Author: RiaG

Mavala – 310 Espresso with some nail art

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This manicure is quick and simple but I really liked it.

The base color is Mavala Espresso from their Fall 2014 Sublime collection. Espresso has an excellent formula. It applies very smoothly and evenly and is opaque with two coats. Dry time was quick and it didn’t stain my nails or cuticles when removed.

For this manicure I used a coat of Essie Fill The Gap and Glisten & Glow Stuck On Blu! base coats, two coats of Espresso and HK Girl top coat. Stamping was done with OPI Love.Music.Angel.Baby velvet matte polish and Born Pretty Store stamping plate (you can use the code NZL91 for -10% off).

 

***Mavala Espresso and OPI  Love.Angel.Music.Baby were sent for review. Studs and stamping plate were gifted to me. I don’t benefit from clicking any of the links on this post.

Jindie Nails – Coral-ing All The Jindie Junkies (Fan group custom polish)

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I gotta take a break from organizing my new nail and makeup room aka woman cave :D to show you this new Jindie Nails beauty. This is Coral-ing All The Jindie Junkies and it was created as a custom polish for Jindie Nails fan group in FB.

“This one is is a coral  shimmer polish loaded with blue, purple, pink, rose, green, gold and real silver flakies.  It’s also got micro glitters in holographic gold and holographic silver.  The polish is opaque in 2-3 coats.”

Quality of this polish was very good. It applied nice and smooth, dried fast enough and didn’t chip during the three days I wore this manicure. Just beautiful!

For this manicure I used a coat of Essie Fill The Gap and a coat of Glisten & Glow Stuck On Blu! base coats, two coats of Coral-ing All The Jindie Junkies and HK Girl top coat. For the ring finger I used a coat of Essie Fill The Gap and two coats of OPI Love.Angel.Music.Baby velvet matte, no top coat.

You can buy Jindie Nails polishes from JindieNails.com or from authorized distributors. You can find the latest news, releases and restock info from their FB and IG.

 

***All the products on this post were sent for review.  I don’t benefit from clicking any of the links on this post.

Born Pretty Store review – Gold and silver nail art rings

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Today I have some nail art for you using silver rings and rhinestones from Born Pretty Store.

 

These rings come in a wheel of gold and silver colored metal rings. They can be used for nail art on natural nails or with gel/acrylic nails. These are not too big so they are easy to place on the nails. I chose to put a rhinestone inside of the rings and also placed some rhinestones around them.
I actually expected these to be solid rings but as you can see on the photo above, the ends overlap each other a little. I thought this might be a problem and cause them to get stuck on clothes and hair etc. but it really wasn’t an issue at all. I pressed the ring on to wet nail polish, placed the rhinestones and few glitter pieces and sealed everything with a generous coat of HK Girl top coat. I wore this manicure for two days. The rings didn’t get caught on anything during that time and both the rings and rhinestones stayed on perfectly until I removed the manicure.
For this manicure I used:Mavala 315 Amethyst from the Fall 2014 Sublime collection. I used two coats for index and pinky nails. For middle finger and thumb nails I used a coat of Amethyst and a coat of Lynnderella Jelly Egg. Everything is topped with HK Girl top coat.
For the ring finger I first applied two coats of Essie Fill the Gap. Next I applied a generous coat of OPI In True Stefani Fashion glitter polish on the middle of the nail. Then I placed the rings and rhinestones on to the wet polish and pressed them down gently. I also added some F.U.N. Lacquer Winter Wonderland glitter topper (Can this please make comeback this Christmas? It’s so awesome!) for extra sparkle. I topped everything with another generous coat of HK Girl top coat and I was done!
These rings looked pretty much as I thought they would when used on a manicure. I quite like the little extra something they bring on a regular rhinestone nail art. I’ll definitely will be using these again on another manicure.

 

You can buy these silver and gold rings from Born Pretty Store and they also have a wide range of other nail art supplies. Born Pretty Store offers free worldwide shipping. Please use the code “NZL91” when you order and get extra -10% discount.

 

www.bornprettystore.com

 

 

***These rings were sent for review. Rhinestones were gifted to me. I don’t benefit from clicking any of the links on this post.

Dollish Polish – Walker Bait with a hint of nail art

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Lately I’ve been so busy again that it’s hard to find time to write blog posts. I can do my nails and take the photos but I don’t seem to have enough time to just sit down and write these posts. So I’ve been thinking that instead of trying to write as much as I usually do I’ll keep it short and simple for a bit. That way I’ll at least get the reviews and posts up for you guys and who has time to read all this anyways LOL It’s more important to show the photos and tell you the basic things about the polish :)

This manicure is a bit of a tease cos the polish was limited edition and isn’t available anymore. This is Dollish Polish Walker Bait. I still want to show you this manicure cos Walker Bait is just stunning and you might want to keep your eyes open for it in case it makes another comeback in the future.

Walker Bait applies really well, is opaque on two coats and it dries fast. Removal was easy and there was no staining on my nails after this. It also didn’t chip during the two days I wore it. I wanted to wear it longer but I was peeling an apple and peeled a part of my ring finger nail off too so I had to remove the polish earlier than I was planning.

