40 Great Nail Art Ideas - Lemon or Peach - Camouflage

This week's colour prompt was Lemon or Peach - I interpreted that to be a choice although I have seen a lovely mani using both so maybe we were supposed to use both.
Anyway, I had two new yellows to use so I went with lemon. My pattern prompt was camouflage so I used Vivid Lacquer VL010 which has a great camo image on it.
I started with a base of Itsy Nails Mellow Yellow, a gorgeous creamy yellow which is perhaps more banana than lemon. Application and coverage was brilliant, I was a bit wary as pale colours can go a bit streaky but this one is perfect!
Then I stamped with one of Colour Alike's new neon polishes - Yellow Glow. This is very neon, not picked up that well by the camera but believe me, it is neon!

Colour Alike Yellow Glow and Vivid Lacquer VL010

 

 

September Challenges - Jungle!

On my nails last week for #clairestelle8sept we had a very rare, very shy, magical and fantastical creature - Mr Blue, the blue neon spotted leopard who only lives in the very deepest part of the Jungle.
Mr Blue had heard all about the new Uber mat and the very famous Claire of #clairestelle8sept and suggested that we recreate his coat on my nails making very special decals using the equally magical Ubermat for Claire's Jungle prompt.
After a few false starts here they are - I used Vivid Lacquer VL010, Essence Stampy 002 and Virtuous Polish Deborah over Jacava Ormonde Gate and topped it with Barry M Matte top coat.

Well, I received my new Uber Mat, which is now available in the UK from She Sells Sea Shells with no risk of customs fees. It was dispatched so quickly, I was really pleased although then I had to pluck up the courage to use it. I'd heard so much about it, what if I couldn't get it to work?
Actually, it's perfect - does exactly what you can see in all the videos and I think I will enjoy trying it out over the coming weeks. I had a few duff starts making the reverse stamped decals, like using an actual base coat as the base, and using a very slow drying top coat, but I got there. I chose a pattern which I knew would be a bit flexible if I ripped or stretched the decal but as it happened it worked quite well. I still need to figure out how to get tidy edges but I am quite pleased with my first attempt.
I took a few pics of the mani with glossy top coat, but it looked a lot better with a matte finish.

Blue Leopard Nails

 

 

July Challenges - Zig Zag / Chevrons

The challenge today for #clairestelle8july was Zig Zag / Chevrons. Not wanting to waste a mani, I had these gold nails that I really wasn't going to wear for long on their their own. The Midas nails would make  a great base for zig zags.
I love zig zags although most plates have them going across the nail. I like to have them along the nail so I tend to use Vivid Lacquer VL 010 as the images are square and can be used in either direction.
I was quite pleased with how these turned out.

Vivid Lacquer VL010 and Essence Stampy 002

 

 

 

April Challenges - Random and Grunge

The #30daysofcolourchallenge for today was Random and the #clairestelle8april challenge was Grunge. I can claim some responsibility for the grunge prompt. Claire always wears pretty girly colours and I suggested she wore something more grungey! What I meant was the more neutral shades, although when I googled "grunge" it seemed more grey than the greens and browns I was thinking of. Anyway I have used colours that in my mind are a bit grungey, but no less beautiful! I think the whole thing fits into random, so you are getting 4 stages of random.
I started with OPI Stranger Tides, a beautiful soft khaki shade. I love this colour, although I did need 3 coats for full coverage.
Then I stamped with Nails Inc Foubert's Place and a sort of water spotted design from Vivid Lacquer VL 010. I love Foubert's place too, a lovely warm khaki shade - I have seen some quite extensive arguments as to whether this is green or brown. I say green (a browny green)
Then I added grey, in the form of Saffron London Black, which stamps as a grey and I used the same plate and a leopard print image.
Finally, I added some delicate flowers from Vivid Lacquer VL 030 using Saffron London White which is a soft white. I really like the way it stamps and adds that prettiness to the whole mani.
I am really happy with the way this turned out!

