Avon Cosmic Collection Swatches and Review (Part Two)

Hi everyone!

I want to continue on with the second half of the Avon Cosmic Collection.

If you didn't warm up with the hot shades from the other half, just click the images below to see the rest of the colors along with information on pricing and availability.

Let's move on and cool things down with the icier shades from the collection, shall we?

From left to right:

Moonbeam

Celestial

Galaxy

Aurora

Eclipse

The Colors

 Moonbeam is a silver scattered holo.

Silver holos never disappoint, and under the sun this one is the exception to the "bolder the shade, bolder the holo" pattern this collection possesses.

You can almost see a faint, faint, super faint linear prism at the angle shown in the first photo.

All that holo goodness disappears indoors, but the shimmery silver that's left might just be one of my new go to silvers. 

The formula is just too good to let sit on the shelf.

Celestial is either an icy mint shimmer or a light, teal green with holographic shimmer.

When you look at it outdoors, it's more of the latter. 

The color is much bolder and the scattered holo really shines.

Indoors the color seems to lighten up, taking on a more pastel, minty hue with any icy shimmer.

Galaxy is a bold cerulean blue, with what's supposed to be holographic sparkle.

I was surprised at the hidden the holo is in this particular shade. 

Indoors or out, it just isn't really there unless your hands are positioned in the right way in the right light.

It's such a pretty color either way, does it even really matter?

Aurora is a scattered holo that shifts from violet to purple.

This is the only one that the camera disagreed with just a tad.

The holo is a tad stronger than what is pictured. 

Unfortunately, after rephotographing this shade TWICE the camera came up with the same results.

(Anyone else having Barney flashbacks when looking at this shade?)

This shade is another shape-shifter once you get inside.

While in the sun it's more of a violet, indoors it takes a step to the cooler side of the color wheel and becomes more purple. It also loses the holo, following suit with the others.

...and finally we have Eclipse, a teal going on black with obvious holographic sparkle.

I don't have to justify the holo here, do I?
This shade sparkles better then the twinkly Twilight vampires ever will.

(I apologize for offending at least 75% of you all with that one.)

I know what you're thinking though: "Are you sure that isn't just black?" I'm sure.
It'll look black on the nail while inside, sure. Before you even get to that point you'll notice the teal tinge to the color the second you open the bottle.

Personally I love it so much more this way.

It's so gorgeous and mysterious.

Overall

I applaud Avon for going out on a limb and trying a finish that's a bit ambitious for  a brand that doesn't technically specialize in nail polish.

The holographic is nothing compared to just about any other brand's version, but in fairness this collection was advertised as having a "holographic pearl" finish. To me, this implies that it's intentionally more subtle. If that's the case, then they succeeded.

Holographic or not, these shades are stunning -- every one of them.
They are all eye catching and catch the light both indoors and out.

As far as being cosmic? Well...the formula is certainly out of this world.

What are you favorites from all of these holo hues?

Will you be adding these to your list of shimmery lemmings?

Let me know in the comments below and make sure to give these shades some love on Facebook, Instagram, Tumblr and Pinterest.

Big changes are happening soon here at The Manicured Amateur.

If you're not already, now there's time to be following on Twitter and Bloglovin' for all of the updates.

Thanks for reading!

-Melody

**Products in the post were paid for by me with my own money.

I am not an Avon representative but am proud to encourage readers to order through Julie Pruitt, a long time family friend.

Sally Hansen Sugar Coat Texture Collection Swatches and Review

Hi everyone, TGIF!

You asked for it, and you got it!
I asked my Facebook fans to choose between the Sally Hansen Sugar Coats and The Avon Cosmic Collection for my next post.

At the time I went to bed it was a tie, but SH was voted first so I went with these.
In truth, Avon ended up getting an extra vote after I started, oops. That's up next, I promise!

It took me awhile to actually find this collection near me, and I stalked CVS everyday until they put out the display.

It paid off! I scooped every single one before anyone else knew they were even there. 

The Collection

The Sugar Coat Collection is Sally Hansen's take on the texture trend, consisting of the following eight 3D matte shades:

From back left to back right:

Sugar Fix

Cherry Pop
Bubble Plum

Cotton Candies

Sweetie

Sour Apple
Razzleberry

Lich-O-Rich

The Sugar Coat collection can be found in most Walgreens, CVS, Rite Aid, Target, and Walmart locations and usually range from $5-6 each.

The Colors

All of these have the exact same formula.
While all except for Sugar Fix and Sweetie can be left at one coat, it is recommended to use two. If left at one the sugary finish may appear patchy and not evenly develop.

(I use one coat on all except Sugar Fix and Sweetie to demonstrate.)

The actual texture is a matte, but the base is not.  I actually prefer it this way as it emphasizes the effect.

Cherry Pop is literally a bright cherry red.

Cotton Candies is a bold bubblegum pink.

Bubble Plum is a fuschia like purple-pink.

Sugar Fix is a stark white.

Sweetie is a banana yellow.

Sour apple is a bold mint green.

 Razzleberry is a rich cerulean blue.

WARNING: This one stains horribly. I only wore it for five minutes and faced a whole day of stained cuticles after removal.

