OPI Russian Navy Suede With Topcoat & A Giveaway Roundup

I love my OPI Russian Navy Suede! This is 2 coats and a topcoat. I love it with or without a topcoat. Gorgeous! My heart would break if I ever lost the ring in this picture. Without a doubt my favorite material possession. I picked it up in New Orleans several years ago.

There are some really good giveaways in today's roundup. I love blog giveaways because you actually have a pretty good chance of winning! (And you may find yourself some new readers!) Check out the Point Blank Art giveaway (#6) for example. There are only 4 entries at the time of this posting! Go enter and tell me if you win! Also check out #11. You can win an amazing prize pack that includes products from Illamasqua, MAC, Zoya & many more. Anyone who likes traditional tattoo art and handmade awesomeness should check out #15. Only 25 entries so far!

Giveaway Roundup

1. Win your choice of Flirty Aprons from Evenflo & Two of a Kind. Ends 2/1.
2. Win 2 pairs of socks of your choice from Ozone Socks & Mommy 2 Two Girls. I love over the knee socks & they have some really unique options! Ends 2/1.
3. Win a $50 gift certificate to Snapfish from Lipstick to Crayons. Ends 2/1.
4. Win Cowgirl Chocolates from Mommy Loves Giveaways. They make all sorts of hot & spicy chocolates that I have been wanting to try for well over a year! Ends 2/1.
5. Win a Slanket from a Mom's Balancing Act. (The word slanket makes me laugh.) Ends 2/1.
6. Win your choice of prints from Point Blank Art & Nerdlike. You may remember me telling you about Point Blank's prints in my Halloween post. Go enter this one now! There are only a few entries so far. Ends 2/1.
7. Win your choice of shapewear from DuMi & the Funky Monkey. Ends 2/1.
8. Win your choice of Flirty Aprons from Silver Savings. Ends 2/2.
9. Win a Shabby Apple dress from This Mama Rocks. Ends 2/2.
10. Win Hampton Sun Sunless Tanning Gel from Sweeps4Bloggers. Ends 2/2.
11. Win a prize package of beauty goodies worth almost $1000 from Krasey Beauty. Ends 2/3.
12. Win a Kodak Digital Frame from Mommy Goggles. Ends 2/3.
13. Win your choice of Flirty Aprons from a Little of This and a Little of That. Ends 2/3.
14. Win a Sodastream from Sweeps4Bloggers. Ends 2/3.
15. Win a set of articulated paper dolls (these are so cool!) from Illustrated Ink & Tattoo Tales. Ends 2/3.
16. Win a $50 gift certificate to Sanpfish from Rockin Mama. Ends 2/3.
17. Win a $25 gift certificate to Good Judy from Handmade Guru. ends 2/3.
18. Win Cowgirl Chocolates from Fab Find Foodie. Ends 2/3.
19. Win a CleanRest package (for folks with allergies!) from Emmys Boos ans Rawrs. Ends 2/4.
20. Win an Air-O-Swiss humidifier from Thanks, Mail Carrier. Ends 2/4.
21. Win a Parazul handbag from Theta Mom. Ends 2/4.
22. Win an Adi Bakshi scarf from Fashion Fling. Ends 2/4.
23. Win a $50 gift certificate to Omaha Steaks from the B Keeps Us Honest. Ends 2/4.
24. Win a sweater & shirt from Land's End & the B Keeps Us Honest. Ends 2/4.
25. Win your choice of Swanky Aprons from the Adventures of Paul & Natalie. Ends 2/4.
26. Win your choice of Flirty Aprons from Rockin Mama. Ends 2/4.
27. Win a $70 gift certificate to J. Fold from Born 2 Impress. Ends 2/4.
28. Win a $40 gift certificate to Skindecent and a jar of Manicure in a Minute from Handmade Guru. Ends 2/4.

Thanks for reading!
April

Sinful Vacation Time & A Giveaway Roundup

This is 2 coats of Sinful Vacation Time. This is a nice neutral shade if I need to be conservative with my nails. I really can't figure out what color it is though. Dusty, brownish pink? Help me out ladies. Nice formula & easy application. $2 at Walgreens. Here it is with Konad plate M63 in hounds-tooth. I used E.L.F. Dark Navy ($1) for stamping. Not my best Konad effort, but that hounds-tooth pattern sure is amazing!

