tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13429231299199521372024-02-19T03:08:16.782+00:00Fixin To FaffAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03559349153399989266noreply@blogger.comBlogger384125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1342923129919952137.post-80526898245152018152015-11-10T10:00:00.000+00:002015-11-10T10:00:00.943+00:00Pink Zebra Nail Art for NET Cancer Awareness DayHey y'all!<br />
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Long time, no faff, eh? As I stated in my last post back in June, things have been pretty busy for me trying to start up my own nail technician business. I can report that things are moving along, perhaps a little slower than I'd like, but forward motion is progress nonetheless. I've been throwing my energies into advertisement and getting my name out there, as well as training on new techniques and treatments to add to my services list. But, enough about me, because I haven't come out of my cave just to give you an update on what's going on inside it. Today, I wanted to share with you a nail art look I created in response to a call for action from one of my blogger buddies and all-around neat chick, Emma from <a href="http://www.emslittlecorner.com/" target="_blank">Em's Little Corner</a>. You see, last December, Emma's husband was diagnosed with a rare type of cancer, of which she'd never heard, called Neuroendocrine Tumors (NET). Because the symptoms of NET are similar to other conditions (and can therefore be misdiagnosed easily), the International Neuroendocrine Cancer Alliance has chosen the zebra ribbon to represent the cause - because when you hear hooves, you assume horses, but what if a zebra comes along? The INCA wants to spread awareness among medical professionals and the general public to think zebra when it comes to screening illnesses.<br />
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To that end, a few of us nail blogger types are participating in a pink zebra mani linkup to help spread awareness of this overlooked condition today, which is NET Cancer Awareness Day.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuDIQU0F8ScVJbSxh1DllihQBG5rXtJcPA1qI9PaYuxwT30RKCQ0mim4dpZsbfo1coZKH-8Q75C7ipbYQzgg-qv1ljXn7CPUqLmTYyO8Eq8nfALADmCuzEYLexhHWJwfn403nkjh-SSmxS/s1600/pink-zebra-net-cancer-awareness-nail-art-501.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Pink zebra nail art in support of NET Cancer Awareness Day." border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuDIQU0F8ScVJbSxh1DllihQBG5rXtJcPA1qI9PaYuxwT30RKCQ0mim4dpZsbfo1coZKH-8Q75C7ipbYQzgg-qv1ljXn7CPUqLmTYyO8Eq8nfALADmCuzEYLexhHWJwfn403nkjh-SSmxS/s400/pink-zebra-net-cancer-awareness-nail-art-501.JPG" title="Pink-zebra-nail-art-for-NET-cancer-awareness-day" width="400" /></a></div>
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In Emma's own words:<br />
"In my husband's case he was misdiagnosed with
assumptions of IBS and diverticulitis,
plus a haemangioma in his liver. This was over a timescale of seven
years. It was only when he was hospitalised twice last year that one
consultant thought zebra and had three second opinions of a scan that
the diagnosis was made and realisation that it had spread from his large
bowel to his liver. Two surgeries later the outlook is more positive,
although some is still in there and inoperable; it could be many years
before he has any issues because of how slow it grows. NETs are often
curable if caught early."<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrqaJvqXEZsN10C2iLKCbnXvbiF22aNtKhidzrsxLb-wxZ7uQGyU5fFwXHoCIf0rUBConoR1GTmWmQjq7DpeQAtSc8SQ8em7kvUspJ1ACyMR6jI71TC67QsDrhbmm5W1H2H1bMXPKO094T/s1600/pink-zebra-net-cancer-awareness-nail-art-401.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Pink zebra nail art in support of NET Cancer Awareness Day." border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrqaJvqXEZsN10C2iLKCbnXvbiF22aNtKhidzrsxLb-wxZ7uQGyU5fFwXHoCIf0rUBConoR1GTmWmQjq7DpeQAtSc8SQ8em7kvUspJ1ACyMR6jI71TC67QsDrhbmm5W1H2H1bMXPKO094T/s400/pink-zebra-net-cancer-awareness-nail-art-401.JPG" title="Pink-zebra-nail-art-for-NET-cancer-awareness-day" width="400" /></a></div>
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Although not the focus of the post, I'll give you a few quick details about the nail art look I've created for this linkup. I started with two coats of Madam Glam white gel polish, curing each layer for 2 minutes under my UV lamp. I then stamped a zebra pattern from the Apipila Super Placa A onto my ring finger, which I then sealed under a coat of UV gel (more on this later). I then added a coat of Models Own Chrome Cerise to my thumb and stamped the zebra pattern over top with Konad black. On my index and pinky fingers, I added two coats of Seche Blackened Burgundy, and secured pink swarovski crystals into the topcoat. On my middle finger, I added one coat of OPI Pinking of You and then dipped the finger into a pot of my own custom pink glitter mix while the polish was still wet. While it was setting, I did three coats of Pinking of You over the ring finger. When full opacity was achieved, I then took a cleanup brush dipped in polish remover and carved out the ribbon design. Because I sealed the stamping under UV gel, I was able to protect the zebra pattern from the polish remover and reveal the hidden design!<br />
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I hope today's post has encouraged you to seek out more information about NET cancer so that you'll be more prepared should that zebra come by one day in the future. For more information about NET Cancer, the INCA, or how you can help to spread awareness, please visit <a href="http://netcancerday.org/learn-more/" target="_blank">http://<wbr></wbr>netcancerday.org<wbr></wbr>/learn-more/</a>.<br />
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Additionally, please take a moment to peruse the gallery below for other pink zebra manis and hop over to visit some of my nail blogger buddies in the process.<br />
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<a href="http://www.inlinkz.com/new/view.php?id=579029" rel="nofollow" title="click to view in an external page.">An InLinkz Link-up</a></div>
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I hope to be able to come back and visit with you all at least once more before the holidays, but if I'm unable, I wish you all the best during the upcoming holidays and into 2016.<br />
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Thanks for stopping in! Be well, and be safe.<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03559349153399989266noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1342923129919952137.post-59115975080370128892015-06-15T10:00:00.000+01:002015-06-15T11:03:18.633+01:00Life update and exciting news!Hey y'all!<br />
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Today's post is just a little update for you, to let you know what's been going on around the Faffdom. After some pretty intense encouragement from my instructor, I started testing the waters for any nail tech positions going here in my little town. As it turns out, a spa owner was looking to bring in a nail tech, and thus began a bit of a whirlwind process.<br />
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After a brief phone interview, I had to go in to perform a trade test. Basically that just means that I need to perform a service so the potential employer knows that I know what I'm doing. I also had to provide my certifications and we chatted while I did both acrylic and hard gel sculpted extensions for her. She is a lovely woman, originally from the Ukraine, and she took over the space not long before I moved to the UK, coincidentally. She works there alone (until now!) and primarily her treatments are for massage and skin and body treatments. She confessed to me that although she had been doing gel polish and manicures and pedicures, she actually doesn't like doing nails and would prefer doing her other treatments, which is why she was so happy that I had inquired about a nail tech position there. <br />
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We got on really well, and ultimately this "interview" resulted in her offering to rent me the nail station in her spa. This is pretty standard in the nail industry, because of course, it's a lower liability for the salon owner and the nail tech (or hairdresser, beautician, etc.) is paid based on their volume rather than hourly. I accepted, and this set off the busiest two weeks I've spent since moving to the UK.<br />
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First off, I had to start making lists. Lists of things to purchase (product, tools, etc.). Although my kit is already pretty extensive, I knew I was going to need a few products of better (read: not e-Bay) quality to service paying clients. I also had lists of things that had to be done - immediately, soon, and long-term. I had to get public liability insurance pretty much first thing, for obvious reasons. Then hubs and I started making all the other lists of things to do. Whereas I've been focusing on creating documents (like price lists and business cards and other things I'll need for the day-to-day business), he's been focused on taking care of the financials and the government requirements (registering as a sole trader, researching tax and VAT, etc.). I'm very lucky to have married a man who is good with money and understands business, or else I would be in way over my depth with the sheer volume of things to do. <br />
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Ultimately, we're on schedule and will be ready for me to begin taking clients as of June 26, less than 2 weeks away! I still have a lot to do, of course, but with the lion's share of the pre-emptive work already completed, I'm confident that we'll be ready to do business. The only real question now is whether I'll be able to get clients to my station, and keep them coming back. I do have a bit of self-doubt whispering at the back of my brain, which I'm sure will only get louder as the day approaches, but I'm committed to keeping those voices at bay and focus on doing the work I enjoy.<br />
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For the time being, I've pulled out of all my blogging nail art commitments (challenges, etc.) although I do have products to review coming in so I will continue doing those. I'm hoping at least some of my clients will be in favor of letting me photograph and share their nails here with you as well as on the business' social media. I'm working with a designer to create a business logo for me, and as soon as that's ready, I'll be announcing my business pages so you can keep track of me there, should you be so inclined.<br />
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I want to thank you all for the wonderful messages of support and encouragement I've received. You guys are a huge part of what has pushed me to turn my hobby into a career, and I can honestly say that I probably would not have gotten to this exciting point in my life without the incredible feedback I've received on my nail art.<br />
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To close out, I thought I'd share a few pics of some of the acrylic nail art I've been practicing. A few of these have already appeared in my IG feed, but there's a few never-before-seen nails in here as well. Enjoy!<br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">My first attempt at 3D sculpting</span></b></div>
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<a href="https://igcdn-photos-d-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-xpf1/t51.2885-15/11203427_975938532418843_295138849_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://igcdn-photos-d-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-xpf1/t51.2885-15/11203427_975938532418843_295138849_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Attempted 3D bluebonnets (and brown-eyed susan on the side)</span></b></div>
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<a href="https://igcdn-photos-f-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-xap1/t51.2885-15/11208363_451832588326069_181313511_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://igcdn-photos-f-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-xap1/t51.2885-15/11208363_451832588326069_181313511_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Glitter nail with a 3D flower on top</span></b></div>
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<a href="https://igcdn-photos-b-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-xfa1/t51.2885-15/11230514_456078617900569_537662576_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://igcdn-photos-b-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-xfa1/t51.2885-15/11230514_456078617900569_537662576_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Evolution of my glitter mix</span></b></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO2L9BxUmbgrrU-sdh8M219GPXb9uGZt2NFO8hSGyC96RZN0TOpB5HmuLS5e9uScOykNvR8xJF7PzdJHblYHAMpfi26c_18mObmtlv99pLIZkgzW4myxsqZneJMvoEjowEJos2fUFoOPfn/s1600/20150614_144414.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO2L9BxUmbgrrU-sdh8M219GPXb9uGZt2NFO8hSGyC96RZN0TOpB5HmuLS5e9uScOykNvR8xJF7PzdJHblYHAMpfi26c_18mObmtlv99pLIZkgzW4myxsqZneJMvoEjowEJos2fUFoOPfn/s320/20150614_144414.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On the right is my own cover pink mix with the original silver glitter mix. On the left is Naio Natural Beige Cover and the latest version of the glitter mix. I may still tweak it further - haven't decided.</td></tr>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">My first two-tone rose, over a pink & white</span></b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_MJhsCtwFzugDOIsz2CkhOwzf2la96yKuIAMOnQqGk2vwcmz4xWy7LY7EZiwV1kXzj7gJA6TA39QiDrUFsGycZpSJ2p-raW1Me-CtD3WK57ErwVUbd0GTEFvcOii0vvEFBX3kmVZ2auI2/s1600/20150614_144449.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_MJhsCtwFzugDOIsz2CkhOwzf2la96yKuIAMOnQqGk2vwcmz4xWy7LY7EZiwV1kXzj7gJA6TA39QiDrUFsGycZpSJ2p-raW1Me-CtD3WK57ErwVUbd0GTEFvcOii0vvEFBX3kmVZ2auI2/s320/20150614_144449.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">My cover pink mix on the tip, clear pink mix on the nail bed (the practice nail is beige so it looks brown)</span></b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHffVmWNMlu0rpv7ijoTKgafaD59VW4RDF5cFoeKxOpfB2KStkS2ZzwGLJ2pey5FEPC-hFzacL0G4ctW3oIxRlOZxogTDD1KrurIY2dwtruyD9SGHLS_VjDBb1G6mSvnd1l0b9jlsl5gFm/s1600/20150614_144508.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHffVmWNMlu0rpv7ijoTKgafaD59VW4RDF5cFoeKxOpfB2KStkS2ZzwGLJ2pey5FEPC-hFzacL0G4ctW3oIxRlOZxogTDD1KrurIY2dwtruyD9SGHLS_VjDBb1G6mSvnd1l0b9jlsl5gFm/s320/20150614_144508.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>My first encapsulated flower - rough attempt at a sunflower</b></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZClybyTUSaX5tQNnuISb_I0ZEhyphenhyphenBRntJBUrNZB57Zzd2CCMyevPwOj7rUy2bxiYZb7Qwp3PltHpmTeIyMOis05POwtqAPARCYQO5QwSmQCYjoc4bjwbyH05w-iGTnhMqUHqfmN97W2kuB/s1600/20150614_144539.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZClybyTUSaX5tQNnuISb_I0ZEhyphenhyphenBRntJBUrNZB57Zzd2CCMyevPwOj7rUy2bxiYZb7Qwp3PltHpmTeIyMOis05POwtqAPARCYQO5QwSmQCYjoc4bjwbyH05w-iGTnhMqUHqfmN97W2kuB/s320/20150614_144539.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>Sort of a galaxy using gel polishes and glitters/flakies/pigments</b></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTqF1y5NWomKC6dqcO7jVkKzmn_7evBLLc_yWAG_sN3u2idlBXd1m0Ig0F46qBwLKCe1V8ozI-8M37jB3ASz8UtPYPclzcKDt5IKzwcqaMDJEFPawu7GqOp9_gUDGril9Qlnq0MkEcAEfy/s1600/20150614_144557.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTqF1y5NWomKC6dqcO7jVkKzmn_7evBLLc_yWAG_sN3u2idlBXd1m0Ig0F46qBwLKCe1V8ozI-8M37jB3ASz8UtPYPclzcKDt5IKzwcqaMDJEFPawu7GqOp9_gUDGril9Qlnq0MkEcAEfy/s320/20150614_144557.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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I hope you're all well and safe. Hope to see you soon!<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03559349153399989266noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1342923129919952137.post-77645894637280863742015-05-27T10:00:00.001+01:002015-05-27T10:00:06.689+01:00Gothic Black and Fuchsia Nail Art - WIDWHey y'all!<br />
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So uhm... it's been a while. My bad. I had a rough month, and to be honest, I'm not sure I still have the blogging spark that I used to have. I'm hoping that some time off will ease that and help me get back in the groove, but at this point I'm not going to make any promises to you or to myself. Mostly this month has been consumed with me practicing my acrylic sculpting, going to the BeautyUK show in Birmingham to pick up some goodies for said acrylic practice, earning my certificates for hard gels, gel polish, and a few other nail procedures, and trying to clear out some old stuff from the house to make a little money and make space. I'm also considering going into practice as a mobile nail tech, unless I can find a suitable position in a nearby salon first, so I am seeing my available free time starting to shrivel up and frankly that's what kept me blogging for the past 2 years (having a lot of time on my hands). In any event... I have a few posts to finish off this month and the first of those is this WIDW look with <a href="http://fixintofaff.blogspot.co.uk/2015/04/hey-swatch-it-sinful-shine-royal-flush.html" target="_blank">Sinful Shine's <b>Royal Flush</b></a> - a gothic black and fuchsia look with studs.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm0Wc0sQ7MHPWcd9jHXWr1yU8F4FSyLNJwq4grk62Ikcg5_bWpexhMseiAlGnAtTBRpIOEp1dc4h6wlSDKLiPZiMXCblYa9WVnuN_g3MGrMoVgK0NGgJe-D91Hdm869HmDEfM7DBjJ5hzr/s1600/gothic-fuchsia-black-nail-art-501.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Gothic black and fuchsia nail art." border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm0Wc0sQ7MHPWcd9jHXWr1yU8F4FSyLNJwq4grk62Ikcg5_bWpexhMseiAlGnAtTBRpIOEp1dc4h6wlSDKLiPZiMXCblYa9WVnuN_g3MGrMoVgK0NGgJe-D91Hdm869HmDEfM7DBjJ5hzr/s400/gothic-fuchsia-black-nail-art-501.JPG" title="Gothic black and fuchsia nail art." width="400" /></a></div>
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Unsurprisingly, this look started with a base of <b>Royal Flush</b> on all nails. I then added two coats of Nail Pattern Boldness <b>Covetous </b>on the ring nail and thumb, then set these small black circular studs into a cross pattern on top, before sealing it in with SV.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSgrZThFZ5T8UnrcY0FQTkjlUbdDX1AJ0Uj0PkP4y5db88NyqYX1pVIOim7qnxSFkTwqmck3T4fe0lJdHuauIDk1eqA2N3orx5EuHLsNXM0LnTnSoV5XBYBFQDSo1-eK72zOj3GeZQsyEK/s1600/gothic-fuchsia-black-nail-art-401.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Gothic black and fuchsia nail art." border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSgrZThFZ5T8UnrcY0FQTkjlUbdDX1AJ0Uj0PkP4y5db88NyqYX1pVIOim7qnxSFkTwqmck3T4fe0lJdHuauIDk1eqA2N3orx5EuHLsNXM0LnTnSoV5XBYBFQDSo1-eK72zOj3GeZQsyEK/s400/gothic-fuchsia-black-nail-art-401.JPG" title="Gothic black and fuchsia nail art." width="400" /></a></div>
