Indie Blue and Grey

I have been, as you may know, bitten badly by the Indie bug.  I love them.  I have enough glitter to wear from head-to-toe, and yet, there are combinations out there I still want to have. 

This Flormar 99 is a beautiful electric blue, but I wish I hadn't sent all the way to Bulgaria for it - there are plenty here in the US that are as nice.  It does have a nice shine, even without topcoat, though.

Does everyone have enough 'mermaid' or 'ocean' type glitters by now?  I have bought my share, and I think the key is to find the right combination for you.  Some have more teal, some more royal blue, some silver.  Elixir Lacquer Kind of Connery is a beautiful combination of blue, silver, and aqua glitters in a blue tinted base.  The silver glitter also flashes black, which gives it a dark depth that I really like.

From deep blue seas to grey, rainy skies.  I started with a layer of Wet 'n Wild Rain Check, a translucent blue grey shimmer. 

I may not have drunk the Kool-aid of the white base with glitter group, but I am loving the grey bases with glitter. Tough As Nails Lacquer It's All Over Now is a light grey base with silver, lavender, purple, and blue glitter.  

I made a jelly sandwich with another very thin layer of Rain Check - you can just barely see the blue shimmer on my middle finger.

Are you more partial to deep ocean glitter or rainy skies glitter?

Taupe and Mauve

Today's taupe is a mushroomy-brown with a golden shimmer from L'oreal called Brit Invasion.  If you read the numerous reviews on the beauty blogs about this polish, there are the lovers and the 'meh's.  I'm a lover.  I dig brown, and I dig the golden shimmer.

Gorgeous as it is, I can't sometimes help myself and add a little more.  I thought that Mattese Elite Je' Taime would add to the golden glow, but it pert much took over!  I'm sure with another coat, it would be opaque. 

I love brown and gold together, and this brown-taupe provides such a lovely backdrop for the golden glittery holo goodness of Je' Taime.

Today's mauve starts out with a color I would expect to be a deep brown from the name.  Sally Hansen Insta-Dry in Expresso is either the coffee spelled wrong, or just a cruel trick.  Exmauvo is dumb name, though, so I'll stick with Expresso.

Not that this glitter needed much of an undie.  NOPI Just Busta Mauve is pretty opaque.  I love how all the micro-glitters just mesh right together.  It's mostly mauve, with some glitters in pink and BLUE.  Blue?  Totally unexpected, and yet, it works. 

Are you team Taupe or team Mauve?  Me, I like them both... and I like saying taupe and mauve, too.  Taupe... Mauve...

Beauty Blog Coalition Roundup - Labor Day edition

• Looking for the perfect staple for your fall makeup routine? Making Up the Midwest recommends Maybelline's new limited edition quads in Cozy Cashmere and Olive Martini!
• Autumn will be here soon, what will you be wearing on your nails? Midnight Manicures suggest Jessica's Spicy Dream Collection!
• Retrodiva's Beauty creates a fun smoky eye look with the Rimmel Glam'Eyes HD quad in Black Cab.
• Blushing Noir shows you how to use the new Make Up For Ever Black Tango Palette to create three sultry looks!
• BeautyTidbits reviews the freshly baked new delicious skincare line: Sweets For Feet and gives you a chance to try it out too. Enter to win!
• Want a soft, feminine, but still bright look inspired by Princess Zelda? Check out Nancy's re-done look inspired by the ever-graceful Hyrule princess!
• Laura from My Newest Addiction Beauty Blog agrees that the August 2012 US GlossyBox is filled with "Pure Luxury".
• Phyrra taps into her Fun side with the bright Urban Decay Holiday 2012 Fun Palette.
• The candy apple red of Cult Nails Evil Queen is a favorite now of Confessions of a Sarcastic Mom!
• CEO/Supernodel/Actress/Wife/Mommy: Josie Maran proves that women can have it all! Read an exclusive interview conducted by Mama Fashionista!
• Always on the hunt for foundation that reflects the perfect balance between matte and radiant, The Beauty Professor shares her feelings on Givenchy's newest base, Eclat Matissime!
• Fact:TheFabZilla's mineral makeups are all in powder form. While she likes the effect,she hates the messy application. Will purminerals 4-in-1 pressed mineral makeup be the answer to her need?
• Calling all Mallynistas or future Mallynistas, Beauty Info Zone wants you to see the beauty of the Plum Chelsea Citychick Smokey Eye palette.
• Mina Slater tamed her wavy, frizzy hair with nuNAAT Ultra Keratin Touch. Head over to Fabulous Awesomeness for her review, photos and a chance to win an at home Brazilian keratin kit for yourself!
• Angela from Lipgloss Break tries out a Np2 nail polish set.
• How your skin looks is partially due to genetics, but what if you could also find a product under $40.00 that claims to make you look ten years younger, in just four weeks? It isn’t science fiction, it’s here now. Alison Blackman of The Advice Sisters, reports!
• Sarah from Scottish Beauty Blog is feeling like an extra in a sci-fi show and it's down to the latest IPL Collagen Booster treatment - it's life Jim but not as we know it.
• Janelle at the Glamorous Mama shares a lip stain that lasts. She has the new Aqua Rouge iconic red to show you.
• Gia of Bottles and Bottles of Polish doesn't always wear purple polish, but when she does, its China Glaze Grape Crush. Check out her pictures and find out what polish you can easily get your hands on as an alternative!
• Looking for the ultimate gentle cleanser that deeply cleans, hydrates and nourishes? Lola's Secret Beauty Blog has discovered that Sponge Gel Katharistiko is the ultimately Holy Grail cleanser, and a true Greek Masterpiece.
• Hello Dollface wants you to care for your sensitive skin with Aveeno!
• It's raining makeup! Not really, but you could win the Urban Decay Naked 2 palette from Cosmetics Aficionado.
• Polarbelle finds the 3d-ish awesomeness of Layla Cosmetic's The Butterfly Effect completely mesmerizing.
• Long-wearing lipstick has come a long way! Sheila from Painted Ladies introduces you to the new Opaque Rouge Lipsticks by Hourglass.
• Miss L from Beauty by Miss L shares her thoughts about The Body Shop Rainforest Radiance shampoo and conditioner that worked very well on her highlighted hair.
  
