The Lacquer Files

Happy New Year!

2010-12-31T22:03:00.000+01:00

Hey everyone! Long time no see - nothing happened, I just work a lot. I don't feel like posting because I'm that busy, hopefully I'll start to regain my motivation soon. One thing I do want to do is to wish all my readers a great start of the new year.

Because this is a nail blog, bonus pic! I'm wearing Ciaté Golden Globe. What are you wearing this evening? Have you decided to go for something festive or something more toned down?

Right now I'm going back to the party. Everyone - be safe, watch your fingers and don't drink too much.

Happy New Year, make it a good one!
Michelle

Recycle Your Mani!

2010-12-09T07:00:00.000+01:00

Good morning! Do you know that feeling when you're wearing a manicure for one day (or maybe a couple of hours) and you're already bored with it? I have that a lot. Sometimes I put over another coat of glitter top coat or some pretty sheer polish while other days I use Konad or nail art stickers. For the Silver Snow mani I used stickers.

See? You can leave your manicure on for another day! ;-) These nail art stickers are from Essence.

What do you when you're bored of a manicure? Do you take it off or do you recycle it?

Thanks for visiting!
Michelle

Time for Charity!

2010-12-08T18:32:00.002+01:00

Good evening everyone! A little while back I heard about a really nice and generous action: the Dutch web shop Enchantra is organizing a lot of auctions for charity. The entire revenue will be given to KDC de Zonnehof. KDC de Zonnehof is an organisation for children from the age 3 to 12 with a mental disorder or a multiple disorder. You can see de Zonnenhof as a school for these kids, here they'll learn certain skills that they will need in the future such as learning to dress yourself, how to communicate with gestures and much more. Not only are these kids learning these important skills, they also enjoy creative things.

The reason why this action is very appealing to me is that I have worked with kids like this before. The children I've worked with lived in a living group because they weren't able to live at home, for multiple reasons. The kids were from 10 to 15 years old and they have disorders such as autism, attachment disorders and ODD. Every year, when the holiday season came around, it was always a hard task how to split up the money so we could give them a nice Christmas Eve and gifts but also keep enough money to buy materials for them to play with. Sometimes there wasn't enough money to split up.

Organisations like KDC de Zonnehof need to be able to buy materials and other necessary things. If not, they will have trouble doing certain activities with the kids, activities that make them happy and they enjoy so much. I'm already a part of this action but I hope some of you will also find a little bit of extra to also help with this action.

The facts:
Enchantra is organizing this action. They organize auctions of various items such as China Glaze nail polish, perfume, jewellery and more. Instead of holding a blog sale I donated my (unused) polishes and other bloggers also have donated. You can bid on these items and all the money will be given to KDC de Zonnehof.

You can find the auctions here. Shipping in the Netherlands costs €6.75, it doesn't matter how much you win. All items are shipped together. International readers can also join! The shipping costs will be different, I can't tell you how much (I know it won't be expensive) but if you want to join you can always contact the owner of Enchantra. The auction ends on December 21, 12:00 PM CET.

I hope you will all have a look and maybe bid on something. If you have any questions or maybe you also want to donate something, leave a comment or contact Enchantra. Spreading the word is appreciated! :-)

Take care!
Michelle

Ciaté - Fade to Greige

2010-12-06T13:01:00.000+01:00

Good afternoon guys! I hope everyone had a good weekend. Today I'm showing the last one of the two new Ciaté polishes: Fade to Greige. I can definitely see a trend going on here with these shades - all polishes are different from each other but they can be called cousins. Some are more of a taupe shade, others are more grey and there are a few leaning towards mauve. I think that it's safe to say that these shades are one of the it-shades for fall and winter!

Ciaté describes Fade to Greige as a mauve tinged grey and a subtle beige, I see it as a muted, brownish mauve creme. It's somewhat of a neutral shade, it doesn't bring a whole lot of attention to your hands but does gets noticed. Like the Ciaté polishes I own, this one also behaved like a baby when applying. It was smooth, even and opaque with two coats. Drying time was fast.

I've compared this one with China Glaze Channelesque, Eyeko Posh Polish and Chanel Paradoxal. These aren't dupes but they're certainly in the same line of colours. Channelesque contains more pink, Eyeko Posh is lighter and has a more greyish feel to it and Paradoxal's base colour was pretty close, only a tad lighter.

Do you need this one? No, I don't think so, you can also buy one of her cousins. If you're looking for a cheaper alternative I'd go for China Glaze Below Deck (Anchors Away collection), a polish that will be released in Spring 2011. This is also a dupe for China Glaze Channelesque.

Ciaté is available on their website for £9.00. You can also buy Ciaté from Beauty Queen, a Belgium web shop. Here you pay €11.00 for Fade To Greige but they also offer Ciaté shades for €8.00.

Have a nice day!
Michelle

Silver Snow

2010-12-03T16:09:00.000+01:00

Hey everyone! So this past week the temperature has been dropping like crazy and it even started to snow, what to me is quite unlikely this time of year. November is just over and it already is like Winter Wonderland out there! Not that I complain - I love a white world!

For todays manicure I decided to use the snow as my inspiration but to be honest, it isn't much of a manicure. I've slapped some polish on a sponge and that's it.

Ha, metallic snow! My base colour is CND Asphalt, a dark grey creme. I know I've said this a whole lot before but I love how the CND polishes apply, they're all so smooth! After that I took out a normal household / kitchen sponge (in the Netherlands we have these ugly yellow one) and used Orly Shine for sponging. Orly Shine is my favourite silver, it's not dense looking but more scattered.. Makes it perfect for my metallic snow. The household sponges work good for sponging like this and best thing: they're el cheapo! I cut them into small pieces so it's easier to work with and you don't make a mess of all your fingers. Make up sponges also work good and don't have to be that expensive.

While typing this post I was thinking how cool it would be to have metallic coloured snow. You know, silver, gold, bronze... Woahhh. It would be so pretty!

Take care dear readers, thanks for visiting!
Michelle

Essence Spring 2011: I Love Berlin

2010-12-02T12:00:00.010+01:00

Hello all! Like I told you yesterday Essence has been busy and will release two new trend editions for spring 2011. Today you're going to see the second one! The I Love Berlin trend edition is inspired by the capital city of Germany, Berlin, and is designed by the winner of the Essence "Be a Trendmaker" competition: Yasmin Teufert. Now how cool is that, designing your own collection?!

Polish - €1.79
Essence releases five new shades with this trend edition and they look very suitable for spring!

01 Love This City
02 I'm a Berliner
03 Green Grass
04 Buddy Bear
05 Berlin Story

Of course Essence doesn't only release nail polish, they've also added other new limited edition items to their already existing collection.

Matt Tip Painter - €1.99
Oh yes... Matt Tip Painters, finally!

01 Berlin Story
02 Green Grass

Nail Fashion Stickers - €1.99

01 Berli-Nail
02 Berlin Calling

Berlin Studio Fashion Nail File - €1.29

All these products are limited editions and will be available in stores from January to February 2011.

How do you feel about this upcoming trend edition?
Michelle

To see more of the Essence I Love Berlin Collection, visit Chick Profile!

Essence Spring 2011: Black & White

2010-12-01T22:32:00.005+01:00

Hey guys, Essence released information about the new upcoming collections today and I'd like to start by showing you the first: Essence Spring - Black & White Collection.

Introducing one of the most popular trends from the international catwalks: the black &
white look! In all combinations, shapes and patterns and, above all, for your make-up!
From January to February 2011, essence begins the year with the awesome “black
& white" trend edition – a breathtaking range of products that provide extraordinary
styles with just two colors! Graphical designs and contrasting black and white shades
give every look that extra special touch for a guaranteed trendy start to the year!

I've added all the pictures I got into one so all nail related stuff is together.

Polish - €1.79
01. Black Out
02. White Hype

Top Coat - €1.79
01. White Holo

The polishes will not be matte or glossy but something in between. The top coat is, like the name tells you, a holographic top coat to spice up your nails!

Nail Fashion Stickers - €1.99
01. Envy My Nails
02. Paralyzed

Essence also brings a nail file for €1.29.

All these products are limited editions and will be available in January and February 2011. I'm most excited to see the holographic top coat, I love all things holo! I like the contrasts idea for this collection but I do miss the colour a little bit. Luckily we can add the colour ourselves!

How do you feel about this upcoming collection? Yay or nay?
Michelle

If you want to see more of the Black & White Collection, visit Chic Profile!

OPI Designer Series - Coronation

2010-11-30T19:02:00.002+01:00

Hey guys! I've been really posting a LOT of the OPI Designer Series, I'm sorry for that but I can't stop myself. The Designer Series are my favourite OPI polishes ever and like I said to a fellow nailblogger on Twitter, it's almost like Pokémon: you gotta catch 'em all. I'm not fond of the pinks and reds but the other ones are definitely my kind of thing.

One that is more than my kind of thing is Coronation.

I love silver polishes. People who don't care as much about polish as I (and you!) do will say: 'why do you own six of the same colours?' but to me they are all different. I rarely show them but finally, the day has come to show off a very pretty silver.

Coronation isn't a regular silver polish. It's more of a glitter top coat: the base is transparent and stuffed with silver holographic glitter. The glitters are very dense but I still needed three coats for this one to be opaque. Is that a bad thing? NO! This way you can also use Coronation as a glitter topper over other polish. Win! Another plus: the polish isn't gritty.

The sun wasn't liking me taking pictures so unfortunately I wasn't able to catch the holographic effect that good. I will repost this one in summer, I promise! This week I showed you two pretty holo's: Glamour and Original, both from the Designer Series, but Coronation has a different holo. It isn't that 'rainbowy', it's like the glitters are working individual. It's gorgeous.

Coronation is still available at TransDesign and, I believe, in stores.

By the way, have you heard the news about OPI? Yesterday it was announced OPI was sold to Coty. Now this is for most people not a matter of life and death but it does feels strange that a cruelty free brand is bought by a company that still uses animals for testing. To me anyway.

How do you feel about OPI being sold to Coty and does this affect your liking?

Take care and thanks for visiting!
Michelle

Time for some Spam!

2010-11-29T19:45:00.000+01:00

Hey everyone! I haven't got a nail post for you today but I do have something else that I hope people will use. You see, sometimes people leave messages on this blog with a bloglink in their comment. At first I didn't mind that but it started to get really really really terrible with almost every single person posting a link. I don't mind people sharing their blogs (email or twitter) but it gets kind of irritating when a lot of comments say: 'cool post. check my blog on www.myawesomeblog.com'.

After a while this got really annoying and this was my reaction:

Ya rly! Instead of bitching to everyone I changed the settings of the Intense Debate commenting system - every post that contains a link has to be moderated. This helps a little, sometimes a comment goes trough the system but that's okay. I do notice that people don't stop sharing their link and when I saw something like this on other sites I also decided to do this.

You can leave a link in the comment system but I'd also like it if you tell something about yourself or your blog. I like seeing new blogs and other people might find new ones too. Intense Debates probably eats most of the comments but don't worry, I'll accept them so you don't have to comment 200 times. This way I don't have to feel like this again:

Win-win for all!

Thanks for stopping by! :-)
Michelle

OPI Designer Series - Original

2010-11-28T10:28:00.000+01:00

Good morning chicas! I could write a whole post about my lemmings but because that doesn't sound that interesting to me I'm only showing you the ones I have been able to get. I'm lemming a lot but mostly it sticks to 'very interesting - if I can get it I'll get it' instead of putting a lot of effort in getting it. Don't get me wrong, I love a good polish hunt but there aren't a lot of polishes around that are really a must-have for me.

The one I'm showing you today was a lemming but not a must-have. I looked on eBay for it but the crazy prices were a little too much for me so I decided to not buy it. Now that was a good choice! OPI DS Original became available on TransDesign - and became a must-have, easy to get, you know what I mean? - and I scored it for $7.25. Ha, no crazy prices for me! :-)

OPI DS Original is a cool lavender polish. In lowlight it looks like lavender infused with some kind of silvery sparkle, very pretty. The picture above is taken in the shade, you can see there's a little bit of holographic action going on but of course not that much as in the sun (ya rly!).

Ahhhh, there is the action. Original has holographic sparkles, a little scattered around and definitely not as dense as my Nfu.Oh's or, another example, China Glaze OMG. Do I mind? Hell no! It's absolutely gorgeous and I am very happy this one belongs to me now.

Like the other DS polishes Original was a little thin, not watery though. I needed three coats to reach a smooth and opaque result, and for the impatient ones (like myself): it dries pretty fast. I'm not wearing a top coat because it already is a very shiny, glossy polish.

Original is discontinued but you can always check eBay - some sellers don't ask a lot for this one. TransDesign stopped selling Original but maybe other etailers still do.

Enjoy the last bit of your weekend and take care!
Michelle

Eyeko - Indigo Polish

2010-11-26T13:14:00.002+01:00

Good afternoon all! I'm glad the weekend started for me and I'm really looking forward to relaxing. Yesterday I already did some relaxing - tanning and swimming - but the weekend is always something different. It has some kind of different vibe? I don't know how to explain.

A while back I ordered polishes from Eyeko and they're all really nice. The one I'm showing you today is the Indigo Polish for Sultry Nails.

Indigo Polish is a dark blue shimmer. I have nothing else to say about it, it's just what it is. There are a lot of blue shimmers in this world and this one is pretty nice but certainly not unique.

I needed two coats to reach opaqueness and applying it was fine. Eyeko polishes are somewhat thicker but because they're well pigmented I can't be bothered that much. Besides, we can always use our best friend the polish thinner!

You can buy Indigo Polish on the Eyeko website for €4.00 but pay attention to the sets they're also selling: it's cheaper and the sets are nice.

I hope you all have a nice weekend and thanks for stopping by! :-)
Michelle

Rescue Beauty Lounge - Scrangie

2010-11-24T11:54:00.000+01:00

Hello everyone! Today I am going to show you a polish that is very wanted by a lot of polish fanatics all around. This polish is designed by Scrangie and is released in 2009. Some time after this one being released it sold out it popped up on eBay for ridiculous prizes and I decided this was something I wanted but not needed. When RBL decided to bring back Scrangie I had the opportunity of getting it and now it's mine. Ha!

Scrangie describes this polish as medium blue-based purple with green iridescence and green microshimmer. It's sparkly, duochrome and it has a very pretty glow to it.

I'm not sure about the application. I've applied this a couple of times and it seems to be different every time I try it. It doesn't suck to apply it, not at all, but sometimes it seems the polish is more droopy than it is on other days. Strange? Very! I needed three coats for Scrangie to become opaque which is good and the drying time is normal.

RBL Scrangie is still available on their website for $18.

What's your take on this pretty purple? Would you get it for $18 or is it just too much for you?

Take care and thanks for visiting!
Michelle

OPI Designer Series - Glamour

2010-11-22T12:59:00.000+01:00

Hi all! The weather was great yesterday, when I woke up the sun was shining and kept shining the whole day. In fall and winter I appreciate these sunny days much more - not only because it really lights up my mood, the sun is a great source of light for pictures. I think everyone is familiar with the craptastic pictures you make when the lighting is low but thankfully this wasn't the case yesterday. One thing that comes to my mind when the sun is shining is holographic polish. I think most holographic polishes are bland and boring without the sun, the sparkles must be seen and therefore I decided to rock OPI DS Glamour yesterday.

OPI DS Glamour is a medium blue holo. The blue is very intense, even in the shade (like pictured above) it isn't boring at all. The holographic effect is scattered and not as intense as the Nfu.Oh holo's but dude - who can refuse a gorgeous blue polish like this one?

I know, I said not as intense, but Glamour really shows the holo great.

Applying this one was easy, I like my DS polishes because the formula is good: not too thin but certainly not too thick. Very easy to manage. I'm wearing two coats without a top coat. Top coat tends to make the holo a little less vibrant but to be honest, the one time I did apply top coat on Glamour I didn't notice the difference. Drying time is fast.

I was lemming this one for aaaaages. Finally there was an opportunity of getting it and not pay ridiculous amounts of bucks for it and now I can call myself the proud owner of Glamour. It's absolutely in my favourites because why would a sucker for blues like myself not like Glamour?!

What is your favourite holographic polish?
Michelle

My problem is solved! For now..

2010-11-21T15:32:00.000+01:00

Hey everyone! How is your weekend so far? Mine mostly was filled with reading, I finally have the last two books from the Millennium trilogy, but I also told you yesterday I needed a new way to store my nail polish. I did have one condition: I did not want to have issues with round bottles - I really dislike those lined up in my Helmer.

After thinking I wanted to buy some shelves where I could put them, more of a temporarily solution. That being said I went to the DIY store near by and bought two of them. Because I have two left hands I very kindly asked my dad to help me and tadaa, there they are: my two new shelves.