OPI Stranger Tides
#30daysofcolourchallenge #clairestelle8april

Vivid Lacquer VL 010 and Nails Inc Foubert's Place
#30daysofcolourchallenge #clairestelle8april

Vivid Lacquer VL 010 and Saffron London Black
#30daysofcolourchallenge #clairestelle8april

Vivid Lacquer VL 030 and Saffron London White
#30daysofcolourchallenge #clairestelle8april

An InLinkz Link-up

A2Z Series - U is for Unusual

Well it is Thursday again so it's time for this week's A2Z - today we have U for Unusual. I struggled for ages on what on earth to do but then I decided my best option was just to go for an unusual combination. So we have camouflage nails with lace... unusual enough?
I started with a base of Leighton Denny Attention, a lovely khaki green. Then I added a quick coat of Dollish Polish Urban Camo, a really pretty mix of green, yellow and black glitters in a clear base. (I ignored the white glitters, partly because I don't like them and also I was stamping with white later)
Then I stamped using Vivid Lacquer VL 010 and Leighton Denny Undercurrent, a deep dark olive green. VL 010 has a wonderful camouflage image on it and it was this plate that really inspired the whole mani. I love both these greens by LD and I think they go perfectly together to make a great camo look, especially with the added hint of glitter.
Finally I used Born Pretty plate BP-02 and Saffron London white to stamp the lace. I like ths Saffron polish for stamping. Because it isn't completely opaque, the camo pattern and glitter still show through.
Now they are finished, I am not convinced you'd look at these and think they are particularly unusual but I have to say, I think they are really pretty and I love them!

A2Z Series - U is for Unusual
Camouflage and lace

 

 

 

An InLinkz Link-up

March Challenge #clairestelle8march - Holi (Festival of Colours)

Holi is a spring festival, also know as the Festival of Colours. I think I remember the children doing something about this when they were at primary school.
In terms of a mani it looks like anything goes as long as there is lots of colour - what better use for my Women of Valor Virtuous Polishes
So here we go - I started with a base of Nails Inc Haymarket, I then used Vivid Lacquer plate VL 010 which has a camouflage pattern on it, and stamped with Virtuous Polishes Deborah, Miriam and Queen Ester.
Regular blog readers will spot that I then added  a coat of Quirk Songbird for my Quirky nails.
Then, today, I used the same plate and added more Queen Esther, Ruth and Rahab.
It all looks a bit random, but it's colourful and actually I really like it!

Holi (Festival of Colours)
Vivid Lacquer VL010 and Virtuous Polishes Women of Valor

 

 

A2Z Series - Q is for Quirky

Well, it is Thursday again, and time for this week's A2Z challenge - the prompt is Q for Quirky.
I guess if I'd thought about it for long enough I'd have come up with something quirky but my first thought was that it would be the perfect opportunity to use a Quirk polish. Sadly, Kerry at Quirk does not make polishes any more, and I think Songbird was from one of her last collections.
I have actually worn it but never blogged it as I wanted to try it over a different base.
It is such a pretty polish made up of white opaque glitters and lots of pretty pastel iridescent glitters. I first wore this over a dark brown base but really wanted to try it over a nude or pastel base. At the time I couldn't decide which colour pastel to try, but now that I have the stamping bug I feel I have to use it over a multi-coloured stamped base.
I started with a base of Nails Inc Haymarket, a lovely pastel minty green.
I then used 3 Virtuous polishes, Deborah (ooh that's me!!!!), Miriam and Queen Ester and the camouflage pattern on Vivid Lacquer plate VL 010 to stamp a multi-coloured image onto my nails.
I then added a coat of Songbird and top coated it all.
I think this is pretty Quirky ? I am quite pleased with it, although the pastel glitters have got a little lost, I still need to re-use Songbird over a nude base I think.

A2Z Series - Q is for Quirky

 

  

An InLinkz Link-up