Stripes

Dear Readers:

Hello again! I'm still here, and I'm still painting my nails, but I've become less disciplined in posting on my blog regularly. I still share pictures quite often on my Facebook page and my Instagram, so if you don't already follow me there you should!

Below are a couple of pictures of a striping tape manicure that I attempted. I'm pretty happy with how it turned out, but I think the work was pretty tedious to get it to look as nice as it does. Maybe it gets easier? But maybe I'll never know because I may not mess with the striping tape again for a while!

Left Hand

Cinderella Hand

I think my Cinderella hand turned out better than my left hand... I always do it last when it comes to nail art and it always turns out better! Anyway, I used all Zoya polishes for this manicure. The purple is Carly, the green is Meg, and the blue is Robyn. 

If you're curious how I accomplished this look, I used THIS tutorial by Sam from TheNailasaurus.com. She does striping tape manicures all the time and is ridiculously good at it!

If you're reading this, thank you VERY much for stopping by. :) I hope I don't go another 4 months before posting again!

--Dixie

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Zoya PixieDust Collection

Happy Friday Everyone!

Today I am finally sharing my swatches of the Zoya PixieDust Collection. Please keep reading for more photos and details about these lovely polishes. :)

Click READ MORE!

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Nail Spam!

Hello Friends!

I mentioned I might have to do a "spam" post, and I have decided that's probably the only way I'll catch up on the plethora of manicures I have to share with you. 

Click READ MORE below to see more photos and details!! :)

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And The Winner Is...

Congratulations Zené Snider!

I will be sending you an e-mail shortly to work out the necessary details, and I am so excited to be able to share these lovely Zoya PixieDust polishes with you! 

Thanks to EVERYONE who entered the giveaway! I was overwhelmed with the response. I wish I could send you all a prize, but of course I cannot. :( I will be swatching the PixieDust collection shortly and hope to be able to share them with you by early next week.

In the mean time I have a couple of other posts planned that I hope you will stick around to see this week.

Thanks again for making Dixie's Cup's 1st birthday so special!

--Dixie

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Zoya - Stacy

What's up Ladies (& Gents)?

The manicure I'm sharing today is a fairly old one. I am really behind on my blogging! I probably need to do a "Nail Spam" post soon, just so I can share a bunch of these manicures at once. I paint my nails several times a week, and I have definitely not been blogging several times a week, so yeah.

And let's not even talk about the beauty boxes that I have fallen behind on. I used to share my Birchboxes every month, and I haven't shared a box since August. :-/  I'm trying to work on that!

Moving on.... Below is a manicure using Zoya Stacy as the base color and Zoya Daul as the color for the tips.

Stacy is a dark raspberry cream. It is the perfect vampy shade, and the formula is so wonderful, like all other Zoya polishes. This is two coats of Stacy. Then I used the french manicure sticker guides to paint the tips with Daul. Daul is a red-toned purple with a golden shimmer that seems to make the polish glow from within. Of course it is very difficult to tell since I only used the polish on my tips, but I've worn Daul by itself and - take my word for it - it is GORGEOUS. :)

Here is a swatch of Stacy by itself without a topcoat. So perfect. :)

Thanks for dropping by and PLEASE DON'T FORGET to check out my GIVEAWAY!!! I will be giving away Zoya's PixieDust collection (which hasn't even been released yet!). 

--Dixie

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Happy Birthday, Dixie's Cup!

Hello there!

This really snuck up on me, but today is my blog's first birthday! I want to do something nice to celebrate, so I've decided to have a giveaway. That's right. One of you lucky ducks will get a present for MY blog's birthday.

I wanted to give you guys something that you will hopefully REALLY want. At least I know *I* really want it! I have decided the prize will be a collection of polishes that haven't been released quite yet. Have you heard of the Zoya PixieDust Collection? Although this isn't the first brand to release a collection with this unique sparkly matte texture, it is still a fairly new concept to me so I am really excited. I have pre-ordered a set for myself as well as a set to give away. Just be sure to follow all of the rules when entering in the rafflecopter form below for a chance to win!

Here are photos of the collection that I borrowed from the Zoya website.

Rules for Giveaway

You MUST follow my blog via Google Friend Connect in order to be entered to win this prize. The easiest way to do this is to view the web version of my blog (as opposed to the mobile version). When you are viewing the mobile format, you will not be able to see the section you will need to use to follow my blog. Click the blue button on the right-hand side of my page that says "Join This Site". It will likely prompt you to log in, and then you just have to select "follow publicly".

The contest starts Tuesday, January 15th at 12:00 am and ends Tuesday, February 5th at 12:00 am. This contest is open internationally. :)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Zoya - FeiFei

Happy Friday!

