SOLID GLITTER Glittery Accent Nails

Chanel Particuliere nail polish/ MAC Glitter in Reflects Antiqued Gold

So I've decided to officially jump on the one-glitter-nail bandwagon. Problem with this for me in the past is that if I wanted an "accent" glittered nail, I wanted it to be mega, super, ridiculously glittery. If you've ever searched for a nail polish to do that with, you feel my frustration. To get that solid, super ridic glitter effect from a glitter nail polish, you might need a few coats. Resulting in what normally turns out for me to be a super thick, messy, lumpy, (still not glittery enough) nail. So I have found a perfect way to get a super pretty, solid-glitter, perfect accent nail...using.....actual glitter. You can get super fine or chunky glitter at the craft store which can be an affordable option that works perfectly, or you can do what I did and use those MAC glitters that you bought because they were super pretty but they've ended up in the back of your drawer because you never use them. Sounds messy, but I swear it's not. And it's easier and faster than using tons of coats of glitter nail polish. And did I mention the results are insane??
Here's what to do:
1. Paint all of your nails a normal non-glittery color.
2. Pick an "accent" nail for the glitter (Or go crazy and do all of them...your call.)
3. Use a thick top coat like Seche Vite and paint that over the nail to be glittered.
4. Working over a paper plate or bowl, gently dip the nail into the glitter or sprinkle the glitter directly over the nail (like I did in this case because the container was too small for dipping action).
5. Let the glitter "set" for a minute or two, giving the Seche Vite or whatever you've chosen time to dry.
6. Rinse the nail under cold water to get any excess glitter off the nail. Don't worry, if it's cold water, it won't mess anything up.
7. Paint another coat of the Seche Vite or topcoat of your choice over the glitter.

The process seriously takes as little as a couple minutes. It's my new favorite trick! Here's another tip though... If you're planning on doing this a lot, invest in another bottle of Seche Vite or whatever type of topcoat you like that will be designated just for glitter. Occasionally, a fleck of glitter can find it's way into the bottle of topcoat and will most likely end up back on your nails when you don't necessarily want that random glitter flecked look. It'll be worth it, trust me. :)
Hope you guys try this out! It's so fun!

-Tiffany

READ MORE - SOLID GLITTER Glittery Accent Nails

Red Glitter Nails for the 4th!

Illamasqua in Untold

Happy 4th of July everyone! I'll be sporting this color on my nails while cooking out and seeing a fireworks show to celebrate our Independence Day. Looks very cute with my blue romper! :)

Ok, so enough of that- about the color... Red is not my favorite color and I usually despise the hassle of glitter nail polish, but this combo is actually quite nice. This shade is a very dense glitter, which is sometimes hard to find. However, if you want that nice opaque, similar to the bottle look, you'll need to invest some time in this and apply 3 coats. And also a genius tip from my friend Lorraine-- Apply a coat of clear nail polish first, before applying the glitter so that removal is much easier. Also, don't forget a top coat to finish the process. ...Yeah, so that's a good 5 coats of nail polish right there. Yeah, they're a little thick and clumpy, but the glitter disguises it pretty well and looks really fun. :)

-Tiffany

READ MORE - Red Glitter Nails for the 4th!

A Little "Something Sweet" for Easter

China Glaze, "Something Sweet"

Hope everyone had a great weekend and a very happy Easter! So I'm getting back to doing nail posts regularly, as I've totally neglected my poor nails over the past month. Not kidding, haven't painted them in about four weeks.
Some of you know that I've been on the hunt for the perfect opaque, pale pink. All the colors I've tried just haven't cut it. Either they're too streaky or not the right shade of pale pink. To my surprise, after all my searching, my husband Brad picked this one up out of nowhere on a recent bored-out-of-his-mind trip to Ulta with moi. He said "this one looks good." Only words spoken by him the entire time...haha. He's such a gem... Anyway, it's the perfect pink. Super opaque with two thin coats and the perfect shade of pale pink. Looks like the perfect Easter color to me. I have a feeling I'll be reaching for this shade a lot!

READ MORE - A Little "Something Sweet" for Easter

Essie Damsel in a Dress

My current favorite nail color...



Essie's Damsel in a Dress

Such a deep, unusual color. Looks amazing when topped with a super shiny topcoat like Seche Vite. It creates this gorgeous, shimmery depth. Love it.

