Macro Spam; featuring Emily de Molly

I cut down my nails this week (the tips were peeling a bit), so it's going to take them 1-2 weeks to get back to normal length. Also my skin and cuticles have been really dry from the last three collections I swatched... damn you pure acetone! I'm taking a little break while I give my swatching hand some TLC! :-)

So instead... I decided to give you guys a little macro spam! (My pinky says hi!)


I picked up Cosmic Forces last year when Llarowe happened to restock. (Emily de Molly is an Australian indie brand so it's hard to get in the USA). It was one of my biggest lemmings. #1 it's my favorite color, purple. #2... it's got those awesome holographic circles.


And... ahhh Oceanic Forces.... is.... mesmerizing! This has been one of my other lemmings for quite awhile, and I was lucky enough to find it in my mail box on Monday. I will have full swatches another time soon. :-) 


I ordered a polish from Philly Loves Lacquer, she has a section where you can get certain throwback polishes made (as long as she still has the supplies). I've wanted Saturnalian quite awhile. It was a color in her winter collection last year. Saturnalian is a scattered holo turquoise. It's pretty opaque in just one coat too, though I used two coats below. I'll swatch this another time too! So just enjoy the macro for now! :)


Esther; besides the obvious; (you know, being a fellow Philadelphian). ;-) Is also really nice. She was recently at the 30th Street Station craft fair, that was actually outside my office. Only... the day I was supposed to go in June- it rained and got canceled. (Friday the 13th too, how about that?!) And then, when it was finally rescheduled; I was already furloughed from work, and waiting for my unemployment to kick in... so I didn't have money for train fare, or even spending money, boo. So, I didn't get down there to meet her or buy any polish in person. :-(

(To be brief; I've been a seasonal employee at my job for the past 12 years, so I usually have off 3-6 months out of the year) 

Esther and I are friends on Facebook, and before the 1st craft fair had gotten canceled she said she had a #RAOK for me which was really sweet. So, I had an included surprise when my Philly Loves Lacquer order arrived on Monday! I've probably never been so surprised opening a package... especially when it's something you've really wanted for awhile! She sent me Oceanic Forces. That was incredibly sweet of her to do. :) I will have to pay it (#raok) forward sometime soon.


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@ZoyaNailPolish: Naturel Deux Collection

✯ PR Sample ✯

Today I have the Zoya Naturel Deux Collection. This collection is meant as a palette cleanser as we transition from summer into fall. The Naturel Deux Collection is darker than the first collection. (Click here to see last years Naturel Collection)All of the colors in this collection go on smoothly and evenly in two coats. I used Seche Vite topcoat on all the swatches below.


Click below to see more! :-)

Press Release: China Glaze The Giver Collection

✯ Press Release ✯


It’s time to “Color Your Destiny” with the bright colors and rich textures of China Glaze’s exclusive The Giver nail polish collection.  Inspired by the most anticipated movie release of the summer, the collection combines bold and neutral crèmes, and a gorgeous glitter to create 12 limited edition shades. 

Influenced by the powerful themes and message of the story, The Giver collection by China Glaze brings key moments and characters to color, particularly the main character Jonas (portrayed by Brendon Thwaites) and his friend Fiona (portrayed by Odeya Rush) as he struggles to understand the dark, complex secrets behind his seemingly ideal community. The film will open in theatres Friday, August 15, 2014.  

China Glaze, The Giver limited edition nail polish collection is available now at beauty supply stores nationwide including Sally Beauty and Ulta stores.  Individual shades retail for $7.50 MSRP.
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@Azature Summer 2014 Collection

✯ PR Sample ✯


Azature sent me their lovely Summer 2014 Collection to review. Five beautiful bright pigment rich colors. The bottle shape is unique too. Each polish contains one real black diamond in the bottle. And, all the colors in this collection are opaque in one coat! I have great love for nail lacquer that is opaque in one coat! (You can either do one thick coat, or two thin coats. I did 2 coats for photos). I used Seche Vite topcoat on all the swatches below.

About Azature Nail Lacquer: Our luxurious nail color is free of Formaldehyde, Toulene, and Dibutyl Phthalate. No Animal Testing. Our polish is Vegan. 

Lavender Diamond: 


Rose Diamond:


Jade Diamond:


Lapis Diamond:


Coral Diamond:


Azature Nail Color retails for $25.00, and can be purchased on: Azature.com, or HSN.com. The price tag may throw some of you off, but it's definitely worth it. They apply so smoothly, and the brush is long and narrow for easy application. I also love that they are so bright and pigmented. I did my toes with the Rose color, and I don't think I've ever finished a pedicure so fast, since I only needed 1 coat on each toe! My favorite colors in this collection are Lavender, Rose, and Lapis.

