Born Pretty Store Paint Set Review and Floral Nails...

It has been far too long since this lovely set of acrylic paints from the Born Pretty Store has been in my possession and waiting for me to find some time to play around with it. I finally got such an occasion to test it out and ended up with some pretty floral nails to boot..

Zoya Awaken and Monet Swatches and Review!

I'm finally back to swatching post my nail break and I would like to start out by showing you the Zoya Awaken Spring collection and a special topper named Monet. The Awaken collection includes six shades which are perfect for the season and remind me of Easter candy shades that invade the stores this time of year...

Bliss Kiss Pure Nail Oil Review

About four weeks ago an unthinkable tragedy happened and I broke a nail. OK, so maybe it wasn't so dramatic, but I was pretty pouty and if you follow me on Instagram, you might have witnessed my self pity fest. One of the people that did happen to catch my 'devastation' was Ana, the creator of Bliss Kiss Pure Nail Oil. I had heard such wonderful reviews of her oil and even tried it once when a friend let me use her pen. I had been planing to order one for myself, but Ana was kind enough to offer me a sample of the oil to get me started. The oil when used regularly helps improve the strength and flexibility of the nails which keeps them from breaking as easily...

Warning, lots of nakie nail shots ahead and some of them ain't pretty...

Fashion Inspired: Red Ankle Boots...

I want to start out by saying thank you for all your lovely comments congratulating me with my 3 year bloggy birthday! I'm so touched by your sweet words and encouragement! I'm truly lucky to have such wonderful readers!! <3

For today, I would like to share with you another gem out of the unposted stash of manicures. I created it while playing around with the OPI Gwen Stefani collection. It was inspired by a pair of red shoes that kept popping up in the side ads of my Facebook page. I had seen the ad for days and finally it clicked (no pun intended) that I wanted to do something similar on my nails...

Wacky Laki Turns 3!!!

It is hard to believe, but a few days ago, my little blog turned 3!

I want to say a HUGE thank you to all of you who take the time to read this blog, look at the pictures and leave comments! Without your support, encouragement and kind words I would have likely stopped blogging long ago! Knowing that there is someone out there that might enjoy what I have to share is the biggest driving force for me! So THANK YOU!!

(source)

OPI Glitter Off

Hi! Today I would like to share with you my review of the OPI Glitter Off base coat for natural nails. This peel off base coat allows you to enjoy beautiful glitter manicures without the pain of having to remove them with endless rubbing or using the foil method.

First to show how it works...

Steps:

Instructions:

1. Apply a thin coat of OPI Glitter Off base coat
2. Allow the base coat to completely dry. It will turn a clear matte.
3. Pile on the glitter!! Shown here is OPI You Pink Too Much (layered over OPI I São Paulo Over There)
   
   Enjoy your mani!!
   
4. When you are ready to remove your manicure, take a soft cuticle pusher and gently slide it along the edge of the polish until it starts to lift
5. Continue to push the polish off the nail with the cuticle pusher
6. Remove any remaining polish with a bit of acetone and you are ready for your next mani!

The base coat applies easily and the most difficult part about using it is waiting for it to dry. Removal is quick and painless. I wore my manicure for 24 hours and it lasted through a shower and multiple hand washing without peeling off on it's own. I cannot say with certainty how long it will last. Obviously if you pick at your manicures it will not last. When left alone, I think it can easily be worn for days with no issues. It is perfect for a special occasion to enjoy the sparkle, glitz and glamour and save yourself the hassle of removal. For that reason, I rarely wear glitter without a peel-off base coat!

I couldn't help but think back to my self-made school glue peel off base coat when trying this. The OPI base coat is a bit thinner and therefore is easier to apply, but if I thinned out my school glue base coat with a few drops of water, I'm not sure I would be able to tell them apart...

Thanks for looking!
Anutka :)

** Polish was provided to me for review by the manufacturer or their PR. **

** For more information please see the disclosure policy **

Needle Drag...

Hi Everyone! Today I have another manicure for you that has been unposted for quite some time. I created this while swatching the Nicole by OPI new 2014 lacquers. I have wanted to try needle drag nail art for a while, but my few previous attempts were less than appealing and never even got in front of the camera. This is the first decent one that I've been able to create and although it looks messy, I'm quite proud of it...

Press Release: Zoya Magical Pixie - Summer 2014

Zoya Magical Pixie - a new PixieDust formulation, amped up with spectacular sparkle creating the most magical, Zoya PixieDust ever! Three new never before imagined textured, holographic beauties...

NEW SUMMER 2014 ZOYA MAGICAL PIXIE
Three new hues in Zoya’s BEST-SELLING ultra textured, matte, holographic Magical Pixie formula to love!

• ZP761 - Bar: Nude Topaz Magical Pixie.
• ZP762 - Ginni: Pink Tourmaline Magical Pixie.
• ZP763 - Arlo: Violet Amethyst Magical Pixie.

Zoya PixieDust Application:
For BEST RESULTS apply 2-3 thin coats of polish for full coverage to a clean oil free nail surface. Allow product to dry completely for full effect. Do not use a base coat or top coat. Top coat can be applied for additional glossy effects.

AVAILABILE MAY 15, 2014 | $10.00 ea. (US)
Zoya.com

BIG5FREE: formaldehyde, formaldehyde resin, toluene, camphor & dibutyl phthalate free, vegan friendly nail color.

** Press release images and information provided by the manufacturer or their PR. **

** For more information please see the disclosure policy **

Press Release: Zoya Tickled and Bubbly - Summer 2014

Laugh, Giggle, Chuckle and Smile! Welcome to  a happy Summer season of long-wearing, feel good BIG5FREE* nail color by Zoya featuring two new collections destined to bring out your inner Glee!