...Also, I'm a sloppy painter when it comes to dark colors. Don't judge.

READ MORE - Essie Damsel in a Dress

New Nails for Spring...

1.24.10

It's no secret that pastels are always popular trends in Spring collections, but this year, I'm especially loving the light, bright pinks and corals for the upcoming season. Essie has always been a favorite brand of mine, but I've been especially loving it over the past few months. I picked up a few colors from their Spring collection (which I'm definitely going to add to soon!) as well as a new MAC shade.



First, my favorite...

Essie Tart Deco

This is by far one of the best nail polishes I've came across in a very long time. The color, the formula... everything. It's a bit more orange than it actually photographed. When I paint my nails, I like to build the color in thin coats. A lot of the time, nail polish formulas will let me down and it makes me have to glob on too much because it's thin and streaky. With this one, it applies evenly and opaque with one thin coat. If you were in a hurry, you could probably get away with one coat. But with two, it builds to a gorgeous, even peach color that is bright and creamy pastel at the same time. Love it.
When I bought this, I thought the color in the bottle looked a bit too similar to MAC's Coconut Ice, which I was wearing on my nails at the time. I almost didn't buy it. I am SO glad I did, because these two colors are so very different. ...and honestly, the MAC formula in that shade sucks and just doesn't compare to Essie's Tart Deco.

MAC Coconut Ice

In the bottle, it's an absolutely gorgeous shade. This one is a bit more pink and the color isn't as intense. However the formula is not great. Thin and very streaky, which at this point I kind of always expect from MAC nail polish. But it's a nice color, so when I actually have the time and patience to apply 3 coats, I'll reach for it again. In the picture, I had done two generous coats.



And last, another shade from Essie's Spring collection. Honestly, when I saw the collection advertised in magazines and even in the store when I saw them in person, I wanted this color the most! I'm constantly looking for a nice light, bright, OPAQUE, cream (no frost) pink.

Essie Pop Art Pink

...and after trying this, I'm still looking. I'm disappointed in this one because it's much more sheer than I expected. And I love Essie, but lets just be honest... Do they really need ANOTHER sheer pink? It seems they have an endless range of this exact shade already. So I don't quite get it. You can see how sheer it is in the pictures, and that is with 2 *very* generous coats. It's definitely a shade I'll use when I want a sheer pink and natural look. But I've already got a few of those already, so I was just a little disappointed.

With that being said, I would love for you guys to recommend good pinks to me- Ones that look similar to the shade of this one, but is more opaque. What are your favorite pinks?

-Tiffany

READ MORE - New Nails for Spring...

Blu-Ray nails... kind of.

Sally Hansen HD Hi-Definition nail color in "Blu"

When I was last at the drugstore, this "HD" line of brightly colored nail polishes really stood out to me. Mostly this blue shade. Since blue is my absolute favorite color, I had to pick this stuff up. The actual color is much more unique than it photographs.
While the shade range of these HD polishes are insanely bright and unique, I have a few complaints about the actual formula. To me, it seemed (in this shade at least) to be a bit thin and applied a little streaky. It was hard to get an even first coat. The first coat was extremely sheer. I was really disappointed at first. But after applying the second coat, it looked beautiful. Pictured is only two coats however, next time I'll probably try three just to make the color even more intense.
If you like bright, unique colors, this line is something to try! I might go back for the green and orange shades.

READ MORE - Blu-Ray nails... kind of.

The Perfect Red...

I've got to say, I've NEVER been a fan of red on nails- well, just not my nails. Don't know why, just never liked it. For some unexplainable reason I decided to try red again today. I grabbed my Zoya nail polish in Vanessa which came in my "Dare" sampler set. First of all, red can be super unforgiving around your cuticles so you have to be extra careful (as you can see in the picture). Also, there are so many different shades of red. So finding one that works for you can be a bit tricky in some cases. This one is more of a cooler, blue-toned red. The formula also really stood out to me. Not too thick, not too thin. It also applies very evenly. I can't say this about many nail polishes, but you can honestly get away with only one coat of this stuff. Loved it so much that I had to use it on my toes as well!
I think I've definitely found a new favorite...

Zoya nail polish in Vanessa

READ MORE - The Perfect Red...

