Go Dodgers! :)
Showing posts with label red. Show all posts
Showing posts with label red. Show all posts
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Dodgers French
They were giving out Dodgers Hello Kitty plushes a couple weeks ago so I had to go, of course. I did my sister's nails for the game.
It was a collaboration between us, both the design and the work. She did the lettering, I did everything else. The blue tips were done with Blue from Love & Beauty (Forever 21) and red glitter heart was done with Milani Red Sparkle. The letters were done with acrylic paint and we added some jewels and I did a 3D acrylic blue bow. She added Sally Hansen Hidden Treasure and an iridescent glitter polish on top for some extra sparkle.
Go Dodgers! :)
Go Dodgers! :)
Monday, July 4, 2011
Fourth of July Mani
Happy Fourth, everyone! I wish I had been able to post this before today but I actually didn't even think about doing a 4th of July mani until late last night. Here it is:
The white base is MAC Vestral White, the red is OPI Rock-apulco Red, the blue is Blue from love & beauty (sold at Forever 21, same as L.A. Girl), and the glitter polish is Deborah Lippmann Today Was a Fairytale. I used a striping brush (you can find them cheap on ebay) for the stripes. My right hand actually turned out okay, though the stripes are a bit thicker and messier, haha. I realized after finishing my mani that it looked a bit abstract but if you want to make it look more reminiscent of a flag you can always to horizontal or vertical stripes instead of diagonal, or paint on stars or use star-shaped glitter instead of a glitter polish.
Hope the weather is nice for all of you and you get to eat some yummy BBQ!
The white base is MAC Vestral White, the red is OPI Rock-apulco Red, the blue is Blue from love & beauty (sold at Forever 21, same as L.A. Girl), and the glitter polish is Deborah Lippmann Today Was a Fairytale. I used a striping brush (you can find them cheap on ebay) for the stripes. My right hand actually turned out okay, though the stripes are a bit thicker and messier, haha. I realized after finishing my mani that it looked a bit abstract but if you want to make it look more reminiscent of a flag you can always to horizontal or vertical stripes instead of diagonal, or paint on stars or use star-shaped glitter instead of a glitter polish.
Hope the weather is nice for all of you and you get to eat some yummy BBQ!
Thursday, April 14, 2011
Rescue Beauty Lounge Bangin
I am not really a red nail polish person, but I do think that everyone needs a few. I was feeling inspired by a new red lipstick I tried (more on that in a later post), and Rescue Beauty Lounge Bangin really fit the bill.
It's a bright, almost-orange, coral red. Perfect for spring and summer, sexy and fun at the same time. Formula on this one was great, easy to work with and perfect in two coats (that's how many I'm wearing in the photo). I'm thinking about putting it on my toes, too.
On another note, I think I've finally found a base coat/top coat combination that works (for me) with RBL. I have heard that if you use their Treatment System, it works well. The Treatment System consists of Base Coat Prep, Base Coat, and Top Coat. From what I have read, BCP is basically a thin, clear, sticky base and Base Coat is a milky, ridge-filling base coat (Top Coat is just a clear top coat). I mimicked the Treatment System by using Orly Bonder as the BCP, Nail Tek Foundation II (ridge-filling base) as the base coat, and then Sally Hansen Insta-Dri Anti-Chip Top Coat instead of Seche Vite, since SV is not 3-free. When I used just Orly Bonder and SV with RBL polishes, my manicure would literally start chipping in less than 12 hours, even before taking a shower. So far, my new combo is working well with Bangin! I might try this with other polishes as well.
I have to admit, part of the reason why I bought Bangin is because I thought it was pretty close to the color of one of my favorite pairs of Christian Louboutin shoes!
Not an exact match, but very close. Everyone needs some red lipstick, red polish, and red shoes!
