Cosmetic Cupcake

Last month I received some wonderful packages from 2 of my beautiful friends! First is a very sneaky package from lovely Aysh!! In one of our many twitter conversations about food I mentioned that I adore British sweets and she sent me my absolute favourites - sherbet lemons and flying saucers!!! I literally snapped the pic below and then demolished them LOL. She also included the AH-MAZING Models Own Pink Fizz glitter. You can peep her post about it here! I'm itching to try it out but I'm not in the mood for glitter removal lately haha.


Next I received not 1 but 2 amazing packages from my dear Christina!! Seriously how much does she spoil me rotten??


Awesome polishes from Tony Moly, H & M, Erre Due, Nails Inc., A-England!


She included 2 beautiful personalised pieces of her jewellery! A sparkly Cosmetic Cupcake necklace (!!!!!) and a gorgeous black rose ring with silver glitter that unfortunately I couldn't capture in my pic. She is amazingly talented and creates so many beautiful pieces - check out her Etsy store Cel's Deconails.


Her 2nd package made me nearly fall over in my excitement. HOLO, FLAKIE, GLITTER and DUOCHROME AWESOMENESS. Arghhhhhhhhhhhh! Thank you for killing so many lemmings!!


Makeup goodies!!


Thank you both so much for your generous and thoughtful packages ♥

Happy Halloween ladies!! Here is my Halloween mani for 2011. Halloween is definitely getting a lot more popular here in Aus. The stores are filled with costumes, props etc and most importantly there's heaps of limited edition Halloween food products available eeeeeeeek! I'm such a sucker haha. Now I only started my mani at like 10:30pm last night so my mani was a very last minute job but I think it turned out ok! I hadn't really thought out my mani properly (usually I plan a day or 2 before!) so I sort of just hoped for the best x) Frankenstein looks a little angry and cross-eyed but oh well haha!


Here's what I used:


Pinky: I used 2 coats of Color Club Wild at Heart and added Pa pumpkin Halloween sticker and silver Essence nail art glitter mix star dazzling gifted to me by my dear Christina.

Ring finger: Frankenstein nail! I used 3 coats of Sinful Colors Mint Apple and used Kiss nail art striper in black and a small nail art brush for Frankenstein's hair and mouth. For the eyes I used 2 different sized dotting tools* from Born Pretty Store and OPI Alpine Snow and Ulta 3 Black Satin.

Middle finger: Spider nail! I used 2 coats of Sinful Colors Cloud 9 as a base. I then freehanded the spider web using Kiss nail art striper in white and konaded spider design from Bundle Monster plate BM13 using Konad Special polish in black. Topped it off with a coat of my favourite China Glaze Fairy Dust!

Index finger: I used 2 coats of Ulta 3 Black Satin as a base and added a line of gold glitter down the middle using Art Deco striper in gold glitter. I then added Pa evil pumpkin and red ghost nail sticker and Essence nail art glitter mix silver star dazzling from Christina.

Thumb: Mummy nail! I used 3 coats of Color Club Who are you Wearing? as a base. I then used a small nail art brush to draw an oval using Kiss nail art striper in black and then used the striper to draw the lines. For the eyes I used 2 different sized dotting tools* from Born Pretty Store and OPI Alpine Snow and China Glaze Phat Santa.

How cute is this pumpkin lollipop! It was sent as part of a PR pack hehe


What do you think? What will you be rocking on your nails? If you're celebrating I hope you have a fabulous time!!

Thanks for looking as always! =)

* Product(s) sent to me for consideration but this in no way influenced my review in any way. As always, my reviews are my 100% honest opinion. My Disclosure Policy can be viewed here.

Hi ladies!! A super quick post for you all today so apologies for the very unimaginative title xp Here's a mani I did a few days ago using one of the AWESOME Art Deco polishes my dear Christina sent me a few swaps back. You can check out the other stunning Art Deco polish she sent me in my birthday card inspired mani here.


Art Deco 275 is a medium purple polish with microglitter. It also looks like a duochrome in the bottle with flashes of gold and green however it doesn't translate on the nail unfortunately. It was slightly sheer so 3 coats was needed. Application and formula were great!! Dry time is super quick for these polishes too. EEK I so need more of these beauties from this range!


