Barry's Blues

Hi!

In the UK, we can always rely on good old Barry M to provide excitement with their seasonal releases. This time around, we were lucky enough to get 3 new polishes in the Hi-Shine Gelly range, and an Aquarium collection consisting of 4 duochromes and 2 shred glitter toppers. So far I've picked up Huckleberry Gelly, the palest baby blue, and Pacific, a teal/blue/aqua/turquoise duochrome (I'm not very good at distinguishing between blues, but I think it's safe to say this polish contains them all!). I have to say the formula in both of these were a little tricky to work with: Huckleberry, being so pale, was a bit thick and chalky and Pacific was a little patchy and I got a few bubbles. Both levelled out with two coats and a good topcoat though, so I shouldn't complain. I combined them in a simple dotticure, using bigger dots than I would usually, making my nails look unintentionally Easter eggy!

Have you picked up any of Barry M's recent releases? I will definitely be going back for more! In fact, there's a couple in my Superdrug shopping basket waiting to be checked out as we speak...

Hx

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Adventures in stamping - Just keep swimming...

Bonjour!

This weeks Sunday stamping theme was to base your mani on a new summer dress, swimsuit or shoes, and it just so happens that I got myself a new swimsuit a few weeks ago! Now, before you close your browser tabs in horror at the thought of seeing me in a cossie, don't worry, the internet is not ready for that, so you'll have to make do with the nails!

I started with a base of Barry M Cobalt, and then stamped on the white dots and bow before adding stripy tips. They pretty much came out how I envisioned, which makes a change!

I think I've broken a record for blog posts this week ;) Half term coming up though so I'm not making any promises!

Hx

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Adventures in Stamping - Using 2 or more stamps for Rockabilly nails

So, I thought my nails couldn't get any shorter. Apparently I thought wrong. Say hello to the super-nubs! I actually took the middle on down a bit too far and it's sore, but it'll soon grow out I guess. I'm trying to convince myself they're cute...

Anyway, this week's Adventures in Stamping challenge was to create a mani using two or more stamps, and I decided on this Rockabilly style mani based on one that I pinned from Nail Polish Wars a little while ago. I did two coats of a black creme polish, then topped it with Finger Paints Motley and a coat of Poshe to dry it quickly. Then I stamped the bow from BM317 on my little finger, the swallow from Konad Q1 (well my fauxnad version) and the little heart with wings from BM03 on the thumb with Konad special white, and then used my dotting tool on my index and ring fingers.

Excuse the mess, dry cuticles and shrinkage on the thumb. I have never gotten shrinkage with Poshe before, so I don't know what happened. Maybe it's because they're too short to wrap the tips at the moment, or maybe it's the flakie coat. Why do flakies take so long to dry?!

Hope you're liking the new layout. I made the header a little smaller and my pictures bigger on the suggestion of some friends (thanks ladies!) and I think I'll leave it at that :)

If you want to join Adventures in Stamping on Facebook, come and say hi here! We're really friendly, honest!

Hx

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NOTD - Pastel Spotty Dotty!

Hello!

I showed you swatches of the Nails Inc freebies you can get with InStyle magazine this month here,  and I decided to do a manicure with them. All three of them! They go really nicely together, and I just did a simple spotty design. First, I painted all 9 of my nails alternately with the three shades, and then used the other two colours to make large dots with a dotting tool. Then with the base colour I put a smaller dot in the middle, so it (mostly) looks like circles.

The colours go really nicely together, so I'm glad I got all three...as if I needed an excuse... Now, what to do with three copies of the same magazine...

Hx

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Purple Crumpet Spring Challenge - Day 6 Pink polka Dots

Day 6 and another Pink Wednesday! For this mani I used a base of OPI Skull and Glossbones (gorgeous colour!) and the pink I used was Orly Butterflies (Thanks Alyssa!) I taped off a slanted funky French and painted the tip in the opposite colour to the nail bed, then added dots with a small dotting tool. I liked it...until my youngest was sick in bed and I had to rush up and deal with it before the top coat was dry. If he'd had done it 10 seconds earlier before I topcoated it would have been fine as the actual mani was dry! It was my ring finger which took the worst hit, as you can see. I managed to tidy it up a little, but it bugged me so it only lasted a day. Don't have kids, people...

I liked it before I added the dots too :)

I need to catch up on some sleep now! Sick toddlers are exhausting...

Hx

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31 Day Challenge day 11 - Polka Dots!

Evening!

I'm getting used to my nubs now, so have resisted the call of the fakies so far...we'll see if it lasts!

For my polka dot mani I decided to go a bit random. Whenever I've done polka dots before (here, here and here) I've done them equally or in straight lines. So for this manicure I used a base of Biscuit by Next Oh So Nails (free with a mag a few months back, but only something like £2.50 from Next stores) and dotted with Miss Sporty 322 (Dark Pink), Beauty UK Street Rose (dusty mid-pink) and the pale lilac from the Beauty UK Urban girl mini set. I was planning to add another smaller dot of Biscuit in the centre of each dot to turn them into rings, but I like how this turned out so I left it. I'll do rings another time!

I liked it :) It reminded me of the Tombliboos trousers from In The Night Garden. Yes I have kids and no I don't get out much...

Stripy nails tomorrow! In LOVE with them!

Hx

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