Giveaway Roundup

• Win POM Wonderful from Mint Green With Envy. Hurry ends tonight!
• Win a set of pillowcases from Snooze City Designs & Sweeps4Bloggers. Ends 1/30.
• Win a box of Dove Chocolate Discoveries Truffles from Rockin Mama. Ends 1/30.
• Win a Price-Pfister Faucet from Multi-Testing Mommy. Ends 1/31.
• Win a Water Lily Showerhead from Evolve Shower Heads & Night Owls Perch. Ends 1/31.
• Win a Sodastream from Confessions of a First Time Mommy. Ends 1/31.

Thanks for reading!
April

Sinful Big Daddy

This is three coats of Sinful Big Daddy. Nice formula & easy application. This a great option for any orange lovers on a budget at $2 a bottle. As far as I can tell it's somewhere between a creme and a jelly. The picture is very color accurate.

Thanks for reading!
April

American Apparel Has NOT Been Recalled

Someone wrote an anonymous comment on my American Apparel post about the new line being recalled sometime last week. I couldn't find any information to support the assertion, so I chose not to publish the comment. I have since started to hear more rumblings about this but I couldn't find any information that seemed reliable. I decided to go straight to the company and ask them for the truth.

Here is American Apparel's email response.

Hey April,

Really strange about the comment and thank you for letting us know. The response to the nail lacquer completely exceeded our expectations and we sold out of the initial run almost immediately. We weren't totally pleased with some of the packaging and we worked with the manufacturer to make improvements last week. They should all be back in all the US and Canadian stores within the next week and half. It's all being bottled as we speak, but that's the reason you can't get them right now.

I'll send you some new samples when they arrive at the factory. There will be almost no discernible difference to an outsider but we obsess about quality. It's actually the reason we make all our products in the USA - so we can monitor it like this and make changes on the fly.

Thanks!

Nichole

PS: Same address?

Nichole has asked that I not post her contact information because she is not the company's official PR rep. She says she will be happy to answer any questions from my readers though!

So they have NOT been recalled. Instead they sold out of the initial production. My guess would be that they are changing the bottle a bit since some were breaking in transit.

Please pass this info along to your readers if you think they might be interested.

Thanks for reading!
April

Update: American Apparel also has this to say in response to the article on Jezebel this morning.

On another note, one thing we're taking very seriously is the disposal of the bottles we had in the stores. Even though our polish was DBP, toluene, and formaldehyde-free, we don't want our stores just tossing it in the trash. We're using our internal shipping and distribution line to arrange a pickup and removal of the polish to make sure it gets done right.

Zoya Blair & A Giveaway Roundup

Zoya Blair is one of the only reds that I own. My boyfriend Will picked it out for me and I think he did an excellent job. Gorgeous, blackened wine color shimmer. I have three Zoyas so far and I truly love them all. Great formulas and lovely colors. This is three, easily applied coats. NailTek Foundation II on my ring & pinkie for a matte effect.

Giveaway Roundup

• Win a case of Ritter Sport Chocolate Minis (that's 84 minis!!!!) from Mission Mommy. Ends 1/24.
• Win a Zero Water Pitcher from Silver Savings. Ends 1/24.
• Win the apron of your choice from Flirty aprons & Sweeps4Bloggers. Ends 1/27.
• Win a WaterPik Easy Select Shower Head from 3Kids&Us. Ends 1/28.
• Win a BARBAR Eco-8000 Professional Eco Friendly Blow Dryer from Art of Random Willy-Nillyness. Ends 1/29.
• Win Nail'd & Polish'd's all-time favorite nail goodies. Ends 1/29.
• Win the EarthLust Stainless Steel Water Bottle of your choice (gorgeous options!) from My Wee View. Ends 1/29.

Thanks for

Sinful Secret Admirer & A Giveaway Roundup

I have had great luck with the Sinful polishes I have tried so far. Secret Admirer costs $2 & I can get away with just one coat if I'm careful. I really love any nail polish that can look good with one coat. Sometimes I'm in a hurry! Black creme nail polish is not something I'm interested in wearing. (or any of those polishes that look black unless you are in the sun, for that matter!) But the superfine silver shimmer in Secret Admirer makes this black polish a winner for me. This Sinful polish is great for Konad and nail art because it is so pigmented. It worked great for the tuxedo on my Dracula nails.
I used Nail Tek Foundation II on my ring and pinkie fingers for a matte effect.


