Polish Hoarder Disorder (PHD)

KONAD: What? And How?

2011-01-25T09:36:00.000-06:00

What Is Konad?

Konad is a brand/company that has created a unique process (to the nail world at least) for producing nail art. It consists of special polish, metal plates, and a stamper. Much like offset printing, Konad works by "inking" your image plate, applying pressure with a rubber stamp to lift the design from the grooves, and then transfering it onto your nail.

What You Need:

You Need [SHOWN ABOVE]: Konad Top Coat (for sealing your design), Konad Special Polish (Made especially for stamping. Applies opaque even though it's only a thin layer), Konad Stamper, Konad Scraper, and Konad Image Plates (off-brand plates work as well, a.k.a. "Fauxnad")

You ALSO Need [Stuff you probably already have]: cotton balls and/or Qtips, acetone, paper towels, and a tiny paintbrush (for cleanup)

How It Works:

This entire process should be done as quickly as you can manage. The "Special" polish dries very fast so you want to get it out of your plate and onto your nail as soon as possible.

STEP 1} Clean your desired image plate with acetone (or regular nail polish remover) to remove oils/lint from its surface. Let dry completely. **The pink plate holder is not necessary to have. I bought it because it looked fun

STEP 2} Apply a drop of Konad's "special" polish to the design of your choice. Brush to completely cover it. You don't need a lot, just enough to fill the grooves of the image.

STEP 3} With your Konad scraper at a 45 degree angle, lightly pass over the design to remove excess polish from the top of your plate. You should now see your polish-filled image. Set your scraper to the side.

STEP 4} Grab your rubber scraper and quickly roll it over the design to pull the polish out of the image plate. Roll only ONCE, from one edge of your stamper to the other.

STEP 5} Time to stamp your nail! Hold your nail and stamper eye-level so you can see what you are doing. Just like you did to pick up the polish, you are going to roll the stamper to release the polish onto your nail. Do NOT roll back-and-forth. Don't press too hard... and don't forget this is fun!

STEP 6} Wait a couple minutes and then use Konad's topcoat to seal your work. Lightly brush the topcoat over your nails. Try to cover it in as little strokes as possible. (You can try other topcoats but I've heard some cause smearing. Test first!)

Keep in mind, this takes practice! Believe me. My first attempt was not pretty! Whatever you do, do not give up :) Try stamping over an old manicure to get the hang of it. Then you don't have to worry about ruining perfect nails!

I purchased all of my Konad Supplies from OCNailArt. They are very pleasant to work with!

Vanishing Act

2011-01-24T10:59:00.000-06:00

I've done it again. Just disappeared on you all, didn't I? :)

I thought I'd check in to let you know everything is going great! I've just been preoccupied with other things at the moment... I'll be back with some fun things to show you:

Fimo Sticks

Migi Nail Art Pens

Lippmann Polishes

Zoya Spoons

... and maybe some photos of the crafty things I've been trying to get finished.

Have a wonderful day!

Simple Snowflake

2010-12-17T10:22:00.000-06:00

OPI "Ulta-mate Berry Beautiful"

You caught a glimpse of this manicure earlier in my cookie post. Here is a photo of a fresh manicure (sans tip wear). The red polish is OPI "Ulta-mate Berry Beautiful" which like I said, is from FOREVER ago. I really get annoyed when I read that nail polish only lasts a couple years. Hmph! This one has lived 3x that already and the formula is as good as the day I got it!

The "snowflake" I used is not actually a snowflake, but I like it so much more than the ones on Konad image plate M59. This is from M20. I stamped in Konad's white "special polish" and then applied a rhinestone to the center. Pretty, huh?

Do you have any black labelled OPIs? Did you find them somewhere or have you had them sitting around?

Chocolate Explosion (Cookies)

2010-12-15T08:18:00.000-06:00

I don't bake. Anything. [...]

Except for cookies. I've always liked baking cookies.
Maybe because I LOVE cookies! I'm not a "cake" girl. I'm a "cookie" girl!

With Christmas just around the corner, I've kind of been obsessing about them... I'm always on the hunt for a good recipe. The bigger and softer, the better! Last week I tried a new chocolate chip recipe (which by the way, Charlie The Cat bit a hole through the plastic bag and chewed on some of the cookies!)... and here is one I stumbled upon online this week! Could anything be better than a cookie made with cookies (Oreos), candy bars, and chocolate chips? Nothing is coming to mind...

Mmmm! Still warm from the oven. Looking at these pictures is making my mouth water!

I found this recipe through Southern Living Online. HERE is the recipe!

Since this is a nail polish blog, I suppose I should add something to this post that is relevant... The polish I'm wearing is OPI "Ulta-mate Berry Beautiful". It's really old and really awesome! A one-coater, super glossy, and applies perfectly. If you ever find it, snatch it up. I've seen it on ebay for $20. I got it for Valentine's Day 5 or 6 years ago...

On the Naughty List: Charlie!

2010-12-14T09:49:00.000-06:00

Those are Charlie's "crazy eyes", as we call them... his pupils get HUGE whenever he is thinking about doing something he shouldn't. I'm pretty sure Charlie made the Naughty List this year. Haha. Notice (bottom photo) how he moves in for a closer look! Charlie, you aren't foolin' anybody. The photo below was taken just before his attack on that poor ornament. At least it is still in one piece!... It's hard to be mad at Charlie. He's just so dang cute!

By the way, that's a real Christmas tree. It has been clear coated and sprinkled with "snow" and glitter. As you can imagine, Charlie can't keep himself away from it. He is perpetually covered in sparkles. I think he'll shimmer through February!

LA Splash Glitter - Precious Crystallina

2010-12-13T15:56:00.000-06:00

This is a manicure I did a while back... It's hard to tell from the photos but this is a (very) subtle gradient of OPI "Bubble Bath" and OPI "Funny Bunny". After the gradient dried, I applied a layer of topcoat and quickly sprinkled on some glitter. Afterwards, I used Seche Vite top coat to create a smooth final surface...

How to Apply Loose Glitter

This might not be the "right" way but it works for me! Work one nail at a time... Apply clear coat to a nail. Set your freshly painted nail next to the glitter container. Quickly dip a small, dry paintbrush into the powder. Then, while holding the brush over your nail, lightly tap it on the container to force the glitter off. It'll fall to your nail and create a natural dusting across the surface.

I bought this glitter from our local Walgreens. It cost $3.99 per container, or $7.00 for two. I got this one, "Precious Crystallina", and "Onyx" (charcoal). Fun!

Rhinestone Storage!

2010-12-09T10:48:00.002-06:00

Quick post today. Thought I'd share with you an alternative to those annoying spin wheels for storing little beads, rhinestones, or other nail embellishments! This is a plastic wheel that I found at a Michael's craft store. It has 8 compartments; each with its own snap lid! Best part... it only cost $1.99! I bought two :) Oh and by the way, CNN, I will NOT stop using emoticons. Did anybody else read that article from yesterday?

I wish the compartments weren't so deep, but I suppose that is nice for storing
items larger than itty bitty rhinestones!

Half Moon With Liquid Palisade

2010-12-03T19:31:00.000-06:00

Half Moon Manicure

I've seen the "half moon" manicure so many times online but I was never really THAT excited by it... until I saw it in black and white. Black-and-White is my thing! I wear a lot of zebra print... b/w stripes. I also love houndstooth... And just plain black OR white. They never go out of style. When I saw them together in this manicure, I just HAD to try it.

Liquid Palisade

This was also the perfect opportunity to try my sample of Liquid Palisade, which is a paint-on product that creates a seal for any surface you don't want polish! It's great for nail art, french manicures, or just to keep your cuticles clean during normal polishing! I'm especially excited about trying it for pedicures!

It's as easy as 1, 2, 3 . . . 4!

Liquid Palisade works exactly like it is said to work. It's so easy too! There's virtually no learning curve... you just need to get used to painting with the brush (I hope you have a steady hand!). Believe it or not, this was my first attempt at it. Seriously. E-A-S-Y. Follow the four easy steps described below (Paint, paint, paint, and peel)! You simply paint it on where you don't want polish to be, cover your nail with the desired color, and then peel the Liquid Palisade off. The idea is absolutely genius. I only wish I had thought of it first :)

How To Use Liquid Palisade

*See diagram below*

1) Paint your nails with your base color and allow to dry completely.
2) Draw a design onto your nails with Liquid Palisade (I went over my design twice so the Liquid Palisade was thick and would be easier to pull off. Also, make sure to apply extra Liquid Palisade off of your nail so you can later grab it with tweezers!). Let the Liquid Palisade dry for a couple of minutes and then...
3) Paint over Liquid Palisade with your next color. (Use a one-coat polish because you have to remove Liquid Palisade when polish is still wet).
4) IMMEDIATELY start to remove the Liquid Palisade (I suggest using tweezers so you won't accidentally touch the wet polish and because Liquid Palisade tends to fling up at you since it's stretchy!).
P.S. Only "polish-and-peel" 1 finger at a time. You don't want it (for example: the black polish) to dry before you take off the Liquid Palisade or you might pull up some of your polish.

Liquid Palisade was sent to me for review :) You can see more about it HERE.

Essie "Turquoise And Caicos" Plus Glitter

2010-11-30T12:00:00.000-06:00

What It Is

Nfu Oh's "GS01" (a Glitter Series polish) over Essie's "Turquoise & Caicos" (from the 2010 Resort Collection). GS01 is an almost pastel, multi-colored glitter. "Turquoise & Caicos" is a semi-sheer polish that can build [eventually] into an opaque finish.

Application

Loved the color of "T&C" but its application was a pain in the butt! Runny and sheer. Bad combo. I tried thicker layers to get better coverage but the polish ended up flooding my cuticles and causing bubbles. I was able to mask them with the glitter though :)

I know I show you Nfu Oh "GS01" ALL THE TIME but I love it! The glitters are small and not in-your-face... so, so pretty! Have I convinced you that you need some Nfu Oh's yet? :) I've seemed to convince myself that I need another one! You can check out my other Nfu Oh's by clicking HERE or visiting my "Inventory (Nfu Oh)" link on my navigation bar above!

Lollipop And Pink Polka Dots

2010-11-27T07:14:00.000-06:00

Everything You'll Need:

Light Pink-	OPI "Mod About You"	3 coats
White-	OPI "Alpine Snow"	3 coats
Dark Pink-	Zoya "Kiki"	2 coats
Image Plates-	Konad M79	(Polka Dots)
Image Plates-	Konad M14	(Lollipop)
Rhinestones-	Aurore Boreale (Swarovski)	5MM
Rhinestones-	Clear (Swarovski)	9SS
Stamping Polish-	Konad "Psyche Pink"	Over white/light pink
Stamping Polish-	Konad "White"	Over dark pink
Top Coat-	Konad & Seche Vite

I saw this idea of a nail-art table at Lacquer Boudoir Blog. Genius, right? :)

Inspiration

Lately, I've been obsessed with Japanese / Kawaii nail art. I love all of the embellishments (rhinestones, pearls, 3D acrylic accents, etc) and the fact that each nail is its own design but still, no doubt, belongs to the set! This is NOT my attempt at it. It's just me heading more towards that direction. I've also really been inspired by Emerald Sparkled Blog's skittle manicures. Check it out and you'll understand why!

