Great Glue Experiment

Everybody is talking about the 'new' discovery of using PVA glue as a base for glitters.  Of course, the hipsters have been doing this 'forever' and what's the big deal?

Trust me, it's a big deal - no one needs to be scared of glitter polish removal ever again! Hurrah!

I did this experiment three different ways. There are a lot of pix, so please follow after the jump!

Guest post at Globe and Nail!

This didn't post properly when it was supposed to... well, go see it now! :) lol

I'm guest posting at Globe & Nail!  Emma is at ballet school, so a few guest bloggers are helping her out.   Check out my post to see how I took Sinful Colors Zeus up a notch.

Isn't it lovely?  That dusty purple, the pink shimmer.. and I always get great coverage with Sinful Colors.  Can't beat the $2 price tag, either.  Glad they apologized for stealing blogger images, and promised to not do that again. 

See you over at the Globe & Nail!

Pin it Thursday - sappy cute

Pinterest does funny things... I usually wouldn't pick out a nail design like this, but after seeing it pinned many times, I thought, well, a lot of people like this!  Maybe I should try it!

I am such a follower.

I started with Barielle Provocative.  Which is anything but.  Classic, maybe.  A sheer nude/pink, a color I have 20 of in my collection. 

 I think this is the best freehand white tip I've ever done.  This is Milani White on the Spot. 

And now, for the cutesy, sappy part.  HEARTS!  These I did freehand with Orly Ruby.

I couldn't believe my hubby actually liked this and wants me to wear it again, maybe for Valentines' Day.  He's such a romantic.

Did you pin a mani today? 

Avon and Glitter I

Some of my earliest nail polishes were Avon - in the square bottles.  A bright orange and a light grey.  Must have been 20 years ago, because they're back in fashion again!

I decided to try Avon again, and ordered some polishes from my friend Alyssa from Pretty Little Bottles.

This is pretty pix heavy, so I put all the lovelies after the jump!

Green Tea, two ways

I am such a sucker for pale green colors.  I couldn't resist picking up Sally Hansen Green Tea. 

The complete Salon Manicure line is so great.  I still wear it with base and top coat, but it is so smooth and shiny - and I like the curved applicator even though I have small nails.  It makes it easy to get that perfect cuticle line.

Kleancolor Sparkle Emerald looks blue, but it has that emerald green tint to it.  Unlike most Kleancolor glitters, this one has a fantastic formula.  Their holos and microglitters are a true bargain.

I was pleasantly surprised by Amy's Nail Boutique Delphinium.  I didn't realize that it would be a full-coverage glitter!  It really does evoke the colors of that flower, with the small teal, and purple glitter and the larger pink squares.  

Glitter can definitely change the look and feel of a mani!  One is so cute and sweet, and the other is in-your-face blingtastic.

Pink, two ways

Sally Hansen Rosy Posie is a frosty pink that I picked up on sale.  Not my usual polish, but it is soft and pretty... and a little boring.  So, I pumped it up!

I loved this combination of glitters in Amy's Nail Boutique Cherry Blossoms.  If you've ever seen the cherry blossoms blooming in Washington, D.C., it is amazing!

I like how Rosie Posy gives a boost of shine to the mani, but it is still a soft, pretty look.

Kleancolor Fuschia Glitter is, like many of their glitters, thick and heavy on the base.  It's a pretty mix, but I needed a denser glitter to work with the frost of Rosy Posy.  Two layers of Kleancolor would never dry!

 I just wish it would look on the nail like it does in the bottle!!

Teal, two ways

Jessica polishes deserve more polish love.  I haven't tried one yet that I didn't love!

This beautiful teal, Scene Stealer, is from their Paint the Town collection.  I thought the paint pails were too cute, but I will admit that they were a little difficult to use as a brush holder.  They should have taken a cue from Butter London and made the novelty cap removable. The size wasn't a problem, but the little handle always seemed to be in the way.

 Kleancolor glitters are cheap and lovely, but are often slow-drying and have a little too much base to glitter ratio.  I still buy them whenever I see them, though.  I can't resist.  Peaceful Heart is a green base with green and holo glitters and hearts.

 Blam! There's a heart, right there!

Next, I tried it with Daring Digits Techno Square.  I love the little square glitters!  I would have liked the glitter to be a little more dense, but it was a nice, soft glitter look.  If it weren't for the glitter shape, however, it would be like so many other topcoats out there.

Do you also like to experiment with different topcoats?  I'll have some more coming up, too!

Sunday Stamping - Pulsating Purple

I love holos. I love purple.  Thus, my lemming for Catrice Dirty Berry was inevitable. 

