Zoya Tru & American Apparel Meteor Shower

I love American Apparel polishes & I couldn't wait to get my hands on this one. Meteor Shower is irregular shards of gold foil or mylar in a clear base. I didn't have much trouble with application but you do have to push down the larger pieces to get them to lay flat.
I'm wearing two coats of American Apparel Meteor Shower over 2 coats of Zoya Tru in these photos. I followed up with 2 coats of topcoat just to make sure all of the edges were well stuck down. I love the effect and will be wearing Meteor Shower again soon!

Thanks for reading!
April

Sation Classical Note & Bump In Beige & Some Quick Nail Art

Sation recently updated their brand & bottles & I have a few of their new polishes to show you. The bottles are oval with thick glass bottoms. The new brushes are great for ladies like me that love wide brushes. The formula on all the ones I've tried is excellent. You can find out more about the brand on their Facebook page.

First we have Classical Note, a dusty berry with a finish somewhere between a creme & a jelly. Great formula & only needs 2 coats. A classic just as the name suggests!

Next is Bump In Beige, a new favorite color that I've already worn twice. It's a beautiful shade of beige with just a hint of rose in the same creme/jelly finish as Classical Note. Often colors like this are hard to work with but Bump In Beige has a dreamy formula.

 

The next day I tried a little nail art with the fan brush that came with nail art brush set. I'm not entirely pleased with the results but it was easy & very fast.

Thanks for reading!
April

Weekly Giveaway Roundup

I love giveaways. Each week I'll post giveaways that I think are awesome! I'm trying to catch any giveaway that has nail polish & I always post them on the Monday before they close. I figure some publicity towards the end of the entry period is a good idea, so don't worry that I've forgotten yours if I don't post it immediately! On the other hand, I know that I will occasionally miss a giveaway or two. If I miss yours, please know that it was accidental and nothing personal!

I've decided to note which giveaways aren't open internationally. The default will be open worldwide, meaning I'll only note if they have restrictions.

NAIL POLISH & MORE

• Polishology is giving away 3 China Glaze ElectroPop polishes! Ends 2/28.
• Geeky Owl is giving away 3 pretty polishes! 2 winners!! Ends 2/28. 
• Need More Nails is giving away 4 Ulta3 polishes! Ends 2/28.
• Dragon Lady Nails is giving away Finger Paints Flecked & Flashy! Ends 2/29.
• The PolishAholic is giving away 5 OPI Holland polishes! 2 winners!! Ends 2/29. *US only
• The Polish Hoochie is giving away Finger Paints Motley & Flecked & some nail art goodies! Ends 2/29.
• Sunny Vanilla is giving away Essie Peach Daiquiri & lots more! Ends 2/29.
• NailLacquerAddict is giving away Essence stamping goodies! Ends 2/29.
• Glam Polish is giving away your choice of 6 China Glaze From the Capitol polishes! Ends 2/29. *US & Australia only
• Just Add Polish is giving away the Zoya Fleck Collection!! Ends 2/29. *US only
• Faces by Farah is giving away an Elizabeth Grant Nail Polish & Vitamin C Skincare Set!! Ends 2/29. *US & Canada only
• Beauty Besties is giving away an OPI Nicki Minaj Mini set! Ends 2/29. *US only
• The Giveaway Lifestyle is giving away a Julep Introductory Box! Ends 2/29. *US & Canada only
• A Place for my Nails is giving away 8 Sensique Glitter polishes! Ends 2/29.
• The TraceFace Philes is giving away the Zoya Feel Collection!! Ends 3/1. 
• Oh so Lacquered! is giving away 3 Spoiled by Wet N Wild polishes! Ends 3/1. *US only
• Lacquered Lover is giving away 8 ManGlaze polishes!!! Ends 3/1. *US only
• Konad Addict is giving away a Pure Ice Crackle set!! Ends 3/1.
• Bonjour Beauty is giving away 12 terrific polishes & tons of makeup! Ends 3/1.
• Bubbles & Baubles is giving away a mystery prize with green polish & more!! Ends 3/1. 
• The Nail Network is giving away 2 SoFlaJo polishes! Ends 3/1.  
• Aly Loves Lacquer is giving away 4 Finger Paints Special Effects polishes!! Ends 3/1.
• Light Your Nails! is giving away Layla Hologram Effect #08 Flash Black!! Ends 3/3.
• Glitter Obsession is giving away 4 fun polishes & some nail art goodies!! Ends 3/4.
• Geeky Owl is giving away 4 lovely polishes including Sinful Cinderella!! Ends 3/4.
• Love. Varnish, Chocolate & more...is giving away Mont Bleu Glass Files! Ends 3/5.
• Deuce Beauties is giving away 12 LAYLA Magneffects polishes!!! Ends 3/5.
• The Crumpet is giving away OPI Mad as a Hatter! Ends 3/6.
• Mai Senza Smalto is giving away 17 awesome polishes!! Ends 3/6.
• I'm giving away 3 Sation polishes! Ends 3/9.

