New Year's Eve Mani! See Ya 2014!

Items used: Glisten & Glow Stuck on Blu! basecoat and HK Girl topcoat, Mrs. P's Potions What The Flair?! (holo topcoat), OPI Sheer Tints, rhinestones

Well believe it or not, 2015 is right around the corner!  2014 is on it's way out very shortly and I can't believe another year has already come and gone!  Where does the time fly these days?!  2014 has been a very interesting and fairly successful year and I'm looking forward to even more success, opportunity, memories and of course MANIS in the New Year :D

Macro Love For Rainbow Honey Magic Cake

Today I have a very quick look at an amazing glitter topper from Rainbow Honey.  Magic Cake is full of neon green, pink, and blue square and hex glitters in various sizes.  There is also some very subtle clear/iridescent flake-like shimmers hidden in the clear base.  The formula was the usual Rainbow Honey-type glitter topper formula and very easy to work with.  If you want a bit more glitter coverage you can dab the glitter on with the brush rather than using the typical brush strokes you would use with normal polish/lacquers.  The base is very densely packed with glitter so regardless of how you apply it you should be able to get some pretty good glitter coverage.

Magic Cake is super fun, cheery, and bright so I wanted to show it off in all its glory.  Here are some macro shots of one coat I did overtop of a subtle neon gradient using some of my own Mrs. P's Nail Potions I was testing out for a future collection.  I received Magic Cake (mini bottle) from Rainbow Honey in a blogger review package a couple months ago.

*Please note, the blue micro flakies you see in the base are not part of Magic Cake, but rather from the base colour(s) I used for the gradient.

Rainbow Honey - Mystery Bag July 2014

Hi all you fellow Rainbow Honey fans!

I'm a bit late to the party but figured better to post this late than never :)

I received the July Mystery Bag from Rainbow Honey about a week or so ago.  I opened it right away and have been using some of the products already but just haven't been able to get around to compiling and finishing a blog post about it...until now.  And it looks like there is still some stock available on the website if you still want to grab one of the LARGE July Mystery Bags, even though it's now August.

If you're new to the Rainbow Honey Mystery Bag, I highly suggest you check them out!  I've been eyeing them for quite some time but have never actually ordered yet and then I received this July's Mystery Bag in a blogger package from Rainbow Honey for my review.  I was overjoyed, as I always am with ANY Rainbow Honey nail mail :)  In each and every Mystery Bag you will find sneak peeks and previews of new lacquers, unreleased samples of future collections, and exciting new products made by the Rainbow Honey Lab.  The mini size Mystery Bag is $10.00 USD and the large version is $25.00 USD (shipping fees are additional).  If you are outside of Canada, there is also a subscription option for the Mystery Bag for $10.00 USD monthly for the mini size and $25.00 USD monthly for the large size.  Each new bag will ship at the beginning of each month automatically and will be billed at the end of each month.  You can pause or cancel your monthly subscription any time.  If you would like to subscribe for the Mystery Bag Subscription you can do so at http://www.rainbowhoney.com/collections/rainbow-honey-mystery-bag/products/mystery-bag-subscription.  Mini Mystery Bags are included for FREE with any order of a minimum of $65.00 USD on rainbowhoney.com.

Rainbow Honey launched their Mystery Bags earlier this year and I hear it was an instant hit.  Although, according to my blogger info leaflet, the feedback from Canada about the Mystery Bags was not as positive and the feedback from the rest of the Rainbow Honey fan community.  Long transit times, high shipping fees, taxes and duties in Canada prevented Rainbow Honey from reaching more fans.  As a result, they received tons of requests from all their Canadian fans and decided to do something about it.  I will admit, being in Canada myself, these concerns were also part and parcel of why I had not yet ordered my own Mystery Bag.

Also according to my blogger info leaflet, very soon the Rainbow Honey Mystery Bag will be available in Canada to all Canadian fans and best of all, it will ship from WITHIN CANADA!  Rainbow Honey says no more long transit times, or high shipping costs/taxes!  There is no finalized date just yet, but they plan to start signing up fans as early as this month (August) so they can start shipping on September 1st!  I am over the moon about this whole idea and I've already emailed Rainbow Honey to tell them how interested I am in this Canadian Mystery Bag endeavour :)  If you are in Canada and are interested in learning more, you can email info@rainbowhoney.com so they can add your name to their list and notify you when it's ready.

