Monday, December 31, 2012

Color Club A Warm Place

Good evening ladies! I can't believe 2012 is almost over- I am ready to say goodbye to this year and hello to '13!

I was wearing a gorgeous winter floral scarf yesterday and it had the most gorgeous pinky-reds in it so I had to do my nails in a similar shade!

Below I used 2 coats of Color Club A Warm Place!

Color Club A Warm Place
Color Club A Warm Place

Color Club A Warm Place
Color Club A Warm Place
A Warm Place is such a gorgeous red creme with a hint of pink to it! The formulation and application was great and it didn't chip on my nails much :) Perfect for the holidays!

What do you think of this polish?
Happy New Year!
-Shelby


Saturday, December 29, 2012

Butter London Black Knight

Hello ladies! Today I have for you a mani I did a few days ago- Butter London Black Knight, such a gorgeous shade!

The lighting was still not perfection outside, but I dealt.

Below I used 2 coats of Black Knight

Butter London Black Knight
Butter London Black Knight

Butter London Black Knight
Butter London Black Knight
Black Knight is a black base packed with teal, pink, orange, black, and blue glitters. This polish was a major topcoat eater! 2 coats of topcoat at minimum is required to make this smooth. My dad asked if the polish was matte and I said no, it's just eating all the topcoat I put on it haha. I do like the effect this gives, but the formulation was a bit tricky and it looks black everywhere but sunlight.

What do you think of this polish?
-Shelby



Wednesday, December 26, 2012

Ciate Talent Scout

Hello ladies! How was everyone's holiday? I hope it went well for those of you who celebrate Christmas!

Unfortunately, it's been rainy here and without my good lamp at my dorm, it is difficult for me to use artificial light at home for photos!

I was able to capture one indoor photo worth showing of a new polish I received for Xmas- Ciate Talent Scout!

Ciate Talent Scout
Ciate Talent Scout
Talent Scout is a gorgeous eggplant creme! It's perfectly vibrant for this time of year. So far, the wear has been great, no chipping yet :). The application was pretty good, although I'm not sure how much I like the brush, it wasn't creating a nice look along the cuticles.

What do you think?
-Shelby


Sunday, December 23, 2012

Brush Stroke Mani!

Hello ladies! I hope you all had a lovely weekend :) My family had a holiday party yesterday, so I've been quite the busy bee. It was well worth it though :)

A couple days ago, I did a mani that I saw on a couple tutorials- a brush stroke type mani. Hope you like it! :)

What I used:
OPI My Boyfriend Scales Walls
Zoya Kristen
Essie Bikini So Teeny
Sinful Colors Lavender
OPI Suzi Says Feng Shui
OPI Ski Teal We Drop
China Glaze Fairy Dust

OPI My Boyfriend Scales Walls

OPI My Boyfriend Scales Walls
I loooove how this turned out! I used a medium-length striper brush to achieve this look. I was a little skeptical after the first couple colors, but I couldn't get enough of the final look :) I may have forgot to list a color, but I honestly can't remember.

Merry Christmas in case I don't post before then!
-Shelby


Thursday, December 20, 2012

OPI The Spy Who Loved Me

Hello ladies! I hope you all are having a great week- excited for the holidays? I know I am!

I am finally getting around to trying all of the OPI James Bond polishes that I received for my birthday in October.

Yesterday I tried out The Spy Who Loved Me, which I used 2 coats of below

OPI The Spy Who Loved Me
OPI The Spy Who Loved Me

OPI The Spy Who Loved Me
OPI The Spy Who Loved Me

OPI The Spy Who Loved Me
OPI The Spy Who Loved Me
The Spy Who Loved Me is a fiery bright red with a ton of gold and red shimmer. This polish has a great formulation and went on it 2 easy coats. It is very "glowy" and I like the look a lot!

Do you like The Spy Who Loved Me? Do you have any of the polishes or want any of the polishes from this collection?
-Shelby



Tuesday, December 18, 2012

Revlon Copper Penny and Hit Polish Precious Metal

Good evening! I've been away the past few days for two reasons: Sunday was my boyfriend and my Anniversary and the past couple days I haven't been feeling my best. But I did manage to do a mani last night and I got decent light today for photos!