NAIL ART CONTESTS

• Enamel Girl is having an "Anything Spring" stamping contest! 5 winners!! Entries must be submitted by 3/3.
• Oooh, Shinies is having a "Nature" themed contest! Entries must submitted by 3/27.

MAKEUP & SKINCARE

• I'm Still Thinking...is giving away KiwiBerry lenses & lashes! Ends 2/28.
• Faces by Farah is giving away the Socializer Skincare Collection from Elizabeth Grant!! Ends 2/29. *US & Canada only
• Kandee Johnson is giving away Eyeko Mascara! 50 winners!!! Ends 2/29. *US & Canada 
• Music & Mommies is giving away Ginger Balm!! Ends 3/3. *US & Canada only
• Chic Luxuries is giving away 5 Stephen Knoll haircare products!! Ends 3/5. *US only

THINGS FOR YOUR HOME

• Elle-Hime is giving away Timeless Trends Corset Calendars! 2 winners!! Ends 2/29. *US Territories only
• Candy Coated Tips is giving away a Diamond Candle!! Ends 3/1. *US only
• Chunky & Monkey, MD is giving away a Dr. Scholl's Technogel Pillow!! Ends 3/4. *US only

MISCELLANEOUS

• Handmade MN is giving away a set of 12 lovely "Love from" notecards by Vandalia Street Press!! Ends 3/3.
• The Law Student's Cookbook is giving away a copy of Lucinda's Authentic Jamaican Kitchen!! Ends 3/3.
• Mammamoiselle is giving away a $50 Uncommon Goods GC!! Ends 3/5. *US only

Please feel free to post your giveaways in the comments of the Weekly Giveaway Roundup posts! Let's keep them all on these posts and not on regular posts.

Thanks for reading!
April

Chain Nails!

I didn't get very good pictures of these nails which is too bad because I really loved them. These stayed on remarkably well for 2 whole days.
I used one coat of American Apparel Hassid. The chains had earlier been cut with a pair of scissors, just a chain from some old necklace. I added some top coat to one nail & then used a pair of tweezers to add a length of chain. Repeat the process on each nail & then add another layer of top coat and finished!

Thanks for reading!
April

Sation Giveaway! Ends 3/9. (Closed)

I've recently reviewed a few polishes from the newly revamped Sation polish line. Now it's my pleasure to offer one lucky winner 3 lovely Sation polishes of their own!

The winner will receive Midtown Haze, Sandy Glo (small silver glitter mixed with small red glitter in a clear base), & Violet Flare.

RULES:
PLEASE READ ALL OF THE RULES BEFORE ENTERING.

• This giveaway is open worldwide! (Please check with country's postal requirements before entering. Neither Sation nor I are responsible for customs charges or lost packages.)
• This giveaway starts today, February 23rd, and will end March 9th at 11:59PM Central Time.
• We'll select the winner with random.org's random number generator and notify the winner by email on March 10th.
• The winner will have 24 hours to respond. If the winner doesn't reply within 24 hours, that winner will forfeit the prize and an alternate winner will be selected via random.org.

HOW TO ENTER:
Each person is allowed to enter up to two (2) times as follows:

• The first entry is a freebie; just enter your name & email. No need to be a follower.
• You can earn an optional second entry by liking Sation's Miss Professional Nail facebook page. Please leave your facebook name for verification.
• You only need to fill out the form once. This works MUCH better than comments, so I've turned them off for this post to avoid confusion.

