NOTD: OPI Dim Sum Plum

Quick Nail of the Day for everyone!

Awhile back I purchased the OPI Hong Kong mini set and haven't really had a chance to play around with the colors. The colors in the set are super bright and bold, so I have to be on a good mood to try something like this.

Dim Sum Plum is a hot pink magenta color polish. Under flash and sunlight it looks more pink, but in the dark its a more plum/magenta color. To me its more on the cool side which I like as it seems a bit more toned down. I still think this a hot color and anyone can rock it.  If I think I can rock it, I'm definitely sure everyone can rock it!

OPI Dim Sum Plum

*Excuse the chip polish on one the nails.  Picture was taken a day or two later after the initial application. 

Have an Awesome Day!

simplybeautiful

NOTD - French, Silver, and some Borders?

Yes, I"m pretty late to the Nail Art trend.  So the new thing is the Caviar Nails, by the time I get to trying it, the trend will be over with lol.  Anyways I decided to play with some nail polishes to use and paint my nails.


One of the most recent trends I thought I saw was the two-toned border art? (is that how you say it?) So I decided to try it out. I didn't come out as well as I thought, as I'm not as talented in Nail art. Darn hand kept shaking! So I only have one picture to share.

Used: Zoya Ibiza and Sephora by OPI Metro Chic

The second attempt that night at nail art featured white French tips and a silver/glitter line. (excuse the dark remnants of the previous manicure on my cuticles)

Used Wet & Wild white polish and Milani 3D Holographic polish

I kept the French polish on for some time as I wasn't too fond of the border art. I'll definitely have to try it again maybe with different colors to see if I like it.  For the time being I'll keep practicing! Nail art, even painting my nails can be time consuming! arrhh!

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What? Who did your nails?

In attempting to be creative with my nail polish art and creating something cool, I decided to play with some colors and glitters.  I wanted to work with some pinks, corals, and purples, since it was still February and Color Blocking is so the trend at the moment.

So yesterday I went to work, and a co worker saw my nails and said "Did you pay to have your nails done?". I laughed and said, "Heck no, I did it myself" lol.  I would never pay anyone to do what I did to my own nails. We both laughed.

Anyways here is my version of color blocking, girly, glittered, pink, v-day nails:

Here's what I used:

ESSIE French Affair
ESSIE Your Hut or Mines
Wet N Wild 435
Seche Vite
OPI Dimsum Plum

I do hope to attempt more crazy color combinations and pretty ones as well.  I'm still a rookie, but learning along the way.

What's your favorite Nail Polish?

*remember to enter my Giveaway*

simplybeautiful

Let my Nails Glow?

Found this at F21 this weekend.  I've heard a few things here and there about Glow in the Dark nail polishes but haven't had a chance to get any or try it.  Im not sure if it will be my thing definitely I know it may be too much for my work place. But anywho, I thought it would be interesting to see if it does really work.

Have you tried Glow in the Dark Polishes?

*Remember to enter my Giveaway here!*

simplybeautiful

*Metro Chic* Sephora by O.P.I

In my last Sephora Haul, I ordered the ever popular Metro Chic nail polish from Sephora by OPI.  I know a few friends who absolutly adore this nail polish and its color.  I don't have many dark colored nail polishes so this was a new color to my stash.

*Metro Chic* Sephora by OPI

On the nails:

This is definitely a dark nail polish. I thought it would be more taupe and lighter in color, but it was pretty dark.  However, I like the color.  I'm starting to love darker colors, I just have to find the right ones to work with.  Metro Chic had good nail polish texture, wasn't too runny or too thick. It did take me 2-3 coats to get a even color which probably made the color a bit darker after a few layers.  For me its not a WOW color, but it works and definitely see why many people like it.  Its more of a neutral dark color which I see can work for many people.

Overall I like the color.  The price is average with other higher end brands just like OPI. I do have other Sephora by OPI colors and this one works just as well.  No regrets so far!

Metro Chic can be bought at any Sephora or online.

