One Month Ago...

Hey all,

One month ago I was on my houseboat vacation.

And I haven't yet shown you what I decided to wear that week.

I've been putting it off.

If I don't post that mani maybe it means the vacation never ended.

Wrong!

So without further ado, my holiday companion...

 

KBShimmer - Look High And Holo

 

 

These photos were taken two days after I painted, on the first beach we stopped at.

I should have posed holding a rock or a branch, dammit!

Look High and Holo is a raspberry jelly packed with a whole assortment of holographic glitters.

So many colours of hexes, squares and micro glitter! *brain explodes*

 

This polish was everything I wanted it to be. And it looked just awesome under water.

Every swim I felt like a regal mythical creature. A mermaid that likes pink instead of blue. ^_~

Unfortunately I did start picking at it part way through the week.

It looked something horrid by the time we got home. >"<

 

Happy Friday night y'all!

Time for a couple shots and a good tv show!

Have a great long weekend!

jeebjeeb



 





Model City Polish - Licker

Hey all,

I liked my last mani so much I wanted to do it all over again!

This time featuring Model City Polish - Licker and some chevrons.



sunlight

Licker is a beautiful coral polish full of itty bitty red flecks.

And the flecks really glow in the light, warm and brilliant like fire.

I didn't expect to love this one as much as I do. ^_^



artificial light

I used one coat of Model City Polish - Hanging On A Vine on my accent finger
and two chevrons, for what turned out to be a bit of a military look.
The only Army I'm signing up for is the Model City Army!



sunlight

Licker is just phenomenal in the sunlight. Bright and vibrant without being neon.
Quite a kick ass coral, I must say. Not usually a colour I gravitate to.
But I'm definitely being converted. :)

Hope you all have a great week!
In one week my little brother starts high school!
Mauahaha! The horror begins! ;P
jeebjeeb
 

Model City Polish - Electric Lemonade

Hey all,

All these fall collections coming out now are bumming me out.

I mean they're absolutely beautiful, but we still have a month of glorious summer left!

I may have graduated 10 years ago but I still can't shake my complete dread of fall.

And I don't know why, I actually like fall a lot!

But I also really really like wearing flip flops and not even thinking about jackets.

I wear flip flops to work everyday, even though I'm not allowed to wear them while I work.

So I bring a pair of socks and change into real shoes. I'm like Mr. Rogers, I even have a work cardigan.

It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood. Wont you be my neighbor?

Let's keep these hazy day vibes going with an amazing polish from this summer.

Model City Polish - Electric Lemonade

Electric Lemonade is a bright blue full of pink and blue flecks.

It's so incredibly vibrant it blows my mind! And the flecks give it such depth and intrigue. 

This polish just sucks me right in, gorgeous doesn't even begin to describe. 

Electric Lemonade is such a perfect name and inspired my accent nail.

I've been waiting for the right time to bust out Nail Vinyls Lightening Bolts. Finally! (/◕ヮ◕)/  

I used Model City Polish - Corn Maze and don't they make the most awesome couple?

I totally felt like a superhero wearing this.

All I need is a skin tight suit and I'm good to go (no, just no)

I hope you're all having a good week.

I've been on a friendship bracelet binge and it feels so good.

I may have bought over $40 worth of floss ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Oops.

Go big or go home. 

jeebjeeb

Cult Nails - Thrive

Hey all,

Since my last two posts were quite long winded, 

I'm going to keep this one short and sweet. 

(I jus canna type no more Cap'n!)

Today I bring you...

Cult Nails - Thrive

Thrive is a mint pastel green full of delectable shimmer.

Without topcoat it is slightly textured, so I laid on the Seche nice and thick.

The tear drops are from Daily Charme

I was feeling inspired by Shelby Lou Nails and her fantastic use of studs 

(seriously, she is the queen! Check her out!)

I just love the shimmer in this. So damn twinkly.

And you know me and pastel greens (such a sucker)

Have a happy hump day!

jeebjeeb

Duri Rejuvacote 1 Review

*This was provided for review from Nail Polish Canada*

Hey all,
I have something a little different for you today.
I'll be telling you all about Duri Rejuvacote 1 Nail Growth System.
I've never used any nail strengtheners before since my nails are pretty healthy.

But they do get banged up a fair deal at work, being jammed into boxes and paper all day long.

My usual care routine was just buffing and moisturizing, which did a decent job.

