Multiplication of thePolishes: How the Stash Has Grown...

So, here's the funny thing about being a beauty blogger: You accumulate a lot of stuff. I've always had a fairly well-stocked vanity, and I'm not quite at the level of having closets dedicated to my goodies, but I'm getting there fast. Case in point. My first post, the polish stash looked like this:

This was everything I had for nail supplies. Everything. All in two neat little boxes. The collection of polish alone now fills two boxes completely, and the third doesn't even come close to holding the removers, creams, decals, cotton swabs, etc. I use.

This is just the polish and a few nail-specific odds and ends. I didn't even go up to the bathroom to get the removers and magic potions. And this is after my sister raided my stash and took little pieces of the collections I wouldn't wear on a regular basis, and I gave some of the unused bottles out for stocking stuffers at Christmas. My goal is to keep everything at a manageable level so my boyfriend doesn't start refusing to come to the girl den that is my apartment. Neatly organized in three little scrapbook boxes...for now...

Gameday Nails - Week 2

Well, the good news is Nebraska won last week against Chattanooga. The bad news is they didn't look 100% ready to play against a somewhat lesser opponent. This week's game is against another unranked team, but Fresno State has a reputation for taking down superior teams, then falling off once conference play starts. It's a good thing my nails are covered in polish, or I might be biting them.

...which brings me to this week's gameday nails. Being a lover of fashion, the fact that a slight change was made to this year's uniforms hasn't gone unnoticed. While I am nowhere near talented enough to actually re-create the uniform on my nails (or with actual writing utensils and paper, for that matter), I decided to play with elements from the uniforms, particularly the stripes.

Here is a history of Nebraska's uniforms, dating back to 1890:

The uniforms from the 2011 season haven't changed very much. The biggest difference is that the sleeve has been shortened a bit, and there is no longer a number on the sleeve.

Also, the model used in this photo has a head and limbs to fill said uniform. Unless you follow Oregon football, you probably don't pay much attention to the minor changes in uniforms, but this is Nebraska and we scrutinize EVERYTHING if it pertains to our beloved Cornhuskers.

I've always liked NU's uniforms. They're clean. They're crisp. They're classic. While red isn't universally flattering, it is easy to reproduce and really never goes out of style. Heckuva a lot better than burnt orange (*cough*Texas*cough*).

Without further adieu...

These were taken with my HTC Thunderbolt, partially because my Nikon seriously dislikes reds and pinks in macro mode, but mostly because it has a kickstand and I don't have a tripod for this camera yet. Yeah, my phone has a kickstand. It's pretty awesome.

For this week's nails, I used Essie's Fishnet Stockings, Color Club's Art Club in White and China Glaze Liquid Leather. Throw in a green towel from the bathroom, and we have a turf-like backdrop.

Stamping Fun!

Hey, all! Sorry to be so sporadic with my posting, but I've been a busy girl. I was convinced to join a Fantasy Football league with some of my co-workers, so I've been learning all about NFL players and how this point system works. I'm taking a few chances. Hoping it pays off. Hopefully, this won't consume my entire life for the next 6 months...

The remaining bits of time I have left has been spent playing with my new toys. As some of you Twitterers saw, someone got some stamping plates and has been making a royal mess trying to learn to use them. Here are my best creations so far:

Painfully obvious I didn't use a base coat while I was doing this...

Argyle!!!

SO doing a whole mani of snowflakes as soon as winter comes.

Bought an entire set of plates for this flower. Worth every cent.

Love the color combo. The stamping needs some work.

Look how messy that Argyle is! Must clean this up. Argyle manis will prevail.

The snowflakes are the only things I didn't screw up royally on the first try. Apparently, sheer glitter polish is good. Mental note. These were the good designs. You have no idea how much Remove+ I went through. REALLY glad I got a fresh bottle with my last order...

Polish used:
Thumb: OPI - An Affair in Red Square over Orly - Visible Violet
Index: Essie - Carry On over Essie - Lady Like
Middle: Color Club - Alter Ego, Zoya - Jules and Art Club \/Color Club - Get the Blues over China Glaze - Chinchilla Vanilla
Ring: Art Club/Color Club - Black, Art Club/Color Club - White Satin and Essie - Power Clutch over Zoya - Dove
Pinky: Zoya - Cynthia over Essie - Chinchilly
(Yes, I have multiple polishes that reference Chinchillas. Not entirely a coincidence. Long Story.)

Summer Color

This summer has been one of experimentation with color for me. Hot pinks have been my signature look since high school. I've worn reds and purples and corals and lots of white and lavender shimmers pretty regularly, but that's about as far as I've gotten. Last summer, I picked up some blackened purples and an almost black...and I loved them. Since then, my mission has been to further expand horizons.

Here are some of the fun colors I've worn over the last few weeks.

Essie's "Chinchilly"

"Chinchilly"

 

"Chinchilly"

 Essie's "Chinchilly" is a great grey color. The application is a breeze. Two coats are all you need and it has a nice gloss before the top coat. I added flower decals from Cina Nail Creations (Lacy Love is the name of this set.) for a little something extra. Sadly, this color is impossible to capture with my camera, but the blurry picture on the bottom is the closest to real life.

