Round Up: Nail Polish Combos

Contains Press Sample Purchased Myself

Hello readers, 
Today I've got some recent polish combinations I've worn to share with you. Let's take a look at swatches. 

Round Up: Nail Polish Combos

Contains Press Sample Purchased Myself

Hello readers, 
Today I've got some polish combinations I've worn recently to share with you. Let's take a look at swatches. 

Brand Challenge: Julep

Purchased Myself

Hello readers, 
Today I've got some polishes from my Julep collection to share with you. Let's take a look at swatches. 

Mermaid Water Drops Stamped Nail Art

Contains Press Sample Purchased Myself

Hello readers,
Today I let my boyfriend pick a stamping pattern to add to my existing manicure. I should do this more often because the results were magical! My fingers feel very mermaid-esque.

Peacock Accent Nail Art

Purchased Myself

Hello readers,
Today I have some peacock feather nail art to share with you. I wasn't quite ready to take off my Emily De Molly A Peony For Your Thoughts mani, so I switched things up with some stamping and some glitter.

Plum & Silver Nail Art

Purchased Myself

Hello readers,
Today I have quick nail art look to share with you. I love mixing finishes and colours with a stamped accent to create pulled together look. I started with China Glaze Crimson on my pointer and pinky fingers along with Julep Missy on my middle and ring finger. Then I used China Glaze Crimson and MoYou London plate Pro XL 06 to add a floral design to my ring finger. I sealed everything up with a coat of CND Super Shiney top coat. Photos were taken in daylight spectrum lighting.

Black and Nude Lace Nail Stamping

Purchased Myself Contains Press Sample

Hello readers,
I'm in the midst of swatching the Zoya Whispers collection (coming soon to a blog near you!) but I thought I'd share some nail art I did with one of the shades first.  I used Zoya April, a rosy toned nude, as my base.  Then I used China Glaze Liquid Leather and Moyou Bridal Collection Plate 07 to stamp on the lacey design.  I dabbed a little Julep Estell on the center of the lace design to add some subtle sparkle and finally sealed everything up with one coat of Girly Bits Glitter Glaze.  Photos were taken in daylight spectrum lighting.

Julep Long Weekend Eyeshadow Palette Swatches & Review

Purchased Myself Affiliate Link

Hello readers,
Today I have a new eye shadow palette from Julep to show you.  This palette looked like a nice mix of matte and shimmery neutrals which gave it good potential to be very versatile.  The Long Weekend Eyeshadow Palette retails for $54.00 ($43.20 for mavens).

Peacock Feather Nail Art

Purchased Myself

Hello readers,
Today I have some peacock feather nail art to show you.  I started out with a base of Emily De Molly Cauldron Of Dreams.  Then I used Julep Lena and Moyou Plate Pro XL 05 to stamp on the teal peacock feather outline.  To finish the look I used China  Glaze Goldie But Goodie and Nina Ultra Pro Cobalt to fill in the eyes of the peacock feathers.  Finally I topped everything off with a coat of CND Super Shiney top coat.  Photos show the above mani in daylight spectrum lighting.

Happy polishing,

Michelle

Colour Blocked Lead Lighting Nail Art

Purchased Myself Press Sample

Hello readers,
I went a little crazy with the nail art and combined 6 polishes into one mani.  I started out with a base of Pretty & Polished Maleficium.  Over top I did two tone stamping using Julep Michelle, Zoya pinta and Cheeky jumbo plate D.  Finally, I filled in the design with sheer polishes to give it a colour blocked look.  The jellies I used were Finger Lickin' Lacquer Terrapin, Finger Lickin' Lacquer Here I Go and Zoya Frida.  Finally, I sealed everything up with a coat of CND Super Shiney top coat.  Photos were taken in daylight spectrum lighting.

Happy polishing,

Michelle

Products I Finished This Month - April 2015

Purchased Myself/Gift

Hello readers,
It's finally May (aka the first month without snow here in Southern Ontario) which means it's time to go through April's empties.