Are you Metro CHIC?

simplybeautiful

NOTD: BYS Pink Manicure

Quick Nails of the Day photo:

I did a quick free hand French Manicure with the BYS Pink Manicure polish.

I'm still working on perfecting my polish stroke to get a clean line, however I'm not an expert yet.  Any Tips?  I just don't have the time to use polish guides to help me.. I just need to get it done..lol

What I used:

BYS Pink Manicure polish (for the tips)
Seche Vite top coat (love)

What are you wearing today?

simplybeautifulyou

NOTW - OPI Rumple's Wiggin

This polish is from the OPI Shrek Collection that came out earlier this year.  It is my first lilac, light purple color nail poish, which at first I hesitated to buy as I was not sure if it will turn out pretty one my nails.

Overall, I absolutely love the color!  It is such a soft lilac color, very girly, yet it is different.  I got lots of comments because it was different and a very pretty color.

NOTW - OPI Rumple's Wiggin

On an earlier post about my Ulta Haul, this polish was one of which I got a good deal on.  Overall I paid about $4 since it was 2 for $10 deal.  I wasn't going to go for a lilac color polish, but I bought it on a whim, and super excited I tried it out!  Definitely a color anyone can pull off, soft and pastel color, but catches many eyes.  I need to do at least 3 coats for an opaque look, and can be kind of runny.  Once finished, those 3 coats looked amazing!  With no top coat (I forgot), this polish lasted me about a week before it started to chip.  I definitely will look into purchasing more colors and colors especially in purples and lilacs.

simplybeautiful

ULTA HAUL: OPI & Revlon

Last week, I decided to head to Ulta since I had some extra time to shop after work.  I usually do not buy much at Ulta; I just look around and leave.  This time I actually picked up 3 items from Ulta.

HAUL Items:  2 OPI nail polishes and Revlon lipstick
 

 Rumple's Wiggin and Honeymoon Sweet

Revlon 035 Blush

Ulta was having a promotion for OPI.  It was 2 for $10 OPI sale, so I picked up two colors that were available for the sale.  That was a great deal since one OPI is already $8,50, so mines was about $5 each with the deal.  The Revlon lipstick was also on clearance, so about a $1.50 off retail.  With the $3.50 off $10 coupon, I was able to save even more on the purchase.  I love it when I can save some money on cosmetics.

Definintely, next time you shop at ULTA, don't forget to use those coupons, it will save you a ton!

simplybeautiful

Zoya Bonus Deal - Get it Quick!!! Ending Soon!

SPECIAL Through Wednesday, November 17th:
Purchase a Regular Zoya Color Lock System and get any 6 Zoya Nail Polishes FREE. or Purchase a Mini Zoya Color Lock Syste (Holiday minicure) and get any 2 Zoya Nail Polishes FREE.
Web orders only. Limit one deal per order.

 I must say this is an awesome deal!  You can purchase the $48 color-lock system and get 6 $7 Zoya polishes, or purchase the $20 color-lock system and get 2 Zoya polishes.  This color-lock system seems pretty neat as it helps keep the nail color be long lasting and no color chipping.  The only sad thing is it ends tomorrow Nov. 17th! Not enough time for me to ponder if I want it or not!  I really want to try Zoya polishes, but haven't gotten the chance to get any just yet!  Maybe I'll have to get this bonus promo before I regret it!

Buy it here!

Have you tried the Zoya Color-Lock System?

simplybeautiful

Nail of the Week: OPI Maine-iac Mauve

Its been awhile ladies! I've been super busy with life, work, and school.  I hope to come back full time! But I'll try to keep posting as much as I can.

Here is a quick Nail of the Week that I did this week.  I used OPI's nail polish color in Maine-iac Mauve.  Its a mauve tone colored.  A bit of red, purples, and browns mixed together.  I actually like this color as it is very toned down, not so bright but not so boring either.  It has hints of gold, but just hints.

 

I've had this polish for some time now, I just kind of forgotten about it! Its nice to wear berry mauve tones again as nail polish.  I've been wearing too many pinks and bright reds!

 Exciting News!!  