Like I said, I saw this as a temporary solution until I find a new closet but I really like it. It makes my room a little bit more colourful and I was looking for something to hang up on that blank wall anyway. I'm keeping these two shelves and maybe add a third because I still have a lot of polishes stashed in the closet.

The shelves are hanged up in the centre of the wall so the polishes are easy to reach and I can still stash my other stuff, like my TV and small cabinet underneath them.

I can hear you think: Oh, Michelle, you're crazy, what about dusting everything?! I've thought about that. I don't mind taking the polishes off once in a while and clean the shelves. I also clean my Helmer once a week so does it really make a difference? I don't think so!

Now I just need a good closet, I want deep drawers and plenty of space for everything I need to stash in there such as my nail polishes and nail art stuff. Suzanne told me to look at the Ikea closet "Alex" and it looks pretty good so I'm planning a trip there.

How do you stash your polishes? Any tips?
Michelle

Want to play a game?

2010-11-20T10:35:00.001+01:00

Hey everyone! I hope you all had a good start of the weekend. I cleaned my room from top to bottom and I realized I really need to find another way to store my polishes. I don't want a second Helmer because I have issues with round bottles (yeah.. kind of OCD-ish) so I was thinking of shelves. I'm going to pick some up in an hour or so and hopefully it works out. I might post the results later!

You might have noticed that I'm posting less these past weeks and that's because I've worked a lot. I really like working but sometimes I really crave for 'me-time' and finally, yesterday I had. I decided to create some nail art that I haven't done in quite a while, freehand with my striper brush.

Of course you see right away what my inspiration was! - If not, you've been living under a rock. ;-) I'm not really a Saw fan, I liked the first film but after the second I felt it became boring. I don't know which one is or will be in theatres now, probably part 34, but this one is inspired on the first film.

I've used a striper brush for all the designs and the base colour is H&M Love at First Sight.

Pinky: Jigsaw puzzle
The outline is done with Diamond Cosmetics I'm Raven About You and I've coloured the centre piece of the puzzle with Orly Poison Apple.

Ring: Spiral
The spiral is inspired by the cheeks from the puppet. I've started from the centre of the nail, using Orly Poison Apple, and swirled around the point I started the spiral.

Middle: The Puppet
First I created the outline with Diamond Cosmetics I'm Raven About You, as well as his hair, nose and eyes. I did some shading with Orly Mirror Mirror and coloured the eyes, lips and cheeks with Orly Poison Apple. Last thing is to create the pupils with the Diamond Cosmetics.

Ring: Saw
I used China Glaze Millennium for the saw. I just made a thick stripe on my nail and added the saw teeth. After that I used Orly Poison Apple to tip the saw teeth and the small puddle of blood.

Voila, topped it off with China Glaze Fast Forward and done. I haven't done my thumb because this was a little experiment and I must say, this design was pretty easy to create. Especially the saw and spiral are easy to make though you need a steady hand. Made a mistake? You can always do a little touch up when you've finished the design.

Have a great weekend and take care!
Michelle

Barry M - Coral

2010-11-19T11:16:00.001+01:00

Morning guys! Today I want to show you another polish from the Barry M gift set. There were a lot of questions about which ones were limited edtions and I've asked Barry M but I haven't got a reply yet so this one continues to be a mystery, at least for now.

Like the pink I tried first, the coral creme is also a bright one. Application wise I liked the pink polish better, this one flooded my cuticles because it was very thin. First coat was very sheer and I was pretty afraid I was going to end up with visible nail lines but after applying three coats it was opaque.

I like this shade. A few months back I couldn't see myself wearing these shades but I'm starting to enjoy them very much. I'm glad this one was in the package!

I also did a little Konad but you can see this more as a little experimenting. I'm not sure if I like the tips but the design is nice. I used H&M Love at First Sight as my stamping polish and Konad Imageplate M60 for the design.

How do you feel about corals? Yay or nay?
Take care!
Michelle

Barry M Gift Set

2010-11-16T18:48:00.002+01:00

Good evening everyone! A few days ago before I went to bed I noticed an email popping up that informed me that there was a new product available: the Barry M gift set. Now maybe I'm the only one but when I see the words 'limited' and 'edition' my heart starts racing and even more when I see the price is very reasonable. Of course I couldn't let this one go!

This Gift Set contains 4 shades of pretty nail polishes. They're all limited edtions. Two of the shades are exclusive to the set but I haven't figured out which two so if you can enlighten me, please do. The names aren't spectacular and even a little bit.. Lame. Why? They're all called "Limited Edition 029" with the addition of A, B, C and D. Now how's that for naming a polish! :o)

The colours are nice. It contains a bright medium pink creme, a coral creme, a medium blue creme and a burgundy shimmer.

I decided to try the colour I dislike to most to wear first and of course that is the pink. I never thought I'd say this about pinks but just like the Eyeko Punk Polish I have to admit: these pinks are too darn awesome. They're not sweet and girly, they're hot!

Application was good! The formula is on the thin side but definitely not unmanageable, I kind of liked it. I'm wearing two coats and the finish is very glossy, really liking that. I hope this one doesn't start to thicken up like my other Barry M polishes did, it's always kind of a let down when this happens but I'm praying and let's all pray with me!

The stripes are made with the medium blue polish from this gift set and with my friend the striper brush. I like the combination of pink and blue.

I bought my gift set at Alice and Jo's Havesentials for €12,50. Not a bad price eh? The gift set is also available on the Barry M site for £9.99. Not only do I think this gift set is nice to receive as a gift, it's also fun to buy it for yourself.

What do you think of gift sets like these?
Michelle

Dexter

2010-11-15T12:16:00.000+01:00

Hey guys! Well, a lot of you guessed it correctly: I was talking about Dexter yesterday. In season one the "Ice Truck Killer" dismembers the body and paints the nails. He also leaves clues for Dexter like a dismembered Barbie doll in his fridge, also with painted nails.

The colours I've used: my pinky is Ciaté Ditch the Heels with Orly Poison Apple, my ring finger is Barry M Limited Edition Coral, I'm wearing OPI Pamplona Purple on my middle finger and OPI Who the Shrek Are You? on my pointer finger.

See the resemblance? ;-)

Take care!
Michelle

Guess the TV show

2010-11-14T16:50:00.000+01:00

Hey everyone! Nothing special really, except I saw someone talking about one of my favourite TV shows and I decided to do a little something with it.

Can you guess which TV show?
Michelle

China Glaze and Konad

2010-11-12T11:48:00.000+01:00

Hey guys! I have a green from China Glaze and it is absolutely gorgeous, everyone should own it and seriously I'm not joking! The gorgeous green I'm talking about is Gussied Up Green from the Rodeo Diva collection that was launched for fall 2008. This one is still available at most etailers. The point of my saying this is that when you're in the need of a dark green shimmer you should get this one because really it's too good not to buy.

Gussied Up Green is a gooooooooorgeous (sorry for using that word too much, it does fit the polish so I'm gonna use it this whole post) blackened green shimmer. When it hits the sunlight, as you can see above, the shimmer is so pretty (and gorgeous!).

I did some Konad over it, using 2030 and a Bundle Monster Plate (BM21) for the pattern. Now as I've mentioned before, 2030 is my kind of gold and I love it dearly. I really need to get myself a new bottle because mine is almost empty and I can't imagine ending up without a bottle of 2030.

2030 is part of the Khrome Collection and like all other polishes of this collection, 2030 is great for stamping. If you're looking for a decent stamping polish that isn't from Konad these are the best.

In case you're wondering why I'm all that cheery and happy, I'm receiving a package from the H&M today and I'm about to wet myself because the shoes I've ordered are amazing. This however doesn't affect my liking of Gussied Up Green, it's gorgeous. Really, it is!

What's your opinion of Gussied Up Green and the Khromes as stamping polishes?
Michelle

Barry M Instant Nail Effects, part two

2010-11-10T20:26:00.000+01:00

Good evening everyone! I hope everyone is doing fine - I am, I'm really hoping for the weekend to kick in and I'm secretly excited for the 'storm' tomorrow and Friday. I'm the kind of person that really enjoys stormy weather, the sound of rain and the wind blowing really hard - I'll go outside trying to 'lean' against the wind. But enough of my strange characteristics and let's go on with my blogpost.

I'm showing you the Barry M Instant Nail Effects, and yes, you've seen this one earlier but I did a combination that I think is really awesome.

First I wanted to use China Glaze Millennium as my base colour but I couldn't find it anywhere so I decided to go for the gold. According to Michèle gold really rocked, and yes, it does!

The base colour I've used is China Glaze 2030, the greatest gold polish I've ever seen. This gold is cool so my skin doesn't look like I've been with my hands in boiling hot water for 10 minutes. I used two coats for 2030 because I always think the first coat looks a little bit, I don't know, streaky? Showing every little flaw on your nails? I guess both these things. It really doesn't matter though, this one dries fast and having your nails painted with gold is just totally awesome.

I was thinking of getting gold Minx, I bet I'd feel totally awesome walking around with those shiny gold nails. Unfortunately I'm not going to do that now due to my cleaning job but whenever I have the opportunity of taking them I'm so going to!

I bought this one at Alice & Jo's Havesentials for €5,10 (about $6,70). Alice & Jo's also offers other colours of crackle polish by the brand Mia Secret. Barry M Instant Nail Effects can also be purchased from the official Barry M site.

Take care guys, thanks for visiting!
Michelle

Ciaté - Twilight

2010-11-08T16:35:00.001+01:00

Hey guys! Ciaté has to be one of my favourite brands. Not only am I always happy with the formula, I also like the different shades of polish they offer and of course, how can I not mention it, their super cute bottles. Some people say they are expensive and I know 13.5 ml for £9.00 isn't a bargain but the price isn't bad for what Ciaté gives you. Besides, it's always fun to spoil yourself, right? :-)

I've also got myself the Ciaté Speed Coat for testing and so far I'm happy with it so I'll let you know how it all works out. For now I want to show you one of their newer shades.

Ciaté Twilight is released for fall/winter 2010. They didn't create a whole new collection for us, besides Twilight they've also released Fade to Greige, but the two shades are both very nice so you won't hear me complain!

Twilight is a black creme filled with golden flecks and really small multicoloured shimmer. The golden flecks are more pronounced in the bottle but are also very visible on your nail. The multicoloured shimmer is very subtle and is shown best in sunlight.

I needed two coats for Twilight to be opaque. What I also really liked is that the flecks aren't gritty so your nail surface feels smooth and you won't need a really thick top coat to top it off. Speaking of top coat, I'm not wearing any in my swatches and the polish doesn't look dull.

Drying time was good and so was the application. I really like the Ciaté brushes, they're not too long or short and are really easy to use.

Here I've mattified Twilight with the Catrice Matt top coat. I think it looks awesome! The small flecks look like they're on fire and that makes a really nice contrast with the matte black. Overall you can say I'm definitely not disappointed with this one!

How do you feel about the new Ciaté shades?
Michelle

OPI Designer Series - Magic

2010-11-08T12:57:00.001+01:00

Good afternoon everyone! Today I want to show you one of the two new Designer Shades from OPI. They brought out these two for fall and even though they're not the most unique shades around, they sure are pretty. I was in doubt to buy Magic because I thought I had similar shades in my stash but in the end I'm happy I got it, it's a nice addition.

Magic is a sparkly darker blue with a strong purple tone in it. At first I thought it looked a bit like OPI INK but this one is way more sparkly, glittery and has a stronger hint of blue. What I love about this one is that it also flashes purple on the nail. I had serious issues with capturing this but it really is there and it just shifts constantly from blue to purple. Application was good and I'm wearing three coats. Drying time was also fast.

I think Magic is very close to Orly's Lunar Eclipse. I'm not sure about that but I will compare these for myself once, curiosity always wins it from my wallet!

How do you feel about Magic? And what about the other one, Radiance? I might have to get that one too, it looks gorgeous on swatches. I'm such a sucker for silver sparkly stuff.

Thanks for stopping by!
Michelle

Flower Power!

2010-11-06T08:00:00.000+01:00

Good morning to all! I hope everyone's doing fine. A while back I posted a flower manicure, actually I posted a few, but this one was made with the stickers I got from Karrie and now I have another sticker version for you. I don't know why but I'm really into flowers lately and because I haven't got a lot of time nail art stickers are my new best friends.

First I painted my nails with Color Club Who Are You Wearing. Once that was dry I started to apply stripes with my striper brush and two Ciaté Polishes: Main Stage and Talent Scout. I only used Talent Scout for two stripes, giving it kind of a twist. The stickers are provided to me by Sparkly Nails.

Sparkly Nails is a British web shop that offers a lot of nail art products. These stickers I got look really nice but there's one thing to remember when applying these: they are thin. That means they fold over easy and with easy I mean EASY. I ruined three flowers before I finally thought of picking my gemstone stick, so I could apply the stickers with that. Ha, success! If you don't have a stick like that you can also use a toothpick but remember, even when you're using this you still have to be very gentle with them.

I'm a sucker for these cute sticker sheets, I never come across these in stores. They seem to have a better quality than the ones I normally get, even though they're harder to apply. I haven't topped these with a top coat and they stayed on for two days. You might think that's not long but I've worked with them (cleaning job) so actually I was pretty surprised, they did survived while my hands were in the water for two days. Right now these stickers are available for £1.80 per sheet, or £4.50 for three sheets. Sparkly Nails ships worldwide.

Have a nice weekend and take care!
Michelle

The products in this post are provided for consideration.
For more information please read my disclaimer.

CND Colour and Sparkle!

2010-11-04T08:00:00.012+01:00

Good morning everyone! A few days ago I received some more CND colours and effects (yep.. definitely some kind of temporary obsession) and today I want to show you a combination that I like very much.

First I applied one of the CND Colours. This one is Eclectic Purple, not that special but very pretty. It's a medium purple creme that applied very smooth and was opaque in two coats. I don't know why I don't see a lot of things about these CND colours because the ones I own apply great! They're pigmented, smooth and sooo easy to work with.

After Eclectic Purple dried I applied the effect. I picked Raspberry Sparkle! Just like the other sparkles, Raspberry Sparkle contains fine, dense reddish pink glitters. Sometimes it looks a little like it's shifting towards gold. Absolutely awesome!

I can't wait to layer this one over a dark green like OPI Here Today, Aragon Tomorrow. Maybe I should do some kind of layer inspiration post when I got the time. If you want to order some CND effects but don't know which one, you definitely should have a look here at the Edge of Sanity.

Want to know where you can buy the CND effects? They have a handy shop locater on their site. The CND polishes are also available on Trans Design.

Well, what do you think? I love the effects and I'm smacking myself in the face for not getting Sugar Sparkle. I can't find it now and I WANT IT. >:]

Enjoy your day and thanks for visiting!
Michelle

3 Giveaway Winners!

2010-11-03T12:23:00.000+01:00

First, the winner of my Nfu.Oh #51 giveaway..

Necessary Nails, also known as Katherine!

The winners of the Eyeko giveaway, starting with the winner of set 1!

Sylvia from Nailart Creations!

And last, but certainly not least, the winner of Eyeko's second set.

L., otherwise known around here as RandomLanda!

Whoopee! Congratulations to all and thanks everyone who joined. Winners, please email me your address so I can send you your prize as soon as possible! :-)

Take care everyone and have a nice day!
Michelle

Catrice Hip Queens Wear Blue Jeans! & Matt Top Coat

2010-11-01T08:00:00.004+01:00

Hi all! A little more than one week ago I posted about new Catrice products that will be available in November and today I want to show you two additions of their nail assortment. Catrice releases three new colours and also brings out a top coat to mattify your polish - very exciting because I love matte and I needed a new one so this one came right on time!

This is Hip Queens Wear Blue Jeans!, an instant favourite for me. It's a deep dark blue creme with light blue glitter. The glitters aren't super noticeable, they do jump out when the sun shines, but in other light it's very subtle. I also feel that the blue is somewhat dusty, it's not that in your face blue.

Application was fine, the formula was a little thicker than I'm used to when it comes to Catrice polishes but it didn't bother me. Hip Queens Wear Blue Jeans! is well pigmented, I needed two coats and it was all opaque (and even!). The polish dries quickly but I do think it needs a top coat, it got a little dull after it dried. I feel that Catrice has brought another fab polish to their line and the price, €2.49, makes it too good not to buy it.

Of course I had to try the new Matt top coat over this one. It works good! The brush did pick up colour so when you're done using you should clean the brush but man, for a price of €1.99 with this result I couldn't care less about cleaning brushes. I did a little comparison for you:

I've compared the Catrice Matt top coat with the one I used before, China Glaze Matte Magic. As you can see Matte Magic leaves me with white flecks on my nails. All my matte top coats did that after a certain point, even when I clean everything after using, so I will have to wait out and see if the Catrice does that but so far it has behaved itself.

