Tami Beauty: Gleneagles Glamour and Lady of Lomond

Press Sample 

*This product is Cruelty Free 

♥

I'm back with 2 more beauties from Tami Beauty, a new Scottish nail polish maker. Not long ago I showed you the first in the trio, Skibo Sunset. Today, I have the others in the Scottish Showcase Collection: Lady of Lomond and Gleneagles Glamour.

And what more fitting day?!! It's St. Andrew's Day, Scotland's official national day!

                             

Gleneagles
Glamour

Lady of

Lomond

Continued after the jump...

Fancy Gloss Lacquer: Frozen Berries

Nothing to Disclose 

*This product is Cruelty Free 

♥

Tonight I have a gorgeous polish for you. I'd purchased one bottle from this brand before and I was so impressed I ordered a few more. The brand? Fancy Gloss Lacquer. The first polish that impressed me so much I had to buy more? Feeling Vampy.

This one is called Frozen Berries and it's "the berries" for sure!

Fancy Gloss Lacquer 

Frozen Berries

Continued after the jump...

Crows Toes Winter Trio 2014 - Swatches and Review

Press Sample 

*These products are Cruelty Free 

♥

Happy Wednesday! Or Thanksgiving Eve? I hope everyone's houses are starting to fill with the wonderful smells of the holidays. I'm not cooking this year so right now mine just smells like coffee and bacon, as usual. Two of my favorite scents!

This morning I have a brand new collection to show you from Crows Toes! The Winter Trio 2014.

This Trio will "put yer eye out" for sure!

Continued after the jump...

The Lacquer Legion: Yummy - Chips and Coca-Cola

Nothing to Disclose 

♥

Good morning, it's MONDAY (she said with pseudo-excitement) and today is the day the Lacquer Legion posts their Yummy manis (actual excitement) for you!

Every month, for one day, a bunch of us get together to post a themed mani. This month, it's today and the theme is Yummy.

Of course I wasn't paying attention, as usual, and I'd already posted my apple and pumpkin pie nails and melted chocolate nails so I was at a loss about what to do. Most people think of sweets when they think yummy. But while I like sweets just fine, salt is where my heart tummy is. Well, salt and coffee. But I just did coffee nails too! So what does that leave? I don't think I can draw bacon. Plus, what people all over the world call "bacon" looks vastly different.

So I went with two staples in the diet of any American: Chips and Coke! Specifically "crisps" for the Brits.

Turns out that potato chip I did on my tongue-in-cheek "Ruffles" mani was a fluke because I had issues drawing them this time but I post the good, the bad and the ugly, so here ya go!

Eh, I've done worse LOL.

I did get compliments on it. And it's certainly ME. When I don't have a cup of coffee in my hand, I have a Coke.  Dr Pepper (blech) might be 10, 2 and 4, but Coke is 24/7.

For this mani I used Zoya Sooki and Livingston (reds), Elevation Polish Pic de sotllo (blue) and for the chips, Elevation Polish Street Side NYC and Mount Ventoux.

Want to join in? Do a "yummy-themed" mani and post it using the hashtag #LLyummy! Head over to the Lacquer Legion Facebook page and Lacquer Legion on Instagram for more details. 

Be sure and type in "#LLyummy" today, November 24th, on all social media to check out all the other Lacquer Legion manis!

♥

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What's Your Favorite Nail Polish Shade?

Nothing to Disclose 

♥

Everyone is always asking "What's your favorite color?" Well that's impossible to answer. For Clothing? Purses? Cars? It's different for everything. I wouldn't want a violet orchid car, after all.

And for nail polish? Well, that's nearly impossible as well because it depends on my mood, what I'm wearing, the weather, etc. And thankfully because there are SO MANY shades, we don't have to choose!

I love browns. And greys. And taupes! But if I just had to pick one that is my "favorite" more often than browns or greys are my favorites? Violet berry orchid. No, I do not mean purple. And no, I do not mean pink. Technically, it's between red-violet and purple but people get the wrong image in their heads when you say that, so I call it violet berry orchid. Pretty much most shades in the violet family are my favorites. But get one bit too much pink in it and I'm out. Or too much blue? Nope. I love almost ALL colors, but not all of them are my "favorite."

Basically
THIS...

photo cred: wallpaper-kid.com

I've gathered up a few of my favorites in this color family...ones I didn't have to go into drawers and boxes for, that is.

And just a few photos I was able to grab easily from my pinterest boards.(You can check them all out in the link.)

Well that's mine! For now anyway.

What's YOUR favorite nail polish color family?

