nail color of the week: essie dj play that song

essie dj play that song is a gorgeous bright red grape {described by the brand as the jam-miest neon plum} and has already dressed my tips multiple times. currently, i'm wearing it on my toes, and just as on my hands, it's such a happy-making shade to look at {especially as i go through my yoga practice}.

one of six shades in the summer 2013 neons collection, dj play that song couldn't be a more beautiful pick to wear this time of year. it applies easily {looks best with three thin coats}, and when applied over blanc {an opaque snowy white} looks even better {essie suggests this combo to make the color pop even more}.

after a few days of wear

discover the whole essie neons collection, available in stores {i bought dj at Target} and online at essie.com

pics taken and product purchased by me :)

a fun manicure with essie, Julep, and butterLondon...

"your nails look like easter eggs."

this is what my husband said to me when he saw the manicure i gave myself the other day.

ha!

while not the look i was going for, i appreciate the reference to a time of year that is considered a fabulous excuse to paint nails in a candy-colored, glittery way.

for this nail look, i alternated butterLondon Trout Pout and essie Lilacism, then created a "french tip" using Julep Chelsea, a fun glitter polish.

this simple technique can be used with any of your favorite polishes. have fun, be creative...it's just nail polish!

pics taken by me :)

nail color of the week: Julep Viola

happy thursday, beauties! this week i dressed my tips in the fabulous, deep purple Viola from the brand that is fast becoming a favorite in my nail polish wardrobe, Julep.

included in the february Maven Box, Viola, as i mentioned, is deep and so fabulous for this time of year. you'll also notice the box {pictured below} included a hair shine product, dark chocolate and glittering shade, Oscar, to celebrate the award season...

and while there are other colors in this award-season collection {Meryl, Glenn, for example}, i love that Julep put Oscar and Viola together ~ a bit of foreshadowing, perhaps? ;)

what nail polish are you currently wearing?

pics taken by me :)

nail color of the week: Color Club 'Uptown Girl'

there's nothing like giving myself a manicure. i realize this may not be the case for everyone, but it's become one of my favorite ways to center my thoughts and relax. i love the way i can pamper myself and give my hands polish {no pun intended}.

for this week's manicure, i chose a shade that's even relaxing to look at: Color Club Uptown Girl, from the Rebel Debutante collection.

this gorgeous shade of smoky lavender, though part of a collection from last year, is still a fabulous color for the current spring season.

and to keep with the purple theme, my daughter changed her polish to her current fave purple, OPI A Grape Fit!...

yep, she did her nails herself. :)

what nail color are you currently wearing this week?

pics taken by me:)

nail color of the week: Zoya Kelly

gray is not only a hot "trendy" color right now, but it's become my personal color obsession over the past few months. this fabulous shade, Kelly by Zoya, is keeping my tips looking tres chic and modern while catering to my gray-loving self.

indoors with flash, left; outdoors, cloudy day with flash, right

the brand describes Kelly as a rich gray shade with soft purple and blue undertones, and that sums it up perfectly. i love that Kelly is deep, but not too dark (it's a great alternative to black), and is a fabulous choice when you are wanting to wear something neutral without being traditional.

visit zoya.com for more info

pics taken my me :)

nail color of the week: Rimmel London Steel Grey

i have become a bit obsessed with Rimmel London's Steel Grey* nail polish (part of their Lasting Finish Pro line, available at drugstores) after seeing it featured in one of my mags (don't ask me which one-- i subscribe to so many!). seriously, i've been wearing it a lot!

this taupe-grey-purple-putty color is the perfect non-boring neutral. as you can see in the pictures, sometimes it can appear to be more grey-purple or more of a putty-grey. in less light it takes on a darker appearance.

i also have to mention that Lasting Finish Pro has something i have come to appreciate-- a wide pro brush. it makes applying the already great formula so easy. love it! :)

xo
*pic on left taken with no flash; pic on right taken with flash. pics taken by me :)

nail color of the week: China Glaze Light as Air

i've been wearing this China Glaze polish, Light As Air (from their spring 2010 Up & Away collection), since yesterday, and i have to say, i love it. this cool, opaque, pale shade of lilac is a cheerful in a laid-back sort of way.

i'll defintitely be wearing it a lot (both on my tips and my toes) this summer! :)


xo
pic taken by me :)

China Glaze Wizard of Ooh Ahz Returns + Swatches

China Glaze re-released their beloved Wizard of Ooh Ahz collection just before the holidays and with the whirlwind that comes with that time of year (not to mention my family and i had just moved), i'm finally posting my swatches (better late than never, right?).

if you are a fan of sparkles and shimmer in your polish, these are sure to excite you. if you don't already own these, take a look at this collection...





