Friday 31 January 2014

Essie Blue Rhapsody

Hey guys!

Yesterday I tried on the last nail polish from the Essie Mirror Metallics Collection - Essie Blue Rhapsody.
Blue Rhapsody is an icy, silvery blue metallic, almost chrome-like nail polish.

As far as application goes, this one was only okay. The dry time was so quick, that when you tried to go over a spot twice it would remove the first layer of polish completely! My tip is to wait a few minutes between each layer and use the three stroke tecnique.

The colour is awesome though! I think it is such an awesome nail polish and I do not even care about the formula.


Do you like it, ladies? And the Essie Mirror Metallics Collection as a whole?

Sunday 26 January 2014

Animal Themed Manicure #8

Hey guys!

Tonight I had time to make another animal themed manicure.
This time it is a Penguin Manicure!

I started off with a black base on all my nail, except for my accent nails, which I painted pink with Essie Lovie Dovie. Afterwards I used OPI Alpine Snow to make the penguin stomachs, almost like a ruffian manicure. Then I used various sized dotting tools, the black nail polish and the yellow nail polish Loréal Exotic Canaries to dot on the beaks, eyes and feet of the penguins. On the accent nails I used the red nail polish Essie Lollipop and a tiny dotting tool to make the little heart-shaped eyes.

And there you have it - a Penguin Manicure with accent nails of a penguin in love. So cute!
You can also check out cutepolish' video-tutorial on how to do this manicure here.


I think it is so cute and simple. It would be perfect for Valentines Day, don't you think?

Animal Themed Manicure #7

Hello ladies!

Yesterday I was wearing Essie Avenue Maintain. Today I used that sky-blue base colour to make yet another animal themed manicure for you guys.
This time it is a Glossy vs. Matte Zebra Manicure!

As mentioned the base is two layers of Essie Avenue Maintain. On top of that I used Essie Matte About You to mattify the shiny base. Afterwards I used a nail striper and Avenue Maintain to paint on the zebra stripes.
You can check out cutepolish' video-tutorial on how to make this manicure here.

The weather is perfect for taking pictures today, so I got a really good one, that shows the contrasting effect between the glossy vs. matte finishes perfectly.


I was originally planning to do this manicure in black, but I think it went okay with the blue base.
What do you guys think? Would it have been better in black?

Saturday 25 January 2014

Essie Avenue Maintain

Hey guys!

Today I am wearing Essie Avenue Maintain from Essie's Spring 2013 Collection.
Avenue Maintain is a bright sky-blue.

The formula and pigmentation of this polish is so good! Smooth, opaque and buttery.
I love this polish! I feel like it captures spring perfectly.
For the picture below I used two coats.


Do you like it, girls?

Friday 24 January 2014

Animal Themed Manicure #6

Hello ladies!

Sorry for not having posted anything all week. I wore Essie Toggle to the Top most of the week, but the weather really sucks in Denmark these days, so the sun wasn't out any of the days I wore it and I didn't get to take any pictures of it on. It is really pretty though.

But today I have some more animal themed nail art to show you guys.
This time it's a bumble bee manicure!

I started off with a yellow base on all my fingers with two to three layers of Ciaté Big Yellow Taxi. Afterwards I used my Black Barry M Nail Art Pen to draw the black lines on my little finger, index finger and thumb and to draw the little bee and its track on my two accent nails. Lasty I used my White Barry M Nail Art Pen to draw some details on the bumble bee.

It may sound difficult, but it was surprisingly easy.


Do you like this animal manicure, girls?

Sunday 19 January 2014

Matte About You - Again!

Hey guys!

Yesterday I bought the perfect violet nail polish that is Essie Warm & Toasty Turtleneck from Essies Winter 2013 collection. Of course I had to try it on right away and I have to say ladies: It is amazing! Both the colour and formula. I am in love!

Today I added a layer of Essie Matte About You and painted the tips with a shiny top coat. The result is so pretty and simple!


Warm & Toasty Turtleneck is more dusty-looking in real life.

Saturday 18 January 2014

Animal Themed Manicure #5

Hello ladies!

Today I made some more animal themed nail art for you guys.
This time it is Cow Nails!

I started off with a white base with two layers of OPI Alpine Snow on all my nails. Then I used a big dotting tool and a black nail polish to paint on some big spots on all my nails, except for the cow head accent nail. For that nail I used the pink polish Etude House PK001 to make a half circle at the tip of the nail, a small dotting tool and the black nail polish to make the eyes and nostrils, and the big dotting tool and black nail polish to make some spots on the cow head as well. Of course I finished off the design with a layer of shiny top coat.

There you have it - Cow Nails! So cute!


Do you like this manicure, girls?

Friday 17 January 2014

Animal Themed Manicure #4

Hi girls!

Tonight I made some more animal themed nail art for you guys.
This time it is Ladybug Nails!

I started off with a red base of two layers of Essie Lollipop, except for my two accent nails, which I painted mint green with two layers of Essie Mint Candy Apple.
For the red ladybug nails I used my Black Barry M Nail Art Pen, various sized dotting tools, a black nail polish and a white nail polish for the details on the ladybugs.
For the mint green accent nails I used a big dotting tool, the red Essie Lollipop and my Black Barry M Nail Art Pen to paint on small ladybugs around the nail.

I really love how this turned out - So cute and pretty!


What do you think, ladies?

Essie Nothing Else Metals

Hey guys!

Yesterday I tried on Essie Nothing Else Metals - yet another nail polish from the Essie Mirror Metallics Collection.
Nothing Else Metals is a silvery violet nail polish.

