Sally Hansen Nail Prisms - Blush Diamond Dark Swatches

Hi all, hope everyone's having a good Thursday!

Today I have some super sparkly swatches of Sally Hansen Nail Prisms - Blush Diamond (dark version). I'm pretty certain that's the right polish. I used NailXChange's Sally Hansen Nail Prisms Guide to help me figure out which it was, polishes without names, and with different versions is so annoying.

This is layered over Color Club - Sweet Pea, first one coat, two and then three for the full-whammy holographic goodness :]

One coat over Sweet Pea

Two coats

And three coats for full gorgeous linear effect.

Have you been lucky enough to stumble across any of the Nail Prisms recently?

Giveaway Winnings

Hey everyone :]

Thought I'd share with you some pics of the polishes I was lucky enough to win not so long back. I'm totally in love with Satellite, swatches will be on their way soon. A big thanks goes to Amber from My Nail Graffiti for hosting the giveaway :D

The Polish Bar - Satellite & Violet Sky & the prettiest bubble wrap ever!

So yeah, I'm fully in love with Satellite, and now all I want to do is buy a huge amount of Indie polishes, as these are the first two I've ever tried, and if these are anything to go buy, I need to get some PVA glue as I'll be wearing glitter all the time!

Thanks again

Over A Blue Base - We Stamp On Sundays

Hi all! I hope you've all had a good weekend! I've been stuck without the internet, and I've been beyond bored, but I guess that's what I get for waiting for someone else to make plans!

This week's Adventures In Stamping challenge was to stamp over a blue base. This has got to be the most subtle stamping I've done to date. Trust me when I say it looks much better in person! I was actually going to stamp again over the holographic polish, but because I didn't think I was going to get a chance to put this post out today I didn't bother.

Base Coat: CND - Stickey
 Base Colour: Nicole by OPI - Loyalty To The Royal-ty
Stamping Colour: Layla - Ocean Rush
Image Plate: Bundle Monster BM 314
Top Coat: Sally Hansen Advanced Hard As Nails

 Such a gorgeous blue. I got this for my birthday back in August, but I just haven't felt like wearing such a dark blue until now. This is three thin coats, drying time was really good :]

And here's what I used:

Well that's the quickie post for today, I hope you lot like them :]

Essence - Choose Me! & Gosh - Holographic Hero Stamping

Hi all, happy Thursday :]

Scheduled post today, as I'm at work. I must have done these nails about a month back now, and this was my first time stamping with a holographic polish - which was an experience, as it would dry so so quickly!

Base Coat: La Femme

Base Colour: Essence - Choose Me!

Stamp Colour: Gosh - Holographic Hero

Image Plate: Dashica Big SpD-A

Top Coat: Rimmel 60 Seconds - Clear

And here are two swatch photos. This polish was extremely hard for me to photograph, so shiny, and sparkly, and not the best lighting in the world. This is three thin coats, that didn't fully cover my nail line, but as I was stamping I wasn't too bothered.

Hope you're all having a good Thursday :]

Essie - Orange It's Obvious & Shimmer Sponged Tips

Hi all! Happy Tuesday!

Quick post today, no stamping, no nail art, just a simple sponged tips gradient while the sun was out for a change!

Base Coat: CND Stickey

Base Colour: Essie - Orange It's Obvious

Sponged Colour: Guga - Amor

Top Coat: Sally Hansen Advanced Hard As Nails

And here's the swatches of Orange It's Obvious:

In shade.

So while I wasn't drooling over these, they were nice and simple to wear for a day and the Essie polish was so nice to work with. Hope you're all having a good Tuesday =]

Using Matte - We Stamp On Sundays

Hi all! Happy Sunday!

This weeks challenge over at Adventures In Stamping was to use some aspect of matte in our manis. I was originally going to do a new mani for this challenge stamping over a matte coat, but when I finished stamping the nails I was doing at the time, I knew they'd look great matte.

