Lisi Cosmetics: Alternate Universe Nail Lacquer
I’ve found a new love y’all! When I went to New York I found a cute little boutique in Soho that had only been opened for about two months. Lisi Cosmetics is a quaint little shop and they’ve got some really nice, quality products for very affordable prices. I was literally blown away at the price tags, but I love trying new makeup so I decided to give it a shot! I got four different nail polishes because they were BOGO half-off and the colors were simply amazing! I love nail laquers, but because I work in restaurants I can’t wear them all the time. I tried Alternate Universe first, because its a little more toned down than the other colors that I chose. It’s a really nice orange/gold duo-chrome. It’s got light glitter flecks of gold and even just a tad bit of red.
The quality is great, it reminded me nothing of a cheap polish. I did two coats of this and then applied Essie’s No Chip Topcoat. I also love this packaging; it’s chic. simple and sleek.
Go and visit Lisi Cosmetics here and check out their amazing products! You can check out my YouTube vid to see the other items I got. 
SYN COSMETICS | ALL WHITE EVERYTHING
So, I was rummaging through Facebook and I came across a random cosmetics line. I clicked on it, pretty much because the eye makeup on the profile picture was phenomenal. To my surprise, I discovered a fab line. Syn Cosmetics has a range of nail polishes, cheek colors, eye glitters and pigmented shadows that can suit any mood. I browsed the page, saw some pretty dope nail colors and designs that people had made, and also some really cool eye makeup looks. I was instantly sold! One of the products that I picked up was All White Everything, a white glitter polish that has at least four types of glitter in it. I was drawn to this because I’ve never seen this type of glitter… it looks really interesting even through the packaging.
Mardi Gras Nails
Got bored on my day off and came up with this simple motif in honor of MARDI GRAS! The Mardi Gras season has already passed, but I got a little nostalgic. I went to the Big Easy when I was a young 20 years old and had the best time of my life! I’d love a trip back, but at this time I can’t make it happen… this is me reliving the past and wishing for a trip to NOLA in the near future:
Colors used:
China Glaze — Solar Power
Milani Neon — Fresh Teal
Rimmel London 60 Seconds — Pulsating
Sinful Colors — All About You
Sinful Colors — Frenzy
Every nail is the same EXCEPT for, obviously, the ring finger. I used the Milani Neon polish as a base and the Sinful Colors Frenzy glitter polish on top. For the accent nail, I used the Rimmel London polish as a base, created a French tip with the China Glaze, topped the tip with the Sinful Colors All About You, and then drew a black line across the nail to close in the tip.
Hope you like!
Review– Sinful Colors’ Open Seas
I’m a huge fan of nudes and glitters for the summer, and luckily, I ran into this Sinful Colors Collection called Adventure Island. Sound familiar? Sure it is… it’s just an inexpensive version of OPI’s Pirates of the Carribbean collection specially made for all the budget friendly divas out there.
The shade I chose was was Open Seas, a green shade with a grayish undertone. It’s not normal for me to choose a shade like this, simply because I’m a pink/purple/brown shaded girl… I just naturally migrate to those shades! Out of the seven or so shades this collection had to offer, this one jumped out at me. I don’t have an extensive polish collection, but of what I do have, I only have four green shades. This one did not disappoint though… it’s a hit for sure… mainly because it’s $1.99! Another good perk that this polish has is that it is free of some of the most harmful chemicals for nails: toluene, DBP, and formaldehyde.
Another great factor is the polish coverage this shade gives; personally, I think Sinful Colors polish is worth more than what they sell it for but I won’t complain too much 
. You get a great mani without any spots that see-through and it doesn’t go on so thick that indentions are easily shown on the nail.
Check out my mani:
Essie No Chip Topcoat Review
Who’s sick of spending an hour on a home manicure only to have a chip the next day?
**Raises both hands and a foot**
I am so over paying $5 for a top coat that doesn’t work, and each one seems to make better promises than the one before. My latest top coat was one by Sally Hansen… I love those polishes, but I had to give that topcoat the boot once once I saw Essie’s No Chip Topcoat. YOU WANNA KNOW WHY??? Actually there really is no particular reason as to why, but I have faith in the Essie brand. I’ve heard nothing but great things (from the commoner to the fast-paced socialite) about the chic-shaded collection.
