Maybelline in Blue Blaze

Brand: Maybelline New York Color Show Holographic Nail Lacquer

Shade: Blue Blaze
(silvery blue color, metallic finish)

Cost: $

The Scoop:
I really like these little Color Show polishes.  For starters, they're really inexpensive and they also come in cool shades.  I'm not sure what really made this one "holographic" but it was a nice one for Spring.

Next Shade: Ulta in Girl Next Door

Ciate in Spending Spree

Brand: Ciate Paint Pots

Shade: Spending Spree
(rose gold color, metallic finish)

Cost: $$$

The Scoop:
I think Ciate is at the leading edge of new nail techniques. Problem is most of them are pretty but impractical. I do like their paint pots, though. Nothing fussy, just great shades.  This one is even prettier in person. The fact that I picked this up while on an actual spending spree at Lord & Taylor is purely coincidental...

Next Shade: Maybelline in Blue Blaze

Julep in Monaco

Brand: Julep Nail Color

Shade: Monaco
(electric blue color, glossy finish)

Cost: $$$

The Scoop:
This shade reminds me of being on vacation. It came in my last Julep Maven box, from the Bombshell collection, and bright blue just so happens to be Pantone's color of Spring 2014.  Very on-trend.

Next Shade: Ciate in Spending Spree

Butter London in British Racing Green

Brand: Butter London 3 Free Nail Lacquer

Shade: British Racing Green
(deep forest green color, glossy finish)

Cost: $$$

The Scoop:
This one's a keeper. A nice twist on black or navy, it shows up as different shades of dark green colors depending on the light. Gotta love those Brits!

Next Week: Julep in Monaco

Sally Hansen in Lightening & Tweedy

Brand: Sally Hansen Insta-Dri & Fuzzy Coat Textured Nail Color

Shades: Lightening & Tweedy

(sunny yellow color with glossy finish & black and white color with textured finish)

Cost: $ & $$

The Scoop:

I was inspired by spring again here, but let's face it, this is really ugly. I thought it would look like a bumble bee. This is my second time trying the fuzzy/feather technique and I think it's safe to say this is a fad that should fade away.

Next Shade: Butter London in British Racing Green

Rimmel London in Wild Orchid

Brand: Rimmel London Lasting Finish Pro

Shade: Wild Orchid

(medium purple color, glossy finish)

Cost: $

The Scoop:

Beat it Old Man Winter! I decided to ring in spring a day early with this cheerful shade because I cannot stand one more second of cold.

Next Shade: Sally Hansen in Lightening & Tweedy

Revlon in Posh

Brand: Revlon Nail Enamel

Shade: Posh

(kelly green color, glossy finish)

Cost: $

The Scoop:
There's probably only one day a year to wear this nail polish and tomorrow is it. May the luck of the Irish be with you!

Next Shade: Rimmel London in Wild Orchid

Sally Hansen in Lick-O-Rich

Brand:  Sally Hansen Sugar Coat Textured Nail Color

Shade: Lick-O-Rich

(jet black color, textured matte finish)

Cost: $$

The Scoop:

I love Sally, so I can't resist trying a new line from her. Sugar Coat comes in mostly pastel colors, but I went black because I thought the texture would look cooler that way. The bottle is weird and cheap-looking (c'mon, Sally!), but the polish was actually pretty nice. An interesting technique.

Next Shade: Revlon in Posh

Nail Rock Caviar Manicure in Venus

Brand: Nail Rock Nail 3D Caviar Manicure

Shade: Venus

(gold color with metallic finish & multicolor caviar pearls)

Cost: $$

The Scoop:

Here's the good news: Nail Rock is making knock-offs of Ciate's caviar and velvet manicure techniques for half the price. Here's the bad news: these beads still fall right off your fingernails.

