March Challenges - Minimal and Fave Mani Technique

The last Challenges for March were Minimal for #ggfnachallenge and Fave Mani Technique for #firedazedchallenge.
For minimal I chose one of my favourite nudes, Leighton Denny In the Buff, a lovely soft very slightly pinky nude.
My fave mani techniques are still smooshing and stamping so I did both!
I smooshed with Leighton Denny Between Blue, Femme Fatale and Zero Gravity over my nude base.
Then I stamped with Sascha Gossen YS12 and Barry M Pitstop and then, finally, Sascha Gossen YS12 with Nails Inc Moonlight Shadow.
I loved the final look - I think the soft muted overlapping shades worked well together.

Leighton Denny In the Buff

 

#smooshattack with Leighton Denny Between Blue,
 Femme Fatale and Zero Gravity

Sascha Gossen YS12 and Barry M Pitstop

Sascha Gossen YS12 with Nails Inc Moonlight Shadow

When Colours Collide - Teal and Gold

As soon as the cover photo was posted for this challenge there was a flurry of water marbly posts in gorgeous teal and gold. Well, I don't do water marble  - it is so messy and for me the end result is so dreadful, it is one of those things I just accept as not being for me. Anyway, I love stamping too much.
I did want to do something quite organic, along the lines of our cover post, and on this occasion was not sure I wanted to use my water marble plate, so I went for the rather lovely water spotting image on Yours Cosmetics Sascha Gossen YS12.
I started with a base of OPI Ski Teal We Drop, one of those polishes I just love love love!!
Then I added a coat of a very special glitter topper I bought from Quirk a couple of years ago. An Ocean Potion is a stunning mix of teal and gold and was perfect for this mani.
Next I stamped the bubbles image from Yours Cosmetics Sascha Gossen YS12 with Colors by Llarowe Thing 1 & Thing 2.
Finally I used Avon Gold Leaf and stamped the water spotting image.
Then I spent a ridiculous amount of time trying to get a decent photo that i) was in focus, and ii) actually looked teal. I tried blue, green, white, brown, pink woollies and even no woolies at all, nothing worked, it all looks blue :(
Well, anyway, I loved the finished mani, I know it is teal! I love the mix of holo, sparkle, gold stamping and teal even if no-one else can see it!

OPI Ski Teal We Drop

 

Quirk An Ocean Potion

Sascha Gossen YS12 and CBL Thing 1 & Thing 2

Sascha Gossen YS12 and Avon Gold Leaf

 

 

March Challenges - #smooshynailsunday and Easter (#2)

This week's #smooshynailsunday was a special edition for Easter with 4 colours! I used Avon Peppermint, Avon Luxe Lavender, Nails Inc Power Pink, and Leighton Denny Brick Road.

Then I stamped and just to show I don't always get it right I am including this layer in the blog post. I decided to go for pastel blue, but the image I chose was a bit too solid and the blue didn't show up over the other pastel shades. I used Born Pretty BPL-027 and Esmaltes da Kelly Wendy. The overall look was pretty but I may as well have smooshed a 5th colour.
Luckily I saved it, I think, with Emily de Molly EDM02 and Barry M Cotton.

Easter smoosh!

 

Born Pretty BPL-027 and Esmaltes da Kelly Wendy

Emily de Molly EDM02 and Barry M Cotton

 

 

 

40 Great Nail Art Ideas - Spring

I decided this was the perfect excuse to use Messy Mansion Tristaenia 06 Spring.
I was trying to decide what colours to use but it struck me the fruit mani I had just done was ideal, so I stamped right over it with Barry M Cotton.
I chose Cotton as it is not fully opaque so the colours still show through a bit. I didn't want a crisp harsh white and I like the way I can still see hints of the other stamping underneath. I also love those half and half stamping images.

Messy Mansion Tristaenia 06 Spring

 

 

 

Messy Mansion Tristaenia 06 Spring - matte

An InLinkz Link-up

March Challenges - The Easter Bunny

Easter Bunny for #ggfnachallenge - I used Bundlemonster BM-S164 and Avon Frosted Peach over Leighton Denny Not Tonight.
I can't believe I haven't blogged Leighton Denny Not Tonight but it didn't come up in the labelling section, maybe it was pre - blog! It is a gorgeous deep brown, a perfect dark chocolate colour!
If I hadn't just bought the Bundle Monster Fuzzy and Ferocious Set 2, I probably would have skipped this challenge but there was these lovely rabbit ears on BM-S164 and I just thought - gold and chocolate - perfect for an Easter bunny!
I even managed to use my clear jelly stamper for this mani.
I loved this so much I didn't dare take pictures as I was certain they would let me down... they weren't perfect but hopefully you get the idea.

Leighton Denny Not Tonight

Bundlemonster BM-S164

 

March Challenges - Rainbow glitter placement

Rainbow glitter placement for #wnac2016 - I think I should have gone with my first instinct which was to skip this one! I didn't have any loose glitter or any polishes with large enough glitter to move around so I decided maybe I could get away with using nail stencils to control where the glitter went.

I used Smart Nail Stencils P053, because it looks a bit like a rainbow and Glam Polishes Tickled Pink, Which Witch? and Patty O'Green.

I decided, perhaps not that wisely, to make decals ahead of time to make it easier ... ?? maybe not.

Anyway, I painted my nails black, and applied the decals. They were too brittle so they did not apply particularly well and no amount of top coat would make them sit nicely.

The pictures look passable but they felt awful - I really need to work out where I am going wrong with these.

(and because I took a picture of the sorry little things, you get to see them before they went on my nails - looking all innocent in their box!)

rainbow glitter!

 

 

March Challenges - Polka Dots

Polka dots for #firedazedchallenge - I used Pet'la Plate Basics and Colors by Llarowe Be Bold In Blue. Be Bold in Blue is the limited edition Multiple Sclerosis charity polish and it is a stunner! It is not a stamping polish but I had to try it anyway because most of my CBLs do stamp.
I was delighted to see it does stamp and I can't wait to use it to paint my nails.
The first 2 shots are matte as I stamped it over a matte mani and didn't top coat it.
Now that I have loaded the pictures to my computer I am not sure you can reall see the difference.

Pet'la Plate Basics and Colors by Llarowe Be Bold In Blue

 

 

March Challenges - Holi - Festival of colours

We had this challenge last year and I did pastel shades - this time I decided to go darker and brighter.
I did a sort of spongey smooshy thing with 6 bright colours and then I stamped with Messy Mansion Symetrika 04 and Barry M Cotton.
I think maybe I went a bit too dark, but the stamping helped brighten it up.

 

Messy Mansion Symetrika 04 and Barry M Cotton

 

March Challenges - Easter (#1)

Easter for #twinsietuesdaynailart
I started with a single coat of Barry M Cotton and then painted stripes using Violet Rose Polishes Aldeburgh Blue, Green, Pink and Purple. Then I used Moyou London Fashionista 04 and Barry M Cotton.
I was quite pleased with how they turned out so I took loads of pictures!

Moyou London Fashionista 04 and Barry M Cotton

 

 

 

Moyou London Fashionista 04 and Barry M Cotton - matte

March Challenges - Fruit

Fruit for #ggfnachallenge - I was about to skip this one but suddenly I spotted a fruit image on my Moyra 06 Florality 1 plate so here we are - I stamped with A England Lancelot over a very bright fruity smoosh of Nella Milano Evergreen, Nails Inc Atomic and Leighton Denny Brick Road.
For a spur of the moment mani I think it turned out OK and this image stamped really nicely.

fruity smoosh!

Moyra 06 Florality 1

a matchy shot!