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Just a quick update! I started using Bloglovin' for my personal use, since Google Reader is going away, and I just wanted you all to know that you can follow me there as well.

More soon! ^_^

Crumpet's Laid-Back 31DC: Inspired by Your Country

Hello!

I did some simple red, white, and blue nails for today's "Inspired by Your Country" prompt.

Outdoors, sunlight, no flash.

I started with a base of Seche Clear and two coats of Contrary Polish Santorini on all but my ring finger, which got one coat of Zoya Sooki plus one of Orly Star Spangled. I used the stars and stripes images from Bundle Monster plate, BM-20, stamped in Konad Special Polish in White.

Indoors, artificial light, no flash.

I had a terrible time stamping today. I knew from past experience that the larger star shapes were not opaque in Konad Special White over blue. That attempt, it looked like I had scraped away too much of the stamping polish, so this time I tried a lighter hand when scraping the image. That did not fix the problem at all. The stamped images sort of 'ghosted' from too much polish being left. They turned out rather blobby without crisp edges. The whole thing looks messy. :( So, it's either not quite opaque or sloppy? What to do? Anyone have advice for stamping large images? Help!

More soon! ^_^

Stash Swatch Initiative: OPI Grape... Set... Match

Hello!

OPI Grape... Set... Match. Indoors, artificial light, no flash.

This is OPI Grape... Set... Match.

OPI Grape... Set... Match. Indoors, artificial light, no flash.

Grape... Set... Match is a rather complex polish. The sheer purple base is packed with purple, blue, and pink shimmer. It is so full of shimmer that I thought it was a microglitter polish at first. I definitely see some duochrome shift in the bottle, but it does not translate that well to the nail -- maybe just a hint of purple to pink at the edges.

OPI Grape... Set... Match. Outdoors, sunlight, no flash.

Swatches today started with a base coat of Seche Clear, three coats of Grape... Set... Match, and one coat of NYC In a New York Minute. The formula on this is a little thin, so it took three coats to get to the opacity shown. Otherwise, no issues with the polish.

OPI Grape... Set... Match. Indoors, artificial light, no flash.

More soon!! ^_^

Crumpet's Laid-Back 31DC: Inspired by Your Childhood

Hello!

Today's Laid-Back Challenge prompt is "Inspired by Your Childhood". If there's one thing I remember clearly about being little, it is watching a lot of the Care Bears. So, I've taken my inspiration from that for this prompt. My Care Bears inspired skittles represent one bear each. This mani started with a base of Seche Clear and finished with a thick coat of NYC In a New York Minute.

Outdoors, natural light, no flash.

On my pointer finger, Grumpy Bear is represented by two coats of OPI I Don't Give A Rotterdam! and one coat of Nail Pattern Boldness Boop-Oop-A-Doop. I used a dotting tool and Contrary Polish Santorini to make the cloud and raindrops. Two red heart-shaped rhinestones finish the look.

Next is Funshine Bear with two coats of Sinful Colors Unicorn and one coat of INM Northern Lights. A round, yellow rhinestone and sun rays done with Barielle Lemondrops complete it.

Zoya Arizona plus one coat of Nail Pattern Boldness Boop-Oop-A-Doop for Friend Bear on my ring finger. Yellow flower-shaped rhinestones and a few swipes of Zoya Midori for stems complete the flower design.

Tenderheart Bear is represented on my pinkie finger. I started with two coats of Zoya Sooki topped with one coat of Nail pattern Boldness Boop-Oop-A-Doop. A red heart-shaped rhinestone mimics the red heart on his belly.

This was a fun challenge prompt. It brought back lots of fond memories! More soon! ^_^

Stash Swatch Initiative: China Glaze Blue Sparrow

Hello!

China Glaze Blue Sparrow. Indoors, artificial light, no flash.

This is China Glaze Blue Sparrow from 2008's Ink Collection. It's labeled as a neon by China Glaze, and it dries matte (and gritty!). I found my bottle not too long ago at Sally's, so it's still easy to get your hands on.

China Glaze Blue Sparrow. Indoors, artificial light, no flash.

Swatches today are a base of Seche Clear, three coats of Blue Sparrow, and one coat of NYC In a New York Minute. This polish has the weirdest formula I have ever come across. It's thin, streaky, and gritty. You need to patient with it. Build it up using three or four coats, and give it some dry time in between. It dries matte and gritty, so a thick layer of topcoat will be needed to transform a nightmare into something wonderful.

China Glaze Blue Sparrow. Outdoors, sunlight, no flash.

The cobalt blue is really lovely, and the bright blue shimmer/micro glitter is stunning. I bought this without doing any research, so I was unprepared for the crazy formula. It's not unwieldy, just requires a bit of patience. I think it's worth the effort!

China Glaze Blue Sparrow. Indoors, artificial light, no flash.

