Manicure Monday: How to Transition Your Summer Polish to Fall

Hey there everyone! Welcome to another work week. I know, bummer. But we gotta pay the bills, right?

This week I wanted to share with you what I do to transition my summer nail polishes into fall. This little method helps me slowly transition into fall colors without having to go cold turkey on my summer brights. You guys know I've been having a minor melt down over this transition situation. And by minor, I mean that I won't shut up about it.

Well, here's the deal. I finally realized no one said I had to give up my brights altogether.

Once that lightbulb went off, I thought of a few fun ideas to help me mix my summer polishes with my deeper fall hues. It comes from the same basic concept most people use when mixing summer pieces with fall pieces (like mixing a summer dress with a leather jacket and boots).

Basically, all you need to do is choose at least two colors in this case a summer and fall polish that complement each other (like a bright purple with a dusty greyish purple or a deep plum) and pair them together.

If you're not a fan of nail art, do an accent nail. Paint all but one or two of your nails in the fall color and use your summer color on your accent nails. Bam! Simple. You're done.

If you happen to like a little bit of nail art, the options are infinite. Combine complimentary summer and fall colors to create any kind of design you like.  Here are just two examples of how I've done it recently. By the way, my favorite is the ombre nail because the summer nail polish is literally transitioning into my fall hue.

For the manicures you'll see below my fall hue was Zoya Jana and my summer color Orly Frolic.

A polka dot mani is a fun way to incorporate several colors into your manicure. For this manicure, I used four colors: Zoya Jana (base), Orly Frolic (purple polka dots), Sinful Colors Cool Grey, OCC Tarred (black). All you need are your favorite polishes and dotting tools. You can find nail art dotting tools on the cheap on Amazon. They'll only set you back about $1.50.

You can also choose complimentary colors and create an ombre nail look like it did. Ombre nails look difficult, but they're super easy. Just follow these steps:

1. Apply base coat
2. Apply two coats of the bottom color (in this case Frolic)
3. Wait for nails to dry
4. Take a non-latex makeup wedge and paint the top edge with your second color (in this case Zoya  Jana). 
5. Stipple second color from tip of nail backward about halfway down your nail. Start at the edge of your nail to deposit the most color there. Lighten your touch as you move down your nail to create a gradient effect. (Note: If you feel like you need to blend the edges where the two colors meet better, apply color #1 to a makeup wedge and stipple on at the edge to help blend).
6. Use a flat top eyeliner brush dipped in acetone to clean up the edge around your nails (you're going to get polish all over them with the sponge). 
7. Apply top coat.
8. You're done.

Well, that's it. That's how I'll be keeping some of my fun bright nail polishes on rotation during the fall and winter. Do you have a favorite way to transition your polishes from season to season? Or do you just rip off the Band-Aid quickly and just start rocking new colors all at once? 

Manicure Monday: Orly Frolic

Welcome to another week. I'm starting this one off by sharing a polish swatch that, frankly, I'm rather dumbstruck I hadn't shared before. You see, I swatched this gorgeous color back in June and completely flaked. So, I swatched it again this weekend, having completely forgotten I already had a picture of it. It was one of the first polishes I wanted to share with you after my enormous polish haul from Premiere Orlando. You remember that haul, right? Here's a link to jog your memory.

As you can see below, Orly's Frolic was a perfect color to share with you over the summer because it's bold, bright, and gorgeous. But since I suffered swatch amnesia, you're not getting it until fall. It's ok though, because I live on the edge, bend the rules, run with scissors, and laugh in the face of Florida fall. I want to wear bright colors. So I'm doing it. I've complained enough about letting go of my summer brights in favor of pretty fall hues to make your eyes bleed. So let's skip that and get to the good stuff.

OPI Nail Envy base coat, Orly Frolic (2 coats), Sally Hansen Insta-Dri top coat

Orly's Frolic is a fun and gorgeous purple creme that leans more toward a red-based, orchid-esque purple. It's bright without being neon and it's a color unlike anything else I have in my collection. (And we all know I have quite a few almost-identical-but-slightly-different colors and accidental duplicates in my collection. It's OK, I've come to terms with it.) Needless to say, I love it.

It's not just a great color though, it's also a great formula. I'm really happy I've expanded my collection of Orly polishes because they make a rather awesome product. The polish applies like a dream: It's pigmented, goes on smoothly, isn't too thick, dries evenly, and has a beautiful glossy candy-coated finish. After two coats I had perfect color pay off (and one coat was impressively opaque). 

I'm totally bowled over by how much I love this color that I'm currently working on a few manicure color combo ideas to help transition this color into fall to give it extra mileage. What do you think of Frolic? Isn't it gorgeous? 

Manicure Monday: Orly La Vida Loca

Alright guys, summer is not over yet and I'm not letting it go without a fight. As such, I'm presenting you with another bright and cheery summer manicure. Orly's La Vida Loca is a beautiful bright neon-esque pink shimmer with purple-blue undertones. It's sure to put a smile on your face, because this color is so bright it's meant to be accompanied with a good mood.

OPI Nail Envy base coat, Orly La Vida Loca (2 coats), Sally Hansen Insta-Dri top coat

The formula was a bit thin, but not in a bad way. It makes the polish glide on seamlessly and smoothly. The first coat can be a bit sheer, but after two coats you have the same color pay off you see in the bottle. Plus, the shimmer finish gives it just the right hint of sparkle, almost like I'd imagine the finish on Barbie's sports car would be.

