China Glaze Atlantis, On the fly!!

It's been two weeks since my last post, I apologize! It is easy for me to become distracted lately with so much weighing on my mind..... moving in two weeks, packing everything slowly, buying more things for the house! Plus lots of work, normal day to day chores/errands, and getting sick a few times.

To top it all off, when I was home sick yesterday, I wound up biting my nails down to little nubs again :( That's what happens when you are distracted! My poor fingers!

So! Until I finish editing some photos, and all that fun stuff for a few posts that are overdue.. I will be sharing with you another Mani on the Fly!


As you know, I received China Glaze "Atlantis" as a Random Act Of Kindness from Brittany at Adventures and Mishaps in the Land of Nail Polish a few weeks ago. This is a polish that seems to grace many people's polish "Wish List", mine included. I was so thrilled to cross it off my list!

Can I just say............ WOW?!

Because these are "pics on the fly" they might not be super clear, but you can certainly see how glittery and gorgeous it is!

This is two coats + base and top coat. It's like having jewels all over your nails! I ogled these every second I could!

Formula was a bit thick, but because it's so packed with glitter, I was not too surprised. If that bothers you, try adding a few drops of thinner to it! 

On day two they started to chip a bit (though possibly helped by my "picking" at edges LOL)

Removal was a bit difficult (again, due to amount of glitter on each nail!) but with some pure Acetone and patience, it did not take long at all!

This will be a great polish to break out around Christmas-time, too! ;)

Thanks for reading and following along, as always!

xo

Birchbox comparisons! September vs October.

Today I bring to you a comparison of my first Birchbox of September 2012, and my second one of October 2012.

To those that do not know what Birchbox is, it is a monthly subscription beauty box. Every month you receive a box with samples and/or full size products ranging from lifestyle to grooming to beauty items. For only $10 a month, I figured, why not give it a try?

You request to join the wait list, and will be emailed when there is an available spot. I believe I signed up in early August, or close to the 10th, which is why I had to wait til September for my first box.

I was pretty impressed, though slightly overwhelmed, with my first box. I got some fun products I had never heard of before, so I was excited!

September 2012

 

 This was the contents of September's box. (Minus 1 tea pouch)

• 3 different loose leaf teas by Mighty Leaf
• Sample of Twirl perfume by Kate Spade
• Sample of Vasanti Brighten Up! face cleanser
• Sample of Jouer Matte Moisture Tint in Linen shade
• Mini of Color Club polish (Birchbox exclusive colors) in Tweet Me

 

An opened view of the sample perfume. I really enjoyed the scent, and immediately stuck it in my purse to keep at work!

To show you size comparison of the sample Jouer and mini Color Club polish! Unfortunately the color was not for me, I did not even swatch it before swapping it away. I wish I had gotten the blue polish but what can you do! :)

I have never heard of Jouer or Vasanti products and so I was nervous (still am!) about trying them out. My face is very delicate so I worry about breaking out with new products. I aim to try them this weekend though, and will update/edit with results!

As for the tea, I am not a tea drinker. Ever. But I promised to try one- so I chose the Chamomile Citrus. Considering I don't like tea, it wasn't too terrible! I added a splash of milk and sugar too.

OVERALL GRADE: A

I was introduced to many new products,  and definitely feel I got my $10 worth, even if I personally did not like a color or one of the products (tea.)

October 2012

October's box was a mix of happiness, and disappointment for me.  I was not thrilled to see *another* perfume sample, or the vitamin capsules for aging skin. (I'm 24! My skin is still young enough that I felt these unnecessary.) I was also not thrilled to see the luna bar - maybe a different flavor would have excited me more, but I am *VERY* particular about peanut butter and how I eat it.

I was however, thrilled over the eye shadow/high lighter and Jouer lip treatment!

