#ManiMonday Meets The Self-Careantine Series (and a Little Disney Magic!): Olive & June Multicolored Manicure

I've been a major fan of Olive & June for quite some time. (Proof here.) It's the only nail salon I visit in LA — and I honestly can't wait to go again once quarantine is over. But the one thing I hadn't done yet? Bought any of Olive & June's gorgeous nail polishes!

While I've been on a spending hiatus since this all started — barring the necessities from the grocery store, Target and Amazon, of course — I decided new nail polish was, indeed, a necessity. So I loaded up my cart with five gorgeous shades — not too small a feat, since I basically wanted every single color — and waited anxiously for them to arrive. They did, I unloaded the beautiful shades one by one, and I got to painting! So here's my #ManiMonday Meets The Self Care-antine Series post, featuring a multicolored manicure with Olive & June polishes!

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#ManiMonday: Essie Brown Ombré Multicolor Manicure

I seriously can't get enough of multicolor manicures! I love this trend so much and refuse to let it go away, well, EVER. Now that it's fall (even if it's still 85 degrees in LA), I decided to pull out some of my Essie brown shades and create an ombré multicolor manicure!

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#ManiMonday: Nails Inc. Self-Made Mermaid Nail Polish Duo

I have a secret wish -- and that's to be a mermaid. I mean, really, I'd like to be some sort of unicorn/mermaid hybrid, but I've ALWAYS wanted to be a mermaid. Ever since I first saw the movie Splash back in the early 80s, I've wished to be just like Daryl Hannah in that movie! (Confession: I used to swim the way she did in that movie to try and be more mermaid-like.) And, of course, I was absolutely obsessed with The Little Mermaid and probably sang "Part Of Your World" about four hundred million times during junior high and high school -- and I actually performed it during a Disney revue in 8th grade. (The video of that is somewhere in my mom's house.)

So when I laid eyes on the Nails Inc. Self-Made Mermaid Nail Polish Duo, it's like my secret prayers had been answered!

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Just Kiss Me: Nail Art Featuring Picture Polish, Whats Up Nails and Deborah Lippmann

Oh, when you kiss me
I've got to know just how much you miss me
Kiss me
And I'll take your lips to paradise
Kiss me
And paradise will never feel so nice
--Harry Connick, Just Kiss Me

I may be many things. But I've never claimed to be good at nail art. No, in fact I am quite terrible! Unless we're talking polka dots or a VERY simple, probably sloppily done French manicure, I am not your nail art gal. But that's where the Whats Up Nails Kisses Stencils come in "handy" (pun intended)!

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#ManiMonday: Christmas Tree Ornament Gel Nails by Katie Masters of Nail Thoughts

I am admittedly not a gel nails girl. I just never have really gotten on that train. I support anyone who wants to get gels -- but because I change my polish so much (and because I love having tons of different colors at my disposal to apply and remove whenever I want), I just don't do gels. But I made an exception this weekend for my Christmas Tree Ornament Gel Nails by Katie Masters of Nail Thoughts!

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First Look Fridays Interview Series: Manicurist and Nail Artist Nikki Diamond

Sometimes the best people come into your life in the most unexpected ways. Two years ago, during a trip to Los Angeles (my final trip before I moved two months later), I happened upon Nikki Diamond, a manicurist and nail artist at The House of Polish. I was randomly assigned to her, and I knew that I wanted purple nails with some sort of nail polish bottle art. Other than that, I was totally open to the design. Nikki and I connected instantly, and the design she created was SO GOOD. I seriously couldn't stop staring at my nails! (You'll have to keep reading to see what she did. Trust me, you're going to love it.) She's since moved to Las Vegas, but we've kept in touch over Instagram, and I knew I needed to feature her on The Beauty of Life -- because she is not only an incredible nail artist, but a truly inspiring person. Read on to find out how she got her start as a manicurist, the nail polishes she can't live without and so much more.

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#ManiMonday: Deborah Lippmann On The Beach with butter LONDON Tart With A Heart Accent Nail

Sometimes my favorite manicures are born out of what one might call a happy accident. For my trip to Palm Springs over Labor Day weekend (my first time there, and let me just tell you, I AM IN LOVE), I wanted my nails to be super bold and bright. And what better color for that than Deborah Lippmann On The Beach, #amirite? Well, once I got back, most of my nails were still intact (shoutout to Deb for her amazingly long-lasting colors), but the middle finger was looking a little worse for wear. Totally not because I was raising it a ton, I swear! But I decided to give it a little pizazz with some sparkle. Enter butter LONDON Tart With A Heart ... and, in effect, one of my fave manicures to date!

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#ManiMonday: Half & Half Manicure with Essie DJ Play That Song and Butler Please

Do you ever have those days where you reach for a nail polish, and you just can't decide? No matter what you do, no matter how many times you stare at the bottles, you simply can't choose just one? Well, that's how I felt this week -- hence my Half & Half Manicure with Essie DJ Play That Song and Butler Please.

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Happy National Nail Polish Day! I'm Celebrating with a Rainbow Mani!

Once in a long while, a holiday comes along that just feels like it's meant for you. And when I found out today was National Nail Polish Day, how could I not want to take part in it? Enter my rainbow manicure ... because a holiday this good deserves more than one color to celebrate!