I added an accent nail of Deborah Lippmann Bad Romance and stamped full lace (sort of) design from Konad plate m71 using China Glaze Millenium.




Thanks for looking!!

I've been really into doing rose manicures lately (see here and here for examples!) so here's another one to add into the mix =) I hope you don't get bored of seeing my rose manis! My mani today is pink, gold and white themed and uses one of my favourite glitters - Milani Jewel FX Gold.


Here's what I used:


Pinky: I used 2 coats of Sally Hansen Xtreme wear in White On as base colour. I then konaded rose design from fauxnad plate B01 using China Glaze Passion and added a coat of Essence glitter topcoat.

Ring: I used 1 coat of OPI Glitzerland then added 2 coats of Milani Jewel FX in Gold.

Middle: I used 2 coats of China Glaze Something Sweet as base colour. I then konaded full rose design from Konad plate m56 using Konad Special nail polish in white.

Index: I used 2 coats of Sally Hansen Xtreme wear in White On as base colour. I then konaded double rose design from Konad plate m76 using China Glaze Admire and added a pink half pearl to the centre of the roses and added a coat of Essence glitter topcoat.

Thumb: I used 2 coats of China Glaze Something Sweet as base colour. I then konaded rose with chain design from Konad plate m65 using China Glaze Passion. I topped if off with a coat of Essence colour & go in Space Queen.



What have you been inspired by lately? I hope you're all having a lovely weekend! Thanks for looking as always =)

Hi ladies! How are you all going? Thank goodness it's nearly the end of the week! Here in Sydney we have a long weekend coming up to celebrate the Queen's birthday so I'm looking forward to 3 days of relaxing. I plan on doing some swatching, working on blog posts and squeezing in a spot of shopping and maybe a movie! Today I want to share with you a mani I did last week that I was intending on wearing to my interview with the World Square Fashion Insider. Unfortunately I couldn't meet with the Fashion Insider to talk trends and fashion (I was very disappointed!) but I still rocked this mani! I am loving coral this Winter and it's been so cold lately and I wanted something bright and cheerful.


I started off with a base coat of Color Club Vitabase Nutrient Nail Strengthener to protect my nails. I then used 2 coats of Kit Cosmetics Shop loves Sunset for all my nails except for my accent fingers. Shop Loves Sunset was a freebie with the May issue of Shop Til You Drop and is a gorgeous orangey coral creme. The polish is highly pigmented and very easy to apply.

For the stripes of glitter I used Art Deco nail art lacquer in Gold Glitter. I then added half pearls from Born Pretty Store and assorted coloured rhinestones and dazzlings. For my middle finger I used a gold butterfly water decal I picked up in HK last year and for my accent finger I used a coat of OPI Glitzerland and added 2 coats of OPI Bring on the Bling. I topped it all off with a coat of Poshe topcoat.




For my lovely Sydney ladies, don't forget that this Sunday 12 June is your last chance to win some great prizes in World Square's LIKE WHAT YOU SEE? fashion competition! The campaign is coming to an end this week so head on over to the World Square site for all the details. I love the look of the Silk sleeveless ruffle top in yellow from Oxford and I think the boy would look great in the navy blue‘Elvis’ shirt and the black 'Laser Cut Oxford’ shoes from MARCS =)


What colours will you be wearing on your nails this Winter? For the lucky international ladies I know it's Summer but do let me know what colours you love for the cold season! Thanks for looking as always ladies =)

I have for you today a manicure that’s inspired by the gorgeous birthday card lovely Aysh sent me in my surprise birthday package. I knew I would have to do a mani inspired by the card as soon as I saw it! It's so pretty and I loved the colours together. While planning this mani, I realised that my nail polish collection is getting rather large. I could think of 5 different slightly similar polishes in my collection that I could have used as the base colour xD It's a scary thought considering a year ago I was complaining that I didn't have enough polishes!! In the end I decided to go with a base of Art Deoo 280, some gold stamping and blue rhinestones to achieve the mani.


