Inglot Spring Pastels 2013- Watermarble Nail Art

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Happy Humpday!! 

  I am at such a loss of words today :-S. So much has happened over the last few days that I don't even know where to start. There has been some utter, horrid nonsense going on; Muffin's been sick, I've been sick, husband got laid off.. It was hectic for a few weeks, but hings are settling down now. 

  Among all the madness some really awesome things happened too. If you pick you the latest issue of Nail It! magazine, you will see a picture of a manicure by yours truly featured in the Snapshots section. It is SO cool to see my nails and name on an actual magazine! That had been one of my goals for some time now.

 Anywho, these are my very first Inglot polishes, and I can honestly say I am a fan. They released a range of 10 pastel shades for Spring 2013 Ranging from Yellow-toned Peach, to Aqua Blue; these colors were begging to be played with. I immediately knew I wanted to do a marble-skittle of sorts with these. These Inglot polishes have a great formula for watermarbles, great pigmentation a really good spread in the water. 

 For this look I started with a White base done with Cult Nails Tempest. For the Pinkie and Index marbles I used Inglot 381(Orange toned peach), 390(Vivid Mint Pastel) and 383(Orange toned Coral). For my Ring and Middle nail I used 382(Yellow toned Peach), 387(Soft Lavender-Pink) and 389(Aqua Blue). All of these Inglot polishes have a creamy formula. I'm not sure if it was just me, but I was detecting the slightest hint of shimmer, so barely there it is not really worth mentioning. I think it definitely aids in the application. 

  To finish off my look I top coated my Pinkie an Index nails in my signature sparkling INM Northern Lights, followed by a coat of Cult Nails Wax That, wax finish top coat. To cover some bubbles I got on my Middle and Ring finger I did a light coat of Lynnderella Connect the Dots, followed by Cult Nails Wicked Fast to give the glitter a high shine. 

  I am loving the contrast of  colors in these marbles, and I really love the completed look. I am also loving what CtD did for my bubbly nails. Overall, I am so happy with how this turned out. I don't marble enough for how much I love the look of the technique. And you know what they say, practice makes perfect. I feel my confidence in my marbling grow with each marble mani I do. They are becoming more fun now that I am getting a good grasp. I think I finally feel comfortable about filming a tutorial about the way I marble. 

 How do you feel about watermarbled nails? Also, would you guys be interested in a tutorial? Let me know in the comments ♥. 

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O.P.I Couture de Minnie Collection Swatches

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Hello my darlings and happy Friday! 

  I am so very sorry about the minor posting hiatus. We had some MAJOR personal stuff go wrong last week. Basically, I was "ready to jump"... It was absolutely nothing blog related. Just life... doing it's thing... being a beyotch. But, things are settling down and falling in place so I'm feeling positive and keeping my head up. 

 Then yesterday, I was trying to get these photos edited and I was having all kinds of issues with the editor I use. I was pretty hissy... Full Moon maybe? Luckily I found an alternative in Photobucket, which I had not used in YEARS. I was bummed, because I've been desperate to share my swatches of O.P.I's new Couture de Minnie collection for Summer. If you are going "Whit a minute, didn't O.P.I do a Minnie themed collection for Summer last year?" Why yes, yes they did, and apparently they had a really positive response. This year they gave Minnie a high-fashion look, and Five new adorable shades for the Summer months. 

 All of these swatches, with the exception of Magazine Cover Mouse, are shown with a top coat. 

O.P.I Liquid Sand in Magazine Cover Mouse

 Magazine Cover Mouse is a light, Red based sparkling texture laced with strong Golden, Silver and Pink micro shimmer. I LOVED the (almost) duochrome look to this liquid sand. I really must admit that this was a heavy and instant favorite for me. I love the hints of Pink sparkle and the overall "Minnie-ness" of it all. I used Three thin coats for my swatch. This texture dried fairly fast. If I had to pick just ONE color to get from this collection, it would be this beauty!

