Put a rose in your cheeks

Sydney's weather is really whacked up this summer. Summer feels nothing like summer. Today was such a gloomy day. In order to cheer myself up, I've decided to jump on the floral train, although I am a bit late in joining the parade.
I used Essie Mint Candy Apple as a base. Surprisingly, it only took 2 coats, considering normally Essie requires 4-5 coats for complete opacity. I'm the sort of person to stick anything and everything onto my nails. The flower on my ring finger is actually made out of paper and meant for scrap booking and other non-nail art purposes. I can't help myself. Topcoat is the solution for everything. But the flower is really getting on my nerves now. I can't even seem to wash my hands properly with that attached. I really shouldn't have used so much nail glue.
The little flakey thing on my ring finger is the residue of the nail glue that doesn't want to come off no matter how hard I scratch at it. I'm not sure if you can see but the flowers are drawn using white over pink. It was absolutely agonising repeating the same process on my right hand.
Personally, I think this is rather successful considering that I very rarely draw roses because I know that they would also turn out looking like squished bugs. I've surprised myself this time. I hope this will bring back the warm and sunny summer weather.

These roses could also be painted using acrylic paint and topped off with a layer of topcoat. Acrylic is much easier to handle as they can be washed off with water and does not dry as quickly as nail polish so things can be altered if mistakes are made.

Have yourself a merry little Christmas

Laziness if really getting the better of me these days. I have the photos adjusted and ready for weeks but I'm too lazy to blog. I'm so sorry. And I promised to make more tutorials..

In the spirit of Christmas, I painted my nails green. They were also red, but I didn't think that was anything special. I used Zoya Ivanka and painted the tips matte. Nothing fancy, really. Although Zoya Ivanka is my all-time favourite green. It looks so positively wonderful in real life.
I also haven't been taken proper care of my cuticles. I thought summer was meant to be nice and moist.

I'd like to wish you all a very merry Christmas!

That glitter monster

Two posts in one day? This must be some sort of miracle.

I've made this franken some time ago (so long that I don't even remember when). I can't even recall what I've used in it. It is a jelly-esque polish with holographic glitters.

There's actually not much to say about it. It is nice, but not "wow". Maybe it'll tickle someone else's fancy.

Hello summer

Recently, I've been extremely lazy. Even more so than usual. I'm actually 3 posts behind. I've had China Glaze Sun Worshipper on quite a few weeks ago, when I didn't have internet. I feel guilty that I'm only blogging about it now.

I remember the fluro phase that Sydney went through a couple of years back. I was never a big fan of those blindingly hideous pinks, yellows and greens. I don't know what came over me when I bought this bottle of neon orange from China Glaze's Poolside collection. However, I am glad that I did.

During application, I had quite a shock. The neon polish dries matte! The thin and runny consistency was also a bit of a turn-off. But the end result was more than enough to overcome the sucky application process. This was with around 5-6 coats of China Glaze Sun Worshipper with a layer of top coat as otherwise the nail polish would be matte. Neon just wouldn't be neon if it wasn't shiny and blinding.

I wish my camera would capture the vivid colours of this polish. You'll need to see it in real life to truly fall in love with the neon China Glaze Sun Worshipper.

Yoga-ta get some flaksies

Nubar 2010 strikes again! This is my absolute favourite. It looks amazing over anything and everything. I definitely recommend that you get your hands on a bottle of this liquid gold.

I've cut my nails really short for moving. My hands are still suffering from all the heavy lifting, packing and unpacking. Having OPI Yoga-ta Get This Blue on my nails made me felt less like a cavewoman but it is Nubar 2010 that brought a smile to my face.
As if you wouldn't fall in love with this combination. Here's a close up if you're still not convinced.
The flaksies change colour with every shift in angle like Frank Gehry's Guggenheim Museum. I hope this post gets uploaded at the correct time since I'm using the "scheduled" uploader option as I would still be internet-less when this is posted.

Correction: Blogger, you've failed me. Scheduled posting doesn't work. At least I've gotten my internet back now

Nail shaping tutorial (square tips)

I am so so so sorry for not blogging for so long. I've moved houses recently and I will continue to be internet-less for another week, if I'm lucky. I'm camping out at my mum's shop right now, stealing her internet. I promise that once I get my internet back, I will try to blog more tutorials!

