Category: Starbucks

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Dark and Metallic Sponge Manicure.

 

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Oh man, I wish I had better pictures of this NOTD to share with you, but unfortunately I took these while at work in the late afternoon, so the beautifulness of this manicure was kind of lost. (Side note–I just got a brand new phone with an awesome camera so expect upcoming posts to have MUCH better picture quality.) However, regardless of the lack of pretty pictures, I still had to share this gorgeous manicure because I was super in love with the outcome.

 

The polishes I used for this manicure were:

  • Mary Kay Blue Knight (base color)
  • ACO by Ardene Golden Luxury (middle finger & sponging)
  • Layla Soft Touch Golden Touch (middle finger)
  • Essence Color and Go Mister Rusty (sponging)
  • Claire’s Poison Apple (sponging)
  • Claire’s Venomous (sponging)
  • Claire’s Evil Queen (sponging)
  • Nutra Nail Quick Dry Top Coat.

 

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Oh man, this manicure just was perfect for fall. I wanted something reminiscent of the color changing of the leaves, and I think I succeed with this multicolored metallic sponge manicure. Even one of my co-workers noticed how cool my nails looked, and commented on how neat it looked, which always makes me feel good about my nails. =) Next time I wanted to try this with a super dark green Essence polish I picked up not too long ago–I think it will look even more perfect for the fall weather.

 

So what do you think of this manicure?

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Grey and Pink Chevron Tips.

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You may have noticed that pink and grey are in my top favorite fall colors (as well as purple and gold.) Steel grey, in particular, is a favorite for me. I own a few in my stash and every so often I pull them out to play with. I was really feeling like doing some chevron tips–this is almost the opposite of my last grey and pink manicure.

For this manicure, the polishes I used were:

  • Essence Color and Go Luxury Secret.
  • Mariposa Striping Polish in Pink (light pink).
  • Stripe Rite Striping Polish in Pink (dark pink).
  • Nutra Nail Quick Dry Top Coat.

 

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Purple and gold leopard print nails inspired by perfectlynaileduk.

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Today’s post is totally inspired by perfectlynaileduk, who does some of the most awesome leopard print manicures I’ve ever seen. Actually she does the most awesome manicures in general! Seriously, you need to go check her manicures out right now if you haven’t yet!

The other day I was trying to think of something to do on my nails when I remembered a picture of a blue and gold leopard print manicure she had posted, and instantly knew I wanted to recreate it! I decided to go with some darker, more fall-toned colors.

 

The polishes I used for this manicure were:

  • Essence Color and Go Best Dressed.
  • Maybelline Color Show Gilded Gold.
  • China Glaze White on White.
  • Vernis Classique by Cherimoya Black.
  • Nutra Nail Quick Dry Top Coat with Green Tea.

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Is there any better combo than purple and gold? I think Gilded Rose by Maybelline Color Show has to be my new favorite gold polish, especially because of the pink undertones. I never used to like gold, but lately I’ve been completely obsessed with all things golden, especially nail polish. Maybe that’s why I seem to own so many now haha.

 

Also, you may have noticed I had a pretty obvious break on the middle finger of my left hand. It happened at work (what else is new…) and I was SO mad, as my nails have grown the longest they’ve been in a long time. I’ve decided though, for right now at least, I’m not going to file everything down to meet my shortie. The rest of my nails are holding strong and super healthy, so for right now I’ll stick with the one awkward shorty until the rest of my nails start to catch up.

 

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So what do you think of this gold and leopard print manicure?

What is your favorite color combination together?

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Glitter Gradient featuring Essie’s The Girls are Out.

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Oh wow, we were having some seriously warm weather last week–a full Summer flashback even though it’s now September. I felt like doing something a little brighter on my nails, so decided to go with a glitter gradient as not only are they fairly easy, they’re also quick (but totally gorgeous.)

 

The polishes I used for this manicure were:

  • Essie The Girls are Out.
  • Color Institute unnamed gold polish.
  • Color Institute unnamed gold glitter polish.
  • Quo by ORLY Gold Rush Sparkle.
  • Nutra Nail Quick Dry Top Coat.

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Check out the holo bar glitter in Quo by ORLY Gold Rush Sparkle! Holy Moly–it’s another one of the mini polishes the boyfriend got me last Christmas as part of the holiday pack, and I’m still discovering how pretty these polishes are! I’m not usually a fan of bar glitters, but in Gold Rush Sparkle they’re more of an accent than front and center so I definitely love.

 

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So what do you think of this glitter gradient?

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SWATCH POST — Mirage by ACO by Ardene

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Today, I’m sharing with you a gorgeous polish I’m absolutely in love with. This is ACO by Ardene’s Mirage which is an absolutely stunning multi-crome polish which–depending on the light–flashes anywhere from purple, to gold, to green, to blue, to pink. You’ll remember before I mentioned that Ardene has been stepping up their nail polish game, and Mirage is a perfect example of that. For my swatches, I applied the polish over black undies, as it brings out the multi-crome aspect of the polish best. (I also applied Nutra-nail Quick Dry Top Coat for extra shine.)

 

 

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I really, really tried my best to try and capture all the different flashes of color this polish has to offer. It was not easy. I did my best, and the different colors definitely come through well. Even still, I kept looking at my nails all day, moving them around and staring in awe of them.

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See the flashes of gold and green? So, so, so pretty.

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Mirage is from ACO by Ardene’s fall 2013 collection of nail polish, although depending on the store you may still be able to find old bottles (mine doesn’t have any, but we do have other fall 2013 polishes remaining). ACO by Ardene polishes retail for $3.50 on their own, but can usually be combined in some kind of promotion that will save you a little bit overall. I think my next polish I’ll be picking up from work will be Mirage’s multi-crome sister, named Twilight Zone, so keep an eye out for that beauty coming up soon. =)