Sinful Colors - Dazzle

Today I bring you an old nail polish that's new to me, courtesy of Big Lots. This beaut is Sinful Colors' "Dazzle", from their limited edition 2012 Holiday Shimmers collection. Dazzle is everything I love about a nail polish - it has chunky shimmer, it catches the light and it's impossible to stop looking at your hands when you wear it.

Dazzle is a gorgeous plum pink color that builds really easily and evenly on the nails. I'm wearing two coats, topped off with Essie No Chips Ahead top coat. For a little experiment I didn't use a base coat like I typically do. I've had such issues with my nail polish chipping in a day that I wanted to see if reducing the amount of polish on my nails would help. I don't know if this nail polish is just amazing, or if this whole no base coat thing is the real deal, but so far so good! I've been wearing this for 2 days and so far I've experienced very minimal chipping - just a tiny bit of wear on one of my nail tips. 

While you can't buy Dazzle in stores anymore, you can pick it up for yourself on eBay if you like what you see. And I'd highly recommend you do - this is one amazing polish that you need in your collection!

OPI - DS MAGIC swatch

Ohhhh gosh, the OPI Designer Series nail polishes are among my absolute favorite polishes. Ever. They are sparkly, glittery, holographic amazingness. DS Magic is added to my list of favorites for it's sheer blue beauty.

This is two coats of DS Magic, topped off with a coat of Sally Hansen Insta-Dri top coat. It's nearly impossible to capture on camera, but you can sort of tell in the picture of the bottle, but this color is a beautiful deep blue with fuschia duochrome. It is jam packed full of glittery goodness. If you loved the other DS polishes, you're bound to love this one, too. My only complaint was that it chipped within just a couple days of wear, which isn't typical of most OPI polishes.

What's your favorite Designer Series polish?

Quick Look: China Glaze - Angel Wings

This is a (relatively) oldie but goodie polish, from China Glaze's 2012 Holiday collection. This holographic beauty is called Angel Wings. 

Angel Wings is my quintessential favorite polish - absolute holographic goodness; stunning in the sunlight and subdued (but still awesome) in normal lighting. It's a pretty gold holographic glitter that leans toward the green end of the gold spectrum. It reminds me of a muted Holo Yellow by Kleancolor.

I used two coats of Angel Wings followed by two coats of Sally Hansen Insta-Dri top coat. Beware, this polish is a MAJOR top coat hog. Even after doubling up on the top coat my nails still feel gritty instead of smooth. Not a big deal though, this is one gorgeous polish! Don't you agree?

Incoco Nail Polish Strips in Penny Rose

I've got a first on Glazed Over today.... nail polish strips. There's a reason I have never featured nail strips before, and that's because I have tried and failed at them numerous times. I mean, so bad that I wouldn't even think to show anyone. Like, take off right away and use regular nail polish bad. But not anymore. Today I've got a complete and total success with nail polish strips.

These gorgeous, 100% real nail polish strips are from Incoco and they're in the shade Penny Rose - a glittering rose gold. What I love is that unlike most chunky glittery paint-on polishes like this (which tend to be total topcoat hogs), these are totally smooth. And the best part is, since they're a base, polish and top coat in one, there's no waiting for them to dry! These took me just 10 minutes to do (because I'm a perfectionist - but they could easily take you 5 minutes or less) and I've already been smacking my nails around and they haven't scratched or torn. 

Another cool thing about Incoco strips is that they're more concentrated than regular polish, so they're supposed to last longer (up to 14 days...check back, I'll keep you posted on wear time). And one more rave: they're 3 free, meaning they're free of DBP, toluene and formaldehyde (aka the bad stuff in many nail polishes).

Penny Rose retails for $7.99, and right now I believe the only place you can buy Incoco strips is on their website. I would definitely recommend picking some up if you like gorgeous nails that are quick and easy to achieve! 

Mint Mani for Talia Joy

Whether you immerse yourself in the beauty world often or not, I'm sure you've heard of Talia Joy Castellano - the YouTube beauty personality who passed away this week after a 6 year battle with cancer. Talia was only 13 years young, but was an incredibly talented makeup artist. You've probably even seen her on the Ellen Show (if you haven't - click the link). 

