Simple Grunge Nail Art with Cult Cosmetics

Happy Sunday, everyone! Sundays are my favorite time to relax and be lazy, so today I painted a super easy grungy manicure to show you guys, using some polishes from Cult Cosmetics.

To get this look, I started with a base of Cult Breakwater, a gorgeous medium purple creme. Once that was dry, I wiped most of the polish off of Cult El Porto and Cult DTLA's brushes, and swiped them onto my nail for a grungy effect. I topped it all off with top coat to smooth out the design.

Super easy, right? I love this design because it comes out looking different every time I try it. I think it looks a bit like tweed, doesn't it? This is actually the same technique that I used in my popular grungy flower nail art.

It helps to pick colors that are very opaque, for this technique. I chose all Cult polishes because they're pretty much fully opaque in one coat!

For those of you who are wondering - I know I have been slacking on the nail art front lately! I had to take a break from the 31 Day Nail Art Challenge 2.0 because there was so much to swatch for fall/winter, but I will be getting back to it this or next week, I promise you! So that's why I made this simple nail art look to hold you guys over until then ;)

Here are the polishes I used for this manicure. You can purchase them from the Cult Cosmetics online shop for $9.99 USD each - don't forget to use the code KELLI for 15% off your entire order!

These polishes were provided for my honest review.

Live Love Polish: UNT Love Captain Glitter Polishes

Hi guys! Today I'm reviewing eight glitter polishes from the UNT Love Captain Collection which I got from online retailer Live Love Polish. As you may remember, UNT is a very popular brand in France and Japan. Anyway, the glitter polishes I have to show you today have a variety of different effects, are super unique (and gorgeous!), and I think you guys will really like them.

Like I said, there are eight glitters in the Love Captain Collection - four glitter toppers, one full coverage glitter, and three glitter packed crellies. The formulas on all of these were great, and I love the wide, flat brush for easy application. Depending on what you layer these polishes over, I think they could be great for any time of year! Let's start with my favorite:

Lost in Paradise is a stunning full coverage glitter in a bright blue jelly base, packed with holographic sparkle. I absolutely love this one! It reminds me a lot of OPI Get Your Number from their first textured collection a few years ago, but I found that the formula on this was easier to use. It was pretty thin, but fully opaque in two coats (probably three if you have longer nails!), and it dried to a lightly textured finish. I topped it with top coat because I just loved how sparkly it looked in the bottle! Shown above is two easy coats and top coat.

Next we have Fearless, a glitter topper featuring medium blue metallic hexes, small metallic red hexes, and silver holographic microglitters and bar glitters. I'm not usually a big fan of bar glitters, but I actually really liked this topper! I think the variety of glitters is nice, and the color scheme is a bit patriotic - I would love to rock this during the summer months. No fishing or dabbing was required for this glitter, I just painted it on like any other polish! I paired one coat over Color Club Factory Girl, plus top coat.

Mint to Be is a glitter topper featuring pale turquoise satin glitters and a light scattering of bright aqua satin glitters, all packed with light turquoise microglitters. What a pretty, delicate polish! This glitter almost looks mermaid-y to me, and I think the glitters transform over whatever base you choose, since they are so light. Again, no fishing or dabbing required for this glitter. Shown above is one coat over 100% Pure Seafoam, plus top coat.

Sand Castle is a glitter topper featuring metallic pink and matte white hex glitters in various sizes. This is such a beautiful topper, and depending on how you wear it, I think it would look perfect for any season! Over a pale color, it's the perfect winter topper - but over something bright, you can wear this all summer long. It's slightly reminiscent of OPI Let's Do Anything We Want!, but I think this glitter is more wearable because it doesn't have the large square glitters. It does dry to a rough finish, but top coat can easily fix that. Shown above is one easy coat over Essie I Pink I Can with top coat.

Silver Lining is a glitter topper that's packed with bar glitters in silver, pink, and white. I think this is the first time I have ever used a full bar glitter topper - as I mentioned, I'm not a huge fan of bar glitters, but I can totally see how people like these! It almost looks feathered on the nails, and the bars are short enough to lay nice and flat on the nail without poking out. I may like these bar glitters after all! No fishing or dabbing required, as with all of these glitters. Shown above is one easy coat over Essie Urban Jungle, plus top coat.