So 2 of my friends and I are super excited! We will be starting a Beauty blog together, where the 3 of us will be sharing our love of beauty, fashion, and nails for everyone.  It is in the works right now. I'll let you know when it is done! Come join me over there once its finished.  I'll continue to update this blog as my personal blog and beauty blog.

simplybeautiful

Sephora Wishlist: Sephora by OPI 18 Piece Set

This set is definitely a Nail Polish Collector's dream!  Sephora is definitely giving us beauty lovers something exciting this Holiday Season.  In this Sephora by OPI set includes 18 possiblities a heart can desire!  Colors range from light pinks to the darkest black.  As in Sephora's description: this set includes 18 shades that range from essential to edgy.  That's definitely something I could use say for work or the night out on the town.

For just $48, this 18 piece mini set is definitely awesome to save some money and also doesn't break the bank.  This is also a great set to break up and give to various friends, or share them and borrow with your friends.  There is definitely endless possibilities with this set.

This set can be purchased at any Sephora store or at sephora.com

simplybeautiful

Gucci Muchi Pucci!

Its been awhile! Sorry I've been MIA for a few days now! I've been super busy with work and summer classes (you all know how those goes) so I've been playing catch up with bloggin and everything.

Here's a quick Nails of the Week for you all:

Gucci Muchi Pucci

"A Creamy Luscious Pink with a Kiss of Mauve"

~Essie

Here's mine:

more pics:

This is my first ESSIE nail polish! I do adore the color and its such pretty pink with a kiss of mauve. Though it was a bit streaky at first and hard to apply, after a few coats it was fine.  I think I applied like 3 coats to get a good even and opaque color, but I'm sure it will look nice with just 2 coats especially if you're going for a lighter feel.  The polish stayed on well for a few days and was pretty good at not chipping that much.  So far so good for me on Essie products.  Hopefully I can get more in the near future!

simplybeautiful

NOTW - Estee Lauder "Satin Gold"

This week's Nail of the Week features an Estee Lauder nail polish.  I got this polish at a MAC warehouse sale last year in NYC for free as a freebie gift.  I totally forgot that I had it because I put it in another drawer that was full of stuff I don't ever use. I decided to go through that drawer the other day and found this nail polish.

NOTW ~ Estee Lauder "Satin Gold"

 

(please excuse the my messy nails/cuticles...need to get them done!)

I think I own like 2 products from the brand Estee Lauder and this nail polish is one of them.  From the looks of the bottle, the color looks like a peachy pink color, but once applied you do get a hint of gold.  The application is smooth and not too runny, which is how I like nail polish to be.  The jar it self is in a square shape which is kind of not my thing, (gosh, I'm so used to round bottles like OPI) and is kind of small.  As for color, I applied 3 coats to get an even color, but 2 coats was good enough and went opaque really well.  After a year of sitting in a drawer untouched, the nail polish was still useful and definitely one I would keep around to use more often.

For free, I like very much! But for $18, I am sure there are plenty of other peachy gold color nail polishes out there for way less than that!  Also this color isn't available on the site anymore! boo!!

What are your FAVORITE Peachy Gold nail polishes?

simplybeautiful

NOTW- Purple Glitter!

I wanted to do something bright and spring colory for my nails, so I pulled out my nail polish stash and saw this one. It was full of glitter, and I guess that week I needed some glitter in my life. Finals are here and its pretty stressful, so glitter to me is full of fun and surprises!

Quick NOTW - Wet N Wild "Wild Shine"

close up

I took me at least 3 coats of the polish to get it opaque and have the glitter show up well.  With just one coat, the glitter does not show up as much, but a few more, it will be gorgeous.  One thing I did find with this polish, is that it chipped super easy. Not sure if it is because of the glitter and the grittiness of the polish, but it chipped the next day already.  I love the color, hint of pinks and purple glitter in clear polish, but chipped a little too easy for me!

What polish are you nails this week?

simplybeautiful

Beauty Tip - Nails

This tip was shared by a fellow blogger! Thanks Tina!

