Josie's Nails

Essie Da Bush & Shine of the Times

2012-02-26T17:56:00.000-05:00

This is a beautiful, subtle manicure that is perfect for spring. This is two coats of Essie Da Bush from the Resort 2011 Collection with one thin coat of Essie Shine of the Times. I have read that OPI Stranger Tides from the Pirates of the Caribbean collection is an exact dupe for Da Bush. Dull green is not normally something i am drawn to but I love this combination.

China Glaze Sweet Hook & Latticed Lilac

2012-02-12T15:01:00.000-05:00

I passed on the China Glaze Crackle Metals Collection when they first came out last summer but when i saw them on clearance at Sally Beauty Supply this weekend for $2.99 I did not want to pass them up. I picked up Latticed Lilac and Oxidized Aqua. For this manicure I used Latticed Lilac over China Glaze Sweet Hook from the new Electropop collection. I purchased Sweet Hook from Amazon with a free gift card from swagbucks.com. I am planning on purchasing several of the Electropop polishes with upcoming swagbucks giftcards :-) You can read more about swagbucks and things I have earned here.

If you click here to register for an account they'll start you off with 30 free Swag Bucks, and I will earn points for your registration. I hope you try it out!

Beautiful Nail Polish Jewelry

2012-02-07T19:06:00.000-05:00

I wanted to stop by quickly to post about this etsy shop. Alissa has a wide variety of nail polish jewelry, earrings, yarn wreaths and more! Her items are both beautiful and affordable :-)

Nail Polish Ring- Green with Iridescent Flakies

Nail Polish Vintage Style Hair Pins

Nail Polish Hair Clip- Pink Glitter

Spring/Valentine's Day/Nursery Yarn Wreath

Sparkle Earrings in Holographic

Peachy Keen & Lighthouse

2012-02-05T17:34:00.000-05:00

China Glaze Peachy Keen and China Glaze Lighthouse and both beautiful polishes alone but together they are extra special. I love this combination. This manicure is simple and is especially pretty in the sunlight. I am looking forward to wearing these polishes together for pedicures this summer :-)

If you would like to see Lighthouse over pink click here.
If you would like to see Lighthouse over black click here.
If you would like to see Lighthouse over blue click here.
If you would like to see Lighthouse over yellow click here.

Zoya Giveaway Winner!

2012-01-29T09:57:00.002-05:00

I have drawn and contacted the winner for my Zoya Giveaway by Hair Salon Pittsburgh. The winner is Monique from http://forever1992.blogspot.com/! Thank you everyone for the nice comments and for following my blog :)

Nail Polish Flower Earrings

2012-01-27T18:32:00.000-05:00

I combined two of my favorite loves- nail polish and jewelry! I recently added a whole new line of flower earrings to my Etsy Shop that were created with a few of my favorite polishes and top coats. If you are interested in similar earrings but in different colors let me know! I hope you find something you love :)

Rose Metallic Earrings made with Sally Hansens pink metallic pen

Orange Rose Earrings with Essie Shine Of The Times

Rose Metallic Earrings with Sally Hansens silver metallic pen

Pink Rose Earrings with China Glaze White Cap

Black Rose Earrings with China Glaze Snow Globe

Zoya Giveaway by Hair Salon Pittsburgh

2012-01-20T13:51:00.000-05:00

Giveaway time!! Today I have two great nail polishes from the Zoya Smoke and Mirrors collection, Anja and Jem, available for giveaway to one winner. Thanks to Verve 360 hair salon Pittsburgh for providing the prize!

There are 3 requirements for this giveaway:
You need be a follower of Josie's Nails.
Leave your email address in the comment.
Lastly comment on why you love Zoya, or why you want to try the Zoya polishes.

This contest is open to the continental US only.
Please leave your name, email address, and your comment below. One lucky winner will be drawn on January 28th, 2012 to win both Zoya Anja and Zoya Jem.

Thanks for entering!

Favorite Manicures 2011

2012-01-19T22:47:00.000-05:00

This post is a little late- but better late than never. Here are my top 5 favorite manicures from 2011 :-)

1.

Essie Splash of Grenadine & China Glaze Snow Globe

2012-01-06T17:02:00.000-05:00

Essie Splash of Grenadine is one of my favorite purple polishes. Tonight I used China Glaze Snow Globe as a top coat. Snow Glove is a beautiful polish with iridescent, multi-colored glitter pieces. I do not think I would use it alone but it is perfect for layering! I would highly recommend both of these polishes for this spring :-)

This manicure can be seen in my latest Etsy Shop listing. Please check it out, I hope you find something you love :-)

Essie Shine Of The Times With White

2012-01-02T18:20:00.000-05:00

I hope everyone had an amazing holiday! I wanted to stop by to post this quick and beautiful opal manicure. This is Essie's Shine Of The Times on top of Essie Blanc. Essie Shine Of The Times is a beautiful flaky glitter topcoat. It shifts in color from red to orange to green. It is similar to other shades like Nubar 2010 or Sally Hansen Hidden Treasure. This manicure is 2 coats of Blanc and one coat of Shine Of The Times.

Nibble Files Giveaway! Essie Shine Of The Times

2011-12-15T20:04:00.000-05:00

I just wanted to let everyone know that Alissa from Nibble Files is having an awesome giveaway. She is giving away one bottle of Essie's Shine Of The Times. If you would like to enter click here :-)

Good Luck!!

Glitter Giveaway Winner!

