Pink Glitter Franken

This is a franken I made up recently. I was inspired to make something similar to Lippmann's Glitter in the Air & Candy Shop. The way the sheer polish melds with glitter. I love the pink polish of Essie Luxeffects A Cut Above, and I recently found a Forever 21 dupe. So for $2.80 a franken was born. Lol. I also had a large silver glitter polish from LA Colors that I've lost the name of (why don't they just pick a sticker on the bottle like the rest of the world?) I mixed 1/4 of each of these glitters and added Orly Pink Slip, which is a sheer pink french manicure polish.

This is 3 coats. I would like the larger glitters to show up more. I have enough room left in the bottle, so I'll tweak it a bit by adding more glitter. 

 What do you think? I really like it! 

A sheer pink with large pink and silver glitters and a scattering of fine silver and pink glitter.

Now it just needs a name. Any suggestions?

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Pink Sponged

To coordinate with my new pedicure, I sponged different shades of pink onto my nails.

China Glaze Second-hand Silk, 2 coats

Sally Hansen Insta Dri Presto Pink

Zoya Areej

 China Glaze Something Sweet

LA Colors pink/purple glitter. I don't remember the name and it's not printed on the bottle.

OPI Teenage Dream

 I just did light sponging of the glitters because I didn't want to overwhelm the creme polishes.

I like it, but I might stamp over it with a zebra pattern or something! I'm feeling adventurous. Lol

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Candy Corn Mani

Hi everyone! I am trying to figure out a new place for us to live since the place we have been living for 2 years raised our rent. Fun right? :/

I know there's lots of candy corn manicures out there...but this one's mine! haha This is a pretty straight forward concept, but I included step by step pictures just in case! The base for this is Zoya Pippa.

Next, use a bright orange (this is Color Club Wham! Pow!) and paint 1/3 of the way down.

And finally, top it off with white. Mine is really chunky and thick. Ew. This is Sinful Colors Snow Me White. 

For some added bling, we added an iridescent glitter from LA Colors on top. Glitter makes everything better right? :)

As long as you look past the chunkiness, this is a cute mani! <3

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Nail Mail - Winnings!

You may remember the franken contest that my friend Laura did recently. Seen here. I was so happy to find out that I had won! Thanks to all that voted for my franken! Here are the polishes I won. Love them all. :) Excellent contest Laura and excellent polish prizes.

First up is LA Colors Glistening Purple. This was 4-5 coats and still visible nail line. It would make great for layering more so than on it's own.

LA Colors Aqua Crystals. This glitter was much more dense. This swatch is only 3 coats.

Same size, shape, and color glitter as Milani One Coat Glitters - Blue Flash. Definite dupe, but requires a few more coats to reach the same opacity.



NYC Purple Pizzazz Frost - this was 3 coats. A little craptastic formula. I had trouble with it being thin and then lots of cuticle drag. Along with slow dry time. It's a lovely color though, so I'm still happy.

OPI Jade is the New Black. This color was on my wishlist before and it's just as wonderful as I imagined. My favorite color is green, but there are not too many green polishes that work with my skin tone. This one is perfect though. 2 easy coats. Fabulous formula. My pictures came out slightly more dusty looking than the polish is in real life.

Essie Trophy Wife - easy 2 coats. Formula was a bit more difficult to work with than my other Essie's. I love this vibrant teal. Beautiful. :)

The last item was a small travel size hand cream. It's very thick and creamy, smell is very mild and pleasant. In general, just a great hand cream to have.

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Layered Stamping w/ Zoya Tamsen

Hey ladies! Hope you are all doing well... life sure is crazy sometimes. Thanks for being apart of the blogging world and giving me a little escape each day :)

I really like this design I am about to show ya'll. It goes to show that the possibilites with stamping are endless and all it takes is some creativity! I say that because I have done a lot with zebra print in the past, so it's fun to make something new out of something old!

I used Zoya Tamsen and Sinful Colors Snow Me White as the base. Tamsen is a rich tomato red and practically perfect in one coat. We used the same colors for the stamping as well.

And here's the funky zebra design! I like the faded look of the flowers with the zebra print. I chose a silver metallic LA Colors polish from the dollar store to dot the middle of the flowers. 

Hope you liked this design and don't forget to check out the new Nail Care Q&A tab I added. Feel free to submit any questions you want answered! :)

More about → Layered Stamping w/ Zoya Tamsen

Blue Gradient and Randomness

I am sad because I am so busy with wrapping up this semester and all my projects that I haven't had much time to devote to this hobby. I really hope to pick up the pace in the next few weeks! That said, my nails aren't that exciting these days. I'm sure that will change because my 12 Zoyas from the promo and a polish from OPI's Texas collection are on the way! I'm super jealous of those who have already gotten their Zoyas. That's what I get for living in one of the most inaccessible places in the US. But that will not last long thank goodness! By the time I get them they will be old news, but I don't care because they are so pretty!

This mani happened by accident, but I actually really like it! I think it's more of a winter season look though. 

I used LA Colors Metallic Silver with Claire's Bright Sky layered over top to create the gradient look. Metallic Silver stamps pretty well and has a chrome effect. Bright Sky is really pretty and wears well alone in 3 coats. 

The holo glitter is always a plus...love it!

