Adventures in Stamping - World Music Day

Hi!

Apparently yesterday was world music day, so to celebrate this week's stamping Sunday theme was music. I decided on a bright gradient with some music notes in black for a summery look! The three polishes in the gradient were all from the Models Own Polish for Tans collection - Bikini (yellow), Beach Bag (peach) and Shades (pink) over Crabtree and Evelyn Snowdrop. The stamping was from Cheeky CH31 and I stamped with a new-to-me black - MUA Pitch Black. I usually use Konad Black, which is ever so slightly more opaque but an absolute pig to clean up. This is the only other black that I've been happy with stamping wise, and you can pick it up on the high street for a quid! I would suggest grabbing it if you see it as I've been looking for a while and kept coming up empty handed. Now I'll grab another as soon as I can!

I think keeping it simple over a bright busy base is the way to go. It looks striking without being too in your face. I really like and I'm glad it didn't chip after spending most of the day swimming today, so bonus!

Hx

Pin It

The sun has got his hat on!

Hi!

We seem to have had an uncharacteristic run of good weather in the UK last week, which was very welcome after a thoroughly soggy winter! So, I celebrated by digging out the remaining untried colour from the Models Own Polish For Tans collection from the three I picked. This is Bikini, a white based neon yellow which in the bottle just looks like lovely, neon perfection. Oh how wrong could I be. This is a devil of a polish and by the third nail I wanted to throw it at the wall. I very nearly did, but managed to restrain myself and add some thinner, which didn't help at all. It was streaky, gloopy, lumpy, thick yet somehow still craptastic enough to flood my cuticles and make a complete mess. I struggled through two coats before giving up and slapping some China Glaze Fairy Dust on top in the hopes it would improve. Then I had to clean the bugger up. I have been trying really hard to be neat with my clean up lately, really making an effort to get good lines and crisp cuticles, but f&*k me it wasn't easy! I then stamped some sunglasses from Cheeky CH37 to distract from the lumpy mess a bit more, and managed to smudge that too. This mani was not meant to be! I endured it for a day, and then it came off because I was too cross and every time I looked at my nails, it made me grrr.

I want to give Models Own the benefit of the doubt with this, but I had similar issues (though not as bad) with Beach Bag from the same collection, so I'm pretty sure I didn't just get a bad bottle. I took it off and replaced it with a Mentality matte polish that just glided on like butter, practically applied itself. If an indie can get it so right, how can a mainstream brand get it so wrong?

Have you tried any of the recent Models Own releases? Have you had formula issues? I'm keeping this polish for nail art purposes, but you can bet your rarest OPI that it will never grace my nails as a full mani again!

Hx

Pin It

GOT Polish? Silver accent!

Hi!

This is actually last week's Golden Oldie offering, I'm a bad bad blogger! But hopefully I'll get this week's up a little later so you get two for your money! Last weeks theme was silver accent, and I went for a mini ombre with a dotty silver accent, inspired by Of Life and Lacquer (go follow her!). The pinks were OPI Pink Friday and Elephantastic Pink, and Models Own Raspberry Crush, and the dots were done over Barry M Silver Foil.

Now, fingers crossed I get this weeks Golden Oldie up in time...

Hx

An InLinkz Link-up

Pin It

Why did the banana go to the doctor?

Because he wasn't peeling well! Ba-dum, ching! Joke courtesy of my 6 year old, his first joke that's actually been funny! I'm thinking of getting him a joke book now he can read a bit better, but I have a feeling I'll regret it... Anyway, on to the nails! There is a reason for the banana themed puns, banana nails! this week we could choose between two themes for Stamping Sunday over in AIS, and me being me, I went with both. The first was a re-do of an old theme, pulsating pink and purple (you can see my first attempt here on uber-nubs, almost two years ago!). And the second was positive and negative, so I simply flipped the colours on two nails. The base colours are Barry M Grapefruit and Color Club Pucci-licious, and I stamped with Models Own Pukka Purple and Sally Hansen Insta-Dry Speedy Sunburst. The stamping plate is Cheeky CH42. I need a brighter pink that stamps over dark bases, but otherwise I like this design. My nails are a nice shape now so I face a dilemma - keep them this length and shape, or grow them and almond them again. The problem with growing them is that any longer than this and some of them start to curl under and go funny - much like that awkward growing out a bob hair cut stage... Anyway, I've chatted far too much! Nails!

