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!

Naughty Kitty: Color Club Yum Gum and Smash Hit

Hello ladies,

I wanted to create a fun, boudoir style manicure. I had a little help from a naughty kitty. Neon pink and black crackled French tips provide a stylish backdrop for a bit of mischief and delight. 

From image plate D26, I stamped the retro cats using black Konad special polish. I created a funky French with the fractured polish, Smash Hit. Rainbow crystal bows adorn the center. The French line sparkles with Art Club silver glitter. Kitty used her tail to steal a pearl.   

Yum Gum is a bold and pretty neon. The scent of bubble gum is subtle and pleasant. I appreciated the ease in application. Three coats over a whitening base brought perfect opacity.

I have been having a great time experimenting with the Fractured Collection. Painting Smash Hit across my tips created a lacy effect, and complemented the naughty kitty.

You will be seeing more of the Color Club Fractured Collection this week. The kitty might have a little something in mind.

Color Club Yum Gum and Smash Hit were sent to me for review. These polishes can be purchased at victoriasnailsupply.com.

I purchased the D series image plates from chez-delaney.com.

Happy painting, ladies!

Born Pretty Store: Fimo Canes and Pearls

Hello ladies,

Do you want to add a cute element to your manicures? Fimo cane from Born Pretty Store is the perfect option. Many of the designs coordinate well with the bright colors in summer nail polish collections. 

I found slicing fimo to be far easier than I had expected. While I used to purchase pre-cut slices, I much prefer having 100 canes to choose from to embellish my manicures. Keeping my fimo in a crystal sugar bowl makes for a pretty storage solution. I enjoy being able to see all the patterns with ease. 

I have also been adding pearls from a warmer palette of color to my manicures.  My recent manicure featured fimo rose blossoms and lemon wedges as well as golden and pink pearls.  

100 pieces of fimo cane in a crystal sugar bowl.

You can click to view the assortment.

A cheerful bouquet.

Pink hibiscus blossoms.

Bright saltwater fish.

Dragonflies.

Kitty faces.

A safety razor I purchased at a local hardware store.

Colorful pearls in a warm palette. 

Slicing fimo canes seemed a bit daunting at first, but proved easy once I began. I purchased a safety razor for $1.00 and used a wooden kitchen cutting board. I admit the man at the hardware store looked elated to finally find the perfect customer for a neon pink safety razor!

T from amused polish suggested I warm the fimo canes in my hands before slicing. If you are portioning fimo for friends or clients, I would recommend this method. Personally, I get the best results by warming the fimo in my cleavage.  When fimo becomes more pliable from an increase in heat, it is easiest to achieve the thinnest slices.

To adhere fimo to natural nails, use a dab of thicker formula topcoat. You can utilize tweezers or a moistened pick up tool to place the designs. I work nail by nail when positioning fimo, adding a layer of sealer topcoat on the first nail before placing fimo on the next. I finish with an additional layer of sealer topcoat on all ten nails. Two coats keeps the fimo secure for days without lifting. I typically work with Art Club Sealer Topcoat or So Easy, For Rhinestones Only Topcoat. 

I definitely recommend the fimo canes from Born Pretty Store. The assortments vary with each order, but  customer service will search for specific canes if there are designs of particular interest. 

The pearls I am showing are similar to the set I reviewed recently, but with warm tones. I love having yellow and orange pearls for decoration. These will be used often throughout the summer moving into the autumn season. I suggest owning both wheels for more nail art options. 

Have you ladies tried using fimo to embellish your nails? Do you have any favorite items from Born Pretty Store or something you would like to see reviewed at painted Lady fingers? 

There is currently a discount code for 10% off your purchase: PLFK31. Enjoy! 

The 100 fimo cane assortment and colorful pearls were sent to me for review from bornprettystore.com. 

Happy painting, ladies!

Shabby Chic: Color Club Clean Break and Pretty in Platinum

Hello ladies,

I decided to bring the Shabby Chic style to my nails. Today's manicure features roses and cameos on a silky grey background. I was imagining a tray of earrings and brooches sitting atop an old, whitewashed dresser. Jewels and pearls imbue a feeling of elegance to timeworn heirlooms.

I began by painting Color Club Pretty in Platinum as a base. With a Kolinsky Sable Brush size 00 from the art supply store, I mapped a fine, arching line with white polish. I then filled in the tips with Clean Break fractured polish. If you decide to use a crackle formula to create a funky french, I highly recommend having a guideline in place. Clean Break is on the thick side and it would be tricky to achieve the proper French tip. I tested this polish over the entire nail and I found traditional application to be simple. Clean Break offers well defined crackling. 

