Baby's Breath

Hello ladies,

Hot Lips from Diamond Cosmetic's Spring Collection is electrifying my nails today in neon pink. This shade is certainly eye catching. I received four compliments when out running errands.

When I first removed the bottle of Hot Lips from the shipping box, it reminded me of the 1980s. Much of my childhood was spent in that decade. I was thinking of the prevalence of bright fuchsia in make up and fashion. I also remembered the baby's breath flowers that bloomed in the back corner of my yard. I loved touching the tiny white flowers. They seemed like lace, growing out of the earth.

I stamped the flowers in white pearl special polish from Konad plate M24. I added the pearls to balance the gentle blossoms with the bright background.

Hot Lips is a fussy diva polish, as most neons are. There is a way to circumvent this. I started with two coats of Diamond Cosmetics Super Base. This product is a ridge filling base coat with a white tint. Using a concealing base before applying a neon is key to achieving opacity. I followed Super Base with three coats of Hot Lips. This practically took care of the visible nail line issue. There is a hint of it, but the stamp I chose tricks the eye. This color would also work well with French tip Konad designs.

I wasn't entirely convinced by Hot Lips until I walked outside. Sunlight fully ignites this neon. Indoors in low light, it looks like a basic berry creme. I would recommend coordinating Hot Lips to the forecast and your activities. This is a great shade for strolling about on a sunlit day or relaxing with a beverage in front of a picture window.

Hot Lips was sent to me for review. This shade is available for purchase at diamondcosmetics.com for the very agreeable price of $2.25. Super Base was also included in my review package. It retails for $2.50 in the treatments section.

Happy painting, ladies!

Starry Kitty

Hello ladies,

I am wearing another beauty from the Nubar Sparkles Collection. Star Sparkle is a silver glitter polish aglow with holographic reflection.

I decided to experiment with the smaller scale leopard design from Konad plate M24. I alternated positioning the stamp at an angle and keeping the pattern aligned with the side of my nail. The feline print was stamped with black special polish. I added a black stripe and affixed a metallic star. Paired with the leopard, it reminds me a bit of a cat collar. I painted a double line with an Art Club striper to achieve the desired thickness.

It's so nice to have a gargoyle looking out for me on work days.

Star Sparkle was fairly easy to apply. Three coats should suffice. I ended up painting four, but I was concerned with having perfect opacity under magnification. The next time I wear this polish for a full manicure, I will likely layer it over silver. The glitter is suspended in a clear base, which is phenomenal for shine but a little more effort for thorough coverage. I love Star Sparkle too much to worry over minor details. I am simply happy it exists.

I am really impressed with the versatility of the Nubar Sparkles Collection. The shades look striking when worn alone and create fantastic base colors for nail art. These polishes could be used for layering or adding a glitter funky french to a basic manicure.

Star Sparkle was sent to me for review. The Nubar Sparkles Collection will be available at bynubar.com on January 30th. I will be tempting you with more colors before the release date.

Happy painting, ladies!