On another note, I think I've finally found a base coat/top coat combination that works (for me) with RBL. I have heard that if you use their Treatment System, it works well. The Treatment System consists of Base Coat Prep, Base Coat, and Top Coat. From what I have read, BCP is basically a thin, clear, sticky base and Base Coat is a milky, ridge-filling base coat (Top Coat is just a clear top coat). I mimicked the Treatment System by using Orly Bonder as the BCP, Nail Tek Foundation II (ridge-filling base) as the base coat, and then Sally Hansen Insta-Dri Anti-Chip Top Coat instead of Seche Vite, since SV is not 3-free. When I used just Orly Bonder and SV with RBL polishes, my manicure would literally start chipping in less than 12 hours, even before taking a shower. So far, my new combo is working well with Bangin! I might try this with other polishes as well.
I have to admit, part of the reason why I bought Bangin is because I thought it was pretty close to the color of one of my favorite pairs of Christian Louboutin shoes!
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Red/Black Mani with Black Rhinestones
I think this will be my last V Day mani for this year, but it might be my favorite so far!
I used OPI Rock-a-pulco Red! and American Apparel Hassid. Pretty easy to figure out: paint a red base, paint the black parts, add rhinestones, touch up the black parts if necessary, add top coat. I'm not sure the half hearts were such a good idea, it's kind of hard to tell what they are. I skipped them on my right hand:
Either way though, I think it's a very elegant look for Valentine's Day or any special occasion.
The red came out a bit more coral-like in the pictures, but it's darker IRL. I wish I weren't so bad at taking pictures, it's such a pretty color. It's a frost, but it's not very brushstroke-y and there's a lot of depth. The shimmer really adds to the elegance of the mani and overall it's one of the best reds I've ever used. Here's a slightly better representation of the color:
Single or not, hope you all have a great V Day!
I used OPI Rock-a-pulco Red! and American Apparel Hassid. Pretty easy to figure out: paint a red base, paint the black parts, add rhinestones, touch up the black parts if necessary, add top coat. I'm not sure the half hearts were such a good idea, it's kind of hard to tell what they are. I skipped them on my right hand:
Either way though, I think it's a very elegant look for Valentine's Day or any special occasion.
The red came out a bit more coral-like in the pictures, but it's darker IRL. I wish I weren't so bad at taking pictures, it's such a pretty color. It's a frost, but it's not very brushstroke-y and there's a lot of depth. The shimmer really adds to the elegance of the mani and overall it's one of the best reds I've ever used. Here's a slightly better representation of the color:
Single or not, hope you all have a great V Day!
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Floral/Bead Design
I love looking at Japanese nail magazines, they are so inspiring! I wanted to do a unique but fairly simple design, so I decided to try this one:
(From Nail Up July 2010.)
This is how it turned out:
(Click to enlarge.)
Not as nice as the magazine, but I still like how it turned out. The pastel green and floral print are very feminine, but the gold beads and contrasting coral red make it a little edgy.
Doing this design is pretty easy. For the base, you will need a minty green and a bright, coral red. In addition, you will also need burgundy, dark blue, and lighter blue colors for the floral design. Here are the colors I used:
L to R: Love & Beauty Blue, H&M Blue Sky, Essie Mint Candy Apple, Essie Red Nouveau, OPI It's a Doozi, Says Suzi
Here are the tools I used (besides remover, base coat, and top coat):
Beads, cotton pad, toothpick, small brush. I bought the box of little beads and the brush (part of a set) on ebay. The picture in the mag uses flatback beads but all I had are the small, round ones (some people call them "bouillon beads"). It would be easier with the flatback beads, but feel free to use whatever you have on hand.
The first step is to paint the base colors (easy enough). Then, while the nail polish was still wet, I worked on the beads. I poured some of the beads onto a cotton pad so they wouldn't roll around on the table. To the nails, I added a layer of top coat that is NOT quick drying. This provided a sticky base on which to stick the beads. I dipped the very tip of the toothpick into the same top coat to make it just a little bit sticky and used it to pick up the beads and place them on the nail. The toothpick I used has straight sides (as opposed to rounded) so I used the sides to press down the beads to secure them on the nail. If the top coat dries to the point where the beads do not stick, add a little bit more to the area where you are working. Cover with top coat (quick-drying top coat is okay for this step).
