Twist and Shout, by Nail Fantasies

You know what? Storms are a pain in the butt. I live in an older mobile home (yay for not paying rent!), so we tend to evacuate when there's a tropical storm or larger coming. That means I'm posting this from my dad's house!

For the record, we're fine. The storm has come and ... well, sort of gone. It's been fairly uneventful, thankfully, and we even had a bit of good luck. Normally we park in the same spot every time we go to my dad's, but this time we parked close to the house. It's a good thing, because when we came out the next morning, there was an ENORMOUS limb right where we normally park our car! It would have been seriously unpleasant, and I'm glad it didn't happen!

We didn't even have to do without power, thanks to my dad's whole-house generator. We lost power sometime in the night last night, but his generator kicked right in and kept us fully-powered. This is where I plan to be for every storm in the future, as well.

But enough of that! I want to show you a lovely polish I got on sale. I've got a few Nail Fantasies brand polishes, and I love them all. This time I'm showing you Twist and Shout, a lovely lime green creme. Unfortunately, I didn't take pictures until after I'd put a coat of glitter polish from Love My Nails on, and I absolutely cannot remember the name of that polish to save my life. I'll update this blog once we're back home again and I can check the name.

Still, you can see the color well in these shots. Twist and Shout is a beautiful creamy lime green that applies nicely. It's one of those colors that really called out to me when I saw it, especially considering it was only $0.50 (if I remember correctly, it might have been less).

As you can see, the glitter polish really does give this green more of a kick. It's an interesting combination of glitters, combining fine translucent opalescent microglitter with large round translucent opalescent glitter, larger translucent opalescent hex glitter and large rhombus holographic glitter. In short, it's absolutely stunning and can look very different from nail to nail.

In fact, the difference nail to nail can be seen either as a positive or a negative characteristic. Personally, I really like the varying looks. However, if you're someone who wants your manicured nails to look consistent overall, then you might find this frustrating. There's really no way to guarantee which shape glitters will show up on your nail that I'm aware of.

I guess you could pour some out into a small dish and try to fish out the bits using a brush or a fine-pointed tool of some sort. Still, that would seem like a waste of polish to me, and too much work. I'm fine with the more whimsical, varying application.

So- overall, I'm extremely happy with both of these polishes. The lime green is perfect both for general application and for nail art, and the glitter is versatile enough to be used as a layering polish or for frankening purposes. This could make some GORGEOUS frankened polish!

As for me? I think it's time for me to find a nap... I think I hear it stalking around in the bedroom. I bet I can totally incapacitate it!

Til next time!

Tropical storms are a pain in the butt.

See my disclosure statement for more information.

Sally Hansen Salon Efects- Halloween 2011

OMG, I am SO EXCITED!! Halloween is my favorite holiday, and the new Halloween collections are starting to come out. I have to admit, this one has me giggling out loud in anticipation...

Sally Hansen has come out with a line of Salon Effects specifically for Halloween, and I am SO looking forward to them! I also love that they aren't all the traditional black and orange some companies go for. Just LOOK at the designs!!

Ghoulie Girl: Google-eyed
ghosts in orange and white

Hot Wired: Bad-girl barbed wire
over lime green backdrop

Numbskull: Spooky skull
and crossbones print

Spun For You: A scary
black spider’s web

Wishnets: Witchy black fishnet
print over bright fuchsia

The press release for them has all the details... just look:

INTRODUCING

SALON EFFECTS REAL NAIL POLISH STRIPS

IN HALLOWEEN PRINTS

FROM SALLY HANSEN

THINK: Spooky style at your fingertips—just peel, apply, file, and go.

WHAT IT IS: No dry-time, nail polish strips for instant Halloween hands. This fall, make a chic seasonal statement with Sally Hansen Nail Polish Strips in new Halloween-inspired prints. Sally Hansen Nail Polish Strips offer DBP, Toluene and Formaldehyde Free, no dry-time nail looks for style that lasts up to ten days. This easy and affordable at-home nail technology takes your Halloween costume to the next level.

Each Salon Effect Real Nail Polish Strips kit includes 16 nail polish strips, a cuticle stick, mini file/ buffer and instructions for easy at-home application. When you’re ready to change your nail strips, simply swipe nails with your favorite Sally Hansen polish remover for an instantly clean slate. Choose from five Halloween-inspired styles.

