First Try: Edgy Half-moons

Hey there!
So today I'm doing another post in my ongoing First Try series!  I wanted to do a tape mani, but I didn't want to do just any old half-moon, so I tried a version that I saw in a post by Erika from Chloe's Nails.  It's not exactly like hers, but it's similar!

I started with a base of Essie A Crewed Interest.  This is one of my favorite summer colors!  Then, after the polish dried, I taped off triangles on my nails and used Essie Shine of the Times to create the edgy half-moons.  I didn't like how the Shine of the Times didn't show up too much, so I used my Kiss gold glitter to outline the triangles.  This is also a great way to clean up any mistakes made when removing the tape.  Finally I finished it off with one coat of Seche Vite top coat.  I hope this was a fun post for you, and have a fabulous Friday!
~ Mary Elizabeth
Ps be sure to check out Chloe's Nails!

Sunny Side Up!

Hey everybody!
So this is my last week in my hometown before I go off to college.  I have been having a lot of fun with my friends this week.  So in honor of my last week of summer, I decided to do some freehand nail art!

So I started with a base of OPI Alpine Snow.  This makes the yellow pop a little more.  Then I used one coat of OPI Need Sunglasses? Once that dried I used an OPI orange (I don't know the exact name of it because it is a mini) to paint a sun on my ring finger.  I carefully created a curved line around the corner of my nail and filled it in.  Then I used dotting tools to create the rays.  I finished it off with one coat of Seche Vite top coat.  I had a lot of fun with this design.  I don't do a ton of freehand designs, so this one was extra special :) I hope you all enjoyed this post, and have a terrific Thursday!
~ Mary Elizabeth

Pink Wednesday Returns!

Hey There!
I am so glad to be posting again!  I have a pink Wednesday for you today.  It's been a long time since I did a pink Wednesday, and I can't wait to show you what I did!

To begin with I used OPI Japanese Rose Garden as a base color.  Then I cut strips out of a piece of tape to get the skinny stripes.  For the darker pink I used Pretty Please polish in Pink Crush.  I will do a review of this brand in a later post.  For the silver stripes I used my Kiss art polish.  I really enjoyed this because it is simple, easy, and super cute!  I like that it looks like it takes a ton of effort, but it really just takes a little time.  I hope you enjoyed this post, and I hope your Wednesday was wonderful!
~ Mary Elizabeth

I'm Back! Update 7/24/12

Hey Everybody!
I am so sorry that I haven't posted in over a month!  I have been really busy this summer, which is not what I expected my summer to be like.  I got a babysitting job, so I have been babysitting ten hours a day three day a week for about two months now.  The kids I babysit require me to keep them occupied, whether it be playing video games or pretending we are Star Wars characters.  This hasn't left me a whole lot of time to post.  Also, I leave for college in less than a month.  I have been doing some major shopping for my dorm room.  I will be sure to show you pics of my dorm when I get it all set up.  I have been painting my nails, and I have several posts planned, including a pink Wednesday for tomorrow.  Again, I am so sorry for being MIA lately, and I hope to be back to blogging for good now :) I hope your summer has been wonderful, and hopefully I will have a post up tomorrow.
~ Mary Elizabeth

Shimmering Summer

Hey there!
So today's post is about a polish that I have been obsessed with lately: OPI Happy Anniversary.  I have had a hard time finding this one in the past, but the other day I was in my grocery store and found it in the beauty section.  I personally think that is an incredibly odd place to find a polish, but I'll take what I can get :)  This is a fantastic polish for layering over solid, creme polishes.  One thing I really like is that it works with all different colors.  As you will see in the pictures, there are lots of combinations to try.

 This is Happy Anniversary over China Glaze For Audrey.  I like that it lightened it a little.  This is what I had on my nails for graduation :)

 This is Happy Anniversary over OPI Alpine Snow.  By itself Alpine Snow is very messy looking, but with a little cleanup and this awesome polish, a pearly finish is the result.
Overall I absolutely love this polish!  It is a great way to transform an ordinary creme finish polish.  I have been using this one all the time, and I know it will continue to be a favorite.  I hope y'all enjoyed this post, and I hope you have a wonderful weekend!
~ Mary Elizabeth

Essie Summer Polishes

Happy Saturday!
  I hope your summer is off to a fabulous start! Today I will be reviewing the two polishes I picked up from Essie's summer collection. I am really excited about this collection, and I hope you enjoy!

 This first one is Bikini So Teeny.  This one is my favorite of the two that I bought.  It is a light, bright periwinkle color.  I like the formula of this because it isn't a streaky as a lot of Essie polishes, especially after the second coats.  I also like that is makes my white self look a little tanner :) It definitely takes two coats to make it solid.

This one is called Mojito Madness.  This is the color that I really wanted, but I ended up liking Bikini So Teeny better.  It is a really gorgeous Kelly green color.  This color is currently in my toes.  I was hoping it would be a little brighter, but it is still a very pretty color.  It only takes one coat to get a solid color, but I used two just to be sure. 

Overall, I really like these colors!  I plan to wear them a good bit this summer.  These would be really useful for creating designs.  I hope to get some more from this collection soon; these were just the ones that really stuck out to me.  I am always attracted to greens, so Mojito Madness was kind of a given :).  I hope you enjoyed this post, and I definitely recommend you pick up this collection.  I have a few new posts planned for this week, so keep an eye out! Have a fantastic Father's Day!
~ Mary Elizabeth

My New Obsession: Holographic!

Hello Everyone!
I hope you are having a lovely week.  I am officially done with high school, and I am so excited!  Not only does this mean that I am heading off to college soon, but it also means that I will have more time to blog over the summer!  I can't wait to get more cute nail looks out to y'all.  Anyway, today's post is about a super cool new nail polish I got at Ulta the other day.  It is a really cool holographic.  One thing I have noticed is that good holos are really hard to find, and when you do find them they are really expensive.  Layla Holographic Effects, however, is available at Ulta for $15.  I know that may sound like a lot, but compared to polishes that you have to order online, that's not bad. The color I got is called Mercury Twilight.  I also bought the little buffer thing that they tell you to buy.  It was only like $2, so i didn't mind.  Anyway, I did a little experiment to determine whether you really need that little buffer thing.

So for this little experiment I used a different technique on each finger.  On my index finger I just buffed my nail with the little buffer thing and applied the polish.  On my middle finger I used the buffer and a base coat.  On my ring finger I used nothing; no base coat or buffing.  On my pinky I used just a base coat.  And finally, on my thumb I used just the buffer, applied the polish, and used a top coat.  All fingers have two coats of polish.  I think, based on the pictures, it's pretty obvious that just using the little buffer thing and not applying a top coat worked best.  All the other methods were clumpy, streaky, and not worth trying.  If you decide to get this polish from Ulta, definitely get the buffer.

So here's what the polish looks like in the sunlight.  It is absolutely AMAZING!  I love the fact that it is a silver, but there are also lots of other colors embedded in it.  There are two downsides though.  1. Because using a topcoat will take away from the holo, it chips pretty quickly.  This was a little disappointing, but it isn't bad enough to make me not use it.  2. I kept getting really distracted by the fact that my nails kept changing color.  This isnt a huge deal, but it's something to keep in mind.  Overall I really like these, and I plan to buy other colors.  I hope y'all enjoyed this post, and have a terrific Thursday!
~ Mary Elizabeth