Below I used 1 coat of Revlon Copper Penny and 1 coat of Hit Polish Precious Metal

Revlon Copper Penny Hit Polish Precious Metal
Revlon Copper Penny
 Hit Polish Precious Metal

Revlon Copper Penny Hit Polish Precious Metal
Revlon Copper Penny
Hit Polish Precious Metal
Copper Penny is a copper foil polish- pretty basic. The formula was pretty good and 1 coat was good as undies. Precious Metal is a copper and gold glitter bomb of various shapes and sizes! I had to thin this polish out a bit because the formula was ultra thick.

What do you think of this combo?
-Shelby


Saturday, December 15, 2012

Revlon Dreamer and Spoiled Pet My Peacock

Good late-evening ladies! I wanted to show you a mani I did today, but the weather was terrible and my light box wasn't cooperating :( so I decided to show you a mani from a couple days ago!

Revlon Dreamer Spoiled Pet My Peacock
Revlon Dreamer
Spoiled Pet My Peacock

Revlon Dreamer Spoiled Pet My Peacock
Revlon Dreamer
Spoiled Pet My Peacock
Dreamer is a light blue creme that is a little less white-based. For full opacity, it took me 3 coats, but 2 very careful coats may be enough in the future. Pet My Peacock is a blue, teal, silver and periwinkle hex glitters in a clear base. Unfortunately, this glitter didn't meet my expectations. I had to use a dotting tool to individually place each piece of glitter since the glitter wouldn't equally go onto each nail, if at all. 

What do you think of this mani?
-Shelby


Thursday, December 13, 2012

Revlon Bold Sangria, OPI Suzi Takes the Wheel and China Glaze Prism

Good evening! Tonight I have for you a kind of mish-mash mani. I couldn't really decide what to do, so I kept adding to it!

Revlon Bold Sangria OPI Suzi Takes the Wheel China Glaze Prism
Revlon Bold Sangria
OPI Suzi Takes the Wheel
China Glaze Prism

Revlon Bold Sangria OPI Suzi Takes the Wheel China Glaze Prism
Revlon Bold Sangria
OPI Suzi Takes the Wheel
China Glaze Prism

Revlon Bold Sangria OPI Suzi Takes the Wheel China Glaze Prism
Revlon Bold Sangria
OPI Suzi Takes the Wheel
China Glaze Prism
Bold Sangria is the perfect bright plum shade. It's high-gloss and is very opaque. It's bright nature doesn't display well in my photos though! Suzi Takes the Wheel is a green-toned gray. I thought the two looked nice together for the Fall season. To add something extra, I made a reverse gradient with Prism, a lavender micro glitter with rainbow larger round glitters!

What do you think of this mani?
-Shelby


Tuesday, December 11, 2012

OPI Ski Teal We Drop and NYX Gilded Glitter

Good evening ladies :) I hope everyone is having a good week so far! I have a chemistry final tomorrow that I'm preparing for. I'm so excited to finish up on Friday and start my holiday break :)

I used a couple untrieds of mine & wanted to share them!


OPI Ski Teal We Drop
OPI Ski Teal We Drop

OPI Ski Teal We Drop
OPI Ski Teal We Drop

OPI Ski Teal We Drop
OPI Ski Teal We Drop
OPI Ski Teal We Drop is a gorgeous teal creme from OPI's Swiss collection. Oh my goodness, how did I not use this until now!? This polish is perfection, perfectly opaque in 2 coats and has a wonderful formula. Love love love it!

NYX Gilded Glitter
NYX Gilded Glitter

NYX Gilded Glitter
NYX Gilded Glitter
Today, I decided to add NYX Gilded Glitter, a gold leaf-like glitter, to my manicure. I think this is a great substitution to the actual gold topcoats. At around $2, it's a bargain and a way to try out the trend without shelling out the $30 for OPI's! The pieces are on the small side, but I like it a lot! The formula was great, I got an even spread of glitter, but it did have a longer dry-time.

What do you think of these polishes?
-Shelby


Monday, December 10, 2012

Revlon Midnight Affair and NYX Turks and Caicos

Good evening ladies! I am just beginning my finals week, so life is a tad stressful at the moment! I still have time to destress and paint my nails, though :)

Tonight I have for you a glitter gradient using 2 untrieds: Revlon Midnight Affair and NYX Turks and Caicos!

