Dupes: Essie "Ballet Slippers" vs. Essie "Ballet Sneakers"

Hi guys and happy Monday!  Today's post is a comparison of Essie's "Ballet Slippers" and "Ballet Sneakers."  Essie recently launched a collection where they re-did several of their most popular polishes with a twist.  In this case "Ballet Slippers" is the original and "Ballet Sneakers" is the redo.  I was curious how alike/different these polishes are.  Here's how they look in the bottle:

"Ballet Slippers" and "Ballet Sneakers" are both pastel pink cremes.  The formula of both nail polishes are very similar - both are good and applied easily to my nails.  "Ballet Slippers" is far less pink, almost a neutral cream color while "Ballet Sneakers" is a traditional baby pink.  Both required four coats to be even and smooth on the nail.  Here's how they compare up close:

Overall it is a toss up between Essie's "Ballet Slippers" and "Ballet Sneakers."  The original ("Ballet Slippers") is perfect for French tips but the newer version ("Ballet Sneakers") is such a pretty stand alone color.  I'll be keeping both in my collection!

Be sure to follow the blog on Instagram and Twitter @PerfPolished12.

China Glaze "Bring On The Bubbly"

Hello everyone and happy Sunday!  Sorry for the gap between posts - I had knee surgery and have been recovering.  Today's nail polish is China Glaze's "Bring On The Bubbly."  Here's how this beauty looks in the bottle:

"Bring On The Bubbly" is a pretty gold and silver glitter in a clear base.  The glitter is all sorts of random sizes and the silver glitter is almost iridescent - it is so gorgeous!  The formula of "Bring On The Bubbly" is good and applied easily to my nails.  But like most glitters it is not meant to be opaque and can be worn over other polishes - is I decided to try it out!

I wore "Bring On The Bubbly" over Maniology's "Luna" to create a neutral but gorgeous glittery look!  This combination surprised me with how pretty it was - it made a statement but I could easily get away with this look in the office.  Look how pretty:

I can not even say how gorgeous this glitter is - look at it up close:

If you want to know more about Maniology "Luna" check out my post from earlier this year!

Overall I am really happy with China Glaze's "Bring On The Bubbly."  The gold and silver combo is so pretty and I cannot wait to try it out over more opaque polishes!

Be sure to follow the blog on Instagram and Twitter @PerfPolished12 to keep up with all the nail polish adventures!

If you'd like to try "Bring On The Bubbly" yourself it can be bought on Amazon (affiliate link)

Love & Beauty "Red/White Glitter"

Hi all and happy Monday!  Today's nail polish is Love & Beauty's "Red/White Glitter."  This is a line of nail polish that is available at Forever 21 stores - I've had this one for ages so I'm not sure if they still carry it or not.  Here's how this glitter looks in the bottle:

"Red/White Glitter" is unsurprisingly a red and white glitter in a clear base.  The formula of this polish was thick, but that actually worked to its advantage because the glitter applied evenly to my nails.  As with all glitters in a clear base it is meant to be worn as a top coat - so I decided to test it out over a few colored polishes.

The first nail polish I tested with "Red/White Glitter" was Color Club "Meet Me At The Rink."  Honestly this combination is very pretty and perfect for 4th of July!  (Maybe next year we can actually celebrate!) Here's how pretty it looked:

Next I tested "Red/White Glitter" over OPI "Nice Set Of Pipes."  This combination is way more subdued - I'm not sure I really love how it turned out.  It was cute but I probably wouldn't try this look again:

The glitter in "Red/White Glitter" is very bright.  Look how gorgeous it is up close:

If you want to know more about Color Club "Meet Me At The Rink" or OPI "Nice Set Of Pipes" check out some of my previous posts!

Overall I am really impressed with Love & Beauty's "Red/White Glitter."  I love when a glitter applies evenly to my nails and the red and white color cane used for 4th of July or Christmas very easily.  This nail polish will be staying in my collection for a while to come!

Never miss out on all things nails by following the blog on Instagram and Twitter @PerfPolished12.

Essie "Surprise & Delight"

Hello all and happy Sunday!  Today's nail polish is Essie's "Surprise & Delight" from their Valentine's Day collection this year.  (Who else thinks Valentine's Day was 100 years ago?!)  Here's how this happy polish looks in the bottle:

"Surprise & Delight" is a gorgeous bright red shimmer that is absolutely beautiful on my nails!  The formula of this polish amazing and applied wonderfully to my nails.  After a single coat "Surprise & Delight" was completely opaque without any streak marks.  Though I did apply a second coat just because I could.  Here's how this shimmer looks up close:

Overall I am in love with Essie's "Surprise & Delight."  This red polish is perfect for year-round use and makes me happy every time I see it on my nails!  I will we wearing this polish a lot more often and plants pull it out next Valentine's Day!!

