Color Inspiration: Perfectly Peachy!

Hello everyone!

It's wonderful to be back to the blog. I've recently returned from a vacation in Europe and feel fully recharged and rejuvenated, inspired by the change of scenery and the wonderful people I spent time with.

While exploring the shops on the old continent, I couldn't help but notice the rich palette of creamy, peach tones - a subdued and super dreamy mix of pale pinks, oranges and neutrals - absolutely delicious! I've always adored these colors, yet I find I don't own a single item in that palette. So, as I'm getting inspired to find some new lovelies for my closet and jewelry drawer, I decided to share my favorite finds with you! Hope you enjoy!

Image above is from the Ann Street Studio  (make sure to check the beautiful things over there).

These colors may be a little difficult to pull off (depending on complexion), or a little difficult to work in an outfit. So an easy way to start is with simples, classic peaces or accessories, which you could even wear with your favorite pair of jeans.

Items above: 1. Blushed Gold Speckled collar from Jeweliq  2. Leather and Crystal wrap bracelet in color Antique Honey from Ann Taylor  3. a classic Tipped Crepe Blouse in color Faint Maple from Ann Taylor 4. Encrusted Stud Earrings from The Limited  5.  Tonda embossed leather clutch from Diane Von Furstenberg    6. Cutout leather ankle boot from Gianvito Rossi  7. Chevron pencil skirt from The Limites  8. Braylan Cutout leather shooties from Ann Taylor  9. Silk Petal blouse in color dusty petal by J.Crew.  

For many more item finds click below . . .

Nails: Pink Spring Flowers

China Glaze's soft opaque pink 'Something Sweet' with some hot pink and purple flowers. I can never do them the same, but that's partly the beauty of hand-drawn things.

Images: Glitz Bliss

Nails: Savina, Clear Skies

 Savina, Clear Skies (S96103)

Nails: Lavander French Mani

Image source: GlitzBliss via here.

Nails: Bahamian Escape (China Glaze Blue)

Fresh sky blues and baby blues are among my favorite colors, especially when it comes to summer ensembles. No surprise then, that China Glazes' Bahamian Escape (from the Bahama Blue Collection) has become one of my favorite go-to nail colors for summer. It's a very flattering and forgiving shade. You get the full effect from the color in only two layers, so you still get plenty of opportunity to play with shading/ blending with other colors/ stamping, etc.

Love that color and the consistency of China Glaze! They don't have the perfect brush, but it's still very easy to work with and very much worth its price.

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Nails: Blossom (in pink and gold)

Love this color: lovely soft pink with peeking golden sparkle and sheen. This one is Tropez, from the Nail Enamel collection, color 22304 Blossom. If you just see the swatch on their website, you would never know about the gold in this shade (this applies to most dynamic pearl shades, that's why I trust my nail blogger gurus for reviews and pictures). But this color, in my eyes, is just beautiful!

Nails: Lavander

E.L.F. Lilac (one coat) with creamy white on a Shany stamping image plate MB12 plate

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Nails: Delicate Florals

OPI Hawaiian Orchid with creamy white on Shany stamping image plate BM12.

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Nails: OPI Simmer & Shimmer

Remember how we said that this holiday season is all about the shimmer and sparkle? Well, if glitter and sequins has never really been your thing, but you still want to indulge in this sparkly trend, there is a super easy and inexpensive way to do it, without investing too much money in clothing you fear you may never wear again. The solution? Shimmery nail-polish! It would instantly add some sparkle to your look. Right now, virtually any brand is offering new shades of metallic and shimmery lacquers.

One option is the OPI Simmer & Shimmer (thanks to my dear friend Jocelyn for this lovely gift).

This nail-polish has beautiful metallic flakes in silver, purple, gold and turquoise.

You can wear 2-3 coats for a rich shimmery look, or a single coat over any color (in the pictures above: on top of white). You can also try a shading effect for a more interesting visual effect.

Put a top coat to complete the look. You can also use a matte top coat if you want to 'subdue' the shimmer. The flakes stay in place without top coat, but you wouldn't have a sleek surface.

Nails: Essie Matte finisher with Avon Fluorine Metallic

Hey everyone, I hope you've had a fun and relaxing weekend and are recharged for the week ahead.

A couple of days ago I rejoiced about getting the Essie Matte About You matte finisher. I love the unique matte look you can easily create when you put it on top of any nail lacquer and I cannot wait to try it with all the nail polishes that I have.

I was eager to see how it would look on top of a metallic shade and I picked my Avon Fluorine Metallic for the purpose. I got this nail polish from Europe a while ago and I don't think it's currently offered int he US. It's not among my top favorites, but it's a very interesting color and great quality (hasn't changed consistency a bit even after a few years, yikes! and is still very easy to apply, plus it has nice glossy finish). The metallic tone has a slight pink tint, but it's very subtle and just adds character to the color.

As expected, it looks pretty cool with the matte finisher - almost like a frosted piece of metal - love it.

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Be well!

Essie Matte About You! I finally have it!!!

Essie's top coat & matte finisher Matte About You has been on my wish-list for a long time and I've looked for it like it was some mythical creature. None of the stores that carry Essie products had it in stock, but I somehow resisted the temptation of ordering it online. 

Well, yesterday, I finally got my hands on a the magic bottle of this much raved for matte finisher and it didn't disappoint.

I tried it on on top of my OPI Edin-Burgundy and I love it (you can see the difference in the pictures). It's super easy to apply and dries very quickly creating a beautiful matte finish that is just fierce (oh, besides, I love touching it!). I can't wait to try it on top of black and metallic colors, so naturally there will be many more pictures in the near future.

