Nina Ultra Pro Purple-Xing

I posted a picture of this bottle on Twitter and asked people to guess what it was, and of course they got it! Purple-xing is a pretty popular polish but I am just now getting my hands on it, so you'll have to excuse me but I just fell in love with this purple polish. Look at that glitter! Come on!

 

This is only the second Nina Ultra Pro polish I own, which is a shame because I really do think they have some interesting colors. This applied like a dream, I mean really, the formula was just perfect. This is only two coats of polish, and I think if I layered one coat over a dark color it would look just as great.The only drawback is that even with a coat of Poshe, the finish still wasn't smooth. I don't know how it would have turned out with Seche Vite though. If you are a purple lover, glitter freak, or polish collector you NEED this color. It doesn't matter if you already own a purple glitter, get this one. Trust me, you wont regret it! 

Nina Ultra Pro polishes are currently on sale for $3.29 at Sally's Beauty Supply. Unfortunately, that's the only place I've ever seen Nina polishes.

Do you already own Purple-xing? I'm sure a lot of nail polish fanatics already have it!

Polish Blogger Network: Lacquer Link Love 1/29/10

A few fellow bloggers help Babbling Brooke come up with a Konad of the Day that's a dazzler.

Lavender lady bugs in silver spacesuits, Naive Nails shares her very cute, but accidental mani.

Bright Lights Big Color brings out the Vampy Varnish as she shows off the stunning OPI Blackberry Chutney.

Blogger Euridice continues with her Rescue Beauty Lounge binge posts and shares a limited edition polish we lacquer fiends love.

To help those of you who might be taking advantage of Models Own's special 72 hour sale and in celebration of the fact they now ship internationally, Helen's Nice Things has decided to compile some of her personal Model Own Swatches, for reference and your polish viewing pleasure.

 Cucumpear shares with us her "applicious" mani that will surely leave you thinking about a Golden Delicious apple.

 

Polish Galore shows a shade I've deemed her new lucky polish and a few personal highlights as well.

Manicure Mommas has received her first Diamond Cosmetics package and shares with you the 8 new editions to her collection.

Polish Up breaks out a diamond dust polish and shows just how diamonds sparkle in the light and Chromatic Misadventures continues her "Week in Red" and shares with us different shades of this classic hue.

And now,

on to the Network Giveaways....

Tuli's Nails is having a fabulous V-Day giveaway for all her fabulous followers, so be sure to check her blog for the details!

Also, Babbling Brooke is having a contest to thank all of her wonderful followers and has tons of goodies she plans to share as well!

Blast from the Past :OPI Sonora Sunset

Indoors (above)

Outdoor/Sunlight shot

This is two coats + Poshe topcoat.

This is an old OPI I found when I was volunteering in a thrift store sometime last year. Sonora Sunset is from OPI's 1998 Painted Desert collection! I was so excited to find a old OPI so I took it home without second thought. When I got it home, it was thick and clumpy and I thought to myself "What am I gonna do with this?" That's when I found my brand new, unused bottle of Poshe Polish Reviver (because I'd never had a reason to use it before). Polish Reviver, according to the bottle "revives thickened polish to its original viscosity, enhancing the flow for a smooth, professional looking application." I dropped a couple of drops of that stuff into this polish and voila! It was was smooth and gathering nicely on the brush! I was able to revive this polish and do a whole manicure, just as if I had opened a fresh new bottle of nail polish.I am absolutely in love with the possibilities now that I have my Poshe Polish Reviver!

China Glaze Vermillion

Sun shot 

So much to love about this polish. Sigh. Too bad I don't like reds, but honestly this is the best red polish I own. For a girl that doesn't like red nail polish, I sure do feel like I have a lot of it!   The formula is AMAZING. This stuff glides on like butter and is opaque in one coat, but I did two for this manicure. Vermillion is apart of China Glaze's core line and they describe it as a creme, but honestly I think it kind of has a jelly consistency. If you a red lover or are looking for a perfect red polish, I suggest you pick this one up!

NYC Polyester Pink Creme

I was browsing around Target and picked this up along with NYC Skin Tight Denim   because it was 94 cents! Plus it really is a nice pastel pink. However, application had some issues. The consistency is thick but runny. Does that make sense? It seemed to like to pool around my cuticles (which I am very angry at right now) and I don't like that. I believe this is 4 coats + Poshe topcoat.

China Glaze Skate Night

I'm just now getting around to posting picture of this craptastic manicure. I love China Glaze, I really do. However this polish chipped so fast on me! I believe Skate Night is from their Retro Diva collection, which had some real gems in it. However, Skate Night just didn't do it for me. You know, I was on the fence about this color to begin with because its a little red to me. Oh well, my mom loves it. I might let her have it.

This is two coats + Poshe topcoat.

Nailene French Tip Pen Review

I was sent a bag of goodies to review from Nailene late last year and this French Tip Pen sat in the to be tried pile for a while. Now that I have an internship, I cant have wild and crazy colors on my nails anymore. Boooo! (Yeah, I know.) So I found this last weekend and decided to give it a try. Here is what I used for my manicure:

L to R: Essie Pink is the Link, Nailene French Tip Pen, Nailene top coat (wait, I actually didnt use that, it just came with the pen), Poshe Super Fast Drying Topcoat

When I opened the pen, it looked like a felt tip marker. Seriously. That must be why the packaging says "mistake proof". Really, this thing is so easy to use.