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Sparitual: Wander- Fall 2014 Preview

✯ PR Sample ✯

So... who is ready for fall? I know I am! (If I could hibernate during the summer I would, I'm so over summer humidity and heat!) :-p Today I have a sneak peek of colors from SpaRituals upcoming fall collection, Wander. These will be available for pre-order starting: August 1st.


All of these polishes have a satin matte finish, so you don't have to use a topcoat with them. But personally, I think the shimmer comes out better when you use a topcoat. (I used Seche Vite). It's your preference really. These polishes are quite pigmented, and go on smoothly. I only needed two coats for each color below.

Oasis: Really gorgeous deep dark navy blue. With topcoat the shimmer in this really comes out. I stamped with Messy Mansion stamp MM44 and Sally Hansen Insta-Dri in Silver Sweep.



Without Topcoat:

Starry Bright: Such a funny name for a rich brown with gold shimmer. It literally reminds me of coffee, or leaves in the fall. I used Messy Mansion stamp MM19, and Maybelline Bold Gold.


Without Topcoat:

Tapestry: Stunning warm red with shimmer that really pops once you add a topcoat. I also used Messy Mansion stamp plate MM44, and Maybelline Bold Gold. 


Without Topcoat:

More after the jump below...

Sizzling Summer Giveaway! [CLOSED!]

Congratulations to Melissa R. for winning the giveaway! Thank you to everyone that entered! There will be another giveaway soon! :) 


How about a giveaway?! 
(Use this image on Instagram- for extra entries on the Rafflecopter form).

Prize Includes: 
  1. 4 pack of OPI Brazil Beach Sandies (Mini),
  2. CND Solar Cuticle Oil (Mini)
  3. Marc Anthony Dream Waves Beach Spray
  4. Jersey Shore Sun- Sans Tan Sunscreen 
  5. Recbecca Minkoff Tropical Makeup Bag

Enter on the Rafflecopter Form below! 
This giveaway ends: August 8th, 11:59pm EST. Open to USA ONLY.  

NOTE: Just an update because I've already seen a few, but if you have an account that is set up for giveaway posts only- you will be excluded from the contest. It's below in the terms & conditions, thanks!

Terms and Conditions: Giveaway ends August 8th at 11:59 PM EST. All prizes have been personally purchased by Tunay Na Mahal. You must be 18 or older to enter. We have the right to request proof of age if it seems appropriate. Entrants must live in the USA. All entries will be verified. No following and unfollowing once the giveaway ends. Prizes cannot be shipped to P.O. Boxes. There will be one winner chosen. Winner(s) will be selected by Random.org and notified by email. Winner(s) have 24 hours to respond before a new winner is selected. We may choose a new winner(s) at our discretion for any reason. No giveaway only accounts. We will make every effort to safely package your prize, however we are not responsible for any damage which may occur during shipping. Facebook, Twitter, Bloglovin’, and Instagram are in no way associated with this giveaway. Any personal information provided will be used only for the purpose of contacting the winner(s).

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RIP: Pumpkin & Buttercup

The past 24 hours have not been so great... we lost Pumpkin, Tuesday morning. She had passed away in her sleep. She had been ill for awhile with a respiratory infection which she got over, but because she was over 2 years, she was having a hard time bouncing back. She was very frail, still being fed by oral syringe, and was having balance issues this past week.


Buttercup has been energetic, even yesterday she was excited to get a yogurt peanut. She would have been 3 years old around Nov/Dec. She had a golf ball, and a tennis ball sized tumor. She could still get around pretty okay, though we had her in a 1 level cage. This morning she was having some breathing issues, and didn't want to take any food. Which is unusual for Buttercup... she eats everything/anything. She did have some water by herself, and I decided to put her back in the cage to rest because her breathing was better. Not even 10-15 minutes had passed, when my husband checked on her and we found she passed away... was not expecting that at all...


This post is going to be a bit picture heavy so after the jump....

My Thoughts on Kindle Unlimited.

I am a huge fan of Amazon.com.I constantly shop on Amazon, I buy the majority of my books and music on Amazon. I rent movies on Amazon. I've even upgraded every year that a new Kindle Fire device is released. (Since 2011).

