Showing posts with label NOTD (Nails of the Day). Show all posts
Showing posts with label NOTD (Nails of the Day). Show all posts

Saturday, August 10, 2013

Alessandro Lucky Violet Nail Polish Review!

Alessandro Lucky Violet Nail Polish

Alessandro Lucky Violet Nail Polish

Alessandro Lucky Violet Nail Polish ($9.50) is a fabulous soft purple with a blue pearl that makes this purple appear as more of a cool-toned purple/violet. I love purple nail polish, especially dark purples during the Fall/Winter and pastel purples during the Spring/Summer, but I rarely ever really wear mid-toned purples - I'm not quite sure why, but I think it has something to do with it being one of my most worn nail polish colors when I was a kid. I can't help but see purple as a very adolescent shade, but nevertheless, I think it's a really fun color and one that could be enjoyed all year round.

I found the formula to be a bit thick with this color and I couldn't get completely even coverage until I applied three coats. Despite this, each coat dried fairly quickly. You can surely get away with two coats, but I thought three looked best for full opacity. In the photo of my nails, I applied three coats to my pointer finger and two coats to the rest.

Sometimes square shaped bottles can be a little awkward to handle when painting the nails, but I love that the cap has grooves on each side for your thumb and pointer or middle finger to sit comfortably in as well as ridged grooves on both sides of the cap for a good grip. Really effective design.

I'm hoping my manicure will hold up for at least 5-6 days. I'll edit this post later letting you know how well it held up without chips.

Alessandro Lucky Violet Nail Polish

If you live in Europe, Alessandro might be a familiar brand to you, as it's one of the leading European luxury nail polish/nail care brands. It wasn't until just recently they launched their extensive line of gorgeous nail polishes in the USA. They are actually a sister brand to Tweezerman, so you can find their products on the Tweezerman website (by clicking the Alessandro tab at the top of the screen) or by visiting http://www.alessandro-international.us. You can also find some of their products at Beauty.com.

Have you ever heard of, or tried this brand? Let me know! I'm interested in trying some of their other shades.

 

Friday, August 2, 2013

Revlon Rich Raspberry Colorstay Longwear Nail Enamel Review with Photos!

Revlon Rich Raspberry Colorstay Longwear Nail Enamel

Revlon Rich Raspberry Colorstay Longwear Nail Enamel

Revlon Rich Raspberry Colorstay Longwear Nail Enamel ($5-6) is a raspberry pink with a super-glossy, gel-like finish. Indoors in low lighting the color appears much more raspberry/magenta, but when in bright lighting, the purple hues really come out and it shows more of a true fuchsia.

I don't know what it is with nail colors, but I get sick of every single polish after one manicure. It's very rare for me to find a shade that I want to wear continuously. Is anyone else like this? I'm beginning to think if I should stop buying nail polish all together and just get a weekly manicure at the salon. Anyway, fuchsia is one color that I don't find myself getting sick of on my nails.

I prefer darker shades of polish in general as pastels and light shades become discolored after a few days (I'm hard on my hands). This shade in particular really seems to flatter my skintone whether I'm pale or tan. Berry shades are typically most worn during Fall, but I love breaking the rules and wearing it all year round when I'm sick of everything else in my collection.

The Revlon Colorstay Nail Enamel line claims to keep your manicure fresh for up to 11 days - it's barely been 24 hours since I applied the color, but I'll update this post to let you know how well it holds up. I'm super lazy when it comes to painting my nails more than once a week, so if this polish stays put for a week, I'm definitely going to purchase additional shades.

The formula is fantastic - creamy, opaque and perfect with two coats. It didn't take forever to dry between coats and the finish is shiny. The brush is large with a rounded tip for precise, streak-free application. Only, my applicator wasn't cut evenly which is a bit annoying during application, but I was able to paint my nails mistake-free.

Revlon Rich Raspberry Colorstay Nail Enamel
Two (2) Coats of Revlon Rich Raspberry Colorstay Nail Enamel on my nails (w/ Seche Vite Top Coat)

Revlon Rich Raspberry Colorstay Nail Enamel

Have you tried the Revlon Colorstay line of nail polishes? Did they stay true to the 11-day claim for you?

