A Foily Full Nail Pattern

Hello ladies,

Today I have a mani refresh with the pretty unnamed blue/teal colour I showed you on Tuesday. I wanted to do (ANOTHER) crackle mani with Lighting Bolt, but it hadn't come it yet. I ended up pulling out all my Konad and fauxnad image plates and in the end decided to go with a full nail BM design. I think this has got to be one of my favorite ones :)

If I center it right, it looks as though it fits perfectly on my nail, although the full nail images on these plates might not fit for larger nails. I'm finally getting the hang of getting the patterns stamped right in the middle :) I double stamped my thumb nail withoout any problems at all!

For stamping, I used Sally Hansen, Black Pearl Chrome polish, I love my chromes with Konad. One thing to keep in mind wen using chrome polishes is to be very careful before you apply a top coat, sometimes the slightest scratch will remove some of your design. I happened to me so i had to carefully scratch the rest off and stamp again. I guess it kind of works both ways, you have the option to take off the stamped design if you don't like the placement.

I really like the look of this, it looks more subtle in the photo than it does in real life. I think that a gold chrome would have gone great with the base colour also.

How do you ladies like it?



Before I end this post, just wanted to let you guys know that Nicole over at Glitta Gloves presented me with the Stylish Blogger awad the other day, and although I have already received it before I just wanted to thank her :) Check out her blog here.

Black Crackle and Prismatic Sparkle

Hello ladies,

today I have another crackle mani to share, it's actually a refresh from the lovely China Glaze, High Def from the Tronica collection. Although I loved this polish on its own, I just had to try out my new crackles :)

I chose Black Mesh to go over top. Although I had tested this crackle over many fake nails to play around with different effects, when it came to my own nails I felt like the application was completely new! I wanted to the crackle to appear more linear and thin, so for my first nail, left pinky, I applied 1 thin coat.

As you can see in the photos, this coat was a little too thin, so for the next nail I applied a thicker coat, and as you could imagine I got a bolder crackle. Overall, I love the look of a metallic or silvery/glittery polish under the black crackle, it really pops, I just wish I had gotten the crackle to apply more in the pattern I had hoped it to be.

One thing that I find is that the finish of the polish you are painting over with the crackle effects the overall pattern. For example, over a smother polish a more linear pattern is produced, where as on a more gritty, glitter polish the crackle can come out completely different.

I would suggest test painting a fake nail with the base you want to use and try the crackle over it before applying to your nail so you know what your going to get.

I have not tried any other application (blobbing, zig-zags, etc) on my own nails yet, but I think I will use the zig-zag or criss cross method on my next crackle mani. I tried this method on a fake nail and the pattern came out looking very similar to a cheetah pattern! I have also seen it look like a more floral pattern, so depending on which colour crackle you use and the base polish will effect the pattern you get.

Below is the look of the crackle I got on my right hand.

And.. I also had to throw in some sunlight photos:

What do you think, do you like this combo?

Cousin to Zoya Crystal/OPI Reflecting pool?

Today I have a random find from a random brand. I actually see this brand a lot at the warehouse I always talk about. I have a couple polishes from this brand (Miss B Rainbow?), they tend to all come in different bottle shapes and they are super stinky!

During my last trip there I found this and a couple other that I took home with me. I don't like buying this polish because of the smell, it is really bad, the worst smelling polish I own. It hurt my head a bit which is not good! Another problem is the quality of the brush. Lucky for me the brush for this polish was alright, but in the past I have gotten brushes that are cut on an angle! Despite the smell and the brush, they come out with some really interesting colours and finishes, so I will give them that.

This polish is no exception, it appears to be a bright blue/green teal shimmer, but what it really reminds me of is Zoya, Crystal or OPI, Reflecting Pool. The shimmer consists of super fine teal, silver and gold flakie shimmer. It was hard to capture in my pictures, so I have a lot to show you! The finish isn't exactly like Zoya and OPI and it is much finer, however, the colour combo is pretty close from the photos I have seen. First I have the polish in natural indirect light from my window indoors.

