Nude Mani with a Twist!

"work appropriate mani"...I always try to consider this when choosing what I will do next with my manicure.  Luckily, I work with kids and the environment is a little more casual.  Regardless, most of the time I can't just do a neutral and be excited about it (unless it is essie Marshmallow, my all time favorite).  Enter, the nude manicure with a little bling!

it was hard to capture the sparkle with my iPhone, but it really does sparkle in the sun!       

For this look I used essie Sand Tropez (an opaque nude cream) and Deborah Lippmann (DL) Diamonds and Pearls (iridescent fresh water pearl shimmer).  I started with the DL Rehydrating base coat, followed by two thin coats of Sand Tropez, then one coat of Diamonds and Pearls, and ended with Julep Freedom Polymer Top Coat.  Really easy mani, and great results!  If you want to add even more sparkle, another coat of the Diamonds and Pearls is a good idea.

Now...for a little info on the Julep Freedom Polymer top coat:

AMAZING.

It dries FAST, and I mean really fast.  It has a high gloss finish and it definitely masks any imperfections you might have before the top coat.  It also claims to make your mani last longer.  This is my first time trying it, so I will have to keep you posted on that.  It is a rather thick formula, so I hope that it does not get too unmanageable the more that I use it, only time will tell. 

happy hump day!

love,

B