Kell's DIY Nails

Who's with me on the Texture Train?!?  Here we have my 1st creme texture polish. Milani released some some creme texture collections in summer and fall last year and I really liked them. I grabbed the purple & yellow from the summer release. The fall release had some really unique neutrals so I grabbed a soft sage green, a medium mauve, and this pale lavender. I swatched them on swatched sticks and put photos on my Facebook page . The great thing about this light colored texture polish is typically light colors are a bit streaky but this one is super opaque. The only reason you need a 2nd coat is to get a better texture effect. I used my typical base coat of Barielle's Hydrating Ridgefiller. The formula is thick but not thick enough to make it difficult to apply. The only issue in application was the brush didn't fan out on the nail so I had a bit more clean up than usual. Just don't try to apply the coats too thin or you will need to dip back into the bottle. I di

Remember how excited I was to sign up for the Vegan Cuts' Beauty Box??? Finally, a subscription box for the vegan and cruelty-free peeps, right?!? I received my last box in September. Unfortunently, I experienced a problem with one of the items and it took this long for me to want to share it with you. I hate posting negative reviews because I always think that my experience could just be a snafu and not typical. I am always patient and willing to work with a company. But when they take advantage of my patience I draw the line. Perhaps they didn't realize I wasn't happy with the outcome. However, I provide lots of info when reporting an issue; if the company was really listening to their customers they would see that I provided all of the info initially and would facilitate the process. However, I felt I was given the run around and that they continually played dumb. Perhaps they were hoping I would just get tired of going back & forth? Regardless, it would have taken m

Ever since I saw Lacquer or Leave Her post this polish I've been dying to wear it. It's so unique; I love the combo of the duochrome and scattered holo. I've gone a little Julep Mad as of late. I took advantage of their Black Friday Sale, their Christmas Sale, and then their After Christmas Sale (Warehouse Sale). If you follow me on Facebook you saw all the haul photos. I bought 1 on Black Friday, 2 during the Christmas Sale, and then completely blew the doors wide open when I bought 9 from their Warehouse Sale. It's been awhile since I bought any Juleps so I figure I was just getting it all out of my system. It doesn't hurt that the prices were deeply discounted. I just don't buy Julep's at full price; it's too expensive. I'm not stupid; there's significantly less polish in those stylish bottles. The formula on Reece was a little bothersome; it was thick and sticky. It also had a tendency to be on the sheer side and I experienced some drag. I

It's Tax Season so that means it's time for durable nail color. I love using my CND Shellac System during tax season because I'm short on time for manicures yet I still need nails that look and function great. Last year CND introduced Vinylux; a non-gel polish that lasts up to 14 days with no curing LED or UV lamp needed. You start with a completely clean nail and apply two coats of Vinylux color and then top with the CND Vinylux Top Coat. No base coat. I've been dying to try it. Daring Escape is a medium dusty blue with a hint of green. It has a very dense white shimmer. It's insanely pretty. It also makes my nails look longer and wider; I like that. The formula was incredibly smooth and easy to work with. I prepped my nails by wiping them down with white vinegar (less harsh than remover but still removes all the oil from the nail bed). I got a nice clean line right up to my cuticle with hardly any clean up. The first coat went on a bit streaky (I over worked the

It's all about the texture! Whoop! Whoop! This time I decided to try the Zoya Pixie Dust in Tomoko . I loved all the swatch photos I was seeing out there; it's a super glittery white that consists of silver and gold. It gives it an off white look. Super pretty. I know you are not supposed to use a base coat but I did anyways. I used my Barielle Hydrating Ridgefiller because I like the added benefit of it hydrating and protecting my nails. I didn't have any issues using Tomoko with my base coat. I used 2 coats, probably should have done a 3rd for more opacity but I was in a rush. Work called to see if I could come in early... Really?!? Already?!? Aarg. The formula was good, not as good as the Julie G texture line but still easy to apply. I wish the Zoya brush would fan out on the nail more with these; the brush wants to stick to itself with this texture. It took a little longer to dry but not as long as a cream. Of course I omitted top coat.  The wear time was excellent; I

When I initially started blogging I was doing so with less than stellar equipment; a 6 year old Dell PC and a 2 year old Samsung Galaxy Smartphone. The good thing is my enthusiasm out-weighed those hurtles. But, as life went on (and of course threw a few wrenches in the mix) I started struggling and found blogging to be more of a chore. It was because of the equipment I had. Because my Dell was soooo slow it took me hours to just put together a quick and simple post. Very frustrating.  Luckily, my work with H&R Block started to pay off and every year I was making more and more money and last year my commission check got me out of the red and into the green. I went to the dark side... I went Apple, all the way too. iPhone, iMac, and in November I got the iPad Mini with Retina Display.  Of course I grew up on PC's so I had a learning curve to grasp. I also had a daunting task of finding an app for my iPad so I could blog while vegging on the couch or in bed. The iMac is great whe

I hoard makeup. I buy it, put it away, and never use it. A horrible cycle that not only wasted money but it left my drawers messy and burdened with junk.  So I made the decision to completely purge everything that was old, not used, as well as the non cruelty-free brands I still had. I threw out 3 drawers of makeup! The end result is a small but quality stash that I can easily navigate and will stay clean & organized. My daily drivers: I live & die by CC & BB creams and mineral foundation. I also use concealer, eyeshadow, blush, bronzer, highlighter and mascara everyday. Towards the back of the drawer (where you can't see) I have my UD Vice 2 Palette, Tarte Femme Fatale Palette, and a few others.  Caboodle Canoodle: As a teen I was obsessed with Caboodles and I found I could repurpose these to hold items I don't use everyday. I don't wear lipstick or gloss on a daily basis; I keep them moisturized with lip balm most of the time. So, in the dark purple Caboodle a

I remember the day I saw Jen of The PolishAholic post her swatch of Toxic Avenger (by Dollish Polish) like it was yesterday... It's been almost 2 years since that day. When I saw it I knew my existence would not be complete without it. A bit melodramatic??? Yes, but it's exactly how I felt. I loved it like it was my first born child.  Then, the wait ensued... There was a delay and Dollish Polish was working on it. Then, the bad news hit; no more Toxic Avenger. Oh, Sweet Baby Jesus, NOOOOOOOoooooo... Alas, Toxic Avenger was not to be.  I googled, I binged, I eBayed, I scoured Polish Groups on Facebook. Then, I stumbled upon a comment; it mentioned a recipe to franken your own Toxic Avenger. I can't find the original comment but I punched it into my phone back then and I left the gates at a full out run to collect the components.  1) Hard Candy, Beetle (You can find it on eBay). 2) Wet n Wild Fast Dry, Gray's Anatomy (At a drugstore near you). 3) Spectraflair Holographi