February Julep Maven - It Girl

Hi there!

I received my Maven box this afternoon and I couldn't decided which to play with first...

Julep - Rachel, Oscar, and Elizabeth.

So I played with all of them...

My nails painted with Julep - Rachel.

I painted 2 coats to achieve what's pictured. Rachel applied very smoothly, and I could have gotten away with just 1 thicker coat for opacity.

Rachel with Oscar...

My nails painted with Julep - Rachel and Oscar.

I painted just 1 coat of Oscar over Rachel. I don't typically enjoy glitter polish because of the common hassle when it comes to removal. This glitter, however, wiped off just like a normal polish would. I recommend it based on that!

My camera really dislikes dark polishes on my nails, so please forgive the orange fingers it gave me. Elizabeth is true to color...

My nails painted with Julep - Elizabeth.

I painted 2 coats to achieve what's pictured. Elizabeth is described as a midnight blue- but left with just 1 coat, it can look dark purple.

Elizabeth with Oscar...

My nails painted with Julep - Elizabeth and Oscar.

I painted 1 coat of Oscar over Elizabeth, and I'm really enjoying this combination!

The last thing that came with my Maven box was this incredibly phallic piece of Oscar chocolate...

... it was delicious :-)

Did you receive a Maven box this month? If so, which one? If you don't have a Maven subscription, and you'd like to join... you can sign up here.

Until next time...

Spoiled - I Don't Drink Cheap Wine

Hi there!

Yet another Spoiled polish...

My nails painted with Spoiled - I Don't Drink Cheap Wine.

I painted 2 coats to achieve what's pictured. The polish applied easily, and it dried just as quickly as I expected it to dry.

The shimmer in I Don't Drink Cheap Wine was difficult to photograph, but here is a better look at what I was able to capture...

Spoiled - I Don't Drink Cheap Wine.

This color isn't exactly unique, but it sure is pretty!

Until next time...

Ugly Manicure Monday - 03

Hi there!

This ugly manicure comes to you courtesy of Kristin at The Manicured Monkey...

China Glaze - L8R G8R and Kleancolor - Metallic Purple.
Stamped with Mash plate M44.

She painted 2 coats of L8R G8R, stamped with Metallic Purple using Mash plate M44, and topped it with Seche Vite to achieve what's pictured. While this manicure isn't necessarily ugly, it isn't wonderful. The stamping isn't as even as she would have liked, and the topcoat dulled the holographic effect of L8R G8R. The topcoat also smeared the stamping.

Thanks, Kristin!

If you have an ugly manicure, I'd love to feature it! Email me with what polish you used and what you intended your manicure to look like :-)

Until next time...

Spoiled - Ants In My Pants

Hi there!

These 2 are the same, in theory...

My nails painted with Wet n Wild - Behind Closed Doors
and Spoiled - Ants In My Pants.
Behind Closed Doors is painted on my pointer and ring finger.
Ants In My Pants is painted on my middle and pinky finger.

I painted 2 coats of each polish to achieve what's pictured. They both have the same jelly sheer black base and red glitter- both hexagonal and circular. There is just more glitter in Ants In My Pants. While the black bases are the same color, they aren't the same formula- the base in Ants In My Pants suspends the glitter much better than the base of Behind Closed Doors. The Glitter in Behind Closed Doors sinks to the bottom of the bottle, so the bottle requires more shaking/rolling before use.

Here is a better look at the glitter...

Wet n Wild - Behind Closed Doors and Spoiled - Ants In My Pants.

I painted 2 coats of each polish onto white paper to achieve what's pictured. As you can tell, there is more glitter in Ants In My Pants. While these 2 polishes aren't exactly the same, they sure are close enough to where you don't need to own both. If I had to recommend one over the other, I'd choose Ants In My Pants.

Behind Closed Doors turned into a very tough to find polish last fall. If you weren't able to get your hands on it then, I hope you're able to get your hands on the Ants In My Pants ;-p

Until next time...

