Nail of the Week 7/7 & 7/14

Hi guys!

Two more polishes for you this week!

Last week I was wearing Julep's Jeanne. I really liked this sky blue but brighter color a lot. And, thanks to my newfound base coat/top coat routine, it lasted for a really long time!

This week I was wearing Sinful Color's Anemone which I got free from PinchMe. I wasn't a huge fan of this color. I've kind of worn myself out of corally oranges. I also did a terrible job painting my nails this week because of back pain that started Saturday. 

Sorry for the weird color differences in pictures. The second was taken in natural light, and the first was not. Sometimes I'm really bad at forgetting to take pictures of my polishes!

Nail of the Week 6/23 & 6/30

Hi guys!

Happy July 4th! I'm working today, so no exciting plans for me, though I may watch fireworks later if it doesn't rain.

Anyway, I finally got back to painting my nails after a lot of time off. I missed all my colors and my weekly ritual, so I'm glad to have it back!

Last week I was wearing Sally Hansen's XTreme Wear Marine Scene. I liked the frosted finish more than I thought I would.

This week I'm wearing Julep's Paulette which I got in my May Maven Box. I'm loving this orchid-y color so much this year. 

Both of these lasted FANTASTICALLY. Seriously. The Paulette picture was taken on Thursday after painting my nails on Sunday. Nail polish never lasts like that on me. I don't know if it's my new base coat, my new top coat, or a combination of both, but I'm loving it. Definitely a new favorite.

Nail of the Week 5/19 & 6/2

Hi guys!

I've been doing just terribly with painting my nails. I've had such a crazy past couple of weeks at work and going home that I just didn't have the time I needed to devote to myself. Thankfully, I got back on track recently.

The week I went home, I was sporting this crazy color. This is Sally Hansen's Back to the Fuschia which I got in my Sally Hansen Gift Bag from Influenster. It's funny, I never considered myself a pink girl, but after wearing this color, I kind of like it. I tend to go toward cooler colors for the most part, but I liked being sassy and girly with this one.

Last week I was wearing Zoya's Odette which I was really excited about. It's such a pretty dusty purple color (the photo really doesn't do it justice), and I loved looking at it on my nails. This came in the February ipsy bag, but I got the other color, Dot. I saw so many posts about it, though, that I had to buy it myself. Thank you Ulta gift cards!

In the next two weeks (barring everything goes as planned) I'll get to try my new LED gel light! I'm super excited about that!

Nail of the Week 4/21 & 4/28

Hi guys!

So sorry this was late. It's been a ridiculous couple of weeks. I've been so busy at work, I felt like I was going to explode!

Let's jump right in!

Last week I was wearing Nicole by OPI's Sweet Daisy from the Carrie Underwood collection with a Covergirl Seared Bronze from the Hunger Games collection accent nail. I'm all about the pinky/salmony color right now. 

This week was the long awaited arrival of my radiant orchid polish! This is the Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure in Punch Drunk. It comes off a little more pink in this picture than it actually is. I'm totally in love with this color AND it's lasted fantastically. I took this picture yesterday evening after painting my nails on Monday. All I have is some tip wear and a little bit of corner issues on my right pointer and middle fingers. But, no major chips, and that makes me stupidly happy. I'll definitely be wearing this color again soon.

Hope you guys have an excellent weekend!

Nail of the Week 4/7 & 4/14

Hi guys!

I am LOVING jumping into more spring-y colors. Unfortunately, the weather here hasn't quite decided that it's time yet. We had snow on Wednesday!

Last week I finally got around to wearing the Nicka K Classic Taupe I got in my December ipsy bag. I paired it with Julep's Love as an accent nail, and I really liked the combination. Neutral, but with a little bit of sparkle!

This week I, in celebration of Easter (since I knew that I wouldn't be able to paint my nails on Sunday this week) I went for Nicole by OPI's Roughles Collection in On What Grounds? I am so not a fan of textured nail polish, but I'm totally digging this color. The only thing about this polish is that I figured that because it was textured, it would act like the others I've worn and last really well. Unfortunately, I was wrong, and my right hand chipped almost immediately. Definitely not worth the texture in my opinion.

These next two weeks are very exciting in terms of polish colors. Pulling out my radiant orchid color and all my spring colors! Hooray!

Nail of the Week 3/24 & 3/31

Hi guys! Sorry about Wednesday. It's been a crazy week for me, but I'm being very productive. And my nails are looking great, so that's a plus!

Last week I was wearing Essie's For the Twill of It, and, once again, it chipped before I could get a decent bottle shot. Still, this picture shows off the color better than I thought it might. Such a beautiful duochrome grey/purple - green.

This week I have Essie's Sable Collar which in the bottle looks reddish, while I was painting looked brownish, and in certain lights looks purplish. It switches colors so often, I'm not even sure what to call it! It's lasted amazingly well, though, given the previous two weeks. 

I'm super excited to be getting into spring colors soon! I've got a radiant orchid coming up that I've been dying to wear!

Nail of the Week 3/10 & 3/17

Hi guys!

I have had awesome colors on my nails for the past two weeks!