2011-12-13T16:45:00.000-05:00

I have drawn and contacted the winner for my 1000 follower glitter giveaway. The winner is Katielow! Thank you everyone for the nice comments and for following my blog :)

Magenta & Marry A Millionaire

2011-12-10T10:06:00.000-05:00

For this beautiful sparkly manicure I used two of my favorite China Glaze polishes. I began with one coat of China Glaze Electra Magenta, then added one thick coat of China Glaze Marry a Millionaire on top. This is probably one of my top 10 favorite manicures. I think the combination is stunning, and is especially pretty in the sunlight.

This manicure can be seen in my latest Etsy Shop listing. Please check it out, I hope you find something you love :-)

Layered: Pink & Green

2011-12-04T20:07:00.000-05:00

I purchased OPI Sit Under The Apple Tree last month on sale at Ulta. It is a beautiful, but VERY sheer lime green with shimmer. I wanted to find a use for this polish so I decided to try it for layering. Today I used two coats of Essie Pink Parka as a base, then one coat of Sit Under The Apple Tree on top. The lime green helped tone down the neon pink creating a beautiful manicure. I love the results!

I love Essie Pink Parka for layering because it dries so quickly. If you would like to see Pink Parka layered with White Cap click here, and if you would like to see it layered with China Glaze Lighthouse click here.

Nail Striping Tape 2 Ways

2011-11-27T11:24:00.001-05:00

I have recently been trying out Born Pretty striping tape for my manicures. I am pretty impressed with their striping tape. It comes in a dozen colors, for a very low price. The tape was flexible, which made it easy to place, and it was also easy to remove in case of error.

There really weren't any issues with using the tape except that the second manicure had some lifting at the free edge, but it was easily fixed by adding more top coat. I would also recommend getting a variety of colors for your manicures, the white tape is a little sheer. The polishes used for these two manicures were Essie French Affair, China Glaze White Cap, and China Glaze Merry Mistletoe.

*product sent by company PR for review*

French Affair & Born Pretty Dried Flowers

2011-11-22T20:53:00.000-05:00

For this manicure I started out with my two favorite polishes, Essie French Affair and China Glaze White Cap. French Affair is a lavender pink pastel creme from the Essie Spring 2011 collection. It is beautiful on its own, but every polish is prettier with China Glaze White Cap so I added a thin coat on top. For the finishing touch I added a dried flower from bornprettystore.com. I have previously reviewed the dried flowers here. A thin layer of Seche Vite on top sealed off the flower and finished off this simple, and beautiful mani.

Born Pretty Dried Flowers

2011-11-20T10:41:00.000-05:00

Born Pretty Dried Flowers are a fun unique way to create fast nail art. They come with twelve different styles of dried flowers in individual clear jars with screw-on lids. At first I was hesitant using these because I thought they would be too fragile. They were surprisingly easy to stick on.

Overall I am pretty impressed with this product, and it is an amazing deal for the set of flowers you get. You can purchase these flowers here for around $7. I will be posting more manicures with these dried flowers in the future :-) These photos were taken two days after application, and if you were wondering I used China Glaze Draped in Velvet, and China Glaze Snow Globe as a base.

*product sent by company PR for review*

Purple Panic & Excuse Moi!

2011-11-16T20:48:00.000-05:00

Excuse Moi! by OPI is pretty polish with a pink base and multi-colored glitter from the Muppets collection. It is a beautiful polish that could easily be opaque on its own in two coats. I love to layer, and I love bright pink polishes, so for this manicure I chose to use China Glaze Purple Panic as a base. Purple Panic is a fast drying neon pink polish. I have used it several times before in this manicure here and with my favorite polish, White Cap, here.

My 1000 Follower GLITTER Giveaway!

2011-11-10T15:50:00.000-05:00

I have surpassed 1000 followers :-) Thank you to all of my followers, this giveaway is to show you all my appreciation. I thought it would be fun to include all glitter polishes. Good luck!

China Glaze: Pom Pom, Snow Globe, Fairy Dust

Open internationally.

Closes October December 11 2011 - anywhere in the world.

The winner should have their polishes by Christmas!

The winner will be picked by random number generator. Please fill out the form below :-)

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OPI DS Signature & Flowers

2011-11-07T17:50:00.000-05:00

OPI DS Signature is a beautiful pink holographic polish. I wanted to use my Born Pretty flower stickers again but I did not have the patience to wait for layers of polish to dry so I chose DS Signature. It is opaque in one careful coat and dries very quickly. I am loving these flower stickers for fast, but beautiful manicures.

Flirty & Rainbow Connection & My Giveaway Winner!

2011-11-04T16:47:00.001-04:00

Orly Flirty is one of my favorite pink polishes. If you would like to see what it looks like under China Glaze White Cap please view my post here. Today I used OPI Rainbow Connection as a top coat instead of White Cap. I love using one coat of Rainbow Connection as a top coat. For the finishing touch I added a flower sticker from bornprettystore.com. I have previously reviewed these stickers here. It is a very bright and busy manicure that is perfect for the weekend :)

I apologize it has taken awhile to tally the votes and contact the winner for my 900 follower giveaway. The winner of my 900 follower giveaway was Sam G! I will start shopping for polishes for my next giveaway soon. Thank you everyone for the nice comments and for following my blog :)

Born Pretty Flower Stickers

2011-10-30T10:45:00.000-04:00

I was recently given the opportunity to review the Flower 3D Nail Art Tips Decals Stickers from www.bornprettystore.com. I have read amazing reviews about the Born Pretty Store and their products so I had high expectations. These nail stickers are amazing. I was afraid they would be thick and hard to handle, but they were easy to remove and stick on each finger with tweezers. The best part is you get 10 pieces with different flower designs, so there is a lot to choose from! If you would like to try these stickers out I highly recommend them, especially for their low price. These photos were taken three days after application, and if you were wondering I used Essie Dive Bar as a base. I will definitely post more manicures with these flower stickers in the future!