This tutorial was requested by Christie months ago. I'm really sorry that it's taken so long to be uploaded. This is only for square or square-oval tips.

So let's get started! Before I cut my nails, I like to take my nail polish off and take a shower. It is very important to soak your nails so that they are soft and malleable. This will make cutting a lot easier as your nails will not resist the force as much (Newton's 3rd Law). I've actually cracked my nail once because I was cutting them when they were not soaked prior. So always soak your nails! I am starting to sound like a broken tape recorder. Now gather your equipments. Not much, just nail clippers and a nail file.

Get your nails ready! My nails are already square because I've been rocking these since June, July. I don't think I'll be going back to round nails any time soon because I find that square nails look tidier (personal preference). But most importantly, square nails are structually stronger! My nails do break a lot less with square tips.

I actually don't know how often I cut my nails. Numerous people have asked me when I do cut my nails. I do it when I feel they are long enough to be broken (really depending on my mood and how daring I am). If your nails are normal-shaped (something that is not nature-defying like a square), then just cut along the lines that I've drawn. Make sure that you're cutting in a straight line. When your nails are dried, they will curve in naturally.

Tips on cutting: Work your way in from the sides, little by little. It doesn't matter is the edge is not completely even because it will be filed down. Don't try to cut off the whole nail in one go as this will bend the nail and may cause it to crack. Also leave 1mm more than your desired length because you will file off about 1mm. Here's what I mean by curving in naturally:

After your nails have been cut to the desired length, leave it to dry for a few minutes. I find that this makes filing easier. Now let's start filing! Always file in one direction, from one end to the other in one, firm stroke. Do not go back and for like a saw. Your nails are not like dead wood. They have feelings. If you love them, they will love you back. After filing you'll find that there are some excess left on the tip.

Brush the excess off and gently file perpendicular to the direction that you were filing before but this time at a tilt to clean up the edge. I hope you understand my dodgy diagram. You could also use the nail file to scrape around the inside of the nail to get rid off the pesky little bits that just refuse to come off. File around the corners too smooth out any sharp edges.
Dust off all excess and you're done!
Now you have square tips that are oh-so-chic! Feel free to ask me questions about my unnatural nail shape.

Where are my skates?

My favourite holiday would be Christmas. Everything is so sparkly and wonderful. That is also when the best nail polishes come out. OPI Brand New Skates was released quite a few years ago but it is still part of my favourites list.

It is, unfortunately, one of those sheer nail polishes. I had to slap on 5 coats to achieve complete opacity. OPI Brand New Skates have a nice, smooth consistency and was so easy to apply. It is a slate grey colour with iridescent sparkles. Love love love!

Once again, my dodgy point-and-shoot camera has failed me and left me with blurry pictures. I desperately need a DSLR. Or a steady hand.

Look at the details on this baby! How could you not fall in love with this polish?

Pasadena Purple

I am so sorry for not blogging in so long but everything is just thrown into one huge, uncontrollable and evergrowing ball of messy things that all need to be completed very soon.

I wore Nubar Pasadena Purple a while ago and forgot to photograph it until after 4 days of wear and tear. The polish on my index finger had gone all wrinkly. But nonetheless, this is a beautiful and unique colour that many people had complimented.

Once again, my camera refused to capture the correct shade of purple so 11% opacity of red is added over the nails to achieve that gorgeous colour. The polish was very easy to apply and just 1 coat gives an almost complete opaque finish. However, I have 3 coats on my index finger and 2 coats on the rest. Maybe that's why the wrinkly appeared on the index finger only.

I remember seeing this polish on Ginnifer Goodwin from the movie, He's Just Not That Into You. I definitely recommend that you get your hands on a bottle of this baby because it is probably one of the most distinctive colours out there.

I am not responsible for any spelling or grammatical errors as I am in desperate need of sleep. I do apologise for not reading over my rambles.

Spreading the love

I just have to share this with all of you even though I should be studying for Physics (it's on Thursday, I shall start hyperventilating).

I stumbled upon this while I was randomly clicking links on Youtube. Somehow Temptalia lead to him. He also has a blog called Petrilude. Yes, I've even hyperlinked it for you. He beats Michelle Phan anyday. I may just be really slow because you might have already found him but I am a much nicer friend by spreading the love.