So now that all the formalities are out of the way, let's get to the fun part!  Here's what my Mystery Bag looked like once I unpacked it.

Rainbow Honey packaging and info materials are always top notch!

This was my info leaflet, which I have basically summarized above.

A cute little informative card was enclosed.

Which upon opening explained all the contents of the Mystery Bag.

Now for a close look at each of the items :)

mini 5 mL lacquers L to R Chemical Plant, Deep Heart Sea, and Viridis 

on the nail wheel is 2 coats of each lacquer, no undies, no topcoat

Deep Heart Sea is described as a "new fun polish, filled with white hearts and neon glitters in a sheer blue base with purple shimmer."  I used 2 coats on a bare nail wheel, no topcoat.  I think this would be very versatile and could be used on its own or as a layering polish over top of any solid blue.  I see all sorts of coloured glitter in various sized hexes and squares along with the white hearts (although I see I didn't manage to get any white hearts on this swatch LOL).  I have not yet used this myself other than to swatch on a nail wheel for photos for this blog post.

Viridis is described as a "new treat of neon green stars accented by pastel glitters in a shimmery base." I used 2 (somewhat dabbed) coats on a bare nail wheel, no topcoat.  I'm super excited to try this out in a mani.  I love the bright and vibrant glitters and it's so shimmery and pretty.  In my opinion and experience, Rainbow Honey is flawless in their shimmer and glitter lacquers, and I think this one is certainly no exception.  Again, I have not yet used this lacquer myself other than to swatch on a nail wheel for photos for this blog post.

Chemical Plant is described as a "gorgeous sparkling magenta/violet with sparks of blue and gold shimmer."  Of all the lacquers in my Mystery Bag I was probably most excited about this one.  It's so pretty, I imagine no photos will ever do it true justice.  I used 2 coats on a bare nail wheel, no topcoat.  Again, I have not yet used this lacquer myself other than to swatch on a nail wheel for photos for this blog post.  But I imagine that is about to change VERY soon and I think I'll be using this for one of my next manis.

Midori Eau de Parfum Rollerball is described as a "new summer scent; reminiscent of summer fruits."  It's sooooooooooooo yummy and I'm obsessed.  I take it in my purse wherever I go and roll on a couple of dabs when I'm feeling in need of a pick me up or refresher.  It's so fruity and summery and the rollerball application makes it nice and easy and clean to apply.  This might be my absolute favourite product out of the entire Mystery Bag!

Midori Cuticle Balm is described as "our beloved cuticle balm, enriched with vitamin E, will protect your cuticles and nail beds! Now in a matching (and delicious) new scent, Midori!"  They are certainly right about the delicious factor!!  It smells just as yummy and summery as the eau de parfum rollerball.  And I love that it's all contained in a nice little chapstick-type container for ease and cleanliness of application.  It's a nice light formula but great on moisturization without being overly greasy.  Another little thing I've tucked into my purse to have with me at any given moment.  You never know when your cuticles will start feeling dry and in need of moisture while you're on the go.  I've always wanted to have a cuticle moisturizer of some sort in my purse but could never find one that I really liked that came in a small, convenient, and travel-friendly container/formula.  Thank you Rainbow Honey for answering my cuticles' prayers! LOL :)

Midori Cooling Gel is described as a "brand new product for us; a cooling gel enriched with aloe to protect you during the hot summer days!"  I think this is an ingenious idea!  I'm a big fan of aloe/cooling gels in the summer months because, let's face it, no matter how careful and responsible we are during the summer about our sun exposure, inevitably we get burnt at some point.  And in my opinion there is nothing that feels better than a soothing, cooling aloe gel on a sun burn.  I have not yet tried this product myself as I have not yet been sun burnt since receiving it.  Not to say I haven't been burnt yet this summer, as I have LOL, but it was at the beginning of the season and I used the typical green generic aloe gel that does not have an overly pleasant or any scent at all and is just kind of blah, other than the soothing, cooling properties.  Although, if we get any more heat waves in Edmonton like we've had recently, I may just use it like a regular lotion to cool myself off LOL.  But kudos to Rainbow Honey for taking a type of product that we all use and rely on in the hot summer months and putting a nice summery twist on it making it that much more soothing and refreshing :)

And that my friends is the July Rainbow Honey Mystery Bag! :)

Make sure to get your hands on the remaining Large July Mystery Bags if you can and certainly grab the new August Mystery Bag, available now at http://www.rainbowhoney.com/collections/rainbow-honey-mystery-bag/products/august-mystery-bag.  And if you are in Canada and want to get in on the Mystery Bags shipped from within Canada, be sure to email Rainbow Honey about your interest ASAP!

