31 Day Challenge - Day 4: GREEN!

Welcome to day 4 of the 31 day Nail Challenge, sponsored by Kimber's Lacquer Korner.  And today's color is (drumroll, please)....

GREEN!

Greetings and salutations fellow polish fiends! I am back in business and very much excited to be taking over the duties of Day 4 of the 31 Day Challenge from my lovely blogging-buddy/awesome-mom.

At first I wasn't sure what to do for the challenge. Stamping isn't exactly my forte, and free handing designs can be a bit... daunting. So, I decided to do something simple as a warm up.

I present (drumroll please) green-on-green chevron nails with a glitter accent!!!!!

Oooooooh. Aaaaaaaah.

Yes, ladies. You are not mistaken. This certainly is a lot of green nail polish. Do not be alarmed.

 For this manicure I used some choice green polishes from my stash. Deborah Lippmann's Almost Paradise which is a creamy pale pistachio green. The application on this baby was a bit of a let down. Three coats were necessary for full opacity and to avoid being a streaky mess. For the accents I used China Glaze's Tree Hugger and NYX Girls' Enchanted Forest. Tree Hugger is a gorgeous and shimmery medium green reminiscent of plants budding in the spring time. Enchanted Forest on the other hand is a magical blend of green glitters. Both polishes applied well, but by the time I started to apply them I was already frustrated by Almost Paradise.

Reaction from co-workers: "Wow. That's a lot of green."

 All in all, this wasn't my favorite manicure - between the less than stellar application of Almost Paradise to the fact that my hands became lobster-like in certain lightings, I doubt this is a combo that I would repeat again. HOWEVER, it certainly was green. So there's that.

Be sure to check out what our very talented challengers are up to on Day 4 of the 31 Day Nail Challenge...

Kimber at Kimber's Lacquer Korner
-Kat at Hooked On Polish
-Diana at Nails By Diana
-Aly at Wonderland Beauty
-Meredith at Perfectly Polished
-Nicole at The Color Republic
-Kate at The Painted Pony Nails
-Cee at Absolutely Cee
-Sam at Polished Art
-Nail Narcotics
-Nicole at Nicole Gets Nailed
-Shelby at Shelby's Swatches
-Stephanie Louise at All Things Beautiful
-Mixed Mama
-Joanna @ Sweet Polish of Mine
-Patty Greenberg
-Mari at Nailista
-Greta at How Was Your Day?
-Miss L at Beauty by Miss L 
-Gini at Sassy Paints 
-Chameleon Stampede 
-Pam at Nail-E-Glance 

Thanks for stopping by!

31 Day Challenge - Day 3: YELLOW!

NOTE: Our dearly departed comment form has been resuscitated!

Welcome to day 3 of the 31 day Nail Challenge, sponsored by Kimber's Lacquer Korner.  And today's color is (drumroll, please)....

YELLOW

We cook.  We clean.  We leap tall buildings in a single bound.

Well, not exactly.  But close.

In commemoration of all the kick-ass things women do, I give you....my SuperBroad Kapow!! Mani.

Let's start with the polishes:

Mellow Yellow (Sally Hansen), is a light/bright yellow creme. It was the least offensive yellow I could find.  Correcting the thick viscosity of this never-before-used lacquer required lots of nail polish thinner.  Repeatedly.  Between coats, and sometimes, moving between nails.  Very temperamental, this formula required 3 coats to even out the streaks.



If I'd not been participating in this here nail challenge, I'd have stopped right about here, because, even though I'm not a Yellow Kinda Gal, I can see where it would add a great pop to any black outfit (black is practically my uniform).

But since the challenge must go on....

I pulled out Special Black (Konad ), a glossy black creme, for the stamping. Next up....

The tools:  BundleMonster image plates numbers BM-221 and BM-202

Miscellaneous other stuff on hand:  Nail polish remover, nail polish thinner, a Konad stamper, Seche Rebuilt, and Seche Vite top coat.

The basic storyline:  One coat Seche Rebuild, followed by three coats of Mellow Yellow.  Wait till dry, and begin stamping, alternating image with each finger.  Gently press the image "on" the nail (otherwise, it "bleeds" like it did for me below, when a top coat is applied).

The end result:

kapow!

see that bleeding of the black polish into the yellow?

This challenge was a struggle for me.  To begin with, I'm not a fan of yellow polish.  Then, the polish I used was a pain in the application neck.  There's also the fact that I kept screwing up my polish job, while multitasking with laundry and meal planning.  Ding.  Bump.  Damn it, Janet!

I dare say there was one nail I polished five, count 'em, five times.  Oh, yeah...and then the stamping kept going wonky on me. 

