Essie Haute in the Heat Patriotic Nail Art

Hello guys! I have some simple striping tape nail art to show you today (inspired partly by this gorgeous manicure) using some of my new Essie Haute in the Heat polishes from HB Beauty Bar. I think this manicure turned out a bit patriotic, which is great timing, since Independence Day is coming up here in the USA!

I started with a base of Essie Urban Jungle on all nails. Then, I taped off sections with striping tape and painted on Essie Haute in the Heat, and Essie Strut Your Stuff. I topped it all off with a quick drying top coat.

I love how this turned out! It almost reminds me of little abstract sailboats. I think it's a nice, refreshing take on the usual patriotic manicure. I probably could have used a second layer of top coat to really smooth it out, though!

I hope I will have time to do more nail art before the 4th of July. (Or at least, before July 2nd, which happens to be my 23rd birthday!)

Here is a visual of the polishes I used. I will be swatching this whole collection soon! (You can pick them up here.) What do you think of this manicure?

These polishes were provided for my honest review.

Delush Summer 2014 Collection: Essence of Summer Swatches

Hello guys! I've got swatches to show you today from Delush Polish, an indie brand that features some gorgeous colors. Their new summer collection, the Essence of Summer Collection, consists of eight bright polishes with a unique shimmery finish. Warning: this post is photo heavy! I wanted to capture the gorgeous shimmer, so I have two photos of each polish!

Here are all of the polishes in the collection. They're all gorgeous, and the formula is easy to use, but the polishes are a bit sheer. Most of the photos you see above required 3-4 coats for opacity without any visible patches! But I think these pretty colors are worth it ;)

First up is It's About Thames, a gorgeous sky blue polish with a gorgeous green and purple shimmer. I absolutely love this color - light blues like this are perfect for summer, and this one is no exception. Perfect for a day at the pool! This was one of the more opaque polishes in the bunch, but I had to add a third coat to cover up any slight patches. Shown above is three coats and top coat.

Here is a shot in the bottle and a closeup on the nail. Isn't it so pretty?

Shake Your Teal Feather is a - you guessed it - light teal polish with a gorgeous blue and fuchsia shimmer. I'm obsessed with this one! It's more subtle and delicate than most polishes out this summer, which I love. Shown above is four thin coats and top coat.

Here is a closeup in the bottle and on the nail. Look at that shimmer!

You Glow Girl is a sunshine yellow polish with a gold, fuchsia and blue shimmer scattered throughout. I have a tough time liking yellow polishes with my skin tone, but I happen to think this shade looks awesome on me! I have a feeling this color will be universally flattering on all skin tones, because it's so bright. Shown above is four thin coats with top coat.

Here is a closeup in the bottle and on the nail. I had a bit of trouble capturing the shimmer in this polish, but it's definitely noticeable in person!

Brazen is a bold orange packed with gold and fuchsia shimmer. Again, I don't normally find myself reaching for oranges, but I love this one with my skin tone! This polish is definitely beach appropriate. Shown is three coats and top coat.

Here's a closeup on the nail and in the bottle. Look at that intense gold shimmer!

Bombshell is a cool toned Barbie pink with a light blue shimmer. This type of pink is so in this summer, and I love it! Cool toned pinks are gorgeous, and this one definitely fits the bill. Shown above is three coats and top coat.

Here's a closeup on the nail and in the bottle.

Indulgence is a hot red-pink with an intense fuchsia shimmer. This is a classic color for all of you pink lovers - I think it'll look great on toes! This was the most opaque polish of the bunch, and it only took two coats for full opacity, as shown above (with top coat.)

Here is a closeup on the nail and in the bottle.

Orchid Situation is a pretty lavender shade with a blue-green shimmer. I actually really love this pairing of color and shimmer - something we've been seeing this season, but I can't get enough of! Shown above is three thin coats and top coat, but I think I could have benefited from adding a fourth to make the color really pop.

Here is a closeup in the bottle and on the nail.

