Swatch and Review of Zoya: Dream

Today I have a really amazing polish for you (spoiler alert: I love it!). Zoya Dream comes from the Winter 2013 collection. Another from that collection is Payton, which I showcased here. Dream is very similar to Payton in the sense that they have the same type of glitters and have the same consistency. Dream is a cobalt blue polish with tons of holographic irregular glitters. I would almost call the glitters micro-flakies. I think this color is perfect for winter, I am just a little late to the game in swatching it!

Swatch and Review of OPI Don't Violet Me Down (Sheer Tints)

Today I have a Sheer Tints shade to share with you! This came in my birchbox and I was excited to try it out. It seems like a buildable but sheer color, which basically sounds like a jelly, right? I swatched this over my last design of cherry blossoms. Below is a side by side comparison.

Nail Art: Cherry Blossoms

Right now the cherry blossoms are blooming and I've been seeing a lot of cherry blossom nail art lately. I decided I wanted to try out this technique. I started with a base of China Glaze Keep Calm, Paint On and painted black branches and dotted on a dark and light pink polish to create cherry blossoms.

Comparison of Mint Greens

I have a slightly different type of post for you today. I was going through my spring colors and one of the colors I go to often for spring is mint green, it is such a nice light color and goes with everything! I realized I have several minty green colors and wanted to do a quick comparison post for those inquiring minds out there! I swatched five different colors: Sally Hansen Mint Sorbet, Orly Jealous Much?, China Glaze Keep Calm, Paint On, butter LONDON Fiver, and China Glaze Re-fresh Mint.

Swatch and Review of Nicole By OPI: On What Grounds?

If any of you have Ipsy subscriptions you may have received this polish in this month's bag. It is Nicole by OPI's On What Grounds? If you don't know about Ipsy, check it out here. On What Grounds? is a textured polish and is from the Roughles line much like OPI's Liquid Sand line. I has a sand paper-like feel to the touch. I created a little tape design and incorporated some negative space with the tape.

Swatch and Review of Sally Hansen: Petal Pusher

I have a very simple neutral color to share with you today. It is Sally Hansen Petal Pusher from their Insta-dri line. I have to say, looking at the color in the bottle, it doesn't look too exciting. When I went to buy this I did so because I remember seeing a swatch someone posted and I thought it was a great color, and it really is. It pulls a little more peach toned on me rather than pink, but it is a great, clean color.

Nail Art: Gradient and Tape Spring Look

I've really been into spring colors lately! Since my last design, I really wanted to do another gradient look and I had to use spring colors. I love when everything starts blooming after winter and all of the colors start to show. I did another gradient design with a tape design accent. I used China Glaze Mimosas Before Manis for the orange and Color Club Mod in Manhattan for the off white which is actually a Birchbox exclusive. I did the striping tape design over my ring finger and thumb, I saw this design on pinterest which was bookmarked from Wink and Blush. I thought it was a great design, hers is perfect, mine, not so much. Take a look:

Nail Art: Spring Gradient

This is one of those rare instances where I really like what I created. I guess we are our own worst critics, but I always find something about my nails that I usually wish I could have done better. These ones, though, turned out really well! I was proud of how my gradient turned out and the stamping was just dainty enough to not overwhelm the gradient. The blue I used is Sephora by OPI Havana Dreams and the green is an unnamed Sally Hansen. Unnamed. How dare they not put a sticker with a name on it! Seriously, it kind of makes me twitchy when my polish doesn't have a name. I could have sworn I saw the same color elsewhere and it had pear in the name, so if any of you know the name, please let me know!! I also used my beloved MoYou plate from the Tourist Collection.

Swatch and Review of OPI: My Private Jet

Today I have My Private Jet from OPI. This is an older shade and I have heard that the color has actually changed over the years. OPI continues to market this color by the same name, but in reality it isn't the same. Regardless, it is a pretty interesting color. It is a dark brown with some holographic glitter. It is so dark, it could be considered sort of a grey/charcoal but it depends on the lighting. Take a look:

Nail Art: Chevrons and Clovers

 St. Patrick's Day is tomorrow!! I love St. Patti's Day, there is just something about corned beef, cabbage and potatoes that is so comforting. Being Irish helps too! I created this look with OPI Love.Angel.Music.Baby and my favorite polish ever: A England's St. George. I was inspired by @nailsofjessiek's (Instagram) chevron designs! I never thought to do sideways chevrons until I saw her amazing designs!

Swatch and Review of OPI: Love.Angel.Music.Baby

As promised, here is another member of the Gwen Stefani Collection that OPI recently released. This one is called Love.Angel.Music.Baby. It is a subdued gold color with a satin finish, which is a tad glossier than a matte.This is a really unique color! I don't think I have anything like it in my collection! It kind of has a mixture of gold and a tiny bit of silver that take the edge off of a really bold gold. I took some photos in the shade and sun.

Swatch and Review of OPI: 4 In The Morning

I recently picked up three shades from OPI's Gwen Stefani collection and wanted to share all three with you today. However, I tried to take all the photos outside, as it was one of the nicest days since Winter started, but I lost the daylight. I did get decent photos of one, and that is the only one I will share today. 4 In The Morning, looks just like that, dark but with a little bit of twinkle. It has a satin finish which is supposed to be a tad glossier than a matte finish. In the bottle it looks like a charcoal grey, but on the nail, I would call it more of a dusty black. 

Nail Art: Teal and Gold Ruffian

Hello! I had a work conference all weekend and I wasn't able to post! Today I have to share the manicure I wore for the conference this weekend. It is a little grown out, but I hope you can forgive me. I have a gold base with a teal layer over. I used Lancome (my first-swatches later) Ginger Swing and Essie Go Overboard.

Swatch and Review of Essie: Playa Del Platinum

I have an older polish up for review today. It is Essie: Playa Del Platinum. I got it on clearance at Ulta quite a while ago, and am only just now getting around to trying it out. It is one of those neutral colors that I am not sure will work with my skin color, but for some reason buy anyway. I would describe it as a milky taupe with a hint of color I can't quite put my finger on. In some lights that hint of color looks like it is green leaning, but my husband thinks it is blue leaning. Either way, I can't figure it out! Take a look:

Swatch and Review of Julep: Celia

I have a Julep polish to share today! I mentioned the Julep Maven Box subscription in this post previously. There you can learn how to receive your first box for free! I find the monthly fee to be a bit much for the colors offered, but sometimes there are a few beautiful, unique ones. Celia, below is a nice foiled green color.

Character Inspired: Fiona Goode, American Horror Story

I wanted to start a new series on the blog called "Character Inspired". I've been thinking about this for a long time. While watching one of my favorite shows, American Horror Story, I wondered what type of nails Fiona would like. This turned into a whole series in my mind, what about my other favorite characters? 

Today I start with Fiona Goode, the Supreme of the witch coven of New Orleans. Dangerous, evil and enigmatic, she is a force of nature. She has a very classic style and always opts for black. Her goal in life is to remain Supreme and rule her coven with an iron fist.

Photo Credit: FX Network