WHAT THEY COST: $9.99 each.

WHERE TO FIND THEM: Sally Hansen products are available at chain drug stores, food stores and mass merchandisers nationally.

Are you excited about these? Leave me a comment telling me which one you like most!!

Til next time!

Images were provided by the manufacturer.

See my disclosure statement for more information.

It's official: Crazy Rumors is my favorite lip balm!

Specifically this lip balm... the Pink Grapefruit Juice flavor
is so yummy and emolient! *LOVE*

Wow. I have to share something with you, something that may not be a huge deal in the grand scheme of things, but has made my life better regardless. I'm hoping you love it as much as I do!

Now, let me get this part out of the way, because I know some people wonder about it. Sometimes, I get products in the mail for evaluation. I don't mind this, and I'll give them an honest evaluation. But what you're reading is always what I honestly think about a product.

If I get a product that's just so-so, I'll explain what I don't like about it. If I get a product that sucks, I just won't write about it at all. I might also write about the problems I've had, asking if anyone else has had those issues, or if it's consistent across the brand.

However, I don't believe in writing a glowing review just because something was sent to me. If I say that I am absolutely over-the-moon in love with a product, that's because that product has impressed me, and no other reason.

Having said that? OMG, I absolutely ADORE the Pink Grapefruit Juice Lip Balm from Crazy Rumors. I live in South Louisiana, and it has been horribly hot this summer. We've had heat index of 110°-117° for weeks on end, which means it feels like 110°-117° outside. It's like stepping into a sauna, and it sucks. Because of this, I end up having chapped lips almost constantly.

Prior to trying this lip balm, I've been pretty loyal to one particular brand of balm, since it moisturized my lips without being too thick or too greasy. However, all it took was one try of Crazy Rumors balm and I was HOOKED!

Limeade and Pink Grapefruit Juice balms.

I didn't just use this once, though. I wanted to actually use it for a while, see how it lasts, see how often I have to apply it. I'm glad I did, because it's one more thing to like about it! Lots of balms actually seem to dry out your lips, causing you to need more and more balm. You end up running through a tube quickly, and having drier lips than ever.

This balm? I find I apply it two or three times a day and my lips stay incredibly soft without that greasy feeling I hate so much. It's really impressive, and I can't say enough about how much I love this stuff!

Then there's the ingredients: shea butter, jojoba oil, and extra virgin olive oil (all certified organic), stevia, vitamin E... I can feel good about putting this on my lips and into my body! And the flavors... OMG, the flavors! The Pink Grapefruit is delicious... I love it! The Limeade is kind of odd... it reminds me of kindergarten for some reason I can't quite put my finger on. It's not an unpleasant smell, though, and I still love how emollient it is.

Finally, there's the company itself! Their website describes how the company is Edie and Brian Himmel, a couple who love lip balm and wanted to make a stand-out product. There's a Crazy Rumors Twitter and a Crazy Rumors Facebook page, and both share tips, contests and special deals all the time! Why not pop over and follow them?

So, next time you need lip balm? Try Crazy Rumors... it really is amazing!

Til next time!

Lip balm was provided for consideration and evaluation.

See my disclosure statement for more information.

Fall 2011- Polishes from NYC and OPI's The Muppets

Wow... Fall is shaping up to be pretty gorgeous, judging by the polishes I'm hearing about. This is a quick post just to show a couple of upcoming collections. What can I say, I'm a sucker for a tease!

First, let me show you these gorgeous polishes by NYC. These limited edition colors really give off a steampunk vibe to me somehow, rich and lush and slightly muted. They make me think of the turning leaves, the grey bark on the trees, and a pop of color by late-blooming flowers. There's a hint of shimmer in these too, which makes me really excited, although I'm not sure why. I'm really looking forward to these, because they inspire such a feeling of peace for me.

First off is Scenestealer Grey, a deep grey that reminds me of wet concrete, tree bark, and steel. The hint of shimmer makes me think it will be even more reminiscent of steel in person. I'm excited for this one!

Backstage Brown, on the other hand, is a rather golden brown that reminds me of suede and fall leaves, of roaring fires and toasted marshmallows. This seems to be a beautiful neutral that will be perfect for fall!

Finally there's Underground Purple, which may be my favorite of the bunch. Although this is a fall polish, it reminds me of the glorious splash of color when azaleas are in bloom. They're my favorite flower, so it's no surprise that I'm drawn to this polish. I imagine the hint of shimmer will make it that much prettier!


