T-Mart | Nail Art Fimo Canes with Holiday Nail Art!

I was recently introduced to Tmart.com which is a website that sells pretty much EVERYTHING from electronics and small gadgets to tattoo kits and of course Tmart nail art decorations! At first I wasn’t sure how large the nail art selection would be since it is not Tmart’s primary focus, but I was pleasantly surprised by the selection, pricing and easy site navigation. I got the chance to review some very fun fimo nail art canes that I enjoyed using A LOT as demonstrated by the nail art shown here!

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Coming Soon–China Glaze Crinkled Chromes!

On the heels of the ever popular textured polishes comes a brand new 6 polish collection from China Glaze! We all love pastels in the spring, but who says we can’t wear them in Winter as well? The Crinkled Chrome collection combines the iciness and shimmer of winter with the femininity of a spring pastel and the edginess of a textured polish.

Winter is a time of shimmer and shine.  Frost glistens on windows, lights twinkle in the night and decorations adorn doorways. This January, give your nails a shine all their own with Crinkled Chrome from China Glaze®.  High-shine chrome meets wintery pastels in this crinkled metal look. Chrome takes on a feminine flair with China Glaze® Crinkled Chrome.  Six gorgeous colours retain the sophisticated, polished appeal of the season, but add a contemporary edge and sense of novelty to winter nails.

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Ipsy | October 2013 “Art of Beauty”

Ermmm, for some reason the October edition of my Ipsy bag was forgotten in first the wedding hullabaloo of October and then November disappeared followed by “holy crap” it’s Christmas! I have a growing pile of subscription boxes that I just have not shared with you all so I hope I’ll be able to get them in before 2013 is out!

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Merry Christmas Lights!

I’m sure everyone is enjoying a leisurely day at home as I am! The holidays have really taken it out of me! I wanted to squeeze in one last Christmas nail art before it didn’t make sense anymore! I followed the Christmas nail lights tutorial from One Nail to Rule Them All which was incredibly easy to follow. I started with two coats of OPI – My Boyfriend Scales Walls followed by one coat of China Glaze – Fairy Dust. I used a black striper for the “cord” and acrylic paint for the light bulbs.

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Merry Christmas to you all!

Grinchy Snowflakes

Nobody ever said snowflakes had to be white, right? I had this odd compulsion to paint black snowflakes overtop China Glaze-This is Tree-mendous resulting in a snowflake tutorial over at The Prom Show! I basically wanted to replicate what I had done with my earlier snowflakes because I actually really enjoyed painting them! And at what other time of the year would I be allowed to draw snowflakes TWICE in one month?!

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Oh, and if you haven’t picked up this polish, you HAVE to! It’s so glittery and green!

KKCenterHK | Soft Stamping Review

You guys know of my mad stamping skills that have yet to amount to anything more than a childlike attempt at what is supposed to be “art”, so when KKCenterHK offered me the opportunity to try soft stamping, I figured I didn’t have anything to lose because I am already pretty awful at it! I chose a super cute stamping plate with designs that I thought might come in handy in the future.

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Candy Cane Swirls

There are some nail art tutorials that you HAVE TO TRY right away when you see them and cutepolish’s Peppermint Swirl tutorial was one of them! I changed the design a little bit, but the technique is the same. I started off with two coats of OPI – My Boyfriend Scales Walls, followed by one coat of China Glaze-Fairy Dust. I then used my red Art Deco striper to draw the pinwheels and dotted the centers with more white polish. For the green bits, I used forest green acrylic paint as I could not find the right green amongst my many many polishes. I finished with a new top coat I’m trying by Witchcraft and ta-da!

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Epic Blend | Lip Balms Without Scary Ingredients!

I am so proud that my new FAVOURITE lip balms come from my home province of British Columbia! Epic Blend began in 2007 in Kelowna, BC with the goal of designing a high quality, premium lip balm that had both spunk and all-natural ingredients. All ingredients are petroleum and gluten-free, non-genetically modified and of course not tested on animals!

I am a total lip balm junkie with a lip balm in every location of the apartment and one even right in the shower so that I can have my lips moisturized right away! I am almost tingling with excitement to get to the end of this review because all I can say is that these are DA BOMB!

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Kiss | Nail Dress Strips in Mistletoe

Nothing says festive like holiday nails which is why the ever awesome Kiss Nail Dress Holiday series is sure to delight and be the life of any Christmas party! When it comes to drugstore nail strips, Kiss always has a TON of designs to suit every personality and occasion. Today I’m going to try out the Kiss Nail Dress strips in the pattern “Mistletoe” which is awesomely bejewelled!

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Shoppers Drug Mart Redemption Goodies!

There was a Shoppers Drug Mart super redemption event about two weeks ago and I cannot believe it has taken me so long to share what I picked up with you all! Time is just flying and work has been long and very busy so forgive me for this and all future tardiness! I wasn’t going to redeem any points, but then I saw two things that my heart had always wanted…dear Mia and the most overpriced LED lamp I’ve ever seen.