Revlon Midnight Affair NYX Turks and Caicos
Revlon Midnight Affair
NYX Turks and Caicos

Revlon Midnight Affair NYX Turks and Caicos
Revlon Midnight Affair
NYX Turks and Caicos

Revlon Midnight Affair NYX Turks and Caicos
Revlon Midnight Affair
NYX Turks and Caicos

Revlon Midnight Affair NYX Turks and Caicos
Revlon Midnight Affair
NYX Turks and Caicos
Midnight Affair is a dark navy blue with subtle navy shimmers that just add the right amount of dimension to this polish. It became opaque in only 1 coat! Seriously? That's crazy and makes a polish 10x better in my book :). It's a bummer this shade is discontinued, but I found mine on eBay for a great price. Turks and Caicos is an iridescent glitter suspended in a clear-blue jelly base. The polish was a bit thick and hard to work with on the sponge, but I made it happen. Unfortunately, the polish gooped and din't want to dry properly, making my manicure not last too long.

What do you think?
-Shelby


Saturday, December 8, 2012

Sephora by OPI Don't Feed the Hand Models, Butter London West End Wonderland and Zoya Ziv

Good afternoon ladies! I hope you all are having a lovely holiday season. I've been doing some Christmas shopping recently and oh man, are the stores packed. I walked into Sephora today to take a quick browse and the line was 15 people long. Geesh, I'm glad I wasn't purchasing anything :)

Last night I visited with my boyfriend and played a fun game with him and his sisters (telestrations): it's a combo of telephone and pictionary. If you guys have kids/nieces/nephews/etc. around the age of 10-15 you should consider getting this game for them! Lots of fun and laughs :)

I have a mani for you guys that I did a few days ago; I absolutely love the combo!

What I used:
2 coats Sephora by OPI Don't Feed the Hand Models (except ring finger)
2 coats Zoya Ziv (ring finger)
1 coat Butter London West End Wonderland (ring finger)

Sephora by OPI Don't Feed the Hand Models Butter London West End Wonderland Zoya Ziv
Sephora by OPI Don't Feed the Hand Models
Butter London West End Wonderland
Zoya Ziv

Sephora by OPI Don't Feed the Hand Models Butter London West End Wonderland Zoya Ziv
Sephora by OPI Don't Feed the Hand Models
Butter London West End Wonderland
Zoya Ziv

Sephora by OPI Don't Feed the Hand Models Butter London West End Wonderland Zoya Ziv
Sephora by OPI Don't Feed the Hand Models
 Butter London West End Wonderland
Zoya Ziv
Don't Feed the Hand Models is a gorgeous cool-toned nude creme. This kind of nude is what suits my skintone best; the more beige nudes don't suit me too well. This was opaque in 2 coats. Ziv is a phenomenal gold foil. I am smitten for this polish! It may be my new fav :D. Or maybe the combo of Ziv and West End Wonderland, a gold and red glitter polish. They are just stunning and almost look like one polish when combined. 

What do you think?
-Shelby





Wednesday, December 5, 2012

Essie Recessionista and OPI Glow Up Already!

Good evening ladies! Today I have for you a reverse glitter gradient I did yesterday :) This was my first time trying the non-sponge method- not sure how I like it yet!

Below I used 2 coats of Essie Recessionista & OPI Glow Up Already! for the gradient

Essie Recessionista OPI Glow Up Already!
Essie Recessionista
OPI Glow Up Already!

Essie Recessionista OPI Glow Up Already!
Essie Recessionista
OPI Glow Up Already!

Essie Recessionista OPI Glow Up Already!
Essie Recessionista
OPI Glow Up Already!
Recessionista, from Essie's fall Stylenomics collection, is a deep berry creme. This is a gorgeous shade and went on in 2 easy coats. I added a reverse gradient with OPI Glow Up Already!, a finely milled gold, orange, green, pink, and silver glitter in a clear base. I believe it's from the OPI Burlesque collection. This wasn't too hard to work with- I really like it!

