Congratulations, Kim! You’ve won!
This giveaway is officially closed. Thanks to everyone for participating!
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Finally, it’s the moment that I’ve been looking forward to since last month! Guess what? I have a new giveaway!
Yup, China Glaze and I teamed up so that you can win all 12 nail polishes in the China Glaze ElectroPop Collection!
Want to know how you can enter this giveaway? (Of course you do!)
When: Now until March 7 at 11:59 pm (Eastern)
Who Can Enter: Canadian & U.S. residents
How to Enter: Leave a comment telling me about the best manicure you ever wore
Rules:
- One entry per person (regardless if you comment more than once)
- I’ll select the winner using Random.org & the winner will have 48 hours to reply to my e-mail to claim the prize. (Failure to do so will force me to choose another winner.) I’ll e-mail the winner on March 8. After I receive your reply with your name and address, I’ll forward that to China Glaze so they can send you the nail polishes.
- Please add SwatchAndLearn@gmail.com to your Safe List in your e-mail inbox so that my message doesn’t wind up in your junk folder by accident.
Please Support Swatch And Learn:
- Comment on my other posts
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Feel free to tell all your friends about this giveaway so that more people have a chance to win this amazing prize!
Good luck, everyone! 🙂
P.S. Just in case you’re curious, I’ve swatched and reviewed Aquadelic, Gaga For Green, and Gothic Lolita, which are all from the China Glaze ElectroPop Collection.
china glaze kiss me mistletoe
Hey Angela!
Congrats on being the very first person to enter the giveaway! Best of luck!
i loved the rose manicure i did for valentines day!
Pretty in Paint recently posted: Manicure of the Day!
Hey Pretty in Paint!
Sounds really sweet. 🙂
This is so exciting!!! =D
Oh goodness, the best manicure ever.. That’s so hard, I’ve done so many. I guess as far as a nail art manicure, I would have to go with when I did cutepolish’s Van Gogh’s Starry Night tutorial. It turned out so good!!! For just a single polish, my favorite manicure would be when I use Katy Perry’s Teenage Dream, it compliments my skin tone soooo well and it’s so sparkly!!
Hey Ashley!
Hehe, yup, I know it’s a hard question. I’m looking for inspiration! 🙂
Oh yes, I remember cutepolish’s tutorial on that design. Gorgeous! She’s very talented, and it’s cool that you tried it!
the penguin maicure i did awhile back
Hey samantha!
Sounds fun – I remember the first penguin manicure I did. I didn’t want to remove it, and it was a sad day when I did.
Woohoo! So exciting 🙂
Deborah Lippmann Across the Universe has to be my all time fav!!
Hey Joelle!
I can see why! It’s so sparkly – like having a mermaid on your nails, isn’t it?
Awesome giveaway and I love your extremely thorough reviews!
The best manicure I’ve ever worn was a nail polish called “Evening at the Chateau” by KICKS. It’s a Swedish polish that I got doing an internatiol secret santa! It’s actually a dupe of of Chanel Peridot that I thought I would never wear because of the odd yellow/green color. Boy was I wrong! It is one of my favorite nail polishes and now I need to find more!
Hey Chrystal Saccavino!
Thank you so much for letting me know how much you appreciate my hard work! 😀 I’m glad that you find them so useful.
That’s really cool how you found a Swedish dupe of Chanel Peridot. And, yes, that colour is insanely spcial – I’ve worn it more than 3 times since buying it, and I even got a back-up bottle of it (after much debate because of the high Chanel price tag).
Oh dear! I don’t know what my best manicure was! Perhaps when I painted my nails red (Zoya’s Nephratiti, I believe) with Essie’s Shine of the Times. Love this combo!
I can easily tell you my best pedicure- the hubby painted my nails blue for our wedding 🙂
Thank you so much for the awesome giveaway!
Hey Jen!
Love that Zoya named their polish Nephratiti! 😀
Hehe, that’s cute how your husband painting your nails!
You’re welcome – best of luck in the draw. 🙂
Best manicure I ever wore…hmmmm…I think I’m going to have to go with China Glaze Frostbite topped with a coat of Black Shatter! I never really got what the big deal was about shatter polish until I wore this combo. The blue really popped against the black shatter and it got a lot of compliments!
Hey Jessica!
Frostbite is such an awesome, wow-pow-bam colour – love it! And it surely would pop beneath Black Shatter. Great combo!
Hmm my best manicure was Coconut Kiss with a white flower stamp on top. I love purple and white!
Erin recently posted: Sally Hansen Lacquer Shine Glow
Hey Erin!
That sounds like a really girly, tropical manicure. 🙂
Any pink polish is a perfect manicure to me esp when i don’t smear them before 24 hours have passed.
email: cruz042 at cougars.csusm.edu
Arianne recently posted: Round 2: 11 Questions Tag
Hey Arianne!
Yes, it’s quite annoying when you spend the time to paint your nails and then the polish chips so quickly, isn’t it?
I wore it recently, layering mani! Black Creme with a layer of Sally Hansen Glass Slipper and topped with Revlon Royal. It creates the effect of blue flakies and it was to DIE FOR! a must try 🙂
Hey Megan W.!
I just love it when people layer more than 2 polishes – it really adds more depth and turns your manicure into something really special! 🙂 Your combination sounds amazing!
My favorite combo is Essie Merino Cool with butter London Tart with a Heart.
Hey Lilnol!
Thanks for reminding me about Essie Merino Cool. I have it, but haven’t worn it yet!
I think I would say a glitter gradient I did for new years
JennaFroggy recently posted: Lens Circle: Super Nudy Series Brown
Hey JennaFroggy!
Every time I see a glitter gradient, it always makes me want to try it, but then I get sidetracked by the untried polishes in my stash. 😉
My favorite manicures are all the manicures I did for Christmas. It’s my favorite holiday and I love doing my nails so it is a win/win. I did santa suit, candy canes, and snow flakes.
Thanks for all the great giveaways and I am a fan of your blog!
Hey Dawn Jewell!
I love festive nail art, especially the ones I saw during Christmas. 🙂
You’re very welcome – I love rewarding my readers. They support me, and I like to give something back when I have the opportunity.
wow what a cool giveaway would be so amazing to win all those fun colors. Thanks:) I’m sort of addicted to nail polish so I have many favorite manicures but one that just popped into my head was Orly’s Fowl Play:)
Hey Debbie!
Hehe, join the nail-polish-addiction club! 😉
Great choice with Orly’s Fowl Play – it has a lot of awesomeness going on in a single bottle.
That’s a tough question. I think my favorite was actually one I did on my daughter that was our school colors and logo.
Thanks for the amazing giveaway!!
Hey Michelle!
Yup, I had to ask this tough question. 🙂 Looking for inspiration and seeing what other people have found memorable.
You’re welcome – good luck in the draw!
hmmm…. my fave manicure has to be whenever i use sally hansen’s salon effects. I know technically I don’t do any of the design work on the strips, but I always get people grabbing my hands in fascination of them lol
this is such an exciting giveaway! I’m slowly expanding my China Glaze collection and this of course would be such a great addition! 😀
Hey Lawren!
Those still count! 🙂 Your favourite doesn’t has to be a design you did yourself, just one that you loved wearing, so the Salon Effects still fits the bill.
Thanks so much for this giveaway! My favourite mani ever… that’s hard! I think I’ll go with Lynnderella Connect the Dots over Essie Turquoise & Caicos, I loved that one!
Hey triceratops!
You’re very welcome – it makes me feel good to give back to my readers, and I’m able to do it with the help of China Glaze’s generosity.
Pretty combo!
my favorite mani ever was an ombre with the glass fleck zoya polishes in pinks 🙂
thanks for the giveaway opportunity!
kelliegonzo recently posted: Broadway Fast French Deceptions Falsies
Hey kelliegonzo!
You’re welcome. 🙂
Sounds like a pretty manicure, indeed. I’m a sucker for glass flecks.
The best manicure i ever wore was when I wore was OPI pink friday with essie luxe effects a cut above on a few nails. It looked really good and I got so many comments on it!
Hey Kendall!
Glad you enjoyed your fun, pink manicure!
OMG this is an amazing giveaway! Thank you so much <3 And thank you to China Glaze PR as well. You're so amazing n_n My favorite manicure, btw, was DEFINITELY one that I did for the black & white week of the 52 week challenge. It was my first time with panda nails, and they were so cuuuute.
Hey Pryanka Arora!
Yes, if it wasn’t for China Glaze’s generosity, I wouldn’t be able to offer such a mind-blowing giveaway! 🙂 Major props to them – they know how to make nailphiles very happy, indeed!
My favorite manicure ever? In a fit of school spirit, I did a yellow to green ombre base with green and gold glitter over the top. It lasted for 3 days (crazy!) and I got so many compliments on it!
Hey Jen in Oregon!
Green’s my favourite colour, especially when it comes to nail polish, so your manicure sounds totally in sync with my tastes! 🙂
Best manicure?! Tough question! I really love LA Girl Rock Star Groupie, that by itself was a beautiful and simple mani…then there was Wet n Wild Bijou Blue with Sinful Colors Nail Junkie on top, loved that! And Essie Play Date with Shine of the Times, and Barry M Indigo with FingerPaints Motley…shall I go on? LOL
Hey Ali!
Groupie is so awesome. Not sure if I have it, but I’ve definitely seen swatches floating around on the internet, and it’s gorgeous!
Haha, I love your list of favourites. 😉
My best manicure is the one I’m wearing now, it looks like a deep ocean color with a mermaid using stamping. 🙂
Hey Beba!
Those are my favourite kind of polishes – the ones that remind you of the ocean and of mermaids.
My most creative manicure was a variation on newsprint nails. I used OPI Sparrow Me The Drama as the base coat, then used sheet music to transfer little musical notes onto the nails.
Hey Katie!
I love how you used sheet music – great twist on newspaper nails! 🙂 Now I’m curious about what song you chose to put on your digits.
The best manicure I ever wore was on my wedding day! It was so simple but what made it great was that I had taken extra care and attention to make certain my nails were a good length, squared nicely, with neat cuticles and a beautiful sparkly nude colour. I believe I used Sheer Fun by Nicole by OPI. Then to top it off one gold heart decal on one nail: the ring finger of course! 🙂
Hey Amanda!
I like how you chose to have fun and accent your ring finger for your wedding day. 🙂
Mine is L.A Girl Rock Star in Addict. A dark red with sparkles.
melodyj(at)gmail(dot)com
Hey MelodyJ!
A lot of the colours in the L.A. Girl Rock Star series have me drooling – awesome collection!
Thank you so much for this opportunity! So very generous of you!
My absolute favorite mani is Chanel Peridot. So unique!
Hey Danaz!
You’re welcome! 🙂 It’s really generous of China Glaze for giving me this great opportunity to give back to my sweet blog readers!
In seventh grade I did an American Mani for a party for a friend of mine who was our school to go to the States for one year. I did American flags on all ten nails, using an old brush where I cut most of the hair off… Looked crazy, but I loved it 🙂
Hey Janna!
I can tell that you have a lot of patience. I’m so glad that you enjoyed doing some nail art. And good for you that you did that in the seventh grade! When I was in the seventh grade, I just painted my nails solid colours.
Great giveaway!
