Neon Cheetah Print

Hey Y'all!  Happy Monday!  How are y'all doin' today?  Me?  I'm exhausted!  So sorry I was missing last week, but the teen had rehearsals all week then six shows over the weekend with her ballet company.  That meant many late nights, long days, and a lot of time sitting in the car for Mom.  But she, and all the dancers were wonderful.  So, I guess I'm actually a tired, but proud Mom.

But, it's a new week, and I have a new mani for you, a Neon Cheetah:

I Used:
Color Club:  Sweet Get Away, ultra bright neon pink crème
Barielle:  Sterling Silver, a smoky, silver metallic
LA Colors:  Black crème (the name is missing)
Dotting Tool
Fine Brush

I so loved this mani, and it's really easy to do!  I started by painting three fingers (thumb, ring and pinky) with Barielle Sterling Silver, a pretty, smoky looking silver metallic.  Then I painted the remaining nails with Color Club Sweet Get Away, an ultra bright pink neon crème.  This is from the scented neon line they did.  I think it was supposed to smell like roses, but I just got a slight floral scent from it.

Then, using a dotting tool, I made splotches that would be the base of the cheetah spot.  Then using a fine detail brush, I drew the black outline.  You don't need a brush for this, just use a fine toothpick or anything that is thin.

I hope you liked today's design!  And here's hoping it's the start to a fabulous week!

Happy Polishing!!

Red and Gold Sequin and Gradient Mani

Hey Y'all!!  Happy Hump Day!  How is your week going?  Mine is ok.  It's that time of year when I'm miserable...pollen.  Everywhere!  I can't stop sneezing.  And the worst part is that the pollen isn't even that bad yet :(  But at least I still have a post for you :)

So here is today's mani:

I Used:
OPI:  Over & Over A-Gwen, a red crème
OPI:  Love. Angel. Music. Baby., a satin gold metallic
Orly: Lavish Bash, a micro gold glitter with holographic bar glitter in a clear base
Red and Gold Sequins

To start this mani, I painted my thumb, pinky and ring finger with OPI Over & Over A-Gwen, a pretty, bright red crème.  Then I painted my index and middle fingers with OPI Love. Angel. Music. Baby., a satin finished gold metallic.  Once that was all dry, I used the brush that came with the polish to dab on Orly Lavish Bash to form the gradient.

To place the sequins, I used a dotting tool and Seche Vite top coat.  I just put a dot of the top coat on my nail where I wanted to place the sequin, then sunk the sequin down into the dot.  Try to get the sequin as flat to your nail as you can.  Otherwise, they will pop off pretty easily.  Then just top off everything with top coat!

I hope you enjoyed today's mani!  Happy Polishing!!

Pink & Bronze Fan Brush Design

Hey Y'all!!  Happy Monday!  I hope you had a good weekend.  We didn't do much which was a nice change.  We caught up on our "America's Got Talent" shows...love that show!  And just spent time loving on our fur babies and each other.  Plus I spent time trying to teach my 90+ pound fur baby that she can't do the same things as the 9 pound fur baby.  In other words, no Tillie, you can't run across the room and jump in Mommy's lap...you are going to squish Mommy!  But I do make that fun sound when she lands on me and all the air rushes out of my body...she likes that sound.

I do have a new design for you today...I think I've finally figured out how to do a Fan Brush design:

I Used:
Studio M- Hot Zone (neon pink with blue shimmer)
Orly- Hot Tropics (neon magenta with a gold shimmer)
Sinful Colors- Gold Medal (antique gold/bronze gold metallic)
Fan Brush

I started this manicure with two coats of Studio M Hot Zone, a gorgeous neon pink with a blue shimmer.  Next comes the fan brush.  This takes practice, at least for me, lol.  Put a little polish on a piece of paper (or foil, or paper plate) and dip your fan brush into the polish.  Then dab the excess polish off.  You want to remove the majority. Then, just run the fan brush vertically across the nail.  Start on one side, then start on the other side of the nail.

You may have to go over the nail several times to get the look you want.  I also went over the nails with the base color, using the fan brush, to make it stand out more.  Once you get the look you want, top off with top coat.

I hope you enjoyed today's mani!  Happy Polishing!!

