Tiger Stripes- They're Fun When You Throw In A Gradient!

Let's be honest- animal prints are fun. They're especially fun for nail art, but they can seem a bit flat-looking sometimes. I decided I was going to try to do a tiger print with a bit of depth to it!

I started out with my standard base coat, then two coats of Love My Nails Hot Tamale. This is a gorgeous orange that's absolutely loaded with shimmer. I wanted a bit more, though, so I mixed it with a bit of white polish. Oddly enough, it turned pink! I wish I'd gotten pictures of that stage, but I wasn't thinking. Instead, I added some Sinful Colors Let's Meet (Yellow) to warm that pink up to a pale orange again.

Once I had a pale orange I was happy with, I sponged it lightly over the center high part of my nails. It ended up being a sort-of blended pale stripe down the centers. It still seemed too white/pink for me, so I ended up painting a coat of Let's Meet over my nails to make everything work together. At this point, it was late and I seriously needed sleep, so I added a coat of Seche Vite and let it dry for a bit, then went to sleep.

The next morning, I had to go run some errands, and didn't realize until I was already out of the house that I had odd nails that I hadn't even cleaned up edges on! Thankfully, I don't think anyone noticed. If they did, they probably thought I was insane! My nails looked weird! But that's ok... if they got a giggle, then maybe their day got a little brighter. I'm ok with that!

So, once I got home, I pulled out my Sally Hansen Nail Art pens, choosing the black for the tiger stripes. It was a simple matter to draw on stripes, and my biggest challenge was not drawing too many stripes! I added another coat of Seche Vite, then looked at them. They were pretty, but something was missing...

My basic rule of thumb is this: when in doubt, add glitter! In this case, it worked splendidly! Instead of brushing glitter over the entire nail, though, I wanted to enhance the light parts of the nail. I ended up using a very thin nail art brush to paint the glitter polish onto the appropriate areas.

Sounds fiddly, doesn't it? Oh yea. You could say that. First I painted on a layer of Love My Nails Dazzling (my go-to glitter of choice). It was pretty, but it wasn't enough. So, I pulled out my Sinful Colors Call You Later. This stuff is seriously gorgeous, a mix of gold and copper glitters in multiple sizes that absolutely sings on the nail. It turned out to be the absolute perfect addition, and once I was finished with the glitters I couldn't help but smile.
 

Once I got those applied I added one more coat of Seche Vite. (I hope you aren't counting, but basically, that's a lot.) Believe it or not, it dried fairly quickly and was super smooth even with all the glitter. I did a quick cleanup with my acetone & paintbrush and then I wasn't ashamed to leave the house anymore!

Even my husband seemed amused by this manicure. I showed him my nails and he said, "Awww, you're a kitty!" It made me smile.
Normally he just sort of shrugs and says, "Ew, stinky." To get a positive reaction makes me happy!

So tell me, what do you think about animal prints. Do you like them? Do you love them even more in rainbow colors? Are you a purist who thinks animal prints belong only on the animals who wear them? Tell me all about it in the comments!

Sally Hansen Nail Art Pen was provided by the company for evaluation.

Andrea Fulerton Nail Boutique- Everything You Need For A Fun Manicure At Home!

I'm strongly tempted to call this week, "Why Don't I Live In The UK Week" because of all the fantastic UK products I've been finding out about! Living in the US definitely has its advantages, but I'm just not finding goodies like these over here! If you're wondering what I'm babbling about this time, don't worry. You aren't alone...

I've just been struck with a severe case of blabbosity by the insane cuteness of the Andrea Fulerton Nail Boutique line. I saw a tweet by @AndreaFulerton stating that her new Nail Boutique was live on Superdrug.com, and I was curious. She's a celebrity nail technician with a heck of a resume, if you're wondering, and she has created quite a collection! This collection is clearly made by people who love nail art, for people who love nail art!

Let's take the polishes, for example. The Superdrug description says it best:

A treasure trove of colour. Be spoilt for choice with 24 professional finish Nail Colours that have a unique resin system formula that flexes with your nail and is easy to apply in just one coat. Keep your options open with the Trio Colour Layering System – a double ended varnish bottle of two colours that can be worn alone or layered creating a 3rd colour or effect, or try the re-worked French Manicure Sets with ultra slender brushes for effortless tip application or the experimental Flip Flop French with its especially angled brush and French tip stickers to make the French tip application easy. And finally, Peel Off Varnish is fast and fun with four shades to choose from.

