Top Polish Posts for 2011. Have You Seen These?

I started this blog in April. Since then I have published 150 posts which I can't believe. I decided to see which were my top POLISH posts for the year by pageviews. Here they are (click on the link):

Top 11 Polish Posts for 2011 

(two tied for 8th, three tied for 6th)

8. Polish Change: OPI in Sparke de Triomphe (from Serena's Collection)

8. Polish Change: butter LONDON in Diamond Geezer

7. Polish Change: OPI DS Reserve

6. On A Power Trip: Essie in Power Clutch

 Also made my top polish picks for 2011.

6. Polish Adjustment: Sally Hansen Crackle Overcoat

6. Fly Polish Adjustment: OPI in Sparke de Triomphe with Cream Tips 

5. Polish Change: Ginger + Liz in Swagger

Also made my top polish picks for 2011.

4. Wow! This Is A Pretty Purple

Revlon polish that also made my top polish picks for 2011.

3. My ULTA Package Came. YESSS!!

Some really cute polish! Now linked to reviews.

2. Reader Pics- I Love My Perlas

Please send pics of your fab nails to gotpearlsandpolish@gmail.com with your name and where you live. I would love to post more readers pics in 2012.

1. Love At First Sight

Essie polish that also made my top polish picks for 2011.

Did you see these?
Top Pearl Posts for 2011
Need Some Inspiration to Start 2012
P&P's Top Polish Picks for 2011


See you next year!...Besos, P&P.

P&P's Top Polish Picks for 2011

So much polish, so little time. I wanted to choose 11 top polish picks for 2011 but I couldn't narrow it past 14.  Please keep in mind that all of these were purchased by me in 2011- this does not mean that 2011 was their debut year.

Here are my top polish picks for 2011 (not in any particular order):

Essie in Coat Azure

A perfect blue. Heavenly.

L'Oreal in Manderine

Perfect coral color. Girly and sassy. (Can you believe I got this for $1 at Dollar Tree?)

Revlon in Grape Icy

The perfect purple. And its scented.

I have to give an honorable mention to L'Oreal in Viva Violet for also having a fab purple. 

Ginger + Liz in Swagger

I mean, come on. The name speaks for itself.

Essie In Power Clutch

What can I say? This is just a freakin dope-ass gray!

Polish Change: Rimmel London in Steel Gray

I hope everyone had a fantastic Thanksgiving. Mine went well other than that my computer decided that it would no longer power up (insert expletives). It is for that reason that my blogging has been limited (although you can always find me on Twitter). And yeah, that issue has not yet been resolved but I don't want to talk about that right now.

Anyway, so over the Thanksgiving holiday, I found myself at Target (although it certainly doesn't take a holiday to find me there). I am never overly impressed with their selection (at least not at the location closest to my house). I was actually looking for Essie in Very Structured because I thought that would be the perfect Thanksgiving color. Never found it. But I did stumble upon a brand that I had not tried before- Rimmel London. I really like grey colors so I picked it up in "Steel Grey." 

The brush was a bit awkward (kind of like the Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure brush which I can't stand) but oddly enough the application was not bad at all. The first coat was pretty thin so I added another. These are pics with two (yes, only two) coats. Check it out:

With flash

On a Power Trip- Essie in Power Clutch

I picked up Essie in Power Clutch at Rite Aid about a week ago. This is part of their new Fall Collection made up of six colors (my other two LUSTS from this collection are Case Study and Very Structured). Power Clutch is DOPE. 

All Right Now, Rite Aid! And I Finally Got My Cutex!

So I'm sure that if you read this blog that you know that I am seriously addicted to CVS. I have definitely been an avid CVS shopper and taken advantage of all of the CVS Beauty Club specials, coupons, clearance items, specials and the list goes on. I have recently moved and the CVS near my new home is sub par (to say it mildly). In addition, I have been on the hunt for Cutex nail polish remover but CVS only seems to carry their own brand. So the combination of my current refusal to patron the CVS near me and my desire for Cutex, inspired me to go a little bit out of my way to check out Rite Aid.