Review: Formula X Photoelectric & Equinox

Purchased Myself

Hey Y'all!!  So sorry I didn't post last Thursday or Friday :(  But my baby had to have oral surgery Friday and I was on Momma duty.  Poor thing.  This was the second of at least three.  All because of a fall she had when she was 4.  She was running and her cat tripped her.  But she did fabulous though!  So proud of her!  But it was an exhausting day for me.  And now I'm so old that it takes me two days to recover from it!

But I'm here, and as a bonus, I'll have two posts for you!!  First up is a review of two of Formula X Photoelectric and Equinox by Sephora. 

Photoelectric is an aqua blue with purple to blue shifting shimmer.

Pictures show two coats with top coat.  This polish was amazing!! So far, I have to say the Formula X polishes by Sephora have had fabulous formulas and this was no exception.  It went on smooth, without any balding or streaking.  And there were no brushstrokes.  I used two coats for opacity.

This was gorgeous!  It looked like foil.  Sadly, the sun never seems to rise in Georgia anymore, so I didn't get any photos outside, but this was so pretty on.  I love it!

Equinox is a medium purple with a purple shimmer and red undertones.

Photos show two coats with top coat.  This worked the same as Photoelectric, glided right on without any balding, streaking or brushstrokes.  And it was absolutely gorgeous too!

This also looked like foil and was just so pretty!

I love, love, LOVE these two polishes!!  They were very easy to apply and they gave huge pay outs!  They were beautiful on and I got a lot of compliments on them.  These are available exclusively at Sephora and retail for $12.50 each.

Have a fabulous day!  Happy Polishing!!

New Year's Eve Waterfall

Hey Y'all!! I'm back!!  Sorry for being gone since last Wednesday, but Mr. Glittery had the rest of the week off so we spent some family time together.  Christmas was pretty great.  It was just us this year, so it was quiet and calm, lol.  I even got some things from my wish list!  Some will be making an appearance soon.  So how was your Christmas??  Did you get what you were hoping for?  Are you ready for 2013 to be over?  Are you going to any parties?  Have I asked you enough questions??

Probably, lol.  So let's get right to the nail design.  Today I have a New Year's Eve Waterfall for you:

I Used:
China Glaze- Liquid Leather (black crème)
Pure Ice- Silver Mercedes (silver foil)
Pure Ice- Jaguar (gold foil)
Liner Brush

Let me start by saying, I do my waterfall designs a little different than everyone else.  Everyone else makes very close lines that are all, basically, the same length and width and tend to not end in a point but are more blunt.  I love that look.  I like to do mine with vary lengths, widths and tapered points.  That's just me.  I have to be different o_O!  You can do yours however you like.  There your nails!  Have fun with it.

I started with three coats of China Glaze Liquid Leather.  Yep, three coats.  My one constant concern with China Glaze polish is that it tends to be thin, and this batch of Liquid Leather was really thin!  Then just take a thin brush and, alternating silver and gold, paint thin lines from your tip towards your cuticle, lifting the brush as you go.

That's it!  I love this look for New Year's Eve.  It's subtle glitz.  Of course you can glam this up or down as much as you like.  To make it even more subtle, try using darker colors like blue and purple.  Or glam it up with silver and gold shimmers or glitters.  Make it your own!

I have a few more New Year's Eve designs coming up or you, so be on the lookout!  Until then, Happy Polishing!!

Christmas Nails

Merry Christmas Y'all!!!  I hope you are having a fabulous day!!  I had so much I needed to do for today, but blood pressure issues kept me up almost night, so it looks like I need to schedule a nap too.  But I wanted to make sure that I got this mani up for you...especially after promising it on instagram yesterday.

So for today I have one of my favorite Holiday nails for you.  I think these are great for Christmas, New Year's or even just because:

I Used:
China Glaze- Just Be-Claws (red foil/shimmer)
Finger Paints- Sparkle Top Coat (gold micro glitter in milky/clear base)
Gold Striping Tape

This is an easy, elegant design.  I started with two coats of China Glaze Just Be-Claws, a gorgeous red foil/shimmer.  This is a gorgeous red that just screams the holidays.  Next came the gold striping tape.  This can be found at bornprettystore (discount code in the right margin, just click and it will take you to the site), Sally's Beauty Supply, a many other stores.    Just lay two strips down horizontally on your nails.  My biggest advice is to NOT wait until your polish dries completely.  If you do it when it's still tacky, the tape adheres much better.  But, once you lay the tape down, it has to stay there, you can't move it.  If you're not real comfortable with striping tape, go ahead and let your polish dry completely and just use two coats of top coat to help seal it.

