Dr.'s Remedy Hot Hot Hot Summer 2011 Collection- ON ME!

You know, I wrote about the Dr.'s Remedy Summer 2011 collection a few days back, but the press release photos just did NOT do these beauties justice! Once I got these in my hands, I couldn't wait to put them on immediately!

Unfortunately, the metallic colors didn't fare so well over the deep color I had on already, so I had to take it all off and start over. Awww, shucks, such a shame... more time playing with my polish! *wink* Don't worry, I ended up with lovely shots of all the colors, and I'll share them all with you after the jump!

Make Your Own Nude Nail Polish, courtesy of Pursebuzz.com

I was talking to a friend of mine on Twitter tonight who was having problems with a nail polish she'd gotten. It was a lovely nude polish, but it was just too sheer for her. She wanted to know if she could somehow concentrate the polish pigment, or if that would even work.

Immediately I thought of a video I'd seen a while back. I quickly googled and found what I was looking for. In April of last year, Elissa from Pursebuzz did a fantastic video about making your own nude nail polish from mineral makeup! I've tried it since with eyeshadow and it worked like a charm. So hey... try it out, it can't hurt!



Something else to keep in mind- if your polish mix starts drying up or getting kind of lumpy, add a bit of nail polish thinner to it if you have some. this will loosen up the mixture again so that you can apply it nicely. I do this when I'm mixing custom colors for a single manicure but don't want a whole bottle of it.

Hope this helps someone! Also, if you're at all interested in cosmetics, fashion, DIY, or just plain fun then you'd probably enjoy Elissa's website, Pursebuzz.com. She's also got a Twitter account where she gives tips and tricks, tells you when her new videos or blog posts go up, and sometimes hosts fun little giveaways! And as if that's not enough, she's also got a Facebook page!

Most of all, she's not just a beauty guru, she's also a genuinely nice person. I'm not being compensated for this post, I just think she's one of those people everyone should know about. So go follow her, and tell her I sent you! :D

Til next time...

See Pursebuzz.com for more information on fashion, makeup, and all sorts of goodies!

See my disclosure statement for more information.

Happy Holidaze the Thirteenth- *koffkoff* *sniffle* I hab a code. Nail art today will be simple. :*D

Hey y'all, sorry for the pause in posting but I seem to have contracted the holiday funk. I've been all achy and sniffly and sleeping copious amounts. Writing simply wasn't on the list, and while I seem to be feeling a touch better, I'm still not 100%, so let's look at something a bit more simple today.

I know I've been writing about fairly complex nail art looks, ones that are fun and funky and eye-catching. But let's not forget that sometimes a simple look can be just as much fun as a more elaborate one. A simple glitter topcoat can change a manicure from simple and nice to simply gorgeous! For example...

The glitter topcoat on both of these polishes add a touch of sparkle, and can be a lot of fun for people who don't necessarily like drawing pictures on their nails. Or, you can try something a bit different, but just as elegant. Try adding a thin line of glitter at the very tip of the nail, while using a nice neutral warm-toned polish.

It's subtle, yet it still sparkles. I think even people who don't wear nail art often could wear any of these looks for an evening out and feel both normal and a bit sexy. There's nothing like a bit of sparkle to brighten your day (or evening)!

With that, I'm back off to bed. I've got a date with my pillow, and we're going to share a wonderful vintage of cold medicine together. Ahh, romance...

Milani Bare Necessities With a Dazzling Topcoat

EDIT: Sorry, guys... I have no idea what happened here. The pictures were there when I posted, but suddenly aren't now. I'm blaming the web pixies for stealing my pictures! All should be fixed now, so carry on, carry on! ♥

 Psssst.

Yes, you. C'mere. I've got a secret to tell you.

You have to promise you won't tell anyone. I mean it... not anyone! Can I trust you to keep my secret?

I have an almost unhealthy love for sparkly things.

I know. I hide it so well. People are always so surprised when I squee over something glittery, because it's such a shock! But it's true, and I can't hide it any longer...

Ok, fine. It's not exactly a secret. But it's still the truth. I love glittery, shimmery things so much! It's not that I don't like creme polishes, it's just that they're so... creamy and flat. The idea of being able to add my own layer of shimmer to a creme polish to switch it up is a fantastic one, and it's hardly a new idea. Companies have made glitter polishes for decades!

