Mish Mash Challenge - Least Expensive Nail Polish

I have some nail polishes that are a dollar usually and some that I got for a dollar because they were on clearance. I spent more time then I probably should deciding which I would choose to use but I ended up deciding on the polish that was my favorite. I went to a Rite-Aid sometime during the end of summer and found so many nice nail polishes on sale including this Sally Hansen Sugar Coat Polish called Lick-O-Rich. I was ecstatic but unfortunately the reason they had so many things on clearance was because they were closing down and I was unable to make it for a second trip. The good news is I got a lot of discounted polish and that's always fun.

They had black on clearance for a $1 and usually retails for $5.49. This isn't necessarily the polish that was the biggest price difference but its the one I fell in love with and was so happy I got my hands on it, especially for a cheap price. I used two coats to reach this level of opacity and you can definitely feel its texture which is not as strong in other polishes. I found myself passing my nails across my face because I just loved the feeling and I will admit that that is incredibly weird but I just don't care! I was a bit worried that I'd make a mess with all the little grains in the bottle but was so happy when I found that it is as easy as applying any other polish. Definitely a great polish and gets Yeliza's stamp of approval.

Faith's Tattoo {Mirror's Edge} + Inspiration

I was really in the mood to paint my nails late last night but couldn't think of a design I wanted to do. Thankfully someone tried to help me out and sent me a picture of a tattoo from a video game called mirror's edge, isn't it awesome? I ended up falling asleep after I applied my base color since I waited what seems like forever for it to dry. This morning I added the detail and while it doesn't really look like my inspiration I think it still looks pretty cool. I want to attempt the same type of design but with a different base color, hopefully it happens!

Blue Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear - Blizzard Blue

Black Wet n Wild Wild Shine - Black Creme

 

I wondered what this manicure would look like with a matte finish so I added my NYC matte me crazy topcoat and it looks great. I'm not sure which one I like more, my base is pretty shimmery so even though it's matte it still looks kind of glossy. The main difference I noted was that the matte nails were 1000 times easier to photograph since there is no glare.

And a picture of my inspiration: 

Sally Hansen Insta Dri Co-Bolt Blue Swatch

Blue is such a great color, I don't think I've ever met anyone who doesn't like some shade of blue. Since I was trying to go for a color that can be thought of as the ocean I thought of Co-Bolt Blue. While it's dark and doesn't necessarily scream summer it does shine and becomes irresistible to stare at when sunlight is directly on it. This polish smells a bit odd to me though, I'm not sure what it smells like but it doesn't have the typical nail polish scent and I usually hold my breath while applying.

 

I'm wearing two coats for the picture above although I think I could have gotten away with one since the formula is a bit on the thick side, I rather play it safe. It was easy to apply and while there are some that are in love with the wide brush that comes with the Insta-Dri polish others are not big fans, I'm on neither side. The brush works for me sometimes and other times it's a mess, I have no problem with it and I would say it makes painting my nails faster since it takes about two quick swipes to cover the entire nail.

Sally Hansen Extreme Wear Mint Sorbet Swatch

I bought this because of all the hype I was seeing with all the nail gurus I basically stalk. Everyone was saying how great this color is and naturally I had to get my hands on it. I was afraid it wouldn't work with my skin tone but let me say I had no reason to worry! I tried it on a couple people with different skin tones and it looked good on each one of us.

 

Two coats was all that was needed for an opaque and even manicure. I'm not sure why but I was expecting a bit of trouble with application but it was actually really easy to work with. It's a great mint color that I think everybody needs in their arsenal of nail polishes. 

I painted this color on a friend of mine and it looked even more amazing on her! I couldn't stop looking at her nails while she had this color on and she also got quite a few compliments on it. 

Heart Nails + Inspiration

While looking at my usual youtubers recent videos I saw Bethany's "Easy Easter Gift ideas for Friends & Family." It was such a great video (like most of her videos) and I couldn't stop looking at her shirt. I thought it was absolutely adorable and the colors were just great. Baby blue and baby pink isn't such a rare combination but I had completely forgotten about it. While I stared at her shirt I thought how it would make for a great simple and cute nail design for spring or just anytime.

Pink Essie - Fiji

Blue Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear - Breezy Blue

Black Wet n Wild Wild Shine - Black Creme

White (under the blue) NYC Expert Last - White Mania 

I think it's clear that my hearts are another thing to add to my list of things to practice but I think it's okay, it definitely could have came out worse.

I didn't plan on adding the black outline but I didn't think the heart stood out without it and also it helped shaped the heart a bit more. I could't help constantly trying to tweak the outline so I ended up with a thick line and a mistake so all I did was take the blue base color blue and added it over the mistakes.

Here is a not so great picture of my inspiration: