Mani Monday - Inspired Living SA

Essie Cute As A Button Stunning Spring Shade

Ok it may not feel like spring today, but after the most amazing few days of sunny weather, how could one not get into the whole spring vibe? This means swoping out your winter woolies and boots, for t-shirts and flip flops and dark sultry winter shades for pastels and brights! My first move from winter to spring, is usually my nail polish shades. So I thought I would start the week, with a spring inspired mani, featuring the Stunning Essie Cute As A Button.

As you know one of my favourite nail polish shades is coral. I have many variations on the theme and somehow cannot stop myself, from buying a “new” coral polish, whenever I see one!

Essie Cute As A Button

I popped into Clicks over the weekend and this gorgeous polish by Essie, was the first one that caught my eye.

The Colour

Essie Cute As a Button is stunning bright coral, with a hint of pink. It is the perfect pop of colour, to get you into the mood for spring. It will look amazing on most skin-tones, but especially tanned skin.

The Application

The polish has a lovely creamy texture and it takes at least two coats for it to be opaque. I am wearing two coats in the photo above but I think if I had them time, I would probably go for three coats, to give it that professional finish. Add a top coat and you are good to go!

The Verdict

I think this is a perfect spring/summer shade and you will probably see it on my nails quite often over the next few months. Essie is one of my favourite brands, both from a quality and range perspective and this polish does not disappoint.

Leave a comment below and tell me what your favourite spring/summer nail polish shade is?

Essie Nail Polish is available at selected Dis-Chem, Clicks and Foschini Stores, as well as selected Beauty Salons RRP R124.95.

Follow Essie on Facebook to keep up to date with new collections and product launches.

Images: ©Inspired Living

Disclosure Ranking:1

Beauty, Competitions, Nail Polish

Win an Amazing Charlie Nail Polish Kit

Last week I did a post featuring the Charlie DIY Nail Kit, which included few fun nail art ideas. I created two different looks using the Charlie Nail Polish Kit I received, which you can see below.

Win an Amazing Charlie Nail Polish Kit

Today I am excited to announce that you can Win an Amazing Charlie Nail Polish Kit of your own! The Charlie Nail Polish Kit includes 5 Charlie Nail Polish Shades, a Top Coat, as well as tools to create your DIY Nail Art looks.

To enter and Win an Amazing Charlie Nail Polish Kit, please follow the simple steps below and use the Rafflecopter form to complete your entry:

Answer this question in the comment section below: Name the 3 Charlie Nail Polish Colours I used in the “Winter Inspired” Nail Art Look. {Hint: follow the link to the post to find out the colours}
Tweet: Win an Amazing @CharlieRevlonSA Nail Polish Kit from @inspired_lifeSA #nailit
Visit Charlie SA and/or Inspired Living on Facebook and let us know you have entered.
Please ensure you read the *Terms & Conditions below carefully, to ensure you comply with all the entry criteria.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

*Terms & Conditions: By entering this competition you automatically accept all the Terms and Conditions laid out below.

Entries are open from 31st August 2015 until the 9th September 2015.
You must complete all the steps as stipulated above on the Rafflecopter Form: Leave a Comment, Like and/or Share on Facebook or Instagram and/0r Tweet about the competition.
To ensure that your entry is processed correctly (please use a valid email address). Your details will only be used to validate your entry and inform you, if you are selected as a winner.
This competition is only open to South African residents and to readers who have not won a competition on Inspired Living SA in the past 6 months.
Entries will be considered incomplete and thus disqualified if the entrant does not provide all requested information. Entry information will not be shared with any third party without the entrant’s prior knowledge and consent. The prize will go to the first name selected at random after the closing date.
The prize is not transferable and may not be exchanged for cash.
By “Liking” you enter and agree that this promotion is in no way associated with, administered by, or endorsed by Facebook; and acknowledge a complete release of Facebook by your participation.

Beauty, Nail Polish

Charlie Nail Polish Nail Art Ideas

I recently received a DIY Nail Kit from Charlie, by Revlon, along with the challenge of creating fun DIY Nail Art. I decided to creats two different looks, one more wintry and the other with a hint of spring!

Charlie Nail Polish

The first look I created was inspired by all the gorgeous patterns on trend this winter.

Before you get started with any manicure, it is important to ensure your nails are beautifully shaped and free of any oily residue or old nail polish. To find out more about taking care of your nails, you can pop over and read my post on Manicure Basics.

Step 1

Choose your polish colours. For this look I used three of the Charlie Nail Polish shades I received – Lady In Red, Black Diamond and Montego Bay.

Step 2

Apply a protective base coat to your nails and allow it to dry before you apply any colour. Next apply 1-2 coats of Lady In Red and allow to dry completely.

Step 3

Cut thin strips of sellotape and use these to create patterns on your nails – have fun and get creative! To create this look I was inspired by striped, checked and tartan fabrics. Once you have the sellotape in place use the other two colours, Black Diamond and Montego Bay to paint over the red polish, in the areas void of sellotape. Remove the sellotape carefully, with a pair of tweezers, when you are done.