Last week I was rocking Julep's Reece which is THE MOST GORGEOUS COLOR EVER. I seriously couldn't get enough. Unfortunately, this is the only picture I got before it chipped. Which is not to say it's not long wearing, but I had one nail break which I blame for most of it.

This week, serendipitously enough, I'm wearing Zoya's Giovanna which is a lot more green than it photographs. It's the perfect St. Patrick's Day color! I got this one back in my October Ipsy bag, and I've seen some stuff about it staining really badly. Hopefully that doesn't happen to me!

It's a little crazy, but I'm quickly coming to the end of what I thought was going to be a never ending list of new polishes to wear. I'll have to find some new polishes to lust over soon!

Nail of the Week 2/24 & 3/3

I'm quickly coming to the end of my dark, wintry colors, but I'm still loving how chic they make me feel.

Last week I paired Butter London's Marrow a beautiful, rich purple with Julep's Cameron, which I received in my February Maven Box. Cameron is labeled as a "Stardust Finish" polish which should mean that I shied away and didn't even try it, but it looked so beautiful! And it was. It's a lilac shimmer matte glitter and even though I covered it with three layers of topcoat, the textured aspect never fully went away. As an accent color, though, I completely loved it. And the one thing I will say for textured polish is that it lasts forever!

This week I'm wearing Julep's Kendra which is a frosty army green. I think I've mentioned this before, but I love polishes that feel as dark and chic as black but don't have the same harshness. This is definitely one of those polishes. 

Nail of the Week 2/10 & 2/17

Hi guys!

My nails for the past two weeks haven't really stuck to any kind of trend. Other than accent nails. I do what I want!

The week of Valentine's Day I finally got around to wearing my Nailtini Mai Tai, and I chose Nailtini Champagne for an accent nail. I wish Mai Tai had leaned a little more pink instead of orange, but both the polishes had excellent wear time. I liked Champagne a lot. It will definitely show up as a future accent nail color!

This week I decided to step out of my comfort zone and try some free-handed nail art, and I'm loving the results! I'm wearing Sally Hansen Grey Area and Zoya Dot as an accent color. Then I free-handed a little heart in Grey Area on the pink. And I'm seriously obsessed with it. These little hearts may start showing up in a lot of future manicures!

I'm really loving accent nails lately, so I think they may sticking around. As my best friend said, "It's kind of like the grown up version of painting all your nails different colors!"

Nail of the Week 1/27 & 2/3

Hi guys!

These past two weeks I went a little more natural/chic in my polish colors. The first one is Zoya Shay.

I've had this one for a while, but I am SO glad I finally got around to it. It's the perfect nude shade for me. Plus, it goes back and forth between brownish, beige, and pinkish depending on the light. I think everyone should have at least one really excellent nude shade in their collection, and this one is definitely mine.

This week I was wearing Julep Olivia.

I really like this polish, but it was a bad week for my nails. The dry weather is really taking a toll on them, so I broke 3 in a day and a half and two more between Wednesday and today. I ended up taking my polish off today to give my nails some time to rest and (hopefully) get stronger before I paint on Sunday. Regardless, I liked this color more than I thought I would. I've always thought dark nail polish looks really chic, and I like that this has that feeling without being as harsh as black. 

Do you guys have any tips and tricks to keep your nails from becoming dry and brittle? Combine the cold weather with the fact that my nails are already prone to peeling, and I am one unhappy nail polish lover!

Nail of the Week 1/13 & 1/20

As promised, my NOTW has returned!

I left the gels I got for New Years on for a ridiculous amount of time, so last week I only had one manicure to show instead of the usual two. Now I'm back on track, so let's see what I've been wearing!

Last week I was wearing Julep's Char with Julep's Missy as an accent nail. This was my original idea for New Year's nails, and I really liked this combination. It wasn't very long wearing, though.

This week I'm wearing Julep's Ciara which is almost impossible to photograph. It's a kind of reddish-fuschia-y base with teal microglitter. What shows up in the bottle is the teal, and what shows up on my nails is (mostly) the base. Still, it's lasted really well. I painted on Monday and took this picture last night. My right hand has a fair sized chip on my middle finger, but that's it. Sometimes Julep just gets it right!

What have you guys been wearing lately? Next week I'm going nude!

Nail of the Week 12/22 & 12/29

Hi guys!

I'm really loving occasion nails lately, and Christmas and New Years are the perfect occasion for sparkly and beautiful polishes!

For Christmas I wore this festive combination. The red is Zoya Liz (whee!), the green is Butter London British Racing Green, and the gold is Julep Zelda. Both the BL and the Julep applied beautifully and covered in two coats. Because it's a red, the Zoya was finicky. It ended up patchy on certain nails, even after two coats.

For New Years, I took a little detour from my polish path and got a gel manicure with my sister and her best friend Jess. This is an OPI gel color that I don't know the name of, but I am obsessed with it. It's a blue/green/purple galaxy-esque holographic polish, and it's SO beautiful. There's apparently a really similar non-gel polish from Sally Hansen. It's part of the Gem Crush line and it's called Glitz Gal. It's textured, which I'm not a fan of, but just as beautiful!