Onto the crellies! Treasure Trail is a light brown crelly packed with matte black hexes in various sizes for a speckled effect. I totally missed out on the speckled trend when it was big, but I absolutely love this effect! This color almost reminds me of cookie dough. Shown above is three easy coats - although I definitely could have gotten away with two - plus top coat.

Next we have Thrilled to Bits, a chartreuse green crelly packed with matte black hexes in various sizes for a speckled effect. Again, I think this effect is so cool! Personally, I don't think this shade of yellow/green flatters my skin tone as a full manicure, but I think it would make for a cool accent nail to spice up a plain black mani! Shown above is three easy coats plus top coat.

And last but definitely not least, we have Risk Taker, a bright purple crelly packed with matte black hexes in various sizes for a speckled effect. This is my favorite speckled crelly of the bunch because I just love that shade of purple - it looks like an awesome bird egg! Shown above is three easy coats plus top coat.

I really am liking UNT as a brand - they have great formulas and their colors are generally so unique and exciting! You can purchase these polishes from Live Love Polish for $8 USD each - but you can get an extra 10% your entire order off with the code INEEDMORENAILPOLISH!

What do you think of these glitters? Which is your favorite?

These polishes were provided for my honest review.

Cirque Ultimate Glitter Gift Set Review and Swatches

Hello everyone! Well, Thanksgiving is officially over, which means it's finally the holiday season! And you know the best give to give on the holidays is nail polish, of course ;) Today I've got another incredible gift set to share with you from Cirque Colors - this time, it's the Ultimate Glitter Gift Set, which features eight of their most popular glitter polishes, all wrapped in a beautiful window box with a bow. Now, I've already showed you their Ultimate Luxe Gift Set and their Back to Basics Gift Set, and I was really impressed with both, in terms of packaging and product!

As expected, these polishes were stunning! I absolutely loved the glitter combinations, the formulas were wonderful, and I was really impressed with the packaging. Look at these beautiful boxes! I just love the care that Cirque takes to making their polishes look professional. I truly don't think that my photos did these polishes justice - but trust me when I say that these glitters are beautiful! The collection consists of three microglitters and five glitter toppers. Since most of them are glitter toppers, I paired them with base colors from the Back to Basics set. Well, let's take a closer look, starting with the microglitters:

Chainmail is a gunmetal microglitter that features a scattered holographic sparkle. This polish can be built up to full opacity, or layered over a base - I chose to apply it on it's own, because it's such a beautiful color! I love the blue undertone of the glitter, and the added holographic sparkle makes it really stand out. I found that the glitters did sink a tiny bit in this polish (this was the only one out of the eight glitters that did!), so I made sure to give it a good shake before applying. Shown above is three coats, paired with Holdfast™ Base Coat and Liquid Laminate™ Top Coat.

Next we have Stella, a beautiful rose-gold microglitter. Again, this color can be built to opacity on its own or layered over a similar base, but I found that this shade was so beautiful on its own. I think this polish look especially lovely on my skin tone, and I think it is elegant enough to wear to any affair! Shown above is two coats paired with Holdfast™ Base Coat and Liquid Laminate™ Top Coat.

The last of the microglitters is Ica Valley, a warm gold microglitter with a ton of sparkle. Like the other two, it can build to full opacity or be layered. I found this microglitter to be a bit thicker than the other two, so it was more opaque on the nail in less coats, and I absolutely love the color. I am obsessed with gold polish in the winter, and this color will be no exception! Shown above is two coats paired with Holdfast™ Base Coat and Liquid Laminate™ Top Coat. I should note that even though these are microglitters, I found that they did not dry with a very bumpy or textured finish - and they became very glossy with just one coat of top coat.

Onto the glitter toppers! Here we have Magic Hour, an iridescent mix of bar glitters, hexes, and diamonds. In the bottle, this topper appears to be muted and light, but over a dark base, the glitters come to life. No dabbing or fishing required - I applied this polish like any other, and the glitter payoff was nice. Shown above is one coat over Cirque Memento Mori, paired with Holdfast™ Base Coat and Liquid Laminate™ Top Coat.

Lullaby is a beautiful pastel mix of satin glitters in various sizes, including hexes, squares, and stars. This is another polish that I think truly comes to life over a dark base, since the glitters are so delicate on their own! The color combination is so beautiful and feminine, and the glitters required no fishing or dabbing - I was able to get the star glitter onto my nail with no trouble at all. Shown above is one coat over Cirque Memento Mori, paired with Holdfast™ Base Coat and Liquid Laminate™ Top Coat.