One hour after application

O.P.I Innie Minnie Mighty Bow

 This shade is your classic Candy Apple red with strong Red and Golden micro shimmer for added dimension. This color has a very saturated formula and could well be a one coater. I used Two thin coats for my swatch. This color will be fantastic during Holidays. 

O.P.I A Definite Moust Have

 This shade is described by O.P.I as a Fuchsia.... I saw hot Coral. It was hard shade to capture because it is SO vibrant. This shade is very similar to Come to Poppy from the Nice Stems Collection. This shade is a bit more vibrant and extremely saturated. I did Two easy coats for my swatch. 

O.P.I Minnie Style over O.P.I Chic Comes Ears to Tail 

 OMG I LOVE THIS GLITTER. Ok, now that THAT is out of my system haha.. This cute confetti- style glitter is a simple blend of White, Pink and Red hexes packed in a clear base. I was impressed with how easy it was to work with. I only did one coat of glitter over my base color. 

O.P.I Chic from Ears to Tail

 What would a Summer/Minnie- themed collection be without your classic Bubblegum Pink creme? This shade is adorable. There is the slightest hint of Silver micro sparkle. It is SO barely there, can barely be seen in Sunlight even. I do think that the shimmer did wonders for the formula on this shade. I used Three easy coats for my swatch. 

I like this collection a lot more than I thought I would. They really got me in my soft spot with the fantastic Liquid Sand Shade Magazine Cover Mouse and the adorable glitter in Minnie Style. In last year's Minnie collection they went with the more retro-cutesy side of Minnie. This collection is Minnie all grown up. For that, I love these colors.

Are any of the shades in this release speaking to you? Which Minnie Couture would you rock?

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LTHP heads over to Nailitmag.com!

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Happy Saturday everyone!! 

  I just wanted to do a quick post to let you guys know that I am over on the Nail It! magazine website with a guest post. I went with a texture theme, since I am slightly obsessed with this trend. I also did a look with some of the shades from the Cult Nails In the Garden Collection, for the ladies who do not like textures at all. I hope you guys like these looks! I had a lot of fun working on these. 

To find out the details behind these Three looks, just head on over to nailitmag.com. You can also read a short interview [HERE].

 I've had a minor setback here (I am also waiting on a middle nail break to grow out)... Ever have something happen to you that makes you feel really old for some reason? So, yesterday.. I was having a coughing fit... and I threw my lower back out  -___-. I mean, REALLY? Who does that? lolol... Who throws their back out from a coughing fit? Anywho, I'm taking it easy and hoping for a speedy recovery because I have lots I want to get done. I am also dying to play with my new Pueen stamping plates!! I have not had a chance to get into those yet, the designs are SO adorable!!

I hope you guys will check out my post for nailitmag.com! Happy Saturday everyone!

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China Glaze Textured Skittles with In the Rough, Bump & Grind and Of Coarse!

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Good morning and happy Wednesday! 

  Today I have a, sort of, skittle look with Three of the new China Glaze Texture polishes. When I was organizing my desk last weekend, these Three colors ended up together. I loved how they looked together so much that I went with a "middle-nail-accent-thing." I got many compliments on this mani. The colors are very fun, bright and Summery. 

One and a half hours after application

The polishes I am wearing are In the Rough, Bump & Grind and Of Coarse!. In the Rough is a Chartreuse creme with a textured finish. None of these sparkle. They all dry to a slightly rubbery finish with a concrete-like texture. This was the sheerest of the shades and needed Three coats, wait in between coats. These apply best in a slow steady manner. Let the brush do the work and don't apply pressure so that the textured bits apply evenly. Bump and Grind is a bright Raspberry creme texture. This shade is really bright  and saturated with color. I could have almost gotten away with one coat of this rich shade. I used Two coats. Of Coarse is a bright, pool liner Blue, creme texture. The formula on this shade is also ridiculously saturated, I used Two coats. These dried fairly fast, no slower or faster than any of the other textures to have come out so far.