Here's my stamp design...I'm really not a fan of it. Probably because I stamped it myself this time... Dustin is busy with the end of school too. ha

It actually looks better in this pic than in person. I used Born Pretty Store plate M37 for both designs and Konad White and Pink stamping polish.

And here's the randomness:

3d Fantasy from China Glaze's Tronica Collection. And this actually looks better here than in person. It's a lot more rusty than it looks and almost has a matte finish.  I know lot's of people were disappointed about this collection because they were expecting true holographic polishes, myself included! It's more like a micro holo. :P I decided to try one anyway. Can't say I'm better off, for me it's just blah. I will say that the application was pretty good. Maybe I will give it another chance sometime and like it more! :)

 

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Just playing around with my Scotch tape......

I'm always trying to find new designs I can do using tape, so here are a few that I did, just messing around.

This one was done with the teal glitter/metallic that cae in the CVS pack of 4 & my regular Sinful black

This was done with the silver and purple from the CVS pack as well.

This one I did using Twinkle Twinkle from Claires & Sinfuls What's Your Name, only because I grabbed that thinking it was my black :(  This idea looked WAY better in my mind, lol.



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Another Scotch Tape mani!!

This pink, has no name :( I picked it up at my CVS in a set of 4 for only $2.99!!!!! You can't beat that, here is what the set looked like, and later in the week, I will do swatches of them all.

They say metallic, but the pink finsh reminds me of the glass flecks, similar to Zoya, Charla.

Here is how I placed my tape. Once you paint your base color, and wait for that to dry, you can place your tape on your nail.

Then, when you get it placed, where you would like, you put the next color on. As soon as you do that, pull the tape off. Only do 1 nail at a time. Otherwise the polish could dry to the tape, and pull up.

Here is my final design

It's not my best application or straightest lines, I wasn't feeling to well, but I still like it!

More about → Another Scotch Tape mani!!

Hauls, Swaps, & Blues

today has been a great day for me; this morning, i went to the school bookstore to sell my books since my online English class ended & i ended up dropping my History class - long story. i made $58 extra bucks. ^^ i headed to my Politics class to find out that class was canceled for the day. heck-freakin-yes!! i then raced over to the new Ulta that opened by my house & bought a few polishes. plus i went over to my favorite nail supply store - Skyline - and bought some more polishes. and now im eating a delicious bowl of curry while typing this :)

i havent had any major hauls recently but i've done a few swaps so i wanted to share those. starting with swaps..


this one is super overdue and this was also my first swap. toward the end of August, i posted about how much i wanted Catrice polishes & if anyone was willing to swap with me... an awesome reader - Hannah, from Germany, emailed me & we put a swap together. i got this package last month yet i havent posted til now. here are my first 5 Catrice polishes; I Scream Peach!, I Sea You!, Sold Out For Ever, Plum Play With Me, & From Dusk To Dawn.


this was a recent swap with Smita over at My Nailz. i expressed a LOT of interest in Joe Fresh, GOSH, & Etude House polishes. she was able to get me some bottles of each, so we swapped. Joe Fresh Mint, Powder Blue, & Butter. GOSH Silver & Ocean. Etude House WH004 & BL501. NYC Nail Color Pink Paradise, Sally Hansen Shocking Pink, and Ardene Matte About Blue.


the sweet Tiffani from Yardsticks 4 Lunatics also responded to my Catrice post and was willing to send me these babies, which just came in yesterday :) Catrice Clay-ton, My Hero, Lucky in Lilac, Hot Or Not, & Be My Millionaire. LA Colors Moody Red.

a BIGGG thank you to the ladies who swapped with me <33333
onto hauls, i only have a few since i was on my No Buy.


this was from last week. OPI "Sheer" Your Toys! & Brand New Skates!. China Glaze Atlantis - which i got for $1.99 @ Sallys!! and Studio M Get The Blues.


this was from over the weekend when my sister, cousins, & i went to an outlet mall - Birch Run. there was an Avon store there & i FLIPPED OUT cause i was so excited! i was going to order these 3 from my friend who does Avon but i never got around to it..but its ok, i finally have them :) Avon Urban Grey, Vintage Blue, & Jade.


this haul was from today. i finally picked up OPI Lincoln Park After Dark. and also Tickle My France-y, Tease-y Does It, Extra-Va-Vaganza!, & DS Extravagance. Essie Beach Party & Sew Psyched. Essence Sweet As Candy.


wheph! that took a LOT out of me! =X sad to say, i think i've only tried 3 polishes out of all of those posted above. i probably wont do swatches because i hate swatching. major props to all of you ladies who do swatches because i just cant stand swatching. its a dreadful thought so i avoid it.

onto todays mani, its just something simple.


i've got the blues - just kidding =P i used two coats of each polish: Sally Hansen White On, Avon Vintage Blue, China Glaze Bahamian Escape, OPI Ogre-The-Top Blue, & Studio M Get The Blues. i freakin love Get The Blues!


my cousins Homecoming was two weekends ago & i did her nails. shes all about simplicity so she just wanted a regular french tip mani but i was able to convince her to add glitter lines & rhinestones.


wow! this post was longer than i expected! i'll end it here!

have a great one!,
<3KATRINA

More about → Hauls, Swaps, & Blues