And last, but definitely not least, we have Swans Upon a Time, a white polish packed with radiant red and fuchsia shimmer for a beautiful glow. Now this polish is nothing like anything in my collection! It's so classy and delicate - it really reminds me of swans, or white roses! (Plus, white is perfect for showing off your tan!) Shown above is four thin coats and top coat.

Here is a closeup in the bottle and on the nail. Isn't it just radiant?

Overall, I am really loving these colors. I could see myself wearing them all summer! Like I said, most of the colors will require 3-4 coats for full opacity, but I think it's worth the effort. (And the polish isn't thick, so it won't feel too heavy on your nails!) My top picks are Shake Your Teal Feather, Brazen, Bombshell, and Swans Upon a Time. Which are your favorites?

The Essence of Summer collection will be available tomorrow, Friday June 27th, at noon eastern time at the Delush Polish online shop. You can also follow Delush Polish on Facebook for news and updates!


For those of you who've never shopped with Delush Polish before, they offer an awesome scratch off card with every purchase (no matter what you buy) where you have a chance to win awesome prizes, ranging from free shipping on your next order, to naming their next nail polish collection!

I even got a scratch off with my polishes! Of course, not every card is a winner, but the thrill of the gamble gets me every time ;) You can read more about the Scratch Your Heart Out card here.

What do you think of this collection? Which ones will you be picking up tomorrow?

These polishes were provided for my honest review.

Classic Leopard Print Nail Art

Hi guys, I have yet another copycat manicure to show you today! I recreated this one from @iloveyou432 on Instagram. I love the classic look and how nicely all the colors pair together:

I started with a base of OPI Red Hot Rio on my outer two nails, OPI Chillin' like a Villain on my middle nail, and OPI It's Frosty Outside on my ring finger. Then, with my trusty dotting tool, I made leopard print with a mix of OPI I Sao Paolo Over There and OPI Chillin' like a Villain, and KBShimmer Eclipse for the outline, and topped my ring finger with KBShimmer Ice Queen for some extra holographic sparkle.

Like I said, I really love this color combination! Normally, this is the type of pattern I would go for in autumn, but I think that using almost all spring/summer colors makes this look much brighter.

Here are the colors I used, besides the black by KBShimmer. I got all the OPIs from HB Beauty Bar.

PS: I was interviewed by Nailpolis Magazine! I talk about my blog, my inspiration, and of course some tips for beginners. Give it a read if you'd like to know more about me and The Nail Polish Challenge!

Neon Polka Dot Nail Art

Hi all! I love being inspired by other nail artists, and recreating their beautiful manicures. Today I recreated this manicure from @glittr on Instagram, and I love it! It's simple but so girly and fun:

I started with a base of KBShimmer Low and Be Bold on all nail except my ring finger, which has one coat of Essie Mademoiselle, a super sheer pink (perfect for French manicures!) On that nail, I painted half with Low and Be Bold, and then on all nails, I dotted on China Glaze Float On. I topped my detail nail with a bow from Born Pretty Store.

I really like this combo, all the colors are so bright and fun. I love the funky French detail nail as well. I want to try a similar pattern (without the bow, of course) on all my nails!

Here are the colors I used. What do you think of this mani?

Limited Edition Summer Nail Polish Subscription Box: Sweet Addictions Review

Hi all! Here in the USA, summer is finally starting, and with that comes lots of fun, summery nail polishes for us! Today I'm reviewing a limited edition nail polish subscription box filled with exciting patriotic products, released by Cupcake Polish - a brand known for their awesome holographic polishes.

This "Sweet Addictions" subscription box comes with two polishes - one from Cupcake Polish, and one from Aly's Dream Polish - as well as a cuticle oil from Sweet Baby by Donna. I'll show you the polishes first:

America the Beautiful is the contribution from Cupcake Polish; it's described as a berry red linear holo with added red sparkle. This was my first time trying this brand, and I really liked the bottle (and that cute little label!). Formula was great - it went on smoothly without any trouble, and the color is really nice. Shown above is two coats with top coat.

