Abstract Santa Hat - #NailArtforNubs

Hello, Fireflies!

I'm kinda excited about today's mani.  I think it turned out kinda cool.  I started off with a unique polish from Colors by Llarowe, Precious Metal.  It's a light grey with a heavy red shimmer. 

I think that red shimmer effect is so neat!

The art that I did was inspired by this Pinterest that doesn't link anywhere.  And, the pix wasn't watermarked.  So, whoever did the original art, out there in the ether... thank you! I love it!

My version goes more red.  I painted diagonal tips on each nail with China Glaze Hawaiian Punch, and then a smaller triangle over that with Sally Hansen Red Zin.  I will say, in Real Life, the color differences were much more subtle, and I would recommend using colors with a bit more contrast.

On the other side, I painted the diagonal in the very light grey creme, OPI My Boyfriend Scales Walls.  The overall effect is a multi-colored French tip.

I placed tiny glitters along each red side, and a red rhinestone off-center.  I think it looks like Picasso's Santa Hat.

Bottle shot:  Colors by Llarowe Precious Metal, China Glaze Hawaiian Punch, Sally Hansen Red Zin, and OPI My Boyfriend Scales Walls.

Can you see the abstract hat?  Or does it just bug you that the stone is off-center?

Sunday Stamping - (Ghost of) Christmas Present

Hello, Fireflies!

It's getting close to Christmas, and that's today's stamping theme!  I started off with this beautiful sparkly wine polish from Pahlish, Ghost of Christmas Present.

Sparkly, like a Christmas present should be!

I used a striping brush and Essie No Place Like Chrome and Maybelline Bold Gold for the ribbon, and then stamped the bow with Bold Gold and Red Angel plate 121.

Now that's a pretty present!

Get it? I'm totally playing on the different meanings of 'present'.  I'm so clever!

Art Challenge - The (worst) Way to Travel

Hello, Fireflies!

I'm warning you now, today's post is me struggling through another art challenge.  The original piece that inspired me was this one I found on Deviant Art by Joe Maccer called, "The Best Way To Travel"

Pretty, right?  You may need to refer back to that picture, because my rendition is nothing like it!

I started out with a gorgeous holo from Northern Star Polish, Lunar Glow.

I thought this stamp from an unlabeled plate of mine would mimic some of the swirls and starbursts in the background.  I stamped with Essie There's No Place Like Chrome.

This is so pretty and light and ethereal.

Let's enjoy one more pix of this moment, because it only goes downhill from here.

I thought that I could do a dry water marble for the large starburst patterns.  I used Maybelline Plum Paradise, Sally Hansen White Tip, and Zoya Pippa.

I dotted on the three polishes and then did a needle drag through the dots.

Bottle shot:  Northern Star Polish Lunar Glow, Essie There's No Place Like Chrome, Maybelline Plum Paradise, Sally Hansen White Tip, and Zoya Pippa.

Even my husband was having a hard time finding anything positive to say about it... All I can say is that I tried!

Red Ruffian

Hello, Fireflies!

I loved yesterday's Ruffian so much that when it was time to dress up for another Holiday shindig, I thought about trying another one, but with a reversal of the colors.

I started with a light color this time; another one from the A-England Ballerina collection: Encore Margot.

I went looking in my stash for a real Christmas red, and came across China Glaze Phat Santa.  You know it's an old, old polish, because *whisper* no one says, "Phat" anymore.  Soo last year.

I had these teeny-tiny black metallic studs that I placed ever so carefully in the Ruffian.  And then, because crazy was whispering in my ear, I took the tiniest dotting tool I have and made tiny black dots on either side of the row of studs.

If you are old enough to remember rotary phones, and, yes, I am dating myself, then maybe this reminds you of a rotary phone like it does me! For you kids - Google it.

Oh, yeah, I said crazy was around, didn't I? Right hand realness!

I was the Lady in Red at the party!  Red cocktail dress, red lips, and red nails!

Bottle shot:  A-England Encore Margot, China Glaze Phat Santa, Wet 'n Wild Black Creme.

Who is going to join me on the crazy train and put lots of tiny glitters or studs on their nails! I'd love to see your version on my Facebook page! 