I'll get back to medical Physics now but before I go I just have to say that I am so excited because my Palty hair dye has arrived and the darling postman even rung my buzzer twice cos my short legs can't seem to get down the stairs fast enough. I sense a review coming soon.

Head over Lubu Heels

I feel like I should be doing a Halloween nail art because this is the perfect time for cats and pumpkins and more cats. But the fact that I can't celebrate Halloween (this is Australia and HSC is killing creativity) really dampened my spirit. So instead, I've opted for China Glaze Lubu Heels. I know this is pretty old but I am in love with this polish!

China Glaze Lubu Heels is essentially tiny red glitters suspended in a sheer, jelly black base. However, I was able to achieve close-to-opaque with 3 coats while maintaining the squishy jelly-like quality. I absolutely adore jelly-finishes and the red glitter in this polish is a huge bonus.

I'd like to keep this on for a while because it is just so beautifully mesmerizing.

The golden age

Since I have over a week until Physics, I'm left with quite a few hours to do nothing. I made these nails for the darling Samantha. Thank you for being my first customer. She had requested them to be Steam Punk inspired. Although these were kind of out of my comfort zone to create, I have to admit that I did have lots of fun making them.

It was a spontaneous process. I didn't have any plans and just whacked things down without really thinking. It was a good way to get over the awful Maths exam, I guess. I love how the little gears look together with the pointed, chrome rhinestones. I also took apart one of my old watches for the clock handles. The aggression was soothing. The acrylic stars that I was making came to good use. I just couldn't resist adding one oversized, statement piece. The fan reminds me so much of Sam.

I used a white base coat. Then a coat of a copper bronze franken that I've made using Revlon's Copperglaze Platinum. 4 coats of OPI Glizterland followed. China Glaze Medallion was added to the thumbs for that extra bit of sparkle dazzle. Nail glue was used to stick down the fan and stars. Topcoat took care of the rest. I think I've used a quarter of a bottle of topcoat for this because I'm a paranoid nut, scared of the rhinestones coming off. Enough of my rambling, check it out for yourself. Caution: lots photos ahead.

All these were completed last night. Oh it was a glorious night spent in front of the television. I've missed my TV so much.

Ski on water

Lately, I've been really sluggish and quite DS-dependent. Yet I manage to squeeze in 6 hours of maths per day (which is agonising). I still don't understand what I'm doing half the time. I don't feel motivated enough to do anything, exemplified by the fact that I only have one hand painted. I also keep dreaming about English. They are all really similar dreams where I'm studying for another English exam but nothing would go into my head and I keep reciting my history and memory essay. Last night was the 4th time that I had that dream. It is quite terrifying.

On a much brighter note, I marbled the nails on my left hand. This was actually the first time that I've marbled straight onto my nails. I've always done it on fake nails because I thought the cleaning up process would be a nightmare if I were to dip my finger into nail polish. But with the help of Vaseline, the whole process was so quick and easy.

I started off with 2 coats of OPI Ski Teal We Drop as base. Then I used various shades of green: China Glaze Four Leaf Clover, a green franken made by mixing China Glaze Sky High-Top with China Glaze Happy Go Lucky, OPI Jade is the New Black, some more OPI Ski Teal We Drop and Zoya Ivanka.

The thumb reminds me of a watermelon. Overall, I think this was rather successful. OPI Ski Teal We Drop is such a gorgeous colour. I especially love how it doesn't make my skin look more yellow than it already is. The white powery thing on my thumb is left over acrylic powder. The moulds that I've ordered off Etsy had arrived so I was making acrylic stars.

I'll definitely make a marbling tutorial soon.

I'm still alive

I haven't blogged in quite a while. Yes, I'm still painting my nails during this time. Even though the HSC is a (the word that rhymes with itch), the nail polish fumes are keeping me sane. You should've seen me during the last week of the holidays without nail polish. I'd like to thank the two Shirleys for putting up with my insanity during that agonizing period. I'd also like to thank Vivien for the lovely post, I hope you're painting your nails while you're reading this. This is beginning to sound like one of those award speeches so I am going to stop before I throw up in my mouth.

After the Belonging Paper, I painted my nails. I've reworked the Ruffian moon and made it look more like the "real" thing, whatever that may be. I used 3 coats of Colour Club Worth the Risque as base. This is a holographic nail polish that turns into disco balls in the sun. I love it. Although I failed to capture it because my home only sees the sun during the morning (I'm usually asleep during that time). This will all change when I move in a month's time! I'll be sure to take a photo the next time that I wear it.

