Firmoo - Gunmetal Glasses

Earlier this year I finally got my eyes checked for the first time. I never really thought I needed glasses, but I mostly just wanted to make sure my eyes were in good health since I had never had an eye exam. While I have pretty good vision, I do have a relatively weak prescription, so I finally got some glasses, courtesy of Firmoo!

Product sent for review. All opinions are my own.

I've had my prescription since about April, but finally got these glasses since Firmoo offered. I considered getting glasses straight from the optometrist where I got my eyes checked, but they were so expensive! Since my prescription isn't really vital to me being able to function, I decided not to get any while I was there.

However, I'm so glad that I actually got some, and it's thanks to Firmoo! While these were provided for review, I am honestly very happy that I got glasses in general, and I've been enjoying these ones so much that I actually ordered a second (different style) pair from Firmoo! And, the ones I ordered were a fraction of the optometrist's price. Each pair of glasses also comes with a hard case, soft storage pouch, cleaning cloth, and screwdriver with extra screws. You can see the hard case and cleaning cloth at the top.

These ones for my review are titanium. I got to choose from lots of different styles, but I really liked the look of these half frames! It seems that the front is actual titanium, so it is very sturdy but also very light. The arms came in a variety of colors, but I opted for Gunmetal. These arms seem to be a different material, which I think is just plastic, but they have been sturdy and comfortable so far either way.

The construction and materials seem great! I was afraid that they would be too wide, big, or heavy for my petite self, but they are not loose and stay in place nicely, and they are not too big for my face. While I love the look of thick rimmed, full frame glasses, I am glad I got these half frames since they're not as overwhelming. I wear a lot of eye makeup usually, so it's not too distracting too.

The glare in this photo looks a bit green, but my camera actually picked up some glare that you really don't see with the human eye! I did opt to pay for the additional anti glare coating on the lenses, so that might have to do with it. In person, there is no glare on the lenses, which helps for me driving during the day, but also for people who are looking at me!

The frames are very comfortable since they are so light too. Since I'm newer to wearing glasses most of the day, heavier frames make the top of my ears sore after a while! But it's probably also because my hair is weighing down the arms and adding to the weight. Either way, I don't get that with these frames, and I love them so much that they're my go-to pair!

So if you're in need of glasses, head on over to Firmoo.com. They have so many inexpensive frames for both glasses and sunglasses, and so many additional options to add to your lenses. And if you don't have a prescription, you can also get non-Rx glasses or sunglasses too!

Rainbow Honey - Winter Holiday Nail Art

On December 12, Rainbow Honey had announced a Winter/Holiday nail art giveaway! I saw the post, and it got me to finally do some winter nail art. I haven't had too much time this year to do anything too crazy, but I though at least some snowy sparkles would be nice!

I waited a little while to post it since it was a new manicure created just for the nail art contest, as their rules stated it should be new. So to avoid any confusion, I just wanted to wait until the contest was over, but I still wanted to share it with you all! 

I didn't do anything too terribly special, as I mentioned before, but I did manage to use all Rainbow Honey products too! I started off by using Heron 36 as my base color, which took two coats. I then applied a single coat of Snow and Lights to add a little sparkle and color. I also had some loose nail art glitters called My Snowy Valentine from Rainbow Honey, so I used 10 of the large, white snowflakes from there. 

I separated 10 snowflake pieces before beginning to paint my nails, and since they're so large, I bent them a tiny bit between my fingers to get them to curve a little. It really helped them contour to my nails! I then finished off fish a coat of Seche Vite (okay, a non-Rainbow Honey product!) to seal the snowflake glitters in. But I did also apply another layer of scented Rainbow Honey topcoat in Muscovite on top too. 

I'm very happy with how it turned out! I was afraid that Snow and Lights would be a little too blue at first, but I think it helps the snowflakes stand out, and it also helped the cooler tones of Heron 36 show through too. Now I want to do more holiday/winter nail art!

$15 Grab Bags!

Hey everyone! It's time for me to purge my collection and organize again, so it's time for grab bags!
If you are interested, please email me at: galacticlacquer@gmail.com

I am selling grab bags for $15 each, shipped. (So shipping is included!)
Each grab bag will be mailed via USPS small flat rate box. You will receive 5 full size polishes inside each one. You may get a 6th full size polish, some mini polishes, and/or some nail art supplies too. I'll fit as many extra goodies in there as I can!

