Scented with flowers

Hi everyone, I have another manicure for you today! I used the base color of Revlon Scented Polish called "Bubble Gum" ( It really smelled like bubble gum when dried!) and then konad white stamping color with the stamp from plate m54. I then colored the petals in with NYC "Canal Street". As you can see I was not perfect with filling in the petals!

I don't have any sunlight where I live, so I couldn't take any outside pictures =(

Scented with flowers

Hi everyone, I have another manicure for you today! I used the base color of Revlon Scented Polish called "Bubble Gum" ( It really smelled like bubble gum when dried!) and then konad white stamping color with the stamp from plate m54. I then colored the petals in with NYC "Canal Street". As you can see I was not perfect with filling in the petals!

I don't have any sunlight where I live, so I couldn't take any outside pictures =(

FreeCycling!

By rmcandlelight
Free Cycle Haul

Freecycling is when a person passes on, for free, an unwanted item to another person who needs that item. From silverware to mobile homes, etc.  Lawd, knows I really don't need any more polish. (giggles)

Look what I got from my first free cycle haul. Check to see if you have a Free Cycle in your area here you maybe able to get some free polish. I got a HTF! (cartwheels)

                                                                

                                                                      Click to enlarge

From Left: Love Bites (no name) its one of those polishes you're not suppose to shake. Petites: Soda Fountain, Loreal Shock Proof: LE Orange Crush, OPI Paris Couture For Sure Glitter Topcoat and NYC: (no name) its a glittery purple.  

OPI Paris Couture For Sure Glitter Topcoat is my prize!  You never know what you might find.

Can you identify the no names?

 Until next time please have a great nail polish day. (✿◠‿◠)

Sparkling steel

Hello ladies,

Today I have a layered look with NYC New York Color in Steele and Fantasy Makers Magical. I intended this to be a Halloween theme manicure, but the result bespeaks of steampunk to me. It has the quality of industrial metals sparked with the fantastical.  I imagine those Victorian inspired gowns made with parachute material and accented with clock pieces. 

Evil Angel had requested a picture of my ring. Here you go, lady!

It amazes me how within one step from the bright pink blooms was another bush finished flowering and producing rose hips. Roses have such an extended growing season.

The base of the look is NYC New York Color in Steele. This polish is from a recent holiday display with a red and silver theme. They are still in stock in my local CVS and Rite Aid. While I love the color, the frost formula is undesirable to me when worn alone. Brushstrokes are visible on the nail even with careful application. I would only use this polish for layering or as a base for an all over Konad design. I was able to achieve opacity in two coats.

Fantasy Makers by Wet and Wild is currently available in the Halloween aisle. Magical is a notable glitter top coat. It has a combination of coppery orange glitter, gold glitter as well as gold micro glitter in a clear base. I applied two coats over NYC Steele.  I experimented with this as a funky french but I didn't think it had the concentration of glitter to produce enough flash. It's perfect as a topcoat. Magical would be more befitting of the Halloween season over a black creme polish, but I do love to try new styles.

Happy painting, ladies!   

Seafoam and Fortune

Hello ladies,

I have a layered look to offer today. The combination of New York Color Big Money Frost and Claire's Sparkle produces a sea foam confection. I envision glittering tulle in an underwater ballet attended by a Sea Queen. This manicure has an undeniably fey quality. It makes me want to read faery tales by lamp and candlelight. At the close of the picture book my flame point Balinese, Fortune, shows his version of happily ever after.  

Fortune is awakening from a nap in his favored sleeping position. His blue eyes are partially open and his belly is an extravaganza of curly floof. If you ever see a white or peach cat hair in one of my photos, think of all the ones I kept away!

NYC Big Money Frost was tricky. The thin consistency required three coats for opacity. The formula could qualify for the brushstroke olympics! Still, I really loved the color. I found Claire's Sparkle to be sheer. It has a green tint that doesn't appear entirely clear on the nail. It's more like a watercolor filled with glitter. I think shorter nails would be a better canvas for the wash of color and and glitter Sparkle provides on it's own. Because the glitter is suitably packed in the base, I only required one coat over Big Money Frost. Claire's creates some of my favorite glitter polishes. Their polish display contains a wonderland of icy sparkle. 

I wanted to thank everyone who has entered the Coraline Nail Art Contest. I am going return to the post tomorrow and reply to the comments.

Happy painting, ladies. I hope you are enjoying your weekend.  

Contest in a teapot! Who's the winner of Molten Metal?

Hello ladies,

In the great spirit of whimsy that possesses this blog and it's creator, I will endeavor to choose a winner. Who will be receiving the bottle of NYC Nail Glossies in Molten Metal? I have a bit of help from one of my favorite representatives of the animal kingdom to convey this message. 

The great owl is feeling contemplative in the garden setting. 

The owl is steeped in thought.

Oh, a missive!

What say you, great owl?

Nivipa is the winner! Congratulations! The bottle will be flying your way later this week. Please e-mail me your mailing information at berkana[at]fastmail[dot]fm. 

Thanks to everyone who entered. I really appreciated reading about your most beloved colors and formulas. It will help me to make certain I feature some of your favorites at painted Lady fingers. 

Please be sure to visit nivipa's nail blog too! I'm going to add nivipa to my blogroll right now. 

Happy painting ladies!