For this manicure I used a coat of Essie Fill the Gap, a coat of Glisten & Glow Stuck On Blu! base coat, two coats of Walker Bait and HK Girl top coat. Ring finger nail art is done with a fine brush using Mavala 106 Orange Fusion and OPI Liquid Sand Jinx. Studs are from Born Pretty Store.

Photos don’t do justice to this stunning polish. Looking at the bottle on these photos gives a better idea of how this looks on nails when light hits it in different angles. So beautiful!

 

***Walker Bait,Jinx and studs were purchased by me, Mavala Orange Fusion was sent for review.

Jindie Nails – Higher Flower

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Happy Saturday lovelies! Here’s a quick blog post before I head out to my niece’s and nephew’s birthday party.

This is Jindie Nails Higher Flower from the Recover Me collection. The description on Jindie Nails website says it all:

“The most beautiful and highly pigmented neon pink polish, loaded with micro flakes and holographic micro glitters in purple and silver. The flakie colors are bronze, silver, purple, pink and blue.  The silver flakies are bits of real silver.  It’s divine and opaque in 1-2 coats.”

This polish is amazing! Such a vibrant neon pink and unlike your average neon this doesn’t require multiple coats to be opaque.

Ladies and gentlemen, this is a one coater on shorter nails!!

Perfect, flawless application and quick dry time. I wore this as a full manicure for three days and no chipping or issues at all. Easy enough to remove and didn’t cause any staining.  For my full manicure I only applied one coat. On these swatch photos there is two coats of polish cos I wanted to see if the second coat would make the color even more vibrant. It added a little depth but I have to say this was already perfect on the first coat.

For this manicure I used a coat of Essie Fill the Gap, a coat of Glisten & Glow Stuck On Blu! base coat, two coats of Higher Flower and HK Girl top coat.

You can buy Jindie Nails polishes from JindieNails.com or from authorized distributors. You can find the latest news, releases and restock info from their FB and IG.

 

 

***This polish was sent for review.

piCture pOlish – O’Hara

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So here are the first “official” swatch photos that I took on all natural nails (these photos still show the swollen pregnancy fingers that are also now back to normal). There are some iPhone shots that can be seen on my IG that were taken before these.

And can I just say YAY! It was a looooong road to get here but I didn’t give in and apply the gel back on my nails. We’ll see what the winter and freezing weather brings with it though :P Either way I don’t see the super long nails coming back soon since it’s a nice change to have shorter nails now.

Then let’s move on the beauty that is piCture pOlish O’Hara, stunning red crelly with a scattered holo effect. Such a gorgeous polish! Unfortunately I don’t have photos taken in direct sunlight but trust me, the holo goodness is there.

The formula on this was perfect! Easy and smooth application with a quick dry time. I really appreciate great quality polishes like this one right now cos the time I have to do my nails is so limited at the moment.

For this manicure I used a coat of Sally Hansen Nail Rehab, a coat of Glisten & Glow Stuck On Blu! base coat, two coats of O’Hara and HK Girl top coat.

 

 

 

***This polish was purchased by me.

Jindie Nails – You Can’t Turn a Ho-lo into a Housewife

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Well I thought I had already shown you all the swatch photos that I still had gel on my nails in. Turns out I was wrong. Yesterday I found these photos. I took them last summer, moved them from the camera to my computer, put them in the wrong folder and forgot about them.

But now they have been found so here you go, Jindie Nails – You Can’t Turn a Ho-lo into a Housewife. A polish that has one of the most awesome names ever :D

“A gorgeous multi-chrome and linear holographic polish. The colors in this one include red to blue and all shades in between”.


Formula was perfect and I had no issues with the application. This was opaque in two coats and dried fast. I did a full manicure with this polish and I remember it didn’t chip but I have no clue how long I kept it on my nails. It was at least for two days, that I know.

For this manicure I used Sally Hansen Nail Rehab as a base coat, two coats of You Can’t Turn a Ho-lo into a Housewife and HK Girl top coat.

 

Jindie Nails – You Can’t Turn a Ho-lo into a Housewife – photo taken with daylight bulbs.
Jindie Nails – You Can’t Turn a Ho-lo into a Housewife – photo taken with daylight bulbs.
Jindie Nails – You Can’t Turn a Ho-lo into a Housewife – photo taken in direct sunlight.
Jindie Nails – You Can’t Turn a Ho-lo into a Housewife – photo taken in direct sunlight.

 

***This was sent for review.

 

Sally Hansen Nail Rehab nail treatment

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Since I grew out the gel nails I needed to start looking for good base coats and treatments for my natural nails. I also got an opportunity to test Sally Hansen Nail Rehab treatment. Usually nail strengtheners are not good for me and instead of making my nails stronger they make them break and peel.

Nail Rehab bottle does have the word “Strengthener” on it but I still decided to give it a try and I’m glad I did. Usually if something doesn’t work for my nails they start peeling and looking dry very fast. That happened with Duri Rejuvacote just after the third time I used it. I have now used over half a bottle of Nail Rehab and there is no peeling or any other problems at all.