Once that was done, I used Finger Paints Sparkle Top Coat and painted in between the tape.  Then I just topped it all of with one coat of Seche Vite top coat.

I hope y'all enjoyed today's design.  I also hope y'all have a Very Merry Christmas!!!  I'll have a post up for you in a couple of days, but I'll see you on facebook and instagram!!  And be sure to share your Christmas goodies with me there!!  Happy Polishing and Merry Christmas!!

Snow Leopard

Happy Friday Y'all!!  Anyone have big plans for the weekend?  Other than the now-a-teen's dance class on Saturday, our weekend is completely open.  That's rare. I don't know if we will go do something fun (I really want to get back to Saks during their Master the Look event) or if we will just have a quiet weekend at home.  Pretty sure I know which one the hubby wants o_O

I told you I went to the Nordstrom Beauty Trend Show (it was all over my twitter page) and I wore this cute gray/silver/black leopard print sweater and I wanted my nails to match:

I Used:
China Glaze- Hook and Line (dark silver/pewter shimmer)
Orly- Liquid Vinyl (black crème)
China Glaze- Gossip Over Gimlets (silver ultra shimmer/glass fleck)
Dotting Tools

Click here for my step-by-step tutorial on leopard print :)

So for my thumb, pinky and index finger, the base color is China Glaze Hook and Line, a sort of brushed silver.  For my middle finger, I used China Glaze Gossip Over Gimlets and for my ring finger I used Orly Liquid Vinyl.  Then alternated the three polishes for the spots.

I so love these!!!!

And to the utter amazement and awe of one of the young ladies at one of the make up counters, my nails matched my sweater perfectly...she asked, "What are the chances of that happening?"  Bless her heart!!

I hope y'all have a safe, fun and love filled weekend!!  Happy Polishing!!!

Orly Fantasea & Sinful Colors Scene Stealer (Review)

Happy Monday y'all!!!  How was your weekend?  Ours was great!!  The little one had ballet rehearsal Saturday, then Sunday we just rested.  We all have a big week coming up, so it was nice to take it easy.  But before we made it home, I had to hit Sally's one more time for their buy 2 get 1 free polish sale!  As a result, I have two new polishes for you.  One is new to me, Orly Fantasea and the other is brand new, Sinful Colors Scene Stealer.

First up is Fantasea by Orly.  It's part of their permanent collection and some how I missed it.  But it's such a gorgeous polish!!  It's hard for me to describe the color...kind of a purplish mauve with gold and pink shimmer.  It is pretty sheer, but was opaque in three thin coats with no visible nail line.  The polish was thin, so be careful of flooding your cuticles.  It also has an almost metallic finish but without any brushstrokes.  I love this, such a pretty color and it would be great for the office:

Isn't it pretty??  It almost has a pink/purple duochrome look about it.  Pictures show Fantasea (on index, middle & pinkie fingers) in three coats with top coat.  If you don't have this, what are you waiting for?.

Scene Stealer is from Sinful Colors new Diamond Lust Collection.  I found them at Walgreens for $2.99 each.  Scene Stealer is a packed glitter polish with bright pink/fuchsia and light pink small glitters and medium sized, light pink, diamond shaped holo glitter.  It is such an unusual polish.  It actually looks almost like a rose colored glitter.  The formula was great, not thick at all.  And the glitters were easy to get out although I did do a little dabbing.  The pictures show one coat of  Scene Stealer (with top coat) over two coats of Orly Fantasea.  Out of the entire collection, this one was by far my favorite.  The others were all pretty typical...one color small glitter with matching diamond shaped holo glitter.  They had a light pink, silver, green, gold, light blue and violet and are all $2.99 each.

I hope y'all enjoyed this.  Let me know if you pick up any of them!  Happy Polishing!!!

