Foiled Snake!

Last week Nail It! Magazine posted a nail art contest with the challenge to create a manicure inspired by their mood board. I thought I would take a stab at it. It seemed like fun and what have I got to loose, right? For the manicure I was inspired by a metallic snake/lizzard print outfit that is part of that mood bard...

31DC2013 Day 8 - Metallic

Today is Day 8 of the 31 Day Nail Art Challenge with the theme of Metallic nails. What could be more metallic than nail foils? I have not gotten to play with nail foils to much, but I recently got the Best Glue Ever (yup, that's what it is called) and I'm so in love. I'm sure you'll be seeing more foiled manis in the future, but here is one for today...

Born Pretty Store Nail Foils

Today I would like to show you my very first attempt at using nail foils. A while ago, I received three different foils for review from the Born Pretty Store. I delayed trying them out because I assumed these needed special foil glue and frankly I was a bit intimidated. I finally realized that nail glue is optional and got over my fear to try them all. Sadly, I lost the photos for two of the manicures when my computer crashed so I will have to play with those again. At least my first one survived and I can share it with you today...

Sally Hansen Celeb City

I rarely post swatches of just a single polish with no nail art, but I will today because the nail art is coming a bit later. Sally Hansen Celeb City is a polish I have used many, many times, but have never actually swatched on it's own. It used to be my go to silver stamping polish (although has been recently bumped off that prestigious spot) and I'm down to less than half a bottle of this little gem. I had to swatch it and play with it before it is all gone...

Avon Wicked Malice + Sunday Stamping Challenge

I can't believe it is time for another Sunday Stamping Challenge in the facebook group Adventures in Stamping. This week the challenge was to create a Valentines Day mani. Since I have been wearing lots of pastels lately, I chose a dark, vampy base of Avon Wicked Malice. I stamped using Color Club Hot Like Lava from the Foiled collection and Red Angel stamping plate RA-114. I like that it is subtle, simple and not overly girly...

On it's own Avon Wicked Malice was a bit of a disappointment. The color in the bottle has an incredible dark red shimmer in a nearly black base. You can clearly see it in the bottle on any of the photos. The sad part is that it didn't transfer to the nail. Yes, the polish is still a beautiful dark, vampy color, but without this red shimmer, it lacked that special something for me. For the most part the polish looked dark berry to nearly black. Only in direct sunlight or under the lamp was the shimmer visible on the nail. Otherwise application was very good. Two coats for full coverage. With a top coat in these photos...

Swatch Details
	Brand: Avon Collection: Main line Color Name/Number: Wicked Malice, N409 Number of coats: 2 Top Coat: Yes Free of Formaldehyde, Toluene, Dibutyl Phthalate (DBP)

I would love to know what you think!

Thanks for looking!
Anutka :)

Zoya Ibiza and Sunday Stamping Challenge

It is time for another Stamping Sunday challenge in the facebook group Adventures in Acetone. Which by the way, if you are interested in stamping you should definitely check out. This week the challenge was blue and you really don't have to twist my arm or give me extra excuses to wear a dark vampy blue. I usually mange to do that on my own rather frequently.

This time I chose Zoya Ibiza which has been sitting untried for way to long. I stamped it with roses from the Red Angel plate RA-116 using Color Club Lumin-Icecent. Lumin-Icecent is a baby blue foil from the Color Club Foiled collection that was released in the fall of last year. I have yet to swatch the collection, but I love the foils for stamping. I like how this turned out. I think it would be a great alternative to a traditional pink/red mani for Valentines day. A little colder and not so in your face girly :)

On her own, Zoya Ibiza is a blackened navy blue with a blue shimmer. The shimmer was more visible in the bottle than on the nail and best seen with direct light or in the sun. Application was great. This is practically a one coater, but I did use two coats plus a top coat for the swatches...

A close up of the shimmer...

Swatch Details
	Brand: Zoya Collection: Dare Color Name/Number: Ibiza, ZP491 Number of coats: 2 Top Coat: Yes Free of Formaldehyde, Toluene, Dibutyl Phthalate (DBP), Camphor

Playing with this polish just reminds me how nervous I was when ordering it from Zoya last April. At the time, I had never worn a dark blue like this before and was afraid I'd try it and hate it... now I love it. Question is, what else am I too scared to try that I would end up loving?

I'd love to know what you think of this! :)


Thanks for looking!
Anutka :)

Sunday Stamping Challenge + Zoya Stephanie

It is a good thing that I'm stubborn because otherwise I would have given up on this manicure about five takes ago. It was just one of those days when everything falls, acetone spills, the tape rips off the layers underneath, and just when you redid the problem nail(s) for the 3rd time and it is as good as it will get given the circumstances you bump it into something. Ugh! However, I'm glad that I didn't give up because I actually like what I came up with for this week's Sunday Stamping Challenge. The challenge was simply to make a manicure using any stamping plate that ends in 7. The hardest part is having too many choices :)

For the manicure I started out with a coat of Zoya Stephanie then added french tips using Wet 'n Wild French White Creme and topped it off with a second coat of Stephanie. The flowers were stamped using Color Club Hot Like Lava and Ebay plate m07. Flower centers were added using Sally Hansen Celeb City. I had originally intended for the bottom branch to lie along the tip of the nail, but since I stamped lopsided, I added a slanted tip using Hot Like Lava to accentuate the slope. Let's just pretend that I intended it the whole time because I like it so much more with the foil tips than as just a plain french mani...

