Claire's Meg Peg

HELLO FELLOW FOLLOWERS!!

Let me show you my little fren...

I went shopping yesterday, well, sort of...I went stash shopping!!  It's amazing to me that amongst so many np's that some of us have accumulated over time - some for collecting purposes and others, because, well, it was only $1 so I just had to get it!!

Well, this little pretty was neither of those - I received her in a swap from a great NBer!!  It's amazing to me that out of so many pretties, I actually remember each and everyone of them and where they came from and how I acquired them - yet I can't remember to take the clothes out of the washing machine on some days!!  Go figure!

Isn't she pretty?  Look at that holo!!

Sadly she is only one of two Claire np's that I own, the other being Dream Catcher, and that too was also a gift from a swap - from a seperate NBer. 

Meg was a funny little thing.  Her holo just screamed in the bottle, but on the nail, not so much - she more glitteres her way on my nails.  Beautiful none the less. 

She dried with a rather kind of plastic finish *-*  I applied 3 coats.  I intentionally made her a full mani right from the start - I had already done my prep work and applied my treatments, I was not going to back out of it.

I know not all holo's play well with certain bc's or tc's, but the plastic satin finish she had was not something I was expecting.  So, I slapped a regular tc on it (Revlon Color Stay) and finished her off with SV -

her shine was beautiful after that!!  Gotta love SV! (at least I do anyway)

I have been trying out some new nail treatments and I must admit I am rather pleased with the results. New to my routine are Gelous, Salon Science Instant Artificial and Fiberglass Network, also by Salon Science.  All of these products can be found at Sally's.  I have been alternating the Gelous and Instant Artificial but for the most part always use the Fiberglass Network.  I love how strong they feel now with a full manicure, they even look a lot smoother as well.

Well, that does it for me and Meg Peg today.

What have you overlooked from your stash lately?

Funds a little tight but you want the thrill and gratification of a new np - shop your stash!! 

You just might be pleasantly surprised at what you might find, again!!

Until next time - Happy Polishing!!

Don't forget the give-a-way!!

~~Don't be Shy - Leave a Reply!!~~

What I know for sure Wednesday!!

...everything I ever need to know about life -

I learned from my np stash!!

Today I bring to you Racing Green by Barry M.

This np was a dream to apply - but I needed 4 coats since I did not wear my underwear prior to application

I am such a nasty hussy - no underwear!! :-)

Alrighty kiddies - gathering around the computer monitor, you're about to learn something -

so listen up.

NOW IS NOT FOREVER!!

For the most part, I have tried to always make sure my mani's were pretty decent prior to taking a picture.  Sure, who amongst us has not always wanted that picture perfect mani - only to change it, if not that same day, within a few days!!  Oh, what we go through to be beautiful.

Well, now is NOT forever.  Can you imagen only having the same mani day in and day out??  Of course not!  Mani's will change and so does life.  No matter how well we plan and prepare and hope for the best - life is going to take twists and turns that makes us a little disgruntled, upset, angry and confused.  Does any of this sound familiar???

Well, what I know for sure - NOW IS NOT FOREVER!!

See how this mani bubbled on me??  I didn't plan on the bubling, I did all the things I was supppose to do for a great mani - but it happened and yet - I took the picture anyway!!  Yes, I stuck with it and it really doesn't look half bad, right?  I did all the right things, but clearly something happened that I had not factored in.  Now, I could have done one of two things, taken it off and started all over or just be upset and not take the picture.  Clearly I chose to just roll with the punches and use it as a life lesson.

  Just like acetone changes a mani - so will life change it's course.  No matter what your mani looks like now and no matter how much acetone you use, there will be some staining and maybe even some burning if you have a hangnail or a small cut. 

What I know for sure, you have to find the right acetone that works for you!  Mine is meditation and relaxation (okay - mine is really Valium and Vodka - but don't tell my therapist!! *-*) - with a little elbow grease and patience, the staining will come out, the hangnail or cut will heal and the stinging will stop, and we will once again have a clean surface, go back to our stash and ponder the next mani and hope for a better outcome the next time!

Don't you wish life was like a remote control and we could change the chanel when we didn't like the program that was on??  * le sigh*

So, boys and girls, what have we learned today!!

Acetone makes everything better and will change the outlook of your mani - because

NOW IS NOT FOREVER!!

So, until next time - Happy Polishing!!

Don't forget to enter the Give-away if you have not done so already!!

Tell a friend!!

~~Don't be shy - leave a reply~~

Maybelline Monday Mani!!

GOOD MORNING!!

First let me say - OOPS!  My Bad!! 
I forgot to post my Super Sunday Sweepstakes!! 
So, it may be a day late, but it does not fall short of a goodie!!

