Look at What I Found!

I recently had a college visit in a time zone behind the one I live in, and so naturally, against my wishes, my body chose to wake up according to my normal schedule.  Grrr!  Anyways, with an hour to kill, my mom and I took a quick trip to the Dollar General.  And look at what I found, these little beauties!

I really can't wait to try these out!

xoxo Emma

Sinful Colors "Daddy's Girl"

Yesterday my chemistry text book attacked me (resulting in a jagged edge on my middle finger and a case of paranoia because I had to wait eight hours before I could attack it with a nail file...I really should start keeping one on me at all times!) before I could capture any pictures...but here they are!

I used Rimmel "Black Satin", 2 coats of Sinful Colors "Daddy's Girl), the tips in Sally Hansen "Celeb City" (it's actually silver, but the purple must've given it a purple cast?), and 2 coats of Wet n' Wild "Kaleidoscope".

Can you tell I love using "Kaleidoscope"?  I've only had it since Christmas, and it's nearly half gone!  It didn't actually all go to my nails, though it is great for covering up sheet marks.  I used it on one of my last art projects.  Speaking of which...sometime I'll have to upload pictures of my art, which I really enjoy, and hope you'll like too.

And another picture for good measure...next time I think I'll paint my tips closer to their actual length, I feel as if I'm not quite doing them justice!

On a side note, "Daddy's Girl" is a gorgeous color on it's own, I just didn't have patience for three coats of it to dry before tips and glitter...

xoxo Emma

I Love Your Blog Award!

Here are the Rules:

- post the award on your blog

- link the person who has given you the award

- pass the award to other 15 blogs you've discovered

I have been honored with this award by Jan of Hue and Me :) and Katrina of Katrina's Nail Blog.

I'm tagging

Emerald Sparkled

FAB UR NAILS

The Perfect Accessory

NY.NAIL.DIVA

A Day in the Life of Dollface

And now I'm tagging you, my lovely (and increasing, yay!) followers, and anyone else who might be reading and hasn't been tagged yet!


xoxo Emma

Sinful Colors "Nail Junkie"

Here is the first of my recently acquired Sinful Colors.  This one is my favorite of the bunch, both for the color and the name.  I used two coats of white underneath (Sally Hansen French Tip, which I also used in my franken and believe its to blame for the horrible streaking), and three coats of "Nail Junkie".  On to the pictures!

For some reason, this color reminds me of a certain mermaid Barbie my sister used to have, who had a tail similar in color with lots of sparkles!  I'm really excited to try layering this over other colors, including black and navy blue.  What do you think?

xoxo Emma

Claire's Calm/Wild

I was unable to get any decent pictures, but here it is with two coats prior to the top coat and clean up.  It looks kinda matte.

Most of the time my nails were cold (purple), but when I was using my hands a lot, like in art, or was flustered, like in FST, they looked like the picture, pink with purple tips.  They were really fun to watch during track practice, where they turned super pink!  They're the first reason I've ever found to enjoy speed workouts :)

I've heard complaints that this polish chips horribly, but I wore it for four days with a base coat and top coat with no problems.  Nihrida has a good post that has even better pictures.

xoxo Emma

Haul Time!

I attended a leadership convention last weekend, which was held in a downtown area.  I brought my stamping stuff, but neglected to bring any real polishes to do my friends' nails with.  So we hit up a baby Walgreens and I stocked up on Sinful Colors.  (Since it was a small Walgreens, they didn't carry any Milanis, which made me very sad...I shall continue my hunt for holos.)  We had lots of fun stamping...our advisor commented that the hallway outside our hotel room stank like remover, which was funny :)


Anyways, here is my Walgreens haul, and I ended up stopping at Claire's for two of their color changing nail polishes.  Glad I did!  Posts on those to come.

See You Soon, Daddy's Girl, Nail Junkie (how fitting!), Mint Apple, Boogie Nights, Cream Pink

Peaceful/Confident, Calm/Wild, Grape Going

I would have never picked out Cream Pink for myself.  I don't care for pinks at all.  But after doing my friend's mani...I couldn't resist.  I had to go back the next time we walked by, and now its on my toes.  Very neon, very awesome.  As for Grape Going, I was lured in by the duochrome flash.  Stupid girl!  I have a mini version of something similar to this from a gift set (which is gorgeous over black)...so I didn't really need this one after all!

here we are with our manis! (i'm the one on the left, still sporting my franken one)

and a few silly ones just for good measure!

sorry for the erased parts, but those are for their anonymity...

Now I'm going to experiment with layering Nail Junky, as I know I will never be able to wait for 5-6 coats to dry!

xoxo, Emma

My First Franken

My first franken...was well, a failure.  And I forgot to take bottle pictures.  How typical!


When I saw everyone's gorgeous Easter nails, and I was struck that in my little collection (its growing, slowly but surely), that I own no pastels!  So I made two.  Here is the first.


