Did somebody say GIVEAWAY???

Yep, that's right. I finally decided to sponsor a giveaway. Fellow Pennsylvania blogger, Amanda, is hosting it over on her blog, Adorkablii, so mosey on over and enter!


She also took the time to review 3 of my polishes: Carnival Lights, Jaded for Green, and Sugar 'n Spice. Look at those pictures!! This is definitely one you do not want to miss this so go, go, go!

Askruk46

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Stripes, Lovehearts, and a Sprinkle of Glitter

 
Evening! This is my second post of the day... What is wrong with me?! Anyway, I was so impressed with my new Jacava nail polishes (see the review here), that I couldn't help but do some nail art. I kept my 'Mont Blanc' swatches as a base, and decided to add stripes, hearts and sparkles to create a pretty glittery manicure.
The equipment:

Jacava 'Mont Blanc'*
Essie 'Sweet Talker'
Jacava 'Chillax'*
Elf 'Dream Maker'
Essie 'Good To Go'
Scotch tape
Scissors
Fine nail art paint brush
I normally use narrow striping tape to create stripes, however this time I wanted a thicker effect. I used 'Magic Tape' (scotch tape) instead, and carefully cut it down to a thickness of about 3mm. My base is 'Mont Blanc', and it had been dry for quite a few hours, so there was no risk of smudges. To make sure the tape wasn't too sticky (sometimes fresh tape can remove even the driest of nail polishes!) I pressed it on the back of my hand a few times, then applied to my thumb nail, middle finger nail and little finger nail.
When my tape was applied, I used Essie 'Sweet Talker' over the top. After a few seconds, I removed each piece of tape. Then I topped with Essie 'Good To Go', which is a rapid drying top coat.
Next, using 'Chillax' and a fine paint brush, I painted small turquoise hearts on my plain white fingers. To form the hearts I applied two dots and a small triangle on top, then carefully blended the shapes together. Always start off small with hearts, and then you can build them up and neaten as you go.
I loved the turquoise hearts so I added large ones to my stripy nails. I formed these in exactly the same way as the small ones: two blobs, a triangle above, and then gradually linking them together. For all of my hearts I added two coats as I wanted them to really stand out.
I really liked the final effect, but I thought it needed something extra. So I grabbed one of my new e.l.f. glitters, 'Dream Maker', and applied it onto the large turquoise hearts and across all of the small heart nails. I didn't let any large glitters escape onto the small heart nails - it would have been too overpowering. On the large hearts though, I made sure to add quite a few big bits of glitter, which took a little bit of patience!
As always, I topped off my manicure with a good top coat. I like how they're a combination of different styles - they're a little bit romantic, a little bit nautical, a little bit sparkly, and very cute! What do you think? 

Askruk46

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Alennusmyynneistä hankittua


Kuinka moni on käynyt hamstraamassa kosmetiikkaa aleista? :p Yritin pitää shoppailun jotenkin aisoissa ja soin itselleni vain pari alennusmyynneissä kiertelykertaa. Kyllähän sitä kuitenkin jonkinmoinen läjä puteleita kotiin kulkeitui :D Bongasin Fb:n kynsikoristelutryhmästä Kamppiin avatun uuden Beauty Brands Co:n myymälän avajaistarjouksen: kynsilakat 3kpl/5€! Niinpä kävin hakemassa parit Golden Rose hiekkalakat ja Jolly Jewelsit ;) Myös Flormarin lakkoja olisi ollut tarjolla ja paljon muutakin kosmetiikaa. Monet ovat kehuneet noita GR:n Holiday-kokoelman tekstuurilakkoja hyvälaatuisiksi ja varsinkin kestäviksi, joten otin sitten kerralla useamman testiin. :p Ihan hullun halpojahan nuo olivat tuolla tarjouksella, eivätkä normaalihinnatkaan kyllä tietääkseni päätä huimaa, olisivatko nämä 5€:n luokkaa? Beauty Brandsin Fb-sivuilla on nähtävästi kyllä ollut vähän nurinaa siitä, kuinka liike on ollut kiinni ilmoittamatta inventaarioiden vuoksi. Ei kiva. Avajaistarjoukset ovat myös jo valitettavasti loppuneet, mutta heillä on kuulemma vielä 1€:n tarjouslakkoja jäljellä ja ovat siirtyneet tasarahahinnoitteluun -> yksittäisen tuotteen hinta on maksimissaan 9€.


