Sponging with Skylar

Good morning! I took my last midterm this morning, and I think they all went pretty well, so now I'm ready for spring break! Unfortunately, that means I have to pack first, but...I'll do that later. Today I have a manicure from early February. I did this after I wore Zoya Skylar, a gorgeous blue that I didn't want to take off when I started getting tipwear. The solution? Sponging. I used Sally Hansen Insta-Dri Bronze Ablaze, Orly Luxe, and a regular kitchen sponge that I keep specifically for nail art.

sunlight

indoors, natural light

I was really happy with this - I think it looked particularly nice because of the depth I got from using two colors that are sort of different tints of the same color. I'm not sure if that makes any sense the way I worded it, but to clarify, I think you'd get a similar effect using, say, a dark purple and a light purple over another color. Plus, the great thing about sponging is that it looks fabulous, is very easy, and can be used as a mani refresher for when you don't have time (or the heart) to redo your whole manicure. I'm also thinking that I should try using sponging as a base for some other nail art, but I'm not sure what I'll do yet...like I said, though, it's spring break now, so I'll have plenty of time to think about it!

China Glaze Capitol Colours: Stone Cold

Helllooo! Today I'm reviewing Stone Cold, one of the colors I received from the China Glaze Capitol Colours collection. Stone Cold is a matte, metallic gunmetal-colored polish, and I have to say, I'm a huge fan. I wish my nails were less nubbiny so they could show off the polish more, but c'est la vie, so here are the nubbiny pictures I have:

 sunlight

indoors, natural light

Isn't she gorgeous? I'm really keen to do some kind of sponge like this...I feel like it would be a really good color to sponge. Then again, I've been on a sponging kick lately, so maybe it's just me. Anyway, to get off my tangent, let me tell you some more about Stone Cold. Not only it is an awesome color with an awesome finish, it's really easy to apply and is perfectly opaque in one coat. ONE coat, people! What can I say, I'm impressed.

The next color I have from Capitol Colours is Dress Me Up, so you'll be seeing that soon (though I hope to get a few more when they come out for sale - *cough* Riveting *cough*), though I may have a post or two in between. Also, midterms are next week, so I may have to slack off a bit on the blogging. I'm determined to get good scores on my midterms, so I'll be hitting the books hard (at least, that's what I think now). Until next time, have a good day!

Stone Cold was received by me from China Glaze for review. For more information, see my disclosure policy.

Mardi Gras Nails

Happy Mardi Gras! It's a day of indulgence, and while I haven't been indulging myself too much today, I did give my nails a special Mardi Gras manicure this past weekend. I wasn't even really planning on doing Mardi Gras nails until I thought of this and decided it was too good to resist. Who could resist having their nails dripping with gold?

indoors, artificial light

For this manicure, I used Zoya Veruschka on most of my nails, Zoya Savita on the ring fingers, and Orly Luxe for the dripping gold. Though my left pinkie nail was a bit of a mess-up, as you can see, I was really happy with the way the rest of them turned out. In fact, I actually got a "that's really cool" from a straight male, so perhaps that's one way to define manicure success. I meant to add top coat and see how it looked after some wear, but after a couple of days one whole nail peeled off before I had time to do so. I have to say, though, I was impressed with how long it stayed on! I'm really going to have to try to use drip nail art more often.

Again, have a great Mardi Gras - and let me know if you're doing a Mardi Gras manicure!