 This is a beautiful shimmery golden color. Made by the Balm cosmetics! The flap is magnetic so it will stay closed between uses! It did not come with an applicator, but any brush you use for similar colors, or even a finger pad works! I paired this with my favorite eye shadow that is a dusty golden olive brown color, and used this as an accent- swept underneath my eyes, in the corners, and on the brow bone.

 This scent I was not as fond of, and again- very similar packaging. Since they have no caps, I keep them in the holder they came in.

 The inside of the Luna bar! Even my boyfriend had a nibble. It was a bit dry. Overall I did not like it, and just threw it away after trying it. :(

OVERALL GRADE: C

While I received a *different* product made by Jouer, I had hoped to see another brand. I have used the lip treatment and it was very gentle and my lips felt so new and soft after!

 I also was not happy to get another perfume sample, again, even though it's from another brand. I also did not like this scent, so it impacted my liking of the box.

 I was surprised by the vitamin capsules- they feel really nice on my skin, did not leave a sticky residue on hands or face, and left it quite soft.

You just read how I felt about the Luna bar...

Overall, the eyeshadow was the only winning component for me! Stuck immediately in my everyday makeup bag! 

I did get my money's worth again, but was disappointed in my contents this month. Can't win them all, right?

In conclusion, I will be giving BB another month or two to impress me again, or I will cancel and stick with my Glam Bag/ Ipsy bag!

Do you get Birchbox? How do you like or dislike it?
Thanks for reading!

xo, Tomboy Nails // Sara

October Ipsy Bag // Glam Bag Reveal!

October was the first month of my new Ipsy (previously known as Glam Bag) beauty subscription! It is a great, fun subscription. For only $10 a month, you receive a mix of beauty and body related products, some full sized and some sample sized. You create a basic profile and you will get items based on that. I must say, for my first bag, I am thoroughly impressed!!! I can't say the same for my Birchbox,... but that is for another post this week, ahem.

Let me just get right to the good stuff! It arrived in a hot pink/magenta bubble wrap envelop which of course immediately caught my eye! I tear into it, to see a bag filled with goodies waiting for me!

This bag is so cute, and perfect to fit some basics in for traveling, an over night stay, or just to keep in your purse!

I was also pleasantly surprised to find a full sized lip gloss/ lip stain by Mirenesse! It does not have a formal name on the container itself, only a number (#9) but as you can see by the package, and confirmed online, it is called "Mirror Me." I took these photos at work, so in the photo it might look a bit more mauve, but it is actually a lighter pinky coral, leaning towards the nude side. 

On the Mirenesse website these are described as:

"A Revolutionary colour that combines gloss, stain and lacquer all in one! A satisfying NEW INNOVATION in lip colour; beyond gloss, stain or lip lacquer. Colour that drenches your lips for a juicy high impact colour that's feather-light and super-moist with a velvety finish. Power packed with non-smearing pigment that lasts and lasts."

 This is a quick stroke on my hand, by cloudy skies (I swear, it's been raining for a week straight) :

Unfortunately for me, the color is something that unless I pair it with a slightly darker gloss on top, it is too pale. Or, maybe better suited for summer weather. But with fall coming, I like berry colors more. Still a win, because the formula is wonderful, and it does last quite a while as they claim. Not too sticky like some glosses either! At retail price, these are $35.10 and can be found HERE.

The rest of the bag contained these goodies:

Be A Bombshell eye liner in Onyx black. It looks, and applies like a felt tip marker. Very easy to control, long lasting wear, very bold color. This came just in time, as I was just thinking about how I needed a new eyeliner!! Retail found HERE for $14 USD.

Below that, is a mini mascara. What's Your Type? "The Body Builder" in black. This is made by The Balm cosmetics and can be found HERE for retail price of $19 USD.

