The Lazy Days of Summer Are Over!

Today was back to high school for my youngest son and thousands of others; I thought instead of doing a more traditional back to school mani that I'd do a kids at play and the end of summer fun kind of mani instead.  But if the truth be known, if my son is any indication of today's youth, he spent a good portion of the summer either on the computer or playing video games versus outside at play like these kids! This is probably more typical of kids in my day when we were outside from morning to dusk! 

Started with a base of one coat of Chaos & Crocodiles Unicorn Symphony, no top coat.

Did a sponged gradient using Colors by Llarowe That Bloo is Mine and Chaos and Crocodiles City in the Clouds and Unicorn Symphony.

I loved how this gradient turned out!  If it wasn't so down to the wire that I did these last night and wanted to post for first day of school today, I would have done a nautical mani for sure!  Next time!

Topped with KBShimmer Clearly on Top before stamping.

Stamped using images from FUN 16 and Pet'la LE Silhouette.  It was an afterthought to do the tree images on the middle and ring but I think it is so cool how split between the fingers!  Stamping polish is Funky Fingers Dark Knight. 

FUN 16

Filled in some black voids with brush and polish as well as did kite string (and didn't line it up very well from thumb to index....that kite isn't going any place lol!).  But it looks like the kinds on the index are manning the kite and the kids on the thumb somewhat look like they are fishing.  I'll go with it!

Top coated with KBShimmer Clearly on Top to finish.

I like this pix simply because it looks like the kids are playing at night and the stars are twinkling in the night sky in the back ground.  But of course, children should be home this late at night! 

I thought the stamping would show up a little better without glare and gloss so used a coat of OPI matte to finish it off.

Sorry for the mess of my nails; I cringe looking at them but still like to do my nails anyway!

Thanks for looking!

A Love Story

I had ordered a few Serum No. 5 glow in the dark polishes in January and was finally able to use them a week or so ago.  I did this mani with the hopes for sharing at Valentine's Day; I've shared a few pix of the base and some of the stamping on IG but haven't done a blog post about it. Until now; that is! Not very Valentine's Day-ish anyway!

Started with a base of two coats of OPI My Boyfriend Scales Wall to make brights pop; no pix.  Wrapped nails with glue remover.  Waited to dry before sponging; once it was dry enough, sponged on a gradient of Serum no. 5 Solar Power, Orange You Sunny and Infared. I had a terrible time with the glue remover.  First of all, when I posed for this pix, the glue stuck together where my fingers were touching so started to come off in pieces...then I could not for the life of me get it to come off in one piece but rather bits and pieces.  Just had a terrible time getting if off overall.  I haven't used the glue enough to know if my coats were too thick, too thin or what but it took me longer to get off the glue bits then without any glue at all.  

This was after a lot of cleanup; and still not the best.  I found the polishes pretty thick and I did fairly generous amount of sponging, mainly because I wasn't happy with my gradient. Even here, it's not the best but because I knew I was stamping on it and would cover a great deal of it, left as is.

I had bought a black light thinking that the glow in the dark would show up best with it....and it does, but man, the skin colour is off the charts!

I wasn't sure if top coat would affect the glow in the dark, but top coated anyway as I knew I'd be stamping and it helps as a protective layer if I have to remove a mis-stamp.

Pleased to report that top coat didn't effect the glow at all!  

It was around this time that I thought this must not be how you use the black light for taking these pix; so I charged the polish using the black light then moved my hand away from the light into a dark void; this is the pix taken after charging.  Sooo cool to have colours glow in the dark versus the more typical blues and greens!

For stamping, used black Konad special polish using Universe Polish UP Love-01 and Pet'la LE Silhouette plate.  Touched up some stamping voids with a brush.  (I wonder if they know that "Univrse" is a typo on the plate?)

Top coated with KBShimmer Clearly on Top to finish.

Pet'la LE Silhouette

UP Love-01

Black light before top coating.

Charged with black light but taken in the dark.  Can't tell if top coated or not lol!

I have so many ideas on how to use these polishes for stamping!  While I only picked up the neon colours; I do want to eventually get the pastels too!

Serum No. 5 polishes are available directly from their online shop; I ordered most of them direct and they do ship internationally.  Other stock lists include Harlow & Co., llarowe and Hypnotic Polish.

Thanks for looking!