Easter Manicure

This is my Easter Manicure for this year.  Last year, my bunny looked like she had been in a bar fight.

This year, my bunny looks like she is about to burst into tears.  Maybe next year she will be happy.
For the chick last year I used scissors to cut the jagged pattern in the scotch tape.  This year I used a craft scissors and added "egg shell" to the top and bottom.  I liked having the top and bottom shell, but thought cutting the tape with a regular scissors looked better.  Next year I'll get it right.  Click the link for a better explanation on how to do the chick and a link to a video bunny tutorial.

Hard Candy Black Tie Optional

http://www.polishedcousins.com/2012/04/lynnderella-connect-dots.html

I have been wanting a black and white matte glitter overlay since I learned they existed a few years ago.  This one is Hard Candy Black Tie Optional worn over Wet 'n Wild Megalast Tropicalia.  Lynderella Connect the Dots was the first polish of its kind (shown right, not my picture).  The polish was only sold online by an independent seller and was so popular that you couldn't buy it.  There was a frenzy trying to get this polish and people were whining and complaining about how websites worked and this and that wasn't fair in their quest for the polish.  The woman who made the polish mostly as a hobby got fed up and quit.  Fast forward to a few years later, and you can finally find a couple versions in brick and mortar stores.  There have been a lot of imitators, but no polish has come close to the original, which was truly perfect.  As you can see, black and white glitters look great over lots of polish colors, especially brights, pastels, and neons.
  

http://enamelgirl.blogspot.com/2013/03/hard-candy-candy-sprinkles-spring-2013.html

Hard Candy recently revamped their nail polish line.  The new line has lots of polishes that are inspired by independent, online brands (most sell on ETSY.com).  One good example is Hard Candy's sprinkles selection (above, not my picture).  All their new polishes are worth a look.  If you plan to buy a glitter, take a good look at the bottle.  Some people have reported curling glitters (taco glitter).  Hard Candy is exclusive to Walmart.  The polishes are 4$ for a mini sized bottle.  The price per oz is on par with OPI or Essie. 

Wet 'n Wild Megalast Tropicalia

This is Wet 'n Wild Megalast Tropicalia.  Megalast is one of my favorite lines of nail polish.  Megalast wears like iron and has a wide brush, which I love.  I bought Tropicalia to wear in the summer, but the color is awful on me when I'm "tan"  (my tan is like most people's regular skintone).  This color works much better on my pale skin.  

Jordana Fairy Dust

This is Jordana Fairy Dust and I think I'm in love.  As with all glitter polishes, my picture does not do this polish justice.  It is sparkly and has holographic glitter interspersed in the polish that does not show in my picture.  When you pick up the bottle, this polish looks like a 3 year old girl's dream:  pink and glittery.  However, this is adult enough when it is on the nail.  :)  I'm not a pink person or a glitter person and I love it.  I didn't feel at all like a 3 year old. 

One nail chipped on day 3, but was easily repaired by dabbing on more polish.  I figured the chip was a fluke, and it was.  The other nails made it 6 days with only one additional teeny tiny chip before I remove the polish.  I believe this was 3 coats Fairy Dust and 1 coat of top coat to smooth out the top.  If you wanted it perfectly smooth, it would require 2 coats of top coat, but 1 coat was pretty darned smooth.  Best part?  Jordana polish is in the 2-3$ range.  I got mine at K-mart.  Go get one!

Pure Ice Private Show

This is Pure Ice Private Show.  Before I say anything else about this polish, I should let you know that it chipped in less then 2 days.  I'm hoping it will wear better layered over another black polish or as a pedicure.

The second picture gives you a better idea of how lovely this polish is when the light hits it, although this picture doesn't do it justice at all.  I haven't figured out how to capture glitter polishes in pictures.  I don't wear a lot of glitter and I don't really wear black polish, but I was completely in love with this polish until it chipped.  Private Show took 4 coats to be opaque and 2 coats of top coat to achieve a smooth finish.  It was glittery and pretty while it lasted.  :(
Edit:  I wear one coat of Private Show over Wet 'n Wild Black Creme and it wears just fine and looks the same. 

Happy St. Patrick's Day

This is Wet 'n Wild Garden Hose topped with Pure Ice Mint Dreams and Finger Paints Go Van Gogh for the shamrocks.  The garden hose link has a pic of Garden Hose alone at the bottom of the page.  The pic below shows Pure Ice Mint Dreams over Garden Hose.  Mint Dreams adds a green iridescent finish to any polish it is layered over.  This combo reminds me of glow in the dark stickers in daylight, but greener.  Sometimes I like it, sometimes I think it is a bit much. 
I used a dotting tool to make the shamrocks.  The large shamrock on my ring finger was a fail on both hands.  I won't do it next year.  If you want to try one, it is basically four heart shapes joined in the center.  I find the medium size dotting tool makes the best normal sized shamrocks. 

More St. Patrick's Day Manicures

Above is the 2nd of my green St. Patrick's day Manicures.  I used Finger Paints Go Van Gogh stamped with Sally Hansen Whirlwind White.  I was hoping the addition of white would make Go Van Gogh very spring-y.  Meh, it is O.K.  I abused my nails and this chipped in one day.

This is Zoya Poppy with Finger Paints Go Van Gogh, stamped with the Salon Express kit.  I attempted this manicure with several pastels as the base and using Rimmel Rags to Riches.  Rags to Riches didn't stamp.  So I tried stamping with Go Van Go and liked it best over Zoya Poppy.  I was wrong, those colors are terrible together.  I was trying to find a way to use the very small "full nail" stamps with the Salon Express kit, but this wasn't it.  Fail all around.

This is a repeat from last year.  Revlon Emerald City with a Sinful Colors Green Ocean funky french tip.  I like this, but I'm ready to move on to pastel and bright manicures for spring. 

Zoya Poppy

This one is Zoya Poppy.  I love Zoya polish, but not this one.  Poppy takes three coats, it is frosty and streaky, it stains my nails orange, and I don't love the color on me (it looks great on my niece though).  I'd say skip this color.

Finger Paints A Tough Art to Follow with Pure Ice Heartbreaker.

This is the first of my green manicures for St. Patrick's Day.  It is Finger Paints A Tough Art to Follow topped with one coat of Pure Ice Heartbreaker.  Click the link to see a picture of A Tough Art to Follow alone.  Heartbreaker is a sheer turquoise with green microglitter.  My picture doesn't show it, but it made my nails positively glow.  I looked like I lived in the Emerald City. 

Craft Scissors and Scotch Tape

The base color is Milani Mrs. Milani (old polish) with China Glaze Foie Gras.  The polish bottle is dirty in the picture.  It looks like there might be some glitter in it, but is is just dirt on the bottle.  I painted my nails with the base color and let it dry.  Then, I cut the scotch tape while it was still on the roll with a craft scissors (cut between the roll and the tearing thingy).  I applied the tape to the back of my hand to remove some of the stickiness.  I applied the tape to my nail, carefully pressing down the edges.  I painted the second color, and removed the tape immediately.  If you wait for the polish to dry before removing the tape, the tape will take polish with it.  Add a top coat to protect your work and make the two polishes look better together.