When I first got married, one of the things I didn’t realize was how much I would come to love playing hostess! I absolutely love a party, and I love it even more if I get to plan and host it! The artist in me comes out full-force, and I plan every detail from the favors down to my coordinating outfit {yes, I’m a nerd…don’t judge}. I haven’t had the opportunity to throw a good party since Little Crafter’s Lego birthday last August, so when I was selected to host a Sally Hansen “I Heart Nail Art” party, I jumped at the chance to have a Girls’ Night In with some gal pals and pamper ourselves a little.
The first step was to go shopping! My trusty helper and I hit Walgreens with a mission. Being the Queen of Indecisiveness, I was a little overwhelmed with all the fun and fabulous choices, but Little Crafter helped me narrow things down and we ended up with a cart full of goodies. {He insisted on yellow polish; we’ll see what my guests think of it!} Polishes, nail art pens, files, base coats, top coats, nail polish strips, snacks, and more! I was so glad I had my Balance Rewards card app ready for checkout so I’d get the reward points for our purchases!
You can read and see all about our shopping adventure in my Google+ Album…it’ll give you a little taste of what it’s like to shop with the Artsy Family, bribery and all!
Here’s a little peek at some of what we got for my guests to play with…ooooh, all those pretty colors!!
The next step was to start creating favors! I used “Cammie,” my trusty Silhouette Cameo to cut out these adorable little favor boxes. I decided to go with a pink/purple/turquoise color theme for the party since it’s feminine and perfect for Spring! Each favor was personalized with the guest’s name and filled with goodies: a bottle of nail polish, a file, and an assortment of candy. I asked each guest ahead of time what her favorite nail colors were and tried to get a polish that would go with her preferences.
The day of the party, I set up a manicure station for each guest, including a washcloth, a container of soapy water, Q-tips, cotton balls, a file, and a polish removal wipe. I also provided each person with a list of the different products on the table. To help inspire their creative designs, I placed photos and magazine pages featuring fun nail ideas and current fashions in sheet protectors and spread them out.
Of course I had plenty of style magazines for guests to browse too! Guess I’ll have to keep and read them all after the party is over…oh, darn.
My other incredibly important job as hostess was to provide yummy snacks for our girl time! While Little Crafter and I were at Walgreens, I got some Cheddar Popcorn, and more importantly, an assortment of dark and milk chocolate eggs from the Easter candy section! I also picked up some Arizona iced tea on sale to go with the assorted coffees, teas, and hot chocolates I already had on hand. Of course, every party needs cupcakes, so I made up a batch of yellow cupcakes, topped them with Cool Whip frosting, and crumbled some peanut butter eggs on top! Yummm! I tried my first print-and-cut with “Cammie” and made some festive little nail polish bottle cupcake toppers; how cute are they?!
Finally, it was party time!! My guests ranged in age from five to um, more than five. {Your secret is safe with me, Mom!} Some absolutely love nail polish and all things girly; others rarely paint their nails. They each have different senses of style, but they all agreed that the party was a lot of fun!
Some of them were using it as a night out away from the responsibilities of being a mommy, but my friend Jess was excited to bring her daughter along for some Mommy-Daughter girl time.
Each guest ended up sampling a variety of the different products and created totally different manicures. Take a look!
My friend Jenni is like me in her love for sparkles! And we’re not alone! Some of the stars have been shining brightly on the red carpet lately with all kinds of gorgeous glittery glamour. When Jenni saw the pink glitter Salon Effects Nail Polish Strips, she was excited to try them. First, she polished her nails with a light neutral color, then followed the simple instructions for the strips. She opted to do a full strip on each ring finger nail, then she cut the rest to create custom French manicure tips for the other fingers! I would never have thought to cut them, but I love the look she created!
Jenni finished her manicure with a top coat to seal it and give it even more shine. After using the Salon Effects strips she said, “I wouldn’t have just bought these in the store, but now that I’ve tried them I probably will.”
My friend Kristen is one of the most artistic people I know {in fact, she’s an elementary school art teacher}, as well as one of the most stylish, so I couldn’t wait to see what kind of nail design she would create. She started out by combining a light blue base coat with a mint green reverse french manicure. The product she was most excited about trying was the Nail Art Pens, which she used to create a fun design on her ring finger…to go along with that gorgeous engagement ring of hers! Her manicure reflects the current fashion trend of colorblocking within the same color family, as seen in this inspiration magazine photo.
Sweet five-year-old Rose was beyond excited when she saw all the choices on the table! She picked the flowered Salon Effects strips for her pointer finger, then for the rest, she opted to try the Coral Crackle Effect polish over a dark rose base color. Even at such a young age, Rose is on board with this spring’s trend of adding some flair to your look with a funky pattern!
My friend Sara chose to follow one of this season’s hottest trends by painting her nails a gorgeous shade of coral! She accented it by painting her ring finger nails white and putting tiny turquoise polka dots on them with one of the Nail Art pens {which are super easy to use}!
