Jessica v. Polish

CND Shellac Purple Purple

2011-09-05T09:20:00.002-04:00

Head on over to my new domain to see my review of CND Shellac Purple Purple.

If you want to get updates on all my posts, please un-follow me on this blog and re-follow on http://jessicavpolish.com.

Thanks for reading! :)

Apothica Giftcard Giveaway!

2011-08-29T11:16:00.000-04:00

Hi everyone!

My $25 Apothica Giftcard Giveaway starts today.

Remember, if you didn't see this post at 9am, you need to unsubscribe and re-subscribe on http://jessicavpolish.com. Something went wrong in the switch over to WordPress.

Thanks for reading! :)

Giveaway Ends Tonight!

2011-08-22T15:38:00.000-04:00

Hi everyone! If you're reading this, please unfollow and re-follow on my new web address:

http://jessicavpolish.com

When you re-follow, you will not be missing out on awesome things! Such as... the giveaway I have that ends tonight! Check it out here.

Good luck!

--Jessica

Deborah Lippmann Giveaway Ends TONIGHT!

2011-04-30T10:36:00.001-04:00

Hi everyone! If you haven't entered yet, my giveaway ends tonight--so you should!

You could win Deborah Lippmann's Happy Birthday-- one of the best polishes ever :)

http://www.jessicavpolish.com/2011/04/12/giveaway-time/

Weekend Mani!

2011-04-16T10:26:00.002-04:00

Here's my latest post! Please unfollow and refollow if my posts aren't showing up in your feed anymore. Thanks everyone!

http://www.jessicavpolish.com/2011/04/16/weekend-manicure/

Make the Switch!

2011-04-11T20:35:00.000-04:00

Hi all-- if you haven't switched over to my new blog, please do! If you followed me before and I haven't been showing up, please unsubscribe and re-subscribe!

Please be sure to enter my latest giveaway :)

Friendly Reminder!

2011-03-06T13:27:00.002-05:00

Hi everyone-- once again, I've switched to a new domain: http://jessicavpolish.com

I've noticed a lack of comments/page views recently which leads me to believe that a lot of you are still subscribed to this page and not my new one! Please go and re-subscribe! I love all of my readers and I miss you guys!

Also, check out my 200 Follower Giveaway :) It ends March 9th so enter soon!

Giveaway!!

2011-02-24T19:14:00.000-05:00

Hi everyone-- I'm posting this on my old blog because I don't think a lot of you are seeing my new site. Once again, if you haven't subscribed to my new site, please do so! I don't want to lose any of you :)

Also, please check out my 200 Followers giveaway here! I've just extended it until March 9th!

Thanks everyone!

Attention!!

2011-02-21T18:11:00.000-05:00

Hi Everyone!

I've noticed that my new GFC at http://jessicavpolish.com isn't working for old followers. Solution? Go to the new site and click subscribe, and add me to your reader.

Thanks! Hope y'all are liking the new site as much as I am :)

--Jessica

New Website is Live!!

2011-02-06T23:34:00.002-05:00

Hi everyone! I've slowly been trying to figure out the website. For now, it's up!

Check it out!! :)

jessicavpolish.com

The one thing I really need to figure out is how to add a GFC widget to the new site through WordPress. Does anyone know how to do this?

New website!

2011-02-06T14:47:00.000-05:00

Hi everyone. So, now that I've been blogging for a few months, I decided it was time to buy my own domain name. I currently own jessicavpolish.com (YAY!) and I'm in the process of switching my blog over to wordpress. However, I don't know anything about websites! So, this is probably going to be a slow and frustrating process. If anyone would like to give me advice, I would be ecstatic to hear it... seriously! Like, how do I add my GFC followers to WordPress? I'm lost... wah! Oh well, at least I have a real website. I uploaded all my posts into the new site, but I still need to work on the design, etc.

My post will probably be less frequent as I try to figure this all out. Just wanted to let everyone know!

Thanks!

--Jessica

Playing with OPI Black Shatter!

2011-02-05T10:12:00.000-05:00

I'm officially obsessed. I can't wait for the China Glaze collection with all the different shatter colors!

Which one is your favorite?

Come back soon!
--Jessica

OPI Serena Williams Glam Slam Duo

2011-02-04T22:50:00.000-05:00

TGIF! I spent tonight doing laundry, cleaning, and watching TV with my roommate. I have to get a cavity filled tomorrow morning (BOO!) so I decided not to go out. Since the only thing worse than getting a cavity filled, is getting a cavity filled while hungover and tired. And, my dentist is in the same neighborhood I lived in last year, so I'm going to go a little early and treat myself to a pedicure! I think the last pedicure I got was in October (so shameful!). But enough about me, let's talk about polish!

Okay, I'm a little late to the party on this one. But I was trying to resist black shatter. Needless to say I failed. On to the pictures!

Surprise: I'm completely blown away by Black Shatter! It's so cool to paint it on and watch it crackle. The thicker the coat, the less it shatters. It looks really cool though, I'll be playing with this one a lot.

Come back soon!
--Jessica

Essie: Bordeaux

2011-02-02T09:00:00.001-05:00

So continues my pink and red polish posts during the beginning of February. I got this sucker in a blog sale a few weeks ago, only $3. Bordeaux is a dark red jelly. I really like this polish. Because it's a jelly, it is very thin and takes a few coats to reach bottle color. This is three coats.

Do any of y'all own Bordeaux? What do you think?

Come back soon!

--Jessica

Orly: Basket Case

2011-02-01T09:00:00.003-05:00

Happy February!! I'm going to try to do lots of red and pink posts until Valentines Day :) LOVE this pink. I'm actually wearing a full manicure of it now, despite that fact that it's the middle of winter. I like wearing bright pinks all the time-- I feel like it brightens my mood. This is three coats!

Love this! I don't think I'll ever be able to get enough hot/bright pinks!

Come back soon!
--Jessica

Matte-tastic Monday: Manglaze Matte is Murder

2011-01-31T09:00:00.001-05:00

This is one of the polishes I won in a giveaway, but it's taken me a while to swatch it! Manglaze, Matte is Murder is a black matte with some shimmer in it. It seemed a little similar to Zoya's Dovima so I did a comparison. The Zoya isn't quite as matte as the Manglaze, and it seems to be a little more gray, too. Take a look!

Matte is Murder applied flawlessly! I want to try other Manglaze polishes now. What do y'all think of these? Which one do you like better?

Zoya: Tama

2011-01-30T09:00:00.002-05:00

This is the last of my three free facebook polishes from Zoya! Tama is a great fuschia polish, with a hint of metallic and shimmer.

I wore this polish for three days and had very minimal wear. Thumbs up!

Also, get on over to Konad-licious and enter her HUGE giveaway. Up for grabs is over 31 bottles of polish, along with manicure/nail art tools, and chocolate! Check out the haul!

Such an awesome giveaway. I feel like since I won a huge one right before Christmas, my giveaway luck is probably down, but maybe one of you will win!! :)

China Glaze: Solar Flare

2011-01-29T13:38:00.001-05:00

I got this glitter top coat in a blog sale! It's a clear base with big hexagonal gold glitter. Take a look!