Muiden blogeista bongattujen swatchien perusteella, olin jo suunnitellut ostavani Holiday-lakoista ainakin vaaleanpunaisen, mustan ja hopeisen ja aika samaa värimaailmaa nuo paikanpäällä tehdyt ostopäätöksetkin edustavat. Kaikissa valitsemissani lakoissa on jonkin sortin kimalletta (ai miten niin harakka?) :D Sävyvaihtoehtoja olisi siis ollut paljon enemmänkin, mutta rajoitin nyt kuitenkin ostokseni näihin. Kuvat eivät taaskaan tee kimaltelulle oikeutta ja varsinkin punaisen nro 62:n (ja sen sinisen shimmerin) kuvaaminen oli erittäin hankalaa. Hopeinen nro 51 on näistä kaikista metallisin ja ainoa jossa on myös vähän isompia glitterhippuja seassa. Tekstuuriefekti näkyy näistä minusta kaikista selvimmin vaaleanpunaisessa 63:ssa ja huonoiten taas siinä hopeisessa 51:ssä. Raivostuttavaa muuten kun ei jakseta keksiä nimiä näille hienoille lakoille, vaan lätkäistään niihin vain numerot! :/ Kyllä nämä minusta ihan oikeat nimet ansaitsivat, vaikka olisivat sitten vain vaikka jotain perus "silver glitter, baby pink" jne, eikö? :D Alla olevissa swatcheissa jokaista lakkaa kaksi kerrosta.



Kuvitelkaa näihin lisää kimaltelua! Golden Rose Holiday 60:ssä on mustalla pohjalla hopeista pientä glitteriä/shimmeriä. 58:ssa on todella tumman purppuraisella pohjalla moniväristä pientä glitterhilettä, enimäkseen kultaista ja pinkkiä. Nro 51:n taas on pelkkää erikokoista glitterhilettä hiukan isommilla glittereillä ripoteltuina, pohja on tässä siis läpikuultava (jos nyt halutaan viilata pilkkua :p)


Holiday hiekkalakka nro 56:ssa on syvänpunaisella pohjalla, kultaista ja pinkkiä shimmeriä. Sitä on myös paljon enemmän kuin kuvasta käy ilmi. Nro 62:ssa on marjaisan pinkillä pohjalla sähköisen vaaleansinistä ja kylmän pinkkiä shimmeriä. Vaaleanpunainen 63:n on juuri sellainen perus "baby pink" sävyltään. Tässäkin on vaaleansinistä shimmeriä, mutta maltillisemmin kuin muissa.



Jäljellä olleista, Jolly Jewels -glittereistä, päädyin näihin hurmureihin. Nro 112:ssa on läpikuultavalla pohjalla tiheästi nättiä vaaleanliilaa glittterhilettä, jonka seassa kultaisia keskikokoisia kuusikulmioita. Bilehile 120:ssä on isompia kultaisia, liiloja, punaisia ja magentanpinkkejä kuusikulmioita kirkkaalla pohjalla. Seassa myös vähän glitterhilettä. Väripommi 115:ta tasoittaa sen läpikuultava, valkoinen pohja, jossa siis monenväristä ja kokoista glitteriä: vaaleansinistä, vihreää, keltaista, pinkkiä jne. Myös valkoisia mattaisia glittereitä löytyy. Tykkäisin tästä enemmän, jos valkoinen pohja olisi paksumpi ja glittereitä hiukan vähemmän. Ajattelinkin kerrostaa tätä valkoisen päälle ja heittää ehkä vielä läpikuultavaa valkoistalakkaa väliin.