To honor Talia, many in the beauty blogging/nail blogging world are sporting mint manis (her last instagram photo was a picture of her mint manicure) today in honor of her beautiful spirit, and I felt compelled to join right in. In honor of this bright, spirited young girl, I'm wearing two coats of Gem Green by Petites (a brand that sadly went out of business this year.)

Rest in peace, Talia Joy.

OPI - DS Reserve

This beauty is from my favorite OPI collection of all time, the Designer Series collection. This gorgeous pink is called DS Reserve, and it's been a long time favorite polish of mine. It's a very feminine looking pink that's jam packed with holographic glitter. This is a great color for those who work in more conservative offices, but it's much more fun than your standard work-appropriate pink. 

The formula is very smooth and thin and goes on easily. I used two coats and topped it off with a coat of Sally Hansen Insta-Dri top coat, and unfortunately it has chipped on the nail line a little bit within only two days. 

While the Designer Series OPI polishes are a bit pricey compared to other OPIs, they're well worth it. They're absolutely gorgeous in the summer, and you'll be staring at your fingers any time the light hits them! I'd highly recommend them if you don't have any in your collection.

--

Quick Look: Gatsby-esque Nails

Here's a quick look at my Gatsby inspired polish combo - doesn't it make you think of a fancy 20's party? I should be holding a cocktail...

Products used:

--Base color: Sinful Colors - Vacation Time

--Glitter: Nicole by OPI - A Gold Winter's Night

On that note, I'm off to see The Great Gatsby this afternoon! Have a wonderful weekend, old sports! 

--

Finger Paints - Blue Raspberry Taffy

Thursday, MAY 2ND we got 15.5" of snow in southern Minnesota. Hard, heavy, bringing-trees-down, knocking-power-out, cold, spring snow. One for the record books. So today, you can imagine I was in the mood for a spring nail color - something to make me forget that there is snow outside on May 4th. (Thankfully, the forecast shows mid-high 60s for the next week - buh-bye snow!)

This is two coats of Blue Raspberry Taffy by Finger Paints from the Spring 2012 Gumdrops & Lollipops collection (I got this on clearance recently, hence being a year late!). This is a lovely, creamy sky blue that is perfect for spring! There is not a whole lot that makes it unique (there are many colors just like this out there, in fact I'm sure I have a couple already in my own polish collection), but it is a pretty color, nonetheless. 

To jazz it up a little, I used an oldie but goodie, Last Friday Night by OPI from the Katy Perry collection (which I loved) on my middle and ring fingers. This is a super pretty blue glitter polish, filled with circular blue and silver round glitters, and a mix of micro glitter. I'm a big Katy Perry fan, so naturally I loved this collection, which I still pull out and incorporate in to my manicures now and then - which is saying something as I don't use many polishes over and over (total polish snob over here...). 

Hope you are enjoying your weekend as much as I am! Til next time! :) 

--

Zoya - Aurora

Say hello to my new favorite nail polish! Long have I been lusting over Zoya's Aurora, and a couple months back I snagged it and (true to form) I let it sit in my "untrieds" pile for way too long! This color is absolutely amazing, which you might have guessed I would say, as it's jam-packed with holographic glitter - MY FAVORITE!

Aurora is a gorgeous plum color that is really out of this world. It looks like there are neverending layers of glitter on my nails. Beware, once your nails hit the sunlight - you will not be able to look away! Aurora definitely lives up to the hype, and I'm so glad I snagged a couple polishes from this line (Zoya's Ornate collection). I can't wait to try this on my toes for summer! 

Have a great Monday!!

--

Orly - Peaceful Opposition

Wow, wow, WOW! This is such a fun, unique polish that I'm so glad I picked up. Today I'm rockin' two coats of Orly's Peaceful Opposition, which is part of Orly's 2013 Spring Hope and Freedom collection. This polish is a sheer milky white packed with silver and white square and hex glitters. This is such a cool polish; the glitter gets sandwiched between layers and makes a really nice effect on the nails. 

The application was a little tricky, as it got kind of chunky from the glitter, but I think if I would have been more patient and waited longer between coats, it would have been a total non-issue. I hope Orly comes out with more polishes like this, because this is just so pretty!

