Lit from Within: October 2013
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Thursday, October 31, 2013

Giveaway is OVAH!



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Happy Halloween!

Hi, Fireflies!

I love Halloween! I have had so much fun with my crazy Halloween manis, and I'm a little sad that this is the last one for this year.

Because unlike Christmas, once Halloween is over, that's IT.  With a quickness.  You don't get until the next holiday to take down your Halloween decorations. You take that stuff down right away, and then go to Target to buy all the Halloween candy for half off.

So, I started off with  - you'll never believe it - Cult Nails Nevermore.  I know. That's just crazy talk.  But then I put this cool iridescent topper, Nightshifter, from Sindie Pop, on top.  I painted my whole thumb with it, and then made little wisps of it on my other fingers.

Cult Nails Nevermore with this cool iridescent topper, Sindie Pop Nightshifter, on top

I picked several images from these two Shany plates - SH01 and SH02.

Shany plates - SH01 and SH02

I made the moon with Cult Nails Tempest, and stamped the other images with it, or with Nevermore.


Screaming, and witches, and spiders, and black cats! (Oh, my!)

I made the moon with Cult Nails Tempest, and stamped the other images with it, or with Nevermore

Bottle shot:  Cult Nails Nevermore, Cult Nails Tempest, and Sindie Pop Nightshifter.

Bottle shot:  Cult Nails Nevermore, Cult Nails Tempest, and Sindie Pop Nightshifter.

I hope y'all have a safe, spoopy, and creppy Halloween!


Wednesday, October 30, 2013

Glitterween, Part II

Hello, Fireflies!

Can you feel Halloween getting closer? I have a fun, spooky mani for tomorrow, but for today - MOAR GLITTER!

This is LynBDesigns Psychedelic Vampire. 

 LynBDesigns Psychedelic Vampire

Some vampires *are* sparkly, I guess! And, uh, purple.  Name aside, this polish is really pretty, and doesn't have to be relegated just to Halloween.

 LynBDesigns Psychedelic Vampire

Pretty & Polished Witchy Woman is a purple jelly with glitter and a purple shimmer. 

Pretty & Polished Witchy Woman

The bottle is from a scratch and dent sale, but the polish is perfect.  So purple-y!  It needs at least 3 coats, though, especially if you have long nails.

Pretty & Polished Witchy Woman

This polish was even more sheer.  365 Days of Color I Smell Children is purple glitter in a really sheer black jelly base.

365 Days of Color I Smell Children

I'm torn about using undies on this polish, because the jelly is what gives it that cool translucence.  But this is 3-4 thick coats, and I'd never be able to wear that without denting it. 

Also, I will note that this polish doesn't really smell like children.  In case you were wondering.

365 Days of Color I Smell Children

Last, but not least, Dollish Polish Vampires Coven.  Dark black jelly with red/orange/pink glitters.  Looks like glowing embers.  Pretty cool.

https://www.facebook.com/Dollface22772

My only complaint is that it needs a little more glitter.. and would look great with some of those larger holographic circles, right?  Of course, they weren't a thing when this polish was conceived.

https://www.facebook.com/Dollface22772

Doing these posts made me realize how I've moved largely away from glitters lately.  It was fun to remind myself how interesting a good glitter can be.  Have fun with your seasonal glitters, and don't forget the peel-off basecoat!

Tuesday, October 29, 2013

Glitterween, Part I

Hello, Fireflies!

It's almost Halloween! For today and tomorrow, I've picked some glitter polishes I had that just felt right for this time of year. 

I love the picture on The Nail Junkie Candy Corn.  Angry Candy Corn will make you sick! More than a few pieces of the real stuff, and I do feel a little nauseated, so it's pretty appropriate.

The Nail Junkie Candy Corn

I still love a milky glitter, and I love all these colors.  The formula wasn't as nice as I would have liked - it was kinda hard to get a nice distribution of the glitters, especially on my smaller nails.  It wasn't so terrible, though.  I'll still wear it again because I love the colors.

The Nail Junkie Candy Corn

I fell in love with this polish all over again when I put it on.  This is Dollish Polish I'm the Boogieman.

Dollish Polish I'm the Boogieman

In Real Life, it's easier to see the awesome golden shimmer that really makes this polish crazy beautiful. 

I got some skull & crossbones glitter from my friend Emma, and added a few. Cool!

