I've been neglecting you...

Dear Readers,

I hope there are some of you still interested in my blog. I know I'm guilty of going AWOL! I can't believe I haven't posted in months! Woah - when did all that time fly by? I've just been super busy with work and my family.  I'm also trying to get into shape, so that's been a focus for my spare time lately.

I actually did take some pics of my mani's but haven't taken the time to edit and post them.  So I'll try to get a few posts up to make up for lost time....

Here's a mani I wore for awhile.  I really liked how it turned out because I dabbed a few different pinks on each nail to get a mottled looking base coat.  Then I stamped over it in black.  And just in case that wasn't busy enough, I added a topcoat that had a bit of shimmer in it.  Wouldn't you like to meet the glam snake that produces this snakeskin?

I didn't take a pic until I'd worn it for quite a few days, unfortunately.  (So that explains the big space around my cuticles!)

I've gotta catch up on reading blogs and posting more for you guys. Stick with me!

Hope you all are having a great weekend!

Snakeskin Manicure - My take on it

Hello Dear Readers,


I finally got time to do a stamped manicure, and I wanted to try my hand at the snakeskin look I'd seen on a few blogs.  I got inspired by Once Bitten's blog (scroll down the page) and The Nailsaurus' version is awesome too.

(all pictures are "clickable" for larger version)

Here is my try... I used Finger Paints "Purple Pinstripe" as the base and then added some random splotches of Sally Hansen "Lacey Lilac" and China Glaze "Purple Panic".  On top I stamped the snakeskin pattern from Bundle Monster 215 in Konad Special Black.

I did this one late at night and couldn't really tell how the colours worked together until I saw it in daylight this morning. I am pretty stoked with how it turned out after all.  

Have a great week, everyone.  And please leave me your comments, because I really love reading them!

Bundle Monster 206

Hello dear readers,

I'm up early today because we are taking our son to board the bus to sleepover camp this morning for his first time away for a whole month...Let's just say I'm a bit freaked out!!!!!


Anyhow, here is another green manicure.  I don't know why I was in the mood to use green again...

For this manicure I used China Glaze "White on White" as the base colour. I only used one coat, which was a bit streaky, but I knew it would mostly be covered with this full nail pattern from the newest Bundle Monster plate 206.

I used Konad Special Polish is green for the stamping.  Then I used my dotting tool to apply small dots of a neon pink, aptly, if not very creatively, called "Pink" by Sinful Colors.  I topped it all off with a coat of Seche Vite Quick Dry, as I always do!

The only thing I really don't like about how this turned out is that some nails have a white border that shows around the cuticle. You can see it on the thumb in the photo below. Oh well...

Enjoy your long weekend, everyone!  (Can you recognize what kind of soap I'm holding? I bought a huge package of these bars, but both of my sons hate it!)

Remember to leave me some comments because I love hearing from you all! ;-)

Pink Wednesday - Pink Voltage (neon) with Bundle Monster Stamping

Dear Readers,

I've noticed many polish and beauty bloggers wear pink on Wednesdays, so I thought I'd post my pink manicure today for you to enjoy as well.

I stamped a design from one of my new Bundle Monster plates (BM-203) over China Glaze "Pink Voltage (neon)". I used Konad Special black which always produces a crisp dark design. I think it looks cool, but the dark overall design really covered the beautiful colour and made my nails look almost purple from a distance.

So when my mani chipped, I took it off and reapplied "Pink Voltage" to enjoy just on its own. This is what I am wearing today.

This is a great colour by one of my favorite brands - China Glaze. "Pink Voltage" has an awesome blue flash you can see especially in the sun.  And luckily I had lots of sun today! It applies thin - I used three coats - but it dries quickly and leave no VNL.  It does dry matte, but with a coat of Seche Vite QD topcoat, it really sparkles and comes alive!

I have "Pink Voltage" on my toes too, and I love it for a summer pedicure!'

I know this isn't a new colour, but I have never used it before, and I'm really loving it, so I hope you love it too.  Have you used this polish before?

Have a great day, everyone. And remember to leave me your feedback. :-)

Skullz - BM 225

Dear Readers,

I am really excited because I finally got the new Bundle Monster plates, and they are the first BM plates I've ever had.  I only have tried one plate so far, but I am impressed with the quality.  I am also glad they fit in my Konad IP holder.  I am sure you'll be seeing many future posts featuring the designs from these plates!