Spotlight on Blue: Wet N Wild in Blue Wants to be a Millionaire

Ok, first of all, this weekend I went to CVS and bought four new bottles of blue polish. I actually had $15 in CVS ExtraCare and Beauty Bucks. Of course, I put all of that towards new polish- that's what its for, isn't it??? LOL. 

One of the colors that I picked up while perusing through the CVS by Greenbriar Mall (thumbs down for the Essie and Orly selection at that location BTW) was a pretty sparkly light blue shade by Wet n Wild called "Blue Wants to be a Millionaire." It was so pretty and happy in the bottle that I had to have it.

Wow! This is a Pretty Purple

My family and I are in Valdosta visiting my hubby's family. Before we left to come here, I grabbed probably about 10 different bottles of polish because I desperately needed wanted to do both my hands and feet. I couple of weeks ago, I found some more of the Revlon Scented Polish and picked up "Grape Icy" since I have been looking for shades of purple.

FLY Polish Adjustment: OPI in Spark de Triomphe with Cream Tips

I wanted to jazz up my glittery nails (if that's possible), so this is what I did.

Polish Adjustment: Sally Hansen Crackle Overcoat

Hi, perlas! I know I went silent for a couple of weeks but I have not disappeared! There has just been a lot going on with me with work (been traveling an awful lot), my family and planning for my husband's family reunion which is this weekend (pray for me!).

Anyway, of course I have been keeping my nails tight. A few days ago, Saturday actually, I was going out for a friend's birthday party and wanted a statement color to go along with my black dress. I chose my go-to color fav, Essie in Coat Azure (see the review of it here). It looked phenomenal as usual and really stood out against the black of my dress.

You can probably tell that I have a short attention span when it comes to polish (yes, even my favs). So today I decided to try the Sally Hansen Crackle Overcoat in "Ink Splatter" (ahem, black) on top of the Coat Azure to switch it up a bit.

My Stab at Marble Nails

This past week, my bestie and I tried a technique called "Marble Nails." We tried a variety of colors and nail brands. We actually made a tutorial video but unfortunately for some reason it didn't work (I'm working on another video this weekend). This technique is pretty simple and the nails come out AWESOME.

Polish Change: Essie in Sand Tropez

I had to travel to Boston on business this week. I didn't have the chance to do my nails before I left. Being the polish addict that I am, I stuffed around seven bottles of polish in my 1 quart plastic bag so that I could get them on the plane. I brought the entire French Affair collection by Essie as well as OPI in Mermaid's Tears because I planned on trying to do a marble style.

I have not had the chance to try the marble style yet but I did apply two coats of Essie in Sand Tropez  (get it?). I continue to be so impressed with not only the ease of the application of Essie polish but also the length of time that it takes to dry. Essie polishes dry quickly and are resilient to nicks. Sand Tropez is a pretty putty color. 

Reader Pics- I Love My Perlas!

I am always so excited to receive pics from my readers. I continue to be humbled by the fact that anyone even reads this blog LOL. Anyway, here are some pics that were sent to me by my readers:

Here is a pic sent from Dominique in Atlanta- Essie in Fiji.

This is Antonette in Atlanta- Revlon in Sweet Tart...Peep the pearls! I see you! Love it!

These pics were sent from Kelli in New Orleans- Sally Hansen's Salon Effects in 260 Glitz Blitz. I love these! I'm definitely going to have to try these next!

This last pic is after six days of wear. Not too much chipping... 

Did you just get your nails done? Or are you planning on doing your nails? Take a pic and send it to me. You can can email it to gotpearlsandpolish@gmail.com. I hope to see your nails soon! I know I'm not the only one having fun with polish!...Besos, P&P.

Summer's Summer Nails- Week 1

So now that school is officially out, I have decided to let my daughter, Summer,  experiment with her nails. She is only nine so there won't be anything elaborate or crazy...and there definitely won't be any red (for more on that click here). But she really enjoys nail color, so I figured that this would be the best time for her to experiment.

