Cheeky bunny slippers: Diamond Cosmetics Razzmatazz

Hello ladies,

I had two dwarf rabbits as a child and I have been dreaming of getting a lop eared house bunny. There may be a new cheeky faced and fuzzy tailed member of my little household in the fall. Until then, I will have to be content with rabbit slippers. 

The look was created with Migi Nail Art pens. I began by drawing the half circle of the rabbit face and the outline of the ears. I used the brush to paint white faces and the pen to shade in the ears. I left the center oval of each ear empty of color and highlighted them with an Art Club striper in Malmsy, a deep pink foil. 

To create the noses and mouths, I layered black over a violet shimmer pen. I think it gives it more of a watercolor feel. The eyes were done with the Migi pen as well, but it may be worth experimenting with a dotting tool. I love how each of the bunnies has a different expression. My middle finger is jolly while my pinky looks a bit disgruntled. I used pink rhinestones to make them cheeky. 

Razzmatazz is a beautiful pink with a strong violet shimmer and subtle duochrome. I wore Razzmatazz for a couple days before creating the bunny nail art. I loved the reflection in the sun and the soft color change in lower light. The formula is sheer, yet builds well. I am wearing three coats over Super Base. If you are a pink lover, I recommend adding Razzmatazz to your collection.

I received some inspiration for this manicure from the lovely Agnes from Beauty Vibes. She created a look called Blushing Bunnies and I kept thinking about white rabbits with pink cheeks! Are there any other bunny manicures you believe I would enjoy? Feel free to share a link in the comments. Do you love bunnies as much as I do?

Products in this post were sent to me for review. Razzmatazz can be purchased in the US from diamondcosmetics.com and internationally from boozyshop.nl. The Gold Nail Art Pen Set #100 is available at miginailart.com.

Happy painting, ladies!

River of gumdrops: Diamond Cosmetics Orange Blush

Hello ladies,

The corner grocery store a few blocks from my apartment ordered too many gumdrops. I wonder if there was some type of mishap on the request form, a shipping error or an incredible warehouse sale that led to the pile up of tiny, clear tubs of gumdrops at the counter. The squishy, sugar coated rainbow has invaded the aisle of nuts and snacks. The gumdrops have taken over my nail art. I am certain the gumdrops are occupying the collective unconscious of my neighbors and perhaps their dreams as well. Gumdrops!

With white Konad special polish, I stamped the dot pattern from Bundle Monster plate BM209. I angled the design to create a subtle zig zag. Gumdrops are bouncy and wouldn't move in a straight line. With the Art Club sealer topcoat, I adhered a rainbow of gems across each nail. 

My right hand shown with my new friend, a baby grasshopper.

Nature's pom poms!

Orange Blush is a sheer jelly polish. Not a pure orange, it has a lovely pinkish hue that would make it skin flattering to almost everyone. The first day, I wore two coats over Super Base, which offers subtle whitening. I added two more coats on the second day, followed by the nail art. Orange Blush can be worn as a sheer or can be built up to a stronger tint. A whitening base or slipcover nude would be needed to make this color fully opaque. It's super pretty and glossy. I would recommend Orange Blush to cool tone ladies who want a juicy summer color.

I hope you like the manicure. May your dreams be filled with gumdrops, as mine are!

Orange Blush was sent to me for review. US residents can purchase this polish from diamondcosmetics.com. International shipping is available from boozyshop.nl.

Happy painting, ladies!

Blue Geometry: Cheeky Monkey Get Wet

Hello ladies,

Even with the cool temperatures in Philadelphia, the skies have been showing the blues of Spring. I come in contact with students of various disciplines at the local cafe. I recently sat near a young man being tutored in Geometry. While the content of his lesson didn't remain in my mind, I was haunted by thoughts of squares and right angles. Today's manicure is about blue skies and mathematics.

From image plate T30, I stamped the squares in Konad blue special polish. I adhered clear crystals from Nubar, along with blue squares and hexagons from Bundle Monster. Very close in color to the base, the hexagons added subtle texture. I love creating tonal manicures!

A sheer jelly polish, Get Wet can also be layered for opacity. I started with two coats of a whitening base and sealed it with CND Air Dry. Next, I applied three coats of Get Wet. The polish has a high sheen. The dry time on this shade is on the slow side, but worth a little extra patience.

Despite being sheer, I found the formula easy to navigate. The polish smoothed over my nails with little need for clean up. If you have shorter nails, you may be able to go without the whitening base coat. I suggest experimenting!

The color is a pale blue with a greenish tint. Fans of China Glaze For Audrey would likely enjoy Get Wet. It's pretty, glossy and aptly named.

I hope you enjoyed the geometric shapes and the hints of Spring to come.

Get Wet was sent to me for review. You can purchase this shade at cheekymonkeycosmetics.com.

Image plate T30 was provided for my consideration. To shop the full line of stamping nail art supplies, visit chez-delaney.com.

Happy painting, ladies!

