NOTD: Graduation Nails

Wow, I can't believe this day has actually come.   I finally finished my last final ever, and I'll be graduating from college this coming Saturday.  I decided to go with neutral nails for my graduation.  This is the mani I'm wearing right now, and I love it!

This is 4 coats of Sally Hansen Parchment from the new Alexander Wang Spring 2012 line.  I adore this color, and I'll do a full review of it in a few days.  After the third coat I used Essie As Gold As It Gets, then layered the fourth coat of Parchment over it.  The Essie adds a subtle glow to the color when the sun hits it.  (Honestly, you can't see it that well... lol.)  Even though I was going to keeps these nails low key, I still couldn't help but add some bling to it.  I used silver rhinestones and rose pink micro beads to match the blush colored dress I'll be wearing for graduation.

Overall, I think this is a very sweet and simple look.  What do you think?  Also, anyone else graduating this spring (high school or college)?  If you are, what color are you wearing on your nails for graduation?


Liz

*The polishes reviewed in this post were sent to me for my honest review.
Please view my Disclosure Policy for more info.

China Glaze Cha Cha Cha

Cha Cha Cha, 3 coats: a green apple shade with yellow-green shimmer.  I think it's gorgeous!  I love how brilliant the shimmer looks in sunlight.  It's definitely a nice summer shade!

Well, that's all folks! :)


Liz

New Limited Edition Sigma Paris Palette

Hey girls!  Not sure if you saw this yet, but Sigma just launched a new limited edition palette, and I think it's adorable.  Not to mention that it's made by some of my favorite Youtube beauty gurus!  I think the packaging is cute and the colors look great as well.  It also comes with two travel sized brushes (it seems).  I love their angled blush brush, so I wouldn't mind having one for travel.  If you're interested in this palette, you can click here to go to Sigma's page.  (This is a referral link.)  P.S. Don't forget to go to one of the beauty guru's web pages to get the $10 off code.  Might I suggest Frmheadtotoe? :)

The Paris Project is the perfect combination of talent, art and tradition. Seven renowned beauty experts (TiffanyD, Xteeener, DulceCandy87, Xsparkage, Frmheadtotoe, Petrilude and MacNC40) explored the City of Lights and developed an original makeup palette inspired by the alluring city of Paris. For the next 7 weeks we will be releasing a tutorial and vlog from each of the artists involved in the Paris Project.

The limited edition Paris Makeup Palette includes eight eye shadows that were influenced by landmark monuments and locations in Paris. It also includes two blush colors and one highlight shade, carefully developed by the beauty experts to compliment all skin tones. The Paris Makeup Palette is completed with two essential Sigma brushes, E55 – Eye Shading and F40 – Large Angled Contour, for flawless makeup application.

What: Paris Makeup Palette
Cost: $59 (visit the websites of the beauty experts involved for $10 off codes!)
Collection Status: Limited Edition
Available: May 7, while supply lasts


What do you think?  Are you planning on getting it?  I personally really want this... lol


Liz

Julep Penny Box!

If you're interested in getting personalized boxes of nail polish, you might want to check out Julep Maven.  If you sign up now, you can get your first intro box for a mere penny after using code SHAREONMAY.  Lately they've been putting out more unique polishes like glitters, a glow-in-the-dark, and a magnetic polish.  I think it's worth a try at a penny, and you can always skip months or cancel if it's not your cup of tea.  Oh, and don't forget to select free Maven shipping when you check out. ^^

To sign up, you can either click the picture above or click this link right here. :)
(This post contains referral links.)


Liz

China Glaze Papaya Punch

Papaya Punch, 2 coats.  Papaya Punch is a fun tangerine-yellow creme.  It's bright, but doesn't cross over into neon.  Not much else to say about this one.

Ah...another week done.  It's finals week for me now.  I'm already done with three classes, so I only have two more exams left.  Let's do this! :)


Liz

China Glaze Electric Pineapple

Electric Pineapple, 3 coats.  This is from China Glaze's 2011 summer collection.  To be honest, this was my least favorite from collection.  The formula requires a bit of work, and I personally don't care for these types of yellow-greens.  I would recommend using medium coats and a good top coat to smooth it out. 

I can see myself using this color for nail art, but not for a full mani.  Maybe it's worth another try?  Are you of fan of these yellow-greens?  Let me know in the comments! :)


Liz

NOTD: Blueberry Cheetah & Sparkles!

Hey there!  Here's what I'm currently wearing.  I've been wanting to do a cheetah mani for the past few days and finally got around to doing one.  They're so easy to do and look great! :) 

For this look I used:

Sinful Colors Cinderella (base)

Rescue Beauty Lounge Aqua Lily (spots)

Milani Black nail art polish (black outlines)

Julep Oscar (gold glitter accent)

I really love how the pink flecks in Cinderella sparkle from behind the spots.  There's pink shimmer in Aqua Lily, but it doesn't come through since it's not covering the whole nail.  I still haven't swatched Aqua Lily yet.  I really wanted to wear it, but I had a feeling I would be receiving polishes to review soon.  And I did!  I got two packages in fact.  One from Sally Hansen and one from Bari Cosmetics (Pure Ice).  Anyway, back to the mani!

I wasn't sure if the gold accent would tie in very well, but I really like it!  It's so sparkly, I love it!  I used 4 coats of Oscar to get it opaque, but I could've gotten away with 3.  If you use a base color, I'm sure 2 coats would be sufficient as well.  I love how I can get Oscar opaque.  Oscar has a clear base with fine gold shimmer, so I actually thought it wouldn't get opaque.  But it did!  I was definitely impressed. :)  I also think it's aptly named, because it reminds me of all the glamour of the Oscars.  The formula for Oscar was a bit gloopy, which is to be expected since it's a glitter polish.  The glitters lie close to the nail, and after two coats of Seche Vite, I found it nice and smooth.  The only downside is that this polish goes fast!  I only used it on two nails, and I saw a significant dip in the bottle.  Actually, this is true of pretty much all my Julep polishes.  The bottles are so narrow and tall. :(  Oh, and did you know you can find Julep polishes at Sephora now?  Personally, I'm going to stick with my Maven boxes since I feel Julep polishes are overpriced at $14 a piece. :/

Wow, I rambled a lot in this post. -.-  What do you think of this mani?  When I look at it, it reminds me of blue raspberry taffy and cotton candy.  :P

(P.S.) Sorry the pics are bit unfocused?  It was cloudy again.  :(  I really need a new camera!


Liz