Here is the giveaway for this week!!

RULES:

1. You must be a follower

2. You must leave a comment this week on a post

3. If you twitter, post about this giveaway

4. Have your own blog, post this giveaway

5.  Leave me your e-mail address (you can do it privately here)

6.  Wanna increase your odds - bring a new friend to become a follower this week.

7.  Hop on your right foot 10 times, hold your breath, wink your left eye - I'm kidding, I'm kidding!! 

That's it!!

Winner will be announced next Sunday (If I don't forget!!)

Winner will have 72 hours to claim their prize!!

(The same winner will not win twice within a 30 day period)

Okay - now on to the Monday Maybelline Mani!!

This was a Dollar Tree find in a double pack that was clearly repackaged from another store called Phar-Mor for $2.59.  Gotta love Dollar Tree finds!!

BRONZE BEAM

First let me say - my DH picked out this np.  Bless his heart, he wanted to be a part of the process.  He ever so gently bent down on one knee, very carefully opened the Helmer (see my red baby in the background) and just began to look through one draw to make an educated decision...and this Maybelline is what he came up with!!

In his defense, he had no idea this was going to be such a PITA to apply and he didn't see my struggling to really make this np look half way decent (which I think is a total fail on my part). This is three days old.

(ARRGG!!  Look at those aweful cuticles!)

The part of this which was solely my fault is that I did not add thinner!!  This stuff dried like pure sand paper!! 

Look at those orange flecks shining!!

Between my mani extender and SV - I smoothed that baby out and when my DH finally saw it he ever so proudly proclaimed "I like that!"  I just politely gave him a sheepish smile with a raised eyebrow and said 'thanks!'

Bless his heart!!

So, considering your seeing the end result what do you think?  I'm a big girl, I can take it!!

Until Next Time...Happy Polishing!!

**DON'T BE SHY ~ LEAVE A REPLY**

FOTD FRIDAY!!

DON'T BE SKERRED - IT'S JUST ME!!

*Am I REALLY doing this?*

What the hell was I thinking when I committed to the FOTD FRIDAY'S????

Well, here I am in all my nekkidness and glory!!  I figured if I start out this way, I really have no where to go but up, right? *just say yes so I'll feel better*

Okay, so, since this is the first time I've ever tried taking pictures of my own face, which is no easy task by the way, this was the best of the worst. 

I do not have oily skin - that is me perspiring from trying to take so many dang pictures in the bathroom!

*there's GOT to be a better way*

So, on this first day I am just bringing to you for your viewing (or laughing) pleasure my day/night skin care routine.  For the duration of this blog and and the FOTD, unless otherwise stated I will only be using Mary Kay Skincare and Cosmetics.  I am NOT a consultant and I am not being paid by a consultant to use this as an advertisement.  The sole purpose of my FOTD Friday's is to educate and hopefully inspire those that have a desire for cosmetics but have always been too afraid to ask.  My goal is to show you MY and only MY personal experiences and opinions on said products, the purpose is to show a method and not to market.  I don't care if you use Lancolm, Estee Lauder, Oil of Olay, Fashion Fair (are they still in business??) or your favorite d/s brand, but by all means find a routine.  I just want people to know that they don't have to believe the hype of all the high end products.  You will find what works for you through trial and error.  It took me years to find a formula that worked for me and it just happened to be Mary Kay.  I have used nothing but MK for 23 years and I am only 30!!  NOT!!  I'm pretty satisfied with this.  So, if it ain't broke - don't fix it, but if it needs tweaking - then make some adjustments.

*steps down off soap box*

1. SO, first things first - NEVER use soap on your face!

ALWAYS use a cleanser, preferrably one with an astringent which will save you some steps.

2. ALWAYS use a moisturizer - NEVER use lotion or vaseline on your face - it clogs your pores!!

*Do this every morning and every evening*

3. NEVER go to bed with make up on and never put make up on a dirty face.

Now, if your under the age of 21,  you can pretty much stop reading right here.  For those of us older, keep reading!! 

4. There is no such thing as too much moisturizer - especially this time of year when the weather is changing, so is your skin.  Just like healthy nails, keep your skin moisturized, moisturized, moisturized.

 *Include your neck in the cleansing and moisturizing*

5. In the morning after cleansing, I use a day time moisturizer with SPF 25, you can go higher if you like - this works for me.  Sunscreen should be applied all year long, not just in the summer.  Sunscreen should be worn when the sun is shining - end of story!!

6. Then I will use a Tinted moisturizer that is SPF 20.

I complete my look with cosmetics (you'll see all that as the weeks go by)

7. In the evening I wash everything off with my cleanser.

8. Then I apply an evening night solution, it's not a solution, that's just the name of it, that has antioxidants and collagen enhancing properties (at my age, I need all the help I can get).

