Nude & Gold Stamping

Hi there!

I'm a terrible blogger!  I haven't yet found the balance between working full time, planning my wedding and painting my nails.. sometimes something just has to give, and sadly in this case it's been my favourite hobby.  Boo.

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How cute is this combo though?  Gold and nude just look so good together!

I started with OPI My Vampire is Buff and using Essie Good as Gold and an image from Pueen-33 I stamped over my base.

Then I added some small square studs to my ring finger, and used OPI Honey Ryder as a pinkie and thumb accent :)

Hope you're all having a great weekend!

Grey and Yellow Skittlette

Good morning!

Here's a quickie post showing this cute mani that I wore a couple of weeks ago.

This mani started with a base of Essie Power Clutch, then using the dry brush method I added Essie Chinchilly and China Glaze Elephant Walk to create a neat marbled effect.

Then using Color Club Dressed for the Parade mixed with Konad White I stamped the zig zag pattern from BM 423 on my pointer and middle fingers.

On my ring finger is an image from Mash 37.

I mixed the white and yellow polishes on the plate itself, I covered the image with half yellow and half white and scraped a bunch of times quickly to mix the colours and make the yellow opaque so it showed up on the dark base.  I followed a tutorial but I can't find it anymore.. if anyone knows who's tutorial that was please share!

Then on my pinky I used one coat of Maybelline Color Show Street Art - Green Graffiti.  I love these matte glitters :)

Have a great Monday everyone!

Potential Wedding Nails #3

Good morning!

I hope everyone's had a good week!  I just started a new job, then got sick on my second day there, and therefore haven't had any energy to blog, let alone turn on my computer!

Here is another installment of my potential wedding day mani!  I liked this in theory but I think it might be TOO bold?  I don't know.  The nails would really match my shoes though :P

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I used the gorgeous Revlon Royal as my base, then using Essie Nothing Else Metals I stamped the feather from the EDM04 plate.

What are your thoughts on this one?  Too bold?  Just bold enough?

Have a good Friday everyone!

Born Pretty Snow Flakes Review

Hi all,

This post is kind of delayed seeing as we're now into Spring - however, we got a significant amount of snow on Saturday and I thought I'd pull these out foil snow flakes out before it's too late.  I got these from the Born Pretty Store before Christmas but I just never felt inspired to use them until this weekend.

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For this mani I started with Essie Cocktail Bling, which is such a pretty dusty mauve.  Maybe a bit more spring appropriate but I thought the gold snow flakes would look really good paired up with this shade :)

The snowflakes are a thick foil like material that's super pliable, so to get them to fit the curve of my nail I rounded them by pressing them into a nail art brush wand.  I never managed to get them to curve perfectly but it was pretty close! In hindsight I should have fitted them to my nail before I started to polish.  At least I now know this for next time!

These snowflakes can be purchased from the Born Pretty Store by clicking HERE, and don't forget to use coupon code UTL91 for 10% off of your purchase!

Potential wedding nails?

Hi loves!

I hope you're all having a good week so far!

So most of you know I'm getting married this summer.. and we chose to base our colours around peacock feathers since I love jewel tones :)  I've been brain storming mani ideas, and after seeing a post in the Adventures in Stamping Facebook group I knew I had to recreate it and see if it could be a wedding day mani contender :)

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I first started with a base of Orly Dayglow, then using a sponge I crated a gradient with Zoya Savita, Orly Royal Navy and Zoya Veruschuka.  The purple of Savita shows up way better IRL, my camera kind of turned it blue.  Boo.

I added some sparkle on my ring finger because, why not?  I added Sally Hansen Twinkle Toes-ty, which is an awesome rose gold holo glitter that I just picked up while grocery shopping :P

I then stamped the peacock feathers using Essie Penny Talk and Pueen09.  I really like this stamp but I find the feathers a little too big for my baby sized nails so I'm hoping THIS one will be better :)

What are your thoughts on these?  I really don't want the typical nude wedding nails.  The only thing I would do differently is stamp in silver but.. I've still got 4 months to play around and figure that out :)

Stamping over Zoya Odette

Hi everyone :)

I've been feeling a little off my nail game lately but finally, finally felt like I was just "on" with this next look.  I really love this mani :)

I started out with a base of Zoya Odette, which I got in my ipsy bag last week!

Then using Essie Nothing Else Metals and BM 422 I stamped the hexagons.   Then using Konad Special Black Polish I stamped the "Love" image from BM 412.

Stamping is so funny.  I love my squishy stamper, but it wouldn't for the life of me pick up the "love" image.. neither did my purple squishy (that I only have thanks to an amazing surprise package from Serene and am SO THANKFUL!) so I tried the hard rubber stamp and it worked beautifully.  Something to do with the etching I guess!

