Updates and Announcements!

Hi everyone!  Today's post will be a little different.  I have an update on my life to catch you up on and an exciting announcement for the month of June!

First up, life update!  I have tried to keep my personal life sort of private on this blog, but this is a big life change that is relevant to the blog content.  After six years in higher education studying biology (I have a bachelor's degree in biology and worked towards a graduate degree for two additional years), I decided it was time to pursue a career path that made me feel happy and helped other people directly.  To be honest, I had become severely, severely depressed while in graduate school and it was very evident that it was time for a change.  So, to make a long story short, I started cosmetology school to become a nail technician about three weeks ago!  I am completely enjoying my time at my school, and I already feel so fulfilled.  =)  Couldn't be happier.  Never, ever, put off your happy life, friends!  Life is toooo short! <3

However, my schedule is much busier than it had been so I've had little time to work on my own nails for the blog.  Also, when doing other people's nails, my polish gets ruined, so I feel like my nails have sort of taken a backseat to making other people feel good!  So I apologize for the lack of nail art on the blog and the shortness of my posts.

Happiness

Next up, an announcement for the month of June here at The Lacquerologist.  I will be participating in the Abstract Nail Art Challenge for the month of June with two amazing nail bloggers: Stephanie from Sincerely Stephanie and Jessica from BeautyGnome!  I am so excited to work with them because they are both amazing!!  I actually came up with this challenge myself so I'm hoping it goes really well and is enjoyable for those participating and those reading!

When I sat down to come up with a new challenge, I wanted to do a challenge that focused on techniques that are generally accessable to the masses.  Not all of us have the artistic ability to freehand portraits and images on our nails, but we are still able to create some pretty awesome designs and concepts!  So, this challenge is all about focusing on those types of techniques, trying new ones we haven't before, and practicing ones we may be familiar with.  There is tons of creative freedom in this challenge too, so I'm SO excited to see what Stephanie and Jessica come up with! =)  There will be 15 posts in this challenge from each of us.  We will be posting every other day throughout June, starting tomorrow!  I hope that you all enjoy it and draw some inspiration from it!

Love you all and thanks for reading and your constant support and smiles!


PS: Don't forget about the current giveaway for all five Wet N Wild ColorIcon Be Jeweled polishes!  Open Internationally!

The New Black Ombre Walrus Set

Hi everybody!  I hope your week is going well!  Mine has been busy, but glorious! =)   Today I have a special mani to show you from The New Black!  This is one of their awesome ombre sets!

Image provided by The New Black

The New Black Walrus 5-Piece Set is an ombre set of nude to brown polishes.  I think it is so unique and I love the subtlety of it!  The set comes with five 0.125 oz mini bottles of polish.  The first four polishes are cremes, and the darkest shade (on my thumb) has a subtle shimmer.  For this look, I applied two coats of each polish, one to each finger!  I love it!  The formula on all of the polishes was wonderful.  I used my trusty NYC top coat!

Just like the last time I reviewed a The New Black product, I think this is a really innovative idea!  The ombre look is really in right now, and these kits will help people try it who may otherwise not jump into the trends.  Even for those of us who are not afraid of trying things out, this set cuts out the need for coordinating polishes together for an ombre look.  Overall, I love this set!

The New Black polishes are available at Sephora and I've also seen them at Nordstrom!  The Ombre Sets retail for $22 each.  There are many color schemes available!  Want to know more about this fun new brand?  You can check out The New Black on Youtube, Facebook, and Pinterest!




The products in this post were provided by the company for honest review.  For more information, see my Disclosure page.

Deborah Lippmann Ray of Light

Hello everyone!  Today, I have a gorgeous Deborah Lippmann polish to share with you that is new from DL this spring/summer.  This is two coats of Deborah Lippmann Ray of Light with NYC top coat.  Ray of Light is a deep indigo jelly polish with a light sprinkling of orange flakies throughout.  At extreme angles, you can see a green flash from the flakies.  Very pretty.

The formula on this one was a little hard to work with, but two coats evened everything out well.  If you really wanted to cover all visible nail line, you'd probably need three coats.

Deborah Lippmann polishes are available at Nordstrom and several other high end department stores!  Ray of Light retails for $18.  I know $18 is quite steep, but I find Deborah Lippmann polishes luxurious and wonderful!  =)

Patriotic Nails

Happy Memorial Day everyone! Today's nails started out as a good idea bit sort of ended in near disaster because I fell asleep after I did them and they got all smudged. Bah sheet marks!!  Then I was super busy all day Sunday and could not fix them/re do them...and of course, I don't have time to do them today either!  So this is what you get for my Memorial Day nails!  haha

I used Wet N Wild Wild Shine Red Red, Wet N Wild Wild Shine French White, and Butter London Blagger for this look with NYC top coat!

