It May Be Spring ... But Winter Is Coming!

So, those of you who know me know that I am a HUGE fan of the HBO series Game of Thrones, which is based on the book series A Song Of Ice And Fire by George R.R. Martin. This epic fantasy series, set in a fictional world, takes place mostly on the continent of Westeros. Primarily, the story is about several different Houses, or families, and their struggle for power as they war over who will lay claim to the Iron Throne and reign over the Seven Kingdoms. As so many characters discover throughout this gripping series, "When you play the Game of Thrones, you win - or you die."

The second season of Game of Thrones premieres Sunday, April 1 at 9:00pm on HBO. In honor of its triumphant return, I decided to do a mani representing my love for this excellent series!

This is my representation of some of the major Houses, or families, represented in Game of Thrones. Each House carries a banner containing its device, or sigil, when in battle. The characters' clothing and decor also often reflects these colors and symbols. I chose what I believe to be the five major Houses in this story to display for this mani, choosing to go with their colors instead of their symbols (because my confidence in my ability to free-hand some of these symbols was not high):

House Stark of Winterfell - A grey direwolf on an ice-white field. Motto: Winter Is Coming.
House Tully of Riverrun - A leaping silver trout on a field of blue and red. Motto: Family, Duty, Honor.
House Lannister of Casterly Rock - A golden lion on a field of crimson. Motto: Hear Me Roar.
House Baratheon of Storm's End - A crowned black stag on a field of gold/yellow. Motto: Ours Is The Fury.
House Targaryen of Dragonstone - A black field with a red three-headed dragon. Motto: Fire And Blood.

I started by painting each nail the base color for the banner of each house.

For the thumb (House Stark), I used a base of Wet N Wild French White Creme, then taped off the top part of the nail and painted the bottom with Claw Polish Phantom (a grey, shimmery Halloween polish). I then painted over half of the white portion of the nail with Revlon Snow Bunny, a shimmery sheer white polish, to give it an "icy" look to represent the cold of Winterfell and the North.

The pointer finger was also done with tape, and I used China Glaze First Mate for the deep blue of House Tully, and Wet N Wild Everybody Loves Red-mond for the red. L.A. Colors Art Deco Silver Glitter was used for the stripe. (I tried unsuccessfully several times to stamp a silver fish onto this mani, and just eventually gave up after many fails!)

The Lannisters have the pleasure of gracing my middle finger (if you read the books or watch the show, you know why). :) I used OPI Wocka Wocka for the base, a perfect Lannister crimson, and then used tape and Mattese Elite Cream Dream to apply a golden stripe. The glitter, Sally Hansen Diamond Strength White Veil, represents the wealth & the life of luxury lived by the Lannisters and the royal family.

The ring finger is painted with the colors of House Baratheon. I used Sinful Colors Let's Meet for the yellow field, and applied a stripe of WnW Black Creme using Scotch tape. I followed the same method on the pinky for House Targaryen, using OPI Wocka Wocka as a base. Then I added a top coat of Seche Vite, let dry, and - VOILA - a Game of Thrones-themed mani fit for a King! (Or queen...)

I hope you enjoy this mani as much as I do! If you haven't seen Game of Thrones or read A Song Of Ice And Fire, I highly recommend it!

Rest In Peace, Ned Stark - The North Remembers!

Vintage Gold

For a glitzy, Fall-themed, festive Thanksgiving mani, I chose to layer Wet N Wild 24 Carats (from the LE Ice Baby collection available at Walgreens) over Color Club Nouveau Vintage (from the Back to BoHo collection).

Here's the lovely Nouveau Vintage on its own. It's a gold-red-brown-green multichrome that captures the light differently depending on angle. It is gorgeous by itself - very warm, festive, and classy - and it shimmers! Still, as you can see, I had some pretty gnarly ridges in my nails. (I just removed my acrylics and did not apply ridge filler as a base this time around; I used Orly Nailtrition instead. Bad call!)

So, because I wanted to cover my unflattering ridges (and because I felt like, even though this color is amazing alone, this mani needed a bit more POP), I decided to try layering 24 Carats over this beauty. I'm very happy with the result!

