#xmasnorules - SANTA CLAUS !!

This is the final manicure in the No Rules Christmas Mani Challenge .  Santa Claus to me is red & white and because of my very short nails I had very few options, not a lot of space for nail art. The Santa hat didn't turn out too bad.

I used Sally Hansen's White On, China Glaze's Angel Wings, Wet n' Wild Fergie in Glamorous and Sinful Color's Sugar Sugar.

Best wishes for a joyous and safe holiday season.

Essie's Parka Perfect

Essie's Parka Perfect is part of this years Winter collection.  It is a light blue-grey creme polish with a slight silver shimmer.  It was opaque with 2 coats.

When I was swatching this polish, I thought it look very similar to China Glaze's Sea Spray sans the slight silver shimmer.  What do you think :-ss

#xmasnorules - GIFT !!

Gift can be interpreted many different ways; I took it as a present, so I went with my fav colours to wrap a gift in...blue and silver.  Oh and glitter.

I used one of this years fav for me... Zoya's Dream.  I also used Kiss me at Midnight by OPI, Revlon's Silver Dollar and China Glaze's Nova & Fairy Dust.

Next up and the final manicure of the challenge is Santa Claus.

Essie's Sable Collar

Essie's Sable Collar is part of this year's Winter collection.  I'm not sure how to describe this polish...it definitely looks different in different lighting.  Sometimes it is a brownish/cocoa-red, but other times it leans more towards a plum.

This picture is 2 coats with no top coat and it looks like a brown with red shimmer.

The next 2 pictures are 2 coats with a matte top coat.  As you can see it looks plum-purple.

I really think this polish is cool...I love that it looks different in different lighting.

#xmasnorules - CANDY CANE !!

YAY... candy canes!!  My fav candy canes are fruit flavoured, but I wouldn't turn my nose up at any flavour :)

I made my own red and green nail polish stripes...while it is easy to do, it is time consuming!  I did the same technique in another challenge in October, here!  I use Sally Hansen's White Out, Indie Polish in Frog Prince and China Glaze's With Love & Fairy Dust.

Next up is a Gift!!  Hopefully the nubbins will grow a bit more.

#xmasnorules - GINGERBREAD MEN !!

When I was a little girl I remember going to the bakery for gingerbread men.  They were so beautifully decorated I almost hated to eat them, almost :)  I haven't had one in years and it seems all the local bakeries are long gone...might be a fun project this Christmas!

I used Color Club's Berry & Bright and OPI's A-Taupe the Space Needle & My Vampire is Buff.

Next up Christmas Tree.

China Glaze's Put a Bow On It !!

Put a Bow On It is part of this year's Happy HoliGlaze Collection.  It is a Fuchsia/Purple dense micro glitter.  I achieved opacity with 3 coats, but could have gotten away with 2.  This is such a pretty glitter and is not specifically a holiday polish, so it can be used all through the year ;)

China Glaze has to be one of the best at making micro glitters!

#xmasnorules - CHRISTMAS LIGHTS !!

While I love all Christmas lights my favourites are coloured :)  I went pretty simple with this manicure...I used Essie's Mojito Madness, Pure Ice's Siren, OPI's Dating a Royal and Rimmel's Sunny Days.

Next up is Gingerbread Men.

World AIDS Day

Today is World AIDS Day!

'World AIDS Day, observed on 1 December every year, is dedicated to raising awareness of the AIDS pandemic caused by the spread of HIV infection.'

#xmasnorules - SNOW !!

While I am a self-admitted fair weather girl...snow is a reality in Canada!  I chose blue and white as my colours.  I used Essie's Midnight Cami and Sally Hansen's White On.

Next up is Christmas Lights!!

Happy Thanksgiving to all my American Friends !!

Happy Thanksgiving to all my American pals.  There are so many things to be thankful for, so enjoy your family and friends!

I love the rusty-orange and browns of fall so I used OPI's A Woman's Prague-ative and Avon's Saturn!

#xmasnorules - RED & GREEN

Two of my favourite colours for the holiday season, red and green!

I did a few red and green manicures and couldn't decide which one to choose....so because it is a NO RULE challenge I picked two :)

For the first manicure I used Cranberry Splash by China Glaze and Born Pretty's Green Glitter Sands. For the other mani I used Zoya's Chyna and Indie Polish's Frog Prince.

Next up Snow!

China Glaze Glitters for the Holidays !!!

I have been on the hunt for more Christmas-ish polishes.  Here are a couple of glitters from China Glaze that I have recently picked up!

First up is Love Marilyn...although it is not actually from a holiday collection, it is from the 2011 Eye Candy Collection.  It is a stunning mixture of small red micro glitter and bigger silver glitter.  I achieved opacity with 3 coats!  Not much to say but OMG!

Pure Joy is from last year's Holiday Joy Collection.  It has the same consistency and glitter combination as Love Marilyn, just gold instead of silver.  Again...Love!

I was happy to get my hands on these glitters and there might be a 'couple' more on their way.

