2015 Spring and Summer Color Trends from Pantone

Hey guys and gals! Spring has officially sprung and with the change in season, we get gorgeous new colors of polish to play with. As with every seasonal collection, the main stream polish brands (China Glaze, Essie, O.P.I. and Zoya) look to the Pantone Color Report for their inspiration.

In the last Color Trend post, I previewed the 2015 Color Of The Year - Marsala. Pantone has continued with that vintage vibe and compiled a lovely, ethereal mix of colors and hues with a very retro flare.

Delush Polish Spring Collection Medusa's Verde

Hey friends! I have another Delush Polish to share with you all today! Along with Fleur De Peche, I also grabbed Medusa's Verde from the Spring Awakening collection.

Please Note: Products shown were purchased by me for my personal use.

Delush Polish Medusa's Verde

Medusa's Verde is a spring green with green, gold and copper hex glitters, gold circle glitters (love!!) and green shimmer. Dead. This is everything I love about Indie polish. It is fun and unique and seriously gorgeous. The glitter mix is the perfect contrast to the shimmery base. I've worn it twice now, and have gotten loads of compliments both times. Formula was pure awesomeness. Two smooth coats with perfect glitter distribution. You can't really get better than that!

(Macro)

It's such a great polish and it just makes me happy whenever I wear it! There is nothing else like it out there and that's what makes Indie polish so much fun and worth spending a couple of extra bucks on. And with brands like Delush, the Indie market is seriously killing it and I am totally okay with that!

Please Note: Products shown were purchased by me for my personal use. All opinions are my own. For more info, please read my disclaimer.

Medusa's Verde and the rest of the Delush Polish Spring Awakening collection is available on line. Products retails for $4.50 (for minis) and $8.95 (for full size) a piece.

Essie Cocktails And Coconuts - Spring/Summer Color Trend

Hey everyone! After a crazy week, I was finally able to get a post written up for you guys. Today I have more Fashion Friday goodness with another Spring/Summer Color Trend polish!

Among the soft pastels and vivid brights, Pantone mixed in a couple of neutrals for this season's color palette. Sand is a perfect neutral contrast for the bright colors. Essie's Cocktails & Coconuts from the Resort Fling collection is my new favorite nude, and a fantastic "sand" shade.

Essie Cocktails & Coconuts (Resort Fling Collection 2014)

Cocktails & Coconuts is a nude cream with Essie's signature shimmer - as seen in the Summer 2013 collection. It is rather hard to capture the shimmer in the nude base digitally, but it sparkles quite nicely in person. The color is fantastic, very clean and sophisticated. It is definitely going to be my go-to nude this season. Formula was really good as well. In the past, Essie's softer shades have had problematic formulas, more often than not. But this was two easy coats!

Despite my affinity for the brighter colors, I love a good neutral. I think this is as close to perfect as a neutral can get, for me personally. And I am particularly fond of the shimmer!

The Essie Resort Fling collection, precedes the spring collection, so this polish may be a bit harder to find in stores, but it is widely available on line via Amazon and the like.

Please Note: Products shown were purchased by me for my personal use. All opinions are my own. For more info, please read my disclaimer.

Essie is available in many retail locations, including Target and Walgreens. Products retail for $8 a piece. Prices may vary.

Spring Easter-y Nail Of The Day

Hello friends! Hope you all are having a nice and relaxing, possibly fun Saturday! I am home alone for the day - my little one is off with the grandparents for the weekend and my big one is stuck at work today. So I am spending my day with a pile of laundry, my ipad and the Doctor!

Today I have my spring easter-y nails to share. We don't really go for the holiday, so this isn't an official holiday themed post, just something I thought was pretty and fun! But since it is Easter tomorrow, my pinterest feed has been bombarded with with egg type crafts and I saw one in particular that I knew would be awesome if it were painted on my nails.

Used:

O.P.I. - Live.Love.Carnival

O.P.I. - Amazon...Amazoff

O.P.I. - I Just Can't Cope-Acabana

O.P.I. - MBSW

O.P.I. - Black Onyx

Dotting Tool

Winstonia nail art brushes

My design may be a little unorthodox, but I am so in love with the outcome! I was immediately drawn to the inspiration, everything about it is so visually pleasing and I knew it would be perfect for nail art. The folk art elements are really fascinating, and I think I could get at least three more designs from them! Yay for being inspired!

I actually entered these in an Easter themed contest on Nailpolis. If you haven't checked Nailpolis out yet, you really should! There are tons of great artists on there, as well as fun contests. I am super pleased to be a part of it, so I hope you will give it a look!

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend and get to spend time with people you love. I must be off, now, the Doctor is waiting!