Essie's "Meet Me At Sunset"

"Meet Me At Sunset" Pedi

I love, love, LOVE this orange. Like Chinchilly, the formula is great. Two coats, nice and shiny, etc. I added the red flower with Art Club Nail Art Lacquer in the creatively named "Red," and a yellow rhinestone in the center. In case you can't tell, I dig flowers, especially in the summer. Also, please ignore the wounds on my foot. I have a playful cat who thinks he's a big, scary hunter and he sometimes forgets his teeth hurt.

Zoya's "Rica" from the Sunshine Collection

"Rica"

Rica was every bit as great for application as both of the Essie polishes and "Caitlin" from my previous post. I normally gravitate to creme finishes and the occasional light shimmer or glitter, but Zoya is giving me reason to make exceptions. The Sunshine Collection is very sparkly, but still gives a smooth finish and isn't hard to remove like a lot of glittery polish. I did find it worked better to remove the polish and then wash dishes or take a bath to soak off the remaining traces of glitter. One layer of top coat is all you need for extra sparkle. The pictures really don't do it justice.

Zoya's "Ivanka" from the Sparkle Collection

"Ivanka"

 I won't bother repeating praise of the formula, because it goes on pretty much like "Rica," but with a little more glitter. The bottom picture was an attempt at showing the sparkle, but it mostly made my skin look uber-white. This was a huge departure from my usual pinks and purples, but I do like the result.

"Rica" and "Ivanka"

"Rica" and "Ivanka"

I've seen some awesome Ombre manicures lately, and I got bored one night and decided to try my hand at this. This was my first attempt, and it's far from perfect, but I really like the idea. "Rica" was starting to bore me, and "Ivanka" was still sitting on my table, so I grabbed a cosmetic sponge and gave this a shot. In hindsight, I probably should have started with something a little more similar in color on the first try.

I do think you'll soon see more attempts at the Ombre look. I think some of the Zoya sparkles and shimmers would be a cool way to liven up some creme polishes. Yes, yes. I would expect to see more soon.

First Post!

Hello? Anyone out there?

So, this is my first post as a beauty blogger. Neat, right? As you can see in the "About Me" portion of the page, I started this blog to share ideas and offer help to anyone who likes the idea of doing their own hair, makeup and nails but doesn't know what to buy or how to get the look. I also love to shop, so I plan to post ideas for fun and affordable clothing, accessories and, obviously, shoes.


Where do I get ideas, you ask? How do I learn how to do the things I do? I watch the pros. I've always been good at putting together colors and patterns. I watch Project Runway, America's Next Top Model and What Not To Wear. I read Cosmo, Lucky, Glamour and Vogue, though not religiously. I check out other beauty blogs and venture to beauty supply stores. The usual places. I think the biggest key to anything is experimenting to find out what works.

I have always had a few challenges that caused me to have to find my own way. I have pale skin. Very pale. Not the pretty peaches and cream or porcelain a la Nicole Kidman or Alexis Bledel. Too many gingers in my family for that. I got strong pink undertones and freckles, giving me skin that burns and burns but never truly tans and looks pasty if I don't get a little sun. Foundation rarely matches. My hair isn't straight, but it isn't quite curly, so wash and go is never going to be an option without serious chemical treatment. I've gotten good at working with it, thankfully.

Now, enough about me. Let's get to the goods. That's why you're here, right?

Nails have been my most recent obsession. They're easy to experiment with and don't leave you with lasting effects like bad haircuts.

My stash. And my cat's feet. More on him later.

I cleaned out a bunch of old polish not long ago, and this is what remains. I naturally gravitate to pinks and purples, but I'm branching out.

I'm currently rocking a mani/pedi featuring Zoya's Caitlin.

Zoya describes Caitlin as "Smoky purple-tinged medium gray with smooth, opaque creme finish. Sultry, mysterious and impossibly chic, a shade that will have everyone intrigued."

I LOVE the color. Bright enough to be fun and interesting, but the grey base keeps it neutral enough to go with the week's wardrobe. The formula applies smoothly and Zoya's brushes are great. The brush is pretty compact, so it's easy to maneuver. The finish is awesome - You really don't NEED a topcoat. I use Beauty Secrets Moisturizing Base Coat and Top Coat (available at Sally Beauty Supply). I did my nails Monday night, and I'm still chip-free on Thursday.

I only recently discovered Zoya polishes, and I'm highly impressed so far. As a bargain shopper at heart, I balked a bit at the $8 per bottle price tag, but a 4-5 day manicure with no chips makes the price well worth it.

Taken in natural sunlight.

Look how shiny!

The flower was drawn with Art Club by Color Club Freesia Spirit and the center of the flower is Crystal Glitter.

Matching Pedi

You can click on the pictures to enlarge them to see more detail. Just don't look too closely at my toes...Is it just me, or to close-ups of your feet make you look like you are in desperate need of a foot scrub and moisturizer?