Dr.'s Remedy Jolly & Joy Swatches and Review

Hello again! I'm back, as I said I would be, with the holiday 2011 collection from Dr.'s Remedy. I know for sure that one of these, Revive Ruby Red, is a re-promote because I reviewed it before, and I think Passion Purple is as well; however, I'm fairly sure the other three are new - but by all means, correct me if I'm wrong! Now, let's get to the polish.

outdoors, sunlight

First, we have Revive Ruby Red, which as I said before, is not a new color - it was in last winter's collection as well. However, that doesn't make it any less gorgeous! If you read my original review, you will remember that I absolutely loved it then, and that definitely hasn't changed. It's got the same lit-from-within, glowing quality that made it love me so much the first time around, and is opaque in the same two easy coats. I encourage you to read my previous review of Revive Ruby Red for more details if you're interested.

outdoors, sunlight

The second color in Jolly & Joy, Passion Purple, is described by Dr.'s Remedy as "a bombshell-boysenberry with subtle silver meshed throughout," and I think that's an accurate description. I tend not to like shimmers with a colored base and silver shimmer quite as much as other shimmers, but I think this one is nice. I'm not wowed by it, and I'm not sure that I'd wear it all that often. However, if this sort of finish is your thing, go for it! The application was fantastic, and it got opaque coverage in two coats.

outdoors, natural light

Essential Emerald, the third polish, is described by Dr.'s Remedy as "a take on the classic tree-and-plant-inspired gem of a shade, with delicate glimmer and unparalleled amounts of glamour." Now, this is an area where I really have to disagree with the description - to me, this is a jade green, not an emerald. However, it is a very lovely color, and I like the silver shimmer in this better than that in Passion Purple. This one also took two coats, and the application was great.

outdoors, sunlight

Serene Silver Glitter is described by Dr.'s Remedy as "a seasonal sizzler like no other: shine, chic, totally unique in the metallic scene," and on this one, I totally agree. As far as I know, there really is no other polish like this one. For one thing, it's definitely a glitter, but the particles are so fine that it applies almost as smoothly and evenly as a foil, and looks a somewhat like a foil on the nail as well. Additionally, it has not only silver glitter, but red and blue as well, which is a combination I haven't seen anywhere else. Best of all, the glitter is very highly packed into the polish - I barely needed two coats!

outdoors, natural light

Finally, we have Resolution Red Glitter, "a red-meets-copper spin that's sequin-look-alike laden with high-shine and sparkle." I sort of see where they get the copper, but to me, the polish is mainly a red, pink, and silver glitter. It also barely needed two coats, and the application was good. 

Check Dr.'s Remedy out on Twitter and Facebook!

https://www.facebook.com/Remedynails

http://twitter.com/#!/remedynails

These products were provided to me by Dr.'s Remedy for honest review.

Day 8: Metallic - Sally Hansen Bronze Ablaze

Five things:

1. The pictures today are going to be far from optimal. It's raining again.

2. Bronze Ablaze is a bit of a stupid name. I mean, couldn't you just go with Bronze Blaze? Or something?

3. Bronze Ablaze is, however, a gorgeous polish.

4. My pointer fingernail broke right before I took the pictures, hence the missing finger.

5. I am really really busy and I shouldn't be blogging at all, so I'll keep this short.

Now, pictures!

 natural light

natural light

Isn't it gorgeous? Despite my crap pictures, that is. It's sort-of-but-not-quite a duochrome, and it's rich and has depth and I love it. Also, it barely needed two coats and dries fairly quickly. I didn't have any application problems, either - I've always gotten along well with the Insta-Dri brush, though I know a lot of people don't. And that's it for today! Off to do some more reading... *looks at pile*

China Glaze Cracked Medallion

Hello there! I don't have a Pink Wednesday polish for you today - instead, I'd like to show you what I added to GT No. 9, China Glaze Cracked Medallion. When I first saw the press release for China Glaze Crackle Metals, Cracked Medallion was the one that I knew I had to have. While I ended up deciding that I wanted Tarnished Gold as well (and fortunately I got that one to review), I searched high and low for Cracked Medallion until I snatched it up at a Sally Beauty Supply. One of the reasons I was so excited about it was that it's bronze, and as a Ravenclaw, I need a bronze crackle to make a Ravenclaw crackle mani. Yeah, I'm a geek. However, I also just think it's a gorgeous, and would complement most, if not all of my favorite colors. This is one coat over the green plus one coat of Sally Hansen Insta-Dri.

outdoors, shade

outdoors, sunlight

Lovely, no? I really love jewel tones, and I think that pretty much any jewel-toned or richly colored polish would go well with Cracked Medallion. Once again...I think I'm gonna have to take this one to college. Speaking of which, I should probably wash my sheets. Bye!