Still, I often wondered what kind of results I would see with a strengthener.

With so many on the market I didn't know where to start.

When Nail Polish Canada contacted me in June about doing this review I jumped at the chance.

Were they reading my mind?

Photo from nailpolishcanada.com

Now first off I want to tell you that I did not follow Duri's instructions. (strike me down!)

And those instructions are...

Begin with clean dry nails. 

Apply one coat of Rejuvacote as base coat. Apply nail color if desired.

Apply Rejuvacote as top coat, daily. 

After 7 days, remove with polish remover.

 As your nails improve, apply every other day or as needed

 

Why did I go against their wishes?

#1 - Rejuvacote makes a horrible topcoat.

 I painted my nails a good 4 hours before going to bed but still ended up with sheet marks the next day >:(

So if you plan on rocking some awesome nail art while using this, don't use it as a topcoat!

&

#2 - I'm waaay too polish obsessed to stop painting for any length of time.

I'm sure this works best used all on it's own, but sorry, not sorry, can't do it!

 

I decided what would work best for me would be to use it as a basecoat only.

Initially I felt kind of bad, not using it to it's full potential.

But then I thought, there must be tons of other ladies out there just like me.

Too stubborn and passionate to put painting on hold.

So this review is for you!

I tried out Rejuvacote for two months.

I wanted to give it enough time to work it's reported magic.

I used one coat every 2-4 days (my painting schedule has been a little all over the place)

The first change I noticed, a few weeks in, was that my cuticles began growing quite quickly.

Every other day I was like, what the hell? I just took care of you!

But then I remembered I was using Rejuvacote, ha!

And if your cuticles are growing faster, well, something's happening on that nail bed alright.

About a month in I noticed that now my nails were growing much faster.

I would file them down short and two days later it was like I hadn't filed them at all.

And the chipping that usually haunted the corners of certain nails had all but disappeared!

The true test was two months in, when I went on vacation.

I was swimming all the time, not being rough with my hands, but definitely not being gentle.

I didn't have a single break during that week. No splitting. Nothing.

My nails felt strong! In fact, I stabbed myself with them again (take that palm of the hand!)

I had expected to cut them down super short by the time I returned home, so I was pleasantly surprised.

before Rejuvacote

The proof is in the pudding, not the pictures.
As far as the look of my nails, the yellowing has faded quite a bit.
Other than that, photos don't do justice to how fast they grow or how strong they are.
So I stopped taking them after 3 weeks.

3 weeks of use

I have to say Duri Rejuvacote 1 performed as promised!
(At least for me and my body chemistry, not everyone will have the same results)
It might have taken a little longer, but that's what happens when you don't play by the rules. ;P
I don't think I'll replace my usual basecoat with it.
But I will definitely use it for a month every three months to stay in shape. :)

If you'd like to give it a try you can purchase it from Nail Polish Canada here.

A big thank you to Nail Polish Canada for giving me this opportunity!

Have a great week!
And don't stab yourself with your nails! :)
jeebjeeb

Fire Marble (with handy tips & tricks)

Hey all,
Today I have a super summer fantastic water marble for you!
But before I get into that a few of my blogger girlfriends have asked me for my tips & tricks.
By no means do I believe I have mastered this technique.
However, I try to learn a little something each time I try it out.

Ok, if you don't know the basic water marble procedure, or want to know how to make certain designs, go to youtube.
There are tons (TONS) of fantastic tutorials that will tell you everything you need to know.
My water marble musts are just little steps to make the process less stressful and more satisfying.

jeebjeeb's tips & tricks

Little cups work better!
The less your polish spreads the more intense the colour will be and the slower it will dry.
I heard about using shot glasses but I found them to be too small,
and often banged my nails against the side and ruined the design :(
Think Dixie cup size. What I use is about 2.5 inches in diameter and I find it perfect.

Use room temperature, not so fresh, water.
I've heard bottled is best... Filtered is best... Bah! Doesn't matter.
What's I find works best is water that has been sitting out for a day.
It's at the temperature you want and it's had time to let some of the crap in it evaporate.
If I don't think ahead and leave out a cup for myself, well... I use my cat's water! All good!

If it's summer, turn off your fans!
The more air blowing around, the faster you'll have to work.
I learned this one the hard way when I tried marbling underneath my overhead fan.
It just sucks. And you don't want to think that you're the one sucking when really it's your fan.

