Cheery Chevrons

Hello, Fireflies!

My niece is obsessed with chevrons at the moment, and so I was thinking of her when I dipped into the vault and found three chevron-centric nail arts to share with you today. 

Solomon Grundy

 Hello, Fireflies!

Time for another Super Heroes/Villains post!  I'm going murky and zombie today with some stamping!

Sunday Stamping - Blue Glitter and a Bonus!

Hello, Fireflies!

Today's Sunday Stamping challenge is to stamp over a blue glitter.  I had a mani over a blue holo, but decided it wasn't truly glittery enough, so I did another one.. and then decided to include both in today's post!  Bonus mani! Woot!

Sunday Stamping Stardust Polish!

Hello, Fireflies!

Today's challenge is 'Better Than Jamberry.'  I interpreted it as a pattern I liked better than using a nail wrap, but apparently I was supposed to pattern it after an actual nail wrap.  Oops.   Well, I like how it came out anyway.

"Art Nouveau" Stamping

 Hello, Fireflies!

Today's Sunday Stamping challenge is Art Nouveau.  Guess we're getting fancy all up in here.  I had to Google it. 

Stamped Scary Skulls

Hello, Fireflies!

Today's Adventures In Stamping challenge is to get ready for Halloween with something spooky or scary!  I saw this stamp from Cisi & Sisi 11 plate, and I knew I had to try it.

I started off with Milani Black Swift, which is quickly becoming a favorite black.  It's one-coat shiny awesomeness.

I love how gold and silver look stamped over black, so I alternated Essie No Place Like Chrome and Maybelline Bold Gold.

I couldn't fit more than one skull per finger, so I tried to get one clear part of the stamp on each finger. That upturned profile skull on the middle finger gave me so much trouble! It must have known, somehow, what finger it was on.

Bottle shot:  Milani Black Swift, Maybelline Bold Gold, and Essie No Place Like Chrome.

Are you getting out the black polish for a Halloween mani?  What's your favorite black?

What The Cartoon Cat Consumed..

Hello, Fireflies!

Today's challenge was to stamp a mani using only single images - no full nail stamps.  This is where having nubs comes in handy - a single image usually takes up my whole nail anyway!

When I put on this gorgeous glitter the other day, I had no idea it would become the base for this cute stamping challenge.  This is To The Edge Of Night from Fanchromatic Nails.  At first glance, it's an army green jelly with silver glitters - but look again, and you can see the tiny turquoise and red glitters in the background. 

I used two stamps for this challenge.  The single fishbone stamp from Red Angel 107, and the cat from Shany 08.  I used Essie No Place Like Chrome and Wet 'n Wild Black Creme for the stamping.

Now, my nails look like an ally cat's paradise.

I'm reminded of the cartoons I watched as a kid, where the cartoon cat would put a whole fish in his mouth, and then pull out the bones, all in one fell swoop!

Bottle shot: Fanchromatic Nails To The Edge Of Night,  Essie No Place Like Chrome, and Wet 'n Wild Black Creme.

Ah, to be surrounded by a feast of our favorite foods! In the aftermath, I would be surrounded by pizza crusts...

GOT Black Shine?

Hello, Fireflies!

For today's Golden Oldie challenge, I take an older black and pair it with an older flakie.  And they are better together than they ever were apart.

When I first started getting back into nail polish, I thought OPI was the be-all, best polish.  Surely, they must have the best black polish, right?  OPI Black Onyx is probably the worst black polish I own.  Thin, streaky, and takes more coats than any other polish to get that nice, shiny, black finish.

Even Wet 'n Wild Black Creme is better.  Mind.Blown.

Essie Shine Of The Times is one of a dozen polishes that has this multi-chrome flakie finish.  Pretty on its own, but it takes a dark base to really ply all her secrets. 

Red, orange, gold, and green..

Oh, how it glows.  Lit-from-within, you might say.  Love these types of polishes.  They were my first polish loves, and helped inspire the name of this blog.

Bottle shot:  OPI Black Onyx, and Essie Shine Of The Times.

What's your favorite thing to pair with black?

An InLinkz Link-up

Galaxy Music!

Hello, Fireflies!

Today's Adventures In Stamping challenge was music, inspired by World Music Day.  When I did a Google image search, this was one of the images that came up, and it helped inspire my mani!

 If you saw yesterday's post, you may remember how completely ga-ga I was for Celestial Cosmetics Meteoroid.  I am equally enamored of this polish, Celestial Cosmetics Galaxy Field, a deep emerald-tealish linear holo.  Another amazing formula, too!

I used Essie No Place Like Chrome and Wet 'n Wild Black Creme double-stamped with the same stamps from this large YH809 plate that I bought off Ebay.  I'm not sure who the maker is.

 Swirly bars of music!

If this were a real piece of music, it would be in the key of F.  As in WTF.

These little metallic notes have been in my stash for at least a year, waiting patiently for their time... and back they go.  They wouldn't lay flat. Kinda messed up my mani.

