Julie G Nails

My nails have never looked worse for wear, which you wouldn't think since out of the once a week posts I've been doing lately, they've all been related to nail polish. Guess I'm trying to hide the hideousness of it all with some bright and shnazzy colors that are sure to distract. I'm surprised I haven't talked about the Julie G line of nail polishes from Jesse's Girl Cosmetics. I got them almost a year ago at IMATS at 3 for $10 (tell me you could have resisted!) and they are such wonderful polishes! The line doesn't have a huge array of polishes but the ones that are included sure are fun and unique.

You can probably already guess that Mermaid's Tale is my favorite of the three I have here. It's a stunning and deep blue based polish, mixed in with various blue and green shimmers and holographic goodness. I seriously do not know the technical terms for the amazingness happening inside that bottle, but just now it's magical. I wore it for maybe 3 months straight after I bought it, haha. The next shade is Oh Em Gee, which is a color as obnoxious as it's name. I've got a little small spot for neons so when I saw this I was all over it. The formula on this one is a bit thinner and def. needs a shiny top coat to keep it from looking like a dull neon and it makes the streakiness a bit less apparent, but overall it's a great color, especially for the summer! Super distracting to the eyes if you talk with your hands, though, haha! The last shade I got was Cupcakes & Castles and the polish is as cute as it's name. The names are very spot on with their shades, which I love- adds a nice little quirk! Cupcakes & Castles is a semi-sheer baby pink polish with the tiniest of white and pink shimmers. It's very pretty on the nails and I can see it being great for work or if you're just sick of the more "out there" colors and need something softer. I have to admit though that sometimes I like this color better in the bottle than actually on my nails.

The formula on these polishes is super nice especially when you consider how budget-friendly they are. Aside from IMATS, I've only ever seen them at Rite Aid for about $3.99 a piece- super affordable. You won't be settling for quality. They last as long as your average polish would and it's def. worth a look to see if you can find a shade that you like. Highly, highly, recommend Mermaid's Tale- a unique polish that you're sure to love and not yet have in your collection. Being a mermaid, I'm a bit biased to this shade, but what can you do? ;D I look forward to seeing this brand at IMATS, and if I see some more shades that catch my eye, I may just go rogue from my wishlist!

ORLY | Ingenuine

Question time! What's better than a color shifting nail polish? Answer. A nail polish that not only shift colors but is shimmery and metallic all at the same time! ORLY's Ingenuine is one of the most beautiful polishes I've ever seen. It was on the floor shelf (not a bottom shelf, but pretty much on the floor) at Sally's Beauty Supply, so it wasn't meant to catch your attention but boy did this one! I can't remember if I dubbed it or my sister dubbed, but never the less, this was dubbed the Rapunzel nail polish because of the gorgeous purple and gold shifts. Indoors and in flourscent lighting the nail polish takes on a brassy gold color. Outside the purple shines through more and when it's really sunny the two colors just dance together to create a magnificent metallic show. The finish of this polish looks as though it would be metallic but it's actually really shimmery which is great because then it doesn't apply streaky. I find you need two coats of this for it to really shine and show it's stuff. The formula was not too thin and not to thick, which made drying time super quick! The staying power is incredible- nearly 4 days on and it still had no chips. When it did start to fade a bit (mostly from lifting boxes at work) I removed it and painted it right back on. That's how much I love this polish and wanted to keep watching the color shifts in class. For $6, you can really do no wrong with this beaut!

What are your favorite color shifting nail polishes?

NOTD | Mermaid Nails for Halloween

Quick post today guys! It's a super fun NOTD I've been wanting to attempt for forever. It's a manicure meant to look like fish scales or in my case, mermaid fish tail scales! In honor of Halloween being tomorrow I thought I'd give it a go and see how it turns out. If I do go out tomorrow in celebration of this amazing holiday, yup, you guessed it, I'm going as a mermaid. I really love the way my nails came out, although granted they do look much better zoomed out, haha. I think it looks better with just the line of sequins going down then with the whole nail covered. It was super simple to do, too! Just apply base coat, and then one coat of whatever polish you want to be the base underneath the sequins- I chose Essie's Turquoise & Caicos. When the first coat is done, layout a bunch of the sequins (I got mine from Sally's Beauty Supply store) and get some tweezers to make picking them up and placing a lot easier. Then, one nail at a time, paint a second coat and begin to place the sequins on the wet polish. I found starting at the cuticle and moving from side to side was the best way to place them! Continue doing that for each nail. They adhere really well and shouldn't move if the nail polish is dry! No need for a top coat, either. The decals really add a shine of their own! I hope my nails reminded you somewhat of mermaid scales, so I can feel a bit accomplished, haha! I can't wait to wear these out on Halloween or just to work!