Shady to show texture better

 Now... The wear on these disappointing. The Chartreuse shade, In the Rough, chipped within the same day of application. Bump & Grind chipped on the Second day. Of Coarse, the Blue shade was wearing OK. I'm really not sure why these wore so poorly on me. All of the other textured polishes I have tried have worn like iron on me!
 Also, someone mentioned that these Three particular shades are slightly reminiscent of Zoya's Mod Mattes in terms on the colors (Lolly, Phoebe & Mitzi), and they are... If you enjoyed those Three shades, and the matte finish, you might like these. I want to give these another shot, I'm hoping for better wear next time around, because I like the shades. I also like the concrete like finish. I know this is one of those "love it or leave it" type of finishes, but I really dig it.

45 min. after application

 I also have some exciting news! I had the honor of being interviewed for the Nail It! magazine website. I am so excited and so grateful to have this great opportunity! It is crazy to go to the home page of a magazine and seeing my face there! WHAT?!!

Have you given the China Glaze Texture polishes a go? How was the wear for you? I'm curious to see if it was, hopefully, a fluke :-S. Let me know in the comments how it went for you if you tried these out! 

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O.P.I Oz the Great and Powerful Collection Swatches

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Good morning loves!! 

  Today I will be sharing my swatches of O.P.I's newest Summer Soft Shades collection which was inspired by the new film, Oz the Great and Powerful. This lovely collection is made up Three nude jellies, Three layering glitters and One new Liquid Sand shade for a total of Seven new shades.

 I will be SO very brutally honest. I was fully prepared to loathe this collection. I was ready to be all like "OMG it's so boring, the glitters suck etc". I found myself nomming on my words. I always think I will hate the Soft Shades, and I always end up enamored with them. I think it is because, while these are not colors I would normally pic for myself, they always end up looking so lovely and feminine. I can't help but enjoy the softer, healthy look these shades give my hands.

O.P.I I Theodora You

  I Theodora You is a lovely shade of soft Ballerina slipper pink jelly-creme. This color has a perfect squishy formula and applies very easily. I used Three easy coats for my swatch above.

O.P.I Lights of Emerald City over I Theodora You

 Lights of Emerald City is a blend of larger White squares and small opalescent squares suspended in a clear base. This topper is fairly easy to work with and I didn't have many issues getting the larger pieces to come out. The best thing to do is to store your bottle upside down for a little bit before application so the larger bits settle to the top of the bottle. I really love this glitter a LOT.

O.P.I Glints of Galinda

 Glints of Galinda is a really neutral beige jelly-creme. I'd say it is a sandy beige and it seems to dry just a tad darker on the nail than the color in the bottle. This shade pulled Peachy on me, which I really liked. I used Three thin coats for my swatch.

O.P.I When Monkeys Fly over O.P.I Glints of Galinda

 When Monkeys Fly is a mix of large Golden hexes and smaller Silver prismatic hexes in a clear base. This was the "problem child" of the collection for many gals. O.P.I decided to go with intentional curling (Taco Glitter) on the larger pieces, which bothered a lot of gals. Personally, I did not find the curling to be as drastic as some people made them out to be. Yes, they were slightly curved, but I did not find it to be an issue. The trickier part was getting the pieces to stay on my nail as I was applying the polish. I used more of a dabbing method to get the pieces on my nails. In the end, I really liked this glitter and I don't mind the slightly curved pieces.

O.P.I Don't Burst my Bubble 

 Don't Burst my Bubble  is a very, very light shade of Pink creme- jelly. It is practically a White jelly, with the slightest hint of Pink undertones. This was the sheerest of all, I had to do Four thin coats on this shade. That said, the formula was easy to work with and very even.

O.P.I Which is Witch? over O.P.I Don't Burst my Bubble 

 Which is Witch?  is a really lovely and twinkly blend of micro sparkles. Micro bars and slightly larger glitter Hexes in a Silver prismatic finish all suspended in a clear base. This polish is PACKED with sparkle and has a great spread of the glitter. I just love this look. It is dreamy and fantastical.

O.P.I What Wizardry is This? 

 This is the liquid sand shade that was released with this collection. What Wizardry is This? is a great shade of sparkling Bronze texture. I did not think I would enjoy this, but I do love it quite a lot. It is such a rich shade. It reminds me of coffee for some reason... Random I know haha. I used Two coats for my swatch, but I should have used a Third thin one.

