Click on any of the photos to jump over to my review on We Heart This! 
Left to right: MAC eyeshadow in Daydreaming, MAC lipstick in Sounds Like Noise, MAC nail polish in Riot Girl, MAC Mineralize SkinFinish in Lightscapade [photo from We Heart This] 
[photos from Marilyn @ Lipgloss+Spandex] 1 Comment This spring, Hard Candy released 45 brand-spankin'-new shades of nail polish (see them all here). I was very excited to receive a PR sample of Pixie Pink, which is part of the "Candy Sprinkles" collection/formula.
Hard Candy Nail Lacquer in Pixie Pink$3.97 for 0.26 fl oz Walmart and Walmart.com Suspended in a clear topcoat, shimmery flecks sparkle brilliantly with different shapes of tiny glitter. Candy Sprinkles is a fabulous top coat over any color. About the product: Hard Candy is re-establishing their presence as a brand with a wide array of colors and formulas, as demonstrated by their spring 2013 collection, particularly polishes. And this pretty pastel polish is so on trend! Product description (color/dupes): Pixie Pink is a pastel pink/lavender with pink, silver and teal hex glitter. Pixie Pink and the other Candy Sprinkles polishes from Hard Candy seem to be inspired by the Illamasqua Imperfection/Speckled collection and the Deborah Lippmann Staccato collection. Pigmentation/Application: One coat will give you a decent amount of glitter, but a very sheer milky wash of color that's a little streaky. It took about three coats to get it opaque/less streaky. Texture: It has a slightly gritty feel to it, due to the glitter. A little bit of Gelous and Seche Vite helps to smooth it out. Length of Wear: Unfortunately, this only lasted one day (less than 24 hours) before it started chipping like crazy. Packaging: The packaging is pretty basic. Taller than your average polish, but a smaller base. Value: Four bucks is okay for a smaller than average bottle. Love it or leave it? The fact that it chips in less than 24 hours makes this polish a real bummer. I tried different base coats and top coats and just didn't have any luck. I LOVE LOVE LOVE how it looks, but I'm going to have to say leave it. Lipgloss+Spandex Rating: 
SensatioNail manicure after a week and a half--only one chip, and some nail growth
SensatioNail Starter Kit in Raspberry Wine$49.98 for Gel Cleanser, Gel Primer, Gel Top/Base Coat, Gel Nail Color, LED light, cuticle stick, lint free wipes Your SensatioNail™ Starter Kit includes everything you need for 10 perfect applications! Kit includes the exclusive Pro 3060 LED Lamp - designed to safely and quickly flash- cure your favorite Gel Polish, sealing in the color to a glossy, damage-proof, mirror-like finish. After 10 manicures simply purchase the Essentials Kit and the color of your choice and you're good to go again. I had been curious about gel polish systems for awhile, but wasn't ready to shell out the money to try one. I've already spent too much money trying to do at home acrylic nails (disaster)! But I had heard good things about the SensatioNail set in terms of quality for the price, and I had some Walgreens gift cards from transferring my prescriptions, so I decided to take the plunge since only ended up paying $20 out of pocket for this set. I figured if I botched this like I botched DIY acrylic nails, at least I didn't spend a ton of money on it. Application
Finished ProductMy SensatioNail mani really was hard right after I finished with it! Not hard to the touch like a quick dry nail polish, but actually hard. I applied my layers a little too thick, so the finish wasn't perfectly level, but it wasn't noticeable. The shiny topcoat looked fantastic even after 1.5 weeks, when I removed them. I had only one chip, and a teensy bit of tip wear, which is really impressive (I consider the tip wear is my fault for not capping my nails as per the directions!). With regular polish, I get one week of wear MAXIMUM, and by then the tips are pretty worn looking. I probably could have stretched my mani out to two full weeks, except the gap at the cuticles from new nail growth was driving me crazy. My SensatioNail manicure looked better and lasted way longer than any manicure with regular polish. RemovalThis part sucks. First, you buff off the surface of your mani. Then you can either soak cotton in 100% acetone and then wrap it around your nail with aluminum foil for 15 minutes, or you can soak your fingertips in a bowl of 100% acetone for 15 minutes. After that, you scrape the remaining polish off with the SensatioNail tool (some may have already flaked off). I tried following the directions but the polish was REALLY stuck on there. Removal is definitely more time consuming and more annoying than with regular polish, by FAR. It sucks. I've heard other brands of gel color are easier to remove, and you can supposedly use different colors with the SensatioNail system, but I haven't tried that yet. Tips and Tricks
Further reading: This article and this article provide some useful information about gel manicure issues and how to fix them. These articles are short but really helped me! Overall, I'm really really happy with my SensatioNail manicure and how long it lasted, I felt that the application process was easy enough, but I found it to be a little time consuming, and the removal process is annoying. If you like changing your polish frequently, this is not the system for you. But it sure beats the price of salon gel nails! Lipgloss+Spandex rating: 
Forty. Five. Shades. That's a lot. And if you love glittery and shimmery and sparkly polishes, you're going to freak out. Especially since they're less than four bucks a pop. 
