Good Times

Remember your first John Hughes movie? I think mine was Pretty in Pink. On that note--

Duckie is a gorgeous minty green that I’d recommend as a must for every green-lover’s collection. Easy to work with formula and it looks great over a variety of greens. It is a very sheer jelly with two different sizes of green hex glitters and small yellow gold hex glitter. I like it sheer in three coats, but I know many are not a fan of “visible nail line.”

I also absolutely adore the other three polishes in this collection—Nostalgic’s “Bizarre Teenage Love Triangle—" a nod to the aforementioned movie. I took photos of the other polishes but had some glitter issues, so didn’t use them. Many other blogs have awesome pictures of these on the nail though :) 

Bizarre Teenage Love Triangle. From left: Andie, Duckie, Blane. Sunlight.

Duckie. Sunlight. (sometimes I hold the polish reeeeeally tightly)

 

Duckie. Artificial Light.

Duckie. Sunlight Macro Bottle.

Dirt Rainbow

Here's something that I think I may have seen a long time ago, or maybe just in my mind and thought, "wow, I could never do that," or "how is that even possible?" After recently trying my first gradient which was precluded about a month prior to seeing my first gradient tutorial (tutorials intimidate me, like nail art), I decided to try a tricolor gradient. 

Tricolor Gradient + OPI Black Shatter. Sunlight.

 Rainbow Gradient + OPI Black Shatter. Sunlight.

The colors in the mani are OPI Fly and Did it on 'Em from Nicki Minaj collection and Essie Flirty Fuschia (summer '09 neon, if anyone wants to swap something for Funky Limelight, let me know, one of my two readers...my boyfriend or a relative?). 

I just got rid of Save Me (the cool mixed bar glitter from Nicki Minaj collection) and would actually like to try Super Bass shatter. I had Pink Friday as well, but after attempting three or four applications, I could not deal with it's formula. Considered Metallic 4 Life as well, but removal of black polish + heavy glitter looks like a nightmare O.o

I was never a huge shatter fan (even in the 90s!) but I think there is a place for black shatter. Maybe a glitter shatter?

Here is what I consider to be the fail safe gradient tutorial--nailasaurus

This Week

I've misplaced my regular camera, but I've still been taking pictures (sometimes) of my nails. I currently have on Lippmann Fashion and Lynnderella Innerspace on the tips which turned out surprisingly well EXCEPT that my bottle of Poshe just decided to gum up and cause massive bubbles (right before a job interview I might add D;). And yes, I added the Innerspace after the interview. 

Since this IS technically a *secret* blog thus far and pretty much knows about it because I'm terribly shy I will very covertly show you my first attempt at a gradient. Brought to you by Helen, my sweetly devilish angel (and my phone cam, sorry).

Glitter Gal Light as a Feather and Glitter Gal Lizard Belly.

I was pretty nervous about doing this gradient, and it could've turned out a lot worse. I decided to do it as an "accent nail" and only do it on some nails. I'm pretty sure that's my right hand, so I did on three there because it's easier for me. Also, I think holographic polishes dry faster, which helped a lot. I wanted it to have more of a slow fade gradation into the white, but my short nails were maybe a factor. 

I tried to use a regular makeup sponge, but that applied almost NO polish to my nails, so I used a regular finely textured kitchen sponge and that seemed to be a fairly small texture to produce a fine finish, though I'd like even smoother. I can hope that practice makes perfect :)

PS. If you can make me a deal I can't refuse on the bigger size of Glitter Gal LAAF, plmk ;p

Welcome Shimmer

I am not going to lie. I have a bandaid on my right middle finger. I’m not trying to get creative with hand poses here

Today I bring you a medley (heh) of nail looks featuring OPI Privacy Please and Shimmer’s fantastic mermaid tail reminiscent “Jenny.” Jenny is very versatile and great for so many looks, so I decided to do several. It’s pretty dense even in one coat and unless your base is on the brighter/darker side, it seems to perhaps over shadow it, like with Privacy Please, so I did decide to show its versatility with this mani.

Privacy Please is a nice and subtle pinky pale creamy jelly-like sheer from OPI. It’s a good neutral and comes fairly streak-free in three coats. There are a lot of shades similar to this in their line, I just happened to try and like this one.

Jenny is available in Shimmer’s Etsy shop and was delivered pronto. At $12 they are a little pricier than some sellers on Etsy, however the density of the glitter will require fewer coats (one or two will be more than sufficient for a gorgeous sparkle imo), thus making the bottle go much further. Another note about Jenny is that there are so many different glitters in the polish, adding to the versatility and dimension, something I always appreciate.

PS.Thanks to Sparkly Vernis for the recommendation of Shimmer polish.

Shimmer Jenny with OPI Privacy Please (layered on fingers, topped with Jenny on thumb). Sunlight.

Shimmer Jenny with OPI Privacy Please (layered on fingers, topped with Jenny on thumb). Shade.

