Colors clockwise from top left…Shake Your $$ Maker (green), Boom Boom Room (pink), Bottle Service (fuchsia), DJ Play that Song (plum), Bouncer, it’s Me! (blue), Saturday Disco Fever (coral)

 

This last weekend, we got, hopefully, the last taste of winter weather….yes, there was a skiff of snow in some parts of the Lower Mainland. I had to break my rule of no boots after Spring Break….that’s a big dislike!

So, in protest, I painted my nails with some of Essie’s Neon 2013 Collection! You can’t help but feel happy and warm with these amazingly electric shades!

How to get the most pop out of these colors?? Follow these 4 steps…

1. Apply a base coat to clean, dry nails
2. Add one coat of Essie’s “Blanc”
3. Swipe on two coats of your fave Essie neon shade
4. Finish with one coat of Essie’s “Good to Go” top coat!

I have used these shades with and without the coat of  ”Blanc”.  Without you need about three coats of polish and it gives you a slightly subtler look, which is a nice option!  With the first coat of “Blanc”, you really get a bright neon pop!

We love all the bright colors in this collection but what are our “Plum Picks”????  We adore  ”Boom Boom Room”.  The first day I wore it I got no less than 4 compliments!  It’s a cotton candy pink, super happy shade, but somehow not over the top. We also love “DJ Play that Song”…neon plum…how could we not love it?…an easy shade to wear that works (and doesn’t clash) with many of this season’s neon pieces.  And “Saturday Disco Fever”….coral….nothing says summer’s a-coming like a coral pedi!

The Essie Neon 2013 Collection will be available in stores May 1, 2013.  Click here for Essie Retailers.

Thank-you SO much to Essie for sending us their Neon 2013 Collection.  We are loving the bright, fun shades and know that our readers will too!!  They are the perfect pop of neon for this season!

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I love the new nail colors that come out for spring and Essie always does it right!  The colors in their Resort 2013 are fun and fresh….some serious eye candy…I love just looking at them all together.  Very pleasing to the eye!!

Here are Essie Resort 2013′s four delicious shades…

1. in the cab-ana—self-assured aqua azure
2. under where?—wildly flirtatious orchid
3. come here!—outrageous nearly neon coral
4. first timer—fresh newbie green

Some spicy names I must say!  I wanted to try them all right away and finally picked “Come here!” to try first.  I’m seriously loving the bright coral.  Next I’m trying it on my toes!

These colors will be available April 2013 at Essie Retailers.  Awesome timing to brighten your nails for spring!  These colors remind me of Easter!  Polishes usually run around $10 Cdn.

 

Thank-you SO much to Essie for sending us their Resort 2013 Collection.  We are loving the flirty shades and know that our readers will too!!  They will look even more fab with a tan!

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Last week, we got a delicious taste of spring! Temperatures hit 12 degree Celsius (that’s about 54 degrees Fahrenheit for our American readers). That’s uncharacteristically warm for our West Coast winters….but reality hit two days later when it tried to snow again! February sends such mixed messages…..so what to do about my nails?  I called Lo the other day to ask what color I should paint my nails.  Does it really matter?  Well, no, but I just was conflicted….do I go with a dark wintery color or do I start breaking out the bright cheery tones in anticipation of spring?  What to do??  Lo had some very wise advice….find something in the middle.  Ok…I could have probably figured that out on my own, but thanks Lo!!

So, I went through my nail polish bin….seriously I need to find a better storage and organization system….I have a bit of a “problem” when it comes to nail polish!!!  Here are some of the colors that have stood the test of time for me and are great “middle of the road” colors to transition from winter to spring!

 

BRIGHTS, from top to bottom

Essie “Where’s My Chauffeur” (love this Tiffany blue..looks awesome with purple, red and neutrals)

Essie “Snap Happy” (this color does just make you happy….a nice cheery red)

COLORS, from top to bottom

Essie “Island Hopping” (a neutral with a hint of plum….a fave of Mary J. Blige)

OPI “I Have a Herring Problem” ( a denim-y blue with a slight sparkle..goes with anything just like jeans!)