♥

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HPB Brings You: Our Fall Favorites

Nothing to Disclose

♥

Today I have another Hobby Polish Bloggers monthly link-up! The theme for this month was Fall Favorites. So of course,  I'm focusing mainly on what I think is On Trend for Autumn in nail polish, but also shades in general.

I'm sharing my post from September...

For fashion I'm seeing lots of the patterns I love and I can't wait to see how they'll be translated from the runway this year to real life. But below are the shades I think will be HOT for Fall this year - for nails anyway. I see nail art continuing to grow in popularity as well, but for now, we'll just tackle the shades of the season...through my eyes.

Continued after the jump...

I Survived Black Friday Collaboration Box 2014 : Swatches and Review

Press Sample 

*These products are Cruelty Free 

♥

Life is so contradictory. I find it nearly impossible to believe it's almost Thanksgiving - the months fly by. But the weeks last forever LOL! I thought this weekend would never get here. And one of the good things it brings is that I finally get to show you the Limited Edition I Survived Black Friday Collaboration Box 2014. And it also reminds me to make sure I don't leave the house next Friday. Some people thrive on days like that, but I have no desire to stress myself out and get "trampled by a shopping cart!" I'll just stay home,  do my nails and shop online, thanks.

LAUNCHING FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 28

Two launch times: 12:01am and 1pm (EST)

Four powerhouse indies have come together to bring you a sweet holographic box of happy: Sara with Cupcake Polish, Missi with DIFFERENT dimension, Jill with Glisten & Glow and Linda with NailVinyls™.

I Survived Black Friday

Collaboration Box 2014

Continued after the jump...

The Giving Thanks Multi-Blogger Giveaway!

Sponsor and Blogger 

Participating Giveaway 

♥

Happy Friday! Tonight begins the Giving Thanks Multi-Blogger Giveaway. Several of my blogger and maker friends are gathering together to give thanks to YOU GUYS for being there all year...reading our blogs, supporting our indie polish businesses. And we all wish you safe and happy holidays as you gather with friends and family this coming week.

So let's get right to it!

ENDS SUNDAY NOVEMBER 30, 2014 at MIDNIGHT (EST)

There will be 9 winners and THESE are the prizes...

After the jump...

Girly Bits: Accidental PPV - Swatches and Review

Press Sample 

*This product is Cruelty Free 

♥

I'm back tonight with another Girly Bits polish from the What Really Happened in Vegas Collection. It's called Accidental PPV.

Now I'd REALLY love to know what sort of "accidental" pay-per-view was ordered in that room. I'm sharing a room with Pam in Vegas next year for sure! I'm just sort of thankful she hasn't done a collection about what really happened in COLORADO.

Girly Bits

Accidental PPV

Continued after the jump...

Fancy Gloss Lacquer: Feeling Vampy - Swatches and Review

Nothing to Disclose

*This product is Cruelty Free 

♥

Tonight I have a stunning polish to show you and I'll tell you right now, it's one of the contenders for the "Best Polish of 2014" post I'll be doing next month.

And it's a thermal. I like thermals ok, but I don't generally LOVE them. Famous last words. It's Fancy Gloss Feeling Vampy and it is awesome.

Fancy Gloss Lacquer

Feeling Vampy

And I have a mini-wear test as well.

Continued after the jump...

Autumn Argyle Nail Art

Nothing to Disclose 

♥

Watching the weather this morning from the "relative" warmth of South Texas makes me think we skipped right over Autumn straight to Winter! But we haven't. Today I have a free-hand argyle in Fall shades for you.

Autumn Argyle

For this mani I used a base of Zoya Spencer with Nyssa for the chocolate brown and Emilie for the darker brown lines. The autumn orange shade is Nails Inc. Fenchurch Street. I finished it off with a coat of Zoya's Matte Velvet Top Coat.

I'm not good at all with cell pics, but I think my iPhone shots of this one actually turned out better this time LOL!

In the last one I used Different Dimension All That Glitters is Not Gold to line the autumn orange and chocolate brown shades.

Don't forget to share your Autumn nail art on the Pointless Cafe Facebook page  or tag me on IG (@pointlesscafe) any time!

Happy Painting!

♥

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Different Dimension Ho³: Exclusive for the December A Box, Indied

Press Sample 

*This product is Cruelty Free 

♥

Good evening! Tonight I have the December A Box, Indied Exclusive from Different Dimension called Ho³. Is that not the best holiday polish name EVER? Ho Ho Ho!

Different Dimension Ho³

Exclusively for December's A Box, Indied

Continued after the jump...

