NOTD: Basic French Manicure + Tutorial

Simple, traditional, and completely out of the ordinary for me LOL.  I might even have been known to call a basic French manicure boring.  I also don't care for how a traditional French looks when my nails are longer, but at this length, I think it was just about perfect =)  The polishes used are Formula X for Sephora White Matter & Wondrous.  Please forgive the tiny chips on my index in the outdoor shots:

Here's the tutorial:

How often do you wear a basic french?

Thanks for reading.

~Colette

NOTD: Gemmed Funky French + Tutorial

I do wish I'd used slightly smaller rhinestones for this look, but other than that it turned out mostly as planned.  And while the tips & ring finger may look like a dark blurple, they're really Wet n Wild Black Creme topped with Savvy French Rose Opal Frost:  

Here's the tutorial:

Thanks for reading.

~Colette

NOTD: Sephora Opalescent Blasted

I think I included this in my Pre-Christmas haul video, but forgot to include a bottle pic.  My friend Sam got it for me for Christmas, along with some loose glitter.  I used Finger Paints Black Expressionism for the base, and although I wish I'd done a little thicker coat to get thicker cracks from the Opalescent Blasted, overall I really liked the effect & I think it would be gorgeous over other dark colors too:

It looked a lot different with & without topcoat, but topcoat definitely brings out the shimmer:

Thanks for reading =)

~Colette

NOTD: PHD Just Tips Challenge (Gold Holo)

(You can view the full Challenge Gallery HERE)

I wish that I'd done my tips in white or black or silver or something as a base, but when I started I was intending to overlap these kind of like fish scales, not have gaps between.  But when I started working with them, I realized they were thicker than they looked, too thick for that idea to work very well.  Blingtastic base is 2 coats of China Glaze Golden Enchantment ... which mad my nail beds appear a little more yellow than gold, but I'll forgive it because it's holo:

 

 

Oh also, I probably should have checked the packaging to see what these little things were actually called, so I could tell you guys, but I didn't so I'll just tell you what they are - little holographic circular stickers that came on a little strip from Michaels.  They're in the scrapbooking section, and there were lots of other cute stickers there that tempted me.

 

On the downside, although these started out smooth for the most part, not sure if it was gradual exposure to water as I washed my hands or what but some started lifting, and I started picking ... by the time I got home, there was only one nail that still had all of its circles.  The ones that didn't peel off however were very stubborn & required a bit of prying with an orange stick in addition to polish remover.

 

I know I keep talking about my hauls & then not posting pics - I just haven't had time.  Thanks for reading.

 

~Colette

Guest NOTD: Sally Hansen Dive Deeper

Seems like it's been forever since I've had any pics of Mom's nails to post.  Not that she hasn't been doing her nails, just that she kept wearing polish I'd already recently worn & posted LOL.  Today she has on something from the unworn mountain - Sally Hansen Dive Deeper:

Above is 2 coats - she's not quite happy with how sheer it is so she's planning a third coat later tonight.  Thanks for reading =)

~Colette