Swatch & Review: Jior Couture – Holo Toppers

PRESS SAMPLE NOTICE***Press (PR) Samples. This post contains polishes that were sent to be from the company/brand in exchange for an honest review, All opinions stated are my own. For additional info regarding PR samples, click here ***

This month certainly has been a little crazy, to put it mildly! I accepted a new position at work, had a week long, beach vacation with my family and finally all 3 of my kids returned or started school. So I apologize for all the changes in posting but starting next month I should be back on track. Just over a week ago, 8/22 to be exact, I posted a few swatches of Jior Couture’s new Holo Topper Collection to IG and let me just say, these toppers all so unique and amazing that you need ALL of them. Let’s get started so you can see exactly what I mean. May I present my swatch and review of Jior Couture’s new Holo Topper Collection.

**All swatches are done over Commitment Issues by Vapid and 1 coat of Big Apple Red by OPI Nail Laquer. All swatches are also topped with Quick Dry High Gloss TC by Pro-FX under artificial lights**

Holo Topper Collection

Change the look of your favorite Jior Couture nail lacquer with these Holo top coats!

Holo At Me

Holo At Me – a linear holo w/ a slight silver appearance

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Holo At Me II

Holo At Me II – a scattered holo

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Holo At Me III

Holo At Me III –  deep, scattered holo

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Holo At Me IV

Holo At Me IV – deep, scattered holo w/ small holo hex glitter

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Holo At Me V

Holo At Me V –  deep, scattered holo w/ holo flakes

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See what I mean?!!?!?!! All different, all beautiful. These toppers would be great for galaxy nails, to jazz up a watermarble or gradient mani…the options with these polishes are endless and lets be honest, every mani could use a little…or a lot of holo. These polishes did dry slightly textured, but let’s get real, 99% of us use a top coat any way, so that’s really not an issue.

Prices range from $6-$7.50 or you can own all 5 for $34.00 (full size, 15 ml bottles) and trust me, you’ll never have to but another holo topper again.

That will wrap it up for August. If you’d like to see these polishes over a black base, check out Kiz aka @onehundredbrushes to see her beautiful swatches.

Be sure Like, Follow and Join Sacha and Ari
Facebook Business Page, Instagram and Facebook Fan Group
Shop Jior Couture

August 31, 2016January 1, 2017 by queenofnails83

Nail Mail: August

This post was too good not to share and I am sooo excited about it because sometimes great ideas just pop in my head and I have to act on them quick, mainly because they don’t happen very often….lol. As a self-proclaimed nail addict, I tend to order A LOT of nail polish, plates, brushes, tools, etc (shhhhhh…don’t tell the hubby. I usually smuggle it all in) but as a wife and mother I don’t always have the time to blog about each individual item or order. Here’s where my genius kicks in, I decided to dedicate 1 post a month to show and review as much monthly Nail Mail as possible.

August was kinda slow compared to the shopping damage I’ve done before, probably because I was trying to save money for vacation. Nonetheless, I was able to squeeze in a few purchases and today I’ll be showing you:

• Moonbow and Prism Drops by pdp
• Magic Garden XL Stamping Plate, XL plate holder and clear stamper from DRK
• Ultraviolet Galaxy by Glam Polish (GPF Exclusive)

Shall we begin….

Up first is

Moonbow and Prism Drops
by pipe dream polish

 

 

 

 

 

 

Moonbow is described as a black scattered holo and Prism Drops is a silver scattered holo. Both were made for watermarbling but look great on their own. Lets put that claim to the test.
These polishes spread wonderfully and with ease.

Here is my final mani. On the index finger I have 2 coats of Prism Drops and on the pinky I have 2 coats of Moonbow. On the middle and ring finger I have an attempt at a flower petal watermarble over a coat of Whitewater. I plan on wearing this mani for a day or 2 so I do also have a base and top coat.

Next

Magic Garden XL Stamping Plate, XL plate holder
and clear stamper from DRK

     

*Magic Garden XL Stamping Plate -Designed by Gabriela Pouchain and is sinfully gorgeous. It is oacked with endless designs and possibilities. This plate measures at 21 x 17 cm (8.26 x 6.69 inches) and is complete with a white plastic protector in the back.

*XL Stamping Plate Case – I have many XL plates so this case had been on my list for awhile. It perfectly fits all my DRK plates and a few other plates including GoGoOnly plates. It holds up to 8 plates so I may be ordering another one but it did have a  few minor imperfections on the first few sheets of staining from the pink dye, but I didn’t mind at all. Sleeves fit all plate sizes up to 8.43 x 6.81 in (21.4 x 17.3 cm) 

*DRK Clear Jelly Stamper With Lid + Scraper Clear Jelly Silicone – I love the lid that the stamper came with because it protects the fragile silicone stamping head while storing it away. The stamper head measures 2.7 cm in diameter and picks up without issue.

*Super Jelly Stamper with Clear Body – This one also came with a lid but I ordered this one because of the large stamping head size, 4.2 cm in diameter. It fits snuggly in my hand and picks up larger images with ease.

