Fifty-Two Weeks

Is Black Back for the Summer? First off, I love my blog! I was viewing it this morning and my news reel to the side popped up a link that caught my eye (way to go blog!). The link lead me to a  Bustle  article about wearing black nail polish this summer season like Charlize Theron on the cover of Esquire.  While the article itself didn't move me much (*ahem* getting a gel polish manicure will Not kill you with it's UV rays unless you bake in the light for hours upon hours. Just to set that record straight.) the article did make me think about using black in my manicures this summer. I have always like dark polishes mixed with bright poppy colors - so maybe the author had something right - black polish really would look good with your bright floral and summer prints. I'm most definitely going to have to give it a try!  Here are some of the black polishes that the author recommended. For the entire list and details you can visit the article  here .

Update Your Nails this Season Refinery29's Beauty Prep School paired up with Sally Hansen and created this great little video on how it is OK to finally mix and match your favorite colors for a fun and new updated look this season!  Check out the whole article  here  or just check out the video below! If you use any of the tips from the video and article, please share them on the blog! I would love to see what amazing combinations you come up with! You can find Sally Hansen products at most local super centers and drugstores.  Be Radiant! Amanda #fiftytwoweeksofnails @theradiantamanda

Cat Nail Polish?  I WISH!!  I was cleaning out my inbox and found a Julep email I had apparently skipped over *shakes head in shame*. But anyway, it's a great little April Fools ad about nail polish for cats!  I love the four style "prrrofiles" they came up with for your cat's color.  I don't know about you guys, but I know I most definitely have a "Glamourpuss" in my house.  This is my "Glamourpuss" Dinah Even though it was a very lovely April Fools joke for all of us cat and polish lovers, it did get me thinking about cat's nails. If you are interested in protecting your kitties claws (or rather, protect you and your home's fine furnishing) check out cat nail caps. From what I understand, these caps are not mean't for outdoor kitties, but if you choose to get them for your furry friend, don't worry - the caps don't hurt and can be put on either by you or your veterinarian! And of cou

A Pretty Good Infographic! So like I said in one of my other posts, I follow Refinery29 and receive their emails pretty frequently. In the email I got today there was a great article with an even greater Infographic!  Except for the second part on #10 about skipping the "swoop over the nail tip" (I recommend capping all nails whenever you put any layer of polish on) this Infographic is one to keep on hand to help you get a great flawless at home nail polish job. Check out the whole article  Here .  If you feel like you still need extra steps or more explanation for each step, feel free to check out my previous post  A Lasting at Home Mani .  Once you have done a manicure using these steps, I would love to show off your nails on the blog! So please share! Be Radiant! Amanda #fiftytwoweeksofnails @theradiantamanda

The Radiant Regents Place I am so excited about this week's color - not just because of the color - but because of the brand I got to use! Nails Inc. London is a brand that I have seen online for a while but never knew how to get my hands on. So, this past week when I stopped by my local Ulta store, I about went ape sh*t over the new Nails Inc. display they had available! My drive for wanting to try this polish was well worth the purchase! I wasn't let down at all! This polish is as great as I imagined it to be! The color I chose is Nails Inc. London  Regents Place .  This charming purple polish dries so fast! I almost couldn't believe how little time I spent waiting on my nails to dry between coats. It was an amazing first experience with a polish. The first coat of polish on my left hand was almost completely dry by the time I finished all ten of my nails.  I know I will definitely be going back to my local Ulta store to grab the Nails Inc. Garde

Check Out Your Nail Art Horoscope! I subscribe to Refinery29 Everywhere and one of the emails I received today has an amazing article combining the horoscopes with nail art! You should check it out at  refinery29.com !  I am absolutely loving my Sagittarius nail art and I can't wait to get my hands on some Deborah Lippmann nail polish! These colors below were used for my horoscope nails! The orange color is Don't Stop Believin' and the gold is Nefertiti .  If you have used any Deborah Lippmann, I would love to see! And I would love to post about it on the blog!! Be Radiant! Amanda #fiftytwoweeksofnails @theradiantamanda

1500 Views! The blog has finally reached 1500 views! I am sending out a big thank you to everyone who has continually been reading and spreading the word about Fifty Two Weeks ! You all rock! If you aren't already doing so - check the blog out on Instagram! @theradiantamanda or #fiftytwoweeksofnails and please please please send pictures or contact me about posting about your nails on the blog!! Be Radiant! Amanda

The Radiant Hannah Visits Again Good Day Everyone! This week's post is about a great polish combination that was chosen by my friend Hannah. Hannah visited me this past week for a pedicure and used two great colors to create an amazing look for her pedicured toes.  For her polish she chose a base color by Julep called Billie Jean . This polish went on easy and in one coat! It also dried pretty fast which helped since we added the glitter on top.  For her glittering overlay, Hannah matched Billie Jean with Glitz by Wet n' Wild's Craze polish line. This glitter polish really made her toes pop!      If you're ever looking to spice up your nails, just try adding a fun glitter or accent polish tot the top of another color you already have on! Just be prepared - some glitter polish are extremely hard to remove. So plant to spend extra time on your polish removal.  You can find Billie Jean online at Julep.com if you are interested in this fast dry

Check Out These Nails! I had a great time last night doing the nails of my good friend Grace - You have got to see them! For her manicure and pedicure, Grace picked the color Lilou by Julep. This is a lovely spring and summer yellow! It even matched Grace's iPhone Color!  As you can also see in the picture to the bottom right of the PicStitch, I also pained on some Daisy petals on Grace's ring finger for a delicate accent nail! Thankfully she was so patient when I messed up a few times - I am still working on the whole nail art thing... If you want to grab a bottle of Lilou  check out Julep.com!  Any tips for me on nail art? Have you used any great colors that you would like to share?! I love showing off nails on my blog! Please contact me! Be Radiant! Amanda #fiftytwoweeksofnails @theradiantamanda

The Radiant Elisa Hi Everyone!! I am excited to share this lovely color of the week with you. This week's color is a Julep color called Elisa.  I love this color! It is a charming light purple that has a subtle silver shimmer! I once used this color on my grandma's nails and it lasted so so long! However, for this color to look great, you have to totally use two coats of color.  If you want to grab a bottle of Elisa just check out Julep.com and purchase the color! By the way, did anyone paint their mother's nails, get a mani, or get a pedi with their mom for mother's day?! If so I would love to share pictures on the blog!! Has anyone painted their nails lately? I would love to share those on the blog too! Be Radaint! Amanda #fiftytwoweeksofnails @theradiantamanda

Don't Pick It! I think most of us are famous for this, myself included, but for the sake of our precious nails we need to stop picking at our gel polish and start taking it off the right way! In today's post I will take us through the proper steps of safely removing gel polish at home. However, my personal advice is to always try and have a licensed nail technician take your gel polish off if you have the funds and time to do so. (Here is a detail image of damage that can be done to your nail if you do not remove gel polish correctly.) Part 1: Set up your work area To minimize the damage to you nail plate you want to make sure you have the right tools for removing your gel polish. Here are the key items you will need, and why, to do the job right: Nail file - for roughing up the surface of the nail polish Acetone - this breaks down the polish and makes it easy to come off Ten small cotton balls (or five large one pulled in half) - to soak in the acetone A