June Challenges - Red / Pond Manicure

Today I have done a Red / Pond Manicure for #30daysofcolourchallenge.
I don't have any plain red jellies so I have used an un-named red Nelly Polish. This is a very pretty sheer red jelly, just slightly pink with tiny red and gold glitters and shimmer, and some square glitter (which I love).
I stamped with Barry M Cotton and Cici&Sisi 09. I started with one coat of Nelly, then stamped and then added 2 more layers of polish and stamping. I wasn't quite sure whether to end with stamping or jelly polish but I decided I'd like the white stamping to be my final layer.
It is not quite a tidy as I would have liked but overall I think it looks quite pretty, and I do like the glitters in amongst the dots.

Barry M Cotton with Cici&Sisi 09

 

 

 

 

An InLinkz Link-up

May Challenges - Above the Curve Crimson Time at Home and "stars"

The challenge for #clairestelle8may today was stars. I did think I'd like to do galaxy nails again but didn't really have a lot of time for sponging, so I went for something a bit simpler.
Firstly, Above the Curve Crimson Time at Home... what can I say - this polish is stunning!!! I am completely in love with it! Although when I think crimson, I think red and this polish is either a purpley red or a reddy purple! It does look more red in some lights, and then bluer in others but in all lights it is gorgeous. It has a beautiful scattered holo and is amazing in the sunlight. It applied and dried well and I have to say this is one of those manis where once I'd stamped I rather wished I'd left it as it was.
Anyway, I did stamp with A England Her Rose Adagio and then with SV by Sparkly Vernis Blurple Ice Cubes using two images on Cici&Sisi 09 to add some trails of dots (planets). Then I stamped the stars from UberChic Beauty UC 2-01 with Essence Stampy 001. There is a nicer stars image on UC 2-03 and I wish I'd used that as I prefer the random layout of stars. The end result is pretty but not my fave mani ever.

Above the Curve Crimson Time at Home

 

Stars - UberChic Beauty UC 2-01

 

March Challenge #clairestelle8march - Fashion

As you know I have been following Clairestelle8's march challenge and today's prompt is fashion.
As a person who still wears what I wore at university 25 years ago, and lots of hand knits I am not really up on fashion so I resorted to Google - I googled Spring Fashion 2015 and then trawled through the images until I saw something I liked!
I found these lovely floaty ethnic style dresses designed by a luxury Italian brand Etro, and I thought the patterns would translate nicely onto the nail.
I started with base of the marie claire freebie, Nails Inc Fashion (appropriate name for this prompt). This looks mostly grey with a hint of lilac in the bottle but is more lilac than grey on the nail.
Then I stamped this lovely image from Cici&sisi 09. I'd describe this pattern as geometric, tribal or ethnic, and I think that it would vary so much depending on what colours you used.
I used 3 colours although I didn't catch much of the brown - I must remember my nails are not as wide as the images! I chose Mentality Hope (brown), Saffron London- black (which stamps as a grey) and Nails Inc Madison Avenue (a lovely dark bottle green)
Unfortunately I was too heavy handed with the top coat and smudged quite a few nails. After struggling to get any decent photos, I added a coat of OPI matte top coat and I think they look so much better, the smudged stamping isn't quite so visible either.
The base does look more grey again now but I think the stamping really complements the base and, smudging aside, I am pretty pleased with these.

Etro, my inspiration

Fashion - Cici&sisi 09 and matte top coat

Nails Inc Fashion