NOTD: Sloppy stamps

I'm really starting to get into this whole two accent nails thing. It's a great way to have more art without the hassle of doing a design on every nail. Plus, you can showcase the pretty base color! This way I don't feel as bad doing art over a base that I particularly like- I can have my cake and eat it, too.

The stamping here isn't the best I've ever done, because I had to repeat the stamp a few times. I only have one(!) stamp pattern that covers the whole nail, because everything they sell here is a cheap knockoff. I really need to get my act together and put in an order for a BM set.

Colors used:
Orly- Star Spangled
Chic Metalix- Citrine Gold

I spotted Star Spangled in a store months ago, and I new I needed it. The problem was, I'd already overspent my polish budget at that point, so I couldn't afford a new one. And then there was an Orly scarcity, and I had pretty much given up hope of getting my paws on it. But last week I found myself in a store that I usually don't go to, and lo and behold, sparkling at me on the shelf, there it was! I absolutely adore it on my fingers, I don't regret this purchas for a second.

A small note on the stamping: Since I can't seem to stop singing the praises of Chic Metalix, here's some more. They are fantastic for stamping, because the glitter is really densely packed! And they have a fair variety of colors, so if you're looking for a local alternative to tiny little stamping polish bottles, here it is!

Sad update: As of posting this, I have to return to nubs. I got a new cabinet for my kitchen, and I managed to chip a nail really badly when I was shlepping it into my house. Thankfully it didn't chip deeply, so it didn't hurt. I mean, I'm not devastated- it's not a big dramatic event. Still, I'd finally gotten my nails to be perfect- short enough to be manageable, but long enough that I could keep them in a pretty square shape. Now I'll have to start from scratch! :(

NOTD: Blue to green glitter gradient

Aw, darn. I had such a great streak going- two or three posts a week! And then I let it slip. I have been trying to make a swatch post, but since those are much longer, I keep procrastinating. In the meantime, have my latest NOTD:

Colors used:
Chic Metalix- Green Olive (905)
Chic Metalix- Peacock (906)
Chic Metalix- Smashing Blue (907)
Wow Cosmetics 350- (white cream base)

I don't think I will ever stop loving this particular collection. It's been out for more than a year, and I still find myself coming back to these colors again and again. They're not all identical- here, for example, Peacock and Smashing Blue are silver particles in a colored jelly base, while Green Olive is a clear base with the particles themselves being green (that's why it's so much more sheer). But they all complement each other really well, and they're vibrant, easy to work with, and don't stain. Basically, the polish jackpot.

I will try not to take accidental two-week hiatuses in the future!

NOTD: Franken gradient

I learned something new today- apparently I should never take pictures in my yard. I took a few photos at work today, and they came out much nicer in terms of color. My landlord painted the walls around the yard (yes, WALLS) yellow, which apparently reflects onto my hands a whole lot more than I thought! No more yard photos for me!

Colors used:
My frankens- Autodidact
Maybeline Colorama 135
My franekns- Osmia Avosetta

The glitter at the tips was actually a happy accident- I didn't add Osmia Avosetta until a day later, when I decided the original gradient wasn't as impressive as I wanted. I forgot to dampen the sponge first, so a lot of polish got absorbed into it, while the glitter sat on top. So I only got some color, but I got all of the glitter! This is actually a method I'm considering trying later.

Haul of shame: Eye shadow edition

I have a weakness for pretty colors. This should be common knowledge by now, considering how many nail polishes I've bought! But apparently I have an even bigger weakness when the colors are arranged in pleasing shapes with complementary colors.

Which brings me to the L'oreal Paris Color Riche eye shadow quads.

Unfortunately, I don't really know how to photograph eye shadow, so my pictures are pretty crappy. I haven't swatched them, but I've worn some. They aren't 100% consistent, but mostly they are decently pigmented, and they lasted me all day. I probably should have done a more comprehensive review, but I haven't, so have some pictures instead!

Look at the pretty color combos! They're really gorgeous in person. I kept passing them on the way to buy nail polish, and eventually I caved in. There were a couple of quads in the display that I didn't get, because I knew from experience those colors Do Not Work on me. (purple shadow, unfortunately, looks ridiculous on me. True blue I wouldn't even bother with.)

The stupidest bit is- I only know the very basics of eye shadow application. I have a feeling I'm going to go on a youtube tutorial spree soon! Especially since I want to use the green/beige/bordeax/black quad and I have no idea where to start with that one.

My stash

So! There have been a couple of requests that I show you guys my polish collection. So here it is:

I don't have much to say about this, except you can see that I've clearly been hoarding Orly, Chic, and GA-DE polishes. Sadly, it looks like they've stopped importing Orly and are only selling off what's left on the shelves, so I'm scrambling to find as many untried Orly colors as I can (of those that I'm interested in) and buy them all up. I also bought a few backups, fingers crossed that I'll get all the backups I want! (still on the lookout for a spare of Smolder especially).

Also, yes, that is a massive Linux tome on the top right, next to my franken bottles. I don't claim to have read it, but it's on my reading list of "things to consume on my quest to expand my technical writing skills and become super employable". XML and Visual Basic are definitely going to happen first, though. That thing is scary!

NOTD: Art deco

So... supposedly this is inspired by the Great Gatsby? Or so everyone tells me. I have neither read the book nor watched the movie, and unless someone can offer me a compelling reason to do so, I probably won't. Still, I like the aesthetic. I've seen manis like these floating around, and I decided to try it for myself.

Colors used:
OPI Ink
Chic Metalix Frost

Funny story: I wore this mani for three days. I kept meaning to photogaph it after work, but I kept having to stay late and by the time I'd get home the sun would be down. I ended up bringing my camera and polish to work and just ducking out mid afternoon when the sunlight looked right.

These are pretty simple compared to a lot of the other art deco stripe manis out there, but for a first attempt I'm pretty pleased. I've also got to see if they make narrower tape- this is really skinny, but I've seen some manicures floating around with insanely thin lines. It would allow me so much more freedom to make elaborate patterns.

Hey guys, I made some frankens...

...and now I'm addicted. That's not to say every franken I made was a rousing success, but damn, it's fun! I learned stuff as I went along, and you can see my progress.

I made six frankens total (five and a half, sorta- you'll see when I get there), which is the number of empty bottles I had. A good use for empties, fun and thrifty.

Unfortunately, on most of them I couldn't possibly tell you the exact ingredients of each one, so I could never properly recreate any of these.

I happen to have been marathon-watching all of Elementary, hence the names on these.


I'm Ambidextrous