And finally

Ultraviolet Galaxy
by Glam Polish (GPF Exclusive)

(Please note you must be a member of the FB Fan Group to get the discount code to reduce the listed cost of $120 to $12)

Ultraviolet Galaxy is described as a galaxy themed indigo scatted holo jelly with shimmering glass flecks, color shifting and iridescent flakies. I knew as soon as I saw swatches of this one that I needed it…even though I tried to talk myself out of it. This is the 2nd Fan Group Exclusive shade for 2016.

What goodies did you get this month and what’s on your list for September?

August 29, 2016January 1, 2017 by queenofnails83

Swatch & Review: Anonymous Lacquer – The Carnival Collection

PRESS SAMPLE NOTICE***Press (PR) Samples. This post contains polishes that were sent to be from the company/brand in exchange for an honest review, All opinions stated are my own. For additional info regarding PR samples, click here ***

If you follow me on IG, you know should know 2 things; 1) Earlier this week I said I’d have the full swatch and review of Jior Couture’s Holo Topper collection posted today and 2) that I am gearing up for an epic 5k giveaway…if I could only get my final 200 followers #smh. So that leads me to say 1) things change and as I stated in my  Posting Schedule, I am flexible. No worries though, I will have that S&R up before months end. 2) If you don’t already follow me, help me reach 5k and ensure you stay up on all the latest and greatest news and manis that don’t make it to the blog. Now that I have that out of the way, lets get to the reason we’re all here. As previously stated, I am preparing for my biggest IG giveaway to date and one of the many fantastic, phenomenal sponsors is Mildred from Anonymous Lacquer. Upon sending me her contribution to the giveaway, she also sent me her new Carnival Collection to S&R. Thrilled. Excited. They even being to express how I felt when I saw these amazeball polishes. This 5-piece collection, released July 10th and is still available for $12/each or $50/set. 

 **All swatches done with Committement Issue peel off base coat by Vapid and topped with Quick Dry, High Gloss Top Coat by Pro-FX and taken in artificial lighting.**

THE CARNIVAL COLLECTION 

Party at the Pallazzo

Described as an ultra holo, medium tones grey with pink, purple and blue micro flakes

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Midnight Mask

Described as a bright purple, ultra holo with a slight pink shift.

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 King Momo

Described as an ultra holo red/pink with purple flash.

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Fat Tuesday

Described as a bright green ultra holo with golf flash and micro green/gold flakes.

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Samba Like Van Gogh

Described as an ultra holo blue.

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Wowzers, this collection is gorgeous! The formula is one word…flawless. I had no issues at all applying 2 smooth, vibrant and very easy to work with coats. This collection is exactly what you’d expect from Anonymous Lacquer. While I love them all and see myself using them all over and over and over again, I am truly head over heels for Fat Tuesday and Samba Like Van Gogh. They didn’t apply any differently than the others but I didn’t have anything like them before in my collection…contrary to what my husband says…lol! Did any of them catch your eye and make you look twice? Again, this collection is still available in the shop online, but hurry, you  don’t want to miss it. 

That will wrap up todays swatch and review. I thoroughly enjoyed this collection.  I hope you all have a great day and weekend and join me back here next time.

Be sure to follow, like and join Mildred and Anonymous Lacquer

Instagram / Facebook Business Page / Facebook Fan Group

DONT FORGET TO SHOP!! Anonymous Lacquer

August 26, 2016January 1, 2017 by queenofnails83

Interview: Kiley Underhill of 2-Bit Polish

Fun, creative and unique are just a few words that come to mind when I think of 2-Bit Nail Polish but behind the brand there is a women, a mother, a daughter, a wife…a friend, Kiley Underhill. Like her polish, Kiley is just as fascinating as her polish. Last month I has the pleasure to swatch and review the sophomore collection from 2-Bit, Eat Kale and Be Sad and enjoyed every polish in the collecton immensely. If you haven’t had the opportunity to check out that post, click here. It has almost become tradition that once I S&R a polish, that I delve deeper into the creator(s) behind them.

But before I jump into the interview, I also wanted to share something positive going on over at 2-Bit. September is Childhood Cancer Awareness and Kiley has created a new duo which includes, “More Than 4” which is a gold shimmer polish with a smooth finish and a gold holographic glitter polish and “Twinkle in Their Eyes” that sparkles and shines from every angle. It’s available in the shop until all of them are sold and $2 from each set is donated to St. Judes Children’s Research Hospital. Are ready to “Go Gold” in September? If not, get yours today.

So, let’s get to what you came here for 🙂

photo provided courtesy of Kiley Underhill

Name: Kiley Underhill
Location: Knoxville, TN

Q: Birthday:
A: March 20th

Q: Ideal vacation spot?
A: Florida 

Q: Favorite gift received?
A: My children. 🙂

Q: Meat and potatoes or soup and salad?
A: meat and potatoes with a side Caesar salad 

Q: What cartoon character best represents you?
A: Shaggy ha-ha 

Q: Night on the town with friends or evening alone at home?
A: Definitely home. I don’t like going out! 

Q: Jeans or Dress?
A: Jeans…or yoga pants

Q: If you were an animal, what would it be and why?
A: A sloth because I pretty much act like one anyway!

