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

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

No Hollaback Girl

Hi!

I have a couple of manis left over from before the chop happened, so I thought I'd share one today. While I'm not a huge OPI fan, I do love an OPI mini set! I have quite a few and I think it's a great way to try the shades before splurging on a full size. I have to admit, I don't often go for the full size (with 900+ polishes it's unlikely I'm going to run out...) but I have already ordered a full size of the gold, Love. Angel. Music. Baby because it's unlike anything else I own and so pretty! For this manicure I used I Sing In Color and Love. Angel. Music. Baby, using the brush from L.A.M.O with most of the polish wiped off to create the distressed looking gradient tips. Really simple nail art, and it looked great.

I actually think this would look great on my nubbins too...I'm trying to embrace them I really am...

Hx

Pin It

Tri Polish Tuesday - April #1 Blue, Pink & Yellow

How is it April already? Not complaining, the sooner summer comes the better! The tri polish colours this month are blue, yellow and pink, which just screamed floral to me so that's what I went with for week one! The base is Barry M Huckleberry (naughty, steaky, gloopy polish, but so pretty!) which I then stamped this script writing from MoYou XL Pro 07 on top of. I have no idea if it says anything, means anything or is from something but it fitted what I wanted here! I then freehanded some flowers using two pinks, Orly Preamp, which I thought would add depth as it is sparkly, but it wasn't enough, so I added OPI Pink Friday accents. The middles of the flowers are Illamasqua Blow. Once I'd topcoated it, I mattefied it too, and it just made it all so much more delicate looking.

I think this is one of my favourite manis ever! Possibly...I think...there's been so many now! I am rather fond of it though!

Hx

An InLinkz Link-up

Pin It

Adventures in Stamping - Grey-diant and roses

Hi!

I love grey and pink together, and I've had this gradient swimming around in the "mani's I need to do" file in my brain for a while so as this week's Sunday Stamping theme was to combine stamping with another technique, I went for it. The grey to pink gradient consists of Sally Hansen Eel Skin and OPI Pink Friday and If You Moust You Moust. I topped my ring finger and thumb with OPI Pure (silver and white gold leaf topcoat) and stamped roses from MoYou Pro XL 10 in Barry M Silver Foil.

I feel like I've dine a lot of gradients lately, so many that I had to buy new make-up sponges! But it's such an effective technique, I can't stop!

Hx

Pin It

GOT Polish? Orange!

Hello!

This week's Golden Oldie Thursday is bought to you by the colour orange! The orange in question is Nails Inc Hampton Court Palace Gardens. I teamed it with some OPI Pure Nail Lacquer Apps that I've had hanging around for a while and China Glaze Riveting in a simple reverse glitter gradient. The apps were quite simple to use, but I had a mare with this manicure and spilled polish everywhere (bye bye cute new jumper that I'd only worn twice), so it didn't last long although I really loved it.

When I googled to check if I needed to topcoat the apps, the press picture showed them as pink with yellow peacock feathers, but they most definitely aren't pink! How odd, but I love them anyway. You might have noticed I have a little thing for peacock feathers ;)

Hx

An InLinkz Link-up

Pin It

Holla On Top - Lacquerdaisical holo topcoat

Hi!

The lovely Alexia from Lacquerdaisical recently sent me two of her new holo polishes to try, the first being this awesome holo topcoat. I'd been thinking about getting one for a while but was worried about it affecting the base colour I wanted to holofy (totally a word) too much, so I was excited to give this a try. I've been jonesing for a baby pink holo for a while, so I knew what I had to try first - Holla On Top over OPI Pink Friday to create this perfectly pretty pink holo. As you can see, it didn't turn the base too grey, and just gave a lovely, holo finish. I love this combination!

Just how perfect? Next, I thought a good way to show it off would be some bright skittles! Any excuse for a skittle ;) Red holo in particular is hard to get without ending up slightly pink or slightly grey, but this is holo perfection. I used one coat over Barry M Blood Orange (red), Nails Inc Baker Street (blue), Barry M Mango (orange) and Orly Lucky Duck (green).

It barely affected the base colour at all, and I just love love love it! It has the perfect density of holo pigment - not too much that it masks the base colour, but not too little that you don't get that all important magic rainbow. Win!

Lacquerdaisical Holla On Top (and all of Alexia's other polishes) are available from her Facebook page.

