NOTD: Cover Girl Blue Hawaiian #535 Stay Brilliant Glosstinis

I went to see the newish Hunger Games with a work friend on Friday and after we got out, we went to Target to look at some of their clearance. I found this adorable Cover Girl Stay Brilliant Glosstini in Blue Hawaiian for all of $1.48 (and a couple others in that line). This is such a weird one as it takes on more of a sea green appearance in some lighting and a sky blue in others. I had the hardest time finding the green in it when I took photographs, but I swear, it morphs!

Please ignore my cuticles as winter has been harsh on my hands. Thankfully, I'm managed to get my nails the same length which has been a trial.

What's been on your tips lately?

NOTD: Zoya Nyx

It was a rare opportunity when I discovered all of my nails were the same length. I snagged one on the cruise and hadn't worn polish for weeks. Tonight I decided to try out one of the Zoya Pixie Dust polishes, Nyx. Nyx is a gorgeous lavender-grey with silver sparkle and it looks like gumdrops on your nails. These Pixie Dusts dry quickly and have amazing lasting power. This is a bit much for the office, but with nails on the shorter side, I think I can pull it off.

NOTD: Sally Hansen Diamond Strength Sparkly Rose + Revlon Powder Puff

This Nail of The Day includes Walgreens clearance as you can see from the slightly obnoxious "reduced price" sticker on Sally Hansen Diamond Strength Sparkly Rose. I had a hell of a time trying to photograph this polish. It's so complex with the shifting rose/coral sparkles, though quite beautiful. Since I intended to use it sheer, I layered Revlon Power Puff underneath, perfect since it's a suede and dries quickly. Before you think I'm lying about the Rose, look at the bottle picture below. 

Anyway, as I mentioned actually photographing this was a pain. I took several pictures and none really gave the awesome duochrome flash the polish gives, which is one of the reasons I chose it as just a flash at work is better than full on glitter bomb!

You can kind of see from the pinky that with just a little movement, the pink flash goes away.

Anyway, I think I've bored you enough with my manicure today. I hope everyone in the US has a wonderful Mother's Day!

NOTD: Revlon Colorstay #020 Pale Cashmere plus extras

I mentioned on my initial NOTD post, that once I got some tip wear, I would be doing a glitter coat to revive my manicure. Surprisingly enough, Pale Cashmere has lasted pretty well but I did want to update it and when I had trouble falling asleep Sunday evening, it was the perfect opportunity. I took Sinful Colors Show Stopping and Revlon Glimmer Gloss in Pina Colada Pop. I think it is subtle enough for the office but definitely refreshed the manicure. I 'm pretty happy with the longevity of the initial Revlon application and this will prolong the manicure to lasting well over a week!

Sally Hansen Insta-Dri + Gel Update

I said I would let you guys know how the regular polish plus Sally Hansen gel topcoat (plus some curing) lasted (original post here). Well, I'm happy to report that my nail polish has lasted pretty darn well considering it usually chips within a day (I did this on Sunday morning so this is nearly 6 days of wear). The wear is more obvious on my right (dominant hand) as is expected. Otherwise, it's pretty much tip wear and the chip on my middle right hand finger is actually due to my error of not placing the gel top coat there, not the gel performing poorly. Clearly, the polish would be nearly gone or looking worse for wear without this stuff. And, one of my coworkers thought I had them professionally done!

This is a picture of my left hand. There's some tip wear but otherwise, it's looking pretty good.

This is my right hand. The tip wear is more noticeable and also you can tell I'm horrible at painting this hand as the cuticle area is uneven! Otherwise, still not too bad.

Anyway, I'm going to continue to use the Sally Hansen Insta-Gel on top of regular polish for longer lasting manicures. I'm actually getting tired of this color and might remove and repaint tomorrow or Sunday.

The kit itself is $29.99 and it comes with the light needed to cure the gel as well as the top coat, and a pack of the gel stickers (which I wouldn't recommend). You can buy the top coat separately for $12.95 as well. A note that the gel stickers are priced at $14.95 and come with a full size bottle of the gel top coat if they go on sale or clearance.

