Teal Tuesday - Glam

Hello, Fireflies!

For this holiday season, I've been focused mainly on light, glittery eyes and red lips for my looks.  It's still a fave, but I thought I'd show you a darker, smoky teal eye with a light lip that might be fun for a night out.

Satin Chevrons

Hello, Fireflies! Time for a little palate-cleansing nail art with Zoya Satins.

Nail Challenge Collaborative - Holo Oxfords

Hello, Fireflies!

Today, I have a nail art that just sorta evolved, which doesn't usually happen for me.  Usually, I look at a picture or get some inspiration.  Today, I just kept picking up colors and deciding how to use them.  In the end, the design reminded me a little of the old-style Oxford shoes.  See what you think!

I started with a gorgeous grey holo, Girly Bits Dash Away All.

I painted about 2/3 of the nail with SpaRitual Peace & Harmony.  At the time, I didn't know it would dry as a satin white.  I also didn't know that it was fairly sheer.  It took me a few coats to get it opaque over the holo.  Remember, I was totally experimenting.  Like in the 60s. Ask your parents.

I did a wide French tip with Milani Rapid Orchid.  WTH kind of name is that, really?  This is the season of Radiant Orchid, and this color is faaaarrrrr from that.  It's past eggplant purple into almost black territory.  And, who ever heard of a fast orchid?  Is this like that movie, Turbo, with the racing snail? Nail polish namers are weird, yo.

Afterwards, I thought it would look cool with another thin stripe of Rapid Orchid (!?!) between the white and the grey holo.   Yes, you could technically just do 2/3 of the nail with the dark color and then apply a thin stripe of white.  I might have done that if I actually knew where I was going with this, but you always run the risk of the white not covering the darker color.

So maybe I did do it right. Maybe. Just sayin.

So, why not add another dot of Rapid Orchid?  I clearly have no self-control.  I like living on the edge, baby.

Doesn't it look a little like those Oxford shoes?  Is my 80's childhood showing?

Bottle shot:  Girly Bits Dash Away All, SpaRitual Peace & Harmony, and Milani Rapid Orchid

Have you ever done a mani that reminded you of shoes?  Is that weird?

An InLinkz Link-up

Gold Softens The Bad Things...

Hello, Fireflies!

Have you ever needed a 'palate cleanser' manicure?  When you've been wearing a lot of color lately, and you just want something soft and neutral and pretty?

What's softer than a polish called Softening The Bad Things?  This polish made by Lucky 13 Lacquer is a lovely pale blue with gold glitters, and was made in support of dealing with depression. 

I paired it with accent nails done in OPI Love.Angel.Music.Baby.  I thought the satin finish also felt soft and neutral.  I added some scrolls with a gold glitter nail striper, too.

Glitter needs a topcoat, right? I think I prefer the OPI with the satin finish as opposed to glossy, but it doesn't make a huge difference.

Bottle shot:   Lucky 13 Lacquer Softening The Bad Things, OPI Love.Angel.Music.Baby, and a gold glitter striper.

When you need a change of pace, do you opt for a soft, neutral mani, or do you go for a bright color?  I found this combo to be just the soothing thing I needed!

I'm Russian to Get Gold Claws

Hello, Fireflies!

When Rescue Beauty Lounge had a 50% off sale, I couldn't believe it.  Even at that price, they're not cheap, but I couldn't resist getting a few.

Rescue Beauty Lounge Black Russian is right up my alley - dark, molten blackish-red with a red shimmer.  Vampy, yet glowy.

I'm getting better at free-handing straight or diagonal lines, but I'm not as good with the rounded ones.  For a half-moon mani, I decided to use these tape reinforcers as a guide.  They're just regular hole-reinforcers for punched paper, like you would put in a 3-ring binder.  I've found them in the office supply section of Walmart or Target.

OPI Love.Angel.Music.Baby has quickly become one of my fave polishes this year! That gold satin finish slays me.

I didn't want to put topcoat over that satin finish, so I had to figure out something else to do to finish this mani.  I dug around in my studs and found these awesome gold teardrops. 

With studs, placement can make all the difference.  With this orientation, and overlapping over into the gold, it make me think of cat's claws.  Rowr!

Bottle shot:  Rescue Beauty Lounge Black Russian, OPI Love.Music.Angel.Baby

Do you like to play with studs?  On your nails, I mean.  With all studs, don't you find that placement makes all the difference?

It's Pretty Black at 4am

Hello, Fireflies!

I love No Doubt, and I think Gwen Stefani is pretty cool, and I'm loving a lot of her new polishes in the OPI collection.

But. BUT. 4 in the Morning for me will always be a Night Ranger song.  They were the first 'favorite' band I ever had, and I lurve them.

Now that I've dated myself, let me show you one of the newest trends in nail polish!  The satin effect in OPI 4 In The Morning is so gorgeous!

It looks like it's going to be a black polish, but it's more of a charcoal, with itty-bitty specks of blue.

I've been a fan of NailNation 3000 for a while - her holos are pretty cool.  When I saw Ol' Black Water was a black holo with a twist, I had to have it.  I put it on the tips as sort of a gradient effect here.

I love how the satin black turns into holo with that green flash.  It's very subtle, but the finishes make it pop.

But, I'm not done messing around with it yet! I couldn't just stop there, oh, no.  Topcoat time! I think I like it even better this way.

That green! It really does look like murky, mysterious swamp water.  Don't you want your nails to look like swamp water?  You know you do if it's holo swamp water.

So, what earworm do you have now?  Gwen's or Night Ranger's 4 In The Morning, or 'ol' black water, keep on rolling.. Mississippi Moon won't you keep on shining on me.."

It's a musical montage on the nail!