Tutorial Thursday: Blue Valentine

I wouldn’t say that I’m jaded. I love Valentine’s Day and all the hearts and flowers that go with it. Just kinda bummed about it because I know I won’t be getting anything. I tell my husband every year not to worry about getting me anything with the small hopes he’ll see through it and get me something anyways. I know I should know better; men are notorious for not getting mixed messages and that’s one of the worst of them all, but I hate to have to come out and tell him yes, I’d like a card and flowers please!

So this tutorial is going to be short, simple, and blue. Blue for the feelings that a lot of people feel this time of year.

Supplies you’ll need: Three blue polishes. I used Polish Yer Hooves’ Don’t It Make Your Cow Eyes Blue, Sally Hansen Blue Frosting and OPI’s Unfor-Greta-Bly Blue (not shown). You’ll also need a fan brush and a pallet to pour your polishes on.

First step, and one that I forgot to take pictures of LOL, is put down your base coat. I used Blue Frosting as my base coat (and five layers later I reached full opacity). Pfft.

Step Two: Load up your fan brush with your lightest blue, which I used Cow Eyes for that.

With a very light hand, brush it over the top coat in a sweeping manner.

Step Three: Using your darker shade, lightly fan on some more lines. Doesn’t have to be perfect, just make sure some of your lighter blue can peek through.

You could even go a little less than I did with the darker blue.

Step Four: Using a nail art brush or a dotting tool, draw out a heart and then add little embellishments.

You can do this to each nail, but I chose to just do it on an accent nail. I love how this blue sparkles!

Top coat and you’re done!

Soooooo pretty! I love all the blues!

My flash kinda blew out this picture, but you get the point. I love how the holo in Cows Eyes just explodes!

Polish Review: Literary Liquors

The newest offering from Literary Lacquer is a set of six gorgeous gems based on drinks from literary works of art. What Amy, the creator of Literary Lacquer has done is create works of art herself.

First up is Pan Galactic Gargle Blaster. Inspired by Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, Pan Galactic Gargle Blaster is a vibrant turquoise linear holo with fine holographic glitter.

How flippin’ gorgeous is that?

Two coats reaches decent opacity, but I’m an over achiever and had to add another coat for good measure.

The holo in this is magnificent and it sparkles like something other-worldly.

I excuse my crappy lens giving me crappy pictures. Next time I do swatches, I’m switching lenses.

Next up is Strawberry Ice Cream Soma. Inspired by Brave New World by Aldous Huxley, Strawberry Ice Cream Soma is listed as a “warm pink crelly holo”.

Amy calls this her “office holo” as it is a very demure shade of pink indoors, but when you go outside it pops out in glorious rainbows of holo-y goodness. If it had been sunny when I did these swatches, I would have shown you… But alas, my artificial flash has to suffice for now.

It is a truly wonderful polish to work with. It reaches opacity at just two coats and goes on with nary a streak to be seen.

Next up is I’m Drinking Stars, inspired by Still Life with Woodpecker by Tom Robbins. This beauty is a strong linear holographic polish which can be used to full opacity (like I show in 3 coats) or over a darker polish as a topper, which I am going to be trying out tomorrow (Will amend this post when pictures are available).

As I said, this is 3 coats of I’m Drinking Stars and some of the free edge is still visible, but not very bad. I love how it sparkles and shines. It’s a very delicate shade all by itself.

Would work very well for a wedding!

Last but not least, Jack Rose. A coppery, caramel linear holo, Jack Rose pays tribute to “the legacy of literary drinking left by Ernest Hemmingway”. I find it a very fitting tribute to Hemmingway (my favorite author of all time, btw).

Amy warns that Jack Rose will take 3 coats to become opaque. Which is what I figured it would. It translates very differently from bottle to nail.

But it sure is gorgeous. To me, the coppery aspect plays out a little more than the caramel aspect. I see more of an orange in mine, but colors like this tend to orange out on me anyways.