When you receive your own Mystery Bag, no matter which month, make sure to share your love of them with the Rainbow Honey Team by hash tagging your posts on your social media with #RainbowHoney, #RainbowHoneyLab and #RainbowHoneyMysteryBag.

Also, in honour of Rainbow Honey's new summer collection, Summer Mixtape available now, use promo code MIXTAPE20 on your next Rainbow Honey purchase for a sweet 20% off discount (valid until August 31, 2014, not to be combined with any other offers - such as Mystery Bag purchases).

And make sure to show Rainbow Honey the love and follow them on the following social media:

Facebook: fb.com/rainbowhoneycosmetics

Instagram: @rainbowhoney

Twitter: @rainbow_honey

5 Minute Refrigerator Chia Seed Raspberry Jam

Good morning everyone, today I have something a little different than my usual post for you.  I wanted to share with you guys something I'm quite proud of and my family has been enjoying a fair bit.  I wanted to share with you my first (and certainly not my last) attempt at making JAM!  And not just any jam but a super healthy and easy jam that is literally fool proof and doesn't take all the cooking and jarring and other finicky stuff of traditional homemade jam.  This is 5 MINUTE REFRIGERATOR CHIA SEED RASPBERRY JAM!

Most times when we see things that are called "5 minute" anything our first thoughts are "Pffft, 5 minutes, yeah right!"  But this recipe literally does only take 5 MINUTES to make (and then at least an hour to set in the fridge).

You've probably been hearing a lot lately about chia seeds.  They are very popular now with all the new information we are getting about healthy natural products that pack a nutritional punch.  In case you are not familiar with chia seeds, Chia is a species of flowering plant in the mint family and native to central and southern Mexico and Guatemala.  Chia is grown commercially for its seed, a food that is rich in omega 3 fatty acids.  The seeds can absorb up to 12 times their weight in liquid when soaked.  Soaking the seeds develops a thicker gel-like coating that gives chia-based beverages and mixtures a more gelatinous-type texture.  Get this!  A one ounce/28 gram serving of chia seeds contains:

• 9 grams of fat
• 5 milligrams of sodium
• 11 grams of dietary fibre
• 4 grams of protein
• 18% of the recommended daily intake of calcium
• 27% phosphorus, and
• 30% manganese

Those nutrient values are similar to other edible seeds like flax or sesame.

So there's your crash course on chia seeds :)

I got the idea for this recipe a while back one afternoon when I was watching Steven & Chris on CBC.  One of their guests was nutritionist Peggy Kotsopoulos.  She showed a quick chia seed raspberry jam and talked about all the health benefits of it and it kind of peaked my interests.  Now that was a couple of months ago and I was at the grocery store just the other day and we had ran out of jam so I was going to buy some.  However, I recalled the chia seed jam and thought to myself why don't I make that instead?  I did a quick Google search on my phone to find a recipe to get all the ingredients.  I knew I already had a bag of chia seeds in the pantry because I have been adding them to my smoothies.  Turns out there were so few ingredients needed that I already had them all on hand at home, other than fresh raspberries.

Here is the recipe I found and used:

2 cups raspberries (if using frozen, defrost first) - I used fresh

2 tablespoons chia seeds

2 tablespoons warm water

2-4 tablespoons honey (preferably raw)

1/2 teaspoon vanilla (optional)

Add all ingredients (start with the honey) to a blender or food processor (I used the blender attachment for my Magic Bullet), and pulse until it is the texture you prefer.  I didn't want mine chunky, but you may leave it that way if that's how you like your jam.  Taste and add more honey if you would like a sweeter jam.  I like jam a bit sweeter, especially raspberry as raspberries have a tartness to them (I used all 4 tablespoons of honey in the end but it still wasn't as sweet as the store bought jam, and it was perfect).  Once you have the consistency you like transfer it to a container with a lid (I used one of my Magic Bullet containers) and allow to set in fridge for a minimum of one hour.

