#TGPNPC Purple: Day 32 of The Neverending Pile Challenge

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Hi lovelies,

For this challenge, I used something I had bought a very long time ago but never worn (of course). Fantasy Fire, a  Max Effect nail polish  by MaxFactor, is a lemming for many polish lovers. Thankfully, it arrived in India about the time I got interested in polish. 

Maxfactor Fantasy Fire layered over Dutch Ya Just Love OPI

FF is a complex and amazing polish. It looks like a purple jelly with red-green-gold shimmer. However, if you turn the bottle you can see an 'oil slick' of colours in the bottle. 

Maxfactor Fantasy Fire layered over Dutch Ya Just Love OPI

Since the polish is a layering polish, the formula was thin. I layered it over Dutch Ya Just Love OPI, a dark red toned purple with a golden and red shimmer. It was the perfect base for FF. 

Maxfactor Fantasy Fire layered over Dutch Ya Just Love OPI

Check out the gorgeous shimmery oomph it lent to the base. I could not catch the red to gold shift, except for my pointer in the first picture. But it was definitely there. I will now try layering it over a dark blue and black to see how that turns out.
How do you like this manicure? Don't forget to leave a comment below.

Check out the other participants here:

An InLinkz Link-up

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#TGPNPC Two Cremes: Day 29 of The Neverending Pile Challenge

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Hi,
For the two cremes prompt, I fell back on my most bought brand: Colorbar. Check out my stash here.

Colorbar Royal Velvet and Famous Plum dotted with A-England Lady of the Lake and Tristam

This is Royal Velvet from their Pro range. It is a dusty blurple creme. The brushes in this range are thick. The formula is rich and leaves no streaks. Most of them are one- or two-coaters. A boon for nail art lovers.

Colorbar Royal Velvet and Famous Plum dotted with A-England Lady of the Lake and Tristam

 I paired it with Famous Plum from the Quick Finish Range. This is a lavender creme. This is two coats. The formula was problem-free and dried fast as claimed. 

Colorbar Royal Velvet and Famous Plum dotted with A-England Lady of the Lake and Tristam

I dotted it with A-England Lady of the Lake (purple holo) and Tristam (blue holo) which kind of got lost in the colours :(
What do you think of these colours? Don't forget to leave a comment below.

Check out the other participants here:

An InLinkz Link-up

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#TGPNPC Solar/Thermal: Day 25 of The Neverending Pile Challenge

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Hi lovelies,

The solar/thermal trend in nail polishes picked up in earnest last year. I got a couple of colour-changing thermals from Polish Me Silly (formerly known as Lush Lacquer).
This one is Grape Intentions, which is fuschia/magenta when warm and a gorgeous deep purple when cold. It contains a mix of hot pink and purple holo glitters in various sizes. 

Polish Me Silly Grape Intentions color-changing thermal stamped with XL C plate

You can see the transition in the photograph above and below.

Polish Me Silly Grape Intentions color-changing thermal

Full disclosure: I tried out this manicure in winter but never posted it online. There is no other way I could have shown you a thermal polish as it is so hot in my city that even the free edge of my nails maintain the warm colour, so no transition. Not even a mild one :( 

Warm: Polish Me Silly Grape Intentions color-changing thermal

The pink (when warm) in this polish looks a bit garish with my skin tone. So I stamped a flower design from XL C plate on it using Revlon Grape (Now, that's an ultimate match). And it totally balanced everything.

Cold: Polish Me Silly Grape Intentions color-changing thermal

 I kept busy dipping my fingers in cold water to see the transition of colours like everyone else who owns a thermal (don't deny it). I wish winters would get here fast so I could try out thermals again. What do  you think of this? Do leave a comment below.

Check out the other participants here:

An InLinkz Link-up

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#TGPNC Gradient: Day 20 of the Neverending Pile Challenge

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Hi lovelies,

Here's moving on to Day 20 of the Neverending Pile Challenge. Here's what I did...