There have been a couple of memorable manis. My NYE weekend mani of The Black Knight and Tart With A Heart got a lot of compliments. I loved the look of all that glitter. The other one was with Kleancolor Chunky Holo Purple over Kleancolor Metallic Purple. The girls at Ulta stopped me to ask what I was wearing on my nails, it looked so good.
Esmeralda recently posted: I am a bum. I did my nails a couple of days ago, and I am just…
Hey Esmeralda!
YES, Chunky Holo Purple is a favourite of mine, too! 🙂 Stunning! I need to wear it again. Thanks for the reminder!
Love that collection! My best or rather most complimented manicure was when I did the tuxedo nails! I used OPI’s Kimpletely in love as a base and the kleancolor black for the tux. Came out awesome!
Hey Jay!
Tuxedo nails are so adorable! Isn’t it so fun to literally dress up your digits? 😉
My best manicure was probably the first time I wore Sally Hansen Hidden Treasure. It blew my mind – I could NOT stop staring at my nails!
Hey Chanelle!
It’s a great flakie, isn’t it? And so versatile! It looks so different over black, dark colours, and light colours. Love it!
the best mani I have worn is a simple one where I just drew 2 gold stripes on my nail tips with Periwinkle creme as a base!
CaCa recently posted: Layering: Cult Nails Unicorn Puke over Essie Coat Azure
Hey CaCa!
Sometimes even the simplest of designs have the most impact. 🙂
My best manicure ever was China Glaze It’s Alive. I loved it soooooo much.
Hey Em!
Oh my gosh! The first time I wore It’s Alive, I fell in love. To this day, it’s probably my all-time favourite green. (Chanel Peridot is a very close runner-up, though.)
My favourite manicures are when I’ve managed to apply red perfectly.. it doesn’t happen too often but when it does I can’t stop staring at my nails! My favourite red is OPI little red wagon.
Hey christine!
I got Little Red Wagon in a mini set when it first came out, and loved how it looked. I got lots of compliments on it when I was at work. It’s really a great classic staple.
Mine would have to be when i did my nails in black and painted cute little paw prints on them in white
Hey ChristineN!
That sounds really sweet. I may have to try that sometime!
Recently I wore china glaze Dorothy who? And couldn’t stop staring at my hands. 8). The blue really shows the glitter nicely.
Hey Crystal!
Especially when you wear that shade in the sunlight, the glitter dances on your nails!
Thank you for this giveaway!
The best manicure I have ever worn is a French manicure! I simply find it so classy and elegant. 🙂 I know it might sound boring, but I really genuinely love it!
Jennifer recently posted: Facepalm, deskpalm, universepalm…
Hey Jennifer!
You’re welcome. 🙂
I don’t think French manicures are boring – they’re very clean and simple. Plus they go with everything. Hmm…the last time I gave myself one was in grade 10! Maybe I need to do it again because it’s been too long!
My favorite manicure would have to be Hard Candy Beetle. Every time I wear it, I keep staring at my hands, flexing my fingers to see the colors change.
Hey Nicole!
It’s really pretty, isn’t it? (I have Orly Space Cadet, which is supposed to be a dupe, and it’s out of this world. Hahaha, bad pun…)
my best manicure would be Milani Cyberspace. It makes my nails look amazin (to me) and its so beautiful!
Hey kelly!
Can’t go wrong with a holographic polish!
What a generous giveaway, thank you very much! 🙂 The best manicure I ever got was a half moon mani. I loved both the colours used and my nails looked fab! <3
Hey Andrea B.!
You’re very welcome! I love to give back to my readers, and it was really generous of China Glaze to sponsor this giveaway. 🙂
My favorite manicure is when I did leoprint nails and also water marbles!
Hey Krissy!
Ahhhh…I love the way water marbling looks, but I STILL haven’t tried it yet!
The best manicure I’ve ever worn was on my wedding day. The polish itself was just a pale pink, nothing fancy but it pulled my color theme (pink and green) together beautifully.
Hey Jenny!
I like how your wedding theme was pink and green. 🙂 Sounds very sweet and fresh.
The best manicure I had it was over Christmas when I dare to try glittery nail polish and I loved it. I used a rapsberry shade and received many compliments.
Hey Kari!
Raspberry glitter sounds like a nice twist on the usual red glitter you see during the holidays. 🙂
Hmm..This is a tough one but Im gonna go with one I wore around the holidays. I used Gold Coin by Revlon on all nails except my 2 ring fingers. Then I used the Salon Effects Polish Strips, I think the name was Laced Up, but it was a pretty goldish and black design that went perfect with the gold polish.
I love your new blog design btw!! What a great giveaway 🙂
Thanks!!!
Kelly
xo
Kelly recently posted: Wednesday’s Beauty Tip
Hey Kelly!
Thank you so much! Vivian, one of my blog readers, was kind enough to work with me to whip up that pretty header and background image. It’s definitely more “me” than the previous layout.
I recently layered a few polishes and loved the result! I wore PrettynPolished Labor of Love (similar to Essie’s Dive Bar), topped it with Pure Ice Heartbreaker and then put Lynnderella’s Thank Blue on top. It was gorgeous (if a little thick)!
Hey Sarah!
Every time I see Pure Ice Heartbreaker on a blog, I’m drooling over it, but I don’t think I can get it here in Canada…unless I try to find it on eBay…
The best manicure I’ve ever worn is my much loved “Teenage Dream”. I can’t stop staring at my hands when I wear it.
Hey Ter G!
I thought it was cute in the bottle, but the colour just doesn’t provide enough contrast against my skin tone. It’s such a shame! I really love how it looks on other people so much more! You’re lucky it works so well for you! 😀
It probably sounds boring to most, but the best manicure I ever wore was using Maybelline’s Red Caviar. The reason it looked so good is that, for once in my life, my nails were in absolutely perfect condition and at the perfect length to make it look great and really classy.
Hey Sherry B.!
A bold red isn’t boring. When done right, it’s so striking! 🙂 At least, that’s what I think. Red is so classic!
It is so hard to pick my favorite! But i would say one i wore recently, Lumin-Icecent by color club with OPI devine swine over it. It sparkled so much and everyone loved it! Now i just have to find something fabulous for my wedding!! Oh, i would love to hear your suggestions!! I have to have some sparkle to it of course! 😉
Hey Heather!
If you’re up for something extremely different than the usual wedding-manicure choices, I recommend layering Clarins 230 over a dark purple or OPI Movin’ Out over a pink. (Then again, I’m big into shimmer and multichromes…)
I definitely want something different! Thanks for the recommendations! You Rock!! 🙂
You’re welcome! 🙂 Glad I could help!
This Christmas, I did a fabulous green polish from Zoya called “Holly”. I gave it a festive twist by adding a glitter coat to my ring fingers. So many compliments!!
Hey Kate!
You had me at green polish! 😉
Thanks for having this giveaway! My favorite mani is and will likely always will be is Sparitual Health Wealth and Happiness. I wear for every happy occasion, I just can’t help it 🙂
Karen recently posted: Flowers & Stone Cold
Hey Karen!
You’re welcome – thanks for participating!
My favorite one had to be the one that all my toenails were different colors! It just made me happy!
Hey Kim!
Hehehe, that sounds very whimsical, and every time you take your socks off, you can enjoy a whole rainbow!
Awesome giveaway! My favorite was actually a franken that I made (I always only make enough for one manicure, so it was a one time deal, boo). A grayed out lilac with pink shimmer. Here’s a pic http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7014/6841788311_f279682af0_b.jpg
Hey Becca!
WOWZERS – you frankened that? It looks incredible! Have you ever thought about going into business? I’m sure that people would buy that polish!
Thanks for the giveaway Mary 🙂
Picking my fav manicure is really tough. Though I would say China Glaze Ruby Pumps paired with Zoya Ivanka on Ring finger for the Christmas was my fav. 🙂
preciouspearl recently posted: CND The Plum Truffle Collection
Hey preciouspearl!
You’re so welcome! 🙂 Thank you for entering – best of luck!
Thank you for hosting such an awesome giveaway! My favourite mani was Tuxedo nails. I did them for my friends wedding and everyone adored them. Thanks again for the great turorial.
Candace recently posted: New Polish!
Hey Candace!
You’re welcome! I love being able to team up with China Glaze to give back to my readers. 🙂 It means a lot.
Glad you found the tutorial useful. 🙂
My favorite manicure was my very first nail “art”. I did zebra nails and I turned out perfect!
Comme3pomme recently posted: Annabelle Glitterama liquid eyeliner
Hey Comme3pomme!
Hehe, zebra nail stamping was the first nail stamping I ever did. 🙂 Although mine didn’t turn out perfectly, I couldn’t stop staring at my nails. (I did a purple base with black stripes.)
My favorite was zoya marley with opi save me on top.
Makeupobsessions recently posted: Fyrinnae Lip Lustre Swatches: Less Than Three <3 & Very Berry Happy
Hey Makeupobsessions!
Save Me! Gorgeous bar glitter!
HOLY COW! You are the best!
My favorite nail polish, ever (at least so far), is OPI’s Meep Meep Meep from the Muppet’s collection. I could wear it everyday for the rest of my life.
I should get an extra entry since March 7th is my anniversary!!! :p
Thank you Mary for this A-MAZING giveaway!
Hey Kelly!
My blog readers are the best! That’s why I always want to give back, and since I had this wonderful opportunity to team up with China Glaze, I couldn’t pass it up. 🙂 The lucky winner is going to be over the moon, that’s for sure!
Happy early anniversary! 😀
Wonderful giveaway love it! My favorite and best manicure was my first shellac, mostly because it stays on for so long! Since then have been trying out shellac on my own, so if anyone has any pointers I would love to hear them! I am on blogspot and facebook under “Enchanting Cosmetics”.
P.S. Love ur background on here!!! So pretty!
Hey Cherie Taylor!
I’ve never tried Shellac before, but I’m curious about it. It’s cool how it lasts for so long, but…haha, I like to change my polish a lot, so I’m probably not the best person to give it a go.
Glad you like the background. One of my kind readers, Vivian, was nice enough to whip up that background image and header from scratch! (She’s so talented.)
yeah shellac is definitely something that wouldn’t be easy to change often. I like to change mine up too, so I had a basic french manicure and then they did a little swirly nail art on one finger. So to change it up a bit I just added and removed my own nail art! It worked for me for a while lol.
She definitely is amazing! No way I could do something like this from scratch!
Mary, you are so awesome for doing this giveaway!!
I would have to say the best manicure I did so far was the one I did for Valentine’s day. I’m not good with nail art, so I was so proud of myself to be able to create the hearts. It was simple, but cute!
MariJo recently posted: Sephora by OPI – Special Request
Hey MariJo!
But not as awesome as all my wonderful readers! 🙂 It makes me feel good to be able to give back in a big way. I really can’t wait to announce the winner – that person will go crazy! (I would if I won an entire collection with awesome polishes!)
Oooooo! I’ve been waiting for this giveaway! *fingers crossed*
My most recent favorite purchase was ‘set in stones’ by Essie!
Hey Bethney!
Hehe, and like they say, “Good things are worth waiting for!” 😀
Oh, man. I’m not sure if I can pick a fav manicure! I’ll go with Essie “School Of Hard Rocks” with LA Girl Glitter Addict “Nostalgic” on top. I love it and could wear it everyday (you know- if I was a regular person and not polish obsessed to the point where I felt the need to change my polish almost everyday!).
