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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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

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GOT Polish? Blingggg!

Hi!

This week's GOT polish theme is bling! Now, I can bling it up as much as the next glitter addict, but I went for a bit of subtlety. Just a bit mind. I used Rimmel Turquoise Sky as the base, with Maybelline Knitted Gold and Sinful Colors Paris on the accent nail. I stamped two nails with Cheeky XL C and Barry M Gold Foil, and then finished with some small square studs from Born Pretty Store.

I actually really love this, and might try something similar when my toes need changing in a few days...I've only ever stamped my toes once and it was a disaster, so maybe this time it'll make it to the blog! I've not posted my toesies in a while...

Hx

An InLinkz Link-up

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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

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GOT Polish? Totally Tropical!

Hi!

Today's Golden Oldie theme was tropical, and I thought I'd try my hand at a little stamping decal again! My golden oldies were China Glaze Peachy Keen and Color Club Poptastic (should have used Flip Flop Fantasy really!) I also used Milani Gold Gems and Sinful Colors Paris for a little glitter gradient. Don't look too closely at the decal, it folded over at the edge and smeared a little bit. I will perfect them one day!

Fits the tropical bill, no? I loved the gradient despite the little decal accident! I really can't wait for summer, I can't stop cracking out the neons! My pedi is even neon in readyness for real flip flops!

Hx

An InLinkz Link-up

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Back to Barry

Hi!

I just can't get enough of Barry M's latest offerings! I would have them all if I could afford them, but alas I'm broke so unless anyone fancies generously donating to the Helly-doesn't-think-nearly-1000-polishes-is-enough fund I'll have to make do with a select few! Today I chose Mediterranean from the Aquarium collection, a rosy pink/gold duochrome that is so unlike anything else in my stash I don't even know which colour to put it with in the drawers (no mean feat!) I combined two smooth easy coats with 2True Tyra for a bit of glitter. I really think this is a great summer colour for everyone, and a perfect alternative to neons if you're not that brave!

I am loving a bit of Barry at the moment, they've hit everything spot on with their recent releases. Mr M, we salute you!

Hx

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GOT Polish? Coral!

Hi!

Today's Golden Oldie is one of my favourite colours, at least on my nails! I have a fair few coral polishes, from high end to drug store, neon to pastel. I chose a pretty polish with a troubled upbringing - I am never wowed by this brand unfortunately. Revlon Tropical Temptation is a really nice colour, but the formula leaves much to be desired - it's thin and watery, patchy and streaky, the brush is thin and stiff, I got nasty bubbles and it chipped within hours, which rarely happens to me anymore. I used three coats when it really could have done with another, but I used a fan brush to 'antique' it with some gold (Nails Inc Chelsea Bridge Road). I love how coral and gold goes together and originally had planned a skittle. Instead I stamped a lock and key on my ring finger, which sort of matched the antique theme.

Not wowed by this, but maybe it was the polish that put me off. Revlon are the higher priced end of the high street for me, but I think I got this one at a discount store. Good job really...

Hx

An InLinkz Link-up

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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

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Tri Polish Challenge, Blue, Purple and Green #3, Flutterbies!

Hi all!

Silly Mr NN got me a mug for valentines day this year (don't ask) and I noticed that the colours were perfect for this month's tri polish challenge so I decided to recreate it, or at least try! I actually changed the colours a little but they still fit. I used Rimmel Salon Pro Barmy Blue as my base and then made butterfly decals with Barry M Gold Foil, Barry M Greenberry and Beauty UK Lilac Girl. The single butterfly is from a Salon Express plate, and the other butterflies are from Pueen 39 (I don't know why I've not used it before, it's beautiful!) I like how this came out, I changed the clear polish that I used for the decals (LaFemme clear) and it works much better - and it was really cheap AND it doesn't smear stamping. Win! Excuse the awkward hand poses, it's a big mug and it was hard to hold and photograph!

There isn't a huge amount of the green and purple, but it is there! Quite a girly look this one, not very fitting for a clumsy oaf like me!

Hx

An InLinkz Link-up

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Irish Roses

Hi!

I have no idea if Irish roses are an actual thing, but this week's Adventures in Stamping theme was St Patrick's Day (which is tomorrow) and I wanted to use this image from my new MoYou Pro XL 10 plate (I went for 3 XL plates and they are awesome, I made the right choice!) so I merged the two and got this! The base is a holo gradient (obviously the best kind)  made up of A-England Princess Sabra and Saint George, with Nubar Reclaim sandwiched in the middle. I then stamped with Barry M Gold Foil and heart shaped roses, and added OPI The Man With the Golden Gun 18k gold leaf topcoat on the accent nail.

I didn't realise the sun washed the stamping out so much, so here's an indoor pic too.

Princess Sabra alone

And the gradient before I stamped

I don't actually celebrate St Patricks day, I don't think I ever have, even when I was a student and it was any excuse to get wasted have an alcoholic beverage. I might make myself a Shamrock Shake tomorrow though, because we can't get them here in the UK and they just sound awesome! Will you be celebrating? Have fun and be safe whatever you do!

Hx

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Adventures in stamping...sort of...

Hi!

I haven't done an adventures in stamping Sunday challenge for a few weeks. And today I still haven't done one... You see, I had it in my tiny little mind that today's challenge was to use the colours purple and yellow. I got the purple bit right but the yellow turned out to be orange. So here's my totally awesome purple and yellow manicure that doesn't fit with the theme! Yay! I used some fab polishes to make up for it though, Illamasqua Blow, and Barry M Prickly Pear and Plum. Blow is pretty much my perfect yellow, it's thin but not too runny or streaky and although I only used one coat here as the base of my gradient I think it'd be opaque and good to go in two. And it doesn't make my hands look like I've been dead for a month. I stamped a mini cheater print using MoYou Pro 04 and Barry M Gold Foil.

Excuse the tipwear, for some reason that always happens to me with gradients. Bizarre! I promise I will concentrate more on next week's Sunday challenge!

Hx

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