PolishGalore: Nails In Real Life

Press Sample 

 2015 has been really crazy, really scary, and really awesome all at the same time. I had a baby, I quit a really good job but for an even BETTER job, and I've been really busy on the home front. I'm still attempting to balance home, work, and fun but while I'm figuring that one out, I wanted to show you a few "nails in real life" - polishes that I didn't review for the blog but I actually wore. Some were press samples (which is why I've labeled this post as such) but some I bought myself. I tend to post more to Instagram when it's quick snapshots like this but now I hear that even Instagram is limiting what people see (thanks Facebook for buying Instagram and applying the same 'pay for play' business model).

 In July, I went to Cosmoprof North America for less than 24 hours. Not sure that I will ever put my body through that again, but it was still fun. I really wanted something flashy so I knew I was going to wear ILNP "Mega (X)" from the Summer 2015 collection but I wanted some base creme to layer it over, so I went with Love, Angeline "Did You Say Peppercorn?!" which is a matte grey creme.  Add 2 coats of "Mega (X)" and we were in business.

After Cosmoprof I needed something nice but neutral for my job interview so I went with ILNP "Long Walks" from the Summer 2015 collection. It's a dusty purple/taupe with a little bit of bronze shimmer - nothing too flashy but still had something to keep me interested.
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After my neutral color, I wanted something flashy, so I grabbed F.U.N. "Goodness Of The Dawn" from the Summer 2015 collection. Only 2 coats and removal wasn't too terrible despite the glitter overload.
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So I didn't get to see any of my Cosmoprof beauties for a few days because I had to have them shipped to me (THANK YOU SO MUCH THE DAILY NAIL!) but one that wowed me was Fair Maiden Polish - "Just a Mirage". I already love all things purple and holo but this was a nice plum with red base and only 2 coats.

After getting my new job, I knew I wanted to start off with some color. I blindly picked China Glaze "I Brake For Colour" from the Spring 2015 Road Trip collection. I felt like I wimped out a bit by not going crazy neon holo nuts but I didn't want anyone to think I was too crazy (yet).

My second week of work seemed to be a bit more demanding on my hands, so I opted for Gelish MINI "From Rodeo to Rodeo Drive" from the Fall 2015 Urban Cowgirl collection. It reminded me a little of ILNP "Long Walks" minus the bronze shimmer. This was only 2 coats but I should have used 3.

Then I snapped a few nails so I decided to cut them down to super nubbins - absolutely no free edge. I forgot how liberating they can be, especially when typing! To show off, I used ILNP "Missed Calls" which is a fantastic charcoal black holo that I am obsessed with.

Next I decided to go with Colors by Llarowe "As Rome Burned" from the August 2015 A Box, Indied collection. I seriously want to wear this all the time. NO staining either which is something I was really worried about. Only 2 coats but it did dry matte so I needed a good top coat to bring out the shine.

I decided to go for another Gelish MINI after that - this is "Brights Have More Fun". I was nervous about trying a neon without a white base coat, but you can see it did pretty well on its own.
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Two weeks later and my nubs got out of control as well as my cuticles. I also tend to get hangnails on my index and middle fingers and I really try to leave them alone. But to feel pretty, I put on Glam Polish "Bohemian Rhapsody".

But then I decided to go dark blue to match my outfit when we were headed to a wedding. This is ILNP "After Midnight" from the Fall 2015 Collection.

Just one day later, I was moving to ILNP "Money Bin" to coordinate with the La Palmera #ReadySetGold Fashion Show that I attended.

 Just a short time later, I was heading to Florida for training at my new job. I was super excited to go on a trip so I decided to bring a little ILNP with me. This is "Walking Home" and the purple holo is SO in your face. I was obsessed.
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Despite owning tons of ILNP, I hadn't worn any of the multichrome crazy polishes yet so I decided I was going to wear ILNP "Cameo". I ended up going almost a whole week in this polish and couldn't stop playing with the color shift from purple to green to gold. Loved it!

Last week, a friend was eloping, so a bunch of us did manis to surprise her. I wanted something red and holo-y so I used both Morgan Taylor "Ruby Two-Shoes" with Starrily "Poisoned Apple" for this beautiful combination.

