It just might be BIRTHDAY TIME!!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MEEEE!

Yep, this girl is turning one year older today! And as part of one of my fantastic presents I got the coolest manicure kit from Ciate! It's a chalkboard nails kit and it comes with a chalkboard black base coat (to the right!), four "chalk" pens, and a matte top coat sealer. Seriously, the base coat is incredible. It actually dries to the texture of a chalkboard and everything. Then you have four fancy pens in pink, blue, white, and yellow that are like "chalk" and you use them to draw. How neat?!

This is what I created with the new Ciate kit!

MAYhem - Swatch: Eyes Like Sapphires

Today for MAYhem is a Swatch post of China Glaze Eyes Like Sapphires. This is one of my favorite blue polishes. Blue polish isn't as easy to find as pinks and reds so I always pick them up when I see them. China Glaze has a pretty good selection of blue polishes so I have quite a few of them. I really like the China Glaze formula and the application that CG has so I'm a huge fan of the brand. This particular polish is a go to for me when I'm looking for a popping but not overly insane polish to wear. Some of my polishes are gorgeous but can only really be worn for special occasions because they're a little too crazy colorful for everyday wear. Eyes Like Sapphires isn't like that. I could wear this all the time and be totally fine with that.

What do you guys think about this polish? 

Would you wear it every day or save it for a special occasion?

MAYhem - Swatch: ULTA Always A Bridesmaid

I have been holding onto this polish for sooooo long now and now it's perfect to use especially since Steph's now engaged and I'm hoping to be AT LEAST a bridesmaid...if not Maid of Honor! I know I've used it before just as a plain manicure on my nails and now is the most perfect time to swatch it.  ULTA Professional Always A Bridesmaid is a really pretty pink shade with a bit of shimmer. I think it would make a really pretty bridesmaid dress color for anyone who can pull off pink. The application was good and it was opaque within 2 coats.

I do have one issue with the ULTA Professional line brushes. They're really thick and the boxy-applicator can make it tough to apply comfortably.

MAYhem - Swatch: Mary Kay Pink Sand

This polish is the perfect barely-there-soft-pink. It'll be perfect for when I'm working as an attorney and can't rock the fun and wild colors/designs I rock now. This is also one of only maybe 2 Mary Kay polishes that I have! Both were given to me by my boyfriend but he got it from one of his old high school teachers that sells Mary Kay who, from what I hear, also has a nail/nail polish habit like me!! I never had any Mary Kay polished before these and I have to say I really like them both. The polish took 4 coats to get to the opaque-ness that I was looking for but I feel like that's true of literally every light/soft color I own. Random tip: if you want to save the color rather than use 4 coats try a white base and then you the color. Anyway, I really like this polish and the bottles are cute too because they're short and round. The brush is a tiny bit awkward in your hand because of how fat it is but other than that minor detail it's a good polish. I'll have to use my second polish to get to swatch that one too for you. I'm sure I will....I'm a nail polish hoarder, you know. 

 With a flash it comes out a lot more pink...

 But it really looks like this...

Nail Polish MAYhem - Swatch: China Glaze Pool Party

Now that I'm almost done with my first year of law school I have more time before I start my internship to do some nails and update this blog! Welcome to Nail Polish MAYhem! For every day left in May I'm going to try to do a swatch post with a new polish or at least a polish that I've never used before! First up: China Glaze Pool Party. China Glaze Pool Party. Can I just say I love the color of this polish but I HATE the actual polish. I used it quite a few times last summer and it would dry matte even though it looks shiny in the bottle. ALSO, it chips in 0.25 seconds and comes off in big chunks even with Seche Vite.

When I added a top coat the it helped combat the matte-ness of the polish...

Swatch: China Glaze Admire

China Glaze Admire is one of my more intriguing polish colors. It's a light pink with a chrome-metallic finish that looks so pretty in the bottle but is a totally different story when it comes to putting it on my nails. Either I'm not very good at painting my nails or this polish just has horrendous application if you're not careful. No really, brush strokes is actually a well known problem with the polishes in the Romantique Collection. As you can see there are lines/creases in my middle finger and ring finger. I think this was 3 coats because I wanted to try and see if I could get rid of the indents in the polish but...nope, no luck with that. I either had indents or brush stroke lines and so I really can't say that I'm fond of this polish. In fact, Admire might be one of my least favorite polishes that I own. And that's so upsetting because it looks like it would be just stunning in the bottle. This is definitely a bummer polish for me. Maybe I can use it for bases in nail designs and for stamping or something. Or maybe I'll swap it out with someone. If anyone wants to swap Admire for something else, comment below and let me know.

