Get Spotted!

I'm not really one for crazy nail art, but I'm getting on board when it comes to different patterns and top coats.

Maybelline came out with its "Color Show Polka Dots" line in July of this year. I took advantage of a sale at RiteAid and picked up "Clearly Spotted" (impulsively of course) which is the only polish in this line with a clear base. With a black and white mix of hex and circle shaped glitter, this is a perfect layering polish.

I'm not a big fan of clear polish over bare nails so I took the opportunity to bring out OPI's "My Pointe Exactly" to serve as a base.

I love how this polish gives my nails a Jackson Pollock rather than a dalmatian look. Having the translucent, barely-there blue base color really makes the white and black stand out. The clear gel was easy to apply and the balance of black, white, large hex, and small circle glitter is perfect for a great contrast.

This pairing is possibly a little too adventurous for the office, but who doesn't test the boundaries once in a while?

-Christina

Essie "Vested Interest"- a good investment!

I'm not generally into blues/greens... but add a little grey and you suddenly have a very wearable color that almost serves as a neutral!

Essie's Vested Interest, from the Fall 2013 Collection, is my new jam and I think I'm going to wear it through the end of the summer and well into the fall!

I think the color pretty much speaks for itself- a blue/green mixed with some grey undertone. Definitely matte with no sparkle of any kind. I think this is probably the only way I can wear blue/green without thinking my nails are too "out there." Leave the bold blues to the brave- I'll be sticking with "vested interest" for my kind of "ROI."

What unorthodox "neutrals" are in your collection? 

-Christina

Tangerine Crush

Hey all! Some of my best recommendations for nail colors come from my family members. This week my mom recommended L'Oreal's "Tangerine Crush" explaining that my older sister had recommended it to her, and that my mom had further passed it on to my sister Kara.

Let's say it looks great on all of us and I'm loving it too! Only one more sister to indoctrinate! Hahaha.

This is the kind of bright color that yells summer to me. It's a light, orangey coral with a hint of pink. In low lights the orange really comes out, in direct sunlight it appears a true coral. I've got on three coats, but 2 worked well too. The formula is smooth and applies well. I even really liked the angled brush that comes with!

All in all, an excellent addition to my collection. Check out a Vine I made with this polish: https://vine.co/v/hB505prPUiY 

What recommendations have you received lately?

-Christina

E.L.F. Polish- my favorite purple!

So I realize it has been a while. Final exams, beginning my summer work schedule, and frankly just getting some down time to myself has meant little time to post photos of recent manicures!

You guys, this is my favorite purple polish. EVER. E.L.F. hasn't named this color, but it did appear in the 2011 holiday collection.

Awesome in any light, this is a dark purple with a TON of sparkle and shine. It reminded me of car paint after my first application a few years ago (2 coats pictured), but it grew on me and now it's one of my favorites for any season. I think it's a super fun color and can't help but wear it over and over.

When in doubt, wear the purple I say.

What is your favorite bright this year?

-C

Sally Hansen Mint Sorbet:

Sometimes a color works out, and other times it just doesn't. Here's an example of the latter:

Sally Hansen "Mint Sorbet" is another color I picked up from the drug store in a stressed out fury. What I was really going for is a light jade color, something similar to Chanel's jade from last year- but obviously one that is within my "i'm a grad student and work part time" budget.

At a cool $2, this shade should have been exactly what I was looking for. It's not. This actually isn't terrrribly far off... but I think having this kind of color on my nails, so opaque and flat- I'm just not digging it ya'll. Though a pastel is nice for spring, I'm not sure this is my kind of pastel.

A light green creme, this looks more like sea-foam rather than mint to me. It's application was super thick and hard to control, leaving any chance of a thin double coat in the dust. It was so bad after I applied it, i opted for an accent nail to distract me, using Sephora's "Only Gold for Me" Top Coat.

After sleeping on it, it's starting to grow on me a teeny bit. The jury's still out on whether this polish will have an encore, but for now I'll keep it and see if 'mint sorbet' can cut it until the end of finals.

-Christina

A Manicure for your iPhone?

HANG ON GUYS. Let's think about collaborations between nail polish companies for a minute.

This winter Essie partnered with BaubleBar to provide sets of jewelry paired with Essie's limited edition colors. Great Idea no?

Well look out because OPI has partnered with a company that provides a product that most of us will have our polished fingers wrapped around:  iPhone cases.

Partnering with Mycasecouture.com, some of OPI's signature shades will be sent along with the corresponding iPhone case. And if you purchase a screen protector- bam! A matching top coat will accompany your purchase! Check the link for more colors and styles for your iPhone 4 or 5.

