Powder Perfect Christmas 2016 Trio Swatches & Review

Hi there! Thanks for dropping by today, I know there's a lot going on with all the great Black Friday shopping deals out there, and lots of us are recovering from food comas via yesterday's Thanksgiving feasts haha. But we gotta have polish! I have three awesome lacquers to show you today from Australian indie Powder Perfect for Christmas!

Press Sample

Sophisticated Santa is a rich warm red holographic with gold and silver shimmery highlights. This has a fabulous formula and covers in one coat. It does deepen a bit on the second coat, which is how many I've done here. This also dries super shiny!

Merry Little Christmas is a bright tree green glitterbomb with several shades of green and silver glitters mixed throughout. This goes on easily, it's quite glitter dense but that didn't affect application at all for me. Two coats. This is a full glitter polish so you'll want a thick layer of top coat or two for a smooth finish.

Sexy Santa is a luxe maroon red holographic with a glowy pink undertone. This seemed a bit uneven on the first layer despite it being very pigmented, it has more of a jelly-ish consistency, but two coats made it look perfect. Another really shiny one, but I always use top coat anyway.

These shades are available now on http://www.powderperfect.com.au/ (Australian site) and http://www.powder-perfect.com/ (USA site). The two reds are $12.50 each and the green is $11. Let me know what your thoughts are on this jolly trio! I am head over heels with Powder Perfect's deep holographic effect so the reds are irresistible to me. Have a great Friday!

❤ Kellie

The products mentioned were provided for an honest review.

Fair Maiden Polish Winter 2016 Merry Grinchmas Collection Swatches & Review

Happy almost Thanksgiving haha! It may be my second favorite holiday after Halloween, truth be told. But today let's talk about Christmas, ahem, I mean GRINCH-mas! The lovely minds over at indie brand Fair Maiden Polish have put together a six piece collection inspired by the animated film How the Grinch Stole Christmas, named Merry Grinchmas!

Press Sample

Merry Grinchmas is a deep forest green holographic with soft glowy effect. Perfect color to represent ol' Grinchy McGrinch! Great formula, two coats here.

Cindy Lou Who is a bright pink linear holographic with a slight metallic sheen. This was a tad runny, be sure not to overload your brush. Two coats for full coverage.

Welcome Christmas is a color shifting, slightly metallic, mint green linear holographic that shifts in between a pinky-violet, teal-aqua, and a light sage. This was thin but applied easily. I used three coats here, but it's pretty sheer so you may want another coat depending on your preference.

All The Whos In Whoville is a light rosy pink linear holographic with yellow to pink shifting shimmer, loaded with multi-colored microflakes. Nice and complex for a sparkly pink! This formula is lovely, full coverage in two coats.

Who-Pudding is a dusky plum toned deep purple linear holographic with violet shimmers. Same type of formula as Welcome Christmas, but more opaque. I used two coats for this one.

❤ x 3 is a pigmented cherry red jelly linear holographic packed with scattered holo microglitter. I swear there are also some black specks of microglitter in this as well. In the bottle I was pleased with it, but when I applied it my heart exploded! It's SOOO beautiful! Great formula, two coats. May need a thick topcoat for a smooth finish.

This collection will be available on Friday, Nov. 25 at 8am CST on the Fair Maiden Polish website. Their Electric Mayhem collection of bright crèmes will also be launching on that day, same time. Their Black Friday promotions listed below are valid Nov. 25 at 8am CST through Nov. 28th, midnight CST:

• $5 doorbuster shade available in limited quantities called Cart-Jacked
• 25% off the entire store (excluding doorbuster only)
• Free full size mystery Holiday 2016 polish with orders of Winter collection ‘Merry Grinchmas’ or $50 total purchase
• Free shipping over $50.

Let me know what you think about this collection! Are you planning on doing any shopping for Black Friday or Cyber Monday?

❤ Kellie

The products mentioned were provided for an honest review.

