May Challenges - Purple / Dry Brush and Inspired by Another Artist

The #30daysofcolourchallenge for May 4th is Purple / Dry Brush.
For purple I have used OPI I'm Feeling Sashy, which has sat untried for far too long. It is a lovely creme polish in a dusky plum shade. This is a beautiful polish, almost neutral in tone and very wearable.
I did google dry brush and I am not sure I'd like it on me, but there aren't any rules on how you apply the dry brush so I decided to use it just to add some colour ready for the next challenge - that way, if I didn't like it I could just cover it up! I used Virtuous Polish Queen Ester to add some pastel lilac to my purple base and I am surprised how much I liked it- I think the blue lilac pastel shade went well with the redder OPI shade.
#clairestelle8may challenge for 5th May is "Inspired by another artist". I wasn't sure if this was intended to be a nail artist (who would I choose from all those talented ladies out there!) or just any artist but I have gone for Monet. I am not very knowledgeable when it comes to art, I only know of a few artists but I do love Monet's waterlilies so that is my inspiration for the mani.
I have used Vivid Laqcuer VL 030 and Virtuous Polishes Miriam and Deborah to add some flowers, and then finally Virtuous Polish Rahab to add some greenery, using the same plate and an image which is the same pattern as the previous one but in outline only.
I love this Vivid Lacquer plate and the thing I like about the image I used first is the way it prints bands of flowers but leaves strips where the base colour shows through.
I am pretty pleased with the way this turned out. I am not claiming it looks anything like a Monet, but I like it anyway!

OPI I'm Feeling Sashy

OPI I'm Feeling Sashy and Virtuous Polish Queen Ester 

Virtuous Polish Miram, Deborah and Rahab,
Vivid Lacquer VL 030

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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

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April Challenges - Re-swatch - Cadillacquer Saviour and then some more spring flowers

Today's #30daysofcolourchallenge was to re-swatch, and although this is not something I regularly do, I knew which polish needed a second chance!
When I first wore Cadillacquer Saviour the weather was awful and the pictures I took were dreadful so I went on and stamped my Easter nails over the top of it, and promised it I would come back soon.
This is such a pretty polish, It is a teal holo with a pinky purple shimmer and flashes of tiny pink glitters. It applied well although I did use 3 thin coats for full coverage.
I had to cheat and use the flash to catch the holo as it still isn't sunny but I think I got better pictures than last time. My camera still seems reluctant to capture the real beauty of this polish but it is stunning!
I couldn't resist adding some stamping and although I had already done tulips for #clairestelle8april, I did some more. This time with Vivid Lacquer VL 030 which has little stumpy tulip like flowers, with one image being the negative of the other. I love that! I used 2true Pro Metallica Artemis and I really like the combination of the metallic finish against the holo, it has this amazing depth that's quite hard to describe. The camera couldn't pick this up in daylight but I think I might have got it on the indoor shot in between the reflections

Cadillacquer Saviour
#30daysofcolourchallenge

 

Vivid Lacquer VL030 and 2true Pro Metallica Artemis
#clairestelle8april

 

picture taken with LED light

An InLinkz Link-up