Q: When and why did you decide to start a nail polish line? What makes your brand different?
A: My brand has been in the R&D phase for over a year but just released my first collection in April and my next collection opens for preorder this month! What makes 2-Bit different? That’s a tough question!! I would say that my style is a bit different. I don’t necessarily follow the trends and kind of just do my own thing. 

Q: What is one thing you’re willing to share that your customers would be surprised to know about you?
A: I have a service dog. 

Q: What advice/tips/best practices would you give someone wanting to start their own polish company?
A: expect to be broke…for a while…this is not a “get rich quick” business! 

Q: Besides your own, what other brands do you own/wear?
A: Vapid, cupcake, and anonymous 

Q: Describe yourself in 5 words
A: sarcastic, awkward, quiet, funny, glitter 

Q: What is one of you favorite collections or polishes you created?
A: Wet Cement was an amazing polish that took me months to get right. I think that’s probably my favorite because of all of the hard work that went into it!

Q: What are your top 3 favorite things to do? (Outside of making polish and filling orders…lol)
A: hanging out with my kids, swinging in my hammock, and photography 

Q: Any spoilers that you care to share about future collections, products, etc?
A: Cuticle balm is coming in the future. My next release will be in August for a duo about Childhood Cancer Awareness month (which is in September) and $1 for every bottle sold will go to St. Jude and their ribbon color is gold…so except some gold coming out then too.

Q: In 10 words or less, what would be your brand slogan?
A: Shimmer. Sparkle. Shine. 

Q: What do you love most about being an indie polish maker?
A: The creative process and naming polishes things that doesn’t always make sense. 🙂

Q: Favorite nail art technique?
A: Ha. I can’t do nail art. I like simplicity, though.

 Well…that will wrap up August for the Indie Maker Interview Series. I want to thank Ellyse from EA Polish and Kiley for their time and candidness. I hope you all enjoyed these ladies and learned a little bit more about the interworking’s of their phenomenal brands . Look out for 2 new interviews next month on the 3rd and 4th Wednesdays.

Be sure to follow and join Kiley and 2-Bit Polish

Instagram / Facebook Fan Group

Shop 2-Bit

Disclosure: The questions above were sent to the featured maker (FM) for review and response. The FM was advised they could omit responses from any question they were not comfortable with answering. The responses are directly from the FM and have not been altered in any way, shape or form. The comments and responses expressed in this interview are those of the FM and the FM alone.

August 24, 2016August 24, 2016 by queenofnails83

Special Edition Interview: Robin Moses

(Shouting) “I interrupt this regularly scheduled program to bring you a special announcement!!!” Originally, I was going to post about some of the nail mail I received this month but instead I have an extra treat. I have none other than the world-renowned, extraordinarily talented… ROBIN MOSES!!!

I’m such a fan of Robin and her work ever since someone introduced me to her YouTube channel 2 years ago. Every Monday, Wednesday and Friday (her upload days) I tune in for uninterrupted #robintime…even hubby and the kids know not to bother me😂. I watch the new video(s) and catch up on the older ones. I love the tutorials but more than that, I love keeping up with Compassionista, Evil Client, Nameless and Juicy just to name a few. All the laughs and good times and I feel like I’m right there hanging out with friends.

 “Hello Everyone, I would like to thank Krystal for giving me an opportunity to do an interview! I haven’t done one in a while and so I hope I can give you something fun to read that you didn’t already know! My love and respect to everyone in our community who is sharing, practicing and finding joy in nail art, I am honored and very excited….so, let’s get started!”

Robin Moses

Q: Age:
A: I am old, but still feel like a noob at life of the time. 

Q: Location:
A: I started my nail art career in Vegas, where I was born. I moved to the Oregon coast and started my salon to give my kids a calmer and more stable life. Vegas life as a child is insanity.

Q: Kids? If so, how many?
A: I have 2 children. A girl and a boy. I must also say that I have a handful of adopted children who have called my casa their home. 

Q: Pets? If so, types and how many?
A: I have 4 dogs. I just got two new puppies. They are on my Facebook and Instagram, but I don’t have any uploaded to this computer at the time. 😀 Their names are Lilly, Sigmund, Carl and Nikola.
 

Q: Tea or Coffee?
A: COFFEE!!!!!! (fun fact) My client, Mammy is my barista. She has a shoppe and I get a coffee from her every morning. quad iced latte with almond milk only. (scary) LOL 

Q: Beach or Mountains?
A: I am lucky enough to live in both. I live in Oregon and on the coast so I am right on the beach and also in the mountains. When I first moved here, my goal was to live ON the ocean or in a tree house in the woods. I tried both and realized it is extremely hard to do either. The wind here is super cold and it takes forever to cook on a wood burning stove.

Q: Jeans or Dress?
A: Doesn’t matter, just have to be comfortable!!!

Q: Best gift received?
A: I find it very hard to receive gifts. I don’t know why. But when I was young, a doll I had was lost in a fire and one of my viewers and I were talking about it. She had one and sent it to me. I have it locked away in my art room and I am going to make it into a piece of art someday. Just thinking about it makes me happy because I didn’t have a lot of stuff growing up. It was a very strange coincidence and also the most amazingly magical experience. 

Q: Favorite pastime (besides nails)?
A: I love to walk. MOVIES!!!!! I love to listen to music and find new music and listen to lyrics. I love playing with my dogs and I am experimenting with cooking now. I just bought a mixer that grinds things. So I want to learn to make vegetarian burgers and weird stuff like that. I’m not a vegetarian but wish to be someday! I love reading. I used to read so much more, but since YouTube, it has dropped off. Reading is truly an escape for me. It is something that has sustained my art and imagination for my entire life.

Q: Favorite Food?
A: For those who don’t know, I have lost over 210lbs. and kept it off for ten years by walking and eating somewhat healthy, but mostly through walking every. single. day. My favorite food right now that is healthy is greens cooked with garlic and hot sauce. My guilty pleasure favorite food………anything ice cream with a core in it. haha! (shout out to fellow core addicts)

Q: Favorite Movie?
A: I need to name more than one. Holy Mountain by Alejandro Jodorowski is up there, Amelie, Friday, New Jack City, straight out of Compton (huge F. Gary Gray fan), The Princess Bride, The Godfather II, Goodfellas, Any movie you have seen me do on nails also. horror, horror, horror, I love horror films from the 80’s and Japanese Horror, Strange and eclectic films like “upsteam color” things like that….I will not paint a movie theme on nails I do not like (at least the idea of) myself. I have to like the premise.

Q: Favorite Season?
A: Autumn. Hands Down. layerssss baby!!!!!

Q: What cartoon character best represents you?
A: Emily Prime (world of tomorrow)

Q: Night on the town with friends or evening alone at home?
A: I am a hermit. I don’t go out hardly at all. It is something my friends beg me to do more and something I wish I could do more myself, but I get overwhelmed. I need to be in very quiet surroundings a lot of the time. I can go out for the night but after, I have to stay home and just be still and silent. I put in earplugs or music and get centered again. I love my friends and going out and it’s a fear I hope to conquer better in my life and the reason you guys don’t see me out much compared to other gurus.

Q: If you were an animal, what would it be and why?
A: A raccoon. I love shiny things and I am catlike, but not quite a cat….I like the night time. I am fiercely protective of anything I love and my friends don’t see me a lot but when they do, they always smile. I have my art room and in it, I have collected tons of things for my paintings…..Its like, I am always on a mission to find things and build from them…PLUS, raccoons get great masks. *wink*

Q: What or who got you started doing nails?
A: I was on a bad path. A dark path. I had no help. I had no one. I was born poor. I was unhealthy. And, by accident I went to tour a nail school with a friend. I saw a woman in the corner painting a nail with a toothpick. A dot daisy. Nail art hadn’t been invented yet outside of taping nails with the metal tapes you see now except they didn’t have the sticky backs they do now! hhahahah I thought to myself “i can do that!” and I joined. I was kicked out 3x and graduated. When I did, all of my instructors applauded. I think they were happy to see me go but also proud that I accomplished graduating! I couldn’t stand them at the time, but looking back………they were truly awesome women.

Q: How many polishes are in your collection? 
A: I give away tons of polishes to organizations that help sick children or who help children in general so the number changes but I would say about 800? It gets up there! hahahahahahahaha

Q: What tips or advice would you give an aspiring nail tech/artist?
A: Being real, I would say this. It is hard. It is fiercely competitive in our industry. Be strong. Know your passion and get great at it. If its pedicures, be the best at them. If its natural manis with vegan polish, do YOUR THANG….everyone has enough clients waiting to find you if you are good at what you do. So many techs are late, have drama, have problems they bring to the shop…THEY DON’T LAST……I would love to see more shout outs made to a nail artist just like they do for music artists —to give women who are doing the WORK proper credit….i hope new techs do this, it will save our industry………..I have seen girls fist fight each other over a “stolen” client and/or designs WITHIN a shop, im not talking globally! It should be about joy you create for yourself and your life. A negative stigma is attached to “perfection” in our job as a nail tech…..so, while crappy overpriced trends are thrown at us and then thrown away—we also do that to each other and no one wins long term…..MOST of us will become a fad if we don’t come together and BE that place women want to escape to……….. To new techs, I say….go to work, be on time, listen, do YOUR best and work on YOUR clientele and have them spread the word about you…..make them feel special for that hour or 2…..or 6 if you are new LOL….it doesnt matter, it is about the experience and if you want it, there is a huge, huge market of people looking to find good techs. 

Q: With all the craze around stamping, why have you continued to handpaint your nail art?
A: Because before stamping there was ______and before ______ there was crackle paint and before crackle paint there was ________ and before that there was that….and you said it….”craze”….I KNOW what makes me money to pay my bills and having everyone’s nails exactly the same does NOT pay my bills!!!!! LETS KEEP THAT REAL….. My clients drive 4 hours each way, fly, fly me out to them and have done so for many years ….JUST to have “specialty” nails…….To have that design everyone grabs and when they say its hand painted, men go WHOA THAT IS AWESOME…women get jealous and go silent…..and walk away!!! hahahahh……I have seen it! I don’t pay attention to ‘crazes’ too much…..I do what I do and I do it the best I can and I stay in my own lane. My lane is FUN……..my lane is full of surprises, problem solving and laughter. I think of stamping and I think of making license plates……..which some days, I would love to do. I am in no way putting down stamping. I know some are so lovely, but………That is the true reason why I hand paint…I love it, it loves me and its REAL. it’s imperfectly perfect. its modern art on human flesh…its badass.

