Tag: Fingernails
Purple Rain
How could I not honor His Royal Purple Sexiness? Who is gonna make music to fuck to now?
After starting with Julep Oxygen Bonding Base Coat, I painted 2 coats of Julep “Aubrey”, Rosewood Shimmer AKA browny purple. I used Julep “Geo” as an accent on my thumb and ring finger for the rain. Top coat is “HK Girl”.
Thinking about a whole series of Prince tributes…Little Red Corvette, Raspberry Beret, Diamonds and Pearls…
Company Blue
Another 97 cent polish…this one is essie “Strut Your Stuff” – a bright turquoise blue creme.
I decided to mix it up and start with Orly Bonder. The first coat had a few streaks, but two coats were perfect. I’m getting better with cremes – as long as I keep it from pooling around the edges, I’ve been able to avoid the crusties. I topped with “HK Girl”, which dragged a few bald spots. Luckily, they were all on my right hand.
I’d like to see this color with a silver glitter gradient – that would be luxurious.
This blue is the same exact blue as my employer’s logo. I bet I could stick my fingers in a Pantone machine and get a trademark warning…
Long Kiss
Miss me? Been a bit busy, as all of Southeast Texas is now beachfront property. We’re all safe and dry (now) and I can get back my nails.
China Glaze “Long Kiss” is a luscious, shimmery wine. Not bad for 97 cents! I probably have a dozen or so maroon/wine/blood polishes, but I forget them all when I see a new one. I started with Sinful Colors Base Coat and then two clean coats of “Long Kiss”. I could’ve gone with one…but I never go with just one. The consistency is perfect – smooth and even. I got a few bubbles, but they disappeared under “HK Girl”.
I did these Saturday night and they lasted well up until today, with just a few chips on my right thumb. I did my toes, too and they’re still going strong.
Plastic Flamingos
I’ve found a flamingo pink even flamingo-ier than the original, Julep “Vicki”. This is Jessica “Soak up the Sun”, from my last Allure Beauty Thrills Box.
I’m not familiar with this brand, so I wasn’t sure what to expect. I started with Sinful Colors Base Coat. The first coat was VERY streaky. The second coat wasn’t as streaky, but it went on VERY thickly. It reminded me of a gel polish, so I had to be very careful around the edges. There were still a few streaks, but I didn’t dare do a third coat. Instead, I just finished with “HK Girl”.
My nails look like plastic press on nails. It’s kinda cool, but kinda weird.
Like a Virgin
Like a virgin…touched for the very first time.
My nails. I am talking about my nails.
Painting my nails every 2-3 days for the last few years has left them as yellow as banana pudding. The staining is visible through any clearish polish and I thought bare nails would be out of the question forever…or at least until I stopped painting and let them grow out. Not so…I discovered Perfect Formula Pink Gel Coat. I used points on a Sephora order a few months ago to add a sample on a whim. I’m just now trying it and THIS SHIT IS AMAZING. Through the magic of an optical brightener, my nail beds are pink again and the tips look whiter. It’s like I just had a french manicure. This is just two coats – no case or top coat needed…AND it dries within a minute or so.
…but there’s also some bad news. This shit costs $30 at Sephora. Keep an eye out for sample versions…
Furious Poisonberry
After years of painting, I’ve finally found THE polish that matches my car perfectly. And I didn’t even find it myself – it just appeared in my last Target Beauty Box.
This is Sinful Colors “Poisonberry” – two coats over Sinful Colors Base Coat and under “HK Girl”. Just…wow. The first coat was smooth, not streaky – and totally opaque. The second coat self-evened perfectly.
It’s very similar to Kat Von D “Bauhau5”, which is slightly more berry colored.
Vivid Sheers
I couldn’t wait to dig into my new Julep polishes this month’s “Brights + White” Collection.
I decided to experiment…after busting open my new Julep Oxygen Bonding Base Coat, I did two coats of Julep “Brigitte” on my thumbs and pinkies. I used my dotting tool to dot “Brigitte” on my index and pointer fingers. I left my middle finger as is. I then layered Julep “Ari” and “Delaney”, overlapping to create purple in the middle. After the first coats, I did more dots on my index and ring fingers, also adding some on my pinkie. Then another coat of “Ari” and “Delaney”. I finished with “HK Girl”.
The white did make the sheers pop, but that was just too much polish for my my nails. It was so thick that is became like dried acrylic paint – peeling up at the edges, as you can see on my pinky. I also didn’t paint my nails very neatly, which exacerbated the peeling. Lessons learned.
I couldn’t stand it anymore – I had to take it off and try something else.
This time, I decided to do a simple pond mani with Julep “Gigi”. I didn’t start with white base, just Julep Oxygen Bonding Base Coat. I did “Brigitte” dots, then “Gigi”, then dots, then “Gigi”. In retrospect, I might have done one more set – the dots on my thumb and middle finger are bit too aligned and should be more random. Again, I finished with “HK Girl”.
I really like the way these turned out – nice and summery.
I am craving a dreamsicle SO BAD right now!
Endless Love
I’ve had this polish nearly two years and I am just now getting around to trying it. I can’t believe it has taken this long to try this amazing polish.
RUFFIAN “Endless Love” is a chrome pink dream. I started with Orly Bonder and really could have gone with just one coat. I did two. Even though it goes on smooth and gives full coverage in one coat, it is very unforgiving of any ridges or peeling in your nails, so it looks best when your nails are in their best condition. It didn’t bubble as badly as the other RUFFIAN polishes I’ve tried, but I’ll chalk that up to user error – that was before I was using a base coat and a good top coat. I used “HK Girl” this time.
Rhymes with Delores
I am so in love with Julep “Delores”.
“Delores” – iris linear liquid holographic – is the perfect cool purple. I cannot believe how smoothly the formula went over Julep Oxygen Bonding Base Coat. It was full coverage in one coat, but I did two to make sure the color popped. It dried somewhat matte, to my surprise. I finished with “HK Girl” and WOW! It is ridiculously shiny.
You got any more of those holographic polishes? More, more, more!
Southwestern Mermaid
It’s Easter…but I was already sick of pastels, so I just went with something I’d had in mind with a while.
When I first got Nicole by OPI “Pick of the Glitter”, I tried it over a nude. I decided to try it over a turquoise to bring out the turquoise glitter. After Sinful Colors Base Coat, I did two thin coats of Sally Hansen “Marine Scene”. “Marine Scene” is one of my older polishes – not quite a decade old, but quite a while, since it’s only half full. My husband really likes this polish and just rolled his eyes at me when I started to put glitter on top of it. HE DOESN’T UNDERSTAND.
I topped with “HK Girl” for a smooth finish.
The turquoise glitter is a bit darker than “Marine Scene”, so it stands out. I like this a lot – it feels very Southwestern Mermaid.