Bottom left is a sample size of Pequi Oil Treatment for your hair, made by Couture Colour It is meant to restore softness and shine. My hair takes a beating with heat styling and random coloring, so I am always on the lookout for something nice to treat it with! According to instructions, it can be used on wet or dry hair too! For a full 4oz size, retail from Couture Colour directly is $50 USD. They also offer my same sample size for $12 USD, or a middle 2oz size for $32 USD. (HERE)

**Edit** Sunday afternoon I took a shower, and used a small amount of the Pequi Oil and rubbed it in wet hair, then styled like normal with hair dryer and brush. I have never had softer or more luxurious feeling hair, ever! Even my boyfriend complimented how shiny and pretty it looked, and how soft it felt. I will definitely treat myself to this again!!

Last but not least, a sample eye shadow quad from Coastal Scents! Eyeshadow Sample "Set 4" according to the back. Colors from top left, going clockwise are: Rosy Pink, Gunmetal, Light Pink, and Elven Silver. These shadows applied so easily, and with such bold colors! I have already surfed their website and ogled the palettes they offer for AMAZING prices, with SO MANY different combinations. Great deal for those on a budget, or want more bang for their buck!

Based on this month's first Ipsy bag, I will definitely be sticking with my subscription to see what next month brings!

Nail Mail Galore! Reveals (Part One)

Last Thursday, October 11, I came home to a wonderful sight if you are one that gets easily excited over mail ;) Especially when you realize, something is a surprise!
After a long week (if you don't know already, my boyfriend and I are in the process of buying a home! So, needless to say, busy busy brains.) this was the perfect pick-me-up!

(I've been playing with the Halloween features of PicMonkey hehe)

I was greeted by a RAOK (Random Act Of Kindness), my Daring Digits order, as well as October's Birchbox package and Ipsy/GlamBag package!

 Of course, realizing one was something I had not been expecting, the RAOK, it was the first I opened! At that point, there was no daylight so I apologize for my lamp-light photos! I promise to share a better photo when I use this beautiful polish... China Glaze "Atlantis" !!!!

This polish has been on my "wish list" for a looong time! When I opened the bright green tissue paper, flowers rained down on my lap revealing a sparkly green beauty wrapped in bubble wrap. Surprise! was right!!! I must thank the wonderful Brittany at Adventures and Mishaps in the Land of Nail Polish // aka Nails by Brittany Moody!

Next on my open list was my Daring Digits order! There was a sale of all full size polishes for $5 each, so I snagged two that I had my eye on for a while! Meet....

(L-R) Why So Serious?, and Master Shake! 

Showing love for the Joker from Batman, and well, MS from Aqua Teen Hunger Force!!

My boyfriend loves all things Batman, and so before I showed him the polish, I told him what I had just unwrapped and he was dead right in his guess of what it looked like! I quote, "Deep purple, with little green flecks?" (Well, glitters, but way to go babe! hehe)

Be on the lookout for a post all about Daring Digits polishes soon... this makes 6 now that I own, and they keep getting better! I've already got plans for the Joker ;)

As always, thanks for following along!

xo,

Sara// Tomboy Nails

Cult Nails "Untamed" meets Essie "Stroke of Brilliance"

I realized on Thursday of last week (October 11th) that I had forgotten to make a post for Wednesday's Pink for October Breast Cancer Awareness.. that long weekend threw my whole week off! And then, in my haste to catch up with work, as well as buying a home hanging over my head, I then forgot to post before the weekend began.

I signed up , or offered to be more fair, to take part in this cause as it is very close to my heart and personal life. I do not want my tardiness in posting to reflect upon how strongly I feel that this cause, or any others! (animal abuse, Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, many other cancers, Domestic Violence, etc etc.) , are worthy of our attention, and help.

