Category: Nails
Vivid Sheers
I couldn’t wait to dig into my new Julep polishes this month’s “Brights + White” Collection.
I decided to experiment…after busting open my new Julep Oxygen Bonding Base Coat, I did two coats of Julep “Brigitte” on my thumbs and pinkies. I used my dotting tool to dot “Brigitte” on my index and pointer fingers. I left my middle finger as is. I then layered Julep “Ari” and “Delaney”, overlapping to create purple in the middle. After the first coats, I did more dots on my index and ring fingers, also adding some on my pinkie. Then another coat of “Ari” and “Delaney”. I finished with “HK Girl”.
The white did make the sheers pop, but that was just too much polish for my my nails. It was so thick that is became like dried acrylic paint – peeling up at the edges, as you can see on my pinky. I also didn’t paint my nails very neatly, which exacerbated the peeling. Lessons learned.
I couldn’t stand it anymore – I had to take it off and try something else.
This time, I decided to do a simple pond mani with Julep “Gigi”. I didn’t start with white base, just Julep Oxygen Bonding Base Coat. I did “Brigitte” dots, then “Gigi”, then dots, then “Gigi”. In retrospect, I might have done one more set – the dots on my thumb and middle finger are bit too aligned and should be more random. Again, I finished with “HK Girl”.
I really like the way these turned out – nice and summery.
I am craving a dreamsicle SO BAD right now!
April Julep Maven Box – Brights + White
Julep’s April collection is very, very interesting – “Brights + White”, a collection of vivid sheer polishes, meant to be layered.
This month’s beauty product is Love Your Bare Face Cleansing Stick. It’s like a stick of deodorant, but oils and enzymes to clean your face. I also got the Kaolin Clay Konjac Sponge (it even came with a little suction hook to hang it to dry – LOVE that) to go with it. I tried it last night – it was weird, but my face felt very clean and impossibly smooth after using them.
I couldn’t pick just one of the vivd sheer polishes, so in addition to It Girl “Ari” – extreme fuchsia vivid sheer, I got It Girl “Delaney” – blue atoll vivid sheer – and Boho Glam “Gigi” – zesty mandarin vivid sheer. The collection came with Classic with a Twist “Brigitte” – bright white creme – to use under the sheers to make them pop. I used more jules and also added Julep Oxygen Bonding Base Coat – I was out! Since I added three products, I got a free bonus – Classic with a Twist “Lulu” – wisteria mist soft focus (demi-matte).
My only complaint was the candy in the box. Sour Apple Air Heads. I HATE Sour Apple ANYTHING and Air Heads are asking for a visit to the dentist.
Not a Julep Maven? Click HERE to join – I’ll get a $15 credit and you’ll get your first box free!
Endless Love
I’ve had this polish nearly two years and I am just now getting around to trying it. I can’t believe it has taken this long to try this amazing polish.
RUFFIAN “Endless Love” is a chrome pink dream. I started with Orly Bonder and really could have gone with just one coat. I did two. Even though it goes on smooth and gives full coverage in one coat, it is very unforgiving of any ridges or peeling in your nails, so it looks best when your nails are in their best condition. It didn’t bubble as badly as the other RUFFIAN polishes I’ve tried, but I’ll chalk that up to user error – that was before I was using a base coat and a good top coat. I used “HK Girl” this time.
Rhymes with Delores
I am so in love with Julep “Delores”.
“Delores” – iris linear liquid holographic – is the perfect cool purple. I cannot believe how smoothly the formula went over Julep Oxygen Bonding Base Coat. It was full coverage in one coat, but I did two to make sure the color popped. It dried somewhat matte, to my surprise. I finished with “HK Girl” and WOW! It is ridiculously shiny.
You got any more of those holographic polishes? More, more, more!
Southwestern Mermaid
It’s Easter…but I was already sick of pastels, so I just went with something I’d had in mind with a while.
When I first got Nicole by OPI “Pick of the Glitter”, I tried it over a nude. I decided to try it over a turquoise to bring out the turquoise glitter. After Sinful Colors Base Coat, I did two thin coats of Sally Hansen “Marine Scene”. “Marine Scene” is one of my older polishes – not quite a decade old, but quite a while, since it’s only half full. My husband really likes this polish and just rolled his eyes at me when I started to put glitter on top of it. HE DOESN’T UNDERSTAND.
