Totally Doable Challenge: Studded

Hi lovelies,

The fourth challenge in the Totally Doable Challenge by Californails is studded. Studs, somehow, always bring to mind metal ones. I ordered some online but it has not landed yet. I guess the Christmas rush is to blame.
However, since I did not have any metal studs, I made do with these cute ones.

I love the simplicity of this manicure. These are some plastic blue studs on China Glaze United, a textured rose mauve holographic glitter. I would classify it as a liquid sand polish. I have no clue why it was not marketed as one.

The pink polish is just perfect to set off the blue studs IMHO. That's it for this challenge. Don't forget to leave a comment :)

Totally Doable Nail Challenge: Mittens

Hi lovelies, 

My life's been in a bit of a turmoil. My dad fell critically ill and I spent my Christmas in hospital. The only distraction was the nail art challenges which I achieved on my nails but had no time to post.
Now that my dad's condition is improving, I'll be posting the challenges. This one fulfills the Mittens challenge from the Totally Doable Nail Challenge.

I love textured polishes because of its fast drying quality. This blue is from China Glaze. I tried stamping using a gold polish, but it didn't show up well. So I switched to red.

Hope you like this manicure. Don't forget to leave a comment.

Colours used: 

Base: China Glaze Of Coarse!

For stamping:
Polish: Konad Red

Plates: Bundlemonster H03 

P.S. Connect with me.

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Where there's a giveaway....

Hi lovelies,

Tis the season of giving and there are a lot of multi-blogger giveaways out there. The one that caught my eye is Jingle All The Way International Giveaway! where the winner gets to choose where their voucher comes from out of a great pool of online stockists.

Check it out here...

*****

Glitter Overload

Hi lovelies,

Today's title reveals what it is all about. Glitters! And what a sparkly one this is. And, it fulfills the criteria for Getting Ready for Christmas Challenge's Glitter Overload theme as well as the Totally Doable Nail Challenge's Lights theme.

 

This is Toast-ess With The Mostest created by Christy and Valesha from Peachy Polish for K B Shimmer. It is a clear glitter topper loaded with circle and hex glitters in shades of gold, silver and pink to mimic champagne. It is a glitter bomb. 
Though one coat is enough, I layered on two for these Disco '82 nails. Thus, fulfilling the TDNC's Lights challenge. I used Colorbar XXXX as the base but it is all covered up! Just look at the holo-ey shine.

Frankly, this is waaaaay too much for me. I do not like busy polishes much. So I was sceptical when I saw the bottle. But boy, one non-loaded coat was enough for me to fall hard for this polish. It complements all colours, light and dark. The micro holo glitters fills up the gaps left by the large glitters beautifully. This one is a definite winner.

Product: Toastest with the Mostest

Brand: K B Shimmer (Indie polish)

Collection/Range: Winter 2013 Blogger Collection 
Colour: Clear base filled with gold, silver and pink gliters in holo circles and hexes 

Finish: Gritty 
Qty: 15 ml   
Price/Availability: (Not available in India. Can be ordered through Harlow)

 THE CHALLENGES:

Getting Ready for Christmas!

Hi lovelies,

December heralds the beginning of Christmas season. And I am ready to face two nail challenges: Getting Ready for Christmas Challenge (Phew!) and the Totally Doable Nail Challenge (Amen!)
For this I combined both challenges. GRCC's first challenge is Not yet, but almost! and TDNC listed Pattern. 

Since I had just received a consignment from one of my favourite indie polish maker Different Dimension, I just had to, had to sprinkle some magic using Cranfairy! I used a design from Bundlemonster's Holiday collection which to me represented ORNAMENTS!

 I have Not yet put up my Christmas tree, but I have almost decided on the ornaments.So this pattern fulfills both my challenges.  And now for the gorgeous Cranfairy in all its lonesome, winsome beauty. 

