NOTD: OPI Euro Centrale Collection

You know that I'm a big OPI nail polish hoarder so this comes as to no surprise that I have a couple of new polishes from their latest collection.

This collection showcases colors that are playfully named after a few cities throughout Europe.  Two colors that I picked up are Can't Find My Czechbook and Polka.Com.  The first color is my first ever turquoise polish.  It's vibrant and is a true turquoise color.  You need 2 coats to make it opaque because 1 coat will leave streaks on your nails.  The second color is a top coat with big and micro glitter chunks of blue, magenta and purple.  Layering this color on top of the turquoise makes the blue glitter really stand out.

(L) Can't Find My Czechbook; (R): Polka.Com

After reviewing a few swatches from other bloggers, I think I might pick up a few more colors.  You can purchase these at any local beauty store at $9.  Have you tried any of these?

DAILY GRINDS

♥ What drew me to this specific collection is the name of the turquoise nail polish.  I had the privilege to travel to Europe during my senior year of high school.  One of the cities I went to was Prague in the Czech Republic.  The city is absolutely PHENOMENAL!  It's a city that I want to go back to with my husband and daughter some day.

Prague, Czech Republic 2005

♥ Lately I've been busy trying to be a productive Mary Kay consultant.  I started this adventure back in October and I'm starting to take advantage of the makeup products as a makeup artist.  I challenged myself to do 30 makeovers in 30 days which I was just short of my 30 makeovers.  Outside of my family and circle of friends, I hope to create a bigger clientele pool and maybe get some wedding/engagement gigs for the summertime.  It isn't easy taking care of a 3 person family with only 1 income.  Maybe I should look into how to become a successful salesperson...

♥ My moving countdown is now at 9 days.  Time is flying!

Nail of the Day: Jelly Glitz

As an avid user of Facebook who constantly checks up on beauty updates, there was one status that caught my attention and I'm glad it did.  Birchbox (@birchbox) posted a "how to" article about a new nail design called "jelly sandwich".  They enlisted a new contributor, Anna Norman of Glitter, She Wrote, and she explained what jelly sandwich nails are.  It's a very odd name to use as a nail technique, but it made sense after reading through her description.

Basically, this is a new way of wearing glitter.  I remember I would rock the glitter nail polish from grade school into middle school.  I mean, who didn't?  Every girl loves glitter- heck, there was a movie named "Glitter" (but let's not go there).  This technique is great for any person who loves to experiment with fun nail designs, even if it means having to calm down your shaky hand.

All you need are 2 polishes.  The jelly polish serves as the bread while the glitter is in between like jelly.  Your base color is translucent to give that sheer, glossy effect.  My base color of choice is OPI Melon of Troy, a beautiful melon/orange/coral mixture with a sheen, pearly shine.  My jelly color is actually what was used on this nail technique.  If you saw the Birchbox FB status and/or link, the color on the ring finger is Milani Gems.  The chunky, yet colorful glitter nail polish is easy to maneuver if you want the glitter to have a gradient effect.

Now, to the technique: after applying a base coat, apply 2 coats of your jelly polish.  Once it dries, do 1 coat of glitter.  Once that dries, do an additional coat of jelly polish over the glitter in order to trap the glitter, give your nail depth and tone down the glitter.  If you want to skip this step, simply apply a top coat then you're done!

This technique is quite simple and is a great way to experiment with different colors.  Happy painting!