The Best of my Halloween Link Party!

Thank you to everyone who participated in my Link Party!  I tried to visit each and every one of your sites, I hope I didn't miss anyone!  Without further ado, here are the Top 3 Posts that were submitted.  You can click on each of the pictures to go directly to the post.

I am in love with this mani by Amy, aka @GothamPolish!
Who You Gonna Call?  GHOST BUSTERS!  

This is by a new-to-me blogger, Fingers!  I love the colors she used.

The splatter mani has been done before, but for some reason Pauline's take on it blows me away!

Disclosures: polish insomniac at times reviews products provided by a representative of the company. When we do so, we specifically state so. We also use affiliate links. For more, please see the disclosure page.

FACEOFF: Misa Shields Up vs. OPI Not Like the Movies

Misa Shields Up vs. OPI Not Like the Movies

The formula on the two were very similar.  The Misa had more of a pink flash, while the OPI had a strong silver flash.  They both had silver micro glitter (which sets them apart from Deborah Lippmann and WnW).  The micro glitter was more apparent in the OPI.

Sorry I am not in a talkative mood today, one of our fur-babies is very sick and I think we will have to put him down.

UPDATE 11/1/11 - My fur-baby is doing much better than expected!  I get to pick him up from the vet this morning.  Thank you all for your well wishes!

*Misa polish was sent for review, but I didn’t get to keep it.

I have been featured on two of my favorite blogs!

Want to learn more about your favorite polish insomniac?

Two of the sweetest bloggers out there have recently featured ME on their blogs!  Check out what I had to say here (Nouveau Cheap) and here (Nightly Nails)!!!


I would not be the blogger I am today without the support of these two lovely ladies!


xoxo,

polish insomniac

Disclosures: polish insomniac at times reviews products provided by a representative of the company. When we do so, we specifically state so. We also use affiliate links. For more, please see the disclosure page.

Are They Dupes? Revlon Downtown vs. Color Club Luminescent

Revlon Downtown - Index and Ring finger
Color Club Luminescent - Middle and Pinky finger

Revlon, Color Club, Revlon, Color Club

 In my Color Club Foiled post, one of my readers mentioned that she passed on the Color Club collection because she had picked up the Revlon Edgy Elegance collection already.  I too had picked up one of the Revlon's and noticed the theme was similar.  The only polish I purchased from the Revlon Edgy Elegance collection was Downtown, the light blue foil.  The corresponding polish from the Color Club collection was Luminescent.

 As you can see in the pictures above, the two colors are far from dupes.  The overall appearance of the Revlon is bluer, while the Color Club leans silver.  The Revlon is more of what I consider a foil, while the Color is almost a metallic.

I don't actually like foils that much, do you?  Give me a shimmer over a foil any day!

xoxo,

polish insomniac

Color Club polish was provided for review, but I didn't get to keep it.
Disclosures: polish insomniac at times reviews products provided by a representative of the company. When we do so, we specifically state so. We also use affiliate links. For more, please see the disclosure page.

Another Holiday Polish from FingerPaints!

So I know that there are like, 15 dupes of Deborah Lippmann's Happy Birthday out there... But this one looks different to me!  Does it look different to you?

xoxo,

polish insomniac

Disclosures: polish insomniac at times reviews products provided by a representative of the company. When we do so, we specifically state so. We also use affiliate links. For more, please see the disclosure page.

Holiday Collection Teaser Shots - OPI Muppets, China Glaze Let It Snow, FingerPaints Merry & Bright

So I was trying to be good and use the money I made from my blog sale for lunch money this week.  Then I made the mistake of ducking into the local beauty supply!  Oops!  I made a promise to myself not to publish any holiday posts until November, so until then, enjoy this preview!

OPI Divine Swine, Fresh Frog of Bel-Air, Gone Gonzo (Muppets Holiday Collection)

China Glaze Poinsettia, Twinkle Lights, Holly-Day

China Glaze Tinsel Town, Champagne Bubbles

Front:  FingerPaints Santa Kisses, Drummer Boy, Comet's Collar
Back:  FingerPaints Yule Be Marry, Frosty Night, Winter Sky
provided by PR for review

xoxo,

polish insomniac

Disclosures: polish insomniac at times reviews products provided by a representative of the company. When we do so, we specifically state so. We also use affiliate links. For more, please see the disclosure page.

