China Glaze: Seeing Stripes- Blue Zebra Nail Appliques

I've decided since the smell of polish is irritating me lately that nail appliques are better than no naked nails :)
I picked up a ton of nail appliques as a solution for naked nails until I have our baby. I started with China Glaze Seeing Stripes in blue... a blue zebra pattern. These are quite easy to do and I can't believe I didn't think of nail apps before!
How you apply apps:
1- lightly buff naked nail
2- wipe with rubbing alcohol to clean off dust and oils
3- choose size of nail app for each nail
4- pick and adhere to one nail at a time
5- smooth out with cuticle stick or with hand (if your hands are warm, I find it helps the app to be more flexible and smooth easier)

These photos were after 4 days of wear (longer than I wear manis these days) and I only had one small chip on my right hand and very little tip wear; you wouldn't notice unless you looked closely.  Another thing I like about nail apps besides their ease to apply is that you can put them right up to your cuticle (push it back before you apply them) so it makes your nails look even longer, making it an ideal solution for shorter nails.

I have more nail apps coming up including some from OPI and I'll post them as I wear them, love these things!

OPI: Couture de Minnie- Swatches

Hi Monkeys,
    Today I have the OPI Couture de Minnie collection for you (HERE'S the press release). Last year OPI had a Minnie collection as well but this year it is high fashion couture Minnie AND it includes their liquid sand in a special Minnie color... All swatches are taken in natural light. I will also have more to announce from this collection so stay tuned for that in a few weeks. For now, onto the swatches, enjoy!

Zoya: Pixie Dust - Summer 2013 swatches

Hi Monkeys, today I have the new Zoya Pixie Dust swatches for you and I did them a bit different this time: I combined them. 
I am a little tired of seeing the same old textured swatches so instead, here are my favorite pairings and things you can do without having to use nail art tools. I hope you enjoy these, they're available now from Zoya.com and sell for $9 a bottle, dry completely matte in up to 10 minutes and are of course textured in finish. 

 The Stevie (a light pale lilac) and Liberty (bold sparkly blue) combo was another great pairing. The lightness of Stevie made Liberty stand out even more, plus it's an easy design to do, just swirl the brush around in a "C" shape and it kind of looks like water meeting sand. 

 Solange is a medium light gold and Beatrix is a tangerine orange.. love this pairing as a diagonal frenchie! Taken in natural direct sunlight this combo really shines.

 Miranda and Destiny are a tricky combo to photograph but look much more gradient-esque in person. Miranda is a berry (holding the bottle) pinkish red that I put on the tips and blended with the polish brush upwards into Destiny. Destiny is a sheer light orange/peach/pink hue that would need probably 3 thin coats to cover any visible nail line. 

Here's the Miranda Destiny combo in the shade.. you can see a bit more of a gradient but still not as apparent as in person. 

Ultra long-wearing, nail lacquers by Zoya are BIG5FREE - all formulas are completely free of harmful industrial chemicals such as toluene, camphor, formaldehyde, formaldehyde resin and dibutyl phthalate (DBP) that are known to cause cancer and birth defects.

Zoya PixieDust $9 (US)

Follow the Zoya Nail Polish and Treatments Blog and stay tuned on Twitter (@Zoyanailpolish) and Facebook for release date updates.

Hashtags: #ZoyaPixieDust and #nailpolish.

*sent by company*

OPI: Couture de Minnie Collection- press release

High Fashion Minnie!

OPI Walks the Runway with New Couture de Minnie Nail Lacquers, Inspired by Minnie Mouse

            OPI announces the launch of its Couture de Minnie collection, including four limited edition nail lacquers and one new Liquid Sand™ shade. Created in honor of Disney’s beloved character, the Couture de Minnie line explores the fashion-forward side of Minnie Mouse, mixing pink, fuschia and red shades with textural elements. In addition to three crème lacquers, the Couture de Minnie line features a red and white polka dot glitter shade and the strawberry-hued Liquid Sand nail lacquer in Magazine Cover Mouse to give nails a sparkly, matte finish.