NOTD: Sally Hansen Insta-Dri in Purple Haste + Gel

I recently tried the Sally Hansen Salon Insta-Gel Strips and I didn't get on with them as well as I had hoped. My nails are more rounded so they tended to lift around the edges. Anyway, I thought I would do a little experiment. The kits come with a bottle of the gel top coat and I had read that you could use the gel top coat on top of regular polishes as long as you made sure they had plenty time to dry. So last evening, I painted my nails with Sally Hansen Insta-Dri in Purple Haste and allowed them to dry overnight (unfortunately, this also led to sheet imprints). However, I then did a top coat of the gel top coat this morning and cured for the allotted time. This particular polish has tons of microglitter glass fleck particles in it which doesn't really translate to the nails all that much. The gel really helps that!

Sally Hansen Purple Haste sans top coat.

non-gelled nail (left) versus gelled nail (right)

 

It is so hard to get this polish to focus properly, but you can kind of see the hidden flecks in the middle finger here. I'm a bit bummed that the dents show through the top coat but I suppose it serves me right for doing the painting so late last night.

I'll keep you guys posted about how the gel impacts the lasting power of the regular polish. Here's hoping it reduces the number of chips I get. I'm pretty hard on my nails which is why I tend to stray from dark or bright colors which make the chips all the more obvious. If I could manage a week of one manicure looking decent that would definitely make me happy!

NOTD: NcLA Rock Solid

I received this NcLA polish in Rock Solid in one of my Little Black Bags. They seem to carry items from the NcLA line quite often. The polishes generally retail for $16. Rock Solid is described as "a luxurious, slate grey cream shade, illuminated with fine silver metallic sparkles" which is fairly accurate. It's pretty unique and the extra bit of glitter makes it less flat than a standard grey cream. My only complaint is the formula is quite thick and goopy and I probably should have used some thinner prior to application had I known. Nonetheless, it easily covered in 2 coats.

Disclosure: Referral link.

NOTD: OPI Designer... De Better!

I hope everyone is having a wonderful Christmas, whether you celebrate traditionally or like my family with Chinese food and the movies. Unfortunately, I'm feeling rather ill and was not able to partake in the normal festivities but my dear husband did go out to get me some wonton soup in the spirit.

I'm not the biggest fan of OPI polishes as they tend to chip on me more than other brands; however, this glittery, almost chrome polish has been on my nails since Sunday and so far no chips (no top coat either)! I love this shade from the OPI Muppets collection. Designer... De Better is really neat, it's very fine micro-glitter/shimmer in golds silvers and a bit of red which makes it look different depending on the lighting. Underneath the lights at work, it almost looks like a silver chrome, just without the brush strokes that chromes usually have. These neutral glitters are easier to get away with at the office than some other glitters. I really like this shade and it was opaque in 2 coats.

NOTD: Essie Bordeaux

Technically, I suppose I should call this weekend nails as the polish went on my nails on Friday. This is Essie Bordeaux, a deep red-wine color, perfect for the fall and winter time. It's one of those slightly jelly-ish reds that looks different in different lighting. Very fitting name and part of the regular line. I cut my nails down quite a bit and I think it works for this color. Now off to write my final paper of my Master's degree!

Sally Hansen Salon Effects Weartime (review follow up)

The true test of longevity for nail polish for me is my Thursday night water Zumba class. Chlorine combined with vigorous arm movements pretty much kills any nail polish for me. The Sally Hansen Salon Effects however, did surprisingly well. This is a photo taken when I got home from my water Zumba class tonight. I applied these babies on Sunday evening. That is pretty awesome. I removed the polish tonight as well which was a pain in the neck but I'd imagine they would have at least lasted through the weekend, though I did experience some chipping on my dominant hand (right - this picture is of the left). I'm impressed and will pick up a few more packs if I find them on clearance or at Five Below again!

Halloween NOTD and Sally Hansen Salon Effects Review

I picked up the Sally Hansen Salon Effects in Spun For You (spiderwebs) for Halloween. I found them at Five Below for $3 and I had been meaning to try them but hadn't quite gotten around to it. First of all, I thought they would be a lot harder to apply than they actually were. I can be a bit shaky handed and combine that with very thin strips that can easily rip didn't seem like a great combination. I was pleasantly surprised, although I did make a few mistakes. However, I managed to do both hands with only one of the packs which means I can keep the other pack for Halloween 2013 (I even had 2 leftover)!

I can't speak much for wear time and this post is pre-scheduled ahead of Sandy since who knows whether or not I will have power on Halloween. Fingers crossed though.

The finished look.
Happy Halloween!

