The BATTLE #7: Geometric vs Flora

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Ok, I've enjoyed an almost  3 month hiatus on The BATTLE Nail Art Challenge, but here I am with Challenge 7. I chose to go Geometric with this one, I hope this stamping counts!

Geometric Nail Art

I started with a base of Maybelline My Varnish in 357 (I think, the labelling was confusing) and stamped on this neat pattern of BM 319 using Jade Vermelho Surreal. I was trying to get the complimentary red to show up in the holo stamp, but it's not really noticeable. I topped this mani off with a layer of Seche Vite.

I love subtle stamping, especially with vampy reds!!

I'm going to try to knock out a couple more of the BATTLE challenges over the next month, maybe catch up to everyone else?!

Do stop by the other participant's blogs to see their nail art interpretations:
Two Matejas Creating
An Indie Girl's Passion
Lacquered Tips
My Wondrous Marvellous Obsession
Cats n Nails
Jibber Jabber
Life in Color!

Annie Suzie 

Polished Polygot  


xxx
NPA 

31 Day Challenge: Day 11 - POLKA DOTS

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Hey peoples, how are your days going?

I'm happy to report Buster is back in the game after getting fixed yesterday. He bounded out of his crate this morning, determined to make up for the day he lost at the Vet's.

Here are some photos of Charlie and Buster playing in the back yard

Buster needs his eyes cleaned up a bit... woops.

Anyway, I was going to do a Hello Kitty look for today but I didn't feel like having standard polka dots on my nails so instead I opted for a polka dot funky french.
This has a bit of an Easter feeling to it. I like to think of it as a 'Spring' look because of the pastels.

Shade

Overcast

Polka Dot Polishes (l-r): Maybelline Minty, Revlon Pink Ice, China Glaze Peachy Keen & Lemon Fizz, Nubar Purple Aster

 I just used a dotting tool - super simple but I did a very poor job of getting the tips straight. Might pay to place a bit of tape just below the tip to keep it nice and straight. I added a coat of Seche Vite and it bubbled on my middle finger.

 I'm wearing the lovely Guinevere from A England's The Mythicals Collection. It's such a beautiful polish - 2 coats is buttery perfection. Great brush - it's round and thick, long & spreads just the right amount. Okay, is it just me or did that description get a little dirty?

Sunlight

Don't you love the dusky lavender goodness that is Guinevere?
My cuticles are having a mere at the moment, might need to get a manicure to sort them out - I'm really bad at trimming them/hangnails.

Ciao,
NPA

Rugby World Cup Supporters Nail Art: Wallabies

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I absolutely loathe to put this up (even more than I hated to decorate my nails in Australian insignia), but in the spirit of fairness I felt like I kind of had too. Plus I was already wearing the right colour so...

Indoors

Overcast

 So I just added some yellow polish to yesterday's challenge nail in China Glaze Holly Day. I used my sunshine sunny side up Maybelline mini Colorama in Urban Lemon.
More or less I made a mess! Oh to have acrylic paints and a detail brush! So I just took the stars off the Australian flag for my middle finger & for the ring finger I tried to freehand the wallaby from the Wallabies' official logo.
I can't believe the stars were the failure of this! I tried using a dotting tool because I thought it'd be quicker than using the brush, but it just mangled them!!!
It might not look like it up close, but the wallaby was actually pretty good from afar (especially for a 1st attempt!). That big glob is meant to be the football in its hand, but I didn't paint the laces on and I couldn't make it the right shape so it just looks like a smudge!
The rest of my fingers I just french tipped - and not well haha.

The excuse I'm going to use for this being a piss poor effort is, that I NEVER support Australian sport - like all good New Zealanders. They just don't need the help, they beat us in almost everything. I will be cheering for the All Blacks come Sunday so I'll do my best to have an awesome looking mani for them!

Who will you be supporting this weekend?

xxx
Michaela

Maybelline mini Coloramas Swatches & Review

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 Howdy,

 I think I'm coming down with a cold :( I've had a sore throat & been super sleepy all day, so I'll try to keep this relatively short. I'll do my best to make it sweet as well.

You might remember that I picked these up when I was in Port Douglas. They are part of the Urban Wilds collection and don't seem to be available currently, in the US or NZ (I could only find them on the Australian Maybelline website). Each swatch is 2 coats.

Urban Orange

Indoors

Sunlight

  This is the best orange I own! A nice medium orange - not bright - with pretty gold/yellow shimmer. The shimmer shows up best in the sun but is still evident in the shade. The formula was pretty good; sort of thin in consistency built up nicely in 2 coats. It looks alright next to my skin - it would help if I was rockin' a summer tan though...


 Urban Lemon

Indoors

 Urban Lemon is a fantastic sunny side up yellow creme. It has pretty much killed my lemming for China Glaze Happy Go Lucky. As a bonus it doesn't make me look jaundiced! Boo-yah. It was a wee bit on the streaky side but what yellow isn't really? You just need to practice application technique/ use a self levelling top coat like SV. It looks pretty even in the photo & I wore it all on its lonesome. Doesn't it look glossy?!


Urban Turquoise

Indoors

I'm certainly a fan of Urban Turquoise. It's a turquoise blue creme. I was worried it was just like L.A. Girl Flare Tropical, but it is noticeably more yellow (tropical has a lot more blue in it) - just awesome. It dries super glossy like Urban Lemon & goes on nice and even and opaque in 2 coats- could have almost left it at one, it was so pigmented.


Maybelline did a really good job on the formulas & brushes in these minis. They are still 7.5mL, which IMO is plenty of nail polish for AUD$5.95, unless you routinely use up each bottle of polish - not me, too many to drain!!!


NZ has the Smoothies collection available, which also contains some pretty colours; a bit standard, but lovely in their own right - especially the purples.

Are you a fan of this line from Mayberline too? Hope no one else is sick!!

Til tomorrow,
xxx Michaela