, Over the Top Coat and Possibly Polished so be sure to take a gander!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

May the Christmas Elves be in your favor!

Until next time!

Stef <3

* This product was provided to me for review.  I received no payment or other compensation for the review of this product.  The opinions stated here are completely my own.  The contents of this review are based on my direct experience with this product.

Peppermint Twists and A Tree... Oh My!

Hello, hello!

Sorry it's been a few days since my last post.  The month of December is always insane for singers and as usual I've committed myself to a lot of performances/gigs... and at this point I want to crawl into a hole and hibernate until Christmas is over lol.  But!  My Christmas spirit has yet to be dampened soooo... here's another themed mani....

 Colors Used: Daisy Nail Lacquer - Diamond White, Julep - Molly (red) and Hoch (green), Zoya - Ivanka (green flecked), KBShimmer - Candy Cane Crush (scented)

There's a lot going on in this one lol.  It's like a Christmas smorgasbord!  I started with all of my base colors: Diamond White and Hoch.  Hoch then got a layer of Zoya Ivanka on top to give it some glass-flecked prettieness.  I then applied 1 coat of KBShimmer's Candy Crush (which I ordered with the peppermint scent... love love love!!)...

I then free-handed the peppermint twists using Molly.  I actually really like the way they turned out!  For the tree, I painted 1 coat of a franken I made last year and forgot about.  It's a white crelly with gold glitter mixed in.  I then free-handed the tree using Hoch and a striping brush.  With a dotting tool, I added some baubles to the tree.  It was all topped coated with Color Club Clear :)

Christmas time is here!

I hope to get some more posts out this week, I have so much to share!!  Lol thanks for sticking around lovelies *hugs*.

Until next time!

Stef <3

Snowflakies!

Hello, lovelies!

I have my first Winter/Christmas mani to share with you today.  I wanted to start off my holiday nail arting with something simple.  Well... simple looking lol.  Snowflakes have been a work in progress for me (last year's snowflake mani was disastrous!)...

 Colors Used:  China Glaze - Ruby Pumps, Daisy Nail Lacquer - White Diamond

I really like the way these turned out!  Simple and elegant :)

I started by free-handing my tips with Ruby Pumps (1 coat over a red base).  I couldn't capture the sparkle in my photos but it really is like looking at Dorothy's slippers.  I then used light, short strokes to make my snowflakes.  It was a tad bit time consuming because I was doing my typical OCD, strive for perfection thing lol.  It all got top coated with Color Club Clear.

I'm definitely feeling the Christmas spirit this year.  I can't wait to get our tree!

What are you most looking forward to this holiday season?

Until next time!

Stef <3