Required Reading: NAILED

I've been looking for a good coffee table book to let my guests know right off the bat that nails are my thing. (As if they wouldn't already know! Pshaw.)

A friend tipped me off to this awesome book of crazy, crazy nail art. These are definitely high-fashion nails as opposed to ready-to-wear but my, aren't they fun to look at.

I'm gonna splurge on this book! I'll fill you in on my findings soon. :)

xxo, Francesca

OPI — Outrageous Neons Mini-Pack

Yeah, yeah, yeah, I reckon we've all caught onto that by now. But looks like SOMEONE just got the step in and is ponying up some bright new offerings of their own. Well I'll be, it's about time, OPI!

I'm about to drop some intel that will make you rear up in surprise, so hold tight now. This is OPI's first neon nail lacquer. Ever. Whoaaaa, girl! Yessir, despite the brand's impressive history and incredible library of colors, neon's a frontier they'd yet to explore. 'Til now.

The Outrageous Neons mini pack includes four neon shades, a bright white base coat, and a top coat. The insider's tip for achieving best (and brightest) results is to prep nails with one coat of white, then top with two coats of neon. Colors dry matte, but shine things up in a jiffy with top coat to trot your way to a glowing finish.

Now some may say the neon rodeo's got one too many horses runnin' around, but there's always room for another buckin' bronco, especially when it's a stud like OPI. And they're settin' to shoot the competition right out the saddle.

Check out OPI's stable of wild, wild neons that the brand is letting loose this summer at professional beauty supply stores. And don't hold your horses, gals, because this set is limited time only. Just wait til July when it goes on sale for $19.99! And then, stampede!!

So quit horsin' around and lasso it up!

yeeeeehaw, Valentina*

*Valentina is my gorgeous chocolate thoroughbred from the sweetest free iPhone game ever: "My Horse."

Yep, now you can finally love and cherish the horse of your dreams that your parents never let you have. Pitifully, I have no affiliation with this game whatsoever, I'm just an extremely devoted player. My username is MissChess, so if you download it, friend me. We can race, and clean each others stables! Ow owwwww!!!

Chanel — Beige

Bonjour! News of a new color from Chanel arrived in my inbox this morning. Hark!

I'm really on the fence with this one... I need to better understand the opacity and the overall formula before I judge.

If this were a rich, creamy opaque beige, it could be pretty cool. But if this is even slightly "jelly" and transparent ... egads, I shudder at merely the thought.

What do you guys think? Maybe it just needs some GLITTER?!

jenesaisquoi, Francesca

Pin FTW

Hope you all are having a great weekend! In case you're preparing to settle down and do your weekly nailz tonight, here are some of my latest pins to serve as inspiration.

Mondrian prints, watercolor flowers, French manicure twists... So many choices and such little time. :)

Anyone have some fun colors or nail art planned for this week?

getreadyformanic(ure)monday, Francesca

nails INC. — Neon & Nude Collection

Oh my. This Spring & Summer, it's all about neon juxtaposed with nude. Rather than shell out a bunch of cash trying to find several bottles to suit the season, may I humbly recommend a nails INC set I just stumbled upon.

Here are the shades:

  • Porchester Square (muted mushroom)
  • Jermyn Street (perfect taupe)
  • Cadogan Square (classic camel)
  • Portobello (coral neon)
  • Notting Hill Gate (pink neon)
  • Westbourne Grove (orange neon)

Word on the street is that the nudes dry down a little darker than the bottle may indicate. For $25, it's worth the gamble! You can pick this up at ye olde Sephora, of course!

gethottotrot, Francesca