Happy Election Day!

Oops, been a minute hasn't it? I do have loads of manis and stories from my France trip to post which I will get back to but for today let's celebrate the end of this election cycle! As a total news junkie I am doubly relieved because I am so over the constant political talk. But yes, of you are in the US and of age you best get to your polling place of you haven't already. Did a super quick dotticure last night using Essie Mesmerized as the base and Zoya America and Orly Au Champagne for the dots.

Elevation Polish Yushan and Daisen

I have sooooo many manis to post here including my first nail art attempts but that all takes time and I'm lazy so here's a quicky from today that shows how I'm completely and utterly abusive to my hands. Elevation Polish Yushan was from the first round of releases and I love it to pieces and have worn it multiple times (a rarity considering how many polishes I own). Sadly it's discontinued now BUT a similar polish, Mount Yu, should be released soon! Yushan has a gorgeous blue shimmer that I couldn't capture because, well, I didn't try very hard and the sun wasn't listening to my schedule.

And my September Elevation order came in today and when I went to open the stupid small flat rate box it came in I managed to do this...

*sniff* I hate when I have to go down to nubs and I know it's my own fucking fault. Also ugh, my hands look way too old. Those are not 25 year old hands =( I've got to protect them better at work. But since I went through all that trouble to open the box I HAD to put on Daisen.

SUCH a pretty glitter. I don't even like pink that much but I HAD to have this. The formula is...ok. It seems like there might be too much base for the glitter since the glitter kept sliding off the brush but once it's on it's so gorgeous it doesn't even matter. I can't wait to play with it some more.

Layering with Elevation El Cap

Elevation Polish El Cap was the runaway star of the 180 Degrees South Collection with good reason. This polish is so gorgeous on the nail it practically glows and there's the whole is it blue? Is it purple? Do I care when it's so pretty? Nope! Check it. I think this is 3 coats so it's a bit sheer but so worth it.

And while it's a shame to cover up such a pretty polish, it was just screaming to be the base of a couple glitters. First we have HARE Twilight Savings. I love how El Cap lightens it and makes it pull more purple than blue but you can still see the purple glitter. And of course the squares are love. One coat over El Cap.

And then we have Smitten Polish Hydrangea which I picked up in her recent pre-order (which was my first Smitten order and I'm in love. Already placed another with her new collection). Hydrangeas are my favourite flower so I had to get this one and son it does not disappoint. One Coat over El Cap.

Nudes and Glitters

One of my legit favourite combos ever is a glitter gradient over a nude and today I have two for you! First up is Happy Hands Flowers on the Highway. I really love this glitter, it's so much fun and it's very flat (most glitters are so sparkly! Which is fun but sometimes that's not what you want) and kinda has a 60s vibe to it.

And then we have Elevation Polish Ama Dablam. This glitter, I can't even with it. It's seriously the most elegant glitter I own. I wore this for a week I just couldn't bare to take it off. Sadly there's only one more chance to own this polish, on August 16th preorders will go up and you so want to get your email in quick since I'm sure they'll go fast. Seriously, this is a polish everyone needs to own, it's mind blowing.

And here's the nude I used for both of those, Nails Inc Gatwick. This is seriously the most brushstrokey matte I've used but the colour is lovely if not quite mannequin hands (someday!) and the wear is great.

The Nail Junkie Grape/Banana/Orange Jelly Shimmer

Ok before I get into these fabulous Nail Junkie polishes I have to say, I FINALLY got my UP house finished!

How gorgeous is that? My artist is so good with the fine lines (he also did my Harry Potter tattoo). I can't wait to get started on the next part although I'm so going to have to curtail my polish buying first since this is going to be the big one. The one that ties it all together. There'll be a few more smaller ones once I get the big one done to really cement the scene but this is going to be the one that turns it from some random cartoony tattoos on my leg (you can't see it but there's a dancing hippo from Fantasia too) into the dream scene I've been envisioning for the last 3 years. Anyway, enough about my ink, let's talk polish. Originally I was going to just get 4 of Aleta's Summer collection but the second my order came and I put on Orange Jelly Shimmer I decided fuck it, I need them all and got the last two. First I wore Orange Jelly Shimmer with my Cult Nails Feelin' Froggy/Dollish Polish Hero of Time Mani. It was one of those hoh shit, fucked up the mani at work moments and I happened to have Orange Jelly Shimmer with me so I took off the nails that were messed up and put this beaut on instead. I'm pretty sure that all the colours go with orange even if most people won't admit it.

Next I decided on Banana Jelly Shimmer because I'm such a whore for yellows.