I got this polish at Sally Beauty, so go snatch up a bottle for yourself while you can!

---

Claire's - Bedazzled

Despite the ever-growing pile of "untrieds" sitting on my nail polish shelf, this weekend I wanted to do something a bit more fun and pulled from my stash of "already useds" to create the look. I have for you today a cascading glitter tipped manicure!

For this manicure I used two coats of an unnamed pale pink by The Color Workshop, and for the glittery tips I used a favorite of mine by Claire's named Bedazzled which is a really fun polish filled with multicolored hex glitters and small blue glitter in a clear base. I wasn't sure exactly how it would turn out, but I actually really love it, and I can't stop peeking down at my nails!

After the pink base coat was on and dried, I started by painting Bedazzled along the tips of my nails and trying to keep the clear base minimal by scraping as much off as possible while still retaining the glitter. I then followed up with another coat along the tips, but this time drew the glitter up further along the nail so it wasn't such a rigid line. I like the look of it cascading up my nails. 

This is a fun alternative to the standard French Manicure! What do you think?

L'Oreal - Gorgeous Gold

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas - I can't believe it's over already, but I am looking forward to New Year's Eve and the New Year celebration! I'll be ringing in 2013 with my husband and my uncle and his fiance, as well as some of their friends - most likely playing Cards Against Humanity (one of my new favorite games that my husband and I got for Christmas)! I tried to choose a polish that is festive enough for the holiday, and so I'm sporting two coats of L'Oreal's Gorgeous Gold. 

I absolutely love this color in the bottle, but I don't like it so much on my nails. This is a greenish gold foil with  gold hex glitter, and it is unfortunately a bit too green for my taste. 

The application was okay; one coat was thin and runny, but by coat #2 it is pretty much opaque. It's hard to get it completely even with all the hex glitters scattered all over the place. Overall, it's not my favorite, but it's not the worst I've ever worn either. You win some, you lose some!

OPI - Crown Me Already

After a bit of computer troubles, then having to get an entirely new computer, as well as weak nails that could not seem to toughen up thanks to a couple rounds of acrylic nails - I am finally back! But enough about that, take a look at what my nails are sporting today!

This amazingly sparkly polish is OPI Crown Me Already, a bit of an older polish which debuted in 2011's Miss Universe collection (and I found it for $3.99 at TJ Maxx!!) I layered this diamond-like polish over two coats of China Glaze Pelican Gray. This picture does not do it justice - it is far more sparkly and bright than it appears! (See this picture from Scrangie for proof)

Filled with small silver glitter, and loaded with mid and larger sized hexagonal glitter there is plenty of shine and sparkle to be had! I was even okay with just one coat of Seche Vite top coat, so it's not too top-coat thirsty. 

A polish that looks like diamonds on every nail? I'm in love!

Icing - Glimmer

I'm BACK!! I've missed blogging - but, life was rather hectic and amazing for the last couple weeks and I wasn't able to blog to my heart's desire. Almost two weeks ago, this girl got hitched! We had a perfect ceremony with our family and friends, followed by an evening of good food, good company, and lots of dancing! Here's a little taste for you...

After a fantastic honeymoon in Barbados, we are back to the real world, and I painted my nails right away! (I was wearing one of the OPI DS polishes on the wedding day/honeymoon for anyone who's curious)

But today, I painted over my acrylics with this beauty...

This is Icing - Glimmer. I bought this over a year ago, and have been waiting for the fall season to wear it. It features a beautiful light gold pearly base with gold glitter mixed in. It's a bit rough, but that may be from the acrylics and not the polish. 

Glimmer is perfect for the changing season, and a fun spin on a neutral polish. You could definitely wear this in a professional setting without feeling too "loud". Sparkly neutrals like these are my favorite, and I'm so happy the fall season is here so I can break them out once again!

What autumnal polish are you wearing today?

Essie - Too Too Hot

I realized as I looked through the color listing on the left side of my blog that I have only worn one red polish, and that was way back in March (my very first post, actually)! That's unusual for me - I normally love wearing reds! I'm going to blame it on the fact that I don't like sporting red with nub nails, so now that my nails are at an agreeable length - I went red! This is two coats of Essie's Too Too Hot (which I found on sale for $3.99!!!!!!), from 2011's Braziliant collection. My ring finger is sporting Claire's Glitter top coat (one of my absolute favorite top coats - holo glitter, FTW!)