This manicure can be seen in my latest Etsy Shop listing. I have added several new long and short cowls to my shop. Please check it out, I hope you find something you love :-)

Zoya Roxy & FREE Rainbow Connection :-)

2011-10-22T20:27:00.000-04:00

I ordered OPI Rainbow Connection from Amazon this week using a $5 gift card I earned from swagbucks.com which made it almost FREE :) You can read more about swagbucks and things I have earned here.

If you click here to register for an account they'll start you off with 30 free Swag Bucks, and I will earn points for your registration. I hope you try it out!

For this quick manicure I used two layers of Zoya Roxy and added one layer of OPI Rainbow Connection on top. Roxy is gorgeous on its own but it is even more eye catching with Rainbow Connection. I think I will be using Rainbow Connection for my next couple of manicures.. as long as I do not get too frustrated with its removal ;-)

Essie Lady Like & White Cap

2011-10-16T21:21:00.000-04:00

I am back with another work appropriate manicure. I have dozens of pink polishes in my collection, and I can easily say that Essie Lady Like is unlike any of them. It is a dusty mauve pink. In my opinion it is the fall version of Essie French Affair. I would recommend this polish highly for fall. I added a little shimmer with a thin coat of China Glaze White Cap on top!

108 Degrees & White Cap

2011-10-10T19:09:00.001-04:00

China Glaze 108 Degrees and China Glaze White Cap are two of my favorite polishes. I am not sure why I never put these two together before. Although this manicure is very summery I love this combination. This manicure can be seen in my latest Etsy Shop listing. I have added several new cowls and scarfs to my shop. Please check it out, I hope you find something you love :-)

Knit Fuzzy Lace Cowl Pink/ White

Absolutely Shore & Silver Lining

2011-10-05T18:46:00.000-04:00

This is a manicure I did last month. It is simple, but sparkly, which is a great combination. For this mani I used two coats of Essie Absolutely Shore and one coat of China Glaze Silver Lining on top. Although it was a pain to remove I think it was definitely worth it. If you would like to see Absolutely Shore on its own you can view my post here.

DS Reserve & Fancy Fuchsia

2011-09-25T16:21:00.000-04:00

Now that I have started working full time I have had less time to write blog posts, and my manicures have become very boring. I wore this cute combination this weekend. OPI DS Reserve and Orly Fancy Fuchsia are two of my favorite pink polishes so I figured why not try them together. This is a neat holographic combination but it was hard to apply an even coat of DS Reserve. This is two coats of Fancu Fuchsia with one thin coat of DS Reserve on top.

My 900 Follower Giveaway!!

2011-09-18T20:25:00.001-04:00

I reached 900 followers :-) Thank you to all of my followers, this giveaway is to show you all my appreciation.

OPI: Flashbulb Fuchsia, I Lily Love You, Orly: Gumdrop, Snowcone, China Glaze: Pink Voltage, Summer Rain

Open internationally.

Closes October 30 2011 - anywhere in the world.

The winner will be picked by random number generator. Please fill out the form below :-)

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700 Follower Winner!

2011-09-13T17:47:00.000-04:00

I have drawn and contacted the winner for my 700 follower giveaway. These contests are taking longer and longer to tally up. The winner is Dianna B! I have now hit the 900 follower mark so I will hopefully have a new contest up and running soon. Thank you everyone for the nice comments and for following my blog :)

French Affair & CG In The City

2011-09-05T20:31:00.000-04:00

Essie French Affair is one of my favorite pink polishes. I wanted to spruce up my French Affair manicure, so I decided to use China Glaze CG In The City on an accent nail. CG In The City is pretty, but last time I used it as a full manicure it took almost an hour to remove. This manicure allows me to use CG In The City, without spending an hour removing it.

FREE Orly Flirty & White Cap

2011-08-30T19:07:00.002-04:00

I ordered Orly Flirty from Amazon last week with a FREE $5 gift card I earned on swagbucks.com. You can read more about swagbucks and things I have earned in my swagbucks label here. I love swagbucks almost as much as I love this manicure. Orly Flirty is easily one of my top five favorite pink polishes. Adding China Glaze White Cap on top makes it even more stunning. If you have not tried Orly Flirty or swagbucks out I highly recommend them both!

If you click here to register for an account they'll start you off with 30 free Swag Bucks, and I will earn points for your registration. I hope you try it out!

New Etsy Scarves

2011-08-28T16:42:00.001-04:00

I added three new scarves to my Etsy Shop. If you are interested in similar scarves but in different colors let me know! I would love it if you could check it out and leave me any advice or suggestions in the comments below! I hope you find something you love :)

Knit Lace Scarf Pink/White

Knit Lace Scarf White/Ivory

Knit Lace Scarf Aqua/Ivory

My Favorite Interview Manicure

2011-08-25T08:02:00.002-04:00

In the last month I have gone on a couple job interviews, and I tried a different manicure for each one. This mani was my final and favorite "interview manicure" because I got the job :) I used two of my favorite polishes, Essie French Affair (two coats), and OPI Princesses Rule (top coat). For your next job interview I would recommend these polishes, they might bring you good luck as well!