Cranfairy is a squishy raspberry jelly polish with hot pink, burgundy and fuchsia glitters. It does not have holo glitters yet it is a definite beauty. Two coats did the trick for me. It did dry gritty, so this is with two super thick coats of Seche Vite (Ah, what would we do without it). 

A close up of how the polish looks on your nail. It kind of looked like a squishy watermelon to me. Is that black glitter I see? I really cannot figure out. And one more photo showing its squishiness, aided by my trusted SV, of course. 

So what do you think of the polish and my take on the challenges? Do leave me a comment. I read them all. 
As for the giveaway I talked about it my last post, I am working out something interesting for you all. So, stay tuned :)

Base used:
Product: Cranfairy

Brand: Different Dimension(Indie polish)

Collection/Range: Fall 2013 

Colour: Raspberry jelly with hot pink, burgundy and fuchsia glitters  
Finish: Gritty  
Qty: 15 ml
Price/Availability: (Not available in India. Can be ordered through Etsy store) 

Stamping:

Polish: Konad white

Plate: Bundlemonster Holiday Plate: BM-H02

 

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100th post and Christmas challenges!

Hi lovelies,

This is my 100th post and thanks for being with me through this lovely journey. My entry into the nail world has been exciting to say the least. I have made many new friends and found great polish brands. It is like discovering a new world. I'm sure you know the feeling.
We all have occasional obsessions, that pass with time. I thought my obsession with polish and nail art would go the same way. But it hasn't, so far. So, to push it further, I have decided to take part in two Christmas challenges.
 The first is the Totally Doable I Have A Life! Challenge by Californails. I just love the title. Don't you? Here's how it goes...
 

The second is Getting Ready for Christmas by Elsa of Likeacandyshop.com. Here are the details...

I also plan to host a giveaway to celebrate Christmas and my 100 posts. Would you like that? Wish me luck with the challenges and leave a comment below.

31DC2013: Day 20 Water marbling

Hi lovelies,

If I think galaxy nails is tough, water marbling is tougher. I really respect the nail artist who can water marble well. I just do not have the patience for it :(
But for this challenge, I boldly went where I had never gone before. And the result is this:

I know it is not that neat, but hey, I tried! I know I also smudged one of the fingers topcoating it.  In my defence, I thought it had dried. I really really need to buy some patience from somewhere :)

Colours used:

OPI Alpine Snow (white)

Colorbar Turquoise (88)

Colorbar Quick Finish Bubbly (bright rose pink)

31DC2013: Day 19 Galaxies

Hi lovelies,

I envy people who can get galaxy nails right. I, for one, do not have the patience to sponge on 10 different polishes to achieve the look. While there are many indie polishes that can give a galaxy effect like the one here, I decided against taking the easiest way out.

I decided to take an easier way out :)

I did accent nails by layering a black polish, then using a couple of Revlon polishes, I used the dry brush technique to give the green, blue, purple effect which is more visible in the photo below. Then, I stamped silver stars on it :)

The glitter nails are a black base layered with Different Dimension Wish You Were Here as well as Drops of Jupiter.

If you liked it, do leave a comment below :)

Colours used:

Base: VOV black

 

Galaxy effect:

Revlon Streetwear Icy Blue (blue)

Revlon Streetwear Aqua Divine (turquoise)

Revlon (scented) Grapefruit Fizz (pink-purple shift)

 

For stamping:
Polish: Revlon Budding Chrome (silver)

Plates: Konad M14 (stars)

 

 P.S. Connect with me.

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31DC2013: Day 18 Half Moon

Hi lovelies,

I have never done a half-moon manicure before so Day 18 was a challenge. I was in no mood to remove my splendor-ous glitter manicure from the day before, so I worked out something to my satisfaction.
And here it is:

Ain't it festive? I had none of the half moon stickers that people usually use for nail art. And then I got an idea from Wackly Laki's post here. Blogger Anutka used a stamp to create a half-moon. This was better as there was more detailing compared to a simple half-moon. And ta-da!
Anutka at Wacky Laki and Melissa at the DailyNail are two bloggers who have some amazing and amusing half-moon manicures :)
So, if you liked this manicure, do leave a comment below.