However if you would like two grab bags, I will ship both in a USPS medium flat rate box for $30 shipped. This medium box actually fits about three or four times as much as the small flat rate box!

All bags will contain full size indie polishes and full size mainstream polishes along with extra mini polishes or nail art items that fit. All items are either new or have been swatched/used once. Please let me know which colors you like or do not like when you email me! I will try to put together a bag to fit your likes as best I can. Some ideas to get you going:

• What color polishes do you like most? Or which colors do you dislike? (I'll avoid the dislikes!)
• Cremes, shimmers, or metallics? Or all of the above?
• Do you like glittery polishes? Fine glitter or chunky glitter? Metallic glitter or matte/satin glitter?
• More indie or more mainstream polishes?
• Or any other preferences! 

I am only selling grab bags to residents of the US due to shipping restrictions and costs, sorry! Please email me if you would like one, and then make a payment to me via Paypal with the "gift" option. If you do not feel comfortable using the "gift" option, please let me know via email so I can create an actual invoice (PayPal fees applicable). Once the transaction is complete, I will purchase/print your USPS mailing label and email you the tracking number. All grab bags will have tracking information included!

All sales are final, no returns and no refunds. I am not responsible for lost or damaged items, sorry! However if items arrive broken from transit, please send me an email so we can work something out!

Born Pretty Store - Stamping Plates

A while back I received a set of stamping plates from Born Pretty Store. I'm actually sort of unfamiliar with stamping, as I just haven't gotten the opportunity to use any plates. I tend to do freehand designs or just go for some glitter when I do nail art, but I finally got to see what it's all about!

Product sent for review. All opinions are my own. 

Born Pretty Store had released this set of stamping plates, plates BP01-BP10. Unfortunately BP01 was sold out when I got mine, so I just have BP02-BP10.  Still, there are plenty of plates with plenty of designs to choose from! The patterns range from butterflies to Sailor Moon, and from peacock print to stars. They're a little difficult to photograph directly since they're so reflective, but here you can see some of the patterns that each plate has:

I decided to test run a couple of patterns from two different stamping plates for this review. I used a poinsettia or snowflake design from plate BP09, and a leafy pattern from plate BP05 (further below). First up, BP09! 

I'm pretty new to stamping, so you can see some flaws in my work. However, I think it turned out better than I expected! I only tried stamping a couple times previously, but didn't have any good results. However, this worked great on the first try! 

I started off by painting all nails with two coats of Zoya Livingston. I then waited for all nails to dry completely. After they were dry, I used a white Konad polish on the plate, scraped off the excess (with a stamping plate scraper), and then firmly pressed my stamp onto the pattern. I quickly took the stamper and then rolled it across a nail to try and get the pattern to wrap with my curved nail. It worked great!

I did each nail individually (you sort of have to!) and really was getting the hang of it by the end. I did my right hand last, and I think it actually turned out better! The only flaw I can see with this design is that some spots weren't filled in all the way. I'm unsure if the plates weren't etched deep enough, or if it was just user error since I'm sort of new at stamping. 

Since I had great results with an actual stamping polish like Konad, I decided to try something else when I tried out the BP05 plate. I started off by painting all nails with two coats of China Glaze Holly-Day and then waited for it to dry completely. I then used Zoya Brooklyn for the stamping, using the same method as above. 

While Brooklyn isn't the most opaque gold polish, I love how it turned out! It isn't too solid or stark against the green, and makes it look more like printed wrapping paper. Since the gold is metallic, it actually shows up a little better in person and really catches the light at some angles. I feel like this pattern filled in better than the BP09 pattern I used though. 

Either way, I am very please with the results! I am so happy to have some nice stamping plates finally, and ones that I actually got to work! If you would like to purchase stamping plates from Born Pretty Store, they have these and then plenty more to choose from here: http://www.bornprettystore.com/born-pretty-stamping-plates-c-268_94_652.html They also have lots of other great nail art supplies!
If you order, don't forget to use code BCL91 for 10% off too!

Product sent for review. All opinions are my own.