My Etsy Shop :)

2011-08-23T15:34:00.006-04:00

When I am not painting my nails I love to knit and draw. I created my
Etsy shop to showcase and sell some of my favorite items. I will be adding more items soon. I would love it if you could check it out and leave me any advice or suggestions in the comments below! I hope you find something you love :)

Pink & Orange Roses Print

Knit Bag for Cell Phone, Ipod, Camera, Purse Coral

Red Hibiscus Print

Old Nail Art :) (Picture Heavy)

2011-08-20T18:48:00.001-04:00

I spent time tonight reading through my old blog posts from March and April this year. I always enjoy looking at past nail art, so I compiled a ton of photos from my old posts. I have not messed with nail art in ages. These manicures were all fun, but I have been really enjoying simple layering manis. Which one is your favorite?

1.

10.

OPI DS Reserve = LOVE

2011-08-19T14:18:00.000-04:00

I picked up OPI DS Reserve at Ulta a few weeks ago. The closest Ulta to me is almost two hours away so it is always a treat to shop there. I decided to splurge on this OPI because I think it is gorgeous, and office appropriate. This is my second OPI DS polish, and they are both amazing. This is two coats, with Seche Vite on top.

Updated Nail Polish Collection :)

2011-08-16T14:06:00.001-04:00

I am almost embarrassed by how much my nail polish collection has grown since the start of this year. I have my favorite brands on this rack and my drugstore polishes in a storage unit from Michaels. If you would like to see what I had on display before you can read my first post here, and my second post here. I am done purchasing new polishes for a while, I am happy to say I have only bought 2-3 polishes over the last 3 months :)

SpaRitual Infinitely Loving Series

2011-08-14T10:59:00.001-04:00

When I am not collecting nail polish I love buying lotions and candles. I was recently given the opportunity to review some of the new products from the SpaRitual Infinitely Loving Series. So far I have tried the Infinitely Loving Bath Salts, and the Infinitely Loving Organic Moisturizing Lotion. Both products are from the jasmine-scented series, and they smell AMAZING. I use the lotion every morning and the scent easily lasts until the end of the day. Next time you want an at home spa day, SpaRitual is definitely the way to go.

Key benefits of the new Infinitely Loving products
Infinitely Loving Bath Salts: Soothes and softens the skin while helping to deeply relax the mind and body, while uplifting spirits with the therapeutic benefits of Organic jasmine essential oil, and the SpaRitual soaking blend of mineral rich dead sea salt, California sea salt, and epsom salts to detoxify, balance, and restore essential minerals for well-nourished skin and to relieve sore joints and muscles.
7.7oz tub retails for $22.00.

Infinitely Loving Organic Moisturizing Lotion: Featuring 83% Certified Organic ingredients including jasmine essential oil, shea butter, sesame oil, aloe vera and organic olive oil, the hydrating lotion protects skin and is light enough to be used for massage.
7.7oz bottle retails for $28.00.

All new Infinitely Loving products will be available September 1, 2011 at fine salons and spas nationwide. SpaRitual Nail Lacquers and Elixirs are also available online at skinstore.com and skincarerx.com.

Apothica Giveaway WINNER!!

2011-08-13T11:40:00.000-04:00

I have drawn and contacted the winner for my Apothica giveaway. It took a little while to go through and verify all the entries. The winner is Alissa! You can view her nail polish blog here. Thank you everyone for entering and for following my blog :)

Sparrow Me The Drama & Rainbow

2011-08-11T21:03:00.000-04:00

Here is another simple layering manicure. I do not have much to say about this combination except I think these two polishes are pretty together. This manicure reminds me of China Glaze Exceptionally Gifted, except prettier. This is two coats of OPI Sparrow Me The Drama, with one coat of China Glaze Rainbow on top.

Light My Tiki & White Cap

2011-08-08T11:18:00.000-04:00

This is a simple manicure, two coats of China Glaze Light My Tiki, with one coat of my favorite topcoat, China Glaze White Cap. China Glaze Light My Tiki was one of my first China Glaze polishes. I still remember how great it felt to "splurge" and pay $6 for one nail polish at Sally's. After the start of my blog my collection has grown enormously, and I think I now own 20-25 China Glaze polishes. If you would like to see my last post on my polish collection visit here. I need to update again, I will put that on my list of things to do ;).

My 700 Follower Giveaway!!

2011-08-05T07:20:00.000-04:00

I reached 700 followers:) Thank you to all of my followers, this giveaway is to show you all my appreciation.

China Glaze: Flip Flop Fantasy, For Audrey, Orly: Fancy Fuchsia, Purple Crush, Bubbly Bombshell

Open internationally.

Closes September 10 2011 - anywhere in the world.

The winner will be picked by random number generator. Please fill out the form below:)

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Deborah Lippmann Believe

2011-08-03T17:07:00.003-04:00

Deborah Lippmann Believe is a beautiful polish that was created in a collaboration between Deborah Lippmann and Cher. Believe is a pretty multi-shimmer gold/silver with a metallic finish. It is definitely more unique than anything I own, or have seen in stores. I think Believe would be pretty for a night out, and it would also be appropriate in the workplace. This polish can be found on the Deborah Lippmann website for $16. If you would like to see other beautiful Deborah Lippmann celebrity shades you can view them here.

*product sent by company PR for review*

My 450 Follower Contest WINNER :)

2011-08-01T08:13:00.003-04:00

I have drawn and contacted the winner for my 450 follower giveaway. I spent all weekend going through the entries. The winner is Tiffany S! Thank you everyone for the nice comments and for following my blog :)

White Under White Cap

2011-07-30T08:55:00.000-04:00

I have tried 20 different base polishes under China Glaze White Cap, 15 of them were pink ;) I am not sure why I never tried using white polish sooner. I normally hate white nails, but I still believe that White Cap makes EVERY manicure more special. I recommend trying this for something different!