But you know what?  I'm feeling like SuperBroad right now. Why?  Because Day 3 and the obligatory Yellow Mani is done and over with! YAY!
  
Be sure to check out what our very talented challengers are up to on Day 3 of the 31 Day Nail Challenge...

Kimber at Kimber's Lacquer Korner
-Kat at Hooked On Polish
-Diana at Nails By Diana
-Aly at Wonderland Beauty
-Meredith at Perfectly Polished
-Nicole at The Color Republic
-Kate at The Painted Pony Nails
-Cee at Absolutely Cee
-Sam at Polished Art
-Nail Narcotics
-Nicole at Nicole Gets Nailed
-Shelby at Shelby's Swatches
-Stephanie Louise at All Things Beautiful
-Mixed Mama
-Joanna @ Sweet Polish of Mine
-Patty Greenberg
-Mari at Nailista
-Greta at How Was Your Day?
-Miss L at Beauty by Miss L 
-Gini at Sassy Paints 
-Chameleon Stampede 
-Pam at Nail-E-Glance 

Thanks for stopping by!

31 Day Challenge/Day 2: ORANGE!

NOTE: Our dearly departed comment form has been resuscitated!

First things first... By the time I finally got through checking out everyone's Day 1 posts on Monday, it was 2 a.m.  I'm blown away by my colleague's collective talents. Yowzah.  Can't wait to see what they each come up with for Day 2!  Toward that end, please be sure to check through everyone's links on the base of this post.  So, now, without further adieu...

Welcome back to Day 2 of Kimber's 31 Day Nail Challenge!  Today's color....

ORANGE

Oh, yeah!!!!  Big fan here.  I'm still applauding Pantone's 2012 Color of the Year!.

Orange simultaneously stimulates and warms.  I love, love, love, this color.  Funny thing, though. As a kid, this crayon rarely came out of my 64-count box.  It reminded me of carrots.  Kids and carrots don't mix.  In my twenties, it still wasn't welcome in my wardrobe.

But that was then, and this is now.

 I now adore orange.

For this challenge, I explored the reaches of my stash and selected a burnt orange creme:  Life Preserver,  by China Glaze.  I tend to favor the softer hues, even in these day-glo neon times.

 Two coats of Life Preserver did the trick.

Hmmm.  It's a great color, no doubt.....but I yearned for something a little more than single-shade nails.

I mean, heck, this is a challenge, right?  That, and I lamely did a single-color polished nail on Day 1!

It was time to ratchet up my game a wee bit.

So, back into the stash I went, and out I came with this magical trio: China Glaze Fairy Dust (just can't kick this bling thing), a bottle of Konad's "special white" polish, and that sweet little paisley-like engraving on Konad's M-64 image plate.  Gotta tell you, I sure do love me some paisley, and that engraving just set my lacquer-lovin' heart a-flutter. 

FYI, there were three nail fails, when transfers went wonky.  Thankfully, the do-overs were enough for me to stick a fork in it and say we were done.

indoors - daylight lamp

Can we get a close up of that Oh So Subtle Blingy Thing Going On?  I am such a sucker for bling.  Mmmm hmmm.....

macro-lens insanity:  If you look closely, you can see my tonsils

 

indoors - available light

indoor fluorescent

I think this mani has something of a Middle Eastern vibe, and I like it, ALOT.

indoors - available light

Well, that's it for Lozlosa's  Day 2 in the 31 Day Polish Challenge!  Be sure to check out what my very talented challengers are up to...

Kimber at Kimber's Lacquer Korner
-Kat at Hooked On Polish
-Diana at Nails By Diana
-Aly at Wonderland Beauty
-Meredith at Perfectly Polished
-Nicole at The Color Republic
-Kate at The Painted Pony Nails
-Cee at Absolutely Cee
-Sam at Polished Art
-Nail Narcotics
-Nicole at Nicole Gets Nailed
-Shelby at Shelby's Swatches
-Stephanie Louise at All Things Beautiful
-Mixed Mama
-Joanna @ Sweet Polish of Mine
-Patty Greenberg
-Mari at Nailista
-Greta at How Was Your Day?
-Miss L at Beauty by Miss L 
-Gini at Sassy Paints 
-Chameleon Stampede 
-Pam at Nail-E-Glance 

LOZLOSA'S POLISH BOTTOM LINE

COLOR/COLLECTION::  Life Preserver,  China Glaze Ahoy Collection (Spring 2011)

APPLICATION:: Two creamy thin coats to opaque. No staining the nail bed. 

AVAILABILITY::  Online, beauty supply shops, some pharmacies.