Make It Happen

I waste A LOT of time trying to decide what I'm going to do to my nails. I'm very indecisive. My thought process is a mess: "If this nail is light pink, that nail should be dark... but where is the white nail going to go? I don't want any patterns; it has to look random. Blah-blah-blah". This time I decided to start at the drawing board. I used Adobe Illustrator to create my plan of action! Below is a simple, colored illustration of my nails:

Do you pronounce it "Polka dots" or "Poka dots"?

OPI (Swiss) - Diva of Geneva

2010-11-18T09:27:00.000-06:00

OPI "Diva Of Geneva"

What It Is

A deep magenta shimmer. My favorite thing about this polish is how it reflects light. The edges of my nails are very dark, while the centers seem to glow. This is a perfect shade for Fall. Part of OPI's (Fall/Winter 2010) Swiss collection!

Application

"Diva of Geneva" took only 2 coats to become fully opaque. I remembered to wrap my tips early so it didn't need an extra layer! :) Another thing to note: This polish applies darker than it appears in the bottle, which looks kind of light & dusty.

If you are thinking this is a dupe for OPI "Queen of West Web-erly", it's not. They are very similar but "Diva of Geneva"s color is much more saturated.

Zoya (Wicked) - Edyta

2010-11-16T09:20:00.001-06:00

Zoya "Edyta"

What It Is

Zoya describes this polish as "a complete mixture of gold, olive, blue-green, and smokey grey with a sparkling metallic finish". That explanation is dead on... From Zoya's Wicked collection (Fall 2010).

Application

This particular polish probably has the best formula out of all my Zoyas. I just barely needed 2 coats. It went on super smoothly and dried much faster than I expected. I give it an (A+), Zoya!

*UPDATE: Upon removal, I discovered that this polish does indeed stain (like so many commenters had mentioned). I had only minor staining on a couple fingers because I used a base coat (OPI Original Nail Envy). If you use this polish, be sure to put down a thick layer of base coat or your nails may be blue for a while...

Essie (Fall 2010) - Sew Psyched

2010-11-15T13:48:00.000-06:00

Essie "Sew Psyched"

What It Is

Described on Essieshop.com as "A cashmere-soft sage pewter". In my terms: gray-green polish with a miniscule amount of shimmer. Part of the Fall 2010 collection.

Application

Application was a breeze. This was 2 coats. I'm really enjoying my Essie collection (small but growing!). Can't wait for more of their collections in the future!

How do you feel about this color? My mom said "yuck!" when she saw it but I love it!

Essie (Winter 2010) - Smokin Hot

2010-11-11T16:28:00.000-06:00

Essie "Smokin' Hot"

What It Is

Described online as a "stone-cold fox gray". What the heck does that mean?! It's dark gray with a purple undertone. Why do they have to get all fancy with their wording. No one understands that stuff! Part of
Essie's Winter 2010 collection.

Application

If I remember correctly, this is 2 coats of "Smokin' Hot". Application was smooth and the polish's consistency was perfect. I'm not sure of the wear because I've only just swatched this color... If it's anything like "Going Incognito", then it's a keeper!

Do you like the new symbol I designed? No, that's not a logo... it's just an edited copyright watermark for images. I was tired of the long, distracting name that I had plastered across all of my pictures. This simple symbol says "Hey! Property of the Polish Hoarder"! :)

Essie (Winter 2010) - Going Incognito

2010-11-11T09:53:00.000-06:00

Essie "Going Incognito"

What It Is

A deep bluish-green creme; think of OPI's "Jade Is The New Black" but a touch darker! It's a perfect shade for fall and winter. Part of Essie's Winter 2010 collection.

Application/Wear

Pictured is 3 coats of "Going Incognito". This polish applied very smoothly and had decent wear! I wore it for 3 whole days with only a little tip wear.

I purchased this product from Von Maur (my favorite department store ever). Who knew they'd start carrying Essie nail polish!?... And that's why Von Maur is my favorite!

China Glaze - Mrs Claus

2010-11-10T10:27:00.000-06:00

China Glaze "Mrs. Claus"

What It Is

A warm-toned, pink jelly polish with (as far as I could tell) a combination of silver and pink glitter. The glitter is all one size, which I'd consider to be "regular". From China Glaze's 'Tis The Season (to be naughty AND nice) Holiday 2010 collection.

Application

The application of this polish was not as awesome as its color. My bottle was a bit thick and dried too fast! I had to redo my thumbnail because I took too long and it got lumpy. So work fast! This is 3 coats. It ended up looking pretty nice. Don't you agree? :)

China Glaze - Party Hearty (Layering)

2010-11-09T11:06:00.002-06:00

China Glaze "Party Hearty"

What It Is

A magnificiant combination of glitter! This is the most festive holiday glitter I've ever seen and I'm LOVING it! I believe there are 3 sizes of glitter floating around in this polish: large hexagonal red glitter, regular sized green glitter, and very small gold and silver glitter! ~~I will try to add a closeup of this polish soon! How could I forget!?~~ Check! ...Part of China Glaze's 'Tis The Season (to be naughty AND nice) Holiday 2010 collection.

Ways To Wear It

This past weekend, I went on a swatchathon to be able to show you fun examples (including non-traditional combos) of ways to layer this polish! Hope you enjoy them! This took a lot longer than I thought and I went through a TON of cotton balls :)

P.S.

All swatches shown are 2 coats of polish and 1 coat of glitter, unless otherwise noted. Base colors are listed below the pictures.

Nfu Oh #70

Essie "Going Incognito"

China Glaze "Ruby Pumps"

OPI "Pink-ing Of You"

Layered UNDER OPI "Funny Bunny"

And on top of OPI "Funny Bunny"

Nfu Oh #154

Gold: OPI "I Get A Kick Out Of Gold"... Silver: Nfu Oh #67

So... what do you think? Which one is your favorite combination?

Essie (Summer 2010) - Pretty Edgy

2010-11-05T09:38:00.001-05:00

Essie "Pretty Edgy"

What It Is

A green creme polish. This is from Essie's Summer 2010 collection.

Application

Shown is 3 coats of "Pretty Edgy". I found it to go on quite smoothly. I might have been able to stop at 2 coats if I remembered to wrap my tips at the 2nd coat AND if I hadn't dragged my brush and created a bald spot on a couple nails. I was pleasantly surprised when I realized the polish did not bubble. However, I tried a new top coat (OPI RapiDry Top Coat) which must be getting dried out (I've had it awhile!) because it left bubbles everywhere! Aghhh!

Random

I chipped a corner of my index finger... Boo-hoo, I know. There was NO WAY I was cutting them all down again so I opted on rounding all of my nails. To my surprise, I kind of like it! I think it complements the shape of my fingertips. My plan for this winter is to keep my nails short & round so they don't dry out so much and break!
Also, I got a tripod! Yay! So I'm going to be taking more photos with my DSLR. I even figured out how to set a custom white balance so I won't look like a zombie anymore :) Have you noticed? I used my D90 for these photos...

I've been trying to improve the aesthetics of my blog... to make it more visually interesting. For example: better quality photographs, colorful backgrounds for my swatches, text boxes (such as this dark gray one), and archiTEXTural columns. Do you like my play on words there? :) Anyways... Since I'm an html novice, I'm not sure if I'm even doing it right. I see everything just fine on my computers but I want to make sure you all are seeing everything okay. Let me know if anything looks out of the ordinary! Any help would be greatly appreciated! Thanks a bunch:)

This week flew by! TGIF! I think I'll go polish shopping tomorrow!

Lippmann - Lady Sings The Blues

2010-11-04T08:45:00.000-05:00

Deborah Lippmann "Lady Sings The Blues"

What It Is

A navy blue jelly polish with two sizes of silver glitter: small "regular" glitter and large hexagonal glitters. This polish is from Deborah Lippmann's All That Jazz trio.

How I Wore It

In order to preserve my bottle of "Lady Sings The Blues" (and because I'm sure you've already seen this swatched in its purist form) I decided to layer it over Nfu Oh #270, a cobalt blue jelly. I did 2 coats of "Lady Sings The Blues" so that I could maintain the rich navy blue that you see in the bottle. And let's be honest, to get more glitter on my nails! P.S. I used Seche Vite as a top coat to achieve a smooth surface but it gave me baaaad shrinkage! I used a small paint brush and some pure acetone to clean up the polish that was left behind.
Grr! That's so frustrating!

Side Note

Though I like the name of this polish, I think it looks more like outerspace than Lippmann's "Across The Universe" does. Seriously, just look at it! It has small specs of glitter that are like stars and hexagonal sequins like planets! The jelly base gives this polish so much dimension that the glitter "planets" appear to be deep in space. I love how the glitters on the bottom layers are blue while the glitter towards the top are sparkling silver!

Overall

I just adore this polish. Consistency was good. Application was a little on the difficult side. You have to brush, brush, and brush some more to get the large glitter chunks were you want them. Other than that, the color is amazing and the wear seems to be pretty decent! I'm so glad I bought this :)

I purchased this polish, as part of the All That Jazz trio from Zappos.com!

Lippmann - Razzle Dazzle

2010-11-02T08:23:00.000-05:00

Deborah Lippmann "Razzle Dazzle"

What It Is:

A burgundy jelly polish with lots of tiny pink glitters. Part of the All That Jazz trio.

How I Wore It:

I was most excited about this polish from the trio. So... in an effort to make my bottle last longer (since a backup bottle is out of the question, as this is currently only sold in a set) I layered it over OPI "Bastille My Heart". I used 2 coats of "Bastille My Heart" and 1 coat of "Razzle Dazzle". The two polishes worked perfectly together!

[BELOW] Extreme close-up...

Like it? Love it? or Gotta have it? (Coldstone anyone?)

On a separate note, I'm trying different top coats and having no luck. I used Essie's Super Duper top coat with this manicure. As you can see, it does not create a smooth surface like Vite would. Plus, it took forever to dry! I sat on my hand and now I have a denim print in my polish! :(

Lippmann - Some Enchanted Evening

2010-10-29T15:24:00.000-05:00

Deborah Lippmann "Some Enchanted Evening"

What It Is:

A clear base packed with 2 sizes of rose colored glitter: small "regular" glitter and larger hexagonal glitter. There is a small amount of holographic glitters in there, as well. This is from Deborah Lippmann's All That Jazz nail polish trio.

Application:

This polish was fairly easy to apply. I found it best to give the bottle a shake before using since some of the glitter may have settled toward the bottom. Also... the more polish on your brush the better so don't scrape off too much!

Ways To Wear It:

This polish works best for layering because it would take a good 4 or 5 coats to completely cover your nail in glitter. I prefer wearing it over colors that don't contrast much with the rose hue. This would include: white, flesh tones, gold, silver, pinks, etc. Below are some examples I put together for you:

[ABOVE] Alternating coats of OPI "Funny Bunny" and "Some Enchanted Evening", beginning with "Funny Bunny" - 2 coats each
[BELOW] Layered over OPI "Dazzled By Gold" - 2 coats gold, 1 coat glitter

[ABOVE] 2 coats of OPI "Canberra't Without You", topped with 1 coat of "S.E.E"
[BELOW] Previous manicure with Essie "Matte About You" top coat

If you don't hear from me by Sunday, have a happy Halloween!!