Bath & Body

My standouts this month (again) were my citrus bath salts and the I love... bubble bath.  As I've mentioned before, the Julep Pomegranate scrub isn't my favorite due to the sticky residue it leaves on my skin.  I think I have one more of these to go through and I won't be purchasing any more after that.  The Whish shave cream I got in January's Birchbox was mediocre.  It did an alright job of moisturizing but gummed up my razor really badly which was quite annoying.  I wouldn't buy it again.  Regular shaving gel does a much better job.

Face

My favorite item this month was the Embryolisse Lait-Creme Concentrate moisturizer that I got in March's Birchbox.  A little bit of this stuff went a long way and it didn't cause me to break out.  I would consider buying this in full size if the prize was right.  I didn't like the Garnier Ultra-Lift Transformer.  It didn't blend well with my skin at all.  The Yves Rocher clay mask continues to be a staple in my assortment of masks and the Lemon Zest mask was very cooling and refreshing.

Hand & Nails

I love quick dry drops and was very happy with OPI's version.  They help speed up drying time without causing your polish to shrink like some quick dry top coats.  I also like the Bliss high intensity hand creme.  It smelled very nice and was quite moisturizing but I do find their products a bit overpriced.

Hair

Like the past few months, Herbal Essences Naked products got used up again.  I'm having trouble finding the hairspray again though which is disappointing.  Hopefully it hasn't been discontinued.  I also finished the No.4 shampoo I got in March's Birchbox.  It was nice but nothing special.  I wouldn't buy it considering it's $39 price tag.

Happy polishing,

Michelle

Abstract Peacock Nail Stamping

Purchased Myself

Hello readers,
Today I have some more nail art stamping to show you.  I started out with China Glaze My Way Or The Highway and one coat of LynBDesigns Here On Earth.  Then I used Julep Michelle and Cheeky jumbo plate B to stamp on an abstract peacock feather design.  On the nail the pattern ends up reminding me of tree rings too.  Finally, I sealed everything up with a coat of CND Super Shiney top coat.  Photos were taken in daylight spectrum lighting.

Happy polishing,

Michelle

Products I Finished This Month - February 2015

Purchased Myself

Hello readers,
With the beginning of March and the glimmer of hope for Spring weather, it's time for more empties.  

Face

I actually finished some make up this month.  First up is a cream blush stick from Yves Rocher.  I've had this thing for years and they discontinued it long ago.  However, this product started my love of cream blushes and I is the shade I always compare back to.  I also finished a clear balm that come with CoverGirl outlast liquid lipsticks.  I've determined that I'm not a fan of that lip colour style so I won't be repurchasing.  The clear balm was quite nice though.  GlamGlow as usual is a win with me.  My skin loves that stuff.  I was disappointed in the Lise Watier serums.  The day one especially left my skin feeling sticky.

Hand & Nails

Ok, so what's a lip balm doing in here?  Well, lip products in pots tend to get kind of gross with lots of products left, so I ended up using about half the pot as cuticle butter.  It worked pretty decently but I wouldn't purchase again since that wasn't it's actual use.  L'occitane has great hand cream formulas but I find their stuff to strongly scented.

Hair

My favorite of the bunch is the Herbal Essences Body Envy conditioner.  The hairspray is a close second, though I try to buy the Herbal Essences Naked version when I can find it.

Bath & Body

As per usual, I love bath products.  The I Love... bubble baths smell delicious.  I still have two more sets as backups.  My citrus epsom salts always get used too.  The Butter Me Up solid lotion stick I got in a Sweet Delights sample box was quite nice.  I did find that the cocoa butter smell was the primary scent even though it was Cherry flavored.  I also really like the St.Ives Oatmeal & Shea Butter body lotion.  It smelled nice, absorbed quickly and didn't leave my skin feeling greasy.  I have a stockpile of lotion to go through but it's on my list of things to buy in the future.  The disappointment of this batch was the Julep Pink Grapefruit Body Scrub.  It was nice and gritty but left a sticky residue on my skin that just wouldn't rinse off.  I ended up having to use it before body wash.  I do have another one of these scrubs and I will use it up so as not to waste it, but I won't be repurchasing it in the future.