Essie Truth Or Flare - Spring/Summer Color Trend

Hi guys and a happy Friday! I have the next installment of the Fashion Friday Color Trend series, so sorry about skipping last week. Life kinda got away from me and I didn't get a chance to write up the post. But all is well in APN land, and I have a gorgeous color to share!

Pastel blue is the quintessential spring color, in my opinion, and naturally it has a spot on the color line up this year as well. Instead of the more traditional hue, Pantone gave us "Placid Blue," a more vintage shade. Essie's spring collection, Hide & Go Chic, has the perfect polish counterpart - Truth Or Flare.

Please Note: Products shown were purchased by me for my personal use.

Essie Truth Or Flare (Hide & Go Chic Collection Spring 2014)

Truth Or Flare is a dusty light blue crelly (cream/jelly hybrid). The crelly threw me off a bit at first, I got all excited because I thought it was a true jelly after the first coat. But not in a bad way. I think the slight squishyness gives this polish a nice interesting look, as opposed to a basic cream. The color isn't my favorite, mostly because blues like this tend to give me lobster hands. Other than my personal preference, it is a fantastic polish. After a very sheer first coat, a thicker second coat covered beautifully. It dries to a delightful shine as well.

I love the vintage, yet modern, look of this polish. It is oh so hipster in that way. But I do think it captures that springy blue pastel in a fascinating way, and if you are a fan of that, then you will love this shade. Surprisingly, Essie is the only mainstream brand to offer a version of Placid Blue. But at least it is a great version!

Please Note: Products shown were purchased by me for my personal use. All opinions are my own. For more info, please read my disclaimer.

Essie is available in various locations. Products retail for $8 a piece. Prices may vary by location.

O.P.I. Don't Bossa Nova Me Around

Hey y'all! Today, I have another shade from the O.P.I. Brazil collection for spring and summer 2014. Like I have said, in previous posts, this collection has been a big hit with me, and I love just about every color. While most of them fall into the "Color Trend" category, and as such, those swatches will be posted on Fridays as part of that series. Don't Bossa Nova Me Around doesn't fit, but I still wanted to share my thoughts and review, because this is definitely a polish to get!

Please Note: Products shown were purchased by me for my personal use.

O.P.I. Don't Bossa Nova Me Around

Don't Bossa Nova Me Around is a shell pink nude cream. It is pastel without the chalkiness. The color is soft and chic, very feminine. Totally not a color that I would normally ever wear, but I find myself really drawn to this dreamy shade. Formula was stellar, with two easy coats for full coverage.

Don't Bossa Nova Me Around pretty much covers all the polish bases. It is perfect for spring, universally flattering, and a great wear-to-work color. Also, this would be my choice for a spring time bridal manicure. I can easily see it becoming part of my nail art polishes, as well. I'm kind of in love!

Have you even been surprised by a color outside of your comfort zone?

Please Note: Products shown were purchased by me for my personal use. All opinions are my own. For more info, please read my disclaimer.

O.P.I. is available at beauty stores like Ulta and Sally's. Products retail for approximately $9 a piece

China Glaze What A Pansy - Spring/Summer Color Trend

Hey friends! Happy Friday! My posting schedule kinda got away from me this week, and I wasn't able to get this up as early as I wanted. But better late than never!

Continuing with the Pantone spring and summer color palettes, today I have What A Pansy from the China Glaze spring collection, City Flourish. What A Pansy is the Violet Tulip shade from the palette, and offers a nice contrast to the color of the year, Radiant Orchid.

Please Note: Products shown were purchased by me for my personal use.

China Glaze What A Pansy (City Flourish Collection Spring 2014)

What A Pansy is a dusty purple crelly with strong blue undertones. In some lightings, it pulls a lot more blue than purple. I usually grab more red based purples than blue based, but that is a taste preference. As a result, this is a unique purple in my collection. Formula was okay, not fantastic. I had some dragging issues on the first coat, creating a patchy look. After letting it dry completely, a thicker second coat gave full coverage. I do so love the slight squishyness of the crelly formula. 

While What A Pansy isn't a pastel, it has a slightly faded look that I think will translate very nicely into a spring wardrobe. I like the unique color, and it is a nice alternative to the Radiant Orchid shades that are abundant right now.

So are you a Violet Pansy kind of person, or a Radiant Orchid?

Please Note: Products shown were purchased by me for my personal use. All opinions are my own. For more info, please read my disclaimer.

China Glaze is available at most beauty stores, including Sally's and Ulta, and on line at Transdesign. Prices vary by location.

Zoya Dillon - Spring/Summer Color Trend

Hey everyone! Hope your week went well!  Any exciting plans for the weekend? Now that the weather is finally nice, we are having some friends over tomorrow for dinner. Grilling veggies, watching the kids run around and spending the evening outside is probably one of my favorite things to do.