Great giveaway Mary! Thanks 🙂
Maribeth recently posted: Deborah Lippmann "Boom Boom Pow" Nail Polish Over Sally Hansen Insta-Dri "Presto Pewter" Pictures
Hey Maribeth!
Oh yes, School of Hard Rocks – great colour. Hehe, and even the name is cool!
You’re very welcome. Thanks for entering the giveaway, and good luck! 😀
Love your blog! Best mani? Simple french mani I wore for my wedding!
Hey Kat!
Thank you so much – hope that you’ll interact with me again in the near future. I love finding out more about my readers. 🙂 Don’t be a stranger!
The multichromatic Ludurana Fascinante with a gold and red unnamed microglitter from Icing and China Glaze Enchanted on top of that. That manicure is tied with my Glitter Gal holo silver manicure as my favorite recently.
Hey Crested Dog Mom!
Sounds beautiful…and all of the Glitter Gal holos make me swoon!
How amazing is this giveaway?? I totally missed out on these (sold out at my local Sally Beauty already!) so I’d love to get my hands on ’em! Your giveaways just keep getting better and better, Mary! 😀 Thank you so much!
Best manicure I’ve worn to date was Cult Nails Time Traveler with Cult Nails Clairvoyant and Finger Paints Twisted. Flakie Mayhem! 😀
Carmela recently posted: Nail Art Wednesday: Girly Graffiti Nails
Hey Carmela!
This could be your chance! 🙂 Best of luck in the draw!
Glad you like this giveaway. When I got the opportunity to offer a complete China Glaze collection to one of my readers, I was like, “Hell yeah!” I think the winner will be jumping up and down for a while, and I like to make people feel that kind of crazy, ecstatic joy for polish. 😉
I think my favorite manicure as of late (as I’m just getting back into nail polish for the first time in a few years) was Deborah Lippman’s Candy Shop. I LOVE that polish! Makes me want to put it on just thinking about it!
Hey Julie H.!
It’s such a sweet colour! 🙂
My husband gave me a manicure once while I was sleeping because I always go in while he’s asleep and shave his uni brow.
Hey Amy!
Haha, your husband has a good sense of humour, and sounds like you do, too! Hahahaha!
Great giveaway! My favorite manicure would have to be when I paint my nails with opi onyx and with Deborah Lippmann’s happy birthday. It’s so festive and I love the different shapes of glitter.
Hey Lissette!
The different coloured glitter pieces in Happy Birthday really pop against the black background – nice!
My favorite was Essie Marshmallow with China Glaze Fairy Dust – it looked like sparkly sparkly snow. So pretty!!
Hey Cathy!
I can picture the combination now – it does remind me of the way snow twinkles! 🙂 Pretty!
Wow what an amazing giveaway Mary! Love love love it!
I think my favourite mani I’ve ever worn was a few weeks ago I did some nautical nail art and painted some life preservers, anchors and wheels on my nails. My boyfriend had been suggesting I do a nautical themed mani for awhile and he was really happy I finally did it so I think that is why it’s my favourite 🙂
Stephanie recently posted: Ovalene Penguinone Dottitonium
Hey Stephanie!
Teaming up with China Glaze to bring something as huge as this for my readers was a no-brainer! Awesomeness all around – I get to thank my readers and the winner gets tons of great polishes! 😀
Your nautical manicure sounds like a lot of fun!
Wow, that’s awesome. My favorite in recent memory was actually a pretty simple christmas manicure–I had China Glaze glittering garland on as a base with simple, bright red french tips. Easy, but also classy and Christmasy. I got a ton of compliments.
Hey Marie!
Great colour choices, especially with Glittering Garland – it’s vampy, yet glittery. I love it!
My jaw literally dropped when I saw this giveaway. You rock girl!
The best manicure I ever wore…hmm that is a tough one. I think my all time favorite manicure color is OPI An Affair in Red Square. The first time I wore it, it just made me feel like a more fabulous version of myself. Even now, it is the perfect pick me up!
The Lacquered Lady recently posted: bareMinerals Flawless Definition Volumizing Mascara
Hey The Lacquered Lady!
Hehe, I’m glad that this giveaway elicited such a dramatic reaction from you! That’s what I was going for, and the China Glaze team was really generous to sponsor this to make a nailphile’s dream come true. 😉
Awsome giveaway!
My fav mani is prob a very simple one, it was Cult Nails Cruisin’ Nude with a black french tip! So pretty and simple
Hey Kayla!
YAY for another ‘member of the Cult’! 😉
My favorite manicure was when my daughter painted my fingers and toes with China Glaze Dorothy Who a couple years ago because she was so proud! It was the start of my blue nail polish obsession!
Hey Barbara!
Oh man…I remember how excited I was when China Glaze announced that they’d be re-releasing the colours from that collection! 🙂 Loved it even more because the Wizard of Oz is my all-time favourite movie.
Thanks for the great giveaway! I believe my favorite manicure so far was a england’s “Lady of the Lake” – a beautiful purple – with a silver polish as tips (OPI’s “How’s It Snowin’?”). This year I want to be more adventurous and try more stamping and nail art.
Hey April!
You’re welcome. 🙂
Hope that you have tons of fun exercising your creativity through your nail designs!
I think my favorite manicure ever was Pop Beauty Foggy stamped with the houndstooth print in black. Great giveaway! Thanks
Hey Sara H.!
Gotta love houndstooth! It really kicks up any base colour. 🙂
I forget my manis very quickly as they don’t stay on very long lol The one I’m wearing right now kinda turns out to be prettier than I thought – SH Sea and be Seen with sparkling tips of SH Xtreme Wear in Shooting Star 🙂
Hey Halifax!
Haha, well, I guess the upside to it is that because the polish doesn’t stay on as long for you, you get to wear more colours! 🙂
My best manicure ever was by Jeppy (Jeppy’s Nails). She does fabulous nail art (no air brush needed) and never charges for nail art! LUV THAT GIRL!
Hey Kathleen Hendry!
How awesome that she doesn’t charge. Sounds like she really spreads the polish love! 😀 Kudos to her!
My best manicure ever was seriously just last week! I recently discovered nail stamping and on my 3rd try I was in awe of myself. I started with Sally Hansen CSM in Yellow Kitty as the color base then using Konad M20 stamped the “flower spray” design in Zoya Renee (a neon pink that looks terrible on my nails as a base color, but stamps beautifully) then stamped the “triple flower group” in Sally Hansen Insta Dri Co-Bolt Blue. It ended up with a nice Liberty of London look.
Hey Kristine!
Oh, that’s great to know that Zoya Renee works well for nail stamping!
That’s a very creative design you put together. Pretty!
The best manicure I ever wore was actually most recently; I bought the color called “Cassi” from Zoya. It’s a very pretty & natural color and it makes my nails look much longer than they are…which is pretty short. lol
Hey Caryn Preston!
Yeah, isn’t it interesting how certain colours can actually create the illusion of longer nails?
I really like Milani 3D Holographic polishes, so I once took the pink, purple, blue and green and did diagonal stripes on my nails. The colors sort of blended together, so it was this awesome and fabulous holographic rainbow which looked amazing in sunlight. I kept going up to people at school and saying, “LOOK AT MY NAILS!”
Hey Sarah!
Hehe, I don’t blame you. Your nails needed to be admired – sounds brilliant!
The best manicure I ever wore was my wedding manicure. It was a simple French manicure on my natural nails. It was so well done! They looked so good that people asked if I got artificial nails put on for the big day!
Hey Marie!
Wow, that must’ve made you feel like a million bucks! 🙂 It’s always great to be able to say that they’re your natural nails, but they look so good!
One of the nicest nail combos I’ve worn is Revlon’s “Lilac Pastelle” with Revlon’s “Popular” on the ring finger as the accent nail. The lilac is gorgeous and with the wee bit of glitter from the Popular, it’s very chic.
Hey Sandra!
Pretty combination! 😀
I love “simple” manicures. So my favorite had to be when I wore a-england’s Galahad and then used Nicole by OPI – Kendell on the Katwalk on my ring finger. The way the colors complimented each other was gorgeous and this “look” is my all-time favorite.
Gabby recently posted: Max Factor – Fantasy Fire
I got this in the mail yesterday and I…
Hey Gabby!
Nicole by OPI Kendall on the Katwalk is drop-dead gorgeous! I remember the first time I wore it, I kept staring at it and didn’t want to take it off! It’s so unique with the blue, purple, and green glitter.
Well smack me with a feather!
If you were close enough, I’d hug you! What a great opportunity!
Yikes…might be time to dial back on the coffee today. Am off work and staying home so I’ve been able to drink myself into a static little mess here. 😛 Thinking about painting my nails if the jitters calm down enough to do it…any color suggestions?
Oh..btw….a friend of mine gifted me with a bottle of Nfu-Oh 51 and I wasn’t sure exactly how I wanted to go with it–all I could seem to do was stare at the bottle in complete wonder–so I found your review on it and it is every bit as wonderful as you said. 🙂
Hey karen!
Haha! *Smacks you with a feather* We can have virtual hugs. 🙂
Hope that you enjoyed your day off, hehe, even if you did end up loading up on coffee!
YAY for gettingn Nfu-Oh 51! I’m so glad you were able to get it. Who knows when it’ll be unavailable again!
My best manicure was a very easy one I did relaxing at the cottage one year – just a bright basecoat of vibrant blue and I drew a hot pink sun graphic on two nails. I can’t remember what specific shades I used since it was awhile ago, but I remember loving how it was bright, cheery and dead simple to do.
Margo recently posted: Chick lit book update
Hey Margo!
Love how bright and playful your manicure sounds. And it’s always a plus when a design is easy to do. 🙂
My favourite mani is sentimental… it was my birthday recently and my boyfriend gave me a bottle of Deborah Lippmann Happy Birthday which I have wanted for ages but never gotten the nerve to dish out the money for! (Ha! I always assume he zones out when I start talking nail polish, the way I do when he talks football) I am wearing it right now layered over OPI Alpine Snow… love it love it love it.
Hey MC!
Haha, I’m with you on football. Some sports are interesting (like basketball because it’s fast-paced), but football is one of the sports that bores me. I think it’s partially because I don’t understand the rules and partially because I always laugh seeing the guys in such tight bottoms.
My favorite this week is Orly Purple Velvet topped w/ China Glaze Fairy Dust.
Hey Mary P!
Fairy Dust is gorgeous – adds that magic to any polish! 😀
I LOVE China Glaze “Fairy Dust”….it’s absolutely GORGEOUS over every colour without changing the base colour!
My best mani I ever wore was probably the first time I tried Sally Hansen Salon Effects nail strips in zebra print. Because I ALWAYS smudge or dent atleast one finger of a mani…this one was flawless 😉 Is that cheating? Haha.
frosso recently posted: Nicole by OPI A Million Sparkles
Hey Frosso!
Nope, it’s not cheating at all! (Don’t worry – I won’t say a word of it to the polishes in your collection…hehhehe!) 😉
The best mani I ever wore was OPI Sand-erella. It was special to be because it was my first, and at this time, only amazing dusty find. I paid 50 cents for a half full, goopy old bottle, but with thinner and love, turned it into something beautiful again. The purple linear holo was just amazing, and during the week I wore it, there was no chipping, making it all the better!
Hey AngieP!
Holy smokes! 50 cents for OPI Sand-erella? That’s an insane steal! LUCKY YOU! That’s a colour I’ve been drooling over online, but I just can’t bring myself to pay the inflated prices on eBay.
