Merry Christmas

Hello lovelies!! I'm a little late posting today, but right after finishing these this morning I had to immediately leave. How immediate? Immediate like I was terrified I was going to smudge them while getting dressed - thank goodness for my trusty Seche Vite top coat! The chance of smudging made me snap a few quick pics and then I was out the door. I just now settled down to watch some Christmas Doctor Who (goodbye, Doctor #11 ??) and realized I never got around to taking the pics off my camera. So, here's my Christmas mani ... late but at least it's still Christmas. :)

I wanted a mani that I could wear after Christmas. Once Christmas is over I want Christmas over so I went simple - more winter than truly Christmas. I started with 3 coats of CQ Pearls and then topped it with 2 coats of Firefly from Hell.

If you'll remember Firefly from Hell was the glow-in-the-dark glitter topper from my Halloween collection. There are still a few of these glow polishes left if anyone wants one; you can get them on sale for $6 in my Storenvy shop. :) I adore how the stamped snowflakes still show up in the dark!!

I think I'm getting better at this whole stamping thing!! These snowflakes were done in mere moments (with China Glaze Blue Bells Ring) as I was in such a hurry and they're almost all there - only a few smudges and missing lines. And, as you can see, I also added a pearl to the center of the large snowflake on my ring fingernails. I think it added a slightly elegant, dressy touch.

So, how was your holiday? Do anything special? Wear anything special on your nails? How about gifts?? Did you get everything you asked Santa for? :)

Until next time,
-Ashley

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Santa Came To Say - More Christmas Stamping

Yes, this is another attempt at Christmas stamping. I think I'm getting a little better. I'm still working on placement and which colors I can stamp over which polishes but not too horrible if I do say so myself.

This is Eight Tiny Reindeer with an accent nail of Holly Jolly. The main polishes used in this mani are from my Christmas collection and except for Holly Jolly, which was a freebie with select Christmas orders, you can now get them on sale here!!

I couldn't do a Christmas mani, especially one with a polish like Eight Tiny Reindeer and not use the reindeer stamp! And since this was inspired by Rudolph, this mani just wouldn't be complete without a bright red nose on at least one of the reindeer. :)

And since this didn't show up on the full mani shot I had to do a close-up of Holly Jolly. Just look at that sparkle! Holly Jolly is red, green, silver, and gold micro-glitter, and this is just two coats for full coverage! It also works wonderfully as a glitter topper - such a versatile little glitter.

Order 6 full-size Christmas sale polishes, and I will include a mini of Holly Jolly in your order completely free! :) This offer is only valid until the year's end, 12/31/13, so order quick!!

Until next time,
- Ashley

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Happy Christmas To All

Hello lovelies! Welcome to another very simple mani idea for Christmas.

I've said it before but OPI The Spy Who Loved Me is perfect for Christmas manis. However, if you don't have this you can use a really any shimmery red or even just a plain creme red. I believe my go-to polish last year was Orly Star Spangled. It's a little bit of a darker red from what I remember, but is just as, if not more, shimmery!

So, super simple! Two coats of OPI The Spy Who Loved Me and three coats of my own polish, Spellbound Nails Happy Christmas To All as an accent nail.

This mani looks so much better in person because you can really see the sparkle and shift of the glitter and this does seem to trick the eye into thinking Happy Christmas To All really does look like a Christmas tree especially with that star at the top of my nail. I admit I started this mani with a different design in mind; a bit of a tape mani to create a tree shape on the accent nail with a carefully placed star glitter, but once the star came out of the bottle (without my permissions lol) and refused to budge it all came together so much better in my opinion!

I plan to have at least another one or two designs before Christmas so keep an eye out for those.

Until next time,
- Ashley

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Candy Canes and Holly Berries - Holiday Christmas Nail Art

Hello lovelies! Can you believe it's already less than a week until Christmas?? I feel like it was just last week that it was months and months from Christmas. Still, the Christmas spirit seems to have hit me hard ... well, hit me with nail art ideas because my house still isn't decorated and I have done less than no Christmas shopping.

And speaking of nail art ideas ... I think I'm a little obsessed with candy cane stripes. I seriously just want to keep these on until after Christmas; I love them so much!

These are actually really simple to do but there's a lot of waiting involved because the stripes are done with tape and the white polish has to be completely dry before you can start. If you don't wait for it to dry it will dent if you're lucky or ruin all your work at worst.

