Mani Monday: Nail Rock Striped Mani

Thank God for nail strips.

I do most of my nail art by hand, without a stencil or Konad (which I do want to buy eventually). Since nail strips have come a long way, and are now available in funky patterns, the mani game got a lot more creative.

I've used various brands, but the best nail polish strips I've found which not only look good, but stay on, are Nail Rock Designer Nail Wraps. They're a UK company, but I bought mine at CVS.

I've purchased multiple Nail Rock patterns, and so far, I've been uber satisfied with the results. You apply them just like any other strips, but what's best about these: The finish. While they do have a shine to them, it's not overly glossy, so it blends well with your nail or other polishes you'll pair with em.

The results?

I'm sorry, but I'm in love with my nails. I didn't want to use all the striped wraps all at once so I went with a classic combo of pink, white and black. The gold glitter tips were done using Julep's Oscar. Easy, cheap and fly!

Glass Candy - Julep Maven Review

Ya'll know how much I love nail polish. And with the lack of speciality nail joints in New Jersey, I do all of my own nail art. 

Plus, I'm always on the lookout for anything nail polish related that has me written all over it.

Enter Julep Maven. Similar to what Birchbox does for beauty and cosmetics, this is all about mani/pedi goodness. Normally, I'm hesitant to commit to beauty offers that require me to sell my soul, or may or may not deliver me goodies I'll actually use, but since I'm addicted to nail polish, for $19.99 a month, I figured I'd give it a chance.

My first box, called the It Girl, arrived right around Christmas.

My It Girl box arrived with two lotion samples, silver glitter, colors (from L to R), Helena, Alfre, Chloe & Fast Dry Topcoat.

While I've been using the topcoat like mad, I finally painted some nail art with Chloe last night, a black polish infused with flecks of red glitter, as a base. The polish itself glides on smooth, and you don't need a lot to get a good coat. I then used a metallic red for the lightning bolts/triangles.

Finally, something for all those nail polish junkies out there. Each month, I'll receive a new box filled with all new colors and products! Plus, I can preview my Julep Maven box before it's sent to me... and if I don't like what I see online, BAM! I have the option to change it or skip the month. 

Can't really go wrong for $19.99 a month when you're receiving about $40 or more worth of product. Winning.

So:

1. If you like getting goodies in the mail...

2. Like painting your nails, shopping for nail polish or nail art and like pre-picked goodies...

3. Enjoy reviewing new products and colors before anyone else, then Julep Maven is an awesome idea that I totally recommend.  

Mani Monday - Lightning Strikes Twice

Gosh I love me some nail art. I've said it numerous times, but NJ is barren with nail joints that do awesome nail art. I'm always looking for DIY ways to deck out my tallens, so when Adiel from It's Because I Think Too Much showed off her blinged out nails, I ran to find Nail Bliss Bling decals.

I ended up getting plain silver being that I already had 4 bottles of polish in my hand. And I figured it would go with any color I layered them with.

Here's the final product:

The stripes fit my nails exactly, and they were ridiculously easy to apply. Then, I created a lightning bolt on my thumbs for some additional contrast. This is probably one of my most favorite manis to date!

Nail Art On A Whole New Level - Sally Hansen Salon Effects

I make no qualms about my love for nail art, and do most of it on my own because frankly, New Jersey doesn't have any nail salons that offer it.

However, if you're on the quest to make your nails look salon professional without spending more than $9, than thank Sally Hansen now.

The lovely folks at Sally Hansen sent me a couple of boxes of their new Salon Effects nail polish strips that answered my prayers.

I've seen these in stores for a while, but couldn't get my hands on em as they've sold out constantly. Available in a variety of fashion forward colors and designs, the strips will have you hooked once you apply em! The package includes easy to follow instructions and tools you'll need for perfect application. I used Red-y For Trouble and Kitty, Kitty to go with my theme of animal prints this week!

 Before

Overall, I'm digging these because:

 - You get the look of nail polish, without the smell of bottled polish

 - Zero drying time

 - Doing a DIY manicure that'll last up to 10 days

The strips looked completely profess - and the fact that I didn't have to hand paint the leopard print on (like I normally do) - score!