  And there you have O.P.I's Oz Collection. What are your thoughts on this collection? I find these to be adorable, clean and feminine. I really ended up liking the glitters as well. I suppose it is a good thing I do not naturally gravitate to shades like these. They usually end up being unique in my stash, and that is always a good thing. If I were to only get ONE shade from this collection, it would definitely be I Theodora You.

 Which are your picks?

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Zoya Summer PixiDusts and Stunning Collection- Skittle Ruffian Nail Art

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Hello and happy humpday! 

  Today I have, yet another, skittle mani to share with you guys. This look features Five of the new Zoya Summer PixiDust polishes as well as Four of the new Summer Stunning collection cremes. When I was sitting down to do my swatches of the Summer PixiDust polishes, I could not decide where to start. So I decided not to start at all... And wear them in a mixed texture look instead. These colors are just too fun and too beautiful and I could not resist playing with them. 

 This look started with all creamy bases. From thumb to Pinkie: Julie (from the Spring collection), Yana, Rocky, Thandie and Darcy. Then I decided to do PixiDust ruffians over my Skittle base. I wanted to do monochromatic skittles, with mixed textures. These colors were PERFECT for the look I had in mind since Zoya released shades which all complemented each other.
 For the ruffians I used (from thumb to pinkie): Stevie, Miranda, Liberty, Beatrix and Solange. I did Two thin ruffian coats over my creamy bases. I wore this manicure for about Five days? IDK, it was a LONG time in LTHP time, I could not believe how well they held up. These Summer PixiDusts have amazing formulas, much like their Spring "ancestors" lol. There is a mix of Foily texture and the Original PixiDust look as well. If you enjoyed the first PixiDust set, you will LOVE and ADORE this new Summer PixiDust collection.

 Here are some shots of my base colors. The new Summer cremes all had fantastic formulas and all did well in Three thin coats. Yana (index), Thandie(Orange) and Darcy(yellow) had a very slight shimmer to them, barely there, but really pretty. These are really vibrant, fun and perfect for Summer.

 What are your thoughts on mixed texture manis? I really enjoy them and make for quick and cute nail art. I can't rave enough about the Zoya PixiDusts, they are just beautiful, and I love the vibrant colors and how much they sparkle. The Summer cremes are adorable and fun. Zoya always has my heart when it comes to Summer colors. 

Skittle all the nails!!! 

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O.P.I Bond Girls Liquid Sands in Vesper and Honey Ryder

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Hello and happy Tuesday! 

  Today I have Two of O.P.I's new Bond Girls- Liquid Sand shades. When O.P.I released their first set of Liquid Sand polishes (The Mariah Carey Collection), I was fairly underwhelmed with the colors and the finish. Then they came out with What Wizardy is This? For the Oz Collection, that one did not sing to me much either... Now enter the Bond Girls!!! THIS!! This is what I am talking about! For my first manicure I went with a pairing of Vesper and Honey Ryder that I could not stop staring at, or gushing about. 

 These color are rich and beautiful. I was not expecting to love Vesper as much as I do. Vesper is a deep Plummy base packed full of Black glitter, and of course that wonderful texture. Vesper does best in Three thin coats. It is also ideal to wait a bit between coats. When Vesper is fully dry (picture above is Two days after initial application) it reminds me of uncut, raw Amethyst stones.
 Honey Ryder is a dream come true for me. Since all of these textures started coming out I had been hoping for a Golden foil one and Honey Ryder really hit the spot! This baby is a Warm, true Gold matte foil texture and there are also tons of Gold glitter encrusted into the color. When fully dry Honey Ryder reminds me of those "Fool's Gold" stones. It is just AMAZING.

 The picture below is about 45 minutes after application. As you can see there is still a bit of shine to the surface, however, my nails were fairly dry and I could function at this point. As they continued to dry, more and more texture showed up. The texture on these is not severe at all. I had no snags, no chips and no tip wear.

