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!

Ruby Whit Tips - Elise's Pink Hair Review

Wootie-Woot!...Its here! I have been waiting for this! Me & Laura from Ruby White Tips were brainstorming on some polishes & she decided to name one after my pink hair! How funny is that!? Needless to say I have been super antsy to get this in. Thank you Laura for sending me these polishes! Here goes!

 I love how the bottles are decorated! They have such an elegant shape & then they have jewels added to them, each one (at last that I have seen) is different. I'm in love with this idea!

The second bottle here has pearls which is perfect because my mom wanted one & she is a pearl nut!

 Bam! How pretty is that!? This is with only 2 thick coats too. It came out super even & dried really fast! P.S. The bump n the pinkie is a tiny air bubble & is entirely my fault! lol

I still can't get over how perfectly this actually matched my hair color! The color was bublegum pink which is obviously this exact color! 

 I am so in love with this color, it is probably my favorite RWT polish yet...Not only because of the name, but because of the quality!

Yes...I took a ton of pictures...I like all the pics so I couldn't decide which ones to post & decided all of them was a good choice! 

Here you can see how even it spread, it was the perfect consistency & had no streaks in it. Sa-weeeet!

 Along with Elise's Pink Hair I also received Roadie (named for very special bat you will learn about in my Roadie Review). I decided to play a little bit & came up with this design. The 2 colors go perfectly together!

I was so impressed with Elise's Pink Hair. I just keep falling deeper & deeper in love with Ruby White Tips with every polish I try. This has to be my favorite nail polish brand ever! Not just for the polish but for the business & customer service. If you have ever talked to either Laura or Vanessa, you would understand why! 

Please be sure to check out my Roadie Review too!

Literary Lacquer Dandelion Wine Review

Hello beauties! Today I want to tell you about Literary Lacquers Dandelion Wine. I received this & I'm Drinking Stars in a swap (yes, I'm addicted to swaps) & couldn't wait to post a review. I was advised that it was a mustard color because that isn't everyone's favorite color but for me, it is perfect. I am a huge fan of mustard! Haha!

 I read a lot so I thought the book on the bottle was adorable, just like the name. With the polish, it was a thinner one. If you apply thin coats, it will take about 4 or it will take about 3 thicker coats. I think it would be great over other colors which leaves lots of options! I am completely satisfied with that!

I just love this color! It isn't a perfect mustard color, it is more of a dandelion mixed with a mustard color. It makes me think of a daisy!

Here is a close-up of he holo. I am such a holo nut & this is at the very tip-top of my favorites! I just can't get over it! I want to wear it forever!

Now you can see more of the brightness in it. No matter what, I couldn't get the shimmer to show up. It has an amazing pink shimmer to it. By amazing, I mean this shimmer was made by angels. I have never seen a holo with a shimmer so this is a new thing for me & I am truly addicted! 

Dandelion Wine is such a beautiful polish. I can't wait to add more to my collection in the future. Please drop buy the Literary Lacquers Facebook page for update, more reviews, swatches and more! 

Dance Legend Llarowe Exclusive No. 15 Review

So, I got lots of nail mail yesterday & the first polish to go on my nails was Dance Legend's Llarowe Exclusive No. 15. This is a color changing aka 'thermal' polish. This is my first ever so of course I wanted it bad! I was lucky enough to snag it in a swap & knew immediately I wanted to add a review. 

First off, I love the bottle, it is so original! It has such a cute design & the handle makes it so much easier to hold steady when painting your nails. 

 My first thoughts were that it was pretty thick but once I started to apply it, I realized it was a good thick. It spread extremely easily & was very smooth/creamy. I only needed 2 coats like with the OPI sands which is great. The dry time was average (still a good thing). Also, when it came to touch-up time, I was very surprised at how easily the excess on my fingers came off. I have never seen a polish work so well with cleanup which is a huge factor for me! 

 Here is a close-up so you can see the sandy texture. I knew it had a little glitter but from looking at photos, I didn't realize how much. This has quite a bit of glitter in different sizes & pink shimmer. It is very beautiful.

 As soon as the polish dried I hurried to get a bowl of ice water to change it purple. Being the kid I am, I had such a blast between the ice & the warm water! 

I love the perfect grape color it turns! It makes me think of Fun-Dip! I love my Fun-Dip! lol  

Here you can see the tips at a slightly cooler temp. I love any type of gradient & this is definitely the trouble-free way to get it! 

I am so glad I was finally able to try Dance Legend Llarowe Exclusive No. 15. If you would like some of your own, please check out Llarowe's Facebook Page and let them know I sent you there. They update constantly with news, restock info & giveaways!  

October Julep Box Review

Hey! I'm so excited for this post. This very well may be my favorite Julep box ever! Warning! This post has lots of pictures! I selected the It Girl box because the colors were all so beautiful. The It Girl box always comes with 3 polishes. So, to feed my addiction, I usually choose It Girl.

 Yay! From left to right: 

Missy - Titanium Metallic

Ciara - Vampy Magenta With Teal Microglitter

Kendra - Army Green Frost

Casper - Glow-In-The-Dark Shimmer

I loved the card that read 'Don't Ask Permission' -Joan Jett (lets face it, she is amazing!). The candy corn is also great because I am a candy corn addict. (How did they know!?) I have hidden my candy corn out of the reach of my crazy children! Hehe!...To the polishes!

First I tried Missy...