Markettilakoista päästäänkin mukavasti selektiiviseen huulimeikkiin, hehe :D Sokoksen Sensai Lasting Treatment Rouge* punien tarjouksen bongasin Pandan kommenttiboksista. Normaalisti nämä kustantavat  yli kolmisenkymppiä, mutta nyt niitä saa 12,90€ hintaan. Sokoksen verkkokaupassa* on vielä joitain sävyjä jäljellä. Valitsin marjaisan Neshoubun ja vähän vaaleamman Sakura Kasanen.



Sensai Lasting Treatment Neshoubu on pehmeän marjaisa, vähän koralliin taittava sävy. Puna ei ole oikein tumma eikä vaaleakaan. Sanoisin että omille huulilleni tämä tuo vähän tummempaa punaisuutta, mutta kyse on kuitenkin todella luonnollisesta ja helposta sävystä. Tämä on juuri sellainen kiva arkimeikin piristys! Neshoubu on hyvin kosteuttavan tuntuinen ja koostumus tuntuukin vähän läpikuultavan huulikiiltomaiselta. Nimestään huolimatta tämä puna ei ole minusta siitä pysyvimmästä päästä, johtuu varmaan juuri tuosta koostumuksesta. En ole kyllä pysyvyyttä kellon kanssa tarkkaillut, mutta sanoisin että pari kolmisen tuntia pysyy nättinä, mutta syöminen ja juominen on sitten asia erikseen. En kyllä ole koittanut Neshoubua minkäänlaisen pohjustuksen kanssa vielä. Ei siinä, tätä on helppo lisäillä useamminkin. Kuvassakin siis Neshoubua on sudittu nopeasti ihan rajaamattomiin huulin ilman siveltimen apua.



Sensai Lasting Treatment Sakura Kasane on murrettu vaalea vaaleanpunainen. Huulilla se näyttää vaaleammalta ja kylmemmän sävyiseltä kuin hylsyssä (tuossa hylsykuvassani se on kyllä lämpimämmän sävyinen kuin luonnossa). Tämä on varmaan aika vaikea sävy, jos ihonsävy on vähänkään tummempi kuin minulla. Itse kyllä  tykkään tästäkin punasta hillitysti kerrostettuna ja sopivan meikin kanssa. Sakura Kasane on aika voidemainen, mutta ei niin kiiltävä ja huulikiiltomainen kuin Neshoubu. Sakuran kanssa huulten kuivat kohdat näkyvät kyllä valitettavasti sitten taas helpommin, mutta vastaavasti se taas tuntuu kestävän huulilla hiukan paremmin kuin edellä mainittu.


Hankitteko te mitään kesän alennusmyynneistä? Entä onko teillä kokemuksia postauksen tuotteista? :)

* Affiliate-linkki

Askruk46

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JACAVA London: Swatches and Review

Hi everyone, I hope you're all well! Today I have a review of a lovely new brand called Jacava, a UK-based company that specialises in luxury nail polish. Jacava's nail polish 8-free. You may or may not have heard about 3-free polishes (brands such as OPI and Essie don't contain Dibutyl Phthalate, Toluene or Formaldehyde, which are considered toxic) and 5-free polishes (the likes of Chanel and Dior are also free of Formaldehyde Resin and Camphor, which research has also proved risky). Well, Jacava take this even further by ensuring that all of their polishes are free from eight key nail varnish downfalls: there's no Formaldehyde, Camphor, Toluene, DBP, Collophane, Phthalates or Animal Testing. What's more, their bottles boast a gorgeous 22 carat gold print, so if the science and ethics don't impress you, surely the packaging does?!
Anyway, I originally chose to review 'Chillax'*, which is a beautiful, metallic turquoise. It looks more green on both the colour menu on the site, but even though the true colour is more teal, it's still lovely. When my parcel arrived, to my surprise the generous people of Jacava London had sent me two other shades to review: 'Midnight's Secrets'*, a shimmery royal blue, and 'Mont Blanc'*, a smooth pure white. 
Although their selection isn't huge, there is certainly a shade to suit everyone. From the menu, I can say that 'Knightsbridge Opulence' and 'Marrakesh Nights' have also caught my eye... How perfect are these names? Honestly, being a nail polish namer must be the best job in the world...
Jacava's packaging is really impressive. The bottles are a good size and feel sturdy, so there's little risk of smashes or cracks. The lids are long and smooth, and easy to grip, and the brushes also appear to be long enough to touch the bottom of the bottle. I've found this to be one of my pet hates of nail polish - why do some companies make the brushes so short? Some people actually want to finish bottles of nail polish, y'know! 
All of the polishes applied beautifully. The brushes are a good width to reach the corners of your nails, and there were no stray bristles on the first opening (another pet hate). The consistency was great, and both 'Chillax' and 'Midnight's Secrets' only took 2 coats for opacity. 'Mont Blanc' required 3 coats, but as I always say, that's just to be expected of pale polishes.
My favourite is definitely 'Chillax', because I love the subtly of the shimmer and the rich turquoise shade. However, I'm also really glad that I received 'Mont Blanc', because I've been in need of a quality white for a while. 'Midnight's Secrets' is also really pretty, and despite my vast collection of blue polishes, it's quite different to every other.
What do you think? What's your favourite shade? Have you ever tried Jacava, or other luxury nail varnish brands? 


