Dolli-Pop Color-Changing Polish

I've been really tired after work lately, so I'm not changing my polish as often...maybe I'm still getting used to the time change :-/

So it's Saturday, and I finally got to do my nails, so I wanted something really unique.  I'm a sucker for any "magic" type special effect polishes...glow in the dark, color-changing, crackle, magnetic, etc.  So I got this small polish from Pretty & Polished called "Dolli-Pop" which changes color based on your body temperature.  It's dark purple when cold, and a medium-ish blue when warm.  Because my nails are fairly long right now, I figured it would be the perfect time to try it out:

Room temp (what it pretty much looks like all the time):

Right out of cold water:

Right after holding above a skillet of sizzling bacon:

Another room temp shot (my hands were a little warm in this one):

Verdict:  Super-fun!  Built-in gradient effect = SCORE!  And it has little aqua glitter in it too, which goes with both the purple and blue shades!  This is 3 coats of "Dolli-Pop" topped with Seche Vite.  Because I'm generally a colder person, the color seems to stay light purple on me, with dark purple at the very tips.  

You can check out Pretty and Polished's Etsy shop HERE, and although it doesn't look like she has this one in stock right now, she does have other Color-Changing Polishes, including an orange & yellow one I'm really eye-balling.  She's also got plenty of other awesome stuff, and I have quite a few of her lovely creations, so check her out!

Holographic Happiness!

With all the buzz about the new holographic collections set to come out from Color Club & China Glaze, it made me want to play with the holo's that I already have.  

This is Hits-No Olimpo "Hera" & "Hefestos".  In the sun, baby!!

So, Jilltastic Nail Design does a weekly challenge on her FB page, and this week was Leopard Print.  She also does a weekly "Try It On Tuesday", where you showcase your "un-trieds".  I wasn't able to do the TIOT this week, so I figured I could at least do the weekly challenge:

 In the sun:

I used my holo polishes Darling Diva Polish "Divalicious" for the pink spots, and Pretty & Polished's "Black Swan" for the outlines.

Gawgeous, right?  I <3 Holo's :-)

4th of July Mani - MoDiddie Style!

So this is the weekend immediately preceding 4th of July, which falls on a Wednesday this year.  So, I figured I should do the patriotic thing, and color my nails red, white and blue.

I've seen lots of really cool designs peeps have entered into nail art contests on FB for the 4th, and I did some image searches too for some inspiration.   I was really excited about the water marble American Flag mani by MoDiddie.  Click HERE to see her YouTube tutorial...she's got other cool videos too!  HERE is her blog, too! ;-)

 Indoors

 In the sun

On the car dashboard ;-)

Please excuse the poor clean-up...hubby was rushing me cuz we were leaving on a trip to San Diego.  Unfortunately, in his rush, he forgot the suitcase at home, so we are here for 4 days w/out even a toothbrush, let alone clothing!!!  The worst part is that I had packed some nail stuff so I could change my mani up.  Time to go shopping!!

Anyway, I like how this came out!  It took me a few times to get the striping right in the water marble, but it was fun.  Biggest tip I can give you for water marbling:  PUT A TOP COAT OVER YOUR BASE COLOR BEFORE YOU DIP YOUR FINGER IN.  I use a cheap fast-dry (NYC) top coat to not only help cut the time between prepping and actual dipping, but if your marble doesn't come out, just lightly swipe your nail with remover, and you're ready to try again...no need to re-prep!  Ask me how I know ;-)

Also, do NOT down a Cinnamon Dolce Latte right before trying to precisely place little white dots on your nail.  My hand was shaking like a leaf, and I came out with interesting stars on my flag ;-)

The glitter is Pretty & Polished's "Freedom Calling".  This is 3, strategically-placed coats.  You can visit her Etsy shop HERE, although you should also follow her on FaceBook HERE for updates about her stocking schedule.    

I like this one, but I have plans for another RW& B mani before the actual big day...

Memorial Day Mani!

This weekend is for remembering.  For remembering that there were men and women who gave their lives to fight for our country.  For remembering that there are families whose loved one never came home to them...there are children who will grow up without their mom or dad, and wives and husbands who are now widows and widowers.  Those men and women are the reason why we can still enjoy the freedoms we do. 

So, while we enjoy our holiday weekend, and spend time with our loved ones, please do not forget why we are celebrating...

I got my Pretty & Polished's "Freedom Calling" just in time for my manicure!  It's freakin' awesome.  This is 2 coats of "Freedom Calling" over Zoya "Diana" (red) and China Glaze "First Mate" (blue) and "White on White".  I LOVE how this came out, and I'm super-proud of my USA flags!

 I painted them red first, then used a white striper before making a blue square and dotting white stars in.  BTW, I must say that Zoya is freakin' awesomely perfect polish that went on flawlessly in 2 coats..practically painted itself on!  "First Mate" was no slouch either, and had full coverage in just 1 coat! 

I'm spending my Memorial Day weekend golfing.  And I thank my service men and women for my ability to do so.

THANK YOU!!!

Plasma Plays in 21 Ways: "11. Pick a Color You've Never Worn"

This way to play was an easy one...or so I thought!  I have sooo many gorgeous polishes that I haven't even tried yet, I was really excited about this one.  And then I had to decide!  Ugh!  So, I figured I wanted to try some of my lovely Indies, but I couldn't pick just one... 

This is Pretty & Polished's "Black Swan" and Darling Diva Polish's "Divalicious" tipped with Lacquistry's "And Miles to Go Before I Sleep". 

In the sun!!!

OMG, right!?!  I love holographic polishes!  This is two coats of each, and they went on so smoothly!  And I haven't met a Lacquistry polish I didn't absolutely drool over!  I really think this looks like light reflecting off snow, which is exactly how she described it.  LOVE!!

Idears to use my newly-grown polish stash

I think I'm on polish over-load.  I've got so many new, gorgeous polishes that I can't decide what to put on next.  And there are so many options for techniques to apply said polishes, that I'm finding I'm falling into "paralysis by analysis".  So, enter this life-saving post: PlasmaSpeedo: Plasma Plays in 21 Ways

So, I'm totally on-board with this!  I'll start today with "1. Rock a Nude Shade".   Sounds like a plan.

I got my camera to work, so here are my newest additions:

Lacquistry's "Oh Yes I Did", "Donald Trump's Iguana", "Cotton Candy", "Paean of the Bells", "A Friggin' Circus", and "Winter No. 1".  As you know from my previous post, I've already broken into "Paean of the Bells"!  Super-fantastic glittery beauty!  LOVE me some Lacquistry!

And with flash!  Sparkly!

Here are my Pretty & Polished goodies:

I got "Jawbreaker"!  Happy Dance!!  And the little guy is "Amazing Technicolor Top Coat", which is all the glitters left over from her polish-mixing thrown into a One-Of-A-Kind little top coat...re-using & recycling always makes me happy! ;-)

And on the way home from breakfast, I had Hubby to stop at Walgreens so I could see what I could see.  And I saw these:

How pretty!  The pink is "Pink Forever" and the gold is "This Is It".  I love the bonus little rose!

OK, so that's it for now.  I've got to start soaking my glittered toes & fingers in acetone...:-)