I still haven't played around too much with Essie polishes, but I think so far I really like them. The application was flawless, and I probably could have used only one coat, but I did two just for good measure. I have a TON more Essie polishes in my unused pile, so stay tuned.

Since I haven't used very many... I'm curious - what's your favorite Essie color?

No Name French Manicure

My nails have finally stopped being stubborn and broken and  have grown out a bit! This is the length I love having my nails at, and so I celebrated with a french manicure for this Monday! In an annoying twist, both of the polishes I used are unnamed. I did try out a new ridge filling base coat by Barielle that I got this week - so that's the only name I have to give you! Otherwise, the sheer purple shimmery base I used was an unnamed The Color Workshop polish, followed by an unnamed Love & Beauty polish for the glittery tips. 

It's not my favorite "french" tip that I've ever done... but it's good enough to kick this week off. What look are you sporting this Monday?

China Glaze - Prism

I was so excited when this Prismatic collection came out. I love lots of glitter, and most of my stash is made up of various glitter polishes. However, I only ended up buying two from this collection - Liquid Crystal, and the polish you see here - Prism, and I can't say I'm sorry I didn't buy more.  These two are very similar polishes. 

One of the things I don't like about this collection is how easy it chips. It makes sense, I suppose. Thick glitter is way more brittle than most formulas, so one wrong tap of your nail and there goes half of the polish. I painted my nails on Saturday evening, and already I have some sizable chunks missing. 

I decided to add a layer of China Glaze - Crushed Candy to my ring finger as an accent, but it didn't crack very well. That's something I don't like about crackle polishes as well - if you paint them on even a tad bit too thick, they hardly crack (which is frustrating after you've already put enough work in to the bottom layers below it!) 

I put Prism on my toes too and I think it looks much better than it does on my hands. It doesn't chip as fast, and it's always fun to have sparkly toes in the summer time for flip flop weather. I think I'll solely use Prism and Liquid Crystal for pedi polishes from here on out.

Was anyone else unimpressed with this collection, too? 

Claire's - Candy Shop

I picked up this polish a couple weeks ago on a shopping trip with my mom and sister to one of our favorite outlet malls (probably the one time a year I even go in to Claire's). I always like looking through the polishes they have as I've really liked every one that I've bought from Claire's so far - and this one didn't disappoint! 

This is two coats of Claire's - Candy Shop, a hot pink jelly filled with lots of hex and mini glitter! I love how the glitter gets sandwiched in with the base of the polish and creates something of a jawbreaker look! I topped this mani off with a little yellow flower nail decal on my ring finger (which did NOT want to lay flat and looks kind of blah, but oh well!) and a coat of Seche Vite and wa-lah! Just ignore my itty-bitty nails - I broke all of them while moving this weekend! So annoying! 

Essie - A Cut Above

I am in LOVE with this manicure! I had the urge to wear a nude polish, so I picked up this unnamed The Color Workshop polish that I got in a set for my birthday. It's a very light, creamy pink color that I can't get enough of! 

I wanted to spice up this very professional pink, and that's where Essie's A Cut Above comes in. This is from Essie's luxeffects collection. I actually received this in my March Birchbox - a full polish bottle - score!!! I really love this color because it catches the light so well with all the shiny hex and micro glitter. 

I think this is a  fun way to jazz up a neutral polish, while still keeping it work-friendly. How do you spice up your nails for work? 

Sally Hansen - Hi-Res

This weekend I tried out a nailpolish I've had in my collection for about a year now, sitting untouched in my stash. This is two coats of Sally Hansen Hi-Res, from the HD collection which was released last spring. This is a bright fuschia pink that almost looks metallic, and has a bit of shimmer which is pretty much unnoticeable. I used one coat of an unnamed Color Workshop holographic glitter to jazz things up a bit. 

This polish is nothing special, and definitely lacks in comparison to the other colors in the collection (which I unfortunately don't own), but it was a good weekend color, nonetheless. I'm already excited for a pastel Easter mani... stay tuned!