China Glaze Oxidized Aqua

Hello there! I meant to get this posted yesterday, but I spent all afternoon uploading my pictures from Greece to Picasa Web Albums and didn't end up having the time. Oxidized Aqua is the other metallic crackle I received to review from China Glaze, and to be honest, I didn't plan on buying this one. I've never been a huge fan of "colored" metallic nail polishes - those that aren't gold, silver, or copper. In fact, I think I only own one, Orly Rage. So what do I think of Oxidized Aqua?

 outdoors, sunlight

outdoors, shade

I like it! Though not as much as Tarnished Gold, I do like Oxidized Aqua, and I'll definitely be keeping it. I used it over Wet 'n' Wild White Creme to make sure the blue came out and that it didn't just look like a vaguely bluish silver, but I'm anxious to try it over darker colors to see how it turns out. I had a few moments where I was a bit iffy about Oxidized Aqua, but on the whole I'm glad I have it - and if you do like colored metallics, definitely try this!

China Glaze Tarnished Gold

Hello there! When I got home from Greece Sunday, I had the pleasant surprise of finding a package from China Glaze containing Oxidized Aqua and Tarnished Gold, two of their metallic crackles. The funny bit about this is that I had actually stopped at a Sally Beauty Supply store on the way home from the airport hoping to find Tarnished Gold, but they were sold out - which was a good thing, as it turns out! I decided to combine today's Pink Wednesday with my review of Tarnished Gold, so I used it over two coats of Essie Exotic Liras.

 outdoors, sunlight

outdoors, shade

I never wear Exotic Liras much on its own, but I think it looks great with Tarnished Gold, don't you? I prefer this color of gold to that of the Sally Hansen gold crackle, as this one's a bit darker, warmer, and richer. Application was a breeze and it cracked quite nicely, as you can see. I'll definitely be using this a ton in the future, and, yep - it's going to college with me. There was a bit of wear because I didn't add top coat, but the bits that wore off were actually Exotic Liras and not Tarnished Gold. If you don't have this one and you're not sick of crackle yet (I know some are), I'd definitely recommend getting your hands on this one.

Tarnished Gold was provided to me for review by the company's PR, but this did not affect my review. For more information, see my disclosure policy.

Silver Crackle Comparison

I know some of you out there are tired of crackle and wish it would go hide in a hole somewhere - if that's you, skip this post. I got Sally Hansen Fractured Foil a while back and thought that would mean I didn't need to spend the money on OPI Silver Shatter. Then I kept seeing Silver Shatter in stores, and I thought, "You know, I'm pretty sure that's a darker silver than the Sally Hansen." And so, of course, I inevitably bought it. And you know what? They are different! I was delighted. I compared them first over a dark color (I used Cult Nails Living Water, because I was wearing it already and it's practically black) and then over white (Wet n Wild White Creme). No bottle pics, because the ones I took turned out horribly. Both pictures were taken indoors under artificial light.

pointer and ring - Fractured Foil, middle and pinkie - Silver Shatter

As you can see, there's not that much difference here, though Silver Shatter does look slightly darker. The contrast showed up more in real life, but it still wasn't remarkable. But when you put them over white...

pointer and ring - Silver Shatter, middle and pinkie - Fractured Foil

Okay, now there's a big difference! Silver Shatter is closer to a gunmetal silver color, while Fractured Foil is a pale silver. Since I'll be wearing these over light colors as well as dark, this definitely justifies owning both of them for me. If I manage to get my hands on the silver China Glaze crackle, I'll do a new post comparing them all, but I'm not holding my breath - the only reason I got my hands on the original set of Crackle Glaze is thanks to the lovely Jasmine of Colour Coated.

