Gold Leaf

I wear blue the most of all colours and really had to go through my draft posts to find a mani that wasn't blue just so there is something a little different on my posts and came up with this stunner!  Here's what I came up with!

Started with a base of two coats of Polished for Days Champagne Pop, no top coat. This is just a really cool polish; the gold shimmer pops to me!

Topped with KBShimmer Clearly on Top.

Stamped using image from Lina Make Your Mark 08 using Painted Polish Midnight Mischief.

Finished with a final coat of KBShimmer Clearly on Top. 

 Thanks for looking!

New Year's Nails!

It's New Year's Eve so I thought I'd share these New Year's nails that I did not too long ago.  

 Here's what I came up with!

Started with a base of two coats of Milani 3D Holographic 510, no top coat. I chose this colour as I wanted a gold that would really pop with a negative space image, which I knew I wanted to do.

Topped with KBShimmer Clearly on Top.

Stamped using image from UberChic Christmas-02 with an accent nail of MoYou Festive-039 sing Midnight Mischief.  I had planned on using a negative space fireworks image but couldn't find it so did snowflakes instead.  Of course, I found the negative space fireworks image the next day.  Whomp, whomp, whommmpppp.  

Topped with KBShimmer Clearly on Top to finish.

New Year's Eve is going to be another quiet affair this year but it won't be that much different than any other year.  Whatever you happen to do, be safe during these trying times!

Thanks for looking!

Digit-al Dozen Does Texture; Day 5

For the final day of Digit-al Dozen texture challenge, I went with something not very typical for me as I don't use nail vinyls very often.  I may have used them 3-4 times and with varying degrees of success.  While these aren't perfect either, I do like how they turn out and they got me to thinking I should use nail vinyls more often!  Here's what I came up with!

Started with a base of two coats each of Pahlish Rusalka, Rusalka with accent of FingerPaints Midas Touch, no top coat.  This is another instance when one good coat of the texture polish would have made the texture more visible as the second coat seems to lose some of the textured look.  But I do love how Midas Touch was a pretty good match to the gold flakies in the Pahlish!  After I did these base coats, I watched TV for an hour or so to give all fingers a good amount of time to dry as I knew I was applying nail vinyls.  The last time I using nail vinyls, the base coat of the polish came off with the vinyl as they hadn't dried enough and I didn't want to run into that issue again!

Topped the non texture nails with a coat of KBShimmer Clearly on Top.

Applied nail vinyls to middle and thumb and then applied the opposite polish on the nail.  I was having a brain freeze moment here as they both pretty much ended up looking the same even though they both had different bases but if I had any tip here, it would be to apply the texture on top of the non texture polish as it applied and worked better with the vinyls.  The thumb has much crisper edges.  Next time, I would also go a little lighter handed on applying the texture polish.

I had painted a nail stud with the Pahlish Rusalka, Rusalka to make the mani all matchy-matchy; applied it to ring finger.

Applied a final coat of KBShimmer Clearly on Top to the nail stud and maybe to the nails that didn't have texture polish on them (can't remember) to finish.  After I took any final nail pictures, I did apply top coat to the ring finger to make sure the nail stud stayed on as I usually wear all my mani's at least for a day or so as I rarely just swatch or do nail art and remove; in fact, I wore this mani for 4 days as I was waiting for the owwie on my ring finger to heal a bit more (which is why there are the odd finger poses in the post).  And that nail stud stayed on, no issues!

Here's the other ladies day 5 textured mani's!

An InLinkz Link-up

Hopefully you've enjoyed all these textured nails this past week! As much as I love texture, I think it will be a little while before I reach for a textured polish again as I think I'm textured out, as least for the near future!

Thanks for looking!

40 Great Nail Art Ideas Does Films

Today is 40 Great Nail Art Ideas featuring films.  I thought about doing an actual movie and actually had plates set aside to do Monsters Inc. but went in another direction was films in general.  Monsters Inc. will have to wait for another time!  Here's what I came up with!

