Life and all the things in-between aka An update!

Hello lovelies!

It's been a while I know... Dom & I have had an onslaught of crazy life-itis it seems! Here's my update though :)

Since I saw most of you last (on the regular) I was working through a deployment and all that it entails. Well my husband since came home then deployed again. Haha the life of being government property eh? I feel bad for him being gone so much but I know that he enjoys his job, so that makes it easier I'm sure. But back to the update...

When I was preparing for his previous homecoming I looked like this...

More after the jump!

Different Dimension Santa Baby Christmas Collection ... AMAZEBALLS!!!!

Get ready ladies, this is gonna be a good one! Missi Barry is the creator of Different Dimension nail polish and her latest collection for the Holiday Season is amazing. I had a chance to chat with Missi and find out a bit about what makes her tick.

Dom: What made you start making polish?
Missi: I am a licensed nail tech and I had to have joint replacement surgery late this past spring, I ordered a bunch of stuff beforehand and started playing around with it, just for personal use. After years of doing nails you start to notice how similar all of the polishes tend to look. I just wanted something different to wear! I posted some pics online and things just took off! I now do this full-time and work two days a week as a nail tech!  I love it and I hope it shows!

Dom: Are you a polish collector and if so what are some of your prized colors or lemmings?
Missi: OMG!!! Yes!!! I'm a huge Whimsical Ideas by Pam fan as well as Contrary Polish. I am dying to get my hands on some Nerd Lacquer!!! As far as lemmings - I would have to say Nancy's Birthday and My Friend Carol by Whimsical Ideas and then I have a whole list of Nerd Lacquers I want - Don't Blink, Entirely Unlike Tea, Don't Panic, Outed by A Probot, All of Time and Space, Holy Grail, Smoke Dragon...

Dom: Santa Baby ... why was that song the inspiration for this collection?
Missi: It was between Santa Baby and My Grown-Up Christmas List. I always try to have a theme and Santa Baby is just so fun and girly and I LOVE it! I'm hoping everyone gets it. I didn't want to make polishes that were only specific to Christmas though. I think most of this collection can be worn year round. Like Santa Baby can definitely be worn on Valentines Day.

Dom: I have several of your lacquers and I love each and every one! What do you think makes your polish so special?
Missi: Honestly I make polishes that I would (and do) wear personally. I don't just throw glitter into some base and shake it up and pray it looks nice. Every polish is thought out well beforehand, colors that I want to use, what I want it to look like, if there is a cause behind it or a theme. I am obsessed with color and glitter so I'm sure that helps! I probably fail more than I succeed but sometimes I will go back after a month or two and look and add something that makes it a final product. I also measure everything and write it down! I think consistency throughout is such an important thing so many do not follow in this small community of ours.

Dom: What are inspirations? What keeps you doing what you do?
Missi: Personally my boys are my inspiration - everything I do in my life I do to better their lives. I was working 50+ hours a week in a nail shop unable to spend any time with them, I now am down to two days a week and I am able to be a mommy again! That is what keeps me going. I don't think that there is a greater gift than our children, so I try to do as much as I can to stay as involved as possible with them. I am so thankful this is allowing me to do that now! Other inspiration - I am a HUGE Andy Warhol fan, love love love him and any type of art in general. Hell, I even sat in the Christmas aisles (you know back in August, lol!) at Hobby Lobby for hours just gazing at all the wonderful colors and collections of ornament and decorations!

I really enjoyed getting to know Missi almost as much as I enjoy her polish! ; ) When I received my package of polish from Missi, I just about died! I had ordered several for my own collection and was also looking forward to reviewing the Santa Baby Line. It is safe to say that this is one of the best packages I have received in a while!  When I began to open the little bundles of joy, I loved each one just a bit more than the last. This collection is full of amazing color and texture combinations!  Let's get started shall we?

There are eight polishes in this collection with one bonus polish that will make you wanna smack yo mama! Santa Baby, Hurry Down the Chimney Tonight, I'll Wait Up For You Dear, Sign Your 'X' on the Line, I've Been An Angel All Year, I've Been an Awful Good Girl, Think of All the Fellas That I Haven't Kissed and Out of Space Convertible make up the Santa Baby Collection with a stunner called Chrsitmahanakwanzika as a bonus!

