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29 April 2014

#TGPNPC Least Expensive: Day 11 of the Neverending Pile Challenge



Hi fellow lacqueraders,

I was spoilt for choice for this challenge. And decided to use up four insanely cheap polishes to get them out of my way. 

Etude 114 (jade green creme), Etude 137 (metallic purple), Insight 231 Bold Blue (dark blue creme), Insight 254 Dream star (shimmery gold-green).
  These are Etude 114 (jade green creme), Etude 137 (metallic purple), Insight 231 Bold Blue (dark blue creme), Insight 254 Dream Star (shimmery gold-green). I got the Etudes and shimmery green Insight for Rs 25 ($0.41). I bought Insight Bold Blue for Rs 35 ($0.58). I think they might contain 7 ml polish. I don't know which polish can be cheaper than this! 
Etude 114 (jade green creme), Etude 137 (metallic purple), Insight 231 Bold Blue (dark blue creme), Insight 254 Dream star (shimmery gold-green).
I put down a base coat of the green creme, and swiped a stripe of the shimmery green in the middle of each finger. I put down a strip of blue on each side of the shimmery green. And then, striped the metallic purple on each side of the blue.
While it sounds complicated, the polishes dried fast and I was done with the manicure in 2 minutes. All I needed was a nail art brush. I used one from a nail art pen. 
Etude 114 (jade green creme), Etude 137 (metallic purple), Insight 231 Bold Blue (dark blue creme), Insight 254 Dream star (shimmery gold-green).
 This is the first time I used stripes in a manicure. I found this to be quite an interesting look. What about you? Leave a comment below.
Check out the other participants here...

28 April 2014

#TGPNPC Most Expensive: Day 10 of the Neverending Pile Challenge

Hi lovelies,

Today's challenge is quite interesting. It seems I have already shown you the most expensive polish that I own here. So the next untrieds are a couple of Picture Polish and KPT polishes. Here' I bring to you Picture Polish Geode.
Picture Polish Geode

Geode is a collaboration shade created with Ami from EverySensory. "It is an egg shell blue with multi-sized hex glitter in royal blue, sea blue and gold dusted with scatter holo, states the website.
Picture Polish Geode
It dries a bit textured, so I used two coats of (non-thick) Seche Vite.
Macro shot: Picture Polish Geode
 Here's a closeup of this polish which looks beautiful on dusky skin. Since there was an empty space (less glitter) on my ring finger, I stamped a sea-horse from BM 414 using Zoya Indigo (a dark blue metallic polish with a hint of multicoloured glitter).
Picture Polish Geode
 Did you like it? Don't forget to leave a comment below :)


Check out the other participants here:

26 April 2014

#TGPNPC Had to have it, still haven’t worn it: Day 9 of Neverending Polish Challenge

Hi lovelies,

Considering this is the Neverending Polish Challenge, many of us would have umpteen polishes that fall under this theme. I had three major lemmings: Picture Polish Kryptonite, Zoya Veruschka and A-England St George (yes, yes, I do realise they are all green). Since St George from the Legends Collection is the first lemming I quenched, here's the STUNNING beauty!
AEngland St George stamped with China Glaze Passion using Konad M54
The website describes it as "Bearer of a valiant & courageous heart, this fathomless teal reveals the strength of the brave knight's convictions with his gleaming, fiery core."
St George is a saturated green-leaning teal. This scattered holo is a one-coater! So it is probably better to load up on the basecoat to avoid staining.
AEngland St George stamped with China Glaze Passion using Konad M54
I got this before the Royal Mail debacle happened. Though I have the entire Legends collection, I so wish Royal Mail would remove the ban so that I can get my hands on more of Adina's polishes.


AEngland St George stamped with China Glaze Passion using Konad M54
I was in a hurry so I did not take standalone photographs of this polish alone. I used Konad M54 to stamp flowers like roses and tulips using China Glaze Passion (a rocking gold chrome polish which is awesome for stamping).
Thankfully, this comes on a Friday and the next challenge is on Monday, so I can wear it a lot longer than the previous manicures.  I loved this manicure, what about you? Do leave a comment below. I read them all. 