Q: Who gave your clients their awesome aliases?
A: We did together. Evil client; because she is the nicest person I know. Mammy because her grandkids call her that, Juicy because that is truly who she is through and through LOL, etc. It was to protect them in case anyone watched my videos at first. Now, they don’t care so much. 😀

Q: If you weren’t the wonderfully, talented Robin Moses Nail Artist Extraordinaire, what would you do?
A: As some of you know my daughter is going to be a doctor and that is a true testimony of what Nail Art CAN do for your life…..It makes me tear up to say that because she had opportunities I didn’t because of all of the filing I have done!……If I had been born in a better circumstance, I would have become a plastic surgeon. That was my dream. Particularly for children who were born with facial deformities or were in accidents; focusing on facial reconstruction surgeries. I also see myself teaching art to women in prison who are serving life sentences for either violent crime and/or who are mentally ill. My mother was mentally ill and I have spent lots of time teaching in my life….I need more time to get a full answer on this question but I also see myself teaching and studying in India. 

Q: Besides 2 Chainz and Snoop, who else’s nails would you like to do if you had a chance?
A: Tori Amos, Ilanya Vanzant, Oprah, Serena and Venus Williams, Michelle Obama, DMX, chuck palanuik, rihanna, im feelin’ amber rose lately, id like to do her nails, oh man….toooooo many to name!!! It is my goal to do as many people’s nails that I love as I can in my lifetime.

Q: Do you ever find time to do your own nails?
A: Nope. never. I have no interest in wearing nails or doing my own. I DO do my own pedicures and my toes are ON POINT 24/7 365. hahahahhaah i am SERIOUS about that.

Q: If your client doesn’t have any special requests, where do you find inspiration for the nail art?
A: When you walk in nature….or in a neighborhood….and you are calm and your mind is still……..you can feel the colors and the trends in the air. in the windows, in the magazines, in the season……….its everywhere. the colors of polish at rite aid, the color of lipsticks on the models…you FEEL it…then, you just let it cook in your mind…….i have a book I keep with me in my pocket at all times….you asked above: jeans or dress: EITHER if they have a pocket!! haha….AND I DRAW….it makes no sense to anyone but me, but it does…its a feeling. i will write a color. I mix that color….I mix and I mix…………..my goal is to have a line of colors unlike ANYTHING you have ever seen…..just you wait Krystal, I believe I can do this!!!! I havent had many opportunities because I don’t “play the game” but I know MY opportunities will come with time. I will do as much good with them as I can to help as many as I can.

Q: Do you have a favorite nail art design or playlist that you’ve done to date?
A: HERE is a fun fact. NO. I don’t have a favorite (im getting choked up)…………I call all my designs:”girls”….some girls i LOVE…some I like….some I don’t like and everyone else does and i dont understand so i paint her anyway………..but I have “mother” designs and “grandmother” designs that I have been doing for 27 years. To me, they are the bread and butter of my children’s lives…I thank them like they are real people….like “blood splatters, or drip nails” that everyone copied and didn’t give me credit for, that was a grandmother design….I have had her near me my entire adult life and remember the day I thought of her over 25 years ago…………..to see her out there (even though i didn’t get credit for starting it) is like seeing my grandma everywhere and she is alive and she is so beautiful…..to me, it is like she got famous and got her dream life!!!!! …..and to me, that is so beautiful……i dont care about ‘credit’ but it would have been so nice to get it………..you know? but i just see some of my beginner nail designs that are the TRUE beginnings of nail art as you guys know it, and i know where it came from and what i was thinking when i made it….to me, that is a huge gift…..maybe its a bigger, special and personal gift than that doll im saving? it’s an abstract gift. 

Q: Other than OPIs Put It In Neutral, do you have any polishes that you use more often than others?
A: I don’t prefer put it in neutral, just to be honest….Its just best ‘right now’………my favorite bitches (my polishes that are ride or die) are Wet n’ Wild black and white….and Wet n’ Wild topcoat as a thinner for when polish gets thick or if I have to mix a special polish color. I have others that are discontinued that i use off camera that I bought in bulk when they discontinued

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In closing, I hope you have enjoyed this time with Robin Moses and you are inspired to start or continue in YOUR nail journey. Whether you are a novice or professional, keep striving toward greatness to be the best YOU! If you’re a fan of Robin, be sure to let me know in the comments your favorite design or client and why.

If you haven’t already, like, comment, subscribe, share and purchase all things Robin Moses (yes, Robin Moses has nail art brushes for sale).

MY YOUTUBE <—most important as I want nothing more than to find girls who need help.
My Nail Art Instagram
My Nail Art Facebook Fanpage
My Nail Art Blog
My Nail Art Pinterest

Disclosure: The questions above were sent to the featured maker (FM) for review and response. The FM was advised they could omit responses from any question they were not comfortable with answering. The responses are directly from the FM and have not been altered in any way, shape or form. The comments and responses expressed in this interview are those of the FM and the FM alone.

