NOTD: Essie Stones n' Roses

Today's nail of the day is from a new polish from Essie in the color 'Stones n' Roses.' As the name suggests, this polish is a rosey peach color with a  bit of a gray undertone. I think its a rather flattering pink as we transition from Winter to Spring! This color was quite thick and pigmented and was easily opaque in 2 thin coats. The polish wore well for 3 days with no chipping before my pointer fingers started to chip at the edges.

I recommend this polish if you're looking for a neutral peach!

xxSJ

NOTD: Essie 'Chinchilly'

Today's nail of the day is Essie's 'Chinchilly,' a very sophisticated gray color with a cult following.  This polish is awesome as far as understated neutrals. It is easy to apply with full opacity in 2 thin coats and lasts chip free for up to 3 days on my nails. I love wearing this color in the Fall and Winter as it matches the mood of the sometimes dreary or snowy days. This polish goes with any outfit and will give your mani an urban chic vibe!

Essie nail polishes are $8.50 each and can be found on Amazon and at most drugstores!

xxSJ

NOTD: Formula X for Sephora 'Brazen'

Formula X for Sephora continues to impress me, this time with today's nail of the day: a bright carnation pink called 'Brazen.' I call these shades of pink 'princess pink' and they are my favorite colors for the Spring time. I thought this color was really similar to Butter London's Fruit Machine, and indeed they are very similar but the Formula X formulation is wayyyyy better. This color lasted for days chip free on me and look at how smooth, creamy, and professional it looks?

Formula X polishes are $10.50 each and come in beautiful acrylic and white plastic packaging. The Formula X formula has been great in my experience with their colored line, though I can't speak for their glitters and effects lines. 

Check em out here: http://www.sephora.com/formula-x

xxSJ

NOTD: Deborah Lippmann 'Cleopatra in New York'

Today's nail of the day features my first ever Deborah Lippmann nail polish! I was so excited to finally get my hands on one of these infamous polishes... infamous for both the beautiful glitters and the hefty price tag.  Deborah Lippmann glitter polishes retail for $19.00 so I couldn't wait to see if this baby was worth the price. I have the color 'Cleopatra in New York,' described as a 'gold-studded black.'

2 coats and a top coat, natural sunlight

As you can see in the picture, the nail polish shows up looking like the glitter is a bit green! That's okay with me though, because it still has a beautiful finish.  The glitters are very thickly spread through the polish so every stroke on my nail was full of it. When I added the second layer, the glitters on the first layer mixed with the top layer created a very cool almost 3-D effect. I thought the finished product was quite lovely and was not too chunky!

My frustration with this product lies in the fact that it chipped rather quickly for me. I used an old-ish bottle of Seche Vite Top Coat so perhaps the old formula didn't do a good job with sealing the color onto my nail.  Boo.

Deborah Lippmann nail polishes are truly unique and also have ingredients in the formula that are good for your nails such as biotin and green tea extract. It also does not have parabins, sulfates, or formaldehyde.  If you think this all warrants the $19 price tag then by all means, buy this polish! It certainly is nice! For me, however, I would only splurge on this polish if it is a glitter that is not dupable and something I simply HAVE to have. For instance, 'Mermaid's Dream' is on my Christmas list because it is that beautiful of a color and as far as I know, no known dupe exists!
Overall, I'm torn.  It's a beautiful color and apparently good for my nails, but is it really worth $19??? You can decide :)

xxSJ