Royal Baby News plus the Panda is here!!

For those who didn't hear today - Prince William and the Duchess of Cambridge, who we affectionately call Kate, announced they are expecting their first child! YAY!
I feel bad they had to announce it before they wanted to since Kate is ill, but I'm hoping the rest of the pregnancy goes smoothly and that the media leave her alone during it!

In honor of Wills and Kate's baby news, I have a polish inspired by the Duchess of Cambridge called No More Waity, Katie by Butter London.
Waity Katie was a nickname the press gave Kate because of the length the two spent dating but still hadn't gotten engaged. I'm glad they took their sweet time, and they are probably the cutest royal couple ever!

No More Waity, Katie

The polish is described as a soft lilac glitter in a lavendarish base. It's very pretty in the bottle and was originally supposed to be a limited edition. It ended up being a big hit, so Butter has added it to their core collection, and used the color to launch their Lippy line.

No More Waity, Katie and China Glaze Spontaneous

I've wanted this polish for a long time, but just haven't picked it up. I'm a member of a group called Polished Panda. It's a group where you send a stuffed panda along with a polish and a postcard to one of the members. The panda came from Amanda to me on Saturday. It was filled with goodies and No More Waity, Katie!

One coat of No More Waity, Katie over two coats of Spontaneous

This is a very pretty polish. I wasn't sure I would like it at first, but the longer I left it on, the more I warmed up to it. The formula isn't as horrible as some have said. It's definitely a different formula than any butter London. It's gritty and thick, but it doesn't seem to be a top coat eater. I used a coat of Color Club topcoat and it covered fine. 

All in all, Puppies and Pawlish gives No More Waity, Katie three paws up! The formula is the only thing that I really dislike about the polish. It's definitely a different color than any other I have, but it's really pretty!

Before I go, I wanted to share a picture of the awesome goodies I got from my Polished Panda friend Amanda! The Panda's next stop is New Zealand, where I'm sending a pile of goodies to Jebba!

Lots of awesome goodies!!

Til next time!

Jaclyn

butter London - Fiddlesticks and Jack the Lad

Today, I have the other two polishes I got from the butter London Holiday Collection called Fiddlesticks and Jack the Lad.

From left: Jack the Lad, Fiddlesticks and Scallywag

I will say that right off the bat, neither of these two compare to Scallywag. Scallywag was all glitter, while Jack the Lad and Fiddlesticks seem to be a mix of glitter, colored base and metallic sheen.

First up is Fiddlesticks. I decided to pair it with OPI's new Casino Royale from the Skyfall collection. It is a creme almost identical to the jelly base of Fiddlesticks.

OPI Casino Royale and Fiddlesticks

Fiddlesticks frustrated me. It's so pretty in the bottle, but it looks weird on my nails. You definitely have to use a top coat to make it shiny. Without, it looks dull. 

One coat of Casino Royale, two of Fiddlesticks

Maybe it's because I'm not a fuchsia girl, although I do like Casino Royale on its own. I couldn't get this off fast enough though. This is only the second time I've ever said that about a butter London polish too!

Fiddlesticks with flash

I didn't really like the formula of this one much either. The glitter went on fine, but it was goopy and thick. I can see it has potential so I'm going to try it again with another color of polish, maybe black.

Puppies and Pawlish give Fiddlesticks two paws for potential.

Next up is Jack the Lad. I debated between this and Scuppered, which is a brown polish, but I really liked the dark green, so I grabbed this one instead.

Pure Ice Femme Fatale and butter London Jack the Lad

I paired Jack the Lad with Pure Ice's new Velvet polish Femme Fatale. It was a great choice, because it really brought out the dark green of Jack the Lad, which seemed to have a metallic sheen of silver.

Jack the Lad - one coat

I really love this polish! It's a very dark green, so it's hard to see all the glitter in it up close, but believe me, it's there!

Jack the Lad with flash

Jack the Lad will make a perfect Christmas color for those who want bling, but not a ton!! It looks totally gorgeous with just one coat, but you can always add another if you want!

Puppies and Pawlish give Jack the Lad four paws up!!

And now for PUPPIES!! Zeke always comforts me when I'm upset and today while I was swatching I had a big bug run across my foot. It wasn't just any bug, but a big creepy millipede, which give me anxiety because I hate them so much. After jumping out and freaking out, my little guard puppy Zeke came and protected me while I finished swatching and taking pictures. Isn't he just the most bravest guard puppy ever?

