Hello everyone!! Today's post is a very simple Valentine's Day mani since I've been hard at work on the really awesome nail art coming tomorrow and Thursday.
I started with a saran wrap mani using Sally Hansen Pink Blink and New York Color Sidewalkers. I admit deciding to change my original idea of stripes to a saran wrap mani wasn't the best choice; I'm not perfect! Still, topping it all with Mixed Feelings was the right choice. And I guess with a name like Mixed Feelings the pink and grey kind of fits.
Mixed Feelings is an unreleased Valentine's Day polish of mine. If there's enough interest I may decide to release it later on though so definitely let me know if you want it. It's perfect for Valentine's Day, but would make a good every day polish. Also, don't forget to check out my Etsy shop next week for new polishes!!
Hello (and goodbye) girlies. I leave early tomorrow morning for a lovely week-long beach vacation, so this is my last blog post until I get back. I'm hoping to stay in contact through my Facebook page though so check there if you need me or just want to see beach pictures. :)
First off, painting your nails outside? Not as great as it sounds. Even less so on a hot day. The heat of the day and the cool breeze I enjoyed so much played havoc with this polish. It started drying on the brush after just one swipe onto my nail and bubbled like crazy! I was so disappointed because this is such an amazing color. I wanted to keep it on for at least another day or two, but I just couldn't stand the bubbles.
But enough ranting! This is the last polish I own (besides the glitter and I have something special planned for that) from the China Glaze On Safari collection. It's probably my second favorite color, after Exotic Encounters. It looks fairly plain at first being a soft grey creme with a very light silver shimmer. However, upon closer inspection it has a slight leaning towards green in certain lights. As for the shimmer ... well, have a closer look.
These are an up close look at this silver shimmer in direct sunlight. In shade it's a fairly nondescript silver shimmer, but it comes alive in sunlight.
This isn't my best tribal design. I ran out of original ideas after the first two or three polishes of this collection, but I do love how the red of Adventure Red-y looks against the soft shimmery grey of Elephant Walk. It's a striking combination.
Welcome to another post. *bows deeply* I'm feeling really silly today so forgive me for the craziness. It might have something to do with having over 50 posts now!! Can I applaud myself without looking like a dork?
Today, I bring you two polishes from my most recent Sally Beauty order. You gals know me; I can't resist a sale and Sally was certainly having a sale. Plus, I added a coupon onto their sale price and got an amazing deal. I ordered four polishes but one was out of stock. So, I got three new polishes for $10!!! That's including shipping. Without the shipping they added up to only $8.49.
The first polish is China Glaze, Life Preserver. I'm not sure why some colors just don't take pictures well, but Life Preserver is one of them. It pictures with a very, very red tint. In person this is a slightly muddy burnt orange with maybe a hint of coral. It's definitely not the bright oranges you see everywhere for this season. China Glaze calls this color a highly pigmented poppy creme.
Next up is China Glaze, Cracked Concrete, from their Crackle Glaze line. I bought these two colors especially for this reason after finding this post from My Latest Obsession. There was just something about these two polishes together that called to me.
Her polish seems to have cracked a bit better than mine. I found the China Glaze brush unwieldy for applying crackle polish. I had to double dip for every nail but my pinky ... triple for the thumb. I'm not saying it didn't turn out looking gorgeous because it did! I'm just saying the application was much harder than it could have been with a slightly different brush.
Besides, I paid $1.99 for Cracked Concrete. For that price, I'm really not going to complain!
Not all my nail designs work out. I, like everyone else, have off days and disasters. I call today's post the 'Chessur Disaster'.
For those who don't know, Chessur is the Cheshire Cat of Tim Burton's, Alice in Wonderland. This is one of my favorite movies and I dream of one day having a Cheshire tattoo complete with the Mad Hatter's top hat. I love any Alice in Wonderland but Burton always adds a certain flair to everything he touches that I simply adore.
In addition to being a simple tribute to such a wonderful movie, it is National Pet Month. I have my own pets that I adore, but I would love a Cheshire Cat of my own. Who wouldn't??
As you can see, this isn't my best mani. I tried something a bit different and it didn't work out. It happens to all of us. The thing to remember is: don't dwell. Seriously! Pick yourself back up, mop up those tears (if there are any), and move on. Thankfully, I realized what a disaster this was before I completed more than this hand. Yes, this turned into a one-handed design! The polish stayed on only long enough to take these pictures and then I moved on. C'est la vie!
Polish Used
- Borghese - Brilliante
- New York Color - Sidewalkers
- New York Color - East Village
- LA Colors - Black
- LA Colors - White
- Sally Hansen HD - Resolution
- Sally Hansen - Fuchsia Power
Wow! Could this week have gone any faster?
Capitol Colours are here!! I wanted to have these swatches posted for you guys mid-week but it was just one thing after another! Sadly, I still have only three of the six polishes I want from this collection. I've checked most of the local shops, and they're all sold out. I think if I want them I'm going to have to splurge and order them online. I just hate paying shipping costs and then having to wait for them to arrive. I'm not good with waiting! However, if the other colors are anything like these three the collection is certainly worth the effort and extra money.
The first polish I have to show off is the one I was most interested in, oddly enough. This is Fast Track, a gorgeous beige/tan color chock full of gold shimmer. I'm the kind of girl made for bright colos so I'm not a fan of nudes, but I adore this polish. The shade is just different enough from other nudes to catch attention and the gold shimmer really makes it stand out in a crowd. Fast Track is one of a kind in my opinion.
3 Coats in Sunlight
Next up is Harvest Moon. I'm a bit unsure as to how to discribe this color except stunning. I've heard it described as a copper color, but I would go with more of a tawny bronze. Truthfully, it's only a slight shade different, but I think it better manages to capture the near orange tint that mixes with the copper. Harvest Moon is a hidden gem in this collection that puts me in mind of Autumn, pumpkins, and the golden orange of turning leaves. You know me with shimmering metallics; there's no question that I adore this, both formula and color.
2 Coats in Full Sun
Last, but not least, is Stone Cold. This color certainly brings to mind stone: caves and caverns with thick stone walls. It's dark grey bordering on black in some lights with a thick silver shimmer. This is a matte polish so the shimmer doesn't shine or really sparkle but mixes perfectly with the deeper, darker background. I manage to get my nails covered in one coat, but my coats tend to be a bit thicker than most people use. This polish starts to dry very quickly as the matte sets so work quickly if you don't want it pulling up with your brush.
1 Coat in Full Sun
Stone Cold Close-Up
Can I just say I am stunned and so very thankful to all you followers, new and old? You guys are amazing!!
