Deborah Lippmann I've Gotta Be Me 15th Anniversary Set

Hey all! I was in the middle of this post yesterday when Photoshop decided to stop working. Arg. Thank goodness for my hubby who got it running again! Today I have for you the limited edition Deborah Lippmann I've Gotta Be Me 15th Anniversary Set comprised of six 8ml minis. While scoping all the holiday sets at Sephora last month I was intrigued by this one in particular, but passed because of the $49 price tag. When I returned this week I found it reduced to $34 and it immediately went into my basket. 

Previous to this set I've only had one Deborah Lippmann polish in my possession- La Vie en Rose. It's a gorgeous shade and I'm so glad I have it, but the formula wasn't the easiest to work with. Since I'm still familiarizing myself with the DL brand I wasn't sure what to expect. I was pleased to discover that with each shade in the set the formulas were high quality, smooth and easy to apply. The only issue I had was with the thinness of each coat, because they highlighted my ridges and flaws. 

Lastly, I had a bugger of a time photographing these. I got them as color accurate as I could. Each one is shown without topcoat.

Candy Cane Swirl

My number one rule for December: keep life simple, simple, simple. With the tendency for the holiday season to get a little frantic, I can be easily overwhelmed. Once that happens, I curl up in a ball and get nothing accomplished. So I aim to keep the presents easy, not overload my schedule, and go with the flow. Of course, just as I cross everything off my list and reach my zen, I remember my son's birthday is three days after Christmas :P. He's turning five this year, which means I can't keep his celebrations as basic as I once did.

Now on to the nails. In accordance with my above^ rule, I have kept my nails s i m p l e. Thinking of a complicated design hurts my brain right now. And really, I just like how this looks better. 

Formula X for Sephora The X Look: Holiday Edition Set

Hey Ladies! Today I have swatches of a the Formula X for Sephora The X Look: Holiday Edition Set. It contains four mini (0.13oz) polishes, each with a different formula. I have yet to try a bad Formula X polish, and these are no exception. While the shades for the most part aren't innovative, they are good staples. I think the set would be a great stocking stuffer. In fact, I thought it was a lovely gift to myself. 

image source: sephora.com

My True Love Creations Fall 2014 Collection

Hey All! Today I have a some polishes from a new-to-me indie brand, My True Love Creations. MTL Creations hails from Canada and offers a range of products in addition to nail polish, including bath products and crocheted hats.

Formula: MTL polishes are all 5-free (meaning no Formaldehyde, Toluene, DBP, Formaldehyde Resin, Camphor). All three of the holo shades are jelly formulas. Each one applied evenly and smoothly with no issues. I personally don't like having visible nail line showing through the polish, so I used three thin coats for all three. Even with three coats there is some VNL. All are shown without topcoat.

Brush and Bottle: The bottles I received were minis so I can't speak to the full size ones. Being minis the handles of course were short, but the brushes were a good medium size. 

Christmas Zebra Print

I finally have some holiday nail art for you today! I was in the middle of swatching a few polishes and had the need for some easy nail art. Animal print is my go-to for quick and easy nail art. This zebra print is sort of my follow up to last year's Christmas leopard print mani. It doesn't read "zebra" very strongly in this color combo, but it still comes across as Christmas-y, which was my main intention. 

Colores de Carol Winter/Holiday 2014 Collection

Arcane Lacquer Respite Lane and Anti Gravity

Hello lovelies! My nails have been suffering this past month from the brutal dry climate. As a result I haven't been able to take any new photos because of my constant nail breaks. *sob* So thank goodness I have some swatches stored away!

I have two gorgeous polishes to show you today. Arcane Lacquer is an Australian based indie polish brand that I had my eye on for a while. In recent months I have acquired a small stash of them, all gorgeous and unique, including one from my most recent post. The two I have for you today are bold and beautiful, and have good formulas. With blue/teal shades, staining is always a concern. I only had them on long enough to swatch them, but in that time I didn't experience any staining. That is a major plus in my book! Let's take a closer look.