Spoiled - I Only Eat Salads

Hi there!

This is a color unique to my collection...

My nails painted with Spoiled - I Only Eat Salads.

I painted 2 coats to achieve what's pictured. The brush in my bottle wasn't as bad as some of the other brushes, so the application was effortless.

I especially like it with Show Me The Money layered over the top...

Spoiled - I Only Eat Salads and Show Me The Money.

I painted just 1 coat of Show Me The Money to achieve what's pictured. I recommend this glitter. It's the same as I Gotta Confection To Make in that it removes like a flakie or a creme polish. It truly was a no-hassle removal!

What do you think about this combination? Are these 2 a must for your collection?

Until next time...

Sugar Tips

Hi there!

I wanted to try this technique again...

My nails painted with Julep - Kim.

I think this combination turned out better than my taupe polish and blue glitter attempt. I painted 2 coats of Kim. Then I painted a strip of my nail foil glue across the tips. Once the glue was tacky, I dipped the tips into the glitter. I used a wet q-tip to remove any excess glitter and to straighten out the smile line. After the glue dried, I applied 2 coats of Julep's topcoat. Be sure to wrap your tips if you try this manicure :-)

A better look at the holographic glitter...

My nails painted with Julep - Kim.

You can also see this manicure on Julep's blog and facebook page. I was their guest blogger yesterday :-)

Have you tried this type of manicure? What are your favorite color combinations?

Until next time...

(Kim was kindly provided by Julep for me to play with)

OPI - Sand-Erella

Hi there!

This one is gorgeous, whether you like holographic polish or not :-)

My nails painted with OPI - Sand-Erella.

I painted 1 thin coat and 1 normal coat to achieve what's pictured. It's still a bit on the sheer side, but I don't mind. The cashier at my local grocery store grabbed my hand when I was checking out. She said she had never seen anything like it before and she loved it!

Until next time...

Pink and Orange Polka Dots

Hi there!

I was in a summery kind of mood today...

My nails painted with Julep - Hayden and Cameron.

I painted 2 coats of polish on each fingernail. Then I applied Julep's topcoat- just because that would make it easier to remove and redo any dots that I was bound to mess up. I blobbed a small amount of polish onto the backside of one of my stamping image plates, then used a dotting tool to transfer alternating colored dots to my nails. Once dry, I applied another coat of topcoat to smooth it all out.

You can also see this manicure on Julep's blog and facebook page. I'm their nail of the day today :-)

Have a bright day!

Until next time...

Ugly Manicure Monday - 02

Hi there!

This ugly manicure comes to you courtesy of Katt at Kattatonic Fierceology...

Essie - Armed & Ready.

She painted 3 coats to achieve what's pictured. Her nails are messy because she painted them while driving around town (as a passenger). She even hung them out the window to dry.

Thanks, Katt!

Have you ever been so excited about a polish that you couldn't wait until you got home to try it? I have!

If you have an ugly manicure, I'd love to feature it! Email me with what polish you used and what you intended your manicure to look like :-)

Until next time...

Spoiled - Cougar Attack

Hi there!

Here's another of the Spoiled polishes...

My nails painted with Spoiled - Cougar Attack.

I painted 2 coats to achieve what's pictured. It applied just fine, but it's a bit more gritty than the other glitters I've tried thus far.

Cougar Attack is unique to my collection with the brown base and orange glitter- but it screams autumn to me, so I'm not sure how I feel about it right now. Yes, I'm one of those. I sometimes can't help myself and I associate colors with the time of the year. Don't you?

This seems to be a direct copy of Wet n Wild's Cougar Attack, from the On The Prowl Collection released in late 2011. I don't own it, but the swatches online are undeniable.

Until next time...

Spoiled - Permission To Proceed

Hi there!

This is a fun one...

My nails painted with Spoiled - Permission To Proceed.

My pointer and pinky finger are each painted with 2 coats, no base. My middle and ring finger each have a base of white. My middle finger has 2 coats, and my ring finger has 1 coat of Permission To Proceed. The application was effortless.