I always protect my mommy, 'cuz I wub her!

butter London - SCALLYWAG

Today I've got a lacquer from the butter London 2012 Holiday Collection. It's called Scallywag. It's turquoise glitter in a clear base. And it's gorgeous!!!

butter London Scallywag

Scallywag is part of a group of five glitters from butter London's Holiday Collection. The others are Jack the Lad, a dark green base with gold, turquoise and green glitter; Fairy Cake, a silver glitter in a grey base; a raspberry base with magenta glitter and Scuppered, a copper shimmer with pink, gold and green glitter.

Since I'm a blue girl, Scallywag immediately drew my attention. The colors at my wedding were turquoise and silver, so this is the perfect reminder of that awesome day!

butter London Blagger and Scallywag

When I saw this at Ulta, I immediately thought of a creme polish from butter London I have called Blagger. It's a bright blue that is a true one-coater. I decided it would be a perfect layer polish for Scallywag.

 

one coat of Blagger and one coat of Scallywag

And boy was I right! Both polishes only required one coat. Blagger gave that true blue base that really made the glitter pop. Scallywag definitely is a dense glitter that coats your nail easily. I had no bald spots and painted it on just like a creme. 

Scallywag with flash

All I can say is that it is absolutely gorgeous. I have always said that butter London makes the best glitter polishes. I have close to 3/4 of all of the glitters and I love all of them!

butter London glitter!!

I do have some tipwear in the photos, but I had already worn this polish for three days before I got a chance to take pictures. I can't say enough how much I love butter London's line. It is definitely one of my most favorite brands of polish.

2012 Holiday Collection - Scallywag

butter London retails for $14 at Ulta, which has this collection on their shelves now. You can also pick up these lacquers at the butter London site. They are running a 30% off special on their lacquers and lippys right now. Just use the code FRIENDS12 at the checkout to receive the discount.

Puppies and Pawlish gives Scallywag four paws up on this one!!

Even Brinlee thinks this one is totally awesome!

Princess Brinlee at the top of our stairs

Hope you enjoyed today's post! Check back soon for swatches of Jack the Lad and Fiddlesticks!

Jaclyn

China Glaze - Glitter Goblin

Today, I have another one of the China Glaze polishes from their Wicked Halloween collection. It's called Glitter Goblin and it's an iridescent glitter with whites, greens and purples in a copper base. It almost reminds me of their very popular Fairy Dust polish, only with a copper base!

Glitter Goblin

This is a very sheer polish. So to give it some base I went with butter London's Shag. It's a coppery, burgundy color that matches the base of the glitter.

Glitter Goblin over Shag

I used two coats of Shag and two coats of Glitter Goblin. I had a basecoat of Essie's Rock Solid and once again used a Color Club top coat.  This goes on exactly like Fairy Dust or any other polish with fine grit glitter. 

You definitely need two coats to get total coverage and cover up any spots, but it's very pretty on!

Glitter Goblin in natural light with flash

You can definitely see many different colors in this glitter. Right now I have a nubbin on my thumb on my non-swatching hand, and this looks really cute on it. It would be a great way to bling out your nubbins. It also looks very pretty on longer nails too. 

Glitter Goblin natural light no flash

I think the key is to make sure you use thin coats of the this glitter. Otherwise it can give you what looks like tip wear from the glitter weighing down the rest of the polish. I noticed it on the two fingers I tend to put thicker coats on, my pointer fingers. 

Closeup of Glitter Goblin

All in all it's definitely a pretty fall polish. Once again, I'm not sure I'd go with it as a Halloween polish, but it's definitely a keeper. I'm sure this would look good over darker polishes like black and navy too!

Dark room with flash

I still think I like Roguish Red the best from this collection so far, but I do have some others to try. Still, this came in a set of four, so for the price it was definitely worth it. I picked this up at Sally Beauty Supply, but you can also find it at Ulta and some other online retailers.

Dark with flash only

I would definitely pick this up, especially if you are a glitter fan. It's definitely a unique polish and packs a lot of punch! All in all, I say Puppies and Pawlish would give it three paws out of four.

Here's a picture I took of Zeke while I was waiting for my nails to dry today. He was cuddled up with daddy on the couch.

Zeke on daddy's lap. Brinlee photobomb!

Hope you enjoyed today's post!!

China Glaze - Roguish Red

Today I have a polish from the new China Glaze Wicked collection for Halloween. It's called Roguish Red. I'm usually not a big fan of red or orange polishes, but I saw this in a set of four, so I thought I'd give it a try.

Roguish Red

This color is definitely a tomatoey red. It gives off a red orange vibe. It looks more orangeish depending on what type of light you are in, but for the most part looks red.

