Galaxy nails

I can't believe I haven't posted anything in almost two weeks. The life I am leading now makes me quite busy, I still miss posting regularly but I can't deny that this is a good moment for me.
I haven't stopped painting my nails (pfft as if it could ever happen), I just have less time for more elaborate nail art.
Anyway I want to show you this attempt at "proper" galaxy nails. I have nicknamed it Galaxy Fail because, as pretty as it is, it doesn't make me think of a galaxy when I look at it.
Or maybe it's just me.

The base was Rimmel Blue Vogue, the other polishes are Essence Over The Rainbow, Catrice Play it Blue, Revlon Ginger Melon, Essence Elves Like Liliac and some Sinful Colors Snow Me White.
My favourite thing of this nail art was having it topped with Essence's More Than Words from a very old (almost 2 years old, I believe) Valentine's day LE. The glitters are in warmer colors which allows for a very nice effect.
Not perfect, but I enjoyed having it on my nails.
I hope I'll be able to post regulary soon!

Colorful Galaxy

I wanted to do something colorful over Revlon Ginger Melon and I sponged a few colors on it to create a galaxy effect and it didn't turn out exactly how I wanted, but I am still posting it because the color scheme is pretty and it reminds me of the effects during a magical girl transformation.
I used Essence Elves Like Liliac, Essence Over The Rainbow, Sinful Colors Snow Me White and a bit of Catrice Play It Blue.
I still don't know what to think of it... but the colors are pretty, of that I am sure! I still want to try a "proper" galaxy nail art.

Color Spotlight: White

Welcome to a new episode of the Color Spotlight series! I originally planned to do white and black together, but I have enough white products for a post on its own. Black will probably go with grey when it will be its turn.
There are my white polishes: Kiko Rock Top 615, if it were less sheer it would be awesome, Sinful Colors Snow Me White, my tipical white polish, China Glaze Texture There's Snow One Like You, potentially awesome but not long lasting enough, I need to experiment putting it on a different base, Shaka Sugary White, a very cute (a bit sheer) super shimmery white, and Kiko Cupcake 647, a white sand effect polish with red/green/blue micro particles.

My white makeup products! (not including white eyeshadows that are part of other palettes)
Manic Panic Goth White is a multi-purpose white cream, it can be used mixed with foundation, as concealer, as highlighter if you're really pale (on me it works nicely) and, my favorite use, as an eyeshadow base. I purchased it online after having used my other Manic Panic products long enough to be enthusiastic about them.
The Kryolan white eyeliner doesn't mess around, it would probably survive the apocalypse, along with cockroaches and Nokia 3310 phones. Super long lasting and awesome, I don't want to use it as a base because I don't want to waste it (and because it would probablu glue my eyelid still), but as an eyeliner it's pretty amazing.
I also added my Neve Cosmetics Ivory eye pencil, I don't use it that often but when I do, the effect is really nice, my E.L.F. matte white eyeshadow (it's always useful to have a matte white eyeshadow) and my Shaka white lipstick, that also happens to be a great base for lip pigments.

Tell me people, do you like white? Do you use it often? I think it's a wonderful, underrated color.

Green gradient and blue dots

I decided to give another try when it comes to gradients, and I learned something:

some polishes are too sheer and water-y for this. I used Sinful Colors Snow Me White as a base and Kiko 296 and E.L.F. Mint Cream as gradient colors. Well, Mint Cream's formula made everything turn out worse.
Not to mention that photos can make even the most decent nail art look awful. I'm still posting this because maybe someone can learn from my errors (and to prove you that I'm still alive and nail paintin' ).
I added Kiko 644 on top (from the Sugar Mat line) for a textured effect.

Black and white

I was in a "argh, I don't know what to wear on my nails" moment yesterday, and since I couldn't decide on the color, I went for black and white!
I hadn't worn Shaka Sugary White for a while and had forgotten how cute (and how sheer) it was. A really lovely polish, very shimmery. Under sunlight you can catch its actually very colorful shimmer.
I added Maybelline Color Show Polka Dots in Chalk Dust over it. A bit of a salt and pepper effect perhaps, but still cute. And it's always nice to use polishes that had been neglected for a while.

Orange triangles

Yes, it's triangles/stripes again! This time with Snow Me White by Sinful Colors as base (and what a great white base it makes!). I used Kiko 356 and 640 above it, the last one being a textured/sand effect polish. I love this simple, sunny color combination, it makes me think of fruit...

Kiko 647 Cupcake Nail Lacquer

Hello! I hope you had a nice (and sunny) Easter! I'm here to show you Kiko 647, my Easter day nail polish. These polishes are now 2,90 euros, so I absolutely had to get this one, and I did my best and managed not to buy almost all of them. They're so pretty! (I might get the light blue one ..)
Kiko 647 Jasmine is a liquid sand effect polish with a white base and teal and red particles. Drying time was good, application wasn't so perfect (the polish doesn't grasp on the brush greatly and getting the right amount of polish on it might be not easy) but overall I have no complaints. I might add some nail art details later, for now enjoy it alone!

