And yes, I won two pairs of undies. If you are the makers of very comfortable underwear, I am interested in whoring out space on my nails for your advertising purposes! Please contact me. I am size small.
Sunday, June 30, 2013
Nail art: Inspired by, um, underwear.
Recently an Australian underwear company released a range of patterned cotton undies, and were offering undies as prizes for a nail art contest. I'm a fan of freehand nail art, and they just happened to be my favourite brand of everyday underwear, so yep, here are my nails:
And yes, I won two pairs of undies. If you are the makers of very comfortable underwear, I am interested in whoring out space on my nails for your advertising purposes! Please contact me. I am size small.
And yes, I won two pairs of undies. If you are the makers of very comfortable underwear, I am interested in whoring out space on my nails for your advertising purposes! Please contact me. I am size small.
Thursday, June 27, 2013
Liquid Sand dotticure
I'm not a massive fan of creme liquid sands - they look kind of lumpy and plastic to me (unlike the shimmers, which I generally love to death). So I've decided to try using them for nail art... and surprisingly, I really like the result. Win!
The base is OPI Keeping Suzi at Bay, a deep dark blue - it's my favourite out of all the cremes from the upcoming San Francisco collection (click for my original swatches). I dotted over it with OPI Wharf! Wharf! Wharf! which is slightly darker. I didn't really enjoy wearing it as a full mani (see the liquid sand swatches here), but this was completely different.
I'm looking forward to trying out a similar thing with OPI It's All San Andreas's Fault, the other creme liquid sand from the collection, in the hopes that it'll also grow on me.
What do you think of creme liquid sands? Yay or nay? Fad or innovation?
Tuesday, June 25, 2013
Crowstoes: Shoot the Butterfly
This polish caught my attention when I first saw it. I know the colors are kind of Halloween-y, but looking at it, it definitely reminded me of a Monarch butterfly's color scheme.
This is Crowstoes: Shoot the Butterfly. It's a black jelly with copper hexes, small white glitters and holo microglitters. I did one coat over a base coat of black polish with 2 coats on my ring finger. The glitter is definitely not hard to get out of the bottle. I liked the sparse look better, hence layering one layer over black for the majority of my fingers.
I find it whimsical, despite it being black based, haha. The sparkle that the holo microglitter adds really adds depth, along with the base being black so the white glitters are at different depths.
Do you like the look of one layer or two?
Information: Llarowe // Overall Beauty
This is Crowstoes: Shoot the Butterfly. It's a black jelly with copper hexes, small white glitters and holo microglitters. I did one coat over a base coat of black polish with 2 coats on my ring finger. The glitter is definitely not hard to get out of the bottle. I liked the sparse look better, hence layering one layer over black for the majority of my fingers.
I find it whimsical, despite it being black based, haha. The sparkle that the holo microglitter adds really adds depth, along with the base being black so the white glitters are at different depths.
Do you like the look of one layer or two?
Information: Llarowe // Overall Beauty
Friday, June 21, 2013
EDC Nails! Neon gradient with randon black stripes :)
I listen to mostly Top 40 music with a smattering of more popular EDM (electronic dance music) thrown in. Lately EDM is all I've been listening to, although now I'm on a classical music kick. My tastes varies, I can listen to most anything.
EDC Las Vegas is coming up this weekend and I have a few friends (from all over!) going. I know they're going to have a great time, and one of them asked for EDC nails and I said of course! I didn't quite know what I wanted to do, except that maybe it'd be more complicated. I haven't done "complicated" nail art in a while. A looong time. This is what I came up with.
I did neon gradient with random black stripes :) I used all China Glaze neons.
Thumb, middle finger and pinky are: Pool Party (neon pink), Towel Boy Toy (neon blue), Kiwi Cool-ada (neon green). I also put a coat of China Glaze Fairy Dust over the top of these nails.
Index and ring finger are (these really didn't come out in the pictures): Flip Flop Fantasy (hot neon coral), Sun Worshiper (neon orange), Yellow Polka Dot Bikini (neon highlighter yellow).
I love how these came out. For the gradients I used a cosmetic wedge sponge, painted stripes of the colors and dabbed it on. I use random placement of striping tape and just used my go to black, American Apparel Hassid over.
Only pain in the butt part was the fact that I used neons, which aren't the most opaque nail polishes to begin with. I did use a base coat of white but it only helped a little. I tried to minimize smudging (maybe one day!) but I'm happy with how the lines came out.