OPI Swiss- Yodel Me On My Cell

2010-10-29T09:08:00.000-05:00

OPI "Yodel Me On My Cell"

I did this manicure so long ago. I don't remember how many coats I used. Probably 3. I usually get 2 coats done and it looks great... Then, I remember that I need to wrap the tips of my nails with polish, so I give it a third coat.

This color was "meh" to me. Don't get me wrong. It's a gorgeous shade. I'm just not in the mood to wear blues right now. In the Fall, I prefer: reds, purples, greens, and browns/taupes. I'll wear blue in the winter though... Navy or light blue (because it reminds me of ice).

I need a new top coat! Did you see how the Seche Vite was pulling the top layer of nail polish away from my cuticles!?? Grrr!... That's all for today! TGIF!

Charlie- Cuddling

2010-10-28T14:37:00.000-05:00

Charlie and his tiger (which I've named Chewy):

Awww. I love this little guy... except for last night. All I wanted to do was fall asleep but he decided it was the perfect time to explore my room. He was jumping onto my dressers, getting into shopping bags, and causing a raucous! I kicked him out.

Photography 101- Macro Mode

2010-10-26T09:39:00.000-05:00

If you haven't seen this icon before, let's get acquainted. Friend, this is Macro. Macro, this is my friend... I'm confident that you will soon be inseparable :)
For those of you that don't know, Macro mode is a very useful camera function. If you've ever had problems getting your lens to focus properly on an object up close, this is the button for you. Let's take a look at its magic!

Tips For Using Macro:

Turn off the flash-	Since your camera is positioned very close to the object you are photographing, it is best to turn off the flash. Otherwise, too much light will hit your subject and end up washing it out (P.S. "washing out" means your photo will be extremely bright and your subject will lose a lot of detail). If you need more light, photograph near a table lamp or go outside in the sun :)
Focus First-	Before you take your picture, press the shutter button (the button you push to take a photo) down half-way. You might hear your camera make a noise. This noise is an indication that your camera has focused on its object and is ready to snap the picture. My camera LCD (screen) will display a green border around the area that it is focused on. This is usually the part of the photo that is best in focus. Other areas may be slightly out of focus or really blurry, such as objects in the background. If your camera has the border feature, use it to your advantage. You can still get poorly focused photos, even in Macro mode, if you have not focused correctly.
Don't get TOO close-	Even though your camera can focus a few inches from your object, you probably don't want to take a photo that close because you will end up with some distortion of your subject. I'd say, stay at least 4 or 5" back so you don't end up making your object look like its bulging in areas it shouldn't be :)

Let's find that icon!

On most cameras, the macro icon is right there in the open! Take a look at my cameras...

[ABOVE] Nikon D90... [BELOW] Canon PowerShot

See? That wasn't too painful :)

[Some cameras don't have an obvious Macro button. In that case, you may have to go through your "Scenes" (like portrait, night shot, sports, etc) and find the macro setting. Your camera will most likely have a Macro mode. You just might have to do some searching!]

Don't worry if you have seen this icon but had no idea what its purpose was... and don't feel silly. I was once there too :) I hope this little tutorial was helpful! I did not go into detail on how to set your Macro function because each camera is different. You should refer to your User's Manual or if you've misplaced it, google it! You can find answers to pretty much anything on the internet!

Thanks for reading!

Essie - Really Red

2010-10-21T12:03:00.000-05:00

Essie "Really Red" - 3 coats

Another post today. This one showcases my recently trimmed nails!

Boy oh boy, am I LOVING this red! It's an Essie jelly and it's amazing! It's hard to tell from the photographs but it is so bright and cheerful :) The boyfriend even liked it!

I actually wore this manicure last weekend so I am wearing a different polish at the moment... but it's time for a change, so I asked him what I should wear and he said "that red one you had on the other day"...! It's funny because to me, nail polish is like clothes and I usually wouldn't want to wear the same thing twice in one week (because I like to mix it up, you know?). But to guys, I guess it doesn't matter! Looks like I might be wearing "Really Red" again this weekend! :)

OPI Pink Of Hearts 2010

2010-10-21T08:44:00.000-05:00

OPI "Pink Of Hearts 2010" - 2 Coats

Good morning! Today's manicure is OPI's "Pink Of Hearts 2010". This purchase was an impulse buy. I was at the cash register, paying for my other nail polishes, when I saw the Breast Cancer Awareness point-of-purchase display. The polish was pretty so I bought it :) I saw on OPI's website that they are making a $25,000 donation (that's 2,941 bottles of OPI!) to Susan G. Komen For The Cure. Donations are always a plus!

It's really a pretty color and the texture is unique. It has a semi-dull/flat finish when it dries. Kind of like a satin polish... with shimmers! I can't think of any other polishes in my collection that have this finish... OPI describes it as "pale pink with a shimmer of hope - and an uplifting sparkle". I wonder who writes that stuff?

I think my favorite part of this polish's presentation is the sleeve on it's cap with the pink ribbons! :) -OR- the background illustration that's used on the OPI website:

I mentioned a couple days ago that I broke a nail and had to trim them all down... no, my nails don't grow that fast. These are all previous manicures. You will see my short little nubs soon enough :)

CG Awakening - Zombie Zest

2010-10-20T09:06:00.000-05:00

China Glaze "Zombie Zest"

I'm sure you've seen it a zillion times... because I know I have! Oh well. Here are my photos of "Zombie Zest". Sorry about the sloppy polish around my cuticles. I'm begining to really hate Seche Vite. I apply my nail polish almost flawlessly, do a little clean-up around the edges, and apply my Vite topcoat. It looks perfect! For about 20 minutes... then the pulling happens :( The Vite grabs on to the top layer of my polish and shrinks as it dries, leaving behind a sheer layer. It's not so bad from a distance, but up close and in macro shots, it really looks sloppy. I notice it most with Nfu Ohs, certain Zoyas, and this polish. I don't know what the reasoning is. I'm just annoyed. Maybe I need a new topcoat.

Enough ranting. On with the polish! "Zombie Zest" is... a dirt yellow? I know. It looks green but see the color wheel below! Yellow + Black = Zombie Zest! :)

"Zombie Zest" is full of glitter specs! They seem to have color shifting qualities like flakes do... See below. The glitters look gold when the light is reflecting directly off of them and they look green in indirect light! Gosh, what color is that base??

I favor this polish in the sun... it's mega sparkly!

Halloween is almost here! I wish I had some amazing plans to share with you all but as of now... I got nothin'. Have a lovely day! The forecast here is 70 degrees! Just perfect :)

Rest in peace, my Preciousssss

2010-10-19T13:54:00.000-05:00

Have I done something to make the polish fairies angry with me?? The other day, I broke a nail tip completely off so I had to cut down ALL of my nails... and today... I tipped over a stack of polish boxes and killed my bottle of OPI DS Glamour! Ohhhh the pain!

Good thing I have a back-up bottle! It still doesn't make me feel any better about basically throwing away a brand new bottle of discontinued, highly sought-after, designer series OPI! I'm so mad at myself right now... My punishment? Cleaning holographic blue polish off of the survivors from that box.

Share Your Konad Ideas!

2010-10-13T11:48:00.002-05:00

Hi guys! It's me again! I just stumbled upon a discussion on Facebook (via OCNailArt). Kathleen says Konad likes our input on what we'd like to see on image plates.

This is how the discussion begins:
"What type of designs would you like Konad to come out with? We have had many people email and ask us if Konad would consider this design or that design. They DO want our input, but they need substantial interest in a design before they'll run with it. Let' see how many ideas we can get and how much support we can get for each one!"

If you have any great ideas you should stop on over and let her know! The link to the Facebook discussion is HERE!

OPI DS Reflection

2010-10-13T09:02:00.000-05:00

OPI DS "Reflection" - 2 Coats

It was pretty much unanimous that everyone preferred my Canon (point-and-shoot) photographs compared to my Nikon D90 (DSLR)... but I HAD to use the D90 for "Reflection". Reds are so hard to accurately capture. The Canon really saturated the color of this polish. It looked bright, neon magenta! Is was totally off! So here is "Reflection" seen through the Nikon:

Don't mind my corpsey complexion. We will just pretend that I intended on my hands looking this way in the spirit of Halloween! ;) I plan on experimenting more with my white balance so I can get a more natural color in my hands!

Those flakes are holographic! (I know, you can't tell. Use your imagination!)

Thanks for stopping by :)

OPI- Funny Bunny

2010-10-12T11:08:00.001-05:00

OPI "Funny Bunny"

I bought this color because A) I needed another white, as my bottle was beginning to run low... and B) It was on sale. Little did I know, this white is the opposite of opaque. I really hated it at first... but like they all do, it grew on me. My opinion of it now: it's a cool, milky white. Ghostly kinda... It would be good for a Halloween themed manicure!

This is 3 coats:

Below are 2 photos of the same thing. I can't decide whether I like the photos I get with my Canon or the ones from my Nikon better...?

[ABOVE] With my Canon, it's so much easier and faster to take pictures. I just point and shoot... but sometimes the photos are distorted (from photographing too close) and my skintone looks too red. I'm "olive" toned...

[BELOW] My Nikon lets me focus on objects closest to me and blur everything that recedes into the background. This is my favorite effect in photographs! :) BUT my skintone is off in these, as well. I look pale!

I thought I'd see what you guys like better! Let me know :)

Essie- Playa Del Platinum

2010-10-08T10:09:00.000-05:00

Essie "Playa Del Platinum"

Here is another neutral shade from Essie. I wasn't immediately a huge fan of this color but it grew on me... So then do I like it? Yes. Yes, I do like it :)

Have any of you ever taken a pottery/ceramics class? I did back in college (a few years ago).... and this polish reminded me a lot of the color my hands would look when the water/clay mixture dried to my skin.

I can't remember how many coats this was... either 2 or 3. I found it easy to work with and the wear was normal. An advantage of the color being so light is that tip-wear is barely noticeable. You could probably get by wearing this polish a couple days longer than usual.

TGIF! :)

Chinchilly + Glitter

2010-10-07T08:21:00.000-05:00

Essie "Chinchilly" and Nfu Oh "GS01"

Nfu Oh "GS01" is probably my favorite layering glitter EVER...

*I used: (3) coats of Chinchilly, (1) coat of GS01, topped with Seche Vite.

OPI- My Private Jet

2010-10-06T08:56:00.002-05:00

OPI "My Private Jet"

Here is the version I have! I don't think this one has the charcoal base like some do. It looked very similar in color to "You Don't Know Jacques"... Anyways, it does have that green flash that I've seen people mention [shown in the photo below]. It also has scattered holographic specs, minus the rainbow effect. This version is to the Original "My Private Jet" as DS "Extravagance" is to DS "Exclusive". Get it? :)

I still like it though...

I wonder how many versions actually exist...? At the beauty supply store last weekend, I saw one that was more charcoal in color with larger, but less, holographic pieces. I almost bought it but I really don't wear this one enough as it is!

Thanks for stopping by! Enjoy your day... Mine has started off well. It finally feels like fall around here. The leaves are turning red and there's not a cloud in the sky. Ahhh. So relaxing :)

OPI Burlesque- Tease-y Does It

2010-10-05T14:00:00.002-05:00

OPI "Tease-y Does It"

Here is my last polish I've to show you from the OPI Burlesque collection (until I buy more, of course)... This one is "Tease-y Does It":

I applied this polish in 2 coats. Below is a close-up of the sparkling bits. They are slightly color changing... from pink to orange. You can also tell from the photo above... However, I never saw green while the polish was on my nails. Just in the bottle.