I hope you're all having a great week :)

Red & Gold Chinese Mani

Just after the new year, the boy and I decided to go on an *actual* date and saw a performance put on by a classical Chinese dance company, which was an amazing show!

So in honour of this, I pulled out the new Bundle Monster plates that have what I believe are images for the Chinese New Year, and put them to good use :)

I started off with one of the most perfect candy apple red polishes out there, Essie She's Pampered. It's so juicy!  I almost felt the urge to just leave it be but decided to continue on with my initial plans.

Using BM-H15 and Essie Good as Gold I stamped the dragon on my middle finger and the Chinese symbol on my pointer and pinkie.

And because I had just gotten Sally Hansen Salon Manicure - Crown Jewels which fit perfectly with my red and gold theme, I happily layered it onto my ring finger (and my thumb).  It was such an eye catching mani - I just loved the red and gold combination!

Black and Silver New Year's Mani

Another super late post but I'm all caught up after this one :) 

I'm not a huge fan of the crazy crowds on New Year's Eve and always opt for quieter evenings with friends and family instead.. but that didn't stop me from sporting some NYE appropriate nails!

These were pretty much inspired by Serene at Copy Cat Claws.. I loved her mani so much that I did something similar :)

This look started with a simple black base of OPI Black Onyx on all but my ring finger, which has a base of Gosh Silver.

Then using Essie Nothing Else Metals, No Place Like Chrome and Blue Rhapsody I stamped the fire works using BM-H14 although you really can't tell the difference between the three shades sadly.

Using the same Bundle Monster plate and Konad Black I stamped the Champagne bottle on my ring finger.  Everyone had a hard time figuring out what that image was until I told them what to look for though.. I feel like it's just too big for my tiny nail, plus I smeared it lol.

And to finish off I I added Color Club Platinum Record to my middle finger, topped it all off with Joe Fresh Matte Top Coat and went out to celebrate NYE with a handful of my aunts and uncles that live in the area :)

Christmas Stamping

Good morning!

Last Friday I ended up going on a pub crawl with my old roommate - it was Christmas 'themed' in that people wore silly Christmas hats and sweaters, santa suits, garlands.. I had mini lights wrapped around me - and holiday nails :)

My index and middle finger have a base of OPI Meep Meep Meep, an older beauty that I'm happy to have re-discovered.  I stamped using Essie No Place Like Chrome and Gals 27. 

My ring finger has the beautiful OPI Designer de Better with a strip down the center of Essie Ignite the Night.

On my pinky is Gosh Forest Floor with Orly Mermaid Tale and Monster Mash.

Fun mani for a fun night but it ended up chipping the next day, boo!

Happy Thursday ladies!

Black and Gold

Happy Sunday!

Quickie post today - here's my current NOTD.  I had a family brunch to go to this morning and wanted to do something a little festive and came up with this look.

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There's just something about black and gold paired together.  It's edgy but classy all at once - I love it!

I started out with a base of Illamasqua Scorn, an awesome matte black polish that's opaque in just one coat.. it's SO pretty on it's own.

Using Essie Good as Gold and Pueen 38 I stamped on the cute bells. 

As a side note, I bought the squishy stamper from Winstonia and it's made stamping SO much easier.. I find I'm enjoying it even more so than before and all I want to do is stamp my nails every day!

Have a great day everyone!

NPC Nail Art Challenge Week 1: Snow

Hi loves!

Happy December 1st! 

Nail Polish Canada is having it's second Holiday Nail Art Challenge and this weeks theme was snow.

 

I chose to go with a 'night' scene.. because what's prettier than seeing snow sparkle when taking a walk after the sun has set?!  It's just so magical!

 

I started with a base of OPI My Vampire is Buff, then did a gradient with Color Club Cold Metal and OPI Yoga-ta Get this Blue then added OPI Pirouette my Whistle and NOPI Make a Comet-Ment as the sparkly snow falling from the sky.

  The two snow flake stamps were done with Essie No Place Like Chrome and plates 323 and H02 from Bundle Monster.  I stamped the tree silhouettes on my ring finger using BM-407.  On the tip I used OPI Solitaire as my 'snow banks'.  And using Solitaire I made a little snow man on my middle finger.

Click HERE to go vote for your favourite snow themed mani!

Thanks for reading :)

Mo' nails.

Happy Thursday!

Things have been busy round here - I had my mom and two of my best friends over last weekend to go wedding dress shopping annnd I found my dress!  Now I'm just bummed about having to wait 7 more months before wearing it.  haha.