Next we have my absolute favorite of the bunch and a polish I have been drooling over since it first came out. XX is a stunning holographic mix of glitters - over 20 different kinds of glitter! - with an incredible sparkle. The unique thing about this topper is that the glitters are such a beautiful color combination - I see shades of aqua and pink and yellow, and the holographic effect is so strong. I am so glad to finally have my hands on this beautiful glitter, and it did not disappoint. The glitter payoff is incredible as well - as with the others, no fishing or dabbing is required. Shown above is one (!!) coat over Cirque Memento Mori, paired with Holdfast™ Base Coat and Liquid Laminate™ Top Coat.

Kaleidoscope is another beautiful glitter mix, featuring a classic rainbow of bright satin glitters in various shapes and sizes. This glitter would look beautiful over any color, in my opinion! There is such a variety of glitter shapes and sizes - this polish actually contains thirty different glitters. Again, no fishing or dabbing required. Shown above is one coat over Cirque Memento Mori, paired with Holdfast™ Base Coat and Liquid Laminate™ Top Coat.

And finally, we have Vectors, a black glitter topper featuring a ton of different shapes, most notable large hexes, stars, bars, squares, and diamonds - and a scattering of holographic dust, which is difficult to see over the white base. This polish has so much glitter to base ratio - be careful not to get too much glitter on your brush when applying! I applied it a bit heavily on my index finger, but was careful to use less glitter on my other nails, which I think has a nicer effect. I love the complex combination of glitters with such a simple color! Shown above is one coat over Cirque Carpe Diem, paired with Holdfast™ Base Coat and Liquid Laminate™ Top Coat.

Overall, I am really loving these polishes. All of the glitters are stunning and I can see myself using them for different occasions (and for some amazing nail art!) I think this gift set is a great deal - it's valued at $104 USD, but you can purchase the set for $80 USD on the Cirque online shop. You can also purchase Cirque in store or internationally - view their stockists here.

Make sure you take advantage of their Black Friday weekend sales as well. Today only, you can get 25% off their entire stock, and this weekend, you can get 20% off! Follow Cirque Colors on Facebook for all information on their weekend deals.

Which of these glitters do you like best? Are you planning any crazy Black Friday shopping today?

These polishes were provided for my honest review.

Fall Vintage Floral Nail Art

Happy Thanksgiving, followers! Today I have a fun fall-toned floral nail art look to show you. I absolutely love colors like this in the fall - and especially in November, since they remind me of all the falling leaves :) I thought they would be perfect to pair together with some simple little roses!

I started this look with OPI You're So Vain-illa, and then I painted on irregular blobs with Essie Dress to Kilt, Essie Roarrrrange, and Essie Fierce, No Fear. I painted little leaves using Essie Fall in Line, and then I outlined my roses with Essie Partner in Crime. I topped everything off with matte top coat for a muted look.

I'm absolutely in love with how these turned out and I couldn't be happier with them. They almost remind me of wallpaper! I can see myself doing this style of floral nail art in a ton of different color schemes.

All of these polishes are from HB Beauty Bar - I reviewed them here (Essie Fall 2014), here (Essie Summer 2014) and here (OPI Coca-Cola Collection). Don't forget to use the code POLISHCHALLENGE at checkout for 15% off your entire order!

On a side note, I just want to express how thankful I am for all of you readers. When I started this blog a few years ago, I never imagined that my passion for nail polish and art would bring so many wonderful people to me! I appreciate every single comment, like, and share on my blog and social media pages. And I LOVE interacting with you guys. It really is a blessing- so thank you for making this holiday special for me!

What do you think of this fun and simple nail art look?

These polishes were provided for my honest review.

Delush Polish Nue Collection Swatches and Review

Hi guys! Today I have swatches of the brand new Delush Polish Nue Collection to show you! This collection consists of six gorgeous polishes - four metallic shades and two glitter toppers - that are available for purchase starting today.

Here are all the shades The Nue Collection has to offer. These are some great basic staple colors to add to your collection, especially for winter. I found that the metallics applied streaky (as metallic polishes tend to do!), but a careful hand goes a long way for applying a nice, even coat. Let's take a closer look:

Eat Sleep Chic is a bold blue metallic shade. This is such a pretty color! I could always use another rich blue in my collection, and I think the metallic finish gives this color a classy winter vibe. Shown above is three coats plus top coat - it reached full opacity in two coats, but I added a third to even out the streaks.