My favourite manicure right now is HITS Zeus, which I recently purchased! It’s a black charcoal fine glitter base with strong linear rainbow holographic effect to it. B-e-a-u-t-i-f-u-l!
Hey Gab!
AMAZING! HITS has incredible colours – can’t believe I don’t own a single one of them!
oh my goodness! You need to get your hands on some, Mary! i would definitely recommend Zeus or Hera because those are the only ones I have experience with. Hera is a teal with the same holo effect! The only down side is..the bottles are 6 ml and they cost 10 bucks for one..that’s less than half the size of an essie 🙁
The price is the biggest thing holding me back. Once my budget allows, I’m going to be all over those polishes!
My favourite manicure colour is OPI Cajun Shrimp. It’s such an amazing and unique colour. Either that or OPI Sapphire in the Snow paired with OPI Rainbow Connection. 🙂
Hey Elizabeth!
Cajun Shrimp is a cool colour – I don’t have it, but from swatches I’ve seen online, it really pops.
My favorite Mani would probably also the one that changed my life 🙂 I bit my nails since forever and 2 years ago I was getting my hair done, prep for my wedding, and I was talking to my stylist about how I wish I could have natural nails for the event instead of acrylics that just bust up my nail underneath. So she convinced me to get a gel mani from her 3 months before the wedding, I stuck with it and got my nails done every 2 weeks and I didn’t have to wear acrylics to my wedding! I have had a few nail biting relapses but with a conscious effort I have managed to kick my habit. 🙂 I really hope I win, its my Birthday next week! 🙂
Hey Sarah!
It’s good that you asked your stylist about it and that her suggestion worked out like a charm for you! 🙂
Happy early birthday, by the way! 🙂 Hope you have a wonderful time celebrating it with your family and friends.
My favorite mani was with Milani One Coat Glitters in the Gold after months of growing out the damage of acrylic nails. It was the first mani that didn’t show the ridges in my nails from the damage. They were back to normal and I was thrilled.
Connie W recently posted: Dr.’s REMEDY Valentine Delight
Hey Connie W!
I was surprised when the gold one was completely opaque in just a single coat!
Hey Mary!
This is so amazing, thank you for the giveaway!!
What I think of as my best manicure ever changes so often…but right now my current favourite is Revlon Copper Penny with 2 coats of OPI Rainbow Connection on top. It’s like a party on my nails! 😀
Hey Jenn H!
You’re so welcome – any time I can give back to my readers, I try to. And China Glaze teaming up with me made it easier…and INSANE! 😀 WOO HOO!
my favorite manicure that i’ve worn was funky french manicure. sally hansen complete salon manicure in plum luck and opi sparkle-icious on my tips. 🙂
Hey Beth Combs!
I like the way your funky French manicure sounds! Sparkly tips!
Probably the black & gold fleur-de-lis i did for the Saints’ Superbowl week.
Hey Aliya!
Very nice! 😀
I’m pretty pleased with the manicure I’m wearing right now. I think it might be my favorite. It’s Essie Sand Tropez with a glitter gradient of Love & Beauty Black Knight starting from the cuticle. I love it!
Madeline recently posted: Sinful Colors Olympia
Hey Madeline!
Awesome! 🙂 Thanks for participating in this giveaway and best of luck in the draw!
When I was in high school I had the time to do a checkerboard manicure. It literally took forever making tiny little black boxes that matched up on each of my nails. But I got so many compliments on them! I never wanted it to chip or grow out. I was so proud of those little checkers I could weep. Unfortunately, grown ups don’t usually have hours to devote to a home manicure so I’ve never been able to repeat it.
Hey Holly!
I love how your hard work and patience paid off. 🙂 Awesome!
Well, maybe you can recreate the look, but just do it on the weekend when you have more time. 🙂
Designer ….De Better with Dear Santa tips for a Christmas Party. So pretty!!!
Hey Shyla!
FUNKY! Sounds nice and bold.
My first flakie mani! I wore Honk If You Love OPI! with Essie Shine of the Times and I just couldn’t stop staring at my nails. And, oh, the compliments! Everywhere I went people were asking about my nails!
Hey Amy!
You always remember your first flakie manicure! 😀 And I bet now you want to layer Shine of the Times over everything. Hehe! Flakies do that to people. 🙂
Hmm the best manicure ever worn, now that’s hard to say. I think as my mood changes so does my mani. But I’ll say this… The very first time I gave myself a French mani I was like wow I can’t believe this, I did it, free hand! Well okay if I’m honest it didn’t turn out very well, the lines could be cleaner. But I’m going down to say that was the most memorable, hell it was epic! So yeah I guess that qualify for the best Mani ever. =)
Hey Michelle!
Y’know, I find that a lot of people get scared off by freehand designs, but really, it’s all about just trying it. Once you try it, you’ll realize that you CAN do it. And then with practice, you get better. 🙂 So I’m glad that you had that great experience!
Is it bad that I’ve never had a real manicure? I’m a pedicure gal, so the best one I got was for my wedding… orange sparkly toes to match our fall theme! 🙂
Hey Anna Z!
No, it’s not bad. Everyone has their preference. 🙂
You know, I think I paint my toenails like 3 times a year, but my fingernails are pretty much always painted. (I can’t get polish to last on my toenails for more than 3 days, but I can get it to last a long time on my fingernails. Weird.)
My favorite manicure was the rainbow gradient of pastel coral, yellow, green, blue and purple across all five fingers on each hand then after it got two days old, I added silver shimmer and black crackle on top. It looked like I had rainbow stained glass shattered nails! I was in love for a week and my manis never last that long.
Hey Cj!
I love skittle manicures! Haven’t done one yet, but I think I’ll have to because there are lots of colours that I want to try. 🙂
My favourite manicure was my first attempt at water marbling w/ OPI Be a Dahlia Won’t You?, OPI Alpine Snow, and OPI Black Onyx
Hey Terra!
It’s awesome that your first attempt at water marbling turned out that well. Good for you! 😀
Mine definitely would me my fanart mani for SATW(Scandinavia and the World) a Web comic on Deviant art. Not the cleanest, but definitely my hardest I’ve worked on. Here’s a link if your interested: http://crescentfied.deviantart.com/gallery/#/d3j0mxf
Hey Kathy H.!
You’re so talented! Drawing all those details on a small canvas like a fingernail isn’t easy. Major props to you! 😀
This is an amazing giveaway! You are so generous to be giving away the entire collection! My favorite manicure that I’ve done would have to be Galaxy nails! It calls to the inner nerd in me ;D
Kassie recently posted: 500 Follower Giveaway!!
Hey Kassie!
I’m just really glad that I can give back to my readers in a big way, thanks to China Glaze’s generosity as well. 🙂 My readers continually boost my spirits and motivate me, so I’m incredibly grateful for all the support I’ve received. It really is a huge blessing.
My favorite manicure is black nail polish with white spots, and white nail polish with white spots on alternating fingers.
Brianna recently posted: Essence @holigrafics Gagaletric
Hey Brianna!
Polka dot manicures are really cute! 🙂
Great giveaway Mary!! My favorite nail art mani was my Valentine’s Day hearts and polka dots nails and the penguin nail art you posted. My favorite mani color is Some Like it Haute by China Glaze because it’s not to girly and it’s really pretty. I also wear lots of black so it goes well with it because it’s silver/grey.
Hey Maddy!
I was so flattered when you told me that you tried out my penguin nail art! 😀 Makes me so happy – I get an inner “Weeeeeeeeeeeee!” feeling that puts me on Cloud 9! THANK YOU!
LOVE this giveaway! I have been on the hunt for these polishes for a while 🙂
My favorite manicure I’ve ever worn would have to be recently when I found my new favorite polish: “Knackered” by Butter London. It’s a duo chrome of green and purple with holographic glitter. I have been wearing it over and over since I found it.
Just got it and can’t wait to try it! <3
It’s GORGEOUS! The only con is that it’s very sheer, so I needed 3-4 coats, but the result is beyond worth it! 🙂
Hey Anna!
So this is great timing. Best of luck in the draw! 🙂
Ooohhh…a green-purple duochrome is totally my kind of polish! Sounds amazing!
My favorite manicure is A-England’s Tristam. It’s clean, simple and it seems to go with everything in my wardrobe.
Hey Aylene!
A-England has a lot of gorgeous polishes. I’ve only heard wonderful things about them! 🙂
I think my favorite mani was when I tried this one from Emerald Sparkled: http://www.emeraldsparkled.com/2011/12/31-day-challenge-day-30.html. I don’t have brushes or dotting tools, so I usde a toothpick and it wasn’t quite as neat, but I really liked the result. Everyone asked if they were stickers! =)
Hey Heather!
That’s a cool design. Hey, if you took any photos of the manicure you did, feel free to post them on my Facebook wall! 🙂
oh man, my favorite. I guess I liked my halloween one, it was was fun to do and just kinda free handed it. I also love my konad stamps which I need more of, lol. They always turn out so neat and perfect.
Thanks for this wonderful giveaway, hopefully having my birthday this month will bring me good luck.
Hey Kay!
You’re very welcome! 😀 Happy early birthday to you!
My favorite manicure was when I was wearing Wet ‘n Wild Teal of Fortune and I got my first flakie ever (Colorama Shimmer GIrl) in the mail! I was so excited to try out the flakie that I put it on right away over Teal of Fortune and it is still my favorite combo!
Hey Lisa!
Very cool – and now I’m sure you’ll want to layer the flakie over soooo many other colours, too! Hehe, it’s addictive.
the best – and most unusual (at least for me): Zoya Kotori with silver lightning
Hey Louis!
Yeah, Kotori is really pretty, and I bet the silver lightning looked amazing over it.
I think the best manicure I have worn was a black animal print fauxnadicure over Skull and Glossbones with copper in the middle of the animal spots. It’s not my most creative or anything but it’s something that everyone kinda “gets” and really like, so I’d say that one is my best. What’s the best manicure you’ve ever worn?
Nicole M recently posted: Nude and Black w/ a Little Something Special Nails
Hey Nicole M!
You’re the first person to ask me! 😀 Thanks! I think the best manicure I’ve ever worn was the ladybug nail art. Not only was it really easy to paint, but it made me smile so much! 🙂 (Also, Clarins 230 was really special, too.)
Oohhh yes… the famed “Unicorn Pee” haha. If I could get my hands on that it’d be my fave too. And your ladybug nails were super cute! I love nails like that, that are simple but really, really cute. That goes for a lot of your nails. I like your style. 🙂 My second favorite nails might be my octopus nails that I totally copied from you, because those, too, were simple but like really obvious about what I was trying to do with them
Nicole M recently posted: China Glaze Electropop Giveaway on Swatch and Learn
Thank you! 🙂 And I remember how great your octopus nails turned out!
I’m really bad at nail art, so I don’t even bother! The best manicure I ever wore was just a straight colour – it was the first time I wore China Glaze Zombie Zest (which is my most favourite nail polish EVER!). I was not expecting it to look as amazing as it did and the fact that it applied flawlessly and looked professionally done was a bonus! I need a backup of my backup bottle of it, ha. 🙂
Hey Cristina!
Aww…but sometimes it just takes practice. Even if you first few attempts go horribly wrong, you WILL get better. Trust me! 🙂 Maybe even try just doing a design on your accent nail for practice if doing all 10 nails seems daunting.
