Lipsticks and Nail Polish Hand and Cuticle Care Products: First Impressions and Review

Lipsticks and Nail Polish Hand and Cuticle Care Products: First Impressions and Review 

*Products provided for review*

Happy Monday!! Today, I have something a bit different for you, but still nail related. I was contacted by Cristina of Lipsticks and Nail Polish , and asked to review some of her newly created hand and nail care products, as well as some nail art products. I was happy to oblige, and have some things to show you today! And may I just say, I absolutely love it when bloggers begin their own indie brands! There are a bunch of products that I have to show you; let's get started! 

Soak Mani Bombs

There are various mani bombs that Cristina has available in her shop, but the directions for each are the same. When using mani bombs, drop it into a bowl of warm water. Allow the bomb to fizz up and then soak your hands in the water for as long as needed, but no less than 5 minutes. Pat hands dry and rub the remaining oils into your nail beds. 

All of the mani bombs that I received to review smell absolutely divine, and they fizz up really nicely! Each different type will be listed below. 

Mani bomb ingredients: Sodium bicarbonate, Chitric acid, Dead sea salt, Kaolin clay, jojoba oil, avocado oil, coconut oil, extra virgin olive oil, sesame oil, sweet almond oil, grapeseed oil, fragrance oil polysorbate 80, isopropyl alcohol, and colorant. 

Calavera Mani Bomb (0.5 oz, $2.00)

 These myrrh, amber, sandalwood and patchouli scented ghoulish little skills can be used for one mani, one skull per hand. Limited Edition for Halloween. 

The Great Pumpkin Mani Bomb (1 oz, $2.00)

These cute little pumpkin spice scented pumpkins can be used for two manicures, one for each pumpkin. They've been painted orange for the season. Limited Edition for Halloween. 

These little pumpkins smell amazing, and the scent stays with you for a long while, even after washing your hands! Here's a picture of how it fizzes up in a bowl of warm water (picture taken using flash).  

Cherry Sno Cone Mani Bomb (1.2 oz, $2.00)

These cherry scented little Italian ice bombs are perfect for those of us who can't let go of summer just yet. 

How adorable is this?! I love the cute little shape and packaging, and it smells amazing! 

Don't Worry Be Happy Jellyless Donut Mani Bomb (0.7 oz, $2.00)

These jelly donut scented little suckers are super yummy smelling and amazing for your hands. 

Yes, it DOES smell like a jelly donut! 

Donut Worry Be Happy Chocoholic Donut Mani Bomb (0.7 oz, $2.00)

These chocolate scented donuts are just as yummy smelling as their jelly counterpart and just as good for you. 

I am a sucker for anything chocolate scented, and these babies totally fit the bill! I definitely need to stock up on them! 

This is Halloween Mani/Pedi Bomb (1.3 oz, $3.00)

These Jack-O faces are perfect for a pedicure. You can also break these in half or even fourths for a nice pumpkin spice scented mani bomb. Limited Edition for Halloween. 

Acid Heart Mani Bomb (0.8 oz, $3.00)

These concentrated mani bombs are raspberry lemonade scented and go bright pink in the water. They can be halved for a mani bomb and can also be mixed and matched with 1 or 2 other heart bombs for a full tub experience. 

Yep, you heard correctly: RASPBERRY. LEMONADE. This baby smell so, so good!! 

Electric Heart Mani Bomb (0.9 oz, $3.00)

These concentrated mani bombs are lemonade scented and go bright yellow in the water. They can be halved for a mani bomb and can also be mixed and matched with 1 or 2 other heart bombs for a full tub experience. 

 Bath Bombs

Immerse Bath Bomb

 Directions: Drop bomb into a clean tub of warm water. Allow bomb to fizz up and then step in to soak. Relax and enjoy. Rinse off after bath, spritzing tub with cleaner if necessary. 