After reading on the nail tip from Tina, I decided to try it out as well and in the process take some pictures.  Pictures don't really tell how well it works, but you should get the point, I hope.

Beauty Tip - Fast Drying Nail Polish

What you need?

1.  A cup of cold water
2.  1 or 2 pieces of ice
3.  Your favorite nail polish
4.  A hand towel

The works?

Once you get your cup of cold water, drop the ice in the water and let it slowly melt.  Now apply as many coats of nail polish to your nails and let them air dry for a bit.  Once you finish painting one or both hands, take your fingers and dip them into the ice water.  Let the ice pieces float around your fingers, and make sure your nails are submerged in the water.  Wait anywhere from 1-3 minutes (depending on how thick the coats were) before taking your fingers out.  Yes, the water is cold, but the results are amazing.  Once time is up, gently wipe away water on hands with hand towel.

Dunk it!

No Smudges! all Dried!

Overall:

Super easy! Yes, the water is cold, but again the colder the better! I actually tested the nail tip with my left hand and let my right hand air dry.  Like I thought it would, the right hand took way too long to dry, so I had to dunk it into the cup of water as well.  It literally takes anywhere from 2-4 mins to get good results.  I still had to be careful about not smudging the polish, but it wasn't as bad as if I had not used the tip and just let the polish air dry. Try it and you'll be painting away even more now! I certainly have!

simplybeautiful

China Glaze - "Nails of the Week" - NOTW

This weeks NOTW (Nails of the Week) is a brand new polish I bought a week ago from Sally's Beauty Supply.  I tend to forget that sometimes Sally's has a sale section of products that are discounted to sell.  I only picked up one item which was a China Glaze Gold glitter nail polish.

Somehow I love gold nails that are sheer and not so metallic. The softer it is the more I like!
I have a few golds, but this one is just as pretty!


NOTW: China Glaze "5 Golden Rings"

Too bad the awesome color isn't shown as great on pictures then in real life!

I took me at least 3 applications to get the color more opaque, but if you just want sheer coverage, the first or second application is just as great!  The polish is more glitter based, but the glitters are small and still acts like a regular nail polish. It gives off a sheer metallic feel to it the more coats you add, but not so overwhelming.

For $1.99, I can't complain since China Glaze usually sells upwards to $6.00.  I love finding discounted items! Its awesome!!

simplybeautiful

MAC "Peppermint Patti" NOTD for St. Patrick's DAY!

Since St. Paddy's Day is today, I thought I'll post up a quick Nail of the Day picture.

These are pictures of me using MAC's "Peppermint Patti" nail polish.

(no flash)

I usually don't wear green nail polish, but this is a pale green polish which very much wearable.  At least its some green right? Hopefully it will bring me some Luck!! hehe

Happy St. Patrick's DAY! 

simplybeautiful

Beauty Tip of the Day

Whitening your Nails:

What can you do with lemons?

Take a lemon and cut it in half. Soak your fingertips in the lemons, and twist the lemon around the nail tips for about 3 minutes. Take it off and wash your hands. Do as often as needed. This process should help whiten your nails.

(photo courtesy of faqs.org)

simpybeautiful

Sunset Nails

I received a "GOSH" brand nail polish from a lovely secret santa this past Christmas. The shade is in a lovely orange color called “Sunset”. The color looks orange just from looking at the bottle, but after applying it to my nails, the color came out more of a duo orange/pink tone with a hint of metallic shimmer. The color is sheer; so a few coats would be needed to give off a nice and shimmery color.

The picture does not do justice to the nice color, hopefully I can get a better shot of it next time to get a truer color of the nail polish.

Overall, the polish is easy to apply, though sheer, it goes one smoothly and is build able. I noticed with a good top coat the polish stays on pretty well and had minimal chipping (even though I'm a hands on type of girl). I may have to check out more colors from the brand.

GOSH Brand Nail Polish: Sunset

(with flash)

(no flash)

Available here at Gosh Cosmetics Online

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(This product was given to me as a personal gift. Not for purpose to endorse, sell, or promote any brand of any kind. Review is solely my opinion and my personal thought.)