More soon! ^_^

Stash Swatch Initiative: China Glaze Snap My Dragon

Hello! Today’s post is a shortie! There’s not much I can say about this perfect pink, so onto the pictures!

China Glaze Snap My Dragon. Indoors, artificial light, no flash.

This is China Glaze Snap My Dragon from their spring collection, Avant Garden.

China Glaze Snap My Dragon. Indoors, artificial light, no flash.

Snap My Dragon is a fabulous fuchsia! The pink shimmer in this is gorgeous in the sun, but indoors, it makes this polish shine.

China Glaze Snap My Dragon. Outdoors, sunlight, no flash.

Swatches today are a base coat of Seche Clear, two coats of Snap My Dragon, and one coat of NYC In a New York Minute. It is well-pigmented and flows easily onto the nail. No issues with the formula. Love it!

China Glaze Snap My Dragon. Indoors, artificial light, no flash.

More soon! ^_^

Stash Swatch Initiative: OPI Tangerini Bikini

Hi!

OPI Tangerini Bikini. Indoors, artificial light, no flash.

An ancient polish is up for your viewing pleasure today. This is OPI Tangerini Bikini, which I totally thought was called "Tangerine Bikini" until now.

OPI Tangerini Bikini. Indoors, artificial light, no flash.

Tangerini Bikini is a yellow-orange polish, heavy on the shimmer. My bottle is really old, probably one of the First Stash. I remember finding this in the clearance bin of a local salon. They were selling off all the old, half-used bottles of polish, so it's been around for much longer than I've had it. There's no telling just how old this bottle is now, and a quick Google search is of little help. The formula is still pretty good, even after all this time. It could use a bit of thinner, I think, but it didn't give me any problems.

OPI Tangerini Bikini. Outdoors, sunlight, no flash.

It's a happy, sunny color. Maybe a little dated in the finish, but it glows. Swatches today are a base of Seche Clear, two coats of Tangerini Bikini, and one coat of NYC In a New York Minute.

OPI Tangerini Bikini. Indoors, artificial light, no flash.

More soon! ^_^

Crumpet's Laid-Back 31DC: Inspired by a Game

Hello!

Today's challenge prompt is "Inspired by a Game." Oh, the possibilities... When you say "game", I naturally think of video games -- a favorite past time of mine since I was a child. So, since I'm not so good at freehand nail art, I had to come up with a simple idea that I knew I could pull off. This one has been done many times before, in fact, I had the idea during the last challenge but opted for more traditional ghosties. Pac-man ghosties have been on my "to do" list of nail art since then! So, here are they are!

Pac-Man Ghosts! Indoors, artificial light, no flash.

Blinky, Pinky, Inky, and Clyde are all here in Zoya Sooki, OPI Party In My Cabana, China Glaze For Audrey, and Zoya Arizona, respectively. I started with a base of Seche Clear and then used craft scissors to cut the wavy pattern into the tape I put at the tips to create their ghostly shapes. One thick coat of each polish followed. I used the end of a bobby pin to make the eyes with Konad Special Polish in White and China Glaze Splish Splash. It may not have been an original idea, but I think they turned out rather cute!

More soon! ^_^

Stash Swatch Initiative: China Glaze Stone Cold

Hello! 

China Glaze Stone Cold. Indoors, artificial light, no flash.

Quick post today! This is China Glaze Stone Cold.

China Glaze Stone Cold. Indoors, artificial light, no flash.

Stone Cold came out in March of 2012, I believe, as part of the Capitol Colours collection. This one is a matte polish, and that's what made it a "must have" for me. 

Swatches today are a base of Sinful Colors Nail Hardener and two coats of Stone Cold. No issues with the formula. As with most mattes, it dries super quick, but it doesn't last long. I only got about 24 hours out of this mani before it started chipping. 

China Glaze Stone Cold. Outdoors, natural light, no flash.

The matte black has some silver shimmer, which gives an overall charcoal appearance on the nail. It's an edgy look, and I love it! 

China Glaze Stone Cold. Indoors, artificial light, no flash.

More soon! ^_^

Crumpet's Laid-Back 31DC: Inspired By Nature

Hello!

Today's prompt is "Inspired by Nature", so I took that to mean anything naturally occurring in the world. My inspiration for these nails is rutilated quartz.

Rutilated quartz! Image source: Geology.com  

A little background first: I love rocks and minerals (I have a degree in Geology). I find the chemistry involved in their creation fascinating. Rutile and quartz are minerals, and rutile can form or 'grow' in quartz, looking like needles trapped within the clear quartz crystal.

Outdoors, natural light, no flash.

I started with a base of Seche Clear, and stamped directly over that with Zoya Cheryl, Orly Luxe, and Konad Special Polish in Black. I mostly used the image off of Bundle Monster plate BM-319, but did small bits off of the image from BM-316 as well. I topped it off with one coat of NYC In a New York Minute. I love how this turned out!

Indoors, artificial light, no flash.

