A New Challenge with Hermits United

Yes, it is another challenge.  Yes, I know I have a problem.  It is a quick little two week Nail Art Challengez organized by Beauty-Shoes-Nails-Fun.  "Little" means six manis in two weeks, so we will see how well I keep up.  The theme is "Black & White".

The theme for today is "Geometric".  I have tons of geometric stamps, so I knew this was going to be a stamp mani.

 
This started with LynBDesigns Hermits United.  Although I just posted this yesterday, I will give you another look at what may become my favorite glitter filled white polish.  See my full review HERE

Next I stamped with PUEEN36 and Finger Paints Black Expressionism.

What do you think?  I have more plans for this stamp image...but you will have to wait to see it.

Thanks, as always, for looking and commenting!

Tina

 

One of My Final Flowers

Today is one of the last two posts for The Nail Challenge Collaborative's July challenge.  Don't why it took me so long to get these posted...I've had them done for two weeks!

When I first heard about this challenge, I knew I wanted to try this.

This is a technique called acid wash.  You layer several polishes and then use a brush or q-tip to remove several layers of the polish with polish remover.

I learned a lot during this.  For one, q-tips work better than a nail brush.  I did my thumb, index and middle finger with a brush; ring and pinkie with a q-tip.  Secondly, the polish I want to show the most should be added to the bottom coat, not the second to the last.  I really wanted the blued lavender to show the most, Julep Joanna

Here's what I used, in order from bottom coat to top.

• Sally Hansen Lightening
• Models Own Edamame
• Sally Hansen White On
• Julep Joanna
• Julep Blakely

I will definitely have to try this again to perfect the technique.  Thanks for looking and commenting!

Tina

My First Review is Doctor Who!

*Products pictured were provided for my honest review.

I am very excited to share with you a little something from LynBDesigns newest Doctor Who release, "Innuendos in Space".  I want to tell you, right here, before we get to the swatches, that Jenna is currently giving a DISCOUNT at her Etsy store, LynBDesigns, from now until August 1.  Using the code found at the top of her store HERE, you can get 50% off!  Hurry over to pay less than drug store prices for these, and many more, unique, handmade polishes.
 

Why so excited?  Well, not only do I own several of Jenna's lovely polish potions, I also LOVE Doctor Who.  I have been a Whovian since I was very little.  I remember sitting behind my father's recliner....sticking my head out to watch and hiding behind it when things got scary.  Those were the days before satellite and BBC America and we could only see it on PBS sporadically.  Since I am enamored of the Doctor and love Jenna's formulas, get ready for one long, pic heavy post!

Let's start with the hard to capture I Was Only Saying "Hello".  It tickles me that this polish was so hard to photograph, considering that Captain Jack Harkness is so easy on the eyes (tee hee).  Not to mention that he will flirt...and more...with anyone, male, female, alien.  The captain has to be my favorite male companion...and that is putting it lightly.  I even loved the spinoff, Torchwood, that he stars in.  By the by, if you have Stars movie package, they are having a Torchwood marathon on Sunday 8/4 with all the episodes of the last season.  You know that I will be glued to my polish corner, doing manis and overdosing on Captain Jack!  Okay, ENOUGH!  Let's get back to the polish!

 

You can see in this pic how much my camera hated this blue.  Go back to the first pic for accurate coloring for the base....I photoshoped the heck out of it!  I Was Only Saying "Hello" is a beautiful and unusual shade of blue...bright and saturated, yet it leans to the grey....filled with teal squares, white hexes, black micro hexes and silver speckles.

 

This is three coats of I Was Only Saying "Hello" topped with a coat of Seche Vite.  I could have gotten away with two coats, but I am a little obsessive about VNL, so felt the need to add a third.  I had a bit of trouble with the brush pulling lateral "divots" in the polish (see my index finger), but I have this problem with a lot of other polishes also, which makes me assume that it is caused by my technique, not the polish.  That is why I like self leveling polishes.  It is completely unnoticeable IRL, however, and only shows in the loved/dreaded macro shots.  The glitters in this are well distributed.  No fishing was required and they applied like a dream.

 















So, imagine the blue on the left, a touch brighter and more saturated, add the teal squares on the right, picture the seemingly white micro glitter as silver, and you will have an inkling of what this glitter filled crelly looks like.

I just wanted to point out that Jenna is a GENIUS with these types of blues.  It harkens (pun intended) to a previous and absolutely gorgeous blue in her Princess Bride collection, Don't Torture Me, a startling yet subtle and indescribable pale blurple filled with white shards.  I have never had as many complements on a polish as I had with that one.  If you don't own it, throw it in your basket while you are taking advantage of her discount!  Do it, you won't regret it!

Tesalecta's Kiss.  According to Jenna, this was inspired by the episode "The Wedding of River Song" and the moment she kisses "The Doctor".

I can't think of a more appropriate concoction for this moment.  It is a lovely nude polish flushed with a subtle pink shimmer.  So beautiful!

 
The bottle I received was a bit thick, but throwing in a couple drops of thinner solved this problem.  Unlike some shimmer polishes, this was easy to apply with very few brush strokes showing.  It was like gentle and long awaited love on my tips.  *sigh*  I miss River.

  
Next we have Hermits United.  Somehow I missed getting a bottle shot *whacks forehead*.  A hermit? With friends?  Hermits united!

I'm not usually a white filled with glitter polish fan, but for this, I might make an exception.  Why?  First, it is not your typical, run of the mill white/glitter combo, and you know how I love me an unusual polish!

