Mani Monday

So Instagram (are you following moi @PeaceLoveLipgloss ) has been inspiring me to get a little creative with my manis lately! Here I used OPI's I Love Applause as the main color. I applied some crystal accents in the wet polish in the middle finger & topped with clear to prevent them from popping off. It was my first time trying nail tape for the striping, as well. I did the pinky nail in Essie's Pink About It with accents in OPI's Alpine Snow. All in all, I think it turned out really cute!

Peace. Love. Polish.

Manicure Mondays

I wanted a fun vibrant color for my beach weekend, and needed one that would work with my fifty shades of pale. That meant Essie's Fiji was out- especially on my piggies. I ended up picking up OPI's La Paz-itively Hot for my mani/pedi & am loving the blue toned hot pink. I'll reach for it often this summer!

Peace. Love. Polish

Stocking Stuffers

Stockings are soooo my favorite part of present opening! But boy do those little presents add up price wise! Throughout the year I set aside little things from Gifts with Purchases & samples that aren't right for my skin or coloring for my sisters & mom.  That way they get a custom compilation that makes them feel special. I also make sure to utilize any Sephora & Ulta discounts that come my way;)

Worth scooping up: Oribe's Dry Texturizing Spray mini ($19.) I'm obsessed with this product & it really works on all hair types- who doesn't want a little more volume in their lives? I also use it as a dry shampoo- not a trace of residue is left so my brunette self isn't left looking like Cruella DeVille!

I first saw this L'Oreal eyeshadow compilation in Italy & they were sold out. Devastated, I hopped online to find it to no avail. Luckily, they have now arrived in stores stateside! This is a perfect neutral palette for everyone on your list & under $10. The textures have enough dimension to appeal to younger crowds, while the classic shade selection will appeal to the older crowd.

I always implement a buying in bulk strategy as a cost saving measure when there are 3 stockings I need to do. Then I break up the set & wrap individually. These lip butter from La Licious smell divine, feel fabulous on & are perfect for this time of year when our puckers get particularly parched. One retails for $12.50- this set is a bargain at $25.

This kit alone could have your stocking needs taken care of in one fail swoop! 16 mini OPI best selling shades plus a free jewel top coat to boot. Regularly $49- it's now on sale for $33 at Sephora- I say run! Mally Beauty put out some amazing value collections this year worth mentioning, but since we're down to the wire in terms of shipping days- your best bets for value sets I feel are from Anastasia of Beverly Hills & Tarte. Get creative with your treats-my mom also puts lottery tickets in ours as a fun bonus. You gotta play to win!

Peace. Love. Lipgloss.

Manicure Monday: OPI 007

 Can you believe 007 is turning 50? To mark the celebration, OPI launched a collection of 12 holiday limited edition lacquers named after the beloved James Bond films. I scooped up The World Is Not Enough. This polish has so many dimensions it's hard to put into words or capture via photos.  With the first coat it's a soft sheer taupe with multi-colored shimmer.  You could use it as an special effects polish on top of another.

 With the second coat it turns into a bronzey gunmetal color.

 But, wait there's more. Don't forget there's that multicolor shimmer dimension that I can't stop looking at. Don't think 'tacky' when I say that, think more along the lines of a little dance party on your finger tips. This polish is perfect for the holiday season & in my eyes more than 'enough!'

Peace. Love. Polish.

Polish Pic{k}s

So when I spotted Layla's Hologram Effect nail polish in Ulta I was intrigued. Though I usually favor dark color on my hands, I'm a glutton for special effects. Hologram is an avenue I haven't experienced before so I scooped it up- at a rather pricey $15.50 for a small bottle.  I normally draw the line at @$9 for my OPI & Essie polishes, unless I have to have a particular Chanel shade.   

As much as I wanted to fall in love with this polish, it just didn't cooperate. I buffed my nails (recommended) then used a ridge filler.  The first coat was very sheer and oddly matte.  The polish also had little globs in it that made it difficult to maneuver

 Usually the second coat hides all sins for me, but it was a bit streaky & then dried down to the same weird matte finish.  I topped with a clear top coat & thought I managed to salvage the manicure - not scrap it & have to start over with a different polish.  

 However upon inspection the next day, the polish looked so streaky that I ended up topping it with my trusty OPI for Sephora shimmery champagne color.  My only thought was that the chemical make-up of the polish was doing something odd with my topcoat, since it was already starting to turn matte again.  I then had chipping rather early on, too! I'm sad to report this polish was a total bust for moi in terms of performance! Has any one else tried it?

Peace. Love. Polish. M

Polish Pic{k}s

I love me some Dita Von Teese. I think she oozes class, style & sensuality. I love her retro look - her skin, make-up & hair are flawless! She always wears a vintage inspired reverse moon manicure & I wanted to recreate the look. So I painted a base coat & then applied a coat of OPI's Lucerne-Tanly Look Marvelous.

On Pinterest, every one said this style was easy to recreate. Just apply reinforcement labels where you want the reverse moon to go. Then on to the second coat of polish.

Liars! I start to get nervous as I apply the other color. The navy polish, OPI's gorgeous Light My Sapphire was very runny for some reason. I had some serious run off into my cuticles. I'm normally very good at polishing my nails, so this 'crafty' manicure attempt had me muttering an expletive or two or five.

Yes, this is the hot mess part. Certainly, no Dita here! Though in this picture it doesn't look awful. The problem is I couldn't get the round tabs to lie flat all the way across the nail. You also have to make sure the initial coat is very dry, or removing the round tab can pull up some of the inital polish coat. It didn't help that the navy was runny, but the tabs also weren't cooperating for me, either.

My remedy was to go back & cover the unevenness with a simple 'V' shape. I still like it & love the color combination- I just wish more of the silver was showing. I'm going to buy a nail polish pen & reattempt this in another color combo to see if it's any easier. I'll report back to you Beauties! In the meantime- what do you think?

Peace. Love. Polish. M

Mani Monday

I've been going through quite a bit of a green phase lately in all aspects of my style. Usually I'm quite the creature of habit- my wardrobe is pretty much all black. I also usually stick to wearing my beloved OPI Midnight In Moscow for my mani/pedi, because it makes me feel just a little bit naughty. Or dangerous. Or a little bit of both.
I credit Kyle Richards of Real Housewives of Beverly Hills for my green kick, because she wears emerald green so stunningly. So when Chanel launched their Fall 2011 collection, I was smitten with Peridot- it was almost hypnotizing the way the color seemed to move. When I tried it on however, with my skintone it looked less like jewels & more like jaundice!

Zoya's Edyta caught my eye though- the color being the best of both worlds. It is a hybrid of khaki & gunmetal with a swirl of gold throughout. I showed it with my flash on above, just so you get a feel for how it catches the light. I have been scooping up more Zoya polishes than ever before due to their color selection & how the lacquer applies. This is the first time I've used regular polish since I removed my Shellac(detailed write up of the experience is to come.) The polish has chipped just a bit earlier than usual with my OPI Ridge Filler & Seche Vite combo, but my nails might be a bit brittle. All in all , I think the color is quite hip- what do you think Beauties?

Peace. Love. Lipgloss. M