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On the other nails, I added a thin V-tip with Sally Hansen <b>Black Out</b>, and topped those off with a black stud in the center of the nail. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj252Y6_mhHG_8ijkFgmHplqK4ZthCRjSjkigXSjmJWgEalqs0YlhK7cGsN6K5Y1NPD97DjPxr3foHvndMKLReHLCo9gRjEQn7_a1FxpLpb9et9PsNJi97vPBzQ5n001Rm6cn20MI-Ym2Bd/s1600/gothic-fuchsia-black-nail-art-402.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Gothic black and fuchsia nail art." border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj252Y6_mhHG_8ijkFgmHplqK4ZthCRjSjkigXSjmJWgEalqs0YlhK7cGsN6K5Y1NPD97DjPxr3foHvndMKLReHLCo9gRjEQn7_a1FxpLpb9et9PsNJi97vPBzQ5n001Rm6cn20MI-Ym2Bd/s400/gothic-fuchsia-black-nail-art-402.JPG" title="Gothic black and fuchsia nail art." width="400" /></a></div>
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Because <b>Covetous </b>is so hard to capture in pictures, I thought I'd add a few macros so you can see all the yumminess inside. This is a polish that I will eventually give it's own dedicated swatch post, but it's so pretty that I've been unable to stop myself from using it for <a href="http://fixintofaff.blogspot.co.uk/2014/09/avast-ye-bilge-rats-pirate-nail-art_17.html" target="_blank">nail art</a>. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx9ksRtKFHLIZZL2HE0PyaziGIAYTttoWWFlhjl4E57bKkJvdojnx91Ul6IUFUt0xj7_xFY5zuuQ_HzzpAAgzuj2kWumpkhAEJ8_LaxyyGTT2m3i8UijwnNQZEl3gSbMI5YhqQDv6SDY1b/s1600/gothic-fuchsia-black-nail-art-macro-01.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Gothic black and fuchsia nail art." border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx9ksRtKFHLIZZL2HE0PyaziGIAYTttoWWFlhjl4E57bKkJvdojnx91Ul6IUFUt0xj7_xFY5zuuQ_HzzpAAgzuj2kWumpkhAEJ8_LaxyyGTT2m3i8UijwnNQZEl3gSbMI5YhqQDv6SDY1b/s320/gothic-fuchsia-black-nail-art-macro-01.JPG" title="Gothic black and fuchsia nail art." width="320" /></a>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzLILoaEBvqc8xdig3tTUqpmNikj_rp5XX8rDOthXXONhsEEfzwXuw3WfhVW1B7O41S240msI0LW96mM0JSDNyckPDFbV17_U_amLM0qzgAyBE47IZcSeTNQTFSLvZwBA370g5mbmp6ce8/s1600/gothic-fuchsia-black-nail-art-macro-02.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Gothic black and fuchsia nail art." border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzLILoaEBvqc8xdig3tTUqpmNikj_rp5XX8rDOthXXONhsEEfzwXuw3WfhVW1B7O41S240msI0LW96mM0JSDNyckPDFbV17_U_amLM0qzgAyBE47IZcSeTNQTFSLvZwBA370g5mbmp6ce8/s320/gothic-fuchsia-black-nail-art-macro-02.JPG" title="Gothic black and fuchsia nail art." width="320" /></a></div>
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Hope you're all doing well, and for my folks back home in Texas, stay dry, stay warm, and for heaven's sake, TURN AROUND, DON'T DROWN! <br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03559349153399989266noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1342923129919952137.post-41136854547899194532015-04-25T10:00:00.000+01:002015-04-25T10:00:00.993+01:00Hey, Swatch It! Sinful Shine Royal FlushHey y'all!<br />
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Today I have a quickie swatch post for you, showing off one of the polishes I picked up at half price (making it only $1) while we were on holiday in the States. This is Sinful Shine <b>Royal Flush</b>. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPH3qjDLRa1Xej7m4JKRkGCYJ1n3ArQw2tg7FYhtnxxWqghZsn7kG4vQs3Oi4Ts-P06BRG6s6BGbYJSnnf31ZiWrGd-0RTCKaIOx8rKsvjMz6qmrn9gGfrOjfO2YASo21nQ0JNXsfRkN8h/s1600/sinful-shine-royal-flush-swatch-401.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Swatch and review of Sinful Shine Royal Flush." border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPH3qjDLRa1Xej7m4JKRkGCYJ1n3ArQw2tg7FYhtnxxWqghZsn7kG4vQs3Oi4Ts-P06BRG6s6BGbYJSnnf31ZiWrGd-0RTCKaIOx8rKsvjMz6qmrn9gGfrOjfO2YASo21nQ0JNXsfRkN8h/s1600/sinful-shine-royal-flush-swatch-401.JPG" height="400" title="Swatch and review of Sinful Shine Royal Flush." width="400" /></a></div>
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This beautiful, deep, dark fuchsia creme was opaque in one coat and, true to the name, totally shiny, even without top coat. Saying that, these pics show one coat of <b>Royal Flush</b>, with no top coat. Total opacity like this makes it a prime contender for stamping, so I'm sure I'll be testing that out shortly. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3Mjb1sIneO-w5-kY1PAuTkUxiyzss7fSR8_CLtK-v29HVFXW-tK-C5OmTUnrby9traNwnHUP11mebz28Mjyb12wvcz5NvJZ8LInsZnll-segXryGDIrhqc2eSrSxkkjR1K6hyQ3DWBoWW/s1600/sinful-shine-royal-flush-swatch-402.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Swatch and review of Sinful Shine Royal Flush." border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3Mjb1sIneO-w5-kY1PAuTkUxiyzss7fSR8_CLtK-v29HVFXW-tK-C5OmTUnrby9traNwnHUP11mebz28Mjyb12wvcz5NvJZ8LInsZnll-segXryGDIrhqc2eSrSxkkjR1K6hyQ3DWBoWW/s1600/sinful-shine-royal-flush-swatch-402.JPG" height="400" title="Swatch and review of Sinful Shine Royal Flush." width="400" /></a></div>
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It's polishes like this that make me so very sad that Sinful pulled out of Boots in the UK, so we'll never even see any of the Sinful Shine colors. We can still find a few of the regular Sinful Colors line in pound stores, but those are all very old shades and, to be honest, the latest ones that I've found had started glooping up so I wasn't keen. I'm very lucky that I'm able to shop the transAtlantic divide, but it still sucks. Hey, Sinful Colors, you know who likes pretty, opaque, shiny nail polish? British girls! F'kers.<br />
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I have a quick update for you regarding May's posting schedule. I've been running MWFS pretty well, but I have just put down a deposit to attend another nail tech course which will run for a week in May, and since I'm not sure what the state of my nails will become, I will be trying to pre-schedule as many posts as possible before I step into the classroom again. Additionally, I am going to attempt to start filming tutorials in my new space downstairs this weekend, with the goal of posting videos on Mondays instead of nail art. That said, I think I'm going to drop Friday from my schedule next month and combine WIDW with the NCC prompts at least for the next month or so, or until I fall into a new pattern that I can manage. <br />
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Are you confused yet? Me too. Okay, so my plan is to transition to doing video Mondays, NCC/WIDW on Wednesdays, and Swatch It Saturdays for the next month-<i>ish</i>. I have a small handful of planned videos in my pocket to work on, but if you have any requests, now is the time to get them in, nice and early! <br />
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Hope you're all having a great weekend, and I'll see ya soon!<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03559349153399989266noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1342923129919952137.post-1404732512947104592015-04-24T10:00:00.000+01:002015-04-24T18:38:35.114+01:00Doctor Crafty's Green and Orange Abstract - NCC RecreationsHey y'all!<br />
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It's finally Friday! This makes for exciting news for most of the us, and today I'm excited to be able to bring you my final recreation for this month's Nail Challenge Collaborative theme, celebrating 3 years of nail art goodness. Today I've decided to recreate <a href="https://doctorcrafty.wordpress.com/2014/09/15/green-and-orange-abstract-mani-september-ncc-3/" target="_blank">Doctor Crafty's Green and Orange Abstract Geometric</a> nail art, which I thought was a really unique and colorful, fun look.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8iZcw0anrZ6Q5055YSJU-CmBSaQkq-k9saLJSfySD4B7DNeurmpRMX1DcWvotR8mfsBwnMwuCmLFhND8e5gMa8aaYH-pSyPkDifZfViuIFxisrO4pfVEZtZW_Mlmhduu9SqzFypZOOnIi/s1600/green-orange-geometric-abstract-nail-art-ncc-recreation-501.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Freehand recreation of Doctor Crafty's Green and Orange Abstract geometric nail art." border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8iZcw0anrZ6Q5055YSJU-CmBSaQkq-k9saLJSfySD4B7DNeurmpRMX1DcWvotR8mfsBwnMwuCmLFhND8e5gMa8aaYH-pSyPkDifZfViuIFxisrO4pfVEZtZW_Mlmhduu9SqzFypZOOnIi/s1600/green-orange-geometric-abstract-nail-art-ncc-recreation-501.JPG" height="400" title="Freehand recreation of Doctor Crafty's Green and Orange Abstract geometric nail art." width="400" /></a></div>
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Whereas I didn't have, well, ANY of the polishes that Nicole used to create this look, I got as close as I could and went from there.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghomJXAGLpYI7QMgrtvvGt0OI1KRqw8fPyeQZFyqCcsK6Lq18KE1JLaqqY2gPDdD32ta2U7OQdyBjEEgS0GfmlptCEwN4tuHmE8UM7nOVCNTTKKQJiNMmjoheJHEhQUO9BWGSHIEzGtmbW/s1600/green-orange-geometric-abstract-nail-art-ncc-recreation-bottles.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghomJXAGLpYI7QMgrtvvGt0OI1KRqw8fPyeQZFyqCcsK6Lq18KE1JLaqqY2gPDdD32ta2U7OQdyBjEEgS0GfmlptCEwN4tuHmE8UM7nOVCNTTKKQJiNMmjoheJHEhQUO9BWGSHIEzGtmbW/s1600/green-orange-geometric-abstract-nail-art-ncc-recreation-bottles.JPG" height="290" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">L-R: Barry M <b>Mango</b>, ILNP <b>Mutagen</b>, Pure Ice <b>Superstar</b>!, Company Polish <b>Lana</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
As far as technique goes, I also don't have any chevron nail vinyls, so I pulled out a short striping brush and freehanded my geometrics as best I could. Starting with two coats of <b>Superstar!</b> on all nails, I applied the mint green blocks in <b>Lana </b>first.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbLNhOha1RHtN0uPXeme8i_Bb_Ifm5tf2jnZjTM9tExoPmznxwwsIsmOhKB70u2lVdRTAi7NyW_cklxYcsSmSllxVHI269KVjV8wpEKeHc-4FeBspwxG__WLauNsakPiHenQoQeFvXap7Q/s1600/green-orange-geometric-abstract-nail-art-ncc-recreation-402.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Freehand recreation of Doctor Crafty's Green and Orange Abstract geometric nail art." border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbLNhOha1RHtN0uPXeme8i_Bb_Ifm5tf2jnZjTM9tExoPmznxwwsIsmOhKB70u2lVdRTAi7NyW_cklxYcsSmSllxVHI269KVjV8wpEKeHc-4FeBspwxG__WLauNsakPiHenQoQeFvXap7Q/s1600/green-orange-geometric-abstract-nail-art-ncc-recreation-402.JPG" height="400" title="Freehand recreation of Doctor Crafty's Green and Orange Abstract geometric nail art." width="400" /></a></div>
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On the opposite side of each nail, I tried to replicate the exact reverse of the angles I'd created with <b>Mutagen</b>. I had a few fiddly bits that I cleaned up with <b>Superstar!</b> and a small detail brush. To finish, I added the dots of Mango with a dotting tool, and added top coat. My first choice for top coat was very, very wrong, which is why you can see the smearing on my pinky, so I flipped over to use KB Shimmer COT to finish glossing.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg86EsE8b89NkLueCelGRnJFgzfP8VsWwTNF8dpR18zkb8VawbrMz71HIEtqh9cQI_YDlhF0N5Cq3Z6L0yUMm-tkkJpaYfgmJASKoXXnMssI2Nst6djXK0rFNg2zLJVjZbVK-3fc8vWW2CU/s1600/green-orange-geometric-abstract-nail-art-ncc-recreation-401.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Freehand recreation of Doctor Crafty's Green and Orange Abstract geometric nail art." border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg86EsE8b89NkLueCelGRnJFgzfP8VsWwTNF8dpR18zkb8VawbrMz71HIEtqh9cQI_YDlhF0N5Cq3Z6L0yUMm-tkkJpaYfgmJASKoXXnMssI2Nst6djXK0rFNg2zLJVjZbVK-3fc8vWW2CU/s1600/green-orange-geometric-abstract-nail-art-ncc-recreation-401.JPG" height="400" title="Freehand recreation of Doctor Crafty's Green and Orange Abstract geometric nail art." width="400" /></a></div>
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I wasn't sure I liked these at first either, but after wearing them for a day, they've kind of grown on me.<br />
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For more of the final round of NCC member recreations, be sure to check out the inlinkz below.<br />
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<a href="http://new.inlinkz.com/luwpview.php?id=510384" rel="nofollow" title="click to view in an external page.">An InLinkz Link-up</a></div>
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Have a fantastic weekend, and I'll see ya tomorrow!<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03559349153399989266noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1342923129919952137.post-31741303596634470932015-04-22T10:00:00.000+01:002015-04-22T10:00:08.590+01:00Copper Chic - WIDWHey y'all!<br />
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I've had very little inspo for nail art lately - mostly because I've been having some pretty bad sinus crud and that's always fun to experience, talk about, and read about, so really we're all winners here! That said, my GP started me on a new antihistamine and a nasal steroid, so here's to hoping that my nose muscles get all ripped and hawt and appear on a nose fitness magazine cover soon... I think I lost the plot for a moment. Ah, yes. It's Wednesday, and that means it's time to find out What I Did (with it) - and by "it", I mean Saturday's <a href="http://fixintofaff.blogspot.co.uk/2015/04/hey-swatch-it-essie-sable-collar.html" target="_blank">swatch of Essie <b>Sable Collar</b></a>. Utilizing another Essie fan favorite, my favorite new stamping plate, and a couple of studs, I created this chic copper look.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1lPfiY5ysm_oH3urr_nay3LLrh6mRf1hKjIw8XBLMpICwGcH4n-4F5INoO8QOPV0tfXTHwDm7LL_KMANJ8TbYx6ZeQoTy-227Ooq-EcsuzN5NfpQCHxOHUiAyzOAHHvpR9SAT0ncl6UaK/s1600/copper-chic-widw-nail-art-501.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="A chic copper nail art over Essie Sable Collar." border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1lPfiY5ysm_oH3urr_nay3LLrh6mRf1hKjIw8XBLMpICwGcH4n-4F5INoO8QOPV0tfXTHwDm7LL_KMANJ8TbYx6ZeQoTy-227Ooq-EcsuzN5NfpQCHxOHUiAyzOAHHvpR9SAT0ncl6UaK/s1600/copper-chic-widw-nail-art-501.JPG" height="400" title="A chic copper nail art over Essie Sable Collar." width="400" /></a></div>
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As you would expect, I started this nail art with two coats of Essie <b>Sable Collar</b> - except I removed it from my ring finger and instead added a coat of Essie <b>Penny Talk</b>. I also pulled out two square metal studs and painted over them with <b>Sable Collar</b>. The original color was a bright blue and I have a whole wheel full of colored studs that I will likely not use in their original colors, so why not customize them to my needs? When the paint was dry, I attached them into a layer of SV over the nail and then sealed them in under another coat just for good measure.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvfdciM48kWNWMAQLoxAZN41qOD2O7HqVoMEs-Dkduh4bK478gOarcOChru1YJiqCKHwibBoBv85kULZjGFxvl2aJTGoQ-jhX04hpXbo7stDGKfmXrTJ2fUtB06uZ46TQKFAZF7uH9YleA/s1600/copper-chic-widw-nail-art-402.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="A chic copper nail art over Essie Sable Collar." border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvfdciM48kWNWMAQLoxAZN41qOD2O7HqVoMEs-Dkduh4bK478gOarcOChru1YJiqCKHwibBoBv85kULZjGFxvl2aJTGoQ-jhX04hpXbo7stDGKfmXrTJ2fUtB06uZ46TQKFAZF7uH9YleA/s1600/copper-chic-widw-nail-art-402.JPG" height="400" title="A chic copper nail art over Essie Sable Collar." width="400" /></a></div>
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My thumb and middle finger got the stamped treatment with this flowy abstract design from the Apipila Super Plate A. I *LOVE* this plate! Because <b>Penny Talk</b> is a true chrome/foil finish, it makes a great stamping polish as well - admittedly one of the reasons I even thought to put these two beauties together in one look.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXoDdeHIOOY1ExECxMalCLRS52KolMwM0MRrkHQWNsL_TS-5juNP7NPEOwjALUuCPK24bstgG1HT4eed_7sY-56VpyFekctSMeRLIpB2oEH-6WCF89p3-TCHVC-9nHG4JPIjCWa5qrlIkM/s1600/copper-chic-widw-nail-art-401.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="A chic copper nail art over Essie Sable Collar." border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXoDdeHIOOY1ExECxMalCLRS52KolMwM0MRrkHQWNsL_TS-5juNP7NPEOwjALUuCPK24bstgG1HT4eed_7sY-56VpyFekctSMeRLIpB2oEH-6WCF89p3-TCHVC-9nHG4JPIjCWa5qrlIkM/s1600/copper-chic-widw-nail-art-401.JPG" height="400" title="A chic copper nail art over Essie Sable Collar." width="400" /></a></div>
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So, that's what I did with this swatch session. I really loved these colors together, and I have to admit to being a little disappointed that no one who saw these nails commented on them... not even the many cashiers whose faces were deliberately waved as I brandished my membership cards or cash or credit card for payment. Not even the doctor who asked me to hold my nostril closed and breath out the other one, where of course I flourished my neatly manicured digits. I mean, seriously. What's a girl got to do to make people take less notice of her accent and more notice of her accent NAILS? <br />
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I hope all your nails are getting more real-life love than mine are, and I'll see ya Friday with my final NCC look for this month!<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03559349153399989266noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1342923129919952137.post-45058431662873640322015-04-20T10:00:00.000+01:002015-04-20T10:00:00.562+01:00Yichen UV Soak-Off Gel Polish SetHey y'all!<br />
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In the effort to expand my nail horizons, as it were, I've been experimenting with gel polish recently. To that end, I found a set of UV soak-off gel polishes on eBay recently, and thought I'd give you a little swatch and review of my experience with them. This polish set contained four solid color gel polishes plus a base primer and a top gel, and I paid about £20 for the set. I was initially a bit concerned that the listing didn't say what brand the product was, so it was only upon receipt that I discovered the brand is Yichen, which I've seen in listings for acrylics monomers and polymers in the past.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvLP_pB0PWKT6B240JcYG2Gs9tDoN250ve7K1RFHkfiSlLh7vMOiS9MWX2tQKWj6QAeOCRYc5_Lua5UpH1YXOFlEXZO0lTopZ-Y_r_9xYw6gFpPqx2pwzmtLXVgKQLQVVmcXpBFO8t9nhe/s1600/yichen-gel-polish-bottles.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Swatch and review of Yichen UV Soak-Off Gel Polish Set." border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvLP_pB0PWKT6B240JcYG2Gs9tDoN250ve7K1RFHkfiSlLh7vMOiS9MWX2tQKWj6QAeOCRYc5_Lua5UpH1YXOFlEXZO0lTopZ-Y_r_9xYw6gFpPqx2pwzmtLXVgKQLQVVmcXpBFO8t9nhe/s1600/yichen-gel-polish-bottles.JPG" height="272" title="Swatch and review of Yichen UV Soak-Off Gel Polish Set." width="400" /></a></div>