Giveaway Roundup

• Win a PUR Water pitcher from Saving Cents with Sense. Ends 1/21.
• Win a gorgeous lingerie set from Diary of a Vintage Girl. Ends 1/21.
• Win a $300 Target gift card from Health Bistro. Ends 1/22.
• Win a Hairfree Ceramic Brush Set from Sweeps4Bloggers. Ends 1/23.
• Win a Yak Pak Nobu Handbag from Sweeps4Bloggers. Ends 1/23.
• Win a set of Wilton's Ultragold Bakeware from Outnumbered 3 to 1. Ends 1/23.

Thanks for reading!
April

American Apparel Cotton & An American Apparel Water Marble

American Apparel sent me four of their polishes to try out.The colors from left to right are Poppy, Cotton, Manila & Hassid.

I LOVE the bottle shape! I wish flat & rectangular was the standard shape for nail polish bottles. They just stack up so nicely!

While these are not the colors I would have chosen for myself, I immediately thought that the colors looked gorgeous together.

I decided to try Cotton first. It's a soft white creme finish; the color of a nice cold glass of whole milk. This never has that stark, 'I painted my nails with white-out' look.
Cotton looks fantabulous with my skin tone! I ended up wearing it for 5 days!! I usually change my polish every day or two, but this was so nice and went with every outfit. I thought I would just leave it so I could tell you how well it lasted. I took all of these photos on day 5 and there is some minor tipwear, but NO chipping.
This took three coats and I was a little worried when I applied the first very streaky coat. The formula was a little thick so I added a couple of drops of thinner. That fixed the formula right up. I think I can do just two coats next time.

Like I said, I think the colors that American Apparel sent me look great together, so I thought I would try some nail art. I got the idea for the three stripes from this great Lacquer Laine post. I just did one nail and I didn't do nearly as nice of a job as she did, but I think her technique is very doable with a little practice. I love the result.

I also decided to try out my first water marble! I have read that the American Apparel Nail Polish line is very pigmented, so I thought they would work well for this technique. I used dixie cups and one drop each of Poppy, Manila, & Hassid for each nail. This was super easy and the result is so awesome that I can't believe I did this all by myself!

This nail is my personal favorite.

I had so much fun playing with these polishes. What do you ladies think of the American Apparel line so far? I'll be posting Poppy in a few days and tell you more of my thoughts on The American Apparel brand soon.

Thanks for reading!
April

Disclosure: I was provided a product sample by American Apparel. This in no way affects my opinions of the product. For more information read my Disclosure Policy.

Nina Ultra Pro Leaf Me Alone & A Giveaway Roundup

I picked this up at Sally's. This took three coats, no application issues. It's a lovely medium green creme.


Giveaway Roundup

• Win a $50 N-Fini gift certificate from TicTacDough. Ends 1/19.
• Win a $40 gift certificate to Chocomize from One 2 Try. Ends 1/19.
• Win a Soda Stream Soda Kit from Mommy2TwoGirls. (I want this so much!) Ends 1/19.
• Win a Soda Stream Soda Kit from The Mommy Files. (I will win one of these darn things some day!) Ends 1/19.
• Win a free dress rental from Rent the Runway & Twirlit. (If you haven't heard about Rent the Runway yet, go check this out!) Ends 1/20.
• Win a case of Oogave Soda from SilverSavings. Ends 1/20.
• Win a Rembrandt Whitening package from What's Cooking at DD. Ends 1/20.
• Win a Burt's Bees gift basket ($165 worth!) from To the Max. Ends 1/20.

Thanks for reading!
April

Sally Hansen Hard As Nails Gunmetal & A Giveaway Roundup

This is two coats of Sally Hansen Hards As Nails in Gunmetal. No application issues, but I only feel so-so about the color. I use this one for Konad, but that's all. I used Nail Tek Foundation II as a matte topcoat on my ring and pinkie in the first picture. I was hoping it would be more appealing to me matte but it still didn't do much for me.


