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?

A gift for mom

I put together this cute gift basket for my mom for Mother's Day. She is a total beauty product junkie and deserves the best so I got her some of my favorites. You can't see everything in the basket but it was chalk full hair products, makeup and nail polishes, including:

• Batiste colored dry shampoo
• Shower Queen cupcake patterned shower cap
• Aveda Smooth Infusion shampoo and conditioner
• bareMinerals Flawless Definition mascara
• Burt's Bees beeswax lip balm
• OPI "Guy Meets Gal-Veston" nail polish (from the Texas collection, Spring 2011)
• OPI "Houston We Have a Purple" nail polish (from the Texas collection, Spring 2011)

Plus, two nice bottles of Italian wine and tea bags:

• Alice "Ose" Vino Spumante Rose Brut 
• Cortese “Bianchino,” Valli Unite
• Aveda comforting tea bags

I found the perfect little basket to put everything in at the Salvation Army for just $5 and dolled it up with a few sheets of pink tissue paper. It turned out great! 

I also ordered her a box of Myfaceworks "I need to be firm" collagen boosting sheet masks, which are absolutely amazing. I could not include them in the basket, though, because I ordered them too late. They'll be a special bonus gift when they arrive in a few days. 

Did you get your mom any beauty products for Mother's Day?

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?

Sickie

Hey there, dear readers. I'm so sorry for my absence. I have been sick all week with the flu and bronchitis. I went home sick from work on Monday and have been stuck in bed ever since. Luckily, I'm on antibiotics now and finally starting to feel like myself again.

Now that I'm getting better I can't wait to resume the beauty conversation here on Prettied Up! With the SAG Awards this Sunday and the Academy Awards next month we'll have tons of celebrity beauty to discuss. Plus, Valentines Day will give everyone an excuse to doll up like a celebrity!

But before I get into the really good stuff, I must bring you up to date with my beauty situation for the past week since my absence. As could be expected, I haven't really been paying any attention to the way I look. My eyebrows are over-grown and my hair is a mess! But, during my endless hours in bed I did have one pretty thing to look at -- my nails.

This milky grayish/blue shade is OPI's "Moon Over Mumbai." It's been one of my favorite nail polish colors since the summer and is a great alternative to all the light pink shades that have been ultra popular for like five years now.

I applied it on Sunday before I got sick, and have been wearing it ever since. The photo above was taken yesterday -- five days after I applied the polish.

Normally my manicures look way ragged after five days. As soon as I see a little imperfection I start to chip it off. As I was laying in bed looking at my nails I had a minor epiphany -- It's amazing how much longer nail polish lasts when you just leave it alone. Sounds obvious, but it's true.

Anyway, I'm so excited to start feeling better and be able to do my hair and makeup again. What are you excited for beauty-wise?

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 - 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. 

Flash off

Flash on

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. 

Check out my new beauty loot!

You know you're a true beauty junkie when you feel the need to document every trip to Sephora. Well, I am and I will! I went after work today to pick up a few things I needed and found something new to try! 

4. Make Up For Ever Aqua Cream (color 2 "steel") - $22

I picked up this silvery gray cream eyeshadow on a whim, and I really hope I like it. I've never tried Make Up For Ever aqua cream before, but I have been wanting a new eyeshadow and I'm hoping this one works out. The color reminds me of a similar cream eyeshadow I used to wear all the time from May Kay that has since been discontinued. I'll be sure to post photos once I've tried it out. I plan to wear this as my new fall look with black eyeliner and loads of black mascara.

Speaking of mascara, I got a free sample of bareMinerals Flawless Definition mascara as part of Sephora's Beauty Insider rewards program. I'm super excited to try this product, especially because I've never tried anything from bareMinerals before. I'm pretty loyal to my DiorShow Iconic mascara, but I am willing to give something new a try in the name of beauty experimentation! 

Finally, I'm so excited to tell you all about this awesome brand I discovered called Illamasqua. The brand makes all types of makeup products but what really caught my eye was their awesome line of nail polishes. You can't see the colors very well in the photo but they were really unique and eye-catching. I didn't get any of them but I plan to go back and pick up a few some time. Here's a little more about Illamasqua:

"Known for their intense colors and dramatic makeup, Illamasqua is your go-to brand for nighttime makeup—whether it's an evening out at the opera or the dance club. Conceived amidst the dark drama of Berlin in the 20s, Illamasqua was developed by professional makeup artists and launched in 2008 in the U.K. Embraced by celebs and alternative cultures alike, their colors allow you to express your most daring, boldest, and most intense sides with professional nighttime makeup that's richly pigmented and long lasting."

Have you heard of Illamasqua or tried any of their products? Have you purchased any new products lately?

OPI collaborating with Serena Williams for new nail polish line

This just isn't fair! Tennis pro Serena Williams announced earlier this week on The Oprah Winfrey Show that she is launching her own nail polish line with OPI.

Turns out tennis isn't Williams' only passion. Apparently, she has been taking classes to become a certified nail technician and has already logged 200 hours of training! To complete the course, she'll have to complete 600 hours of manicures, pedicures and other nail training. Sources say Williams even does her sister Venus' nails and is considering opening her own salon once she's certified!

Her OPI nail polish line, planned to be called the Grand Slam Collection, will be inspired by various tennis tournaments, including the Australian Open, French Open, U.S. Open and Wimbledon. The line is said to be hitting shelves within the next few months. I, for one, am super excited to see what she comes up with.

Anyway, girl has some pretty serious street cred in the nail salon. Who knew?