Thursday, August 1, 2013

Revlon Dazzle Brilliant Strength Nail Enamel Mini Review with Photos!

Revlon Dazzle Brilliant Strength Nail Enamel

Revlon Dazzle Brilliant Strength Nail Enamel

Revlon 010 Dazzle Brilliant Strength Nail Enamel ($8) is a lovely warm, light pink jelly nail polish with iridescent shimmer/micro glitter and what appears to be golden iridescent flakes. It's a super pretty shade and a bit reminiscent of the much sought after limited edition OPI Pink Me I'm Good.

It's sheer but if you don't have discolored nails, it's actually pretty wearable with one coat. The color builds well and is fairly opaque with three coats. Although it's totally fine to wear alone, it's probably better suited when applied on top of a light pink nail polish if you're into a more opaque look. I've worn it both ways, and actually have it applied over Essie Van D'Go on my toes and I really like it!

The Brilliant Strength line combines a base and top coat in a nail strengthening formula. Despite that, I still like using my own base coat (Orly Bonder is my favorite) and a top coat (Seche Vite) as I prefer a shiny, glassy finish.

The formula was a bit watery, but really easy to work with. The brush is a bit large and flat, it's easy to coat the nails with a couple swipes.

I found that it holds up quite well on the nails. My only complaint is that the enamel doesn't grip onto the tips of my nails well, and I had tip wear within a couple of days. No chips though for a week.

Revlon Dazzle Brilliant Strength Nail Enamel
Three (3) coats of Revlon Dazzle Nail Enamel on my nails

What's on your nails right now?

Wednesday, May 22, 2013

Sally Hansen All Fired Up Complete Salon Nail Polish.

Sally Hansen All Fired Up Complete Salon Nail Polish

I haven't posted any nail posts recently, mostly because the cold weather this past winter was super harsh on my nails. I have Nail Miracle (blogged about this a few months ago) to thank for my now long, healthy nails.

I like wearing neutral and dark nail colors all year round, but this Summer I've been loving the classic neon and bright pinks, coral, warm reds and orange.

Sally Hansen All Fired Up is a warm, summery red with a hint of orange. In some lighting, it reads a bit of a warm coral. It's a very classic color that you can't go too wrong with. I love the way it looks on my nails, especially when I have a little bit of a tan going on.

The Sally Hansen Complete Salon Nail Polishes have a thick, flat, stubby brush so you can coat more surface area in less strokes. I like the brush because I can paint my nails quicker with a larger brush. If you have very petite hands or very small nail beds, you might find it to be a little large.

The formula is fantastic and applies evenly and opaque. Two coats is perfect.

Paired with Orly Bonder Base Coat and Seche Vite Top Coat, my manicure lasted a full week with minor tip wear.

This is definitely a nail polish I'll be rocking all Summer long.

What's on your nails?

Thursday, November 8, 2012

Pink with Glitter Reverse French Nails of the Day.

Reverse French Manicure with Glitter

I've been wanting to try a reverse french manicure with glitter for a while now after seeing several photos on Pinterest, so I decided to give it a shot today. I've tried the regular reverse french and liked it a lot, but I thought adding glitter would be a fun twist since I love glitter tips in general. 

I used french manicure guides that I purchased from my local beauty supply store, but you can use tape if you'd like (just make sure to cut it so it's rounded) or garage sale stickers, reinforcement stickers, etc.

how to create reverse french manicure with glitter

It's that easy! You just have to be sure that your glitter is completely dry, otherwise the sticker can pull the glitter off. As an alternative to glitter polish, you can actually apply a clear coat of nail polish to the bottom portion of your nail, and spill some loose glitter on top. 

For the glitter, I used Maybelline Color Show Sequins Nail Polish in the shade Gold's Night Out with Milani Silver Jewel FX on top. 

The color on my nails is Essie Lion Around. I picked it up recently at my local TJ Maxx.

Monday, July 23, 2012

Wet n Wild Megalast 2% Milk and Milani Lavender Jewel FX Nail Polish!

I love anything that sparkles, and when I spot a pretty glitter polish, it's pretty hard for me to not toss it in my cart. Despite the P.I.T.A. glitter polishes are to remove, I think they're so much fun! Milani has a big variety of glitter polishes to choose from. If you like smaller, more uniform glitter, you have to check out the Holographic and One Coat Glitter polishes. But if you're a fan of large, chunky glitter, the Jewel FX polishes are for you.