Tape your damn fingers!
Self explanatory. You will thank yourself for taking the extra time.

Organize your area.
Layout your work station before you start and make sure everything is within reach but not crowded.
Last thing you want is to knock things over while you're creating your marble.
Unscrew the caps of all your bottles, put your toothpicks in a good spot. Again, you will thank yourself.

Don't rush yourself.
You know what happens when you rush. You make mistakes and messes.
When you're playing around with the polish you have a lot more time to play than you think.
In some of the youtube videos I've watched they're manipulating their bulls eye for a good two minutes!
Think of it like yoga, be in the moment, breathe and concentrate.
Remember, you master the marble, the marble doesn't master you!

One finger at a time.
I've seen a youtuber do all four fingers at once.
And as amazing as that is, I've never been able to make that work for me.
All I got was a big mess and lots of frustration.
But I do believe in you dear reader, so if you figure out a great way to do it, TELL ME!!

Use newer/ less used polish
Unlike stamping, marbles don't work with thick polish.
Brand new polish has the perfect consistency, but who wants to buy new polish every time they marble?
I don't! So my rule of thumb is, pick polishes you haven't used very often.
Like the orange I used below. I've had it for over a year, but only used it once.
It's still fresh as the day I got it, and works great!
That being said, not every polish will work for marbling, no matter how new.
Be prepared to improvise a bit.

Blow baby blow! 
(maybe my most important tip)
I used to be plagued by little bubbles of air that would get trapped between the marble and my base colour.
And if you touch the bubbles they pop and expose the colour underneath. >:(
Not what I want after putting in all that effort.
The solution - blow them away!
Once your nail comes out of the cup - blow on it like you're 2 and it's a birthday candle.
For at least 30 seconds, huff, puff, blow that house down!
I promise you will never have a problem with those pesky bubbles again!

And that's pretty much it (for now) I'm probably forgetting something.
I hope this is somewhat helpful next time you try the technique.

Alrighty, on to the water marble! Or fire marble in this case...

left hand

As usual I laid down a base of white (Zoya - Purity) 

then marbled with Nicka K - Ripe Apple, Essie - Orange, It's Obvious & Sally Hansen - Lightening

right hand

After cleanup I covered it all in a generous layer of Model City Polish - Seize the Rainbow.

Because every mani needs some of this Rainbow love!

Marble practice is definitely making perfect. 

I think this may be my favorite so far, but I say that every time ;P

I love how flamin beautiful this is! Lava lamp meets psychedelic 60's concert background.

Wow. I feel like I've been typing up a storm! And now I need a nap!

But all for the purposes of education! 

I really hope this has been helpful. And if not, well dammit, some of you asked for this, so it's your fault!!

And if it is, and it makes you marble, SHOW ME!! Because I love me some water marbles :)

Have a great Friday night!!

jeebjeeb

summertime and the living is easy

Hey all!

I'm baaaacck....*Poltergeist style* 

My week away was cloud free and fantastic.

Days full of reading, swimming and bracelet making. Heaven!

Lucas brought his bb gun and I tried it for the first time. Surprisingly, I'm not bad at it!

Definitely something I want to play with more.

So I gave my Dad hell for not getting me one a as a kid. What the hell Dad??

I couldn't been a sharp shooter by now!

Would have been used way more than the fishing rod he got me.

 

I've got two simple stamping manis for you today.

Featuring two very lovely indie polishes.

First up...

ILNP - Charmingly Purple

A super sweet bright purple holo

 

 

I stamped with Sally Hansen - Lickety Split Lime using MoYou London Suki Plate 09

On a few nails I used Sally Hansen - Lightening and did a little dotting.

 

I really love the Dragonflies. Especially after spending a week surrounded by them.

Did you know they eat mosquitoes, flies and wasps? Best insects ever!

 

-----

 

Cult Nails - Radiance

A beautiful berry creme, Cult Nail's nod to the colour of the year

 

This polish was just begging for some gold accents, so I used Essie - Good As Gold

and stamped with Messy Mansion Plate MM32

 

 

As usual with Messy Mansion the detail is insane and the end result is gorgeous.

I am so in love with this hieroglyph stamp!

 

So I didn't get a sunburn the entire trip.

But I went to the beach with my parents yesterday and burnt my back.

Lame!

So I'm going to moisturize and take a nap now. I'm a bit zonked.

Have a good one!

jeebjeeb