Essie Jump In My Jumpsuit

Essie Jump In My Jumpsuit

2 coats

from the Winter 2014 Collection

 

Jump In My Jumpsuit was a shade my husband really liked after seeing my strange green crackle mani the other day- he was not a fan of that one! Ha! He really likes what he considers "normal" shades, and Jump In My Jumpsuit would definitely be on that list. Two coats gave perfect coverage.

 

A Twist on a Crackle Mani

 China Glaze Cha Cha Cha (2 thin coats)

over 1 coat China Glaze Crackle Glaze in Lightning Bolt

 

A few weeks back, I saw a neat "alligator skin mani" using a base of a crackle polish topped with an iridescent green. I thought I'd try to recreate it, and as most nail art-ish attempts go for me, it's somewhat of a fail, but still sort of cool.

 

Back when crackle was popular, I used it quite a few times as a topper on top of a base color. But I've never tried it this way, using the crackle as the base. It gives an interesting look, and although I'd don't believe my nails would pass for alligator skin, maybe it's October or Halloween appropriate?

 Both of these are old shades, back from the days when I was on China Glaze's PR sample list.

Essie Double Breasted Jacket

Essie Double Breasted Jacket

2 coats

from the Winter 2014 Collection

 

Double Breasted Jacket is just a great shade to grab. Two coats gave perfect coverage. While the shade itself isn't unique, it is a great formula and a definite favorite.

 

Julep Maryam

Julep Maryam

2 coats

 

A friend gifted me this shade and it was my first Julep polish to try. Julep describes this as a "dark merlot shimmer" and it's quite pretty. I wish that the gold that you can see in the bottle showed up a bit more on the nail, but I'm still happy with it. I got great even, opaque coverage in two coats.

Sally Hansen Hard As Nails Xtreme Wear in Boho Blue and Out For Oxblood

Today I have two shades for Fall 2015 from the Sally Hansen Hard As Nails Xtreme Wear line.

 

 Sally Hansen Hard As Nails Xtreme Wear in Boho Blue

2 coats

 

This pretty blue is a quite sheer at one coat, but a second adds good coverage, although it retains a somewhat sheer quality.

 

 Sally Hansen Hard As Nails Xtreme Wear in Out For Oxblood

 2 coats

 

This gorgeous deep maroon is so pigmented- cleanup was a bit hard when I got some on my cuticle in several places. Although you'll need to use a careful hand with this one, the resulting full-coverage shade is perfect for Fall.

 

Sally Hansen Miracle Gel in Rhythm & Blue (with reformulated Miracle Gel Top Coat!)

 Sally Hansen Miracle Gel in Rhythm & Blue

 

Sally Hansen recently reformulated their Miracle Gel Top Coat and today I tried a third shade with the new top coat.  This shade, which they describe as a color that "mirrors the hue of a bright blue sky" is gorgeous and I got perfect opaque coverage in two coats. I just can't gush enough about how great the reformulated top coat is. If you tried the old formula and weren't impressed, definitely give this one a try!

 

Here is what they say about the new formula top coat:
 

When partnered with the Miracle Gel™ shades, Miracle Gel™ Top Coat volumizes as it protects. The Top Coat formula delivers 2x the volume to your manicure - creating dramatically fuller-looking nails with a high-gloss, mirror shine finish. 

The result: the look of a gel manicure at home, without the trip to a salon! Miracle Gel's simple application takes just two steps. First, apply two thin coats of Miracle Gel™ color to clean, bare nails. Then, apply one coat of the new Miracle Gel™ Top Coat. Natural light does the rest, creating a manicure that resembles a UV / LED cured gel polish and up to 14 days of color and shine. The next best thing to a salon gel manicure, without using an UV / LED light AND removes easily with regular nail polish remover.

 

Sally Hansen Miracle Gel in Blue Hue (with reformulated Miracle Gel Top Coat!)

Sally Hansen Miracle Gel in Blue Hue

 

Sally Hansen recently reformulated their Miracle Gel Top Coat and when I tried it last week I was so impressed! Today I used it again with Blue Hue, which is one of the shades available in a duo pack that pairs the Miracle Gel top coat with a color for approximately $15. Such a pretty shade and I got perfect opaque coverage in two coats.

 

Here is what they say about the new formula top coat:
 

When partnered with the Miracle Gel™ shades, Miracle Gel™ Top Coat volumizes as it protects. The Top Coat formula delivers 2x the volume to your manicure - creating dramatically fuller-looking nails with a high-gloss, mirror shine finish. 

The result: the look of a gel manicure at home, without the trip to a salon! Miracle Gel's simple application takes just two steps. First, apply two thin coats of Miracle Gel™ color to clean, bare nails. Then, apply one coat of the new Miracle Gel™ Top Coat. Natural light does the rest, creating a manicure that resembles a UV / LED cured gel polish and up to 14 days of color and shine. The next best thing to a salon gel manicure, without using an UV / LED light AND removes easily with regular nail polish remover.