Perfect Pair: OPI Sapphire in the Snow & Avon Violetta Sparkle February 16, 2012
Posted by Alli in Layering.Tags: Avon, Nail Polish, OPI
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When I first tried out Avon Violetta Sparkle I fell in love with the gorgeous gold flakey glitter but wasn’t overly thrilled with the formula. It was a tad on the thin side so I thought it might make a good top coat. I was right!
I used one coat of Violetta Sparkle over 2 coats of OPI Sapphire in the Snow. I really love the way it turned out. And this is definitely a better way to use Violetta Sparkle.
As always, there is a macro shot below the jump!
Perfect Pair: OPI I Don’t Give a Rotterdam! & China Glaze Pelican Gray February 13, 2012
Posted by Alli in Layering.Tags: China Glaze, Nail Polish, OPI
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While OPI I Don’t Give a Rotterdam! is a gorgeous color I was somewhat disappointed in the formula. It was quite thin. But then I realized that maybe I could not only use Rotterdam on its own but also as a top coat.
To test Rotterdam as a top coat I used 2 coats of China Glaze Pelican Gray as a base and topped it with just one coat of Rotterdam. I just LOVE the way it turned out! Just enough of the gray came through to make Rotterdam a bit more dusty.
It’s going to be fun to experiment with Rotterdam. I want to try it over a darker polish next.
Make sure to check out the macro shot below the jump!
Perfect Pair: OPI I Don’t Give a Rotterdam! & deborah lippmann Today Was a Fairytale February 10, 2012
Posted by Alli in Layering.Tags: deborah lippmann, Nail Polish, OPI
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Ever since I purchased deborah lippmann Today Was a Fairytale I’ve been on the hunt for the perfect polish to use under it. I just don’t love it on its own. So instead of taking off OPI I Don’t Give a Rotterdam! I decided to try to layer Today Was a Fairytale over it. I quite like the way it turned out.
I topped 3 coats of OPI I Don’t Give a Rotterdam! with one coat of deborah lippmann Today Was a Fairytale. Today Was a Fairytale did add quite a bit more gray to I Don’t Give a Rotterdam which I liked.
Today Was a Fairytale is growing on me. I was definitely disappointed with it originally but it has proven to be quite versatile.
Make sure to check out the macro shot below the jump!
Essie – Pure Pearlfection January 31, 2012
Posted by Katie in Essie, Katie, Layering.Tags: 2010, 2011, Essie, luxeffects, resort, shimmer, Topcoat
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When I first saw Essie’s Luxeffects I have to admit I really wasn’t all that impressed, but after seeing swatches I decided I had to have two: Pure Pearlfection and As Gold as it Gets.
I decided to layer Pure Pearlfection over two coats of Splash of Grenadine (From the 2010 Resort Collection that also included Lapis of Luxury and Turquoise and Caicos). I think the result speaks for itself. It gives the polish a completely new look – and I absolutely love it. I prefer shimmers to cremes and I can’t wait to try this over… pretty much everything I own.
I actually tried As Gold as it Gets over Turquoise and Caicos first but ended up with the worst bed nails imaginable – I can’t even post the picture. But I’m going to try that look again since it looked amazing… before I went to bed.
Did you pick up any other Luxeffects? Thoughts?Also, if you’d like to see this over another polish just let me know!
Perfect Pair: Essie Go Overboard & OPI Yodel Me On My Cell January 24, 2012
Posted by Alli in Layering.Tags: Essie, Nail Polish, OPI
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I’m totally in love with Essie Go Overboard. It’s just a perfect yes it’s still winter but I’m dying for spring polish. Anyways, I’ve been wearing it alot lately so I was looking for a way to spice it up. Thanks to my handy dandy new nail polish rack all my OPI polishes were on display. I spotted OPI Yodel Me On My Cell and thought it would be the perfect polish to add some sparkle to Go Overboard!
I used 2 coats of Go Overboard and 1 coat of Yodel. I quite like the way it turned out. Yodel didn’t change the color much but it added just the right amount of sparkle.
Check out the macro shot below the jump!
