Cherish Matte

 Began with OPI Thanks So Muchness! then layered Nfu Oh 52 over it…

 It actually had a strong green tinted shimmer, but the camera insisted on picking up blue. Pretty though 😀

Stamped China Glaze Cherish, a green chrome, with a Konad m64 plate. Then mattified the whole thing down with China Glaze Matte Magic.

Lessons learned? While painting Seche Vite over the flakies so it would dry faster for the stamping, that particular layer has shrunk over time and last night it was verging on just plain gross. It was pulling up so we would see red-orange around the cuticles, and it looked downright grotesque, even with a shimmer so it looked legit! Eww.

Cherish Matte

 Began with OPI Thanks So Muchness! then layered Nfu Oh 52 over it…

 It actually had a strong green tinted shimmer, but the camera insisted on picking up blue. Pretty though 😀

Stamped China Glaze Cherish, a green chrome, with a Konad m64 plate. Then mattified the whole thing down with China Glaze Matte Magic.

Lessons learned? While painting Seche Vite over the flakies so it would dry faster for the stamping, that particular layer has shrunk over time and last night it was verging on just plain gross. It was pulling up so we would see red-orange around the cuticles, and it looked downright grotesque, even with a shimmer so it looked legit! Eww.

Fail

This mani didn’t really see the light of the day.. literally 😛 (Check out that stamping smudge/hole in my thumb!) I applied it over night, in a total rush to get to bed, then when I woke I realized I was NOT in a red mood. So I swiped it off, and it stained my pinky red.

Base: OPI Off With Her Red! Stamping color: Sally Hansen Insta-Dri in Silver Sweep.

Fail

This mani didn’t really see the light of the day.. literally 😛 (Check out that stamping smudge/hole in my thumb!) I applied it over night, in a total rush to get to bed, then when I woke I realized I was NOT in a red mood. So I swiped it off, and it stained my pinky red.

Base: OPI Off With Her Red! Stamping color: Sally Hansen Insta-Dri in Silver Sweep.

Red ribbons

So every now and then Nick likes to give me weird ideas for a manicure, and I have to carry them out. Part of our deal for him allowing me to have so many polish! 😛 His inspiration this time?

A heart shaped, silk covered box of chocolates from Godiva that he bought for me yesterday, Valentine’s Day 🙂

Hard to see isn’t it?? What I did was set a base red, then make a thick stripe with a shimmery red, then stamped over it with a stripe pattern from one of my BM plates and then lastly a very dark red for the rose. It’s a very textured look that my camera won’t pick up. 😦 You can see the stamping pattern in my middle finger nail if you look to the left of the rose.

Colors used: (all China Glaze) Salsa for the base, Red Stallion for the shimmery stripe, Thunderbird for the stamp, Naughty and Nice for the rose stamp.

Red ribbons

So every now and then Nick likes to give me weird ideas for a manicure, and I have to carry them out. Part of our deal for him allowing me to have so many polish! 😛 His inspiration this time?

A heart shaped, silk covered box of chocolates from Godiva that he bought for me yesterday, Valentine’s Day 🙂

Hard to see isn’t it?? What I did was set a base red, then make a thick stripe with a shimmery red, then stamped over it with a stripe pattern from one of my BM plates and then lastly a very dark red for the rose. It’s a very textured look that my camera won’t pick up. 😦 You can see the stamping pattern in my middle finger nail if you look to the left of the rose.

Colors used: (all China Glaze) Salsa for the base, Red Stallion for the shimmery stripe, Thunderbird for the stamp, Naughty and Nice for the rose stamp.

Bouquet of Roses

 OPI I Got a Date To-Knight! for the base, OPI Dim Sum Plum for the french tips. Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear in Cherry Red for the roses, Sally Hansen Insta-Dri in Jumpin’ Jade for the plants.

 My favorite one out of them all 😛

This thumb gave me SO many problems… It wasn’t even funny. First, the base pink refused to dry properly and I destroyed it twice with the scotch tape. Then I hit something, and wiped off a spot which I corrected with a dab of the base color and topcoat. It just didn’t like me last night.

But this is my favorite mani so far, in terms of being able to bring idea into reality 😀

Bouquet of Roses

 OPI I Got a Date To-Knight! for the base, OPI Dim Sum Plum for the french tips. Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear in Cherry Red for the roses, Sally Hansen Insta-Dri in Jumpin’ Jade for the plants.

 My favorite one out of them all 😛

This thumb gave me SO many problems… It wasn’t even funny. First, the base pink refused to dry properly and I destroyed it twice with the scotch tape. Then I hit something, and wiped off a spot which I corrected with a dab of the base color and topcoat. It just didn’t like me last night.

But this is my favorite mani so far, in terms of being able to bring idea into reality 😀

The One that Got Away

 Base color- OPI The One That Got Away; top glitter- OPI Teenage Dream; Stamp- Pure Ice Sterling Silver.

 Decided to matte it down with Essie’s Matte About You. Then added Seche Vite over the stamp pattern only.

Comparison of matte vs glitter/shiny topcoat. I think the matte brings out the sparkles a little more, somehow.

This is another one for the Valentine’s theme week 🙂

The One that Got Away

 Base color- OPI The One That Got Away; top glitter- OPI Teenage Dream; Stamp- Pure Ice Sterling Silver.

 Decided to matte it down with Essie’s Matte About You. Then added Seche Vite over the stamp pattern only.

Comparison of matte vs glitter/shiny topcoat. I think the matte brings out the sparkles a little more, somehow.

This is another one for the Valentine’s theme week 🙂