"Color inspired by the fashion, sun, jewelry and culture of South Beach!" Rebecca Isa  Zoya Creative Director

AVAILABILE MAY 15, 2014 | $9.00 ea. (US)
Zoya.com

BIG5FREE: formaldehyde, formaldehyde resin, toluene, camphor & dibutyl phthalate free, vegan friendly nail color.

** Press release images and information provided by the manufacturer or their PR. **

** For more information please see the disclosure policy **

Press Release: 2014 Zoya Earth Day Nail Polish Exchange!

Give the earth a helping hand by joining the healthy nail polish movement! Since its inception, ZOYA has been the pioneer of toxin-free nail polish, releasing the most beautiful colors in the healthiest formula available each season. With Zoya Nail Polish, you don't have to compromise a healthier lifestyle for a glamorous one. go worry-free with a formula that is BIG5FREE**

Now you can join smart, eco-chic women who are changing their world, one gorgeous Zoya Nail Polish bottle at a time! To help kick start your "color cleanse", the Zoya Earth Day Nail Polish Exchange is BACK for 2014. Not only is ZOYA making it easy to swap out old, unwanted color for the world's healthiest and longest wearing natural nail polish formula on the market, we will dispose of your old shades in an eco-friendly manner!

This offer is only good for 1 week - so hurry - Don't Wait! 
Valid 4/21/14 - 4/28/14 (11:59pm EST)
___

PLEASE VISIT THE ZOYA BLOG FOR COMPLETE PROGRAM DETAILS! or visit zoya.com

** Information provided by the manufacturer or their PR. **

** For more information please see the disclosure policy **

Tutorial: Leopards Spots

Today I would like to show you a quick and easy tutorial for how to create a leopard spotted manicure. This is a very common technique and I've seen many tutorials on how to create this look, but hopefully one more won't hurt. You can play around with different color combinations from traditional leopard colors to wild and crazy neon ones. I think this always makes for a fun manicure and is easy to create no matter what your skill level is since precision isn't key for this look...

Supplies:

• Three polishes of choice. I used Color Club Look, Don't Tusk (ivory), Lion's Den (gold shimmer), Nail-Robi (dark purple)
• Dotting tool (don't have a dotting tool? Try one of these alternatives!)

Steps:

Instructions:

1. Start by painting your nails your nails with an ivory (or your desired) base color. Apply enough coats to reach opacity and allow to dry as usual.
2. Using a shimmery or glittery gold apply random shaped spots to the nail using the polish brush
3. With a dotting tool dipped into the purple lacquer, draw 2-3 C-shaped curves around each of the gold spots
4. Add small purple spots using the dotting tool by drawing little 'commas' in the space between the larger spots.
5. Top coat and enjoy!

Once you 'master' the larger spots, you can try making smaller spots for a more detailed mani...

I hope you enjoyed this tutorial! Don't hesitate to ask if you have any questions and as always I would love to know what you think of this!

Thanks for looking!
Anutka :)

** Polishes were provided to me for review by the manufacturer or their PR. **

** For more information please see the disclosure policy **

Safari Leopard...

Continuing today with manis from the archive is this ivory leopard one that I created after swatching the Color Club Safari Garden collection. Every once in a while I just get the urge to rock some animal print on my nails and this hit the spot. What better collection to create a leopard mani with than a Safari inspired one?! Rawr!

Mint to Be...

I broke a few nails and decided to trim them all off instead of messing around with fixing corners. Right now my nails are shorter than they've been in a looooooong looooong time. I have no desire to swatch or create nail art so I'm taking a bit of a break from that. In the mean time I will be showing you manicures that have been patiently waiting for their shot in the spotlight.

Starting off today is a stamped manicure that I created after swatching the 365 Days of Color Romantique collection. The delicate mint shade called for an equally delicate floral print pattern in a color to match the beautiful golden flecks it contains..

OPI Spotlight on Glitter Collection Swatches and Review.

Good morning everyone! Today I would like to share with you swatches of the OPI Spotlight on Glitter collection which features six sparkly toppers released earlier this year. I swatches these glitter bombs over shades from the OPI Brazil collection. Four of the shades appear to be re-released from previous collections so if you missed them the first time around, now would be a great time to snag them. All are a fun and unique way to add lots of sparkle to your manicure!...

Black Raffian Inspired...

Way back when my blog was just a baby and I was getting my feet wet in the world of nail art, I came across this manicure by Lacquerized and instantly fell in love. It has been on my must try list ever since. When I sat down to play around with the OPI Gwen Stefani collection, one look at the chrome silver and matte black and I knew exactly what I had to do!...

365 Days of Color Romantique Spring Collection Swatches and Review...

Hi Everyone! Today I have swatches for you of the beautiful 365 Days of Color Romantique collection. True to it's name, these soft and feminine shades make me thing of spring and romance. The collection features seven jelly shades filled with glass fleck shimmer...

OPI Brazil Nail Art

Hi Everyone! Pardon me for the lack of an original title. This is nail art that I created while swatching the OPI Brazil collection. I really loved seeing the yellow and teal together and wanted to try something with the two of them. I must confess thought that this isn't the final look I was going for, but I had a gut feeling that I wouldn't like my final result and stopped to take photos along the way. I love the simplicity and clean lines of this look...

OPI Brazil Swatches and Review...

Hi Everyone! This post has been a long time in the making, but I finally got a chance to process all the photos and I'm excited to show you the beautiful OPI Brazil collection released for the Spring/Summer season. The collection includes both neutral and bright creams which are just perfect for the summer days ahead. The Brazil collection also includes a set of four bright and colorful mini liquid sand Beach Sandies shades. This post is long and photo heavy so consider yourselves warned :)...