 Lich-O-Rich is black, but the texture makes it appear more charcoal.
This one best displays what happens if left at one coat.

Overall

I'm pleased with the collection for the most part. 

As rich as the colors are I wish the texture would have held at one coat. 

It's a minor concern considering applying two coats is an easy step for fast drying textured finishes.

My only disappointment is in Razzleberry, which would have been my favorite had it not been such a pain in hiney. 

Staining is a major thumbs down for me, but at least it was only bad one in the bunch.

In general I still prefer my textures to have a bit of sparkle, but these are cute basic colors and are a great option if you're short on time.

Which is your favorite of these sugary shades?

Have you hopped on board the texture trend train?

Let me know in the comments below or share your thoughts on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.

Coincidentally, this month's theme for Sally Hansen's I Heart Nail Art Challenge is textures!
For more information on how to enter and the prizes you could win, visit here.

Thanks for reading!

-Melody

Born Pretty Store Cosmiss Nail Polish Review + Half Glitter Half Texture Nail Art!

Hi everyone!

Today I have a quick post of another polish brand from Born Pretty Store.

Now if you read my review on Born Pretty Store's March Nail Lacquer, then you already know I was pleasantly surprised with the quality of their polishes. (if not, you can read it here.)

These Cosmiss Candy Color Glitter Sparkle Yogurt Series Varnishes are new to BPS, and once I saw them I knew I had to try one out.

They have no names, but this is Cosmiss #3, a semi-sheer, milky light olive green with ranbow hexes, round and fine glitter.

For how much glitter is packed in this baby, it went on like butter.
The base is really sheer and will take atleast three layers to reach the full opacity as shown in the photos.
My main surprise was how flat the glitter sits on the nail.
I did use a top coat to give it a nice, even glossy finish.

I know it's kind of snot colored, but I like it. I love interesting colors, and this one is definitely that.
And the glitter so dazzling who even cares what color the base is, haha.

If this particular base color isn't your taste, not to worry!
Born Pretty Store has got you covered with 10 different glittery shades to choose from for $4.36.

You can purchase them here and get 10% off you entire purchase using my special promo code BHL91!

I got so excited about this polish, I rushed to create a quick nail art look using my new Cosmiss beauty.

I grabbed a few quick items and went to work.

 Already having the Cosmiss varnish applied, I picked up a roll of nail tape and taped off half of each nail starting from the upper left corner, down to the lower right corner of each tip.

Using Sally Hansen Sugar Coat in Lich 'O Rich, I painted the lower half of each nail and then quickly but gently pulled off the tape while the polish was still wet.

I know I've neglected to officially share the SH Sugar Coat collection with you yet, but it's coming I promise!

I could have stopped there, but I was too excited over a few more goodies I received from Born Pretty Store.

I turned to my nail wheel of half pearls and added a red one to the center of each nail by placing a dot of top coat where I wanted the pearls to be. 

The pearls are easy to pick up and handle by taking a dotting tool or toothpick that has just a tiny bit of top coat on the tip.

(Want the pearls for yourself, you can get them here for $4.74)

After the fact I realized the red makes them look like clown noses. But hey, it matches the glitter right?

I'm quite happy with the look and I'll  definitely be getting my hands on more Cosmiss varnishes as soon as I can.

What do you think of this Cosmiss polish?
Are you a fan of my bad clown party-like design? 

Let me know in the comments below, and give it some love on Facebook, Instagram, Tumblr and Pinterest.

Don't forget I'm having a giveaway at 500 Facebook followers, so spread the word!

Thanks for reading!

-Melody

**Products in this post were purchased by me with my own money.

Free-Hand Dog and Paw Print Nail Art

Hi everyone!

Sorry I'm late!

I thought I could keep posting at my normal rate while I tend to Odie, but after staying up with him all night I've confused my body into changing my sleep schedule to daylight hours. 

Some extra melatonin should get me back on track, but I still slept through a day or two without a post!

With my world revolving around the repercussions of the dog fight, I found it only fitting to create a look inspired by my furbaby. 

So today I have a free-handed nail art design to share with you full of glitter, paw prints, and a puppy portrait. 

I shortened my nails for extra precaution while caring for Odie's injuries, but don't worry. My extensive vitamin routine causes my nails to grow very fast.

 

My thumb (not pictured), index and pinky are sporting Hard Candy "Cocoa Smore" from the Candy Sprinkles collection. Swatches of the entire collection can be viewed here. I then chose to matify them using the Julep Matte Top Coat.

The paw print pattern on my middle finger was created with OPI's "Nein! Nein! OK Fine!" I began with a single coat for the base and followed with Julep's Matte Top Coat once again. I then took a medium sized dotting tool to create the paw prints. 

My ring finger was free-handed utilizing a couple of small nail art brushes and a dotting tool for his eyes and nose. 

I began with two coats of Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure in  "Bocha Mocha." 

Taking a small nail art brush, I began working in the different tones of Odie's fur using OPI "Don't Pretzal My Buttons" (a light nude) for highlights and Julep "Olivia" (a dark brown) for shading. 