Day 8: Metallic, Relaxed 31 Day Challenge

Hi Everyone!!!  How are y'all doing today?  Thank goodness it's almost Friday, and I can't wait!  My almost teenager is getting her pointe shoes on Saturday and I think she is going to drive me insane.  I do get it, it's extremely exciting, and she's trained for this since she was 5, but I can't make the week go any faster.  Trust me, if I could I would, lol!

Today's challenge is Metallic.  This one was hard for me.  I have a lot of silver, gold, etc that I love, so which one?  Finally I went with a polish I have a love/hate relationship with, Sally Hansen, Chrome Series, White Gold Chrome:

 

I've owned this polish for years and years.  I can't remember when I bought it, but I know it was in Florida, before I moved to Georgia, and my daughter wasn't even a thought...so at least 15 years.

 

Ok, here's what I love:  1.  The color.  It's a perfect silver color.  2.  How bright it is.  These pictures were taken outside on a dark and overcast day and they are just glowing.  I know people had to be able to see them from a mile away.  3.  Part super formula.  This bottle is at least 15 years old and has never been thinned.  It's just as "flow-y" as the day I bought it.

 

And what I hate:  1.  The formula.  If you look on my middle finger, you can see bubbles.  I've never used this polish and have it be bubble free.  And nothing seems to prevent it.  2.  It is so streaky.  It shows every brush stroke.  3.  The finish.  Even with my super duper high gloss top coat, the finish seems matted.

 

Even though these have been discontinued, you can still find them on Amazon and ebay.

 

So do I love or hate it?  Yep!  Be sure to check out all the other fabulous designs and check back tomorrow for rainbows!  Happy Polishing!!!

 

 

 

 



 

Review: Color Club- Snow Flakes

Hi Everyone!!  First I want to remind everyone that this is for people with natural AND acrylic nails.  Check out my post For Everyone With Artificial Nails about changing your polish and To Acetone or Not To Acetone about what kind of polish remover to use whether you have natural or acrylic nails. 

Ok, now on to my post.  I was so excited when I walked into my local Sally's and saw Color Club polishes.  As I've told y'all, I live way, way out in the country and haven't been able to find Color Club anywhere.  My fingers are crossed that this isn't just a one time thing, and that they are going to start carrying it.  Anyway, you know I had to buy some.

(All pictures show two coats of Snow Flake over two coats of Orly Shockwave and one coat of top coat.)

This is Snow Flakes, a really surprising polish.  Because of that this is a picture heavy post.

In the bottle it looks like a duochrome flakie in a white base that shifts from orange to green.  But on the nail it is so much more.

On the nail Snow Flakes is incredible.  First, the flakies are in a clear base.  The polish is just so full of flakes it makes the base look white.  Next, the flakies have a linear shift from a copper/red, to orange, to yellow then to green.  Lastly, the flakes look metallic on the nail.  It looks like you're wearing foil instead of nail polish.

And if that wasn't enough to make you love Snow Flakes, the polish and the flakies settle to a smooth finish.
Yep, you read that right, no flakies sticking up.

I am blown away by this polish.  It was beautiful in the bottle, that's why I bought it.  But on the nail, it's magical.  This polish would make a great finish no matter what time of the year it is or what color you put it over.  What can I say y'all?  I'm in love!  Happy Polishing!!

70's Swirls and Dots

Hi Everyone!!  I've been so excited to try my new Konad stamping kit courtesy of my friend Babs at Ezmerelda Enterprises, and I finally had the chance today.  So, this is my first attempt at stamping...not the best, but I still like how it turned out.  It reminds me so much of the 70's!

I Used:
Orly- Oh Cabana Boy
Spoiled- Designated Driver
Konad Plate m79
Konad Polish- Metallic Blue
Dotting Tools

I started with two coats of Orly's Oh Cabana Boy in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness.  I love this polish!  It's a bright pink with a royal blue shift, or shimmer.

Then using the Konad stamper, plate m79 and the Konad blue polish, I started stamping...for the first time.  I have to say using the Konad system was a breeze.  And the clean up was so easy.  I was amazed how easy I found it to use.  My only problem came in the fact that my nails were longer than the stamp...and I couldn't line it up for a second stamp.  But that's ok, that will come with practice.  I was still happy with how it turned out.  I love the loops.  Although next time I use this design, I will probably use the stamp for a french nail effect and put the dots underneath that.