Colours used:

Base: Color Club Holiday Splendor

For stamping:
Polish: China Glaze Passion (antique gold)

Plates: Mash 47 (abstract flowery circle) 

 P.S. Connect with me.

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31DC2013: Day 17 Glitter

Hi lovelies,

Day 17 is a glitterific challenge. There are very few among us nail art lovers who do not like glitter. Even those with a nude polish fetish love some bling.
My favourite glitter collection among branded polishes remains Color Club 2011 Christmas offering. And in this, my favourites are Sugarplum Fairy (here) and Holiday Splendor.

Isn't it GORGEOUS!!! It has been aptly named Holiday Splendor. This is green and holographic glitter in a squishy green jelly. I love jelly glitters!!! Frankly, this picture does not do justice to how awesome this polish is. Everyone is gaga about China Glaze Atlantis (an aqua jelly glitter), but this beats it hollow in colour and glitterness (is there such a word?).
The opacity is good for a jelly polish. This is just two coats. Since it is loaded with small and micro hex glitters, it dries slightly gritty. Nothing a top coat cannot fix though. Removal is tough like all glitter polishes. I get away by layering it on a peel-off base.
What's most wonderful about it is that it is still available online at many stores .  

Product: Holiday Splendor 

Brand: Color Club

Collection/Range:  Beyond the Mistletoe 2011
Colour: Vibrant green jelly
Finish: gritty
Qty: 17 ml
Price/Availability: $3.10 but can be bought for a discount at certain websites (Not available in India. Can be ordered through Amazon and transdesign) 

31DC2013: Day 16 Tribal print

Hi lovelies,

Day 16 of the 31 Day Challenge is tribal nails. While everyone was doing tribal art from America, I wanted to focus on an Indian art form.
Can you guess what it is?

 Yes... I chose Warli art (Read below for more on this form).

Ideally, I should have used a brick red background for obvious reasons, but I had just got my hands on this beautiful purple with a reddish golden shimmer (not evident in the pic ) and was compelled to use it. Who knows better than you guys what that feeling is .
Since I was running late on this manicure and was already in office, I had no acrylics or brush to paint the design. Aah, well Indians are not known as jugaadus for no reason. I improvised and used a silver gel pen to freehand the design on it. I was not quite sure how the other challengers would view this 'strange' print. To my surprise, it received quite a few likes. Well, what do you know!

Base used:
OPI Dutch Ya Just Love OPI

For design:
Silver gel pen

ABOUT WARLI:
The Warlis or Varlis are an indigenous tribe or Adivasis, living in mountainous as well as coastal areas of Maharashtra-Gujarat border and surrounding areas.They have their own animistic beliefs, life, customs and traditions, as a result of acculturation they have adopted many Hindu beliefs.
In the book The Painted World of the Warlis Yashodhara Dalmia claimed that the Warlis carry on a tradition stretching back to 2500 or 3000 BCE. Their mural paintings are similar to those done between 500 and 10,000 BCE in the Rock Shelters of Bhimbetka, in Madhya Pradesh.
Their extremely rudimentary wall paintings use a very basic graphic vocabulary: a circle, a triangle and a square.Their paintings were monosyllbic. The circle and triangle come from their observation of nature, the circle representing the sun and the moon, the triangle derived from mountains and pointed trees. Only the square seems to obey a different logic and seems to be a human invention, indicating a sacred enclosure or a piece of land.
Source: Wikipedia

31DC2013: Day 15 Delicate Print

Hi lovelies,

My net is back up (for now) and I will finish putting up the challenges I've met. Day 15 of the 31 Day Challenge by Chalkboard Nails is Delicate Print. 
Here's my take:

I love how simple and elegant this print is. A pink base with white stamping would have really brought the delicateness to fore. But then, pink and me? Yeah right ;)
So, what do you think about this manicure? Don't forget to write your views.


