Back-to-School Mini Giveaway!

Back-to-School Mini Giveaway

Hello lovely ladies, I am busy getting ready for the school year again! I just wanted to thank all my readers, followers and fellow bloggers for being so supportive as I have just began nail blogging last month! I'm doing a mini (literally, all the polishes are minis!) giveaway to celebrate my first time at blogging and heading back to school! This is my first giveaway ever, so I'd be honored if you'd join me!

What I'm giving away:

Color Club Colors for a Cure

-Bashful

-Angels N' Pink

-Translucent

-In Bloom

OPI Irre-Swiss-ables Mini Collection

-Yodel Me on My Cell

-Lucerne-tainly Look Marvelous

-Color So Hot it Berns
-RapiDry Top Coat

OPI Hong Kong Tiny Takouts 
-Red My Fortune Cookie 

-Dim Sum Plum
-Suzi Says Feng Shiu 
-Rapidry Top Coat

To enter:
-You must be a follower on Google Friend Connect and include your e-mail address in your comment entry (+1 entry)

For additional entries:
-Add my blog to your blogroll and include a link to your blog (+2 entries)
-Post about this giveaway on your blog (with the picture) and include the link in your comment entry (+3 entries)

All entries must be submitted via comments to this blog entry by Wednesday, September 15, 2010, at midnight EST. International entries welcome! Each person can have up to six entries. All prizes were purchased by me.

Thank you all so much for again being part of this awesome experience! I've been having so much fun with this blog and I'm excited to keep on blogging!

Electro Prep

Happy Thursday! I love Thursdays because it's *almost* Friday, but not quite! I'm very excited because the boyfriend will be coming up to visit me on Friday; weekends with the boyfriend are full of cuddling, movies, and food, my favorites! Anyways, I did a hot pink mani yesterday with a different design on each nail. I've seen a lot of really cute designs via my Tumblr, and wanted to give a try at some less traditional nail art. I used Color Club Electro Candy for the base and LA Colors in Black for the designs, as well as Amour Rain Glitter for the accents. I also used different colored rhinestones. I don't own OPI Mad as a Hatter (even though I'd love to!), but of all the swatches I've seen so far, I feel like Amour Rain Glitter is comparable (maybe not a dupe though), if not denser, not to mention cheaper!

Left hand

Right hand

Left hand, with my class ring and a gorgeous pink ring from my sister!

Right hand, with a ring from my aunt and bracelet from the boyfriend!

What do you guys think? Too crazy or just cute enough? I totally rock these nail designs at work (as well as very colorful make-up) and nobody minds; my boss always tells me that I have cute nails!

More awesome giveaways!

Check out All You Desire's awesome China Glaze Vintage Vixen Giveaway! I'd personally love to own Midnight Mission and First Class Ticket the most! What about you?

Polish & Konad is having a Zoya giveaway! I've always wanted to try Zoya polishes because I've heard awesome things, but I just haven't gotten any yet. Check out her awesome blog too!

Michelle from The Lacquer Files is doing an awesome giveaway with Chanel Blue Satin. I absolutely love this gorgeous deep blue color. Check it out: http://www.thelacquerfiles.com/2010/08/chanel-blue-satin-giveaway.html.

China Glaze Custom Kicks

China Glaze Custom Kicks is a gorgeous teal blue with a gold shimmer. I love, love, LOVE this color! It reminds me of the sea in the summer. The color is really special with the gold shimmer. These next photographs show the color as more of a sky blue, but it's a lot darker (like the photo without flash). The only thing I don't like about this polish, is the extreme smurf fingers I get after taking it off; everything is stained!

The actual color is not as bright as these (taken with flash).

P.S. I swear, I'm going to try to improve my photography skills! It's really hard because even though I love my darling little point-and-shoot camera to death, it's also reaching 8-9 years of age (and had an unfortunate accident last semester when a friend dropped my little baby face down while it was on).

First Konad Experience

My very first Konad experience can be summed up in one word: DISASTER. I read the instructions and watched the videos on youtube. I felt ready to take on these little adorable plates. When I got these plates today, for some reason I was expecting CD-size discs; however these are very tiny (which makes sense now that I think about it since how else would the design fit on your nail).

Anyways, I spent two hours trying to do this manicure; very frustrating! I've figured it out a little, but I'd still appreciate any suggestions that you guys can give me! My design wasn't transferring onto the stamp at all... I figured out after a while that I was scraping too much of the nail polish off the plate (literally scraping out the design by accident). Anyways, I finally succeeded in making one bunny. I'm not even sure anymore what color I used (either China Glaze Sugar High or OPI That's Hot! Pink) for the bunny. I really didn't like this manicure, but I'm going to post it anyways, as it is my first Konad-ing! Ignore my horrible job with the white polish (I did poorly keeping it out of my cuticles, as always).

My first Konad plate (S10)

Manicure without the bunny. I used three coats of China Glaze White Out with little pink rhinestones.

Mr. Bun Bun

Also a huge thank you to Asami at Nails by Asami for answering my desperate e-mail about my failed Konad. Check out her blog, she's awesome!

French Manicure 2.1

This past weekend, my mom attended one of her friend's daughter's wedding. I did a standard French manicure and pedicure for her, and then added some flowers/rhinestones for fun! I think she really enjoyed the manicure, minus drying time! I won't show too many feet pictures, in case that kind of thing grosses you out.

I used CND Stickey Base Coat, one coat of China Glaze Innocence, two coats of China Glaze White Out and one coat of Seche Vite.

My mom has really pretty nails/hands!

In the car... toesies and hand!

Bare Escentuals Buxom Lash Mascara

I've been searching around for the perfect mascara for years, and I think I've found it! I got the Buxom Lash Mascara as a deluxe Beauty Insider sample from Sephora. I hadn't heard too many things about Buxom Lash, but it was recommended to me by one of my friends. When I opened it at first, I found the brush huge and a little intimidating! However, the brush works perfectly, even for the lower lashes. Because the brush is hourglass-shaped, I use the round end to get my lower lashes. Also, I find that I don't particularly need waterproof mascara (it's just difficult to remove), so I really love this one! I also have pretty sensitive eyes, and it doesn't irritate them at all.

Brush - actually has a more hourglass shape than what shows in this picture.

Wearing: FreshLook ColorBlend contacts in Green, Sephora Flashy Liners in Flashy Copper, Sephora Flashy Liners in Flashy Silver, Cover Girl Perfect Point in Black Onyx, and Buxom Lash Mascara in Black (lashes not curled yet so it doesn't quite look as fabulous!)

I find that there are so many mascaras out there because they work differently on different people (I personally have tried quite a number and found some of the ones recommended to me by friends not very good for me!) What is your favorite tried-and-true mascara and why?