Essie Silk Effects Watercolors 'Swept Away' Set

Hello everyone!

For my birthday, one of my lovely friends gave me the Essie Silk Effects Watercolor set in "Swept Away". It looks like this:

The kit comes with a white base called 'White Page', a yellowy-orange called 'Muse, Myself', a hot pink called 'Love Sheen', and a deep purple called 'No Shrinking Violet'. The colours are quite translucent and jelly-like, as they're meant to mimic watercolour paints. The white in the set wasn't my absolute favourite (I found it a bit patchy and streaky), but you could always use a different base colour. 

They can be used in a number of combinations and designs. Get creative! I decided to try some flowers in hopes that spring is here to stay. This is what I came up with:

I'm really pleased with how they turned out and I'm excited to try out some other designs as well. The best part about this look is that you can be a little messy and it will still look great.

Have you tried any of the Essie Watercolors? What did you think? Let me see your nails!

Pineapple Express

Pineapple express mani inspired by Reddit user oneofthewicked:

I'm way out of practice with my nail art but felt like doing something fun and summery :)

Purple Swirls

I tried some nail strips, not sure how I feel about them. They look pretty cool but they were difficult to work with and only lasted a day before I peeled them off. The purple is OPI’s “A Grape Fit!” and the nail strips are some random brand called ANB. Anyone else had bad/mediocre experiences with nail appliques?

Nicole by OPI Light a Candle with black stripe pattern

Sorry for the lack of posts lately! Just getting back to school and things are crazy already.

For Christmas one of my lovely best friends got me some Nicole by OPI polishes! For this mani I used Nicole by OPI Light a Candle as the base and a Nail Star striper in black for the lines. Light a Candle is a pretty silver with lavender tones, and it covers well in just one coat.

Feather Nails

First mani of 2012! Back to school tomorrow, the break went by far too quickly.

Happy New Year!

For New Year's Eve I did a gold glitter gradient over black. Hope you all have a safe and happy New Year!

Candy Cane Nails

Last mani before Christmas! I hope you all have a lovely holiday however you celebrate it. Happy Christmas Eve!

Another Quick Christmas Mani

Hi everyone! For this mani I used Revlon Emerald City (Matte Suede) as a base, Revlon Silver Dollar for the tree, and Sephora by OPI Keep Me On My Mistletoes for the tree’s star.

Emerald City is a gorgeous forest green with a subtle shimmer. First photo is artificial light, second photo is natural light. It’s fairly opaque and applies well. I used 2 coats here, no topcoat (didn’t want to change the “matte suede” finish). Overall I like this colour, although I’m not sure about the finish. This is my first matte polish so I think I’ll try a few others before I decide how I feel. Hope you're all ready for the holidays!

Update: After about a day I noticed some tipwear, most likely because I didn't use a topcoat. Is there any way around this? Do I need to just go out and buy a matte topcoat?

Christmas Dots

Just a quick festive mani. I wasn't super happy with the way it turned out and it got smudged after I took pictures :( I used OPI Alpine Snow, OPI Vodka and Caviar, Sephora by OPI Keep Me On My Mistletoes, and Revlon Emerald City.

Cute Penguin Nails

Cute Penguin Nails

These penguin nails are perfect for chilly winter weather. Here’s what I used:
Orly Gumdrop (blue base)
OPI Alpine Snow (white)
Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear Black Out
Yellow Acrylic Paint (didn’t have my yellow polish with me!)

The body of the penguin was painted freehand and the rest was created using a dotting tool. Happy Sunday everyone!

Purple Glitter Heart Nails

A simple mani using Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear in Lacey Lilac and Rockstar Pink (glitter). 

Mabuhay! Philippines Flag Nails

A special request. I used:

OPI Vodka and Caviar (red)
NYC West Village (navy blue)
Orly Snowcone (lighter blue, blended with West Village for the flag)
Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear Mellow Yellow
Wet n' Wild French White Creme

Hope you like it!

Red Poppies

A red poppy design I did in honour of Remembrance Day.