That Funky Emily

Hello, Fireflies!

It's a new month, and a new theme for the NCC! This month, we're getting down and funky, with funky French manicures.  I had just received my order of A England's new collection, inspired by Emily Bronte, so my nailart features that gorgeous collection!

Candyland Challenge - MMM, Chocolate!

Hello, Fireflies!

Today's Candy Nail Art challenge is one of my fave things to eat, though it turns out, not so easy for me to paint... chocolate!

Skin Souffle

Product provided for review.  All opinions are my own.

Hello, Fireflies!

If you caught my other review on some gel-tastic Oz Naturals products I did, you might have figured out that you're in for another rave review on this Olive & Jojoba Oil Nourishing Souffle.  Which sounds like something you'd eat, not rub on your skin, doesn't it?  As organic as it is, I wouldn't recommend eating it, though.

Holo in a Dotted Frame

Hello, Fireflies!

For the third installment of the 3rd Anniversary copycat challenge, I chose a simple, but fun purple dotted frame mani from A Girl And Her Polish!

Soft Shimmery Stamped Stripes

Hello, Fireflies!

Continuing with the striped theme for this month's challenge, I pulled this mani from the archives.

I don't really think of my nails or photography changing that much, but it's funny to pull a picture from the vault and see the little changes.  Of course, nails break and grow, so it shouldn't surprise me.  I also like looking through my Facebook profile pictures to see my hair change, too.

Maybe it's just a quirk of mine.

Anyhoo, this here is a nice mushroomy-taupe from Nikka K.  It came in one of those subscription boxes, so I'm not sure if it has a name, or if it's NY 112.

Are these just some boring stripes on my Mash-43 plate? no way!

They're now diagonal, like whoa!  Mind. Blown.

This lovely holo I used to stamp is A-England Fonteyn.

I think this would be a great subtle or work-appropriate nail art.  Can't hardly go wrong with taupe, right?

Bottle shot:  Nikka K NY 112 and A-England Fonteyn.

I love the holo stripes - who knew it would stamp so well?  Is this a new way for you to wear a holo?

Two Old Purples A New Way

Hello, Fireflies!

I took one look at this horizonal gradient framed nailart by @nadeekim and I knew I had to try something like it, too.  I've never tried a horizontal gradient, and I loved the two-toned frame, too.

I started with a purple I knew needed some love - Catrice Dirty Berry.  I lusted after this scattered holo, and scoured the internet for it! Pretty sure I got it from a Bulgarian web site.  I was a little cray-cray, but it was totally worth it.

I put some A-England Lady Of The Lake on the right side of the nails.  Trust me, it looked darker in person.

Framing half the nail with white and the other half in black also made the two sides look lighter and darker because of the optical illusion.  So cool.  I'm a freakin' nail magician, that's what.

Lots of transitions here, so don't forget the topcoat to smooth everything out!

 You can maybe see the transitions clearer in this picture. Or, is it an illusion? A trick of the light?

Bottle shot:  Catrice Dirty Berry, A-England Lady Of The Lake, and stripers in white and black.

Does this make you see these two old polishes in a new light?

An InLinkz Link-up

The Tie - Files

Hello, Fireflies!

Welcome to another edition of Tie-spiration manis, The Nail Files edition.  My husband chose a few of his favorite ties and asked me to make nail art inspired by them.  I previously posted this blue, purple, and grey tie look, and today I'm going maroon and gold.

Here's the tie in question:

It gets a little overly complicated before I'm all done, but it starts with an amazing holo, Enchanted Polish Vampires Suck.

I think a lot of Enchanted fans were bummed that this was more brown when they expected a vampy red.  I love this color, though.

I used a red nail art striper and then created a chevron French tip using A-England Fated Prince, a charcoal grey holo.

Next, I used a white striper and a gold glitter nail art striper to add details.

Finally, I finished it off with a square black stud, and some topcoat.  Whew! It's way busier than any nail art I think I've done before.

But it is definitely reminiscent of the tie, even if it's not an exact replica.  I never knew how complex this tie was when he wore it, I just liked it!

Bottle shot:  Enchanted Polish Vampires Suck, A-England Fated Prince, and nail art stripers in gold glitter, metallic red, and white.

I think I let this nail art get away from me.  I like some of the elements, though, and think it evoked the spirit of the tie.  Have you ever tried to replicate a pattern and got lost in the details?

For more 'the nail files', please check out Jennie Shaw's blog.

GOT Polish Challenge - Skittle Me This, A-England!

Hello, Fireflies!

I'm a new member of the GOT (Golden Oldie Thursday) challenge.  If you're not familiar, the idea is to use older polishes (at least a year old) that just haven't gotten any love in a while.  I have been using so many untrieds, there are lots of Golden Oldies in my stash.

Still, I was uneasy doing a whole mani  - and a skittle at that! - without cracking open at least ONE untried. But, I did it.  And, boy am I happy I did.

Do you recognize any of these lovely holos?  These were among the first polishes I bought when I found myself interested in polish again.  I saw a pix of A-England Saint George, and FELL HARD.  Had to have it.  This was before I knew about nail polish blogs, or Facebook groups, so I did all the leg work myself.

Putting it on again was almost a spiritual experience! Talk about taking me back to my nail polish roots.

Aren't they cute with the little triangle studs? In order, from thumb to pinky, the polishes are:  A-England Ascalon, Lady Of The Lake, Tristam, Saint George, and Dragon.  Saint George is still one of my very favorite polishes, even if it is a little bit of a stainer.

Bottle shot:  A-England Ascalon, Lady Of The Lake, Tristam, Saint George, and Dragon.

Did you feel a little something special when you put on your first nail polish love?

An InLinkz Link-up

Sunday Stamping - From the Boob Tube

Hello, Fireflies!

Today's Adventures In Stamping challenge was to be inspired by a television show we're watching. This show is technically off the air, but I'm watching it on Netflix, and I'm hooked!

I started with a hunter green polish that reminded me of the title screen - Deborah Lippmann Hannah.

Hannah is a gorgeous greyed-green crelly.  I love the way it shines like a creme, but has depth like a jelly.  I know that the pix show my fingers a little red, but that's just the pix. Red and green are color opposites, and tend to bring each other out in my pix!

I used images from 4 different plates for this mani - Maybelline Bold Gold to make dollar signs from Shany 09; smoke I stamped using Essie No Place Like Chrome, OPI My Boyfriend Scales Walls and A-England Encore Margot on Shany 11; sunglasses and moustaches in Essie No Place Like Chrome and Maybelline Bold Gold on Winstonia W109, and I used Butter London Keks and a little glitter with Mash 48 to simulate chemical molecules.. and blue ice.

Have you figured out what the show is yet?

Bottle shot:  Deborah Lippmann Hannah, Essie No Place Like Chrome, Maybelline Bold Gold, A-England Encore Margot, OPI My Boyfriend Scales Walls, Butter London Keks, and glitter from Julep.

The show is Breaking Bad! I'm only through the first two seasons, so no spoilers, please! Did you guess correctly?

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!