Cosmoprof nails + Lemon and Lavender nail art

Before showing you my swatches of my Cosmoprof goodies, I have to show you this cute nail art of mine. Inspired by a Lemon Lavender Yankee Candle that smells deliciously (obviously) and made with Kiko 338, Max Factor Mellow Yellow and Sinful Colors Snow Me White. Sadly Mellow Yellow is very sheer, so it didn't end as I wanted. Still good!

And I forgot to post my Cosmoprof NOTD, so here's what I did with Essence L.O.L. and an Essence tip painter to create a black drop effect. Very simple, but I was too tired to do anything else.

Sci-fi fishtail nail art

Aka my very first fishtail nail art. The base is Sinful Colors Snow Me White, the other two colors are Pupa 001 and 002 of the Cosmic Beauty LE. I topped everything with an old, discontinued top coat by Catrice called Prismatic Effect, that adds a blue-ish shade. On the white it's nicely visible but nearly impossible to capture in photos.

It's called sci-fi fishtail because of the colors (shiny white, grey.. they're all colors that make me think of spaceships) and because I did it while rewatching Judge Dredd on tv xD.

And I'm afraid that's all for today, and sorry for the tipwear..

Something About Me nail art

Better late than never, I whisper to myself as I try to finish the "Something About Me" nail art.
At first I was a bit puzzled, because as much as I genuinely wished to participate, I kept thinking about the many things I liked. Hot tea? Postapocalyptic fiction? Sci-fi? History?
I went with history, and specifically, with Empress Theodora.

I've chosen her for many reasons:

• She's one of my favourite historical figures. I recommend you to read more a bit about her on wiki. She rose from the humble ranks of actress until she became empress- a femme fatale and an intelligent, pious woman at the same time.
• A painting depicting her is also my avatar! I tried to stay with the similar, warm color scheme of the painting for the whole blog. She isn't the subject of the painting in the banner, but I think it fits with the atmosphere. She devoted a lot of her time to her beauty too, and I like to think as my blog as my small beauty corner where I can take care of myself after a long day.
• I wanted to do something more elaborate compared to my latest nail arts, and some of my latest polish acquisitions just fit the theme (Catrice Bronze-Deco mostly).
• The last time I went to see this mosaic I was with a group of friends, and it had been a really great day, so i can commemorate it!

Each nail represents a detail (her cup, headdress...). And since I did it in the evening of the 23, sadly I don't have the time to take sunlight photos.

I've seen the mosaic in Ravenna more than once and let me tell you, it's a must see.


The polishes involved in the process were: China Glaze Charmed, I'm Sure, Catrice Bronze-Deco, Kiko 629, 328, 294 and Sinful Colors Snow Me White.

My new white base

A quick post to show you my latest purchase, Sinful Colors Snow Me White.
I always wanted a white polish with a bigger (not like the small one for french tips) brush, and this one suits me nice. My other white polish was also almost finished, so I decided to try Snow Me White.
A classic white creme, not the easiest in application (a bit streaky) but of great opacity, almost an one coater!
Definitely recommended if you are looking for a good white base.
I covered the tips with Max Factor Dazzling Blue.

White and teal french

A simple nail art I did the evening before an exam. The dark teal is Deborah 55 Blue Lagoon and the white is Kiko 203, a white for french... and it is the first time I used it for its original purpose.
On the photo it looks like there's a white-ish stain on the left side of the nail, but I blame the lights for this, on my nail is not visible.
I really wanted to do something simple since I was tired, and I have achieved what I wanted.

China Glaze There's Snow One Like You review

It saddens me to start the new year with a review of a polish that left me quite unsatisfied.
There's Snow One Like You is a polish that looks a lot like snow on your nails, a concept I love, thanks to the sand effect and the hex glitters in it. It's also, compared to the other sand effect polishes I own, much stronger: at the beginning it felt quite uncomfortable to have it on my nails, it's very rough.
But this is something I can forgive. I don't forgive the brush, that's very small and therefore a pain in the neck for this sort of polish, getting an even, precise application is quite hard.
And I don't forgive its overall quality: within the first 24 hours, most of it had been chipped off my index and middle finger. After 48 hours, nothing much remains (only on my thumbs it's still decent).
I've never encountered such a low quality compared with such a finish. My theory is that, being stronger, rougher and with bigger sand particles, it grasps on things you handle and chips away more easily. I would also like to try it on a base that is not mattifying like the Essence one I own, maybe it's hard for it to grasp on a matte base as it is for stamping. It can probably still be used for accent nails or details.
Do I recommend this? Ehm, no. If you really need a white sand effect polish, yes, otherwise you can find better. It's like a failed experiment.

