LVX Primrose

I definitely love seeing the first of something and today I have the first LVX polish in their line.  Now I'm not sure that this was the first created, but it's #001 via their labels.  Primrose is a buttery yellow creme, with a slight green tint.  I used a base coat of Poshe, 3 coats of polish and a top of Cult Nails Wicked Fast.  Like most yellows, this was a little spotty but not unmanageable.  You have to have patience with yellows - thin coats with proper drying time between each layer is best.


Check out how pretty it is though!  Because it is a very bright creme, every ridge in my nail is showing. Next time I'd use a ridge filling base coat before polishing.


Here's that slight greenish tint I was mentioning above.  It's weird how this color changes in the shade.


Here in indirect light, it looks almost soft lemon drop candy yellow?  Whatever, I love it on nubbins.


Okay maybe I take back that "slight greenish tint" comment back because hello - in full flash, this is highlighter yellow without the neon properties.

This is pretty pricey for a spotty yellow, but again I'm biased because I hate yellows.  It's still a great polish in pigment and wear - just a bit spotty in application for full opacity. 

LVX [Website | Facebook | Twitter | YouTube | Instagram] is available on their website. It is 10-free to include Toluene and Camphor, vegan and cruelty free. Use promo code POLISHGALORE for 20% off your purchase!

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

ISSE Long Beach 2013


ISSE Long Beach 2013
The West Coast's Largest & Most Influential  
Professional Beauty Event
Brings Together Exhibitors, Education and Competitions

January 26 - 28, 2013 │ Long Beach Convention Center │ Long Beach, California


Phoenix, AZ (October 17, 2012) - Produced by the Professional Beauty Association (PBA), the International Salon and Spa Expo (ISSE) Long Beach has become the West Coast's largest and most influential beauty event open exclusively to licensed beauty professionals, students and instructors. With more than 40,000 beauty professionals expected, ISSE Long Beach has evolved beyond the traditional "hair show" to a complete beauty event for hair, nails, cosmetics, esthetics and advanced education. With a sold-out expo floor of more than 400 top international beauty brands, almost 200 educational classes, live stage performances from top industry icons, and hair and nail competitions, ISSE Long Beach 2013 is the place for beauty professionals to stay up on the latest trends and advance their careers.

Based on the highly professional nature of the show and large number of qualified attendees, ISSE Long Beach has also become the event to launch new beauty products, services and trends. From international beauty powerhouses to indie brands seeking to enter the market, ISSE Long Beach carefully curates the exhibition hall, including the EstheticsAmerica & Wellness Pavilion, to maximize the attendee's experience. PBA members continue to receive complimentary admission to ISSE Long Beach. Registration is required and exceptions apply. Details at probeauty.org/isselb.

New for 2013
ISSE Mobile App. Coming Soon! From show times and class schedules, to a map of the show floor and directions, the ISSE Mobile App is the perfect way to plan your "ISSE game plan" and maximize your time at the show. Download the free app for your Android, iPhone, iPad or Blackberry device. Just search for: ISSE LB 2013.

Highlights for 2013
The EstheticsAmerica & Wellness Pavilion featuring CIDESCO Section USA education continues to expand. Growing each year, the EstheticsAmerica & Wellness Pavilion provides exhibitors and attendees with a dedicated environment devoted to skincare, wellness and the latest in treatments and education for this rapidly expanding industry segment. Many of the largest esthetics brands will be on hand to offer advanced, hands-on training and certifications, including a line-up of CIDESCO Section USA education.

Hair & Nail Competitions: Students and licensed professionals are invited to show off their skills, win career prestige and cash prizes at the ISSE Long Beach Hair and NailPro Nail competitions. For times, rules and to register, visit probeauty.org/isselb.

Hair Competitions: All competitors use mannequins for entries and students and professionals compete separately. Categories include: Ladies Trend Cut, Color & Style; Long Hair Bridal; and Fantasy-Inspired by Hollywood.

Nailpro Nail Competitions:The Nailpro competitions count toward the NailPro Cup. Categories include: Soak Off Gel Manicure; French Twist - One Hand; and Tip & Overlay.

Stage Shows Featuring the Industry's Biggest Names: One of the most popular features at ISSE Long Beach are the stage shows featuring some of the biggest stars and hair teams in the industry. Attendees will see beauty experts such as: Faatemah Ampey, Nick Arrojo, BaByliss Pro, Steve Elias, Enzo Team, Mike Karg, Martin Parsons, P&G Salon Professional, Charlie Price, RUSK, Sassoon Academy, Lisa Yamasaki and more. ISSE Long Beach features three main stages, including Center Stage (formerly International Fashion Theater) and Stage Right (formerly Technical Theater), and the NAHA Stage.