I recently picked up Milani Lavender Jewel FX Nail Lacquer, and decided to experiment a little bit with it today. I painted some glitter tips, and thought I'd quickly share my NOTD!

milani jewel fx lavender
I used three coats of Wet n Wild 2% Milk, two coats of Milani Lavender Jewel FX and then used the Milani Art of Silver Nail Art polish to create a silver, glittery line across the tip.

From the left to right: Wet n Wild 2% Milk Megalast Nail Color, Milani Art of Silver Nail Art Nail Lacquer and Milani Lavender Jewel FX Nail Lacquer.

Wet n Wild 2% Milk is one of my frequently used "no polish" polish. Most sheer, light nail polishes apply streaky, but because of the thick, flat brush of the Megalast polishes, it yields minimal streaks. I've gone through so many Essie polishes, and haven't liked any of them. This one is only $2 and it beats them all! I also like using Sugar Coat for a pinker alternative.

I think I might get a couple more of the Jewel FX polishes. They are great glitters to use for a statement nail, as the glitter is really chunky and metallic - it almost gives off a foiled look.

Wednesday, June 20, 2012

Zoya Yara Nail Polish Review!

zoya yara

Zoya Yara Nail Polish

Zoya Yara Nail Polish ($8) is a medium olive/khaki or army green infused with very fine gold glitter. It's by no means a glitter polish, so don't let that throw you off if you don't care for glitter polish. In fact, it looks more shimmery in the bottle, than it does on the nails. Sadly, it's one of those polishes where the glitter becomes semi-lost in the opaque color base once applied. It's still visible, mostly under direct light. I think it's a really pretty, unique color - perfect for Fall.

This is only my third Zoya polish, and so far, I've had luck with all of them formula-wise. The formula is completely ideal - it isn't thick, and it isn't watery. It's a very good medium - nice and creamy, which makes application a breeze. 

zoya yara
Two coats of Zoya Yara on my nails (with Seche Vite Top Coat)

Monday, April 9, 2012

Nails of the Day: Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear Nail Polish in Pacific Blue!

Two Coats of Sally Hansen Pacific Blue

Sally Hansen Pacific Blue is a bright, royal-blue cream polish with a shiny finish. It's almost a cross between royal blue and periwinkle blue. There are so many different shades of blue, and this particular shade is at the top of my list. I think it's a great summer shade, especially with the current "pop of neon" trend. This shade goes particularly well with neon yellow. 

When I think of neon yellow, I think of this Cambridge bag I've been lusting over for the past few months. But I can't help but think that I'll probably never wear again after the summer. What do you think?
(Image Source)

Here's a comparison to what I'd call true blue. Note the difference?
Love and Beauty Blue (link)

Application with this polish is pretty good. It applies evenly and almost completely opaque with one coat. If you're an impatient gal, you could definitely get away with one coat of this polish. I opted for two for full opacity and a shiny top coat. I did notice with the second coat the polish seemed slightly thick. I may add a couple drops of thinner to the bottle.

Absolutely love this shade and I'm sure I'll be wearing it all summer long.

What's on your nails?

Monday, February 27, 2012

NOTD: Wet n Wild Mega Last Salon Nail Color in 205B Sugar Coat.

 Wet n Wild Sugar Coat Mega Last Salon Nail Color 

Early this year Wet n Wild launched new packaging and an improved formula for their Megalast Nail Polishes. The new formula claims to be long-lasting, promising 5 days of wear. They came out with some new colors along with some of the old, with eighteen shades in total (or at least 18 on Wet n Wild's website).

I wanted to give the new formula a shot, and purchased the shade Sugar Coat, which is a pale, milky peach-pink.
The brush is wide and flat, curving at the tip for a one-sweep application. It's similar to the brush of Sally Hansen Insta-Dri Nail Polish or Rimmel Lasting Finish Nail Polish. It's great for those with average to wide nail beds, but may be a little difficult for those with narrow nail beds. I really like the brush, and for my nails, it provides a very even application with less streaks.