Shimmer Jenny Macro Bottle. Sunlight.

Shimmer Jenny over OPI Privacy Please. Sunlight.

Shimmer Jenny over OPI Privacy Please. Artificial Light, flash.

Shimmer Jenny over OPI Privacy Please. Artificial Light, flash.

At least as good as nail mail

Brought to us by blog sale monies!

aaaaaand: "Meet Voodoo, she was rescued the day she was to be euthanized at a high kill shelter. This darling, sweet, and friendly girl is blind due to neglect, but it doesn't slow her down for one second. She's curious, playful, and a polydactyl (extra toes) and uses those extra "thumbs" to open cabinets! Because of her blindness she is in Milo's Lifetime care Program and we are proud to have her!"

Check out that little face. Oh if only I could have a second. And a third...and all of them. 

Shameless

A Shame-*FULL* Nail Mail Post--I hereby pledge to do fewer than one month nail mail post per month. Firstly because I don't have a good nail mail day (or week, ha!) more than once monthly (I consider one package a great day!). Secondly because I get jelly watching the nail mail of others...um...secret package may be Aqua Lily and I'm not sure why it's in its box and it may have been a shamefully begged for purchased O.o

Got some incredibly generous swaps this month--three of these are extras from great swappers (kleancolor, woot!) Two are gifts from my man :) Thank you all <3

Bearded Meets Bayou

Bearded Collie Meets Bayou Blitz <3

Just a Little Swatch

Not a lot to say, just a little swatch.

Here's Rayanne by Nostalgic. A mizzh schmizz load of purples, pinks, fuchsia, and some silver glitter and a sheer purple base. Easy application and probably best used as a topcoat because it requires three coats for color intensity shown below.

Find her here: http://nostalgicnaillacquer.com/ She's come out with my favorite collection yet, recently, based what I can glean to be the Breakfast Club. I also loved her Pretty in Pink collection, but had some glitter issues, to be discussed later. If you're worried about that though, Erin of Nostalgic was very pro about exchanging my polishes. These bring back the good old days :)

Three Coats of Rayanne. Sunlight. (Extra long ring finger D:)

Rayanne Macro Bottle.

For Audrey is a color I waited for awhile and has definitely become a staple in most polish lovers' collections. I own quite a few of these aqua and minty shades myself, but formula on them is tricky. For Audrey is no different and it is a little thick and draggy, but not un-doable, it just takes a little patience.

For Audrey. Artificial Light.

 I thought it might look cute with some glitters over it, so I tried some and settled on Aqua Daisy "Me Too," a matte mixed black and white glitter.

For Audrey with OPI Pirouette My Whistle topped with Don't Touch My Tutu, Aqua Daisy Me Too, Icing After Party, $OPI Sugar Plum Fairies Gone Wild, Sinful Green Ocean

For Audrey with Me Too. Artificial Light.

For Audrey and Me Too, bottles.

I really like Me Too as a substitute for the "original black and white glitter." It applies nicely and has the right shaped glitters for me. However, it seemed to yellow For Audrey ever so slightly. Can you tell?

It's been awhile: Chunky Rainbow Sugar (bit pic heavy)

Another major lemming I'd given up on getting. But then...you know. See below. It just happened. What can I say about the polish that has been my number all time indie lemming of all time since I’ve had indie lemmings which has really only been about six months but still six months is a long time to want something think about if you liked a guy for six months or wanted chocolate, okay?

I could list (and have listed) about twenty of the glitter shapes, colors, and sizes that are in Sweets and not be done. However, duplication would probably be lost, even on the most desperate (me!). 

As much as its maker has lost popularity in the public polish eye due to recent unpleasant events, on its own, it is still full of unique pieces I haven’t come across anywhere. The white glitter are not just white—they are white with a faint pinky/gold iridescence (in this light) and some of the whites are semi-sheer. The pearlescence (not a word, apparently) in these pieces is really different, it makes me think of wedding confetti. 

There is also an extremely faint particle shimmer to the sheer milky base that has a color shift so imperceptible that I really can’t tell you what it is or if I’m imagining it or if it’s part of the infamous “purposeful” glitter bleeds.

 This is two coats of Sweets over one coat of OPI Don't Touch My Tutu.

Sweets to the Sweet. Sunlight.

Sweets to the Sweet. Natural light, shaded.

Sweets to the Sweet. Artificial Light.

Sweets to the Sweet. Macro thumbnail shot. Sunlight.

Sweets to the Sweet. Macro bottle shot. Sunlight.

 

I did get more compliments on this polish than any others so far, which irked me a little, I mean, this was not, inevitably, my best polish job, what with having to spread and chunk on the glitters, don't get me wrong, application could have been much worse. 

But it didn't smooth out even after Gelous, Poshe, and Poshe ;) However, the amazing swapper who sent this to me told me about polishes finding their forever homes and this one has. Unless of course you are prying it from my cold, dead, hands.