Neon Gradient Dotticure with China Glaze City Flourish Collection

Ah, the woes of trying to capture a neon nail polish on camera. Is there anything more difficult? (Spoiler alert - there isn't!) I decided to make a fun pink, orange, and yellow neon dotticure with my new China Glaze City Flourish collection from HB Beauty Bar. And let me tell you - the manicure looks awesome! However, my camera totally freaked out when I tried to take photos, making the bright neon colors look more like pale boring colors. Well, no sense in letting a good manicure go unnoticed, right? So I tried to color correct it as much as I could, and here is the result:

I started with a base of OPI Alpine Snow and dotted on China Glaze Peonies & Park Ave, Thistle Do Nicely, and Metro Pollen-tin. The pink is showing up very fuchsia in the photo above, but it's pretty hot pink/orange in real life - as far as the rest, I did the best I could to make it look color correct! (Weird tip: I find that this photo looks totally color accurate when I have my laptop screen tilted all the way back. Try it!) I don't even want to imagine how difficult it's going to be to take photos of the swatches for these polishes!!

Anyway, you'll just have to take my word on it that these polishes are eye searing and totally hot! I love this dotticure look. You can get these polishes and more for 15% off at HB Beauty Bar with the discount code POLISHCHALLENGE. Does anyone have any tips on how to accurately capture neon nail polish? I would love some advice!

Some polishes in this post were provided for my honest review.

China Glaze City Flourish Ikat Nail Art

So I've been planning on doing some fun Easter themed manicures with some of the new spring polishes I've swatched recently, but as soon as the China Glaze City Flourish Spring 2014 collection from HB Beauty Bar arrived in the mail, I just knew I had to play with them! I decided to do an ikat pattern, which I haven't done in over a year:

I started with a base of China Glaze At Vase Value, a creamy light blue. Then, I freehanded the ikat pattern with black and white polishes, and of course China Glaze Grass is Lime Greener for the accent color! Then, I smoothed out the whole design with top coat. (I used this tutorial for the ikat design.)

I am so glad I decided to play with my new polishes - I am in LOVE with this color combination, and the ikat design is pretty refreshing, since I haven't done it in so long. Don't worry, I will be posting swatches of this entire collection soon - it's full of bright, exciting colors just like the two I used for today's manicure.

Don't forget to use the code POLISHCHALLENGE at HB Beauty Bar for 15% off your entire order (you can get the whole collection there, as well as other great nail polish brands!)

What do you think of this nail art design?

Some products in this post were provided for my honest review.

HB Beauty Bar Review: Essie Hide and Go Chic Spring 2014 Collection

So with all of this wild weather lately (it's snowing while I write this blog post!), my cuticles and hands have really suffered from serious dryness, so I have been taking it easy on posting. But I couldn't resist trying out the gorgeous new Essie Hide and Go Chic Spring 2014 Collection as soon as I got it from HB Beauty Bar! Read on to see my thoughts on the collection, and get 15% off your entire order from HB Beauty Bar:

Romper Room was the first new Essie I tried out. As soon as I grabbed the bottle, I braced myself for disappointment - pale pastel colors like this, even as gorgeous as they are, have always been a huge pain to apply. But I am SHOCKED to say that this one has an insanely easy formula! Two easy, self leveling coats later, I had this beautiful pale pink on my nails, no problem! I can't say enough good things about this formula. I don't think I've ever worked with a color this light with this good of a formula. I think I stared at my hand in shock for about ten minutes before I could even take the photo!

Spin the Bottle is a gorgeous pink leaning nude cream that I think actually flatters my skin tone very well. After Romper Room, I had high hopes for the formulas on the rest of these polishes - and I was not disappointed. Again, this photo only took two easy, self leveling coats for opaque perfection. I can see myself wearing this one to work all the time!

Fashion Playground is the perfect spring minty green cream with just a touch of irridescent shimmer. It was somewhat hard to capture in the photos, but the shimmer is definitely visible in real life! Again, this one had a great formula. Shown above is three easy coats.

