Nailed It: Nails of the Day

For today's Nail of the Day post, I'm sharing a combo I've recently been loving: Zoya's "Mason" polish, with an accent nail of Julep's "Jane" glitter polish.  I'm very happy with both polishes. They both wore well, with minimal chipping. I was pleased with the opacity of Mason after two solid costs. I was also pleased with the ease of application of Jane polish for a glitter topcoat. I do prefer the brush on the Zoya polishes to the Julep ones as they are just a bit wider and easier to use, but both still applied easily. I especially love the rose gold hues of glitter in on the accent nails when paired with the jewel tone hues in Mason. 

Two coats of Zoya's "Mason" polish. Accent nail has Julep's "Jane" over it.

Two more shots of these polishes, top is in natural, outdoor lighting. Bottom photo was taken indoors in artificial lighting. 

Zoya can be purchased online from their website, or in stores like Ulta. Julep can be purchased from their website, or in stores like Sephora. I purchased both polishes online from the brand websites. 

 

Thursday Thoughts: Zoya's Monet

Today has been a pretty rough flair day for me, so I don't have any exciting posts to share today. Instead, I thought I'd do a fun Nailpolish post. Zoya's, "Monet" nail polish is so beautiful; it's a cellophane, holographic topcoat. 💅For a fun comparison, the background of this picture is a replica of Monet's, "The Artist’s Garden at Giverny".  I've collected Monet replicas since my junior year of high school; Claude Monet is my favorite Impressionist. (12 years after I first started to enjoy Monet's works, he is STILL my very favorite! My dream would be to take a trip to visit the actual Monet House in Giverny, France someday.) Needless to say, I was extremely excited to get this polish during Zoya's recent sale. When the light hits the glitter just right, the colors remind me so much of this Monet painting, so I thought I'd share this picture for fun! 💗💜💚 Also, Zoya is a 5-free polish, so I tend to favor them over other brands since they leave out a lot of unnecessary chemicals. 

(This picture is in our hallway, so the lighting isn't the best, sorry for the poor picture quality, but I hope you can still make out some of the beautiful colors!)

Here are the colors I recieved during the recent Zoya sale. They offered three free nail polishes, if you paid for shipping and handling. The colors I chose were left to right: Blu, Monet, and Wendy (which is currently on my nails.)

This was the cute little box the polishes arrived in. I absolutely love the Zoya polishes, and really recommend them as a brand! 

Polished: "Rory" by Zoya 💅

Today I thought I'd share a recent nailpolish color that I've been using quite frequently for the past year. This nailpolish is by Zoya, and the shade is, "Rory". I love not only the pinky-mauve color, with it's flattering tones and slight irrridesent shimmer...but also the formula in general. This polish wears well, and the formula doesn't chip as easily as a lot of other brands I've tried. It is also 5-free polish, meaning it is much safer as a brand than a lot of other polishes on the market that use more harsh, harmful chemicals. If you're a polish fan, definitely check out Zoya polishes, especially Rory. 

(They recently had a big sale, and I ordered 3 polishes free + S&H, so I will post pictures and swatches of those sometime soon!) 

Here is, "Rory".

In case you'd like a color description, this is the Rory color description, straight from the Zoya website. (www.zoya.com)  "Rory by Zoya can be best described as: Medium mauve pink with lilac tones, gold and silver reflective metallic shimmer accents, and a foil-like finish. The gentle color of this polish gives the foil finish a softened appearance."

Nail of the Day: OPI "The World Is Not Enough" (Skyfall Collection)

Nail of the Day:

OPI's "The World Is Not Enough" (Skyfall Collection)

You can purchase this shade at your local Ulta. To achieve this look, I applied one coat of OPI's Base Coat, two coats of , "The World is Not Enough", then topped with Seche Vite's Quick Dry Top Coat, and Nicole for OPI's Drip Drops. 

Not my best work, but overall I'm really loving this color so far!

Nail of the Day!

It's Nail of the Day time again! Yay! Today's look uses L'oreal's "The Temptress' Power". I picked this up at Target recently, and thought this was a nice gold color for Autumn. It reminds me of the brilliant colors in the changing leaves right now. This polish has rich golden color with green undertones, and green/ golden micro-glitter to it...lovely!

