French Manicure using Essie

Hello glamour girlies!

Sorry I haven't been posting much lately, been busy with school and other stuff and I'm feeling a little under the weather at the moment, but I'm going go ahead with this post anyway. I'm going to be walking you through how I do my manicures. I don't claim to be an expert by any means, I just like having nice nails, and by keeping them manicured they don't break as often, especially right at the quick. Ouch.

My mom also just bought me one of the new Too Faced Christmas 2013 sets!!!! I won't tell you which one, but I promise I will post a review and a makeup look soon!!!

Essie Nail Polishes

I've only just recently gotten into Essie polishes. And let me tell you, I've been missing out. Her polishes are amazing. They're such great quality and she has a lot of different colors in her collection. The one thing that I do think is lacking is more metallics, yellows and odd colors, neons, etc. But I do think she has a fantastic French Manicure collection out, more so than any other company I've seen.

I bought quite a few polishes to try out. In the French Manicure section, I bought Blanc and Marshmallow for the white tips. I've only tried Blanc so far and it's basically your standard white tip. I hear Marshmallow is supposed to be more see-through-ish than Blanc. Like you'd probably need two coats. For the pinks, I got Mademoiselle, which is basically the most popular color out of the whole collections, or so says the internet (it is in fact a very nice color, I tried this out first), Vanity Fairest, which is a lightly shimmered pink (which is the focus of today's manicure, the shimmer is ever so faint and it just adds a little something extra to the manicure), and lastly I got Ballet Slippers, which I haven't tried yet, but looks equally nice. I've been very impressed with the French Manicure nail polishes. So many different colors and finishes to choose from!!

For the normal color nail polishes, I bought Muchi Muchi, which is a light pink, it's a tad too thick to be a French Manicure color, but you will need more than one coat to get a nice coat of color, Mint Candy Apple, which is a light green color (and possibly my favorite), Turcs and Caicos, which is a metallic teal color, that I thought looked a hell of a lot better in the bottle than out, and Lilacism, which is a light purple. I've tried all of them except Lilacism. I tried Muchi Muchi and then on my ring fingers I put Green Candy Apple, and they looked amazing together. I got compliments all week on them. But unfortunately it got ruined before I was able to make a post (this was back when I was working everyday). But I promise that I will do a post on that someday.


How I Prep My Nails for a Manicure

I started out by filing my nails with my brand new mini crystal nail file, that I got from Sephora for about 10$CAD. I read a lot about crystal files being very good for your nails and that they last quite a while. So I thought I would at least give it a try, and I'm glad I did, because it made a huge difference on my nails. After filing I grab my Sephora 4-in-1 nail block and I continue on from 2-4, polishing my nails, etc. After that's done, I apply some of Essie's Apricot Cuticle Oil to my cuticles (I like to apply it to my nails as well) and I take my Tweezerman Cuticle Pusher and I gently push down on the cuticles. Then I take my Tweezerman Cuticle Trimmer and I trim off whatever excess cuticle I have. I don't go crazy on trimming them, I only really trim off the excess. I don't trim the whole darn thing off. Then I wash off the oil. Now it's polish time!


Nail Polish Time

I start out by using Essie's Millionails Treatment. I apply two coats of it onto my nails to prepare them for the polish. My nails get very brittle from all the nail polish and remover. I only do my nails every 2-3 weeks and they are still extremely brittle and they hurt and my nails break. But since I've been using Millionails, my nails have changed and become stronger in between manis. It really helps your nails and I recommend it if you're having the same problem as me. If not, you can skip that step. They also have products for your nails to grow faster, etc. Next, I use Essie's Grow Stronger basecoat. I apply one coat of that. I forgot to mention that in between each coat, I use my lamp as a nail heater by placing my hand as close to the lightbulb as I can without touching it. This accelerates the drying process. Now it's time for the fun stuff! Take Essie's Blanc, this is what we're using to paint the white lines. To get that nice, smooth, perfect line; make sure you apply it using one stroke. By using one smooth stroke you get a perfect line. After this dries, use Essie's Vanity Fairest for the pink. Vanity Fairest is a shimmery light pink, but the shimmer isn't that strong or visible. If you look at it in the light, you can see the shimmer, but it isn't obvious. Apply two coats of it to the entire nail. After this dries, I like to apply two coats of Essie Good To Go fast-drying top coat. This ensures that the polish is sealed and hardened and dry. So by now you should have a wonderful looking French Manicure using Essie polishes.

I also want to state that the pictures of my manicure have been taken at least 5-6 days after I did them. I haven't gotten a single chip since doing them. Sorry about the delay.


