SWATCHED: Mentality Candy Jelly Holos

Nothing to Disclose -- kind of (read on)

Hello lovelies! 

Today's post comes as a result of a slight hiccough in order packing. You see, I had ordered a bunch of Mentality polishes, and awaited for them to arrive with bated breath. And then they did! And they weren't my order! It turns out that my box was mixed up with another customer's. Hillary, in an example of exemplary customer service, has shipped me my correct order, and told me to keep these lovely polishes as well (gosh, so nice!!). I figured the least I could do would be to swatch them.

So that I don't repeat myself endlessly, I'll put this all here: all of these are three coats, no topcoat. The formula on all of them was very easy to control and apply (none of these photos involved clean up!! A MIRACLE), but you'll not want to go over your strokes too much or you'll create bald spots. Because these are expressly jelly holos, they are a touch on the sheerer side; Mentality makes stamping holos as well, so if you're in for extreme opacity, you might want to look into those. All of these holos have cosmetic grade holo powder in them, not Spectraflair, so you won't be seeing rainbows in my light box. (Somehow, Mentality themselves have captured the rainbows in their swatches-- they're obviously better at corralling rainbows than I am!) Now, let's dive in!

Bon Bon is a jammy pink with slight berry undertones. I'm not a pink girl but this one is deep enough that I like it. 

Marmalade is an interesting one. In the above photo, it looks decidedly orange, but in real life I found it looked orange with a wee bit of pink to it. It made it much more approachable and wearable than straight orange (I love orange polish, but I know not everybody does).

Taffy is an acid yellow-green. I found this one almost a bit frosty, and it isn't as saturated as it looks in the above photo-- more washed out. I absolutely adore colours like these but they don't play nice with my skin tone. 

Sourball is a grass green with the slightest bit of blue to it, which pulls it away from the 'kelly green' territory and more into 'evergreen'. The weird lumps you see are my fault, I think, for applying the polish too soon after shaking it. Blame the messenger for that one.

Pastille is my faaaaavourite. It's got a wonderful tonal shimmer to it, which I hope you can see above. I love this shade of aqua, it's playful and deep without being straight teal.

Gumdrop is a Wonder Woman blue. This one looks a bit sheerer here than it was in real life.

And finally, Hard Candy is a straight purple. It's much less blue than it appears above; not that it's a violet, but it's much less of a grape. It treads that fine line in the land of purple that my camera absolutely hates. It's also not as dark and saturated as it appears-- it reminds me, if this helps, a bit of a cousin or half-sister to A England's Lady of the Lake.

Polishes used:

Mentality - Bon Bon, Marmalade, Taffy, Sourball, Pastille, Gumdrop, Hard Candy

no base or top coat

And so there you have it! Don't worry, I haven't forgotten about the nail art I owe you-- I hope to have that up tonight or tomorrow at the latest. Hopefully it'll have been worth the wait! This little exercise gave my newfound appreciation for what swatchers do. It's a laborious process, swatching polish, and it dries the living heck out of your hands. Bow down to the master swatchers, for they live in the land of parched skin and impeccable nail polish application!

xo,

J.

Green Lace Moons

Nothing to Disclose

GUYS. I might have a problem. I can't stop doing lace moons.

These are a little messier than I'd like, but they're killer from a distance!

These are done in the style of Tenshi no Hana -- a queen of nail art, as far as I'm concerned, and the one who (above all else) makes me want to learn how to one-stroke. Go follow her blog. Don't worry about it being in French; if nothing else, go to drool over the images.

For this, I began with a base of Earthshine. (Whoa, Google tells me that's a real word! I had no idea!) It's a beautiful and complex polish. It reminds me of a green version of my beloved custom Tryst Lacquer, Aqueous, but also of a darkened sister to Cirque's Hellebore because it's green with silver flake shimmer and faint but noticeable fuchsia microshimmer. That said, Earthshine requires major patience, as it's a four-coater. You might be able to get away with three thick coats, but then I'd worry about it never drying. As it was, with four thin coats and my trusty 2013 top coat, it still took a while to fully harden up.

The design was all done with white acrylic paint and my omniuseful tiny detail brush. Here is a zoom in on Earthshine on my unadorned Cinderella hand, just in case you needed convincing that it's worth the four coats:

Polishes used:

Indigo Bananas - Earthshine

butter LONDON - Nail Foundation (base coat)

la couleur couture - 2013 (top coat)

white acrylic paint

tiny detail brush

I have my Follow the Devil ABC prompt still to do tomorrow (but I don't want to take these off!!! HELP). Then it's Digit-al Dozen week! I still have one mani to do for that one, so I'm thinking of maybe combining the two prompts... am I a terrible nail person if I do that? Maybe, hey?

xo,

J.