Jess confessed that she rarely paints her nails…in part because with a five-year-old and an 18-month-old at home, it’s hard to find time to give herself a manicure and let it dry. She was anxious to try the Salon Effects Nail Polish Strips because there’s no dry time required! You just adhere them and go, which is great for a busy mom and church secretary like Jess. She used a light blush color, which is very on-trend, for her base coat, then borrowed Jenni’s technique of cutting the strips to create a funky twist on the classic French manicure.
These hands are extra special to me since they belong to my mom, Sherl. Normally, she chooses pink/rose/neutral shades of polish, so I was really proud when she stepped out of her comfort zone and tried this pretty purple! She also took it a step further and added tiny teal polka dots with the Nail Art Pen. Polka dots are everywhere this spring…a timeless look.
Then, of course, there’s me, Amy. Although my current favorite color of the season is the coral Sara used, I decided to go with teal since this particular shade of Insta-Dri polish exactly matches my Easter dress. I also was really curious to try out the French Manicure tip pen, so I decided to do a teal base coat with the white tip. The pen worked really well and was a lot easier than trying to give yourself a French mani with a regular brush! While I was at it, I used the pen to add some playful polka dots. They’re larger than the ones my mom and Sara got since the tip of the pen is larger than the Nail Art Pens, which makes them an even bolder look.
We all had a great time pampering ourselves, looking through the magazines, chatting, playing with the products, and eating those cupcakes! Some of our favorite products ended up being the Nail Art and French Manicure Pens, the Salon Effects strips {which are 2/$5 with 1000 rewards points at Walgreens through 4/27!}, the Cuticle Massage Cream and the four sided nail files {Jess said, “Wow, each side really does what it says it will! How does it do that?”}. Which of the products would you most enjoy trying? You can even order them online to create your runway looks at home!
Of course, I had to play with the products to “quality test” them before the party, and I also still have them for more fun after the fact too…here are two other looks I created with the Sally Hansen polishes, strips, and pens!
I am a member of the Collective Bias® Social Fabric® Community. This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study forCollective Bias® and COTY #cbias #SocialFabric. However, all opinions are entirely my own.
Thank you for such a fun evening. I really enjoyed trying all the great products. I love my nails. You are an awesome hostess. I especially liked the quick drying products and the paint pens. Lots of fun. 😉
I ADORE the party decor. The cupcakes were cute and how perfect are the little goody bags for everyone?!? I LOVE it and your nails all look totally fabulous!
Looks like you had fun…and cleaned out Walgreens! My favorite nails were yours and your friend Jenni. Maybe I will plan to do this with the ladies when we have our family week at the beach this July! Does the quick dry polish really dry quickly?
I wish we lived closer because I totally would have come to your party! This looks like so much! You are a fabulous hostess and I love seeing everyones color choices. I’m wondering if I could pull off the orange..hmmm 🙂
Holy smokes! This looks like the best party to be invited to! I wish I lived close to you. 🙂 I like what Sara did with her nails. I need to give that accent nail a try one day. Looks like fun!!!
Amy, this is so fun!! What a perfect idea for a girls day! Happy Easter!!
I really love your nails AMy, and it seems to suit you perfectly, those polka dots are so fun for Spring. We love Sally Hansen!
Thank you for such a fun evening. I really enjoyed trying all the great products. I love my nails. You are an awesome hostess. I especially liked the quick drying products and the paint pens. Lots of fun. 😉
Amy, you did an awesome job at planning the party! I love what the ladies did with the products, so many options!
I ADORE the party decor. The cupcakes were cute and how perfect are the little goody bags for everyone?!? I LOVE it and your nails all look totally fabulous!
I love the polka dot nails! Love how you did the grab bags. Those are soo cute! I cannot wait to do these with my sisters and cousins!
What a super fun evening! 🙂
What a super fun evening! 🙂
Looks like you had fun…and cleaned out Walgreens! My favorite nails were yours and your friend Jenni. Maybe I will plan to do this with the ladies when we have our family week at the beach this July! Does the quick dry polish really dry quickly?
Great pictures, and I love all the details you put into the party! Those goodie bags are adorable!
Looks like a lot of fun. Making my invite list now. 🙂
Looks like you all had a wonderful time!! I love the goody bags and all your nails! Great Job.:)
What a fun girls night! All the nails turned out so pretty!
What fun party!
Sally Hansen red bottle top coat is my absolute favorite! I can’t do my nails without it! It looks like you guys had a lot of fun!
So fun!!! Love all the colors 🙂
I wish we lived closer because I totally would have come to your party! This looks like so much! You are a fabulous hostess and I love seeing everyones color choices. I’m wondering if I could pull off the orange..hmmm 🙂
This looks like such a fun party! I’ve always been scared to try a french manicure at home, but these look doable, and SO CUTE!
~Emily
http://tossedsaladlife.com
This looks like so much fun! I love all the creativity and colors 🙂 Your nails are super cute, too. Great girls night in!
Holy smokes! This looks like the best party to be invited to! I wish I lived close to you. 🙂 I like what Sara did with her nails. I need to give that accent nail a try one day. Looks like fun!!!
Amy, I really like your diagonal and dot look! That’s neat and different!
Amy, I really like your diagonal and dot look! That’s neat and different!
Amy, this party looks like it was so much fun! You did such an awesome job putting this together!