Truth or Flare is a beautiful dusty sky blue cream. Nothing terribly new or original, but I could always use another gorgeous blue in my collection! I used two coats for the photo above, but looking at it now, I probably should have used three coats to reach full opacity.

Hide and Go Chic is the namesake of this collection and another stunning blue! This one also has a dusty vibe to it, but it's a few shades darker than Truth or Flare, and it's definitely rich. I love this one! I can see myself using it in a lot of nail art. Shown above is two easy coats, same great formula as the others.

And last but definitely not least, we have Style Hunter, a red hot pink cream that reached opacity with just one coat! I used two in my photo for the sake of continuity, but I was really impressed with the quality of this polish. I do think the polish looks more pink in the bottle, and more red on the nails though! (Please excuse my gray skin in this photo, in order to make the polish look color accurate, I had dull my skin color, haha!)

Overall, I think I am in love with this collection. These definitely have the best formulas of any Essie I've used - I hope this is a new trend for Essie! My top picks are Romper Room, Spin the Bottle, and Fashion Playground.

You can get all of these polishes and tons more from HB Beauty Bar for great prices - these Essie polishes are $7.50 USD each - and you can get 15% off your entire order with the code "POLISHCHALLENGE" at checkout! (What's better than an online retailer where you can get all the top brands?! An online retailer with a 15% off coupon! Woo!)

Which of these polishes do you like best?

These polishes were provided for my honest review.

Liquid Glam Lacquer Spring Pastels

Hi guys! Today I have some more Liquid Glam Lacquer polishes to show you. This is their new Spring Pastel collection, and it consists of four jelly polishes in an array of soft, beautiful pastel colors. These polishes can be worn alone for a delicate look or layered over white for a brighter color. I chose to swatch them alone!

Let's start with Spring Fling, a gorgeous soft pink jelly polish that reaches full opacity in four coats. I don't go for pinks too often but I love how this one looks with my skin tone. It's very fitting for spring, too! Keep in mind that these polishes do have a jelly finish, so it takes a bit to make them fully opaque. You'll have to be patient with applying them as well, because you don't want the opacity to be uneven or patchy. But they have an incredible shine, no top coat necessary!

Princess Purple is a super light lavender jelly polish that reaches opacity in three coats. Another great polish for spring, this color is delicate and gorgeous!

Dear Diary is a light sky blue polish that reaches opacity in four coats. I love this one! It took a lot of patience to build this one to opacity, but the result was beautiful. The jelly finish does take slightly longer to dry, and you should really wait between coats for it to dry.

And finally, we have Get Lucky, a minty green jelly that reached opacity in four coats. I said it before, but I will say it again - this is a great color for spring! This one seemed slightly less opaque than the others, but I think it reached opacity pretty nicely.

Overall, I am really liking this collection. I think the colors are great for the season, and I love the super high shine without top coat. I did get a bit impatient with application and drying time, though. These polishes can all be purchased from the Liquid Glam Lacquer online shop for $8 USD per bottle. Don't forget to like them on Facebookfor news and updates!

These polishes were provided for my honest review.

Gradient Purple Nail Art

I feel like I have been doing so much swatching lately. Don't get me wrong, I absolutely love swatching new collections (possibly even more than I love nail art!), but I know that you guys would like to see some fun nail art every once in a while, so I decided to make this fun purple gradient nail art skittle.

I started with a base of OPI Alpine Snow on all my nails except my pinky, which has China Glaze Tart-y for the Party. Then, I sponged on Tart-y for the Party and OPI Miss You-Niverse on my first two nails, and attempted a gradient stamp with the same two colors and a PUEEN nail buffet plate.

I am totally in love with this look, and I love how my stamping skills are improving (although stamping gradients is a whole different story, haha! That'll take some practice.) I think the purples go well with each other because they are both cool toned.