I hope you guys enjoyed!
-Shelby


Monday, December 3, 2012

Butter London Big Smoke and China Glaze Liquid Crystal

Hello ladies! Another late post for me- the night time just seems to be when I have the time for posts. I could schedule it for the following morning, but I like seeing it display right away :)

I wanted to try out a couple of untrieds of mine- Butter London Big Smoke and China Glaze Liquid Crystal. I wasn't sure how these would look together, but I like the outcome :)

Let me apologize for how orange I look in these photos! The polishes are pretty color-accurate, but for some reason I look like I just fake baked :/ Kinda funny since I am extremely white haha


Butter London Big Smoke China Glaze Liquid Crystal Sephora by OPI Indi-go with the Flow
Butter London Big Smoke
China Glaze Liquid Crystal
Sephora by OPI Indi-go with the Flow

Butter London Big Smoke China Glaze Liquid Crystal Sephora by OPI Indi-go with the Flow
Butter London Big Smoke
China Glaze Liquid Crystal
Sephora by OPI Indi-go with the Flow
Big Smoke is a dark navy shimmer leaning to the gray/green side. It isn't a true navy for sure, its tones make it look unique. I don't have any other shades like this! Unfortunately, the polish didn't wear amazingly. I had chips pretty quickly after it completely dried. Originally that is why I added Liquid Crystal- I didn't want to repaint a badly chipped nail! Liquid Crystal is a predominantly blue glitter with larger pink, green and silver glitters throughout. The blue is supposed to shift purple in certain lights, but I found that effect to only truly appear within the bottle. On top of that I added $OPI Indi-go with the Flow, a periwinkle blue glitter in a clear base. The last glitter was somewhat unnecessary, but whatevs!

Hope you enjoyed!
-Shelby


Sunday, December 2, 2012

Sephora by OPI Sparkling Personality and Models Own Pink Fizz

Hello ladies! I know this is an extremely late post, but I guess it's just that kind of night for me! Maybe you'll see this when you're sipping on your Sunday cup of coffee, rather than at nearly 1 am (Cali time, of course). 

Below I used $OPI Sparkling Personality, from the Betsey Johnson collection, and Models Own Pink Fizz


Sephora by OPI Sparkling Personality Models Own Pink Fizz
Sephora by OPI Sparkling Personality
Models Own Pink Fizz

Sephora by OPI Sparkling Personality Models Own Pink Fizz
Sephora by OPI Sparkling Personality
Models Own Pink Fizz
Sparkling Personality is a silver micro glitter with some pink micro glitters mixed in. The formula on this is great- 2 coats for full opacity. Pink Fizz is a pink micro glitter. Not much to say about this one, it isn't all that exciting, but it spiced up this look! This also took 2 coats for full opacity. I had to use the "dabbing" method a bit with Pink Fizz to cover bald spots.

Thanks for stopping by!
-Shelby


Friday, November 30, 2012

Essie Borrowed & Blue and Stroke of Brilliance

Happy Friday ladies! Have any fun plans for the weekend? The weather has been cold and rainy lately, so I'll probably just relax and enjoy the rain from behind the windows :P.

I really wanted to wear a spring-ish pastel shade, but add a winter twist so I used 2 very complementary Essie shades together :)

What I used:
1 coat Sally Hansen Hardener
2 coats Essie Borrowed & Blue
1 coat Essie Stroke of Brilliance
1 coat Sephora by OPI Matte Topcoat 


Essie Borrowed & Blue Essie Stroke of Brilliance
Essie Borrowed & Blue
 Essie Stroke of Brilliance

Essie Borrowed & Blue Essie Stroke of Brilliance
Essie Borrowed & Blue
Essie Stroke of Brilliance
Borrowed & Blue is possibly my favorite blue Essie polish- it's the perfect baby blue creme. It is fully opaque in 2 coats and smooths out substantially after the 2nd coat. It's from the 2011 wedding collection if I'm not mistaken. Stroke of Brilliance, a recent addition to the Luxe Effects line, is a gorgeous small and large periwinkle glitter in a clear base. I love the look of the baby blue and periwinkle together :). To make the glitter pop, I added $OPI Matte Topcoat. It's pretty good, though I may like my Essie matte topcoat better!

Thanks for stopping by :)
-Shelby


Tuesday, November 27, 2012

Butter London Bossy Boots

Good evening! Tonight I have for you a gorgeous Butter London polish: Bossy Boots. It isn't the most fitting for the fall-time, but I decided to wear it anyway :) Seasons don't always dictate my nail polish moods :P

Butter London Bossy Boots
Butter London Bossy Boots

Butter London Bossy Boots
Butter London Bossy Boots
Bossy Boots is a mossy/pistachio green creme. I've been searching for a good pistachio green, but I think this may be a tad lighter than that. This looks a little odd against my skin tone- I like it anyway! The formula was decent, but a little patchy here and there.