Two coats of Roguish Red

I used Essie's Rock Solid base coat, two coats of Roguish Red and a Color Club top coat. It was a pretty smooth application. It wasn't goopy and you can get away with one coat if you are in a hurry. I could still see some visible nail line, so I added a second coat. 

Roguish Red with a flash

Like I said, I'm not a big fan of reds, but for some reason this really catches my eye. I love Halloween, so maybe that's why I like it. The other three colors that came in the set were Bizarre Blurple, Glitter Goblin and Ghoulish Glow. I'll try and get to all four before Halloween, so that you can see some swatches.

Roguish Red in regular light

I think this a very pretty color. I'm not sure I'd go call it a Halloween color, but it's close enough. A couple of bat stamps and it may look festive. I'm very impressed with the application though. It isn't goopy like some China Glaze's can be. Plus, the four bottle set was only $8.99 at Sally's Beauty Supply, so it was worth the cost.

Closeup of Roguish Red in natural light

I'm definitely going to put this one in the keep pile. I may use it from time to time in the fall. While, I don't think it's a true Halloween color, it's definitely a fall red! China Glaze retails from $4.99-7.99 depending on where you get it. I usually pick up most of mine at Sally's Beauty Supply because they have a discount on China Glaze if you have a Sally's card. 

I've done a quick swatch of Bizarre Blurple and Glitter Goblin and both are very interesting. I'll save those for another day though!!

Before I go, I wanted to share a picture of Zeke and Brinlee napping on their favorite blanket in the world. It's an old San Francisco Giants blanket my husband has had forever. The pups have claimed it as their own.

Brinlee and Zeke on the couch in their designated nap spot!

Hope you enjoyed today's post!!

Jaclyn

Girly Bits - WET BIKINI

Today, I have an awesome polish for you from the Girly Bits line made by Pam Heil. It's called Wet Bikini and it's a glitter polish.

Girly Bits Wet Bikini

I have several of the Girly Bits polishes and I love all of them. When I saw this one out on the Girly Bits page, I knew I had to get it. I actually picked this one up in a blog sale for $9. It retails for $10 on the site.

For the base polish I went with OPI's Russian Navy. Since Wet Bikini is a bunch of blueish colored glitters in a clear base, I figured it would look awesome. Boy, did I underestimate myself!

Two coats of Wet Bikini over two coats of Russian Navy

Needless to say, I was floored by how pretty this is. In fact, I couldn't stop staring at my hands the rest of the day. The navy base coat really lets the different colors of blue glitter pop. I started with one coat of Wet Bikini, and loved it so much I put on one more!

Girly Bits Wet Bikini outdoors

I have lots of glitter polish and this is now, by far, my favorite! Everyone knows blue is my favorite color, and this is my dream polish combo!!

I think this reminds me alot of a flakie polish. Even though this is actual glitter, it reflects and moves like a flakie.

Wet Bikini indoors with flash

I'm always catching a new shade of blue when I move my hands around. And, the application of this polish is a dream. I had no clumps and no issues with the glitter not staying down. In fact, I put one layer of Color Club topcoat over it, and it was completely smooth! 

Wet Bikini indoors with flash closeup

I've had this on for about three days now, and I don't want to take it off! Pam does such a great job with her polishes. They retail between $10-12.50 on the Girly Bits site. They are also sold on Llarowe, Harlow and Co and Mei Mei's Signatures. Right now, Wet Bikini is on sale at the Llarowe site for $9. Run and buy it!!!

Lots of pretty blue bling!

There are several other polishes from the Girly Bits collection I would recommend, including another blue beauty by Pam. It's called Roger That and it's a holographic polish made in the memory of Brady Rogers, a teenager who died in Pam's community. It's gorgeous and it's another color that's on my growing list of polishes I want from Girly Bits!! 

Puppies and Pawlish gives Wet Bikini four paws up on this one.

Before I go, I wanted to share a pic of Zeke and Brinlee doing their favorite activity - napping! 

Brinlee and Zeke napping on the couch!

Hope you enjoyed today's post!

Till next time,

Jaclyn

Claire's Nail Stickers - LEOPARD

Today I have some nail stickers for you from Claire's. These retail for $7 on their website and in the store. Right now, they have a buy one, get one 50% off.
My husband and I were in Grove City, Pa. at the outlets and I saw these. I figured I'd get two packs and try them out. I picked up the Leopard print and the multi-glitter print.

Bling nail stickers - Left: Multi-glitter. Right: Leopard

There are 16 nail stickers in each package. They come in different sizes, although like most nail stickers or decals, some just don't fit no matter what.

I really liked this when I took them out of the package. They are much thicker than the Sally Hansen nail strips that I've come to really like.

