Chirality Nail Polish: Cereal Killers

I didn't have a very good morning yesterday, but once I came home to a new episode of Castle, lunch with my awesome grandpa, and some nail mail from Chirality Nail Polish, my mood was much improved.  If you like my Facebook page, you might have read that I did a ton of swatching yesterday.  I managed to get all four of the Chirality polishes done, as well as a few others.  This is probably my quickest turnaround time ever, I was just so intrigued by these polishes! 

Swatches and review after the jump!  :)

Ikat Print & Tutorial

Happy Monday.  *facepalm*.  Won't go into details here, but I've had an awful morning.  I've been so busy this week that Castle Mani Monday completely slipped my mind, but at least I've got some exciting nail art to show you today!  

First things first though, I got my own lamp on Saturday!  Until now I'd been using my sister's bedside table lamp for my pictures, which she made no secret of her annoyance for.  This new lamp that I got is extremely bright, and it actually works with the lightbox I made a few months ago which never ended up being used.  I'm so happy with how my photos are turning out, much more even lighting and glare is drastically reduced.  You wouldn't believe how much easier it is to take pictures of glitter now!  So, YAY lightbox pictures!! :D

Now what you all came here for, les nails.  The other day I was in Winners looking at the nail polish selection (shocker, I know,) and I found two interesting OPIs.  One of them was Chop-sticking To My Story, a burnt orange-ish-red-ish creme (very technical terms there.)  I was skeptical about how it would look on my skin tone, but it was on sale so why not give it a chance?  :P

When I got home, this polish was just screaming at me to do some ikat print nail art.  I'd never done a look like that before but had seen plenty around, so I perused the interwebz for some inspiration.  While most people did a look similar to this, I wanted a more uniform all-over pattern.  When I saw this picture (middle photo on the far right column) I knew that was how I wanted to interpret the ikat look on my nails and this nail art was born!  

I started with two perfect coats of OPI Chop-sticking To My Story, and waited for that to dry.  I used acrylic paints for everything else, except the gold which is a Color Club striper, and topped it with two coats of Seche Vite.  

I realize that there's a ton of ikat print nail art tutorials out there, but since my interpretation was a but different I figured I'd make a photo tutorial!  I think it's pretty self-explanatory, but don't hesitate to comment with any questions and I'll get back to you asap!  :)

Overall, I really enjoyed wearing this look and I'm definitely glad that I picked up this OPI, it's a little unusual for me but I love it!  At least having something something fun on my nails (as well as coming home from rehearsal to some nail mail and a new Castle episode tonight) is helping to override my huge fiasco this morning.  

How do you like ikat print?  Do you prefer this to the way it's normally done?  Is this look something you'd wear?  I love hearing what you think!  :)

Nostalgic Nail Lacquer

Today'a post is a little later than usual, but I've got five great polishes from Nostalgic Nail Lacquer to show you!  Take a look!  :)

"Rayanne is part of the My So-Called Lacquer collection of jelly based glitter bomb lacquers, inspired by the 90′s teen drama, My So-Called Life."

"Rayanne is a purple based jelly with bright purple, lavender, burgundy, gunmetal, and pink glitters in various shapes and sizes."

The base of Rayanne is pretty sheer by itself, so I layered two coats over NOPI Prized Possession Purple (which has an awful formula, by the way.)  The glitter in Rayanne spread well with a couple extra brushstrokes, and I topped it with two coats of OTD top coat for a smooth finish. 

F*ck And Run is "named after the song where Liz Phair once sang about wanting all the stupid old sh*t like letters and sodas. Anyone who has (proudly?) done the Walk Of Shame ought to own this feminine yet racy shade of lacquer."

This polish is "a red jelly base packed full of hot pink, red and orange sparks. Sheer enough to layer over your favorite pink and red shades but buildable to wear on it's own."

I decided to build this polish up alone, and you're seeing three coats here.  The formula on F*ck And Run was on the thick side but no problem to work with; it dries semi-matte so you'll want some top coat (shown) to get the full beauty of the micro-flakies and shimmer. 

Number One Crush is "full of hearts, stars, hexes, bars and dots in tons of red, pink and white shades. Perfect for layering over your favorite colors!"

