Tips on Tuesday: Easy Nail Art

Tips on Tuesday seems to be turning into Wisdom on Wednesday these days huh?! I think Work-y thinks I want to eat three meals a day there ;). I am going to try to be better about posting earlier!

Just a little update...I hinted at a surprise coming May 1st on my facebook page! 

Which is tomorrow :D so stay tuned for that jazz!

Today is a teeny hint at what is coming up tomorrow....

So, I think I might have thrown you guys into the deep-end of nail art with my Tutorial on Flowers and maybe the color blocking tutorial too. But the thing is, nail art doesn't have to be hard or require steady hands or fancy tools. All you need is some cute stickers and a good top coat.

(aka NYC In a New York Minute for $1.99).

I started this mani off with a SH base coat and Essie Mod Square, a bright, bubblegum pink! This color is SO summer to me! I can't seem to get enough of pinks lately and this is a favorite! This polish was pretty streaky the first coat, but evened out very nicely the second.

After the polish was dry to the touch, I decided on some "3D Nail Art" stickers by Broadway Nails. These are 3D in the sense they are slightly raised.

These particular stickers came in strips, so I cut them down to fit where I wanted. I simply peeled the sticker off the backing and placed them on my nail and pressed down to adhere the sides to my nail.

Press them down well!

I then topped it off with a top coat.

Uh! So Cute! I love that I got the lacey look without having to do some crazy nail art that for sure would have gotten me frustrated.

Sometimes stickers will start to peel off a little on the edges of your nails , but I found these stayed on pretty well. I did add another coat of top coat a couple days later when I found the edge started to lift.

My favorite thing about (ALL) nail art stickers, is that they come stuck on a clear sheet. I like this because that way I can "test" the sticker out by seeing where to place it on my nail before I peel it off the paper.

What do you think? Do you use stickers as nail art?

Crazy for Coupons: April 28th through May 4th

Hello again! I got good feedback from several of you about my coupon post, so I will continue it indefinitely.

First up: TOMORROW (Tuesday April 30th) is the last day of Buy 2 Get 1 Free polish at Sally's. Also, I was in there yesterday and the girl told me that at select stores, the China Glaze Holo's are Buy 1 Get 1 due to a misprinted sign...uhhh...I restrained myself only because I basically had a basket of polishes already but I haven't been able to get Moonboots outta my mind! I also have a coupon code to share with you that is $10 off $20 that expires tomorrow. Try and stop me from going in tomorrow now...

Anyway, now that I've basically talked myself into needing more polish lets move on to the drugstore sales:

CVS

SUPER DEAL ALERT!

Sally Hansen Cosmetics is Spend $10 get $5 in ExtraBucks! That is seriously such a good deal.

If you are feeling particularly adventurous while there for your SH Polishes, you can scan your ExtraCare Card at that fancy coupon center machine and get a coupon for a free Candy Bar. 

Nicole by OPI is $7.99 this week BUT you get $2.00 ExtraBucks back, so it is like getting it for $5.99. I don't own any NOPI's but I'm pretty sure they are of OPI quality.

Revlon Cosmetics are Buy one get one 50% off

Rimmel is BOGO50% Off

Maybelline is BOGO50% Off.

(Noticing a theme here...)

Revlon, Rimmel, Maybelline, Almay and CoverGirl are BOGO50% Off.

Salma Hayek is a line exclusive to CVS and they have a brand new line of polishes! All her products are BOGO50% off this week.

L'Oreal is Spend $15 get $5 in ExtraBucks. 

The new L'Oreal Advanced Hair Care line is on sale for $3.99. I might go in for this one. I just tried this shampoo and conditioner and it made my hair so soft! 

I am such a sucker for Aussie though and they are 2/$6 this week.

FULL AD HERE

As always, all Cosmetics and CVS Brand items are 100% guaranteed. 

Walgreens

Wet and Wild Cosmetics are only 79cents! Deal!

Almay, L'Oreal, Maybelline, Revlon, Rimmel and Cover Girl are BOGO50% off. (On to you CVS).

Studie 35 Beauty Cotton Rounds are on sale for $1.49, but you need to show the coupon and your card to get the sale.

Orbit, Stride, Eclipse and Trident gum is only 79 Cents this week (14 to 18 pc.) Uh wow. I feel old remembering that this is actually how much gum used to be when I was younger and now this is a deep sale price. Yikes.

