You're a foul one, Mr. Grinch

You're a nasty, wasty skunk.
Your heart is full of unwashed socks
Your soul is full of gunk.
Mr. Grinch.

Fun Fact #1: 'You're A Mean One Mr. Grinch' was not sung by the amazing James Earl Jones (common misconception by 'younger generations' evidently), but instead was performed by Thurl Ravenscroft who is also the original voice of Tony the Tiger.

Fun Fact #2: The original Grinch from the "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" which was published in 1957 (same year mah momma was born) was black and white. He 'became green' in the cartoon adaptation in 1966.

Fun Fact #3: His dog Max is listed as 'a mixed breed' and was voiced by Dallas McKennon who lent his vocal talents to movies such as 101 Dalmatians, Lady and the Tramp, and Mary Poppins (among others). Perhaps my favorite Dallas McKennon 'vocal performance' is the safety spiel at Disney's Big Thunder Mountain Railroad (which was out of commission when I last visited the park...GRR)

I LOVED the movie 'How The Grinch Stole Christmas' when I was a little kid. I always felt SO awful for him because he hated Christmas so much, and I loved it. Still love it. So when JindieNails released her holiday collections I saw Grinch and had to have it. Here's how Jen describes Grinch:

This is my interpretation of Dr. Seuss's The Grinch Christmas story, in a bottle. I originally had the polish without the red hearts but after a Facebook poll, I have decided to add just a few red hearts to the batch and ONE single black heart in each bottle. The black heart represents the Grinch's evil heart and the red ones represent the heart he eventually grew.

I will fully admit that it was the single black heart that got me. I vaguely remember sitting on the sofa next to my fiance when I read the description and gleefully squealing "AMIGAD IT HAS ONE. BLACK. HEART. THATS SO COOL!" Thankfully Jen took pity on me and sent me a little baggie with a few extra hearts in it so I didn't have to fish around for the one in the bottle for the next 10 years. You rock girlfriend. Srsly.

This is 2 thin coats of JindieNails Grinch over Sinful Colors Innocent. There were no application issues, no finishing necessary, dab it on, smooth it out. I was unable to fish any of the red hearts out, but there are only a few to begin with so no biggie. I added the black hearts with a toothpick and finished with 2 coats of HK Girl Fast Dry Top Coat. Its a bit more green here than it is in the bottle, but I like it :)

As always you can click to make these larger.

You can find JindieNails and all of her gorgeous creations on Facebook, and in her Etsy store (which is in vacation mode at the time of this posting - sign up to be notified when she comes back). Full sized bottles are $8.00. * Disclaimer: None, I bought this polish with my own money :)

TL;DR

- You're a mean one...if you didn't read this post.

- Santy is bringing you coal for skipping to the TEAL DEER FIRST!

- Because I know you're humming it...You're a mean one, Mr. Grinch

- Thanks for all the LOVE this week guys! It's been one hell of a ride :)

Introducing Too Cute-icle Custom Nail Lacquer

AMIGAD! Awesomeness incoming!

My good friend Jess at Too Cute-icle just launched her very own INDIE LINE! SQUEEEE!! Too Cute-icle Custom Nail Lacquer launched on Sunday 12/2/2012 and has already attracted some big name attention. Her debut line includes a selection of year round pretties with awesome names like Butthurt Banana, Mama's Girl (inspired by her mother) and Pretty Pretty Princess, an Eternal Sonata video game inspired glitterbug called Dolce (which was created by her boyfriend - HI MIKE!), and the ever gorgeous winter-esque dazzlers Aurora Snow, Frosty The Penguin and Frosted Evergreen. I was lucky enough to receive the whole line (minus Mama's Girl), plus a few others that have been reserved for future collections and they are all faaaaareaking AMAZING. I love them. Love. Them. Love them...like this....

Now I realize that my enthusiasm can be taken into question given that Jess and I are close friends, but trust me when I say that I could not in good conscious support her releasing a sub-par product with her name on it. She has done her homework, shes got a great eye for creativity, and shes meticulous (to the point of borderline OCD - teehee) about quality. This girl is going places, and I could not possibly be more proud of her. And when you see these babies there will be no question about their awesomeness. I have tested all of her polishes (though I don't have swatches of most of them ready just yet), and I truly can't pick a favorite but this one is close....Back story...

