NOTD Before & After: MSMD Monday featuring Panvel Make-up Stars Cleopatra (Or, how my obsession began)

Hello!

This MSMD Monday manicure is very special to me. Back in the day, I was a normal polish user. I only had about 15 polishes, and while I loved them, I was very basic with them...no special art, or layering or anything like that. Just plain, vanilla polishing. Then, one day, my niece sent me a link to a manicure tutorial, and at the end of it...at the end of it...I saw something that changed the world of nail polish for me.

It was a tutorial featuring a Konad lace pattern.

I was stunned by the detail and precision, and had to know how they had managed to get it perfectly the same on each nail. I hurried to buy the plate and supplies needed to replicate the manicure...and I have never been the same since. You can see the tutorial that inspired me, by Miss80million, by clicking here.

The irony is, I never did replicate that manicure, I got too side-tracked by other designs and possibilities. In fact, I'd mostly forgotten all about it until I was recently asked to do a manicure featuring lace. The plate used in the tutorial instantly came to mind, and I had to use it, even though I used different colors and a different pattern placement.

I started out with a base of Panvel Make-up Stars' Cleopatra, which was one of the amazing Brazilian polishes I got in my swap. Here is what it looks like on:

Panvel Cleopatra in the shade

Panvel Cleopatra in the sun--look at that awesome shimmer

Then I stamped over it using Konad plate m57, and China Glaze Kalahari Kiss:

Lacey manicure in the shade

In the sun--again, have to love that shimmer

Angled to show the tips

My first real prop pose, lol

I wanted something subtle, and I love the way it turned out. However, I can't take full credit for it, as it turned out a bit more subtle than I intended. If you look at the picture with my thumb in it, you may notice that the lace on my thumb seems to be a different color. It isn't--I stamped all of them with Kalahari Kiss. However, once I put the topcoat on over the stamping...it started to pick up the color of the polish. The first polish I used was Seche Vite, but after taking the picture, I put China Glaze Fast Forward on my thumb, and it did the same thing. I'm not sure why...very strange!

Anyway. as I say, this is a special MSMD for me because it honors the tutorial that brought me into the world of nail obsession. And finally, finally, finally, I've used that first image that got me hooked into it! :)

Thanks for reading. :) Please check out the other ladies that participated in today's MSMD, linked below.

M. :)

NAIL MAIL!: My first swap (or, OMG, OMG, OMG, such pretty polishes!!!!!)

Hello everyone!

I never do haul posts, mostly because my hauls are not that interesting. However, today I got my very first swap package in the mail!! Of all the wonderful things that have come out of this blog, I never expected to meet so many cool people, and the coolest by far is Janaina; after we found a number of things in common, she suggested we do a polish swap. I've never done a polish swap before, and I didn't know quite what to do or expect. I got my package today, and I have to say, before anything else...I'm sorry Janaina, the package I sent to you is nowhere near as cool as the one you sent to me! You really did an incredible job, and I'm going to have to make it up to you next time!!

I am so excited by these, I just had to share them here. I told her that I love jewel-toned polishes the best, and adore duochromes and flakies. Look at the amazing goodness she sent to me:

Swap Haul!!! Holla!!

Ana Hickmann: Escandalo!

She knows I don't like pink, but she took a chance on this one, because it's a pink she loves. Believe me, if I didn't like it I would say it--but the truth is, I absolutely love it. I own ONE item of clothing that has pink in it--only ONE--and it's *this* exact pink. It's rich enough and close enough to red that I adore it. Janaina--get outta mah head!!!

Hits: Can Can

OMG, a flakie. A flakie a flakie a flakie!!! And not just a flakie, but a freakin' gorgeous multichrome green-blue-purple flakie. When I hold this, I can't help but stroke it like Golem with his One Ring...my...precioussssss...

Hits Multigirl: Dreamer

Hits duochrome!!! I've been lusting after this for ages. It's amazing and it's awesome and it makes me do the happy duochrome dance. In case you didn't know, it's sort of like the lambada, but with jazz hands that flash around your nail polish for everyone to see.

PanVel Make Up Stars: Cleopatra

How incredible is that metallic purple! I bet that it would be great for stamping but I'll never know 'cause I am not going to waste a drop on anything but pure base color. The color is actually even prettier in person (you know how that problem-child purple is to photograph) than it is here if you can believe it. Another absolute home-run.

Risque Niasi: Besouro

And last alphabetically, but certainly not least, Risque Niasi Besouro! This didn't pick up well in the bottle, so I'll have to swatch it for you soon. I've never seen anything like this, ever. It's like a silver-black duochrome that flashes a jewel-toned rainbow at the edges, primarily purple, but with some blue and green and yellow. This is the most unique polish I've ever seen, and I can't believe I get to own it. I didn't find anything anywhere close to as unique as this for her so I owe her big, big, big. All I can say about this polish is...WOW.

For any of you out there who have been thinking about a swap, as you can see, I highly recommend it! I was warned it is like Christmas for adults who love polish, and it really is. I haven't been so excited to open a package in...I don't know how long. :)

Thanks so much, Janaina. I cannot express how much you rock! And now I must go put on some of these polishes, I can't wait another second!!!

Thanks for stopping by,

M.