Tuesday, August 16, 2011

Leopard Print

Hi everyone!  I know it's been awhile since I've posted.  I've been busy getting ready for school to start and also hunting for a new j-o-b so I haven't had as much time for blogging.  Unfortunately, this will probably be the trend for awhile, so please don't think I'm abandoning the blog.  I'll still be posting, just not as often. :)

For today's mani, I wanted to try a free-hand leopard pattern.  It didn't turn out exactly as hoped, so I wouldn't say this is leopard print, but I think I could get away with calling it leopard inspired.  :)  It's an eye-catcher too!  I've had several people comment on my nails in the past 2 days.  Also, this morning the delivery guy stopped by my office and as I was signing for the package he said, "Neat looking nails.  Did your kid help you do that?"  That may mean it's sloppy enough for a kid to have done it. :)  Go me!!!  LMAO!

Anyway, on to the manicure.  I skipped the base coat because I knew this one would need several layers.  I started with 2 coats of Sinful Colors Tokyo Pearl, a pearl colored shimmer, because I needed something opaque underneath the yellow.  Then, I layered 3 coats of Color Club Volt of Light, a neon yellow with a subtle green shimmer.  I finished the look with LA Colors Art Deco in black, and then 1 layer of quick dry top coat.

Photos taken in direct sunlight.




Thanks for looking!  :)

Wednesday, August 3, 2011

Island Girl Maui Magic

I want to show you the final polish from my Island Girl haul, Maui Magic.  This one has flower shaped glitter in a clear base.  The glitter is big, and is mostly silver and pink, but there are a few purple ones floating around too.  This a pretty good polish, although the glitter isn't densely packed in the base.  I had to fish around a lot to get some glitter on the brush.  I didn't have time to fish out several pieces of glitter, so I settled on doing an accent nail.

This is 2 coats of Sally Hansen Insta-Dri in Slick Slate, 1 coat of Maui Magic, and 1 coat of quick dry top coat.

Photos taken in indirect light.







Thanks for looking! :)

Tuesday, August 2, 2011

Island Girl Aloha Magic

Today I want to show you another polish from my Island Girl haul, this one is called Aloha Magic.  It's a deep neon orange that reminds me of tangerine, with a minute amount of glitter.  I didn't even see the glitter until after I applied it.  There's so little glitter that you can't even see it on the nail, especially since the polish isn't sheer.  It dries really fast, and also matte.  It chipped within 2 days, and then peeled off in sheets.  Not the best wear time, but I love the color so much that I'm willing to overlook that aspect.  I only needed 2 coats and application was a breeze.  I love all neon colors, and this one is no exception.  It's so pretty and bright!  It's extremely eye catching.  Love it!

This is 1 coat of strengthening base coat, 2 coats of Aloha Magic, and 1 coat of quick dry top coat.

Photos taken in direct sunlight.


See the small amount of glitter?


Photo taken in indirect light.


Thanks for looking! :)

Monday, August 1, 2011

Island Girl Aloha Heat

I have another Island Girl nail polish to show you!  Today I have Aloha Heat, a muted neon green with subtle shimmer.  When I picked this one at the store I didn't even notice the shimmer until I went outside.  On the nail you can barely see it though.  The formula is good, but weird because it has a gritty texture when you apply the first coat.  It's not as noticeable after the second coat, but I've never seen a gritty nail polish until I used Island Girl.  This one dries extremely fast, and also dries matte.  I needed 3 coats to even everything out because I had issues applying it evenly (not sure if it was because of the grittiness or the fact that it dries so fast.)  It also chipped within a day, but I always have that problem with matte nail polish, so I wasn't surprised.  Anyway, the color is amazing!  It really pops on the nail and since I have a slight tan it looks even brighter.

This is 1 coat of strengthening base coat, 3 coats of Aloha Heat, and 1 coat of quick dry top coat.

Photos taken in direct sunlight.



Photo taken in indirect light.


Thanks for looking! :)