I'd love to know - which type of posts would you like to see more of? Swatches, or nail art? (Or, do you like the amount that I post of each? Haha.)

Zoya Awaken Collection and Monet Swatches

I can't believe it's supposed to snow again in New Jersey! I wish the weather would make a decision. But in the meantime, I have swatches of the new Zoya Awaken collection, along with the special glitter topper, Monet. These pastel polishes are totally perfect for spring, and come with a variety of colors and finishes. Unfortunately, one of my bottles broke in transit (it's called Dot, and it's a soft pink cream. See it here.) But, at least I have the rest to show you!

Cole is a soft peachy orange cream. I love the delicate color of this polish, and the formula was as expected of a light polish like this - patchy on the first coat, but totally opaque and smooth in three.

Brooklyn is the most unique polish in this bunch - it's a super pale yellow-gold metallic polish. It takes careful application, because you can see brushstrokes on the nail, but it's stunning and elegant. I was surprised at how much I like this! Shown above is two careful coats.

Dillon is a soft bluish green polish loaded with irridescent flecks for a sparkly but delicate finish. This color reminds me of a mermaid! It catches the light beautifully. Shown above is two coats.

Rebel is a bright sky blue also loaded with the irridescent shimmery flecks. This color is another stunner, and I really love how it looks with my skin tone. Shown is two coats.

Hudson is a bright lavender polish loaded with irridescent flecks. It has the same great formula as the other two shimmer polishes, and looks just as beautiful and delicate on the nail. Shown above is two coats.

And finally, we have Monet, which is described as a "multi-colored, cellophane holographic special effect topper". These irridescent hex glitters pair well over any polishes from this collection, but I chose to pair it over Hudson, and I like the combination. It was slightly difficult to apply evenly, because I couldn't see how much glitter was on the brush, but a few coats would even it out. Shown above is one dabbed coat over purple.

When I first saw this collection of delicate pastel colors, I wasn't thrilled. But as soon as I tried them on, I found myself really loving them, especially the three shimmery polishes. I would definitely recommend getting at least one of them, to see the beautiful effect for yourself.

These polishes are available on the Zoya website for $9 USD per bottle, while Monet is $10 USD. Don't forget to follow them on Facebook for news and updates!

These polishes were provided for my honest review.

Incoco Nail Polish Appliques: Review

Hi guys! Today I have a long overdue for you from Incoco. For those of you who haven't heard of them, Incoco makes nail polish appliques (read: full nail decals) that are made entirely of nail polish! I tried out four different patterns, but there are over 200 different designs and colors to choose from, including solid colors and french manicure tips. So let's check them out:

This first set is called Enchanted Sea, and it's a super sparkly blue, green, and silver gradient. This was the first nail applique I have ever tried, so I expected to make a couple of mistakes. The instructions say to buff your nails before applying, but I did that recently, so I skipped that step. I did wipe my nails clean of any fuzz or lotion first, though. Then, I picked the appropriate size decal for each nail and stuck it on - no base or top coat necessary! I did mess up placement a couple of times, but the appliques were easy to peel off to reposition. You can also gently stretch the appliques to make them fit the nail. Once I was satisfied with my positioning, I pressed down hard and the appliques stuck pretty firmly. Then, I filed off the excess from my free tip for a smooth look.

Shown above is Yours Truly, which I think I applied even better than the first set. Once I got the hang of it, applying the strips were super easy. I did find that the decal for my pinky finger was slightly too square at the nail bed, so I just pressed another nail down on the edge to make a clean "cut" on the decal and peeled away the excess.

Shown above is Pretty In Pastel. I love this festive tribal print pattern! I wish I had saved it for Easter, it's so perfect for the holiday! I think these strips are great because they make a great full manicure, or just a cute accent nail. However, I should note that if once you open the package, the nail polish appliques that you don't use will dry out (since they are made of real polish!), so you can't use the set more than once.

