Nail of the day - Milani Jewel FX in Silver 533

 

If you're looking for a nail polish that's going to make an impact you must check out the Jewel FX line from Milani. I received this silver chunky glitter polish (try to say that ten times fast) as part of the gift bag given out at the Beautylish spring trends preview event. Truth be told, I wouldn't have normally picked out this polish because it's just so flashy. I like glitter polishes but I usually stick to the ones that contain micro glitter. Even though it's not my normal style, it's been fun testing out such a bold, funky polish.

You know how some glittery nail polishes are stingy with the sparkles? This one is not like that. The glitter is very concentrated and with just two coats your nail will be almost completely covered. It's quite beautiful on its own or paired with a color underneath.

Milani Jewel FX Silver over OPI's The Color to Watch

The only bad thing about this polish is trying to get it off! I have worn it twice now and found it pretty difficult to remove with normal nail polish remover both times. It takes a lot of work. Other than that, this polish is fabulous and would be perfect for a party.

What do you think of this unique nail polish? Would you wear it?

Review - Sally Hansen Salon Effects nail polish strips

I received this box of Sally Hansen Salon Effects nail polish strips as part of the amazing gift bag given to those who attended the NYC Beautylish spring trends preview event several weeks ago.

These nail polish strips can be found wherever Sally Hansen products are sold (typically in drug stores) and cost around $9 for one box. They come in a range of fun colors and patterns, including everything from "electric shock," the bright yellow color I received (above) to "booty camp," a hot pink camouflage pattern. 

Sally Hansen is my favorite drug store nail polish brand, so I was super excited to give this product a try.

The package contains everything you need to apply one full set of nail polish strips, including an instruction sheet, cuticle stick, mini nail file/buffer and 16 nail polish strips.

Without further ado... check out my results: 

Now here are my thoughts about this product:

Pros
On a positive note, these nail polish strips are actually quite easy to apply. The instructions are clear and I quickly got the hang of it after applying one or two strips. There is no drying time whatsoever. They adhered well to the nail and did not peel off easily. Plus, they stayed on for several days without chipping.

Also, the bright yellow color I used is incredibly eye-catching and vibrant. It's not a color I would have normally picked out, but I ended up loving it!

Cons
The only criticism I have of this product is the strip-per-box ratio. Each box contains 16 strips, which is only enough for one full manicure. It would be much better if they included just four more strips per package so it would be possible to get two manicures out of one box! I get that people have different nail sizes, but I really don't understand putting 16 strips in each box -- it seems like such a waste. It's not enough strips for two manicures, but too many for just one. Odd.

One tip
Like the Minx manicure, these nail polish strips work better on nails that are not super short. When applying these strips you'll need to file off the excess, so having a little growth on your nails makes the application much, much easier.

My thoughts overall
This is an ingenious product that I will most likely be trying again. Unless you're a master nail artist, you just can't get these kind of designs without getting a Minx manicure, which is much more costly.

Have you used these nail polish strips? Do you think you'll try them.

Spring into this season with pink nail polish

Now that it's getting a tad bit warmer here in New York, I've been testing the waters with some springier nail polish shades. During the winter, I was hooked on painting my nails dark reds and purples. I am so over those shades now! I feel like it's time for some really fun pinks. I'm also determined to try light blue and pastel purple shades this season. For now, though, I have two pretty pink colors to share.

First up, OPI's My Chihuahua Bites!

A few weeks ago, I was hanging out with some girlfriends and they all had on such cute springy nail polish colors. One friend wore a peachy pink shade and another had on bright yellow. I just had to copy. So I got My Chihuahua Bites! and I love it. It's absolutely perfect for spring and summer.

Next up, I tried a slightly darker shade from OPI called Houston We Have A Purple.

The name isn't really that fitting because as you can tell, this is totally a pink. It's actually a dark beet shade. A very nice color, and perfect for this in-between time of year, when one day it feels like fall and the next it's spring again. 

What do you think of these shades? Have you transitioned to wearing springy nail polish colors yet, or are you still wearing your dark, wintery hues?

Nail of the day - OPI Show It and Glow It

 Love. Love. Love this polish! If you're looking for something special that's going to make an impact and get attention, try "Show it and Glow it" from OPI's 2010 Burlesque Collection. With two coats, this polish leaves the nail fully covered with pink and silver glitter with a dash of multi-colored sparkles thrown into the mix. It's like a party on your nails!

The only downside about this polish, in my opinion, is it chips very easily because of all that glitter. Sparkly nail polish is a funny thing -- some polishes, like China Glaze's Ruby Pumps, have just the right amount of glitter so that the overall polish-to-glitter mixture is sparkly and has great staying power. On the other hand, polishes with an extremely high concentration of glitter, like Show It and Glow It, seem to chip very easily. Am I making any sense at all?

Anyway, despite the fact that it chips quickly (think -- within two days) this is the perfect polish for a special night out.

What do you think, pretties? Have you tried this or any of the other polishes from OPI's Burlesque Collection? There are some other great glittery ones in that collection as well.