But I recently found a topcoat that is filled not with glitter but with shimmer- tiny particles that glimmer and sparkle almost like diamond dust. To see that this polish was a grant total of $0.99?

Oh yea. I squealed out loud, standing right there in the middle of WalMart, not caring who saw me, who thought I was insane. I bought a bottle, and am now considering buying a couple of extra bottles for backup. I love it that much! It's called Dazzling, and it's a gorgeous iridescent shimmer in a violet-tinged clear polish. If I could, I would marry it and have lots of tiny little nail polish babies in all colors of the shimmery rainbow!

So, I started out with two coats of Milani's Bare Necessity from this fall's line of limited edition polishes. (For the record? Those polishes are crazy gorgeous for neutrals!!) Two coats gave me a neutral that was just a shade or two deeper than my own skin tone, warm enough to look healthy but still a nice neutral beigey-tan. As a work polish, I think this is ideal, even though you might die of boredom from looking at it too long. (I kid, I kid!!)

Once I'd gotten my base color down, I added a coat of Dazzling. This brought that neutral shade to life, turning it into a glistening neutral that seemed to have sparks inside! I honestly am at a loss about how to describe it... let's just say it was flippin' beautiful, 'k?

After one coat of shimmer gorgeousosity, you'd think I would have stopped there, yea? No. I added another coat, which made it even more magically insane than before!!  It's so crazy that I was abusing caps lock and exclamation points with my friends!! It looked almost alive with delicate rainbow sparkles lighting up my fingertips, causing me to spend entirely too much time staring at my nails and not nearly enough time doing important things, like breathing.  I was in love, y'all!

The best part is that it's absolutely smooth. No bumps, no sandpaper nails. Just a billion sparkles of light, turning your nails into a disco paradise. I added a coat of Seche Vite to make sure this baby wore like iron, and wore this for three days.

THREE DAYS, people!!!

I'm feeling a bit dizzy just remembering it... I think I need a few moments to myself. Feel free to dig around the blog while I go retire to my chambers to stare at my nails a bit more. This way, if I forget to breathe, at least I'll have a soft comfy bed to pass out into! :D

Milani's Bare Necessity was provided by the company's PR for evaluation.

WHEW!! They're finally finished- my non-bumpy, non-scratchy lace-embedded nails!

I am so excited to share this that I am almost speechless. I have finally finished the lace-embedded nails to a point that I would wear them happily. My lace nails are FINISHED! They're hard to photograph, but they're so cute! Yes, these babies have actual lace embedded into the finish, and yet there are no sharp pointy bits sticking off the edges, and no scratchy bits on top. They have all the beauty of lace, yet none of the irritating texture!

There are a few patterns in, because I didn't have enough lace to make them all identical. It's something to consider for next time if they sell. Also, I was unsure on the price. Do you think they're priced too low? Too high?

This was a serious learning curve. When I first attempted it, I was left with a nail that had lace bits poking out at the sides. Each bit would then soak up topcoat, becoming a tiny sharp barb that would make wearing these pretty much impossible, in my opinion. Add to that the texture of the actual lace on top and these were pretty, but unwearable for me. The solution?

Elbow grease. I wish I had a better answer for you, one that's fancy and high tech. But no... it came down to finding each little pokey part, trimming it as closely as I could, then filing it smooth with an emery board. Then I would take my buffing block and work through each step, until it was buffed to a glass-like shine. Tedious?

You have NO idea.

And yet, I wasn't finished. No... there was still that pesky lace texture to deal with. I bought a bottle of Seche Vite, hoping it would self-level all my problems away. It didn't. So... once again, I sanded those lumps and bumps away until I was left with a smooth surface, then buffed and polished them til they shined. What can I say, I'm determined. And look at them shine...


So yea... that's the big secret I've been holding on to. It's not something particularly special... it's just an amazing amount of work... mind-numbing, fingertip-erasing work. I've sanded my brains away, and for now, they're available for $24.95 through my Etsy shop. Here's hoping someone jumps on them, because I'd really love to make some more in other color combinations (black and red, anyone?), but I need the money from sales to buy more supplies! So go, look, and if you know someone who might be interested, maybe you could toss them a link? Thanks!!