Do you own either of these? And which do you prefer?

Unoriginal Crackle

This is pretty much the least original crackle manicure that I've done - black and gold. I tried it out quite a while back when I first got my crackles, and unoriginal as it may be, I really like the combination. I used Orly Luxe and China Glaze Black Mesh.

indoors, artificial light

I know you've probably seen this look ten zillion times by now, but I figured I had worn it and might as well post it. So, now you've seen it ten zillion and one times! :) Sorry this is such a short post, but there's really not much to say about this combination except that I really, really like it - which I already said. Until next time!

OPI Skull & Glossbones

National Brain Tumor Awareness Month fact: Brain tumor symptoms often mimic other diseases, often making them difficult to diagnose.  - American Brain Tumor Association

I promise this IS a grey, but it pulls green on me when it's on its own. It's a very pretty color, though, and one of the two colors I knew I absolutely had to get from the OPI Pirates of the Caribbean collection, the other being Stranger Tides. I clearly have a thing for weird colors; what can I say? I found the formula of Skull & Glossbones (which is kind of a stupid name, in my opinion, but that's what I've come to expect from OPI) to be excellent: it required two coats for me, but it went on wonderfully and dried fairly quickly as well. Unfortunately, I didn't manage to take pictures until after one nail had already chipped - the day I wore it, I did a lot of cooking and made homemade lemonade (the work-intensive kind where you cook the syrup and stuff), and I didn't have a chance to take a picture until afterward. Fortunately, there was only one small chip, so I didn't feel obliged to re-polish that nail for the picture.

indoors, artificial light

Even though I was about to take it off due to the chip, I couldn't resist playing around with Skull & Glossbones. I'd found the Sally Hansen crackles at Walgreens the day before, and I got Cherry Smash, Distressed Denim, Antiqued Gold, and Fractured Foil. I was eager to see how well the metallics would crackle, so I went ahead and put a coat of Antiqued Gold on over Skull & Glossbones.

indoors, artificial light

I do like the effect of this, but it didn't crack much - I discovered later that it cracks better if you put it on over polish that's still a bit tacky. I'll have another grey with gold crackle on top for you Saturday (since tomorrow's grey-free Friday), and I like that combination much better. Care to guess what it is?

Graduation Mani

It seems weird to think that I'm now an alumnus of the school district where I've gone for 13 (long) years...I still haven't quite wrapped my head around it. What you see on the left is the right thumbnail of my graduation manicure - my high school's colors are red and white (but silver's cooler, so I used that) and our mascot is a lightning bolt. So, I used Finger Paints Curator's Crimson for the red base, then did all but my thumbs with a coat of Sephora by OPI Flurry Up. On my left thumbnail, I wrote "2011," and on my right thumbnail I did a lightning bolt, both in Sally Hansen Celeb City. Here's my left hand:

indoors, artificial light

I like it! I'm glad my thumbnail grew out a bit, though; otherwise I'm not sure I could've gotten the whole year on there. I used a toothpick for the thumbs because I knew I would be able to do finer detail with it than with my dotting tool. I'll be in St. Louis tomorrow, so I may not have a post up, but I do plan to post Sunday. I'm really excited about my graduation party, which will be then, because I'm going to plan and cook the whole meal - I may have to show some pictures of that as well! :)

Lightning Bolt

Inspired by the stormy weather yesterday, I decided to do a lightning bolt manicure. I used Sally Hansen Celeb City for the silver and Kelier blue for the crackle. The blue is a bit darker and more opaque than in the photo; I think my camera picked up on the shine of the silver and decided it didn't care about paying attention to anything else. Funnily enough, the sun is out today and I could've taken better pictures if I'd kept it on, but I put on my next set of Fashionista Nails since it was supposed to be rainy all day again. I should probably learn not to rely on the weathermen.

indoors, artificial light

I really need to learn how to make my cuticle gaps all the same length. Good grief, that is sad. Anyway, that's all for me today...I'm not in a rambly mood today, for once. Until next time!