Next Shade: Sally Hansen in Lick-O-Rich

Essie in Lapis of Luxury & Stroke of Brilliance

Brand: Essie Nail Lacquer & Essie Luxe Effects

Shades: Lapis of Luxury & Stroke of Brilliance

(cornflower blue color with glossy finish, and blue glitter finish)

Cost: $$

The Scoop:

This picture makes the combination look more speckled than it actually is.  In real life, the glitter is the color of the polish so it's a far more subtle effect.  Maybe someone can teach me how to take a good picture, and I can teach them how to paint their own nails!

Next Shade: Nail Rock Caviar in Venus

Ulta in Jaded

Brand: Ulta Salon Formula Nail Lacquer

 

Shade: Jaded

(moss green color, metallic finish)

 

Cost: $

 

The Scoop:

No matter how I tried, this one photographed horribly. But what I like about Ulta polish is it's good quality and super cheap. Usually you can get these at for 2 for $4.  If you bundle the $3.50 off $10 coupon they usually run, you can get a ton of polish for very little green.

 

Next Shade: Essie in Lapis of Luxury & Stroke of Brilliance

H&M in Turquoise & Glitter Green

Brand: H&M Nail Polish

 

Shades: Turquoise & Glitter Green

(seafoam green color with glossy finish & teal color with glitter finish)

 

Cost: $

 

The Scoop:

Has this ever happened to you? You're in H&M and something catches your eye... then, you look at the price and it's super cheap... so you feel like you can afford the whole store... you buy a bunch of dumb stuff you don't need... you go home and wear it and then you know WHY it's so cheap. Yeah. That's kinda like what happened here.

 

Next Shade: Ulta in Jaded

7 Red Carpet-Ready Manicures

Looking at the Oscar nominees for Best Picture this year, I realized I've actually seen most of them, which is rare for me. Usually, I just root for the one or two films I actually recognize, but this year I'm torn. Too many good ones!

So, I did what any sensible movie-lover would do: I turned to nail polish.
 

Here are 7 easy nail designs to help us decide who should take that little gold man home. Pick your favorite movies -- and manis -- below.
 

Brand: Julep Nail Vernis

 

Shade: Oscar

(gold color with glitter finish)

 

Cost: $$$

 

Inspired by: American Hustle, starring Amy Adams & Jennifer Lawrence

Brand: OPI Nail Lacquer

 

Shades: Big Apple Red & Be-Claus I Said So

(fire engine red color with glossy finish & red glitter with clear finish)

 

Cost: $$

Inspired by: Her, starring Scarlett Johansson & Amy Adams

Brands: Sephora Formula X Color and Red Carpet Manicure Nail Art Appliques

 

Shades: Dark Matter & White Matter, Champagne Wishes & First Class

(jet black & snow white colors with glossy finish, white & black floral decals)

 

Cost: $$$$ & $

Inspired by: Blue Jasmine, starring Cate Blanchett

Brand: Essie Nail Lacquer

 

Shades: Ignite the Night & Matte About You

(pewter & black color with glitter finish, clear color with matte finish)

Cost: $$

Inspired by: Gravity, starring Sandra Bullock

Brand: Butter London 3 Free Nail Lacquer

 

Shade: HRH

(royal purple color with metallic finish)

 

Cost: $$$

Inspired by: Philomena, starring Dame Judy Dench

Brand: Nail Rock Velvet Manicure Kit

 

Shade: Velvet Burgundy

(mulberry color with velvet textured finish)

Cost: $$

 

Inspired by: Dallas Buyers Club, starring Jennifer Garner

Brand: China Glaze Nail Lacquer

 

Shades: Smoke and Ashes & Graffiti Glitter

(forest green color with shimmer finish, emerald green with glitter finish)

 

Cost: $$

Inspired by: The Wolf of Wall Street, starring Margot Robbie

I think I've got to go with American Hustle. Gold glitter and Oscar are like peanut butter and chocolate -- a perfect match!

Find out who really wins when the 86th Annual Academy Awards airs tonight on ABC at 7pm ET/4pm PT.