Import Post - Layla Cosmetics Hologram Effects Swatch-A-Thon

Hey hey peeps! Please accept my apologies for the lack of blog posts lately. I've been super busy preparing to launch my indie polish line, The Devil Wears Polish. Now that the blog and FB pages are switched over, all I've got left to do is create more pretties and get the shop done! If all goes as planned, I aim to open the first week of August. In the meantime, I've fallen even farther behind on swatches so lets check out this long over due review of Layla Cosmetics Hologram Effects nail polish. I won a giveaway from SFR Beauty, prize being a $100 gift certificate! Very awesome. SFR Beauty focuses on organic, high-end cosmetics, skin care, etc, and they are one of Ebay's premiere beauty suppliers. I recommend following them on Facebook and Twitter to stay utd on their sales, giveaways, and more. You can check out the shop here too. Now back to polish.

 It was very simple for me to decide what I wanted to use the gift card on. I've lusted after the Layla Hologram Effects since seeing them in Ulta about a year ago. So winning the $100 gift card was sorta like hitting the lottery for me, I got 6 Laylas! I will say the holo is spectacular in each bottle I ordered, but I was disappointed in the formulas for a few reasons... I've spoken with several other bloggers, and we all seem to have the same complaints. The application of the Layla Hologram Effects is SUPER tricky, and they seem to chip almost instantly. If you try to apply these like any other polish, you'll end up slapping on a good 5-7 coats. That probably has a lot to do with the chipping too. The formula is thin and uber touchy, you'll have patches and drag marks that are loads of fun to cover up if you're not extremely gentle and take care to avoid using the brush tip. After a lot of experimenting and chatting with other bloggers, I've finally figured out the best way to apply Layla Hologram Effects. Flat brush painting. When applying, use thick coats, spread it by gently moving the flat part of the brush down the nail. It also helps build up opaqueness and increase staying power when you layer these things over other polishes, but I didn't do it with all of my swatches today. Now I feel like a jackass to complain so much about a product, so I must say these things look friggin amazing. I'm very happy with the look of them, not so much with application and wear. Now I'll stop pissing & moaning and show you Jade Groove.

Jade Groove is light green, I'm assuming. I can't really distinguish whether it looks more green, silver, or blue but I'll go with green because of the name. I applied 3 THICK coats in my swatch. Here's a wonky-angled shot of Jade Groove, just because it's awesome...

Gorgeous right? It almost makes the shit-tastic formula forgivable. Now let's have a look-see at Gold Idol...

For this swatch, I again used 3 thick coats, but opted for Zoya Goldie as my undies. Gold Idol is the prettiest gold polish I've ever seen. Oh! One good thing about the Laylas formula is the dry time. It's so thin, it dries almost instantly. I thought I should mention that since I haven't already. Here's another Gold Idol shot for your viewing pleasure ...

 Very pretty! Next up I've got Mercury Twilight...

 I used 3 thick coats over Zoya Trixie, undies seem to help the holo bond a bit better. Here's another shot at yet another wonky angle...

All bitching aside, I LOVE the way these things sparkle! It doesn't matter if you're outside in the sun or sitting beside a reading lamp, these Layla's are spectacular for lack of a better description. Ready for some Emerald Divine? Me thinks you are...

I'm in love with that green. I was able to get away with 2 thick coats and no undies by using the flat brush technique. That be awesome! Here's another look...

 Gorgeous. I understand why it was on back order. But wait, they get even better. Next up is Purple Illusion.

 It leans more towards magenta than purple, but it's gorgeous anyway. I used two thick coats for my swatch, no undies. And here's a second look for ya...

Apologies for the super wonky angle. It's still pretty, but I saved my favorite for last. Feast your eyes upon Mermaid Spell...

 LOVE! I used 3 thick coats, no undies for this swatch. Can you see why it's my favorite? How 'bout I show you Mermaid Spell in a different angle?

 It's so holo-y and pretty, I've used it several times since I got it. Yeah, this one I love so much I'm willing to forgive the nit-picky formula. I have the urge to show you another shot to ensure you understand how awesome it is. You're welcome.