Check out other participants:

#TGPNPC Boutique: Day 8 of Neverending Polish Challenge

Hi lovelies,

For Day  8 of the Neverending Pile Challenge, I bring to you a simple but mindblowing polish to you. Presenting, Cirque Vectors from their Alchemy Collection.
Cirque Vectors layered over Faces Matte Silver Delight
This is my first Cirque polish. Vectors is a glitter topper packed with multi-shaped and sized black glitters floating in a clear base dotted with micro holographic glitter. You can see squares, hexes, circles, stars, bars, diamonds in this manicure. You can also the holographic sparkle on my pinky finger.
Faces Matte: Silver Delight
I managed to use another untried: Faces Matte Silver Delight. I love matte polishes for their quick drying properties. It is a boon when you are in a hurry or hardpressed for time to complete challenges ;)
This is a silvery greyish matte polish. The shimmer in it stop its from looking like cement. It is a beautiful work-appropriate polish, suitable for dark skin. The formula was great. This is just one coat of the polish. Amazing, isn't it?!
Cirque Vectors layered over Faces Matte Silver Delight
I dabbed a single coat of Vectors  over Silver Delight. I used two coats of non-thick Seche Vite to make it smooth. This glitter topper looks gorgeous on bright colours, too. I lent this to a friend who used it over a chartreuse green polish and it looked awesome!
I loved this combination, and plan to use it on a bright colour soon. Any suggestions? Don't forget to leave a comment below.

Check out the other participants here.

An InLinkz Link-up

25 April 2014

#TGPNPC Drugstore: Day 7 of Neverending Pile Challenge


Hi lovelies,

Day 7 of the Neverending Pile Challenge coincided with Easter so I present the 'extremely subtle' Easter Egg manicure using BO nail lacquer which is available at most stores in the city.


BO Lacquer: Pastel Easter mani
Now, you know why it is extremely subtle, :) The white stamping on the pastel yellow was visible only to those who looked at my nails carefully. But most looked. Thanks to the glitter polish, Color Club Gingerbread -- a blend of gold, amber, violet, and green holographic glitters. Since this is not available in India, I am not really sure if it is a drugstore brand.
This challenge made me realise that yellow is not such a dirty fellow after all. This manicure looked good even on my dark skin! What do you think?

Check out the other participants at:
 An InLinkz Link-up

24 April 2014

#TGPNPC Indie: Day 6 of Nevending Pile Challenge

Hi lovelies,

For day 6 of Neverending Pile Challenge, I present one of my two most favourite indie shops. I love polishes from K B Shimmer and Different Dimension. While you have seen a lot of DDs on my blog, KBS is still a hidden gem. So rectifying the issue, I bring to you the aptly named  I Got A Crush On Blue by KBS.

NPC Indie: KBS I Got a Crush on Blue
This is how the website describes the polish: A royal blue jelly, this polish was born to add sparkle and shine to your nails. Holographic glitters ranging from micro to extra large in size capture the light  to reflect a rainbow of colours. When applied in three thin layers, the  glitters seem to float in a sea of blue jelly, something that camera has a hard time capturing. This polish also looks stunning when layered over black or navy  blue.
K B Shimmer I Got a Crush on Blue
I layered it over Colorbar Pro Phantom, a deep, dark, shimmery blue. I swear, I tried, and tried, and tried, and tried but I just could not capture the glory of this gorgeous KBS polish.
I wish I could have captured its holo-iness. As with most glitter polishes, I kept the bottle upside down to get to the large hexes. The polish was a bit thick as is usually the case with glitter bases. But application was trouble-free.

Check out the other participants at:


18 April 2014

#TGPNPC Jelly: Day 5 The Neverending Pile Challenge


Hi lovelies,
Squishy, shiny jellies is one of the finishes I love. Here are two gorgeous scattered holographic jelly polishes that dazzled me.
L A Girls 3D Effects: Purple Effect and Electric Coral gradient
 These are Purple Effect and Electric Coral from the LA Girls 3D Effects range that offer holographic glitters in a coloured jelly base. 
L A Girls 3D Effects: Purple Effect and Electric Coral gradient
Despite being a jelly, the purple was opaque in two coats. This beauty is a dupe for Zoya Aurora. I sponged the Electric Coral, which has an orange base, to form a gradient at the tips. 