China Glaze 108 Degrees & Rainbow

2011-07-27T18:35:00.000-04:00

China Glaze 108 Degrees is a pretty glass fleck pink polish. I have been on a top coat kick lately, so today I layered 108 Degrees with China Glaze Rainbow. If you would like to see what 108 Degrees looks like on its own you can read my post here. I think I liked 108 Degrees better before I added Rainbow, but it is still a pretty combination.

Apothica $25 Giveaway :)

2011-07-26T11:19:00.000-04:00

Please do not forget to enter my Apothica gift card giveaway!!
Enter HERE

Sand Tropez & Pom Pom

2011-07-24T09:24:00.001-04:00

I purchased China Glaze Pom Pom awhile back on clearance at Sallys. If you would like to see it layered over Orly Oh Cabana Boy you can read my post here. I have also layered this polish over Essie French Affair in the past, if you would like to read that post please visit here.

Today I layered Pom Pom over Essie Sand Tropez, and I think it is my favorite Pom Pom combination I have tried so far. Which of the three do you prefer?

Here is Sand Tropez on its own. I think it is a pretty nude, but it is my only nude polish so I have nothing to compare it to.

Turned Up Turquoise & White Cap

2011-07-21T17:02:00.000-04:00

Turned Up Turquoise is one of the first China Glaze polishes I owned, and I highly disliked it. It dries to a plain dull finish, so in my opinion it is pretty boring. However I LOVE this polish when I use China Glaze White Cap on top. I rarely stray away from pink polishes but when I do this combination is one of my favorites!

Purple Panic & I Lily Love You

2011-07-19T13:20:00.000-04:00

I had the worst time photographing this manicure. This is China Glaze Purple Panic, with OPI I Lily Love You on top. You will just have to trust me that it is really pretty and the glittery flecks of I Lily Love You show up great! I Lily Love You is a great top coat, but I'm afraid it is going to be a pain to remove:(

Another FREE Polish :)

2011-07-17T19:14:00.000-04:00

OPI I Lily Love You from the Nice Stems collection came in the mail last week. I ordered it from Amazon last week using one $5 gift card I earned from swagbucks.com. I love top coat polishes, so I have high hopes for I Lily Love You. You can read more about swagbucks and things I have earned here.

If you click here to register for an account they'll start you off with 30 free Swag Bucks, and I will earn points for your registration. I hope you try it out!

Essie Pink Parka & White Cap

2011-07-14T15:39:00.001-04:00

Essie Pink Parka is a bright pink neon polish that dries to an ugly matte finish. In the past I have always used Seche Vite for a top coat but today I used China Glaze White Cap. I love the two polishes together, and because Pink Parka is a matte it dries quickly, I had all ten nails painted and dried in five minutes.

Apothica $25 Giveaway!!

2011-07-12T18:56:00.002-04:00

Giveaway time!! Today I have a great giftcard to Apothica to give to one very lucky reader. Apothica carries tons of cosmetic brands, such as Too Faced, Clinique, SkinMedica, DuWop, and La Roche-Posay. They also offer free shipping for all orders over $49!

There are many ways to enter! You can choose to enter one way, or you can enter all four ways - it is up to you!

You need be a follower of Josies Nails. Leave your email address for one entry. For each additional entry:

Option 1: Facebook
1. Visit Apothica.com
2. Write on Apothica’s Facebook wall about what you think of Apothica
Bonus: Opt in to Apothica’s Newsletter

Option 2: Twitter
1. Visit Apothica.com
2. Tweet about Apothica on your own Twitter Account
Bonus: Retweet Apothica’s tweet about this giveaway

Option 3: Blog
1. Visit Apothica.com
2. Write something on your blog about what you think of Apothica

Please leave your name, email address, and your entries in the comments. One lucky winner will be drawn on August 12, 2011 to win a $25 Apothica giftcard. Thanks for entering!

Essie: Splash of Grenadine & Orly: Bubbly Bombshell

2011-07-10T11:12:00.000-04:00

Essie Splash of Grenadine and Orly Bubbly Bombshell are pretty purple polishes that look great layered together. I have not had time for nail art in the last few months, and have been enjoying my simple layered manicures. Layering polishes is quick, but you can still end up with beautiful results. For this manicure I used two coats of Splash of Grenadine, with one coat of Bubbly Bombshell on top.

China Glaze Peachy Keen & Bare If You Dare

2011-07-08T08:25:00.000-04:00

China Glaze Peachy Keen & Bare If You Dare are both beautiful peach shades that are perfect for summer. I have not had coral/orange nails for awhile so it is taking awhile to get used to. Both colors together are cute, but I will probably switch back to pink, or add some crackle polish later this week. This is one coat of Peachy Keen, with one coat of Bare If You Dare on top.

Essie Knockout Pout with White Cap

2011-07-06T13:18:00.001-04:00

Here is another pink polish with China Glaze White Cap as a top coat. Essie Knockout Pout is a pretty polish, but on its own it was very plain. Like most plain polishes I decided to add White Cap as a top coat to make my simple manicure more special. I loved the combination of these two polishes so much I used them for both a manicure and pedicure :)

If you would like to see other manicures with White Cap and my other favorite top coats check out my top coat label here.

Essie Absolutely Shore

2011-07-04T12:13:00.000-04:00

Essie Absolutely Shore is a pretty pale green from Essie's Summer 2011 Collection. Absolutely shore is a dusty pale green that required three coats for opacity. I also used Absolutely Shore with China Glaze White Cap as a top coat and it was gorgeous (I can post pictures later).