Now for my verdict on Layla Hologram Effects nail polish. They're difficult to work with, they chip easily, and being imported from italy - they aren't widely available here in the US. They're quite pricey too at $16 a pop. Although I've heard recently Ulta has lots of them on clearance. All issues aside, I am very happy with the finished holographic effect they produce. In my opinion, the only other company that's released holos comparative to Layla is Color Club with their magnificent Halo Hues. Unfortunately I don't own any CCs to compare them to, I'm just going by swatches I've seen. I haven't heard of any application issues with the Halo Hues either, and they're quite a bit cheaper. I'll grab a few more Laylas when I find them on sale, just because they amaze me and I'll use them for special occasions. I'm still very happy to add them to my small stash of imported polish, but I'm pretty sure Color Club would be the more reasonable choice if you're looking to get your holo fix. So, what's your opinion? Do you own any Hologram Effects? Is yours a love-hate relationship as well? Leave some comment love if you wish. Btw, don't foget to check out The Polish Diva's 100 FB likes giveaway that I'm taking part in. Click here to get to it. Until next time peeps... 

The Polish Diva 100 FB Likes Giveaway - several awesome prizes yo!

Hey peeps! No swatches on this post, agh I've been so busy! Howeva, I must tell you about my blogger buddy Vicki, aka The Polish Diva. I had the chance to help her grow her page, so I took it! She wanted to have a giveaway once her page hit 100 FB likes, and I'm happy to say she's already went well past that. She worked her ass off pulling this thing together, so it would be awesome, not required, if you'd stop by her page or blog and give her a thank you :) Now time for some giveaway info yo. There are 6 US prizes, and even an international prize! Check it out...

The Polish Diva: 2 LA Colors Polishes- Blue Paradise and Pink Sizzle both of those are htf

 Next is my prize...my soon-to-be released The Devil Wears Polish, yay! I added a crelly trio - Get Your Pop Rocks Off, Girls Love To Blow...Bubbles, and Spin The Bottle

I also threw in a small bag of femo slices and a small vial of caviar beads

Get Nailed Here: Sally Hansen Nail Growth Miracle in Beautiful Berry, Absolute Magnetic in Marron and Sally Hansen Diamond Strength in Honeymoon Red

 Pinkey Nails:  Green Sinful Colors polish, Kleancolor polish in Blue Metallic, fimo, glitter scissors, and brown flocking powder

 Liquidus Nail Gloss: Mini nail polishes in Pink Agate and Smithsonite + a travel mani/pedi set 

Creations by Lynda:  Mini polish trio- Mint Orchid, Pink Ribbon, Light Of The Fae + one mini of cuticle oil in winner's choice of scent! Wooo, that cuticle oil is heavenly btw.

International Prize:

 

Polished Tickles and Beauty: $10 Voucher to Born Pretty Store *for international winners only* 

*Hey Peeps, you can leave you blog post comments here or on Vicki's blog The Polish Diva*
Now technicalities...the giveaway will end August 1, all winning entries will be verified. Winners will be emailed by their prize sponsor and have 48 hours to respond or another winner will be chosen. We will all take care to wrap your prizes securely, but can't be held responsible for lost or damaged packages. And I think that about does it for technicalities. Good luck peeps!
 a Rafflecopter giveaway

Import Review - Kiko Sun Pearl Collection!

He peeps! How goes it? I'm still uber busy preparing to open shop. I have yet to set an official date, but I'm projecting early August if all goes well. You know I'm a giveaway junkie if you've read any previous posts, and today I've got some awesome imports I won from The Mani Cafe's 100 FB likes giveaway!

You can check out Michaela's blog here, might I suggest liking her Facebook page here while you're at it? I was excited to win the Kiko Sun Pearl Collection for a few reasons...
1) I've never tried Kiko before
B) The colors are GORGEOUS!
3) My collection of international polish is very small, so these are a welcomed addition.

My macro kinda sucks, but I blame it on the massive amount of shimmer ;) I always have a hard time picking up shimmer, not the case with this though. I love the name too, Amable Chartreuse! How bout a little swatch-ism? It's a very awesome shade in my opinion...

