My Buoyfriend + Jamberry

Woah. I think this is my first blog in months! (This is Nik, by the way!) As you may or may not know, I had a baby girl in April, so things have been a little crazy around here with a 3.5 year-old-boy, 1.5 year-old-boy, and a one month old girl.

I did find time to do matching Mommy & Me pedicures last week though, We used a mini OPI Strawberry Margarita that Desi sent us!

But that is all an aside, and not the real focus of this post.

One of my August Momma friends (from a group I meant while pregnant with Collin in 2012) started selling Jamberry Nail wraps, and she sent me a sample! I guess that makes this a partial-sponsored post.

I couldn't wait to use it, so I dug through my polish box and found the perfect match for the sample she sent- Sinful Colors "My Buoyfriend."

That blue is GORGEOUS. The formula is wonderful. It really coated perfectly in one coat, but then I smudged my nails changing a diaper (go figure) so I added a second coat.

So, the Jamberry Wrap. It was easy to apply, which is great, and took all of about one minute. The sample was enough for two accent nails. Unfortunately, my particular sample was on the small side, so it was a little small for my pinky nails. 

I tried it on my left hand over a bare nail and over a freshly painted nail on my right hand. I noticed no difference in ease of use.

Fast forward four days...

The wraps are pretty darn durable, which is great on my somewhat flimsy nails. I did approximately 4 loads of hand-washed dishes each day, played outside, and changed a million diapers. They didn't chip or tear.

Today, I am sad to report, I am removing my manicure. Each of my painted nails are super chipped. And it's been hot and muggy here this week and I noticed the wraps slide with pressure so my left nail was getting crooked, but was easy to slide back. My right nail however, is a lost cause. The wrap slid nearly off at the park this morning and when I slid it back, it loosened the polish and peeled away. I guess I don't recommend applying over polish even though they say you can.

Jamberry Nails wraps run for $15 a sheet on the regular, and I am told you can do multiple full manicures (or pedicures) with them!

My friend started her new business at:

http://milasjammies.jamberrynails.net

Someday, when I have some extra cash (not on maternity leave), I would like to buy some more. I probably won't use th during muggy season though. Not sure.

Guess What! Guess Who!

We have an announcement!

Can you guess what it is?

Can you guess who it is? 

Read more:

http://goghgreen.blogspot.com/2013/08/peek-boo-baby.html?m=1

Beam Me Up - Ellagee

The super kind Laura of Ellagee Polish recently sent me three samples from her new Sci-Fi Geeks collection to review!

You can get her polishes at:

http://www.ellagee.com

First up for review is "Beam Me Up."

As described on her website:

Beam Me Up is a sheer gold shimmer topcoat. Inspired by Star Trek transporter effect.

This polish goes on very smoothly. It also seemed to dry really quick. But, when she says it is sheer, she isn't kidding. In most of the photos (the not-macro ones) it's kind of hard to tell I am wearing it!

I started with a base coat of two layers Sinful Colors - Ablaze on all nails except my ring finger, which was one (yes, ONE) coat of Sinful Colors - My Buoyfriend.

On my thumb nail, I did one coat Beam Me Up. On my pointer finger, I used two. On my middle and ring fingers, I did a diagonal stripe of two coats Beam Me Up at the tips, and on my pinky nail, three costs Beam Me Up.

I like the shimmer, and it is really pretty in person, up close, but if you are looking for something with a very noticeable effect, you may be disappointed. I know that I prefer polishes that are more noticeable, but that's just me. It's still very pretty. It shows best on the macro photos.

Oh, and I just have to say that I LOVE the suspension base for these polishes. It's the thicker, dreamy stuff that really requires no shaking. Excellence, for sure.

Mint Manis for Talia Joy

On Tuesday, July 16th, 2013, thirteen year old Talia Joy Castellano lost her battle with cancer. She was a beautiful and inspiring young lady and she exhibited a strength and wisdom beyond her years. She also loved all things makeup and nail polish, posting videos on YouTube as TaliaJoy18. I didn't know Talia personally, but like so many others, my heart was touched by her optimistic attitude in her videos and interview on Ellen. My heart aches for Talia's family and friends, but they are determined to keep Talia's memory alive and reach the goals that she was unable to meet during her short time on Earth.

Today, bloggers and social media users are wearing mint colored manicures in honor of Talia, as that was one of the last photos she posted...she & her mother with matching mint green nails. Nik & I wanted to join in, so here are our #mintmanisfortaliajoy to keep #TaliasLegacy alive!

Desi: I lost a childhood friend to cancer the day after my 11th birthday. Gillian was almost 12 when she died. Our friendship was really just beginning when she got sick. It was very difficult to have to say a final goodbye to someone so young. Every time I watched Talia's videos, I thought of Gillian, so I'm wearing my Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear in Mint Sorbet for both of them today. <3
(I used iPhone apps A Beautiful Mess and Fontgram to edit this photo.)

Nik: While I am a little embarrassed to admit I really didn't know details about Talia until last night, I thought I would join in to honor the life she lived, battle she fought, and legacy she left in the world. 

For my manicure, I used a base cost of Sinful Colors - Mint Apple and then taped my nails to give the tips a coat of Wonder Beauty Products - Aphrodisiac. I love these two together, though its the first time I have used them as a combo.

If you want to share your Mint Manis for Talia Joy on our Facebook page, you can send us a message there (Facebook.com/MommiesManis) and we can upload them to the community mani album, or you can send us an email at mommiesmanis@gmail.com. Or, just upload them directly to our page!

Rawr. Pink and Blue Leopard over Holo

I'm just posting some pictures if my first attempt at leopard print nail art.

I used two coats NYC Sidewalkers and one coat Mentality Holo Top Coat. 

Then I used black, hot pink, and bright blue Sinful Colors Nail Art paints that I nabbed at Dollar Tree.

Pink and Orange Marble Nails

Just a post to show you the first water marble I have done in about 32 weeks.

I used:
Zoya - Jacy
Zoya - Gweneth
Sinful Colors - Cream Pink
Sinful Colors - Boogie Nights
Zoya - Arizona

I did an accent with Sinful Colors - Pinky Glitter. No top coat because then you can see the differences in finishes.

Cream Pink - Sinful Colors

I purchased this a month or so ago and hadn't used it. Today, I broke it out for my toe nails and then decided to use it on my finger nails as well!

Meet Cream Pink by Sinful Colors. It's a hot pink/magenta with gold shimmer.

It goes on and dries like a dream, but I was surprised that it dried brighter (I think) pink than what it looks like in the bottle. They almost don't seem like the same polish!

It dries semi-matte, so after my three coats (for opacity), I added a glossy top coat.

I did all this while playing outside with my boys. You can see photos of the whole adventure on my Instagram (goghgreen) if you'd like!

Photos in the sun, shade, and artificial light in my living room.