I received Art Deco 280 from my wonderful friend Christina as a birthday gift and I’ve been dying to try it out since. I haven't really felt like these sorts of colours lately though which is why I didn't try it sooner. 280 is a gorgeous dark magenta polish with fuchsia microglitter. In the bottle, it looks almost duochrome with some gold flashes but it doesn’t translate on the nail unfortunately. My swatches of it are a little lighter than it is in real life, the finished manicure pics show the colour of 280 more accurately.

It was very easy to apply and the brush was fantastic to use. Pictured is 2 coats with no cleanup required and it dried quickly and to a glossy finish! I'm very impressed with this awesome Greek German brand (thanks for the info Marox79!!) =D The microglitter adds that something extra to the polish and makes it sparkle.


Close-up:


I then stamped swirl and dot full nail design from Konad plate m64 using China Glaze Passion. I then applied some round light blue rhinestones (I don't have dark blue ones doh!) to my nails. Topped it all off with a coat of Color Club Vivid Color Intensifying topcoat!




Thank you to Aysh for providing me with the inspiration for this mani and to Christina for helping me achieve it!

What do you think of my mani? Does it look similar to the card? I love matching stuff!

Thanks for looking as always!! =)

My birthday isn't for another 2 weeks but I received 2 wonderful early birthday packages from my dear friend Christina this week! I always have loads of fun swapping with Christina but the packages she sent me this time were just SO extra special and were an absolute delight to open up as always!!


18 beautiful polishes plus yummy Greek treats too!! ^_^ OMG!! She included lots of polishes with pretty finishes that I don't have many of because I always buy the same old ones so I'm excited to try them! See the cute black and red polka gift box amongst the goodies? Christina made me 3 absolutely beautiful pieces of jewellery with nail polish as my birthday gift that I'll show you in my next post - they are simply stunning and deserve a post of their own!

From L - R: Art Deco 275 and 280, Erre Due pink and red (no names), Irine 74 and Deborah Shine Tech 19 and 36.

From L - R: Essence goodies! Essence Denim Wanted! High Waist Pink, Colour & Go Fabuless, Glitter topcoat and multi dimension purple dimension. Also some French glam nail stickers, French manicure and pedicure pen and a Sparkling cherry lipgloss.

From L - R: Golden Rose Nail art polishes in 109, 120 and 112, Beauty Line Cosmetics 511, Urban Decay polish and H & M Razzle Dazzle.

Thank you so so very much my dearest Christina for an absolutely wonderful birthday package <3 It feels like my birthday is here already because of you!

Thanks for looking! =D

Hi ladies! Tomorrow (February 3) is Chinese New Year and I wanted to share with you my Chinese New Year Manicure I've been rocking to celebrate. I’m really disappointed that I wasn’t able to spend CNY in Hong Kong for the 2nd year in a row as the festivities and atmosphere at this time there are JUST AWESOME =D 2 weeks of celebrations?? Yes please count me in! Sydney CNY celebrations just do not compare at all unfortunately but I will still eat plenty of food hehe. I am busy cleaning and preparing for New Year celebrations tonight so this post will be light on words.


Here's what I used to create my mani:

Pinky: 2 coats of Elianto Glitter Shine Red with flower design from Essence image plate stamped using China Glaze Passion.

Ring finger: 3 coats of Ulta 3 lily white with flower design from Konad image plate s9 stamped using BYS Glamourpuss. Topped with a coat of China Glaze 5 Golden Rings.

Middle finger: 2 coats of OPI Red My Fortune Cookie with 福 (fortune) design from Essence image plate stamped with Konad Special polish in black. I then used Art Deco nail striper in gold glitter to freehand a french tip.

Index finger: 2 coats of OPI Glitzerland with Asian floral design from Essence image plate stamped using BYS Glamourpuss.

Thumb: 2 coats of Ozotic Pro Premium Holographic 511.


恭喜發財 - Kung Hei Fat Choy!

I was dying to try out the gorgeous Milani Jewel Fx in Gold I won from Michy and to use some of the new nail art things I received so I decided to change my polish and incorporate them into my next mani. I didn't want a full mani using Gold because I knew it would be hell to remove so I went for something pink but still blingy!


