Royally Obnoxious

GOOD LORD, VALKYRIES. GOOD LORD. This review took an embarrassing amount of time to produce.

Born Pretty Store sent us these really groovy 3D skull nail decorations, and I was all excited to try 'em out. My first nail art attempt didn't thrill me, so I took it off and thought "I'll try again tomorrow". Tomorrow came, and my cuticles had exploded as a result of the crazy weather we're having. Over a week later, they're still rather gnarly, but good enough. So here we go.

How fun are these? They're available in green, orange or pink. Since I removed them multiple times, I can safely tell you that polish remover doesn't strip the colour off, making them completely reusable and permanently fabulous.

The back of the skull is hollowed out and slightly curved, which helps them stay on the nail very effectively.

My base for this simple look is Orly Liquid Vinyl, stamped with Maybelline Color Show Bold Gold and Winstonia plate W112. I applied just a little bit of glue to the skull, and found it stayed on quite well with no extraneous fiddling.

These come in a pack of 5 for only $1.99 from your friendly neighbourhood nail art supplier!

*Product sent for honest review

A Very Cuccio Christmas

Sorry, I wish I could have kept that title non-denominational…but I love some good alliteration.

Today I have some wonderful polishes and simple holiday looks to show you from a brand that just isn't getting enough love on the blog circuit - Cuccio Naturale. I own two Cuccio polishes, both of which I received through Topbox. The colours are gorgeous and the wear time is great.

First up: Moscow Red Square, a cool red shimmer perfect for the holidays. Red is my favourite colour (that is a lie, my favourite colour is all of them) and this is the red I have longed for. The formula is a little bit runny, but very manageable with 3 thin coats. You could easily get away with 2, but I bumped my nails and scuffed them :P oops! No topcoat here.

I topped it with OPI Pirouette My Whistle for a pretty snowy effect. Instant holiday cheer!

Tel-Aviv About It! is my perfect neutral. When I first saw this polish, I wasn't too excited. After putting it on, however, it was true love. It's a perfect medium tan. In some lights, I swear I see a lilac undertone. 2 coats plus Seche Vite.

For a simple holiday mani, I stamped with Maybelline Bold Gold and Winstonia plate W120, and matted the finished look. I prefer nail art that is isn't too BAM-in-your-face-CHRISTMAS, so this is a nice, subdued look for me. Without direct light for photographing, the stamping is very subtle. I love it!

Are you as enamoured with these colours as I am? If you would like to purchase some Cuccio polishes for yourself, you can get them through Cuccio Naturale's website or Transdesign.

Have a warm and happy holiday!