China Glaze's This is Tree-mendous

This is Tree-mendous is part of the 2013 China Glaze Happy HoliGlaze Collection.  It is a clear based, densely packed with green and gold micro glitter.  It was completely opaque with 3 coats. Although this is a great Christmas polish it is very similar to Winter Holly, also by China Glaze, just a bit lighter!  

Very sparkly!!

OPI's Kiss me at Midnight

Kiss me at Midnight is part of the 2013 Mariah Carey Holiday Collection.  I have quite a few textured polishes but none like this one.  It is a frosty blue with silver and blue glitter.  It is a stunning polish and it will get used a bunch during the Holiday season as an accent, but it is a little too flashy for me and I am not sure the colour is best for my fair skin tone.  I achieved full opacity in 2 coats and it didn't stain my nails when removing!!!

I'm still looking at some of the other liquid sands in this collection.

#XMASNORULES

Fun no rules Christmas Mani Challenge.  Join in with the NO RULES Christmas Mani Challenge.  That’s right, no rules, if you don’t do or don’t feeling like doing nail art then express yourself with colours, textures or finishes!

OPI's Underneath the Mistletoe

Underneath the Mistletoe is part of the 2013 Mariah Carey Holiday Collection.  I normally don't like jelly polishes, but this one had fantastic coverage.  With 3 thin coats, it was completely opaque.  It is a deep red with light red/pink delicate micro glitter.

This will be a fav in the upcoming few weeks.

Anti-bullying Week

I think this topic is important and very prevalent among both children & adults these days.  Not sure what an anti-bullying manicure should look like but I picked my fav colour and just went with it!

After I did my manicure I did some research (Google) and I found there is a NOH8 campaign amongst some of the nail polish community, lasts years was Nov 8.  I am not sure who started it, but their colours are purple ;)

Stand up to bullying!
http://www.stopabully.ca/
http://www.witsprogram.ca/

I used one of my fav purples, China Glaze's Grape Pop and Maybelline's Clearly Spotted.

International Day of Tolerance

I think it goes without saying that this world need more tolerance!

The UN states (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Day_for_Tolerance)

Article 1 - The Meaning of Tolerance[edit]
1.1 Tolerance is respect, acceptance and appreciation of the rich diversity of our world's cultures, our forms of expression and ways of being human. It is fostered by knowledge, openness, communication, and freedom of thought, conscience and belief. Tolerance is harmony in difference. It is not only a moral duty, it is also a political and legal requirement. Tolerance, the virtue that makes peace possible, contributes to the replacement of the culture of war by a culture of peace.
1.2 Tolerance is not concession, condescension or indulgence. Tolerance is, above all, an active attitude prompted by recognition of the universal human rights and fundamental freedoms of others. In no circumstance can it be used to justify infringements of these fundamental values. Tolerance is to be exercised by individuals, groups and States.
1.3 Tolerance is the responsibility that upholds human rights, pluralism (including cultural pluralism), democracy and the rule of law. It involves the rejection of dogmatism and absolutism and affirms the standards set out in international human rights instruments.
1.4 Consistent with respect for human rights, the practice of tolerance does not mean toleration of social injustice or the abandonment or weakening of one's convictions. It means that one is free to adhere to one's own convictions and accepts that others adhere to theirs. It means accepting the fact that human beings, naturally diverse in their appearance, situation, speech, behaviour and values, have the right to live in peace and to be as they are. It also means that one’s views are not to be imposed on others. 

I used OPI's Eurso Euro, Rimmel's Sunny Days, Essie's Fear or Desire, Essie's Mojito Madness and Sally Hansen's Black Out.

World Diabetes Day

Today is World Diabetes Day.

'366 million people have diabetes in 2011; by 2030 this will have risen to 552 million' idf.org

I used Zoya's Sunshine, Essie' Bikini so Teeny, Maybelline's Blue Marks the Spot and OPI's Eurso Euro.

Zoya's Payton

Payton is another stunning polish from the the 2013 Zenith Holiday collection.  It is a beautiful jelly like purple/cranberry (depending on the lighting) packed full of  micro holographic glitter.  Three coats and it was opaque, which is pretty darn good for a jelly polish.  No topcoat!

I can't say enough about this polish, fantastic!!!

Remembrance Day - Lest we Forget!

On the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month, Canadians are asked to pause in memory of the thousands of men and women who sacrificed their lives in military service.

In Flanders Fields

In Flanders fields the poppies blow

      Between the crosses, row on row,

   That mark our place; and in the sky

   The larks, still bravely singing, fly

Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago

We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,

   Loved and were loved, and now we lie

         In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:

To you from failing hands we throw

   The torch; be yours to hold it high.

   If ye break faith with us who die

We shall not sleep, though poppies grow

         In Flanders fields.

by Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae 

For this manicure I used OPI's My Vampire is Buff, Barielle's Big Red Apple, Revlon's Silver Dollar and Sally Hansen's Black Out!