If you're going to EDC Las Vegas, I hope you have fun, safe time! Have a great weekend everyone!
EDC Las Vegas is coming up this weekend and I have a few friends (from all over!) going. I know they're going to have a great time, and one of them asked for EDC nails and I said of course! I didn't quite know what I wanted to do, except that maybe it'd be more complicated. I haven't done "complicated" nail art in a while. A looong time. This is what I came up with.
I did neon gradient with random black stripes :) I used all China Glaze neons.
Thumb, middle finger and pinky are: Pool Party (neon pink), Towel Boy Toy (neon blue), Kiwi Cool-ada (neon green). I also put a coat of China Glaze Fairy Dust over the top of these nails.
Index and ring finger are (these really didn't come out in the pictures): Flip Flop Fantasy (hot neon coral), Sun Worshiper (neon orange), Yellow Polka Dot Bikini (neon highlighter yellow).
I love how these came out. For the gradients I used a cosmetic wedge sponge, painted stripes of the colors and dabbed it on. I use random placement of striping tape and just used my go to black, American Apparel Hassid over.
Only pain in the butt part was the fact that I used neons, which aren't the most opaque nail polishes to begin with. I did use a base coat of white but it only helped a little. I tried to minimize smudging (maybe one day!) but I'm happy with how the lines came out.
If you're going to EDC Las Vegas, I hope you have fun, safe time! Have a great weekend everyone!
Wednesday, June 19, 2013
The Polish Bar: Shiny Pebbles
I'm not quite sure where I saw this polish but when I saw it, I knew that I must have it. So I purchased immediately. The mix of colors drew me in, I couldn't resist.
It's The Polish Bar: Shiny Pebbles. I love the mix of colors, different glitters and just the execution. It's a mix of various sizes of dark brown, cooper, orange and aqua hex glitters and small aqua square glitters in a white crelly base.
This is three coats on its own -- I think I might try one coat it over a white jelly base sometime for a less busy look. I love the pop of the aqua glitters against the orange/copper and brown! Brown glitter!!!
Information: Facebook // Etsy
It's The Polish Bar: Shiny Pebbles. I love the mix of colors, different glitters and just the execution. It's a mix of various sizes of dark brown, cooper, orange and aqua hex glitters and small aqua square glitters in a white crelly base.
This is three coats on its own -- I think I might try one coat it over a white jelly base sometime for a less busy look. I love the pop of the aqua glitters against the orange/copper and brown! Brown glitter!!!
Information: Facebook // Etsy
Monday, June 17, 2013
Hare Polish: Electric Flame
Electric Flame by Hare Polish really is a hard polish to capture on camera, you can't quite get all the nuances of it.
It's a peachy orange jelly with glowing blue and purple glass flecks and the same iridescent blue hexes. It really does glow on your nails, can't get it in the picture although I tried my hardest.
This is 3 coats on its own.
Information: Facebook // Etsy // Llarowe
It's a peachy orange jelly with glowing blue and purple glass flecks and the same iridescent blue hexes. It really does glow on your nails, can't get it in the picture although I tried my hardest.
This is 3 coats on its own.
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| indoors |
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| direct sunlight |
Thursday, June 13, 2013
Smitten Polish: Capitana El Rubi
Today I have for you Capitana El Rubi by Smitten Polish, part of the new Shipwrecked collection. I was wanting to wear a red when I decided to use this polish. I love the different glitter shapes in it. The formula was pretty difficult to work with -- I tried to use 3 coats, but even though I waited for each layer to dry, it bunched up in areas. The glitter didn't quite come out as I wanted. I suppose I could have used thinner on it but I was stubborn.
It's a maroonish red polish with pink and silver glitter (including circle glitter!) and a purple shimmer/flash and I wanted to love it but it didn't quite happen. It ended up being a very thick manicure (coats of polish plus tons of topcoat). Maybe 5 coats of topcoat -- I added one more before taking these pictures, and in the 1st you can see the trouble area.
Gorgeous polish, in need of a good amount of thinner, though.
Information: Facebook // Etsy // Llarowe
It's a maroonish red polish with pink and silver glitter (including circle glitter!) and a purple shimmer/flash and I wanted to love it but it didn't quite happen. It ended up being a very thick manicure (coats of polish plus tons of topcoat). Maybe 5 coats of topcoat -- I added one more before taking these pictures, and in the 1st you can see the trouble area.