Words of advice: don't fall asleep right after you finish you mani!! Haha still, my inspiration was nice I guess! And also, my pinky got messed up whole I did the striping tape on my right hand. Eek, I'm nearly embarrassed to post this!!  All you get is a cell phone pic =p Happy Memorial Day!

Pink Racing Stripes

Hello lacquered lovelies!!! =)  Some fun and easy nail art for you today: Racing stripes!!  I used two coats of Wet N Wild Wild Shine Lavender Creme and on the accent nail some striping tape and Zoya Trixie!  =)  I loved wearing it.  Lavender Creme is one of my favorites!

Have a great Memorial Day everyone! <3

Sephora by OPI Betsey Johnson Sparkling Personality

Hi everyone!  Happy Saturday! =)  Today I have a polish from the Betsey Johnson collection at Sephora: Sephora by OPI Sparkling Personality.  This is a silver microglitter polish with subtle pink and blue microglitter mixed in.  So pretty!  This is two coats of the SOPI polish over two coats of Zoya Trixie (though I'm sure you could probably wear the SOPI on its own).  NYC top coat.

A bit blurry so you can see the glitter flash! =)

The application on this one was super easy.  And with one coat of NYC top coat, it was nice and smooth.  I enjoyed wearing it for sure!

Sephora by OPI polishes retail for $9.50 and can be purchased at Sephora and on their website.  $9.50 is a bit steep for essentially an OPI polish, but I think this one is worth it!  If you love glitter, I may declare this a 'must-have'! =)

The New Black Runway Color Barometer!

Hello everyone!  Today's post is a very exciting one!  This is a great new nail polish set from a new-to-me brand, The New Black.  First of all, I love how creative their name is!  I think it rings true when it comes to manicures and pedicures...anything goes now!  Creativity is the 'new black'! =)  This company makes awesome little nail polish sets that make it simple and fun to rock the newest nail trends, such as ombre and newspaper nails.  While these looks can be accomplished without purchasing a kit, I love how The New Black makes nail trends accessible to people who may otherwise be nervous to try them out due to complexity.

Today I am going to show you the The New Black Runway Color Barometer.  This set includes eight 0.125 fl oz polishes in a variety of colors and finishes that reflect the colors seen on the runway for spring and summer 2012.  There are so many options with this set!  You could wear any of the colors for a full manicure, do nail art with the shades, accent nails OR do a super fun skittle mani.  The colors were chosen so that they would work together, so you can just pick and chose to create whatever look you'd like! =)

Image provided by The New Black

First up, let's check out some skittle swatches of the colors.  First, I've swatched the warmer shades together.  There are no names on the bottles, so I will go through them just referring to them by their color.  These four colors work beautifully together and could be used for a variety of nail art techniques including gradient nails, splatter nails, ombre dots...possibilities are endless!  All swatches are two coats with NYC top coat.

Yellow (pointer): Bright yellow with a subtle shimmer.  This was a little streaky, but not too problematic.

Red (middle): Bright red jelly.  With 2 coats, there was still a visible nail line.

Orange (ring):  Orange with a subtle shimmer.  I had no complaints on this one!  It was nice and opaque.

Pink (pinky):  Beautiful coral-pink with a gold shimmer throughout.  This is definitely my favorite of the whole set!  So yummy.

Next up, the cooler half of the collection, which doesn't feel quite as cohesive as the first half.  These colors are really pretty, and the nude and blue should definitely be a staple in any polish collection!  Again, 2 coats with NYC top coat.

Nude (pointer):  Gorgeous nude, almost a putty shade.  Opaque in 2 coats with no streaking issues.

Navy (middle):  Basic navy creme.

Periwinkle (ring):  I'm not entirely sure how to describe this color.  The New Black describes it as "Hyacinth."  There is a heavy shimmer running through this polish, but I did not have an issue with brush marks like in some frosty polishes.


Green (pinky):  A nice, shimmery green.  This one was a bit brush stroke prone, but nothing that would cause me to not wear it.  I love green polishes, and this one was nice and vibrant.

I wanted to be able to report to you all how these polishes work together with layering and coordination, so I decided to do some crazy half-moon skittles!

All in all, I think the colors work well together!  The only one that doesn't layer well is the red, since it is a jelly formula.  You can see it layered over green on my ring finger above...the green shows through and makes the red a sort of grungy maroon.  Also note that the red and yellow together looks like mustard and catsup and sort of gagged me on my nails!  haha =/  To do half moons, the second color that coats the majority of the nail plate and the free edge needs to be a one coater, and (aside from the red shade) all of these colors passed that test!  I give these polishes an A+ for nail art potential! =)

The New Black polishes are available at Sephora and I've also seen them at Nordstrom!  The Runway Set retails for $32 for the eight polishes.