One of my favorite colors for spring, is a fresh mint green. In the color palette for Spring and Summer, Pantone included Hemlock, a shade of green that is seasonal perfection. Zoya chose to represent Hemlock in the spring collection with Dillon.

Please Note: Products shown were purchased by me for my personal use.

Zoya Dillon (Awaken Collection Spring 2014)

Dillon is a mint green with a shimmery foil effect like Hudson (and Rebel coming next week). This color is everything. It is crisp and clean, and will pair well with any spring wardrobe. Formula was polish perfection, and what Zoya is known for. 2 easy coats (almost a one coater) for full coverage. And that shimmer is stand out gorgeous. Love.

Out of the three shimmers from the Awaken collection. Dillon is an easy favorite. As much as I like the other two, this shade will always be favorite. Even if I do have 10 plus mint green polishes in my stash already. If you are not a hoarder like me, then I highly recommend Dillon. Many other polishes in this color family do not boast such a good formula or have the amazing shimmer.

So what is your go-to shade for spring? Are you a mint green lover too?

Please Note: Products shown were purchased by me for my personal use. All opinions are my own. For more info, please read my disclaimer.

Zoya Dillon and the rest of the Awaken collection, is available on line. Products retail from $9-$10 a piece.

Zoya Hudson - Spring/Summer Color Trend

Hello lovely people! It finally feels like spring here in Texas! The weather has been gorgeous and I am craving all things bright and cheery. The spring and summer polish collections are popping up all over the place and what better time to take a look at the trend colors for the season!

Pantone, the masters of color creation, have come up with a spectacular palette for this season. Gone are the boring pastels. For 2014, it is all about the bright rich color, paired with a more sophisticated nude. 

Image Source

As a lover of brighter shades, this palette is everything I could ever want! The colors are phenomenal. Radiant Orchid, Pantone's "Color Of The Year," is perfection. Every main stream polish company has taken these colors and created some amazing collections. I love them all! 

Zoya's spring collection, Awaken, kept to the softer side of the palette, although I am hoping the summer collection amps it up a notch. Zoya can do incredible things with color, which is why it is my favorite brand! Like in the fall, Zoya created a fantastic version of Radiant Orchid.

Please Note: Products shown were purchased by me for my personal use.

Zoya Hudson (Awaken collection, Spring 2014)

Hudson is a purple orchid with silvery shimmer. The shimmer is outstanding! It has a very foil-y feel to it that Zoya is known for, without being over the top. I love this shade, and it is spring time perfection. Formula was good, and on par for what I expect from Zoya. It has a slight thickness due to the shimmer, but definitely not problematic. Two coats for full coverage, and an average dry time. Photo is shown with top coat.

Hudson is a great representation for Radiant Orchid, and one that is a universally flattering shade. This is a polish that everyone can enjoy!

Please Note: Products shown were purchased by me for my personal use. All opinions are my own. For more info, please see my disclaimer.

Zoya Hudson and the rest of the Awaken collection is available on line. Products retail for $9 a piece.

O.P.I. Amazon...Amazoff

Hey everyone! Happy St. Patrick's Day! I don't have a great nail art related post, but I do have an awesome green polish!

If you haven't seen it yet, O.P.I.'s Brazil collection is pretty damn amazing, and for once I actually want every polish in it. I am not usually a huge O.P.I. fan (but they make a killer cream), but this one really is calling my name! I have several of them picked out for the upcoming seasonal Color Trend series and I had to grab a few more for my personal stash as well! The first one I got was Amazon...Amazoff.

Please Note: Products shown were purchased by me for my personal use.

O.P.I. - Amazon...Amazoff

Amazon...Amazoff is a rich deep green-leaning teal cream with the tiniest bit of silvery shimmer. In all honesty, I have yet to see the shimmer in my bottle, except from the pics when I swatched it. But the color is so vibrant, that I really don't care! This is 2 coats, almost a one coater, but I did have a couple of patchy spots. Super smooth formula and application - one that I am noticing is pretty consistent with O.P.I. and I love it. As with any color like this, it is a stainer. I doubled up on my base coat, and still had some issues!

Pretty appropriate for today, if you opt for being less inconspicuous about adding green to your wardrobe. Aside from that, I love the color any time, and cannot wait to try it out for some nail art. This, along with the rest of the Brazil collection are pretty much a perfect palette for spring.summer nail art!

