Is It Spring Yet??

Still anxiously awaiting the arrival of spring here!  While it has been sunny, it is still bone chilling cold with lots of wind and no sight of flowers or robins or the normal indicators of spring yet, sadly.  Hopefully it's not too long before the nicer weather arrives!  At least we haven't had snow...knock on wood!  

Here's some bright nails to go along with the bright sun we've been having; even if it hasn't been overly warm. 

Started with a base of two coats of Zoya Arizona, no top coat.

Topped with a coat of Pepper Pot Polish Queen of the Galaxy (April 2018 PPU).

I had an oops moment when I realized that I had a stamper decal made so changed out the accent with OPI My Boyfriend Scales Walls.  In hindsight, the orange base would have been OK but it wasn't what I had in mind when I did my nails.

Stamped using an image from Lina Make Your Mark 04 using MdU 1, 9 and 106.  Accent is a stamper decal from Creative Shop 91 using Pepper Pot Polish Queen of the Galaxy in the center and MdU 106 for the petals.

Topped with KBShimmer Clearly on Top to finish.

Hope you're having a great day and thanks for looking!

Finally! Halloween Nails!

I finally have a Halloween mani to share!  I had/have so many fall ideas that I had been doing mani after mani after mani that are more suitable to fall nails but thought I had better get in a Halloween mani or two before I run out of time!  Here's my first Halloween mani; there will be a couple more to come!

Started with a base of China Glaze Sunset Seeker.  I used a base for the sandy polish because a quick test swatch indicated that while I was using the darker of the two Konad orange sandy polishes I have, it still wasn't a dark pumpkin orange so a quick darker base coat with a coat of Konad Sandy orange on top made it darker than the sandy alone and more in line with the base colour I was looking for.  (Hopefully that makes sense lol.)

Stamped lines to mimic pumpkin lines/ridges using Lina 4 Seasons- Summer 02 using MdU 13.

Stamped images from Chez Delaney Halloween 002 using MdU 13.  I love these face images; I think I use them every year at least once!

I thought these were super cute; I even wore them for three days; that was until the faces started to come off which happened as no top coat to keep the textured look.

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!

Digit-al Dozen Does White; Day 1

It's Digit-al Dozen week; the theme this month is white!  As you know, I've been sporting real shorties for the last couple weeks and have been busy getting my Indie Expo Canada 2018 posts done (one of which will post later today) so really haven't had a lot of time to do white nails.  Thankfully, I have quite a few mani's in archives that are suitable so I can still participate in the challenge!  Here's my day 1 mani!

Started with a base of two coats of Julep Hayden, no top coat.  I remember all the hype over this colour from one single mani post and had to have it....but of course, never wore it.  The bottle has a case of ugly bottle syndrome but it still looks nice enough!

Did a sponged gradient using Maquillage OR450; this was a gift from my sister-in-law from a couple years ago; my brother and her live in Japan, so I doubt this is a brand that is that familiar here in Canada or even North America.  Looking at these pictures, I should have done a few more coats of gradient but oh well; I can live with this. 

Topped with KBShimmer Clearly on Top 

Stamped using Lina 4 Seasons-Autumn 01 using FunkyFingers Gesso.

Added a couple accent studs, then top coated with KBShimmer Clearly on Top to finish.

Here's the other ladies Day 1 mani's!

An InLinkz Link-up

Thanks for looking!

Anchor & Heart Lacquer Isn't It Ironic?

Oh, sunny days!  With the exception of the storm that blew through the city last night, we have been having a long string of warm, sunny days!  Thanks to the storm, we have cooler temps for a couple days but it's suppose to be a scorcher again on Sunday.  Speaking of scorcher, I love this eye searing flakie polish that was part of the May 2018 Polish Pickup offerings! (And speaking of PPU, ironically today (and speaking of ironic as in the polish name!), I've been searching swatches to see if there's any second chance offerings of anything that I missed that are must haves....I know for sure that I'll be picking up more of the Cuter Cuticles Fuzzy Peach Barrier Butter; it is my favourite of all time and I already used up the one I bought back in February!) Anyway, these were quick and easy nails, just like the post today, of a mani I was sporting not too long ago!

Started with a base of two coats of Anchor & Heart Lacquer Isn't It Ironic?, no top coat.  This was a must have for the flakie lover in me; they also will be releasing more bright flakies as part of The Fruity Collection and I will be snagging them for sure!  (Please excuse my dark or shadowy pictures; this was another mani that was done experimental lighting, hand poses, etc trying out new phone camera. )

Topped with KBShimmer Clearly on Top to finish.

Stamped with Lesly 35 using FunkyFingers Gesso.

Topped with KBShimmer Clearly on Top to finish.

Have a fabulous weekend and thanks for looking!

(I should have named this post too much irony lol!)

Witches!

The witches will be out in full force tonight so I thought it would be a good time to share this witch themed mani!

Started with a base of two coats of Pahlish Bespoke Mauna Loa.  This is the original release and while I missed it when it was first released, I was lucky enough to pick it up from a blog sale a few months ago.  If you are after this, I've seen it in blogs sales since then too so they are out there if you are wanting one. Pahlish Bespoke Mauna Loa is a pretty vibrant orange with gold shimmer and charcoal flakies; it dries somewhat matte as you can see.

Added a coat of KBShimmer Clearly on Top.

I had made a few stamper decals using images from Marianne Nails. n.115 for all shown except the hat, which is ZZ Halloween 1.  The standing witch was double stamped, first using the UC Luxe stamper to shrink, then on the stamper to paint.

I wish I had have shrunk a few more decals as the two middle ones didn't fit that well either on my small nails.  I liked the crows on the top so tried to preserve that portion of the decals but as you can see, they aren't that visible.

Marianne Nails. n.115

Top coated with KBShimmer Clearly on Top.

 If you have been around my blog for a while, you know I'm not much for vacant space and busy nails is my middle name so added a few bats from the same Marianne Nails n.115 for filler on the pinky and thumb; then top coated again with KBShimmer Clearly on Top to finish.  I didn't do a very good job filling in the voids that well on the stamper decals; on the ring finger, was was able to do a little clean up but they are still messy.  I'm not sure if a smaller brush, a steadier hand or better eye sight will help in the future....or all three perhaps!

The trick or treaters will be out in a few hours (including making an appearance on this blog later tonight); so if you are out and about, be mindful of them on the roads!  Have a safe and fun Halloween!

Thanks for looking!