Color Secrets Chettah Girl...

In addition to the two lacquers which I showed you yesterday, I received a package of Color Secrets nail appliques for review. Unlike other nail wraps that I have tried, these are clear allowing you to create whatever background you wish underneath. I chose to go with an orange to purple gradient from the two Color Secrets shades...

The gradient is Color Secrets The King and I at the base of the nail and it transitions to Color Secrets My Fair Lady toward the tips. The gradient looked much smoother and gradual in real life. I'm not quite sure why it shows such a sharp change in the photos. I really like the way these colors go together...

The nail appliques that I used are Chettah Girl. As I already mentioned they are clear wraps with a cheetah pattern. Although I love the idea of these, I was a bit disappointed in the wraps. They are rather thick and don't contour well to the nail. While most of my nails are flat and the appliques worked well, my index finger has a slight curve and these were rather inflexible to even the slightest curve. They are made of a rubbery material and don't stretch very much. Also I recommend cutting these down to size rather than filing at the tips since filing left a rather unattractive torn edge....

The package comes with 18 nail appliques and a nail file. The back of the package contains simple instruction for use. Just pick the right size, apply to the nail and smooth out. Then using a downward motion file off the excess at the tips. The directions suggest using downward motion only to avoid fraying of the wrap, however, this didn't completely eliminate the fraying for me....

The package states that there is enough for at least two sets of nails from one sheet, if you cut off the excess and keep it for another time. I beg to disagree with that statement as I had just a few millimeters left from each wrap. Hardly worth saving and certainly not enough for a second full manicure. For my pinkie nail I had to use the fourth smallest wrap, leaving behind three wraps that are too small for me to use at all....

Overall, I love the idea of clear wraps and if these were not so thick, these would be great to achieve a great cheetah pattern with minimal effort...

Thanks for looking!
Anutka :)

** Products in this post were provided to me for review by the manufacturer or their PR. **

** For more information please see the disclosure policy **

Color Secrets My Fair Lady with The King and I

I had the pleasure of trying Color Secrets lacquers, a new to me brand. These polishes are vegan, cruelty free and Big 3 Free (don't contain DBP, toluene or formaldehyde) which is great! I received two lacquers and a set on nail appliques for review. I will start out by showing you the two lacquers today, My Fair Lady and The King and I...

My Fair Lady
A deep metallic purple with a subtle scattered blue and pink shimmer. It has a very nice two coat formula that is easy to apply. It is a bit sheer along the tips, so if you like your tips wrapped as I do, make sure to wrap with each coat for best results. Swatches are with no top coat...

Swatch Details
	Brand: Color Secrets Collection: core Color Name/Number: My Fair Lady, N708 Number of coats: 2 Top Coat: No Free of Formaldehyde, Toluene, Dibutyl Phthalate (DBP)

The King and I
A burnt reddish orange metallic. It has a bit more red than the photos show. It is slightly more sheer than My Fair Lady and took three coats to build up to full opacity. Application is very good. The brush is soft and easy to use. Swatches are with no top coat...

Swatch Details
	Brand: Collection: Color Name/Number: Number of coats: Top Coat: Free of Formaldehyde, Toluene, Dibutyl Phthalate (DBP)

Have you tried Color Secret lacquers before?

Thanks for looking!
Anutka :)

** Polishes were provided to me for review by the manufacturer or their PR. **

** For more information please see the disclosure policy **

Born Pretty Store Miki Nails Water Transfer Decals Review...

I have been on a roll trying out different types of nail wraps these past few weeks and today I have another set to show you. These are Miki Nails from the Born Pretty Store. I was a bit scared to try these decals at first and kept procrastinating reviewing them. I think it was partly because I don't use water decals often enough to feel comfortable, so I wanted to make sure I had plenty of time in case I messed up. And let's just pretend it had nothing to do with the fact that I didn't choose this pattern and I wasn't too fond of it when I first saw it. Seeing it on my nails certainly changed my mind and I'm really excited to show these to you today...

This is Miki Nails pattern 09, which I have affectionately nicknamed "gluttony" for the delicious donuts, cakes, candies and other sweets that make up this pattern. I kept thinking how perfect they would have been for the Polish Days challenge of 7 Deadly Sins. It doesn't get any more gluttonous than this...

The decal kit includes a sheet with 12 tips, nail file and directions on the back of the package. This is enough for one manicure, unless you have short nails and can get away with cutting one decal in half to use for two nails. Mine are just a bit too long for that to work. I'm not sure why the nail file is included since I had no need for it, but it is teeny and adorable, perfect size to throw in your purse.

