Mint Manis for Talia Joy

On Tuesday, July 16th, 2013, thirteen year old Talia Joy Castellano lost her battle with cancer. She was a beautiful and inspiring young lady and she exhibited a strength and wisdom beyond her years. She also loved all things makeup and nail polish, posting videos on YouTube as TaliaJoy18. I didn't know Talia personally, but like so many others, my heart was touched by her optimistic attitude in her videos and interview on Ellen. My heart aches for Talia's family and friends, but they are determined to keep Talia's memory alive and reach the goals that she was unable to meet during her short time on Earth.

Today, bloggers and social media users are wearing mint colored manicures in honor of Talia, as that was one of the last photos she posted...she & her mother with matching mint green nails. Nik & I wanted to join in, so here are our #mintmanisfortaliajoy to keep #TaliasLegacy alive!

Desi: I lost a childhood friend to cancer the day after my 11th birthday. Gillian was almost 12 when she died. Our friendship was really just beginning when she got sick. It was very difficult to have to say a final goodbye to someone so young. Every time I watched Talia's videos, I thought of Gillian, so I'm wearing my Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear in Mint Sorbet for both of them today. <3
(I used iPhone apps A Beautiful Mess and Fontgram to edit this photo.)

Nik: While I am a little embarrassed to admit I really didn't know details about Talia until last night, I thought I would join in to honor the life she lived, battle she fought, and legacy she left in the world. 

For my manicure, I used a base cost of Sinful Colors - Mint Apple and then taped my nails to give the tips a coat of Wonder Beauty Products - Aphrodisiac. I love these two together, though its the first time I have used them as a combo.

If you want to share your Mint Manis for Talia Joy on our Facebook page, you can send us a message there (Facebook.com/MommiesManis) and we can upload them to the community mani album, or you can send us an email at mommiesmanis@gmail.com. Or, just upload them directly to our page!

Black Tie Optional in Turquoise & Caicos!

I purchased both of the polishes for my current manicure this week and they've both been on my wishlist for awhile.

I took advantage of my $5.50 CVS reward bucks to buy Essie's Turquoise & Caicos. It is priced at $8.29 at CVS. I also saw it at Walmart for $7.75.

Although I have a few similar colors, they are all just different enough for T & C to be a fantastic addition to my collection. It's a beautiful creamy turquoise, just the right mix of blue and green. It applied perfectly, opaque in only two light coats. (Although looking at it in the sun, I probably could have used another coat.)

My second purchase was Hard Candy's Black Tie Optional. It was love at first sight after seeing swatches by several nail bloggers. It took forever for my neighborhood Walmart to stock the new Hard Candy collection. I was very happy to see this one restocked today, and at just $4.00, I had to take it home with me. I love it just as much on my nails as I did on the various swatches! It features small, medium, & large white and black hex, black bars, and tiny and small black & white rounds. 

BTO will look incredible over any color. I paired it with Turquoise & Caicos today and it is every bit as fantastic as I expected! One accent nail (one coat) with Sally Hansen Hard as Nails crystal clear over all. 

 

Sally Hansen Insta-Dri "Blue-Away"

While shopping at CVS for the giveaway earlier this week, I couldn't help but get a little something for myself! Plus, there was a "Spend $10 on Sally Hansen, get $5 extrabucks rewards" so I had to take advantage of that. They basically gave me $5 to spend later! I'd never tried the Insta-Dri polishes, so I picked two of those. I got  Blue-Away and Rose Run.

 I'm always looking for blue polishes, so that one was a no brainer. It's very similar to China Glaze's "For Audrey", but "For Audrey" has a bit more green in it.

I have very few pinks/red in my collection (just not "my" color), though, so it was a little surprising that I was drawn to "Rose Run". It's a pretty mauveish pink. I've got it on my toes now, and I love it, but I'll spare you that picture. ;)

 I literally threw this polish on while trying to get a very stubborn 2.5 year old to nap yesterday. It's not perfect, but this is typical of a Desi mani...I'm too anxious to move on to something else to let it dry properly, so it's almost always immediately smudged or chipped.

 I was a little put off by the brush at first. It's short and rounded and kind flat--not at all what I'm used to--but it applied the polish very smoothly and easily and I had very little clean-up to do. That's a winner in my book!

After a day's wear (playing with my boy, doing housework, etc.), they're already a bit chipped and dented, but like I said, that's par for the course here. Still, you get the idea. Love the color, formula, & brush, so I'll definitely be looking to add more Insta-Dri colors to my collection!

