Barry M Blue Gradient

As was expected, I bought a ton of nail polish while in England.  Within the first few days alone I had picked up 6 Barry M, 2 Kikos, and 6 Models Own polishes... Oops!

Of course, upon arriving back at the flat on one of those first days, I just had to use a few of my new pretties together in some nail art.  These three Barry M polishes were just screaming at me to do a gradient, so I obliged.  

I started with a base of two coats of Barry M Coconut, a lovely off-white creme.  Then I sponged on the gradient with Blueberry and Blue Grape.  It's all topped off with a coat of Seche Vite, as usual.  

I really love Barry M polishes, I wish they were sold here in Canada!  But for now, I've got my sister and mom in England to get them for me.  ;)  I was really excited with how this mani came out, it's such a bright and bold look and I really enjoyed wearing it!  What do you think? Would you wear something like this?   :)

NOPI Roughless: On What Grounds?

I was kind of interested to try NOPI's Roughless Collection, but not quite enough to want to pay full-price for them, haha.  So when I saw this one for half-price in a clearance bin at Shopper's, I just couldn't pass up the opportunity!  ;)

This is two thin coats of On What Grounds? alone, although I think one thicker careful coat probably would have worked as well.  The formula itself was on the thick side, but as long as I was careful to work the polish evenly it didn't give me any issues.  The texture is very prominent and rough, (closer to the original Liquid Sands than the softer Pixie Dusts,) but it doesn't get stuck on anything so I personally don't mind.  It's worn really well so far, going on day 4 now with just a bit of tip wear and no chips!  

I quite like this blue, and I'm now curious to try the others too; I think this one would work well in a gradient with the purple.  I'm on a bit of a tight budget right now, but if I see any more of these on sale, I'll definitely be picking them up!  :)

Do you own any of the Roughless polishes?  What are your thoughts on them? 

Floral Sky

I happened to purchase Essie Haute as Hello on the same day that piCture pOlish Sky arrived in the mail, and I knew the two would look great together! 

I started by painting all my nails with three thin coats of piCture pOlish Sky.  The floral nail was inspired by this mani by @lifeisbetterpolished on IG.  The darker outlines are Essie Haute as Hello, and the lighter shade is the same polish mixed with a bit of white.  The leaves are LaCC 1963 and Essie First Timer.  One coat of Seche Vite to smooth everything out! 

I posted a swatch of Haute as Hello on IG, which you can see here.

I really loved how bright and fun this simple mani was, I wore it for four days!!  What do you think? :)

Rock the Boat

Sunday was my 2-year blogiversary, and I completely missed it - oops!  Unfortunately my life has been so crazy for the past while that I didn't have the foresight or funds to plan a giveaway or anything, but I'd like to thank you all for sticking with me through it all!  :)

I don't have a fancy post to celebrate, but I do have a swatch of a beautiful polish I wore last week!

This is four thin coats of Essie Rock the Boat, followed by a coat of Seche Vite and topped with a coat of Sally Hansen Big Matte Top Coat.  You could get away with three thicker coats too, if you've got a heavier hand than I do.  This gorgeous baby blue is from the terribly named Summer 2013 Naughty Nauticals collection.

I absolutely loved wearing this simple look - the baby blue with super subtle silver shimmer looks so delicate when matte, and it really got me in the mood for spring!  What do you think?  :)

Jinx, Sunshine!

Apologies for the week-long break - I've been out of town since last Tuesday on tour with the ballet company performing in Giselle!  I didn't have the time (or foresight) to do up enough posts to schedule through the week, oops... We've still got more shows this weekend, but those are here in town so I should hopefully be able to post a little bit.  

This is a mani I did a few days before I left, when I was in need of something quick and fun.  I used two coats of OPI Jinx on my middle and ring fingers, and I my index and pinky have got one coat each of the amazing Zoya Sunshine.  No top coat obviously, to not ruin the textured finish. 

 These colours together did end up looking a little sports-team-like together (my dad was very proud of my accidental Denver Broncos nails) but blue and orange are complimentary colours, so it made for a fun, bold look!  What do you think?  

Here's hoping the rest of the shows go well this weekend.  I get to go home to my family on Sunday as well for spring break, so it's an exciting week coming up!  :)

Candeo Colors: Night Flight and Super Nova

Good morning! I hope you're all having a good weekend so far!  Today I'm showing you two new polishes from a brand that I haven't shared here in quite a while - Candeo Colors! 