Hx

Laquerdaisical Holla On Top was a PR sample provided to me for free for review consideration. All opinions expressed are my own and 100% honest. Please see my disclaimer in the tab above for further details. All other products featured were purchased myself.

Pin It

Tri-Polish Tuesday Pink, Brown and Grey #4 - Blobby blobby blobby...

Hi!

If you were around in the 90's you'll know what my title refers to (in the UK at least)! I loved and hated Mr Blobby for many reasons which I wont go into here, but anyway, blobby! I still feel like I haven't mastered the blobby vintage roses mani, but Mr NN said they were pretty so I'll take that! The colours used for the final TPC of the month are Barry M Lychee - brown (ok, nude, but you'll let me off wont you?!), Sally Hansen Eel Skin - grey, and two pinks, OPI Pink Friday and Kiss Me On My Tulips.

I can't believe we're at the end of February already. Next month's colours are green, blue and purple. Inspire me please! And do you have any tips for the blobby roses?

Hx

An InLinkz Link-up

Pin It

OPI Brazil Beach Sandies - Sandy Skittles!

Hi!

I have a thing for OPI mini sets. I'm not a huge OPI fan *LeGasp* but the minis are just so bloody cute I usually can't help myself. And even if I don't end up using them (more often than not...) they're a collectors item, right? And if I do use them and end up loving them I can get them full size. Yes, that did actually happen with a couple of the Pirates of the Caribbean ones so there. Anyway, with their new Brazil collection, OPI released two sets of minis, one with mini versions of the regular range (the Copacababies), and a liquid sand/texture range, which is only available in minis, the Beach Sandies. I had to have the Beach Sandies and when they arrived I thought they'd be perfect for a skittle. Pinkie to index we have: You're So Flippy Floppy (yellow), Samba-dy Loves Purple (purple), What's a Little Rain Forest (blue) and I'm Brazil Nuts Over You (hot coral pink). They all have really pretty shimmer that makes them really special. What's disappointing is that they only come in minis. It made me not want to do a full manicure of each of them, because they'd run out far too quickly. If they were available full-size, I'd want Rain Forest and Brazil Nuts at least. I think they'd make perfect summer pedi colours too (says the girl still rocking her sparkly Christmas pedi...)! I used two coats, but still had VNL in some lights so you might need three (or nude undies) if that bothers you.

Aren't they just yummy? I love the jewel tones, they're so bright and clear and just perfect. Full size please OPI!!!

Hx

Pin It

Tri-Polish Tuesday - Pink, Brown and Grey #2 - Chocolate box!

Hi!

As it's Valentines week, I am going to try to fit my challenge posts into the theme too! I thought this design looked chocolate box-y and since reduced chocolate the day after v-day is probably the best part I thought it fitted! I used OPI Skull and Glossbones, China Glaze Dance Baby and Barry M Mocha, and the accent is a mix of OPI Pink Yet Lavender and a heart glitter polish I've had for yonks.

I need to work on my lines, they've been a bit wobbly lately!

Hx

An InLinkz Link-up

Pin It

Loves Me, Loves Me Not?

Hi!

I haven't done a Stamping Sunday manicure for a few weeks and this week over at Adventures in Stamping we had two themes to chose from - Valentines day or Love and Hate. I did a bit of both, and I must say I'm rather pleased with my effort! I started with a base of OPI If You Moust You Moust - a mid-pink creme. I then stamped on love hearts (the little sweeties!) in pastel colours by mixing Konad White Polish with primary coloured polish. I have sooo many pastel polishes, but I didn't think any of them would stamp opaque enough. It was really easy to do, too - I just put a blob of the stamping polish on my plate, then a smaller blob of the colour polish and mixed them with a nail art brush before scraping and stamping as usual. The polishes I mixed were Orly Lucky Duck, Sinful Colors Amethyst, Nails Inc Notting Hill Carnival, Orly Shockwave and If You Moust You Moust again. The plate I used was Bundle Monster 421, which has two versions of the love hearts - the usual, lovely dovey ones (lover, cutie pie, crazy 4u etc) and not so lovey dovey ones, which I stamped on my right hand (stalker, go away, don't call me, dumped, and my personal favourite, not tonight!). Please excuse the lumpy thumbs, they both have patches that I'm struggling to get smooth.

I think the stamping on the "mean" side came out better, but I don't actually mind the miss-stamping because I think it looks like the real sweets. Or that's my excuse anyway...

I'm starting a little Valentines week tomorrow, so check back for that!

Hx

Pin It