This is what my results looked like:

IT IS SOOOOOOOO TASTY!  I love how it tastes like REAL raspberry jam.  That's the one thing about store bought raspberry jam, so many are just so sweet, it takes away from the true raspberry taste.  This reminds me of the raspberry freezer jam I used to make with my grandmother when my parents shipped me and my brother off to my grandparents' acreage for "vacation" when we were younger :).

I'll definitely be making this again and again and will never ever buy raspberry jam from a store again.  I love how it tastes and I love how there's now artificial anything or sweeteners (not even sugar) or preservatives.  And I love the fantastic nutrients that the chia seeds add, especially when my children and husband eat it and love it too!

And as great as it is in traditional use on toast, my actual favourite use for it is on top of...

Haagen-Dazs Gelato is my new obsession!!!!

You have no idea how good this combo is!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

When I make the jam again I will adjust the recipe slightly though, I'll probably put a little bit less water, or add more chia seeds.  It's a bit runnier than store bought jam, which is to be expected as there are no "stabilizers" in it, but I know chia seeds can make things more gelatinous than this jam was.  It wasn't super runny but I'd like to try and make it a bit thicker next time.  I think adding 2 HEAPING tablespoons of chia seeds might do the trick next time.  I used level tablespoons for this batch.

If any of you decide to make your own batch of 5 Minute Refrigerator Chia Seed Raspberry Jam I'd love to hear how you like it and how it turned out.

Rainbow Honey Control with Mrs. P's Nail Potions Pirates Booty

Today I have for you an amazing Rainbow Honey mani using "Control" from Side B of the Summer Mixtape Collection. I received Control as part of an epic blogger review package recently and as soon as I saw it I could barely control myself and had to try it right away. I was immediately drawn to the amazing bright pinky fuchsia with a beautiful shimmer. And of course, if you know me at all, you know that I can't paint all my nails the same colour unless I'm going to be doing some stamping or nail art. Well I did not want to detract from this amazing colour by covering it up with stamping so I just decided to use one of my Mrs. P's Nail Potions as a nice pop for an accent nail. 

Again, I received Control as part of a blogger review package to try out and give my honest opinion on. Honestly, Rainbow Honey is my fave indie brand and I have yet to be disappointed by any lacquer I have tried so far (either purchased myself or received for review). Control was no exception to this and it was even better on my nails than in the bottle!

On the website Control is described as a "cool toned crimson red jelly with sparks of blue iridescence."  I don't know that I would really call this a jelly personally as I found it to be fairly opaque and well pigmented and I only needed 2 coats for full opacity. Even after just one coat it was quite opaque and I toyed with even adding another coat or not. But regardless of whether it is a jelly or not, the formula was great and went on super smooth and beautifully. And even more impressive than the formula was the colour. Again, I don't know that I would fully agree with the website description as the colour seems more pinky fuchsia to me than "red".  But either way you look at it, the colour and pigmentation is phenomenal.  Depending on the angle and the light it was almost difficult to photograph as I think it was just too bright for my camera to focus sometimes. And because of that it was a bit tough to capture the shimmer in this lacquer as well.  Although I think I got a few shots that did capture it decently, especially the macros. 

And just to amp up the mani a bit more I chose Pirate's Booty from my indie brand, Mrs. P's Nail Potions, as an accent nail. Pirate's Booty is a glitter topper of fine and medium sized holo gold hexes, gold micro flakies and a slight golden shimmer in the base. It is actually one of the very first lacquers I created almost 3 years ago when I started making polish just as a hobby.

For this mani I did 2 coats of Control and 3 coats of Pirate's Booty all topped with a coat of my Orange Creamsicle Summer Scented Topcoat (available until August 31, 2014).

As you can see, I also added a couple of gold nail art studs on select nails just to coordinate the gold accent nail a bit more.  Here are the macro shots I took of both lacquers.

Check out the shimmer!!! 

The Summer Mixtape Collection was released on July 18, 2014 and can be purchased on Rainbow Honey's website www.rainbowhoney.com. Use promo code MIXTAPE20 to receive 20% off your next order now thru August 31, 2014. And while you're shopping, don't forget to add the Mystery Bag to your order for just $10 (also available in large for $25) (while supplies last).  Or receive the Mystery Bag FREE with the purchase of $65 or more. "Each Mystery Bag has sneak peeks and previews of new lacquers, unreleased samples of future collections and exciting new products made by the Rainbow Honey Lab."

