NOTD - Valentines stamping

This week's We Stamp on Sundays mani theme of course was Valentines. I decided to try stamping over a gradient...I actually loved the gradient I created and wish I took a pic before I stamped on it because that wasn't quite as great. For the gradient I started with two coats of Essie Luscious Lips, then sponged on Barry M Strawberry IceCream, MeMeMe Playful, Models Own Pink Blush, and a little China Glaze Mrs Clause to the tips. I stamped with Color Club Hot Like Lava and SdP-C02.  Because of the length of my nails and the colour of the tips under the stamp you can only see the hearts on the design, but there are actually wiggly lines top and bottom that you can only just see. I should have stamped over a lighter base, but I still like it. One thing about the Color Club foils - they stamp great but are a pain in the behind to clean up!

There are so many hearts and valentine images on the few plates I have, I just wont get time to use them all! I have one more valentine mani planned, but as it's the one I'll actually be wearing on valentines it'll be a little bit less garish! Just a little bit, mind...

Hx

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Under the Sea!

Morning!

This week's Adventures in Stamping challenge was to create an Under the Sea themed mani. I don't have any stamping plates with fish on them (apart from the weird little dead fish on one of the BM plates) so I was at a loss at what to do. I do have a couple of sea-weedy stamps, but that would have meant free handing some fish or something, and I knew that wouldn't turn out well! On Friday I did another nautical themed-manicure using a stripy stamp and some stars anchors and a ships wheel, but thought that was cheating a little. So Sunday night (last minute, moi?) I settled on this. I used Wet n Wild Teal of Fortune as the base, sponged a white creme mixed with a little Collection 2000 Sparkle Top Coat for the waves on the tips and then stamped the dolphins from my Born Pretty Hello Kitty (M71) plate with Wet n Wild Black Creme. Dolphins playing in the surf!

This was the nautical mani I'd come up with before - Wet n Wild French White base, striped stamped with 2ture Colour Quick Fast Dry Shade 10 and anchors/wheel/stars stamped with Barry M Gold Foil.

I'm sorry all my photos are absolutely awful at the moment, they make me cringe. I don't know what I'm doing wrong...

Anyway, next week's AiS challenge is either Stars, Zebras on Acid or Butterflies. Looking forward to it already :)

Hx

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NOTD - Nautical Nails!

Hello everyone!

Today I have more stamping to show you :) Don't worry, tomorrows post wont be another Bundle Monster manicure I promise! For this manicure I used Barry M Blueberry Icecream for the base, Miss Sporty Electric Beige for the stamping on thumb and ringfingers and sponged W7 Gold Dazzle and ELF Golden Goddess on the base of the accent nails and tips of the rest. Topped with Seche, that's a lot of polish! The image plates I used were BM08 for the anchor and BM 12 for the chain.

Left thumb

Left hand

Right thumb

Right hand

It's not perfect - I would have been better to use gold for the stamping, I made a mess of my cuticles (sorry Grace!) and there's glittah everywhere but I love it all the same. I wanted a paler background and bought Barry M Blue Moon today, so maybe I'll try it again someday :) It lasted 2 days with only minor tip wear, but I've changed it tonight none the less. S there'll be a new mani tomorrow mall haul post coming up over the weekend hopefully. 

Hx

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Manicures Mattefied

While you're reading this I will most probably be watching my best friend walk down the aisle! It should be me *sob*. Ahem, anyway...

If my manicure doesn't get completely destroyed after a day or so of wear (which is usually the case) I like switching it up a bit, usually by adding a topcoat. Matte topcoat is perfect for this because it dries mega fast and gives a really pretty finish, like softly frosted glass. Here are some of the manicures I've mattefied recently.

These are all manis I've posted, so you should be able to find them if you want, or ask if you want to know any of the polishes used :) Notice that the index finger is missing on most of them...guess which nail chips the most...

The matte TC is use is by Boots 17 Nail Xtras and I think it's priced around £3.99. There are lots of them on the market though, Rimmel do one, as well as E.L.F, and China Glaze, and I'm sure there are more.

One thing I've learned about matte TC's is that if your manicure has more than one colour you will need a good regular top coat before you use the matte one because it will smear otherwise. I learnt this when I mattefied my tiger print mani and it smeared even through a layer of Seche Vite. A TC is a good idea for durability anyway because the matte coat wont add any protection to your polish.

What do you do to make your manicures last longer? How quickly do you get bored? I must say my boredom threshold is veeery low these da...oh look, a kitty...

Hx

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