NOTD: Julep Ally

I'm not gonna lie, I totally forgot to skip this month's box and was about to cancel the whole subscription... But then I saw Ally and was amazed!

It's the most gorgeous pearlescent cobalt blue color (I think I like it more than YSL Bleu Majorelle!) It needs only 2 coats for full opacity. The formula is on the thicker side, but drying time is normal.

I'm totally in love with this color! It's the perfect blue!
To sign up for the Julep Maven subscription box click here.

Products Used:

Julep- Ally.

NOTD: Zoya PixieDust Nyx

This is the other Pixie Dust that I got! It's so lovely!!! 

Direct sunlight, no top coat.

The only issue is that it takes at least 4 coats to be fully opaque with no bald spots so, I used a blue base color first and then layered this on top. I still ended up using 3 coats to make sure I had no bald spots, but I'm sure letting each coat completely dry will decrease the number of coats.

Shade, no top coat.

 Shade, no top coat.

Direct sunlight, no top coat.

 Then I added seche vite and made it even more amazing!

Direct sunlight with top coat.

 Direct sunlight with top coat.

Direct sunlight with top coat.

I should mention that taking this polish off is pretty easy compared to other glitter polishes. The glitter is so finely milled, it comes off just like normal polish :) (I use pure acetone though)

Products Used:

Chanel- Skyline (as base color) | Zoya- PixieDust Nyx |

NOTD: Flower Power?

I'm feeling some 60's vibe coming from this mani!

 Thanks to one nail to rule them all for this awesome nail inspiration!

The play on contrast in this manicure is perfect!

Look at that cut on my thumb! It hurt for like 2 days :(

So, I'm on spring break now! The night after my last final I slept for a whole 13 hours straight! Talk about sleep deprivation, I don't think I had slept more than 9 hours all of last weekend combined! 

And now, I have plenty of time to sleep in and do my nails :) 

Products Used:

Chanel- Blue Rebel, Eastern Lights | Avon- Street Beige, Golden Vision |

NOTD: Start the New Year with Glitter!

I wore this glittery manicure while ringing in the new year. It's quite wintery and sparkly!

Happy New Year!!!

Products Used:

Avon- Splendid Blue | Black Poppy- {unnamed} Silver | Jordana- Silver Glitter | China Glaze- Techno.

NOTD: Snowman!

So, I should have used a more opaque white and stopped before adding the glitter topcoat... but alas I went overboard!

I hope that all of you are having wonderful holidays full of cheer and hot chocolate :)

Products Used:

Chanel- Skyline | Orly- Au Champagne | CM Nail Art- white, red | Avon- Orangesicle | China Glaze- Fairy Dust | Konad- m59.

NOTD: Holiday Cheer!

Revlon's Royal is an electric blue that needed careful application to avoid streaking and bald spots, it was opaque in 3 coats. 

This manicure was super simple... A Santa belly!!!

Products Used:

Manicure #1- Revlon- Royal | China Glaze- White on White | CM Nail Art- white, red.

Manicure #2- Avon- Real Red | China Glaze- White on White | Julep- Sienna.

NOTD: YSL Bleu Majorelle

I recently bought this nail polish on yslbeauty.com during a 20% off sale, luck for you... this YSL PROMO is still on & on top of the 20% you get to choose 6 samples for free!

Bleu Majorelle is an amazing bright blue polish that is opaque in 2 coats. The finish is extremely glossy and smooth! It may be the most impressive formula ever, and the brush is not far behind!

This color is great because you can wear it year-round, 

and that is exactly what I plan to do! :)

Products Used: 

YSL- 18 Bleu Majorelle.

NOTD: Essie- Bobbing for Baubles

Clean non-artsy manicures have been my go-to things recently. I am desperately waiting for cooler weather to kick-in here in Socal so I can properly begin to feel out the holiday season in manicure form- hot weather is just not cutting it enough to adorn my nails with leaves, snowflakes, and christmas trees :(

Bobbing for Baubles is an amazing dark navy color that is opaque and streak-free in just 2 coats. It is extremely glossy without a top coat. All I can say is, I love it!

My adorable polka dot and sequin sweaters are in desperate need of tender loving wear! Someone tell the weather to tune it down about 20˚... please!

Products Used:

Essie- Bobbing for Baubles.

NOTD: Chanel- Sky Line

This polish is really unique! I wish I could have captured it's beauty {as seen in person} because it is truly breathtaking! It's somewhere in-between powder blue and periwinkle. It has a pearlescent finish and is fully opaque after 2 coats.

 Under direct light it looks more like a powdery blue color with a grey undertone that makes me want to describe it as a dark-light blue.

In the shade it has a purple undertone making me thing of periwinkle.

This is a limited edition shade and priced online at $30.

Products Used:

Chanel- Sky Line. 

NOTD: Butter London Gobsmacked

Here is another Butter London Polish I picked up during the Ulta buy 1 get 1 free deal:

Gobsmacked {F/W 2012 collection} is a dark greyish-blue glitter polish with tons of silver and gunmetal glitter. It took 2 coats to be opaque but started to clump as I was applying it. It required 2 coats of top coat to become somewhat smooth and glossy.

For $14.00 I don't think this polish is worth the clumpy and uneven application, nor the overall texture without a top coat. 

I hope you have a great week!

Products Used:

Butter London- Gobsmacked.

NOTD: OPI- I Have A Herring Problem

 This color totally reminded me of jeans, I just had to add some white stitching to the mix!

 OPI's 'I Have a Herring Problem is a gorgeous medium toned blue with silver glitter and is pretty opaque with 2 coats, but I used 3 because I had some streaking.

Do you have any manicure suggestions??

Products Mentioned:
OPI- I Have a Herring Problem | CM Nail Art- White.

NOTD: m&m manicure

The food continues with this M&M manicure :)

• I used 2 coats of green, blue, red, and 3 coats of yellow and orange.
• The m's were free-handed using a small thin brush and white polish.

yum! {again}

Products Used:

Avon: Sweet Mint, Blue Escape, Tangtastic, Sunshine, Orange Creamsicle | CM Nail Art White. 

NOTD: Tiffany Manicure

This is another manicure that I had been dying to try, but I just couldn't free-hand the bow right and stamping just wasn't cutting it. So, I order some adorable bows from eBay and waited 2 long weeks for them to arrive before attempting it again.

I'm sure most of you guys have heard of, seen, or own China Glaze's For Audrey. It is the perfect Tiffany blue color and goes on opaque and even after 2 coats.

• After applying 2 coats of color, I used my CM nail art to draw horizontal lines across the nail- these represent the ribbon on the iconic tiffany box.
• On the accent nail I added a vertical line and placed a bow in the center using a thick layer of top coat to secure it in place.
• That's it! :)

I did notice that one of the bows is defective but for the $1.69, well worth it.

Products used: 

China Glaze- For Audrey | CM Nail Art White | Bows via eBay {$1.69} gogo_newlife123 or direct link to product here.