Life update/Rant...a bit more ranty though.

Life....

Life is; busy, balancing work, social life, family obligations, paying bills, going to appointments. 

I hate being an adult.

I started blogging over five years ago. That's insane by the way! Not that I have EVER been consistent or anything. I wish I was. I know I tried to get myself on a schedule more than once but that four letter word gets in the way and all of this gets put to the back burner and sat there to simmer for god knows how long. 

When I started my blog, I had much more time on my hands. I worked a schedule where I was home most of the day so sitting on the computer or playing with nail polish was possible.I had much more energy five years ago, staying up till 2am swatching was totally awesome. I would put on Netflix and go to work.  I miss that. Now I work full time, and on my days off I’m running errands, going to doctor appointments and spending time with friends and family. Which is totally awesome too by the way, don’t get me wrong.  I also got to bed by 10pm every night and if I do stay up late I barely make it to midnight and if I happen to make it to 2am I am shattered the next day. 

When did I become an adult? I have managed to blog and YouTube in the last few months and that's great, I feel really accomplished when I manage to post something. I see my other blogging friend doing this as a regular thing and I think; “How do they manage everything?” 

I intended this post to be a life update, but theres not much to update, and now its become kind of rangy hasn't it? 

I guess what I’m trying to say is that I’m still going to blog and make videos, but I just may not post regularly. All of this started out as a hobby, a hobby that I still love and obsess over. I just don't get to post about it much. Maybe one day I will find a way to make blogging and Youtubing a regular thing. 

For now though, I hope you guys, the lovely people that still read here when I post, or like a photo on my Instagram, will stick with me and my irregular posting! Thank you all who have been here for the last five years and I here's to the next five! 

And since you have made it to the end of this post here is a cute picture of Kitkat, ( my kitty if you didn’t know that already :) ) I'll talk to you soon! <3 Nicole

Welcome to my Fitness Journey!

Hey guys! Long time no blog, I know. I know. How is your 2016 going? For myself I have to say so far that mine is going fairly well. Much better than years past I will tell you that. Even though I haven't been writing out blog post I have been taking lots of photos and trying out product so I can review them properly for you! 

Today though, I am introducing you guys to a new (hope to be) series on the blog. 

Over the years I realized I’ve come to not only love nail polish, and makeup, but also fashion and life style things. So here is a little bit of lifestyle! Today’s post is going to be about fitness, well my the beginning of my fitness journey anyway.

One of my top goals for this year is to get healthy. I briefly mentioned it my Year In Review, if you want to read all about 2015 feel free to click the link. Since my teenage years I’ve been in the overweight/plus size category and have tried every which way to loose weight. Whether it was by dieting, (which never worked), or joining the gym on and off since I was 15. Honestly going to he gym makes me feel self conscious, I always felt like everyone stares at you and silently judges. Its definitely not the scene for me. 

I think my failures also had a lot to do with the fact I wasn’t putting my health as a priority. WHICH IS NOT A GOOD IDEA BY THE WAY!  I used to make it a priority that my family, and friends came first, I’ve always said I’m a people pleaser, if others are happy then I’m doing my job. 

But I since realized that I had to start taking care of me, which most people agreed, some didn’t. But if I’m not good health, how can I help others?

In July of last year I started working out and (sort of )  watching what I was eating. I got inspired when I saw Anna Saccone ( from the SacconeJolys) talk about how she hired a personal trainer to help her meet  her fitness goals. Anna put out a video with her trainer Lucy Wyndham Read and I fell in love with it. It was simple, and I could do it in the privacy of my own home whenever I wanted. 

So of course the next thing I did was buy some brightly colored workout clothes. I feel it makes me want to workout more if I have cute clothes to do it in.

I love picking out workout gear that has motivation sayings on them
even if they are kind of cheesy sometimes.

I then started doing the one video when I had a spare moment. I had yet to check out Lucy's YouTube channel and see all the awesome videos she posts! l I’m not gonna lie there were maybe one or two weeks that went by where I didn’t workout at all because I was lazy about it. I could name all the excuses, I was too tired, its too hot outside, I worked late, etc. However when I did finally do a workout I felt amazing!