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As you can see from the above picture, there's no marking on the bottles anywhere to see what is inside, and you have to look on the bottom to even tell the top coat from the primer. The colors are given alphanumeric labels, which still doesn't help if you want to see at a glance what's inside. Since I don't yet own any of the swatch pop rings, I'm essentially going to have to open each of the four colors until I find the one I want. Frustrating, but not a deal-breaker. I'm also pleased that they came in hefty 15ml bottles, when a lot of gel polishes come in 9ml or smaller for double the price I paid for these.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHySBbqmRBTaL9AWWP7zjOqyGEieqUc49GMrC9CUiGXeTRnJaI_bwN_eF9C5wo_9K2Mk_f1pUwOQMjTaqh_tA9pGapk4VZaoICIxocycJLcSm8yxQC9KLk9uRVjT6LlelHtcV2UvLpxy3g/s1600/yichen-gel-polish-bottles-bottom.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Swatch and review of Yichen UV Soak-Off Gel Polish Set." border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHySBbqmRBTaL9AWWP7zjOqyGEieqUc49GMrC9CUiGXeTRnJaI_bwN_eF9C5wo_9K2Mk_f1pUwOQMjTaqh_tA9pGapk4VZaoICIxocycJLcSm8yxQC9KLk9uRVjT6LlelHtcV2UvLpxy3g/s1600/yichen-gel-polish-bottles-bottom.JPG" height="400" title="Swatch and review of Yichen UV Soak-Off Gel Polish Set." width="400" /></a></div>
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To test the wear of the base gel, I used it for my acrygel overlays about a week ago, and so far they're holding really well with no lifting, so I'm pleased with its performance thus far. <br />
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I did swatch the colors out on my swatch sticks just to test the colors and the viscosity of the gel. I was pleasantly surprised to discover that my LED lamp cured these polishes just fine, so that is definitely a bonus. All of these swatches have one coat of primer (base gel), two coats of color, and the top coat included with the kit.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio8EoQXBqqeTLjNbjQUPfVP0EfO02u2L_1r2ifprHWmVIFxSFm5GnjjezuaA7epelRMIsG7nBH_8FZAmxIlUubGhhKbITRtJxebtKGskNB14rSLdDmZezOutKgCHzMmpDwfpWJYAL2ZR87/s1600/yichen-gel-polish-A037-white-swatch.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Swatch and review of Yichen UV Soak-Off Gel Polish A037 white" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio8EoQXBqqeTLjNbjQUPfVP0EfO02u2L_1r2ifprHWmVIFxSFm5GnjjezuaA7epelRMIsG7nBH_8FZAmxIlUubGhhKbITRtJxebtKGskNB14rSLdDmZezOutKgCHzMmpDwfpWJYAL2ZR87/s1600/yichen-gel-polish-A037-white-swatch.JPG" height="400" title="Swatch and review of Yichen UV Soak-Off Gel Polish A037 white" width="400" /></a>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZHvpbDRF0gbTcAkOzpjuT7KK32VSWjiBzEOBqVhZ0DtZc3GY-JkfuNJsR_e20LI5bx-r2xjH2F6TXwOgJHJLImoTWUXw5CqJFrq8VkZeHBlqCQulqaVwqavcUnRXwCqnXuhy4IMsK4ciD/s1600/yichen-gel-polish-A038-pink-swatch.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Swatch and review of Yichen UV Soak-Off Gel Polish A038 pink light purple" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZHvpbDRF0gbTcAkOzpjuT7KK32VSWjiBzEOBqVhZ0DtZc3GY-JkfuNJsR_e20LI5bx-r2xjH2F6TXwOgJHJLImoTWUXw5CqJFrq8VkZeHBlqCQulqaVwqavcUnRXwCqnXuhy4IMsK4ciD/s1600/yichen-gel-polish-A038-pink-swatch.JPG" height="400" title="Swatch and review of Yichen UV Soak-Off Gel Polish A038 pink light purple" width="400" /></a>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXIzGDaQxRDcQX_AhGv4gBgZhBFHaiTPh2I2wzq5XZSEfwcpeygKByaYToVbAcfxZRQG8HWfNOXITqSnpAlnylWLHHegMAn8MdLYvzbWrDTzaNJPP0xkfjYeTLD0TXvwxlAWWbdMY0owOH/s1600/yichen-gel-polish-a045-black-swatch.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Swatch and review of Yichen UV Soak-Off Gel Polish A045 black" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXIzGDaQxRDcQX_AhGv4gBgZhBFHaiTPh2I2wzq5XZSEfwcpeygKByaYToVbAcfxZRQG8HWfNOXITqSnpAlnylWLHHegMAn8MdLYvzbWrDTzaNJPP0xkfjYeTLD0TXvwxlAWWbdMY0owOH/s1600/yichen-gel-polish-a045-black-swatch.JPG" height="400" title="Swatch and review of Yichen UV Soak-Off Gel Polish A045 black" width="400" /></a>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHKFUBh8WD6EcUTgjSYL1v5OWEJXZEbjkGB0956ovh2i99bm7O5AFMQEI1KPf9J97uaM2LuQOj9q6rGDQ6BkMqoiBFil_azfBhmy9mUtFAk28UhLxSMluIimbFYYpR7lwxMEWa3ibNmVB2/s1600/yichen-gel-polish-a049-red-swatch.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Swatch and review of Yichen UV Soak-Off Gel Polish A049 red." border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHKFUBh8WD6EcUTgjSYL1v5OWEJXZEbjkGB0956ovh2i99bm7O5AFMQEI1KPf9J97uaM2LuQOj9q6rGDQ6BkMqoiBFil_azfBhmy9mUtFAk28UhLxSMluIimbFYYpR7lwxMEWa3ibNmVB2/s1600/yichen-gel-polish-a049-red-swatch.JPG" height="400" title="Swatch and review of Yichen UV Soak-Off Gel Polish A049 red." width="400" /></a></div>
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Each of the colors is really quite opaque and I could have just used a single coat with no problems. The only surprise was that the listing said that I would receive a "light purple" which turned out to be a kind of lavender-leaning pink. Otherwise, the colors were all true to the listing.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifwLf6_r1aTb4elzICWQcsEc3LUH5fPFWBRLlIY_3Qvbo8T-vNFvoRWZiydyXVPuPk8ByI-RlIwVEquBXWOYfrNs3nmUyoHl0ZpaRXXZl4Kwnyi-_SqwRk5CPTnynJ64Dr5vJEYHQl8WEH/s1600/yichen-gel-polish-swatches02.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Swatch and review of Yichen UV Soak-Off Gel Polish Set." border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifwLf6_r1aTb4elzICWQcsEc3LUH5fPFWBRLlIY_3Qvbo8T-vNFvoRWZiydyXVPuPk8ByI-RlIwVEquBXWOYfrNs3nmUyoHl0ZpaRXXZl4Kwnyi-_SqwRk5CPTnynJ64Dr5vJEYHQl8WEH/s1600/yichen-gel-polish-swatches02.JPG" height="223" title="Swatch and review of Yichen UV Soak-Off Gel Polish Set." width="400" /></a>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_REnn39Z1YLI8i7Np6bU1vaJA0dW6jocjoiqfO5d0n1nHe7z9OF4J8F92KuSTmYiYJeAlvalyMxyvPYsTvayqA4-Jc1Xzn6bGPmXMuyUco1PvbzBlqHT9cnjGt1H3xtNBLQ0lTQZQs6i3/s1600/yichen-gel-polish-swatches03.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Swatch and review of Yichen UV Soak-Off Gel Polish Set." border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_REnn39Z1YLI8i7Np6bU1vaJA0dW6jocjoiqfO5d0n1nHe7z9OF4J8F92KuSTmYiYJeAlvalyMxyvPYsTvayqA4-Jc1Xzn6bGPmXMuyUco1PvbzBlqHT9cnjGt1H3xtNBLQ0lTQZQs6i3/s1600/yichen-gel-polish-swatches03.JPG" height="252" title="Swatch and review of Yichen UV Soak-Off Gel Polish Set." width="400" /></a></div>
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As for the viscosity of these gels, I found that whereas both the primer and the top coat were very thin comparatively, the color gels were very thick - much thicker than the top or primer - but they were all very workable and self-leveled really quickly. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnOt5QWleQG-eh7DF3-eWExPcKDN9hfuu1ZPrF_J3lMUusKVOFkolvT_NxDv-6YKgen17igGlRs27k7wUyYfVtZai6YIuYgIjuCzvSVppGXBfxjOC_zxAgFljGCzru0rP4_R9jzY147gl6/s1600/yichen-gel-polish-swatches01.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Swatch and review of Yichen UV Soak-Off Gel Polish Set." border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnOt5QWleQG-eh7DF3-eWExPcKDN9hfuu1ZPrF_J3lMUusKVOFkolvT_NxDv-6YKgen17igGlRs27k7wUyYfVtZai6YIuYgIjuCzvSVppGXBfxjOC_zxAgFljGCzru0rP4_R9jzY147gl6/s1600/yichen-gel-polish-swatches01.JPG" height="400" title="Swatch and review of Yichen UV Soak-Off Gel Polish Set." width="400" /></a></div>
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Overall I'm pretty pleased with my purchase. I do wish that I'd had a purple in the mix, but the pink is pretty and I'm sure I'll get some use of it. The top coat will be good if I need something really thin, and I think the primer is doing a really good job holding my overlays on. Otherwise I don't really have any complaints. <br />
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I hope you're all off to a good week! Be good, and I'll see ya Wednesday!<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03559349153399989266noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1342923129919952137.post-66144171132192554812015-04-18T10:00:00.000+01:002015-04-18T10:00:01.281+01:00Hey, Swatch It! Essie Sable CollarHey y'all!<br />
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Today's polish swatch isn't current. It isn't even seasonal. It's just beautiful and it was one I thought I'd missed out on but was so pleased to find in a discount bin last month, so I eagerly snapped it up. May I present the oh-so-lovely Essie <b>Sable Collar</b>.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi__lC4kUqeDeBKD9CsaZJ4WfUsBWrxNk0mxj0qzfJm1kl7PdfaMqFaDOpr42m-_ZZwsB-12bHCXqdAwMdy0-C0u_CVvkh3WFoJjz5iqnizvARAc_nBb0XgTBpcVFNg9QxEn1dY5B2YsWtg/s1600/essie-sable-collar-swatch-501.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Swatch and review of Essie Sable Collar." border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi__lC4kUqeDeBKD9CsaZJ4WfUsBWrxNk0mxj0qzfJm1kl7PdfaMqFaDOpr42m-_ZZwsB-12bHCXqdAwMdy0-C0u_CVvkh3WFoJjz5iqnizvARAc_nBb0XgTBpcVFNg9QxEn1dY5B2YsWtg/s1600/essie-sable-collar-swatch-501.JPG" height="400" title="Swatch and review of Essie Sable Collar." width="400" /></a></div>
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<b>Sable Collar</b> was part of Essie's Winter 2013 collection, so it's nothing new and because it's so beautiful, it's been swatched all over the universe and back, but that's okay. It deserves to be shown again. It has a lovely brown/plum base and a just a hint of a red shimmer, which makes it come alive in sunlight.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB6AhFC-2vhjjifZEBlnIXZ-8Sb_EfJfWAEzrwqQa6_C_1sD6UNxBx9fjXgR8luSISVwMnnoi3zD6zcFRNlpV1jSVW5MuUvyxmz2WNxFqvWwxMhr75Y813l4dNojozNED0Snof3KJmtAH0/s1600/essie-sable-collar-swatch-402.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Swatch and review of Essie Sable Collar." border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB6AhFC-2vhjjifZEBlnIXZ-8Sb_EfJfWAEzrwqQa6_C_1sD6UNxBx9fjXgR8luSISVwMnnoi3zD6zcFRNlpV1jSVW5MuUvyxmz2WNxFqvWwxMhr75Y813l4dNojozNED0Snof3KJmtAH0/s1600/essie-sable-collar-swatch-402.JPG" height="400" title="Swatch and review of Essie Sable Collar." width="400" /></a></div>
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These swatches show 2 easy breezy coats, with SV on top. The formula is what you'd expect from Essie, gliding on and staying put. In sunlight, the red shimmer really stands up and demands attention! <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzanBtfhw6OJod82aK9DBtYaA2eC9ysERaUdFTBWPjGkvhfoIKCgYghnp8y5mNBgtD4K4_0WW_nSILsbJRLvKUxBEMIx5XjG5mrUxeqNvVSFJpnvItFMfLnDr0jH-fp-RSbOxDN80EFA9Q/s1600/essie-sable-collar-swatch-401.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Swatch and review of Essie Sable Collar." border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzanBtfhw6OJod82aK9DBtYaA2eC9ysERaUdFTBWPjGkvhfoIKCgYghnp8y5mNBgtD4K4_0WW_nSILsbJRLvKUxBEMIx5XjG5mrUxeqNvVSFJpnvItFMfLnDr0jH-fp-RSbOxDN80EFA9Q/s1600/essie-sable-collar-swatch-401.JPG" height="400" title="Swatch and review of Essie Sable Collar." width="400" /></a></div>
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This is the kind of shade I long for in a dark "earthy" tone - it's nice and cool but has a neutral underbelly to even it out, and the frosty shimmer adds depth and flare. I'm so glad I finally crossed this off my lemming list. <br />
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Hope you're all having a great weekend. Come back Wednesday to see what I with this polish after swatching it!<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03559349153399989266noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1342923129919952137.post-70631007038753814642015-04-17T10:00:00.000+01:002015-04-17T10:00:03.665+01:00A Girl and Her Polish's Soft Neon Gradient - NCC RecreationsHey y'all!<br />
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It's finally Friday, and that of course brings the next round of Nail Challenge Collaborative posts! This month we're celebrating 3 years of NCC nail art by recreating past NCC looks. For my third, I've elected to recreate <a href="http://www.agirlandherpolish.com/2013/06/the-nail-challenge-collaborative_25.html" target="_blank">A Girl and Her Polish's Soft Neon Gradient</a>, a gorgeous look on which I think I missed the mark.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYjitYVLsEHsEzR1N5FytAdPZ0krwmXbByJDJdCIjvOuec1t5b7tgxp4GY0w9PSYK-aeCPsrvpjaRfKXo-8aKYN8U5blK6UmWSlJbViXwx_zJ7VLL8YR-PaHgziMxcgekUguilQQLJsxKO/s1600/a-girl-and-her-polish-soft-neon-gradient-nail-art-recreation-501.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="A recreation of A Girl And Her Polish's Soft Neon Gradient nail art." border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYjitYVLsEHsEzR1N5FytAdPZ0krwmXbByJDJdCIjvOuec1t5b7tgxp4GY0w9PSYK-aeCPsrvpjaRfKXo-8aKYN8U5blK6UmWSlJbViXwx_zJ7VLL8YR-PaHgziMxcgekUguilQQLJsxKO/s1600/a-girl-and-her-polish-soft-neon-gradient-nail-art-recreation-501.JPG" height="400" title="A recreation of A Girl And Her Polish's Soft Neon Gradient nail art." width="400" /></a></div>
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I did not have any of the same polishes from the original look,which made recreating a bit more challenging than I expected. In the end I settled for two bright-ish pastels and a neon jelly, and approximated the glitter with part of my Texas haul.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3i-BR-dMYfEkIXBZ_rDbtQ2mQGQm0Fo8P0CK2F9onCjMcQ9o8cDi2eYgLy818g6eh3bdxJoNJ49-bJu7-fMHcermAK1bFpOqZ5aGmL_9aQnflbG3W7U1XDyZ3WSA41pqBCm2ixJnMSF1V/s1600/a-girl-and-her-polish-soft-neon-gradient-nail-art-recreation-bottles.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="A recreation of A Girl And Her Polish's Soft Neon Gradient nail art." border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3i-BR-dMYfEkIXBZ_rDbtQ2mQGQm0Fo8P0CK2F9onCjMcQ9o8cDi2eYgLy818g6eh3bdxJoNJ49-bJu7-fMHcermAK1bFpOqZ5aGmL_9aQnflbG3W7U1XDyZ3WSA41pqBCm2ixJnMSF1V/s1600/a-girl-and-her-polish-soft-neon-gradient-nail-art-recreation-bottles.JPG" height="293" title="A recreation of A Girl And Her Polish's Soft Neon Gradient nail art." width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">L-R: Maybelline <b>Clearly Spotted</b>, Sinful Colors <b>Unicorn</b>, Barry M <b>Full Throttle</b>, Models Own <b>My Midori</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I think half my battle was lost in just getting my base color laid down properly. After two coats of OPI Ridge Filling Base Coat, I finally felt like I was ready for the really thin <b>Unicorn</b>, but even that took an additional 3 coats. By now my nails were already getting thick! <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyLFyOgrKGhBFosZkOSxoFFk5mXBXMHes3vC6w8f6U83KVDkOIiZts0uOdC38OzYRXjSzQEcNKG-Wheoims4QYHiqrlnje-4L-ZdTQ3-UQE93XHSHpmpQT9g8VA5YIp0cbgIYkCWZDDi1u/s1600/a-girl-and-her-polish-soft-neon-gradient-nail-art-recreation-401.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="A recreation of A Girl And Her Polish's Soft Neon Gradient nail art." border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyLFyOgrKGhBFosZkOSxoFFk5mXBXMHes3vC6w8f6U83KVDkOIiZts0uOdC38OzYRXjSzQEcNKG-Wheoims4QYHiqrlnje-4L-ZdTQ3-UQE93XHSHpmpQT9g8VA5YIp0cbgIYkCWZDDi1u/s1600/a-girl-and-her-polish-soft-neon-gradient-nail-art-recreation-401.JPG" height="400" title="A recreation of A Girl And Her Polish's Soft Neon Gradient nail art." width="400" /></a></div>
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I had a lot of problems being able to sponge a decent gradient on, between <b>Full Throttle</b> drying so very very quickly, and <b>My Midori</b> being a sheer neon. I eventually ended up using the brush to darken up both polishes as thinly as possible. On the plus side, <b>My Midori</b> smells like watermelon, so that was a small consolation.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilOmlEkWykl6uuzjEHChQdkVJKysY5F3TwmPdLmDiiXN9gEjzfLtZqea5nCpITumU60vI0TsOwy1Hps1HH44tjWN6SXGxuVUKNifR4SoVqogPZs6pMaeSQDil3RuX-nGxlqfDstS4QdxCN/s1600/a-girl-and-her-polish-soft-neon-gradient-nail-art-recreation-402.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="A recreation of A Girl And Her Polish's Soft Neon Gradient nail art." border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilOmlEkWykl6uuzjEHChQdkVJKysY5F3TwmPdLmDiiXN9gEjzfLtZqea5nCpITumU60vI0TsOwy1Hps1HH44tjWN6SXGxuVUKNifR4SoVqogPZs6pMaeSQDil3RuX-nGxlqfDstS4QdxCN/s1600/a-girl-and-her-polish-soft-neon-gradient-nail-art-recreation-402.JPG" height="400" title="A recreation of A Girl And Her Polish's Soft Neon Gradient nail art." width="400" /></a></div>
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By the time I got <b>Clearly Spotted</b> on and top coated the entire look, I was satisfied that it looked cool, but kind of sad that I had been so far from the delicate original look. Although I was already wearing many, many coats of polish, the last tool in my arsenal was to try to matte it, so I used Barry M <b>Matte </b>to soften the whole thing.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgExz_qn4kop7roMbKX2rlkJWOI7f9mY9xaKBopXz8QOSsVeXvhDFlNaekik-x4pm7TgrOvQzuF_tnDm4cq9b4IiSQM-GnC8BX90IgC0d1gxBl9IXtkOfOaBjXkdqCNQPcO_lPMuhgnKnOg/s1600/a-girl-and-her-polish-soft-neon-gradient-nail-art-recreation-403-matte.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="A recreation of A Girl And Her Polish's Soft Neon Gradient nail art, matte." border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgExz_qn4kop7roMbKX2rlkJWOI7f9mY9xaKBopXz8QOSsVeXvhDFlNaekik-x4pm7TgrOvQzuF_tnDm4cq9b4IiSQM-GnC8BX90IgC0d1gxBl9IXtkOfOaBjXkdqCNQPcO_lPMuhgnKnOg/s1600/a-girl-and-her-polish-soft-neon-gradient-nail-art-recreation-403-matte.JPG" height="400" title="A recreation of A Girl And Her Polish's Soft Neon Gradient nail art, matte." width="400" /></a></div>
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It's looks a lot closer but I just have way too much real estate for that bright green polish to overtake the look, so subtle and delicate this recreation was NOT. Also by the last picture, you can really see the bulk of polish built up on my nails. I'm marking this as a fail for recreation, but not necessarily an overall fail. It's just... different. Like the younger, less sophisticated cousin of the original look. I'm okay with that.<br />