9. I finish with an intense moisturizing cream, the cream isn't intense, that's just the name of it,

brush my teeth and off to bed to watch T.V. or read the NB or a good book!!

Well, that's the first of many to come. 

I hope I didn't sound like a commercial for MK.

I want to keep it simple - skin care maintenance is not complicated - but it can be so complimentary when we all take the time to take care of ourselves.  Take care of your skin today and it will take care of you tomorrow.

So, what's your skin care regiment? 

Do you have one? If not you need one!!

*all highlighted areas are links to referrenced products mentioned in the article to a Mary Kay website - should you desire any of these products, you can shop there directly or with a consultant of your choice*

WHAT I KNOW FOR SURE...

... I LEARNED FROM MY BOTTLES OF NAIL POLISH!!!

WOW!! Can you believe I have been gone for 6 weeks??  It truly doesn't feel like it's been that long, but a day did not go by when I did not receive an e-mail, txt, phone call or even a RAOK from one of you!!

THANK YOU!!  THANK YOU!!  THANK YOU!!

I have been busy with life but not my nails - they really took a beating from lack of TLC - but I think I am back on the road to recovery now.  I've only done 4, yes 4 mani's in 6 weeks and had to cut my nails down to nubbins twice for breaks and chips.  The one thing I will share with you is that I am still not cured from my H1N1, you know, Haz 1 Needz 1 more *giggles to self*.  Anywho, I decluttered my stash and helmerized!!  Not with just 1 but 2! The red ones are really nice - it matches my sitting room!! I am now a hot red sassy helmer owner!!  Told you I was not  cured...and I need 2 more, I still have quite a bit of overflow!! I dare not reveal how many polishes I have!! Let's just say I'm closer to over 1,000 than I am to under 100. :-O  I've only bought 1 collex since I've been away, the VV collex by ChG and a few d/s brands here and there.  I know I have a lot to catch up with. *close your mouths people, it's not nice to read with shock and awe*

 

It has truly been a very humbling experience these past couple of weeks...hence the subtitle.  I will be making a few positive and welcomed changes to my blog, at least I think so anyway.  Wait, it's MY blog and if I say they're good changes, then they are good changes!! :-)  I was and am much too lazy to change my page so I figured I'd just change the contents with-in it.

WHAT I KNOW FOR SURE...

Life is short, just like all of my bottles of np.  Never take any day for granted.  Regardless of what your dealing with today - it will look a little brighter in the morning.  Just like some of my mani's, I hate it the day I do it.  I go to bed, tossing and turning about the ugly mani I did, but the next morning - my mani looks a lot better than what I thought it did the night before, especially once I put mani extender on, it really shines and looks pretty decent - just like my life!!  I lost a good nights worth of sleep worried about something that ended up not being half bad at all. (SMILE) *carefully steps down off soap box*

My future plan is to designate each day to a theme: 

SUNDAY:  Super Sweepstakes Sunday - every Sunday will be a give-a-way by way of a sweepstakes.  WHY, you may ask?  Remember I had quite a few of doubles, so I have decided to give them away to you my readers!!  If your a follower, you're entered.  If you commented that week, you're entered. If you tweeted that week, you're entered. That's it.  (The same person will not win twice with in a 30 day period)  No fuss for me.  You will know the week before what polish(es) will be entered in the sweepstakes and then you can decide if you want to enter that week or not.  *hint - one week someone will win a Hidden Treasure*

MONDAY:  Monday will be my comparison days.  If you want to know if something is a dupe or if you want to see a color comparison - just let me know!!  If I don't have it and can't get it I will let you know.  Monday Matches will be all up to my reading audience.

TUESDAY:  Will still be FATT tuesday (Finger Art Tutorial Tuesday) No explanation needed.

WEDNESDAY: What I know for sure... This day will take on anything and everything under the sun that will relate to some revelation that I received through the week. Please feel free to share with me on those days - because I may use your words of wisdom as well.

THURSDAY:  I have no crafty idea yet, sorry!! :-(

FRIDAY:  This is a new one for me - FOTD!!  Yes, I am coming out from behind the computer screen and will be revealing pieces of me (well my face anyway) to show techniques and routines that I have learned and found to be tried and true over time, for me anyway.

SATURDAY:  NUFFIN!!  I need time to gather myself.

So, there you go - for your selected reading pleasure.

No pics today - no sun and I took no pics while I was on hiatus.  I will be catching up one nail at a time and look forward to hearing from each and everyone of you!!

~~Until next time...Happy Polishing~~

**DON'T BE SHY = LEAVE A REPLY!!!**