Zombie Zest is AMAZING – love those kind of swampy greens!
My best mani? Manglaze – ILF. Simple but I love the matte blue color!
Hey Jennifer Keck!
You know, I haven’t worn a matte polish for more than a day. Gotta bust out the ones I have and the matte top coat, too.
My fav mani is something I just got done over the holidays. It was a gel mani in a medium slate gray (called All the Rage) with glitter fade tips (called Dazzle me with Diamonds). It was beautiful and festive without being to on the nose. I did it twice in a row and I’ll definitely do it again!
Hey Taleah!
That’s definitely a sign that you loved it when you recreate the look again and again! That’s wonderful! 🙂
I change my polish all the time but I always come back to OPI’s Teenage Dream 🙂
Hey Erin!
What a pretty colour! Lucky that it looks great on you. On me, there wasn’t enough contrast against my skin tone, but I still admire it in the bottle.
I wore a black and blue laser mani (Nailside.com for referances)
It was just the best 🙂
Hey PtiteMeve!
Black and blue is always a winning combination in my book! 🙂
I haven’t tried any nail art or stamping yet, I’m still working up my courage 😀
I think if you forced me to choose my absolute favorite manicure, I’d have to say it was when I used Revlon Silver Dollar as a base with Nicole’s Make U Smile on top. It was so sparkly and shiny and DISCO!
This is an awesome give-away! I love your blog 🙂
Hey Mandy!
If you want to work your way up, maybe just do a design on an accent nail. Then, when you get comfortable, you can progress to doing all 10 nails.
Thank you so much for stopping by! 🙂 I’m glad that you’ve been enjoying Swatch And Learn so much!
The best manicure I’ve ever worn would have to be China Glaze Tinsel Town topped with China Glaze Snow Globe! it is so sparkly and pretty! i love it!
stefanie.gladden@gmail.com
Hey Stefanie Gladden!
Sounds nice and blinged out! 🙂
I switch my nails up all the time but I love Essie’s Lady Like time and time again! It’s the perfect go-to polish for me when I have no idea what shade I should wear 🙂
Joann recently posted: Beauty Army Kit: February 2012
Hey Joann!
Thanks for reminding me to bust that out. Another untried of mine!
My absolute favorite was Nubar Midnight Glory and it’s all your fault! I fell it love with it on your blog and I am now a Nubar convert! I couldn’t stop admiring my nails! If it wouldn’t have been for you, I would never know Nubar!
Hey The KnitMaster!
Haha, I love being blamed for something like this. 😉 And I’m so happy to hear that you’re also in love with Nubar. Aren’t their duochromes and multichromes the best or what? I love how they aren’t afraid to do their own thing instead of just following trends all the time.
I just completed the Prisms collection today! If you use a glitter for the tip, they make a fabulous french!
WHHHAAAAT? Oh my gosh! Excuse my saliva all over the keyboard. That’s what happens when I’m drooling over polish. 😉
NOOOO, don’t ruin your keyboard! All I can say is don’t order directly from Nubar. Shipping is $15.00. Go to http://www.healthybeauty4ustore.com/ Prices are less and so is shipping. If you inbox me, I’ll give you a 10% off code too!
I can never order directly from Nubar’s website. They don’t ship to Canada…boooooo! Thanks for the heads up about that other etailer.
I’ve recently gotten into free-hand nail art. the best one I’ve done was was little hypnotic spiral things. I got so many complements on those!
Hey Kate!
Cooool! Sounds really funky – those are the kind of designs that really get my (and everyone else’s) attention!
Ohh, this is a hard one. I think my favorite mani thus far has been Nicole by OPI’s Sleigh That Again topped off with two coats of Finger Paints Special FX Twisted, finally finished off with OutTheDoor’s Northern Lights Holo Top Coat. Dark plum purple with a shattered, sparkly rainbow!
Hey Julianne!
Hehe, cute name – “Sleigh That Again”!
GFC: Amanda
email: amandalandish(at)gmail(dot)com
The best manicure is a simple one: Essie First Dance. That is my all time favorite red and always looks fantastic.
Amanda recently posted: Cult Nails Power Thief
Hey Amanda!
Actually, I no longer have Google Friend Connect on my blog anymore because it’s no longer compatible with non-Blogger sites. Since I’m not with Blogger, I removed it. But please do follow me on the other avenues I listed in this post. 🙂
It’s difficult because I change colours all the time…but my favourite has been Sally Hansen “Hidden Treasure” (the original flakie) over…anything really! Most recently over OPI Play the Peonies…it was so perfect for almost spring time! And nothing beats a good flakie.
Sara recently posted: wet’n wild spoiled – tip your waitress
Hey Sara!
Can’t go wrong with a versatile flakie! 😉
The best mani I ever wore is probably the one I did tonight! Finger Paints Black Expressionism with white music notes and colored rhinestones! I also love your blog and this giveaway is great!
Kelsie Rogers recently posted: ♪ Musical Nails ♬
Hey Kelsie Rogers!
Very creative manicure! 🙂
Thanks for the kind words – I’m glad that you’re loving Swatch And Learn!
I have so many favorites it’s way too hard to choose! I did rose gold tips with some sort of teal once recently and got a couple of compliments. Hmm if it’s plain my favorites are jelly/sorbert manis, I feel like they’re simple but still have so much depth. Plus they look so yummy!
lulu recently posted: Digital landscape
Hey lulu!
It’s good that you have so many to choose from! 😉
I agree with you about jelly polishes. Simple, but when they’re on your nails, you just can’t stop staring!
My favorite has been Zoya Anastasia with OPI Warm & Fozzie in a funky french.
Hey Melissa E!
That’s a very unique combination, indeed. 🙂 Cool!
The best mani I ever had was my first ever (at the ripe old age of 46) two years ago. It was a really pretty deep blue (matching pedi) and it was the first time I realized that my nails could be beautiful! Since then I’ve always had my nails colored and just recently found the wonderful world of nail blogging. I am having lots of fun trying new nail art and seeing all the pretty colors. Thank you for the giveaway!
Hey Kammy!
I’m so happy to hear that you had that experience. I really wish that everyone would learn to love their nails. 🙂
If you ever photograph your manicures, please feel free to post it on my Facebook wall. I love to see pretty colours on other people’s nails, too! And I’m sure my readers would also be interested.
Good luck in the draw, and happy polishing! 🙂
My favorite thing to do right now is accent each nail with some flakies on the tip (i try to make it look like a gradient but i fail every time).
My favorite combo that I used was Zoya – Indigo + Finger Paints – Twisted.
Hey Mary!
That combination sounds killer! 🙂 Aww…well, practice will help you get better. I’m glad that you’ve tried more than once, though. 🙂 Don’t give up!
Favorite manicure? Who knew what a hard question that would be to answer?! I change my polish 2-3 times a week (more if I try something and end up hating it after a few hours!) and I always seem to end up staring admiringly at my own nails. Heh. It’s so hard to pick a favorite. But there is one manicure memory that stands out. Last July, I was wearing Nicole by OPI Baby Blue and my eight month old nephew could not stop staring at my nails. I played a clapping game for a ridiculously long time just to watch his giddy expression and hear his laugh as he followed the movement of my bright fingertips. I rarely get a chance to play with my nephew (he lives in another state) and it was wonderful to see him get so much pleasure from my love of nail polish. So definitely a memorable manicure for me!
Hey Kelley!
That’s so cute how your baby nephew had a thing for your manicure, which had an appropriate name! 🙂 Hehe, he has an eye for colours already? 😀 What a sweet story – thank you for sharing!
China Glaze Aquadelic with Julep Oscar at the tips….sooooo pretty
Hey shiv!
Awesome combination! 🙂 And Aquadelic is a great choice. 😉
Best manicure? I think the best one has been quite recent now that I think about it. I love OPI nail polish, but it’s not easily accessible to me (I live in the Bay Area in Cali). I was fortunate to recieve OPI Animal-istic and Rainbow Connection for Christmas! Animal-istic may not be THAT unique, but I love how it looks on my nails. To be honest, I can actually get away with only using one coat of it! It is a true red with the prettiest glitter/shimmer. I even bought a back-up 🙂
I also love China Glaze “For Audrey”. It’s my only CG nail polish and I really want to try them all. I love fun, bright colors all year round so this giveaway would be perfect for a CG amateur like me.
Hey Jenny!
Yup, that’s when you know that you LOVE something – when you buy a back-up. 😀
Best of luck in the draw!
My best manicure is when my friend from Japan did my nails.
She has her own license from Japan to do nails~ so she did gel nails for me that was a gradient pink and she made acrylic strawberries on it! It was very cute and summery~ <3 It also lasted for 6 months~! 😀
Hey Sabrina!
Awww…your strawberry manicure sounds sweet! 😉 Holy smokes – lasted for 6 months! That’s insane!
The best mani I have ever had was when I did my nails with MPJ holo for the first time. It was the 4th of July and I went to a big fun party with my boyfriend and watched the black holo rainbow all over my fingernails until the sun went down.
Hey X.P.!
Definitely it’s a stunner! 🙂 And it’s nice that you now associate it with such a fun time, too.
My favorite manicure was when I first used Revlon Red. It applied so smoothly and was such a vivid color. It was also when I was new to using nail polish. Gotta love the good experiences. I still consider it my favorite polish!
Hey Wenge!
It’s great to hear that your early experience with polish was a good one. May you have plenty of more wonderful manicures! 😀
I had China Glaze’s Oh Sailor on my nails, and did a stamping with a konad plate to grab bamboo pattern with a white polish (milani).
Looked amazing!
Hey candy!
Sounds amazing, too!
Best mani ever?? Wow that is a tough question, I change my polish so frequently. I guess I would have to say it was China Glaze Flying Dragon. That was my first unconventional (not red or pink) nail polish and I have never gone back. The brighter more neon or crazier the shade the better!
Hey Carole!
Good choice! That’s also a favourite of mine. Do you remember which version of it you have? I have the first one.
The best mani ever…all of them, of course! Hehe just kidding!
I’d have to say that the mani that stands out in my mind the most would be my second attempt at water marbling. I used China Glaze Rich and Famous, Shower Together, Lemon Fizz, and a purple polish (the name and brand escapes me). It looked so cute! It was really the first time other people noticed my manicure. All of my friends wanted me to water marble their nails but I think they found the process too complicated to do on their own.
Thank you for giveaway!
Hey Raychul!
Hehe, yes, it’s hard to pick a favourite, isn’t it? There are so many awesome colours on the market these days. (YAY!)
My favourite mani would probably be EITHER (can’t pick just ONE fav.), Sally Hansen “Turquoise Opal” by itself (it is TOO gorgeous!) or my othe fav. mani is 2 coats A-England “Elaine”, plus one coat Cult Nails “Clairvoyant”, plus one coat Clarins “230”. Whoa!!!!!!!
Hey Desiree!
Oh my gosh, you’re so lucky that you got Turquoise Opal! I’ve been debating whether or not to cave and buy it on eBay, but so far I’ve been good. 😉
I think my favorite manicure was the first time I wore an holo!! That was WOW! And it wasn´t even a strong one!!
Thanks for the awesome giveaway!!!
Hey Mara!
Holos always make you stare at your nails. 😉
You’re very welcome – best of luck in this giveaway!
I like fun nails so one of my favs is one I did myself. Wasn’t the best but fun and bright! I painted my nails a bright blue, bright purple, and bright green in horizontal rows, then took my pink crackle by China Glaze to them. Slightly obnoxious but tons of fun and lots of comments on them!