Also, as I was just labeling this post (the usual: brand, color, etc) I noticed that I've never once used this. I've had it for over a year and a half and I haven't used it once....that's saying something.

Review: Avon Mosaic Effects

I love the crackle polishes that became super popular as much as the next nail blogger so I was psyched to be able to add yet another to my collection: Avon Mosaic Effects Top Coat in Blue Flash. I have to say I was completely surprised by how well it worked. I have a few China Glaze CrackleGlaze polishes that do NOT crackle as well as this Avon polish does. The flecks in it make the crackle even more spectacular and I'm going to add this polish to my My Favorites list. I layered Blue Flash over Zoya Kristen.

 Ah, gorgeous! I'm never taking this off my nails! Ok...maybe I will.

Requested by Caitlyn: Tuxedo nails

Aw, my nails are dressed to the nines today! This manicure is pulling double duty today as the second installment in my Requested by Caitlyn series AND to further celebrate my sister's engagement.

To make these fancy fingers yours, it's super simple: paint your nails white (I used Zoya Snow White) and then use black (Orly Liquid Vinyl) for the rest of the design.

Here Comes the Bride...

...because my older sister is engaged to her high school sweetheart! After nine years together, her and her fiance (how fancy?!) are finally deciding to tie the knot! I'm so happy for them and I look forward to celebrating with them ASAP but, until then, I'm celebrating in my own way...with a lovely Engagement Mani! I will admit, I have quite a few posts up my sleeve now so make sure to check back often!!

The base is Ulta It's Nude to Me and then on the index and ring finger I painted a diamond ring and the iconic Tiffany & Co. box and bow. For the diamond ring I used Kleancolor Silver Pearl, Kiss Brush On Nail Art Paint in Silver, six Cinapro gem rhinestones, and Orly Shine On Crazy Diamond (what a fitting name right?!) to make the diamond sparkle. To make the Tiffany & Co. box and bow I used China Glaze For Audrey as the Tiffany box base and Kiss Brush On Nail Art Paint in White to create the Tiffany bow.

And now the story: Matt and Steph (pictured above--hopefully she likes this picture...I do!) met nine or so years ago at Steph's Junior Formal. Get this...he wasn't even her date! Anyway, they started hanging out and then dating and then officially became a couple on February 29th of that year (I don't even remember the year it was that long ago). Since then they've become pretty much inseparable and have done so many fun things together. They've spent weeks down the shore, visited Hawaii, rooted on the Phillies at baseball games, enjoyed eating at some delicious restaurants, watched thousands of movies, and spent countless hours together just enjoying themselves. So how did it happen? Well, I'll tell you! Steph absolutely loves New York. She loves Broadway, the delicious Crumbs cupcakes, the atmosphere the Big Apple has to offer, and, of course, Central Park. It is too perfect that Matt would ask her to be his wife in one of her favorite places in the world and he got down on one knee and popped the question (and the ring box) in Central Park by the fountain! 

The rest, as they say, will be history!! 

Congratulations Steph and Matt!

So Happy Togetherrr

It's been three whole years since the boyfriend asked me to be his girlfriend :) I still can't believe how much time has passed and how much fun we've had together. I feel like I've known him forever. My nails for my anniversary are low key, just a tropical with a dotted line.

Andrew and I don't usually do anything overly exciting on our anniversary. This year he's coming in and we're going out to dinner. For every anniversary Andrew spoils me with roses...one for every month we've been together. To be completely honest I don't think I've ever seen three dozen roses in one vase before! As tradition goes, I make sure to pick out my favorite one (usually the first to bloom/the largest to bloom) and snap a picture. It was so hard to choose though because they're all so beautiful!! I think these are the biggest roses I have ever been given.

 I can't see me lovin' nobody but you

For all my life
When you're with me, baby the skies'll be blue
For all my life