Mardi Gras Nails

These were mostly my boyfriend Will's idea. I love how they turned out! Not difficult exactly but rather time consuming and a bit frustrating to get the diamonds (mostly) even. This design would be easier to do on flatter nails than mine but I think they were worth the effort.

I used Barielle Soul-er Powered (fantastic polish!) for the base and then added corners of Zoya Holly & Sinful Let's Talk. Thanks for the great idea Will!

Thanks for reading!
April

Weekly Giveaway Roundup

I love giveaways. Each week I'll post giveaways that I think are awesome! I'm trying to catch any giveaway that has nail polish & I always post them on the Monday before they close. I figure some publicity towards the end of the entry period is a good idea, so don't worry that I've forgotten yours if I don't post it immediately! On the other hand, I know that I will occasionally miss a giveaway or two. If I miss yours, please know that it was accidental and nothing personal!

I've decided to note which giveaways aren't open internationally. The default will be open worldwide, meaning I'll only note if they have restrictions.

NAIL POLISH & MORE

• Layniefingers is giving away lots of nail art goodies! Hurry ends tonight! *US & Canada only 
• Pretty In Pigment is giving away OCC Pagent & much more!! Ends 2/21. *US only
• Pretty & Polished is giving away 3 polishes including Sinful Cinderella! Ends 2/22.
• The TraceFace Philes is giving away Misa Embroidered Emerald!! Ends 2/23.
• Polished Criminals is giving away great polish prizes including the 2011 China Glaze Halloween set! 2 winners!! Ends 2/23. 
• Polish Insomniac is giving away GOSH Golden Dragon! Ends 2/24.
• Blushing Noir is giving away 3 Essie polishes & TONS of excellent makeup!! Ends 2/24.
• Lacquer Me Silly is giving away 5 super incredible polishes including a Lynderella & a NERDLACQUER!! Ends 2/25. *US only 
• Nail Polish Addiction is giving away terrific polish prizes including HITS & more! 3 winners!! Ends 2/25.
• The Color Palette is giving away the Zoya Feel set!! Ends 2/26.
• My Lucid Bubble is giving away the China Glaze Magnetix set!! Ends 2/26.
• Tin Roof Nails is giving away 3 China Glaze Eye Candy polishes!! Ends 2/27. *US & Canada only
• Jaebum FanGirl is giving away your choice of one Pams & Kin polish!! Ends 2/27. *US only
• KK Nails is giving away your choice of Jamberry Nails Shields!! Ends 2/27. *US only
• Deuce Beauties is giving away tons OPI polish! 7 winners!! Ends 2/28.
• Kimskie's Nails is giving away your choice of 4 in stock Essence Colour & Go polishes!! Ends 2/28.
• Ice Queen's Nail Parlour is giving away 14 beautiful polishes including 5 Sally Hansen Nail Prisms!! Ends 2/28. *US only
• Smashley Sparkles is giving away OPI DS Sapphire!! Ends 2/28.
• IamBabyPanda is giving away an Etude House Wannabe set!! Ends 2/28.

NAIL ART CONTESTS

• Nailed to the T is having a Disney themed contest! Entries must be submitted by 3/1.
• Chalkboard Nails is having a dotting tools contest with a LLarowe GC prize! Entries must be submitted by 3/5. 
• More Nail Polish is having an "inspired by" nail art contest with 3 different Lynderella prizes! Entries must be submitted by 3/11.

MAKEUP & SKINCARE

• Body & Soul is giving away an IO Beauty Skincare set!! Hurry ends tonight! *US only
• In the life of a MILF is giving away an Urban Decay Book Shadows IV! Ends 2/27.

CLOTHING & ACCESSORIES

• R3 Daily is giving away bags from the Jason Wu for Target collection! 2 winners!! Ends 2/23. 
• La ragazza dai capelli rossi is giving away a Cambridge Satchel Company Batchel in fluorescent yellow! This bag is just my sister Ashley's style & really gorgeous!! Ends 2/28.

MISCELLANEOUS

• StarLit is giving away your choice of a $100 Amazon GC or a Reader's Report!! Ends 2/22.

Please feel free to post your giveaways in the comments of the Weekly Giveaway Roundup posts! Let's keep them all on these posts and not on regular posts.