PRICE::  $6 average

BOTTOM LINE::  Destined to be a classic.  Beautiful creamy orange poppy.  Works all year round.

Thanks for stopping by!

31 Day Challenge/Day1: RED!

Welcome to Day 1 of the 31 Day Challenge (sponsored by the lovely Kimber of Kimber's Lacquer Korner), and today's Challenge is.....(drumroll, please...)

RED

There are a bazillion reds out there in Lacquerland, and my absolute favorite is Orly's magnificent Haute Red.  Be still my varnished heart!

What's to love?

Well, this slightly warmed maraschino cherry creme is touched with a soupçon of orange, for good fashion measure, giving us a lacquer that's classic, yet thoroughly modern; one that's still bright, but not too bright; and best of all, here's a tone works wonders for most skin tones, young and old. Being on the old side, I know about this stuff ;).

Oh, and another thing:  no staining on the nail bed! Yay!

I consider red lacquer, in all its varied hues, a fashion statement, and for me, this Orly polish is no different.  Though it can be dressed up with all manner of exquisite nail art, Haute Red has a "special occasion" vibe, all its own.  At the outset, I decided that, in our inaugural 31-day post, I'd keep it simple out there on the red carpet.  

Haute Red stands on its own, without additional support.

bright outdoor light

As for the formula, I'm a fan.  No surprises, here.  No streaks. No fuss.  No muss.   Just smooooooth flow, from the first coat to the last.  Speaking of which....this is a two-coater, and it dries to a super-shiny glass finish.  I didn't even bother applying top coat.  Can't beat that!

Another plus with Orly:  their "award winning "Gripper" cap is ingenious!  Made of a textured rubberized material, it rests comfortably in the hand, staying where you put it, and makes applying polish a breeze.  That, and no more stuck bottle caps.  This one will open, no matter how dried and encrusted that cap might become.  I really wish other lacquer companies would follow Orly's lead on this innovation.  

And the brush?  A fave!  Orly's brush is narrower than the uber-popular and wider OPI "pro" brush, meaning that I'm better able to keep the polish on my nail, and off the walls of my cuticle.  Always a good thing, in my book!

indoor with daylight bulb + lovin' that grippy cap!

shiny, even without top coat!

Confession.....

In the end, I succumbed to my addiction for bling (a 12-step program in my future?), and polished off my ring finger with two coats of Save Me, that fur-like stringy holographic glitter top coat, from OPI's Nikki Minaj Collection. Truth be told, I'm still on the fence about Save Me, but bling is bling, and sometimes a gal's gottta do, what a gal's gotta do.  ;)

bright outdoor lighting + stringy bling

Well, that's it for Lozlosa's Day 1 post of the 31 Day Polish Challenge!  But hey, there's lots more where this came from...

Be sure to check out what the other Varnish Vixens have been up to on this very red letter day....

Kimber at Kimber's Lacquer Korner
-Kat at Hooked On Polish
-Diana at Nails By Diana
-Aly at Wonderland Beauty
-Meredith at Perfectly Polished
-Nicole at The Color Republic
-Kate at The Painted Pony Nails
-Cee at Absolutely Cee
-Sam at Polished Art
-Nail Narcotics
-Nicole at Nicole Gets Nailed
-Shelby at Shelby's Swatches
-Stephanie Louise at All Things Beautiful
-Mixed Mama
-Joanna @ Sweet Polish of Mine
-Patty Greenberg
-Mari at Nailista
-Greta at How Was Your Day?
-Miss L at Beauty by Miss L 
-Gini at Sassy Paints 
-Chameleon Stampede 
-Pam at Nail-E-Glance 

LOZLOSA'S BOTTOM LINE

COLOR/COLLECTION::  Haute Red, Orly Permanent Polish Collection

APPLICATION:: Two coats to perfect opaque. Shiny, shiny, shiny.  No staining on the nail bed!

AVAILABILITY::  Orly polishes can be found in your local beauty supply, salons, online, and in some pharmacies.

PRICE:: at $6 to $8 a pop, Orly is slightly pricier than its competition, but to my mind, its worth it for the exceptional quality.  I consider Orly a high-end polish with a budget price tag. 

BOTTOM LINE::  I'm in love.

Thanks for stopping by!

Graceful, Plain & Stamped

Another extended manicure!

Boyfriend Jeans

COLOR/COLLECTION::  Boyfriend Jeans/ Nubar Jeans Collection, Fall 2011

APPLICATION:: Three thin coats; formula builds nicely

AVAILABILITY::  only seen this brand online at their website, on Amazon, and Ebay

PRICE::  $7

BOTTOM LINE::  Damn fine dupe for Chanel's Blue Boy, which goes for $29 a pop. A no-brainer.

