Manicure Monday: Diagonal Stripes

Essie Marshmallow, Sinful Colors 24/7 & Ocean Side, Butter London Sprog, Sally Hansen Insta-Dri Anti-Chip top coat

I've been trying to experiment with nail art more there days so that I can actually get more use out of my ridiculous assortment of nail polishes. Posting pictures of new colors every week means that a lot of time, I only get to use my polishes once or twice and don't get back around them because I'm busy swatching. Playing around with nail art gives me a chance to play around more with the options I already have. It's kind of like my version of fashion magazine articles that show 30 different ways to wear a handful of clothing articles so you can get the most out of the pieces in your closet.

Funnily enough, after putting this look together, I realized that I used two polishes that I've never swatched for you. So, I guess I'll be coming back to those and doing individual posts on them in the future. The best part is that both colors (Marshmallow and 24/7) are permanent colors, so you'll definitely be able to get your hands on them if you like them.

For this manicure I used a thin paint brush from the craft store that was super cheap, and swiped it diagonally across my nail once the base color was dry. This definitely takes practice! Shaky hands can make some wobbly lines. But the more you practice the better you get (you should've seen the first two attempts!).

Aside from needing to steady my hands a bit more (I'm not a surgeon for a reason), this design is relatively easy and you can easily customize it with different color combinations to keep it fresh.

What do you think of this look? Would you give it a try? What color combinations would you do?

Manicure Monday: Macbeth + Dupe Alert

During ULTA's 21 Days of Beauty event, I purchased my first Butter London nail polishes. Last week, I told you all about Sprog. This week, I'm showing you Macbeth, the other polish I bought from the brand for $9 (reg. $15). It's a gorgeous, bright orange-coral creme that's absolutely perfect for Spring (if you lean toward more brights than pastels) and Summer. I was immediately drawn to it.

Macbeth applies beautifully onto your nails. The formula is smooth and the finished polish is shiny and opaque. The first coat of polish is pigmented, but still mildly transparent but the second coat rounds everything out. I like it because the formula isn't too thick, like some lacquers can be, so it doesn't feel heavy on your nails but it still delivers great color pay off. The color you see in the bottle is what you get, if not perhaps just a smidgen more orange-red in the case of Macbeth but it still looks beautiful. 

Once I applied Macbeth, I noticed it really reminded me of another polish. In fact, it reminded me of one of my favorite polishes in my collection. Don't even ask me how I didn't notice this similarity in the store. Perhaps I was too excited about the great price to think clearly. Check it out:

So, if you just can't see yourself paying $15 for a nail polish, Sinful Colors Thimbleberry is a nearly indistinguishable dupe and it's only $1.99. And don't worry about quality. Sinful Colors makes a great product, on par with brands like China Glaze and Zoya.  As you can see from the pics, they are pretty much the same exact color. If you were to put a gun to my head and force me to find a way in which they were different, then I'd have to say Macbeth is just the slightest bit more orange-red. But I wore both polishes side by side, and I really had to try to make this distinction.

Do you like Butter London's Macbeth? Do you think you'd rock this hue more during the spring or summer? Would you spring the $15 or are you more likely to go to your local Walgreens to pick up Thimbleberry?

Manicure Monday: Sprog

I took advantage of ULTA's 21 Days of Beauty to purchase my first Butter London nail polishes. They had them on sale for $9 (reg. $15 for 4 fl. oz.) for one day only. That was a deal I had to take them up on since I think $15 is a bit too pricey for me when it comes to nail polish. I chose two polishes and one of them is Sprog - a brilliant periwinkle blue that's absolutely perfect for Spring.

First things first, I love the square packaging. It's feels sturdy and substantial and it remains well balanced on a table top while you're doing your nails -- no need to fear accidentally toppling the bottle over.

Here's where it gets a tiny bit weird. You can't just twist off the top like you do with any other polish. No, this one is a two-step process. First you have to lift the square top off and then it reveals a round top that you can twist off and is attached to the brush. While this isn't a deal breaker, it seems silly to me. Perhaps it's laziness, but I don't see the need for a two-step process to open the bottle. Plus, I think that will make it really easy for me to lose the square top. I imagine there must be a reason for the design, I just haven't quite figured it out yet. 

Once you open the polish, you'll find a regular nail polish brush that's actually a little on the thin side. It certainly felt thinner than brush heads from brands like Zoya, OPI, and China Glaze. But, I have to say, I like it. I find thinner brushes give me better control over polish application and keep me from painting my fingers along with my nails. So the thin brush design doesn't bother me one bit. If you tend to favor the thick, one-swipe brushes you find in some Sally Hansen polishes, you might not like this as much seeing as the Butter London brushes cover is less surface area than a normal-sized polish brush. You can see the brush size in the picture above. 

Butter London Sprog with China Glaze Fast Forward Top Coat

I'm completely in love with this color. As you can see it's a beautiful periwinkle creme. It also applies quite nicely. The first coat is a bit thin and slightly transparent. But don't worry, that first coat is just laying the groundwork. Once you get the second coat on it's completely opaque, smooth, creamy, and shiny. The formula isn't too runny nor overly thick and gives a phenomenal color pay off. It looks pretty much just like t does in the bottle.

What do you think of Sprog? Do you have any polishes in your collection in a similar shade of periwinkle? Comment below and tell me your thoughts.