If you've seen some of the nail art that I've done, you know I tend to do a polka dot design on my thumb most of the time. I wanted to do a full manicure with just that since I always like the outcome of them no matter what colors I choose to use. Its simple but cute too.

I applied Salon Perfect Sugar Cube. Taking China Glaze Escaping Reality, China Glaze Lemon Fizz, and Sally Hansen Pacific Blue, I took a dotting tool and created various sized polka dots randomly on the nails. Finished with Sally Hansen Insta-Dri Top Coat.

I love doing simple polka dot designs like this! It just shows that going for simplicity is just as great as something more detailed. What do you think of these colorful polka dots?

Lucky Charms Cereal Nail Art

Here's my manicure for this month's theme of lucky for The Lacquer Legion. I had no idea what to do so I decided to create lucky charms cereal nails since it was one of my favorite cereals to eat growing up. It had the word lucky in it so I thought it fit the theme. #LLlucky

I have Gosh Hot Coral on my pinky, Salon Perfect Sugar Cube on my ring and middle, Barielle Swizzle Stix on my pointer, and Misa Green With Envy on my thumb. The other colors I used are China Glaze Starboard, Wet n' Wild Candy-licious, Jessica Tangerine Dreamz, Barielle Welcome Ohm, Nicole by OPI Hit The Lights, Born Pretty Store Sweet Color White Nail Art Liner, and Born Pretty Store Sweet Color Black Nail Art Liner. Use coupon code YCL91 for 10% off. I also used striping tape and a dotting tool to help create the design. Finished with Seche Vite Dry Fast Top Coat.

I did have a little bubbling when I applied top coat but I'm so happy with how these turned out. What do you think of these lucky charms cereal nails?

Kawaii Cupcake Nails

This is my contest entry into a giveaway ColorSutraa is having with a bunch of other amazing bloggers. There was a variety of themes to choose from but I decided to do the cupcake theme. I searched for cupcake designs and found a ton of inspiration online.

I started with Salon Perfect Sugar Cube and applied Nina Ultra Pro Holographic Topcoat on top. I used a lot of colors to design these nails so I'm just going to list them out. I used Ciaté Cookies and Cream, China Glaze Lemon Fizz, Essie Borrowed & Blue, American Apparel Coney Island, China Glaze Re-fresh Mint, Barielle Cashmere Or Loose Me, Jessica Tangerine Dreamz, American Apparel Downtown LA, American Apparel Raccoon, Born Pretty Store Sweet Color White Nail Art Liner, and Born Pretty Store Sweet Color Black Nail Art Liner. Use coupon code YCL91 for 10% off your order. Finished with Seche Vite Dry Fast Top Coat.

These are so cute! They didn't turn out as perfect as I imagined but it looks great considering I don't do a lot of detailed designs. What do you think of these kawaii cupcake nails?

Bubble Print Gradient

This is my contest entry to Nailpolis' Spring Nail Art Contest that's taking place right now. The theme is anything Spring related so be sure to enter if your interested in participating. The contest ends on March 31, 2014. If you like my design, please be sure to vote for it HERE.

First, I used Salon Perfect Sugar Cube on all the nails. With a makeup sponge, I sponged a gradient using Essie Borrowed & Blue, China Glaze Re-fresh Mint, and American Apparel Coney Island. Then, I applied Nina Ultra Pro Holographic Topcoat. With various colors of acrylic paint, I diluted them with water. Taking a small brush, I dabbed on blobs on the nails and then with a q-tip, I dotted each blob to create the bubble effect. Finished with Sally Hansen Insta-Dri Top Coat.

I'm disappointed the white bubbles wasn't that noticeable in the pictures.. Other than that, I'm happy with how this turned out. What do you think of this bubble print gradient?

Blue Fishtail Braided Nail Art

This is my last manicure for untried theme this month for The Nail Challenge Collaborative. I've always wanted to try the fishtail braid design but for some reason I've never attempted one. There's how my first try at it turned out.

First, I applied Orly Sweet Peacock on all the nails. Taking Sally Hansen Pacific Blue, I applied it at a slat and repeated this with Nicole by OPI Stand By Your Manny along with the base color. You should be left with a fishtail braided design. Finished with Seche Vite Dry Fast Top Coat.