Lace Nail Art- A Preview...

I've been working very, very hard on a set of lace nails for my Etsy shop. Wait, what's that? You didn't know I had an Etsy shop? Turns out you're not alone. I'm doing another quick promo for the nail sets in my shop, plus a teaser for the set I've been working myself silly on.

I mean that quite seriously, by the way. As an example of what I've been doing, look at this emery board. It was new when I started. Now it's garbage. Those white patches aren't stuff in the file, that's bare board where the abrasive bits that have been rubbed off. This poor board is shot!

But it's so worth it. I love these nails more than I thought possible... so, briefly, here's a sneak peek of an upcoming post (and addition to the Etsy shop):

Sweet, isn't it? That's real lace, by the way. You'll hear more as soon as they're finished, and I can stop working on them. :D

Also in the shop are some really fun nails. I've got a set of nails that are pure holographic glitter, gorgeous and sparkly with all the colors of the rainbow flashing. I've got rainbow nails with a holographic topcoat- like rainbows topped with rainbows! There are rainbows nails with black zebra stripes on top- I call them the Pride of the Wild. I've also got a set of gorgeous, more understated gradient nails that shift from pink to red topped with a holographic topcoat. And finally, my favorites, I've got vibrant paint splatters on a black background.

I love these nails, and I'm hoping you will too! So go check them out, and if you see something you just have to have, well... you know what to do. :D

          ♥ Laynie

Maybelline Cocoa Motion- What I Wore When I Had To Pretend I Was A Grown Up

I had a meeting with my son's school today. He's a good student, but has been having horrible health issues for the last two years, and as a result, we're all ready to pull our hair out- parents, teachers, administrators, and kiddo himself. Today we met to see what we can do to help him get the education he needs. It was very stressful just planning for it, and I realized an hour and a half before we had to leave that the near-fluorescent red I was wearing might not actually be appropriate for the meeting.

I wanted to appear professional, responsible, and as someone to be taken seriously. Neon just would not do. I dug through my untried polishes box and found this lovely creme polish I won from the Dainty Darling Digits Go Green giveaway. Yes, this would absolutely do.

Since I didn't have much time, I skipped base coat. I did two very thin coats of Cocoa Motion and was struck by what a pretty, creamy cocoa brown this was. It went on like a dream, too, with very little need for cleanup. Maybe it's the brush, but this polish was a joy to apply. The two coats were also nicely opaque, and dried quickly. I was very pleased with this color, especially with how it looked against my skin tone.

Thankfully, today's meeting went well. It was stressful, but we all had the same goals in mind, and I think we made a good decision for my son. Is it because of this nail polish?

Probably not, but it sure made me feel more secure!

Revlon Iced Mocha- like chocolate milk for my nails!

Do you ever find that doing your nails helps you deal with anxiety? I admit it, I have issues with anxiety, and I find that doing things with my hands helps me to channel that nervous energy into something positive, something more beneficial. Take this manicure, for instance.

I was feeling extremely worried about something I had absolutely no control over. Instead of stressing and driving myself crazy, I pulled out my nail polish box and looked for something soothing. I knew I'd found just the right thing when I pulled out Revlon's Iced Mocha. The soft creamy tan is almost the color of chocolate milk, a warm soothing shade that seemed just the ticket.

I was surprised when I started to apply it, because it went on so easily. I only needed one coat, and it covered like a dream. Instead of having to do three or four coats, waiting between them, and worrying about too much polish on my nails I was able to finish my manicure in no time!

The soft shimmer in this polish is really pretty. It feels weird to have such a neutral shade on my nails, though. I've been wearing brights and darks for so long that I feel like I've got the dreaded mannequin hands. I know that I don't, but it's still somewhat unnerving to look at my hands and see this subtle shimmer.

Still, I really, really like it. It's perfect for any situation where I'd need to be more conservative with my nails. I'm tempted to stamp on top of it, but I think I'll betaking the polish off instead. I'm a bit bored with it already!

So what do you think of it? Is this a beautiful shade, perfect for some particular situation? Is it just too darn plain? Is it perfect for stamping, and what would you pair it with? Talk to me, I'd love to hear your thoughts!