Fall Nail Pinspiration

Happy Fall! I definitely am ready for it this year- it has been so hot and muggy here!

To continue my seasonal nail pinspiration (I previously have done Spring and Summer), it's time now for Fall!
(As always, clicking on the picture will take you directly to the pin, so you can pin them to your own boards.)

This is really cute, and the pin has 18 other really cute ideas!



You can't go wrong with some cute pumpkins in the fall!



The only design that wasn't really Fall Holiday-centric, and I just love that deep olive color.

And here's a collection of some more!

This Month in Nails - August 2014

Wet n' Wild Wild Shine in Straight A Jesse



This is from the Saved by the Bell collection that Wet n' Wild issued a few years ago. It's probably one of my favorite colors that I own, because it's so obnoxious, but also a really good orange for my skin tone. I'm not a fan of how it really never gets opaque (it is a neon polish), but I'm sure if I used a white base first, it wouldn't be a problem.




This is my last nail polish post. I'm still going to post nail stuff, but not as a monthly series. I keep forgetting to take pictures when I paint my nails, and by the time I remember, it doesn't look great. I post pictures every so often on instagram, so I'll link to those for my Nail Polish collection page- I always used to remember to do that, I just don't really when it's with my camera.
Something else will be replacing this series, which you guys will see on the 9th!

This Month in Nails - July 2014

So, my nails are not in good shape. But I figured the only way to get them back into shape is to stop messing around and just paint them. So that's what I decided to do.


RUFFIAN in Relic



This color is described as a silvery-taupe, but to me, it comes off more silver than taupe. At least on my skin tone, and at least the time that I applied it. The formula is nice, but given the fact that this polish retails at $11.00, I definitely expected it to be a little better. I don't see myself buying anymore RUFFIAN polishes, because I wasn't all that impressed with it, but for a sample in a birchbox, it was okay, and I'll definitely keep it around. It might be really pretty option around Christmastime.


Sally Hansen in Red My Lips



I've worn this before, but I wanted something for my vacation to San Diego that would stay put. I received this in my Total Knockout Vox Box from Influenster, but I haven't worn it since. At the time, I said it was probably my favorite red ever, and I still believe this to be true, so I'm not sure why it took me so long to put it back on my nails. I think, when I redo my pedicure, this is going on my toes. 


My nails are starting to come back! I'm trying really hard to keep fresh polish on them, so hopefully next month I'll have more than two on my post!



FTC: Please see above for how polishes were received. Unless stated otherwise, they were purchased by me with my own money. 

This Month in Nails - June 2014

Target Mini in 11 (Redish Pink) 





Yep, shorty short nails again. And this is the only polish for this month. With packing and moving and unpacking and organizing... well, my nails suffered a lot. Hopefully I'll be able to start posting more pics in July, once I'm all set up in my new place and can leave my hands alone for awhile!



FTC: Please see above for how polishes were received. Unless stated otherwise, they were purchased by me with my own money. 

Summer Nail Pinspiration

Happy Summer, everyone! The first day of summer is coming this Saturday! I don't know if it's hot where you live, but it has been super hot here recently (we got up to 108 during the first week of June!). So I'm definitely feeling all things summer, and ready to get some summer shades on my nails.

Here are some of my favorite Summer-inspired nail designs from Pinterest.
(Clicking on the photos will take you directly to the pin so you can pin it to your own boards. All photos are credited to the appropriate blog, which you can reach by clicking on the pin from pinterest.)




I love this! It's simple but that neon just screams summer!


Does this remind anyone else of those airbrush t shirts they sold in the early 90s? If I could figure out how to do a proper ombre nail, I would definitely do something like this!


This also screams 90s to me, but in the best way possible. And I just LOVE that blue.


There are so many other great options for summer nails, but these were my favorite while browsing through pinterest. I can't wait to break out my neon colors!

This Month In Nails - May 2014

Avon in Ruby Slipper



This is one of my all time favorite polishes- I only wish it was debuting on the blog when my nails were in better shape. It's a great red for my skintone, and the sparkle just adds a little something extra without being too blingy- it's like a glitter light.


After that, I didn't do anything to my nails really for the rest of the month. I put a quick coat of Orly's Rose Pixel (seen here and here) on for my grandma's funeral, and that basically lasted me through the end of the month.