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Have a great Friday night and a wonderful weekend!

Nails: Sunny Side Up!

Hello everyone!

I hope you've had an enjoyable weekend!

We've had beautiful summer weather for the past few days and since tomorrow is Memorial Day (an official holiday in the US) I plan on retiring to a picture-perfect beach with close friends and family.

A perfect nail color for the occasion is the WetnWild Wild Shine Sunny Side Up.

I had previously posted a review of WetnWild's Tickled Pink saying how much I love it. Well, same is the case with this orange beauty. I think this is just a great color for summer and for the beach. However, the WetnWild nail polish might be a little too 'watery' so you have to apply two or three coats to get the intensity of the colors and a nice, smooth and shiny finish. Yet, the lacquer dries fairly quickly and is surprisingly long lasting, especially considering how inexpensive this brand is.

I hope everyone has a good week ... and remember - sunny side up!

Nails: Smoky Brown is Smokin'

At last, I've got the new nail-polish shades from E.L.F. The colors that they released (especially the Lilac, Smoky Brown and Mint Cream) are everything I was hoping to see! They already had an abundance of red, pink and coral shades, co it really was time for something different.

Today I put on the Smoky Brown and I can't stop looking at it ;) It's a gorgeous color!

As you can see it he pictures, it could look somewhat different in different lighting. 

E.L.F. Smoky Brown, 2 coats.
Picture 1 is in daylight, while Picture 2 is in artificial white light. This only adds to the diversity of this great smoky color.

Here's how the color looks in only one coat - equally stunning - in my opinion.

Thanks for looking!

Nails: OPI Edin-Burgundy

As I've mentioned before, I love OPI: great quality nail polish that comes in a variety of shades and finishes. This Edin-Burgundy red is definitely one of my favorite -  a very deep and rich color. It looks much prettier in person and is somewhat versatile depending on the light. It is a little brighter in daylight and a little more subdued in artificial light (shown in the picture below).

OPI Edin-Burgundy: 2 coats

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Nails: Green dots

I wanted to add some green in making my nail without making it too obvious. A super easy solution that doesn't requite much time or skill is simple dots. You don't have to use a small brush necessarily. You can pretty much do them with anything (from a toothpick, to a needle). Just spread little dots following your own aesthetic feel and you have a fun colorful design. Of course you can do this in any color, or put on top of any color.

I did mine in green and turquoise dots on top of nude shade, but just on half of the nail as I really wanted it to be subtle (I can still pull it off at work). Of course, you need to put top coat to finish it all off and have it look nice and flat.

Doing your nails should always be fun and inspiring time. I know it is for me and I often go silly in the whole process. I just consider it a relaxing time for myself and like to have fun with it.

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Tickled Pink =)

I just got this irresistible pale pink nail polish by Wet n Wild - the Wild Shine collection. The color is actually Tickled Pink and I find it adorable. I would have never picked it up (or hardly even notice it) from the swatches shown on Wet n Wild's website, but in person it is an absolute beauty. I accidentally saw it in Stop and Shop (of all places) and, at the price of 99cents, i just had to have it.

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Two new E.L.F. beauties

I got two more E.L.F. nail polishes after I've been lusting over them for a while.

Gum pink is an adorable pink color. I just can't get enough of it.

Dark Navy is a very dark shade. It looks almost black from a distance, but close up it's absolutely beautiful and the color is very rich.

I love both colors and would recommend these to anyone. At $1 a piece, these are like hitting the jackpot.
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OPI Hawaiian Orchid is adorable!

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I love all OPI, but the Hawaiian Orchid is especially close to my hear: it's such a delicate pink shade with subtle tone of purple and beige. It is an absolutely unique and soft romantic color (much prettier in person).

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Have a wonderful and very productive new week!

Love Revlon Vixen

This is one of my favorite colors of all time - the Revlon Vixen #570. In reality, it looks somewhat different than the shade Revlon show on their website. Looking at their swatches, you may say it's a rather purple nuance, however, it's closer to dark red. In any event, it's a beautiful deep and dramatic color. See for yourself.

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Take care!

E.L.F. Nail Polish

I came across Eyes Lips Face not too long ago. Initially I was a little suspicious, simply because most of their products cost $1! Nail polish 35oz (10ml) - $1, lip balm - $1, blending eye brush - $1 and so on.
Still, I decided to give them a try (imagine if I find something I like for one buck). Well, I am so glad I did it. 

The nail polishes are just as good as most other products you usually buy in drugstores for about $6. 

The E.L.F. nail polish is quite durable, without flakiness and comes in lovely colors. On the negative side, I find the brush just a little too hard, so only one coat may not do the job nicely, but you certainly get it done in 2 or 3 coats. Overall, I would definitely recommend their nail polishes! 

Below are some pictures of the colors that I've tried. I think they are true to the color sample you see on the website.

Fire Coral is a fierce red/orange. I totally love this shade.

Coral is simply beautiful with shades of gold, orange and pink. I love this for spring and summer.

Fluorescent Pink is also one of my winners. This is a very vibrant darker pink color.

I really like Mod Mauve, because it's one of those colors that just keep you wandering: how do you describe it? Is it ash purple? Is it purple-and-brown. I just cant put my finger on it. It is a deep color and I thought it looked different in different lights and picking up from the clothes I was wearing, so it adds visual interest.

The Nude color is not exactly impressive, but it's a lovely creamy, neutral shade that's perfect for the days you want to 'tone it down'.

I'm expecting to get my hands on a few more of these puppies and I will post more pictures.

Thanks for stopping by!