Autumn Nail Art Challenge--Black

Technically it is still autumn...but as soon as Thanksgiving is over I go into Christmas mode. It makes focusing on fall for the remainder of this nail art challenge a tad difficult, as seen with my silver manicure. Without further ado this week's manicure for...

Black

Just some skittles in black polishes:) Simple and fun. (Sorry about the snowflake ornament, I couldn't help it!)

Polishes used: Zoya Dahlia, Willa, Imogen, and Dovima

Take a look at the other black manicures:
http://new.inlinkz.com/luwpview.php?id=448838

Autumn Nail Art Challenge--Blue

This week's Autumn Nail Art Challenge ended up forming in a very similar manner as last week's green manicure. I took out all of my blues, played around with different combinations and then just decided to go crazy with a bunch of colors. Say 'hello' to this week's manicure for the Autumn Nail Art Challenge...

Blue

 Polishes used: Zoya Rocky, Rebel, Mosheen, Liberty, Song, Remy, Ryan

Not super autumnal, but still beautiful in its own right. :)



Take a look at the other fabulous autumn manicures:
http://new.inlinkz.com/luwpview.php?id=448823

 

Feel free to join in at any time!

SinfulColors Halloween 2014 Wicked Color Collection

Press Samples

I was fortunate enough to be able to try some of the newest polishes released by SinfulColors for their Wicked Color Halloween Collection (all polishes shown in graphic below). They sent me five of these fun polishes to try: Glow In The Dark, Mystery Moonshine, Pumpkin Spice, Cauldron Couture, and Splatter Spell.

Glow In The Dark is described as "Ghoulishly fluorescent." Shown above in indirect light and in complete darkness. I only used one coat of the polish and let the polish and my hands sit in direct sunlight before taking either photograph. In direct sunlight (below) the polish appears to have particles within it and is not completely clear.

 Mystery Moonshine is festively described as "Multi-colored confetti." This polish truly resembles confetti with its irregular foil pieces in copper, emerald, and periwinkle floating in its clear base. Above one and two coats of this MardiGras-esque polish are shown. Below, two coats of Mystery Moonshine are shown over a bright periwinkle polish (SinfulShine Alfresco).

 Pumpkin Spice is a "Twinkling fall orange." This clear polish is full of tiny gold and small copper hexagonal glitters. Shown above you can see its density in one and two coats. Below, two coats of Pumpkin Spice are shown over a black polish (SinfulColors Black on Black).

Splatter Spell, a layering polish with "Gilded black flecks," also shown above as one and two coats. This clear base has tiny, small, and large black hexagonal glitters. It is also contains small and large copper hexagonal glitters as well as irregular foil pieces of the same color. There also appear to be some irregular gold foil pieces as well. Below two coats of Spatter Spell are shown over a peach polish (Essie A Crewed Interest).

Cauldron Couture is a "Wickedly glittery emerald." Shown above in one and two coats of this glittery topcoat. This clear base has tiny, small, and large black hexagonal glitters. It is also contains small and large emerald green hexagonal glitters as well as irregular foil pieces of the same color. Below two coats of Cauldron Couture are shown over a mint green polish (Essie Mint Candy Apple).

The Verdict:

These were fun polishes to try. I enjoyed the variety of glitters and foil particles in Cauldron Couture, Splatter Spell, and Mystery Moonshine. These were also my favorites of the bunch and the most unique. If you love glitter, layering, or "jelly sandwich" manicures you should walk run to your nearest SinfulColors retailer and grab these before they're gone. They are definitely versatile and playful.

Also, if anyone has successfully used a glow-in-the-dark polish, I would love to hear any tips and tricks that you may have!

Available for $1.99 exclusively at Walgreens & Target stores in October 2014

Beat the Winter Blues

Winter is upon us, and it doesn't feel like we will be shaking it soon. I'm dying to wear lighter and brighter colors, flowy fabrics, sandals (or even flats!) and springy florals. Until then (because I'm still dressing in layers and wearing boots) I will channel my love for spring into my manicures.

 I chose some glitter, polka dots, and a favorite pastel to create this cute manicure which is the perfect balance between winter and spring.

Polishes used: Zoya Kristen, Purity, and Cosmo

Ps. Thank you for your support and patience over the past few months. My inconsistent posts have been due to horrible morning sickness and extreme exhaustion. I appreciate all of your supportive emails and well wishes as my husband and I are trying to prepare for the adjustments we will be making to our lives. We are excited to be welcoming our bundle of joy in mid July (halfway there, woot!). I will continue to make posts and be in touch, but it may be more delayed than you are used to. Thank you again, what would a girl do without you?

Thanksgiving Manicure--Art Deco

The holidays are that time of year when we see family more and want to look our best. Whether your upcoming holiday festivities are casual or formal, I have a few nail art ideas to help you plan that Thanksgiving Manicure!

I channeled my inner glamour to create a subtly stunning manicure. I chose none other than Art Deco as an inspiration. Art Deco has been very present in designs over the past year so it seemed like the perfect inspiration.

This is the most formal Thanksgiving manicure I created. You could easily change up the colors to match or compliment a party dress. And with a little striping tape, this was a breeze.

*Later I added a black rhinestone to my pinkie and index finger near the cuticle, unfortunately I forgot to take a picture*

Polishes Used: Barielle Gold Digger, OPI Spark de Triomphe, and Zoya Edyta

Thanksgiving Manicure--Texture and Typography

The holidays are that time of year when we see family more and want to look our best. Whether your upcoming holiday festivities are casual or formal, I have a few nail art ideas to help you plan that Thanksgiving Manicure!

Today I have a manicure that mixes 3 different textures/finishes to create a fun and festive manicure. I used a combination of metallic, glitter, and matte polishes to create dimension and interest. Once that was done, I added some typography with a sharpie to give a specific nod to the holiday.

 This manicure bridges the gap between a casual and formal affair. And your nails will be the envy of all around. To personalize this you could write specifics of what you are thankful for this year.

Polishes Used: Tuff Scent Wisdom, SinfulColors Leather Loose, Barielle Gold Digger

Metallic and Bronze

Although this may look autumnal to some, this kind of matches the sweltering summer weather to me. This blazing, copper accent nail adds some flair to a metallic manicure. The metallic polish has teeny tiny coppery bronze flecks, which made this glitter a perfect match.

Polishes used: Sally Hansen Coin Flip and Copper Penny (glitter)

What do you reach for when the temperature starts rising?

Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear--Perky Pink

Press Samples

This is the last polish that Sally Hansen sent to me to review and swatch. Meet Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear Perky Pink.

Perky Pink is a glitter polish with a clear base. The iridescent light pink and peach glitter is sparsely distributed throughout this polish.

The Verdict:

This polish was not my favorite. I think if the glitter would have been more dense I may have liked it more.  This polish is good for layering but that's about it. I wore it layered and loved it. This might be finding its way to a friend who loves glitter, or I might continue to use it for layering...

Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear polishes can be found at most pharmacies and groceries and retails for about $2.00.

Festive, Glittery Manicure...

Hello, lovelies! Today I have a very random manicure. It was nearly a "playing with polish" post, but it's really just layering. Because I did not know how to share this post, it has sat in my "edited" folder for quite some time, just waiting for the perfect opportunity to be shared.

Today seems like the perfect opportunity to share a glittery manicure. This weekend my husband graduates from medical school, so there is a lot to celebrate! Cue glittery manicure...

Polishes used: Diamond Cosmetics Don't Teal My Heart Away, China Glaze Champagne Bubbles, OPI Spark de Triomphe

A Coppery Gilt Manicure

When I initially opened these neatly wrapped bottles, from Sally Hansen, I could not help but think of pretty pairings. This was one that just seemed natural:

Polishes used: Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure Gilty Party (base) with Copper Penny (glitter) accent nail.

Pink Diamonds & Pink Satin

Not only do these two polishes sound like they were made to go together, but they are practically the same color!

I've owned the pink glitter for a while and I have been in search of the perfect polish to do a tone on tone glitter accent nail. Everything was either too blue or too orange. This is the closest I have come so far! Next mission, find it in a cream finish!

Polishes used: Sally Hansen Pink Satin, Barielle Pink Diamond

Valentine's Manicure--Take 2

Feeling mysterious and sexy?  Do you want to wear a vampy polish on Valentine's Day but you're not sure if it's enough? Hopefully this manicure can channel those feelings and solve your polish conundrum.

Valentine's Manicure #2

I love how feminine, yet dark and mysterious this manicure is.  The light pink glitter is the perfect juxtaposition to the deep crelly oxblood.  I am enjoying having the excuse to wear adorable hearts on my nails.  This is such a fun way to wear a vampy color on Valentine's Day, what do you think?

Nail polishes used to create this manicure: Barielle Pink Diamond and Erica's Pencil Skirt .

Butter London All Hail The Queen

Hello, loves!

I have had this polish for months but I apparently never shared my swatch pictures with you!  I was reminded of this last week because this was my mani during my vacation.

All Hail The Queen, by Butter London, is described as "opaque, holographic beige nail lacquer."  This is one of those perfect year round neutrals that looks demure and sophisticated.  Once it meets some sunlight, its fun side shines through as prismatic glitter throw the light around on your tips.  It may not be your typical pick for a beach vacation manicure, but in the end I realized that it was the perfect choice.

The Verdict:
It lasted all week (with a base and topcoat) with minimal tip wear.  This is an office appropriate option with some flair.  The base also added some warmth to my icy winter complexion.  While it must be stated that this polish does not have a linear holographic effect, the scattered fine glitter still maintains its rainbow-like effect.  

Butter London polishes can be purchased online or in some cosmetic stores for $15. (I believe that the price has gone up recently from $14)

Barielle Layering

Ok, so this manicure is actually about a month old.  I wore this around the holidays and fell in love with this tone-on-tone glitter.  The moment I saw Barielle Lindsay's Dancin' I knew that Cherry Blossom Sparkler would make a fabulous accent nail.  I dressed up an old manicure by adding a splash of cherry glitter on my ring finger.

