Crane under a silver Moon: Diamond Cosmetics Starshine

Hello ladies,

Today I created an Asian inspired look featuring a crane. I have a real affinity for water birds. I wouldn't mind spending part of my day wading in a lake. The crane is a traditional symbol of longevity. As 2010 draws to a close, it's my wish for each of you, along with health and happiness.

Stamping with pastel blue special polish, I chose the crane image from Konad plate M23. I used a rainbow crystal to hang a Moon in the sky. A pale blue gem highlights the crane's wing. I flocked the trees with a turquoise blue glitter striper from Art Club. I love the softness of tone on tone manicures.

Starshine needed two coats for opacity. This shade has the beautiful pearl finish Diamond Cosmetics formulates so well. There is sparkling turquoise micro glitter in a blue green base. Starshine is a must have for lovers of blue polish. Diamond Cosmetics continues to enrapture me each year with their Winter Collection. I am excited about every color in the offering.

I hope everyone is enjoying their holiday preparations and making good wishes for the year to come.

Diamond Cosmetics Starshine was sent to me for review. This polish is sold in the US at diamondcosmetics.com. Use the code HOLIDAY for free shipping through Sunday, December 19th at 5 a.m. International readers can check boozshop.nl for availability.

Image plate M23 was provided for my consideration. You can shop the entire line of Konad stamping products at ocnailart.com.

Happy painting, ladies!

I'm with the band: Nubar Gold Glitter

Hello ladies,

Today's manicure was created out of a popular misconception about me. People often think I play a musical instrument. If there is a piano nearby, I am expected to entertain. Once I was handed a guitar and I refused it, stating honestly that I never had a lesson. I was surprised when a room full of people didn't believe me and urged me on. A lack of musical training can't stop me: Apparently, I'm with the band.

From Konad plate M58, I stamped the musical instruments with black special polish. The face of the woman came from image plate M34. I placed a star gem from Nubar on the drum.

I was able to catch the last few minutes of sunlight before the wind shifted the clouds. One of the final acts of the sun over Philadelphia today was to illuminate Nubar Gold Glitter. Enjoy!

As always, these photos are clickable for a larger view.

Drums, the lead singer, the piano and guitar.

Below are photos taken under a natural lamp.

Lead singer (middle finger).

Drums with star (pointer finger).

Trumpet (thumb).

Gold Glitter is not for the shy. My friend David described my nails as ten disco balls. This polish is sparkly to the point of distraction. The fast-drying formula has a dense concentration of gold glitter in a clear base. I am wearing three coats, but it's suitably opaque in two.

I hope you enjoyed my popular misconception nail art. Is there anything that people often believe about you that isn't true? It just might make an entertaining manicure.

Nubar Gold Glitter was sent to me for review. This polish is part of the Holiday Jewel Basket, available at bynubar.com.

Konad image plate M58 was provided for my consideration. To shop the full line of nail art stamping products, please visit ocnailart.com.

Happy painting, ladies!

Daisy Chain: Nubar Grass Green Glitter

Hello ladies,

This sparkling green transported me back to hours spent on a tapestry in the park. After reading and watching songbirds and squirrels, making daisy chains could fill leisure time in summer weather.

I stamped the daisies from Konad plate M37 with white special polish. To form their yellow centers, I placed golden pearls and rhinestones.

I adore this polish. Pure green glitter with the occasional speck of gold is blended in a clear base. Grass Green Glitter has been reformulated. I love that the current version is opaque in two coats. I am showing three here, but I tend to paint thin layers. The original color is a touch more blue and contains finer glitter without the gold accent.

I hope you enjoyed the weaving of flowers with sparkle.

Nubar Grass Green Glitter was sent to me for review. This shade is part of the Holiday Jewel Basket, available at bynubar.com.

Konad plate M37 was provided for my consideration. To view the full line of nail art stamping products, visit ocnailart.com.

