GLITTER OVERDOSE . MY FAVOURITE GLITZY POLISHES

Deck the nails with lots of glitter fa-la-la-la-la la-la-la-la. That's how the song goes... right? Christmas is only 10 days away and if you don't have glitter coursing through your veins then I only have one question – WHAT IS YOUR LIFE? I've been on a glitter binge for the duration of December with no end in sight – it's coating my floors, my skin and of course my nails. So today I bring you 10 glitter polishes that even glitter queen and Christmas songstress, Mariah Carey, needs in her vanity.

Topping the make-shift polish tree is the Kinetics Nail Polish in Splatter It! – the perfect polish for the artsy type. I've worn this polish over every shade of grey imaginable, yet still nothing can compare to the impact it gives when layered over a simple white. A more obtainable version of this polish is the Formula X Xpolsive Top Coat in Chaotic – available from Sephora. The next layer features three favourites from Essie's Luxe Effects Line – Shine Of The Times, As Gold As It Gets, and Set In Stones. It's almost a sin to consider yourself a beauty blogger without owning the entire Luxe Effects line-up, but if you must only choose three effects then these are it. The subtlety of the Shine Of The Times and As Gold As It Gets make easy work of transforming a basic polish to an extraordinary one, while Set In Stones looks beautiful as a gradient below the cuticle. The third layer shares four of the most exquisite OPI limited edition glitters [in my opinion] – Muppets World Tour, Which Is Witch?, Wonderous Star and When Moneky's Fly. I love the way each polish features various forms of glitter and subtle holographic details ensuring that your nails are the star of any party you attend this holiday season. The final two polishes, and most recent addition to my collection, hail from Julep's Diamond Mystery Box – Sky and Chantel. There is something so lavish about the diamond shaped glitter and holographic elements seen in these top coats. I love layering Sky over a shimmering royal blue like Austen, and Chantel over a deep aubergine, such as Nic.

THE SWATCHES

Swatched left to right // Julep – Chantel, Sky, OPI – When Monkeys Fly!, Wonderous Star, Which Is Witch?, Muppets World Tour, Essie – Set In Stones, As Gold As It Gets, Shine Of The Times and Kinetics Nail Polish – Splatter It!

I so dearly wish that these glitters were more widely available, but hopefully this post helped inspire you to add a little glitz to your manicure this week! We could all use a bit more sparkle.

What is your go-to glitter polish?

AM¥     XO

NOTD . WHITE MEETS CONCRETE

It feels like I haven't seen sun in days and it's reflecting in my manicure. Today's nails are inspired by the rugged concrete jungle we call home and my hopes for the snow to come and mask its existence. I began with a base of Essie's Nail Polish in Blanc before using a technique I discovered through The Nailasaurus to create a 'Waterfall Manicure' – a must know for any nail art junior [AKA me]. To create this effect I used a few different polishes including, Essie Nail Polish in Find Me An Oasis, Julep Nail Polish in Nancy, Sally Hansen I Heart Nail Art Striper in White, and OPI Nail Polish in Muppet's World Tour. Alternating between polishes I simply created thin lines running halfway up the nail before finishing with the Sally Hansen Diamond Flash Fast Dry Top Coat. 

 What colours would you combine for this manicure?

AM¥     XO

NAILS OF THE DA¥ . ALL STITCHED UP

It's officially the last week of October and somehow my Halloween spirit has yet to kick in – maybe it's because I missed all that Fall feel-good stuff, like trips to Springridge Farm, pumpkin carving & breezy hikes. But there are two Halloween traditions that I will never miss out on; watching Hocus Pocus and themed nail art. This year the two went hand in hand as I was inspired to create a 'stitched' nail art design with Billy Butcherson's cross-stitched lips working as my muse. I knew that I wanted to use my new Julep Nail Polish in Dana, a white glow in the dark polish, which I received in the October Julep Maven Box because unless I'm headed to a rave, Halloween is the only time blacklight reflective polish makes any sense. I created the stitched effect in a matter of seconds with my Sally Hansen I Heart Nail Art Striper in Black, keeping the lines rough & raw as if I was using a dull needle, just like Winifred Sanderson did.

Will you be donning Halloween-themed nail art this week?

AM¥   XO

TRANSITIONING ¥OUR POLISH FOR FALL W. JULEP'S NANC¥

Choosing a polish between the months of August and October can be one of the most stressful tasks for a beauty lover; you are still holding onto summer brights, but lusting for the deeper, moody shades associated with Fall. That all changed for me when my October Julep Maven box arrived earlier this week. It was packed with dark polishes, that featured subtle shimmers, and metallics to add a glam feel, and even a glow in the dark polish – now to find a rave. But no polish in the October box struck a chord in my heart quite like Nancy, a 'silvery sage metallic' that is sure to be on constant repeat this month. I never expected that I would like this shade as a metallic, but Julep proved it possible and now I can't help but want to try it with a matte topcoat – crazy about that stuff again. Nancy is a great transition polish, even a year round polish – imagine this shade on tanned skin.. so sexy. To find out more about Julep, see their website: Julep.com.

Still strugglin' with the transition? Julep has created a document to help you transition your favourite  summer nail polish shade to a shade better suited for Fall – simply click here get your perfect fall shade.

AMY   XO