 Wet n Wild Sugar Coat Mega Last Salon Nail Color 
(Three Coats with Seche Vite Top Coat)

Sugar Coat is a really nice natural shade that looks great on it's own or as a pale pink base for french tips. You really only need two coats, but once of my nails ended up a little streaky, so I ended up painting three coats.

The drying time is okay, it's not very fast, but with a fast drying top coat, your nails shouldn't smudge.

I really like this polish, and I'm hoping it lives up to it's 5-day claim. Regardless, a bottle only costs $1.99, so it's not a huge loss.

I'll be updating this post letting you know how long it lasts before chipping or peeling!

Have you tried any colors from the Wet n Wild Megalast line? What do you think of them?

Friday, January 27, 2012

NOTD: Essie Super Bossa Nova with Hearts!

essie super bossa nova

Essie Super Bossa Nova Nail Lacquer

When it comes to painting designs on my nails, most of the time I end up wishing I never attempted it in the first place - as most of the time it looks like I drew the designs with my eyes closed. I wanted to do a simple design in the spirit of Valentine's Day, so I added a little heart to each nail. Not the best job in the world, but I thought the outcome was kinda cute.

I used two coats of Essie Super Bossa Nova, which is a lovely fuchsia with very fine bright pink/purple shimmers. Essie's Nail Polish formula makes me want to scream at times - the first coat applied beautifully, and the second coat was difficult to spread. It was like applying old, goopy polish to my nails. I have this problem with Essie all of the time. But, by the time I applied my top coat (Seche Vite), no signs of a "struggle" showed through. It's a very pretty summer shade for the fingers and toes.

I added the hearts simply by using the tip of a toothpick. I dipped the tip of the toothpick in a small pool of the polish and laid the tip on a slight diagonal to my nail. It should create a half heart shape. Then, repeat on the opposite side to connect the heart.

You can practice on paper to get it right before you attempt it on your freshly painted nails!

You can get creative and draw borders and/or designs around the hearts. With the tip of the toothpick, I made a white dotted outline around one of my nails, and with a glitter nail art pen, outlined another heart.

What's on your nails?! Do you ever paint designs on your nails for the holidays?

Tuesday, January 17, 2012

NOTD: Pink and White Reverse French.



I know we're all familiar with the traditional french manicure, but the reverse french - also known as the half moon manicure, is something much less traditional. It was one of the most popular nail trends in 2011, and is still being seen on catwalks for Spring 2012. It's a very funky and trendy nail design that can be done easily with the help of a some stickers (or a steady hand!).

What's fun about the reverse french is that there's really no right or wrong way to do it! You can use any two colors you'd like, using contrasting colors or colors similar in tone for a more subtle effect. The "half moons" can be any size you want, there is really no standard.

For my manicure, I used two coats of Sally Hansen Salon Nail Lacquer in #320 All the White Stuff and one coat of ULTA Salon Formula Nail Lacquer in Heirhead. For a top coat, I used Seche Vite Top Coat.

  • First, pick your two nail polish colors.
  • (Optional) Apply a thin layer of a base coat.
  • Apply 1-2 coats of the color you want your reverse french/half moon to be. (I chose white)
  • Wait for your nails to dry completely. You want to make sure they are completely dry, otherwise, you can risk messing up your nails in the next step. You may want to add a coat of a fast drying top coat to seal the two coats of polish. I used Seche Vite Top Coat for this.
  • Stick paper reinforcement stickers to the base of your nail. Depending on your preference, you can stick them on higher up, or lower down. So they aren't too sticky, stick them on the back of your hand prior to applying them on your nails.
  • Paint 1-2 coats of your preferred top color, remove stickers. I removed them right away, so they wouldn't get stuck to my nails.
  • Apply a top coat.

    (Image Credit: Teen.com)




    Wednesday, December 14, 2011

    NOTD: Quite possibly the coolest holographic glitter polish, ever. (pic heavy)

     

    I picked up this awesome glitter polish on Black Friday at Urban Outfitters. I've only been in Urban Outfitters a few times, and while waiting in a mega-long line to pay for my $10 awesome-deal top, I spotted this polish from about 10 feet away, dumbfounded that every girl in there wasn't fighting over getting a bottle.