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Be sure to check out the other recreations this week down in the inlinkz!<br />
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Hope you all have a safe and fun weekend, and I'll see you tomorrow!<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03559349153399989266noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1342923129919952137.post-80419454284525170992015-04-15T10:00:00.000+01:002015-04-15T10:00:04.549+01:00Sparkly Purple Negative Space Zebra Nail Art - WIDWHey y'all!<br />
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Welcome back to What I Did (with it) Wednesday! We're officially mid-way through April now, and time doesn't seem to be slowing down for ANY reason! On Saturday I showed you my swatch of <a href="http://fixintofaff.blogspot.co.uk/2015/04/hey-swatch-it-red-carpet-diamond.html" target="_blank">Red Carpet Manicure's <b>Diamond </b>gel polish</a>, a holographic glitter top coat that I applied over bare nails. Today I'm back to show you the nail art that I've created over it, using two additional new (to me) products, because I couldn't wait to play with them!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAo0R3VXKEHOaC3Bhu37IU5tEn7S5fPvMIk2cz0pnGBw0LGvLA7vGoglu25M8W4v3Nex5u9vY3hisLaji1qOd_3tmSJy40j0QV8MitbjMfi8Y6Qg6MpJzp_0juNo_ezgykTPPhiWqNLvWq/s1600/sparkly-purple-negative-space-zebra-nail-art-501.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Purple zebra print negative space stamping nail art over holographic glitter base." border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAo0R3VXKEHOaC3Bhu37IU5tEn7S5fPvMIk2cz0pnGBw0LGvLA7vGoglu25M8W4v3Nex5u9vY3hisLaji1qOd_3tmSJy40j0QV8MitbjMfi8Y6Qg6MpJzp_0juNo_ezgykTPPhiWqNLvWq/s1600/sparkly-purple-negative-space-zebra-nail-art-501.JPG" height="400" title="Purple zebra print negative space stamping nail art over holographic glitter base." width="400" /></a></div>
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To begin, I applied two coats of OPI <b>My Voice Is A Little Norse</b> on my ring and middle fingers, and set three descending-sized purple rhinestones into the top coat.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDoN4_Bgb1VFu4wl5ZxKCdFd0RHLeWtRR483oRMYIaqVyS_kZauT75FGrczSiWmVWmPtaMWb2mbZ738u2taW0CQILkFLaLjM1EVYxQM4T4YbBNfhV7ToPqKLpWH5VqyhJpb6gNJahrcwC4/s1600/sparkly-purple-negative-space-zebra-nail-art-402.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Purple zebra print negative space stamping nail art over holographic glitter base." border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDoN4_Bgb1VFu4wl5ZxKCdFd0RHLeWtRR483oRMYIaqVyS_kZauT75FGrczSiWmVWmPtaMWb2mbZ738u2taW0CQILkFLaLjM1EVYxQM4T4YbBNfhV7ToPqKLpWH5VqyhJpb6gNJahrcwC4/s1600/sparkly-purple-negative-space-zebra-nail-art-402.JPG" height="400" title="Purple zebra print negative space stamping nail art over holographic glitter base." width="400" /></a></div>
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On my thumb, index, and pinky, I stamped this fun zebra print pattern from my new Apipila Super Plate A, a purchase I made through a group buy in a UK Stamping group on FB. This plate is HUGE and I cannot wait to continue playing with it! I also got to start testing out my new Mundo de Unas stamping polishes, this time in <b>Purple</b>.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWSiaLPfRpKTp5MsYFI53Iptp1juOkvciRf7xPEGJEFtAtE6dFOcd2PUNOq65GW2I3eSnBAXyYVbWak61fZpWojWDwcKTY0N72rli5o5mSucQw3wiD0uE1hYkCjxEr4e_Z0mzWurBdM2pT/s1600/sparkly-purple-negative-space-zebra-nail-art-401.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Purple zebra print negative space stamping nail art over holographic glitter base." border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWSiaLPfRpKTp5MsYFI53Iptp1juOkvciRf7xPEGJEFtAtE6dFOcd2PUNOq65GW2I3eSnBAXyYVbWak61fZpWojWDwcKTY0N72rli5o5mSucQw3wiD0uE1hYkCjxEr4e_Z0mzWurBdM2pT/s1600/sparkly-purple-negative-space-zebra-nail-art-401.JPG" height="400" title="Purple zebra print negative space stamping nail art over holographic glitter base." width="400" /></a></div>
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I love how the faint holo microglitter peeks through the zebra print, and of course that's emphasized on the two accent nails to full advantage. I'm also really loving the MdU polish so far. I had so much more time to work with it and the cleanup was much easier than my Konad polishes.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhc0ma8ipOCabKzxj7oQtLhqLkEEeV1OWQLN4a3QIdcRU8bhSabD9cX05ekUyp4Wo5voypjM6XVAob1Oi1DTFsgSRcctmPOD741nC3TV2ryOEGNDZAWy0wdD2C7g7EP5oAZLFUmQ5oyLE8/s1600/sparkly-purple-negative-space-zebra-nail-art-macro.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Purple zebra print negative space stamping nail art over holographic glitter base." border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhc0ma8ipOCabKzxj7oQtLhqLkEEeV1OWQLN4a3QIdcRU8bhSabD9cX05ekUyp4Wo5voypjM6XVAob1Oi1DTFsgSRcctmPOD741nC3TV2ryOEGNDZAWy0wdD2C7g7EP5oAZLFUmQ5oyLE8/s1600/sparkly-purple-negative-space-zebra-nail-art-macro.JPG" height="400" title="Purple zebra print negative space stamping nail art over holographic glitter base." width="400" /></a></div>
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In other news, over the weekend I was able to obtain a manicure table to set up downstairs in the conservatory, where I'm hoping to be able to capture the natural light in order to start doing YouTube tutorials. My lighting situation upstairs is completely ill-equipped to shoot video, so I'd been trying to figure out a solution and now I'm hoping I have it! If this works out the way I'd like, Mondays will become my video days, and I'll post the still pics here on the blog. Cross your fingers for me, and if you have any requests, please send them my way! <br />
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I hope you're all having a fantastic week, and I will see you Friday!<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03559349153399989266noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1342923129919952137.post-19558295157437627062015-04-13T10:00:00.000+01:002015-04-13T10:00:05.940+01:00Ron from Chamber of Secrets - Magical MondayHey y'all!<br />
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Here we are again on the second Monday of the month, and that mean it's Magical Monday! This month Cat and I are tackling our favorite characters from <i>Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets</i>. Since last month, Cat's "Flying Impala" nail art turned into more of a "Ron Weasley" look, and Ron was scheduled to be our next major character, I decided to go ahead and play catch up with her to do my own Ron look, focusing on his journey in the second story.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfretQm3o4KHOP3IzfSpIvIzQivzfDzZSndKKWXSPp4bb1SP4CNDbgmwyNfCPSyBhpTDa789BphOOIHhOWPZcnbF_FENeHrDXm6FIuPJEd3su0x9Cn50LhPcp3oBYizHSa5Lemtiu9yO_T/s1600/ron-weasley-chamber-of-secrets-magical-monday-nail-art-501.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Ginger hair nail art base with freehand heart, broken wand, and spiders to represent Ron Weasley in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets." border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfretQm3o4KHOP3IzfSpIvIzQivzfDzZSndKKWXSPp4bb1SP4CNDbgmwyNfCPSyBhpTDa789BphOOIHhOWPZcnbF_FENeHrDXm6FIuPJEd3su0x9Cn50LhPcp3oBYizHSa5Lemtiu9yO_T/s1600/ron-weasley-chamber-of-secrets-magical-monday-nail-art-501.JPG" height="400" title="Ginger hair nail art base with freehand heart, broken wand, and spiders to represent Ron Weasley in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets." width="400" /></a></div>
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So all told this look took nearly a dozen polishes; I won't bother listing them all, but can describe my techniques. I began with a smokey watercolor technique on a medium orange base, using different orange colors, to emulate the Weasley family's ginger locks, and then top coated it to protect my base. I then used a black polish and a dotting tool and a detail brush to create my lines of spiders fleeing from the monster inside the Chamber. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwXoZKPeNneq1MnGsnw-poRsoxLPAiJqOETIQoXe2r_kocFYDyTwDHOtIJ9sPhRikeNnZUNhG7bqTlSaIIXJU8u2W0NVWK3R7MTKKQq6rI9ly8Wu19b3yjDJM9DNZ_1ArY9rrmX0SRwryn/s1600/ron-weasley-chamber-of-secrets-magical-monday-nail-art-402.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Ginger hair nail art base with freehand heart, broken wand, and spiders to represent Ron Weasley in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets." border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwXoZKPeNneq1MnGsnw-poRsoxLPAiJqOETIQoXe2r_kocFYDyTwDHOtIJ9sPhRikeNnZUNhG7bqTlSaIIXJU8u2W0NVWK3R7MTKKQq6rI9ly8Wu19b3yjDJM9DNZ_1ArY9rrmX0SRwryn/s1600/ron-weasley-chamber-of-secrets-magical-monday-nail-art-402.JPG" height="400" title="Ginger hair nail art base with freehand heart, broken wand, and spiders to represent Ron Weasley in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets." width="400" /></a></div>
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On my accent nail, I wanted to capture Ron being the heart of the story - his love for Harry propels him into situations in which he's terribly frightened, and ends up getting into large amounts of trouble, but he does it anyway because he cares so much for Harry (and Hermione). Crossed over his heart is Ron's wand, broken during the trip to Hogwarts in the Impala, and repaired with Spell-o-tape but never QUITE right. I added pieces of reflex gold glitter to emulate sparks flying out the end of his broken wand. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKQV2TqsjMmYXyub2lQKmXmeoufeVT5ekk_ZozXGjua2VM3NyYrrAGO4C-RgiQ-IRI6jEPQelfvn8TtLVlCxLQvJew9Dp9jXfgg-vwE1dI6YljY_zKwfc7Grh6YWAcuroONVsE707nswKA/s1600/ron-weasley-chamber-of-secrets-magical-monday-nail-art-401.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Ginger hair nail art base with freehand heart, broken wand, and spiders to represent Ron Weasley in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets." border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKQV2TqsjMmYXyub2lQKmXmeoufeVT5ekk_ZozXGjua2VM3NyYrrAGO4C-RgiQ-IRI6jEPQelfvn8TtLVlCxLQvJew9Dp9jXfgg-vwE1dI6YljY_zKwfc7Grh6YWAcuroONVsE707nswKA/s1600/ron-weasley-chamber-of-secrets-magical-monday-nail-art-401.JPG" height="400" title="Ginger hair nail art base with freehand heart, broken wand, and spiders to represent Ron Weasley in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets." width="400" /></a></div>
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As a finishing measure, because it's a magical world, I added a top of China Glaze <b>Fairy Dust</b> because, well, you know... Fairy Dust All The Things!<br />
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Do please remember to hop over to Cat's blog - <a href="http://www.bgpolish.blogspot.co.uk/" target="_blank">BGPolish</a> - to see her favorite character from the Chamber of Secrets, and I will see you again on Wednesday! <br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03559349153399989266noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1342923129919952137.post-20117574093612905422015-04-11T10:00:00.001+01:002015-04-11T10:00:01.590+01:00Hey, Swatch It! Red Carpet DiamondHey y'all!<br />
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I told you yesterday that I would have a different kind of Swatch It today, and that's because this is my first-ever swatch of a gel polish on the blog! Since getting my basic nail qualifications last autumn, I've been experimenting a lot with different enhancement and polishing systems, and I'm finally at a point where I'm ready to start showing and telling a bit more about my experiences on the blog, and hopefully soon on my YouTube channel. After dipping my toes in the gel polish pool with doing acrygel overlays, I've been slowly collecting a few colors here and there, and this beauty was one of my special treats to myself from our trip to Texas last month - a Red Carpet Manicure Power of the Gem collection from my birth month - <b>Diamond</b>.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjslU5Nh_14iHP8KW-wtk3mdqwr9ro-dYFO3TeWirvKMNX1-0_CHOFar_IbgQ2dPtUtsPjrNKTjNdAvL7Rv0aKCgBitUOglKzx-eWI7qgdrb9Uhyk8wIL5gqSBormDtyInNoGU_mdT4ft7-/s1600/red-carpet-manicure-diamond-swatch-401.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Swatch and review of Red Carpet Manicure Diamond gel polish glitter top coat." border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjslU5Nh_14iHP8KW-wtk3mdqwr9ro-dYFO3TeWirvKMNX1-0_CHOFar_IbgQ2dPtUtsPjrNKTjNdAvL7Rv0aKCgBitUOglKzx-eWI7qgdrb9Uhyk8wIL5gqSBormDtyInNoGU_mdT4ft7-/s1600/red-carpet-manicure-diamond-swatch-401.JPG" height="400" title="Swatch and review of Red Carpet Manicure Diamond gel polish glitter top coat." width="400" /></a></div>
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<b>Diamond</b> represents the birthstone for the month of April, and at least for RCM, it coincides with the astrological sign of Aries (which actually runs March-April, but who's counting?). All of the Power of the Gem collection polishes are claimed to be infused with real gems, though I can't really see any evidence of real diamonds in this polish. It contains a scattered holographic microglitter and some larger hexes that read black to me, but may could possibly be holo as well.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUOWDQpo5iXINqUxWqvP_WBkLsu0uG7e38CcwXm_TAngZwpe8ge19Hyj1E3xG0vpjmjsV_fob37qtV4KTZMlNVU_VLdCvWB38QEQ0N4rdQTNdOYn3wRtRt9Ob4wbw3bHZBIwuAMBGgXsjq/s1600/red-carpet-manicure-diamond-swatch-bottle.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Swatch and review of Red Carpet Manicure Diamond gel polish glitter top coat." border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUOWDQpo5iXINqUxWqvP_WBkLsu0uG7e38CcwXm_TAngZwpe8ge19Hyj1E3xG0vpjmjsV_fob37qtV4KTZMlNVU_VLdCvWB38QEQ0N4rdQTNdOYn3wRtRt9Ob4wbw3bHZBIwuAMBGgXsjq/s1600/red-carpet-manicure-diamond-swatch-bottle.JPG" height="400" title="Swatch and review of Red Carpet Manicure Diamond gel polish glitter top coat." width="400" /></a></div>
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My pictures all show one coat of <b>Diamond </b>on my naked (overlaid) nails. I have seen swatches showing near-opacity at two coats, but for me it seemed like it would take 3 or 4 to get true opacity. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMkVdyPM11ENDlPZGkjwEe5DErBCECeQWDAMtyN9J7BrGHju8O390E7q8P8CH_HM_2EdXsVwrPLMYb2msRzlgGmWo8Y0LE3AQLP2W8cLTzKAMGVqY8-vrWwElZmK6Sq5JUgwREZ28vHeRx/s1600/red-carpet-manicure-diamond-swatch-402.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Swatch and review of Red Carpet Manicure Diamond gel polish glitter top coat." border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMkVdyPM11ENDlPZGkjwEe5DErBCECeQWDAMtyN9J7BrGHju8O390E7q8P8CH_HM_2EdXsVwrPLMYb2msRzlgGmWo8Y0LE3AQLP2W8cLTzKAMGVqY8-vrWwElZmK6Sq5JUgwREZ28vHeRx/s1600/red-carpet-manicure-diamond-swatch-402.JPG" height="400" title="Swatch and review of Red Carpet Manicure Diamond gel polish glitter top coat." width="400" /></a></div>
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Even under my daylight bulbs, it's very hard to capture the holo flash, so I have comparison macros - one in focus, and one gently out of focus - where you can see the colors come alive.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic3zjzC_ixNOrsYeRbKNztwBQ8r_KwBDDzNsJ-sJNs06XoeFKJJfAl3sgpAq0X2-G9bXDv_-92B8dawZQVsvcUaQctNcFtFW6w2Mp7DMRZ16um3T-IPpXKc-UnRb_DxI7Cuhmrr6kdFiW2/s1600/red-carpet-manicure-diamond-swatch-macro-sharp.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic3zjzC_ixNOrsYeRbKNztwBQ8r_KwBDDzNsJ-sJNs06XoeFKJJfAl3sgpAq0X2-G9bXDv_-92B8dawZQVsvcUaQctNcFtFW6w2Mp7DMRZ16um3T-IPpXKc-UnRb_DxI7Cuhmrr6kdFiW2/s1600/red-carpet-manicure-diamond-swatch-macro-sharp.jpg" height="200" width="200" /></a>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb9y9-CVAdfvDjcZ-n7GlztloKEwo3PCNXn7OXa0dmbndyCF1Ly9AOGi4Jb2itpHjzvZKgdfLx81b9pd7EEh2pjCQZNvhmDX_TccmLoi878wKqDV__SB_F8o6r-4cEDb926jWmXGlI4C38/s1600/red-carpet-manicure-diamond-swatch-macro-blurry.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb9y9-CVAdfvDjcZ-n7GlztloKEwo3PCNXn7OXa0dmbndyCF1Ly9AOGi4Jb2itpHjzvZKgdfLx81b9pd7EEh2pjCQZNvhmDX_TccmLoi878wKqDV__SB_F8o6r-4cEDb926jWmXGlI4C38/s1600/red-carpet-manicure-diamond-swatch-macro-blurry.jpg" height="200" width="200" /></a></div>
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Although it might look a bit silly as-is, I am looking forward to doing some negative space nail art with regular nail polish over these, because I will not be in a hurry to remove the gel. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9FaxG2esifmiKgjXrEeRwkg0aN25EWsl2hlSA42m2-Vr4T_OtQJNUsR-87mJbKlm8cvI8-qwtZ_nJTlacpYarypZWVUvvJdRVNj9fTf6dFYrQDV7paMZOVvJcZRIvfRfFtGZ405H0ut6M/s1600/red-carpet-manicure-diamond-swatch-301.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Swatch and review of Red Carpet Manicure Diamond gel polish glitter top coat." border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9FaxG2esifmiKgjXrEeRwkg0aN25EWsl2hlSA42m2-Vr4T_OtQJNUsR-87mJbKlm8cvI8-qwtZ_nJTlacpYarypZWVUvvJdRVNj9fTf6dFYrQDV7paMZOVvJcZRIvfRfFtGZ405H0ut6M/s1600/red-carpet-manicure-diamond-swatch-301.JPG" height="400" title="Swatch and review of Red Carpet Manicure Diamond gel polish glitter top coat." width="400" /></a></div>
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<br />
So this is my first-ever Red Carpet Manicure gel polish, and
I'm not quite sure it's enough to be able to judge the brand. I will
say that I didn't get a smooth finish from this polish and that was kind
of a disappointment to me - but that may just be because it's a glitter
polish? Either way, my top coat smoothed it all out for the most part so that shouldn't be a going concern for most users. I think it would be lovely as a sparkly topper for any creme gel and I certainly look forward to using it for other purposes.<br />
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Hope you're all having a great weekend, and I'll see ya soon!<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03559349153399989266noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1342923129919952137.post-76807040247739322812015-04-10T10:00:00.000+01:002015-04-10T10:00:00.233+01:00Geeky Owl's New Year Confetti - NCC RecreationsHey y'all!<br />
