Nail of the day – You know you make me wanna scream.
The text on the image already says it all. The Facebook group I’m a member of called Adventures in Stamping had a little challenge for this Sunday where we had to use our favorite image.
I chose this one because I’m really into art and Edvard Munch‘s painting the Scream has always been one of my favorites. The utter desperation and fear in the main character is just so intense and heartbreaking it’s a difficult painting to forget. Maybe that’s why the mask became so popular in the Scream movies ;) you just do not forget a villain with a face like that.
So back to the manicure. When I got my image plates a long time ago and I found this image on them I loved it instantly and so I had to use it for the challenge today.
For the base color I used China Glaze’s Sweet Hook, a very soft lilac color that would compliment the darker purple I was stamping over it perfectly. The dark purple is my favorite polish of all time that I rarely use for that reason; another China Glaze called Flying Dragon. There are apparently several versions of it, so I should clarify that this one has multi colored micro glittery bits in it. And I wish I could just have ten bottles of this because it’s just my favorite color ever.
Now, what do your nails look like right now? Tell me in the comments, I’d love to know!
Posted in 2012, Challenge, China Glaze, Cream, Crème, July, Lilac, Nail Art, Nail of the Day, Nail Polish, Nailpolish, Nails, Nails of the week, Pastel, Pattern, Purple, Stamping, Stamping system, Sunday Stamping Challenge | 
11 CommentsMani update – Neon-ized it!
Do you ever have this problem of enjoying the time consuming nailart you’ve done but just are not feeling the colors anymore?
That’s the problem I had with my Monochromatic Manicure. I just needed some color after rocking the black and white for a few days. So what I decided to do is give in to the current neon and gradient craze and sponge some of my neons over this to make it look more summery. Because neons are usually quite sheer it would show the pattern still so I wouldn’t feel like I had wasted my time drawing all kinds of stuff on my nails when I’d only wear the manicure for a few days.
This is what they ended up looking like:
And this is what I used to achieve the effect. Please ignore the condition of my neon yellow, I know it looks miserable but it was in a bag along with a few polishes that broke when I flew back from vacation last year and I haven’t taken the time to clean that one up just yet…
Pictured are:
- China Glaze – Purple Panic
- Essence nail art twins – Gabriella
- Kiko – 336
- China Glaze – In the limelight
- China Glaze – Celtic Sun
- A cut up make up sponge
Have you tried gradient nails yet? If so, what colors did you use?
Posted in 2012, Acrylic, Acrylic paint, Black, Blue, China Glaze, Duri, Essence, Fashion, Fuchsia, Gradient, Green, Hot, July, Kiko, Manicure, Nail Art, Nail of the Day, Nail Polish, Nailpolish, Nails, Nails of the week, Neon, O.P.I., Pink, Purple, Rainbow, Rejuvacote, Seche Vite, Sheer, Sponged, Style, Summer, Trend, White, Yellow | 4 CommentsMonochrome Monday
First a little explanation of the word:
mon·o·chrome [ˈmɒnəˌkrəʊm] noun.
1. a. A picture, especially a painting, done in different shades of a single color.
b. The art or technique of executing such a picture.
2. The state of being in a single color.
3. A black-and-white image, as in photography or on television.
Now on to my nails and the inspiration I used. I decided to free hand this challenge. Don’t get me wrong, I love stamping, but I do it all the time and I just wanted to do something unique this time.
A little while ago I decorated some smooth pebbles with a little pen and acrylic ink and a lot of people liked them. My mom keeps the ones I made for her in a little glass bell on her patio table.
From left to right, on the picture on the right, you see Rejuvacote which I always use as a base, next to that is my Seche Vite topcoat. The bigger white bottle is my white acrylic ink. Next to that a beautiful small bottle of BK’s black holo and in the back on the right is Suzi Skis in the Pyrenees. The pen I used is laying in the foreground. It’s just a simple fountain pen that comes without cartridges and that you have to dip in ink to work. The ink I bought at an artist supply store a while ago, along with the other three basic colors yellow magenta and blue, and of course black, that way I can mix almost any color I would like.
After I had painted my nails with Suzi Skis and my ring fingers with the BK holographic polish and they were completely dry I started to draw on my nails like I had on the pebbles, just kind of going with the flow. Not having planned any pattern beforehand I came to this end result and I hope you like it! It did prove to be a bit of a challenge to draw with my left hand onto my right fingernails but I think they came out really well. I’m slightly ambidextrous and did not know it I guess!
I hope you all enjoyed this post and will become inspired to give something like this a go yourself sometime!
Posted in 2012, Acrylic, Acrylic paint, Basecoat, BK, Black, Clear, Cream, Crème, Duri, Grey, Holographic, July, Links, Manicure, Nail Art, Nail of the Day, Nail Polish, Nailpolish, Nails, Nails of the week, O.P.I., Opaque, Rejuvacote, Style, Theme, Topcoat, White | 16 CommentsNew Essence trend edition: Miami Roller Girl preview.
This summer is all about brights and Essence is staying on trend by releasing four new bright colors with their Miami Roller Girl trend edition.
Available in Germany from July to August.
The trend edition will be also be available in: Austria, Switzerland, Spain, Portugal, Netherlands, Belgium, Poland, Hungary, Czech Republic, Lithuania, Croatia, Turkey, Egypt, Ethiopia, Taiwan, Pakistan, Peru, Ecuador and Chile, though I am not certain what the release date there will be.
01 bienvenido a miami
02 miami p’ink
03 four wheel drive
04 miami heat.
I’m curious to see swatches of these as Neons usually have the strange habit of drying matte. These are rumored to be high gloss polishes with real staying power. Also in this product picture the Orange seems to have a metallic shimmer to it. Will these all have a shimmer and will they be slightly sheer or will these be nice opaque creams? I can’t wait to find out!
What do you think of this Neon trend sweeping the nail polish nation? Are you all for it, or are you more subdued in your color picks when it comes to nail polish?
Posted in 2012, August, Essence, Hot, July, Limited Edition, Nail Polish, Nailpolish, Neon, Opaque, Orange, Pink, Preview, Red, Sheer, Shimmer, Yellow | 3 CommentsYSL has done it again!
While I am all still enjoying the color blocking trend with bright colors that is currently going on in the fashion world, luxury cosmetics and high fashion brand Yves Saint Laurent has already caught my attention. How did they do it? By releasing the product pictures of a gorgeous new Autumn/winter collection called “the Midnight Garden” created by top designer Lloyd Simmons.
Aren’t they stunning? The top deep blue color is called Moonlight Blue and the lighter, almost teal color below that is called Wintergreen. Both have a light shimmer effect and I’m sure everyone knows that it will look amazing on your nails.
With its beautiful deep, dark colors – that have clearly been inspired by hot house gardens, tropical flowers and exotic birds – it gives an overall fantasy winter garden effect. It is quite the contrast with the current corals, bright yellows and other neon colors we have seen on the fashion runways for this season and I love it!
Along with the polishes, YSL will release six new ‘Rouge Volupte Perle’ colors for the lips, the stunning ‘Ombres 5 Le Lumieres’ eyeshadow palette and six ‘le Blush Radiance’ blushes. These will all hit a store near you (depending on where you live) this July and will cost about €35.
What do you think of these polishes? Are you thinking about getting these or will you admire them from afar?
Posted in 2011, August, Beauty, Blue, Collection, Cream, July, Midnight Blue, Nailpolish, Nails, Opaque, Petrol, Preview, Set, Shimmer, Teal, YSL, Yves Saint Laurent | 11 Comments
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