Want to know more about this fun new brand?  You can check out The New Black on Youtube, Facebook, and Pinterest!  I love what this brand is doing, and I am excited to see what they come up with next!  Look out for some more The New Black products on the blog soon! =)









The products in this post were provided by the company for honest review.  For more information, see my Disclosure page.

Stain Removal

After the Revlon Sheer Seafoam disaster I posted yesterday, I decided it was time to work on the staining I have on my nails.  It's not that bad, but it's enough that I notice it, and if I, heaven-forbid!, don't have polish on, I think my nails look a bit nasty.  So, after doing some research, I put together my own little stain removal routine.

1. I gave my nails a good rub down with pure acetone.  It removes stains better than non-acetone remover.  I always wash my hands with soap and water to get the excess solvent off of my nails and skin, and I have never had an issue with over-drying.

2. Using a toothbrush that I only use for this purpose, I gave my nails a nice scrub with whitening toothpaste.  Rinse.

3. I mixed together a little bit of baking soda, water and lemon juice and smooshed it up into a paste, which I applied to my nails for five minutes (see photo below).  Rinse.

4. To finish it off and zap those stains, I soaked my nails in a lemon juice and water soak for ten minutes.  Rinse.

5. Moisturize! Moisturize!

Before:

Baking soda paste:

And after: 

While I still see some staining in the after picture, in real life there was a significant difference between the before and after.  The harshness of the stains was toned down, and I think they are now to the point that they will not show through sheer polishes.  I think this will become a part of my regular nail routine!  What are your secrets for removing stains from your nails?! =)

Revlon Sheer Seafoam

Hi everyone!  Today I have a polish that I am not too crazy about: Revlon Sheer Seafoam from the Summer 2012 Escapism Collection.  In the bottle, it is so dreamy and seafoamy, and I know that it is specifically named as "sheer" but it is really sheer.  This is three thick coats with NYC top coat.

When this polish mixed with the stains on my nails, I thought it made me look like I had some sort of odd nail disease!  HAHA.  Needless to say I did not keep it on long.

I think I am going to try to do a jelly sandwhich with this eventually.  I'm thinking Whimsical would look pretty with it?  What do you think of this sheer shade?

Deborah Lippmann Footloose Duo #2

Hi everyone!  Today I have the other two Deborah Lippmann Footloose polishes from HSN to show you!  To see the first duo, [click here]!

First up is Deborah Lippmann Let's Hear It For The Boy, a classic sky blue with a slight dusty quality.  This is two coats with a top coat of NYC.  I really liked this and will be pulling it out of the Helmer again soon =)

Next is Deborah Lippmann Dancing In The Sheets.  This one really surprised me!  This is a vampy purple shimmer with flashes of blue.  It's deep and dark and dangerous and I love it (especially now that my nails are shorter!).  This is two coats with NYC.  It was sort of difficult to photograph, but take my word for it, it's super pretty!

This Deborah Lippmann duo is currently on clearance at HSN for $9.95 plus shipping.  Click [HERE] to check it out!!  Too good to pass up ;-)

CLOSED: WNW Birthday Giveaway! Open Internationally!

Hi everyone!  Today is my birthday, and to celebrate, I am giving my readers a present: A GIVEAWAY!  Up for grabs is the entire Wet N Wild ColorIcon Be Jeweled Collection, featuring five gorgeous polishes: Bow In My Presence, Born Into Privilege, Speak When Spoken To, The Crown Is Mine, and Jewels For Your Highness.  To see swatches of these beauties, see [this post]!

UPDATE: Giveaway is open INTERNATIONALLY!  Ends on June 18, 2012 at 12:01am!  =)  Use the Rafflecopter widget below to enter!  Love you all!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Deborah Lippmann Footloose Duo #1

Hello hello!  Another quick post today.  I apologize for the lack of nail art and text....things have been hectic but in a totally great way!  I promise I will update you all soon, because it is relevant, but for now, I'll just leave it at that =)

Two beautiful polishes from Deborah Lippmann to show you today!  First up, Deborah Lippmann Footloose, and juicy, jelly red.  This is two coats with NYC top coat!

Next up is a polish, which I am of course obsessed with (because it's green!).  This is two coats of Deborah Lippmann Almost Paradise with NYC.  This almost pastel, almost minty green was delightful to apply and wear!  Not chalky like some pastels.  Even though I have a lot of greens like this in my collection, none are exactly like this!

These Deborah Lippmann polishes were released in cooperation with HSN when the Footloose Movie came out.  They were recently put on clearance and are a steal!  Footloose and Almost Paradise come in a duo set, on sale for $9.95 plus shipping!  Considering both polishes would usually be $16 each, that is phenomenal!  They were still in stock as I wrote this, but check [here] for availability!

Thanks for reading today!  Giveaway coming soon =) Keep an eye out!