FULL AD HERE

RiteAid

I am a Rite Aid frequenter. Not as much as CVS, but Rite Aid always seems to have the newest polish displays first. Mostly because they have ample space that they dedicate to this sort of treachery. 

CoverGirl, Maybelline Eye Cosmetics, L'oreal Cosmetics is (NO ONE IS ORIGINAL!) BOGO50% Off.

Nail Polish Extravaganza! Spend $30 on polish or nail art and get $10 +UP Rewards back!

Rimmel is Spend $15 get $5 in +UP Rewards

Revlon is BOGO50% off and Spend $15 get $5 in +UP Rewards.

If you transfer a prescription to Rite Aid, you get $25 in +UP Rewards per prescription, up to 2 or $50 in +UP Rewards. Tempting...tempting...

I don't really understand how their Rewards system works, but I guess +UP Rewards load to your reward card and you can redeem them the next day.

FULL AD HERE

Any sales you will be taking advantage of?

Happy Monday!

Julie G Gumdrops Part 2

Hi everyone! I hope you had a great weekend! 

Mine had just the right amount of swatching and sunbathing! 

Today I have 2 more polishes from the Julie G Gumdrop line to show you. After showing you Sugar Rush and Blueberry Fizz HERE I just had to go back and grab 2 more of these. 

Yes, I loved them that much!

First up is Hot Cinnamon. This is a beautiful hot red, with Gold and Red micro glitters mixed in. Shown is 2 coats, no base or top coat. Hot Cinnamon is most like Sugar Rush, because it has fine glitters that are suspended in a Jelly like base. 

Here she is in the shade. Application was similar to Sugar Rush and went on smoothly. Hot Cinnamon was opaque in just 2 coats and dried pretty quickly. These polishes dry to a matte finish and have a gritty (sandy) texture to them.

Hot Cinnamon doesn't shine as much as Blueberry Fizz, but it still has a nice sheen to it.

Removal was decent. It wasn't too difficult but it was not as easy as removing a creme.

Like the other shades in this line, I did not find that the roughness of the finish pulled on clothes or got caught in hair.

Up next I have the lovely Candy Crush, a perfect bright plum purple. This shade is most like Blueberry Fizz. It is packed with Plum and Silver micro glitters, with some larger Plum and Silver glitter pieces. Application was a little thicker on this one vs Hot Cinnamon because of the increased glitter content.

Here is Candy Crush in the shade. You can really see the larger glitter pieces here.

I think it is the various sizes of silver glitters that really make Candy Crush and Blueberry Fizz really pop. This makes removal a little more difficult, but so worth it!

Such a gorgeous color! If you can't decide which Julie G to pick up, I would definitely choose Candy Crush! I think plum is such a dynamic color and it will work on so many different skin tones.

The Julie G Gumdrops are exclusive to Rite Aid and retail for $3.99. They are also available on their website here. There are 6 shades in the line. 

I did not show Rock Candy (a cool teal) or Tangerine Dream (a light orange).

What do you think of these 2 shades? Will you be heading to your local Rite Aid in search of these?

Thanks for reading!

A Feathered Gradient using Art Club Stripers: A Review

TGIF! This week lasted forever! 

If you haven't stopped over to "like" me on facebook, please do! Surprise coming May 1st! :)

Today I have a funky fun mani to show you. On a recent trip to Five Below, my sister and I picked up some new Art Club Striper Polishes. Color Club makes these stripers and they are absolutely divine and I love working with them. When we got home, my sister was playing around with them on my swatch wheels and came up with a cool design! I recreated it (after several attempts!) using my favorite color combos.

I used 2 coats of a mini Color Club from their Poptastic Collection as my base. They all came unnamed so my best guess is that it is Age of Aquarius. I found 2 sets of these polishes (4 mini's in each) for just 4$ at Burlington Coat Factory! You seriously never know where you will score a good polish!

Age of Aquarius is a nice bright turquoise. It was completely opaque in 2 coats and the formula was great. Turquoise is quickly becoming a favorite shade of mine! Especially when coupled with Purple!

Art Club doesn't appear to name their Stripers, but I used one in Purple and one in Metallic Pink. These aren't quite nail polish but I wouldn't say they are Acrylic paints either. They never goop up on me nor are they too thin and it is beyond easy to get just the right amount on the brush.