And now on my hands I have Polished by KPT "No Makeup Needed" which is a nude holo. After all the red and purple I had been wearing, I felt like wearing something a little neutral. I'm on Day 5 of this mani and while I need to remove it before Saturday (family photos!), it's held up very well.
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And there you have it! That's been my "Nails In Real Life" and while I wished I had properly photographed and written a review for the blog, I'm glad that I at least documented them on Instagram. Do you have any favorites from what I wore?

 Disclosure: The product[s] in this post was [were] provided to me by the company for consideration.  For more information, please read this post.
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La Palmera Presents The Ready Set Gold Fashion Show 2015

Sponsored Post 

 Pediatric Cancer. Two words that no parent wants to associate with. As the mom of two young boys, I have been lucky to have them both be healthy thus far in their short lives. However, for some families, pediatric cancer is part of their daily lives.

 La Palmera mall [Website | Facebook | Twitter |  Instagram | Periscope | Pinterest | YouTube] located in Corpus Christi, partnered with the Ready or Not Foundation [Website | Facebook] and other local organizations and created the Ready.Set.Gold campaign [website] to help raise both awareness and funds for all forms of pediatric cancer. Today, I was invited to be a VIP at the Fashion Show held in Center Court.

 The Ready or Not Foundation was founded in Corpus Christi by Barbara Canales following the 2006 diagnosis of her daughter Jackie's brain tumor at age 6. She ran into a tree, which caused a doctor's visit which ultimately revealed the tumor. As a symbol of everything the Canales family went through, a special fundraising tree provided by H-E-B was placed in Center Court of La Palmera. The branches signified a $100 donation while the golden leaves were $1 donations. Barbara stated that over 1300 leaves were on the tree and this was actually the second time they had filled the tree this month. That's over $2600 in local donations towards pediatric cancer research.
Image via La Palmera Facebook
I got to meet Jackie, who's in remission and continues to raise funds and awareness for pediatric brain cancer research.

My afternoon started with valet parking, provided by La Palmera. We rarely use valet parking, but it's something I really would like to utilize this winter with 2 little boys, holiday shoppers, and that price is right. Considering I just paid $42 a DAY for valet parking at the Riverwalk in San Antonio, I am definitely okay with this pricing.

A photo posted by PolishGalore (@polishgalore) on

Next we got to meet the models who were going to be walking in the show. Their hair and makeup was provided by Aveda and some of the models had their nails done. Unfortunately, none of the models knew what brand or color they were wearing but gel was the favorite among the ladies.
A photo posted by PolishGalore (@polishgalore) on

Next we stopped at the H-E-B Giving Tree and took a photo.

Then it was time for the Fashion Show! Fashions were featured by Macy's, street-savvy footwear by Journey's, stunning accessories from Michael Kors, and special appearances from Build-A-Bear, Sun Optics and Scrub Hub.






The crowd went wild for this Cowboys Themed dress and Build-A-Bear. Gotta love Texas!


This Twiggy inspired look was one of my favorites. It's just the right amount of black and sophistication that makes me want to Wednesday Adams out.


These black on black patterned pants were everything to me. I'd love to pair it with a white shirt to make it pop!

This local model has been affected personally by pediatric cancer. He was such a joy and rocked the runway!

This white and gold dress on the left model was to DIE for. It featured 3/4th" sleeves and fell just above the knee. The back also had a cut out for a little peek-a-boo effect.






Natalie Sanchez, local style maven who manages the Michael Kors Shop-in-Shop at Macy's helped organize the Ready Set Gold Fashion Show and provided both opening and closing remarks.

Barbara Canales (left), founder of the Ready or Not Foundation closed out the show.

 You can still donate to the Ready Set Gold through September by visiting this link. After September, you can donate directly to the Ready or Not Foundation by visiting their website.

 Thank you again to La Palmera for inviting me to be a VIP guest for this show!