Hey Katie D!
I actually like ‘obnoxious’ manicures because they’re so extreme and fun to wear. Yours sounds awesome!
I’ve actually never had a manicure in the United States before! My first one was in the Philippines and it was quite interesting. I’m actually getting one tomorrow! 🙂 I’m so excited and I hope it turns out well!
Hey Kate!
Do you remember the colour of your first manicure in the Philippines?
My current favorite is A England Dragon! Such a pretty green!
Hey Austi!
That green is breathtaking! It’s on my Wish List. 🙂
The best manicure I ever wore was when I was a kid and I would sneak some of my mom’s polishes. I think I wore this really frosty pink and I thought it was the coolest thing ever. 🙂
lacquerloon recently posted: China Glaze & Hunger Games: Colours From The Capitol Swatches
Hey lacquerloon!
Hehe, I did the same thing, although my mom just had maybe 2 polishes. She wasn’t (and still isn’t) into polish. Haha, I’m making up for that, right? 😉
Probably my favorite, and one I go to from time to time when I’m feeling down, is layering Sally Hansen Rockstar Pink over Pure Ice Jamaica Me Crazy.
Hey Tracy!
Hehe, Jamaica Me Crazy is a fun name!
My best manicure I ever had was CG Awaken with Essie Matte About You topcoat- it was the perfect gunmetal gray and the matte finish was super sweet!
Hey April!
I like how ‘tough’ a matte gray manicure looks. But I don’t think I can pull it off well.
Oh man, how can a polish addict possibly choose her favorite manicure so far? Hmmm…the one that’s coming to mind is a bright rainbow mani with black shatter that I did once. I believe I used OPI Cha-Ching Cherry, Curry Up, Don’t Be Late!, Electric Eel, Teal the Cows Come Home, and Purple With A Purpose, then put a coat of Black Shatter over each nail. It was pretty awesome! I’m a sucker for rainbows. 🙂
Hey Andra!
Yep, it’s a toughie, isn’t it? 😉
I’m a sucker for rainbows, too. Why sport just one colour when you can wear the rainbow, right? 🙂
My fave manicure ever is Revlon’s Gumdrop it smells like sweetness. I love it the most because I get a pleasant surprise when I put my hand close to my face during classes. It smells like when you get a fresh gum-ball out of the machine.
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Hey aisling!
Very cool that it smells like that. I haven’t tried any scented polishes yet, but I have one that a friend was kind enough to give me. 🙂
I only ever do my own nails, and one of my favorites I’ve ever done was purple water marble. I used a few different shades of purple, and using the water marbling technique, turned my nails into an absolutely awesome purple tiedye wonder 🙂
Hey Amanda!
Kudos for you for doing your own nails. I also love painting my own nails and have never got them done professionally.
Your purple manicure sounds incredible! I wish you could show me a photo of it. I bet it looked so good!
My favorite manicure I have done was with a peachy color with a black and white abstract design on top of it.
Hey Laura!
Nice! 🙂 Peachy colours are so pretty, and I love how you got creative and painted an abstract design.
My favourite manicure was one that I actually did myself. I cheated and used Sally Hansen Salon Effects nail polish strips in Check it Out. They were so easy to apply and I received so many comments on it, and most of them were from men! 🙂
Hey Sam!
That’s not cheating! 🙂 If you love the manicure, that’s what counts.
My favorite manicure that I’ve ever worn was my very first water marble. It was this awesome swirl of green, purple, blue and white goodness. I haven’t water marbled lately. I should!
Hey Amanda S.!
Yes, you should…and I should do it for the first time. (Still haven’t tried it.)
My favorite mani that I did was one that I used all different shades of CG to stamp what looked like “cogs” over black….it was really unique!!
jackie burton recently posted: China Glaze Magnetix X 2 !!!
Hey jackie burton!
Wow, now that’s a design that I’ve never seen before. Very unique, indeed! 🙂
The question made my brain explode because I can never choose one favorite manicure… BUT recently I fell in love with the Wet n Wild coloricon series because they are so glittery and magical (because they are so sparkly it’s like magic! I feel like a bird) RIGHT NOW AT THIS MOMENT I have on “Give Me A Price Quote” but I’m going to try “Kim-pletely in Love from Opi” soon. Pastel colors are also the best, especially for this upcoming spring season! Oh my gosh, like I said, there is no way to choose one! I need to choose a whole group :'(
Hey Elisa!
Hahahha, sorry about making your brain explode! 😛 But I’m glad you got it back together so you could leave a comment…hehe!
My favourite mani I ever did is a hard decision! I paint my nails almost every day so I always have something fresh and new going on. Recently my favourite designs have been tribal patterns with lots of different colours and prints going on. My favourite colour right now is by L.A. Colour called Palm Tree.. gorgeous spring green colour.
Hey Amy!
Wow, good for you for painting daily! 🙂 That’s dedication, and it must be a lot of fun to always be wearing a new colour. 😀
That’s a tough one, Mary! I’ve done lots of manicures that have been really fun, but I think my favorite was one of the most subtle manis I’ve ever had. I started with China Glaze Concrete Catwalk, and then stamped some flowers and butterflies with CG Go Go Pink. GGPink isn’t very opaque, so the result was a very subtle, but very lovely combination.
Hey CupK8!
Hehe, yeah, I’m so mean, aren’t I? 😛 I like to make people sing for their supper sometimes. Just kidding! 😉
Great Giveaway! Always a pleasure to see you share the goods!
My best mani is of course a really hard question…i’ve had a lot of lved manis… I would say top 2…every red polish manis (i’m a sucker for red nails and matching lips) and American Apparel Hunter.
But there are definitly a lot of other manis i’ve loved!
xxx
Hey Marine!
Thanks to China Glaze for their generosity, I was able to give a big thank you to my wonderful readers. 😀 I’m so grateful to have this opportunity because my readers are the best!
I don’t know if I have a single favorite, but my Valentine’s mani meant a lot to me. I had seen a mattified red polish on Pinterest with no information on the polish used attatched to it. I hunted and hunted looking for that info, and finally found somewhere saying it was a Russian exclusive OPI that is now discontinued. I bought and tried a bunch of different reds looking for a duplicate. I never found one that I thought was just right swatched on my nail wheel. So, I ended up just picking the one I liked best for the manicure. Turns out, on my nails, it looked just like I had wanted it to… it wasn’t flat and chalky, like mattified polishes sometimes do. It was glowy and gorgeous.
Hey Leisel!
Great to hear that it wasn’t chalky – I know that a lot of matte polishes sometimes can appear that way. 🙂
My favorite manicure at this time would be the zebra print. I know its quite popular right now but when I first saw it I hesitated to try it because it seemed difficult. I have always loved to do my own nails but it was always a solid or with polka dots, however, I have been trying so many designs and I still fall in love with the zebra design everytime. I’ve been trying some bright colors just to change it up a bit.
Hey SOPHIE!
That’s cool! You did the zebra print freehand? I always use my Konad image plate because it’s so fast.
Yes, I do it free hand it actually doesn’t take that long. I don’t have the konad so everything I do has to be freehand.
I LOVE THE FACT THAT U TAKE THE TIME TO READ OUR COMMENTS N REPLY.
I’m so impressed, Sophie, that you did it freehand! 🙂 Good for you!
Aww…thanks! I try really hard to reply as soon as I can to comments because I want to make sure that my readers know that their thoughts matter.
My favourite manicure was a cheaper bright pink polish. It’s my fave because it lasted forever – I hate it when my nails chipped, but I wore this all week and felt like a movie star.
Hey Ashley!
Glad that the polish made you feel like a million bucks and that it lasted so long. It just goes to show that sometimes a lower price tag doesn’t always mean lower quality. 🙂
This is such a difficult question! Over a year ago I started a job where I was only allowed to wear french manicures, or nude/very pale pinks…I was convinced it was the end of the world! I had always been a girl who NEVER wore any pinks, only vampy purples and reds. But I can say I am a changed lady! I now love pale colors and how feminine they make my hands look!
So I only have so many options I can get away with at work, right now I’m rocking Essie Marshmallow with Essie Shine of the times on top and I love it! I just got Shine of the times and I’ve been wanting it for a while so I think I’ll love anything I wear it with!
Hey Lindsay!
Hehe, yup, I asked it because I’m looking for nail inspiration. So far, all the answers have been VERY inspiring! 🙂
Haha, you really are a nailphile. I giggled when I read your remark about how you thought wearing nudes, etc. was the end of the world. 😉
I forgot to mention how I just left that job for a new position where nail colors are allowed! I’m so excited and need to build up my color collection again!
Haha, I bet you were just bouncing off the walls for joy at that news! 😉 YAY!
My best manicure in recent days was the result of a mild epic. I had been trying for days to do my first Scotch Tape Manicure and it just wasn’t working. I’d get the tape aligned, but then it would magically rip off both the bottom and the top layers of polish. Of it wouldn’t rip the polish, but the line would be so jagged I might as well have painted it on.
Then, on a whim, I tried using Scotch Tape. I had been using Packaging tape, you see, since that’s easier to be found around the house. And by golly, Scotch Tape Manicures were called *Scotch Tape* Manicures for a reason!
This was around halloween so the result was SH Lickity Split Lime being striped with a Wet n Wild brilliant purple. But those were VICTORY stripes!
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Hey Jen!
I’m really glad that you figured out how to do a Scotch Tape manicure. 🙂 I still haven’t tried it yet, but there are so many neat designs people have come up with. I love the fireworks kind where it looks like the firework is exploded from a corner of the nail.
What a great giveaway! I love wearing all the colors of the rainbow. But for me I always love a simple French manicure 🙂 I like to use an interesting pink as a base like either OPI play the peonies or my new fave…NOPI Kimpletely in love and sponge on the white tips to give it a softer look.
Hey Alanna!
Glad that you dig this giveaway. 🙂
Sponging sounds like a lot of fun, and with Kim-pletely in Love, I bet it looked magical!
I am a blue polish lover through and through, and my current fav is OPI Suzi Says Feng. Shui 🙂 I loveeeee the intense but soothing blue creme and how it compliments my pale pale skin!
Hey kayla n.!
That’s a nice blue – in my ‘untried’ stash. 🙂
First I want to say I haven’t read a blog of yours that I didn’t absolutely love, your the first person to teach me of how to do nail art and because of that I express myself through awesome looking nails that my mom & friends LOVE! Thank you also to answer your question I love all my nail polish I wear them for special occasions, party’s or simply how I feel. But if I have to chose my absolute favorite is China Glaze nail lacquer polish twinkle lights let it snow holiday 2011 every time I put on it on I feel the joy, have a great day.
From your humble follower,
Maria Saldana
Hey Maria Saldana!
WOW – THANK YOU! 😀 Can you see me grinning from ear to ear all the way over there? Well, I am!
What you said means the world to me, and I’m so honoured to have been there for you on your nail-art journey. 🙂 Hope you continue to express yourself creatively and have lots of fun along the way.
The best manicure I’ve ever worn, can not be narrowed down to one for me. This is because my absolute favorite is the entire Muppet Collection…They each have their own.unique perfect qualities. Therefor… I would have to say. The best manicure I’be ever worn, would be a MUPPET MANICURE : )
Hey Trish Jones!