Catrice Matt and China Glaze Matte Magic give the same result, there's no need for us Dutchies (and Europeans) to buy the more expensive polishes now! Comparing the prizes is kind of ridiculous: Catrice gives you 12ml for €1.99 and China Glaze gives you 9.6ml for ± €4.50 to €7.00 (note: when ordered in the US and web shop prizes. I haven't included shipping costs.) Soooo, if the Catrice keeps me happy for the upcoming months I'll definitely repurchase it because now I'm fully satisfied with it.

So, what's your take on the new Catrice polishes? Happy with this addition?
Michelle

The products in this post are provided for consideration.
For more information please read my disclaimer.

OPI - Glacier Bay Blues

2010-10-30T19:29:00.001+02:00

Hey everyone! How is everyone's weekend so far? Hopefully you'll get some time to relax and reload your energy for the start of the new week. I have been cleaning my Helmer again - I do this once a week but today my cleaning was more thoroughly and I stumbled upon a few polishes I forgot about. One of them was this one, OPI Glacier Bay Blues.

Glacier Bay Blues is an old OPI, it comes from the 2004 Canadian Collection, but it isn't that hard to find. There are some bottles to be found on eBay and apparently there are a few etailers that sell this one (but I don't have experience with any of them). Enough about this, let's go on to the colour!

Glacier Bay Blues is a blue based shimmery duochrome. When the light changes the polish changes with you, giving you purple and teal flashes. It's very pretty (and hard to photograph haha).

Application was okay. I like the new OPI formula more than this old one but it isn't a pain in the ass to apply. I needed four coats for this one to be opaque and I know that I use really thin coats but this is kind of... meh! I will layer this one in the future, I am already thinking of pretty combo's with OPI DS Fantasy and Misa On the Edge.

By the way! If you dislike the big brushes that OPI now has you should definitely look out for these older ones, the brush is small and will be easier to handle for some.

I have to say that this one is gorgeous in the bottle. GORGEOUS. Even better when it's on the nail, I could stare at it the whole day and see the colours shift. Very cool.

Thanks for visiting and enjoy the rest of your weekend!
Michelle

Quick note: I will tell you the winners of the giveaways the upcoming week!

Survey time!

2010-10-29T20:36:00.000+02:00

Good evening all! I was getting a few questions about what my favourite and least favourite brands are and while I thought of that, I also noticed I was interested in your preferences and why. I whipped up a survey for you that everyone can fill in. This survey is anonymous and I'm the only one who can see the answers. I will leave this survey open for a little more than a week and after that I'll collect the results and share with you, making a top 5 of everything.

Again, the survey is about your most and least favourite nail polish brands and why. I have given you a few options in questions #2 and #5 but if you have anything else to add to that, you can always fill in the next question. You can also use that space to be more specific about your answers. As a bonus question something I have seen at the Lacquerista, your five most favourite nail polishes ever. I'm very curious to see if there's a different outcome.

If you have any other questions you can always ask!

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Thanks for filling in the survey, I appreciate it very much! :-)
Michelle

Nfu.Oh #65

2010-10-29T08:00:00.007+02:00

Morning everyone! I was planning to do some swatching yesterday afternoon but work took a little longer than expected. While I was looking through my nail pictures, to see if I might had something to share, I saw pictures of Nfu.Oh #65. I've never showed this one, how wrong is that?! Meet my favourite holo!

Nfu.Oh #65 is a blue holo, not really really blue but more a toned down baby blue. I've showed you some before but because blue is my favourite colour, this is my favourite one. Nfu.Oh is absolutely the Queen of holographic polishes. I can't really describe how frigging cool they are, it's something you just have to see for yourself.

I've applied Nfu.Oh #65 with the Nfu.Oh Aqua Base and if you're into holo's I think this base coat is a good buy for you. You won't be disappointed because the base makes it much easier to apply holographic polishes, leaving you with a smooth finish and absolutely no bald spots. The top coat also works perfectly fine with normal polishes.

Pfew! Isn't that awesome?!

I got my Nfu.Oh #65 and the Aqua Base from NailXL. They ship within Europe, if you have questions you can always contact the owner. Another web shop I have good experience with is Viis, an Estonian web shop that also ships internationally.

What's your thought of these holographic polishes? Do you like them or think it's too much?
Take care and thanks for stopping by!
Michelle

Eyeko - Military Polish

2010-10-27T15:03:00.000+02:00

Good afternoon all! Today I will show you the last one of the new Eyeko polishes.

Military Polish is something I can describe best as a mix between green and brown. On your nails it is darker than it looks like in the bottle, the only exception to this is when your nails hit the sun. I can imagine people being disappointed about it because in some light your nails will look nearly black, that's how dark this shade is.

Application was okay. First coat was streaky but the second coat made up for it and also made it fully opaque. The polish is quite pigmented and a little on the thick side. One thing that bugged me is that while applying the polish it looked like there was sand in the polish, giving me tiny gritty spots on my nails. My friend also had that, and she has a different bottle, so what's up with that? Drying time was pretty fast and it leaves you with a very glossy finish.

If you're mad about (army)greens I'd get this one, otherwise I'd just leave it. The formula could've been better and I wish the colour on your nails was like the colour in the bottle! The colour is too dark now for my taste. I got mine from the Eyeko website for €4.00. A bottle contains 8.5ml.

How do you feel about military shades? Any thoughts about this one from Eyeko?
Michelle

Fimo Flowers

2010-10-26T08:00:00.003+02:00

Hey everyone! I've been wanting to buy fimo canes for nail art purposes but never did because I thought slicing these up would be kind of an impossible task for a clumsy person like myself. Luckily for me, and everyone else that doesn't trust themselves with a razor blade, there are plenty of shops around selling pre sliced fimo pieces. One of the shops that does so and where I placed an order not too long ago is Mardy MakeUpShop, a Dutch web shop. The fimo slices variate in prices but these flowers were €1.25 for a bag of about 100 pieces. Not bad ey! I also want to say that they were fast with my order, I received it the next day. Like they personally stuffed it in my mailbox!

I first applied a base colour, I picked Color Club Who Are You Wearing? from Color Club's Rebel Debutante collection. It's really nice, wearable whitish creme that's leaning towards a very light type of lavender. It's very subtle and I picked it because I thought the flowers would really jump out with a base colour like this. After that I placed some random vine-like stripes and added the flowers - sticking them to my nails with a little bit of top coat.

The striper was sent to me by Mardy MakeUpShop for a review and I was excited to try this one because I've never tried something from Ados. I've actually never heard of the brand before, don't know if I have been living under a rock but from first sight it looked good. I got number 27, it's a somewhat murky kind of green glitter in a transparent base. The brush is long and thin, just a normal striper brush, and the cap is long and pointed which makes it very easy to handle. The glitters are pretty dense so it doesn't leave you with spaces that don't have any glitter, I like that.

It costs €2.50 and it contains 5ml of polish. Now I know there are a lot of stripers available on eBay that can be bought for less and that's also a great buy but I have to say that I like the Ados striper more. Some of my eBay stripers smell really bad (like paint thinner?!) and the design isn't as nice. Also this one is B3F and I'm not sure if the eBay stripers are. I would buy more of these if I needed more stripers but to tell you the truth I can't stash some more in my Helmer - I got too much.

I'm very much in love with the fimo slices I got, they are adorable and I have ordered a lot more of these pretties. I just saw they also had Christmas themed fimo slices and I'm such a sucker for those kind of themed things so guess what you'll be seeing soon..?

Mardy MakeUpShop ships internationally. I'm very happy with a web shop like this because they offer nail art products for small prices and they also carry a lot more products so be sure to check it out.

What's your thought of fimo? Like it or not? And do you trust yourself with a razor blade?

The product in this post is provided for consideration.
For more information please read my disclaimer.

Blue Leopard

2010-10-25T08:00:00.001+02:00

Good morning people! How was everyone's weekend? I've used my weekend to regain some energy after the busy day on Friday but I'm totally feeling good and happy to start with this new week. Strange isn't it, especially since it's Monday and normally I think that is the most terrible day of the week. Now I can't be bothered! Hope you all have the same good mood like I have! :-)

Today I want to show you all something I made a couple of weeks ago.

It's a strange blue leopard design! I've seen a couple of these designs being posted on the interwebs and I think they look pretty darn cool so I decided to make one myself.

First I applied Misa Quirky Smile (pretty blue, you should get it) and applied H&M Love at First Sight on top of that (and the other way around for my pinky). After that I created the leopard spots like I showed you in my DIY Leopard Tutorial. I used the black Herôme striper and Zoya Robyn as my colours and then I used the silver Essence striper to create some silver lining. Last, it's sealed with a top coat.

This design is pretty easy to make, you just want to make sure you apply the polish in a right order (this causes less frustration) and if there's polish flooding your cuticle you can easily remove this with a small brush. If you can't create straight lines by hand you can also use tip guides - sometimes you find some with a nice shape but you can also cut some yourself - or painters tape.

Thanks for visiting!
Michelle

New from Pieces?

2010-10-24T13:08:00.000+02:00

Hey everyone! On Friday I also went into town and stumbled upon polishes from Pieces I had never ever seen before so to me they are new. But are they really new as in omg-new-release-wow-wow-wow!-new? I don't know, so if you can enlighten me, please do.

I picked up three colours: Ms Jagger Green, Metropolitan Sky Blue and Golden Chokolate. The last one is the one I'm showing you today!

Golden Chokolate (why are they spelling it with a K? I don't like that, I want the K to be a C!) is a dark brown based polish, absolutely packed with golden shimmer. On the picture above, that is made in normal daylight, you can see the shimmer peeping through a little but this is not that impressive when you've seen it being hit by the sun.

Voila. It's awesome, it's so glowy and such a rich colour. I think this is perfect for fall and winter! Application was pretty good, I liked the formula because it wasn't thin or thick: exactly in the middle, just how I like it. I needed three coats for this one to be opaque. The only thing I dislike, the same as I told you about Wet n Wild, is that the caps and brushes are small. I like my brushes to be long and have a cap that I can hold on to. It's not impossible to polish with these caps but it tends to bring a little more irritation haha.

I bought the three polishes at the Pieces store for €6.95. The polishes cost €2.95 each so when you want to buy more I'd buy three. It's a little cheaper. :o) It's not expensive, they offer a nice variety of colours and I don't have issues with the application so it does no harm when you want to try.

Take care and enjoy the rest of the lazy sunday!
Michelle

Catrice Preview - New Products

2010-10-23T19:54:00.005+02:00

Hi guys! Be prepared for a long post, longer than I usually do because I have tons to show and tell you. Catrice has been working on renewing their products and on Friday they organized a day for bloggers to come and see what has changed. It ended up in a great fun day with lots of new pretty things to see and show you guys! For a full collection overview Michèle's post is incredibly nice: you can see it here.

As you can see on my first picture, Catrice changes the display a little. The new products will be found mostly in the middle so they're easy to find and they sure have been busy working on new eye and lip products!

Mono Eye Shadow

Catrice comes with 32 new, trendy eye shadows with all kinds of different finishes. From matte to glittery and even more, there is something for everyone's taste! I got six of these and I have swatched them for you. Even though I'm not a beauty queen I still think these swatches are a good indication of how they look in real life.

These swatches are made in daylight, without flash and without a base/primer.
From left to right: 110 Gilbert's Grapefruit, 220 The Violent Violet, 250 Swimming with Dolphins, 210 The Queen is Amused, 160 I Trust Stardust, 070 Mr. Copper's Fields.

Overall I think these are nice. Not only do I like to colours, they are also very pigmented and easy to blend out. The packaging is quite minimalistic and that's also a plus for me. Price: €2.79.

Duo Eye Shadow

There will be 8 of these duo eye shadows available and all of them have nice colour combinations. I have three of these to show you.

These swatches are made in daylight, without flash and without a base/primer.
From left to right: 020 Missing: Jack & Rose, 030 Once in a Blue Moon, 070 Double Espresso Macchiato, Please!

I like them! My favourite is the second duo, the blue is so glittery and wow! These are also very pigmented and easy to blend. Price: €3.79.

Lip gloss

There are two new kinds of lip glosses: Lip Appeal and the Colour Show. The Lip Appeal gloss has a moisturizing formula, gives your lips a perfect glossy look and will be available in 10 different shades. The Colour Show gloss gives a more intense colour on your lips that lasts, also will be available in 10 different colours.

These swatches are made in daylight, without flash.
From left to right: 010 Toast With Champagne (Colour Show), 060 Little Red Dress (Colour Show), 070 Berry, Berry Nice (Lip Appeal).

To tell you the truth: I like them all three. They are not that sticky nor heavily scented (I really dislike that) and the variety of colours is very nice. Little Red Dress is very pigmented as well as the other shades from the Colour Show I've tried at the preview, big plus! Price: €3.79 each.

Nail polish

And of course, Nail polish, the thing that excites me the most! Catrice worked on three new shades and sweet Michèle let me borrow her picture. I promise I make swatches myself, soon!

As you can see Catrice comes with three new colours and a matte top coat. I don't own the green but will soon (it looked fab!) but you can expect swatches of Absolutely Chinchilly, Hip Queens Wear Blue Jeans! and the matte top coat the upcoming week or so. I can tell you already that the formula's are even better than they were! Price: €2.49 each, the Matte top coat costs €1.99.

The new Catrice products will be hitting the stores in November! I really like the new eye shadows - they are very well pigmented and Catrice offers a huge range of colours. In my opinion Catrice now shows they are one of the best budget brands around and I definitely love the changes they've made.

I had a great day Friday and I'd like to thank the people from Catrice and their PR representatives for everything. It was really nice seeing all the new products and being able to test these. It was also really nice to meet other bloggers and have a chat with them. I'm definitely not disappointed at all! :-)

Any thoughts about the new Catrice products so far? I'm curious!
Michelle

Two Pretties make a good Pair

2010-10-23T09:32:00.000+02:00

Morning people! Today I want to show you two polishes from the new China Glaze Holiday Collection called 'Tis the Season to be Naughty and Nice. I really wanted Party Hearty from the beginning because I love these kinds of glitter but when I saw Jolly Holly I just couldn't say no. It's green and it's gorgeous, everyone would've said yes!

This is Jolly Holly, an amazing green shimmery polish. The shimmer is blue and gold and it's awesome! Application was really good and it was also opaque after one coat. ONE COAT!

Jolly Holly topped with one coat of Party Hearty, no top coat. Party Hearty is such a funky glitter! I can see small silver and gold glitter and they've also put larger red and green glitter in it, all in a clear base. Application wise it was good, I don't like to polish my nails with glitters but this one wasn't that uncontrollable.

The 2010 Holiday Collection from China Glaze also offers you some sweet gift sets that are available at Trans Design and will be at Enchantra. How do you feel about this new Holiday collection?

Thanks for stopping by!
Michelle

Mmmmorbid

2010-10-21T08:00:00.002+02:00

Morning guys! I hope everyone's fine. Today will be a super quick post, even I am surprised about it because normally I like to blabber a lot, but I only want to show you my NOTD. :-)

Before I painted my nails I applied Nailtek II and my base colour is Wet n Wild Morbid. I got this one in a swap some time ago and it's definitely one of my favourite greens. It's a blackened shimmery green that never bores me. It needs two coats and it applies good, the only issue I have are the caps and short brush - but that's something personal.

After that I took out my Konad Imageplate M57 and picked out the lacy leopard design. I used China Glaze 2030 as my stamping polish, I need another bottle because this one is my all time favourite. After stamping everything was sealed with China Glaze Fast Forward Top Coat.

Well, that's it for today. Take care and thanks for stopping by!
Michelle

Jaws

2010-10-19T08:00:00.006+02:00

Hey everyone! Do you all remember the Jaws movies? I think you do because when I was little there was nothing more scary than that big white shark (well, Pennywise the clown was scarier, but shh). Jaws actually made me not want to go into the sea - ever. When I'm enjoying my day at the beach I'll never go further then my knees into the water. It's just really scary because I do not know what's beneath me. Now I'd like to leave my crazy personal traits here and show you my manicure. Yesterday I was watching Jaws and I thought it would be nice to make a Jaws manicure.

First I painted my nails with Misa On the Edge. I took out my sponge and sponged my nails with Zoya Robyn, leaving 1/3 from the tip as my base colour. After that I mixed Zoya Robyn with H&M Love at First Sight and sponged the tip. That is my base, the ocean.

When my base was dried I wanted to start drawing. I used a striper brush for everything unless I tell you otherwise. Here's what I used:

Pinky: Shark Attack
I sponged the pool of blood with Eyeko Saucy. After that I drew a shark fin with a striper brush and used Orly Mirror Mirror. I shaded the fin with a mix of Ciaté Vintage and H&M Love at First Sight.

Ring: Shark
This is how we know Jaws! First I created the outline of the shark using Orly Mirror Mirror. I left out space for the mouth and coloured the shark. The mouth is coloured with Diamond Cosmetics I'm Raven About You. After doing the mouth I shaded the shark using Ciaté Vintage and H&M Love at First Sight. I've also mixed these colours for a little more depth. When done shading I created the teeth with H&M Love at First Sight. Don't forget the eyes! Mine are done with the tip of the striper brush and Diamond Cosmetics I'm Raven About You.