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Swatch It Up | Doctor Lacquer–Mistletoe the Line

I have a new indie polish love and it is Doctor Lacquer! This is a polish brand that jumped out at me because of wonderful thermal polishes in every collection especially my favourite one, Hormonal Efficiency! Hormones were always my favourite thing to learn about in school so to see polishes named after them was nothing short of amazing! I did get the entire collection, but since we’re in the middle of the holidays, I figured I’d show a Christmas polish first! This is Mistletoe the Line, which is a “cold-sensitive thermal crelly with a white base when warm, that turns mint green when cold. Mistletoe the Line has a delicate mix of festive holiday colors!”

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I really had a hard time capturing my nails when this polish was fully green or fully white, but at least I got the green tips! This wasn’t exactly mint green for me and most of the time was not the most flattering colour on me, but it was incredibly festive and unique which garnered me many compliments asking about what polish I had on my nails. I believe Mistletoe the Line is now sold out so I feel badly showing this off to you guys, but maybe it’ll come back in stock if you ask nicely?

Hope you are all having a great Sunday afternoon!

Holiday Gift Ideas | Crabtree & Evelyn La Source Beautiful Hands Gift Set

I spied this little treasure at London Drugs and it is just perfect for a nail polish lover or someone who loves to pamper herself! I didn’t know that Crabtree & Evelyn made nail polish until just this past summer when I was doing the nail art workshops at Metrotown so when I saw the Beautiful Hands Gift Set for $25 that included two polishes I jumped!

For gorgeously glossy nails and perfectly pampered hands, look no further. Our La Source hand and nail care essentials are together at last in a festive and vibrant botanical package.

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Here is what you get inside:

  • Snowdrop Nail Lacquer
  • Petal Pink Nail Lacquer
  • La Source Hand Therapy (25g)
  • La Source Nail & Cuticle Therapy (15g)
  • Holiday Nail buffer

Purchasing each of these items individually would cost you $36, so you are almost receiving the polishes for free! For someone who just loves doing a classy French manicure, this is the perfect Christmas gift! I saw a couple of these sets at my London Drugs the other day or you can also go to your closest Crabtree & Evelyn store!

Eve Pearl | Smudgeproof Liquid Eyeliner in Black Pearl

Those of you who are lovers of the The Shopping Channel and their beauty section may have seen the makeup line Eve Pearl, created by Eve Pearl, a 5 time Emmy Award winning celebrity Makeup Professional. Eve Pearl products were originally created for professionals, but fortunately, normal Jaynes like myself are now able to have access to the whole line!

I was recently given the opportunity to review the High Definition Creme Foundation and Smudgeproof Liquid Eyeliner, which I was interested to try as I had never tried any Eve Pearl products before. I will be doing two separate reviews – one for each product beginning with a review of the eyeliner!

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This long lasting liner has a uniquely tapered brush for a precise smudge proof application.  The highly pigmented formula offers all day wear with rich, luminous results.

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Fast Glitter Polish Removal–The Elmer’s Glue Way!

This is a trick that may not be new to some of you, but whenever I mention the Elmer’s Glue Technique in regular conversation, I get somewhat confused expressions so maybe it’s still worth mentioning here! You use Elmer’s Glue as your base coat and then apply your glitter polish over top! I recently put together a short little post at The Prom Show on how to remove glitter polish in seriously 10 seconds! I even made a VIDEO on my new Youtube channel that currently just has this ONE video, but I think this is the start of something new! I still have no idea what I’m doing when it comes to YouTube, but I’m hoping I can figure it out!

Hope everyone’s having a great hump day!

Influenster | Hi Canada! The #MapleVoxBox

Influenster has finally come to Canada! I’ve been a member of the Influenster community for about a year and half and first joined as I found the concept of measuring social media influence and being rewarded for it very interesting. It’s crazy to think that this type of community even exists now and my curiosity got the better of me and I had to join! Joining Influenster is FREE and every so often, a VoxBox gets released full of complimentary products based on Expert Badges that you have unlocked and the amount of “influence” you appear to have online. No member is guaranteed a Voxbox though, even with “good behaviour”.

I received my tracking information for the #MapleVoxBox a day AFTER I’d already received which is something I believe other bloggers experienced, but seeing that purple box with the recognizable “i” in a speech bubble sent me into spastic dance moves. I was so excited to see one addressed to me after seeing American bloggers receive them for so long!

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Ice Breakers DUO in RaspberryDSC_0220

New Ice Breakers DUO combines sweet fruity taste with refreshing cooling crystals. Ice Breakers DUO is a two-sided mint with a fruity flavoured, textured side and a minty, smooth side that cools and freshens your breath. Also available in Strawberry.

Thoughts: Ummm, I LOVE THESE. I have the SOURS in my purse AND in my office PLUS two other flavours in my nightstand drawer as a just in case! They pretty refreshing, but what I actually buy them for is for helping with nausea whenever I have a headache which is quite often…the fruity tartness just makes me feel better and obviously tastes good!

Price: 36g/$1.99

NYC New York Color Big Bold Curl MascaraDSC_0221

Big Bold Curl Mascara’s oversized curved brush is the ultimate way to get outrageously thick and super sexy lashes. One stroke gives your lashes up to 12x more volume and 99% more lift.