Hehe, that collection was awesome, although lots of people seemed to either love it or hate it. I had fun with all the chunky glitter, and Warm & Fozzie was the big pleasant surprise! 🙂
My most recent fave manicure was Quo by Orly’s ‘Turquoise Moonlight’… I couldn’t stop staring at my nails! My Hun Bun loved it too!
Awesome giveaway and I love your blog!
Hey Harmony B!
Aww…cute – I love how you use the name Hun Bun! 😀 Sweet!
Thank you, and good luck in the draw! 🙂
The very best manicure I ever wore, was one I did all by myself, to make me feel special and good about myself at a time I really needed a mood boost, It was china glaze “For Audrey” About 2 good layered coats, loads of drying time, and a matching top. Everyone drooled over the classic pastel color, and I felt so super good about myself for days.
Hey Becky Lucas!
That is a stunning colour. 🙂 It looks fabulous on everyone I’ve seen who sports it.
I cannot wait for this collection to be released! What a great contest!
As for my favorite manicure… I’d probably have to go with one i did last summer, it used china glaze neons in ‘In the lime light’, ‘Celtic sun’, and ‘rose among thorns’ and added a little bit of a comic book/ pop-art design. Everyone at work loved it!
Hey Valentine!
Judging from the colours alone, I can already tell that your manicure was poppin’! Love it!
My favorite manicure was China Glaze Emerald Sparkled! I have 3 bottles!!
Promise recently posted: China Glaze Solar Power
Hey Promise!
Wow, 3 bottles! Lucky you! It truly is worthy of a back-up, indeed.
Hi Mary! 🙂 This is so sweet of you. 🙂 my fave mani I’ve worn would have to beeeeeeee well anything holo. Need I say why? haha and Ozotic 528 Glitter duo Yes please. 😀 Thank you and China glaze for this. 🙂 my fingers are crossing haaaarrrrrrrrrd. haha good luck to everyone. 🙂
Hey MissMidnightBlue!
China Glaze was so generous to sponsor this, and I felt good to be able to offer something so big to my amazing readers. 🙂
Ozotic anything has me drooling. Big time!
1. I really love your site. I check it every other day or so and your posts are always fun. 🙂
2. The best manicure I ever wore would probably be the super blue Swimsuit… Nailed It with a couple of layers of Rainbow Connection on top. I wore it for New Year’s and blinded half the people at the party, and then it stayed on solidly for another week and a half! Removal was a pain, but it was so very worth it.
Hey Arwen!
Thank you so much – I’m really flattered that you visit as often as you do, and I’m glad that you’re enjoying it.
I always get comments on my nails whenever I do Ruffians. But now that flakies are easy to get, I’ve been wearing them nonstop. A recent favorite was a base of Essie Sexy Divide, followed by Orly Fowl Play, and finally Finger Paints Twisted. They worked really well together.
Hey Lori!
I love Ruffian manicures, too. I keep seeing them (and drooling over them) on others, but still haven’t tried it yet.
Hey there! Awesome giveaway. I’d say my favourite manicure would be using Deborah Lippmann – Across The Universe. It’s a beautiful colour.
Hey Jen!
Great choice – I could never get sick of that polish!
I’ll never forget my birthday manicure last year…I was planning a party to celebrate and I was so stressed — phone calls from guests, arranging food and beverages, last-minute cleaning — and I really needed a pick-me-up. That day, I bought Color Club Mrs. Robinson, a neon magenta creme that dries semi-matte. The color was so juicy and vivid, it was just the boost I needed!
It’s still one of my favorite polishes to wear over the course of a week — when it chips a bit, I just add a French tip in gray or black.
Hey Melanie!
Aww…you shouldn’t have felt so stressed out on your birthday! But I’m glad that you were able to get the pick-me-up you needed. 🙂 Nail polish is awesome like that, isn’t it? Colour therapy in a bottle – it’s like magic!
My favorite manicure has to be butterLondon’s The Black Knight. I got SO many compliments when I wore this color. Amazing. 😀
Hey Carolina!
That’s such a unique colour! Stunning!
My favorite manicure that I have done was a month ago the girls hockey team that I coach had a big tournament coming up so I painted my nails orange and added all of my players numbers to my nails. I have 13 girls on my team so I had to squeeze 2 numbers per nail on 6 nails and one nail had 3. I then added “Go Tigers” on my one thumb paw prints on the other and tiger stripes on both pinkie nails. I topped it off with a flakie top coat. They looked stunning and was a hit with the team. The girls know that I do my nails all the time so every time we have practice they always ask to see my nails. It is fun because they get excited to show me there nails as well and try to replicate the different designs that I do and have done. It is so cool to see young girls so eager and excited about doing nails as I am.
Hey Stephanie!
Now that’s what I call having team spirit – good for you! 😀 And I’m glad that you were able to share your nail enthusiasm with others. That’s the best because it’s no fun when you just keep it to yourself.
My favorite manicure has to be a-england Tristam. Such a gorgeous shade with scattered holo that always gets me nothing but compliments.
Becky recently posted: Tied Up and Twisted
Hey Becky!
Lots of people have been raving about Tristam! 🙂 A-England is a brand that I need to try once my budget allows for some splurging. 🙂
I’ve only recently gotten into doing nail art but I really like the one
I just took off. It was dark plum with little coppery triangles pointing down to the end of the nail. It was so classy!
Hey Taylor!
The nail art you did sounds really interesting. If you took any pictures of it, please feel free to post them on my Facebook wall! 🙂
The best manicure i’ve ever wore is a water marble. A rainbow one to be exact! I took 5 neon colors and marbled them! It looked so awesome and these colors would look even more amazing as a water marble!
Hey Skylyn!
Sounds amazing and very cheerful! 🙂
Recently i wore China Glaze Shower Together (deep blue-teal) with OPI Rainbow Connection (rainbow confetti from the Muppets collection) on top and it was soooo fun, colorful and flashy! it was a confetti party on my nails and i loved it. =)
Hey Marcela!
Gotta love Rainbow Connection for turning a manicure into a party! 😀
The best mani I’ve worn in recent memory was my mani this weekend! I had Hot Ticket’s “I like my coffee matte and black” as a base. It’s a gorgeous velvety matte black, but I wouldn’t call it a true matte. On top, I had a line of three relatively large silver dots in Sally Hansen’s “Celeb City.” This is one of my favourite silvers because of how vibrant and opaque it is. Together, they made for my classiest manicure ever and I loved it. I might redo it for the week because it chipped quickly, being a matte polish.
I really hope I get the collection as my friend has been eyeing Aquadelic for a long time and I’d love to gift it to her!
Hey Nika!
I love the contrast your manicure had – very cool!
Good luck in the draw! 😀
A fun way to keep mattes (or other polishes) from chipping is to sandwich them- do your typical base coat, a coat of your polish of choice, your top coat (like Seche Vite), and then another coat of your polish of choice.
That way, you get the protection of your topcoat without sacrificing the matte or holo beauty!
Laynie recently posted: Another way to do a sponged gradient!
Hey there! I have a great Mani to tell you about! I left the base of my nails with a clear base-coat and the used OPI DS Extravagance to make this cool flamey/grassy design that went about half-way up my nail! It looked super cool and everyone loved it! Awesome giveaway!
Hey Nino!
OPI DS Extravagance is an amazing scattered holo – I love it so much! Your ‘flame’ design sounds really fun! Thanks for sharing. 🙂
Well I love all my manicures because it is the time that my auntie and i spend together just talking and hanging out. But if i had to pick one I would say that it is white with some pink hearts on it. She said every time i look at my nails i will know how much she will always love me. I would love to win these to share with her because even when she had cancer she still fought for the strenght for us to do our nails.
That’s so sweet how you do your manicures with your aunt! 🙂 Sounds like you have a lot of fun, quality time. Great memories are built on that.
My favorite manicure is one I got for being a bridesmaid for my friend’s Indian-wedding/reception. I wore a sari that had a shimmery duo fabric and the polish matched it, it was an aqua/blue color (I don’t remember what it was called though!).
Hey Lisa B.!
Aquas are some of the prettiest shades that look great on so many people. 🙂
China Glaze Ruby Pumps – beautiful, sparkly, and lasted forever. Love it!
Hey Lydia!
Ahhh, yesss! 🙂 Classic glittery red. I love it, too!
I did a pink ombre manicure I really liked recently. I ended up using polish I had just purchased (Revlon Candy and Essie Big Spender) and a couple polishes I’ve had since I was in middle school. Vintage!
These colors are fantastic and I’m on a crazy tight budget, so I’d looove to win! 🙂 Thanks so much for such a great opportunity!!
Hey Valerie K!
You’re very welcome. I’m glad that I could team up with China Glaze to give something spectacular back to one lucky reader. 🙂 My readers are the best!
I did a rainbow manicure using only creme bases(purple,blue,green,yellow and orange), and then painted on tiger stripes. Most notice and compliments I had ever gotten.
Otherwise, using flakie-polish over black polish with a matte topcoat is the bessssst. Especially green/blue 😀
Hey Jen!
I love the way the nail art you did sounds! 😀
I’m new to the wonderful world of manicures; I didn’t really start collecting polishes until last summer but I’ve become obsessed. I experiment with nail art a lot, but I think my favorite manicure is no-chip base, with a white ridge filler as a base coat, the white really helps the color pop, and then two coats of OPI’s Russian Navy. Such a brilliant blue with violet shimmer! Then a top coat, possibly with a hologram topcoat to add a little bit of sparkle!
Hey Kathy!
WELCOME to the wonderful (and addictive…hehehe) world of manicures! 😉 Be careful…because it only gets worse from here. Haha!
This is such an amazing giveaway. Thank you so much 🙂
Best mani ever… the first time I mattified Essie Shine of the Times. So. Beautiful.
Rachael recently posted: Kleancolor Teal Marble and Orly Rage
Hey Rachael!
No problem – it gives me great joy to be able to offer this kind of prize to a reader! 🙂 Good luck in the draw!
The best manicure I had was a teal polish with red polka dots all over with a dotting tool. It looked gorgeous! 🙂
Hey Shipra Taneja!
Polka-dot manicures are so cute! 🙂 And using a dotting tool is really a lot of fun, isn’t it? Sometimes it’s even as addictive as popping bubble wrap.
My fav manicure was when I did leopard print and added a rhinestone for so more funkiness. It was so adorable. And it made me fall in love with OPI Fly from the Nicki Minaj collection
Hey Khalilah!
Cool how you added some bling to the leopard print! 🙂 It’s those extra touches that really add that something special to your manicure and make it truly your own.
My favorite mani? I think that was my first glitter gradient, Lubu Heels over my first Zoya-Isla. The depth of color was amazing!
Great idea for a giveaway. Love all the answers everyone has given.
Hey Lizajane1776!
Me, too! It’s been a blast reading what everyone else has to say. I’m also glad that you’ve been enjoying their answers. I love how polish can bring people together.
I am the antithesis of all things girly except my favorite mani is the most pink sparkly thing ever…
OPI teenage dream over 2 coats of OPI princesses rule. 🙂
Hey Lauren W!
Wow – That sounds like a killer combo!
Ok, I’m not entering the giveaway (because I just won this collection from another blog) . I just wanted to chime in and say how AMAZING this collection is, and how I’ve done multiple manicures with it, and have several more planned! So much love for this collection!
Laynie recently posted: Another way to do a sponged gradient!
