Summer dresses: Color Club Splitting Image & High Society

Hello ladies,

During last week's heat wave, many Philadelphia ladies decided to meld with the temperatures by putting on their brightest floral dresses. It seemed like the whole city was a connection of fabric flowers on the vine. I appreciated the local effort to maintain a sense of beauty even in the oppressive heat. What is a lady to do but keep her parasol aloft at such times?   

I began with taupe as a base and chose the Art Club striper You're Golden to section the nail diagonally. I layered the blue shimmer fractured polish Splitting Image towards the tip. I picked dried flowers in hot pink, nude pink and burgundy to bloom along the gold shimmer. I featured more hot pink flowers on my right hand and the peachy tones on my left. To highlight the centers of the flowers, I used turquoise and pastel or hot pink gems. I also placed pink, blue and natural tone pearls. 

My right hand with more hot pink flowers. 

A morning glory with either pollen dust or pixie dust. 

High Society is a taupe creme. I applied three coats for evenness and opacity. I wore this polish for a couple days without nail art and received compliments. It's a classic shade that is simple and stylish.

Splitting Image has a versatile formula. A thinner coating will produce standard cracking. Adding a little more creates fine striations that reminds me of distressed denim. I would recommend trying Splitting Image over a pale blue. The light cobalt tone is really lovely. I have been really enjoying experimenting with the Fractured Collection. As much as I enjoy the look of the stronger effect produced through traditional layering, it's fun to see the variations when painted as a diagonal or French manicure.

If you are in a warm climate, I hope this manicure inspires you to put on a pretty, summer frock and move amongst the flowers.

The Color Club and Art Club items mentioned in this post were provided for review. High Society is from the Rebel Debutante Collection and Splitting Image can be found in the Fractured Collection. These shades can be purchased at victoriasnailsupply.com. Color Club/Forsythe has been revamping their company site. You can explore the product lines at cosmeticgroup.com.

Would you like the chance to win six crackle nail polishes? Stop by the Let's Get Cracking! Color Club Fractured Giveaway! to enter.

Happy painting, ladies!

Astrological Portrait: Diamond Cosmetics Deep Blue Sea

Hello ladies,

In love with stargazing, I have longed to create an astrological portrait manicure. You will find all twelve signs of the zodiac represented in a sparkling blue heaven of color.

From image plate H32, I stamped the zodiac signs using a franken of Konad silver polish and China Glaze Millennium. If my right thumb were lined up with my left pinky, you would find the symbols have been aligned in the proper order. My thumb nails each show two astrological signs.

To create the starry tips, I alternated silver hologram stars from the Art Club Holiday gem wheel and rainbow jewels. The thin line French was formed using an Art Club striper in Crystal Glitter. 

There are various accents. I highlighted the clothing of the Twins, the skirt of the Virgin, and the stream from the Water Bearer with the Crystal Glitter striper. The Crab has silver moon legs and silver beads at the base of the main body. The Virgin wears a triangular gem on her dress. A Moon makes The Scorpion's tail. The Sea Goat has a pearl in his tail fin. The Water Bearer is beneath a silver crescent. Silver beads embellish the spiral of The Fish.  

The base color, Diamond Cosmetics Deep Blue Sea, is indeed blue despite any trickery from your monitor. I took pictures today amidst sun showers. The flowers are glistening with raindrops. 

A pink rose after the rain

Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo. 

Virgo, Leo, Cancer, Gemini, Taurus & Aries (on thumb).

Right hand: (Thumb) Libra & Scorpio, Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius, Pisces. 

The purple iris petals look like fabric for a ball gown.

My right hand. 

A flower ring as bright as the sun.

A gorgeous jelly polish flecked with turquoise glitter, Deep Blue Sea is the must have from the Diamond Cosmetics Caribbean Collection. Opaque in two coats, the color was easy to apply. I decided to wear this over a whitening base coat to make the blue really pop. The color is so lovely, I have worn it a couple times in the past two weeks. As with any jelly formula, I recommend wrapping the tips.

I hope you enjoyed the astrological portrait manicure. Let me know your Sun sign or any bit of your chart you choose to share in the comments. I am always curious. I am a Virgo with a Scorpio Moon and Leo Rising.

Deep Blue Sea was sent to me for review. US residents can purchase this shade at diamondcosmetics.com. International residents, look to boozyshop.nl for availability.

Image plate H32 was provided for my consideration. To view the full line of nail art stamping supplies, stop by chez-delaney.com.

Happy painting, ladies!

Butterfly Fantasia: Diamond Cosmetics Creole Splash

Hello ladies,

With the growing profusion of flowers and Spring greenery comes the return of the butterflies. Today's manicure is an homage to these delicate winged creatures and their transformative beauty. 

Using green Konad special polish, I stamped the three swirl patterns from image plate T30. The designs reminded me of fern leaves unfurling. I placed fimo butterflies from the Art Club Blue Denim wheel in random flight patterns on each nail. I made jeweled polka dots with green and blue pearls and rhinestones.  

Butterflies and buttercups!

Sarada took this picture of my right hand with white azaleas.