Thanks for reading!
April 

Random Concrete

My blog is called Concrete & Nail Polish because I make concrete for a living. Mostly countertops & tabletops. Sometimes we have extra concrete & we make little fun random things like this. I have a concrete tag if you'd like to see more or you can check out my website.

Thanks for reading!
April

OPI Pink Shatter, Two Looks

I still love crackle polishes & I probably always will. I rarely keep my nails the same for more than 3 days in a row, but occasionally I just don't have time to completely start fresh. If my nails are looking chipped or have tip wear & I'm in a rush, I always reach for a crackle. They dry quickly, are virtually foolproof, & easily cover any wear that I want to hide.

That being said, OPI Pink Shatter didn't win me over on my first try when paired with The Painted Nail by Nubar OMG Gorgeous. It dried matte & just seemed kind of weak & washed out. The formula was fine but very sheer for a crackle.

I wanted to give it another try before I gave up on it & I'm so glad I did. I layered it over Maybelline New Year's Blues with almost no expectations. The results were quite amazing. I think this combination would be a good start for some galaxy nails which I still haven't successfully done yet.

 

Thanks for reading!
April

Maybelline New Year's Blues

This is 3 coats of Maybelline New Year's Blues, an oldie I picked up at the Dollar Tree awhile back. I think it's beautiful & pretty unique. I love the sparse turquoise glitter!

Thanks for reading!
April

Weekly Giveaway Roundup

I love giveaways. Each week I'll post giveaways that I think are awesome! I'm trying to catch any giveaway that has nail polish & I always post them on the Monday before they close. I figure some publicity towards the end of the entry period is a good idea, so don't worry that I've forgotten yours if I don't post it immediately! On the other hand, I know that I will occasionally miss a giveaway or two. If I miss yours, please know that it was accidental and nothing personal!

I've decided to note which giveaways aren't open internationally. The default will be open worldwide, meaning I'll only note if they have restrictions.

NAIL POLISH & MORE

• Sparkling Nails is giving away 2 frankens & some nail art goodies! Ends ?? 
• The Polish Lab is having an ASPCA Fundraiser and "Indie Polish Artists" Giveaway! Ends ??  
• Funny Face Beauty is giving away an OPI Little Romantics set! Ends 2/14.
• A Day in the Life of Dollface is giving away the China Glaze ElectroPop set!! Ends 2/15.
• Legiolinde is giving away an Ozotic polish of your choice!! Ends 2/16. 
• Right on the Nail is giving away 4 Pure Ice polishes!! Ends 2/16. *US only
• Sirena Sparklestar is giving away 2 China Glaze Magnetix polishes! Ends 2/16.
• Perfectly Polished is giving away tons of Rimmel Lycra Pro polishes! 4 winners!! Ends 2/17.
• Lacquered Lover is giving away the Barielle Gem Stone Earth set! Ends 2/17. *US only
• Bunny Nails is having a HUGE giveaway with 13 winners!! Ends 2/17.
• Beautopia is giving away an OPI Dutch Treats mini set! Ends 2/17.
• Holly & Polish is giving away an OPI Best of the Best set! Ends 2/18. 
• Goose's Glitter is giving away a SensatioNail Starter Kit! Ends 2/18.
• UndacovaNailLova is giving away 4 lovely polishes! Ends 2/18. *US only
• Sun-dried lacquer is giving away an Icing magnetic polish! Ends 2/19. *Continental US only
• polish, polish, polish...nothing but polish is giving away 21 Depend polishes!! Ends 2/19.
• Nails, Actually is giving away the Ulta Lust in Lace set! Ends 2/19. *US, Canada & International US military bases only
• The Polished Pixie is giving away Sinful Cinderella & Unicorn!! Ends 2/19. *US only
• The Nail Polish Guru is giving away fun prizes filled with polish & more! 2 winners!! Ends 2/19. *US only 
• Lovebeangirl is giving away the Zoya flakies & lots more! Ends 2/19.
• Never Enough Nails is giving away $10 Llarowe GCs! 3 winners!! Ends 2/20.
• Dragon Lady Nails is giving away 3 Revlon glitters! Ends 2/21.
• Deuce Beauties is giving away lots of OPI mini sets! 6 winners!! Ends 2/21.