I think I'm also developing an obsession with OPI The Spy Who Loved Me. It is such a lovely shade of shimmery red and has such wonderful coverage. It also makes perfect candy cane stripes ... and holly berries!

Well, I think that's just about it. I hope you enjoyed yet another of my Christmas manis. :)

Until next time,
- Ashley

*A huge congratulations to Ariel of Lacquer: The Best Medicine for winning my Season of Giving Giveaway!! Her prize is already in the mail. :)

Looking for more holiday manis? Take a look at these!!

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A Candy Cane Christmas with another Born Pretty Store Stamping Plate

Hello again!! First off, have you entered the giveaways I'm either hosting or a part of yet? If not you can enter here, here, and here. That's a lot of polish you could win; don't miss out! Go on. I'll wait. Done? Okay, onto the nail art!

I really wanted something simple but eye-catching so I started with a base of OPI The Spy Who Loved Me. This polish was a Christmas gift last year but red is always in season around Christmas. What makes this polish even better is the gold shimmer.

In some lights the shimmer will just look red but as you can see here and in the next pic the gold will occasionally show itself. It can be a little shy. :)

This one is a little blurry but it really shows off the gold shimmer.

via BornPrettyStore

To complete this mani, and add just a little more of a Christmas-y touch, I used my new-found stamping skills and added some candy cane stripes in white. This was done using the Born Pretty Store stamping plate M65. If you'll remember I used this stamping plate before to create my Elegant Border Nails. You can buy this stamping plate right now for $2.99. As always feel free to use MLE10W21 for 10% off your BPS orders.

If you don't have and don't want to buy this stamping plate you can always draw the stripes on freehand, use a base coat of white and put down some striping tape before painting on your red, peeling up the striping tape after ... or just use the striping tape itself to create the stripes! All it takes is a little imagination!

Until next time
? Ashley

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And To All A Good-Night featuring the Born Pretty Store Christmas stamping plate

I was busy mixing polish and filling orders last night when I was suddenly and inexplicably struck with inspiration for some nail art. Maybe it's the Christmas spirit finally kicking in? I'm not real fond of Christmas. Lemme explain! I loved it as a kid - the wonder of going out and picking/cutting/bringing home our own tree, decorating, going for long drives to see Christmas lights; the anticipation on Christmas eve, attempting to sneak out to the living room to see if Santa had come yet ... when finding anything under the tree was a surprise and a delight, but it's just not the same and hasn't been for a long while. And it's not just because I'm not a child anymore. Now-a-days, most kids (and adults are guilty of this too) are all about the receiving - how much their presents are worth and how many they can get ... and most are completely ungrateful. Where's the spirit of good will and charity gone?? So yeah, my reasons for wishing Christmas would come and go quickly.

But my Grinch-like behavior isn't what this post is about. This is about nail art inspiration and my very first truly successful attempt at stamping!

I used 2 coats of And To All A Good-Night from my 'Twas the Night Before Christmas Collection. I put down a layer of top coat and then sponged the tips with basic white. Another layer of top coat and then came the attempt at stamping. You've all seen my previous stamping disasters so I went into this with a cringe on my face. But I read somewhere that you should file the gel bit of your stamper before you use it the first time. Well, I never did this ... didn't know you should, but I figured why not? What's the worst that could happen? The filing could ruin it but it was of no use to me now so worth a shot right? I'm guessing since this attempt at stamping was a roaring success that this does help!

I used my Born Pretty Store stamping plate QA19. I'm pretty sure I received this free last year, just after Christmas, when they did a flash sale/giveaway thing. You can buy it right now for only $0.99! If you'd like to buy this stamping plate or anything else from their site you can always use my 10% off code: MLE10W21. I only had a small amount of trouble with the tree, and that was all my own fault ... I didn't roll the stamper enough on my nail and the tip of the tree didn't stamp. I had to attempt to line it up so it's just a little lopsided. And I did loose a line or two on the house; I don't think you can really tell though.