This red flower decided my butterfly nails needed a sprinkling of pollen.

Such a soft and cozy flower ring.

Caterpillar Girl

My friend, the Eastern Tent Caterpillar, is on the move.

A water view from the observation deck. 

The reflection of the clouds in the water brings peace. 

Creole Splash is a bright robin's egg blue shade. While the polish is perfectly opaque in two coats, I found the formula difficult to control. It was on the thin side. With a little cleanup, you can still have a pretty manicure.

I hope you enjoyed my Butterfly Fantasia. Are you ladies catching sight of butterflies as you go about your day?

Creole Splash was sent to me for review. US residents can purchase this color at diamondcosmetics.com. For international shipping, keep an eye on boozyshop.nl for availability.

Image plate T30 was provided for my consideration. You can shop the full line of nail art stamping supplies at chez-delaney.com.

Happy painting, ladies!

Butterfly Season: Color Club Wicked Sweet

Hello ladies,

With the return of sun filled days and bright blossoms, I have been craving sweet things. My manicure today is a candy hued rainbow of hearts and butterflies.

Beginning with Color Club Wicked Sweet as the base, I used the Art Club striper Hologram Black to form a diagonal line. I filled in the half the nail with two coats of Master of Disguise, a black mini polish. Next, I redefined the glitter stripe with a second application of Hologram Black. I sealed the nail with quick dry topcoat.

Over the black polish, I placed butterfly decals from the Art Club Technicolor Doll kit. On the turquoise side, I added brightly colored heart rhinestones in pink, green and orange.

The pink canopy.

For perfect opacity, I layered three coats of Wicked Sweet over a whitening base. This candy scented neon has an effervescent green shimmer that gives the polish depth and beauty. It's certainly worth owning.

I hope today's look added some sugar to your day.

The products mentioned were sent to me for review. The neon blue polish, Wicked Sweet, is the signature color of the new line of scented polishes from Color Club. The Wicked Sweet Collection can be purchased at victoriasnailsupply.com.

For a chance to win the seven piece set of Color Club neon glitter polishes, stop by the Starry Temptress Giveaway! to enter. Best of luck!

Happy painting, ladies!

Hearts and Harlequin: Color Club Gimme A Grape Big Kiss

Hello ladies,

The arrival of cherry blossoms is a sweet herald of Spring. With flowers blooming in the trees and present along walkways, in planters and window boxes, there arrives a certain levity. I wanted to create a playful look with hearts and glitter.

I began with Color Club Gimme A Grape Big Kiss as the base. I positioned a blue crystal heart slightly above the nail line. I made a curve with Otherworldly on one side of the nail and mirrored the shape with Starry Temptress Glitter Topcoat on the other.

Gimme A Grape Big Kiss is deliciously scented. My friend asked me today if the perfume I was wearing contained a grape note. The source of the scent was entirely the polish! I had just finished my manicure before meeting her for lunch.

As with most neon shades, I began with two coats of a whitening base and sealed this initial layer with quick dry topcoat. Gimme A Grape Big Kiss has a jelly consistency. To make it appear opaque and even, I applied four coats and used drops to speed the dry time.

Have any of you felt inspired to wear the latest neon shades? They are a refreshing departure from the recent Spring pastels. The addition of candy scents and glitter enhance their appeal. I am loving them.

The polishes featured were sent to me for review. Gimme A Grape Big Kiss is part of the Wicked Sweet Collection. Otherworldly and the Glitter Topcoat is from the Starry Temptress Collection.

Happy painting, ladies!

Counting sheep: Color Club Chelsea Girl

Hello ladies,

I am showing another bright blue manicure as part of the Light It Up Blue initiative for Autism Awareness. Throughout April, I will be featuring nail art with vivid blue polishes to promote the cause. Today's look was created with Color Club Chelsea Girl as the base.

With the emergence of Spring bulb flowers and the lengthening of days, I tend to experience a few weeks of insomnia. As everything in Nature is awakening, I don't seem to favor going to sleep. I find myself counting sheep amidst the stars. The stamping design I chose may be more accurately described as counting rams. There is your whimsy for the day!

With white Konad special polish, I stamped the sheep and stars from Born Pretty Image plate M54. I created a funky french by alternating placement of Art Club holographic stars. A silver Moon is aglow in the sky.

There is a hairline of separation in the design on my ring finger. This was caused by the brushstrokes of Konad topcoat not meeting precisely. It is only visible under magnification. The stamping image from Born Pretty transferred to the nail cleanly and precisely.

Chelsea Girl required extra layers for perfect opacity, but the formula is quick drying and easy to apply. I began with two coats of a whitening base and sealed this initial layer with CND Air Dry. Next, I added four thin coats of Chelsea Girl. I believe ladies with shorter nails would be satisfied with three coats. I love this vibrant blue!

I am curious! Are any of you counting sheep along with me as a rite of Spring?

Color Club Chelsea Girl was sent to me for review. Part of the Poptastic Collection, this shade can be purchased at victoriasnailsupply.com.

Image plate M54 was provided for my consideration. The nail art stamping set #518 can be found at bornprettystore.com.

Happy painting, ladies!