For my first try at it, I think I did pretty good job at the fishtail braids. The blues really compliment each other. What do you think of my blue fishtail braided manicure?

Memebox Luckybox #1 Unboxing + First Impressions

Memebox is a beauty subscription that offers 4-8 full sized products and deluxe samples from Korea. Their boxes cost $23 plus $6.99 for standard shipping. The majority of the items are skincare related so if your looking for makeup, this box isn't for you. They do offer full sized product boxes called a Superbox which I suggest you try if your just interested in full sized products.

Luckybox #1 features their best and favorite beauty items from past Memeboxes #1-#6.2. Unlike their regular Memeboxes, this is a combination of items from their past boxes combined into one. So if your looking to get some favorites out of their past sold out boxes, Luckybox is for you.

Get a $10 Discount
I just got sent an e-mail from Memebox that my readers can use coupon code LJRID for $3 off every purchase (expires March 31, 2014) and if you sign up on their site, you get $2 worth of points added to your account. Also, send them an e-mail at hi@memebox.com letting them know The Polish Playground referred you along with the account e-mail you signed up with and you can get $5 back in points. So, that's $10 you can use towards a box. That's another thing I like is that Memebox offers points to be collected that you can use toward future purchases. You can earn these points by purchasing certain products or sometimes Memebox will reward you points to use before a certain date.

Shipping
This box was schedule to ship on March 3rd but I didn't get the shipping e-mail notification until March 5th. I received the box on March 11th. So it took about one week to arrive in Canada which is amazing considering it was shipped Standard Shipping which was estimated to take 14-22 business days. So, I'm very pleased with the shipping.

Packaging
The box came bubbled wrapped so nothing was damaged. The box itself is pink with their Memebox logo on it. Inside the box, nothing was bubbled wrapped but it was so full of stuff that there wasn't much room for the items to move around in there. There is tissue paper on the bottom though. Inside the top flap, there is a bit of information but its in Korean about the box I believe. It also came with a information card highlighting what was in the box along with the prices. The packaging is great. The information card was helpful because since everything is written in Korean, its nice to read what each product is suppose to do from the card.

What's in the Box
1. CNP Laboratory Cleansing Perfecta | 50ml Sample Size - Worth $7.67
Always open to trying out new cleansers. Its said to remove your makeup including waterproof makeup and sunscreen so it sounds promising.

2. Nuganic Customize Pore Control Essence | 30ml Full Size - Worth $30
A serum that helps to refine pores and rebalances skin. I'm excited to see if it makes any positive difference for me. I love the packaging on it.

3. Danahan Bon Yeon Jin Essence | 12ml Sample Size - Worth $16.32
An essence made with herbal ingredients like ginseng and herbal extracts to visibly restore elasticity and makes skin firmer and radiant. Its always great to start preventing wrinkles early.

4. Mamonde First Energy Serum | 10ml Sample Size - Worth $2.70
I love serums so I'm excited to try this out. Love that it comes with a pump kind of packaging to it.

5. Sep Face Lifting Mask | 30g Full Size - Worth $14
The packaging looks so expensive. I'm a little afraid to try it out because it looks so luxurious. I love any kind of face masks so I'm sure I'll like this one.

6. Too Cool For School Aqua Gel Mist | 100ml Full Size - Worth $12
I love face mists so this would be perfect for the warmer weather. I think it will be great to set your makeup with too to prevent it from being too cakey.

7. Tonymoly Delight Tony Tint Red | 1.5ml Sample Size - Worth $0.50
I'm a fan of lip tints and lip balms so I'm excited to try this one out. This is one of Korea's best selling lip tints too so I'm sure its great. It smells so good, like cherry candy.

8. Dear by Enprani Bounce Cheese Cream | 100ml Sample Size - Worth $5.33
I thought this item was full sized at first because it looks like such a huge sample. The texture is so unique and totally reminds of me cheese. Excited to see how it works for me since I've heard wonderful things about it.

Total Value of the Box
This Luckybox #1 contains three full sized products and five deluxe sized samples in it. The total value of this box comes to $88.52 which is almost four times the price I paid for it. I believe its well worth the $23 plus shipping I paid for it in the end because I get so much in return.