Pretty Serious Cosmetics Holiday 2015 Ghosts of Christmas Future Collection Swatches & Review

Hey kids! I've got the Holiday 2015 collection from Australian indie brand Pretty Serious Cosmetics to show you today! It's called Ghost of Christmas Future. So...happy late Christmas?? For serious though, even though this is last year's holiday collection, the colors are still relevant no matter what the season. There are eight shades in this collection, all in a metallic and/or foil finish! I didn't use a top coat for any of these swatches, they sparkled and shone smoothly enough without one.

Press Sample

Pretty Serious Santa's Sunburn is a red metallic finely milled foil. You can see glimmer bits of silver pop out here and there, so cute! It has an incredible formula, this is only one coat! One looked so good I couldn't bear to put another on, which is very rare for me. This polish color originally came out in 2012 but was retired, then was brought back as inspiration for this collection with all the other colors coming to life in similar finishes!

Pretty Serious Joy to the Overlords is a purple metallic with silver shimmer. This was on the thin side, it appeared to be a little sheer on the first coat, but was totally opaque in two. Purples aren't always my favorite, but this one is warm enough and with just enough glisteny bits to hold my interest.

Pretty Serious Eat, Drink and Assimilate is a burnt orange coppery foil. A heavier particle of metallic than the red shade, less mirror-like but more prismatic. Excellent formula, this is just one coat!

Pretty Serious Hack The Halls is a vibrant green metallic foil with gold and silver sparkly bits. This was pretty opaque, but not quite a one coater. I used two here. I love this so much, it's a fabulous green that works for spring as well as holiday!

Pretty Serious Frosty the Snowborg is a white hot icy silver foil. This is super pale, almost a white, but it's definitely silver. Fine shimmer, close to a chrome type of finish. This is also just one coat! You may see some brushstrokes, but I think that's actually the ridges in my nails showing due to the finish.

Pretty Serious A Christmas Time Paradox is a blue metallic with tiny silver glimmers. The finish of this one seemed the most different from the others, thinner with frosty shimmer that shows more brushstrokes. I used two coats for opacity here.

Pretty Serious The Night Before... has a black base filled with silver foil shimmer. This is another amazing one, opaque in just one coat. I thought this would be more grey/gunmetal in person but it's quite dark!

Pretty Serious Yuletide of the Machines is a brassy antique gold metallic foil. This polish had a super foily finish, the kind that could bunch up on itself if you applied a second coat too quickly. I needed just one coat for full coverage though. This color reminds me of Egyptian jewelry, it's pretty unique in my collection!

These are all available for purchase on the Pretty Serious website now. They are $9.95 AUD per bottle, so with the current exchange rate, they're around $7 USD right now. They do have a direct shipping warehouse in the US so you don't have to wait for them to come from Australia if you're in the States, which is really nice. What do you think of this collection? Are you into metallics? My favorite has to be Santa's Sunburn, but Hack The Halls is a close second!

Be sure to check out the Pretty Serious Facebook and Instagram because they will be coming out with a new collection SUPER soon! They always have an early bird discount on new products, so you'll want to be in the know when they come out! Talk to you again soon :)

❤ Kellie

The products mentioned were provided for an honest review.

Guest Post by Nail Polish Pursuit: Christmas Nail Art + Video Tutorial

Please enjoy this guest post by my friend Paola from Nail Polish Pursuit!

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Hi Pretty Polishers and Kellie Gonzo fans! I'm Paola (Pa-OH-La) aka Nail Polish Pursuit. I am SO honored that Kellie asked me come back and do another fun and cute guest post for her amazing blog! Kellie has been a wonderful mentor and inspiration to me throughout my nail polish blogging journey. Isn't she the best? I know we can all agree Kellie ROCKS! So for my guest post today, I've got 4 Christmas nail designs to show you. These are pretty simple and quick in case you need any last minute Christmas nail art ideas.

To create these designs you will need the following:

That's a lot of polish right? If you don't have all of these colors you can use what you have, or you can create only 1 of these 4 designs and paint the rest of your nails red or green for the holiday season. You also don't have to use these exact colors I used, but in case you're interested, here is the list:

Gold polish - Ziv by ZOYA
Red polish - Sooki by ZOYA
Green glitter polish - Logan by ZOYA
Nude polish - Rue by ZOYA
Pink polish - Lo by ZOYA
Blue polish - Sia by ZOYA
Silver polish - I'd Melt For You by China Glaze
Orange polish - Lady & the Vamp by China Glaze
Black polish - Never Have Too Mani Friends! by OPI (Hello Kitty Collection)
White polish - French Tip by Color Club

You're also going to need a dotting tool or toothpick, a fast drying top coat (I used HK Girl by Glisten & Glow), straight nail vinyls or tape, and a thin nail art brush.