   
There are all kinds of colored micro glitters crammed into this cave (show reference), but the majority are gold and black.  It reminds me of white granite....or marble?  Very stone like.  Application was "Good fun.  For a hermit".  This is three coats, although it was fully opaque in two.  This prodigious glitter will definitely need a thick top coat...unless you like the dull textured look.  Actually, it could probably be worn both ways...hmm, may have to try it in my next textured mani.

This was inspired by one of my all time favorite episodes (so far).  The dialog...such genius.  Makes me cry every time.  Oh, You Beautiful Idiot is a clear base filled with matte teal stars and different blue and green glitters.

Jenna describes this as a glitter topper, but I'm not a glitter topper type, so I wanted to see how flexible it was, hence the glitter skittle.  I love the fact that this is so multifaceted.  You can use it for a glitter topper, for a gellie samwich, or a full on glitter bomb, depending on what technique you use.  All were layered over Tesalecta's Kiss. 

Thumb is three coats.  Index is is three coats with the last being daubed on.  Middle is two coats.  Ring is one coat.  Pinkie is three coats with the final coat daubed on.  Here are some close ups.


Imagine this layered over a metallic teal polish!  The first couple applications, I was fishing for those stars, but after one or two dips, they were hopping onto the brush with glee.  They did take some coaxing for placement when stroked on, but I found that daubing was the best technique if you are looking for a glitter bomb.  If you wanted, you could daub two or three layers over a nakid nail for full coverage.

 

I have saved the best for last:  It's Mauve and Dangerous.  This is inspired by one of the episodes my husband refuses to watch, "The Empty Child".  Says it is "irritating".  But it is the episode where we first meet the aforementioned Captain Harkness.

 Look at all that linear holo goodness!  Jenna calls this a "mauvey pink", but I would call it the best pale purple in my stash.

 This is three coats for full coverage, although if you don't mind VNL, two coats will do ya.  I layered over Nfu-Oh Aqua base, as I do all my holos, but I don't think it needed it.  Aqua base provides a smooth surface for application, but because this is what I consider a crelly base, I suspect no ridges would show, even with one coat.  I did apply one coat of Seche Vite, but it didn't really need it since it is a shiny beauty on it's own.  The top coat did dull the holo very slightly, but remember that I have OCD tendencies, so I don't think normal people would even notice (tee hee).  

I did experience some dragging during application...but, WHO CARES!  Look at that color!  Look at that rainbow!  You know a gif is coming!

I can't even begin to describe how happy this makes me!  Such a lovely, peaceful shade chock full of holo.  And only $4 with discount until August 1st!

Once again, Jenna's polishes can be found at LynBDesigns on Etsy HERE, along with cuticle oil and handmade perfumes.  Run!  Before the discount is gone!  What are you still doing here?!?

Tina

 

 

Good Grief O'Keeffe

It's another installment of Llama Nails artist inspired challenged.  Today is Georgia O'Keeffe.

 

No vaginas here....or is there?  

This is one of O'Keeffe's abstractions with the ingenious title "Abstraction Dark Green Lines with Red and Pink".

Here's what I used for this:

• Sally Hansen White On
• PIXI Luminous Lilac
• Finger Paints Tough Art to Follow
• OPI Live and Let Die
• China Glaze Kalahari Kiss
• China Glaze Brownstone

 
 


One last look for comparison.

Thanks for looking and commenting!
Tina

 

Another Flower Mani

Right now I have so many challenges going on at the same time, it is hard to remember what I have completed and haven't.  Today it is The Nail Challenge Collaborative flower challenge.  It is going to be a quick little post so I can go do my nails!

This started with  two coats of China Glaze Keep Calm, Paint On.

Keep Calm is a lovely frosted baby blue with a turquoises lean.  I had a hard time capturing the frost in the pics, but it is definitely there.  The nice thing about it is that it does not show brush strokes too much.  Thank goodness this is a pretty color, because I might have purchased it for the name alone (tee hee).

Next I dotted PUEEN16 with the following colors:

• Barry M Plum
• Zoya Perrie
• Sally Hansen Lightening

This is the perfect stamp for this type of technique.  All the little details make sure that all the colors do not get muddled together.

Thanks for looking!
Tina

 

My Favorite Color Combo

Sunday...Stamping Sunday.  Do you hear U2 like I do?  Yes, I do live in my own little fantasy world.  Today's theme is "Your favorite color combo".  Can you guess what mine is?  Want a hint?

My favorite color combo is a bit complicated.  It starts with green...but not any old green...it must be a greyed, muted olive.  Here I used Revlon Muse.

Without a flash, this leans a bit more bluish, but the first photo is more color accurate, for all the colors actually.

Next comes a creamish taupe.  For this I used China Glaze Kalahari Kiss.

Then comes the purple.  Not an in your face purple, but a dusty dark plum.  This is Julep Gabrielle.

Finally, accents of black.  The image I used is from PUEEN26.

So lets surmise.

1. Greyed olive
2. Creme Taupe
3. Dusty deep purple
4. Black accents

A very specific combo, I know.  Where did it come from?  A shirt my daughter had when she was much younger.  It was striped with these exact colors and I was in love with it.  Now my living room is a replica of that shirt...taupe carpet, one brushed suede purple wall, two olive walls,two purple couches, one black chair and a black TV stand.  And now it is on my tips.  You will see variations of the combo...green and purple...throughout this week, so I hope you like it as much as I do.

As always, thanks for looking and commenting.
Tina