NEUTRALS, from top to bottom

Essie “Miss Fancy Pants” (a light, warm gray with some mauve)

OPI “You Don’t Know Jacques” (a gray-brown….rich!)

These are some great nail colors to try while we are awaiting spring collections to surface.  Essie’s spring collection drops on March 1!  Can’t wait!

 

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For one of the dinners at the Alt Summit that we are attending this week (a conference for lifestyle bloggers), we had to dress us as our favorite character from the game Clue.  Ok, I don’t do games…it’s just not my thing.  Have to admit I’ve never played Clue, but I love turquoise, so Mrs. Peacock I would be!

I had a lot of fun hunting around for deals to put an outfit together.  Here’s what I found….

1. J. Crew Coat , regular price $325, I paid $160
2. Diane Von Furstenburg Top , regular price $245, I paid $166
3. J. Crew Skirt , regular price $148, I paid $42
4. Boutique 9 Pumps (from Saks Off Fifth), regular price $150, I paid $59
5. Essie Polish in “Where’s My Chauffeur?” , regular price $9, promo’d
6. Michael Kors Bag (from Michael Kors outlet) , regular price $298, I paid $162

The total regular price for the outfit was $1, 175.  I paid $589, with a savings of $586!  That’s 50% off!  I know it’s still an investment and I probably won’t ever wear all the pieces together again, but I got a killer winter coat and a fantastic bag that will add a punch of color to outfits most any season.  I love all of the other pieces too!  The skirt will work great with a black silk blouse and black pumps that I already have!!  So, really, I got a few outfits out of this one!

Bottom line…I don’t play games, but I sure get a charge out of finding an outfit for a great deal!

 

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Today Essie Canada‘s  Winter 2012 Collection “Leading Lady”  is available in stores.  I have to say that I’ve tried all of the colors and I’m love with them all! I adore the bold, sparkly hues that cheer me up on a dark, dreary winter day!

For our Ladies Night Out Event at Shoppers Drug Mart, I created a fun holiday look on my nails with this collection using “Snap Happy” and “Beyond Cozy”. “Snap Happy” is a vibrant red with slight orange undertones….bright and cheerful!  ”Beyond Cozy” is a sparkly lacquer with champagne tones that can read gold or silver depending on what you pair with it.

 

 

Here’s how I did it….

Here’s what you’ll need…painters’ tape, base coat, “Snap Happy”, “Beyond Cozy”, top coat, orange stick.

 Step 1 – Make sure that your nails are clean and free from oils and lotions.  It’s a good idea to wash your nails with soap and water and ensure they are dry before you start.

Step 2 – Brush on a layer of base coat.  I used Essie’s “Grow Faster”.

Step 3 – Put on a coat of “Snap Happy”.  Use the orange stick as required to remove polish from the skin around your nails.

Step 4 – Put on another coat of “Snap Happy”

Step 5 – Brush on a coat of a quick dry top coat.  I used Seche Vite’s “Dry Fast Top Coat”.  Let dry for at least 30 minutes.

Step 6 – Cut small pieces of painters’ tape.  Use the straight edge of the tape to create a line from the middle of your nail at the tip to almost (not quite) the corner.  Painters’ tape works well as it’s just sticky enough but not too sticky so it won’t damage the polish underneath.

Make sure to push the tape down at the “almost corner” and at the tip so that you get a nice clean edge.

Step 7 – Put on a coat of “Beyond Cozy” on the exposed triangle of each nail.

Step 8 – Put on a second coat of “Beyond Cozy” as above.

Step 9 – Peel off painters’ tape and then let dry 5-10 minutes.

Step 10 - Add a final coat of top coat.

To prolong your pretty holiday nails, brush on top coat each day.  If you use a rapid dry top coat such as Seche Vite, it dries in just a couple of minutes, but do be somewhat cautious for a bit!

 

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