So - I figured before November ends I should post my Movember nails.  How is it almost December already?!

How cute are the mustache's?! I started with a base of Essie Cute as a Button on my index and middle fingers, then stamped my index with BM-402.  On my middle finger is a water decal from Born Pretty store. 

On my ring finger is Essie Beyond Cozy, one of my favourite glittery polish.  And on my pinky is China Glaze Bump in The Night with OPI Solitaire polka dots.

Happy Thanksgiving to my American readers!  Hope you're all enjoying time with your loved ones :)

Thanks for reading. 

Joe Fresh Ink + Stamping

Happy Tuesday!

How was everyone's weekend?  I spent mine with my family celebrating my nephew's 11th birthday.  Hard to believe that kid is 11 already (and pretty much my height.. with bigger feet than me, how does that even happen?)

This is a mani I sported last week.  I had a hard time getting inspired but I think it turned out pretty decent!

For this look I used a base of Joe Fresh - Ink, a dark shimmery purply-blue.  I topped it off with Essie Pure Pearlfection to add a little bit more shimmer and dimension to the polish.

On my index and pinkie I also have a coat of Finger Paints Asylum, the gorgeous red/blue/purple flakie combo then I  finished them off with a medium sized silver hex glequin near the base.

For my ring and middle finger I stamped using Essie Blue Rhapsody and Pueen-49 plate.  I'm super happy with the way my stamping came out, too.  Those Essie mirror metallics are perfect for stamping!

Thanks for reading!

Remembrance Day Nails

Just a quickie today - here at my nails in honour of those who have served and those currently serving, especially my grandpa, my fiance, my brother in law and father in law :)

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Base is Orly Decades of Dysfunction, one of my all time favourite polishes.  Then using a small brush I painted on Essie Navigate Her as the light green then went over everything with Revlon Posh.

For the poppies I used Orly Ignite and OPI Black Onyx for the center.  

Hope everyone had a good day today :)

KKCenterHK Neon Purple Studs

Hi all,

Hope everyone had a good weekend :)

I was given the opportunity again to review some products from KKCenterHK.  I've really been digging studs lately - so I chose some in my favourite colour!
 

I got the 2mm neon purple round studs found HERE.  You get about 100 studs in a small plastic container with a screw on lid.  They're matte in finish which looks really cool, but I topped them off with top coat so they ended up shiny.  Either way, they're really pretty.

For this mani I started with Bonita Chrome my Nail, a lovely silver polish with an awesome formula.  I topped that off with a holo silver glitter polish from Claire's.  On my ring finger I have Essie Butler Please then using a dotting tool I added the three studs.  On my middle and index I have three coats of China Glaze That's Shore Bright and stamped using a Pueen plate and A England Tristam.

The studs are like any other of that size, super easy to use and they stayed on until I picked them off a few days later :)

You can purchase them HERE and get 10% off using code "ofknitandnails" when you check out!

*Products provided for honest review.

Halloween Nail Art

Hi all,

While my parents were visiting during our Thanksgiving weekend we took the opportunity to drive out to Upper Canada Village to visit their amazing display of 6000+ carved pumpkins.  It was a beautiful night, we walked around for 2 hours checking out all of the set ups.. just amazing.

I decided to go with matchy nails even though it'd be dark and no one would see them :P

I started out with a base of Color Club Dress for the Parade then using a triangle makeup sponge I created the gradient using Dress for the Parade, Essie Orange! It's Obvious and She's Pampered.

 

I then stamped using various images from the new Bundle Monster Holiday collection and Konad Black polish.  How cute are these?   Spider web on my pointer, creepy little eyes on my middle finger, skeletal face on my ring finger and a bunch of little pumpkin faces on my pinky.  I am loving the two new BM plate sets!

Are any of you dressing up this year?  I went out with my guy and my sister this weekend and picked out our costumes for a party we're going to on Friday - I'm pretty excited about dressing up this year :)

Gold & Mint mixed mani

Hi all!

Earlier in September I had the pleasure of meeting up with a few nail gals in Halifax.. a few weeks before I had to move away, unfortunately :P  If you'd like to read about it, Kelsie wrote a post over on her (fabulous) blog!

This is the mani I sported for our gathering.  I chose a mint and gold combo, going with ever beautiful Essie Mint Candy Apple as my base for all but my pinkie, and Orly Luxe on my pinky and for all of the gold accents. 

I used small round studs (from Born Pretty Store, found here) on my middle finger and free handed some leopard print.  On my pinky I added a coat of Color Club Gingerbread glitter to add a little extra sparkle.

Thanks for reading, hope you're all having a good start to your week :)