What do you think of Bossy Boots?
-Shelby


Monday, November 26, 2012

OPI Miami Beet and Icing Pop a Bottle

Good evening ladies! I hope everyone had a nice weekend; I had a lot of fun just spending some time with my family and my boyfriend :)

I've been meaning to try the Icing polishes, but never got around to it, until this weekend. I picked up 2 colors, one of which is featured in this post: Pop a Bottle

OPI Miami Beet Icing Pop a Bottle
OPI Miami Beet
Icing Pop a Bottle

OPI Miami Beet Icing Pop a Bottle
OPI Miami Beet
Icing Pop a Bottle

OPI Miami Beet Icing Pop a Bottle
OPI Miami Beet
 Icing Pop a Bottle
Miami Beet is a gorgeous pinky red creme. I love this shade! It's a perfect winter red, in my opinion. I like it against my skin tone and it had a great application; opaque in 2 coats. Pop a Bottle is a fine glitter consisting of pink, blue, and gold fine glitters in a dark pink base. I added a Sally Girl large and small gold glitter on top to make the accent nail pop more.

What do you think?
-Shelby


Saturday, November 24, 2012

Sephora by OPI All is Glam, All is Bright and Essie A Cut Above

Happy Saturday everyone :) It's been so relaxing having an extra long weekend so far; it feels like Sunday to me! I really enjoyed my glittery Thanksgiving mani, so I thought I'd share it with you guys!

I picked up a new Nicole by OPI holiday polish: All is Glam, All is Bright- I had to use it asap!

Nicole by OPI All is Glam, All is Bright Essie A Cut Above
Nicole by OPI All is Glam, All is Bright
Essie A Cut Above

Nicole by OPI All is Glam, All is Bright Essie A Cut Above
Nicole by OPI All is Glam, All is Bright
Essie A Cut Above

Nicole by OPI All is Glam, All is Bright Essie A Cut Above
Nicole by OPI All is Glam, All is Bright
Essie A Cut Above
All is Glam, All is Bright is a finely milled pink, blue, silver glitter in a clear base with slightly larger bright red flecks. This polish is so festive! I The formula was pretty good and 2 semi-thick coats made it opaque. I added A Cut Above to make it stand out even more. Lately I've really been enjoying layering different sized glitters :)

What do you think of this holiday manicure?
-Shelby


Thursday, November 22, 2012

China Glaze Champagne Kisses and Sephora by OPI Don't Be Eggnog-ious

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone in the US! I did a very fall-esque mani yesterday and wanted to share it with you!

What I used:
2 coats China Glaze Champagne Kisses
1 coat Sephora by OPI Don't Be Eggnog-ious

China Glaze Champagne Kisses Sephora by OPI Don't Be Eggnog-ious
China Glaze Champagne Kisses
Sephora by OPI Don't Be Eggnog-ious

China Glaze Champagne Kisses Sephora by OPI Don't Be Eggnog-ious
China Glaze Champagne Kisses
Sephora by OPI Don't Be Eggnog-ious

China Glaze Champagne Kisses Sephora by OPI Don't Be Eggnog-ious
China Glaze Champagne Kisses
Sephora by OPI Don't Be Eggnog-ious
Champagne Kisses is a stunning fine milled rose-gold-like and holo glitters in a clear base. In two coats, the nail is no longer visible. I love China Glaze fine glitters- they are gorgeous! I added Don't Be Eggnog-ious, a small and large copper glitter in a clear base, for that extra oomph! Love the combo!

What do you think of this?
-Shelby


Wednesday, November 21, 2012

Essie Go Overboard & Jordana Cosmic

Hello ladies! Yesterday I tried out a combo I've been curious about for a while: Essie Go Overboard and Jordana Cosmic!

I hope all of my American readers have a lovely holiday tomorrow; eat lots of turkey! :)

Essie Go Overboard Jordana Cosmic
Essie Go Overboard
Jordana Cosmic

Essie Go Overboard Jordana Cosmic
Essie Go Overboard
Jordana Cosmic

Essie Go Overboard Jordana Cosmic
Essie Go Overboard
Jordana Cosmic
Go Overboard is an extremely opaque teal creme. This color only needed 1 coat to be super opaque! Cosmic contains teal, green, and silver hexes along with micro teal glitter in a clear base! I heard that if Cosmic is paired over a teal, it is a dupe for Deborah Lippmann's Across the Universe. I would say it's a close enough dupe for the price difference! I like this a lot :)

What do you think of this mani?
-Shelby