Before & After: Nubar Iris Dust glitter sammich!

Hello!!

Today I have another manicure from the Flip- Flop February challenge...sort of. Sort of, because I kinda messed up a little bit. The prompt for today is Stamping/Jelly Sandwich...but somehow it made it into my calendar as 'Stamping/Glitter Sandwich'. Not a huge difference, except for the fact that I made my sammich without using jelly polish...I used non-jelly duochrome instead. Bad, bad blogger. :(

However, I really love the colors and the result, so I have to share it anyway! 

Here are the polishes I used, in the order I used them; from left to right, Nubar Iris Dust, Rainbow Polish Pheasant (a clear-based polish with copper, yellow and blue glitters), and Sally Hansen Amber Ruby, from and old, old, old school Nail Prisms release:

Nubar Iris Dust, Rainbow Polish Pheasant, and Sally Hansen Amber Ruby

Here is Iris Dust on its own; it's a rich purple-brown-gold duochrome with a fairly strong color shift: 

Nubar Iris Dust

Aaand, closer up. :)

Then I put on a layer of Pheasant, letting it sit where it lie instead of smoothing or trying to perfect placement (because I think  little randomness looks best in a glitter sammich). Finally, I topped it with Amber Ruby, which is similar to Iris Dust, but different enough to add dimension:

Okay, that's a lot of pictures, lo, but I wanted to try to catch the different colors through the shift. And I realize these colors aren't for everyone, but what can I say, I just love them. I love the way the duochrome shifts over the glitters, I love the metallic tones, and I adore the way the blues just pop out from the rest. Can't you just see these colors on a gorgeous pheasant out in the wild??

Thank you for checking it out, and please take a look at what the other participants did today. :)

Xoxox,
M.

Before & After: Nubar Wildlife

Hello!

After all of the Halloween manicures, today I thought I'd post something a bit more subtle, with a subdued fall feel. :)

I started off wearing Nubar Wildlife for a day. It's no secret that I love multichromes, and this is one of the really unique ones out there. It goes from an avocado to an olive to a forest green, with flash of light and dark chocolate brown in it. There is no light or condition under which you don't see the color shift, the light only changes how the exact colors show up. And it's one of those that have rich, bright colors that just pull in the eye:

Nubar Wildlife in the shade

Nubar Wildlife in the sun

After wearing this for a day, I stamped a fern pattern from Bundle Monster BM05 on all fingers but the accent, and an overall fern pattern from Konad plate m83 on the accent nail. I believe I used China Glaze Westside Warrior for this, but I forgot to write it down so I'm not positive--but I'm about 85% sure. :)

Stamped in the sun

Stamped in the shade

Something about this polish and this manicure is just peaceful to me, like sitting in a beautiful English garden sipping a cup of coffee and watching the birds at the feeder. :)

Thanks for taking a look!

Xoxox,
M.

Dupe Or No Dupe?: Models Own Pinky Brown and Nubar Moon Eclipse

Hello there!

Today I have both a before & after for you, and a comparison between two polishes that seem fairly similar in their respective bottles.

First up: Models Own Pinky Brown:

Pinky Brown is such a close name--soooo close. It's really more purple brown, but that's not not quite as cute. ;-) This is one of the duochromes from Models Own's Beetlejuice collection, and it has a fairly good duochrome effect going between purple, gold and brown, as you can see here. The finish is a sparkly glass-flecked finish (one of my current favorites).

I also recently purchased Nubar's Moon Eclipse, and when I got the bottle, I was afraid maybe I'd made a mistake and had what was basically a dupe. Here is a picture of Moon Eclipse:

Nubar is certainly similar, but it's importantly different in three ways. First, the colors of the multichrome are a little different. The purple is more vivid, and there is an olive green thrown into the mix, too. Second, this polish has a very smooth finish, with a shimmer; very different from the glittery look of Pinky Brown. And finally, the multichrome effect doesn't persist through as many different types of light as Pinky Brown does--in bright light the polish looks almost completely purple only. So, these are definitely different, although they could be sisters.