Application is very easy:

1. Start out with clean nails
2. Cut the decals apart and trim the length to fit the nail
3. Soak in water for 10-20 seconds until the decal slides off the paper backing.
4. Position on the nail and dab excess water off with a paper towel.
5. If needed, trim any excess along the tip/sides of the nail
6. Apply a top coat to seal

The top coat is a vital step in this process because these decals don't stick on their own. I actually thought I was doing something wrong at first. However, these strips are made of nail polish and the top coat acts to melt the decals onto the nail. It is quite amazing actually and I instantly fell in love with these decals. I might go as far as to say these are my new favorite wraps/decals.

What I love about these decals is that they are made with real nail polish so clean up is a easy peasy with polish remover or acetone. They are very, very thin, but not fragile. Easy to re-position, as long as they are wet. They feel like nothing is on the nail except for a coat of polish. As the top coat melts them, they fuse to the nail leaving no tempting gaps or folds to pick at. As you can see, I'm kind of enamored with them...

My nails are very flat with the exception of the index finger which curves ever so slightly, so I can't comment too much on how these work with curved nails. On my index finger all ridges easily evened out with the top coat leaving behind a nice smooth surface...

These decals are available in 24 different patterns and I'm already picking out the next designs to order... #5, 15, 17, 20 and 22 are calling my name...

If you want to order these nail decals or any other products from the Born Pretty Store, feel free to use the coupon code AG5J61 for a 10% discount...

Thanks for looking and commenting!
Anutka :)

** Products provided for review by the manufacturer or their PR. **

** For more information please see the disclosure policy **

Bird Tattoos by Fake Tattoos...

I was recently given the opportunity to try out some temporary nail tattoos by Fake Tattoos. These Fake Tattoos are very easy to apply and come in a variety of fun designs. Today's manicure features two little tattoo birdies...

For this manicure I started out with a base of Color Club Evolution and Pearl-spective, which I showed you a few days ago. To create a little scene for the birds and make them feel at home, I stamped some white clouds and branches from Mash plate Mash-34. The clouds were stamped using Wet 'n Wild French White Creme and the branches using Sally Hansen Coco a-go-go and Color Club Wild Cactus for the leaves.

Once the 'scene' was set, I added two birds from the Fake Tattoos Bird Design sheet...

Applying the tattoos is very simple:

1. Cut out the desired tattoo and remove the plastic cover
2. Press onto the nail in desired location. They are a bit sticky so should easily stay in place when you position them.
3. Apply water to the back of the tattoo using a wet cotton ball or paper towel and hold for a few seconds.
4. The paper backing should easily slide off to reveal the tattoo.
5. Allow tattoo to dry for a few minutes and then add a top coat!

You can see some of the different designs that are available. As an added bonus, these tattoos can be used on the skin as well as the nails...

A few more shots of the manicure...

Thanks for looking and commenting!
Anutka :)

** Products were provided to me for review by the manufacturer or their PR. **

** For more information please see the disclosure policy **

Color Club Evolution and Pearl-spective...

Hi everyone! Today I would like to show you swatches of two pretty shades from the Color Club Kaleidoscope collection for this summer...

Evolution
A bright sky blue cream. It has a pretty good formula. Although a bit streaky at first, it does provide complete and smooth coverage at three coats. Very pretty and nice for summer. Swatches are without a top coat...

Swatch Details
	Brand: Color Club Collection: Kaleidoscope, Summer 2013 Color Name/Number: Evolution, 988 Number of coats: 3 Top Coat: No Free of Formaldehyde, Toluene, Dibutyl Phthalate (DBP)

Pearl-spective
Translucent to purple color shifting shimmer/flecks. This can be layered over any shade to add a bit of sparkle. Sadly, the photos don't properly capture the beautiful purple color of the flecks. They are not actually this hidden in real life and are really very pretty over a lighter shades such as this blue. The swatches are one coat of Pearl-spective over Evolution, with a top coat...

I tried taking a photo under water because someone once told me the shimmer shows better that way. Can you see the purple shift any better?

To really see the gorgeous purple flakies, try layering this over a dark shade. This swatch below is one coat of Pearl-spective over Wet 'n Wild Black Creme. I will do a full manicure at some point, but since my nails lack the curve needed to show off the beautiful color shift, I thought it would be easier to show it this way for now...

Swatch Details
	Brand: Color Club Collection: Kaleidoscope, Summer 2013 Color Name/Number: Pearl-spective, 990 Number of coats: 1 (over Evolution) Top Coat: Yes Free of Formaldehyde, Toluene, Dibutyl Phthalate (DBP)

Thanks for looking and commenting!
Anutka :)

** Polishes were provided to me for review by the manufacturer or their PR. **

** For more information please see the disclosure policy **

NCLA Jazzi Nail Wraps...