Does this NOTD make you think of fish/mermaid scales? Are you rocking a Halloween mani for the occasion? What is it? :)

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NOTD | Monsters Inc.

I've got Disney on the brain and BAD. I recently received the glorious glitter top coat that is Mermaid's Lagoon by Funky Fingers from Andrea from FromInsideMyCloset. I paired it on top of Essie's In The Cabana and it quickly reminded me of Sulley from Monster's Inc with his blue fur that's speckled with purple! There's no denying it when you look at it! So I decided to pair my Sulley nails with some Mike Wazowski nails while I was at it. I used the super true to color Ciate nail polish in Mojito and put Del Sol's Ruby Slippers on top which is just a silver glitter polish. I think the colors represent the duo of characters quite well! I'm not so savvy with nail art but when I can create something inspired by something else just using color stories/blocks, well that makes me a happy camper!

What do you think? Do you ever just get too much Disney on the brain?!

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Neon & On & On | China Glaze's Pool Party & Celtic Sun

Just because summer's (almost) over doesn't mean we have to put away our bright and downright neon polishes, does it? Welp, not for me. I've been wanting neon nail polishes for the longest time and not just neon but down right highlighter color neons. Were you ever that kid in class who got so bored they started marking their fingernails with a highlighter? I totally was, and that's the sort of thing I wanted in a nail polish; bright and fluorescent, so much so that your eyes kind of hurt to look at it, aha! Well, I found those qualities in these two gorgeousnesses (I dare you to not skip over that word and actually read it, haha) by China Glaze. I'm not sure which one to start with as they both make me incredibly excited, but I guess I'll start with the one first in the picture. Pool Party is a vibrant and hot coral. In the bottle it looks pinky-coral, but on the nails it takes on a more orange-y coral. Celtic Sun is just straight up highlighter juice. It's as of you took apart you highlighter pen, removed the ink well bit and just melted it, haha. It's a flourscent and in your face yellow with little tints of lime green. These colors are quite bright on their own, but imagine how they'd look with a white polish as base? Although these colors are absolutely fun they can be a bit tricky to paint on. The China Glaze brush isn't the best around and it's a bit longer than most so it can go a bit flimsy. It's also on the thinner side which can make it difficult to get an even coat on the whole nail without it looking streaky. These polished dry a bit matte, so this would be one of those polishes you don't skip top coat with. Without a good base and top coat, these bright China Glaze polishes just won't look their best - and that's not to say you even need a white base underneath, just some solid base and top coats. Overall, I'm in love with these polishes. I got them for $4 at a Sally's Beauty Supply in Canada but I'm sure wherever you can get China Glaze polishes you can find these two beauts shining like the sun on the display! Summer may be coming to a close, but it's not over yet, so I'm taking advantage of the time I have left to wear these!

What is your favorite neon nail polish?

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NOTD | I ❤ Barry M

Today's post is going to be a quick NOTD! I was recently gifted some wonderful and amazing Barry M Hi-Shine Nail Paints from my good blogging buddy Melissa who runs Melissa Knows Best. Anyone who follows me on twitter or chatted with me in previous General #bbloggers chats knows that I couldn't go 5 seconds without talking about these polishes, oggling at other blogger's swatches of them, or formulating a plan to get them over to me (without paying such ridiculous shipping costs!) I'm so happy and in awe of these polishes that they have been the only ones I've used for manicures on myself and my sister since I've gotten them (which has been a week!) I'm going to review these polishes soon but in the mean time I thought I'd share my latest manicure with them using Greenberry and Prickly Pear! I can't handle the pastel-y-bright goodness! I also feel so bad ass with the whole two finger accent nail thing that I also did for my IMATS NOTD, which was strangely inspired by Spring Breakers (that movie still haunts my dreams ... and I can't even enjoy High School Musical, anymore!) I can't wait to review these for you all! I love them so much and you've all probably heard a ton about them ... but what's one more review from an excited American? LOL.