White Lamp Light. This is the most accurate photo for colour.

Outside in direct sunlight

You really need to zoom in to see what I'm talking about with the shimmer. In real life the colour leans more green than blue. It also has a superfine foily finish. Very neat, I love how it looks different in different lighting, it's very mermaid to me! What do you ladies think?

Crushed Candy Swirl

Hey Ladies,

Today I have my first crackle mani to share with you! I received my polishes in the mail a couple days at a time, so I knew I had to use the first one once I got my hands on it, this was Crushed Candy.

I love the name and the shade, definitely a crackle version of For Audry, It's a light tiffany blue-green. I had it in my head that this would look great with a neutral grey underneath, to I pulled out my brand new China Glaze, Pelican Grey, applied 2 coats and waited...

Indoors, camera flash

My ring finger came out the best in my opinion :) This photo was taken right after application.

I was getting really inpatient so instead of waiting until the polish was completely dry, I applied the crackle on top. Now, the polish wasn't super wet or anything, mostly just a bit tacky but it did make a big difference. The crackle polish took a lot longer to crack and ultimately didn't crack as much as I would have hoped it to. I also saw minor pulling at the base polish, but it was hardly recognizable.

*Please click on all the photos to enlarge to see the detail of the crackle :)

Indoors, natural lighting

Indoors, natural lighting

I applied a coat of Seche Vite to seal everything up and was kind meh about the whole mani. Had I of used a deeper grey I think that Crushed Candy would have popped a bit more. Although this combo did grow on me over the next couple of days I wore it. For some reason the blue in Crushed Candy really brought out the purple tone in Pelican grey, it was very muted, but it was there.

Outdoors, natural light

Outdoors, natural light

Another thing I noticed about Crushed Candy over all was when it was compared to the other crackles I have, it took longer to crack and the cracks were much bigger and scattered. I'm thinking it may be due to a thicker formula. Does anyone know if thinner can be used on these polishes? If not next time I will be sure to mix the polish up a bit every few nails.

I can't wait to pair this crackle with some nice bright pinks and yellows! Ah spring... when will you come?

Finally Got My Crack!

Hello ladies,

I finally got my hands on some polish Crack! lol

Originally when the whole crackle polish thing started to resurface with OPI's "shatter" polish, I wasn't too impressed, actually didn't really like the idea at all! But I think it was after seeing the awesome shades that China Glaze came out with that really grabbed my attention.

The first time I actually saw the Crackle polish in store I didn't pick it up, and trust me I am kicking myself now! I honestly did not expect it to go so quickly! But in the end I ended up with a good amount of the collection, although I am still craving Broken Hearted :( Here is what I got:

Crushed Candy

Black Mesh

Crushed Concrete

Lightning Bolt -on it's was in the mail, so no photo yet. I should arrive today :)

...Oh and did I mention that I got all these polishes for free? FOR FREEE!!! Do you want free polish? I have posted about swagbucks before, but honestly within the last little while it has just gotten better and there are so many more ways to collect points and trade them in for awesome swag!

I generally use up all my points for Amazon gift cards and use them to support my polish addiction :) If you would like to learn more, sign up and receive a link to a site that will actually notify you when swag codes (find swag codes, get more points = free polish) become available, please contact me directly so I can refer you, my email is in my info at the top of the page :)

Trust me, it's so worth it, I don't even know how many polishes I have purchased through Amazon because of Swagbucks.

Annnnnyways, back to the crack lol These arrived within the time alloted from Amazon and I was super excited when I got them, I can't wait to wear all of these as full manis so expect to see them soon!

Which is your favorite Crackle polish from the China Glaze collection?

I Found Some Halo!

Hello ladies,

Today I have one of the two polishes I purchased from China Glazes LE Tronica collection. I sooooo regret not getting Laser Lime when I had the chance, now it will probably be impossible to find for a decent price. I picked up my Tronica's at Sally's at the end of February on sale for $3.99 which is awesome!