*Jacava London nail polishes RRP at £14.50 each and can be found via their website. These products were sent to me for review, however this has not influenced my opinion in any way. As always, I have been 100% honest about my experiences with the product.

Askruk46

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Which is best? Comparing Cuticle Treatments

Hey everyone! Today I have another 'Which is best?' post for you, this time on cuticle care. Sorry this is a day late but I didn't get home until nearly midnight last night and I just wasn't up to posting. I will be comparing Beauty Secrets Cuticle Oil, OPI Avoplex Cuticle Oil, Burts Bees Lemon Butter Cuticle Cream, Jessica Nourish Cuticle Formula*, and LUSH Lemony Flutter Cuticle Butter


Comparison No. 1 - Smell: 
(1 being strongest 10 being the least)
  1. OPI Avoplex - 8/10 smells really nice and not that strong
  2. Beauty Secrets - 8/10 smells quite nutty, but faint and it's really nice
  3. Burts Bees - 6/10 Lemony, but more pure lemon than lemony flutter and not quite as strong
  4. Lemony Flutter - 5/10 Strong and lemony (obviously) but it's really nice
  5. Jessica - 2/10 strong and 'grannyish' (only way to describe it) very perfumed


Comparison No. 2 - Greasiness:  
(1 being very greasy and 10 being not very) - Of course they're going to be greasy as they are there for moisture, but sometimes it's a bit too much
  1. Burts Bees - 8/10 you don't need much and it's not too greasy, it doesn't leave a feeling of greasiness like lemony flutter/Jessica do
  2. OPI Avoplex - 6/10 very greasy because it's an oil but it sinks in very quickly
  3. Jessica - 4/10 probably as greasy as lemony flutter if you use too much, but a little goes a long way so it's not as greasy if you use barely any
  4. Lemony Flutter - 2/10 very greasy because of how soft it is, even if you just use a little bit
  5. Beauty Secrets - 1/10 as it's an oil its very very greasy, and you do have to wipe it with a tissue


Comparison No. 3 - Does it work:
  • Lemony Flutter - Yep, and whilst the grease does put me off as I can't do things whilst it's on, it's definitely worth having
  • Jessica - Yep, after about a weeks use you will definitely notice a difference, and a little goes a long way
  • OPI Avoplex - Yes, it soaks in to the skin and really moisturises as a result
  • Beauty Secrets - Not really, it's just permanently greasy until you wash it off and I really wish I'd never bought it
  • Burts Bees - Yep, there's a reason that it's a favourite of the bloggers!

