Sepia tone flowers

Hello ladies,

I wanted to evoke a vintage feel with today's look. I was musing over party dresses with cap sleeves and long silk scarves being caught in the wind. I thought about ballerinas as well, attired in blush colored leotards, with matching ribbons wound into their hair. These characters of the past were captured in sepia tone photographs and old postcards.

I began with the delightfully named Charmeuse from Nubar. From Konad plate M31, I stamped the flowers and ribbons in brown Princess polish. I added a copper gem to the center of each flower.

I love the reflection of the water lily petals unfurling.

Charmeuse is a lovely, muted pink. This polish was opaque in two coats and had perfect application.

If you are looking for a pretty, vintage pink, Charmeuse is certain to enchant. I hope you enjoyed today's exploration of the past.

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

Image plate M31 was provided for my consideration. To browse the full line of Konad nail art stamping products, please visit ocnailart.com. For a chance to win eight image plates, stop by the Ladies' Choice of Plates Giveaway to enter.

Happy painting, ladies!

Bejeweled grapes

Hello ladies,

Today I am wearing Pelican Peak Purple from the Summer Beach Blowout Collection by Diamond Cosmetics. I find the name of this polish completely charming. I imagine a group of pelicans gathered together on rocks overlooking a purple toned sunset. To me, this shade seems more fitting to a Spring collection. This matters little since I absolutely love the color.

I was in the mood for a tone on tone purple look. Using Konad violet pearl special polish, I stamped the grape design from Bundle Monster plate BM05. I added rhinestones in two different shades of purple along with lavender pearls. I painted over the stem with a green Migi Nail art pen.

The perspective of this photo amuses me. There is actually a skyscraper to the left behind these flowers.

Hot pink chalcedony earrings by WildHeather. I wore these earrings today. The pink is so vibrant and lovely.

Pelican Peak Purple was opaque in two coats. I am showing three coats here. I decided to add a refresher coat and the bejeweled grapes to celebrate the sun returning after a few cloudy days. This shade was incredibly easy to apply for a pastel creme.

The polish was sent to me for review. Pelican Peak Purple can be purchased from diamondcosmetics.com. For international purchasing options, please see this post for details. The Migi Nail Art pen was reviewed previously.

Happy painting, ladies!

Fainting Couch: Lava near the azaleas

Hello ladies,

I am wearing Hard Candy Lava today. The gold shimmer radiates from the bright red base. When taking these photos, I almost swooned over the azalea bushes in rapture. I'm surprised the honey bees didn't faint as well.

Please have your smelling salts ready before viewing the photos. If you can procure a man to stand by with a large, feathered fan to cool any feverish excitement, it may be advisable.

Let us pause and look at some flowers.

Ah, the striped tulips make me think of a carnival. So festive!

I hope you have all regained your senses enough to read about the application. I am wearing three coats of Lava. I probably could have stopped at two, but I was so delighted painting it on, I added an extra coat.

I think I am going hunt down a man with some ostrich feathers to help distract me from the sultry beauty of Lava.

Hard Candy Lava was sent to me for review. You can see more of the Hard Candy range of products at hardcandy.com. Lava can be purchased at Walmart retail locations or on-line at walmart.com. Would you like a chance to win all 16 polishes in the Hard Candy Just Nails line? Please visit the contest post to enter.

Happy painting, ladies!

Icy rainbows

Hello ladies,

I have another older Sally Hansen polish to share with you today: Blue Aura. This polish is part of the Magicals line, a collection of truly spectacular holographic polishes. The bright sun departed minutes before I walked outside. I was hopeful enough to bring my camera with me on my errand to the grocery store.

The sun returned diffusely, directly in front of a cathedral. This was indeed magical given the positioning of the tall buildings that block much of late afternoon rays. There was a clear diagonal of sun across Chestnut Street coming from the direction of the Schuykill River. The first visible beams lit the pavement a few paces ahead of me. Perhaps the sun was possessed by a bit of whimsy and a love of holographic polish.