Pink & Silver Sublte Stamping

2011-07-02T12:11:00.000-04:00

I loved how OPI Mermaid's Tears looked with silver stamping so I decided to try the same image and polish (Sally Hansen Celeb City) on top of OPI Sparrow Me The Drama. I love both of these manicure looks. If you would like to see what this stamping looks like on Mermaid's Tears you can view my post here.

Smooth Sailing & Lighthouse

2011-06-30T07:41:00.000-04:00

Essie Smooth Sailing is a beautiful muted blue from one of their recent collections. I added one layer of China Glaze Lighthouse on top. I prefer China Glaze White Cap as a top coat over Lighthouse, but this manicure was cute for something different. Layering manicures are simple, fast, and I think most times they turn a plain polish into something really unique.

Orly Snow Cone

2011-06-28T08:22:00.001-04:00

Orly Snow Cone is a light blue creme polish that is pretty average as far as I'm concerned. I probably own 4-5 blue polishes and this one is my least favorite. I got this polish for free with a coupon a few months ago so it is hard to complain. I think it will be good for water marbling so when I have time I will try that :) This is two coats, no top coat.

My 450 Follower Giveaway!

2011-06-25T09:17:00.002-04:00

I reached 450 followers:)

Thank you to all of my followers, this giveaway is to show you all my appreciation.

China Glaze: Coconut Kiss, Rainbow, Purple Panic, Beauty & the Beach

Open internationally.

Closes July 30 2011 - anywhere in the world.

The winner will be picked by random number generator. Please fill out the form below:)

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Love: OPI Shorts Story & White Cap

2011-06-23T08:16:00.000-04:00

I love pink polishes, and I LOVE China Glaze White Cap. When I finally finish my bottle of White Cap I will definitely be repurchasing it. This was a simple manicure but I still received several compliments. This is two coats of OPI Shorts Story, with one thin coat of China Glaze White Cap.

Essie: Smooth Sailing

2011-06-20T21:04:00.000-04:00

Essie Smooth Sailing is a beautiful new polish from the Essie Braziliant Collection. Although I thought the collection was pretty plain I purchased both Smooth Sailing and Absolutely Shore because they were both very unique compared to the pink polishes I own, and I had a Target giftcard :) If you love blue polish I would recommend Smooth Sailing. The formula was good, and it dried way faster than the other eight Essie polishes I own. This is two coats, no top coat.

Simple Tape Manicure

2011-06-19T19:52:00.000-04:00

For this mani I used China Glaze Knotty & Empowerment layered together for the base. I then added a thin strip of tape and painted on top with Rimmel Lasting Finish Pro in Steel Grey. The brush on the Rimmel polishes is large and wide and I love it. It makes application very easy. I finished everything with one coat of Seche Vite to complete the manicure.

Sally Hansen: Bling It On & Question

2011-06-11T19:17:00.000-04:00

I have read several great things on Sally Hansen Salon Effects Real Nail Polish Strips. I won Bling It On a few weeks ago and have finally decided to try them out. I was able to do all ten nails with only five strips. If your nails aren't too long I would definitely recommend cutting your strips in half to make them last longer. The price range for these is around $10 per pack. I am going to test these out and see how long they last so it might be awhile before I have a post again. I LOVE the pink glitter strips, and unlike a normal glitter polish it is smooth without a top coat.

Does anyone know of a pink polish that looks like the pink glitter strips? I would love to wear this manicure everyday, but it has been hard to find a good selection of the polish strips in my area.

Essie: Nice is Nice

2011-06-11T08:52:00.000-04:00

Essie Nice is Nice is a pretty lavender creme polish that is perfect for spring/summer. I purchased this polish during a CVS 50% off clearance sale but I would have paid full price for it. The formula is great, and it is unique from several other lavender polishes I have tried. This is two coats, no top coat.

Quick Manicure & Giveaway Winner

2011-06-10T09:33:00.001-04:00

Every time I decided to do my nails in a jiffy I always turn to polishes from the China Glaze Tronica collection. From my experience they all dry extremely fast, and can be opaque in one careful coat. Today I used China Glaze Hyper Haute as a base, and the newest collection of Bundle Monster plates for the stamping. I do not normally do accent nail manicures, but this was fun for something different.

I have finally drawn and contacted the winner for my 300 follower giveaway. Sorry for the delay. I broke one of the bottles when I moved, so I had to find a replacement. The winner is Jenny S! Thank you everyone for the nice comments and for following my blog :)

Mermaid's Tears & Silver Stamping

2011-06-08T07:07:00.000-04:00

I love OPI Mermaid's Tears, it is the perfect creme base for stamping. I also love Sally Hansen Celeb City, which is perfect for stamping. This also happens to be one of my favorite Konad plate images. I think this is my favorite non-pink manicure I have tried so far :)

Layering: China Glaze Knotty & Empowerment

2011-06-07T07:19:00.000-04:00

I have been testing China Glaze Knotty as a layering polish since I purchased it a month ago. Knotty makes any polish more muted and dusty. For this mani I used two coats of China Glaze Empowerment with one thin coat of China Glaze Knotty on top. Although Knotty is interesting for a top coat, China Glaze Lighthouse and White Cap are still my favorites.

Stamping with Pink Voltage

2011-06-06T09:56:00.000-04:00

It is no secret I love pink manicures. China Glaze Pink Voltage is one of my favorite pink polishes. If you would like to read my post/view links to my other favorite pink polishes you can see that here. For this mani I used Pink Voltage as the base, and black Bundle Monster stamping on top. The first picture with without top coat, and the second photo is with.