NAHA Stage: The North American Hairstyling Awards (NAHA) continues to be the industry's premier photographic hairstyling competitions. The ISSE Long Beach NAHA Stage features NAHA winners and finalists, showcasing their talents, reviewing what a NAHA win can do for one's career, and how to create a successful entry. From learning how to select models to directing a successful photo shoot, the NAHA Stage is the perfect way to learn how to advance your career with a NAHA.

ISSE Long Beach will continue to feature group registration, making registering large parties quick and efficient. ISSE Long Beach is open to licensed salon/spa professionals, cosmetology students and instructors only. To maintain a professional atmosphere, attendees must present proof of license and a valid photo ID. For additional information on ISSE Long Beach and to purchase tickets, please visit  probeauty.org/isselb.

JENsations Shooting Star

The other JENsations purchase I made was for this beauty - Shooting Star.  The item description is "silver holographic star bar glitter" but I am really not wanting to call this holographic anymore - I almost want to call it rainbow, because it's reflective of rainbow colors.  I think holographic needs to be a reserved term now a days.  I don't know.  Sound off in the comments.

I decided to layer this over my existing Style Icon manicure because I wanted to see this over a red.  I should have picked a different red, I think but this works.  This is one coat of Shooting Star topped with Cult Nails Wicked Fast.  This polish is MUCH easier to brush on and while I still had to fish a bit for the stars, I was able to get them out of the bottle without too much effort.


The bar glitter is so iffy for me.  I like the way it looks but at the same time, I have trouble making it lay flat on my nails from time to time.  I had to use nail clippers to cut back some of the glitter that wouldn't lay down.


I actually ended up using this polish for an accent nail for my Election Day polish.  (For those still following it, I lost my local election.  I only received 36% of the vote to the incumbent.)


Very pretty - and I'm sure more coats would have made this more opaque but I was just looking for a little pizzazz to my manicure - not a glitter war.

I purchased my bottle in August for $7.50 but it appears her prices have gone up slightly.

JENsations [EtsyFacebook | Personal Blog] is available through her Etsy store for either $8 or $8.25 a bottle.  She also creates custom orders for $9.00 a bottle + $0.20 listing fee.  She ships both domestically and internationally and is currently offering a Holiday Sale for orders over $50.

Pretty Serious Emma Louise

As of press time, this shade is still available.  Only 300 bottles were made, so if you really want it, go now!



Introducing EMMA LOUISE, our very first Limited Edition shade! 



EMMA LOUISE is pure magic in a bottle. This rich purple jelly with green-gold duochrome glass fleck, purple microglitter and large green & purple hex glitter was designed by Pretty Serious friend Emma Durney in honour of a very special birthday. She chose to donate half the proceeds from all sales of this spectacular shade to the Cancer Council of NSW. Each bottle and box will be individually numbered with only 300 being produced. Once they're gone, they're gone so don't miss out. 

EMMA LOUISE
will be available for purchase for $9.95 for a 11ml/0.37 fl.oz bottle from 9am AEST, October 10th. Due to the limited nature of this shade, we are imposing a limit of 5 polishes per customer. We ship worldwide too!

Pretty Serious Cosmetics are Vegan and Cruelty Free. We also love Beagles.

Come visit us at http://www.pretty-serious.com

Color Club Style Icon

Skipping around through brands and collection - today's post is from Color Club's 2012 Fall collection titled In True Fashion.  This was a 12 piece collection that was split into 6 cremes and 6 shimmers.  This is Style Icon, a blue based red jelly that was a bit vampy on the nail.  I used a base coat of Poshe, 2 coats of polish and a top of Cult Nails Wicked Fast.


Here in the sun you can see a bit what I mean about it being a jelly like polish - it looks almost watery on the nail instead of fully opaque.


In the indirect sun you can see the vampy red coming out a bit - it's much lighter than the bottle but still not too jelly.


Finally indoors you can tell that this is light and jelly while still being a bit vampy like corn syrup blood that's too thin.  Or not?  Either way, I'm not sure I'd purchase this for the sake of owning a red jelly.  I would like to test it in a jelly sandwich but I may need to just go with 2 coats tops.  Pretty, but not really my cup of tea.


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.

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