Here is China Glaze "Purple Panic (neon)" which is a gorgeous colour!  I used two coats, and it looks more like a hot hot pink than a purple to me.  I am sure I will use this colour a lot - it's right up my alley! It does dry matte, but after a coat of Seche Vite QD topcoat, it has an amazing shimmer!

I added the skull and crossbones design from BM 225 in Konad Special Polish (black).

Then, to add some depth, I stamped the same design again, a bit off, using China Glaze "Millenium".  I scraped a bit of the silver off to give it an aged, rough look.

I think this is a really cool design.  It was one I was really looking forward to using!

With an orange background, it would be great for Halloween! :-)

Hope you enjoyed this post, and have a great weekend! 

Please leave me some comments and follow my blog if you don't follow me already....   :-)

It's Not Valentine's Day, But...m83

Okay dear readers,

I know it's not Valentine's Day, but this manicure is all about the love!

I went a bit overboard with this one. In fact, I don't really like it, and I'll probably take it off as soon as I finish this post! My husband wrinkled up his nose and shook his head when I showed this konadicure to him. Ha ha ha!

I kinda like the thumb and ring finger, and wish I did all the nails the same way instead of having so many different designs.

Well, what do you guys think of it?

Have a great weekend, everyone.

Pink Piano - m73 Konad

Hello dear readers,

Here is the konadicure I did this week.  I wore it to a party with a black and white dress and hot pink lipstick!

I used Sally Hansen "Cerise" and "Black Out" with Konad Special White for the stamping.  The design comes from IP M73.  I used just the bottom part of the design to make a keyboard as the tip design, and then I used the entire design on my ring finger.

Here it is in slightly different lighting.  My dear hubby bought me an amazing new macro lens, so I've had a lot of fun experimenting with close-ups!

Do you like konadicures with an accent nail?

Oh - and Happy Mother's Day to all you moms out there!

MAC Quite Cute Lipsticks

Hey everybody,
I know this post comes quite late, but I figured I would show you the two lipsticks I purchased from MAC's Quite Cute Collection.

Although the pastel colours captured my interest, I found the colours of the paler lipsticks too unflattering and sheer to wear. I also found the eyeshadows not pigmented enough to be worth it.  I stuck with Candy Yum-Yum (neon pink) and Playtime (a buildable and moisturizing lavender colour).

Candy Yum-Yum  (below, right) is a matte colour that can really reveal any imperfections in your lip, so exfoliate and condition before you apply it.  The colour is awesome though, and I want to wear it all the time!

Play Time  (above, left) is a sheer lavender colour.  The colour falls between Violetta and Up the Amp. It has a creamy formula that builds to a decent opacity.  This is a soft, wearable purple for someone who wants to try something in this colour range.  Very pretty and summery on the lips.

 Play Time (no liner)

 Candy Yum-Yum (no liner)

I'm really pleased with both of these lipsticks.  I was so excited about getting Candy Yum-Yum that I waited outside the store on the day it was released, so I'm really glad they worked out as well as I had hoped!

Have any of you bought these colours? What did you like/dislike from the Quite Cute Collections?

"Double Bling" Mint Sorbet Manicure

Hi everyone,

this manicure is one of the "thickest" I have ever done. I layered two coats of Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear in "Mint Sorbet".  It is one of the worst polishes I've ever used. It was very gloppy and streaky all at once. It went on thick and then seemed to dissolve as I went over it.  I thought it would never dry, and I should have just aborted the whole mission, but I wanted to use this colour at least once since I just bought it!

Then I layered a coat of Nubar "Martini", an awesome pale green holographic glitter polish that has tiny glitter as well as bigger pentagonal silver glitter.

I should have probably stopped there, but I don't know what possessed me.  I decided, "more is more" and added another new polish I bought.  I slapped on more glitter in the form of  Sally Hansen Insta Dri "Snappy Sprinkles" which has both pinkish and green strips of glitter in a kind of thick sheer pink base.

The glitter in "Snappy Sprinkles" goes on a bit unevenly, so I just blobbed it on and pushed it around.  It dries really bumpy, with pieces of the glitter sticking up, so I needed two coats of Seche Vite to smooth it out.  It's still a bit "textured" shall we say, but at least all the layers did dry!

I'm not sure I even like this manicure, after all that... And, I know for sure it will be a royal pain to get all that glitter off!

Well, what do you think of this manicure? Please let me know...

Glitter for glitterM

It's been too long since I posted. I have had many manicures but have been too busy to photograph them!