Read on for swatches and review of Candeo Colors Night Flight and Super Nova.  

Navy Shimmer Comparison

While cleaning out my folders full of nail photos, I came across this navy shimmer comparison I did in the fall.  I've never actually done a comparison post before, but I figured these swatches weren't doing anyone any good hiding on my hard drive, so I'm sharing!  :)

I always say that my favourite colour is purple, but navy is a very close second, (if not a secret first.)  I wear way too much navy... That is, if there were such a thing as too much navy... Which I'm inclined to think there isn't.  It's such a classic colour that really goes with everything!  (And I'm a firm advocate that yes, navy even goes with black!!)  The most recent addition to my wardrobe?  These adorable navy velvet polka-dot pants from J. Crew; love them!! 

After all that, it should come as no surprise that I also own more than my fair share of navy polishes.  Here I've just compared the shimmers, but I've got at least two or three navy cremes as well.  Here we go!

Index to pinky, we've got Butter London Big Smoke (2 coats), LaCC 1974 (2 coats), Miss Ashleigh In The Navy (1 coat), and piCture pOlish Electric Blue (1 coat).  All swatches are without top coat.

The shimmer in Big Smoke is obviously lighter, and it's more brushtroke-y than the others.  1974 has a slightly darker base than the rest, and the shimmer is more coarse and irregular which gives it a slightly different look.  In The Navy and Electric Blue are almost identical dupes with a lovely smooth glowy shimmer, although I may venture to say that the shimmer in Electric Blue glows just a tiny bit more.  

As for my recommendation, it depends what is most important to you.  As much as I love Butter London, Big Smoke falls short of the others here because it lacks the same depth of colour.  Miss Ashleigh In The Navy and piCture pOlish  Electric Blue are both one-coaters, but have slightly thicker formulas that require a careful hand to apply evenly.  The formula on LaCC 1974 is flawless, but it does require that second coat.  

Do you have a preference here?  Or another favourite navy polish I should check out?  Let me know in the comments!  :)

Doctor Who 50th Anniversary!

I know that blog posts have been a bit sporadic over the past little while, but if you know me at all, you know that I wouldn't miss the chance to do some nail art for today... It's Doctor Who's 50th Anniversary!!

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In honour of the longest-running sci-fi show ever, I did some galaxy nails with a TARDIS and the Doctor Who logo!  I've had this idea floating around in my head forever, and I'm so glad I finally got around to doing it!

For those of you who don't watch Doctor Who: my sincerest condolences.  You're missing out.  

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On a side note here, has anyone else watched An Adventure In Space And Time yet?  I watched it online, and it's SO GOOD.  It's a 60's-set docu-drama about the beginnings of Doctor Who starring David Bradley (better known to Potterheads as Argus Filch) playing first Doctor William Hartnell.  You don't even have to be a Whovian to enjoy or understand it, it's that amazing.  Not going to lie, the end made me cry a little.  You've been warned. 

Nails!  For my galaxy mani, I started with a base of Cult Nails Time Traveler, for obvious reasons.  I then sponged on piCture pOlish Twinkle, OPI Russian Navy, and Zoya Aurora, along with a couple of Doctor-inspired polishes including Dollish Polish It's Bigger on the Inside and Lynn B Designs Time And Relative Dimension In Space.  I added a coat of OPI Pirrouette My Whistle for some stars!  The Doctor Who logo and TARDIS were done with acrylic paint, and it's all topped off with two coats of Seche Vite.  

My roommate got me the above-pictured TARDIS mug for my birthday, and my other Whovian friend got me a TARDIS cookie jar (which is way too big to hold for a photo) filled with homemade cookies!  They know me too well... 

I haven't done detailed freehand work in quite a while, so execution was a little rusty on this one.  Nevertheless, I still love it!  

Please keep the comments spoiler-free, as I actually won't be watching The Day of the Doctor (50th Anniversary Special) until Monday when I go to see it in the theatre with my previously-mentioned Whovian friend and his family!  (Plus their last name is Who, because they're awesome and British.  I have cool friends.) 