Today has been a good day. I got a hot stone massage this morning, and my back has been feeling much better. Now I'm just going to relax at home today and write some things for you guys to read, and then I might read some of my book. 

The nail polish I am sharing today is the lovely Zoya FeiFei. I've had this one for a while, but I'm just now getting around to it. 

Clicky Clicky!

Please keep reading for more details and photos!

As you can see, Zoya FeiFei is a gorgeous deep blue that has various colors of blue and gold shimmers. It is such a complex shimmer polish and I absolutely love it. In the photos you see a base coat, 2 coats of FeiFei, and a top coat. I regret not adding a third coat of color for the photos because some nails appear a bit sheer. In person, those sheer spots weren't noticeable. The camera is very harsh!

As usual with Zoya polishes, the formula is good. I needed to clean up a bit, but that's not the polish's fault. :)

I love love LOVE this polish and will definitely be wearing it again. What do you all think of it?

Thanks for stopping by! Have a great weekend. :)

--Dixie

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Zoya - Charisma

Hey there, Buddies.

Today I am sharing a manicure featuring another Zoya from the Nail Mail I posted about last month. This is Zoya Charisma. The polish on my ring finger is Color Club Tweet Me, and on my pinky finger is Sally Hansen Insta-Dri Lightening.

Charisma is a very bright shade of neon magenta/red-toned purple cream. As you can tell in the photos, it is brighter in the bottle than on my fingers. What you see above is 3 coats of Charisma, with a base coat underneath and top coat on top. In true neon polish form, it dries to a satiny finish and it is a little tricky to apply without dragging bald spots. My recommendation would be to wait for each coat to dry almost completely before adding another coat. 

Next time I wear this, I might try a base of white first to see if it makes the color bright like what's in the bottle. 

Color Club Tweet Me and Sally Hansen Insta-Dri Lightening were also 3 coats of color. The first two coats of all three of these polishes were streaky with bald spots, but the third coat really made things opaque. The top coat smoothed everything over nicely and made Charisma shine like it should. I'm not a huge fan of polishes that require more than two coats because each additional coat just means more dry time, but when they are pretty like these, I suppose I can live with it. ;)

I also decided to add some of my mustache decals. I used these on one of the first manicures I ever blogged about. I'd like to think my skills have come a long way since then. 

Thanks for reading! Have a lovely day. :)

--Dixie

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Halloween Nail Art

Hey you guys!

Here is my second attempt at Halloween nail art. I'd say it is a bit of a step up from my Frankenstein nails, huh? It sure took longer!

Left Hand

Below is a list of all the polishes that I used for this manicure. 

Thumb and ring finger: OPI Y'all Come Back Ya Hear? as the base, Pure Ice Black Rage for the accents, and silver loose glitter from the Born Pretty Store. 

Index: Pure Ice Black Rage for the base & China Glaze Orange You Hot? for the pumpkin.

Middle finger: Zoya Charisma for the base and Pure Ice Black Rage for the bat. 

Pinky: Pure Ice Black Rage for the base and Finger Paints Paper Mache for the ghost. 

Right Hand

I freehanded the characters on my index, middle, and pinky fingers using a variety of nail art brushes and dotting tools. I used scotch tape for the designs on my thumb and ring finger, and then placed the loose glitter (dubbed "glequins" by Sam at The Nailasaurus) along the border with a toothpick. 

Left Hand

I'm really happy with how the nail art turned out. I wasn't sure I'd be able to accomplish such a large undertaking, but I keep surprising myself. 

If you read my blog, I'd love to have your feedback on what you think about this manicure.

Also, what types of posts keep you coming back? Is it the nails, the beauty box reviews, or other product reviews? Would you like to see me write about anything else? PLEASE LET ME KNOW! Thanks!

--Dixie

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Zoya - Envy

Hello!

Below are photos of another one of the Zoya polishes I purchased a little while ago. This one is called Envy. It makes sense... it's green. Unfortunately, it is SUCH a dark shade of green that it basically looks black once on the nails. I don't have a problem with black nail polish, not one bit, but I purchased this because it was green! Oh well, I'm sure I'll live. :)

Above is a photo of one coat of base coat and two coats of Zoya Envy. There is no top coat. Also, I tried out something new on my accent nail. Well... it's new to me. The first person I ever saw use this technique with loose glitter is Sam on The Nailasaurus. She is VERY good at nail art... you should absolutely check out her blog. 

The first time I saw her do a fingernail with glitter like this, my jaw dropped. Not only is it super gorgeous, but it looked like a tremendous undertaking. I mean... WHO actually takes the time to place loose glitter on a fingernail one-by-one until the whole nail is covered? Apparently Sam does, and once she did a tutorial on how she does it, I realized I could too. And it doesn't take that long! It took me a total of 2-3 minutes, which I think is quite fast.

