Christmas Sweater Nails

Here's my take on the Ugly Christmas Sweater manis that have been floating around.  I had to work with only the handful of polishes I brought home with me, so it didn't turn out the way I wanted it to, but I still like it!

Products Used
Sally Hansen Hard as Nails in In The Red Creme
Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear in Black Out
Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear in White On
Konad Plate m57
Bundle Monster Plates BM14 and BM214
Shany Plate SH17

Quick Winter Travel Mani

Here's what I did with my nails for travel.  It was quick, easy, and my family was really into them (they don't understand that crackle does its thing all on its own hahaha!)

Wintery, huh?  Like ice!

Products Used:

Revlon Top Speed in Royal

Sally Hansen Crackle in Snow Blast

Haul: Stocking Stuffers and Progress Picture

Wheeeee this is a queued post!  I am flying across the country to go home for Christmas!  Since my fiance and I are not spending Christmas together (we haven't spent a Christmas in the same state yet!) we celebrated on Saturday.  Here's what I got in my stocking!

That's China Glaze Skyscraper, Snow Globe, and Doll House, and NYX NGP162.  And down in front- new stamping plates (fauxnads- Shany!)  Hooray!

And since getting all these new polishes, and doing all these recent swatches, my nails have been growing like crazy!  Still having issues with my thumb and pointer finger- especially on my left hand.  I don't think my nails will EVER get to all be the same length, but still.  Progress is progress!  We have growth!

Quickie Holiday Mani

This was one of those times where I needed to do something with my nails, but I didn't have a lot of time to spend on them.  So I grabbed a couple glitters and my go-to white base, and boom.  Quick and easy holiday mani!  I used a new green glitter that I picked up from the store the other day, and the red glitter I got from Priti NYC back in August (and was all excited to use for Christmas even back then!)

Products Used:

Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear in White On

LA Girl Glitter Addict in Purge

Priti Polish in Union Jack

Swatch: Revlon Glitz & Glam

Wow!  This one sure suprised me.  I found it randomly in the store mixed in a basket of random colors, and I thought what the heck.  Microglitter in shades of pink, why not?  Then I got home, tried it on and wow!  I wasn't expecting it to be set in a raspberry base!  But it is, and it's very lovely.

Forgive these pictures.  The polish looks lumpy and goopy almost- that's my fault entirely, not the formula.  This is three coats over a coat of white- like I said, I wasn't expecting it to be set in a colored base- so it's on there pretty thick and sloppy.

See the different shades of pink glitter?

Swatch: Essie Pure Pearlfection

The last one from LuxEffects (I didn't buy the gold one- As Good as it Gets) is Pure Pearlfection.  This is beautiful!  It's this wonderful shimmery color with these itsy bitsy microscopic glitters.  It looks so good on this black base- it reminds me of gunmetal, it makes my plain black polish look metallic.  I can't wait to use this all the time, I rarely layer plain colors with topcoats like this.  I wish I could've captured all of the colors in this polish- it looks primarily silver, but in the bottle and close up, there were little flecks of pink and green and blue!

Gorgeous!

Swatch: Essie Set in Stones

Another one from Essie's LuxEffects!  Here's Set in Stones, a silver sister to A Cut Above.  Here is is over a black base.

This is just perfect for New Years!!

Swatch: Essie A Cut Above

I hooked myself up with Essie's LuxEffects the other day.  Here's A Cute Above.  It's a pretty glitter with big chunky hex glitter, and little micro glitter as well.  Here is is over a white base:

Pointer/Middle: one coat.  Ring/Pinky: two coats

Thoughts???  Where would you wear this?

Another Winter Inspired Mani

I recently went on a bit of a splurge!  One of the polishes that I added to my collection is Revlon's Powder Puff, which is one of their matte suedes.  I was sort of expecting it to look like white out- just a flat white color.  Instead, it's pretty sheer, and it has this lovely opalescent shimmer to it.  It is very pretty, but I couldn't stand the visible nail line.  (I didn't take any pictures of Powder Puff on its own, but I will soon).  On top of Powder Puff, I went for a shimmery red/gold stamped pattern that reminds me of poinsettias!

Products Used:
Revlon Powder Puff
Essie Wrapped in Rubies
Bundle Monster BM205

GIVEAWAY!!! Essie's Shine of the Times

Yay!  My very first giveaway!  I stuck with the basics- the only requirements are that you're following me via GFC.  That's it!!  And then you can have your very own one of these....

HECK YEA!

Giveaway will be closed on December 30, 2011.  Good luck!

THIS GIVEAWAY IS CLOSED

Swatch: Essie Shine of the Times (Pic Heavy)

I think I know why you're here.  But first let me do my swatch spiel.

This is Essie's Shine of the Times, which is part of their new Luxe Effects collection and the much sought after flakie.  And it does not disappoint!  It is a gorgeous iridescent rainbow flakie that reflects all sorts of pretty colors.  It's a dupe for Sally Hansen Hidden Treasure (which I don't have) and Nubar 2010 (which I do!)  Check it out!!!

Here it is layered over Revlon's Hot for Chocolate.  This is one layer of Shine of the Times and SV topcoat.

Ugggggggggh I love it.