how to get "opal" nails

One can only read about classic Essie shades, like Ballet Slippers and Mademoiselle, for so long until you break down and purchase them. I recently picked up both shades, (happy birthday to me!) and decided to try the famous manicure that is supposed to be Essie (yes, the Essie) Weingarten's favorite, which is two coats of Ballet Slippers, followed by one coat of Mademoiselle.

But... this was my birthday mani, so of course, I couldn't just leave it at that. I decided to add one more Essie shade into the mix. I used:

• Two coats of Ballet Slippers
• One coat of Shine of the Times
• One coat of Mademoiselle

Total magic! I wish I could capture the sparkle in a photo, but I can't do it justice. I think they look just like opals!

DIY Gel Manicure

I am so excited to share this! When I found this via Pinterest, I had to try it out. So I headed to Sally Beauty, and grabbed Gelous Nail Gel. I followed the instructions provided by Corrine, and here are the results:

I was totally stunned at how well this held up! I do not have a job that is particularly tough on my hands, but I am often typing. I have a two-year-old, which means lots of hand-washing! I also wash all my dishes by hand (with gloves). After a totally normal week, full of cooking, cleaning, work, and child-wrangling, my nails were fine! I did no touch up whatsoever.  Here's what I did:

Tips

• Gelous Nail Gel takes longer to dry than most nail products. You don't have to wait for it to fully dry between coats, but you'll have to wait longer that you typically would between coats of color. I solved this by adding Essie's Instant Dry Oil after my very last coat of Gelous. 
• It smells. Not good. But only while you are applying it. 
• It's super easy to remove. I notice no difference between removing this manicure, and one done without Gelous Nail Gel.
• I removed my manicure after 7 days, but it really didn't look bad. I just get bored with a color after about that long. I'm sure you could wear it longer. 
• Since this test, I've used Gelous Nail Gel with different polishes, and had the same great results. The only exception: Essie's Beyond Cozy. It's full of glitter, and therefore a thicker polish than most. I think that Gelous does not work well with thick, glitter polishes. 

Let me know if you give it a try! 

Rachel

Fab Fall Fingers - My Favorite Nail Polish for Fall!

I love fall! It feels like fall has finally arrived here in Michigan, and I'm celebrating with some of my favorite nail polishes! These 5 colors are all in my stash, and are my staples for fall. 

I think my very favorite color is Essie's Damsel in a Dress. (How cute is that name?) It's a shimmery deep plumb, and I just can't get enough! 

Next, is Maybelline's Sapphire Siren. It's a deep cobalt blue polish, with no shimmer. It's darker on the nails than it seems in this photo. It reminds me of cobalt blue glass.

Essie's Mink Muffs is a lovely cocoa brown color. I'm not usually a fan of brown nail polish, but this one is so soft and yummy looking. I think it suits my pale skin tone. 

This cream polish looks almost black in indoor lighting. But in the fall sunlight, Zoya's Envy is a beautiful olive-toned green. I think if we could bottle envy, it would look like this.

Last, but not least, is Butter London's Wallis. This is one of the most unusual colors that I own. It's kind of a sheer black, packed with very fine antique gold glitter. You have to see it to believe it.  

Care to share your fall favorites? I'd love to hear them!

Happy Fall!

Rachel