 Guess what? I think I have a new obsession, collecting international polish! I definitely want more Kikos. The formula of Amable Chartreuse is uber sweet, perfect consistency. 2 coats did the trick, no top coat needed. Nice. I like the brushes too, they aren't the usual brushes, a tad thicker but not too big. Big fat brushes cause me to make a mess and that pisses me off. No issues with that using these Kikos. Here's a closeup for your viewing pleasure. You're welcome...

 Very pretty right? I LOVE the obscene amount of shimmer they added to these things :) Next up I've got Chili Pepper Red. This is the only one that made me curse my pallid skin tone. The bright red looks friggin amazing with the gold shimmer! Gives it a slight orangy look, perfect summer shade.

Please keep in mind each of these are way more spectacular than my macros suggest. Chili Pepper Red is super vibrant. Even though it would look better on darker folks, I'm going to be wearing this jewel quite a bit. I gasped out a string of four letter words when I swatched it. Check it out yo...

Another lovely formula, I used 3 thin coats. 3rd coat being just for small touch ups. As with the other Kikos, no top coat was used. Damn, that is a pretty color! And a closeup...

Very awesome. Next up is River Green. It is another very awesome concoction. Check it out...

The macro is awful, but my swatch isn't! Have a looky-loo...

This is the prettiest green I've seen in a while. Great formula, a glorious 2 coats offers plenty of coverage. No top coat. There's tons of that gorgeous gold shimmer, but it's loaded with green shimmer as well! Here's a closeup...

This may be my favorite so far. But wait...I still have to show ya the final shade of the Sun Pearl Collection. Blue Spot is probably my favorite, or maybe Chili Pepper Red is my fave. Or maybe Amable Chartreuse. No, I think they're all favorites. The fact that they are international makes them seem even prettier to me, teehee. I got creative with this swatch when I decided to show you how awesome the coverage is. Check it out yo...

No gold shimmer in this one. Blue Spot has silver-blue shimmer! How creative, I love it. Very refreshing. Look at mah swatch yo...

As you can see, Blue Spot is almost passable with one coat. A second thin coat is only needed for minor touch ups. Nice. I took note the shimmer is abound in this gorgeous shade just like the others, but the bluish-silver shimmer doesn't show up as much as the gold, therefore it doesn't look quite as shimmery. I still love it. As always, I must flash you a closeup...

See, it's still super shimmery just not as bright against the awesomeness of the blue base. I don't hold it against her one bit though. I've been collecting lots of darker blues lately and this one is one of the prettiest so far. My opinions on the Kiko Sun Pearl Collection. I dig the shit out of it. If you get a chance to try some of these, I would recommend it. Btw, if you're in the US or Canada and know of a place we can order these pretties from, please let me know! I'm on a no buy thanks to the polish-making venture, but hopefully it wont last too long. I'd like to try some other Kiko collections now me self....So, opinions anyone? which one's your fave? Own any Kikos? Love 'em, hate 'em? Leave me some comment love, until next time peeps!

Creations by Lynda Mint Orchid Swatchism!

Hey peeps! Sorry to my neglect poor blawg, but I doubt I've hurt anyone's feelings lol. My shiz came in early, so I had to play with it! Now that I'm behind on swatches, I figured I better pound this one out today. If you've missed my other Creations by Lynda review, I'll fill you in a bit. Her polishes are awesome, but that cuticle oil is friggin amazaballz! Whatever, I love it. I love it so much in fact, I had to order a bottle when the mini I won ran out. Plumeria is one of my favorite scents, but since it's summertime and I no longer drink the nectar of the gods, I figured it'd be nice to have the Pina Colada scented cuticle oil :) Glad I did that too, it smells yummy! But, along with my cuticle oil, Lynda also sent me one of her mini polishes, Mint Orchid, and a tealight candle in sugar cookie scent! Yay, looky!

Ordering from small businesses is becoming an addiction. The extra goodies and adorable packaging definitely make ya feel like a valued customer. And, I totally forgot Lynda sold candles. I love candles! Another thing for me to start blowing hubub's hard earned money on :) Enough chatter, let's get to Mint Orchid!

Crelly polish is one of the best things EVER in my personal opinion. I don't know that I'll ever get tired of them. Hope you guys like them too, I'll be listing several in my shop when time comes to open. But for now, let's check out Mint Orchid swatched...

