An OPI-Heavy Month in Nail Polish: Spring 2014

...also known by the (more frank) name of nail polish spam. And yes, I'm vaguely aware that spring is a season, not a month (although it's harder to believe here in New York); but these were spread out so far apart that I suspect they actually cover the span of three months rather than just one. But I'll roll with it regardless.

We'll go in the anti-chronological order for this one - because I'm excited to show you that I recently attempted to shape my nails. I've always known that a straight-up square shape is not for me, as my nails grow more oval naturally and that's the shape of my nail beds, but I was weirdly squovalling them (is that a word?) most of the time. But no more! I've grown them a bit longer and filed down the sides for a more oval/almond shape, and I've taken to affectionately calling them my 'claws'. I'm in equal parts terrified of and fascinated by the Morticia Addams look they give me. What do you think - yay or nay? Oh yes, and this is two coats of OPI You're Such a Budapest from last year's Euro Centrale collection.

See, here's what I meant by the undecided squovals. Meh - both shape and the actual manicure. Shown here are two coats of OPI I Theodora You from the Wizard of Oz collection, topped with one extremely thick coat of OPI Lights of Emerald City glitter. The extreme thickness of the sparse glitter resulted in bubbling, dragging and very slow drying time - I completely destroyed two of my right hand nails within an hour of polishing. Fail.

For this one, excuse my poor execution and shrinking top coat, but OPI Red Lights Ahead... Where? (from my set of Holland Collection minis) is actually a beautiful shade of orange/coral red with cream finish. I used to be very much against warm reds, but I think I'm slowly... warming up to them? (ok, I'll stop now). I've been playing with an idea of getting an orange red lipstick - any suggestions, preferably drugstore, just in case I don't like it?

My first nail stamping attempt! The base is three coats of China Glaze Lemon Fizz (previously swatched here), stamped with OPI Alpine Snow and the floral pattern from the Born Pretty Store QA82 Plate*. The awesome folks at Born Pretty kindly provided me with some beginner nail stamping supplies - I received the plate, my first stamper & scraper set*, as well as a 10% off coupon for you guys (WTG10) - but I think I'll talk about my stamping experience in a separate post.

As you can see, my manicure is far from perfect (I've had the most issues getting an entire image to transfer onto my curved nails), but it was so much fun experimenting! And I think it was a smart choice to go for low contrasting colors, which makes the flaws slightly less apparent; and the color combination reminds me of a cute floral summer dress, perfect for offsetting the grey New York weather we've been having this week. What have you been sporting on your nails lately?

Disclaimer: The products marked with an asterix (*) were press samples I received from Born Pretty for review consideration. All links are non-affiliate. All opinions are 100% honest and unbiased, no matter if the products featured were purchased with my own monies or provided as free press samples. Thank you for reading!

Weekend Getaways: Washington DC

If you follow me on Instagram (please do, I'm scintillating!), you may have noticed we got away to Washington DC for the Easter weekend. Not being American, it was quite a curious experience of lots of marble columns, temples enshrined to fathers of American democracy, war memorials, fantastic museums, and quite unexpectedly, delicious food and coffee - we recommend the Cedar restaurant and Swing Co. Coffee Roasters, respectively. I did a quick poll on Twitter if you'd like to see my photos from the trip, blogger friends said yes, so here we go!

The obligatory: Lincoln Memorial.

Washington DC has some beautiful architecture; we stayed in a hotel 5 minutes away from Georgetown, which was particularly picturesque.

Fail: we were in DC exactly one week after the National Cherry Blossom ended, and let's just say the cherry trees were past their prime. And yes, that's trash floating in the pond.

F.D. Roosevelt Memorial.

Tidal Basin totally flooded that poor park bench. Made for a nice picture though.

Jefferson Memorial.

Remember what I said about those marble columns? Yeah.

Yes! Cherry blossoms! Success!

Thinker on a Rock by Barry Flanagan in the National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden, modeled by Mr.

The stone (marble?) benches around the fountain in the Sculpture Garden were surprisingly comfy. Also, my feet really, really hurt.

The Capitol.

National Gallery of Art West Garden Court.

I've probably never mentioned that I really like Edward Hopper's work. This is Cape Cod Evening, 1939.

I hope you enjoyed my highlights from our Washington DC weekend getaway! Where have your travels recently taken you?