Overall thoughts
  1. OPI Avoplex - works well and is easy to apply, and doesn't smell too strong
  2. Jessica - it works and a little definitely goes a long way so the size of the tube should definitely not bother you, although the smell is a bit offputting for me
  3. Burts Bees - As I said before, there's definitely a reason that this is a favourite with bloggers, I haven't been using it enough to see whether it truly works for me, but I used to use it a lot during my high school years and I love it then, the smell isn't too strong and it isn't too greasy
  4. Lemony Flutter - I love it when I'm not in a rush, it's great to apply before bed, but I find it's not very practical if I'm just about to type a blogpost for example as it stays quite greasy for a while, but it definitely works
  5. Beauty Secrets - I dont like it and I wish I hadn't bought it, the only nice thing about it is the smell but it's way too greasy for me

Of course, different things work for different people, so I'd love to know what your favourite is. Let me know in the comments!
Alice


*some of the products in this post were provided to me for review but my opinions are entirely my own and were not influenced in any way

Askruk46

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A is for Aztec!

Hey guys! 
So recently I decided to participate in a nail art challenge. It's an ABC challenge.
It's hosted by Sarah at atxlacquerista.


I've never participated in a challenge before but the themes seem like a lot of fun and I'm super excited to try! I think I'm going to try and do every theme but also add in extras for each letter.

So without further ado, 

A is for AZTEC




I am so happy Aztec was one of the challenges. I've been wanting to try a more simple Aztec design and now I finally had a reason to.



Sorry for the picture spam, I just really love these.


Polishes used: 
Essie Beyond Cozy
Pure Ice Home Run
Sinful Colors Island Coral

Well that's it! I hope you love these as much as I do!




Askruk46

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Drug Store Beauty Mini Haul

I needed a new foundation recently, so I went on a trip to my local CVS. But, being me, I left with more than just foundation. I just can't help myself! So here is what I purchased:
Not bad. I usually buy WAY more.

Now, I know some people look down on drugstore beauty products, and that's fine. But I think the brands have gotten a lot better in recent years, and sometimes you need a break from spending a ton of money on professional brands. And I also find that sometimes I like my drugstore buys better than I do my "professional" products. And only spending $4 for a lip-liner doesn't hurt either.

Tinted Moisturizer $7.
This is what I actually went in for. I usually buy a more expensive foundation that runs for almost $20. But I'm sick of paying that, especially now that the price went up again! And also in the summer I don't need as much coverage and prefer a tinted moisturizer. This one was on sale -yay!- for only $7. I have never used it before and am a bit nervous because it's a little dark for my complexion. But I have always liked the Physicians Formula brand, so I decided to test it out.

Red Lipliner, $4.

I usually focus on my eyes more when doing my makeup. But I'm trying to branch out and try a bold lip.
I always buy Milani's nail polish, but this is my first time trying their makeup. I tested it on my hand and it was very creamy and nice so I'm hopeful.

Covergirl in Mint Mojito, $6
You think I would leave a store without buying some nail polish?! My blog isn't called I Heart Nail Art for nothing!
This is a new line of polish I found from Covergirl. It's also made in France - Oh, la la-. I've never used Covergirl polish so this should be interesting. But if it is half as good as their mascara I'm not worried.

Milani in Pink Hottie, $5.
I own a couple - code for A TON!- of Milani polishes. They are just awesome and great to work with when I'm doing my nail designs. The Milani section in my CVS  has been out of stock for what feels like forever, until this recent shopping trip. That's when I saw this polish. The only sad thing about the restock is that the price went up, they used to be $4. But really, it's a dollar, I think I'll live. Though technically I didn't have to shell out the $1, because I had $3 in Extra Bucks and only paid $2 for it! Thanks Extra Bucks!

Thanks for reading! I plan on reviewing both nail polishes as well as the tinted moisturizer soon, so look out for that. And I also plan on making a Lipstick application tutorial with my favorite tips and tricks.

Brittany

Askruk46

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e.l.f. Cosmetics Nail Cube: I WON!