I used OPI's Natural Nail Base Coat as a nice base for the nail color. Next, I applied three coats of the Loreal color, and then topped things off with Revlon's Diamond Shine Top Coat. Be sure to check out the pictures and brief video below!

Pictures:

Today's nail look:

Indoor lighting, with no filter

(It looks a bit orange in this picture, but it's really a lighter golden shade)

L'Oreal's "The Temptress' Power" (696)

Two pictures taken outdoors in natural lighting with no filters 

(This is a more accurate representation of the color):

Another view:

Want to see more? 

Watch today's quick little video on this nail look and upcoming ones!

Nail of the Day!

It's Nail of the Day Time Again!!! This time I went with OPI's "The One That Got Away." It is a beautiful grapey-red shade with a lovely shimmery glitter undertone to it. Perfect for Autumn! Click my video below for a quick clip on the polish and all of the items I used to achieve this look.

All of the nail goodies mentioned in the video! (Play the video or check out my previous NOTD's for more info!) 

OPI's "The One That Got Away" 

Nail of the Day!

Today's nail of the day look features "Radium" by Illamasqua. 

This was my first time trying out an Illamasqua polish, and I'm in love! I received this in my September GlossyBox and loved the color so much that I painted my nails that same day! It's the most perfect "granny smith apple" green color! (It's just a tad darker in person) The website describes it as an acidic lime color with a shimmer finish; I concur. I'm really enjoying this color; it's unlike any other nail polish that I own. It also preforms well, and applies opaque after two coats. I wasn't a big fan of the brush; it's a bit small and one of the hairs shed while I was trying to paint my nails. Other than that, I have zero complaints. This was the ONLY product I used on my nails that day, so that's why there's only one photo. I didn't use a base or top coat...frankly, I was sick and couldn't be bothered to use one. I have to say, I'm several days in now and don't have a single chip yet. This polish is good! 

If you want to try out an Illamasqua polish, check Sephora in store or online. They are around $14 each. 

Nail look of the Day & Walgreens Mini Haul

Today while I was out running a few errands, I stopped into Walgreen's to pick up my heart medicine. Since that's clearly no fun on its own accord, I decided to look around while I was there! I wound up picking up a few nail and hair care items, so thought it would be fun to share my little finds with all of you! 

(Video link of today's "mini-haul/nail polish review" at the bottom of the post!)

Products I picked up today!

1.Head & Shoulders Itchy Scalp Care Shampoo (my scalp/hair has been super dry & itchy lately, so I thought I'd give this a shot!)

2. BioInfusion Hydrating Conditioning Balm (paraben & sulfate free)

3. HASK Natural Essentials Complete Conditioning Treatment (for all hair types)

4. Essie's "Pink Diamond" #192

5.The next four polishes were on BOGO from Wet n' Wild's new "Fergie" line! I picked up colors:

-A003 "Grammy Gold"

-A002 "Going Platinum

-A014 "XoXo"

-A005 "Flossy Flossy"

 Another view (sans the shampoo)

 Yay for new nail polishes!!!

NAIL OF THE DAY

-Sally Hansen Instant Cuticle Remover

-C.O. Bigelow Lavender Salve

-Nail File & Buffer

-Cuticle Stick/Pusher thingy

-Toe Separators

-Sephora Nail Polish Corrector pen (Seriously, can't rave about this enough!)

-OPI Base Coat

-Revlon Quick Dry Top Coat

-Essie "Pink Diamond" 

-Wet n' Wild *Fergie line* - Grammy Gold (Accent Nail)

 Polish perfection!

 View of the labels

Several pictures of today's nail look!

(sorry no outdoor lighting photos; it was night when I painted my nails)

Watch the video of today's "mini-haul/nail of the day" in the video below!!!

Nail of the Day!

It's mani/pedi time again! Here are the products I used in today's pictures: 

-Sample of Sally Hansen's Nail and Cuticle Hand Cream -(I got this for free! It was a bonus item attached to a Sally Hanson salon manicure polish a few months back when I was at Walgreens. It works pretty well; I've used the entire tube up!)

-OPI BaseCoat (one coat)

-Essie's "bikini so teeny" (two coats)

-Essie's "pure pearlfection" Luxe Effects topcoat (two coats)

-Revlon Quick Dry Top Coat (one coat)

-Sephora Nail Polish Corrector pen

-Toe separators (I'm can't remember where I got these from; I've had them quite a while! (Maybe Target or Ulta?). I had to be careful with these since my right pinkie toe is broken, but I was still able to work around it). 

