Vacation Nails + Beautiful Beach Pics

Hi all. Well this has been a long time coming! I guess a month isn't that bad...it could be worse. I am seriously drowning in homework over here and have barely had any time to paint my nails at all. I've done a bit though, so I have some material to share throughout the next few months as the homework intensifies. Before I left for my vacation in August, I was trying to decide on what to wear on my nails and decided to go for function. I knew that I wouldn't want to have to paint my nails while I was there because I would be too busy having fun and relaxing, so I went for a polish that I knew would last the whole week with no chips. This is the only polish I own that will not have a single chip even after over a week of abuse and playing in the sand!

This is Sally Hansen Sorbet from their Smooth & Perfect line. I am pretty sure they did away with this polish because the formula was TOO good. They wanted more chips so that they could sell more polish. It's a bit of a boring color, so I jazzed it up with a nice glitter gradient using Revlon Stunning.

On our trip, my dad found a rock that was dark gray with pink glittery sparkles in it. As I was holding it and exclaiming "ooh pretty, sparkle, shiny!!!", I realized that it match my mani. So, my lovely sister and I did our best to get a good photograph to share on the blog. This is the best picture she was able to capture. It was tough because it was so sunny, but you can see those pink sparkles!

Here is a close-up so you can see what I'm talking about. The rock looks like it has glitter in it. And, yes, I kept it. So, now it sits among all of my other rocks that I have brought home from various trips around the U.S. :)

Here are a few pics of the sights and scenes from my vacation for you to look at.

I'm headed to California for a wedding this week, so I'll have another "vacation mani" for you and maybe some fun pics to share in a few more weeks! Thank you so much for reading!

August Julep It Girl Box

Hello! I know it's been ages and that I have been starting every post with an apology lately, but I am just so busy enjoying summer and haven't been doing my nails as much as usual. When the sun disappears for 8 months, I will be back, I'm sure. :) So anyway, I have some pretty Julep polishes to show you, which I just finally swatched at 3 days ago, because I have been enjoying myself on vacation, and basically boycotted the computer for the past 2 weeks.

First, here is the pretty packaging. I swear, sometimes this is my favorite part! It feels like Christmas when these boxes arrive. :)

The colors are pretty dark, (too dark for August), so I quickly swatched them and will break them back out once it is steadily cold outside. :) The first color I am showing you is my favorite of the bunch.

This is Marjorie. It is a really pretty shimmery orange, that makes me think of fall. The problem is, I don't want to think about fall, so I didn't wear it for long. It's gorgeous though and went on smoothly, so I will be playing with this one come October for sure!

Next up is Nellie. This is a nice raspberry shade and is an opaque cream. It will be great for nail art this fall/winter, so you will probably be seeing it again. This went on pretty smoothly as well, although it did take three coats to get nice, even coverage.

And last, but not least (just darkest) is Fiore. I know I will be in love with this one come winter, but right now, it's just too drab. I want bright, sparkly things, for just a little while longer. This color was probably the nicest in the bunch in terms of application. It went on very smoothly, and only required two coats! It dried super shiny too, which I really loved.

I chose to skip the September box because I just didn't like enough of the colors, but I have a whole bunch of other things to show off, so I'll be posting again as soon as I have the chance. School started again three weeks ago. This will be my final semester (at least until I enroll in grad school), and I am just SO over it. :) Hopefully it will go by fast, and then I can relax because I will be a graduate with a beautiful bachelor's degree, and then it will be Christmas! Oh my god, you guys, I am already looking forward to Christmas! What is wrong with me??!! :) I'll try to post again within a week. I have some pretty vacation pics, and I'll show you the simple, but pretty, manicure I wore while I was there!

Neons To Kiss The Summer Goodbye

I actually did this manicure a pretty long time ago, but looking at them makes me realize that summer is over, school is back in full swing, and I have to get back in a good routine.

I started this mani with a coat of white, then sponged on my neons in Julep Abbie and Mackenzie, Spoiled Did I Dye It Too Blonde? and Permission To Proceed, and China Glaze Ride The Waves splodgerama style. Then, I stamped over it using Konad Special White and the plate I used was Mash-39.

I loved this mani, and wore it for a full week before it was so chipped that I had to part with it. I hope you all enjoyed this post! I'll be back in another week or so with more! :)

Nail Art Featuring Nicole by OPI Candy Is Dandy

Hello! I am back from vacation and have several manicures to show you from the past few weeks! I know it's been a while, but I've been busy enjoying the sunshine! Today, I have some freehand nail art for you to enjoy. :) I tried out another of the Nicole by OPI Gumdrops polishes, and I really like this one - it is so sparkly. I am a sucker for sparkly things. Take a look!

Candy is Dandy can be worn both matte or with added topcoat for extra shine. The glitter is so sparkly, that it looks really great when you wear it matte, too.

I used Pure Ice Black Rage to hand draw the swirls, dots, and lines onto the tip of each nail, and then sealed it all with some fast dry topcoat.

 

I loved the way this turned out, and it is SHAMEFUL that I haven't shown these off sooner. The drab weather is back, so you will probably be seeing more of me, despite the fact that I am taking my capstone this semester. :) Thanks for looking, and be sure to check back next week to see what I have in store!