Shown is the Big Dipper Bath Bomb (2.6 oz, $8.00), which is jam packed full ofinky dark goodness and glittery silver mica. Peach sparkling citrus rose plum and a musk scented blend is perfect for an escaping little dip. Available in store for Christmas 2016.    

 

**Black bath bombs are amazing, but can be messy. Though these bath bombs do not stain or leave residue, please make sure to clean tub properly before and after use.

Ingredients: Sodium bicarbonate, citric acid, dead sea salt, kaolin clay, avocado oil, coconut oil, extra virgin olive oil, sesame oil, sweet almond oi, fragrance oil, grapeseed oil, fragrance oil, polysorbate 80, isopropyl alcohol, colorant. 

  

Quench Cuticle Oil ($6.00)

This cuticle pen is jam packed with oils that benefit the health of your nails and nourish growth and strength. Use multiple times a day for maximum benefit. 

Directions: Rub oil into cuticles and nail beds 3 times a day or as needed. 

Ingredients: Jojoba oil, avocado oil, coconut oil, extra virgin olive oil, sesame oil, sweet almond oil, grapeseed oil, fragrance oil.    

 The scent that Cristina sent me was Raspberry Lemonade and, just like the mani bomb, it smells amazing! The oil soaked in extremely quickly, and was very moisturizing, with no extreme oily residue. The applicator is a click pen, with a very soft top; it took me about 15 clicks of the pen to get the oil to begin to advance, in order to be used. 

  

In addition to the products listed above, Cristina also offers two other products, which include cocoa butter (I did not review these, as I have a cocoa butter sensitivity). These include Drench Mani Truffles ($8.00 for a set of 4) and Slough Lip Balm Scrub ($4.00). Also debuting around holiday time will be sugar scrub cubes ($8.00 for a set of 16).

Nail Art Products

In addition to the hand and nail care products, Cristina is also offering nail art products, including nail stickers ($5.00), stencils ($4.00), and water slide decals ($5.00). 

 The nail stickers and vinyls were very easy to peel off of the backing, and they stuck well to the nail. While applying the stickers, I was able to top them with 1-2 layers of glossy topcoat, and they lay flat. The vinyls allowed for crisp and even images when they were peeled off of the nail. 

Before my package arrived, Cristina told me that she received an email from her distributor, stating that the decals were accidentally made with a matte paper, rather than glossy paper. This did affect my final look, but did not adversely affect the application; the decals still removed/slid off of the backing with great ease, after soaking in water for about 15 seconds. 

Here are some looks that I made with all three of the Nail Swag products! 

Thank you so, so much to Cristina for allowing me to review these products! These are all an absolute dream to work with, and I most definitely recommend trying them out in your hand and nail care routine. Let me know below if you have any question! 

Please be sure to check out Lipsticks and Nail Polish on social media! 

 Blog       Shop       Instagram       Facebook

Thanks for stopping by, and I'll see you next time! 

♥ Megan 

*Products were provided for review. All thoughts and opinions are my own!*    

Manicure Monday! featuring Ever After Polish and UR Beautiful

Manicure Monday! featuring Ever After Polish and UR Beautiful 

*Purchased by Me*

Happy Manicure Monday! Today, I'm sharing some stamping with you! 

To begin with this manicure, I applied three thin coats of Ever After Polish Something Blue. Something Blue is a gorgeous blue-toned teal packed with multi-chrome flakies and scattered holo. It was part of a duo that Rachel had created for her wedding, the other half of which was a light pink holo with larger holo glitters, named I Do. Something Blue is opaque in three thin coats, and it dries quickly and glossy. Shown is with one layer of glossy top coat! 

Something Blue is one of my favorite Ever Afters! Unfortunately, it is no longer currently available in the shop. 

After my polish and top coat dried, I selected a stamping image. This image was from UR Beauiful-04, a plate that I picked up from an online shop (I'm sorry, I can no longer find the plate in the shop to link for you!). To stamp this image, I used Sally Hansen's Silver Sweep, my go-to silver for stamping (which is also discontinued...SO SAD!!). I sealed everything in with another layer of top coat; here is the final result! 

