The Digit-al Dozen DOES Countries - Antarctica

Hi Goddesses

Ugh, I have had such issues with this theme!   Countries and Cultures.  It sounds simple, but if you don't want to do flags, or pizza nails, what DO you do?

I spent 2 weeks grumbling and moaning, threatening to do my 5 manis with OPI Brazil, OPI France, OPI Holland etc.   Eventually I settled for the polar regions, and did this icy mani featuring OPI My Boyfriend Scales Walls and INM Nothern Lights.


Tomorrow, China Glaze Kalahari Kiss as The Desert.


And yes, this is a joke post - this almost WAS one of the manis lol - you have NO idea how close this theme came to being a total disaster!  

Proper one coming later mwahahahahaha.

NEW31DC Day 21 - Merge and Melt

Hi Goddesses

Today is Merge and Melt day, and what may that be, I hear you ask?  Well, it's basically an excuse to mix polishes, any way you choose - water marble, splatter, gradient, tie dye, splodgerama - anything goes!

I decided to bottle out of the water marble and do a gradient I'd planned for a long while - red and purple.  In the end it was chunkier than I expected because of how I did it, so I might have to do a "smooth" version at some other point.  Anyway,  I do still really like how this turned out.

For this I used 2 of the Barry M Gelly polishes.  I started with 2 coats of Blood Orange, and then sponged some Blackberry over it.  I didn't sponge both colours on, which is why the shift in colour isn't super subtle, but I do still really like the effect.

I topped it off with one of those polishes everyone should own - Northern Lights by Out The Door.  For those of you that don't own it, it's a clear top coat with the finest smattering of holographic particles floating in, making it a twinkly fairy dream :)

Enjoy - and I'll see you tomorrow with the first of our Inspiration sequence - Inspired By A Fabric - ooooooh!  xx

Barry M Spring Green in Winter

BARRY M – Spring Green

Hi Goddesses

A short and sweet post from me and my “lover” (ahem Elizabeth) Barry M J

Spring Green is pure Irish emerald goodness.  There is nothing subtle about this colour at all – it’s GREEN.

Lol.  This has no hidden agenda, it just wants to be GREEN.  There’s not much in nature that passes for this colour, but this is the exact shade of Irish green you need for tricolours and shamrocks.

This did bend darker in some lights than others, but you can’t deny it, this is GREEN!

And now to the glittering ….

·         Thumb – CG Snow Globe

·         Index – CG White Cap

·         Middle – OPI Rainbow Connection

·         Ring – Tangled In My Web

·         Pinkie – Northern Lights Out The Door holographic top coat.

Unlike the other colours I have put these glitters on, I am really not sure I have a favourite here – which one works for you ??

Enjoy J  xx

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.

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.

Nails I Love - COLOR CLUB Wink, Wink, Twinkle

Nails I Love

COLOR CLUB – Wink, Wink, Twinkle

Hellooooo Goddesses.

Today I have for you the many wondered Wink, Wink, Twinkle from Color Club’s Starry Temptress Collection.  A few weeks ago, I bought another colour from this range – Ultra-Astral – and HATED it.  I didn’t like that it went on matte, or that it was quite neon, and I hurriedly ushered it into the reBay pile.

Then I saw someone else’s post (sorry, I have looked but can’t find who it was, but I think it was someone from PAA) about this little beauty, and I hhhmmmmed and thought it was worth a whirl.

Wink, Wink, Twinkle is deeply pigmented.  Deeply.  She’s a perfect violet, magenta with serious blue undertones.  I just can’t express to you how deep this colour is.  There is nothing wishy-washy or half-hearted about this girl, she’s a full-blown, melodramatic, look-at-me diva!

The polish is packed with glitter – teeny tiny dust particles that just add to the depth.  This looks like how a starry night would look in Barbie-Land – dark and sparkly, all at the same time.

When this dries, she dries matte, and for someone who hates matte (surely nail polish should look polished, no?) that wasn’t so good, but even I could appreciate the beauty of the dull finish (altho why you would want to make a sparkly polish dull doesn’t compute for me) …. Anyhow, long ramble, blah blah where was I …. Oh yes, anyhow, whether you like matte or not, this dries quickly and beautifully.

Better than that actually – it dries like concrete!  This is one of the most durable looking polishes I have ever work.  She looks like a proper acrylic manicure, and the photos were taken ofter 2 days – still no chipping or tip wear. My nails looks INDESTRUCTIBLE with this on – no word of a lie, I think they would go the whole week without chipping. Amazing.

All the photos are glossy, so what did I use to get rid of the mattness ?  Well, I didn’t use Starry Temptress topcoat, I used something else that arrived in my nail mail that day – NORTHERN LIGHTS by Out The Door, a holographic top coat.

This adds the tinsiest bit of fairy sparkle to your nails – delicate without being over-powering.  After having some SpectraFlair moments lately (thanks, Lori) it amuses me that whatever holographic element OTD use ALSO sinks to the bottm.  Amuses me a LOT.

This may not be the most beautiful colour I own, but WWT has impact, flair, drama, chutzpah and a gluelike formula.  Definite winner.

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.