Supreme Gecko: 12 Supreme Days Of Christmas - Year 4

Hello lovelies, sorry I have been MIA. I have been very ill & a beloved family member passed away so it has been a hard time. I am going to be doing lots of catching up this week & I wanted to start with a random but super exciting post! Wally Kern from Supreme Gecko is having a 12 Supreme Days Of Christmas - Year 4 Giveaway Extravaganza! 

In case you didn't know, http://supremegecko.com/ is the one stop shop for gecko articles, FAQ's, videos, blog etc plus a shop full of geckos, gecko diet & all sorts of supplies. The best part is the prices are great, people are nice & I have heard nothing but positive reviews. I would love to be the proud owner of one of their stunning crested geckos! Now, to the giveaways! 

The 12 Supreme Days Of Christmas - Year 4 giveaways are full of awesome prizes from some truly great vendors. Anything from food chow, books, supplies to the crestie I am dying to win! Please check out the posts on Wally Kern's Facebook page for all the info, updates & to enter to win! For the best prize....

Look at this beautiful little girl! I would be absolutely ecstatic to win her. She is is exactly what I have been looking for but sadly, I have not had the budget. lol 

Please stop by and tell Wally Kern you heard about this from me & help my wish come true! He is such an amazing person for doing this so please thank him for arranging this extravaganza for all his fans. There are some awesome people in this world! 

Darling Diva Polish Black Opal Review

Yay! Time for part 3 of my Darling Diva reviews. This is Black Opal. I am not very much into black polish but this is definitely an exception! I have a feeling I will never be disappointed by this brand! Just like before, I took photos inside & outside...

 When inside, Black Opal is less 'showy' with micro-glitter & color shifting flakies. A LOT of them. 

 My first thoughts were 'My goodness, this would be perfect for Galaxy nails!' Would it not!?

 Of course the application was simple. Only 3 coats for me which is amazing compared to most jellies I have tried. The dry time is super fast just as Rose Opal was. I am still in awe over that part! There were barely any 'stray' flakies either! Wow! I also couldn't believe how easy clean-up was! You would think it was hard because of the black but it was truly a breeze!

Outside the colors are so much more vibrant! Everything seems to reflect in this polish! 

 The flakies take on all colors, they lean toward blue & green most but that is not the limit! I just love how the micro-glitter sparkles too!

'Once upon a time. In a galaxy far, far away'....hehe! You know you were thinking it!

Sorry for the glare on these photos, my polish was super shiny & reflective. I used Ruby Whit Tips Glitter Helper & Julep Freedom on top (in case you were wondering). 

I am so blown away by Darling Diva Polish. Like, I really need them all... The quality is unreal. If you haven't tried this lovely indie brand, you are seriously missing out! I am so grateful for having the chance to review these beauties! Please make sure to stop by & give Darling Diva Polish some love!

Darling Diva Polish Rose Opal Review

Hello! I want to introduce you to Rose Opal by Darling Diva Polish. This lovely color has so much going on but makes for a very classy addition to my ever growing polish collection. Not many bright or darker rose/fuchsia colors can be classy but funky at the same time but this lady can! 

Rose Opal is a beautiful rose/fuchsia jelly that's packed with micro-glitter & all kinds of shifting flakies! 

The first 2 photos are of her inside. You can see the beauty of Rose Opal inside as well as outside (a great quality). 

I love how the micro-glitter seems to come out more inside, giving it a more classy look (for you working ladies). It gives off a strikingly beautiful but subtle appearance. 

Outside, in the other hand...Yeah, this polish comes alive!

The flakies start to reflect & the micro-glitter starts sparkling & you have a real eye-catcher! 

I am amazed at how many flakies are in this polish! There is a ton! Not only that but they shift so many colors. Green, purple, blue, pink, etc. It is truly amazing!

 

I really wish I could have captured the real beauty in this polish. Not only is it breathtaking but the formula is by far the best jelly formula I have ever seen. I tried 3 & even 4 coats with ease. 

I have never been a jelly fan because they seem to take FOREVER to dry, even with a fast drying top coat. Not with this one! I could have done with no top coat at all, seriously! It dried super fast. 

Best of all, the flakies gave me no problem at all. I expected a few stubborn pieces, seeing the amount that is in the polish but they went on incredibly smooth. The only stubborn flakies were on the tips of my nails but that is what a file is for. 

Overall, I am astonished at this polish & dream to own the whole collection one day. I am so happy I was sent Rose Opal to try out! Please be on the lookout for my review of Black Opal too! 

