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.

The Nail Junkie Matte Violet

Well Aleta over at The Nail Junkie announced her Summer 2012 line (gorgeous jellies! Check them out, they go on sale Friday and she's got a giveaway up!) so I figured now would be a good (bad, extremely late) time to post about the Spring 2012 collection. She's going to have the mattes for sale too! So far I've only done a full mani with Matte Violet but I loooooooooved it! Great application, great wear (2 coat, 4 days and no chips) and it's sooooo pretty! (colour in the first pic is more accurate)

And then right after I got them I skittled all 3. Please excuse the mess. And then I went to put the Green Grass glitter on top and managed to ruin the Matte Violet finger before doing so so it's only on Matte Daffodil and Matte Rose.

And Aleta is a genius with the packaging, look how pretty it came!

The polishes are amazing quality, I really love all of them and I think if you go for some you really won't regret it!

Essie Action + Essie Camera Gradient + Alta Costura Vernis Brightside

Eeek so it's my birthday tomorrow and it looks like this is going to be my birthday mani since I'm far too lazy to change it out and I actually really like it. Ok the right hand is still Essie Camera (with a little something extra) but the left has totally changed. It's a shame I don't have any real birthday plans but eh, it's not like 25 is an important one or anything. Pretty sure those stop after 21 until you hit like 50 or something. Going into the city today for dinner with sister and cousin which should be fun. I'm hoping we hit up Revolution since their beer is fabulous but I haven't been to the brewpub yet. Went to the Two Brothers Hop Juice Fest yesterday with some friends which was also fabulous so I guess it's not a total waste of a birthday weekend... ANYWAY, mani! Right hand; still Essie Camera on the base, added Alta Costura Vernis Brightside accents (is it still an accent when it's 3/5 fingers? Oh well)

Then on the left hand I took off that fail gradient and put on Essie Action which I'm in love with. It's weird, I think VNL is growing on me, maybe it's 'cause my nails are longer?

This is probably the most colour accurate pic I have, some of the next ones will show it as all glowy and awesome and it can look like that in the bright sun but this is definitely how it looks most of the time. Anyway, decided to try out the sponge gradient again and it turned out much better this time! It's really subtle since Camera is a jelly but I love the effect, it looks like a sunset on my nails!

And then of course I had to add Brightside because it's sooooo pretty!

And now I'm just going to bombard you with some pics of both hands together because, well, I really like how they look with each other. I really need to get a tripod so I can take these pics easier. This was a nightmare trying to get the camera to focus on both hands.