Overall, I think this collection will be quite a fun addition to the other polishes being released for Fall 2011.

This brings me to the other collection in this post, one that made me squeal with glee when I saw it: OPI's The Muppets! First off, I absolutely adore the Muppets. I spent so many hours watching the show as a kid, and I remember having this amazing hardback book about the Muppet Show. It basically had several episodes in storybook form, with lyrics to songs, amazing photographs and illustrations, and transcriptions of the skits from the show. I can remember carrying that book around with me, reading it, using it as a lap desk, using it as inspiration when I wanted to draw, or sing, or act out scenes from the show.

Yea, I've always been creative. It's a bit of a curse. :D

So these polishes had me excited, but also a bit wary- if these polishes were going to live up to the name, they needed to be something special. Thankfully, I think they just might fit the bill...

I'll share the polish descriptions from the press release, since it's now 5am and I've been working on these photos and blog post since about 2am. (Yes, I made the teaser photos!)

 

This line features six shimmery reds and neutrals, as well as six glitter-packed shades, including:

Animal-istic
This wild bright red cannot be tamed!

Meep-Meep-Meep
Missing out on this fuchsia would make you weep, weep, weep!

Wocka Wocka!
The popular deep berry makes everything fun and merry!

Pepe’s Purple Passion
This deep, decadent shade is the best purple ever, okay!

Designer, de Better!
And this light metallic bronze is ready for the runway.

Warm & Fozzie
A feel-good shade of metallic copper.

Rainbow Connection
The rainbow glitter of your dreams.

Excuse Moi!
Ahem! This pink glitter has something to say!

Gone Gonzo!
The aqua-blue glitter is taking over the world!

Fresh Frog of Bel Air
A glitter that prefers the greener things in life.

Divine Swine
The finest, most fabulous magenta glitter ever.

Gettin’ Miss Piggy With It!
Red glittery fun for everyone!

What can I say, I'm really looking forward to these as well! And to leave this on an appropriately-Muppety note, I'll close this post with a great new video by OK Go and the Muppets!

Til next time!

Information was provided for press purposes.

See my disclosure statement for more information.

Some Days Suck... and then there's Fibro.

It hurts your family, it hurts your friends, and it hurts your mindset.

I apologize in advance for the brief whine coming, but it's my blog, you know? Sometimes, ya just have to whine.

Some of you know bits of this, some know more, some know less. I try not to talk about it all the time, just because it gets depressing. But the bottom line is that recently, I spent over 6 weeks sick. First, the kiddo came home from camp, and brought home a lovely chest cold. This chest cold turned into bronchitis for me, and I spent almost 5 weeks fighting it off and on before giving up and going to the doctor.

I know it's stupid. I wasn't sick with acute bronchitis the whole time. I was, however, sick the whole time. I would improve for a day or two, then spend 3 or 4 days sick in bed. Lather rinse repeat, until I was running fever and coughing my head off. The doctor lectured me, said I was damn lucky I didn't end up like Jim Henson. I spent 10 days on Bactrim, including what I thought was an allergic reaction and an ER visit with quite a few tests and resulting bruises.

Within days of finishing the first round of antibiotics (of course, there was more than one *sighs*) I wound up with what I assume was strep. I didn't go to the doctor this time because we're broke as hell (note me selling off nail polish? There's more to come, if I can just get the strength together to do it!) and also because due to a lovely accident I also had a prescription for antibiotics that work on strep and other throat infections. 

Big flarey lizard. RAWR.

For once, life worked out in my favor... mostly. Except that now, thanks to two rounds of powerful antibiotics, strep, and bronchitis, my fibro is flaring like one of those freaky lizards. (See left, for full view of flariness.)

This is a long way to say that guys, I'm still exhausted. The second round of antibiotics worked on my throat infection, but made me feel worse than the presumed strep did. For the record, strep makes me feel like I've been hit by a truck. I'm improving slowly, but this one has hit me really hard, so I'm having problems doing much of anything except trying hard to work through this.

The good news is that it will pass, and I will stop feeling like a burden on my family, a drag for my friends, and a waste of oxygen. I will stop hurting so much, so that I can sleep through the night (or at least, for more than 2 hours at a stretch). I will regain that cheery personality that I seem to be known for.

