Matte Week - I Forgot Crackle Was Such FUN !!!!

Hi Goddesses

Today's mani is totally unexpected and unplanned and you have Beth to thank / blame lol.  On Monday, she was painting her nails, and she was itching to try a Concrete, so I handed her a Nails Inc.  She oooohed and aaahed as it dried, and then asked where the crackles were?   Wincing, I pointed to a box "over there", and she picked my favourite crackle, Barry M Purple Rain.

As it dried, it looked AMAZEBALLS over the crackle.  This particular Barry M crackle has a dry and dusty finish, and it looked like parched desert.

So, let's switch lanes - my plan for today was to show you some of the lovely KIKO Sugar Mat texture polishes, and I had one left to swatch - 634, a slightly dusty pale pink - but when I put it on, I didn't like it massively.   My plan was to do a tape mani over it, but DUH of course the tape wouldn't stick to the texture (I so knew that even before I tried), so I sat back and wondered what to do .... and spotted the bottle of crackle.

I did a quick bit of splodging with the amazing KIKO 642 and 632 ... and then I crackled.   It looked a big ole clumpy mess .... and then it started drying.

I absolutely LOVE the finished effect, even if I am a little embarrassed to be wearing crackle again lol.  From a distance, it's looked a little like a purple leopard print, and up close, wow, it's dusty-burnt-ash-dessciated-lava.

Enjoy - and don't forget to check out what Emma,  Ashley and Kerrie  are up to :):) xx

China Glaze Dreamsicle - Part 2

Hi Goddesses

aka, Elizabeth, look away now !!!

Lol.  I mentioned in the Blood Oranges post, that my good friend Elizabeth despised me for what I did to one of her all-time favourite polishes.  Not only did I add a red gradient to it with SH Right Said Red, but I also added purple crackle, and if there's one thing Elizabeth hates, it's purple (really, it's a miracle we get on so well!)

The purple is Barry M's Purple Rain which is possibly my favourite crackle that I own.  I love how it shatters, in nice big spaced out chunks, but what I love most is that it dries with this amazing dusty finish, as if it would all disappear if you blew on it.

Of course, you can add a top coat and shine it up a little, but unusually for me, I love this dusty, talcy quality, especially when it contrasts so well with the base polish..

So this was 2 coats of Dreamsicle, the Right Said Red sponged gradient, and then 1 thick coat of Purple Rain.  I absolutely LOVED this.  There was something obnoxious about it that just made me smile, and even though it should all clash and look terribly wrong, there's something about it that's just soooooo right :)

Elizabeth hates it, of course, but d'you know what ..... I don't care :)   I loves it  :)

Enjoy xx :)

Glitter Gal - Dark Purple Sparkle Holo + Crackle

GLITTER GAL – Dark Purple Sparkle Holo

Hi Goddesses

Today I have another Glitter Gal for you.  It never ceases to amaze and amuse me how I am able to apply this perfectly – I swear it’s cos I’m too scared to waste a drop!

After my Dark Purple (slight) disappointment (it’s more fuchsia than purple) and my Red Sparkle joy, I bought the lovechild of the two, Dark Purple Holo Sparkle!  And I have to say, it IS darker – hurrah!

The sparkles use a slighter coarser holographic particle, so they don’t have the natural grace of the pure Glitter Gal holos, but they sure do pack a punch.  This dark purple is a frosty grape colour with what looks like rainbow sugar in it.

As always, this dances best in pure light, and when she dances, she dances yellow, green, blue, orange and the purity of light itself.

I think next time I’m going to put one coat of a purple crème underneath to see how much dazzle she gives when lit from below.

This was the polish with which I chose to start my new 2 Day Rule.  During the week, I have to wear the polish for 2 days, and on the 2^nd day, do something different with it (to try to ahem “enhance” my “art” skills lol).

With this is started easy and layered Barry M Purple Rain crackle on top to see just how much holo peaked through.  To be fair, there’d probably be more if it wasn’t rainy and November, but it looked pretty.

Finally I added some Northern Lights Out The Door ILM (how many names) holographic top coat to put a teensy bit of sparkle back.

I liked this – it made it slightly different, like a demented purple crocodile lol.

Enjoy xx J

J

Top Tip – if you’re ever unsure what a nail colour looks like, go to Google images, which will give you plenty of contrasts and compares.

Tape, Crackle and Voila!

OPI PARLEZ VOUS OPI – Taped and Crackled!

Hi Goddesses

Some of you may know how much I love Parlez Vous OPI.  It’s pretty much perfect as far as I am concerned, and it’s an ever present in the Crumpet Top 10.

When I wore it recently I decided to have a little play.  A tape mani, using crackle – this was Barry M’s Purple Rain.

This post is short and sweet, there’s not that much to say, but this is an easy and really simple way to freshen up a mani on day 2.

Enjoy!  Xx J

J

Top Tip – if you’re ever unsure what a nail colour looks like, go to Google images, which will give you plenty of contrasts and compares.

Holy Nail Combos - Beetle meets Barry M

Nails Combos

HARD CANDY Beetle meets Barry M ….

Hi Goddesses

Last night I spammed the living daylights out of you all with my post on Hard Candy Beetle.

Well, believe it or not, Beetle can get better.  On a rare Saturday shopping trip into town, I picked up the new Barry M crackle, Purple Rain.  I bought it cos the colour reminded me of CG Let’s Groove, and was less “bright” than by CG purple crackle.

Well … well well well.  When I put in on, I kinda GULPED!  Can you BELIEVE how amazing this looks ?  There is something in the browny tone of the purple that just joins in holy matrimony with Beetle.  Scrumptiousness!!!

The crackle itself was also to die for.  Went on easily, shattered beautifully, and left this lovely dusty kind of look in its wake, like footprints in in the dirt.  I was scared a top coat would ruin it, so left it all matte, which allowed Beetle to shine all the more.

Just for fun, I then did the other hand with my trusty CG black crackle, Black Mesh, and altho it looks cool, the Barry M knocks its socks off.

I can see me digging Beetle & Barry out lots in the next few months – don’t they just look like they were MADE to be together ??

Lol.  Enjoy J

J

Top Tip – if you’re ever unsure what a nail colour looks like, go to Google images, which will give you plenty of contrasts and compares.