Patriotic Blue is the contribution from Aly's Dream Polish, and it's described as a true-blue scattered holo, mixed with blue and silver bar and square glitters. When I saw this polish in the bottle, I wasn't sure how it would translate onto the nail, since I've never seen a holographic polish with glitters in it. The end result is pretty, but I think the glitters do get lost in the polish a bit. Again, this is my first time trying this brand, and I was impressed with the formula. Shown above is two easy coats with top coat.

Here are some macro bottle shots of these two polishes. You can see all the glitters that are featured in Patriotic Blue here - I'm sure with a bit of placement, you can get these to show up nicely on your nails! Also, I love that secret red sparkle in America the Beautiful. It really adds that extra something to the polish.

This box also came with a full sized cuticle oil from Sweet Baby by Donna:

Sweet Freedom is a full sized limited edition watermelon scented cuticle oil with a roller ball tip for application. This is my first time trying this brand, and I fell in love instantly! I really enjoy cuticle oils that aren't too "oily" - cuticle oils that I can put on right before I take my photos with no issue. I used this oil before both of the photos you see above, and it made my skin look baby soft without any greasy shine. I think the cuticle oil smells like Jolly Ranchers or some kind of watermelon candy, and this cuticle oil is vegan and soy/nut free, but I wouldn't recommend eating it! (It doesn't taste as good as it smells.... not that I tasted it on purpose...... Haha!)

This box will be available from the Cupcake Polish website on June 25th for $30 USD, with worldwide shipping. I thought the price seemed a bit steep at first, but I think all of these products are high quality (and based on other products from these sellers, they would probably sell for more than $10 USD apiece alone.)

These polishes (and this limited edition cuticle oil) will only be available in this subscription box, and there are a limited amount of boxes.

Are you going to purchase this box? Which product do you like best?

This subscription box was provided for my honest review.

Incoco Nail Polish Strips: Metropolis Collection Review

Hi all, I hope you had a nice weekend! I'm so happy to see the weather starting to get warmer and nicer, and I'm really enjoying my time outside. But of course, I still have time to do my nails! Today I'm going to be showing you a couple of styles from the Incoco Metropolis Summer Collection.

For those of you who don't remember my first review, Incoco is a brand that creates nail polish appliques made of real nail polish that you peel and stick to your nails for an easy manicure - no polish is required! (Also, you should note that although I am holding nail polish bottles in my photos, I did not use them for these nail art designs, I just think my photos look bare without a polish in hand!)

Backstage Beauty is a silvery white nail strip with words splattered across it in bright neon gradients. I really like the style of this one - it reminds me of a first-class vacation! I think I've gotten the hang of using nail art strips by now, so it was easier for me to apply. No base or top coat used for this mani!

Happy Hour is a solid peachy creme nail polish strip that requires no polish. This is the first time I've tried a nail strip in a solid color, and I don't think I'm a huge fan of it - the color seems a little sheer, and you can see my nail line under the strip. (I probably should have buffed my nails before trying this strip, because you can see all my ridges as well!) But, for those of you who aren't perfectionists like me, this is a great way to slap some color onto your nails without needing any dry time. No base or top coat required!

And finally, we have Modern Muse, another silvery white based nail art strip with cool-toned watercolor striped patterns on each nail. Again, I found this one to be a bit sheer, and I think the effect would look a bit nicer if I started with a white base coat. I do love the pattern, though! As with the others, no base or top coat necessary.

I've tried out a fair amount of nail polish strips since I got my first set of Incoco decals, and I find that although the patterns are awesome (and you have so many options), these strips are a little tougher to apply than I originally thought - there's definitely a learning curve. But, as far as wearability goes, Incoco has the other brands beat - since this is real nail polish, these strips don't come off by peeling. You'll have to use nail polish remover!

You can purchase these summer nail polish strips at the Incoco online shop for $8.99 USD for patterned strips, and $7.99 for solid colors. Be sure to follow Incoco on Facebook for news and updates.

What do you think of these nail art strips? What brands have you tried?

These products were provided for my honest review.