 After trying these Two beauties, I cannot wait to try out the rest of the Bond Girls. I LOVELOVELOVE what they did with this collection! I also love the names of the colors and how each shade really does embody a Bond Girl. There is no way I won't feel sexy wearing these ;)!

Have you tried any Bond Girls yet? Which was your favorite?

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Sation Candylandia Gradient Nail Art and an Update

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Good afternoon everyone!! 

  Last night I took a little poll on the Facebook page to see what you guys were interested in seeing today. Out of all the options you guys voted for "a gradient", so a gradient it is :D! Many of you also suggested a Textured gradient, that will DEFINITELY be happening soon! Today's gradient features some lovely, awesome shades from Sation's Candylandia collection. For this gradient I was inspired by [THIS PAIR] of Black Milk Clothing leggings.

  Before I go onto the nail art I wanted to give you guys a little update on my visit to The Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, FL. Not much happened as this was an initial consult visit. I did get scheduled to go back in June for about Four days of tests. It is going to be a long process, but I finally feel like I am at the right place, with the best doctors. I have not felt hopeful in a long time, this visit changed that for me.      

  The doctor who consulted with me was like no doctor I've ever spoken with before. He really inspired a lot of confidence in me and was very kind. He actually listened to what I had to say and showed legit concern. This is not something I want to be going through, but I am glad I am finally being treated by a great team of doctors at an amazing facility. 

  Now for a miss Muffin update: my poor kitty has a cold! But worry not, she has been to the Vet. She was given a shot of slow-release antibiotics. She is acting fine and active, eating etc, but I didn't want to bug her over the weekend as I could tell she felt "off". How 'bout that gradient!!? 

 This look started with a base of Sation's Love is in the Heir, which is a light, Greyed out Blue crelly. Using this shade as my base color mae all the difference when it came to building up my gradient. The light Blue tone really brought out the colors I was using to gradient over my light Blue shade. For the gradient I used colors from Sation's Candylandia collection. I went with Plenty of Frogs, Cast a Spill on You and Super Nail-tural Powers. I.LOVE.THIS.GRADIENT!!! I loved it SO much I didn't even do my signature coat of INM Northern lights!! WHAT?!! LTHP didn't put Northern Lights on a gradient?!!!!!! I know, I know haha... But just look at that shimmer from Cast a Spill on You(Blue) and Plenty of Frogs! 
 This was probably the easiest gradient I've ever done and I chuck that up to combination the base color and the formula of the shades I used to gradient. The shimmers really made the seams blend effortlessly and created such beautiful airbrushed-looking surfaces. Choosing the correct base color for gradients really does make a difference and I am just now learning this myself. I should film a tutorial on how I do my gradients, huh? I know everyone has their own way of doing them, and you guys have been asking for a while... I've just been a horrid Youtuber :(.

 Here is a shot of my base color Love is in the Heir. This shade comes from Sation's Marie Antoinette inspired collection. This shade is a soft, muted Blue with some slight Grey undertones and a subtle twinkling Silver sparkle. Finish-wise it is between a creme and a jelly, more jelly than creme. The formula was smooth, even and easy to work with. I used Three thin coats since I wanted to show you guys a swatch of this shade as well. Girls with longer nails, or those of you who are not a fan of "visible nail line (VNL)" might need a few more coats for full coverage. I really enjoy soft, dreamy shades like this one. Do you?

 I am SO sorry about the hiatus over the past week. I'm hoping to break that cycle of absences for a while. I have SO much nail polish to go through. I also got some new stamping plates, the Pueen sets! I had not gotten new stamping plates in like a year or so! I am SO excited about these Pueen plates though, they are ADORABLE!

 And just a quick reminder that Google reader will be going away on July 1st! I've set up shop over at Bloglovin. I just LOVE how easy it is to use and they also have an iPhone/Droid app! Make sure you are following LTHP on Bloglovin so you don't miss out!! Also, [HERE] is a full list on ways to keep up with the Let them have Polish! nonsese!

 I've really missed you guys so very much! I hope you guys liked this gradient! I kinda wanted to eat my nails when I wore it :)!

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