But overall, I really couldn't be happier. I'm already dreaming of buying some more stamping plates and seeing what other quick and easy designs I can come up with. I don't have time anymore for full out nail art, but I should have time for stamping. :)

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The Season of Giving GIVEAWAY

December is supposed to be the season of giving right? Well, this year I'm embracing that wholeheartedly! I am part of 2 huge giveaways (here and here), and I took it one step further and am now hosting my own with some of my wonderful bloggers. You may or may not recognize their names but I'm sure you'll recognize their nails. They do almost all the lovely swatches you see when checking out my polishes. If it's not my swatch, it is more than likely one of theirs. How could I give away some polish as a thank you for all the support and love you've all given me and not include them?

First up, the thing I'm sure you're all eager to know - the prizes! The winner will have their choice of 6 mini bottles from my Christmas collection - 'Twas the Night Before Christmas.

I may even toss in a few other things I've been holding onto for a giveaway. Season of giving and all that. ;)

And now onto business - the rules. As I cannot ship internationally at this time this giveaway is only open to those in the US or Canada ... or those who have a friend in either country willing to risk shipping for them. Once the package is out of my hands however, I take no responsibility for it - especially during the holidays when customs is sure to be cracking down on shipping polishes. Or pass on the season of giving by shipping to a friend in the US or Canada as a present. :) The giveaway starts 12:00am EST 10th December and ends 12:00am EST 17th December. The winner will have 24 hours to reply and claim their prize. If I get no reply in 24 hours, I will be forced to choose another winner.

Onto the fun! Use the Rafflecopter app below to enter. :)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Candy Coated Collection � Peppermint Pinwheels

I've been reading through the new giveaway entries for the 'what do you want to see on my blog this year' question and there were a few who wanted Valentine's Day nail art and a few who wanted holiday nail art so I decided to tie a V-Day mani into one of my swatches.

Update: This polish and the rest of the collection are now up for sale in my Etsy shop.

Peppermint Pinwheels was inspired by the Peppermint Forests of Candyland and their mesmerizing swirls of red and white.

With its red squares and white hexes, Peppermint Pinwheels is perfect for everyday wear. But, layer it over the right color and it works great for holidays like Christmas and Valentine's Day. :)

I layered two very thin coats of Peppermint Pinwheels over Sally Hansen Emerald City for a festive Christmas look (I did actually do this around Christmas). Sadly, I added a layer of top coat over Emerald City too soon and caused some pretty bad streaking.

For a simple Valentine's Day mani, I used a base of Sally Hansen Pink Blink and a thin coat of Peppermint Pinwheels. You may remember Pink Blink from my recent haul. I couldn't ask for a better color. I think this is the most perfect V-Day pink ... actually, I think this is the most perfect pink EVER!! This is definitely the color of pink I think of when I think of my favorite color. :)

Here is a second, thicker coat of Peppermint Pinwheels.

More Valentine's Day manis will be coming soon. There are definitely a few I have sketched up that I want to try. :)

So, what do you gals think of the Candy Coated Collection so far? Have a favorite?

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Merry Christmas!!

Merry Christmas to all those who celebrate. To the rest ... Merry Whatever You (do or do not) Celebrate. :)

In this late night Christmas post I bring you ... me in a Santa hat and two nail arts!!!

I really didn't have time to be doing this mani on Christmas morning ... but I did it! It's messier than what I can usually do, but I call it a job well done when you take into consideration it was completed in about an hour and a half with next to no dry time (and no top coat) before I had to begin getting ready. I felt very accomplished when I walked out the door with only one smudge and one crinkle, both on my right hand.

Don't worry if you're a Christmas Grinch, I have a mani for you too!! This was inspired by the Grinch of course. The green 'furry' texture and the heart two sizes too small. :) This was actually my mani nearly all week before Christmas. I wore it Christmas shopping because I was certainly a Grinch.

So, did you get everything you wanted for Christmas this year?

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Beauty Gift's this Christmas

I wanted to show you a selection of my favourite beauty gifts this Christmas. They are guaranteed to put a smile on beauty obsessed friends and family members. I think you don't have to spend a lot so there are a range presents to suit everyone's budget. Hope you find this guide helpful, you might want to put some of these items on your own wishlist!

(L-R)
GOSH Primer Set �12.99 exclusive to Superdrug
GOSH never fail to bring out really nice make up sets at Christmas. This one contains- Trio Eye Shadow Metallic Rose, Extreme Art Eye Liner; Purple Glitter, Velvet touch Foundation Primer and Cool Lip Jam. I really like the way the Velvet Primer makes your skin feel; next time you pop into Superdrug you must swatch this product! 

