The Digit-al Dozen Does Fairy Tales: Into the Woods

It's time for another week of The Digit-al Dozen! This week is Fairy Tales, which has stumped a lot of members.

Today my nails are not based on one single fairy tale, but rather any fairy tale that involves the woods. I've created  a foggy forest in which many characters reside in fairy tale land. And also welcome to nub-ville, the winter has been hard on my nails!

I used China Glaze Five Rules (two coats) as my base. I used Konad Black and Bundle Monster BM-407 followed with BarryM Chai as the pathway and OPI My Pointe Exactly to help with the foggy-ness. I used Essence We will Rock You as the foggy bottom and finished it all up with Essie Matte About You.

I was trying to create a creepy forest, kind of like the one you see in the opening credits of Once Upon a Time. And a pathway that would certainly lead you to some nefarious creature.

Don't forget to check out the other ladies and their fairytale manis!

An InLinkz Link-up

The Nail Challenge Collaborative Does Dots: Peacock Plumage

Day 2 of The Nail Challenge Collaborative Does Dots! These are the "eye" of a peacock feather. Those are dots right? :) This is an older post from the vault. Le gasp! I had a mani in the vault! And by vault I mean this one mani from August that I hadn't posted yet. :)

I used Essence Romeo, China Glaze Budding Romance, and A England Dragon. I stamped using Emily de Molly EDM04

 Don't forget to check out the other Day 2 Dot Manis!

An InLinkz Link-up

The Nail Challenge Collaborative Presents: Stripes - Halloween Camo?

This is my day 2 of The Nail Challenge Collaborative presents Stripes! And today I bring you Halloween camo? This is just a few Halloween colors, splodged on, and stamped over with stripes. :)

I used OPI My Boyfriend Scales Walls as my base (though you can't see it). I then splodged on BarryM: Plum, Mango, and Key Lime. I stamped using Konad White and Cheeky CH10. The white was too bright so I used Essence We Will Rock You Smokey Finish Top Coat. I then used Essie Matte About You as you can see in the first photo.

Meh. That's what I feel about this. Just meh. It is what it is. :)

Don't forget to check out the other day 2 Stripes!

An InLinkz Link-up

Don't forget to check out the other ladies and their Spooky Manis!

An InLinkz Link-up

The Nail Challenge Collaborative Presents: Geomoetric - Dotticure

Day 2 of The Nail Challenge Collaborative's theme of Geometric and I bring you dots around dots around dots! Or, a dotticure. 

Please excuse the nubbins (this is a slightly older photo from earlier in the month). Sometimes it's really hard to wrap the tips of nubbins. Grrrr! :) So um yeah, since this is an older photo I *think* I have Essence Romeo on under Essence Bella. Otherwise I don't know why I'm holding this bottle of Romeo!? >_<

I used Essence Bella as my base. The dots are Butter London: Cream Tea (white er cream), Jaded Jack (darker green), and Wellies (light green). I sealed it with Poshe Top Coat and called it a day. They actually lasted quite a long time. The only good thing about nubs, no real free edge to chip -- though you can really damage a mani try to use your nails nubs to open things!

Don't forget to check out the other Day 2 posts:

An InLinkz Link-up

The Digit-al Dozen Does Summer: Heat Haze

Day three of The Digit-al Dozen Does Summer and I attempted to create heat haze. You know, those wibbly wobbly waves in the air near the road?

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Do you know what I mean now? These are very common in Arizona. Very common as it is freakin' HOT!

I used Essence You Belong to Me as my sky and Essence Hunt Me if You Can as my asphalt road. I drew the road lines with OPI Candlelight. I then used Essie Matte About You to matte the road and my middle finger. My index finger I used Poshe top coat to make it shiny! I then used a small brush to create "waves" on the matte surface using Poshe top coat.

What do you think? Yay? Nay? I have mixed feelings. I really wanted to do this as a mani and I struggled in how to show the waves. In person it shows up a little better, but maybe I should have chosen a darker blue for my sky so that the waves would show up? Oh well, it still looks a bit like heat haze right? :)

Don't forget to check out what the other ladies are doing for summer!

An InLinkz Link-up

The Nail Challenge Collaborative Presents Skittles - Grey!

Third post for The Nail Challenge Collaborative Skittles and today I chose the best color ever! Grey! As many of you know I have a grey polish addiction so I knew I had to give it some skittle love!