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Every Rose has its Ombre: Deborah Lippmann Bed of Roses Manicure

I want to lay you down in a bed of roses
For tonight I sleep on a bed of nails
I want to be just as close as the Holy Ghost is
And lay you down on a bed of roses
- "Bed of Roses" by Bon Jovi

It's basically impossible for me to look at the Deborah Lippmann Bed of Roses nail polish set without immediately thinking of the Bon Jovi song. But, even more than that, it was impossible for me to look at this collection and not immediately want to create an ombre manicure. So, I did just that!

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Party On My Nails: KBShimmer Prints Charming from the Spring 2016 Collection

YOU GUYS. Have you ever painted your nails with a color that was so amazing, it went way beyond your wildest dreams? One that you hoped would be incredible, and then when you slicked it onto your nails, it surpassed every thought and expectation? That's how I feel about KBShimmer Prints Charming.

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#ManiMonday: Smith & Cult Fauntleroy with Deborah Lippmann Glitter And Be Gay Accent Nail

I'm about to tell you something shocking. Before today, I hadn't painted my nails in two weeks. I. KNOW. I'm honestly not sure what was happening -- it's not like I didn't have the time, it's not like I didn't have the polishes, it's not even like I didn't have the desire. But for some reason, I just didn't have the drive to actually sit down and paint. Well, that definitely changed today -- and the result is this manicure, featuring Smith & Cult Fauntleroy and Deborah Lippmann Glitter And Be Gay.

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#ManiMonday: A Wine and Gold French Manicure for the Cleveland Cavaliers (Because We're NBA Champions, Baby!)

Last night, I watched Game 7 of the NBA Finals with bated breath. I was, quite literally, on the edge of my seat, hoping against hope that the Cleveland Cavaliers would pull out a win. And, much to pretty much everyone's surprise -- unless you were from Cleveland, that is -- they did.

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On Wednesdays We Wear Pink: Nails Inc. Paint Can Spray On Nail Polish in Mayfair Lane

1) Paint your nails with base coat. Allow to dry.
2) Shake the spray can well.
3) Hold the spray can 6 inches away from your nails and spray to your heart's content. Allow to dry.
4) Apply top coat. Allow to dry.
5) Using soapy water, rinse the excess polish from your hands and cuticles.
6) Voila! A picture perfect manicure.

Those are the steps one must take when using the hot new product on the market, the Nails Inc. Paint Can. This is a revolutionary way to apply nail polish -- simply spray it on, rinse off the excess and you've got a gorgeous manicure in mere moments! I tried Nails Inc. Paint Can Nail Polish in Mayfair Lane and I'm here to give you the inside scoop on how it really works.

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#ManiMonday: Dotticure Nail Art with Rescue Beauty Lounge Ah, Oui and Zoya Magical PixieDust Cosmo

Well, my manicure today might look amazing -- but that's probably the only part of me that does. I went to Pittsburgh this past weekend to visit some friends and happened to slip on the ice on Friday night. (I leave the cold for four months and apparently completely forget how to be in it.) I am currently laid up in the hospital awaiting surgery as I broke my ankle in TWO PLACES. I'm going to be off my feet for about 4 months. Yep, when I do something, I do it right! At least in the meantime, my dotticure nail art with Rescue Beauty Lounge Ah, Oui and Zoya Magical PixieDust Cosmo nail polishes is on point.

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My Latest Mani Meets Salon and Spa Directory: RGB Tropic and Essie Leading Lady Moon Mani at Olive & June

While I typically paint my own nails, I've had so much going on the past week that they were (gasp!) bare. When I told my friend Felicia this, she ordered me to get a manicure STAT. I listened and booked an appointment right then and there for a manicure at Olive & June.

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#ManiMonday: Geometric Nail Art with Color Club Shabby Drab and Deborah Lippmann Nefertiti at The House of Polish

In case you weren't already aware, I love nail art. Like, I'm kind of obsessed with it. So it's no wonder that I literally squealed with joy when I mapped The House of Polish from my new apartment in West Hollywood and discovered that it is exactly one mile away. AKA I CAN WALK THERE AND WALK OUT AN HOUR LATER WITH FABULOUS NAILS. So, of course, I called them up on Saturday and snagged a last minute appointment.

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#ManiMonday: Nailing Hollywood Jacaranda and Supernova Glitter Nail Art Manicure by Celebrity Manicurist Brittni Rae

So in case you're not aware, I moved to Los Angeles a week ago! After two years in Pittsburgh, I decided to flee the cold for the warm weather, sunshine and blue skies of the West Coast. So I packed up my car and drove out west! (Stay tuned for a post all about the trip.) In any case, I was lucky enough to make it to LA in time for the Nailing Hollywood event last Wednesday! And thank goodness I did, because this glitter nail art manicure has been making me super happy ever since.

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#ManiMonday: Nail Polish Nail Art from The House of Polish in Beverly Hills

For the past six months or so, I've been completely and totally obsessed with The House of Polish. I follow them religiously on Instagram (you should do so here) and pretty much find myself liking every single photo of fun, intricate nail art they create. During my recent trip to Los Angeles, I had one mission and one mission alone -- to get my nails done at this fabulous Beverly Hills nail salon.

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#ManiMonday: My 2014 in Nails

2014 is coming to a close, and I think it's only fitting to do a wrapup post of sorts. And what's more apropos than a wrapup of all the nail polishes I tried, tested and loved this past year? Below, the colors and brands I absolutely loved during 2014. Some I featured on the blog, others were only seen on Instagram (be sure to follow me there if you aren't already for exclusive content!). You can even go further back in the future and check out my 2013 in Nails, too. And be sure to let me know your favorite nail polishes of the past year in the comments!

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