I've neglected the blog far too much this week, but I have had a busy one. I have a picture polish, last week's GOT polish challenge and awesome zoo nails to post in the next few days!  Yep, I said zoo nails! I went to the zoo with my sons class on Friday, so of course my nails had to match! Not so sure I'll be matching them to the sunburn I got while I was there though...

Hx

Pin It

When I met you in the summer...

Hi!

Today's Adventures in Stamping Sunday theme was summer nails, and I decided to go a bit beachy. I used to live in Cornwall and it was a few minutes drive in any direction to get to the most beautiful beaches, but now I'm pretty landlocked and I miss it. So what better way than to bring the beach to my nails! I used sooooooo many polishes for this manicure - starting with one coat of Barry Greenberry Gelly and then two of Seventeen Turquoise from their new Juicy Neon collection. To me, they don't seem very neon, but pretty summer polishes none the less. I then added a dabbed on coat of a blue glitter by Technic called Mermaid before letting that all dry with a coat of Poshe. The accent nail is Models Own Bora Bora and ELF Golden Goddess. Once that was ready I stamped seashells from Cheeky plate CH 38 in Konad white on the accent nail, and Barry M Gold Foil on the blue nails. In hinsight, I should have used white, or maybe blue, on the "sea" nails, as the stamping is hard to make out. I tehn added more Bora Bora and Golden Goddess to imitate sandy tips. It is really pretty, even though the stamping errs on the subtle side!

Pretty and sparkly summer nails!

I have a very exciting post scheduled for tomorrow morning, and you'll definitely want to check it out so see you soon!

Hx

Pin It

Deja vu...but not in blue

Hi!

I loved my blinged up turquoise nails for last week's GOT polish challenge so much that when it came to chosing my nails for a night out last weekend I decided to recreate them - in a neon hue! The stamping-glitter-stud combo is cure to become a favourite this summer I think! This time I used Models Own beach bag from their polish for tans collection and while I love the colour the formula left a bit to be desired. This is three coats, which I don't mind in itself, but it was so thick I had to add thinner halfway through the second. I must admit I did my toes with it too, but I wouldn't expect a polish to go as gloopy as it did after only two uses, especially as I expect people buy these as their "summer" manicure colour (that is afterall what they're marketed as, no?) I often find this with Models Own, their colours totally knock my socks off, but the formula sometimes doesn't live up to that. I'll move on...! I used Models Own Bora Bora as the accent nail, and added studs from Born Pretty Store and stamping from the Pueen Buffet set with Barry M Gold Foil. Teamed with an LBD and my dancing shoes, and I was in cheesy disco heaven!

My camera freaked out a little bit at the colour, it really is that bright! I absolutely love it, no doubt about that, I just wish the formula was better. Have you picked up any MO polish for tans? I do think it's made my pasty sausage fingers look a bit more tanned!

Hx

Pin It

Au Revoir Almonds...

Hi!

This is the last of the manis I have to show you from before my nails got the chop, so say good bye to the almonds for a while! It's a shape I loved and I'm definitely aiming back towards that shape again so hopefully they wont be gone for long. In the meantime though, things are going to be pretty nub-tastic around here!

For this manicure I was inspired by the fabulous Louise from Tips and Topcoat and used a couple of the Models Own Polish for Tans collection, which I think are best described as pastel neons. Contradiction perhaps! Anyway, for this manicure I used a nude base and then added Models Own Beach Bag and Shades, a pink and peach from the collection, using the saran wrap/cling film method. Once that was dry I stamped the basket weave pattern from Konad S6 in white. I had to stretch the image to make it fit, so it's a little distorted, but it kind of fits the theme!