Dollish Polish I'm the Boogieman

I doubt that Rainbow Polish Jungle Paradise was intended to be a Halloween polish, but.. well... green with orange glitters? 'Tis the season!

Rainbow Polish Jungle Paradise

This one was a little sheer.  I bet some green undies would look great.  Going lighter or darker would totally change the look, too.

Rainbow Polish Jungle Paradise

The last one for today is Pretty & Polished Blood Clot, a red jelly with red glitters.

Pretty & Polished Blood Clot

I'm kinda torn about this one.  I love the concept, and it looks great.  But the red base is just a little too cherry pink for me.  Oddly enough, it photographs darker - I wish it were the color in the top photo!  The pix below is closer to true color. 

Pretty & Polished Blood Clot

Stay tuned for more Glitter-ween Gorgeousness tomorrow!

Monday, October 28, 2013

There be Ghosts in the Other Realm #FallingForNailArt


Hello, Fireflies!

It's getting spooky all up in here.  Today's mani is pretty much a copy of a mani done by Nearly Natural Nails.  I was looking at Pinterest, and my hubby spotted this one and just loved it.  Well, how can I not at least try it then?

I started with a new-to-me polish with a well-known name.  This year, Seche - the maker of the beloved Seche Vite topcoat - came out with colors!  This deep, dark, metallic eggplant is called Aristocrat.  Which, of course, only makes me think of the joke.

deep, dark, metallic eggplant is called Seche Aristocrat.

For my ghosts, I had to use a white holo.  I thought Lacquer Lust Eternal Bliss would fit the bill.  At one/1.5 coats, it's still translucent in some parts over the dark purple, giving it an ethereal look.

Lacquer Lust Eternal Bliss is translucent, giving it an ethereal look

For the ghostly facial features, I went with Cult Nails Fetish, that gorgeous waxy black.  I like the play in textures between the metallic purple, the translucent holo white, and the matte black. Makes me feel all artsy-fartsy.

For the ghostly facial features, I went with Cult Nails Fetish, that gorgeous waxy black

Scary?  I might be.


Bottle shot:  Seche Aristocrat, Lacquer Lust Eternal Bliss, and Cult Nails Fetish.

Bottle shot:  Seche Aristocrat, Lacquer Lust Eternal Bliss, and Cult Nails Fetish.

I'm loving all the ghostly manis this season!  If you have one you'd like to share, please post on my wall! I'd love to see it.











Sunday, October 27, 2013

Stamp-o-ween


It's Sunday Stamping, Fireflies!

I don't wear this enough.  It's the gorgeous, waxy-finish 1-coat black that is Cult Nails Fetish.  I usually topcoat my stamps, but I wanted to see if I could pull of this one without topcoat.

It's the gorgeous, waxy-finish 1-coat black that is Cult Nails Fetish

I used this full nail spiders and webs stamps from Shany 25, and Essie No Place Like Chrome, my favorite silver stamping polish.

Shany 25, and Essie No Place Like Chrome

I am totally diggin' on the silver chrome over the rubbery black.  It was even more awesome in Real Life.  I think everyone needs this black - or at least get the Cult Nails Wax That topcoat.  it's not matte, it's not shiny.  It really looks waxy.

totally diggin' on the silver chrome over the rubbery black

I had these little gold spiders that I wanted to use.  My camera freaked out between the shiny black bottle, the shiny silver chrome, and the shiny gold. 

I had these little gold spiders that I wanted to use

Bottle shot:  Cult Nails Fetish, and Essie No Place Like Chrome.

Bottle shot:  Cult Nails Fetish, and Essie No Place Like Chrome.

It just feels so right to wear all this black this time of year.  Halloween is so much fun for manis! What kinds of Halloween manis are you rockin'?

Saturday, October 26, 2013

French tips and tophat with Mr. Burgundy

Hello, Fireflies!

Today's post is brought to you by the letter 'B'. As in Burgundy.  As in Mister Burgundy, SIR.

Mister Burgundy

Enchanted Polish Mr. Burgundy has become quite the popular little polish, and I can see why.  It's a nice fall color, but not too vampy, and very holo.  Love.