This has to be the only neon polish I own that photographs well. I'm honestly surprised that my camera liked this one :-)

Is this a must-have for you?

Until next time...

Spoiled - Don't Be Cheesy

Hi there!

I bought this one especially for the name- hunny poo loves cheese, and I'm sure he'd eat anything... so long as it had cheese on it :-)

My nails painted with Spoiled - Don't Be Cheesy.

I painted 2 coats to achieve what's pictured. Like the other Spoiled polishes that I own, the formula applied easily and dried quickly. The brush in my bottle isn't as bad as others I've encountered, but it isn't great.

Don't Be Cheesy is an orange polish with a yellow-y orange shimmer. A closer look...

Spoiled - Don't Be Cheesy.

Have you purchased nail polish solely for its name? Which one(s)?

Until next time...

Spoiled - I Gotta Confection To Make

Hi there!

This one definitely has a suiting name- it reminds me of cupcake sprinkles...

My nails painted with Spoiled - I Gotta Confection To Make.

I painted 2 coats on each nail. The formula and the dry time are just as I hoped they would be. My pointer and pinky finger have no base, my middle finger has Wet n Wild's Ebony Hates Chris as a base, and my ring finger has OPI's Alpine Snow as a base.

Over black...

Spoiled - I Gotta Confection To Make.

It looks so much different layered over white...

Spoiled - I Gotta Confection To Make.

The glitter in this polish is opalescent. Some pieces are hexagonal and some are circular. I Gotta Confection To Make doesn't act like a typical glitter, though... it boasts a no-hassle removal! Imagine a flakie, or even a creme polish.

What do you think about this one?

Until next time...

Spoiled - Are Mermaids Real

Hi there!

Yes, another post so soon :-) But I didn't want to wait to show you Shrimp On The Barbie's purple cousin...

My nails painted with Spoiled - Are Mermaids Real?

I painted 2 coats to achieve what's pictured. The formula applied easily and dried quickly. Are Mermaids Real? has an orange-ish yellow shimmer to it, as well as some green flecks- but they aren't noticeable on the nail.

A closer look...

Spoiled - Are Mermaids Real?

Will you be purchasing this one?

Until next time...

Spoiled - Shrimp On The Barbie

Hi there!

This is another of the new Spoiled polishes...

My nails painted with Spoiled - Shrimp On The Barbie.

I painted 2 coats to achieve what's pictured. It's a great cool toned pink with bright orange shimmer. The formula applied just like I hoped it would, though it was a bit difficult for me with such a thick brush. To see a brush comparison, click here.

A closer look at Shrimp On The Barbie...

Spoiled - Shrimp On The Barbie.

This reminds me of some of Zoya's shades. What do you think?

Until next time...

Grey Sky Water Marble

Hi there!

I really love water marbles, so I did one inspired by Seattle's rain, snow, and ice...

Blue and grey water marble with Julep - Dendrie and Michelle.

I'm quite happy about how this turned out! I painted 2 coats of Dendrie (grey) and then I marbled with Dendrie and Michelle. I topped it with a coat of Julep's topcoat. These polishes work very well together when marbling... I didn't have to redo any of the designs!

Click here to see this manicure with a water marble "how to" on Julep's blog. I was their guest blogger yesterday :-)

Here is a picture of the bottles...

Julep - Michelle and Dendrie.

Will you be trying this anytime soon?

Until next time...

(Michelle was kindly provided by Julep for me to play with)

Spoiled - Glitters

Hi there!

It seems the glitters are the most popular, so here are 4 of them...

Spoiled - Shuffle The Deck, Pet My Peacock,
Trust Fund Baby, and Jewelry Heist.

I painted a coat of OPI's Alpine Snow and then 2 coats of each glitter...

Shuffle The Deck is a clear base with medium black, red, and silver hexagonal glitter. It also has small black hexagonal glitter.

Pet My Peacock is a clear base with medium gold, green, purple, and silver hexagonal glitter.