Colours used:

Base: OPI Jade is the New Black 

For stamping:
Polish: China Glaze Passion (antique gold)

Plates: Konad M71 (full nail flowers) 

 P.S. Connect with me.

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Faces Canada in Ahmedabad, too!!!

Hi lovelies,

It is raining polish happiness in Ahmedabad. I already shared the good news about Inglot entering the Ahmedabad market. When I went to check out their store, I stumbled on another counter. 



 Yes... Faces Canada has opened its store inside Lifestyle at AlphaOne Mall right behind the MaxFactor counter.

Established in 1974, FACES offers prestige FACES branded cosmetics for every demographic, skin care and anti-aging products and a variety of aesthetic spa services. FACES point of difference is its dedication to customization and personalization as well as offering a tremendous array of colors and shades to choose from.  - See more at: http://www.glitterandgorgeous.com/2011/09/my-faces-eyeliner-collection-review-and.html#sthash.sVF59xpV.dpuf

Established in 1974, FACES offers prestige FACES branded cosmetics for every demographic, skin care and anti-aging products and a variety of aesthetic spa services. FACES point of difference is its dedication to customization and personalization as well as offering a tremendous array of colors and shades to choose from.  - See more at: http://www.glitterandgorgeous.com/2011/09/my-faces-eyeliner-collection-review-and.html#sthash.sVF59xpV.dpuf

 
About the company:
FACES Cosmetics, with a proud Canadian heritage spanning over 38 years, offers an exclusive line of makeup, skincare products and personal care accessories. FACES offer unparalleled variety in its products, which are designed to suit every ethnicity, skin type and tone, complexion and texture. Not tested on animals, FACES products are hypoallergenic and conform to the most stringent quality and safety requirements. FACES products are globally acclaimed and are available at attractive price points in all its markets from North America to India. The wide assortment of shades, textures and designs helps the FACES consumers capture every look and style, right from casual to professional to glamorous. 

If you google, you will find beauty bloggers raving about their eyeliners and polishes. I went looking for the matte polishes, but found none. Considering they opened just 10-15 days ago, I asked the SA to ask if they were going to get matte polishes. I really hope they do. If not, the eyeliners are ripe for the picking.
Yeah.. buying nothing is never an option ;)
I am just glad about these Diwali bonuses. I hope the other brands take a cue and make a grand entry too. Are you listening China Glaze, Essence, OPI, MAC, Kryolan, Chanel... well, you get the idea.

P.S. If the store has presence anywhere else in the city, do tell me, I shall update it here :)

Inglot's in Ahmedabad!!!

Hi lovelies,

I bear good news. At least for those who live in good old Amdavad. For those Gujaratis who have been praying and cursing the gods alternately for keeping big brands away from our city, there's hope. For Inglot, a renowned international cosmetic company, is finally in Ahmedabad! YAY!!!!



Yes... it is here. At AlphaOne Mall in Vastrapur. Quite close to me too. Double YAYYY!!!
Okay, it is a large stall and not a store. Not yet :) I can always be hopeful.
Just look at those gorgeous colours!!! 
I own a couple of Inglot nail polishes. They don't have names only numbers. Sigh.
But I love Inglot 517, a gorgeous creamy pink matte which I used here. 

I also own Inglot 204, a blue flakie.. yes, they have flakies... which I used for this art.

Isn't it gorgeous!! 
I was in a hurry yesterday so just caught one snap of the stall. I am going back today and shall update you on the products available there.
For now, I think this is the only stall in the entire city, but if there are other outlets do let me know in the comment box below :)

For those who don't know, Inglot is a Polish brand that was established over 25 years ago by Wojtek Inglot, a chemist working at that time in R&D department in pharmaceutical company.They launched the world’s first ever Breathable Nail Enamel ensuring better health care for nails whilst enhancing their beauty.
Their unique Freedom System allows customers to experiment with countless shades and colour combinations of different face products, giving them the opportunity to create their own customized colour palette. What more can a beauty addict want?!