Chanel Jade Nail Polish

I'm a sucker for unusual colors, fashion, and Chanel. So this just made good sense. :)
This color was much buzzed about when the models on the Chanel runway (fall/winter '09) came out sporting this shade. I heard the shade wasn't releasing in stores until October 9th and that some stores even have had waiting lists for the stuff for a while. Well thanks to my lovely twitter followers, I was informed that this shade was available on chanel.com along with another new color, Jade Rose, which I absolutely cannot wait to use. So naturally, I ordered both and I'm so glad I did. I actually did not realize this from the photos online, but both shades have a beautiful opalescent shimmer to them. Absolutely gorgeous. Yeah, Chanel nail polish is expensive, but this formula is no joke, the best I've ever used (judging only by this color). Applied smoothly, evenly, and dried super quick. After only a few hours, the finish is already dried super hard (with 2 coats) and my nails look so smooth-- like glass or plastic! I'm sold. I heart you even more now, Chanel. Hate most of your cosmetics, but love your accessories and nail polish <3

**For those wondering if it's similar to Peppermint Patti-- Yes and no. Jade has a pearl to it. It's not super noticeable, but it does. It's also more green. If you're on a budget and happy with Peppermint Patti, I wouldn't buy it. But if you're like me and LOVE Peppermint Patti, but hate the formula, it's worth it. :)

READ MORE - Chanel Jade Nail Polish

MAC's Baby Goth Girl

I love this color-- But for some reason my painting was a bit sloppy today...haha. Haven't painted my nails in a while so maybe that's it? Anyway I really think that in the bottle and from the picture it looks unique, but in person that pretty purple iridescent sparkle is only visible under certain lights. Most of the time, it appears as a very dark burgundy, almost black, nail polish. But I actually really like it. Just be sure to apply a good top coat to enhance the sparkle even more. As I've said before about MAC polishes, some of the formulas really annoy me. Just because they are really streaky and require a lot of coats. This color didn't do that. It applied really evenly. I went ahead and applied two coats, but I was surprised when after only one coat, it was already opaque.

READ MORE - MAC's Baby Goth Girl

New Sephora Matte Domestic Goddess

Sephora by OPI Domestic Goddess Matte on nails, Regular Domestic Goddess on tips

So we all know that Essie and recently China Glaze has come out with the wonderful matte topcoats that will pretty much transform any of your favorite nail polishes into matte shades. However, since Sephora by OPI's Domestic Goddess is my absolute favorite nail polish, my heart skipped a beat when I found out that Domestic Goddess was one of the 3 shades the brand had selected to feature in limited edition matte formulas. Since I of course have the original as well, I figured I'd change it up a little and use the regular Domestic Goddess (gloss) formula to make pretty glossy tips on top of the matte formula. I think adding the glossy tips is a good way to make all matte nails a little more interesting :) Of course, you can always use any clear topcoat to create a shiny tip to any matte manicure, however it won't be as intense as layering an actual color.

You can even try a more bold look by using a black glossy color like OPI's Black Onyx on the tips. Although, I personally like pairing black tips with a black matte polish :)

Sephora by OPI Domestic Goddess Matte on nails, OPI Black Onyx on tips

READ MORE - New Sephora Matte Domestic Goddess

MAC Cool Reserve

This is the first color from MAC's new fall nail color collection I've tried. I like it, but it really reminds me of a few other colors I already have. A lot like if Metro Chic (Sephora by OPI) and Do You Lilac It? (OPI) got together. The color itself is a little darker and more gray than photographed. I really love the color, but I have a feeling I'll be putting my Zoya sparkle topcoat over it to spice it up a little bit :)

READ MORE - MAC Cool Reserve

NARS Nail Polish in Orgasm

I've been curious about this stuff for quite a while-- LOVE the blush and lip gloss. Not quite sure why it took me so long to give the nail polish a go. Like the other products of the same name, this surely did not disappoint. Very opaque after 2 coats and warranted lots of compliments! Definitely a winner in my book.

Nars Nail Polish in Orgasm

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Dark Room: Possibly Fall's best nail color...

8/14

...in my opinion, of course :)

I swear, Sephora by OPI is still impressing me. I've yet to be disappointed by a single shade and formula. It's like the best of the OPI formulas...but with the better, smaller -ahem- NORMAL SIZED brush (we all know how much I hate the OPI wide ones...just unecessary). Anyway, This is by far my favorite shade yet! So unique and opaque. I honestly could have gotten away with one coat, but 2 made it completely opaque and streak free. This photo is of Dark Room used with absolutely no base or top coat (I was in a hurry).