Pirate Skittles

2011-06-05T09:10:00.000-04:00

I purchased the small OPI set from the Pirates of the Caribbean collection awhile ago and finally decided to use them. I wanted to test all four polishes out, so I painted my nails like this. They only stayed like this for a few hours, but it was fun to have rainbow nails for once. I love all of the Pirate colors, but I think in the future I will stick to the full size bottles and not the minis.

China Glaze: Encouragement

2011-06-04T10:19:00.000-04:00

Encouragement is a light baby pink with silver shimmer from the China Glaze Fight Like a Woman Collection. I love this color, and I think it would be perfect for the workplace. I think Encouragement would look best with a white/ivory base. This is three coats, no top coat.

Quick Purple Manicure

2011-06-03T09:00:00.000-04:00

For this fast mani I used China Glaze Virtual Violet (from the China Glaze Tronica Collection) as a base. Virtual Violet dries very fast, and I only needed to use one coat. I then stamped on top with my Bundle Monster plates and a white Wet n Wild polish. I think this whole manicure took less than ten minuets :)

Orly Oh Cabana Boy & China Glaze Pom Pom

2011-06-01T18:11:00.000-04:00

Lately I have not been buying many new polishes because I have been busy with moving and my ongoing job hunt. Instead I have been finding new combinations for my old polishes. I have worn this manicure for a few days now, and still have no chips. This is two coats of Orly Oh Cabana Boy with one coat of China Glaze Pom Pom on top. I found Pom Pom on clearance at Sally's a few months ago, but any pink glitter top coat would be cute. I topped everything with a thick coat of Seche Vite, which I think is really helping this manicure last.

OPI: Sparrow Me The Drama

2011-05-31T20:20:00.000-04:00

OPI Sparrow Me The Drama is a beautiful dusty pink that is unique from the dozens of other pink polishes in my collection. The formula was flawless, and was easily opaque in two coats. If you have not picked up this polish yet, I highly recommend both Sparrow Me The Drama, and Mermaid's Tears from the OPI Pirates collection.

Almost FREE Nail polish

2011-05-30T19:23:00.002-04:00

These two polishes came in the mail today. I ordered them from Amazon last week using one $5 gift card I earned from swagbucks.com. If I had only ordered 1 OPI it would have been free, but I read good things about Shorts Story, and Ate Berries In The Canaries so I decided to pick them both up. The amazon seller I prefer sells each OPI for $4.99 each. You can read more about swagbucks and things I have earned here.

If you click here to register for an account they'll start you off with 30 free Swag Bucks, and I will earn points for your registration. I hope you try it out!

Ate Berries In The Canaries, Shorts Story

Coral & Stamping

2011-05-29T22:34:00.001-04:00

Tonight I used my new Bundle Monster plates again to create this manicure. For the base I used Orly Pixie Stix, and for the stamping I used a cheap black Wet n Wild polish. I had been having trouble with this image plate, but the black Wet n Wild seem to work okay.

Orly: Pink Whisper

2011-05-28T18:17:00.000-04:00

Pink Whisper is a pretty, bright ivory color that is far from pink. This polish is pretty, and it is different from every polish I own, but I would not pay full price for it. I needed to use three coats, and it came out very streaky. I found this on clearance at Sally's for $1.99 so it was a bargain. It would probably look best with a stamped design on top.

I Love OPI Mermaid's Tears

2011-05-27T18:32:00.001-04:00

I was interested in all of the colors from the Pirates of the Caribbean collection but only ended up purchasing Mermaid's Tears and Sparrow Me The Drama in full size. I am surprised to say I like the dusty green Mermaid's Tears better than the pink Sparrow Me The Drama. I love creme finish polishes, and have no negative things to say about the application for Mermaid's Tears. This polish was easily opaque in two coats. I have always stayed away from the pricy OPI, but I am now convinced their polishes are worth every penny.

Graduation/ Favorite Manicure

2011-05-27T09:00:00.000-04:00

For my graduation I wanted something fun and this is probably my favorite manicure combination. I used two coats of Orly Fancy Fuchsia, and one coat of China Glaze White Cap on top.

What is your #1 favorite manicure? If you have a blog post about it you can leave a link :)

My Graduation :)

2011-05-26T17:36:00.001-04:00

My graduation from college was yesterday afternoon. I am busy moving/unpacking and will be back with more manicures soon! Until then here are a few photos of my boyfriend Jeff and I from graduation :)

Haha and here is a blurry, unwanted photo of my graduation mani. I will post better photos soon :)

Failed Layering: Sea Spray & Knotty

2011-05-25T08:26:00.000-04:00

I really thought that China Glaze Sea Spray and China Glaze Knotty would make a cute layered combination. I think this looks pretty in some lights, but in others it looks like a dirty mess. Once again I liked both of these polishes better on their own before I layered them together.

Nicole by OPI: You're An Angel

2011-05-24T19:39:00.001-04:00

This is my first Nicole by OPI polish and I was not impressed. I have always stayed away from the Nicole polishes because of their price and awkward ugly bottles. This shade caught my eye in Target the other day so I decided to splurge a little. Overall I loved this pink shade, but it was very sheer and took ages to dry. I have this polish packed away because I am graduating/moving tomorrow and I do not remember the name:( If anyone recognizes it please let me know and I will re-name this post.

Gold Flowers

2011-05-24T09:04:00.000-04:00

For this cute manicure I used China Glaze Endurance as a base with gold stamping on top. For the stamping I used my Bundle Monster plates and Sally Hansen Chrome in White Gold. White Gold was great for stamping, but is almost nonexistent in stores. If you do not own White Gold a good substitute would be China Glaze Passion.