Pretty Pretty Princess by Too Cute-icle

Last week a cray-mazing (crazy amazing, get it? Yeah I'm lame...) woman named Donna posted a photo of a stamping mani she did with snowflakes and I loved it! So much so that I immediately hit ebay and purchased a Konad plate with snowflakes on it. On Sunday I set about creating my own 'Donna inspired snowflake mani' and thought what better way to champion Jess' new line than to use Pretty Pretty Princess as the base for my snowflakes. Thus the 'matte snowflake mani' was born.

Because I was going to be stamping over the glitter I wanted it to be kind of sparse which I found to be quite difficult (LOL). Pretty Pretty Princess is PACKED with glitter. Please forgive the horrendous cuticles btw. This is one light coat of PPP over black with and without the matte top coat:

 

Because I was planning to stamp, I tried to leave some empty-ish space so that the snowflakes would show up a bit better. I failed. Pretty Pretty Princess was just too pretty to not want it everywhere. I used Konad plates m59 and m20, and Pure Ice Silver Mercedes to stamp (no, not water decal....LOL!) the snowflakes on.

 

And...If you liked it then you shoulda put some bling on it...LOL!

 

Taadaa! Okay I admit, even I am smitten by this combination. Its stunning! I was SO excited by how gorgeous it turned out that I immediately posted a bunch of shots to my Facebook page without any brand/water markings on it...OOPS! It was shared over 30 times from my page alone! I was so over the moon that so many people liked it enough to share! Thank you! Some people even liked it so much that they uploaded it to their page claimed it as their own. But nail world banded together and brought that to an end. Hopefully...

So again, thank you all who sent messages of support and requests for credit to 'Pinkys Nail Bar' in Stirling, Scotland. I'm sorry that you were all banned and blocked from their page because of it, but I think they got the hint. At least I hope they did. Next time perhaps they'll think twice about stealing someones photo and not giving proper credit...its not like its hard to do. At least get the products and method right!  Water decals....Models Own...*hmpfh* I didn't want them to take the photo down, I just wanted credit. I didn't think that was too much to ask.

WHEW! This was a long one. I hope you're still with me LOL! You can find Pretty Pretty Princess (along with all of Too Cute-icles polishes) at her Etsy store: http://www.etsy.com/shop/TooCuteicle Full sizes are $7, Minis's are $3. Remember, this is her indie debut so if you want a shot at being one of the first to own her creations, check it out ASAP!

For photos and reviews of her polishes, check out these lovely ladies:

Cosmetic Sanctuary

Polish Monster

Cupcakes & Polish

Manicured Mamas

Jen’s Nail Files

Adventures and Mishaps In The Land of Nail Polish

TL;DR

- Too Cute-icles indie debut! WOO!

- Did you actually READ the post or did you just skip to the TL;DR...KYOTI!

- Fun Fact #1: At the time of this posting I am one of only 4 people who own Pretty Pretty Princess...IN THE WHOLE WORLD.

- Fun Fact #2: I created her labels!

- Stealing is bad. Lying and stealing is worse.

- Don't steal kthxbai!

JindieNails - Review Part 2

For part 2 of my JindieNails review (you can find part one, here) I present to you Oh, U Fancy, Huh? and Water 4 Elephants.

Oh, U Fancy, Huh? is a gorgeous, glitter packed clear base with neon pink and purple matte hexes, teal shiny hexes, and teal squares. It was another one of those surprise loves! I tried it over white, pink, purple, and black, and while I think it looked fabulous over pretty much anything (seriously, do a quick google search, everyone who has tried this polish has a different color combination and they all rock!), I loved it the most over black. The matte glitters tones it down from being an all out bling fest, but the shiny hexes glam it up and make it pop. It applied very well, and with a topcoat over it, was not gritty at all. Zero placement necessary and great coverage! This is two light coats over black. (Click to enlarge)

Water 4 Elephants is really unique and gorgeous. It was inspired by the book and movie starring Robert Pattinson and whats her name...uhhh...LOL. (Just kidding, totally not a RPatz fan girl...I'm team Jacob.) Jen describes it as "multiple shapes and sizes of blue and green [glitter] along with iridescent glitter and color shifting glitter and color shifting sparkle pigment all in a gray creme/jelly base." I played around with this all on its own, but there was VNL after 3 thin coats so I decided to use undies.This is 2 thin coats over Sally Hansen's Wet Cement.  Prepare for compliments on your nails, ladies! Photos don't do it justice.  (Click to enlarge)
Note: I wasn't able to get a natural light/sun photo of this because I swatched it during a week that Wisconsin saw NO sun. *sigh* I love this polish though so I will reach for it again, hopefully during a time when the sun decides it wants to come out and play. I'll be working on a light box soon to avoid crappy, inconsistent photos. The actual color is most closely represented in the flash photos.

