Revlon Runway Collection Nails in Starlet

I was sent a box of the Revlon Runway collection nails to try and I decided to show you my favorite design first! This is Starlet (91102) and I think these are pretty cool, they add a little glitter twist to a plain french manicure. If you want to see an even cooler twist to these nails check out this, she's amazing! Here's the manicure I did using these nails:

• What I liked about these nails is that they were long enough to cover my own nails with the exception of my thumb. This is actually the length I want my natural nails to attain, so its a little inspiration.
• The nails come with a buffer and a manicure stick! Two things I cant have enough of because I'm constantly doing my nails! The buffer is so that you can prepare your natural nails for the fake nails. Manicure stick is for cleaning excess glue.
• These nails are tinted light pink so they are supposed to match your own nail bed more closely...I dont think it did for me.
• There are 24 nails in this box,so you can find sizes to match your own nails, which is great! Have a big thumbnail? Tiny pinky nail? Chances are there's a nail in there for you!

Overall, I there are more things I like than dislike about these nails. The thing I dont like the most? Removal. You have to soak these babies in pure acetone to get them to dissolve. So when you're ready to remove these, find a great movie or your favorite TV show and a bowl to put your acetone in. Then sit down and enjoy soaking your nails because youre going to be there for a while!

You can find these at CVS for under 7 bucks.

The Last of My Orly Once Upon A Time Swatches

Remember when I said earlier that I won 4 of the Orly Fall 09 collection polishes from the wonderful Mary at Body and Soul ? Well I finally got around to getting those other 3 polishes swatched. Blame it on my camera! The batteries died...

Prince Charming was the one I was most excited about, I don't own anything like it. Ironically, it was the last polish from the collection that I tried. I think the sheerness of the polish scared me off. I put one coat on my thumb and the polish was sheer and runny! So I put it back up until I felt like facing it. The end result? Pictures first, opinion second.

Hmm. I don't love this on me. In certain lighting, like the first picture, I can like it. However, I cant constantly be in that particular lighting all day so I just can live with this on all day. I have nothing bad to say about the color; its edgy, out of the box, different, whatever you prefer. It just doesn't work on me. This is three coats + Orly Sec n Dry topcoat. I didn't like the thin, runny consistency of this polish.

Happily Ever After:

Haha, the name reminds me of the song by Case. Anyway, if I dont see this polish for a while, I will be Happily Ever After. I wore it for 3 days last week, starting Friday, and I never wear polish that long. Unless I absolutely love it of course. I took a trip home and I thought I could deal with this on my nails all weekend. Um, no. I have nothing agaisnt the color, its my first berry color! It even has very subtle shimmer in it. This is only two coats, thats all you need, this is nice and opaque shade. I used the Orly Sec n Dry topcoat.

I cannot figure out where the pictures of Poison Apple went! I promise I had them, I cant find them on my computer and definitely not on my camera. Hmm. If you want to see a swatch of it, check out Brittany's at Clumps of Mascara.

Thanks again Mary, for these wonderful polishes!

Essie Pansy

Today's manicure is Essie Pansy, which they describe a "tropical, hot pink for splendid days in the sun". Put simply, its a medium pink creme and I cant resist a pink creme! I just did a little nail art on my ring finger with my LA Colors Art Deco nail polishes. This three coats + Seche Vite. I could have done with two coats, but three was just my personal preference.

I know a lot of nail bloggers don't like Essie because they play it safe with their colors, but when I'm looking for a nice pink, I know I can find one with them. I think their polishes also make some of the best french manicures. To each their own I guess, I still heart Essie.

Orly Pixie Dust

This is one of the four polishes I won from the Orly Once Upon a Time collection thanks to Mary at Body and Soul. In the package she also included a very pretty thank you note! How nice of her! I never thought I would like a gray polish but this gorgeous shimmer has made me think otherwise. In some lights, I even think it looks a little blue! It took three coats to get to the bottle color. Here's the bottle in the sun:


I love that rubber cap, it makes it so much easier to grip while applying polish.

Now on to the polish on my nails:

A note about my index finger: This fingernail is infamous for having splits so I tried out these nail bandages I got from Sally Beauty supply. I don't think I filed it down good enough to make the surface smooth. So I will give that a try again. Anything to not have to cut my nails! I hate when they get to a length I like, then some of them split.

I will try and do the other three polishes I got in one post so that way I do not draw out a collection that most of you have already seen!

Zoya Hope

Another great polish from Zoya! Here's what their website describes it as: Magenta lavender metallic with metallic shimmer finish.
Woah! And I was just going to say its a gorgeous deep purple shimmer but their description sounds so much better. This is two coats + Zoya Armour topcoat. I could have honestly been fine with one coat because that's all it took to get the bottle color. This is tied with Malia for my favorite Zoya purple. What's your favorite Zoya purple?

Essie Peach Daquiri

Today's manicure is one I gave to my mother! I painted her nails better than I paint my own, lucky her. I gave her the star treatment since she came up to visit me and I missed her :-) I filed and buffed her nails and massaged her hands with CND Solar Manicure. She likes coral colors, so Essie Peach Daquiri was right up her alley.

This is two coats + Seche Vite. The formula on this was very good, went on smooth. I told her she would be good to go and she wouldn't have to sit around waiting on her nails dry with the Seche Vite. I think she's a believer now! On her ring finger, I added a little nail art and she liked it. I don't think it was my best work but she liked it so I'm going to go with it!

You'll have to come see me next week for another Manicure, mom!

I Took the Plunge...Matte Nail Polish!

I said I'd never do it. However, I couldn't resist ordering one of the Zoya mattes when they had their Zoya 5000 offer. I picked Dovima, a black shimmer, with the intent of putting a topcoat on it. I've seen this polish with a topcoat and I think it's better that way. Also, I felt I wouldn't be making an informed decision to dislike mattes if I'd never tried it. So here it is:


I don't like it! Mattes just don't do it for me. But that bottle does. It's frosted, like the polish is suspended in ice. The polish is very smooth to the touch, Matte Velvet is the perfect name for it. Here it is with Zoya Armour:


If I ever buy another matte, it will be a color that I just want to slap a topcoat on. But I don't know why I would do that when there are plenty of gorgeous cremes I have yet to get!

Zoya Ali

Ali, the way you make me feel...to steal a page out of MJ's book :-)
A lot of nail polish bloggers have their favorite color; for some its green, some blue or for others it may be purple. But me? I've loved pink since before I started blogging. Even with all the wonderful colors I've discovered since getting into nail polish, pink is still my first love. Nothing lifts my spirits like a hot pink manicure.

I used a Zoya trinity: the base coat Anchor, Ali and topcoat Armour. Color Lock! This manicure isn't going anywhere! Here it is, the beautiful Ali, in all it's Zoya glory:

I tried to promise myself I wouldn't order another pink from Zoya, but I couldn't resist. I love pink cremes! The formula on Zoya polishes is amazing! This went on smooth and dried quickly and matte since its a neon. Immediately I thought to myself. "How does this stand up to my China Glaze Shocking Pink?" Well, Ali takes it up a notch! It's even brighter!

A picture of me holding both with Ali on my nails:

I'll still be wearing this in the fall! I don't care how many vampies come out, this one will be year around for me. Who says I have to follow the rules?