Multi/Black Funky French

Or, I should probably subtitle this post "macro is a bitch".  :\

I took inspiration from my Broadway Nails "harajuku style" glue-on nails from a couple of days ago (link), and tried to replicate the look using my natural nails.   I did it, pretty successfully, I thought.  It was pretty messy, but I thought I'd done a damn good job of cleaning up.  I used a brush and everything.  Well... this is what my camera saw...

Really?  :'(  Holy effin smokes.  I looked at my nails  pre-pics and I thought it was so cute.  It probably could have benefited from some nail guides, but other than that... I thought it was a success.  Then I looked at the pictures all zoomed in and nearly had a heart attack.  OMG.  :|  I promise you girls, I did clean up.  Like I mentioned above, I even used an old eyeliner brush, for crying out loud (normally, I'm just a q-tip girl).

Honestly, I was gonna chalk it up to a huge failure when I figured I'd go on and post it.  Afterall, it was a wee bit time consuming to create this look.  I figured at the least, you'd get a good laugh, and at the most, maybe some of you would find inspiration in my mess and recreate the look with much greater success.

To create this look, I sponged on Nicole by OPI Pink. Seriously (part of the new Target collection), Fingerpaints Chrysanthe-mum's the Word, and Zoya Robyn.  I think added a coat of Nubar Dewdrop over the sponged color, and a french in Illamasqua Boosh.  I then added 2 coats of topcoat.  I loved it before my disastrous macro pics, and even now, I really like the look, I just wish it was neater, and wish that macro was kinder.  LOL.  I think if someone were to try this on longer, squarer nails, it would look amazing.  Just think of all the color combos.  :)

Here's hoping my pic made no one sick.  :P

Broadway Nails Fashion Diva glue-on nails in Angel (BHFD02)

You would think that as someone that habitually used glue-ons for almost 9 months and sucessfully recovered from the damage that I would shudder at the thought of glue-on nails.  Well, I do... and then again... I don't.  Quite frankly, I love the look of a lot of the funky french glue-on nail designs and in all honestly, I have about 6 boxes in the wings waiting on me to use them.  Unfortunately, I always chicken out, remembering what a PITA they were when I had to use them. 

Then I saw these at Wal-mart.  I passed by them about 2 times before I saw "harajuku style" on the package.  Well... after that point... they had to be mine.  That also shot them up to the top of the queue in the "glue-on nails waiting to be used once I finally quit being a pansy" line.  I guess because they are so adorable, I finally decided to do it.  Well, that and the fact that I, once again, broke my pinky nail so I was able to use them without filing. 

So, today, I decided to put them on.  Unfortunately, as soon as I put on my pinky nail, I knew I wanted to get them off.  Don't get me wrong... they are freaking adorable, but I just couldn't handle the thickness on my nails (due to the nail damage, my nail beds are hyper sensitive).  Nonetheless, I decided to go on and finish my hand so at least I could show them to you all. 

The Pros -
- Adorable.  I wish I could do this with my natural nails.
- Nice length if you have shorties (like me)... anything beyond a smidge out from your fingertip will need to be cut down.  So I guess that's a con if you have long nails.
- Gel glue that's easy to place and doesn't goosh out the sides of the nail.
- Easy-to-read sizing with tabs rather than the size on the underside of the nail.

Cons -
- Aforementioned length issues for long nails/nail beds.
- Easy to break the top of the nail when you remove the tab.  I did this on my middle finger and had to file it down and cover up the damaged french tip with black polish.
- Thickness... and this is subjective.  I really didn't like the way it felt on my nails, but someone else could have NO issues.
- Removal.  On the package, it says to simply soak in acetone, and I know other people do this and have the nails desolve within minutes.  With me... it seems that I always have soak my nails for at least 20 minutes (in acetone... ugh) and then I still have to work at removing the glue.

All in all... I think these were kind of a fail on me, but that's just because of personal preferences, rather than the product itself.  I think they would be totally adorable on someone else.  I can just imagine these with a brightly-colored dress for prom. 

Broadway nails are available in a myriad of designs from full-nail designs, to funky frenches, to white and pink frenches, and you can find them at most big boxes, drug stores, and grocery stores with cosmetics departments.  They are normally in the $6-7 range.  I think these were $5.94.

Happy New Year!

Here in the Eastern US timezone, we are about 30 minutes away from the new year!  And for once, I'm actually pretty excited about it.  Not that 2010 has been particularly bad.  I've had to deal with Blake's issues, but other than that, this year has been fairly good for us.  Not like 2009.  That was a mess.  :\

That said, I'm still ready to put this year away and start fresh with a new one.  It's like putting fresh sheets on a bed.  LOL.

