The Battle #6: Stripes vs Dots

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I thought candy cane nails would be a great way to incorporate Christmas in to this challenge, so I'm Team Stripes! (Though in reality I'm more drawn to polka dots!!!)

BM207 stripes over BB Couture Santa's Sak

sun

sun

macro

I'm wearing BB Couture for Men in Santa's Sak (from one of their Christmas Collections) and I stamped it using Konad Special White Polish and plate BM 207.
I prefer the orientation of the design on my index and middle nails, the other way round looks a bit munted on my short nails, the stripes are too close together.

The stamping looks pretty terrible, it was a hot day and I just couldn't get a clean transfer!!! I hate that about the Konad Special Polishes!!! Maybe it happens with other brands too, must see if chromes behave the same way when stamping in the heat?

So even though this Battle wasn't a high point, I still enjoyed having candy cane nails. I got my only candy canes this year from my Polish Elf too, so this design feels incredibly apropos!!

Not sure if I'll attempt the polka dots too... we'll see.

Don't forget to see what the other BATTLE participants are up to:
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


It's closing in on New Year's Eve now, what are your plans... for your nails, that is?


xxx
NPA

Try It On Tuesday: BB Couture Dragon's Breath

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Hello friends!

It's my favourite day of the week... TIOT!

Today I picked Dragon's Breath from BB Couture.

BB Couture Dragon's Breath

white light

white light

macro

Dragon's Breath is a really red purple with pink, red and purple fine glitter. I used 2-3 coats for these pictures and no top coat. Obviously it needs some Seche Vite cos it does dry gritty. It's got a fairly thin formula and you need to let each coat dry before you add the next or, you could get some cuticle drag going on.

I have to say I'm a little disappointed in DB.  I was expecting greatness because it is usually out of stock on Overall Beauty. But maybe some top coat would have made it look way more impressive? I might have self-sabotaged on this one!!

Will definitely have to give it the full mani treatment sometime soon.

Are you rocking an untried today too?
You can look at all the other TIOT participant's posts by using the links on my side bar or the up to date list on Jill's blog

xxx
NPA

Try It On Tuesday: BB Couture HORNED DEVIL

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It's that time again, TRY IT ON TUESDAY!

I actually forgot all about posting today, but luckily Jill put a reminder up on Facebook. Thank Jill :)
I've had Horned Devil sitting around gathering dust since March and it's far too pretty to go unworn. Very 'on trend' too being a blistering tangerine.

BB Couture Horned Devil

macro

Horned Devil is a bright, deep orange jelly filled with gold/orange microglitter. I took all the photos under my lamp so they don't show just how glittery HD is. It doesn't sparkle like crazy though, it just kind of glows so it is easier to wear. I needed 3 coats for decent coverage, but there is still some VNL going on.
You can probably tell it dries a bit gritty too. I'm wearing 1 layer of  a thin top coat here and it's still quite textured, so I recommend some Seche Vite thickness!

I really fell in love with Horned Devil and now I want to get my hands on Painted Lady from the same collection of BBs. It's a coral version of Horned Devil!

Are you sporting an 'untried' today too?

Check out the other Try It On Tuesday blogs listed on sidebar or the up to date list on Jill's blog

xxx
NPA

BB Couture - Santa's Sak

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I should probably be posting this at xmas time, but I got it in April and can't wait that long!

Santa's Sak - 2 coats - white light

Santa's Sak - 2 coats - white light

Santa's Sak - 2 coats - white light

Santa's Sak - 2 coats - colour corrected

Santa's Sak - 2 coats - MACRO colour corrected

Santa's Sak is one of the Holiday colours for Men. A cherry red jellyish finish filled with silver and gold glitters as well as holo bar glitter. It goes on surprisingly opaque in 2 coats. I didn't put on any top coat for the pics but you'll need at least 1 coat to smooth the glitter out.

My camera makes all blue toned reds look like orange-reds so I colour corrected the last couple of photos to look more accurate. It is definitely a cool cherry red in person. I was impressed by the formula, very even, which is awesome!

Hope you all had lovely relaxing weekends!

xxx
NPA

BB Couture - Anger

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Hey guys,

Another short one, not much in the writing mood.

BB Couture Anger is a beautiful deep dark corn flower blue, leans quite purple. It's full of micro shimmer as well as flaky shimmer like African Queen. I used 2 coats for full coverage, but you can see the cuticle drag. So let it dry in between coats.

Anger - 2 coats - white light

Anger - 2 coats - white light

Anger - 2 coats - white light

Anger - macro

xxx
NPA

Keeping It Brief with BB Couture AFRICAN QUEEN

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It's a short post tonight; but I have to share that I did my most successful stamping tonight. It might have something to do with using a subtle holo as the stamping polish or perhaps my 'rolling' technique is improving...

But, right now I've got African Queen from BB Couture for you.

African Queen - 3 coats - white light

African Queen - macro

 African Queen falls somewhere between  dark jade and grass green. My camera's brought out too much yellow in the first photo and leached the colour from the macro!!! So It's closest to the macro only a couple of shades darker in person. It has that beautiful flaked shimmer that I can never resist - possibly my favourite polish finish!!

BTW 1 YEAR BLOGOVERSARY and 301st POST, not bad.

Appreciate all my readers but now I'm off to bed!!!!!!!


xxx
NPA

BB Couture Stick Shift

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First off, I LOVE the name! Stick Shift is part of the Mechanics 101 collection from BB Couture Nail Polish for Men.  I don't know if it's supposed to be a little naughty, but I can't help but giggle like a little girl!