I grabbed my white and my favorite, unnamed Charlotte Russe green (its a matte green, if that helps anyone), dumped it into an old OPI Nail Envy bottle, and shook it up...and voila!

in the shade

in full sunlight, among my little brother's art :)

I really like OPI's brushes, but apparently my franken formula didn't.  It was so streaky I had to do three coats!  (For those of you interested, I love one and two coaters, and avoid anything that requires more.)  I then added konad using plate m51 and konad white special polish.  My friends kept commenting telling me my nails looked like Easter eggs (which was not the planned intent, seeing how it was the week after Easter), so I might have to do a variation of this next year before Easter.


I recently posted about how much I love the original formula of OPI Nail Envy.  But watch out!  OPI has several different versions of it, resulting in my empty bottle for frankening.  During some frantic Christmas shopping last year, I stumbled across a bottle of Nail Envy for "Soft and Thin" nails in Wal-Mart.  What luck, considering they only carry Nicole by OPI.  I have no idea how it ended up there.  The cashier had no clue what it was worth, so I got it for only a dollar!  What luck!  Until I actually tried using it, and I understood how it ended up abandoned in Wal-Mart.  My nail polish chipped within hours.  And my nail polish NEVER chips until the fifth or sixth day.  My major bargain was worthless, but a learning experience about research.


Any frankening tips anyone?


xoxo Emma

Biore Skin Care Review

Here's a review of some Biore skin care products.  For those unfamiliar with Biore, its a higher end drugstore brand.  Many people scrub the oil and dirt off their faces and neglect moisturizing afterwards, which causes your skin to overcompensate by producing its normal amount of oil and then some because your skin feels too dry.  Moral of the story:  moisturize and moisturize often!


I picked these up about two months ago, and am finally getting around to reviewing them.  I PAID FOR THESE WITH MY OWN MONEY.  Biore has no clue I'm reviewing these products, and I'm not affiliated with them in any way.  This is my own honest opinion.

First up:  Dual Fusion Moisturizer + SPF 30
Here's what their website has to say:

Double benefit, exclusive formula.

Dual Fusion™ Moisturizer gives you exactly what you want: a nourishing moisturizer in one chamber and sun protection in the other. Together, they strengthen & defend your skin without ever making it feel greasy.

• Oil-free

Why 2 chambers?

By keeping the moisturizer separate from sunscreen, the unique Dual Fusion™ Moisturizer dispenser preserves the power of each formula. That means maximum effectiveness and protection for you.

The sunscreen has a powerful zinc oxide base and yet isn't heavy and white like traditional zinc oxide. The product feels light on your skin as it offers superb UVA and UVB protection.

• Botanamide^® Technology
• Non-comedogenic (won't clog pores)
• Dermatologist tested
• Hypo-allergenic
• 100% PABA free

Apply evenly over entire face before sun exposure. Reapply as needed throughout the day. Upon first use, press pump 7-9 times until both products dispense evenly. If both sides do not dispense evenly, gently tap the bottle on a hard surface.

And what I think:

I applied this every morning after washing my face.  The packaging is a good idea, but sucks.  The product on the other hand, rocks.  It's light, not much of a greasy feeling, and SPF is always an added bonus for those of us who can sunburn in any weather.  The SPF obviously won't last the entire day, but gets you through the first two or so hours of your day.  I didn't care for all the times that only one side of the pump chose to work.  And I'm not sure what I'm going to do when it's not quite empty but I can't get any product out.  I'll cross that bridge when I get there.

Hard Day's Night Overnight

Here's what their website has to say:

You sleep, Hard Day's Night^® Overnight Moisturizer works.

Especially for nighttime, this overnight moisturizer helps rebuild skin while you rest, alleviating dryness, dullness, and uneven texture — so you wake up to a smooth, glowing complexion without the greasiness of night creams.

• Oil-free

This super-hydrating moisturizer — more hydrating than Clinique Moisture Surge^® Extra Thirsty Skin Relief* — gets part of its power from tiny collapsible beads filled with Vitamin E. The formula helps to strengthen the skin's surface and smooth fine lines.

• Botanamide^® Technology
• Non-comedogenic (won't clog pores)
• Dermatologist tested
• Hypo-allergenic

Gently smooth onto face and neck after cleansing.

And what I think:

Sorry for the chopped-in-half bottle.  Since it has a thick formula, when you get to the end, the pump can't get any product when its all stuck to the sides.  So I performed open heart surgery.  JK.  Again I applied this after washing my face, but at night before I went to bed.  It feels heavier, like a night moisturizer, which makes sense.  It also has these little orange beads in it which dissolve when you apply it.  No clue what their purpose is, but they're cool.  Thumbs up for this one :)

See the Future Fortifying Eye Cream

Here's what their website has to say:

The future looks bright.

Potent yet lightweight, See the Future^® Fortifying Eye Cream is designed to reinforce and revitalize the delicate skin around your eyes, without the heaviness of traditional eye creams.

• Oil-free

The right applicator for the job.