I am such a sucker for tone-on-tone glitter.  This probably could have used another coat of glitter, but it was so stunning.  Now I'm dying to have a turquoise glitter to use this spring/summer with my favorite turquoise polish.

What's your favorite tone-on-tone glitter color?

Polar Bear in a Snowstorm

Today is the day I leave my warm, tropical hideaway and venture back to the frigid Mid Atlantic.  To commemorate this switch back to reality, I prepared a fitting manicure.  

I remember as a child taking a blank white piece of paper, and saying "Look, it's a polar bear in a snowstorm!" In that same way, I present my own manicure version of the same phenomenon.

This manicure was created using a base of Zoya Purity and then sponging glitter to form a snowy gradient.  The glitter is Barielle Star Dust, which when I first posted its swatch this summer I knew it would make the most amazing snowy manicure.

I'm really enjoying this frosty tipped manicure.  What's your favorite frosty/winter manicure?

Purple Glittery Goodness

More purple-icious-ness...

I was wearing Revlon Plum Night, an autumn staple, and it needed an update after a few days.  What makes a manicure better when it starts to chip or lose its charm? GLITTERRRRRRRRRRRR

Please excuse the tip wear <3

I added a glittery accent nail in Barielle Purple Hearts from the Dazzling Diamonds Collection.  This purple glitter is just so much fun.  I love the different shades, sizes, and shapes of glitter that give this polish its character.

If you think this manicure looks familiar from me, perhaps it's because you remember this one.  I recently shared an edition of "Playing with Polish" that featured Purple Hearts over Barielle Soho at Night.

Butter London No More Waity, Katie

Confession: I gravitate toward PURPLE during the autumn.  I have no clue why but I JUST realized this while editing photos!  So this week I will share some of my recent "purple" manicures:)

A couple of months ago, you may have remember the ULTA/Butter London B1G1 sale.  I posted my haul and shared that I picked up No More Waity, Katie.  I love any nail polish that has my name/nickname/surname in it, so I picked up this baby.  

The Verdict:
I love the beautiful lavender glitter in the gruple (grey/purple) jelly base.  Yes, I really like this combination, I know that some do not like it, so to each their own.  I have nothing like this which makes me love it more.  It applied flawlessly. I believe that the photo above shows three coats, due to the jelly-like base.

HOWEVER, this polish only lasted 1 day before chipping:-\  I used a base coat and a topcoat that I usually have no issues with.  I will definitely give this another go, but I think it's the polish (or the October curse).  Sometimes polishes just don't agree with our body chemistry and this might be of those for me.  Even so, it just gives me another excuse to change my polish again if it still chips:)

Butter London polishes can be purchased from Ulta or the Butter London website for $14 each.

Playing with Polish--Purple Glitter Gradient

I recently had my nails painted a deep purple (Barielle Soho at Night) and needed to either, 1.) change my polish, or 2.) update my mani with nail art to cover up the tip wear.  I chose choice 2.  I decided to go for an ever popular glitter gradient using Barielle Purple Hearts.  It was fast and simple and did the trick:)  Here's a peek...

How do you like to fix/update a manicure?

Pink Girly Glitter

Hello, loves!  Many of you are aware of my glitter frustrations which include but are not limited to...

• Makes me feel like a little kid (which can be good)
• Pain in the butt to remove
• Messy removal (aka. glitter EVERYWHERE)

Therefore, this girl usually doesn't include glitter in many of her manicures.  I do own quite a few glitters, despite not using them often.  I also have not gotten on the indie glitter bandwagon (which just seems a bit oxymoronic) because I do not wear it often even if I like to look at it in the bottle:)

However, I do wear glitter, on occasion and I welcome suggestions of classy ways to wear glitter.  I have "mastered" wearing glittery accent nails and decided to get adventurous and do an all over glitter manicure.  I used 2 Barielle beauties to complete this look.  The base color is two coats of Barielle Pink Quartz and is topped with two coats of Barielle Cherry Blossom Sparkler.

My nails looked like they were painted with molten pink metal from afar.  It was pretty cool.  I have gotten more adventurous with nail polish (I used to be a sheer pink & red wearer, boring to most of you, I know).  With the recent discovery of peel-able basecoats (aka. Elmer's School Glue) you might see me wearing more glitter & flakies:)

What is your FAVORITE way to wear glitter?

Sally Hansen Parchment Redeems Itself

Last week I posted about Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure in Parchment.  I you read my post, you can see that the results were less than desirable.  This week I was in full procrastination mode.  I did not want to work on my research proposal for grad school, so instead I played with nail polish:)

I decided to give Parchment another try before I tried to give it away.  I put 2 thin coats on, and it looked a million times better than it did the first time I wore it.  Then after a few hours admiring how much better it looked, I decided to have some fun & layer a bit of glittery goodness over it.

You all know about my love/hate relationship with glitter, but this one was an overall love.

The glitter on top of Parchment is Barielle Purple Hearts which is part of their new Dazzling Diamonds Collection.

What do you think?