So Mod Stamping

Hello, Fireflies!

Today's Sunday Stamping challenge is to stamp over a white base.  I found that I couldn't resist doing a Mod Black & White design!

Black and White Fierce Foiled 60's Stars!

Hello, Fireflies!

Today's Stamping Sunday challenge is Black and White - one of my faves.  I used one of Milani's new Fierce Foils as my background, and an out-of-this-world black stamp to show it off.

Bright Eyes With Poppy Austin Eye Cream ‪#‎PoppyAustin‬ ‪#‎PoppyAustinEyeCream‬

Product provided for review.  All opinions are my own.

 Hello, Fireflies!

"Ingredients matter."  That's how Poppy Austin's code begins, and how I think this blog post should, too.  When I'm putting something on my skin, and especially near my eyes, ingredients matter.

Zebra - Ze Garment That Covers Ze Bosoms

Hello, Fireflies!

Today's a two-fer in two ways!  Firstly, I have two posts today - this one, and the announcement about The Makeup Show - Orlando Peepshow/Creepshow competition.  Secondly, the prompt for today's stamping challenge overlaps with one of the 52 Pick 'n Mix Challenge's - wild animals!

I got these totes adorbz zebra charms from The Sparkly Shop, so I had to do zebra nails!

The plates I used were Mash 41 for the stripes on my index and ring fingers -

- and Cici & Sisi 11 for this cool zebra.  Who doesn't really need a nose, apparently.  I sometimes wish I had larger nail beds!  Poor zebra.  I also stamped him on my pinky, but really only got the neck.

I used my Sally Hansen/Revlon white mix and stamped with Milani Black Swift.  I just love a black and white mani!

Didn't I say that zebra charm is adorbz? Totes!

Bottle shot:  Milani Black Swift, and Sally Hansen White Tip (mixed with Revlon Spirit).

What's your favorite wild animal print?

A Horror Hockey Mask

Hello, Fireflies!

When I was younger, I *loved* Halloween creep-fest scary movies.  Some characters have endured as Halloween holiday icons - Freddy Krueger, Chucky...

and Jason!  This nail art was inspired by a Nail-101 tutorial, and I think it's easy and impactful - and everyone will know what it is!

Bottle shot:  Sally Hansen White Tip (mixed with Revlon Spirit) and Wet 'n Wild Black Creme.

Can't you just hear the roar of the chainsaw by just looking at these nails? What horror movie icon immediately comes to mind when you think of Halloween movies?

Happy Halloween!

An InLinkz Link-up

The Nightmare Before Christmas - Jack and Sally

Hello, Fireflies!

For my last NCC Stripes challenge of the month, I wanted to incorporate stripes and one of the most popular Halloween traditions - watching The Nightmare Before Christmas.

This mani was inspired by one I saw on Pinterest, but I cheated and used a 3-D charm for Jack's face.

I painted all but my middle finger with Revlon Spirit, and then used a black striper to freehand the black stripes.  The middle finger was painted with Milani Black Swift, and then the charm was applied.

Bottle shot:  Revlon Spirit, Milani Black Swift, and a black striper.

What's Jack without his girl?

 This was inspired by a mani done by The Nailasaurus, but it reminded me of Sally.

I started off with a white base to make sure that the colors were bright.  Then, I used striping tape to mark off the different sections.  Even thought it would be nice to paint one color at a time, it dries too quickly for that - and dry polish gets pulled off with the striping tape.  So, do one nail at a time.  I painted over the white lines with black polish and made the stitches, too.

Bottle shot:  Revlon Spirit, Nails Inc Bond St., Wet 'n Wild Pleasure Pier, Urban Decay Bang, Finger Paints Go Van Gogh!, and a black striper.

Wouldn't it be neat to have one hand done like Jack, and the other like Sally?

Mod 70s Baby

Hello, Fireflies!

Yep, today's challenge is yet another reminder of how old I am, a thought incongruous to the inner 12-yr old boy who lives in my brain and laughs at poop jokes.

For a mani from the decade I was born in, I decided to look to the 70's mod look.  I used Cici & Sisi 08 and did a black and white pattern with Cult Nails Nevermore and Sally Hansen White Tip (now mixed with Revlon Spirit because I was running out of the SH but loved the brush better than the Revlon.) 

Sometimes, Nevermore stamps like a dream, and sometimes it thins out and bubbles like this time.  I filled in a few of the patches with a black striper.  I wonder if it's due to age or evaporation because it never used to do that.