This also happens to be my first post with my new camera! It is a Nikon D3200 and I am using the 18-35mm lens that came with it. I also have a neutral density filter on the lens to cut down on some of the glare. I love the way the pics came out, but it took a loooong time to find a good combo of camera/light/photoshop settings! I can't really get good macros at this point, but I am hoping to remedy that soon with some close up lenses (a macro lens is way too expensive!) While I like the overall result, I will be tweaking things over the next few weeks to find my best pics. I love the clarity, but that glare is way too much! So I hope you all can forgive a bit of inconsistent photography for a while! But hopefully, in the end, I will be bringing amazing nail art and swatch pics to the ol' blog!

Hope you all have a great St. Pat's and if you are of legal drinking age, go order yourself an Irish Carbomb - it is one of my fav bar drinks ever!

Nail Of The Day: Drops of Golden Sun

Hey all! A quick little NotD post this weekend a part from the 31 Day Challenge prompts for you guys! I am loving all the green things growing in and around my garden lately and decided to give myself a matching mani!

 

 

Used:

 

Zoya - Tracie

 

Rhinestones

 

I recently picked up a rhinestone wheel from my local beauty supply store since I am trying to build up my nail art paraphernalia and I love it! I don't care if they are anything but practical, I will be using the hell outta these babies! I already have plans to use them for the 31 Day Challenge too.

 

 

My nails are also growing out a lot faster than I had thought, but I may keep the shorties around for a little while. They are definitely easier to manage!

 

I will be back with the next challenge post, Tuesday!

Nail of the Day: Spring Color Blocking

Good morning all! It looks like Spring has finally made it's way to Texas, well Austin at least. I love spring time even though my allergies don't. Right now everything is perfect; gorgeous weather, birds singing and little green things are popping up all over the place! Also, all the pastel colors are really inspiring, and I came up with this fun color blocking mani. I love it so much, and wore it for almost 3 days! 

 

 

Used:

 

Maybelline Color Show - Green With Envy

Julep - Adrianna

China Glaze - Tart-y For The Party

 

Striping Tape

 

Overall, it is an easy look to achieve, it just requires a bit of patience. I am really loving the striping tape. It is a lot easier to make nice clean lines, as opposed to regular scotch tape.

 

 

Don't forget to check out my give away - here - and you could win striping tape to create a similar look!

China Glaze Avant Garden

Hey all! I have a few polishes from the wonderful China Glaze Avant Garden collection to share today! When I first saw promo pics for the collection, I can honestly say, I wasn't really captivated by it, but the more swatches I saw, from other bloggers, the more it drew me in. I ended up getting a lot of the colors (except for a couple of the pastels) and really love them!

 

 

 

China Glaze - Budding Romance

 

Budding Romance is a murky mossy green jelly. It is such an interesting color! At first I wasn't sure about it, but after seeing a few swatches, I knew I had to have it. It is definitely not for everyone, but if you like unusual colors, be sure to grab it! Since it is a jelly, a very gentle and patient application is needed. 3 careful coats achieved full coverage, but I did have to redo a few nails, because I didn't wait long enough between coats and either smudged them or got bubbles. I cannot wait to find a glitter for a jelly sandwich with this!



 

 

 

China Glaze - Mimosa's Before Mani's

 

Mimosa's Before Mani's (please excuse the horrid grammatical error) is a fantastic bright coral with a subtle orange shimmer. Have I said, how obsessed with coral I am this season? I need MOAR! This is particularly  great shade, and shimmer, although barely noticeable, adds a nice little depth. The formula was a bit streaky on the first coat, but the second smoothed everything out. I used 2 thicker coats, you may need 3, depending on how you apply the polish. Dry time was about average.

 

 

China Glaze - Passion For Petals

 

Passion For Petals is a bright raspberry pink cream. I usually don't go for colors like this, but it is so vivid and fun, that I had to get it and I'm so glad I did, it's fabulous! The formula is just as great. It flowed perfectly, and seemed to paint itself! 2 coats, no dragging, streaking, or any other issues. And it dries super shiny! It does stain cuticles so be careful.

 

 

China Glaze - Tart-y For The Party

 

Tart-y For The Party is a bright pastel lilac purple. I love that it is a bright pastel, as opposed to a chalky one. Great color, but a bit more red than my picture. I love it so much, and I will for sure be using it quite often! Formula was okay, I had some trouble getting an even coat, but it eventually leveled out.

 

 

 

China Glaze - Sunday Funday

Sunday Funday is a very bright sky blue cream. This makes my heart swoon! This is seriously the color of a cloudless Texas sky during spring and summer. I love it so hard! Formula was almost identical to Tart-y For The Party. And it stains like a mother, so be sure to wear undies!

 

 

This is such a great collection, and China Glaze really outdid themselves with it. I will most certainly be grabbing Fancy Pants and Keep Calm, Paint On the next time my Sally's has them in stock.

 

What are your favorite colors for spring? Pastels or Brights?

P.S. - Be sure to check back Sunday for my 100th post & a surprise!!!