Needle Drag

Trying some new ideas, saw a pretty mani on pinterest that led to a tutorial, I figured I could do this! My test subject, always a willing participant as long as it does NOT include glitter, even let me pick the colors. Nubar Pink Lily with Revlon Fashionista and OPI Overexposed in South Beach. Seche Vite over.

Orange Done Right!

I've been very pleased with the beautiful linear holo known as Hits No Olimpo Demeter but was wanting to layer it to save the tiny 6ml bottle. Bettina recently launched a Disco line with a gorgeous orange shimmer (that turns green over black, promise!) so I layered Bettina Starfish then Hippie then Demeter- Demeter on its own is slightly peachy but no more! I present a true orange holo manicure!

The Crumpet: China Glaze Dreamsicle - Blood Oranges

The Crumpet: China Glaze Dreamsicle - Blood Oranges: Hi Goddesses So, somewhere along the way, along with my sudden adoration of things blue, I have become a bit of an orange whore to...

Ready for Spring!

Got some new Zoyas and was itching to try them out, this is Kristen, a gray-blue cream that was a little streaky and thick but evened out pretty well with two coats. Waiting longer between coats might have helped with the cuticle drag. I tried out nailside's floating clouds design using China Glaze  Make Some Room and Custom Kicks. (see tutorial here http://nailside.blogspot.com/2012/01/tutorial-freehand-cloud-design.html) but clearly I did not look at it BEFORE doing my own. :) So after a couple nails I gave up and went with a single coat/dabbing of the re-issued China Glaze Techno. Seche Vite over top. Pretty happy with this one. Second picture is in sun and blurred to show holo glitter, third in shade.

Check out this awesome giveaway from an awesome Aussie!

Legiolinde: Giveaway! Help me reach 100 followers: Hi everyone! So I have decided to hold my first giveaway! I have been excited about this and wanting to do one since I first thought of st...

OHHHHHZotic 520!

I won this from my drinking buddy I have never yet met, Debbie Crumpet- I will be doing another post on all my preciouses when a runaway bottle makes it back across the pond, but for now I wanted to shock and awe you with the hidden gem called Ozotic 520. It's a duo or multi chrome depending on where you are- inside it shimmers red gold to bronze. But just step outside or even get near a window, and I don't know if it's the UV rays or what, but colors come out of the woodwork! Outside the shade reveals a deep ruby while the sun coaxes out a new-penny copper with a hint of green around the edges. Stealth polish, this is. I layered two coats over a base of Seche Rebuild and two coats of Orly Liquid Vinyl. Poshe topcoat (which, by the way, an hour later was still dentable- back to Seche Vite for me!)

inside under CFL light

 outside shade

 near window

 window

inside lighted

My failed Robin Moses Replica!

So I saw this gorgeous (and which ones AREN'T??!?!) Robin Moses nail art I was sure Paula would like, and followed the link to the tutorial. Fine. Easy. Tried it. Failed. She makes those things look as simple as falling out of bed. And they are NOT. The swirls defeated me at every turn. (ha!) But fortunately I had topcoated before the acrylic so I was able to erase the mistakes with water. (good tip btw) All the bases are China Glaze, I would be happy to let you know the names if you like, the flowers are acrylics I mixed. Out the Door topcoat.
Oh, here is the REAL DEAL if you like! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MlrufBJolgU

The Crumpet: The ULTIMATE Purple Holo Comparison Post

The Crumpet: The ULTIMATE Purple Holo Comparison Post: Hi Goddesses I've been threatening for a long time to do a purple holo comparison post, as I've gathered quite a few in my quest ...

Orange Glitter (subtitle: With Love to Crumpet)

So my friend (and I must say, after what she did I use the term with reservation....j/k)  and fellow polish addict Debbie Crumpet showed me a beautiful orange holo she had desecrated with PURPLE CRACKLE!! The horror! The unmitigated gall! I had to sooth my splintered soul my getting out my baby oranges and letting them know I would NEVER do such a horrible thing to them! So to wipe the terrible picture from my brain, I did a manicure of OPI Ginger Bells! (yes, there is a ! in the name, ridiculous OPI seems to like exclamations and hyphens an inordinate amount) and after two coats over Orly Bonder dabbed some Lynnderella Cauldron Drippings and Change also on one nail. Gelous and SV topcoat. Enjoy, pretty oranges! Be free!

You HAVE to follow this site (second time-)

Go. Now. Follow her. http://idrinknailpolish.blogspot.com/

Falling in love with Holos again

I've been trying to stretch myself and wear colors I don't usually- (ie. last weeks' nude/black French) so here is Zoya Breezi with accents of the marvelous Sally Hansen Magical Mail Makeup in Blue Aura. Out the Door topcoat.

