Ever since receiving the Quick Dry formula from Olive & June last year, I've been hooked on it. It's truly a quick dry formula, drying down within minutes and not smudging. That being said, when Olive & June released their fall quick dry polishes, I was immediately enticed. The shades were stunning and quintessential autumnal tones that were calling my name.

They were all shades that were missing in my collection; browns, deep reds, and a beautiful deep lavender called Twilight which I can't wait to review for you all. 

We are now on our third week of reviewing Olive & June's Fall 2023 nail polish collection. I think last week I described the color a bit off; Shacket is a lot more darker than your traditional mauve but when it comes to this week's manicure, we've got our mauve lady.

'Can I Borrow A Sweater' is such a cute nail polish name; I don't know what it has to do with the color mauve but I'm still into it.

There are a few things that signal the beginning of fall: when pumpkin spice lattes return to Starbucks, the first crisp fall weather day in August or September, and the arrival of fall nail polish collections.

For the past few years, Olive & June has been hitting it out of the park with their fall collections. I think my favorite collection of theirs remains the 2020 collection where I bought the PSL Ombre Manicure kit. I still have most of those polishes in my collection today and always break them out when the cool weather hits.

This year's fall collection is no different; Olive & June have done it again! All of the shades scream cool, crisp weather with leaves falling around you and some apple picking adventures. The moment I saw the launch email in my inbox I purchased the entire collection (aside from one polish, It's Chilly! because I have too many cream shades and they're not my favorite)

It felt only right that the first polish I used from the collection is 'First PSL' which is described as a chrome pumpkin shade, and honestly nothing sounds better than that. The shade is currently sold out but hopefully it'll come back in stock soon or it might be available in-store at Target, Walmart, or Walgreens -- all which sell Olive & June.

When I saw that Essie was releasing a "Blue Moon" collection in regards to the blue moon that will be happening on Halloween this year, I almost fainted. I have always had an affinity for astrology and as I've gotten older, I've learned more about the planets, the moon and how astrological signs interact with them. I've learned more about crystals and New Moons, Blue Moons, etc... it's all very interesting to me and I'm very into it at the moment.

If you were not aware, there is a Blue Moon happening on Halloween this year. A blue moon just means that it's the 2nd full moon in one month's time... the first full moon happened the first few days of October. The fact that the blue moon is happening on HALLOWEEN is pretty cool so I'm into it.

The Blue Moon collection from Essie is exclusive to Target and the moment I saw it was available, I ordered two shades. After going through my polish collection a few weeks ago, I realized I had too many nail polishes and I simply cannot wear them all in one season so I'm trying to cut back. That's why I only bought two polishes and not the entire collection -- I also really loved the names of the two polishes I got. 

First up this week is "Broom With a View" which is currently out of stock online but I'm hoping it'll come back in stock or you'll find it in-store. I chose this one because the name was just outrageous for this time of year and I felt like I had never owned a polish like this.

It is very much a blueish purple shade with undertones of grey and black -- it's just what you would imagine a blue moon looks like, mixed with the night sky and silvery stars. It's utterly gorgeous! I've had these polishes displayed on my dresser for the past week (since receiving them) because I couldn't bear to think of them in a drawer. They're so beautiful in the bottle you can't imagine how they will translate to the nails but boy did they!

I applied Broom With A View on Saturday night (as I type this) and was pleasantly surprised at the application process. Usually, with these Essie colors, they're a little goopy or gritty because of the sparkles but not this collection. It went on very smoothly, just as if it was a traditional cream shade. 

It was also surprisingly opaque. Sometimes the glitter can almost water down a polish formula and it takes at least four coats to have some sort of true color. Once again, not the case with this collection. Two coats were all it took for the color to be true and perfect.

For a base coat, I used my Ella + Mila "All About the Base", for a top coat I used Essie Gel Couture and then topped it off with Ella + Mila Quick Dry Drops. 

The only concern I have is when I take the polish off, will it be gritty and difficult like traditional glitter polishes but I will update you next week when I review the 2nd polish from the collection.