 “Last summer, OPI created a ‘Vintage Minnie Mouse’ line. Women around the world fell in love with the fun and playful shades evocative of Minnie’s traditional look,” explains Suzi Weiss-Fischmann, OPI Executive VP & Artistic Director.  “This year, OPI is exploring a different side of Minnie Mouse. The Couture de Minnie collection draws inspiration from Minnie’s iconic style and incorporates trends most recently seen on the runways, from standout shades to fun textural elements.”

The Couture de Minnie collection includes:

Chic from Ears to Tail

This pop of bubblegum pink is totally fabulous!

A Definite Moust-Have

This fantastic fuchsia is at the top of my shopping list.

Minnie Style

This white and red glitter is the height of fashion.

Innie Minnie Mightie Bow

Catch this crimson by the toe!

Magazine Cover Mouse

The headline-making strawberry has sparkling texture.

Couture de Minnie nail lacquers each feature OPI’s exclusive ProWide^™ Brush for the ultimate in application. Liquid Sand lacquers should always be worn without top coat. This limited edition promotion will be available beginning June 2013 at professional salons, including Beauty Brands, Beauty First, Chatters, Dillard’s, jcp Salons, Pure Beauty, Regis, Trade Secret, ULTA and ulta.com for $9.00 ($10.95 CAN) suggested retail for each nail lacquer.

For more information, please call 800-341-9999 or visit www.opi.com. Follow OPI on Twitter @OPI_PRODUCTS and become a Facebook fan!

Zoya: Irresistible Collection- swatches

Happy Tuesday Monkeys! I have the other half of the Zoya summer 2013 collection for you: Irresistible!
These are all really fantastic shimmers. Zoya really knows how to do shimmer polishes, they have this amazing sparkle to them and shine like a glitter polish but remove much easier. All pictures are two coats of polish can be clicked on and enlarged, and were taken in indirect sunlight. They're also available now so check out Zoya.com for your summer polish needs!!

Jesse's Girl: Julie G's Gumdrops Collection - swatches

I have another textured collection for you today and these are a bit different: they can be found in Rite Aid and are cheaper than other brands out there, a great alternative or just another option for the current trend! These were all two coats and the dry time is super fast on them, which I appreciate :) Enjoy!

NOPI: Notoriously Neon Mini Sets - press release

Notoriously Neon!

Nicole by OPI Announces Two New Limited Edition Neon Mini Kits, the Brand’s First Neon Lacquer

Nicole by OPI launches its first neon nail lacquer with two limited edition mini kits. Scandalous! Neons includes vivid shades of blue, purple and pink while the Notorious! Neons includes vibrant shades of green, fuchsia and orange.

Each Neons kit includes a special white base coat, to be applied before adding color, allowing true neon pigments to pop. “These kits offer the hottest hues in a mini size to complement summer styles,” explains Suzi Weiss-Fischmann, Nicole by OPI Executive VP & Artistic Director.  “Think of your nails as a blank canvas.  With these color combinations, there are endless options for creating works of art.”

In addition to the white base, Scandalous! Neons includes: Blue Neon (this blatant blue is deliberately belligerent), Purple Neon (this attention-seeking purple is a real publicity hound), and Pink Neon (this pink's purpose is to provoke your senses).

Along with white base, Notorious! Neons includes: Green Neon (this gossip-stirring green is the talk of the town), Fuchsia Neon (this fuchsia is famous for being unabashedly bold), and Orange Neon (this outrageous orange doesn't know the meaning of meek).

“The shades included in both sets are perfect for accessorizing fingers and toes with bright pops of color,” adds Weiss-Fischmann. “The first step is to apply the white base coat followed by the desired neon shade; finish with one coat of Nicole by OPI Top Coat Plus to achieve intense neon color with a glossy finish.”

Nicole by OPI formulas are long-lasting, fast-drying, and salon-quality.   Scandalous! Neons and Notorious! Neons mini packs will be available in stores beginning May 2013 for $10 each at retailers including Meijer, CVS, Duane Reade, H-E-B, Kroger, and ShopKo.  Top Coat Plus will be sold alongside the kits for $7.99. In Canada, the kits will be available for $12.50 each and Top Coat Plus for $10.99 at Loblaw, Jean Coutu, Rexall, London Drugs, and Shoppers Drug Mart.  

For more information, visit nicolebyopi.com. Follow Nicole by OPI on Twitter @NicoleByOPI and become a Facebook fan!