If I wasn't stuck with my windows phone, I'd be all over this in a heartbeat.

What are your favorite nail polish collaborations?

-Christina

To relieve stress, apply one gold french mani

I can't say this is an original idea (thanks Pinterest) but it was exactly what i needed today. Final Exams are less than a week away and the pressure has finally hit me. No, not just occurred to me, but hit me like a truck. How do I calm down and de-stress? Put on a fresh manicure and work through it of course!

The base is a single coat of Essie Allure and, using band-aids as a guide, I carefully applied a gold tip using Sally Hansen Hard as Nails Xtreme Wear nail color in Golden-I. It was a stressful day so I picked up some polishes on sale- what can I say? Hi my name is Christina and I'm a stress-shopper.

Golden-I actually surprised me- it has flecks of both gold and silver, but definitely packs a gold punch with good coverage! Hopefully I will use this color for more nail-art in the future.

Overall I love this look. It's glamorous, but not in an offensive or overly flashy way. Plus I think it's a modern twist on what can often be a very old fashioned, or even tacky, manicure. I'm loving it!

-Christina

Corals are here!

Hello Everyone!
I was walking past Bloomingdale's today and was inspired by one of their signs, thus my new motto for this messy spring we're having:

So I decided to use this philosophy today during my manicure. I picked Essie's California Coral, which is a organgey creme. I was a little underwhelmed, I think partially because it so closely resembled my polish from last week Geranium. I was torn between this coral and Essie's Cute as a Button, I think I will try that later this summer. The formula was fine, however I think it would definitely look better with a bit of a tan. Check it out below!

Bisous,

Kellie 

Outside View (caught the lovely NYC streets in the background)

Inside View

Nostalgic Raspberry- Essie Big Spender

If you are like me, you are drawn to the same colors over and over during a particular time of year. In the winter I like to wear taupes, sparkly black, hunter green, bold reds... the list goes on. Now that warmer weather has struck, it's time for a little change.

Last weekend I picked up Essie's Big Spender and it immediately struck me in the store because it is literally the same color as every formal dress I wore in high school. Described as a "lush red-violet cream" by Essie, I would say that on my nails it was a very dark raspberry color with more blue in it than red under interior lighting. Outdoors, this definitely yells "purple!"

Big Spender was easy to apply (I used 2 coats and could have gotten away with 1) and I went for even shorter nails this week so that I won't do too much damage in my kickboxing class.

Despite being an emotional throwback to younger years, this color pops for spring and is a refreshing addition to my well worn collection. Move aside green, beige, and red polish- purple is here to stay!

You might note the bubbles. That's due to an unruly top coat which has normally worked just fine- Sally Hanson Salon Manicure Top Coat. I'm looking into finding a cleaner, faster-drying top coat. I've gotten a few suggestions so far- what's your most reliable top coat?

- Christina

Spring had sprung!

Good morning chickadees!
I'm particularly cheery today because it is the first nice day that NYC has seen in quite a while. All the better that yesterday I decided to brighten things up with Essie's Geranium. This polish was a staple of my summer last year and I'm in love with the bright red/orange. It reminds me of something you would see on Joan from Mad Men, a very 50's color. The formula is good, almost opaque enough to be a one coat (the elusive dream am I right?), however I used two coats and a quick-dry topcoat.

What colors do you all use to brighten your moods?

Bisous,
Kellie

Outside View

Inside View

New Essie Wedding Collection

Word on the street is that Essie's about to drop a 4 piece wedding collection this spring. Floral inspired, the new colors range from lilac to darker pinks. I can't wait to give these a try!

Photo credit and More Info Here.

Classic: Essie's Allure

Let's get this off to a very classic start, shall we?

As this blog progresses, it might become pretty obvious that I like wearing a whole spectrum of colors on my nails. From purples that look more like car paint than nail polish to taupes like Essie's Sand Tropez and back to basically anything glitter, my fingernails change week to week (no gel manis here).

But after some busy weeks with school and work- I just don't want to worry about having noticeable chips on my manicure.

Enter Essie's "Allure"

Soft, subtle, and neutral, Essie's "Allure"is perfection. A pale pinky milk in the bottle, this translated to something more creamy and sheer on my nails. I tend to be hesitant when it comes to applying lighter shades, but, as Essie has proven in the past, a great formula is half the battle!

Perfect for work at a conservative law firm, typing away on your laptop in the library, or even your wedding, "Allure" is a perfect addition to anyone's collection.

I have a feeling this is going to become one of my favorites! What are some of your favorite sheers?

- Christina

Welcome!

The Tip Sheet is a new manicure blog to chronicle some of our favorite polishes in every season. Check back for more posts in the future!

- Christina