Scotch tape and dotting

Hey there lacquer lovers.

Tonight I have a new mani for you. I wasn't going to do my nails today because I had a killer headache. Then a Tylenol miracle happened and the headache was gone. What was the first thing I wanted to do? You got it.. Paint my nails.

I started out with a base coat of Seche Vite and then applied two layers of OPI's "Manicurist of Seville." I am in awe of this color. It's a deep, rich color of red (almost a burgundy) with wonderful coverage and super shine.

Then I used scotch tape and applied Sinful Colors "Black on Black." See my post here about using scotch tape to create a unique manicure.

 

Then to top off the the diagonal and add a little extra "zing" I used a dotting tool and added accent dots of OPI's "Pros & Bronze." If you don't have a dotting tool that's okay. See my post here about making your own.

I love the look. How do you accent your nails?

Happy Polishing!

Kelly

China Glaze "Frostbite" brilliant and bold

I recently obtained a bottle of China Glaze "Frostbite" from a fellow blogger. It is wonderful, brilliant and bold. I love bright, bold colors and this one did not disappoint me. Two coats provided incredible coverage and color. The formula on this China Glaze is spot on. It has a very subtle shimmer to the finish. Blogger Nails by Ms. Lizard couldn't have chosen a better color for me.

Of course I had to try out my stamping skills on top. I used Sally Hansen Silver Chrome pen for the stamping. The Konad image plate I used was M60. I am actually getting better at placing the stamp where I want it.

Happy polishing!

Kelly

Stamping stamping stamping... Practice Practice Practice

I simply adore the classy look of the full nail images. So as soon as I got my Konad plates I set to work painting and priming my nails for the wondrous look of those sensational stamps. 

I used Seche Vite base coat and then topped that with OPI DS Extravagance. It is one of my all-time favorites. Using a top coat is critical. And you will see why in a few minutes.

Then I used a top-coat of Seche Vite to top off the OPI. I got my work area prepped with Qtips, Sally Hansen Gold Chrome pen, non-acetone remover and tissues.

Then on to the stamping. I have found that the Sally Hansen pens work great for stamping.

Brush the polish on the plate and scrape off. Then simply press the stamper on the image. I have learned to check my image on the stamper and if I don't think it came out well I clean it off with remover and a Qtip and start this process over.

Then roll the stamper on your prepped nail. The hardest part for me of the whole process is the placement.  Don't be afraid to use a little pressure while you are rolling.

If you smudge it or aren't happy with the placement use a Qtip with non-acetone remover and "erase" the stamp. Do it quickly and don't use a lot of pressure. This is why the top coat is so important. It protects your base color. It will dull the shine a little but you can fix that by using more top coat.

Then I used the same color that I used for the stamping and applied a funky french tip. This was basically to cover my placement errors.

Once you have finished your nails apply a top coat (I always use Seche Vite) and Voila! Sensational stamped goodness!

I need more practice but I am happy overall with the results.

Happy Polishing!

A England Dragon - OMG Must. Get. More.

I tried A England for the first time ever. The color I used was Dragon. I am in love with it! The color is gorgeous. The application is super wonderful and smooth. The coverage is phenomenal.

The polish has a thickness that is perfect. I literally could have used only one coat. The opacity is that perfect. 

The color is a rich color of green with microscopic glimmers of blue and gold. The camera could not capture the amazing color.

Now I have to go shopping for more. I bought this bottle from llarowe.com.

Venique "Deviant Little Sneaker"

Today will be a quick post. I have a glittery Venique for you. Deviant Little Sneaker is a luscious brown with tones of gold and purple. This is two coats and no top coat. Although I would recommend a top coat because it dries a little gritty. The application was great and it has a wonderful thick brush. I honestly can't tell you the staying power of this polish because I change my polish so often. 

Happy Polishing!

Kelly

Orly Fantasea

 I swatched Orly's Fantasea and I am disappointed that I have to take it off and put a new swatch on. I really like it. It is a nice glossy and multidimensional polish. It was rather sheer though and this photo is three coats.

I loved the shift of purple to pink depending on the angle and the lighting.

This photo is in direct sunlight. (Well the small spot of sunlight I could grab coming through the window.)

Happy polishing,

Kelly

Nicole OPI "Make a Comet-ment" and Venique "Biker Couture"

I tried Venique's new color today - "Biker Couture" It is a nice cream-based polish with tones of gray and purple. A couple of people have told me that Venique doesn't have staying power for them. But I have never had that problem. But then again, I don't leave my polish on for more than a couple of days. Even two days is a long time for me to go without changing my polish.

But then I decided to put Nicole OPI "Make a Comet-ment" on over the Venique. Wow! It really pops! Make a Comet-ment is my favorite glitter topcoat. It has an almost holographic sheen to it. With a nice topcoat (I always use Seche Vite) it is a definite "use again" combination for me. 

