On Wednesdays we wear pink.... | #glossierpink

Who can resist a Mean Girls quote?! Certainly not me... love that movie. As one of Pantone's colors of the year is Rose Quartz, a baby pink. And if you haven't heard of Glossier before, you should also check out some of their great beauty products all about enhancing our natural beauty.

This look is simple and perfect for every day wear. If you don't have a certain product that I used, don't worry - look through your own makeup stash and find something close. You'll look glamorous no matter what product you use!

Face: For a smooth base, I started off by applying Tarte's Clean Slate Poreless primer on areas that have more visible pores than others (namely my nose, inner cheeks and between my eyebrows and just a tad above). I then used my beloved Covergirl Outlast Stay Fabulous foundation, obviously, applied with a damp beautyblender (a pink one, fittingly!). I dabbed on some Maybelline Fit Me concealer under my eyes to hide my dark circles (do you even know how many times this pregnant lady gets up to pee in the night?! ugh...) To set everything, I used the Maybelline Fit Me powder all over. On my cheeks, I used NYC Smooth Skin bronzer to contour under my cheekbones and a bit on my temples, and then popped on some BH Cosmetics Lilac blush (the perfect pink blush!) and used the included highlighter on top of my cheekbones for added radiance. It's actually a realllly nice highlighter! The BH Cosmetics blush/highlight duos are super cheap, totally check them out if you're in the market for a great new blush.

Eyes: The eyes are where the fun starts! I primed them with the Benefit Stay Don't Stray primer. I created another sticky base by using the NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil in Oyster thinly over my lids. This is a pretty shimmering pink/purple that works great for a base. For the entire eye look, I used the Naked 3 palette, full of gorgeous pink shades. I defined my crease with the shade Limit (a warm matte brown), and then used Buzz all over my lid (a shimmery rose pink). To tone down the mega pink and add a bit of sparkle, I combined Dust and Trick and tapped that in the middle of my lid. I lined my eyes with the Covergirl Intensify Me! eyeliner pen, and finished it off with Covergirl Full Lash Bloom mascara, a recent fave. No look is complete without some eyebrows, mine are a combo of the Jordana Fabubrow in Taupe (I think!), Tarte Amazonian Clay Volumizing Brow Powder in Medium Brown, and Maybelline Clear Mascara for setting gel. 

Lips: I kept the lips simple, but you could totally play it up more if you want! I used NYX Butter Lip Balm in Parfait which is a great pop of pink that doesn't look like you're trying too hard. Great for class or work. 


What are your go-to pink products? I'd love to know - I'm a bit of a pinkaholic, myself! Also, if you create any look similar to this, be sure to send me your photos!

L'Oreal - Macaroon Me Madly | Review + Swatch

I'm going to apologize right off the bat -- I'm SORRY, but this gorgeous polish from L'Oreal is limited edition from their Spring 2013 collection -- and I know, I know, I'm way late. BUT I JUST CAN'T RESIST SHOWING YOU! (You can still find it on eBay) This light pink beauty is L'Oreal's Macaroon Me Madly.

Macaroon Me Madly is a beautiful light pink creme. For complete opacity, I used three coats, but you could probably get away with two. Application was nice and smooth. On the negative side, the polish chipped within just a couple days (probably due to the # of coats, and not necessarily due to the polish). 

On my ring finger, I decided to jazz things up and used two coats of one of my favorite  polishes, Claire's Glitter Top Coat, a holographic silver glitter (that is highly underrated). 

I topped everything off with a coat of Sally Hansen's Insta-Dri top coat. What do you think? Let me know in the comments below!

Sation - Queenie In a Bottle

Helllloooooo, Queenie in a Bottle! How fun is that name? This is my first foray in to the world of Sation, and I have to say I'm liking it. This berry pink is from the 2013 Candylandia Collection which is based off of the board game Candyland (and one of my favorites as a child!) I absolutely LOVE the inspiration behind this polish!

Queenie in a Bottle is rather transparent with just one coat, and dries to a satin finish that is almost matte. This is two coats, topped off with Sally Hansen Insta-Dri top coat, and it's not entirely opaque with two coats. I did experience some shrinking with this polish resulting in some visible nail tips, and it also started chipping within two days which is a disappointment. 