Essie's "Pure Pearlfection" luxeffects topcoat (left) and Essie's "bikini so teeny" (right)

Indoor lighting (The color is really a little darker than the picture conveys)

Natural outdoor lighting (The polish is appearing true to color here)

Another view in natural lighting...

I am VERY pleased with these polishes! No streaking, bubbling, chipping, clumping, or any issues like that! Very good quality polishes; this is one of the main reasons I prefer Essie compared to most other polishes. (The "bikini so teeny" polish can be just a tiny pinch runny,not streaky, just a little runny, so apply with a light hand. I would recommend letting it dry a bit between coats!) The "Pure Pearlfection" luxe effects top coat is absolutely gorgeous and gives the perfect amount of flattering shimmer to any polish. I LOVE it! 

Product Review: Nail Polish - Sally Hansen's Salon Manicure: "Barricuda"

I am a nail polish addict. I go through nail polish like some drug addicts go through crack. (Sadly, I'm not even joking!). Along the way, I've found quite a few brands and shades that I tend to favor. My favorites include: Essie, OPI, Butter, Revlon, and Zoya, and some Wet n' Wild shades.


About a year ago, I tried out one of the Sally Hansen Salon Manicure polishes at the urging of a friend who insisted the shade was "The perfect Tiffany's blue!". So, I bought it and tried it out. Although I liked the color, I was not impressed with the performance. That polish sat unused for quite a while, until I decided to pick it back up again today and give it another try.

Now, I am certain: I HATE IT! 

It is quite possibly one of the worst nail polishes that I have ever used...EVER! (This, coming from the girl who enjoyed painted fingernails in Kindergarden!). It is horrendous! It is a terrible polish to try and work with to achieve a uniform look on each nail. (I know the picture below isn't the best, but after a gazillion attempts to make this polish "work", I just called it a day!The accent nail color is: "Revlon- Blue Mosaic"- I LOVE that polish, but it looks horrid in the picture below because I tried to work with it on top of the "Barracuda"- yeah, not so much!) Check out my nails: you can clearly see bubbles all over the place! (I always roll my polish gently before I use it to prevent bubbles; I never shake it.)

Why I dislike this polish:

-It streaks

-It bubbles

-It smudges

-It does not apply evenly

-It takes numerous coatss to get one opaque coat

-It wears/chips easily

(Do I REALLY need to continue?) 

The ONLY positive: it is a pretty blue shade. 

I'm not sure what happened when they designed this polish, but something went horrifically wrong! Now that being said, I actually like the Sally Hansen Salon Effects line. I have numerous other shades that are absolutely stunning, apply well, and wear well. (As a matter of fact, the last "Nail of the Day" that I posted, I was wearing one of them!). I have NEVER had an issue with any other shade from that specific line, only the "Barracuda" one. I'm not sure if I just got a "dud" or what. Either way, I thought it was worth mentioning in my review today. There are countless other polishes on the market in "Tiffany blue" shades that look gorgeous AND preform well. So, given that, I would recommend skipping "Barracuda" and instead going  with a different brand when it comes to this shade of blue! (My guess is that maybe the very first "Salon Effects" to hit the market weren't the best; I have four other shades from that line that I absolutely LOVE and they preform well. (I purchased those recently, so maybe the newer ones are better in their formulation? I don't know!)

Today's Nail Polish Look!

I thought it would be fun to post my latest nail look today for a bit of a change! Hope you guys enjoy!

Indoor Lighting

Natural outdoor lighting (Please excuse my cuticles!)

Products I used!

Products I used on my nails:

OPI's Natural Nail Base Coat (all nails; one coat)

Revlon's "Charismatic" 610 (on four of the five nails depicted; two coats)

Accent nail: Zoya's "Belle" by Capital Hill Style (three coats) 

Accent nail: Essie's "As Gold As It Gets" 950 (on top of  Zoya's "Belle"; one coat) 

Revlon's Quick Dry Top Coat 960 (on top of all nails; one coat)

Sephora's Nail Polish Corrector (used around the edges of all nails)

Where to purchase: 

~OPI Natural Nail Base Coat: Target, Ulta, or online at www.opi.com 

$5-8 depending on where you purchase (If you purchase from Ulta, use your 20% off coupon they mail out!)

