Too Soon?

I knew when I sat down to do my nails last night that it was calling for rain and because I've been wearing lots of neons and brights lately, I decided to wear something a little toned down.  I was looking through my IEC 2019 haul and seen these polishes and thought they would make a cool skittle fall mani.  This is what I came up with!

Started with a skittle base of Bees Knees Lacquer Bucking Bronco, Alter Ego Uncommonly Me, Bees Knees Lacquer Hell Knight, Alter Ego Happy I'm Not Like The Others and Alter Ego Being Myself.  All the Alter Ego polishes are two coats; the Bees Knees are three. 

 Topped with KBShimmer Clearly on Top.

Stamped on some fall leaves using image from Lina 4 Seasons-Autumn 01 using MdU 9, 11, 32, 51 and 66 (and not all them necessarily on each nail).

Topped with KBShimmer Clearly on Top.  

The Bees Knees have this pretty delicate shimmer in them so I decided to apply a matte top coat to highlight it; applied one coat of Glisten & Glow matte.

We had a late start to summer and I believe I heard it's forecasting for a warm fall so oodles of time so don't worry that I'll be sharing fall manis now.  I still have lots of summer looks to share before the leaves really change and the wind blows colder!  Just a nice change from the brights and neons that I've been wearing lately!

Thanks for looking!

Bright Hibiscus Nails

These were the nails I was sporting last weekend at Indie Expo Canada 2019!  I did them on Friday night and ended up wearing them until Monday night because I either had no time to change them or was too tired!  I love how bright and vibrant they were!  It was too bad we had so much rain last weekend but at least my nails were bright!  Here's what I came up with!

I didn't start these nails until around 1 am so while I initially wanted to do a gradient, I decided to do something quick so went with a stamper smooshy base of Fancy Gloss Neon Yellow, Neon Pink, Neon Orange and Neon Orange-Yellow.  The great thing about these neons is that no base polish is needed so I stamp these directly on my clear base coat.  And this is one stamper smoosh and it did all the nails (probably because I use too much polish) but because the polish is so opaque, I don't have to layer and layer to cover thin spots.  This method is quick for me so I use it when I want an interesting base but no time.  

Topped with KBShimmer Clearly on Top. 

Stamped using an image from UberChic UC 7-01 using Painted Polish Midnight Mischief.

 Topped with KBShimmer Clearly on Top to finish.

If you attended Indie Expo Canada 2019, I hope you had a fantastic time!  It was wonderful to see polish friends from past events and meet new ones!  And shop.  Like, weren't we all there for that?  Let's just say from the crowds and haul pix that it's pretty clear that indie polish is still thriving in Canada!  

If you weren't able to attend and want to live vicariously through me, my IEC 2019 posts will be shared over the next couple weeks!  

Have a great weekend and thanks for looking!

Green Floral and Stripes

Sometimes I surprise myself when a mani is finished; I start with one thing in mind and it ends up totally different!  This is one of those; this really isn't my 'style' of nails but I loved how it turned out when it was all done.  In fact, I've done a few spins on this mani since (some shared already, some not) but this was the one that started it.  It's obviously my style now lol!  Here's what I came up with!

Started with a base of two coats of Turtle Tootsies Turn Off The Lights!, no top coat.  I picked this up last year at 2018 Indie Expo Canada in Toronto.  2019 IEC will be held on August 18th with workshops taking place on August 17th.  Do you plan on attending?  

Topped with a thin layer of Fiendish Fancies Princess Without A Voice.  This was a press sample that I received at 2018 Indie Expo Canada; I liked it so much that I bought a full size bottle!

Topped with KBShimmer Clearly on Top.

Stamped stripes using Lina Born To Sail 01 using EdK Lili and flowers using Lina Feeling Shapely! 08 using FunkyFingers Gesso.

Added dots to flower centers using EdK Lili.

Topped with a coat of KBShimmer Clearly on Top to finish.

While I liked the look of the nails, I decided to add more flowers to the striped nails; used same image from Lina Feeling Shapely! 08 using FunkyFingers Gesso, then stamped using EdK Lili.  Topped with a coat of KBShimmer Clearly on Top.

Thanks for looking!

LynBDesigns Riddikulus

This was one of the polishes I bought at Indie Expo Canada 2018; LynBDesigns Riddikulus (or Riddi-Kulus as it shows on the label) and don't know why it took me so long to wear it!  I thought some copper stamping would compliment it well; here's what I came up with!

Started with a base of one coat of LynBDesigns Riddikulus, no top coat.  No, that is not a typo; one coat is good coverage.  Loads of flakies and shimmer in this one but there were no issues with removal.

LynBDesigns Riddikulus is still available here along with many other creations!

Topped with KBShimmer Clearly on Top.

Stamped using image from Marianne Nails Professional n.4 using Hit The Bottle Copper Haired Girl.

Marianne Nails Professional n.4

Topped with KBShimmer Clearly on Top to finish.

Decided to add matte topcoat as I have been matting all the things lately; added My Indie Polish My Perfect Matte.