Pie! On my nails...

Nothing to Disclose

♥

How about some pie? With whipped cream please!

Pumpkin? or Apple?

Both please!

I used a base of Nails Inc. Fenchurch Street with Zoya Spencer, Nyssa and Emelie and Salon Perfect Sugar Cube for the white. I just made the grey by mixing a bit of Wet n Wild WildShine Black Creme in with the white.

Yum!

Have a great week!

♥

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Flaky Comparison: Darling Diva Girlfriends Collection vs Finger Paints

Press Sample/Purchased by Me 

♥

As promised, I'm back with a comparison between the new Darling Diva Girlfriends Collection flakies and the old Finger Paints flakies from a few years ago.

First, you can see that the bases are vastly different in the bottle. It doesn't really make a difference if you layer them over black but I have a feeling you could tell if you layered the Finger Paints over any other color. They would be yellow-tinted. Darling Diva's are clear so you could wear those over any shade.

I've matched them up as best I could and except for one (and the base) they are pretty close.

Finger Paints Asylum didn't match anything except the Finger Paints Twisted/DDP The Hottest Hottie That Ever Hottied. I knew they were pretty much dupes for each other (without quite as much of a green shift) back then but I'd forgotten. The base was a smidge thicker in the Finger Paints ones.

Darling Diva Polish's Girlfriends Collection polishes are available now and the Finger Paints ones have long been discontinued.

I don't have Nfu-Oh flakies to compare.

Hope this helps!

Darling Diva Polishes are available at her BigCartel Shop here (and some at her Etsy Store here) and at Llarowe. Also be sure and follow/"like" Darling Diva on Facebook and Llarowe on Facebook to stay up-to-date on availability, new colors, etc. You can also follow Darling Diva on Instagram and Twitter.

♥

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Darling Diva Polish Girlfriends (Flakies) Collection - Swatches and Review

Press Sample 

*These products are Cruelty Free

♥

Tonight I have a new collection from Darling Diva Polish called the Girlfriends Collection - 5 new clear-based FLAKE polishes!

Darling Diva Polish

Girlfriends (Flakies) Collection

Continued after the jump...

Colors by Llarowe: Cindy Lou Who - December Exclusive for A Box, Indied

Press Sample
*I work for the company
that owns this brand 

*This product is Cruelty Free 

♥

Good morning! Today I have the December A Box, Indied Exclusive called Cindy Lou Who from Colors by Llarowe.

You've probably seen this already on IG and Facebook, but somehow I forgot to post it here on the blog. Doh!

That's 2 easy coats with one coat of top coat. Creamy and smooth.

The theme for December's box is Walking in a Winter Indie-Land and it will include offerings from Colors by Llarowe, Girly Bits, Different Dimension, Contrary Polish and Glisten & Glow.

A Box, Indied retails for $50 and will launch November 26th on Llarowe.com at Noon and 7pm MST.  

Make sure to check out A Box, Indied and Llarowe on Facebook and Instagram @aboxindied and @llaroweofficial for news and updates along with sneak peeks of the featured products each month. 

♥

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Lighthouse of Hope Collaboration Box: Swatches and Review

Press Sample 

*These products are Cruelty Free 

♥

Happy Saturday!

This special edition box I'm going to show you is a collaboration between eight indie polish makers with proceeds benefiting the group I Need a LightHouse. 

I Need a LightHouse is an awesome organization that works directly with people who suffer from depressive disorders as well as educating the family members of those individuals so that they can learn coping methods to help their loved ones. For more information about the organization, check them out here.

The box will include the following 8 polishes AND a She Shines topcoat from Alter Ego!

Lighthouse of Hope

Collaboration Box

Continued after the jump...

Different Dimension: Winter 2014 - Swatches and Review

Press Sample 

*These products are Cruelty Free 

♥

Today I have the Different Dimension Winter 2014 Collection to show you - and it's launching tonight - 8pm Central!

Different Dimension

Winter 2014

There are 10 new shades in this collection, including holos, glitters and shimmers and even one that glows in the dark!

Continued after the jump...

The Digit-al Dozen Does Thankfulness: Day 5 Chocolate!

Nothing to Disclose

♥

There were so many things I wanted to try to do for The Digit-al Dozen Thankfulness Week. So many things for which to be thankful. HUGE things, and the little things. It's weeks like these I realize how limited I still am with my nail art, scaling painting down to 10 tiny little bits of keratin as a canvas.

I tried a few things and ended up running out of time and what was on my nails when the countdown ended is what you get. I'll show you the ones I didn't use at the end.

