Beautiful (& Barefoot) in Blue

So I was trying to change it up and wear a color I neglect often, even though I love it...BLUE.

I reached for essie's Barefoot in Blue and painted my nails.  I love this color, it's SO pretty! I wore it for a few hours, but then decided to go all crazy and add glitter for an accent nail;)

I loved the result.  So classy and pretty even with the crazy multi-sized holographic glitter pieces.  The above pictures show 2 coats of essie Barefoot in Blue topped with one coat of Barielle Starchild on the ring finger.

What's your favorite way to spice up a manicure?

*FYI* Barielle is on sale today at HauteLook! (8th item down 1st column) Individual nail polishes are $4/ea and polish sets (w/ 5 polishes) are $12.50! Get 'em while they're available!!!!

Summery Tropical Print Manicure

Last week I raved about my favorites from the summer, including Zoya Purity.  One day, I was wearing Purity as a plain white manicure, which was very elegant and sophisticated.  The following day I had a fun summer fling to attend and thought I should spice up my manicure.  I pondered what to add to white...aka. was overwhelmed by the endless possibilities.  Then I grabbed Zoya Ali and googled "hot pink" and found a tropical floral design to inspire me.

 Yikes!  Ali is bright when painted over white!  I love Ali's semi-matte finish and didn't want to add a topcoat, so here she is in all her glory.

 A shot from further away, just for kicks;)

The following night, upon arriving home, I decided to add one coat of Zoya Coraline (from the Blogger Collection by Birchbox) to see how it would affect the manicure.  I love how jelly nail polishes can transform a manicure. 

It kind of reminds me of a tropical print shirt that you would wear on vacation.  I actually used to have a tropical print sarong that kind of looked like this. This picture was taken at night using a flash, but it is still a pretty accurate depiction of the colors.

Zoya nail polishes retail $8 from their website.  Set up a Zoya account to receive LOVE points and promo codes. 

Words of Wisdom Wednesday

Source: polyvore.com via Kate on Pinterest

Edgy Gradient

After seeing this picture following Fall 2012 NYFW, I decided I wanted to try this beautiful gradient on my own nails using black and a brighter color.  I was however hesitant to replicate it immediately as it was spring and it didn't seem very springy to me.

For this manicure I used a base coat to prevent from discoloration or staining.  Next, I followed that with 2 coats of Sinful Colors Black on Black on all of my nails.  After that dried, I sponged Barielle Surf's Up on the tips of my nails.  It's quite simple.  I love the contrast between black and the bright color sponged on the tips.

I would love to see this with any of my favorite colors for fall: navy, cobalt, teal, rust, ochre, olive, and oxblood.

How do you change up your manicure/nail art for fall?

Zoya Ali

 In the late spring, Ulta had a bunch of past nail polish collections in the clearance bin.  One such collection was the La-Di-Da collection by Zoya.  They had the ENTIRE collection, but I only picked up 4 Paz, America, Dita, and Ali.  As the summer progressed I found myself reaching for Paz and Ali a lot.  Today I will share Ali in all of her brightness!

Ali is an "Ultra-bright warm medium neon pink creme. A fluorescent shade for maximum impact." My camera did not like how bright it was so instead it made me look ghastly.  The first picture is the most color accurate and the second is to show the texture.

The Verdict:
Ali is a color that may require some to wear sunglasses.  The pictures above show 2 coats of Ali with no top coat.  The finish is not glossy or matte, but more rubber-like.  The formula dries fast and is a tad thicker than other Zoya nail polish but evens out and applies smoothly.  I will continue to wear this beauty when I am itching for a bright pink and it is my go-to "neon" pink.

Zoya nail polish is available for purchase through their website and retail for $8.00 each.  Sign up for a Zoya account today and receive points that can be redeemed for promotions and discounts.

SUMMER FAVORITES--Zoya Blogger Collection by Birchbox

This week I will be sharing some of my summer favorites from this year.  I am excited to share some of these products with you.  Many of them you have seen or heard of repeatedly here or on facebook or twitter.  Others will be new mentions although I have been reaching for them since June!

