The Fun of Frankening- Frankencrackle!

This entire entry shows what happens when I get to talking on Twitter. It started out simply enough- I was goofing off, working on photos while I talked to some friends online. Then someone mentioned wondering if she could mix regular shimmery nail polish into crackle polish, and I realized I'd been wondering about that myself. Could you actually franken your own crackle polish colors?

As I talked with my husband, he made a quick joke and I realized that not only would I do some research, I would have to make a mascot. Ladies and gentlemen, allow me to introduce my new frankening mascot- the Mysterious Mr. Frankencrackle!

 

Cute, isn't he? And yes, in the interest of full disclosure, the above image is a photo illustration based on nail art I did last night. You can see the original nail on my yfrog account. Since he's a mascot I may use again, I wanted  to make him a little cleaner, a little cuter.

So, the experiments. I wondered several things: 

• Can you thin crackle polish with regular nail polish thinner? 
• Can you mix colors of crackle polish together? 
• Can you mix regular nail polish into crackle polish?
• Can you mix pigments or glitter into crackle polish?

The results were interesting, but to spare you the long, very wordy description, I'll simply let the photos speak for themselves. :D

 So, to sum up:

• Can you thin crackle polish with regular nail polish thinner? 
• Yes! Regular nail polish thinner does thin crackle polish, but thinning it too much makes it look a bit odd. It still crackles nicely, though.
• Can you mix colors of crackle polish together? 
• Absolutely! It helps to add a drop or two of thinner to give it a bit more open time, before it dries out too much to apply.
• Can you mix regular nail polish into crackle polish?
• Absolutely NOT. It turns everything into a goopy, sludgy mess. NOT attractive at all!
• Can you mix pigments or glitter into crackle polish?
• Yes, you can! Pigments and glitter do mix nicely into crackle polish. However, you may need some thinner so you don't end up with a total gloppy mess that's too thick to apply!

Check back later today, I'm hoping to finally get my Fourth of July polishes up! I know they don't help much today, but hey, you still have time before tonight, right? :D

Crackle polishes were provided by the manufacturer for consideration.

See my disclosure statement for more information.

Deborah Lippmann Fall 2011 Polishes

Oh my stars, Deborah Lippmann has done it again. I just got an email about the DL Fall 2011 collection, and wow, it's a keeper! Seriously, just look at these photos...

First, there's the regular colors: richly pigmented polishes that definitely have fall written all over them! I can almost smell the crisp autumn air already! This includes a special polish done in collaboration with fashion designer Narciso Rodriguez.

Click the above image to see it full size!

The press release had this to say about the fall polishes:

Fall
Billionaire: moody hunter green (creme)
Brick House: shimmering rust (shimmer)
Single Ladies: flirtatious red (creme)
Stormy Weather: an edgy granite (crème) is a collaboration with fashion designer Narciso Rodriguez.

PRICE: $16 (each)

WHERE TO FIND IT: Barneys New York, Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom, and online at www.deborahlippmann.com

Then there's the glitter collection, and may I just say WOW! I am seriously drooling to get these on my fingers! How delicious are these?

You really want to click this to see those glitters more closely!

You see it, right? Are these AMAZING or what?! I cannot wait. I absolutely cannot wait!! Forget You was plucked straight out of my dreams! This is the Nordstrom Anniversary Set, and I'm almost holding my breath for these!

Nordstrom Anniversary Set

Happy Birthday: a party in a bottle (glitter)

Forget You: party all night (glitter)

Candy Shop: bubblegum pink (glitter)

PRICE: $42 (set)

WHERE TO FIND IT: Barneys New York, Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom, and online at www.deborahlippmann.com

Oh yea, this one's definitely a keeper! Look for swatches as soon as I can put them up! And be sure to check back tomorrow when I'll be showing my fourth of July designs! They're cute as a button- you won't want to miss these!

Deborah Lippmann polishes rock my stripey socks!

See my disclosure statement for more information.

Help make a difference- Help Girls for a Change.

The following is a post sponsored by Yahoo! Every time someone clicks here to make Yahoo! their homepage, they're showing their support for Girls For A Change.

I was selected for this opportunity by Clever Girls Collective, which endorses Blog With Integrity, as I do.
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I'm taking a break today from the usual cosmetics fun. I want to share something important with you, something that means a lot to me. It's a chance to do some good in the world that doesn't cost money and barely costs any time, so hear me out, ok?

When I was a teen, I went through a lot of stuff that I'd rather have avoided. So much of it could have been different if I knew I had the ability to make changes, a voice to help inspire others and even myself, really. I felt alone and powerless, and I'm pretty sure I'm not the only one who felt that way.