And finaly, we have It's a Secret, which is a super elegant silver chevron set. I did mess up my pinky nail for this set, but I love the way the rest of the nails turned out. I like that this set is sheer and elegant. It would make a gorgeous accent nail for a silver manicure!

Incoco Nail Polish Appliques are available online for $8.99 per set of 16 strips for patterns, or $7.99 for solid colors. You can also get pedicure sets for the same price. (Although, I got the regular manicure set and I found that the two biggest strips fit perfectly on my big toes!) The strips are supposed to last for up to two weeks, and they can be removed with regular nail polish remover. They're great if you don't have the time or patience for a detailed manicure, but need something pretty on your nails that will last for a long time!

Don't forget to use code CHALLENGE15 for 15% off your order. Expires March 31st!

You can also follow Incoco on Facebook for offers and new collection updates.

These products were sent for my honest review.

Liquid Glam Lacquer Spring 2014 Glitters

Oh, I am so glad that warmer weather is slowly settling in here in New Jersey. Today was around forty degrees, which felt like a beach day compared to the past couple of months! I hope that spring will come soon, but in the meantime let's enjoy some brightly colored polishes. Today I have a few new glitter polishes from indie brand Liquid Glam Lacquer to show you. So let's check them out!

Little Secret is a soft pale orange jelly filled with holographic red and yellow microglitters and a holographic shimmer. I really love how delicate this looks on the nail, although those of you with longer nails might see a visible nail line! The shine on this polish was great as well, no top coat necessary. Shown above is four thin coats.

Next up is Mai Tai, a rich orange jelly polish filled with red and yellow metallic hex glitters, as well as bright red shards. The red shard glitter is definitely a unique addition to the polish, which I like. Shown above is three thin coats with top coat. Again, you might see some visible nail line with longer nails, as is the nature of jelly polishes.

Pumps or Flats? is a bright watermelon pink polish filled with purple and yellow metallic hex glitters, as well as holographic circle glitters. I think this was my favorite of the bunch since it is bright and funky. The circle glitters didn't require any fishing, but you might want to store this one upside down to make it easier. Shown above is three thin coats with top coat.

Next we have Happy Hour, a glitter topper featuring red, pale pink, orange, and yellow glitters and shards. I think this glitter pairs nicely with bright pink, but it'll also look good over black. Shown above is two coats over OPI Kiss Me I'm Brazilian.

Girls Night Out is a super sheer purple jelly with blue, lavender, and black hex glitters as well as large matte pink square glitters. I chose to swatch this polish alone, but I think it would look better over a similar base color, so you don't have to worry about patchiness. Shown above is three coats with top coat.

And finally, we have Blue Lagoon, a lovely blue jelly with neon green and white hex glitters. I love the color combination in this, and how the colors of the glitters show through the base color. Shown above is three thin coats with top coat.

These polishes certainly feature a lot of reds, oranges, and yellows! I think they would look great with those of you who have darker skin tones - unfortunately, I am as pale as a ghost, so I think most of these colors clash with me! Anyway, these polishes can all be purchased from the Liquid Glam Lacquer online shop for $8 USD per bottle. Don't forget to like them on Facebook for news and updates!

These polishes were provided for my honest review.

KBShimmer Spring 2014 Collection Part 2: The Glitters

Hi guys! As promised, today I have the second half of the new Spring 2014 KBShimmer collection to show you all. A couple of days ago I showed you the eight cream polishes from the new Spring 2014 line, and now I have the eight glitters to show you. All 16 polishes are available from KBShimmer starting today, so let's get started and you can get buying!

Let's start with this gorgeous white crelly, Full Bloom Ahead, which contains navy, turquoise, pink, orange and yellow hexes in various sizes. This polish is like the spring themed sister to Oh Splat!, and it applied just as flawlessly. Shown above is three thin coats, followed with KBShimmer Clearly on Top Quick Dry top coat.

