Color Me Happy - Essie, OPI, Sephora, Illamasqua

Nails nails nails. Pink nails, red nails, blue nails, glitter!

To be honest, I do my own nails most of the time and only go to the nail salon once or twice a month just for a cuticle touch up. It's hard to keep my nails clean and chip-free as an executive assistant, a mom to a handsome Dachshund, and roommate of two messy dudes. At work I touch paperwork all day, which strips all the natural oils from my hands leaving them dry and desperate for my favorite Korres Guava Body Moisturizer. At home, household chores and picking up after two men leave my nails/polish constantly exposed to water or worse, those annoying dents in the polish that we all hate so much!

 Trend Tips - Sephora by OPI

Today, I want to introduce you to some of my favorite nail polish/sticker/patch/whatever you wanna call it. These are a part of my "essentials" collection. They help me get through my busy days without looking run down and staying dent free. You can touch up your nails with these low maintenance strips and polishes! The nail patch/lacquer/strips/stickers in particular are already dry so once they are on, you are good to carry on with your busy day. No more worrying about messing up your polish!

This is the nail sticker/patch that is on my nails in the picture above and it is called Cheetah Sparkle. Trend Tips - Sephora by OPI have some of my favorite designs and are so convenient to use! Every time I wear one of their design's, I always get compliments about how fabulous and unique my nails look. Just place the strip over a nail that fits, press down, and file off the excess with your nail filer! They also look quite clean and professional. My secret is coating the nail strips with clear Essie-All In One top coat, after placing the strips in order to seal the lacquer strips better. 

Trust me your nail strips will last/stay on longer once sealed with polish. 

Here are some more options from Trend Tips - Sephora by OPI

This one is called Feathers. My application of it is not perfect, but I am getting better at it! 

These remind me of peacocks. I really love them<3

Sephora also has their own line of lacquer strips as well. They are called the Sephora Collection Nail Patch Art.

These are the design options so far and they are currently on sale at Sephora!

I tried this one called Chinese Blossom.

This design is absolutely stunning. My nails looked vintage and perfect for the sunny weather outside. There is, however, a significant difference in the nail strips made by Sephora by OPI  compared to the Sephora Collection. Unfortunately, the Sephora Collection nail strips are beautifully designed, but poorly made (maybe poorly stored?) in comparison to the strips made by Sephora by OPI. The flower design strips directly above were not fresh and dry, which made them extremely hard to use. I think that maybe I was just unlucky and bought from a batch that hadn't been properly stored and cared for. I saved them from being almost unusable, by using the clear Essie polish I mentioned above. I recommend buying the Sephora by OPI if you want to give these nail strips a try.

Colors = As Gold as it Gets, Stroke of Brilliance, A Cut Above, and Pure Pearlfection

Essie Essie Essie, how I love you. I remember trying their Luxe Effects Collection when they were hot in 2011 and thinking they were a bit too much for me because I had only seen them painted over solid colors. Well, I must have been on crack, because I have only recently come to realize that these glitter polishes absolutely belong to my everyday collection. I didn't like them when the nail salon technician painted the silver (at the time) glitter polish over a solid pink polish in 2011, but this year I love them in every color minus the solid color base! 

Blue

Pink

These two are my favorite! Stroke of Brilliance (left) and A Cut Above (right).

I tried combining the pink and blue colors and now my nails look like cotton candy :)

I love these glitter polishes because even if you mess them up, they don't look as tragic compared to the solid colors. If I graze my nails against something and it chips a corner, no can tell so it doesn't matter! Also, when you are in a rush, just paint one coat and run out. They dry so much quicker than solid polish, so these are perfect for a last minute fix!  

I really like Illamasqua nail polish. I've only tried their nail polish and not their makeup line but so far, I love the quality of their nail polish. This polish is not really about convenience in terms of use, but their colors and quality make them worthy of being a part of your daily essentials. 

Ruthless - Bright scarlet red with a glossy finish

This color is my favorite. It's the perfect shade when you want to feel classic, sexy, strong, and independent. Perfect with every outfit, and perfect for the fall. I feel like I am ready to take on the world when wearing Ruthless. 

What's your favorite polish?

XOXO