Not only are there lots of choices, she's also got a range of colors that is wonderful for a new line. She didn't stick to safe pinks and reds. She's got a rainbow of colors that combine with her layering polishes to make an overwhelmingly exciting range! I so want to get my hands on these!

Then there are the nail art goodies, and you know that's what has me giddy! Stripe and Sparkles has a nail polish with a thin striper brush on one end and a glitter shaker on the other end. The Glitter Puff Dust and Overcoat comes with two colors of glitter in squeeze bottles plus their own topcoat. Then there are the crystal gemstones and nail tattoos. Finally, there are the finishing topcoats, from a simple quick-drying glossy topcoat to various special effects options. There's also something that I think might work as a "gradient liquid," although I'd have to test it to be sure.

And as if that's not enough, there's more. (I know, I know, I sound like I'm doing a cheesy infomercial. But wait, there's more... you also get this slicer/dicer/shredder/spooler/dishwasher attachment FOR FREE!!! What can I say, I think I need a nap... but back to the goodies!)

Where was I? Yes... there's also a line of tools that looks fabulous.  Files, buffers, cuticle pushers and trimmers, varnish remover, cuticle oil... Honestly, I'm wishing I could hop on a plane and go buy the entire line!

So do me a favor, lovely readers of mine. If you happen to be out and about and nab some of these luscious goodies, take pictures. Tease me with photos of all the wonderful things you can do with these, and maybe I can get some vicarious joy through you! ♥♥

Milani Bare Necessities With a Dazzling Topcoat

EDIT: Sorry, guys... I have no idea what happened here. The pictures were there when I posted, but suddenly aren't now. I'm blaming the web pixies for stealing my pictures! All should be fixed now, so carry on, carry on! ♥

 Psssst.

Yes, you. C'mere. I've got a secret to tell you.

You have to promise you won't tell anyone. I mean it... not anyone! Can I trust you to keep my secret?

I have an almost unhealthy love for sparkly things.

I know. I hide it so well. People are always so surprised when I squee over something glittery, because it's such a shock! But it's true, and I can't hide it any longer...

Ok, fine. It's not exactly a secret. But it's still the truth. I love glittery, shimmery things so much! It's not that I don't like creme polishes, it's just that they're so... creamy and flat. The idea of being able to add my own layer of shimmer to a creme polish to switch it up is a fantastic one, and it's hardly a new idea. Companies have made glitter polishes for decades!

But I recently found a topcoat that is filled not with glitter but with shimmer- tiny particles that glimmer and sparkle almost like diamond dust. To see that this polish was a grant total of $0.99?

Oh yea. I squealed out loud, standing right there in the middle of WalMart, not caring who saw me, who thought I was insane. I bought a bottle, and am now considering buying a couple of extra bottles for backup. I love it that much! It's called Dazzling, and it's a gorgeous iridescent shimmer in a violet-tinged clear polish. If I could, I would marry it and have lots of tiny little nail polish babies in all colors of the shimmery rainbow!

So, I started out with two coats of Milani's Bare Necessity from this fall's line of limited edition polishes. (For the record? Those polishes are crazy gorgeous for neutrals!!) Two coats gave me a neutral that was just a shade or two deeper than my own skin tone, warm enough to look healthy but still a nice neutral beigey-tan. As a work polish, I think this is ideal, even though you might die of boredom from looking at it too long. (I kid, I kid!!)

Once I'd gotten my base color down, I added a coat of Dazzling. This brought that neutral shade to life, turning it into a glistening neutral that seemed to have sparks inside! I honestly am at a loss about how to describe it... let's just say it was flippin' beautiful, 'k?

After one coat of shimmer gorgeousosity, you'd think I would have stopped there, yea? No. I added another coat, which made it even more magically insane than before!!  It's so crazy that I was abusing caps lock and exclamation points with my friends!! It looked almost alive with delicate rainbow sparkles lighting up my fingertips, causing me to spend entirely too much time staring at my nails and not nearly enough time doing important things, like breathing.  I was in love, y'all!

The best part is that it's absolutely smooth. No bumps, no sandpaper nails. Just a billion sparkles of light, turning your nails into a disco paradise. I added a coat of Seche Vite to make sure this baby wore like iron, and wore this for three days.

THREE DAYS, people!!!