I decided to use Cult Nails "Untamed" and to try out my first jelly sandwich mani. Untamed has these beautiful tiny flecks of purple, blue, shimmery goodness. I chose Essie's "Stroke of Brilliance" from their Lux Effects topcoats, a wonderful blurple glitter to be my sandwich material ;)

I apologize (again) for the quality of light used for these photos. Until we have moved, I have been relying upon daylight I can find, lamps, and things like that to capture photos. Once we have set up in our new house, I will have my light box setup and we can go forward with better photos. Thank you so much for bearing with me and enjoying anyways ;) I do my best to edit to true colors as close I can. Sometimes monitors may be off a smidgen as well which can alter what you see vs. what I see ;)

This is One coat of Untamed. As you can see, it is quite sheer. The formula was wonderful; smooth and quite easy to apply. I let the first coat dry almost completely (it was hardly tacky to a light fingertip tap) before making the Jelly part of my Jelly Sandwich!

Next, I added One coat of Essie's Stroke of Brilliance.

I love the Lux Effects topcoats by Essie! I have 3 of them. Blue, Pink, and the flakie Shine of the Times. All of them are super easy to apply, and a great, simple way to fancy up a nail, or ten ;)

I let that sit for only a minute or two, enough so that the next coat of polish would not drag the glitters around with it. I added another coat of Cult Nails Untamed, then a coat of Seche Vite quick dry topcoat.

With the final coat of Untamed, it turned the Stroke of Brilliance more towards its purple tendencies instead of it's blue. I loved the combination that came of it, and was also quite happy at the success of my first Jelly Sandwich! I can't wait to try out other combinations with this Cult Nails. 

Have you ever tried a Jelly Sandwich?

xo,

Sara// Tomboy Nails

It's that time again..... 200 FB Likes & 20 Blog Followers GIVEAWAY!!!

I am so happy that we have made it to this next milestone- Tomboy Nails has reached over 200 Facebook likes, and over 20 Blog followers now! I want to thank those of you that have been with me since Day One, and welcome with excitement all of the new faces too!

To celebrate this accomplishment, which of course would not happen without YOU- I am offering a giveaway with 3 prizes! This giveaway is open to International, and US fans.
All prizes were purchased by myself for the giveaway, and this is in no way sponsored or affiliated with the brands shown, Facebook, or Rafflecopter.

Let's just get right to em, shall we? ;)

ONE PRIZE:

 Two of the new fall collection from Nicole by OPI.

"Mer-Maid for Eachother" and "Iris My Case"- beautiful duochrome-y polishes, perfect for the fall!

Plus, a pocketbac and lipgloss from Bath & Body Works.

 TWO PRIZE:

 A set of 5 dotting tools, with all different sized dots. 

Cuticle Oil from 365 Days of Color "Bijou Blend"

A vial of glitters you can add on top of mani's (cannot be used to *make* polish)

Some tea, lotion, and polish remover pad!

 THREE PRIZE!

 

 

 From Lumina Lacquer "Meet Me Near the Evergreens" and a mini of Pretty&Polished "Elvis' Pink Cadillac"

And a pocketbac from Bath&Body Works!

I have decided to keep this giveaway's entries SUPER SIMPLE!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Mani's on the Fly!

This post is dedicated to some of the mani's that I've played with over the past few weeks, but did not have time to get more than one photo of before chipping, or changing, or X-Y-Z reasons.

First, a quick peek at an afternoon spent swatching some White based polishes, Grays, and Blacks. I am considering trying out nail sticks instead of nail wheels. Which do you prefer, and why? Any good recommendations?

 Next we have a quick peek at Pretty & Polished's "Private School"- a gray base (almost jelly-like) with fine red shimmer, black and white/light gray glitters. I also used Dollish Polish "Greased Lightning" as the middle accents- a wonderful white base filled with gray/silver and red glitters in multiple sizes. I used 2 coats of each.

 This is a beautiful Brazilian treat from a swap I did a while back- this was one of the surprise extras she gave me! Dote "Luxo" -- a beautiful, light baby blue holo polish. I used I believe 3 coats to avoid Visible Nail Line (VNL.) I accented with 2 coats of Pretty and Polished's "Wherever You Go, I Virgo" which is one of her special zodiac polishes. Virgo is a lovely white milky base packed with baby blue and silver glitters in different sizes. (Can you tell I love white based glitter polishes yet?? FAVORITE!!)

