THE NAIL CHALLENGE COLLABORATIVE - B&W SWIRLY

Hola Chicas,
In a real rush now to complete the cahllenge before tomorrow as I will be away for the weekend and will not post manis.
I had to admit how much I sucked at the B&W, sobbing here.

Just dabbed a stamp design over black using Winstonia plate W203.
I really love winstonia plates, so far they are the best I've tried and I'm having so much fun trying and testing this new set.

THE NAIL CHALLENGE COLLABORATIVE - B & W SUGAR SPUN

Hola Chicas!

Here I am again, rushing to get the 4 looks for this month/theme done before the end of the week.

So for the second one I did my 1st attempt to a sugar spun mani. Not happy about it.
I'm really embarrassed about my performance on this challenge, I just hate working with white polish. I'm afraid of being kicked out for sucking this much.

What I used:

• Random black polish, base 2 coats.
• Kleancolor in White
• Dotting tool
• Rhinestones

This is pretty much straight forward, I've seen loads of beautiful sugar spun manis, most in pastel or candy colors, tried to do it with white and never really got the polish to reach the desired texture and ended up with this goopy mess. I was so disgusted that I took the pic, shed a tear and wiped off.

But I will keep trying with other polishes and colors because I have to get at least 1 decent looking sugar spun!!!

NAIL CHALLENGE COLLABORATIVE - BLACK & WHITE AZTEC

Hola Chicas!

Today I'm super excited because this will be my first contribution to The Nail Challenge Collaborative, the theme for this month is Black & White. I'm so honored to be part of it, please check out the rest of the manis posted, there are some seriously talented ladies out there!

Without too much babble I will crack on, as it is already month's end and I have to post 4 different looks.

BLACK & WHITE MONTH - AZTEC

What I used:

• Kleancolor White
• Kleancolor Yougurth Raisins
• Kleancolor Decades of Bond
• Aztec prints

I just painted all the nails with white polish and then did the digital mani technique. For the accent nail swiped one layer of Yogurth Raisins and then 1 of Decades of Bond. Top coat on all nails.

Hope you girls like it. Already planning the next 2 looks!

Don't forget to check out the other manis for the Black and White Theme!

buenas noches and dream in NAILTOPIA.

SUNDAY CHALLENGE - WORLD MUSIC DAY NAILS

Hola Chicas!
This is my take for today's challenge and the theme is World Music Day:

PUNK!!

What I used:

• Sally Hansen in Blue It!
• Rimmel London in Double Decker Red
• Rimmel London in Your Majesty for the silver dots
• Black Nail polish. random no name on the bottle.
• Color Club Matte-ified Top Coat
• JK Decoration Nail strips (Tartan stripes)
• Dotting Tool
• Studs
• Nail art brush

This was rather simple, I started painting my thumbs, index and pinkies with black polish and my ring finger with Blue It! On the middle finger I used the JK nail wrap.

Painted the stripes for the flag with a nail art brush and white polish and Double Decker Red and with the dotting tool simulated some silver stud using Your Majesty. Adhere the studs on the index with clear polish (they have stuck pretty well, after doing dishes and 2 showers, I'm impressed) and then a swipe of Matte-ified top coat over the black polished nails and it's done.

 

I liked the overall look as I haven't worn black nails in a lot of time. What you think?

CHEAPIES HAUL + ONLINE SHOPPING

Hola Chicas!!

Last night had to do a pit stop at Wal-Mart to get nappies (diapers) and as always I was driven by an invisible force to the make up aisle and though I was searching for those pesky Sally Hansen sheer tints that seem to be nowhere to be found, I ended up picking up 4 polishes from assorted brands and they were dirt cheap. So cheap there was no eyebrow raise gesture from the husband, so all is good!
I need a pat in the back because really I had 8 cheapies plus 2 BOGOF that were a bit more pricier but then I really practiced some self restrain and narrowed it down to these 4 shades that I'm totally sure I don't have. Yeah.

First we have Premium's blue glitter bomb these brand doesn't name his shades. I have a mani in mind that needs this shade/finish so it was a must. This was the "expensive one" of the lot at $2.00 aprox. In pesos was $29.00.

Then are these 2 from a never seen before brand, at least in polish because Equate is Wal-Mart's own brand. The names are straight forward as they come: Orange and Blue. There you have it.

And finally is Premium again, with a shade that I will call Bayleaf. This one is a very light grey with a tint of green sort of greey?? Ideal for base color.

And I just shed a few dineros to get some born pretty stamping plates. I haven't received the last purchase from winstonia but I'm already itching to get this batch.

The first swatch is the Blue shade from Equate, formula runs smooth and the brush is a very good sized so if you have wide nailbeds this will cover it in 2 stokes. As for coverage, it goes opaque in 2 coats with a nice creme finish and dries in about 2-3 minutes. This is a fine good purchase and I liked the shade of blue a lot and even when I own quite a few blues this one in partcicular I don't have. Weeheee!!!

So far so good, if you happen to spot any of these at Wal-Mart, don't be a snob and grab some. Premium has a lot of glitter and jelly shades so they are a damn god bargain if you want to try and end up not being used that much or if you don't like them at least they will not hurt your pockets.