KBShimmer Summer 2014 Collection Part 1: Glitters & Creams

Yes, you read that right - KBShimmer is coming out with a second Summer 2014 collection! This "late summer" collection consists of twelve polishes in varying finishes, including four glitter toppers, five crellies, two creams, and one holographic polish. (You can see the "early summer" collection reviewed here: the textures, the creams, and the holos.) Well, this second summer collection has a totally different feel than the first - the polishes are in classic KBShimmer style, with great color and glitter combinations.

See, you can already tell this collection has a different feel from the early summer polishes! I'm loving these color combinations in today's post, in which I will be showing you the glitter toppers and the creams. Let's look at them individually, starting with the glitters:

Happily Ever Aster is a gorgeous clear glitter topper consisting of lavender, soft pink, turquoise, white, and silver holographic glitters in various sizes. Lately, I've been obsessed with pairing pastels with gray, so layering it over KBShimmer My Life's Porpoise seemed like a perfect fit - and I was right! I love this look. As with all the glitters in this collection, this glitter was pretty heavy, and although it didn't require fishing, it's easier to dab on than to paint like a regular polish. Shown above is one dabbed coat over My Life's Porpoise, and two layers of KBShimmer Clearly on Top quick dry top coat (to smooth out the glitters!).

Scribble Me This is an awesome clear glitter topper consisting of hot pink, lime green, aqua, purple, and black matte glitters in crazy shapes, including triangles, stars, and circles. This is the first polish I've tried with triangle glitters, and I think they're going to be the next big thing - what a cool addition to this polish! I love the color combination, and when I heard that this topper was inspired by graffiti, I just knew I had to layer it over a clean, white base for extra pop! (I did notice that the base of this glitter topper was just slightly yellow tinged, though - I'm not sure if it was bleeding from the glitter, or if it was intentional.) Again, this polish is super glitter heavy and it's better to dab this polish on. Shown above is one dabbed coat over OPI Alpine Snow and two layers of KBShimmer Clearly on Top quick dry top coat.

Red, White & Blue-tiful is a limited edition clear glitter topper filled with red, blue, and silver holographic stars and mini glitters, as well as holographic microglitter throughout. This is an awesome patriotic polish for the 4th of July! I'm surprised to say that these glitters didn't sink to the bottom, and the stars were actually pretty easy to fish out. I found that the best method for applying this glitter was to paint a thin base with the holographic microglitter, and then dab on the mini stars. Shown above is two coats over KBShimmer Eclipse, and two layers of KBShimmer Clearly on Top quick dry top coat.

Sweet Wave is a clear glitter topper filled with yellow, coral, aqua, periwinkle, and white hex satin glitters in various sizes. Again, this is a flawless color combination! It looks like delicious summer candies or italian ice. This is definitely a favorite in this collection. Same formula as the others - glitter heavy, and it can be dabbed on for the full effect. Shown above is one dabbed coat over KBShimmer A Touch of Glass, and two layers of KBShimmer Clearly on Top quick dry top coat.

Onto the creams:

Radiant Orchid is a dusty medium fuchsia cream with a flawless formula. I hope that KBShimmer comes out with a cream in every color, because I'm obsessed with them! This color is perfectly opaque in two coats, and has a glossy shine even without top coat (but I added top coat for my swatch, for consistency.) Shown above is two easy coats with KBShimmer Clearly on Top quick dry top coat.

And last but definitely not least is You're So Shellfish, a bold, almost-neon peachy orange cream. This color is definitely bright, and it looks incredible on the nails! (I think it'll be the perfect pedicure color for a beach day.) Again, the formula was just perfect - not chalky or thick like usual neon polishes. Shown above is two easy coats with KBShimmer Clearly on Top quick dry top coat.

Overall, I'm loving the first half of this summer collection! It's super summery and playful, and I can see myself wearing every single one of these colors this season. I honestly can't pick favorites - I love them all! These polishes will be available on June 20 and will be $7.50 USD each for the creams and $8.75 USD each for the glitter toppers. 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.

Which colors are you most excited about? Stay tuned for the second half of this collection!

These products were provided for my honest review.