Celtic deer: BB Couture Roasted Nuts

Hello ladies,

I love how the ancient Celts depicted animals. I am particularly fond of deer. I cherish the feeling of being in the woods and seeing a doe lift her face to look at me, before dashing among the trees. There is a stillness in such moments that bring me peace throughout the day.

I stamped the stag from plate H28 using Konad black special polish. A silver crescent Moon was added to the sky. With the striper from the Nubar nail art pen in Platinum, I created a thin line French. I adore the soft pearl appearance of this silver. It looks like I ran my nails across the snow.

While Roasted Nuts is too sheer for my preference on its own, I love the finished look of this manicure. This burnished gold polish is stirred with iridescent micro glitter. The sparkle looks radiant in just about every light.

I layered three coats of Roasted Nuts over two coats of Brucci 2 in 1 Nail Perfection, a whitening base coat. I wanted to keep the color as pure as possible for this review. For those of you who prefer an opaque polish, I recommend applying Roasted Nuts over one coat of a slipcover nude polish that matches your skin tone.

I hope you enjoyed a glimpse at this season's fauna.

Roasted Nuts was sent to me for review. This polish along with the seven others in the BB Couture Christmas Collection can be purchased at overallbeauty.com. Would you like the opportunity to win the entire Christmas Collection of eight polishes, Made from Earth skin care and a chic wristlet? Stop by the Get Festive Giveaway! to enter.

Image plate H28 was provided for my consideration. Please visit chez-delaney.com to see the entire line of stamping nail art products.

Happy painting, ladies!

Hard Candy Mouthing Off Sheer Lip Shine

Hello ladies,

Today I am wearing a lip gloss named after a daily pleasure: Caffeine. This sparkly neutral gloss is a Mouthing Off sheer lip shine from Hard Candy. The glitter provides enhancement for the natural lip color while the gloss adds a slight tint and a pretty sheen.

Hard Candy Mouthing Off sheer lip shine in Caffeine.

Up close, Caffeine looks like sparkly gingerbread.

The doe foot applicator.

I can imagine Caffeine working well with a variety of skin tones. It brings enough color to my fair complexion to balance out bolder eye makeup. I could easily see Caffeine pairing beautifully with darker skin.

Mouthing Off sheer lip shine could be worn in a number of ways. I am showing a thorough application. A light coat of gloss could still be work appropriate. Caffeine could also be layered over a creme lipstick or lip liner to add sparkle. I love it over a nude lip.

I am pleased this gloss offers shine without stickiness. My lips feel moisturized without heaviness or residue. The texture fits my preferences. Caffeine currently resides in my go to make-up bag. The way Caffeine combines with my natural lip color makes it a great companion for this season's taupe nail polishes.

Mouthing Off has a faint chocolate flavor that makes me want to apply it even when the color doesn't need refreshing. It's a good kissing gloss. I wouldn't say the color will stay on long under such circumstances, but it won't get in the way.

I am definitely interested in experimenting with more Mouthing Off shades. Both Exotic and Drama Queen are tempting. If you like a sheer gloss with lots of shimmer, it's worth trying.

Hard Candy Mouthing Off sheer lip shine was sent to me for review. For more information about the full product range, please visit hardcandy.com. To purchase Hard Candy cosmetics, stop by a Walmart retail location or order on-line at walmart.com. If you are interested in the Hard Candy Fall Promotion featuring free mini sizes of their best sellers, please see this post for details.

Happy painting, ladies!

Wave of flowers

Hello ladies,

I wanted to create a cooling manicure as an antidote to the humid weather in Philadelphia. I am wearing Blue Fantasy from Diamond Cosmetics. There is a hint of gold duochrome blended with the pale blue. The combination makes me think of sun and sky.

I stamped the wave of flowers from Bundle Monster plate BM11. I chose Konad blue pearl special polish to create a tone on tone look. To adorn the flowers, I added two sizes of iridescent crystals and blue pearls.

You can see the gold duochrome easily in the photo above.

Lilies along the garden fence.

Hello, little friend.

Is it time to run?

No, it's time to eat greens. This little bunny ate lunch and watched me through the garden fence as I took pictures, first of him and then of my nails.

Blue Fantasy is difficult to classify. This polish seems to exist between a frost and a pearl finish. There are brushstrokes to contend with in application. The formula is also sheer. I painted three coats of Blue Fantasy over two coats of Brucci 2 in 1 Nail Perfection. I let my whitening base coat dry for a bit before adding color. While I love the look of the pearly blue, this polish does require extra care to achieve opacity.

I have been enjoying creating summer theme manicures with colors from the Diamond Cosmetics core line. I will also be showing more from the upcoming Fall Collection this week.

Blue Fantasy was sent to me for review. This shade is available for purchase from diamondcosmetics.com for $2.25. For a chance to win 12 bottles of polish from Diamond Cosmetics plus your choice of a treatment product, please stop by the Ladies' Choice of Diamonds Anniversary Giveaway.

Happy painting, ladies!