EDIBLE GOODIES

• Mary's Cup of Tea is giving away a pound of Enstrom's Almond Toffee!! Ends 3/16. *US only

Please feel free to post your giveaways in the comments of the Weekly Giveaway Roundup posts! Let's keep them all on these posts and not on regular posts.

Thanks for reading!
April 

Sation Violet Flare & Juicy Couture Gold Glitter Valentine's Day Nails

 Just a quick Valentine's Day manicure with a fun Juicy Couture polish I won last year. I love the randomness of this one. Those 3 hearts just lined right up all by themselves on middle finger. I used Sation Violet Flare for the base color.

 

Thanks for reading!
April

Ikat Heart Nails!!

I'm always looking for new ideas for nail art so I asked my lovely sisters to send me some inspiration a few weeks ago. One of the things Ashley passed along was this post about the ikat trend. It didn't really catch my attention at first. Later I ran across these fun ikat nails by Candice of Mr. Candiipants. She has a great tutorial video!
I decided to try my own ikat nails & I  LOVE how they turned out. It's actually way easier than you might expect based on the results.
I used my beloved Pure Ice French Kiss for the base. Then added hot pink hearts in Zoya Lolly., a little dab of Color Club Blue Light & finished with lines of Zoya Marley.  You can be very messy with everything & if you happen to add a bit too much polish when adding the lines, you can very easily go back & add a few lines in your base colors.

 

 

I think this may be the best manicure I've ever done. Thanks Ashley for the original inspiration & to Candice of Mr. Candiipants for helping me figure out how to accomplish the look. Thanks for reading!
April

Heart Parts Valentine's Day Nails

This manicure drew a small crowd when I went shopping the other day. I must say it's one of my recent favorites even though it's bit messy since I did it in a hurry. I just really love this color combination! I started with Sation Overdressed Party, then added the heart parts in Sation Violet Flare, finished with an outline of Sinful Secret Admirer.
Sation polishes will be available for purchase soon. You can check out their facebook page for updates.

Thanks for reading!
April

Sation Overdressed Party & Violet Flare

Sation recently updated their brand & bottles & I have a few of their new polishes to show you. The bottles are oval with thick glass bottoms. The new brushes are great for ladies like me that love wide brushes. The formula on all the ones I've tried is excellent. Neither of these polishes are colors I would normally pick up on my own, but I'm so glad that I got the chance to try them. I really love them both!

Overdressed Party is a super bright, red-leaning coral jelly. I love jelly polishes ( I think they look very modern) but have very few in my collection. Amazing coverage in two very easily applied coats. This is a very fun polish that I know I'll be wearing again, especially this summer!

 

Violet Flare is a deep, rich fuschia jelly with microshimmer.  It's truly stunning. Once again superb coverage in just two coats. Here are some shots in full sun & in the shade & with my dog Wally! He has his own tag if you'd like to see more of his adorable face.

 

 

Next up I'll have my second Valentine's Day manicure of the year featuring these two pretty polishes. Thanks for reading!
April

This polish was sent to me for review. All opinions are my own & were not influenced by Sation! For more information you can read my disclosure policy.

Weekly Giveaway Roundup

I love giveaways. Each week I'll post giveaways that I think are awesome! I'm trying to catch any giveaway that has nail polish & I always post them on the Monday before they close. I figure some publicity towards the end of the entry period is a good idea, so don't worry that I've forgotten yours if I don't post it immediately! On the other hand, I know that I will occasionally miss a giveaway or two. If I miss yours, please know that it was accidental and nothing personal!

I've decided to note which giveaways aren't open internationally. The default will be open worldwide, meaning I'll only note if they have restrictions.