Next we have Make My Gray, a super light gray crelly packed - and I mean packed - with pink, holographic blue, gray, and silver hex glitters. This formula was super glitter heavy, but the end result is stunning. Shown above is three thin coats, followed with two coats KBShimmer Clearly on Top Quick Dry top coat to smooth out the glitters.

Daisy About You is a pale green crelly featuring white, neon green, and purple glitters in various shapes and sizes, most notably large purple daisy glitters. This polish is a bit more opaque than the other crellies, so the daisy glitters tend to get lost in the polish, but I still love the color combination! This polish has a great formula - but you should store it upside down to make it easier to grab the daisy glitters. Shown above is three thin coats, followed with KBShimmer Clearly on Top Quick Dry top coat.

Laugh Myself Lily is a jelly-like aqua glitter packed with pink, pale blue, purple, and holographic turquoise glitters in various shapes and sizes, as well as some holographic microglitters. I love this one, and the softness the consistency has! Shown is three thin coats, followed with KBShimmer Clearly on Top Quick Dry top coat.

Belle of the Mall is a hot coral pink crelly packed with holographic hex and square glitters. This color is super bright, and it feels perfect for a summer day on the beach. Shown above is three thin coats, followed with KBShimmer Clearly on Top Quick Dry top coat.

Quick and Flirty is a rich linear holographic purple polish. I'm not usually a big fan of holos, but this one really stood out to me! Even with one coat, the holographic pigment was super intense and rainbowy, and I love the way it looks in the light. Shown above is two coats, without top coat.

Prism Break is a clear holographic glitter topper that'll make any nail polish sparkle with a rainbow of colors. I chose to layer it over KBShimmer Eclipse, a black cream, to show you how intense the holo is. I like how it adds so much sparkle without graying out the base color. Shown above is one coat (!) over black, without top coat.

And finally, we have Rush Flower Traffic, a glitter topper packed with pink, yellow, green, blue, and purple glitters in various shapes and sizes. I chose to layer it over KBShimmer Life Rose On, but it'll look great over any bright spring color! Shown above is two coats over pink, followed with KBShimmer Clearly on Top Quick Dry top coat.

I'm sure you're not surprised to hear it, but I am loving this collection! KBShimmer has done it again with another great collection of colors with amazing formulas. These polishes, as well as the cream polishes, are available on the KBShimmer online shop starting today. The creams will retail for $7.50 USD per bottle, and the glitters will retail for $8.75 USD per bottle. Don't forget to follow KBShimmer on Facebook and Instagram for news and updates.

And of course, you can find my Instagram page here, where I will also be posting all of my swatches!

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I have a bit of unrelated news to share with you as well - I am the official judge for the Nailpolis.com spring nail art contest, so if you want a chance to win one of the two new Essie Spring 2014 collections, you can request an invitation to join the site and enter some spring themed nail art! (Nailpolis is a new social media website made exclusively for nail artists and swatchers to share and enjoy each other's work, and it's really cool because you can search for photos by brand or color! I have a feeling this site is going to be big.)

These polishes were provided for my honest review.

Black and Gold Triangles with Winstonia Stamping

It's no secret that I love pairing black and gold. Today I decided to do some simple black and gold nail art using my Winstonia second generation stamping set, and I can't decide if it's a fail or not. Well, you can decide for yourselves:

I started with a base of Essie Good As Gold on my outer two nails, and OPI 4 in the Morning on my middle two nails. Then, I stamped W201 with Essie Good as Gold. Both of these polishes have gorgeous matte finishes, so I decided to skip the top coat.

I know my stamping didn't turn out as straight as I was hoping, but I do love the color combination (obviously), and I have been obsessed with this OPI lately, so I was glad for an excuse to use it. Plus, I know I have been bombarding you guys with swatches recently so I thought we could all use a break! (Even though I do love swatching! Haha.)

You can buy the Winstonia stamping set here for $17.95 USD. Don't forget to follow them on Facebook for news and updates!

Some products in this post were provided for my honest review.