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Emerald Madness Championship Round – Vote Now!

This is it people. The Emerald Madness Finals. After weeks of voting and narrowing down the competition, only two are left standing. a England Saint George is going head-to-head with Zoya Ivanka. Which emerald green nail polish will reign supreme? It’s up to you!

The final round of voting will close on Thursday, May 30th and the winner will be announced Friday, May 31st!

Voting is now closed. Thank you for participating. Here are the finalists, for your viewing pleasure.

emerald-madness-a-england-saint-george-zoya-ivanka

a England Saint George vs Zoya Ivanka

Which emerald nail polishes did you discover through this process? Did you add any new greens to your collection due to Emerald Madness?

Mani Monday – Patriotic Edition with L’Oreal Paris Colour Riche Nail

As we spend this Memorial Day remembering and honoring the men and women who died in service of our great country, I just want to share a quick USA themed #ManiMonday with you. I originally created this look during the Olympics last summer but it works so well for any USA-centric holiday or event; Memorial Day, Independence Day, etc.

mani-monday-patriotic-usa-holiday-striped-nails-loreal-paris

Striping Tape Manicure

Affiliate Link|Press Sample

It’s a classic red, white and blue nail art look using nail striping tape I bought on Amazon and L’Oréal Paris Colour Riche Nail.

I started with two coats of L’Oréal Paris I Will! (white creme), as my base and waited for it to dry. Next, I applied four strips of striping tape to the right half of each nail. I then painted over each half with L’Oréal Paris Caught Red Handed (tomato red creme) and Jet Set To Paris (blue creme), alternating the colors on each nail.

Application tips: 1) Use a quick dry top coat or UV top coat, like Seche Ultra-V, over the white to speed the drying process. 2) Lay the first tape strip in the middle of the nail and work your way to the edge for a balanced look. 3) Remove the tape immediately after applying the polish with tweezers. 4) Wait 10-15 minutes before applying top coat to avoid blurring the lines.

Simple, easy, a bit time consuming, yet eye-catching. Would you try this look at home? Do you wear themed manicures on holidays?

What’s on your nails on this ManiMonday? Tag me on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest or Twitter and use the hashtag #ALUManiMonday so I can share it.

Disclosure: Product samples were provided by reps for L’Oreal Paris. Affiliate links appear via a third party link service. For more info, view my Disclosure Policy.

Emerald Madness Final Four – Vote Now!

By on May 23, 2013
in Emerald Madness, Green with 16 Comments

The month of May is coming to a close and, with that, we’ll soon say goodbye to Emerald Madness. What that means is we’re one step closer to crowning the best emerald nail polish. After a very close Elite Eight battle (some races were won by just a few votes), we’re down to the Final Four.

emerald-madness-bracket-round-4

Click to view full size

To recap, Emerald Madness is a March Madness style tournament pitting the best emerald shades against each other throughout the month of May. The winner will be revealed on May 31st.

Thank you to everyone who voted last week to push their favorites onward in the bracket. Keep their fight alive by continuing to vote.
Continue Reading »

Clinique “A Different Nail Enamel for Sensitive Skins” Review & Swatches

The first non-drugstore beauty brand I ever spent my hard earned money on was Clinique and I’m sure I’m not alone in this. During my teen years, my Caboodle was chock full of jade marble shadow & blush cases (New Clover was my jam!) and my bathroom drawer had dozens of mini Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotions from GWP sets. And when Black Honey Almost Lipstick launched, you wouldn’t catch me dead without a tube. But when it came to nails, Clinique had nothing for me.

clinique-a-different-nail-enamel-for-sensitive-skins-nail-polish-summer-2013

Clinique A Different Nail Enamel for Sensitive Skins

Affiliate Link|Press Sample

Yes, they’ve had polish in the past but it always felt like an afterthought, until now. Introducing Clinique A Different Nail Enamel for Sensitive Skins. Quite a mouthful, no? Six years in the making, this line is formulated to minimize skin sensitivity. And as we’ve come to expect from Clinique, it is Dermatologist tested and Ophthalmologist tested. In addition to a core lineup of twelve basic shades, they have launched nine LE polishes for Summer 2013. Let’s take a look!
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Emerald Madness – “Elite Eight” Voting Now Open

By on May 18, 2013
in Emerald Madness, Green with 18 Comments

After spending three days in a cold medicine haze, consuming my body weight in won ton soup and pho, it’s finally time to reveal the Emerald Madness Elite Eight.

emerald-madness-bracket-round-3

Click to view full size

To recap, Emerald Madness is a March Madness style tournament pitting the best emerald shades against each other throughout the month of May. The winner will be revealed on May 31st.

Thank you to everyone who voted last week to push their favorites onward in the bracket. Keep their fight alive by continuing to vote.
Continue Reading »

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