The lazy chevron

Hey there! I feel really shameful that it's been almost a year since my last post (again). Hope you're all well and dandy.

As you can tell from my extensive hibernation, I'm incredibly lazy. I've recently started doing my nail the super lazy way of painting them on a zip-lock bag first as a sticker. And as a mad chevron pattern fanatic, I just had to give this a go.

It turned out pretty well, minus the bubbles from the worst top coat ever. I regret buying this top coat so much that I don't even want to do a bad review for it. So just putting this out there, do NOT ever purchase the Sally Hansen Gel Shine 3D Top Coat. Worst. Top coat. Ever. Period.

Rant over, pretty nail art time!

I used Zoya in Anne as the base (my favourite namesake polish), and Revlon in Fuchsia Fever for the pre-painted pink chevron stripes, and a pair of pinking scissors.

Can you believe that I'm posing with my 1kg dumbbell weights. I've officially lost it.

Take care, y'all!

Mermaid nails: glitter review

I love glitters. And so does everyone else. I've been wearing this manicure for a week now and I've got to say, its so beautifully mesmerizing!

Thank you Born Pretty Store for sending my these awesome babies. Click here or on the photo to get yourself straight to the glitter pots. You absolutely need to give them a go!


I've done a mermaid scale inspired nail art with the blue to green tones, and just a tiny bit of gold at the tips for that extra shine. The photos honestly don't do them justice. I used Zoya Ivanka as base so even if they do fall off, I can still have glittery nails!

I encourage you to definitely give these a go because they're easy-peasy. Just use a bit of blu-tack on the end of a skewer to pick the glitter up one by one. Although it is an extremely laborious process, it is worth every second. I don't have any regrets.

Please use my discount code if you'd like to give these glitters a go. Click on the image to get to the site. Until next time!

We survived the end of the world!

Congratulations, everyone! We've survived the unofficial end of an era as 'predicted' by the Mayan calendar but for all we know the calendar writing guy could've just had a heart attack and didn't get to finish writing 2012.

I hope everyone had a very merry Christmas and I have to apologise for being extremely lazy and not doing a Christmas nail entry. Creativity is the last thing on my mind while I'm on break from uni. I just want to be boring and whack on a few layers of glitter since foils make removal a breeze.

Every year needs to be kickstarted with confetti! Lots and lots of confetti!

Base is Zoya Ivanka. One of my all time favourites. Even though it reminds me of a time of bitterness because I never got to watch Wicked. I love musicals. I wish my life was one but too bad I can't sing.

Then it is topped off with something that is even better than a thousand cherries! I love cherries, just saying, to give you the comparison. Sephora's Spark-tacular! Confetti in a bottle. How could anyone resist?

Happy new year, everyone. Thank you for putting up with my laziness for yet another year. I really need to discover a way to make nail polish dry in the blink of an eye (not even joking). Then I'd have amazing nails everyday. Then this blog wouldn't be so neglected anymore. Then you won't hate me for not updating.

I love you all, best wishes for 2013! ♥

Nailling tattoo

The fact that the felt tip pen has not left my hand since the beginning of this semester has gotten me thinking about how I can somehow make that into a nail art tool. I remember a while back, I posted an entry where I had used a biro pen to draw on Essie's Matte About You matte topcoat. A felt tip pen is much inkier and doesn't dig into the nail polish surface, making it an accident-proof nail art pen.

So with the "how" solved, my mind wandered towards Chanel's temporary tattoos. I've always wanted to get my hands on them ever since I had heard about them early last year but common sense prevailed.

Enough of my blabberings, I'm quite excited to share with you what I think is a rather good turn out for a design that is so completely spontaneous, inspired by Chanel.

The base is 5 coats of Zoya's Angella. The polish is one of those sheer pink-tinted iridescent pearls. I personally dislike sheer nail polishes because it justs really troublesome appearance-wise when yucky things get caught underneath my nails like glue (blame my course), food (think rainbow sprinkles) and moisturisers. With an excessive 5 coats, the finish is semi-sheer under certain lights and almost opaque in dimmer environments.

Instead of Essie's topcoat, I decided to try out China Glaze Matte Magic's ability to withstand my crazy squiggles. Rather impressive, actually. I've been rubbing on my nails while exerting quite a bit of force and the drawing is yet to budge.

Here's the basic precedure that I had followed to create this:
1. Basecoat (always always always, I absolutely cannot stress this enough).
2. Base colour (in this case, Zoya Angella).
3. Matte topcoat.
4. Attack your nails with whatever pens and colours you've got handy. I've yet to try it with gel pens.
5. After the pen drawing is dried, seal the design with another layer of matte topcoat, or normal, depending on the finish you're chasing.