 

My overall experience with JindieNails, both on a customer service level AND with her polishes has been incredibly positive.  The variety, quality and artistry in her polishes makes shopping her Etsy store like swimming in a pool full of fun sized chocolate Halloween candy; no matter which direction you go, you're going to find something you like.

Jen is rolling out her new WINTER CHIC collection on November 18, 2012 but there are already some holiday inspired polishes in her shop right NOW! Seriously...you are going to NEED Grinch, and Just Elfing Around is GORGEOUS. AND if you are a holo lover, Mrs. Claws and Blue Blue X-mas are going to be on your wish list in a heartbeat. Check out her Etsy store here.

TL;DR
- If you don't own a single indie, Jindie is a GREAT place to start.
- Breaking Dawn Part 2 Count Down from RIGHT now: 5 days. It better be epic.
- Added Just Elfing Around to my Wish List *hint hint*
- Prediction: Burrrberry is going to be a MUST have when Winter Chic launches
- Don't forget to enter our giveaway! 15 prizes! link below!

Santa's Secret Stash Holiday Giveaway!

WOOOO GIVEAWAY TIME!

I am SUPER excited to be able to participate in this awesome multi-blogger giveaway, not only because the prizes are killer, but because I have gotten to know each one of these amazing ladies and they are true class acts!

Since this is a holiday giveaway we wanted to keep most of the prizes a secret but I can tell you there will be lots of indies, HTF's, customs, candy and other glittery goodies that are sure to knock your stockings off.

Here is a TINY peek at a couple of the prizes:

Different Dimension 2012 Santa Baby Mini Set

China Glaze Holiday Charms Mini Set

More Goodies From:

Tomboy Nails

Fox Claws

Too Cute-icle

Cosmetic Sanctuary

Different Dimension

Mani Curiously

Mentality Polish

The Polished Pixie

Pinked Polish

Cupcakes and Polish

Finger Painting Fingers

Above the Curve Nail Polish

Kyoti's Nails & Lucky 13 Lacquer

Adventures and Mishaps in the Land of Nail Polish

Now for the boring stuff - i.e. The rules

- US only please (Sorry international ladies)

- Giveaway begins at 12:01am 11/8/2012 and ends at 12:01am on 12/1/2012.

- There will be 14 winners! Winners will be chosen by Rafflecopter.

- Winners will be contacted at the e-mail address they provided on Rafflecopter and will have 48 hours to respond before a new winner is chosen. You can only win ONE prize. Duplicate winners will be redrawn.

- Please don't cheat. All entries will be verified. Fraudulent entries will be disqualified.

Good Luck! Have fun!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

No HATE - Just LOVE

NO HATE

Bullying is not funny. It is not cool. It is not right. And more importantly, it is not okay.
Most of us are, thankfully, residents of countries that support tolerance and many of our families have settled in these places simply for that reason. Generations later, it is our responsibility to perpetuate that message of tolerance across our new social platforms, including the internet.

As members of the nail polish blogging community, we all share a love of beauty, color, and lacquer. Other than that, we are remarkably different: from our race to our religion to our hair color...even to our polish application techniques. To marginalize anyone because of those differences is completely unacceptable and today I take a stand against that. I refuse to allow other people's view of "normal" dictate how I behave, believe, and blog.

In solidarity with a multitude of bloggers linked below, my purple manicure represents my proud commitment to the No Hate movement. Today, November 8, I dedicate my post to ending bullying of any kind and to encouraging diversity and imperfection among our colorful community.

Thank you to Amanda of amandalandish.com for the wonderful write up.

I am wearing Chirality's Apollonia for NO H8!

JindieNails - Review Part 1

Got Glitter? - Stompin' Gilbert Grapes - Purple People Pleaser

Hey Lovelies!

First off I have to apologize and beg forgiveness from Jen for taking so long to get this review up. Between the GPWs, sickness, and both jobs, October was a busy, busy month. Thanks for being so understanding, you're a rockstar!

