31 Day Challenge ~ Duochrome, Flakie or Holo

Hello!

For today's challenge I was torn between trying out my Layla green holo and doing a flakie mani, and I eventually decided on the latter. I delved into my collection and combined an untried - Nails Inc's super-blue Baker Street - and a special find I've had for a good while, Sally Hansen's Hidden Treasure. I applied Hidden Treasure over 2 coats of Baker Street then matted it for a truly ethereal look! Here it is, as best as I could photograph it:

Shimmery, flaky, mermaidy, I am so glad I found both of these polishes :-)

And here are my fellow bloggers with their own beautiful manicures for this challenge:



Hugs,

Lisa xx

31 Day Challenge ~ Ombre or Skittles

Hello!
I really wanted to get back into blogging while I can, and the Crumpet's Nail Tarts Laid-Back Challenge seemed just perfect. I joined in time for the Ombre/Skittle challenge, so decided to break out some pretty purples and do an ombre!

Colours from thumb to pinky:

Revlon ~ White On White
Sally Hansen ~ Lavender Cloud
Revlon ~ Cloud
Nails Inc. ~ Bluebelle
Boots No. 7 ~ Violetta

Two Clouds, I didn't even notice that when making my choices! This is my first ever ombre mani and I love the results. Here are the posts from the other lovely bloggers doing this challenge:



Hugs,

Lisa xx

Layla ~ Coral Glam

Hello!

Today's polish is one I managed to get thanks to an Amazon gift voucher from my uncle... I'd originally ordered a laptop cooling pad but it never came back in stock so I went on the hunt for something sparkly instead! Layla's Hologram Effect Polish in Coral Glam seemed like a beautiful holo that would still be suitable for work if I manage to find a job ~ perfect!

The brush and formula for Coral Glam is good but the application is a little patchy; I've heard that there's a special file or base you can use to get a better result, but I didn't know that when buying. Nonetheless my end result was a gorgeous linear holo and a peachy coral tone that complements my light skin tone really well. I used three coats and topped it with a quick-dry top coat - at first it seemed like the top coat ruined the holo, but as it dried the stunning linear effect came back. Here it is!

How pretty?!

I also own Red Taboo and Emerald Divine from the Layla Hologram range so may research how to get the very best result in future, but until then I am a happy girl!

Hugs,

Lisa xx

Outdoor Girl ~ Yellow Sun

Hello!

Today I have for you a light, creamy yellow by Outdoor Girl. I'd heard the brand name but had never seen their polishes before, so when I saw Yellow Sun in a little shop in Newcastle I decided to give it a try! It seems to be a "bargain" brand and I paid £1.99 for the polish.

Unfortunately, because it is a bargain brand, the brush is terrible - bristly and splaying out. However, it did not prevent me from achieving a pretty, streak free finish in 3 coats. The polish is slightly on the thick side, especially as you add more coats. Here is the result which I am nonetheless happy with:

The polish is slightly yellower than it appears in the bottle but it is a lovely Spring pastel shade, very cheerful!

This is very much a budget polish - if you don't mind a bad application then the end result is nice, but I wouldn't seek out the brand again. Has anyone had a better experience with Outdoor Girl?

Hugs,

Lisa xx

Konad Stamping Polish ~ Pastel Violet

Hello!

Again, my apologies for the sporadic posting - life has thrown me a few lemons and I'm trying to smile through. One definite thing to have cheered me up is my current manicure! A little while ago I bought Konad's Pastel Violet stamping polish from Nail Delights and I have finally gotten around to using it in a wonderfully delicate mani.

For my base colour I used Sally Hansen's Lavender Cloud and chose the delicate floral pattern from Konad's m71 plate to adorn it with my new stamping polish. Here it is:

The pastel violet stamps so well and I am so glad! Forgiving my couple of stamping smears it is perfectly opaque and clear (my middle fingernail shows its full potential). I forsee trying out a lot more delicate and feminine manicure ideas with this colour.

I can't afford new polishes at all right now, which really could be a good thing as I already have so many polishes and nail art combinations left to try. Illamasqua's blue speckled polish and a couple of the new Barry M textures are most definitely on my wishlist for when (if ever!) I can buy them, but for now I will keep delving into my collection and hopefully will be up to posting the results here!

Hugs,

Lisa xx

Ivory Lace, Stamped

Hello!

Yesterday I showed you Ivory Lace by Accessorize, just the dreamy kind of cream colour I can't resist! Today I decided to add an extra delicate touch by stamping a pattern in white over it. The design I chose is from Konad's m83 plate, and here it is:

^_^

Judging from your comments I'm not alone in loving these delicate shades and am not the only one who will struggle with a bad application for a beautiful polish!!!

Hugs,

Lisa xx

Accessorize ~ Ivory Lace

Hello,

It has been a while since I last posted, and I am sorry ~ so today I am here with a new polish purchase, Ivory Lace by Accessorize, which I bought for £4 at Superdrug. I am an absolute sucker for light, delicate, feminine cremes and I just could not pass this polish by! 

Ivory Lace is a pale, fleshy nude-cream which is opaque in 3 coats. To be honest I did not enjoy the application - the formula is a bit gloopy and the brush is small and doesn't apply the polish well; I ended up with a few teeny bubbles where it went on too thick. However, the colour and end result are, for me, stunning. It's so dreamy! So delicate! I'm going to stamp a white floral pattern over it, I don't care if I'm not getting married! ^_^

Here are 3 coats of Ivory Lace in natural light:

Very happy girl here!

What do you think - for you, does a lovely end result outweigh an irritating application?

Hugs,

Lisa xx