That's why I'm so excited to learn about Girls for a Change. It's a group that teaches young women that they have a voice, and that they have the power to create change in their lives, in their neighborhoods. Through Girls for a Change, they learn the skills to be an organized force for change.

Think about it- what things could you have accomplished if you knew in your teens what you know now? I wish I'd had someone to teach me these skills earlier!

I know, I know... beautiful concept, but what can we do about it? Easy. Change your start page to Yahoo by July 1, 2011. For every person who clicks this link to make Yahoo their start page, Yahoo will donate $10 to Girls for a Change. You don't have to sign anything, donate anything, talk to anyone... just click that link and make Yahoo your home page.

Yahoo will give up to $10,000 to Girls for a Change. Will you be one of the 1,000 people to help them get the money? I know I will.

And hey, even if you don't want to click the link, I still like you. The nail art will be back tomorrow. :D

This is a sponsored post, and it is 100% my own words and opinion.

See my disclosure statement for more information.

Animal Print Week (continued): Rawwr!

Ok, this isn't all that different from your typical tiger print. Still, I wanted to jazz it up a bit, so I used my uber-gorgeous black glitter to hit the black stripes, giving them an understated sparkle that is seriously fun.

It's pretty easy to do, too! Start out with your favorite orange polish as the background color. I'm really partial to Deborah Lippmann's Lara's Theme. This orange is like a traffic cone! Add in some tiger stripes with the black of your choice- you could use a simple Art Deco striping polish in black, or a Migi NailArt pen. The Sally Hansen Nail Art Pens in black would be perfect for this too! It's really not brand-dependent.

The fun comes once you've got the base design created. I added glitter in two ways. First, I added a single stripe of sheer shimmer down the center of the nail using Love My Nails Dazzling. Then, I mixed some black microglitter with clear polish and touched it to the black stripes. This added some depth and subtle sparkle to the black stripes. Love it!

I added a coat of Seche Vite over the whole thing and then admired my sparkly tiger manicure! Fun, no?

Be good, and I'll see ya next time!

Some polishes may have been provided by the manufacturer for consideration.

See my disclosure statement for more information.

Hi !

Fireworks, barbeques and red, white and blue – these are all ingredients for the perfect 4^th of July holiday this weekend.  Now, you can also show your American pride with style with Violent Lips and Streekers. Check out the hottest new way to celebrate Independence Day with these patriotic must-haves:

American Flag Violent Lips ($14.95 for a set of three); www.ViolentLips.com

These FDA approved, vegan temporary lip tattoos offer the ultimate form of self-expression. Because let’s face it, nothing says “I’m here and I’m proud” better than American Flag – patterned lips!

To Use: Shape It, Peel It, Set It, Wet It

Streekers in Blue and Red ($10.95); Select salons and cosmetic specialty stores, ULTA and www.Streekers.com

True temporary hair color allows you to streak your strands in any pattern you choose without the commitment of permanent color. Unlike other temporary hair colors like gels and sprays, Streekers hair color bonds to the hair, so you can brush your hair without dulling the color or flaking it off.  Use it like cosmetics for instant impact.

To Use:  Apply Streekers on small sections of dry hair, from root to tip.  Allow to dry.  For 2-3 color effects, wait a minute between colors. To remove color, simply shampoo as usual.  

Keep an eye out for another post about these items, once I can get it together. I just lost an hour on the Violent Lips side alone! Til next time!

Images were provided by PR.

See my disclosure statement for more information.

Nail Art in Britney Spears' New Video "I Wanna Go"

I'm not sure if you've heard about this, so let me break the news: Britney Spears has a new video out. Whether you like it or not, she was wearing some interesting nail polish in it!

I must have spent an hour watching the video, hitting pause, capturing images. I finally figured out what she was wearing, and it made me laugh. It's a very simple look-white thumbs, black pointer fingers, red middle fingers, white ring fingers, and black pinkies. Very bold and graphic, it's a fun look that goes well with her outfit and the video.

Feel free to watch the video for yourself. It's cute, if you like that sort of thing. It'll be stuck in my head for a week now!

 

Til next time!

If it weren't for YouTube, I'd never see videos at all!

See my disclosure statement for more information.

Summer Messy Bun- tutorial?

Today's post is short and sweet. While I was in Gainesville, I wanted to put my hair up but still have it look cute. After a bit of fiddling, I came up with this messy side bun. It was simple and took all of 10 minutes to create, and I really liked the end result!

Since everyone was asleep, I didn't bother trying to film a tutorial for this one. However, if you're interested in seeing how to create a side bun like this, leave me a comment. It's super easy, and perfect for these 100+ degree days we've been having!

Til next time!

In summer, I often think about shaving my head!

See my disclosure statement for more information.