After the base colour had dried, I used manicure guides on my middle and ring fingers but free handed the rest with Revlon Black Lingerie, then Essie's Matte About You finishing topcoat. I like the free hand effect better. I'm sure you'd agree.

I don't know if it is Essie's matte topcoat's fault for my own fault for not leaving the black to dry completely before whacking on the topcoat, the matte seems to work better with China Glaze Matte Magic. I should do a comparison later.

Go paint your nails. If my left hand was coordinated enough to free hand a Ruffian moon, then you should have no problem painting both hands.

Click me!

Procrastination. It sounds like such a bad word. It is kind of like "sarcastic". It even looks bad.

So I was thinking (this rarely happens) about the title of the previous post and because I think I have spent way too much time with Troll, immature thoughts keeps popping up. Same applies for the title of this post but I am too lazy to come up with something creative. Belonging has sucked all the creative juices out of me.

So I got off track. What I was meant to say many lines ago was that you are more than welcome to click on my photos to enlarge them and admire my beautifully nourished cuticles. They looked horrible once upon a time (I'd say about a month ago, actually). But now, with Lush's Lemony Flutter Cuticle Butter, my cuticles are saved and if I could use a comparative analogy: they used to look like Nicole Richie but now look like the luscious Miranda Kerr. I should get paid for this amazing advertising.

Actually, I'm just bored and don't want to write another stupid introduction. I'm killing trees while wasting ink. Am I killing your time too? Here's a little something to make it up to you, or to give you a heart attack.

I do not own this image, credits to the owner.

I found this a long time ago and saved it. Should I call an ambulance?

It's coming...

Yes, you know what I mean: the much dreaded HSC is coming in 2 days. My procrastination level has reached 99 and is ready to transcend to the ultimate epic. I also haven't blogged in a week. I honestly had nothing to blog about.

Remember my promise not to touch my nails until the HSC? Well I couldn't resist. I mean, there was a massive chip! What else am I suppose to do? Just leave it? I don't think so. The gold mani did last over a week, thanks to Revlon's topcoat. I discovered the chip after I washed the dishes (with gloves). I was pretty "grr" about it. But it gave my an excuse to paint my nails again, I guess. All's well ends well.

Other than the great big chip on the index finger of my left hand, my nails were pretty much perfect. Very faint tip wear was visible but that was probably one of the longest lasting manis ever. Look, I even circled the chip for you. What really scared me was how much my nails have grown in just 1 week. Look at the massive gap between the polish and my cuticles! I think I owe it all to Lush's Lemony Flutter. I feel a review coming soon.

The glitter wasn't as difficult to remove as I had imagined. I got to drool over Channing Tatum's hotness on TV while I scrubbed my nails. Overall, it was a pleasant experience. Then I finally got the chance to paint my nails.

I used OPI Happy Anniversary. It is extremely sheer with a frosty-foil finish. The finish I feel is very similar to OPI Glitzerland, just more frosty. However, it took my 5 coats for a relatively opaque result. I would pile on more but I didn't want to suffocate my nails. I then added 3 coats of Essie Silver Bullion, a silver glitter topcoat. So altogether, I had 9 layers of nail polish on each nail (including basecoat and topcoat). I forgot to take a picture of OPI Happy Anniversary on its own but the result is pretty much the same as what I'm about to show you.

I like how dreamy this photo looks. Matches the end result which is very dreamy yet sparkly. It is hard to describe. It kind of reminds me of the Snow Queen. So clean and pristine but with a magical twist. Here's another photo of the same thing but with better details.

The glitters really come through. And a close up for good luck.

My index finger is looking very ugly at the moment. I guess I'll just have to wait for it to grow until it looks normal again. I think I might call this "Winter Wonderland" just to be cliche.

Light bulb

If you've watched Despicable Me, imagine "light bulb" the way Gru said it. I love those light bulb moments. They give me a purpose in life. No, I'm exaggerating. I've obviously been procrastinating a lot during the past few days (if not weeks) and have actually come up with quite a few new nail art ideas. So I thought that I'd better list them before I forget.

