New Nails: NARS Galion

I'm so guilty of finding a particular nail polish I LOVE *cough* Butter Yummy Mummy *cough* and wearing it for months at a time. Whether I do my nails on my own or get a manicure, I'll bring it with me time after time which always prompts my manicurist to giggle and say, "This one again?".
I think I have found that new "signature" color.
I am a sucker for dark nails, however, I'm not a fan of wearing totally black nails. This new NARS shade is perfect. It's a dark blue-gray, and it is lovely. When I was at the nail salon, my manicurist kept commenting on how gorgeous the color was. Then, not one, but two women in the salon checked it out as they passed and asked what it was.
It's just lovely. I think I said that already. But it is. Lovely. :)

It's a shame that I couldn't get any photos to do it justice. It's appears a little lighter than this.

NARS Galion

At $17 a pop, NARS nail polishes are a bit on the pricey side. But I think this one is special enough to justify a splurge.
What do you guys think? Any nail polish you are particularly loving at the moment?

xoxo,
Tiffany

Nails Art Designs

 So I was stumbling upon some websites and I came across a picture of some really beautiful artwork which really caught my attention and it really managed to hold my seeking attention for quite a longer period and guess what? Well its certainly a Nail Art. Well as far as I can see through my Fashion Seeking Material Eyes, I would say that I loved every bit of that artwork.

 Nails Art

 Nails Art with ice cubes 

horror  Nails Art

 Beauty of nails

Nails: Chanel Mimosa

Yellow is probably the color least-worn on my nails. My opinion has always been:"Yellow and nails just don't mix".

Until I saw this color by Chanel and caved.



Spending $25 on a nail polish is usually a practice I reserve for the crazies (you know you're reading this...), but I've been known to lose my mind from time to time.

Mimosa by Chanel is a lemon-yellow with a golden frost to it. The frost isn't too intense though. From a distance, you wouldn't even notice it. I'm not too crazy about the formula. Of course, two coats is the way to go. However, with two THICK coats, it still looked a bit streaky in spots and the whites of my nails still show through a bit.

Overall, if you have a little patience with the formula, it's a fun and unexpected twist on nail color for Spring!

Nail Polish Organization Idea

I've always had issues with nail polish storage. For years, they rested (unhappily) under my bed in shoeboxes. Then I got in on the nail polish wall rack craze. Then I realized that I wasn't running a nail salon. So several months back while perusing the organizational-containter-thingies aisle at Target, I discovered these babies.
SNAPWARE CONTAINERS! They come in sets of two, with one lid. Each compartment acts as the other's lid. So you could technically stack lots and lots! However, when filled with nail polish (which makes them quite heavy), it is definitely NOT a good idea to lift these by the handles if you have to move them. But it's no big deal. They're awesome, so I can get past that one flaw. Which isn't technically a flaw, as I don't think they're actually made for storing nail polish... ANYWAY, that's beside the point. Did I mention they're awesome??
They're the perfect depth for typical nail polish bottles. The only ones that cause a bit of trouble are the Sephora by O.P.I brand. They're a little tall, so you'll have to store those on the very top compartment. The blue lid fits perfectly on top of them, but another section will not stack on top of that particular brand. Check out the picture below to see what I'm talking about. The Sephora by O.P.I colors are in the back left.

See how they're a bit taller?? No biggie. Just store them inside the top container and you're good to go. I also love how you can easily find the color you need by looking into the containers. No digging. I love it.

When you're done, they stack neatly out of the way under a bed, in a closet... wherever.


They also sell smaller versions that come with three stacked containers that are great for storing nail files, clippers, cuticle balms, etc.
I was unable to find these on the Target website, but they sell them all sorts of places, and in actual Target stores if you are interested. Also, if you want to search for them online, the brand is Snapware and they're called "Snap-N-Stack" containers.
Check out my video below to see more about these containers and my nail polish organization and a peek at my nail polish collection.