Trust Fund Baby is a clear base with small fuchsia and black square glitter. It also has small black, blue, and gold hexagonal glitter.

Jewelry Heist is a clear base with medium gold and rose gold glitter. It also has small charcoal circular glitter and tiny opalescent square glitter.

Here's a close-up of the bottles...

Spoiled - Shuffle The Deck, Pet My Peacock,
Trust Fund Baby, and Jewelry Heist.

And with a flash...

Spoiled - Shuffle The Deck, Pet My Peacock,
Trust Fund Baby, and Jewelry Heist.

Trust Fund Baby seems to be a direct copy of Wet n Wild's Correction Tape, from the On The Prowl Collection released in late 2011. I don't own it, but the swatches online are undeniable.

Will you be adding any of these to your collection?

Until next time...

Spoiled Haul

Hi there!

Spoiled polishes have been available for about a month now- but I just got my hands on some of them...

Spoiled - Shuffle the Deck, Jewelry Heist, Trust Fund Baby,
Pet My Peacock, Show Me the Money, Cougar Attack,
Ants In My Pants, and I Gotta Confection To Make.

Spoiled - I Only Eat Salads, Permission To Proceed, The Parking
Meteor Expired, Bite Me, Are Mermaids Real?, I Don't Drink Cheap Wine,
Shrimp On The Barbie, Let's Get Sushi, and Don't Be Cheesy.

Spoiled is a brand by Wet n Wild, and as far as I know it's exclusive to CVS. I got all of these at CVS online. They retail for $1.99 a bottle, but I had a coupon code for 25% off (it's since expired). Shipping for me was a very reasonable $5.49.

Here's a look at one of the Spoiled brushes in comparison to some of the others from my collection...

Nail polish brushes. Across the top: Spoiled, OPI, and Nicole by OPI.
Across the bottom: Essie, China Glaze, and Sally Hansen Diamond Strength.

I don't care for the brushes on these. They're coarse, and the angled corner that's meant to help with precision... doesn't :-/ The color selection, however, is very nice. There are 72 shades to choose from!

Which polish would you like to see first?

Until next time...

Zoya - Jem

Hi there!

This polish is one I'm happy to have in my collection...

My nails painted with Zoya - Jem.

I painted 2 coats to achieve what's pictured. It applied easily, and it dried faster than I'm used to. Jem flashes all sorts of different colors depending on the lighting. In direct sunlight...

Zoya - Jem.

Pretty, right?

Until next time...

OPI - Warm and Fozzie

Hi there!

A friend of mine gave this to me for Christmas and I love it...

My nails painted with OPI - Warm & Fozzie.

I painted 2 coats to achieve what's pictured. The formula and the finish are great- it does dry like other foils, so removal takes a pinch more effort than if it was a creme finish. Depending on the lighting, Warm & Fozzie flashes brown/bronze/rust/gold/pink.

Is this one in your polish arsenal?

Until next time...

Ugly Manicure Monday - 01

Hi there!

I'm sure I'm not the only one who's experienced a bad manicure that, in theory, should have turned out pretty. I like the idea- just not the color combination with my skin tone (it really did look good on paper)...

My nails painted with Julep - Whitney.

I painted 2 coats of Whitney. Then I painted a strip of my nail foil glue across the tips. Once the glue was tacky, I dipped the tips into the glitter. I used a wet q-tip to remove any excess glitter and to straighten out the smile line. After the glue dried, I applied 2 coats of Julep's topcoat. Be sure to wrap your tips if you try this manicure :-)

Sooo, since I like the idea of posting ugly manicures on Mondays... I'm asking you to help me out by emailing me any ugly manicures (intentional or not) that you have happened to photograph! Include your name, the names of the polish you used, and any other information you'd like to include. I'll post them as I receive them, as I hope I don't create ugly manicures too frequently for myself!

Until next time...

Cloudy Day Splatter

Hi there!

I was going to do some stamping with these colors, but I couldn't choose a design. So, a splatter, it is...