Thoughts: Now that I can wear mascara, I am actually excited to try this out. I like chubby products so I’m already sold on the packaging. Weird, I know! I haven’t tried an NYC product since 2003 so let’s rekindle the love Red heart

Price: 12mL/$4.99

NYC New York Color Big Bold Plumping Lip GlossDSC_0222

Big Bold Plumping Lip Gloss makes lips look up to 50% fuller with a high gloss shine that lasts up to 4 hours. The ultra soft mega applicator gives full and even coverage for beautiful, perfectly plump lips.

Thoughts: This lipgloss is actually very chubby as well and so I love it! It’s also a very neutral shimmery pink which will look lovely layered over a lipstick to give it a bit of “oomph”.

Price: 11mL/$4.99

Broadway Nails imPRESS Press-On ManicureDSC_0223

imPRESS Press-On Manicure by Broadway Nails is the revolutionary way to apply polish! Get a salon-perfect manicure in seconds! There’s no drying, a killer shine and a manicure that lasts up to a week!

Thoughts: I have reviewed these press on nails before and they were just too big for my nail beds! The wear and designs are amazing though so if you need some quick beautiful 10 second nails, just get these!

Price: 1 set/$8.99 – $10.99

Montagne Jeunesse Clay Spas Mask in Crushed Arctic CloudberriesDSC_0224

Join the revolution and start a new weekly skincare regime with the Clay Spas from Montagne Jeunesse. These natural bamboo fabric masks are infused with clay for a cleansing experience that is better, quicker and easier than ever before.

Thoughts: Ahh! Masks! I love these! I cannot wait to try this!

Price: 1 mask/$2.49

Not pictured are the two Skinny Cow items I received: the Milk Chocolate Dreamy Clusters (1 pack/$1.29) and the Milk Chocolate Flavour Heavenly Crisp (1 bar/$1.29)as they were just so amazingly good that I ate them up before I could take the pictures! I was super hungry at work and the #MapleVoxBox was RIGHT THERE!

Total Value of #MapleVoxBox: $26.03

Considering this is a complimentary box where shipping is FREE, the items I received were truly amazing! The #MapleVoxBox was a great inaugural VoxBox for us Canadians and I hope we start to qualify for more!

All products received complimentary from Influenster for review purposes.

Topbox | November “Estee Lauder” Edition

November was another month where I chose not to go with the regular Topbox, but with one of the special edition ones. For November, I decided to try the “Estee Lauder” Topbox as I have not tried any skincare from this brand yet and the perfume also sounded like a scent I would enjoy!

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“It Has to Happen” Snowflake Nail Art

There are certain inevitabilities when it comes to Christmas especially when it comes to nail art. There is no escaping the glitter polish, candy cane and of course the snowflakes manis! Let’s face it, this is the only time of the year when even having all three of those designs on your nails really makes sense AND feels right! For today’s nails, I started with three coats of Pretty & Polished – Bubbles ( I actually thought it would be more opaque and was going to wear it alone) and then hand painted snowflakes over top with acrylic paint using a small brush and a dotting tool.

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The Prom Show How To: The Perfect Glitter Gradient with Nicole by OPI–Pretty in Plum and Mi Fantasia

When it comes to the holidays, I pretty much SEE in glitter. We are bombarded with it and when it comes to nails, glitter gradients are my comfort food (?). They’re fairly easy to do once you get the hang of it and from there the world is your glittery oyster. For those of you who are interested in learning how I do mine, I have done a complete tutorial over at The Prom Show!

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Happy Friday!

October 2013 Empties

In my attempt to play catch up this month (I’m losing miserably!) here are my October empties!

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Glequins and Half Moons

I have been wanting to use glequins again ever since I used them for this scaly mani back in May. Apologies for the picture quality…that’s what I get for trying to get natural light at 7am on a cloudy day. The lightbox I ordered could not come any sooner! As my base, I used China Glaze – Mingle with Kringle and then using page reinforcement stickers to create my half moons, painted Pandora’s Polish – Fall Day over top. I then individually applied blue glequins from Born Pretty with a wax pencil and applied top coat.

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I guess now it’s time to start the holiday nail art?

Products in this post provided as PR samples.

China Glaze | Dash of Dazzle Holiday Nail Polish Trio with Swatches!

The holidays are here which means that China Glaze has another amazing nail polish collection to excite and dazzle us with! Mingle with Kringle, Bells Will Be Blinging and So Blue Without You are three of the polishes from the Happy Holi-Glaze Collection and although we have seen these colours in some form or another over the seasons, I never get over the tongue-in-cheek nail polish names and of course the glitter polishes that I feel China Glaze does BEST!

Dash of Dazzle is a three piece nail polish set currently being sold by Nail Polish Canada for $15 which basically means you get one of these polishes for free if you were to buy them individually! There is also another set, Touch of Twinkle, if you’re more of a red polish gal!

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October 2013 Favourites

So I’m a little late with this post…probably because I didn’t experiment too much with new products prior to my wedding as I didn’t want to break my skin out with the unfamiliar!

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