And for those of you in Canada, like me, who are fans of Rainbow Honey but might be shying away from purchasing a Rainbow Honey Mystery Bag or any other products due to high shipping costs and long transit times (none of that stops me from purchasing though LOL), you're in luck!!!  Rainbow Honey has this to say:

"Many of you have asked us about the high shipping charges and lengthy transit times to Canada. Well, you asked and you shall receive... Starting very soon, Rainbow Honey will be able to ship the mystery bag subscription to all of our fans in Canada from within Canada! No more high shipping charges, taxes and lengthy transit times!

If you are interested in learning more, please send us an email to info@rainbowhoney.com so we can add your name to our list and we'll notify you as soon as this is ready! And for those of you who are wondering, yes, very soon we'll have all of our products available to ship within Canada to all of our Canadian Fans! Stay tuned for more details!"

Pirate's Booty and all other Mrs. P's Nail Potions can be purchased from my etsy shop at www.etsy.com/shop/MrsPsNailPotions. Now thru the remainder of summer (to and including August 31, 2014) you can receive 10% off any $10 minimum purchase with code SIZZLESUMMER10, 20% off any $20 minimum purchase with code SIZZLESUMMER20, and 30% off any $30 minimum purchase with code SIZZLESUMMER30. Also check out the current clearance sale section for select lacquers UP TO 50% OFF. I am making room for new items/collections and once the clearance items are sold out they will no longer be available for purchase. Please note the clearance items are not subject to the sizzling summer sale discounts. 

Pink Sparkles For Baby Ayla - Rainbow Honey & Mrs. P's Nail Potions

Today I share with you a manicure I did recently when I found out the tragic news about one of the nail community's most wonderful and influential ladies.  Selena Ardaiz (Selena's Instagram) was pregnant with a daughter and at 38 weeks she gave birth to Ayla Estelle but she was unfortunately stillborn.  As a mother myself I cannot even image what Selena, her husband Matt, and their family felt, are still feeling, and will feel for the rest of their lives.  A parent should never have to go through the tragedy of losing their own child.  My heart goes out to them and I jumped at the chance to be part of the #SparklesForAyla campaign where the nail community banded together with pink sparkly manis in honour of Selena, Matt, and beautiful little Ayla.  Here is a look at my #SparklesForAyla mani.

I started off with a gradient on my thumb, index and pinky of Mrs. P's Nail Potions I Pink You're Hot and Hubba Mumma.  I topped the gradient with a coat of Mrs. P's Nail Potions Spectraflair 35 Topcoat.  I then did two coats of Hubba Mumma on my middle finger and two coats of I Pink You're Hot on my ring finger and topped them both off with a coat of Rainbow Honey Papillon.  Everything then got topped off with a coat of Glisten & Glow HK Girl Fast Drying & Super Shiny Clear Topcoat.

The Spectraflair 35 Topcoat muted the gradient a little bit and made it more subtle but the idea for the mani was pink and sparkly so I didn't want a non-sparkly gradient.  Spectraflair 35 Topcoat was the perfect solution to that!!!! :)

And now for the super fun part!! My fave indie brand would probably have to be Rainbow Honey!! I was sent a sample of Papillon a little while back to promote Rainbow Honey's Midnight Garden Collection. Papillon is a beautiful mix of shimmering iridescent glitters and holographic butterflies. Super cute, pretty, and girly which was perfect for this mani! Check out these macros:

All photos above were taken in natural light indoors near a window on a sunny day.  I then took the mani out to my backyard in the direct sun to see all the shimmer and glitter really come to life, and it was beautiful, as you can see:

And here are two macros of the gradient with Spectraflair 35 Topcoat in the direct sunlight, one of which is blurred so you can really see the holo flare!

There is a fundraiser In Memory of Baby Ayla to try and help ease the financial burden for Selena and Matt through this difficult time.

And be sure to check out all the amazing tribute manicures done by the nail community by searching #SparklesForAyla on all popular social media and/or Google.

The Mrs. P's Nail Potions used in this mani, as well as all other Mrs. P's Nail Potions can be purchased on etsy.

Papillon and all other Rainbow Honey products can be purchased at Rainbow Honey Cosmetics.

All my best to Selena, Matt and the whole Ardaiz family <3.