Per my husband's suggestion, I added a coat or two of Hard Candy's Mattely In Love to the nails without the glitter. He is typically very helpful when I am trying to be creative, and this time was no different. It was a nice touch for sure. HOWEVER, I was reminded how much a matte topcoat can shorten the life of a manicure. :( The glitter nail could have lasted for quite a while, but the other nails started showing wear within a day. 

This is a photo of the pot of glitter I purchased recently. It is going to last me FOR-EV-ERRRR. Unless I spill it. Don't say that! You'll jinx me! :O

I purchased this glitter along with some other nail art supplies from The Born Pretty Store. This is where Sam from The Nailasaurus purchased her glitter, and I wanted to get the same stuff she used. PLUS... that pot of glitter only cost me $2.38. And although this store is located overseas, the shipping is free.

Although I was disappointed with the shade of the polish, I think this is one of my favorite manicures so far. I'm impressed with how the accent nails turned out and I will definitely be using this technique a lot more. I hope you enjoy!

--Dixie

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Smurf and Turf!

Hey!

Today I'm sharing the first polish out of the eight that I received in the mail a couple days ago. This isn't really a new color for Zoya, they've had it for quite some time, but it is new to me and I had to have it!

Zoya Robyn is a very pretty sky blue cream. Zoya's website describes it as a "perfect turquoise cream", but I don't think this really strikes me as a turquoise...

Anyway, in the photos there are 2 coats of base coat, 2 coats of Robyn, and 1 coat of top coat. The reason I ended up doing 2 coats of my base coat was because I thought I read or heard somewhere that this one stains the nails. If I misremembered, it is at least better to be safe than sorry! As with most Zoya polishes, the formula was very good. The first coat has the potential to be a bit streaky if you're not careful, but the 2nd coat will smooth everything over and make it perdy. :)

The accent nail is the reason for the title of this post. My husband is quite clever with his words, and he insisted that I mention his cleverness in this post. I just used one of my nail art brushes and Zoya Meg (a polish that I already owned) to make the stripes. I had plans to be a little more fancy than 3 plain stripes, but it was late and I was sleepy!

Well... there's the lovely Zoya Robyn. What do you all think?

--Dixie

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Zoya Nail Mail

I am just posting quickly in case you don't follow me on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram... I received a lovely package of nail polish in the mail today!

Zoya gave their existing customers a fantastic "Back to School" deal. I bought four polishes and got four free, with free shipping. Who could pass up such a deal? Clearly I couldn't.

Anyway, I'm having a difficult time choosing which polish to start with, so I'm taking suggestions! I'll likely paint my nails tomorrow evening with whichever gets the most votes. :)

Thanks for your help!

--Dixie

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Butter London - Slapper

OMG! 3 days in a row?! You're not dreaming, I'm just FORCING myself to take a break from my book. If I post this quickly I will still have time to read this evening. Two birds! :D

Today I am sharing a lovely turquoise/green/blue color from Butter London called Slapper. To add a little sparkle, I added some polka dots with Zoya Carly (purple shimmer) and Zuza (bluish-turquoise shimmer). 

Clicky Clicky!

For those of you unfamiliar with the Butter London brand, it is a little more on the pricey side. Most bottles of this polish will run you $14. I've really never heard anything bad about these polishes, so quite some time ago I finally purchased this bottle of Slapper. Unfortunately, I didn't think the formula on this particular color was worth that price tag. After the dots and top coat, it ended up looking fine, but I'm not sure when I'll wear it again. :-/

Click to grow this photo

As you can see in this macro shot, I didn't wait long enough for my polka dots to dry. UGH THE IMPATIENCE! It gets me every time! However, this photo makes it easier to see the details.

Enlarge Me Please!

This is a photo without bright light or flash. Unfortunately, this color is difficult to photograph and this is a bit closer to the true color of the polish. 

Click This Photo!

Seriously, please click to enlarge.

Alrighty then... I think my work here is done. For today. Thank you all SO much for dropping by!

--Dixie

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Zig Zags & Polka Dots

Hi there!

I apologize for my absence. I go through cycles with blogging and reading books. Currently I am enthralled in a new book and I'd rather read it than write a blog post. However, today I spent a lot of time painting my fingers & toes and I really wanted to share them with you. I'm excited with how they turned out!

Here's your fair warning that there is a photo of my toes at the very bottom of this post. I spent too much time pampering my feet today NOT to share them.

Sinful Colors - Rise and Shine w/ flash

 I started with Sinful Colors - Rise and Shine (courtesy of my good friend Hailey). My intentions were to do a variety of things. I first considered a gradient, and then a jelly sandwich, and then a gradient/jelly sandwich combo... as you'll see I ended up doing none of the above. I finally settled on zig zags & polka dots from some inspiration I got on Pinterest.