Gradient using Pretty and Polished Dresden Doll Diamond and Tears of Dionysus

Both the polishes are from Pretty and Polished's Gems 'n' Gellies collection. The green is Dresden Doll Diamond, a gorgeous deep green jelly packed with green glitters, while the purple is Tears of Dionysus, a royal purple jelly polish named after an old Greek Story about the gem Amethyst.

Gradient using Pretty and Polished Dresden Doll Diamond and Tears of Dionysus

I was hopeless in catching the beauty of this polish. I took several photographs but most of them were either blurred or colour inaccurate. The purple tricked my camera into believing it's blue (even in these pictures). ToD is a rich purple and DDD is a jewel green. I caught many people staring at my nails, and some even complimented the look.

Macro shot of Gradient using Pretty and Polished Tears of Dionysus (L) and Dresden Doll Diamond

 Like it, hate it? Don't forget to leave a comment below :)

 

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

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#TGPNPC Texture: Day 16 of Neverending Pile Challenge

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Hi lovelies,
I used the striping tape art for this manicure. The gorgeous texture polish featured here is OPI Honey Ryder, a light gold texture from its Bond Girls collection, and Faces Matte Savita.

I love the way this manicure came together. The gold looks beautiful on my dusky skin and contrasted awesomely with the matte blurple.

The purple is Faces Matte Savita. Yep, You heard it right. It has been named after it's inspiration:  Zoya Savita, a shimmery matte blurple. Since I have both I might do a comparison once I am back Home.

Here's another look. Most people liked the design on my pointer finger. What about You? Don't forget to leave a comment below :)

An InLinkz Link-up

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

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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...

An InLinkz Link-up

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31DC2013: Day 16 Tribal print

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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

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31DC2013: Day 11 Polka Dots

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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.
Instagram: http://instagram.com/indianlacquerade#
Bloglovin: Click here
Google+ Circle: Click here
Twitter: Click here
Facebook: Click here

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Gift wrap nails

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Hi lovelies,

Today I bring gift wrapped nails for you. I am technically running behind on the challenge schedule. I say technically because I have been meeting the challenges but problems with the internet prevents me from uploading the pictures. It is times like these when I feel I belong to a 'developing' country and not a developed one. But on the brighter side, we have made progress by leaps and bounds from where we were even a year ago!
Coming back to the challenges, this meets the Gifts theme set by Pink & Polished and Overpolished, Plump and Polished, as well as Presents and Gift Wraps theme set by Crumpet's Nail Tarts. 

I just love, love, love the blue used to create the gift-wrap pattern.

You can see the pattern more clearly in this sharpened picture. 

I used bornpretty glitters to add a bit of glimmer to the wrapping. So, did you like it? Don't forget to leave a comment!

Polishes used:
OPI Alpine Snow (white creme base)

For stamping:
Colorbar Exclusive 14 (gift wrap pattern)
Revlon Grape (bow accent)
Plates: Bundlemonster 204 (gift wrap pattern),Konad M61 (Bow)

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Drag marbling? Not really

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Hi lovelies,

I showed you Color Club Sugarplum Fairy here. The polish is awesomeness. But after a couple of days, I had this insatiable urge to stamp over it. And this is what I did.

Konad plate M78

I used Colorbar Exclusive 76 (black creme) to stamp this full nail design from Konad image plate M78.

Konad M78

The tipwear is visible in this macro shot, but not in real life. Pretty, ain't it? Do tell me how you like it :)


Base: Color Club Sugarplum Fairy
Stamping plate: M78
Stamping colour: Colorbar Exclusive 76

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Swatch: Color Club Sugarplum Fairy

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Hi lovelies,

After the bright and neony post, here's a glittering one. 

CC Sugarplum Fairy

This beauty is Sugarplum Fairy from Color Club's Beyond the Mistletoe Collection of 2011. The collection has six colorful and holographic glitters. This one is a lavender holographic duo-chromey glitter. 