Now let's take a look at how to create each one:

CANDY CANE
Yummy, simple, and festive!

1. Start with a white base. I love using French Tip by Color Club because it's a one coater and super opaque!
2. Apply a fast drying top coat and let it completely dry for about 15 minutes.
3. Apply your nail vinyls at an angle to give the appearance of the candy cane swirls. If you don't have nail vinyls you can cut tape into different sizes.
4. Apply 1 coat of your red nail polish and remove the vinyls or tape immediately while the red polish is still wet.
5. Once that is dry, apply your fast drying top coat to seal the design. TIP: Apply the top coat sideways so you don't smear the design.

SANTA CLAUS
So jolly and bright!

1. Start with your red polish and apply only a small amount to the top 1/3 of your nail closest to your cuticle.
2. Then apply your nude polish to the middle portion of your nail. Don't worry about making the division of colors perfect because you will be covering it up.
3. Next take your white polish and create a "french tip" line at the bottom of your nail to create Santa's beard.
4. Once that is all dry, take your dotting tool dipped in white polish and create a line of dots side by side in between the red and nude polish to create Santa's hat.
5. Now take your dotting tool dipped in black polish and make two small dots in the nude polish section of your nail to create Santa's eyes.
6. Then use your thin nail art brush dipped in black polish and create a half moon shape under the eyes to create Santa's smile.
7. Last you're going to take your dotting tool dipped in your pink polish and make two dots at each end of Santa's smile to create his jolly and bright cheeks!
8. Once everything is dry, apply your fast drying top coat to seal the design.

CHRISTMAS TREE
This isn't a Charlie Brown Christmas Tree!

1. Start with a white base. Apply fast drying top coat and let it fully dry for about 15 minutes.
2. Next take two pieces of vinyl or tape and make an X across your nail to create the outlining of the tree.
3. Then add your green nail polish in between the "X" outline. While the polish is still dry, remove the vinyls or tape.
4. Let that completely dry and you can leave it as is or you can add ornaments to you tree like I did.
5. Using your dotting tool dipped in gold and silver polish, make dots inside your tree to create the ornaments.
6. I added a star on top of my tree using a tiny nail art star that came in a wheel I bought at my local beauty supply store. You can also find these on amazon.
7. Once everything is dry, apply your fast drying top coat to seal the design.

SNOWMAN
With a carrot nose!

1. Start with a blue base. Apply fast drying top coat and let it fully dry for about 5 minutes.
2. Then take your white polish and create a circular mound shape at the bottom of your nail.
3. Next take your dotting tool dipped in white polish and make dots at the top portion of your nail to create snowflakes.
4. Now take your dotting tool again but this time dipped in black polish and make two dots at the top of the white mound to make the snowman's eyes.
5. Last take your thin nail art brush dipped in orange polish and make a sideways triangle to create the snowman's carrot nose.
6. Once everything is dry, apply your fast drying top coat to seal the design.

You're all done! Hope you enjoyed these cute and fun Christmas nails! Remember you don't have to make these look perfect, even the best nail artists make mistakes. Your designs will be unique and beautiful.

I also have a step by step video tutorial for these nails on my YouTube channel here:

I wish everyone a very Happy Holidays and a huge thank you to Kellie for giving me this opportunity to be a part of her awesome blog!

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Thanks so much for guest posting again Paola! I love nail art oh so much and I fail so hard at it, so thanks for bringing some creativity to my blog! Let me know what you think! What are you wearing on your nails for the holidays? Be sure to stop by the Nail Polish Pursuit blog and subscribe if you want, or follow her on Instagram, Facebook and YouTube!