Hey Laynie!
LUCKY YOU! (Okay, I’ll make a note not to include you in this giveaway.)
Which is your favourite colour from the collection?
So many to choose from, but one of my favorites was Zoya Jo with Sally Hansen Hidden Treasure over it 🙂 Thanks for the chance!
Brooke S. recently posted: Illamasqua Taint, Sephora Sale…
Hey Brooke S.!
You’re very welcome – best of luck in the draw! 🙂 We’re quickly approaching the end of the giveaway. I can’t wait to announce the winner.
I’ve had so many manis that it’s hard to really say. I did really like zoya Bevin that I wore recently.
Hey fishgirl182!
I’m curious – do you call yourself fishgirl because you love to swim or because you like to eat fish?
Wow, I’m a new follower but what a fantastic giveaway! I think my favorite mani I ever wore was my most recent New Year’s mani: China Glaze Frostbite, topped with Essie Shine Of The Times, then mattified. It looked like flecked blue glass. It was sooo pretty!
Thank you so much for the giveaway and your fantastic swatches. 😀
Hey Ellen!
Welcome! I’m always happy to see new followers. 🙂 Hope you’ll stop by Swatch And Learn again. I update daily so there’s always fresh content.
I wouldn’t say I’ve had a favorite because of my luv 4 polish but, I would say I have had many that I liked more than others. The one that comes to mind right now is the polish I wore on New Yrs Eve. It was Sugar Plum Fairy by Color Club.
Hey KARINA!
I understand – it can be so difficult to choose a favourite when there are so many awesome colours on the market. 😉
I’m not sure what my absolute favorite is, but I really loved OPI La Boheme over OPI Diva of Geneva. My fiance gave me my bottle of La Boheme, so it makes it even more special to me 🙂
Hey Lisa!
That was very sweet of your fiance!
I had a great one a few months ago with OPI’s Houston We Have a Purple. It stayed on forever and just looked great!
Hey Meg S!
Jelly-finish polishes are so shiny – love them!
My favourite manicure? That is almost like asking which one of my children I love the most… lol jkjkjk
I would probably have to say that I really enjoyed the konadicure that I did with Models Own Dusty Mauve… I enjoyed the colours and the subtle stamping 😀
But part of the reason I like blogging is because it encourages/forces me to showcase new looks every time which means that I keep trying new manicures and enjoy each one for the duration that I have it on my nails 😀
This giveaway is soooo fun! I don’t have many vibrant pastels… this would be perfect! Thanks for hosting it 😀
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Hey Marta!
Yes, it is hard, isn’t it? So, which child is your favourite? Hahahahhaa! Just kidding.
Man! My favorite manicure?!? I love wearing Essie Tart deco with a little cloud design on the ring finger (I learned how to create the cloud after reading Nailside). Simple but fun.
Vee recently posted: I Can Transform Ya! feat OPI’s The "It" Color
Hey Vee!
Cloud designs are so cute!
I am a new nailphile, so as yet I don’t have a whole lot of manicures to choose from (I just recently received a couple hauls from Mr. UPS man and can’t stop staring at the bottles of nail happiness); so this shouldn’t be hard…
Well, I choose one from last month – it was Orly Fabfuschia. Not only is the color one of my lifelong favs, but it was also special because on a day when I was able to get out for fun, my husband OFFERED to take me to the mall to get nail color. So, wearing this color made me happy on many levels.
I am always one to go for bright and deep colors and would love to grow my collection with these lovelies, also to try china Glaze (yes, I am THAT new). Thanks to you and CG PR for offering the opportunity!
Hey Kim!
Hehe, I love that you’re a new nailphile. It’s always incredibly exciting, especially at the very beginning when you begin to build your collection. 🙂 Hehe, be careful – the pathway to polish is full of temptation! 😉
Best of luck in the giveaway!
I just love nail polishes and manicures. My favorite one is from many-many years ago (about 1995-1996). It was with nail polish by Revlon “Platinum Bronze” and it was amazing. I was asked everywhere what kind of nail polish it was – cashiers at the store, waitresses, ladies on the bus.
I just went to Sally’s beauty supply to check out China Glaze line and loved it. If I don’t win it – I am buying it!
Hey Olga Slavutsky!
You really must’ve rocked the heck out of that polish for EVERYONE to ask you about it! 😀
I don’t think I’ve heard about that one. Do you still have it? And do you have any photos of it?
Wow what a hard question. I think my recent favorite is my first holo mani! It was amazing! Light green with dark purple diagonal tips (both Glitter Gal). Very modern looking. Only wish i had more holo polishes! I’ve looked for these polishes everywhere and can’t find the ones i want. Hope I can win them!!
Hey Allison Geminder!
Nice combo – green and purple are my favourite colours! 🙂
Good luck in the draw!
I’m a new nailphile as well and just started collecting 😉 My favorite so far is “Sweet Dreams” by Lippmann. Just a beautiful flakey pink — although I find the formula tricky.
These China Glaze colors are awesome! Yet to own any brights 😀
Hey Lisa K-H!
Nice – how many bottles are you up to now? And do you remember the first polish that got you hooked? For me, it was OPI Louvre Me, Louvre Me Not from the France Collection. It was all ‘downhill’ from there. 😉
Mary – I just had a wonderful Louvre Me -Louvre Me Not Manicure, I loved it! But I think one of my all time favourites is Baguette Me Not. Which I have been trying to hunt down for a year!
Any comparables for that one? Thanks!
MJ
My favorite would have to be a recent one… A pretty glitter gradient with Revlon Blue Mosaic on Milani Cyberspace and Claire’s Twinkle, Twinkle. Yum!
Sarah at Starlight Radiance recently posted: New to Me Nail Blogs! [Volume 2]
Hey Sarah at Starlight Radiance!
Gorgeous! 😀 I love how you combined more than 2 polishes.
I did a really fun one for Valentine’s Day. Pale pink polish with red hearts stamped on top. I had just gotten the stamping set and had a lot of fun trying it out!
Hey Joanne!
Your manicure sounds so sweet. 🙂 Can’t go wrong with red and pink for Valentine’s Day.
i got a ton of compliments on my cupcake nails i did not too long ago. by far my fave!
Hey ashley h!
You know, I think cupcake nails were the first freehand nail design I ever tried. 🙂 And I loved it!
I’ve had compliments on several. I really liked my red & black spirit fingers mani and my recent ChG QT with ManGlaze matte is murder tips.
Harri recently posted: Essence The Dawn Is Broken
Hey Harri!
I love that name – “Matte Is Murder”…hehe!
My best manicure is the one I am wearing right now! I layered wet nWild Black under Nicole by OPI’s My middle name is fabulous and then topped that with OPI’s Super Bass Shatter! It looks awesome!
Hey Mandy!
Very cool! I love when people combine more than 2 polishes and get so creative.
My fav manicure would have to be China Glaze Flip Flop Fantasy. The color always lifts myspirits when ever im feeling blaaaaa lol
Hey Jazzy!
I’m totally with you on that choice! I used to like China Glaze Pool Party a lot, but when I tried Flip Flop Fantasy, I fell in love with that even more. It’s the perfect neon that just makes you happy every time you wear it. 🙂
Probably my favorite thus far have been ‘galaxy nails’. Love it!
Hey Huong!
Very cool – I’ve always wanted to try my hand at it. Just need to find the time!
Hey Mary !
My favorite manicure would have to be one that my friend gave me .
I don’t even remember the colors but it was awesome .
Crap photo , took it with my microwave , but it’s a pic nonetheless .
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10150511857721389&l=8a684ce0f7
I miss it <3
– Candy .
Hey Candy!
So pretty! 😀 Thanks for sharing a picture of it.
Hehe, do you mean that you took the photo with your cell phone? 😉
I don’t know that I have a favorite as I am pretty new at being a mani-oholic. So, instead of picking a favorite, I did a new one today.
Polishes used :
Finger Paints – Avante Garde Green for the base
Pure Ice – Outrageous for the design
CND – Amethyst Sparkle for extra shimmer
The website link above is the pic of said mani, posted on my FB.
Good luck to everyone,
Happy Painting!
Geez, it didn’t link website …
here it is again, sorry
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=3019923211093&set=a.2793214423515.2123202.1053041701&type=3&theater
Hey Shannon Lynne!
Thanks for sharing the photo – lovely manicure! 🙂
The best mani i’ve ever wore was For Audrey by China Glaze something about that color gives me life and makes me smile every time i look down! 🙂
Hey Gabrielle!
That’s a great pick-me-up colour – bright yet classy! 🙂 Good pick!
OK…Mary told MariJo regarding the winner: “That person will go crazy”. Yup – so, so true. I have been floating somewhere between cloud 9 and the place where unicorns’ pee (hah, hah). Wow – so, immediately after responding to the bestest email I have received – EVER, I re-read all of everyone’s entries to this contest while squirming in my computer chair to music. I can not yet truly believe I won; like other new nailphiles like Lisa K-H, Ellen, Kathy, Jenny, Kammy and Mandy – I am beginning my polish collection too. Looking forward to having holidays, special occasions and time with family to cement my new addiction. I share the feeling that nail polish is colour therapy and love when there is a party on my nails. As Lizajane who enjoys everyone’s answers, I extend a Thank You to everyone for offering inspiration, and also for the guidance regarding ruffians, laser mani’s, skittles, flakies, gradients, marbles and combinations that expand our lovely little bottles’ potentials. I really want to see Kate’s “hypnotic spiral things”, I could picture Kelly & her nephew playing with Baby Blue nails, and I can’t imagine the injustice Lindsay suffered at job where her nail colors were limited. Happy Birthday to Kay and Sarah & Happy Anniversary to Kelly! So many people expressed gratitude for the opportunity to enter and MissMidnight Blue wished us all Good Luck. China Glaze offers us lots of fun polishes – and the chance for us to be kids again with the Muppets and Wizard of Oz. I hope that Bethany has uncrossed her fingers (they’ve got to be sore by now), that Elisa’s brain explosion didn’t affect her ability to paint her nails, and that the Lacquered Lady’s jaw is feeling better. 🙂 I have clicked on everybody’s links, started a wish list with beauties mentioned and am looking forward for Penguins to give me Happy Nails. Mary – you are truly a special person/blogger. You reply to everyone, you share that you drool on your keyboard over nailpolish, you have many humble followers like Maria Saldana and as Heather said, quite correctly and simply: YOU ROCK!!!!!
Thank you very much! Kim
Hey Kim!
You truly are the sweetest and most gracious giveaway winner! 😀 It makes me incredibly happy because your comment was just GLOWING! 🙂 I can tell that you’re over the moon, and that makes me feel good. I loved having this opportunity to bring a huge smile to one of my blog readers, and I appreciate how you are very grateful. 🙂
That was so nice of you to go back and read everyone comments, too. 🙂 Thanks for engaging with all of us, and for having such kind things to say about this blog and about the community.
You are very welcome, and I hope that you’ll stop by again soon and interact with us all. I love hearing what my readers have to say! 🙂
Hey Kim thanks for mentioning me I’m also starting my nail polish collection but I’m getting there. Glad you won a bit jealous but who wouldn’t be right, those are awesome polish collection enjoy. And yeah Mary always responds to everyones comments that’s one of the many things I love about her.
Cookies & Fun times,
Maria Saldana
Hehe, I love that “Cookies & Fun times”. 😀
Thank you so much! I love my readers, too!