Blogs of Note

Happy Sunday!  Here are 3 more blogs.

First today is Susie's Home and Hobbies.  Susie is actually my Mom's age but my Mom doesn't wear polish like Susie!  Susie also includes some posts about her hobbies (hence the name) but there is quite a bit of polish and Konad.  She does have short nails but paints them every color available, which I think is just great.


Next is The Edge of Sanity.  Although they appear to be on a bit of a break, this blog is run by 8 women who are crazy about nail polish and makeup.  I absolutely love Gabrielle's pictures and just all the different polish these women have.  They also did a great cover of the new CND Effects line and a Top Coat experiment with many different brands - some I had never heard of!  This was one of my originals to follow before I had my blog and I have certainly loved reading it.


Last today is The Hungry Asian.  Blog owner Kae could have been my neighbor as my parents were looking to move where she lives when I was a kid.  But I digress.  She has very nice squared long nails and features not only polish but some frankens too.  Absolutely a lovely blog with great pictures.


Enjoy!

Migi Nail Art Pens

L-R: Hot Pink, Fire Red, Neon Orange, Lemon, Kelly Green, Royal Blue, Deep Purple, Magenta

One thing you haven't seen on PolishGalore is nail art - why?  Because I'm terrible at it.  I could never figure out how to effectively use a dotting tool or striper, and trying to put some kind of tape on my nails?  Forget it.  I do not have the most steady hands and the one paint pen I picked up required a tip that you pressed down first to get the paint flowing and it was just super messy, not to mention always scratched my manicure.


So when I was asked if I wanted to review Migi Nail Art pens, I was interested but super skeptical, not in the product, but in my abilities.  By a shipping accident, I received the entire White Collection #101 (available for $24.99) as well as the White single pen.  Each pen contains a 0.16 fl oz (4.8 mL) plastic bottle of polish with a threaded end.  If you unscrew the cap, it's a normal nail polish brush.

Additionally if you pull the cap off directly, it's a paint pen point.  I have a bead of paint already shown on this image, but that doesn't appear normally.

Unlike the other paint pens I've tried, you do NOT push down on the metal point - instead you squeeze the plastic nail polish container.  I found it helpful to get the first "drop" out and wipe it on a cotton pad, then use the actual pen.


I used a base coat of Seche Natural and on my index, ring and pinkie finger I used 2 coats of the base color.  Now be gentle, this is my first attempt at nail art!  Sun picture!

My middle finger does not have a base color - just simple "lemon" polish stripes.


Shade picture and thumb!

The white polish has a bit of a reddish/pink shimmer to it - it's very subtle but it's there.  I was really proud of my pinkie nail - I started trying to make a swirl but screwed up and decided to make a little flower instead.


The hard part for me was sealing my art.  I did not wait long enough before using a top coat of Seche Vite and my first attempts smeared (I had a rainbow on one finger, a heart and a flower on another).  This second time I waited a little longer and it seemed to work without smearing.  Migi sells its own top coat which I would hope works better with their product but again maybe it's just that I'm not patient enough.  ^_^


I did find that the colors as base colors were just slightly too sheer for me to wear alone.  I'm used to thick cremes BUT at the same time, you can see that the colors worked well as base colors.  I didn't have any problems with the formula at all - not runny like I originally thought it would be.  As paint pens, after that first bead of polish which I always squeezed out, I found it worked pretty well - I'm just trying to work on my steadiness as well as my control of the pen.  However, you can see how thin of a line it will draw as you can see on my middle finger.


Now remember that threaded end I mentioned?  The collection kit also contained these rings:

Screw them all together and what do you get?  Long pens!

Now, Migi has graciously given me another collection (Gold Collection #100) to give to a reader!  A $24.99 value, this contains 8 Fashion Colors each with its own brush and art pen in the follow colors: Purple, Aqua, Violet, Gold, White, Glitter Navy, Green and Orange, 4 Twist and Join Rings, 1 Design/Instruction Booklet and 1 Cleaning Pin (located inside the design booklet - you can also use it to help aid in designing).

One more thing - when you purchase any of their products, you can register on their website to get free* refills for US customers.  You pay $2.99 for shipping and processing and then choose any two colors you'd like - whether you need more of a color you already own or if you want to try out another color.  More information is available here.