It is no secret that I love corals and pinks for summer.  In fact, I am currently on a coral, orange, and pink no buy:)  With this in mind, it should be no surprise to you that I fell, and fell hard for Zoya's Blogger Collection by Birchbox.  With a bunch of citrus, summery, bright, jelly polishes could I go wrong.  Not to mention that one was named Kate:)

My namesake polish in this collection with a bracelet saying my name:)

I posted initial swatches of this upon receiving them, but I have been saving these full swatches for you.  Enjoy the juicy goodness...  (click on the photos for a larger view)

Coraline (2 coats) is a juicy tangerine.  

  Coraline with one coat of Belle on top as an accent nail.

 Kate (2 coats) is a squishy ruby red grapefruit pink.

Kate topped with one coat of Belle.

Belle (2 coats) is an ethereal pink with coppery and rosy gold shimmer.

 Shimmer shot:)


The Verdict:
I adore this collection.  I love how versatile these polishes are and making jelly sandwiches with them is so much fun:) I have layered Belle over my pedicures so often this summer.  These all had great application, drying time, and wear.  I love how glossy and squishy these look.  These are definitely my favorites jellies ever!

This collection can be purchased from birchbox for $22.00 with free shipping.

SUMMER FAVORITES--Rimmel London Bronzer

This week I will be sharing some of my summer favorites from this year.  I am excited to share some of these products with you.  Many of them you have seen or heard of repeatedly here or on facebook or twitter.  Others will be new mentions although I have been reaching for them since June!

So being my usual self and being late to the beauty train, this year was my first experience with bronzer.  I think I waited so long because of my fair complexion and being afraid to look orange like an oompa loompa.  However, after seeing so many beautiful vloggers rave about bronzers, I took the plunge.  On StyleHaul they featured this bronzer in May so I decided to give this one a whirl.

The Verdict:

I love this bronzer.  It gives my skin a subtle glow without looking unnatural.  I chose the lightest shade they offered, so If you have a more pigmented skintone than I do, you may want to use another one of their bronzer shades.  One of my favorite qualities of this bronzer is that it is matte, aka. no middle school shimmer:)  Also it is buildable, so the amount I used in June was a tad less than what I use on my face now.  This is a great product and it is very affordable, so if you don't like it you don't feel awful for dumping a bunch of money into it.

Rimmel London can be purchased at many pharmacies and also at Ulta.  It retails for about $5.

SUMMER FAVORITES--Wet n Wild Silk Finish Lipstick

This week I will be sharing some of my summer favorites from this year.  I am excited to share some of these products with you.  Many of them you have seen or heard of repeatedly here or on facebook or twitter.  Others will be new mentions although I have been reaching for them since June!

I must confess that most of my beauty tips and tricks come from my favorite vloggers on youtube.  I also adore the spectacular finds that they share.  One such find was from Rachel from RachhLoves who suggested in her May Favorites Video and also in her Pre-Summer Haul (she thinks she heard about them from StyleHaul) to try Wet n Wild Silk Finish Lipstick.

I bought 2 colors that I wouldn't normally wear (I'm a neutral lip kind of girl).  I purchased 511B (Nouveau Pink) and 519A (Hot Red).  The swatches below only feature Nouveau Pink.  Soon I will share Hot Red, but I have lost it somewhere and cannot take swatch pictures of lost lipstick.

The Verdict:
I adore this lipstick.  Lipstick usually dries out my lips and makes them flaky in the next day or so, very unattractive.  This lipstick was nondrying and was actually quite moisturizing.  The lipstick is very pigmented and the color you see on the lipstick is the color you get on your lips.  One downside is that they don't have very great wear time, however because of the color payoff and nondrying formula I don't mind reapplying. Also they're SUPER inexpensive so I don't mind applying often or picking up a color I normally wouldn't wear.  I HIGHLY recommend this product to anyone who wants to try out a new lip trend:)

Wet n Wild Silk Finish Lipsticks can be found in most pharmacies or drugstore.com.  They retail for $0.99 each.  The color selection and names can be seen from their website.

Words of Wisdom Wednesday

Source: livingachangedlife.blogspot.com via Kate on Pinterest

SUMMER FAVORITES--PritiNYC Soy Remover Wipes

This week I will be sharing some of my summer favorites from this year.  I am excited to share some of these products with you.  Many of them you have seen or heard of repeatedly here or on facebook or twitter.  Others will be new mentions although I have been reaching for them since June!