It's so pretty :) Teal hex, square, and micro glitters in a white crelly base. There's also some light green hex and mint green squares, possibly more. Love the color theme, very fresh and minty looking. Reminds me of certs! That shot is in natural light, 3 coats of Mint Orchid with a thin coat of top coat. Why one thin coat? The next swatch demonstrates that beautifully...

I got so busy mixing up holos, I forgot I ran out of top coat. That closeup shot of awesomeness is Mint Orchid, 3 coats, NO top coat! Wooo I'm impressed! I'll need to purchase the full size version of this shiz when I start making some money back on all the polish making junk I bought last week. No joke, I started out small, I thought. But I still spent a few hundred dollars! Granted, about $50-$60 of that was used on my personal polish & nail care stuff ('cept for top coat obviously). So, I decided to do something I HATE doing...I put me self on a no-buy for a bit. I need to order more glitter, pigment, and I want to get another bottle of base because running out SUCKS. Other than that, I will try to behave myself and not splurge for the time being. But when I'm done the FS version of Mint Orchid will be mine. It has an excellent formula, and the glitters are small enough that no fishing is necessary even with those evil little mini bottles :) Dry time was good, and I'm uber impressed with how smooth the finish is without top coat. Now just because I really, REALLY love this stuff and I think everyone should try it...Let's show ya my cuticle oil, yay!

 No exaggeration, this stuff has worked wonders on my nails and cuticles. Since I'm awesome, I am placing a list of ingredients below. If you're not allergic to anything, I highly recommend you order a bottle to try out for yourself. I just gave up my secret for bangin' ass nails and cuticles. You're welcome.

Safflower Seed Oil, Fractionated Coconut Oil, Avocado Oil, Grapeseed Oil , Sesame Seed Oil , Olive Oil, Soybean Oil , Aloe Vera Leaf Extract , Jojoba Seed Oil , Vitamin E

(with the option of 4 different scented versions)

You might be pleased with the price of Creations by Lynda cuticle oil as well. You can pick up a 3.5ml roller bottle for $3, and a full size 15ml bottle (with brush cap) for only $5! Click here to do that yo. I opted for the small roller-bottle because I love those damn things. Now that I've ordered an empty 2.5oz bubble bottle for no other reason than I wanted to, I'm seriously thinking about just ordering a couple ounces of this stuff so I don't run out for a while. I'm so not kidding, I like it that much. Now I don't really think it's necessary to show another shot of the candle. It's obviously a creamy white tealight soy candle in an uber yummy sugar cookie scent. I haven't used it yet, I'm saving it. However, I did have to unwrap it and touch it with the tip of my finger. OMG, my finger smelled like sugar cookie for like 10 minutes! Score :) I recon I'll need to try out more of these on occasion too. Now for some linkage. Click here to visit the shop's home page. There's some awesome goodies for sale. You can also follow Creations by Lynda on Facebook by clicking here, and follow her other page The Nail Files by Lynda here for awesome sneak peeks of new creations and more. Sooo, may I ask, will you be trying out this heavenly cuticle oil? Oooh, and isn't Mint Orchid friggin sweet? Own any creations yourself yet? Leave me some comment love if you choose. Until next time peeps!

Winner Announced...finally!

Hey peeps! Sorry it's coming a bit late. I slept in, and this being my 2nd rafflecopter giveaway- first involving international readers, well it got a bit confusing for me! I think I should've went with my first idea and just created a separate widget for the international prize. I had to keep drawing over & over, till rafflecopter finally decided to cooperate and pick an international winner. And then, well, it's SUPER hard to verify some entries, A Girl Obsessed is super popular on Etsy as well as Facebook! So, all that being said, I still haven't had enough coffee yet but I took care to verify everyone's entries and ensure I found an international winner even though Rafflecopter didn't want me to. Next time I know what to do, so it's all good! All 3 winners have already been emailed, they each have 48 hours to respond or another winner will be chosen, yada, yada. Anywho, I'll shut up now, finish my coffee fix, and get busy with my review of Mint Orchid from Creations by Lynda. Talk at yas later folks!


a Rafflecopter giveaway