To do the flowers, I used a very thin brush to basically paint blobs. I painted coral blobs, added some burgundy bits, then painted light blue blobs next to the red, and finally added some dark blue dabs. It works best if you just kind of dab the brush instead of really trying to paint shapes. When you cover with top coat, smearing the design a little is okay, it actually looks better that way.
I also practiced doing some acrylic sculpture:
Spare Zoya plates/spoons are perfect for this! I have a pretty hard time getting the consistency right, even with Asami's tips. You have to make sure it's not too wet or dry, and quickly sculpt the little blob into what you want before it dries. I actually did a pretty decent bow (the middle one, not the one on the right):
I'm getting better at it, though, just need (lots) more practice. Hopefully I can do some fun manis with 3D acrylic sculptures soon!
(From Nail Up July 2010.)
This is how it turned out:
(Click to enlarge.)
Not as nice as the magazine, but I still like how it turned out. The pastel green and floral print are very feminine, but the gold beads and contrasting coral red make it a little edgy.
Doing this design is pretty easy. For the base, you will need a minty green and a bright, coral red. In addition, you will also need burgundy, dark blue, and lighter blue colors for the floral design. Here are the colors I used:
L to R: Love & Beauty Blue, H&M Blue Sky, Essie Mint Candy Apple, Essie Red Nouveau, OPI It's a Doozi, Says Suzi
Here are the tools I used (besides remover, base coat, and top coat):
Beads, cotton pad, toothpick, small brush. I bought the box of little beads and the brush (part of a set) on ebay. The picture in the mag uses flatback beads but all I had are the small, round ones (some people call them "bouillon beads"). It would be easier with the flatback beads, but feel free to use whatever you have on hand.
The first step is to paint the base colors (easy enough). Then, while the nail polish was still wet, I worked on the beads. I poured some of the beads onto a cotton pad so they wouldn't roll around on the table. To the nails, I added a layer of top coat that is NOT quick drying. This provided a sticky base on which to stick the beads. I dipped the very tip of the toothpick into the same top coat to make it just a little bit sticky and used it to pick up the beads and place them on the nail. The toothpick I used has straight sides (as opposed to rounded) so I used the sides to press down the beads to secure them on the nail. If the top coat dries to the point where the beads do not stick, add a little bit more to the area where you are working. Cover with top coat (quick-drying top coat is okay for this step).
To do the flowers, I used a very thin brush to basically paint blobs. I painted coral blobs, added some burgundy bits, then painted light blue blobs next to the red, and finally added some dark blue dabs. It works best if you just kind of dab the brush instead of really trying to paint shapes. When you cover with top coat, smearing the design a little is okay, it actually looks better that way.
I also practiced doing some acrylic sculpture:
Spare Zoya plates/spoons are perfect for this! I have a pretty hard time getting the consistency right, even with Asami's tips. You have to make sure it's not too wet or dry, and quickly sculpt the little blob into what you want before it dries. I actually did a pretty decent bow (the middle one, not the one on the right):
I'm getting better at it, though, just need (lots) more practice. Hopefully I can do some fun manis with 3D acrylic sculptures soon!
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
Diamond Cosmetics Rubies and Diamonds with Konad M71
Another Christmas mani! I was a little lazy about fixing the middle finger so it's a bit off to the side. The red base is Rubies and Diamonds from Diamond Cosmetics and the gold stamps were done with Diamond Cosmetics Party Hearty, a rose gold foil. I topped off the bows with some yellow-orange resin rhinestones. Rubies and Diamonds is really beautiful on its own, bright red jelly with red and gold microglitter. I am wearing four coats in the picture. Party Hearty worked perfectly with the Konad plate, as I'm sure most foils do. The bow is from the M71 plate.
