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

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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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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

An InLinkz Link-up

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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

An InLinkz Link-up

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A sparkling Minty Moment

Hi!

In the name of self satisfaction, I went for two of my favourites for this manicure - mint and glitter! Add a bit of holo-y shimmer and I'm a happy Helly. It was a simple mani, but so sparkly and happy making, and isn't that what it's all about? The base is Lilypad Lacquer Minty Moment, which has such pretty holo sparkles that just lean pink, and I accented and reverse glitter gradiented (totally a word) with China Glaze Lorelei's Tiara, perfect silver glitter with blue flecks. Mine has thickened up quite a lot, which means it's full coverage in one coat and perfect for a lazy gradient like this, just use a fairly dry brush and a light touch, brushing from cuticle upwards and building up gradually.

This will be my last post for the month of March - this year is zooming by! Check out my Instagram for my monthly mani favourites!

Hx

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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

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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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Silky smooth

Hi!

Sorry for the unauthorised absence, I've been under the weather again and black dogs are creeping in. I seem to be in a nail funk, but I got my grubby paws on two of Barry M's new Silk polishes and had to get them straight on my paws. I started with two coats of Mist, the blue, and then sponged on Heather on the tips. The glitter accent is two coats of UK indie Chubby Owl polish Candy Rain over heather, which I won in a giveaway on Chubby Owl's Facebook page (thanks Jemma!) This is such a me glitter! I stamped bows with Gals Fairy plate GA36 in Barry M Gold foil. They're tiny images but I think I lined up the double stamping quite well for a change! I'm sorry the pictures aren't good but I promise it was really pretty.

Have you tried any of the Silks? I want them all now!

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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Quirk Christmas Ltd Edition Duo - Candy Land and Evergreen

Hello!

I'm a seriously lucky girl. I know I bitch and whine but just look at these gorgeous polishes the lovely Kerrie from Quirk (and Pish Posh and Polish) sent me to show you. According to the website, all Quirk’s polishes are hand mixed by Kerrie with an added dash of love in every bottle! Can you see the love? Because I can! I know for a fact that Kerrie has not just dumped a load of glitter into suspension base here, these polishes are rigorously tested before they go on sale and if it isn't good enough, it doesn't make the cut. Which ensures you are getting a quality product. And as an added bonus, these two (very) limited editions come with cute loose glitter that you can either add to the polish (they have been thoroughly tested and are solvent resistant) or place on top of wet polish. These are heavy glitters so I wouldn't just dump them into clear polish - they will sink! I kept mine separate - that way I could place it where I wanted, no fishing for it out of the polish - and I can use it with other polishes too ;)

First up, Candy Land. Can I just say I adore this polish? Candy Land is a mix of two different red glitters and matte white hexes, and comes with loose red candy cane shaped glitter! Cuteness. Oh, and did I mention this is peppermint scented? (Not Peppa Pig as my three year old thinks...) It's just a light scent, and in fact once it's dry you can't make it out at all, but it's definitely a pleasant surprise when you're applying. I used 2 coats of Candy Land over a gradient of Barry M Matte White, Orly Ma Cherie and Nails Inc Tate, except on my ring finger where I used one coat and added two candy canes with my topcoat. LOVE this! I think it would make a great valentines glitter too! And while it works great as a topper, you could probably get it opaque in 3-4 coats without much hassle - the base isn't so thick that it'd never dry either.

Next up, Evergreen. Evergreen is a mix of micro glitter, holographic green hexes and transluscent "glass" glitter, and can also be worn as a topper or build to opacity. This one comes with little holo green Christmas tree glitter, and I placed one at the tip of each nail. This is two coats over Sinful Colors Black on Black and Revlon Emerald City. I feel this is a truly unique polish - I've never seen anything like it and it is so pretty! I'm going to wear it over a navy blue next. Yum!

Both polishes applied like butter - just the right amount of glitter, no fishing, no faffing around putting it where you want it on the nail, no lumps and bumps or dragging.

Are you as excited about these polishes as I am? Because you should be! Be warned though, they are super super limited edition - in fact I think there's only one of each left! They're available from www.quirk-polish.co.uk for £6 each, and check out the So Bloody Miserable collection too!

I bloody love these polishes, so I guess that makes me an official Quirkette! I don't think I've been an official anything before! Exciting!

Hx

The product featured 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.

Why are you still reading? Go and buy them!

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