Hi Goddesses
And welcome! Isn't that just the catchiest blog title you've read in ages hahahaha. Today's post is a double whammy - some holo gradient nail art, with stamping on top - all from my top polish loves.
As is fitting, Literary Lacquers is the only brand to feature twice this week. My love for Amy is like no other. I also today have Indigo Bananas, and Grace-full Nail Polish, 2 of my other very favourite brands.
Do you own Literary Lacquers or Indigo Bananas? If you don't, you really should. Amy and Andrea are, for me, twins. They both make polishes with a "less is more" sensibility, and are also able to see what's just around the corner in terms of new and exciting, and subtle twists. That's why with Amy you get her amazing "crunchy holos" - the perfect mix of glitter and holo, and why with Andrea you'll gasp at a secret shimmer or flakie which is unlike anything you've ever seen before.
Grace-full Nail Polish had a STONKING 2015. If I'd written my end of year posts, Theresa's Happily Ever After holo collection would have been my collection of the year. I wore it more than any other, and the polishes just worked so well together. Theresa has really become a holo mistress, and if you're looking for consistently fab and epic holos, she is definitely where to look.
So in my little painted gradient, I chose some of my favourites from each brand -
Literary Lacquers - Greatest Treasures - the polish that started my love affair with the brand
Literary Lacquers - Veronika - a stonking purple from her most recent collection
Indigo Bananas - Volcanic Corruption - a terrific fiery red
Grace-full Nail Polish - Magenta Sparks, a stunning cerise
Whilst I loved the holo fruit pastille lollipop I was wearing, of course I had to stamp over it, and I chose Illusion 04 from MoYou, one of my favourite MoYou plates.
MoYou totally changed the stamping plate market, and their semi-weekly releases were genius and financially crippling! They brought a level of inventiveness to the market that hadn't been seen before, and for me they are utter game-changers, as well as being 100% reliable in terms of quality.
Don't for get to check out the other links!
Hi Goddesses
Today, we rejoice in the world of indie, and a few bloggers and fans are choosing today to share their favourite indie brands and manis.
Out of all the madness, malarkey and yes, mentality of this week, I have been overjoyed to see so many fans coming together to support indies. If you've never tried an indie before, please don't let the Mentality crap put you off - indies in general are amazing, crazily-gifted ladies (and a few men) who understand great customer service and will bend over backwards to be helpful.
I thought long and hard about which way to go with today's post, and in the end I decided to share a mani from MY favourite indie brand, Literary Lacquers. Here are a few reasons why I love this brand -
- great product. Amazing colours, mixes, finishes, as well as that fabulous literary theme
- good price point
- great quality - good brush, lasts decently, no sinking glitters etc
- holos to die for, and Amy's special holo trademark, a unique glitter and holo mix that's just g-g-g-gorgeous
- a maker who genuinely loves her customers and encourages interaction. Amy's is the first "fan" group I remember on Facebook and she uses it to genuinely connect with her fans, run competitions and invite ideas. It's a lovely, friendly place, with exactly the right sort of vibe
- super customer service. You're not a number to Amy, you're a PERSON, and she treats you like a friend
I've been VERY lucky, and I have swatched for Amy for 2, 2 and a half years now. That means I get to experience most of her amazing products for free. However, I started out as a buyer and a fan, and I am still a buyer and a fan. If she releases exclusives, I *still* go to her shop for them, and I am NEVER disappointed.
Today is not the time or the place to show you my favourite Literary Lacquer polishes. It IS the time to explain why Indies are awesome, and show you a lovely mani done with 2 of Amy's polishes.
You have been watching a painted gradient of Blue Lullaby over Thermofish, with white stamped swirls from MoYou Sailor 07.
Links
Literary Lacquers Etsy shop
Literary Lacquers Facebook page
Literary & Lacquers Fan Group (Facebook)
Hi Goddesses
THIS is one of the reasons I was so giddy at the weekend. I did this mani and LOVED it, utterly loved it.
Now, can anyone tell me why stamping over a gradient always looks so magical or special? I don't know what it is, but NOTHING captures my heart like that does.
So, the gradient first, because I did something different. This is a PAINTED gradient, in that I used a brush, rather than a sponge. I applied the base colour (Call me Queen Bee) then added brush swipes of Spring In My Steps at the base of my nail, and Lake Como at the tips.
For all of these I used my Winstonia 000 nail art brush which I bought recently. You could do it with the bottle brush, but I think you'd need a lighter or more patient hand than I have.
Either way, I really like the chunky effect, and I think this will really rock when I try it in neons or summer brights.
The stamping is also courtesy of Winstonia, a brick paving pattern which can be found on W112. I also used my MoYou black stamping polish for the first time.
As you can see, it didn't provide as much opacity as say a Konad, but sometimes that's ok, AND I always find Konad harder to clean up.
I love that you can see so much of the base mani through the pattern - it's a winning combo!