Thumb: Dandy Nails Bound to Fall (two coats)

Index: Essence Romeo (two coats) with Dragon Lacquer Geeky Owl (my custom made glitter!)

Middle: Essence Romeo (two coats) stamped with BarryM Foil Effects Silver and Messy Mansions MM19

Ring: Zoya London (two coats)

Pinkie: Essence Romeo (two coats) with a 14 grade Holo Top Coat.

All sealed (except my ring finger!) with HK Girl Top Coat! And my index and ring finger both have OPI Glitter Off as their base (love this stuff!).

I really loved how this turned out! I am really starting to love skittles now!

A shot of Dandy Nails Bound to Fall. A gorgeous grey with blue flecks! Fabulous!

Don't forget to check out what the others have done for their 3rd day of Skittles!

An InLinkz Link-up

The Digit-al Dozen Does Decades Week: 1990's Grunge

For the final day of The Digit-al Dozen Does Decades Week I bring you the 1990's Grunge movement!

"Grunge became commercially successful in the first half of the 1990s, due mainly to the release of Nirvana's Nevermind, Pearl Jam's Ten, Soundgarden's Badmotorfinger, Alice in Chains' Dirt, and Stone Temple Pilots' Core. [...] Clothing commonly worn by grunge musicians in Washington consisted of thrift store items and the typical outdoor clothing (most notably flannel shirts) of the region, as well as a generally unkempt appearance." -source

 

So, I had a totally different idea for this in my head but I suddenly had an inspiration and love the way it turned out! I started out with one coat of Essence Romeo. I did only one coat because I wanted it thin and haphazard. While Romeo was still a bit wet I did the Saran Wrap technique using Above the Curve Banana to a Party. Before this dried completely, I gouged out a few holes in the polish and added dents and bare patches to give the grungy look. I used Essence We Will Rock You to create the smokey finish. I stamped using Konad Special Black and Vivid Lacquer VL015. I used my Essence black nail art pen to create the numbers. I topped it off with Essie Matte About You.

I am totally in love with this mani! To me it is the 1990s!

Don't forget to check out the other ladies to see what decade they visited!

An InLinkz Link-up

The Digit-al Dozen Does Decades Week: The Space Race of the 1950's

Day three of The Digit-al Dozen Does Decades Week, and I welcome you to the 50's! This decade had many major events. It is the start of the Cold War, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, and the Space Race.

"The Space Race was a 20th-century (1955–1972) competition between two Cold War rivals, the Soviet Union (USSR) and the United States (US), for supremacy in spaceflight capability. The technological superiority required for such supremacy was seen as necessary for national security, and symbolic of ideological superiority." -source

 

I wanted something crisp and symbol and love how this turned out! I used Wet n Wild Black Creme as the base. I added China Glaze Fairy Dust to serve as my stars! I used  Cheeky CH45 and BarryM Foil Effects Silver for my stamping. Essence Silver Surfer was used for the numbers and HK Girl for the top coat.

Don't forget to check out the other ladies to see what decade they visit today!

An InLinkz Link-up

The Digit-al Dozen Does Decades Week: The Dirty Thirties!

Today I bring you to the Dirty Thirties.

"The Dust Bowl of the 1930s, sometimes referred to as the "Dirty Thirties” lasted about a decade. This was a period of severe dust storms which caused major agricultural damage to American and Canadian prairie lands, primarily from 1930 to 1936, but in some areas, until 1940. It was caused by severe drought and decades of extensive farming without crop rotation." -source

 To see photos from this decade are heart breaking: the Dirty Thirties and The Great Depression in one ten year span. So many suffered and so many survived with a strong will.

I used BarryM Lychee as my base. I then sponged on Catrice Lost in Mud and OPI It's All San Andreas's Fault. I used an Essence Nail Art black pen for the numbers and Essie Matte About You to give it an earthy feel.

Don't forget to check out the other ladies and see what decade they visit today!

An InLinkz Link-up

The Digit-al Dozen Does Decades Week: The Roaring Twenties!

This week The Digit-al Dozen takes you on a trip through the decades! I'm so excited to see everyone's take on this theme as it is so open! Today I've brought you the Roaring Twenties!