Did you guys do any festive manis for the holidays?

Nail of the Week 12/8 & 12/15

Ah! I'm so behind!

Here are my NOTW from this week and last week.

Last week I was loving elf's Mod Mauve. I loved this color so much. I feel like it's neutral but still bright and spunky.

This week I'm wearing China Glaze's Below Deck which I thought was just a taupe, but it turns out it's a "flirty mix of taupe and violet," and I think it's gorgeous. I love neutrals that aren't just grey or beige but have a little something extra. It's nice to know that should I ever have to keep my nails neutral, I have lots of fabulous choices!

That's it for this NOTW! I'll try and get my act together with posting soon!

Nail of the Week 11/17, 11/24, & 12/1

Well, I've been slacking a bit on posting these, so today I bring you three NOTW to catch up!

Two weeks ago, I wore Julep's Marion, and I love this color. It's described as "smoky blue with silver shimmer." It does have a fairly subtle shimmer that my camera wouldn't pick up, and it makes it even more beautiful. I think the denim blue color is just gorgeous, and it had ridiculous wear time.

For Thanksgiving week I tried out the new Revlon Parfumerie polish in Autumn Spice. While I absolutely LOVED the color, I could do without the smell. I didn't realize just how much I put my hands near my face until I had this on, and the smell definitely started to make me feel ill after a while. I tried to do some triangle detailing on my middle and ring fingers with the Covergirl Hunger Games Collection polish in Seared Bronze. It didn't work out well, and the colors didn't contrast enough for it to really be worth it, but Seared Bronze is an amazing color. Gold with multi-dimensional, rainbow shimmer? Sign me up! I'm excited to wear it as a full mani.

I've been having some problems with my nails lately because it got pretty cold and dry really fast. My nails hate it. I had four of my nails break in a span of 24 hours, so that's why they're so short. This week, I went very subtle and neutral with Covergirl's Non-Stop Stone. It's a great greige (grey/beige) color, perfect for the workplace or a simple, classy look. It doesn't really show here, but it's a very cozy color. It's a really warm grey, and I love that about it.

What have you been wearing on your nails lately? Do you stick to trends or do you go for whatever?

Nail of the Week 11/3 & 11/10

Greetings, friends!

It's time for my Nail of the Week! And yes, it's a little too summery for the weather we've been having there. Let me explain:

I'm hugely compulsive about my nail polish. I legitimately have a list of my untried nail polishes in order (for the most part) of when I acquired them. I wear them in that order unless there's a special occasion or I need to move the order for the next point. I also alternate so I'm making sure I'm not wearing two warm, two cold, or two neutral colors back to back.

Over the summer, I got totally off track, so I'm a little behind on my summer colors, and I'm just now getting to this color. Next week I'll get to my fall colors. I don't have nearly as many of those, so by Christmas I will be into winter colors.

Yes, I realize this makes me crazy. I don't care!

For last week's NOTW I'm wearing Julep's Courteney which I believe I got in my October Maven Box. I accented a little with Kiss Nail Art stickers. I actually love the girly simplicity of this look. I feel like I need to start embellishing a little. I'm getting bored with one color looks.

This week I'm wearing Julep's Nan which is a really nice dusty red (and hey! It matches my bed!) I generally shy away from having RED nails, but I like that this is faded enough that I feel comfortable. Plus, it's great for fall! Excuse my short nails, I got a little excited with the clippers. I am really impressed by this color. I feel like sometimes Julep polishes are hit and miss formula-wise, but this one is amazing. It could be a one coater (though I'm wearing two) and it just goes on so smoothly. My nails tend to be very ridged and bumpy from years of biting them (especially my thumbnail on my left hand) and you can't even see it under this polish! I wish I had more nail to show off this beautiful color. Definitely a thumbs up from me!

Nail of the Week 10/13, 10/20, & 10/27

Because I've been slacking, before I jump into the main event, here are some NOTW from the past few weeks. I should have three, but one manicure died before I remembered to get a picture of it. I hated it anyway because the polish I used had gotten super clumpy, so it's just as well!

Maybelline Color Show in Coral Crush 

Julep Gloria, Essie Turquoise & Caicos, and Nailtini Millionaire

AND NOW...

I'm super excited to share my NOTW this week because I ventured into the world of water decals!

I mentioned before, but I love Sugar Skulls and Dia de Los Muertos. Love it.

I ordered some decals from Etsy, and I was really looking forward to using them. I realized I didn't have a purely orange polish, so I picked up Pure Ice Drive Me Crazy from Walmart for $2. I definitely got what I paid for. Sunday is my nail painting day, and by Tuesday I already had huge chipping. Plus, it's a jelly and I really don't like seeing my nails through polish.

But anyway, for my first attempt at water decals, I'd say these turned out pretty well. I did some reading up on them after, and I think the next time I try things should go more smoothly. I had some issues with getting them centered and straight, especially on my right hand, and the index finger on my right hand got rubbed away somehow, but otherwise I love them!

What do you guys think? I only used four, so I might be rocking these again soon! Who cares if it's not Halloween anymore!?