Sinful Colors - Rise and Shine in sunlight

What you see here is only ONE COAT. I'm not joking. This color is completely opaque and perfect in one coat. I didn't have any issues with bald spots or streaking. I usually have a hard time only doing one coat, but not with this polish. :)

The first photo that was taken with the flash of my camera is a more accurate idea of what the color looks like. And both of these photos are without a top coat, so you can see it dries to a satin finish.

The photo above and the following 3 photos are shots of my right and left hands. You can tell I free-handed the zig zags because they aren't perfect, but I'm still happy with how they turned out. The lime green color is Zoya - Mitzi. Had I planned to do this manicure from the very beginning, I would have used Mitzi as my base color and then Rise and Shine for the accents. But I digress...

Below is the photo of my toes. I know. People hate foot photos. But I gave myself a serious, much-needed pedicure, and my feet don't look all that gross. ;)

I don't remember the names of the polishes I used because I didn't intend to post photos of my feet, however if you must know I can figure it out! Just let me know. :)

Alrighty then, that's it for now. Thanks for looking at my gross feet!

--Dixie

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Zoya - Myrta Gradient

Helloooooooo shiny red/orange Zoya nail polish!

Myrta is from Zoya's Beach & Surf Summer 2012 collection. Myrta is a coral/red metallic micro glitter. I love it by itself... but I decided to try out a gradient on a couple of accent nails and I was really impressed! This was my first gradient and I am very happy with how it turned out. I can't wait to try more!

Zoya - Myrta & Wet N Wild - Goldmine

Macro shot of my gradient

One more shot of Zoya - Myrta & Wet N Wild - Goldmine

I purchased some other polishes from this same collection, so I'll be posting some manicures with those colors soon. Hope you love Myrta as much as I do!

--Dixie

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May GlossyBox

BEAUTY BOX TIME!

I don't know about you guys, but when I first discovered Birchbox, I became addicted to beauty box subscriptions. I signed up for all kinds of different boxes. Unfortunately, some of the boxes that I REALLY wanted were only available in the UK. 

That is until GlossyBox finally became available in the US! They released their first round of boxes in April, but there were a very limited number available and the only way to get one was to WIN it. :( I didn't win, but that's okay, I eventually got my May box. And I very recently received (and will review) my June box. 

The difference between Birchbox and GlossyBox is probably the cost, and maybe the size of the samples. Birchbox is $10 per month and GlossyBox is $21 per month, both no shipping. GlossyBox's samples seem to be quite large, sometimes full size! I honestly think it is worth the extra money, for sure. 

Even the packaging is higher quality with the GlossyBox!

All my goodies!

Bonus blush brush - Made from goat's hair

 This seems to be a nice brush, but I never wear blush so I haven't really gotten much use out of it. *shrug*

Burberry Beauty - Lip Mist Natural Sheer Lipstick Copper No. 202 (Full Size - $30)

I was very excited about this lipstick! Look at the pretty packaging! Plus the color is very neutral and not too bright or dark. I've worn this several times and I love the way it feels on my lips. I don't know that I'll purchase the full size, but I'm so glad to have gotten this. I feel fancy!

Pretty details on the lipstick

I had to do some editing on this photo so you could see the pretty details. I almost didn't want to use it for fear of messing that part up!

Zoya - Rory (Full Size - $8)

Ummm.... squeeeeeeee! Nail polish?!!!! They know the way to my heart. Unfortunately, I'm not a huge fan of the girly girly pink, but I'll survive. I painted my toes with this and thought it was very pretty. The formula was lovely, as to be expected from Zoya.

PHYTO - Phytojoba Intense Hydrating Mask for Dry Hair (Full Size - $38)

I was very impressed with this mask. After using it, my hair definitely felt extraaaaa soft! :) You don't have to use much for it to work well.

Amore Pacific - Moisture Bound Refreshing Hydra-Gel (Full Size - $100)

I wish I would have taken a picture of the inside of this little tub. The contents look like a creamy gel. I love it, but I've been needing a slightly heavier moisturizer recently so I haven't used it much. I will not repurchase it because I'm not willing to spend $100 on a moisturizer. Priorities, people. Priorities!!!

Marvis - Whitening Mint Toothpaste (Full Size - $7.50)

 TOOTHPASTE?!!!!!! Yes please. I loved this stuff. The taste was a bit different from the Colgate that I usually use, but its still minty & good.

What do you think about the GlossyBox? I love it! I will try my hardest to get the review for the June box up within the next day or two (plus the last two Birchboxes!).

--Dixie

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