Tri Polish Challenge - Red, Orange and Yellow - Splodged Dotticure!!

Hi Goddesses

I'm gutted that this is only my 2nd TPC this month as I had loads of ideas AND loved the colour combo.  Sadly, time has disappeared like sand through a sinkhole, and I've just not got round to it - I promise I'm going to come back to this theme though, the colours are just too juicy not to!

So, when I am asked what nail art I am particularly good at, if forced, I will say either dotticures or splodging.  Well, today's mani combines both of those elements!  It's also loosely inspired by Emily at The Lacquerologist.  Emily's go-to mani is a white background, some dabs of colour, and then something else on top.  Whilst this doesn't replicate any of her manis, she was definitely my starting point.

I started with a white base, and then lightly sponged on some ManGlaze Butt Taco.  Wow - this was so beautiful when applied thinly with the sponge.  I'd never seen it so thin before, and it was really mesmerising.  I know I say it a lot, but the complexity of some of the matte polishes out there is astounding.

I then added dots, firstly using piCture pOlish O'Hara.  I used a variety of dotters in different sizes.  You'll see I did a lot of dots in a round, rainbow arch shape.

After they were dry, I then went in with my yellow - Barry M - and again, added dots of differing sizes.

Overall, I LOVE this mani.  I love how bright it is, how it's a little in-you-face, and how it even looks like the print of some exotic animal.

However, I think it would have worked better with a different red and orange.   Although both polishes are gorgeous, they are both too close on the red-orange spectrum, and a brighter orange and a more ruby red would have probably produced a more dramatic mani.


Don't forget to check out everyone else! xx

Tri Polish Challenge - Red, Yellow and Orange - ROSES

Hi Goddesses

And welcome to the first Tri Polish challenge of the year!  This month we have the amazing combination of yellow, orange and red to play with, and I can’t tell you how happy those colours make me.

We’ve changed the rules slightly this year – you no longer have to stick to the exact same 3 polishes for all 4 manis – and hopefully this will allow us to be even more creative.

Today I have some roses, stamped using MoYou Pro Collection 07 and yellow Konad, and an orange Konad with shimmer.  I blobbed these randomly on my stamp, so that when I swiped, the colours mooshed together a little.

On base here we have the stunning Scarlet by Above The Curve – a delicious ruby red holo.  Sadly though, a think a paler red would have looked better here, and allowed the orange to stand out a little more.

This is a super simple design, and really effective – prepare to see this in a LO-HOT of colour variations over the next few weeks lol.

Tri Polish Challenge - Rasta Nails

Hi Goddesses

I'd like to start with a massive, heartfelt thank you to each and every one of you who left a comment on this blog or on Facebook last night.   Pumpkin was an amazing cat, and I am touched that so many of you shared your own stories and condolences.  Thank you.  It meant a lot to Beth too, and I am proud to know so many animal lovers :)

For some reason, today's nails make me absurdly happy.  Every time I look at them, I just grin :)

To be fair, this isn't my genius idea.  I was enraptured when I saw Jen from My Nail Polish Obsession post something very similar identical a few weeks ago, and just knew I had to give it a try.

The polishes are all Barry M - Blood Orange, Yellow and Emerald Green - and I smooshed them together in a gradient.

I love how I got a little bit of orange in places, and also how the shimmer bled into other parts of the mani.

My black and white glitter is Dollish Polish Putting On The Ritzzz.  I am forever in awe of how great these black and white glitters look over gradients.

So, happy nails for my happy-ish birthday (don't ask my age) - enjoy xx :)

Tri Polish Challenge - Roses

Hi Goddesses

I know, I know, enough with the roses lol.  Sorry.   It's Tri Polish time again, but as I broke my nail, I only got chance to do 2 manis.

I've used all Barry M polishes for these - Blood Orange, Yellow and Emerald Green - over a white w7 base.

The aim for these was to do 2 toned roses, specifically those pretty red and yellow ones.  Whilst not a *total* success, I do still like them, and they are a slightly different spin on the other ones I've done.

Tools were again a large dotting tool to get the rose shape, and then a fine art brush to do the petals and the leaves.

Enjoy xx :)

Tri Polish Challenge - Feathers?

Hi Goddesses

So here we have my final post for this month's Tri Polish Challenge.  If I'm honest, I'm not entirely sure what it is, other than that it's not what I was aiming for lol!  Let's go lookie :)

This is on a base of w7 Silver Suede.  I'll be reviewing the Suedes and their fernickity application soon, but other than that, this is a great silver.

I then used those stickers that go round hole punch holes that we use for half moon manis, and placed them in different spots, and then reached for my 3 colours - Barry M Gelly in Blood Orange and Blackberry and Shocking Pink - and 3 striping brushes.

Now it's at this point I came unstuck.   My aim was to do thickish, irregular stripes with the colours, a bit like sunbeams. Unfortunately, being a lazy, messy, scummy kind of Crumpet, I hadn't cleaned my striper brushes .... and just assumed they would play nice.

No.  So instead we have some wonkiness, some OMG this brush won't work-ness, some ARRRGGH, and some what is wrong with this brush -ness.

Seriously girls, clean your brushes!  Lol.  So because of the dirty brushes that didn't have much desire to paint, I ended up with quite thin lines, rather then the shapes I was after, and I guess that's why now they remind me of feathers.

It's not a TOTAL fail, cos I see things in here that interest me enough to try something similar again, but it sure ain't no prize winner either!

Enjoy xx :)