Nail of the Day: Essie Sexy Divide

Today's nail of the day is Essie's Sexy Divide, a rich amethyst hue with a hint of shimmer. I wore this polish on New Year's Eve and it added the perfect, fun pop of color to my look. I almost didn't get the chance to wear this polish, though . . .

See, on the afternoon of New Year's Eve the nail salon in my neighborhood was so, so packed! After seeing approximately every single woman in New York City crowded into the salon, I walked out discouraged, nails un-done, and cursing myself for waiting until the last minute.

Even worse, I stopped by the beauty supply store (figuring I'd just buy a purple polish and do my own mani) but it looked like a tornado had passed through the polish section, leaving only the ugliest shades behind. 

As a last ditch effort, I called a different nail salon nearby and -- miraculously -- they were able to squeeze me in! Fortunately, the nail salon carried this pretty purple color, and the look I was envisioning finally came together. Crisis averted.

A champagne toast

Dancing the night away.

Do you ever wear purple nail polish? What do you think of this color? Was it worth the stress I went through?

Nail of the day - OPI The Color to Watch

Hey, beauties! I hope everyone is having a great holiday season and got lots of presents! I got a ton of beauty loot that I'll be blogging about over the next couple weeks. 

This gorgeous iridescent dark lavender nail polish called "The Color to Watch" was gifted to me by my brother's incredibly stylish girlfriend Erin. It comes from OPI's Fall 2010 Swiss collection along with another polish that was recently featured here on Prettied Up called "Lucerne-Tainly Look Marvelous." Check it out (please don't mind my short nails and shoddy painting job).

Although I usually associate lavender tones with summer and springtime, this color comes out kind of dark with three or four coats so it's perfect for any season. Every time I look down at my nails this pretty purple just makes me happy! 

Do you love this color as much as I do?

Nail of the day - Essie Leave it to Diva

Today's nail of the day is Essie's Leave it to Diva, a gorgeous dark red color that is absolutely perfect for the holidays. With a chill in the air, winter is the perfect time to experiment with darker, moodier colors. I love how this one is festive enough for holiday parties while at the same time toned-down enough to wear to the office.

Meanwhile, whenever I go to the nail salon I feel so much pressure to pick out my color quickly. Does that happen to anyone else? This Saturday I went for a mani/pedi with my mom and she quickly swapped up OPI's Lincoln Park After Dark. I, like usual, hemmed and hawed over which color to choose. I ended up picking this pretty color because, really -- you just can't go wrong with a great red. It's just a no-brainer!  

Nail of the day - OPI Lincoln Park After Dark

You know how when you were a kid you had a big box of crayons? My favorite color was Crayola's Robin Egg Blue. Now that we're older, instead of crayons we have nail polish! And one of my favorite colors nowadays is OPI's Lincoln Park After Dark.

Today I decided to treat myself to a manicure after work. I've been doing so well all month with my goal of saving money that I felt like I deserved it. So, when I walked into the salon and took a peek at the colors, I immediately plucked out Lincoln Park After Dark. It's a deep purple -- almost black, and it's perfect for this time of year. It's just a no-brainer.

This color has been a favorite for what seems like several years now. I just can't get enough of it. Is Lincoln Park After Dark one of your favorites as well? Or, are you sick of it?

Nail of the day - OPI Lucerne-Tainly Look Marvelous

Lately I've had a thing for glittery nail polish. It's so pretty and because of the glitter, it stays on longer and doesn't chip as much! I went to the nail salon for a manicure today and picked out a color called "Lucerne-Tainly Look Marvelous," which is part of OPI's Swiss collection for fall/winter 2010. It's a dark gray/gunmetal color with blue undertones and silver micro glitter. This is the first time I've tried this color, and I'm loving it! Take a look:

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I wear glittery nail polish all the time, but if you're more conservative this would also be a great option for a party or special night out like New Year's Eve! 

What do you think of this color? Are you into glittery nail polishes?

Nail of the day - China Glaze Ruby Pumps

I love a good red nail, don't you? So classic and sexy, it's probably my favorite nail look. Now that it's fall I'm able to wear all of my dark nail polishes that I typically don't wear during the summer -- like this beautiful red. Today, I'm starting out a regular feature here on Prettied Up called Nail of the Day (NOTD) with one of my favorite nail polish colors ever: China Glaze Ruby Pumps. 

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I have worn this so many times, it's really my go-to color. I tried to capture the color of the polish as best as possible through these photos but really, you have to see it in person. It is so glittery, and looks exactly like Dorothy's ruby red slippers from The Wizard of Oz. Whenever wearing this color, I get so many compliments on my nails! 

Plus, I very much like China Glaze nail polish - the brush is nice and the color goes on very easily. I have had this color for about a year and the polish is not clumpy, even though I wear it all the time! 

What do you think? Do you love red nail polish as much as I do? Are your dark nail polishes coming out of hibernation or do you wear them all year round? Truth be told, I've been known to rock a dark nail in the summer, now and then.