Happy polishing,

Michelle

Octopus Nail Stamping

Purchased Myself

Hello readers,
Today I have a new adventure in polish stamping... stamping over a textured polish.  My first attempt was semi succesful.  I started out with a fully dried mani of Sally Hansen Sugar Shimmer Work Of Tart.  The I stamped it with Julep Michelle and Bundle Monster plate BM-401.  I finished everything off with two coats of Nubar Diamont top coat.  Unfortunately, the navy stamped polish kind of sunk into the crevices of the texture polish making the stamped image less crisp.  If I were going to repeat the process I would do one coat of top coat before stamping, then stamp my image and seal everything up with a second coat of top coat.  Still a cute mani though. Photos shown were taken under daylight spectrum lighting.

Happy polishing,

Michelle

Products I Finished This Month - December 2014

Purchased Myself

Hello readers,
I completely forgot about my empties post for December until I noticed that my finished products pile as getting extra giant.  Oops! Let's see what I finished up last month.

Face

The Body Shop Tea Tree toner is a regular guest in this category.  I did notice recently that it does contain alcohol so after I finish my current bottle I might switch back to Clinique.  I haven't decided 100% on that one yet.  I also tried Olay fresh effects wipes which I got as a sample from Nail Polish Canada.  I loved these.  They're great for getting a faceful of makeup off but didn't irritate my skin at all.  I've since purchased a full sized pack as part of an Olay Christmas gift set.  I also finished a mini tube of Glam Glow Thirsty Mud.  I love this mask.  It worked so well with my skin.  Hydrating and soothing without causing breakouts.  I bought it in full size (my poor wallet) after trying it out.  I also finished a sample of Olay Regenerist face cream.  It wasn't bad but wasn't a stand out for me so I won't likely be purchasing it.  Lastly I finished a tube of Marcelle Xtension Plus mascara.  While I did like the formula and brush I did find by the end of the day my eyes would be a bit irritated when I wore it so I won't be purchasing this one again.

Hair

Only a couple of hair products this month and both of them conditioners.  Herbal Essences Naked has become my favorite line of everyday hair products and I will definitely be purchasing more.  Pantene is always a good choice too and I buy them when they're on sale.  Both get thumbs up from me.

Bath & Body

Lots of bath and body products this month.  First I finished yet another bag of Bath Retreat energizing epsom salts.  It's cold and miserable outside which make baths even more enjoyable.  I will buy these again and again.  I also finished two bar soaps, Rugged Goat Soap from Soaps By Sarahand Goat's Milk Soap in Fresh from Lather Life...Naturally.  Both of these came from my last Sweet Delights Sample Box.  Both were nice and did lather well.  I'm not a huge fan of bar soap in general though so I won't be repurchasing.  They're definitely worth considering if bar soap is your thing though.  Also from Soaps By Sara was a Lime and Cilantro Handmade Lotion Stick.  I really liked this.  The scent was very nice but not overpowering.  I ended up using it on my heels and feet.  I find the thick formula really worked well for the thicker skin on the bottoms of my feet while still being moisturizing.  I'm definitely going to investigate the cost and availability of this product further.  While we're mentioning feet I 'finished' my julep foot file. By finished I mean the gritty part was starting to peel off the handle.  I was really happy with this file.  It worked great and lasted many months despite being soaked with water over and over.  I already purchased the same one as a replacement.  The Tree Hut Nourishing Hand Cream I got in my very fist BB5 box got used up as well.  I found the formula too thin for my liking so I won't be repurchasing it.  It did smell quite nice though.  Last up is a sample of Watermelon Body Polish from The Pampered Pear.  While I loved the smell of the scrub and found it effective I probably wouldn't repurchase due to the grit being 100% sugar.  I find with sugar based scrubs the grit dissolves really quickly and I just end up using more product to get my desired result.  If you like sugar scrubs then definitely check it out.