❤ Kellie

fingerpaints winter dreams pt. 2

aaaaaannnnddd i'm back folks with the second round of swatches for the fingerpaints winter dreams holiday collection.

mistletoe mischief is a terrific candy green with fine silver green shimmer.  the color is lovely and i adore that it's a jelly, it allows the glitter to just swim around in it and it gives it a fabulous depth.  this is two coats.

just plum fun is a gorgeous glowey purple, but i've seen a lot of this kind of color this year.  oh well, everyone has got to have one right?  the shimmer in this color is nice.  this is two coats.

mulberry madness is my absolute favorite from this collection.  chunky but not too chunky glittery red with a sprinkle (more than merry mittens) of silver glitter.  this is two coats.  this one dries a bit matte so a topcoat is needed for sure. 

so what's the verdict?  any must haves for you outta this collection?  these are available at Sally Beauty Supply, in stores and online :)

xoxo,
kelliegonzo

these products were sent to me for an honest review. please see disclosure statement for more information.

meet me under the mistletoe

i ordered this awesome orly green for my beautiful friend sarah from look at them pretty colors blog. she graciously allowed me to try it out before i sent it to her.

meet me under the mistletoe is a blueish tinged teal jelly with an emerald green glass fleck that is perfect for this season.  this is two coats and a layer of poshe quick dry topcoat on my nubbins.

i didn't want to take it off so i layered china glaze matte magic over and it turned out amazing. textured polishes look so cool when they go matte.  this looks so great eh?

xoxo,
kelliegonzo

this product was borrowed from a friend. please see disclosure statement for more information.

last round of naughty and nice colors

and we've come to the end of China Glaze's massive holiday collection, 'Tis the Season to be Naughty and Nice: Celebrate the Season with Sugar, Spice, and Everything in Between. 16 colors designed to bring festive cheer to your hands and feet!

here is phat santa, the most beautiful red jelly crème i think i've ever seen! seriously, i absolutely love this color. this is two coats. there is a tiny bit of visible nail line, but it's so vivid that you can't really tell.

jolly holly is another gorgeous color, it's a super amazing green shimmer. perfect for christmas and is incredibly pigmented. this is two coats. one of my favorites from this collection.

and last but not least, mommy kissing santa is a deep cherry red shimmer polish that is sure to be flattering on just about everyone. i can't believe how much i loved this one! i wasn't super impressed looking at it in the bottle, but after i put it on, i had some major love for it! this is two coats.

and... i just realized that i am missing my swatch of little drummer boy so CRAP! i have deceived you and there is one more naughty and nice collection swatch comin your way :)

xoxo,
kelliegonzo

these products were sent to me for an honest review. please see disclosure statement for more information.

party hearty and mistletoe kisses

moving into the winter months and we have more holiday polishes! here are two more china glaze naughty and nice polishes for you folks!

party hearty is a red and green glitter that is sure to brighten up any mani this season. chunky and fun, different sizes of sequins make this baby a must have from this collection. this is two coats.

mistletoe kissses is a cool spiermint green and silver glitter that has a frost edge to it, kind of like mrs. claus. very in tune with this collection and super unique. i've never seen a polish like it! three coats and i'm a happy girl!

the last three naughty and nice polishes are coming your way, along the the new Nubar holiday jewels and the FingerPaint winter dreams :)

xoxo,

kelliegonzo

these products were sent to me for an honest review. please see disclosure statement for more information.

more naughty and nice swatches

hey guys! i hope everyone had a great halloween :) and for those who don't celebrate, i hope your weekend was pretty great also.

naughty and nice, the namesake of this collection, is a vampy deep dark jelly that looks pretty black but is actually a plummy purple. this is three coats.

midnight kiss is the gold version of cheers to you, soft yellow gold foil. this two coats. very pretty and as always i. love. gooooooold.

ruby deer is a gorgeous bright red creme that really brings Christmas to mind. and i love the name! three coats.

jingle bells is a champagne gold metallic polish, not as foily as midnight kiss. this is two coats. not my favorite on me but still lovely and it's nice to have two golds to choose from in a collection, that way if one doesn't suit you chances are that the other will.

the last round of these is coming up so keep your eyes peeled folks =)

xoxo,
kelliegonzo

these products were sent to me for an honest review. please see disclosure statement for more information.