What do y'all think of Solar Flare? I wanted to try it over a gold polish, but the ones I have were a completely different gold--so I didn't go for it. I really like this top coat!

China Glaze Anchors Away: Part 3

2011-01-26T09:00:00.003-05:00

The conclusion of this amazing collection! Here are the last four colors...

Pelican Grey is a grey creme with a subtle shimmer. Love this one! I don't have any polish like this one, and it's a great spring color. I also think it's work appropriate, which is a plus!

Hey Sailor! is a typical red creme. It's the perfect red for spring. For some reason this picture makes it look more orange than it really is. Bummer. I need to figure out the settings on my camera. If you're looking for a great red creme for spring, this is it!!

I love Ahoy! We all know I'm a sucker for pinks, but this one is really cool! It's a fuschia with an orange/gold glitter. LOVE. This is a great color!

Last, but not least, is Below Deck. Supposedly this is a close twin to Channelesque, but I don't own that one. I actually came into the nail game after Channelesque was retired, so I don't know much about the obsession with it. But after wearing Below Deck, I understand the obsession. This is a great purple grey creme, and the application was great.

So this marks the conclusion for Anchors Away. Do I wish I would have bought this whole collection? Well, no. There are a few colors I probably won't ever wear (Knotty, cough cough). But my top three favorites are: Ahoy!, Sea Spray, and Below Deck, with Pelican Grey coming in a close fourth. There are some great colors in this collection. I like that this collection is so eclectic, it's rare to see only one pink and one red. What colors do y'all have/want??

China Glaze Anchors Away: Part 2

2011-01-25T09:00:00.001-05:00

And here are the next four...

Knotty is a beige glitter, darker than Sunset Sail. I'm not super crazy about this one. I like Sunset Sail better. This one is just too sheer and not light enough for my taste. I'm sure it looks great on other skin tones, but for mine it's not so good.

Firstmate is a blue nautical creme. This polish is great! It reminds me of RBL Dead Calm, but it's a little lighter. I really like this polish, although I'm not sure how "Spring" it is.

Life Preserver is an orange creme. I really love this one! I'm usually not super crazy about oranges, but this one is great, I think it goes really well with my skin tone. The application on this was great, too!

Sea Spray is one of my favorites from the collection. This is a blue/grey creme with a hint of shimmer. Love it! This color was so easy to work with, it's super pigmented--I only needed two coats. I'll definitely be wearing this one a lot this Spring!

Tomorrow, the conclusion of Anchors Away! Stay tuned! Which one is your favorite so far?

China Glaze Anchors Away: Part 1

2011-01-24T09:00:00.001-05:00

I ordered the entire Anchors Away collection! Today I have the first four colors for you, in no particular order.

First is Starboard, a green creme. I'm not really a fan of greens, I feel like I always wear them for a day and then get sick of them. Either way, I do like this one, and it was easy to apply.

I didn't swatch White Cap by itself, because I've seen it on other blogs and it's sort of blah. But I love the way it looks layered over Starboard!

Lighthouse is a yellow gold glitter. I don't know how I feel about this one. It's definitely different from any polish I own, but I'm not super crazy about it. It's just sort of so-so. Maybe it just looks weird with my skin tone, who knows. The application was great, though!

Last up today is Sunset Sail, a beige creme with some shimmer. I am not a fan of beiges, but I really like this one. This almost gives me mannequin hands...

Tomorrow I'll have the next four colors for you! Stay tuned!

I got an award!

2011-01-23T21:44:00.001-05:00

I've been awarded the Stylish Blogger Award by Steven at the Blogsale List, !Kendal, and Jenny. Thank you, guys!! I can't believe how much I've enjoyed blogging since I started. I've met so many awesome people, and I can't wait to meet more!

These are the rules for this award:
1. Thank and link the person who gave you this award.
2. Share 7 things about yourself.
3. Award 15 recently discovered great bloggers
4. Contact these bloggers to tell them about this award!

So, here are my seven facts!

1. I'm weirdly obsessed with survival shows/books. I have no idea why!
2. I went to college in Charleston, SC and it is one of the most beautiful cities in the US.
3. My favorite place in the world (that I've seen so far) is Engelberg, Switzerland.
4. I love the snow!! Since I've only lived in Boston for a year and a half, I still get excited everytime it snows. This might change after this winter, but I doubt it.
5. My first and only car was a stick shift lime green VW Beetle. I had to sell it when I came to Boston--I miss it!
6. My favorite food in the whole world is Chic-Fil-A.. it's the thing I miss the most from the south!
7. I was a telemarketer in high school, it was by far my most interesting job ever. It was actually not so bad! I have thick skin, which is definitely needed for a job like that--mostly I would think it was funny that people got so worked up about telemarketers... just put yourself on the do not call list, people!

Bloggers I'm Tagging:
EVERYONE! including... you! A lot of the bloggers I want to tag have already been tagged, so if you would like this award, take it :)

Thanks, everyone!

These Are a Few of My Favorite Things...

2011-01-22T09:00:00.001-05:00

I thought I would do a post on what my favorite do-it-yourself mani products are! I'm always hunting for the best base coat, cuticle oil, etc. And these are the best ones I've found so far.

First up, is cuticle moisturizer. This is probably the most important part of any nail regimen. I had the ugliest cuticles forever.. they were always peeling--it was awful! Then, I stopped getting professional manicures (meaning no more cuticle cutters) and started moisturizing every day. Yes, every day... it's necessary. Here are my top two products. I use both of these religiously and they are amazing!

You can purchase Lush HERE for $14.95. I like Lush because they are made my real people, there's even a sticker on the back of it showing you the person who packaged your product--so cute!

I bought my CND Cuticle eraser HERE for $9.95. I like Head2ToeBeauty.com, they have always been great with shipping my orders! And the prices are reasonable.

Next, is base and top coat. This is tricky because I vary which ones I used based on polish. If I use Zoya or RBL, I use their own line of base and top coats--I've found they work best with the polishes. But my go-to for other polish brands (Essie, OPI, China Glaze, etc) is CND Stickey base coat and Seche Vite Quick Dry Top Coat. Some people don't like Seche because it's so thick, but it makes the polish so shiny... I really like it!

You can buy CND Stickey HERE for $9.95, and Seche Vite HERE for $4.35.

Last, but not least, is remover. Hands down, the best remove is Zoya Remove+. It doesn't have that horrible acetone smell, and it doesn't dry out your hands at all. I have a flipper, and I buy the huge bottes to refill it. I seriously could not live without Remove+!

You can buy the flipper HERE for $9.99. The big bottle is $25, and well worth it!

Do y'all use these products?? Are there any amazing products that I'm not using? If so, PLEASE tell me!

Essie: Life Guard

2011-01-21T12:59:00.003-05:00

Here is another polish from my recent blog sale haul: Essie's Life Guard.

Life Guard is a coral creme. This was two coats--the application was good. I think this would be a great spring/summer pedicure color. What do y'all think?

Giveaway Winner!

2011-01-20T20:40:00.002-05:00

Hi all! Happy Thursday! I'm literally on the way out the door to head to Killington, VT for a ski weekend! (literally, my boyfriend just texted me and is on the way over). But I had to tell everyone my giveaway winner before I left. Fear not, I have posts scheduled for tomorrow and Saturday--but I won't be around much on e-mail and twitter! Ok, here we go.

The winner of my First Day of School Giveaway and the owner of a shiny bottle of Deborah Lippmann Call Me Irresponsible is....

Katherine of necessary★nails

Congrats Katherine, I love your blog and I hope you love Call Me Irresponsible! :)

Thank you to everyone who entered! If you became a follower just to enter, I hope you stick around!

Blog Sale Haul! (+ China Glaze: Grape Juice)

2011-01-20T08:51:00.000-05:00

So, last week a purchased some polishes from All Nail and Cosmetic's Blog Sale! What a steal, I got all these for less than $20! I love blog sales. I find good ones through The Blogsale List --a blog dedicated only to blog sales! Steven at the Blogsale List was nice enough to do a post about my blog sale! If you haven't taken a look, please check it out here. Also, Steven is doing a January giveaway to all of his followers! He is giving one of his readers a $30 mini shopping spree! So, go check it out if you're a fan of blog sales, like I am. Okay, now onto the haul:

I decided to wear Grape Juice. I actually bought this polish for my friend, Lauren, who is also a polish addict. She's one of my only friends who appreciates my addiction :) When I saw this color for sale, I had to snatch it up, and I'm glad I did! This is three coats, this polish applied great!

When I got my three free Zoyas, they included an Intimate spoon set, for their upcoming spring collection. I think Grape Juice looks pretty similar to one of Zoya's upcoming colors, Danni. Check it out!

If anyone has both of these, I would love to see a swatch comparison. I don't think they're dupes, but they are very similar.

Zoya: Kiki

2011-01-19T00:03:00.000-05:00

Don't Forget: my Deborah Lippmann giveaway ends today at midnight so make sure you enter!!

Today I have another polish that I got for free from Zoya's facebook promo! Joy!! Here is Kiki, an amazing hot pink with pink/silver sparkle!

This is three coats! I'm in love with this pink!! We all know I have a pink addiction, but Zoya seriously has some great pinks. I can't get enough! What do y'all think?

Essie: Mint Candy Apple

2011-01-18T07:31:00.000-05:00

Today I have a polish I've wanted for a long time, Mint Candy Apple. I got this from a blog sale for only $3! Such a steal :) It applies great, an amazing mint green!

What do y'all think of this one?

The Return of Matte-Tastic Monday!

2011-01-17T09:00:00.004-05:00

Happy Martin Luther King Day! Hopefully most of you have today off from work. I'm actually working today, because I'm taking Friday off to go skiing! I'm pretty excited, I haven't been skiing since I moved to New England. I've only been skiing three times my whole life, and I've always skiied in Virginia. So, I'll be spending the weekend on the bunny slopes:)

A while ago I started doing a different matte manicure every Monday. But, I've been slacking on that for a while. Now, it's back! Here is one of my Zoya polishes from their 3 Free Facebook promo: Savita. This is a great dark purple matte, with a hint of subtle shimmer. I love this polish!

The application on this was great--2 coats. Highly recommended!! :)

Celtics Mani!

2011-01-16T09:00:00.001-05:00

So, my christmas present from my boyfriend was to take me to a Celtics game! We went on Wednesday :) Check out the mani I chose for it. I actually chose this combination after seeing !Kendal's gradation manicure with these colors! I love it!

What do y'all think??

Blizzard Mani!

2011-01-15T09:00:00.000-05:00

Hi everyone! We had a blizzard last week, and I did this mani in honor of it! Check out the view from my window:

I wish you could see the glittery top coat more... it didn't quite show up in the pictures! Oh well.

My 100th Post!! Nfu Oh #97 (and some layering!)

2011-01-14T08:17:00.000-05:00

This is my 100th post!! WOW! I have enjoyed blogging so much since I started a few months ago. I've gotten to know a lot of you bloggers, and there is such an amazing nail blog community! Thank you to each and every one of my readers!!

Today I have another Nfu Oh polish from my giveaway haul! #97 is a lime green metallic. The formula on this one is pretty thin, I used three coats in this picture.

I decided to try some of the other Nfu Ohs over this one. Take a look!

Thoughts??

Sephora by OPI: Metro Chic

2011-01-13T09:00:00.000-05:00

Okay, so Sephora has marginally redeemed itself with this polish. The application wasn't amazing, but it was much better than the other polishes I've recently tried. Metro Chic is a great taupe, with a hint of purple to it. Love!

What's your favorite "mushroomy" purple polish?

Nfu Oh #69

2011-01-12T09:00:00.000-05:00

YAY for Nfu Oh! I'm seriously so impressed with their polishes. Today I have #69, a metallic dark blue with silver glitter. Another awesome polish! This one is similar to #68 except that it's blue and not purple. Application was great and this color is so cool! I don't own anything like it.

What's your favorite Nfu Oh polish? What do you think of #69?

Sephora by OPI: IM Beauty

2011-01-11T09:00:00.000-05:00

Here's another Sephora by OPI: IM Beauty. I'm having some issues with this brand's application. This one, along with Havana Dreams and Full Moon were all pretty bad. I like the color of IM Beauty, but it was super annoying to work with. The formula was streaky and goopy. This is three coats and you can still see some spots on my nails. Ugh.

Nfu Oh #123

2011-01-10T09:00:00.000-05:00

The swatching of my giveaway haul continues! Today is Nfu Oh #123, a dark emerald green. This is a nice color, but it's not really my cup of tea. I'm not a huge fan of dark greens, but if you are this is a pretty one! The application was great, too.

First Day of School Giveaway!

2011-01-09T21:15:00.000-05:00

Hello all! So, tomorrow I go back to big-bad law school. In celebration I'm going to do a giveaway! I'm giving away a Deborah Lippmann polish: Call Me Irresponsible! YAY!

Here's how to enter!

1. Be a follower! (new + old welcome!)
2. Comment on this post with your GFC name and e-mail. If you don't feel comfortable posting your e-mail, you can send it to me at jessicavpolish[at]gmail[dot]com!
3. That's all!

You can also do the following for ONE extra entry each!
1. follow me on twitter
2. tweet about this giveaway (leave me the link, please)
3. blog about this giveaway
4. tell me what you like the best/least about my blog
5. tell me your favorite nail polish EVER!

Okay people, that's a total of 6 possible entries! This giveaway is going to be open until January 19th at midnight..so tell everyone you know! Good luck!

Sephora by OPI: Read My Palm

2011-01-09T09:00:00.000-05:00

Here is another Sephora by OPI from my recent haul! Read My Palm is a really cool green. It kind of reminds me of Essie Sew Psyched, but it's brighter and more vivid, and not as brown. This was two coats--this polish applied great!