It appears to be a dusty plum in the bottle but it is actually much darker on the nail:

In the lighting used below, the specs are much warmer in color....

I read over on All Lacquered Up that this polish is very similar to Chanel "Feu De Russie"...
Interesting.
Welp, that's all folks!

OPI Burlesque- The Show Must Go On

2010-10-05T11:30:00.012-05:00

OPI "The Show Must Go On"

"The Show Must Go On", eh? No. This one should have been named "Show-stopper"!

Look at that duochrome! A cool red that shifts to red-orange. This polish is an absolute MUST. Is that glass-flecked or a foil finish? Could it be both? Who cares when it looks this good, right?

Close-up!

I'm lost for words. It's just so gorgeous. (I'm starting to feel better about missing out on Mac's "Bad Fairy" since I've got this one!)

By the way, this was 2 thick coats. No top coat. Easy to remove.
Do NOT miss out on this one!

(FYI Just like all nail polish, its appearance depends entirely on the lighting. The duochrome effect was most dominant under fluorescent lighting so the majority of my pictures were taken under it. The first photo was taken with energy efficient bulbs and therefore do not look as spectacular... Just to let you know though, I did not do any color correcting. These pictures are straight from my camera!)

OPI Burlesque- Extra-va-vaganza

2010-10-05T10:11:00.000-05:00

OPI "Extra-va-vaganza"

Good morning everyone! :)

I drank a few too many cups of coffee last night and turned into a swatchomaniac! I really, REALLY wanted to get my top picks of the OPI Burlesque collection shown to you all!... I am one of the lucky ones to have found a beauty supply store that is already selling this collection. I wanted them all! And I'm sure I will eventually get the others, but at this moment I decided on just 3. I got "Tease-y Does It", "The Show Must Go On", and this one... "Extra-va-vaganza":

Ahhhh... orange glitter! I'm not usually a fan of orange polish BUT it is October and I thought this would be a perfect color for Halloween :)

Wait! It's not just orange! It has yellow, green, pink, silver, and light blue mixed in as well!

I see some people mention how they don't get the meaning behind the name.
My take is: It is "extravaganza" + "va-va-voom"... Extra-va-vaganza. What do you think?

So guys, is this polish one of your top picks of the Burlesque collection?
I'll be back later with swatches of the other 2! :) Thanks for looking!!

OPI DS Extravagance

2010-10-01T09:00:00.005-05:00

OPI DS "Extravagance"

I'm here! I chose this manicure as my "comeback" because it is cheerful, bright, girly, sparkly, and everything in between!

"Extravagance" (as I'm sure many of you know) is an OPI Designer Series shade. What classifies an OPI polish as "Designer Series"? I used to think all DS polishes were holographic but lately they've been just plain sparkly... not even cool sparkly like "Mad as a Hatter"... Just boring sparkly like "Mystery". How many more times should I use the word "sparkly"? :)

ANOTHER OBSERVATION: The old, old DS polishes had a holographic rainbow effect. The newer ones have only scattered holographic pieces :(

Since I'm on the topic of old DS polishes, "Extravagance" (I'd say) is the same exact color as DS "Exclusive" minus the awesome holo rainbow effect that I just noted. Maybe I should do a side-by-side comparison just to confirm...

Anyways... Here I applied 2 coats. This polish was amazingly easy to work with. Goes on smooth and removes just as well. The color is magenta and those tiny specs that you see are actually holographic bits! Here is a closer look. Keep in mind, it is waaaay prettier in real-life:

Below is a photo in the sunlight. You can see the holographic specs reflecting different colors (blue, red, etc) better than in the previous pictures.

Like it? I love it!

"Yay" for my 200th post! :)

Helloooooooo!

2010-09-28T10:25:00.000-05:00

Sorry for disappearing! I'm alive and okay :) I really don't have any excuse for being gone so long... I was traveling a lot for a couple weeks but after that, I just struggled to get back to blogging! [oopsy!] Things have started to wind down so I hope to make a comeback within the next few days! I still managed to paint and photograph my nails while I was gone so I've already got material to work with! Thanks for being so patient! :)

Challenge Gallery- Song Inspiration

2010-08-24T11:36:00.002-05:00

Okay, so here is the challenge gallery... finally! :) Thanks for being patient and sorry about my lack of consistency with the challenges for the past couple weeks. Let's not waste anymore time...

This week's challenge was "Song Inspiration". The participants created a nail design based on a song of their choice. See if you can guess which one they picked! If not, the title is listed below each photograph in pink. Have fun!

Fab Ur Nails Blog:

"Angel Of Mine" - Monica

"Kiss Me" - Sixpence None The Richer

The Art Of Nails Blog:

"Just Dance"- Lady Gaga

Pink Nail Blog:

"Pink Moon"- Nick Drake

Nails In My Coffin Blog:

"Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds"- The Beatles

Nailed It Blog:

"Animal" - Neon Trees

LinZ Lacquer Blog:

"City Of Blinding Lights"- U2

"White Houses"- Vanessa Carlton

Lindsey The Vampire Slayer Blog:

"Party Like It's 1999"- Prince

Lambchop Mobile Blog:

"Scorpion Flower"- Moonspell

Just My Lack Blog:

"Strawberry Fields Forever" (inspired by the movie Across The Universe)

Frippery Digits Blog:

"Life Is A Highway"

The Blood Elf Hunter Blog:

"Three Little Birds"- Bob Marley

Doo Polishing Blog:

"Red Red Wine"

Diane's Entry:

"Under The Sea" from Disney's The Little Mermaid

Clever And Colorful Blog:

"Midnight Train To Georgia"- Gladys Knight And The Pips

My entry! Can you guess what it is??

"Blue Suede Shoes"- Elvis :)

Thanks for stopping by and checking out all of the entries... This challenge was especially tough so let's thank all of the ladies that took time to participate! Great work all of you!

P.S. You may already know, but I'm leaving for a short vacation to Florida in couple days. I leave on Thursday and don't return until Monday. Therefore, I will not be having a challenge until mid-next-week. Hopefully, I come back refreshed with lots of fun challenge ideas and new nail polish to show you! :)

Charlie- Before And After

2010-08-23T16:12:00.000-05:00

So did I spark your interest in my previous post about what that little black spot was peeking in the corner of my photo? Well, here is your answer: Charlie!

He was a stray kitten that we took in. Poor thing was COVERED in fleas and had a cold! We gave him a bath in Dawn dish soap (since flea shampoo is too harsh for kittens) and got him some medicine for his sneezing. Here he was BEFORE:

And here he is NOW:

Isn't he so handsome? :) He's ornery too!

Bare Escentuals- Purist Grand Tote

2010-08-23T09:10:00.000-05:00

"So... what else has been on your mind since you've been M.I.A, Polish Hoarder?"

Oh, I'll tell you! A trip to Miami to see one of my best friends since elementary school! Me and a friend leave this Thursday to fly down to Florida!... I've barely been able to think about anything else for the past month. Three weeks ago I had already started my To Pack List... then there was my To Buy For Florida List... and the What To Do Before Florida List. See what I mean?! I'm a mess. Haha. But in a good, excited way of a mess.

One of the items on my To Buy For Florida List was a new makeup bag. I had a tiny little makeup bag, but let's face it... I'm a hoarder and I've always got too much of a good thing! So needless to say, I have more makeup than will fit in that little bag... My "everyday" makeup storage is a train case that works pretty well:

I got this at Target several years back for about $20... Probably the best twenty bucks I've ever spent on an item. [Below] See how organized I am? :)

However, it's waaaay too big to haul through the airport! I really needed something that was efficient with space but could hold all of my stuff... And then I found it:

This is Bare Escentuals' "Purist Grand" tote. My mom got a similar makeup bag a few winters ago and I loved it! The only thing that was better about hers is that it zips closed. This one just has a measly little snap at the top! More about the bag: It folds open to reveal two clear compartments on each side and brush loops in the very center (if it were a book, it'd be the binding). One bad thing about the bag: since the it doesn't have a zipper, I've noticed that my brushes fly out of the sides... (Cost $35)

Yay! This is going to work just perfect!
P.S. That colorful brush bag in the center is from my other makeup bag.

By the way, the compartments are fairly deep. Those eyeshadows are double stacked. That one space holds 24 Mac (or Bare Escentual) eyeshadows!

What's that little black spot in the top-right corner?? :) I'll show you later!

P.S. The challenge gallery will be posted soon! Today if I have time, or tomorrow! Have a lovely day!

Strawberry...Treasure?

2010-08-19T07:27:00.000-05:00

OPI "Strawberry Margarita" topped with DS "Treasure"

My nails have grown back out so I don't mind shimmers and glitters so much anymore... I don't really know why, but I was in the mood for DS "Treasure". Since I'm not a huge orange polish fan, I decided to layer it over pink! I guess this is in the same family as China Glaze's "Strawberry Fields". It is pink with golden sparkles! I like it! I've actually been wearing this since Monday and it has held up during sanding [gasp!]... I'll tell you about that later.

Here are some more photos!

Bottle photos so you can see the colors alone:

Sparkles!

Hope you enjoyed this combo as much as I did :)

Challenge (Song Inspiration)

2010-08-18T10:02:00.000-05:00

Yay! Here's the newest challenge! *Remember: Anyone can join the fun! New bloggers, experienced bloggers, and non-bloggers! Everyone is welcome :)

This week's challenge idea was an awesome suggestion from Danielle back in June! Great idea, huh? The deal is, you pick a song and find a way to translate the lyrics and its meaning onto your fingernails! This challenge is especially challengey (yah, I just made up that adjective) because you will want the viewers to be able to figure out your song of choice! Have fun! This one is going to be tough!... At least, in my opinion :)

The deadline details are a little different for this week:

Send me your "Song Inspiration" nail designs by Sunday (8-22-10) at 5pm (CST) to polishhoarder@gmail.com! COPY AND PASTE your blog address into your email if you would like me to include it with your entry!
PLEASE, please (!) use these dimensions as your final image size: 7" WIDE x 5.25" TALL @ 72 dpi
And lastly, DON'T FORGET to name your file like this: "nameofblog_yourfirstname.jpg"

Challenge Gallery- Just Tips

2010-08-16T09:00:00.001-05:00

It's Monday! Instead of a new challenge, today we are going to see the entries from the latest theme! Here are all of the "Just Tips" submissions!

[In no particular order]

Aleia's Entry:

All Things Lovely Blog:

Kitschy Suburbia Blog:

Art Of Nail Blog:

I Think It, I Say It, It's My Way Blog:

Nailed It Blog:

Makeup, Nails, and Randomness Blog:

Nail Junkie Blog:

Nails In My Coffin Blog:

Nicole's - Nails, Nails, Nails Blog:

Spark!leigh Blog:

Nailasaurus Blog:

Fab Ur Nails Blog:

Bonnie's Entry:

All Things Vain Blog:

Martin Delights Make-up and Cosmetics Blog:

My Simple Little Pleasures Blog:

Pink Nail Blog:

Alikat789 Nail Art Blog:

Another Bottle Of Polish Blog:

Frippery Digits Blog:

Jenilee's Beauty Blog:

Kristin's Entry:

Meds And Makeup Blog:

Polish Freshie Blog:

Pretty My Nails Blog:

The Art Of Nails Blog:

Finally, my tip design!