The Ten Man is a white-silver and one of my faves. it looks good with anything.





Cowardly Lyin' is a really pretty gold. sadly, my cool complexion doesn't look as good in this shade.





CCCourage is my absolute favorite of the bunch. i am a huge purple polish fan, and this shimmery beauty doesn't disappoint.




Dorothy Who? is a jelly polish with blue and silver shimmer. i love this one--it's amazing!




Good Witch? is a soft pink and, as you can see, very pretty. my daughter loves this one (of course).





Ruby Pumps is the best-seller of the group, loved and adored by nail polish fans everywhere, with good reason-- it's gorgeous! this pic does it no justice. i love the shimmer in this red and even i (not much of a red polish wearer) like to wear this one.


each shade required three coats for the sake of the pics. some shades (like The Ten Man and Dorothy Who? and Cowardly Lyin') appeared more sheer with only two coats. in any case, these are all very gorgeous polishes-- what do you think??


visit chinaglaze.com for more info and to find a retailer near you.

xo
this collection was sent to me by the brand for review

nail color of the week: OPI DS Extravagance

from the fabulous Designer Series, OPI's DS Extravagance was my choice of nail color to wear this week. it really helped cheer me up in this gloomy weather. this pretty and sparkly magenta would put any beauty girl in a better mood, don't you think?

i bought my bottle at Cosmoprof (for industry pros only), but you can visit opi.com to find a retailer near you.

xo

nail color of the week: Dior Silver Purple

Dior's Silver Purple has fast become one of my favorite nail colors. i bought this nail polish when i spotted it in Macy's last month. hubby was with me, and while i know he prefers not to be involved in my beauty purchases, when i asked him what he thought of the color, even he thought it was impressive.

since Dior's polishes never stick around in stores, i'm so thankful i purchased it when i did-- they only had two on counter (but you can still find it Sephora last time i checked)!

as for the color, it is exactly what the name implies-- a silvery purple. it can look like more of a dark chrome than purple in some light, but since metallics are such a fabulous trend this season, it looks great with everything. i love the way this polish applies and, surprisingly, dries much faster than i expected a color like this to. :)

xo
pic taken by me :)

nail color of the week: Rescue Beauty Lounge Mismas

Mismas is an amazing polish color that has been featured in InStyle and People StyleWatch magazines, and just happens to have been created by someone i know! Michelle Mismas writes one of my favorite blogs, All Lacquered Up (if you haven't already guessed, she's a polish fanatic), and is the go-to source when i want to know all about the latest and greatest nail colors and trends.

back to the polish-- not only is this a gorgeous true purple, but it's a cream-- no shimmer to found (love that!). i have received countless compliments while wearing this and my daughter loves wearing it, too!

to order Mismas, visit rescuebeauty.com

xo
pic taken by me :)

nail color of the week: Sapphire in the Snow

this week's nail color comes from OPI's Holiday Wishes Collection. Sapphire in the Snow is a fabulous deep purple that leans so much toward blue, it doesn't quite photograph the way it looks in person (the pic was taken with a flash). it's a great color worth adding to your polish collection. :)

xo
pic taken by me :)

nail color of the week: China Glaze Fly

China Glaze has a new summer collection called Kicks, and the color that caught my eye first was this one called Fly. i would describe this color as a violet-raspberry shimmer-- so pretty and very wearable. the whole collection is fabulous, so check it out-- it's perfect for summer!

xo

nail color of the week: Chanel Vendetta

Chanel Vendetta is the "it" color of the spring season, believe it or not, and i am beyond thrilled with it. i love this deep purple (that has a hint of shimmer)-- it's really a color that could be worn year-round! :)

xo
pic taken by me :)

nail color of the week: MAC Varicose Violet

MAC's Varicose Violet was featured in the Dame Edna for MAC collection, and i adore it!

this shade of pearlescent pinkish-purple goes on so smooth and dries in a reasonable amount of time. the color is sheer upon application, but easily builds to the color in the bottle in about three coats.

xo
picture taken by me :)