Tattoos and flowers: Nubar Sateen

Hello ladies,

I wanted to create a sensual and amorous manicure for Valentine's Day. I did a warm tone on tone look with red, copper, and gold. I had a romantic afternoon yesterday, so I was feeling inspired.

From plate T10, I stamped the tattoo design with a franken, combining Konad gold special polish with China Glaze 2030. I added dried flowers to each nail and embellished the centers with rhinestones. The flowers I chose are bright pink, but the rich background in union with the translucent petals makes them appear red. Adjacent to the moons of my nails, I placed copper and gold gems along with yellow and peach pearls.

A vampy burgundy, Sateen resembles the color of spilled wine. I painted three coats of the jelly formula for even, opaque coverage. This polish dries quickly and has amazing gloss. Sateen displays the kind of depth and finish that makes the surface seem wet hours after the manicure has cured.

As much as I enjoy experimenting with designs, it was pleasurable to create something that wholly fits me and expresses who I am. I love vampy shades. Pairing a deep burgundy with natural flowers, jewels and golden swirls felt right.

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

Image plate T10 was provided for my consideration. To shop the full line of nail art stamping plates, visit chez-delaney.com.

Happy painting, ladies!

Roses in the snow: Nubar Pekin and Pixie Dust

Hello ladies,

Last night, I had my first experience with thundersnow. It was strange hearing the sky boom and crackle while the snow descended. I think the air made me crave a soft glitter topcoat and silver roses. This look would make a pretty Valentine, no matter what the weather.

From Born Pretty plate M11, I stamped the roses with a franken I made from Konad silver special polish and China Glaze Millennium. I detailed the leaves and stems with the striper from the Nubar two way nail art pen in Emeralds.

Pekin is a dark cherry red. This morning I slipped my hand into a bag of cherries and my nails were instantly camouflaged. I am wearing three coats of Pekin. The formula, somewhere between a jelly and a creme, has a quick dry time. This vampy red is tremendously glossy.

I added a layer of Pixie Dust to create a soft sparkle. Pixie Dust is one of those layering notes that can instantly beautify just about any manicure.

I hope you enjoyed the rose bouquet for snowy weather.

Nubar Pekin and Pixie Dust were sent to me for review. Pekin is part of the Finest Silks Collection while Pixie Dust can be found in the Holiday Jewel Basket. Both shades are available for purchase at bynubar.com.

Image plate M11 was provided for consideration. It is part of the nail art stamping plate set #518 from bornprettystore.com. The code DIANAK31 will entitle you to 10% your purchase through March 31, 2011.

Happy painting, ladies!

Dance of the Sugarplum Fairy: BB Couture Carla

Hello ladies,

During the winter holidays, I always encounter images of The Nutcracker ballet. I have seen the performance many times, favoring the second act. My manicure today tells the story of Clara and the Prince in the Land of Sweets. There is a lollipop with a heart, the Sugarplum Fairy in motion amidst flowers, and a crown for the coronation of the new rulers of Confiturembourg. Ah, to be a princess in a land of candy, fantasy and dancing fairies!

I chose China Glaze Millennium Khrome for stamping. The lollipop is from Konad plate M14. The dancers are featured on disc S08. The leaping ballerina floats over a white flower with a rhinestone center. The crown is shown on M40. I added a pearl and two beads for ornamentation.

Carla applied well and was easily opaque in two coats. This dark purple is stirred with hot pink shimmer. In lower lights, the finish can masquerade as a creme. The sparkle enlivens the purple, keeping it from venturing in the almost black territory. If you like a vampy purple with a hint of shimmer, Carla is sure to entice.

I hope you enjoyed my festive winter manicure!

BB Couture Carla was sent to me for review. This polish is part of the Infamous Lovers Ladies' Collection, available at overallbeauty.com.

Image plates M40 and S08 were provided for my consideration. To shop the full collection of Konad products, please visit ocnailart.com.

Happy painting, ladies!

