Blinding Dots

China Glaze – “Flip Flop Fantasy”
OPI – “The It Color”

The brightest neon pink ever. It’s so pretty. I can’t seem to get the neon quality to show in the photos. The dots make it easier on the retina Smile . I just really like dots.

Summery

Jul27 by Cheryl Cheryl

OPI – “Gargantuan Green Grape” & “Malaysian Mist”

Espadrille Wedges

Jul26 by Cheryl Cheryl

I love these shoes. They are super comfortable… and come on……the COLORS!?!?!?! Perfectly my taste. So my hands will match my feet today.

Sinful Colors – “Mint Apple”
OPI – “I Eat Maine-ly Lobster”

Border nails, with a rose embellishment.

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Top Coat Update!

Sooooooo, I’m going to just accept my impatience! I truly attempted to maintain the same manicure until my polish chipped. It didn’t work. *shrugs* The picture below is after 4 1/2 days of wear, using Seche Ultra V –UV top coat. No chips.

There is a tiny bit of tip wear, probably caused more by my trying to peel off the polish from the cuticle side of my nails than by actual wear from the normal and everyday activity of an average polish wearer. They maintained the greatest sleek “gel nail” feel the entire wear time. The shine could have been freshened a bit, but you can see in the photo, it still exists.

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I am now a believer. The Seche Ultra-V top coat (after UV curing) is exceptional. I love the “completely hardened and dry after 3 minutes” quality. This goes wonderfully with my impatient nature. LOL. I can do my nails and then get up and do whatever else I want to do. The smooth gel feel is also just amazing. I sincerely can’t stop playing with my nails. And who doesn’t want an extra layer of gleaming, shiny protection over their natural nail? Smile This top coat is a win!

Stop Thief!

Jul24 by Cheryl Cheryl

Even as a relatively new blogger on the scene, I know that you need to give credit for ownership. If it ain’t yours, you need to cite your source!!!

Most folks aren’t asking for money, they just don’t want you thieving their work!!!! That “copy and paste” function is in rampant use in the blogosphere…which explains prolific watermarking efforts. It still surprised me that a well-known company would do it.

My fellow nail polish blogger and new Twitter friend Swatch And Learn had the misfortune of having her photos printed without permission by Sinful Colors.

Her story is HERE.

And then The Swatch-A-Holic’s story is HERE.

It’s really a backhanded compliment. “Your work is so incredible that I want to use it for everyone to see and give compliments, but not to you…. I want the compliments for myself. You aren’t worth the recognition.”

Ridiculous.

If it’s a good idea or a great photo….FROM SOMEONE ELSE….. don’t claim it as your own. It’s tacky. Disrespectful. Deceitful. Shady.

End rant.

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Seche Ultra V

Jul22 by Cheryl Cheryl

My last manicure endured volumes of hardship (shampooing hair, washing dishes, bleach cleaning, hairstyling for a fashion show, cleaning and organizing) over the last 2 days, and resulted in chipping on my left thumbnail and my right ring fingernail. I can’t be sure that the Seche Ultra V topcoat wasn’t a superior barrier. So I started over. And I plan to chill out for the next few days. LOL.

China Glaze – “Electric Beat” & “First Mate”

The topcoat is simple to apply – just like your regular topcoat. After applying, cure the polish under the UV lamp for 3 minutes. (9 minutes total with Seche’s portable UV lamp – 3 minutes for each hand with 4 fingers, and then 3 minutes for the thumbs)

I love the way my nails feel after this process. It’s definitely a sleeker “gel nail” feel. So, all day I’m rubbing my fingers over my nails beds. LOL. My nails actually feel stronger too.

The shine is not any more brilliant than when using the regular Seche Vite Fast Drying Topcoat, in my opinion. And the drying time seems actually longer in that the regular Seche Vite top coat seems to dry rather immediately. (There are factors that affect that… if you have many thick layers of polish, it will definitely take more time to completely dry. I have watched the topcoat seeping through the layers and forming a “wrinkle” in the nail polish when the previous layers were thick and still rather wet…and then drying to a smooth finish. Craziest thing in the world to watch. haha)

Removal is the same for the Seche Ultra V topcoat as any other polish. There is no soaking required.

So, hopefully this time, I give the topcoat a fair chance. Last time I felt like I was looking for opportunities to use my nail tips as tools and just doing crazy things that directly impacted my nail tips. I gotta stop tripping and chill out. Smile

Whew!

Jul20 by Cheryl Cheryl

This manicure was hard work. It took some time to accomplish… and that was my goal.

I’m testing out Seche Vite UV topcoat… used alongside the companion mini/portable UV lamp. I wanted a manicure that was tedious, and one that I felt I would really enjoy viewing for the long haul. This fit the bill.

My aim is long-lasting shine, and chip free results. I’ll let you know how the topcoat holds up.

Penny Pumps

Jul19 by Cheryl Cheryl

Essie – “Penny Talk”

♫ What more can I say?!?!?!?♫ *Jay Z voice*

I LOVE this mirror metallic. love, love, love, love, love.

I purchased it with the specific intent to stamp it over black! It was everything I hoped for. Everything I dreamed it would be.

Coupled with my new Bundle Monster Plate (BM- 213), I couldn’t be more pleased.

♫ Oh I’m fancy, huh ♪… Winking smile . . . . nails done……

I ain’t scared of no Bundle Monster!!

Jul19 by Cheryl Cheryl

I am, however, a little overwhelmed. LOL

Within these 25 plates are so many wonderful options. I might be playing around practicing stamping a LOT…for a little while.

Here, I tested out stamping options with an OLDDDDDDD Wet ‘n’ Wild Pewter Metallic with Bundle Monster (BM-203) over China Glaze – “Trendsetter”.

Crushing Flowers

Jul16 by Cheryl Cheryl

Orly – “Crush On You”

I’m still searching for the perfect neon-ish tangerine color.

Sad to say, I still haven’t found the exact color I’m looking for… so I’m still on the hunt. (If you know of any, please let me know where I should look!! Pretty please!)
I started blending some colors since I have so many “oranges” in this color range right now….

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…..but ultimately, I decided I’d try again to find the pre-made color, and polished with the pretty Orly color.

kate spade – new york

Jul15 by Cheryl Cheryl

My iPhone needs its own “case closet”. Like a shoe rack. Or a wardrobe.

I didn’t realize the extent of my foolishness until I received my new case in the mail… that I forgot I had ordered… because I already had 6 cases that I wasn’t using. And yes, I have had my new iPhone for approximately 3 (count them: one, two, three..) weeks.

But I NEEDED this case!!!

Okay, okay. I know “need” is relative.
This gave me the perfect motivation to try out this “border nails” nail trend in the process.

I started with China Glaze – “White On White”

I didn’t have a perfect color match to the case’s pink trim. So, I made my own. *shrugs*
I blended an even ratio (1:1) of Sinful Colors – “Boom Boom” & “24/7” and used a size “0” nail art brush to outline my nail.

I knew it was a completely successful manicure when the cashier at Whole Foods commented that she loved how my nails matched my phone! Nail art wins again :-).