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Happy Friday! It has been a bit of a hectic week around here, so I've not had a whole lot to say, but I'm really excited that today I get to show you another recreation to celebrate the third anniversary of the Nail Challenge Collaborative. I feel like although I've only just joined the NCC myself, I've been a fan of so many of these ladies for a long time, and that certainly includes the artist I'm recreating today. Here is my version of <a href="http://geekyowl.blogspot.co.uk/2014/12/the-nail-challenge-collaborative-does_31.html" target="_blank">Geeky Owl's New Year Confetti</a> nail art.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3jd0UCuys-rWKdVp3y_x-Dct7yYpiRUEmQ1fz5ZkmhvqUccfDuus-YYUpmzxbAEqGDxgri0Fgs2JYF78tTgIUmr6N1OXnHjQ2MWDTmrHAL4XT00Wn61s2hW2-f7eGWW0K9DO3iBEahnej/s1600/geeky-owl-confetti-nail-art-recreation-501.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Recreation of Geeky Owl's New Year's Confetti nail art." border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3jd0UCuys-rWKdVp3y_x-Dct7yYpiRUEmQ1fz5ZkmhvqUccfDuus-YYUpmzxbAEqGDxgri0Fgs2JYF78tTgIUmr6N1OXnHjQ2MWDTmrHAL4XT00Wn61s2hW2-f7eGWW0K9DO3iBEahnej/s1600/geeky-owl-confetti-nail-art-recreation-501.jpg" height="400" title="Recreation of Geeky Owl's New Year's Confetti nail art." width="400" /></a></div>
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When Kirsten did this look to celebrate New Year's and her own 3rd bloggiversary, I thought it was so stinkin cute that I couldn't help but think of it as one of the great NCC looks that I wanted to attempt. Bonus for me, I owned two of the same polishes she used and could easily find a sub for the third! I started with 3 coats of OPI <b>My Vampire Is Buff</b> and let dry before moving on.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHgDol1q4FmYJjZYI0AZjHSstYaHiVH3yUjNAaYvgBgB3b0DKBC7WBgzNxR89PNCyiBUdkfSOQvfCi6aj_E9wnzi9tqaeprX5Hmjp785Sl8IJekar9ilhTQ9t2dqw1KydgFXIAGYYWUn1Y/s1600/geeky-owl-confetti-nail-art-recreation-402.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Recreation of Geeky Owl's New Year's Confetti nail art." border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHgDol1q4FmYJjZYI0AZjHSstYaHiVH3yUjNAaYvgBgB3b0DKBC7WBgzNxR89PNCyiBUdkfSOQvfCi6aj_E9wnzi9tqaeprX5Hmjp785Sl8IJekar9ilhTQ9t2dqw1KydgFXIAGYYWUn1Y/s1600/geeky-owl-confetti-nail-art-recreation-402.JPG" height="400" title="Recreation of Geeky Owl's New Year's Confetti nail art." width="400" /></a></div>
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My waterfall stripes and small dots were done with Models Own <b>25 Carat Gold</b> and the larger dots are Barry M <b>Silver Foil</b>. In retrospect I probably should have brought the waterfall lines down a bit farther on my longer nails, but you know what they say about hindsight.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDFl6rUNwjZNmGA7QDEyuuTDhtpTrZp58jOtoAr1PkG-o9QsQuVW2vVrNTvRQ6A3XtoTIc8TpjNUVTJdAAgpdkTtep7SImyFiLJEMWf3mt0RPc4A2j33bO_HWA2lwMxEvtsmhOQfIsODon/s1600/geeky-owl-confetti-nail-art-recreation-401.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Recreation of Geeky Owl's New Year's Confetti nail art." border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDFl6rUNwjZNmGA7QDEyuuTDhtpTrZp58jOtoAr1PkG-o9QsQuVW2vVrNTvRQ6A3XtoTIc8TpjNUVTJdAAgpdkTtep7SImyFiLJEMWf3mt0RPc4A2j33bO_HWA2lwMxEvtsmhOQfIsODon/s1600/geeky-owl-confetti-nail-art-recreation-401.JPG" height="400" title="Recreation of Geeky Owl's New Year's Confetti nail art." width="400" /></a></div>
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As you may well know, I love Kirsten to bits and I'm pleased to have been able to meet and befriend her through the magic of nail polish (and blogging). Her out-of-the-box thinking has been an inspiration to me as a nail artist and a blogger.<br />
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For more great recreation looks, but sure to check out the inlinkz below!<br />
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I hope you've all had a good week and are ready to have a fun (and safe) weekend. I'll see you tomorrow with a fun new swatchable item!<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03559349153399989266noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1342923129919952137.post-47944227918383655252015-04-08T10:00:00.000+01:002015-04-08T10:00:03.073+01:00Purple and Gold Vortex Nail Art - WIDWHey y'all!<br />
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It's hump day again, and that of course means it's time for What I Did (with it) Wednesday! This week I created nail art from a swatch of Octopus Party Nail Lacquer <a href="http://fixintofaff.blogspot.co.uk/2015/04/hey-swatch-it-octopus-party-witches-get.html" target="_blank"><b>Witches Get Stitches</b></a>. I decided the plummy purple needed a bit of gold and some stamping, so I turned to my semi-recently-acquired chrome finish polishes for help to create this look.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYxRv4nhb5zEWJF5fDXsr3JWGvNIoOmG-rBXoKwjLcMBZ9ul5v_keutWgZpZTZcNvLNi3PWyzZINJJ22KVvyB1JYqsHKcuFU-UhguN3ymEQBHX2U6UXQ7xglzOlgTi00QUmos2LMzc4e4U/s1600/purple-gold-vortex-nail-art-501.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Gold and purple plum nail art stamped vortex." border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYxRv4nhb5zEWJF5fDXsr3JWGvNIoOmG-rBXoKwjLcMBZ9ul5v_keutWgZpZTZcNvLNi3PWyzZINJJ22KVvyB1JYqsHKcuFU-UhguN3ymEQBHX2U6UXQ7xglzOlgTi00QUmos2LMzc4e4U/s1600/purple-gold-vortex-nail-art-501.JPG" height="400" title="Gold and purple plum nail art stamped vortex." width="400" /></a></div>
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So to create this look from my swatch, I removed <b>Witches Get Stitches</b> from my index and middle fingers, and instead applied a coat of Models Own <b>Chrome Gold</b> to those nails.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhALlquYxf1vBX2hutV3arwI8Cve1puxkLykL8b0Ic6inJJbdmESUaqXt8G9zDvn_Y3N8fKb6OYN8Z3wN_1gbs8p3lUFLo91ete4RUFuzdseERy72w7ba8AnrlOs7kd5vxtDAosL3oheHBj/s1600/purple-gold-vortex-nail-art-402.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Gold and purple plum nail art stamped vortex." border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhALlquYxf1vBX2hutV3arwI8Cve1puxkLykL8b0Ic6inJJbdmESUaqXt8G9zDvn_Y3N8fKb6OYN8Z3wN_1gbs8p3lUFLo91ete4RUFuzdseERy72w7ba8AnrlOs7kd5vxtDAosL3oheHBj/s1600/purple-gold-vortex-nail-art-402.JPG" height="400" title="Gold and purple plum nail art stamped vortex." width="400" /></a></div>
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As I flipped through my stamping plates, I decided on this vortex-y image from the MoYou London Pro Collection 11 plate, and stamped that over the gold with Sally Hansen Chrome <b>Orchid Sapphire</b> because the tone so closely matched the plummy shade of <b>Witches Get Stitches</b>.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm-nNdTPDCtysOMVGaaXidZ_gRUmkT_3EfEKkIajbt1T28ADQlbrdS3McQIehdnXNFzRQ9hHDcPup0mTgQDOJbW4Ty_VmIdcDcR0CbiPJnZPJq8tFmMa-EdNWGB-Wj1yKmAHIIMOC8LToS/s1600/purple-gold-vortex-nail-art-401.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Gold and purple plum nail art stamped vortex." border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm-nNdTPDCtysOMVGaaXidZ_gRUmkT_3EfEKkIajbt1T28ADQlbrdS3McQIehdnXNFzRQ9hHDcPup0mTgQDOJbW4Ty_VmIdcDcR0CbiPJnZPJq8tFmMa-EdNWGB-Wj1yKmAHIIMOC8LToS/s1600/purple-gold-vortex-nail-art-401.JPG" height="400" title="Gold and purple plum nail art stamped vortex." width="400" /></a></div>
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To finish, I added single gold studs to the three remaining nails to tie everything together. Luckily my macro-fu was a bit better with this look, so here's the macro that was missing from Saturday's swatch.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjywMdAndpNciFqpsZ0ow8c9VoiCUwBtVA9sJWnSzcVX60aIgjP_yPRRbM_XBHq4qtsdpPR6AILFaMliG-htmf_ANeFXsmWvWTBqcK1XVL4FY2DzicYL8vvcEAodVBM6DV4lZXZ9eK7n34_/s1600/purple-gold-vortex-nail-art-macro-01.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Gold and purple plum nail art stamped vortex." border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjywMdAndpNciFqpsZ0ow8c9VoiCUwBtVA9sJWnSzcVX60aIgjP_yPRRbM_XBHq4qtsdpPR6AILFaMliG-htmf_ANeFXsmWvWTBqcK1XVL4FY2DzicYL8vvcEAodVBM6DV4lZXZ9eK7n34_/s1600/purple-gold-vortex-nail-art-macro-01.JPG" height="400" title="Gold and purple plum nail art stamped vortex." width="400" /></a></div>
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In this shot you can seriously tell that I didn't do a great job of stamping this image - all of those little circles are supposed to be filled and it looks like I scraped way too hard because every single one of them is blank inside. The only saving grace is that because all of them are like that, you can't really tell that they weren't supposed to be hollow. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiylunqumRrfY-ZS8_DUD_fsS69kjL30F1vsQ6D73jTBTd9hJQMiygB6OWqOR1VkRpOU7pD6M8o_LjQy4TgSykSfU6A-3xnt38JneBq9ckR9usUQAXp4XTrjPanlaqxzxL7pa5GwRjj7CgV/s1600/purple-gold-vortex-nail-art-macro-02.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Gold and purple plum nail art stamped vortex." border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiylunqumRrfY-ZS8_DUD_fsS69kjL30F1vsQ6D73jTBTd9hJQMiygB6OWqOR1VkRpOU7pD6M8o_LjQy4TgSykSfU6A-3xnt38JneBq9ckR9usUQAXp4XTrjPanlaqxzxL7pa5GwRjj7CgV/s1600/purple-gold-vortex-nail-art-macro-02.JPG" height="400" title="Gold and purple plum nail art stamped vortex." width="400" /></a></div>
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Are you enjoying this series so far? Let me know what you think down in the comments.<br />
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Hope you're all having a great week, and I'll see ya Friday!<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03559349153399989266noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1342923129919952137.post-88363919527005756032015-04-06T10:00:00.000+01:002015-04-06T10:00:00.054+01:00Neon Leopard birthday nail artHey y'all!<br />
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As you may have read, Saturday was my birthday, and of course I had to give myself a pretty manicure to celebrate, right? After a lot of hemming and hawing, I finally decided on this bright, sparkly, and fun neon leopard print with black diamond crystals and silver glitter accent.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGM-sNj_xXWLCXZ7avmnHDh-nTq6jPG089dTZgQn8enT4B-34zldDALh5C2eL0YTkirHx2epiCxUUsV7XjLxOBxG6kOphGnlZKQLz-GP7AofB2U0y-UGyZdUr6e6F5aeyetn_NWHnfqpLu/s1600/birthday-neon-leopard-nail-art-501.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Birthday nail art of neon leopard print and black diamond swarovski crystal accents." border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGM-sNj_xXWLCXZ7avmnHDh-nTq6jPG089dTZgQn8enT4B-34zldDALh5C2eL0YTkirHx2epiCxUUsV7XjLxOBxG6kOphGnlZKQLz-GP7AofB2U0y-UGyZdUr6e6F5aeyetn_NWHnfqpLu/s1600/birthday-neon-leopard-nail-art-501.JPG" height="400" title="Birthday nail art of neon leopard print and black diamond swarovski crystal accents." width="400" /></a></div>
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I started this look with two coats of Rimmel Space Dust <b>Shooting Star</b> on my ring finger, and two coats of China Glaze <b>Flip Flop Fantasy</b> on all other nails. There's a reason people rave about <b>Flip Flop Fantasy</b> - it's a fantastically bright neon coral polish that rides the perfect line between orange and pink. I grabbed it as part of my Texas haul last month and was itching to wear it, and you can see why! <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeXALc8QCCoI9gMrm7hyKAmO_0UWRs7_3u72yo1ZyiH-x_KjRbIJNO2deB90YPh1BgEq-a8mTAk9hHCNlneyuUrl9pkMusGPsJOetVHIjLNZEkkFa9wkr-eM3mpW43py1HfF7jPSYI1ND_/s1600/birthday-neon-leopard-nail-art-401.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Birthday nail art of neon leopard print and black diamond swarovski crystal accents." border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeXALc8QCCoI9gMrm7hyKAmO_0UWRs7_3u72yo1ZyiH-x_KjRbIJNO2deB90YPh1BgEq-a8mTAk9hHCNlneyuUrl9pkMusGPsJOetVHIjLNZEkkFa9wkr-eM3mpW43py1HfF7jPSYI1ND_/s1600/birthday-neon-leopard-nail-art-401.JPG" height="400" title="Birthday nail art of neon leopard print and black diamond swarovski crystal accents." width="400" /></a></div>
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To create my leopard print nails, I thought about freehanding them, but then I remembered that I had ordered a neon leopard print nail foil roll from BPS a couple months ago, and thought I'd give it a test run. Unfortunately it did smear and smudge quite a bit when I top-coated, and quite a few bits of the print didn't transfer with the rest of the image, so I did have to doctor it up with some black polish (and also added the small dot/spots because the foil only had the c-shape print - bummer). After I'd applied it, I wished I had done a gradient underneath because I think adding a pop of neon orange or yellow or pink or even white would have added some dimension to the look. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnQT_r2fMc8in5c9s4mvnTP_GRVEl_yJ2pZRC2z0RMVFU0wwgfEJlMrEvOOwjshG3IkbWszg8S7jZzE4u7qV6Ll38GwRVPt0TwwzMaZZG7_Rx7pk0rpYc406aOcC4xaaBldVAjqeEUcBrY/s1600/birthday-neon-leopard-nail-art-402.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Birthday nail art of neon leopard print and black diamond swarovski crystal accents." border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnQT_r2fMc8in5c9s4mvnTP_GRVEl_yJ2pZRC2z0RMVFU0wwgfEJlMrEvOOwjshG3IkbWszg8S7jZzE4u7qV6Ll38GwRVPt0TwwzMaZZG7_Rx7pk0rpYc406aOcC4xaaBldVAjqeEUcBrY/s1600/birthday-neon-leopard-nail-art-402.JPG" height="400" title="Birthday nail art of neon leopard print and black diamond swarovski crystal accents." width="400" /></a></div>
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My last step was to bling out my thumb and pinky, so I pulled out the Swarovski flat-backs that I got off eBay a couple weeks ago and picked out these black diamond crystals in 3 sizes. Whereas I had originally set them into top coat, I realized within a couple of hours that I was losing stones, so I popped them off and reset them with nail glue.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwAa7P6kCCvEnTcu_ZAb0mxyKUfsuFevhtoFz95ehyphenhyphen5SG0eQG2E_2Mzt3FJy7kOZEvcN-PifI8WX6eKVLvF9xfQm3K9biA_0Fds2w0I3Qb5v_weFH5UOi-eZuZpY-v5_e1kdxfetzr1RBm/s1600/birthday-neon-leopard-nail-art-502.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Birthday nail art of neon leopard print and black diamond swarovski crystal accents." border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwAa7P6kCCvEnTcu_ZAb0mxyKUfsuFevhtoFz95ehyphenhyphen5SG0eQG2E_2Mzt3FJy7kOZEvcN-PifI8WX6eKVLvF9xfQm3K9biA_0Fds2w0I3Qb5v_weFH5UOi-eZuZpY-v5_e1kdxfetzr1RBm/s1600/birthday-neon-leopard-nail-art-502.JPG" height="400" title="Birthday nail art of neon leopard print and black diamond swarovski crystal accents." width="400" /></a></div>
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I am so in love with these stones! They're really bright and sparkly, but the smoky color makes them more interesting than a standard clear crystal, to me.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio7qrPSTg85A_fxtaJtcHAHFxsTMJT-X1vgEHrHFAoR7WvTSb-9QMJqZUOAJjOMQfv9f7KcvrdMl1FkIfYcPjKUxvp_iV4XoYIg0kqVRKTk_Wv10auYWgZjDxcFBoWlJM9H8IFIcwOj6yr/s1600/birthday-neon-leopard-nail-art-macro.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Birthday nail art of neon leopard print and black diamond swarovski crystal accents." border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio7qrPSTg85A_fxtaJtcHAHFxsTMJT-X1vgEHrHFAoR7WvTSb-9QMJqZUOAJjOMQfv9f7KcvrdMl1FkIfYcPjKUxvp_iV4XoYIg0kqVRKTk_Wv10auYWgZjDxcFBoWlJM9H8IFIcwOj6yr/s1600/birthday-neon-leopard-nail-art-macro.JPG" height="400" title="Birthday nail art of neon leopard print and black diamond swarovski crystal accents." width="400" /></a></div>
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I didn't have a big elaborate birthday by any means. Hubby got me a new fancy coffee maker with a clock and a timer that doesn't come apart and leak water all over the back like my old one did, and the box set of the TV show <i>Angel</i>, which now completes my box set collection replacement (that is, all my DVDs were Region 1, which of course makes them worthless now that I live in Region 2). After breakfast, we went into the city and I did a tiny bit of shopping (and I really do mean tiny - bought myself one polish, one top coat, and a pair of sunglasses) and then came home for Chinese takeaway and a movie. He also got me a cake - technically it's an Easter cake - and my first-ever hot cross bun. I got to Skype with one of my girlfriends back home who is recovering from surgery, so that was nice. Otherwise it was a nice, quite little day. I find this to be an acceptable way to spend my first annual 39th birthday. Maybe next year we'll do something a bit more grand.<br />
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I hope you all had a nice Easter, and I will see you Wednesday!<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03559349153399989266noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1342923129919952137.post-21384507967909288962015-04-04T10:00:00.000+01:002015-04-04T10:00:05.661+01:00Hey, Swatch It! Octopus Party Witches Get StitchesHey y'all!<br />
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First off... happy birthday to me! I am turning 39 for the very first time this year (because I will not be going through the door marked "40"), so that's pretty momentous. I'll be giving you a recap of the birthday festivities on Monday, but today is all about the swatching. Last fall, I bought several of Octopus Party Nail Lacquer's Halloween line, and I've already swatched all the full-size bottles I bought, but I also grabbed some minis because I wasn't sure if I would love them or not. Unfortunately they've been sitting in my untrieds for 6 months now, so I figured it was time to show a little love. The first one I have to show you is <b>Witches Get Stitches</b>.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy1cJ9hP89150-LzZa13Lx6sKh7hlpLkeItuJqJTqcEaDqc6lMn_NxftwyAJ229wDSLXenHx3tmv_aUwkCy6wZDfISafKqn29EmyS7nzFcHrnk30ZMywsJnFiv9SGSAVNDcqcVNatMFAY4/s1600/octopus-party-witches-get-stitches.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Swatch and review of Octopus Party Nail Lacquer Witches Get Stitches." border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy1cJ9hP89150-LzZa13Lx6sKh7hlpLkeItuJqJTqcEaDqc6lMn_NxftwyAJ229wDSLXenHx3tmv_aUwkCy6wZDfISafKqn29EmyS7nzFcHrnk30ZMywsJnFiv9SGSAVNDcqcVNatMFAY4/s1600/octopus-party-witches-get-stitches.JPG" height="400" title="Swatch and review of Octopus Party Nail Lacquer Witches Get Stitches." width="400" /></a></div>
