Recently in Nails Category

We’ve been fascinated by the jelly sandwich manicure for ages. And we’ve been meaning to try it for just as long, but we just got to it this week! And you know what? It’s incredibly simple to do—but looks incredibly cool! Here’s how to do it.

1) Pick a nail polish with a jelly finish. A jelly nail polish is super glossy and on the sheerer side, which makes it perfect for layering. We like the three nail polishes from the Zoya Gloss Collection ($8 each at zoya.com), which all have a jelly finish. We used the aubergine-hued Katherine here.

2) Pick a nail polish with a glitter finish. The glitter-ier, the better! You can do one with large flecks, like the bold gold Deborah Lippmann Boom Boom Pow ($20 at nordstrom.com), or one with smaller glitter flecks, like the pretty baby pink NARS Arabesque ($18 at barneys.com), which is what we used here.

3) Start with a base coat to protect your nails and help the nail polish stick better. We like CND Stickey ($8.50 at ulta.com).

4) Layer the polishes one on top of the other, starting with the jelly and waiting for each to dry completely before applying the next layer. At this point, it’s really up to you how sandwich-like you want the manicure to be. It might be okay with just one layer of glitter, but we went with two to really jazz it up. So the final layers looked like this:

Katherine
Arabesque
Katherine
Arabesque
Katherine

5) Finish with a top coat to seal in the polish and add shine. We live and breathe by Seche Vite Dry Fast Top Coat ($8.99 at walgreens.com).

And that’s it! You’ve now given yourself a jelly sandwich manicure.

Have you tried this before—or are you going to now? Let us know in the comments!

Every season, a selection of nail polish colors makes its way into the best, most popular, most used shades. And we’re counting them down for you this fall! Up this week: plum. The shade is regal, beautiful and attention grabbing—it can look violet, grape or even black in certain lights. And we’ve found the best takes on the color for you.

Sally Hansen Insta-Dri Fast Dry Nail Color in Uptempo Plum
It’s honestly difficult for us to express just how much we love this polish. The shade is a true deep plum, but what really makes it stand out is the micro-flecks of purple glitter baked into the formula. Plus, it really does what it says—this polish dried to a glossy finish on our nails in one minute flat, no top coat needed.
$3.71 at drugstore.com

M.A.C Dark Angel
Creamy, rich and completely opaque in two coats. We’re loving this as a pedicure color for the cooler months.
$16 at maccosmetics.com

Maybelline Plum Paradise
Paradise? It most certainly is, with this stunner on our nails. It’s a slightly lighter version of the Sally Hansen—gorgeous shimmer baked in, which really makes this one catch the light beautifully.
$3.99 at drugstore.com

RGB Plum
RGB has a knack for being completely on point with their nail polish names, and this one is no different. It’s a true deep, creamy, absolutely gorgeous plum. And it’s opaque in just one coat.
$16 at otteny.com

Every season, a selection of nail polish colors makes its way into the best, most popular, most used shades. And we’re counting them down for you this fall! Up this week: oxblood. Oxblood has been seen all over the runways, all over street style blogs and all over nails since the temperatures started dropping. It’s the color of the season—a new, richer, deeper take on red than your classic burgundies and maroons. It’s chic, it’s sexy, it’s utterly unforgettable. Take a look at our favorite takes on the trend.

RGB Oxblood
Aptly named and looks almost black in certain lights. A true stunner.
$16 at beauty.com

NCLA Rodeo Drive Royalty
It would be worth living in Beverly Hills just to wear this burgundy hue’s sister with a hint of irony.
$16 at shopncla.com

Illamasqua Charisma
This one almost doesn’t look oxblood enough, but we’re letting it slide because the ruby hue and the shimmer are absolutely stunning.
$14 at sephora.com

Orly Smolder
The name makes us think of The Hunger Games; the shade makes us want to start fires.
$8.50 at beauty.com

Vapour Vernissage in Captive
It’s creamy, it’s rich, it’s deep … it’s captivating.
$12 at vapourbeauty.com

Normally, I’m not a fan of chunky glitter nail polish. I don’t like the gritty texture of it upon my nails, or how difficult it is to remove. But in the case of Sephora by OPI Only Gold For Me Top Coat, it’s impossible not to make an exception.

Not only does this nail polish sparkle equally as bright in the sun as in a darkened room, but its ability to overwhelm knows no bounds. It sparkles, it glistens, it glitters … in other words, it demands attention.

Plus, it works well on its own or layered over other colors. I’ve tried it over black, over nude, even over a shimmery gold, and it just keeps on looking amazing! I’ve discussed this top coat’s merits with manicurists and nail polish obsessed friends alike, and we all agree—it’s a keeper.

And, at the end of the day, it’s not too painfully hard to take off. Who knew?

Sephora by OPI Only Gold For Me Top Coat retails for $9.50 at sephora.com.