If its pink and its got glitter...

...then I definitely have to own it! This is exactly how I felt about Essie's polish in Pink-a-Boo from the  Resort 2012 Collection. Its a sheer light pink with glass-fleck shimmer in it- both blue and hot pink. I decided to free-hand a french manicure with it today:

It's a little rough but hey- not bad for my first try, right? The application on this one was tricky- you definitely want to wait a bit between coats or you will get bald spots. Also, because there is so much shimmer and the formulas is so sheer, the finish is noticeably gritty. However, since the shimmer is so unusual and so pretty, while this would usually bother me, I don't mind it with this polish. It reminds me of the Nicole by OPI polish in "Kim-pletely in Love" from the Kardashian Kollection, except with that one there's just light blue shimmer and its much more subtle.

Here's a closeup of the polish so you can see how the shimmer translates on the nail:

And lastly, here's a macro shot of the bottle so you can see all the gorgeous shimmer:

I just love this one. Have you checked out the 2012 Resort Collection? Any colors catch your eye?

NOTD Essie Punchy Pink

Hey all!
Today's manicure is a fun BRIGHT pink- Essie's Punchy Pink. With the warm weather we're having in NYC this week, I felt like this was an appropriate color because it reminds me of spring. Every time I look at my nails, this bright color makes me happy.

The application was a dream for this one. The formula was on the more watery side, typical of Essie polishes, but it was easy to apply, streak-free and dried pretty quickly. Looking back on it, this would have also made a gorgeous Valentine's Day mani.

What colors are you loving for spring?

Valentine's Day EOTD and NOTD

Hey all! I hope you had a great Valentine's Day ♥ !! I did a look yesterday incorporating pink (my favorite color) in honor of the holiday. Here is my EOTD (eye of the day!)

Valentine's Day EOTD

To get the look:
(1) I primed my lids with my favorite primer, Too Faced Shadow Insurance
(2) I then used a flat shader brush to apply MAC Vanilla eyeshadow, which is a satin-finish like cream color all over the lid and under the brow as a highlight.
(3) Next I used a medium brown shadow, MAC Wedge in the crease using windshield wiper motions to blend.
(4) I deepened the "outer-v" with a deeper brown, I used MAC Espresso, which I also used to softly line my bottom lash line.
(5) For the pink glitter liner, I used Urban Decay Heavy Metal Liner in Groupie. (I had to use several layers to get the full on glittery effect I was after)
(5) I then used 2 coats of a mascara I'm loving at the moment, Loreal Voluminous in Carbon Black.
...almost at the finish line!...
(6) The last step was to apply false lashes, I used Ardell Wispies.

I hope you enjoyed this look! I used basic colors that were already in my collection, but if you don't have these exact colors, use what you already have in your collection. There are also some great drug store options, such as the Neutrogena Nourishing Eye Quad in Tea Biscuit which will give you almost the same effect. There are also some great glitter liners by NYX.

Now for my NOTD (nail of the day):

I used OPI's Pink Friday from the Nicki Minaj collection. I've seen watches of this color on other blogs and while I thought it was a pretty color, I felt like I probably had a billion similar colors in my stash, so I didn't feel a need to run out and get it. That was the case until I saw TheBubbleGumPrincess's Nail Polish Obsession Tag video. As soon as I saw it on her, I HAD to have it, so run out and get it I did. This is a beautiful warm pink that would look amazing on absolutely everyone. Application was smooth, but slightly streaky, so I used two thick coats. Dry time was quick thanks to my Seche Vite topcoat. Excuse the wonky application on the pinkie, that was due to an uneven base coat application underneath which I didn't notice because it dries clear and matte...

OPI Pink Friday

Did you do a special look for Valentine's Day? A special manicure? Let me know! ☺