China Glaze Sugar High

The last color I posted about lasted FOREVER! Seriously, no chipping at all. The con about the polish that will make me think twice about applying it again?? It DOES NOT come off easily! Holy cow ... I have heard of glitter polishes being stubborn to remove, but even with 100% pure acetone remover, it took a good 20 minutes!
After finally getting the blue glitter off, I went with China Glaze's Sugar High ... I heart this bubblegum pink color! On top, I added a coat of a pink sparkle that I got at a Ross store. The brand is by Blush, but there is no color name.

Barielle Shades Gem Stone Earth Collection

Today I have swatchs of three colors from the Barielle Shades Gem Stone Earth Collection.

Green Opal

When I saw the bottles, I knew I had to swatch this one first. And it did not disappoint!


Here's a shot to show you the detail of the different shimmer colors in this shade- it is absolutely gorgeous- a stunner!

Amber Sparkler

Sadly, this showed my brush strokes. They were just unavoidable.

Granite Glitter

This was definitely my second favorite out of the three.

Again, here's a shot showing the different shimmer colors- so pretty in the sun.

All swatches are two coats and I must say, with the exception of brush strokes in Amber Sparkler, these applied easily and beautifully. The consistency was just about perfect.

Disclosure: These shades were sent to me for review purposes.

NOTD: Sephora by OPI Let's Hear It For the Free Spirit!

Sephora by OPI Let's Hear It For the Free Spirit!

from the Bohemian Brights mini set

Ok, I've totally solved The Mystery of the Sephora by OPI Minis. My set was definitely switched around (probably by a cute little 6 year old who resides in my house). And this shade is definitely Let's Hear It For the Free Spirit!

The above swatch is two coats, and I was pleasantly surprised that it covered this well.

And now I am officially ready for Spring! Isn't this pretty?

Really Glamour?

Dear @michaelachaela, I disagree with Glamour's advice to you! There's no reason you can have long pretty nails and there is no need to continually file them down!

I have two recommendations for you, and I think if you add these steps in your nail care routine, it will make a huge difference.

1. Keep polish on your nails!

Unpolished nails are prone to breaking, tearing, and peeling. Things like the hairs on your head are often the culprit of little tiny tears in your nails that turn into big breaks, tears and peeling layers.

Keeping a strong coat of clear on your nails will give them strength. I recommend a product called Instant Artificials, which retails for about $8.30 at Sally Beauty.

Sally Hansen also has some fabulous treatment clear coats that can be found at drugstores and mass retailers like Target and CVS. Sally Hansen even has specific products they recommend for dry brittle nails.

2. Take care of your cuticles!

In my experience, I find that caring for your cuticles is another area that affects nail strength and growth. Taking care of your cuticles equals less problematic nails. Less splits, tears, and breaks. I do two things in particular to take care of my cuticles. First, a few times a week, before I apply fresh polish, I use a product like Sally Hansen Instant Cuticle Remover. This softens the cuticles and allows them to be pushed back off the nail very easily. Having your cuticles pushed back allows a better, longer lasting application of nail polish.


Second, I use a cuticle cream with AHA at least once a day to keep them moisturized and maintained. Poshe Cuticle Care and CND Cuticle Eraser are two good ones.

Again, I see no need to continually file your nails down to nothing! Give these tips and try and let me know how they work for you! Once your nails are back in good shape, you can follow my tips for a complete home mani!

Love,

Sasha

Note: Cross-posted on my personal blog, www.SashaSays.com.

Sephora by OPI Bohemian Brights

Sephora by OPI

either

Let's Hear It For the Free Spirit!

or

That's What Fringe Is For (I am thinking it's this one)

I am so confused! I ordered the Sephora by OPI Bohemian Bright mini collection and decided to start on the left hand side with my swatching. HOWEVER, now that I look at the descriptions on Sephora's website.... I am wondering if two of them are switched in my set. In fact, I'm pretty sure of it. I think number 1 and number 5 have changed places.

Here's the order my shades are in.

And here's the order on the website.

• Let's Hear It For the Free Spirit! (pink/orange shimmer)


• What Aura Gonna Wear? (bright pink)


• It's Totally Karma (bright green)


• Neutral Beauty (camel)


• That's What Fringe Is For (brown shimmer)


• Happy Earth Day To Me (olive)
  
  That's one thing I HATE about minis... no shade names on the bottles!
  

It's quite possible that a cute little 6 year old that lives at my house got into these and did some rearranging.....

