Because I STAR WARS

Hello Sassies :)


How are you all doing on this beautiful winters day? Brrrrrrr it's cold in South Africa today! I hope you're all staying warm, and eating all your veggies to prevent the sniffles making it's rounds at the moment.


Today I have something very exciting, and non-nail-related to share with you. Yay!!


I'm sure most of my fellow nail bloggers and online shoppers know (and looooooove) B from Because I Shop. If you don't know her or her online shop, you have GOT to visit the links at the bottom of this post. She's beyond amazing.


Every once in a while I get an awesome idea. Sometimes they're awesome, sometimes they're just plain cray-cray. It's normally some custom something and somewhat I need made/printed/built etc. Today's post is aaaaaalllll about one of my "AHA, that's what I want" moments. :-)


June 19th 2016 was father's day in South Africa. My boyfriend is a big Star Wars fan. HUGE! HUUUUGE!! Really? How big of a Star Wars fan can a person be? Well...


Here is a pic of the two of us, before a Star Wars quiz night... Yes, Star Wars quiz nights are actually a thing. Hahaha.

And here... Is little old me, proudly influenced to incorporate Star Wars in MY fashion. Hahaha. At least I rock it. Right? ;-)

So, since we started dating I've been using Star Wars as my inspiration for, well, almost all of the gifts I give him. So obviously, Star Wars was my first thought again when it came to father's day gift buying. I searched google for Star Wars father's day gifts, and couldn't find anything (locally) that I loved, and that I knew Mr. Handsome would love.


I then came across a picture of father and son T-shirts that I absolutely HAD to buy my guys. HAD TO. It had their names written ALL over it. But - I had to order it from the US, pay import taxes, wait a million lifetimes for it to get here, etc etc etc. NO! That's not gonna work. Then I realized, but heeeeeeeey, B's got my back!! She made me custom nail vinyls a while back (stay tuned for a review and some gorgeous art coming soon), and I remembered I also saw she does T-shirt printing. Yaaaaaaaay B!


I dropped her an inbox on Facebook (link to her FB page below), and she replied almost immediately. That's how I know a company values their clients and the business they get, and will do everything in their power to make the customer feel satisfied with their overall experience. So that was already a BIG win.


I sent her the images, and she almost immediately replied that she can, and will be delighted, to help me. From sending her the image, it took less than a week to get to me. That included outsourcing the T's, doing the designs, printing on the T's AND delivery from Durban to Johannesburg. Freaking AWESOME!! :-D Anyway, here's what we came up with...


Meet Mr. Handsome and his mini dupe.

Oh... My... GAWSH!!!!!!! How insanely handsome are they, right??? And - How freaking awesome are those t-shirts? I absolutely LOVE them, and so do the guys. This pic was taken right after Mr. Handsome opened it, and Michael demanded they wore it RIGHT NOW! Hahaha.


Briget, thank you SO much, once again, for bringing my crazy ideas to reality. I love dealing with you, and will shop at Because I Shop over, and over, and over, and over again.


You can find Because I shop on:
Online Shop
Facebook
YouTube (WARNING: Content may contain lotsa F-Bombs. Hahahahahaha. I love this woman!!)
InstaGram


That's all from me for now. :-) Thank you so much for stopping by, and reading my ramblings.


Till next time - Stay Sassy.

WIN a DCL Nail Fortifier hamper worth R360.00

Hey babes! :-D

How are you all doing? Are you ready for the July giveaway? I am! :-) This month's giveaway will be run via Rafflecopter. Apparently it makes it easier for me to track the entries, and for you to enter. This is my very first rafflecopter giveaway, so let's see how it goes. Hahaha.

As you've already seen on Sassy In The City Facebook page, this month's prize is sponsored by the amazingly beautiful Tamara Smit from DCL Nails. One lucky lady will win THREE bottles of DCL Nail Fortifier Nail Polish Treatment. Never heard of them? Not sure if this is for you? Keep reading!