Happy painting, ladies!

Icy roses

Hello ladies,

I was amazed when my friend David told me the roses in his yard started blooming again. Roses are my favorite flower. It brought me such happiness to be able to experience roses on the vine past their season. I was thinking about the frosty temperatures typically brought by late November weather as well as the early darkening of the sky. I created a look of icy roses.

From Konad plate M40, I stamped roses with white special polish. I reversed the image from top to bottom every other nail. I added a clear crystal with rainbow reflection, a white pearl and a silver bead to each nail. I love the icy feel and the shine brought by these tiny ornaments.

Jewel of a Girl is such a beautiful shade. The color is a shimmering fusion of plum and burgundy. The deep hue doesn't appear blackened. Two coats should be perfect for opacity. While I tend to use three for most Color Club polishes, I love this color so much I kept right on painting!

I wanted to create a manicure that felt like a reflection of me, something to help me connect with my own sense of self and happiness. Roses and pearls were a natural choice. The local rose bushes were in full collaboration. I hope you enjoyed it too!

Jewel of a Girl was sent to me for review. This polish is part of the Untamed Luxury Collection, available at victoriasnailsupply.com.

Image plate M40 was provided for my consideration. You can see the full line of Konad products at ocnailart.com.

Happy painting, ladies!

Last day to enter the Ladies' Choice of Eight Plates Giveaway!

Hello ladies,

I wanted to remind everyone the Ladies' Choice of Eight Plates Giveaway ends in the last available time zone today. That translates to 8 a.m. EST, November 25th. Stop on by the contest post to enter!

I hope those who celebrate Thanksgiving in the U.S. are having a great time with their holiday preparations. Wishing the best to everyone!

Happy painting, ladies!

Chocolate and crochet

Hello ladies,

With the cooler weather upon us, I keep hearing tales of evening hours spent with crochet hooks and knitting needles. I can guarantee the majority of my female friends has made a crochet flower in the past week. This manicure presents an option of how to accessorize your nails to match endeavors with yarn.

From image plate M40, I stamped the row of flowers with Konad pastel blue special polish. I added soft blue pearls and blue beads for ornamentation. This tone on tone approach reminds me of boutique yarns, threaded with delicate beads and gems.




Easy to apply, Nothing But Truffle was opaque in two coats. I love the warm shimmer present in full sun. In diffuse light, this shade appears dark, but still looks brown to my eyes.

For those of you who enjoy crochet during the colder weather, may I suggest a chocolate truffle to add luxury to the comfort of yarn?

Nothing But Truffle was sent to me for review. This polish and others from the Untamed Luxury Collection are available for purchase at victoriasnailsupply.com.

Image plate M40 was provided for my consideration. Visit ocnailart.com for the full line of Konad products. For a chance to win an assortment of image plates, stop by the Ladies' Choice of Eight Plates Giveaway. The contest ends on November 24th, so get your entries in!

Happy painting, ladies!

Trousseau

Hello ladies,

I was thinking today about vintage bridal trousseaus. I love the idea of a hand carved trunk overflowing with embroidered linens and exquisite gowns. I wanted to create a manicure of soft colors and old world details.

With brown Konad Princess polish, I stamped the creeping floral vine from plate M31. I added blue and silver beads along with pastel blue pearls to highlight the flowers. The floral pattern makes me think of filigree.

Wild Orchid reminds me of moonlight.

A pretty little tree in Fitler Square.

Wild Orchid is unusual. It's a lavender tinted grey with multihued shimmer. I painted three coats for perfect opacity. Those ladies with shorter nails would likely be pleased with two coats. The application was great with this color.

I hope you enjoyed my heirloom inspired manicure.

Wild Orchid was sent to me for review. Part of the Untamed Luxury Collection, this polish can be purchased from victoriasnailsupply.com.