xoxo- Tiffany

SOLID GLITTER Glittery Accent Nails

Chanel Particuliere nail polish/ MAC Glitter in Reflects Antiqued Gold

So I've decided to officially jump on the one-glitter-nail bandwagon. Problem with this for me in the past is that if I wanted an "accent" glittered nail, I wanted it to be mega, super, ridiculously glittery. If you've ever searched for a nail polish to do that with, you feel my frustration. To get that solid, super ridic glitter effect from a glitter nail polish, you might need a few coats. Resulting in what normally turns out for me to be a super thick, messy, lumpy, (still not glittery enough) nail. So I have found a perfect way to get a super pretty, solid-glitter, perfect accent nail...using.....actual glitter. You can get super fine or chunky glitter at the craft store which can be an affordable option that works perfectly, or you can do what I did and use those MAC glitters that you bought because they were super pretty but they've ended up in the back of your drawer because you never use them. Sounds messy, but I swear it's not. And it's easier and faster than using tons of coats of glitter nail polish. And did I mention the results are insane??
Here's what to do:
1. Paint all of your nails a normal non-glittery color.
2. Pick an "accent" nail for the glitter (Or go crazy and do all of them...your call.)
3. Use a thick top coat like Seche Vite and paint that over the nail to be glittered.
4. Working over a paper plate or bowl, gently dip the nail into the glitter or sprinkle the glitter directly over the nail (like I did in this case because the container was too small for dipping action).
5. Let the glitter "set" for a minute or two, giving the Seche Vite or whatever you've chosen time to dry.
6. Rinse the nail under cold water to get any excess glitter off the nail. Don't worry, if it's cold water, it won't mess anything up.
7. Paint another coat of the Seche Vite or topcoat of your choice over the glitter.

The process seriously takes as little as a couple minutes. It's my new favorite trick! Here's another tip though... If you're planning on doing this a lot, invest in another bottle of Seche Vite or whatever type of topcoat you like that will be designated just for glitter. Occasionally, a fleck of glitter can find it's way into the bottle of topcoat and will most likely end up back on your nails when you don't necessarily want that random glitter flecked look. It'll be worth it, trust me. :)
Hope you guys try this out! It's so fun!

-Tiffany

Red Glitter Nails for the 4th!

Illamasqua in Untold

Happy 4th of July everyone! I'll be sporting this color on my nails while cooking out and seeing a fireworks show to celebrate our Independence Day. Looks very cute with my blue romper! :)

Ok, so enough of that- about the color... Red is not my favorite color and I usually despise the hassle of glitter nail polish, but this combo is actually quite nice. This shade is a very dense glitter, which is sometimes hard to find. However, if you want that nice opaque, similar to the bottle look, you'll need to invest some time in this and apply 3 coats. And also a genius tip from my friend Lorraine-- Apply a coat of clear nail polish first, before applying the glitter so that removal is much easier. Also, don't forget a top coat to finish the process. ...Yeah, so that's a good 5 coats of nail polish right there. Yeah, they're a little thick and clumpy, but the glitter disguises it pretty well and looks really fun. :)

-Tiffany

A Little "Something Sweet" for Easter

China Glaze, "Something Sweet"

Hope everyone had a great weekend and a very happy Easter! So I'm getting back to doing nail posts regularly, as I've totally neglected my poor nails over the past month. Not kidding, haven't painted them in about four weeks.
Some of you know that I've been on the hunt for the perfect opaque, pale pink. All the colors I've tried just haven't cut it. Either they're too streaky or not the right shade of pale pink. To my surprise, after all my searching, my husband Brad picked this one up out of nowhere on a recent bored-out-of-his-mind trip to Ulta with moi. He said "this one looks good." Only words spoken by him the entire time...haha. He's such a gem... Anyway, it's the perfect pink. Super opaque with two thin coats and the perfect shade of pale pink. Looks like the perfect Easter color to me. I have a feeling I'll be reaching for this shade a lot!

Essie Damsel in a Dress

My current favorite nail color...



Essie's Damsel in a Dress

Such a deep, unusual color. Looks amazing when topped with a super shiny topcoat like Seche Vite. It creates this gorgeous, shimmery depth. Love it.

...Also, I'm a sloppy painter when it comes to dark colors. Don't judge.

New Nails for Spring...

1.24.10

It's no secret that pastels are always popular trends in Spring collections, but this year, I'm especially loving the light, bright pinks and corals for the upcoming season. Essie has always been a favorite brand of mine, but I've been especially loving it over the past few months. I picked up a few colors from their Spring collection (which I'm definitely going to add to soon!) as well as a new MAC shade.



First, my favorite...

Essie Tart Deco

This is by far one of the best nail polishes I've came across in a very long time. The color, the formula... everything. It's a bit more orange than it actually photographed. When I paint my nails, I like to build the color in thin coats. A lot of the time, nail polish formulas will let me down and it makes me have to glob on too much because it's thin and streaky. With this one, it applies evenly and opaque with one thin coat. If you were in a hurry, you could probably get away with one coat. But with two, it builds to a gorgeous, even peach color that is bright and creamy pastel at the same time. Love it.
When I bought this, I thought the color in the bottle looked a bit too similar to MAC's Coconut Ice, which I was wearing on my nails at the time. I almost didn't buy it. I am SO glad I did, because these two colors are so very different. ...and honestly, the MAC formula in that shade sucks and just doesn't compare to Essie's Tart Deco.