I had to split this review up into a couple of different parts because I took so many photos and didn't want to overload just one post, so I will have a Part 2 up in a few days. Don't forget to check back!

I don't remember where I first came across JindieNails, whether it was on Facebook or Etsy, but the first polish I saw was Purple People Pleaser (which I still affectionately refer to as After Party LOL) and I HAD to have it. Jen describes it as, "'my baby' of all my polish". It is a hearty mix of black, white and purple matte glitter, with blue and lavender metallic glitter in a clear, blue shimmery base. It gorgeous. Photos don't do it justice because it so hard to catch the shimmer effect with a lens. I stood outside in the 35 degree weather in pajama pants and a t-shirt trying to get a good photo of it and finally had to call it quits, my fingers were going numb but its definitely visible with the naked eye.

This is 2 coats of Purple People Pleaser over 2 coats of Essie Borrowed & Blue. PPP is packed and required no glitter placement or fishing. The formula was very nice, thick enough to keep the glitter in place while you apply it, but not so thick that it felt globby. I really enjoyed this one. (Click to enlarge)

Next up is Stompin' Gilbert Grapes. It has lavender, purple, and green hexes and squares with pink and purple micro glitters in a milky white jelly base. I hate to pin a 'seasonal note' to this but it would be a super cute choice for Spring or Easter. This is 2 coats of Stompin' Gilbert Grapes over white. Zero glittery placement with this one as well, it applied very smooth. (Click to enlarge)

 

 

The last GORGEOUS JindieNails creation is one that I wasn't sure I was going to be crazy about because it looked like a typical silver glitter bomb online, but BOY was I wrong! It ended up being my FAAAAVORITE. It is far from just a typical glitter bomb and I am so sorry for passing judgement before I saw it in person. Got Glitter? is simply gorgeous! I layered it over black with a coat of Ghoulish Glow (which is why it looks a little grey). Got Glitter? has a clear base packed with silver holo stars, diamonds, bar glitter, and large hexes, mixed with medium sized green, blue, turquoise and pink metallic hexes. The combination of the silver bits with the colored hexes is really unique. Its one of those polishes you have to look at for awhile to truly figure it all out. Application was a little tricky because of the mini bottle, but you're going to need a full size anyway so you should have no issues what so ever. ;) This is 2 coats.

This was my first 'taste' of JindieNails polish and I have to say I've become quite the fan girl (her Christmas line is going to be EPIC). The variety in her Etsy store is gorgeous, unique, well thought out, and priced very reasonably. I will definitely be picking up more in the near future.

Part 2 will feature Water 4 Elephants and Oh, U Fancy Huh?

You can find JindieNails on Etsy and Facebook:
http://www.etsy.com/shop/JindieNails
https://www.facebook.com/JindieNails

TL;DR
- PRETTE PICKSHURS!
- Glitter Glitter Glitter Glitter rockin' everywhere
- MASSIVE giveaway coming this week!! Keep your eyes peeled because you won't want to miss this.

 

Review Disclaimer: These products were provided by the maker for an honest review. Opinions expressed are my own and have not been altered or censored in any way. 

Breast Cancer Awareness Month - Go Pink Wednesday - Part 5

 

Happy Halloween!!

I can't believe this journey is over already! Its been so much fun sharing these pink manis with you all, and 'meeting' so any great girls along the way! Thank you so much for stopping by and showing and sharing your love :) Its been an awesome experience.

Before we get started with the pink mani, my Halloween one above is 2 coats of Zoya Pippa, 2 coats of Sinful colors Clementine, 1 coat of W&W Black Creme with Northern Lights on top, and 2 coats of Ninja Polish's Sticks 'N Stones. The candy corn was done with a dotting tool. I got a ton of compliments on it this week, wish I had done it sooner!

For the pink I went with 2 coats of Avon's Breast Cancer Crusade polish in Pink Power, and one coat of Above The Curves' Dippity Do Da. Dippity Do Da is GORGEOUS but an absolute beeyatch to photograph because its soooooo glittery! I love it!

 I hope you'll forgive me for the short post, but I have a ton more editing to do! I have a review coming up from JindieNails, and a really exciting giveaway in the works right MEOW.

So stick around :)

TL;DR
- Its Wednesday....can it PLEASE be Friday tomorrow?!
- That's all :)