But right now? Right now it's hard to gather my thoughts together enough to write, hard to control my tremors enough to paint my nails (they've been bare for a week, and chipped for 2 before that). It's hard to get the strength to walk to the bathroom, much less do what needs to be done around here. So the blog is... still going, but maybe a bit quiet for a little while. Maybe I'll just entertain you all with my sparkling wit. ;)

And once I've gotten over this stretch a bit, there's some really cool stuff!! Giveaways, videos, reviews, tutorials... omg, I'm getting excited just thinking about it! So don't forget about me. Let me know what sort of thing you'd like to see in the next week or three! Just keep in mind it shouldn't need all that much physical exertion, because... you know, ow.

I love you all. You have no idea how much...

Til next time.

I'm not always depressed, I promise!

See my disclosure statement for more information.

Sally Hansen Hidden Treasure- On eBay!

Hello my lovelies! Just a quick post to let you know I've got a bottle of Sally Hansen Complete Salon Hidden Treasure on eBay for $6 as I write this right now. I was hoping to be able to post a video here as well, but I guess this is better than nothing.

I've also got some photos from my personal bottle up as well!  Check them out, and if you're interested in owning your own bottle of this gorgeous polish, head over to my listing.

When you apply Hidden Treasure over a dark polish like black,
navy blue, or hunter green, the flakes come alive, flashing shades
of red, orange, green, yellow, and more. It's magical!

Hidden Treasure over lighter colors tends to bring out softer shades
in the flakes, like pinks, icy blues, and golds.

Clearly, I absolutely adore Hidden Treasure over black. There are no words
to describe how happy I feel when I see these flakes on!

Sally Hansen's Hidden Treasure is long gone from the stores, as it was a limited edition release last year. It's a dupe for Gosh Rainbow, and closely resembles the Nfu-Oh flake polishes, or so I've heard. This is definitely a special polish, so if you want to own it, you need to act fast. It's not always available!

Til next time!

This polish was NOT provided by the manufacturer for review.

See my disclosure statement for more information.

Hard Candy: Mischief- Another Clearance Find!

I'm so excited! I don't know if you happened to hear me talking last Halloween, but I was absolutely in LOVE with one particular color that came out in various forms. If I remember correctly, China Glaze came out with Ick-A-Bod-Y first, and then Hard Candy's Halloween collection hit the shelves with their very similar dupe Mischief.

I absolutely loved this color, and wanted it very much. Unfortunately, I couldn't find it in my area. That's one of the problems that comes with living in an area where people love nail polish! By the time I saw the Hard Candy Halloween colors, Mischief was gone.

However, several weeks ago I was out for my evening walk and found this one lone bottle hiding in a clearance bin. My local WalMart has been renovating their store, so lots of items that apparently got lost in the back have come out into the clearance area! I didn't know what this would cost, but since money's so tight I was going to price it.

Imagine my surprise when I saw this was $1! Honey, I grabbed my change purse and started counting my pennies!! Unfortunately, once I got it home it went into my box of untrieds, where it stayed because I've been sick. No FUN!

However, I was able to swatch it finally, and decided I wanted to see it both with topcoat and without. I didn't realize topcoat would make such a difference! It really does, though, as you can see in the photos!

I also decided to swatch these on false nails because my own have been broken so badly. Seriously, my swatching hand looks pathetic. But falsies look good, yes?

Without topcoat, Mischief is bumpy and somewhat gritty, and it's got a strange, matte-ish texture. That doesn't mean it's not gorgeous, it's just not the average for polish. I kinda like that about it, honestly!

However, adding topcoat to it changes the feel of it. Instead of a somewhat flat, gritty look with subdued sparkle, the topcoat fills in all the bumps and gaps, causing this baby to glow like crazy. It is absolutely stunning with topcoat, and I chose to use Seche Vite for it's amazing ability to smooth out the bumpiest of polishes.

I love this polish so much. It really does say fall to me in a way many polishes just can't do. The deep olive green jelly base is another reason I love it- without seeming slimy or gross, the green base somehow gives the orange glitter an earthier tone. I don't quite understand it, but I absolutely love it!

Do you have this polish, or its dupe? What do you think of it? Leave me a comment letting me know if this is a polish you'd love to find hiding in a clearance bin!

Til next time!

Oh, how I love a good sale!

See my disclosure statement for more information.