Sooo... I want Crush on Lava, Little Hottie, and pretty much ALL of the Crystal Confetti, Glitteratzi and Candy Sprinkles colors. The bottles look smaller(?) but maybe they're taller and narrower? Still, at this price point, I'm pretty excited to see these in person. I received two press samples and will be posting reviews soon :) Did you see any shades you like? Or do you avoid bling-tastic nail polish? Just wanted to share my quick little St. Patty's Day FOTD and NOTD from yesterday! Fell asleep on the couch before posting, so they're a day late :P I know it's a little "out there," but that's what St. Patrick's Day is all about! And green beer. I received some press samples of bella by Violent Lips lip appliques in Shamrock:
bella by Violent Lips in "Shamrock"$7.99 for two temporary lip appliques Celebrate St. Patrick's Day in Style. Sport the Luck of the Irish with our Limited Edition Shamrock Lips by Violent Lips. Each package includes 2 Temporary Lip Appliques. I hate to say it... but I was really underwhelmed! I've never tried Violent Lips lip appliques before. They're super cute. But they're a little difficult to apply. I cut mine a little too small and had trouble getting the cardstock to line up on my lips correctly. They're basically temporary tattoos for your lips, which is theoretically an easy application process, but in actuality it's not quite that simple! And, unfortunately, the appliques on the top and bottom lip starting sticking to each other and tearing and splitting within minutes of application. Bummer. A little balm over the top would probably help next time. I'd still consider picking up a pair of these for a special event or a fun run, but I probably wouldn't buy these otherwise. Lipgloss+Spandex rating:  Chetana from StyleCraze has come up with a Valentine's Day nail art tutorial exclusively for Lipgloss+Spandex! Check it out... Nail art has become increasingly popular these days and there is something in kitty for everyone. Patterns, prints, French manicures, stickers, decals, caviar art and lots more. But they are a few who are hesitant to try nail art as they think that it would be too hard for them to do it, but trust me it’s not that hard, even for the beginners. Here is a simple tutorial for Valentine’s Day special nail art that you can try.
Spring is here and China Glaze® is blossoming with vibrant color with its new collection, Avant Garden. The delectable palette flows between soft hues and vibrant pops of color, offering an unconventional bouquet of cheerful and vivid shades. Take a stroll down the China Glaze® path, passing a bubbling brook of light and bright blues. Take in the view of the mossy green meadow and stop to enjoy the fragrant flowers of soft pink and white. Let Avant Garden take you away to a playful, romantic field of color and innovation this Spring. The Avant Garden shades include: · Budding Romance: moss green · Sunday Funday: bright blue · Fancy Pants: indigo with pink and purple shimmer · Snap My Dragon: bright red with pink shimmer · Passion for Petals: bright salmon-pink · Mimosas Before Manis: coral with a light wash of shimmer · Life is Rosy: blushed mauve · Pink-ie Promise: iridescent baby pink · Tart-y for the Party: light lavender creme · Fade Into Hue: periwinkle creme · Keep Calm, Paint On: sea foam green · Dandy Lyin’ Around: shimmery vanilla icing Available March 2013, individually as well as in the six packs. 
I love every single one of the Blooming Brights, but the Pastel Petals just aren't that exciting to me, except for "Keep Calm, Paint On." What do you think of this collection? Disclaimer: Photos and information provided by PR. Laura Mercier nail lacquer in En Pointe (Arabesque Collection for Spring 2013, Limited Edition)01/14/2013  Laura Mercier nail lacquer in En Pointe$18.00 for 0.35 fl oz Limited Edition The ultra-smooth formula provides chip-resistant, fast-drying and long-lasting color. Nail Lacquer does not contain formaldehyde, toluene, or dibutyl phthalate (DBP). En Pointe is a semi-sheer light pink polish with just a tinge of peach. It's very "office appropriate" and also good for a "your nails but better" sort of look. Colors like this are great because even when they chip, it's hardly noticeable. Two coats will get you a fairly sheer coverage, while three coats creates a nearly opaque look. I'm going to Las Vegas in January and will get to see my first Cirque du Soleil show! I'm pretty sure I neeeeeed to paint my nails with this new China Glaze Cirque du Soleil - Worlds Away collection before my trip. It's meant to be. Really. The timing of the collection and the timing of my trip... And I think I also need the Ardell lashes to complete the look. They're perfect for Vegas, since they're flashy but not too flashy. The entire collection is supposed to be available NOW at Sally Beauty, Ulta, and other beauty retailers.
Are you excited about any of these nail polishes? I just bought It's a Trap-eze on Friday and am testing out the length of wear right now. :) Disclosure: Images were provided by a PR company. I'm loving this new limited edition collection from Laura Mercier! 
Laura's inspiration for 2012 draws from her background as a fine art painter and focuses on the mood and attitude of women through different art periods. For the holiday season, Laura was inspired by the decorative architecture, style and mood of the Art Deco period in Paris in the mid-1920's, most notably the beautiful paintings of the artist Tamara de Lempicka... Laura created rich makeup shades of gold, red and black to beautifully contrast each other and add sharp definition that is geometrical, powerful and beautifully ornamental. |  Hi, I'm Marilyn!
I'm 27, live in the PNW, am obsessed with makeup and fun ways to work out. I also write for WeHeartThis. 
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