I'm feeling a bit dizzy just remembering it... I think I need a few moments to myself. Feel free to dig around the blog while I go retire to my chambers to stare at my nails a bit more. This way, if I forget to breathe, at least I'll have a soft comfy bed to pass out into! :D

Milani's Bare Necessity was provided by the company's PR for evaluation.

What Does the Essence Magnetic Polishes Pattern Look Like? Find Out Here!

Hi everyone! This is just a quick note to let you know that I added a bit to my blog about the new limited edition Essence Magnetic Metallic polishes. While talking with @amusedPolish on twitter, she pointed out a little detail on the magnet packaging that I'd missed. I immediately went back into the photos and looked, squinting, trying to see what the magnet's pattern looks like. This is the best I could do.

So, it looks like instead of the gorgeous starburst pattern Lancome's Le Magnetique produced, these polishes will have stripes. That's if the packaging shows the actual pattern. :D

Have a great rest of the day, wherever you are! ♥

Halloween is Coming, and These Nails Are SPOOKY!

I'm giddy. The air has cooled, the skies are that crisp blue that are so gorgeous they take my breath away. It's fall, and that means it's almost time for sweaters and boots, kitty hats and scarves, and for m favorite holiday of all- Halloween! Don't get me wrong, I love Thanksgiving and Christmas, spending time with family and giving thanks for all the good things that fill our lives. But Halloween is my favorite.

I love the drama, the costuming that goes into Halloween. I minored in theatre in college and spent entirely too many hours in the costume shop, sewing costumes or building props to be worn by people. I've bled on costumes (it's good luck!!), I've taken costume and makeup classes, I've worked backstage doing theatrical makeup... I love dressing up!

I know what you're thinking. "But Laynie, this is a NAIL ART blog, where is the NAIL ART?!"  You're so impatient! Anyway... today I got an email showing me the KISS Limited Edition Halloween nails, and I thought they were so adorable that I just had to share them with you! There is a design to go with most outfits, and honestly I want them all! Just look close up...

 The nails on the left are black with tiny spiders on the tips, perfect for any gothy costume where you want spooky nails. Be a creature of the night with ebony nails!

If you're going for glam, the nails on the right are the cat's meow. Deep red nails with a black moon look amazingly retro vampy! Dita von Teese, eat your heart out!

Perhaps you want to be a seductive vampire? These blood-red nails with black scrollwork on the tips will help you unleash your inner blood lust! One wiggle of your crimson-tipped finger and he'll be putty in your hands...

Or perhaps you simply want to enhance your inner undead? With spiderwebs on your nails you can be both creepy and sexy.

Frankly, I think any of these would be a total win for Halloween. You get 24 nails in 12 sizes in each kit along with 24 press-on glue tabs. To remove them, simply soak your hands in warm water! At $3.99 a set, how can you go wrong?

New Fall Polishes From Essence and Catrice! GORGEOUS!!!

Oh my goodness, lovelies, do I have news for you!! You know how everyone's been pining away for the magnetic polishes that were out once upon a time and are now nowhere to be found? Well, there are gonna be a whole new set of them out this fall! The colors are so delicious... I really, really want these. Seriously, I want them so bad I can TASTE them!

(That's a bad thing, by the way. Nail polish tastes GROSS!! *bleah*)

Anyway, enough blabbing from me. I know what you want. You want to see these beauties! Well, feast your eyes on this...

You can click the image to make it bigger. They look like they'll be gorgeous even without the magnet, but I can't wait to see what they look like with it! The people at Essence had this to say about them:

Check out the new metallic nail polish collection that’s a perfect accessory for your fabulous make-up! The metallics nail polish collection will make you a fashionista from head to toe. A total of five new must-have colors offer ultimate luminance and ideal coverage. What more could you ask for in a polish? Available in 01 iron goddess, 02 copper rulez!, 03 steel me, 04 nothing else metals and 05 metal battle. Around 1.99 €*.

Is that fantastic or what? I'm giddy. As for the magnet, which is sold separately:

This stylish nail polish magnet doesn’t just attract trendsetters. Simply hold the magnet over a nail that has just been polished with the magnetic “metallics nail polish”*, and watch the color particles move. You’ll create totally innovative, exciting and unique nail designs! Around 1.49 €*.