Sephora by OPI: Full Moon

2011-01-08T09:00:00.000-05:00

Today I have another goody I won in the giveaway! This is a basic white polish. The formula on this wasn't the best... but I kind of expect that with white polishes. Have any of you found a white polish that applies easily? If so, please let me know and I will run out right away and buy it!

This polish is okay, just your basic white. This was three coats.

Illamasqua Milf

2011-01-07T09:00:00.000-05:00

Today I have a great mint green polish to show you, Illamasqua Milf. This polish is awesome, and the application was great! This might be my favorite mint green so far!

What are y'alls favorite mint greens? What do you think of Milf?

Sephora by OPI: Havana Dreams

2011-01-05T21:31:00.001-05:00

My friend Liz gave me a gift certificate to Sephora for my birthday...so I bought a few Sephora by OPI polishes, which I haven't tried yet! Havana Dreams is a pale blue. It is similar to Hard Candy Sky and Chanel Riva. The formula on this was kind of crappy. I had to use four coats to avoid cuticle drag... kind of annoying. But, I do like this color. And I feel like almost all pastels are kind of a pain to work with.

Do any of y'all own Havana Dreams? What do you think about Sephora by OPI?

One of the Best Purples EVER: Nfu Oh #68

2011-01-04T17:04:00.000-05:00

I've fallen in love with this polish. SO AMAZING.

UM, seriously? This polish rocks. The silver glitter is so cool, and I like how it looks so different in the two pictures. I also have a blue on like this to try out, so I'll have to do that soon!

Nfu Oh #70

2011-01-03T09:00:00.000-05:00

Here's another Nfu Oh from my giveaway haul! #70 is a green glitter polish. This polish isn't really my style, but it's still pretty cool! It would be a good St. Patrick's Day manicure!

It looks so different in artificial vs. sunlight! Cool, huh?

Zoya Swatches [Picture Heavy]

2011-01-02T19:38:00.000-05:00

Hi everyone! Zoya's three free polish promo is coming up!! I think you can get the code from Facebook tomorrow, and the sale actually starts on the 4th. Zoya is doing this for reaching 20,000 fans on Facebook. Need help deciding on some polishes to order? Here are all of my Zoya swatches thus far (plus some new ones!) Enjoy!

Are y'all planning to take advantage of this deal?? Any of these polishes catch your eye? :)

Bleach Black: Dickweed & Jizz

2011-01-02T09:00:00.000-05:00

Ok, these names are seriously funny. And I wish Bleach Black would release 100 more polishes... if they are anything like these two I would buy them in a second!! The application on both of these was amazing... and I LOVE the colors!! Ok, exclamation point overload but seriously, these polishes are awesome.

What do y'all think of these? Do you own them?

New Years Eve Mani!

2011-01-01T14:09:00.000-05:00

Happy 2011 everybody!! I'm about to go back to sleep (a little bit hungover today!) but I wanted to show you all my mani from last night first. Here is the dress I wore:

And here are the polishes I chose!

What do y'all think?

Giveaway Winner!

2011-01-01T13:42:00.000-05:00

Hi Everyone!! The winner of my First Giveaway is....

Gina from Prim and Polished!!!

Congrats Gina! And thanks to everyone who entered! I had over 200 entries, which is way more than I expected!!

Layering with Nfu Oh

2011-01-01T09:00:00.001-05:00

Happy New Year (also known as National Hangover Day)!! Let's start 2011 off right with some Nfu Oh layering swatches!

You can definitely see the effects better over the black polish. I need to try these over some different colors. But I do love the pink and #37 together! Which one is your favorite?

Pure Ice Strapless

2010-12-31T11:00:00.000-05:00

I love the name of this color! This is another from my Walmart haul. At only $2, who could resist?? I think this could be great for a July 4th mani!

Milani Dress Maker

2010-12-31T09:00:00.004-05:00

Happy New Years Eve!! What is everyone doing tonight? I'm going to a wedding with my boyfriend! I might have to post some pictures because y'all have to see my dress... it's awesome! :)

In other news, I have been hunting for this polish FOREVER! Every CVS I go into never has it. Then, I won it in the giveaway! Yahoo! It's supposed to be very close to the impossible-to-find Chanel Jade.

I really like this color. The application was great, although I did need three coats for full opacity. If you can find this, please get it!!

Nfu Oh Holos!

2010-12-30T09:00:00.000-05:00

These. Are. Amazing. That is all.

I used the Nfu Oh Aqua Base for these--I've heard this base coat is almost necessary for these polishes. But they are AWESOME! They were all two coats and applied great. Seriously, can't say enough good things about these!! What do y'all think?

Essie Fall 2010 Collection

2010-12-29T11:37:00.000-05:00

Hi everyone! So begins the daunting (but exciting) journey of swatching all of my giveaway winnings! First up is the Essie Fall collection. I have four of the six colors in this collection! These are all in artificial light, because I swatched these last night.

First is Merino Cool, a greyish purple. I really like this color. Although this was the only polish I had application problems with--it was a little thin. I had to do three coats to get even coverage. Great color, regardless!

Next is Sew Psyched, a mossy green. IN LOVE. This color really surprised me. I'm not usually a huge green person, especially when it comes to more muted greens. But this polish is great! It looks really cool. I'm definitely going to be wearing a full mani of this very soon!

Limited Addiction is a great berry red. Application was great. Awesome vampy color!

Last is Little Brown Dress. (Side note: such a cute name!) This is a great dark color for fall. Although it's one of those "might as well be black" colors. Still, a great color! No complaints here.

What do y'all think of this collection? Do you own any of these? Which is your favorite?

Giveaway Haul!! [Picture Heavy]

2010-12-28T17:33:00.001-05:00

I got back to Boston today with no problems! Good thing I wasn't flying into NYC--the airports are a mess! Anyway, my winnings from Laura over at Sawan-Heaven were waiting patiently for me! This was such an amazing giveaway!! Take a look at the goods :)

(couldn't figure out the names for these!)

How funny are the Bleach Black names?? [Scrangie!!!!! so pumped!]

other goodies! including an awesome lipgloss, some nail files, Lush Lemony Flutter (which I've never tried!), and different body lotions!

other goodies: cuticle oil, wooden sticks, Urban Decay Body Shimmer, and a bunch of cool samples! There's an amazing shampoo in there that I'm going to try tonight!

SO AMAZING!! I counted 42 polishes in all!! I still can't believe I won this giveaway. I'm going to begin swatching these tomorrow!

Hard Candy Date Night & Nicole By OPI Step to the Beat of my Heart

2010-12-28T08:28:00.000-05:00

Wow, that's the longest blog post title ever. I'm leaving for the airport in about 15 mins... had to sneak in a quick post before then! Everyone cross your fingers that my flight isn't delayed/cancelled! Anyway, here are a couple more polishes from my Walmart haul. I went to one when I was home in SC--I don't have access to them in Boston! First is Hard Candy Date Night--a pink glitter polish in a clear base. This one takes a few coats to build up, but it's very ethereal. I like it! Although, it's quite similar to my skin tone so it kind of washes me out a bit.