Multi-colored leopard print

The leopard print was meant to act as an ombre effect. But since I have weirdly shaped fingers, I had to use them out of order to get the best fit. They don't have a ton of patterns, but the ones they do have are very cool. Most of the stickers also come with crystals already glued on the sticker.

Closeup of nail stickers

While these weren't horrible to apply, be forewarned...they only come with stickers. Meaning you need to have your own nail file ready to file off the excess. Here is where I dislike these stickers. With the crystals on, it's harder to file off the excess. So if there is a crystal at the very tip, it leaves an indentation. Plus you have to file alot to get the extra off.

Close up of nail sticker with top coat.

The package advises you to use a basecoat and a topcoat with these stickers. I did both. However, I found the topcoat doesn't really stick too well on these things. Whether it be the air trapped by the crystals or what, my topcoat actually peeled right off in some places.

Even with that I was still pretty satisfied with these ---- until I went about my daily life. Then the things started to stick up and peel like you wouldn't believe. 

Pretty, but not worth the money

I spent $7 on these and had them on all of three hours. I finally just peeled them all off. It was easy to take them off. Mostly because many of the edges had already started to stick up. I did use Chip Skip and Essie Rock Solid basecoat before putting them on.

I have one more pack to try, but I'll probably wait awhile. Honestly, I think the Sally Hansen strips are better for the money you pay. I've used both the fingernail and toenail strips and have had zero issues.

Before I go, I want to leave you with a picture of one of my most favorite puppies of all time. No, it's not Zeke or Brinlee. It's a puppy they share a lot of wall space with at our house - the University of Georgia mascot, Uga. I'm a huge fan and have over 12 framed pictures of him in my living room. Today, they named a new Uga. His name is Russ, and he's been the interim mascot after the deaths of the past two Ugas. Russ will now be known as Uga IX. 

Russ AKA my third-favorite dog in the world!

Hope you enjoyed today's post!

butter London - SHAG and GOBSMACKED

Today I have two of the new colors from butter London's 2012 Autumn/Winter Collection. Everyone knows how much I love butter London, and I'm love with these newest colors!
I picked up Shag, a high-shine, warm orange-burgandy metallic reminiscent of fall leaves, and Gobsmacked, a heavily pigmented charcoal grey glitter with a slightly textured finish.

When I first saw the new fall colors, I was impressed with all of them. They include two holographic glitter/metallic polishes in Trustafarian and Dodgy Barnett and a full-out multi-colored glitter in Lovely Jubbly.  But Shag really stuck out to me for some reason. I'm not usually a fan of any polish that considered to be orangy, but this one catches your eye!

butter London Shag

Shag is definitely a rust-colored polish. It looks good on warmer skin tones. It's part of the butter London metallic line, which is awesome. It follows the line of Big Smoke, Diamond Geezer and Knees Up.

Shag - 2012 Autumn/Winter Collection

Shag- two coats outdoors

This polish is super easy to apply. Like all of butter London's other metallics it goes on smoothly and doesn't leave those weird brush marks like some metallic polishes do. I used two coats over a base coat of Essie's Rock Solid and a topcoat of Seche Vite.  I had no shrinkage with Seche as a topcoat.

Shag up close. What a pretty fall color!

Shag retails for $14 a bottle at Ulta and Nordstroms. Both online sites also sell the line. You can also pick up  all of the lacquers at butter London's site.

This would also make a great toenail color for the end of summer!

The other polish I picked up was Gobsmacked. I will apologize for the quality of the pictures now. Apparently, the batteries in my camera were almost dead, so the pictures are a tad blurry. But you can still see how awesome this polish is.

Two coats of Gobsmacked

This polish is very different from any polish I have. First of all it's black....and it's glitter! What's not to love about that. This is also one the polishes that has microglitter, so it isn't too hard to take off, even with two coats.

butter London's Gobsmacked

I love this color. It may be in my top five of butter London colors of all time! It's got some grey metallic glitter mixed in, so it really pops in the light.

Black and glitter? Yes, please.

Both of these colors are going to get a lot of use during the fall season. If you've never tried butter London, let me tell you, it's worth the splurge. I have over 30 bottles and there is only one I'm not totally crazy about. And, that's because of my skin color. It may be $14 a bottle, but I have had zero issues with the polishes and they are long wearing.

And to start your weekend off right, I wanted to share a picture of Brinlee, aka the puppy version of Gabby Douglas, who amazes us with her skill on our wall, also known as our "balance beam."

Brinlee planning her dismount. I'm sure it's a 10. 

Have a great weekend!

Jackie