The unique pin point dispenser precisely delivers the benefits of Botanamide^® Technology to the delicate eye area. It's the ideal formula for women who aren't yet ready for heavy-duty eye products.

• Botanamide^® Technology
• Non-comedogenic (won't clog pores)
• Dermatologist and ophthalmologist tested
• Safe for contact lens wearers

Apply and smooth gently around the eye area A.M. and P.M. Use alone or under make-up.

And what I think:

This is the first eye product I've tried.  I applied it every night and on mornings when I felt extra zombie-ish.  It does make a little difference, but nothing earth shattering.  I don't wear any makeup over it, so I can't tell you how this would affect your under eye concealer, foundation, ect.  The packaging is fine, and the tiny tube has actually lasted me quite awhile.  I'd like to try a few more eye products for now.

So I hope this is helpful for those interested in drugstore skin care!

xoxo Emma

Nail Envy Nail Strengthener by OPI

Happy Easter by the way!

Not gonna lie.  This stuff is the BOMB!  It's only the mini size, but when it's gone I'll be getting the full size for sure.  I got this from my lovely aunt (my little cousin, according to the label, but I know better :) ) for Christmas.  Before this miracle in a bottle, I could never get my nails much past the edge of my finger tips before they split, tore, or a combination of the two.  Now I have these awesome talons!

When I paint my nails, I use this as my base coat.  The bottle says to reapply everyday for a week, and then take it all of.  But I like cool colors on my fingers, so this is fast enough for me.

My nails grew well from Christmas to about Valentine's day, when I had multiple bad breaks and had to hack them all off.  I haven't had any problems since.  Hopefully I'll be able to keep growing my nails until summer, when I'll be doing a lot of work with my hands and won't be able to keep my nails long.  Cross my fingers!

What are your favorite nail protectors, strengtheners, ect?

xoxo Emma

I won my 1st giveaway! kind of...

But not in the blogging world.


Last weekend was my high school's prom.  Yes, I'm still in high school.  Nail polish loving is for all ages.  I actually had my dance recital first, so my date and I were late to the prom and missed the meal.  But I had fun and he's a great guy (just friends, don't jump to conclusions!) and it was all worth it.  Cliché much?  Afterwards everyone's parents put together post prom, which is like a big after party in attempt to keep students from having their own, not-so-law-abiding parties.  There's a bunch of games, a hypnotist (I was much too shy to participate, although I did get a good many laughs), and a huge prize raffle.  Anyways, when my number was drawn, this is what I picked for my prize:

nail clippers and tweezers, nail polish remover, shaving cream, razor, foot lotion, foot scrub, and foot care kit

But wait! There's more!

a foot spa!

The only things I've had a chance to try out so far have been the razor (Venus Breeze) and shaving cream.  Honestly, it was the first time I'd ever bothered with shaving cream.  I wasn't sure if it was the razor or the shaving cream that made the difference.  My sister tried the shaving cream and liked it, so I think it must be both.  The razor is awesome!  Normally I shave about twice a week.  Now I think I could probably get away with just once.  Totally recommend it.  Sorry if that was a bit too much TMI personal hygiene. :P

I was happy for another bottle of nail polish remover.  Never can have too many of those.  Normally I use the nourishing version of Wal-mart brand remover, because the normal always leaves my nails weak and brittle.  I'm excited to try the strengthening version!

Normally I don't put to much work into foot care.  Now that I have the tools, why not have a at home spa day?  I'm soo looking forward to it!

xoxo Emma

Yoga-ta Get This Blue

Yoga-ta Get This Blue by OPI, in my opinion (for another opinion, click here), is kinda boring by itself.  Just another navy blue with shimmers.  But when I added "Oh Baby!" (because my right hand had sheet marks on it...shhh!), my boring mani became awesomeness:

but only when the light hits it like this

 and the green in the sparkles really shows through.  

One of my friends commented on my nails, saying how it was cool how they changed from blue to purple.  I was a little disbelieving at first, and of course had to wiggle my fingers around.  Sure enough, they reflect purple too, but rarely, so I couldn't capture that on camera.

I've been experimenting with my background.  In the first few pictures, I set up some white paper, and thought they looked quite nice.  But then I couldn't get the green sparkle to come through.  So I gave up and retreated to the bay window for better lighting.

What d'ya think?  Anyone have any amazing tips for saving dinged up, scratched up, or sheet marked nails?

xoxo Emma

Konad from the Vault

OPI "Nail Envy" nail growth stimulator

black base (it's been so long I don't remember, but it was either Wet n' Wild or Rimmel)

plate m65 using Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear "Celeb City" 

- this one works amazingly for stamping

top coat, again, I can't remember what

I already know how horrible my cuticles look.  It's painful.  I've learned so much from my fellow bloggers!  Anyways, this is an old, as in one of my first, konadicures.  I like the way this picture reflects my camera off my iPod, but still keeps my face hidden.  I'm just not a very photogenic person in my opinion...

I thought it was awesome enough to share, despite my sloppiness.

xoxo Emma