I decided to do some layering with Nicole by OPI Step to the Beat of my Heart. This is a clear base with small glitter and purple/pink hearts suspended in it. The only bad thing about this polish is that the hearts are kind of sparse, so I ended up having to almost place them on my nail--which makes the finish a little goopy. Either way, I like the way it looks! This would be a cool Valentine's Day manicure.

What do y'all think of this mani?

NYC Prince Street

2010-12-27T21:23:00.001-05:00

I should be packing, but I'm posting instead! Today I have a great purple to show you, NYC Prince Street. I impulse purchased this one a while back, and I'm glad I did. The only downside is that it's a little thin... you'll probably need three coats to go opaque. But it was only $2.50!

Illamasqua Scarab

2010-12-27T09:00:00.000-05:00

Today I have the other polish I got for Christmas: Scarab! First of all, check out the view as I was painting my nails:

This is in South Carolina, people! Snow doesn't happen! The last time it snowed here I think I was 15. So, it's pretty cool! But, there is a blizzard going on right now in Boston and I'm pretty sad I'm going to miss it. We didn't have a blizzard last year and I really want to experience one!

Anyway, back to the polish. This color is definitely unique. It's a red/brown/copper color with a shimmer finish. I really like this color. It's not your typical dark red. I like colors that surprise me, and this was one of them!

Hard Candy Sky

2010-12-26T20:57:00.000-05:00

So, we all know I can't afford Chanel Riva, so today at Walmart I got the next best thing: Hard Candy Sky. This is a light blue polish with a very subtle shimmer.

The shimmer can't really be seen in these photos, but I promise it's there! This is an adequate replacement for Riva. The application left something to be desired. This is three coats and some fingers still look a little streaky. But hey, no complaints since it only cost $4! Do any of you own Riva or Sky?

Zoya: Barbie

2010-12-26T06:00:00.000-05:00

By now you're all fully aware that I'm a little obsessed with pink polishes. Here is another great one: Zoya Barbie! This is a light pink with a bit of shimmer. It took me three coats to go opaque, but I use really thin coats.

What's your favorite "Barbie" like pink?

Merry Christmas!! (A Zoya Mani)

2010-12-25T06:00:00.000-05:00

Merry Christmas everyone!! I hope Santa brought you everything you wanted :) Today I have a Christmas inspired accent mani. Here are the colors I used:

Ok so confession: I'm not really a green fan. They're okay, but I don't love them. Well, I didn't until I met Ivanka. This is the most amazing green EVER. Even if you don't like green, you will LOVE Ivanka! Sarah is great too. I've swatched this one before--it's a gorgeous red that applies like a dream! What are you wearing for your Christmas Mani?? :)

Merry Christmas Eve!

2010-12-24T22:37:00.001-05:00

I hope everyone is having a great Christmas Eve! We opened our presents tonight instead of tomorrow, mainly because my brother is going out of town tomorrow! In my stocking was Illamasqua Viridian & Scarab--yahoo! I also got a Nook, which is the only thing I really asked for :) Here is our tree, my mom did it in silver, blue, and pink this year. She always does such an amazing job!

I took this closeup because I thought the colors were so pretty. Everyone knows I have a pink obsession, so it's no surprise that I love this tree! Okay, onto the polish! Here is Viridian:

I really like this color. Of course the application was amazing, as it always is with Illamasqua. It's a deep emerald green with a hint of blue. But I don't think it's too "peacocky"--it's definitely still a christmas color! What do y'all think of Viridian? What's your favorite emerald green?

CND Muddy Rose

2010-12-23T06:00:00.000-05:00

Today I have a great work appropriate color! CND's Muddy Rose. I bought this polish a while ago, but I haven't worn it in a while! I think it's a great fall color. It's okay to wear to work without being too boring! The application was great, as well.

Do y'all wear mauves a lot? What do you think of Muddy Rose?

A Couple of Giveaway Swatches!

2010-12-22T15:38:00.002-05:00

Hi everyone! I swatched a couple of the polishes I'm giving away. I realized I hadn't swatched them, so I figured you all would want to see what you might win!

Don't forget: Click HERE to enter my giveaway! There's only 9 days left to enter! :) GOOD LUCK!

Birthday Manicures!

2010-12-21T06:00:00.001-05:00

Today is my 24th birthday! I'm working during the day and then going out to dinner and drinks tonight :) I wanted to do a manicure inspired from my dress... here's the dress: [from express.com]

And here's manicure #1: China Glaze Something Sweet + CND Sugar Sparkle!

This mani wasn't really fun enough for me, even though it matches my dress! So I decided to go for the obvious, Deborah Lippmann's Happy Birthday. [over Zoya Raven]

What do you guys think? What are your favorite birthday manicures?!

PS: I found out yesterday that I won Sawan-Heaven's Christmas Giveaway. I cannot even tell y'all how excited I was. This weekend was kind of crappy for reasons I won't go into, but this totally made up for it! And, it was like an early birthday present:) Thanks to Laura for SUCH an amazing giveaway!

Jingle Nails

2010-12-19T20:27:00.000-05:00

I decided to do a Christmas time manicure today!

I love this mani--so festive! What is on everyone's Christmas wish list?? I asked for a nook!

Shellac: Day 6

2010-12-15T17:23:00.000-05:00

Hi all! Sorry I've been neglecting you for the last few days. I'm still taking finals (last one is tomorrow!) and I still have my Shellac on--so I haven't been doing any swatching! I'm still completely in love with Shellac--my nails still look amazing and (surprisingly) I haven't gotten sick of the color! I do have some tip wear, but that's to be expected after 6 days. Still no chips!

I'm getting my Shellac removed on Monday night... So I will definitely take pictures before then to let you all know how it looked towards to end. Tuesday is my 24th birthday so I will definitely be doing a birthday mani! Any and all suggestions are welcome :)

Revlon: Vixen

2010-12-11T09:00:00.000-05:00

When I bought Perplex Revlon was buy one get one 50% off! So I grabbed the first color that caught my eye: Vixen... an awesome vampy red.

I'm so glad I bought this one!! I don't wear reds very often, but I think I'll be wearing this a lot this season! Very sexy... :) Do any of you have Vixen? What is your favorite vampy dark red?

I got Shellac-ed!

2010-12-10T15:42:00.000-05:00

So today I finally got Shellac-ed. I've been waiting for this ever since Shellac first came out, and I must say I'm loving it! I went to Miniluxe in Boston, MA. They always do an amazing job on my nails, but unfortunately I can't afford to go there very often. Anyway, Adriana did my nails today--she also did my last manicure and she is amazing. If you're ever in Boston, go to Miniluxe--you won't be dissapointed! Okay, it took me about five minutes to decide on a color. I mean, I'm going to have this color for two weeks, so I better like it! After jumping around from color to color I landed on Wildfire, a "fire-truck" red. I think this color is great for the holidays, and I don't think I'll get sick of it! Okay, enough yapping, onto the pictures!