Step 4

Allow the patterns you have created to dry and then apply a top coat to seal everything in place.

The Second Look as I mentioned is spring themed – inspired by the balmy weather we experienced recently!

Step 1

Choose your polish colours. For this look I used four of the Charlie Nail Polish shades I received – Naturally Coral{not shown in the image below}, Lady In Red, Orange Glow and Montego Bay.

Step 2

Apply a protective base coat to your nails and allow it to dry before you apply any colour. Next apply 1-2 coats of Naturally Coral and allow to dry completely.

Step 3

To create the flower patterns above, use either a dotting tool or one of the cuticle sticks provided in your DIY Nail Kit. Start with a larger dot at the center of your pattern, I used Lady In Red for the large dot. Then using Orange Glow make smaller dots, around the larger dot. For the outer circle of dots I used Montego Bay.

On my thumb and pinky finger, I used the dotting tool to create a slightly more simple pattern of dots, across the nail. Using only Lady In Red and Montego Bay for this effect.

Step 4

Allow the patterns you have created to dry and then apply a top coat to seal everything in place.

I hope you have enjoyed this bit of creative nail art! If you would like to see more posts on Manicure Ideas or Nail Polish colours and trends click here.

Product details: Charlie Nail Polish RRP R49.95 and Charlie Top coat RRP R68.95

Stockists: Selected Clicks Stores, Dischem and Independent Pharmacies.

Disclosure Ranking:2

Beauty, Beauty Products, Home, Nail Polish

Essie Double Breasted Jacket {Mani-Monday}

Last week I posted about the Essie Winter Collection on our Beauty What’s Hot feature. I promised I would share one of my favourite shades from the collection, so read on!

Essie Double Breasted Jacket

The Colour ~

I definitely have a bit of a soft spot when it comes to red nail polish shades and this Essie polish, is no exception! Essie Double Breasted Jacket is, in the poetic words of the Essie creatives, a “passionate tourmaline ruby”. Instead of it being a blood red, which is more common for winter, it has a gorgeous deep pink tinge to it. It is one of those shades, which is hard not to love!

As with most of the shades from the Essie Winter Collection it is bright and sexy, rather than being dark and sultry, which is a bit more unusual for winter. It does make for a nice change and will brighten up any cold grey winters day!

The Application ~

As you may know by now, I am and always have been an Essie fan. I have loved most of the colours I have tried, with only a few exceptions and the quality of the polish is always of a high standard. Essie Double Breasted Jacket applies well and it is one of those awesome polishes, which is opaque in one coat. It dries with a glossy finish, which is great, especially if you are in a hurry and don’t have time for a top coat. However for a more professional finish, I would recommend two coats, plus a top coat.

The Verdict ~

I absolutely love Essie Double Breasted Jacket! The colour is one that I will definitely wear throughout winter and it will look as great in summer as well, which is a bonus. The polish lasted about a week, without chipping or peeling.

Have you tried Essie Double Breasted Jacket? I would love to know your thoughts if you have or if you have any other nail polish shades you are loving for winter. Please leave a comment below.

The Essie Winter Collection is available at selected Dis-Chem, Clicks and Foschini Stores, as well as selected Beauty Salons.

Follow Essie on Facebook to keep up to date with new collections and product launches.

Disclosure Ranking: 2

Beauty, Nail Polish

Maybelline Color Show Nail Polish {Mani-Monday}

Maybelline Color Show Nail Polish

I cannot believe it is the beginning of a new week and time for Mani-Monday again! We are now well entrenched in the chilly grip of winter, in the Cape, so I thought a sexy and sultry look would be perfect for today’s feature!

You may remember a recent Mani-Monday feature I did using two of the latest Maybelline Color Show Nail Polish shades – Park Avenue Pink and Wine Shimmer. Well today’s look also features two shades from the Maybelline Color Show Nail Polish Collection.

The Colours

The first shade I used is Maybelline Color Show Nail Polish Manhattan Midnight. It is an ultra sexy midnight blue, which depending on the light looks almost black. This is a great alternative for someone who is afraid to try black nail polish but is still wanting to achieve a dark sultry look.

The second polish I used from the Maybelline Color Show Nail Polish Collection is Black Magic. Black Magic is a textured clear polish, with reflective gun metal grey glitter, which is perfect as a top coat! I used this colour as an accent on one of my nails but you could use it on all your nails, if you are after a bit more sparkle.

The Application

I really do like the application of the Maybelline Color Show polishes and they really do dry super fast. Generally two coats of polish give you great colour pay off and the polish tends to last about a week, providing you apply a top coat.

The Verdict

Maybelline Color Show Nail Polish really is a great product if you are looking for a nail polish which applies easily, lasts relatively well and is affordable! At R49.95 it really is a good value for money and you can safely buy a variety of trendy colours and not break the bank.

All you need to do now is pop on your sexy LBD and you are all set for a night on the town! What do you think of this look? I would love to hear from you, so please a comment below and remember to share this post if you loved it!

Maybelline Color Show Nail Polish is available from selected Clicks Dischem, Foschini and Edgars stores. RRP R49.95