Perfect Pair: Orly Fowl Play & OPI Light My Sapphire January 15, 2012
Posted by Alli in Layering.Tags: Nail Polish, OPI, Orly
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It’s no secret that I’ve been completely in love with Orly Fowl Play since it was released. I love it on its own, but I love it even more layered! I last tried it over OPI Lincoln Park at Midnight, but this time I wanted a slightly darker manicure, so I tried it over OPI Light My Sapphire. The results were fabulous!
Light My Sapphire is an almost black polish with a good bit of sparkle. I used 2 coats of Light My Sapphire and topped it with just one coat of Fowl Play. Light My Sapphire darkened up Fowl Play nicely but the entire manicure still maintained the sparkle I really do like from Light My Sapphire. Overall it was quite a successful mani.
Next I think I’ll try Fowl Play over a dark blue or navy polish. Could be a disaster but that’s what is so fun about experimenting with nail polish!
As usual, there is a macro shot below the jump.
Perfect Pair: OPI Spark de Triomphe & Funky Fingers Edward’s Volvo December 28, 2011
Posted by Alli in Layering.Tags: Funky Fingers, Nail Polish, OPI
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My Christmas Eve manicure was OPI An Affair in Red Square, but my dress for Christmas day was red so of course I had to change my nail polish to match. I knew I wanted to use a metallic polish so it wouldn’t clash with my dress. So I put on 2 coats of Funky Fingers Edward’s Volvo but it was just lacking a bling factor. OPI Spark de Triomphe was the perfect glitter to layer on top!
Previously, I had only layered Spark de Triomphe over Orly Rage, which is a rose gold polish. I was surprised how silver this manicure ended up being. I did love how it turned out. And as luck would have it, my brother gave me a ring for Christmas that looked fabulous with this manicure.
More pictures below the jump!
Holiday Sparkle: OPI A Sparkle Yule Love December 23, 2011
Posted by Alli in Layering.Tags: Nail Polish, OPI, Sally Hansen
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Worn alone, this is definitely not a sparkle I love! I was pretty luke warm on this polish the first time around. I wore it alone and it just didn’t impress me but I didn want to try layering it over a red polish. After wearing Sally Hansen Diamond Strength Diamonds & Rubies for a couple of days I grew bored with the color, so I topped it with one coat of OPI A Sparkle Yule Love. What an improvement!
I definitely thing A Sparkle Yule Love’s strong point is it’s ability to be used as a top coat. It would look great over pinks and reds, and it is also perfect to use for an accent nail.
There is a macro shot below the jump 
Perfect Pair: OPI How’s it Snowin’? & OPI Stars in my Eyes December 13, 2011
Posted by Alli in Layering, OPI.Tags: Nail Polish, OPI
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I love glitter but I hate how difficult it is to apply, how poorly it wears and what a total pain in the ass it is to remove! So I’m always trying glitters over different polishes.
How’s it Snowin’? is gorgeous on its own but the formula is a bit on the thick side and requires at least 2 to 3 coats. So I thought this might make a good layering polish. I applied one coat of How’s it Snowin’? over OPI Stars in my Eyes. How’s it Snowin’? is so opaque the what it’s over doesn’t seem to make much difference, but I do like the way this manicure turned out.
There is a macro shot below the jump!
Perfect Pair: OPI Spark de Triomphe & Orly Rage November 21, 2011
Posted by Alli in Layering.Tags: Nail Polish, OPI, Orly
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After the first time I wore OPI Spark de Triomphe I knew I wanted to try it over Orly Rage. Using Spark de Triomphe on its own requires at least 3 coats and the wear time was horrible. Luckily, layering it fixed that problem!
I used 2 coats of Orly Rage and topped it with one coat of OPI Spark de Triomphe and absolutely love the way it turned out! Spark de Triomphe does appear to be more rose gold since it’s over Rage which I quite like. I’m interested to try it over silver.
The wear time was significantly better over Rage than it was on its own. Removal was also easier.
This could quite easily become my go to holiday manicure.
Macro shot below the jump