The Manicure Itself

Products Used

Sephora 4 Step Nail Buffer - 7$CAD
File and Buff sides

Sephora 4 Step Nail Buffer - 7$CAD
Polish and Shine sides

Sephora Mini Crystal Nail File - 10$CAD, fullsize is 12$CAD

Tweezerman Hot Pink Nail Rescue Kit - 24$CAD
includes: mini nail file, cuticle pushes/nail cleaner, cuticle nipper

Essie Apricot Cuticle Oil - 9$CAD

Essie Millionails Treatment - 9$CAD

Essie Grow Stronger Base Coat - 9$CAD

Essie Good To Go Fast-Drying Top Coat - 9$CAD

Essie Blanc Nail Polish - 9$CAD

Essie Vanity Fairest Nail Polish - 9$CAD

Thanks for reading and I hope this post was interesting for you! It's a little spin on the classic french manicure by using a slightly shimmery pink nail polish. I promise that the next nail tutorial won't be a french manicure haha. And yes, I am aware that my nails are growing out. Good thing I took the pics when I did, the day after I chipped a nail. I honestly don't do my nails until they start chipping really bad or I get tired of the color. What nail polishes and brands do you use for your ideal french manicure? And what is your nail care routine? I gotta say, I highly recommend getting the crystal nail file and the Tweezerman nail set. For polishes, I highly recommend Essie. This is the first brand that I've used that hasn't chipped in the first few days (since I've been using fast-drying top coats anyway). Also, the treatment and base coat are helping my nails to be stronger, which is great, because I hated how they felt so brittle after I'd take my polish off.

So again, let me know what your favorite Essie polishes are! And check back, because I'll be posting a Christmas Collection post talking about all the awesome Christmas collections coming out this holiday season. I'll also be doing a review and a makeup look using my new Too Faced Christmas Collection Palette (not sayin which one just yet!)

Steph xo.

French Manicure Tutorial

Hey ladies!

Here's my once in a blue moon nails post! I did a french manicure on myself and it turned out amazing. I have a few tips for making sure you get that perfect white line on the tips and some badass looking nails. I did my manicure about 3 days ago and they still look absolutely perfect, no chips or dents!

I use my own nails, I never use fake nails and I never get them done at a salon, either. I do them myself at home. I've been having a bit of trouble lately with my nails being super brittle after I take off the old nail polish. I've used Sally Hansen Complete Care Extra Moisturizing 4-in-1 Nail Treatment once so far and it's actually made a pretty big difference on my nails. I waited over a week before I finally did them, and usually they would chip and tear pretty badly but that didn't happen this time after I used this product for the first time! I just hope that it works great in the long run. I'll update you as time goes on, but right now, I really like this product. I use it as a base coat only.

I use Rimmel's French Manicure Pro products. They aren't the most expensive nail polishes out there, but I find that they do the best job so far out of the products I've tried. I was not a fan of Sally Hansen's french manicure sets. I thought they were sub-par quality. The Rimmel nail polishes are really good and they last a long time. They have 2 different colors for the pink so you can choose between a more natural pink, or a more obvious pink. Each bottle is around 6$CAD.

I used Ciate's Speed Coat to seal in the polish. It was my first time using it and I'm very impressed that it dried my nails in only a few minutes, and that they were rock hard! I don't know how I lived without this before, but this is quickly becoming my favorite top coat.

Keep reading for the tutorial, a list of products used, and of course, pictures of my nails.


French Manicure Tutorial

Before starting, make sure you have done all your prep work, like nail filing, cuticle pushing, removing old polish, etc. If you have brittle nails, like, use Sally Hansen's Complete Care Extra Moisturizing 4-in-1 Nail Treatment as a base coat. If your nails are fine, use Rimmel Base Coat Top Coat Pro (I used to use this, but had to switch because the condition of my nails just kept deteriorating). Once they are dry, it is time to apply the white strip using Rimmel 110 French White Tip Pro. The trick to having a perfect line is to do the line all in one smooth stroke. Since the brush is tiny, I have to go back in and make sure the edge has polish. That will not affect your line, as long as you do it first in one long continuous stroke. That is the secret to having a perfect white tip. After they've dried, apply 2 coats of Rimmel French Manicure Pro in 130 French Lingerie. If you want a pinker nail, try 140 French Rose. After your last coat has dried, apply Ciate Speed Coat if you want your nails to dry fast and be rock hard. I used this and I'm in love. I can go to bed and not worry about my nails smudging! If you don't want to use a fast drying to coat, use Rimmel Base Coat Top Coat Pro. So that's it, you should now have a perfect (or close to perfect) french manicure!




Products Used:

Sally Hansen Complete Care Extra Moisturizing 4-in-1 Nail Treatment

Rimmel French White Tip Pro in 110

Rimmel French Manicure Pro in 130 French Lingerie

Ciate Speed Coat

Other Products Mentioned:

Rimmel Base Coat Top Coat Pro

Rimmel French Manicure Pro in 140 French Rose

The Manicure:

Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed today's nail post. I find that the French Manicure is timeless. It looks good in any decade, any season. I like it because it makes my nails look nice and groomed, especially now that I've mastered the tricks. I do like Rimmel's nail products very much, but I bought some Essie nail polishes in their french manicure shades. I bought a whole bunch actually lol. I'm going to try out the Essie polishes the next time I do my nails and I'll compare the 2 manicures. I always hear great things about Essie nail polishes and I wanted to finally get on the bandwagon.