Yesterday I showed you the NCLA Stephanie's Galaxy nail wraps and today I would like to show you one more set of NCLA nail wraps. This is the fun Jazzi set which reminds me of a gorgeous sunset. In fact looking at them now, I kind of wish I had stamped a palm tree to go along with the sunset...

These are packaged exactly the same as the set that I showed you yesterday. The package includes two sheets of 22 nail wraps in various sizes, a nail file and instructions. There are enough wraps for at least two full manicures, but I ended up with enough wraps left over on the first sheet to do another full manicure, if I cut/stretched some of the wraps. Certainly lots left over if you just want to do accent nails. The included nail file is a bit rough for my preference, so I used one of my own finer files. For full application instructions plus a video take a look at the NCLA website.

My super flat nails work really well for nail wraps as I don't even have to stretch any of them to fit. They are, however, thin and stretchy so should easily contour to curved nails as well. I really love the color, pattern and gradient of these strips. It is not something that I can easily achieve by another nail art technique...

I'm still bothered by the white edge left over at the tip of the nail after filing, however, I found that it was less noticeable and distracting in this linear type pattern...

Now here comes the ugly part... These nail strips are not nail polish based, so they are not removed with acetone. The package states to simply peel them off, but I would highly recommend against that. After peeling off some layers of my nail along with the strips, I resorted to gently pushing the wraps off the nail using another nail. This method seemed to work much better without leaving a trail of destruction. I then used acetone to remove the remaining glue residue...

You can see the damage to one of my nails below. The peachy color on the nail strip are the stained layers of my nail which were pulled off. I freaked out upon seeing this, then pouted and puffed... and buffed the nails to smooth out the damage. I then treated them to a generous coat of Barielle Nail Rebuilding Protein in the hopes that it would do as advertised and rebuild the protein which I lost...

These strips are great if you are in a hurry, want something for a special event or just for fun. They stick well as evident by their refusal to come off. On one hand it is pro because you want them to stick well, but this pro turns into a con when it is time to remove them. So just beware of the removal and avoid pulling these strips off. Use your other nail or cuticle pusher to gently push them off instead...

These nail wraps were provided to me for review by Nail Polish Canada. They stock a full selection of NCLA Nail Wraps, so be sure to check out all the other fun and beautiful patterns!

Thanks for looking!
Anutka :)

** Product was provided to me for review by the manufacturer or their PR. **

** For more information please see the disclosure policy **

NCLA Stephanie's Galaxy Nail Wraps...

I'm back! OK, so I wasn't really gone very long, but it felt like a lifetime. My computer was brought down by a teeny tiny microSD card which turns out was for some reason incompatible with it. The computer required a full system re-install so I was without all my files or programs for a while. Reminded me of an elephant being brought down by a mouse. Anyhow, now I have lots catching up to do and I'd like to start by showing you these fun NCLA Stephanie's Galaxy Nail Wraps...

The package comes with instructions, two sheets of 22 wraps each and a nail file. Each sheet  is enough for a complete manicures with lots left over for possible use as accents in other manicures. I'm pretty sure I could manage another full manicure out of the leftovers on the first sheet if I did some cutting/stretching of the leftovers, so enough for four manicures per package for me. I found the included nail file a bit too rough for my preference so I used a finer one of my own. There are great instructions plus a video on the NCLA website, so I won't bother restating them here...

The wraps were easy to apply. My nails are flat with no curve at all which is horrible for holo polishes, but perfect for nail wraps. They are stretchy so should contour to accommodate those with curvy nails. This was by far the easiest and quickest galaxy manicure I've ever done. Great if you are in a hurry and great if you have no interest in getting messy and attempting this look with sponging...

As the edges of the wraps get filed down, this leaves and exposed white edge along the tip. I always wrap my nails when doing a manicure so seeing the exposed edge drove me a bit crazy. This is a problem I face with all nail wraps. Also, because the edge is so bright white, it is easy to tell these are wraps...

These wraps are not nail polish based, so they are removed by peeling rather than with acetone. I found it easiest to remove them starting from the base of the nail instead of the tip. When starting at the base they come off in one piece as opposed to ripping when I tried to pry them at the tip...

They took longer to remove than to apply, leaving behind a sticky glue residue which I removed with acetone. Unfortunately the removal also took bits of the top layers of my nail with it, which I didn't realize at first. On one hand it is a testament to how well they adhere, but on the other hand really unnerving realizing the nails are damaged...

I would definitely consider these for a special occasion or when in a hurry with no time for doing nail art. How long they last would really depend on if you are a picker (like me) or not. It also would depend on how rough you are to your nails. When applying a top coat, I suggest wrapping the tip...

