Comparisons: Light Blue with Pink Flakie Shimmer

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Hey everyone,

I never do comparison posts, but I've been going through my stash lately (making swatch sticks!!!) and I have loads of similar lacquers, sometimes on purpose (because I just can't get enough) and sometimes because I didn't do enough research before I hit the 'confirm purchase' key!!!!

This is a rather shameful admission for a nail blogger, but just between you and me, some are too similar, like I actually have the urge to get rid of them, similar, SHOCK, HORROR!

From time to time - depending on my level of motivation - I'll put up a comparison post and for everyone out there that is strung out lemming for a polish I feature, I hope these comparisons help you make the SMART decision for your stash :)

To kick it off I've compared (L-R): Cult Nails Princess, Shahnaz Husain 203 Saphire, Girly Bits Arctic Sunrise and Sinful Colors Cinderella

The BATTLE #4: Neon vs Pastel

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I had some fun with this challenge y'all!

SPLATTER TIME

Splatter Mani with a base of Sinful Colors Unicorn

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To achieve this look I applied 2 coats of Sinful Colors Unicorn, which is a pastel yellow creme. It looked slightly uneven, but I knew the splatter would cover most of it up so I didn't add a 3rd coat.
Next I splattered on China Glaze Blue Sparrow which is a 'neon' blue with ultra fine glitter, using a straw. Once that dried, I splattered on China Glaze Flying Dragon another 'neon' purple with ultra fine glitter. After that one dried I splattered on my final neon, Pool Party also from China Glaze. It's a super neon pink that always photographs more orange, I think because it leans a little red/pink. I finished up with 1 thick coat of NYC GCS which left my nails glossy and even to the touch.

My last splatter mani was a whole year ago when I was doing the 31 Day Challenge, so I felt like the time was right to give it another go. Even though I completely taped off my nails, the clean up was horrendous! It might have just been the fact that I used neons for the splatter... Anyway the acetone didn't do the trick entirely.

An entire pastel splatter mani would've been fun too! Or a spun sugar mani in neons or pastels, yum reminds me of candy! Maybe I can work those in to another challenge.

If it were up to you, would you pick NEONS or PASTELS ?

Don't forget to check all the other participants Challenge #3 posts:
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

Sinful Colors Cinderella & Revlon Whimsical

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It's a combination made in polish heaven!

Cinderella - 3 coats - white light

Cinderella - 3 coats - white light

Whimsical - 1 coat over Cinderella - white light

Cinderella is a beautiful baby blue with pink chunky fleck like shimmer. It's delicate and pretty and does make me think of Cinderella's blue ball dress!! It's also quite sheer (along the same lines as the NOPI It's All About the Glam and Kim-pletely in Love) taking 3 coats for decent coverage. I would probably do a fourth coat too! It's worth it though, and not as streaky as the NOPIs.

Whimsical is a Deborah Lippmann Glitter In the Air dupe with pink and blue small and medium hexes in a milky sheer blue base along with some very small iridescent glitters. I got decent glitter pay-off with just 1 thick coat. It's also pretty easy to place extra glitter on to the nail, so I think it's better than the DL version (but I don't own it, so can't compare).

Do you have these lacquers too?
What is your favourite base for GITA or Whimsical?

xxx
NPA

Sinful Colors Zeus & Bundle Monster

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Herrow my pretties,

I told you yesterday that I had finally done a stamping job I could be proud of.

Well here she is; feathers from BM plate 214, stamped using A England Princess Tears on a base of Sinful Colors Zeus

I took these photos right after I finished the stamping just to see if I could get any decent ones under the lamp. Then overnight tragedy struck! When I fight my sleeping pills i get real frigidity and anxious which leads to nail biting on a disastrous scale!!! I no longer have a thumb or index nail on my right hand. Well there is a sliver of a white tip but they're crazily shaped so it'll be a couple of weeks before they are ready for photos again.

The point of that ramble was that  I couldn't get any photos in sunlight today so now all I have are these. The upside is they show the stamping fairly accurate.

I chose Princess Tears because I've seen other bloggers stamp with it and it is similar to Zeus with a purple and pink flash thing going on, only much lighter so I figured they'd go well together. And I love how subtle it is, very forgiving and not too loud.

Seems like whenever I stamp with Konad Special Black I feel self conscious because it stands out so much on my stubby fingers!

Really glad this stamping worked out because it's made me realise how much I love to wear nail art - I really don't want to take this mani off, so I'm repainting my index and thumb!!!

Here is Zeus on its own.

Zeus - 2 coats - white light

Zeus - 2 coats - overcast

Zeus - 2 coats - overast

 Zeus is a beautiful darker lavender (I think it looks a couple of shades darker than the photos show) with pink shimmer that isn't exactly subtle, but isn't obvious from a distance either.

I think it's the perfect Spring/Autumn transitional shade, and I know I'll be rocking it this winter too! The formula was pretty flawless. I imagined Zeus would be a watery PITA but was pleasantly surprised that it covered in two coats and self levelled. Some may find it to be a little thick and sticky, but not in a bad way if you can imagine that!!!!

I've had it on for 3 days now and I only have minor tip wear, definitely not too shabby for a cheapy!!! Thank you Ebay or I would not have been able to get my hands on this beauty. I know most people think it's evil, but sometimes it's my guardian angel!

xxx
NPA

Sinful Green Ocean

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Hey all,

I added Sinful Green Ocean to my polka dot manicure last night. It's a prettytopcoat with blue-green colour shifting mylar flakes and glitter. I put one coat on.

Sunlight

Thoughts?

xx
NPA

31 Day Challenge: Day 10 - GRADIENT

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Yes, today was the challenge of the gradient nails.

I've never done a proper gradient mani before, so I was more than ready to get cracking on this one. I forgot to take photos of the process but I'm sure you'll live -

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Overcast - with a tiny hint of sun

Artificial Lighting

Polishes used l-r: OPI Lucky Lucky Lavender, Mode XOXO, Mode Glamazon, Sinful Colors Daddy's Girl & LA Colors Color Craze in Star Light

I started off with 3 thin coats of LLL, then I sponged 2/3 way down my nails with XOXO. Next, I sponged 1/3 way down my nail with Glamazon. It wasn't looking opaque enough on the tip so I added a little Dddy's Girl to the tips of the nails. I finished up by introducing some sparkles to the gradient - 1 coat of Star Light.

Starlight
Can you give me the fame
Can you hurl me the game
Oh oh starlight
(Starlight have what you need)


Did that just pop in to anyone else's head?!

I, of course sealed the sucker with a coat of SV. Dunzo.
I wish that the holo glitter was a bit more sparse/a wee bit finer (like Out the Door Silver Holo top coat), but other than that I'm pretty happy with how this turned out.


But more importantly, what do you think of my gradient attempt?


On a completely unrelated note, my baby Buster went to the vets to get neutered today. I finally understand why some guys get really touchy about having their dogs fixed. For me I feel really guilty subjecting him to the pain - and guys have a unique perspective on that!!! I'm all for neutering/spaying non-breeding dogs and cats but I don't want him to have to go through it all!!! Makes me wonder how hard it is for parents whose kids have to have operations - especially when they're only wee bubs :(


I get to pick him up in a half hour, can't wait! I'm just hoping they give him an Elizabethan collar so he can't get the stitches all wet and dirty - I do not want the poor man to get an infection down there!


Alright, til tomorrow,


xxx
NPA