NAIL POLISH & MORE

• The Nail Polish Rehab Candidate is giving away 5 fun polishes! Ends 2/12..
• Donna Dell is giving away a $100 Sephora GC!! Ends at 2000 followers.
• Let's Win is giving away a Julep Maven Box! Ends 2/7. *US & Canada only
• MeMa's Mani's is giving away lots of nail art goodies!! Ends 2/7. *US only
• Sun-Dried Lacquer is giving away a mystery polish! Ends 2/7. *US only
• Swatch & Learn is giving away a Konad Starter Kit! Ends 2/7. *US & Canada only
• Miss Professional Nail is giving away TONS of Sattion polishes! 24 winners!!! Ends 2/8. *US only
• The Nailasaurus is giving away 4 beautiful polishes! Ends 2/9.
• Nails by Kayla Shevonne is giving away a Konad Starter Kit! Ends 2/9. *US & Canada only
• Fashion Footing is giving away Cult Nails Unicorn Puke!!!! Ends 2/9.
• The Polish Diary is giving away terrific polish prizes including Essie Shine of the Times! 2 winners!! Ends 2/10. *US only
• The TraceFace Philes is giving away a ManGlaze polish of your choice!!! Ends 2/10.
• Polish Vixen is giving away a Konad Starter Kit! Ends 2/10. *US & Canada only
• Sirena Sparklestar is giving away 6 polishes including Revlon Whimsical!! Ends 2/10.
• Jugando con mis Unas is giving away 3 wonderful polishes & more! Ends 2/10. *For existing followers only
• The Art of Nails is giving away a Konad Starter Kit! Ends 2/10. *US & Canada only
• Ashley is PolishAddicted is giving away the Nubar Polka Dots polishes!!! Ends 2/10. 
• I'm Still Thinking is giving away BB Couture Pride & some very nice makeup! Ends 2/10.
• Polish Vixen is giving away a Konad Starter Kit! Ends 2/10. *US & Canada only
• Neverland Nail Blog is giving away truly amazing polish prizes!! 2 winners!!! Ends 2/10.
• Coloring My World is giving away the Ulta Paint the Town Mini set! Ends 2/10. *US only
• Lacky Nails is having an adorable "apple" themed giveaway with polish & more! 2 winners!! Ends 2/11. 
• 365 Days of Color is giving away 19 lovely polishes!!! Ends 2/11.
• hot.pink.aurora is giving away 5 marvelous polishes! Ends 2/11. *Blogger only
• Let's polish some nails is giving away 3 Booty Babe polishes! Ends 2/12.
• My Nail Graffiti is giving away the Jordana Specialty Glitters & more!! Ends 2/12.
• Lindsey's Lacquers is giving away a Konad Starter Kit! Ends 2/12. *US & Canada only
• Deuce Beauties is giving away great OPI prizes! 6 winners!! Ends 2/13.
• Deuce Beauties is giving away the Jordana Specialty Glitters!! Ends 2/13.
• Pretty In Paint is giving away Essie Shine of the Times! Ends 2/13. *US only
• Epitome of Superficiality is giving away 4 gorgeous polishes! Ends 2/13. 
• You nailed it is giving away the Enamel Diction book! Ends 2/13. 
• Rebecca Likes Nails is giving away $40 worth of Born Pretty products & more! Ends 2/13.
• Charming Nails is giving away a Charming Nails stamping plate! 5 winners!! Ends 2/13.
• nailXchange is giving away a Konad Starter Kit! Ends 2/13. *US & Canada only
• Dandy-Nails.com is giving away 3 China Glaze Prismatic polishes! Ends 2/13.
• The Crumpet is giving away OPI Absolutely Alice! Ends 2/13.
• Notes & Nails is giving away 5 spectacular polishes & more!! Ends 2/13.
• Lucy's Stash is giving away excellent polish filled prizes! 3 winners!! ends 2/13.
• Lisa's Nailcare Blog is giving away a Perfect  Red nail care set! Ends 2/14.
• KITTYPOLISHNBAGS is giving away a Deborah Lippmann Juicy Couture Exclusive set!! Ends 2/14.
• Colores de Carol is giving away Revlon Whimsical & more!! 3 winners!!! Ends 2/14.

MAKEUP & SKINCARE

• Bubbles & Baubles is giving away a set of Lilypad Bathworks products!! Ends 2/13.
• Perfectly Polished is giving away Vera Wang Lovestruck Perfume! 3 winners! Ends 2/14.
• Valentine Kisses is giving away Reviva Labs products!! 2/14. *US only

THINGS FOR YOUR HOME

• Sage & Chocolate is giving away a Silicone Baking Mat!! Ends 2/14. *US only

MISCELLANEOUS

• Bella's Giveaways is giving away $50 Paypal Cash!! Ends 2/7. *US & Canada only

Please feel free to post your giveaways in the comments of the Weekly Giveaway Roundup posts! Let's keep them all on these posts and not on regular posts.

Thanks for reading!
April