I'm loving how these turned out! 

What are your favorite color combos for stamping? Let me know below! 

Please be sure to check out Ever After on social media! 

 

Shop        Instagram          Facebook          Facebook Fan Group

Thank you so much for stopping by, and I'll see you next time! 

♥ Megan

KBShimmer Violet Tendencies: Swatch and Review

KBShimmer Violet Tendencies: Swatch and Review

*Purchased by Me*

Happy Monday, and I hope that you are having a wonderful Labor Day so far! Today, I'm sharing a polish from KBShimmer that I picked up when Christy was having a sale on her Summer 2016 Misfits Collection; the Misfits Collection consisted of batches of polishes that Christy considered as "one-offs," or ones that she did not want to use a a part of a collection. The beauty that I have to share with you today is named Violet Tendencies. 

 

 

Violet Tendencies can be best described as a medium-toned purple-toned violet linear holographic with additional larger holographic glitters. I was able to get it opaque in two smooth, easy coats. It dried quickly between coats, and dried glossy. Shown is with one layer of glossy top coat! Unfortunately, it is no longer available; however, KBShimmer recently released their Fall 2016 collection, and it looks beautiful! So...go pick some up!

After my two coats and topcoat dried, I decided to add some stamping! For this, I chose an image from Born Pretty Store's BP-25 and stamped with M Polish's To Have and To Holo (my favorite holo stamping polish!). Unfortunately, the maker of M Polish is no longer currently making polish, so I am currently on the hunt for another holo stamping polish, for when this one runs out. After everything dried, I sealed it in with another layer of glossy top coat. Here is the final result!  

 

Holo upon holo, right!? 

Please be sure to check out KBShimmer on social media! 

Shop       Instagram       Facebook       Facebook Fan Group 

Thank you so much for stopping by, and I'll see you next time! 

♥ Megan

Nail Art Time! featuring Dreamland Lacquer and Born Pretty Store

Nail Art Time! featuring Dreamland Lacquer and Born Pretty Store 

*Purchased by Me and Sent by Maker*

Why, hello there! I'm sorry again for being absent lately. The good news is, I'm finished summer classes, and am on a mini break for about a week and a half! Woo-hoo! 

Today, I'm sharing some stamping nail art with you! For the base of this mani, I used Dreamland Lacquer's Coral of the Story II, a Hella Holo Customs polish that was created a couple of months ago. I reviewed the original Coral of the Story here, but some customers had had this polish fade; therefore, Noelie, the maker of Dreamland, was kind enough to reformulate COTS and replace EVERYONE'S bottle, at no cost to the buyer. Isn't that amazing of her? I am forever in awe of how sweet indie makers are! 

Dreamland Lacquer Coral of the Story II

Collection: Hella Holo Customs April 2016 Customs

Color/Finish: Dreamland Lacquer Coral of the Story II is a pink-toned coral linear holographic.

Formula/Application: COTS II had a smooth and even formula, and it was a dream (haha, no pun intended!) to apply. It dried very quickly between coats, about 2 minutes maximum. It dried glossy, but shown is with one layer of glossy top coat.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥ 5 hearts! This color is so vibrant in person, the holo flame is insane, and the formula was perfect! What more could a polish lover ask for?

Availability: Dreamland Lacquer Coral of the Story II is no longer currently available for direct purchase. 

Stamping Time! 

After my topcoat dried, I decided to add some stamping to Coral of the Story. For this mani, I chose a swirly image from Born Pretty Store's BP-28. For this image, I used white Konad polish and my clear jelly stamper, also from Born Pretty Store. Everything is sealed in with another layer of glossy top coat! 

I'm so excited with how this came out! And, I actually kept this on for 4 days. FOUR DAYS! That's probably a record for me! 

Please be sure to check out Dreamland Lacquer on social media! 

