TIPS Celebration Set for Canada's Birthday

Join in the fun and place your entries for the ASK Cosmetics "TIPS Celebration Set" Giveaway.

 

You could be the lucky winner of:

 

1 bottle of TIPS Nail Conditioner (new size 7 ml), 1 bottle of ASK Nailwear "Perfect Red", 1 bottle of Revival Nail Polish Remover

 

Good luck to all those who enter!

 

What is your absolute favourite thing about Canada as a country?

 

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Pinkalicious meets Fake Tattoos

There's nothing better than talking with your hands, no literally, I mean having a little message on your nails.

It seemed to be a perfect match-up:  Pinkalicious and Fake Tattoo's Heart & Text Design sheet.

Seen here are 2 coats of Maybelline's Pinkalicious, a true pink in every sense of the colour!

This was the sheet of nail tattoos before I cut them out for the manicure. 

To view other posts of mine involving nail tattoos click on:

Blue Balloon and Ocean Designs by FAKE TATTOOS

Much Better than the Real Thing

Girls just wanna have fun

Now let's get back to business, shall we?!

As Enigmatic Rambles - Review Nail Tattoos correctly stated in her blog post on these nail tattoos - they are more of a water transfer.  They are so very easy to apply and come off without any trouble whatsoever with regular nail polish remover.

As you can see in this photo better the heart tattoo on my little finger cracked slightly right after application before putting on top coat.

Seen here are 2 coats of Sheer French Pink by ASK Cosmetics Inc. complimented with FAKE TATTOOS.

I definitely give nail tattoos the THUMBS UP!

Thanks for stopping by and be sure to stay in touch with me and my beauty-related info.

Take care,  Lisa M.

Perfect Tips & Toes with a little help from Nailene

After seeing so many different, stunningly modern variations of the "Classic French Manicure", I can't tell you how excited I was to try one for myself.  Knowing I had two awesome polish shades, which would compliment each other famously, I began the manicure with much enthusiasm. 

 

Base Colour was 2 coats of O.P.I.'s From A to Zurich and the tips are Rich Sapphire by ASK Cosmetics Inc.

 

I can't begin to express how much I enjoy working with O.P.I.'s nail lacquer.  The application is so smooth, and the brushes are so easy to work with.  This shade is by no means a strong red, but rather a muted shade that has sophistication to it. 

You can read my review/swatch of this gorgeous shade right here.

 

 

 I've had this sitting around anxiously waiting to be used, so today was the day.  The idea is ingenious, but would they leave a clean, French mani look?

 

The instructions are well labelled on the back of the package.

 

So, as you can clearly see, I didn't manage to place the strips straight across the ends of my nails.  In addition, my nails have a squoval shape, which makes the end effect look slightly different than if you were sporting square-shaped nails. 

 

 

At this point - Rich Sapphire by ASK Cosmetics enters the scene. 

 

Yes, it looks messy, but wait to see the final result.

 

Wowza!! The strips have been removed and a good, healthy coat of ASK Cosmetics Top Coat has been applied for extra shine and long-lasting wear.

 

I simply love the effect! 

 

My final comments on this product by Nailene:

 

 

These "strips" were super easy to work with; stuck to your nails "like glue"; held their position extremely well; were very easy to remove, and they didn't allow the contrasting tip shade of polish to run. 

Each package holds 96 strips, so well worth the money you pay as you can do manis and pedis several times over.

 

Just a bit of trivia today......

 

Did you know...the French manicure isn't actually French? It's a product of old Hollywood and the pain of actresses needing to change their polish for every wardrobe change. Who knew?

 

 

Do you prefer the classic version of the French mani or do you like to change it up a bit like I did?

 

 

Have a great day and thanks for stopping by.  Be sure to leave a comment below and stay in touch,  Lisa

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Berry Season has officially started!

Berry Me by GOSH is a lush shade that definitely has a fitting name.  The colour is a combination of strawberries, raspberries, with a slight hint of blueberries. 

 

Seen here are 2 coats of this Special Edition GOSH polish.

 

My personal rating for Berry Me (on a scale from 1 - 10, the higher the #, the better the rating):

a) Coats:                                It took two coats for opacity   = 9
b) Thickness of Polish:         Not too thick at all, evened out nicely  = 9
c)  Ease of Application:        Brush allowed for super easy application = 10
d)  Appeal Factor:                 Rich shade, can be worn year-round  = 10

Added some super shine and durability to this manicure by finishing off with

ASK Cosmetics' Top Coat.

 

If you are a user of TIPS Nail Conditioner and you're wondering how to apply TIPS with polished nails here are our "tips" for you:

 

1.  Remove ALL nail polish with our Revival Nail Polish Remover.  If you are wearing thick polish and/or several layers, use a 2nd cotton pag to ensure EVERYTHING is removed.

 

2.  Wash your hands with soap and water.

 

3.  Wait at least one hour before applying fresh nail polish.

 

4.  First apply a clear base coat.

 

5.  Then apply the desired nail polish.

 

6.  Wait 24 hours for the polish to dry completely.

 

7.  Apply TIPS Nail Conditioner once or twice daily around the cuticles and skin surrounding the nail as well as under the free edges of your natural nail.

 

Be sure to follow me for more swatches, nail care advice, reviews, contests and more:

• via Facebook click here
• on Pinterest click here
• watch us on YouTube click here
• follow us on Twitter click here

Thanks for stopping by today.  Enjoy the rest of your day!