    The name of the polish is Afterhours, and it's a part of their house brand (Urban Outfitters Inc). It's a really difficult shade to describe, but it has a silver holographic fine glitter base with larger flecks of pink glitter. The mixture of the pink and silver glitter almost give off a pale purple appearance in the bottle. The holo is amazing. Some polishes have a weaker holo than others, but this one is really uniform and stands out really nice. I can't help but look at my nails every time I catch good lighting.

    It's pretty opaque for a glitter, and I'm sure it would look great on it's own. I used it over a deep purple polish, and really liked the results.

      
    CONTINUE READING FOR ADDITIONAL PHOTOS!

    Thursday, November 17, 2011

    NOTD: Barielle Sailors Delight; A Perfect Pink!

    Two (2) Coats of Barielle Sailors Delight and One (1) Coat of Sally Hansen Insta-Dri Top Coat

    Barielle Sailors Delight is described on the Barielle website as a "dusty mauve cream". I would describe it as a medium-toned, neutral pink. In some lighting, the neutral undertone gives it an almost lilac pink appearance. I find it a little difficult finding the correct shade of pink that isn't too bright, too light or dark, and applies opaque. A pink that is "work friendly".

    There's nothing obnoxious about this pink. It's slightly vivid, yet perfectly muted, and it's not too "mauve" where it's ages your hands. Application is really good, it applies opaque from the start, and is completely opaque with two coats. As far as the wear goes, I'll have to wait and see!

    Barielle's Nail Polishes are formaldehyde free, toluene free, D8P free and pregnancy safe.

    Barielle Nail Polish and Products can be found at various beauty supply stores and retailers around the US. For a list of locations, click here. I've spotted Barielle at my local TJMaxx/Marshalls stores and some ULTA locations. I purchased this bottle at ULTA on clearance for $2.99.

    Saturday, September 24, 2011

    NOTD: Essie Ballet Slippers!

    Three (3) Coats of Essie Ballet Sippers & One (1) Coat of Sally Hansen Insta-Dri Top Coat
    Three (3) Coats of Essie Ballet Sippers & One (1) Coat of Sally Hansen Insta-Dri Top Coat
    (These photos were taken three days after I applied it. No chips yet!)

    Essie Ballet Slippers is a pale, milky sheer pink. The polish isn't really meant to be opaque, but I applied three coats to better cover the discoloration of my tips (they are currently stained yellow-ish from my self tanner). Two coats looks nice for less opacity. I actually prefer the sheer look of two, because with the more coats you apply, the more pastel (almost white) the color will appear and it's too big of a contrast if I'm too tan. 

    The formula isn't the best, as with a lot of Essie's polishes, it applies a bit streaky, but with careful hands & less brush strokes, you can get away with a streak-free manicure. 

    I think it's a great shade for a formal occasion, the workplace or for every day. It's very natural, and looks polished, clean and feminine. It's also a great shade to use for french tips. 

    According to Essie, it's one of their best sellers. I think it's the simplicity of the shade that makes it so popular. It's one of those no brainer shades you can wear for absolutely anything and it will always match your outfit. Kind of like "your nails, but better."

    Monday, September 19, 2011

    NOTD: Essence Colour and Go in Date with the Night + Studio M Covered in Diamonds!

    Two (2) Coats of Essence Colour & Go in Date with the Night & One (1) Coat of Sally Hansen Insta-Dri Top Coat
    Date with the Night is a metallic pewter with extremely fine shimmers that are only visible under bright lights. It totally looks like a metallic silver-chocolate in the bottle, but I don't notice any brown tones when painted on the nails.

    The Colour and Go polishes are usually a hit or miss with the formula. Some are just right, but many are on the thicker side. This polish is a bit thick, but the plus side is they are pretty opaque with one coat, so if you're running late and have nothing on your nails, you can really "colour and go". I have already used this polish twice, and I'm sure the next time I use it, I'll have to put a couple drops of nail polish thinner in the bottle. Brush strokes are noticeable with this formula, so if you have a shaky hand, it will definitely show on your nails.

    Pretty color, not the best formula, but not bad for 99 cents. I get almost a weeks wear from these polishes, which for sure beat any other dollar nail polish at the drugstore. Yes, Wet n Wild and Sinful Colors, I'm talking about you.

    I also picked up this funky, confetti/flake nail polish from Meijer called Covered in Diamonds. I haven't heard of Studio M polishes prior, and at $2.99 a pop, I thought I'd at least try one.

    Covered in Diamonds has a clear base, and is filled with pastel confetti flakes that reflect blue, green, pink and orange. It's definitely a fun polish to have. The flakes are a little on the thick side though - so they all may not lie completely flat. For the best results, 1-2 coats of a top coat is necessary.


    READ MORE FOR ADDITIONAL PHOTOS!

    Thursday, September 8, 2011

    NOTD: Chanel Fall 2011 Graphite Nail Polish!

    Chanel Graphite Nail Colour

    Chanel Graphite Nail Colour is from Chanel's Fall Nail Colour release which included three shades in total - Quartz, Peridot and Graphite. I'm sure if you follow several blogs, this nail polish isn't anything new to you. Graphite and Peridot are two shades that have gotten a lot of hype in the blogging world. I contemplated picking up Peridot and Graphite, but ended up only getting Graphite. I'm still kind of 50/50 on whether I want Peridot or not. It's such a unique shade. I'm sure if I look at enough swatches I'll end up convincing myself to get it.

    Graphite appears to be a metallic charcoal/silver, but it's so much more complex than that! It has a sheer, charcoal base and is suspended with extra fine silver and gold (they appear much more green to me, but that maybe because when black and gold come into contact, the gold appears green) shimmer. It has a foil/metallic finish and is completely opaque with two coats. I found the formula very easy to work with - It has a great consistency and isn't gritty at all considering it's so shimmery. In dull lighting it appears to be a metallic charcoal silver with a greenish/gold tinge, but when under sunlight and brighter lighting, that's when this gem really glistens. Really accurate swatches of the color in all of it's glory can be found at alllacqueredup.com (HERE). Her photos are simply amazing!

    I've had it on my toes for around two weeks and my nails still look perfect! That's totally a first for me because I always manage to botch my pedicures by the two week mark. I hope it has good lasting power on my fingernails as well!

    I highly recommend picking this polish up while it's around.. I'm even thinking about purchasing a back up!

    Two (2) Coats of Chanel Graphite and One (1) Coat of Sally Hansen Insta-Dri Top Coat
    Two (2) Coats of Chanel Graphite and One (1) Coat of Sally Hansen Insta-Dri Top Coat

    Wednesday, August 31, 2011

    NOTD: Sally Hansen Insta-Dri Nail Polish in Bronze Ablaze!

    Bronze Ablaze is one of those shades that's a little difficult to describe. It's a metallic brassy-bronze-brown with flecks of micro-shimmer that are only really visible in the sunlight. At certain angles the shade gives off a greenish-gold pearl. A shade that I find is definitely unique and looks a little more "high end" than it really is. It's only around for a limited time as it's a part of their Fall 2011 release.

    If you're familiar with Sally Hansen Insta-Dri nail polish range (the Insta-Dri top coat is a favorite of mine!) the wand is very large and flat, as is the brush. It's a bit similar to the Rimmel Lasting Finish Pro Polish wand, but a little larger. For those of you with very short nails, it may be troublesome painting your nails with such a large wand, but for those of you with long nails, it makes things much easier.


    I can't tell you how excited I was with this polish. I deemed it my fall favorite and anticipated purchasing a back-up. It's just such a pretty shade and I mostly wear neutrals, khaki green and tan - so this pretty much matches with everything in my wardrobe. The wear time is pretty good - almost a full week. Now, the downside with this polish is the terrible formula. It's a little on the thick side, so it's fairly opaque with one coat. It does dry semi-quickly, but after the second coat, it didn't dry as quick. With any nail polish, I always wait around 3-4 minutes and apply my Seche Vite Top Coat and within 30 seconds they are dry to the touch. But not with this polish. Several minutes after I applied my Seche Vite, my nails felt almost sticky to the touch - causing a few faint fingerprints on a couple of nails. Also, I got a few nicks on my nails. If that wasn't bad enough  little bubbles started to appear. Fantastic! 

    So my problem probably was that I applied too heavy of a second coat, but I find it hard to avoid because of the thick formula and huge brush. I will try to be patient with this polish because I really do love it. I don't think the photo does this shade justice.. you should check it out at your local drugstore. 