Other than that, I am loving this color. Trying to squeeze in these bright colors before this summer weather is gone!

What are you wearing this Thursday? 

Sally Hansen - Get Juiced

Could I have picked a better color to start out August with, or what? This gorgeous coral creme is absolutely perfect for celebrating summer. This is two coats of Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure in Get Juiced (400), topped off with Sally Hansen Insta-Dri top coat (one of my absolute favorite top coats.) The "Complete Salon Manicure" line claims to be a base coat, strengthener, growth treatment, color, top coat, chip-resistant and a gel finish all in 1 bottle - however, I think I'll take my chances and use a base and top coat to ensure even less chipping happens. 

One thing I especially love about this polish is the brush applicator. It has a rounded end which makes for very easy and precise application. Get Juiced went on very well, wasn't too sticky, and dried quickly. 

I'm fairly certain I have a couple other colors just like this (I'm especially reminded of Sally Hansen's Coral Reef) but I am a sucker for true coral colors like this one. I'm not sure there's a color that says "SUMMER!" quite as well as coral, don't you agree?

What's your go-to summer color?

Orly - Elsbeth's Rose

 Elsbeth's Rose by Orly is a beautiful color - kind of a muted pink creme (the Orly website classifies this as a dusty pink shimmer, but I don't see even a hint of shimmer on my nails.) Unfortunately, I don't love this on my nails. Can you tell the formula is hard to work with from these photos (take a good hard look at my pointer and middle fingers.) Application was mediocre at best because the formula is really thick and sticky. It dries quick and in some cases the second coat sort of dragged along and ruined the nice smooth look. 

Overall, I'm calling this a failed manicure. It looks okay to the average eye, but for the picky folk (like me!) out there, this just isn't going to cut it. I have plenty of other polishes which apply much smoother than this, so I'm not sure I'll ever reach for this one again.

If you like this color but want something a bit easier to work with, Elsbeth's Rose reminds me so much of a more muted Splash of Grenadine by Essie. 

To be fair, every other Orly polish I've used has been wonderful, or at the very least - manageable. I love the grip-top applicators, and they have a great selection of colors.  I'd definitely encourage you to try the brand out for yourself. You can find a wide variety of Orly polishes at your local Sally Beauty. 

Quick Look: Essie - Jamaica Me Crazy

Here is a polish I've been lusting over for quite some time. It's nothing new or unseen, but it's just something I've had my eyes on. This is two coats of Essie's Jamaica Me Crazy. Don't you just love that name? This color is a beautiful, bright magenta filled with shimmer. I feel like the pictures I've seen make the shimmer look so much more pronounced than it actually looks on my own nails. It has a shimmery quality to it, but it doesn't take away from the color or catch the light intensely. I want to see how great this would look on my toes next.

Overall this is a great formula. It applied easily and smoothly, and didn't chip for 3 or 4 days. I couldn't ask for much more. 

What do you think?

OPI - Big Hair... Big Nails

Today I've got an oldie but a goodie, and one I've never tried. It's called Big Hair...Big Nails (LOVE that name) and it's from OPI's Texas Collection which came out in spring of 2011. 

To me, this color screams SUMMER not spring, but that's really beside the point. This is a gorgeous pinkish orange jelly. The application was very smooth and easy to work with. As with most jellies, one coat would not be enough, unless you like the streaky nail look. I used three coats and as you can see, I still have some visible nail line (jellies like Big Hair...Big Nails finish kind of see through).

If you like this color, you might also like Kate by Zoya or Coraline which is also a Zoya polish. I think the plain old jelly fad has kind of passed (now on to jelly sandwiches - layering glitters with jellies) but I still think they're really fun, and this color is certainly really pretty. What do you think?

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.

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Maybelline Color Show - Pink Shock

Hello! Happy Thursday - we're almost to the long holiday weekend! Woohoo! 

Today I've got a quick look at my nails. I'm wearing a Maybelline Color Show polish in Pink Shock. 