Final Thoughts
Overall, I'm super excited and happy with Luckybox #1. I've already pre-ordered a few of their boxes so I cannot wait for those to ship and arrive. The only downside is that their boxes get released for pre-order very fast so sometimes it hard to keep up and have enough money to spend on them. It can add up. I suggest getting a few of their boxes to try out first to see if these products are something you would like before going too crazy. I noticed that I was spending a lot on their boxes so I decided to instead get their Luckyboxes as they come out since those feature favorites from past boxes. I can still get amazing Korean products but at a more manageable rate instead. I don't want to be over flooded with samples I can't keep up with.

Have you tried Memebox and what are your thoughts on this beauty box?

*Post does contain affiliate links.*

Shimmery Color Block Nail Art

This was inspired by HannahRoxNails from her video tutorial, Easy Color Block Nail Art. This month's theme for The Nail Challenge Collaborative is untried. This time I'm using all Hard Candy polishes.

I applied Hard Candy Shot Of Lemon on all the nails. With striping tape, I created a simple star burst design by taping the nails into four different sections. Taking Hard Candy Little Bo Pink and Hard Candy Lil Lilac, I applied these two colors in each taped section of the design. Then, I peeled the striping tape off. Finished with Sally Hansen Insta-Dri Top Coat.

The colors were a bit on the sheer side so these didn't turn out exactly how I imagined but I love them regardless. I just like how sparkly they are. What do you think of this color block manicure?

Beauty Box 5 Unboxing + First Impressions

I've been interested in trying out beauty subscription boxes lately for some strange reason. I'm not usually a fan of getting sample items because I almost always forget to use them. However, I've been seeing a lot of bloggers talk about various beauty subscriptions and was intrigued to try them out. Beauty Box 5 was kind of enough to send me a complimentary box to try out.

Beauty Box 5 is a subscription based, beauty sampling service that delivers 5 deluxe sized samples and full sized products for $12 a month. They also offer subscription bundles like $36 for a four month subscription or $99 for a yearly subscription.

Shipping
Since this was a complimentary box, my shipping estimate is not the most accurate. It took around two weeks for my box to arrive. It was shipped by DHL Globalmail. No signature was required because the box was small enough to fit in my mail box.

Packaging
It came shipped in a small blue box. The items weren't bubble wrapped but there was packing paper inside. Nothing came damaged or broken. When I opened the box, it came with a card letting me know how Beauty Box 5 works and what's it about. The only downside was there wasn't any information card included that told me the value of each product that was in the box.

What's Inside the Box
1. Aveeno Positively Nourishing Calming Body Wash | 59ml Sample Size
I'm not usually a body wash kind of girl but I can definitely use this when I'm feeling adventurous or want a change in routine. Its a perfect size to travel with.

2. Bellapierre Cosmetics in Ruby | 3.75g Full Size
This is just your normal red glitter so I'm not sure how often I would wear this if at all on my eyes. Maybe I'll try using it in my nail art instead.

3. Be A Bombshell Lip Gloss in All Dolled Up | 3g Full Size
Its a pretty shade but just from swatching it, I can tell its a thicker feeling gloss. Its a great color for the winter/fall season and it has good pigmentation.

4. Nubar Cuticle and Nail Oil | 7ml Sample Size
I tested this a little bit already and it seems nice. It has a nice scent and its feels light on the skin.

6. Montagne Jeunesse Glacial Clay Spa Mask | 1 Full Size Mask
I've actually tried this mask previously and like it. Its nice that you don't get the mess that usually comes when you apply a clay mask from a jar or tube.

Final Thoughts
For only $12 a month, Beauty Box 5 is great beauty subscription box to try out to sample a variety of beauty products. About half the products were full size. I liked the majority of the items in my box and even some of the stuff I didn't like, I'm still interested in trying out. I don't know the total value of the box but I'm sure its well over the $12 that its sold at. I love that this box didn't have any foil packet samples too. I'm loving that everything is in a tube or container because I'm more inclined to use them when there like that.

Have you tried Beauty Box 5? Let me know what you think of this subscription box below!

*Beauty Box 5 sent this complimentary box for review purposes. My opinion is 100% honest.*