These nail wraps were provided to me for review by Nail Polish Canada. They stock a full selection of NCLA Nail Wraps, so be sure to check out all the other fun and beautiful patterns!

Thanks for looking!
Anutka :)

** Product was provided to me for review by the manufacturer or their PR. **

** For more information please see the disclosure policy **

Zoya Irresistible Collection For Summer 2013

I showed you the Zoya Stunning half of the summer collection a few days ago. Today I would like to show you the second have of the collection, the Zoya Irresistible metallic shades. While I love the bright, summery cream shades from the first half, I'm absolutely smitten with these foil metallic ones. They are packed with tiny flecks which somehow magically fuse together to form gorgeous, flawless, irresistible foil metallics. Before I get too carried away gushing, take a look at the swatches...

Kerry
Yellow gold flakies packed in a clear base. I feel like we've seen this concept a lot recently although the shades of gold are slightly different making them unique. I used three coats to obtain full coverage for a beautiful foil metallic finish. Formula is easy to work with and apply. Swatches are with no top coat...

Swatch Details
	Brand: Zoya Collection: Irresistible, Summer 2013 Color Name/Number: Kerry, ZP684 Number of coats: 3 Top Coat: No Free of Formaldehyde, Toluene, Dibutyl Phthalate (DBP), Camphor

Amy
Reddish orange base packed with gold flakies. I never tire of this shade, the gold just looks perfect infused with orange. The formula similar to Kerry, very easy to apply. Three coats for full coverage and no top coat in these swatches...

Swatch Details
	Brand: Zoya Collection: Irresistible, Summer 2013 Color Name/Number: Amy, ZP670 Number of coats: 3 Top Coat: No Free of Formaldehyde, Toluene, Dibutyl Phthalate (DBP), Camphor

Tinsley
A rose pink base with gold flecks. It has a bit more pink than what the swatches show, however, my camera was convinced I was the one not seeing it right. It is very soft and delicate while at the same time attention catching with the sparkle. It is the sheerest out of the collection. Although I did use only three coats and it was enough to cover the nail line. Swatches are with no top coat...

Swatch Details
	Brand: Zoya Collection: Irresistible, Summer 2013 Color Name/Number: Tinsley, ZP671 Number of coats: 3 Top Coat: No Free of Formaldehyde, Toluene, Dibutyl Phthalate (DBP), Camphor

Bobbi
A raspberry red with pink and silver flakes. This truly blends into a gorgeous foil finish which I'm crazy about. It is much more opaque than the previous three shades and provides almost full coverage at just one coat. I used two coats for the swatches out of preference. Very nice formula and easy application. No top coat...

Swatch Details
	Brand: Zoya Collection: Irresistible, Summer 2013 Color Name/Number: Bobbi, ZP672 Number of coats: 2 Top Coat: No Free of Formaldehyde, Toluene, Dibutyl Phthalate (DBP), Camphor

Hazel
A light pewter blue foil metallic with champagne gold flakies. This is a favorite of mine from this collection. It is great for summer, but also has a cool icy feel that would make it perfect for the winter months. It is also very opaque even at one coat, but I did use two for these swatches. It has a great formula that is easy to use. No top coat here as well...

The larger flakies seen in the macro shot are not very visible in real life. Everything just blends smoothly...

Swatch Details
	Brand: Zoya Collection: Irresistible, Summer 2013 Color Name/Number: Hazel, ZP673 Number of coats: 2 Top Coat: No Free of Formaldehyde, Toluene, Dibutyl Phthalate (DBP), Camphor

Rikki
A green foil metallic with champagne gold flakies. This is the green version of Hazel and has the same nice formula that is easy to apply. Another favorite of mine from the collection. I just can't seem to get enough of the perfect foil finish. Two coats for full coverage, no top coat...

Again, the larger flakies are visible in the photo and no so much in real life...

Swatch Details
	Brand: Zoya Collection: Irresistible, Summer 2013 Color Name/Number: Rikki, ZP674 Number of coats: 2 Top Coat: No Free of Formaldehyde, Toluene, Dibutyl Phthalate (DBP), Camphor

On final note, although these look like they should stamp well, they don't. They are made up mostly of flakies which would get scraped off the stamping plate. Some of the base color may or may not stamp, but I doubt it is worth wasting these beauties on stamping. Best save them as a base :)

Want to see more Zoya summer shades?...
Swatches of the Zoya Stunning collection can be seen here!
Swatches of the Zoya PixieDust Summer collection can be seen here!

Thanks for looking!
Anutka :)

** Polishes were provided to me for review by the manufacturer or their PR. **

** For more information please see the disclosure policy **