This giveaway is available to all followers and you can earn more entries by the following methods:
(1) REQUIRED: Be a member of PolishGalore through Google Friend Connect. (What is GFC?)
(2) One extra entry: Follow Migi Nail Art on Blogger through Google Friend Connect.
(3) One extra entry: Follow me (Krystal) on Twitter.
(4) One extra entry: Follow Migi Nail Art on Twitter.
(5) One extra entry: Subscribe to Migi Nail Art on YouTube.
(6) One extra entry: "Like" Migi Nail Art on Facebook.


Please note that your information will never be shared with a 3rd Party Company, sold, or given out. 

This giveaway is now closed

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

Nicole by OPI Holiday Magic

A review of these products is to come!  ^_^  For now, please enjoy the following press release.  

Holiday Magic from Nicole by OPI

Transforms Nails with Festive, Seasonal Hues

Capture the enchanting spirit of the holiday season with Holiday Magic from Nicole by OPI! For Holiday 2010, Nicole by OPI presents a limited-edition collection of four celebratory shades, ranging from sparkling silver to deep red. Designed to complement winter wardrobes, these festive hues add a magical touch to any occasion.

The new Holiday Magic Nail Lacquers from Nicole by OPI include:

Bring on the Tinsel

A silver that sparkles even more than tinsel.

Spark My Mistletoe

A red so hot it might cause a real spark.

Stuck in the Chimney

You’ll never forget this red – it will be stuck in your mind.

Kiss Me at Midnight

This dark red is perfect for night, the best time for a kiss.

“The holidays are all about celebration, and our Holiday Magic Nail Lacquers provide a burst of feel-good color that is perfectly on point with the spirit of the season,” says Suzi Weiss-Fischmann, OPI Executive VP & Artistic Director. “These four glamorous shades are the ideal accessories to accent holiday outfits.”

Nicole by OPI Nail Lacquers and Nail Treatments contain no DBP, Toluene, or Formaldehyde. Holiday Magic from Nicole by OPI will be available beginning November 2010 at ULTA, Meijer, Harmon, HEB and Sears. 

For more information, visit nicolebyopi.com. Follow Nicole by OPI on Twitter @NicoleByOPI and become a Facebook fan!

Cheeky Monkey Thigh Highs vs China Glaze Robotika

While I was swatching Cheeky Monkey Thigh Highs, I thought it reminded me of China Glaze Robotika from the Fall/Winter 2009 Khrome collection.  It's also listed as a type of brow purple metallic chrome type of color.  In the bottle, you can tell that they definitely look similar - it's a bit hard to tell with all the writing on the Cheeky Monkey bottle so let's move to pictures!


For Thigh Highs, I used a base of Cheeky Monkey Get Wet, 2 coats of Thigh Highs and a top of Seche Vite.  For Robotika I used a base of Seche Natural, 1 coat of Robotika and a top of Seche Vite. Unlike Thigh Highs, Robotika did require clean up and I didn't even get it all cleaned up apparently.


Sun picture! 

Cheeky Monkey Thigh Highs looks more plum than China Glaze Robotika in the light.  It also has a bit more depth but that may be because it's 2 coats instead of 1.


Shade!

Now here it's a tiny bit harder to tell what is what.  Oh you shade, you're so sneaky you.


So what to do?  Do you need both?  Hah, my answer is always yes but I'm slightly biased.  ^_^

Cheeky Monkey Thigh Highs

Another reader request from Ericka!  She was looking to find the color that Rihanna wore on June 19, 2008 at the Empire State Building lighting in honor of Cartier's "Love Day" (specific, huh?) and thought maybe Cheeky Monkey Thigh Highs was just the right shade.

Image provided by reader.

Cheeky's website lists Thigh Highs as a dark pewter but it definitely gives off a bit of a metallic purple gold as well.


I used a base of Cheeky Monkey Wet Dream, 2 coats of Thigh Highs and a top of Seche Vite.

In the sun, this color looks a little more purple than pewter but there's always the shade!

In the shade, there's a bit more of a brown tone in there but I'm not sure how close it really is to Rihanna's nails.  It seems a little too purple to me.  Sorry Ericka!


Cheeky Monkey can be purchased on their website [official website] for $15 a bottle.