2015 Favorites

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• CND: Stickey Base Coat. Ever since I started using this base coat I have been so happy with it that I've used it exclusively all year long and when it came time to get a new bottle there was just no question----I was re-purchasing. It is very effective at anchoring the polish to the nail and my manicures will generally last a full week without chipping or anything more than a little tip wear (part of the longevity is also due to my top coat, which I will discuss next). It truly does have a bit of a tacky/"sticky" finish, but that does not hamper the application of the polish on top in any way, nor does the green color of the product affect the color of your polish. It's a terrific base coat and I highly recommend it! Here is a link to find it on Amazon. It comes in 0.33oz or 2.3oz; I started with the smaller bottle but when I re-ordered I went with the larger size. 

Stickey Base Coat (2.3oz), CND

• Glisten & Glow: Quick Dry Top Coat. This is another product that I have used religiously since getting and I have been very happy with. A lot of people talk about this top coat being the best ever, and for good reason. I used to use Seche Vite, and it was great for a while, but then I experienced all of the things that people said would happen: It thickened up, shrunk my polish, dragged over nail art, etc. I wound up buying Seche Restore, which certainly does help, but once I found the Glisten & Glow top coat I pretty much never used Seche Vite again. It's just a workhorse top coat that doesn't have the problems Seche Vite has, plus I feel like it dries and hardens down a little bit faster, too. I wish Glisten & Glow had more sales and free shipping offers, but since they are just a small business I certainly understand. I also really want to try one of their nail & cuticle balms at some point too, I've heard really good things about them as well. Here is a link to their website. I think this top coat is something every nail polish lover should try, at least once. 

The Glisten & Glow Quick Dry Top Coat (formerly called HK Girl)

• Burt's Bees: Lemon Butter Cuticle Cream. I've tried a quite a few cuticle products this year, but if I were to pick one item I was especially impressed with in 2015 I'd have to give it to the Burt's Bees Lemon Butter Cuticle Cream. I definitely enjoy cuticle creams & balms and this one does a really terrific job of softening and hydrating the skin. Plus it has a gorgeous lemon scent that I just can't get enough of. Sometimes I open the little canister just to get a whiff of it, haha. This is the sort of product that I will use after work, when I'm just sort of just relaxing at home watching TV or something. I originally purchased it thinking it would be something I would keep in my purse and use on the go when necessary, but it's a little bit too rich for that. For me it's best used when I can slather my cuticles in it and just let it set for a while. In the 8 months that I've had this product I've used about 75% of it and once it's gone I will definitely re-purchase it again. I buy mine at Target, here's a link.

Lemon Butter Cuticle Cream, Burt's Bees

• Essie: Van D'Go. Oh, my darling Van D'Go... There's just something about you that makes my little heart flutter. It's just so damn pretty in all of its peachy-pink deliciousness! When I found this at TJ Maxx I'm pretty sure I did a funny little happy dance right there in the store because I had been wanting it and (as usual) I didn't want to pay full price, and then it was just THERE---looking all gorgeous and nearly half-price. It made my day. I really don't have enough words to express how much I love this color. Van D'Go has my heart. Here's a link to buy it on Amazon. 

Van D'Go, Essie

• Essie: Romper Room. It's your quintessential pastel pink and I just never, ever get tired of baby pinks! I chose this one over Fiji because of the formula---it's not the best formula ever, but between the two my bottle of Romper Room won. It's just a hair more white than Fiji and less of a struggle. You certainly don't need both. Romper Room for the win!

Romper Room, Essie

• Essie: Flowerista. The namesake of the Essie Spring 2015 collection, Flowerista grew on me so much that it went from being a "nice" polish to one of my favorites of the year. The formula is great, which for me adds to its high rating. It's a polish that I can grab knowing application will be a breeze, which I appreciate. And the color is just stunning. I like it in the Spring and the Fall, it's just fabulous!