This color is girly to the max and I totally love it -- fun on your nails and peeking through your sandals. Thank goodness summer lasts a little longer down here so I have extra time to enjoy all my bright polishes. I'll probably be breaking this one out as we round out winter too, since the pink could be fun on Valentine's Day.

What do you think of this fun lacquer?

Manicure Monday: Orly Kiss the Bride

I love a pretty soft pink manicure. It's classic without being too boring. It's soft. It's feminine. It's a staple. Whenever I'm unsure of what kind of nail polish an occasion might call for, I reach for a soft pink hue. It's never out of place or inappropriate.

As you can imagine, when I saw Orly's Kiss the Bride, I had to have it. And let me tell you, I think it's beautifully and appropriately named. It's a perfect soft creme pink to wear on your wedding day because it's pretty, feminine, delicate, and classic.

OPI Nail Envy base coat, Orly Kiss the Bride (2 coats), Sally Hansen Insta-Dri top coat

Orly's Kiss the Bride is described as a soft pink creme. It has a milky, yet sheer quality that gives it a very soft and delicate look. When you apply the first coat it's a little streaky, but don't worry, it' actually evens out all by itself as it sits on your nails. As soon as you're done applying one coat on each hand and go back to apply the second you'll wonder whether the streaking was a figment of your imagination. So, apply and don't fret. As you can see from the picture, the polish is bordering on nude, but it's really like a sheer blush color. The soft pink comes through much better in person.

The formula is a bit thin but I think that helps it apply smoothly and since it's meant to be sheer, I wasn't really concerned. Plus, after two coats, it looked pretty opaque. I also like the thinner consistency because it helps it glide right on to your nails for a fuss-free manicure (just what you need on your big day when you've got a million other things to deal with).

I'm absolutely head over heels for this color because it's so versatile and classic it can easily go from season to season. What do you think of Kiss the Bride? Would you consider it for your wedding day? How about just to add it to your collection?

Manicure Monday: Orly Hot Shot

It's a busy manicure day on the blog. While we gave you a little flavor of fall earlier, we're bringing you right back to summer with Orly's Hot Stuff. After all, it's still summer and we intent to relish in it as long as we can. Seeing as this blog is based out of sunny Florida, you'll still be seeing a few bright manis popping up from time to time since our state likes to skip the fall season altogether.

OPI Nail Envy base coat, Orly Hot Shot (2 coats), Sally Hansen Insta-Dri top coat

Orly's Hot Shot is a gorgeous neon red-pink. While it looks similar to China Glaze Rose Among Thorns, it's actually much redder -- almost like a neon red chili pepper. It's also more opaque. In fact, it's not sheer at all. And the formula itself isn't thick like some opaque polishes can be. It has a pretty perfect consistency, not too thick, not too runny -- a perfect assessment if Goldilocks had been judging nail polish formulas. (Side note: Judging nail polish formulas won't get you eaten by bears. Just sayin')

One coat gives you great color pay off and two rounds out the manicure beautifully. It's such a fun summer red that would look awesome on both tips and toes. I'm sure to wear it even after summer's over. 

Is Hot Shot likely to make it into your nail polish collection? 

Manicure Monday: Orly High on Hope

Hello everyone. It's Monday and I've got manicures to share with you. After I posted my epic nail polish haul video, a few of you asked for pictures of Orly's High on Hope. I know it's taken a while and I appreciate your patiently waiting. I wasn't ignoring you, I promise. I was simply trying to have a lot of the summer colors posted while it was still summer.

But now that fall is quickly approaching, it's time to unveil Orly's High on Hope. High on Hope is a lovely denim blue creme polish with a generous sprinkling of pink and gold glitter.

OPI Nail Envy base coat, Orly High on Hope (2 coats), Sally Hansen Insta-Dri top coat

If you follow my manicure posts, then this color might look a little familiar to you. I posted two denim blue polishes last season,  Zoya Natty and Sinful Colors Rain Storm, that are quite similar to the base color in High on Hope. It seems I'm a fan of this deep blue hue. Of course, Orly ups the ante a bit with all the sparkle. It's like pairing your cutest skinnies with a sparkly pair of heels. 

And while the denim blue polish takes center stage here, the glitter does not go unnoticed. This is a polish where you'll only see the sparkle at a specific angle or in the right light. No, no. High on Hope showcases both. Check out a close up here.

The best part of this polish is that it's really easy to remove, which can sometimes be a bit of a bear with blue polish and glitter. But High on Hope melts right off with a few swipes of an acetone-soaked cotton swab.

I have a feeling this color will pair well with some of my favorite fall grays.

What do you think of High on Hope? And what other polish colors are you likely to pair it with (if you're into multi-colored manicures)?

Manicure Monday: Beach Cruiser

OPI Nail Envy base coat, Orly Beach Cruiser (2 coats), Sally Hansen Insta-Dri top coat

Orly Beach Cruiser is a gorgeous bright nearly neon pink that's actually quite appropriate for a fun day at the beach. It's bright, just like the colors you'd expect to see in most beach wear, from towels to chairs and teeny bikinis. This color isn't going to sit quietly in the background. It's definitely and up front and center kind of hue.

I love Orly polishes. I don't know why I don't own more of them. The formula is great. The consistency is just right (neither overly runny or too thick), applies smoothly, and has impressive pigment. Plus, the rubberized handle on the handle improves your grip and keeps it from slipping out of your hands.

If you enjoy a fun, vibrant, attention grabbing hue, and you happen to be partial to bright pink (like I am), then you'll absolutely love Beach Cruiser. What do you think? Are you drawn to this hue or do you prefer softer colors?

Nail Polish Haul: OPI, China Glaze, Zoya, Orly