Giveaway

Hi lovelies,

Femme Fatale Cosmetics from Australia is hosting a giveaway to celebrate their two years in the business. 

You can see that the collection includes a lot of indie polishes not available in India. Check out the contest here. 

Best of luck :)

31DC2013: Day 14 Flowers

Hi lovelies,

Day 14 of the 31 Day Challenge is about Flowers. Since I totally loved the neon I used for stamping for the previous two days, I continued using it for this work.

I totally fell in love with this design. I brought the first Bundlemonster set just for the half-flower design you see on all my fingers. And then, of course, I sat on it till today. 

I also singled out a rose from another Bundlemonster set to tie it up with the base polish.

The base is a beautiful indie polish by Lush Lacquer. It is called Rosies Posies, a white crelly with bar and hex glitters of various sizes in neon green and pink. Goes perfectly with the theme doesn't it?

Colours used:

Base: Lush Lacquer Rosies Posies 

For stamping:
Polish: Colorbar Bloody Mary (neon pinkish red)

Plates: Bundlemonster 04 (half flower), BM 323 (rose)

P.S. Don't forget to connect with me.

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31DC2013: Day 13 Animal Print

Hi lovelies,

Day 13 of Chalkboard Nails' 31 Day Challenge brought in animal prints. I am not much for animal prints, but I loved the combination of colours I ended up with.

I stamped a zebra print using a neon pink red on a clean dove grey background. I also randomly picked out black, white and hot pink glitters in square and rectangle from various polishes because I am hugely lusting after Glam Polish Bricks and Blocks. I wish Australia would lift its ban on international shipping of polishes. I really need that polish in my life, like right now!
Thankfully, you guys will understand my obsession :)
So, don't forget to leave a line on whether this manicure is to your liking.

Colours used:
VoV (unnamed grey) base

For stamping:
Polish: Colorbar Bloody Marry (neon pinkish red)

Plates: Konad M67 (zebra print)

Accent: Random glitters in hot pink, black and white

P.S. Don't forget to connect with me.

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31DC2013: Day 12 Stripes

Hi lovelies,

As you can see from the header, the theme for Day 12 of the 31 Day Challenge was stripes.
This is the manicure I ended up with. Though a little complicated, I liked the design a lot. I'll definitely try this again.

I used a black base and then painted on stripes using white acrylic paint and coloured polishes. I also tried one without the base. My thumb, if you look carefully. I liked both looks.
Hope you liked it, too.

 Colours used:
VoV Blackberry (black creme)
Colorbar Bloody Mary (neon pinkish red)
Zoya Mitzi (matte chartreuse green) 

P.S. Don't forget to connect with me.
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31DC2013: Day 11 Polka Dots

Hi lacqueraders, 

Day 11 of the 31 Day Challenge thrown by Chalkboard Nails is polka dots. And with that the image that comes to mind is Minni Mouse. But I had already done my share of MM nails. Therefore, I decided to take up something different.
I had once seen a manicure and loved it. I cannot recollect the blogger's name but shall link it as soon as I find a clue. And this is my version of the nails.

Isn't it pretty?
The base is OPI Did You Ear About Van Gogh, a clean creamy putty shade that does flatter my dusky Indian skin. The polka gradients are Colorbar Pro, a glowy purple, Deborah Milano Sense Tech 10, a shimmery matte blue, and China Glaze Running in Circles, a glassfleck grassy green. 

P.S. There is a group I belong to on Facebook called the Indian Lacquer Lovers. This submission also goes for their theme of the week: Polka Dots. #ILLnailchallenge
  

 Colours used:
Colorbar Exclusive 76 (black creme)
Inglot 204 (blue flakies)
NYX Peach Ave (Golden flakies) 

 P.S. Don't forget to connect with me.
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