Nail Polish Essentials.

we all have our favorites. here are five of my most-loved (and used!) picks:

from L to R:

1. Seche Vite Top Coat: $5 (half off!!) via Amazon

 i never understood the hype around this one until i used it for myself.

it is FANTASTIC. and essential if you paint your nails frequently or hate waiting for them to dry.

the topcoat is glossy and dries within a minute. it's magic. seriously. 

2. Ulta Salon Nail Base Coat: $3 via Ulta

a pretty solid base coat, i love this one and the Sally Hansen Diamond version, it dries quickly and applies nicely. an basic that every girl should have in her nail polish arsenal.

3. O.P.I.'s Barefoot in Barcelona: $8 via Amazon

my personal favorite. i use this ALL the time. it is the perfect nude for slightly tan to olive skin tones.

it's a pinkish brown but it looks lovely on. i reach for this when i don't know what color to paint my nails and it never fails. i also really love the consistency of OPI nail polishes. the brush is just right and it always ends up looking fantastic.

4. Essie's Fifth Ave $8 via Essie

another favorite. this is my go-to red. it compliments my skin tone (as well as many of my friends! so i think it'll work for everyone) and is a true old Hollywood-esque red. The formula is great but the brush can be a little tricky at times. Despite that it's still one of my all time favorites and the opacity is spot on.

5. Nicole by OPI's Kardashian Kolor in Rainbow in the s-kylie $7 via Target 

every girl needs a fun glitter topcoat, and i love love love this one. the glitter is chunky and it looks awesome paired with OPI's Barefoot in Barcelona.  I tend to just stick to this one on one or two nails to keep the look moderately glam, but I think it would look great for an event painted on a solid colored base such as black, white or gold.

what are your favorite nail colors? any recommendations?

xoxo,

Bella

summer trend: neon!

okay so let me just start this off by saying i originally just wanted to post about this FANTASTIC boyfriend style blazer featured in the Diane von Furstenberg Resort 2012 collection, and then i remembered i also had a super useful site to share with you guys. 

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i seriously want this jacket. 

the versatility alone makes it spectacular.

it's probably going to cost a pretty bundle though, sigh.

as much as i love to lament about my college student budget woes, i'll go on with the post.  as far as the DVF 2012 Resort collection goes, i will say that it is as per usual fab, and that the bright pops of color in the majority of the outfits keep it totally fun and flirty.  I love neons, esp for summer, and ofcourse if done right in the winter via a poppy nail color or bright shoe.  But for summer i am adoring the idea of wearing a neutral ensemble with a neon pop a la DVF.  what do you guys think?

also gorgeous on the runway and (probably off of it as well) this little number:

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i am a total sucker for anything coral,

and yes this does it for me, 

stunning.

plus am i the only the one that finds orangey hued outfits go smashingly with aqua, because that aqua bag is working all kinds of wonderful on this look. 

ps: how cute is the model's makeup? so fresh faced, loving the winged liner.

another neon vixen:

Ashley Greene

photocredit to whomever shot the above picture!

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her dress is by Michaels Kors (who is fittingly standing right next to her in the picture above) and is from the Michael Kors Resort 2012 collection, love the color! definitely a statement mini.

oh and also neon works amazingly well in the beauty department:

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Dior Addict Lipstick in Diorkiss (#578) $28

quite the punchy pink no?

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Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick in Siren $7-8 depending on your area

classic summer color!

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Urban Decay Matte Eyeshadow in Chronic $17

now this would make for a gorgeous summer eyeliner (esp with a neutral eye for work!) or even on its on i think it would look great, thoughts?

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Essie Pretty Edgy $8

not a traditional neon by any means, but essie's pretty edgy from last years summer collection is a color i personally own and happen to love.  trust me, you'll stand out.

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Chanel Le Vernis in Mimosa $25

in my mind,

its very difficult to go wrong with Chanel.

photocredit to essie

Essie Brazilliant $8

this little number is from the summer 2011 collection and it is just the thing to perk up one's day.

such a fun summery orange...reminds me of sitting beach side while sipping on pink lemonade, now thats something every blogginista needs! :)

oh and before i forgot, you guys should check out racked.com!

the link above is specifically for NYC but they cover a bunch of metro areas and let you know of all the deals and steals going on in your part of town, honestly, who doesn't want to know about a stellar sale?

here's to some great summer finds, enjoy the bargains!

xoxo,

bella

Drugstore Deals: Sally Hansen+OPI

Daune Reade is so on top of the whole beauty scene right now! lol, so i stopped by once again, and they have a pretty large variety of nail polishes on sale.  Not the cheap stuff either, its mostly just O.P.I., Sally Hansen's Salon Line, and Essie.  Of course i was intrigued and had to buy something.  I purchased "Pat on the Black" from the Sally Hansen salon line and I have to say, I'm pretty pleased with it.  I tried it on with no base coat or top coat, but just the polish itself, and within two coats, it was the color inside the bottle.  I was very happy with the overall results.  Pat on the Black is a deep rich purple with dark black undertones, it looks black in some light and then purple in others, which is a lovely touch.  I have to go back and grab some more before they're gone.  There are a variety of shades available from the Sally Hansen Pro line for $3.12. 50% off. Very fair price.  As far as OPI goes, there stuff is also fifty percent off, but the shade selection is more limited.  Getting quality nail polish for $4.25 though, is a good deal, there are select shades for half off in the Essie line as well.  Here's to happy healthy nails for the new year.  [Disclaimer: Every product I review is something that i bought myself or was given to as a gift, if anything i review was sent to me by a company, i'll definitely let my readers know of it.  But seriously, my review are based on my own personal opinions, not any company's sponsorship.]

thats "pat on the black" sorry the quality is so shoddy, i couldn't find my regular camera

ps: wow sophia loren, classic.