Unfortunately, this manicure was completely ruined and squished because I spent all of today cleaning my house (it's my new Summer gig, haha!) I feel like Consuela from Family Guy (We need more lemon pledge ... we actually did!) It took me about 5 hours too make sure everything was spick and span and by that time my nails were chipped and fingers all prickly, yuck! But hey, it's a Summer job that'll let me stay home, wear any ridiculous cleaning outfit I want, and jam out to copious amounts of music on my iPod (I listened to 81 songs in the span of that 5 hours, oh my lanta...) And now I'm off to take a bath whilst re watching A Very Potter Musical (which if you haven't seen you must!)

What do you lovelies think?

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NOTD | Mermaid's Tale In The Cab-ana

The title of this post ... I can't. I feel like it's my cleverest moment (It's probably not), but it just fits in a cute way and that makes me feel accomplished. ANYWAY, this post was not planned but last night I was repainting my nails to start the month of May off fresh with my new polish, Essie In The Cab-ana, from their Resort collection. When I finished, I looked at them, and said 'WHOA, this needs to be shared!' I have been lusting after In The Cab-ana ever since I randomly stumbled across it in CVS. It's a fun light blue creme polish, that's also a bit bright so you know it's going to be a favorite in the summer time! It's my favorite shade of blue and I'm already in love with this polish! It applies opaque in one coat, but you know me, I had to apply two. I seriously could not recommend this polish enough to any of you! If you see it, nab it! It's going to be PERFECT, 100% PERFECT for the summer time and even now in the spring time! Everything about this polish makes me giddy which sounds mental, I realize that, but it's that gorgeous of a color. 

I also love doing the accent nail with creme polishes, so much so that even Rico Suave has noticed this and asked why I never just paint all my nails the same color, haha. I paired it with another new favorite polish of mine that I got at IMATS, Julie G's Mermaid's Tale. I adore the way these two polishes go together and compliment each other. The bright blue of In The Cab-ana paired with the dark, but shimmering Mermaid's Tale makes me ache for the beach, warmer weather, and summer time!

I'm totally, and utterly obsessed with this manicure! What do you think?

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NOTD | 'Geeked' Out for IMATS

If you guys don't follow me on twitter you probably haven't totally picked up on how stoked I am that IMATS is this weekend. I've already half planned my outfit and done my nails out of sheer excitement so I thought I'd share them with you today! Over the the weekend I went to see the movie Spring Breakers with my dude friends and Rico Suave and while that movie was just the weirdest spit I've ever seen, I managed to get some nail-spiration. Vanessa Hudgens sported a two-nail accent manicure (you couldn't miss it as she kept forming a gun with her hands to fake shoot things) and for some reason it stood out to me. It looked really cool! Her index finger and thumb were accented in one color and the rest were painted in another! The shirt I'm wearing to IMATS is my GEEK shirt from TopShop so I pulled the blue and maroon colors as inspiration. I used Essie's Turquoise & Caicos for the blue and the Free Press Power Plum for the maroon shade. I didn't have an exact color match for the maroon, but it was close! I'm really happy with the end result. I feel very cool (which is so lame that it makes me uncool, but whatever!!! hahaha) I can't wait to sport these nails with my complete outfit at IMATS, swatching and handing over credit cards and cash in exchange for awesome new toys! (Beauty products are my toys, shhh!)

I'm just honestly so excited for IMATS! It's the second most wonderful time of the year ... okay, third, (holidays, my birthday, IMATS ...). I'll probably have nothing to tweet about once it's over which is sad, but oh well! I also did the IMATS tag, which was really fun (although I recommend you lower your volume, my voice gets a tad squeaky from the get go) and I'd love it if you guys would watch it! 

Have any of you lovelies ever gone to IMATS? Would you ever to go?

