Luxe Lacquers August 2014

Happy Saturday friends!

This past week has been a super busy one but I was able to finally swatch the August subscription box by Luxe Lacquers. 

Luxe Lacquers are produced in the US and are free from harsh chemicals like formaldehyde, DBP, and toluene. They are chip resistant and long lasting. You can purchase them through the website: www.luxelaquers.co

Here is the August box in all her glory!

From left to right, we have a Josette, Rose, Chantal, and Amelia.

Josette is a dark crimson red that is a bit brighter on the nail than in the bottle. 

It is a creme polish so it applies opaque in 1 coat. I used 2 for my swatch.

So lush, she's the perfect transitional colour from Summer to Fall.

I added a black gradient to it to make it more vampy. The entire mani was topped with Trust Fund Beauty's Not Fair, Don't Care.

Rose is a jelly off-white polish that is flirty and delicate at the same time.

Because it is a jelly polish, it is not opaque in 1 coat. If you want a more opaque look, you can build the layers. I used 3 coats to achieve this look.

It's a very pretty egg shell white which would be perfect to doing jelly sandwich manis where you layer a glitter polish in between the jelly polish.

Here is another design I did with Rose. So pretty!

Chantal is a pure black creme polish, a staple necessary for any polish collection. Everyone needs a black polish in their life and this is a great one.

This polish was opaque in 1 coat but I used 2 for the swatch. 

Black polish is very edgy and sometimes people feel intimidated wearing black polish but the look created is mysterious, sophisticated, and very chic. If you are afraid to try an all black manicure, you could always use black as an accent in other designs. Here I layered some other colours on top to create a galaxy design.

I will be posting a tutorial for the galaxy on my Instagram (@shaystylista) soon!

Last up is Amelia, a dark blue with slightly green undertones. 

Amelia can be described more as a crelly, a creme jelly mix. It is not opaque in 1 coat but after building with a couple of layers, it is completely opaque.

This is also a great transitional colour to move from Summer to Fall. 

I love how it looks on my skin tone. It is dark enough that it is chic and trendy, but bright enough that the blue is a primary colour. I paired it with some straight lines to make the blue pop.

This August box has good staple colours that everyone needs. It is fashion forward yet classic. Visit www.luxelacquers.co for more information on how to order and subscribe!

piCture pOlish Insta/Blogfest 2014!

Hello lovelies!!

A few of months ago, piCture pOlish announced that they were accepting applications for their annual Blogfest and I sent in my application, with all of my fingers and toes crossed that I'd be chosen. Fast forward to today and I have the honor of announcing that I am participating in this year's Insta/Blogfest!!

piCture pOlish is an Australian based company that produces innovative, fashion-forward, and cruelty free nail polishes. Their polishes are non-toxic, chip resistant, and come in a wide array of colours. I love the attention to detail with cute descriptions above the polish name on the bottle. More information on Picture Polish can be found in their web and social media pages:
Store: www.picturepolish.com.au/
Every Day Deal: http://picturepolish.com.au/everyday-deal
International stockists: http://picturepolish.com.au/network
Facebook: www.facebook.com/piCturepOlish
Instagram: @picturepolish

This year's Insta/Blogfest features an exciting collaboration with Nail Vinyls by Linda aka Teismom on Instagram. An exclusive variety pack of vinyls is being offered for sale on piCture pOlish's website. It features ‘Chevrons, Mini Chevrons, Straight & Right Angles.' More information on Nail Vinyls can be found here:

Instagram: @teismom

Facebook: www.facebook.com/nailvinyls?fref=ts
Store: http://nailvinyls.com/

This year's participants each received 1 colour to swatch and 2 other colours to create a design featuring one type of Nail Vinyls. This was what I received:

The first part of of Insta/Blogfest is a swatch of a current piCture pOlish shade. I received Majesty, a sparkly rose gold.

This was developed by blogger Sahrish Adeel who wanted to create a gold polish that was different from standard gold shades. Here I used 3 thin coats with no top coat.

I love how sparkly the polish is. It is so eye-catching, feminine, and perfect for any occasion.

It has gold and pink undertones and lots of gold micro glitter.

The application was easy and took a couple of coats to become opaque but it dried fast so applying it was very easy.

For the second part of Insta/Blogfest, I had 2 bright and fun colours to use along with some right angle Nail Vinyls. I had Wisteria, a whimsical lavender creme polish and Citrus, a vibrant orange creme.

Here's how I placed the Nail Vinyls on my nails:

Steps:

1. I applied a white base and topped it with a fast-drying top coat.

2. I applied the vinyls with the corners pointed toward the middle of my nail.

3. I applied Wisteria over the vinyls and quickly removed them while the purple polish was still wet.

4. I repeated the above steps with the orange polish.

For the second design, I applied the vinyls with the corners at opposite corners of the nail, forming a rectangular shape. I continued this with 2 more right angles at the top and at the bottom. I filled in the space, alternating purple and orange.

And here is my completed design!

I love how the colours contrast yet still compliment each other. They were absolutely a dream to apply because they are opaque in 1 coat which means they are perfect for Nail Vinyls! This design was simple to do with the Nail Vinyls but created such an eye-catching pattern. The Nail Vinyls are pretty much fool proof and with the combination of the perfect formula in piCture pOlish lacquers, the combinations and ideas are endless.

This is such a great collaboration and I am proud and very honored to be one of the first to get my hands on the special Nail Vinyls for piCture pOlish. This has been an amazing experience to be included in Insta/Blogfest. Please visit the link below to see the other artists participating! Thank you piCture pOlish and Nail Vinyls for this awesome opportunity! Best of luck with the launch!

Something different but ah-maz-ing: Lancôme Grandiose

Hello beautiful people!

Today I have something a little different to show you, a gorgeous luxury mascara by Lancôme, Grandiose! More information on Lancôme products can be found here: www.lancome.ca

I received this mascara free of charge from Influenster to try and review. 

When I received the delivery, I was blown away. The packaging was beautiful and really showcased the mascara.

The mascara itself is actually a thing of beauty. I couldn't believe how pretty the bottle is.

The packaging alone screams luxury. Lancôme has always shown that they pay attention to every detail with their products. The Classic Lancôme Rose is visible in the cap of the bottle.

Wow!

The actual brush for the mascara is unlike any other brush I have ever used. I wear mascara daily and have tried many types, from drugstore brands to department store ones. Lancôme's Grandiose mascara is unique and revolutionary. The brush handle has a bend in it to allow for easier application of the inner and outer corners of the eye.

The tiny plastic bristles reach almost every lash on your eye.

It looks a little intimidating when you first see it but thankfully Lancôme pays attention to the customers' needs and provides you with a pictorial and written instructions as to how to apply the mascara.

I followed the instructions and applied the mascara as written. It took a little bit to get used to it at first but after applying the first coat, I got the hang of it. Here's how it looks on one eye. You can see the change in length and volume. It defines each lash and separates them to provide a wide eyed, noticeable appearance.

And here's both eyes! I did use an eye lash curler to add some more pizazz.

It is absolutely fantastic and unlike any other mascara I have tried. The added bonus is that it lasts all day without any smudging and holds it shape from morning to night. 

My lashes are as straight as my hair and tend to not be able to hold a curl, but Lancôme's Grandiose was able to stay curled and defined all day long. From the packaging to the bristles on the brush, Lancôme has created a beautiful mascara that is unlike any other.

Look at how happy this mascara has made me!

Thank you Lancôme Canada and Influenster for allowing me the privilege of being one of the first to try Grandiose. It is a great product and revolutionizes mascara.