Since the design reminded me so much of the 70's, I added yellow polka dots (very popular in the 70's) of two different sizes.  I really like the final look.  What do y'all think?

And don't forget to to check out my friend's website.  She is looking to reduce her inventory and y'all are getting the benefit.  You can contact her at Ezmereldaenterprises@yahoo.com or babs.parker@gmail.com.  Be sure to tell her I sent you!  Happy Polishing!!

Despite receiving the complimentary Konad system, the opinions expressed are my own and were not influenced by Ezmerelda Enterprises.

Blurple and Glitter

Hi Everyone!!  I'm back to blogging after diverting a flood at home.  We live way out in the country and have a pump and well for our water and the pump WENT INSANE!!!!  All of a sudden, while taking a shower, the water pressure went way, way up.  Almost knocked me out of the shower!  And why do these things always happen when the hubby is away??

Anyway....what is the one way I can think of to improve the wonderful China Glaze Bizarre Blurple?  Glitter of course!!  Or flakies in this instance. 

I Used:
China Glaze- Bizarre Blurple
Finger Paints- Asylum
Top Coat

Even though I love Bizarre Blurple, I can't keep my nails the same way two days in a row, so I added two coats of Finger Paints' Asylum.  Asylum is a flakie with red/blue and gold/green duochrome flakies.  These two polishes look like they were made for each other!  I really like how they turned out!  I hope you do too.  Happy Polishing!!

P.S.  For my acrylic nail readers, removing the flakies is a breeze with regular polish remover.  Read my tip here on nail polish removers for acrylic nails.  For my natural readers, it's a breeze for you too!



Outside



Review: China Glaze- Bizarre Blurple

Hi Everybody!!  I am so excited!  All of the Halloween polishes have been released.  I have to admit, one of the reasons this is my favorite time of year is because of all of the Halloween and Holiday collections.  I guess it's because I love dark polish and glitter and there is always plenty of both in these collections!

The China Glaze Wicked collection was one of the ones I was looking the most forward to, especially Bizarre Blurple.  Bizarre Blurple is a dark, rich looking shimmer that is truly Blurple.  Every time I think it is predominately blue or purple, I see the other color too.  It also has a beautiful finish that makes this polish resemble a metallic more than a shimmer.

The formula was great, neither too thick nor too thin.  It went on smooth and even.  I didn't have any dragging.  And it was completely opaque in just two coats.  If you used a thick coat, you could get away with only one.

I am in love again and it's with Bizarre Blurple!  And I think it's a great color for the entire year.  Happy Polishing!!

P.S.  More pictures of Bizarre Blurple are in the next post.

Sorry this next picture is blurry, but I used it to show the shift of blue to purple.

Review: Lava, Sally Hansen Lustre Shine Collection

Lava was the polish from this collection I was looking most forward to, and I'm not disappointed.  It's just as pretty on the nails as it is in the bottle.

It's a gold and orange duochrome with an orange shimmer.  As it plays in the light, you can also see hints of pink and red.  The formula is much better than Plume (see the review of Plume here) .  Although it's still thicker than I like, it doesn't need to be thinned.  It goes on smoothly with no visible brush strokes.  It was pretty in two coats, but requires three to be opaque.

This is a pretty polish and a perfect color for fall.  Happy Polishing!

Review: Plume, Sally Hansen Lustre Shine

For the last two months, I've been watching and waiting, very impatiently, for two collections:  Sally Hansen's Lustre Shine and Orly's Fired Up.  Yesterday I found Sally Hansen's collection.  Rite Aid has them for $7.99, and they were buy one get one half off. Yea! So with my budget, I bought two, Plume (on left) and Lava (on right). 

Plume is a green and gold duochrome, but there are so many other flashes of color.  Along with the green and gold, there's blue, bronze, copper and about 3 shades of green.  Sadly the pictures don't do this polish justice.

As for the overall effect, I really like it.  It's extremely reflective and catches the light in any situation.  But there were a few things that disappointed me.  My biggest complaint is the consistency.  The polish is really thick.  I really should have thinned it out (see how here).  It actually seemed to get thicker as I went.  It also takes a bit longer to dry, even with a fast drying top coat.  But the good news is after the top coat was applied, the brush strokes disappeared.

For me, Plume is a winner!  Look for my next review: Lava!  Happy Polishing!