NOTD: Leopard and Oxblood Nails

Hello, Lovelies!

It's been forever since my last NOTD post and I thought since this is such an amazing combo, I just had to share! Oxblood and Leopard are a very popular combo this time of year and I have finally jumped on the bandwagon when it comes to nail art! As we know, I'm a bit of a snooze when it comes to nails...just sticking to one color or on the very rare occasion, a glitter accent nail. I had never used nail strips until tonight and I must say, I'm a big fan! What a simple, quick way to get fabulous nails! I am using Revlon's Limited Edition Parfumerie nail polish in Bordeaux and Kiss Stick-On Strips in the Leopard design. If you are not familiar with this Limited Edition collection by Revlon, the nail polishes are scented once the nail polish dries. I have already worn this one once before and although I adore the fruity-wine notes, I'm not a fan of the longevity. I've read many a blog post and watched numerous YouTube videos and for the most part, people love the staying power. Bordeaux chipped in two days and Italian Leather (the deep green) chipped in less than 12 hours. I'm giving this one another shot to redeem itself- stay tuned for my thoughts!

Where to buy: I picked up two of the LE Revlon polishes at Rite Aid. I think they were $7-8/ea. I took advantage of the BOGO 50% off sale! I picked up the Kiss nail strips from Dollar General. I think it was around $2.

The color is pulling more classic red than oxblood. Trust me, it's a deeper red in real life. 

Daily Dose of Pretty

• I had a lovely Skype date with my sister about an hour away. We had a cyber-nail party! 
• I think I'm going to make Spinach Stuffed Shells for Ross' dinner/my breakfast in the morning. #NightShiftLife
• I picked up a fabulous red table cloth the other day...getting in the Christmas spirit! 

NOTD: ColorMates Nail Polish in Little Blue Box

A few days ago, I hauled some nail polish and a lip gloss I picked up at Fred's Dollar Store. This is my favorite of the bunch! In my original post, I described it as a mint green, but the more I look at it, it's definitely a seafoam green!

Artificial Lighting. 

Two Coats.

Natural Lighting.

Two Coats.

NOTD: Maybelline Color Show Chiffon Chic (160)

While I was in Wal-Mart today, I stopped by the nail polish section to pick up a fabulous new shade to go with my fabulous new accessory  my engagement ring! I love the Color Show line from Maybelline. This is my third nail polish from the line and like the others, I'm in love! This is a gorgeous cool girly pink with a touch of purple undertones. This is such a lovely color and will be amazing for Spring/Summer. I know I will be getting tons of use out of it. 

I love the Color Show line from Maybelline. This is my third nail polish from the line and like the others, I'm in love! This is a gorgeous cool pink with a touch of purple undertones. This color will be amazing for Spring/Summer and I know I will be getting tons of use out of it. 

 Please forgive the fingerprint on the top of the bottle! (:

3 coats. 

Another ring picture! I am so excited that I can't help but show it off! 

Click Here to read about the proposal! (:

NOTD: Salon Perfect Pure Azure (113)

In natural light.

In artificial light. 

I have been on a mission the past few months to find the perfect periwinkle nail polish. I bought Essie's Lapiz of Luxury several months back and hated it! The color was so sheer that I needed two or three coats of a natural-nude color as a base and then I still needed three or four coats of the Essie polish. Needless to say, I am done with using Lapiz of Luxury! I was in Wal-Mart last night and noticed there was a new nail polish display that had Salon Perfect; the polishes are $3.98! In scoping out the the isle, I noticed a periwinkle polish and for some reason, I knew it would work for me. When I got home I painted my nails and now I am completely obsessed with the color!

Pure Azure (#113)
This is a true periwinkle (mix of blue and purple) with a creme finish. I used 3 coats, but probably could have gotten away with two.

♥♥♥

Daily Dose of Pretty...

• Exciting news: Ross and I are engaged! He asked me on Wedensday and we are so excited about this new chapter! Click Here to see ring pictures and to read about the proposal. Oh, and I am wearing this color in one of the pictures. ♥
• We are having a cook out today with some of Ross' co-workers and one of my best friends, Jessica, is coming too. She and I have been friends since elementary school and I have seen her in almost a year. Things have been crazy with both of our schedules so I am looking forward to seeing her!
• I had a dentist appointment yesterday (at a new dentist) and the gave me a free 4 day supply of the Reflection Advanced Tooth Whitening System. I love teeth whitening kits so I might review this for y'all.

NOTD: Hard Candy Beetle

Seriously, where has this color been all my life?!