Snowy Windows

Nothing to Disclose

Hello lovelies! It snowed overnight. Winter is officially here. There are a few centimetres on the ground as I type this. I'm getting my winter tires on tomorrow morning, provided I can drive to the tire place on my summers. I'm inconsolable. I hate winter. But it gives me an excuse to do nail art.

For this look, I was aiming for a 'candle through a snowy window' sort of a thing.

I started with two medium-thick coats of Cape Liz. I then did two coats of topcoat to protect the base from what was to follow. I painted on the candlesticks using Shawn, and dabbed on some acetone along the bottom to blur them out. The flames were done with Helios and Sulfur Blaze.

The snow was done with White On and the watercolour technique, which mostly saw me dabbling through polish and acetone with relative abandon. There was no method here; just whimsy. Finally, I took a tiny brush and dotted on the snowflakes with undiluted White On.

Polishes used:

Cirque - Cape Liz, Helios

Zoya - Shawn

Cover Girl - Sulfur Blaze

Sally Hansen - White On

Duri - Rejuvacote (base coat)

la couleur couture - 2013 (top coat)

When my nails are longer, I think this would be a cute look to revisit with little window frames covered in snow. We shall see. I might be absent for a couple days as I frantically work to catch myself up on Digit-al Dozen work (I did two manis yesterday! Both for December! WHAT). But I won't be gone long, I promise!

xo,

J.

SNAPSHOTS: Hallowe'en and Movember

Nothing to Disclose

Hello lovelies! You know what the worst thing is? Moving house. It is actually the worst thing. It is an all-engulfing maw into which my past week disappeared entirely. I actually don't even remember most of it. I have nubbins to show for it, though. Moving also destroyed my nails and cuticles-- ick.

But I made it through! And I have two manis to show you quick quick.

First up is my Hallowe'en mani. I apologize for the image quality; I used my iPad to take the photo in less-than-ideal light. I used white and black acrylic paint on a base of the franken I'd made a while ago. I happen to think my little Jolly Rogers are quite cute!

Second up is my Movember mani! I started with a patchwork base of Magia, Cosmic Fate, Eternal Beauty, and Kismet. The holo is evident in direct light and throws wonderful rainbows! I then used white and brown acrylic paint for the different moustaches. The middle finger is dedicated to Cmd. Hadfield. ;)

Polishes used:

Franken I'd made a while ago...

Color Club - Cosmic Fate, Eternal Beauty, Kismet

Jade - Magia

Duri - Rejuvacote (base coat)

la couleur couture - 2013 (top coat) (note: putting top coat on these holos doesn't kill the rainbow effect!)

Back atcha lovelies with more nail art soon! I have an idea for an autumnal mani (I say, as I look outside and everything is blanketed in snow...), plus it's Digit-al Dozen week next week! Hang tight, I promise to be more present! :)

xo,

J.

SWATCH: Durm und Strang

Nothing to Disclose

Hello lovelies!

Sometimes you just need to swatch something.

Today's swatch is Durm und Strang, which I like as much for its name as for its look.

I just have two wishes for this polish: that there were more lime green hexes, and that the base was more jelly to allow depth. I like that it's a two-coat polish (one thin, one thicker to get at those elusive bits of green), but I wouldn't mind a third coat if it meant more jelly awesome.

The accent nail is a watermarble of Green with Envy and Pelican Gray over a coat of Silver Sweep. It's subtle but I like it.

Polishes used:

Scofflaw Nail Varnish Manufactory - Sturm und Drang

Sally Hansen - Silver Sweep, Green with Envy

China Glaze - Pelican Gray

Nail Pattern Boldness - Glitter A-Peel (base coat)

Rica - Glossy Glam (top coat; I've learned it's best to really wait until your base polish is starting to dry before putting Glossy Glam on it, or else you will be dealing with a lot of shrinkage)

watermarbling paraphernalia: cup of room-temperature filtered water, toothpick, masking tape, cotton buds...

I'll be working on nail art this week, but probably in anticipation of Digit-al Dozen week next month. I'll try to get something in for you lovelies to look at!

xo,

J.

Puffball Floral

Nothing to Disclose

Hello lovelies!

I present to you today a look I've been wearing for the past few days, and which I only just took off rather begrudgingly...