I absolutely love this! It is such a beautiful silver, it went on evenly & dried super fast. This is a great polish for sure, except for when I woke up in the morning to see a couple chips :(  

So this isn't the long lasting type (like the suedes) but it is a great choice for something short term. It is stunningly beautiful, it just doesn't last as long as I had hoped. 

Next I tried Kendra...

This is such an amazing forest green! It was super smooth to apply & this will be such a beautiful Christmas color! It makes me think of a frosty wreathe! I can't wait to wear this longer! It is a keeper for sure!

The last in my It Girl box was Ciara....

I have to say this is the most astonishing Julep polish I have ever seen! That is saying a lot because I have lots of amazing ones! Ciara has the microglitter which makes it almost impossible to describe or take photos of but I can tell you, it felt like a sin to remove it. I wanted to cry! lol It has the magenta in it but depending on the light & angles, it shines purple or teal & the teal can take on a greenish to a bluish tint. The only way I can describe it is by comparing it to an a-England polish which is saying a lot. If you have any desire to get this polish but are at all hesitant, just get it & I can guarantee you will love it! 

Now for Casper...

This is a sheer shimmer so it can be used over just about any polish & not only make it beautiful, but it will also make it glow in the dark! Eeek! My inner kid LOVES anything glow in the dark & this makes 8(?) glow in the dark polishes I have. This is in my top 2 favorites & only because I sometimes like a fully clear glow in the dark polish. I love Casper though. In the photos I have 3 coats on. It isn't completely opaque but it is dern close! 

Okay, so my camera hates that I wanted to take glow in the dark pictures but I still did it! Just ignore the blurriness. Casper glows a bright green & really makes me think of Halloween! Probably my favorite holiday! 

And then I started playing! Beware! Total awesomeness ahead!...

I had a bright idea & decided to add Glitter Gal - Light As A Feather on top of Casper & BAM! Look at that crazy awesome color! This turned out so beautiful I absolutely kept it on! It is totally drool-worthy!

If you would like to check any of these polishes out or would like to try Julep for the first time for free, please check it out here! Use code FREEMAVEN or FREEBOX You will not regret it. I joined over a year ago & I am a complete addict! Best of all, Julep polishes are 4-free! 

Ruby White Tips Kick Ass Top Coat & Custom Polish Review

  Helloo beautiful people! I am baaack! I have 2 great Ruby White Tips polishes to share with you! A beautiful custom & The Kick Ass Top Coat! First of all, I love, love, love RWT! Not only is the polish amazing, but the customer service is impeccable! If you would like to find out more about this amazing company, check out Laura's interview with Nail it Magazine! I am so glad they are finally getting the recognition they deserve!...

  First, this is my custom polish for my wedding. I have always been a huge fan of red & glitter but to my surprise, my ultimate favorite glitter was in my polish as well. White glitter! I am an absolute nut for white glitter! I just can't seem to get a picture that captures this one right! 

 This polish is a red with a hint of pink & purple. It has a shimmer, & multiple sizes of glitter/microglitter in pretty much every color you can think of. Love it! 

I only needed 2 coats for this polish which is about as good as it gets for me since I add a 2nd coat no matter how opaque a polish may be & by the 2nd coat, it was completely opaque!

I'm glad I got some sparkles on this picture. It really is an absolute beauty. I just love how it is simple enough to be a classy color but is also funky enough to be a super fun color. Not many polishes can have the best of both worlds but this baby fits the category!

Next we have the Kick Ass Top Coat & let me tell you, this top coat seriously kicks some ass! How can you argue with a topcoat containing an explosion of gnarly glitter!? That's right, you can't! 

Just look at all that glittery awesomeness! LOOK at it! What color do you not see? EEEK!!!

For my mani, I used RWT's P Wagon. This is such a great color! If you would like to see my review, you can find it here!

So, I decided to do a gradient with the Kick Ass Top Coat to try something I had never seen done with this polish. I was goofing around with the first bit & did french tips. It actually turned out really cute. There are more sparkles than you can see. I almost stuck with just making opaque tips! 

I was able to create a fully opaque gradient with 3 coats & it turned out stunning! I really didn't want to take it off! I think this is the most perfect glitter I have ever used to make a gradient! 

I took so many pictures but this is another one of those polishes you just can't fully appreciate unless you see it in person. It has so many different kinds of glitter & I just could not catch it all on camera. Best of all, it dried SOOO fast & stayed put! I wish I could have worn this forever! I got lots of compliments everywhere I went. It really does give your nails a professional look. 

I am such a happy camper when it comes to these polishes. My love for Ruby White Tips is ever growing! Please stop by the RWT Facebook page & send her some love!  Please help support indie polish makers. They work so hard! RWT's polishes are 5 free & vegan (all but 1 polish) so it is safe to use on your children, while pregnant, etc. Best of all, none of these polishes are tested on animals. 

This is also one of the great companies who raises money for causes. Please be sure to check out the best cause ever! With every purchase from the Bat World Sanctuary Collection, 50% of the proceeds will be donated to helping the amazing creatures from the Bat World Sanctuary . Each polish is named for a special little bat in this sanctuary & you can read their stories. My favorite bat is Roadie, the cutest little thing who has been through so much. I will be honest, I cried when I read his story. Bats hold such a special place in my heart & Roadie is right there in the middle! 

Be on the watch-out for more great reviews (once this hurricane is over). I have great stuff coming, even a super special RWT review I am so psyched for!

~ Elise ~