Desi's Thoughts on Zoya Pixie Dust

I was incredibly excited to discover a bottle of Zoya's new Pixie Dust polish in the color "London" in my mail box last week, a gift from Mommies' Manis own Nik. It wasn't a surprise, as Nik told me she sent it. However, nail mail always makes me happy, surprise or otherwise, and I've been eyeing the Pixie Dust collection for awhile. I couldn't wait to try it, so I immediately put two coats on my bare nails. Instant love. It went on smoothly, and while textured, it didn't snag or pull on hair/clothing/etc as I feared it might. The gray sparkles are right up my alley, as gray is my go-to neutral. I couldn't stop staring at my hands, especially in the sunlight! Pixie dust, indeed! I can't wait to get my hands on more. I was especially thrilled with how easily the polish removed. I expected a nightmare, like glitter polishes, but this came off as easily as any other polish. LOVE!!

Pardon my awful-looking fingers. They need some TLC!

I can't wait to get my hands on more. I'm especially excited about the new colors coming for Summer 2013. They'll be available April 1! I hope that's no April Fool's Day prank...



I want Liberty, Stevie, & Miranda!

Randomness from Desi

I am clearly the blogging slacker of Mommies' Manis...got to get my polished fingers on this keyboard more often! ;)

Anywho...I don't have a mani to share with y'all today, as my finger are bare. Giving them a little time to soak up some moisture/cuticle oil. (constant color changes wreak havoc on my hands!) But I do have some polish-related pictures for a quick, random little entry.

Cuticle care is important, y'all. And isn't my nail file pretty? It's pink. And it lights up. What?!

I have been stalking regularly checking my local WalMart's Hard Candy section in hopes that they've stocked the new polish line. So far, no luck. The pretty new display sits empty, but the colors shown look amazing! What gives, Wally World? Polishaholics need a fix!!

The empty display. It mocks me. "See all the pretty colors? You can't have them!"

I did purchase a new NYC polish. At $1.97, I don't feel guilty, plus they're pretty amazing for such an affordable line! I'm in spring mode, so I'm leaning towards pastels these days. Loving this sweet yellow!

Lexington Yellow. Darn blurry image.

That's all for now, but stay tuned...I'll share my thoughts about the Zoya Pixie Dust polish at some point during the week!


-Desirae

That One Nail Polish - Custom Color!

I was really excited to find a mystery package in my mailbox Friday. I hadn't ordered anything recently, so I had no clue what it could be. But then I remembered Nik saying earlier in the week that she couldn't wait for me to get some mail. Turns out that she worked with Roxette at www.thatonenailpolish.com to create a custom polish for the both of us!

This polish is inspired by Nik's and my coordinating chevron aprons by Butterfly Designs. Here I am modeling mine. Nik's is the same except for the trim--she chose turquoise.

The polish base is a fantastic gunmetal gray and it features small, hexagonal turquoise, silver, and yellowish-gold glitters as well as larger hexagonal silver glitter. When I first opened the bottle, I was a bit worried about how thick the polish seemed to be. But worry not, it went on very easily!  Glitter distribution is amazing-one of the best I've come across! The color coverage isn't bad, just a little thin for my liking. That said, next time I use it, I do plan to put it over a dark gray polish, just to see if it brings out the glitters any more.

(pardon my crappy pictures...as usual, I'm using my iPhone. Note to self: buy a battery for your good camera!!)

My only complaint--it's really difficult to remove. The color came off easily, but the glitter is a different story, even with acetone polish remover. Actually, it's still on my nails. I'll have to try again to remove it. While that's more a rant about glitter polish in general, this one is proving especially difficult to get off...I guess it's time to finally try the foil method I found on Pinterest some time ago!

complete with cotton ball fuzz

All in all, I'm really happy with this polish & have my eye on a few others in Roxette's collection! Go check it out and give That One Nail Polish a try!

Valentine's Nails

Another quick nap time manicure, in the Valentine's Day spirit.

 

OPI's "Meet & Jingle" is my go-to red, especially for the holidays. It's the perfect shade with the perfect amount of shimmer. I went with an accent nail today of Essie's "Leading Lady". I love the red glitter. So festive! Sort of reminds me of Dorothy's ruby slippers, too. :)

 

Here it is pre-cleanup. Because I'm too lazy to worry about that right now.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Zoya Caitlin

I was lucky enough to accompany my cousin Megan & her little family to the ultrasound boutique last night for a glimpse at their second baby. Sweet little Katelyn is due in April and I am so proud to be her godmother! I had hoped to have this manicure done yesterday for the event, but there just weren't enough hours in the day. 

While the spelling is different, the sentiment is the same! Today I'm wearing Zoya Caitlin in honor of the sweet little girl that's already stolen our hearts!

2 coats with a clear top coat.