When I first heard about this collection I was super excited because I didn't get a chance to purchase any of the OMG polishes when they were still around. I was then disappointed when I heard by other bloggers that these were a let down, as the prismatic particles were not as strong when compared to the polishes in the OMG collection. I still liked some of the colours so I decided to pick up Techno Teal and High Def.

I applied High Def on the weekend, the sun was literally blinding in Toronto, so I figured this would be the perfect chance to see the prismatic polish in action. I was surprised in the best way! Yes, the polish does not have a linear "halo" like the OMG polishes, BUT, I really like the effect this polish has, its like a subtle halo with amazing prismatic particles bouncing off the light. I really love it.

These photos honestly do not do this polish justice, the best photos I could get were in my boyfriends car! lol I always seem to get the best pictures in there for some reason! In the other photos you can see mostly scattered glitter particles, but in the car photos you can see the tiniest bit of a linear effect, it's sooooo cool! Could not stop looking at my nails whenever the sun was out this weekend. The car photos are below.

I can even see the light reflecting particles at work! I have a pot light right over my head and the polish catches the light in one of the best ways possible, super pretty.

The actual shade of the polish is a mix between a light cornflower blue, and in some lighting it could even look like a light, blue toned purple.

This was definitely worth it for me to purchase, I can't wait to try Techno Teal and am hoping I can come across Laser Lime in the near future.

What are your thoughts on this collection, Yay or Nay?

Dorothy Who? Mani Refresh

Hello ladies!

Today I have a quick post for a mani refresh I did with China Glaze, Dorothy Who? I used one of my full nail design BM plates for this flowery pattern. The pattern it makes actually reminds me of fish or mermaid scales! I'm pretty sure that I didn't use the Konad special polish for the stamping, just a regular white Sally Hansen polish I have, since it isn't as thick it gives more of a subtle look to the over all nail design, this doesn't translate in the photo.

I really like how this one came out, and I don't think that the photo does it justice unfortunately, Dorothy Who? really sparkles underneath.

Dorthy Who?

Hello ladies,

Happy Friday :) I'm so glad for the end of the week to finally be here. Today I have an awesome glitter for you, China Glaze, Dorothy Who?

As I'm sure you already know, this is a medium jelly blue packed with silver (and blue?) glitter. Not sure if there is blue glitter or just the blue jelly over the silver glitter. Either way, I love it. I'm pretty sure I applied 3 coats for full opacity and once I was done I actually gasped! These photos to not do this polish justice, it is just to sparkly and blue! I love blue :)

In my photo you can see a bit of VNL, but in real life you can't. This polish is just too awesome. It does dry the slightest bit gritty, but a nice thick layer of topcoat smooths everything out and really makes it shine.

For the longest time I didn't think that I needed this polish because I had Absolutely Alice, but this is definitely not the same. Absolutely Alice is a straight up blue and gold glitter in a clear base. I'm so glad I own both of them they are so pretty :)

Do you have a preference between Dorothy Who? and Absolutely Alice?

To all Who Celebrate, Happy St. Patricks Day!

Hello ladies,

Happy St. Patrick's Day! I don't usually do anything but I know there are others out there who do celebrate. For today's mani, I themed it around St. Patrick's day in a kind of abstract way, more of celebration than four leaf clovers and pots of gold.

I actually did a refresh over OPI's Here Today, Aragon Tomorrow Suede. I applied Wet n' Wild's Party of 5 glitters to my ring finger and thumb, then mattafied it with Essie's Matte About you.

Pretty cool looking huh, below is a close up of my thumb that can be enlarged to see how the matte glitter looks up close.

It reminds of a stained glass and Mardi Gras for some reason lol, definitely some sort of celebration.

Unfortunately as I stated in my last post, the matte finish didn't stay for too long. The finish for Matte About you did stay longer than OPI's, but by that point the mani didn't have the same effect anymore.