Erin, the creative mind behind Nostalgic Nail Lacquer, says "This super valentinesy (yes, I made that word up!) shade is one to die for, or maybe just pray for. It's also the female cousin of Mad World." 

I chose to layer one dabbed coat of Number One Crush over NOPI Studio Mama.  This glitter is a hungry one, I used two coats of OTD followed by one coat of Wicked Fast to smooth it out.  Very Valentine's Day appropriate! 

Possibly Maybe "is a semi-sheer pale yellow crelly with lavender  mint green, silver and gun metal glitters."

The base on Possibly Maybe was very sheer, so I layered two easy coats over OPI My Boyfriend Scales Walls and topped it with one coat of Seche Vite.  

"If you are a fan of slightly odd and definitely quirky (like say, Bjork?) lacquers, then you possibly, maybe, probably will love this shade."  Unfortunately, I'm not a huge fan of this one.  I really liked it in the bottle but , it was pulling green on my skin tone and just wasn't flattering at all.  Didn't want to photograph right either. 

Saving my favourite for last, this is You Oughta Know: "a manic mix of bright orange, blue, black, dandelion and white glitters in a clear base."

I knew the perfect base for this crazy mix of glitters would be Picture Polish Tiffany.  You're seeing one-plus-spot-filling coats (haha) of You Oughta Know, topped with two coats of Seche Vite.  

Formula was tricky with all the different and large glitters, but the end result is so worth the extra effort!  It gives a really cool abstract-artsy look from arm's length.  

Nostalgic Nail Lacquer is available through Erin's website, and a new site is under construction.  Keep up to date on Facebook!

I mentioned that You Oughta Know is my favourite of these, but F*ck And Run is a very close second!  Which is your favourite of these shades?  Would you buy any of them?  :)

Disclaimer: The products in this post were sent to me for review. 

Rosie Lee & Jane Eyre

I've never been one for Valentine's day, and I don't usually love holiday-themed nail art (Christmas excluded.)  However, when I saw this post by Lydia's Nails, I loved the edgier Valentine's Day colour combination and opted to give it a go for myself!  :)

I didn't copy her look exactly, but instead drew inspiration from her colour choices.  Coincidentally, I had Butter London Rosie Lee sitting on my desk still untried, which is the same polish Lydia used in her nail art.  Pink glitter isn't really my thing and I wouldn't have bought the polish by itself, but hey, it came in a set of three BL for $15!  Can't pass up a deal like that!  :P

I started this at 10:47 pm, so due to laziness I layered one easy coat of Rosie Lee over OPI Senorita Rose-alita instead of building it up alone.  I got this OPI from my mom's friend at work, and I was curious when I opened it and found a small brush; I did some searching and it turns out it's from the 2002 South America Collection, before the days of OPI's wide brushes!   

I didn't want to use a plain black creme for the accent colour, but every polish I tried in my head seemed to be overkill.  It was then that I remembered my well-loved bottle of A England Jane Eyre, and knew the black creme with a subtle burgundy shimmer would be perfect!  

I taped of 2/3 of my nail and applied Jane Eyre before removing the tape and topping with two coats of Cult Nails Wicked Fast.  I really like this top coat, but I'm totally a Seche Vite girl and am desperately in need of another bottle (or five.)

Overall, I really like this look even though pink glitter doesn't quite suit me; it's simple, but eye-catching.  How do you like this look?  Is it something you'd wear around Valentine's Day, or are you more one for hearts and such?  :)

The Polish Bar: Winter 2013 Collection

You though I was done with indies for a while after Indie January?  Wrong you were!  I'll still be doing indie posts, just scattered between nail art.  :)

Today I've got four beauties from The Polish Bar's Winter 2013 collection; take a look! 

Sunday Morning is a gorgeous mix of  "fine aqua, periwinkle, lilac and purple hex glitters in a clear base."  I layered one easy coat over NOPI Denim To Earth, and topped with two coats of Seche Vite.  This is my favourite of the four!  

Next is Love Song, a mix of "rainbow hex glitters, purple, lilac and lavender hex glitters and a dash of purple hearts in a clear base."  

I went fishing a bit and didn't get any hearts, but I could see a few stuck to the sides of my bottle so they're in there!  I layered one easy coat plus spot-filling over NOPI Studio Mama, and topped with tow coats of top coat. 