So what did you think of my nails? I'm so happy I finally got the hang of it. This is the first time I've had such picture perfect nails! What do you think of the Rimmel French Manicure polishes? Are you a fan of them or do you prefer Essie or OPI?? Let me know what your favorite shades for french manicures are in Essie polishes.

Tomorrow I might post my latest haul, but I don't want it to be show-off-y. I might only do just a tutorial instead using more new products.

Steph xo.

Matte Black French Manicure (with Glossy Tips)

Hi gals!

So we had this crazy thunderstorm and tree branches fell all over the place and knocked down power lines so we haven't had power since 3pm local time and it is now 10pm local (EST). What a day. I got a haircut today and right when he starts blow drying it started storming. We almost lost power there but luckily we didn't. I'm going to do a post showing off the new hair and maybe some before and after pics. I also passed by Illamasqua again because I wanted to try out their products. I bought 3 things which will be combined into my upcoming MAC Pro post. So enjoy today's nails post!! And if you want to know about the next couple of posts, check out my facebook page.

Today I'm doing something a bit different with my nails. Instead of doing a traditional manicure, I'm doing a black french manicure. Black is my favorite color and this is a great way to change it up instead of wearing just a black nail polish. It's matte black nails with glossy tips, which is why it's called a black french manicure. I think it's really nice, except I messed my first few nails up a bit, but whatever, I'm learning. I didn't use tape or anything, I drew it on myself. Thinking back though, I should have used tape, even if it's scotch tape. Just put it on your skin a few times to remove some of the glue so it doesn't peel your manicure right off. I also used a whole bunch of different brands, but you can use whatever you have. Just make sure you have a black nail polish and a matte top coat. Those are your most important tools. I know this isn't a very summery look, but whatever. I like it and that's all that matters. And by the way, the feel of the matte polish is really cool! I definitely have to try stripes and shapes next time. And again, I know they're not perfect and I don't care.


Matte Black French Manicure (with Glossy Tips)

Before you start, make sure to file your nails, push your cuticles down, buff them, and whatever else you do to prep for your manicure. I also like to set up my little station by putting some paper towels down in case of an accident. I have all my nail polishes ready. To prepare my nails, I'm trying out Sally Hansen's Complete Care Extra Moisturizing 4-in-1 Nail Treatment. This is the first time I'm using this product and I picked it up because my nails are pretty fragile and damaged even though I only do my nails every 2 or so weeks. Hopefully this product will help. I'm using this as a base coat for my manicure. Next, take a black polish like Rimmel Lasting Finish Pro in 430 Black Satin. I do 2 coats of black. Now it's time to turn your nails matte! Take your matte top coat, like Butter London Matte Finish, and apply that to the entire nail. Watch your nails turn matte in seconds! Now take your black nail polish again and paint the tips. You can draw them on yourselves like I did, or you can take tape. Personally, I like it when the french manicure is slightly rounded on the edges, instead of a super straight line. It looks more natural. Now your black french manicure is done!

I have to say that Rimmel makes really good quality nail polishes. I buy their regular French Manicure nail polishes and I use their Base Coat Top Coat Pro and I love their products. This was the first time I used a Butter London products and their Matte Finish polish worked extremely well. Now I just have to wait and see how Sally Hansen's Complete Care product is working under there!



Products Used:

Sally Hansen Complete Care Extra Moisturizing 4-in-1 Nail Treatment - approx. 12$

Rimmel Lasting Finish Pro in 430 Black Satin - 6$CAD 

Butter London Matte Finish - 21$CAD

So that's it! Here are a few photos of my nails. I upload HD pics so you can really see what I'm doing, because I know that I hate it if someone has a 1 pixel by 1 pixel photo and you can't see anything. It's like, why even bother? But because it's HD, it's a lot easier to point out mistakes and criticize things. I know my nails are nowhere near perfect but this is the best that I can do at home. With that said, I hope that you were able to learn something from this. Enjoy the pics.

Thanks for reading and no, there aren't any pictures of me showing off the nails. Hah. I know my lines aren't perfect and they're a little smudgey but honestly I was never great any doing my nails. Part of what messed the tips up was that I was trying to do too thin of a coat because I didn't want to end up with a big blob that never dries. So don't worry about the coats being thick, it'll be fine. Use some tape if you're worried about your lines. I hope you were able to learn something from this post. Matte nails are pretty darn cool and I've seen that it gives cool effects on different finishes of nail polishes, like metalics, neons, glitters, etc.

If you haven't checked out my latest makeup post on MAC's Veluxe Pearl Fusion Eyeshadows using Greenluxe, then click here!

My next post is going to be my MAC PRO Haul. I bought quite a few Pro Only Eyeshadows and I have to say that the shades are way different and unique compared to the permanent line. If you ever get a chance to go to a MAC PRO store, seriously, do it.

Steph xo.