add and abstract these polka dots!

its absolutely, one hundred percent acceptable to be instantly jealous of this manicure. i started with one thick coat of Barielle polish in Do Unto Others. this shade is a wonderful, creamy rich Tiffany blue, which i discovered thanks to The PolishAholic. this was my first time working with Barielle nail polishes, and i have to say that while i liked the brush and the bottle size, it was a little difficult to apply. it tended to be a on the streaky side, though the thick soft texture of the polish pretty much makes up for this. after Do Unto Others was dry, i used my new Orly Dotter Duo to make different sized polka dots using Finger Paints in Add and Abstract. i topped my work of art with China Glaze Fast Forward top coat and called it a day! happy manicuring everyone :)

Barielle in Do Unto Others, Finger Paints in Add and Abstract, and my new Orly Dotter Duo pen!

Barielle in Do Unto Others (pre polka dots)

topsies and bottoms...coats and more.

in case you were wondering what my mani staples are...here we go!
so far, this duo is my tried and true favorite for top coat and base coat. i like China Glaze because they are very affordable, 3Free, generally not too smelly, and work well. the Strong Adhesion base coat is excellent. it dries very quickly and smoothes out my smaller ridges without feeling sticky after 60 seconds. Fast Forward top coat is basically awesome, because it is very high shine and adds a lot of depth to my manicures without ever being sticky or thick. it dries to the touch in a timely fashion ( i am very, very impatient), usually no longer than 3 minutes or so.

Ulta-mate deals!

typically my museum store, Ulta happened to have some really good sales this week. OPI's Shrek collection was 2/$10 and Essie polishes were buy 2 get one free. Whilst pondering the aisles of nail polish (i tend to get weak kneed when i see that much varnish at one time), i discovered this little gem: an Orly Dotter Duo. i cannot wait to use this! it has opened up a whole new world of possibilities...and for a mere $7. from the OPI Shrek collection i scooped up Rumple's Wiggin' and Fiercely Fiona. these were the only two colors that the Ulta closest to me had in stock that i didn't already have in my collection...or i would've gotten a few more! i'm not sure which of these items i'm going to use first as i'm very excited about them all!

leopard's Coat Azure

good morning! today i have my second leopard print for you, this time as a pedi. i absolutely love this color combination...so i might have to stick with it for a week. first i used 2 coats (opaque) Essie in Coat Azure, a wonderful, moody, creamy blue. then i used my recently hauled Sally Hansen Nail Art Pen in Gold to make leopard spots all over my toes. i used my L.A. Colors nail art pen in Black to outline the gold, and topped it with China Glaze Fast Forward Top Coat. i adore the depth of the Coat Azure, it makes this look work for summertime.

Leopard Spots! Pedi with Essie Coat Azure, Sally Hansen Nail Art Pen in Gold, and L.A. Colors in black

summer '11 manic mermaid

to me, summer hasn't started 'til it's just before the 4th ;) so in honor of the all the tanning i wish i was doing, i decided to go coral! i painted 1 coat Sally Hansen Insta-Dri in Snappy Sorbet. i was a little disappointed with the formula; usually easy to work with, i found it sticky and thin. i topped the orangey-coral with Essie in shade #540, Ticker Tape. this Essie polish usually takes a bit longer to dry. for top coat i used China Glaze Fast Forward Top Coat, although next time i'd like to use something a little thicker. all in all, i am quite satisfied with the results! i only wish i had a better camera to photograph these beauties!

Sally Hansen Insta-Dri in Snappy Sorbet and Essie in Ticker Tape

SoBe leopard mani madness

let's start off with the fact that i'm head over heels for this manicure (especially considering this is my first attempt at the ever-popular leopard mani). i started with 1 coat Sally Hansen HD Nailcolor in shade #03 Pixel Pretty, and then made spots using Sally Hansen Insta-Dri in shade #460 Snappy Sorbet. i made black outlines around the spots using L.A. Colors Art Deco in black, and topped it with China Glaze Fast Forward Top Coat. i'm pleased as punch with the results...the color is deep and the top coat made it super shiny. it reminds me of a Marc Jacobs bag i really wanted a couple of seasons ago.

Sally Hansen HD in Pixel Pretty, Sally Hansen Insta-Dri in Snappy Sorbey, L.A. Colors Black

 

sand tropez crushed candy crackle...who the shrek are you?

last night after my fabulous cvs experience, i painted 1 coat Essie Sand Tropez on my nails, leaving my pinky fingers naked. i applied 2 coats of Who The Shrek Are You? by OPI on my pinkies, waited for them all to dry, and then did 1 coat of China Glaze Crackle Glaze in Crushed Candy over all my nails. i topped the manicure with China Glaze Fast Forward Top Coat. i must admit, the Essie Sand Tropez was a little hard for me to work with. it was a little streaky and bald in some spots. i typically always have a little trouble with Essie polishes for some reason, but i can't resist the colors. next time, i'd like to go with a darker nude polish so that i can have a little more contrast between that and the Crushed Candy...any suggestions?



Essie in Sand Tropez, OPI in Who The Shrek Are You?, China Glaze Crackle Glaze in Crushed Candy

cvs haul (the best deal i ever got on nail polish)

last night i went to cvs in search of Wet N' Wild's new mermaid collection polishes. that cvs doesn't carry the brand. but what they did carry was a bin full of clearance nail polish! it was heaven. i got Essie Sand Tropez, Sally Hansen HD nailcolor in shade #16 Laser, and a Sally Hansen nail art pen in shade #08 Gold, all for less than the price of the Essie polish plus sales tax! i couldn't be more excited.

CVS receipt- Sally Hansen in Laser was $1.70 and the Sally Hansen Nail Art Pen was $2.35

you're cracking me up!

here is my latest, greatest, and most-favorite-ist, manicure. 2 coats (opaque) in Play Fair from Nicole by OPI, one coat Streamers (#539) by Essie...i had to wait a day to add the next coat on because i liked Streamers so much...and one coat China Glaze Crackle Glaze in Broken Hearted.





Nicole by OPI in Play Fair, Essie Streamers, and China Glaze Broken Hearted



2 coats Play Fair, 1 coat Streamers



2 coats Play Fair

2 coats Play Fair, 1 coat Streamers, 1 coat Broken Hearted













i'll take a crack at it

for my first polish-post i'll document the nail polish that caught my eye and started a bit of an obsession. Sally Hansen Crackle Overcoat, specifically, shade #03, Fractured Foil. i acquired this shade after reading a magazine ad for it...(someone finally copied OPI Shatter)and seeing that the Sally Hansen variety came in a variety of colors. i finally hunted it down at my local CVS store for about $6.49. first i used 2 coats (opaque)OPI Feelin’ Hot-Hot-Hot! on my fingers. i love the effect, but the texture of the Crackle Overcoat was sandpaper-y. i also tried the Fractured Foil on my pedicure, with 3 coats (opaque) OPI’s D.C. Cherry Blossom. D.C. Cherry Blossom is much brighter underneath the Crackle, so i liked it on my toes much more than my fingers.

3 coats (opaque) OPI’s D.C. Cherry Blossom, with one coat Sally Hansen Fractured Foil Crackle Overcoat

in the beginning

i like to think that all starts are small, including this one. that being said, i'll explain a little about me and why i started this blog! i've always had a sweet spot for nail polishes, (i'll accredit that to my aunt for taking me to get manicures at age six) colors and designs, and anything girly/'fluffy'. i got inspired to start this blog when i googled 'nail polish' and started clicking through the results. now i'm determined to sample, review, and photograph my adventures with nail polish (not always polished).