If you are looking for new at home workouts to do then you should definitly checkout Lucy's Channel! I should go into what kind of workouts Lucy does, she does what is called a H-I-I-T workout or High-Intensity-Interval-Training Workouts. You may or may not have heard of them. In most of Lucy's videos she shows you a HIIT move then a toning move. Basically HIIT workouts get your heart rate up to burn calories,then brings it down a little to tone, then right back up again to burning calories. I hope I explained that right. I have never sweat so much after a workout in my life!

Heres a pretty sweaty selfie from after a workout last summer.

 But like any beginner you can’t push yourself too hard, your body has limits and if your not used to working out, you could injure yourself. At first I only did as much as my body could,I modified the workout to suit my range of motion and so on.  Now seven months later my stamina and range of motion have increased greatly and now I am doing four separate workouts in one shot!

Heres a link to Lucys Youtube Channel so you can check out her videos for yourself!


My current routine goes as so: 

1.Warm up routine

2. 4 minute thigh routine

3. Love HIIT Workout.

4: 180 Ab rep workout. 

In total its just shy of a half an hour. Sometimes I change up the videos so I don’t get bored or repetitive. Lucy has so many videos to choose from you could do a new work out routine every day! 

Over the last seven months I have definitely seen a change in my body. I haven’t lost as much weight as I would like to, but I’ve noticed I’m toning up my body which is nice. What I have to work on now is my diet. Cutting out sugar, and crap foods is hard, but I don’t want to cut them out completely I’m trying to find a balance. 

I know this is all going to take time and is not going to happen overnight. I’m not looking for that; “I dropped 100 pounds in a year”, I want to do this my way, and at my own pace. 

I plan on doing monthly updates to hold myself more accountable. If anyone out there has any tips or advice, please leave a comment below!! 

I hope you all have a wonderful Friday and a even more magnificent weekend! 

Did you know you can see more content on Youtube? Name Change?

Hello lovelies and Happy New Year to you all!! I hope 2015 is good to us. I was very glad to see 2014 go!


Yup you read the title right, I'm doing a little shameless self-promotion. With the New Year 4 days in already I am determined to make myself a better blogger and YouTuber this year.

If you didn't know by the one or two post I have posted here that I also make YouTube videos now and have been since around Easter back last year. It was stepping I had been looking to make for sometime and finally took the leap.


I'm trying to find a balance between here and YouTube and deciding on what content to put where. I feel YouTube is better for Tutorials, except nail art related ones for me. I don't think I'm anywhere good enough to do those so I'll leave those to the professionals. I also enjoy making favorites videos versus long ass blog post that have 100 photos. However I love writing blog posts where I can show you lovely readers amazing swatch photos, and usually video can never do a good picture justice.

So as 2015 marches on you will see me try to find my footing.


Now on to a different topic. When I created My Nails. My Polish almost four years ago, (its been four years? Holy crap!) I was mainly going to be a nail polish specific blog. For a time I was, and I enjoyed it greatly. I have made some awesomely beautiful friends along the way and many new ones too and I wouldn't trade any of that away.

But about a year to a year and a half ago I started branching out more into the whole realm of beauty and didn't focus too much on polish anymore. I was doing post like Free For All Beauty Fridays and reviews and then eventually I realized I was posting more beauty related topics than manicures.

Over that time I have come to find that I love EVERYTHING beauty related and don't want to focus on one thing. I enjoy doing my makeup and creating different looks and I can't stop reading about new products coming out. Don't even get me started on skin and hair care.

So with all of that being said, I was thinking about a name change. My Nails. My Polish could still work as a blog name, hell it has for almost four years but I feel it doesn't reflect what the blog has become.

Here is where I need my lovely readers to help me out. I need you to help me decide if I should go through the painstaking task of changing over my Blog Name, Social Media Accounts, and so on. I have an idea for a name ' Nic's Beauty Bits'. It incorporates my name and what the blog has become. I'm just on the fence of whether or not I should do it. So what do you think??

In the comments below Please, please let me know what you think, Your voice matters in what I do because if it wasn't for you guys I wouldn't even be here!