This past week, I had to get two new "knock sensors" replaced in my truck in order to pass the Emissions test (insert all types of expletives here for my true sentiments). So my daughter and I brought nail polish (along with multiple electronics, magazines, etc.) to the shop since we were going to be there for several hours. I told her that she could pick any color that she wanted. This is what she chose:

Pink and green, of course. The pink is Essie in Status Symbol and the green is Revlon in Emerald City (I actually did a review of Emerald City here).

Can't wait to see what she selects next week!...Besos, P&P. 

Look what I found at CVS after my Zumba Class!

I know two videos in one day!! Crazy, right?? But I just have to tell you about this- its not the same if I write about it! LOL.

And oh, if you haven't tried Zumba- DO IT. It's AWESOME. I'm addicted to it almost as much as I am to pearls and polish...Well, not really but I really like it!! LOL...Besos, P&P.

Polish Change: OPI's Silver Shatter on Mermaid's Tears

I had a rough weekend with my son's third birthday party and my daughter had an all-day softball tournament (Yes, Sandtown Lady Knights 10U are North Georgia Fast Pitch CHAMPIONS!!!!). So, of course, my fab Mermaid's Tears nails started chipping. How did I remedy that? By putting my new OPI Silver Shatter on top of it! And what was the end result? More fabulousity! lol.

This was my first time using OPI's Shatter (of any color). This is seriously like a magic polish. It was funny when I first put it on, it just goes on straight silver. And I'm saying to myself- what a RIP OFF!...but then magically a few seconds later, all of a sudden I see what look like cracks and fissures break out on my nails and then I see the Mermaid's Tears peeking out. DOPE. Check out my pics:

Inside:

Outside:

What do you all think? I know its kind of hard to see with my wack pics from my Blackberry- sorry about that. But you get the gist, right?..The best thing about this Shatter is that it is really easy to apply. Just one coat. Let it dry. Then add your favorite top coat (in my case, Essie Good To Go- it's sooooo fast)...This Shatter is great for the spring/summer and will look fab with silver rings and bracelets...and diamonds ;-)....Besos, P&P.

I Know I've Been M.I.A.

I know I just disappeared for like a week, perlas. I'm so sorry about that. Work has been ridic and I have been under the weather suffering with a kick-ass migraine (yes, I'm a chronic sufferer). I sincerely apologize for the mini hiatus but...I'M BACK!!! Check out my video. I have so much to tell you...so much more polish- I finally got Mermaid's Tears YAY!...went to the Tanger Outlets and racked UP...more posts to come...Besos, P&P.

P&P FYI: Kate Middleton's Polish

Kate Middleton was wearing Essie in Allure today when Prince William slipped on the ring.

So classy...So demure...I love Essie!...Besos, P&P.

Weekend Find- Pearl Hair Accessories

OK so like every mother in the U.S., I was running errands this Saturday morning. My daughter's softball game was canceled so I had the chance to get out early and get some shopping done. Of course, I made my way again to Dollar Tree because they have these french toast bites that my son absolutely loves! Anyway, I went to look in the hair section for more headbands for my daughter (did I mention I'm also borderline obsessed with hair accessories? lol). And what did I find??? Yes, three more pearl headbands. All are from a company named Le Pearl. These I felt are a bit more grown up so I have modeled them myself. Check them out!!

The first one on the left is a two strand pearl headband. The part that goes around the back of your head is elastic so it fits snugly. In addition, it really pulls the hair when you slide it on. As you can see, its really cute. P&P Please Do!

The headband in the middle is black lace with pearls sewn into the material kind of like a garter belt. I wasn't too sure about this one but bought it anyway because I wanted mis perlas to see it. It's not really my cup of tea but check it out- I put two pics because I felt you needed to see both to get the gist.

And lastly, the headband on the right is a thick band made of up pearls. It really holds the hair back and looks cute while doing so.  Again, there is elastic in the back so you just slide it on and it fits snugly. Definite P&P Please Do!