Three Easy Radiant Orchid Nail Art Ideas for Spring

I realize what you may be thinking right now - me and nail art?! But you know, sometimes it is fun to whip out some nail polishes you've had in your collection for a while and combine them into something completely new and different. I'm a total neub when it comes to nail designs, so if I can have a go at these spring-appropriate looks, I'm sure everyone can too; there are minimal tools required, and it's all rather on trend with the Radiant Orchid color theme. Can you tell how proud I am of myself? I am trendy, you guys.

1. Tonal Lavender Gradient with Zoya Julie & Hudson
This was my second time dabbling with a sponge ombre, and I've decided to use two shimmery lilac/lavender shades from Zoya for a subtle tonal gradient. I applied two coats of Julie on my nails, allowed them to dry well, and then dabbed with a sponge painted with a stripe of Hudson (to about 1/3 of my nail length) and a thicker stripe of Julie - I repeated this twice for more coverage. I absolutely loved this look: the ombre effect was delicate but still visible, and I enjoyed the more pronounced warm shimmer running through Hudson.

2. Rose Gold Triangle Accents with China Glaze That's Shore Bright & Champagne Kisses
For these glitter accents, I painted two coats of China Glaze's That's Shore Bright for my base color,  then blocked off the shape of my slim triangles with strips of scotch tape, layered on Champagne Kisses in the triangle area and removed the strips immediately before the polish had a chance to dry. Once I had all the triangles in place, I hand painted more glitter on for greater opacity. I felt that this design was the most interesting texturally: a slightly matte finish of the neon purple played off the sandy grittiness of rose gold glitter rather well (I skipped a top coat to preserve the original finish of these polishes).

3. Easter Egg Polka Dots with Essie Splash of Grenadine & Van D'Go
Happy Easter, my dears! Every year I like to sport a festive manicure for Easter, usually using some fun spring pastel shades. This time I went for a cheerful pastel polka dot look, using two coats of Essie's Splash of Grenadine as a base, and stamping on Van D'Go with a bamboo skewer (I'm not fancy enough to own a set of dotting tools... but I just might one day!). I think this speckled egg 'dotticure' is just perfect for Easter, and I can't wait to play around with other color combinations!

I hope you enjoyed these nail art ideas! It was definitely a lot of fun for me to push myself and experiment with something I'm usually too lazy to go for. Are you into nail designs or do you prefer simpler manicures? Would you try any of these looks yourself?

Giving Bronzer Another Go With Too Faced Milk Chocolate Soleil

For the past couple of months, I'd been only reaching for bronzer to apply it on my... neck. I know I've lost some of you there, but bear with me: it simply looked WRONG on my pale face, and the only use I could find for it was bronzing up my neck slightly to match a too dark foundation on my face. But, there's something to be said about the effortless, summery glow that a quick swipe of bronzer instantly adds to one's face, and so I decided to track down a bronzing powder which would look RIGHT on my fair, fair skin.

Enter a lovely suggestion from Lisa Eldrige's 'How To Wear Bronzer Beautifully' video: Too Faced Milk Chocolate Soleil Light/ Medium Matte Bronzer ($30 for 10g/ 0.35 oz). In theory, it ticked all the boxes: reasonably light shade, rather compact, matte finish, decent price tag. Review spoiler alert: in practice, all the boxes remain gloriously ticked.

 While the plastic packaging lacks simple elegance and class of some more luxurious brands, the compact feels sturdy and snaps shut with a secure click, and comes with a large mirror. In reality, the 'Milk Chocolate' marketing blurb is more of a gimmick: the claims of antioxidant cocoa are probably a bit far fetched, as it comes towards the very end of the ingredients' list, and the sweet hot chocolate scent is most likely all due to the artificial fragrance. I don't really mind it though: I'm looking for a well-formulated bronzer, not pressed cocoa powder to dust on my face. And the chocolate lover in me does appreciate the happy, delicious scent emanating from the compact.

The texture of the powder is fine and silky: it does have a fair amount of slip and feels creamier than my other bronzers. I was a bit worried that could cause blending issues with the powder grabbing too much onto liquid foundation, but no, it blends out seamlessly and doesn't sit on top of the skin, or sink into pores. I would say Milk Chocolate Soleil has medium pigmentation; that, combined with the lighter hue, gives just a whisper of warmth to my skin with one swipe, but it can be built up to the 'I just came back from a beach vacation' level (or, as much as I can hope to achieve one...) with a couple more layers.