Giveaway Roundup

• Win 250 business cards from UPrinting & The Penny-Pinching Mama. Ends 1/17.
• Win a Karma Organic Nail Care & Polish Set from Sweeps4Bloggers. Ends /17.
• Win a case of Ritter Sport Minis from Sweeps4Bloggers. Ends 1/17.
• Win a Giant Market Bag from Gorilla Sacks & Sweeps4Bloggers. Ends 1/18.
• Win a sampler pack of OOBA from TicTacDough. Ends 1/18.

Thanks for reading!
April

Charlotte Russe Unamed (Mettalic)

This polish says metallic on the label and I originally thought that was it's name. I figured out today that is just a category of Charlotte Russe polishes. They have a few labeled Metallic, a few labeled Chunky Glitter and another category that I can't remember right now. Anyway, this unamed polish is lovely! Charcoal with very fine holographic glitter. This one never looks black in any light and you can always see some of that holo glitter! Opaque in two, easily applied coats. Nothing special about the bottle or brush, but no complaints either. I didn't even know that Charlotte Russe carried nail polish; I picked this up on whim while helping Ashley shop for a New Year's Eve outfit. I say it was a good purchase at $3.50. Fairly unique and very wearable. I really want to pick up a bottle of their Jade color after seeing it on Polish Up's blog.

N.Y.C. Downtown & A Giveaway Roundup

I have already gone through my first bottle of this polish and purchased a back-up. I know you're all thinking, "But April, it's so boring!". I actually agree with you. I've only worn this on my hands once to get pictures.
N.Y.C. Downtown lives on my toes! I haven't changed the color in ages. This polish costs .94 cents at Target, is opaque in one coat & just seems to be a classic color that I don't have to think about. I know my toes will look good and it will go with everything. Nice berry creme in one coat for a buck is a no-brainer in my world!
Do you ladies change your pedicure polish as frequently as you do your nails? Do you stick with a few neutral colors most of the time or do you go wild and crazy?

I used Nail Tek Foundation II on my ring & pinkie for a matte effect.

Giveaway Roundup

• Win a $50 gift certificate to Leanna Lin Jewelry from Dandy Giveaway. Hurry! Ends tonight!
• Win a Fountain Jet Soda Starter Kit from Soda Stream & Dandy Giveaway. Hurry! Ends tonight!
• Win a Bird in Flight Necklace from Down & Out Chic. Ends 1/12.
• Win a Dremel Multi-Max from 3 boys and a dog. Ends 1/12.
• Win a $40 gift certifcate to Joy of Soap From Sweeps4Bloggers. Ends 1/16.

Thanks for reading!
April

Sally Hansen Insta-Dri Blue Streak & Jumpin Jade

Here are a couple of Sally Hansen Insta-Dri pictures that I've been meaning to post for ages. I personally LOVE everything about the Insta-Dri line. I have very wide nails, so the extra wide brush is perfect for me. I know a lot of you ladies can't stand the brush though. I also love the formula on the two I have tried so far. One coat for both of these colors. One coat and a super fast dry time is impossible to beat in my world. I recently took the RBL Spongebob Collection off of my want list because I just can't stand the thought of doing 5 coats!

I really want more of this particular Sally Hansen line. Lickety-Split Lime was at the top of my lemming list over the summer, but I never found it here in Tulsa. What do you ladies think of this line? Are there any colors you love in spite of the brush?

First up is Blue Streak. For some reason, I never end up liking turquoise on my nails. It's one of my favorite colors, so I really have no explanation for this quirk of mine. The color is lovely and I think it might work well for Konad. (The bubbles were from some random base coat I was trying.)



Next we have Jumpin Jade. I LOVE this one! Not the most unique color in the polish world any more, but super gorgeous just the same. I tried Nail Tech Foundation II as a matte topcoat on my ring finger but wasn't happy with the result. It totally erased the shimmer and made my nail look like green rubber.


Thanks for reading!
April

Link to a list of weird color names with photos.

I love this link! Can you ladies come up with a polish to go with each of the colors? Our collection is not nearly large enough to do so yet. Malachite, Gamboge, Fallow, Razzmatazz, Falu Red, Arsenic, Feldgrau, United Nations Blue, Xanadu, & Caput Mortuum. Such great names and the post tells the history of each color. Please feel free to steal this link and do a post with polishes that go with each color. I would love to see them!!!

Thanks for reading.
April