Now, that color... oh boy. I feel like Zeon Girl of the 21st Century with an entire galaxy on my nails. The color is just as it is in the bottle; blue/purple with silver, grey, and black undertones. The light catches it in a gorgeous way and it is spooky yet calming at the same time. It is truly the perfect Halloween nail but in a weird way, can work for Christmas and New Year as well. 

I love the way my nails look with this color. It's a nice change of pace from the usual orange, burgundy, angora cardi colors that I go for during this time of year and I never knew how much I could appreciate that. I follow such strict manicure rules and it feels nice to have an excuse to wear a super dark color to match my mood. 

If you can find "Broom With a View" in your Target stores, I highly recommend picking it up. It's very unique and truly gorgeous, especially to wear on what I'm sure will be a low-key and spooky Halloween. It is 2020 after all.

xoxo
B

The time has come for fall nail polish. I am crazy excited for this because there is something sleek, sexy, and fun about dark & deep nail colors. I usually am sick of summer colors by now, and I guess that's kind of true, but I didn't go wild with nail colors this summer.

I kept it to nudes, pinks, and a few crazy colors thrown in there once in a while. I was really feeling the more subdued look, but now it's time for red, browns, orange, and black. Bring it on!

Once the fall nail collections were being released a few weeks ago, I knew I needed to get on them ASAP. I wasn't that impressed by the Essie Fall 2016 collection, but what did intrigue was the Kerry Washington x OPI collection that is featured at Ulta *not sure if it's available everywhere!*

I'm not an OPI girl; I have 1 other nail polish by them and it's pretty good but I'm not drawn to them. Maybe it's the colors, maybe I'm just used to Essie and their formulas, but I never buy OPI products.

This is the exception.

I wasn't drawn in by the entire collection but the two colors named: Shh...It's Top Secret, and Inside The Isabelletway really spoke to me. I can't find these on the Ulta.com website anymore but you can head to OPI's website to see the entire collection.

My mom used Shh... It's Top Secret this week and it looks great on her; it's described as as chocolate brown but on her it almost looks black/plum. Maybe it'll look different on me!




I'm not ready for the deepish shades of fall yet, but I couldn't wait to try the Isabelletway shade; it's described by OPI as a caramel creme and that's exactly what it is. I feel like I'm wearing a latte on my nails and I love it.

The formula is definitely different than my favorite Essie ones; it's a little heavier, which makes it a little more difficult to apply. It's more prone to bleeding onto my cuticles which is kind of annoying, but if you're careful, it shouldn't be a problem.



Once you get passed that, it's a great polish. It applies smoothly and evenly, and I really like the bigger brush that OPI has.

I used the Julep Oxygen Base Coat underneath, and Seche Vite as a top coat; my nails are super shiny  and they look ready for fall!

This is going to be my go-to polish throughout the fall & winter; it's the perfect caramel beige that isn't too dark or too light. I'm obsessed!

What is your favorite fall nail polish shade?

I promise this will be the last Manicure Monday for a while. Well, maybe for two weeks. Fall is the season of nail colors for me and I can't resist all the new colors out there.

This color may not be new, but it's new to me as is the nail polish brand.

Butter London is a brand known for their nail polishes and I've only tried one other color from the brand and it wasn't my favorite.

I was determined to try another color eventually and when I was looking to place my order on BeautyKind, I saw that the website carried Butter London. This was my chance to build up my fall nail polish collection and give the brand another chance.



I decided on the grey/beige color called "All Hail the Queen" --that name is PERFECTION and so is the color. You can't tell in the photo on the website but in the bottle and on your nails, it has a glitter sheen to it and its gorgeous.


The formula is amazing, in my opinion. It went on a little sheer at first but it built up nicely in two coats. It was smooth going on and dried to a gorgeous finish. I was really pleased with how it applied and how it looked on my nails.

I used it with my Essie Gel Setter top coat and it definitely helped with chipping. I wore it for a week and had minimal chips. I think that says wonders about the nail polish formula and the top coat.

The one thing that started to bother me as the days went on was that the more I looked at the color, the more I felt like it was a grandma color. Maybe because my grandma has worn nail colors like that in the past but I felt kind of old when I wore it, if that makes sense.

All in all, I really liked this polish and it will be in rotation this year!

Do you like Butter London nail polishes? What's your favorite nail polish brand?