Gold-Tipped Jade

A little while back - I believe it was sometime last week, but don't hold me to that - I decided to wear OPI Jade is the New Black from the Hong Kong collection, which is my favorite OPI collection to date. After a couple days, it was showing some tipwear, but I didn't want take it off yet. The solution? Gold tips, of course! I used Orly Luxe and Nailene tip guides, but because I was in a hurry and didn't stick the tip guides down well, my tips were a bit uneven.

outdoors, shade

Sorry for my dry fingers and hangnails! Eurgh. I do like the look, though, which is no surprise seeing as I love green and gold together. The combination also makes me want to try the same thing with OPI Suzi Says Feng Shui and Icing Spotlight (a dupe for Orly Shine). I'm still wearing my leopard print nails right now, but I got four of the China Glaze Anchors Away nail polishes in a giveaway and they arrived yesterday, so I imagine that's what I'll be wearing next. Which would you like to see first - Knotty, Starboard, Lighthouse, or Below Deck?

EDIT: Some awesome new nail blogs I've come across! Why do I always forget to do this?
Peace Love Polish
Gotham Polish
Josie's Nails

NailenePerfect Tips and Toes were sent to me for review. For more information, see my disclosure policy.

Le Beauty 152

Today I'll be showing you a polish from the Australian brand Le Beauty. I received this polish in a giveaway from You've Got Nail some time back, and though I was eager to try it, I somehow didn't until now. Here are three coats, though as far as opacity, it didn't really need them - I'll explain in a bit.

indoors, artificial light

My first thought when applying this, and now when looking at the picture? Ew, brushstrokes. I don't mind a little bit of brushstrokes in a really gorgeous lacquer, but this was a bit much for me. In fact, the only reason I did three coats was to try and remedy my poor application that was shown so well by the brushstrokes. Which is really too bad, because 152 (SUCH a cool name - I wonder how long it took to come up with that?) is a lovely color of silver, and one that I don't think I've seen before. It's kind of pale, but it goes to a more charcoal color in the shade or on the edges of the nail, which I quite like. It's not a duochrome...I don't know how to explain it. You can kind of see it in my picture - where the light hits it, it's a bright, light silver, and away from the light's focal point, it's darker. All in all, I really wish this wasn't brushstrokey, because I'd really love it if that were the case. As it is, it'll probably stay in my stash as a base under layering polishes or to franken with. Or I may put it in my swap list on MUA, who knows. Hope you're all having a great weekend!

Incoco Oscar Night

Last night, my nail polish was starting to chip off in a bad way, and while I didn't want to go to school with chipped nails, I also didn't want to wait up for my polish to dry because 1) I was tired, 2) I had lots of AP Physics and precalculus homework to do, and 3) I was really freaking tired. So I decided to pull out the pack of Incoco strips in Oscar Night that I won in an Also Known As... giveaway a while back. I had used Incoco once before, and had found it very easy to work with. The same was true this time, but I did notice that these showed every single flaw in my nails. I'm not sure if that had to do with the metallic finish or what, but it was kind of annoying. I also had a small wrinkle on my index finger for which I am entirely to blame.

indoors, artificial light

At first, I wasn't sure whether I liked this color of gold or not, but I've decided that I do. It's pale and cool, and has tiny bits of holographic glitter (and when I say tiny...think micro-microglitter) that is very subtle and can't be seen most of the time, but is nice when you can see it. While I like the color and LOVE the fact that I can do whatever I want straight after putting Incoco strips on, I really doubt that I would buy these for myself in any situation but a nail emergency. Until next time!