I have swatched Zoya Stephanie before, but that was on my little shortie nails, so here are some fresh swatches. This is three coats plus a top coat. Application was good, but not perfect. I kept getting bald spots that did eventually even out by the third coat. The color is lovely, a sheer peachy pink. Perfect for a french mani or on it's own since it covers nicely by three coats. 

I love wearing sheers like this by themselves quite a bit. In fact, before I started blogging I used to wear sheers all spring/summer and dark colors fall/winter. Just take a look at my first Zoya haul back in May of last year... oh how different that order would be now... :D

Swatch Details
	Brand: Zoya Collection: Spa Essentials Color Name/Number: Stephanie, ZP364 Number of coats: 3 Top Coat: Yes Free of Formaldehyde, Toluene, Dibutyl Phthalate (DBP) and Camphor

Have you noticed your taste in nail polish change over time?

Thanks for looking!
Anutka :)

Pure Ice Year of the Dragon Crackle & Ice Duo

Today I have one more Year of the Dragon manicure to share with you. This one comes courtesy of Bari Cosmetics who kindly sent me these two polishes for review. Unlike my previous manicure, this one is a more traditional color scheme for Chinese New Year. It reminds me of beautiful lanterns with light shining through.

For the manicure I started out with the gold, which sadly does not have a name, only the number (313CP) on the bottom. In all the communication I received it is simply referred to as Gold. I topped the gold off with a layer of Show Stopper, a bright red jelly crackle. I had no problems with application. The crackle was very consistent. I love that it is a jelly and allows the gold to shine through.

When it came to the symbol to stamp, I had a hard time picking one out since there are so many plates with Chinese symbols and I have no idea what they mean. I enlisted the help of a friend to explain the meanings of them until I finally settled on the symbol from Bundle Monster plate BM-221. She translated it to means lucky, fortunate in life and so much more. So here is to a wonderful Year of the Dragon...

Swatch Details
	Brand: Pure Ice Collection: Year of the Dragon 2012, Crackle & Ice Duo Color Name/Number: Show Stopper, 569CP Number of coats: 1 (over 3 coats 313CP) Top Coat: Yes Free of Formaldehyde, Toluene, Dibutyl Phthalate (DBP) Contains Camphor

Here are the swatches of the gold on it's own. It is a bright yellow gold foil with some shimmer qualities. Streaking was minimal with careful application and because it is so shiny you can't see any of them in the photos regardless. I used three coats to get full coverage. Photos are with a top coat...

Swatch Details
	Brand: Pure Ice Collection: Year of the Dragon 2012, Crackle & Ice Duo Color Name/Number: Bite Me, 313CP Number of coats: 3 Top Coat: Yes Free of Formaldehyde, Toluene, Dibutyl Phthalate (DBP) Contains Camphor

UPDATE: The gold is named Bite Me

Let me know what you think!

Thanks for looking!
Anutka :)

** These polishes were provided to me for review by the manufacturer or their PR. For more information please see the disclosure policy **

Zoya Noel & Twila

The last two polishes in Zoya's Gems & Jewels collection turned out to be my favorite. I'm certainly loving these so let me show you Zoya's Noel, Twila, and some stamping...

Noel
A a cool blue foil made up of blue and silver particles. Great application and coverage. I can't stop staring at this one. This is two coats plus a top coat...

Swatch Details
	Brand: Zoya Collection: Gems & Jewels (Holiday 2011) Color Name/Number: Noel, ZP581 Number of coats: 2 Top Coat: Yes Free of Formaldehyde, Toluene, Dibutyl Phthalate (DBP), Camphor

Twila (over Noel)
A dense blue glitter with both small blue particles and larger blue/holographic bar glitter. The holographic effect decided to hide from the camera, but it is visible when on the nail and certainly in the bottle. This is two coats of Twila over Noel from above...

Swatch Details
	Brand: Zoya Collection: Gems & Jewels (Holiday 2011) Color Name/Number: Twila, ZP580 (over 2 coats Noel, ZP581) Number of coats: 2 Top Coat: Yes Free of Formaldehyde, Toluene, Dibutyl Phthalate (DBP), Camphor

Like the others, this manicure couldn't escape my stamper. I used Wet 'n Wild Black Creme and Red Angel plate RA-108. The little piece of pattern missing from the middle finger is driving me nuts, but I still like the manicure over all. Hope you do to! :)

Let me know what you think about it!

Thanks for looking!
Anutka :)

Ulta - High Roller Stamped

This manicure reminds me of wrapping paper, although traditionally I think it would more likely be red paper with gold print. I do like how it looks in reverse with gold as a base. For this, I started out with two coats of High Roller, followed by stamping using Bundle Monster plate BM-206 and Ulta Ruby Slipper.

Here is what it looks like on its own, a beautiful champagne gold foil. The polish is made up of tiny gold and silver particles (just in case you like to analyze polishes as much as I do). It reminds me of Nicole by OPI - The Next CEO. I don't have the polish to do a direct comparison, but I'm sure they are close.

Swatch Details
	Brand: Ulta Collection: Salon Formula Main Line Color Name/Number: High Roller Number of coats: 2 Top Coat: Yes Free of Formaldehyde, Toluene, Dibutyl Phthalate (DBP)

What do you think of this color or the foil trend in general?
I love how well they work for stamping!

Thanks for looking!
Anutka :)