China Glaze Endurance

2011-05-23T21:39:00.000-04:00

China Glaze Endurance is a beautiful pink/magenta glass fleck shimmer. This polish looks very similar to China Glaze 108 degrees. Both are beautiful, but I probably did not need to own both. I had no problems with application, and it had a pretty quick drying time. This is two coats, no top coat.

More Orly for $1.99

2011-05-23T16:45:00.000-04:00

I found these two Orly nail polishes at my Sally's the other day on clearance for $1.99. They had a few other shades but these two were different than anything I already owned.

Moonlit Madness, Pink Whisper

Knotty & Midnight Mission

2011-05-23T09:36:00.001-04:00

For this layered manicure I used China Glaze Midnight Mission as a base, with one coat of China Glaze Knotty on top. I will have to try Knotty with a few other polishes before I add it to my list of favorite top coats. This was pretty, but I liked both of these polishes better on their own. You can see Midnight Mission on its own here.

China Glaze: Draped In Velvet

2011-05-22T19:36:00.000-04:00

China Glaze Draped In Velvet is a medium plum/magenta polish with shimmer. Application was smooth and opaque in two coats but I think you could almost get away with one coat. I am not a huge purple polish fan, but because of the subtle magenta I think this is beautiful and I would highly recommend it. This is two coats, no top coat.

China Glaze: Sea Spray & Polish Question

2011-05-22T08:55:00.001-04:00

I had never intended on picking up Sea Spray until I saw it at Ulta a few weeks ago. It is a soft pale blue that looks almost grey. It is very unique compared to everything I own. For now, I am going to try to refrain from purchasing pink polishes and try new things.

If you have a suggestion for your favorite polish that is not pink, can you please leave it in the comments below? :)

Shatter With Bubbly Bombshell

2011-05-21T19:49:00.000-04:00

This is China Glaze Black Mesh over top of Orly Bubbly Bombshell. I had trouble with the crackle because of the glittery Bubbly Bombshell. I was tired of shatter manicures, but the subtle look of this mani is growing on me.

Gold Stamping

2011-05-21T08:34:00.000-04:00

This is an older manicure I did with China Glaze Strawberry Fields. Strawberry Fields is pretty on its own, but it is nothing eye catching so I always like to add something to it. I used China Glaze Passion for the stamping. The result is subtle, but still fun to stare at. I think this manicure is a keeper :)

China Glaze: Midnight Mission

2011-05-20T19:30:00.001-04:00

I found Midnight Mission (from the Vintage Vixen collection) on clearance at Ulta for $2.99. It is a pretty navy blue with fine silver shimmer and micro glitter. Although I do not love dark polishes, I love anything with a fine shimmer. I think the shimmer gives it a nice depth and finish. Definitely worth three dollars!

Essie 50% Off

2011-05-20T13:59:00.000-04:00

Just a quick post. I found these Essie nail polishes (all from the French Affair collection) for 50% off at CVS today. If you missed any of the polishes from this collection I highly suggest you check them out now :)

Nice is Nice, Sand Tropez, French Affair

Caribbean Temptation & Princesses Rule

2011-05-20T08:16:00.000-04:00

OPI Princesses Rule wins again. I was wearing one of my pink polish favorites, China Glaze Caribbean Temptation. Caribbean Temptation is gorgeous on its own, but with Princesses Rule on top it looks like a completely different polish. I have had several people ask me today what polish I was wearing. This is two coats of Caribbean Temptation, with 1-2 coats of Princesses Rule.

My Top 7 Favorite Pink Polishes :)

2011-05-19T18:45:00.000-04:00

I was going to pick 5, but that was too hard. If you would like to see my review and swatches of each polish the names are linked to their original post.

Top Row:
Essie: French Affair
OPI: Princesses Rule
Orly: Fancy Fuchsia
Bottom Row:
China Glaze: Exceptionally Gifted
China Glaze: Pink Voltage
China Glaze: 108 Degrees
China Glaze: Reggae to Riches (VERY old post)

China Glaze: Pink Voltage

2011-05-19T06:57:00.000-04:00

Pink Voltage is a neon hot pink with a subtle blue/purple flash. It does dry matte, but with a top coat it looks amazing, especially as a summer pedicure color. I did not have trouble with application, but I did end up using three coats. This is three coats, no top coat.

China Glaze: Princess Grace

2011-05-18T20:01:00.001-04:00

China Glaze Princess Grace is a very frosty, very light lavender/pink. I used three coats so this took awhile to dry. Normally I am not a fan of nearly white nails but this one is growing on me. Next time I use this polish I will probably use a stamp design on top. This is three coats, no top coat.

Holographic Purple Panic

2011-05-18T07:47:00.000-04:00

China Glaze Purple Panic makes the perfect base for OPI DS Signature. DS Signature is a pretty holographic polish on its own, but I think it will look even better layered over other pink polishes. This is the first combination I have tried, and will definitely try more in the future.

OPI Flashbulb Fuchsia

2011-05-17T20:44:00.000-04:00

OPI Flashbulb Fuchsia is a beautiful magenta with a subtle shimmer iridescence. This polish reminds me of Orly Purple Crush, but better. I love the extra shimmer in Flashbulb Fuchsia. It really stands out in the sunlight. If you enlarge photo 2 you can see it best. This is two coats, no top coat.

Orly: Bubbly Bombshell & Polish Question

2011-05-17T09:17:00.001-04:00

Orly Bubbly Bombshell is a pretty purple glitter. I read great reviews on this polish so when I saw it at Sally's I decided to pick it up. This was the only polish from Orly's newest collection that I wanted. I love how glitter polishes look, but I am dreading its removal. This is three coats, with one coat of Seche Vite.

Anyone know of a similar polish that is all pink glitter instead of purple?