NOTD: "One Less Lonely Glitter" Nicole by OPI

Found this gorgeous purple glitter nailpolish called "One Less Lonely Glitter" at Target (around $7), and turns out it's part of Justin Bieber's collaboration with OPI- where he has his own collection! (Bieber fact, he has a song called "One Less Lonely Girl" so I was loving this shade name!)

It's very opaque and you get a lot with just one or two coats. I paired it with China Glaze's "Coconut Kiss" and man oh man did it blow me away! It's such a gorgeous combination (and my favorite color is purple), and I am just loving these two together. I already got tons of compliments on it too, so you know it's a winner!

One thing I like is that it doesn't feel like that obnoxious chunky glitter on the nail, once I applied my Seche Vite top coat, it was pretty smooth. It has just the right amount of glitter and sparkle and it's actually the only one I really liked out of the collection. It also looks awesome with OPI's Black Shater on top.

What are your favorite nailpolishes or nail combos?

Here are some pics:

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Sally Hansen "Laced Up" & How-To Tutorial

 

Stephanie requested that I show the Sally Hansen Salon Effects Nail Strips in "Laced Up", so I thought i'd also do a quick video on how-to apply them as they can be tricky for people who aren't used to nailstrips. I used Seche Vite as my top coat, which I noticed helps it stay on longer. I like that these nailstrips are 'movable' as in if you placed them wrong or it suddenly sticks to your nail, you can still carefully peel them off and start over; as some other brands I have tried (Forever 21's version of nailstrips for example) are a waste of money even though they are only $2.80 for each one I believe, they stuck to my nail and stayed there. If I tried to carefully peel it off to start over it would rip into shreds.

So the Sally Hansen ones are good quality in comparison to other nailstrips out there; I find that the solid colors and some of the designs are great (even the solid colored glitters), while others don't work that well (I hated "Frock Star", it was hard to work with, it felt gritty, and it was a pain to come off!). Anyway, enjoy!

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Broadway Nails Brush On Nail Kit Review

Hey ladies! My friend Lannet who also does YouTube vids started up her blog again, so kindly support and check her out here!

 Product: 2 out of 5

Packaging: 4 out of 5

Quality: 2 out of 5

Overall: 2 out of 5

Would I buy again? No

Price: $10, Walmart

I went to Walmart around Christmas last year and bought the Broadway Nails Brush On Nail Kit, and finally decided to use it a few weeks ago. It was $10 for the entire kit, and even though I haven't been a fan of press on/glue on nails because I can never keep them on, I decided to give these a try because they were similar to acrylic nails and I liked how they didn't have the cheap plastic look.

So how did these fare? Read on!

Their description:
Mistakeproof Brush-On Gel is perfect for beginners. Patented gel formula is easy to apply – simply brush on. Your nails will be smooth and shiny without buffing. Salon fabulous results…no UV light, no odor, no appointment necessary!

Kit Contains: Brush-on Gel, Brush-on Gel Activator, Brush Cleaner, 48 Self Tab Natural Nail Tips in 14 Sizes, Mini File, Manicure Stick 

PROS:
- Instructions were super easy to follow, and it was easy to do
- Looks professional (if you file it down a bit)
- Great for a few hours if you are pressed for time and need a quick look
- Kit comes with cuticle sticks, a file, and clear nail tips which helps
- Tips are easy to apply and remove, they are also numbered to help you achieve the right size

CONS:
- Not all of the nail tips fit every nail bed, I had a hard time finding the perfect size for my thumbs
- They don't have extra tips of each (white and clear) in case you make any mistakes
- The gel is kinda hard to remove, takes a lot of patience
- Smell is kind of strong
- Most of the nails on my right hand came off the next day, granted it's my dominant hand, I felt they came off too quickly, the ones on my left hand were intact, but ended up taking them off so I wouldn't look funny, and for the record I didn't do anything crazy for them to fall of, they just did.
- If not filed down correctly, you can see the bottom of the tip (and they tell you that you DON'T need to file down to even the surface, but you really do!)

Overall: These have the potential to be doable if they were better made, however the fact that they didn't even last a full day was disappointing. It seems like the gel layer doesn't dry as thick to hold onto the tips so they rip off so easily; but the instructions don't recommend you apply more, so you sorta have no choice. They looked nice on, as if I got them done at the salon, but I ended up taking them all off as soon as a few nails came off because they don't have any extras I can use for touch-ups, and didn't wanna look silly walking around with one hand full of nails! The kit itself I gave 4 stars because I liked that they also included a file and cuticle sticks, which came in handy especially if you are doing this while traveling, etc. So I don't recommend these for long-term use, i'd rather pay an extra $10 and get actual acrylics on, but if you are just looking for a quick look for a few hours or for the night, these would suffice.