Rosy Ruffian

Hello, Fireflies!

I really liked the inspirational mani I found to inspire today and tomorrow's mani, but I'm kinda bummed that I can't attribute it to a particular person.  The trend of collecting manis from all over and putting them on one blog page by theme is nice, in theory, but only when the credit goes along with it. 

And, for some reason, these 'collectors' don't like to get permission to use other people's pix.  Hmm.  I don't know if the pix was ever watermarked, or if all the pix are from one nail artist, but lots of different clients.. I just don't know.  But, I don't want you guys to think that it's my own creation, so I'm going to give credit to the page where I found it, and let karma sort out the rest.

I started out with NOPI Girl Talk, a reddish-brown jelly.  Great shine, but it took 3 to 3.5 coats for opacity.

I do love colors like this, though.  I think vampy reds are tres chic! (I said it in French, so it would have extra chic.)

Have you seen the new Ballerina collection from A-England? This one, Her Rose Adagio, I knew I wanted right away.  I love how the slight rose tint marries with Girl Talk.  I love the formulas on A-England polishes.  Always smooth as butter, and often one-coaters, if you're careful with application.

For today's dose of crazy, I decided to take tiny glitters and place them, one-by-one, around the edge of the Ruffian.

I love this.  For me, it's when the whole is greater than the sum of its parts - the holo, the glitter, the rose tint with the reddish brown.. yeah, it made me happy.

I prob'ly stared at my mani for a while.  I may have also made moony faces and kissy noises, but I ain't tellin.

Bottle shot:  NOPI Girl Talk, and A-England Her Rose Adagio.

As much of a pain placing all that glitter was, I did it again! Stay tuned for tomorrow's twist on this Ruffian!

Unrequited Flakie Love

Hello, Fireflies!

Today's post has two manis that I did to try and recreate a love I found on Pinterest.  In the end, I was unable to recreate the look from Let's Do My Nails, and so, the love remains, sadly... unrequited.

For my first attempt, I started out with this beautiful blackened teal - Nails Inc. Kensington.

It's really hard to get a dark blue without having it look black, but I think this one does a good job. 

I picked up this polish from Essie's newer Luxe Effects release - Sparkle on Top.  It's not a true flakie, more like the new 'flakies' I tried from Butter London - iridescent mylar shards.

It's pretty! But not what I was looking for.  I tried it matte, which I think I like better:

Here's the bottle shot of my first attempt:  Nails Inc Kensington, Essie Sparkle On Top, and Julep Matte Top Coat.

Imagine my surprise when I realized that I had the two polishes listed in the description of the picture! This is OPI Cuckoo For This Color, a metallic teal.

I topped with the true flakie topcoat, Essie Shine of the Times.  Gorgeous.  But it's not the same as the pix.  Whomp, whomp.

Even with a matte topcoat, it still isn't as light or vibrant as the inspiration pix. 

Bottle shot:  OPI Cuckoo For This Color, Essie Shine of the Times, and Julep Matte Top Coat.

Now, I, too, have experienced the bitter disappointment of falling in love with a swatch and finding myself disappointed in the actual recreation.  It's a special kind of heartbreak, a love that can never be fulfilled, because it only truly exists in special lighting and Photoshop.

It's a Percival Holiday!

Hello, Fireflies!

As many beautiful polishes that A-England makes, I think my fave is Percival.  It's a gorgeous red metallic.  It applies flawlessly, and can be a one-coater. 

For my husband's office party, I decided to add a little sparkle with Pixie Polish Disco Peacock, a scattered holo topcoat with a blue flash.

I felt very festive, and best of all, it was quick!  I am always running late when I go to parties.  Who am I kidding... I am pretty much always running late.

My friend, Jill, also wanted some holiday nails!  I couldn't believe that she wanted RED!  Of course, I had to bring out my best!  A-England Percival didn't disappoint.

She also wanted some stamped snowflakes, which I did with Essie No Place Like Chrome, my fave silver for stamping.  Perfect!

I gave her an extra-decadent flourish with SOPI's Real 18k Gold topcoat.  Now, who's a princess?  That's right, this girl.  Fancy.

What do you do to your nails to make you feel extra-special?