For the first time in months, I went two weeks ago to get a manicure. I needed to clean up my cuticles and just felt like my hands needed some pampering.

I never get manicures for the color because like this manicure, it chipped almost immediately. I've come to realize that my nails are not that healthy and don't hold a manicure well, but I'm doing my best to fix that.

Just because a manicure chips easily doesn't mean that'll stop me. I love a good fall nail color and I usually stick to my faithful Essie while in the nail salon chair but this time around, I saw a new color that I've been wanting to try.



Kathleen Lights, my favorite Youtube beauty blogger posted this photo on Instagram of OPI's new color, 'A Piazza Cake' and I knew I had to have it. I don't have anything like this color nor have I ever tried anything like this. I was instantly intrigued because it looks like pumpkin nail polish and I need everything pumpkin #basic.

I couldn't find this polish in the stores but when I walked into my nail salon, I saw it there waiting for me. It was clearly fate.




My mom was not a fan of this orange nail polish and I was definitely weary of it but it looked SO good on the nails! It was super smooth and opaque, it was a really good formula. I never use OPI polishes and I don't remember the last time I actually wore one but this may have opened the doors to a new found love.

How gorgeous is that color? I cannot get enough and I need to find it in store now.

Do you use OPI nail polishes? What's your opinion of them?

I love the start of the seasons for many reasons, one of them being new nail polish collections. I was really excited about Essie's Fall 2015 collection, until I saw it.

None of the colors excited me as past collections and I figured I wouldn't buy any polishes from the collection, opting for some older, classic fall Essie shades.

Well, then I saw a swatch on Instagram of Essie's Leggy Legend and I fell head over heels. I've never seen a polish like this. I knew I needed it, and I needed it soon.

I immediately went to the drugstore and picked this bad boy up. It's almost as gorgeous in the bottle as it was in the photo, but even more gorgeous on the nails.

It's described as a metallic bronze and that's exactly what it is. I do have some Essie metallic nail polishes but this is nothing like that. It has glimpses of shimmer and sparkle in the polish; it almost has a dimensional look to it.


I received so many compliments on the color and I know that this will be my most worn polish of the season. It's neutral enough to be casual but is unique enough to stand out.



The formula is wonderful as well-- one of the best Essie shades out there. It was smooth, super opaque and didn't run at all. I used it with my Essie Gel Setter polish and it lasted more than 5 days with minimal chipping. I could've lasted a day or two more if I didn't go get a manicure at the salon.

I already can't wait to paint my nails with this gorgeous color again!

What's your favorite fall nail polish color? 

Let's get the elephant out of the room, shall we? I have a new look on the blog, AGAIN! My banner was messed up for about a week and a half, and I was getting bored with my design and felt like Royally Pink needed a face lift.

This is a temporary design purchased from The Blog Shop on Etsy. She has pre-made blog templates so it's perfect in a pinch! I will be trying to find a blog designer to make Royally Pink a custom design, but in the meantime, I'm kind of in love with the new layout!

What does everyone think?

Ok, so let's get into it!

The first Manicure Monday of the season and I couldn't be more excited. I always get to a point in the summer where I'm bored of bright nail colors and long for dark reds, browns, and plums.

Well, I found the best color to kick off fall and that is Smith & Cult's "Lovers Creep". I bought it when I went to the Birchbox Soho store last week but I had full intentions of purchasing it online as well.



Smith & Cult nail polishes have become my addiction and I only had light colors for spring & summer, so I knew I needed at least one dark color. Why not start the fall season with a bang and a deep, dark red?

The formula is just like the other Smith & Cult nail polishes. It goes on gorgeously, it's very smooth, and the chipping is a minimum. The photos I have are a little blah because I couldn't find my original photo so this is four day chipping. My nails have been really bad lately; they peel and are very weak which is why no nail polish is staying good.



My mom used this polish and her nails look like she just walked out of the nail salon, so it is a great polish.

This is such a good red --it's the color of red wine, it has the slightest hint of plum and it seems like the color of fall leaves.

This is a color that will be in constant rotation and I can't wait to get my hands on more fall colors. I'm eyeing up Bitter Buddhist & Stockholm Syndrome next :)

What's on your nails this manicure monday?