I took a lot of pictures of it.

It was inspired by @celinedoesnails on Instagram, though her flowers look a lot more like flowers and a lot less like some sort of Dr. Seussian fluffball, as here.

The base for this manicure was three easy, beautiful coats of Kryptonite. I tried a photo in direct light to try to catch the holo particles, but it didn't work so well. Just know that all the little flecks of white are in fact rainbow in real life:

The rest of the design is acrylic paint.

Weird puffballs they may be, but I kind of like 'em!

Polishes used:

piCture pOlish - Kryptonite

butter LONDON - Nail Foundation (base coat)

la couleur couture - 2013 (top coat)

acrylic paints

tiny detail brush

Hopefully I'll have something more seasonal for you tomorrow (I am posting this from the past-- ooOOOooo -- and I therefore have no idea yet how hungover I'll be tomorrow). ;)

xo,

J.

DIGIT-AL DOZEN WEEK: Hallowe'en Skittle

Nothing to Disclose

Hello lovelies! It's the last day of my very first Digit-al Dozen week! I SURVIVED.

Today I have for you a Hallowe'en-ish skittle. I saved it for last because, A) I think it's the most accomplished in terms of what a skittle manicure is really all about, and B) it means it's closer to Hallowe'en proper.

Where do I even begin with these? Okay, okay. Thumb is two coats of Lopez Canyon with Xixabangma detail. Index is one coat of Streetside NYC with Camelot detail.

Middle finger is one coat of Xixabangma with Lopez Canyon / Streetside NYC / Camelot detail. Ring finger is two coats of Camelot with studs. Pinky is two coats of Lopez Canyon with two coats of 205 layered over top.

Don't even ask what the middle finger is; I have no answer to that question.

Polishes used:

American Apparel - Lopez Canyon

Elevation Polish - Streetside NYC, Xixabangma

A England - Camelot

Inglot - 205 (flakie)

1.5mm studs from Born Pretty Store

butter LONDON - Nail Foundation (base coat)

Rica - Glossy Glam (top coat)

detail brush

dotting tool to pick up studs

Do you have any Hallowe'en plans? I went out and bought a pair of plaid satin pyjamas and a grey satin half-robe today, because I am going as Hugh Hefner. That's right. And my older boyfriend will be outfitted with bunny ears. :) We have three (THREE) Hallowe'en parties to go to, all of subsequent weekends! Phew!

xo,

J.

CHECK OUT WHAT THE OTHER TALENTED LADIES OF THE DIGIT-AL DOZEN ARE UP TO:

Tweed for Fall

Nothing to Disclose

Hello lovelies!

This looked better in my head. But it isn't a total failure, so up it goes!

It was IMPOSSIBLE for me to get a good photo of the base colour for this mani. I suspect this might be an ongoing battle between my camera and darker colours. They always end up way too dark. I have no idea how to rectify this because I know basically nothing about cameras or how they work. (True story.)

The base for this was Creeping Moss. The tweed accent nail didn't come across quite as well as I would have liked, but it was pretty easy and fun to do; just do the spun sugar technique both horizontally and vertically. I used Aciiied, Desert Fruit, and Xixabangma on a base of Tempest. Next time, I will do it on a dark base and use white as one of the spun sugar colours.

This photo is the only one that is vaguely colour-accurate. It's crappy, but the colour is as light as it appears on the right-hand side.

Polishes used:

Contrary Polish - Creeping Moss, Desert Fruit

Models Own - Aciiied

Elevation Polish - Xixabangma

Cult Nails - Tempest

butter LONDON - Nail Foundation (base coat)

Rica - Glossy Glam (top coat)

Studs and rhinestones from Born Pretty

dotting tool (for spun sugar technique)

Many posts upcoming! One tomorrow, then one each day all next week becaaaauuuseee... Digit-al Dozen week is starting! Holy moly! I'm kind of nervous.

And to any lovelies who are Canadian, happy Thanksgiving!

xo,

J.

Lined French

Nothing to Disclose

Hello again lovelies!

Two posts in one day because I've got something very simple and kind of out of the ordinary for you.

I wanted to take on the challenge of doing a French mani in an interesting way, because they've never held any appeal for me before. This is what I came up with:

Things I learned from this adventure:

1) I am crap at linework;

2) I need to thin my Glitter Food.