To make sure it was a good product for me I only used Nail Rehab on my manicures for almost two months. On top of it I apply a coat of Glisten & Glow Stuck On Blu! base coat before the polish and top coat. Between manicures I use Bliss Kiss nail oil to hydrate my nails before applying the treatment again. I only keep my nails without polish on them for an hour max at the moment since I have to wash my hands all the time cos of the new baby.

Nail Rehab has a thick-ish formula and it also smooths out your nails like a ridge filler. On the photo below I still have a gel layover on part of my nails and two coats of Nail Rehab hides the growth line almost perfectly. The color is also just lovely natural looking peachy shade. It hides possible stains on your nails when you apply two coats of it. If you have a busy day you can just apply two coats of Nail Rehab and have perfect looking nude nails.

While using Nail Rehab my manicures have stayed good at least for 2 to 3 days without chipping. I could probably go for a few days longer but I get tired of looking at the same polish ;)

 

 

So all in all this treatment works perfectly for my nails. Doesn’t make them peel or dry. Makes a good base for a manicure and doesn’t cause the polish to chip faster than usual. I can’t say if this makes my nails stronger but it doesn’t cause peeling or drying for my nails like so many other base coats and treatments do and that’s enough for me.

Only thing I’d change about this is the brush. The bristles are really short and stiff. It took some time to get used to it but after a while I didn’t have issues with the application and the brush anymore.

If you’re looking for an affordable treatment for your nails I recommend you give this one a try too. Works great for me!

***This was sent for review.

Some Mavala Techni-Color’s collection swatches

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This summer I got an opportunity to try some Mavala polishes. It’s been forever since I had a bottle of Mavala polish and I have to say my experiences with them have been more or less average. So I wanted to test this summer collection just of curiosity and I was so pleasantly surprised! The polishes had a good, highly pigmented formula. Application was smooth and easy and drying didn’t take forever. Some of these were almost one coaters. I also LOVED the colors! Not amazingly unique but bright and vibrant colors that go well with any time of the year.

Some of these are also so pigmented that they work for stamping. I haven’t tried stamping with them but I’ve seen it done by other bloggers.

This was a summer collection but at least where I live I’ve still seen it been sold a few days ago. So if you never paid attention to these I suggest you check them out while you can.

Today I have swatches of three colors out of the six on this collection. Again these photos were taken during summer when I still had gel on my nails. I think that this is it though and next photos are gonna be all natural nubbins swatches ;)

 

 

102 Cyber Yellow – Two coats with Glisten & Glow Stuck On Blu! base coat and HK Girl top coat 
 Bright yellow with green-ish shimmer and glow. Amazing application for a yellow polish. This one has a tiny bit of visible brush strokes in it but it’s really not too noticeable in real life.
106 Orange Fusion – Two coats with Glisten & Glow Stuck On Blu! base coat and HK Girl top coat 
Really fierce orange shade that looks like it’s on fire. Amazing application and this is a one coater even if I applied two. Yes, this came out in a summer collection but how perfect is this color for fall too!
103 Cobalt Blue – Two coats with Glisten & Glow Stuck On Blu! base coat and HK Girl top coat 
Very vibrant blue creme that is a borderline crelly if you ask me. Very glossy and bright! Again, amazing application and very well pigmented formula. This instantly became my favorite blue and I think I need to get a backup bottle while I can still find one. Love, love, love it!!

***These polishes were sent for review.

CND Vinylux swatches

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Today I have more older swatch photos to show you. Again these were taken during summer when my nails still had some gel layover left on them. So the nail shape is a little weird and you can see the gel growth line on some of the photos.

Now all the gel is grown out so that won’t be a problem anymore on the newer photos. Though now my problem is that my nails are nubbins. I’m never totally happy :P

So today I have some random CND Vinylux swatches for you.

“VINYLUX™ is a breakthrough polish system that endures a week of fashion perfection…without a base coat! Exposure to natural light secures the patent-pending technology, creating an enduring, long-lasting polish. While ordinary polishes become brittle and deteriorate over time, VINYLUX dries naturally to a flawless finish and strengthens its resistance to chips over time. VINYLUX is available in 71 fashion-forward polish colors and 60 colors that match popular CND Shellac™ shades.”


All of the swatch photos are taken without a base coat and using Vinylux Weekly top coat. All the polishes applied well and were opaque in 2-3 coats.

 

 

Studio White (3 coats and Vinylux Weekly Top Coat)
Grapefruit Sparkle (3 coats and Vinylux Weekly Top Coat)
 
 
Limeade (3 coats and Vinylux Weekly Top Coat)
 
 
Locket Love (2 coats and Vinylux Weekly Top Coat)
Pink Bikini (2 coats and Vinylux Weekly Top Coat)
 
 
Pretty Poison (2 coats and Vinylux Weekly Top Coat)

***These polishes were sent for review. I don’t benefit from clicking any of the links on this post.