Check out the other's below! More soon! ^_^

Stash Swatch Initiative: Layla Ceramic Effect 53

Hello! Happy Friday!!

Layla CE53. Indoors, artificial light, no flash.

This is Layla Ceramic Effect 53.

Layla CE53. Indoors, artificial light, no flash.

Swatches today are one coat of Seche Clear, two coats of CE53, and one coat of NYC In a New York Minute. No issues with this polish. It is simply gorgeous!

Layla CE53. Outdoors, shade, no flash.

My pictures do not do this one justice. They all look red, but this polish is not red. It has a deep magenta jelly base, and it is packed with flakies that shift through the warm colors (like Nubar 2010, etc). In the bottle, this looks red, so I was happily surprised when its true magenta showed up on my nails!

Layla CE53. Indoors, artificial light, no flash.

So gorgeous! More soon! ^_^

Stash Swatch Initiative: Revlon Whimsical

Hello!

Revlon Whimsical. Indoors, artificial light, no flash.

I have the now infamous, Revlon Whimsical today! Whimsical is aptly named -- it gives a whimsical look that is light and airy.

Revlon Whimsical. Indoors, artificial light, no flash.

Whimsical was hard to find for a lot people due to it's popularity, which I think was due to it being very similar to a higher end polish. I had just started getting into polish after that craze, so I was able to find this easily at my local grocery store. I'm glad I did -- it's a fun, delicate glitter!

Revlon Whimsical. Outdoors, shade, no flash.

Whimsical has a very sheer, milky blue base with iridescent shimmer, blue and pink shiny hex glitters, and small silver hex glitters. The base doesn't build up much, and I haven't tried to get it to opacity. Instead, I've layered one coat of Whimsical over yesterday's China Glaze Re-Fresh Mint plus NYC In a New York Minute. Formula is good, but I did use care to place the glitters where I wanted them. The glitter isn't all that dense, but I love that!

Revlon Whimsical. Indoors, artificial light, no flash.

More soon! ^_^

Stash Swatch Initiative: China Glaze Re-Fresh Mint

Hello! Wednesday already? Time needs to stop flying by -- I feel like I"m watching my life flash before my eyes at the rate the days seem to go by! Anyway, on to the polish!

China Glaze Re-Fresh Mint. Indoors, artificial light, no flash.

This is China Glaze Re-Fresh Mint, a pastel green creme.

China Glaze Re-Fresh Mint. Indoors, artificial light, no flash.

Swatches today are one coat of Seche Clear, two coats of Re-Fresh Mint, and one coat of NYC In a New York Minute. The first coat, as to be expected with pastels, was a streaky mess, but the second coat covered evenly.

China Glaze Re-Fresh Mint. Outdoors, sunlight, no flash. This photo leans more blue than it really is in person.

Not much else to say about this one -- it is a nice and clean , basic shade. Mint is a great color for spring!

China Glaze Re-Fresh Mint. Indoors, artificial light, no flash.

More soon! ^_^

Crumpet's Laid-Back 31DC: Inspired By Fabric

Hello!

Today's challenge prompt is "Inspired By Fabric", which I think is a great idea. Tons of fun things to do! I've been dabbling in quilting, so I have a small fabric stash I raided for inspiration. I picked two bright and sunny patterns to translate onto my nails.

Fabric inspiration from Jo-Ann Fabrics.

I started with a base of Seche Clear, and two coats of Zoya Arizona on all but my ring finger, which got two coats of Barielle Lemondrops. A quick coat of Seche Vite and some dry time, and I was ready to stamp. I stamped the floral pattern from BM-201 with Konad Special Polish in White on my ring finger. The rest got the image from BM-214 stamped with Rimmel Tequila Sunrise. I sealed everything with one coat of NYC In a New York Minute.

Outdoors, sunlight, no flash.

Stamping these two designs was a breeze! I was so happy with this result! What a fun, fun, fun challenge prompt!!

Indoors, artificial light, no flash.

More soon!! ^_^

Stash Swatch Initiative: AEngland Princess Sabra

Hello!

AEngland Princess Sabra/Tristam Eyes is up for swatching today!

AEngland Princess Sabra. Indoors, artificial light, no flash.

This is a yellow-toned neutral, holographic polish.

AEngland Princess Sabra. Indoors, artificial light, no flash.

I started with a base of Seche Clear, two coats of Princess Sabra, and one coat of NYC In a New York Minute. This has a decent formula. I had some issues with balding on the first coat, so it isn't very forgiving. I had to make sure I waited long enough for the first coat to dry so the second would cover completely. Small issues, though, no worries -- it wasn't too difficult to apply.

AEngland Princess Sabra. Outdoors, sunlight, no flash.

The holographic effect is on the subtler side, but it does add a touch of glitz when out in the sun. Lovely!

AEngland Princess Sabra. Indoors, artificial light, no flash.

I bought my bottle from llarowe! Happy shopping! More soon! ^_^