Steampunk manicure and a chance to win Molten Metal

Hello ladies,

First I will speak of the manicure, then talk of the contest will follow. Today I have for you N.Y.C. Metallic Nail Glossies in Molten Metal. Tiny silver glitter particles are suspended in a pale brown base. Molten Metal really does make me think of gear shifts and clockwork pieces. I can easily equate the color with the Victorian fantasy genre of Steampunk that is pervading literature, fashion and perfume of late. There is something about Molten Metal that is both industrial and fantastical. 

I added the scrolling pattern from Konad plate M07 in black special polish. The design reminds me of ironwork in grates, fences and doorways. It took all manner of restraint not to walk up the steps of a brownstone in my neighborhood and pose my hand before a grand door. Instead, I walked to Rittenhouse Square Park and commandeered a bit of fence. 

The first two photos are of Molten Metal taken with a piece of pyrite, also known as fool's gold. All of these pictures can be enlarged to full size by clicking on them. 

Onward to the contest! Between now and August 16, 2009, you can enter to win a new bottle of N.Y.C. Molten Metal. I purchased the bottle in December 2009. Molten Metal is no longer available in stores. A beloved color to me, I am offering my back up bottle as a thank you for such a personable welcome into the blogging community. I have been enjoying reading everyone's comments and seeing new followers appear on my blog. It's been such a delight for me!

To enter, become a follower or subscribe to painted Lady fingers e-mail subscription. Leave me a comment on this post and tell me about your favorite polish colors (pick any color of the rainbow!) and formulas (shimmer, creme, glitter, frost, matte, pearl, metallic). I will enter you to win Molten Metal.  If are subscribing via e-mail, please let me know in the comments so I am sure to be able to match your entry. Also, please add your e-mail address if you don't have a blog or would prefer to be notified privately. I will gladly ship the bottle to any location worldwide. If you already have Molten Metal, please consider entering the contest to give the bottle to a friend, relative or swap partner who would enjoy it as much as you do! 

Thanks so much! I hope you like the Steampunk manicure and my first contest. 

A Sun Goddess and a game of chance to win a Konad set B

Hello ladies,

Today I have for you N.Y.C. New York Color in a Minute in Sun Goddess. I purchased this yesterday at the local Rite Aid. It's from their new collection: Golden Girl. There was one other polish called Bronze Goddess. I like a little more adventure than the other choice could afford, so I left with only the one pictured below. Sun Goddess is heralded on the bottle to be a Quick Dry Nail Polish with Minerals. The presence of the minerals is what kept the bottle in my hand all the way to the register. There are tiny particles of gold shimmer in a salmon base. I was very pleased to see the shimmer appeared so boldly on the nail. The color is an odd medley. The base is work appropriate. The shimmer adds enough spark to give it personality. I imagine this would appeal to a wide range of people. The first picture is taken in natural light with my parasol as a background. It is the most color accurate. The following two taken in direct sunlight allow for the gold shimmer to beam from my nails. 

Click the photos to make them bigger. You don't even need to consume a beverage labeled Drink Me. 

Now that you have viewed the color, let's discuss the formula and application. First, I will inform you that I am in a reasonable geographic proximity to New York City. I can take a train and be there in a little over an hour. I feel confident that I understand what color in a New York minute should entail. While waiting for the polish to dry, I checked the bottle to see where it was created. It just said "Made in the U.S.A." This is curious. I have to say there must be some regional discrepancy to account for what I understand to be a New York minute and how slow this polish actually dries. What is favorable here is I added CND Air Dry and had no bubbling or other issues that must be endured by people impatient enough to add a quick dry topcoat to a quick dry polish. Sun Goddess acted like regular polish in terms of dry time. The brush applied the color well, but I had to get used to having less polish on the brush than I would normally use. The brush seemed to sponge up the polish from the depths. It's easily remedied by emptying a bit before applying your first stroke. Otherwise, you won't be polishing your nails, you will be playing paint ball.

On to the Konad! I stamped a delicate floral pattern from plate M8. I used Konad special polish in yellow.  This manicure was done specially for fellow nail blogger KonAddict. Right now she has a contest in progress to win a Konad B kit. There are ways for bloggers and readers alike to enter. I personally enjoy reading her blog. She does some involved and very fetching nail art utilizing the Konad. She treats every post like a mini tutorial to help you achieve the look she is presenting. She is very excited about her contest and I am happy to help promote it. The Konad is indeed habit forming. I love being able to achieve detailed designs at home without the awkward application of having to draw with tiny brushes with my unskilled left hand. I hope you enjoyed my showcase manicure with Konad plate M8. 

I want to thank everyone for stopping by and reading my blog as I get started. Please leave a comment for me if you have a nail blog and would like me to add your link to my sidebar. I would be pleased to do so and to learn a bit more about your place in the nail community. 

WHAT I USED

As promised, I got the pics of the nail polish I used for yesterday's NOTD.

The original post can be found below this one.

I used Nubar - Dolcetto and NYC Foils - Foil 'er Up

OLD DRAPES, MAYBE CARPET

Old drapes or carpet is what my NOTD reminds me of. Not saying that that is a bad thing, because I really like this. I love the way the colors look together and how nicely defined the details of the konad stamp came out. I thought about maybe adding some jewels to the center of the flowers, but I think I like it better kept simple.


I went off this morning and forgot to grab the nail polishes that I used last night, so I have no pics of them or the names. I will def. update that info tomorrow for any that is interested. I do know the base color was a Nubar from the Vineyard collection and the stamp color is a NYC foil.


I love this so much I **almost** want to wear this another day! I might switch up the colors though. :)