August 22, 2016January 1, 2017 by queenofnails83

Swatch & Review: Crème Allure – Part 2

PRESS SAMPLE NOTICE***Press (PR) Samples. This post contains polishes that were sent to me from the company/brand in exchange for an honest review,. All opinions stated are my own. For additional info regarding PR samples, click here ***

On Monday, I showed you Part 1 of the Crème Allure Cosmetic polishes which included 4 of the 9 polishes sent to me by Vernita. Those polishes were bright, bold and exciting. Today I’m going to finish up with Part 2 of my swatch and review with the more neutral shades. Just like Part 1, these nude/shades of brown(ish) are all crèmes with a silky smooth formula. 

***Swatches are done with 2 coats of polish and base in artificial lighting. No top coat ***

CREME BLAH

Crème Blah is a cool winchester grey

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CREME WORK

Crème Blah is a warm walnut brown

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CREME ITALY

Crème Italy is medium acorn brown

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CREME NUDE

Crème Nude is a nude saddle

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CREME TRUE

Crème True is a light weathered saddle

 

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Without sounding repetitive, I’m going to sum up my review with 2 words “MUST HAVE!” Do yourself a favor and check out the polishes from Crème Allure Cosmetics, they are sure not to disappoint. The formula, application and opacity are fantastic. Although, I didn’t attempt to watermarble or stamp with these polishes as I ran out of time trying to pack, I’m sure these polishes will have the same outcome as those in Part 1. So tell me, did you see any from Part 1 or 2 that you like?

Its the last day of my vacation and of the summer as my kids know it because bight and early Monday morning, they will headed off to school. I hope this week was good to you and the weekend is even better. Catch back on Monday!

Follow Crème Allure Cosmetics on Instagram

Shop Crème Allure Cosmetics

August 19, 2016January 1, 2017 by queenofnails83

Interview: Ellyse of EA Polish

It gives me great joy to bring you this interview with Ellyse of EA polish. Why? Because she is a hometown girl with beautiful polish and exceptional jewelry….DMV in the house! You may remember my previous Swatch and Review post of EA polish and if you not, please take a moment to read it here. Her polish and jewelry line is gorgeous but her message, her message is so powerful and worthy of me finding out more about her.

So, ladies and gentlemen, please help me welcome Ellyse of EA polish (insert clapping and cheering here…lol)!

photo provided courtesy of Ellyse

Name: Ellyse
Location: Washington, DC

Q: Birthday
A: Capricorn

Q: Rock Band or Classical Orchestra 
A: Classical Orchestra

Q: Morning or Night
A: Morning during the week and Night during the weekend

Q: Meat and potatoes or soup and salad
A: Soup and salad

Q: Summer or Winter
A: Winter—it’s the BEST season.

Q: Night on the town with friends or evening alone at home
A: Does an evening at home with friends, count?!

Q: Heels or flats
A: Heels. The taller the better.

Q: If you were an animal, what would it be and why?
A: Lion…so I have a real reason to walk around like a boss!

Q: When and why did you decide to start a nail polish line. What makes your brand different?
A: Inspired by sleepless nights and her love of nail polish, EA Polish was born to celebrate go-getters everywhere. After having her daughter in 2012, Riane, a self-proclaimed nail polish and accessories aficionado, assumed that being a new mommy /go-getter meant no more color and the end of pursuing your dreams. Once enough folks around her inquired about her unusually bare nails, Riane knew what needed to be done! She needed to paint her nails and encourage other go-getters to embrace color and to push forward in their endeavors.

Q: What is one of you favorite collections or polishes you created?
A: Without a doubt, F.A.I.L. It’s shimmery, bold and beautiful.

Q: How did you come up with your company name and logo?
A: EA Polish is more than polish. We also provide beautiful jewelry so we wanted our logo to reflect that. The name was born from the same notion. EA stands for—embellish your nails (with nail polish) and adorn your fingers (with jewelry).

Q: Any spoilers that you care to share about future collections, products, etc?
A: More colors and more jewelry!

Q: What do you love most about being an indie polish maker?
A: I love the ability to use color to encourage others and create relationships.

Q: Favorite nail art technique?
A: Water marble. It’s beautiful.

Q: What is your greatest accomplishment to date with your brand?
A: Being featured in the 2015 Cocotique Subscription box.

I have to say, F.A.I.L is one of my favorites too buuuuutttttt, I’m excited to see what she has up her sleeve.

Be sure to follow and like Ellyse and EA Polish

Instagram / Facebook Business Page

Disclosure: The questions above were sent to the featured maker (FM) for review and response. The FM was advised they could omit responses from any question they were not comfortable with answering. The responses are directly from the FM and have not been altered in any way, shape or form. The comments and responses expressed in this interview are those of the FM and the FM alone.

August 17, 2016August 10, 2016 by queenofnails83

Swatch & Review: Crème Allure – Part 1

PRESS SAMPLE NOTICE***Press (PR) Samples. This post contains polishes that were sent to me from the company/brand in exchange for an honest review,. All opinions stated are my own. For additional info regarding PR samples, click here ***

Hey everyone, thanks for tuning in today and I hope you all had a wonderful weekend. I am on vacation this week but fear not, I have posts lined up on the schedule as normal. Before I get into the S&R, let’s do a little pulse check. Are you all liking the new time? I hope so 🙂 My hope is to get those early birds like myself while they are drinking their morning coffee so I changed posting time to 9am instead of 10am (EST). 