Middle: Eek! A Shark!
The swimmer is made with a mix of Barry M Mushroom, H&M Love at First Sight and Hard Candy Splendid. His hair colour is Barry M Mushroom. Behind him is a shark fin that is made the way I made the shark fin on my pinky. I've added a little bit H&M Love at First Sight around the fin and the swimmer, it just gives a little more movement.

Index: Jaws
The Jaws logo is made with Eyeko Saucy. I've added a shark biting the logo. The colour of the gums is China Glaze Something Sweet and the teeth are made with H&M Love at First Sight. The sharks skin is a mix of Ciaté Vintage, Orly Mirror Mirror and H&M Love at First Sight.

After feeling like Bob Ross for one hour I was finally done and topped it off with China Glaze Fast Forward. I really like the shark, my dad didn't believe that I made that one so that was pretty funny. Now I want to make more stuff on my nails like this but it takes so long, I'm not that patient, darn!

Thanks for visiting and have a nice day!
Michelle

Barry M - Instant Nail Effects

2010-10-18T08:00:00.015+02:00

Good morning all! I hope everyone had a good weekend and that the start of this new week will be very calm because we all know how sucky it is to start up after a nice weekend. My post today features a product from the British brand Barry M, a nice, animal friendly brand that offers a wide variety of cosmetics. I want to show you a product that a lot of people have been raving about on twitter and other mediums: their new Instant Nail Effects.

The Instant Nail Effects is a black top coat that crackles when you put it on top of another polish. This gives a crackle effect that some people love and other people hate ( - and some people just don't know how they feel about it, haha). I sure am in the first category, I think it's an awesome effect and it gives you that great little extra something. The crackle concept isn't new at all but I really wanted some crackle polish so when Barry M released this one I just had to have it.

The base colour I'm wearing didn't need any spicing up, it's Flip Flop Fantasy from China Glaze, but the contrast sure looks funky. Can't wait to try it out on other colours!

As you can see in my first picture Instant Nail Effects dries matte. I like it matte but I'm also afraid that it will fall off pretty quickly so I added China Glaze Fast Forward over it and it's also nice when glossy. Barry M polishes give me a good long time of wear and I'm pretty curious to see what this one does. Also, my normal Barry M polishes start to thicken up really quickly and I hope (PRAY) this one doesn't so that's also something I need to wait out and see. I'd love to see some other colours joining this one, I'm dreaming of silver sparkly crackle haha.

I bought this one at Alice & Jo's Havesentials for €5,10 (about $6,70). Instant Nail Effects can also be purchased from the official Barry M site. If you think it's a little too expensive or you're not sure if this is your taste you can also buy cheaper ones (and different colours!) on eBay.

Now, the question that is keeping me busy: do you say yay or nay?

Have a nice day!
Michelle

Nail Art Tutorial: DIY Leopard

2010-10-16T08:00:00.001+02:00

Hey guys! According to my question on the Eyeko Giveaway form you wanted to see more nail art tutorials, especially videos. I'm sorry if I am disappointing anyone but there will never ever be any video material of me around, I just hate camera's haha. I did find the time to do a short nail art tutorial for you all and it's an easy one: a DIY leopard. You don't need a lot for this simple manicure: two different shades of polish, a striper brush and a dotting tool or something else to create your dots with.

First you're going to start applying your base colour. I really like my leopard manicure freakishly coloured so I choose Color Club Mrs. Robinson as my base colour. Mrs. Robinson is a purple neon and I love it. Must be the only neon I find myself using a lot. After applying the base colour you let it dry for a few minutes and then it's time for the next step: adding dots.

There are many ways to create dots. The best thing that's ever invented for this purpose is a dotting tool: a stick with a dot on the end that will create the most perfect dots for you. These are available on eBay and at some etailers. If you don't have a dotting tool you can use a tooth pick or a bobby pin. I used Ciaté Ditch The Heels for my dots, I love the way it stands out against the neon purple.

When that is done grab the striper brush because we're going to do the outlines!

This is how it will look when you're done using the striper. You just use the striper to work on the outline of the dots. Make sure you do this gentle and relaxed because you can slip up easily. If you're having troubles with these, f.e. your hand isn't steady at all then you should also pay attention at supporting your arm and wrist while working. Last but not least, sometimes you just need to practice, practice, practice. Don't worry if the spots aren't similar: leopard spots aren't exactly the same in real life! After doing the outlines I also placed a few random black dots here and there.

I used Herôme Brooklyn, a black striper but you can use every colour you like. If you don't have a striper or striper brush I suggest you get one because they are sooooo handy, I can't tell you this enough. You can also use a nail art pen if you prefer that more. Striper brushes are available on eBay (you can get nice nail art brush sets there) and some etailers will sell them too.

When that is done your DIY leopard is done and you can top it off with a top coat. I've added a CND effect for that extra glitter.

The finished result, my leopard manicure with CDN Jade Sparkle on top. Hopefully this tutorial was helpful and if there's something you need to know you can always tell me in the comments. :-)

Thanks for visiting!
Michelle

Jip & Janneke

2010-10-15T08:00:00.010+02:00

Hey everyone! From 6 to 16 October we have 'Kinderboekenweek' here in the Netherlands, roughly translated as Children's Book Week, meaning there's a whole theme week about books, specially for kids. I remember that when I was a kid I always looked forward to Kinderboekenweek (and still do!). Meeting writers, teachers who will read you a whole afternoon, sitting with the whole school in the great hall with your pillow and read your own book. Very awesome. This years theme is 'imagery in children's books' and I think we all loved pretty pictures in our childhood books. One of the books I loved and still love is Jip & Janneke, written by Annie M. G. Schmidt, full of great drawings by Fiep Westendorp. Let me introduce them:

On my pinkie you see Takkie the dog, next to it there's Jip, then we have Siepie the cat and last there's Janneke. Maybe you've seen them already because not only is the book Jip & Janneke translated in a few foreign languages, also the Dutch company Hema has released a limited edition collection of these four figures - you might have seen the nail polish that was a part from this collection.

See, matchy matchy isn't it? This make up bag is one thing I scored out of the cute Hema collection. Jip & Janneke is one of my happy childhood memories and I truly love Fiep's drawings and Annie's stories. If you ever stumble across this book you should definitely have a peek in it!

For this manicure I used Diamond Cosmetics I'm Raven About You as my base colour and H&M Love at First Sight for the characters. I drew them by hand with a striper brush. In the picture above I've mattified it with China Glaze Matte Magic. Also, since I've been getting questions about the treatments I use: my base is NailTek Foundation II and I use the China Glaze Fast Forward top coat.

What is your favourite Childhood book?
Michelle

CND: The Look. Fall/Winter 2010

2010-10-14T08:00:00.004+02:00

Good morning everybody! I was so excited when I saw these two new polishes pop up on my computer screen I decided to order these right away. This set for fall and winter contains two gorgeous polishes, Urban Oasis (colour) and Teal Sparkle (effect). Remember me raving about the two CND effects I tried earlier? I was also telling you that I really wanted to try out their normal polishes and finally, the time has come!

This is Urban Oasis, a teal creme. Not only am I a sucker for teal shades, I'm also a sucker for one coaters. And that's what Urban Oasis is - a one coater. The formula on this one was really good, it has a good consistency and it glides on the nail like butter. I am definitely not disappointed with the first colour I've tried from CND.

Here is Teal Sparkle topped over Urban Oasis. Teal Sparkle is meant to be worn over Urban Oasis for getting 'the Look'. Well, I must say that I'm liking this look very much. Teal Sparkle has fine, dense glitters that show teal, turquoise and gold on the nail and applies, like the other effects I've tried, very good. This will leave you with a smooth nail surface instead of a gritty one and that's a huge plus for me (and others who will start picking nails when the nail surface is not even).

My opinion on these? Get them! Urban Oasis is a pretty shade and Teal Sparkle is gorgeous plus you can use it on every polish you want. I can see myself using this one a lot! Now, excuse me because I'm going to drool over some more CND effects.

Thanks for visiting and have a nice day!
Michelle

Eyeko Giveaway

2010-10-12T16:47:00.003+02:00

Hey guys! So, funny story. I ordered at Eyeko a few weeks back and today I got the order for the second time. I emailed Eyeko about it and they told me I could use these pretties for a giveaway, how nice is that! So before I continue showing you the prizes I want to thank Eyeko for their quick and kind response. I'm glad I can share these polishes with you guys! :-)

But now, on to the prizes. The first set:

The second set:

The first set contains the Cult Classics polishes as well as three new released colours. The shades: Cosmic Polish, Indigo Polish, Nude Polish, Vintage Polish, Lilac Polish, Pastel Polish, Rain Polish and Military Polish. Set #2 contains the two latest releases, Pastel Polish and Military Polish.

Everyone will have a chance of winning set #1 or #2. You can't choose the set you want, I'll let random.org decide the winners. Other things that are important about this giveaway:
- You have to be a follower (I check)
- This giveaway is open internationally
- It ends on October 31, 11:59 PM - CET.
- Fill in the form below

I've added two questions that you don't have to fill in. These are just my curiosity so if you don't want to fill these in, that's fine. :-) Make sure that if you do tweet or blog about this giveaway, you provide a link to that tweet or post. If you do not I can't count it as an entry, sorry.

This giveaway is closed!

Thanks for filling the form, a big thanks to Eyeko and good luck everyone!
Michelle

I love you, Blue

2010-10-11T20:07:00.000+02:00

Good evening all! Today I wanted to do some stripes but as you all know I always come up with the same stripe design. The lines are always vertical. Not that I mind, not at all, but sometimes I feel so cheesy doing the same thing over and over again. That's why I decided to do something different with my beloved striped design: I got myself striped, diagonal and in my favourite colour. Now how's that for a change?! ;-)

My base colour is Zoya Robyn, a polish that is in my closet for a loooong time. I finally picked it out today and wasn't disappointed! It's a very pretty bright blue creme and it applied good. I'm wearing three coats. After that I took out OPI Absolutely Alice, the famous blue and gold glitter polish, and started putting on stripes on my nails. These stripes are made freehand with a striper brush - everyone should own one! They are very handy when you want to put stripes on your nails.

I topped it off with China Glaze Fast Forward Top Coat. It evened out this manicure quite good so I was happy with that, I hate it when I feel uneven bits on my nails.

Thanks for stopping by!
Michelle

China Glaze - Wagon Trail

2010-10-10T08:00:00.006+02:00

Hey guys! I hope you all had a good Saturday like me, the weather was great and my day was very relaxing. I picked out one of my favourite polishes to wear when it's sunny because it has a whole different look when it hits the sun: China Glaze Wagon Trail.

I find it quite hard to describe Wagon Trail but I'll stick with a black creme stuffed with olive greenish gold shimmer. It's really FULL with this pretty shimmer which I absolutely love and it's also the reason I am particularly happy with this colour in the sun. You see, in the shade and lowlight it kind of bores me. Sometimes it looks like a black with a tiny bit of shimmer - which it absolutely isn't.

See! Told you! When this baby hits the sun it transforms into a gorgeous blackened golden olive green shimmer that sparkles like crazy. Now that's how I like it!

Of course I had to entertain myself a little bit more today so I went for a quick Konad.

I used Konad Imageplate M69 and stamped with China Glaze 2030 and the tiny flowers are nail art stickers I got from Karrie. I also found out today I really need to get myself another bottle of 2030 and Millennium for stamping because they are the ones I use the most - see this as a little note to myself.

How do you feel about Wagon Trail?
Thanks for visiting!
Michelle

Misa Meets CND

2010-10-09T08:00:00.006+02:00

Good morning everyone! Today I have another meeting between two pretty polishes and one of them is a CND effect. Last time I was already raving about Sapphire Sparkle and now I'm going to rave about this one, Copper Shimmer.

The colour I have used as my base colour is Misa's On the Edge, a gorgeous blue creme. It's one of my favourite blues and it's opaque in two coats. On top of that I added CND's Copper Shimmer which really isn't more than - yes, you've guessed it right - a copper shimmer!

I love it. It's so glowy and shiny and pretty and oooooh wow!

I guess that from now on I'll also be a CND Effects craver. I have no experience with their regular polishes but I've ordered some and I'm very excited to try them. If they are like this, well, I'm very pleased! What are you experiences with CND (Effects & Colours)?

Have a nice weekend!
Michelle

OPI Designer Series - Extravagance

2010-10-07T08:00:00.001+02:00

Hey everyone! I like OPI because besides from their massive amount of red polishes they offer really pretty shades. One thing I like the most about OPI is their Designer Series line, full of 'special' polishes. They have one for everyone's taste and I am a real DS craver. I like the holographic ones but the ones that others classify as boring or not unique are also of my liking. Maybe it has something to do with the 'special' silver caps, maybe it's just a weird habit of mine but I can't help it. Designer Series polishes are always screaming to me that I should buy them.

This is one of my favourites, Extravagance. It's a super rich red toned purple with a huge amount of sexy shimmer in it. With sexy I mean holo that wants to pop out but doesn't, giving this a gorgeous depth. While writing this down I do realise I sound like a freak but really this is sex in a bottle. Not porn - loooooove making. You know what I mean?

One thing though, I can't STAND this tiny little thing about the Designer Series, you might have noticed in the picture above: the bottle caps suck.

The silver wears off. Not only with this bottle, all my bottles. This is super annoying because when the silver comes off it sticks to your hands and it's really hard to remove those little suckers so after opening a bottle, I need to wash my hands. Luckily enough the caps wear off after a few times so I'm not doomed to wash my hands every time I open them but it's just.. annoying. Excusez moi for the rant but I needed to get this off my chest. Do you also have troubles with the caps or is it just me and only a few others? And what's your favourite DS polish?

Thanks for stopping by!
Michelle

Inspired By

2010-10-05T19:45:00.002+02:00

Hey guys! Hope everyone is doing well, I sure am. Recently I thought of a manicure that was posted a long time ago on my blog for a bugs nail art contest. Michèle did this gorgeous manicure that was inspired by a Monarch butterfly, you know, the butterflies that are all gorgeous and royal. I keep seeing this picture on the internet, it jumps up all the time and I decided to do one as well.

I picked a red as my base, OPI Friar, Friar, Pants on Fire! The outlines are made with a black striper and the white dots are made with H&M Love at First Sight and my friend the dotting tool. I added some sweet baby pearls to the dots, one per nail, and that was it.

This nail art was really a pain in the ass because I do not have that much patience. I'm also a neat freak so the lines have to be perrrrrrfect or I'll be bummed. Can you imagine how I sat there?! It wasn't a pretty sight, that's for sure.

Do you have any favourite nail inspirations? By that I mean sites (f.e. Tumblr or Wah), persons, idols, photos? I like to look at different kinds of fabrics to make up a pattern but unfortunately it has never worked out that well. I hope it will work out once, I love those kind of inspirations.

Take care and thanks for visiting!
Michelle

Stripes & Flowers

2010-10-04T08:00:00.004+02:00

Good morning all! I hope everyone had a good weekend. Looking at the not that creative title of this post you probably guess what this one is about. Yes, you are right, I'm about to show you some stripes and flowers! Stripes and flowers must be my favourite thing to do when I'm bored of an old manicure or when I want something fun on my nails. It's not only easy, it's also fast and funky!

Remember I told you about the swap package with Karrie? Not only did she sent me a lot of pretty polishes, she also send some awesome nail art stickers along. I'm a big fan of nail art stickers because I can be terribly lazy and there's nothing more easy than using stickers. Everyone should have stickers - perfect for lazy nail art and spicing up a manicure fast.

I used the roses that Karrie sent me. They are so cute and glittery, I love them! But before I used those I did some stripes (of course! You know me!). First I painted my nails with Love at First Sight from the H&M and used a striper brush and Eyeko Nude Polish for the stripes. Take the stickers, seal it with a top coat and you're done.

Do you use stickers a lot? Why (not)?
Michelle

Eyeko - Pastel Polish

2010-10-02T08:00:00.011+02:00

Hi guys! Recently Eyeko released two new polishes and today I'm showing you one. They're both limited edition and I was very excited to try them because I'm kind of an Eyeko fan. Not only do I love the pigmented polishes, the bottles are also very adorable.

Today I want to show you the Pastel Polish for Nice Nails. This is, like Punk Polish, a re-release so some of you might know this one. Pastel Polish is a baby blue with tiny blue shimmer, creating a blue flash on the nail. It isn't unique but it is nice and very subtle.

I was disappointed with the application. Some Eyeko polishes are thick and need a drop of thinner but are not that hard to work with. This however... It's not only thick, it's also streaky. It's hard to build this one up and I needed four coats for an even result. I've read peoples experiences with the first release of this one and those weren't good either. It's too bad they didn't changed the formula because it really is a nice polish.