Skincare that will leave you Smelling Like Roses

Recently I had the chance to try Deremelect BCA Special Edition Resurface Stem Cell Reconstructing Serum.   The premise behind this treatment is that it uses stem cells from the Alpine Rose.  It is a rose renown for its beauty and resilience, its ability to withstand the elements, and the fact that it does not oxidize quickly like most other flowers when picked.

What they say:

·         Protects and helps regenerate skin stem cell vitality with stem cells extracted from the Swiss Alpine Rose; a revolutionary advancement in skincare technology

·         Improves the skin barrier function

·         Protects the skin from UV stress

·         Prevents the formation of wrinkles and reduces fine lines

·         Increases skin’s potential to regenerate new, healthy skin cells yielding youthful-acting, glowing, smoother skin

·         BCA Donation: $15 of every $75 bottle sold in October will go to the Young Survival Coalition, a NY-based charity that supports young women battling breast cancer.

·         SRP: $75 for a 1.0 oz. bottle. Available at C.O. Bigelow and Henri Bendel in NYC and www.dermelect.com

What I say:  

First off:  packaging.  G-O-R-G-E-O-U-S!  Sleek, sophisticated, and most of all practical.  I have dropped it numerous times on the tile bathroom floor and it still looks great!  (See picture above for proof!)  

Since I turned thirty-one last March, I have had a lot of bad reactions to new skincare products.  When I used this product I had zero skin reactions or breakouts!  I used it for three weeks strait after cleansing and toning, but before moisturizing.  Three weeks is too short a time for me to expect to see results, but I will tell you as soon as I stopped using it, my skin was dry and flaky!  So I am adding this back into my daily rotation ASAP!

When I was researching the active ingredients for the Dermelect product, I recalled that I had another rose-based skincare product yet to try, my NUXE 3 Roses Micellar Cleansing Water that I had received in my Beauty Cache from SkincareRx.

What they say:

Grant your skin the gift of clear confidence with NUXE 3 Roses Micellar Cleansing Water. It is a no-rinse, purifying cleanser that removes all traces of makeup and debris without irritating your skin's natural balance. The Rose blend stimulates cell growth and revitalizes the complexion.

What I say:  

I have dry skin and I don’t like to wash my face twice a day.  If I removed my makeup and cleansed my skin the night before, I usually just splash water on my face the next morning.  Let’s face it, I am lucky if I even do that!  It’s perfect because it doesn’t require water.  All you do is apply it to the skin with a cotton pad. No need to rinse! 

I don’t think I would ever use this to take off a full face of makeup or sunscreen.  But I do like it for those days when I didn’t wear any makeup and I am just too lazy to wash my face.  When my trial size is gone I am seriously thinking about investing in more!

Check out my other Dermelect reviews here.

See what all I got in my SkinCareRx Beauty Cache here.

xoxo,

polish insomniac

Dermelect provided a product sample for this review.  Disclosures: polish insomniac at times reviews products provided by a representative of the company. When we do so, we specifically state so. We also use affiliate links. For more, please see the disclosure page.

Raise your hand if you missed it–Misa Hip To My Jive

I somehow missed the memo on this Misa collection – Misa 2011 Fall Hip To My Jive.  Mostly because I moved this past summer and these ended up at my old house!  However, I didn’t see a lot of info on this on the interwebz.  Hip to My Jive was inspired by the 50’s, which I am totally down with!  Today I am going to show you three of the six polishes in the collection, the ones that interested me most.

Catch a Flick is a really impressive crème.  Impressive because most mint crèmes have horrible formula, but this was fabulous in just two coats.  It is lighter than it’s predecessor, Dirty Sexy Money.

 Got it Made in the Shade is one of those shades that is almost ugly but you are obsessed with it anyways.  It is slightly more yellow tinged than you see here.  Again, fabulous crème formula, two coats.

Bop Till You Drop is a color I wouldn’t normally reach for, but I was immediately drawn to the shimmer!  The formula practically applied itself.  I really want this in a lip gloss!

Click here to see other Misa polishes that have been featured on polish insomniac.

xoxo,

polish insomniac

*Polishes were provided by Misa for review, but I did not get to keep them.  Misa does not test on animals and is free from formaldehyde, toluene, and DBP. Misa has never tested on animals and uses the safest formulations possible.

Today's NOTD: WnW Cost is No Issue

With flash

I received a ton of compliments on my mani today, I literally could not wait to get home from work to show you guys!  I was wearing Cost is No Issue from the new (Walgreen's exclusive) Wet n Wild Ice Baby collection (which totally makes me think "Ice, ice baby" from Vanilla Ice).