Make sure to follow the blog on Instagram and Twitter @PerfPolished12 to keep up with all things nails!

If you want to try this polish for yourself it can be purchased on Amazon (affiliate link)

Ciaté "Back To Black" Pearls

Hello guys and happy Wednesday!  Today's nail polish is Ciate's "Black To Black" pearls.  These are loose pearls that can be placed into any design on your nails.  This mini bottle came in one of Ciate's annual Advent calendars.  Here's how the pearls look into the bottle:

"Back To Black" pearls come in two sizes mixed into one bottle.  Since these are meant to be used in nail art I decided to create a polka dot design.  First I applied China Glaze's "Gold Mind Your Business" so my nails looked like this:

Next I applied a clear coat of polish and used a pair of tweezers to place the pearls on my nails in a random design.  Here's how the finished looked up close:

If you want to know more about China Glaze "Goal Mine Your Business" check out my post from earlier this year!

Overall Ciate's "Back To Black" pearls are a lot of fun - though highly impractical for daily use.  But I love the 3D look and will keep the pearls on hand for future nail art!

Maniology "Luna"

Hey all and happy Tuesday!  Today's nail polish is Maniology's "Luna" which came as part of one of their monthly Mani x Me boxes.  Here's how this pretty looks in the bottle:

"Luna" ia a very lovely light grey - like the surface of the moon.  The formula of this nail polish was great and it applied nicely to my nails.  After two coats, "Luna" was fully opaque and streak free.  Here's how this polish looks up close:

Overall I am in love with Maniology's "Luna."  Everything about this nail polish is perfect and it is a great all-year nail polish!  I can't wait to try it with a stamping plate!

Never miss out on all things nail polish by following the blog on Instagram and Twitter @PerfPolished12.

China Glaze "Gold Mind Your Business"

Hello all and happy Monday!  Sorry for the lack of posts - 2020 has thrown me a curve ball and I've been busy trying to take care of myself.  But without further ado, today's nail polish is China Glaze's "Gold Mind Your Business."  Here's how this polish looks in the bottle:

"Gold Mind Your Business" is not surprisingly a golden shimmer.  The formula of this nail polish is good and it applied well to my nails.  The polish is very sheer and it took four coats for "Gold Mind Your Business" to be opaque.  Here's how this shimmer looks up close:

Overall I like China Glaze's "Gold Mind Your Business."  The golden shimmer is really pretty and the formula is nice but I wish it didn't take so many coats to be opaque.  That being said this nail polish will remain in my collection for a longtime to come.

Never miss out on all the nail polish adventures by following the blog on Instagram and Twitter @PerfPolished12.

OPI "Nice Set Of Pipes"

Hey everyone and happy Sunday!  Last week slipped by without me posting - but I'm back and ready to go today!  So without further ado today's nail polish is OPI's "Nice Set Of Pipes" from their Scottish Collection.  Here's how this beauty looks in the bottle:

"Nice Set Of Pipes" is a really pretty dark purple creme.  The formula of this polish was slightly thick but I was able to apply it pretty well to my nails.  After two coats, "Nice Set Of Pipes" was fully opaque and streak free.  Here's how this purple looks like up close:

Overall I am pretty pleased with OPI's "Nice Set Of Pipes."  I love the color of this polish - it is perfect for Autumn and Winter.  It also looks good with all my work clothes.  I cannot wait to wear this nail polish a lot more often!

Be sure to follow the blog on Instagram and Twitter @PerfPolished12 to keep up with all the nail polish adventures!

Sinful Colors "Why Not?"

Hey everyone and happy Sunday!  I hope everyone in the United States is enjoying the long holiday weekend!  Today's nail polish is Sinful Colors "Why Not?"  This polish is a pretty Summertime color and I figured with Summer wrapping up it was the perfect time to pull it out.  Here's how it looks in the bottle:

"Why Not?" is a cerulean creme nail polish that I picked up at my local Wal-Mart.  The formula of this polish is really nice and it applied easily to my nails.  After two coats "Why Not?" was entirely opaque and had no visible streak marks.  Here's how this pretty looks up close:

Overall I like Sinful Colors "Why Not?"  This blue color is one of my favorites and with its great formula and affordable price you can't go wrong with this polish in your collection!

Follow along on Instagram and Twitter @PerfPolished12 to keep up with all the nail polish adventures!

Sally Hansen Insta Dri "Pina Colada"

Hello everyone and happy Monday!  Today's nail polish is Sally Hansen Insta Dri's "Pina Colada" which was part of a collaboration with Jelly Belly Jelly Beans.  Here's how this nail polish looks in the bottle:

"Pina Colada" is a bright yellow creme.  The formula of this polish was quite thick and goopy.  The polish did not apply well to my nail - the bottle has a very wide brush and I have narrow nails so the polish glopped on instead of going on in nice even layers.  After two coats "Pina Colada" was mostly opaque but with several visible streak marks.  Typically I would have applied a third coat to try and even out the streaks but the thick layers prevented that.  Here's how "Pina Colada" looked up close:

Overall I am disappointed with Sally Hansen Insta Dri's "Pina Colada."  The color is so pretty but everything else about this polish was a struggle for me.  I am always on the look out for yellow polishes but this particular yellow won't be staying in my collection.

