OMFGPonies- My Little Franken

Holy ponies on a BBQ, I am so, so giddy right now. Last night I was doing my nails with my frankened version of My Private Jet¹ when an idea hit me: I could franken the red-glitter-in-black-jelly polish I've been fantasizing about!

I know, I know. I've mixed my own colors more than once, so why was this such a breakthrough? I have no idea. All I know is the idea hit me like a bolt of lightning, and I immediately tweeted about it!

As you can see, Lisa from Shades of Magic absolutely LOVED my outburst, so I clearly had the name for this franken-to-be, if it turned out at all worth saving.

I knew what I wanted. I've seen several polishes lately that were red glitters in a black jelly base, but each of them had something wrong with them. So rather than keep waiting for the perfect one, I decided to try my hand at mixing what I considered the perfect polish.

See, you may have noticed by now, but I kinda have a thing for glitter. In fact, if you were to look through my box(es) of nail art goodies, you'd find more glitter than you know what to do with. Seriously, I've got over 20 different containers of loose glitter in different sizes and shapes, not counting glitter polishes, and I'm ALWAYS on the lookout for more! It's become an obsession almost, and I simply cannot get enough!

So, thanks to my stockpile of glitter, I was able to pull out three different red glitters, a russet red pigment, and a red glitter polish that I thought would all work together. I also grabbed my TKB glitter suspension base because I knew I wanted a sheer base, and a simple black no-name polish. I used very little black, because black is a very strong color that can easily overpower a polish quickly.

Instead of just jumping in and dumping a lot of stuff into a bottle, I started with one of my mixing cups. I used a dot of black, a dollop of clear suspension base, and a bit of all my glitters. After stirring it up, I was in love, and even though I didn't have the mix right, I knew I wanted a whole bottle of this one.

Onward to the polish. I went in very small quantities at a time, so I could change things if I wasn't happy. It took an hour of tweaking and shaking, testing and tweaking some more to come out with something I was happy with. But once I tested that last mix... omg, I knew this one would live up to its name.

Meet OMFGPonies, the first franken I've made that I am absolutely completely in love with. It's like a deep black cherry base with amazing glitterbits. And keep in mind that these photos really don't capture the depth of it. I need to shoot video in full daylight, but I was sick in bed all day and didn't get to it. Maybe tomorrow...

I absolutely love that as you turn the nail, you capture glints of microglitter peeking up through the sheer black base, russet shimmer catching the light and larger flakes of glitter reflecting a silvery red. My largest red glitter turned silver in the polish, but I knew that was a possibility, and I was ok with the concept if it did.

I love this polish, more than I can say. And the best part? I can make more... :D

You know, if I ever get the bits again.

Til next time...

¹ My version is called My Magic Bus, because it's magically delicious and much cheaper than taking a plane. :D

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

See my disclosure statement for more information.

Happy Independence Day! Let's Have Some Nail Art!

I have to laugh... I was talking twitter last night (I know, I said that already, but I've been up all night. Give me a break!) and someone asked me how long I've been blogging. I went to check my history, thinking my one year blogaversary was coming up this month. Instead, I had a surprise...

My one year blogaversary was actually on June 23! I've been blogging over a year, and didn't even know it! So, let me just say from the bottom of my heart, thank you for being here! There's no way I'd have managed to keep this going without all of you reading and commenting. You make it worthwhile, and that's why you're getting two bits of bloggy goodness today!

So, let's look at some fourth of July nail art, shall we? I didn't do anything overly spectacular, but I did do designs I'd be happy to wear. I started out with something fun, something glittery...

Glitter Glory is a simple design using only three polishes. I chose a white base so that my colors would pop, and I wouldn't have to worry about painting a stripe later. Once my base color was dry, I put in diagonal sections of red glitter and blue glitter. A top coat of Seche Vite and we were done!

 Spangles and Stripes is a simple, almost nautical theme. Again, I started with a white base. This time, I painted a thick red horizontal stripe at the top of the nail and a thick blue stripe toward the base of the nail. In between I added a stripe of silver glitter, just because I really love glitter. Add top coat and it's done! This could be cute alternating the top color, as well!

 

Finally, I did a design inspired by all the fireworks that will be seen tonight. Normally I would have used a black base for this, but instead I chose to use a very deep blue shimmer polish for the background. It still feels like night without being utterly black. I then chose a central point on the nail and began pulling thin stripes of polish out in a star pattern. I alternated blue, reg, and silver glitter for this, hoping to mimic fireworks. I think I overworked it a bit too much, though. Ah well, they can't all be winners, right? 

To re-find my center point, I added a single white rhinestone in the center of the burst to signify the explosion at the center of a firework. It's not what I was hoping for, but it's still wearable, I think. What do you think?

And now that I've posted both my crackle experiences and my July 4th manicures, I think I'm going to curl up in my bed, try to get some sleep, and hope I can avoid the hottest part of the day. Currently it's 11:50am with a temperature of 90 and a heat index of 111. NO BUENO, people!!! NO BUENO!

Til next time, my lovelies!

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

See my disclosure statement for more information.

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.