Happy Polishing,

Michelle

Products I Finished This Month - October 2014

Purchased Myself Press Sample

Hello readers,

Another month gone by means another pile of empties.  Lots of stuff to go through this month so let's get started.

Face

I finished up lots of face products this month.  The first was L'oreal Go Clean 360 Deep Facial Cleanser.  I really liked this face wash.  It was gentle on my skin and seemed to help keep occasional breakouts under control.  What I really love was that it came with a little silicone 'scrublet' which I can keep on using even after the bottle is done.  I would buy this again.  I also finished a jar of Clinique Moisture Surge Extended Thirst relief moisturizer.  This has become my go to daytime facial moisturizer.  It's really hydrating but doesn't leave my skin shiny.  I've already purchased a replacement.  Finally I finished up a tube of Clinique Acne Solutions Oil-Control Cleansing Mask.  This mask was... alright.  I think I prefer The Body Shop's Tea Tree clay mask though.  It's also cheaper so I'll likely not purchase the Clinique one in the future.

Nails

This month I finished up another small bottle of Emerald&Ash cuticle oil.  This was one of the bottles I received for review a few months back.  I really like these cuticle oils and have already purchased a big 10ml bottle to keep me going.  E&A also released a bunch of new scent combos recently and I may need to stock up on some of the new ones as well.

Bath & Body

You're probably used to seeing the Bath Retreat energizing epsom salts in my empties by now.  I love them.  They smell delicious.  There are already two more bags in my bathroom.  I also finished a couple products I received in a Sweet Delights Divalicious sample box.  The first was a Champagne Shower Gel from Kootenay Bath Products.  It smelled really yummy but the gel was quite thick and difficult to get out of the bottle.  For that reason I won't be purchasing it in full size.  I also finished an Egyptian Jasmine goat milk bar soap from Polka Goat Farm.  I used this as shaving lather and it did lather up quite nicely. The scent was subtle but nice.  Overall I'm just not a bar soap kind of person so I won't be purchasing this again.  Finally I finished a Hand And Cuticle Stick from Julep.  The reason I have this in the "bath & body" section is that I actually used this on my feet.  I found that the thicker formula did a better job of sticking to and penetrating the skin on the soles of my feet.  I was really pleased with how much softer they were after prolonged use.  I do find this item overpriced though (as I find with pretty much all of Julep's products).  However, if it goes on sale for a decent price I would definitely consider purchasing another.

Hair

Last up is hair products.  I finished a lot of Herbal Essences Naked Shampoo and Conditioner this month.  This stuff smells delicious, keeps my hair moisturized but not greasy and is paraben and colorant free.  It has become a staple in my house.  I also finished a bottle of Pantene Curl Protection conditioner.  I find that if I use curly hair products too often they end up building up in my hair.  A bottle tossed into the mix every so often is ok.  I would probably buy a different Pantene variant in the future though.  Last up is a bottle of Herbal Essences Set Me Up hairspray.  I use this stuff pretty much every day to tame frizzies.  I'm using the Naked version of the hairspray right now, but sometimes I have a hard time finding it.  This one is the back up for when that happens.

Happy polishing,

- Michelle

Julep Lena Swatches & Review

Purchased Myself Affiliate Link

Hello readers
I know I've been pretty quiet the last couple weeks.  Somehow work and life got super busy all of a suddent.  I'm back today with a lovely shimmery creme to show you.

Julep Lena is a bright teal creme with a soft golden shimmer.  The formula on this one was excellent.  It was very pigmented and opaque in two coats.  However, the shimmer is less obvious on the nail than it is in the bottle.  The only issue I had with this polish was taking it off.  After removal the skin around my nails was stained green for about a day.  It didn't stain my nails through my base coat though.  Photos show two coats of Lena with one coat of CND Super Shiney top coat in daylight spectrum lighting.  It does lean a little bit more green in person.

You can find Julep polish on their website along with a variety of other body, bath and beauty products.

Happy polishing,

- Michelle