So what do you ladies think? What nail art or ideas did you come up with for St. Patrick's Day?

OPI - Here etoday Aragon Tomorrow

Hey Ladies,

Today I have an OPI suede polish for you, Here Today, Aragon Tomorrow. I picked up this polish in the late summer last year and just wore it for the first time now.

The bottle looks weirdly shaped in this photo, not to worry, it's just my lens.

The polish formula is kind of cool, OPI calls them suedes. The finish is actually the same as matte polish, but the glitter and shimmer in the polish make it appear as though it has texture, hence the "suede" name they give it. This is the seond one I have owned so I figured if there are any of you out there who have not tried these before, now you know what to expect :)

Overall application of the polish was great, I only needed two coats to reach opacity. Since this is a suede/matte polish it did dry fairly quickly to a matte finish.

Natural day light

In the flash picture below with the flash you can really see the texture in the polish.

I did find that after one day of wear the polish did start to get a bit shiny from lotion/natural oils etc, which kind of sucked. I think this polish is comparable to Revlon's Emerald City Matte/Suede, they are similar but not exact dupes.

I wore this polish for 3 days and didn't experience too much chipping, I hardly got any actually! Whenever I hear about matte/suede polishes usually there is a lot of chipping invloved. The only chipping I experienced in the 3 days was on my thumbs, and they are the first to chip ALWAYS! I even filed my nails with this polish on and it didn't chip, pretty good for me :)

This polish is great when you are short on time and want something on your nails that will dry quick. I was really expecting more though... I'm not sure if it's because this polish seems more Chritmasy/Winter to me and we are going in to spring. I will have to try it again closer to winter this year to see how I really like it. For now its just meh, but looking back at the photos, I really like the suede finish and depth and texture it gives.

Tune in tomorrow to see how I change this mani slightly for St. Patrick's Day :)

Houston... We have a Purple - Mani Refresh

Hello ladies,

I have a quick post today, before a removed Houston... We Have a Purple, I played around a bit with my BM plates. This pattern is actually really pretty and came out great!

Lamp light, most accurate representation of colour

I didn't actually wear this as a full mani, I had been wearing HWHAP for a while, but wanted to test out my skills for application os the smaller BM plates.

For stamping I used a Sally Hansen Silver Chrome polish, they always come out the best with stamped images and dry super fast.

I didn't have a problem with this pattern, I even got the double stamp on the thumb to come out almost perfect! I would definitely try out this pattern again.

What do you think of the BM full nail designs?

Mani Refresh... fails

Hello ladies,

Happy Friday :) Finally, the work week has come to an end. Today I have some mani refreshes to share with you that I literally applied, photographed and removed lol. I find that I have so many options for nail art to dress up a plain old mani that I can't make up my mind entirely on what I want to do to my nails or add too much. Do you feel the same way sometimes? Anyways, on to the fail-manis.

First I have my refresh for China Glaze, Sea Spray. I found this cool copper shimmery polish (from my local haul post earlier in the week) the same day I did this to my nails. It sounded like a good idea, I thought this polish would be a lot more sheer that it turned out to be. I expected to have little copper flecks over the blue, but the polish was a little more opaque than I thought...

As you can see it ended out coming more streaky, I was going for something similar to houw the pinky came out, a thin, shimmery coat.

Next I decided to add some fauxnad, a bull nail pattern with a BM plate in black... bad idea :(

Now it looks like there is too much going on. I think if i had used just Sea Spray and the fauxnad pattern it would look alright, but this is too much for me.

Next mani I killed? The beautiful Revlon, Gum Drop.

It started off innocent enough, a subtle leopard pattern, but for some searson when I added a top coat of Pure Ice, Busted. The pattern would have been ok on it's own, but it was the sparkle that was too much.

For some odd reason thought my dotting tools would help, but that just made it worse...

Maybe if I had used a slightly darkler purple for the dotting it wouldn't have looked too bad. Oh well, next time.

Do you ever have days like these where your mani doesn't come out the way you thought it would in your head?