Darling Diva Polish Green Diamond Review

Yay! I finally got my first Darling Diva Polishes! A have been waiting to try this brand for so long & they were totally worth the wait. I had no real idea what I was getting & I just love surprises. I kid you not, I was talking to my friend Meredith (Obscenely Blue) about how bad I needed to find a good holographic green when my husband dropped my package in my lap. I opened it up to see this stunning new green holographic. TOTALLY made my day & how perfect was that timing!? Well here is the perfect beauty I have been waiting for! Pssst...Carrie, you are psychic!

Isn't she beautiful! This diamond for sure belongs in my treasure box! I love that perfect candy apple green. Like, right on the dot!

I actually had to re-do my first nail because it dried so fast & I messed it up. This is by all means, not a complaint. It is a miracle! You have to apply it fast & it dries fast. 

This is also one of the creamiest formulas I have ever seen. Not trying to sound weird but I stared at the formula in awe like the crazy person I am. Best of all, it is a one-coater! WOW! 

Another great quality is that it dries with a matte-like coat. This is a soft holo but it is the perfect amount! Between the holo & matte, Green Diamond looks like pure velvet. It's absolutely stunning! I could not stop staring at my nails. 

I  put a clear coat & went outside to take photos but as you can tell, no matter where you go, this baby is equally stunning! Any complaints?  None Whatsoever!

Thank you Carrie for introducing me toy your wonderful Darling Diva Polishes. I am in love with Green Diamond & I am now a huge fan, you have some amazing talent & I can't wait to see what you come up with next! Stay tuned for 2 more beauties from this amazing indie brand!

Ruby White Tips Winter Chill Review

Hello, sorry it took so long. We had a family emergency but everything is okay now! I would like to share a new polish from Ruby White Tips It is called Winter Chill. It is an amazing glitter for sure & perfect for the holidays! Here we go! 

First off, this baby is FULL of glitter. Like, all kinds of glitter! Winter Chill has small blue metallic glitter, teeentsy weeentsy micro glitter & best of all, fish scale glitter. Color shifting fish scale glitter! *faints*

Here you can see the fish scale glitter, all of them are shifting different colors but they are the same. Did I mention I love fish scale glitter? lol

I also love the RWT sticker. I think it is the cutest logo in the world. Also, doesn't Winter Chill look great over Nubar Absolute? 

I liked this so much I decided to try a gradient....

Yay! Isn't it beautiful! I think it makes a fantastic winter gradient. I also want to say, I used the Glitter Helper 'super shine' top coat on top. I am loving the turnout!

I have to add, those are not bubbles in the polish (the tiny spots), that is the micro glitter! lol These are both such great formulas.

I'm sure you can guess what I did next...

 BOOM! You bet I went there! I love my Hail To The Holo! 

Look at it. LOOK AT IT!!!! 

 I couldn't decide what photo to post because they all turned out so beautiful. I am such a rainbow child. 

Don't the 2 polishes go so well with each other (actually 3 of you include the Glitter Helper)? I'm so happy with this polish! 

Please swing by the Ruby White Tips Page and wish them happy anniversary. They just had their one year anniversary! I can't wait to see what is to come!

Ruby White Tips Santa Barf Custom Review

Sooo...What happens when you are being goofy, gross & thinking about the upcoming holidays? Santa Barf! Seriously though, It all started with this smiley....

Yep...I went there... So that got me & Laura from Ruby White Tips going on gross holiday polish colors & then along came the Santa Barf idea. We then started brainstorming what Santa Barf would look like. We figured brown polish & brown glitters! He does eat lots of chocolate & cookies, after all! She wouldn't let me see the results till I got it in the mail but hey, I love surprises!!! So here it is! 

Introducing Santa Barf! EEEEK!!!

It looks just as awesome as I imagined! I just love the muddy brown! I know, I'm odd but this just made my day! 

Here you can see more of the glitter. This polish is full of copper microglitter & bar glitter! 

Santa Barf is actually darker, more like in this photo. My flash brought out the gray/muddy color more when I was trying to get the glitter to show better. Wootie-woot! This polish rocks my socks freaking off!

I had other polishes from this order & one I was super excited to try so I added a thick coat of Hail To The Holo over it!.... 

BOOM!!! Look at that holo! I just love it over Santa Barf! I do want to add, you just need a thin coat to make your nails super holo like this but I wanted to make is more opaque & it looks amazing! Stay tuned for the Hail To The Holo review! It will be a pic heavy one for sure! 

I love my custom so much, I just can't get enough Ruby White Tips polishes! I have yet to be disappointed! Thank you so much again Laura & Vanessa for the amazing work you do for your fans! 