NOTD Trying to be elegant

Got my Zoya Shay and did a freehand black French tip with Wet N Wild and touched up with a black nail art brush. Just could not leave well enough alone and had to put a coat of NYX Girls Gilded Glitter over the ring finger. Out the Door topcoat.

Paula's Nails

Paula decided she was going to do color blocking and did the whole thing start to finish- all China Glaze polishes- For Audrey, Solar Powered and Make Some Noise from the new Electropop collection out now. She did the tree and lines with CG Concrete Catwalk. This pic was taken pre-cleanup.

Ice Cream Nails?

Trying to keep with my theme of Green weekends, yet wanting to use the new Essence duo "Don't Feed the Tiger" glitter (the other end is a pretty yet not unusual gold foil) I layered one coat of the glitter over Revlon Aloof and Edgy from the Edgy Elegance LE that was out briefly last fall. I had read that using the two together made the tiny gold glitter in the topcoat disappear and I didn't want to be guilty of that! These foils are very interesting, these two I kept and gave the others away 1. because the colors weren't anything I would wear and 2. the texture was like trying to paint you nails with whipped cream. The coverage is marvelous, though, I could have used one thick coat and been perfect. This mani has Seche Rebuild under and Seche Vite over.
My kids say this looks like mint chip and cookies and cream ice creams.

Inspired by a painting in the ladies room at a bar

I saw this picture in the bathroom at a taproom we were at recently and snapped a pic thinking my surfer/singer/sensitive/inlove daughter might like it for a manicure and, sure enough, she did! I did this over Seche Restore base, THREE coats of OPI Stranger Tides- (streaky but worth it- it's an unusual color) and painted the leaves in acrylic I mixed up- purplish brown. The birds are a random OPI red I think. Out the Door topcoat.

Bollywood Nails

So where was I when they passed out this polish? Revlon Ocean is a gorgeous teal metallic that goes on like butter- streaky after one coat, and probably needs three, but I was planning on putting the fabulous Lynnderella Change over it. Cleanup was easy peasy, so I don't think there will be staining. (always a plus with blue) The glitter has a slight golden tint that greened up the Ocean a bit (Ok with me) and I think I will wear this all week if the Gelous and Seche Vite allow.  Base coast is Seche Rebuild.

Gold Topcoat Comparison

I realized when I brought home yet ANOTHER gold topcoat I was addicted- to gold topcoats. This is a comparison of the 9 (yes 9) I have that are sheer enough to put over other colors. You may be able to skip buying a few, as there are 1 or two complete dupes here. From left, we have (1 coat each) Essie As Gold As It Gets from the fall 2011 set, CND Gold Sparkle from there stock line of Effects, Deborah Lippmann Here Comes The Queen I got in the Juicy Couture 3 pack, NYX Girls Gilded Glitter (personal fave) L'Oreal Amazon's Flash from the fall 2011 set that had the amazing Owl's Nest) Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear Set the Stage (always available) CND Gold Sparkling from the Holiday 2010 LE Duo Orly Shining Star (btw this stinks!) Essence Circus Circus Don't Feed The Tiger and a random, gratuitous swatch of the new China Glaze I got, Techno (A reissue for the new Electropop Spring 2012 collection)

One coat each over black:

 Clearly the Essie AGAIG and CND GOld Sparkle are dead-on dupes, the DL is similiar, but denser, you could use two coats of the others to duplicate. The NYX is my favorite- I love the shards of gold- very edgy and bright, I have an earlier post with this over butter LONDON British Racing Green- LOVE! The CND Gold Sparkling and Orly are similiar, with CND having smaller holo particles (and not smelling) SH is in it's own class with gold hexs in a clear base, and Essence is amazing- the black squares don't show up over black, you gotta try this over gold or anything light if you have it! And the China Glaze is total holo large hex and small mini glitter.

Thanks Michelle!

My friend is a pro and got some goodies for me from Cosmoprof yesterday- all this stuff for $60! Thanks again sweet girl!

Green Weekend- sort of

Got my first and only Deborah Lippmanns from a sale at Juicy Couture and have been mulling what to do with them. The lighter metallic from the "Golds" collection is called "Believe" and it's a frosty light silver/pale icy gold with pink and pale teal specks. I used three coats over Seche Rebuild (not because I wanted to- this polish takes some time to dry and I smeared it after 2 coats) then made splotches with Nubar Greener outlined with Orly Goth. Seche Vite over all. Happy Weekend!