I started with Art Club Striper in Metallic Pink and made a couple of light lines down the left side of my nail. I then layered the Purple on top, making those lines more dense. I finished it off with 4 stripes of the Metallic Pink. Because of the way the lines feather out and how nicely the colors compliment each other, it almost appears to be a gradient. 

I used one coat of NYC over all. 

It took a couple practice tries before I ended up with feathered lines I was happy with!

I love this and want to own every single Striper Color/Art Club makes.

What do you think? Have you tried Art Club Stripers?

Color Club is available online on their website or at Llarowe (I personally have had really great experiences with Llarowe and would purchase from Leah Ann all day). 

If you have a lemming for some of their stripers, I recommend purchasing them at Five Below as they are ALWAYS 3 for $5 (compared to 4$ each on their website). 

Thanks for reading!

Get the Look for Less: Julie G Textured Gumdrops Part 1

Ahh, the Julie G Frosted Gum Drops, textured polish line.

I have been stalking Rite-Aids for longer than I care to divulge (the Cashiers actually KNOW me at this point) for this lovely line.

Julie G is an exclusive line to Rite-Aid, and since textures seem to be all the rave, they are one of the first drugstore lines (behind Milani) to jump on the band wagon.

Yesterday, for Tips on Tuesday, I showed you Zoya PixieDust in Godiva. The colors from their Spring line are definitely not eye-popping like their Summer shades, so I am so glad to show you the GumDrops as an alternative! Zoya retails for $8, but the Julie G Gumdrops are only $3.99 at your local Rite-Aid! 

That's $4 in savings! 

Getting the look for less!

First up is Sugar Rush, an orange-coral shade. The first coat goes on relatively pink, but after the second coat it ends out more of an orange-y coral. This polish is packed with gold and deep orange micro glitters. And of course, it dries matte, with a textured (sandy) feel.

Application was perfect. I used 2 coats, no base or top coat. I find that with textured polishes, it doesn't really matter if you use a base coat or not. However, the textured effect is null if you add a top coat. 

Removal on Sugar Rush was relatively easy. Not quite as easy as removing Zoya Godiva, but it definitely wasn't a huge deal. This polish appeared to have a Jelly base, so I think that helped with removal. I did find that I was covered in little glitters until I washed my hands! (Oh Twilight!)

My favorite so far is Blueberry Fizz. 

Holy cow is this one pretty! Not to mention it is pretty much the exact shade of my car, a light periwinkle, blue. 

Blueberry Fizz has a ton of micro glitter and has some larger glitter pieces mixed it. 

The bigger chunks of glitter were seriously eye catching and packed an awesome glitter punch!

Despite more glitter, this one went one just as easy as Sugar Rush.

 2 coats shown here, no base or top coats. The above picture is the actual shade.

I found this one harder to remove because of the higher concentration of glitters and I was left with a couple of the larger chunk glitters left over. But, beauty is pain right? I will suffer through glitter nightmare removal any day for this pretty!

I thought it would lose some of the sparkle after it dried, but it didn't. I did find that these textured polishes were a little rougher than Zoya, but not to the point where it would catch on anything. I did have to file my tips a little though because it was a little rougher around the edge.

 Here she is in the shade. I loved the cool tone of the blue on my skin tone. It is very flattering and despite being blue, it isn't too bold. Check out those larger glitters scattered in there!

I am so happy with these polishes! To think I was back and forth on the purchase for awhile!

If you have been thinking about trying a textured polish, these are the ones to try, 

especially if you love you some glitter! Go buy them!

I am not sure how long these will be in stores so get them while you can!

Check back later this week for the other 2 shades I chose.

Check out Part 2 HERE.

What do you think of the textured polishes? Have you tried them? Yay or Nay?

Julie G Gumdrops are also available for purchase online HERE.

Tips on Tuesday: Business Basics with Zoya Pixiedust

I had another post planned for today as I think some of you are adverse to nude polishes. But I am curious to see what you think about this one! A couple of months ago Zoya released an innovative line of polishes called PixieDust. These are textured, they dry matte and are loaded with sparkle. I have a hard time liking glitter because removal is somewhere on the line of rubbing a cotton pad on sandpaper. NIGHTMARE.