Flowerista, Essie

• Essie: Bikini So Teeny. I feel like Bikini So Teeny is one of the most recognized and beloved Essie shades of all time, and for good reason... It's a beautiful color! It was one of the first Essie polishes I lusted after and I was so excited when I finally got it. If you don't own this polish you should (although Sally Hansen's Babe Blue is serious dupe. Here's a link to one of my previous posts that has a comparison between the two polishes). But I will never stop adoring this color, it's a real must-have item for all nail polish lovers. 

Bikini So Teeny, Essie

• Essie: Under the Twilight. This polish was a surprise love this year. I wound up buying the entire 2014 Resort collection on eBay for a killer deal and I didn't actually put this one on for almost the entire year. When I did I was shocked at how great it was. The color is the most beautiful deep, inky plum shade and the formula is TERRIFIC. You can even get away with one coat. I just love dark, vampy nail polish colors and this one is certainly no exception. It's another one of those star-performer polishes that you can grab in a hurry and rely on it being easy to apply and a great shade. I am obsessed with Under the Twilight and I HIGHLY recommend it!

Under the Twilight, Essie

• Essie: Go Ginza. This is another polish that I was on the lookout for and was super excited to find bottle of it at a local swap meet for only $3. I really need to go back to that swap meet because the booth I found Go Ginza at actually did have a bunch of other Essie polishes and at $3 a pop, that's too great a deal to pass up! But back to this color... I have a weakness for pastels and Go Ginza does not disappoint. The formula is just okay, but I don't even care.... It's so pretty, I just love it!

Go Ginza, Essie

• OPI: On the Same Paige. 2015 was the year that I realized how superior OPI formulas are. I was on the lookout for a red polish with orange undertones and this polish came my way thanks to a coworker and it was exactly what I was looking for. Another great formula, great color, and very Fall appropriate. Note: It picks a little more orange on camera than it is in person. 

On the Same Paige, OPI

• China Glaze: First Mate. Sigh... this polish! The color is STUNNING. the formula is STUNNING. I never used to like blue polishes on myself except for pastels, but that all changed with First Mate. I was so impressed with this nail polish this year that I just had to include it. You know how they say some polishes are a "joy to apply?" Well this is one of them. I know that colors like this have a tendency to stain, but for me, with this one, it's not so bad. I am OBSESSED with this nail polish and (here's a little secret) it's one of the only two China Glaze polishes in my collection. Obviously I need to explore this brand more!

First Mate, China Glaze

• Julie G: Cabana Boy. Obsession, thy name is Cabana Boy. What more do I need to say about this color other than "just look at it!" It's a stunner! I have never owned a bottle of the infamous original version of Sally Hansen's Pacific Blue, but from what I've read online this is a good substitute. The formula rocks, the color rocks, what more could you possibly want in a nail polish? 

Cabana Boy, Julie G

• OPI: Steady As She Rose. I discovered just how much I love neutrals this year and OPI's Steady As She Rose was a big part of that. It's just such a cool shade: nude with a splash of gray and lavender. I absolutely love wearing it. I also own Don't Bossa Nova Me Around, but the color and formula of Steady As She Rose is better, in my opinion. I just love having staple neutrals that you can wear with any outfit or occasion and this one is one of my top favorites. 

Steady As She Rose, OPI

• OPI: Bubble Bath. This, my friends, is my top nail polish pick of the year! I had heard of Bubble Bath as being a sort of an OPI cult classic before, but I never looked too much into it to be honest. And then when I got a really great coupon to use on HSN.com I decided to order it and holy crap I think I have a new favorite nail polish OF ALL TIME. It's a very clean, feminine, super pale pink that will go with anything, plus it has a jelly formula so when it's on the nail is has that cool squishy look to it. It's stunning and very classy. And for being such a sheer polish the formula is actually really good, which definitely surprised me. I did three coats for the pictures below, but for me it wasn't a big deal because the coats go on so evenly and it dries so fast that it was painless. I can't say enough about this nail polish---I think it's something that everyone can use in their collection and I highly, HIGHLY recommend it! I am officially in love with Bubble Bath and at this point in time can't even imagine a polish better than this one. ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ Here's a link to buy it on Amazon. 

Bubble Bath, OPI

Bubble Bath, OPI