This is a fun, bright neon pink that is sort of like a creme and partially like a jelly finish - in between. I'm wearing two coats topped off with a coat of Sally Hansen Insta-Dri top coat, and as you can tell there is still some visible nail line. This color is fun for summer, and really that's about it...nothing special. I've been wearing it for a couple days now and it has chipped fairly quickly which is disappointing, however these polishes retail for something like $2.99 so it's not shocking. I'm not sure how much use I'll get out of this polish in the future; I'm pretty sure I have one or two other polishes that are very similar. 

What is your favorite hot pink color? 

Julep - Lauren

Today I have my very FIRST Julep polish to show you! I've long ogled these polishes, seen them in Sephora, and watched videos of people showing off their Maven boxes, but I haven't ever tried them. The hefty $14 price tag for this polish was a pretty good deterrent. However, back in December I got an e-mail from Julep about their New Year's Mystery Box which cost only $20, which really caught my eye since they were guaranteed to come with at least $100 worth of products. And this beauty, named Lauren, came in my Mystery Box!

First of all, let me just say - I am now a Julep convert. The formula was just amazing. It went on super smooth, dried nicely, and has great coverage. Lauren is described by Julep as a hot tropical pink creme - I actually thought it was sort of a jelly, but I guess not. I'm wearing two coats, and I'm in love! A perfect color for Valentine's Day, don't you think?

This polish actually reminds me of the Zoya Blogger series (which you can see one of my swatches from, HERE) especially with only one coat of the polish, however that line is strictly made up of jellies. Overall, I really like this! I'm excited to try the others I got in my New Year's Mystery Box, and I just ordered the Valentine's Mystery box from Julep so you're going to see a lot more where this came from! 

Avon - Fuchsia Fun

I have only worn two holiday manicures yet this season (a minimal amount in the nail blog world). However, after two in a row I have already been craving a color completely different and this summery color hit the spot. This is two coats of Avon's Fuchsia Fun.

In the bottle it appears to have more pink shimmer than it shows once it is painted on, but this is still a really gorgeous polish. I'm definitely adding this to my (mental) list of favorite pinks so I can remember it again come spring and summer, when it will be more seasonally appropriate. 

Fuchsia Fun painted on smoothly, which was nice considering other Avon Nailwear Pro polishes I've used dried slower than this one and had a slightly more difficult formula to work with. After this nice bright mani, I think I just might be able to stomach one more holiday themed design before Christmas comes and goes. 

Sally Hansen - Coral Reef

It's hard to believe September is already here and summer is pretty much gone! Where did the time go? I've been counting down until September 2012 for over a year, impatiently awaiting my wedding, and now it is only just two weeks away! Despite the fall season being basically upon us, I wasn't quite ready to give up summer manicures just yet. 

And so, I put on two coats of Sally Hansen Coral Reef.

Coral Reef is a really pretty bright salmon pink that screams summer. Application was excellent -it went on smoothly, even with acrylic nubbins still hanging on, and was opaque in just one coat. That's the great thing about Sally Hansen polishes - they're cheap, but they work great! 

I've been getting sick of the acrylic nails still holding tight on to my own natural nails (I hesitate to rip them off because it makes your nails so weak), however, the nice thing about them is that nail polish sticks to acrylics so well. I've been wearing Coral Reef for six days now and there is not a chip to be found. As much fun as it has been to wear acrylic nails, I think I'm going to take them off this week, since I'll be getting them done again in just two weeks for the wedding!

Are you ready for fall colors yet? Or are you still wearing summer colors, too?

Essie - Splash of Grenadine

I am in love with this color. I don't even know what exactly you call this sort of almost neon pinkish purple, but Essie calls it Splash of Grenadine. This is a gorgeous summery pink/purple that is not something you see everday. 

I'm wearing two coats of Splash of Grenadine. Application was fabulous, and I easily could have used only one coat for an opaque coverage. I kept it nice and simple because I had a work event this weekend and didn't want to be too flashy. Even with no extra detail it's still a great stand alone mani. 

I think this would also look really pretty for a pedicure, especially with some fun designs or stamping.  What do you think? Are you in love with this color as much as I am?

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?

Zoya - Gloria

Zoya can do no wrong. I have yet to try one of their polishes and dislike it - and that is pretty impressive considering I own lots of Zoyas. I'm still working through my haul from this December (my untried pile is ever-growing), and this was part of the bunch I purchased when they had so many great deals during the holidays. This is two coats of Zoya's Gloria topped off with one coat of Sally Hansen Insta-Dri top coat.