Anyway, because I had never tried Zoya before and these looked so neat, I purchased 3. And of course now they have lovely gorgeous colors that I want. 

(Stay tuned for a "Get the look for less post on this :)")

Meet Zoya Godiva!

I wasn't even considering this polish for a work appropriate shade until Zoya posted on facebook that this is the new go-to nude shade for work! 

I hadn't worn it in a bit, so I tested it out again and I totally think this is appropriate for the office. It is subtle enough that it won't be distracting but it adds just the right amount of flare and fashion!

Shown here is 3 coats, no base coat OR top coat. The polish dries to a gritty, sand feel, but amazingly, it goes on exactly like regular polish. You would never know from immediate application that there are particles in there. Someone asked me if because of the texture, it gets caught on clothes or hair. 

It does not! I didn't experience this at all. The texture is noticeable but it subtle and not very raised.

It dries better than average polishes, and is so forgiving if you smudge or make a mistake.

There is a TON of lovely glitter in this pretty, and fortunately, I don't hate the removal process. It didn't remove as easily as a creme polish, but it definitely wasn't a glitter nightmare.

Wear was so awesome! I wore this for exactly 5 days and I had zero chipping. Minor tip wear and top wear because I obviously couldn't stop touching it, but other than that -- perfect.

What do you think of this nude? Have you tried any textured polishes? What do you think?

Godiva and the other Pixie's can be purchased HERE or In-store at Ulta.

Read my post on how to get a FREE Zoya Polish! 

Happy Tuesday!

Crazy for Coupons

I am thinking I might add a new regular post here, so let me know what you think!

I want to do a rundown of cosmetics sales and deals that are currently going on for that week at all the places I frequent for my polish and makeup buys.

CVS

 Now Through April 27th, 2013

Sally Hansen Hair Removers and Cosmetics Buy one Get one 50% off

Almay Cosmetics Spend $10 get $4 back in Extrabucks

L'oreal Foundation, Concealer, Eye, Powder or Blush: Spend $12 get $4 Extrabucks.

Maybelline Cosmetics: Spend $15 get $5 Extrabucks

Revlon Cosmetics: Spend $10 get $4 Extrabucks (This is my favorite deal of the week!)

**Don't forget to sign up for the CVS Beauty Club Program HERE.

For every $50 you spend on qualifying Health and Beauty items, you get $5 Extrabucks. It adds up fast!

And just for signing up, you get a 10% off shopping pass!**

BONUS:

CVS has a 100% Guarantee on ALL Cosmetics items. If you don't like it, return it, even if it is opened and/or used. Whenever buying cosmetics ALWAYS save the receipt in case you don't like it!

Link is HERE.

Walgreens

Now through April 27th, 2013

Covergirl Cosmetics Buy one Get one 50% off

Maybelline Cosmetics Buy on Get one 50%off

Neutrogena Cosmetics Buy on Get one 50%off

Revlon Buy one Get one 50% off

**Check the Savings & Deals Page for Instant coupons redeemable in store! Page is HERE.**

RiteAid

Now through April 27th, 2013

Revlon Cosmetics Buy on Get one 50% off PLUS for every $15 spent, get back $5 +UP reward (definitely the best bang for your buck here if you need to replenish some old makeup!)

Neutrogena Cosmetics 40% off

Maybelline Buy on Get one 50% off

Covergirl Buy one Get one 50% off

Wet n' Wild 40% off (oohhwaa!)

**Don't forget to check their Printable Coupons (powered by Coupons.com) HERE**

Rite Aid has their own line of nailpolish called JulieG and the new texture Gumdrop shades are already being spotted!

  

BONUS: 

RiteAid has a 100% Guarantee on ALL Cosmetics items. If you don't like it, return it, even if it is opened and/or used. Whenever buying cosmetics ALWAYS save the receipt in case you don't like it!

Link is HERE.

Sally's Beauty Supply

Month of APRIL

Buy 2 get One Free on Entire stock of Nail Polish and Soak-Off Gel Polish.

You can Mix & Match!

They have China Glaze, Orly, Nina, Sally Girl, Finger Paints, Ultra Pro and Striping Paints.

Ulta

Now through Sunday May, 12th, 2013

Buy 2 get One Free on Orly, Zoya, Piggie Polish or China Glaze.