The application of this polish is workable. It's preferable to let the first coat set before applying the second. Otherwise, the brush will pull polish from the first coat as the second is applied. The formula dries quickly, so this is a small effort. The brush included is on the smaller side and doesn't give the best three stroke application. Expect to do minor clean up. Although Blue Aura wouldn't qualify as a fussy diva polish, it requires a little extra attention. The finished result to me is worth it.

If you have a penchant for holographic polish, the Sally Hansen Magicals are worth seeking on ebay. What do you all think of holographic polish? I have many to share with you if it's something you enjoy seeing on long nails. I may like to try some Konad stamping with holographics as well.

Happy painting, ladies!

Bluebirds, golden light

Hello ladies,

Beautiful sunlight was the perfect mood enhancer for the beginning of March. I wore Hard Candy's Splendid, a bright yellow creme, to coordinate with the sunbeams. I created a dusting of shimmer at the tips with Sugar Daddy. Tiny bluebirds composed of fimo swooped and soared.

You can see the jelly ring clearly in this picture. I will venture the ring is about a size 6 or 7. The rings are loose on the bottle cap, but a much better fit for most fingers than those from the older incarnation of Hard Candy.

Splendid is among my favorite names for polish.

"What color are you wearing?"

"Splendid!"

Can you see what an enjoyable interaction a name like Splendid could bring?

The application was decent for a yellow polish. I started with two coats of Diamond Cosmetics Super Base. I would definitely recommend using a ridge filling base coat with a sheer white tint before painting with any yellow hued lacquer. I am wearing three coats of Splendid, but I think most ladies would be satisfied with two coats over a base. Splendid is bright enough to appear neon, but it actually has a creme formula.

I applied Sugar Daddy with a fan brush to add a hint of gold shimmer. I made longer strokes at the edges of the nail and shortened them as I moved towards the center. I wanted the shimmer to look feathery and glossy. Using a fan brush is a simple way to create a softer french. I will be showing this technique again with more contrast, but I like it as a tonal look.

Splendid was sent to me for review. You can discover more about the full line of Hard Candy products for nails, face and body at hardcandy.com.

Happy painting, ladies!

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!

Lunar

Hello ladies,

I managed to catch the last few moments of sun today. I walked to the park for picture taking and felt as if the wind was going to whirl me off the pavement. The temperature in Philadelphia is 23 degrees fahrenheit with a wind chill of eight degrees. That converts to minus five degrees celsius and minus 13 degrees celsius respectively. I know many of you would cherish such temperatures in comparison to colder climates.

To complement the icy touch of the wind, I wore China Glaze Luna. I love silvery blues in winter. The color conveys the sense of chill.

Above is a picture of my cat Moon. I tried to name her Luna, but she had a different preference. I always have let my cats decide their names based on what captures their attention and what sounds they respond to. She always came when I called her name. Moon passed away a couple years ago. She was such a dear and cheeky cat. China Glaze Luna reminded me of her and I wanted to share. She was a street rescue who came to me in an unusual way. On the night of a full Moon, she followed me five flights up an outdoor staircase to my apartment and she stayed with me. She was so dirty from the rusty colored soil in a nearby parking lot that I thought she was an orange cat! After a few days of rest, warmth and grooming, she showed all of her beauty. I do miss her.

Returning to polish, Luna has a frost formula stirred with holographic glitter and smaller silver particles. It took three coats for opacity. The result reminds me of a layering experiment instead of a single polish. I am rather amazed all the elements converged respectfully into one formula. It seems like inviting guests with divergent opinions to a dinner party and seeing if all can converse without a clattering of soup spoons. Thankfully, China Glaze understood how to bring a frost, a metallic, holographic and silver glitter along with a shade of ice blue together without incident or unpleasantries.

Happy painting, ladies!