Gloria is an older polish; it was part of the 2010 Winter Flame collection. It is a gorgeous magenta-y pink with gold foil flecks. It looks outstanding in the sun, and works great for any occasion: work, weddings, girls night out - you name it!

I decided to try Gloria out on my toes as well, and as much as I love the color on my nails, it's a bit too boring for my pedicure taste. This isn't a very summery pink (duh - it came out a couple winters ago!) and I like to stick with the seasons colors for my manicures so I don't think I'll be sporting this look much longer. Come fall and winter I will have to pull this gorgeous color back out for another go. :)

Finger Paints - Warhol Wannabe

I have been so busy lately that I have had boring, unpainted nails for nearly two weeks! But after a trip to the cabin (where there's no sense in wearing polish, as it will get stripped away by bug spray), and a bit of down time, I am back with an amazing neon pink that I've had my eyes on since it came out earlier this summer: Finger Paints' Warhol Wannabe. This is the most fabulous, mega bright pink I own, and quite possibly my new favorite pink polish! 

I used two coats for full coverage (since one was a bit spotty) and topped it off with Sally Hansen Insta-Dri top coat.  Unfortunately, I've been wearing this only since Friday evening and I've already got some pretty big chips along the nail line. Chipping aside, this color is perfect for summertime. You can pick it up at Sally Beauty for around $5. Can't beat that!

What is your favorite pink? 

Zoya - Drew

If any of you followed my Tumblr account before I switched over to Blogger, you know my love for Zoya runs deep. Their polishes are amazing, they have excellent customer service, and the fun promotions they ran right around Christmas time had me hooked! I got this beauty in one of their awesome deals this December, and it's been sitting in my untried pile since. I love a nice pink polish, and Zoya's Drew does not disappoint!

I used two coats of this exceptional polish, although one would have cut it. You can see in the bottle that there is verrrrry subtle gold and pink metallic shimmer in it. It is even less obvious on the nail, but it gives it the mani just the right amount of kick. The thing that I love about Zoya is that the polishes stay on so well, the formulas are amazing, and the broad spectrum of colors to pick from is ridiculous. Dare I say, Zoya might be my favorite brand of polish? Hmmm... 

This look is very simple. All I used was one coat of Zoya's Anchor base coat, two coats of Zoya - Drew, and one coat of Sally Hansen - Insta-Dri Anti-Chip top coat, and wa-lah!

What do you think?

Wet n Wild - Lady Luck

This is an older polish that has been sitting in my unused pile for awhile and I totally regret not pulling it out earlier! This gorgeous pink is two coats of Wet n Wild's Lady Luck. It's really summery and bright (although I couldn't quite capture it's true color... it's a bit darker than it looks)! I think it would make for a fantastic pedicure color! 

I hardly needed two coats as it looked great with just one, but I figured it would look richer with two. The application of this polish was truly awesome, too! I had no idea Wet n Wild polishes were so nice! 

I wanted to spruce things up a bit, so I peeked through my "nail inspiration" board on Pinterest and found a picture of a glitter gradient much like this one. I used an unnamed The Color Workshop polish that is a really pretty silver holo. It's really thin and spices up just about any manicure. This is my first attempt at trying to do a gradient mani, and I'm actually quite satisfied!

And just so you can see, here is a picture of what I used:

(Poshe basecoat, Sally Hansen Insta-Dri top coat, unnamed The Color Workshop holo, Wet n Wild - Lady Luck, China Glaze peppermint cuticle oil)

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! 

Zoya - Kate (Blogger Series)

I am an avid fan of Birchbox and have been a subscriber since this fall (after months of almost signing up and then passing for some reason I can't explain), and have been accumulating Birchbox points by reviewing all the products month after month. I hadn't really found something I wanted to use my points on yet, but this week I finally put my points to good use and got the Zoya Blogger collection, available exclusively from Birchbox. 

This beautiful grapefruit pink jelly is Zoya - Kate, inspired by The Small Things. I love this polish, it looks like I have candy on my nails! It's perfect for summer. Since it's a jelly you can see a bit of the nail lines underneath, but I think it looks really pretty regardless.

Did any of you pick up this collection, too?