Aim To Misbehave …and Celebrate

After celebrating their 35th anniversary earlier this year,  Essie just hit another milestone: the nail polish giant is releasing its 1000th shade!  

And instead of playing it safe with a classic red, or a festive silver, the limited edition shade called "Aim to Misbehave" comes in what might be the most controversial nail color to ever exist: Yellow!

Essie

Aside from that one time I tried a pineapple nail design (don't ask), I've never worn yellow.  I'm simply too pale for it, and unless I want to look like I'm dying of organ failure yellow is just not a good look.  But "Aim to Misbehave" promises to be different. It's an extremely warm shade and has a jewel like quality to it – which tends to look good on everyone.  And all things considered, it is a pretty genius move from Essie to go with such a controversial choice for their 1000th shade – because fans and collectors are going to make sure it sells out no matter if it's wearable or not.  

"Aim to Misbehave" launches  on May 31 with the 2016 summer collection.

Peace, Love, and Lobsters
Laura

Winter Wonderland

I'm always looking forward to Essie's winter collection.  Last year the brand surprised me by releasing a set of colors that seemed more fitting for a garden party than a holiday dinner – but I ended up loving it. And this year's "Winter Wonderland" collection is the perfect mix of last year's soft hues and some holiday classics:

via: Essie official Tumblr

I love the pastels (you can never go wrong with a  powder pink) as much as the classic reds, and the platinum "apres-chic" is perfect for any holiday party, but my favorite has to be "haute tub", a rich black with a hint of amethyst sparkle:    

I'm usually not big on sparkly or glittery nail polish, but for some reason I'm really drawn to this one.  Maybe it's because the sparkle is so subtle, or maybe because it goes amazing with a sweater  I just bought… But whatever it is, "haute tub" is definitely going to be my go-to color this season.

Are you a fan of this year's collection? 

Peace, Love, and Lobsters

Laura 

Camo and Wine

If you are planning on purchasing only one high-end makeup item this fall, make it one of these:  

Burberry Runway Nail Collection & Palette

Camo nail polish and makeup! Maybe I watch too much Duck Dynasty, but I feel like camo makes everything better.  The nail polish set comes with a  black, a khaki, and a green polish, and the eye palette with black and green eyeshadow and a cream highlighter.  Quality wise, the nail polish is not  better or worse than polishes from other luxury fashion brands, and aside from the khaki the colors aren't anything special, but the set as a whole is simply a gorgeous thing to have. The palette on the other hand, is more than just nice to look at. The colors are easy to blend, can be used for a number of different eye looks, and have a super silky finish that really makes camo catwalk appropriate.

If the camo trend is not your thing (that's ok, more for me), then  you should check out Olivia Palermo's collaboration with Ciaté,  especially the "Napa Valley" nail polish:

Ciaté

A good wine-red is n not easy to find. Essie's Wicked is my favorite deep red, but it's a little too dark to pass as wine,  and their Bordeaux has the perfect coloring, but is so runny that it could pass as actual wine. So this red that Olivia has labeled her "fall favorite", is a godsend.  Quality wise, the polish is amazing, with a formula that includes a special dual polymer mesh lock technology and volcanic glass it'll look flawless and glossy for days.  Be sure to also check out the rest of the collection, as the palette is also pretty great:

Ciaté

Peace, Love, and Lobsters

Laura

Can't-Live-Without Colors

I used to have a huge nail polish addiction collection, but sometime last year I cleaned out my make-up drawer and narrowed everything down to the essentials. That doesn't mean that I got rid of all the "fun" colors, but I decided to refrain from buying nail polish unless it's to replace one of my favorites (I only caved once!).

… And turns out that the essentials are more than enough, so here are my six
"can't-live-without" colors:

OPI "Suzi Loves Cowboys": Chocolate brown had a moment last year, but I've been loving it ever since OPI's Texas collection came out in 2011. It's not a shade that works year round but it is perfect for summer and fall.  It's a great compromise between red and black, and looks so incredibly luxe with white or cream outfits. 

Essie "Wicked": You can't go wrong with a dark red, and "Wicked" is the best there is. The formula  is incredible, it looks flawless with just one coat, and really goes with everything.  