Konad plate M31 was provided for my consideration. To explore the full line of Konad products, stop by ocnailart.com. For the chance to win eight nail art stamping plates. Head over to the Ladies' Choice of Eight Plates Giveaway! The contest ends November 24th, so get your entries in!

Happy painting, ladies!

Modern floral

Hello ladies,

In home decor magazines, purple and brown is often showcased together as a design element. I translated this color scheme into a nail look and incorporated a modern floral.

With Konad violet pearl Princess polish, I stamped the flowers from plate M36. I positioned the design off center and mirrored the placement on my right hand. I added an amethyst jewel in the middle of each flower and used a lavender pearl and four silver beads to represent the buds.

I am showing two sets of photos of Nubar Moire. The first grouping was taken indoors under a natural lamp. The second were taken outdoors in full sun. The natural lamp photos are the most color accurate. A dusky shade, Moire is beige with a mauve undertone.

A piece of tumbled amethyst.

The full sun, along with the fall leaf background, adds warmth to Moire.

A ginkgo tree in Fairmount Park's Horticulture Center.

Two coats of Moire brings perfect opacity. This polish applied beautifully. I am really impressed with the application of all the colors I have tried from the Finest Silks Collection.

Moire is another shade that has a vintage feel. I enjoyed blending the old and the new with this look.

Moire was sent to me for review. This shade is part of the Finest Silks Collection, available at bynubar.com.

Konad plate M36 was provided for consideration. To explore the full line of Konad products, visit ocnailart.com. For the chance to win eight nail art stamping plates, stop by the Ladies' Choice of Eight Plates Giveaway to enter.

Happy painting, ladies!

Gilded Chinoiserie

Hello ladies,

I love pairing red and gold together, especially when done with an Asian influence. This manicure makes me think of antique lacquer boxes and jewelry chests, overflowing with strands of golden pearls and lengths of chain.

Beginning with a base of Nubar Competition Red, I stamped the floral motif from Konad plate M23. I chose China Glaze 2030 to create the gilded flowers. I added a gold metallic gem and a yellow pearl to highlight the centers of the blooms.

The formula is an interesting mix between a jelly and a creme. Competition Red has the high gloss of a jelly, but builds to opacity as easily as a creme. I am wearing three coats, but most ladies would be satisfied with two. This polish is a classic winter red.

As the holidays approach, I love creating looks that are subtly festive and elegant.

Competition Red was sent to me for review. This shade is part of the Nubar Holiday Jewel Basket, which will be available for purchase on November 15th at bynubar.com.

Image plate M23 was provided for my consideration. To view the entire collection of Konad products, visit ocnailart.com. If you would like the chance to win eight nail art stamping plates, stop by the Ladies' Choice of Eight Plates Giveaway to enter.

Happy painting, ladies!

Jeweled Autumn

Hello ladies,

Watching the trees shed their jewel tone leaves, I imagined what it would be like if actual gems accompanied the leaves in the air. There would be rubies, emeralds, citrine, amber with peach and golden pearls.

I began with BB Couture Eve. Using China Glaze 2010, I stamped the floating leaves from Konad plate M31. The design shows bubbles amidst the leaves. I followed the pattern and added an assortment of pearls, rhinestones and metallic gems in fall colors.

A tiger's eye sphere.

Eve, a gorgeous forest green, is a jelly polish packed with multihued glitter. I painted three coats for opacity. The application was simple for a jelly formula. It smoothed over my nails evenly and the color built up well.

I hope you enjoyed my whimsical take on autumn. If ever there were a chance for gems to fall softly from the trees, I hope you are standing by.

Eve was sent to me for review. This polish is part of the BB Couture Infamous Lovers Ladies' Collection, available for purchase at overallbeauty.com.

Image plate M31 was provided for my consideration. To explore the full line of nail art stamping products, visit ocnailart.com. Would you like a chance to win eight image plates of your choice? Stop by the Ladies' Choice of Plates Giveaway to enter.

Happy painting, ladies!