Tuesday 27 March 2012

Easy pink konadicure

Hi,
Today I'll show you a very easy manicure I done with m78 Konad plate.
I started with two coats of Zoya - Jolene and then I stamped the design using Konad 
-Special White. I finished with a clear top coat. Simple as that! What do you think?

Friday 23 March 2012

Let The Games Begin


Well, It's finally here.  The Hunger Games movie premier and the final installment of my Hunger Games manicure series.  The thought process and preparation for this manicure was actually thought of weeks ago and inspired my recent series in the first place.  I thought the perfect way to encapsulate the Hunger Games was with the perils and action of the actual games themselves (cuts, burns, scrapes, trackerjacker stings), along with a few key signatures themes of the books themselves.  Of course, I had to try to attempt to paint a Mockingjay.  I'm definitely no real artist and have sort of self-taught myself painting designs, but I think it turned out as good as I hoped (although I might get some better pictures up, I'm not sure about these...).  Enjoy the movie and Happy Hunger Games!






Manicure details:
My Wounded Flesh nails were done with a base of Zoya Skye, three coats.
My Mockingjay & Flaming Arrow nails had a base of China Glaze Smoke And Ashes, three coats.
My Smoke Diversion nails were a base of OPI I Have A Herring Problem, three coats.
Seche Vite was my top coat.

Wounded Flesh Extras:
Blood, Cuts and BurnsChina Glaze CrimsonChina Glaze BrownstoneChina Glaze FoxyZoya SkyeZoya TamsenOrly Au ChampagneChina Glaze Smoke And Ashes
Tracker Jacker Stings: A base coat of Zoya Skye with a gemstone covered in another two layers of Skye.   I also used the colors Zoya Tamsen, Orly Au Champagne for shading.  

PussChina Glaze Peace On EarthChina Glaze In The Limelight

Mockingjay & Flaming Arrow Extras:
Mockingjay: Using China Glaze Passion with the Bundle Monster plate BM07's peace symbol circle as a base.  Passion was also the base for the hand painted Mockingjay with China Glaze Riveting on top.
Flames for  China Glaze Sun WorshipperChina Glaze Foxy, China Glaze Liquid LeatherOPI A Roll In The HagueChina Glaze RivetingChina Glaze Go Crazy RedZoya TamsenChina Glaze Passion is the arrow color.

Smoke Diversion Extras:
SmokeOPI I Have A Herring ProblemChina Glaze Electric BeatZoya TaoZoya Dove, China Glaze White On White, China Glaze Platinum Silver
FireZoya TamsenOPI A Roll In The HagueChina Glaze Sun Worshiper.  

Thursday 22 March 2012

Smoke and Ashes

This Hunger Games manicure inspiration is based solely on the name from the China Glaze Capitol Collection line.  It's Katniss' district, coal: the smoke and ashes from district 12.





I painted three coats of China Glaze Smoke and Ashes.  I used China Glaze OMG, Orly Twilight, and clear polish for the marble.  Seche Vite was my top coat.

Tuesday 20 March 2012

Butterfly nails

Hi,
Today I'll show you a new stamping manicure I made with A07 image plate.
I started with two coats of Illamasqua -Faux and then I stamped the two parts
of the butterfly on my middle and ring finger with Konad Special White. The thin, black 
line that can be seen there is because I wanted to stamp with black at first, but then I 
changed my mind and didn't remove the layer of polish. I applied some gold sequins
 on its wings and I finished with a clear top coat. What do you think?

 

I recreated this manicure using a pink base colour, you can see it here.

Sunday 18 March 2012

And May The Odds Be Ever In Your Favor

For the second installment in my Hunger Game manicure series, I planned this idea for my HG twist on St. Patrick's Day, but unfortunately things weren't going in my favor.  I originally was going to do a newspaper manicure with names in print, but my newspapers weren't cooperating in transferring dark enough.  Then I tried to use computer printed out names and that wasn't successful either.  Then, it hit me: Water decals!  The result was better than I originally planned even if a day late.  I guess the odds were in my favor after all!