I found the Make a Comet-ment on clearance at Target before Christmas. Which probably means it has been discontinued. I hate it when I find a "drool and die for polish" and can't get it again. So if you find it grab it!

I find Venique on Ebay.

Here are some photos. I tried to get several to show the sheen. But grabbing that with a still camera is next to impossible.

Venique Biker Couture - two coats

Add a topcoat of Nicole OPI Make a Comet-ment and then Seche Vite

Another view

And another

And trying to show you the glittery goodness in the bottle

Adventures in stamping

I love stamping. It makes the simplest manicure look extravagant and fun. For this manicure I used Revlon Plum Nights for the base. What an amazing polish. The deep hues and glassy finish are classy. 

 This is two coats of Plum Nights with a stamp in Sally Hansens Gold Chrome. Sally Hansens brush/pens work great with stampers. I am going to have to get more colors. 

Stamping has a wonderful feature to it. That is the fact that if it isn't perfect it's okay. It just adds to the look. I used my Salon Express stamper. It took a little to get used to and I ended up just diving right in. No guts no glory - right?

Here is the Revlon Plum Nights in direct sunlight - sorry it's so blurry.

 

And here it is in artificial light. I love this color! Look at that shine - and that is without a top coat.

I ordered full image stamps last night. I can't wait to get them and experiment some more.

Happy polishing!

Kelly

Scotch tape mani with some glitz

I seriously think it takes me longer to pick out a polish to wear than to paint my nails. So I used several for my NOTD. 

I used OPI "I have a herring problem" for the base. I love this polish. It is from the new Holland Collection.

For the diagonal tip I used FingerPaints "Art of theft." 

And for the dots I used Nicole OPI "Make a comet-ment". This is one of my favorites. It has serious glitz and doesn't have a gritty finish. It almost looks like a rhinestone.

Pure Ice "Cheatin" = Pure Glitz!

I picked up a Pure Ice "Cheatin" last weekend in my haul. OMG! I love it. It has major glitz and a wonderful application It even had a wonderfully quick dry time.

I took several photos trying to get the shine. There are lots of photos below and I still didn't get it. Someday the sun will come out here in wintery Wyoming. I like to paint my nails at night because after a hectic day at work it really relaxes me. I completely zone out when I am painting them and that helps me to unwind. Unfortunately that means my posts are late for a lot of you and the sun has gone to bed also.

Here are some of the photos of "Cheatin" in all its glittery goodness. This is two coats of "Cheatin" over a purple Prisma brand. The Prisma doesn't list a color. It was from a set I got at Ross. It is actually quite nice by itself.

 Here is the Prisma purple. This is two coats.

Ludurana Aurora Boreal Magnifica

I finally caved and ordered some special polishes from llarowe.com. I wanted a holographic polish so bad and I had heard great reviews about the Ludurana polish. The reviews didn't let me down!

I used two coats of the Magnifica and I am in love. It went on flawlessly! It has a wonderfully quick dry time and the holo doesn't fade as it dries. I read on Lacquerized.com that top coats can dull the holo finish. I was leery about not using a top coat but I love the look. And the finish is not gritty like you get with a lot of the glittery polishes. It has a nice smooth finish. Normally I use Seche Vite fast dry top coat to finish off my manicure.

 I am definitely going to buy some of the other colors! I am in love with this polish. I just wish the bottle were bigger 'cause I have a feeling I will go through this bottle rather quickly!

My Valentine's Day mani. "Cross your dots"

I wanted to do something fun for Valentine's day. So I used a bright red Color Club polish (Sorry, it doesn't have the name on it.) and China Glaze "White on White."

 

I started off with two coats of the white and used a coat of Seche Vite. Then I used scotch tape to make a straight line and applied the red. I topped that off with a coat of Seche Vite again.

I wanted to use dots but I don't have a dotting tool. After doing some research on the web I found several ways to make my own. I decided to use a straight pin and a pencil.

 I simply stuck the pin in the eraser.

Then I dipped the pin in a dab of polish that I had ready. Make sure you dip it straight. Then it was just a matter of dabbing my nails. One dip in the polish let me do four or five dots on my nails.

Apply a coat of your favorite top coat and Voila!

Happy Dotting!

Nicole OPI "Change the World" and Milani "Disco Lights"

I love the Nicole OPIs. I am not sure what is my favorite aspect of them. Maybe its the awesome thick brush. . . Maybe it is the vibrant colors. . . Maybe it is the shiny coat. . .

Whatever it is it is one of my favorites. . . Except for one. . . I will get into that at the end of this post.