MAC Coconut Ice

In the bottle, it's an absolutely gorgeous shade. This one is a bit more pink and the color isn't as intense. However the formula is not great. Thin and very streaky, which at this point I kind of always expect from MAC nail polish. But it's a nice color, so when I actually have the time and patience to apply 3 coats, I'll reach for it again. In the picture, I had done two generous coats.



And last, another shade from Essie's Spring collection. Honestly, when I saw the collection advertised in magazines and even in the store when I saw them in person, I wanted this color the most! I'm constantly looking for a nice light, bright, OPAQUE, cream (no frost) pink.

Essie Pop Art Pink

...and after trying this, I'm still looking. I'm disappointed in this one because it's much more sheer than I expected. And I love Essie, but lets just be honest... Do they really need ANOTHER sheer pink? It seems they have an endless range of this exact shade already. So I don't quite get it. You can see how sheer it is in the pictures, and that is with 2 *very* generous coats. It's definitely a shade I'll use when I want a sheer pink and natural look. But I've already got a few of those already, so I was just a little disappointed.

With that being said, I would love for you guys to recommend good pinks to me- Ones that look similar to the shade of this one, but is more opaque. What are your favorite pinks?

-Tiffany

Blu-Ray nails... kind of.

Sally Hansen HD Hi-Definition nail color in "Blu"

When I was last at the drugstore, this "HD" line of brightly colored nail polishes really stood out to me. Mostly this blue shade. Since blue is my absolute favorite color, I had to pick this stuff up. The actual color is much more unique than it photographs.
While the shade range of these HD polishes are insanely bright and unique, I have a few complaints about the actual formula. To me, it seemed (in this shade at least) to be a bit thin and applied a little streaky. It was hard to get an even first coat. The first coat was extremely sheer. I was really disappointed at first. But after applying the second coat, it looked beautiful. Pictured is only two coats however, next time I'll probably try three just to make the color even more intense.
If you like bright, unique colors, this line is something to try! I might go back for the green and orange shades.

The Perfect Red...

I've got to say, I've NEVER been a fan of red on nails- well, just not my nails. Don't know why, just never liked it. For some unexplainable reason I decided to try red again today. I grabbed my Zoya nail polish in Vanessa which came in my "Dare" sampler set. First of all, red can be super unforgiving around your cuticles so you have to be extra careful (as you can see in the picture). Also, there are so many different shades of red. So finding one that works for you can be a bit tricky in some cases. This one is more of a cooler, blue-toned red. The formula also really stood out to me. Not too thick, not too thin. It also applies very evenly. I can't say this about many nail polishes, but you can honestly get away with only one coat of this stuff. Loved it so much that I had to use it on my toes as well!
I think I've definitely found a new favorite...

Zoya nail polish in Vanessa

Chanel Jade Nail Polish

I'm a sucker for unusual colors, fashion, and Chanel. So this just made good sense. :)
This color was much buzzed about when the models on the Chanel runway (fall/winter '09) came out sporting this shade. I heard the shade wasn't releasing in stores until October 9th and that some stores even have had waiting lists for the stuff for a while. Well thanks to my lovely twitter followers, I was informed that this shade was available on chanel.com along with another new color, Jade Rose, which I absolutely cannot wait to use. So naturally, I ordered both and I'm so glad I did. I actually did not realize this from the photos online, but both shades have a beautiful opalescent shimmer to them. Absolutely gorgeous. Yeah, Chanel nail polish is expensive, but this formula is no joke, the best I've ever used (judging only by this color). Applied smoothly, evenly, and dried super quick. After only a few hours, the finish is already dried super hard (with 2 coats) and my nails look so smooth-- like glass or plastic! I'm sold. I heart you even more now, Chanel. Hate most of your cosmetics, but love your accessories and nail polish <3

**For those wondering if it's similar to Peppermint Patti-- Yes and no. Jade has a pearl to it. It's not super noticeable, but it does. It's also more green. If you're on a budget and happy with Peppermint Patti, I wouldn't buy it. But if you're like me and LOVE Peppermint Patti, but hate the formula, it's worth it. :)

MAC's Baby Goth Girl

I love this color-- But for some reason my painting was a bit sloppy today...haha. Haven't painted my nails in a while so maybe that's it? Anyway I really think that in the bottle and from the picture it looks unique, but in person that pretty purple iridescent sparkle is only visible under certain lights. Most of the time, it appears as a very dark burgundy, almost black, nail polish. But I actually really like it. Just be sure to apply a good top coat to enhance the sparkle even more. As I've said before about MAC polishes, some of the formulas really annoy me. Just because they are really streaky and require a lot of coats. This color didn't do that. It applied really evenly. I went ahead and applied two coats, but I was surprised when after only one coat, it was already opaque.