For this I used both ends of an Essence Colour3 stick. Midnight Blue is the base colour, and City That Never Sleeps is the lovely jelly flakie, that reminds me of Magnetic - Freakin' Violet. I then stamped with more blue - NYC - Niagara Foils using Bundle Monster BM 321, and added Rimmel - Matte Finish.

Base Coat: CND - Stickey

Base Colour: Essence Nail Colour3 - Midnight Date

Flakies: Essence Nail Colour3 - City That Never Sleeps

Stamp Colour: NYC - Niagara Foils

Image Plate: Bundle Monster BM321

Gloss Top Coat: Sally Hansen Advanced Hard As Nails

Matte Top Coat: Rimmel - Matte Finish

The dimension the flakies give it almost make it look like crushed velvet ^-^

Glossy

One very thin coat of City That Never Sleeps

Midnight Date - 2 Coats Sunlight

Midnight Date - 2 Coats Shade

What do you guys think? I loved wearing these matte, but the picture of the finished product with a gloss top coat really makes the green flakies pop out!

Hope you're all having a good Sunday! :]

Pink, Flakies & Reptile Skin Water Decals

Hi all! Happy Thursday!

I so cannot wait for the weekend to come around, my last amount of time off I spent doing preparation for my assessment, and writing up a butt-load of stuff for my interview, not had an alarm free day at all! So this weekend I'm gonna get up when my body tells me to, and be all super organised with the blog :]

These are from a few weeks ago now, and something about them screams 90's to me. Maybe it's the Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air colour theme.

Base Coat: La Femme

Base Colour: Essie - Tour De Finance

Flakies: Golden Rose Scale Effects ( I can't remember the number!)

Water Decals: WDBLE974

Top Coat: Rimmel 60 Seconds Clear

These were sent to me to review what seems like an age ago now, but I just didn't know how to use the sheet. They're from KKCenterHK which sell a huge amount of nail art goods, as well as other things like eye lashes. What I will say is that the comic water decals I've used here, here, and here, were a lot easier to work with, and when handled loads they didn't start to tear unlike these this type. Though I did faff on a bit trying to get them centered. You can buy this reptile skin sheet water decal from here.

Anyways, these were super easy. Base coat, flakie coat, and then I used craft scissors to cut the water decal into zig-zag strips before using them.

If you're interested in anything in the store use coupon code: goldspecknails for 10% off, this code is valid until January 31st, 2013.

*This product was sent to me for review

Halloween Colour Camo.

Hi all! Happy Tuesday!

My interview went well yesterday, and I believe things are in motion *touch wood* I apparently have no free time these days though, so this will be a quicky quick post today, but it's better than nothing right?

These are some nails that I was inspired to do from A Girl and Her Polish sadly, hers are wayyy wayy better. I have like zero dotting tool skills :P And I reallllly love her colour combo :]

Colours used:

ELF - Desert Haze

Yes Love - K011

Essie - Orange It's Obvious

Kiko - Light Grape - 292

And that's all from me today as I'm so pooped. been up 19 hours now o_o on about three hours sleep. Need sleep!

Giveaway Winner!

Hi all!!


I know it seems like I must be full of excuses these days, but by the end of this month I will be more settled for sure :] and I'm trying my best to keep my mind on the blog.
Today I attended an assessment, and have an interview on Monday to try and get onto the "admin pool" so I can actually get a permanent job with the NHS - hopefully where I work now *fingers crossed* so i'll have less notes to read, and more time to paint nails :D
Here's the winner!


a Rafflecopter giveaway

I've just emailed Ananka & will give her 48 hours to respond to the email before picking a new winner! :]

Gosh Holographic Hero & Black Flowery Snowflakes Using Bundle Monster

Hi all! Happy Thursday!