Shellac is SO COOL, you guys! My entire manicure took about an hour. They do a UV base coat, and let your nails "cure" under the lamp for 90 seconds. Then they do two coats of color, curing each for two minutes. Last, they add the top coat, and cure that. Then, Adriana rubbed some solution on my nails (it looked like she was going to remove the polish!!) and BAM! Completely dry and AMAZING! I had to ask her, "are you sure they're dry?" she laughed and assured me they were. I won't be able to have this manicure for a full two weeks. I'm getting in removed on the 20th. My birthday is the 21st, and I MUST do some kind of birthday manicure :) But I will update you guys every few days on how my Shellac is going! Have a good weekend, everyone!

Revlon: Perplex

2010-12-10T08:47:00.000-05:00

So, I've been cruising every CVS within walking distance to find the new Milani One Coat Glitters... but today I found something else I've been hunting for--Revlon's Perplex! This is supposed to be a dupe of Chanel Paradoxal (which I don't have because $23 is just way too much). Check out The PolishAholic's post comparing the two here.

I wish I could have taken some sunlight pictures, but it's dark now... This polish is awesome though! It's a purple gray that still looks purple, plus it has an awesome shimmer. Chanel Schmanel--Revlon works for me!! Do any of you have Perplex or Paradoxal? What do you think?

NARS: Purple Rain

2010-12-09T12:00:00.000-05:00

This is my first NARS polish!! Very exciting.

In this one you can really see the blue/red shimmer... gorgeous!!

Do any of y'all own Purple Rain? Do you own other NARS polishes or shy away because of the $16 price tag?

I'm Getting Shellac-ed!!

2010-12-09T08:42:00.000-05:00

Hello everyone! I just wanted to let you know that I'm getting Shellac-ed tomorrow afternoon! My mom sent me a gift certificate to a spa nearby in honor of me doing nothing but studying for finals...she's so sweet! The spa has Shellac, and I've been waiting to try it for a while now... so why not! I've heard these manicures last for two weeks, which is ridiculous. I have a few scheduled posts, and I'll try to do a couple more tonight. But posting will probably be less frequent over the next couple weeks. I will definitely keep you all posted on how the Shellac goes.
Okay, off to take my corporations final. Hope everyone has a great day!

Bright Blue Comparison!

2010-12-08T08:16:00.000-05:00

I noticed that two bright blues I own look an awfully lot alike! So I decided to see if they are dupes... here we go!

Two of my fingers have Zoya and two have Sally Hansen... can you tell which is which?!

Dupes!! In real life they are exactly the same! The application on Zoya is a little better, and I like their brush better than Sally Hansen... but they look almost identical. Do any of you own either of these?

MY FIRST GIVEAWAY!!!

2010-12-07T20:23:00.000-05:00

Hi Everyone! I'm doing my first giveaway and I'm extremely excited about it! Here is what's up for grabs...

Fingerpaints Be A Pal-ette

Forever 21 Hot Pink Polish

Forever 21 Love & Beauty Magenta & Black Glitter Polish

Essie Canteloupe

Essie Bright Tights

Essie Ball-timore

CND Hot Pop Yellow

Orly Lunar Eclipse

Sally Hansen In the Spotlight

OPI Lucky Lucky Lavendar

Zoya Demi

China Glaze!

Grape Pop

Swing Baby

Sugar High

THE RULES:

1. Be a follower of my blog! New followers are welcome :)

2. To enter, leave a comment on this post with your Google Friend Connect name & e-mail. That's all you have to do! (Duplicate comments will be disqualified)

3. For an extra entry each:

*Follow me on twitter (leave your twitter name in the comment)

*Tweet about this giveaway (leave a link in your comment)

*Blog about this giveaway (leave a link in the comment)

That's a possibility of 4 entries instead of 1! This giveaway is open from today (December 7th) until December 31st at midnight! I will post who the winner is sometime quickly after that. I will also notify the winner by e-mail. I must get a response within 48 hours or I will be forced to choose another winner. GOOD LUCK!!

butter LONDON: West End Wonderland

2010-12-07T10:00:00.000-05:00

Today I'm showing you my first ever butter LONDON polish!! I waited a while before getting this brand because the shipping was really expensive from the UK. But then I figured out that Beauty.com sells it and you get free shipping if you spend $25! I think Nordstrom sells it, too. So now I have no excuse for waiting this long... and I will be buying more of this brand! Here is the one I purchased: West End Wonderland.

I absolutely love this polish--it's perfect for the holiday season!! This was three coats in artificial light. Do y'all own any butter LONDON? What do you think of it??

Deborah Lippmann: Lady Sings the Blues

2010-12-06T09:10:00.000-05:00

I got the polish a few months ago. It looks great, but it does chip really fast, which is disappointing. I've worn it twice now and it's chipped within a couple of days. My roommate said the same thing when she wore it.

Have any of you had better results with this polish?

Silver Glitter Comparison

2010-12-05T09:06:00.000-05:00

Today I have a couple of silver glitter polishes. First up is Luna, from Zoya's winter collection 2009. They released three glitters and they're all great!

Luna is a whitish/gray base with silver glitter throughout. The effect is great, it reminds me of a snowflake! Next, I compared Luna to another silver glitter polish I have: Sally Hansen Celeb City.

The glitter in Celeb City is much finer! And the base is more silver, and not as white as Luna. These polishes are actually quite different. Just for fun I added Deborah Lippmann Happy Birthday--I think it looks great!

Page Tab Inspired Mani! [Courtesy of Law School Finals]

2010-12-04T16:05:00.000-05:00

Taking a break from studying to watch the SEC Championship--so I decided to blog a little! (GO GAMECOCKS!!) I decided to do a page-tab inspired manicure today, since that's about all I've been staring at for the past few days while studying in the library.

Do y'all do skittles nails? I'm usually more of a "one color" mani type of person!

Nina: Never Glum Plum

2010-12-04T09:37:00.000-05:00

This is the purple/gray color I've been dreaming of! Take a look...

The application on this isn't great, I needed three coats for the streaks to go away. But, now it looks great! This was only $3.99 at Sally Beauty--win! What do y'all think of this color?

Zoya Color Lock Review

2010-12-03T10:31:00.000-05:00

My Color Lock trial has officially ended. I honestly couldn't stand to have the same color on my nails for more than 5 days, but after 5 days of normal wear and tear, I had minimal tip wear and ZERO chips! This five days also included making chili (lots of chopping) and opening numerous cans/containers. I give Zoya's Color Lock system an A+++!! I am seriously impressed with this system, and I am going to continue using it for a long time. I highly recommend purchasing it if you have trouble keeping your polish on for more than a few days. But beware, because it works almost too well!! You'll find yourself taking off the polish with no chips at all :)

Accent Nails!

2010-12-02T21:33:00.000-05:00

I really like doing accent nail manicures. I decided to try it after seeing this blog post from Megan over at Polish or Perish. I wish I could paint my nails half as well as she can, but that's neither here nor there. I used Zoya Sweet and OPI Bring on the Bling. Sweet is awesome--this pink is RIGHT up my alley. The application was a little tricky, but it evened out after three coats. And the end result is amazing! The perfect pink! For the accent I used OPI Bring on the Bling from the Burlesque collection. This is a light gold glitter with pink, green, and blue glitter dispersed throughout.

