July Subscription Boxes - Wantable, Ipsy, Beauty Box 5, and Birchbox

Hello, Fireflies!


Is it still July? Dang, missed it by a day.  Getting closer now! If you'd like to see the breakdown of my beauty sub boxes for July, there's a ton of pix after the jump!

TRI a little Laser Light Show!

Hello, Fireflies!

Last week, for Tri-Polish Tuesday, I created this look with some metallics:

I'd like to show you how to take this look to a whole different level using black polish and striping tape.  First, take a few pieces of tiny striping tape, and lay them across the nail.  It works better if you try and make sure you're getting different colors with each piece of tape.

EEek! SPIDER!  Oh, wait.  phew.

Cover the whole nail with a generous (thick, but not drippy) coat of black polish.  This technique works best if you paint one coat, wait only a very few seconds, and then pull off the tape, so the more opaque the polish, the better.

If you wait too long to pull off the tape, the polish will dry and pull off in sheets, rather than just where the tape was.

This is when having a a one-coat wonder like Cult Nails Nevermore comes in handy.  I don't have to worry about the colors bleeding through the black, and the polish stays where I put it, rather than pooling under the tape as much as a thinner polish might.

Bottle shot:  Ruffian Rosary, Wet n Wild Chrome I Got A New Com-Pewter, and Wet n Wild Chrome Hog-Quartz School, Cult Nails Nevermore, and a tape dispenser with my striping tape.

So, when your preppy plaid mani starts to show a little wear, put on some striping tape, apply a little black polish, and have yourself a laser light show!

Can you believe the transformation? How do you refresh a manicure you want to make last just a little longer?

An InLinkz Link-up

TRI-Chrome Plaid-ish Art

Hello, Fireflies!

In this month's Birchbox, I received this cute mini polish in a rose-gold pink from Ruffian Nail Lacquer, called Rosary.  I think metallics are back, y'all!

So, I kept going with the metallic theme, and pulled some other chrome polishes from my stamping drawer.  This funky lime green is Wet n Wild I Got A New Com-Pewter.

I never think about putting pink and green together... and then I have to for this challenge, and I'm like, hmm.  I kinda like that.  Who knew?

As it happens, the hubby has been playing the Lego Harry Potter games, and we decided to watch the first movie (again) tonight.  Then, I see what the name of this Wet n Wild Chrome is:  Hog-Quartz School.

Coincidence?  Is there really such a thing?  You decide for yourself...

I had plans to continue with this mani... and maybe I do! But that's another look for another time.  Maybe next week's TRI-challenge!  In the meantime, I really love this.  Kinda looks like a preppy-but-punk schoolgirl pattern.

Bottle shot:  Ruffian Rosary, Wet n Wild Chrome I Got A New Com-Pewter, and Wet n Wild Chrome Hog-Quartz School.

Have you ever had a creative look in mind, but halfway there decided you really liked where you were and just stopped? 

An InLinkz Link-up