Golden Elegance

Every season has its trends that help to make way for the next fad. Last year Essie came out with their   luxe effects. Prior to this a number of brands were creating "toppers" that changed the appearance of a polish with glitters, duochrome shimmers, and flakies. The trend has since evolved into gold flake topcoats.

Originally I was smitten with this concept, but after much thought I decided that the gold flakes were not my style. I'm sure if I tried them I'd change mind. To curb my appetite for a real gold topcoat I decided to break out As Gold As It Gets from the Essie luxe effects collection.

I layered this golden beauty over L'Oreal Sweet Nothings. This was quite lovely and I received many compliments on this golden manicure. It reminds me of golden sun rays and sparkling warm sand. I love trying out new layering combinations. And although this is nothing like a gold topcoat I still find it beautiful and stunning.

Better than nude?

 Earlier this year I swatched Barielle's Gem Stone Earth collection.  This collection was made up of staple colors that everyone should own.  I have been finding myself reaching for these classics all month.  Here is a manicure I wore featuring the nude of the collection, Back to Nature. 

Originally I wasn't a fan of this neutral against my pale skin tone, however after the summer has warmed up my skin tone it looks much better.  I added a coat of Barielle Buddha-Ful to spice it up.  I loved how it added a bit of character to a nude cream polish! This was a very easy to wear manicure.  I can see myself trying this again sometime:)

Barielle is currently holding a manicure contest on their facebook page for all who are interested!  Check it out: https://www.facebook.com/barielle/posts/423026654428758

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

Valentine's Day Nails #1

Press Samples

Welcome to Valentine's Day inspired manicure week!

I will showcase my favorite valentine's day polishes, nail art, etc.

Valentine's Day Nails #1

Valentine's Day manicure #1's inspiration is...

FLAKIES

Today we have a beautiful, on-trend, stylish polish full of FLAKIES!  I used Barielle Elle's Spell to create this beautiful manicure.  Elle's Spell is best described as a "jelly red with multicolored foil flakes."  This red jelly polish goes on so incredibly smoothly and is absolutely stunning.  This picture is the best shot I could get of the flakie goodness in this polish.  The jelly finish makes it SO shiny that you can't capture the flakies without a glare!  I love it!  I also noticed that the flakies are the most stunning in indirect sunlight as they flash everywhere from gold and green to purple (as you can see in the bottle).  This is 3 coats, but if you prefer to reduce the visible nail lines (VNL) from this jelly polish, you can layer it over a creamy opaque polish.  

The Verdict:

This is a must-have polish for anyone who loves either jelly finishes or flakies.  It is a beautiful twist on the traditional red nail polish.  AND this makes a beautiful manicure for Valentine's Day:)

You can also purchase this polish from the Barielle website 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.