Essie Silk Watercolor Mini Set Review!

I picked up this Essie Silk Watercolor mini set at Ulta the other day. 

There was also another set with three different colors (plus the same white base) and I have decided to get just this one. After trying these out, I really wish that I have gotten the other one as well. I'm kicking myself for not getting the other. I'm pretty sure the other one is gone by now because there were only one each at the store. And I've been looking around in other places but I can never find it...

UPDATE* After I wrote up this post, I did go back to Ulta and to my surprise!!!, they still had the other set!!!!! I couldn't believe it! REALLY! What minuscule chance do you think you have to be able to get this last set by going back for it over a week later!!! More story on my next post!

My set consists of 3 colors, Highest Bidder, Point of Blue, Pen & Inky, as well as white base color, White Page. There is an instruction on the back of the box for this look and I did my nails just as the instruction says except I painted a couple of nails with Essie Salt Water Happy. 

I really like the consistency of these. They are not too sticky and apply very easily. I can't wait to use these colors for leadlight stamping!

I loved using OPI Sheer Tints but they started to get thick and stringy. I'm pretty sure I can just add polish thinner to bring back the better consistency though. Meanwhile, these watercolor polishes are perfect as they are. 

Have you tried these yet? Which color did you get?

Love,

Little Dot

Confessions of a Shopaholic!?

I have been pretty good for the majority of summer. But as September rolled in, I was out of control! I blame it on all sorts of emails I get about sale this and that... There were just so many good deals to ignore!!! So here I am... a shopaholic!

These are some (not all...) of my recent purchases...

Lots of nail stamping plates... Bundle Monster, Messy Mansion, and Lily Anna

Beautiful nail files from Mont Bleu!

Essie Silk Watercolor mini sets!

China Glaze Happy Campers mini set!

I will be reviewing these items in coming weeks. So expect lots of review posts!?

Happy shopping :)

Love,

Little Dot

OPI It's a Piazza Cake & I Cannoli Wear OPI

Is it Fall now?? It's hard to determine the seasons these days weather wise... I guess you kind of see the fashion changes into Fall colors. Well, I was looking through Fall season nail polish collections but somehow I wasn't excited about any colors. I don't know... I didn't particularly feel anything unique or new. They all looked like one color or another that I already own. The only two I picked up from OPI Venice collection are It's a Piazza Cake and I Cannoli Wear OPI.

It's a Piazza Cake is rather unique to me. I don't have any color like this. As the name suggests, it looks like pizza sauce color!! 

I actually like this color a lot. It's definitely not red. Nice Fall season color. 

I Cannoli Wear OPI is a bit greyish white. Maybe not very special but I hear it's a bit like OPI My Boyfriend Scales Walls, which I don't own. So, I got this. Good coverage and great for background for nail art. 

For this look, I first painted my nails with OPI It's a Piazza Cake (orange red) and I Cannoli Wear OPI (grey white). I used designs from Bundle Monster Shangri-La plate BM-S102 for stamping, using Konad Black Pearl stamping polish. 

I like how the tribal looking design compliments the orange red color! 

I don't know if I will be buying any other colors from this collection or not. But so far, I'm happy with my picks! Which color caught your eyes from OPI Venice collection?

Love,

Little Dot

Last Day of September...

It is an unusual post in the mid-week but I wanted to post a few more nail designs I did this summer. The last day of September is the good time for it because October sounds so Fall season...

For this look, I first painted my nails with China Glaze History of the World (navy). I used Messy Mansion Leadlight Lacquer plate A03. 

For this look, I first painted my nails with Essie Suite Retreat (blue) and Essie Navigate Her (pale green). I used a design from Bundle Monster plate BM-017 for stamping. 

For this look, I first painted my nails with China Glaze History of the World (navy) and OPI That's Hula-rious! (pale green). For stamping, I used Bundle Monster BM-711, using History of the World as stamping polish. For thumb, I used Nubar Spotlight (yellow) to color in the pineapple design. I added little red dots in the end but maybe that was a bit too much. I wish I have taken some pictures before I added the dots...

So here you have them! My last bits of summer nails!

Love,

Little Dot

Blue and Brown!

Before summer ends, I am rushing to post a few summer looks! 

When I first painted my nails with these two colors (blue and brown), my beloved daughter said, "Mmm... I don't know if I like those colors together..." But I had a vision! By using direct decal method, I added white into the color mix and all of the sudden, it looked wonderful!

For this look, I first painted my nails with Essie Suite Retreat (blue) and Essie Cocoa Karma (light brown). I used direct decal method to stamp the design from Bundle Monster plate BM-402. I used Essie Suite Retreat, Cocoa Karma, and Sally Hansen Ivory Skull to fill in the design before stamping. 

The middle finger of my left hand was the result of an accidental design. When I stamped the decal, the lower half didn't transfer well. I carefully removed the not-so-perfect lower half and I actually liked the end result very much! 

I really liked this design and got quite a few compliments!

I will try to stick in another post on summer nails next week before the season changes!

Love,

Little Dot

Summer Is Ending?!

Oh no! Is summer almost over?? I refuse to think that! I don't know about you but I feel like we didn't really get decent summer this year. I was waiting for nice hot summer days. I planted seeds and small vegetable plants and I was waiting for them to get big during summer growing season... Well, it didn't happen! My lettuce never grew into any harvestable size. My herb plants are like miniatures except my big bush of sage and oregano, which always pops up everywhere in my yard... I don't like summer to go yet but I started to see changing colors of leaves here and there!!! Well... I have quite a few summer nails I did in the last little while that I haven't blogged yet. I hope I can squeeze them in before winter... That's depressing...

This is one of the looks I did this summer. And I liked it a lot because it matched a lot of my outfits. (I guess I have a lot of blue clothes??) 

Here with one of my shorts!

And here with one of my skirts!

For this look, I first painted my nails with China Glaze History of the World (smoky navy). For the accent nails, I tried marbled effect by mixing China Glaze Boho Blues (light blue) and History of the World together and use a stamper to lightly dabbed on nails. I used a few designs from Bundle Monster plate BM-404 and Konad white for stamping. 

I really enjoyed this look for summer! 

I will post the remaining summer nails for the next few weeks and I really hope I can get a little more summer days this month...

Love,

Little Dot

Green Leaves

I wanted to do some light refreshing nail designs! I got my inspiration from a pair of shorts I bought this summer with tropical green leaf design.

I love this pale green color of Essie Absolutely Shore! Such subtle lovely color!!

For this look, I first painted my nails with Essie Absolutely Shore (pale green). I stamped a design from MoYou London Explorer Collection 23, using Essie Vested Interest as stamping polish. 

Isn't it refreshing looking??

Sometimes, less is more. This tone on tone look is exactly what I was aiming for. Simple things are good!

Do you enjoy simple designs sometime?

Love,

Little Dot