Next we have Glam Squad, a bright metallic red shade. Another perfect winter color - I imagine this would be perfect to rock at your office holiday party! Plus, a classic shade like this can be worn all year round. I found that this shade was less streaky than the others in the collection. Shown above is two careful coats with top coat.

Trendsetter is a stunning slate blue metallic polish with a slight silver shimmer. I do love that this shade falls somewhere between blue and silver - the end result is so pretty. Shown above is two careful coats with top coat.

In Nude We Trust is a nude metallic polish with slightly pink undertones. Although this color is lovely, I don't think it suits my skin tone! This shade was the streakiest of the bunch - it was practically opaque in one coat though, so the second coat was mostly just to even out the streaks. Shown above is two coats with top coat.

Nue Girl is holographic silver glitter topper packed with hex glitters in various sizes, as well as triangle glitters. I couldn't resist applying this over a silver polish to show off how fun and bright this topper can be - but it would probably look stunning over black as well. I sponged on this topper to maximize glitter payoff, and topped it with two coats of top coat for a smooth finish.

And finally, we have Gilded Diva, the holographic gold sister to Nue Girl. This glitter topper features tons of holographic gold hexes in various sizes. I paired this topper with a gold polish - again, just to see how bright and bold it could be! - and as with the silver, I sponged it on for maximum glitter payoff, again with two coats of top coat.

Overall, I think this collection is a nice set. The colors aren't too wild or bold - they are nice, basic shades to wear in a professional setting (except for those bold glitters, of course!). My top picks are Eat Sleep Chic and Trendsetter.

The Nue Collection is available from Delush Polish for $8.95 USD each, or $48 for the entire collection. Delush is also hosting a few exciting Black Friday promotions:

- Free shipping on all orders over $50 USD (no code required, US only, 11/26-12/31)
- Two free full size polishes on all orders over $60 USD (after all promotional codes have been applied, does not include shipping. Just leave a note with your two color choices in your order, 11/26-12/1)
- The first 50 orders will receive a free bag of snowflake glitters for use in nail art.

What do you think of this collection? Are you going to be polish shopping this weekend? And if so, what brands/polishes are you going to buy? I would love to know!

These polishes were provided for my honest review.

Giveaway! Barielle 2014 Jetsetter Collection

Hi guys! Today I've got an awesome giveaway for you, courtesy of Barielle. You may remember my review of their amazing Jetsetter Collection for fall - well, I have an extra set to give away to one lucky reader!

Giveaways can get a little crazy, so make sure you read all the rules before you enter!

OFFICIAL GIVEAWAY RULES:

• YOU MUST BE FOLLOWING THE NAIL POLISH CHALLENGE ON BLOGLOVIN' IN ORDER TO PARTICIPATE. All other entries are optional to gain additional entries.
• Contest is open to those with a valid US mailing address only. Sorry, international followers! The polishes are provided by Barielle, but I am responsible for shipping charges. That being said, I can't afford to ship internationally! (No exceptions.)
• Must be 18 or older to participate.
• You must enter through the Rafflecopter widget below. Any false or duplicate entries will disqualify you from the giveaway.
• Once a winner is selected, I will verify all entries of that winner. If any of the entries are invalid, the winner will be disqualified and the next winner will be chosen. Please provide a valid email address, as that is how I will be contacting you. You will have 48 hours to respond.
• If you unfollow after this giveaway, you will be blocked and disqualified from entering future giveaways.
• Please, no drama! If you are rude or impatient, you will be disqualified. After all, this is a free giveaway - so remember to be kind and appreciative ;)
• This giveaway will be open until December 8, 2014. There will be one (1) winner, chosen randomly via Rafflecopter.
• Good luck!


a Rafflecopter giveaway

LVX Fall 2014 Collection Swatches and Review

Hey guys, I've got another amazing new-to-me brand to show you today - a high end salon brand called LVX! They're vegan, cruelty-free, and 5-free, and their gorgeous creme polishes are inspired by high fashion runway looks so you'll always have access to the latest trends. The collection I'm showing you today is the Fall 2014 Collection, and it consists of six gorgeous creamy polishes that are perfect to rock this season and into winter.

As you can see, these colors are all pretty classic, and I think they can all be worn year round! The formula these was incredibly smooth and self levelling, and the overcap easily pops off so you can paint your nails with the regular bottle cap brush. Let's take an individual look:

Macaroon is a gorgeous light peachy beige creme. As it's so light and sheer, I figured this polish would be patchy and thick, but I was pleasantly surprised to find that it applied smoothly and left an even coat with each brush stroke! This is the perfect work-appropriate neutral shade to wear in the fall. Shown above is three thin coats for full opacity, plus top coat.

