Monday Blues & The Neverending Pile Challenge: Cygnus Skittle

Hello!

Today again we are going to stretch the boundaries of Monday Blues with a Blurple duochrome that turns red and bronze at the edges. I give you I <3 Nail Polish Cygnus Loop, which is also the most expensive untried in my pile (today's theme in The Neverending Pile Challenge):

I <3 Nail Polish Cygnus Loop

I <3 Nail Polish Cygnus Loop

I <3 Nail Polish Cygnus Loop

I <3 Nail Polish Cygnus Loop

I've been in a skittle state of mind, so I decided to skittle this lovely, inspired by the colors she flashes:

For the index finger, I stamped using MoYou London Greek Mythology collection 02, and Sally Hansen Red-io Active. For the middle finger, I added a coat of Different Dimension Penny!!!. For the pinkie, I used red and rust and orange-copper glequins, and a light purple triangle sequin. And of course, I left the ring finger plain, so the original polish could shine on through. :)

So there you go--a sexy skittle to help you through your Monday. Hope you're having a good (or at least short) one!

Hugs,
M.

An InLinkz Link-up

An InLinkz Link-up

Monday Blues Before & After: Decorated Denim

(Press Samples)

Hello!

Well...it's that time of week again. Monday. Time to try to get past those Monday Blues...and here's my contribution to that cause, something you can grab a peek at during your morning break (of course you'd never be looking at nail blogs when you're on the clock...ahem.). ;-)

Today we're gonna take a look at the subtly radiant InDecisive Nail Lacquer Denim, a navy blue scattered holo that looks like the prettiest jeans you'd ever want to own:

InDecisive Nail Lacquer Denim, outside light

InDecisive Nail Lacquer Denim, outside light

InDecisive Nail Lacquer Denim, outside light

InDecisive Nail Lacquer Denim, artificial light

InDecisive Nail Lacquer Denim, artificial light

Ah...there's nothing like a beautiful holo...And this one is nearly a one-coater, you'll certainly get full opacity in two. :)

For my decoration, well...you know those jeans that have the cool bling on the tush or down one leg? Pretty rhinestones or appliques or studwork? I have a deep love of that look, and I wanted to put together a manicure that would match.

I drew stitches with my white Mash nail art pen, and then I stamped on the accent nail using Konad White polish, and Bunny Nails plate BuNa-A. Then I added decorative touches with some studs and dots of Barry M Silver Foil:

Every pair of jeans and every manicure deserves a little bling. :)

On my right hand, I decided to go for an acid-wash look. So before I did my stamping, I added a coat of InDecisive Nail Lacquer White Speckled:

InDecisive Nail Lacquer White Speckled over Denim

InDecisive Nail Lacquer White Speckled over Denim

 And then I decorated again as I had the other hand:

Retro acid wash 80s FTW!

Retro acid wash 80s FTW!

So which look do you like better, the regular or the 'acid-wash'? Either way the holo is gorgeous and that's what's most important. :)

Hugs to you, and I hope your Monday's done before you know it!
M.

An InLinkz Link-up

Monday Blues: Jeweled Octavia

Hello!!

Well, it's Monday again, but the good news is, by the time you read this, the official workday will almost be over. So your Monday Blues don't have to be bluish for too much longer!

This week I'm celebrating Monday with Julep Octavia, a blue creme that's sort of like a navy crossed with a royal blue. It's more of a navy really, but it has a little bit more bright than I think of with a navy, so I'm gonna stick with my hybrid model:

Julep Octavia

Julep Octavia

To decorate this lovely, I decided to go with some textured studs I was sent for review by Born Pretty Store:

What I like about these studs is that not only do they add bling, but they have a more matte finish, and add some texture more than a typical stud does. And you get round and square in both gold and silver, for $2.26. Seriously, you can't beat that with a stick.


First, using the Saran-wrap method, I tapped on some Barry M Silver Foil onto half of all of the nails except the accent nail. Then I put three studs onto the accent nail at a jaunty angle:

This is one of the fastest looks I've ever done. The Saran-wrap tapping took about 20 seconds, and the studs were another minute. Three dots of polish, position the studs, wait a minute, add fast drying topcoat to all. Bing, bang, boom, you're out the door, you're fancy, and Monday isn't such a bummer after all. :)

A quick reminder that I have a coupon code for 10% off your purchase at Born Pretty Store, and since more than 10 people have used it, they are sponsoring a giveaway for a $20 gift certificate! I will have the rafflecopter giveaway up on the blog tomorrow, so come back and check that out. In the meantime, here is the code if you want to shop the night away:

I hope your Monday has had the minimum of the bad blues, and lots of the pretty blues!
M.

An InLinkz Link-up

Monday Blues Before & After: Walk Like An Egyptian...

Hello!!

It's that time of the week again, and we're here to ease the transition into the workweek with a selection of lovely blue polishes for you.

For my contribution this week, I've selected Julep Lacey, a midnight blue shimmer with a rich, jewel tone and a deep pool of light:

Julep Lacey

Julep Lacey

While this is a teeny bit dark for lapis lazuli, it still put me in mind of it, so I decided to make an Ancient Egyptian manicure. I stamped with MoYou-London plate Explorer Collection 17, which I will be reviewing for you on Wednesday, along with Explorer Collection 02. I used China Glaze Passion for the stamping, and then added red accents with Konad Red and a dotting tool. Finally, I put a swipe of Passion along the bottom, which I smeared when I put my topcoat on because it wasn't dry enough...aarrgghh...:

I can't wait to show you this plate...if you love Ancient Egyptian motifs like I do, you're going to love it...

Don't forget to check out the other blue lovelies below! I hope your week is off to a gentle, pleasant start. :)

M.