TEQUILA SUNRISE - GRADIENT MANI

Hola Chicas!

Hope you all had a great weekend celebrating Father's Day with your dad's and/ or husbands.

Last night I sat down to get this mani done, didn't had anything specific on mind, pretty much just wanted to use some of the yellow polishes I got from last haul and ended up with a gradient.

See, my problem with gradients is that I love how they look on the distance, up close (at least to me) it doesn't matter how much I blend or smooth the color out, they look like a mess. That is my opinion. Nevertheless I did this one using 3 colors plus the base and a glitter topper.

What I used:

• Bissu in Canarias, base 1 coat. This is a very pretty yellow crème, looks like a easter chicken yellow, it's very pleasant to look at on it's own.
• Bissu Melon, for the gradient bottom part. This one is a more of a mango than a melon to me, but still very nice color. Would be a 2 coater worn on it's own.
• Bissu Folklore Mexicano; middle color. I totally love this color, is an orange neon crème, super vibrant and covers in 1 coat. Ought to swatch it on it's own so you can appreciate it.
• Bissu Rosa Bubble, for the top part of the gradient. It's a punch pink, neaon crème that goes on 1 coat.
• Kleancolor SoCal Gal. for the accent nail 1 coat. This is a textured finish, in the sort of the sand or sugar coats, it's feels very smooth to the touch in comparison to other brands.
• Kleancolor V.I.P. Glitter topper on all nails, except for the accent one. Orange jelly base with mini holo hex glitters in silver and copper.
• Make up sponge

I liked the color combo and the overall look, specially with the glitter because it compliments the background colors but like I said, the "messiness" of the gradient up close bothers me.

What you think of gradients?



IN RAINBOWS

Hola chicas!

You ready for the weekend?

I was itching to use Color Club's Angel's Kiss holo, I wore on it's own for a day and just couldn't stop looking at it, it's so beautiful! Looks like I had tiny pieces of glass and rainbows in my fingers.
It was begging to be stamped so I obeyed and grabbed a couple of the last Kleancolor's haul for the stamping and I'm pretty pleased with the final result, summery and shiny :)

What I used:

• Color Club Angel's Kiss. Base, 2 coats. This is a pure holo, super shiny and reflective leaning towards the silver/blue tones. Perfect, just perfect! the formula is super smooth and it can get away with 1 coat if you're in a rush.
• Kleancolor Neon Aqua
• Kleancolor Sangria Burst
• Kleancolor Berry Burst
• Kleancolor Neon Lime
• Winstonia plate W111

 

 

After the 2 coats I dabbed the rest of the neons alternately on the plate and stamped on the nail. I really liked how the holo shines thru the neons and the compliment the holo in return.

 

Hope you girls like it too! Have a nice weekend!!

SHOPPY SHOP HAUL & REVIEW

Hola!

Today I have some reviews from my last couple of purchases, being smaller (a lot smaller) than usual because I couldn't really find anything that I really wanted. I' ve been hunting down the O.P.I. Sheer Tints or the Sally Hansen's with no luck and my DIY attempt was deemed unsuccessful when decided to add glitter. Muy mal.

First I have Color Club Angel Kiss, holo. I wasn't so sure about getting one of these when I first saw them in the shop but after seeing a few swatches my collection would be incomplete without at least one. (didn't make to the pics, was in my room upstairs and could be bothered to go and get it)

Last Saturday went to the usual shopping spot and I was disappointed by the lack of variety they had this time. Most displays were empty and most colors I already have. I grabbed just 3 kleancolors and some Bisu. Despite my 200+ polishes stash I found I don't have a solid neon lime shade so I got 2 of those because I have a mani on mind that needs that particular shade. Save my husband's " how come you bought yet another polish that looks exactly like the other 80 you already have" Bless them husbands, they're color blind!

The highlight was that I found another shop with a huge, and I mean HUMUNGUS selection of nail wraps. I got 5 packs of those in assorted designs. Out of them I have tried 1 (the sailor mani) that had no particular brand or name on the packaging but it was very good quality. The wrap itself was thinner than others I have used but super sticky. worked perfect both over colored base polish and on it's own just over the bare nail.

One thing did caught my attention was a collection of glitters in the vibe of so many indie polishes out there, these in mini bottles but they were only sold in a strip of 6 shades and couldn't mix and match so for that reason I passed as I had 3 similar from out of the 6. I will return to that shop and see if I can talk to the owner and have her to let me pick as I always go there and spend quite a lot. I remember last time I went there about a month ago, she said they will start to phase out the kleancolor's and introduce Profusion. I did see more of the latter this time and I have some of this brand and they are very good and the bottles are very nice as well, they're round with a long cap/handle and have a rhinestone on the top which is very neat. The only thing is that they didn't have many colors that were new to me so I only got 1 glitter and to be honest I was a bit afraid of having a dupe already.