DCL Nail Fortifier's mission is to help ladies all over the world (yes, they're international!!) to grow strong, beautiful, natural nails with one product and guaranteed visible results in as little as 2 weeks. That's amazing! I know a few of my readers have some difficulty growing their natural nails, due to brittleness or damage caused my artificial nails. This treatment is for YOU BABES! :-)

What makes DCL Nail Fortifier so amazing??
- Grow your natural nails the natural way.
- Go from weak to wonderful
- Fungus to Fabulous
- Brittle to Brilliant
- DCL strengthens brittle nails
- Hardens soft nails
- Smoothens ridges and split ridges will grow out
- Reforms flat nail bed to an arched shape
- Detached nails rejoin the natural nail bed
- Regenerates stunted nail growth
- Eradicates Fungus on nails
- Regenerates tissue growth for a healthy nail bed
- Enhances the speed of growth and whitens nail
- Rectifies ingrown toenails and hang nails
- Even beneficial over artificial nails

Excited much? YASSS!! Lastly, I would like to share some amazing results with you. These are all pictures from regular women like you and me, posted to their Facebook page, or e-mailed to them. Here, have a looksy:

Below is an image of nail fungi, successfully treated with DCL Nail Fortifier:

You can buy yours @ R120.00 each  from DCL Nail Fortifier on Facebook or give them a call on 011 057 5493. They are based in Sandton, Johannesburg, but they ship worldwide. :-)


a Rafflecopter giveaway


Thanks for stopping by! :)

Stay Sassy

NEON I Love Hean Nail Art

Good morning lovely ladies :-)

How are you all doing today? Did you have a good week? YAY for Friday! :-D I hope you all have something to look forward to this weekend, even if it's just to chillax and take it easy. :-)

Today I want to show you different nail art looks I created with Hean's "Neon I love Hean" collection. I've already showed you swatches (over here and over here), but here's a picture of this amazing collection again - Just because I'm obsessed with it. You're welcome. ;-)

Now, let's look at some nail art. :-)

First I did this spongy something thingy mathingthing, using orange, yellow, pink and coral.

Yeah... I hated it. I then added a matt topcoat, and felt meh. Still didn't love it, but didn't hate it either. So I decided to try something else. :-)

Then, I tried a stamping mani. I stamped with silver Born Pretty polish over Neon I love Hean #893. I was having one of those days where nothing worked. Or I wasn't happy with any of the results. You know how some manicures look a bit unfinished, but the moment you add a matt topcoat, it's something completely different? Well, that was the case with this one. :-)

I like how feminine and delicate this is. The colour is just soooo pretty. This is also the first mani I did using my mani mat from NailCandi. Oh my. That mat, though!!!! A dream come true! I messed it up a bit, but like they say - practice makes perfect. :)

Next up.. Hahaha. Um. I don't really know what to call this... Cute fluffy monster bally thingies? :-D LOL. You come up with a name, and let me know in the comments section below. ;-)

I started with a coat of Revlon Color Stay White. After I let it dry completely, I used a dotting tool to make the bigger dots. While it was still wet, I used a fine detail brush to do the hairy/fluffy bits. I then used two smaller dotting tools to do their eyes.. Note the scary big pupil dude on my ring finer. Hahahaha. I mistakenly took the wrong dotting tool for his eyes. I like him, though. He's unique. ;-)

Then I felt I just HAD to try another reverse decal stamping mani on my NailCandi mani mat.

I used black stamping polish to stamp the outlines, then I used all the colours in the Neon I love Hean collection to colour it in. I then added a coat of white to make the colours pop. After it dried completely, I peeled it off, and applied it to my nails with Revlon white nail polish.
Now that I look at it again, I wish I mattified this one too. Hahahaha. When in doubt, ADD THE MATT!! ;-)

Products used:
I love Hean Nail Polish - Glamore Cosmetics. You can also find them on Facebook, Twitter and InstaGram
NailCandi mani mat - NailCandi. NailCandi can also be found on Facebook, Twitter and InstaGram.

PS: This is not in the blog, and I don't own it, but I thought it HAD to get a special mention - Have you seen the China Glaze spray on nail polish JUST landed in South Africa yesterday?! YASSS!!! You can buy yours from NailCandi at R150 per can. They're a tad bit pricey for me personally at this very moment (yes, I overspent on nail goodies again over the last month or two), so I haven't ordered any yet. But if you have, or you're going to, PLEASE let me know how it works? I'd love to try it some time.


Thanks so much for stopping by and reading. :)

Stay Sassy.