Hi! Today is not a nail art post I'm afraid - instead, I want to share with you the set of nail polish I recently received from e.l.f. Cosmetics, which is a fantastic range with tiny prices. Honestly, if you haven't heard of e.l.f. before, you must have been hiding under a rock! Unlike most cheap brands, e.l.f. never scrimp on quality or variety, and I am yet to be disappointed with both their makeup and nail products. Anyway, if you're a regular reader or follow Little Tip Off on Twitter or Instagram, you will probably know that I entered e.l.f.'s nail art competition a couple of weeks ago. The theme was Rock vs. Vintage, and I decided to submit some polkadot and rose nails (you can see the tutorial here). To my absolute disbelief, I won! I soon received an email from a lovely lady at e.l.f. HQ, who asked which 14 piece nail cube I would like as my prize. They have two themes - 'Jewel Tones' and 'Brights' - and I decided to opt for the latter, since you can never have too many bright nail polishes :)

The set consists of eight bright shades, two nude tones, and four sparkly polishes. I initially thought they would be displayed in a perspex box, which would have been ideal for storage, but unfortunately the packaging was just plastic and cardboard. I suppose more substantial materials would add to the price tag though (the cubes are £15.00 each). Despite the packaging, the contents did not disappoint. Each nail polish is cute and dainty, with a hexagonal shaped lid that's perfect for grip.
The brushes are small, which is to be expected with minis, and apply really smoothly. The consistency is also just right - no bleeding, and no gloopy bits! I was also really impressed with the opacity of the polishes, as they only require 2 coats (apart from 'Metallic Elegance', but that's to be expected of such a pale varnish).
You can tell that e.l.f. thought long and hard about which colours to involve in their cube. Since nudes and pinks tend to be the most popular nail colours, it's a really good idea to include four. I also like the balance of sunny shades and classic colours - 'Sunflower' and 'Mango Madness' are ideal for a fun summer manicure, while 'Skinny Jeans' and 'Smokin Hot' are perfect for an evening out. Out of the non-sparkly polishes, my firm favourites are 'Flirty Fuchsia' and 'Mint Cream'.
The sparkly varnishes are what really excited me. You can never have too many classic glitters, so it was very good of e.l.f. to include 'Gold Star' and 'Dream Maker'. Delicate glitters are also a must for every nail addict, so 'Fairy Cream' is the perfect subtle shimmer. 'Chic Confetti' is also a staple for every nail polish collection - it's reminiscent of both Models Own Hed Kandi 'Ibiza Mix' and Nicole by Opi's 'A Million Sparkles'.

I decided to swatch a couple of the polishes, and as I said before, the consistency and opacity really is impressive. The glitter polishes are a bit more watery, but to be honest I prefer this as you can just build it up to suit you. There's nothing worse than thick, gloopy glitter varnish!
Here's 'Flirty Fuchsia' and 'Mint Cream', both of which took 2 coats (although you can get away with only one). They have a lovely smooth, shiny finish.
I decided to top them with 'Chic Confetti'. This is one coat. As you can probably imagine, it would take around 3 or 4 coats to get a thick glitter effect. As with most glittery polishes, I had to place a few of the sequins with the brush.
This is 'Skinny Jeans' with a 'Metallic Elegance' accent nail, both topped with 'Fairy Cream'. I don't think I'd ever bother building up 'Fairy Cream', as it looks so lovely and subtle with one coat. I must admit, it did a take a little longer to dry than the others, but I guess the ingredients must be a bit different! The majority of the polishes dried really quickly, which is another plus.
Here's 'Smokin Hot' with a 'Dream Maker' gradient. I love the mix of large and small glitters, and I think this is very much a go-to nail varnish for a last minute manicure before a night out! 

I'm yet to try the rest of the varnishes in my e.l.f. cube, but I am sure that there'll be lots of 'nail arting' with them in the future! Which is your favourite shade? Have you ever tried e.l.f. products?
P.s. As you may have noticed, I'm trying out a new watermark. I'm not sure if I'm going to stick with it though! I love its simplicity and how it matches the colours of each manicure (inspired by One Nail To Rule Them All's watermark, which is so clean and effective), but I don't think it really 'goes' with my blog theme. Maybe I need a big blog overhaul... This will have to wait until I've finished my Dissertation though!

Askruk46

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