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!

Mint franken

Hi,

Today I'll show you a pretty minty manicure.

I started with two coats of a mint franken that I made.

I stamped over it the design from A31 image plate from Chez Delaney

with Special White. I applied a mauve rhinestone on the circle on each nail

and finally, I applied a clear top coat.

This is how my mint franken looks like. I created it using piCture pOlish - Marine

and the Matte Dull White from Born Pretty.

What do you think?

Dots and Damsels: Color Club Tattered in Gold and Ready to Royal

Hello ladies,

I love the idea of creating nail decorations that would be suited to a grand fete. I could imagine wearing this look while holding a lace fan.

Starting with a base of Ready to Royal, I painted a cross formation with an Art Club gold glitter striper. I filled in the squares in an alternating pattern with gold fractured polish. I chose the deep pink foil striper in Malmsy to define the cross and layered gold glitter over top.

In the dark purple squares, I added a variety of pink and fuschia pearls and gems along with gold jewels. In the center of the cross, I placed lavender roses.

This is my first time working with 3-D roses. As they have a springy quality, nail glue is definitely required for adhesion. While I am still experimenting with technique, I believe brush-on nail glue plus two coats of a sealer or thicker style topcoat should encourage these pretty flowers to remain as positioned. Topcoat alone is insufficient to hold them.

Ready to Royal is a dark purple that reminds me of a black mirror. It has a glassy finish combined with a depth of color that is quite mesmerizing. I have worn this shade a few times without nail art and I also love it as a backdrop for design. Two coats bring even color and perfect opacity.

One of my favorites from the Fractured Collection, Tattered in Gold reminds me of jewelry.

I hope you enjoyed my dots and damsels manicure!

Tattered in Gold and Ready to Royal were sent to me for review. These shades can be purchased at victoriasnailsupply.com.

Stop by the Let's Get Cracking! Color Club Fractured Collection Giveaway! for a chance to win all six polishes.

Happy painting, ladies!

Kitten paws manicure

Hi,

Today I'll show you a funny manicure with kittens and paws.

I used Konad m83 for the kitten design and the essence image plate for the paws.

I stamped them using Special Black over the white base color from Born Pretty.

I applied a red rhinestone on the kitty's tail for a stylish effect.

At the end, I applied a clear top coat.

What do you think?

Black Marble & UNIQSO discount code

Hi,

Today I'll show you a cute sparkling manicure.

I used two coats of Sweet Color - Black Marble as a base color. This is a very pretty

dark grey glitter. I like its application and the dry time.

Then I stamped the flower design from Born Pretty Hello Kitty plate.

I applied a red rhinestone on my ring finger and thumb.

What do you think?

You can buy this from Uniqso website for $6,90

Also, Uniqso gave me a special cupon code for my readers. Use mar5 for 5% discount.

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!

Dragon's Pearl: Diamond Cosmetics 18K Gold

Hello ladies,

I wanted to create a tattoo style manicure. I imagined a dragon returning to his cave with a new pearl. Dragons, much like the keeper of this blog, adore treasure. In the dragon's world, even the Moon has been formed from a jewel. A bit of whimsy for you...when I met my friend Drew for dinner, I noticed he was wearing a Chinese dragon tee shirt that coordinated with my manicure. Magic is afoot. 

From image plate D25, I stamped the dragons in black Konad special polish. I accented the dragon's tail with miniature pearls from Born Pretty Store. I placed a ruby Moon in the sky. The tips were defined with an Art Club striper in Black Hologram. Preferring the thin line French to remain matte, I decided not to add a second layer of topcoat.

Diamond Cosmetics 18K Gold is a rich metallic. This warm toned gold is perfect for summer leading into fall. The formula is easily opaque in two thin coats. A careful application is required to avoid brushstrokes, but these lessen in appearance as the polish dries. The color glows on the nails like jewelry.  

I hope you enjoyed this treasure of a polish. Have you had any dragon sightings lately?

The polish was sent to me for review. US residents can purchase 18K Gold at diamondcosmetics.com. For international shipping, visit boozyshop.nl. 

I purchased image plate D25 from chez-delaney.com. The D series is a site exclusive.

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!