Essie "Sand Tropez": This one is my go-to toe-color, the sandy beige has a super clean finish, and looks great with my skin tone (unlike many other nudes), as well as any colored polish (so you don't have to worry about your toes clashing with your fingers).

Essie "Mademoiselle": I must be on my third bottle of this. It has the slightest pink hue, and makes your nails look their best. Hands down the best "clear" polish. 

Essie "Sew Psyched": I feel like this is "my color", as I never see it on anyone else.  Green can be hard to pull off, but this silvery army green is surprisingly versatile.  It also happens to have the smoothest application ever and sort of matches my eyes which is always a plus.

Chanel "Blue Satin": The holy grail of nail polish. I think that  high end nail polish is often overhyped, but I have yet to find a navy that looks as good as Chanel's "Blue Satin". It doesn't even have the best formula (Essie's "After School Boy Blazer" is a lot easier to apply), but the shine and dimension of this are out of this world and worth every cent.

What are your "can't-live-without" colors?

Peace, Love, and Lobsters

Laura 

Painted in the Stars

Even though I am usually not the superstitious type, I am a big fan of Astrology.  I don't believe everything I read in my horoscope - but there have been times when it has been strangely accurate. 

And this article from the Coveteur about nail polish astrology is definitely one of these times: 

Pictures via The Coveteur

Gemini's love baby blue but have no idea why. I don't know how accurate this is for others but for me it's spot on.  I've never been into pastels,  I usually love black and navy but I somehow always find myself reaching for baby blue when I'm not sure which color to choose (Essie's greyish  Cocktail Bling in the winter and their newest Saltwater Happy in the summer). It's a little thing, but it's fun to know that there is actually a reason behind my random love for this shade! 

Is it accurate for you? 

Peace, Love, and Lobsters

Laura 

A Perfect Fit

I may have made a groundbreaking discovery:  Tea-chests are perfect for storing nail polish, especially Essie polishes.

Take a look: 

Pretty awesome right?  I used to store my nail polish in a shoe-box and was looking for something a little nicer, when I stumbled across this acrylic tea bag container. I wasn't sure if it would work, but it turned out to be a perfect fit. Seriously, it's almost like these little compartments where made to store and organize Essie polishes. It also holds OPI-sized bottles (one compartment holds three), but I just love the way the Essie bottles look in it: 

Another plus?  This thing holds my nail-polish addiction in check,  as I made a promise to myself not to buy more shades than the container can hold. (I'm obviously gonna need a bigger one, oh well…)

Mine is from a local tea shop, but you can find them pretty much anywhere. And if the see-through style is not your thing, check out this bamboo option:

Bamboo Tea Box

Now all you have to figure out is where to put your tea... 

Peace, Love, and Lobsters

Laura 

Winter Whites

Happy New Year!  

…and with a new year comes a new nail obsession. I'm talking about white. But stop cringing, because today's white is a lot cleaner – and so much cooler – than the white-out manicures we used to give each other in 6th grade.  

The key is to pick the right shade, you don't want it to be streaky or flat (hello white-out). Shades that have blue or gray undertones are reminiscent of snow and really capture that winter feel, while Ivory shades are the most flattering:

"Cotton Buds"

Butter's "Cotton Buds" has the best formula, seriously this is flawless.  

"Eastern Light"

With its fair blue understones Chanel's "Eastern Light" has an airy lightness to it, that makes it sophisticated and girly at the same time.  

"Don't Touch my Tutu"

OPI's "Don't touch my Tutu" is not the easiest to apply, but once it's dry this translucent white with gray undertones will make your nails look like a winter wonderland. 

"Tuck it in my tux"

And finally Essie's "Tuck it in My Tux",  an easy ivory that goes with everything.  

Peace, Love, and Lobsters 

Laura 

A Breath of Fresh Air

Essie's new Holiday/Winter collection is as basic as it gets, 

but that is exactly what's so great about it:   

When I first saw the collection on Instagram, I wasn't sure about the colors. There's an odd contrast between  classic christmas colors and pink hues that look like leftovers from the spring collection.  But the longer  I looked at them, the more I liked them.  Essie has always been great at classic looks (Wicked, and Mademoiselle can't be beat), so why not celebrate just that?  'Cause as much as I love me some silver or green glitter, you can't really beat a color like Back in The Limo (below) in terms of versatility.