*all essence metallics nail polishes are magnetic except 05 metal battle

They've also got some absolutely gorgeous other items coming out, all metallic. Silver or gold lipstick, anyone? How about eyeshadow quads with metallic gel eyeliner included? I won't lie, I want the whole collection. You folks who get Essence products are lucky!!

But don't think I've forgotten about Catrice! They're coming out with the limited edition Glamourama line and it looks just as hot! Again picking up on the metallics trend, Glamourama features four stunning metallic polishes. Tell me these aren't making you want to shop!

That purple is so intense. I cannot wait to see what it looks like on! The people at Catrice have this to say about the polishes:

Metallic must-haves: the limited Ultimate Nail Laquer colors are perfectly in tune with the Glamourama make-up in futuristic silver with mirror-effects, deep violet with fine glitter particles and velvety shades of red and blue. A multi-faceted finish with great coverage and long-lasting texture. Available in C01 Mirror, Mirror…, C02 En Vogue, C03 Times Square at Midnight and C04 Glamourista.

Also included in this line are individual lashes, a gorgeous metallic silver liquid eyeliner, and some very cute "eye jewels" that just might work as nail jewels as well, among other things. This is definitely something to keep an eye out for. If only I were a jetsetter, able to hop on a plane at the drop of a hat...

Ah well. Back to reality.

EDITED TO ADD:
While chatting on twitter, @amusedPolish pointed out a little detail on the magnet packaging that I'd missed. Apparently the label of the bottle in the picture has the magnet pattern showing! So exciting! Since it's a tiny detail that doesn't blow up well*, please understand I did the best I could to make this visible. But you get the idea!

*Unfortunately, the image doesn't get any bigger. It even looks that pixelated. While you can always shrink a photo, you just can't add in detail that doesn't exist.

Images provided by Essence PR.

Borghese Has Me Going Dotty!

It's funny... for years I wanted to wear nail polish, but my nails just wouldn't cooperate. I would spend ages trying to polish them, making sure they looked as nice as I could make them. Of course, that generally involved painting on who-knows-how-many layers of polish, fussing while they tried to dry, then complaining because I got them dented or smeared. Also, cleanup was SO high tech- I would dip a cotton swab in nail polish remover and try to clean up the polish I got all over my fingers. Obviously, this would destroy the manicure, and I would generally get so frustrated I'd say something really rude, really loudly, then remove the whole thing in a fit of annoyance.

On the rare occasion I managed to get my nails painted and dried nicely, something strange would happen. Within a few hours, the polish would lift off my nails in a single sheet.  Sometimes a corner or a section in the very center would still be stuck down, but most of the time I would end up with a duplicate of my nail. It absolutely infuriated me, seeing all the women I went to school with who had absolutely amazing nails while mine were so frustrating. I tried everything I knew to get polish to stick, and absolutely nothing helped. I'd go through this cycle every 6 months or so, and so I ended up with quite the collection of partly-used bottles of polish.

I decided to pull out one of those bottles for this manicure- a bottle of Borghese Roma Scarlet C so old that I don't even know where I got it! If I'm not mistaken I picked this up back in 2001 because it matched my car's paint job: deep bright red with golden shimmer. Of course, I could be wrong. It could have been any time, since most of the polishes I have pre-obsession were red with shimmer. What can I say, I like red! Anyway, back to the nail polish...

I had big plans for this manicure. I pulled everything out- base coat, top coat, stickers, etc. I was going to use some  red, black, and silver decals (unfortunately, I have NO IDEA where these came from!), and it was going to be glorious! I painted my nails, spent an absolute agonizing amount of time cleaning up the edges since red is such a difficult color to clean up, then pulled out the decals, pulled one off to lay on top of my fingernail and realized...

It wouldn't show up. The red is so intense that the black and red sort of faded into it, leaving me with nothing that really showed on my nails. GRR! I decided to pull out the nail art pens and doodle, but wound up with a design I couldn't replicate on my right hand, so I cleaned THAT off (thank goodness for water-based paint!!) and then decided to go with a standard mani I've done before.

I went dotty.

I chose my Sally Hansen Nail Art pens in black and silver, wanting to keep it fairly simple. I think I failed on that, since it ended up being a very busy design, but it was still fun and I think it was cute. It also has a different look than the last set of dots I did similar to this. So it's hardly a great work of art, but it was a lot of fun, and I'm happy with it.

Finally!

Sally Hansen Nail Art Pens were provided by the company's PR firm for evaluation.