Osmo Bright Blonde Set �13.49 Sally Express
If you know anyone with natural/coloured blonde hair this is the perfect gift for them! Silverising products enchances and brightens blonde hair. The set contians. Silverising Shampoo, Silverising Conditioner and Blowdry Potion. Since dying my hair about 3 years ago, Osmo silver shampoo if the only product I've used!
Tisserand Essential Oil �4.99 at Holland and Barretts
Who doesn't love some smellies at Christmas? Essential & fragrance oils are ideal for mum's/nan's/aunt's or anyone else who enjoys a good wiff. Why not great a 'smellies hamper'? You could include incenses, candles, oils, diffusers....
Liz Earle Botanical Essence No.1 �42.00 for 50ml available online here
I'm completely in love with this fragrance and have been wearing it daily. I'm awful at describing scents but it has a lovely warm, fresh smell to it. The robust packaging is very practical and looks extremely elegant. I've been browsing through the Liz Earle Christmas catalogue and they are doing some AMAZING presents this year! 

Festive Tweezers �3.05 Sally Express
How cute are this tweezers?! They come in six different designs and would make perfect stocking fillers.
Strictly Beautiful Look Book �10 exclusive to Boots
Boots have brought out this Christmas a range of Strictly Come Dancing Beauty Products. The Look Book was developed with the help of Make up Artist Lisa Armstrong. It contains three eyeshadows - Dark Brown, Gold and White. Follwed by three lipglosses - Pink, peach and berry red. The lipgloss colours are lovely, but once I applied them to my lips the colour didn't show up and it felt a bit sticky! It also comes with a blusher, eyeshadow, lip and blusher brush. The 'Book' comes with a step by step guide on how to apply the products. Overall I feel this set is more suited to younger Strictly fans.  

Justin Bieber SOMEDAY fragrance �29.00 for 50ml
Love him or hate him, I bet you know at least one Bieber fan. JB's first fragrance contains a variety of scents including mandarin, creamy florals and Jasmine. The bottle also comes with a removable crystal lock and key from Justin. Two charities close to Justin's heart; Pencils of Promise and Make-A-Wish Foundation will both benefit from the sales of SOMEDAY. Aahh cute! 
Dr.Organic Organic Reed Diffuser �12.00 each from Holland & Barrett in Lavender and Rose
Holland and Barrett are doing some great gifts this year, and they've recently launched a loyalty card! Skincare company Dr. Organic have released some Reed Diffusers. They contain bottles of fragrance oils & sticks used to create a relaxing atmosphere. They look great too!

Label M Honey & Oat Shampoo and Conditioner Set �17.50 http://www.labelm.co.uk/uk/
Haircare brand Label M have collaborated with fashion designer Giles Deacon this Christmas. Giles has created a clutch bag and a collection of stylish gift boxes to compliment Label M's products.The embellished clutch bag is gorgeous and will be accompanying me on Christmas parties this year. This gift set contains a Honey & Oat Shampoo and Conditioner formulated for dry and damaged hair. Prices from �17.50 & available exclusively at TONI & GUY salons, essensuals and specially selected label m salons worldwide.

The Make Up Brush Company available online here
I think giving make up brushes to make up addicts is a lovely idea. The Make up Brush Company are currently running an offer when you sepnd over �50 you recieve a free make up bag like the one in the photo. Brow Brush �6.00,Fine Eye Liner Brush �11.00 and Socket Blender �16.50. The quality is greta & i've had no shedding from them! 


Money Saving Tips
Everyone wants a good deal at Christmas, especially me! I've done a lot of my shopping online this year. Before I buy ANYTHING I will search on google to find out where I can get it for the lowest price. Search for promotional codes and free delivery before placing an order online. Even with Boots & Superdrug - see which shop is cheapest or where you can get the most loyalty card points from.


I also know every year after Christmas, Boots sell all their 3 for 2 gifts half price! Great for stocking up on next years presents. On Christmas day I add all the things I want to my basket. Then check again the next day to see if they are on sale and in stock.


Why not save some money and make some handmade gifts? You don't have to be really creative. I'm going to make my mum some nice Shortbread & chocolates soon. It gives a personal touch to present.


A great website with money saving tips and tricks,deals,vouchers and offers is http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/

Wishing you a happy Christmas and an even better 2012 xx

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