Either way you look at it, the application is flawless and absolutely beautiful. As with all of her polishes, it takes very little effort to apply a gorgeous mani. Dry time is next to nil. Slap a coat of Seche or OTD on it and it’s perfect.

These and the other beauties in the collection can be found at Literary Lacquer’s Etsy page. They sell for $10 a piece, or $55 for all six. If you haven’t tried her polishes yet, you really need to! They are excellent and the customer service is #1! Also, don’t forget to show her some love on her Facebook page!

Nail Art Tutorial: Doctor Who-Hedgehog Tutorial

Say what?! A Doctor Who-Hedgehog nail art design?! Well ok. It’s a Doctor Who-inspired hedgehog tutorial LOL. I don’t have any hedgies falling out of TARDIS’ or anything. That would be animal cruelty, and I don’t promote that.

This is what you’ll be aiming for. And I’m sure you can do SO much better than I did. I suck at using my dotting tool, and I hadn’t eaten so I was pretty shaky.

Here’s what you’ll need:

You’ll need at least five colors of your choice. I kept it kinda matchy-matchy. I have all China Glaze polishes (except for the two Zoyas, dur) L to R: China Glaze Holographic Strap On Your Moonboots, Ruby Pumps, Go Go Pink, Electric Beat, Fast Track; Zoya’s Purity and Raven and China Glaze’s Good Witch. Oh, and your topcoat of choice. I’ve got my trusty Out the Door here. You’ll also need a scrap piece of foil or a pallet and a dotting tool.

Step 1.: First off, you take your first color and draw a jaunty little outline of what you think your hedgies hair will look like. Do this in each color on each nail. You want to take it at least midway up your nail, leaving the bottom part of your nail blank.

Step 2: Then take the outline color and fill it in. Sometimes, depending on the formula of the polish, you may have to do a second pass. Sometimes you don’t. Like I said, just depends on the polish you’re using. (Sorry about the fuzziness of the picture. I was trying out a new way of taking photos of my tutorials and it looks like this one didn’t pan out. I’ll try again next time!)

Do this on each nail

You’ll end up looking like this.

Step 3: With your flesh tone, or brown tone (I used CG’s Fast Track), put their cute little hedgie faces on the bottom part of your hedgie’s hair.

Step 4: With your red, draw a dot in the middle, then little triangles on each side to mimic bows. Put them in the hair for the girlies, down at the edge of the nails for the boys.

Step 5: Using your white and your dotting tool, dot on the eyeballs on each hedgie. I stuck pretty well in the brown parts.

Step 6: Then using your black, dab in the pupils and their noses. Cover with a good topcoat and you’re done!

Now doesn’t he make a cute Doctor?! LOL Like I said, this was Doctor Who-inspired, not realistic in the slightest.

If you have any ideas for any future tutorials, please let me know!

Product Review: Literary Lacquers Anne of Green Gables collection

 

Growing up my sister and I used PBS as our babysitter many times. Shows like Reading Rainbow, Shining Time Station and Ramona were our constant companions. Then we found Anne of Green Gables.

Set in the early 1900s, Anne of Green Gables follows the harrowing tale of Anne Shirley from the orphanage where she was “farmed out” to various families to the forever home she found with brother/sister duo Matthew and Marilla Cuthburt. Located and filmed in the picturesque Nova Scotia countryside Prince Edward Island has forever captured my fantasies as the worlds most romantic place. Forget Paris. They have nothing on Prince Edward Island.

My sister and I both lost ourselves in the stories that Lucy Maud Montgomery portrayed in her book. We delighted in Anne’s triumphs, when she slammed the slate on Gilbert’s head; we laughed with her and her bosom friend Diana when they found the Raspberry Cordial; we cried with her when Matthew became sick. We LIVED that story and still do to this day.

