We've had some work done...

Oh hello there. :) 

You may not have recognized Polishment. I gave the old girl a bit of a facelift — not a major overhaul, just a lil' routine maintenance. 

I've mentioned before that one of the reasons I've always loved nail polish so much is because I just love looking at colors, period. I thought this new layout would allow me to switch up the colors on the site at least once a month. Gotta keep things feeling fresh!

June's color is inspired by a Los Angeles treasure: jacaranda trees.

Like something from a storybook...

I'd never seen trees like this before I moved to California. They drop flowers that look like confetti, and when you're driving down a side street surrounded by these fluffy purple trees, you can't help but feel cheerful. They're like truffula trees from a Dr. Seuss book... minus the tragedy, satire and morality lessons.

To perk up your next pedicure, may I suggest Illamasqua Jo'Mina? This color is such a lovely bright lavender and will make you feel like you're walking on petals all day.

That said, I know Illamasqua is a bit spendy, so if you want beauty on a budget, Essie's Play Date will do just fine!

xx Francesca

ZOYA — FREE 3 Polish Giveaway (ends Wednesday 011412 @ 11:59 p.m. ET!)

ZOYA, an all-natural nail polish company, is giving away three FREE full-size shades of nail polish. Any colors you want. To each and every customer. Thought that sounded too good to be true? Well you also get three mini bottles of mystery shades. For FREE.

That’s right. You don’t need to buy X amount of bottles, sign away your firstborn, or provide any exceedingly intimate details. All you need to know is the secret code: (NYNH) and pay for shipping & handling. That is one pretty sweet deal.

If you end up treating yourself, come back and tell me what colors you ordered in the comments! I'm excited to see which shades you choose. :) I'm still deciding...

ClickclickBOOM, Francesca

Christian Louboutin — Rouge Louboutin

Happy New Year! My first mani of the year was definitely one to remember.

My brother Alex has a history of getting me very thoughtful, very magical gifts. Christmas last year? A real, ceramic ocarina with a songbook from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. It’s truly a work of art. Granted, I never even got the hang of a recorder, so it serves as decorative piece to show how cultured and cool I am ;) and less of a true musical instrument. For my birthday? Lucius Malfoy’s walking stick. Pull on the silver cobra head at the top of the staff and — voila— the magic wand is revealed. It is of the utmost quality and is a legit weapon. I keep it near my front door so that a) all guests may admire it and b) it's close at hand to battle potential hot prowlers.

And so, Christmas 2014. What would young Alex surprise me with now?

This.

Christian Louboutin / Rouge Louboutin nail varnish.

From the CL website:

Rouge Louboutin… a timeless, vibrant red suited to any skin tone. A true objet d’art of a dramatic 8-inch height inspired by the tallest heel Christian Louboutin ever created- the Ballerina Ultima.

But wait. There's more...

The iconic Rouge is encased in a faceted, weighted glass bottle with an unique ombré effect. The tall slender cap, inspired by calligraphy, turns the application into a luxurious experience, inviting women to take their time.

A true indulgence at $50 for one bottle. Yowza! The color is richly red. It’s not quite a true red; it veers on the warm side. The application was great, and the brush made for a very different painting experience. It wasn’t necessarily unwieldy, but it definitely felt unusual. They say that in Roman times, patrician women would dip the tips of their fingers in bright red dye. This was called their domestic look. I felt a little like that; the paint job felt ritualistic in some way.

Legend has it that Christian painted the soles of a high heel he was designing with red nail polish on a whim. That moment of inspiration helped him make a name for himself in fashion, and now his iconic rouge lacquer serves as the first brick in the beauty product empire that he’s aiming to build. It’s poetic.

Christian Louboutin Rouge will sit in a place of honor, on top of my Stash; partly because it can’t fit with the rest of my bottles, but also because it is a goddess among mortals.

Sincerely, Francesca

The Snowzilla Polarpocalypse Mani

Baby, it's cold outside! Since I live in Los Angeles, I'm blissfully unaffected by the POLAR VORTEX that's been pillaging the U.S. I do, however, have lots of friends and family who are dealing with The Polarpocalypse, and all the pictures of snow floating around the The Gram and FB have put me in the mood for a white mani.

This was a very easy manicure to do. I began with two coats of OPI Alpine Snow (so aptly named) and let it dry. Once the polish was mostly set, I applied the Swarovski crystal stickers I'd been hoarding.

What's cool about this product is that the sticker itself is completely clear, and it holds the crystals in place so you don't need to spend time painstakingly placing the gems on your nails. The other nice thing is that there's a little chart included to recommend which sticker goes with which nail. You could go rogue and pavé your own way (ha), but I stuck with their suggestion (hahaha).

Next, I put on a nice thick layer of Seche Vite, being sure to coat the edges on the stickers to make them better seal to my nails. Anything to avoid the dreaded "hair-catching" syndrome.

This is a great manicure for a special event or party-filled weekend, but be warned: it's not very long-lasting. Despite my best efforts to seal the deal with Seche Vite, the stickers did begin to come off by Day 4 and by the end of Day 5, the polish was not looking so pretty. But it was fun while it lasted!

snowin'ballistic, Francesca

P.S. Want MOAR white mani ideas? Check out these posts:

Funfetti Glitter Mani

Sparkling Snow Globe Manicure

The Trés Chic Upside-Down French Mani

Fingers Crossed — Lucky Mag's "How To Match Your Outfit To Your Nail Color" Recommendation

Happy New Year!

As you begin to plan outfits with all of your new holiday baubles & clothes, check out this color wheel reference from LUCKY Magazine. I have been hoarding this since May and am ready to resurrect it for y'all.

Complementary colors are pretty basic...

But Lucky's advice on split complementary colors, color triads and tetradic color schemes are priceless! Click the pics to explore the article. I'm sure a lot of you inherently follow these rules (some of us have a good eye for color!) but it's fascinating — and very helpful — to see the tried-and-true method behind the madness. This is like, science or whatever.

What a valuable visual for those of you interested in nail art color pairings, or choosing the perfect shade for a special occasion.

xxo, Francesca