For this look, I began with base coat and a coat of Nail Glow. I then freehanded the moons in Gossip Over Gimlets, did the exaggerated French tips in Recycle (using French tip guides, because whoa let's not be over-ambitious here), and the linework in Tempest (which also needs to be thinned). Topped it all in Glitter Food for optimal smoothness, and top coat to finish it off.

Polishes used:

Duri - Rejuvacote (base coat)

Dior Couture - Nail Glow

China Glaze - Gossip Over Gimlets

Rescue Beauty Lounge - Recycle (which is a beautiful dark green, but not as dark as pictured)

Cult Nails - Tempest

Nail Pattern Boldness - Glitter Food

la couleur couture - 2013 (top coat)

liner brush

I could see a better-executed version of this being a really classy look for a cocktail party or other style-forgiving event. It holds up on its own without being too complex. :)

I bought a Marc Jacobs polish today that is literally the least me-like polish I now own, and my next challenge is to incorporate it into a mani! Eep!

xo,

J.

Franken + Food!

Nothing to Disclose

... but not frankenfood, don't worry!

Hello lovelies! I have kind of a special post today. (Well, special to me.) The reason is that the polish I'm showing you today is my very first franken. For those who haven't encountered the term yet, a franken is nail polish lingo for a polish that is mixed up using other polishes, pigments, loose glitter, and whatever else you feel like throwin' in there. I made this one using 6 different polishes and 4 types of loose glitter! In honour of autumn and by popular request over on Instagram, I've named it Bride of Franken-Stein. (Punny.)

Shown are two thick coats of polish plus two thin coats of top coat to smooth out the glitter. There are flakes, and glass fleck, and all sorts of stuff in the base green jelly, so feel free to click the following picture to get a zoomed-up look (can you tell I'm a proud mama?):

On top of the franken, I've put some apples, because this weekend's ABC Challenge prompt is Food! We're well into September now, much as I hate to admit it-- not because I hate autumn, not at all, but because the winters here in Edmonton are brutal-- and apples seemed a season-appropriate foodstuff.

The apples are entirely acrylic paint.

I'm not the happiest with how they turned out, but they aren't bad, either. It's been over a month since I did really detailed acrylic painting like this on my nails, so I'm a little rusty, and it was good to get back into it!

Polishes used:

Bride of Franken-Stein, a franken made by me! ***

Duri - Rejuvacote (base coat)

la couleur couture - 2013 (top coat)

acrylic paint in light red, dark red, yellow, ochre, sap green, and dark brown

tiny detail brush

I'm finally all caught up on the ABC Challenge! Now I get to do whatever I want this week, woohoo! I'm thinking of getting a head start on prepping for next month's Digit-al Dozen week, and I've got a few other ideas kicking around that might be fun. I'm looking forward to it! Just as soon as I can will myself to take this polish off....

xo,

J.

*** While the polishes I used were all mine and purchased separately, some of the suspension base I used and all of the loose glitter I used came from Girly Bits' franken starter kit. They've also recently introduced a deluxe franken starter kit that comes with more glitter samples and three pre-coloured bases, which is pretty awesome!

Pointy Shapes?

Nothing to Disclose

Hello lovelies!

Today's endeavour is C for Colour Blocking. 

I did not colour block. I'm not sure what to call this, but most colour blocking I've seen involved striping tape, and I am not on speaking terms with striping tape. 

So this was (messily!) freehanded with four different polishes on a clear base: Rendezvous (ironically takes FOREVER to dry and WILL smear in top coat... What gives, Seche? What happened to the Vite part??), Love at First Sight, Streetside NYC, and Xixabangma. Of note is that all of these shades were 1 coaters, which I know because I did a plain skittle on my Cinderella hand. ONE COATERS!

I think my top coat and base coat decided to get together and have tons of little bubble babies. I cannot otherwise explain their presence. (Though I didn't see a stork, so I might be wrong.)

I think this look would be pretty sharp if I were to redo it in acrylics. I'd be able to get in a lot more detail. So that's a scheme on the back burner for now, along with all my other schemes, 90% of which I forget the moment I consign them to the aforementioned back burner.

Polishes used:

Duri - Rejuvacote (base coat)

la couleur couture - 2013 (top coat)

Seche - Rendezvous

Cult Nails - Love at First Sight

Elevation Polish - Streetside NYC, Xixabangma (discontinued! sob!)

detail brush

I'm off to the mountains (actually, I'm already IN the mountains-- I am transmitting this from the past by magic)! I'll be back tomorrow afternoon, so I hope to get in my D prompt for you darlings tomorrow evening. :)

xo,

J.