Next up is Butterfly Kisses, which is a clear base with "lavender, baby blue, white and shifting rainbow hex and square glitters, plus a dash of silver holo butterflies."

I layered one dabbed coat over NOPI I've Got Bieber Fever (which I definitely do not, for the record), and topped with one coat of Seche Vite.  This one the only polish that gave me any trouble, the base seemed really thick and no glitter wanted to come out on the brush.  I talked to the owner, Janice, and she said that nobody else has mentioned this issue, so I probably just got an off bottle.  

The last polish for today is Midnight Falls, a clear base with "multi-colored hex glitters in many sizes, black glitter in many sizes, silver and gold holo hex glitters and many others in a clear base."

I layered one coat of Midnight Falls over Picture Polish Tiffany, and topped with two coats of top coat.  Application was pretty easy, I just had to brush over the nail a few times to get even coverage.  

If you've been a long-time follower of my blog, you may remember my review of four matte glitter toppers from The Polish Bar (Oceanside, Shirley, Neon Lights, Dreams) almost six months ago.  Oh, how far my photography skills have come!  :P

You can purchase these and other lovely polishes from The Polish Bar on Etsy here, and keep up to date on Facebook. 

Do you have a favourite of these four polishes?  Any other layering combinations you'd like to see?  :)

Disclaimer: The products in this post were sent to me for review. 

Denim & Fairy Cake

You may remember that I went to a dance convention in the US over the last weekend in January.  Being from Canada, I of course had to pick up a few (well... eleven) polishes, since they're so much cheaper in the US!  I got five Butter Londons, four NOPIs, and two OPIs, but I ended up only paying half of what they were all worth!  :)

Today I've got some nail art using two of my new polishes, take a look!

While perusing the interwebz last week, I came upon this look by Pshiiit and knew that I had to recreate it!  I started with NOPI Denim To Earth, a lovely indigo base with subtle purple shimmer that is camera-shy.  Once that was dry, I taped off my chevrons and painted on two-ish coats of Butter London Fairy Cake before quickly removing the tape.  

I wasn't sure if I wanted to add the matte tips, but the look was missing something so I decided to just go for it.  Boy, am I glad I did!  One freehanded coat of Essie Matte About You over the tips definitely pulled the look together and finished it off!  

I'm starting to collect more Butter London polishes and really loving them, much to the dismay of my parents because of the price tag! ;)  I'm really happy with these polish purchases, they look great together!  How do you like this look?  Would you try it in different colours?  :)

Recoil

And... I'm back!!  I'm so excited to get back to nail art after all the swatching last month (though I still have a ton more to do...)  I really missed doing my Castle Mani Monday posts during January, and I've got one today!  (P.S. There's a tutorial at the end of the post!)

Tonight's episode is 5x13, Recoil, so I've done some dragon-inspired nail art.  Those of you who regularly watch the show (or obsess over it, like myself) should understand the reference here.  Just to clarify, I'll leave you with this still from the episode. 

Nathan Fillion, Penny Johnson Jerald, Stana Katic, Jack Coleman

If you don't watch the show are just aren't up-to-date with it, I won't explain so as to keep this as spoiler-free as possible.  Just enjoy the pretty nail art!  ;)

I started with two coats of OPI Skyfall, and then sponged on the scales with Essie Good As Gold.  Topped with one coat of Seche Vite.  Tutorial time!!

1. Start with your base colour, and add a coat of fast-drying top coat to speed up the process. 

2. Once the base is completely dry, take a piece of tulle and stretch is over your nail.  I have a ton of this stuff lying around from making tutus, but you could get some small pieces of it in remnant bins at fabric stores for pretty cheap. 

3. Paint a little bit of your second polish on a makeup sponge, and dab it on through the tulle.  The key here is to be irregular, make sure you only have a little polish in random spots on the sponge and apply it lightly. 

4. Carefully remove the tulle. 

5. Repeat on the rest of your nails, and finish with a top coat! 

This is a pretty darn cool look in my opinion, and super easy to do!!  I think it would look great in a whole lot of colour combinations, I just might have to re-do this for when I go to see the second installment of The Hobbit! ;) 

Anyways, tonight's episode promises to be an eventful and exciting one, I'm really looking forward to it!  If you're a fellow Caskett shipper, are you excited for tonight?  If not, did you at least enjoy the nail art? :)