Obviously, these are going to be materialised after the HSC. Which is quite soon, actually.
♥ Tiffany & Co inspired (gives me an excuse to get China Glaze For Audrey)
♥ Minnie Mouse (who wouldn't love bows and polka dots?)
♥ Cookie Monster (his crazy googly eyes)
♥ Elmo (na-na-na-na Elmo's World)
♥ Christmas themed (I love Christmas, hopefully I can get my hand's on China Glaze's seasonal collection)
♥ Gingerbread man! (I am so excited for this one)

These will keep me going until next year.

Meemee says bye.

Bring on the burlesque!

I am so excited! OPI has released its Burlesque collection to celebrate the release of Burlesque the movie. You know, the one with Cher and Christina Aguilera. The movie doesn't look that appealing but OPI's collection of nail polish sure is amazing.

There are so so so many glitters! You should definitely go get out the swatches. Especially of the pure glitter ones. Yes, my wishlist has 2 additions: OPI Shimmer & Shimmer and OPI Sparkle-icious. They're both from the Burlesque collection. If you loved OPI Mad as a Hatter that was released with Tim Burton's movie, then you're going to love this collection. I know, I'm repeating myself. But I am just so excited! I can't wait to get my hands on those babies.

I guess I'll see them after HSC. That is in 6 weeks' time! Because I am so excited, I'll leave you with some photos of my current mani. I call them gold diggers. I promised myself that this will last me until the start of the HSC. Trying to keep this promise will be pure agony. I'm sorry that the first picture is blurry. My camera sucks. This is why I need a DSLR.

3 coats of OPI Glitzerland, 2 coats of China Glaze Gold Medallion on tips

It's like a gradient effect with glitter tips. The larger glitters are extremely reflective. I'm loving it. But it'll be a pain to remove. I'll worry about that later, I guess.

Go-Go Pink vs Mod About You

I should be studying right now. I woke up at 11AM today (wasted 2 hours already) and ended up playing my DS until 3PM. Then I don't know what happened in between 3PM til now. I really ought to be putting a lot more effort into being studious.

But instead, I bring you with a comparison of China Glaze Go-Go Pink with OPI Mod About You. Yes, this one's for you, Troll.

The first thing that I've realised is that they have completely different formulas. Well it is rather obviously since Go-Go Pink is on the sheer side while Mod About You is extremely opaque. The bottles do say a lot.

Left: OPI Mod About You; Right: China Glaze Go-Go Pink

As you can see, MAY has a cool undertone while GGP has a warm undertone. So they're not in the same groups of colour although they are both quite pastel. With 1 coat, GGP is extremely sheer while MAY is already nearly opaque.

1 coat of each

So I kept painting. With 3 coats, GGP is now opaque. MAY only required 2 coats in total. This is taken in the sun. The second photo is taken in shade. The colours look similar in the sun but completely different in shade.

In sun light

In shade

GGP is much warmer than MAY. GGP is almost peachy incomparison. Personally, I prefer MAY because my skin tends to look extremely orange with warm colours. However, the formula for GGP is quite watery for a polish that isn't sheer. It was a lot easier to apply and I did not encounter any problems.

Also, if you're looking for a dupe for MAY, I would suggest China Glaze Something Sweet from the Up & Away collection. I haven't tried it personally but I do think the formula will be less gloggy than MAY so I believe that would be something sweet to look into. Excuse the pun. I couldn't help myself.

I heart polka dots

You may have noticed that I now have a Wishlist column on the left hand side. If I could have all the nail polish in the world, I would. But since I am poor and trying to be realistic, I've only noted the ones that I desperately want. It is still a rather long list.

Now onto a much brighter note. I painted my nails today hooray! I know that I haven't blogged in a while, busy with school (just an excuse for being lazy, actually) and everything else that's happening in my life. Mind you, they're not all that terrific.

Today I used OPI Mod About You. It is a pale pink that has a hint of lilac in some angles. I absolutely adore this colour. But the application was a nightmare. It was gloggy and thick and streaky. In fact, I think it grew more troublesome as it got to the bottom. I'm halfway through the bottle already although I've only used it no more than 8 times (unless I've been sleep walking). I can explain why. Because application is such a nightmare, I need to use at least 5 coats to achieve a perfectly smooth finish without any streaks. You cannot get a more opaque polish than this. If you over look the fact that this polish is the ultimate devil child (even more evil than OPI Alpine Snow Matte), this is a wonderfully girly colour even though it makes my fingers look darker than usual.

