12 Days of Favorite Nail Colors from Jamie and Katie: OPI Tickle My France-Y and Sephora by OPI 212-Sephora

Some people's beauty obsessions are obvious early in life. For my best friend, Katie Reed, and me, it was definitely nail polish. We've been in love with cool, bold colors since the early 90's -- we used to trade them back and forth while sitting in our high school hallways before class. For the next 12 days, we'll be bringing you some of our favorites in what we're calling 12 Days of Favorite Nail Colors.

We've come to the end of our 12 day feature! I hope you've enjoyed reading about all of Katie's and my favorite nail polishes as much as we enjoyed bringing them to you. And now, without further adieu, here are our final two!

Jamie: OPI Tickle My France-Y tickled my inner nail polish lover as soon as I got it on my nails for the very first time. I was actually surprised that I loved this color as much as I did, since in the bottle it didn't look like much. But on the nails ... well, that's a different story altogether. It looks like just another basic nude, but depending on the light it can be mauve, pink, taupe, even lilac. I wore it to a black-tie wedding once and don't think I've ever received so many compliments on my nails, even when I've done crazy nail art! OPI Tickle My France-Y was originally released with the France Collection back in 2008, which is still one of my favorite nail polish collections to date -- mainly because of this polish which I've bought and re-bought and re-bought!
OPI Tickle My France-Y retails for $8.50 at drugstore.com.

Katie: Sephora by OPI 212-Sephora is what I refer to as a junk polish. It's got a little bit of everything going on, which I usually consider to be a bad thing. Junk polishes frequently have some elements that only show up very few nails, or get stuck in the bottle and really just never show up. In summary: junk polishes = good in the bottle, cruddy on the nail. But 212-Sephora bucks that trend, because all of that awesomeness in the bottle? It all comes out to play on your nails! It has a semi-sheer, smoky grey base, and is loaded with gold microglitter, holographic silver glitter and reddish-copper flakies. This color was released by Sephora to represent the glamour and grit of New York City, and I totally agree. Just like the sometimes tarnished grandeur of the Big Apple, 212-Sephora is some truly glamorous "junk."
Sephora by OPI 212-Sephora retails for $9.50 at sephora.com.

12 Days of Favorite Nail Colors from Jamie and Katie: OPI Teenage Dream & Sephora by OPI Under My Trench Coat

Some people's beauty obsessions are obvious early in life. For my best friend, Katie Reed, and me, it was definitely nail polish. We've been in love with cool, bold colors since the early 90's -- we used to trade them back and forth while sitting in our high school hallways before class. For the next 12 days, we'll be bringing you some of our favorites in what we're calling 12 Days of Favorite Nail Colors.

Jamie: My choice for today is one of the newer ones in my stash -- and one that I've used multiple times since it came into my life. It's none other than OPI Teenage Dream, which was released as part of the Katy Perry collection in January 2011. And, while I'm not a huge Katy Perry fan, I am completely enamored of this bubblegum pink polish liberally flecked with holographic glitter. It's one of those shades that not only has me constantly looking down at my nails, but has everyone else staring at them, too. It's perfect for everything from a holiday party to a birthday party to just a Tuesday at work (coincidentally, I've worn it to all three).
OPI Teenage Dream really isn't available anymore, unless you can find it at a beauty supply store, like I did. But you can find other gorgeous OPI nail polishes at drugstore.com.

Katie: I'm not much for nudes or neutrals, but Sephora by OPI Under My Trench Coat sets my heart atwitter. It's a taupey, brownish tan with a great gold shimmer. My favorites are always a little subversive -- not quite what they seem. I love how this seems like such a mild-mannered shade, but if you catch it in the right light, it's a knockout. This picture is with two coats. I had a really hard time catching the shimmer, but I swear it's there. This polish was originally from the Fall 2009 collection, but is now part of the permanent Sephora by OPI collection.
Sephora by OPI Under My Trench Coat retails for $9.50 at sephora.com.

Hurricane Sandy Manicure: A Study in Direct Opposites

First off, let me say that my thoughts and prayers are going out to everyone affected by Hurricane Sandy. The past couple days have been scary and uncertain, and as millions now are without power or other resources, my thoughts are with you.