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<b>Witches Get Stitches</b> is a fuchsia-leaning purple with red and purple glitters (maybe some blue?), gold shimmer and some kind of holo sparkle. It's really quite lovely with a lot of depth and a bit of magic bottled inside. These swatches all show 3 coats, no top coat.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCGTRnnHyD-6qksok1BRECwGJVd0G_mbA5yZ9c0mqnXdZWHIyB9GXplKgb_1BFGrAb8MWVwQBcT5aOQuhJtDX5AbtEMt6_zg1qkiU4_ZLAtKY8vq60gVGU9wy9w08Cx5TLD1FuDdZ1fyNa/s1600/octopus-party-witches-get-stitches-swatch-401.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Swatch and review of Octopus Party Nail Lacquer Witches Get Stitches." border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCGTRnnHyD-6qksok1BRECwGJVd0G_mbA5yZ9c0mqnXdZWHIyB9GXplKgb_1BFGrAb8MWVwQBcT5aOQuhJtDX5AbtEMt6_zg1qkiU4_ZLAtKY8vq60gVGU9wy9w08Cx5TLD1FuDdZ1fyNa/s1600/octopus-party-witches-get-stitches-swatch-401.JPG" height="400" title="Swatch and review of Octopus Party Nail Lacquer Witches Get Stitches." width="400" /></a></div>
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Application was a bit on the thick side compared to other polishes I've tried from Dave, but that may just be because it's been sitting for 6 months. It was very workable and even the first coat went on pretty smoothly. It dries to a fairly glossy, slightly bumpy finish, but top coat will smooth it out. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinTxydhzYRFDvEB603QDtmDvY_Zn9hZboavdtdNFBiPENip1A9tYNBC1EKFWW-eVY9m9VGRDc9p9AZMy4fJRepZ494lbe2g4ZYF9ULcVOytKx-brsLZJ-pvsgPDC5Aw7zUCDO-gHvE3EsQ/s1600/octopus-party-witches-get-stitches-swatch-402.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Swatch and review of Octopus Party Nail Lacquer Witches Get Stitches." border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinTxydhzYRFDvEB603QDtmDvY_Zn9hZboavdtdNFBiPENip1A9tYNBC1EKFWW-eVY9m9VGRDc9p9AZMy4fJRepZ494lbe2g4ZYF9ULcVOytKx-brsLZJ-pvsgPDC5Aw7zUCDO-gHvE3EsQ/s1600/octopus-party-witches-get-stitches-swatch-402.JPG" height="400" title="Swatch and review of Octopus Party Nail Lacquer Witches Get Stitches." width="400" /></a></div>
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It's actually pretty well-packed with gold shimmer that I had the hardest time photographing, unfortunately, but thankfully I was able to capture the flashes of holo microglitter/shimmer throughout. Unfortunately none of my macros came out, so sad panda is me. If you dig this jelly like I dig this jelly, come back on Wednesday to see what I did with it!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCr2t7twaGGYpYts74J9mdeTyk-Wquve9HxB7k-m5pz2JVl2py_N75lYKl-ap5hGfJf0tEeOk_tp4LXZ_vOIGVgscErR6IzNwOwLlb6_Ie4fpNaMR2TQNN2WqwMuyNFDfyESsg3uHY9Yym/s1600/octopus-party-witches-get-stitches-swatch-501.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Swatch and review of Octopus Party Nail Lacquer Witches Get Stitches." border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCr2t7twaGGYpYts74J9mdeTyk-Wquve9HxB7k-m5pz2JVl2py_N75lYKl-ap5hGfJf0tEeOk_tp4LXZ_vOIGVgscErR6IzNwOwLlb6_Ie4fpNaMR2TQNN2WqwMuyNFDfyESsg3uHY9Yym/s1600/octopus-party-witches-get-stitches-swatch-501.JPG" height="400" title="Swatch and review of Octopus Party Nail Lacquer Witches Get Stitches." width="400" /></a></div>
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Hope you're all enjoying your Easter weekend (and maybe tipping a glass back in honor of my birthday - tag me on social media in a pic if you are!)! I'll see you Monday!<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03559349153399989266noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1342923129919952137.post-17336087243396915132015-04-03T10:00:00.000+01:002015-04-03T10:00:00.071+01:00FingerFood's Daisies - NCC RecreationsHey y'all!<br />
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Happy Friday! Today we kick off my second month in the Nail Challenge Collaborative, which happens to be celebrating its third anniversary this month! In honor of 3 years of talented nail artists doing monthly themes, we've decided to use this month's theme to recreate some of our favorite NCC looks from days gone by. Today I'm recreating a really sweet look done by a former NCC member and an all-around really cool chick, so here's my version of <a href="http://fingerfoodnails.blogspot.co.uk/2014/03/the-ncc-presents-untrieds-sugar-coated.html" target="_blank">FingerFood's Sugar-Coated Daisies.</a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW1BeIyRPw-rXAwi4pYASJYYiHuuElUMztDlzNXUefSFeMF8mMHupSuXkZx6asLsm0TPjaXmYPIX1ziz3cwfn5wdjV93LWTrvWEAW0YpQ4wMJcnHdjIwkiqSXiHCNPyQhphixnm3OqZw1Q/s1600/fingerfood-sugar-coated-daisies-nail-art-recreation-501.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW1BeIyRPw-rXAwi4pYASJYYiHuuElUMztDlzNXUefSFeMF8mMHupSuXkZx6asLsm0TPjaXmYPIX1ziz3cwfn5wdjV93LWTrvWEAW0YpQ4wMJcnHdjIwkiqSXiHCNPyQhphixnm3OqZw1Q/s1600/fingerfood-sugar-coated-daisies-nail-art-recreation-501.JPG" height="400" width="400" /></a></div>
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I actually own two of the original polishes Sam used to create this textured floral nail art look, so I began with those - two coats of Sally Hansen Sugar Coat <b>Sugar Fix</b> on my ring finger, and two coats of <b>Lick-O-Rich</b> on all the other nails. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii7Y32eMpJtbzF1khGVPD1-5rb7XSj22qXxa2m-cZ705NU-kBYVdCIJFx-6RSxFwT8FLlDcJL0F8PMH99d4nacdC-P9ZZFqshIN5hlCDm4ociEktyvI1obEm5b4axHZMcq8cVnsQcqA2wU/s1600/fingerfood-sugar-coated-daisies-nail-art-recreation-402.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii7Y32eMpJtbzF1khGVPD1-5rb7XSj22qXxa2m-cZ705NU-kBYVdCIJFx-6RSxFwT8FLlDcJL0F8PMH99d4nacdC-P9ZZFqshIN5hlCDm4ociEktyvI1obEm5b4axHZMcq8cVnsQcqA2wU/s1600/fingerfood-sugar-coated-daisies-nail-art-recreation-402.JPG" height="400" width="400" /></a></div>
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When dry, I reversed the polishes to create 5-petal flowers on each nail, trying to recreate Sam's original placement as best I could with a different nail shape. Dotting with textured polishes is not easy - in fact it was actually kind of a PITA, but I persevered. On the accent nail, I added a white center dot of <b>Sugar Fix</b> so that I could then add all the daisy centers with George GelPro <b>Festival</b>, which is not a textured polish but was the closest yellow to Sam's in tone. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK91-jupIhyAaQyMP25GoAxHd15B1SQvSaKoYNilTo3TIQDMUbp45bCsTYcGREXMAhPrW4jQG0-67Jhitf5uAIiAPcNJBFZHJb5faLFBnGFgpqgSIAVKYmMLsdK6Ct1QY1_x-QIqU5zEU5/s1600/fingerfood-sugar-coated-daisies-nail-art-recreation-401.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK91-jupIhyAaQyMP25GoAxHd15B1SQvSaKoYNilTo3TIQDMUbp45bCsTYcGREXMAhPrW4jQG0-67Jhitf5uAIiAPcNJBFZHJb5faLFBnGFgpqgSIAVKYmMLsdK6Ct1QY1_x-QIqU5zEU5/s1600/fingerfood-sugar-coated-daisies-nail-art-recreation-401.JPG" height="400" width="400" /></a></div>
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Although the final look is a little bumpy and rough, I'm pretty happy with the recreation portion of it, since I loved the original look and think it still holds up even on a different nail shape over a year later. What do you think?<br />
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For more fabulous recreations of past NCC looks, check out the inlinkz below.<br />
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Have a fantastic Easter weekend, and I will see you tomorrow! <br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03559349153399989266noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1342923129919952137.post-5591297336102644622015-04-01T10:00:00.000+01:002015-04-01T10:00:02.021+01:00Teal and Plum Dot Flowers - WIDWHey y'all!<br />
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Happy April to you! The first three months of 2015 have absolutely steamrolled me, and I can hardly believe it's already springtime, and more importantly, birthday time for me. :) Today's What I Did Wednesday plays on that spring theme, and I've used Monday's swatch of <a href="http://fixintofaff.blogspot.co.uk/2015/03/hey-swatch-it-sally-hansen-velvet.html" target="_blank"><b>Plush </b></a>to create some drop-dot flowers in this colorful and playful look.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG5PQMVNueJ_92A-R0TxztSWYZX88ejG8ju6xdVA2V5eebyAtOHYVWHqkxYWlxwxEqWwGMMZUCe8Ncj1KnGHjK-iaPvroBY2XavFp4qSArdh85_Yspzd2qVbjkAT0otc5VqyOTIR-VydSW/s1600/WIDW-teal-plum-dot-flowers-nail-art-501.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="What I Did Wednesday plum drop dot flowers nail art over teal textured swatch with yellow rhinestone accents." border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG5PQMVNueJ_92A-R0TxztSWYZX88ejG8ju6xdVA2V5eebyAtOHYVWHqkxYWlxwxEqWwGMMZUCe8Ncj1KnGHjK-iaPvroBY2XavFp4qSArdh85_Yspzd2qVbjkAT0otc5VqyOTIR-VydSW/s1600/WIDW-teal-plum-dot-flowers-nail-art-501.JPG" height="400" title="What I Did Wednesday plum drop dot flowers nail art over teal textured swatch with yellow rhinestone accents." width="400" /></a></div>
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With two coats of Sally Hansen Velvet Texture <b>Plush </b>as my base, I pulled out my dotting tool and my thinnest nail art brush along with these amber yellow rhinestones and set to work. The flowers are created with dots of Models Own <b>Oval Plum</b> and three leaf strokes of Sinful Shine <b>Rendezvous</b>, and I added a yellow rhinestone to the center of each. I created three flowers each on the middle and ring finger.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3mhB0mDGtL26ykgxOKzGmxu6yiXlHwo5_VhpkARRLN8MyaSs9UZkZQNKYbpfJB6rXGbUcVUQgA0A_WNT5gaYZfVNmnmkNA-TC9DxcTdIyxhWkO_t5z1e5Ywj11yUzonOlzmzD7FVxrqJG/s1600/WIDW-teal-plum-dot-flowers-nail-art-402.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="What I Did Wednesday plum drop dot flowers nail art over teal textured swatch with yellow rhinestone accents." border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3mhB0mDGtL26ykgxOKzGmxu6yiXlHwo5_VhpkARRLN8MyaSs9UZkZQNKYbpfJB6rXGbUcVUQgA0A_WNT5gaYZfVNmnmkNA-TC9DxcTdIyxhWkO_t5z1e5Ywj11yUzonOlzmzD7FVxrqJG/s1600/WIDW-teal-plum-dot-flowers-nail-art-402.JPG" height="400" title="What I Did Wednesday plum drop dot flowers nail art over teal textured swatch with yellow rhinestone accents." width="400" /></a></div>
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On the thumb, index, and pinky, I mimicked the dotting in each color and finished with a smaller rhinestone at the center of each nail. Because <b>Plush </b>is a textured polish, I didn't top coat the look, but did use SV to attach the gems.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiwG9FbU3yfmyiXdL-nUDBpjM4lUfUqBaLskTnVfXt4tF3bKfbkekNp3iF3ynjqFuSrSYsEu9J7TU4CWrKGzFCqJrU4D48jTj_gyadmdCONySYsP7KTk8wQAOWIdqTROfeqZuS8bUKMO0S/s1600/WIDW-teal-plum-dot-flowers-nail-art-401.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="What I Did Wednesday plum drop dot flowers nail art over teal textured swatch with yellow rhinestone accents." border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiwG9FbU3yfmyiXdL-nUDBpjM4lUfUqBaLskTnVfXt4tF3bKfbkekNp3iF3ynjqFuSrSYsEu9J7TU4CWrKGzFCqJrU4D48jTj_gyadmdCONySYsP7KTk8wQAOWIdqTROfeqZuS8bUKMO0S/s1600/WIDW-teal-plum-dot-flowers-nail-art-401.JPG" height="400" title="What I Did Wednesday plum drop dot flowers nail art over teal textured swatch with yellow rhinestone accents." width="400" /></a></div>
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I hope you can all enjoy April Fools' Day without too much cruelty, and I will see you on Friday with the start of a new theme for the NCC!<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03559349153399989266noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1342923129919952137.post-38659182106448437022015-03-30T10:00:00.000+01:002015-03-30T10:00:01.259+01:00Hey, Swatch It! Sally Hansen Velvet Texture PlushHey y'all!<br />
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Since I overrode Saturday's normal Swatch It with my haul, I figured a mani Monday was in order to actually do a swatch post for ya. As you'll have seen in the <a href="http://fixintofaff.blogspot.co.uk/2015/03/hey-swatch-it-texas-polish-haul.html" target="_blank">Texas Polish Haul</a>, I picked up a couple more of the <a href="http://fixintofaff.blogspot.co.uk/2015/01/31dc-d28-non-glitter-topper.html" target="_blank">Sally Hansen Velvet Texture</a> polishes from the States which weren't released in the UK. The first of these I would like to show you is <b>Plush</b>.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz4HxmxlJ0aNaoKNwaUYdo-5iTDad1kRHETUf7hPm0CKHryHZ7QBMBqrPnQGfZdOcytQwKj8Ll0nqi_hFuioRE7D35SrvaEtODJUymD7ZXgiiJIHZcqbIpsleIvos4F-Zfzif8YnCpF3Y0/s1600/sally-hansen-velvet-texture-plush-swatch-501.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Swatch and review of Sally Hansen Velvet Texture Plush." border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz4HxmxlJ0aNaoKNwaUYdo-5iTDad1kRHETUf7hPm0CKHryHZ7QBMBqrPnQGfZdOcytQwKj8Ll0nqi_hFuioRE7D35SrvaEtODJUymD7ZXgiiJIHZcqbIpsleIvos4F-Zfzif8YnCpF3Y0/s1600/sally-hansen-velvet-texture-plush-swatch-501.JPG" height="400" title="Swatch and review of Sally Hansen Velvet Texture Plush." width="400" /></a></div>
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<b>Plush </b>is a gorgeous teal blue with a slightly concrete-like texture, identical in formula and experience with the three UK shades I bought a couple months ago. It dries down to a soft matte finish.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi4P76MdCE3yquxm-XgQd8uBItHTwcLgo_WeU7PdpihGB9JHXfel88yL-VbDEJiRuXqXwu5g11iWhKor_JeTB8O5QvRhxBXTe6336D9q6_M7Zf5Z4er0tlHjGYaAakLgHP1NSeMrNLXFwy/s1600/sally-hansen-velvet-texture-plush-swatch-402.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Swatch and review of Sally Hansen Velvet Texture Plush." border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi4P76MdCE3yquxm-XgQd8uBItHTwcLgo_WeU7PdpihGB9JHXfel88yL-VbDEJiRuXqXwu5g11iWhKor_JeTB8O5QvRhxBXTe6336D9q6_M7Zf5Z4er0tlHjGYaAakLgHP1NSeMrNLXFwy/s1600/sally-hansen-velvet-texture-plush-swatch-402.JPG" height="400" title="Swatch and review of Sally Hansen Velvet Texture Plush." width="400" /></a></div>
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These swatches show two thin coats on all but the index finger, which had a boo-boo and ended up taking a third coat to cover my smudge. I didn't notice it at arm's length, but in photos you can see that it actually does deepen the color a touch. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSh5FO0vgrdLuNdSdwMn4Io0Cs_ya6KwpoFv7-rpGvJqIisGQpSqXgoe0eePLjBkJtCxq-Tv4G7RLhGLO1C-l3Wbc5ed23mHSJpHw8t3yUh9vYf4BEbR4S8m4XTh1k9AT5ph27vbYfqZkm/s1600/sally-hansen-velvet-texture-plush-swatch-401.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Swatch and review of Sally Hansen Velvet Texture Plush." border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSh5FO0vgrdLuNdSdwMn4Io0Cs_ya6KwpoFv7-rpGvJqIisGQpSqXgoe0eePLjBkJtCxq-Tv4G7RLhGLO1C-l3Wbc5ed23mHSJpHw8t3yUh9vYf4BEbR4S8m4XTh1k9AT5ph27vbYfqZkm/s1600/sally-hansen-velvet-texture-plush-swatch-401.JPG" height="400" title="Swatch and review of Sally Hansen Velvet Texture Plush." width="400" /></a></div>
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In case you were curious about the finished texture, I grabbed a macro so that you can see it isn't quite as textured as others, such as the Liquid Sands or the Pixie Dusts, so this may be a formula perfect for those of you who like the look of textured polish but don't like the way it feels or sometimes catches on clothing, etc. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNK6Qxe-yDZKKo_SLD4kFbc2L_st1x3DN3awx49R0k2L2hsrX7wYNfNgjHDcTJZtdFyHd06DBZ2UCDe8xUl2qT0BYTpEHfgGHG5yPfj6gHD36Q3MuowUx0qIlqvx97aka-5XDbyLupgVtU/s1600/sally-hansen-velvet-texture-plush-swatch-macro.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Macro swatch and review of Sally Hansen Velvet Texture Plush." border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNK6Qxe-yDZKKo_SLD4kFbc2L_st1x3DN3awx49R0k2L2hsrX7wYNfNgjHDcTJZtdFyHd06DBZ2UCDe8xUl2qT0BYTpEHfgGHG5yPfj6gHD36Q3MuowUx0qIlqvx97aka-5XDbyLupgVtU/s1600/sally-hansen-velvet-texture-plush-swatch-macro.jpg" height="400" title="Macro swatch and review of Sally Hansen Velvet Texture Plush." width="400" /></a></div>
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All in all, I'm a fan of this line and I'm still pretty sad that they didn't release the full collection of shades in the UK. I'm very lucky to have the ability to hop across and get unreleased shades from time to time, but that's little to no consolation for other Brit polish lovers.<br />
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Hope your week is off to a fine start, and be sure to return on Wednesday to see the nail art I created from this swatch!<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03559349153399989266noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1342923129919952137.post-56849471076472743362015-03-28T10:00:00.000+00:002015-03-29T20:05:23.854+01:00Texas Polish HaulOh. Hi y'all!<br />
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I apologize for the delay in today's post. Apparently the last few days have fallen into a black hole where the only things that exist are hot water bottles, Midol, and <i>Downton Abbey</i> on the DVR. Don't judge me. However, I promised you a haul post from my Texas trip, so I dragged my lazy fat butt up the stairs and set to work taking pics of all the pretty things that I'd already managed to put away but it's okay because it's for you and you're like family. F'realsies.<br />
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To start out, let me just talk about a couple of things I recently got in that were not technically part of the "Texas" haul, but since I received them in the last week and I'm enamored with the shiny, I'm going to share them anyway. The Ebay bug has struck again, and since I have a birfdie coming up next weekend, I did a little shopping for myself. <br />
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Just take a moment and look. LOOK at the tiny TARDIS earrings. They are my preciouses! I keep a tiny 10 in one and a tiny Metacrisis in the other and when I cannot sleep at night, they tell me how clever I am.<br />
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I also found a couple of retailers that do some really cool and inexpensive Swarovski packets, so I loaded up on several, including some black crystals in several sizes, clear pyramids, clear AB squares, and several different colors of standard cut, including those big, gorgeous fire opals in the center. Cannot wait to play!<br />
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Okay, so moving backward, now, let's talk about the things I actually got on my trip. First up are a couple of items that were waiting for me when I arrived, because my mommy is goodly enough to receive packages when I order things on tha pooter.<br />