I didn't think I was going to be a fan of this polish. I don't love bar glitters - I don't really dig the "hairy" look - but this truly was gorgeous! All I saw was sparkle and shine glinting out of the corner of my eye, and I couldn't stop staring at my nails. I also don't generally do gold polishes or glitters, so I was surprised to find that I really enjoyed this one, especially as a layering polish. The texture and the coppery flecks really gave this polish depth, and the formula was nice - very smooth and easy to apply despite the heavy-appearing glitter. This is 2 coats, no topcoat. I think adding 24 Carats really helped to accent the beauty of Nouveau Vintage!

Disclaimer: These products were purchased by me and I was not compensated for this review in any way. 

I'm baaack!

After a long hiatus, I've decided it's time to start giving my blog some attention again. I've had an eventful past few months - new job, lots of family changes, and TONS of new polishes to swatch for you! I can't wait to get back to blogging. Thanks to all my followers who've stuck with me for the long haul :) I promise to have pretty pics to show you soon!

Guest Post for Megan from Painting Rainbows!

I had the exciting opportunity to do a guest post for Megan from Painting Rainbows! You can check it out here. I hope you enjoy!

We have some WINNERS! **100 Follower Giveaway!**

I have finally selected winners for my 100 follower Apple Bottoms/LA Colors giveaway! Drum roll please ....

And the winners are:

SAMMI SIMMONS takes prize # 1! 

Prize # 1, as you may recall, is the Apple Bottoms nail polish, NYC Mineral starter kit, and LA Colors lip gloss. 

KARI MURPHY takes home prize # 2!

Prize # 2 is the LA Colors nail polish, lip color, and eyeshadow. 

Congratulations to both winners, and THANK YOU ALL again for following me and my polish madness! <3 Look for another giveaway soon (200 followers)! :) *hugs* 

LEX Cosmetics: Beauty Is By You.

I recently received my VERY FIRST polish to review. I'm so excited! This gorgeous polish comes to you courtesy of LEX Cosmetics. LEX Cosmetics is a relatively new company based out of Seattle, Washington. It was founded by Alexa Barron (Lex), a self-described "fun-loving twenty-something who loves cosmetics and nail polish." 


There are two major factors that set LEX Cosmetics apart from the rest. The first of these is that LEX allows you to fulfill your wildest polish fantasies by creating your own colors! The possibilities are truly endless. You can take your inspiration from anywhere - nature, pop culture, your own unique story (maybe the color of a favorite blanket or stuffed animal you had as a child)  ... or perhaps you just can't find that *perfect* shade. With LEX, you are a part of the creation process! 

The second - and perhaps most important - detail that sets LEX Cosmetics apart is that they will donate a percentage of their profits to various causes and organizations that are important to each individual polish creator. If your polish creation is chosen (via online voting), you get to choose the organization you'd like to see receive a portion of the profits. One example of this is LEX's polish Lucky Girls. From their website, "LEX Cosmetics and Lucky Girls teamed up to create this pinky pink, perfect to cheer up the mood of any girl. Proceeds from this color will be donated to the Greek Orthodox Orphanage in Kolkata, India." You can learn more about Lucky Girls and the movie that was created about this great cause here. 
Another example is LEX's Seashell, a black scattered holo polish created by Sarah, who wanted to capture the beauty of a seashells and nature in general with this high-impact polish. A portion of the proceeds from this polish are donated toward fighting sexual assault. 


I had the privilege of reviewing LEX's PeaBow, a gorgeous & unique shimmery blue that's nearly purple. Created by Rhonda, this beautiful shade was inspired by peacocks. "When I look at a beautiful peacock it reminds me of my creator looking at how artistic the world is, and as I look up into the sky, seeing a colorful rainbow is a reassuring promise," says Rhonda of her amazing polish. $1 of each bottle of PeaBow purchased will be donated toward animal protection. 

It was difficult to capture on camera just how shimmery and eye-catching this shade is. From afar, it just looks purpley-blue, but up close you can see the flecks of pink and teal with the polish. The formula is excellent, with very little visible brushstrokes or bubbling. The application is also very smooth - this is three coats with no topcoat. 

I love everything about this polish, even down to the shape of the bottle and the unique design on the cap. I'm even more excited to support a small local company! LEX Cosmetics polish retails for $10 via their website, www.lexcosmetics.com. Do yourself a favor and grab a bottle today. You'll be supporting a great cause of your choice, and you'll get a fantastic polish to boot. It's a win-win! 

(This product was provided to me for review.) 

Painting Rainbows 300 Follower Giveaway!!

Megan at Painting Rainbows is having a "Because I love you" giveaway! Here's what you can win! 

Head on over and check it out!