Why does it have to be such a blue kiss?

Hi!

It's been a while since I've done a Sunday Stamping mani, and this weeks theme was to use a colour combination you've not used before. I had to think hard, but eventually decided to use pink and blue and a design inspired by Mod Nails. I left off the bow from her design, as I only have white ones, and replaced it with a stud, and moved the designs around a bit. The polishes used were OPI Pink Friday and Sally Hansen Insta Dry Blue By, and the glitter was China Glaze Snow Globe. The kisses were from two Bundle Monster plates and an Essence plate, and the stripes (first time I've got them straight!) from MoYou Pro 01. Oh, and I went back to almonds which I think suits my curvy bendy nails much better when they're long.

I like this as a colour combo, and I wouldn't have thought of it if it wasn't for the challenge. I love how challenges continue to push me, even if I'm not always happy with the result! This time, I was though. Happy Helly.

Hx

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Ahoy there!

Hi!

Well, look at me posting twice in a week and stuff! I really liked these nails and so I thought they deserved a post. They were inspired by my new phone case, which I bought from Born Pretty Store, and I just love it. I love all things nautical and particularly anchors, and the design was really easy to recreate. I used all Barry M polishes in my base; Huckleberry, which is a super pale blue, and I then dabbed on Damson and Matte White with scrunched up clingfilm to get the mottled background. I actually wore it like this for a day before adding the stamping, from Cheeky's Summer collection. Pictures ahoy! Please excuse the odd shape of my index finger, it has a patch on it which is making it flatter than usual, if that makes sense! They'll all be going back to almonds shortly!

And before the stamp...

I loved the subtle effect, and think I got a pretty good match to the phone case! Funny where we find inspiration sometimes :)

Thank you for all the lovely comments on Sunday's post, it means a lot.

Hx

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GOT polish? Freestylin'!

Hi!

Sorry I've not posted for a few days, technology has not been on my side! For this week's Golden Oldie Thursday we could do what the hell we wanted, so I did! Actually the base was a brand spanking new Barry M Summer Ltd Edition from Boots called Bikini, a lovely perriwinkle blue, my "oldies" were the stamping polishes and the glitter. I stamped peacock feathers (I rather like peacock feathers, in case you didn't know!) using Color Club Perfect Mol-ten, Cold Metal and Hot Like Lava from the Foiled collection, and the glitter gradient tips were done with Icing Lemme See Your Peacock. The stamping plate was MoYou Pro 03, and Nails Craze NC01 on the thumb. Loved this mani, perfectly me.

I'm currently sporting a gel polish pedi, but when it comes off I think something similar to this will be replacing it! It'll match my tattoo nicely ;)

Hx

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Picture Polish Illusionist - galaxy in a bottle!

Hello!

I'm going to jump straight in today and say I can't do galaxy nails. The fact I've only actually tried them once, about three years ago is irrelevant. It was a fail and I shelved the idea and never tried again. Galaxy nails are so pretty, I "ah" every time I see one, traditional or pastel, and I think to myself I really should try that again someday. But in the back of my mind I still have the fail and a little niggle that says don't even go there. So I don't try. But now, along comes a polish that does it all for me, in one little bottle! Picture Polish Illusionist is a beautiful glittery multi-chrome polish with just the right amount of holo glittery flakies running through it to make it twinkle like the night sky. So. Beautiful. As multi-chrome polishes tend to be, this is sheer so I layered two coats over Sally Hansen Navy, Baby so you can see the full shift from pink to purple, blue and turquoise, and even a rusty red at the extreme end (which you can see in the underwater pic at the end). I combined it with a silver accent nail and some simple white stamping. But the Picture Polish is the real star of the show.

Stunning! I nabbed my bottle from the wonderful Sally Magpies when there was a sale, but even though it's back to full price now I suggest you grab it because it wont be in stock for long!

Maybe next time I wear it I will attempt some galaxy art over the top...or maybe I'll wimp out and just admire it instead!

Hx

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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

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Tri Polish Challenge April #5 - Hippy trippy brushstrokes

Hi!

Final pink, blue and yellow Tri Polish challenge, as it's the last Tuesday in April! I know I say this every month, but seriously, how? Anyway, for today's challenge I used some home-frankened sheer polishes in the vein of the OPI sheer tints. I kind of want the sheer tints, but I've heard bad things about the formula so decided to have a go at making my own! All in all, I was pleased with them although I think my blue could be a little more sheer. I'll get a post together on how I did it and their various uses when I've perfected them, but for today's mani I did a simple brushstroke base over two coats of Crabtree & Evelyn Snowdrop. Once that was dry I stamped over it with Konad white and MoYou XL Pro 10. Quite hippy trippy but I love it!

Soft and delicate...and slightly out of focus! Sorry about that!

Next month's colours are purple, red and green. I'm in two minds whether to do the whole month, I'm feeling guilty about my untried again! Maybe I'll do one or two, we'll see!

Hx

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Tri-Polish Challenge April #3 - Fade to Neon

Hi!

I'm a twit. I thought I was super organised and had this post scheduled for 8am, but I didn't so you're getting it at 8pm instead! For this week's TPC I went with neon and white gradients using all Color Club polishes, from the Poptastic collection - Warhol (pink), Chelsea Girl (blue), and Almost Famous (yellow). I did the gradients and had intended to either stamp or dot over them, but decided I liked them plain. I did feel like it was missing something though!

I can finally show my thumb again after a nasty break a while ago, as it's finally catching up again! Yay!

Hx

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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

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Tri Polish Challenge April #3 - Blue, yellow and pink

Hi!

We're mid-way through April and mid-way through the school Easter holidays, so please forgive me if I'm a little cranky! My little darlings have been very demanding and later on we're off to build a birds nest and a fire in the woods. Basically, we're making things with sticks. Such fun! Anyway, I went simple for the TPC today. I had plans for all singing and dancing multicoloured gradients but instead went for a simple accent nail and stamping. Maybe next week... I used Beauty UK Blue Himalayan and Miss Sporty Taxi (incidentally, these were my primary school colours, so I reminisced a bit before I stamped!). The stamping was done with Sally Hansen Insta-dry Speedy Sunburst and MoYou Pro XL 6.

I love the contrast of the bright primary colours here, really simple but eye catching. I've just realised that April has 5 Tuesdays this year, so maybe I'll get that all singing and dancing multicoloured gradient in after all!

Hx

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Palate Cleanser of the Week! A England Dancing with Nureyev

Hi!

I've not done a Palate Cleanser of the Week for a while, I can't help but faff! But this polish I just had to wear plain, as soon as it arrived! I don't even know how to describe other than simply beautiful, but I guess I'll have a go. Dancing with Nureyev is a purple toned saphire blue holo from A England's Ballerina collection. But that's not it, it almost has a violet duochrome look in certain lights. It's so prismatic and sparkly, I stared at my hands for more than an acceptable amount of time while I was wearing this polish. And the formula is perfection. Smooth and buttery, I used two coats out of habit but you could definitely get away with one. And it doesn't feel thin and show every ridge and bump on the nail like some holos can. I've talked enough, look!

So beautiful even the sun shined for me!

Hx

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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

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