If you're interested in getting this one just because you can or missed out on it the first time (and maybe because the LE is screaming to you: BUY ME!) you should definitely look on Eyeko's website. Tons of goodies!

Any experience with the Pastel Polish? Thinking of getting it?
Have a great weekend!
Michelle

OPI - Princesses Rule!

2010-10-01T10:52:00.002+02:00

Hey everyone! Today is the first of October which means the breast cancer awareness month has started and therefore I'm showing you my favourite pink polish! I know, it's strange - me liking a pink polish?! - but there's much to love about this one.

Princesses Rule! is a pale pink shimmer. It's sheer, I'm wearing three coats and there really is a visible nail line but I can't be bothered! Besides being sheer, Princesses Rule! is also very sparkly and soft at the same time, I love that. Application is fine, I had no issues at all.

It might be taste but this one is definitely a winner to me when it comes to pink polishes.

What is your favourite pink?
Michelle

Halloween Themed: Graveyard

2010-09-29T13:10:00.000+02:00

Good afternoon all! I have a themed nail art for you today, something I really enjoy doing. Because it's almost October I thought it was fun to start off with something for Halloween.

When I think of Halloween I think of spooky and scary things so I decided to go for a graveyard. This really was an easy design, I wanted to make a tutorial but I did this in the evening so it was too dark for pictures so I might do this some other time.

First off I started by painting my nails with Misa On the Edge, a gorgeous dark blue. I wanted it to look like night time and a little foggy so I decided to sponge a little. I used Misa On the Edge, H&M Love at First Sight and OPI DS Fantasy for this. After that I topped it with Essie Silver Bullions.

Second part of this manicure, using black and create outlines for the graveyard. I used a black striper but this is probably easier when you use a nail art pen. After creating these, you can colour them in. I didn't want it to be perfectly neat because with the black and blue a little mixed it looks like it's being lit by the moon or something, I think it's a nice little touch. The ghosts are created with a white striper.

Creating a tiny graveyard is fun, you can add pretty much everything you want. I added trees, different tombstones, crows and ghosts.

When you're done with the graveyard just top it off with a top coat and you're done!

Are you creating something special on your nails for Halloween?
Michelle

China Glaze Awakening Collection

2010-09-28T15:18:00.000+02:00

Hey everyone! Sweet Karrie got me the China Glaze Awakening set, their collection for Halloween 2010. I'm a little late to the party but I still want to show you guys because overall I think it's a fun collection. Besides, we have one month to go before it's Halloween! :-) This Halloween, China Glaze brings us three 'ghoulish glitters' and this set also includes the China Glaze Fast Forward Top Coat. All swatches are three coats and topped off with the Fast Forward top coat.

Mummy May I, fuchsia glitter in a dark purple jelly base. It reminded me of Wet n Wild Night Prowl but that base is black. Mummy May I's base looks black but it really is a little softer. It's not unique but it's definitely fun to have!

I immediately knew I would love Zombie Zest. It's a swampy green jelly with gold, blue and green glitter. The glitter is very fine and dense, creating a great effect when you're wearing this pretty. This is a dupe for one of my favourite polishes of all time, SpaRitual Optical Illusion, and Orly It's Not Rocket Science.

This is Ick-A-Bod-Y, a dark green jelly packed with loads of orange glitter. I was really excited for this shade because of the combination - green base with orange glitter - and even though my expectations weren't reached, I'm definitely not disappointed! You can see the green base peeking through the glitters - awesome! - but I'd love to see a little more base. I'm too picky, sorry.

Application wasn't great, the polishes were a little droopy and Ick-A-Bod-Y was too thick for my taste. It isn't unmanageable but you want to be in a 'zen' mode when applying. Zombie Zest is the only one with finer glitter, for the other ones I'd really use a thicker top coat. Speaking of top coat, I am very satisfied with the Fast Forward. It gives me a smooth finish and dries fast, very nice!

Do you own these and how do you feel about them?
Michelle

Milani - Hi-Tech

2010-09-27T08:00:00.021+02:00

Hi guys! Today is the start of a new week and it's a strange start for me. It's not only my birthday, I'm also visiting the cremation today and it really gives me a double feel. It's le strange! However, being strange and all, I'm glad I'm a part of it and happy that I got to say goodbye my way yesterday. Like I said in yesterday's blogpost; being positive, even in shit times, helps a lot. Keep that as your mantra! ;-) Now let's go to the polish I am falling deeply and madly in love with.

This is Milani Hi-Tech, also a polish my parents gave to me for my birthday. I'm really liking this one, it's a bright green holo with a strong yellow tone in it. I've never seen a green holo like this and that's why I'm loving it! The holo effect is scattered and it doesn't translate that good in my pictures but it's definitely there.

Application was good, I applied this one over Nailtek Foundation II and I had no issues at all with polish dragging or bald spots. I'm wearing three coats of Hi-Tech, no top coat.

This one is available at the Dutch web shop Boozyshop. The owner of the shop is really friendly and ships internationally so if you want to order something, don't hesitate to contact her! The whole Milani 3D line is available there for €5,95 and I'll be buying some more because this one hasn't disappointed me at all.

How do you feel about the Milani holo's?
Michelle

Misa - When U Say My Name

2010-09-26T01:12:00.002+02:00

Hey everyone! As promised a swatch from a polish I received two days ago as an early birthday present. :-) I wanted some polishes for my birthday so my parents told me to pick out what I wanted, awesome! I really wanted some polishes from Misa's new collection, What I Like About You, so it's not strange I chose some of them. First up, When U Say My Name!

When U Say My Name is a gorgeous brown with copper shimmer. It gives the polish so much warmth! I don't wear browns a lot and most of them I really dislike but this is definitely one that is amazing and everyone should have. I ordered this because I thought it looked great with gold Konad but it's just as pretty on its own.

Seems I was right, I think it looks absolutely gorgeous with gold! I've used China Glaze 2030 and Konad Imageplate M71.

I'd also like to tell you about a more serious issue. I have been in a shit situation the past week due to a death of a really great and inspiring person and it was really unexpected. Because of that I didn't had the chance of speaking with him before he died and that is something I really regret. Unfortunately I can't change that but I can change my regret into something different. I can say to myself that he knows that I admire him and that I care about him. The thing I want to say with this is that when something bad happens you can change that by your way of thinking. Try to make the negative positive and even though that's something very hard to do, you will feel better.

From real life to virtual life it's the same. Things that happen on the internet are most of the time not that important and shouldn't be seen as really life changing but when something does affect you talk to that person. Don't treat each other like crap and let someone be. Be smart, funny and positive. Don't do things you might regret later.

Take care!
Michelle

Sally Hansen - Hidden Treasure

2010-09-25T08:00:00.006+02:00

Hi all! It's Saturday, time to relax and enjoy the first day of the weekend. Yesterday I received my first (early) birthday present from my parents, they gave me a bunch of new polishes and I'm hoping I can show you one tomorrow because I know I can't resist playing with them today!

For today I want to show you a polish that I own for a little while and got it in a swap. I was very happy when this one arrived because it really was a 'hidden treasure' for some of us!

This is Hidden Treasure over Diamond Cosmetics I'm Raven About You. I used two coats of Hidden Treasure because I wanted this to look really in your face and I think that is a succes! ;-) Hidden Treasure is a clear base with orange, gold and green duochrome flakies. Application is okay, I really don't know how to feel about the brush because it's big and wide. Working with it isn't hard but it looks so... strange? Probably some kind of pet peeve.

I love it, the colours give me a really great autumn feel. It's great how the flakies shift colours! I've also mattified it and this is how it looks:

Pretty neat eh! Looks a bit like burning coals and even better, the duochrome effect isn't gone! Hidden Treasure is very pretty and if you can't find this one, there are plenty of other polishes that are dupes or really darn close, f.e. Gosh Rainbow, Nubar 2010 and Kinetics Daisies and Paislies.

How do you feel about these kind of flakies? Like or not?
Michelle

Urban Decay - Bruise

2010-09-24T08:00:00.008+02:00

Hey everyone! Seasons change, fall has kicked in and even though I always love to wear dark colours, it's really noticeable I'm picking out the darkest colours from my stash to wear.

This is Bruise by Urban Decay, one of the polishes I love to wear this period. It's a dark eggplant with green shimmer - giving this polish an awesome blueish duochrome effect.

It applies good and the brush is easy to work with but to be completely honest, this polish is so pretty I'd wear it even if it would apply like crap. I'm wearing three coats in the picture, without top coat. I bought this one on eBay for €6 - shipping costs included - so you can imagine how happy I was finding it. There are more Bruises on eBay looking for a home so don't hesitate when you stumble upon one, it's definitely a fantastic addition to your stash. There's only one thing I need to do now... Going on a hunt for more old Urban Decay polishes!

How do you feel about Bruise and other old Urban Decay polishes?
Michelle

Nfu.Oh #51

2010-09-23T08:00:00.022+02:00

Morning guys! Today I want to show you a polish that is widely praised, Nfu.Oh #51.

Nfu.Oh #51 is a purple based polish filled with pretty flakies. This polish has many faces: the flakies change from red to green to blue to gold and so on. You can see a little bit of this action in the bottle - and a teeny tiny bit on my nails.

On it's own #51 is a brighter purple. I like it but I think it looks better when layered over a darker polish. I've layered #51 over Collistar Viola Glitter, awesome combination! I used two coats of Viola Glitter and one coat of #51 (wish I did two, the pictures are a little mwehhh when it comes to the gorgeousness of the polish).

Now, the fun part. My birthday is coming up and I love Nfu.Oh as a brand so I want to share some of the fun with you guys! :-) I'm giving away one brand new bottle of Nfu.Oh #51. If you want to win this, here are the rules:
- You have to be a follower of my blog (I check)
- Fill in the form below!

This giveaway is closed!

Good luck everyone and thanks for visiting! :-)
Michelle

Glitter Puke

2010-09-22T08:00:00.004+02:00

Hey everyone! I really like glitter polish but sometimes I don't want to wear a full mani with glitters so I always try to find something for it. Sometimes I do a glitter french or a moon manicure but last time I tried something different.

It's like someone puked glitters over my nails!

I like it when glitters pop out and have a contrasting colour underneath so when I was picking out colours I decided to go for a black background and silver glitter. The black I used is Diamond Cosmetics I'm Raven About You, one of my favourite blacks because it's not watery, it's opaque and even in two coats.

After applying the base colour I used the Essence Silver striper and started to create stripes from the tip of my nail towards the cuticle. All these stripes variate in length. When that was done I used Essie Silver Bullions and applied this pretty over all the stripes. You can use a striper for this but Silver Bullions is not that dense so I used the brush.

When done with that the next glitter that I applied was from China Glaze, Spellbound. I love this one and the orange glitters that are in it make this polish for me a special one. And last, but certainly not least, all this was topped with Misa Confection Section. There you have it, glitter puke.

I expected this to be all bumpy but that wasn't the case after I topped it with China Glaze Fast Forward top coat. Nice! This is a manicure I'm looking forward creating in different colours, I absolutely love it!

Thanks for stopping by! :-)
Michelle

U.M.A. - Arctic Blue

2010-09-21T08:00:00.008+02:00

Morning guys! When this post goes up I'll be working for the first day in a long while and I hope I enjoy haha.

U.M.A. stands for United Makeup Artists and is a brand we stumbled upon during one of our German shopping trips. We've never heard of the brand but looking at the bottles (cute!) we decided to buy a few. Unfortunately I can't remember the price but I believe it was pretty fair, otherwise I'd never buy a mini size polish. I think it has the same size as the OPI mini's, which is 3.75ml but U.M.A. doesn't have it listed so I'm really not sure. U.M.A. polishes are B3F, huge plus for me! I never understand why companies still use those crap chemicals because in my mind it isn't necessary to use them at all.

I've layered Arctic Blue over China Glaze Secret Peri-Wink-Le. Arctic Blue is very sheer and I didn't see why I should try to build it so I didn't. I already used three coats over Secret Peri-Wink-Le, so go figure haha.

Arctic Blue is, despite being super sheer, quite pretty. It has a sheer lavender base that is stuffed with greenish and blueish golden glitters, giving this polish a gorgeous depth in the bottle. On the nails it translates to gold glitters and giving Secret Peri-Wink-Le a lavender sheen. It's pretty but dang, I want this polish to be opaque!

For more information about U.M.A. you can check out their website. They also offer nail art pens, stamping kits and nail art supplies such as beads and stickers, very fun. I do remember though I found these nail art stuff a little too expensive, I can't remember prices though. I believe this brand is only available in Germany but if that isn't so, please let me know!

Thanks for visiting and enjoy your Tuesday!
Michelle

WAH!

2010-09-20T08:00:00.005+02:00

Hey all! I hope everyone had a good weekend and that you'll have a good day this Monday. We all know that the start of the week can be a little tough sometimes! :-) Today I want to show you a manicure that I absolutely love and is inspired by WAH Nails. WAH Nails is a British nail salon and they come with awesome new designs every time!

This is the one I tried, the 'POW!' manicure. I love these cartoon like designs in all their versions.

What's even better is that these designs aren't that difficult to recreate but you got to have some patience. First I painted my nails white using H&M's Love at First Sight, the most fantastic white creme ever(!) except my pinky, that one was painted with OPI's OPI Red. After that I used OPI Red on my middle and thumb nail to create a white pointed area (hmm, you know what I mean) where the text would come in later. I used the OPI brush and held it sidewards - this gives you a smaller stripe.

When that is done I took out the Essence Nail Art Pen in Solid Black and accentuated the pointed areas. After that I wrote the words 'WAH' and 'BOOM' in them. And then the fun part starts: dotting! I used a dotting tool with a very small tip because I wanted my dots small. I used the same colours for the dots as my base colours.

Here's my thumb. I didn't wait long enough for the polish to be dry so the Essence pen dragged a bit nail polish - told you this manicure wasn't for the impatient types. ;-)

I topped this off with INM Out the Door top coat, I'm testing that one right now. To me, red is like THE stain and smudge colour so I waited 30 minutes before I applied the top coat. I applied the top coat in a floating way because I was still scared of smudges but it didn't help, it still smudged. Was it me, was it the top coat or the awful red? I don't know but this got me bummed!

If you're interested in seeing more WAH designs you definitely should check out their site, they use Tumblr and they update it every day with lots of awesomeness. You can see the goods here!

What's your take on their designs? Do you use them for inspiration?
Take care!
Michelle

Mrs. Robinson meets Sapphire Sparkle

2010-09-19T09:00:00.007+02:00

Good morning everyone! How is your weekend so far? I went to an aerobatics show yesterday and it was very fun, I really want to do that myself again. Other than that I'm relaxing a LOT, I hope you will do too today - it's Sunday so it's okay to be lazy.

When we were on our vacation in August sweet Natasja dropped by and she brought a few polishes including CND Sapphire Sparkle. We were all amazed how pretty it looked and I ordered it myself.

Mrs. Robinson is from the Color Club Poptastic collection and it sure 'pops'! It's a super bright magenta creme. I needed two coats for it to be opaque but I added a third one because you could see my nail line in the pictures (macro is still a bitch).

I topped Mrs. Robinson with CND Sapphire Sparkle. Sapphire Sparkle is from their Colour & Effects line. The line exists out of 50 colours and 15 effects which is really awesome because you can keep combining with these pretties. Sapphire Sparkle is a glittery clear based polish that also is duochrome. It changes blue and purple and it's awesome. I had issues with photographing the purple but I'll definitely show you a bit more of CND layering so I'll try next time! :-)

Enjoy the last day of the weekend and thanks for visiting!
Michelle

Pastel Leopard

2010-09-18T09:00:00.007+02:00

Hi everyone! Finally, weekend! :-) I've showed you a nail art design a while back, the crazy leopard one and yesterday I wanted to do a similar thing but a little less in your face.

I chose pastel colours for this design. The base colour is Something Sweet from China Glaze, a very pale soft pink. After applying my quick dry top coat (I'm super impatient) I used Konad imageplate M57 and China Glaze 2030 for the leopard print. I wanted to use a pastel for this but 2030 is one of my favourite stamping polishes, it stared at me and I couldn't refuse. When that was done I coloured the spots with Diamond Cosmetics Tranquility, using a small and thin paint brush.

I mattified it to see how it looked but it didn't make a huge difference as you can see on my picture. I think it looks pretty cute for a day and I'm sure it will be removed tomorrow. Hopefully I can find some inspiration to do freehand nail art because I'm really missing my mojo haha.

Have a nice weekend!
Michelle

Nfu.Oh #66

2010-09-17T09:00:00.005+02:00

Hey all! Exciting news, I finally have a new laptop and a new job! Today I want to show you another Nfu. Oh holo, this time it's a light green one. It's very pretty and the green is so subtle it almost appears silver in my pictures but really, it's a GREEN. ;-)

This is Nfu.Oh #66 in the full sun. It's fantastic and it might not look as holographic as the first Nfu.Oh holo I posted, it really is! In real life it's a little more intense than the picture is showing, it's awesome!

