Sunday Stamping - Hearts and Bars

Hello, Fireflies!

Today's Adventures In Stamping challenge is to celebrate Valentines' Day.  I like flowers and chocolates as much (or more) than most, but I like them better the day after Valentines' Day, when they're cheaper.  I do like breaking out all the hearts and flowers nail art, though!

Glitterati with the Beauty Bloggers of Central Florida

Hello, Fireflies!

This month's BBCFL roundup is all about makin' it rain! Yes, glitter!  I've rounded up a bunch of different looks I've created with different kinds of glitter used in different ways.  Hopefully, you'll find a look that inspires you to wear glitter your own way.

The Clean I Didn't Expect With Michael Todd True Organics Soniclear!

Product provided for review.  All opinions are my own.

Hello, Fireflies!

Before I get started, you should know that I am an idiot.  In the picture above, the Soniclear is facing the wrong way in the charger.  Just thought I should get that out of the way.  If you buy this machine, TURN IT AROUND in the charger.

Luckily, it arrived fully charged, and a charge can last 30-40 uses, so I wasn't kept from using it.  And, use it I did.  It's like nothing else I've tried!

Blue Dotted Tips

Hello, Fireflies!

Today's look is about taking a bunch of sheer polishes, and making it work. I started with one of my favorite brands of polishes, Impala.  I admit it, I'm totally in love with the bottle.  It's soo cool.

What?  We beauty bloggers are drawn to aesthetics, right?  But, I'm not solely judging this polish by the bottle.  No, Impala Trem De Vida Alegria is a lovely blue/purple duochrome.

Lovely, but a little sheer.  It would probably look great layered over a darker color, but I wasn't going there.  In fact, I took it in the completely opposite direction, by layering another extremely sheer polish, Orly Etoile, over it.  Etoile adds the slightest purple tint, and a subtle sparkle.

I don't have a lot of free edge, but I wasn't happy with all the VNL, even after multiple layers, so I employed some camouflage - dots! China Glaze Scandalous Shenanigans is not only adorably named, but is also a pretty metallic cobalt blue.  

There.  No more obvious VNL.

Bottle shot:  Impala Trem De Vida Alegria, Orly Etoile, and China Glaze Scandalous Shenanigans.

Maybe I should have just started over.. but I like how it turned out in the end!  Have you ever just committed to a makeup or nail design, even though it wasn't going your way, and just made it work?

Quick! Like a bunny..hare!

Hare is one of those Indies that made a splash B.Me.  (Before Me)  I had no idea about them, but when she came back, everyone was looking forward to her return.  I can see why,  I've really liked her creations that I've tried.

Cast In Bronze.  Reddish-purple jelly with bronze glitters.  There is a little bit of curling on the squares in this polish, but it hasn't affected the polish performance yet.  Certainly no taco glitters.

I added a swirl at the tip with Amy's Nail Boutique New Penny, a copper holo that matched the bronze glitters perfectly!  For a little contrast, I took my trusty black striper and added a swish and a couple of dots.

Impala Inocense.  I love Impala polishes.. from the bottle to the formula and colors.  This one is very sheer, though, so it worked great as undies for King of Carat Flowers.

King of Carat Flowers.  Love!  Delicate, pretty, great formula, no fishing for glitter.  I love a great understated glitter that is also interesting.  Gold, purple, lavender, and different shapes.

Electric Flame.  This one probably could have used undies, too, but I kinda didn't care.  Squishy orange!  With pink flakies!  I did not want to take this one off.  I really liked it.

I couldn't resist a little 3-D glitter - shaped like a hare. 

Supernova Springs.  Blackened jelly with dark green glitter.  It just looks like you could go swimming in it..

Bury the Hatchetfish.  This may well be my fave Hare polish.  This is a surprising polish!  I thought it was just going to be another taupe, but the flakies really take it to another level.

Both of the flakie polishes get even better with some topcoat. 

I've known I like flakies, but BTH and EF make me love them even more.  Are you a fan of the flakie?

If you'd like more information about Hare, you can find her on Facebook and on her Etsy store or webpage.

Think Pink!

As we get closer to Valentines' Day, I guess I'm starting to think pink!  I have a mix of older and newer looks to show you, all inspired by pink.

Orly Sterling Silver Rose.  I love Orly.. but this one?  not so much.  I guess this pink just wasn't my fave shade, and I was really hoping that the silver shimmer in the bottle would transfer to the nails.  Nope. 

I did a sloppy gradient with OPI Suzi is a Chocoholic.  This is the only time I got to wear this color, as it slipped from my hands and broke open.. and splattered all over my carpet.  At least I still get to enjoy it most every day... on my floor.

This nameless glitter from Cosmetic Arts saved the look for me.  I like that it has a reddish jelly base, so you can't really see much of the pink anymore, but it's not so dark that it hides the fact that the tips are darker.  The glitter is chunky mylar shards, but it works for this look.  And, they all laid flat and played nice together.

Pure Ice Draped.  Many moons ago, I did a post about the Pure Ice velour (matte suede) finish polishes.  Somehow, Draped never made it into that post.  I'm a bad blogger, I know.  As a means of redemption, I include it here.  Am I forgiven?

Impala Sex Appeal.  I'm a fan of this Brazilian brand!  They've finally opened their own site that ships in the US, and Llarowe is also going to start carrying them, I believe.  Their bottles are so cute, and so far, I love the formulas.  Sex Appeal is a sexy orange/pink duochrome.  One of my fave duo combinations!