And guess what? I also found the same headband from last week click here but this location had a 2-pack with a white and pink pearl headband (as opposed to two white). Cute! (Like how you can see my thumb in my new love, Essie in Coat Azure! ;-) (click here for my review on Coat Azure)

The best thing about all of these headbands is that they cost $1!!! You can get one for every female in your family!! I still can't get over that!...Besos, P&P.

Love At First Sight

I'm in love.

I first spotted you a couple of weeks ago. I gazed at you from afar but you drew me in. You were so blue and dreamy, like the sky. I had to move closer, just to get a better look. That's when I found out your name. I thought it was strange but then I found out it was French. Oooh la la.  I was intrigued then. I love everything French- French bread, French kissing, croissants, Coco Chanel, Givenchy... I had to have you but I couldn't. Not then- the timing wasn't right. But I went back for you today. When I got home, I couldn't wait. With one stroke of the brush, I was head over heels. Now you are all over my fingers and I am in love. I'm in love with Essie in Coat Azure.

Ok, perlas, seriously, enough of my drama, but for real I never tried Essie before. You've probably seen their ads in Allure and Glamour magazines. I spotted Essie polish in CVS a couple of weeks ago but kept talking myself out of buying a bottle. I kept saying that I would come back and get it because I have spent more than enough money on polish lately. But I just couldn't hold off anymore- the blue was calling me. So I bought it. 

Essie in Coat Azure is the perfect blue- warm and inviting... yet fierce. It has quiet strength, like pearls...The application was smooth and easy. I applied two coats. The polish looks rich and full. Check out my pics:

Outdoor shot:

Indoor shot:

Coat Azure is part of Essie's French Affair Collection which is inspired by classic French style. This collection is a throwback to classic 1960's glamour. There are five other fabulous shades in this collection:

1. French Affair- tres innocent pink
2. Sand Tropez- sun-kissed tan de soleil
3. Topless and Barefood- coquettish peach at the beach
4. Kisses and bises- swoon worthy iridescent
5. Nice is nice- supremely happy Spring wisteria

The awesome thing about it is that you don't have to go to a specific beauty supply store or order Essie online. Essie polish can now be found in your local retailer like CVS (check out their Essie display to the right), Walgreens, Target and others. I plan on getting the entire French Affair Collection- after all, I think Coco Chanel would love the colors...and the concept...Besos, P&P.

What Color Looks Good on Me?

As we get ready for spring and summer, many of us are experimenting with colors for our fingers and toes. Although we would like to believe that all colors look great on all skin tones, we have to keep it real. Come on now, we know that some colors just don't look right on all skin tones. This month's Allure magazine tries to point us in the right direction.

First of all, guess which color is flattering for everyone regardless of skin tone?? Yep, RED!! You know that color that your mom and mine forbade us from wearing as a child. Essie has an awesome color called "Apertif" that is a great red. Surprisingly enough, purple is also a universal color for all skin tones. I love purple and definitely rock OPI in "Siberian Nights."

Dark skin looks great with orange or blue polish. Check out Ginger + Liz in "Keep Me Interested" (Don't you love that name?? Post on the fab perlas, Ginger + Liz, coming soon.) which is an awesome shade of orange. Or if you prefer blue, Estee Lauder in Wild Blue is also hot. Dark-skinned perlas looking for a neutral color would also look fierce in Orly in "Hot Chocolate" (doesn't that just sound fierce?).

Medium skinned perlas look fab in ruby and sapphire tones. I recommend China Glaze in "Heart of Africa," if you prefer red. Or "Bermuda Breakaway," if you are interested in rocking a deep blue.

Lastly, those with fair skin can really rock the bright pinks and corals.  Essie in Mod Squad, if you like bright pink, is too cute. Or definitely check out Ginger + Liz in "Reality Check" if you like coral (really pretty). Pale pink neutrals always look great on fair skin and I would definitely recommend one of my ultimate faves, OPI in Coney Island Cotton Candy. That was actually the first OPI polish that I ever purchased- love, love, love it!

Above all, perlas wear what makes you feel pretty and confident. I hope this helps with your spring and summer polish planning. Let me know if you try any of my recos and please send pics to gotpearlsandpolish@gmail.com... Besos, P&P.