For the base, I decided to do the alcohol spray water marble; first time ever doing a water marble type of design!  It didn't turn out the best; the first nail I did was the index finger using hair spray but it hardly bubbled at all.  So I used a spray bottle of 70% alcholol that I keep on hand to clean my stamper heads and got better results.  There's room for improvement; including the cleanup; O M G!  Even though I used Girly Bits Border Patrol which helped a great deal, the backside of my fingers had a ton of polish on them still.  I guess when I watched tutorials, they used the stick to remove excess polish and I haven't mastered it well enough so had a lot of polish on a couple of fingers on the back.  Next time, I'll latex the fingers all around.  After I was done, I was like....why am I doing this anyway; there's image plates with these type of designs!  Anyway, I might do this again and see how it goes!  I used Cupcake Polish Down For The Count in the marble, which was over OPI My Boyfriend Scales Walls.  Accent is Funky Fingers Dark Knight.

After cleanup, but before top coat.

Added a coat of Girly Bits What A Rush QD TC before stamping.  I picked this gold holo for the water marble as it seemed to closest match the gold stamping polish that I was going to use, which was CND Gold Chrome.  It matched pretty good, I think!

Image plates used were Chez Delaney Cinema 001 (index and top figure on thumb), SdP 78 (middle), SdP 118 (pinky and lower image on thumb) and Canadian Nail Fanatic 001 with Fig Tree Stamps on ring which was stamped using CND Gold Chrome.  The rest of the images are stamped with Funky Fingers Dark Knight.  

Chez Delaney Cinema 001

Top coated with Girly Bits What A Rush QD TC to finish.  I had only taken a few pix when I nicked my middle finger with a polish bottle; the very first pix was one of the few taken but not the best.  

I wanted to go glitz and glamour like the night of the Oscars, which I think this was achieved with this colour scheme!

Here's the other ladies film nails!

An InLinkz Link-up

Have a great weekend; thanks for looking!

Emily de Molly EDM06 over Jade OMG, Sands!

I did this mani recently on a night when I wanted to change my polish but didn't have a whole lot of time to do my nails (aka most nights!).  Sometimes the simplest nails can be the most effective and I think this is one of them; here's what I came up with!

Started with a base of one....yes, one! coat of Jade Special Glitz Sand's Collection OMG, Sands!, no top coat. The formula was very thick but had good coverage.  I'm not sure if the thickness of the polish is normal or my bottle needed some thinner but even though it was thick, I was able to apply it decently! 

 

Stamped using Emily De Molly EDM06** using Funky Fingers Dark Knight.  I love this image; I've worn it twice in a very short time!  That says a lot when you have as many plates as I do but I find that it is quite versatile and is a great image for when you want the added interest of a stamped image but still want the beauty of the base to shine through!  As you can see, even though the lines on this image are very fine, the etching is clear and crisp.  The quality on this plate is excellent; cleaning of the plate was easy as there were no rough edges that catch the cotton nor was there any issue with the scraper catching the image during the scrape.

Emily de Molly EDM06

Didn't apply top coat as this is a texture polish even though in first pix, I'm holding a top coat bottle.  That was because it was hard to photograph holding the Jade bottle.  Even though this polish is textured, removal wasn't that hard.  It wasn't as easy to remove as a creme but not as difficult as a glitter; not too bad anyway even thought it might look really rough! I had more of an issue with all the glitter flecks being everywhere after removal; I'm sure a couple of them made their way into the mani I wore after this one!

Emily de Molly stamping plates and vinyls can be purchased via their store here with shipping from Australia. There is also a US Emily de Molly estore here that also ships plates and polishes to US and Canada.  Emily de Molly products are also available via these stocklists with many offering international shipping!

Thanks for looking!

**item provided for review; please refer to disclosure policy

Darling Diva Sassy Ass Mouth

Darling Diva does amazzzzzzzzzzzzzing red polishes and this is one of them, Darling Diva Sassy Ass Mouth. This holo is an absolute stunner with purple flash.

Started with two coats of Darling Diva Sassy Ass Mouth, with accent of OPI Love. Angel. Music. Baby; no top coat.