Chocolate!

Chocolate Nail Art

Yes, I had a break and had to "nubbinize." I'm not what you'd call a true "chocoholic" but I do appreciate a smooth, yummy bit of chocolate now and again. Plain milk chocolate for me. While I can appreciate a gourmet bit of swiss milk chocolate as much as the next guy, I'm also just as happy with a Hershey's Kiss. Although the toffee in a good ol' Heath Bar is my favorite. And don't, under any circumstance, get me a "box of chocolates." There are like 2 pieces from the box I'll eat. LOL!

For this mani I used Zoya Emilia as my base on the fingers and Zoya Nyssa and Spencer (the base on my thumb) and the "foil" wrapper is Different Dimension Silver Lining. The 4 fingers are a quick and easy spray marble using rubbing alcohol in a spray bottle. Double-dipped with Nyssa and then Spencer.

What's your favorite chocolate?

Be sure and check out the links below to see the other great Digit-al Dozen manis!

And the ones I didn't use?

Purple Heart. I just wasn't loving it.

"Jellyfish" mani...I couldn't figure out how to work it into the thankfulness theme. I live right on the coast and the coastal waters are infested with jellyfish, especially this time of year. But I'm not sure that's something I'm particularly thankful for LOL!

♥

An InLinkz Link-up

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Glitter Gal: Flash Sale Nov. 13, 14

Nothing to disclose

*These products are Cruelty Free

FLASH SALE!

Glitter Gal has a new collection out called Aussie Slang. They are starting an amazing promotion with lots of flash sales the rest of this year and they're kicking it off with this one! Nov. 13th and 14th. 40 percent off of their new "Aussie Slang Collection."

To see my swatches, click here!

♥

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The Digit-al Dozen Does Thankfulness: Day 4 ART!

Nothing to Disclose

♥

Today I have a manicure for you showing my thankfulness for ART.

When my husband was diagnosed with cancer and we were spending 14 hour days at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, I couldn't even concentrate well enough to escape into a book. That was always my go-to for escaping and/or passing the time. I tried, but I was finding myself reading the same page over and over.

One day, I bought some pencils and a sketch pad and just started sketching. I'd always loved art, but didn't figure I had any talent for it. But I was desperate. Turns out, I was able to get a bit of relief from sketching.

After he passed away and I was left all alone, unable to concentrate enough to read or even watch TV, I bought some canvases on sale at Michaels and some cheap acrylic paints. It saved my sanity. Well, what little I had to begin with anyway.

So I am immensely thankful for art. It allowed me to escape into it when I needed. To release my rage, and tears and loss and regain a bit of happiness and beauty and the confidence that I could go on.

That is one of my favorite quotes: Art washes from the soul the dust of everyday life. Pablo Picasso

I haven't pursued a career in art of course, but I have sold quite a few paintings and had some hang in the Corpus Christi Art Center. They're all over my walls, too LOL! A few years ago, I thought I was moving and packed up all of my art supplies and canvases and stored them in a storage unit. I keep meaning to get them out, but every time I plan it, I think I'm moving again. Moving is top priority for me and I get my hopes up and then something doesn't work out. But I will eventually and I'll greet them like an old, well-loved friend.

In the mean time, I'm having fun trying to scale things down for nail art. I'm getting better but I have a long way to go.

For this mani, I used a base of Zoya Farah with Zoya Jana and Kiko 327 mixed in for the "splotches." The rest is acrylic paint.

Be sure and check out the great Thankfulness manis from the rest of the Digit-al Dozen crew in the links below.

♥

An InLinkz Link-up

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Autumn/Thanksgiving Gradient Nail Art

Press Sample 

*These products are Cruelty Free

♥

Happy Wednesday! I can't believe it's mid-November already! I was playing around with a few autumnal shades and did a quick gradient using some Different Dimension polishes.

I will have the Winter Collection from Different Dimension for you soon, but in the mean time, Happy Autumn!

Autumn/Thanksgiving Gradient Nail Art

For this mani I used a base of Werewolves of London (orange from the Spooky Spooky Collection) and did a quick gradient with that, All That Glitters Is Not Gold (from the Heavy Metals Collection) and TREEmendous (one of the new shades from the Winter 2014 collection that I will have for you soon.) All holos and all gorgeous but together I think they're just striking!

Please feel free to share your autumnal/Thanksgiving manis on the Pointless Cafe Facebook page!

These can be purchased at the Different Dimension Store here and at the following e-tailers once stocked. (Except TREEmendous, which launches with the Winter 2014 Collection on November 15th.)