Hope you liked this week's entries! Did you get any good ideas or inspiration??

Thanks for all of your hard work, ladies!

Yankee Candle- Boney Bunch

2010-08-12T12:50:00.000-05:00

I'm not going to lie... Lately, I've been very preoccupied! I'm sure you all could tell. I feel like I have a million things to do and not enough time to get it all accomplished! Unfortunately, my nails have taken a back seat. I still keep them nicely polished (only because polish prevents them from breaking) but I just don't have the energy to photograph and edit photos right now...

So what have I been up to? Well, here is something... This is the reason why I never got my challenge nails done last week! Yankee Candle's Halloween candle holder collection called "The Boney Bunch!" I'm absolutely obsessed! It began last year actually. I bought 3 pieces:

COFFIN MAN- TEALIGHT HOLDER:

PIRATE- VOTIVE HOLDER:

HEADLESS PIRATE- TEALIGHT HOLDER:

Last year wasn't the first year they came out but it was the first year I was aware of them! They also had some wedding themed Boney Bunch that I was not into so I didn't purchase any. My mistake! The bride and groom sets were (and still are) being sold on the bay (ebay) for ridiculous prices! By "ridiculous" I'm talking up to $100 for one piece that was originally just $19.99! Crazy, I know!

This year the collection was released August 7th (last Saturday). My friend and I were told by some of the sales associates that if we wanted to get our pick of the items, then we'd have to get there early! We arrived before the store opened and waited in line outside of the doors. Yes, there was a line! Thank God we were near the front! Here is what I bought once we got inside:

THE BONEY BUNCH VERSION OF AMERICAN GOTHIC- VOTIVE HOLDER:

LAST CALL- VOTIVE HOLDER:

NEWLY DEADS- VOTIVE HOLDER:

I really wish I had gotten the Santa Boney Bunch guy, seeing that he is now sold out online! If he is in the store the next time I'm there, I'll grab him. I also got a few other Yankee Candle items but I just wanted to show you my Boney Bunch collection!

What do you think? Is it worth all the fuss? I just LOVE them!

Challenge (Just Tips!)

2010-08-10T09:42:00.000-05:00

It's a new challenge!

This week you must create a pretty design using JUST THE TIPS of your nails! Do not use a base color for your nail. Keep it clean and use a skin tone polish as your base if your nails are stained (like mine!)... Other than that, use color on your tips! Or stamp! Or use non-traditional nail art materials! Let's see what you can do!! :)

The deadline details are a little different for this week:

Send me your "Just Tips" nail designs by Sunday (8-15-10) at 5pm (CST) to polishhoarder@gmail.com! COPY AND PASTE your blog address into your email if you would like me to include it with your entry!
PLEASE, please (!) use these dimensions as your final image size: 7" WIDE x 5.25" TALL @ 72 dpi
And lastly, DON'T FORGET to name your file like this: "nameofblog_yourfirstname.jpg"

I'm changing the Challenge/Gallery posting dates for the next couple weeks to fit better with my schedule. Hope you don't mind! Now you'll have the weekend to work on your entries though :)

Challenge Gallery- Nature

2010-08-07T07:50:00.000-05:00

Gallery time! Let's see what part of nature had inspired you all!

[In no particular order]

Tigirlyly Konadicures Blog:

The Nailasaurus Blog:

Spark!leigh Blog:

Running With Polish Blog:

Polish Freshie Blog:

Pink Nail Blog:

Paillette- A Little Nail Polish Journal Blog:

My Nail Polish Addiction Blog:

Kasy's Enty:

Lunuland Blog:

Lacquer Lover Blog:

Kitschy Suburbia Blog:

I'm Sick Of Sitting 'Round Here Trying To Write This Book, Too, Bruce Blog:

Immortal Blueberry Blog:

Glaze Craze Blog:

Fab Ur Nails Blog:

Enamel Girl Blog:

Emybloom Blog:

Courtney's Entry:

Clever And Colorful Blog:

Borricua's Entry:

Kristin's Entry:

Thank you ladies SOOOO much for joining my challenge this week!

Have a lovely weekend!!

NOX twilight "Debutante"

2010-08-03T14:21:00.000-05:00

NOX twilight "Debutante"

Well, I have to admit... I thought for sure that this polish would be sheer and hard to build, but it wasn't! What is up with all of these assumptions of mine?? You know what assuming does...

I think this is a fine shade but definitely not "me". Personally, I like dark colors and/or creme polishes. They make my nails look longer. This polish has neither of them going for it...

This was 3 coats of "Debutante". It is a duochrome polish that shifts from a pinkish-mauve to shimmery gold in the light. It reminds me of a color my mom would wear. LOL [No offense Mom]... Online this polish is described as a "fresh peachy-pink"...

Outdoor shot...

And if you were wondering about how it compares with another polish of this type, here a photo of OPI "Significant Other Color" vs. NOX twilight "Debutante". As you can see, "SOC" is more purple and has a green shimmer (also much more sheer), while "Debutante" is mauve-ish with golden shimmer:

And that's all I've got for you today! This also concludes my collection of NOX twilight polishes! Hope you enjoyed them :)

(This product sample was sent to me for consideration)

Challenge (Nature)

2010-08-02T11:12:00.000-05:00

This week's themed challenge is pretty unrestricted. I'd like you to create a manicure that is inspired by nature... It can be anything in nature! I'm sure we will see a large variety of subject matter and color choices on Saturday! Happy painting!

Send me your "Nature" nail designs by Friday (8-06-10) at midnight (CST) to polishhoarder@gmail.com! COPY AND PASTE your blog address into your email if you would like me to include it with your entry!
PLEASE, please (!) use these dimensions as your final image size: 7" WIDE x 5.25" TALL @ 72 dpi
And lastly, DON'T FORGET to name your file like this: "nameofblog_yourfirstname.jpg"

NOX twilight "Sangria"

2010-08-01T11:29:00.001-05:00

NOX twilight "Sangria"

A very vampy red... And glossy too! Here is 3 coats of "Sangria". I think some people could get away with just 2 but I wasn't really paying much attention during the application and the polish around the edges ended up being a little thin. That's why I added a 3rd coat...

I don't think I have any colors like this. From the bottle I thought maybe it was like OPI "Suzi Says Da" but now I'm thinking that one is much more brown.

I haven't shown you the back of the bottles yet, so here it is:

And my dreaded outdoor shot. But check out the starbursts from the sun reflecting off my nails!

Thanks for looking! :)

(This product sample was sent to me for consideration)

Challenge Gallery- Vampire

2010-07-31T09:20:00.003-05:00

It's time to see this week's "Vampire" themed challenge entries!
Don't stare for too long... You might make them mad!

[In no particular order]
Kitschy Suburbia Blog:

Art Of Nail Blog:

Fab Ur Nails Blog:

Borricua's Entry:

If I were a vampire I'd have nails as sparkley as my skin and I'd wear nothing but white. I'd look like an angel instead of death.

My Simple Little Pleasures Blog:

Running With Polish Blog:

Polish Up Blog:

I have no name. I am not a vegetarian vampire, I kill to live. But, I consider myself a superhero, fighting off only the lowest of the low in our society. My strength comes from My Private Jet! So, if everyone wants to keep thieves, rapists, and murderers off their streets, send me your My Private Jet. Seems like a small price to pay!

Pink Nail Blog:

Nicole- Nails, Nails, Nails Blog:

Never Unpolished Blog:

Nails R Us Blog:

Meds And Makeup Blog:

Lunuland Blog:

Enamel Girl Blog:

Emybloom Blog:

Crystal Visions Blog:

Clever And Colorful Blog:

Claudia's Entry:

Awkward Elevator Rides Blog:

Emerald Sparkled Blog:

My Nail Polish Addiction Blog:

And her daughter's nails:

AND if I were a vampire...
My style would be classy and elegant, but I unfortunately wouldn't be able to hide what I really was: a dark, thirsty creature. The color I wear on my nails suggests blood, but it is the fang-like design and the teardrop shaped gems (like dripping blood) that give away the fact that I am truly a monster at heart... You better not get too close! ;)

Thank you all for participating this week! Have a lovely weekend!!

NOX twilight "Poseidon"

2010-07-31T06:50:00.001-05:00

NOX twilight "Poseidon"

Good morning! It's not quite time for the challenge gallery, so here is another polish by NOX twilight! This is "Poseidon"!

I used 2 coats of this polish. I couldn't decide if it was a sheer or a creme. The final finish, though, is a soft milky blue. I really liked "Poseidon". I wore it for a couple days...

Pretty!

Outdoor shot:

Thanks for looking! The challenge photographs will be available soon!

(This product sample was sent to me for consideration)

NOX twilight "Citrus"

2010-07-28T12:16:00.001-05:00

NOX twilight "Citrus"

There must be something wrong with me... I'm so critical of polish when I see it in the bottle. This one I honestly was not too excited about trying. Hey, I'm just being honest... But LOOK! It's GORGEOUS!

This is 3 coats of "Citrus" (2 would have been okay but I bumped a tip and needed to repaint it). Isn't the color amazing? It's like China Glaze's "Strawberry Fields" but peach! THIS is the color that I wanted OPI "Bright Lights, Big Color" to be! It is perfect for summer! And so bright too!

I always like label shots... Look below at the gold shimmer! AND that metal crest. It's so cool!

I'm very pleased with this color. I can't believe I ever had any doubt! Thanks for looking!
P.S. Don't forget about my "Vampire" challenge for this week!
The entry deadline is Friday at midnight (CST)

(This product sample was sent to me for consideration)

NOX twilight "Wine And Dine"

2010-07-27T12:45:00.003-05:00

NOX twilight "Wine & Dine"

I told you I'd be back with more NOX! This is 2 coats of "Wine & Dine"...

From looking at the bottle, I imagined this polish would have a silver and champagne speckled finish... I immediately thought of Edward's glimmering skin in the sunlight!... So naturally, I was super excited about this unusual polish and swatched it first! Turns out, it looks very different on the nail. This is actually a foil.

I DO like this color. I think it would be a good polish for conservative work environments. I definitely should have used a ridge filler though. The shimmers in this polish catch the light and show every peeling corner of my nails! Uh! I think my base coat was drying out my nails! Anyone have any good suggestions?

[Above] See what I mean about the finish looking completely different?... But I LIKED the way it looked in the bottle!!! So... I added some silver glitter! :)

Ahhhh! So pretty!

(This product sample was sent to me for consideration)

NOX twilight "Sugar Plum"

2010-07-26T15:05:00.003-05:00

NOX twilight "Sugar Plum"

Sticking to this week's vampire theme, here is a polish that is part of the Twilight Beauty line. This one is called "Sugar Plum". It is one of my favorite colors of the bunch because it unique to any other polish I own.

This polish was thicker than I am used to but it was still manageable and I was able to achieve full coverage in just 2 coats. It's color is a deep magenta, border-line purple, with an awesome blue shimmer! Online it is described as an iridescent plum. Yah, that's about right :)

Below is an outdoor shot. Meh, I think my indoor photographs show the color and shimmer best... I'm still learning how to shoot with my D90.

So what do you think? Do you like it? Do you own any NOX?