So...NO DUPE. :)

I decided to stamp it with Revlon Gold Coin and Cheeky Plate E. I like this combination, and this stamp feels perfect for them...sort of an exotic, rich feel like you'd see embroidered on a beautiful sari. I'd love to have a dress to match this, I must admit!

Thanks for looking. :)

M.

NOTD Before & After: Nubar Indigo Illusion + Spoiled Jewelry Heist (Or, Chance favors the brain dead)

Hello!

Today I have another lovely duochrome for you...This time, Nubar's Indigo Illusion.


I've been wanting this one for quite a long time, so couldn't wait to try tit on. Just like my other Nubars, this one did not disappoint, with flashes of muted purples, teals, and greens throughout:

Nubar Indigo Illusion

After wearing it alone for a while, I wanted to do something to it, but I wasn't sure what. It was late, and I was in one of those places where your brain will just not kick in, and you have no inspiration for anything. I was sitting at my work area (on my living room coffee table where I spread some newspaper, lol), and just reached over to the polishes left there from some messing around I had been doing the day before. I saw Spoiled's Jewelry Heist, and picked it up and figured what the heck...I had to go to a graduation party the next day, so I decided a little chunky glitter could give it a nice confetti look:

Nubar Indigo Illusion with Spoiled Jewelry Heist

I'm starting to think this glitter has a little bit of a chameleon quality to it--is seems to go perfectly with whatever I put it with. Or maybe I've just picked the right pairings. Either way, I love how it just added a little bit of flash and specialness to the polish without covering it or detracting it.

I also wanted to do a close-up of them so that you could see the colors of both the glitter and the polish a little better--click on them for a closer look.

While it's true that I love duochrome polishes, so I'm clearly biased, this is such a beautiful polish...:)

Thanks for stopping by,

M.

NOTD: MSMD Duochrome gradient!

Hello!

For my MSMD manicure this week, I was inspired by a nail artist whose work I adore, Laurie of Dressed Up Digits. I have drooled over her manicures for some time now, particularly her gradients...but one of my very most favoritests of them all is this duochrome gradient. Wait, ME interested in something to do with duochromes?! I know it's hard to believe, but it's true. :P It was really only a matter of when I got brave enough to try it myself, not if.

The other day, Nubar's Wildlife came in the mail. I've been wanting it for several months, and I finally got it...and it was worth the wait. I put it on and stared lovingly at it...and then realized it reminded me of something. Not a dupe, but something in the same family. And before long it came to me: OPI's Just Spotted The Lizard.

Here is Just Spotted The Lizard:

OPI Just Spotted The Lizard

And here is Nubar Wildlife:

Nubar Wildlife

As you can see, JSTL is lighter, with less green and less brown. It has much more gold than Wildlife does. They are similar, but different enough that I began to dream of what a gradient with the two of them would look like. So I did it, and here it is, with Wildlife at the tips and JSTL at the base of the nails:

Gradient of Nubar Wildlife and OPI Just Spotted The Lizard in the sunlight

And in the shade...how pretty is that!

Shot 1 of 3 that attempt to show the shift in sequence

2 of 3...

...and 3 of 3.

I think I could have made the line between the two a little more blended, but I do love how this came out, and found myself staring at it throughout the day. My favorite moment was when I was petting one of my kitties, and looked down to see this:

The gradient atop my Sephy's gorgeous fur :)

Of course I had to stop petting her to take a picture of it, which I assure you annoyed her NO END.

And also of course, after wearing it for a day, I had to stamp on it. I wanted to reverse the light/dark effect by stamping a lighter polish at the tips (Sally Hansen Insta-Dry's Silver Sweep), and a darker one at the base (China Glaze Awaken). I used Shany plate 18:

This one's a little bit blurry because when I replicated the backdrop the next day, she wasn't falling for it a second time. Luckily, I have fast fingers. :)

I was really pleased with how this came out and can't wait to try this with some other duochrome gradients. My thanks to Laurie for giving me the confidence that it could be done!