Skulls and roses: a conversation with SerendipityLicious

Hello ladies,

I recently had the pleasure of conversing with the jewelry artist Candy of SerendipityLicious. First, I would like to introduce her beautiful cat, Lana, who is a constant companion.

Lana Diana: You have a stunning assortment of Dia de los Muertos jewelry. Can you tell us a little about your affinity with the holiday and its traditions? Candy: I think the tradition behind Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) is actually quite beautiful: honoring and celebrating loved ones that have passed. People create elaborate and vibrant decorations to lure the spirits of the dead home. Sounds creepy but the art is quite beautiful. Particularly the sugar skulls! They were the inspiration behind pieces like the Rosa Muerte Necklace.

Rosa Muerte Necklace Diana: The Rosa Muerte necklace is one of my favorites. I love how you offer a choice of roses for the eyes. I am really impressed with the range of jewelry items you create as well as the different styles you work in. I noticed aside from Gothic pieces you also make some lovely pendants and earrings featuring birds. Do you work in varying styles according to how you are feeling that day or is it specific to inspiration? Candy: My mind is constantly racing with ideas for new designs. A lot of the time design ideas will come when I'm looking at all the supplies I've bought. I’ll just start piecing certain things together until something fits. Although sometimes, I will take inspiration from things I really enjoy.

Silver Dangle Bird and Heart Earrings: I Carry My Heart With You.

Candy: I created these earrings because I absolutely love E.E Cummings poem, I Carry Your Heart With Me. I feel like the earrings really symbolize the love that is expressed in that poem.

Diana: Those are lovely! My favorite item in your shop featuring birds is The Last Leaf Necklace. I love the songbird in a tree with the dangling leaf bead. So charming!

Silver Tree Nature Inspired Necklace: The Last Leaf.

Diana: Do you have a favorite piece that your created recently?

Candy: Probably my favorite piece so far would be the Little Miss Death – Death Becomes Her Necklace! I really just dig the color combination. The classic white and black with red accent is just visually stunning to me. I think the profile of the skeleton lady in black is just eye catching. She is very cool!

Death Becomes Her: Little Miss Death.

Diana: I can see why you favor that necklace! It's the first piece that led me to your shop. I also love how the gothic cameo works in the locket pendant and as hair pins.

Silver Book Locket Cameo Necklace: Death's Diary.

Gothic Silver Skeleton Hair Pins.

Diana: Could you share with us about your animal companions?

Candy: I love my animals sooo much! My husband and I don’t have any children so they pretty much are our kiddos, our fur kids if you will.

We adopted Lex and Lana from a local shelter back in 2005. We had only planned on adopting one cat but when I saw Lana she just looked at me and meowed and I felt like we had a connection right away. When we saw Lex we just thought he was just too cute for words so we just had to have them both.

Diana: I couldn't have resisted them either!

Candy: Lana is my shadow. She always needs to be close to me. She is the oldest at nine and rules the roost! She doesn’t like to be bothered, but of course that doesn’t stop Lex from annoying her. He just wants to play! I think he will forever be a kitten at heart even though he is six now! He is a little soccer player for sure and is just always being very mischievous!

Diana: I can easily picture it! Lex is adorable, but he does have a trickster look about him.

Lex

Lana

Candy: Getting Baylie, our eight and a-half-year-old golden retriever was pretty much a childhood dream fulfilled for me. I have always wanted a golden retriever. I fell in love with Comet on the TV show Full House and vowed that one day I would have a beautiful golden of my own.

Back in 2008, someone that my husband works with knew of someone giving their golden away. We jumped on it real quick! The day my husband brought her home, I just cried because she was just sooo beautiful and I couldn’t believe that we had gotten so lucky. She truly is the best dog anyone could have. She is so well mannered and just so loyal! She is a daddy’s girl! When he comes home from work she gets so excited she starts doing her booty shake!

We really do feel so blessed having her and our cats. They are the best and they make our hearts happy!