New Sephora Matte Domestic Goddess

Sephora by OPI Domestic Goddess Matte on nails, Regular Domestic Goddess on tips

So we all know that Essie and recently China Glaze has come out with the wonderful matte topcoats that will pretty much transform any of your favorite nail polishes into matte shades. However, since Sephora by OPI's Domestic Goddess is my absolute favorite nail polish, my heart skipped a beat when I found out that Domestic Goddess was one of the 3 shades the brand had selected to feature in limited edition matte formulas. Since I of course have the original as well, I figured I'd change it up a little and use the regular Domestic Goddess (gloss) formula to make pretty glossy tips on top of the matte formula. I think adding the glossy tips is a good way to make all matte nails a little more interesting :) Of course, you can always use any clear topcoat to create a shiny tip to any matte manicure, however it won't be as intense as layering an actual color.

You can even try a more bold look by using a black glossy color like OPI's Black Onyx on the tips. Although, I personally like pairing black tips with a black matte polish :)

Sephora by OPI Domestic Goddess Matte on nails, OPI Black Onyx on tips

MAC Cool Reserve

This is the first color from MAC's new fall nail color collection I've tried. I like it, but it really reminds me of a few other colors I already have. A lot like if Metro Chic (Sephora by OPI) and Do You Lilac It? (OPI) got together. The color itself is a little darker and more gray than photographed. I really love the color, but I have a feeling I'll be putting my Zoya sparkle topcoat over it to spice it up a little bit :)

NARS Nail Polish in Orgasm

I've been curious about this stuff for quite a while-- LOVE the blush and lip gloss. Not quite sure why it took me so long to give the nail polish a go. Like the other products of the same name, this surely did not disappoint. Very opaque after 2 coats and warranted lots of compliments! Definitely a winner in my book.

Nars Nail Polish in Orgasm

Dark Room: Possibly Fall's best nail color...

8/14

...in my opinion, of course :)

I swear, Sephora by OPI is still impressing me. I've yet to be disappointed by a single shade and formula. It's like the best of the OPI formulas...but with the better, smaller -ahem- NORMAL SIZED brush (we all know how much I hate the OPI wide ones...just unecessary). Anyway, This is by far my favorite shade yet! So unique and opaque. I honestly could have gotten away with one coat, but 2 made it completely opaque and streak free. This photo is of Dark Room used with absolutely no base or top coat (I was in a hurry).

Sephora by OPI in Dark Room

Mermaid Nails

LOVE this color! If you saw my Vegas haul video, this is the color I showed that I bought while I was there. So fun and perfect for summer!

Sephora by OPI in Mermaid to Order
This is good stuff... It wore completely chip-free (with Sally Hansen's Mega Shine topcoat) for 4 days.

For eyes to match the look, click here

Nails: Shower Together

China Glaze: Shower Together

hmmm ... not too much to say here. But I love it! It's a tad more green than photographed. Actually the top picture is pretty close to the actual color. :)

Matte Nail Polish! Zoya

6.19.09

Zoya Matte Velvet nail polish in Dovima

When I heard Zoya was releasing a few matte shades, I was super excited. I ordered only one, Dovima, which is the darkest almost black shade. They also have a more gray one and a pretty maroon shade. Well, I can safely say I'll probably be ordering the other two very soon! I was actually shocked to have gotten mine so quickly...From what I knew, these weren't going to be sent out until July 1st since they were technically a pre-ordered item...??? Oh well. I'm excited and I LOVE this stuff. You've got to work fast with it though. As you may be able to see on my thumbnail, it can get a little clumpy if you don't work quickly with it. This is because it dries SUPER fast. Seriously. I received my package literally 20 minutes before posting this! *My rushed excitement will explain the messy cuticles... But overall, the color is even, smooth and VERY matte. It looks MUCH more matte in person. You can also apply a topcoat if you decide you want a more glossy finish and get bored with the matte. I used two coats and no basecoat.

**edit: After the color "sets" and completely dries (it's been at least 6 hours since posting) the color really evens out and looks completely smooth. It's pretty much impossible to show just how matte and even the color is in photos, but it's awesome!

Q & A about matte nail polish from Zoya: CLICK HERE