I paired it with a black and white striped dress and my funky-chunky black onyx necklace.  Black and White, head to toe... except for my red lipstick.

 Bottle shot: Sally Hansen White Tip and Cult Nails Nevermore.

What age is the person that lives in your head?

Embracing My Geekness - Looney Tunes!

Hello, Fireflies!

I had so much fun taking it back old-school with my video game mani, that I decided to do it again for my Cartoon one. I started with Revlon Spirit, a lovely fast-drying creamy, shiny white.

I broke my thumb nail.  $#@$%  I was peeling off the Flash stamping decal instead of just removing it with acetone, and I peeled off part of the nail with it.  FAIL.

Back in them olden days, I actually had to watch an old black and white TV.  Yes, not only did I go to college without Google, I didn't always have a color TV.  So, I decided to rock my old-school cartoons in black and white.

Also, I'm a little under the weather today, and the thought of doing decals for all of these was too, too much. I used Wet 'n Wild Black Creme and my FUN 11 plate to stamp these great characters!

I can hear Mel Blanc in my head as I write this!   Here's a little taste of these characters:

Marvin the Martian and Bugs Bunny:

Woody Woodpecker's famous laugh:

Tom & Jerry chase scene:

Porky Pig's standard role:

So many more characters, but only 5 fingers!

 
Bottle shot:  Revlon Spirit and Wet 'n Wild Black Creme.

Hope you enjoyed this challenge as much as I did! What were some of your fave cartoons?

An InLinkz Link-up

Chucks! #NailArtForNubs

Hello, Fireflies!

I'm so excited about today's nail art.  It's a slice of my childhood mixed with a new collaboration with Born Pretty Store!

I started off with Wet 'n Wild Black Creme, and a wide French tip in OPI My Boyfriend Scales Walls.

Born Pretty Store sent me these decals, and immediately I was excited to see the Chuck Taylor sneaker pattern and logo!  I'd been meaning to do a Chucks nail art, anyway, and this made it sooo much easier.

When I was in high school, I had a pair of white and a pair of black hi-top Chucks, and I wore them OUT.  When I got my job as a summer intern working in Washington, D.C., I hiked from the Metro in my power suit and Chucks, while everyone else was in their Reeboks.  Yeah, I was cool like that.

Wearing my Chucks nail art just takes me back! A few years ago, my husband started collecting the Chucks that have superheroes on them, so we have a whole new collection of Chucks in the house!

Bottle shot:  Wet 'n Wild Black Creme, and OPI My Boyfriend Scales Walls. Because real Chucks aren't bright white - you get them dirty as soon as you can, and then you write all over them. 

I have a lot of nail art to show you this week featuring other water decals and things I got from Born Pretty Store!  If you'd like to go shopping, feel free to use my coupon (GVX31) for 10% off! .  Born Pretty Store can also be found on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr, and their blog.

If you missed it, my review of March's Beauty Box 5 also posted today!

An InLinkz Link-up

Black and White and Stripes and Dots #NailArtForNubs

Hello, Fireflies!

It's time for another edition of Nail Art for Nubs!

This week, I take a Pinterest pin I saw for a gorgeous black & white French and dotticure from Saida Nails, and adapt it for nubbins.

I won't lie - it would probably look better on longer nails.  But, I won't let that stop me!

I started with Julep Teresa, a light - and a little frosty - pink.  It's the kind of color I wore as a young girl - the only color I was pretty much allowed to wear!

I dabbed on some of the Orly MatteFX Pink Flakie. Totally changes everything, doesn't it?  It's amazing... it's mind-blowing.  It's.. well, I can't tell the difference.  Sorry.

Going for the Goth French tip with Cult Nails Nevermore.  When you have nubbins, creating the deep curve in the tip can give the illusion of longer nails.

Now, a white stripe straight across the tip, with Cult Nails Tempest.

Using my black art striper came in handy for evening out the black and fixing little mistakes I might - MIGHT - have made.  Not that I make any.  Nope.  I'm all about perfection on this blog.

I used a dotting tool for the alternating black and white dots.  If you think you're never going to use math again after high school, try making a line of straight, alternating dots (doing only one color at a time) without using a little mental calculation.

As you can tell, I was never very good at math.

Look, Ma, both hands!

Bottle shot:  Julep Teresa, Orly MatteFX Pink Flakie, Cult Nails Nevermore & Tempest, and a black art striper.

So, what do you think of this black & white French?  Pretty crazy!