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MY MUNDOS ARE HERE! YAY!!! I had actually ordered these last fall in anticipation of the trip we made back in October, but my timing was horrible and they actually arrived a couple of days after we had left to come home, so they've been sitting in my old bedroom waiting for me all this time. They obviously need to be mixed really well because they've separated pretty badly, but I'm so excited to finally have these stamper lemmings in my hot little hands!<br />
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Also, I placed my first order with Madam Glam during a hella sale, wherein I got this gel polish starter kit for around $50, which includes the soak off base, color, and top gels along with a very portable LED light. I LUUUV that LED light! It's so much smaller and handier than my big UV box, so it can actually live on my desk instead of in my kit. I'm also really impressed with the gel polishes (if you follow me on Instagram, you'll know that I did a couple of girlfriends' nails using this set and the results were pretty fab!). FYI, the color I chose is <b>Vintage Pink</b>.<br />
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Also in gel polish news, I hit up the clearance gels at Sally while I was in town, and got a few really great deals on a variety of different polishes. I also snagged the last Red Carpet <b>Aries </b>glitter polish at one of the Ultas in town, so that was a bonus.<br />
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I kept my regular polish haul really small this trip, comparatively. Found a few good deals between Sally, Ulta, and Walmart, so these new pretties came home with me.<br />
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My other frequent stop when I'm in town is Walgreens, where I found a couple of new Sinful Shines (for $1 each) and two more of the Velvet Texture releases that didn't make it to the UK.<br />
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The most important haul item, though, I've saved for last, because it's THAT important. I finally got myself a VERY NECESSARY back scratcher for my office, because inevitably I get the worst itches just as soon as I have wet polish on my nails. I found the Bear Claw at HEB, and it's sturdy metal on a telescoping, padded handle. SO GOOD!<br />
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So, I also got a couple bits of clothing and makeup and stuff, but nothing terribly cool or interesting. I also got a bit of jewelry, but mostly I couldn't be bothered to pull it all off the hangers and set up pictures, so, I'm sorry. Maybe one day I'll have my ish together.<br />
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Until then, I hope you're all having a great weekend, and I'll see ya Monday!<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03559349153399989266noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1342923129919952137.post-84441298444198726612015-03-27T10:00:00.000+00:002015-04-24T20:23:37.452+01:00Beachy Gradient Colorblocking Nail Art - NCC Inspired By FashionHey y'all!<br />
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Friday's finally here, and it's the last Friday of the month, so that's insane. Thankfully it's also my chance to present my final look for this month's NCC theme: Inspired by Fashion, where I got to play with a neutral palette and a beachy-themed gradient with some colorblocking. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmAIrEUVJpUjpevmt7R4N1MHjqSwN2I2ZpfBJMqajglTJPipFWm8_xQIWMVH11A7c40tURTK7TwqzfwzRAUaF8u_AUQFHrpjWvuqWoYp5QsA33LElAaXE1fYzBqQo08pu4fynYVqOHz6FL/s1600/beachy-gradient-colorblocking-nail-art-501.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Neutral blue and white gradient colorblocking nail art inspired by fashion." border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmAIrEUVJpUjpevmt7R4N1MHjqSwN2I2ZpfBJMqajglTJPipFWm8_xQIWMVH11A7c40tURTK7TwqzfwzRAUaF8u_AUQFHrpjWvuqWoYp5QsA33LElAaXE1fYzBqQo08pu4fynYVqOHz6FL/s1600/beachy-gradient-colorblocking-nail-art-501.JPG" height="400" title="Neutral blue and white gradient colorblocking nail art inspired by fashion." width="400" /></a></div>
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My look was inspired by this ad I found for Marc Cain.<br />
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The look comprises 4 polishes and some 3D plastic marble "stones" that I received as a gift from a blogger buddy.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi46LBwQp0fBRW2LhWsbKrY7h6ToqcVWltNEafxwQxanavUsTHDo-WU_cvVmRR8t57NJpbcjn3rR0sm00pCq-Zzp9Z0WUa2d7lYIiAqaVTZ6MUwW4d0mIyKqcT7v3hq0Tbtfr8BRbgQarV1/s1600/beachy-gradient-colorblocking-nail-art-bottles.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi46LBwQp0fBRW2LhWsbKrY7h6ToqcVWltNEafxwQxanavUsTHDo-WU_cvVmRR8t57NJpbcjn3rR0sm00pCq-Zzp9Z0WUa2d7lYIiAqaVTZ6MUwW4d0mIyKqcT7v3hq0Tbtfr8BRbgQarV1/s1600/beachy-gradient-colorblocking-nail-art-bottles.JPG" height="256" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">L-R: OPI <b>Incognito in Sausalito</b>, Models Own <b>Naked Glow</b>, Pure Ice <b>Superstar!</b>, Sinful Shine <b>Bottoms Up</b></td></tr>
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I began with a single coat of Superstar! on all nails. I wasn't worried about full coverage because I knew that all the bare spots would get covered by the remaining layers of polish to come. On my thumb and ring fingers, I applied one coat of Incognito in
Sausalito over the whole nail, then affixed the coral-colored,
flat-backed "marbles" onto the top center of the nail.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCQQ7CeJuQ7xGitrTngWORxOI8_UgJsJF3nrBCgYjfY1Y0oYb8-5_3C_dwwRH2zFHAeHKgudW3sAz3w_SV0pVRio7pturRe_lmjUelV4A7ED_aNjzk0xGGmrB0QDFEHbSORs3ZB8T8vBHg/s1600/beachy-gradient-colorblocking-nail-art-402.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Neutral blue and white gradient colorblocking nail art inspired by fashion." border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCQQ7CeJuQ7xGitrTngWORxOI8_UgJsJF3nrBCgYjfY1Y0oYb8-5_3C_dwwRH2zFHAeHKgudW3sAz3w_SV0pVRio7pturRe_lmjUelV4A7ED_aNjzk0xGGmrB0QDFEHbSORs3ZB8T8vBHg/s1600/beachy-gradient-colorblocking-nail-art-402.JPG" height="400" title="Neutral blue and white gradient colorblocking nail art inspired by fashion." width="400" /></a></div>
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On the remaining nails, I began by sponging on a gradient of <b>Superstar!</b> and <b>Bottoms Up</b> but wasn't too concerned about making it a clean gradient, because the inspo piece was a pretty marked gradient to begin with. After topcoating, I covered 1/3-to-1/2 the nail with a couple of thin coats of Naked Glow until it was fully opaque and cleaned the edgeline with a striping brush in the same color.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFDUwK7bHpNatCSmkgaTdkteQcE81plzP7yIkdlzOOb5GA0ECJ4tBV_b3GNa5R6xSqJHmtAP989cijhZTHkh1rajf9itQ0uIsRU4bE3WGYRGsv8ngZxWwIs4S5l-SnUsHW44P2KQgdXeDd/s1600/beachy-gradient-colorblocking-nail-art-401.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Neutral blue and white gradient colorblocking nail art inspired by fashion." border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFDUwK7bHpNatCSmkgaTdkteQcE81plzP7yIkdlzOOb5GA0ECJ4tBV_b3GNa5R6xSqJHmtAP989cijhZTHkh1rajf9itQ0uIsRU4bE3WGYRGsv8ngZxWwIs4S5l-SnUsHW44P2KQgdXeDd/s1600/beachy-gradient-colorblocking-nail-art-401.JPG" height="400" title="Neutral blue and white gradient colorblocking nail art inspired by fashion." width="400" /></a></div>
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I like the beachy, neutral palette in this look, although I really wish I'd had a more sand colored stone to attach, but I work with what I have on hand. <br />
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To see the remainder of the 4th Inspired By Fashion looks, check out the inlinkz below!<br />
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Have a great weekend, and I will see you tomorrow!<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03559349153399989266noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1342923129919952137.post-58327390477595830242015-03-25T10:00:00.000+00:002015-03-25T10:00:01.860+00:00Loose Glitter Gradient - What I Did WednesdayHey y'all!<br />
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I had a really hard time deciding what kind of nail art I should do with my swatch of <a href="http://fixintofaff.blogspot.co.uk/2015/03/hey-swatch-it-nail-pattern-boldness.html" target="_blank">Nail Pattern Boldness <b>Allons-Y</b></a> because it is just so beautiful, I didn't want to cover it up or take away from that sparkly goodness! Ultimately while looking through my supplies I decided the only thing to do over glitter was add MOAR GLITTAH! <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigJCfR6tepbdMu4LJ8EnyMH1ppS6iUYA4IoscuncGSF067MqwrKw0izvuC5i2Huh_s8cGcrkG2ZRZdtRRbarndZQfcHBJmuh_y3pY8-1_vVnZy_wwOeQqEVBn_k2yoJDb5Qul0HmkD8Olu/s1600/loose-glitter-gradient-nail-art-widw-501.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Loose glitter gradient nail art outlined with rhinestones and polish." border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigJCfR6tepbdMu4LJ8EnyMH1ppS6iUYA4IoscuncGSF067MqwrKw0izvuC5i2Huh_s8cGcrkG2ZRZdtRRbarndZQfcHBJmuh_y3pY8-1_vVnZy_wwOeQqEVBn_k2yoJDb5Qul0HmkD8Olu/s1600/loose-glitter-gradient-nail-art-widw-501.JPG" height="400" title="loose glitter gradient nail art outlined with rhinestones and polish" width="400" /></a></div>
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I wanted to play off the colors already in <b>Allons-Y</b>, as well as play with a bit of texture, so I selected a tiny black holo glitter mix for the ends, and a loose pigment powder (ELF Mineral Eyeshadow in <b>Dreamy</b>) to create a subtle tone transition with a dramatic finish. Also I should note that this particular eyeshadow is expired and designated only for nail art purposes - it's definitely not safe to use a product on your eyes once it's been applied with a nail art brush (which gets lots of use with other chemicals and products).<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz0n5K77R1xrjx1KaTDP5YXx4g0Gp_ty5VSQ9GQAqvix8n34KxwIN359yRtxJ5fC01MTlchd8iewlzb2u7qZRrHLeCIn_cD5VNWidc54Xwn3dCti5sc8vrtajszsNypJrSTEqgaqZfuqeK/s1600/loose-glitter-gradient-nail-art-widw-402.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Loose glitter gradient nail art outlined with rhinestones and polish." border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz0n5K77R1xrjx1KaTDP5YXx4g0Gp_ty5VSQ9GQAqvix8n34KxwIN359yRtxJ5fC01MTlchd8iewlzb2u7qZRrHLeCIn_cD5VNWidc54Xwn3dCti5sc8vrtajszsNypJrSTEqgaqZfuqeK/s1600/loose-glitter-gradient-nail-art-widw-402.JPG" height="400" title="loose glitter gradient nail art outlined with rhinestones and polish" width="400" /></a></div>
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To create the look, I applied a thin layer of topcoat lightly from about halfway down the nail. Before it set, I used a fluffy brush to dust over it with the loose pigment. Because the pigment is so finely milled, it almost melts into <b>Allons-Y</b>, but you can see the tone changing more towards blue at that point in the nail. To ensure the pigment stuck, I pressed it down into the topcoat with my finger before proceeding.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1QLxPW_ZXX3JaB2E0oYcyiJXVa_SOqd684zi2GpcR04CS-QqX7qdh8wpxp4HCNkVXxUv1XG11GZAfIBUkuZtkENlyqOplmkmBkaF3f-OhAKCxOw8wVFy7UxXq0YceB1MTT3k3pFHsx_8_/s1600/loose-glitter-gradient-nail-art-widw-401.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Loose glitter gradient nail art outlined with rhinestones and polish." border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1QLxPW_ZXX3JaB2E0oYcyiJXVa_SOqd684zi2GpcR04CS-QqX7qdh8wpxp4HCNkVXxUv1XG11GZAfIBUkuZtkENlyqOplmkmBkaF3f-OhAKCxOw8wVFy7UxXq0YceB1MTT3k3pFHsx_8_/s1600/loose-glitter-gradient-nail-art-widw-401.JPG" height="400" title="loose glitter gradient nail art outlined with rhinestones and polish" width="400" /></a></div>
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I repeated that process to apply the larger black glitter, only applying on the bottom third of the nail. To finish, I added an outline of clear rhinestones on the ring finger, and then for SNGs, outlined the index nail with a white striper. Everything is sealed under a good coat of SV.<br />
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In retrospect I probably could have done without the white outline, or maybe used black rhinestones and striping instead, but hindsight, especially in nail art, is better than 20/20 sometimes. Either way I enjoyed creating the gradient and that's still my favorite part of this look.<br />
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Hope you're all having a great week, and I will see you Friday with this month's final NCC Fashion look!<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03559349153399989266noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1342923129919952137.post-47731360038458631542015-03-23T10:00:00.000+00:002015-03-23T20:02:51.271+00:00Texas Recap!Hey y'all!<br />
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A few of you will already know this, but Mr. Faff and I spent the last couple of weeks back in Austin, visiting my family and friends. We returned Saturday morning, retrieved Isis, and spent the rest of the weekend unpacking and catching up on sleep, and of course, I put a little time aside to write up this post for you!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhybhtAkGtjQwFI1VhUa3zKd1xhLevGh-4HYrg7fNJiq-KHymWtbdF5kismzA8Pu8fbJAY5_z9-9MssNVGkiQQ_swdO8BFknEs8CQ294BakOhu0Ko5CsJDK9gNIyZf4lCrVDYA2A2nnyxSf/s1600/texas-recap.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Texas Trip Recap" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhybhtAkGtjQwFI1VhUa3zKd1xhLevGh-4HYrg7fNJiq-KHymWtbdF5kismzA8Pu8fbJAY5_z9-9MssNVGkiQQ_swdO8BFknEs8CQ294BakOhu0Ko5CsJDK9gNIyZf4lCrVDYA2A2nnyxSf/s1600/texas-recap.gif" height="370" title="texas trip recap" width="400" /></a></div>
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Before we set off, I did two beauty modifications to prepare myself. First, I got a hair cut and added a fun new color - bright red tips!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq3nBTcx34HrV-7AqKCGPeAu2_yU58oHsl42nmlHbEBfHR0Daopynh1FFgF6XGrGig0QC3Bgosk-a-aE1BQy691YQel7JKwoN0pTMaI9-F1q5_UIVWyZq-4nzPDeQ9OEmvq8zW8GfqEYrb/s1600/red-tip-hair.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq3nBTcx34HrV-7AqKCGPeAu2_yU58oHsl42nmlHbEBfHR0Daopynh1FFgF6XGrGig0QC3Bgosk-a-aE1BQy691YQel7JKwoN0pTMaI9-F1q5_UIVWyZq-4nzPDeQ9OEmvq8zW8GfqEYrb/s1600/red-tip-hair.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a></div>
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Second, I gave myself my first-ever gel polish manicure (so I wouldn't have to fuss with it while we were on holiday)! I'm really pleased with how long it lasted - this picture was taken last night, a full 17 days after application, and I've not had any chipping or peeling or any other problems! You'll also be able to see that I took a vacation from my moisturizing routine as well, oops! Gotta get back on that asap!<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ_Rs5hBHFwv6jJQ-oZ_WF18OuR6EH6kbOhqeh02iluYIxyTbnxp2QnUCqJh0Ao10DEuoICfLmHaETag-gxs1RcB8x7H2exUftjAW7p1Et2KadVwKjtE_M5MsB1wup8VIFOpC10_iqE3pF/s1600/asp-rio-carnival-gel-polish-401.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="ASP Rio Carnival gel polish manicure" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ_Rs5hBHFwv6jJQ-oZ_WF18OuR6EH6kbOhqeh02iluYIxyTbnxp2QnUCqJh0Ao10DEuoICfLmHaETag-gxs1RcB8x7H2exUftjAW7p1Et2KadVwKjtE_M5MsB1wup8VIFOpC10_iqE3pF/s1600/asp-rio-carnival-gel-polish-401.jpg" height="400" title="asp rio carnival gel polish manicure" width="398" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Two coats of ASP <b>Rio Carnival</b> gel polish, one coat of OPI DS <b>Titanium </b>on ring finger</td></tr>
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We spent the night in a hotel near Heathrow to avoid the 2-3 hour drive before our morning flight, thus giving us a little bit more rest before we set off. That night we elected to dine in the hotel's restaurant, where I had a small encounter in the difference between labeling menus in the US vs. the UK. When I ordered the langoustine and crab linguini, I expected a bowl of pasta with chunks of lobster and crab. I did NOT expect this:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIjrUkeIcaeuDui3dcnoes4ibNIRunoyqJ6aVVY83Y45sS_9jgoNll3NBHjnSwBXFWGqLJHtVnHWyrDZiFMbhCUS3ZJ0cS3nO2ZlOaRVujanmD5ydusziibK1llEQcfrfLKE9t8FZGNGms/s1600/creepy-pasta-alien.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIjrUkeIcaeuDui3dcnoes4ibNIRunoyqJ6aVVY83Y45sS_9jgoNll3NBHjnSwBXFWGqLJHtVnHWyrDZiFMbhCUS3ZJ0cS3nO2ZlOaRVujanmD5ydusziibK1llEQcfrfLKE9t8FZGNGms/s1600/creepy-pasta-alien.jpg" height="400" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I don't like how he's looking at me!</td></tr>
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Where I'm from, that's a crawfish. Apparently people on this side of the ocean don't know they can get full-size lobsters out of the sea? Also to note: there were no "chunks" of anything in that dish - the crab meat was shredded down to tiny bits and completely beyond recognition, so I still don't know exactly what I ate besides a little mudbug. Oh well...<br />
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The next morning we took the only direct flight from London to Austin, via British Airways. I will be really frank about this, because that's who I am. It sucked. We normally fly United because it's the cheapest, but we have to change planes to get to Austin. It just worked out this trip that BA had a comparable price and we thought it would be so much better if we could cut the travel time by at least 3-4 hours, leaving us more energized on each end. Suffice it to say, BA was a huge let-down in terms of clusterfuckery with information about which gate we using, actually getting our plane TO that gate, service/meals on the flight, and seat comfort (much narrower than United, and the lifting armrest between our seats didn't actually fully pull back to the level of the seat, meaning we had to leave it down or suffer an armrest jabbed into our armpits). Both leaving and returning, we had to be bussed between the gate and the plane to a <i>completely different terminal </i>by a bus driver who thought he was auditioning for the next <i>Speed </i>movie. To put it mildly, it was the most miserable set of transatlantic flights either of us have ever had to endure, and we've each done a significant amount of pond-hopping. BA has a lot of nerve charging so much more for their flights, considering how much less you receive.<br />