"The spirit of the Roaring Twenties was marked by a general feeling of discontinuity associated with modernity and a break with traditions. Everything seemed to be feasible through modern technology. New technologies, especially automobiles, moving pictures and radio proliferated "modernity" to a large part of the population" -source

I've decided to use a megaphone to symbolize moving pictures as well as the newspaper boys on the corners calling: "Extra! Extra! Read all about it!" because of all the new advances in technology.

This is the matte version (Essie Matte About You). I used Milani White on the Spot as my base. I used Essence Romeo to "age" the mani. For the megaphone and numbers I used Essence Silver Surfer and Essence Mysterious Black. For the non-matte version I used HK Girl Top Coat. 

Don't forget to check out the other ladies and see what decades they visited today!

An InLinkz Link-up

The Nail Challenge Collaborative Presents: Skittles - China Glaze For Audrey Skittle

It's another month which means another Nail Challenge Collaborative theme! This is my second month doing this challenge and I love it! This month's theme is: Skittles! And today is probably one of my most classy manis ever! I think I finally have the skittle technique down! Woot! Check that off my list! :)

Look! It's so classy even the thumb got involved and decided to make an appearance! Bringing out the big guns here but with little nubs. Tried a Gel Polish Mani, didn't last that long (four days!) but it totally wrecked my nails. Now they are all bendy and scratched/cut up. So sad. But I am still loving this mani on the nubs!

I wanted to do a really classy mani so I immediately thought of China Glaze For Audrey and I knew I had to pair it with silver. 

Starting with my thumb: OPI Glitter Off, China Glaze For Audrey (two coats), and Essence Romeo.

Index: China Glaze for Audrey (two coats), BarryM Foil Effects Silver, Emily de Molly EDM04.

Middle: China Glaze For Audrey and clear rhinestone.

Ring: OPI Glitter Off, OPI Solitaire (two coats).

Pinkie: China Glaze For Audrey (two coats), BarryM Foil Effects Silver, Vivid Lacquer VL 020.

And of course all but my ring finger have HK Girl Top Coat!

I totally love this mani! And this was my first time keep jewels on my nails for longer than the picture! They lasted (at the time of me writing this post) 3 whole days! And two of those were work days too! Didn't think they'd last! :)

Don't forget to check out the others and their day 1 Skittles!

An InLinkz Link-up

Golden Oldie Thursday: Flowers

Can you believe it's May! Wow! Well, today for my Golden Oldie Thursday I went for my two favorites! Essence Romeo and A England Saint George! I love pairing these two together!

The prompt for today is flowers so I chose to use Bundle Monster BM-204. I love the look of these flowers! I topped this all off with HK Girl Top Coat.

Don't forget to check out what the others did for their flowers!

An InLinkz Link-up

Hip to Be Square: The Neverending Pile Challenge and The Nail Challenge Collaborative

Phew! Made it! Last day (for this week at least) of double challenge posts! Today I have The Neverending Pile Challenge: I Had to Have but Still Haven't Use It (Essence Urban Messages) and The Nail Challenge Collaborative: Music/Movies/TV day 4 post.

So, last year I came across a post with a gorgeous gorgeous Essence polish called Skyscraper. Well I had to track it down off a blog sale. I had to buy the whole Urban Messages collection to get Skyscraper. I have already used Skyscraper but not the rest of the collection. So I chose these four remaining polishes as my I had to have but haven't used yet because they were bought with my had to have!

Starting with my index finger the polishes are: Essence It Peace, Essence Street Styler, Essence Nightline, and Essence Wall of Fame. (since these were so sheer I had to use OPI My Vampire is Buff). But look at these gorgeous polishes! The shimmer and flash! Why did I wait to use these?

This is how I tied it to The Nail Challenge Collaborative with D&R Apothecary You're a Star. A lovely square glitter topper. Sadly this indie polish brand is no more. Sad, I loved her glitters!

But wait!? How does that tie into the Collaborative of Music/Movies/TV?

You're welcome. This song has been in my head for a while now!

Don't forget to check out what the others had to have but still haven't used yet!

An InLinkz Link-up

Don't forget to check out what others did for their final post of Music/Movies/TV!

An InLinkz Link-up

Malibu/Disco Barbie: GOT Polish Challenge and The Nail Challenge Collaborative

Welcome to another two challenge day! This time is GOT (Golden Oldie Thursday) Polish Challenge: Tropical and The Nail Challenge Collaborative: Movies/Music/TV Day 3.