Bottle shot:  Celestial Cosmetics Galaxy Field, Essie No Place Like Chrome, and Wet 'n Wild Black Creme.

What kind of music would you listen to to celebrate World Music Day?  I'm an 80's girl myself! Lately, though, I have had Crowded House playing over and over in my brain.  Earworm!

Bejeweled Ombre

Hello, Fireflies!

For my third Black and White NCC challenge this month, I wanted to do an ombre.  Or is it a gradient?  This terminology has caused great consternation, gnashing of teeth, and spilling of acetone in the nail polish world.

I try not to get my panties in a twist about the drama.  I accept the majority explanation of different colors on the same nail as a gradient, and a transition of colors in the same color family as an ombre.  Hombre is Spanish for 'man.'  Totally not applicable.

So now, maybe you learned something today.  Gold star!

From thumb to pinky, I created this ombre nail art with Revlon Spirit, OPI My Boyfriend Scales Walls, Essie No Place Like Chrome, Nailtini Caviar Cocktail, and Wet 'n Wild Black Creme.

And then, I stuck some pretty silver and grey nail jewelry on it! You know they didn't stay long, but I love how they looked for a minute.

Do you like gradient/ombre manicures?  Do you have an opinion as to the terminology of same?

An InLinkz Link-up

Dance Party!

Here we are, Fireflies! The last day of the Celebrate the Occasion with the Challenge Your Nail Art group.  This has been fun for me, and I've definitely had to give some thought to these special occasion nail arts.

For my freestyle mani, I decided to do a Dance Party! So, my dancefloor is Wet 'n Wild Black Creme with a smattering of Sephora by OPI 18k gold topcoat.  Reading '70's excess already!

Check out this groovy stamping plate by Winstonia! Bell-bottoms, big hair, and disco balls! I used W216 and Essie No Place Like Chrome, as well as Maybelline Bold Gold for the stamping.

I couldn't resist pulling some of the holo circle glitters out of OPI I Snow You Love Me for a little extra bling-bling!

It's a Studio 54 Discotheque Glitz and Glam Sparkly, Gold Lame' Dance Party!  All that's missing is the coke!

Bottle shot:  Wet 'n Wild Black Creme, Essie No Place Like Chrome, Maybelline Bold Gold,  OPI I Snow You Love Me, and Sephora by OPI 18k gold topcoat.

Do the Hustle!

An InLinkz Link-up

Stamping Skulls

Hello, Fireflies!

Today's Sunday Stamping theme is "Bada$$ Nails".  When I was a kid, there was no more badass nail color than black, so I picked this cool black with holo glitter - Sinful Colors Starry Night.  Does this look like a $2 ($1 on sale!) polish? It doesn't behave like a cheap polish, either.  I love Sinfuls.

I bought this stamping plate from Born Pretty Store on sale.  I loved the cute, sad skull and crossbones! I also liked that there were two sizes on the plate, because, as you know, I haz nubz.

I used Essie No Place Like Chrome, one of my fave silver stamping polishes, to stamp the skulls.  The larger skull fit on my thumb, but I used the smaller one on my index and pinky, and the pirate one on my ring finger.  Why did I leave my middle finger blank?

For an awesome 3-D metal skull! Now, that's Badass.

Don't mess with me, I'll poke you with my nail art!

Bottle shot:  Sinful Colors Starry Night, and Essie No Place Like Chrome.

What's your version of a badass mani?

Sunday Stamping - Valentines Stamping Skittle

Hello, Fireflies!

Sorry I'm a little late today!  I have a good excuse - it's my birthday!

Which probably means that tomorrow's post will be late, too...

Today's stamping challenge was either Valentines' Day, or Anti-Valentines' Day.  I personally don't celebrate the day because I think it's a Hallmark holiday.  But, the hubby and I do enjoy the day after, which is the day all the candy goes on sale!

Today's look starts with Sheswai Yowza.  And, YOWZA it is! so pretty and vibrant - and on sale at Ricky's NYC for about 3 bucks!

I have been trying and trying to get the Luminous Color Club flakie collection from Llarowe, and I finally scored it!  This is Color Club Pink Planet, a lovely flakie combo of copper, green, and purple in a slightly pink-tinted base.  Reminds me of the Nfu-Oh flakies!

I decided to do a different stamp on each finger.  DRK - A had a bunch of different heart stamps, and I couldn't decide!  I used Essie No Place Like Chrome for the stamping.

I had a little trouble with some of the stamps.  My fave is the skull with hearts for eyes... there were more hearts on the stamp, but my nails are too tiny to really show the detail!  Those of you with larger nail beds are so lucky!  I have kiddie-sized hands.

I love how the flakies peek through.  I love flakies.  Have I said that already?

Bottle shot:  Color Club Pink Planet, Sheswai Yowza, and Essie No Place Like Chrome.

I'm celebrating today with my free Grand Slam breakfast at Denny's! How exciting, eh?