Splatter manicure. My nails painted with
China Glaze - Emotion and Awaken.

I painted 1 coat of Emotion (pink), and I splattered with Awaken (grey). I used straws that are somewhat narrower than the typical drinking straw. I don't love the way this manicure turned out- mostly because I think the colors looked washed out against my skin tone... but I don't hate this manicure, either. I think it works well with the weather where I live.

Click here to see my favorite splatter manicure.

Have you tried this type of manicure? If not, you should :-)

Until next time...

Pastel Purples

Hi there!

After realizing just how similar Aquadelic and For Audrey are, I decided to compare another color from the new Electropop collection with what I have in my stash...

OPI - Rumple's Wiggin', China Glaze - Sweet Hook, and
China Glaze - Light As Air.

I painted 2 coats of each polish to achieve what's pictured. They're all easy to work with, but they're difficult to photograph together. This blurry picture shows the colors more accurately...

OPI - Rumple's Wiggin', China Glaze - Sweet Hook, and
China Glaze - Light As Air.

They're all purple, but I'd describe Rumple's Wiggin' as the perfect pastel purple- while Sweet Hook has more pink, and Light As Air has more grey.

Here are the bottles...

OPI - Rumple's Wiggin', China Glaze - Sweet Hook, and
China Glaze - Light As Air.

So, what do you think? Is Sweet Hook a must for you?

Until next time...

China Glaze - Aquadelic Versus For Audrey

Hi there!

This is Aquadelic and For Audrey...

My nails painted with China Glaze Aquadelic and For Audrey.
Aquadelic is painted on my pointer and ring finger.
For Audrey is painted on my middle and pinky finger.

I painted 2 coats of each polish to achieve what's pictured. At first glance, they look the same- but For Audrey has a little bit more blue and grey in it. The formulas and dry time seem to be the same.

Here are the bottles...

China Glaze - Aquadelic and For Audrey.

I like them both... but if you own one, I don't think you need to own the other. Will you be purchasing Aquadelic?

Until next time...

Baby Themed Nail Polish List

Hi there!

Baby is on the brain for a lot of people in my life. While I was searching for congratulatory nail polishes to gift them, I noticed there was no easily-attainable list of baby themed nail polish. Well, now there is...

Color Club
Bundle of Joy
Hushabye
Jewel Of A Girl
Oh Boy!
Sugar Baby

Essie
Baby's Breath
Chubby Cheeks
Cute As A Button

Funky Fingers
Baby Baby Baby

Jordana
Boy Oh Boy

Nicole By OPI
"Baby" Blue

Nubar
Baby Blue
Baby Pink
Baby Sprout
Hotel Baby Pink
Oh Baby Pink

OPI
And This Little Piggy...
Girls Just Want to Play
I Think In Pink
Isn't That Precious?
It's a Girl!
Mamma Mia!
Sweet Heart
Sweetie Pie

Rimmel
Baby Pink

Sinful Colors
Baby Blues

If you know of a polish I left out, please let me know and I'll add it to the list!

Because I like pictures in my posts, here are a handful of baby themed nail polishes that I have in my collection...

Essie - Chubby Cheeks and Cute As A Button, OPI - It's A Girl,
Nubar - Baby Pink, Baby Sprout, and Baby Blue.

Until next time...

China Glaze - Electropop Pinks

Hi there!

Say hello to the pinks of the Electropop collection...

China Glaze - Dance Baby, Fuchsia Fanatic, Wicked Style,
and Make Some Noise. Electropop collection.

I painted 3 coats of each polish to achieve what's pictured. I could have left them all with just 2 coats- it looked the same. Each of these polishes shows visible nail line :-/ I know some people don't mind it, but I'll be saving these for when my nails are short.

The pictures show the polishes true to color. Make Some Noise is an orange-y red.

China Glaze - Dance Baby, Fuchsia Fanatic,
Wicked Style, and Make Some Noise.

Do you plan on grabbing any of these polishes?

Until next time...