To my surprise, the whole process had taken less time than a normal manicure since matte topcoats dry in a flash, even faster than those polishes that claim to "dry with in 60 seconds (liars)". This is so much cheaper than those Chanel tattoos and just as effective, in my opinion.

Formal raspberry

I painted my nails after surviving a whole day with very naked nails. Nothing special, really. This nail art is pure spontaneity, like 99% of what I do. Ever since receiving my Zoya polishes, I've been dying to try this colour out. I've also been getting this overwhelming urge to stick billions and trillions and gazillions of useless rhinestones onto my nails. Completely random, I know. So obviously, the ring finger was the first to happen.
The rhinestones were actually red in colour. In my dark, dim study at 10PM, Zoya Quinn appeared a lot redder than its actual burgundy-wine-ish colour. I've realised my mistake after I stuck those little buggers on. Being me, I was too lazy to redo that nail so I painted the rhinestones instead.
But amazingly, the rhinestones still retained their glow! I'm happy. I am in love with this polish. Love! Love love! Love love love! Then I whacked bows everywhere because a girl can never have too many bows. But I do have to admit that my ring finger looks like a giant rapsberry while the bows remind me of tuxedos. I should get some sleep before I start seeing penguins.
The white lines and patches are done with L.A. Colour Art Deco. And of course, 10 millions layers of top coat on top of everything. The other hand is kind of plain in comparison but a mistake on the pinky of that hand (I call it a "happy accident") had given me a brilliant idea for my next new manicure. Stay tuned for my stroke of brilliance!

Long overdue haul

I'd have to admit that this haul is at least 2 months overdue. So my sincere apologies.

The reason I thought that I really need to post about these is not purely due to my fanatical obsession with nail polish, but instead I'd really like to promote these Ebay sellers out of the goodness of my heart. I haven't been paid, asked, or even contacted by these sellers (I doubt anyone ever will). I've just been incredibly impressed by the amazing service and of course, affordability of their products.

I've gotten OPI's Katy Perry Collection from justpolish. I'm so responsible that I've even linked the Ebay store for you.
The reason that I love this seller is that when the polish arrived, one bottle was completely shattered and leaked over the bottle that it was bound with. I know that it is most likely due to the envelope (with layers and layers of bubble wrap, of course) packaging but I had no problems in my previous experiences with such method. However, I messaged the seller immediately to tell them that a bottle had shattered (ironically, it is called "The One that Got Away) and they've sent out a replacement the very next day without any hassle, which I received within a week's time! It was so incredibly fast for shipping from America because Australia is such a hole.
Definitely a shop to check out, simply because of its amazing service.

Secondly, onto my Zoya haul. In my opinion, Zoya has some of the most unique colours and I've always been a sucker for eye-catching fingertips. I've gotten 8 bottles from sparkling*nails and I've been so lucky to received very useful free gifts because I've spent over USD$50 on their items.

Along with my nail polish, I've gotten the Zoya Remove+ (nail polish remover) and the Qtica Half Time Polish Drying Accelerator as free gifts. Both of these babies work miraculously. I would definitely recommend these to purchase and repurchase and stock up in your nuclear-proof bomb shelter.I have yet to try out all of the new polishes and since I have quite a few nail arts in mind, I'll try my best to execute them using these new shades. However, everything shall depend on how lazy I'm going to be feeling. Don't get your hopes up too high, just saying. I kid. Do I really?

Brushes of sparkling dusk

I'm back! I haven't abandoned you nor forgotten about you. I've just been frustratingly busy with uni work. Its either that or UHU glue. Those stringy buggers are my manicures' worst enemies! Model building with balsa wood (and other weird and wonderful things) have completely destroyed my nails. Heck, I've been painting my nails, very frequently, I might add. The only problem was that I never seemed to have time to catch them before they are destroyed by UHU glue, again. There had been so many photos that I wish I had taken so I'd actually have things to showcase on this blog.

I know that wasn't a very proper apology (it was actually me trying to save my own backside), so here's a huge big SORRY..
Now that's out of the way, let's move onto the more exciting things.

A few days ago, dear Kimberly showed me this link:
So being me, I naturally accepted the challenge. But why have plain ol' black when purple is the new black? Or so I keep telling myself. This is what I've managed to scrape together.
The iridescent base is 2 coats of Zoya's Angella. Dry strokes of Revlon's Primal Purple is used for the tip. Glitter in the form of OPI's Teenage Dream is added on top of the purple because glitter is my comfort food. Well not technically edible but you understand what I mean.
I still owe you quite a few more entries so stay tuned in the next couple of days when I'll be spam posting to make up for my absence.

Strawberry surprise!