The area around the nose and eyes were created using OPI "Nein! Nein! OK Fine!" Any highlighted areas were used by mixing in a bit Julep Eileen (a stark white), which was also used for the eyes.

The darkest parts of the nose and the pupils of his eyes were dotted in with Sally Hansen Hard As Nails in "Black Heart." 

I'll admit, I exaggerated the eyes a bit. He's usually squinting, but it wouldn't translate properly on the nail.

I finished the design with a generous coat of Out The Door Top Coat.

I want to thank everyone again for the well wishes for Odie. 

After a long, exhausting week of worry and tending to his wounds I finally can rest assured that he is going to make a full recovery. 

The major puncture wound in his leg has finally drained (gross, I know) and is beginning to close, meaning the antibiotics have flushed out the infection before it spread. The swelling has almost completely diminished and Odie is able to walk again! He also ate some food for the first time today. :)

He's back to his happy, sappy self...well, minus the shame he feels wearing his ecollar.
...and from the cats trying to steal his food!

Now that things are getting back to normal, I have lots of things planned for upcoming posts here at the Manicured Amateur. 

My no-buy has been lifted and I'm going to have lots of new goodies on the way to share with you, plus requested tutorials and a look into my nail care routine!

So keep up with me on Facebook, Twitter, and Bloglovin' 

and give this look some love on Instagram, Tumblr, and Pinterest!

Thanks for reading!

-Melody

Happy Mother's Day! Sassy & Sweet Floral Studded Nail Art

Happy Mother's Day everyone!

I spent a lovely afternoon with my own mother and grandmother enjoying lunch and visit the thrift store as we always do when we can get together. My mother also bought her first China Glaze polish today. I almost cried. HAHA!

Today's Mother's Day mani is a tribute to my own mother. When I was little I was such a tomboy (am still am to an extent), and favored my father's interests more than my mother's. It hasn't been until the past couple  years as I have become an adult that I have been able to better connect with mother. I'm still a daddy's girl following in his artistic footsteps, but now I've embraced my more feminine nature of antiquing and interior design...all of which is thanks to my mom.

So today's look is a little sweet and a little sassy. My mother is known to be shy and sweet, while I literally have a family nickname of "Sassyfrass." 

I chose flowers to represent her, and the studs to represent me.

The white base is a subtle glitter mix called "Strawberry Fields" from Neener Neener Nails, which I reviewed here. 

I like the subtle dimension the glitters add to base, although goes almost unnoticed in the pictures above.

The pink base and dotted flowers were created with "Flirty Fuschia" from the eyeslipsface (e.l.f) 14 Piece Spring 2013 Nail Cube, which I reviewed here. 

Apart from mauve and turquoise, my mother is a sucker for fuschia.

The flower centers were dotted in with Sinful Colors "Pistache" from the Buff to Bright collection which I reviewed here. 

Although the glitters can't be seen in the pictures, this shade matches the light green glitters in the white base perfectly and is a nice compliment to the pink.

And finally, the black studs are from Born Pretty Store. 

I debated on placement of these and still not sure if my final choice was the best way to go, but I  like the hard contrast to the brighter colors. It gives it an edge, which is just my style.

Whether you're a mother, grandmother, godmother, or birthmother, I wish you a special day filled with love.

Let me know what you think of this look and don't forget to give it some love on Facebook, Instagram, Tumblr and Pinterest!
Thanks for reading!

-Melody

NOTD: Neon, Black and White Pueen Nail Stamping Plates Preview

Hi everyone!

So the work from my original post was lost due to a brief power outage from these horrible storms.
I don't remember Georgia ever having this many tornado warnings this early in the year, but scurrying to the basement is becoming a weekly routine.

I didn't want to leave you hanging, so I thought I'd show you a preview of the Pueen Stamping Plates I've been playing around with lately.

I stumbled across Pueen Cosmetics on Amazon. These standard plates are available as a 25 piece set for $18.99. 

They're official website appears to be closed temporarily, but you may visit the Amazon page where I purchased them here.

For these nails I used plate PUEEN13. 

I began with a white base of China Glaze White on White.
With a standard size stamper and old gift card as my scraper, I used Sally Hansen Black Heart to apply the design leaving the top 4th of my nail unstamped.

Unfortunately the design didn't come come off the plate completely. I think the circles were just too large of a  space for the polish to handle. I did my best to fill in any incomplete areas with a small nail art brush, but it still came off a bit wonky. I also drew a black line across the top of stamped area to separate it from the open space.

I filled in the gap with Avon Inspire and sealed everything with Julep Matte Top Coat.

This image has given me the most trouble so far and the matte finish was questionable. Other Pueen plates with smaller images and patterns are picking up fine. 

I liked the idea of this in my head, but the execution was off...

not to mention my matte top coat is down to bottom of the bottle.

I wanna play with them just a bit more before I do a full review.

Is there a certain image from the 2013 Pueen Nail Stamping plates you'd like to see?
Have a favorite matte top coat you'd like to recommend?

Let me know in the comments below of give me a shout on Facebook and Twitter!

Happy Friday, and stay safe and dry out there!

-Melody