Nail Flavor of the Week: Rose Petals

Hey there! How was your Valentine's Day/Presidents' Day weekend? Hopefully you had an extra day to relax and to spend time with your special someone! I got to rest up, treat myself to various things I wanted to do and spend quality time with the hubby!

This week's manicure features a nail color I just picked up from TJ Maxx. I love buying polishes by brands like OPI and Essie there because the savings are fabulous! It does not matter to me that they are "past season," as I typically do not keep up with new polish releases nor aim to buy polish as soon as they hit the shelves. I will, however, be making an exception for OPI's Hello Kitty collection that recently came out! Here is a look at my mani:

Base color - Grand Canyon Sunset by OPI; nail stamp color - Black Creme by Wet n' Wild; stamp design from Pueen's Nature Lover Collection stamping plate 01

In the bottle, this OPI polish reminds me of the reddish brown color of the Grand Canyon's rocks, plus a hint of a pearl shimmer. When I applied it to my nails, however, I definitely saw more of the rosy pink undertones this polish has. Either way, it is a beautiful, slightly muted, understated shade; it would be suitable for office wear and all seasons! The polish was opaque after one coat, but I applied two. It does not maintain a shine after it dries (typical for quick drying polishes like this one), so a top coat is a must if you prefer a glossy finish.

This stamp design from Pueen's Nature Lover Collection is a beautiful abstract design of overlapping flower petals and was a breeze to use. I had much more success with this one compared to the last design I used. It took much less effort to transfer the design to each nail. The only difficulty I had was getting the stamper (also be Pueen) completely clean, which I was particular about because I did not want the polish residue to transfer to my nail. I am not sure if I should blame the leftover polish on the stamper or the polish...time will tell. I will eventually post a review on stamping tools once I get more experience in this area of DIY nail art!

Hope your week is filled with love, happiness and fulfillment!

Nail Flavor of the Week: Black with Confetti Glitter

Hey there! How was your weekend? Mine went well but too quickly because I was busy the whole time! This week won't let up either, given the various events on my calendar...a lady's work is never done!

This week's nail look features black polish, which I just got into in the past year. I typically like wearing bright colors (nails, lipstick and certain clothing items)...but sometimes I like to be a bit vampy and edgy and darken things up a bit.

Base color - Maybelline Color Show: Black to Black in Smoky Black; accent nails - OPI in Where's My Blanket???

I bought the Color Show polish during a random trip to Target (I LOVE Tar-jay); the store had several Maybelline items on clearance. I like this shade of black because it has the consistency of a jelly polish. It takes 3 coats to build it up to this level of opacity; fewer layers make it look more smoky, thus the name. The picture doesn't do the shade enough justice, because the shade still maintains its smoky look with the 3 layers. 

The OPI polish has black flecks mixed in with yellow and pink, adding a bit of dimension to the smokiness.

I am so annoyed that my pointer fingernail is so short. It broke last Friday as I rushed to leave work. The nails on my left hand have been on a growth spurt lately. They usually don't grow too long beyond the summer months (when I am on vacation and not using my hands as much). I guess taking Biotin on a consistent basis has helped to build their strength. I recently started using Nailtiques nail hardener as well...guess I need to go back to adding a coat everyday to make my nails even stronger!

Anybody have any special tips, tricks or products that seem to help build strong, long nails? If so, please share! That's all for now...have a great week!

Nail Flavor of the Week: Blue Dry Brush Design

This week, I decided to try an abstract graffiti-like design using a dry brush method I learned about on YouTube. I love the way it turned out...especially for my first try! Despite it's intricate appearance, the design was easy to do and took little effort.

Base coat: Zoya in "Rocky"
Design: 
blue - Essie in "Mesmerized"
purple - Revlon in "Bold Sangria" 
black - Wet n Wild in "Black Creme"