I'm loving this collection of polishes, sometimes Models Own really gets it right! I can see myself reaching for these all summer long...

Hx

Pin It

Chick chick chick chick chicken....

Hi!

Today's Adventures in Stamping theme, of course, was Easter! I was loving my Models Own speckled polishes so much, I turned them into Easter eggs with Bundle Monster BM402 and Konad white, then drew an egg shape on top and filled in the outside with a nail art pen. Lazy nail art? Why not, it is Sunday after all!

Simple eggies. Happy Easter everyone x

Hx

Pin It

Models Own Speckled Eggs skittles!

Hi!

I know these polishes have been blogged to death, so I'll keep this short and sweet! When I saw the Models Own Speckled Eggs collection I wanted them all - not something that often occurs (honestly!). But when I got them I was underwhelmed so they sat in the untrieds drawer for a few weeks until I decided it was close enough to Easter to whack them on my nails. Well, I wish I hadn't waited now, because I really love them! Even the yellow is super pretty on the nail. These are all just two coats, which gives perfect coverage and just the right amount of glitter. They're not bumpy or rough either, and I think they'd even look good with matte topcoat. Pinkie to thumb, they are Goose, Swan, Magpie, Dove and Duck.

I'm not always a fan of everything Models Own brings out, but this time they hit the nail right on the head. Can we have neon versions, please?

Hx

Pin It

Tri Polish Challenge April #2 - Barmy Blue and Neon too

Hi!

This week's TPC couldn't be more different to last weeks - in contrast to soft, pastel and girly I have gone for neon, sharp edges and eyesearing! I started with a base of white and then sponged a gradient with Rimmel Barmy Blue and Models Own Bubblegum. Because they're both quite deep colours I had to sponge on a few more layers than usual and so mu sponge started sticking to my nails. So I decided to cover it up with a good old bit of stamping, with Pueen 52 and Konad White.

I think I should have added a navy blue at the cuticle end of my nail, as I wanted the base a bit darker, but overall I was pleased with these :) I think I was all pastelled out after last week! And I must just put a good word in for these new Pueen plates, so far they are flawless. Good stuff.

Hx

An InLinkz Link-up

Pin It

GOT Polish? Yellow!

Hi!

This week's Golden Oldie Thursday is bought to you by the colour yellow! Yellow is probably the colour I own the least of, so none of them are particularly neglected, so I just chose a favourite. This is Models Own Lemon Meringue, which is just a great all round pastel yellow. It's opaque in two coats, good as a base for nail art, it watermarbles perfectly and look how tanned it makes my fingers look! Every little helps ;) I stamped a floral pattern from Pueen 72 in Barry M Gold Foil for a springtime look!

I then added some caviar pearls to the centre of the flowers, and I really like it! They've stayed on really well, through dishes and showering, and I can't stop rubbing them! Does that sound a little bit wrong? Ok, moving on...

I'm not usually a yellow fan, but these I loved. I thought they wouldn't last the day but I kind of don't want to take them off!

Hx

An InLinkz Link-up

Pin It

Tri Polish Tuesday March #1 - Purple, Blue and Green watercolour!

Hi!

It's March and that means new tri-polish colours! Green, Blue and Purple aren't colours I'd usually put together, but I think for this mani they look really pretty - let's hope I can keep it up for the rest of the month hey! I used a base of Sally Hansen Lavender Cloud, which is a slightly off-white with grey tones and then sponged on my colours in random patches. I used Models Own Feeling Blue, Color Club Pucci-Licious and the green is a Barry M Limited Edition from last summer. I added topcoat to merge it all together a bit and then stamped a swirly sort of pattern from MoYou Sailor 04 and added some glitter to the tips before more topcoat. I really like the finished mani, although none of the separate elements did it for me it all came together in the end. Hurrah!

Prettyful! I think I need more MoYou plates in my collection, which would you recommend?

Hx

An InLinkz Link-up

Pin It