Thanks for looking, and please take a moment to check out the other bloggers who participated in today's Monkey-See-Monkey-Do, shown below. :)

M.

Debbie at The Crumpet - http://thecrumpet.blogspot.co.uk

Missy @ Gnarly Gnails - http://gnarlygnails.blogspot.com

Melissa - http://www.misadventuresofawannabemartha.com/

Laurie - http://dressedupdigits.blogspot.com/

Layka- http://www.kawaiinize.es

Elizabeth http://nailpolishismycrack.blogspot.com/

Kristin http://www.manicuredmonkey.com

Erin http://erinsbeautybumbles.blogspot.com

Nayade at Toxic Vanity - http://www.toxicvanity.com

Jenn at Polish Crazed http://www.polishcrazed.blogspot.ca/

Jen http://jenspaintedtips.blogspot.com/

Amber www.amberdidit.com

Cristina http://theclockwisenailpolish.blogspot.pt/

Kirsten - http://geekyowl.blogspot.com/

Alyssa at Fancy Phalanges - http://fancyphalanges.blogspot.com/

Ashley http://followtheyellowpolishroad.blogspot.com/

Amber http://nevernakednails.blogspot.com

Emily Esqueleta: http://macabremanicures.blogspot.com/

Misha @ Enigmatic Rambles: www.enigmatic-rambles.blogspot.com

Carrie @ LeSamowen:Life, Love, and Nail Polish: http://lesamowen.blogspot.com/

Basia (or Bazzia) @ polish my mind: http://polishmymind.blogspot.com/

Helena: www.nailwish.blogspot.com

Ana Cris: http://www.estacerradaladrogueria.blogspot.com.es/

Kim @ www.apolishedaddiction.blogspot.com

Emma http://manicurity.blogspot.com/

arlene @ : http://euzefelus27-nailart.blogspot.com

Gwenn: http://www.sugar-nails.com

Ney "Neivys": http://maquiclubgirl.blogspot.com/

Ana at cherrys Sweets http://cherriessweets.blogspot.com.es

Isabel - Little Fairy: http://isaspinods.blogspot.com/

Stella - My Wet Nails: http://mywetnails.blogspot.com

Michelle-Lacquer Or Leave Her!: http://lacquerorleaveher.blogspot.com

Sheila: http://pointlesscafe.com/

Angie: http://ourpaintedworld.wordpress.com

Veronica http://gorgeois.blogspot.com

Angi @ Angelina´s Nails & More www.angelinaswelt.blogspot.de/

Susy @ http://susyincolor.com

Can you stamp with a holo polish?

As the next step in my adventures in holo, I wanted to see how it would turn out if I stamped with a holographic polish over a dark polish. Will the holo sparkle show up when there is only the equivalent of one coat, and maybe only in little bits? So I put together this manicure to test it out. It uses Nubar Reclaim, which is a gorgeous holo that looks very pretty even inside (and for this reason is an ideal holo to try out). For the accent nail, I used Gussied Up Green by China Glaze. I chose that color because it is a very dark green, but when the light hits it, the under-shimmer is very similar to the shimmer in Reclaim. 

I stamped with a Konad plate (I think plate m64, I'll double-check on that). 

Here is a picture of the full mani: 

And here is a picture with a close-up of one of the stamped accent nails (click to enlarge for the full effect):

I was really impressed at how well the holo effect came through even just from the one thin layer put down by the stamp; it was just as sparkly and gorgeous as the other fully painted nails. I keep moving my fingers around to see both the holo effect and the pretty green shimmer highlights. Gussied Up Green is (as you can see) an almost black green, but the highlights are so gorgeous that I've fallen in love with it. :)

So, if you were wondering, now you know--stamping with holos is gorgeous!

M.