Easy to follow instructions:

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MAC Haul

Dropped by the MAC store after work and ended up nabbing a few things, and noticed they changed their bags! They are super cute! It's paper bags made out of recycled paper and inside of the bags, they are each colored differently. (***sidenote: I will be announcing the winner of the Sigma Make Me Up Brush Kit later today!)

I also wanted to try their 'Sheen Supreme' lipsticks because I LOVED their slimshine lipsticks from way back in the day (a glossy lipstick), and since it was rumored these were similar, I was curious because I was sad the slimshines were limited edition. I will do a comparison post later on the two, but right off the bat they aren't as glossy and shiny as the original slimshines which is disappointing but they still are nice (at least some colors are such as the one I got in "Bare Again"). And oddly enough one of the Slimshines I have is "Bare" and this one is "Bare Again", love how they tied that in!

I didn't get much, just the Penultimate Eyeliner Pen in "Rapidblack", 4 eyeshadow palette (I love the new design! I wish their 15 eyeshadow palette was see-thru too so you can see the eyeshadows from the outside), e/s pan refill in "Shale", the Sheen Supreme lippie in "Bare Again" and their moisture cover concealer in NC20.

 And the nails I was rocking last week:

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OPI Black Shatter

Finally got my hands on OPI's most anticipated crackling nailpolish "Black Shatter" from the Katy Perry Collection (I didn't care too much for the other shades in the collection) but wanted to test drive this baby!

I already had Color Club's "Pink Flame" on my nails so I just rushed to test it and put the black shatter over it, sealed it with Seche Vite top coat, and I am loving it. Jon said "Why would you want your nails to look like that?!" LOL. Oh boys, they just don't understand haha.

***Note: Apply one coat, and apply it quick as it will start to crackle in a matter of seconds and let it dry then apply clear top coat.

Can't wait to post later about kkcenterhk.com, testing out some lashes and a hair piece! :)

Anyway here are some pics:

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Review: Sally Hansen Salon Effects Nail Strips

L to R: Frock Star, Bling It On, Wild Child, and Laced Up

Product: 4.5 out of 5

Packaging: 5 out of 5

Quality: 5 out of 5

Overall: 5 out of 5

Price: $8.99 each

Shade I am wearing in pics below is: "Bling It On"

Available at most drugstores

I went to Target last week and came across these Sally Hansen Salon Effects Nail Strips which claim to last up to 10 days, since I am challenged when it comes to putting on nailpolish on my right hand and have no patience for waiting for it to dry, I thought these would be perfect to try out. They are pretty new to the market, they aren't even on the Sally Hansen website yet and they were hard to find (not all Target stores had them or drugstores for that matter). But I think they should be rolling out to more places in due time within the next couple of months if not sooner.

Each box comes with 16 nail strips (extras in case you make a mistake) and of course different sizes so you can find ones that fit your nail bed, a cuticle pusher, detailed instructions, and a nail file. I recommend that you have warm hands or fingertips when you apply these so that when you smooth out the nail strip it sorts seals it onto your natural nail and helps it adhere.

PROS:

-I noticed they have remarkable staying power when used with a top coat. I used Seche Vite top coat to help seal and make it last longer and didn't experience any chipping so far and have had it for about 6 days now; and usually with regular polish I do on Day 2 or 3. Without a top coat it's more prone to peeling or getting etches quicker.

- They have a variety of cool designs and colors, from lace, zebra, high-impact glitter, neon, matte, shimmer, etc. to choose from.

- They are $8.99 each which is relatively cheaper than a manicure you get at a salon.

- Super easy to apply and remove, and very natural looking. It only took me 10 minutes or less to do both hands, and you can remove it with regular nail polish remover.

- Great if you are pressed for time and need to do a quick manicure, no need to wait for them to dry!

CONS:

- Not all of the nail strips will fit all nail beds, but it's not too noticeable, just gotta find the one that fits you the best.

Overall: I love, love, love these! I honestly wanna just get these from now on as oppose to regular nail polish because they are just so easy to do lol! I like that I don't have to wait for these to dry, and that they last a long time. They also come in many fun designs as well as more normal nail polish shades and finishes. I had people even say "I love your nailpolish color what brand/shade is it?" and they are shocked when I say they are nail polish strips, because they look that natural.

The shade "Bling It On" was hard to capture its true color, it's a really pretty medium bright rose pink in person, not as dark as it is in some of the pictures.

