Acid Washed Sparkle

Hey all, have a good weekend? Mine was lame but it's okay cause it means I'm two days closer to home! Wheeeee!

Today's mani is entirely the fault this mani by Kat from Hooked On Polish. I took the cheater route though and instead of a fan brush I went with the acetone wash method. I loosely followed this tutorial from Nail Nerd to achieve my look. Ready to see? I know you are cause I loooooved how this came out!

Polishes used:

• Seche Rebuild base coat / Seche Vite top coat
• Sinful Colors Midnight Blue
• China Glaze Harvest Moon
• China Glaze Secret Peri-wink-le

I could have left those on forever, I loved the colors together and how each nail was different. This one netted me quite a few compliments but I can't take complete credit since Kat picked my colors haha. Okay so here's a quick rundown of how I did it in case you didn't clicky on the link to the tutorial above (shame on you :P). After my base coat I did one coat of each in the following order: Midnight Blue, top coat, Harvest Moon, then Secret Peri-wink-le. You may notice the top coat hiding in there, it has a good reason I promise. After all that was dry to the touch, I went in with a q-tip dipped in acetone and gently brushed away at the layers in different areas to reveal the hiding layers. That tricky layer of top coat over the first color is to prevent you from going too far down and removing that first color completely (told you it had a good reason). After all that add a final top coat and you're done, with some super eye-catchers to show for it! This was the first time I used this method and it was not at all complicated, so if you are new to nail art don't be skurred. It may be one of my new favorite things, there are just so many different color combinations to be used with this which makes it so ridiculously versatile. 

Hope you all have a great week ahead of you and your Monday was not too painful. I am now off to pick up prescriptions and hopefully hunt down some Wet n Wild Fergie polishes while I'm there. I know I want the black glitter Tonight's Gonna Be A Good Night but I may as well look at the rest. There aren't many swatches floating around for the whole collection yet which makes me sad panda, I heard there was a red holo in there but I can't seem to find proof anywhere. Ah well. Happy polish hunting and thanks for reading!

Olympic Fever

Happy Friday all! The Olympics are finally here, are you excited?

Today's mani is of course Olympics inspired in honor of the opening ceremonies later this evening. I knew I didn't want to go with the rings cause they'll be everywhere for the next forever or so, and I knew I wanted to try something new. I have been meaning to try clouds a la Nailside for a long time now and I figured why not today. Look at all mah medals!

Polishes used:

• Seche Rebuild base coat / Seche Vite top coat
• Sinful Colors This Is It
• Sally Hansen Salon Manicure Pedal To The Metal
• China Glaze Harvest Moon

I only have three pics of this one because for some reason my camera decided to eat the rest. I took way more than this but apparently the memory card had other plans today. Probably too busy planning it's opening ceremonies party for the other electronics. As you can see, I went for the colors of the Olympic medals: gold, silver, and bronze. I didn't have a bronze color but I was pretty happy with how Harvest Moon played along, man I love that polish. I like this mani but at the same time I don't, it's kinda weird. I love the idea, and I love the Nailside clouds, I just think my polish choices could have changed the outcome. I can't help but think that if I had a Barry M silver foil this would have gone a lot smoother. This Is It was being a pain in the butt and I had no polish thinner, by the time I got to Harvest Moon the tips were kinda thick. Add to that the fact that I'm on that extra craptastic part of a bottle of Seche Vite and there was instantaneous tip wear. I really love those clouds though so I plan to try this again with non-metallics and polishes I know are one coaters or pretty darn close, I think that will help me out a lot. 

Let the Olympic Fever begin! Up until I was in high school I did gymnastics, so that is definitely on my have to watch list for this Olympics. Do you guys have any specific sport you just have to watch?

Awards Spam

Posting ON A THURSDAY?! That can only mean one thing, RAGNAROK! No wait, it's more awards. Recently I was nominated for two more awards from some very lovely ladies! The Versatile Blogger Award from LuckyLoveNails and the Por Tu Naturalidad Award from fellow Kelly at Kelly's Nail Blog. Thank you so much to these two for thinking of me!