I chose to use Finger Paints Flip Flop Fuchsia (my GOT Polish) as my base for a bright tropical color. I added a flower using: Art Club White, Sally Hansen Brisk Blue, Sally Hansen Mint Sprint, Sally Hansen Lickety-Split Lime, and Sally Hansen Speedy Sunburst. I added little dots using my Essence French Manicure & Pedicure Pen.

I tied this in with Never Been Kissed where there is a Disco Barbie (dots!) and a Malibu Barbie (flower!). 

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Don't forget to check out what the others did for their something tropical!

An InLinkz Link-up

 Don't forget to check out what the others did for their day 3 of Music/Movies/TV!

An InLinkz Link-up

Haul Time!

So, it's been awhile since I posted any type of haul post. So this post includes about 3+ months worth of hauls. Let's get to it, shall we?

I decided to see what was so great about Poshe (haven't tried it yet!), I've been using Barielle Ultra Speed Dry Manicure Extender and Barielle Fortifying Nail Builder for my Barielle review posts. I bought these two Barielles to give my reviews a full Barielle experience. And I really like them!

Three Matte Coats! Wet n Wild Matte Top Coat, Essie Matte About You, and OPI Matte Top Coat. This brings my matte top coats up to about 6 now! They are all different right? I've seen the posts! :)

So after I did my first Barielle review I feel in love with their formula and decided to buy four more. And here they are: Peanut Butter, Green Apple Chew, Solid As A Rock, and Go Lightly.

Some Sinful Colors that are suppose to be good for stamping! Haven't tried them yet. :) Pragmatic, Bananappeal, Mardi Gras, VIP.

More stamping polishes! Konad Princess Special Polish in Chocolate, Olive Green, and Light Grey. Light Grey looks more purple to me, so we shall see how it stamps!

Finger Paints Peacock Portrait, Rockin' Renaissance, and Rockin' Gunmetal

OPI: Russian Navy, My Vampire Is Buff (yep, finally got it!), You Don't Know Jacques -Matte, and Alpine Snow -Matte

China Glaze Papaya Punch (I needed more orange in my collection) and Ciate Chinchilla (got this from my Arizona Meet Up! It's grey!)

China Glaze FYI. Yep, I found this at my Beauty Supply Store, it was their last one. I got it for $3.75! Woot Woot!

My First NailNation 3000's! Glow Worm, Never Mint to Hurt You, Rumple Stiltskin, and Carpe Diem

Nail Art stuff! Art Club Nail Art Duos (Pen and Striper) in Holo Steel, White, and Black. Essence Nail Art Freestyle and Tip Painter in Mysterious Black and Silver Surfer. Essence French Manicure & Pedicure Pen and Essence Nail Art Tattoo Pen (bought two of these because they are so awesome for writing on nails!).

MoYou Kitty Collection 11

MoYou Pro Collection 04 (obviously been used, and not cleaned up too great! Whoops!)

MoYou Suki Collection 01 (too pretty to use!)

Sugar Bubbles SB 013 and SB 014. You can see the Taco Bell dog on the lower left of SB 013. And Stitch is on that plate too with owls! SB 014 has The Little Prince, Jareth, ET, Star Trek! Woot!

Plates that I bought from Messy Mansion! EDM03, EDM04, MM14, and MM19.

Vivid Lacquer Plates: VL020, VL018, and the Ninja Plate VL022 that I got for pre-ordering the other two!

Clinique Hi Sweetie. I got this with a bunch of other Clinique things when I bought $25 worth of product at Dillard's. Had to look up the name because it's not on the bottle.......had a good chuckle when I saw the name! Doctor Who reference! Love it!

So you all know that Bundle Monster came out with that Create Your Own set awhile back right? I waited for awhile, unsure (and broke!) about wanting it. But then saw you can buy their plates individually for $1.99 each! So in total I bought 7 plates, these four from that set and another three from the first two sets.

This was so much cheaper and I got the ones that I wanted and none of those weird ones that I would never use! But I can't sell my weird ones with sets I already have because I am the type of person who can't break up a set once I have it!

So that's my haul for the last little while. With my new job, I have a feeling there will be more haul posts! Polish and makeup! I have to remind myself to behave so I can at least get a paycheck and not spend it all there! :)