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Manicure Spotting: Eleanor from the Apple Store Wearing Sephora by OPI Looks Like Rain, Dear

I'm starting a new feature on The Beauty of Life! I'm always admiring people's manicures -- I'm the girl handing over my credit card at the cash register, telling the person on the other side, "Your manicure is AWESOME!" And I decided it would be great to share those manicures with my lovely readers! So, allow me to introduce Manicure Spotting!

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Mani of the Week: Pink Ombre Nails

Remember the green ombre manicure I did awhile back? Well, it got me thinking. I have so many amazing shades of every color under the sun -- why not try another ombre mani? And this week, I was inspired by all the pink nail polishes in my stash. Presenting my pink ombre nails!

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Sephora by OPI Gold Top Coat Swatches

Gold, gold and more gold! On a recent trip to Sephora, all I could do was stare at all of the Sephora by OPI gold top coats. And you know what's better than buying one, or even two? Buying THREE, of course! Keep reading to check out my comparison swatches and reviews.

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Nails With Daniella: Sophisticated Superhero Manicure

My friend Daniella C. is a seriously talented nail artist (check out the Disney Princess manicure she did for me before my trip to Disney World), and we'll be collaborating once a month to bring you some fun, intricate, interesting nail designs. This time, it's this amazing manicure that we're calling Sophisticated Superhero.

For awhile now, Daniella and I have tossed around the idea of glitter ombre nails. Daniella is a master at this technique -- I've coveted her designs for over a year -- and I was thrilled when we chose this as the basis for this month's look. While we originally thought we would use a darker color as the base (like Daniella's in the picture of both of our manicures, above), a trial run with five different colors made us decide on a nude base instead!

Here are the colors Daniella used to create the design:


Deborah Lippmann Fashion (nail base color)
Chanel Graphite (ombre base color, and one of our favorites)
Sephora by OPI Only Gold For Me Top Coat (the bold glitter flecks)
Sephora Nail Glitter in Silver (for glitter definition)
Maybelline Color Show Nail Lacquer in Clear (to make the glitter stick to the nail)

We started with two coats of Deborah Lippmann Fashion. Fashion is my all-time favorite nude -- it somehow blends into the skin and stands out at the same time. It's the perfect base for this manicure because it adds just the right amount of definition and really makes the glitter designs noticeable.

To create the ombre effect, Daniella poured Chanel Graphite onto a paper plate and dabbed a makeup sponge into it. She then very carefully brushed and sponged it across each nail, leaving one on each hand ombre free so we could create the superhero part of the manicure -- a lightning bolt! (More on that in a moment.) Starting from the middle of the nail, Daniella brushed more and more Graphite up toward the tip.

Next, Daniella dipped the clear nail polish brush into the Sephora silver glitter, to make it adhere better to the nail. She traced the ombre with the glitter-covered brush and then an orange stick to further define it.

Now came the piece de resistance. Using the orange stick, dipped into Graphite, Daniella carefully drew lightning bolts on my left index finger and right ring finger. Check it out up close:



Isn't that AMAZING?

To finish the look off and add even more definition, Daniella poured bits of Only Gold For Me onto a paper plate and then liberally coated the ombre and lightning bolts with it. The oversized chunks of glitter add flash and drama against the nude base and the shimmer of the Graphite.


A look at the paper plate and some of the supplies used to create the look!

My overall feeling about this look? I LOVE IT! I've been staring at my nails nonstop since Daniella painted them last night. They're dramatic, they're bold, they make me feel like a Sophisticated Superhero!

Stay tuned for more fabulous nail looks with Daniella! I can't wait to see what she creates next.

Mani of the Week: Crazy-Cool French Manicure with OPI Black Onyx and Sephora Only Gold For Me Top Coat

So I am definitely not a fan of the French manicure. I don't find it chic or sweet -- just way past its prime. But what I do love is interesting takes on the French mani with super-cool and crazy colors ... which is why I decided to have my girl Erica Marton from The Face Place do one with a black base and sparkly gold tips! She painted the whole nail with two coats of OPI Black Onyx and then did the very tip with one coat of Sephora by OPI Only Gold For Me Top Coat. I am so in love with the finished product!