Right now, my nails are nekkid.  I was doing some cuticle maintenance and I'm planning on applying my most recent acquisition, Nfu Oh 51.  But here is a mani I did yesterday...

This OPI Vancouvered in the Snow as a base, 2 coats of OPI Mad as a Hatter over top, with a thin french with a magenta pearl striper/pen from Born Pretty Store.  If you happen to own MaaH and aren't completely enamored with it (like I was), try it over a white base.  It really takes out a lot of the black and makes the other colors pop.  Vancouvered in the Snow is an icy white shimmer, which is sadly d/c'd, but another white shimmer would work just as well.  :)

I hope you all have a great (and safe NYE) and that the new year finds you happy and healthy.  See you in 2011.

Fingerpaints Winter Wishes w/ Orly Glitz & Glamour

Both of these polishes are from their brands respective winter collections.  Neither of which I gave much attention to.  I didn't really notice the Fingerpaints collections because those can be so hit-or-miss at my Sally's that I didn't want to lem one only to not be able to find it.  And I didn't pay much attention to the Orly collection, because just about the time it came out... Orly decided to make all the etailers jack up their prices to $6 a bottle (hrmph, Orly).

Anyway, like Savvy Garland, which I posted about previously, I happened to find these at Sally Beauty for half-off the clearance price.  So, they were $2 each.  Woohoo.  :)

Fingerpaints Winter Wishes is a champagne base with tons of silver and pale gold glitter (and there's possibly a small amount of orange in there).  I'm a sucker for golden polishes, so I fell head-over-heels for this one.  The glitter seems rather fine, but it was still quite gritty.  I have several coats of TC on my nails in this pic and it was smooth at that point, but it took at least 2 to get remotely smooth.  That said, I tend to use a thinner quick-dry TC, so I suppose if you were to use Seche Vite, it would take less.  The formula was a bit thick, so you had to be patient with it.  Pic is 2 coats.

Orly Glitz & Glamour is a very warm gold metallic.  Again, I'm a sucker for gold, so I had to pick this one up as well.  I love this one on my tips and I can't wait to use it as a full mani.

To create this look, I used one coat of basecoat, Jessica Critical Care and 2 coats of Winter Wishes.  I then applied a coat of TC and my Qtica Half-Time drops.  That was last night.  Then, this morning, I applied my french mani guides and applied Glitz & Glamour to my tips.  Then I applied a coat of TC, silver holo stars from my Art Club Christmas rhinestones pack, and 2 coats of TC to set the stars.

I realize it's only the 29th, and I'm almost certain, this won't make it 2 more days on my (darn NP ADD), but I think this would be a perfect NYE mani.  :)

Fun with Crackle Polish

Once again, I have 2 more looks for you using the products I received for Born Pretty Store. 

Today, I am showing you 2 uses of the crackle polish.

This is one coat of green crackle over one coat of ChG Snow.  I then topped it with a free-hand french in OPI Alpine Snow Matte.

This one is my favorite of the 2.  Be sure to enlarge it to see the detail, as I think this was a really cool effect.  This is 3 thin coats of CC Hocus Pocus, from the new Halloween mini set, as the base.  I then topped it with one coat of blue crackle.  I absolutely love the way the glitter peeks through the cracks, and how it shines through the jelly-ness of the crackle polish.  And then, because I have no "enough" meter, I randomly added light blue rhinestones.  There is also 2 coats of TC, one before and one after the rhinestones.

All of the nail art products used in these looks can be found at Born Pretty Store.  I hope I'm not driving you all nuts with the nail art looks.  I just love coming up with all these ideas.  I think I have one, possibly 2 more, in my head (one using dried flowers).  

Nail art products from Born Pretty Store and CC Hocus Pocus were sent to me for review.

KOTD: Random Ribbons Funky French

Lately, I've been finding myself trying to push myself to be more and more creative with nail art.  More times than not, it's just me thinking about designs before falling asleep, but sometimes it actually comes to fruition.  This was one of those ideas that actually made it to my nails.

I started by using a base coat of Orly Love Each Other, a purple shimmer top coat, so the color of my natural nails could show through.  I want to experiment more and more with konadding on bare (basecoated) nails.  I then applied a konad design using plate m63.  I used the ribbon stamp and three different colors, ChG Grape Pop (bright purple creme), ChG Light as Air (lavender creme), and ChG Devotion (a purple/silver metallic).  I made sure the pattern was completely random by only using a part of it, or turning it in a different direction before stamping.  I then topped with a coat of Out the Door.

