easter egg

Welcome back bloggy, I’ve missed you! Well what do we have here? Radioactive neon green matte satin rubber impossible to find here you are, you are finally home!!!! Huge and delayed thanks to a lovely lacquer friend for gifting me this elusive gem.

As for formula, it’s thick and a bit hard to control as far as streakiness vs. opacity, especially taking into consideration there will be no topcoat. However I managed to get it pretty level in between two and three coats. The color and effect were well worth the effort (as you can see the camera is a little unsure about the brightness). 

 

Illamasqua Nurture. Sunlight.

Nurture. Sunlight.

Nurture. Sunlight.

jo'mean it's only $7?!

I was lucky to find this and a couple other Illamasquas for $7 at the JCP Sephora sale! Awesome! 

After seeing getting this for a friend and seeing many swatches, I actually thought it was a purple that might work for me and a gorgeous color in general. One of those "neon pastels" that is so interesting. I think they describe it as "electric lilac." 

Formula? Perfection. Color? Amazing--a bit hard to get a good pic, better to see in person.

Not really a fan of any of my glitter attempts. Did the crop to give an idea of how it looks sans toppings.

Jo'mina. Sunlight.

w/Lynnderella (l-r) Evermore, Magic Fairy Stars, LLL

Jo'mina. Love, Lace, and Lilacs Sunlight.

Jo'mina. Bottle. Sunlight.

Back to the 80s...

Another 80s themed mani for ya. Did this one awhile ago when I lost my actual camera and used my camera on my phone. The pictures look pretty freaky because of the neon and it's NOT a really messy job it's just the glare from the polish.

It's Essie's Flirty Fuchsia from the Summer Neons 2009--I also added my CtD dupe from Aqua Daisy, Me Too for an 80s touch :) The formula on Flirty Fuchsia is good and dries fast, but to a matte finish, which I've heard is normal for a true neon polish. It's not a matte finish as if a matte top coat were applied, but more matte than a "satin" finish, imo.  This is somewhat noticeable in the second picture. I also managed to score the elusive Funky Limelight for a great deal! Coming Soon...

Flirty Fuchsia and Me Too. Overcast Outdoor Light.

Flirty Fuchsia. Artificial Light.

Flirty Fuchsia. Indoor with Flash.

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

Bearded Meets Bayou

Bearded Collie Meets Bayou Blitz <3

Ballou, Bayou, Ballroom?

Bayou Blitz was a long time lemming for sure—as long as I had wanted it, it had not been restocked I couldn’t find it anywhere (except eBay :( = $$$). Then a stroke of luck hit when a sweet gal swapped with me! I've said it before (no I haven't, but I will in the future) and I'll say it again: if you really love a lemming, let it free, and it will come to you.

Bayou Blitz arrived in all of its neon, black light reactive glory, matte glitters ablaze from within. I hadn’t actually thought about it until after application that Blitz is a matte glitter (in a base of gorgeous sheer bluey green neonish wonder). As far as I can remember this is my first matte glitter. I was having application problems, but I think this is probably due to my impatience between coats drying.

I found my base had a little bit of the goo quality that some colored jellies have and that is hard for me to work with because I am polishing challenged. Second try was better for sure, but because it was packed with teeny glitters I found removal to be best with some individual pick off action combined with my regular acetone scrubby jar. Of course there was some fishing action with the gorgeous GIANT glitters, but I don't think it would be possible for there not to be for that sparse effect to take place, which looks great here, imo :)

Bayou Blitz. Natural Light. Angle One.

Bayou Blitz. Natural Light. Angle Two.

Bayou Blitz. Natural Light. Shade.

Bayou Blitz. Flash. Macro.

Bayou Blitz. Natural Light. Macro.

I do wonder the story behind the name on this. As far as I can tell the ONLY thing called Bayou Blitz is this polish. And maybe a band? Maybe my curiousity will be fulfilled when my dream of going to the bayou is realized ;) PS. The Misfits to my knowledge DID NOT cover Ballroom Blitz.

Glowing Up--One of Several nom de Glow Polishes

My nails still need a little break from the major glitters. I couldn’t get this polish out of my mind all week though so after seeing it at the Walgreens I had to add it for $3.49 (not $1.49! See below) to my purchase and slather it on right away.

As I desperately brushed on this screaming neonish green shimmer with an arresting yellow flash, I was pleasantly surprised by the glide-y and thin smooth application.

After testing WnW’s Spoiled Collection, I didn’t have high hopes for their other special collections, especially since I’ve heard that the Fergie Collection is comprised of many colors from the “Spoiled,” repackaged, renamed, and double the price. See:

http://nouveaucheap.blogspot.com/2012/06/wet-n-wild-fergie-nail-color-collection.html

http://impoverishedbypolish.blogspot.com/2012/07/fergie-by-wet-n-wild-dupes-displays-and.html

Say what? Scandosh. 

The Glowing Stick! Glowstick. Full Sunlight.

Glowstick. Shaded Natural Light.

A very happy surprise, application was pretty pleasant, all except for the brush...the sad, sad, brush. It was a combo of the “Spoiled” fluff n’ stuff brush, the slant Dior/Nicole/that weird Sally Hansen Brush. Not so easy to use for me, but do-able. If you want to do three coats I think it's possible, because I found two to be a tiny bit patchy, but for me (die hard two-coater) three was too thick.

Wear was only about 1 day, maybe two. I used a coat of Gelous, waited and did Poshe, to avoid bubbling. And voila...glowissimo! I'm in glowve. Dare we say...Fergalicious? Eh...