P.S. I will be showing you some other great NOX colors throughout the week so be sure to stop back for more swatches! :) You can also see their other choices for yourself HERE. Have a nice afternoon!

(This product sample was sent to me for consideration)

Challenge (Vampire)

2010-07-26T08:00:00.000-05:00

Challenge time!

This week is all about blood-suckers! Create a manicure that you think would be suitable for a vampire. If it helps, imagine that you are one... What shape are your nails? What color of polish do you wear? What is your fashion style? And if you want, give yourself a name! Just have fun :) I can't wait to see what you guys come up with!

"Seriously, Polish Hoarder?" Vampires in July??" Yes guys! It's the perfect time for it! The 3rd season of True Blood is finally airing and I just saw the newest movie of the Twilight series, Eclipse (best one so far! It was also my favorite book)... PLUS, Halloween is just around the corner! By the way, if you were wondering, yes that is half of my face in the challenge photo. I was a vampire a couple Halloweens ago. Fun teeth, eh? :)

Send me your "Vampire" nail designs by Friday (7-30-10) at midnight (CST) to polishhoarder@gmail.com! COPY AND PASTE your blog address into your email if you would like me to include it with your entry!
PLEASE, please (!) use these dimensions as your final image size: 7" WIDE x 5.25" TALL @ 72 dpi
And lastly, DON'T FORGET to name your file like this: "nameofblog_yourfirstname.jpg"

Challenge Gallery- Color Accent

2010-07-25T08:00:00.004-05:00

Time to see who sent in photos for this week's challenge! [Click HERE to see the challenge details] This is really my kind of challenge! Why? Well, because I guess it matches my personal style more than anything. I wear a lot of black and/or white clothes and then add color to my outfit with a layering camisole or some fun jewelry. Enough about me...

Here are the entries! [In no particular order]

Emerald Sparkled Blog:

Fab Ur Nails Blog:

Fleur's Nails And Stuff Blog:

{To see the rest of the entries, click "Read Entire Post" below!}

Lacquer Lady Blog:

The Blood Elf Hunter Blog:

Nail Talez And More Blog:

Nailin' It Blog:

Nail Bean Blog:

Never Unpolished Blog:

Lacquer Obsession Blog:

Kristin's Entry:

Emybloom Blog:

Dee's Polish Endeavours Blog:

Phoebe's Polished Phalanges Blog:

Meds And Makeup Blog:

The Girl With The Nails Blog:

Tigirlyly Konadicures Blog:

Polish Freshie Blog:

Nail Scrapbook Blog:

Lacquer Boudoir Blog:

Kitschy Suburbia Blog:

Eva's Entry:

Art Of Nail Blog:

Inept Beauty Blog:

Jeninjafer Blog:

Milan And Vanaily Blog:

Nail Junkie Blog:

My Simple Little Pleasures Blog:

My Nail Polish Addiction Blog:

and her daughter's entry:

Pink Nail Blog:

Running With Polish Blog:

Peep Dee's Polish Blog:

And rounding up the entries, here is mine:

Thank you all for your hard work! This was such a fun challenge!

(OPI Franken) "Kickin' Ash"

2010-07-23T14:20:00.001-05:00

Okay so, many of you know I am hosting a challenge this week and the theme is "Color Accent". The deal is, you have to create a grayscale manicure and add a pop of color. I have everything except gray! Seriously! How does a polish hoarder have every polish under the sun but simple gray? I don't have an answer for that, but I have a solution! Mix your own!

The idea came to me right before I fell asleep last night... Since I was running low on "Alpine Snow" I picked myself up a backup the other day. That means I had 2 bottles of white. Well, it doesn't take much black to create a gray so I mixed some into my half empty bottle of white polish! It all worked out so well. It's like it was meant to be. The best part about my gray is the name! "Kickin' Ash!"

Ready for swatches of my one-of-a-kind (but super easy to dupe!) OPI gray?

Alright! Here ya go:

OPI Franken "Kickin' Ash"

Oh my gosh, it is perfect! This is just 2 coats. Can you believe it?!

No... that's not a real label. I Photoshop-ed that in there :)

Now, it's time to get started on my challenge entry!

Have you done yours???

A Bee-bee

2010-07-23T09:10:00.001-05:00

Not that kind of bee! ... I meant this kind:

Since my nail post for today is still a work-in-progress, here is a photo of my nephew that I took when I visited last weekend. You have not seen him yet. He is four months old now and beginning to eat baby cereal. He absolutely loves it! :)

Overexposed In South Beach

2010-07-22T09:00:00.001-05:00

OPI "Overexposed In South Beach"

Good morning everyone! Here are the nails I'm sporting today. This is 3 coats of "Overexposed In South Beach". I really like this color because it has only a tiny hint of shimmer (which you can see in the above photo). Just enough that it looks like a creme finish from a distance... and by now you might know that I prefer creme polishes over shimmers :)

Like with all polishes, the color changes under different lighting. Indoors, it seems very dark (it reminds me of "No Spain No Gain") but outside it lightens up! The photos were taken very close to a lamp so that brightens the color even more.

This is a really great color but it might be more appropriate for the fall rather than the middle of July... even though it was part of OPI's collection last summer! How do you like it? On another note: LOOK! My nails are growing out, finally :)

Challenge (Color Accent)

2010-07-20T10:10:00.000-05:00

Hello! Sorry this is a day late! But to make up for it, I'm giving you an extra day to submit your files to me. I will be posting the challenge gallery on Sunday instead of Saturday!

This week's challenge is to create a grayscale nail design and include a pop of color! You can only use one color so make it a good one :) Also, you may use that color as much as you want. It just has to be the ONLY color besides black, white, and gray. That's it! Have fun!

Send me your "Color Accent" nail designs by Saturday (7-24-10) at midnight (CST) to polishhoarder@gmail.com! Add a link to your blog if you would like me to include it with your entry!

PLEASE, please (!) use these dimensions as your final image size: 7" WIDE x 5.25" TALL @ 72 dpi

And lastly, DON'T FORGET to name your file like this: "nameofblog_yourfirstname.jpg"

Challenge Gallery- Fashion Inspiration

2010-07-17T09:00:00.023-05:00

Let's not waste any time! Here are the amazing entries for this week's "Fashion Inspired (Betsey Johnson)" nail challenge.

[In no particular order]

The Art Of Nails Blog:

Pretty My Nails Blog:

Polish Freshie Blog:

{Click "Read Entire Post" to see all entries!}

Pink Nail Blog:

Not So Well Polished Blog:

Nail Fairy Blog:

Milan And Vanaily Blog:

Kristin's Entry:

Kitschy Suburbia Blog:

Pimp My Nails Blog:

My Nail Polish Addiction Blog:

Inept Beauty Blog:

Hangi Oje Yakismaz Ki Bana Blog:

Green-wich Village Blog:

Emybloom Blog:

Fab Ur Nails Blog:

Borricua's Entry:

Amanda's Entry:

Alice In Polishland Blog:

Your Results May Vary Blog:

Jeninjafer Blog:

Enamel Girl Blog:

Vanisa's Entry:

And here are my Betsey Johnson inspired nails:

I can't believe the variety of dresses that were chosen. I super surprised there weren't more duplicate dress choices! :) Thanks for all of your hard work ladies! This is one of my favorite challenges yet!

Queen Of West Web-erly

2010-07-16T09:35:00.002-05:00

OPI "Queen Of West Web-erly"

This is one of my favorite fall shades. Sometimes it looks purple and sometimes it looks like a deep magenta... but always gorgeous :)

I'm not normally a huge shimmer fan. I like them, but I don't like wearing them... This one is different though. The shimmer makes the polish glow where it reflects the light, while the edges remain dark... like when you bump up the contrast in a photograph. Unfortunately, the effect is more obvious in real life. Hopefully you believe me :)

Nails that could stop traffic...

2010-07-15T09:00:00.005-05:00

...or in my case, cause a car accident because I CAN'T STOP STARING AT THEM (even while driving)!

These gems are BRIGHT! P.S. Sorry for the uneven nails. They are surprisingly hard to shape when they are this short! Anyways, back to the polish... This is 3 coats of Zoya "Trixie", topped with Seche Vite to last longer, and then covered with 2 coats of OPI "Paris Couture For Sure" glitter top coat. Look below at the rainbow awesomeness!

Yah, it really is THAT good. I love this top coat and I can't believe I've had it sitting around this long without using it! What is up with that!?

I should try it over black to create my own version of My Private Jet! Will anyone ever know the difference? Probably not. There's already 72 other versions out there!!

If you are wondering why I applied Seche Vite BEFORE "Paris Couture For Sure", that's because you can't use a top coat over some holographic polishes because it significantly diminishes their effect. It makes the holo turn from a rainbow into just scattered colorful specs... definitely not as cool.

Nail Wheel #10

2010-07-14T15:00:00.002-05:00

Nail Wheel #9

2010-07-14T13:00:00.001-05:00

Nail Wheel #8

2010-07-14T11:00:00.001-05:00

Nail Wheel #7

2010-07-14T09:00:00.001-05:00

Nail Wheel #6

2010-07-13T15:00:00.001-05:00

Nail Wheel #5

2010-07-13T13:00:00.001-05:00

Nail Wheel #4

2010-07-13T09:00:00.001-05:00

Nail Wheel #3

2010-07-12T15:00:00.001-05:00

Nail Wheel #2

2010-07-12T13:00:00.000-05:00

Challenge (Fashion Inspiration)

2010-07-12T09:00:00.008-05:00

I'm super excited about this week's challenge! It was influenced by the suggestions of ABOP and Trinty! So thank you two for the inspiration! Let's see the challenge!

Sounds fun, doesn't it!? I love Betsey Johnson's fashion line. Most of it is way too over-the-top, not to mention expensive, for my taste but I think it is so creative and makes a great muse for nail design!... Sooooo... Go HERE to pick out your dress and get painting! :) And don't tell me you can't find anything because there are 12 pages of dresses to choose from ;)

Make a photo collage of your nails AND your selected dress, -OR- send me both images in their original size so I can merge them for you :) If you create the collage yourself, please use these dimensions as your final image size: 7" WIDE x 5.25" TALL @ 72 dpi

DON'T FORGET to name your file like this: "nameofblog_yourfirstname.jpg"

Send me your "Fashion Inspiration" nail designs by Friday (7-16-10) at midnight (CST) to polishhoarder@gmail.com! Add a link to your blog if you would like me to include it with your entry!

Thanks a bunch!

I'm excited to see your creations!!

Challenge Gallery- Summer Sponging

2010-07-10T09:00:00.007-05:00

Hello and thanks for stopping by! Here are the wonderful entries for this week's "Summer Sponging" challenge. I hope you enjoy looking at them as much as I do! Maybe they will inspire some of you to create your own nail art :)

[In the order which I received them]

Emerald Sparkled Blog:

Tigirlyly Konadicures Blog:

Kitschy Suburbia Blog:

Pretty My Nails Blog:

Amanda's Entry:

Nail Talez & More Blog:

Kristin's Entry:

Fab Ur Nails Blog:

My Nail Polish Addiction Blog:

Borricua's Entries:

Pink Nail Blog:

Polish Freshie Blog:

My Simple Little Pleasures Blog:

Enamel Girl Blog:

Pretty My Nails Blog:

And lastly...