The clear coat cost about eight bucks at your local drugstore, and honestly, that’s a steal! This polish is well worth it… it’s my first Essie polish and I’ll be going back for more, simply because the proof is in the pudding. It promises no chips and that’s exactly what you get! I applied an inexpensive polish on my nails on two days ago, topped it with Essie, worked a bar shift, and I still have no chips. This product gets a 5 out of 5 from me!
A late Manicure Monday…
Didn’t really get to do an intricate post like I had hoped but here’s the look that I did:
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I don't have a steady hand!
I used China Glaze’s Watermelon Rind and Milani’s Fresh Teal from the Neon Collection. I had another idea for this polish and I’m thinking of doing it this week, so I’ll keep you posted on what I decided to do!
Manicure Monday– Tequila Gold
Actually, I just made that name up haha… but it’s summer and time to unleash all of your stored energy!
This is my first post dedicated to Mani Monday’s and trust, I’ve got wayyyy more to come. Because of my temporary profession as a bartender, I don’t wear too much nail polish, simply because it’s chips away too fast and dulls out even faster. I’ve vowed to myself that I would at least make an attempt to dress up my nails a bit more and these posts will help me out :D.
First and foremost, you always want to make sure you begin your manicure by exfoliating your hands and cuticles to get rid of any dead skin and soften hands.
I used two different polishes for this look (not sure if you can tell or not). The first is Maybelline’s Express Finish 50-second nail color. I can’t see what the name of the color is because I accidently scratched off the label but it’s a really deep red-orange color. It’s matte, meaning it’s got no hint of shimmer at all, and goes on really smooth. Then, I layered Sinful Colors’ “It’s All About You” on top. If you’re a bargain shopper, you will love Sinful Colors because of their budget-friendly, trendy colors. You can find them at any drugstore, normally running for about $1.99. This color is a clear-based color with loads of gold glitter.
Check out the polishes and mani for yourself:
Tequila Gold
Current mani- Glitter obsession!
I probably absolutely NEVER do my nails for two reasons:
- I never have time
- and I’m always bartending… when I wash the dishes it makes my polish chip and dries my hands out
BUT I finally promised myself that I would start doing them more and since my son has been at home with the flu, I finally have time. I did a glitter mani this week, and surprisingly, I’m already itching to try another color! This week is Maybelline’s Grape Time and Sinful Colors in Pinky Glitter. And I used my DIY spa manicure technique . Feels good to pamper myself!
I also wrote about this mani for IndieCoututre NYC fashion blog.
DIY Spa manicure
Affordable nail care is pretty easy to find right now, but sometimes you may not always have the most satisfying experience. For years, Asian-owned nail salons have been my place of choice for a simple nail job until a little light bulb went off in my head and I discovered that I could do it myself. I have tons of nail products anyway so the deed was as good as done. To be honest though, I’ll never completely give up on my girls because they always do a great job, but nail maintenance in between visits is especially vital.
I have five products in my regimen that target specific problems.
Problem: Dry cuticles
Prescription: Cuticle oil and Revlon cuticle remover
Problem: Dry hands
Prescription: True Blue Spa Just a Minute Hand Scrub
Problem: Weak nails
Prescription: Nicole by O.P.I. Vitamin Plus nail fortifier
Problem: Slow growth
Prescription: Sally Hansen Maximum Growth top coat
Color is always optional in your regimen, it surely never hurts!
I perform a quick manicure on myself that lasts for days. The routine is really simple, and can be repeated every few days or as needed. I try to do mine every four to five days because the polish starts to look dull.
First, I apply the Revlon cuticle remover to the cuticle and the sides of the nails. This helps to soften the cuticles and remove the dead skin. Rinse.
This next part is important because it keeps your nails in tact. I use the True Blue Spa sugar scrub to exfoliate my hands and in between the fingers. I also take the scrub and place it over the cuticles and gently scrub away any excess skin. I did this after four months of missing a manicure at the nail salon and my cuticles looked so fresh afterwards.
Next, I dry my hands off and apply a light coat of lotion. You can use your judgement to figure out what works for you. I personally use any body cream or butter that I may have. I apply two coats of the nail fortifier and finish off with the clear maximum growth top coat. You can apply color of course, but sometimes I opt for healthy and simple looking nails.
Finally, you’re just going to apply a little cuticle oil to the cuticle after the polish dries. This helps to lubricate the cuticles and lock in moisture. Use moisturizing gloves to lock in the oil.
This regimen will only take out a few minutes of your day and it’s well worth it. DIY nail care is always affordable and worth it, especially because salon visits can become costly. Try it out, it works wonders for my hands!
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