Liebster Award Nomination

I was nominated for a Liebster Award by Obscenely Blue

The rules are :
Link Back to the blogger who nominated you.
Answer the 11 questions given to you by the blogger who nominated you.
Nominate 11 other bloggers with less than 200 followers.
Go to the blogs you nominated & notify them of your nomination.
Give your nominees 11 questions to answer.

My questions were:
1. How did you come up with the name for your blog?
I'm a mommy who loves makeup, polish, fashion, all natural products, baking, my kids & everything in between. AKA From Lips To Tips... Mommy Style!
2. What is your favorite special effect type of nail polish & why?
Holographic for sure! I am a total rainbow lover!
3. What draws you to certain colors of nail polish?
Anything original! I like glitters (especially jumbo & matte), holos, neons, pastels & anything with a geeky or nerdy name!
4. If you had to put an animal on your nails, what would it be?
A bat, crested/ gargoyle gecko or pitbull! I love them all evenly!
5. Is there a kind of nail art you really like, but have been afraid to try?
Never! I love challenges! There are quite a few things I haven't tried yet but it is more than likely because I haven't had the time! lol
6. What is the most unique nail art you have ever seen?
Oooh, I saw the velvet/fuzzy nail with perfect leopard print! How the heck do you do that!?
7. If you had to name a nail polish, what would you name it & why?
I have a ton but can't mention them. Most have to do with my inner geeky fandom! I did just have one named after me & also was being goofy with Laura & came up with Santa Barf! Review coming in the next day or 2!
8. What is your favorite nail blog to follow?
I definitely don't have one. I read lots of blogs & love them all!
9. Do you have any other favorite beauty products that you are passionate about? If so, what?
Oh man! Indie Lee is for sure my favorite! She is Wonder Woman!
10. Are there any particular polish makers who always amaze/impress you with their new creations? If so, Who?
That's a no-brainer! I am a total Ruby White Tips addict! I lover every one of her creations & I am determined to own every one of her creations! Well...One of each, at least!
11. What is the one thing that can always make you happy?
Nail mail!!! It makes me feel all warm & fuzzy every time, no matter what mood I am in! I can't get enough of it!

The questions I will be asking are :
1. What drove you to become a blogger?
2. What is your favorite polish brand?
3. What nail accessories can you not live without?
4. What is your favorite nail design/technique?
5. What is your favorite style of polish (matte, creme, jelly, glitter, holo, etc) & why?
6. What other non-polish addictions do you have?
7. How often do you paint your nails?
8. What other hobbies are you into?
9. What else do you enjoy to blog about?
10. Do you have multiple blogs or do you plan to one day?
11. Do you have sentimental polishes? (names of family, pets, film characters you love, etc)

The blogs I am nominating are: (in progress)
1. Shelby Lou Nails
2. Boom Shaka Lacquer
3. A Polished Lady
4. Vickermania
5. Janet Planet Nails
6. Manic Talons
7. Simply Thrifty Nails
8. BeautyFull Lacquer
9. Lacquer Inspiration
10. Southern Sass And Sparkle
11. Painted Fingertips

FNUG Futuristica Review

Helooo loves! I have an awesome polish to share with you. I received FNUG Futuristica in a swap & it is fricking amazing! This is one of the best holos ever. It is right up there with Color Club Halo Hues & Enchanted Polish! I was totally wowed! It only took 2 coats, spread so easily & the drying time was one of the quickest I have seen! You can use a top coat or have it by itself & it is just as holo either way. I add top coats to anything unless it is a textured polish. This is such a beautiful polish, I can't wait to find more!!!

On to the eye candy! 

See! Holy holo Batman! 

Here is the close up! Flawless!

I can't even tell which photos had a top coat & which photos didn't, now that is perfection!

 This was my favorite photo because you can see a ton of purple! Squeee! 

Okay, so are you impressed or what!? I know I am. FNUG Futuristica has quickly become a favorite of mine. I am so excited to finally have one. I hope you love it too! 

How To Protect A Broken Nail

Everyone has had that 'NOOOOOOO!!!' moment where they have a cracked a nail. Not only are you dreading the pain of a deep crack but if you have long nails, you are dreading having to trim them all & having to start over.

Although you will have to trim those beautiful nails down, you can avoid the pain by using a simple & quick trick. All you need is a base/bonding coat, tea bag & scissors! 

 Here is my recent crack. It was a sad...sad day...

Another pic. I wanted to cry! Then I remember a trick I read...somewhere... & decided to give it a try.

First you start with a tea bag...Yes, a tea bag. Take the staple out & empty the contents wherever you want. Confetti crossed through my mind but I remembered what a mess it is & restrained myself.

Get your scissors & cut out a small piece of the bag just big enough to cover about 1/2 the width & most of the length of your nail. 