FTC: Please see above for how polishes were received. Unless stated otherwise, they were purchased by me with my own money. 

This Month in Nails - April 2014

Love & Beauty in Wine with a top coat of Revlon's Facets of Fuchsia






This wasn't one of my favorite combos ever, but I forgot how much I love Facets of Fuchsia! Definitely the anti-Spring nail, but it was fun.


Ulta in Baby Doll with a top coat of Wet n' Wild Fergie in Rock n' Roll



 

This is one of my least favorite combos ever- I thought it would look so much better in my head, but forgot how dark the base was in the Fergie polish. Oh well, lesson learned.
Baby Doll is one of my absolute favorite neutrals, though. Love it.


So, that's it, because I had a really bad experience with my nails. *Sigh*   
I told you guys, it's a process. 


FTC: Please see above for how polishes were received. Unless stated otherwise, they were purchased by me with my own money. 

This Month In Nails - March 2014

KISS Gradiation EM0311 Step 1





This is from a set of "ombre" colors I got in the Rose Vox Box from Influenster. My nails are obviously shortish again... it's still a struggle! So I went on the light side. I did enjoy just this color by itself- I think if I put just this over a darker polish, it would be really pretty!


MAC in Stage Red





I picked up this polish at a CCO in Gilroy at the outlets. It is such a beautiful red, and I can't wait to put it on my toes this summer. The formula on this polish is really nice! I did use three coats, but I could have gotten away with two.
The swatches on this suck, I realize. I don't know where all those dings came from, or why I didn't notice it until after the pictures were already taken. This is clearly still a work in progress!


MAC Double Trouble with an accent nail of OPI In True Stefani Fashion





I also picked up Double Trouble from the CCO. I love that it's so dark, but it's still obviously a blue nail polish. And it's such a beautiful shade of blue! The formula was a dream, and this is two coats. I did pay full price ($12.50 each) for these mac polishes and I'm not sure I'll be purchasing again, but they were definitely worth every penny!
The OPI is so gorgeous- it sparkled as much as my wedding band! I think it definitely went well with this dark polish, and I'm excited to try it some more. The formula was a little thick, but I've noticed that to be par for the course with these dense glitter polishes. 


Zoya in Channing



I love this color, but this formula was a little touchy to work with. I also got a nasty dent in my index finger nail. I definitely am going to be trying this out as a pedicure color soon, because I think it would look awesome on my toes. 



Urban Outfitters in Bohemian Summer



 

I stopped by the mall the other day to kill some time, and Urban Outfitters had all their nail polishes on sale for $0.99! This is suppose to be a dupe for the Deborah Lippmann nail polish in Rockin Robin. This is the only one I picked up, but I really like it. The formula took three coats to get opaque. I think it's a great spring color, and the light blue is really flattering on my skin tone.


I did much better about painting my nails this month, and my nails are finally starting to get to a length I love. I am still having some problems with my cuticles and it's my goal in April to stop picking and taking better care of my hands in general.



FTC: Please see above for how polishes were received. Unless stated otherwise, they were purchased by me with my own money. 

Pinspiration: Spring Nail Ideas

Happy First Day of Spring!
I'm not usually one for "theming" my nails to a particular season, but pinterest has me "pinspired" to give some of these nail looks a try!
(Clicking on the photos will take you directly to the pin so you can pin it to your own boards. All photos are credited to the appropriate blog, which you can reach by clicking on the pin from pinterest.)



Ahh! So Cute! I wish I was talented enough to do nail art like this- maybe I could give the polka dots a try!




Also so super cute! To me, yellow nail polish just screams Spring (and Summer, too)!




I think this would be so super cute for a Spring wedding as a guest, or a bridal or baby shower.




I did a variation on this last year around Easter, and got a lot of compliments! To me, it's just the perfect, pastel nod to Spring!



Obviously you can wear whatever polish you want, and I rock a dark nail in Spring as quick as I rock a bright nail in the Winter. But there really is just something about a cute, pastel nail in the Spring!

This Month in Nails - February 2014

Zoya in Storm





I got this polish during the Zoya promo (buy three for the cost of shipping), and I don't know if it's just because it's a new bottle of polish or what, but I am not super impressed with the dispersion of the holographic micro glitters. It's not at all like my beloved Aurora (seen in this blog post). But I am hoping it's because it's a new bottle, and when the formula settles a bit, it will be better. I was really impressed with the staying power of this polish- I wore it for almost a week with no chipping or tip wear. I continue to be impressed with Zoya polish, and highly recommend it!