Sephora by OPI in Dark Room

READ MORE - Dark Room: Possibly Fall's best nail color...

Mermaid Nails

LOVE this color! If you saw my Vegas haul video, this is the color I showed that I bought while I was there. So fun and perfect for summer!

Sephora by OPI in Mermaid to Order
This is good stuff... It wore completely chip-free (with Sally Hansen's Mega Shine topcoat) for 4 days.

For eyes to match the look, click here

READ MORE - Mermaid Nails

Nails: Shower Together

China Glaze: Shower Together

hmmm ... not too much to say here. But I love it! It's a tad more green than photographed. Actually the top picture is pretty close to the actual color. :)

READ MORE - Nails: Shower Together

Matte Nail Polish! Zoya

6.19.09

Zoya Matte Velvet nail polish in Dovima

When I heard Zoya was releasing a few matte shades, I was super excited. I ordered only one, Dovima, which is the darkest almost black shade. They also have a more gray one and a pretty maroon shade. Well, I can safely say I'll probably be ordering the other two very soon! I was actually shocked to have gotten mine so quickly...From what I knew, these weren't going to be sent out until July 1st since they were technically a pre-ordered item...??? Oh well. I'm excited and I LOVE this stuff. You've got to work fast with it though. As you may be able to see on my thumbnail, it can get a little clumpy if you don't work quickly with it. This is because it dries SUPER fast. Seriously. I received my package literally 20 minutes before posting this! *My rushed excitement will explain the messy cuticles... But overall, the color is even, smooth and VERY matte. It looks MUCH more matte in person. You can also apply a topcoat if you decide you want a more glossy finish and get bored with the matte. I used two coats and no basecoat.

**edit: After the color "sets" and completely dries (it's been at least 6 hours since posting) the color really evens out and looks completely smooth. It's pretty much impossible to show just how matte and even the color is in photos, but it's awesome!

Q & A about matte nail polish from Zoya: CLICK HERE

READ MORE - Matte Nail Polish! Zoya

Nails: Mellow Yellow

OPI Banana Bandana

Yellow nails are SO fun for summer! I love the soft buttery (but bright) shade of this particular yellow. The formula honestly wasn't bad either. At 2 coats, it was pretty opaque. Up close, it does look a lil' streaky, but it's still gorgeous, nonetheless!

READ MORE - Nails: Mellow Yellow

Mystery, SOLVED....I think.

If you read my previous post about the blue nail polish, you probably sensed my hatred/confusion about the OPI "pro-wide" brush. Confusion because some colors have the obnoxious brush, some didn't. Some were marked with the little plastic wrapper around the handle advertising the "new" brush, some didn't (the unmarked ones STILL had the craptacular brush). Well, that's because those with the wrapper were older and released when the brush was brand new. Now, they've apparently switched over completely to this wide brush, so no plastic advertisments necessary. HOWEVER, I was noticing that a lot of my brand new OPI colors have kind of a "medium" flatter brush. A brush that I liked. More confusion. I did some comparing and have found that some that were released when the "pro-wide" brush was newer (released longer ago) have the huge, obnoxious, flared-out, flat brush. While some of my newer ones have a wider brush that is not bad to work with. I think they did switch all their newer polishes to the wide brush, but it's not as wide as the first...make sense?? I hope so! I'm confusing myself! Basically, I'm saying that I *think* they improved upon an obvious design flaw. ...at least it was horribly flawed to me!

Anyway, I took some pictures to compare what I believe was a design flaw of some of the initial wide brushes.

(l-r) Sweet Heart (Regular brush), Banana Bandana (new GOOD wide brush), Yoga-Ta Get this Blue (CRAPPY, flared out, thick, wide brush)
*p.s. Sweet Heart is a super crappy color and I would not recommend that ANYONE get it...haha It's very sheer and streaky
I first attributed it to maybe being the blue shade's formula, but even when completely dry of nail polish, it flares and is almost thicker at the end. It seems that the newer ones (the yellow) are made of a stiffer brush material and keep their shape, not flaring out and getting thick on the end. I've found this to be the case with several other OPI shades I own as well. Frosts, creams...several formulas I own that are newer have this better brush. Same with the old one. So I don't think it's the formula. It seems that the newer shades' wide brushes have been perfected. Thank goodness! I love their colors! I didn't want to have the fear of blindly purchasing another bad one. Maybe this is wrong, but now, I like to open the nail polish and peek at the brush. If it's HUGE at the tip and looks like it's filling with too much polish and "flaring" out, then put that sucker back! At least that's what I'm going to do...

