Geometric Blue on Yellow Stamping - Degrassi Showdown Finale Countdown!

Happy Monday everyone!! For most people, Mondays are the worst of the worst, but for me, that means a brand new episode of Degrassi! *cue the groans* If you follow me on Twitter, you know that every Monday-Thursday for the past 4 weeks, I have been tweeting incoherently from 10-10:30 every evening using terms from the Degrassi vernacular such as Eclare, Jatie, Drianca, etc. intermingled with frequent cussing and sometimes just straight up jibberish. What can I say, I really get into my teen dramas!

This is the last week of the summer season of Degrassi and I wanted to do some Degrassi themed manis for the finale week! For a crash course on Degrassi, it is a Canadian teen drama that has been around for around 30 years in one form or another, with its current format in its 12th season. Degrassi isn't hugely popular like Pretty Little Liars, Vampire Diaries or all those other teen dramas out there but it has a huge cult following. The cast and crew of Degrassi are so responsive to and appreciative of the fans and it's such a fun community to be a part of. Yes, I am nearing the end of my twenties and still watching this teen drama, but I can't turn away. DEGRASSI I WISH I KNEW HOW TO QUIT YOU. But not really, because it's FLIPPING AMAZEBALLS.

Anyways, for my first Degrassi themed manicure I wanted to take inspiration from the Degrassi Community School building itself. The front of Degrassi has this huge pastel blue and yellow tile pattern and I always thought that would look so cool as a mani! I couldn't find the exact stamping plate I wanted so I went a bit abstract with it and I hope you guys like it!

For the yellow base, I used two coats of Orly Lemonade, a pastel yellow creme, and one coat of L'Oreal Eclair, a sheer yellow with silver shimmer. *fangirl alert* Yes, I used Eclair specifically because Eclare is my favorite Degrassi couple FOREVER AND EVER. *end fangirling* For the stamping, I used Sally Hansen Insta-Dri Blue Away. Hope you enjoy!

And here is the building (set) I took inspiration from, the infamous Degrassi Community School!

Thanks for stopping by and enduring my Degrassi-ness today!!

Orly Nite Owl & Why I Love the Color Taupe

Happy Tuesday everyone! Today I have for you one of my favorite neutral nail polish shades: Orly Nite Owl. Nite Owl is from this fall's Bird's of a Feather collection, and is often overlooked by the star of the collection, Fowl Play. While I do like Fowl Play, I have owned OPI Merry Midnight for quite some time, so it's not really something I hadn't seen before. For those who don't know, Orly's Fowl Play and OPI Merry Midnight are dupes of each other, meaning that they are very similar in composition. They are both dark purple polishes with red glitter and red and blue flakes in them. Very pretty, but it didn't quite excite me as much as Nite Owl did.

Nite Owl is a GORGEOUS taupe polish. Taupe is that color when something is walking the fine line between brown and grey. If you look at something, and think "well, it's either a brownish-grey or a greyish-brow," then sista, you've got yourself a taupe! One reason why I love taupe is because it tends to be a universally flattering shade. I have cool-toned skin, so my undertones love to bring out the grey in taupey colors. People with warm tones tend to pick up the browns in taupe. I also love taupe because it's a little bit darker than your average neutral color, so it tends to stick out more yet still remains subtle and, in my opinion, a perfect color for work. I am studying to be a paralegal, so I'm always on the lookout for colors that would work in court without being your plain, old, and boring sheer nude.

Nite Owl's taupe base is further enhanced by a wonderful golden "brocade" shimmer throughout, giving it an almost suede look. This polish is really the perfect working girl's polish. It hangs on to the neutrality, but the suedey-shimmer gives it a subtle pop that still keeps it fun. It's so fun that it's still a non-work color as well. I can't stop staring at my hands, it's just such and elegant shade without being too demure or too over the top.

As with most Orly polishes, application was fantastic - two easy coats and a top coat and I was good to go. Orly is one of my favorite brands, as whenever I put one on, I am amazed at how smoothly the application process goes. They are thick enough that I don't have to worry about flooding my cuticles, but not too thick that I worry about bubbling and gloopiness.

Without further ado, here is the beautiful Orly Nite Owl. I decided to take the pictures without the bottle today, as I have noticed that my photos have sucked lately and wanted to try a different approach. Not sure I love these pictures either, but oh well. Hope you enjoy!

Have a wonderful day everyone! See you tomorrow for Pink Wednesday =)

Orly Royal Navy NOTD

Hello hello! Just wanted to show you guys my nail of the day today. For some reason, I have really been on a blue kick lately, which is really unlike me. I swear this is the last blue for the week!

Orly Royal Navy is from last summer's In the Navy collection, and it is one of my favorite nail polishes of all time. It is a bright royal blue jelly with the most amazing aquamarine shimmer throughout. The shimmer always settles to the bottom, so I have to shake it up for a good few minutes before application. It is a bit of a pain, but it really is worth it because I feel that the shimmer really sets this polish apart. It applies almost like a cream but has that sheer, squishy nature that a jelly has.

I got my bottle at Sally's, but I believe this color is no longer available. I believe many of the online polish retailers still have this in stock for a reasonable price. If you are a fan of blue nail polish, I think this is an absolute must for your collection. I even bought a backup of it when it was on clearance at Sally's, which is something that I don't normally do. That's how awesome it is.

And here are far too many pics of Orly Royal Navy (two coats plus topcoat):

Thanks for stopping by, and hope everyone is having a fantastic weekend!

-Jacqui