I was trying out Valentine's Day manicures and started off with Nicole OPI "Change the World." It did not disappoint me. I have learned that the more I paint my nails the more I go for the vibrant and bold colors. This one was definitely bold and bright (I can't wait until the sun comes out here in Wyoming so I can get some photos in sunlight!). Needless to say - I loved it. This was two coats.

Then I added a topcoat of Milani "Disco Lights." I love the combo! This was my first time trying Milani. I was favorably impressed!

Now to move onto the Nicole OPI that doesn't have my favor -- "Have a Heart" which makes me tell you not to waste your time or money on it.

While the name may be "Have a Heart" you will be one lucky lacquer junkie if you can manage to get more than one heart on your nail. This was on clearance at Target and I can understand why. I even tried to go fishing for the little glittery hearts and couldn't manage to get the hearts on the brush.

So spend your well-earned money on a polish that will deliver more heart to your manicure.

OPI Holland Collection

I love this collection. You would never know by looking at the bottles how lovely the colors actually are. Positively breathtaking!

The polish has that wonderful wide brush that makes application so easy. The pictures below have two coats. I wish the camera would have picked up the amazing shimmers these polishes have. The photos just don't do it justice.

First is "I have a herring problem." It's a beautiful blue/gray.

Then we have "Gouda Gouda Two Shoes." It is a wonderful color with tones of coral.

Then last but not least is "Dutcha Just Love OPI." Who doesn't love purple!

A kinda-sorta franken

I am sure this isn't a true Frankenpolish but I love it. I had some Color Club fleck polish that was extremely thick and goopy. I mixed it with some Revlon clear top coat and a little bit of cheap purple polish that I had. It actually came out pretty nice over a base coat of black. Sorry for the use of the wheel but I am still in love with my stamping experiment and wanted to keep that manicure for at least another day.

Stamping - I am finally getting it!

Stamping... I still have a lot to learn but I am finally getting it! There may not be a new post for a couple of days because I am in love with this mani! I finally just decided to go for it. After finally getting my nerve up I painted my nails with Color Club "Voodoo You Do." It is an amazing shade of deep blue. Then I pulled out my new Salon Express stamper. Thanks to one of my other lacquer junkies Jessica I knew not to be wimpy with the stamper. I rolled hard (but not too hard) across my painted nails. Then I decided to use a second color. The hardest part for me and something I still need to work on is getting the entire stamp pattern on my nail. But now that I am not a "stamp virgin" anymore I will do this again. Actually I don't think it came out too horrible for my first try on my nails.

What is your experience with stamping? Any words of wisdom?

 

This is before cleanup. Not too shabby for a novice. (okay, I am pretty proud of myself...)

150 follower OPI giveaway.

Good evening everyone. I am at 148 Facebook likes. I am overwhelmed and humbled by the amazing followers. 

I went shopping for my fix today. I found some wonderful OPIs. One set I will giveaway to a special follower. I have discovered I love doing giveaways! Okay, so I love to share my obsession.

Up for grabs is a OPI set of two. It's the OPI Serena Glam Slam! I love this! "Love is a Racket" and "Pros and Bronze" is the prize.

I swatched the pair and it is amazing!

This is only one coat!

This is two coats. Positively amazing! The set the winner will receive is brand new.

This giveaway is limited to the US.

Easy entry with Rafflecopter.

There is one mandatory entry 

• Must follow on Google Friend Connect (GFC)

Additional Entries

• Follow SetinLacquer on Facebook (Facebook.com/setinlacquer)
• Follow @setinlacquer on Twitter
• Share the giveaway on Facebook
• Share the giveaway on Twitter 
• blog about the giveaway

Make sure you have your email address visible on your GFC. If not, or if you aren't sure feel free to leave a comment below with your email.
The giveaway will end at 12:01 a.m. on February 11, 2012.

The winner will be emailed and will have 48 hours to respond. If no response is received in that time period another winner will be chosen.

Seaside OPI

Hello fellow lacquer junkies. After coming back from Cancun I had to have a mani that had the blues and greens of the ocean. I am a sucker for all the deep blues and greens together. I am not sure this is my favorite mani, but I do love the colors. Of course I used scotch tape for the "effects".

 

It is a subtle shift; which I love.  I used Nicole OPI "Nicole Spotted" for the base. I had to use 3 coats because I am sure it is meant to be a topcoat. Then for the diagonal I used Nicole OPI "A Lit-Teal Bit of Love." I love the brushes on the Nicole OPIs. They are so thick you only need to brush it on once or twice to cover your nail! And it's so glittery and shimmery which is a plus for me. 

Congrats to the winners of the Back to Boho Collection!

Congrats to Lean S. and Renee W. for winning the Back to Boho Collection. Ladies, email me at setinlacquer@gmail.com within the next 48 hours with your address and I will get these amazing collections sent out to you. :) Congrats again!