Scallop Mani & Haul Pics

Today I tried a design I've never done before, scallops :) This is a tape mani, but I used painter's tape instead of my usual scotch tape. I've got to say, I liked this a LOT better!

Natural light, Cloudy, Shows the orange flash

I started with a base coat of Orly Rock It, an awesome reddish fuchsia jelly base, with tons of red and golden orange shimmer, however that orange flash doesn't translate well on the nail.  Then I used craft scissors to cut the painter's tape in a scallop pattern, added Pure Ice Silver Mercedes (which Pure Ice is changing the name to Silver Star, per their site), then I added Wet N Wild Ebony Hates Chris.  I went back and added dots to my ring fingers with the smallest dotting tool.  I had a little bit of smearing with my topcoat from not floating the brush, but overall I'm happy with it!

The scissors I used

This is one coat of all polishes & one coat top coat :)  As far as application issues the only real problem I had was Ebony Hates Chris, i hate the brush, it's really stiff so it either leaves brush strokes & bald spots or it's really thick.  Silver Mercedes applies fine as long as you don't go back over anywhere as (like most metallics I've worn) it pulls.  Rock It was great, this is one moderate coat and it was fully opaque. 

Left: Nautral Light, Cloudy  

Right: Flash

Now for the haul pics I got in today :)

I ordered a Barielle polish earlier this week for 20% off with free shipping, so that puts it around 57% off.  The rest are from Bloom during their 70% off closeout sale.

 All together

 Left: Barielle Lily of the Valley

Center: Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure Grass Slipper

Right: Sally Hansen Nailgrowth Miracle Forbidden Fudge

 Left: POP Beauty Magenta Muse

Center: Sally Hansen Diamond Strength Rose Amore 

Right: Sally Hansen Diamond Strength Peach Pave

 Left:Sally Hansen Diamond Strength Ruby Sequin 

Right: Comparison in the new one & my old bottle from 8+ years ago

And here are swatches of all of them, in order as I've shown them (minus Ruby Sequin)

*** Y'all please take a minute to also check out my jewelry page, the tab is at the top of the page, Contact me if you'd like to purchase one, and Thanks for looking :)

New Year's Eve Mani- Zoya Song

Happy New Year's Eve :)

My NYE mani is inspired by the sweater I will be wearing tonight that is black and blue striped with a very slight shimmer.

**UPDATE: Here's a picture from NYE of the shirt :)**

I swatched this color when I first got it, because I fell in love with it immediately.  Its a beautiful, shimmery sapphire polish with a glass fleck look.  The formula was great, this is just one coat and no topcoat!

Now onto tonight's mani!
Tonight I have one coat Zoya Song, black stripes with Wet N Wild FastDry Ebony Hates Chris, one coat China Glaze Fairy Dust and one coat Sally Hansen Insta-Dri Topcoat.

 (Left: Indoor with Flash, Right: Outdoor Direct Sun)

(Indoor with Flash)

( Outdoor, Sun, Blurry)

(Close Up, Flash)

 This did NOT turn out how I wanted it. I hate using scotch tape, I need to invest in some striping tape badly.  I can never get my stripes the size I want them to be so then I have to start over or try to fix them (I was too tired this morning to start over)


  *** Y'all please take a minute to also check out my jewelry page, the tab is at the top of the page.  Contact me if you'd like to purchase one, and Thanks for looking :)

We're off to see the Wizard...

This week's mani is inspired by The Wizard of Oz, one of my favorite movies!

Pinky- Dorothy's Dress
2 coats CG White on White
Lines are Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear Blue Me Away frankened with CG White on White

Ring Finger- The iconic red shoes.
3 coats CG Ruby Pumps. Two coats was opaque, i just did three to block out the magenta jelly base this polish shows on my nails when held to the light.

Middle Finger- The Tin Man
2 coats Pure Ice Silver Mercedes. Heart is Pure Ice Creme Siren and buttons are Sally Hansen Fastdry Ebony Hates Chris.

Pointer Finger- The Wicked Witch's Stockings
2 coats Sally Hansen Fastdry Ebony Hates Chris. White is L.A. Colors Art Deco White.

Thumb- Yellow Brick Road
2 coats Ulta Sun-sational frankened with Ulta Sun of a Gun. Lines made with Ulta Sun-sational frankened with a no name brown from The Color Workshop.

All have one coat base, and 2 coats Sally Hansen Insta-dri Topcoat




I also got my free Zoya Storm in today along with an acrylic nail sample of their Designer and Diva Collection NYFW 2012.  I really like FeiFei, Daul, Toni, Natty, Moot, and Song.

Rekha, Toni, Monica, Natty, Evvie, Noot

 Elisa, Suri, Song, Ray, FeiFei, Daul

 *** Y'all please take a minute to check out my jewelry page :)
Contact me if you'd like to purchase one, and Thanks for looking :)
http://steelandsashes.blogspot.com/

Week 5 of October manis- monster mash

This weeks mani is to match my Halloween costume for trick or treating with my son :)


Here is a picture of his costume...

And here is a picture of my hat,  and im also wearing matching legwarmers and fingerless gloves with a black sweater and jeans...

I went through 3-4 design concepts before i decided on this one so i hope y'all like it!

2 coats Pure Ice Splash, 1 coat Sally Hansen Instadry Spring Green, stripes are L.A. Colors Art Deco White, stitches are Wet N Wild Fastdry Ebony Hates Chris. One coat Sally Hansen Insta-Dri top coat.


The Splash was a bit sheer but workable, the Spring Green was thick but most the Instadry polishes ive tried are. Very little smudging with this new top coat. I was using Sally Hansen Instadry Clearly Quick which i think was just a clear polish.


Not sure what is up for next week so it will have to be a surprise!



 *** Y'all please take a minute to check out my jewelry page :)
Contact me if you'd like to purchase one, and Thanks for looking :)
http://steelandsashes.blogspot.com/

Saran wrap nails

These are my friends nails i did for a Halloween party this weekend. She wore a black and blue fairy costume to match.  This was my first attempt with this technique and it came out pretty well. There were a couple spots where the blue came up but it wasn't obvious. This is one coat China glaze shower together with wet n wild fastdry ebony hates Chris on top. One coat sally hansen insta-dri top coat.

I also scored some discount polish this weekend :) 3 polishes from sallys on clearance and one from amazon with a Swagbucks gift card! I had a $5 amazon gift card so i ordered this polish and a dotting tool set with free shipping on both items so 1.93 for 2 items :)

 Finger Paints Fall of Surprises 2.69 @ sallys

 Finger Paints Tough Art to Follow 2.69 @ sallys

 China Glaze Stone Cold (matte) 3.50 @ sallys

 China Glaze Some Like It Haute 1.93 on amazon

 *** Y'all please take a minute to check out my jewelry page :)
Contact me if you'd like to purchase one, and Thanks for looking :)
http://steelandsashes.blogspot.com/