A Grey Day

Another stamping mani!  Yay!

Okay, so I need to apologise for these pictures in advance.  I had been wearing this polish for several days already and was just about to change it to something else when I remembered I hadn't photographed it.  That's why there is so much growth showing near the cuticle and there is so much tip wear. 

On top of that a pen slipped and jammed me in the cuticle.  That's the cause of the damaged index finger cuticle.  If that wasn't bad enough, it actually damaged my nail bed and created an indentation in my nail that I'm still waiting to finish growing out.

Alright, after all that, on to the mani!

I started with a grey base, Gosh - Miss Grey.  Then I stamped with Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear - Lacey Lilac and Bundle Monster plate BM-209 on index, middle and pinky.  On my ring finger and thumb, I first stamped a fishnet pattern from BM-209 in SH Xtreme Wear - Plum Power (it barely shows up) then I stamped a flower from BM15 also in SH Xtreme Wear - Lacey Lilac.

The idea had been for the flower to look like it was growing up a trellis but the "trellis" part not showing up kinda ruined that.

Anyways overall, this was a semi-nailfail but it wasn't a total failure and it was a learning experience.

Thanks for looking!

'Til next time,

Amanda

A Leopard Called Audrey

Hello!

I've got another stamping mani today.  This one was also from the fall.  I had seen a lot of brightly coloured leopard print manis and despite its popularity I hadn't seen one done with For Audrey.  (I'm sure they exist, I just haven't seen them.)  Anyway, I thought it would look nice so I gave it a go.

I was really happy with how this turned out.

Base colour is China Glaze - For Audrey and leopard print is stamped using Konad Special Polish in Black and Bundle Monster plate BM-221.

I'm sorry all these pictures are "chicken-claw" looking.  I hadn't gotten the hang of posing with the bottle yet.

'Til next time,
Amanda

First Stamping Mani

Hello again!

This stamping mani was my very first full set after getting my Bundle Monster plates in September and playing around a bit with them.

I had a terrible time at first. Somehow after watching a few tutorials and reading a few blogs, the only that had really sunk in was to go quickly. That translated to me as lightning fast and I was rushing way too much. I had disastrous results! Anyway, once I calmed down and went about it quickly and efficiently, I started having fun.

This my first full nail plate mani. Unfortunately, the picture is quite blurry.

I used China Glaze - High Roller as the base colour. It's a great jelly red. Then I stamped over it in black Konad Special Polish using Bundle Monster plate BM-201. I know you can barely tell but I used the sort of spirally scrolly one.

I remember being very happy with how this turned out. I managed to line up the stamps almost perfectly. Yay!

So there it is. Sorry about the blurriness, the pictures really do get better eventually.

'Til next time,
Amanda

Nail Art Fail/Abstract Art

This manicure I did last fall.  I was inspired by several apple manicures I'd seen at the time and since my gold Gosh polish was just about ready to come off, I decided to try this over top. 

I didn't have any little brushes to paint leaves or stems with and I'd seen some variations with green rhinestones for the leaves so I decided to do that.  However, the only green rhinestones I had were quite large and from the dollar store.  Oh well, I forged ahead!

I chose quite a dark red for over the Gosh-Gold.  It was Sally Hansen Insta-Dri - Wired Up. I made the curved tops of the apples and then added the huge rhinestones.

The result doesn't look a thing like apples.  Perhaps an abstract sort of apple if I'm being generous.

Anyways, here is the final result.  It actually looks quite Christmassy I think.

'Til next time,

Amanda

Pink Tips

I've been collecting pictures of my various manicures over the last year or so.  I wasn't sure what I was going to do with them but I knew I wanted a record of all the colours and stamps, etc.   This is what I've decided to do.  I'm going to blog them all here.

As we progress through the time line, both the nails and the pictures will get better.  I promise!

Anyways, here is a set I did last summer.
The base colour is Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure in Midnight in NYC - a black cream base with subtle multi-coloured micro glitter.
The tips are Sinful Colors in Cream Pink - which despite its name is actually quite a hot pink with subtle shimmer.

My nails were quite short at the time.

So there you go my first posted mani.  Like I said, pictures and nails improved as I went along!

'Til next time,
Amanda

Awards

I've been very generously awarded some awards!  Thank you to all the lovely people that nominated me.  It's been an awesome journey so far and I hope will continue to be for a long time.

Giveaways Tab!

I'm hosting a giveaway! Closes 5/02/12 at 12:01 am EST

Varnished Valkyrie is hosting a great giveaway!  Several gorgeous polishes including Chanel - Peridot.  It closes May 9th at 12am EST.  Enter Now!

 

Arfblat is hosting a giveaway on her blog, Splat!  Jellies and glittahs for sammiches!

Nails by Diana has reached 60 followers and Diana's celebrating by giving away a bunch of polishes!

 

Holly at Holly and Polish is giving away the China Glaze Prismatics collection!