This is 10 days late but happy new year to you all. My unspoken new year's resolution of blogging more frequently is an absolute failure. I still paint my nails a lot but I always forget to photograph them and by the time that I do remember, the tips are worn and sometimes even chipped. Nothing's blog-quality these days.

Moving on. I've been wanting to do strawberry nails for quite some time. I had finally gotten around to them last night. I'm pretty happy with how they've turned out, exceeding my expectations, even.
3 coats of Zoya Gilda was used as the base. The sparkly fuschia pink is an amazing shade in its own right. But I was pleasantly surprised when it was coupled with China Glaze Four Leaf Clover for the tip. Four Leaf Clover is one of the hardest colours to photograph. It is a lot greener in real life, leaning towards a forest green. Gold bullions are stuck on to represent the strawberry seeds. Strawberry seeds are yellow. Don't try to argue otherwise because I know I am right. I've been through this with countless people.
The gold bullions feel really funky when I run my fingers over them (in a good way) because they're so bumpy.
I hope I've inspired you to strawberry-fy your hands. Yellow nail polish can be used instead of gold bullions if you find that they are difficult to locate. I've seen small bottles of bullions in Morning Glory. But I get them from Ebay in those wheels. Now I need to get some whipped cream.

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.

Guilty pleasures

Attention: Any hint of arrogance present in this entry automatically translates to pride and pleasure.

Now that's out of the way. I am proud of my nail polish collection. Like any proud parent, I would like to see my babies grow and expand. Hopefully I would eventually reach the 1000+ mark. Sooner than later, I hope. There are so many more colours, finishes and textures that are still waiting patiently for me to discover them. I guess this is the purpose of this blog. To help you to discover something wonderfully new, whether it be an idea, a colour, or another way to procrastinate during the vital HSC period. I do feel rather sentimental today.

I really need a nail polish stand. A place to display my nail polish for easy access. Currently, they occupy one shelf on my downstairs bookshelf because that is the only place where the sun cannot get to. Sunlight + nail polish = bad. So don't ever store your nail polish where the sun can get to it. My other nail art supplies are stored in random shoe boxes under my coffee table. I hate it. I want a cupboard didicated to nails. Space is always an issue.

I think I current have 70-ish bottles of nail polish. I remember counting but not the number. It is a pretty pathetic number, I do have to admit. But a girl only has so much money to spend. I arranged them according to brand. I like the look like matching bottles. Since I have no life, I'll name every single one for you.

OPI:
Top row from left to right: Girls Just Want to Play, Dim Sim Plum, Chapel of Love, Mod about You, Happy Anniversary, Alpine Snow (Matte), Funny Bunny, Banana Bandana, Glitzerland, Bling Dynasty, You Don't Know Jacques, My Private Jet
Bottom row from left to right: Jade is the New Black, What's with the Cattitude?, Ski Teal we Drop, Yoga-ta get this Blue, Brand New Skates, Sheer your Toys

China Glaze: Lubu Heels, Doll's House, Light as Air, Strong Adhesive Basecoat, Matte Magic Topcoat, Ghoulish Glow Topcoat, Medallion, Sun Worshipper, Four Leaf Clover

Essie: Matte About You Topcoat, Haute as Hello, Pound Cake, Playa Del Platinum, Silver Bullions, Mint Candy Apple, Mesmerize

Revlon: Quick Dry Topcoat, Black Lingerie, Primal Purple, Fuchsia Fever, Franken (used to be Cherry Crush), Franken Squeaky (used to be Grape Shimmer), Franken (used to be Copperglaze Platinum)

Zoya: Ivanka, Gilda, Savita, Get Even Basecoat

Nubar: Sour Candy, 2010 (G188), Pasadena Purple

Milani: Key Lime Shine, Blue for my Baby

Colour Club: Worth the Risque (yes I bought 2 bottles, they were on special)

OPI mini: Tattoo You Want Candy?, I Love Mummy, Witch Arm?, Glow-ink the Dark

Orly: Fantasea

Bloom Seoul, Sally Hansen Nail Hardener, Kami Nail Foil Adhesive

Here are the under $5 nail polishes that I don't feel safe using anymore because they are packed with chemical goodness. So I use them extensively on fake nails. The colours are still wonderful though.

I can't wait to take another trip to Bankstown. I really want to expand my Essie and Orly collections so they can grow to compete with OPI for my love. I would also love to get my hands on more Zoya but Ebay is currently the only 'affordable' way of getting them. They still cost on average $12 a bottle when the exchange rate is high. I'll shut up now. Thank you for reading. I'm off to make a wishlist.

Subtle is key

I'm sorry for getting you sick. So here's an entry to help relieve your boredom. If you're not sick because of me, go away. You can't read this entry. Only joking.