And like 40 more pages of makeup deals and steals.

If you download CouponSherpa on Iphone or Android there are ALWAYS $3.50 off your $10 purchase coupons out. I never go without one! (Not valid on OPI).

**When In-Store check the Clearance section! They often 'hide' new polish displays around corners and down aisles!**

Target

I never check their flyer, but download the mobile app and check for mobile coupons!

They get updated about once a week!

Sonia Kashuk Cosmetics $3 off your purchase of $10 or more

**Best place to Buy Essie Nail polish! Regularly $7.79 and I've seen it over $8 other places!**

Sephora

Sephora doesn't have a weekly flyer but whenever I am in-store I always shop the Clearance section! There are always some good buys!

When shopping online, browse the SALE section and make sure to add your 3 FREE SAMPLES to your bag! Free shipping over $50!

**Check out Adventures in Polishland's post on how to get the most for your money HERE.**

Other random places to check for deals:

Marshalls

TJMaxx

Christmas Tree Shop

Dollar Stores

Ocean State Job Lot

Any sales you plan to take advantage of? What do you have your eye on?

Baseball in Boston

I can't think of a better way to end this week(end) than in Boston at the Red Sox game. 

I have remained quiet about the events this past week, mostly because, I don't really have any words for what has transpired and I can't really articulate how sad it makes me.

Baseball games, football games, concerts and any activity that brings a mass of people together have always fascinated me. For several hours, no matter who we are or what we believe outside of the stadium, while we are there, we are one. 

There is nothing that fills my heart up quite like belting out the lyrics to 

Sweet Caroline with 40,000 other voices. 

Today was no different.

To create this look, I used 2 coats of Julep Eloise.

For my accent nail I used 2 coats of China Glaze White Out.

You can't tell from these photos, but I matted my accent nail using SOPI Matte top coat, giving it a more baseball-esque look.

I used a coat of NYC over the rest of my nails.

On my accent finger I used a Color Club's Art Club striping polish in red to create the baseball look.

I stamped hearts over Eloise using an Art Club white on my pointer finger. And then colored in one of the hearts with red. I used Red Angel Stamping plate RA-120.

Fenway Park in the background!

Snails and Puppy Dog Tails

I am going to be an Auntie to a cutey little baby boy! 

My sister's baby shower was last Sunday and we just had to do something neat for our nails!

I picked Zoya Blu because she is having a boy! Blu is a lovely powder blue creme.

Since this is the first time I am featuring Zoya here, I will tell you a little about it! I only have a small collection of Zoya's, but the formula on them is pretty good, and they have really great brushes. Even for a pastel, this went on completely opaque in one generous coat and I experienced no streaking! Unheard of! 

Zoya is sold online here and in select retailers (Ulta-in store only).

If you sign up on their site, you get a coupon for a free polish. You can read my post about that here.

My sister opted for Funky Fingers Mrs. Mint. 

Funky Fingers can be found at Five Below and they have a wide array of colors that turn over regularly. They are always 3 for $5 and you can mix and match with their other polish brands! 

This went on a little streaky, but totally evened out with the second coat and is such a perfect mint color with a nice subtle shimmer.

I used Art Club striping polishes in White and Silver to create the lines on our pointer fingers and our ring fingers. With a dotting tool I created little baby feet on our accent nails. I sealed the design in with one coat of NYC.

Here is a close up of the feet on my sister's nails. Look at those little toes!

We think these came out so cute and it was such a fun idea for the Shower! 

I can't wait to see my nephew's real little feetsies!!

Happy Thursday!

Tips on Tuesday: Back to the Business Basics

Tips on Tuesday is back! 

A friend recently suggested I do a post about nail colors that are appropriate for a job interview or the [conservative] office. I thought this was such a great idea and never would have thought of it myself!

This will be a bit of a series, since this also extends to colors that are appropriate for 

special occasions (weddings, first communions, dances and the like). 

It is almost graduation season and I am sure many people are hunting for internships or jobs. 

You might also be preparing for interviews with potential admissions counselors at undergrad or graduate schools. It is surprising the things potential employers will notice and I think it is important to have, at the very least, clean nails. 

When preparing your nail color decision for one of the above events, I would recommend you always go very conservative and neutral. 

Never go Bright, Bold or Brave. 

No blues, no greens, no blacks and never, never red.