Just a few more days until Christmas, hope everyone gets some great gifts!
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
Milani Rockstar Heavy Glitter
Swatches, finally! This collection is really gorgeous. I'll start with the one-coat glitters.
Gold Glitz:
This one is a mix of gold and orange-y copper glitter. It's a nice warm-toned gold, just a little bit ghetto fabulous! Way better on the nail than I expected!
Purple Gleam:
Mix of dark and light purple? Or maybe purple and black? Hard to tell. It's just a shade darker in real life. I am not normally a huge purple fan but I do adore this one. Then again, I really loved this entire collection!
Red Sparkle:
Red is another color I'm not a big fan of, but this one is so pretty. It's a very saturated ruby red, great for the holidays!
Silver Dazzle:
This one is a steely gray glitter. I would say it's the most subtle of the bunch. Kind of like the glittery version of a dark, stormy gray. Seems pretty unique!
Blue Flash:
This turquoise glitter seems to be a mix of turquoise and light turquoise glitters. I think the "3D" effect I mention later is most evident on this one. Some people have asked if this is similar to China Glaze's Dorothy Who. I can't say for sure because I don't own DW, but it seems like Blue Flash has finer glitter and lacks the silver glitter that DW has.
The collection also includes two "Jewel FX."
Gold over Purple Gleam:
Gold over Blue Flash:
Gold is just a bunch of gold hexagonal glitter suspended in a clear base. There's quite a bit of glitter packed in there, though, so I don't think it would be too hard to layer on the glitter to fill the nail.
Gems over Red Sparkle:
Perfect holiday combo!
Gems:
This is three coats of Gems on my thumb. As you can see, it's a mix of small and large hexagonal glitter in silver, gold, red, green and light blue. I personally am not sure I like the look of this on its own, but it's great for layering.
This collection is really amazing! They are called one-coat glitters and the glitter is very densely packed. With some careful application, you could probably get away with one but I used two for the red and purple. They all seem to be a mix of light and dark versions of the same shade. This combined with the fineness of the glitter really gives them depth. With top coat, they have an almost 3D effect, kind of like those Magic pictures from the 90s. Drying time was quick (even the Jewel FX) and application was a dream! Hardly any cleanup needed at all. These really are the best glitters I've ever tried!
These were on sale at CVS, BOGO half off and they retail around $4.50-$5 per bottle. I read somewhere that the official release date for these is supposed to be in February so if you can't find them, don't worry! I am sure they will be available to order on the website soon.
Gold Glitz:
This one is a mix of gold and orange-y copper glitter. It's a nice warm-toned gold, just a little bit ghetto fabulous! Way better on the nail than I expected!
Purple Gleam:
Mix of dark and light purple? Or maybe purple and black? Hard to tell. It's just a shade darker in real life. I am not normally a huge purple fan but I do adore this one. Then again, I really loved this entire collection!
Red Sparkle:
Red is another color I'm not a big fan of, but this one is so pretty. It's a very saturated ruby red, great for the holidays!
Silver Dazzle:
This one is a steely gray glitter. I would say it's the most subtle of the bunch. Kind of like the glittery version of a dark, stormy gray. Seems pretty unique!
Blue Flash:
This turquoise glitter seems to be a mix of turquoise and light turquoise glitters. I think the "3D" effect I mention later is most evident on this one. Some people have asked if this is similar to China Glaze's Dorothy Who. I can't say for sure because I don't own DW, but it seems like Blue Flash has finer glitter and lacks the silver glitter that DW has.
The collection also includes two "Jewel FX."
Gold over Purple Gleam:
Gold over Blue Flash:
Gold is just a bunch of gold hexagonal glitter suspended in a clear base. There's quite a bit of glitter packed in there, though, so I don't think it would be too hard to layer on the glitter to fill the nail.