Keep up with all things nails by following the blog on Instagram and Twitter @PerfPolished12.

Try out "Pina Colada" for yourself as it's available on Amazon (affiliate link)

Sephora by OPI "Wild About Shimmer"

Hey guys and happy Sunday!  Today's nail polish is Sephora by OPI's "Wild About Shimmer" which was part of limited edition set from QVC.  Sephora by OPI is a retired brand of polish that used to be carried at US Sephora stores.  Here is how "Wild About Shimmer" looks in the bottle:

"Wild About Shimmer" is unsurprisingly a glitter - a gold and iridescent glitter in a clear base.  The glitter is absolutely gorgeous and is perfect for Summer.  The formula of this nail polish is wonderful and applied evenly to my nails.

Since "Wild About Shimmer" has a clear base I wanted to try it over an opaque polish - so I selected Ellen Tracy's "Fire Engine Red."  This combination turned out amazing and looked like actual fire, especially when the gold glitter shone in the light.  Look how pretty my nails were:

To show you how gorgeous this glitter is here is how "Wild About Shimmer" looks up close:

If you want to know mote about Ellen Tracy's "Fire Engine Red" check out my previous post from earlier this year!

Overall I am in love with Sephora by OPI's "Wild About Shimmer" and I cannot wait to wear this nail polish again and again!  It's shame this brand has been retired because I would love to get my hands on other glitters from this brand.

Never miss out on all things nails by following the blog on Instagram and Twitter @PerfPolished12.

Mani x Me April 2020 Box

Hi all and happy Saturday!  Today's post features Maniology's Mani x Me's April 2020 subscription box.  This month's theme was corner cafe, which is adorable and perfect for my coffee loving self!  Each box includes 2 stamping polishes, 2 stamping plates, a surprise nail item and some delicious gummy candies.  Here are this month's nail polishes:

"Latte" and "Boba"

"Latte" and "Boba" are both pretty browns that are very versatile and can be used in a variety of stamped designs.  The first plate is MXM029 which has a bunch of cute food items!  Look at this adorableness:

The second stamping plate is MXM030 has tons of coffee bean and coffee cup designs which will be perfect for this Autumn!  How fun are these designs?

This month's surprise nail item was even coffee themed!  It is Coffee Butter Lip Balm, which smells like fresh made coffee and keeps my lips smooth and refreshed.  I also love that the item is vegan and produced locally to Maniology's site in Hawaii.

Overall I am thrilled, again, by Maniology's Mani x Me subscription box.  Every month I look forward the receiving my box and always receive quality items and have yet to get a double of anything!  I plan on keeping my subscription for a long time!

Follow the blog on Instagram and Twitter @PerfPolished12 to keep up with all things nails!

Mani x Me March 2020 Box

Hello guys and happy Friday!  Today's post features Maniology's Mani x Me's monthly subscription box for March 2020.  (I'm just a little late with it!)  This month's theme is Desert Rose and I am in love with it!  Here are this month's nail polishes:

"Indio" and "Gold Rush"

The first plate is MXM027 which features many full nail designs that are absolutely gorgeous!  I cannot wait to try these:

The second stamping plate is MXM028 which has a ton of cacti patterns!  I love cacti and this is one of my favorite plates I have ever gotten!  So cute:

This month's extra item is a book to help get your creative nail art designs flowing.  It is a cute little book!

Overall this is another fantastic Mani x Me Box!  This theme is stunning and it is the perfect box to start off Spring and Summer with.

Be sure to follow the blog on Instagram and Twitter @PerfPolished12 to keep up with all things nails!

China Glaze "The More The Berrier"

Hello all and happy Thursday!  Today was a bright sunny end of Summer day and I couldn't resist a shimmery polish!  So without further ado, today's nail polish is China Glaze's "The More The Berrier."  Here's how the polish looks in the bottle:

"The More The Berrier" is a gorgeous fuchsia with a golden shimmer.  The formula of this nail polish is amazing and it applied with ease to my nails.  After two coats "The More The Berrier" was entirely opaque and streak free.  Here's how this pretty looks up close:

Overall I am really pleased with China Glaze's "The More The Berrier."  Everything about this nail polish is perfect from the formula to the color!  I cannot wait to wear this polish again and again!

Be sure to follow the blog on Instagram and Twitter @PerfPolished12.

Try this destine beauty for yourself as it's available on Amazon (affiliate link)