Here is my nail art of a summer picnic under the clouds :)

I must say, the new way of renaming the files worked out really well! Thank you to all that remembered :) And thanks again to everyone for participating! I loved seeing all of your entries...Without them, my challenges would be nothing. Thank you!!

Nail Wheel #1

2010-07-09T09:00:00.016-05:00

What better time to post photos of my new LABELED nail wheels than now while my nails are short little nubs!?

I FINALLY got these finished (5 months later...)! I photographed the wheels outside under overcast skies. Most of the swatches are color accurate but some may be a little off. Blame that on my camera :) For the labels, I created them using Adobe Illustrator and Indesign. It's okay if you don't know what those are... It was time consuming but easy :) And now I've got every color swatched and easily accessible! No more searching through plastics boxes to find a polish to wear!!

"Barely There" Glitzy Nails

2010-07-08T09:00:00.002-05:00

OPI "Coney Island Cotton Candy & Nfu Oh GS01

I'm down to nubs right now ;) My middle fingernail became victim to my car door! I swear, most of my breaks are due to the car. I should just trade it in!

Since I'm kind of in shock by how short my nails are, and because I don't want to draw attention to them, I decided to paint them with the new color I got for french manicures: "Coney Island Cotton Candy". I wasn't in the mood for white tips but I needed something because I wasn't thrilled with the odd, uneven, visible nail line... soooo I added a bit of glitter (Nfu Oh GS01) at the bottom of my nail!

I'm enjoying this manicure a lot more than I had imagined. I think mostly due to that glitter! I'll tell you what, Nfu Oh has some great glitters! I've got GS01 & GS09 and they are amazing! I love how small the particles are. They're easy to work with, easy to remove, and do I really need to say it? Gorgeous!

I actually think this could pass for a work-appropriate manicure.

What do you think?

Thanks for reading! :)

Nfu Oh #568... Better than Zulu!

2010-07-07T09:00:00.001-05:00

Nfu Oh #568

Who needs "Zulu" when you can have #568!? I mean, seriously... have you seen this green? It's gorgeous. Amazing. Perfect!

This is 3 coats. I don't recall there being any problems with the application. Just normal jelly-sheerness. That's the reason for needing 3 coats. What I like so much about this polish is that it is dark but you can still tell it is green! This one is definitely a keeper!

P.S. I've read HERE that #569 is supposedly a dupe for Nars "Zulu". It is a little darker than #568 and touch more blue. So if you don't get your hands on "Zulu" this summer, this is your other option :)

Challenge (Summer Sponging)

2010-07-05T09:59:00.003-05:00

Good morning! Did everyone have a nice (holiday) weekend?!? Mine was pretty eventful... went boating on the Mississippi River with my family, hung out by the campfire, watched some pretty amazing small-town fireworks (they were shot directly above us! We had to stare straight up to see them. It was like standing under a fireworks umbrella!!), and I still have today to do whatever I want because it is considered a holiday! No work :)

This week's challenge is a combination of ideas that I received when I asked for suggestions of what everyone would be interested in seeing for a theme. MANY people suggested a summer related theme. You can see the ideas HERE ... and Nikki thought a "sponge" technique would be fun. I agree! So here is this week's challenge:

You can create any "summery" nail design that you can thing of, you just HAVE TO USE THE SPONGE TECHNIQUE. That's it! Hope you enjoy this challenge!

Send me your "Summer Sponging" nail designs by Friday (7-09-10) at midnight (CST) to polishhoarder@gmail.com! Don't forget to add a link to your blog if you would like me to include it with your entry!

Please use this file size: 7" WIDE x 5.25" TALL @ 72 dpi (so everyone's images are the same dimensions... I want them all to be equal!) If you do not know how to crop and resize your image, let me know and I will gladly do it for you! It is better that I get a photo too large so I can minimize it to the size I need, rather than a photo too small. Photos that are smaller than the size I request will lose a lot of detail and become fuzzy when I enlarge them!

One last thing... I'm trying to create a better way to stay organized so this week I want to try something new. I would like you to name your file like this: "nameofblog_yourfirstname.jpg" If you don't have a blog, your name will be just fine... It gets a little confusing trying to organize my challenge gallery because I receive the emails in your names, but then the files are usually labelled "phdchallenge", AND I have to include your blog urls which are also different. I'm by no means whining :) Just trying to find a way to be more efficient!!

Last week I renamed ALL of the files after I checked their sizes in Photoshop. Look in the image below to see how much easier the files are to navigate:

I just used the blog names but I think it will also help me to include your real name from your email accounts so I can easily find your email in my inbox to retrieve your blog urls!

Okay, I'm done! :) Let's get to painting!!

Challenge Gallery- Book Cover

2010-07-03T08:50:00.000-05:00

Here are the entries for this week's nail design challenge! This one was especially fun because I liked to see how people were inspired by the book(s) of their choice. Everyone did such a wonderful job translating book cover art onto their nails!

[In no particular order]

Art Of Nail Blog:

Bethaniee's Nails Blog:

Danielle's Entry:

Dee's Polish Endeavours Blog:

Elyse's Entry:

Enamel Girl's Blog:

The Burn Book Blog:

Fleur's Nails & Stuff Blog:

Iceomatic's Nails Blog:

Kitschy Suburbia Blog:

Lili Lipstick Blog:

Milan & Vanaily Blog:

My Simple Little Pleasures Blog:

Nail Addicts Anonymous Blog:

Nail Talez & More Blog:

Hangi Oje Yakismaz Ki Bana Blog:

Pink Nail Blog:

Stephanie W's Entry:

Borricua's Entry:

Wonderful job ladies!! Thanks for all of your hard work!

P.S. If you are wondering where my nails are... I have not completed my challenge yet! Oops! But I have been up to other nail related things. I will show you when I get it all completed.

Thanks for viewing my challenge gallery :) Be sure to check out these ladies' blogs to see more fabulous nails!

Nfu Oh #270

2010-07-02T09:00:00.001-05:00

Nfu Oh #270

Look at that jelly!

This is Nfu Oh #270 (3 coats). It is a cobalt blue jelly. The color really lights up in the sun or in direct lighting, like in my photos which were taken very closely to a lamp. Otherwise, this polish is a tad darker.

How do you like it? I'm a huge fan of blues so I'm loving this polish!

Zoya- Pippa

2010-07-01T09:00:00.000-05:00

Zoya - Pippa

I was totally under the impression that this was a soft, pastel yellow. No! This is a bold, in-your-face yellow! It dries darker than it appears in the bottle. The color is pretty saturated, like OPI "The It Color" but they are in no way duplicates. "The It Color" is much more golden.

Honestly, I wasn't really a fan of this polish. The application was border-line awful. Ugh. I'm pretty good at manipulating nail polish but this one was tough! Thick and streaky! It looked a lot better after using Seche Vite though. Thank goodness!

I don't think I'll be buying many more yellows. They just don't suit me AND it seems like they are all (no matter the brand) a pain to apply!

What do you think of Pippa?

Closure... finally!

2010-06-30T07:20:00.001-05:00

As some of you already know, I have been on a (somewhat) long quest to find an accurate "Tiffany blue" polish. I've bought ALL SORTS of colors and brands. Okay, no... I've stuck to those I feel safe with [OPI, Essie, Nfu Oh, and China Glaze]. But still, I'd like to think that I've expanded my horizons mostly because of this one particular challenge.

My search came to a halt when I realized I couldn't hardly give you the perfect "Tiffany blue" polish without something to base my findings on. I needed a Tiffany box! Well, I finally got one. And a bag. And a baggy. And another baggy:

Actually, I borrowed these from my aunt. I don't have any Tiffany jewelry, nor do I plan to buy any. I guess it isn't my style...

Does anyone else find it odd that the color of the Tiffany packaging is so varied. For being allegedly "copywrited" you would think they'd be more consistent across the board with their color ... I'm sure there is probably someone that would insist "They are all the same". Kind of like OPI's "My Private Jet". Haha.

Here are the polishes I've collected, plus a few I just threw in there for the sake of color comparisons:

I don't really have time to swatch these all individually for this post so here they are on a nail wheel. I think this works better anyways. You get to see them side-by-side!

I suppose you want to know what they are...

1- China Glaze "Turned Up Turquoise" (Neon. Doesn't show in photo.)

2- Nfu Oh #206

3- Essie "Turquoise & Caicos"

4- China Glaze "For Audrey"

5- Nfu Oh #394

6- Nfu Oh #172

7- Essie "Mint Candy Apple"

8- OPI "Hey Get In Lime"

9- OPI "Damone Roberts 1968"

Ready to see the results?

Nfu Oh #394 matches best with the box. It needs a touch of white to lighten it up but otherwise the color and hue are almost perfect!

How about that strangely green-ish bag?

Essie "Turquoise & Caicos" matches it to a "T". It is exactly the same color.

Below is a look at the colors side-by-side with a white background and also with a black one. Hope you enjoyed my post! I can finally sleep in peace!

Red My Fortune Cookie

2010-06-29T10:30:00.000-05:00

OPI "Red My Fortune Cookie"

Here is a color from the recent OPI Hong Kong collection. This one is called "Red My Fortune Cookie".

I really do love this red. It is bright, cheerful, and very classy. Sometimes after wearing all the crazy colors I have, I feel the need to just put something "normal" on my nails :) That's how I was feeling the day I swatched this polish.

Application was wonderful. I still had to use 3 coats but they were smooth and easy to apply. This polish was pretty shiny too! I put on Seche Vite just to protect my manicure. I actually wore this color for a couple days!

Challenge (Book Cover)

2010-06-28T09:00:00.002-05:00

Good morning everyone! I'm back with a new challenge! This week's theme is a book cover... any cover that you'd like!

This challenge is to be inspired by the book cover. Use colors, shapes, etc. that are found in its design. You may use elements/ideas found inside of the book (such as characters or things) but be sure that your nails are still inspired by the OUTSIDE! When you are done, photograph your nails with your book so we can see how the cover translates onto your nails.

Send me your "Book Cover" nail designs by Friday (7-02-10) at midnight (CST) to polishhoarder@gmail.com! Don't forget to add a link to your blog if you would like me to include it with your entry!

Preferred file size: 7" WIDE x 5.25" TALL @ 72 dpi

If you do not know how to crop and resize your image, let me know and I will gladly do it for you! It is better that I get a photo too large so I can minimize it to the size I need, rather than a photo too small. Photos that are smaller than the size I request will lose a lot of detail and become fuzzy when I enlarge them!

A big "Thank you" goes to Delaynee! She submitted this challenge idea to me!

Nfu Oh #531

2010-06-24T09:00:00.000-05:00

Nfu Oh #531

Here is one of my recently acquired Nfu Ohs. This is #531.

#531 is a slightly unsaturated green. It is somewhat of an army green... This polish had amazing consistency. I used 2 coats but I think I could have gotten away with 1 if I'd polished under better lighting... As far as application goes, this is the best Nfu Oh polish I own. It doesn't hurt that I looooove the color, too :)

Look at the detailing on these Nfu Oh bottles. It's just adorable!

I've seen some other swatches online that show this color being much lighter. I was expecting it to be a light green, like the color of jade (the stone). It is obviously much darker than that. Gorgeous non the less...

More Nfu Ohs

2010-06-23T12:42:00.002-05:00

Just a quick post to let you know I'm adding some more bottle photos to my Nfu Oh page! You can check it out by clicking the link on my navigation bar above!