Here's a quick shade comparison for you: next to my only other light matte bronzer, The Body Shop Honey Bronzing Powder in 02 Fair Matte (yes, they do make one shade lighter and yes, I have used the heck out of mine), Too Faced Milk Chocolate is warmer and more well... uhm... orange. I know 'orange' is officialy a no-no when describing a bronzer, but you guys - my natural tan is a peachy, orangey shade, and so are my freckles (or actually, my facial tan often equals freckles). So yes, it is more orange compared to the slightly pinkier The Body Shop Honey bronzer, and a lot lighter and less brown than both Benefit Hoola, and the darkest bronzer in my collection, theBalm Bahama Mama.

L-R: Too Faced Milk Chocolate Soleil, The Body Shop Honey Bronzing Powder in Fair Matte, Benefit Hoola, theBalm Bahama Mama.

To showcase my recently rediscovered bronzing passion, I decided to go for a simple, sunkissed look with Too Faced Milk Chocolate Soleil used on high points of my face (liberally on the cheeks, temples, up into the hairline, a tiny bit across the bridge of my nose and on the chin, as well as - you guessed it - down on my neck), and also lightly in the crease of the eyes for some definition. I smudged a dark brown eyeliner pencil on my lashline, applied lots of black mascara and finished with a slick of Rimmel Soft Coral lipstick, patted down with a finger to take off some of the glitter and shine. I like this look: it's quick, it's easy, it makes me look rested and subtly polished.

Do you also struggle with finding the right bronzer shades? Is bronzer an everyday part of your make-up routine, or do you reserve it for specific looks? I'd love to hear your thoughts!

Five Spring & Summer Lip Gloss Picks

I don't know what's going on, you guys - I'm kinda into glosses at the moment. While I still think you can't beat a nice bright lipstick with a stick, and long wind-blown hair caught in your sticky glossed lips drives me absolutely bonkers, I'm really enjoying the sheerer pigmentation and mirrored shine of lip glosses - while preferrably tying my hair into a ponytail or a messy bun. Here are five different shades and formulas I've been wearing recently, swatched for your viewing pleasure.

One common denomination between all these different glosses is the fact that they're virtually shimmer and glitter-free, which is my preference in both lip glosses and lipsticks. By 'virtually', I mean that I suspect maybe two of the glosses below have very very fine, very very minimal shimmer, but it's nearly undetectable in the arm swatches as well as on the lips. They're also all comfortable, non-drying formulas that I'd definitely recommend if you're looking for a new gloss; I'll link to respective reviews where possible for more info on the formulation and longevity.

1. Clarins Instant Light Natural Lip Perfector in Rose Shimmer 01($23 for 0.35 fl oz, previously mentioned here). Possibly the nudest lip gloss shade I own, the Clarins Rose Shimmer still manages to even out and beautify the lips without verging on the concealer lips territory. The formula is most often described as a balm & gloss hybrid, and it does feel smooth, cushiony and hydrating on the lips. Great gloss to keep in your purse for completely-forgot-to-apply-a-lip-product situations as well as touch-ups on the go.

2. Revlon Super Lustrous Lip Gloss in Coral Reef (sadly discontinued - I'm guessing the closest shade match in the new repackaged & reformulated Super Lustrous Lip Gloss range is Pango Peach, $5.99-7.99 for 0.13 oz). Remember when these were all the rage? Yeah, I totally jumped on that bandwagon with Coral Reef, and haven't regretted it since. It's a beautiful, apricot coral shade with medium pigmentation, bright enough to lift a neutral look but not too in your face. I'm kinda bummed this shade was discontinued - my tube has started separating, and I think it's the last season we can enjoy each other's company.

3. NYX Mega Shine Lip Gloss in Dolly Pink ($4.99 for 11ml/ 0.37 fl.oz, the four shades I own are swatched & reviewed here). Actually, I don't reach for this gloss nearly often enough; I will admit that I find the cherry cough drop scent a bit offensive, and there's something about the formula that I don't absolutely love - but I do like it, and Dolly Pink is a wonderful blue fuschia shade that works great with my coloring. You know, sometimes these posts serve as a reminder for me to go rummage through my drawers and come out with something pretty that doesn't get enough love... like this gloss here.

