Valentine's Day Nails

Happy Valentine's Day everyone! I had to watch a foreign film for my film class yesterday so I had the perfect opportunity to devote a hefty amount of time to my nails. I picked up some mini nail polishes (4 for 99¢!) from Urban Outfitters and had to put them to use. The pink, Ballerina, needed a few coats to become opaque but the glitter polish (Mirror Mirror) and the white (Swan Lake) did not need more than one coat. I also used OPI's 'And A Cherry On Top' as the red. I'm not much of an nail artist; I don't own any tools so I just used a sharp pencil to draw the hearts. Let me know if you guys are being festive in any way today! I'd love to know! xoxo

Flower Power Nails

If you noticed on my Instagram this week, [if you didn't, follow me @mashasmumbles ;)] I've been dabbling with some nail art. So, here is a nail art design that is easy to do and even if you don't have a steady hand, it'll still look decent! I went with a nude base and neon flowers because I think it's perfect for the summer. You can of course choose whichever colors you like! I used 'Bare Bones' as the base, 'I'm Wired' as the stamen of the flowers, and 'Slime' as the petals. Don't forget to let your nails dry a bit between each step unless you want to end up with a bit of a mess. Let me know if you have any questions and if you like this style of post!

Rimmel // Mini Haul

So I went a bit ballistic today. Why didn't anyone inform me that the Rimmel Apocalips finally made it over the pond? I popped into Walgreens today and made a bit of a scene when I spotted them. I immediately grabbed about four and had to restrain myself. I ended up getting 'Big Bang' and told myself I could always go back for more. I am already in love and am afraid that I will be making a trip tomorrow to get more. I also noticed that we now have the Rimmel 60 Second polishes, and since they're only $1.50 each, I grabbed three. I had recently done a clear out of my nail polishes and I am so happy that I once again have a mint and lavender in my collection. They are essential for the summertime. I will be sporting 'Mintilicious' and 'Lilac Yo' for the next couple months. The other polish I bought is a beautiful mossy green called 'Sage All The Rage'. The polishes do streak a bit and you need 2 or 3 coats for a nice opaque look but the pros do outweigh the cons. The polishes are inexpensive, have thick brushes, there is a big color range, and they do dry quickly. In the picture above, I quickly applied 3 coats each [sorry about my cuticles but I was just too excited to wait]. I do think a top coat would make this look a tad better. All in all, it is great to have a bit of the UK here with us in the states. Less things to beg my friends to bring me over from London. Have you tried any of these bits?

Revlon // Colorstay Gel-Shine Top Coat

I recently mentioned this top coat in my Nail Care post and I just couldn't leave it at that. Now I've been through my fair share of top coats: Sally Hanson, Seche Vite, NYC... For some reason I never stuck to one specific top coat. I know the Seche Vite top coat is practically a cult favorite but it just didn't do it for me. For the price, I did not expect that I would only be able to use half the bottle until it became gunky. So when I finally gave up on trying to get one last use of the Seche Vite, I drove to Target and found the Revlon Colorstay Top Coat. I am a big fan of the Colorstay nailpolish line in general. The brushes are thick and the formula is magnificent but I was still surprised that the top coat was this extraordinary. It goes on easy, you only need to dip the brush in twice to paint almost all ten nails, and it dries in moments! Faster than Seche Vite! I am happy to say that this is the top coat I will be sticking to from now on!  

Nail Care

My nails are always able to illustrate the type of day I'm having. If the nail polish is all chipped off, that probably means it's finals week or I have a deadline looming over my head. If my nails are freshly manicured and polished, it may be Friday night and I'm about to go out or it's Sunday and I am relaxing before another stressful week. Taking care of my nails has become a ritual and the products I use are some of the most used beauty products in my collection. I begin washing and moisturizing my hands. I follow up with the Sally Hansen Instant Cuticle Remover and push back my cuticles with a cuticle pusher. After removing the remaining product with a cotton ball, the actual painting begins. In the past year, I have begun to use a base coat and I have to say it has served me well. If you're an avid nail painter like me, I suggest getting some because it helps the polish stay on longer and protects your nails from severe staining. So far, my favorite base coat is the Revlon Quick Dry Base Coat. It dries in seconds so you don't have to wait long to begin applying your selected nail polish. Today, I used OPI's 'Read My Palm' which is a deep mint green. I then added my most loved top coat, the Revlon Colorstay Top Coat. It is so amazing that I am going to have to write a whole separate post on it. Be on the look out for that! What do you use to take care of your nails? 

Essie Collection

Since the 1990s, oh yes I researched this, Essie has grown to become one of the most well-known brands worldwide. Since I stick my toe (more like half my body) into the beauty community every once in a while, I have ended up with a few bottles of my own. Unfortunately my swatching does not do these colors justice, but since I have six different colors and I didn't want to paint my nails and have four piggies feel left out, I had to settle on this display. Essie is not my favorite brand, but it is still damn good. My favorite for the warmer months has to be 'Absolutely Shore', a very milky mint green, and for the fall/winter months 'Bahama Mama' is an essential. To be completely honest, I only bought two of these full price and the others are from TjMaxx or Marshalls. Great place to find discounted Essies! What are your favorite colors? I'd love to add to my collection.