Nail Art: Ombre Polka Dot

A few weeks ago, I was privileged to attend our local Yelp Burst day.  The nail polish from the Fingerpaints Crushed Chrome came off unevenly, so I decided to just add to the in-tact nails with some random nail art.

Thanks Yelp for a wonderful evening!

China Glaze Surprise swatch: Glitter Up

China Glaze "Glitter Up"

As I mentioned in my previous blog post, I wanted to pick up "Glitter Up" from the latest China Glaze polish collection, "Surprise".  There are six chunky glitter toppers in the entire collection, and while all are very unique combinations of colors, there was only one that I was interested in adding to my collection.

"Glitter Up" is a combination of mini and large hexagonal navy blue, sky blue, and coral glitters suspended in a clear base.  Basketball season may be over, but I couldn't stay away from a Florida Gators-esque color themed glitter topper.

Today is the LAST day for Sally Hansen Beauty Supply Store BOGO Free special: all nail polishes are Buy One, Get One Free (excluding OPI brand), so if you're eyeing this fun topper, you can also nab another polish as well!

I applied one layer of "Glitter Up" over two coats of Essie "Find Me an Oasis" from the Resort Fling collection.

China Glaze "Glitter Up"

China Glaze "Glitter Up"

China Glaze "Glitter Up"

The suspension base is nice and smooth, which allows for easy application of the glitters, but because some pieces are so big, I resorted to fishing for the larger pieces and spreading the glitters around to disperse them evenly.

Dry time is average, and I added China Glaze Fast Forward top coat for an extra seal.  I can't wait to revisit this topper during football season!

Sinful Shine "I'm Blushing" and Wet-n-Wild Mega Rocks Swatches

The nail trend of Spring 2014 is definitely nudes.  Collections of beiges, taupes, and creams sprouted throughout beauty lines of all brands, from Urban Decay to Sinful Colors.

Sinful Shine, a glossy spin-off from the Sinful Colors line, boosts Gel Tech technology that dries extra shiny so the user can skip the top coat.  I decided to pick up a few colors during a Walgreens sale, where all Sinful Shine polishes were only 99 cents. 

I've currently been obsessed with neutral white-looking polishes that have just a tint of color. 

Sinful Shine's "I'm Blushing" is a perfect example of this variant of a plain white color.  The formula on the polish is dreamy for a drugstore brand.  It only took two coats to reach full opacity, three being generous.  And the Gel Tech clearly works on this polish; you can see how shiny the polish is after it dries.  There's no top coat!

"I'm Blushing" has a warm pinkie undertone.  In the shade, it's a pale pink-white, but in bright light, the pink really comes out.  It is workplace-friendly and a nice palette-cleanser for spring.

Sinful Shine polishes retail at $1.99 at Walgreens stores.  It is 3-free: there is no formaldehyde, toluene, or DBP in its formula.

formaldehyde, toluene and DBP

formaldehyde, toluene and DBP

formaldehyde, toluene and DBP

Sinful Shine "I'm Blushing"

I also noticed the new line of Wet N' Wild glitter toppers on display at the same Walgreens.  The Mega Rocks line has a standard run of solid colors, but "Stick It to the Man" caught my eye with its mix of orange and blue (Go Gators!) glitter chunks.  It was the only topper I nabbed, and it came with an instant $1 off coupon, so I bought it for $1.99 (retails at $2.99).

Wet N' Wild Mega Rocks glitter topper "Stick It to the Man"

My overall experience with this glitter topper is underwhelming.  Glitter payout is modest from the bottle, so you'll need to fish out the square and hexagonal pieces if you want more on the nail.  The price is average for a drugstore polish, but I think you're better off spending your bucks on other polishes that offer more payout, or spending a little bit more on a higher end glitter topper, which are not difficult to find.

For me, the most disappointing part about the topper is that the orange pieces don't actually show up as orange on the nail!   It's actually tinted mylar chunks that become invisible against the nail.

Wet N' Wild "Stick It to the Man" on top of Sinful Shine "I'm Blushing"

For me, the Wet N' Wild Mega Rocks are an easy pass, even with any future coupons or  sales.

Swatch: Essie "Find Me an Oasis"

From the Essie 2014 Resort Fling collection, I got my hands on soft blue, #857 Find Me an Oasis.  It caught my eye when the preview pictures first released, and I immediately scooped it up when I saw the display case at CVS.

Described by Essie as a "refreshing, ice blue."

Cool waters. glittering beaches. This refreshing ice blue is everything you need to quench your thirst for paradise.

After 3 coats, the color popped against my skin.  In a season of warm nudes, this pale blue is truly a refreshing contrast to all the tans and taupes.

Application was a nightmare, however.  I somewhat got the color to even by 3 coats, but it still looked streaky and uneven.  Some fingers got bubbles when it dried.

Essie polishes are hit or miss with me.  "Find Me an Oasis" is no exception.  But despite the application issues, I do adore this polish.  The color is gorgeous on, and a nice polish to wear while transitioning from winter to spring.  I can't wait to pick up the others in the line.

Essie retails at $8.50 and 3 Free (DBP, Toluene, and Formaldehyde free).