Tips and Polka Dots

I finally had time to do something with my nails this week! It's not too fancy but I'm happy with the outcome!

I used Essie Come Here for the base color. It is a bright red/orange that looks very similar to Essie Hip-Anema that I painted my nails awhile ago. The formula was a bit watery and I noticed I flooded my cuticles quite a bit when painting, which was frustrating. But the color is still very pretty and definitely a good one for the summer.

Photo taken in natural lighting

Then I took Essie Bobbing for Baubles and made the polka dots on my thumb nail with the tip of a bobby pin. I free-handed the tip of my nails using the regular polish brush. It does require a steady hand, but just wipe off the majority of the polish and gently dab the remaining color on the tips until you get a thickness you're happy with. In these pictures it looks black, but Bobbing for Bobbles is a deep navy.

A close-up of my thumb nail

And I just got my ring back from being sized this week so had to take a picture :)

Back to homework and projects for me...surprise surprise. Have a great week!

Loyally Lacquered,

Caitlin

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Posted by The Perfectly Polished Life 3 comments

Matte About You

I found it! I have been searching for Essie Matte About You matte finisher for awhile now. I was on Amazon.com and stumbled upon it for only $6.50! This is definitely my new obsession and I apologize in advance if the next few mani's are all matte :)

I am pretty sure I have never worn black polish, but I'm in love with the idea of a black matte nail, so that's exactly what I did today. I chose OPI Lincoln Park After Dark. It is a truly black polish that went on
smoothly with full coverage after two coats.

Photo in natural lighting

After the black polish dried, I applied one coat of the matte finisher in lieu of top coat. In the bottle it looks gooey, but it is that same consistency as any other polish and applies smoothly. It was very cool to see the transformation from gloss to matte in less than 10 seconds. The matte finish gives your nails the appearance of being dry, but don''t be fooled! Sit tight for a few minutes to let the polish dry. I learned the hard way and had to re-do one of my nails after I smudged it.

I wanted to spice up the matte so I added some dots of Essie's Mint Candy Apple. I love the way the high gloss looks against the black matte. I used the tip of a bobby pin and dipped it in the polish to apply to the nail. What do you think?

Well, back to homework for me. Enjoy the week everyone!

Loyally Lacquered,
Caitlin

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Posted by The Perfectly Polished Life 6 comments