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Review: Deborah Lippmann Across The Universe

// Across The Universe in different lightings \\

Holy hot goodness! Is probably what you are thinking when you see this polish! I bought it when I was naughty last week and got it before my wish list even went up. Oups. But can you blame?! Look at the gorgeous glitter and sparkle? Sorry for the like KABLOO of pictures but each one showed some hidden layer within the color so I thought it was in your best reading pleasure to add them all! I should probably state the name, haha! This Deborah Lippmann's Across The Universe glitter polish that retails for $18. I didn't even think twice. The price is insane, I know, but so is this polish! The base of this polish is a jelly-like navy color and it's jam packed with blue and green hexagonal glitters; along with oceanic blue micro glitters. In all these pictures I used three coats of polish along with a base and top coat. A lot of the time bloggers will penalize a polish for needing more than two coats. I used three because I wanted a really deeply opaque nail. With two coats the coverage was opaque as well but the third coat really makes it stand out and gets people to take notice! I have no complaints about formulation and as always the glitters in this polish, as with all Deborah Lippmann glitter polishes, work with you instead of against you! I'm adding this color to my collection of Mermaid/Sea themed nail polishes. Such a beauty to behold and ugh, the glass packaging just adds a cherry on top of this gorgeous sundae!

What do you lovelies think? Would you snag it or pass it?

NOTD: Polka French

Bonjour or bonsoir depending on the time of day this goes up for you! I come to you with a super quick nail of the day! The lovely people at the The Beauty Department: Your Daily Dose of Pretty posted this quick and easy nail tutorial that I had to try the second I saw it! All you need for this is a really good white color and a pretty sheer peach or pink color! Click the link above to see how I achieved it! I think I did a pretty decent job. My hands were a bit shaky with the dots! Also instead of a dotting tool I used the tip of a bobby pin (which I have found out are fabulous dotting tools!). This nail art is simple and classy with a fun cutesy twist!

xo

NOTD | Nebula Nails

Are nebula nails relevant anymore? If not, then I have jumped on the bandwagon way to late. I was stumbling upon a ton of nail video son YouTube and their seemed to be a common theme of nebulas and space. My younger sister and cousin said this to me, and I quote "How very hipster of you..."I thought that was quite funny because then they also called them "tumblr nails". I really liked how this came out! It looks cooler in the sunlight and muddy in the shade (hence, why there is no shade picture, haha) Not your average "summer nail" but it's great nail art to do when you have a lot of time on your hands! Like me on this long weekend whilst watching Camp Rock. So cheesy!

Here are the colors I used:

• Revlon ColorStay Base Coat
• China Glaze Smoke & Ashes
• Sephora by O.P.I. Mermaid to Order
• Butter London Knackered
• China Glaze Hook & Line
• Color Club 
• Wet & Wild Shine 460D
• Revlon ColorStay Top Coat

Have you ever tried out these nebula nails; recently or back when it was cooler? I'd love to see pictures!

xo

NOTD: Pastel Stripes/Heart

I was inspired by Beauty Guide 101's Nautical Nails pedicure! I commented saying that I could not wait to try it out because it was SO CUTE! I thought it was the perfect summer nail to wear. Instead of putting it on my toes I decided to translate it to my finger nails using more pastel colors (because I couldn't find any neon colors in my collection, which means I need to go shopping... haha!) Hope you enjoy!

• Revlon ColorStay Base Coat
• Wet N' Wild Wild Shine in 449C x2 coats (This color doesn't have an actual name but it's the white color I used. If any of you know of a super awesome white please let me know because I can't seem to find one!) 
• Essie's Turquoise & Caicos with a nail art brush to draw the lines across after the white has completely dried
• Art Deco's frosted pink nail art color to create the heart
• Wet N' Wild Wild Shine in 460D over every nail (Same thing, this color doesn't have a name but it's just a glitter tip coat with mini and super fine glitters!)
• Revlon ColorStay Top Coat

This was a super fun manicure to do and I got a lot of compliments on it! If I had a daughter I can imagine me just painting this all over her nails and toes. I don't know why I thought of that but, yeah! It takes a while because you have to wait for all the layers to completely dry but it's totally worth it in the end!

Happy Painting!

xo