Tag: Fingernails
A Grouchy New Year
I cannot believe I didn’t pick this one to try first, just based on the name!
This is China Glaze “A Grouchy New Year”, my second selection from China Glaze x Sesame Street 50 Years and Counting Collection. It’s a bright green glitter, but with different size glitters – everything from tiny pin sizes, to large discs. There are also a few gold glitters in there for fun. It’s not quite full coverage in two coats, maybe 75% coverage?
This is two coats over Glisten & Glow Ridge Filling Base Coat. I used Glisten & Glow Top Coat on the thumb, index and middle. I went matte with Glisten & Glow Matte Top Coat on the ring and pinky.
If you asked me, I would say that Oscar the Grouch was my favorite muppet, but I bet my mom would say it was the Swedish Chef. She used to tell me that I was OBSESSED with the Swedish Chef, but I don’t remember that at all.
Fa-La-Ah-Ah-Ahhh!
One of my daughter’s Xmas gifts was the China Glaze x Sesame Street 50 Years and Counting Limited Edition Collector’s Kit. It’s a set of 12 mini polishes, inspired by Sesame Street characters. This is the second Sesame Street collaboration from China Glaze and this set is all shimmers and glitters.
China Glaze collabs have kind of become a thing for Xmas for her. This year she got Sesame Street, last year was The Grinch and My Little Pony was the year before that. Lily decided that we need to try ALL 12 polishes in a row…
I was drawn to the purple polish with a gold shimmer – China Glaze “Fa-La-Ah-Ah-Ahhh!” – it looked unigue to me. It took me a hot minute to figure out what character this polish was for. Then I was like like, OH! Purple skin is The Count! And then I figured out that the name is his goofy laugh – “Ah Ah Ahhh!” – I am slow sometimes.
This is two coats of “Fa-La-Ah-Ah-Ahh!” over Glisten & Glow Ridge Filling Base Coat and under Glisten & Glow Top Coat. This polish lasted well until I ended up on dish duty one night and the edges were murdered.
Similar polishes are Zoya “Faye”, Essence “Space Glam” and Nails Inc. “Dream Dust”. I guess this polish isn’t very unique after all.
Strut
This flashy little polish is Fluide Beauty “Strut”, from December’s ipsy bag. It’s almost a holo, but not quite. The polish is a dark charcoal gray, with an underlying shimmer of blue. This is the first Fluide polish I’ve tried, although I’d gotten a lipgloss from them earlier in the year.
This is two coats of “Strut” over Glisten & Glow Ridge Filling Base Coat and topped with Glisten & Glow Top Coat. Pay no attention to how bumpy some of my nails look – my nails were still all bumpy from scraping off the Floral Decals. They’ll get a good buffing before the next polish.
Whenever I hear the word “Strut”, I think of the Sheena Easton song – I loved that song as a kid, but never gave much thought to the meaning. It’s something of a feminist anthem, no?
Snowy Clarity
If I waited until it actually snowed, I’d never get to wear these cute little Snowflake Decals from Julep. Shit, I wouldn’t get to wear then if I merely waited for it to get chilly here in Texas. I am enjoying winter vicariously through my fingernails!
I started with one of my new polishes – Julep “Clarity” from the Intention Collection, lucid azure duochrome. This is two coats of “Clarity” over Glisten & Glow Ridge Filling Base Coat. I used tweezers to carefully place the snowflakes on my nails. They are super fragile and I did tear a few of them…and that’s how I ended up with a half a snowflake on my index finger. It turned out cute, I think. I topped the snowflakes with Glisten & Glow Top Coat.
These nails remind me of Frozen…let it go, let it goooooooo.
Twisted Peppermint
A crushed peppermint…or a Snowman murder? It could be either. Let’s split the different and call it “Twisted Peppermint”.
Since I used Funky Fingers “Elsa”, I wanted to use Julep “Elsa”, too. This “Elsa” is a frosty iridescent textured polish – it reminds me of windshield frost. I started with Glisten & Glow Ridge Filling Base Coat and two coats of “Elsa”. I wanted to see how Julep “Ruby Slippers” would look in a gradient, so I tested it on my ring finger. It is a really concentrated glitter, so I just went ahead and covered the whole nail. I decided to use Sinful Colors “Decadent”, a much sparser red glitter, instead to gradient the tips.
