Polished Lifting

Freehand Poppies + Morgan Taylor AccelErate & StripEase - Press sample

I've been getting so much use out of the Morgan Taylor Matadora collection that I though it was time for some nail art. This look features almost every shade in the Matadora collection. I decided to go with my take on poppies and other wildflowers.

Products used

Morgan Taylor AccelErate is a quick dry nail polish spray. This dries nail polish to the touch in 60 seconds and will completely dry polish in less than 8 minutes. I did find these claims to be true in my tests. I don't own any Morgan Taylor top coats so I used another brand I had in a non-quick dry formula. Essentially, this will transform any regular top coat into a quick dry top coat with a light misting.

StripEASE

Zoya + Henri Bendel - Press Release

Pink Dinosaurs featuring JuileG Henna & Ever After Polish Straight Up - Press sample

After many years of dreaming, I FINALLY own a stamping plate with dinosaurs on it. This may sound like a silly dream to some, but all of the dino prints out there are stupidly cute. Today's look features a handful of new shades in my collection that I've recently swatched.


For this look I started with a base of JulieG Henna. Henna is a cool toned brown that was released with the JulieG Bohemian Dream Collection. Once I built that up to full coverage I used one coat of Ever After Polish Straight Up over the top. I followed this up with a quick dry top coat moments later.


Once the color and glitter coats had time to dry I stamped over everything with Zoya Winnie and Born Pretty Store plate #39486. I'm well aware that dinosaurs and glitter didn't exist at the same time, but they really should have.

Products used

LVX Autumn Winter 2017 Collection - Press Sample

The LVX Autumn Winter 2017 Collection is finally here! These six brand new shades are a great way to transition into the cooler months. LVX is an entirely new-to-me brand, so everything written in this post will be based off of my first reactions with this brand.

Millennial

Stardust

French Rosé

Verdant

Rogue

Mulberry

Matte Bats featuring Born Pretty Store and JulieG Eden - Press sample

Some people may say it's too early for Halloween, but is it ever too early for nature? No. I think not. I was so inspired by the JulieG Bohemian Dreams Collection that I needed to use it for some "nature" themed nail art. Ok, in all honesty the Bohemian Dreams Collection is fantastic for anything nature/landscape related, but I was really feeling some bats today. Bats = nature so my argument stands.

For this look I started with a base of JulieG Eden. Once that had ample time to dry I stamped over it using JulieG Karma. Yes, the JulieG Bohemian Dreams Collection cremes stamp, and the do so wonderfully!


After allowing the stamping to dry for a few minutes I topped it with a quick dry top coat to prevent smearing. Once that had set I topped it off with my new favorite matte top coat. The finish is super smooth!

Chirality Polish Rayleigh Sunset | Polish Pickup September 2017 - Press sample

I am so excited to be sharing another new-to-me brand with you today. This mauve beauty is Chirality Polish Rayleigh Sunset for the September 2017 Polish Pickup.

Metallic Tropical Leaves featuring Essie Copper Penny & Licorice - Press sample

Metallics paired with dark shades are so trendy right now. Since my new favorite black is Essie Licorice, I wanted to give it a little more air time with some exquisite metallic nail art.


We're still in summer, so I opted to give this a bit of a tropical spin. While Essie Licorice and Copper Penny don't generally make you think of summer, these tropical leaves do exactly that. These metallic leaves totally make me think of a high end hotel near the beach. Now I just need to hunt down something like it for vacation!

Products used

Pink Holographic Flamingos featuring Color4Nails + Celestial Cosmetics, Essie, and Born Pretty - Press sample

I'm really enjoying the tropical vibe, so I thought I would continue the trend with two more tropical inspired posts. Today's post features some simple pink flamingos.


Sometimes you don't need to search for inspiration... especially when you have a messy desk! I was in the process of reorganizing one of my helmers when I saw Essie Mooning and Color4Nails Celestial Cosmetics Blush side by side. I love how gray looks with brighter colors, so it was a no-brainer.


If only flamingos were holographic in real life!

Golden Pineapple featuring Essie and JulieG - Press sample

I'm enjoying the last stretch of summer weather right now, so I thought it would be a great time for a pineapple mani. This look is loosely inspired by this look @lacquerexpression created.


For this look I started with a base of Essie Find Me An Oasis. While that was drying I spent time preparing ten stamper heads with pineapple images. Once the images had a chance to dry I filled them in using various shades from the JulieG Bohemian Dreams collection.

Maxus Nails Empower Collection - Press sample

Have you ever seen a brand that just wowed you from the beginning? When I opened up my Maxus Nails box I was greeted with a perfectly branded and assembled package. Logos don't really make or break a brand for me, but there was something about Maxus that really stood out. The logo itself feels powerful and strong.
Today's post features the Maxus Nails Empower Collection and the Maxus Base and Top Coats. Every shade (including the base coat) are made with a strengthening formula. Let's check out the swatches!

Adored

Inspired

Admired

Respected

Maxus Base Coat & Top Coat