Essie Summer 2012 and the Revealing of the Shorties!

Hi everyone!  Happy Friday!  Today I have two shades from the Essie Summer 2012 collection.  When I saw these beauties in Target a few days ago, I couldn't pass these two up!  Of course, I picked the blue and green in the collection! =)  Also, I thought since I had two colors to show you, it might be fun to do one on my long nails, and then the second on my new shorties!  Woohoo!

First up is Essie Mojito Madness, a gorgeous green creme.  This is amazing.  I love this color so much and the polish had amazing formula and application.  This is two coats with top coat of NYC.  So yummy.

Next up is a pretty baby blue with a subtle shimmer called Essie Bikini So Tini.  The shimmer is very subtle on the nail, but it is there!  This is the first swatch featuring my new shorter nails!  It's weird to get used to, but I am enjoying this new length!

I wish the shimmer showed up in my photos more, but it was difficult to photograph.  It is super subtle, but adds something a little special to this polish!

Have you seen any of the new Essie Summer 2012 shades near you?  Which one is your favorite? =)

OPI Number One Nemesis

Hi everyone!  Today I have a beauty from the OPI Amazing Spiderman Collection to show you!  This is two coats of OPI Number One Nemesis with NYC top coat.  This polish is a beautiful charcoal shimmer with flashes of green.  It is the gray cousin of OPI Warm and Fozzie, which is one of my favorite polishes ever!

Number One Nemesis is rumored to be a dupe of Chanel Graphite.  I do not have that polish to directly compare to this, but from what I've read, it looks pretty close.  See a great comparison by The Polish Insomniac [here].

Number One Nemesis really is beautiful!  It surprised me, because in the original bottle shots, I did not see the flashes of green that make this so different from just some frosty gunmetal polish.  Love it.  The Amazing Spiderman Collection is available now at OPI retailers for about $8 a bottle!  =)

Inverse Accents with Zoya Surf Polishes!!

Hello lacquered lovelies, and happy Wednesday!  Today I have two Zoya Surf Collection polishes to show you.  To see swatches of the rest of the collection, click [here]!  Instead of just regular swatches for these two colors, I thought I'd do some fun accent nails.  Here you are seeing my swatching hand, but I just did the colors in reverse on my right hand!  

This is Zoya Rory and Zoya Carly.  Rory is a pretty pink shimmer and Carly is a deep purple.  Both colors are vibrant and sort of glow from within.  This Zoya Surf Collection is just absolutely perfect in my opinion! =)

I actually really liked the inverse accent nail look!  I think I will rock it again soon!  I'm sorry that there's no image of my other hand...I messed it up working on some nail art wheels for a friend's wedding =/  Just trust me...it looked cool on both hands!

Now that I've swatched them all, I'd have to say that Zuza is my favorite from this collection, but every single one is amazing!  They are gorgeous on their own, together, and great with stamping!  Which Zoya Surf Collection polish is your favorite? =)

365 Days Of Color Candy Shoppe Collection!!!

Hi everyone!  Today I have two polishes from the upcoming 365 Days of Color Candy Shoppe Collection to show you!  Sunny from 365 Days of Color is wonderful and she makes beautiful polishes =)


First up is 365 Days of Color Mint Chip.  This is a milky mint green base with small black glitters.  It is simple, yet so perfect for that name!  This is two coats with a top coat of NYC.  Application was easy and the formula was great.  There was a strong smell, but it was worth it for the awesome look of this polish!

Next up we have 365 Days of Color Sugar High, a purple and teal microglitter in a clear base!  This polish is very versatile, as it can be used for layering or builds up quite well.  First, let's see how it builds up to opacity.  From pinky to pointer, I used one, two, three and four coats with top coats of NYC.  While there would be a bit of visible nail line at four coats, it is opaque enough that I think it could definitely be worn on its own.  So pretty!

pointer to pinky: four coats, three, two one.

I also layered this over black, because I think a black base shows off glitter best usually.  This is one thick coat of Sugar High over Wet N Wild Wild Shine Black Creme.  Also, look at how pretty this is in the bottle!  Gorgeous, right? =)

And finally, I layered one thick coat of Sugar High over two coats of Color Club Mrs. Robinson.  This was so pretty and shiny.  The glitters can look silver in certain lights and then you see the purple and blue in others.  Loved wearing it.

The Candy Shoppe Collection will be available for the first time on May 16 when the Big Cartel store opens (see below for more info).  These are just two of the polishes available in the collection...wait until you see the rest!  There are some really fun, unique shades.

365 Days of Color polishes are made by the wonderful Sunny from the blog 365 Days of Color!  The polishes will be available for sale on her Big Cartel site on May 16!  Check out her Facebook and blog for updates =)



The polishes in this post were sent to me for honest review.  For more information, see my Disclosure page.