Espresso is a rich chocolatey brown creme. Another gorgeous staple for fall! The formula was just perfection on this one, and the color is so rich and smooth. Shown above is two easy coats plus top coat.

Cerise is a bold creme that falls somewhere between red and pink. Red is such a classic fall shade, and this is great take on it! In natural light, it has a really hot pink tone, but in artificial light, you can see the reddish tones come out to play. Shown above is two easy coats plus top coat.

Peony is a light, cool-toned pink creme that can be worn any time of year! I especially like cool toned pale colors like this during the winter for a hint of color. And this one is so creamy and feminine! Shown above is two easy coats plus top coat.

Oyster is a perfect gray creme with just a hint of blue undertone. I absolutely love rocking gray nails, and I can always add a color like this to my stash! But what makes this color unique is that it gives you full coverage in just one coat - that's right, you're looking at one coat plus top coat in the photo above! This is a perfect neutral color to wear at work all through winter.

And finally, we have Anthracity, a deep charcoal gray creme with a jelly-like formula. What a gorgeous shade for fall! This color did apply a bit more sheer than the others, but I achieved full opacity in just two coats. If you have longer nails, you might want to throw on a third coat to cover up any visible nail line. Shown above is two easy coats plus top coat.

Overall, I think LVX is another wonderful brand to add to your collection! The colors are rich and classic, and they are spot on with upcoming and current trends. And of course, the formulas are so easy to work with - you definitely don't have to be an expert to paint a perfect manicure with these polishes. My favorites are Macaroon, Peony, and Oyster.

You can purchase LVX polishes online for $16 USD each. International followers can purchase LVX from retailer Live Love Polish, and use the code INEEDMORENAILPOLISH at checkout for 10% off your entire order.

Which of these polishes do you like best?

These polishes were provided for my honest review.

Habit Cosmetics Winter 2014 Swatches

Hello everyone! Today I've got a new-to-me brand to show off called Habit Cosmetics. For those of you who haven't heard of them, Habit is a brand that is very mindful of their impact on our environment - they're vegan, cruelty free, 5-free, sustainably packaged, and the bottles feature a bamboo overcap (using less plastic than most brands!) The polishes also contain Myrrh extract, which is a natural nail strengthener. If you're not sold on this brand by all of that, the gorgeous colors will definitely pull you in!

The Winter 2014 Collection features three cool toned cremes that are inspired by the ocean. This was the packaging they came in - isn't it adorable?! I love that this brand is sustainably packaged. Anyway, the polishes themselves were generally very easy to use, and the colors are absolutely stunning. Let's take a look:

Soft Focus is a gorgeous pale cool-toned lavender creme. A perfect color for any season! I normally find that lavender colors are more suitable for spring, but the cool blue undertones of this polish seem perfect for cold weather. And it's absolutely gorgeous! The formula on this was incredibly easy to work with, and self leveling. Shown above is two easy coats plus top coat.

Prairie is a greenish soft teal creme. This is another gorgeous color that I can see myself wearing year round - it's a great staple color to add to my collection. Not to mention, the formula was fabulous! Shown above is two easy coats with top coat.

And finally, we have Deep Sea, a stunning inky navy blue jelly. Colors like this are my absolute favorite to wear in the winter! This one in particular is so gorgeous and dark. In dim light it almost looks black, but you can see the rich blue tones in the light! This formula was the only troublesome one of the bunch, though - it was a bit thick and it didn't level itself out like the other two did. Nothing a generous coat of top coat can't fix though! I ended up wearing this polish for a few days (because I was just so enamored by it!) and I'm pleased to report that I found no staining, as dark colors sometimes tend to do. Shown above is two careful coats with top coat.

Overall, I really like what I've seen from Habit so far! I think these colors are so beautiful and perfect for winter. The price tag is a bit steep - these polishes are available online for $18 USD each - but I think the price is attributed to the naturally strengthening Myrrh extract, and the effort to be environmentally conscious, which is very much worth it in my opinion!

Make sure you follow Habit Cosmetics on Facebook for new collections and stocking information.

How do you feel about environmentally conscious brands? And which of these colors do you like best?

These polishes were provided for my honest review.