    What's your favorite Fall nail polish? I know Summer isn't even over yet, but Fall is my favorite season and I already started wearing my vampy polishes a little early. 

    Saturday, August 20, 2011

    NOTD: MAC Earthly Harmony Nail Lacquer - Love this Taupe!

    mac earthly harmony
    Two (2) Coats of MAC Earthly Harmony and One (1) Coat of Seche Vite Top Coat

    MAC Earthly Harmony Nail Lacquer

    MAC Earthly Harmony was launched with MAC's 2010 Fall "Nail Trend Collection". I just got this awesome polish earlier this week through a swap, and I think it's probably going to become one of my favorite nail polishes that I'll wear frequently. Too bad it's a LE shade that I doubt will be re-promoted. But, who knows.

    Earthly Harmony is a neutral taupe-gray with incredibly subtle copper shimmer. I read through a bunch of reviews before I picked up this shade, and many of the reviewers were a little disappointed that the shade in the bottle differs from when it's actually on your nails. As you can see in the above photo, in the bottle the color appears lighter, with an almost greenish/yellow tone and a pretty copper shimmer. Very unique. But, once applied to the nails, the color is a little deeper with no shimmer. Even in bright sunlight, the shimmer is barely noticeable. Bummer.

    I love the formula of this shade. I'm not too familiar with MAC polishes, as this is only my second one (my first being "Hangin' Loose") so I'm not sure if the creme finish polishes really differ from shade to shade, but I think the consistency is very ideal. It's not too thick or thin, spreads evenly and is opaque with two coats. I really don't mind having to paint three coats, but it's always a huge plus when a polish only needs two. 

    The price is way expensive ($15 for 10ml/0.34 oz) so it's always nice to get the chance to try a MAC nail polish through swaps, blog sales or your local Cosmetic Company Outlet (CCO).

    What's your favorite taupe polish? I love OPI Over the Taupe as well.

    Sunday, August 14, 2011

    Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear Nail Color in Rockstar Pink!


    Rockstar Pink is a pretty cool glitter polish that consists of two different size glitters. I wouldn't really consider it to be "chunky" glitter, but it's a mix of small and extra fine glitters. There are magenta, red, blue and very fine gold (they almost look green - some say they are silver, but they look gold to me) glitter, with the majority being magenta. Wow, I've managed to say glitter 5 times in two sentences. Haha!

    Anyway, many times glitter nail polishes disappoint because they never seem to look the same way on the nail as they do in the bottle. Although Rockstar Pink is fairly sheer, I find it to be more opaque than other glitters I've tried in the past. You pretty much get full coverage with three coats, but I decided on four. When sealed with a top coat, this polish is a real stunner.

    I tried it over pink, black and solo. I think it looks pretty cool all three ways. A couple of pedicures ago, I did the pink version and I loved it. It looked very "barbie-esque".

    If you love glitter polish and don't mind the extra hassle of removing it, this is a great buy for a couple of dollars at your local drugstore.


    Sunday, August 7, 2011

    NOTD: OPI Coney Island Cotton Candy with Glitter Tips!

    Three (3) Coats of OPI Coney Island Cotton Candy with Love & Beauty Silver Glitter on the tips and One (1) Coat of Seche Vite Top Coat.

    Coney Island Cotton Candy is a very sheer, milky flesh-tone nude with a peach undertone. Prior to receiving this polish in a swap last year, I looked up numerous swatches and reviews for this shade, and saw so many differences. I suppose it depends on the actual color of you nail how this polish may appear, because many stated there is a pink tone to it. On my nails though, there is absolutely no trace of pink.

    This polish is very sheer. It's basically clear with the first coat and a sheer, milky beige with the second coat. It looks it's best with three coats, but the color still isn't completely opaque. Because my tips were still visible with the third coat, I decided to add some glitter to my tips to distract from my self tanner stains. I used Love & Beauty's (Forever 21) Silver Glitter Nail Polish.

    The formula is very thin and runny. Once the applicator hits my nail, a small pool of polish extends across my nail in an even layer. I find that it's very easy to work with, but requires patience between coats. Once dried, it has a "jelly" polish consistency. So, to avoid any indents, a good top coat is necessary.