I love you guys! <3 Nicole

10 Things That Make Me Happy. Inspired by Vampy Varnish!

Hello lovelies! Sorry its been sooooooo long between post but you know life gets in the way and stuff happens. We've all been there so I won't bore you with crappy details!

This week I saw a post on the lovely Kelly's blog Vampy Varnish where she talked about 10 things that make her happy. At the end of the post she asked what made her readers happy, so I decided to follow in her foot steps and make a post myself!

I know everyone at some point in their life has been down and depressed and I know I have certainly been there and some days I still am but to help me get through it I try to go and do some of the things on my list to make me feel better.

Number 10 

Driving around with really loud music playing! When I'm feeling angry or down and I know I have to go out, putting on my favorite mix,turning it up and singing at the top of my lungs definitely helps me get rid of any blues I might have started the ride out with!

Number 9

Watching YouTube videos.

I know this may sound odd, but after a long day where maybe things didn't go well or as planned, sitting down at the computer and watching my favorite Youtubers, Like Louise from Sprinkle of Glitter, or Zoe from Zoella or even a random cat video I know that I am guaranteed to laugh and start to feel better.


Number 8. 

Sleep. You can never get enough sleep. Seriously its one of my favorite things!


Number 7. 

Playing video games. Betcha didn't know that did you? I have been an avid gamer since I could walk. I grew up with the first Nintendo Entertainment System and now play my Xbox 360, not as much as I'd like to these days but I'll tell you something, there is just something satisfying about getting a headshot on a zombie in Resident Evil.

Number 6.

Good food. It makes me happy when I can provide my family with a nice home cooked meal. I've been testing recipes lately because my hours at my job have changed so I'm home more in the evening now. Its great because for years I work mostly nights, I'm still getting used to the schedule change.

Number 5.

Snuggling with my cat Scooter. You may have seen her cute mug on Instagram mostly. She's the only baby I have left since I lost Binx last January. She doesn't always like to snuggle but that doesn't mean I cant try to sneak in a few snuggles here and there.

One of my favorite photos of Scooter. 

My absolute favorite photo of Binx. RIP baby girl. 

Number 4. 

My work family. Even though the job might piss me off beyond belief I think I have stayed at this job for almost 10 years now because of the people I work with (okay the money is a factor too.) My co-workers are the craziest most amazing people you will ever meet. Most of us keep an eye out for each other and even hangout with each other outside of work. How do you think I met my best friend of the last decade?

Number 3. 

Supernatural. Okay if you follow me on Twitter you know that from my bio and ever so often retweets that I love this show. I discovered it last summer and it changed my life for the better. I found myself relating to a story of amazing characters and a storyline that keeps me coming back almost everyday. I could write a whole blog post on how this show changed my life but just know this, it was a huge factor in helping me deal with my depression. It was one of things that took me away for 40 mins and made me forget the bad for a while.

Number 2.

Okay this is also goes with number three but its not about the show its about the actors on it. I'm talking about Jensen Ackles, Jared Padalecki, and Misha Collins. These three men I have so much admiration for, and its not just because they are gorgeously handsome, (okay that's part of it.) but in all seriousness, watching these three men in interviews and at in their convention videos on YouTube have shown me they are not the typical over hyped celebrity. They honestly truly care about the impact they have on their fans and what kind of impact the content they create has. I could also go on a whole blog post about how amazing these men are but I will point out one specific moment for me. Jared specifically has help me in my dark times. In a convention video a few months ago he was asked by a fan on how he deals with going through dark times. (Supernatural in general has helped pull a lot of people out of dark times.) Jared went on to say that he has one saying that he says to help him realize when something bad is going it's not the end of the world and that is the phrase "This too shall pass." I know its such a general saying and I'm sure I've heard others say it, but when I heard Jared say it, it struck a cord with me and now when ever I hit a bump in the road I always repeat that phrase over and over.

I mean come on look at how adorable they are! 

NUMBER 1. 

My family, friends and this blog.

Without my mom or my dad I wouldn't be here and even though we get on each others nerves more often than not they have always supported my silly ideas and this blog. Every time I reach a milestone with it they get just as excited as I do.

