I love summer. Plain and simple. I love the 4th, I love my birthday, and I love any excuse to rock bright colors and/or get a tan. Great legs, natural makeup, sassy nail designs, and being ready for spontaneous summer outings are my ultimate goals come swimsuit season, and this year, with Miss Florida right around the corner, I’m trying harder than ever to create that perfect and effortless summer look. In preparation for my fabulous 26th birthday weekend, I invited 6 of my favorite girlfriends to lunch at the famous Rocco’s Tacos for some guacamole, beauty gossip, and nail art. A girl’s gotta look good on her big day (yes, I’m still a child, and my “big day” refers to my birthday– not my wedding day). Plus, who doesn’t love organizing parties and giving away presents?

Since I wanted everyone to partake in the girly festivities, I went to Target and bought all my favorite Sally Hansen nail products, from nail files to Double Duty Top + Bottom Coat to Nail Art pens, plus a handful of all the most amazing and brightly-packaged candy and Energizer leg care products. Post snacking, I divided all the goods as evenly as I could and distributed them into fun pink bags with lime green polka dot tissue paper.

Who provides the spunkiest atmosphere with the best Mexican food in the country? Rocco’s Tacos, obviously! I made reservations a few days in advance for an outside table, since this place is hoppin’ on the reg, and as soon as I said “Rocco’s guacamole,” all the girls were in. Unfortunately, two of my leading ladies were a bit late and missed the nail painting festivities, but I can assure you…guacamole was had by all.

Did I mention the food? No joke, Rocco’s has the best chips, salsa, and world-famous guacamole in town! Yes, we ordered other food (we’re growing women), but I could live off of their guacamole. Plus, a handsome lad comes to the table and mixes it to your liking every time.

Once we were happy clams with our outdoor view + fan(s), guacamole, and sufficient catch-up gossip, it was time for some nail design! The girls all opened their bags, and we pretty much got straight to work on our summer nails. The waiters all thought it was hilarious, and in hindsight it probably was, but we had no shame. Girls gotta have pretty nails.

My friends never cease to amaze me. Here I am, a beauty blogger and a pageant queen, and they come up with wayyy cuter nail designs than I ever could. Here are some of my favorite summer designs from the spontaneously creative minds of my gorgeous friends.

Who knew orange was the perfect summer color? I didn’t. Sally Hansen’s amazing Insta-Dri Fast Dry Nail Color in Snappy Sorbet looked fabulous and dried completely after one coat in under 60 seconds. Not exaggerating. Once all the nails were painted, we took a Sally Hansen Nail Art Pen in White and drew an adorable anchor as a nautical accent nail.

We got a little cray with these Nail Art Pens. They’re insanely easy to use, and they make dots and lines a complete breeze. Plus, if you mess up, it washes off pretty easily. If you love your design, just seal it with Double Duty Base + Top Coat.

My next favorite design, which was my own, was started pre-party with the Sally Hansen Salon Effects French Manicure in French Twist. Then, I took a white Nail Art Pen and placed two rows of small dots near the top of each nail. For a finished look, I sealed my design with Double Duty Base + Top Coat.

At lunch I had the extremely talented Alexandra, who really is a closet photography/nail design/makeup/hair Jack of all trades, paint on a sheer layer of Sally Hansen Triple Shine Nail Color in Great White on each nail. Then, I took my absolute favorite patriotic shade, Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear Nail Color in Beach Ball, and painted on red, white, and blue confetti on my index finger as an all-American accent nail.

A few hours later, Alexandra and Christina got a little too obsessed with Sally Hansen’s Beach Ball and decided to go for a full on American Girl nail design for the USA vs. Portugal World Cup game on Sunday. We opted to useSally Hansen’s White On as a solid base then added Beach Ball for a patriotic FIFA flare. Oh, and obviously a strict red, white, and blue dress code is required to rock this style. U-S-A! U-S-A!

Next, I really shouldn’t be surprised that my blogger and real life BFF, Ashley Brooke, somehow created a cuter and more creative nail design than me in under 2 minutes, but she did. Starting off with a mandatory layer of Sally Hansen Double Duty Base + Top Coat, she and Michele both chose Sally Hansen Insta-Dri Fast Dry Nail Color in Mint Spring for a fun beachy look. Next, Ashley used Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear Nail Color in festive Splash to give her nails an even more adorable beachy twist.

Have an adorable idea summer nails idea of your own? Well, perf… cause there’s an Instagram contest going on from June 26th through July 10, 2014. Just use the #MySummerLook hashtag or @SummerReadyLook handle for a chance to win $2,250 in Target gift cards to better help you acheive a glowing summer style. Check out my Instagram and follow the contest hashtag to see what everyone else is posting. Warning: You’re going to be addicted. There’s some really stinkin’ cute summer pictures out there.

How to Officially Enter:

1. SNAP– take a picture of you getting summer ready!

2. TAG– use the #MySummerLook hashtag on IG + @SummerReadyLook on Twitter.

3. POST– post to Instagram or Twitter.

Snap. Tag. Post. Kind of like a cereal commercial. Easy peasy. Don’t forget to post your best #MySummerStyle nail design on Instagram for a chance to win $2,250 in Target gift cards, y’all! Plus, I’m always open for a fresh birthday design, so all other things aside, post ideas for me! Ahh, I turn 26 in 4 days! No big, it’s just my 6th time turning 21, right?

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