So gorgeous! I think this was 3 or 4 coats and applied super smooth. But I'd also recently gotten dotting tools and saw Chalkboard Nails Gradient Dotticure and decided I wanted to try to replicate it. Used a-England Ascalon and Zoya Lolly for the dots and kinda failed in the Gradient department since I was just all around to heavy on the dotting but I still like how it turned out.

And finally we have Grape Jelly Shimmer. I had to *sniff* nubbinize after 4th of July weekend due to all the drunken shenanigans breaking a couple nails and this is the first mani I did after cutting down (I think...) First it was Grape Jelly Shimmer alone and then I decided to do a light gradient with CrowsToes Cheshire as an accent.

But I loved the combo so much I had to do the whole hand with Cheshire. Primarily as the gradient but did one finger full glitter. Those purples just go so well together! But I think it's the gold hexes that really make Cheshire. I miss my long nails for glitter gradients, good thing they grow fast!

Zoya Zuza + Crows Toes I Make the Path

This is actually the first mani I did with my Crows Toes but silly holiday made me post the other one first and then, well, I got lazy. Anyway, first up is Zoya Zuza, holy cow do I love this polish! I wore it for like 4 days before adding the Crows Toes (I was actually wearing it when I got the package and immediately rifled through trying to find the perfect glitter for it. I did.) and I swear I've never gotten so many compliments on a mani before. Great application too, if I'd done a thicker coat I probably could have gotten away with one coat.

I Make the Path is the Crows Toes I eventually decided to put on top. First I did a little gradient on my thumb since that's my preferred way of wearing glitter and then I did a full coat on my pointer to see how I'd like it once I realized how gorgeous the glitter was. Gyuh, I've never been a fan of glitter bombs but Crows Toes is making me reconsider.

I picked up this set from Overall Beauty and they're on Llarowe too. Can't wait to play with more of them!

Happy Belated 4th of July Mani!

Hope everyone had fun! My day was hanging out by the pool and getting shitfaced and watching some fireworks and it was awesome. ANYWAY, obviously we have to check out the mani. I had a hard time deciding so I pulled out some polishes that worked with the theme and started swatching on a nail wheel.

Eventually decided that I needed to have a-England Percival as my base, it's just the perfect red. It would have been a one coater if I hadn't messed up and smudged it while it was drying.

And then I decided on one of my new Crows Toes pretties, Wonder Woman. I maybe had a stroke ordered the entire thing when it was up on Overall Beauty. But look how pretty!

Decided to gradient it and then add a flag finger accent with just a white striper polish and Girly Bits Star Spangled.

Illamasqua Baptiste + Girly Bits Daddy's Little Girl

It's definitely that time of the year where you're all worn down by the neons and brights and need to take a vampy break, or at least it was for me a couple weeks ago. Bought myself both of these for my b-day and I'm so in love.

Ugh, this polish, I can't even handle her. She's so freaking gorgeous, I had her on for a week and it was so the vampy break I needed (immediately went into a highlighter yellow mani XD). So hard to photograph though, most of the pics just made it look like a dark purple when Baptiste is far more complex than that. Also, I'm kinda loving the pointy nails, especially with the vampy. I know some people don't like them because they're kinda claw like but that's kinda the reason I love them. Anyway, after 4 or 5 days I broke the nail on my thumb by being a clever girl and punching a punching bag without gloves. Decided to add a little bling to cheer up the poor shorty so used Girly Bit's Dadddy's Little Girl. Loved the combo so much I put it over the rest of my nails (sorry thumb! You were still the first?)

Part of Pam's Calendar Girls collection, I think it may be my favourite. This is one coat over Baptiste. One! Check that glitter coverage. Working on trying to figure out my Fourth of July mani now. If I'm not lazy tomorrow and I figure it out before I get super drunk, I'll post. If not, have a Happy 4th!

Cult Nails Charming and Feelin' Froggy + Dollish Polish The Hero of Time

Cult Nails released it's gorgeous Fairy Tale collection and of course I had to have it all so I went and pre-ordered it.

Wore Charming first, absolutely gorgeous! It is very sheer but totally worth it. Sorry about my super gross fingers. I was at work and am sooo bad about wearing gloves so my hands always need some TLC after.

And then I wore Feelin' Froggy and stayed deeply in love.

And then I put Dollish Polish The Hero of Time on as an accent. I ordered the Zelda Duo because well, Zelda, but I didn't really expect to love it. Oh how wrong I was, it's absolutely gorgeous! This is two coats.