Used a different camera, but color is closer to the pic above, and is still as vibrant as Day 1:

Minimal chipping on index fingernail near cuticle, but still in tact for the most part

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ORLY Bonder & No Chip Nailpolish Coats

I know I hardly write about nailpolishes, but trust me I have a good reason LOL. See, nailpolish and I, we have a love/hate relationship. I love them the first day I have them, and after that I hate them! They chip like crazy no matter what base or top coat I use (I know some of you ladies are nail goddesses so please feel free to give me some suggestions, techniques, or some good base/top coats you recommend!). I also find that I have no patience for doing my nails, I often get frustrated because I can't manage to stay 'in the lines' at times or they smudge and then my nails end up looking like a hot mess, but I am learning to get better at it. I envy those ladies that have nail blogs and their nails and hands look amazing- utter perfection!

Anyway, I went to Sally's the other day to buy a few small gifts for my best friend, and thought i'd make another futile attempt to put some nailpolish on and TRY to get them to last at least close to a week, so I bought ORLY Bonder (base coat) which claims to help nailpolish adhere to the base coat so it lasts longer and ORLY "Won't Chip" Top Coat w/ a protective polymer shield (both $6.99 each), they both suggested of course that for ideal results, it's best to use them together, hence why I ended up getting both.

They both say that they "prevent nail lacquer from wearing off for up to two weeks".

So Day 1, was last Thursday, I used the Bonder as a base, then Color Club nailpolish in "Pink Flame", and then Wet N' Wild's Craze Nail Color in "Glitz" (pink and purple glitter nailpolish with a clear base, it's so pretty in person!),  followed by the no chip top coat. [I used one coat of the pink flame and one coat of the glitter after the base coat, then one coat of the top coat.] For the sake of testing, I didn't bother to really clean up around my cuticles so I apologize!

On the second day, there was no chipping, and on the third day there was minimal chipping near the tips of the nail.

And on Day 5 (today), it looked like this:

Overall? Compared to other base and top coats I have used, these Orly base and top coats do not chip as much, but I was still a bit disappointed because I was hoping for minimal to no chipping until at least maybe Day 7. Especially because they say it prevents (as it's a fact, not help prevents...) nailpolish from wearing off for up to two weeks. Even around Day 3 I already started to see a bit of chipping near the tips on my right hand. However, I am giving it another shot by using it on flat nailpolish (no glitter) just to see if that makes any difference, so we'll see by the end of this week how it holds up. But at the moment, for $6.99 a pop, I'd like to believe there is something better that does the job at the same price; even if there is one that's a tad bit pricier, it might be worth it if it actually prevents them from chipping. We'll see!

On another note, the bestie (the boy BFF,  I have a girl BFF and a boy BFF haha) gave me a cute HK keychain (for some reason it reminds me of Tupac), he is doing the 12 days of Christmas so one small gift everyday, and it's all HK stuff, it's pretty funny. He has such a big heart! I have to do a post on that soon because I was amazed he found some of these things (such as an ice pop mold !)

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BDAY FOTD & Dinner Craziness

So last Sunday I had a birthday dinner with a few friends and finally did a look! My co-worker Irina also got me the BEST CAKE ever....an ice cream cake with RPattz (aka Edward Cullen) on it that read "Happy Birthday Mrs. Cullen", I squealed and was the happiest person on earth, LOL. Everyone at the table is in on my obsession and they too loved the cake, however I told them to NOT eat his gorgeous face!

It was even on Twicrackaddict.blogspot.com!











Got birthday nails!


What I used:

[Face]
- MAC Skin Primer
- MAC Studio Sculpt Concealer in NC30
- Buff'd Mineral Foundation in "Chamois" and "Almond"
- Purely Cosmetics Diamond Finish Powder

[Cheeks]
- Korres Bronzer to contour
- MAC "Fashion Frenzy" blush

[Eyes]
- Smashbox Photo Finish Lid Primer
- MUFE eyeshadow #26 (pink) on the inner lids
- MUFE eyeshadow #9 (purple) on the middle of the lid
- MAC e/s in "top hat" (starflash, LE) and "nocturnelle" e/s on outer-V and contour
- MAC e/s in "Rondelle" and "Shroom" as highlight
- MAC Fluidline in "Blacktrack"
- L'Oreal Mascara
- Urban Decay "Electric" liner on lower lashline

[Lips]
- MAC l/s in "Snob"

My awesome cake:


Post on Twicrackaddict:




Irina going Twilight crazy...she got the board game too! LOL!

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