I was pretty excited to find out about Kindle Unlimited.600,000 titles free to read, including audio books for $9.99 a month. Sort of like the 'Netflix' of books. Amazon includes a 30 day free trial so you can test drive Kindle Unlimited, so I decided to take the plunge.


Tip: You can download the Amazon Kindle App free on pretty much any mobile device, so you don't actually need a Kindle to use this service. 

[Kindle App for Android or iPhone]

Navigating Kindle Unlimited: From your Kindle you go to the store, and there's an option called 'Kindle Unlimited' that will show you all the titles listed under your Kindle Unlimited membership.


Click below to read more!

Review of Sinful Colors: Anchors Away

✯ PR Sample ✯

I was recently sent the Surfs Up Voxbox from Influenster. Included in my box was Sinful Colors, Anchor's Away. It's a bright orange yellow color. Immediately I had thoughts of doing some sort of sunset gradient.

This was my first time trying Sinful Colors polish. The formula was really nice. I tested the color alone on my pinky, and it was opaque in two coats. For the gradient design I used OPI Suzi's Hungary Again, and dabbed on Sinful Colors Anchor's Away. I topped it off with China Glaze Fairy Dust, and Seche Vite. For the stamping I used Konad white, and Winstonia Store W-04.




Here's how the gradient looks without stamping:



Press Release: @ZoyaNailPolish- Naturel Deux Collection

✯ Press Release ✯

Perfect as every day go-to colors, the Zoya NATUREL DEUX collection bridges the transitional gap between late summer/early fall 2014 with three, rich brown family shades and three plum based beauties. All in the long-wearing, BIG5FREE formula Zoya is known for! 


ZOYA NATUREL DEUX (2) - 2014

ZP742Spencer: Camel Cream, Full Coverage Formula.
ZP743Chanelle: Toasted Almond, Full Coverage Formula.
ZP744 – Emilia: Dark Chocolate, Full Coverage Formula.
ZP745Marnie: Deep Warm Plum, Full Coverage Formula.
ZP746Aubrey: Medium Mauve Cream, Full Coverage Formula.
ZP747Madeline: Muted Rose, Full Coverage Formula.
$9 (US) Each 

COLLECTION PRE-ORDER, STARTS JULY 21, 2014
ZOYA IS THE HEALTHY COLOR OF FASHION!

Available on Zoya.com





Sparitual: Quest Swatches, Topcoat Review.


Good Evening! I have a few colors from SpaRitual's Quest Collection to share with you all. These were provided by SpaRitual for an honest review.

Go on an unexpected adventure. Six dramatic and highly textured nail lacquers offer a complex though optimistic view of what we might find as we head out into the world. Multiple layers of glitter & color reflect the emotions we face as we set out on our own personal journey to find abundance, knowledge & acceptance.


Pioneer: A pink glitter cream. This one reminds me of L.A. Girl Birthday Cake. Though the pink base in Pioneer is a bit lighter. I used 3 coats. Formula was thin but build-able.


I also used the SpaRitual Mattify Topcoat. I like Pioneer matte, rather than shiny.


Beyond: is so pretty! It reminds me of an Indie nail polish. It's a black sheer cream with silver hex glitter, red, pink glitters, and pink circle glitter. That said, the formula was very thick! Too thick, so I had to add some nail polish thinner so I could work with it. Once I added the thinner, it was perfect. This is 2 coats, over black polish. You will have to fish around for the pink circle glitters.


Here is Beyond, with the Mattify topcoat:


Summit: reminds me of frost on a mountain. It has holographic sparkles, and white & blue circle glitters. I can see myself using this in the winter, and stamping snowflakes over it. I do wish the base was a cream instead of a shimmer. I think the glitter would have stood out better that way. I feel like with the shimmer base, it's got too much going on. You will have to fish around for the blue circle glitters. I used two coats over Blue Lagoon.


Here it is with the Mattify Topcoat:


Thoughts: You will want to use a thick-ish topcoat for these glitters, otherwise you'll end up with a very bumpy look. I used Seche Vite Dry Fast topcoat on all of the above photos. The reason I layered Beyond and Summit over colors, is because they are sheer, and too many coats looked clumpy. It's better with 1-2 coats layered over a similar color. Pioneer was fine by itself, no undies.

Removal: You will want to either do the foil method, or use a base like Glitter-A-Peel for easy removal.

Click below to read more!

Makeover!

So.... you may have noticed things look a bit different around here. I was up all night working on customizing a new layout for the blog. I wanted something a little wider and cleaner looking, but while still incorporating my favorite color (purple!) Let me know what you think in the comments below! :-)


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