NOTD: Julep Demi

Fall has definitely made its way to the DC Metro area. It's chilly and there's a briskness in the air. I felt the pull towards a dark raspberry shade, Julep Demi. This came in my first ever Julep Maven box and made me fall in love with the formula and brand. Due to the jelly-ish nature of the shade, it pulls much more vampy and darker in person even though it looks like a pretty standard red in the photograph.

This is 2 coats, though I really could have gotten away with 1. Again, this is more of a deep raspberry color. But as you can see in my original post, it changes with the lighting. I love the Julep formula (aside from the metallics) and have continued the subscription though I rarely post about it.

Has it felt like fall where you are?

Disclosure: Referral link utilized

Models Own Beetle Polish Deal & Giveaway

After a particularly stressful work day, I made my way over to the mall to browse and I found these at Urban Outfitters on sale no less. Urban Outfitters is currently running a 30% off sale on current markdown items and these babies are on sale for $4.99 ($3.50 with the extra percent off). My store only had these 3 colors available though the full range has 8 shades. Nonetheless, I think the price point is pretty ridiculously awesome considering these were usually $10 at Urban Outfitters and are £5.00 on the Models Own website (current exchange rate makes that just under $8 without their shipping costs).

The colors I found were Purple Blue, Aqua Violet and Golden Green.

left to right Golden Green, Aqua Violet and Purple Blue

I wish Golden Green and Aqua Violet were a little less prone to brush strokes but they are still super pretty. Purple Blue is my favorite. No brush strokes and tons of multicolored shimmer.

The next day, I was determined and went back to Urban Outfitters to purchase 3 more bottles (1 of each shade) for you all. I know I haven't had a giveaway in ages but I thought these might be of interest. One person will win these 3 gorgeous shades. Please see the widget below and note that this giveaway is US only. Sorry guys but polish is a pain to ship out of the country and girls in the UK can get these much easier than we can across the pond. Obviously, you will receive 3 sealed bottles, I showed my own for color reference. Good luck!

NOTD: Dermelect Above It

I was recently sent an offering of Dermelect nail colors to try as part of the Bloom Ambassadors program. Above It - a sky blue was the one I tried first. It was the most "me" color out of the ones I received. Once I try the other colors, I'm going to be doing a more comprehensive review of the formula, drying time and the longevity of the polish, but I'll mention the formula briefly here.

I found the polish a bit thick and hard to work with and it could benefit from some thinner. The first coat went on a bit streaky but it evened itself out on the 2nd (and 2 was definitely enough). I experienced some bubbling issues as it was hard to do thin coats due to the thickness of the formula. Otherwise, it dried fairly quickly without a fast drying top coat and I didn't get any nicks in it (I'm very impatient so it isn't unusual that I get dents in a new manicure).

First coat.

 Second coat.

Here's slightly different lighting and you can see the bubbles a bit better in this shot.

If the other colors have a similar issue with the formula, I'll apply some polish thinner prior to application. There was a bit of cuticle drag due to the thickness but overall, it was pretty easy to apply.

Dermelect polishes retail for $14 and come in .4oz bottles. The polishes are free of DBP, toluene, and formaldehyde and contain a type of peptide protein to strengthen nails.

Disclosure: The Dermelect polish was received for review as part of the Bloom Ambassador program. Also note referral link.

Current Nail Favorites

There have been a lot of meetings at work lately so I've gone for something super polished that doesn't require much maintenance. Also, with the cold, my nails have been very brittle so I've been using treatments to get them back into shape. I've been using an old favorite and a newer nail treatment item I received in one of my Julep boxes.

The Barielle Natural Nail Camouflage is something I discovered a couple years ago and I love it. It's a great ridge filling base coat and it also provides just enough color to make nails look polished if you choose not to apply color on top. The Julep Nail Therapy is just a clear treatment that can be used as a base coat. What I like about it is even as a treatment, the nails look shiny and it stays on for quite awhile so very little maintenance is required if you wear it alone.

I know this is a rather safe look, but I've been alternating - actually I'm wearing both of them right now - between the Barielle & the Julep and it is very work appropriate. I also haven't gotten one break or tear.

Don't mind the cuticles. That's my next project!

Disclosure: Julep referral link used.