Enchanted Polish Mr. Burgundy

I forgot to get a pix of the dress I was wearing to match, but it was about this color, with a black hem and yoke.  So, that inspired me to top and cap this mani with some black.  My favorite black, in fact: Cult Nails Nevermore.  First, the tips:

First, the tips:

Now, there are several ways I could have done this.  I didn't feel like messing around with scotch tape, but that could have given me cleaner lines, and possibly less clean up.  I could have cut one piece and put it in the middle and just painted both top and bottom at the same time.  I'd love to hear how you did it, if you recreate this mani.

I used my striper to paint a guide line, and then filled in with Nevermore and an art brush.

I used my striper to paint a guide line, and then filled in with Nevermore and an art brush.  Cleanup around my cuticle was a little tricky, but not too bad.


Something very clean and geometric about boxing in this beautiful color with black.

Something very geometric about boxing in this beautiful color with black

Tape might have made doing the right hand a little easier.  Who wants easy, though?  Not this gal.  Ok, I lie.  Of course this gal. 

Tape might have made doing the right hand a little easier.

A little monocle, and Mr. Burgundy would be ready for the opera.  How would you dress up Mr. B?

Friday, October 25, 2013

Grungy Stripes and Pearls

Hello, Fireflies!

Time for a little breather from the Halloween manis!  Don't worry, I'm not done yet!

Today, though, I want to show you Cult Nails Grunge, a dusty pale Army-green creme.  I absolutely love colors like this.

Cult Nails Grunge, a dusty pale Army green creme

Cult Nails sets a high bar for cremes.  I don't think any other polish compares to their formula.

Cult Nails sets a high bar for cremes

I was inspired by this Pinterest pin, but it just takes me to one of those sites that collects other people's manis.  I wish I knew whose it was.  I used my trusty black striper to make some stripes.

I used my trusty black striper to make some stripes

I thought I was being clever by dressing Grunge up with pearls.  Get it? Ha! Ha! ha. h-  Ok, maybe it's just me.

being clever by dressing Grunge up with pearls

Still, it's pretty gorgeous.  I used shimmery half-pearls in a light green and a peach color.


Bottle 'n stuff shot:  Cult Nails Grunge, black striper, the wheel of pearls, and the tweezers and dotting tool I used to apply them.

Bottle 'n stuff shot:  Cult Nails Grunge, black striper, the wheel of pearls, and the tweezers and dotting tool I used to apply them.

I think that studs and rhinestones, etc are one of my fave ways to dress up a mani.  So many options!  I'm learning to keep them on a little while before I pick them off.   I love the look for the short time I can wear them!

Thursday, October 24, 2013

Cancer-Free Celebration!

Hello, Fireflies!

Two manis in ONE post today! Stay tuned 'till the end for the heart-warming story that is way better than any mani I could do.

Recently, I went out for sushi and dancing with some friends.  I wore a fun and flirty magenta dress, and wanted to do my nails to match.

I started off with SpaRitual Calm and Clear with accent nails of Above The Curve Party Polish Pink V2.  It's a holo and it has little micro glitters that flash. 

SpaRitual Calm and Clear with accent nails of Above The Curve Party Polish Pink V2.

I really liked this nail art from Liloo, so I decided to take the idea and do it a little differently. I just used the polish brush to make these curves on the nails with the Party Polish Pink.

I just used the polish brush to make these curves on the nails with the Party Polish Pink.

Then, I took my black striper and outlined the curve and added the little swooshy-thing next to it.  I'm sure that's the technical term for it. 

I outlined the curve with black and added the little swooshy-thing next to it

Going out means all 10 nails have to be done, right? Right hand.

Going out means all 10 nails have to be done, right?

They looked pretty cool with my dress, yo.


Bottle shot:  SpaRitual Calm and Clear, Above The Curve Party Polish Pink V2, and my black striper.

Bottle shot:  SpaRitual Calm and Clear, Above The Curve Party Polish Pink V2, and my black striper.

Why the title of this post?  Well, one of our good friends was finally given the all-clear on her cancer saga.  She was diagnosed with a super-rare form of Colo-rectal cancer, and has been through at least 8 surgeries.  The last biopsy came back with clear margins.

So, there was much celebrating that night.  I didn't want y'all to think that the pink mani was in reference to my friend's cancer, because she didn't have Breast Cancer.

The color for the ribbon of Colo-rectal cancer is blue (and sometimes brown), so I did this mani for her with Enkelini Candlelight and Priti NYC Canterbury Bells.  The "L" is for the first letter of her name.


Yay for kicking cancer in the butt! Pun intended!
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