Speaking of IEC 2018 and polishes I picked up, I don't think I ever shared my haul; here are the polishes I bought (or GWP as in the case of the Girly Bits tumbler and the Turtle Tootsies turtle and pen; pix does not include any press samples.  Also, please disregard tools in the background; the weekend while I was at IEC 2018, the hubs was home repairing our backyard fencing that had blown over in a heavy wind storm a couple weeks before.) #ISupportIndiePolish

I have since used a few of these polish but unfortunately, most are still untrieds.  Hopefully some time soon, I'll remedy that!

Thanks for looking and have a great weekend!

Hello Summer!...I Mean Good-bye Summer!

You know you're behind with your blog posts when you're posting your Hello Summer nails the day before fall officially arrives, not to mention you didn't even get around to sharing your Hello Spring nails at all!  I guess there is always next year!  I did these nails way back in June 2018 right after Indie Expo Canada; in fact the base polish was bought at IEC 2018 and it was the first polish I used right after the show.  Too many other things to share but there's no time like the present as the saying goes!  Here's what I came up with!

Started with a base of two coats of Paint It Pretty Polish Indigo Rises, two coats.  Unfortunately, this mani shows my nails pretty much at their worst right after IEC; if you have read my posts you will know that I had been dealing with a wonky middle finger for months and how the skin all around it peeled, etc.  Well, this is one of the mani's where the skin was the worst.  I know it looks like hangnail city; it wasn't, it was peely skin and trying to remove it and it being sore and thin.  A lot of the pix, I tried to strategically hold my nails just so to try to diminish it, but sometimes, like here, I wasn't that successful.  

Stamped using images from Marianne Nails Professional n.16 (thumb and index) and Lina 4 Seasons-Summer 01 (ring, middle and pinky) using MdU 1, 49 and 68.

Marianne Nails Professional n.16

Lina 4 Seasons-Summer 01

My favourite nail; even when I shrunk the image, it still barely fit!

I think this was a great send off to summer; tomorrow, I'm share nails to welcome the arrival of fall!  

Have a great weekend and thanks for looking!

CbL Yes, I'm Loonie Too IEC 2018 Limited Edition

This stunner is an IEC 2018 limited edition from Colors by llarowe, CbL Yes, I'm Loonie Too.  Loving the play on words, us Canucks know it's in reference to our $1 coin affectionately coined the loonie. Or at least let's hope it is anyway lol!  I did gradient tone on tone stamping on it; here's what I came up with!  

Cbl Yes, I'm Loonie Too is a gorgeous turquoise based, scattered holo with green to red to gold shimmer with lilac flash and prismatic holographic flakies. Application was easy, there were no removal issues and I didn't experience any nail or skin staining.

Started with a base of two coats of CbL Yes, I'm Loonie Too, no top coat.

Topped with KBShimmer Clearly on Top.

Stamped with an image from Apipila Super Placa G using MdU 5, 6 and FunkyFingers Gesso.

I have to apologize for a couple things here; one, this is one of the first mani's I was trying all the different lighting and backgrounds with new camera so there is a lot of variation of poses, etc. all over the place.  This is also right after I cut down my middle nail that had two cracks in it as one crack had hit the free edge and I didn't want it to snag and tear; I don't think this was when it was at it's shortest but I know it doesn't match but didn't want to cut down the rest lol.  I am still growing out this nail; what a long six months or so it's been!  Thanks for tolerating the pictures but I still do my nails when they are good or bad; that's the nail fanatic in me!

Topped with KBShimmer Clearly on Top to finish.

This was an IEC 2018 CbL limited edition; it is still in stock at Hypnotic Polish here as well as at Rainbow Connection here.  Colors by Llarowe products are available here and at various stock lists; see site for more details.

Have a great weekend; thanks for looking!

IEC 2018 Silent Auction (Paint It Forward)

One of the most awesome aspects of Indie Expo Canada is the Silent Auction (Paint It Forward) with the proceeds being donated 100% to The Marvelle Koffler Breast Care Center at Mount Sinai Hospital.  I bid on a few items and was lucky enough to come home with a couple including this one, Ms. Sparkle Chemical X from the May 2018 Polish Pickup.  I haven't heard the 2018 donation tally, but in 2017, $1857 was raised so in addition to the funds going to a very worthy cause, you can take home some really fantastic things if you are the lucky bidder!  This post is picture heavy as it shows some of the fantastic items that were up for auction!  But first, this is the mani that I did using Ms. Sparkle Chemical X!



For this mani, started out with a base of two coats of Ms. Sparkle Chemical X from the May 2018 PPU.

Topped with a base of two coats of KBShimmer Clearly on Top.

Stamped using an image from Apipila Super Placa E using MdU 11, 66 and FunkyFingers Gesso.

Apipila Super Placa E

This is how it looks when you multiple scrape to blend the colours together.

Topped with a final coat of KBShimmer Clearly on Top.  This would have been a great base for some layered fall or Halloween stamping and I meant to do some before I took it off but I forgot.  But I was thinking of the hot, sizzling summer when I did these nails and this represents that well, I think!

Below is a few pictures of the silent audition items.  This helmer storage unit from IKEA was filled with soooooo many polishes and products and was adorn with numerous vinyl stickers; this went home with one lucky lady!



Just a few of the products waiting for bids!





This cutlery set was stunning!

Thank you to all contributors for their donations and also to everyone who bid on the wide assortment of items; the proceeds went to a worthy cause!  I will update this post once I hear the final tally raised in 2018!

Thanks for looking!