Many of us travel during the summer.  Whether you drove or flew to your destination, one thing is for sure packing is no fun!  Packing things that could potentially spill and ruin things is not fun either.  Enter PritiNYC Soy Nail Polish Remover wipes. 

These little individually packaged wipes travel nicely and are 100% biodegradable!   

I brought a bunch of these on my beach vacation and I think my nails were more resilient and strong because I wasn't using a harsh remover.  I had to change my manicure and pedicure while on vacation due to the wear and tear from the sand, and these little wipes made it possible for me to change my nail polish:)

The Verdict:
I love these handy wipes for traveling, although they are a tad expensive for everyday use.  The wipes have a faint citrus scent that reminds me of wood polish for some reason.  These wipes required a little bit of elbow grease to initially remove the polish, but once started it removed with ease.  Also the polish virtually dissolved on the wipe making multiple removals possible.  I removed my manicure & pedicure as well as my mom's manicure with ONE wipe!  I probably could have done more but there wasn't any thing else to remove.  The wipes leave your fingers and nails moisturized and lemongrass scented.  At first it was weird to have "oily" finger tips rather than parched dry finger tips, but it was great to have moisturized, strong nails from just removing polish!

PritiNYC Soy Nail Polish Remover wipes can be purchased from the PritiNYC website and retail for $9.99 for 10 individually packaged wipes. 

SUMMER FAVORITES--Zoya Purity

This week I will be sharing some of my summer favorites from this year.  I am excited to share some of these products with you.  Many of them you have seen or heard of repeatedly here or on facebook or twitter.  Others will be new mentions although I have been reaching for them since June!

Earlier this year when Zoya was having their Earth Day promo I decided to buy Zoya Purity, a white cream polish.  I know what you're thinking, "Kate, when you could buy any amazing polish with a unique finish you chose WHITE?!?!?!"  Well, yes I did.  I love how long Zoya polishes wear on me.  Also, I have had poor experiences with some white/pastel/pale drugstore and big name salon polishes cracking on my nails. This is a problem I had not encountered with any of my Zoyas so I decided to give Purity a whirl.

Purity is a "bright, stark, perfectly clean pure white with a glossy creme finish. A bold and versatile white is a must for any polish collection."  I've worn Purity in a variety of manicures all summer and never get tired of the clean simplicity of a white manicure.

The Verdict:
This is my favorite white.  I cannot wait to wear it during every season!  Whether it's wonderful for a statement making plain white manicure or embellished within nail art that makes a shout out to your creativity.  There is always a place for Purity, no matter what season or occasion.  If you don't already have a favorite white I highly recommend this one:)

Zoya nail polishes retail $8 from their website.  Set up a Zoya account to receive LOVE points and promo codes. ***Hint, Hint*** Zoya warned us today to have an account set up by this Wednesday!

One, Two, Three Strikes You're Out!

This weekend I'll be sporting a baseball inspired manicure.  My cousins, aunt, and parents are coming in town tomorrow to see some of the Little League World Series games.  I grew up watching baseball with my dad.  My family is a baseball family.  So naturally I had to sport festive nails for the games:)  

This manicure is simple and classic.  Anyone can do this!  I painted my ring finger with a white polish and while that dried I used essie bobbing for baubles on the other 4 nails.  It made me realize how much I truly love this color...AND I may be addicted to navy blue again.  Once my ring finger was dry I added a forward and backward "c" shape to the nail with Sinful Colors Ruby Ruby.  I finished it off adding the smaller lines as stitch marks on the laces.  I love this, I really do.

 How do you like the cameo of my t-ball all star patch?  Yup, that's right t-balll all star right here.  Be very jealous;)

What are you up to this weekend?

Playing with Polish--Little Black Bag Inspired

Recently I was hitting a wall and unable to find nail art inspiration.  I decided to poke around on Pinterest and ended up looking at recipes instead.  A few days later I was looking for a new handbag for the fall.  I ended up on Little Black Bag and suddenly inspiration hit and playing with polish commenced.