Finger Paints in Vintage Violet with an accent nail of China Glaze in Be Berry, Be Bright






Fingerpaints in Vintage Violet will always have a special place in my heart, because I got engaged wearing that shade! (Is that super lame and cheesy? Probably!) I thought that Be Berry, Be Bright (which was a Christmas gift from my sister-in-law) would pair nicely with it, and it did, but you can't see too many of the purple glitters because the purple polish hides them a bit. But I still really liked this combo.



That's it- another month where I didn't paint my nails very much. I'm definitely going to try to do better next month!


FTC: Please see above for how polishes were received. Unless stated otherwise, they were purchased by me with my own money. 

This Month in Nails - January 2013

Ulta Beauty in Celebutante with a topcoat of Avon Urban Splatter in Purple Graffiti






My mother-in-law bought me THREE of the Urban Splatter polishes. I'm not super happy with Purple Graffiti- you can't even tell it's purple. BUT I do love how it looks and all the different mixes of glitters.
And Celebutante is a favorite of mine- I would repurchase it if I ever ran out. I feel like it's coming off more blue than it is, but trust me- it is extremely purple.


China Glaze in Santa Red My List






My sister-in-law bought me this in a set that China Glaze had out during Christmas time. I hit the motherload in nail polish this Christmas! I feel like this is an exact dupe for Color Club's Hot Like Lava, but I love it, so I don't mind having this little "back up".
I also really like the length of both my pointer and ring fingers here. Random observations!


Zoya in FeiFei






OMG. I really wish the swatches of this were coming off better and the tips weren't so worn. Unfortunately this is about three days in on the wear, because every time I would remember I still needed to take pictures, it was dark.
This is really more blue than it seems in the pictures, and I love it. I got it during the Zoya promo (Buy three, pay $12.00), and I'm so glad I decided to get this one. I wore it during the NFC Championship game (Go Seahawks!) and it really was near the perfect color to be wearing. I might even pop it on during the Super Bowl! I still haven't fully decided what I'm doing yet.


Sally Hansen in Jaded, Pat on the Black, Red My Lips, and Please Sea Me




I did a complete post on these polishes here. I received three of them in an Influenster Vox Box, and the other in the Allure Fall Beauty Box. The more of these polishes that I get, the more I like them!



Zoya in FeiFei with Accent Funky French with China Glaze in In The Lime Light




(My apologies for the tip wear- I forgot to wrap the tips and after typing all day it just tore my nails up!)



This is the nail look I did for the SuperBowl. I had to do it a little early due to plans over the long weekend, and needing to get two weeks worth of blog posts written because I'm going out of town for a long weekend next weekend (Sunday is my Birthday). I like how it turned out, and you can't really see it in the pictures, but the green from In the Lime Light really played off the shimmer in FeiFei. 
I purchased In The Lime Light partially because it was just so obnoxious and really the perfect "Seahawk" green, and partially for the name. (I'm a huge Rush fan, and they have a song called Limelight. I know, nerd alert!)


FTC: Please see above for how polishes were received. Unless stated otherwise, they were purchased by me with my own money. 

Pinspiration: Superbowl Nail Ideas

I am a huge football fan. So it should come as no surprise that I love the Superbowl. Not just because the commercials are great (though they are), and not just because Bruno Mars is performing this year (though I do love him!), but because I love the game. I grew up watching football with my grandmother, and it's a tradition I still enjoy with her today. From September to February, we are together almost every single weekend.

One of my favorite things about the Superbowl is how into it everyone I know gets. It's exciting, especially when you are invested in a team. And I'm the kind of girl that tends to go all out- team colors from my eyelids down to my fingertips. And this year is especially exciting, because my favorite team, the Seattle Seahawks, are going to the Superbowl!!!

Here are some fun nail ideas I found on Pinterest for both the Seahawks and the Denver Broncos.
(As always with these Pinspiration posts, if you click on the picture, it will take you directly to the pin to repin. These photos are not mine, and I do not claim to have credit over them. Please visit the blogs that are pinned directly!)





