Flakie Fun!

Cosmetic Arts, China Glaze "Luxe and Lush",

 and Color Club "Snow-Flakes"

My love of Flakies all started with a missed opportunity that I am still kicking myself over to this day. I was cruising my local Sally's Beauty Supply looking for new polishes to add to my budding collection. There was a display of Finger Paints Special Effects polish. Well I was new to polish and the words "Special Effects" made me think there was some process needed to make your nails like the picture. I had just learned of Gel nails and how UV lamps were needed for them, so I avoided the polish. I figured I'd go home and do some research to figure out what it was before I bought it. Seems like a logical thought, right? So later that week I finally get around to looking it up and OMG it was beautiful and just a glittery topcoat. I go back to Sally's with my next paycheck and they were SOLD OUT! Everywhere it was sold out. I should have bought it that day. I really should have. *sigh* Anyway, still smarting over missing the boat I decided I NEEDED a flakie. 

Silver Blue Leopard

When people hear that I like to paint my nails they always ask if I will do theirs as well. I don't think they realize I am not a nail tech, just an enthusiastic amateur. The only people whose nails I've done so far has been family (and one co-worker's nails done during lunch break). Here is a manicure I did for my sister that I'm actually rather proud of. 

Now these are polishes from her stash so I'm not real sure what the brands or colors are. I started by painting her nails the light, silvery blue color, then sponged on the royal blue on top. It makes a bigger mess to clean up but she wanted the silvery blue at the tips and it just didn't want to sponge well on top of the darker blue. Stamped over that with BundleMonster.com's BM221 in Wet n Wild Fastdry "Ebony Hates Chris". She considered entering this in BundleMonster's contest last year but never got around to it. I'm so jealous  her nail beds are gorgeous  she really should paint them more often.

Holo Love

I have fallen head over heels in love with holographic nail polish. I only own the one so far, but China Glaze will be coming out with a line this summer and I simply can't wait. Fair warning though, I have never found one that could be considered "cheap". The one I'm sporting above was 14-16 dollars a bottle, the most I've ever paid for polish. Well, I had a coupon, but its still expensive. One thing I haven't been able to do yet is find a top coat that will preserve the holo effect. All topcoats I've tried have "muddied" it and made it disappointing.

This is 2 coats of Layla "Mercury Twilight". I had it on my nails for a couple days,just staring at the shifting colors before adding the stamping on the side. I wanted to dress it up a little with out covering the holo. The stamp is BundleMonster.com BM206 in Wet n Wild Fastdry "Ebony Hates Chris". No topcoat so the stamping wears out on the tip fast.