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