I am bringing you another new brand, Crème Allure Cosmetics. I was sent 9 of their 11 current polishes but will be breaking up the review into 2 separate posts. Today, I will be showing you 4 of the 9 polishes and will finish up Part 2 this Friday 8/19 @9am EST.

May 25, 2016, Vernita Goodson started her Virginia based line to encourage all ethnicities to embrace natural tones of color. Crème Allure Cosmetics is a vegan inspired, 5 free nail lacquer company which ships free anywhere in the U.S. We have a lot to get through, even a special treat at the end, so let’s jump in…..

***Swatches are done with 2 coats of polish and base in artificial lighting. No top coat ***

CREME SALT

Crème Salt is a deep, rich slate blue

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CREME STICKY

Crème Stickly is a vibrant mauve/iris shade of purple

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CREME COTTA

Crème Cotta is a bright pumpkin orange

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CREME IYANA

Crème Iyana is a bold magenta

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 ***Extra Special Treat***

As I’m sure you guessed, these polishes are all crèmes. The formula is perfect and goes on soooo well, like your favorite pair of jeans. Because I am just a creature of habit, I applied 2 coats, but these polishes are perfectly opaque in 1. The consistency of these polishes are smooth and not too thick. They are super easy to work with and require no effort at all.

In a world of jellies, crellies, flakies, shimmer etc, crèmes can sometimes be forgotten or overlooked. So I wanted to take this review a step further and attempt to watermarble and stamp with these polishes and behold…these polishes are the ultimate trifecta! They are gorgeous crème with an excellent formula, they marble easily, literally the polished rolled off the brush and stamp well over both black and white showing they are very pigmented.

Overall, I think these crème are worth the investment and would fair well with all skin tones. I also, believe that crèmes are like a perfectly fitting LBD (little black dress), you should definitely have them in your collection because they are gorgeous alone or paired with a gorgeous red heel…in the case of polish, you could always dress up with some nail art. Simply put crèmes are staple pieces and with a $7.60 price tag, these polishes fit easily into any budget. I am excited to see what Crème Allure Cosmetics produces next. Again, don’t forget to come back Friday for Part 2.

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August 15, 2016January 1, 2017 by queenofnails83

Swatcher Spotlight: Lelia Pierce

I hope by now you have had the opportunity to read some of the amazing interviews done in the Swatcher Spotlight segment. If you haven’t, you don’t know what you’re missing. Fret not because you can get caught up on the action and enjoy my interview with Nicole Perez and Elena Kalogeropoulos

But the fun doesn’t stop, oh no, I’m just warming up! This month I had the great joy to interview Lelia Pierce and let me tell you, she is amazing….and I’m not just saying that because we have so much in common. Lelia is wonderfully talented, kind and beautiful. So lets jump right into the fun so you can see what I’m talking about.

photo provided courtesy of Lelia Pierce

Name:  Lelia Pierce
Age:  38
Location:  Kansas City, KS, USA

Sacha from Jior Coutour suggested that Lelia be given the ‘Swatcher Spotlight’ and I couldn’t agree more. (Read more about Sacha and Ari from Jior Coutour in my Interview series). So per the usual, I had to get the formalities out of the way and give Lelia a chance to warm up before moving right into the hard hitting questions. So lets get the low down on this green-eyed goddess…lol!

Q: Kids? If so, how many?
A: “2 kids.  Jacob is 19 and Ariel is 15”

Q: Marital Status?
A:”Happily remarried”

Q: Birthday
A: “October 26…GO SCORPIOS!”

Q: Pets? If so, types and how many?
A: “1 very spoiled 3 year old Brussels Griffon. Sir Ludo Onyx”

And how very befitting that Lelia didn’t send me a photo of her hubby or kids, oh no, but of Sir Ludo Onyx himself. What a cutie pie!

Here is where the fun begins, I didn’t ask Lelia about flowers and rainbows, while those are pretty, I wanted to know the good stuff. I got just that!

Q: City Life or country living?
A: “A little of both!  I live far enough away from the city on 2 acres that it could be considered country living.  We’re also close enough to get all the perks of city living.”

Q: Comedy movie or suspense?  
A: “More a little of both.  Depends on my mood!  Scary movies are my fave though.”

Q: Last time you laughed out loud?  
A: “Last night.  My hubby is quite amusing!”

Q: Favorite tv show?  
A: “Now that’s a hard one to answer.  I will have to say Grey’s Anatomy even though they keep killing off the characters I love.”

Q: Favorite holiday?  
A: “Halloween!  What’s not to love about Halloween?”

Q: Favorite article of clothing?  
A: “Leggings/yoga pants and t-shirts tie.  Unless we can count shoes, then it’s flip flops, hands down!”