I waited about 2 hours for my konad design and base coat to be completely set before I applied a funky french to my tips using one coat of ChG Grape Pop (I had to go back and touch up a few patchy spots, but the majority is one coat) .  To get clean lines, I used Orly French Manicure Guides and waited 20 minutes or so until they were fully dry. Lastly, as I felt it needed a final element to look cohesive, I added a glitter line using Art Deco Striper in Silver Glitter under the French line.  I then topped the entire nail with another coat of Out the Door to set it.

Okay, I realize it looks like I just threw everything but the kitchen sink on my nails, but I really love this.  I love my natural nail color peeking though the konad.  I love the subtle sparkle of the base coat, and I especially love my bright purple tips.  There's something so unexpected about it that I absolutely adore and I can't wait to try this same "formula" using other colors and konad designs.

Also, I'm not going to lie to you all and tell you that it wasn't completely time-consuming.  All-in-all, it took about an hour of stamping and painting to achieve this look, so it's not something that you'd want to do before you were rushing out the door, but I knew I'd have a bit of time while I was watching LOST and V to have my design set, and a little more time to complete the funky french before I went to sleep.  Which is where I'm heading now. LOL.

Hope you all like this one and I'll see you in the morning.  :)

Glitter French

On the whole, I dislike the look of traditional French manicures.  However, when you take a traditional French and add in a konad design or some glitter along the white line, then I love them.  There's something about taking the boring and adding a small detail to make it un-boring that makes me love it. 

I've recently become a wee bit obsessed with Frenches.  In fact, when I recently ordered basecoats from TD, I made sure to add in several French Manicue polishes from Orly's French line, as I didn't have any clear tinted polishes, or even a good tip white, for that matter.

Unfortunately, Frenches are a little time consuming and time is something I am sorely lacking, so I am not able to do them very often.  In fact, I rushed this one and thus, it didn't look the best, so I took pictures and then promptly took it off (there was a lot of bubbling on my thumb).  Next time I try, I'm going to do so when the twins are asleep and when I have more than 20 minutes to devote to my nails.

Anyway, I started with Orly's French manicure guides.  Sure, you can free hand it, and I often do, but it's much easier to use the guides.  You simply put them a little below the white part on you names.  One trick is to take them off quickly, like a Band-aid, especially if they aren't fully dry when you remove the guides. 

Next, I applied 2 coats of Orly Pointe Blanche, a heavily pigmented, thick (yet not chalky) white to the area on my nail, above the guide. 

Then I applied 2 coats of Orly Beverly Hills Manicure in Beverly Hills Plum.  BH Plum, is actually a sheer rose, but it has a bit more pigment in it than Orly French Manicure Bare Rose.

 

Lastly is one coat of quick dry TC and then a bit of silver glitter along the white like with Art Deco striper in Silver Glitter. 

I had plans of applying a silver konadded butterfly in the "natural" portion of my nails.  Unfortunately, that didn't come to fruition.  I just couldn't stand the bubbles on my thumb and I didn't have lots more time to wait for it to set.  Plus, I'd only done one hand.  LOL. 

I know it's really conventional, and perhaps doesn't appeal to the vast majority of nail blog readers, but I really love this look.  I plan on doing them more in the future, but adding glitter and/or konadding over top.  Now, I need to go apply a bright green, to get over my "normal" problem.  :P

Revlon Runway Collection Nails Part Deux

I posted about 2 of the Revlon Runway Collection Artificial Nails last month. I had plans of using another box sooner, but alas, I got caught up in other things. A few days ago, after my latest unfortunate incident with Zoya (the one that sparked my Dear John letter), I decided to try another set.

I tried Minx this time, and lemme tell you... it's my favorite thus far. This is the only one that has received compliments from strangers (thank you, girl in Target). She was shocked when I told her they were Revlon rather than spendy salon nails. Here's a pic of them:



I just took this, and since I've had them on a few days, they don't look as good now as they did before. Also, as the base of the nail is sheer, and I have damage to my natural nails, you can see the damage. Thankfully, this is something that you only see if you are looking at unforgiving macro photos, or if you were to stare at my hands for awhile.

The design on these is different than any other funky french (is it just me or does the phrase "funky french" make you giggle a little, too? LOL) glue-on I've tried. Thus far, it happens to be the most flattering on my hands. The nails is a peachy-pink base, with a white french tip. On the white tip, there is a black fishnet design, and between the french and the base is a thin silver glitter line. One thing I really like is that the design isn't the same uniform size. It varies based on the size of the nail. I thing that really helps in making these look like expensive nails.

The length is very short, though I think the package labels them as "medium", but these are far from medium. I kind of like this length, though. One of the fortunate things about wearing glue-on nails is that I can go from long to short to back again without any effort. I'd been wearing my nails pretty long, and I'm finding with these Revlons that typing is much, much easier. LOL.