 

Til next time,  Lisa M.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Who is the fairest of them all?

 

The two swatches I will show you today are truly sleek understatements.  In my humble opinion they radiate elegance as well as sophistication.

Rimmel London's French Manicure PRO - French Rose

ASK Cosmetics' Sheer French Pink

 

Let's begin with Rimmel London....

 

Seen here:  3 coats

 

As the name implies, this polish will add a fine touch of light pink to your nails preparing them for a lovely French Manicure (or left without the extra applied white tips).

 

This polish is meant to be the base of a classic French manicure, however I think you could also wear it as shown above.  What do you think about this:  yes or no?

 

Now on to Sheer French Pink.......

 

Seen here:  3 coats for a good comparison (Normally I would only wear 2 coats of this polish.)

 

This shade (or lack thereof) really accentuates your natural nail colour.  It brings out the white tips and pink part of your nails very well.

 

I finish up all my manicures with an application of TIPS Nail Conditioner by ASK Cosmetics Inc.  It keeps my nails strong, yet flexible, nourished and hydrated, protected from water. 

 

For more information on any products by ASK Cosmetics click here.

 

Now, be sure and leave me a comment:  Do you prefer understated nails for certain situations?  Does either one of the above shades appeal to you?

 

Til next time,  Lisa M.

Girls just wanna have fun!

Last Saturday marked a huge achievement in my family.  It was the 50th wedding anniversary of my parents.  This is truly an incredible accomplishment, so we had to commemorate it by having family photos done by a professional photographer. 

 

My nieces wanted their nails done for the occasion and seeing as I had been having some fun myself with the funky nails tattoos I had been sent to review by Fake Tattoos, I offered to give them all cool designs on their little nails.

 

Nr. 1 in Europe regarding fake tattoos for both nails and skin - FAKE TATTOOS on FB

 

 

Needless to say, they went crazy when they saw all the different choices and wanted tattoos on each of their fingers.  It wasn't an easy decision, but here's the final look they chose....

 

Meg is a die-hard nail polish fanatic and absolutely loves nail art too.  When she heard I had tattoos to apply, she simply couldn't wait to try them. 

 

She decided on moustaches and bows.

 

Kyra chose a mixture of images.  You can see a palm tree, bows and a small ice-cream cone on her nails.  Very proud to show off her glammed-up talons!

 

These girls could have easily applied the nail tattoos themselves; they are so simple to work with.  The only problem might have been positioning them.  These nails were pretty tiny, and we had to choose the smaller tattoos for a better fit on their nails.

 

Last, but not least, Jada chose an array of designs:  a jester's hat, a bow, an ice-cream cone and a red lady bug.  They all looked awesome!

 

We finished off their simple manis with a layer of top coat to help seal the tattoo and promote longer wear. 

 

Top Coat shown here is from the ASK Cosmetics Nailwear line.

 

More to come on Fake Tattoos.....

 

Thanks for stopping by and til next time,  Lisa M.

 

 

 

 

Oh my GOSH!

I asked, and you answered by question:  Which one of the two GOSH shades would you like to see first - Bubble Gum or Miss Minty?  The voting resulted in a tie, so I'm showing you both of them today.

 

So, let me introduce Bubble Gum & Miss Minty by GOSH

 

3 coats each, normal wearability, easy application, good brush

 

 

Note to viewers - try to overlook the nasty little paper cut I had on my pinky!

 

 

Let me begin with the one that intrigued me most, namely Miss Minty.  I have seen tons of mint shades bearing various brand names being swatched by other nail bloggers.  The bottle really had me fascinated.

 

As pretty as this shade is, it really doesn't look that great on my fair-skinned hands.  And....I think it is a shade for the younger generation of nail polish wearers.  I guess the verdict for me is - I would rather enjoy my mint in the form of chocolate than on my nails. 

 

Products used:   3 coats of GOSH "Miss Minty", TIPS Nail Conditoner after the manicure to treat the cuticles, and after several days of wear the polish was removed AND my nails and cuticles were treated with TIPS at the same time with the Revival Nail Polish Remover by ASK Cosmetics.

 

"Bubble Gum" truly lives up to its name.  This shade reminds one of those very pink wads of bubble gum we used to chew as children.   Not sure what kind you enjoyed, but I have vivid memories of Hubba Bubba.

 

 

My little paper cut is still quite noticeable in this shot.  You can also see the shiny areas around my nails and cuticles, which have been treated with TIPS Nail Conditioner after the polish has drided.  I also keep the polish away from my cuticles, because polish will dry them out AND removing the polish from your cuticles causes stimulation to them, which can result in damage to the cuticles.

 

 

I stumbled upon these two shades at Shopper's Drugmart just last week. Upon noticing that they were reduced from $7 each to $3.50, I decided to add these two spring pastels to my collection. However, when I had a closer look at my receipt I realized they had charged me full price for the polishes, so it wasn't a two-for-one deal after all. Unfortunately, I no longer had the opportunity to go back and a lesson was learned - ALWAYS check your receipts while still at the store!

 

I will leave you with some more outdoor photos that show how the ice had formed on the lilac tree in our front yard.  There was so much damage to hydro lines due to this storm that we were out of electricity for some 48 hours.

 

 

So, what's your choice?  Would you go with Miss Minty or Bubble Gum on your nails?

 

Thanks for stopping by.  Enjoy the rest of your day,  Lisa M