Shop       Instagram       Facebook       Facebook Fan Group

Thank you so much for stopping by, and I'll see you next time! 

♥ Megan

Animal Print Nails! Featuring Carpe Noctem Cosmetics

Animal Print Nails! Featuring Carpe Noctem Cosmetics

*Purchased by Me*

Happy Friday! Tonight, I'm going to be showing you a mani that I did with a color from Carpe Noctem Cosmetics that I've had in my to-try pile for a bit. 

One of the colors that I've picked up recently from Carpe Noctem is another color from Emily's Inspiration Collection, in which each polish was inspired by a person in the nail polish community who is very important to her. This polish is named Classy As Fuck, and it was inspired by An of The Polished Hippy. Now, I have had the pleasure of interacting with An as well, and I can attest to her classiness and kindness; I 100% respect and value her as a fellow member of the nail community, and always look to her for advice! Please, please, please be sure to go check out her blog! 

Classy As Fuck is described on Emily's site as a metallic red linear holo with platinum and multichrome flakies. I was able to get it fully opaque in two easy coats, which applied smoothly and dried quickly and shiny! 

For my mani, I applied Classy As Fuck on my thumbs, ring fingers, and pinkies. Then, I applied two coats of Sally Hansen's Tag, Ur It! on my index and middle fingers. Once that was dry, I stamped a zebra print image (in black) on top of the white base; for this, I used a plate that I had picked up in an "As Seen on TV" kit, long, long ago (it was actually the beginning of my ventures into stamping!). Once everything dried, I sealed it all in with another layer of topcoat. Here is the final result! 

If you are interested in picking up a bottle of Classy As Fuck, you can find the listing for it on Emily's site, right here! The cost is $12.00 for a 15 mL full size bottle, or $6.00 for a 6 mL mini bottle.

 

Please be sure to check out Carpe Noctem Cosmetics on social media! 

Shop       Instagram       Facebook       Facebook Fan Group

Thank you so much for stopping by, and I'll see you next time! 

♥ Megan

Humpday Nail Art with Ever After Polish and WhatsUp Nail Vinyls!

Humpday Nail Art with Ever After Polish and WhatsUp Nail Vinyls! 

*Purchased by Me*

Happy Humpday!! I am officially in my last week of classes for the summer, before finals week; I'm happy to be wining down a bit, and may be a bit too excited to get a week off and to myself...woo-hoo! 

Today, I am sharing a mani that I am SO EXCITED about; it's my most successful attempt yet at using nail vinyls! I recently made a purchase from WhatsUp Nails, when they had their 40% off back-to-school sale, and picked up some adorable butterfly vinyls; I knew right away that I had to give them a shot. 

For this manicure, I began with two coats of Sally Hansen Tag, Ur It! on my pinky and ring fingers; I let that dry fully, and applied quick-dry top coat. On my thumbs, middle, and index fingers, I applied two coats of Ever After Polish Veg Fest, another color that I have recently purchased. Veg Fest was a color that Rachel had created for an event named Veg Fest in Pittsburgh, and it can be best described as a green-toned teal microglitter and pink shimmer. It was fully opaque in two coats, and dried quickly; my pictures show it with topcoat. Veg Fest is no longer currently available, but there is another event custom that is in stock in Rachel's shop!

When the topcoat on my white base was fully dry, I applied my butterfly nail vinyls. These vinyls peeled off easily, and I did not have any trouble with having the inner designs to peel off. After positioning them, I took a cosmetic sponge and sponged on Veg Fest; I did three passes of the sponge over the vinyl, in order to reach the opacity that I wanted. After it dried, I applied another layer of top coat, and was all finished! I am so excited with how these came out, and I can't wait to play with some more designs and techniques! 

Please be sure to check out Ever After on social media! 

Shop        Instagram          Facebook          Facebook Fan Group

Thank you so much for stopping by, and I'll see you next time! 

♥ Megan