It did take me 3 boxes before I was able to apply them without getting glue all over me, so there is a learning curve (as there is with just about any new nail/nail polish related product), but they are a great product. Plus, I'm a spaz, so you may have no problems. Speaking of the glue, Revlon glue is the best glue I've tried. Seriously. It's the only glue I use now. I wish I could buy the glue on it's own. I love it that much.

I'm really pleased with these Revlon nails. I especially love Minx. I may even buy a box of these to have on hand. Also, after trying these, I'm eager to try a few more of Revlon's Artificial Nails (the Color Allure nails in Revlon Red look awesome). I may pick up a pack of these next time I scout for np at CVS (the only place I've seen the Color Allures).

KOTD: Orly Plum Pudding with Misa Got to be Real...

though if I think I was going to subtitle this one, it would be called "the evolution of a mani".

Plum Pudding is one of the colors I ordered and actually received from LBBS on eBay. I mistakenly stated earlier that it looked like a purple version of SSN. It's nothing like a purple version of SSN, except for the fact it has silver glitter. So, my bad. Nonetheless, it's still a pretty color. Not as amazing as I thought it would be when I saw it in the bottle, but still pretty. Here's a pic I took of this color by itself:

It definitely is a plum color, not a true purple. It looks like jam on the nails. Glittery jam. It has silver and purple square shaped glitter, but there's more in the bottle than on the nail. It also has a slight frost to the finish, which by itself was not flattering on my hands. It's also a tad brushstrokey, but that's just because of the frost and it wasn't too much to overcome. I have no idea what collection it is from as it's an old bottle/formula Orly and was most likely d/c'd either late '90's/early 2000's. Ah. I forgot how old formula Orlys smelled. Chemically goodness. If you are interested in Plum Pudding, you can get it on eBay, but proceed with a tad bit of caution. Seller states they have 10 in stock, but as I found out with Tourmaline, that's not always the case. You may want to contact them in advance to check, or you can just order it and then if it's OOS, they'll give you a refund. I can't 100% recommend them, though.

Like I said earlier, I didn't like this on my hands because of the frost, so I decided to add a konad design. I chose plate m71, which has given me problems in the past, but none this time around. I used Misa Got to be Real, which IMO, is the perfect silver polish and is fantastic for konadding. It never disappoints. I got mine at TD. Here's a pic with the konad:

While I liked this konad design, I felt it needed something else. So last night, I added a french tip in Misa Got to be Real.

This is what I'm wearing now. I really like it, but I'm already itching to try something else. I blame it on my nail polish ADD. Hope you guys like it.

Embracing my inner Stepford Wife

So, remember how I mentioned that I was going to try some other brands of fake nails that were supposedly to "achieve a professional look without the professional price" to compare them to the Revlons? Well, I did that over this week. I used IBD 5 Second nails in "French Chic" from Sally's.

Now, normally, I'm not a thick french mani kinda girl. They look a little "Real Housewives of Whatever" to me. To each their own, but not normally for me. However, I must be smoking some good crack, but the look of a glitter french is strangely attractive to me, and I have no idea why. Not one done with glitter as the french (which I want to try too and am planning as my next mani, actually), but rather a small line of glitter between the french and the nail. You can see this in the pic below:

I really like the look of these and I can't tell you why. They are a pink-beige shimmer base with a thin silver, glitter divider line and an off-white iridescent tip. They go against everything my nail polish loving heart believes in, except for the belief that you should have the ability to wear whatever makes you happy. But like I said, I liked them. Unfortunately, they didn't hold up. Within 24 hours, I had a crack down the middle of my left thumb. While they were a PITA to remove, as it seems like the Revlon glue and these nails combined to make some sort of "super duper can't dissolve it" bond, I actually was a bit happy to be done with them. They were starting to make me question my belief system. LOL.

Compared to the Revlons, I think I prefer the overall look of the IBDs over the Revlons, simply because I couldn't see my damaged nails through the glue-ons, as the beige-pink base was darker than other glue-on french mani bases. Also, the IBDs were lots longer and thus easier for me to apply. However, Revlon wins hands-down for durability. A crack in 24 hrs just isn't acceptable, no matter how inexpensive these are. After all, they say "for professional use", which incorrectly or not, indicates some sort of promise of longer wear. These were $2.99 with my Sally's card and are available here (and in stores, of course. That's where I got mine). They come in numerous color options, and the price is right enough. However, they don't come with glue or any sort of nail file or orange stick like the Revlons. But that wasn't a problem for me as I have all the related supplies on hand. I just wish they held up longer, because while I was slightly over them, I don't like my glue-ons to decide for me when I have to do a new mani. :P

I have another package of these IBD nails in "French Oui Oui" to try, and I'll probably do so within the next few weeks. Also, I have a pack of Pretty Woman nails (I can't find the style name and the style number isn't showing up on Sally's website) to try out. I'll update when I try these as well.