I topped it with Glitzology Guardian Angel.  This is a very pretty pink and iridescent flakie glitter with some pink hearts.  Be forewarned, though, that just about every polish I've tried from Glitzology needs to be thinned quite a bit.  This was so gloopy right out of the bottle!

Revlon Girly.  Another smash-hit glitter from Revlon this year, it's on everyone's wish list.  As well it should be, as it is awesome.  Pink jelly-ish, almost crelly (creme-jelly) base, with pink, blue, and purple glitters.  Great formula and application - really impressive for a drugstore brand, for sure.

Couldn't resist a little matte topcoat.  Love it.  A matte topcoat is so much fun to play with.  I'm currently using one from Hot Topic called Warpaint that I got for a dollar.  Essie's Matte About You is my other go-to matte topcoat, and I hear that Butter London's matte topcoat is pretty amazing.  I've even seen a 'recipe' online for making your own DIY matte topcoat with cornstarch. 

Are you feeling pink?

4 blue undies with 4 Indie Glitterbombs

I love blue polish, it's probably my fave color to wear.  I have some polish combinations today that start with a mainstream color, and then layered with an Indie glitterbomb on top.

Oh, dark blue, how you stain, but how I love you anyway.  Orly Star of Bombay didn't stay on me long enough to really stain much, though, because I was swatching.  If I could have, I would have left it on, though.  It's gorgeous, and has that great Orly formula.

I layered with with Above the Curve Peacock 4Play.  Every time I think I have enough blue/green/mermaid glitters, something comes along with just a little something different to tempt me.  Purple.  sigh.

My only complaint about this polish was that it was quite thick, and gritty without topcoat. I added a layer of NYC Grand Central Station which smoothed it out beautifully, but the polish was too thick, and with the glue base it peeled off quickly.

Impala Polaina Fun is a great summery Caribbean blue.  Loved it.  The distortion on my thumb is due to the glue base, not the polish.  Can I just say how much I love these bottles, too?  

I love the Big Bang Theory, but I may love this BBT-themed polish from Different Dimensions even more.  What a great combo of glitters in Rock, Paper, Scissors, Lizard, Spock!

L'oreal Jet Set to Paris is a French Blue, as you might expect!  I thought it would make great undies for this next Indie, but it totally got lost in the blue jelly, so you'll just have to admire it on its own.

Makeup Your Face I Need Blue Tonight is a jelly sandwich in a bottle.  Deep, squishy royal blue with white and silver glitter. A fave shade of blue, and a great way to wear it.

I liked Essence Date In the Moonlight so much, I accidentally bought it twice.  These dark colors with the shimmer that glows from within get me every time.

Pahlish Prayers for Rain is another mermaid glitter I had to have.  I really like the blue/green combo in this glitterbomb.

Do you like your blues layered?  Are you like me, attracted to mermaid-type colors like a moth to a flame?

Brighter Butters

More Butter London!  I told you I couldn't stop, I'm addicted... and there's still more to come!

Today, I want to start with Sprog, a periwinkle. 

I've heard this compared to China Glaze Secret Peri-wink-le, but I don't think they're dupes. As much as I love China Glaze, this BL formula is sooo great, I don't think I'd give it up.  So, I'm keeping both!

This color made me feel like Spring and flowers - but it could also be that it's still very warm here in Central Florida, and Fall hasn't made it here yet.  So, your mileage may vary. 

I stamped the flowers on with Impala Azul Pavao, and even though it has a jellied formula, I love the way it stamped!  I then dotted in some details with BL Squatter, an electric lime green.  Bam!

Want more impact?  Wear Squatter on its own!

So bright, my camera was having fits.  It's not a neon, however - it's not matte, and it didn't need white undies to glow like this.

It's a very fun color, but I think I prefer it as an accent.  So, I paired it with BL Thames and a houndstooth pattern. 

I love stamping with iridescent polishes.  It's that unexpected flash of shimmer!  I wish it were more opaque, though.  I tried double-stamping on my pinky, but I just blurred the pattern.

We'll see more of Thames tomorrow!

More Butter(y) London

Well, this is turning out to be a very Buttery week!  I think I'll continue the trend, because once I started putting these lovelies on, I couldn't stop until I was done with all of them.  I'm a fan!

Next up, Lady Muck!

A light blue.. but not really a pastel in that it has a bit of grey in there.  Very on point with the whole grey trend that I am loving this year.  Can't get enough!

I thought this Borghese Mezzanotte Blue would pair well, and be dark enough for stamping a delicate pattern.  I'm pretty much a novice at stamping, but I try (at least every Sunday) to keep getting better. 

I like stamps like this one because it would be really difficult for me to free-hand such a delicate swirl.

Moving from a greyed blue to a greyed lilac.  This is one of my faves, Muggins.  It is supposed to be a dupe for the HTF OPI Rumples' Wiggin, but I haven't seen that OPI in person, so I don't know.  The OPI originally was less expensive than this BL, but it's become a very sought-after and more expensive bottle of polish, so if you want the color, not the name, you might like Muggins.

I paired this one with a Brazilian polish called Impala, in Deitar Na Rede, a shimmery, sheer grey with hints of purple.  A few wispy passes with a striping brush gave me a fanned detail over Muggins.

 

These lighter colors can still be worn in seasons other than Spring!  Try pairing them with a dark detail or some glitter.