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And so with that, I leave you the comments section... Fangirl time!! :D 

Turquoise

Boring name for a post, I know.  I'm running very short on sleep here - got home earlier today from a few days on tour performing with a ballet company, and I have to get up and do a full day of classes tomorrow again...  It was such an amazing experience though, totally worth it!  Anywho, somehow what started out as plans for a pastel blue galaxy mani ended up looking like turquoise, so I'm just rolling with it. 

I started with a base of China Glaze Re-Fresh Mint, and when that was dry I randomly sponged on a bunch of different blue polishes.  I can't remember exactly what I used since I did this a few weeks ago, but I'll try my best!  On the nail you're most likely seeing Essie In The Cab-ana and Rock The Boat, OPI I Have A Herring Problem and Can't Find My Czechbook, Orly Snowcone, and piCture pOlish Honey Dew.  

It's all topped off with one coat of Orly Prisma Gloss Gold, which is where I think I went wrong with the whole pastel galaxy idea.  In retrospect, it really needed a silver glitter topper instead of a gold.  I then decided to add a coat of Essie Matte About You, which made me like the look a bit more.   

Overall, I wasn't too happy with this look initially, but it did grow on me throughout the day as I wore it!  What do you think of this look?  :)

Navy Galaxy

Somehow, I very quickly went from refusing to give up my bright summer polishes to craving the dark and vampy colours of fall!  I decided to do a simple navy galaxy mani the other day, since galaxy nail art is quick and easy, but always looks great!  

I started with two coats of Butter London Big Smoke, a dark shimmery navy.  I then randomly sponged on the galaxy with Orly Snowcone, OPI Ink Suede, OPI Russian Navy, Orly Fowl Play, and OPI You're Such a Budapest, in that order.  

To finish off the look, I topped it with a coat of OPI Pirouette My Whistle.  I love using this polish as a topper for galaxy manis because it gives you different sizes of "stars", as well as being much quicker and easier than hand-painting them individualy, haha! The whole look is smoothed out with a coat of Seche Vite. 

I absolutely love how this came together with all the different blues; relatively simple but so beautiful!  

LynBDesigns: T.A.R.D.I.S., Snog Box, & Space Gandalf

We've had Sherlock and Dr. Seuss polishes, but to finish up my set of reviews of LynBDesigns, I've saved the best for last... Doctor Who!!  

Read on for lots more photos, a full review, and a healthy dose of fangirling!

LynBDesigns: So Changeable & Purple Polish of Sex

Who's ready for two amazing polishes inspired by everyone's favourite high-functioning sociopath?  You better all be raising your hands.  Today is a first for me, as these are my first Sherlock-inspired polishes!  I've been a fan of the BBC adaptation for quite a while, and I've even read a good number of the original stories by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, so I was pretty darn excited to get these polishes from LynBDesigns! 

Read on after the jump for more photos, a full review, and a dose of fangirling!  

Winstonia Store Review: 3D Nail Art Charm #4

So I may have accidentally lied in Wednesday's post about showing you the second charm yesterday, but better late than never!  This is the second 3D nail art charm that I chose from the Winstonia Store; it's a super cute black and silver bow with a rhinestone in the middle!  

This look turned out somewhat similar in style to the other one, but I still love it! 

Attaching the charms is super easy.  After my polish base was dry and top-coated, I just attached the 3D charm with a dot of nail glue.  This one isn't curved on the bottom like the other, but due to it being flatter it actually felt more secure.  As with the previous one, it lasted well for the few hours that I wore it.  

I wanted the bow to be the focal point, so I went with a relatively uniform look on the rest of my nails.  The lighter blue is three coats of Essie Rock the Boat, and the brighter blue is two coats of Essie In the Cab-ana.  Awful names, gorgeous shades!  I topped each of them with one thin coat of Different Dimension Social Suicide, which is definitely my favourite black and white glitter topper of the ones I own!  

I love how the black and white glitter compliments the colours of the bow, it came together even better than I'd expected!  

You can find this 3D nail art charm on the Winstonia Store here; this is design #4.  If you missed Wednesday's post, be sure to check that out here.

Overall, I'm really in love with the two 3D nail art charms that I've tried!  Although they're not practical for everyday wear, they make a cute and fun addition to a manicure for a special occasion!  

Have you tried 3D charms on your nails before?  Would you?  :)  

Disclaimer: The products in this post were sent for review and my honest opinion. 