I know it's not a very strong holo, but it's still SO PRETTY.  It's really hard to get Catrice in the US unless you have a swap buddy.  I went to Beauty Cosmetic and jumped through some hoops and waited a month for it to arrive from Bulgaria.  So I may be a little biased as to how DARN AWESOME this polish is.

It's so awesome, in fact, that some of the stamping wouldn't even stick to it.  That's my reasoning, and I'm sticking to it.

It worked a little better on my right hand, but my pinkies repel stamps, apparently.

So, now you know - don't stamp over truly awesome polishes, because they will just not be hidden.

And, knowing is half the battle.

BBC Weekly Roundup 8/26

• Clarisonic has just released a new Acne Cleansing Set. For more information, and a chance to win your own, head over to Blushing Basics.
• NARS re-launched their Eyeliner Stylo line with new colors and formula. The Stepford Witch reviews and swatches these for you!
• Retrodiva's Beauty checks out Neutrogena's new Shine Control primer, foundation, and powder. See if it really does keep the shine at bay.
• Cosmetically Challenged has chosen her favorites from the China Glaze Bohemian Collection. Did any of your faves' make the cut?
• Alison of the Advice Sisters wants to tell you why she's in love with Dimitri James (not actually the MAN, whom she's never met, but definitely his SKINN Cosmetics). The Perfect Palette is your perfect travel companion.
• Destany at Confessions of a Sarcastic Mom thought she was losing her mind recently when she forgot the Deborah Lippmann True Blood nail polish she was wearing was scented...
• Emily Hudspeth is Bringing the Beauty to You! Getting great deals and having great hair are 2 things that most girls love. See these great L'Oreal products that Emily scored and how she liked them.
• Do you wear makeup to the gym? BeautyTidbits shares her opinion on troweling on cosmetics before a workout session.
• Connie from Mimi's Mani's shares the anti-aging benefits and her love for Dalton Cosmetics.
• Making Up the Midwest found the perfect yellow nail polish just in time for the transition to fall!
• Stephanie Louise- All Things Beautiful swatches the 4 new shades from the Maybelline 24 Hour Color Tattoo line for fall...which are must-haves?
• Discover an arsenal of beauty goodies that will keep your look bullet proof and that travel well! Mama Fashionista shares her tools for Beauty On The Go!
• Who doesn't love a good beauty bargain? Christina from Curls N Pearls shares her latest makeup counter savings discovery.
• Grab the men in your house! LuminousLacquer's fiance shares his thoughts on August's BirchBox Man!
• TheFabZilla discovers an eye makeup remover that's natural, paraben-free and cruelty- free from an organic food store. Find out if it's a yay or nay.
• The Beauty Professor took the recently-released Kat Von D Lock-It Tattoo Foundation on vacation...read all about her pleasant surprise!
• Glitter.Gloss.Garbage is giving away two Eclos Anti-aging skincare sets!
• BeautyJudy swatches and reviews the summer collection of a new, fashion-based nail polish brand, LVX.
• Rie from Nails and Noms would like to introduce you to Takko Lacquer, a new indie polish brand that has a gorgeous range of shimmer, jelly, and duochrome polishes!
• Lipgloss Break and Alberto VO5 are giving away a huge hair care prize package. Enter to win!
• Make Up For Ever hits the spot with their lasting lip colors, Aqua Rouge. Beauty Info Zone has two of the these beauties to share with you.
• Blushing Noir swatches the new Make Up For Ever Aqua Rouge to prove that a hot red lip CAN last all day!
• Scottish Beauty Blog caught up with amazing Ana Cruzalegui and her team backstage at this year's Edinburgh International Fashion Festival and what a makeup extravaganza it was!
• Fall calls for dark, rich hues! See how Phyrra used Manic Panic Voodoo Blue & Purple Haze to change her hair for Fall.
• Ro's Raving about Fevour Cosmetics, a new mineral cruelty free cosmetics line.
• Lola from Lola's Secret Beauty Blog has found THE Holy Grail face oil- Sponge Ladi Avokanto is heavenly, Cruelty-Free, and a healthy must-have miracle worker in a bottle!
• Oh So Lacquered tries her first Sephora by OPI polish and is completely obsessed with this turquoise glitterfest!
• Sheila from Painted Ladies takes you on a tour of the mascaras featured on the blog recently. Which mascara is the best?
• Is your hair dry and unruly? Then the new Smooth Lock line from Redken might just be for you. Pammy Blogs Beauty tames her long, dry, highlighted locks with this great new line!
• Laura from My Newest Addiction Beauty Blog swoons over the holo sparkles in an Island Girl nail polish.
• Starting blogging but don't know what you should do? Cosmetics Aficionado shows you 5 blogging changes you can make today.
• Ashley from Peek & Ponder shares a frosty purple eye makeup look and shows each step it took to create it.
• Have you tried Pomegranate nail lacquer yet? Nidia at Lit from Within does her interpretation of the 'claw' nail art with Blue Screen of Death and Cyberspace.
• Miss L from Beauty by Miss L reviewed Institut Arnaud Youthful Radiance Day Cream SPF5 that is for women in the age of 25-35 who wish to fight against the first signs of ageing.
• Polarbelle finds a vacation in a palette with the NYX Be Free Palette; nearly everything you need in one box.

