When I recently posted my Nicole by OPI Neon Gradient on Instagram (see it here in my recent post!), the amazing folks over at Nicole by OPI took notice… and asked for a tutorial!
Now you can replicate my go-to nail art seen here by heading over to Nicole by OPI’s Life in Lacquer blog now!
Don’t forget to share your photos of this look on my Facebook page or on Instagram, and let me know how you liked it!
~xo
For this summer, Nicole by OPI launched a mini-collection of four new nail lacquers called Seize the Summer. Including bright, beach-ready shades of coral, citrus green, hot pink and metallic confetti glitter, these tropical shades are beautiful and will have you dreaming of the islands!
One of the first shades I wore from this collection, against my usual preference of pinks and corals, was Lay it on the Lime, the bright lime green shade.
Having seen just how bright this gorgeous neon can be, I wanted to experiment with a fun way to soften it. If you follow my blog, you have surely noticed my love of gradients, and why not gradient over Lay it on the Lime!
To make this beautiful neon softer and more wearable for those that are neon-shy, I thought a nude, taupe-y shade would do the trick. Enter That’s Putting it Mild, a creamy nude shade!
The look I wanted was similar to a soft, unstructured French manicure, with neon tips. What do you think of the end result?
I also experimented with this gradient using OPI’s amazing nude Don’t Bossa Nova Me Around… another gorgeous combo you may have seen on my Instagram.
For more information, visit Nicole by OPI on the web, on Facebook, on Instagram and on Twitter!
Would you like to see a tutorial for this look?
~xo
On the bridge of an ocean liner blows the wind of liberty. Cruise elegance reigns. Dior renews ties with the world of the great transatlantic crossings, inspired by the travel spirits of its first Resort and Spring line in 1948. Created by Tyen, the 2014 Summer Look unveils a cruise make-up collection: a palette of navy blue, primary red and sandy beige. The skin wears the radiance of the sun and an outdoors glow. Eyes take to the seas in ultramarine blue, while lips light up in red, and nails wear the sailor’s strips.
This season, chic is taking a breath of maritime air.
The Transat collection takes its cruise style codes right to the fingertips: painted vibrant red, sailor blue or rope beige, nails parade in maritime stripes with a transparent sticker kit featuring the CD logo. Also included in the kit is a mini nail file and instruction card.
Incredibly easy to apply for a chic and playful manicure.
Available in three limited edition shades, Vernis Transat Manicure will impress even the harshest beauty critics.
Let’s start with Sailor (700)! Blue is my absolute favourite colour, and Sailor was immediately a stand-out. As I’ve said before, I don’t always wear blue nail polish (as much as I adore the colour), simply because I feel that some shades can look… well, immature. No such worries here! Sailor is a beautiful royal blue, just deep enough to be sexy and classic, and just bright enough to draw compliments from strangers. Seriously, I received more compliments about my manicure than I can remember while shopping and lunching one day, with Sailor on!
Sailor is a crelly (cream-jelly) formula that leans slightly more jelly. Possessing the tiniest hint of silver shimmer (like the other two shades), Sailor dries quickly to a mirror-like shine, making top coat virtually unnecessary. Its jelly formula can dry with a hint of shrinkage, so I do recommend wrapping the tips of your nails as you paint to ensure coverage dries right to the tips. And there was absolutely no staining upon removal. Below, two coats of Sailor over Dior Base Coat Abricot:
You can see the gorgeous delicate silver shimmer in the sun, below (click pic for full size):
A beautiful bright red, Captain (750) leans slightly warm without being overtly orange. It is truly a vivid, spectacular red possessing the same hidden silver shimmer as Sailor. Also a crelly formula, it applies flawlessly and covers perfectly even on its first coat. Drying to a stunning high shine like Sailor, it too, can skip top coat. Here are two coats over Dior’s Base Coat:
Rounding out a trio of sublime polishes, the neutral in this collection is the sandy greige Yacht (210). A very neutral beige, I wish I had at least two backups of this beauty, because it is that deserving. I have worn this polish multiple times already and am starting to worry about the wear in my bottle! Another Dior Vernis, another spectacular formula, this time in a gorgeous creme. Yacht has the same hidden silver shimmer as Captain and Sailor, though it is almost invisible in this nude. Below, two coats over Dior’s Base Coat:
Dior Vernis Transat Manicure sets in Yacht, Sailor and Captain ($31 Cdn each) are available now in limited release (since May 1, 2014) at Dior counters everywhere. I heard that Sailor quantities were running low at some Dior counters, so call ahead!
For more information (no shipping available to Canada), head to Dior.com and you can shop online at thebay.com!
What is your favourite of the three shades (if you can pick one)?
~xo
If you liked this post, please take a moment to ‘like’ this post and/or comment! I love to read what you think.
(Products were provided for consideration and review. All opinions are my own.)
This summer, Estée Lauder captivates the senses with a sultry limited edition colour look and alluring fragrance experience in the NEW Bronze Goddess Summer 2014 Collection. This modern yet sensual makeup look is inspired by a symphony of colour born from the enchantment of long stretched beaches of white sand that turn golden as night falls. When paired with the warm caress of Estée Lauder’s signature Bronze Goddess fragrance, stress is swept away, ushering in the carefree days and warm, golden embrace of summer.
A truly divine experience, the Bronze Goddess Summer 2014 Collection first tempts with the Bronze Goddess Color Collection featuring a spectrum of subtly nude hues accented by exquisitely rich colours from soft corals to deep blackberries and lavishly gilded metallics. Eyes glisten with nudes and metallic sparkle. Lips are glossed and brightened with luscious colour. Cheeks glow as if kissed by the sun.
And today I have for you one of the Limited Edition Pure Color Nail Lacquers from this beautiful collection, which is meant to complement the NEW Nudes Eyeshadow Palette (which I absolutely must pick up one of these days!).
Estee Lauder Pure Color Nail Lacquer in Bare is a very pale nude shade, leaning slightly peach with beautiful warm undertones. This may be your mannequin shade if you are very fair, but on me, it was a divine, creamy vanilla shade, perfect for that soft-yet-manicured look. Don’t let this shade’s lightness fool you – I would say this will be a very flattering shade on many skintones due to its delicious warm hue. The formula is gorgeous as well: highly pigmented (read: not runny) and creamy, Bare was a tad ‘unfinished’ on coat one, but evened out perfectly on coat two.
Below, 2 coats over base, no top coat, in the shade (look at that shine!):
In the shade you really see its peach, bisque undertones, and the amazing creamy coverage.
The sun brings out its vanilla, lighter side:
This collection is perfectly named, even with the many nude shades, ranging from ultra-fair, like Bare to a Burnished Nude and to Lust. I am so looking forward to pairing Bare with sunkissed skin – I absolutely adore the opposing spectrums of polish: vamps and whites/nudes!
The Bronze Goddess Summer 2014 Fragrance Collection is now available at select Estée Lauder counters at Hudson’s Bay, Sears, Holt Renfrew and online at www.esteelauder.ca (since March 2014). NEW Bronze Goddess Summer 2014 Makeup Collection is now available at Estée Lauder counters at Hudson’s Bay, Sears, Holt Renfrew and online at www.esteelauder.ca with much of the collection in limited release.
What do you think of Bare? What’s your favourite nude lacquer hue?
~xo
If you liked this post, please take a moment to ‘like’ this post and/or comment! I love to read what you think.
(Products were provided for consideration and review. All opinions are my own.)
