stash shots!

good morning! over the weekend i worked on organizing my growing nail polish collection. i had been harboring them in an oversized shoe box...but they were starting to pour out. my boyfriend helped me pick out a few rubbermaid drawer units, and now i've got an organized collection! i thought i'd take a few pictures to share!

this is the whole sha-bang! my nail tools and base and top coats are in the box next to the drawers.

top shelf- my OPI's, NOPI's and Color Club Sets!

lower shelf- Essie's, Sally Hansen, Zoya's, Cult Nails, Barielle's etc.


that's my stash- hope you like it! what do you keep your polishes in!?

back from posting hiatus!

good afternoon, everyone! my best friend was down from college for a couple weeks so i've been on a bit of a posting hiatus, and i'm quite sorry for that. i'm back now, however, and better than ever! whilst on my blogging break i happened to discover YouTube...who knew there would be beauty bloggers on there!? this is a manicure inspired by a Tweet i found about a video on YouTube. this is my first shot at a gradient manicure, and also my first time painting on stripes, so please, don't be too harsh!
i started with 1 medium even coat of Mermaids Tears from the OPI Pirates collection. then i used a q-tip soaked with water to apply a band in the middle of my nail using Barielle in Do Unto Others. on the tip of my nails i used another q-tip soaked in water to apply another band with Nicole by OPI in Respect the World. over the top of my banded color nails, i used a ColorClub mini clear glitter top coat from the Starry Temptress collection and 1 coat of Nicole by OPI in Nicole...Spotted! using a mechanical pencil tip, i drew criss-crossed stripes on all of my nails except my middle finger and ring finger with OPI DS Desire. on my middle finger i used the mechanical pencil tip to draw a seashell. i used my ring finger as a bling finger and glued on rhinestones using a clear top coat.
have a fabulous day! enjoy!

Coalest Day of the Year

good morning/afternoon, everyone! today is Mani/Pedi Monday (as is every Monday) on Barielle's facebook page. i encourage you to upload a picture of yourself wearing some Barielle polish! (i did!) so i will share with you what i shared with Barielle! just in case you didn't see on facebook, or in case you love to read my blog (i like the latter of the two.) i used 2 thick coats of Barielle in Coalest Day of the Year. i purchased this polish at Ulta for $1.99 at their giant beauty clearance a few months ago...and i don't regret it! Barielle normally retails for $8/bottle so this was a steal. Barielle polish is easy to apply with a fat-bottomed brush and rather gooey formula. enjoy!

drinking Papaya Punch!

just laquered: one thick, creamy coat of $1.99 China Glaze in Papaya Punch. this smooth, creamy orange was a breeze to apply and i really like how shiny it is. on my ring finger i used one thick coat of China Glaze Electric Pineapple. Electric Pineapple looks nothing like a pineapple to me. they should have called this color "pretty baby snot"...as it is more green than yellow. i wanted to turn this look a little more toward summer, so i decided to add a coat of Barielle in Buddha-ful to the mix. this coat came out a little more opaque than i had in mind, but i still like it. it reminds me of an orange dreamsicle.as always, i used China Glaze Strong Adhesion base coat and China Glaze Fast Forward top coat.

China Glaze in Papaya Punch, Electric Pineapple, Barielle in Buddha-ful

one coat Papaya Punch, one coat Electric Pineapple (ring finger)

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)