Sunday Stamping: Colors of My Holiday Decorations

The holidays can get kind of hectic and I have been struggling to find the time to blog. That is partly why I am showing you the Sunday Stamping manicure on a Monday. This week the challenge was to create a manicure with the colors of the holiday tree decorations. I took that quite literally and went looking through my ornaments for inspiration. I wanted something that wasn't a "typical" bright color so I chose for a gorgeous matte white ornament with gold glitter and rhinestones...

Epilepsy Awareness

At the beginning of this month I was contacted by a lovely reader asking me to create a manicure in support of Epilepsy Awareness month, which happens to be November. She has been living with the disease for many years and continues to struggle with it daily. Her story just breaks my heart and creating a manicure for her and this cause is the least I can do. I'm ashamed to admit that I lost track of time and November slipped by way too fast which is why this manicure is sneaking in on the last day of the month. Hopefully this is a case of better late than never...

Sunday Stamping: Halloween

Just ten days left until the spooky day of Halloween so it is no surprise that the popular vote for this week's Sunday Stamping challenge in Adventure is Stamping is a Halloween themed manicure. I chose to skip the really dark and scary for today and go for cute instead. The idea for the manicure came from the fact that we are having some friends over later today to carve pumpkins. It only seemed fitting that I dig up all the jack-o-lantern images to play with for inspiration...

Sunday Stamping: Pet Day

After my failed Sunday Stamping attempt, I decided to rethink the mani and come up with something else. I was still set on a kitty manicure so I picked two other kitties that I liked. Somehow these are a little more Halloween to me which is why I didn't choose them at first, but I really like how this turned out...

Sunday Stamping - Black and White

It is Sunday, which means challenge day in the group Adventures in Stamping. The majority of people voted to take on a challenge of black and white stamping. I must admit, I was a bit disappointed at first since I'm already doing a full ten day Black and White Challenge, but then I realized that I have not actually done a stamped black and white manicure so I'm playing along.

Sunday Stamping Challenge: 3 Colors

It is crazy how fast time flies, but it is once again time for another Sunday Stamping challenge in the Facebook group Adventures in Stamping. This week the challenge was to create a manicure using three colors. I toyed with the idea of layering stamped images. For example a full background stamp in one color and then a smaller stamp on top in another, but I digress...

I chose to do something I have been wanting to try for a while. This technique involves dragging multiple colors over the stamping image at once to allow them to mix directly on the stamping plate. It took a few tries to get a nice combination and figure out how to get the colors to mix nicely, but I love the result. I started out with two coats of Wet 'n Wild French White Creme. For the stamping I used two Color Club polishes, Cold Metal and Lumin-Icecent from the Foiled collection. I just love them for stamping. The image is from Red Angel plate RA-109

I hope you liked my take on today's challenge. If you are interested in stamping, I encourage you to join the group Adventures in Stamping...

I'd love to know what you think of this. Have you tried this technique before?

Thanks for looking!
Anutka :)

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 :)

Zoya Gems & Jewels Recap...

Maybe I shouldn't call this a recap since I'm about to show three new manicures, but I did use the same polishes, so hopefully you'll let is slide ;). These manicures were inspired by a mermaid manicure done by Marta of ChitChat Nails. I just fell in love with it and had to try it. Since the Zoya's Gems & Jewels polishes were all still sitting on my desk, I thought it would be fun to try them. I think they turned out pretty cute although I wish I would have sponged the glitter on rather than using a brush...

Zoya Holly & Rina
For the base I used two coats of Zoya Stephanie, a great sheer that I love to use for french manis. Then I stamped over it with Holly using Bundle Monster plate BM-208. The same plate that I used in my original Holly/Rina manicure. I panted the tips with Rina, which for some reason is the hardest of the glitters for me to work with. I couldn't get a nice thin layer of it. Next time, it will be sponged on for sure. You can see swatches of Holly & Rina here (in case you missed them a few days ago). It makes me think of a sports field. If I ever need grass for nail art, this would be a good place to start...

Zoya Izzy & Kissy
Next up is the pink version of the mani. Again, I started out with two coats of Zoya Stephanie. I stamped with Izzy using Bundle Monster plate BM-209, same as for the original Izzy/Kissy mani. See how they all tie together? Tips were painted on using Kissy, the most holographic of the three glitters. Everything was topped off with a thick top coat to tame the glitter. You can see swatches of both of these polishes on their own here. This one turned out so sweet...

Zoya Noel & Twila
And I saved the best for last because again the Noel/Twila combo turned out to be my favorite. You can see swatches of each of them here. For this mani, I started out with surprise, surprise two coats of Zoya Stephanie. Stamping was done using Noel and Red Angel plate RA-108. Tips were then added using Twila. Everything was topped of with a nice layer of top coat and voila... :)

I think the metallic/foil properties of the Holly, Izzy and Noel made them great for stamping. I'm really pleased with the result. I hope you like it!

As a note of warning, when using these bar glitters for tips or a full mani, make sure there are no bars sticking out on edge of the nails... they are sharp little things :D

Let me know what you think :)

Thanks for looking!
Anutka :)

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 :)

Sunday Stamping: Under the Sea

I decided to participate again in a group Sunday Stamping challenge. The theme of this one was Under the Sea. I chose to go with a mermaid look. I started out with two coats of Sinful Colors Rise and Shine and sponged over it with similar blue/green shades including Essence Underwater, LA Colors Sea Siren and a no name LA Colors metallic blue. You can click on the links to see full swatches of each of those colors. Over the sponging, I stamped using Sally Hansen Celeb City and Red Angel plate RA-111. For an accent on the ring finger, I used Wet 'n Wild Black Creme and a mermaid stamp from a plate numbered M72 that I got from Ebay.

As I was processing the photos to post them here, I got the sudden urge to add black french tips to the manicure, so I used Wet 'n Wild Black Creme and did just that. Can't really decide which version I like better, so I'd love to know what you think!! Yes or no on the tips? :D


So here it is before the french tips...

And here it is with the french tips...

Which version do you like?

Thanks for looking!
Anutka :)

Ulta Femme Fatale stamped with Essence Enchanted Fairy

Only in the nail polish world do the words Femme Fatale and Enchanged Fairy go in the same sentence or in this case manicure. All I can say is that on my nails the two were getting along nicely, despite my rushed stamping job. I ended up making a nice dent on my index while trying to stamp quickly before running off to work. Luckily it was not as noticeable in real life as it is in these photos.

For the manicure I started out with Ulta's Femme Fatale and stamped with Essence's Enchanted Fairy, a sweet lilac shimmer. I think it stands out quite nicely against the dark background. For the stamp I used Red Angel plate RA-102. I'm still experimenting with these stamps, but I think I'm getting the hang of them.

On it's own, Femme Fatale is a dark burgundy maroon color with a reddish coppery shimmer. It applied well with full coverage in two coats. No pulling or bald spots and wrapped around the tips nicely. It may not be the most original color, but I do love a good dark polish :)

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

Let me know what you think about this! :)

Thanks for looking!
Anutka :)