In the shade, #66 looks more silver than green but that is not bad, the green is still noticeable. I'm wearing one coat of Nfu.Oh Aqua Base and two coats of #66. The special base really helps with the coverage, without the Aqua Base I needed four coats.

BAM! See, it's still very holo. My photo taking skills weren't that good yesterday. :-)

What is your favourite brand when it comes to holographic polishes?
Thanks for stopping by!
Michelle

FingerPaints - Easel-y Entertained

2010-09-16T09:00:00.007+02:00

Hey guys! Yesterday I showed you Borghese Stellar Notte, a polish that I got from dear Karrie, and today I'm also showing you a polish she gave me! After I finished up the post about Stellar Notte, the mailman arrived and gave me a the second swap box, full of goodies! The ones that follow me on twitter have seen what's in it and for the ones who haven't seen it, it will be a surprise. I'm really happy with every single item that was in the box and I'll be showing you lots of new things. :-)

This is Easel-y Entertained from FingerPaints, a brand I've never tried before. The bottle looks really good to me, very simple (I like it when things are simple). Easel-y Entertained is a blue (plus a teeny tiny hint of purple - not 'blurple' though) glitter in a clear base but that's not all... No! It also contains silver glitter, not as much as the blue glitter, but it's definitely noticable.

This is Easel-y Entertained in the sun and it isn't that noticable in my picture, it really sparkles! It's absolutely gorgeous. Application was okay, even though it has a clear base it's easily buildable to get an opaque result. I needed three coats and I'm also wearing a top coat because it dries a little bit matte. It dried a little slow but nothing a quick dry top coat can't help!

I am very happy with this one, it reminds me of the night sky in summer. Definitely a shade I'll be wearing a lot, so once again: thanks Karrie! You absolutely know what I like (and you're spoiling me)! :-)

Have a great day everyone and take care!
Michelle

Borghese - Stellar Notte

2010-09-15T09:00:00.016+02:00

Hey everyone! Today I want to show you a polish I really really wanted for a long time and finally received it a while back in the great swap I did with Karrie from Beautopia.

Oeeeeeeh! Pretty! Stellar Notte has a dark grey base and is packed with loads of different shimmer: purple, pink and green. It's so awesome! It gives you dark green shimmery nails with a purple flash, sometimes with a little pink shimmer peeping through.

I needed three coats for this one to get opaque and it wasn't without a struggle! The brush is wide and flat, not like an OPI brush, it was flat and wide in a suckier way. I like OPI brushes but this one didn't work for me. The brush is rough too so I needed to be very zen before applying this one - otherwise I'd make a huge mess.

It stayed on for two days. Now I don't mind that because I change my nail colour a lot but I can imagine this would disappoint people. Besides all this, I think it's too gorgeous not to use. I absolutely adore the colour and Karrie rocks for sending me this one, so sweet!

Thank you all for visiting! :-)
Michelle

Nfu.Oh #64

2010-09-14T09:00:00.011+02:00

Hi guys! I hope you are all doing well. On vacation I got my two Nfu.Oh holographic polishes and I got addicted instantly so I started buying more. I have two left to buy and then I have the collection complete, collecting every single holo polish from Nfu.Oh is worth it and they look absolutely stunning. Today I'm showing you #64, a pink in-your-face holo. I think Nfu.Oh holo's are the most holographic of all polishes around (at least the ones I've seen) and no I'm not telling a lie, check for yourself:

How awesome is that?! I am madly in love with this pretty. However, I do feel the Nfu.Oh holo's are the kind of polishes you either love or hate. There isn't something in between really - they are just screaming holo and that isn't everyone's taste.

I applied two coats of Nfu.Oh #64 over Nfu.Oh's Aqua Base. The Aqua Base makes it much more easier to apply holo's: no more bald patches and polish dragging, woohoo! You can also look for the Gosh Fix Base Coat that has the same qualities as the Aqua Base but contains less ml and is therefore more expensive (€9.10 for 18ml of Aqua Base and €6.95 for 7ml of Fix Base Coat). Wearing one of these base coats don't affect the holo though - but who needs to have more holo than this?!

I took this picture while the sun was behind the clouds so there's no need for direct sunlight if you want to see this pretty. The holo changes all the time, depending on the way you hold your hand and the light (source).

Top coat is a strange story. I find holo's to wear off pretty quickly and to prevent it you can wear top coat but this does dull the effect of the holo. It's your pick, I chose not to.

This is Nfu.Oh #64 in the shade. It's toned down a whole lot but you can still see the holo a little. I'd rather sit in the sun the whole day than looking at this colour but because of the awesome finish I'll stand to look at this sometimes. Me and pink, not a good combination unless there's something fab about the polish.

I've bought my Nfu.Oh polishes on NailXL but they are also available on Viis and Fabuloustreet.

How do you feel about the Nfu.Oh holo's?
Thanks for stopping by and take care!
Michelle

How to look good naked

2010-09-13T09:00:00.032+02:00

Hey everyone! A while ago 'Mannequin Hands' were a little hype - if you don't know what I'm talking about: it means that you pick out a nude polish that matches your skintone. I don't like nude polishes very much but I do own one that matches my skintone a little.

It's OPI Sand in my Suit. I must have bought it while I was half asleep or bored because I really really don't like it. Sand in my Suit is from OPI's South Beach Collection (Spring/Summer 2009) and it's a shimmery nude. It looks good on others, I just don't like the way it looks on me. Makes me feel naked.

There is one thing I do like about these nude colours: stamping.

Here is Sand in my Suit stamped with Color Club Revvvolution and Konad imageplate M71. There are no special thoughts about this design, I just love the lace pattern and because I don't use this one enough I picked it. The pictures are made in the shade so the holo effect is a bit lost, but it looks really nice in the sun. Sparkly. :-)

What is your take on nude polishes like this one? Do you wear them a lot or completely avoid them?

Thanks for stopping by!
Michelle

Incoco: a Perfect Manicure in Minutes

2010-09-12T09:00:00.007+02:00

Hi guys! Today I want to show you something I only have heard of since a couple of months: nail polish strips. Incoco is a brand that offers these self-stick nail polish strips.

The Strips

Incoco offers you strips that are made 100% of nail polish. There is a big variation in the strips you can find: color manicures, glitter manicures, french manicures, pedicures, tips and sheer. You don't have to worry about staining because each strip contains base coat, nail polish and a top coat. The strips are B3F, which means they don't contain formaldehyde, toluene and DBP. Depending your lifestyle, the strips can be worn about fourteen days.

How to Apply

You might think it's hard to apply but after doing it a few times you know the drill. First you select the size and make sure you start with neat nails: you clean, buff, shine the nails and push back the cuticles. After that you peel of the clear film and the colour strip. You take off the tab from the strip and you apply it to your nails. Rub the strip on your nail and smooth out the wrinkles. You push the end of the strip under your nail and tear off the excess. If it's necessary you can smoothen up the edges with the included file.

There, you're done! If you are a picture person yourself I suggest you take a look on Incoco's site. It shows you how to do it in film, pictures ánd a PDF file.

My Experiences

Incoco was very generous and gave me quite a lot to play with. I have tried most of them and they stay on for a long time! I get bored easily but the longest I've had one set on was 6 days and it still looked great. Application is a bit difficult at first but you'll get the hang of it quickly enough. Removing these is also very easy, even glitter removal is okay and no longer a pain in the ass. :o) I'm wearing Berry Rich in the picture, a very warm and sparkly purple shade.

For more information you can check out the Incoco website. For us Dutchies there is good news, these strips are being sold under the name Impulss and can be found in Douglas and ICI Paris XL. Prices variate but the Berry Rich sells for $7.99. You'll receive two strips and that is one full manicure.

The product in this post is provided by the manufacturer or their PR company for consideration.
For more information please read my disclaimer.

Contrast Marble

2010-09-11T09:00:00.007+02:00

Hey everyone! Lately I've been really lacking inspiration for nail art and I'm also into contrasts soooo I did a watermarble just to give you a little bit of artsyfartsy stuff.

I prepped my nails with OPI Damone Roberts 1968 - also used for the marbling as well as Eyeko Punk Polish. I really like the way these bright and soft colours mix.

Again no pattern! I am such a neat freak that I really dislike it when patterns aren't the same so I always marble quite random. Silly silly silly, I know but I also know I'm not the only one haha!

What is your favourite contrasting colour combo?
Michelle

Essence - Denim Wanted Collection

2010-09-10T09:00:00.017+02:00

Hi guys! Yesterday I showed you the new Catrice collection and today it's time for the new Essence collection, Denim Wanted. Denim Wanted is also limited edition and, like the name tells you, inspired on denim. It's an original theme so let's have a look to see how they've translated denim into polish!

Meet High Waist Pink, a pink creme that struggles to become a coral! It's bright and bold. I'm wearing three coats.

I Love My Jeans is the odd one out: it isn't a creme, it's a black shimmer. At first the shimmer looked silver but it's actually light green and pink shimmer. I'm wearing two coats.

My Boyfriend's Jeans is a dark blue creme. It looks a little dusty. I'm wearing two coats.

Fivepocket Grey is a medium grey creme. Again, I'm wearing two coats.

I miss one - 04 Forever Mine - but when I'm able to find it I'll swatch it and update this post. I hope I will find it though because I haven't seen anything that looked like it even excisted haha.

Overall the collection has nice shades but nothing spectaculair and I don't think the theme is that well noticable. The cremes don't apply the way I'd like them to, they're a little too thick and flood easily. The shimmer on the other hand applies very good. These were all two coaters, except for High Waist Pink and you don't necessarily need top coat. They dry very glossy.

The Essence Denim Collection is available for €1,79. I've bought mine in a Dutch drugstore but I believe that Essence releases this collection through most of Europe. By the way, when you're checking out the polishes make sure you grab the gelliners as well, they're nice!

How do you feel about this collection?
Michelle

Catrice - Expect the Unexpected Collection

2010-09-09T13:05:00.004+02:00

Hey everyone! Catrice has been busy again and released a new limited edition collection for this fall - Expect the Unexpected. The colours that Catrice has used for this collection (and I'm not only talking about the nail polish) are contrast colours. You will find bright and darker shades for the changing seasons!

The first polish of the collection is Spruced Up, a teal creme that wants to go green. In some promopics it looked like a washed out green but really, it's a teal. I'm wearing two coats.

Here we have Looking Greyt! Looking Greyt is a grey creme with a hint of blue. I'm wearing two coats.

Purposely Purple is a cool toned purple creme. I'm wearing two coats. This one reminded me of Ciaté Talent Scout but I'll have to do a comparison to see if these match.

The last polish of the collection, Crispy Crimson. Now I thought this was a berry but it's actually a darker red creme with a tone of pink in it. Again, this is two coats.

I think it's funny that the colours looked really faded and washed out on the promopics but they aren't in real life. They are pigmented and they are all two coaters. Application is really good, the formula is spot on. I don't think the colours are that original and I'd love to see them working on shimmers and glitters but it's definitely a nice collection. They costs €2,49 per polish and are available in drugstores in the Netherlands. I'd love to tell you where you can buy them in the rest of Europe but I have no clue about that! :o)

How do you feel about this new Catrice collection?
Michelle

Hard Candy - Envy

2010-09-09T09:00:00.010+02:00

Hi all! You probably know the Hard Candy polishes If not: they are very easy to spot because they all have a cap with a cute ring - it actually reminds me of being five years old and pulling surprise balls out of a machine. Do I make sense? I really hope so. Not only is Hard Candy a brand with nice polish bottles, they are also B3F!

As you can see above, it's super glossy. I had troubles taking pictures with this one in the shade, the gloss gave me a lot of reflections. I'm not wearing top coat because that wasn't necessary at all.

Envy is a blackened green that is packed with green shimmer. In the shade it gives you a nice, dark, vague shimmery look (and reflections!) but wait till you see it in the sun..

BAM! The shimmers jumps out and it is amazing. I'm a huge fan of blackened polishes and greens so this one couldn't go wrong on me. It's absolutely stunning.

Application was good. The formula was really easy to handle and Envy was opaque after two coats, also something I really like. Hard Candy is available at Walmart for $5.00 a bottle (10.3 ml). If you want to know what more Hard Candy offers you can check out the Hard Candy website.

What are your Hard Candy musthaves?
Michelle

The product in this post is provided by the manufacturer or their PR company for consideration.
For more information please read my disclaimer.

Kiko - Sparkle Touch #270

2010-09-08T09:00:00.011+02:00

Hey all! A few days ago I showed you a polish from Kiko and besides pretty polishes they also have special polishes. These are all called Sparkle Touch (and have a number) and like the others you have to look on the Kiko website to find out what they're called. Sparkle Touch #270 is called Aqua Paillettes and I think this description is quite fitting.

I call them special polishes because the ones I've seen are all perfect for toppers, giving your nail polish that little bit of extra.

I've layered Aqua Paillettes over black only to show you how the glitters come out. I love to layer polishes like this over colours, giving that extra kick, but sometimes you can't see the glitters like I want you to see it so Diamond Cosmetics I'm Raven About You is the polish for this task.

Aqua Paillettes has a clear base and is stuffed with hexagram glitter and microglitter. The glitter shows blue and green.

It's really an awesome effect and so simple. There are tons of toppers like this around and they can really spice up an old manicure or a boring polish. I'm liking #270 very much but I'll show you the one I like the most very soon.

What is your favourite glitter topper?
Thanks for stopping by!
Michelle

Chanel Giveaway Winner

2010-09-07T15:58:00.003+02:00

A quick post besides all the other blog posts because I finally drew the winner of the Chanel giveaway. I'm sorry that it took a little longer but my laptop has gone to heaven and well yeah, I'm kinda lazy these days. :o)

The winner is...

Linda from Xibalba's blog!
Congratulations, please email me with your details so Blue Satin can be with you as soon as possible. :-)

Thanks everyone who joined, you made me laugh and some of your secrets.. Phew!
Michelle

Ciaté - Snatch

2010-09-07T09:00:00.010+02:00

Hello readers! How are you doing today? I hope everyone is well! :-) Today I want to show you Snatch by Ciaté. Ciaté is one of my favourite nail polish brands. Every single polish I've tried so far, from creme to glitter, rocks my socks off. I was very pleased when I received this pretty in the mail!

Snatch is a very bright tomato red creme, and when I say very bright I mean very bright. This is the kind of red that I call 'porn red' - though this one doesn't feel tacky on me.

Application was good, the formula had the perfect thickness. Not too thick and certainly not too thin. Snatch dried fast and super glossy so there's no need for a top coat (f.e. when you're in a hurry). I needed two coats for Snatch to be opaque.

I get bored easily. I wanted to do a wear test and after two days I started to get the itches and I changed the manicure.

Told you it was a red that screams for a fishnet pattern. ;-) I used Konad Imageplate M57 and OPI Suzi Skis in the Pyrenees as my stamping polish. I topped it with a top coat. First I wanted to use a regular black creme for this but it looks wayyyy better when sparkly.

And that wasn't where the fun stopped!

I added China Glaze Matte Magic. The suede stays glittery and Snatch is matte. It looks absolutely awesome and the design seems so well fit for the colour. I will wear this again.

Ciaté is available on their website. They ship internationally so it's definitely worth of having a peek. A bottle of Ciaté contains 13.5ml polish and costs £9.00.

Have you tried polishes from Ciaté and what is your experience with them?
Thanks for stopping by!
Michelle

The product in this post is provided by the manufacturer or their PR company for consideration.
For more information please read my disclaimer.

Nfu.Oh #52

2010-09-06T09:00:00.009+02:00

Hi guys! One of my favourite brands is Nfu.Oh, not only because of the polishes they offer and the application, but also because of the adorable bottles. The ones that get the most attention are the flakies and the holo's but there are definitely more polishes that are also great - I will show you some in the future. Today's post is about one of the flakies, #52.

As you can see Nfu.Oh #52 is a gorgeous deep blue base that is packed with green flakies. I've layered #52 over Orly Royal Navy because these colours seem to match very well, #52 is slightly darker.

I'm showing you Nfu.Oh #52 in the shade. The flakies don't sparkle that much as they do in the sun but they create this amazing depth and I can't keep my eyes off it! I really like the flakies and I love to layer with them so I'll be definitely trying other polish to layer this one. I have used two coats of Orly's Royal Navy and one coat of #52. In the picture it shows my nail line but that isn't showing in real life.

Application wise this also was very easily to apply. The one thing I do look out for is that all the flakies are evenly applied on my nail, but that's more because I'm a neat freak. One tip for removing these: don't swipe the cotton pad towards your cuticle because flakies will get stuck there and you'll find some of them one week after you removed the polish.