• It is Giveaway Time on Pammy Blogs Beauty! Enter to win a "Try Me!" Pack from the new plant-based skincare line from Freeman Beauty: Eclos!
• Stephanie Louise- All Things Beautiful shows off NatureBox, a new foodie subscription service devoted to healthy snacking! Plus...a GIVEAWAY!
• Midnight Manicures reviews the new scünci flower bendi clip. Come check out the latest in hair accessories and enter the scünci giveaway too!
• Oh So Lacquered is obssesed over Kiss the Sky by a new indie brand, Takko Lacquer. It is a purple, shimmering, duochrome dream come true!
• Connie from Mimi's Mani's shows some Zoya love with Salma.
• What's the big news about glue? Nobody is sniffing it, they're using it on their nails! Nidia of Lit From Within does three experiments with glue and glitter. Find out which one wrecked her nails, and which one worked like a charm!
• Get the deets on some cute teal picks and how to share YOUR Teal Toes with BeautyJudy readers during September/Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month!
• Luminous Lacquer shares her first weeks results with Invicible Scars Advanced Scar Therapy.

Floam and Sand Art

When I couldn't get a bottle of Floam for love nor money, it was said that Pretty and Polished Sand Art was a similar polish, so I snagged one of those.  Later on, after everyone else bought a bottle of Floam, I got one, too!

I layered both of them over a polish brand that is new to me, but was great - Black Radiance B-Girl.  This is a gorgeous teal, nice formula, and inexpensive. 

Which of these is not like the other, which of these is not the same?

Yep, Sand Art is on all the fingers except the ring finger, which is wearing Floam.  They are cousins, but not dupes.  Sand Art is a little darker, and has those lovely pink and purple glitters that Floam lacks.

I reversed them on the other hand.  Everything is Floam, except the ring finger.  I love this look.  It's like one of those hidden picture games - no one would know I have different colors on unless I told them, but *I* would know.  lol!

 That microglitter is the bomb-diggity.  I love it!

 I added some NYC topcoat for shine:

 And, then, I matted it.  Which do you like better?

What's your vote? Sand Art or Floam? Shiny or matte?

Sunday Stamping - Forever a Student

This week, our challenge was to post a mani that featured a technique learned from being in this group.  I can't say for sure who I learned this from, but I have a sneaking suspicion it was Jackie from Mema's Manis.  I love her stamping manis, and she does a lot of beautiful stamping over gradients.

All the colors in the gradient are Revlon Colorstay. I started with Calla Lilly - a sheer white with a golden shimmer.  I liked it so much, I finished the mani with it, too.  The middle color is Coastal Surf, and the purple is Amethyst.  I love the formulas on all of these, and the colors are so pretty and cheerful.

The black stamping is done with Sinful Colors Black on Black.  Maybe, just maybe, I'm getting a little better at this stamping thing...  I still need a lot of work, though.  Not to mention my gradients need some help, too!  Practice, practice, practice. 

Have you taken a cue from one of the nail masters and tried a new technique? 

Summer's last hurrah - Sassy Saturday

On the first Saturday of the month, Shelly's Sassy Nails holds a nail art competition, and this month's theme is dots.  I did this mani using neons ONE LAST TIME... well, probably.  I really am ready for fall colors, even though we don't really get a 'Fall' here in Florida.

I started with a yellow I really like - Jessica Banana Peel.  Great formula for a yellow, and so pale and lovely.

I had a box of no-name Claire's neon glitter polish and I just started making dots.  Feels like a carnival!

 I really loved this, and it was perfect for a last hurrah for neons. 

 Have you sent away your summer colors yet?  Do you wear any color at any time of year?

Avon and Glitter II

MOAR AVON!

Today, the colors are a little on the lighter, earthy side.  The first color is a peachy-nude called Golden Sand.

I decided to use it as an accent color along with Venus, a frosty champagne.  These are a little more sheer, and even after 2 coats, I still had a little VNL under Golden Sand.  The frost in Venus camouflaged it for the most part.

I covered the whole thumb nail and parts of the other nails with Tokidoki Savana, a golden glitter with some holo microglitter.  I like how it blends right into Venus, but compliments Golden Sand and brings out the orange in it.

Again, I had problems with the drying time on these.  Hours later, I pushed all the polish off my nails with my thumb.  Perhaps these *need* a fast-dry topcoat, because I didn't use one.

 Last, a polish from Avon's Speed Dry line, Mink.

Mink is a cool-toned brown with a shimmer.  I really like this color, and best of all, it lived up to the Speed Dry name.  This polish dried fast and looked great.  I will definitely buy more colors from that line.

The Kleancolor glitter I paired it with turned out to be more full-coverage than I thought.  Sometimes, it's hard to tell with Kleancolor - usually their glitters are so thick and heavy on the base.  The holo and microglitters are fantastic, and so was this one.  The label on the bottom said it was Metallic Black, but the label on the handle said it was called Go Bunny.  I'm pretty sure it's not black.

Do you like Avon polishes?  I bought all of these when they were on sale or clearance, around $2-$3.50 a bottle.