Purple Daisies - inspired by Robin Moses

Another seafoam/mint green.  Why do I have so many of these?  This is Urban Outfitters Smush. It's nice, but it's about to become a part of something, dare I say, amazing.

I ran across an UO and just had to try their polishes, so I picked up this and a blue, and a couple of glitters.  Love the bottle, love the color.  I only did one coat, because I knew I wanted to pair it with another polish.

Can you see the green shimmer in Elixir Lacquer Miss Kitty's Meow?  It's the same color as Smush. 

I fell in love with this pairing.  I think this is one of those cases where the two polishes together made up something more than each polish alone.  While it's gorgeous plain, I felt the itch to add some nail art.

This is a design inspired by Robin Moses' Pink and Purple Floral Sunset.   I really liked how the viewer seems to be looking up from below the daisies that are framed against a beautiful purple sunset.

I dabbed a little of Ulta Quit Metal-ing, a shimmery pink, on the top corners of the background to give the illusion of a gradient.  I painted the flowers in SpaRitual Shoot for the Stars, a dark purple, and Rimmel Wild Orchid, a rich lavender.  Right hand:

What do you think?  Would you try the nail art, or just enjoy the magical Miss Kitty on her own?

Playing Around, Placing Glitter

When I was a student, there was none of this electronic stuff in school.  You had wide-ruled paper and #2 pencils, and when I wanted to goof off, I didn't have a laptop or cell phone or ipad.

So, I did what every kid did then.  I doodled.

I think this mani is adult doodling.  I didn't know where I was going, I just thought the journey might be fun.

This is just the prettiest green-yellow!  SpaRitual Yes, I Can.  I love SpaRitual's formula - look at that shine with just 2 coats, and no topcoat.  The rubber grippy cap is a nice touch, too.

Ulta Not From Concentrate is a sheer, iridescent orange-gold.  I swirled it around my nails.

I like KleanColor glitters, but their formulas are very thick and goopy.  So I took 2 polishes - Golden Nirvana and Gold Caviar and put them on a palette and fished out whatever glitters I wanted and placed them around the swirls.

I did the same with some red glitters from Amy's Nail Boutique Marigold.  I thought there were red and orange glitters in there, but it looked all red to me.  It was a bit disappointing, actually.

Seche Vite to finish.

Right hand:

Not my favorite mani, but it was fun to experiment with the glitter.  Almost like creating a glitter mix, but without actually mixing the formulas.

Do you doodle on your nails, too?

Furnace Glow lit a fire in my heart!

This polish is very special!  Meet Glitter Gal Furnace Glow Soft:

It's an amazing multichrome that has orange, pink, gold, and copper tones to it.  It's such a strong shift that you don't need to do much to see it - it's just there, all the time.  This is one of my new very favorite polishes.

I didn't want to cover it up, but I couldn't just leave it alone.  The good thing is, you can still see the color shift!  This is Amy's Nail Boutique Tiger Lily, a clear base with orange and black microglitter.

I love how the pink shows through the glitter!

 Do you love these orange/pink duochrome polishes?

Pin it Thursday

Pin it Thursday was started by Pinked Polish, and it's an opportunity to share our interpretations of the (many) manis we've all collected on Pinterest.

My original inspiration is this pin, which was done in Julep colors that I didn't have, so I used Pomegranate lacquer in Cyberspace and Blue Screen of Death.

Cyberspace is a lovely charcoal scattered holo, and Blue Screen of Death is a vivid cobalt blue jelly with shimmer.  Both had amazing formulas. Cyberspace only needed 2 coats with no special base or care, and BSoD needed 3, and still had a little VNL in the picture, but it wasn't noticible in real life.

I then used the corresponding color to make the pattern on the lower half of the nail.  I need a little practice to get it as sharp as the original pinner, but I really like how it came out - and it was so simple - not tools, tape, nothing, just the original polish brush.

 What do you think of this look?  Will you be pinning and trying it yourself?

Rainbow Honey Sakura Matsuri Collection

There's something about Rainbow Honey.  The attention to detail - the box art, the bottles, and the polishes!  I had to get the entire (mini) Rainbow Honey Sakura Matsuri Collection to try.

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