CC Sugarplum Fairy

  
You can see here how the colour went from a beautiful lavender to a bluish purple. I love this glitter not just for the name (Who cannot love something called Sugarplum Fairy?) but for its strong holographic effect. The base is colourless unlike a couple of other glitters from this collection. The polish contains micro and hexagonal glitters.

CC Sugarplum Fairy

Check out the rainbows!!! As expected of glitters, and one as loaded as this, the formula was thick. They also dry gritty. I used a coat of Seche Vite, and all was well with the world ;) 

CC Sugarplum Fairy

It dries pretty fast. Removal is not an issue if you layered it over glue/Fevicol like I did. 

CC Sugarplum Fairy one coat

This is just one coat of the polish. If you look carefully, you can see the Fevicol layered beneath. I used just two coats of Sugarplum Fairy for  full coverage. Isn't this glorious?

CC Sugarplum Fairy

I wore this polish to church. And the woman sitting next to me just could not take her eyes off my nails. She just could not figure out how I got the rainbows on my nails. She was probably dying to ask me what it was, but being in church stopped her from doing so. I had fun watching her trying to catch a glimpse of my nails from the corner of her eye ;) 

Has such a thing ever happened to you? Do tell me about it.

How do you like this polish? Do leave me a comment below :)

Product: Sugarplum Fairy
Brand: Color Club

Collection/Range:  Beyond the Mistletoe 2011
Colour: Duochrome, from silvery lavender to light purple
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) 

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Swirling flakies

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Hi lovelies,

Yesterday I showed you a beauty called NFU-Oh 51. And today, as promised, are shots of the design I stamped it with.

Look at the glowing gorgeousness. This polish is a stunner! Here's a closer shot of the navy blue stamp:

And another:

Okay, this is the last photo I promise you. 

Check out the multichromatic flakies shining through the stamping. I did not colour-correct any of these pictures. 
So, how did you like this design? Don't forget to leave your comment.


Base: NFU Oh 51
Design: Swirls
Plate: Konad M60 (I think)
Stamping polish: Colorbar Pro Phantom (Navy blue)

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Swatch: NFU Oh 51 Flakie heaven

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Hi lovelies,

I continue to live in flakie heaven. My company: Nfu-Oh 51. It's a bottle full of purple multichromatic flakie awesome-sauce :)

While camera just refused to pick up its awesomeness, this is the most colour-accurate picture I could manage. Isn't it a beauty? In sunlight, the polish takes on a rich purple tone with copper and gold flakies shining through. This is what I had expected Deborah Lippmann's Ray of Light to be like. 

Check out the bottle! It had to be some clever mind to design such a stunner: A corset-bodice for a handle and a full-skirt bottom as the bottle. It's like a piece of art. I know for sure I am not throwing out THIS bottle when I finish the lacquer. 

Check out the flakies! Golden green, copper-gold, deep purple... This one has it all! This beauty is loaded. It not only has large flakies, it has micro ones, too. And since this polish has a tinted base, it can be layered over dark colours. I want to try it over a blue, green, red and black. Do you have any other colour bases in mind?

The tint is sheer. So, I used four coats to achieve this opacity. Doesn't it looks like a dupe of Clarin's 230 here? The formula is nice, a bit thick but that is expected considering it is loaded with flakies. The brush is a little stubby but not unwieldy. 

Wait for a few minutes between coats to avoid dragging or creating bald spots. You might also need to push back flakies hanging over the nail tip as it will dry hard and feel sharp later. Since this is a flakie polish, wrapping it around the tip might be a problem. But the polish has lasting power. And amazingly, it dries smooth. 


I know my pictures have not done complete justice to this beauty. I promise to take better shots the next time I wear it. And I stamped over this beauty. That's for tomorrow :)

 Product: 51
Brand: Enfu-Oh
Colour: Purple with multichromatic flakies
Finish: Jelly
Qty: 17 ml
Price/Availability: $12.50 but can be bought for a discount at times (Not available in India. Can be ordered through fabuloustreet.com) 

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