Another look...

It's honestly tough to tell how much it flares in these pics. I guess it's a subtle difference, but it's enough to make a mess of my nails and to me, is a huge difference when I look at the actual results they give.
I'm not saying that this is FOR SURE what happened (that OPI improved a crappy design), but that seems to be the case from all of my 30-something shades I own of OPI... I just had to do my own little experiment! :)

READ MORE - Mystery, SOLVED....I think.

Nails: Blue Memories...

OPI: Yoga-ta Get this Blue
This blue reminds me so much of my first "funky" nail polish... I was 12. I thought I was so dangerous with my dark sparkly navy Manic Panic nail polish. Which I'll admit, at that time, dark blue was unusual and I wasn't allowed to wear it many places.
Now, this dark, shimmery blue shade seems more sophisticated than rebellious. How times have changed... Anyway, I was SHOCKED at how gorgeous and amazing the formula of this polish was. It's so thick and non-streaky. I could have been fine with one coat.
I have but one (kind of major) complaint... That obnoxious "professional wide" brush that OPI has in some of it's polishes is unfortunately in this one. What is with that?? Some of my OPI colors have it, some don't (new and old). I can't figure it out. Some have the little plastic (what I like to refer to it as) "warning label" advertising the wide brush -- Which usually tells me to put it right back on the shelf. Anyway, it's a flat, wide brush that is really only conducive to people with square shaped cuticles and nails that are all the size of your big toenail. I just can't stand the thing. I made a mess of my cuticles with it (hence, the pictures of only my thumb and index finger...haha). I so wish they would go back to the regular brush for all the colors. Or maybe they have?? Let me know what you guys know about this crazines...haha.

READ MORE - Nails: Blue Memories...

Topcoat Superior to Seche

If you are into nail products and you've ever browsed the "higher-end" nail polish section at your favorite stores, you've probably heard of Seche Vite topcoat. I only recently bought it after hearing wonderful things about it. However, I really had never looked much into topcoats because I've been faithful to a certain one by Sally Hansen for years.

Sally Hansen Mega Shine Extended Wear Top Coat

Of course, through the many I've gone through, the bottle has changed a bit over the years, but honestly, this stuff is the best topcoat I've ever used...In my opinion, even better than Seche. The formulas seem almost identical. Even the scent is the same (which slightly differs from most nail polish). It has that same thick feeling and when applied over wet nail polish and creates an even, glass-like finish. Best part, it seems to dry extremely fast, even faster than Seche.

The first time I used Seche, I was a little fooled. It looked super shiny...SUPER shiny. I thought it may have been possible that I had found something superior to my beloved Sally Hansen one. Honestly, I was just impressed that something actually was similar to the Mega Shine, simply because I had never found anything like it. But after a day, the shine just wasn't as high as I'd hoped anymore. It seemed to wear off. Nothing horrible or anything, but it was definitely no Sally Hansen Mega Shine... I also feel that the Sally Hansen really prolongs the wear of my nail polish much better. I've used Seche for weeks now and have had the same experience with it with several different polishes and formulas. Don't get me wrong, Seche Vite is GOOOD stuff. Would I have LOVED it if I hadn't have had the Mega Shine to compare it to?? Yep. But nothing compares to my Mega Shine. If you've never tried it, I would obviously highly recommend it. Now keep in mind, the Seche Vite is around $9.00 most places (I got mine from Ulta). However, it's on sale right now at Ulta for $4.99. The Sally Hansen Mega Shine is around $7.00 most places. So you're not going to be saving any money or getting a great deal or anything by trying the Sally. I just feel that it's better.
My bottle of Mega Shine is about 7 months old and it's in the older bottle. So I REALLY hope they haven't changed the formula at all, but over several years and several other packaging design changes, it's stayed the same. Hopefully it always will!
You can find the Sally Hansen Mega Shine Extended wear topcoat in most drugstores--anywhere that Sally Hansen products are sold.

READ MORE - Topcoat Superior to Seche