This post may contain affiliate links; all opinions are my own. See Disclosures here
Essie has launched a new range of gel nail polish — Essie Gel Couture — and I love Essie so I wanted to give it a try. These gel polishes don’t need a UV or LED lamp to set the color and they’re supposed to last up to 14 days. With so many pretty colors to choose from, I decided to try it out and see how these gel nails hold up.
This post may contain affiliate links; all opinions are my own. See Disclosures here
I love this movie and not just because I like musicals. This 1968 adaptation of Charles Dickens’ Oliver Twist is fun while touching on serious issues. If you haven’t seen the movie or read the book, I definitely recommend it. This used to be on Netflix, but they’ve taken it down since 🙁
Earlier this month, we saw Philip Glass play at the Days and Nights Festival in Big Sur, California. It was a beautiful day and the festival was so much fun. If you aren’t familiar with Philip Glass, check out some of his solo piano HERE and HERE.
You already know how amazing this has been for me! Of course I had to make it one of my October favorites 🙂
So excited about this. Review HERE, but you can use this organic oil for so many things! It’s amazing and it is perfect for all skin types! 🙂 🙂 🙂 Historically, Argan oil has been used to treat acne, stretch marks and skin conditions like eczema and psoriasis!
I first got a sample of this with one of my Sephora purchases and I loved it. I recently picked up the full sized version, and I got a great deal! I use this on top of moisturizer but underneath foundation. It give a smooth canvas to apply your makeup and it reduced the appearance of pores — it’s gives an airbrushed effect.
I love the classic look of a French manicure; it looks great with everything. This kit from Sephora is a great value with 2 full sized gel polishes, a detailing brush, and nail decals for just $29. I’ve only had this on my nails for 3 days, but the gel formula is amazing and will last up to two weeks. Super easy to apply and several colors to choose from in-store and online.
This show makes me think of fall. I had a Netflix marathon last year in October and tried to keep up on the most recent season online. With the most recent Halloween special, I’m excited all over again to solve more of the mystery! Are you watching? Do you think Ezra is A?
I got this mask in a set in my last Sephora haul. I have used it twice and there is a full review HERE, but so far I really like it.
This organic, vegetarian “burger” was awesome. With avocado and white cheddar, the lentils, mushrooms, beets, cashews & bulgar wheat pattie was delicious. It was served with a side of mixed greens, roasted potatoes, and pickles. Yum!
This is my go-to highlighter for that gorgeous winter glow. I like the way the product glides on and it blends very easily with your fingers. The highlight is natural looking, but you can definitely see it. Perfect for holiday party time or year round.
This post may contain affiliate links; all opinions are my own. See Disclosures here
I love the gelshine kit from Sephora by OPI. Gel manicures last so much longer than regular manicures and aren’t harsh on your nails like acrylics. The entire gelshine kit from Sephora costs about $160, but like I’ve told you HERE; it’s worth the price. They have 17 only 9 colors to choose from online now, but I’ve seen more of a selection in the stores.
Today, I used the French Manicure kit that I got in my last Sephora Haul. The kit comes with 2 of the gelshine colors: True Romantic and White Hot, a french tip applicator brush, and some nail decal stickers — all for $29 which is a really great deal considering that each of the polishes alone costs $17.50.
Here’s what I used to get that clean, classic french manicure look using Sephora by OPI gelshine.
After cleansing the nails, I applied the base coat and two coats of True Romantic.
After my base was cured, I painted on the White Hot onto the tips of my nails using the applicator brush.
I cured each nail after I painted on its tip and then I sealed everything in with a layer of the Top Coat. 🙂
Click HERE if you want to see step-by-step how to apply the gel polish/curing.
*UPDATE: After a few days of wearing the True Romantic pink color, the pink begins to fade. It is no longer a clear bright pink, but it turns in to a almost “opaque cream” color — not pink. It looks fine with the french manicure, but it’s definitely no longer any shade of pink. You’re better off using Bare To Be Different from the same Sephora by OPI line if you want a clear/pinky color that lasts.
This post may contain affiliate links; all opinions are my own. See Disclosures here
My last Sephora Haul was back in August when they were having that promotion to earn 3x’s the points for VIB’s. This time, I had a 10% off coupon code from the “Beauty Fall” promotion and a gift card that my Prima gave me for my birthday. Thanks Prima 🙂
So, I bought a couple of things, redeemed some beauty insider points, and of course got some free samples! Yay!
BENEFIT COSMETICS – It’s A Love Fest
This set is Limited Edition and Exclusive to Sephora. All I really wanted was the POREfessional face primer (because I got a free sample in my last Haul and loved it), but for only $6 more dollars, I get a full sized POREfessional, a full sized They’re Real mascara, a mini SunBeam highlighter, and a mini Coralista lip gloss! Yay!
Such a great value. And it all comes in a cute “collector’s” tin which I can use to store things in. I’ve never used the SunBeam or Coralista so it’s nice to get to try out new products.
SEPHORA BY OPI – Gel French Manicure Kit
I selected this kit because it was a great value as well. Also Limited Edition, it comes with 2 gel polishes (White Hot and True Romantic), nail decals, and a applicator tool.
I prefer gel nail polish to regular polish because they’re easy to do and they last so much longer. (See application process HERE ). Plus, with this kit, I get everything for less than the two gel polishes would cost separately! (See what I used to create French Manicure gel nails HERE)
VIKTOR & ROLF – Flowerbomb
I redeemed 250 points to get this mini sample of my favorite fragrance. This is a great little travel size and it comes in the same signature bottle. Super cute!
Samples
I always like selecting the three free samples when ordering online. This time I got:
This post may contain affiliate links; all opinions are my own. See Disclosures here
The Sephora by OPI gelshine™ At-Home Gel Colour System is do it at home gel nail kit. It costs $160 and you pick your own color to include with the kit. Additional colors are $17.50.
The kit comes with:
Gently buff the surface of the nails with the Buffing Block
Spray some Nail Spray onto one of the Nail Pads and clean the nails
Apply Base CoatApply a thin layer of the Base Coat to your thumb. It’s super important to use a thin coat!
Cure the gel polish under the LED light
Cure the thumb first, then apply Base Coat to the other finger nails and cure them. The polish isn’t going to “dry” on it’s own, so you’ll want to do the thumb separately so it doesn’t smudge before it cures.
I used a super pale pink “Bare to be Different”, but Sephora offers 14 different shades on its website.
Thin coats! If you apply the polish too thick, it won’t last as long. Your manicure should last up to two weeks. Cure after each application of polish
Cure your top coat and clean nails with the Nail Spray again to remove the tacky feeling.
This Gel Nail kit is awesome! You no longer have to wait for your nails to “dry”. After 30 seconds under the LED light, your manicure is safe. You can tell by the formula that it is professional quality. Use thin coats of polish to get a professional, long-lasting manicure.
I would like to see Sephora offer more colors of gel polish, but really you can use any LED gel polish you want.
In fact, I’ve done a gel base coat, a layer of regular nail polish, and then sealed it with a layer of gel top coat. Just make sure that if you’re going to layer in a “regular” nail polish, you let it dry completely before applying the gel top coat.