Femme Fatale Cosmetics: Spindleweb & Winter Hyacinth

Hi all!  Apologies for the lack of posting over the past week; I always think I'm going to have more free time than I actually do at these things, and by the time I get back from a long day of dance all I want to do is sleep!  Nevertheless, I've had a pretty productive weekend in terms of blogging stuff, so there should be a couple more posts coming up soon.  

Today I've got two super awesome polishes to show you from the Australian indie brand Femme Fatale Cosmetics!  I received four polishes to review, but I took so many photos that I decided to split them up into two posts.  These were my first polishes from Femme Fatale, and I was pretty impressed.  Click the jump to read more on what I thought!  :)

Winstonia Store Review: Nail Foils & Orange Sticks

I'm taking a short break from the regularly-scheduled program of Nerd Lacquers that we've had this past week to show you a few products from the Winstonia store! 

This manicure was done using the nail foils in colour #39, which you can find here.  There's a ton on the roll so you'll never run out; it's 1.5 inches wide and 44 inches long!  This was my first time using nail foils and I was a bit nervous due to my lack of a special foil adhesive, but it was actually really easy! 

I started with two coats of Lacquer Lust Orion and a layer of LaCC 2013 top coat.  Once that was dry, one nail at a time I added another thin coat of Orion.  While that was still tacky, I pressed a piece of foil over the nail and rubbed to transfer it.  I then went over it a second time in an attempt to cover any holes I had left.  I managed to get pretty good coverage; you can barely see any black poking through!

I also got this pack of orange sticks to review, which I was super excited about.  You can find them here.  I use these things ALL the time!!  I tried to take my own photo but the package was too reflective, so this is the photo from the website.  My package looks the exact same. 

The package comes with 30 wooden sticks in three different sizes, which is pretty much a lifetime supply!  I mainly use these to clean up any major messes as I paint my nails, although they're also great for dragging designs for a water marble mani and making super-tiny dots.  Just a really great useful thing to always have handy, if you ask me! 

Back to the nail foils!  Since they were so crazy reflective, I decided to take a few photos in my lightbox to better show the coverage.  This was so cool, almost an acid-washed look, but with a mirror-like finish!  I might just have to grab myself a few more nail foils; how awesome do the holographic ones look?! 

You can purchase these products through the Winstonia store; the nail foil here (I showed #39) and the orange sticks here.  

What do you think of this look?  Have you tried nail foils before?  I was pleasantly surprised by how easy it was, but how do you find working with them?  :)

Disclaimer: Products in this post were sent for review and my honest opinion. 

Nerd Lacquer: I Think You Call Me... Sexy

About a week ago, I received the most exciting package of nail mail ever!!  I thought I had long ago accepted the fact that I would never own any Nerd Lacquers, but thanks to a few people in a Facebook group, I now have FIVE Nerds, and three more on the way that I managed to snatch up from the restock last week!! 

You go, Matt. 

Anyways, the main reason I've been so awful about posting the past week or two is that I've been spending all my time watching Doctor Who.  I've become completely obsessed, and have spent hours pouring over every episode of new Who (haven't got to the classics yet) but with the arrival of my Nerd Lacquers, I figured it was time to share!  Who's ready to get their Whovian on with me?  :D 

The first polish I put on was inspired by none other than the old girl herself, the TARDIS.

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This is *EDIT: three coats. Oops!* of I Think You Call Me... Sexy.  It's a gorgeous deep blue jelly/shimmer base; there's tons of silver and blue glitters packed in there, I'm not sure how it all fits!  Oh, must be bigger on the inside. 

    

    

            

Totally stole this gif set from Mishka.  Source. 

These first few photos are in my lightbox, since Sexy is so crazy reflective in all her glittery glory, and you miss all the detail without the lightbox.  I only had to use one thick coat of Seche Vite for a smooth finish, which was a pleasant surprise!  

And now, under Mishka's influence, matted Sexy!  Topped with one coat of Essie Matte About You for a glorious velvety smooth TARDIS.  No lightbox here. 

How gorgeous is this polish??  Definitely a wonderful choice for my first Nerd Lacquer!  I've already worn a few of the others, so expect to see those over the next week or two, (if I can tear myself away from Who episodes for long enough to write another post, that is.) 

Your turn!  Do you have any Nerd Lacquer polishes?  Are you lusting after any?  And most importantly, raise your hands all my fellow Whovians!  :D

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