Llarowe
Edgy Polish
MeiMei's Signatures
Le Doux Nuage
Rainbow Connection

You can also follow Different Dimension on Facebook here and Instagram here for all the news, information and more lovely swatches.

♥

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The Digit-al Dozen Does Thankfulness: Day 3 Coffee!

Nothing to Disclose

Yes, those who know me either post coffee memes or bacon memes on my Facebook Wall. A lot. And I love it! So today I've done a manicure showing one of the "little things" for which I'm very thankful. In the grand scheme of things, it is a very small thing, granted. But let me miss it fasting for medical tests or something and you'd think it was the apocalypse! Yes, I'm addicted.

Coffee Nail Art

I get poked fun at quite a bit because I drink the "plain ol' cuppa joe" kind of coffee. Black. I usually grind my own beans but I only like brewed or "drip" coffee. I can't stand anything that sludges out of a Keurig or any of the thick, foamy stuff beautified by talented baristas.

When I'm across the pond, I find it very difficult to find drinkable coffee. You have to ask for "brew" or "drip" coffee and be strong enough to withstand the disapproving, raised eyebrow, looks you get. You know the look..like you just shoved a pungent block of limburger cheese under their noses? Their thoughts of "stupid Americans!" are practically written on their furrowed foreheads. And I care not. #sorrynotsorry

While I generally don't like anything "coffee flavored" like chocolate or candy, I have nothing against a Venti Mocha with whole milk and whipped cream now and then. As dessert. But do NOT mess with my real coffee!

For this slightly more abstract mani I used a base of Zoya Farah with a mixture of Zoya Farah, Emilia and Nyssa for the beans and acrylic paint for the coffee cup. Completed the look with a coat of Zoya Matte Velvet top coat.

Be sure and check out the other great Thankfulness manis from the rest of the Digit-al Dozen in the links below!

♥

An InLinkz Link-up

If you enjoyed this post, please take a second to "like" it! Thanks!

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The Digit-al Dozen does Thankfulness: Day 2 Veterans

Nothing to Disclose

♥

Today being Veteran's Day and Thankfulness Week here at The Digit-al Dozen, there's not much else more appropriate for me than honoring those serving and those who have served. I'm pretty sure none of them care what I have on my nails, but it's just my small way of paying tribute...

Camouflage Nail Art

For this manicure I started with a base of Zoya Farah with Zoya Nyssa and Hunter on top in random patterns with a thin nail art brush. Pretty hard to mess up and easy enough to do both hands quickly.

Bad angle, but considering the only way I could take it was holding the big ol' camera under my neck, it was the best I could do. I know I have a little tripod. Somewhere.

Be sure and check back tomorrow for more Thankfulness and check the links below to see the other Digit-al Dozen lovelies.

An InLinkz Link-up

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Girly Bits: Too Hot For Pants

Press Sample 

*This product is Cruelty Free 

♥

Tonight I have a gorgeous polish from Girly Bits for you called Too Hot for Pants. This was a polish inspired by our trip to Las Vegas for CosmoProf and is part of the What Really Happened In Vegas Collection.

Girly Bits

Too Hot for Pants

Continued after the jump...

The Digit-al Dozen Does Thankfulness: Day 1 Books and Music

Nothing to Disclose

♥

Happy Monday! The Digit-al Dozen is back this week for an entire week of Thankfulness Manicures!

I debated about this theme. How do you convey on your nails for what and how much you are thankful? In my case, I'm not sure I really could. I'm generally a glass half full sort of person. Almost to the point of "Pollyanna" sometimes. And I really wouldn't have it any other way. Negativity is pointless. But I can also be a realist. No rose-colored glasses here, thanks. But overall? Life is good and I am blessed.

Because I'm pretty sure I couldn't convey the larger concepts, I decided to pick a few larger concepts and a few of "the little things" that make me happy every day.

Today? Books and Music.

I really don't know what I would do if I couldn't get lost in a book whenever I wanted. Since childhood, I could be found up a tree - reading a book. Or in the closet with a flashlight - reading a book.  And I if I can't get lost in a book, there's always music playing. I can't seem to function in silence. Maybe this post I wrote a few years ago will convey how deeply I'm affected by music: Music Stirs My Soul. It reaches in, deep in my soul, and latches on. Twisting and manipulating until tears flow - from happiness, from sadness, from appreciation of the talent it takes to make beautiful music. It makes me think and feel and BE.

So that's my Day One! Be sure and check out all the other Digital Dozen Thankfulness manis for today in the links below.

An InLinkz Link-up

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