For all of these swatches I used Beauty Secrets Base Coat. I only used Orly Glosser Top Coat on two of the polishes, I will note those later in the post. All the polish descriptions are taken from the Different Dimensions Etsy Shop site. I am going to take a moment and make a blanket statement about all of these lacquers ... ALL OF THEM paint like a dream and even out nicely!

Santa Baby has a clear base with red, pink and white glitters in different sizes mixed with silver holographic micro-glitter. 

Sinful Colors Snow Me White & Rimmel London Black Satin

Hurry Down The Chimney Tonight is a jumble of asymmetrical red and white glitters. Looks amazing over any color! 

Sinful Colors Snow Me White & Rimmel London Black Satin

I'll Wait Up For You Dear is my vision of what Christmas in a bottle would look like. Green and red glitters in a clear base - so simple, yet so Christmassy!

Look at that light!!!

Sign Your 'X' On The Line is a silver shred and gold flakie top coat. It is neither really gold nor really silver but it is really amazing on!

Sinful Colors Snow Me White, W&W Red Red, Rimmel London Black Satin, China Glaze Holly-Day

With all of the wonderful holidays this time of year Missi decided it was important to try and make something fun for everyone to wear! Christmahanakwanzika has all of the amazing colors of all 3 holidays mixed into one polish! Definately a fun topper!

Sinful Colors Snow Me White, W&W Red Red, Rimmel London Black Satin, China Glaze Holly-Day

I've Been An Angel All Year has white, blue and silver glitters in a white base with slight blue shimmer added. Full coverage in 2 coats.

w/Orly Glosser top coat

I've Been An Awful Good Girl has a white base with pink(ish) shimmer and different sized pink and purple glitters throughout in different sizes.

2 Coats and look how smooth it is!  w/Orly Glosser top coat

Think Of All The Fellas That I Haven't Kissed - The colors in this were inspired in part by Missi's own Christmas tree trimmings. Rich purples, blues and teals in a clear base. Buildable in 3 coats, but looks amazing as a topper! (I only used 2 coats for these images with no undies)

Out Of Space Convertible is a black jelly polish with pink, purple and blue micro holographic glitters, looks best over black, but can be built in 3 coats. (again, I only used 2 coats for these images with no undies)

Well there ya have it!  I am going to give Different Dimensions Santa Baby Collection an A+!  All of colors were amazing to work with and I will definitely be wearing these again and again during this holiday season and beyond! I highly recommend this line to all of you and while you are shopping for these beauties pick up a few of Missi's other polishes. You will not be disappointed!  

Missi has been kind enough to issue a special discount for the month of November for Mani Curiously readers.  So head over to her shop grab some awesome polish!

Different Dimension Esty Shop: http://www.etsy.com/shop/DIFFERENTdimension?ref=top_trail

Don't forget your special 20% off reader discount code when you checkout! 

manicuriously20

Like Different Dimensions on Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/DIFdimension?fref=ts

Tell me what you think. Do you see any must haves in this collection? 

This is a free sample given to me by Different Dimension. Reviewing this sample in no way impacts my review of the product. My views are my own and are expressed accurately and fairly to best of my ability.

Go Pink Wednesday and a Celebration!

As October comes to a close so does our weekly Go Pink Wednesdays manicure. We have really enjoyed finding information to help you and those you love be more aware of Breast Cancer and how you can help yourself and those around you.

Image Credit: Paule Attar Salon & Spa

We wanted to end the month with a celebration of sorts. Every year there is a celebration of sorts in the form of Breast Cancer Walks. The number of walks done in the United States every year is immeasurable. There are several large groups that do yearly walks across the nation in major cities, namely The American Cancer Society is celebrating 20 years of walks and estimates they've had over 8 million walkers in those 20 years, with over 1 million in 2011 alone according to their FAQ page.

These Breast Cancer Awareness walks are inspiration as well as awe inspiring. Many survivors as well as their loved ones, co-workers, kids, pets and strangers come out to walk alongside each other in solidarity. The walk symbolizes many things to many individuals but the bottom line is hope.

Image Credit: expressnightout.com & Lea Pool

 Hope for a future without the disease, hope for a future with their loved ones, but truly and simply hope for more tomorrows.