I bought my #52 over at NailXL, a Dutch webshop, but there are plenty of shops around that sell Nfu.Oh such as Viis and Fabuloustreet. When you're planning to buy at Fabuloustreet, please read this first. Not to cause any panic but it's always good to know about these things. :-)

What's your favourite Nfu.Oh polish?
Michelle

OPI Go Goth Set

2010-09-05T09:00:00.014+02:00

Hey guys! Yesterday a nice package arrived, Kris was so sweet to send these to me. I know I'm superduper late to show you these but I'm still going to because they are awesome.

OPI's Go Goth set contains four mini polishes (Unripened, Nevermore, Sanguine and Obscurity) and one free cuff bracelet. I'm not using the cuff bracelet but I'll be definitely using the polishes! The packaging is nice, it comes in a nice designed small box and on the back of the box there are nail art tips. Very simple so everyone can do this, big plus!

But the most important thing of this post, the swatches!

First up is Unripened, a black based glitter. The glitter in the bottle looks blue and purple but on the nail it comes out like a greenish blue, very nice. The formula was really good and it was opaque in two coats. This shade is also available full size but I haven't been able to get my hands on it. If you have one and don't like it, think of me, pleaaaase? ;-)

Meet Nevermore, a purple based polish with purple and blue shimmer. The shimmer is leaning towards glitter but is too fine for me to call it glitter. Also this one applied nice, I used two coats and it was completely opaque. Now this one is reaaaaaaaally familiar but I'll tell more about it at the end of the post.

This is Sanguine, a dark red shimmer. This polish is lit from within, which basically means that you can see the colour really good on the center of your nail but it turns black towards the edges of your nail. I love shades like this! Application was good and I also needed two coats for this one.

Last but not least, Obscurity. Obscurity is a black matte polish. I'm not a big fan of mattes like this but it applied better than most mattes I tried. It was opaque with one coat but it showed little imperfections so I used two. I also used top coat over my index finger so you can see how it looks glossy - just like your regular black creme.

You've all seen the swatches, now I want to talk about Nevermore because it looked soooo familiar when I tried it. I took out the OPI bottle I was suspecting and guess what - they still looked alike!

The bottle I took was OPI Ink, and seriously, they are alike. I haven't read a lot in nail polish land lately because my laptop died but I haven't seen a comparison so here's one for you:

Well, they are alike. To me these are definitely dupes so if you want to buy yourself a full bottle of Nevermore (not there) - buy Ink. I'm quite sad about this really because if I worked at a nail polish company I'd create a new shade but hey, that's me, and hopefully I'll work there in a few years hehe.

What's your take on the Go Goth set?
Michelle

Diamond Cosmetics - Never So Ever Green

2010-09-04T11:00:00.000+02:00

Hey everyone! You probably know I looooove greens and today I want to show you one of my favourites. This is not only one of my favourite greens but this polish also hits the top 10 list high!

Never So Ever Green is a gorgeous mossy green with gold shimmer. It's not only gorgeous, it's also easy to apply and opaque in two coats. Definitely a polish I grab when I haven't got enough time for a full mani.

See the sparkle? It's sooo pretty! There's nothing to add more to be honest, except that I think this is an addition for everyone's stash.

The polishes from Diamond Cosmetics are available on their website but can also be bought on the Dutch webshop Boozyshop. Boozyshop ships internationally so if you are interested in buying there you can always contact the owner.

Thanks for stopping by! :-)
Michelle

ManGlaze - Mayonnaise

2010-09-03T12:55:00.000+02:00

Hi guys! I want to show you ManGlaze's newest addition today, called Mayonnaise. We've all heard that they were working on a matte white for a long time and on August 13 it finally was for sale.

I was expecting to have a chalkboard white like OPI's Alpine Snow but Mayonnaise wasn't like that at all! What the picture doesn't show that well, is that it contains pearly shimmer which gives the white a really soft look and a little depth. I had no problems applying this one - I didn't wait between coats but no polish dragging.

I like it very much but Mayonnaise looks fantastic topped with Hot Mess:

Awesome! Mayonnaise and Hot Mess are available on their website so if you want to score these pretties, be fast!

What's your take on matte (white) polishes? Yay or nay?
Michelle

New Eyeko Polishes: Get in the Pink!

2010-09-01T20:54:00.000+02:00

Hi everyone! Eyeko has released two new polishes and again, these two are limited editions. Let's have a look at them!

This is Punk Polish for Neon Nails. Punk Polish is a polish that has been released earlier but it is back now so if you have missed it the first time, now it's your chance to get it.

Punk Polish is a really bright and vibrant medium pink. It doesn't have the neon/semi matte finish that neons have but to be honest I don't care that much for semi matte finishes. I'm not wearing any top coat so you can see how glossy it is. Application was okay, the formula was a little thin so it flooded my cuticles a little. Like the other Eyeko polishes I tried Punk Polish was very pigmented and I needed two coats for an opaque and smooth finish.

This is the new polish, Chi Chi Polish for Girlie Nails.

Chi Chi Polish is a glitter polish. Normally I see these clear based glitter polishes with a transparant base but the Chi Chi Polish has kind of a milky base. The base is packed with light salmon pink glitter. Application was fine but I didn't wait long enough so I dragged a little glitter when I was applying the second layer (so when you apply, be patient!). I needed three coats for this polish to be opaque. You can use the Chi Chi Polish also for layering, see:

I've layered Chi Chi Polish over Punk Polish and I think it makes a pretty neat combination. Because of the milky base the neon gets toned down a tiny bit but not that noticable.

My opinion on these two? I like them both very much! Me, a pink disliker! Not only application wise they are fine, I think Punk Polish is a great bold shade and Chi Chi Polish is a very sweet shade so I'm very happy to add these to my collection.

Eyeko Polishes are available on their website. A single polish costs £3.50 but there are also nice sets available. The two polishes I showed you today are also available on their website.

These products are provided by Eyeko for consideration. For more information read my disclaimer.

Shooting Stars

2010-09-01T10:30:00.000+02:00

Hi guys! I still have some nail art stuff lying around that I've never used before and I decided to start using them. Now, I had some pink stars from Viva La Nails and you know I dislike pink so I started off with those.

First I painted my nails with China Glaze Something Sweet and I used my striper to add white (H&M Love at First Sight), pink (Ciaté Fun Fair), berry (Ciaté Main Stage) and 'reddish' purple (OPI DS Extravagance). After that I used white stars from the Essence Nail Jewels wheel and the pink stars from Viva La Nails. I topped this off with Nubar Diamont.

Well. How's that for a pink disliker! ;-) I took this off the next day because it really wasn't my colour but I'd like to try something similar with dark blue.

Thanks for visiting!
Michelle

Kiko - #255

2010-08-31T21:03:00.001+02:00

Hi guys! Today I want to show you a polish that I scored in Germany while I was on vacation. The reason we went to Germany was actually because of this brand. In Oberhausen there is a Kiko store and it's packed with everything you need for your nails but also offers a lot of make up, brushes and accessories.

Kiko does name their polishes but these names are not that original. The bottle tells you what number the polish is and you can look it up on their website. The polish I'm showing you, #255, is called Purple Microglitter and yes, there is lots of microglitter in it! I had a little bit of trouble swatching this pretty but the base is a dark purple and it's packed with holographic microglitter.

The glitter is also visible in shade! It's not that present as it is in the sun but it does give a great depth to the polish. The only downside is that the polish is very gritty, I needed two coats of top coat to make it all smooth again. I'm wearing two coats of polish in the pictures and applying it was very easy. The brush is not too thin or too wide and the formula of the polish is also good.

Now, what more is there to say? Kiko polishes cost €1,90 and for this amazing small price you get a great polish, colour and application wise. If you see a Kiko store once, don't hesitate and enter! :-)
Have a nice day!
Michelle

A Beginners Nail Art Stash - Stamping

2010-08-31T10:14:00.000+02:00

Hi everyone! A while back someone asked me what you need when you want to begin with nail art. Now, this has been soooo long ago I don't remember who asked (sorry) and it took ages to create this post (sorry) but finally, here it is! Please note that this post is based on my own experiences and opinions - there is no right or wrong when you're starting with nail art.

Stamping

Stamping is a technique where you use pre-designed images, polish and a stamp to decorate your nails. A brand that is well known for offering stamping products is Konad but other brands like Essence and Herôme have also added stamping products to their assortment.

What do you need?

- Stamp
- Scraper / Plastic Card
- Imageplates
- (Special) Polish

Stamp

A stamp is needed to pick up the design from the imageplate. There are small stamps, larger stamps and double sided stamps. Most (starter) sets contain the smaller stamp and it is a good stamp to begin with. You can always buy a different stamp later when you're not feeling the smaller one.

Scraper / Plastic Card

A scraper isn't necessary and, to me, not even worth buying. Most (starter) sets contain a metal scraper and this one can damage your plate, it scratches it. Polish floods in these scratches and that can make your design less neat. And not only that, it's also a pity to see pretty shiny plates with scratches. Instead of a metal scraper you can use an old plastic card or buy a plastic scraper.

Imageplates

Imageplates are metal plates with designs pressed it in. Most plates have about six or seven designs on them but this variates. There are full nail designs and smaller images available and the theme of the plates can be anything from flowers to animals to tribals: Everyone has something for their liking when it comes to imageplates! If you're starting with stamping and don't want to buy a starters kit I'd start with two or three plates just to see if you like it. You can always expand your stash later!

(Special) Polish

The reason I put the word 'Special' between brackets is that you don't need special polish to stamp. In fact, there are a lot of regular polishes that work just as well! However, most regular polishes aren't that pigmented as the special polishes and therefor they dry a lot quicker. When you are a stamping beginner I think it's smart to buy one or two special polishes, just to get the feeling. Konad offers special polishes and they come in three sizes: 5ml, 10ml and 12ml.

Fauxnad?!

Faux means fake, imageplates that aren't manufactured by Konad are often named Fauxnad. This doesn't mean the imageplates are of a lesser quality but there are some differences between Konad and Fauxnad plates: Fauxnad is larger and has bigger designs but no backing which means that the edges of the imageplates are sharp. Fauxnad plates can show some flaws such as a cut off edge but this doesn't affect the quality of the design. Keep in mind some people find it more difficult to use Fauxnads for stamping, if it doesn't work for you the first time it might work the next time.

Webshops that offer stamping products

OC Nail Art
Bundle Monster (via Amazon)
Chez Delaney
Boozyshop*
Enchantra*

* = EU
Boozyshop is working on her new webshop(!) - will be open again on September 1.

Pfew, this was part one. The next part will follow very soon! :-) I hope I helped some of you and let me know if you have questions or suggestions. Have a nice day!
Michelle

Roses really smell like boo-boo

2010-08-29T09:00:00.007+02:00

Hi guys! Last day of the weekend and hopefully the last day of that much rain! It has been raining almost non stop here and it's not only a mood killer, it's also kind of a swatch killer. So sun, please come back. I miss you dearly! Today's post is with a swatch that isn't the best evahhh but I want to show you anyway. I did another version of the roses manicure.

I used Color Club Uptown Girl as my base colour and Ciaté Main Stage and H&M Love at First Sight for the roses. The roses are swirled so if you want to do this practice on a paper first because you don't want to mix the two colours together into one. The leafs are swirled too, I used OPI Here Today, Aragon Tomorrow and OPI Green-wich Village for them.

I see these designs coming up more and more lately and I really like them. Have you tried this once? If so, show me! I like seeing other versions of this kind of manicure. :-)

Thanks for stopping by!
Michelle

I like Dots

2010-08-28T09:00:00.017+02:00

Hey everyone! Glad the weekend started? I sure am! Today I'm showing you one of my all time favourite and easy manicure in a different way - a dotted manicure! Dots are very easy to make when you own a dotting tool (or a toothpick, also works) and sometimes I like to do it a little different. You've seen me putting rhinestones on dots and now I used round shaped pink glitter from Viva La Nails for this dotted manicure. It's not special, it's not difficult but it sure is fun.

The polish I'm wearing is Eyeko's Posh Polish, a pretty taupe that is opaque in two coats. Like the other Eyeko polishes I tried this one applied nicely, the polish is not too thick nor too thin. I love how pink and taupe combine together, it's definitely one of my most favourite colour combination.

What are your favourite colour combinations?
Have a great Saturday!
Michelle

Eyeko Posh Polish is provided by Eyeko for consideration. For more information read my disclaimer.

Purple Marble

2010-08-27T09:00:00.003+02:00

Hi guys! I did a water marble today and I really enjoy doing them. I hate the clean up though, to me that is probably the most awful thing I've ever done clean up wise. It doesn't matter what method I try, it always looks super messy (so I never show them). I used vaseline today, using a small paintbrush to greasen up my cuticles and guess what.. No more terrible clean up, NO MORE! Vaseline is my new hero for doing this stuff - I could swipe all the excess polish off with a brush.

As far as the marbling, I like the really neat patterns but I enjoy the crazy swirls more because of the difference in patterns. So for the first time on my blog, finally, a marble.

I used Zoya Yasmeen and Orly Lollipop for the marble. Excusez moi for the bad quality of the picture but it has been raining non stop which means craptastic lighting. Now, I could do a tutorial about marbling but you really want to see the queen of marbling do it: Colette from My Simple Little Pleasures. She has a lot of handy tutorials up so if you want to know more about marbling I highly recommend you visit her site (and youtube channel). :-)

What's your take on marbling? Do you like it or not?
Michelle

Essence Nail Art Pens

2010-08-26T09:00:00.005+02:00

Hi all! A few months ago Essence has released a new line of products that can be used for nail art creations. You can find nail jewels, various stickers, a nail art sealer (special top coat), stripers and many more. Not that long ago Essence added something new to this nail art line, including these nail art pens. I was very excited when I heard these pens coming out because what is easier than creating your nail art with a pen instead of a striper?! The nail art pens are available in six different colours.

The colours:
- Spacy Pink
- Cool Black
- Deep Purple
- Juicy Orange
- Silver White
- Silver Star

Before you use a pen you shake it, press the tip a few times down and out comes the colour!

As you can see above I've tried out the pens on a nail wheel. There are three that absolutely stand out for me: Cool Black, Silver Star and Spacy Pink. These are pigmented enough to give you an opaque result without any effort. The other ones are watery and show streaks, kind of a let down! However, there's a big plus for all of them: they dry quick and they don't smudge when applying top coat.

Here's a manicure I created with all pens just to try another design with them. I think these pens are handy to create dots with but once you use them for stripes and other artsy fartsy stuff some of them lack in what they promise because of the watery formula.

These pens are available at Kruidvat, a Dutch drugstore, for €1.99. For this price you can buy every single one of them but really, I'd only go for Cool Black, Silver Star and Spacy Pink. These are definitely the best out of the bunch.

Have you tried these or would you want to try these? What's your thought on them?
Thanks for stopping by!
Michelle

Nail Art Tutorial: Striped!

2010-08-25T09:00:00.015+02:00

Hi everyone! As promised the nail art tutorial of my striped manicure. :-)

First of all, pick the colours you want to use. If you do this while working on this manicure (and you are terribly clumsy) you will have a chance of ruining your manicure and we don't want that to happen! I have used: Essie Pretty Edgy, OPI Green-wich Village, OPI Damone Roberts 1968, Zoya Ivanka and Zoya Veruschka. I'm someone who wants their colours to match otherwise I'll start to annoy myself but do whatever you like! :-)

The other thing you need for this manicure is a striper. You can use a small brush for this or a striper brush. Striper brushes can be bought apart or in a nail art brush set. Mine has gone to heaven a while back so I cleaned out a striper polish I never used and I took that striper brush.

Make sure you clean it right after you've used it, otherwise you'll mix up polishes. You can use a cotton pad soaked in polish remover for this.

Now, on to the manicure. After you have applied your base coat, apply your base colour. I chose OPI Green-wich Village as my base colour, a very fresh green. You can wait for it to dry but I'm always kind of impatient so I continue right away with the next step.

Before you start keep in mind you don't want too much polish on your striper. If so, than can turn runny and become a droopy mess on your nail. Is your line too sheer? Wait a minute and pull another line on top of the first.

1. Take a polish and dip your striper in it. Pull a vertical line from the bottom of your nail to the top. I've created one stripe on the left side of my nail with Zoya Veruschka.

2. Repeat step 1. I created two lines on both sides of my nail with OPI Damone Roberts 1968.

3. Again, repeat step 1. I created one line on the right side of my nail with Essie Pretty Edgy.

4. And for the last time, repeat step 1. I created two lines on both sides with Zoya Ivanka. After that you seal it with a top coat.

If you don't like to read, here's picture material. You can click on these for an enlargement:

And the result:

Done! Easy nail art that everyone can create. If your hand isn't that steady make sure your wrist rests on something, like a table. This way your hand doesn't shake that much. I hope this was helpful for you!