Get your base/bonding coat & apply it to the nail then press the piece of tea bag on it while the polish is still wet. 

Apply another coat & viola! You are done & your nail is more secured to prevent it from cracking more. 

I paint my nails almost daily so I had to re-do it lots of times. Thank goodness it is easy & only takes a second. You can also wear polish over it & if it is smoothed out enough, you can't even tell it is there! I was able to grow my nail out enough to trim it with no pain! 

Ruby White Tips Roadie America's Sweetheart for Batworld.org Review

Wow! It has been a crazy week! I'm finally back to share my joint review to my Elise's Pink Hair Post. Today I'm sharing a very special cause with you from Ruby White Tips. Please meet Roadie America's Sweetheart. This is for a sweet little guy who holds his own place in my heart. I will be sharing his story but first to the review.

 Okay, so this polish is a lighter, more subtle color inside but I just couldn't capture it on my camera. I got sort-of irritated (with my camera) till I went out & to my surprise, it was this bright purple! Yay! Look at that perfect grape color, I am a huge grape fan... Like I want a lipstick this exact color!

 Look how absolutely adorable this bottle is too. The purple jewels are lovely but the bat is what really got me. I may put it on a necklace so I can be reminded of Roadie every day. I adore this look.

 I also have to say this formula is amazing! Like Elise's Pink Hair, the application was so easy. It was smooth, not streaky at all, only took 2 coats & dried really fast. I couldn't be more satisfied!

I wanted to use a reverse design to my Elise's Pink Hair review & it went together just as well in reverse! I love it! They are the perfect pair!

Here is a close-up, the 2 spots on my middle were bubbles. I shook instead of rolling before I used it... Bad Elise! 

Now, on to Roadie's story (as told by Amanda). Beware...I cried like a baby! 

Meet Roadie....

"Roadie was first spotted a at our wild sanctuary in July of 2005, high on the rafters, during baby season. He appeared to be about one week old. One tiny wing was severely damaged, perhaps during birth. It had broken and then healed into a crooked position leaving his delicate fingers frozen in place like a fan that splayed from one side of his body. He would never be able to fly and once he was weaned he would not survive. Worse, he was forced to drag his splayed fingers beside him rather than tuck them into a normal position under his body. They could easily become caught between the rocks as he crawled around. His only chance of survival was captivity. We tried desperately to get hold of him but he was just out of our grasp. For three weeks we searched for him but he had apparently disappeared into the recesses of the large stone walls of the wild sanctuary. Then we spotted him once more. He was almost full grown. Again, he ducked out of our reach and our attempts to rescue him failed. His time was running out. Soon his mother would wean him. Without being able to fly and catch insects he would slowly starve. Two more weeks passed and we had no choice but to give him up for dead.

About a week later a knock came at the back door of Bat World. A merchant had found a bat in the parking lot of their building; crawling slowly across the hot Texas pavement. As we looked into the paper cup containing the small bat we were amazed to see the unmistakable fanned wing of the little bat we had tried so anxiously to rescue from the rafters. He had been found two blocks from the wild sanctuary. Unable to fly he crawled, searching for refuge, needing to be helped. He had made his way over blistering, hot pavement and across a three-lane highway—braving traffic, stray cats, raccoon's and rats. The merchant thought the little bat was dying and had brought him to Bat World so we could end his suffering. He was indeed dying. He was in respiratory distress, his little legs swollen, his disabled wing burned and necrotic from the hot pavement. With each breath came a gasp as his dehydrated body struggled for air. But he did not give up. He blinked his beautiful little eyes as the medication and fluids took hold and eased his labored breathing.

The following day he was able to lift his head and accept food. Unfortunately, his wing had to be amputated to save his life. Roadie persevered, however, and soon learned to climb and walk across surfaces just as well as an uninjured bat.

This intelligent little creature knew what he required was not to be found at the wild sanctuary. He set out on his journey to find what he needed, never losing hope. Roadie is a exceptional example of why we should never give up, despite the odds." Taken from BatWorld.org ADOPT A BAT

Are you crying? Do you see why I care so much for this little guy? He is the real Batman in my opinion.

If you would like to help this little guy or another little bat from batworld.org you can either adopt one or go to the Batworld Sanctuary Collection & pick out your favorite polish/polishes because 50% of the proceeds from the batworld.org polishes go to Amanda in helping care for these amazing creatures. 

If it weren't for people who cared, animals like this would never have a chance in life. Thank you so much to Laura, Vanessa & Amanda for everything you do! I love you all for it!  

Please don't forget to check out my Elise's Pink Hair Review!