 Disclosure: Some services in this post were provided to me by the company for consideration.  For more information, please read this post.
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Color Club Under The Blacklight

 Nothing To Disclose

 Color Club has really taken steps to brand themselves in the last few years, starting with the new logo and crisp white caps. This year, they are going even further by enlisting world renowned nail artist Robert Nguyen to help promote their lines which includes gel (and the Halo Hues in gel form!) and they just launched their Color Club Sports website for all those sports lovers in your lives.

 But recently, I came across a deal on Zulily that included duo sets of the Poptastic Pastel Neon collection for $8 each, so I swooped in and got them all. Today I have Under the Blacklight, a pastel neon yellow. I used a base coat of Glisten & Glow Stuck on Blu!, 3 coats of polish and finished with Digital Nails Ain't Nobody Got Time For That. It took all 3 coats to even out and not be streaky or chalky. I was actually pretty happy with that, as yellows are notorious for being problem children.
Here in my light box, you can see how buttery happy this color is. No white coat underneath needed! I know that this whole pastel neon thing was a thing and I don't hate it but I'm not sure that I love it.
Here in the sun, you can see a little bit of coat build up near my cuticles which is why I stress that you need thin coats when applying any polish. You don't want to see the lines where you've added more.
In the shade, the color really takes on the pastel nature and makes it more eye pleasing to me. My husband thinks it looks more green than yellow in real life and here it almost has a lime look to it.
Finally inside with indirect light, you see that buttery softness again. This is a great addition for nail art or a great base for some nail art but I'm not sure that I would wear it on a daily basis. 
Color Club is located on several etailers, including Head2Toe Beauty which has it for $3.50 or on their own website for $8.50 each.  You can also Like them on Facebook, Follow them on Twitter, follow on Instagram, follow on Pinterest and subscribe on YouTube.
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nubar Royal Charlotte Pink

Press Sample 

 To celebrate the birth of the new Princess Charlotte of Cambridge, nubar came out with a mini bottle aptly named Royal Charlotte Pink. This is in the same line as their shade Royal George Blue mini which was introduced after his birth.

 I used a base coat of Duri Rejuvacote, 3 coats of polish and finished with Digital Nails Ain't Nobody Got Time For That. This is a very sheer polish, even with three coats and has small and medium opaque pink glitter.
Here in my light box you can see just how sheer it is. It's almost a Barbie pink base but it's almost more of a jelly than anything else. 
Same story here in the sun. The glitter wasn't too hard to work with. I dabbed the polish on first, then brushed it on, so that some of the glitter would come back onto the brush, but not all of it.
Not much variation here in the shade. I didn't have any issues with the glitter sticking up after just one layer of top coat.
Indoors with indirect light and it's just all the same story - sheer, glitter, jelly-like. I'm not sure how many times I'll be wearing this polish. It's a nice novalty and it's the only pink glitter I can think that I own, but I'm not biggest fan of the jelly like formula.

 The Royal bottles are available for a limited time for $5 each. Because the nubar website is having problems here at press time, your best bet for ordering is to call them directly at 818-241-0519.

 nubar [Website | Facebook | Twitter] can be purchased on their website for $8.00 a bottle in the US.  They do have international retailers in Russia, Sweden and the UK.  

Disclosure: The product[s] in this post was [were] provided to me by the company for consideration.  For more information, please read this post.
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Gelish MINI Mali-Blu Me Away

Press Sample 

 Happy Monday! As I said last week, I started a new job today. I will be closer to home and my hours are different so I'm hoping that means lots more time for blogging! I have missed showing you what I'm wearing, and it helps me learn what I like and what I don't. This falls into the latter.

 Gelish MINI Mali-Blu Me Away is from the Colors of Paradise collection. I had decided one day that I wanted to wear blue polish on my semi-long nails. I normally reserve my non-traditional colors for shorter nubs but I wanted to be wild. Are you one to wear the non-traditional colors on long nails as well? Let's just say this look won't be my go to for the office.

 I followed proper Gelish MINI steps for a manicure - cleanse & prep the nail. I used the Gelish MINI pH Bond which is a dehydrator followed by a thin coat of Gelish MINI Foundation (base coat). I cured that in my LED lamp, then started on the colored coat.