Julep Hayden

Julep describes Hayden as simply "neon peach" which is right on the money. It looks like a pastel peach in the bottle but when it dries, it is definitely takes on a slightly more bright-in-your-face look; it is not matte like many neon polishes on the market though not as shiny as some other Juleps and it should be noted that it looks slightly brighter in person than in the above swatch. This was 2 very poorly done coats as it was my right hand and I'm right handed. It is important to note that if you've been using Julep polishes for awhile, this used to be named Amanda. I'm not sure what caused the name change but if you have an Amanda lying around in your collection, it's the same polish.

As with all of the Julep polishes I've tried so far, this was opaque in 2 coats and dried very quickly compared to other lacquers on the market. That is the reason I've since kept my Julep subscription service as I tend to do my polish at night and these don't need a quick-dry top coat. Even with the price, if I can cut out a step, I'm a happy girl.

The Julep Maven program can be gotten for $5 with code MAVEN5 if there's interest. This post includes my referral link.

Julep Leah

Julep describes Leah as "Vivid and refreshing grass green with a hint of shimmer" and that is a fairly accurate description. This is a bright green and not a color I generally go far but it's very pretty. I'm always worried about greens giving me "lobster hands" as I'm quite pale and prone to redness. While the touch of silver shimmer is evident in the bottle and quite pretty, I didn't find it translated to the nail so the effect is more of a green cream. I find that in certain lighting Leah looks more minty as shown below which is nice but a little strange.

As with all of the Julep polishes I've tried so far, this was opaque in 2 coats and dried very quickly compared to other lacquers on the market. That is the reason I've since kept my Julep subscription service as I tend to do my polish at night and these don't need a quick-dry top coat. Even with the price, if I can cut out a step, I'm a happy girl. I got some bubbling with this as you can probably see and you can blame yours truly as I didn't keep the bottles upright before swatching.

The Julep Maven program can be gotten for $5 with code MAVEN5 if there's interest. This post includes my referral link.

Julep Megan

Julep describes Megan as a "A playful and sultry Mediterranean aquamarine shimmer" and I agree with the color description, but I feel this more of a frost formula and for that reason, it does have the tendency of being prone to brush strokes. I don't find it as bad with the color Leighton that was in my intro box but it is something that I feel needs mentioning.

As with all of the Julep polishes I've tried so far, this was opaque in 2 coats and dried very quickly compared to other lacquers on the market. That is the reason I've since kept my Julep subscription service as I tend to do my polish at night and these don't need a quick-dry top coat. Even with the price, if I can cut out a step, I'm a happy girl. I got some bubbling with this as you can probably see and you can blame yours truly as I didn't keep the bottles upright before swatching.

The Julep Maven program can be gotten for $5 with code MAVEN5 if there's interest. This post includes my referral link.

Julep Maven It Girl January Box

My Julep January box arrived in the mail. This is my first "real" box as a full $19.99 paying member. I opted to do a "shelf pull" for January as the It Girl boxes from now on will be all polish. They were also running a promotion allowing a free upgrade in January with an option for 1 of 3 different products (2 nail colors and the nail treatment). I actually elected to chose one of the polish colors so I was a little annoyed to see the nail treatment in my box; however, searching further, I found a little card that apologized as the color I had selected had sold out and offering this and a coupon for a free nail polish of my choice!

This month's box included 3 different nail colors and a sample of their nail polish remover pads. Considering each polish normally retails for $14, I think the $19.99 price is pretty reasonable. The colors included Hayden (a peach cream), Megan (a shimmery teal-aqua) and Leah (a bright grassy green with what appears to be silver shimmer). I haven't tested these out yet but swatches will be coming soon.

Use code MAVEN5 to get your first Julep box for $5 - not quite the steal I posted in my first box post, but a good deal nonetheless.

Disclosure: Referral link used.

Followup: Broadway ImPress Press on Manicure #56897

Well I thought I'd update you all on how I got on with the ImPress Press On Nails. As I mentioned, it was a little strange having them on my nails. My biggest complaint was because the adhesive was already on the nails, there was a bit of adhesive that peeked out on top of my natural nail which attracted a bit of grime. Having dirt under my nails is a big pet peeve of mine so it was uncomfortable as I couldn't really clean the underside out and everything stuck to it! They lasted for about 24 hours but I'll attribute that to cleaning that I did today as well as food preparation (to be honest, I didn't feel very comfortable having them on for that so it's just as well that one peeled off and I subsequently removed the others in lieu of getting some nail glue and popping it back on).

Even with the easy of application, I'm not sure I'd consider press-on nails in the future. Your mileage may vary.

Disclosure: Received in the holiday Influenster Vox Box.