Matte Purple Skittlette!

Press Sample

Good afternoon, readers! I hope you all had a great Christmas (if your family celebrates). We really did and yesterday I was a busy bee taking down the decorations and tree so I could walk in my livingroom again! Those toys were making me crazy! Haha.

Anyway, Today's post is a matte purple skittlette! I've used a lot of samples I needed to review in this post so try to stick with me until the end and hear about all of the stuff I used!

The stamp image on my index and middle fingers is from this gorgeous Lily Anna plate 08! You can buy this from Messy Mansion and there are a ton of fun full image designs to chose from on the plate. I've only used the design below with the arrows pointing to it, but can't wait to try some of the others.

For this mani:

• I used a base coat of Nicole by OPI 3-IN-1 Base, Top Coat, and Strengthener on all nails. 
• On all fingers but my pinkies, I painted 2 coats of Nicole by OPI Aren't Families Grape?
• My pinkies got 2 coats of OPI Baby Please Come Home. I love having textured accent nails. 
• My ring fingers and thumbs then each got 2 coats of Nicole by OPI Spark The Conversation.
• Next, for my index and middle fingers, I used a coat of Nicole by OPI Quick Dry Top Coat to help speed up the stamping process. Once that was dry, I used China Glaze Harmony to stamp on the Lily Anna 08 plate image design. 
• Then, I used a toothpick to place a few of the silver squares on the image from Nicole by OPI Spark The Conversation. I topped those stamped nails with a careful coat of Nicole by OPI Quick Dry Topcoat.
• Lastly, I painted one coat of Nicole by OPI Matte Top Coat on all nails but the pinkies. 

 What do you think of this mani? I just love skittlettes and this one has texture, glitter, matte,  and stamping all in one! So fun!

Nicole by OPI is releasing 4 top coats and treatments in 2014. Read the Press Release for more info. I have all 4 to review for you in today's post. Below is a photo of the 4 top coats and treatments:

Matte Top Coat: The matte top coat worked really well! It applied easily and dried quickly to a matte finish. I really love the look of matte top coat over all things! Glitter looks especially fun after a matte top coat.

Quick Dry Top Coat: This did dry fairly quickly! Unfortunately, this won't be good for nail art (maybe if it is completely dry) because it pulled some of the dark purple base onto the bristles so I know it would smear through nail art. It is a great top coat for solid colors though. I did use it over the stamping very carefully and it didn't ruin it, so maybe if you are careful!

3-in-1 Base, Topcoat, and Strengthener: This is a great base coat because it strengthens and protects the nail and is thin enough that it dries by the time you want to paint your first coat of color over it. As a top coat, it is thinner than the Quick Dry and isn't a quick dry but it really doesn't take that long to dry since its thin. It also pulled base color onto it's bristles, though, so I don't recommend topping nail art with this one either. I love the ease of it being a 3-in1 and think it would be perfect for traveling, or keeping on a desk at work if you change your nails or touch up often.

Oil To Go: This is just fabulous! I will warn you, it has a faint tropically sweet scent that I love! But if you are sensitive to things like this on your hands, you may want to steer clear. If scents don't bother you, read on with my step by step photos! This applicator is really awesome and reminds me of those lip glosses you could buy years ago that you squeeze and the gloss comes out in the middle of the bristles. I love the fact that I don't have to dig my nails into a tub and that it's one handed application instead of a bottle that comes with a brush (like a mini nail polish bottle). It absorbs well after you rub it into your cuticles and nails. I'd say, after 10 minutes, it isn't greasy or shiny but your skin and cuticles are nicely moisturized. Definitely LOVE this product and it stays in my purse for use all the time!

When you squeeze the tube, the cuticle oil gel comes from the middle of the bristles.

Then, just paint it on the cuticles and skin around the nails! If your nails are bare, you can paint it onto the nails as well!

Finally, just rub the oil gel into your skin and wait about 10 minutes for total absorption. I actually prefer to rub in the cuticle care product to my hands and then apply my favorite hand lotion. I do this before bed every night and leave the items on the bedside table so I always remember when I climb into bed to moisturize my hands and nails. It's made a big change in my nail and hand appearance and I recommend you add that to your routine!

Okay, phew, you made it to the end! Thanks if you made it this far! What do you think of this mani, the Lily Anna 08 stamping plate, and the new Nicole by OPI top coats and treatments? Please refer to the links below for both companies and purchasing info! Thanks so much for reading!

The Lily Anna plates retail for $10 each and can be purchased at the shop link below!

Messy Mansion Links:

Shop: http://www.messymansion.com.au

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/messymansion

These Nicole by OPI treatments will be available January 2014 for $7.99 each at retailers including select CVS, Target, Walmart, Kmart, Duane Reade, Kroger, H-E-B.  In Canada these treatments will be available for $10.99 each at select Shoppers Drug Mart, Walmart Canada, Jean Coutu, Loblaws and London Drug.

For more information, visit nicolebyopi.com. 

Follow Nicole by OPI on Twitter @NicoleByOPI 

And become a Facebook fan!

About Nicole by OPI:

Nicole by OPI offers a salon-quality range of bold, fashion-forward nail lacquers. The brand’s heritage is based on OPI’s well-established foundation of excellence in both color and technology, providing premium products to a broad range of consumers looking for trendsetting nail lacquers.  Known for its celebrity collaborations and partnerships, the brand invites consumers to be creative and confident by expressing themselves through color. Currently, Nicole by OPI range boasts over 120 shades, including retailer-exclusive lacquers, and serves as the color authority for the younger demographic.

*Many products in this post were sent for me to review with my honest opinion.