Wiki'd Nails - Horror Icon

This is the last week of the Wiki'd Nails Challenge - I feel quite relieved because it has felt a real struggle to do these. However, looking at the album of Wiki'd pics on my facebook page I am actually quite impressed with what I have achieved, especially considering I almost gave up on this before I even started.
Sometimes we do need to be pushed a bit, but maybe not during financial year end!
Anyway, this week's Wiki'd Nails Challenge was Horror Icon so I have stamped the ghoulish looking face from Hehe 040 using A England Rose Bower over Nails Inc Lily.
They were a bit camera shy, so I added a coat of Barry M Matte top coat - much easier to photograph and wow! what a top coat, it is actually properly matte. I am really pleased with it!
I am quite happy with these ghoulish little chaps - when I got Hehe 040 I couldn't see me using this particular image although I love all the fake water marbling images, such a brilliant little plate!

Hehe 040 and A England Rose Bower

 

 

 

An InLinkz Link-up

Stamping! Art Deco nails for Moyou London's Bookworm contest

Moyou London is hosting a Bookworm contest and the idea is to do a mani based on one of the 9 books they listed. I've seen entries to their competitions before and they look so elaborate that I didn't really think about it when I saw the Instagram post - save  but then I spotted the title "The Great Gatsby" and having seen posters for the film, that black and gold image came straight into my mind. When the postman brought my Moyou London Time Traveller plate this morning I knew I had to give this contest a try. I had spotted the Back to the 20's plate on one of the sales pages at the weekend, so I think it was fate and I do love Art Deco!!
I chose 2 images, but with one being more solid than the other so I decided to switch things around so that the overall look would be more consistent. I painted 3 nails of each hand with Avon Metallic Effects Gold Leaf, and the thumb and ring finger with Nails Inc Lily (all my blacks are running out but Lily is nearly black).
Then I stamped using the very last dregs of my A England Camelot over the gold, and used the Avon to stamp over Lily. If you look I doubt you'd be aware that 3 fingers are black on gold and 2 are gold on black, unless you know the stamping plate really well.
As if running out of blacks wasn't bad enough, all my top coats seem to have got to that gloopy stage where they need to be binned and as a result there were a few smudged stampings. I took some pictures but found the reflections were masking the detail, so I top coated again with the OPI matte topcoat. This is not as matte as some top coats but matte enough for me to actually get a couple of reasonable pictures. Although I had a few issues with these I am quite pleased with the results and I have taken the plunge and entered the competition.

Moyou London Back to the 20s 05
(The  Great Gatsby)

 

 

ILNP Cygnus Loop

Today I have another stunning multi-chrome to show you. This is ILNP Cygnus Loop from their Ultrachrome collection.
This polish is essentially purple but moves from blue, through purple to a reddish brown. It also has a fine red shimmer to it even when you can't see the multi-chrome effect. I have layered one coat over Nails Inc Lily, from the Gossip Girl range - a red so dark it is almost black.
Cygnus Loop applied well, dried quickly and I certainly didn't feel the need for a 2nd coat.
I managed to capture a reasonable range of the colours, I think it helped it was a nice bright day today although it was hard to photograph in the sun and I ended up skulking in the shadows for the better pictures.
I have already worn Mutagen and Birefringence. There were 4 in the collection but I didn't fancy the yellower one, Nostalgia - not really a me colour.
I know they've been out a while and I avoided then at first as I have struggled with duo and multi-chromes in the past - the tip to apply them over a dark base is definitely the way to go. These 3 ILNPs  are now very welcome in my collection :)

ILNP Cygnus Loop

  

 

 

 

 

 

Nails Inc Lily and Justice Walk - Amber Nail Jewellery

I did have a manicure planned for today but somehow I wasn't in the mood for it so I decided to go for the Amber Nail Jewellery instead.
I considered Black Taxi as my base but went for Lily in the end, thinking its just a touch warmer to combine with the Amber.
I LOVE Lily, it's beautiful on its own and a wonderful base for so many other glitters and other special effects. I did two coats although it was pretty good after one and had I known how much coverage the Justice Walk would give, one would have been sufficient, and look how shiny Lily is !

 

Justice Walk was a lot denser than I expected, thinking it would be more along the lines of Burlington/Diamond Arcade, so I actually ended up with more on the nail than I really wanted, but you can't go back once you've started! When I use it again, I'll try to wipe more off the brush.
I like the colour of the amber glitter, but there are large gold hexagons in there that I wasn't so keen on, I tried to avoid them and actually picked a few off before it dried. I think I'll like this more if I can get less glitter on the nail.
Anyway, here are a few shots of the finished mani, indoors, and out in my daughters black & yellow mitts and my own multi-coloured ones.