Neon I Love Hean swatches

Hello babes :)

Today I want to show you the rest of the NEON "I love Hean" nail polish collection. I decided to split today's post in two. I have another amazing Hean collection to show you, and OCD me doesn't like doing two different collections in one week, so decided to post the Neon swatches today, loads of awesome Neon nail art on Wednesday, the winner of our amazing Looking Good LCN hamper on Friday, and the new collection starting from next week. EXCITEDMENT!!!! :-D

So, without further delay, here are the last 3 babies of the NEON collection.

First up, a bright sunny yellow... #891

Next we have #893, another stunning coral, slightly lighter than #894 we looked at last week.

And lastly, this amazing bright orange - #892

How amazing? Still not convinced you need them? Here, have another look at all of them together...

Convinced? YASSS! You can buy your own piece of neon perfection at Glamore Cosmetics. Please hurry, though, as they're selling out fast, and last time I checked, they only had 1 of each colour left. Rumor has it they MIGHT import this collection one LAST time, but we're not too sure yet, as it's a limited edition at Hean HQ in Poland aswell... Panic!!! HURRRRRRRYYYYYY!!!

Once again, you can find Glamore Cosmetics on:

Facebook
Twitter
InstaGram
Online Shop


Thanks so much for stopping by and reading. :) I'm sure we're all equally as excited about Wednesday's post, as it will be the last secret word of our competition phrase, and the GRAND FINALE for the Neon I love Hean collection. Whooo!! Stay warm, babes.

Lots of love, and stay sassy!

Neon Water Marble

Hello Nail Addicts :-)

And HELLOOOOO WINTER! Brrrr. My fingers are actually not coping with the typing of this post. Hahahaha. Who left the freakin' fridge open??? Eeeeek! I hope you're all staying warm!

To beat the winter cold, I have an AWESOME collection to share with you this week! :-D I'm beyond excited! I started hyperventilating when I saw Glamore Cosmetics are bringing the "I love Hean" NEON collection to South Africa. It's seriously stunning, trust me.

I was a bit nervous about this collection at first. Most neon polishes I've used before take at least 3 to 4 coats to be fully opaque. We don't like four coaters. :-( Four coaters suck! BUT... This is Hean. And Hean ROCKS! :-D Opaque in just 2 easy coats, a streak free application, and stunning finish! Yes please, Hean... Yes, please. And THANK YOU!!

Let's look at some pictures, coz that's why you're all here, right? ;-) First up, two water marble mani's I did, using this happy collection.

As you can see, these babies are perfect for water marbling. I haven't done water marble in over a year, so I was very out of practice. I forgot how much I love the technique, so I can predict that you will see a lot more water marble mani's on my blog in the near future. ;-) I haven't tried stamping with them yet, but stay tuned to see the results. :) I think they might amaze.

I'll also share 3 swatches... First up #895, a juicy bright pink. I'm smitten!

I can't even begin to tell you how much I love this polish. It was almost perfect in just one coat (I know... Huh? But it's neon? I KNOW - cray cray), so this will be the one I'll try stamping with first. Very excited!

Next up, #894 - The bright coral that had everyone swooning. True love!

Can't deal! Too beautiful.

Last, but DEFINITELY not least..... #891 is a bright neon green.

I'm blown away. I normally don't like green nail polish, but I can tell you with absolutely no doubt in my mind that I'll be wearing this baby over and over and over again. How stunning, right?

I know some people believe neon colours to be more summery colours, but hey... WHO CARES? I love colour. My hair has been pink, purple, blue, turoise, blue again, and now blonde, turquoise and purple again. Yes, I LOVE colour! Hahaha. So screw you, boring winter nude wearers. WE LOVE THIS COLLECTION, AND WE WILL WEAR IT. ALL. WINTER. LONG! Ha! Just to add a little brightness, sunshine and happiness to the cold winter months. :) Yes, please. I mean, why NOT??

Glamore Cosmetics can be found on:
Facebook
Twitter
InstaGram
Online Shop

So tell me... Which one is your favourite? :-) Have you tried any of Hean's polishes? Which ones do you own? And what do you think of them? Don't be shy, drop me a line below. ;-)

Thank you so much for stopping by and reading. Much love, and stay sassy!

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