Since I've already received the Versatile Blogger, I will be lazy and skip those questions :P In it's place I will take this space (ha, that rhymed) to tell you all how you should go browse through the amazing work by LuckyLoveNails. I love to see people who are just starting to work on freehanding things like I am but her stamping and overall color choices are just awesome. Look at this stunner from her!

If this doesn't make you want to go investigate then you have no sense of adventure. And you would probably make a terrible detective. Go ahead, prove me wrong and go look!


Now for the new award, the Por Tu Naturalidad Award!

The Rules:

• Add the photo of this award
• Link back to the person who nominated you
• Nominate 10 bloggers
• Tell me what makes you hooked on following a blog

Blogs I Love And You Should Too

1. http://mariasnailpolishblog.blogspot.com/
2. http://www.hookedonpolish.com/
3. http://gorgeois.blogspot.com/
4. http://creativenaildesignbysue.blogspot.com/
5. http://luckylovenails.blogspot.com/
6. http://goldspecknails.blogspot.com/
7. http://spurplecastle.blogspot.com/
8. http://www.coloresdecarol.com/
9. http://varnishedvalkyrie.blogspot.com/
10. http://beauty-ninja.blogspot.com/

What Makes Me Hooked On Following A Blog

When I start looking at a blog for the very first time, I am always drawn in by the photos. Good or bad quality doesn't matter, I just love seeing the different ways people think of to decorate their nails. After that comes the writing. If someone can make me laugh or go "AMG me too!!" or "I've totally done that!" then I'm totally there. I'm not really all that difficult of a reader to please, I like shiny things lol.

::END OF POST ANNOUNCEMENT::

You may have noticed my blogroll is finally back but not as large as it was. This is because I only added the blogs that I know for sure doesn't set off my AMG VIRUS GTFO warning. As I slowly go through the remaining blogs in my list to check if it sets anything off I will add them back. In the meantime I still follow all the blogs I did previously, I still love you all ^_^

It's Pink And Actually On A Wednesday!

Happy middle of the week everybody! A shout out to Odin on this fine day named for him. Yes, I have read entirely too much Norse mythology lately on top of American Gods by Neil Gaiman.

Today is the rare and elusive "girly" day. Every now and then one sneaks up on me and I actually reach for pink. Shiny, sparkly, glittery pink. The fact that it is a Wednesday just solidified in my mind that today was meant to be pink and there would be no argument about it. I entertained the idea of all kinds of fancy stamping or freehand nail art but then I remembered the packing I stopped halfway through to paint these. I didn't want to be extra sad when I inevitably chipped them horribly, especially if I had just done a lot of work on them. So it is a nice minimalist girly day around here. Don't be sad though, there's still sparkle!

And a few in the fleeting moment of sunlight I managed to catch in time.

Polishes used:

• Seche Rebuild base coat / Seche Vite top coat
• Sally Hansen Salon Manicure I Pink I Can
• Pure Ice Pink Ice
• Claire's Cosmetics Candy Shop

I actually really like how simple and clean this came out but with still enough sparkle and shimmer to satisfy my glitter craving. I started out with two coats of I Pink I Can on all fingers, the ring finger got a healthy coat of Candy Shop white the rest got a thin layer of the sheer but super shimmery Pink Ice. This was a nice quick mani that I think would look great with any kind of colors/glitters. Something about a subtle shimmer with an accent nail always feels right to me. Ever since my very first accent nail I've just been in love. Do you guys have a favorite style that just never lets you down?

Summery China Pattern

It's Monday I think, all the days are kind of running together for me in the land of boxes. Hope you all had a great weekend!

Today's mani was named by my best friend. I wasn't quite sure how I felt about them and she declared that they looked "like a china pattern, but in a good way". It has been super rainy and storming here for the past two weeks or so and after my Game Of Thrones mani I needed some color. I hadn't used yellow in a while so that went on first for a day or so until I required even more color (greedy I know). My initial thought was for my favoritest of stamping foils, the gorgeous China Glaze Harvest Moon. Then I worried you all would be sick of seeing it so I decided to try something I normally wouldn't and went for a dark blue. Here's the results!

Polishes used:

• Seche Rebuild base coat / Seche Vite top coat
• Sinful Colors Firefly
• Sinful Colors Midnight Blue
• Red Angel stamping plate RA-104

As you can see my little cuts are now just little cuts, yay for Neosporin! Anyways, these kind of remind me of those Vera Bradley quilted bags in a weird way. I'm still not 100% sold on the color combo, it looked way better in my head before it did the weird green shifty thing on the nails. I guess I just thought Midnight Blue would be opaque enough as a stamping polish that it wouldn't do that, then again it could just be my sloppy stamping on this one that did it. Either way, they are pretty bright so color mission accomplished. I do really love the stamping image I picked, it was one I had yet to try. It definitely warrants use with a less primary color palette. I've never really tested the wear time of Firefly so I think I'll keep them around as an experiment. You know, for science. What kind of experiments have you guys done lately?

Winter Is Coming

Happy Friday everyone! Did you guess today's theme from the title? I know you did, I just couldn't help myself. GAME OF THRONES NAILS!

This past week I've been re-watching season two of the show and of course it inspired some nail art finally. I really wanted to go re-read the books from the beginning again but alas, they are in a box already and I only have the newest one on my e-reader. As far as nail art goes I'm late to the party as usual, it's Hunger Games all over again :P I'll let this little wolf howl for itself.

Polishes used:

• Seche Rebuild base coat / Seche Vite top coat
• Essie Master Plan
• Essie Blanc
• DEB Store Brand Gun Madness
• black acrylic paint

For this I went House Stark, cause I am from the north. The husbandguy says my dire wolf looks like a black blob but whatevs, I like how it turned out. I started with two coats of Master Plan and then sponged on Blanc and Gun Madness with some saran wrap. After that it was acrylic paint time for the wolf and some top coat. I am never disappointed by the saran wrap technique and in this case the colors I used made it look even more like marble. I keep putting my hand against different colored/textured things and thinking "damn these look cool" lol. Whenever I get settled and finally get a light box built I am redoing these because they deserve better pics. I am totally keeping this mani for as long as I can make it last, don't you just love those ones that just make you happy when you look down? What kind of looks have you guys done lately that just made you smile?

Oops....

Who has two thumbs and went all day yesterday thinking it was Tuesday? THIS GAL! I feel like a jerk >.<

For today's mani that was SUPPOSED to be for yesterday, I of course played with more Agro stamping. I knew as soon as I swatched the colors I have from the Hunger Games Capitol Colors collection that I had to pair Agro with Fast Track at some point. I wanna call the combination camo chic but since I didn't actually make a camo design I guess I will have to go with army or fatigue chic. I give up, whatever it gets called I love these two together!

Polishes used:

• Seche Rebuild base coat / Seche Vite top coat
• China Glaze Fast Track
• China Glaze Agro
• Red Angel stamping plate RA-114

You may notice those little text bubbles on my pics above. This is because packing tape dispensers are very very sharp and I am very very uncoordinated. So you get to look at some nice bubbles for a while until my tape related injuries heal. I'd like to think it's because I've been re-watching the second season of Game of Thrones while I pack and I got distracted but it's not, I'm just that spazzy. Anyhow, this is the first time I've used this particular image for stamping and I really like the effect it gave by simply turning the stamper around every other finger. I may need to try that with a few other stamp images in different colors. I really loved this look overall. I'm still amazingly tan enough for the Fast Track to almost pass as a real nude and it made the whole thing look so understated and yet detailed in person. I could easily see this in many other colors with a cute solid color dress or top. Sadly it didn't last long due to yet again my ongoing battle with the packing tape dispenser. This is why I can't have nice things. 

Whimsical Stamping

In the spirit of a Monday I bring you a crappy short post. This is to honor the craptastic day that is Monday plus it is a clever cover for the fact that I totally forgot that it WAS Monday. Well, it was a cover until I just told on myself. Oops.

As you may remember from my vacation haul I found me some Revlon Whimsical. For those not in the know, Revlon Whimsical is considered a dupe for the Deborah Lippmann shade Glitter In The Air. Since I don't have Glitter In The Air, if you are curious about the comparison visit this convenient write up over at Nouveau Cheap. Whimsical is really sheer and great for layering. For all of my pics I've used two coats of Whimsical over two coats of Wet N Wild Megalast I Need A Refresh-mint since it was the closest thing to a decent light blue that I own. I really need to remedy that. For a look at Whimsical over a color more accurate to it's base, have a look at these gorgeous swatches from Nails and Noms. On to the few pics I managed to remember to take of this one.

Polishes used:

• Seche Rebuild base coat / Seche Vite top coat
• Wet n Wild Megalast I Need A Refresh-mint
• Revlon Whimsical
• China Glaze Agro
• Red Angel stamping plate RA-119

As you can see, I got curious after a few days of this combo and played with a stamp. I just had to find out if Agro would stamp as well as my beloved China Glaze Harvest Moon and I am happy to report that yes it does indeed. A top coat makes it sparkle just as lovely too. I now have many ideas running through my head for Agro stamping. Mwahahahahahaha!

I do apologize for today's lame post, I promise Wednesday will be less lame. How many times can one acceptably say the word lame in one sentence? I think I hit the limit. I'll shut up now. Thanks for reading!

Take A Look Inside - It's My Cat In A Box!

Friday, holla! Typing the word "holla" makes me suddenly very aware of how uncool I am. You know what, screw it, I'mma leave it there.

I've been spending the past week shoving things in boxes and throwing junk out in between doing normal things, the usual beginning phases of moving. Now, if you have ever heard anything about cats (really, ever), you will know that it is common cat knowledge that cats love boxes. My living room is currently heaven to my cat. He has been in all of his box-sitting glory. Of course he was a total jerkface and moved anytime I so much as thought about touching the camera so I can't show you, but oh I will get him eventually. Today's mani is an ode to packing (bubble wrap to be specific) with a cat in a box accent nail. Have a look!

Polishes used:

• Seche Rebuild base coat / Seche Vite top coat
• Essie Marshmallow
• Wet n Wild Megalast I Need A Refresh-mint
• Sinful Colors Cinderella
• Revlon Bare Bones
• Orly Prince Charming
• Sally Hansen Bittersweet

Bubble wrap nails looked better in my head but they were still cool. I started with a layer of Marshmallow, dotted with Cinderella and Marshmallow and let dry a bit, then topped with another coat of Marshmallow. It was kinda like a jelly sandwich with dots instead of glitter in the middle. I think my middle finger came out best. The camera kinda washed it out but you can see the blue tones much better in person, it's more bubbled. Once I get my hands on more jelly polishes I think nail art underneath is pretty fun looking, definitely needs more exploring. Kitty nail was Cinderella over top of I Need A Refresh-mint and then various brown tones to paint in the box cat. 

Hope you all have a great weekend, see you Monday!

I Found It!

This is nowhere near as earth shattering as when I found my lost wedding ring (I know, I know), but I've found the missing pin from yesterday's post! Behold the dotted glory!

This lovely mani belongs to Quite Polished and if you've never visited that blog I suggest you do for there are lots of other pretties to be seen. Also from Quite Polished is this tutorial for the look that I kind of half-assed followed.

Me: 1, Dark twisting nether of the interwebs: 0. I AM VICTORIOUS! (I am guilty of watching the show Victorious when I'm too lazy to change the channel after Spongebob. Feel free to discuss.)

Dot Gradient? Hell I Don't Know

Happy Wednesday guys! Having a good week so far? (I just typed "fat" instead of "far", I apologize for calling you all fat by virtue of my own fat-fingered lack of typing skill.)

Today's mani... eh. I'm just not feeling it, you guys. I liked the idea when I saw it on pinterest (though I've since lost the pin somehow, I suck), but my execution was just crap. I think if I did this again with other colors it would come out way better and I know I would use various dotting tools instead of a paintbrush. I was already playing with a paintbrush for dotting after swatching some of my newer polishes just cause I was curious and then I remembered that inspiration mani lost in the twisting nether of the interwebs, mocking me with it's perfection. I don't HATE mine, I just think I can do better. Take a look!

I like it better with a matte coat. It didn't photograph much different but in person it's a big difference.

Polishes used:

• Seche Rebuild base coat / Seche Vite top coat
• OPI Austin-tatious Turquoise
• Wet n Wild Megalast I Need A Refresh-Mint
• Pure Ice Don't You Wish
• NYC Matte Me Crazy

I guess you could call it a dot gradient kind of? I don't know what the hell it is, it's so different than the original mani I had in mind. I really need to go hunt that pin down again. At least you all can see two of my vacation polishes in action. All pics are two coats of I Need A Refresh-Mint and three coats of Austin-tatious Turquoise, aside from the dotting which is of course just some dots. Bear with me, a better Friday mani is on it's way! Thanks for reading and following!

Monday Blues

Hi everyone! Monday and rainy = bleh. I blame the use of blue today entirely on the gross weather. In case you've ever wondered, it is pretty difficult to paint your nails while there are two thunder-phobic dogs fighting over who can wedge themselves further under your legs >.<

For today I have a post-vacation acquisition I just couldn't help but put on as soon as I got it home. Meet Wet n Wild Blue Wants To Be A Millionaire, my first holo of any kind! I was prepared for it to be very sheer after reading a few reviews before buying, and it was indeed. It took four coats to build up opacity enough to cover the visible nail line. With the results it gave, I don't even care, this is so gorgeous! I will layer it from now on just to conserve my bottle but on it's own it's amazing. I am now officially obsessed with holos! I had really hoped for some sun to take pics in but the weather this whole week has other plans apparently. Even indoors this had me staring at my hands though, take a look! Enlarge these suckers, you will not be disappointed.

Polishes used:

• Seche Rebuild base coat / Seche Vite top coat
• Wet n Wild Blue Wants To Be A Millionaire
• Sally Hansen Black Heart
• Red Angel stamping plate RA-108

I have so many layering ideas for this floating around in my head. I currently have it layered over China Glaze Secret Peri-wink-le on my toes and it is pretty stunning. I actually distracted myself while reading last night cause I caught my toes in my line of sight in my bedside lamp lol. Oh man, and stamping over a holo? LOVE! I will definitely be doing this again, not just because I'm not all that happy with this particular stamping but it's just so cool peeking out from behind a solid creme! Once I had this on for all of an hour I told the husbandguy that I was making a list of polishes for him to buy online for Christmas and you can bet there are holos on there! It may be storming and gross outside and I may have a wiggling lump of dogs under my legs but this polish totally makes me smile anyway. I hope you all are having a good Monday and that you have a polish that makes you smile too!

A Scandalous Spot To Be Seen In

Happy Friday everybody! Are you glad it's the weekend? I am, I got post-vacation blahs.

Today I have the lovely Revlon Scandalous with some art to show you. Scandalous is a re-named Facets of Fuchsia and still completely fabulous. It has been said to be a dupe for Deborah Lippmann's Bad Romance but since I will probably never own a Deborah Lippmann I can't really say one way or the other. If you are interested however, go take a look at this wonderful comparison over at Fab Fatale. Scandalous is a gorgeous black/dark purple jelly base with some gorgeous glitter happening. On to the pics!

Look at mah bottle macro shot skills!

Now as usual, my pics are looking like crap to me, so I also offer you this pic from the always lovely Pointless Cafe.

All I know is I love this polish. All of my pics are with two easy coats. Of course you know I can never leave well enough alone so some nail art happened. I originally wanted to stamp on it but all the colors I tried didn't want to cooperate. Whatever, I showed them! Dotting tool to the rescue!

One with flash for good measure and maximum sparkle capacity.

Polishes used:

• Seche Rebuild base coat / Seche Vite top coat
• Revlon Scandalous
• Sinful Colors Hazard
• Essie Blanc
• Pure Ice Don't You Wish

This whole thing overall is darker than I had imagined it would turn out, which is kind of stupid since look what I used for a base right? I still have vacation brain. Even though it's darker than I meant I still think it's cute and I love how sparkly it got. It was super hard to photograph though, I have sparkle and dark color issues. I think this weekend will be my build a light box weekend cause I feel bad making you guys look at some of these lol. Hope you all had a great week, it feels nice to be back ^_^