Purple is my second favorite nail color (after blue) and Caitlin doesn't disappoint. It is a beautiful dusty lavender. Zoya polishes are amazing. Great quality, easy application & removal, and with so many colors to choose from, there is really something for everyone!

Desirae

Zoya "Skylar"

I've always been drawn to blue nail polishes. The color makes up a great majority of my 100+ polish collection and I own several different shades among various brands. Today's manicure is "Skylar" by Zoya and it is part of their Spring 2012 collection. The website describes Skylar as a medium steel blue. It also has a gorgeously subtle silver & gold shimmer. (It reminds me of Pooh's forlorn friend, Eeyore.) Today was my first time using Skylar and I think I have a new favorite polish!

I'd hoped to get a better quality picture with my Kodak camera today, but the Kodak didn't agree, as it refused to power on for me. So, another dubious-quality iPhone photo it is!

 

If you've never tried Zoya, please do! Be sure to follow them on Twitter and/or Facebook to get information on their frequent amazing deals!

 

-Desirae

Revlon Girly

Just a quick swatch for y'all today, & my crappy iPhone pic does it no justice. I picked up Revlon "Girly" at WalMart for $3.97 and I love it! When I have more time, I'll try it over a pink or purple and share, but for now, here is Girly all by itself, with 2 coats and a clear top coat. I love the pink & purple sparkles!

 I first saw this color on Instagram. Michele (@checkthesenailsout) swatched it and I thought it was pretty cute! If you're a nail fanatic and you use Instagram, you should definitely follow her...she posts lots of great manicures & other nail related stuff! Here's her swatch...she used Girly over OPI's Pink Friday on her accent nail. The blue is W7's Salt N Pepper in 2 coats.

I'll be back soon! My nails are in desperate need of some TLC and fun color! :)

-Desirae

Stamp of Approval...almost.

Before I jump into the manicure, I figured I should take a cue from Nik and introduce myself. I'm Desirae, a 32 year old wife and mom from south Louisiana. . I've been married for nearly 9 years now and our son is 2.5 years old. I also have an almost 12 year old German Shepherd named Hannah. In addition to being a nail polish hoarder, I also love to read and I am addicted to my iPhone. Nik and I have been friends for about a decade now and while we haven't met yet, we hope to some day! I'm sure when we do, first thing on the agenda will be giving each other a manicure! :)

Naptime manicures are a bit like playing Russian roulette...will he sleep long enough to let my nails dry? Let's take a chance and find out! But I can't blame today's smudged ring finger on a short nap...it's my own impatience. I'm horrible about letting my nails dry before I move on to something else. Hence today's imperfect manicure. Oh, well. You'll get the good, the bad, and the ugly here, folks!

I got my January 2013 ipsy Glam Bag in the mail today. It included a Nailtini polish called "Frappe" so of course, I had to use it right away. I'll be honest. I'm not usually a nude polish kinda girl. But this one is pretty awesome. Great coverage and no streaks with just two coats! It's one of those "your nails but better" kind of colors. I decided to get fancy and do a little stamping over it. I used OPI "Yoga-ta Get This Blue!" to stamp the leafy/scroll design over it. (You can do your own fancy-schmancy stamping with this stamper/scraper by Konad & some fun Bundle Monster nail plates. I used plate #BM20.)

Stamping is fun, but takes some practice. I'm still working on getting it lined up just right. Probably not gonna keep this on long...in fact, after this post is done, I'll be getting out the polish remover & cotton balls. Had I taken my time, it'd be a keeper!

I used Sally Hansen Hard As Nails in Crystal Clear as a top coat.

Until next time...

Let The Good Times Roll!

Nicole tagged me on this Instagram photo.

She saw the Mardi Gras themed polish and immediately thought of me. When I saw that Missi of Different Dimension nail polish needed a name for it, my first thought was "Laissez Les Bon Temps Rouler" or, "Let The Good Times Roll". Mardi Gras season is upon us in south Louisiana and Mardi Gras is all about fun and good times! I'm so glad that Missi agreed! She decided to use the name that I suggested and in turn, both Nicole and I got a free bottle of the amazing glittery purple, green, & gold goodness!

I received mine this week and immediately had to try it! My terrible photography skills do it no justice, but here is LLBTR over (pinky-gold) China Glaze Passion, (ring-dark purple) Essie Sexy Divide, (middle-green) Sally Hansen Emerald City, (index-black) OPI Witch Arm?, and 1 coat all by itself on my thumb. To say that I love this polish is an understatement. It is Mardi Gras in a bottle! I've never had such fantastic coverage from a glitter  polish before.

I highly recommend Different Dimension polishes. This is my first, but it will not be my last!

-Desirae