Gems over Red Sparkle:
Perfect holiday combo!
Gems:
This is three coats of Gems on my thumb. As you can see, it's a mix of small and large hexagonal glitter in silver, gold, red, green and light blue. I personally am not sure I like the look of this on its own, but it's great for layering.
This collection is really amazing! They are called one-coat glitters and the glitter is very densely packed. With some careful application, you could probably get away with one but I used two for the red and purple. They all seem to be a mix of light and dark versions of the same shade. This combined with the fineness of the glitter really gives them depth. With top coat, they have an almost 3D effect, kind of like those Magic pictures from the 90s. Drying time was quick (even the Jewel FX) and application was a dream! Hardly any cleanup needed at all. These really are the best glitters I've ever tried!
These were on sale at CVS, BOGO half off and they retail around $4.50-$5 per bottle. I read somewhere that the official release date for these is supposed to be in February so if you can't find them, don't worry! I am sure they will be available to order on the website soon.
Thursday, December 2, 2010
Color Club Red Velvet
I felt like doing a vampy color, and this did not disappoint!
It's a black base with lots of red glitter. I know this color is not unique, but I've never tried one like it before so it's new to me! Very goth, mysterious, and glow-y. Plus, the name is so sexy and fun! The formula was good, it actually reminds me of Rescue Beauty Lounge polishes--applies almost like a matte polish, first coat is streaky, average-to-slightly-quicker drying time. With careful application you can definitely get away with two coats, but I used three. I think I will have to remember this one for Halloween next year!
I also wanted to do a quick preview of the Hard Candy matte top coat:
Left to right: with Seche Vite, without top coat, with HC matte top coat
As you can see, it's a bit more matte than a satin/leathery finish, but not quite as matte as some true matte polishes. I will have to do a more extensive review another time. On another note, look at the effect that Seche Vite (or any top coat) has! Besides adding a glossy finish, it really gives depth to the color.
Color Club can be found at some Bed Bath and Beyond locations, as well as several websites. This one was part of a (very cheap!) set I found at Ross, though, so go take a look!
It's a black base with lots of red glitter. I know this color is not unique, but I've never tried one like it before so it's new to me! Very goth, mysterious, and glow-y. Plus, the name is so sexy and fun! The formula was good, it actually reminds me of Rescue Beauty Lounge polishes--applies almost like a matte polish, first coat is streaky, average-to-slightly-quicker drying time. With careful application you can definitely get away with two coats, but I used three. I think I will have to remember this one for Halloween next year!
I also wanted to do a quick preview of the Hard Candy matte top coat:
Left to right: with Seche Vite, without top coat, with HC matte top coat
As you can see, it's a bit more matte than a satin/leathery finish, but not quite as matte as some true matte polishes. I will have to do a more extensive review another time. On another note, look at the effect that Seche Vite (or any top coat) has! Besides adding a glossy finish, it really gives depth to the color.
Color Club can be found at some Bed Bath and Beyond locations, as well as several websites. This one was part of a (very cheap!) set I found at Ross, though, so go take a look!
Thursday, August 12, 2010
Diamond Cosmetics Sparkling Sherry
Hooray for Thursdays! Less than two weeks until I leave for Chicago (well, actually Milwaukee).
Today's color is a beautiful magenta foil:
I really wish my photography skills were better, or that I had a better camera, or both. This color is really just gorgeous, more purplish than in the picture. Application was a dream! Perfect consistency, very easy to work with, and I'm only wearing one coat in the picture.
It's a bit early, but hope everyone has a good weekend!
Today's color is a beautiful magenta foil:
I really wish my photography skills were better, or that I had a better camera, or both. This color is really just gorgeous, more purplish than in the picture. Application was a dream! Perfect consistency, very easy to work with, and I'm only wearing one coat in the picture.
It's a bit early, but hope everyone has a good weekend!
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