Nfu Oh #393

2010-06-23T09:00:00.006-05:00

Nfu Oh #393

This is 3 coats of Nfu Oh #393 with a layer of Seche Vite (to give it that smoooooth as glass finish, of course)

Yah, you do see 2 different colors here... in some lighting it looks as it does above and in others it looks like shown below. Don't worry. Either way, it is gorgeous!

It's kind of a Robin's Egg blue... Maybe? It definitely has a greenish hue when compared to other blues. Look below:

[What's With The Cattitude , Just Groovy , Ogre The Top Blue , 393]

See what I mean? Greenish. But definitely blue. And definitely not Tiffany blue... it's way too blue for that.

Aqua?

What do you think?

Nfu Oh #38

2010-06-22T09:00:00.002-05:00

Nfu Oh #38 (Opal Flakes)

I was itching to use #38 again (It's probably been almost a year since the last time I did). I think it looks great over a french manicure but my teeny bottle of white Konad Special polish is almost empty so I opted to use pink instead! It's funky, fun, and perfect for summer!

Start with a blank nail. Then, stamp from Konad plate M19:

I always thought that this image was hard to work with... but actually, no! It's not at all! The trick is to line the stamp up with the "smile line" of your nail (where the nail bed turns into the white tip). If it doesn't completely cover the nail tip, just stamp over it again until it does! So easy...

Look! Easy enough to do all 10 nails! (Another helpful tip: raise fingertips to eye-level when stamping, so you can see what you are doing! Then start at the side of your nail that is furthest from you and roll the stamp towards you. Did you get all that? Hope so!)

Sorry that my nails are slightly discolored. I don't have a good base color for french manicures. Any suggestions? Preferably OPI...

After you stamp, you should apply a top coat. I used Seche Vite. It worked pretty well... No smudging. The only problem I had was with my right hand. I must have been pressing the brush too hard because it picked up and replaced some pink polish where it shouldn't have (index finger).

After everything has dried, put on #38:

Pretty!

Vamp Tips

2010-06-21T10:00:00.003-05:00

I felt the need to do something different and this is what happened:

I wanted to create the illusion that my nail beds formed a point. Kinda creepy... but kinda cool! They look like reversed vamp nails! Maybe I was subconsciously inspired by the recent premiere of the 3rd season of True Blood or maybe the newest movie in the Twilight series (also the 3rd...). Whatever it was, it worked! I like this.

Notice the black line. Without it, the manicure looks very unfinished.

Skin toned color- OPI "Canberra't Without You"

(topped with Essie "Matte About You" to reduce shine)

Dark Red- OPI "We'll Always Have Paris"

Black line- Stripe Rite (Black)

How do you feel about it?

I think it looks pretty good. I just wish I'd had a darker flesh tone color to match my skin better!

Challenge Suggestions!

2010-06-21T07:30:00.001-05:00

Good morning everyone! :)

Sorry to do this to you, but there will be no challenge this week... I'm sorry! I've got 2 reasons:

I've been having a brain fart lately and can't think of a good theme. Sounds lame but it's true! (I've been obsessing over having a black/white/gray theme but we JUST did a colored challenge so I wanted something more creative)
I'll be out of town Friday and Saturday so putting together the challenge gallery would be problematic.

The challenge will be returning next Monday though! BUT... before then, I'd like some suggestions from you! What would you like to see as a nail design theme? Any specific colors? Motifs? Materials? Give me your ideas! :) Thanks a lot guys! Can't wait to see what you come up with!!

Current Nfu Oh Inventory

2010-06-20T10:00:00.000-05:00

I've put together some photos of my Nfu Oh polishes for you to use as a color reference. Ideally, I'd like to get these all re-swatched and photographed but who knows how long that'll take! So in the meantime, here are images of my bottles of Nfu Oh. Enjoy!

[If you were wondering... Nfu Ohs can be purchased from Fabuloustreet.com]

P.S. I've created a link to this post which can be found on my navigation bar above. It is titled "Nfu Oh". This will make for quicker access to this information in the future :) I will also be adding more bottles as I order them! Hope you find this helpful!

My Analogous Nails- Take 2

2010-06-20T08:40:00.000-05:00

This is the 2nd idea I came up with for my "Analogous" challenge. I chose colors completely opposite than the first set, which was yellow and green...

Red Color- OPI "Red My Fortune Cookie"

Red-Purple Color - OPI "All That Razz-berry"

Purple Image- Konad plate M25 (in Violet Special Polish)

They are kind of boring... I don't think the stamped image is bold enough for such strong colors. I really do love this color combination though. I'm totally going to be in the Red Hat Society when I get old...

Challenge Gallery- Analogous

2010-06-19T09:00:00.012-05:00

Good morning everyone! We had another successful turnout for this week's nail design challenge! Yay! I was really beginning to worry because many of you were having troubles with the colors being so close together. We all got it accomplished though :) Let's see the entries!

[In the order which I received them]

Leanne's entry:

Dee's Polish Endeavours:

LiliLipstick:

Tigirlyly Konadicures:

Bethaniee's Nails:

Little Bottles Of Happiness:

My Simple Little Pleasures:

Art Of Nail:

Fab Ur Nails:

My Nail Polish Addiction:

Enamel Girl:

Borricua's entry:

Running With Polish:

Nail Addicts Anonymous:

Stephanie's entry:

Pink Nail:

Lacquer Lover:

Finally,

My 2 entries for this week :)

Thanks for all of your hard work ladies! This one was tough! I appreciate you all finding time to complete the challenge and send me your photos! My challenges wouldn't be anything without you all! :) Have a lovely Saturday!!

My Patriotic Nails

2010-06-17T07:25:00.001-05:00

Here is my entry for last week's "Patriotic" Challenge:

I began this design with the idea that I'd stamp some red stripes (partial design from Konad plate M81) on top of the blue and add some small white stars afterwards. Well, as you can see, that didn't work out as planned. The red didn't show over the blue and I don't have any stars! (Well not any stars of sufficient size... I've got designs that have teeny, tiny stars floating around but I can never get those to stick to my rubber stamp!) Anyways, I tried stamping the red stripes but since it barely showed, I took a Stripe Rite polish (red glitter) and painted over the stamping. I liked how it looked so I added white stripes to the design! And since the star idea wasn't going to work, I used "USA" from plate M14.

Speaking of plate M14... that is probably the most random collection of designs that Konad has! Seriously!? What do diamonds, starbursts, cupcakes, and the USA have in common? NOTHING! Ahaha!

Base Color - OPI "Russian Navy" (Suede)

Stripes- Stripe Rite Polish (Red Glitter & White)

USA- Konad Image Plate M14

I love how easy (and FAST) it was to work with "Russian Navy". I applied 2 coats of it and 5 minutes later I was ready to stamp! The nice thing about working with the fast drying polishes is if you mess up while stamping, there is no stress in painting your whole nail because it will be dry and ready to re-stamp in a jiffy!

It would have been so much more appropriate if the polish was named "US Navy" instead... Hope you like my nails!

Analogous Sneak-Peek

2010-06-16T12:29:00.006-05:00

Here's an early post for my "Analogous" color challenge. See! It's not impossible to do! :)

Yellow- Zoya "Pippa"

Yellow Green- OPI "Who The Shrek Are You"

Design- Konad M81 (in Apple Green Special Polish)

FYI, I hate this manicure! So not my style... I think it's the color combination, the sloppy application, or maybe the diagonal split between colors that I don't like. Oh well.

Mission complete!

Zoya- Kiki

2010-06-16T09:00:00.003-05:00

Zoya - Kiki

Here is another one of the Zoya polishes I ordered in the Zoya Exchange. This is "Kiki". It is an ultra bright, neon pink with glass fleck shimmers! This is probably the girly-est pink I've ever seen!... Maybe because the first thing I thought of after putting it on was Barbie!

Since this is a neon polish, it dries to a satin finish (not as flat as a matte polish). However, it's easily returned to a glossy state with Seche Vite top coat.

I'm VERY HAPPY with this color! It's going to be perfect for summer :)

If you like pink polish, then I recommend this color!

Polishing Trick: The Clean-Up

2010-06-15T07:45:00.000-05:00

"The Clean-Up" is one of the best ways to make it look like you are a pro at painting your nails. This short tutorial will show you how to get that perfect manicure...

I've had a lot of practice painting my nails but sometimes, depending on the formula of the nail polish or how much coffee I had that morning (whoa! Shaky hands!), my manicure can still look sloppy. When I first saw a tutorial for cleaning up my cuticles, I thought, "Well, duh! Why didn't I think of that!?"... Now, I'm sharing what I have learned so we can all have perfectly painted nails together!

LET'S GET STARTED:

You will need a teeny, tiny paintbrush (~$3.00) and pure acetone ($1.00). I recommend 100% acetone rather than regular nail polish remover. It works better and does it faster! :) As far as brushes go: This is a paintbrush I bought at Michael's but some people use makeup brushes. Use whatever works for you. The smaller, the better. Probably. Most likely... Oh yah! You will also need a paper towel.

The first thing you should do is find a surface that will not be harmed by acetone. I usually do my clean-up on the bathroom counter or on a plastic table. Next, double-up your paper towel by folding it in half. This is just to make it thicker and absorb better. Then, pour the acetone in a small container. I like to put it in the cap of the bottle it came in. You won't need much. That's why the cap is the perfect size.

Now for the actual clean-up part... Dip your brush in acetone, lightly dab the excess liquid onto your paper towel (If you don't, that small amount of acetone will flood your cuticle and potentially ruin your manicure. Either that or REALLY dry out your skin. Trust me. Just dab!), and finally brush along your cuticle to clean off that runaway polish! You should frequently re-dip your brush in acetone and also wipe it on the paper towel to remove the nail polish that you just cleaned up. And that's it!

This will take some practice and getting used to but it is something that I think everyone should try! It takes very little effort and makes such a HUGE difference!

Challenge (Analogous Color)

2010-06-14T09:00:00.009-05:00

This week's challenge is not about creating a themed manicure. Rather, it is about what you can do with color. For this challenge, I want you to create an analogous nail design with the colors of your choice. Here are the specifics:

Let me reiterate. The challenge is for you to use only 3 neighboring colors from the color wheel. Do NOT USE BLACK OR WHITE (as you can see, they are not on the color wheel). You are welcome to do as much stamping as you'd like but stick to your color scheme.

An example of an analogous color scheme is shown in the photo above of the colored pencils. As you can see, they are yellow, yellow-green, and green pencils. Now look below on the color wheel. Those colors are all in a row:

So for this week's challenge, choose 3 side-by-side (-by-side) colors as your kick-off point. Then create from there! I believe this will be more challenging but also a good way to start thinking a little differently when it comes to creating nail art. Have fun! P.S. I understand that some of you may not have a hoarding problem such as mine, thus do not have every color of the rainbow in nail polish... I will be fine with you leaving out the tertiary colors (red-orange, yellow-orange, yellow-green, blue-green, blue-purple, red-purple). However, primary (red, yellow, blue) and secondary colors (orange, green, purple) are a must in this challenge. If you have any questions about your color choice, send me an email. I'll try to respond as soon as possible :)

Send me your "Analogous" nail designs by Friday (6-18-10) at midnight (CST) to polishhoarder@gmail.com! Don't forget to add a link to your blog if you would like me to include it with your entry!