Baylie

Diana: How wonderful! I love the image of Baylie in the snow. I think she will make everyone navigating warmer temperatures feel relaxed and cool just looking at her. Thanks so much, Candy. I really enjoyed learning more about your creative process and hearing about your animal companions. Please visit Candy's etsy shop, SerendiptyLicious, to view more of her creations. She is offering a 10% off discount to readers of painted Lady fingers during the Anniversary Celebration. To receive the discount, send Candy a convo through etsy and mention painted Lady fingers. Happy painting, ladies! I'll be back tomorrow with some sunlight and a fresh manicure.

Wine and roses

Hello ladies,

The weather was gorgeous in Philadelphia today. I wandered about the community garden for an hour in pure delight. I am wearing a bordeaux shade from the upcoming Fall Collection from Diamond Cosmetics. The polish is called It's Nothing to Wine About. I can forgive its unfortunate name because of the glossy jelly formula and because I love a good vampy.

I decided roses would be best to accompany wine. Using Konad white special polish, I stamped the modern rose image from fauxnad plate P57 . I placed silver spheres in the center of each rose. These were a gift from Andrea over at Black Nail Polish and Lip Gloss. How sweet! I also added pearls and red rhinestones. It's interesting to note the polish is so glossy the camera focused on the shine and softened the sparkle of the jewels.

This flower is a great visual to show how this polish shifts from a very dark burgundy into a brighter wine shade depending on the light.

I needed three coats of It's Nothing to Wine About for opacity. I typically paint thin coats. I used this technique for the first two. The results were streaky. For the third coat, I applied a thicker layer and occasionally dipped the brush in again to make sure each nail was even. I am pleased with the results.

It's Nothing to Wine About was provided for review. This shade is part of the Fall Collection from Diamond Cosmetics. When I hear information about the release date, I will certainly share it here. US residents can purchase Diamond Cosmetics polishes at diamondcosmetics.com. International readers can view this post for e-tailers. If you would like the opportunity to win 12 polishes from Diamond Cosmetics plus a treatment product, head over to the Ladies' Choice of Diamonds Anniversary Giveaway.

Image plate P57 was sent to me for consideration. This design plate can be purchased from chez-delaney.com. For a chance to win eight stamping nail art design plates of your choice, stop by the contest post to enter.

Happy painting, ladies!

Golden flowering tree

Hello ladies,

The forest green shade on my nails is one of the new colors from the upcoming Diamond Cosmetics Fall Collection. Under the Willow Tree is a dark green polish with a creme formula. It is not a twin to Nars Zulu, but it is a lovely polish in it's own right. This is one of my top picks from the collection.

I created a manicure to echo the fall of golden flowers that make the city pavement glow with a yellow-green hue. I believe these flowers are from locust trees. With Konad apple green princess polish, I stamped the leaf image from Bundle Monster plate BM05. Where the stem meets the leaves, I positioned golden flower rhinestones.

Do you ever wonder what I do when I want to take polish photos and the community garden is closed? Come with me as I stroll about downtown Philadelphia with my camera.

I paused in front of a flower pot a few blocks from my apartment.

Even though the front gate was locked, I was able to walk along the garden perimeter and take pictures outside the main fence. The lilies are still fresh with rain.


On the way to the post office, I was intrigued by purple blooms and ferns that cascaded over a slate wall.

I walked through the Medicinal Plant Garden at the Mutter Museum and confounded a few visitors.

Camouflage amidst the yarrow.

My owl ring makes another appearance.

I really loved the application of Under the Willow Tree. The consistency was slightly thinner than other creme polishes I have tried from their line. The color was perfectly opaque in two coats. It went on easily with very little cleanup.

If you are a green lover or appreciate an interesting vampy shade, Under the Willow Tree is worth adding to your wish list. It's a gorgeous on trend green for fall. The Diamond Cosmetics Fall Collection does not yet have a release date. When more information is available, I will certainly share the details.

Under the Willow Tree was sent to me for review by Diamond Cosmetics. This shade is part of the Ladies' Choice of Diamonds Anniversary Giveaway. Stop by the contest post for a chance to win a total of 12 polishes and one nail treatment product. Best of luck!

Happy painting, ladies!