My friends. Where do I even begin. My best friend Stephanie has been my BFF for the last 9 years. Thats the longest I have ever been close friends with someone. Its like we were seperated at birth even though she is older. She is the one person out of everyone that I can count on to be there for me, and I will always be there for her. She has let me into her life and her into mine. Are families are even similar its creepy! In September of 2012 she gave birth to my beautiful niece Gianna and has allowed me to be an Aunt to her and I love that child as if she was my own. I love being able to watch her grow up every day . I have lots of other close friends, there are too many to name them but they know who they are. They are just as crazy as me and have introduced me to so many new experiences in life I wouldn't of had it any other way.

Me and Stephanie

Me and my peanut.

And finally this blog. I have been blogging for three years now and have made so many awesome friends along the way.  I can't even begin to imagine what I would be doing if I didn't have this blog. I owe a lot to you my lovely readers who stop by when I finally post something new or follow me on to new adventures like my YouTube channel. So thank you to you guys out there so much!


What are 10 things that make YOU happy??? Comment below!!!

I'll talk to you all in the next blog post! <3
Nicole

I'm on Youtube!

Good morning lovelies! I hope you all are doing well!

I first off want to apologize for the lack of posts here over the last week or so. I've been busy with life things and something really really exciting!

You may have already seen this on my Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook, but I'm gonna share it here too!

I made a YouTube video!! I have been wanted to make a YouTube video for a long time and every time I would start something would go wrong, the camera would be out of focus, whatever it was I kind of gave up on it for a little bit.

But I took the leap of faith over Easter weekend and filmed my first video, ( now that I knew how to focus the camera properly and the weather was cooperating!).

Its titled Whats In My Bag where I show you the contents of whats in my big ole' purse. I was inspired to do it after seeing Missglamorazzi's video.

So below you will find the video I hope you guys enjoy it. If you like what you see please please subscribe and comment, I want as much feedback as I can to improve my videos.




That being said the same goes here on the blog. I will still post a ton here too, so please don't be afraid to comment on a post! I want to know what you think! I value my readers opinion a lot! 

Stay tuned to the blog for so much more coming up and of course any videos I post to Youtube I'll try to post here too!

I'll talk to you guys soon! <3 Nicole

Frankenstien Nails!

Happy Sunday!

Hello guys! Today I bring you another nail art post for the Halloween!

This post is inspired by yet another amazing beauty guru who does amazing YouTube videos. Every year I look forward to her Halloween tutorials. Not that I could ever recreate the perfection she does, but she does have some nail art tutorials that are super easy and fun to recreate!

Back in 2010 Youtuber GoldieStarling put out a tutorial on Frankenstein nails, this tutorial in particular made me want to do more nail art. Now at the time I didn't have a blog in 2010 but I still practiced it and attempted this tutorial and it was a big hit amongst my co-workers and friends. So in thinking of what to do for some Halloween post I thought I would re-do these amazing nails and show them to you.  Below is Goldiestarlings original video on how to do these amazing nails!

For my Frankie nails I used Orly Green Apple for his skin, my Sinful Colors Black Striper to create his hair, mouth and eyes and eye brows, and Pure Ice Superstar to make the whites of his eyes.

Here are my pictures of my Frankie Nails!

I think they came out pretty good! They are super simple, I think it took me about a half hour to do these nails and then about 10 mins to dry!

I hope you try out Goldiestarling's designs!
Until next time <3 Nicole

Jessie's Girl: Mermaid's Lagoon.

Hi everyone!

So this afternoon before work, I decided to finally change my christmas manicure. I wanted something that I felt represented winter or winter-esque.  I wanted a solid color, no glitter, just somthing simple but bright. I was debating on between three or four polishes to change to, ones I hadn't worn since the early fall. I had seen another blogger talk about Mermaid's Lagoon and I knew that was the one to pick.This is from the Julie G Collection that the famous Youtuber put out at Rite Aid this year. It came out around Labor Day weekend and as far as I know my Rite Aid stil had some left.  It is a fantastic teal color and the shimmer is subtle but just enough to make this polish 'pop' in the right light.