*samples provided for honest review

Hi!

I was recently contacted by a representative from SNAILS to review their water-based nail polish for kids!

I received two polishes to review, a holo-y hot pink and a similarly holo-y vibrant purple. 

Here's the purple:

And the pink: 

Both of the colors are so sparkly and fun! I usually stay away from pinks and purples, but these were unexpectedly cute. And the best part is that they're low commitment because they're water-based, which is what makes SNAILS really unique.

To remove the polish, all you need is warmish water and soap (or if you're on-the-go, you can order special wipes from SNAILS). They're 6-free, AND they won't even stain carpet! I love regular nail polish, but we all gotta admit -- it's pretty toxic. I wouldn't let my future children mess around with real nail polish, but SNAILS is a safe and fun alternative. SNAILS also dries really quickly, which is perfect for impatient kids like myself (just kidding... kind of).

Of course, there are trade-offs to the water-based formula: the polish applies a little bit streakier than most high quality polishes do, and of course it will only last until the next time you need to wash your hands, so most of the people reading this prooobably won't be interested in purchasing this polish for themselves. But as a gift for the little girl or boy in your life? Absolutely!!

I'm an upperclassman in high school and I have to admit, I had a lot of fun playing around with these polishes. I encourage you and your children friends to give them a try!

Thanks for reading!!

Lucy xx

P.S. Update: Safe n' Beautiful has just informed me that you can use their topcoat to seal in the polish (to the extent that it won't wash off with soap and water)!

'Ancient Ladies' Water Decals Review

*sample provided for review

Hi!

Today I'm reviewing these water decals from ladyqueen.com!

These were really easy to use: I just soaked them in room temperature water for 10 seconds, then peeled them off and placed them on the nail with pointed tweezers. Unlike other water decals I've used, I didn't have any problems with ripping or tearing. 

I thought they would show up better on a light background since they're not quite opaque, so I chose a base of the famous OPI My Vampire is Buff.

Overall, I would highly recommend these. They work well and look great!

If you want to purchase these, they're $2.15 from LadyQueen.com (link) and you can get 15% off using the coupon code DSCX15!

Thanks for reading!
Lucy xx

Review: Gold Studs from the Born Pretty Store

Hi!

It's been ages since I last posted! I've been at Governor's School for the past five and a half weeks, and I wasn't about to tote all my nail art supplies across several cities and up three flights of stairs. But I'm back now and even though I'm not sure I'll be able to maintain a regular posting schedule, I'll take what I can get :)

A representative from the Born Pretty Store recently (or, not so recently -- oops) contacted me and asked me to review a product for them, and I chose the gold triangle studs!

Polishes Used:
Essie Blanc | Wet n Wild Black Créme

I decided to do a sort of tribal print design thing with them. I used a thin brush to paint the lines and placed the studs with a pair of curved tweezers. Before top coat, it looked great!

Unfortunately, the top coat bubbled and the gold color of the studs smeared when I added my cheap 99-cent NY Colors clear coat. I'm not sure if this is an issue with the studs, or with my clear coat.

Overall, I liked the studs. The only reservation I have is that the gold color smeared. They were exactly what I expected, and for $1.27 for an entire pot of studs it's very cost-effective!

I hope I'll be able to post more regularly, and even if I can't I'll definitely check out y'all's blogs!

Thanks for reading!

Lucy xx

P.S. You can use the code CYNW10 to get 10% off regular priced items at the Born Pretty Store!

Born Pretty Store Brushes Review

*items in this post were provided for review

Hi!!

It's been awhile, but now I'm on Thanksgiving break so I have time to blog! 

For today's post, the Born Pretty Store was kind enough to send me a set of nail art brushes to review. 

This set contains three striping/detail brushes and one larger flat-topped brush.

These nails are loosely based on a design by Deirdre's Nails. 

Polishes Used
China Glaze First Mate // Essie Blanc // Nails Inc Chelsea Bridge Road

For the half moon section, I outlined it and filled it in with the shortest detail brush. Then I added the curved scallop-y lines with the midsized detail brush, and added the straight lines with the longest brush. I used the wide brush for cleanup.

I was really happy with these brushes! I have been using a set from MASH, but I prefer these. The striping brushes are just the right length, not too long to control but also not so short that the lines come out super thick. Also, I didn't have to trim off any stray hairs!

What I liked most about these was that these brushes have plastic handles so they're OK if you get a little acetone on them, unlike some brushes that have paint handles so if they come into contact with acetone the paint comes off and gets everywhere.

My one complaint was that the wider brush was a little too thin to be used for cleanup for me. I get nail polish everywhere when I paint my nails, so I need a pretty heavy-duty cleanup brush. If you're used to using the ELF concealer brushes or regular paint brushes for cleanup, you might find this one a little too thin. 

But I could see this brush being used for cleanup for neat people or for filling in large spaces!

Overall, I would recommend these brushes  -- all four are only 4.92 USD, and they work great!

And lastly, the Born Pretty Store was kind enough to give me a 10% off coupon code for all of you guys!

Thanks for reading, and happy Thanksgiving to all of you guys who celebrate it!

Lucy xx