In the same shop I found the wraps I got the Bisu ones. The thing I love about them is that they have mini bottles that I like to get because they are pocket change cheap, literally (in dollars would be like $40 cents!!!), so I get more chance to get shades I would not use much or I'm not so sure of. One tip, Bisu's formulas are thick which makes them ideal for stamping. The one thing I don't like about them is that it's only until recently they started to name their shades. I have quite a lot of the mini bottles, really beautiful super rich holos but no names! not even color numbers, so in a way I have them "uncharted".

Heres a few pics of the suff I got, will review in detail in the next couple of days or weeks.

Left to Right: Neon Lime, Funky Yellow & Slumber Party *matte

Glitzy Gold

Full sized bottles. Left: Canarias. Right: NO NAME!!! see how annoying it s?

Mini bottle, no name. arrghh

JK Decoration Nail wraps and 2 other no-name 

the no name ones, comes in a neat reusable plastic bag with a button. Really nice, for $1.00 usd!!! 

HOLA SAILOR! - NAUTICAL MANI

Hola Chicas!

For this week's mani I wanted a nautical vibe, it's been a while since I had blue and red on my nails and this is a perfect way to combine them.

I incorporated some cut outs from some nail wraps I grabbed on this Saturday's shopping tour (more on that in another post). I tried to stamp an anchor with Bundle Monster plates and again, it was a pain trying to get it transferred and ended up free handing it and the result was this Nautical Skittle.

What I used:

• Rimmel London Double Decker Red. 2 coats, can get away with 1 as it is highly pigmented super shiny red, exactly like London's afore mentioned buses.
• Kleancolors White. I hate using white polish, the finish on this one is very streaky, I used 2 coats and still could see the lines, wouldn't recommend if using bare, it's acceptable for base with something on top to sort of mask the streaks.
• Sally Hansen Hard as Nails Blue It. Very thin and runny formula, 2 coats but the finish is a super shiny royal blue with a hint of sparkle/shimmer, an all time fav of mine.
• Pure Ice in Bare it All, this is gold glitter, used just for a touch up but gives full coverage in 3 coats.
• Nail Wraps, got them at the nail art supply shop. No brand or name on the package, it was only like " fashion nail wraps" 1 strip with 10 decals. This one was a nautical design but I wasn't interested in using them as a whole and for example, the thumb sized wrap was too small for me. I just cut the blue stripes for my thumbs and the wheel for the pinkies.
• Dotting tool, nail art brush and black polish for the details.

Here it is, Heya Sailor! hope you girls like it.

JUICY NAILS - RUSA!

Hola chicas!

I hope everyone had a nice weekend (it's weekend again and I just managed to post this!), it was baking hot here so we spend all Saturday lounging around the pool and barbequing. That inspired my summer ready looking mani for today.
Is a very simple desing, neon citrus colors & stamping... I was thinking of "Rusas" when I did it, too bad I couldn't drink one but that will be happening next weekend.

(Rusas is a local invented drink that is made with grapefruit soda, lemon juice add some cubed pineapple and orange and top with a chili powder rimmed glass or cup, ohh so refreshing!)

What I used:

• Ruby Wing Electric Firefly, base 1 coat. This one is supposed to change color when outdoors, it didn't I guess it is because it has topcoat and other polish on top of it that annihilates the effect. But owe to try on its own.
• Rimmel  London Tequila Sunsrise. This one just for the stamping.
• Winstonia stamping plate 118, the orange slices design.
• Sally Hansen nail art pen in Violet.
• Fimo embellishment, orange slice. This one I had for ages left over from my acrylic nails supply; not much a fan of using fimo over polish because it does not last on the nails but they look nice as a 3D effect. Actually it came off today while I was washing my hair. bleh.

This was super easy to do, just 1 coat of base color, stamp, top coat. DONE! I liked the overall look very much and is perfect for hot summer days. Hope you like it as well.

I put the fimo slice on my ring finger as accent

 

INSPIRED BY - MALEFICENT

HOLA!!

Friday night finally the long awaited MALEFICENT movie came out and I got together with my Brujas for a girls night at the movies to watch it.

We've been waiting for this one for quite some time and we are super exited, can't wait for 8:00 pm!!

And to honor the occasion I did this mani, can't say I'm super happy with it but is alright for the night.

What I used:

• Kleancolors True Purple (base 1 coat)
• Kleancolors Diva/Tomboy. This is a duo chrome purple, very thin almost jelly like but it has iridescent glass glitter and add a shine and shimmer to the purple base)
• Kleancolor Chunky Holo Teal. One of fav toppers ever, I'm always reaching for it because it has copper fine holo glitter that gives a "shine from within" finish. This one I put on top of Diva/Tomboy.
• Kleancolors Catch Me. This is a turquoise crème, pretty much a 1 coater. Just for the accent nail.
• Sally Hansen Star Burst crackle polish. On top of Catch Me.
• Bundle Monster plate BM406. I can finally say this is my first good experience with the BM plates, I tried about 8 times before and the designs wouldn't transfer fully or in detail, situation that really annoyed me because I waited so long to get my hands in the set that when it arrived made me feel so frustrated none of the designs I worked with came up well.

the stamp loos like the flames but as crappy as my pictures come, can't be appreciated