Top 5

I know the anticipation has been killing yall... How much longer will you have to wait for my list of my top 5 polishes??? Well, the wait is over!

#5: LA Splash "Crimson Tide"

This fun color is a dark maroon/red infused with several colors of red and pink glitter. It is a neutral-ish colors with a BAM of glitter that is eye-popping! It requires a pretty thick basecoat though; the glitter takes a bit more effort than normal to remove from the nail. Mrs. Lacquer and I decided that "Crimson Tide" does not do the color justice; we instead deem it "Bloody Red Cherries."

#4: Revlon "Minted"

Last summer I discovered this light green shade (actually, Mrs. Lacquer pointed it out while we were shopping at Target and I had to buy it too lol) and since then it is one of my favorites! My mom called it "Shrek toes" when I wore it, but it is such a lovely light green that goes on opaque (and is not Shrek-y at all!). This is the exact color that I think of when speaking of mint, and compared to every other minty color I've seen it is #1!

#3: Sinful Colors: "Easy Going"

I've already paid homage to this LOVELY pink in my previous post, but I can't help but include it in my top 5. My polish style has always been dark purples/greys/browns/blues - basically neutrals - but this is surpassed them all! It looks so crisp and clean on the nail, and the pink is so light and pretty. I cannot say to many great things about this polish! It definitely does not disappoint!

#2: Incoco Dry Nail Applique: French Manicure Tips

Ok, so technically this one isn't a polish, BUT it is something that I buy on a regular basis and keep in my polish bucket for times when I'm feeling a little French. These appliques are easy-to-apply tips that look fabulous and fool everyone into thinking you've gone acrylic. There are 20 tips in the case, so I am able to get two separate applications for each hand. It comes with a small nail file and a cuticle stick- complete application in one box! If you're considering purchasing these tips, be sure to apply to clean nails, then top with a basecoat and then SV. The great thing about these tips is when there is chipping on the ends, you can just trim your nails and you have a fresh-looking manicure :) This is definitely one of my go-to's.

#1: Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure: "Commander in Chic"

For me, there is nothing I have discovered that can surpass Commander in Chic. This is the first polish that I purchased and the one that started the obsession. I first saw it on Mrs. Lacquer's fingers.... I remember the day distinctly: We were talking in the kitchen at the speech therapy clinic at our school, and I couldn't keep my eyes off her nails! (She shared the secret of SV with me that day too... my life has never been the same!) This color is the perfect blend of purple and grey and is a fun way to have a neutral nail without going with the usual suspects. The brush in this line of polishes is really great too; it is rounded at the ends and helps achieve a clean shape while painting. If you haven't tried it, go for it! Then let me know how much you love it :)

Bonus! OPI Correct & Clean Up Refillable Corrector Pen

Ha! Little did you know that you would be getting a bonus 6th favorite! I'm always trying to keep you on your toes :) This corrector pen is something I picked up at Ulta and was a wonderful purchase that I use everytime I polish. It is filled with polish remover and has a felt tip that can be used to clean up cuticles or polish lines. Admittedly, I am not the cleanest polisher, so this has been a life-saver for me! After a manicure I used to clean my cuticles in the shower the next morning, but no more! The felt tip works well (it comes with a second tip as a replacement) and the pen is re-fillable with your choice of remover. It cost about $7, but it was definitely worth it for me!

So there you have it! My top 5!

On an unrelated note, Mrs. Lacquer is taking one of her huge comprehensive tests tomorrow (Friday) morning and the other on Saturday morning. Send your prayers and happy thoughts her way!

Which polishes are on your list? I'm eager to hear about your favorites!

Pink Lovelies :)

Hello! I hope everyone's week is going splendidly! Thank goodness tomorrow is Thursday- I'm ready for the weekend!

So, here is my confession: I have been on a baby-pink kick lately. I can't explain it; ballerina pink on nails used to be a pet peeve of mine, but now it is the only color I seem to be buying. Who knows?!

While browsing at Ulta, I saw several polish brands with baby pinks. Essie has a polish quad of baby pinks, and I read (somewhere) that light pink is going to be an "in" color this spring due to the popularity of the movie "Black Swan." I don't know how that movie would move someone to wear pink; if you have seen it you know that it is a pretty dark story. Again, who knows?!?! But pink is our topic today, and I would like to present five lovely light pinks to ballerina-ize your nails!

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Thumb: Revlon "Sweet Tart"

Ok, I threw this one in to make it an even hand.... it isn't techniqually a ballerina-pink (at least to me), but it is a pretty pink. It was very thick- I generally stop at two coats, but after one it was opaque. I'm not a fan of this on fingers, but it would be cute on tan summer toes :)

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Pointer: Sinful Colors "Beautiful Girl"

Sinful Colors is one of my favorite brands. It is super cheap (2 for $3), which means I don't have to feel guilty when I buy two (or three or four) at the local Walgreens when I pick up my prescription. For such an inexpensive brand the quality is really nice and there are lots of cute colors to choose from. This pink is creamy and light but not obnoxious, and when I think of its name I start singing (beautiful girls all over the world, they've got nothing on you baaaaabyyyyy).

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Middle: Sinful Colors "Easy Going"

So the name of this polish does NOT do it any justice. It really should be called I LOVE THIS COLOR (all caps means business). It is a perfect light pink that sways on the verge of white. It makes fingers look super tan, and two coats gives you perfect coverage. This is going to be a polish that I'll have to buy multiples of; one bottle will not be enough!

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Ring: Wet 'n' Wild "Sugar Coat"

This was a random buy about 9 months ago... it was very inexpensive and seemed like the perfect baby pink. It was sheerer than I was hoping, but after two to three coats it was opaque and had a subtle sheen. Instead of being ballerina pink, it really is a nude-pink. (I'm baring my nail polish soul in this blog: I'm not a huge fan of the nude polishes. It makes me feel like my fingernails are scabbed over. I know what you're thinking- this girl is a strange one! I guess I just haven't found the right nude). So to say that this is a pretty nude-pink is saying a lot from me.

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Pinkie: Essie "We Can Do It Pink!"

Confession #3: This is my first purchase of an Essie polish. There, I said it. I've ogled polished in the Essie section at Ulta, but this was my first (and I got it for only $3- cha-ching!). On the nail, it is a barely-pink/beige that leans more on the white/beige side. To be honest, I don't know why it is called a pink. I was hoping that it would be a light pink/lavender, but the grey undertones make it much more beige than pink. My first go at Essie was a little bit disappointing, but I will not forsake Essie! Plus, at that price who could be mad??

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So there you have it! Pretty pink polishes!

What are some of your favorite pinks???

What polish confession do you have to share?

Sinful Colors Mint Apple

So remember way back when mint-green colors were all the rage. I'm not sure where it started...maybe Essie's Mint Candy Apple. Well, I sure as heck jumped right on that bandwagon and now I seem to have accumulated more than my fair share of light greens. It's strange because I don't consider myself a green kinda girl. So why I bought Sinful Colors Mint Apple I have no idea. Like most of us...I have a problem. It's cool...I'm not afraid to admit it. But put a pretty lacquer in front of me, tell me it's on sale and it's all downhill from there.

I used 3 coats...2 probably would have been fine but I was in a hurry and wanted no chance of a VNL. Application was good but dry time seemed longer than most even with SV...maybe my coats were too thick. I really really liked this one. It's a spring green that might lean a little more to the blue side in some lights. What I really love is the hidden shimmer. I really can't tell if it's gold or silver shimmer. Either way...it adds this nice dimension to a polish that could have otherwise been a little blah.

Here it is in the shade...it looks a little more blue but we're definitely not talking about For Audrey blue here. I like the kind of colors that keep you guessing...is it green? is it blue? is it green-blue or blue-green? Anyway, here it is. Mint Apple (come on...really we're copying Essie's names now!?)

And here it is in the sun! BAM!

I really can't wait to wear this one as a pedi as it starts to warm up. Maybe with some chunky gold glitter on top?

Oh yeah...and I DEFINITELY found this strange website when I googled how to spell "definitely"...I really wish I had that kind of time on my hands!

China Glaze White Cap

This was the only polish I bought from the Anchors Away collection although I did like Below Deck, Pelican Grey and Sea Spray. It's actually kind of a fluke that I bought this one because I don't usually buy sheers but there was something about White Cap! And I have to say I certainly wasn't disappointed!

White Cap is fairly sheer so it probably would be best to layer. I have seen several pictures out there in the blogosphere of it used alone and it seems to take about 3-4 coats to build to non-VNL opacity. I am showing it here layered over Sinful Color's Boom Boom.

I actually really like this layered over the bubble-gum pink of Boom Boom. It gives it this sophisticated (IMHO) gold flash/glass fleck finish. It sparkles in low light too! I have a feeling I'm going to get a lot of use out of White Cap this spring!

What other laying combos have you tried with White Cap?

Sinful Colors Let's Talk

Let's talk indeed! Let's talk about how amazing this color is. I also bought this one at Walgreens as part of the 2-for-$3 deal. The first coat got me worried because it was brush-stroke central and looked a lot like a frosty. However, the second coat eased my fears as all brush strokes disappeared. By the third coat I was at complete opacity and left with nothing but a stunning blue-purple.

Sinful Colors Boom Boom

Happy Valentine's Day (aka Singles Awareness Day). My husband and I decided a long time ago not to buy into the V-Day craziness. I don't like V-day for the same reason I don't like chick-flicks. It just seems to set a girl up for disappointment. And...if you're lucky enough to have the right partner you don't need an invented holiday to know that you're loved.

Anyway, I'll get off my soap box and show you just about the only bright pink creme you'll ever see me wear. I'm not into nail art (although I have been seeing some awesome V-day nail art) so this is as far as I go to celebrating V-day. Snagged this one at Walgreens in a 2-for-$3 deal. SWEET! I am really diggin' the variety and formula of SinfulColors.

This is 3 coats of Boom Boom plus 1 coat of SV.