Do y'all ever do accent manicures? What do you think of them?

My First Blog Award!

2010-12-02T16:09:00.000-05:00

Today I received the Versatile Blogger Award from Gina over at Prim and Polished. I'm excited that she even reads my blog! The award is overkill, haha. Definitely check out her blog if you haven't already.

Here are the rules of the award:
1. Thank the person who gave you the award and link back to them.
2. Tell seven things about yourself.
3. Give the award to seven blogs you recently discovered.

So, here are seven things about me!
1. I grew up in South Carolina.
2. I love baseball and am OBSESSED with the Atlanta Braves.
3. I still get upset when I think about Michael Jackson's death.
4. My favorite movie is Kill Bill.
5. I'm only 5'1!
6. I think pugs are the cutest dogs in the whole world--if I see one I have to stop and pet it.
7. I could eat a cheeseburger and fries for every meal and never get sick of it (but then I'd also weigh 250 lbs).

And, here are the blogs I've recently discovered that I'm passing the award along to!
1. Also Known As...
2. ManiRage
3. Polish Me Happy!!!
4. Babbling Brooke
5. Libby's Pink Vanity
6. Let Them Have Polish
7. Playing with Polish

Zoya Color Lock Review: Day 4

2010-12-02T12:03:00.000-05:00

Hi everyone! I ended up having a few friends over last night and didn't have time to blog. Tonight I'm going to a party, so I decided to do a post now! This is the middle of day 4:

You can definitely see some tip wear, but I'm completely amazed that I still have ZERO chips! I'm going to keep it on until tomorrow, so I'll do another post in 24 hours! Are y'all impressed with this system?

Help Zoya Get 20,000 Fans!!

2010-12-01T18:25:00.000-05:00

We like our fans, well actually, we LOVE our fans.

We are a small, independent cosmetics company that understands and values the importance of each and every one of our customers. Zoya views our fans as ambassadors of our products. Your dedication and feedback via our social media outlets has helped shape us into the successful company we are today. We continue to grow with your input and support. During this holiday season we would like to show you our appreciation with an incredible offer to start off the new year.

Please, allow us to share our wonderful nail polish and treatment products with your like-minded friends! We are hoping for 20,000 "Likes" on facebook by January 3, 2011, and if we get them, we will provide a code for 3 free bottles* of Zoya Nail Polish to all fans and followers in the Continental US. Yes, we love our international followers too but due to international regulations and restrictions we can only offer this promotion domestically at this time.

“Like” ZOYA on facebook and make 2011 a year of nail polished perfection.

Here's what you need to do...

Not already following ZOYA on facebook?

Do you love nail polish? Then you should follow Zoya for daily updates, promotions and fun on facebook! Simply go to www.facebook.com/zoyanailpolish and press "Like"! With over 300 colors and treatments to choose from, there is always something for you and your fellow nail polish lovers to talk about. While you are at it, make sure to spread the word about Zoya to all of your friends.

Already following ZOYA on facebook?

You "Like" us - we LOVE you! You already know about the great giveaways and promotions we do! Don't keep Zoya to yourself! Spread the word! To help reach the 20,000 tell 4 friends (or more!) to like Zoya!

On January 3, 2011

...or sooner, when we hit the magic number of 20,000, Zoya will release the 3 FREE BOTTLES of Zoya Nail Polish code on facebook.

Zoya Color Lock Review: End of Day 2

2010-11-30T21:24:00.000-05:00

Day two of the Zoya Color Lock System trial has come to a close!

I'm VERY impressed with this so far! I keep meaning to put another top coat on (which I think is recommended) but I haven't done that so far and my nail look great!! Just minimal tip wear so far, no chips! See you again in 24 hours... this is the longest I've gone without changing my polish in a LONG time! :)

A Sparkly Red Comparison (+ China Glaze Party Hearty)

2010-11-30T08:32:00.000-05:00

I recently picked up China Glaze Ruby Pumps and Zoya Sarah. These bottles look pretty similar, so I decided to do a comparison. First up is Ruby Pumps!

This is three coats w/o a top coat in artificial light. Next, I wanted to add China Glaze Party Hearty on top to see how it looks! I love it!! So Christmasy :)

Next, is Zoya Sarah from the Flame Collection for Winter 2010. This is two coats in artificial light.

I love this color--the gold shimmer really makes it stand out! Here it is with Party Hearty on top!

And here they are side by side.

They are different when you do them side by side. Sarah's glitter is definitely finer, and Sarah is more burgundy than Ruby Pumps. These are both great holiday colors and both applied like a dream. AND they both look great under Party Hearty! WIN!

Zoya Color Lock Review: End of Day 1

2010-11-29T17:50:00.000-05:00

Hi All! Quick post to update you on my Color Lock System trial so far.

I have a little bit of tip wear on my left middle finger, but I think that's from me trying to pry open a Tupperware container last night. So, that one's probably my fault! Looks good to me, I'll be back with another update in 24 hours!

Matte-tastic Monday! China Glaze For Audrey + CND Sugar Sparkle

2010-11-29T08:43:00.000-05:00

I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving! I got back from NY late Saturday night, and I spent all day Sunday swatching. This is my 2nd ever Matte-tastic Monday! I picked up these China Glaze polishes from a Sally Beauty in NY on black friday!

I decided to use For Audrey--I've been wanting this polish for a while now. So, when I spotted it, I had to buy it. Plus, it was the last one left.. FATE! (Please excuse my pinkie nubbin...)

This is two coats of FA...it applied great. The pigmentation is amazing! Then, I decided to add CND's Sugar Sparkle on top of it. I think this looks like a great wintertime manicure! It reminds me of a snow globe.

Last, I wanted to see how it looked with the Matte topcoat! It came out okay, the pictures don't really document it too well. It looks more matte in real life, but the sparkle still comes through. Overall, I think this without the matte topcoat.

What do y'all think of this mani? Do any of you own For Audrey or Sugar Sparkle?

Zoya Haul + Color Lock Review: Day 1

2010-11-28T15:11:00.000-05:00

Hi everyone! I finally caved and ordered Zoya's Color Lock System. They had a promo a couple of weeks ago where if you ordered the whole set, you got 6 free polishes!! This was too good to pass up, plus I have heard amazing things about Color Lock. Here are the free polishes I got: (plus Dovima Matte, which isn't pictured. Check out the swatch of that here!)

I chose Lael for my Color Lock trial! This polish is amazing. It's a little similar to Demi, but more eggplant and much more vibrant. This color is awesome--I'm going to be wearing it A LOT!

Artificial Light

Natural Light

I'll be keeping everyone posted this week to let you know how the Color Lock System holds up. It's going to be hard not to change my polish, which I do pretty much every day! But I have a few scheduled posts so that should keep you all busy :)

Rescue Beauty Lounge: Teal

2010-11-28T09:00:00.000-05:00

Here's the last swatch from my RBL 50% sale: Teal. (I'm definitely wishing that I had ordered more, now!) This color is great, and like all my other RBLs, applied like a dream!

