Rescue Beauty Lounge IKB: 2012

I was so excited for this color, I squeed when it arrived in the mail. This is the most I've ever spent on a single polish and the color is lovely. However, I've never seen application like this. It's thick, stringy, and it balls up on the nail. It took nine nails to get the application down. This is three coats with two coats of top coat. You can see the bumps on my nails, and the bubbles that ensued from my application issues. I think I might try some thinner but according to Ji, the owner of RBL, this color is just this way. My recommendation: Revlon Royal or Orly Royal Navy. They're not exact dupes but they should satisfy your craving for deep blue without the application issues (word of caution, there are some bad batches of Revlon Royal out there, if you have issues go get another bottle from a different store). If you must get this color (and it's a great color) use minimal brush strokes and apply a thicker coat than you would of other polishes. For $20 though you could get both the Revlon and Orly and a couple other colors. Also, I wish my nails had spikes like my rocking shoes. Enjoy!

52 Week Challenge Week 17: Earth Appreciation

Like I mentioned in my last post I decided to give Sinful Colors Happy Ending a shot on its own. Result? Love it! It's a great grass green with a pretty shimmer, and application was a breeze. Since Earth Day was my next scheduled mani I topped this with some OPI DS Magic, which is a great blue shimmer (glass fleck maybe?) with some magenta in it. Amazing! Another color I need to wear as a full mani. I think this combo looks a bit like a giraffe pattern.
I also got Rescue Beauty Lounge IKB:2012 yesterday and I have another blue to try, along with my dusty hunt find of Kaleidoscope Him Out. I'm thinking blue skittle toes for my wedding. Is that strange? I want to wear the holo because that's what I wear for weddings. For the wedding I was in last week my toes were pink holo, China Glaze Don't Be A Square. My polish obsession actually started with holo wedding nails, Sand-erella! So it's only fitting I keep the holo goodness up. I'll let you all know what I decide to use. I may even post pictures of my feet.
Enough of my wedding nails stream of consciousness. Enjoy my Earth Day nails!

52 Week Challenge Week 16: Dotticure

I have no idea what the difference between polka dots and a dotticure is. So, I did polka dots using my dotting tools. As a base I used NOPI It's All About the Glam, another k-dash polish. It took four costs to get opaque and I've noticed that it's turning sort of pinkish and chipping/peeling off in an odd manner. It's super pretty though and a great alternative to a stark white like OPI Alpine Snow. The polka dots are Lex Cosmetics Peabow, a nice blurple. Sonia Kashuk Fatigued, a khaki green cream. Finally Sinful Colors Happy Ending, a bright green shimmer. I'm definitely going to have to give this color a go as a stand alone mani, it's purdy. As I was doing this mani I started to wonder why they are called polka dots. What do they have to do with dancing and music? Did other cultures not have patterns of dots other than eastern Europeans (the area I associate polka with)? Ah, the ramblings of a tired mind.
Enjoy!

Bridesmaid nails

Tomorrow I am a bridesmaid in one of my best friends weddings. We traveled 9 hours by car and it's looking like tornado weather for her outdoor wedding! I hope it holds off. The thought is tornados makes me so anxious!

When I asked her what she thought about my nails she said "have at it!" Um, I have 100s of colors, that's not helpful! She actually offered me an appointment for a mani/pedi but I only took her up on the pedi part, I don't want ANYONE touching my nails!

What I ended up with is Sally Hansen Conplete Salon Manicure in Downtown Rubies with a ring finger accent of Color Club Risque topped with Revlon Stunning. This is to mimic the diamonds we are both sporting on this finger now! In retrospect I would've put down a coat of red cream polish before the Downtown Rubies because it took four coats to get it opaque. I also left my acetone and clean up brush at home so please excuse my messy application. This is as neat as it gets for me!

Riveting and Charla- glass fleck amazingness

I am the proud owner of the entire Hunger Games polish collection and hadn't used a single one of them until this mani! For some reason I was feeling like orange and teal so out came China Glaze Riveting and Zoya Charla. All I can say is what an amazing combo! I need more glass flecks like these in my collection (aka hoard!) The best part is these are both one-coaters! Also, my elusive right hand AND the sun make an appearance! Enjoy!

52 Week Challenge Week 15: Easter

Easter! Always one of my favorite holidays growing up, all the pretty dresses and fun candy and egg dying. One year the day before Easter my mom was driving us to the grocery store and on the way there she ran over a rabbit crossing the road! I was so upset she ran I ER the Easter bunny!

Anyway, on to the mani. I used OPI A Dozen Rosas, Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure Sea and Be Seen, Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear The Real Teal, Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear Posh Plum, and Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure Yellow Kitty. I did a glitter gradient at the tips with OPI Servin' Up Sparkle. I'm liking the way this looks, I might do the glitter gradient for my wedding nails too. Without further ado:

52 Week Challenge Week 14: Striped

I went for a subtle striped mani for this challenge. I used a base of NYX Black Lace since I couldn't find my WnW. Don't care for the formula. I then used tape to make the stripes, they are Max Factor Fantasy Fire, Fingerpaints Flashy, Pure Ice Oh Baby, and ma.nish.ma Blaster, which proclaims itself holographic nail color. Hardly. It's very pretty nonetheless. Fantasy Fire has a blue/green/red multichrome, ma.nish.ma is a blue and pinkish/purple duochrome, Oh Baby is a blue/pink duochrome glitter and Flashy is a green/blue flakie. I'm please with the way this turned out. I do however need to get more acetone, I'm notorious for painting all over my fingers. Please enjoy!