26 Great Nail Art Ideas - Autumn

This weeks prompt was Autumn. I do love Autumn - despite not liking yellow or orange I love a good autumn leaves mani!
I was already wearing a dark red base, with some subtle red stamping so I went straight on top of that. I wasn't entirely sure how many layers I was going to do but I just kept going until I was happy with what I had done.
I used UberChic Lovely Leaves and started with Esmaltes da Kelly Bee. It's not a yellow I particularly like but it always seems to work well in an autumn mani.
Then I used Colour Alike Scary Pumpkin with the same plate. I do love this polish despite its annoying shimmeriness which makes clean up impossible!
Finally I added Esmaltes da Kelly Frogger, with two different images from the same plate again.

Uber Chic Lovely Leaves

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26 Great Nail Art Ideas - Sunshine

This week's prompt was sunshine. I searched through all my plates and really couldn't find anything suitable sunshiny and then it occurred to me that maybe a mandala type pattern, stamped yellow on orange or orange on yellow might do the trick.
I had just used Apipila Super Plate B for another mani and spotted an image that I thought would be perfect. So I painted my nails neon orange with 'Ard As Nails Too Shy and then stamped with Esmaltes da Kelly Bee.
I took a selection of pictures including an impromptu shot with some self set poppies in the back garden. To be honest, since I don't like yellow or orange very much I didn't really expect to like these much but I did (not sure the photos really do them justice either, not the right colour combo for my camera or my skin) - but one of the nice things about nail art, you just have to give things a try, they might surprise you! I think it helped that the sun was shining!!

Apipila Super Plate B

 

 

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26 Great Nail Art Ideas - Pastel Christmas

I had a few ideas about pretty pastelly wintery scenes but I was a bit worried they'd be too pale and the detail would be lost so I went for a more clashing pastel thing with a pastel Christmas Jumper.
I started with a base of Barry M Laguna and Barry M Bikini and then I used Dixie Plate DP06 with Esmaltes Da Kelly Bee and Colour Alike Sweetheart.
No step by step photos this time as I freehanded the blue/green split and it wasn't worthy of a photo.
Not quite sure what I think about the outcome, probably a wintery scene would have been better!
I look forward to seeing what everyone else comes up with.

Dixie Plate DP 06 with pastel shades

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Nail Crazies Unite - Fall Foliage

I am a bit disappointed with the end result of this mani.
In my mind it was going to be wonderful and to be honest in real life it did look nice but it absolutely would not photograph.
I started with my fan brush mani as a base as the colours white, gold and burgundy seemed a reasonable base for an autumnal mani, and I do like to try and be efficient and combine where I can.
I added an outline leaf pattern with Uber Chic Lovely Leaves and Esmaltes da Kelly Bee.
Then I added a different outline leaf with Hit the Bottle Absinthe Minded and finally I added a negative image with Hit the Bottle Copper Haired Girl.
I also added a matte top coat to see of that would help but really I should have used a darker polish for the final layer and typically I broke my own rule and didn't top coat between layers so I couldn't rethink the final layer. The macro looks OK though 😉
I didn't do a full step by step for this mani either - I took a part way photo with each nail at a different stage, so I'll include that here so you can see the layers.

Step by Step with Uber Chic Lovely Leaves

Uber Chic Lovely Leaves

 

Uber Chic Lovely Leaves

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40 Great Nail Art Ideas - Yellow and Silver - Aztec

I am a bit behind with this challenge, so this is from 2 weeks ago - Yellow and Silver was the colour and Aztec was my pattern prompt.
I decided to stay just with those colours but I didn't think silver and yellow would be enough of a contrast so I used the darkest polish that I thought I could still call silver, A England King Arthur and stamped with Esmaltes da Kelly Bee and MJ XXVIII.
I have to say, although neither yellow or silver would be colours I would rush to wear, I really liked this combination and this is a really pretty aztec pattern on the MJ plate.

MJ XXVIII and Esmaltes da Kelly Bee over
A England King Arthur

 

 

October Challenges - Fall Gradient and Pumpkins

I have combined Fall Gradient for #30daysof colourchallenge and Pumpkins for #clairestelle8oct.
I started with the base of Jacava Shawfield Street and then I used the Jacava and OPI Skyfall to do my gradient. I decided to keep away from the more yellow shades for this gradient, not least because I was stamping pumpkins later and I wanted a reasonable contrast, but also because I think for a gradient sometimes its nice to just use two quite contrasting colours - in this case dark sage green and deep dark red.
I was pleased with my gradient - I didn't spend too long going for a really smooth one, but I was disappointed that it was raining when I was done so I was limited with choices for taking pictures.
Then I added the pumpkins. I had decided to use Colour Alike Scary Pumpkin and Esmaltes da Kelly Bee with my only pumpkin image, Cici&sisi 10, but then after doing the right hand, I got all nervous and wondered if the yellow was too yellow. On the left hand I switched  Bee for Virtuous Polish Glory, and I deliberately did not clean the plate after each orange stamp so the golden yellow stamping picked up a bit of orange too - it's a more subtle look but even now I still can't decide which I like best!
I am blaming my indecision on a slightly woolly head caused by the most stupid cold that is lingering well into its second week. I am also undecided on whether the matte or glossy finish is nicer - to be honest I really like all the versions - I need more days to wear all the options!!!
I'll be interested to see what the Instagram response is as you really get a feel for what people like and don't like :).

OPI Skyfall and Jacava Shawfield Street

CICI&SISI 10

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October Challenges - Harvest and Thanksgiving

I have combined two prompts as there seemed to be such an overlap - when I looked for images of Canadian Thanksgiving I figured that if Thanksgiving was for a successful harvest then I could combine the two.
I started with a nice harvesty colour, Nails Inc Hamstead Gardens, which I think I love as long as I am wearing the right colours and my hands are warm!
Then I added some wheaty stamping with SV By Sparkly Vernis Gilded Lemon Drops & Born Pretty BP-L 003.
Then more wheat, or barley or some such harvestable crop with Born Pretty BP-19 and Esmaltes da Kelly Bee and Frogger, smooshed together on the stamping plate.
I am British so the concept of Thanksgiving is a bit of an unknown and until my husband put me right I didn't realise Canadian Thanksgiving was earlier than the American one! Now I know.
Anyway, it seemed a maple leaf was a must and maybe a pumpkin so I used Colour Alike Red Wine and Born Pretty BP-19 and Colour Alike Scary Pumpkin & Cici&sisi 10 to add some maple leaves and pumpkins to the harvest.

Nails Inc Hampstead Gardens

SV By Sparkly Vernis Gilded Lemon Drops &
Born Pretty BP-L 003

Born Pretty BP-19 and Esmaltes da Kelly Bee and Frogger

Colour Alike Red Wine and BP 19 and
Colour Alike Scary Pumpkin & Cici&sisi 10

 

An InLinkz Link-up

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October Challenges - Floral with Esmaltes da Kelly Iron Man

The Challenge was Floral for #30daysofcolourchallenge.
I decided to be a bit bold but Autumnal and used Esmaltes da Kelly Bee and Pet'la Plate Golden Russian over Esmaltes da Kelly Iron Man.
Iron Man is an amazing, stunning mix of autumnal glitters packed in a dark green/brown base. You get full coverage with two coats, but it is worth waiting a while between coats for it to dry and it is very top coat hungry. I used 2 coats but for a really smooth finish I could have done with adding a third.
The colours are just amazing and it is so sparkly!
I did think it looked similar to Esmaltes da Kelly Thor, but it is little darker, more brown rather than gold, and a dark base rather than clear. When I used Thor I used it as a topper but I don't think you'd use this as a topper except over a dark colour. They do both have the look of Autumn about them, the glitters glinting red, green  and gold.
I wanted to stay with Autumnal colours for the next few layers of stamping (3 more in the next post) so I started with yellow. Not my favourite colour as you know but I thought it would look good against the dark green/brown background. I used one of the floral images on Pet'la Plate Golden Russian - I really like the images on this plate and they all work so well together which is great for multiple stamping!
I hope these pictures look OK, they look a bit washed out to me but they look OK on my phone - laptop screen is rubbish :(

Esmaltes da Kelly Iron Man

 

 

 

 

Esmaltes da Kelly Bee and Pet'la Plate Golden Russian

 

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September Challenges - Fall Colour, Marble and some stamping

Today's prompt was Fall Colour for #30daysofcolourchallenge.
I chose Glisten & Glow Rum & Coke as it was one of my newest polishes and it looks pretty Autumnal to me. This stunning golden brown polish is probably one of the most holo polishes I own so of course it has rained all day. However, if you google you can see lots of awesome holo shots of this wonderful creation! You still need to see just how gorgeous it is even if it is raining, after all - it is Autumn and I am in England.
This polish applied beautifully. I thought it looked a bit sheer on the first coat but the second coat gave perfect coverage and the holo in this is stunning (under the LED light, and in other swatches I have seen!)
After half a day, I gave up trying to get a sunshine shot and went for an couple of indoor shots instead.
I am really impressed with this polish from the Glisten & Glow Cocktail Collection, Round 2. This is my first G&G polish although of course I have my wonderful HK Girl topcoat which I love!
I bought this, and my topcoat from Rainbow Connection - lovely Annette has most of my hard earned wages, I think!!
The next prompt was Marble for #clairestelle8sept. I had debated with myself for quite some time whether I would try dry marbling again, or whether to try and recreate the look of marble on my nails. Watermarbling was not an option! I went for the marble look, and added Barry M Coconut and A England Camelot to the holo nails. I just added small blobs and swished them around with a small brush and some nail varnish remover.
It seemed sacrilege to cover up the holo but I will wear this again very soon! When the sun shines!
Then I went on stamping spree - no challenges, just for fun. It wasn't a huge success, but all the time I am practicing with colours and stamping images, working out where the contrast works, which images work over what types of base.
Firstly I stamped with Esmaltes da Kelly Frogger and Apipila Super Plate A. Plate and polish both stamped nicely but not really a good enough contrast over the marble base.
Then I added A England Perceval with Uber Chic UC 1-03. This looked good but because both stamped images were quite dense the holo was virtually hidden. The light was bad by now so the photos are not good and I had been striving for Autumnal - I think I got Christmassy!
Finally, and most successfully I think, I added some autumn leaves with Esmaltes da Kelly Bee and Moyou London Mother Nature 07.

Glisten & Glow Rum & Coke

 

 

 

Stone marble

Esmaltes da Kelly Frogger and  Apipila Super Plate A

A England Perceval and Uber Chic UC1-03

Esmaltes da Kelly Bee and Moyou London Mother Nature 07

 

 

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