For the base I used Essie Fill the Gap! to smooth out the surface of the nail and in that way hide the imperfections that the metallic polish would show.

I really think this nail polish is pretty! Perfect for a fierce, but simple valentines manicure!


Do you girls like this metallic colour as well?

Thursday 16 January 2014

Essie Pearly White

Hello ladies!

I have been soo busy this week, so I am really glad I chose to wear the Essie Pearly White nail polish this monday, because it lasted for four days with no chipping!
Other than its insane wear time the polish is really pretty, classy and matches almost everything.

For the pictures below I used tree to four coats of Essie Pearly and one layer of top coat. The polish is pretty thin and streaky, so you have to be patient when applying it and wait a few minutes in between layers.

So to sum up: The polish is really pretty and classy and lasts in AGES, but application can be quite tricky.

Inside
Outside

This polish is perfect for a classic Dita von Tesse half moon manicure, so I have got to remember doing that manicure sometime.

Sunday 12 January 2014

Animal Themed Manicure #3

Hello ladies!

Today I made some more animal themed nail art for you guys.
This time it is two butterfly wings accent nails!

I used two to three layers of Maybelline Coral Craze for the coral/orange base. Then I used my Barry M Nail Art Pen Black, various sized dotting tools and a white nail polish for the details on the butterfly wings accent nails. Of course I finished it all up with a good layer of top coat.

Even though the design doesn't scream butterfly and it looks a little like an abstract pattern, I think it turned out really pretty!

Inside
Outside

Saturday 11 January 2014

Essie Penny Talk

Hello ladies!

Today I tried on another polish in the Essie Mirror Metallics Collection.
This time it is Essie Penny Talk!
Penny Talk is a copper almost chrome like nail polish.

I started off with a base coat of Essie Fill the Gap! to smooth out the surface of the nail and prep it for the metallic polish, that shows of every little imperfection on the nails.

Essie Penny Talk has an amazing dry time and the polish is really opaque like the rest of the Mirror Metallics collection and metallics shades in general.
The shade is also really pretty and matches a brand new penny perfectly!


Edit: I noticed that the colour of the nail polish looks very different in different lightnings. I would even say it has a little bit of a duo-chrome feature. In some lightnings the copper has orange undertones and in other lights it has violet undertones.
In most lightnings it has orange undertones as on the picture below.


It does not even look like the same polish!

Friday 10 January 2014

Animal Themed Manicure #2

Hello ladies!

Today I made some more nail art for the animal theme.
This time it is zebra nails!

I started off with a white base of two thin layers of OPI Alpine Snow. Then I used my black Barry M Nail Art Pen to draw on the zebra pattern. If you do not own a nail art pen, you can also use a nail striper. Either way this manicure is really simple and easy to do, but also really pretty and fun! I just love how it turned out and I especially like the patterns on my index finger and my pinky.



Do you like it?

Animal Themed Manicure #1

Hey guys!

So today I am starting a brand new nail art theme with animal print manicures.
The first manicure in the series is a purple leopard print manicure!

I started off with a purple base of Essie Play Date. Then I used a big dotting tool and darker shade of purple, Max Factor Amethyst, to dot on some randomly sized and shaped spots around the nail. Lastly I used a smaller dotting tool and some black nail polish to outline the spots, some with C-shapes and some like brackets.

As you can see I did not have the time to add a top coat before taking pictures, so sorry about that!


What do you think of the nail art theme?

Thursday 9 January 2014

Snowflake Manicure

Hello ladies!

Today I made some nail art for you guys.
It is a blue gradient manicure with white snowflakes!

My base is a (very subtle) blue gradient of Essie Avenue Maintain and OPI Dating a Royal. I used my white Barry M Nail Art Pen to draw on the snowflakes and I used Essie Set in Stones for a little extra in the middle of every snowflake.

I am so proud of myself and I really love this manicure! Just perfect for winter!

Inside
Outside

Do you guys like it as much as I do?

Wednesday 8 January 2014

Essie No Place like Chrome

Hello girls!

Today I am wearing another nail polish from Essie's Mirror Metallics Collection - Essie No Place like Chrome.
No Place like Chrome is a metallic silver nail polish.

Again today I used a base of Essie Fill the Gap! to smooth out the surface of the nail, so the metallic nail polish won't show every little imperfection.

This nail polish is ridiculously opaque and covers the nails completely by the first layer. The second layer I just apply to smooth out the streaks. Dry time is also insanely quick!

I took some pictures in different lightnings for you.

Inside in soft lightning
Inside in strong lightning 
Outside

I am thinking of making a ruffian manicure with this nail polish as a base and a dark blue nail polish on top of it! What do you think of that idea?

Tuesday 7 January 2014

Essie Good as Gold

Hey girls!

Yesterday I got no less than nine new Essie polishes - yaay!
Of course I could not wait to try them on, so I did a manicure with Essie Good as Gold as soon as I had the time.
Essie Good as Gold is a metallic chrome like gold nail polish.

I used a base of Essie Fill the Gap!, which is a ridge filling base coat, to smooth out the nail and prep it for polishes like metallics or holographics, that show every little imperfection on the nails.

Application was good. Good as Gold is a smooth and very opaque polish, so it is fairly easy to apply. It is a good idea to wait a few minutes between the layers as it can drag the first layer if it is not dry yet.


I also bought the other nail polishes in the Essie Mirror Metallics collection. Would you guys like me to swatch them as well?