Do any of y'all own teal??

Finger Paints: Be A Pal-ette

2010-11-27T09:00:00.000-05:00

I wore this a couple of weeks ago, but forgot to take a picture! So I swatched it so I could show it to all of you. This purple is awesome, it has glitter and it looks like it's lit from within. This takes three thin coats to achieve bottle color, but it's definitely worth it!

I own three Fingerpaints and I love them all! What do y'all think about this color?

Jessica<3

Illamasqua: Snap

2010-11-26T08:06:00.000-05:00

Today I have an amazing Illamasqua polish--Snap! This applies like a dream, you could get away with one coat!

What do y'all think of this one??

Jessica<3

Thanksgiving Mani: Texas Longhorns Gameday Polish

2010-11-25T09:00:00.000-05:00

HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYONE! I'm heading to New York to visit some of my family, but I wanted to show you my Thanksgiving mani! This is my roommate's polish--she's a UT grad so she has this color for gameday! I think it's the perfect Fall orange!

I like this color--I don't have any other polish like it! What do y'all think? What are you wearing for your Thanksgiving manicure?

Jessica<3

Deborah Lippmann: Call Me Irresponsible

2010-11-24T08:10:00.000-05:00

This is the last polish from my Deborah Lippmann haul: Call Me Irresponsible... a purple jelly. This one was a little disappointing, I couldn't quite get it to bottle color. And after 5 (GASP!) coats, I gave up. It's still a great purple though.

Do any of you own this one? What do you think?

Jessica<3

Deborah Lippman: I'm Not Innocent

2010-11-23T08:50:00.000-05:00

So, I met my boyfriend's parents this past weekend. I needed a sweet, neutral color. I went with Deborah Lippmann's I'm Not Innocent. I bought this after I saw Kellie Gonzo's swatch---it looked so pretty and ethereal... so of course I had to spring for it!

I love this color! This was from DL's Spring 2010 collection. I usually don't go for nudes, but I surprisingly love this! It's a little sheer, it took three coats to go opaque. You could definitely wear it as a sheer, but we know I would never do that... haha. This retails for $16 on Nordstrom or DeborahLippmann.com!

Jessica<3

Zoya: Tobey

2010-11-22T17:15:00.000-05:00

Tobey was backordered from my BOGO order a few weeks ago. It's a bright, almost neon, pink. LOVE LOVE LOVE. I'm obsessed with neon pinks. They look great with my fair skin tone, and they really pop. People always notice a color like this!

I might just have to wear this one in the winter, because I like it so much! Seasons, schmeasons.
Jessica<3

First Ever Matte-tastic Monday!

2010-11-22T08:10:00.000-05:00

I'm starting a new series called Matte-tastic Monday, where I'll do a different matte manicure every Monday! Hope y'all like it.

This is Dovima, one of Zoya's Matte Velvet lacquers from last winter. Again, can't say enough good things about this one. This is the first actual matte polish I've bought (usually just use a topcoat). But this one is really cool! I like the subtle shimmer.

Jessica<3

Rescue Beauty Lounge Pepto Pink

2010-11-21T11:00:00.000-05:00

Hi Everyone! Today I have one of my RBL half-off sale purchases, Pepto Pink! We all know I have a serious pink addiction. I love this pink!! It's a great pale pink that I think is still appropriate to wear in the fall/winter.

The only problem with this one is that it was a little thin. This was three coats. Maybe it's just my bottle? Has anyone else had this problem?

Jessica<3

Deborah Lippmann: Waking Up In Vegas

2010-11-20T22:57:00.000-05:00

This color TOTALLY surprised me. I bought if after seeing it on Lady Gaga, just because I thought it was an interesting color. But it turns out I LOVE IT!!! Don't you love when a polish surprises you?

This is the first gray [grey? who knows] color I have--and I really like it. This was in DL's spring 2010 collection but I think it's more of a fall color!

Jessica<3

Orly Cosmic FX Fall 2010

2010-11-20T11:00:00.000-05:00

Today I have the two polishes I purchased from Orly's Fall collection. First is Space Cadet. I honestly don't even know how to describe this polish. It's green/blue/gold/purple foil. It honestly looks different from every angle! It's impossible to catch it accurately on camera. So, you should probably just buy this and see for yourself!

The other polish I got is lunar eclipse. This is a gorgeous vibrant blue with a hint of purple shimmer. I wore this with a purple cardigan, and someone proclaimed "You match!" So, it does look more purple from certain angles. Either way it's a great polish!

I used three coats for both of these, because they are on the thin side. Even with the glitter, removal of these is no problem at all. Do y'all have either of these?

Jessica<3

OPI Burlesque: Glitters!!

2010-11-19T22:55:00.000-05:00

A week ago Carinae L'etoile e-mailed me telling me that I won her OPI Burlesque Glitter giveaway! She sent me the polishes super fast and now I have them swatched for you!! Pictures don't even do these justice you guys, they are SO GLITTERY!!! [Disclaimer: removing glitters is a pain. In order to not have glitter fingers for a week, you have to use about 100 nail remover pads. BUT, if you ask me it's completely worth it for how amazing your nails will look!]

First up is Extra-va-vaganza! I thought I would like this one the least but it turned out to be awesome! It's an orange/copper based glitter with silver and a little blue in there, too. This was three thick coats, I'm sure four thin coats would have done it, too.

Next, Glow Up Already! This one is a light green based glitter. It's similar to Bring on the Bling (below), but definitely noticeably green, not gold.

Show it and Glow It is purple/fuschia glitter with silver and blue dispersed within. This one is the most pink, so of course I love it.

Sparkle-icious is the only one with three colors of glitter: gold, blue, and purple. LOVE this one! I'll be rocking this a lot in the future.

Simmer & Shimmer is a lot like Show It & Glow It, but with a blue base. Again, love this one too! [I'm starting to sound redundant...]

Last, is my favorite--Bring on the Bling. This is mostly gold glitter with some silver, blue, pink and light green in there, too. AMAZING! Perfect for a birthday/new years :)

This is the first polish giveaway I've won.. and I'm very excited about it! Carinae was so nice and sent these to me super fast! I hope she likes these swatches. If you haven't checked out her blog.. DO IT! She also slipped me a note into my package saying she's going a China Glaze giveaway starting December 1st... so be on the lookout!

Do any of you own these glitters? Which ones are your favorites??

Jessica<3

Deborah Lippmann: Before He Cheats & It's Raining Men

2010-11-19T08:30:00.000-05:00

Today I have a couple of DL's for you! First up is Before He Cheats, I baby pink.

Next is It's Raining Men, a hot red!! This polish isn't as orange as it looks in the picture--I'm kind of upset the pictures turned out this way. I would describe it as fire engine red! It's awesome!

The formula on these was great. I used 3 coats of BHC, because it's a tad sheer; and 2 coats of IRM.

What do y'all think of these?

Jessica<3