So the packaging says pearl white. I'm assuming they mean silver. Thats what it looked like on my nails. I used Pink is the Link as a base color just to even out my nail color and then 3 "coats" of the pen to make my tip. I dont think this pen uses regular nail polish, but more on that later. The consistency is a bit thin and it dries so FAST. Here is the manicure I did, and I also added a nail sticker just to spice it up a bit.

 
Now this is the first day of the manicure. I was totally in love with this pen. By day two, I began to notice chips and major tip wear. I attribute this to the "polish" in the pen, like I mentioned earlier I dont think its actual nail polish.

This is my only problem with the pen. Although, if I wanted to solve that problem, I probably could just carry around the pen and do touch ups. Application is easy and it dries fast. The packaging says for tips and toes, so maybe it would last longer on the toes? If you like french manicures and want to do one in a hurry, this would be the thing for you. 

For more information on nailene visit thier website at www.nailene.com or follow them on Twitter.

 

Santee Vikini Green

Yes, you read that right. The label on this polish say Vikini Green. What the heck that means, I have no clue. But lets move on, shall we? :-)

Here's something you rarely see from me; a green polish. I found this in my stash and figured, why not? Its the weekend. Since I have a internship now, uh I don't think I could get away with this at work.

A little brighter with flash outside

This is three coats + Orly Sec n Dry. The brushes on these Santee polishes are a wide and a little bushy in my opinion. Just when I need when applying a color like this. *rolls eyes* Other than that, this is a great little nail polish for one dollar, no?

Poshe Cuticle Care Review

This is only one of two products I've ever tried from Poshe, the first being their Super Fast Drying Topcoat, which is fabulous. The one thing I would have to say that I like about it versus Seche Vite is that it stays shiny longer. I mean, even after 2 or 3 days, my manicures still look shiny. Okay, enough about the topcoat, on to the Cuticle Cream review!


Product description taken from the website:

Promotes Healthy, Smooth, Beautiful Cuticles

A unique blend of (AHA) Alpha Hydroxy Acids & botanicals specially formulated to exfoliate and hydrate problem cuticles and surrounding tissues.

• Contains Alpha Hydroxy Acids & Botanicals 7% AHA
  Both types - Glycolic & Stearic acids
• Accelerates The Natural Exfoliation
• Hydrates & Moisturizes Cuticles
• Contains Antioxidants
  To Promote Natural Healing
• Refats The Lipids Of The Nail Plate
• Refats the Lipids Of The Skin
• Prevents Hangnails
• Light, Water-based Formulation For Faster Absorption
• Won't Cause Lifting
• Won't Dull Polish Shine
• Visible results within 1 week, with daily use

source

Whats the bottom line?

Well I haven't been using this stuff daily, just when I feel my cuticles are extra dry from constant hand washing and acetone. When I use it, my cuticles and the surrounding skin around my nails does feels instantly softer. I like the smell; its a light fruity smell, not too overpowering. Also I love the applicator tip, its great for precision application. Its skinny enough to trace a line of product right around my cuticles. I usually use CND's Solar Oil for my cuticles, but the advantage of Pose Cuticle Care is that it is a cream and I can take it with me and rub it in. There's no messy oil cleanup and I don't have to watch what I touch with my hands like after I use Solar Oil. Overall, this product is a winner for me.

NYC Skin Tight Denim

I've actually been wanting this color for a while. Actually at first, I thought that I didn't need it because I have OPI Blue My Mind and thought NYC Skin Tight Denim was similar. I originally spotted it on Deez Nails and Ive been in love ever since. Without further ado (read: before I get to blabbing about how awesome this polish is) here is NYC Skin Tight Denim.


As Carrie from Sex and the City would say, "Hello, lover!" This gorgeous dark blue polish is worth every penny, and it only took 94 of them to get this. NYC Skin Tight Denim, is a deep dark blue that is opaque in ONE COAT. Seriously, I could have done one coat and been done. However, for this manicure I did two + Poshe topcoat, just out of habit I suppose. There's a lot of blackened blues out there, but this my friend, is not one of them. This blue is just about as dark as it gets I believe, before it starts looking black. So that means in any lighting, I still looks blue. I got a fresh bottle of base coat, so this was gliding on like a dream. It also dried fast, by the time I got done with my last nail, the first nail I painted was finished. The only thing I don't like about this polish is that it has that weird smell that all my dark blue polishes have. I don't know whats up with that.

Bottom line, NYC Skin Tight Denim is a winner!

NYC Times Square Tangerine

The first post of 2010! I've been waiting on 2010 for quite some time. This May I will graduate from college and I cant wait. Then I can finally get a full time job to feed my polish, makeup and clothing addition. I can also get the Toyota Yaris I've had my broke undergrad eyes on. :-) While celebrating the New Year shopping at Target I decided pick up this orange creme from NYC. I don't have many orange polishes and at 94 cents I thought, "why not"? I've been avoiding oranges because they can be super bright and not so great against my skin tone. NYC Times Square Tangerine is a medium orange creme, indoors it looks darker and outdoors it looks brighter. The pictures are 3 coats + Poshe topcoat. I probably could have done 2, but I could still slightly see my nail line and 3 coats is just a habit to me.

So here it is, NYC Times Square Tangerine:

Outdoor + No Flash

Looks a little red to me, so of course this wont stay up long. This is the 2nd day of the manicure and I can already see some tip wear. :-( Hey, it was only .94 cents so no biggie. Also,

Happy New Year!
May 2010 be filled with love, laughter and good times.