Vote: A for the idea, C for the quality.

Black and white glitter over mint green

Base: E.L.F. Mint Cream. Top Coats: Maybelline Polka Dots 197 Chalk Dust, Essence Matte Top Coat.

I have rediscovered the pleasure of glitter toppers. Especially if mattified. Due to the hex shape of the glitters if I look closely at my nails I feel like I'm watching some molecule or chemical component through a microscope.
Anyway I just wanted to test my other Maybelline Polka Dots polish, the on with black and white glitter on a clear base. I can see myself using it quite a lot, it's very versatile. Good drying time, and the brush catches lots of glitter (this is one coat of glitter). The E.L.F. polish is quite old, but I love the color so I haven't thrown it away yet. And now that I look at it it's the exact same color of my toothpaste.
Well I am getting very random, must be the tiredness... anyway let me know what you think, do you use glitter toppers a lot? Do you wear pastels in fall/winter too?

Rainbow Challenge day 2, Orange nails

And today, orange nails! Kiko 356 is the orange, Pupa 209 the black and 203 Kiko the white. Over them, a cot of Essence's matte top coat.
The inspiration for this is the flag of the fictional land of Cresezia, created by my boyfriend. Plus, I love those colors and the geometry they create. It's simple yet stunning. And I love matte nails, I can't help.

Rainbow Challenge day 1, red nails: Pizza nails!

I decided to do the rainbow challenge, since I wanted a quick challenge that might be fun. I'll try to post this as regular as I can..I already have some nice ideas.

And monday evening, eating pizza for the second time in 2 days I thought of something really beautiful that also happens to be red. Pizza!
This was ridiculously fun to make. The red is Deborah 13, the white is Kiko 203, the green is Kiko 296.
Let me know what you think!

Quick post: Catrice Candy Shock is in town!

Just a quick post before I go to bed: the Catrice LE I was so intensely waiting for... finally arrived!
I almost couldn't believe it, I usually don't go crazy over pastels but this LE is just perfect for me.

I immediately picked what I knew I wanted: the white pearls and the light blue polish... then I remembered I had seen enthusiastic reviews of the highlighter, so I tried it and, wow, it works perfectly on my skin! I can't wait to use it more, it's a "your skin but better" kind of product. You can use it with your finger or a brush to highlight the standard places (browbone, etc) or put it all over your face for a subtle glow. I love it!
(Perhaps I could post swatches when I try the polishes, mmh..)

Stamping with Kiko 624

Meet the last member of my mirror polish family: Kiko 624 Sky Blue

As its other fellows, it stamps nicely! I've chosen this pattern because the tropical blue flowers on white base combo made me think of a beautiful t-shirt my sister once had, but now that I look at it, it does also remind me of porcelain teacups. Imagine it used together with a darker blue....

The base is Shaka Sugary White. No topcoat, I didn't have the time yet...

Vote: A, of course! Those mirror polishes are a safe buy, really. I've never been disappointed. The gold is the one with the better formula at all, stamps in a such divine way that you'll hear choirs of angels when putting it on your nail. The other mirrors are of the same great quality, and this Sky Blue is no exception!

Cartoon Nails

My take on the cartoon/comics inspired nail art! A nice effect, even if I don't like to cover all my nail in polish... it's a pain in the neck to remove. But this is surely funny and I really like that lime green!

I used Essence 138 L.O.L. , a nice lime green that doesn't stain, then Essence Stamp me! Black and Kiko 203. I saw a tutorial that recommended to do a black base first and the bright color after it, but it seemed like an unnecessary waste of time to me, so i did the lime green and used a nail art brush with Essence's black that is highly pigmented. I also inaugurated a new basecoat by Essence studio nails that seems promising.

Glossip 15 Win Beetle

A few days ago, just outside of the Glossip shop, I was given a coupon that allowed me to buy the small bottles of polish (5 ml) for 1 euro each, with a buying limit of three. If you wanted to find a nice way to make people try that brand, you did the right thing! I bought a red for my sister, and she is very happy about it. For me I bough the 15, Win Beetle. In the bottle is a duochrome grey that goes from blue undertones to pink/violet undertones.

On the nails, the pink undertones are impossible to see, and that is surely a disappointment! I was expecting a duochrome, i got grey with cold blue undertones.
The upside of this? It's a nice, very metallic shade of grey, and under daylight the blue emerges beautifully.
The formula isn't the best either, be careful or you'll leave brush strokes. It is however longlasting, i have to admit it.
Vote: B-.
Later I added Kiko 615 on the tips... although I received compliments for this nail art, I'm not 100% sure whether I like it or not, even if they go fine together as colors.