A close friend of Dom's, Tiffany Kyees, had the chance to participate in the Team In Training Nike Womens Marathon event to run/walk for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society a couple weeks ago. While we have been focusing on Breast Cancer Awareness, cancer in general deserves to be known and fought against. Her personal journey to raise money, awareness and personal triumph is amazing and just as important. She celebrated her participation by wearing a purple tutu along with asorted purple gear. Tiffany shared some personal thoughts about her journey that you can read HERE. When asked about her experience she had this to say,

Tiffany running during the event!
Image Credit: Tiffany Kyees

"Such a beautiful and amazing experience. I highly recommend people doing a team in training event at some point in their lives. There was a woman there who ran and pushed her cancer fighting son in a wheelchair and a woman that spoke at our inspiration dinner who spoke of her bone marrow donor and how she got to meet him. They are like family now and he even flew out to San Francisco to run the race next to her! Such special stories!"

Jessica Mojica of Bakersfield pushes her son Nathan Garcia,
who is suffering from stage 4 brain cancer
Image Credit: Tiffany Kyees

We wanted to show this hope for tomorrow as well as the celebration and inspiration that the walks symbolize in our last manicures for October. Many walkers dress up in silly pink costumes, pink wigs, tutus and other outlandish and fun pink inspired outfits. These manis are our outlandish pink outfits... We hope you enjoy them as much as we enjoyed creating the crazy, over the top manis.


Dom created her everything but the kitchen sink mani with a base of Sinful Colors Snow Me White, Orly Artificial Sweetner and Rimmel London Posh Pink. She used a bit of flocking powder, some fimo hearts and flowers as well as some rhinestones and what you have is one heck of a celebration mani!

Sinful Colors - Snow Me White, Orly - Artificial Sweetner &
Rimmel London - Posh Pink

Sinful Colors - Snow Me White, Orly - Artificial Sweetner &
Rimmel London - Posh Pink

E created her outlandish mani on a bed of OPI - Kiss Me On My Tulips and an accent nail to include Dollish Polish - I'll Have What She's Having. The rest includes: loose glitter, rhinestones, nail decals, and star glitter.

OPI - Kiss Me On My Tulips (indirect sunlight)

OPI - Kiss Me On My Tulips (direct sunlight)

Hopefully you've enjoyed our participation in the Go Pink Wednesdays... Please don't let the Breast Cancer Awareness end with October. Continue to check yourself and remind loved ones as well. It really could save a life... one that you might cherish as much or more than your own.

with love and hope for a cancer free future,

and

Football Season Officially Hit OHIO!!!

There comes a time in every football fanatic wife's life that she just has to jump on the wagon and cheer for her husbands team!  I am not a sports fan by any stretch of the word, but my hubby loves anything and everything sports related; therefore when it came to college football he is nuts for Ohio State University!  When I say nuts I mean that Byron is a total BUCKEYE!

It has been said that The Ohio State University has the largest fan base of any college football team.  Sure, we have had our share of mishaps but this season is proving to be a fresh start of sorts.  With the addition of Urban Meyer as our new head coach, my husband is more excited than ever about the prospect of a great season.  So far it is shaping up to be a good season! Let's hope the Bucks keep it up!

When I asked my husband what I should do to my nails this weekend he smiled and asked if I could do an OSU inspired mani.  Was I up for the challenge?  You be the judge!  I must admit that my model for this mani was Cheryl Cheryl at Polish2Times.com.  Cheryl did this mani (minus some embellishment) in December and I loved it so much I decided to try it myself!  You can see Cheryl's post here.

For this mani I used OPI An Affair in Red Square, China Glaze Recycle and Finger Paints striping polish in Hip Hip Hue-Ray and Ch-Art-Coal Black.  Using my dotting tool from M.A.S.H Nails and some cute little rhinestone accents my mani was complete!  I hope you like it as much as my hubby does!

CG Recycle, OPI An Affair in Red Square, FP Striping Polish

And now the mani that all of you OSU fan's have been waiting for!

Left Hand

 Left Hand

And just to prove that I can paint on my right hand... LOL!

Right Hand

Right Hand

So there you have it, my OSU mani!  Off to watch the game with my freshly manicured fingers crossed for a win!!!  GO BUCKS! 