Red has a very negative connotation surrounding it, and you simply do not know the interviewers background. Red is too sexy and simply just isn't an interview or first day on the job kind of color. 

When in doubt, file your nails nice, brush on a clear coat and call it a day.

I have compiled a swatch list here of my absolute favorite nudes that are 100% appropriate for any formal situation. 

First up is OPI Barefoot in Barcelona. 

This is a light brown warm nude, slightly darker than my skin tone, 

but still light enough to be considered "barely there".

I may have mentioned before that OPI is one of my favorite polish brands. 

All of the nudes I will be showing you today, are OPI. 

I love the formulas on all these polishes. I don't want to repeat the formula for each swatch, so I will say it here. These all went on perfect, opaque in 2 moderate coats. Average Dry time. The brushes on all of my OPI's are perfect and get even, neat coats.

Barefoot in Barcelona is shown here with

 2 coats and no top coat.

This is a great nude if you wanted a bit more of a darker shade, just enough to be noticeable.

Up next is Tickle My France-Y.

This is my favorite nude that I own (and I have a lot)! It is a cool nude and has no pink undertones, which I find a lot of nudes tend to have.

Shown here is 3 coats. France-y is opaque in 2 coats, but because it was so light, I wanted to show the true color as best as I could.

Next I have a bit more of a peachy nude to show you.

This is Hopelessly in Love. When compared side by side, this seems to be my least favorite of the bunch, but I truly love this color on its own. I think this heads into the pinks category however, the warm peachy-ness of the color is what compliments my skin tone nicely, so I still consider it to be a nude.

None of these shades are flashy, distracting or in your face. 

They are subtle nudes that give a hint of color and a nice shine to your nails.

I used 3 coats here, to show the true color of the polish. 

My goal was to show you 3 different nude shades that can compliment many skin tones. 

It might take a couple of tries to find a great one that you absolutely adore, but you will find it!

What nude shades are your favorite? Do you have a go-to formal wear polish?

Let me know in the comments!

Navy Nautical Nails!

Happy Sunday!

This week one of my good friends is leaving for Boot Camp for the Navy! She asked me to do a special mani for her, so here it is!

On my pointer and pinky fingers I used a base of OPI My Vampire is So Buff. Using striping tape I created lines with a Teddy Line Colore 85 I got when I was abroad in Italy and China Glaze Snap my Dragon (Avant Garden collection).

For my middle finger I used CG Snap my Dragon and painted on an anchor with OPI My Vampire is So Buff. On my ring finger, I used the Teddy Line polish again and using a striper, I spiced it up using Maybelline Color Show in Bold Gold.

Here is a close up on the anchor detail! I just love how this came out! 

I got tons of compliments on it!

I painted my thumb with CG Snap my Dragon and topped the whole thing off with 

one coat of Seche Vite.

Thanks for reading!

Best Blog Award!

How cute is that picture?!

I am so excited to have been nominated for the Best Blog award by Caitlin at 

The Perfectly Polished Life! Thanks, Caitlin! 

Go check her out! She has a really cute page!

So this is how it works: The person who nominates you asks 11 questions. I answered the questions below. Then I'll nominate my picks for the Best Blog Award and I'll ask them 11 questions!

The questions I get to answer are:

1. Where are you from?

The lovely Ocean State!

2. Why did you start writing a blog?
Almost 5 years ago (in October!) I stopped biting my nails and started painting my nails a TON! I have learned so much about nail polish and nail art along the way that I wanted to have a space to share it all!

3. What is the best top coat in your opinion?

I absolutely Love NYC In a New York Minute! It is affordable (bonus!) and it dries so quickly and has a nice shine!

4. What is your favorite polish for Spring?

I've been really loving pastels lately and have such a lemming for Butter Londons Sprog! If I had to choose one I would probably go with Essie's Turquoise & Caicos.

5. What are your top 5 favorite polishes?

Revlon Plum Seduction is an all time fave. When it got old and goopy, it was the only one I felt I needed to replace. OPI Melon of Troy, Essie Boxer Shorts, Milani 3D Hi-Res and OPI Vampsterdam are also on the top of the list.

6. What is your favorite brand of polish?
OPI because I find it lasts the longest for me and Essie because they have the most gorgeous shades and some of the best blues and greens I own.