Gems

I swear, I must have nail polish ADD or something...I couldn't stand to go a day without adding something else to Purple Diamond! So, I used one of the stickers from the Nailene Bedazzled pack*, outlined it in Orly Luxe to match the stripes on my thumb, and added a coat of China Glaze Golden Enchantment. In the process, I used far more top coat than was really necessary, so I got some shrinkage on my ring fingernail. But I think I had three coats of Rush on that nail in total, so I'm pretty sure that wouldn't happen normally.

indoors, artificial light

outdoors, artificial light (it looks cooler than normal in this...not sure why)

outdoors, sunlight

I ended up pretty happy with this. I think "luxe" would be a good descriptor for this whole mani...pearls, gold, bling. Yep. :) Unfortunately, my index finger chipped, so I'll be taking this look off. You can't see the chip in the pictures because it's along the side of the nail, but it's enough to bother me. Ah well, every good thing must come to an end! Until next time!

*The Nailene Bedazzled pack was provided to me for honest review.

Ahh, I'm on Fire!

Okay, not really...but my nails kind of look like it. And yes, that was a very cheesy title. Sorry. Moving on! I did my first attempt at sponging today, adding an unnamed Charlotte Russe gold polish to BB Couture Sex on the Beach. I'm not completely happy with the results, but I think it's okay for my first try:

indoors, artificial light

I'm a huge (HUGE) Harry Potter fan, so I suppose this could be a Gryffindor mani...but I'm a Ravenclaw. I feel kind of disloyal. So maybe it's a Millenium trilogy-themed mani:

Yes? Yes, I think so. Anyway, that's almost all I have for you today. Here are some new and new-to-me polish blogs I've discovered and enjoyed recently.

Polish Polish Polish

VaiNails

PinkNailBlog

Nail the Nail

Acetone and Old Lacquer

Lacquered Lizard

Mai Senza Smalto!

Pretty Little Thing

Mi Vida Aburrida

The Nail Experiment

Okay, now that's all! Happy Sunday!

Nina Ultra Pro Brassi Bronze - Plus Awesome Stuff!

I can never seem to think of good post titles, haha. Anyway, I mattified Nina Ultra Pro Brassi Bronze, and this is it after one day:. Unfortunately, I already have a couple chips - I don't know if that's Nina Ultra Pro's formula or my matte top coat, Essie Matte About You. Also, please forgive my terribly fingers/cuticles.

 outdoors, sunlight

 outdoors, shade

indoors, artificial light

I really like this color! I'm actually not a huge fan of it on its own when it's glossy for some reason (though I like it in a design with blue or some other color), but I LOVE it matte. The color doesn't change or anything, so I'm not quite sure why that is...but it doesn't matter. And then I had to add a coat of Hidden Treasure:

So I realize this looks a bit odd in the picture, but it's gorgeous in real life. The colors in Hidden Treasure complement the bronze very nicely, really making the polish glow. 

And with that, I've got homework to do. Have a great weekend!

EDIT: Just to let you all know, I am trying to get another archive post written, but I'm having trouble finding websites that render properly on archive.org. Urgh, frustration. Hopefully soon!

Zoya Ivanka

Today's NOTD is waiting to be posted as a guest blog on Inga's blog, The Original Swedish Blonde (who you should go read now), and I'm going to be spending the rest of my nail efforts for the day trying to work out what to do for Polish Hoarder Disorder's weekly challenge. Thus, today you get a swatch from sometime last week - I hope you don't mind too much! I used two coats and no top coat in these pictures.

indoors, artificial light

outdoors, shade

outdoors, sun

The colors in these pictures are actually very accurate, although my skin is definitely not as yellow as it looks in that first picture - if I started turning that color, I think I would visit the doctor. :) However, my pictures fail to capture the amazing depth, beauty and sparkle of Ivanka. I definitely think this is a must-have for any green lover or, in fact, just about anybody.