Manicure Mondays-Love & Beauty Nude

With all of the working I've been doing lately, I wanted a no fuss, low maintenance color.  And what's more low maintenance than a nude color.  Love & Beauty's Nude is a peachy nude.  In some lights, it looks more pastel on me than nude.  It has very subtle silver shimmer running through it.  The formula was a little hard to work with.  I used two coats for opacity, though I could have used three to even it out.  I used CND Stickey base coat and Out the Door top coat.  It's still on my nails after 3 days with only minor tip wear.

On a completely different note, I just finished the Hunger Games series and OMG!  Incredible!  I highly recommend these books!

Manicure Mondays-Color Club Pretty In Platinum

Color Club's Pretty In Platinum is a greyed silver and has very fine shimmer particles.  After wearing the bright red last week, I wanted something a little less "in your face".  The formula was slightly thick, needing two coats to achieve opacity.  I used CND Stickey base coat and Out The Door top coat.  The color is still on my nails and it is day 4.  So far, no chips and minor tip wear.  These days, I barely have time to change my polish, so I appreciate a manicure that will last.

Manicure Mondays-Essie Lacquered Up

After wearing Essie's Shine Of The Times last week, I opted for a more classic manicure.  And nothing is more classic than red.  Essie's Lacquered Up is a tomato red cream polish.  It only needed two coats for opacity.  It wore well, lasting 5 days without chipping.  I used CND Stickey base coat and Out The Door top coat.  It was my first time using this top coat, and so far so good.

Manicure Mondays-Confetti Purple Reigns With Essie Shine Of The Times

I've already mentioned that I had purchased the Essie Shine Of The Times top coat.  Well I couldn't wait to try it out.  Since the Essie polish is a play on a Prince song, I decided to put it over Confetti's Purple Reigns (I know, I'm a nerd).  I loved the effect!  This is two coats of Purple Reigns and one coat of Shine Of The Times.  Purple Reigns had a nice formula, very pigmented.  Shine Of The Times is also nice, but a little thick.  Nothing too hard to work with though.  I topped it with Diamond Dry top coat.  I'm sure the manicure would have lasted longer than four days but I grew tired of the bumpy texture and changed it.  All in all, it's a gorgeous top coat and I highly recommend it!

Essie Shine Of The Times

This is my first nail polish purchase under my stipulations for Nail Polish Out 2012 (see post here).  I'd heard rumblings in the blogosphere that Essie's Shine of the Times was a dupe of the super duper hard to find Sally Hansen Hidden Treasure (the original version).  Once I'd heard that, I knew this would be one of my 5 nail polishes I'm allowed for 2012.  And I'm so glad I purchased it!  It's a multichromatic flaky top coat.  The flakes give off shades of copper, gold, green, and blue and are suspended in a clear base.  It will be featured in my next Manicure Monday post.

So I now have 4 polishes left to purchase for 2012.  I think this may be harder than I originally thought.

Manicure Mondays-OPI Over The Taupe

OPI Over The Taupe was my very first OPI polish.  And still remains a top favorite of mine.  Over The Taupe is quite simply a taupe.  I still find these types of colors very chic and every time I wear one, I get compliments.  The formula on this is a little thin, although I was able to achieve opacity in two coats.  I used CND Stickey base coat and Sally Hansen Diamond Strength top coat.  I always get superior wear with OPI and this was no exception, lasting a full seven days.  Are you still liking the taupe trend?

Manicure Mondays-Color Club Love 'Em Leave 'Em

I have to thank my mother for me acquiring this shade.  While browsing her nail polish collection, I noticed that she had two of these, so I asked her for one and she obliged.  Color Club's Love 'Em Leave 'Em is a nude base with holographic glitter.  It's the kind of holographic glitter that doesn't need direct sunlight to show.  I only needed to two coats to achieve opacity.  I used CND Stickey base coat and Sally Hansen Diamond Strength top coat.  I lasted for a full 7 days before it started to chip.  Thanks again mom for giving me such a cool color!

Manicure Mondays-Orchid Steel Guitar

Orchid Steel Guitar is a metallic steel grey.  In the bottle, it has a hint of warmth to it that doesn't translate onto the nail.  It applied nicely with the formula being just the right consistency.  It only needed two coats for opacity.  I used CND Stickey base coat and Diamond Dry top coat.  It wore all week, I applied it on Monday and it started to chip on Friday.  My only complaint is that it doesn't seem to like quick dry top coats.  I had to wait until the polish was all the way dry before applying my top coat or else it would "shrink" on me.  This brand is exclusive to HEB grocery stores here in the southwest region of the US.  This is my second color and I really like the brand.

Nail Polish-Out 2012

I hinted to this on Twitter and Facebook. You may have heard of other bloggers doing something similar, i.e. Gloss-Out 20XX, etc. I have decided that with over 150 nail polishes (pictured above), many untried, that I would not be purchasing any new polish in 2012.  However, I have given myself 5 freebies, meaning if there is some super unique color that I just have to have, I can get only 5 total for 2012.  I still have more than enough untrieds to continue my Manicure Monday posts for all of 2012.  Each time I purchase one of the 5 allowed freebies, I'll do a post on it letting you guys know.  This is going to be soooo hard as I consider nail polish a cheap quick beauty treat.  I sure hope I can do this!  How many polishes do you own?

Manicure Mondays-OPI Bastille My Heart

Happy New Year! The manicure that I chose to celebrate the holidays with was OPI's Bastille My Heart from their French collection from a few years back.  It is a gorgeous cranberry red color with slight shimmer.  I used two coats for opacity.  I used my beloved CND Stickey base coat and Diamond Dry top coat.  It wore very well, lasting 6 days before chipping.  What was your holiday manicure?

Manicure Mondays-Rimmel Midnight Blue

I featured this color in my top 10 colors for Fall video and I stand behind that assertion.  Rimmel's Midnight Blue is a beautiful inky navy blue with very subtle shimmer.  I've heard that it is an exact dupe for Essie Midnight Cami.  And let me just tell, the formula was awesome!  It was so smooth and pigmented that I almost only needed one coat.  It lasted for 7 days with CND Stickey base coat and Diamond Dry top coat.  If you're looking for a navy blue polish, try this one!

My Nail Care (Requested)

Manicure Mondays-Color Club Ready To Royal

Color Club's Ready To Royal is one of those colors similar to OPI's Lincoln Park After Dark (which I don't own).  It is a black looking purple.  In fact, you can really only tell that it isn't black in direct sunlight and even then it's still hard to tell.  I used two coats for opacity, though I could have gotten away with one.  It lasted 7 days before chipping.  Since Diamond Dry does not play well with Color Club polishes, I first used Sally Hansen Diamond Strength No Chip top coat, then my Diamond Dry.  As always, the base coat I used was Creative Nail Design's Stickey base coat.  I know some people hate colors like this, but I happen to love them!

Manicure Mondays-MAC Dance All Night

I have a love/hate relationship with MAC polishes.  I love the colors that they come out with, but I hate the quality of their polishes.  This one is no exception.  I wanted a deeper red, so I was drawn to this color.  The formula wasn't bad, I only needed two coats for opacity.  Unfortunately, it was chiptastic!  It chipped on day two.  I liked the color so much that I kept repairing the chips.  I managed to get 4 days of wear out of it before I gave up.  As usual, I used CND Stickey base coat and Diamond Dry top coat.  Luckily for me, I picked this up at a CCO last year and only paid $8.50 as opposed to the $14 that MAC polishes go for.  Have you had any luck with MAC polishes?

Manicure Mondays-Revlon Vixen

Revlon's Vixen is meant to be a dupe for Chanel's Vamp/Rouge Noir (you'll have to google the history behind that color).  It is meant to look like dried blood, a nice dark blackened vampy red.  It is actually more of a dark bordeaux than a red.  If you read my Ins & Outs post, you'll see that I've really been into bordeaux colors lately and Vixen is no exception.  The formula is a tad bit watery, though I only needed two coats for opacity.  I used my CND Stickey base coat and my Diamond Dry top coat.  It wore well, lasting 5 days before chipping.

Manicure Mondays-Revlon Starry Pink

I'm not really into glitter polish, but for some reason I was drawn to this color.  I liked the milkiness of the color.  Starry Pink has a milky pink base with large silver hexagonal and small glitter.  I needed three coats to achieve opacity.  It actually would have lasted longer on the nails but I took it off after three days.  I just wasn't feeling it.  I used CND Stickey base coat and Diamond Dry top coat with Seche Vite to smooth out the glitter.  It was a b*tch to get off though.  How do you feel about glitter polish?

Manicure Mondays-Orly Plum Noir

I think Orly Plum Noir has become my new favorite Fall color.  It's simply GORGEOUS!  It is a deep plum color that is very flattering to my skin tone.  There is no shimmer whatsoever in this color.  The formula (as with most Orly polishes) was buttery smooth and amazing.  Only needed two coats to achieve opacity.  I used CND Stickey base coat and Diamond Dry top coat.  This color lasted a full 7 days before chipping!  I purchased this from Sally's Beauty Supply and I believe this is in Orly's permanent collection.  This may be back on my nails for my business trip this week, who knows?

P.S.  Have you noticed the watermark on my photos lately?  I've had some of my images stolen, so hopefully this deters anymore theft!

Manicure Mondays-Dior Exquis 611

I fell in love with Dior Exquis the moment I saw it in the Holiday 2011 promo photos.  When I got it home, I thought it looked similar to China Glaze Ingrid, but I decided to keep it.  It is a gorgeous taupe with gold shimmer running through it.  It is my first foray into Dior polishes and I must say, I like them.  It was almost a one coater but I used two.  It lasted for a good 5 days before chipping.  I used my standard CND Stickey base coat and Diamond Dry top coat.  But I can say it is close enough to Ingrid to wear you wouldn't need to spend the $22 for this polish.

Manicure Mondays-Essie Licorice

Today I have for you a classic, Essie's Licorice.  It is a black jelly polish.  I love a good black polish, I find it so chic.  This one was opaque in almost one coat, though I used two.  I used CND Stickey base coat and Diamond Dry top coat.  This manicure lasted me a full 7 days!  I can't say enough about Essie polishes.  If you have not tried one, do say ASAP!

Manicure Mondays-Revlon Smoky Canvas

Released with their Fall 2011collection, Revlon's Smoky Canvas is a warm taupe grey.  This is a cream finish.  The formula was superb, this one could have been a one-coater but I opted for two.  This wore chip free for 6 days with my CND Stickey base coat and Diamond Dry top coat.  I believe this is a limited edition color, so if you like this, pick it up quickly!