Polka Dot Mani

I sported this manicure last week and got a few compliments, so I decided to recreate it here...
I got the inspiration a couple of weeks ago, as I was standing in line in H&M. They had some posters in the cashier area and the models had something very similar on their nails.
For this one, I used Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure in Grey by Grey as a base, and Lavender Cloud for the dots.  I inverted the colors on the ring finger just for fun.
I used a dotter nail art tool for the dots.  You can buy it online, I think I saw them going for $3.00 in ebay, but if you guys can't get a hold of one, you can use stuff you have around your house like a toothpick, a bobby pin, or the fine point of a orange wood stick cuticle pusher.
It's a very easy way to spice up your nail polish, it looks great and it's inexpensive.
Now, the nail polishes... I ADORE both shades! They are super interesting and unique. What I don't like is the brush on these. It's rounded and thick, and it makes the application very difficult for me. The formula is awesome, almost opaque in one coat, but I always give it at least 2, just for peace of mind (I hate visible nail line).

Anyways, what do you think about it?  What other colors would look good together?

Pink Before You Leap swatch

As you guys know, my nails are currently unavailable for new polish, as I am trying out the Incoco nail appliqués (see post below), but I borrowed my sister's hand to swatch this for you guys.

She wanted a "date night" mani, she really liked the way it looked on the bottle, and we are both OPI suckers, so she went for this one.  This is from the Brights collection, and it's a shimmery, nudish pink.  Looks gorgeous on the bottle, however, it looks slightly different on the nail, because it is very sheer.  It took 3 coats to look like this!

On the positive side, it is a very forgiving shade so I suppose you can wear this for the longest time because the little chips will go unnoticed. Very flattering to all skin tones as well.

This picture above was taken with flash, the one below with natural light.

How do you guys like it? How would you wear it?

Incoco Review

I've been intrigued by Minx nails for the longest time, without being able to try them, because there are NO nail salons that have them where I live.  The designs always look amazing, they seem convenient and very original.  

A few days back, I came across Incoco dry nail appliqué at my local drugstore.  They promise a professional looking mani that lasts up to 14 days, in minutes. The deal is, you need to buff and clean your nails before you apply it, then file off the excess paper.  For more info, go to www.incoco.com

I bought "Passion" which is a red creme that, truth be told, I found boring but I wanted to try them out and the store only had 2 or 3 creme shades.

Well, the application was no piece of cake.  While it's not very complicated, I thought it was going to be faster.  It probably took me the same amount of time as if I had applied liquid nail polish, maybe even more.  Also, since I'm new at this, my nails ended up with a few wrinkles, and when I was applying the paper, it kind of moved, so my sides are a bit jagged.  That was a drag, and as I was applying the nails, I had a bad feeling about them.  But when I was done, and took a long look at my nails, BAM! instant love!  They look perfect! They have the most amazing shine to them, the color looks intense, and they look very clean.  Now, this is my first day with them, I shall keep you updated about how they look as the days pass by.  So far, I think they look gorgeous.  See for yourselves.  

UPDATE: This is my fifth day wearing the appliqués.  So far, my free edges have chipped, but the wrinkles that I initially had disappeared within the first 24 hours and the nails looked perfect until yesterday.  I'm pretty sure the mani will look descent for quite some time, but I doubt I could go 14 days without changing it.  

Welcome to my little blog!

Hello! My name is Martha, and I've been interested in makeup, nail polish and nail art for a while now.  I've been posting pics of my nails in my facebook and twitter accounts, and after receiving a few compliments from my beautiful friends, I thought: "Hey, why don't I start a blog?"  So I'll be posting here my experiences, reviews and how-tos.  I am also a big fan of a lot of nail blogs out there... these girls are talented! And I've learned a lot from them... I hope I can be of a little help to other nail enthusiasts like me.  Let me be clear: I am in no way NEAR professional, or even experienced! I'm just a normal girl, who likes pretty nails.  I buy my own stuff, and I will speak my mind.  Well I really hope you enjoy this... And if you do, show some love!