NOTD: Barielle Elle's Spell

Barielle Elle's Spell

Barielle is having a neat contest for Valentine's Day on their facebook wall called “Love is at your Fingertips”.

You can post your favorite swatch using any Barielle red or pink shade(s). The contestant with the most ‘likes’ will win three Barielle shades of their choice.

I uploaded the pic above today- it's absolutely my favorite Barielle shade. This swatch is 3 coats, and I love love love this polish!

If you have a pic to upload, you should definitely enter. And if not, will you "like" my entry please? Thanks!

NOTD: nails inc. Houses of Parliament

nails inc. Houses of Parliament

So here's my first attempt at a magnetic polish! Not too bad! You can see I didn't do as well on the pinkie or pointer finger, but it still looks cool.

The amazing thing about this is that the above swatch is just one coat. It was super fast and easy. You do have to stop after painting each nail to use the magnet, but there's not too much of a learning curve and if I can do it, anyone can!

Here's the instructions from Sephora's website:

How to get the magnetic effect:

-Remove any oil from your nails by cleaning your nails with nail polish remover.

-Take off the over-cap that contains the magnet and set aside.

-There is an inner cap that you can use to apply the magnetic polish.

-Apply one coat of your selected nails inc. base coat.

-Then, apply one coat of your chosen magnetic polish on all 10 nails and let dry for a few minutes.

-To create the "magnetic effect," apply a generous coat of magnetic polish to one nail, and immediately hold the cap that contains the magnet over the nail. (Do this quickly while the polish is still wet. There is a small lip on the cap which should be placed just below your cuticle allowing the magnet to be positioned perfectly over your nail.)

-Hold very close to the nail for 10-15 seconds, taking care not to touch the nail with the magnet. -Repeat on all 10 nails and apply a top coat to seal the design.

Note that I did NOT paint one coat on all nails and let it dry like it says to do... after I did my base coat (Orly Bonder), I went straight to painting my nails one by one and using the magnet. For $16, I want to ration this stuff.

After I finished using the magnet on all 10 nails, I went back and did a coat of Seche Vite.

Complex and Intriguing

Dr.'s REMEDY Valentine's Day Delight collection

Romance rising: that's what February 14th is all about, indeed. This Valentine's Day, we dare you to take the shade of love to a whole new level, compliments of Dr.'s REMEDY Enriched Nail Polish. How to choose the hue de you? The sky's the limit (in terms of red); just reach for one of these red-hot tints to entice and ignite your inner flame. Your tips and toes will thank you, no doubt.

This Valentine's Day Delight collection of Dr.'s REMEDY Enriched Nail Polish red shades includes:

• 
  
  REVIVE Ruby Red: A shimmer-infused, Wizard of Oz-inspired shade of crimson


• 
  
  RESOLUTION Red Glitter: A red-meets-copper spin that's sequin-look-alike laden with high-shine and sparkle


• 
  
  RESCUE Red: A classic fire engine red

RESOLUTION Red Glitter

REVIVE Ruby Red


Dr.'s REMEDY is a line of doctor-inspired cosmetics that is dedicated to using clean, hypoallergenic ingredients. The brain-child of two New York-based podiatrists, Dr. Adam Cirlincione and Dr. William Spielfogel, Dr.'s REMEDY proves quintessentially-perfect for any person looking to better the condition of her skin and nails. Dr.'s REMEDY is sold exclusively at http://www.remedynails.com/ for $17 or by calling 877-323-NAIL.

Disclosure: These shades were sent to me for review purposes.

Bling Bling

Hi Girls! It's April from dot...dot...dot... - it's been a while since I have participated here on Manicure Mommas, but I am back and will be showing off my polish color each week!

Enjoy!! :o)

Nail color of the week ... Sally Hansen's Bling-tastic from their new Gem Crush line.

Base coat: Essie's Fill The Gap

3 Coats of Bling-tastic

Top Coat: Seche Vite

Indoor lighting
In the sun, indoors
~
I am LOVING this color. I needed 3 layers to coat each nail. By the 3rd time around, I found that the glitter stayed better if I tapped it on with the brush, rather than glide it across my nails. The finished results are quite smooth ... tons of aqua-blue glitter and silvery-gold pieces, too! What do you think??
~
So sorry for the iPhone pics ... I should really pull out my fancy camera to show you just how vivid and gorgeous this color actually is, but that involves a lot more process time. I am all about quick and simple these days! :o)