The formula is really great and the consistency is perfect. The application was a dream. Though it looks gorgeous in the shade, it is really 'fiery' and eye-catching in sunlight. My photos really does not do this justice.


Here's what the challenge entails:

 
Check out the other participants at:


16 April 2014

#TGPNPC Frosty: Day 4 of The Neverending Pile Challenge

Hi lovelies,

The theme for day 4 is frost. It is a finish disliked by most nail polish lovers. Here is Colorbar 03 Exclusive, a silvery grey with a subtle pink-blue duochrome. 


Colorbar 03 Exclusive
This polish could be the poor cousin to A-England's Princess Tears. As you can see below, it has the same colour and duochrome, but loses out on the holo effect.

Colorbar 03 Exclusive

This colour is very work-friendly (maybe I should make a separate category for work-appropriate polishes, what say?) and beautiful to look at. 

Colorbar 03 Exclusive
Application can be a pain though. The formula is smooth, but the drying time can test the patience of an extremely impatient person like me. Or is this a problem with all frosts? Do tell.
Stamping on Colorbar 03 Exclusive
Since I managed to dent the polish, I ended up stamping on it with Colorbar Amethyst using a zigzag pattern from XL A. And as per Murphy's law, the topcoat melted the stamping. In IRL though, it was not so very evident so I left it at that.


Here's what the challenge entails:

Check out the other participants here...



15 April 2014

#TGPNPC A random untried: Day 3 The Neverending Pile Challenge

Hi lovelies,

For Day 3 of the Neverending Pile Challenge, I have a random untried. 


 This is 85 Oh My Magenta 2 from Colorbar. A gorgeous dusty fuschia creme that would suit all skin colours. It is a two-coater and dries fast. I had no issues with the formula.

 
 
For accents, I stamped on my ring and thumb fingers with Konad White using the bigger flower pattern on BM 224.

If you're interested in joining the challenge, time's running out. Join a group on Facebook called the Glittah Pirates. Here's what is in store:
 

Check out the other participants here...



13 April 2014

#TGPNPC Pastel: Day 2 The Neverending Pile Challenge

Hi lovelies,

Day 2 of the challenge is themed: pastels. If you read my blog regularly, you'll know my non-existent love for pink. Yet strangely as I go through my pile, I see I have collected quite a few pinks.True to nature, I have barely worn them.


This one is Who Needs A Prince from Insight. I might not like pink, but I definitely agree with the name. What say? This is a work-friendly baby pink colour with a crelly (creme + jelly) finish.

This polish takes time to dry, like most jelly-like polishes. It would make a good base for nail art, or even jelly sandwiches.


If you're interested in joining the challenge, time's running out. Join a group on Facebook called the Glittah Pirates. Here's what is in store:


 Meet the other participants:



12 April 2014

#TGPNPC Glitter: Day 1 The Neverending Pile Challenge


Hi lovelies,

Like every polish lover, I have my share of untrieds. I felt guilty looking at them, till my good friend Dhara from The Happi Therapy told me about the Neverending Pile Challenge by Missy of Gnarly Gnails.
If you're interested in joining, it's running through a group on Facebook called the Glittah Pirates. The point is to use the polishes you bought with love, passion and hardearned cash, but never got around to wearing them. I have way too many of them gathering dust, so here goes....

OPI The Living Daylights Matte
The glitter is OPI The Living Daylights from the 2012 Skyfall collection. I mattified it with OPI Matte Top Coat. Here's the glossy version.
OPI The Living Daylights Glossy
The Living Daylights is a glitter topper with a mix of silver, light gold, teal and copper (or is it peach) metallic hexes in a clear base. As you can see here, it can be used sparsely for gradients, or for full nail cover just as easily.
These are actually two untrieds here. The base is the very cheesy sounding Pinky Pamper, a pastel nudish pink, from the Colorbar Quick Finish range.


If you are interested in the challenge, here's what is in store: