GOT pink stripes

Hello, Fireflies!

Today's GOT challenge is all about stripes.  And pink.  And flakies.  And holo.  I started with a gorgeous rosy pink holo, Girly Bits Crantini.  Impeccable formula, as always.

I freehanded a diagonal French tip with Sheswai Totally, a rose cream. I remember when Sheswai burst on the scene with a polish that dropped the F-bomb.  I never was able to get a bottle of that...

Flakies and holo in ONE mani?  This may rip a hole in the time-space continuum.  Hope everyone has their towels.

Darling Diva Polish Rose Opal is a similar color pink as the other two, and just adds a subtle flash of flakie.

Black stripes provide contrast, and make it so that I complete the objective of the challenge.  Win-Win!

Holo, creme, and flakie pinks.  It's getting dainty up in here!

Bottle shot:  Girly Bits Crantini, Sheswai Totally, Darling Diva Polish Rose Opal, and a black nail art striper.

Do you like looks that are all in similar colors, but change up the texture like this one, or do you like more contrast with your stripes?

An InLinkz Link-up

The Nail Files - Pinky Cherry Blossoms

http://www.jennieshaw.ca/

Hello, Fireflies!

What, a new nail linkup? I saw this cute pix on my friend Amber's blog, Daydreaming Beauty, and I threatened convinced  asked her to let me join.  I was all like, nails? Where?

Have you ever been to Washington, D.C. during the time the cherry blossoms are blooming?  It's utterly spectacular, and it smells amazing.  Inspired by that and many incarnations of cherry blossom nail art (including this one by the fabulous Kimiko7878 on Instagram) I came up with this.

I started with Cult Nails Angel Whispers, a textured pale, pale pink, and Darling Diva Polish Rose Opal, a pink jelly with flakies.

 I used a black striper for the branches and leaves.

I decided to do more abstract blossoms, with dots of polish.  I used Sheswai Lacquers in Babe and What, and also did some highlighting with Angel Whispers.

It almost looks like snow, instead of flowers!

One of the benefits of doing dots instead of something more precise - you can do both hands, and they look like you totally meant to do dots!

Bottle shot:   Cult Nails Angel Whispers, Darling Diva Polish Rose Opal. Sheswai Lacquers in Babe and What, and my black nail art striper.

I don't always do nail art on both hands, but if I do, I want everyone to see it! Look, Ma! Both hands!

Check out The Nail Files to see who all is linked up this week!

Spring Stamped Sheswai

Hello, Fireflies!

Spring must be on its way - one day I'll have the house open for a cool breeze, the next day, I have the A/C on, and then the day after that, I need a blanket! I'm sure the flowers have no idea what's going on.  Mother Nature is a bit bipolar these days.

Yet, I'm feeling the need today for a light, spring nail art.  I started with this very sheer nude from Sheswai Lacquer called So Pretty. 

Then, I used my Dashica Plate Big SdP-B and Sheswai Lacquer Babe, a bold bright pink, to stamp the flowers and some of the lines on an angle across the top of the nail. 

When you have nubs, sometimes you have to get creative with the stamps to have them show anything! Some nails only have parts of flowers, and no lines.

I thought these cute flower rhinestones would go nicely, and I also placed some iridescent glitter in the stamped flowers, just for a little flash when they'd catch the light.

Does this say SPRING or what?  Hopefully, the weather is listening!

Bottle shot:  Sheswai Lacquer So Pretty and Babe

What are you most looking forward to with the Spring?

Nail Challenge Collaborative - Purple Funky Untrieds

Hello, Fireflies!

This month's NCC challenge is 'Untrieds'.  Well, that's the majority of what I do these days, so I'm happy with this theme!  I have a small, itty-bitty, teeny-tiny addiction to polish, and I always have a few hanging around that need some love.

Today's nail art was inspired from The Nail Boss Instagram. It's a simple look that I just fell in love with.  I started with Sinful Colors Who's The Gloss, a grey creme with a heavy purple shimmer, from the Sinful Shine line.  This polish immediately went into my top 10-ish list.  Love.

I free-handed a half-moon on top with Sheswai Totally, a red-violet creme.  I know it's completely superficial, but I really like the wood-grain caps.  Very au-naturel for a polish.

The Nail Boss did this art on an almond-shaped nail, and it looked even better... but I gotta work with what I got.  I applied Finger Paints Winter Chill, a black glitter texture on the tips.

I actually didn't realize it *was* a texture when I was doing this. It's hard to tell a texture from the bottle.  Well, I can't tell just by looking at the bottle.

I tried to keep the bow shape in the center by rounding the application of the glitter.  Isn't it cool with topcoat? I love the glitter tip.

Bottle shot:  Sinful Colors Who's The Gloss, Sheswai Totally, and Finger Paints Winter Chill

I love that it's so simple, but it's a little twist on the traditional half-moon, or even a traditional French tip! Do you have a favorite little twist you've done to change a more traditional nail art?

An InLinkz Link-up

Pink Holo Yin-Yang

Hello, Fireflies!

Do you sometimes identify with Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde? A little sweet and a little sour?  Innocent with a naughty side?  Such is the yin and the yang of life - and when I saw this nail art by this unknown artist on Pinterest, I knew I had to do a version that reflected my own polish struggles.

On the one side - pink.  Innocent, sweet, subtle holo - Girly Bits Hot Shot.

On the other side - dark, jelly, vampy Sheswai WineSnob.

You could get lost, swimming in the jelly depths of Winesnob, or float on fluffy pink clouds of Hot Shot.  Both beautiful in their own way.

Are you fluffy? or vampy?

Sunday Stamping - Valentines Stamping Skittle

Hello, Fireflies!

Sorry I'm a little late today!  I have a good excuse - it's my birthday!

Which probably means that tomorrow's post will be late, too...

Today's stamping challenge was either Valentines' Day, or Anti-Valentines' Day.  I personally don't celebrate the day because I think it's a Hallmark holiday.  But, the hubby and I do enjoy the day after, which is the day all the candy goes on sale!

Today's look starts with Sheswai Yowza.  And, YOWZA it is! so pretty and vibrant - and on sale at Ricky's NYC for about 3 bucks!

I have been trying and trying to get the Luminous Color Club flakie collection from Llarowe, and I finally scored it!  This is Color Club Pink Planet, a lovely flakie combo of copper, green, and purple in a slightly pink-tinted base.  Reminds me of the Nfu-Oh flakies!

I decided to do a different stamp on each finger.  DRK - A had a bunch of different heart stamps, and I couldn't decide!  I used Essie No Place Like Chrome for the stamping.

I had a little trouble with some of the stamps.  My fave is the skull with hearts for eyes... there were more hearts on the stamp, but my nails are too tiny to really show the detail!  Those of you with larger nail beds are so lucky!  I have kiddie-sized hands.

I love how the flakies peek through.  I love flakies.  Have I said that already?

Bottle shot:  Color Club Pink Planet, Sheswai Yowza, and Essie No Place Like Chrome.

I'm celebrating today with my free Grand Slam breakfast at Denny's! How exciting, eh? 

EcoPolo challenge - Sheswai Sunburn!

Hello, Fireflies!  Today's challenge is about the sunburn, and these polishes are sooo hot, they'll burn ya!

This polish was love at first sight for me, which is kinda unusual for a red that's not holo.  It's Sheswai Honey Fox, and it just looks like it came from a fox, doesn't it?

It's got a slight hint of orange, like it was swirled with honey.  Perfect name.

I was inspired by this pin of a mani by ChristaBell Nails for both my manis today.  For this one, I took another hot polish, Glitter Gal Hot Chilli, and applied it in a swerve on the lower half of the nail.

A gold striper to outline and define finished the look.  Hot to the touch!

The bottle shot:  Sheswai Honey Fox, Glitter Gal Hot Chilli, and a gold nail art striper.

We're not done yet!  This polish reminded me of that smoldering burn when the sun goes down.  This deep burgundy has a gold shimmer that burns from within.  This is Sheswai Badass.  Yeah, that's right, Badass.

This time, I made the swerve pattern with Glitter Gal Transfusion, a deeper wine-colored holo. 

I added a simpler design with the gold striper.  That stripe just changes the whole look of the mani.

bottle shot:  Sheswai Badass, Glitter Gal Transfusion, and a gold nail art striper.

So, were you burnt by these hot, hot polishes?  Time for some aloe and a cool drink!