Revlon Runway Collection Nails

I was recently contacted by the company that makes Revlon nails to see if I'd be interested in trying their new Runway Collection and posting a review on my blog (Thank you!!!). I normally don't use french glue-ons, but I figured I would since I have experience with glue-on nails and I've always wanted to try the Revlon brand. Plus, the designs were nice and looked different from other nails I'd seen out in drug stores/ big box stores.

I received them early last week while I was wearing my disastrous mint green mani (shudder). I was just expecting to receive a box or two, but I was sent the entire line. So, I had a hard time choosing my first one. I picked Sateen (91086). It's a french manicure with the base leaning slightly pink. The french on this nail is a mauvey pink satin base with a burgundy, floral print. The floral design looks very Asian-inspired to me. Separating the base from the french is a thin burgundy line and a charcoal grey glitter line. Here's a pic:

It's a pretty nail and I loved it in the box, in fact, it was my beginning favorite. However, I found the pink base to be too warm for my skintone, unfortunately. Also, because it was a bit see-through (just the nature of the beast with a light colored nail base), you could see the air bubbles that I wasn't talented enough to avoid and the damage to my natural nails underneath. Although, these 2 things were only apparent if you were staring at my nails.

The design was nice, but the charcoal grey glitter line just didn't match with the rest of the nail, IMO. A silver glitter would have been a better match. I found the dark grey to be a wee bit distracting. Application was a bit difficult. I've been using glue-ons now consistently since March, so I kinda consider myself a "Glue On Mastah" and I was gluing myself together all over the place. Maybe it was the new glue (I've never used Revlon's glue) or maybe it was because these nails are shorter that the Nailenes I regularly apply. Either way, my hands looked a bit messy after all was said and done. I did get better with the second box, more on that later, but it still wasn't flawless. I guess there's a learning curve with this, just like there is with any new product. Also, the sizes on these aren't consistent with other glue-on nails I've tried, even those made by the same manufacturer. This isn't really a complaint, rather a heads-up to try all the sizes close to your nail size before you go with a particular size.

Now, the good stuff... since I've been bitching and moaning up until now. :) The design looks nice on the nail, despite the distracting grey line. I did get several compliments on this design as well as the one to follow. Additionally, Revlon's glue is very good, holds for 4 days on me, easy, which is so much better than other brands. Also, you get a full bottle of glue rather than those little stick vials. It's easier to hold and control, for one, but for me, a continual glue-on user, it's nice to have a bigger container of glue for future applications. I've begun using this glue instead of my Kiss Pink Gel glue. It's much better. Lastly, and this is probably a continuation of the previous praise, but these nails lasted 4 days without lifting, and they probably would have gone farther had I not damaged one. The package says that you need to take them off after 10 days, but I NEVER get that kind of wear out of fake nails. Normally, I'm looking at 3 days max.

Before I close out this entry, let me show you a pic of the second set I wore.

This is Studio (91104). The base on this is a pearlish white with a satin-finish silver french with bisecting black lines. My husband picked this one out and I think he did a great job. I'd had a bit of a nail disaster before applying this nail and I needed something to put on my nails that required little effort to look great. I think I prefer this design over Sateen and is my favorite of the 2 I've tried. The wear was the same as Sateen, though with Studio, I did have a bit of tip wear (which you can see in the pic).

All in all, I think these are a great product. Perhaps not for someone with me who has damage to their natural nails, but I will still wear them. They are great for someone who wants a fancy french mani to wear to an event, but doesn't want to shell out the big bucks for a salon mani. In fact, Revlon's marketing approach on these nails is that they are a substitute for a set of salon-applied acrylics with nail art. Rather than spending $50 for this look, you can spend $7. Also, for me, these are great to have around for when I need to put on a full set of nails and I don't have time to deal with polishing my nails. 10 minutes and I was done. The come in 7 designs and can be found at drugstores and big box stores all over.

And, just for comparison's sake, I went to Sally's over the weekend and got 2 boxes of nails that were meant to look like salon manis. They even say "for professional use only" on the boxes. I plan on trying these over the next couple weeks to see how they compare to the Revlons. Also, as I have 5 more designs of these Revlons to try, I will probably scatter them out over the next 6-8 weeks.

So, what do you think? Do you like these Revlon nails?