NOTD: China Glaze Unplugged + m72

I'm not sure how I feel about this stamping ... I started with China Glaze Unplugged, which is just chocolate goodness with a golden shimmer, then I stamped the tips with Misa Ghetto Fabulous & Konad plate m72.  The tip pattern on this plate is one of my favorites, but it just turned out so subtle ... but on the other hand, I don't like any of my other options either LOL.  White would have shown more but been too harsh, and I don't think a chrome gold would have gone with the warm golden shimmer of Unplugged.  Oh well - it was only for a day:

 

I've got a gorgeous spring/Easter water marble to show you guys, again with the Tronica collection, so stay tuned for that tomorrow =)

 

Thanks for reading.

 

~Colette

NOTD: Revlon Perplex + m72

So, I mentioned when I posted my haul that this is supposed to be a dupe to Chanel Pardoxal, but that I didn't have it to compare.  I guess I don't really care if it's a dupe, because it's gorgeous either way!  I was lucky enough to get some sun today, but seriously it was so cold outside, I was shivering so hard I had trouble holding the camera steady LOL!  I don't think even in full focus they would have done this color justice though, none of these pics come close - I just love it.  Revlon Perplex, stamping done with Wet 'n' Wild Black Creme & Konad image plate m72:

 

Thanks for reading =)

 

~Colette

NOTD: Zoya Alegra

OK, so I just realized I've posted FIVE manis in a row without an ounce of nail art!  Gah!  What is the world coming to??  Time to remedy that =)

I have to tell you that this mani didn't go anywhere near planned.  I've been thinking about doing a kind of watermelon water marble, and I've gotten requests for it also.  I wanted to use the pink & green from the Zoya Sparkle collection, and it was just not working in the water.  I was sad.  I used black as a base for one of the failed experiments, so I decided to use Alegra & then do some black Konad & then another coat of Alegra for shimmer.  For stamping I used plate m72 with Wet 'n' Wild Black Creme:

There!  I am now caught up from my week-long backlog!  Now I just need to catchup with everyone else's blogs XD

Thanks for reading.

~Colette

NOTD: Nina Ultra Pro Last Call + M72

Monday's NOTD, I can't decide to call this like a purple, or a deep mauve, or what but it's really pretty.  Nina Ultra Pro Last call also has a gold shimmer, so to play that up I decided to do the stamping with China Glaze 2030, and Konad image plate m72:

This tip pattern has become one of my favorites, I think I've said before but it's just so forgiving.  Some are so glaring obvious if you are the slightest bit crooked.

Thanks for reading.

~Colette

Earth Day NOTD: China Glaze Re-Fresh Mint + M72

I wanted to do something green for Earth Day, and chose Re-Fresh Mint from China Glaze's Up & Away collection.  I used Four Leaf Clover - from the same collection - and Konad image plate m72 to stamp the french tips.  This is much more subtle than the high contrast between the blue & dark plum the last time I used this design, but I like it =)

Much as I liked the final product, this was not what I planned on doing.  This is a glimpse of my test on a piece of scratch paper:

I could not duplicate the results on my nails.  In retrospect, I think the basecoat I was using (Nail Life Gripper) may be too sticky, preventing the polish from flowing back smoothly so instead of a kind of marble look, I was just digging furrows in the polish.  I might try again another time with a different base & see if I can duplicate this as a full mani.

I have a seriously kick-ass yellow & orange water marble to show you guys, but I took a ton of pics to go through & after editing the video I'm not up for it.  If you want a sneak peak at the tutorial though, you can click on the link to my YouTube channel in the right sidebar.

Thanks for reading.

~Colette

NOTD: Orly Plum Noir + M72

Well, I should be in bed, but I'm not, so I might as well do something constructive.  Why am I awake at 1 am when I am perpetually sleep deprived during the week?  Well, I'm a night owl ... I could be tired all day, yet as evening comes I find myself the most awake.  I force myself to bed during the week ... but tomorrow I can sleep all day if I want.  Although I do have some errands to run ... I am in need of a 3rd Helmer =)

Anyway, I really liked this mani, & combined with the purple tiger stripes that preceded it, I've renewed my love of Konad, which I'd been kind of neglecting with my current fascination with water marbling & freehand nail art.  

 

I think most of the people around me are so used to my nails always being done that most manis go unremarked, but I actually got a lot of compliments on this.  Base color is Orly Plum Noir, Konad done with Orly Snowcone & image plate m72:

I think I got some of the tips a little crooked, but this design is very forgiving.  I'd never tried it before, didn't think it looked that interesting on the plate, but I will for sure use it again.  I did get some residue from Snowcone when stamping, but Seche Vite really worked it's magic.  Here's a before & after topcoat comparison ... just so you can see the difference, but as always if you want to see larger just click on them:

So if you try this color & run into this problem, don't worry.  As long as it's just a thin film ,topcoat will totally take care of it.

Going to try & get into bed shortly here.  I did manage to get on top of the questions coming through YT, but I'm still in a ridiculous hole where blog comments are concerned.  Getting to them this weekend will depend on when I decide to fit in the assembly time, although if I remember correctly, they take less than an hour.

Thanks for reading =)

~Colette

NOTD: Sinful Show Me The Way

So, in the interest of St. Patrick's day, I've been trying to work my way through some of my unworn greens =)  This mani lasted me a couple of days, I started out with Sinful Colors Show Me The Way, then I added a coat of Matte Magic ... then I thought I'd do some nail art in glossy topcoat, but I really wasn't thrilled with it, so you'll see in the last pic that I ended up going over that with MM again:

I haven't had anything that my nails look like lately, but this little butterfly thing was on a co-worker's desk & I was immediately struck by how similar the color was =)

For the 2nd day of this mani, I added some Konad, with image plate m72.  I used L'Oreal Yellow Buzz for the stamping.  I was originally going to use Ghetto Fabulous, but when I tested it on the pinky it was almost invisible, so I switched from gold to yellow.  This is the first time I've used this design, I like it a lot better on my nail than on the plate.  I also used a glossy topcoat this time,:

Thanks for reading.

~Colette

NOTD: OPI DS Sapphire (& Matte w/ Konad)

I passed a challenge. I didn't even know I was going to be tested! I went to Walgreens to pick up a prescription - a decidedly painful event for my pocket, as we are in a new plan year & I have to meet my $2500.00 detectable before insurance covers my 'scrips - and I passed no less than 3 brand freaking new shiny pretty & FULL nail polish displays. I was caught off-guard because last time I was there the aisles were packet with Christmas cologne gift sets. But I toughed it out, although I picked up several bottles in admiration I put them all back down. I am on a no buy. I am on a no buy. I am ... well you get the picture. I told myself over & over until I was out of the store & on my way again & then I was very proud of myself LOL.

Anyway, just thought I'd share. You will probably get periodic whining & ranting along the same schedule that you would normally see hauling. Because I may be sticking to the no-buy, but I don't have to be happy about it damnit!

On to nails (finally). Shimmery DS goodness, and I even got a smidgen of sun. Even though it is so low in the sky this time of year I feel like I never get really GOOD sun, even if I were able to go out at "high" noon, the sun is still at a wonky angle. From the OPI Designer Series, this is DS Sapphire:

I didn't have time to redo totally last night, so I added some Konad & then some Matte Magic. Konad is done with image plate m72, stamped once with Misa Toxic Seduction & again with Misa A Sin Worth Committing. They didn't end up as contrast-y as I expected, but the 2 colors together still give this design more depth than it would have with only 1:

Thanks for reading =)

~Colette