I feel a lot better now. I can't wait to go to school on Monday because I've missed everyone so much. It'd totally suck if you're all sick though. I'd have noone. I painted my nails this afternoon. I didn't feel like working. Gwen Harwood is a life sucker, like one of those monsters in Sailor Moon. I miss Sailor Moon.

Back on track! I used Zoya Savita. It is a matte, suede-like eggplant coloured polish. My camera refuses to capture the correct colour so I had to photo filter 45% red to achieve a true to life colour. So I apologise for the rather pink looking skin. I'm yellow. I thought I'd give Zoya Get Even Basecoat another chance but my ridges are still visible. I guess I'll just have to wait and see how long Savita will last with Get Even as base.

Matte nail polishes are amazing. Zoya Savita is no exception. It goes on like any other nail polish but dries to become matte in a matter of seconds. My nails were completely dried just 5 minutes after application. 2 coats is enough for a great finish. However, I really don't like the small brush. I find myself needing to re-dip after 2 strokes. That caused streaks to appear as the polish dried at lightning speed.

2 coats of Zoya Savita over Zoya Get Even Basecoat

I really need to do something about my cuticles. They're dry and looking very ugly with supermacro. Can you see the ridges on my ring finger? Stupid basecoat not doing its job properly. It was looking a little plain so I decided to Konad it using plate m40. I only got this plate for the cute little crown.

Image hijacked from www.prettynailshop24.de

I used LA Girl Matte nail polish in white to stamp. I got it for my birthday, from Troll. I've never moved so fast in my life. The effect is a nice subtle finish. I'm loving it.

More ugly cuticles

Close up

I then spot applied China Glaze Matte Magic Topcoat. Another terrific thing about matte is that the topcoat can be applied to one spot and still dry flat, merging seamlessly with the nail polish. Maybe I'll dye my hair tomorrow.

I have more platinum than you

Since I didn't post anything yesterday, I thought I should blog another entry today to make up for yesterday's inactivity. After slaving over Thoughtless Alice and its Red Queen counterpart, my nails had random blotches of nail polish on them. Plus the tips of my Chanel inspired mani was kind of worn. So I changed my nails.

I love greys. I want to paint my new but old house's rooms a nice neutral greige. This is where Essie Playa Del Platinum comes in. It is a creme grey that is more on the beige side with its subtle green tone, released part of Essie's Resort Collection, earlier this year. Average application, like most of Essie's polishes that I've tried. 2 coats was enough to cover the nail but the perfectionist within me demanded a 3rd coat.

I had to use Zoya Get Even Basecoat today because I couldn't find my China Glaze. Sucks not having a polish stand. I can still see my ridges. I applied 1 coat of Nubar G188 over the grey base. I absolutely love the iridescent flakies! Then I applied China Glaze's Matte Magic Topcoat over everything. To be honest, I still having touched my Essie Matte About You Finisher. I love the result though.

3 coats of Essie Playa Del Platinum, 1 coat of Nubar G188, 1 coat of China Glaze Matte Magic

It was quite difficult to capture the nails. It is matte but still sparkly. Difficult for me to explain. But you can see the flakies reflecting the light that falls upon them. Looks amazing in real life. So stalk me tomorrow at UNSW open day and I'll hold my hand in front of your face.

Due to the matte finish, the surface of my nails feel like dried, unpainted clay. Quite awesome actually. I then discovered that I can draw on them with normal pens and the pen won't come off. It doesn't even smudge. I can prove it.

However, the down side is that I'd have to be careful when writing as I've already gotten an unwanted dot. Boo.

Zoya Get Even Ridge Filling Basecoat review

I'm the kind of person to flip through 5 pages on Google of reviews until finally buying the product. So before I bought the Zoya Get Even Ridge Filling Basecoat on Ebay, I've tried to find some reviews on it but there just aren't enough out there. This is step 2 of Zoya's Colour Lock System but I just wanted a ridge filling basecoat so I bought this thinking: "the less chemicals the better, right?"

I'm kind of disappointed although this is only the first time I've used it. As you can see the actual product is white and it goes on the nail white. After it dries, the dents of the nail ridges are still white while other areas have dried clear. I applied 2 coats of it to be safe. Then 3 coats of Milani's Key Lime Shine.

2 coats of Zoya Get Even Basecoat, 3 coats of Milani Key Lime Shine

My ridges are still there! Sorry about the cuticles. It was also quite difficult to apply with the basecoat. The nail polish went streaky and uneven, yuck. Overall, I think this basecoat is kind of pointless because what's the point of having a ridge filling basecoat if it doesn't work for chromes? But I'll try this with Zoya's polishes later and keep you updated because I hate knowing that I've wasted my money on a useless product.