4. Essence Stay With Me Long Lasting Lip Gloss in Candy Bar ($2.99 for 4ml/ 0.13 fl oz). Mentioned a long time ago by Driveller Kate and more recently, Tiffany from Will Work For Make-up, I had this gloss mentally filed away in the 'try-at-a-later-date' category. But, I was placing an online order at Ulta for Mr's shampoo & conditioner, and needed an inexpensive item to get to the free shipping treshold - and so it was meant to be. Candy Bar is such a beautiful, bright coral, and possibly the most pigmented out of the glosses featured here. It has a slightly strange, fruity old-school scent; I remember another gloss from my teenage years by a Polish brand 'Bell' that had the exact same scent... and oddly enough, this gloss is actually also made in Poland. Hmm... Anyway, I don't think you can get a better lip gloss for three bucks than the Essence Stay With Me - I just wish they had more than three colors in the range.

5. Buxom Full-On Lip Cream in Cherry Flip ($19 for 0.14 oz, previously reviewed and swatched here). Still one of my absolute favorite glosses, be it spring, summer, fall or winter; Buxom lip-plumping formula is a winner for me. Cherry Flip looks quite similar to Essence Candy Bar here, and I admit they're not miles apart, but Cherry Flip is slightly more red in a clear base, making it look less vibrant than the pinkier Candy Bar, which has a bit of a white base - hope you can see that in the lip swatches. I always walk past these Lip Creams in Sephora for fear of accidentally plopping more shades in my basket.

Have you been more into lip glosses or lipsticks recently? Or maybe liquid lipsticks, seeing as they're all the range at the moment? I did buy one shade of a newly released lip gloss formula during the Sephora VIB sale that I'm hoping to share really soon (any guesses?), but in the meantime, let me know your spring & summer lip loves - a girl can never have too more lip products, right? Or at least she can start a new wishlist...

Pastel Pretty: bareMinerals Eyecolor in Celery

I also kind of wanted to title this post 'Ugliest name, prettiest shade' - I mean, really, Celery?! I hate celery. But I love this shade, so that's what it's going to be all about today; plus another idea on how to incorporate spring pastel-ish shades into everyday make-up looks.

I'm actually stretching the truth a bit here; bareMinerals Eyecolor in Celery ($14 for 0.57g/ 0.02 oz) isn't exactly a pastel shade, and it certainly isn't mint. Celery is more of a light shimmery sage green; it has a grey rather than white base. But because it's such a light shade, it does work quite similarly to pastel shades - I would go as far as to claim that it might work better for those who struggle with pastels, and from what I hear, it's very many of you.

I don't have much more to say about the quality/texture of the bareMinerals Eyecolors (you can check out this post for my thoughts), apart from the fact that I cannot fault this one and found the complex shimmer quite stunning, but not overwhelmingly blingy; you can see it quite well in my indirect light vs. full sunshine arm swatches.

Contrary to my previous look that featured a pastel purple shade (Lancome's Evermore Lilac) in a very prominent fashion all over the lid, I've used Celery sparingly as an inner corner highlight. I think this is probably the easiest way to try wearing pastel shades - the sage green is still visible but the overall look is more neutral than anything. I've used a warm rosey taupe (Inglot no. 402 Pearl) all over the lid, blended up to the crease as well as on the lower lashline, and a matte dark grey (Inglot no. 348 Matte) lightly in the outer corners. I finished the look with a thin line of dark brown pencil liner (Annabelle Smudgeliner in Rich Chocolate) and a generous coat of black mascara (Covergirl Lash Blast Volume).

Lastly, a quick shopping tip: I would really encourage you to sign up for Bare Escentuals e-newsletter. They sometimes email particularly nice offers, including some free products with no purchase necessary, which is how I scored Celery, and recently a deluxe sample of their Lash Domination mascara (am I the only one who wants to call it Lash Abomination?!). I won't say no to free make-up, peeps.

Some pretty green beauty things, because I didn't have any eyeshadows remotely similar to Celery to compare the shade depth. Clockwise: bdellium Tools Green Bamboo Brush no. 975, bareMinerals Celery, Gucci Gracious Tuberose EDT mini, Orly Mini Nail Polish in Gumdrop, Fyrinnae Eyeshadows in Enchanting Otters and Electric Stardust, L'Oreal Infallible Eyeshadow in Golden Emerald.

Have you been incorporating some pastel shades into your eye looks recently? Any favorites I need to add to my list?