Because BATMAN!

Hey babes!

I hope you've all had a fabulous weekend, and that you're ready to ROCK this week!

Last week was Geek Fest in Johannesburg, and I got to do these cool Batman nails that I want to show you! :-D

First off, we started with natural tips, and a clear acrylic & gel overlay. We then did a yellow gelish base called "Coco Cabana Banana" from the "Living In Rio" neon collection. It's a very bright yellow.

After curing, I applied a Batman vinyl to the middle finger nails on both hands, and painted over it with China Glaze "Liquid Leather" black. I then sponged a black glitter gradient on both the ring fingers, and a full gold glitter nail for the thumbs. :) I sealed it all with top coat and UV Glaze, and VOILA... One happy batman fan.

Here, have a look. :-)

Okay so the question everyone's dying to ask. Where on EARTH did I get these AWESOME Batman vinyls. Well, remember I told you about Queen B from Because I Shop? YASS! I think she already had these as a design in her online shop. I'm not sure. Or I requested them. Hahaha. Who cares? She'll make more! Did you know B will make any custom design you want? From nail art vinyls, wall vinyls to t-shirts. She's the BOMB! And the vinyls are such amazing quality, and so easy to work with. I absolutely love them!

So girls, please tell me what you think, or if you have any questions about the products, techniques etc. I'd LOVE to chat with you in the comments section. Over to you.

Stay Sassy!!
xoxo
Sam

Looking Good LCN Review

Hey babes! :-)

Today I'm sharing a review on Looking Good LCN nail polish. Don't know who they are? Here's a quick look at their proud history.

As a leading manufacturer of cosmetic nail products, the success and reputation of LCN is based on a long history of providing exciting, innovative breakthroughs to the world of cosmetic science.

A PROUD HISTORY OF WILDE-COSMETICS GmbH

Wilde Dental was founded in 1914, few knew that these pioneering German researchers in dental resin would make such a lasting impact in the beauty industry. In 1985 (that's good year - the year yours truly was born - yay), Wilde Cosmetics GmbH was established to bring the same quality, durability and beauty of composite resin systems to fingernail cosmetics. The result? LCN, a revolutionary line of light-cured products designed to seal, correct, lengthen and beautify fingernails. The first of its kind in Europe, this system provided a non-acrylic alternative to conventional nail cosmetics, providing longer lasting beautiful results.

THE FUTURE OF BEAUTY

The LCN line has expanded to include natural nail, hand, foot, make-up, body and spa products. Every LCN beauty product remains the result of careful research, educated industry professionals, and a flawless eye for the future of beauty and fashion. LCN continues to break new grounds in the beauty industry, while still standing the test of time.

THE PROUD HISTORY OF LOOKING GOOD LCN

Looking Good LCN, founded in 2002 by CEO Lea Castro, started out in Wingate Park, Pretoria East. After just one year they moved to bigger premises in Pretorius Park, Pretoria East. They experienced so much success and growth, that they had to move yet again in 2007, into their current premises which is 200m², and in 2015 built a state of the art training facility boasting 250m². Their main focus is service excellence in the Beauty Industry and empowering women to become the best they can be! Having overcome many obstacles - the company has grown from strength to strength.

Pretty impressive, right? :-) What do I find best about the brand? The fact that they're also CRUELTY FREE! Definitely a big deal for me, being an animal lover, and a bit of a tree hugger! :-)

Their nail polishes are Soy Free, Vegan, Gluten free, 5-free, and promises a Streak Free Application, Dense Colour, Fast Drying, Non-Yellowing, Long Durability and Free of Parabens. Now, THAT's impressive stuff.

Let me show you. Pictured below is a plain swatch, with 3 coats, and no base or top coat.

 

There is no name on the bottle, and I couldn't find it on their website, so I think it might be a press sample. I'm not too sure. :-) It is a beautiful sheer nude, with a glamorous gold shimmer. If you look closely, you can see a slight pink shimmer too, which is clearer in real life than I'm able to capture with my camera. What is it with beautiful nail polishes and cameras? Jealous cameras? I don't know. I just know a lot of other bloggers also have a problem with this.

These polishes retail at R120.00 each per 8ml bottle (price correct at date of posting), and can be purchased at LCN Online Shop, and selected beauty salons. Even though I couldn't find this specific one online, they do have a beautiful variety of colours to choose from.

What is my honest opinion on this nail polish? Personally, I don't think I would buy it. Why not? It takes at least 3 coats to be somewhat opaque, even though say their polishes are colour dense. I'm not too sure if this was actually meant as a topper, so I would still like to try one of their other shades, before I can cross it off my to-buy list completely. The formula is quite thin, so it is fast drying, as promised. I see they do currently have a sale on, selling at R60.00. I'm not sure how long this sale will last, so I suggest you run over there right now and grab a bottle or two before it's over.

Looking Good LCN can be found on Facebook, Twitter and InstaGram.

Do you know Looking Good LCN? Have you tried any of their polishes? I would LOVE to know, so drop me a line. :-)

Thank you all so much for stopping by and taking time to read my ramblings. :-)


Stay Sassy
xoxo
Samantha

Hean #162 Purple & Gold Stamping Mani

Hey babes :-)

Today I want to show you another Hean nail polish I absolutely love. It's #162 from the City Fashion collection. If you know me well, you'll know that I'm OBSESSED with Hean nail polish, and with very good reason. I'll tell you more, focusing specifically on this purple little beaut, but it applies to most of Hean's polishes from the "I love Hean", "City Fashion", "Summer 2015" and "Jungle Pop" collections which are currently available in South Africa from Glamore Cosmetics.

For the mani below, I painted one coat, wore it for a day, then painted another coat the next evening, and topcoated it. I went without topcoat the first day, and there was no visible tip wear or chipping, which I found extremely impressive. After the top coat dried, I stamped on my ring finger using a Born Pretty stamping plate, (which I can't name right now, coz poepies can't remember the code. Ahem. This post will be updated shortly - Sorry girls) and Gold Born Pretty Stamping Polish. I then added a stud (also from Born Pretty Store) on my middle finger nail, and finished off with Hean Diamond HD top coat.

 

I'm still struggling a bit to get the lighting right, so the above picture is not a true swatch of this amazing purple. Below, I share two swatches that are a LOT more colour accurate. It is one easy coat, with no top coat.

Hean City Fashion #162 is what I would call a rich purple crème polish. The consistency and opacity is an absolute dream, making application a breeze. It is semi self levelling, and has a smooth and glossy finish. The pigmentation ensures perfect opacity in a single coat, making it great for stamping and water marbling too.

Want these products?
You can find Glamore Cosmetics on:
Facebook
Twitter
InstaGram
Online Shop

And Born Pretty Store:
Facebook
Twitter
InstaGram
Online Shop
Also remember to use my 10% discount code on checkout when shopping at Born Pretty Store. :)

Thank you all so much for stopping by and reading my ramblings. Please drop me a comment, and tell me what you think. :)


Stay Sassy
xoxox
Samantha