the ultimate at-home mani/pedi guide!

I swing back and forth between shellac nails and traditional manicures wildly.  I've been on a huge shellac kick for the past six months.  But this past weekend I was craving a good at-home nail session and now I am back to my at-home mani and pedis.  Do you do the same?  Go back and forth?

At home manicures and pedicures are super easy, especially when you've been at the nail salon regularly and your cuticles and nail shapes have been maintained.  If you haven't been to the salon lately, no problem either… just take a little extra time to shape, buff and carefully trim your cuticles.  I find that the hardest challenge with an at home mani/pedi is just the time it takes.  To paint and to dry I usually need about an hour and a half of down time (not always easy to find, but weekend afternoons and week day evenings seem to work for me).

I use Essie nail color religiously.  I love the colors and I am familiar with the brush (practice makes perfect!).  I usually do two solid coats.  Try to make them even, but if you can't do one thicker coat and one thinner coat in whatever order works for you.  Then I let the nails dry for about 10 minutes and top them with Sally Hansen's Mega Shine.  It gives the shine that I love from the salon, but at home.  Then for me no mani/pedi is complete without some cuticle oil to hydrate and hide cuticle imperfections.  I always try to let my nails over-dry… chips or dents right out of the gate is a huge bummer (and waste of time) so grab a book or turn the tv on and sit still for an hour or so to let those babies dry, dry, dry!

These simple steps will give you a mani just as good as the salon… and don't forget, practice makes perfect! The more you do your own nails, the better you will get!

Below I feature my favorite Essie colors… what are your favorites? Let me know!

clip, file, buff, trim

all seasons: Essie "ballet slippers"

spring: Essie "go ginza"

summer: Essie "secret story"

fall: Essie "chinchilly"

winter: Essie "carry on"

shine, moisturize

the ultimate summer mani/pedi!

I've completely ditched the nail salon this summer in exchange for home manis and pedis with fun and bold colors and combinations.  Summer is the perfect time to throw caution to the wind and have a blast with your nails. Why not?

These three color combos are some of my current favorite to sport... sometimes they feel a little bit out of my comfort zone but that is what summer is all about - taking the time to go a little crazy every now and then!

(above) I could wear these two colors indefinitely... I almost have to make myself choose something different most of the time. Pink & nude are the perfect combo... I prefer pink ("secret story" by essie) on my toes and nude (''ballet slippers" by essie) on my fingers, but either way would be great! Top off your mani/pedi with nude sandals (on sale!) and neon accessories (clutch & earrings).

(above) This is another common combo that I choose. Who would have thought that lavender ("go ginza" by essie) and bright flame orange ("meet me at sunset" by essie) would be such a good combo?  I like to pair these nail colors with classic neutrals like a camel colored handbag, navy striped dress and a blingy ring!

This navy ("Bobbing for Baubles" by Essie) and mint ("Candy Apple" by Essie) combo is fresh and fun and quite easy to mix and match with your wardrobe. This blue color from Essie has been a long time favorite and looks surprisingly beautiful with any skin tone.  These two colors are perfect to pair with pastels in your closet for summer like this necklace, sweater and sandals.

I like to finish every mani/pedi with this amazing top coat (it's SO shiny for days!) and a little cuticle oil.

And have you seen these? I would love to try them... my daughter would love them for at-home nail art.

see you around...

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4 inspiring nail colors for this summer!

Painting my fingernails & toenails is one of my favorite girly-girl things to do.  I love snatching up this season's must have colors, I love setting aside the time to crank some music in my bathroom and get down to business painting them and once they are painted I love to see how the nail colors play off the clothes that I am wearing for the days that follow.

I am a die-hard Essie fan. In my opinion the bottle of nail polish is well worth the money at $8 a pop.  I do two coats (usually one quite thick and the next thing) on rather short nails (this seems to protect from chipping), followed by topcoat and some cuticle oil and it truly is almost as good as the nail salon (especially if you follow up subsequent days with topcoat to keep your nails strong and color protected from chipping).  I can usually get an at home manicure to last 4 - 5 days with this method, pedicures last a few weeks usually.

It's no surprise that the nail colors that I am most inspired by this season mirror the colors that I am loving in my closet lately as well.  Have you tried these colors? Do you have other favorites you love this time of year? Do tell!

A simple nude nail is ultra classic and seems to last forever, those little chips never seem to show and it's the perfect nail color to match with simple summer dresses and minimal accessories, Ballet Slippers is my long time favorite nude color. 

(above: dress, sunglasses, necklace, tote, sandals, essie's "ballet slippers")

Navy nail polish is unexpectedly refined, especially when paired with classics and a pop (or two!) of color, Bobbing for Baubles is my favorite navy nail color.

(above: jeans - obsessed., scarf, striped top, flats, bag - please & thank you!, earrings, essie's "bobbing for baubles")

Pastel lavender (almost pink!) is the perfect modern neutral for this season's basics like stripes and chambray, Go Ginza is a great pastel color that is very flattering.

(above: chambray top, flats, necklace, striped skirt, clutch, essie's "go ginza")

And lastly a bold and bright orange sets a saucy tone for summer fun and is the perfect dash of brightness for your summer basics like white jeans, Meet Me At Sunset is my new favorite orange-y nail color.

(above: gauzey tunic, white denim, wedges, clutch, bracelet, essie's "meet me at sunset")

see you around...

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