I really like how it turned out. Even though I didn’t use a top coat, it lasted a really long time. There something to b e said for light, neutral polishes.
So I kind of did something similar about 4 years ago, using Sinful Colors “Tokyo Pearl” for the base instead of “Elsa”. I like this version better.
Starry Frida
I was excited to try yet another red nail polish – Frida Kahlo x Ulta “Romance”.
“Romance” is a great basic red polish. It was not too sheer – full coverage in two coats without a visible nail line. This is two coats over Glisten & Glow Ridge Filling Base Coat.
I was going for a holiday look when I picked Sinful Colors “Starry Eyed” for my accent nails, but it turned out more patriotic. Oops.
I topped my first three nails with Glisten & Glow Top Coat and used Glisten & Glow Matte Top Coat on the last two.
I am in love with how this polish looks mattified – it’s giving me inspiration for another holiday look…
Vinsy
With 14 new polishes to choose from in my last Julep order, it was really hard to choose which one to try first. I narrowed it down to trying a polish from the Hypnotic Frenzy set…but that was still 6 polishes to choose from. The sparkle of Julep “Vinsy” caught my attention.
“Vinsy” is a coppery pink metallic glitter. The base is slightly tinted, which is good because my nails are mucho stained. I started with Glisten & Glow Ridge Filling Base Coat, and then two coats of “Vinsy”. I got good coverage in just two coats – I think I could’ve gotten 100% coverage with three, but I knew I would never get three coats off. I topped it with Glisten & Glow Top Coat.
Rockstar Pink
I’ll always have a soft spot for the Sally Hansen Hard as Nails Xtreme Wear line of nail polish. For years, it was was the main polish in my collection! It’s cheap and available everywhere. There are colors and finishes for every mood – and every once and awhile, I’ll still grab one or two to add to my collection, when they’re on sale or clearance.
Sally Hansen “Rockstar Pink” is rockstar polish – it’s a nearly full coverage microglitter, full of pink, blue and fuchsia.
This is two coats of “Rockstar Pink” over Sally Hansen Double Duty Base & Top Coat and under Glisten & Glow Top Coat. I feel like it was shinier without the top coat, almost like it reduced the surface of the glitter to reflect light. Interesting.
Also – this was a SONOFABITCH to get off – lots of scrubbing.
Elsa in Blue Jeans
It’s December. Time for cliched seasonal manicures!
In honor of Frozen II, I figured I would pull out Funky Fingers “Elsa” and combine it with a new polish. I started with Glisten & Glow Base Coat and two coats of Layla Cosmetics LAYBA Nail Polish in “Sexy in Blue Jeans” from November’s ipsy bag. I’ve never heard of the brand before, but the polish is quite nice. It’s the perfect consistency and the brush is good quality. Everyone could use a nice indigo creme polish like this.
Remembering how hard it was to fish these damn snowflakes out of the bottle, I only used “Elsa” on my Thumb and ring fingers. I topped my thumb, index and middle fingers with Glisten & Glow Top Coat. I used Glisten & Glow Matte Top Coat on my ring finger and pinky. I definitely like the matte better – it’s more sophisticated.
I really like how my nails turned out – they remind me of a festive holiday sweater. They also remind me of this look I did FIVE YEARS AGO with the similar Funky FIngers “Olaf”.
Buttered Popcorn
The Buttered Popcorn Jelly Belly is one of the most hotly contested flavors of jelly beans, even more so than the black licorice jelly beans. People have strong feelings about this particular jelly bean – mostly negative. I, for one, actually enjoy this buttery little jelly bean, especially eaten together with Peanut Butter Jelly Beans. I know – I’m an odd bird.
This is the nail polish inspired by that tasty little bean – Jelly Belly x Sally Hansen Insta Dri “Buttered Popcorn”. It’s a cream colored polish, filled with different colors of gold glitter. Even though the first coat was a bit streaky, the second coat gave really good coverage. This is two coats over Glisten & Glow Base Coat and under Glisten & Glow Matte Top Coat. I really like the matte finish with glitter polishes like this – it feels almost luxurious.
The only thing that could make this polish better is if is actually SMELLED like Buttered Popcorn.