I used 3 coats of Essie Pop Art Pink as a base on all fingers except accent finger. I only have the mini of Pop Art Pink which I hauled ages ago from the Art of Spring collection. It's a lovely pastel pink jelly that takes a few coats to reach opacity but it doesn't feel thick at all on the nail. I forgot to take a swatch picture of it doh!

I then used Milani Jewel Fx Gold on accent fingers. It was really hard to apply as the glitter is really chunky and is difficult to lay flat so I had to use a few coats to cover my whole nail. But the effect is SO worth it! Just look how blingy this awesome glitter is:


I then added some pink, purple, gold and silver rhinestones, gold beads and half pearls to my thumbs. Unfortunately the gold beads bleed =( I drew 2 curved stripes on my index fingers using Art Deco striper polish in gold and added pink, purple and silver rhinestones again. Topped it all off with a coat of Color Club Vivid Color Intensifying topcoat!


I love the Milani Jewel Fx glitters and I want the others now! Do you have any? What's the easiest way of applying them?

Thanks for looking! =D

I decided to try out OPI Ali's Big Break first from my swap with Alice that I showed you the other day. I was going for a Burlesque look but I think it turned out more festive than Burlesque haha. Keep in mind I haven't seen the movie yet so I was just going off my impression of the movie so it was a bit of a fail! I think this design would be ideal for Christmas or Chinese New Year which is coming up.


Ali's Big Break is a bright red packed with gold micro glitter. It is so gorgeous and festive! I love having bright and fun nails to look at during the day =) I do like the Prowide brushes but sometimes they just don't want to cooperate with me and that was certainly the case for Ali's Big Break. The brush just wouldn't behave! ARGH. It applied very smoothly though and dried to a glossy finish. Pictured below is 2 coats without topcoat.



Close up:


I then freehanded gold tips using Art Deco striper polish in gold glitter and added a black star rhinestone to each nail. Topped it off with a coat of Color Club Vivid Color Intensifying topcoat.


Thank you for adding another Burlesque polish to my collection Alice!! What's your favourite polish from the OPI Burlesque range?

Thanks for looking =)

Hi ladies! I am so unbelievably happy that it is Friday today because this week at work has been pretty crap. I am totally tired so unfortunately no manicures for today. Bring on the weekend I say!

I have for you today an amazing swap which I just completed with the very lovely and talented Christina from Cel's blog. Christina is an absolute sweetheart and I love exchanging emails with her =) She has the cutest blog and manicures too and creates the most awesome deco products! Her Etsy store is totally droolworthy and I covet nearly every single item >.< Christina sent me some lovely Greek polishes as well as my 1st British polishes which she kindly got for me on her trip to London. She also included some wonderful extras and lots of food goodies for me!

From L - R:
Adamo polish in 83 and 86. 86 is similar to OPI Do You Lilac It which I was lemming from Christina's purple graduation mani!
And Art Deco polishes in 85, 83, 51 and 70. How cute are these bottles!


From L - R:
Erre Due polishes in 197, 94 and 109. These polishes look so pretty! Christina says the silver is perfect for konading which is great because I need a good konad silver. The pink glitter with hearts is so sweet!


From L - R:
Collection 2000 Hot Looks polishes in Button Moon and BMX Bandit and GOSH polishes in Rainbow and Gasoline. FLAKIES omg!!! Thank you for hauling this for me Christina!! =D


From L - R:
Barry M polishes in Strawberry Icecream, Blueberry Icecream and Pink Iridescent. My 1st Barry M's! A lemming fulfilled =)


Claire's mini polishes. These mini bottles are so super cute!


She also included a cute pair of tweezers and nail files (perfect size for my makeup bag yay!), and some BB cream samples. I've never tried BB creams so this is great!


So many Greek food goodies!!! She included sweets, biscuits, very luscious looking Greek honey and her hubby also included his favourite gum.

Thank you so much for this wonderful swap Christina! I cannot thank you enough and also for the blog award =D I love reading your blog so I award you back! I really look forward to our future swaps!


Thanks for looking ladies =) Don't forget to enter my 200 followers giveaway here!