Thanks for stopping by!

French Quarter for Your Thoughts

COLOR/COLLECTION::  French Quarter for Your Thoughts; OPI Fall 2011 "Touring America" Collection

APPLICATION:: 2 coats to opaque; great OPI brush; smooth formula

AVAILABILITY::  beauty supply shops, Ulta, and online; a much-loved polish, I'm finding this still in stock

PRICE::  $8-ish

BOTTOM LINE::  French Quarter for Your Thoughts is one of my favorite OPI neutrals, a medium taupe-y grey.  When I run out, I'll buy another.  It's that good.

Thanks for stopping by!

Ahoy!

Well, here's a polish that announces itself....

Lapis of Luxury

On the blog today is Essie's lovely medium blue periwinkle creme, Lapiz of Luxury, stamped with the mandala image from Bundle Monster.

Lapiz is a color that reminds me of the clear blue skies I'd seen when cruising to Bermuda this last Spring.  I'd been admiring this one for a few months, and finally nabbed it on one of my multitudinous trips through the Target nail polish aisles. The formula is typical Essie:  smooth and a little on the thin side.  I don't mind that, especially since two coats still brought me to opaque.  In case you've not heard me mention it before, I'm not big on 3-coat polishes.

I Have a Herring Problem

Formula.  Formula. Formula.

That's what has always set OPI apart from its competitors.  Reliable performance.

It's like a broken record with me, I know.  But as I dip into the recesses of my polish collection, I'm finding lots of plech.  The thing that makes OPI different from the rest is their formula.  I've yet to come across a plech OPI formula. 

It's no different this time.  And I ADORE the color...

Brash quartet

 
A few months ago, when I was on the hunt for a pair of cheap summer sandals, I strolled into a local Payless shoe store.  Never got past the cosmetic display at the shop entrance.

Did You Ear About Van Gogh?

COLOR/COLLECTION::  Did You Ear About Van Gogh?, Opi's Spring 2012 Holland Collection

APPLICATION::  Fabulous smooth at two coats.  Quality application.  Just what you'd expect from OPI.

AVAILABILITY::  local salon, Target, Walmart, CVS, online, EFW (Every Freaking Where)

PRICE::  $6 on average

BOTTOM LINE::  I'm surprised just how much I like this creamy putty beige.  The color reminds me of clay objects that haven't yet been bisque-fired.  How much do I like it?  Wore the damn manicure all week.  Unheard of.  I say, you need this.  You'll love it.  Go get it.

Thanks for stopping by.

I Don't Give a Rotterdam

COLOR/COLLECTION::  I Don't Give a Rotterdam, Opi Spring 2012 Holland Collection

APPLICATION:: 2 smooth coats to opaque

AVAILABILITY::  Ulta, Sephora, Target, local beauty supply places, Every Freaking Where

PRICE::  $5.99 to $7.99

BOTTOM LINE::  Opi pulled together some lovely colors for this collection, and I Don't Give a Rotterdam is one of my faves.  It's a keeper.

Buttercup

COLOR/COLLECTION::  Buttercup, Revlon Spring 2012 Colorstay Enamel

APPLICATION:: Streaky on two coats; required a third "finishing" coat

AVAILABILITY::  Every Freaking Where

PRICE::  $7.99 but can be had a a fraction on Ebay or Amazon

BOTTOM LINE::  Saw this polish at a CVS polish display, on the way to the ladies room (you gotta go, when gotta go) and quickly grabbed it on the way out.  I'd been wanting to try Revlon's line of Colorstay nail enamel, with its promise of 11-day shatterproof wear.  Sadly, I can't attest to its wearability, inasmuch as disappointment over the "lifting" of old polish by new had this enamel removed from my nails faster than you can say, I Don't Think So.

Thanks for stopping by!

Call Me Gwen-Ever

COLOR/COLLECTION::  Call Me Gwen-Ever, OPI 2012 Spiderman Collection

APPLICATION:: 3 coats to opaque

AVAILABILITY::  limited edition in association with recently released film; get it while you can at local beauty supply, online, Ulta, Sephora, etc. etc.

PRICE::  .99 on up to 5.99

BOTTOM LINE:: I was drawn by this pop of clean bright color.  It's in that Pantone Color of the Year family, and I've been loving myself all that juicy orange goodness, lately.  But I'm not wowed.  Also, I'm a 2-coat believer.  If I can't get the right coverage in two coats, you've lost me.

Thanks for stopping by!