 Gel polish is its own animal. You have to really shake, and I mean SHAKE the bottles to make sure if they have separated, that they get put all back together. I even have a craft paint machine to help me in case my hands just won't have it. However, even with shaking, this baby took three, count them THREE, coats to be opaque and even then... Yeah, I still have VNL (visible nail line). I finished with Gelish MINI Top It Off, and then used the Gelish Cleanser to take off the tacky layer.
Now, my gel application isn't perfect but I'm definitely getting better. Thin coats is where it's at, even if you want to glob that sucker on. You'll just end up with pockets of uncured gel and that's a huge issue. You can barely see the VNL here in my light box, but it's there.
Outside, my hands just looked washed out. One thing you HAVE to do after a gel manicure is use some type of oil for your hands -which I forgot. Gelish MINI kits come with a bottle of Nourish, which is an oil that soaks in fast, but I forgot to use it. Therefore, you see dry cuticles.
This last photo was after a few days of wear and with the flash inside. The color definitely looks deeper but you can still see some VNL. Additionally, I have a bit of scratching and wear across my nails because I was pretty rough on them.

 So would I wear this color again? I'm not entirely sure. I may use it for a special occasion like a baby shower for a boy or maybe something with my alma mater as this is the same blue that in our school colors. But otherwise, this bottle will be collecting dust.
Gelish® MINI products are available exclusively at Sally Beauty Supply stores nationwide and online at sallybeauty.com. Follow Gelish® MINI on Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr and on Instagram (@GelishMINI).

Gelish® MINI comes in an array of colors, applies like polish, with a twist cap and applicator, but are cured in an LED lamp for 30 seconds or in two minutes with a traditional UV lamps, just like gels. Gelish® MINI stays on the nail for up to three weeks of beautiful wear, with no chipping or peeling. Gelish MINI® soaks off completely in only 15 minutes. For more information, please visit www.gelishminis.com. 

Disclosure: The product[s] in this post was [were] provided to me by the company for consideration.  For more information, please read this post.
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Glam Polish WHAM!

Nothing To Disclose

 So it's been a hot month - literally and figuratively. If you've been following my Instagram, you know that in July I was back to work full time, I went to Las Vegas for my 5th Cosmoprof North America convention, I've spent plenty of time with my Squish (who is now 3 months old) and then I got a new job! Needless to say, it's been a busy month and I have lots to show you from Cosmoprof - both mainstream booths I visited and the Cocktails and Colors 2015 Indie party that was held in the evening after the convention.

 But today, I wanted to show you my new obsession. I've fallen down the rabbit hole that is Glam Polish. This Australian brand puts out SO MANY POLISHES a year and typically I need all the polish. Thankfully, they do have a USA stockist in house so I don't have to pay Australian shipping but that almost makes my wallet weep more. Let me show you the amazing WHAM! from the Knockout Collection Part 2. This is a crazy scattered silver holo that was perfectly opaque in just 2 coats. You heard me! TWO!

 I used a base coat of Duri Rejuvacote, 2 coats of polish and finished with Digital Nails Ain't Nobody Got Time For That. I was happy that this brushed on well because you never know with all that glitter. Thankfully, removal wasn't terrible either - just let your cotton pad sit for a moment on the nail plate before pushing down slightly and pulling it down off your nail. Don't scrub back and forth with the cotton pad... you'll just end up with glitter on your hands and possible tears in your nails. Patience is key to keep your nails looking fantastic!
I don't even know how to fully describe this color. Silver base, some holo, lots of rainbow reflection, and lots of microglitter. It's fantastic. I love it.
Here in the shade, I felt like the color pulled more gold and while it's still beautiful, you don't get the full holo in your face. It's still a great color to wear and I know I'm going to be wearing it again.
This is inside with indirect light. You can almost see a linear holo on my middle finger but flared out. Happy little holos. If you haven't checked out Glam Polish, you really need to. I just wish maybe they slowed down on the collections!

 WHAM! sells for $12 but I purchased the entire collection which gave me a $10 discount (a little over $1 per bottle savings).

 Glam Polish can be purchased via their website or through International Stockists. Join the conversation on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram.
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