Top coated all fingers except accent with KBShimmer Clearly on Top.

Using an image from BP-L007, stamped all but accent using CND Gold Chrome.  I think the next three pictures show the mani faces of Sassy Ass Mouth as it looks a little different depending on lighting and angle.

Added a few accent stones for interest.

Top coated with KBShimmer Clearly on Top to finish.

Different lighting and holo doesn't show through as well but it shows the broody 'sassy ass' of it a little better!

I have no idea what kind of feedback there will be for this, but this was a mani that I was in love with!   This is a little darker than I like to wear this time of year being the lover of brights that I am; which is why I was wearing this in March earlier this year and not more recently (even though I have already worn a couple autumn like colours recently even though we are in the midst of a mini heat wave right now). This was also the time that I was adding stones or studs to all mani's! Wait, I still do that........

Hopefully you're enjoying your weekend; thanks for looking!

Mermaid Scales!

I don't even know if these look like mermaid scales (not like anyone would ever know!) but mermaid scales sounds prettier than fish or dragon scales....so mermaid scales they are!  

Started with a base of OPI Love. Angel. Music. Baby.  Just one coat; no topcoat.



Added Girly Bits Love Ya Beach!** which was kindly gifted to me by Pam of Girly Bits when myself and other nail fanatics visited her shop in the spring.  This is one thin coat, no top coat.



Stamped using black FUN stamping polish using Messy Mansion MM21.



Topped coated to finish.



I had planned on leaving the nails like this but then I seen Too Fancy Keep Calm and Be Fancy sitting on my desk from using it a few days before and thought it compliments the glitter in Girly Bits Love Ya Beach! so added it in some of the scales using a brush.  Added KBShimmer Clearly on Top to finish.


Not the best shot, but see the holo shift a little better in this blurry pix!



Thank you Pam for the fabulous gift!

Thanks for looking!

**item received as a gift; please see disclosure policy

(post edited to correct OPI polish name!)

Digit-al Dozen Does Metal; Day 5

It's the last day of Digit-al Dozen does metal challenge!  For the last day, I did a series of images that are heavy metal appropriate (I hope!).  Believe it or not, there are times that I do some internet research on the various themes; and when I was thinking heavy metal music, I searched heavy metal symbolism.  Images similar to these came up on the results so this is what I've decided to go with for Day 5 of the metal challenge; a bunch of heavy metal appropriate (or what I hope is appropriate) imagery!  (I apologize in advance if these are way off...and if they are, it was not my intention to offend anyone heavily into heavy metal!) Here's what I came up with!

Started with a base of OPI Love. Angel. Music. Baby (gold) and OPI This Gown Needs a Crown; one coat, no top coat.  The middle finger is two coats of OPI Girls Love Diamonds then topped with OPI matte.



Stamped using MoYou Greek Mythology Collection-03 (index), FUN 1 (pinky), MJ XXIII (ring), MoYou Biker Collection-04 (thumb), and MoYou Biker Collection-05 (middle).  Stamping polishes used where FUN black stamping polish, Mundo de Unas 8 (green) and 9 (red).  



Here's a closer look at a few of the plates used; MoYou Biker Collection-04



MoYou Biker Collection-05




MoYou Greek Mythology Collection-03




Added a few roses and stars to accent and fill from MoYou Biker 05 and 07 plates using same stamping polishes.  It took me three attempts to get that middle image stamped decently.  In hindsight, the image was slightly too large for the nail.  As I had matted the polish, removal of the misplaced image was trickier than when there is a topcoat on the base.  I was OK with one removal of the stamping but when I removed it the second time, some of the base polish came off too.  So I added a thin coat of base polish and matted it again The base wasn't affected with the squishy stamper for the main image but when I was placing the smaller accent images using the small end of the Konad double stamper, it wrinkled the polish a bit as it wasn't fully dry.  I think it looks like a cracked skull a little though!  I left the mani like this, no topcoat.




Here's the other ladies Day 5 mani's!

An InLinkz Link-up

Hopefully you have enjoyed Digit-al Dozen metal week!  Thanks for looking!