Truth be told, I am pretty boring with my nail polish selections. I love a good neutral and not-too-crazy-colors, but when I saw this nail polish by Hard Candy, I just knew I had to have it! This is a duo-chrome polish with pinky-purple and green. There seems to be a bit of gold in the mix, too, but I think that's more of a golden-ish sheen. The formula can be tricky to work with- can get a little patchy on the first two coats- but I think the final result is totally worth it! This nail polish is an exact dupe of Orly's Space Cadet and MAC's Mean & Green! Whoohoo for a good deal! Click here to see how Beetle compares to Space Cadet. Click here see how Space Cadet compares to Mean & Green. I don't own the Orly nor the MAC ones, but I've seen many pictures online and I can't tell them apart. As far as Orly and MAC's formula, I can't say if they're easier to work with or not because I don't own them, but I don't mind applying an extra coat of Bettle to even everything out. In comparing the prices, the Hard Candy one is $4 at Wal-Mart and I've seen the Orly one at CVS for around $8 or 9. Because this is a "sometimes" color, I prefer the $4 or 5 dollar savings.

Tip:
I found that allowing this polish to completely dry makes for a better finish. The first time I applied, I allowed it to partially dry before adding on more coats, then applied my Sally Hanson Quick Dry Top Coat. The top coat is supposed to make nails dry after 30 seconds. I like to wait a complete minute or so before doing anything, though. For some reason, the Sally Hanson top coat didn't make this nail polish dry in the 30 seconds...maybe it's the formula of this duo-chrome polish?! Even after several minutes of allowing it to try, I got smudges and had to completely start over.
Also, I found that I could get away with three coats if my nails were shorter, but when I stepped outside in natural light, my tips were a bit sheer so I needed a fourth coat. 

Let's see the progress...

One Coat.

Two Coats.

Three Coats.

Four Coats (with top coat).

UPDATE on Feb. 4, 2013: This nail polish is a bitch to remove! Save your sanity and use the foil method...makes it much easier! Click here to watch a tutorial using the foil method. 

Daily Dose of Pretty...

• Ross and I have had a study date all afternoon. I've been reading The Grapes of Wrath for my Western Lit. class and he's been getting some work done. Life of a college student! Come on, May! (:
• We're going to look at rings (again) this afternoon. I've decided on a setting, but I'm still trying to decide on the center stone. The setting is a solitaire with side sides down the pave and I'm thinking either a round, cushion or oval as the center stone!
• I can't wait until Drew Barrymore Flower line comes to my Wal-Mart! I think EmilyNoel83 (from BeautyBroadcast) has a Review coming up tomorrow! I will be watching to get a peek at the new line's beauty goodies!  

 ♥

What do you think of the Beetle nail polish? What Hard Candy polishes have you tried?

NOTD/Review: NYC Water Street Blue

Can y'all tell I am ready for summer? 
Yesterday was a beautiful, warm day in Alabama and it's been nice outside today, too. So, I've decided to bring a little spring/summer color in my life! I love NYC'S nail polish in Water Street Blue, #296. I wore this color so many times last year and I'm sure I will be doing the same this year. 

About the color...

• It's very blue. I wouldn't call it a neon, but it is a bright color that will get noticed.
• Opaque in two coats.
• I really like the formula. It's not too thick, not too thin.
• As the name implies, it is a quick drying formula. 
• The brush is a good size...not too large, not too small.

Overall thoughts...
I really like this nail polish. It's less than $2 at Wal-Mart (prices may vary by location) and is too gorgeous to pass up! 

 ♥

Daily Dose of Pretty...

• I don't have class today- woohoo!- but I have to read the first 10 chapters of Grapes of Wrath by tomorrow so I will be a busy little bee today!
• I bought Hard Candy's Beetle yesterday and it is gorgeous! I've seen online that it's a dupe for Orly Space Cadet, which I have been wanting but refuse to spend $10 on a "sometimes" color. 
• I have been obsessed with Revlon's Coralberry. I got it yesterday, too, and I have to say, I'm in love! I am wearing it today! 

What are your favorite NYC nail polishes? 

NOTD: Classic Red with Accent Nail

Can you tell I'm ready for Valentine's Day? 
I bought this Milani polish before Christmas for an amazing price at CVS...it was on clearance for less than $3- What a deal! I really wanted to do something festive for the month of love and red is such a classic color.

I love the Rimmel Lasting Finish Pro polish in 375 Stiletto Red- cute name, right?! The formula is very creamy and dries relatively quickly. As I mentioned before, longevity isn't a big deal to me because I change my polish every few days, but I have wore this for about 4 days with little to no chipping.

Used two coats with top coat. 

Milani's One Coat Glitter in 521 Red Sparkle is gorgeous! I've been on the hunt for a fun glitter polish and this one is lovely. I don't think you can get away with one coat, as the brand claims, but two coats does the trick! This formula dries pretty quick, so you may need to work fast.

Used two coats with top coat. 

I like this nail look. I need to get a heart stencil because I think it would have been so cute to do two accents nails. One glitter and one gold heart on my index finger. Maybe I'll post that another time!

Glitter is a bitch to remove so use the foil method. Click here to see a tutorial of the foil method.

 ♥

Daily Dose of Pretty...

• I had my first test of my last semester! I am pretty sure I made an A! woohoo!
• I had a lovely conversation with my sister tonight! So glad when we get a chance to chat!
• I gave blood today and ate my weight in Chinese food after to regain my strength...or at least that was the excuse I gave myself! 

What are your favorite festive polishes for Valentine's Day?