On the nails of my middle fingers, I adhered pale pink cameos with nail glue. I purchased these in a lot from ebay and I wish they were readily available! I would use them with abandon. I bordered the cameos with large pearls and gems. The grey and cream colored roses with pink and green accents are Art Club Petite Fleurs. These decals come on an adhesive backing with gold beads. I decided to build on the color palette from the roses to create an assemblage of finery by adding pearls of various sizes, and pink, green and crystal rhinestones. I first sealed the roses with topcoat and then placed the gems and pearls and added a final layer of topcoat. I varied the design a bit on each hand. 

Echinacea, purple coneflower.

Floral fireworks!

My right hand with smaller jewel clusters. 

Pretty in Platinum is a soft, grey pearl. This polish is completely opaque in two coats. It has a beautiful sheen and an easy to use formula. I recommend this polish to grey lovers.

What do you ladies think? Do you like the crackle tips and the vintage look?

Items in this post were sent to me for review. Clean Break is part of the Color Club Fractured Collection. Pretty in Platinum is from the Untamed Luxury Collection. Both are available for purchase at victoriasnailsupply.com. I bought the Art Club Petite Fleurs at Sally Beauty.

Happy painting, ladies!

Queen's Bounty: Color Club Broken Tokens

Hello ladies,

When I created this manicure, I was thinking about pearls, diamonds and silver pieces spilling out of a black velvet bag. I imagined jewel encrusted brooches and golden pendants, a bounty for a queen.

I began with a basic black mini polish from Color Club. I drew a diagonal line with an Art Club striper in Gold Hologram. I varied the angle of the line on each hand. With silver crackling polish, I filled in half the nail. On the left hand, I added Broken Tokens to the lower half; on the right, towards the top of the nail. Decals, silver and gold gems and pearls were chosen from the Pretty Shiny Things Kit.  

The Art Club Gold Hologram striper makes exquisite rainbows. 

Butterfly bush

My right hand showing varied placement of striper lines and silver polish.

Daisy flower ring on my right hand. 

A baby praying mantis!

Like a prayer.

Reaching a foot to its mouth like a human baby. So sweet!

A baby bunny! She has natural eyebrow markings! Adorable!

Bye, bye bunny!

Broken Tokens is my first crackling polish since the Cover Girl line from many Halloweens past. The formula is easy to work with. I prefer layering on a thick coat for bolder fault lines. The shimmer is elegant in Broken Tokens. I highly recommend adding this color to your collection. 

I hope you enjoyed my experiment with the Fractured polish. I am looking forward to trying the rest of the collection. Perhaps the next shades I have for review Smash Hit (black) and Clean Break (white) will attract more garden friends. If you like mantids, check out the baby praying mantis I met last summer. Have you ladies seen any baby animals recently?  

Items mentioned in this post were sent for review. Broken Tokens, part of the Fractured Collection, is available for purchase at victoriasnailsupply.com. They also sell the Art Club Pretty Shiny Things Kit.

Happy painting, ladies!

Born Pretty Store: Heart Rhinestone and Pearl Nail Wheels

Hello ladies,

For the past several months, I have had a chance to experiment with the heart rhinestone and pearl nail wheels from Born Pretty Store. I have had a positive experience with all three nail wheels I received and have enjoyed using them to embellish my nails. 

The heart rhinestone wheel features 12 colors. The shades are bright and the facets are even. The hearts pick up the light beautifully. These rhinestones are salon quality and I would definitely recommend them. My Butterfly Season nail look is an example of how these hearts can add a sense of joy and candy sweetness to your manicure.

The colorful half pearls are a simple way to add elegance to your nails. I used the blue pearls in my Butterfly Fantasia manicure. For help visualizing, these are the size of standard rhinestones in a nail wheel. You will notice in the photos that some of the pearls cling to the top of the wheel. They will settle over time when stored flat. As you first use the wheel, rotate it open slowly. This will keep the pearls from popping out. I find it easiest to apply pearls and rhinestones over the sink with the drain stoppered. If any escape, they are easy to capture.

I absolutely love the pearls in the three sizes nail wheel. I employed the largest and the smallest pearls in my Garter Toss manicure. The pearls included come in approximately 4mm, 3mm and 1.5mm sizes.

Application for the hearts and pearls is simple. Place a tiny dab of topcoat on the nail. Use a pick up tool to add the decoration and seal with one or two layers of topcoat. Even if your prefer a simple manicure, one heart or pearl placed near the cuticle is a quick way to dress up a basic look.

For more examples of my work with their products, you can explore posts with the Born Pretty Store label. Have you ladies had the chance to try out any nail art supplies from Born Pretty? Is there anything catching your fancy?

The heart rhinestones, colorful pearls and pearls in three sizes were sent to me for review. These are available at bornprettystore.com.

Happy painting, ladies!