Now that’s my kinda girl. Grey’s Anatomy AND leggings….#winning. Those 2 things go together like ice cream and cake…which doesn’t sound too bad right now. Darn it being only 8:45am EST, ok back on topic…Lelia. I think she and I will be great friends once Grey’s comes back on.

This is the part of the interview where all the beans are spilled and all we learn about all those gorgeous swatches and well manicured nails we see all over FB, IG, etc.

Q: What got you started doing your nails?  
A: “The creativity of it…and who doesn’t like to look a little prettier?”

Q: What was the first brand you swatched for?  
A: “Jior Couture was the first ever brand I got a gig with.  Sacha is amazing to work with!”

Q: What is your favorite nail care product?  
A: “Bomb Balm from So Much Goodness is exceptional.  I use it for my cuticles, hands, feet and tattoos!  It really is the bomb!”

Q: What kind of camera do you use to take your swatch photos?  
A: “For my regular photos I use my Samsung Galaxy.  For macros I use my Canon Rebel XT.  Love that baby!”

Q: What tips would you give an aspiring swatcher?
A: “Don’t give up!  Make sure you do proper clean up and have well lit photos with no background distractions.  A good picture is worth a thousand words, after all!”

Q: How did you come up with your ‘nail name’?  
A: “Mine came from my e-mail address, grneyegoddess, that I’ve had since 2000.  It’s basically my user name for everything and has zero to do with nails.”

Q: If you were to start an indie line of polish what would you name it and what would the first collection be inspired by?  
A: “Go all in, right?  Everyone knows me by GreenEyeGoddess or Green Goddess Creations already, so I’d probably do Goddess Lacquer.  First collection?  The Little Mermaid, of course!!!”

Q: Who are some other swatchers and/blogs you follow?
A: “I love swatches from Nichole Costa – Bedlam Beauty, Cheyenne Backlund, Nicole Perez, Sahyly Sanchez, Dvisha Patel, RoseLynn Mercedes – Manicured & Marvelous, Genevieve Clay-Poor, JayLynne Cook, Megan Ele – Mindfully Polished…there are so many good ones out there!!!  I’d be here all day!”

 Well that concludes my time today with Leila. Are you enjoying this series? Is there something you’d like to know and want me to ask?  Or, if you or someone you know deserves the spotlight on them, leave a comment below or send me an email. I hope you’ll join me back next month when we have another featured swatcher.

You can find more with Lelia here:

CRAFT BLOG * NAIL BLOG * SHOP * FACEBOOK * PINTEREST * TWITTER * INSTAGRAM. She also happily designs for: Dustin Pike’s Doodle Dragon Studios

Disclosure: The questions above were sent to the featured maker (FM) for review and response. The FM was advised they could omit responses from any question they were not comfortable with answering. The responses are directly from the FM and have not been altered in any way, shape or form. The comments and responses expressed in this interview are those of the FM and the FM alone.

August 12, 2016August 3, 2016 by queenofnails83

R-E-S-P-E-C-T My HOLO!

One thing I won’t accept or allow is my holo to be disrespected. That being said, I have to share how pissed off I was during a recent mani. I ordered THEE perfect holo purple polish, Grape Stomp, during Vapid’s 3rd Birthday sale, waited patiently for it, receive it and used it IMMEDIATELY! No, waiting in the endless line of my untrieds, nope this one had to used as soon as it came in the mail. I was in such awe and literally stared at its amazingness for a good 10 minutes. So, as any self-respecting nail addict would do, I  topped with my all-time FAVORITE fast-drying top coat to seal the deal and preserve its holo-y goodness. But to my dismay, my holo was stolen!

Would you look at this! Here she is in all her purpley holo goodness! ‘Isn’t she lovely, isn’t she wonderful…’ (in my Stevie Wonderful voice.)

But then as luck would have it, I applied Seche Vite and poof, the holo was gone just like a thief in the night. My worst nightmare ever! I couldn’t leave this beautiful polish was in this state of ruins, so back to the drawing board.

And finally, here she is…again! The beautiful holo purple that I was looking for. This picture still doesn’t do this polish any justice. Its truly a must have and see in person polish.

The moral of the story is, it pays to have a few different top coats in your collection. Luckily, I had Quick Dry High Gloss Top Coat by Pro-FX on hand. I hate to write off my Seche Vite all the way, but as expensive as it is, $8/bottle in the stores and $5ish/bottle online on eBay/Amazon, I’m not sure if it is still worth buying. Was the bottle I had just a bad batch? I had never noticed this on any other holo polishes. On the other hand, the Pro-FX is available for 1/2 the price and at Wal-Mart. Neither of these options are indie and I would prefer to #supportindiepolishmakers.

After posting, my top coat mishap in the Vapid Fan Group on FB, many members expressed similar experienced with Seche Vite stealing the holo and recommended that I try the Get Your Shine On! High Shine Quick Dry Top Coat. So needless to say, its on my wish list along with “All About That Base” Strengthening Base Coat , another Czech Glass Nail File, more Nail Sauce and my newest love from Vapid, Commitment Issues – Peel Off Base Coat. I’ll keep you posted on the Vapid top coat once I order and use it, so stay tuned for that post. In the meantime, tell me, what is your favorite QDTC?

August 10, 2016August 9, 2016 by queenofnails83