I topped with “HK Girl” for a smooth finish.
The turquoise glitter is a bit darker than “Marine Scene”, so it stands out. I like this a lot – it feels very Southwestern Mermaid.
Model Perfect
Oh yassss…this is so much better!
Julep “Abby” – honey almond sheer creme – is model perfect. Seriously – I feel like a Victoria’s Secret model. It’s a barely there polish – almost like nothing at all. This is two coats over Julep Oxygen Bonding Base Coat. It was very subtle at one coat, but I did two to cover up any discoloration. It’s shiny by itself, but I added “HK Girl” for more.
Can you tell that I managed to get a cat hair sealed into the polish on my middle finger. Our new kitten, Merkin, leaves her little black hairs EVERYWHERE. I managed to pry it out and repair it….phew!
March Beauty Box 5 – Make Room to Bloom
“Make Room to Bloom” – sure, why not?
This month’s Beauty Box 5 is full of pastels and flowery things: Colour Me “Sky Blue” Fragrance (very strong Freesia scent – reminds me of a stronger version of Bath & Body Works Freesia); Mai Couture Blush & Highlighter Papiers (this is DUMB – tinted paper you rub on your cheeks); Pur~lisse Blue Lotus 4-in-1 Eye Adore Serum (full size is $65 – really?); Glamour Dolls Eye Shadow Duo in “Secret Weapon” (shimmery nude and copper shades); Personail Custom Floral Nail Polish Wraps (very Easter-y); and a bonus temporary tattoo – a rose.
Not a bad box…but some weird stuff, for sure.
Periwinkle Puke
I was going for an Easter egg type vibe, but I ended up with periwinkle puke.
I was chatting with Rachel the other day and she was all excited about her new periwinkle polish – so I thought I would try my periwinkle polish – Nails Inc. “Princes Palace”. I used two coats over Sinful Colors Base Coat. It’s a decent formula – streaky on the first coat, but smooth with two. So far, so good.
But then I decided to spruce it up with Sinful Colors “Baila Baila”. Still, not too bad…until I decided to top it with Zoya Matte Velvet Top Coat. That didn’t go so well – I guess the periwinkle was too thick, because a few of the edges wouldn’t dry underneath. Zoya Matte usually dries within minutes – but not this time. I dinged it a few times before bed, but I was able to mash it flat. I was horrified to wake up the next morning with imprints of my sheets on the top of my nails….yup, periwinkle puke.
I struggled with posting this mishap – but I figured I must share the fails as well as the wins.
Starlet Fever
I got Starlet Fever – Sinful Colors “Starlet Fever”.
I wanted to transition from Green Week to Easter Week with a sheer Spring pastel, but all that green left my nails with a yellow tint. Instead of just sheer, I chose a sheer glitter. “Starlet Fever” is cotton candy pink with fuchsia and iridescent glitter. This is two coats over Sinful Colors Base Coat and under “HK Girl”.
I feel like I’ve got a kind of Glinda vibe going on…but I asked Lily if I looked like a good witch or a bad witch – that was a mistake. She didn’t hesitate to say “bad witch”. I guess I should have asked her before washing my makeup for the night…
I Declare Shenanigans!
I declare shenanigans!
My nails didn’t turn out the way I expected AT ALL.
My final nails of Green Week were full of surprises.
The first surprise was Sinful Colors “San Francisco” – I thought it would be a creamy emerald green from the bottle, but it turned out to be a kelly green shimmery jelly.
It’s very sheer after one coat and still a bit sheer after two coats.
This is two coats over Sinful Colors Base Coat. I decided to leave it at two coats – even after with the visible nail line.
The second surprise was what essie luxeffects “Set in Stones” did over “San Francisco” – it turned gold! Maybe the yellow pigment in the green polish leached into the silver glitter? Or more likely, it’s just the reflection coming off the green. Either way – I wanted SILVER glitter to match my shirt! Shenanigans! (Top Coat is “HK Girl”, of course.)
My shenanigans are in silver sequins, not gold…argh…
Oh well, maybe I’ll get it right next year.