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However, travel pains aside, we had an enjoyable trip. After a day of rest, we piled back into our rental car with Mom and headed up to visit family in East Texas. This included a day in Dallas, where Mr. Faff was able to cross a destination off his bucket list - Dealey Plaza. We hiked around the area and got a good street-view of the crime scene, then headed up into the former school book depository, which now features a fully fledged JFK museum, but we were only able to take pics from the 7th floor, so this is one flight up from the famous window.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjefioomgJrlwcVXfP9e73QxHD_D5uXEraoFDSnCu2qWLrhSQyQ3RB5avtEbNL4j-AbYLQ1PIczfQ6I-4DsiCUmRJR8xwFCBdNSPTjHif88D53qz3ab0DDz6veNYReiSykF0lZYsf7gutjF/s1600/dealey-plaza-jfk-museum-7th-floor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Dealey Plaza, Dallas Texas" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjefioomgJrlwcVXfP9e73QxHD_D5uXEraoFDSnCu2qWLrhSQyQ3RB5avtEbNL4j-AbYLQ1PIczfQ6I-4DsiCUmRJR8xwFCBdNSPTjHif88D53qz3ab0DDz6veNYReiSykF0lZYsf7gutjF/s1600/dealey-plaza-jfk-museum-7th-floor.jpg" height="266" title="dealey plaza school book depository view dallas texas" width="400" /></a></div>
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Also on that trip we were able to check out the Pioneer Plaza Cattle Drive, a series of bronze sculptures of Longhorn cattle and a few cowboys rustling them on horseback. It's an immense display and I couldn't get a single shot of the full piece (though I did get several piece shots). <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSDgISfFivSpTstHLVMZElxWtEpsmfzyTuusd8TyZwYOwKp8vk0auHvRIixGh30kK3vBwnvNDuTQgckakg6hzN5Fv2eFzegxGPpuvbKNRW2mIyQWiSteC0KRZvHXbOnOY2RNkxNeWh72Ls/s1600/pioneer-plaza-cattle-drive.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Pioneer Plaza Cattle Drive sculpture Dallas Texas." border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSDgISfFivSpTstHLVMZElxWtEpsmfzyTuusd8TyZwYOwKp8vk0auHvRIixGh30kK3vBwnvNDuTQgckakg6hzN5Fv2eFzegxGPpuvbKNRW2mIyQWiSteC0KRZvHXbOnOY2RNkxNeWh72Ls/s1600/pioneer-plaza-cattle-drive.jpg" height="266" title="pioneer plaza cattle drive sculpture dallas texas " width="400" /></a></div>
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After returning from our mini-roadtrip, we caught a Sunday afternoon ballgame at Disch-Faulk Field, where the Longhorns were finally able to snag a win over the West Virginia Mountaineers. After losing the first two games of the series that weekend, it was a highly emotionally-charged third game, so I'm glad we were there for the win rather than the losses.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXwHyRrxOInCt9o4G6Ai44PCh03SM_y05Lfp_x0ibnurbbuwTkqIo6FSZ3hgqnd3c4_oR7QnCD7NEcaGr2CvRaj770VkFQ7EYvOYj2FMWYffJxmFpEYTaGLmBaTAxPyyV8fPr7DnqWw-sy/s1600/UT-WVU-Final-Score.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXwHyRrxOInCt9o4G6Ai44PCh03SM_y05Lfp_x0ibnurbbuwTkqIo6FSZ3hgqnd3c4_oR7QnCD7NEcaGr2CvRaj770VkFQ7EYvOYj2FMWYffJxmFpEYTaGLmBaTAxPyyV8fPr7DnqWw-sy/s1600/UT-WVU-Final-Score.jpg" height="400" width="400" /></a></div>
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Of course we also did a lot of visiting with my friends back home, did some karaoke, and even visited the Austin Aquarium (although I HIGHLY DO NOT recommend that anyone else go there - total ripoff and I just felt sad for all of the animals inside).<br />
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I was able to do two more gel manicures on a couple of girlfriends, who each, oddly, chose the same base polish of Madam Glam <b>Vintage Pink</b>. I will have another post about my experience with Madam Glam, but as a heads up, it's awesome!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiucgb9Mba22hI5mLDdlC71iP4wbv_eSaBuEgdu6I-qdxKNP6JDbBy3gZQA7VmJb5A1T6zKviTHaYHRjIjzhQd8RHALVtYqAVYhe8MQaOzbqZZOc-vilUyR06qg52EsdVqoOdLqXRlWyWWC/s1600/courtney-gel-polish-madam-glam-vintage-pink-02.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Madam Glam Vintage Pink gel polish manicure." border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiucgb9Mba22hI5mLDdlC71iP4wbv_eSaBuEgdu6I-qdxKNP6JDbBy3gZQA7VmJb5A1T6zKviTHaYHRjIjzhQd8RHALVtYqAVYhe8MQaOzbqZZOc-vilUyR06qg52EsdVqoOdLqXRlWyWWC/s1600/courtney-gel-polish-madam-glam-vintage-pink-02.JPG" height="400" title="" width="400" /></a></div>
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Courtney chose to have ASP <b>Sweater Weather </b>polka dots<b></b>, and her accent nails received a second dot of Gelaze <b>White on White</b> over the sparkly brown. I used the Madam Glam top and base gels for these.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW_bezqxi_Emz1oNk9vadGEwE3TPV7hpMScJpoLuoI5nK2lHzl5zEUcCilc4RiK0i8gKPg0dJFamTWg5Ls7RFaUodejhqAGSto0DTcCkdhOHvYB0UlFD5kSTENmPWdIjw84ep1RfYVaZqs/s1600/courtney-gel-polish-madam-glam-vintage-pink-03.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Madam Glam Vintage Pink gel polish manicure." border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW_bezqxi_Emz1oNk9vadGEwE3TPV7hpMScJpoLuoI5nK2lHzl5zEUcCilc4RiK0i8gKPg0dJFamTWg5Ls7RFaUodejhqAGSto0DTcCkdhOHvYB0UlFD5kSTENmPWdIjw84ep1RfYVaZqs/s1600/courtney-gel-polish-madam-glam-vintage-pink-03.JPG" height="400" title="" width="400" /></a></div>
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Pam needed birthday nails, so she got her initials on each thumb with a tiny dot flower, and polka dots on her ring fingers, all using <b>White on White</b>. I also used the Madam Glam top and base gels for these. I can't wait to hear how their manicures hold up.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfYSPDt1E6zjwpYCvwtevyeMXt9gkpRVk41K3GgadE6Sp9nYGUa8UqJTmhJeUjn0ia5EBC3N9R2QVlYT4ljjalO7APqeyCR8i1wTxbNULA4Y4NOm_XAiXEGN5FHVUYrfVq-nDkdRrxv8AN/s1600/pam-gel-polish-madam-glam-vintage-pink-01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Madam Glam Vintage Pink gel polish manicure." border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfYSPDt1E6zjwpYCvwtevyeMXt9gkpRVk41K3GgadE6Sp9nYGUa8UqJTmhJeUjn0ia5EBC3N9R2QVlYT4ljjalO7APqeyCR8i1wTxbNULA4Y4NOm_XAiXEGN5FHVUYrfVq-nDkdRrxv8AN/s1600/pam-gel-polish-madam-glam-vintage-pink-01.jpg" height="400" title="" width="400" /></a>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiueZDKGBOnQnm4uhBQDzwZfmWybIGpRso2tV-ydtn3zBu9jV9Ij-fjbuUWjB61j-_s7f2JwPMwQ0BkXRrRdRMNefB7cnDjJ-LkuLnS6auhLi1c_giKYkHhbmiCntME4eHwXw2tTcOX1HnG/s1600/pam-gel-polish-madam-glam-vintage-pink-02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Madam Glam Vintage Pink gel polish manicure." border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiueZDKGBOnQnm4uhBQDzwZfmWybIGpRso2tV-ydtn3zBu9jV9Ij-fjbuUWjB61j-_s7f2JwPMwQ0BkXRrRdRMNefB7cnDjJ-LkuLnS6auhLi1c_giKYkHhbmiCntME4eHwXw2tTcOX1HnG/s1600/pam-gel-polish-madam-glam-vintage-pink-02.jpg" height="400" title="" width="400" /></a></div>
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Of course, we also did a bit of shopping, and I'll show off my full hauls in another post (maybe in lieu of the next Hey, Swatch It! Saturday), but suffice it to say I got a bit of regular polish and a bit of gel polish mostly all on sale, a few clothes, and a bit of makeup, as well as finally retrieving my Mundo De Unas stamping polishes which have been sitting at my mom's since about 3 days after we came home last October - stoopid post office! Oh, and we also ate like stinking pigs, as we always manage to do while we're on vacation. However... how could you turn these down?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB2re9HxnSF6vAMwlBOxVyNEGq3fWKuwhP7lrqDC6oC82jo3xniI99Ht0yEU-Cd0L1K8aiJpcnkAEPGL0_BZ4xT9U0MJL7AtvvMZz-uEy-Ldelc46dmmo6_vHnDNKTb4NXirGqCFwvccQp/s1600/oreo-birthday-cake.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Birthday Cake Oreos" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB2re9HxnSF6vAMwlBOxVyNEGq3fWKuwhP7lrqDC6oC82jo3xniI99Ht0yEU-Cd0L1K8aiJpcnkAEPGL0_BZ4xT9U0MJL7AtvvMZz-uEy-Ldelc46dmmo6_vHnDNKTb4NXirGqCFwvccQp/s1600/oreo-birthday-cake.jpg" height="400" title="birthday cake oreos" width="400" /></a></div>
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Almost as a farewell gift, Mother Nature decided to land two beautiful birds in my mother's yard on the morning we left. At the feeder is a gorgeous lesser goldfinch, and on the ground is a subadult cardinal. I'm sad that I couldn't get better pics but if I'd opened the door to avoid the screen, I would have spooked them both off. The goldfinch was a new addition to the backyard birds this year, whereas the cardinal and his parents have all been visiting daily.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizF-vthowdPDvUhfTG68uqXNc18taCZLzgUC0PTA0XFeIch92Ei2J_JEFCkCakc88ATKGhxhkSJlOG_isWSd4txzKEKJjiZRdfMmr6L_NMD7xx_ooWFzw4895D6BAAK21zEFMgS-RN2a-u/s1600/lesser-goldfinch-subadult-cardinal.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Lesser Goldfinch and Cardinal at backyard Texas feeder." border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizF-vthowdPDvUhfTG68uqXNc18taCZLzgUC0PTA0XFeIch92Ei2J_JEFCkCakc88ATKGhxhkSJlOG_isWSd4txzKEKJjiZRdfMmr6L_NMD7xx_ooWFzw4895D6BAAK21zEFMgS-RN2a-u/s1600/lesser-goldfinch-subadult-cardinal.gif" height="640" title="lesser goldfinch and subadult cardinal backyard wildlife songbirds texas" width="640" /></a></div>
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I hope you've all had a wonderful couple of weeks. I'll be playing catch-up on comments and emails over the next week or so please be patient with me.<br />
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Have a great week, and I'll see ya Wednesday!<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03559349153399989266noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1342923129919952137.post-17300099698880174542015-03-21T10:00:00.000+00:002015-03-21T10:00:06.505+00:00Hey, Swatch It! Nail Pattern Boldness Allons-YHey y'all!<br />
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Funny story... I am obviously not as organized as I should be. I was rifling through my box of untried indie polishes to find a pretty one to showcase today, and I selected a polish, swatched it, photographed it, and put it away as I usually do. It wasn't until I actually started editing the photos that I realized, I've already swatched this polish! OOPS! However, I think my swatches of Nail Pattern Boldness <b>Allons-Y </b>today look a bit different than they did <a href="http://fixintofaff.blogspot.com/2014/05/hey-swatch-it-nail-pattern-boldness.html" target="_blank">back in May</a>, so I'm gonna run with it. Also, I have a macro shot this time, so... there's that. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjiturUoWYKVmQk7ajUUznYhU-38BQ1oYZIYfjQugBva5N4d52FMPKtFwE8TPOkjTfXYl4-leXmxjoc7yYzXmCdChWvTdzueLcl7Wj2Pa1xRuIMHEK9xaSQl6wlD01n9QROyW7YL419W0t/s1600/nail-pattern-boldness-allons-y-swatch-401.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Swatch and review of Nail Pattern Boldness Allons-Y." border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjiturUoWYKVmQk7ajUUznYhU-38BQ1oYZIYfjQugBva5N4d52FMPKtFwE8TPOkjTfXYl4-leXmxjoc7yYzXmCdChWvTdzueLcl7Wj2Pa1xRuIMHEK9xaSQl6wlD01n9QROyW7YL419W0t/s1600/nail-pattern-boldness-allons-y-swatch-401.JPG" height="400" title="Swatch and review of Nail Pattern Boldness Allons-Y." width="400" /></a></div>
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So basically, yeah, I don't know how this polish ended back into my untrieds pile - but with a polish this gorgeous, I don't even really feel bad about swatching it twice. <b>Allons-Y</b> is a fine glitter mix with silver, blue, and teal sparkles in a clear base, and gives lots of flash both in the bottle and on the nail. I used 3 coats to get this semi-opacity and the application is still really nice and easy for a glitter polish.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7V2Ozo6wNY2US8e-Nleopk-dMbTfgDXWJpKMr3GR56wKQ9JlU3ryQU2XHofgADOrCmaZbBlTlYe-npLQyPWC79oTF6ua-mUrR356Qnx5ZqOzzvRzhAKYC1P4mr8CKKPgUE_R5kidLDBbU/s1600/nail-pattern-boldness-allons-y-swatch-402.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Swatch and review of Nail Pattern Boldness Allons-Y." border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7V2Ozo6wNY2US8e-Nleopk-dMbTfgDXWJpKMr3GR56wKQ9JlU3ryQU2XHofgADOrCmaZbBlTlYe-npLQyPWC79oTF6ua-mUrR356Qnx5ZqOzzvRzhAKYC1P4mr8CKKPgUE_R5kidLDBbU/s1600/nail-pattern-boldness-allons-y-swatch-402.JPG" height="400" title="Swatch and review of Nail Pattern Boldness Allons-Y." width="400" /></a></div>
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As promised, this macro gives a really good look at the make-up of the mix. I bought it for the name, but I wear it for the bling!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy_EN-TbZNS0IllHlwv9-CpkGmyNrzczH5v3n9rQH5esIcgVHFPOtN-cqiKH07VE1gGtcywpyJsYwtRj32lcR5IaSrgtaGRZ-eUDm5ld1p7HB931HdMhhIQCAkNvHfaCF8PAW9HZaB-X3t/s1600/nail-pattern-boldness-allons-y-swatch-macro.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Macro swatch and review of Nail Pattern Boldness Allons-Y." border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy_EN-TbZNS0IllHlwv9-CpkGmyNrzczH5v3n9rQH5esIcgVHFPOtN-cqiKH07VE1gGtcywpyJsYwtRj32lcR5IaSrgtaGRZ-eUDm5ld1p7HB931HdMhhIQCAkNvHfaCF8PAW9HZaB-X3t/s1600/nail-pattern-boldness-allons-y-swatch-macro.jpg" height="400" title="Macro swatch and review of Nail Pattern Boldness Allons-Y." width="400" /></a></div>
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I deeply apologize if you have a case of the redumdums with me for this one, but maybe a few of the newer readers will find something to appreciate, seeing it with fresh eyes. <br />
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Enjoy the rest of your weekend, and I'll see ya Monday!<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03559349153399989266noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1342923129919952137.post-49930429456564577802015-03-20T10:00:00.000+00:002015-03-20T10:00:00.667+00:00Funky White Negative Space Nail Art - NCC Inspired By FashionHey y'all!<br />
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Friday is here again, and that means it's time to delve back into some nail art as inspired by fashion for the Nail Challenge Collaborative. This week I'm presenting some more funky, abstract nails with a hint of negative space, pulled once again from a look in the pages of a fashion magazine. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfcqdS1e8kysRHdl0ICWdIqEpp7ZLb_YZxhQXMWGH0SebrcpUUplKWx9sAKEs-LNEtbjGmy6DGGxjCH_eKkv4BUZN2TAbkIrPbFcNU1hnsr9a4NUFz0vVcg8iRhYEes7j8dCdpDAndJIuW/s1600/funky-white-negative-space-nail-art-501.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Funky white negative space nail art look inspired by fashion for the Nail Challenge Collaborative." border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfcqdS1e8kysRHdl0ICWdIqEpp7ZLb_YZxhQXMWGH0SebrcpUUplKWx9sAKEs-LNEtbjGmy6DGGxjCH_eKkv4BUZN2TAbkIrPbFcNU1hnsr9a4NUFz0vVcg8iRhYEes7j8dCdpDAndJIuW/s1600/funky-white-negative-space-nail-art-501.JPG" height="400" title="Funky white negative space nail art look inspired by fashion for the Nail Challenge Collaborative." width="400" /></a></div>
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My inspiration for this look comes from this picture from the Elle UK March 2015 issue, in the feature on New Shapes. I was drawn to the interesting neckline shape and thought it would make a cool translation onto the nail.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXCG9Pb2pG6YTxq5L-mmBTnC3twg6IyHx5YPK4wIKb5eSQzygxI49VFtrAaq9-nNe_jUMtrJTpgOeMRgiMqfqDvkRp-IDXyZETt5t26AoJab4HYBQ0H8OKt7r0PVwB1LJF65EiQIO82Nqz/s1600/funky-white-negative-space-nail-art.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXCG9Pb2pG6YTxq5L-mmBTnC3twg6IyHx5YPK4wIKb5eSQzygxI49VFtrAaq9-nNe_jUMtrJTpgOeMRgiMqfqDvkRp-IDXyZETt5t26AoJab4HYBQ0H8OKt7r0PVwB1LJF65EiQIO82Nqz/s1600/funky-white-negative-space-nail-art.JPG" height="640" width="395" /></a></div>
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I recreated the shape with a striping brush and Sally Hansen <b>OMGhost</b>, creating a triangle of sorts with a V shape through the center of the nail and the half moon at the cuticle, which was then filled in. I then pulled down a thin french tip, leaving free edge exposed because apparently that's the girl I am these days. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrnVDjPcCYM74l3qoT1yk5v9jKvqMrJl8qT8A3HOGcvoao-6-f9uAyHAG_eMb_b-2EfN5w3-CKXix0HbEd8qHxfbxb25uAqqjmK2RV6OfYk434kc4DGQHJPuH6KhoWy3rowTCJvSN9i75d/s1600/funky-white-negative-space-nail-art-402.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Funky white negative space nail art look inspired by fashion for the Nail Challenge Collaborative." border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrnVDjPcCYM74l3qoT1yk5v9jKvqMrJl8qT8A3HOGcvoao-6-f9uAyHAG_eMb_b-2EfN5w3-CKXix0HbEd8qHxfbxb25uAqqjmK2RV6OfYk434kc4DGQHJPuH6KhoWy3rowTCJvSN9i75d/s1600/funky-white-negative-space-nail-art-402.JPG" height="400" title="Funky white negative space nail art look inspired by fashion for the Nail Challenge Collaborative." width="400" /></a></div>
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Each nail was finished off with two dots of Essie <b>Good As Gold</b> to mimic the harness fastener on the original clothing design.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWckfc9ttNNnHREsz5MIP6I6-NAOP-uyZn4myLLFjcUQD6wmLBp45n1vmZLR1kpBNs1yQFQSYXzCwduzMvKmKQ4IsSfRetG2iXvcwzpwcbeRLWiJQQUApmFsLXVN6rRhT2_1eX8CKToMgV/s1600/funky-white-negative-space-nail-art-401.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Funky white negative space nail art look inspired by fashion for the Nail Challenge Collaborative." border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWckfc9ttNNnHREsz5MIP6I6-NAOP-uyZn4myLLFjcUQD6wmLBp45n1vmZLR1kpBNs1yQFQSYXzCwduzMvKmKQ4IsSfRetG2iXvcwzpwcbeRLWiJQQUApmFsLXVN6rRhT2_1eX8CKToMgV/s1600/funky-white-negative-space-nail-art-401.JPG" height="400" title="Funky white negative space nail art look inspired by fashion for the Nail Challenge Collaborative." width="400" /></a></div>
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Probably because I did this design really quickly, it isn't my neatest work to date, but it's a striking and unique look for the bold and brave nail art lovers out there. I've really been enjoying creating these looks based on fashion trends, because it inspires me to be a bit more bold with my choices. I hope you've been enjoying them as well.<br />
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Of course, I've also really enjoyed seeing the other looks my new NCC friends have been coming up with as well! Be sure to check out their 3rd looks for the challenge, in the inlinkz below.<br />
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As always, have a safe and enjoyable weekend. I'll see ya tomorrow with a new indie swatch! Also, I want to send a quick Happy Birthday to one of my girls back home, Pam. Wish I was there to celebrate it with you, girlie!<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03559349153399989266noreply@blogger.com0