Have a great day!
Michelle

The Nightmare Before Christmas

2010-08-24T09:00:00.005+02:00

Hey all! Did you survived your Monday? :-) There are a few things I want to do nail wise and one of them was making Jack Skellington on my nail. I absolutely love the movie 'The Nightmare Before Christmas' and since Jack is my favourite animated movie character the choice was easily made.

I used Diamond Cosmetics I'm Raven About You as my base colour, my favourite black because it's opaque in two coats (I don't own one that does the same without leaving streaks.. hmm) and Jack and the stitches are made with H&M Love at First Sight and a striper. Why I did stitches? I don't know but I didn't want to leave my nails blank - next time I'll try a full Nightmare Before Christmas manicure.

Have a nice day!
Michelle

Green Zebra

2010-08-23T09:00:00.001+02:00

Hey everyone! How are you all doing today on this Monday? Hopefully the week started good for you. I haven't got a lot to show or tell you today so I think it's better to have a look at the manicure I'm wearing now. :-)

Remember the holographic zebra I did a while back? This is also a holographic zebra but with a different holo. I'm wearing Nfu.Oh #569 as my base colour and Nfu.Oh #66 as my holo. The zebra design is from Konad Imageplate M57.

I have to say I am liking to stamp with holo's more and more every time I use them so really, try it once for yourself! Oh and before I forget: the stamping polish database has grown a lot and you all have given me lots of additions for the list. Thank you very much! :-)

Thanks for stopping by!
Michelle

Herôme W.I.C. Graffiti Nail Art

2010-08-22T09:00:00.028+02:00

Hi guys! A while back Herôme brought a new line to their already existing World Inspired Colours Collection: Graffiti Nail Art! This line is based on graffiti and other modern arts and all the polishes are named after hip, artistic districts in the city New York such as East Village Manhattan and Brooklyn. The Graffiti Nail Art line is very similar to other stamping products and they also offer a scraper, stamp, stamping polishes and plates.

As you can see above the products arrived very nicely. Every single set is packed in a very pretty holographic box with a bow on it. You can't go wrong with holographic! :-)

Sets

I received the Get Started kit as well as three sets of plates, called Fancy, Say It! and Tips. Herôme only offers sets of plates; you can't buy these single. You also have to buy the Small or Get Started kit if you want to have a stamp and scraper. The polishes can be bought alone. I like the idea of sets but I think it would be even more handy if all plates and the stamp and scraper were also sold single. That way you can see for yourself what you'd like to receive and, for example, not end up with a plate you never use.

Get Started Kit

The Get Started Kit contains a scraper, a stamp, three plates (B41, B77 and B44 - the set is called Flowers) and three special polishes: red (Soho Manhattan), black (Brooklyn) and white (Lower Manhattan). Like the name already tells you, this is a starters kit. I think this kit has everything you need to get known with this product but if you think it contains too much there's also a smaller kit called, very surprising, the Small Kit. These kits also contain a little guide with examples how to use everything.

Plates and Stamping

As you might have seen the plates Herôme offers look a lot like Konad plates. Some designs are the same as the designs on Konad plates, others aren't. This isn't necessarily a bad thing: €7.50 for three plates makes a good, cheap and easy to reach "Konad dupe". You use the plates the same as the other stamping plates around: you put polish on the plate, use the scraper, use the stamp and place the design on your nail. The Herôme plates work good and there's no trouble here with picking up the designs. For a how to check out their site!

These plates don't have a backing and that means that you should be careful because they are sharp! The ridges can easily cut your fingers. The scraper is from metal and if you press too hard it can damage your plate so be careful with that. I'd love to see a plastic scraper that comes with it.

Polishes

Hey, how sweet is this? Not only can the polishes be used for stamping, they're also stripers! Now I love this because I'm a BIG fan of stripers. These stripers have long, thin brushes and the cap is easily to hold. I want more of them!

Using these polishes for stamping also works fine. They are thinner than other stamping polishes so if you're starting with this form of nail art you might have to practice a little longer. Also the polishes aren't in your face pigmented - they are pigmented enough but still look a little 'faded'.

Designs

As you can see above I've made two designs. The first design is made with plate B44 and Lower Manhattan. The second design is made with Soho Manhattan and Brooklyn. You can click on these for an enlargement.

I used a regular black and white polish as my base for these two manicures because I don't own cremes from Herôme. The nail jewels aren't from Herôme.

Details

The W.I.C. Graffiti Nail Art products are exclusively available at Herôme's webshop. The Get Started Kit costs €24.95, the plates per set costs €7.50 and the polishes are available for €7.50.

Herome is being sold in Germany, France, Belgium, Switzerland, Denmark, Austria, Australia and New Zealand. The Herôme products are distributed by wholesalers, drugstores, perfumeries, beauty salons and the internet.

These products are provided by Herôme for consideration. For more information read my Disclaimer.

Saving Preppy Pink

2010-08-20T09:00:00.021+02:00

Hi guys! Since I'm not a pink fan at all I only look once or twice a month (or less!) at my pink polishes. A few days ago I took out China Glaze Preppy Pink, a really sweet pink with opalescent glitters. I remembered that Preppy Pink was on the thick side but it didn't matter because unlike most glitter polishes, this one was way more opaque.

Hey, it wasn't this thick! I own this polish less than one year and I haven't done anything crazy with it. I keep it in my Helmer and the cap is always screwed on tight. It is so thick you can use it as glue to paste tiles to the wall.

The brush is laying down on a piece of paper so yes - the polish drop doesn't even move when it is in this position. How weird is that? This really got me surprised because I've really never seen a polish that thick. Have you?

Of course I had to try it on my nail. It was almost impossible to paint my nail with it, it was hard to apply it in a normal way on my nail and the gritty finish has turned into a lovely wobbly lumpy finish. Good news is that it was even more opaque and I only needed ONE coat! :-D

But then I got a idea. Would I be able to save Preppy Pink and return it to it's normal functioning state again?

My friend for this task is polish thinner. I own two polish thinners, the P2 thinner and Seche Restore. Seche Restore contains toluene so it's not B3F (China Glaze is) and therefore I chose the P2. Do NOT use polish remover because that KILLS your polish!

Normally you use three or four drops but for Preppy Pink I've used quite a lot more - I didn't count but it was a lot. I shook the bottle and leave it to rest. The result?

1: The non-thinned Preppy Pink
2: Preppy Pink right after being thinned
3: Two days later (like Preppy Pink used to be!)

And so polish thinners saves the day once again. Preppy Pink is now, two days later still good - I hope he stays this way. And remember: don't throw away thick and/or old polishes. You can fix them and if you do not want to fix them, send them to me haha. It's such a waste throwing polish away!

Have a nice day!
Michelle

Stamping Nails: Tips & Tricks

2010-08-19T09:00:00.005+02:00

Hi everyone! I wanted to share a few tips and tricks with you for Konad, Fauxnad and Bundle Monster. I'm really liking all the things you can do with it and it's great if you want a nice pattern on your nails and you don't have the time or patience to do something freehanded.

Basics

First I'd like to tell you that stamping isn't hard, difficult or it takes a lot of your time. A lot of people think so but trust me when I say it isn't. Once you know the basics of stamping you're good to go and you can expand your knowledge and skills. If you want to learn the basics I really suggest you read the how to: Konad on Lacquerized.

Know the basics? Before you start, make sure you take everything you need and put it in front of you. If you do this you'll minimize the chance of ruining your manicure or do something foolish like throwing acetone over your laptop (true story - he's fine now). Can't remember what you needed? Here's a list:

Stamp, scraper, plate, (stamping) polish, polish remover, q-tip / clean up brush, cotton pads.

After collecting everything you can start with it. Do the thing you always do or follow a how to, as long as you like the result it's good! Now, a few tips and tricks I think are always good to know.

Base

Sometimes you want to use a colour as the 'background' for your design. Always apply your base coat to prevent staining and once you're finished applying the desired polish you can use a quick dry top coat over it. I prefer this because that way I'm sure the polish has dried properly. If it's still wet or dry to the touch you can cause wrinkles when you're using the stamp.

Another great thing about applying top coat over your base colour: you can remove mistakes easily. Use a cotton pad with polish remover and swipe over your nail. You'll notice the colour will lose it's glossiness but this will return once you've added another layer of top coat.

Stamping Polishes

A lot of people don't know you can stamp with more than the Konad stamping polishes. The plus of using the special stamping polishes is that they are thicker and dry slower so you'll have more time working with the stamper and applying the design. Most of the Konad stamping polishes are also very pigmented.

I am working on a stamping polish database and there are a lot of regular nail polishes you can stamp with. The most important thing of working with regular polishes is that you must be quick. They dry much faster!

The most popular regular polishes used for stamping are the China Glaze Khromes and Romantiques. These polishes are easy to work with and are very visible on your nail.

Keeping Yourself Clean While Stamping

Stamping can be a messy situation. Sometimes the stamping polish ends up all over my arms or in my hair (I'm clumsy) but you really want to avoid that - it sucks scrubbing all the polish off and having the chance of ruining your manicure.

I always keep a cotton pad and nail polish remover next to me so I can clean up the plate, scraper and stamp right after I used it. I clean everything after doing one nail. Not only does this prevents you making a mess, it also gives you a neater design. I prefer a flipper bottle like the Zoya Remover + Big Flipper or the P2 Nail Polish Remover. That way you can just push onto the cap instead of taking the cap off all the time.

If you're afraid of messing up your manicure, use tweezers to grab the cotton pad soaked in acetone. If you're not afraid, just be careful when you're picking up the cotton pad. :-)

Clean Up After

Once you've stamped all your nails you want to clean them. Most of the designs are quite big (for smaller nails) and you will stamp over your fingers and cuticles. I use a clean up brush but you can also use a q-tip. Dip it in polish remover and remove the polish that isn't on the right place! After that you're done and you can apply top coat to make your design smooth and glossy.

Special stamping polish is very pigmented. When removing this make sure you don't push the remover and polish towards your cuticle - this can cause staining and/or polish dragging. This is also something to remember when you're doing a regular clean up.

Top Coats

Konad offers a special top coat that prevents smudges and dries to a high gloss protective finish. The reason this top coats prevents smudging is because it's a little thicker than most top coats. However, the thicker your top coat is, the more chance you'll smudge the design: make sure your top coat is in perfect condition! You can also use the Konad top coat as a normal top coat. One side note: I've heard Konad top coat starts to thicken up quickly but you can thin it.

I've never used the Konad top coat so I can't compare anything but I have found other top coats that don't smudge your design. Nubar Diamont Seal & Shine, Seche Vite and OPI RapiDry are three top coats you can use. These are a little thicker than most top coats and they are fast drying.

Applying top coat has to be done gently - always! Make sure you apply it in a floating manner so the brush doesn't touch the nail. If that happens the brush can drag polish or smudge the design. Be careful with thin top coats, they smudge the design more quickly.

Help. I Fail.

No, you're not. Stamping takes a lot of practice as well as perseverance. You can practice on old manicures, friends, a closet, your toes - whatever!

If practice doesn't make perfect, here are a few random tips:

- Make sure you've removed the plastic off the plate the first time you're using it! :-)

- Roughen up your stamp by using a medium file. This way the stamp picks up nail polish better.

- A scraper can damage your plate, use an old plastic card instead. If the plate is damaged, polish will stay behind in the scratches.

- Use polish remover that contains acetone. This removes all oils on the plate, stamp and scraper which helps you creating a neat design.

- Don't press like you're life depends on it, this way you'll mess up the design. Press gently in a circular movement.

- Stamp quickly. If you don't, your stamp can slide and this creates a crazy looking double or messy design.

- Take your time, especially when you stamp for the first time. If you want to hurry it will fail. Really, it will!

Stamping isn't rocket science! Let me know if you have other tips or if these tips helped you! You can also ask other questions, I hope I can help you out. :-)

Horror Nail Art Contest: The Winner!

2010-08-18T09:00:00.010+02:00

Hi guys! First of all I'd like to thank everyone that has taken the time to vote in the Horror Nail Art Contest - and there are a lot of votes! Almost everyone shared some thoughts and they were so kind! A lot of people found it difficult to choose a winner because they thought all the manicures were amazing and very creative.

A few comments on the one that won:
EW! That means it has achieved the proper effect!
I want to wear this next Halloween!
These are the most scary I've seen in a while.
They are horrific!
Almost real!
The manicure that won, is Thifa's manicure!
Congratulations Thifa, please contact me with your address! :-)

I'd like to thank everyone that has participated. You guys were so creative and you made me want to do my own horror manicure! :-)

I'm wearing H&M Love at First Sight and used Orly Poison Apple for the blood.
Thanks for the inspiration and have a nice day!

I'm back!

2010-08-17T09:00:00.013+02:00

Hey everyone! I returned home yesterday from vacation. There is really not much to tell about it except the weather was nice, the food was good and I had great company. We've done quite a lot: visited the city nearby the camp site, went to Germany and we had the party of our life - if you follow us on Twitter you've probably seen the pictures. Apart from being busy we relaxed a lot and our friends Natasja and Janina stopped by. If you're interested in seeing some pictures you can click here. It's a small impression of the vacation.

Now, polish wise I didn't know I bought so much until I packed out my polish box yesterday. I thought I was kind of in control but apparently not. Since it's a polish blog I'll show you what I got.

Michèle got me the sweet Nfu.Oh's (#65 and #66) and Daph brought me OPI DS Glamour (finally!). GOSH Holographic was bought during a shopping spree in a Dutch drug store.

Catrice Poison me, Poison You is a pretty purple. Then we have two polishes from the Fiep Westendorp collection (sold in a Dutch drug store - an artist and pretty much my childhood hero) and last but not least a small LE from Manhattan.

Michèle brought me Scrangie and Natasja brought me Paradoxal. The Kiko polishes are adorable and very pretty (great price too - €1,90!).

And last but certainly NOT least: MNY, Pieces and H&M, all from Germany.

I like the things I bought but I didn't know it was that much. I'm not the only one though because I've been reading the secrets from the ones who have entered my giveaway and it's a common problem - makes me feel less silly. :-)

Now I'm going to unpack everything that hasn't been unpacked, I'm still kind of lazy. Shh.
Have a nice day everyone!

Pink & Grey Holo

2010-08-16T10:00:00.006+02:00

Hey everyone! It's Monday and that means the week is starting all over again but it also means that I'm coming home from vacation today! I always like coming home after a while and be able to sleep in your own bed, have your own stuff around you and all of those small things. I guess you understand what I mean. :-)

The last scheduled post is, how surprising, a holo post.

I first painted my nails with Color Club Fashion Addict, a really light pink holo. After that I stamped with Bundle Monster plate 19 and Color Club Revvvolution. These polishes also work very well for stamping - maybe I should create my own database of good stamping polishes on the blog haha. In the shade, as you can see in the picture above, it is nice but not special.

Much better when the sun is out, don't you agree? :-)
Thanks for stopping by and I'll be talking to you soon!

Fairy Flowers

2010-08-15T10:00:00.004+02:00

Hi guys! How was your Saturday night? I hope it was good! A while ago I stamped with OPI Russian Navy, the first time I ever stamped with a matte/suede. I really liked the effect and so I wanted to try it again, only with a different polish.

For this manicure I used ManGlaze Matte is Magic as my stamping polish. It did work however it wasn't black (more greyish) and a little thin. If you want to try this yourself: be fast! Mattes and suedes dry very quick.

I used H&M Love at First Sight as my white base colour. I'm really satisfied with this white polish because it's super pigmented and I only need two coats but it's really thick. I need to remind myself to thin it! So the stamping is done with ManGlaze Matte is Murder and Konad imageplate M73. After that I topped it off with China Glaze Fairy Dust.

It doesn't show that well in pictures but Fairy Dust is really a nice addition. It's so sparkly and I love holographic glitter!

Thanks for stopping by!

New: Stamping Polish Database!

2010-08-14T10:00:00.006+02:00

Hey everyone! I've been a busy bee and started with an idea I've had for a while: creating a stamping polish database. Using regular polish is a nice addition to the whole Konad, Fauxnad and Bundle Monster experience and therefore I created this database.

Special thanks to Sasse's Stamping Stampede for the already huge list of regular stamping polishes and dearie Michèle for putting tabs and a table on my blog.

You can find the Stamping Polish Database here!

If you have any questions, suggestions or additions you can always send me an email, tweet or leave a comment. Let me know what you think! :-)

Striped - Blue!

2010-08-13T10:00:00.004+02:00

Good morning everyone! Last Sunday I showed you a striped manicure and today I'm showing you another one but with different colours. I'm liking this one a lot more but that might be because blue is my favourite colour.

I used MAC Blue India as my base colour, a gorgeous dusty blue. After that I made stripes with China Glaze For Audrey, 2030 and Atlantis. I think these colours combine very well together and this has to be one of my favourite manicures ever. What can I say? - I just really like stripes (and blue!).

How do you feel about striped manicures like this?