I painted three coats of China Glaze Fast Track.  I printed, using a Hunger Games font--some names from the book, some made up and obviously some repeated to keep with the reaping theme.  I used two coats of Seche Vite just to make sure my decals adhered.

Saturday 17 March 2012

A Capitol Color

I purchased half of the districts from China Glaze's Capitol Colors Collection and have decided that the next week leading up to the premiere of the Hunger Games, I will showcase those colors for your viewing pleasure in my manicures.  I'm starting with one of my absolute favorite colors from the collection.  Probably one of my favorite colors in my entire polish collection--surely for an orange.  Just awesome.




I painted three coats of China Glaze Riveting and added Konad Special Stamping polishes in Violet and Yellow with Bundle Monster plate BM201.  I used Seche Vite for a top coat.

St. Patrick manicure - Water Marble

Hi,
Today I tried to make a four-leaf clover water marble manicure, but I only
managed to do it on false nails, not on mine. I thought that it might be because
they are too short; anyway - they were a total mess. Maybe you will try it too and
you will get a better result than me. Firstly, you should paint your nails white or a 
nude colour and then, in a disposable glass, I put alternatively several drops of 
Avon -Green with envy and Sinful Colors -Happy ending. Using a toothpick, I
created the four-leaf clover and then put the nail in the middle of the design.
 


At the end, I applied four green, heart-shaped rhinestones. I got them from a nail art store
called Born Pretty for $3.33 . I finished with a clear top coat. 
What do you think? Could you give me some tips if you have tried it and got a nice result?

Thursday 15 March 2012

China Glaze Magnetix

I'm combining my two magnetized manicures for sake of time.  And because I have pretty much the same thing to say.  Here is my review of magnetic nail polish in general and my limited review of China Glaze Magnetix Collection.
1) I definitely like the magnetic craze.  I think it's a fun, interesting idea for polish and nail art.
2) Magnetic nail polish is persnickety.  It's definitely not something that I found to be quick and easy.  Depending on your magnet size, nail curve, nail length, strength of magnet etc., it can totally affect your look.  Some nails I retried over four times to get the look I wanted.  I still wasn't always satisfied.
3) I normally am a HUGE fan of China Glaze.  It is my number one polish.  Love.  But as far as wearability and usability, I was not very happy with my results.  The magnet was weak and I had lots of trouble with magnet application.  My polish chipped really fast--some less than 24 hours (unlike my Layla Magneffects, which is some of the longest wearing polish I have ever owned).  What I did like better than Layla was the closeness of the diagonal stripes of China Glaze's magnet.

Both colors were at least two coats (sometimes three depending on if the magnet worked to my liking) and had a top coat of Seche Vite

Instant Chemistry with the star burst magnet:


 Attraction with the diagonal stripes:





Orange You Glad?

It's spring!  Fell in love with this color and was so happy with it on the nail, I didn't want to have it share the spotlight with an over-involved nail design.  So one nail with a bit of sparkle, and it was done.  So pretty.  So bright.  So happy.





I painted three coats of OPI A Roll In The HagueOn my pointer I added a coat of Essie's Shine Of The Times and added a few larger orange, glitter flakes I bought from Esther's Nail Center.  I used Seche Vite as my top coat.

Pink! Purple!

....were the words my pretty, lovely, three-year-old niece gave as color suggestions for this manicure.  I love that it looks like girly, birds eggs.  She approved.




I painted three coats of China Glaze Dance Baby and used Bundle Monster plate BM211 with China Glaze Gothic LolitaSeche Vite was my top coat.

Strongbows

The name for this manicure was cleverly thought of by a friend while out at a bar.  Strongbow is my cider of choice and I love it.  As I did this manicure.  So the name was perfect.