What's on your nails this week? Let me know in the comments!

Mani of the Week: Sephora by OPI Under My Trench Coat

This week, I decided to welcome fall with a bang! (Though, for all I know, I'll be back to bright pinks and oranges in a week or two.) In any case, I decided to polish my nails with Sephora by OPI Under My Trench Coat this week. This color was originally created for the Fall 2009 Film Noir Collection, and luckily it's stuck around as a part of Sephora by OPI's permanent collection, because it's absolutely gorgeous!

I love the creamy khaki hue with undercurrents of micro gold glitter. (Khaki, like a trench coat. Get it?) In some lights, it looks almost greige or green without any shimmer or sparkle at all ... then, in others, it's deep brown with tons of shimmer and sparkle!

What's on your nails this week? Let me know in the comments!

Glam Pedicure with Erica Marton: Orly Rage with Sephora by OPI Only Gold For Me Top Coat

This past weekend, I treated myself to a pedicure in advance of my upcoming vacation to Grand Cayman. (More on that in upcoming posts when I return!) I simply had to see my gal Erica Marton from Face Place, since she a) does fantastic pedicures, and b) is so much fun to chat with while she works!

When I walked in, I spotted Erica's nails and immediately had to copy her for my toes. She was sporting two coats of Orly Rage (originally from the Foil FX Collection), with one coat of Sephora by OPI Only Gold For Me Top Coat on top.

Erica did the same for me, and I have to say, I'm totally loving the glam gold with bits of sparkle! It's so fun and so different from what I normally wear on my toes -- I'm usually a pink or red girl, so this was a drastic but totally amazing change.

Thanks to Erica for giving me a completely fantastic pedicure pre vacation!

Mani of the Week: Sephora By OPI Don't Go There with Orly Out Of This World

In case you can't tell, I'm really enjoying two-color manicures at the moment! This week I went for two complementary purples that had been sitting in my collection for, well, years. Shameful, I know! I used Sephora By OPI Don't Go There (from 2008's Autumn and Eve Collection), accenting with Orly Out Of This World. Out Of This World is from Orly's famed Cosmic FX Collection.

I love the creamy consistency of the Sephora by OPI color, especially paired with the glittery magic of Orly.

Closeup of Orly Out Of This World

What's on your nails this week? Let me know in the comments!

A Double Mani of the Week! Sephora by OPI Read My Palm and Deborah Lippmann Naked

Well, this week I decided to do not one, but TWO manicures in the same night! I was testing out polishes and thought it would be fun. (I also thought it would help me get through my bag of polishes to try -- which is currently at well over 100 -- a lot quicker!)


I started out with something a little daring -- Sephora by OPI Read my Palm, a gorgeous turquoise-teal.


I followed it up with Deborah Lippmann Naked, a pretty pinkish nude.

I will say that while I love both colors in the bottle, I'm more thrilled with Naked on my tips than Read My Palm. I had to apply Read My Palm twice to get the still-not-perfect mani -- and even with the thinnest coats, it was pretty gloppy. Naked, however, glided right onto the nail and left a super-creamy finish.

What's on your nails this week? Let me know in the comments!

Beauty Launch: Sephora by OPI's Glee Nail Polish Collection!

Glee fans, take note -- Sephora by OPI is launching a nail polish collection just for you! Coming this February, the collection will include 7 shades inspired by the hit TV show.

The colors included in this collection are:

Slushied (opaque blue)
Hell to the No (bold purple)
Gleek Out (glittery lime green)
Diva-in-Training (poppy pink)
Who Let the Dorks Out (peacock green)
Miss Bossy Pants (rich raspberry)
Mash-Up (pearlescent greenish grey)

Each nail polish will retail for $9.50. You can also pick up a mini set of 6 polishes for $22 that includes Miss Bossy Pants, Gleek Out and Slushied in addition to Celibacy Club (diamond top coat), Express Yourself to Yourself (shimmery coral) and Sue Vs Shue (navy blue).

There will even be Chic Prints for Nails Design Appliqués (pre-cut strips of dry nail polish) in three different Glee-inspired designs, including Showstopper (gold stars), Berry Special (polka dots) and One Hit Wonder (music notes). Each Chic Prints will retail for $15.