5 coats of OPI Mod About You

This photo is true to colour because I had to add a 25% Magenta filter because once again, my camera refuses to capture the actual colour. I really need a DSLR. These point and shoot cameras are absolutely ridiculous.

Since my parents are out shopping somewhere for the new house, I had more time to kill. So I decided to polka dot my nails. I love polka dots. Although I am hating the fact that they are the current 'in' thing and just about every store has something that's polka dotted, no matter no ugly it may look. The colour of the rest of these photos are not true to life.

I used a dotting/marbling tool to make the polka dots in Revlon Black Lingerie. The scalloped tips are drawn free-hand, same as the hearts. But then for my right hand, I thought: "Why not make a template?" That was my stroke of genius. Since I could use masking tapes for striping guides and reinforcement stickers as tip guides, why not make pattern templates too.

I folded the masking tape in half and cut the shape of a semi-heart then unfolded the tape. Like with any other guides, I had to press down firmly to prevent bleeding. I'd have to say that it was a success (surprisingly as most of my creations don't turn out the way I imagined them to be).

The left thumb is my free-handed heart while the right is the heart from the masking tape template. It is actually quite funny because they look identifical even though I had no idea what I was cutting. I guess it's fate! Bet you couldn't tell the difference anyway. But if I had free-handed the right hand, the hearts wouldn't look like hearts. I can't control my left hand.

Maybe I should try cutting a masking tape guide next time in the shape of a cat. Til then, toodles (or was it doodles, don't remember).

Inactivity

Once again, I have nothing to blog about. I still haven't changed my nails. I really don't feel motivated to paint my nails. I feel like I haven't done anything today and it is nearly 8 o'clock. Life goes by so fast now.

I've just graduated from high school yesterday (then celebrated Nickey's birthday, happy birthday, again) and I feel so empty. To be honest, it is not my friends who I am going to miss because I know that I'll still be seeing them long after the HSC. I really miss my beloved teachers. The teachers who have put up with me for the past 2 (if not more) years. They were the ones who had to suffer my constant complaining and answer the stupid questions that I ask. I feel like I owe them so much. I honestly don't know how I could ever thank them enough.

I don't want to leave you staring at a sad blog entry about my life. So instead, you get to see Nelly's late birthday present (the small nail polishes) and what we used to make it (everything else in the photo). Just ignore the cling wrap and packet of strawberry clouds in the background.

I probably won't be posting much for the next 2 months. HSC is killing my life.

Ruffian moon manicure tutorial

I've noticed that there is a current trend in "Ruffian Moon" manicures. Creative Nail Design, otherwise known as CND is leading this trend with several variations of this manicure style. I was inspired by these 2 examples:

I do not own this image. Credit to source.

I do not own this image. Credits to source.

So I've decided to create a simple tutorial for creating this stylish look.

If you remember my Channelling Chanel entry, I talked about using french tip guides that can be purchased on Ebay for next to nothing. Well, great news! I've found an even cheaper method that eliminates the shipping time: hole punch reinforcement stickers! They can be found in all news agencies in the stationery section. Now gather them and cut them in half so one ring can be used twice.

Paint your nails a base colour. I wasn't bothered to make the whole thing perfect becase only the bottom of the nails will be seen. I've used 4 coats of Essie Pound Cake at the bottom. It is a light nude that leans towards greige and has a slight pink tinge. I would definitely paint my walls this colour. Looks so refreshing.

As you can see, the tips are not properly painted. This did not affect layering in any way. Apply a quick dry topcoat or wait for as least an hour for the polish to dry properly so that sticking wouldn't ruin the base. Get your semi-ring. Stick it on the palm of your hand to remove the excess stickiness. Stick it onto the bottom of your nail and make sure the semi-ring is stuck firmly to your nail otherwise bleeding will ruin everything.

I applied OPI Dim Sim Plum to the top half of my nail. I got a perfect coverage with 2 coats. I then applied China Glaze Matte Magic Topcoat for an extra twist.

Remove the semi-ring when the top half is almost dried. Check out the final result.

I'm pretty happy with it seeing that this manicure was so quick, easy and cheap to do. Those reinforcement rings would also be perfect manicure guides. Maybe some glitters would spice things up a little more. Go nuts!