I painted three coats of Zoya Skye and added with Konad Special Stamping Polish in White with Bundle Monster plate BM209 and Konad image disk m59.  Seche Vite was my top coat.

Wednesday 14 March 2012

[CLOSED] PURE ICE -Spring giveaway

Hi,
Today I will start a new giveaway on Pure Ice -Excuse me and Wild thing 
nail polishes. All you have to do to enter the contest is be a follower of my blog 
and complete the form bellow. You can earn some extra entries by liking my 
facebook page, blogging about the giveaway or commenting one of my 
non-giveaway posts.

This will close on the 5th of April when I will randomly chose a winner. 
Good luck!

*THE GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED.*

Tuesday 13 March 2012

Illamasqua - Human fundamentalism

Hi,
Today I'll show you a small part of Illamasqua new 2012 collection. They describe it 
to be "an explosion of your alter ego - it's becoming who you are and not who 
you're told to be". You can see more of it on Illamasqua website and pre-order the 
products available from 15th March. I got some very nicely packed samples and 
I'll show them to you.

I got two eye shadows (the black one -Obsidian and the mauve one -Can Can) 
and you can see how they look like in the picture bellow. The nail polish
is called Nomad and it is a very beautiful fresh-mint shade. As other Illamasqua
nail polish, it has a very beautiful shine. I also got the Sealing gel, that is something
very usefull for the season coming. One drop of this turns any powder into a colour-intense,
 water-resistant paste that dries quickly and lasts longer. You can use it with powder eye 
shadow, pure pigment, eye brow cake or eye liner cake. Last but not least, I got a sample
of the new Freak eau de perfume. I don't only like the way it smells, but also the
fact that a single drop applied on my wrist lasted the whole day and spread the
beautiful smell all around me.

This is it; I, for one, love this collection!

Monday 12 March 2012

Flormar - Magnetic twist

Hi,
Today I'll show you a new magnetic nail polish from Flormar. Unfortunately,
I think this brand is only available in Europe. I got a red shade, called MG05.
It is very easy to use: right after you apply the polish on the nail you put the magnet 
as close to nail as possible and keep it for about 10 seconds. It will look like in the 
picture. After this, I stamped a small, white flower from m66 Konad plate and 
applied a red rhinestone. I finished with a clear top coat. What do you think?

This is how the magnet looks like. It only creates diagonal lines. I will give you a tip: 
take the magnet out from its support so it will be easier to use. The lines aren't so 
emphasized when you use the magnet in its support.

Friday 9 March 2012

Spring day manicure

Hi,
Today I'll show you a springy manicure I've done and also talk about the Black stamping 
nail polish from a nail art store called Born Pretty. I started with two coats of 
Avon -Aqua Fantasy and then, using the sponge, I applied Pure Ice  -French Kiss on 
the tips. Then I stamped the design from m78 Konad plate with the stamping polish I was 
talking about. The design imprints very well, the color is intense enough and it doesn't 
dry on the stamp before you apply it on the nail. It is in a 3ml bottle, and its price 
is $2.05, with free international shipping. I think it deserves a try if you ran out 
of Konad special polish, because the results are mainly the same. I finished my 
manicure by applying a clear top coat. What do you think?

Monday 5 March 2012

m64 Abstraction

Hi,
Today I'll show you a new manicure with m64 Konad plate.
I started with two coats of Claire's -Lonely/Loved and then I applied
Deborah -01 MAT (Black) on the tips using a sponge. Then, I stamped the 
design using Konad -Special White and finished with a clear top coat.
What do you think?





Saturday 3 March 2012

Tuxedo nail art

Hi,
As many of you might now, tuxedo nail art has became a trend since they 
were worn on the red carped, so I decided to come up with a similar design.
I started with two coats of Essie- Topless&Barefoot. After that, using a 
thin brush, I created diagonally two black lines and filled them in with
Illamasqua- Scorn. Then I created the bows and two small dots on each
nail with a dotting tool. I finished with a clear top coat. 
What do you think?