So when my good friend Amy at Literary Lacquers said she was creating an Anne of Green Gables themed line I was immediately smitten. I didn’t care what it looked like. The names alone would be enough for me. So imagine my surprise when she sent me my polishes to review and four gorgeous beauties stared back at me. I was THRILLED. 

First up is Carrots Carrots….

She lists this beauty as a peachy-orange crelly with tons of orange glitter. When I first looked at this polish, I immediately thought of Anne’s dreaded red locks…

Her one vanity, Anne hated her hair. My sister could attest as she had red hair as well. I always wanted red hair, so I didn’t see what all the fuss was all about.  But I definitely could with this polish…..

It seriously went awesomely with my pale complexion, which is usually why I stay away from oranges because they tend to make me look jaundiced. This shows three coats of Carrots Carrots (it could have used just two, but I’m anal and have to have three coats of every polish or I’m not happy) a coat of Gelous and then a top of Out the Door topcoat.

Here it is in all it’s macro glory.

I am not a huge fan of orange polishes. I maybe own like 2. Maybe 3. But this one? Ugh it’s timeless. Its not too orange, it’s not too peachy. It’s just the right mix.

Next up is Raspberry Cordial?

I cannot tell you how many times my sister and I laughed our ever-living asses off watching Diana get completely wasted on Raspberry Cordial.

Amy lists Raspberry Cordial? as a raspberry pink linear holo with added holo glitter. You honestly can’t say holo enough to describe this polish. I have been looking for a bright pink almost neon holo polish for what seems like EVER and failed attempt after failed attempt left me jaded and confused. Then I found Raspberry Cordial?.

It’s gorgeous in the shade as shown above….

And its even more gorgeous in the sun. This is two coats (didn’t go with my usual three coats because I know it didn’t need it) with a topper of Out the Door topcoat. The holo that this polish gives out is completely mindboggling.

I mean, look at it. *sigh* omg.

Next is Lake of Shining Waters, named after the lake on the Cuthburt’s land that Anne spies on her ride to the farm with Matthew.

How pretty is that??? Well… The polish is prettier…..

Lake of Shining Waters is listed as a murky teal linear holo. To me, this polish is anything but murky. It’s completely multifaceted and simply stunning.

In the shade it’s even gorgeous. But the sparkle comes out when you get it in the sunlight……

Or hit it with a flash…..

Doesn’t it just make you drool with it’s absolute holo gorgeousness? I mean… If it doesn’t… You have some serious problems.

Serisly… I die. I really haven’t been a huge fan of holo polishes because most indie holos just fall completely flat in my book. They lack the depth and sparkle that they purportedly represent. Raspberry Cordial? and Lake of Shining Waters are two examples that blow that myth out of the water. They’re both completely multifaceted and just plain stunning.

Last but not least is my sleeper favorite, Anne with an E. Named after Anne’s adamant refusal to stick with her original and boring Ann, she told everyone she came into contact with that her name was Anne with an E.

The first time I saw this polish I immediately thought of Anne and her puffy sleeved dress.

Anne with an E is listed as an opalescent glitter topcoat.

Gorgeous opalescent hex and square glitters swim in a shimmery silver base.

By itself it still looks awesome, but really shines when you use it as a topcoat, like well… It says to… LOL

Here it is on top of inm’s Bikini. The way it shimmers and sparkles is completely mindboggling.

This isn’t the best macro shot of it, but ugh. My camera has been acting really stupid lately, so I have to take what I can get.

I am completely enamored with this whole collection. I know for certain that I’m going to have to get more Raspberry Cordial? and Carrots Carrots. My sister isn’t much of a polish wearer, but I can’t go without getting these for her.

You can buy these polishes, and the other two at Amy’s Etsy shop. Each polish is $10 each, or you can buy the six piece set for a discount of $55. If you have never bought polish from Amy, you need to. You will not be disappointed. Her formula is spot on, her customer service is unrivaled and she’s just an awesome person all around. Also- don’t forget to show her some love on her Facebook page!