~Revlon "Charismatic 610 & Revlon Quick Dry Top Coat 960: I bought mine at Target, but I know Walgreens, Walmart, Ulta, CVS, and other places carry it. 

$3.79 (I had a manufacturer's coupon, so I used that with this shade and the Revlon top coat and pretty much got them for free!) 

~Zoya "Belle" by Capital Hill Style: This is a limited edition nail polish; if you want it, order now!!! It comes in a set of three polishes from Zoya's Blogger Collection by Birchbox.: Order it here. (I love all of the polishes in that collection, and use them often! They are jelly based and really hold up longer/chip less than most polishes!) 

$22.00 for set of three polishes

~ Essie's "As Gold As It Gets" 950 luxeffects multi dimensional top coat: I purchased mine from Target. You can also find it at Walgreens, Ulta, CVS, and www.essie.com

$5-8 depending on where you purchase

~Sephora Nail Polish Corrector: Purchase in stores at Sephora, or online at www.sephora.com. I can not speak highly enough of this little gem! I've gone through three of them; it is by far the best thing I've ever purchased to do nails with! It's a flat tipped nail polish remover pen. It's amazing! 

$8.00 

Julep Maven

By now, I'm sure that most of you have heard about the monthly beauty subscription services. If you haven't, it's a rather simple concept. You register with the beauty company of your choice, pay a small fee, and once a month you receive a small box of deluxe beauty/lifestyle samples to try out. This way you can see if you like a product enough to purchase the full size samples and you have something to look forward to every month. Most companies give you a little quiz to take to help you find the best products suitable to your skin type and taste. From BirchBox to GoGoGlam, Beauty Test Tube, to My Glam Bag, there are tons of boxes to choose from! 


One company that I discovered recently was Julep. Their monthly subscription service is called, Julep Maven and starts at $19 a month (they're on the pricey end of the spectrum). Recently they had a promotional deal however where they offered your first month for only $5 (you can cancel at any time without incurring a fee)! What a steal! For $5 you would receive two full sized polishes, a lotion, and other samples (That's about $40 worth of things for only $5, shipping and tax already included). My initial response is that I would never pay the $20 for a box like that when I could buy 3-4 OPI/Essie polishes for that price, but for only $5, I thought I would at least give it a try!

Instead of receiving makeup or lifestyle products, their focus is on nail polish and hand care. Being the polish junkie that I  am, I couldn't resist giving it a try with such a terrific promotional sale they had! One thing that sets Julep Maven apart from other delivery services is that if you dislike the choices your quiz results give you for your monthly box, you have the option to go and choose your own. That's what I did! I chose one with a pretty emerald green and pink. In my box came two full sized Julep nail polishes, several samples of hand creams/washes, as well as a full sized Julep hand lotion (which smells divine!) I paid $5 for my box and it arrived within 4 days of my initial order. Julep normally retails their nail polishes for $14 each (all are environmentally safe). 


So here's my opinion: For the introductory box at a rate of only $5, it was a steal! The quality of the polishes was nice, and since I will get lots of uses out of the polishes and the moisturizers, it was $5 well spent. HOWEVER, based on their original pricing of nearly $20 a month, there's no way I'd spend $14 on a nail polish when I can buy the same quality in my favorite OPI and Essie polishes for almost half of that price. If their monthly subscription service were $5-12...it would be worth it. It's definitely not worth the $19 a month though, sorry! (The color pigmentation in the polishes is good, but I still prefer Essie and OPI for the price and quality...also, you get more product out of an OPI bottle than you do ounce for ounce from a Julep bottle) If you'd like to try out Julep Maven, now is the time to do it! If you google the promotional codes and use them during check-out, you too can get your first box for $5! This is the link to try out their service at the discounted price of $5...give it a shot if you love nail polish! http://www.julep.com/great-gifts/bloomspot-50-off-first-month-of-maven


Next month I will be doing a review on EcoEmi when I receive my box from them! They have environmentally friendly lifestyle boxes that include everything from samples of gourmet teas to make up products...I've seen rave reviews all over YouTube for their box, so I can't wait to try it out and let you guys know what I think! www.ecoemi.com