Favorite Manicures of 2011

So I don't have a lot of favorite posts of favorite manis I've done in 2011 because I just recently started "actively" posting. Next year I plan to actively post throughout the whole year and do swatches and attempt more "creative" manicures. That being said, here are my favorites of 2011 that were documented.

Christmas Mani - My TOP fav of the year!

Verbena

"Sprinkled Strawberry Yogurt" (franken)

Halloween Mani

French Mani w/ CG Ring in the Red and CG Party Hearty

Breaking Dawn Inspired (Poster) Nails

Dorothy

Facets of Fuchsia

WnW Hush Hush vs Essie Marshmallow

(pardon my cuticles - this was taken in between manis)

Part of my Christmas present from Loro was nail polish and as many times as he told me "You always ask for nail polish, I don't know which ones you already have. (Meaning: Don't you have enough?)" he still got me some. I asked for Essie and pointed a few out to "MIL" just in case. When we opened presents he gave a small little package with 2 WnW Megalasts as my joke gift. (one was a double I already had so I gave it to "MIL") The other was Hush Hush. Then he gave me another box and that had my Essie polish in it, one of which was Marshmallow. Later on, I noticed they looked very similar so I did a comparison swatch.

2 coats each (flash)

2 coats each (no flash)

Do you own Hush Hush or Marshmallow?

*both of these items were gifted

Big Lots Browsing

Earlier this week I was at Big Lots looking for a storage drawer for my polish and makeup. I didn't find what I was looking for so of course I checked out the polish section. Immediately I was shocked to see Revlon Carbonite which I purchased for $1.50. Then I saw something even more shocking...

Uh, hello Big Lots - this is $.99 or less at Walgreen's and CVS. All of their Wet n Wild products were overpriced but this was ridiculous. Then I came across a polish I searched for since last year...

Of course, I would come across Perplex after I purchased it under it's new name Naughty. Not to mention the price was nice since it came with a clear polish.

NOTD: Ulta Lav-ish (with accent nails)

Last post of the day! Today I'm wearing Ulta: Lav-ish with OPI Teenage Dream on my ring finger and 10 Moonlight on my index finger.

with flash, base coat: SH Double Duty, 2 coats: moonlight, 2 coats: lavish

no flash

with flash, 1 coat of teenage dream, 1 coat SH double duty as top coat

no flash, window sunlight

Pink Wednesday (Late) - Essie: pink diamond

This was my Pink Wednesday Mani for Dec 28, 2011. I just forgot to upload it.

2 coats pink diamond, 1 coat of whimsical over pink diamond, SH double duty base & top coat

Ulta Minis: Glitterati and Paint the Town (Lav-ish Review/Swatch)

 I received these polishes from the lovely Dollie as a gift. (thanks girl, I love them!!)These are the first ULTA polishes I own. Glitterati has some great dupes for those hard to find polish. I'm happy to have them as back-up. Individual swatch posts (comparisons) and reviews will be coming up in the month of January.

The first polish swatch from ULTA minis is from Paint the Town and that is Lav-ish.

No Flash - 3 coats, no top coat

Flash - 3 coats, no top coat

Sunlight from window - 3 coats, no topcoat

Lav-ish is a muave-taupey lavendar with gold shimmer. The formula isn't too thick or too thin and easy to apply.

Semi Collective December Polish Haul

My friend Dollie sent me a Christmas package that had Ulta Minis. There are some great dupes in there that I'm happy to have. Individual swatches and comparisons coming soon.

CVS has (had) so many of their beauty products on clearance. I've loaded up on polish! Swatch posts on those will be coming soon.

I was lucky enough to spot the Revlon Perplex Re-Release, Naughty and of course I snatched that up. I haven't used it in a mani yet because I was focused on Christmas nails but that is coming soon.

Loro bought me Milani Gems as a "early Christmas" present.

I've got other new polishes too but those will come up soon. When I took this picture I thought I was done getting polish. LOL. Surprisingly for Christmas, Loro got me 3 Essie nail polish and then yesterday I got 6 more polish from CVS clearance (which I already swatched, post coming next). My "brother-in-law" and his wife got me a gift card to Sally's so soon I'll be going to scoop those up. December was a good month for my polish collection.

So basically this post is a preview what's to come as far as swatch pictures and and blogposts.

Last Holiday Nails of 2011

This is by far my favorite holiday mani I have done so far. I was inspired by cutepolish on YouTube, Nightly Nails and Ihaveacupcake on YouTube. AND guess what?! My Christmas Tree was not done with tape! I kept talking Loro's ear off about this mani because I LOVED how it turned out.

 

As usual, left hand is just blah but I like the santa hat.
(Santa hat inspired by cutepolish)

Rudolph & Frosty inspired by cutepolish
Santa inspired by Ihaveacupcake
"Peppermint Bark" inspired by Nightly Nails

Holiday Nails 2

 I really liked how this came out (which is why I snapped so many pics). It kind of reminds me of an elf but I was going for "wrapping paper". Nevertheless, I like it and will probably do something similar next year.

My right hand. (it's never as good as my left)

Revlon: Whimsical and Jordana: Pink Hearts

I was one happy girl today when I saw Revlon Whimsical in the display at Kmart but then I got sad because I was not there to do shopping for myself. Disappointed, I continued on to what I went for (a stuffer for Loro's present) holding Whimsical in my hand just in case I didn't find what I wanted. Then suddenly I remembered that I possibly had a balance left over on my rewards card. I rushed to the customer service desk and asked the associate. She made my day when she told me I had $10.66!! I rushed back to the men's department picked up the items I wanted for Loro and then quickly walked to the cosmetics aisle to pick up Jordana Pink Hearts. So although I shouldn't have been shopping or browsing for myself - I don't feel as bad because I didn't have to pay cash for any of my purchases! Thank you Kmart for your rewards program and $5 gift card award.

I first heard about Whimsical reading Nouveau Cheap I nearly screamed with excitement (but held it in since Loro was sleeping) when I saw that post. I was happy to read that Perplex had returned under a different name (which I surprisingly ended up getting the next day) but when I found the display with Naughty, Whimsical was not apart of it. Oh well, I wouldn't go crazy over it but I knew I wanted it because it's a great combo of my two favorite colors PINK and baby blue.

3 coats, no top coat or base coat

Isn't it just gorgeous? and it's a dupe for Deborah Lippmann "Glitter in the air" so that's a plus!

I went back for Jordana Pink Hearts because it was pink! and because I wanted to try the Jordana polish line. I only swatched it at this time, but it was a little goopey on the nail. Maybe it was the way I applied it?

3 coats, no top coat or base coat

 

Whimsical was $4.99 at Kmart (thank goodness I had my kmart reward points because G found it for $3.79 at Bed Bath & Beyond) and Pink Hearts was $1.99. In the future, I think I'll layer these two together over a light pink or SC Social Ladder.

Have you tried any of the Jordana polishes? Are you looking for Whimsical?