Here are 3 manicures inspired by handbags at Little Black Bag.  Some were more successful than others, but that's the fun of playing with polish, it's just for fun & can be removed if it looks wonky:)

My nails were already orange so I decided to conquer the Street Level Cut Out Top Handle Satchel as a manicure:

Next, I fell in love with this BCBGeneration Straw Patterned Tote.  The manicure however, fell a tad short:-\

Finally, I oogled the Street Level Ruched Vintage Shoulder Bag.  I would die to have this!  This needs to make its way into my wardrobe:)

Overall, this was a lot of fun.  I love looking for inspiration in different places.  

If you haven't already heard about Little Black Bag you should totally check it out.  It's social shopping and trading website that specializes in accessories and handbags.  It's $49.99 (usd) for a monthly subscription or $59.99 (usd) for a one time purchase.

What do you think of my inspiration?

Words of Wisdom Wednesday

Source: tumblr.com via Lizzy O. on Pinterest

Barielle Life of the Party Comparison

Press Samples

When I pulled out the Some Like it HOT Collection from Barielle, I thought the pink in the collection looked familiar.  In fact I thought Barielle may have either changed the name of their polish or that they had 2 of the same polishes in their line.  I quickly found Eli's Magic and after taking bottle shots, decided that they were nearly the same pink.

However, once on the nail you can tell that there is a difference between these beauties.  Eli's Magic is on the index and ring fingers and Life of the Party is on the middle and pinkie fingers.  Below the swatches are of one coat of each of these polishes.

The Verdict:
Life of the Party is definitely a hot pink that has more coral within it.  Eli's Magic is more of a bright Barbie pink.  Eli's Magic is also slightly more transparent, but both polishes had a very smooth, self-leveling formula.  I prefer Life of the Party for the summer but like Eli's Magic better for spring.  I really like both.  I feel like I probably have to check Life of the Party against my non-Barielle Polishes next because just looking at it I can think of very similar colors that I already own.  I have a soft spot for pinky-corals that lean red:)

These polishes can be found at the Barielle website and retail for $8.00.

Disclosure: The product(s) in this post were provided to me by the manufacturer or their PR company for consideration.  For more information please visit the tabs below the header.

Barielle's Some Like it Hot Collection

Press Samples

Last week you saw the Dazzling Diamonds Collection Barielle sent me.  Here is the other one, Some Like It Hot.

Please ignore the stray glitter in some photos, these were swatched immediately following the glitter swatch fest that was Dazzling Diamonds.  I also apologize for the condition of my hands & nails.  I had spent a week at the beach and they were dry to say the least from sunscreen, salt water, sand, and also from remover after swatching.  

This collection consists of bright summery colors in 2 finishes, cream and shimmer.  ALL swatches show 2 coats.

 Life of the Party is described as an "opaque pink with a touch of coral."  This is a pretty accurate description of this hot pink.  The coral brightens it making it perfect for summer.

 Gotta Have Fate is a coral!!!!!! It is described as just that an "opaque creamy coral."  Perfect tangerine leaning coral that adds some warmth to any summer ensemble.

 Sunshine is the first true yellow I have EVER tried.  It is perfectly described as a "warm yellow with shimmer."  The shimmer is subtle, but beautiful.  It makes the polish apply nicely and also gives it a glow so it isn't too flat.

 Lily of the Valley is, well, GORGEOUS.  The perfect emerald green that is shimmery but not streaky or frosty.  Barielle calls it "Irish green with shimmer" which is accurate, but I prefer to call it emerald:)  Lovely gemstone inspired color, perfect for any season.  I am actually really excited to wear this one again, even though I usually don't wear green polish.

 Surf's Up is "deep Caribbean blue."  I really love this color and I have nothing like it.  The blue is lovely and bright.  I must warn users that you MUST use a base coat that prevents staining or you will become smurf-ified!


The Verdict:
I love this entire collection.  As usual I have favorites:)  Due to my coral obsession, Gotta Have Fate is perfection.  I also adore Lily of the Valley, I have always loved emerald greens, but never had a polish that was emerald before.  I also loved Surf's Up against my skin tone.  If your collection is lacking in these colors or finishes I would suggest snatching them, however you might have some similar polishes already if you're a die-hard polish-aholic;)

This collection can be found at the Barielle website and retails for $25.00.  You can also purchase the polishes individually for $8.00.

Disclosure: The product(s) in this post were provided to me by the manufacturer or their PR company for consideration.  For more information please visit the tabs below the header.