7. Favorite hobby? Other than painting your nails.

I collect postcards. I enjoy traveling and I like to have a keepsake of everywhere I have been. One day, I would like to have a postcard from all 50 states. Thankfully friends and family have been helping build my collection! I currently have postcards from 26 states and 21 different countries! I have been collecting since I was a little girl and even inherited some postcards from my Great Grandmother! I even have some postcards with a 1 cent stamp still attached! How neat is that?!

8. What is a blogging tip you would offer to new bloggers?

The thing that helped me most was to make a regular schedule of when I would put posts up and to stay active on my facebook page and other new bloggers pages! Sticking to a schedule really made it easier to get organized and I couldn't believe how quickly my posts piled up. I also think it is a good idea to have some posts on backup in case something comes up and you can't post that day.

9. What is your favorite polish trend?

I am absolutely loving the textured polishes right now. (Hold the glitter!) But I have a real soft spot for any and all holographic polishes. Crelly polishes keep catching my eye though on the indie polish scene!

10. Whose posts do you look forward to reading every week?

I actually really love ILNP and LLarowe's posts on facebook. I have been exposed to so many different polishes, trends and bloggers from reading their page shares!

11. What is your favorite post you have done thus far?

My favorite post so far would probably have to be my Tips on Tuesday on how to create a color blocking mani. I really want to show my followers how easy making fun designs on your nails can be!

My picks for the Best Blog award are:

Mommies Mani's

Lunar Lacquer

Go check out their pages! And I apologize if you have already been tagged!

My 11 questions for you are:

1. Where are you from?

2. What new polish line are you most looking forward to for summer?

3. Do you have any pets?

4. What is your dream vacation?

5. What is the thing you like the most about blogging?

6. What is your favorite post to date?

7. What is the one nail polish color you don't need any more of?

8. What is your favorite holiday or season?

9. Do you have a favorite basecoat?

10. Who's posts do you look forward to reading every week?

11. Where is your favorite place to shop for nail polish?

Thanks for the nomination Caitlin! :)

Loreal Colour Riche Nail Lingerie Review

Hello! I am posting so late today! I was busy making a diaper cake

 for my sister's baby shower on Sunday!

Today I have something a little different to show you.

While browsing in Rite Aid the other day, waiting for JulieG's Gumdrop Collection to land, 

I picked up the L'Oreal Colour Riche Nail Lingerie from their 

Versailles Romance Collection in Tart my Heart.

These are a little different than your traditional Nail Stickers or wraps that you might have seen because they are clear with a design on them and can be placed over any colored polish. 18 stickers come in each pack and they are all different sizes. I have pretty small nails and I found that the sizes fit me just fine.

My base polish is A England Guinevere, a lovely light dusty purple. I searched high and low for a purple this shade and I finally found one that I am seriously satisfied with. Happy Camper :)

I decided to apply the stickers to my thumb, index and ring fingers. I was going for a dainty look!

They were pretty easy to apply. I waited until my polish was completely dry so the stickers wouldn't smudge any of the polish. Placement on the nail was relatively easy and the neat thing was, if you got it on a little crooked, you could easily peel it back off and place it again. After placing it on the nail, you just file off the excess on the tips and you're good to go! 

There is absolutely no dry time and they are supposed to last up to 10 days.

I really like the look of these! The only thing that was a little difficult about them, was getting them to smooth out over the top of my nail. Unfortunately, it bunched in some places. However, it was easy enough to peel off and tug a little to stretch it out so it didn't bunch.

I have been wearing these stickers for a couple of days now and I am only seeing just a slight lift at the tips. Nothing major though.

DO NOT PUT A TOP COAT ON! 

Or this is what happens :(. 

I emailed L'Oreal about this and they said that no top coat was needed for this type of sticker. 

So you don't want to do this!

These stickers do not remove with regular nail polish remover, you simply just peel them off when you're done with them! 

So after this little mishap happened, a simple swipe of remover actually totally fixed it without ruining the designs. It was weird.

I think these are pretty cute and they come in a variety of different patterns and colors! The design is slightly raised so it has a nice texture to it too! 

Overall, my experience was pretty positive with these and I think they give a nice look to my nails. I was pleased that they were pretty easy to work with even though it felt a little strange not applying a top coat!

Will you try these? Have you tried these or other nail stickers/wraps?