Gorgeous polish, in need of a good amount of thinner, though.
Information: Facebook // Etsy // Llarowe
Tuesday, June 11, 2013
Scofflaw Nail Varnish: David Bowie's Bulge
Hello!!!!!!!!!!!
I've been very absent -- I think finals burned me out from doing anything other than veg. I was only doing a manicure once a week -- when I'd usually do them two or three times a week. And even then, I rarely moisturized (good thing it's not winter) so my cuticles were in a sad state.
But I'm back! Sad news, I did not get into the MBA program I applied to but I think it's for the best in terms of my interests and background experience. So I'll be entering my third year of law school -- actually, I'm already in it as I started summer classes last week. One year left! How... scary.
Onto today's swatch, it's from Scofflaw Nail Varnish. Interesting name, David Bowie's Bulge, eh?
It's a deep coral polish with subtle shimmer, accented with matte and holographic teal glitters of various sizes and also features small dark red glitters and a bronze microglitter. I REALLY loved the bronze microglitter aspect of it, it added some nice sparkle. I think it took me only 2 coats to get this result, and the glitter came out beautifully. Perfect summer color!
Their information: Facebook // Etsy // Llarowe
I've been very absent -- I think finals burned me out from doing anything other than veg. I was only doing a manicure once a week -- when I'd usually do them two or three times a week. And even then, I rarely moisturized (good thing it's not winter) so my cuticles were in a sad state.
But I'm back! Sad news, I did not get into the MBA program I applied to but I think it's for the best in terms of my interests and background experience. So I'll be entering my third year of law school -- actually, I'm already in it as I started summer classes last week. One year left! How... scary.
Onto today's swatch, it's from Scofflaw Nail Varnish. Interesting name, David Bowie's Bulge, eh?
It's a deep coral polish with subtle shimmer, accented with matte and holographic teal glitters of various sizes and also features small dark red glitters and a bronze microglitter. I REALLY loved the bronze microglitter aspect of it, it added some nice sparkle. I think it took me only 2 coats to get this result, and the glitter came out beautifully. Perfect summer color!
Their information: Facebook // Etsy // Llarowe
Wednesday, June 5, 2013
OPI Polka.com black jelly sandwich
I recently scored Camouflage Colour Black in a Lust Have It! sample box - at first I was disappointed, since it's just a plain black, but then I swatched it and discovered that it was extremely sheer. Hurray! Jelly sandwich!
I started with a couple of layers of Black, then dabbed OPI Polka.com, a pink/blue/purple glitter (see my original swatches of it here), and finished with an extra layer of Black.
The result reminded me of some of the indies in jelly bases floating around - I'm in love! It's made me want to collect jellies in all the colours (so 2012, I know).
I started with a couple of layers of Black, then dabbed OPI Polka.com, a pink/blue/purple glitter (see my original swatches of it here), and finished with an extra layer of Black.
The result reminded me of some of the indies in jelly bases floating around - I'm in love! It's made me want to collect jellies in all the colours (so 2012, I know).
Saturday, June 1, 2013
Copper oxide and copper metal: Butter London Two Fingered Salute and Face of Australia Studio 54
I've been really obsessed with work safe polishes since finally scoring a temporary teaching job, my first income since my scholarship ran out. I recently scored my second ever Butter London polish in a Sydney nail meetup from the lovely Rebecca - it's Two Fingered Salute, a dusty pastel green with copper microglitter, which I think is work safe from a distance. The microglitter just happened to match the newly released glitter Face of Australia Studio 54, so naturally the two had to pose together in a mani.
I loved this combination - Two Fingered Salute is such a pretty, elegant colour. It just so happens that the green is the colour of oxidised copper (think Statue of Liberty) and the copper is, well, copper, which made my (not very) inner nerd quite happy!
I would love to have more Butter Londons, but my wallet just won't let me yet! What are your favourite work safe colours?
I loved this combination - Two Fingered Salute is such a pretty, elegant colour. It just so happens that the green is the colour of oxidised copper (think Statue of Liberty) and the copper is, well, copper, which made my (not very) inner nerd quite happy!
I would love to have more Butter Londons, but my wallet just won't let me yet! What are your favourite work safe colours?