Back in The Limo

Peace, Love, and Lobsters

Laura

Chocolate

Ever since OPI came out with their Texas collection in 2011, I've been obsessed with "Suzi Loves Cowboys" a dark chocolate brown. I'm especially drawn to it during this time of year, I just think it's the perfect transitional color before breaking out the burgundy reds for fall, especially paired with white or cream outfits…

And it looks like the rest of the world finally caught on because brown polish is everywhere this season. Sadly, my beloved Suzi isn't available anymore, but here are a couple of fantastic alternatives:

Essie Fierce No Fear  / OPI  Ice-Bergers & Fries 

Maybelline Taupe / Essie Hot Coco

Technically brown looks good on every skin tone, but if you are on the paler side like yours truly you should opt for a warmer more chocolaty tone, and avoid anything that's on the grayish side. And always use a good top coat! If brown doesn't look flawless, you'll end up looking like you forgot to wash your hands after a chocolate bender (it's ok, we've all been there.)

Peace, Love and Lobsters

Laura  

Sparkle and Shine

First things first, I won't be doing a Christmas Countdown this year - but I still have a lot of fun things planned (and yes there will be giftguides!). So be sure to check in tomorrow!  

Now on to the sparkles. How perfect is Essie's new line of multi-dimensional special effects collection?

 Belugaria, Peak of Chic, On a Silver Platter,  Lots of Lux, Ignite The Night, and Hors D'oeuvres are all spectacular in their own way, and oh so perfect for all the upcoming holiday events.  Personally, I am most excited about Ignite the Night:

Essie

Sparkly silver can often look very childish, but Ignite the Night has a matt finish that gives it a very modern and sophisticated look. I can't wait to try it.

Peace, Love, and Crunchy Leaves

Laura

Winter is Coming

We officially entered the wool coats and high boots period,  and Essie has six new amazing shades inspired by the colder weather:

Essie

From Left to right:  Toggle To the Top, Shearling Darling, Warm & Toasty Turtleneck, Sable Collar,  Parka Perfect and Mind Your Mittens.  

The lush cocoa plum "Sable Collar"  is the one I'm most excited about. It's an interesting mix of red and brown, and I don't think I own anything quite like it. 

Which one is your favorite? 

Peace, Love, and Crunchy Leaves

Laura

Ballsy Grip

 What makes Wimbledon even more fun? Tennis inspired nail art of course!  Even if you're just clutching a remote instead of a racquet.

How great is this design from the Daily Varnish? Use flocking powder to give your nails a tennis ball like  texture:

thedailyvarnish.com

And if you prefer a simpler look try ncLA's Tennis Anyone?

  

Peace, Love, and Cupcakes

Laura 

Day 4: Show Me Your Hooves

Show your Christmas spirit with this impressive but easy to do manicure. All you need is a glitter base, brown polish (I recommend OPI's Suzi Loves Cowboys), and black, white, red and gold  for the accents (use a toothpick if you don't have any dotting tools).

                                                          Source: google.com via Laura on Pinterest

Et voilà, Santa's reindeer on your nails. Can you name them all?

Peace, Love, and Mistletoe
Laura

Goldfinger

O.P.I  always comes out with a couple of movie inspired collections over the year, but in most cases the company tends to draw inspiration from Disney or Marvel. This holiday season, however, we get to choose between 12 shades that are inspired by no other than Bond, James Bond. 

Source

The SKYFALL collection is as expected on a darker, very glamorous, side - but overall I am not too impressed. There are a few interesting glitter polishes (The Living Daylights, The World is not Enough), but I am simply not a fan of all the reds and purples - It's just nothing new, and the pink tint doesn't feel very Bond. 

BUT there is something in the collection that caught my eye, something truly spectacular, something... just see for yourself:

source

It's an 18 karat gold top coat. That's right real gold. The clear polish has flakey bits of gold leaf and will turn any base into a work of art.  The only downside is the price ($38) - Christmas list maybe?

source

There's only one more thing: Why isn't this one named Goldfinger? Wouldn't that have been the much punier option? what were you thinking O.P.I.?

Peace, Love, and Serendipity

Laura