Today we have swatches, and stamping.  Gosh - Holographic Hero Is my favourite holo polish that I own. It's stunning, bright, it dries well, there's not really a problem with application, the wear isn't that bad at all, and I think out of all the holographic polishes I own (five or six) it has the the most impact.

I spent weeks stalking Superdrug, both in my town centre, and in the city centre, and I'd almost given up, when I came across a bottle in my local store! yay! Since this time (the back end of September) I've worn it three more times after swatching, I love it that much.

Base Coat: CND - Stickey

Base Colour: Gosh - Holographic Hero

Stamp Colour: BYS - Black Satin

Image Plate: Bundle Monster - BM 323

Top Coat: Sally Hansen Advanced Hard As Nails

 
And here's some swatch shots, taken in various lighting, I must have taken about 100 photos :P

Sunny daylight, but not direct light

Shade

The next two shots are in direct sunlight. So pretty!

Cloudy daylight = subtle rainbow

Direct sunlight

Hope you're all having a good Thursday! :]

NOPI - Fell From The Tree & Color Club - Hydrangea Kiss Swatches

Hi all! Happy Tuesday!

Today I have swatches of Nicole by OPI - Fell From The Tree & Color Club - Hydrangea Kiss. These swatches are from the start of September, and were the base colour for separate mani's that I never got photos of; but I thought I'd still share them.

First up is Color Club - Hydrangea Kiss, a medium dusky blue, with an effortless formula. looking back at photos now Kiko - Cornflower reminds me of Hydrangea Kiss, but a little lighter.

Next up is Nicole by OPI - Fell From The Tree. Formula wise this was a little on the thin side , needing three coats to fully cover nail line, but it was quite an eye catching colour to wear because of the lovely shimmer in it. I actually Think this looks more green in real life.

Hope you've had a good Tuesday! Hopefully i'll be back with some stamping on Thursday =]

Stamping Over Glitter - We Stamp On Sundays

Superrrr late post today, but it was either post it this late, or not take part in the Adventures In Stamping challenge again, which is something I do not want to do. Maybe after I've shown you my mani I'll explain a little bit about what the frak is going on with me lately.

Base Coat: La Femme

Base Colour: Kiko - Violet Microglitter

Stamp Colour: Barry M - Gold Foil

Image Plate: Bundle Monster - BM319

Top Coat: Sally Hansen Advanced Hard As Nails

And here's some shots of this little stunner without the stamping:

And here is two coats without top coat, looks a little bumpy, but you couldn't feel it to the touch:

Okay so explaining myself; I’m not writing this for any sort of sympathy, and I’m in fact already struggling of how to go about explaining things, but I feel like a bad blogger and want you guys to know why. I've not been keeping up to date with my reading list for a couple of months now, generally always being a week behind. Recently I'm not posting to my normal schedule, and I'm not as active as I should be. I'm not even painting my nails like I usually do, and I've even went weeks at a time without stamping.

This is pretty much because I'm adjusting to life now things have changed.  I've split up with Scott, so I've been trying to distract myself, from dwelling on things really. And this is why I've been a bad blogger. But I really want to get back into being organised! I've got photos from back in August that I need to edit and post; I need to get back into Sunday challenges too, as I've missed them.

I’m gonna try to get back to normal blogging ASAP so bear with me :]

Bronze Black & Teal Crisscross

Hi all! Happy Thursday!

I hope everyone had a good Halloween last night! I stayed in and tried to be productive.. But was feeling blah so I watched funny shows instead in attempts to pass some time and make myself giggle. It worked =]

Base Coat: La Femme

Base Colours: Rimmel Black Satin & LA Colors - Current

Stamped Colours: Sally Hansen Insta-Dri - Bronze Ablaze & BYS - Black Satin
Image Plate: Bundle Monster BM322

Top Coat: Rimmel 60 Seconds Clear

One coat of LA Colors - Current over Rimmel - Black Satin

I loooove the blue quality Current takes when layered over black. I wonder what it would look like over purple too..