Stick Shift - white light

Stick Shift - white light - macro

Stick Shift - not colour accurate

Stick Shift is a yellow of sorts, sort of with an orange tint and with beautiful pink shimmer! The first two photos are colour accurate and I included the last one to demonstrate the pink shimmer. It sort of looks white in the colour accurate photos, but it is a warm pink and so pretty. I suppose this would be considered an 'ugly' shade of lacquer, but I really adore SS!
It's really pigmented and needed 2 coats for good coverage. The formula was way better than most BB Coutures (I find them really watery), sort of a medium thickness with self-levelling abilities!

I was worried when I ordered SS that it would be too similar to Aura Angora from Barielle. Luckily it's not too mustard at all, and a lot brighter! I did a comparison for you guys below.

Stick Shift comparison to Aura Angora (on middle finger)

L-R: SS, AA, SS

You can see that AA is darker, dirtier and has a plain creme finish. Comparing them made me really miss AA, so I'm going to have to incorporate it in to a manicure soon!

Does Stick Shift tickle your fancy too?
You can find it and many more polish brands at Overall Beauty. BB Couture retails for $9.95 a bottle.

xxx
Michaela

Some Love 4 BB Couture

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Guten Arbend,

Some of my nails are having a hard time of late; there's some tearing & peeling going on. So I will be giving them a rest and finally show all the polish swatches I have stockpiled in my blogging folder!

Tonight I have 3 BB Couture shades. Enjoy

Kelly's Green - sunlight

Kelly's Green - sunlight

Kelly's Green is from the Vampy Varnish Collection (yes, Kelly of the blog Vampy Varnish  helped design BB polishes!!!). She describes it as an avocado green. It reminds me of guacamole dip! Not as bright or yellow as plain avocado, but better! It contains green or perhaps iridescent micro glitter and glitter flecks? that shine both blue, green and maybe yellow as well as sparse black specks . Now, I did find this a little more difficult to apply than some polishes but thicker coats may have helped. I think it's a 3 coater for opacity and evenness. You'll also want to slap on a layer of Seche Vite (or other thick TC) because it dries a little gritty. Isn't it a to die for unique green?

Pocahontas - sunlight

Pocahontas - shade

Pocahontas is a part of the Infamous Lovers Collection - along with her sweetheart John Smith.  She's a creamy taupe with little white glitter flecks (these might be in Kelly's Green too) and a very small amount of black specks, which seems to be a theme in BB Couture polish. This is a lovely colour, tres office apropos! It has a fairly watery formula, but I think that is just the way a lot of BB C's lacquers are. Not a bad thing, very manageable, it just requires 3 coats and a little technique adjustment (like most brands that are new to me!). The finish is high shine.

Romeo - indirect sunlight

Romeo - sunlight

You used to be my Romeo, oh oh oh oh. Romeo is also from the Infamous Lovers Collection and it really was love at first sight, sorry Juliet, he's MINE! He is described as a red pink with grey... honestly I don't know how to describe him myself. This colour is entirely unique unto himself. It is basically a pinky rust version of Lazy Bum (but Romeo came first!). Romeo has the same white/iridescent flecks of glitter - they shine pink and blue in these photos. The application was a bit easier, I believe I still used 3 coats but the formula was a bit thicker and I could have got away with 2. Another unique shade. I love. Something about the base makes me think of OPI Yucan-tan if you want. I must compare them, they might be in the same colour group - hard to describe!

You can purchase BB Couture from Overall Beauty - the link in my Where To Buy tab.

Toodles,
xxx
NPA

There's a SINNER in us all...

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Guten Arbend all,

I bought 3 of the BB Couture Sinfully Polished Collection polishes a little while ago and I can't wait any longer to show you these gems!
Don't forget to click on the photos to enlarge.

sunlight

sunlight

Gluttony (Girl's) - one sin I'm woefully guilty of :( But the polish is just beautiful! A lilac pink that is almost a jelly with fine shimmery/sparkly particles. I'm seriously in love - my prettiest pink! It was pretty thin in consistency and took 3 coats, but it built nicely and applied well. I only have cuticle drag because I gave almost zero dry time in between coats. I think this would be gorgeous in spring and summer.

sunlight

sunlight

shade

 Jealousy (Men's) - is really hard to categorize. It appears to be a dark grey base with a strong pinky/purple/brown shimmer and the same flaky glitter as Gluttony (wish I knew what they called that kind of glitter darn it - anyone know?) and some greenish micro glitter. It's complex and unusual and I love it! This was more of a 2 coater, but I did thin layers so I ended up with 3 coats. Can't remember the formula being troublesome so I think it was good...

sunlight

sunlight

 

shade

Lazy Bum (Men's) - Is even harder to describe than Jealousy! It actually has a lot in common with Romeo from the Infamous Lovers Collection, It's just browner & less pink. Overall Beauty calls it a tan blush. I think if it as a rusty/red sort of pinky brown? It's just too hard! I'll leave you to decide - but the pics are pretty colour accurate - you can see a tinge more red/orange IRL, maybe. This has sneaky sparse red and black micro glitter in it and that same amaze-balls flaky glitter (that is sort of silver/white) like the other two above. This is my official favourite. It's just so different and the finish is idyllic. If memory serves this was also 3 thin coats.

I love all 3 BB's - I wish they were a little cheaper so I could buy way more! Just a note on the formula & brush etc because BB is a new brand to me:
BB's are rather thin in consistency and take around 3 coats to build to bottle colour/opacity.
They take a bit longer to dry than I'm used to - but the dry time isn't unreasonable. I use a quick dry top coat so it's not really a problem except in between coats.
The brushes are long, thin and narrow - again, not a problem, I just had to adjust my application technique because I get used to the flat, thick, wide OPI ones!
BB Couture is touted as a 4 in 1 formula - Base, Colour, Top Coat & Strengthener - I can't comment on that because I've only swatched them, but they're cruelty free so that makes me happy!

You like?

Night, night
xx
Michaela