Under daylight lamp

If you don't like glitter, I would not recommend this polish.  It wasn't exactly difficult to apply, but does require some amount of skill and patience.  This is shown with three coats.  It was a little bumpy, even with a layer of Seche Vite.  

Blurry, to show just how fabulous it is!

So do you need it?  IF YOU LOVE GLITTER POLISH, THEN HELL YEAH!  Otherwise, pass!

What's your NOTD (Nail of the Day)?  I want to hear your answers!  Tweet me, FB me, or just let me know in the comments!

xoxo,

polish insomniac
This polish was purchased by moi at Walgreens, for the amount of $2.99.
Disclosures: polish insomniac at times reviews products provided by a representative of the company. When we do so, we specifically state so. We also use affiliate links. For more, please see the disclosure page.

Color Club Foiled

Click on the image or name of the polish to see a full sized image

Color Club recently released an all foil collection, aptly named "Foiled."  I was immediately drawn to the two blue shades, Cold Metal and Luminescent.  I apply Cold Metal as my mani and wore it for a few days as a wear test.  The shade performed brilliantly and did not stain (as some polishes of this shade of blue are prone to do).

Foil Me Once applied well, but it's not a "me" shade.  Hot Like Lava was a one coater!  Perfect Mol-ten was super shiny, I had a hard time capturing the color on camera because of how strongly the light reflected off my nails.  Antiquated was a shade I would normally be drawn to, but it was hard to apply without showing brush-strokes. Finally, Luminescent.  I thought it would be just another light blue foil but I was able to see green, pink, blue, gold, and silver mixed in with the foil.  Stunning!

Click here to see other Color Club polishes that have been featured on polish insomniac.

xoxo,

polish insomniac

*polishes were provided by Color Club for review, but I didn't get to keep them*
Color Club nail colors are Formaldehyde, Toluene, DBP and paraben-free.  They are made in New York, NY with the best raw materials.  Color Club nail polishes are vegan and not tested on animals.

Stash Shots: Hello Kitty and H&M

I have decided to catalog my polishes for insurance purposes.  

To make it more fun for me, I am sharing them with you!

Hello Kitty by H&M Cool Summer, Pink Kitty, Turquoise Kitty, Sweet Summer

H&M U Must Have This, Moody Model

Disclosures: polish insomniac at times reviews products provided by a representative of the company. When we do so, we specifically state so. We also use affiliate links. For more, please see the disclosure page.

Wet n Wild Ice Baby–Bottle Shots

I picked these up for $2.99 each at Walgreen’s today, but they are for an overseas friend!  I will hopefully pick them up in the near future so that I can swatch them for you as well!  If you are on the hunt for these polishes, check out Nouveau Cheap’s Interactive Map.


UPDATE:  I went ahead and swatched six of the polishes on a nail wheel.  The first picture is one coat and the second coat is two.


UPDATE 2:  I found 7/8 for myself so far!  1 more to go!

Halloween Link Party! Submit your Halloween Themed post HERE!

This Month's Link Party is a Halloween Theme!  If you are a beauty or fashion blogger and you have a Halloween inspired post you would like to share, link it up here!  Then later towards the end of the month I will do a post featuring the most "liked" blog posts!


Don't know what a Link Party is?  A linky party is when a blogger uses a widget to allow others to post content on their blog.  (The widget I use is through Linky Tools, a paid subscription service.)  A person participating in a linky party usually leaves a link back to a specific post in their blog, and often an image. It can be a great way to promote your blog. In return, the linky party hostess often asks for some kind of recognition, often in the form of a link back (Source).  


How to get started:

• The link you submit must be for a specific post, not your whole blog.  (To find the http address to a specific post, just click on the Title of your post.)
• You can link as many posts as you would like, old or new!  Just make sure they fit the theme
• Giveaway posts (that fit the theme) are welcome.  Be sure to include your end date in your link description!
• Add my button or a text link to the bottom of each post that you link to my blog (look at my EXAMPLE ENTRY #2 for an idea of how to do this)
• Click on "Click here to Enter" and follow the simple instructions.
• Use the Share Buttons at the bottom of this page (Facebook, Twitter, StumbleUpon, etc) to share this Link Party with as many friends as possible!  The more people you tell about the Link Party, the more entries we will have!
• NEW - you can "like" posts that have been submitted to the Link Party!

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