Holy Wow! I really wish I could do this. Maybe with enough patience I could do something similar on my left hand, but there is no way I could do it on my right!




This is a really cute and simple idea for Broncos nails. You could also swap out the blue and orange for a different blue and green and have really simple Seahawks nails!




This is another one that you could definitely swap out the colors on. I love the simplicity, and the little football. So cute!


I have quite a few more ideas posted on my Beauty Pinterest board. I usually post these on there while I'm working on the post, so be sure to check out that board to see things first!

Have a good Superbowl Sunday everyone! Go Seahawks!!!

This Month in Nails - December 2013

I think my nails are sufficiently grown out enough to post pics... but I didn't paint my nails much. Here's what I got.


OPI in Kiss Me At Midnight with an accent nail of It's Frosty Outside



(with flash)


(without flash)

These are two colors from this year's Mariah Carey holiday collection and they are also both Liquid Sand colors. This is my first time ever trying Liquid Sand, and I'm actually really impressed! I didn't know what I thought the texture would feel like, but I was convinced it would be scratchy or catch on my clothes or something, and that simply isn't the case. I like that it's sparkly but also matte. They're both just gorgeous colors!
This also removed a lot easier than I anticipated- I had less trouble then I do with standard glitter polishes. I was extremely impressed!


Butter London in Jack the Lad




My friend Jeanette gave me this and another Butter London polish for Christmas, and they are my two firsts. I don't do much for New Year's Eve (my friends and I just hang out and watch Star Wars), but this is my New Years mani. Overall, I wasn't super impressed with the formula of this polish, and this is two coats but I feel like I probably should have used three. For the price you pay for a bottle of this, I expected to be wowed by it. But it was on par with pretty much every other polish I own that is a little tricky to work with.


FTC: OPI polishes and the Butter London polish were Christmas gifts. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This Month in Nails - November 2013

Does anyone remember this series?

The reason why it disappeared last month is because I'm a reformed nail biter, who's currently back at the beginning of her twelve steps.
Basically, I decided enough is enough, and I need to stop biting my nails. Because I love relaxing at the end of the day and painting my nails a couple of times a week. It is so therapeutic for me! I also have a TON of nail polish, and when it just sits there looking like it wants to be used and it's not being used... well, I just feel like I wasted money.
I bite and pick my nails less when they're painted. So I just decided to stop biting them and put on some polish instead. Hopefully this is another step to the long road to recovery!


Orly in Rose Pixel

I've shown this on the blog before, back in August, but it really is one of my favorite shades. I also figured it was neutral enough that while my nails are still growing back in, it wouldn't be as noticeable as a darker shade might. The only picture I took was on instagram, because I didn't want to take any "official" swatch pictures. As you can see, my nails are still quite short. But they're coming around!





This was taken late in the month and this took me right up to the last day of November. Hopefully I'll have some fun, christmasy type nails to show off this month, since my nails are growing back in!

This Month in Nails - September 2013

Here is what I wore on my nails in September!

China Glaze in In The Lime Light with an overcoat of Wet n' Wild Shine in Nerd Alert: Screech with an accent nail of Avon in Mink with a white art polish design

That's probably the longest title for a polish design I will ever write!



I pulled the inspiration for this design on my last month's Simple but Pretty Nail Art Pinspiration post, and this specifically comes from Polish and Pearls blog (aka MissJenFABULOUS on YouTube). Obviously it's not exactly the same, but I like the way I chose to do this.

In The Lime Light is a polish I bought because it's so obnoxious. It's a neon, so there are some issues with building it up, and streaking. So I decided to layer over a coat of Nerd Alert: Screech.



I really like the way the combo turned out!



This is just a comparison showing these are not dupe polishes!



The brown I chose is actually the only brown I own! But I really like it!


Sally Hansen in Laced Up

I really like the Sally Hansen nail stickers. But it seems like every time I use them, the quality has gone down. These ones only lasted a few days.





The pattern on these is really pretty, and I will definitely use them again, maybe for an accent nail or something. But like I said, I feel the quality has gone down a bit. Maybe it's just this particular one, I'm not sure.



And that concludes this month in nails.
I'm a reformed nail biter, and after this mani, I kind of went crazy. So I'm trying to let my nails grow out a bit. Hopefully they will be grown out soon!