Tell me what you think!  Who will you be cheering for this season?  

Ricans Gone Wild, Boricua Pride!!!

You could say that I am a proud Puerto Rican and you would be correct!  I take great pride in my culture and each year around the same time Puerto Ricans around the country gather in New York to show just exactly how proud we are!

 This year marks the 55th annual National Puerto Rican Day Parade!!!

Even though I cannot be there in person, I am so there in spirit and mani!  LOL!  

I will preface these post with a warning...  there is a ton of Puerto Rican going on in here!  So much so that E called my mani the drag queen of manis!  I will admit that I may have gone a bit nuts but ya gotta sometimes, know what I mean? There were just so many ideas floating around in my head and I think I used them all.

For my Puerto Rican Pride mani I used a base coat, one coat of China Glaze Ruby Pumps and my new Finger Paints Liners for the art.  Hip Hip Hue-Ray is the white liner and Royal Renoir is the electric blue liner.  I will say that I found them a bit thick but the colors are amazing and they weren't too terribly hard to work with.  I even managed to do my right hand with the exact same design and that is no small feat my friends! After completing the flags on all but one finger, I added my fimo stick Puerto Rican flags and blinged them out with some rhinestones.  Voila!  A Puerto Rican Pride mani that would make any 'Rican happy!  

I hope you like them!  

Woooooooohooooooo!

Bet you can't guess that I am 100% Puerto Rican from 100 miles away!  

Nothing like a drag mani to get the party started!  :)

I hope that the parade is a blast and if there are any NYC Rican's reading this blog... go and dance in the streets for me!  I will be rocking my mani, making some rice and beans and jammin' to some salsa all day long! Besos!

P.S.  I tried to get E to bust out her best 'Rican inspired mani for today (she is Puerto Rican too) but she decided to leave it to me since her fungal visiter hasn't left yet :(

Dolly Does Polish, Reviews and Swatches *pic heavy*

I posted on my first indie nail mail from Dollish Polish not too long ago. I have finally swatched the colors that I received from the Dolly Does Polish Collection!  I can honestly say that I love each one!  When the collection initially came out I picked the polish that I wanted by the names that jumped out at me and now I am sad that I didn't purchase them all!

I was so excited to get these colors and make Dollish Polish my first indie purchase ever.  The colors that I chose were Dining at the Pink Taco, A Bad Case of Blue Balls and Baby Gravy!  Yes you read that right!  I personally was most excited about Baby Gravy... I mean really, Baby Gravy!!!  Amazingness!

From the Dolly Does Polish Collection

Dining at the Pink Taco is a super pretty frosted rose. I used a Sally Hansen base coat and the first coat of polish was a little tricky.  It dragged a bit while painting and dried super quick. I do love the Sally Hansen Base but, it is a bit thick, so I think the issue was that base with this polish.  No worries though, with the second coat everything evened out and painted smoothly.  The color is beautiful and the frost makes it really special.  All the photos of Pink Taco were taken after one coat of base and two coats of polish.

Pink Taco in natural light!

Pink Taco in the sun!

Pink Taco in the sun!

A Bad Case of Blue Balls is an amazing royal marine blue shimmer. It is seriously one of the prettiest blues I've ever seen!! I did not have the same issues with the first coat of Blue Balls as Dining at the Pink Taco and I used the same base coat.  So who knows, maybe it's operator error!

Blue Balls in natural light! 

Blue Balls in the sun!

Blue Balls in the sun!  

Prepare yourselves ladies (and gents) for a super suspect sentence!  Baby Gravy is my favorite name in the collection and it really is a beautiful milky white shimmer!  Hehehehe... I said Baby Gravy and milky white in the same sentence.  LOL!!! Starting with my pinky I did a progression of the color with multiple coats.  I love this color and depending on how opaque you want it, this shade has a LOT of versatility in it. Also, I didn't use a base coat with Baby Gravy.

Baby Gravy in natural light!

Baby Gravy with low flash! 

Baby Gravy in the sun!

So there ya have it!  Dolly Does Polish and she does it well!  I love the colors and all in all the application was great.  I will be watching Dolly's site for a restock on a couple of the colors that I didn't pick up the first time most definitely because let's face it - these polishes are seriously one of a kind and stunning too!  I hope you love these as much as I do!