 This mani was a fun one, filled with Brazilian holo polishes!! In one of the nail polish groups I am part of, we are doing weekly, simple, nail art challenges! Our first one was dots! I had just gotten in my first dotting tools a few weeks prior, but had yet to break them in. I chose Jade "Deja Vu" and HITS "Hera" ! I used 2 coats of each, let them dry a bit, and used 2 different sized dots to try and give a dotted "french tip" look. Not too bad for a first timer, eh?

 This was a "I need something to slap on my nails, I can't have them nekkid for 1 day!" quick mani. I had planned on doing something with them the next day, but life got away from me and this mani lasted me a weekend! It is ONE coat of Pretty & Polished's "Jawbreaker" (the new version!) I liked how with the white base, it still almost gave me a french tip sort of look. 

What are your thoughts on french tips? Love em? Leave em? Meh? I am warming up to them more and more myself.

 This was another unexpected favorite mani! I used ORLY "Preamp" with Dollish Polish "Master Chief" as the middle accent nails! I used 2 coats of each. I was not sure I would like MC on my skin, but within one coat I was in love! It has a beautiful golden, pinkish shimmer/holo effect that I can't get enough of! Unfortunately, this is a discontinued color, so perhaps if someone is swapping or selling you can find one! Preamp was a pink that had a beautiful shimmer as well, making it instantly one of my top favorite pinks. I am not a pink girl normally either!

  

 

Last, but not least! This polish I actually bought before EVER knowing what it looked like. I bought it for the name alone! This is "Unicorn Farts" by Perception Nail Lacquer. This is one of her originals- she has different bottles now and I believe the new one looks slightly more purple instead of a dusty purple? Don't quote me on it though!

This was 2-3 coats. I had no idea what to pair it with, so I actually did only this polish for all 10 fingers! I got compliments on it left and right for days before I finally changed mani's.

You can find Dollish Polish HERE

Pretty & Polished... Here!

Perception Nail Lacquer is right here...

as for the others... you can find some Jades and Hits from Llarowe

Happy painting!

xo- Tomboy Nails

Going PINK on Wednesdays!

Okay, I know it's Thursday. I am a day late. (What else is new??)

Also, this first post will not match the layout of the Wednesday's that follow.. but I hope you can bear with me and realize it's not about how it looks... it's about what it stands for.

October is the month for Breast Cancer Awareness. This touches many people personally, myself included.

For the month of October, every Wednesday I will be featuring a pink-related manicure to show my support and awareness. I am part of a team of blogs that all volunteered to be part of this project, started by Andrea at Finger Painting Fingers

Did you know that 1 in 8 women will develop some form of Breast Cancer in their lifetime? I know that I know more than 8 women... it's scary to wonder who, if any of them, might have to overcome this.

In 2012 alone, it is estimated that 39,510 women will die from breast cancer. Breast Cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in women, surpassed only by lung cancer. The chance that breast cancer will be responsible for a woman's death is about 1 in 36. (More info found: HERE )

Did you know that men can suffer from Breast Cancer as well? It is much more rare, but it still happens.  The problem with that is men are more likely to be diagnosed in later stages instead of early stages, because they are less likely to report symptoms.

What is most important? At this time there are more than 2.9 million breast cancer survivors in the United States. This includes women still being treated and those who have completed treatment.

So please, be diligent. Check your ta-ta's regularly, MEN and WOMEN!!

Here is my Pink-related mani for Oct 3rd. I used Sinful Colors "Forget Now", and Zoya "Shelby" with Essie "Blanc" as my accent ribbon on one hand. I am not very good at straight lines yet, as you can see! And I also made boo-boos and smudged it in a few places. But I had a lot of fun coming up with this mani, and I hope you enjoy !!!

With much love,

Tomboy Nails