Mani Monday ~ Essie Gel Nail Color

 Okay, so this Mani Monday is going to be a bit all over the place! I really wanted to show my current nail color, however, I don't really know the shade, or much about the polish. I painted my nails with a friend I didn't catch the names of the polishes. I used the Essie Gel Nail Color system with an LED nail lamp. I never ever knew Essie had a gel line and I have no idea where you could buy it. I searched online to find the colors and couldn't find much. I believe the blue is either Like Turqoise or Net Worth. I could be wrong, but those are the colors that looked most similar. The glitter (I'm fairly sure) is Pile on the Lux. Sorry that I don't have the shades or much info!

My nails weren't drying, even after an hour or so. I got a bit frustrated and tried to wipe off the polish with a tissue. I guess that's all I needed to do since it removed the sticky layer and left me with the gel color! My nails lasted about 6 days. They didn't really chip at all, however the downfall was that they began to peel off.

Overall, I probably wouldn't use again or recommend. It was a lot of work and probably requires a bit more practice and expertise (which I don't have ;). Have you tried or heard of this?

Mani Monday: Essie's Play Date!

Hey!
I painted my nails again to start the week. I love getting back into changing my nail color every week. This week, I stole this nail polish from my Mom's collection and I'm in love with the color.

Essie polishes are around $8 which is a bit pricey but some of them are worth it.

I added in a photo in this sunlight because it shows the that the color is not as blue toned as it seems.

This was not one of my best manicures. The polish got little air bubble bumps and I keep seeing new ones show up.
I feel like it has a finish that looks like it should be sheer but it's not. It looks different than your average nail polish and I can't put my finger on it. I painted my nails with 2 coats and it was fully opaque by then. Of course I also used a base coat and a top coat.
I can't tell if I like this color or not, I'll have to wear it for a bit longer to tell. 
It's a bit of a "darker" pastel purple.

I hope you enjoyed another Mani Monday!
 Bye! =)

Top 5 Spring Nail Polishes

Hey guys!

The seasons are changing again which means it's time for another seasonal polish faves! Spring is the perfect time to pull out your bright neons & and pale pastels. Here's my top 5!

As you can see, they are all pastels & brighter colors. Spring & Summer are probably my favorite seasons for nail polish because you can make such a statement. 

The first two are by CoverGirl in peek a boo pink and coral silk. The formula of this is thin but not too sheer, and the colors are perfect for this season. 

Next I have an Essie polish in under where? This is a creamy, pink toned purple shade which is neutral enough to go with any outfit but bright at the same time!

This is one of my favorite shades! It's Mint Sorbet by Sally Hansen. It's the perfect mint green color and it's very affordable too!

Last but not least I have Revlon's dreamer. This is a very toned down pink-toned blue and it reminds me of the sky!

That's all of the polish I have to show, I hope you enjoyed!
xx

Mani Monday: Essie's Mind Your Mittens

I miss posting everyday! I feel like I'm forgetting something.

I finally got around to painting my nails a new color I recently got by Essie called Mind Your Mittens.
It's a perfect mid-winter blue color and I really like it!

 I'm in love with this color! It super shiny and smooth, and went on with only 1 coat!

The bottom photo is without flash, which wasn't that good due to the nighttime lighting, but I wanted to include one anyways.

The color really reminds me of blueberry Jelly Bellies! It's a a really unique green-ish, blue teal shade.
That's all for today, Bye! =)

Blogmas 2013: Day 19! Winter Nail Polish Favorites

I'm finally putting up my winter nail polish faves! I did this for fall, so I thought I would try it again for winter!

When I think of winter colors, I think of deep reds, purples, blues and other cool-ish tones. I have 6 polish that I absolutely love and plan to wear a ton this season. I've already used a few of these in my Mani Mondays, which you cans check out under the nails section of my blog!

I've got 3 China Glaze colors (all from the Meet Me Under the Mistletoe collection), 2 Sinful Colors, and 1 Essie polish!

I think all of these colors are super festive and great for the winter-time! China Glaze cost around $7, Sinful Colors about $2, and Essie polishes cost about $9.

I hope this gave you some nail-spiration ;) , see you tomorrow!

Bye! =)

Mani Monday: In the Cab-ana

So today I have another Mani Monday! 

I painted my nails a color I've been wanting to use for a while. In the Cab-ana by Essie. I featured this in a blog post a couple of months ago actually.This color was surprisingly opaque (unlike most Essie colors). I only did one coat (with base coat and top coat) and I think it came out nicely. I would definitely re-paint my nails with this and it's perfect for summer.

Mani Monday: Under Where?

Hey guys!

I thought since I missed last week's Mani Monday, I'd do one today. 

Today wasn't my best day for painting nails. I kept denting, scratching and rubbing the nail polish.

Very annoying, but I added a few top coats.

 So this polish has actually been featured on my blog twice (sorry)! 

I really like the color. While it was fairly opaque, I still felt the need to use 2 coats.

It's a bit of a pink-toned purple. 

(sorry for the chip on my middle finger)

That's all for today.

Keep your eyes peeled for a possible empties post tomorrow!

Affordable nail polish dupes

Hey guys!

So I was looking through my nail polishes and I found a couple Sally Hansen dupes for Essie!

You can tell they aren't "exact" dupes but they are very similar.

The first pair are a red toned coral that is very bright. The Essie polish is the slightest bit darker.

Sally Hansen: Mighty Mango

Essie: Come Here!

As you can see the swatches are very similar. The Sally Hansen polish is on the left and the Essie on the right. (please ignore the other swatches)

Sally Hansen is about $2 at most drugstores and Essie is about $7-10.

My flash made these colors appear more grey. they're actually a lavender color.

Sally Hansen: No Hard Feelings

Essie: Under Where?

Again, the Sally polish is on the right, Essie on the left.

This time the Sally polish is the slightest bit darker than Essie.

As for comparison on formula, Essie is a bit more creamy and the Sally Hansen feels thinner. 

I needed 1-2 coats for Essie and 1-3 for Sally Hansen.

That's it for today, I apologize for not posting everyday.

I was thinking of maybe adding some organizational posts and maybe even some smoothie recipes. Let me know what you think, and if you think  I should stick to Beauty, Thanks!

Mani Monday: First Timer

Hello everyone! I apologize for not posting the past few days, I haven't thought of any grand ideas! But today I thought I'd post another "Mani Monday" since I always paint my nails at this time of the week. I chose a polish by Essie called first timer, also in my recent post. It's a great green and it's quite opaque. Let the photos speak for themselves. 

So I decided to take some pictures outside due to to beautiful weather! Excuse the ugly grass though.

I did 2 coats but I probably could have gotten away with 1.

That's all for today, I'll try my best to post tomorrow.

Byee

Essie Resort Collection 2013

Hey again,

I recently received the full Essie Resort Collection for my birthday and I thought I'd swatch it.

The colors are all gorgeous and perfect for this time of year.

The set included a dark mint green, a baby blue/teal, a lavender and a bright coral.

From left to right (in case the printing is too small): First Timer, In the Cab-ana, Under Where?, Come Here.

I swatched each color and took a photo outside in natural lighting.

The blue is personally my favorite and I can't wait to paint my nails each color!