Anyhow...here's the mani I've been wearing for the past few days, and it has held up really well!  I layered 2 coats of Sally Hansen Hard As Nails Xtreme Wear in "Rockstar Pink" over 1 coat of China Glaze "Grape Pop".  A coat of Seche Vite QDTC helped smooth out the texture and bring out the bling!

I don't usually like layering polishes, but I really like how this turned out. The glitter on its own is too transparent for my taste, even though it is densely packed with pink, blue and gold glitter.  I love how it looks over the purple base.  In sunlight it is truly dazzling, but these photos were taken with indoor lighting.

Hot Colours Konadicure

Here is my latest konadicure. Sorry it's been so long since I posted but my last manicure was just plain blue, and a colour I've already posted.

I started with a coat of Orly "Bonder" - my absolute fave base coat! Then I painted my whole nail in "Cerise" - a bright pink Sally Hansen polish. Then I added a triangular shaped area in Finger Paints "Tangerine Tint" to line up with the leopard print area of plate m78.  I stamped the design in Special Black and added Seche Vite t.c. to seal the deal.

Thanks for looking! Please leave me your comments!

Pink & Purple Zebra

Hey guys,
here's another mani/pedi with a gradient background and animal print over top. I'm going to a party tonight and can't wait to rock this wild design.  It'll liven up my basic black dress.

I did the stamping with a dark purple special Konad polish - can you tell?

Hope everyone has a great long weekend...can't believe I am going back to work (school) in a few days!!!!

Over the Top in Pink, White & Green (pic heavy)

Okay, so I know this mani is a little bonkers, but I felt like doing something fun this week.

I used Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear in "White Out" and "Going Green" and S.H. New Lengths Ceramics in "Cerise".  I stamped various Konad designs in Konad Special White.

I used polka dots and bows to tie the nails together. The thumb, pinky and ring finger use all three colours together, but the pointer and middle fingers have one colour plus white dots.

The pink dots on the ring finger were made using "Cerise" and a dotting tool because I didn't have any Konad Special pink. At first I wasn't happy because the pink dots look irregular, but now I think it adds something unique to the overall look.

On the pinky, I free-handed a stripe of each colour and then added some green glitter down the centre. I got the glitters in my free sample package from Viva La Nails. I like them because they are flatter than rhinestones, but when I added topcoat, the colour from them smudged a little onto the white polish.

So, do you think this manicure belongs to an insane person? My son told me they look like nails that a clown would wear. Ha ha ha!

Have a great week, and let me know what you think of this manicure.

Multi-Coloured Konadicure

I got inspired to do this konadicure after seeing this post on xsparkage's blog. I used different polishes than she did (cremes instead of holos) and a different Konad IP, but you can click on the above link to see what gave me the idea.


Here's my version of a multi-coloured background, with a design stamped on top:

For the base colours, I freehanded diagonal stripes in Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure in "Grass Slipper" and "I Pink I Can", as well as Orly "Snowcone".  I thought these colours worked well together to create a bright, summery background for the black pattern.

You can see that I placed the colours in different orders on each nail instead of doing each nail with the three colours in the same order. 


The design I stamped is from Konad IP m60. I love these concentric circles, and I realized that I'd only ever used this pattern once before, so I figured, why not? The pattern isn't quite big enough to cover my thumb, so that looks a bit messed up, but otherwise, I really like how it turned out.

This is a new polish I just bought form the Complete Salon Manicure line.  "I Pink I Can" is a cute name and it's a light pink, but not as light as is looks in the picture. It leans a bit to the warmer side of pink.  The thick brushes in these bottles weren't that great for trying to paint diagonal lines, so I did make quite a mess, but most of it washed off my cuticle area after a few hand washes the day after I created this konadicure.

So, I hope you enjoyed this post, and maybe some of you will be inspired to try a similar konadicure yourselves.  It was a little difficult, but I think the results were worth it.  What do you think?

EOTD - Can you say PINK?

So, I've been really busy and haven't had time to do my nails, but I still had to put on makeup, of course!

I used NYX White, NYX Hot Pink and MAC Pro Pigment - Red Electric. The liner I use is MAC's cream liner (got it at the Pro Store) and Maybelline - The Falsies in Blackest Black for mascara.  Oh yeah, I added a bit of shimmer in the inner corner and on the brow bone with a MAC white frosty pigment, but the name of it wore off the container ages ago!

The Red Electric pigment says "not safe for use in the eye area" but I don't seem to have any trouble with it over a base like MAC paint pot or Smashbox Lid Primer.

Extreme closeup!

Thanks for looking, and have a great day!