1. Rock a Nude Shade

Hooray! Finally the first Plasma Plays post!

I don't normally wear nudes, but as was looking through my collection choosing which one to use I realised I have quite a few!  Made the decision process kinda difficult...

But I finally decided upon this polish I got in a mini Revlon nudes set a few years ago.

I applied a Rimmel base, about 4 or 5 coats of the Revlon nude as it is so sheer and 2true top coat.  Also about 30 minutes after I applied the polish tonnes of bubbles appeared all over my nails!! You will probably be able to see them in the glitter post for manicure 2, but it was horrendous!  I really loved the subtle shimmer of the nude, but then that happens and ruins it and makes me hate my nails... :(

Oh well, it was nice while it lasted.

Goodbye Yellow

So before I start posting my Plasma Plays nails I decided to show you this...

So Barbara Daly's Goodbye Yellow is a base (or clear polish) that is meant to make you nails look healthy and pink instead of stained/yellow.  Now my nails are badly stained about halfway up, probably because of Models Own Peacock Green (soooo lovely yet so staining).  So when I say this with a 3 fr 2 offer (I got two other really pretty polishes) I decided to give it a go.

This was my nails before application..

You can see the staining pretty clearly on my thumb nail.  While it isn't terrible it's enough to make me feel embarrassed about having bare nails in public :(

This was my nails after application...

If anything the picture with the polish makes the staining look even more pronounced!  In real life I think it did make my nails look LESS stained, but it still wasn't perfect.  I only waited about 10 minutes and painted over it so maybe if I had left it longer it would have made a difference?

But it was definitely more effective than the pictures make out!

I will have to give it another chance and leave it longer next time...

Plasma Plays In 21 Ways

I took this from www.plasmaspeedo.com because I thought it was a really great, fun idea :) Gonna give this a go over the next few weeks.

1 Rock a Nude Shade
2 Add a Layer of Shimmer/Glitter/Anything You Choose, To That Nude
3 Polka Dots (get creative, do multi colors, do it over the nude from before or change your base color, go monochromatic) So many options!
4 Execute a half moon manicure!
5 Go dark
6 Stamp some metallic polish over that dark with the image plate of your choice!
7 Do a gradient of 2 colors or more (check YT for different kinds of techniques)
8 Get your stripe on. Vertical, horizontal, diagonal, one, two, seven?! oh what to do!
9 Ruffian! Example http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WaEdVmxjtbE
10 Ombre nails
11 Pick a color you’ve never worn (I’m hoping I’m not the only one with untrieds) lol
12 Pick a green
13 Add a layer of polish over that green that you think doesn’t go with it! (orange glitter?) be creative! Get ugly!
14 Today, we will wear blues!
15 Grab a straw and do some paint splatters over that blue! One color, multicolored, whichever you please! If you don’t know what I’m talking about, see this tutorial http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JqiCfnXWw9Y
16 Wear a pink
17 Add flowers to that pink *stamps, one-stroke, dotted flowers* you choose!
18 Wear a purple
19 Add a chevron (those triangles) to your purple! Use scotch tape if you need help! http://www.nailnerd.com/chevron-nails/
20 Go yellow
21 Finally, add a black stamp to that yellow

You're A Gold Mine

I picked up this polish when I was on holiday in Fuerteventura because it was so sparkly and pretty I just couldn't resist!

When I first bought it I put it over a red and it looked great but I never took any phots :(

This time I layered it over a very deep purple (nameless) and I was very disappointed with the results.  It just didn't have any 'Wow' to it, it was soo boring!

Anyway, here it is...

I applied a base coat of Rimmel, two coats of the nameless purple, two coats of You're A Gold Mine by Essence and 2true top coat.

Since then I have done a gradient with it (the Effie Trinket one from The Hunger Games) and I fell back in love with it :)  Pictures of that will be coming soon!

In happier news, look what I made!!

I'm so proud of myself! I made it from foamboard and I used a glue gun and it only took about 40 minutes.  There are tonnes of 'how to' videos on Youtube if you want to have a go :)

Turned Up Turquoise

So, Turned Up Turquoise... This is SUCH a pretty polish!

 When I first got it I was quite disappointed when I discovered it was a matte polish but the longer I had it on the more I fell in love with it.

I applied a Rimmel base, two coats of China Glaze's Turned Up Turquoise and a coat of my matte top coat Soft Touch by Essence just to keep it extra matte.

The colour is so vibrant and eye catching, and it was one of those manicures where you are super aware of using your hands and keep trying to show them off to people 'without meaning to'... Maybe that's just me that does that...

But anyway, I love this polish and I really think I'm starting to get the matte bug!  I just want to put a matte top coat over every polish now! I'm very impressed with this polish and I totally understand why it gets so many fantastic reviews :)

Trendsetter

 Trendsetter by China Glaze is a very unique nail polish colour.  I've never seen anything like it and I'm very undecided about it.  On the one hand I love how different it looks and when I had it on I couldn't stop looking at my nails, but on the other hand I couldn't decide if I was fascinated by it's prettiness or ugliness...

I applied a Rimmel base, two coats of Trendsetter and a coat of 2true top coat.  But with it just like this I really wasn't satisfied, I felt like I would be hiding my nails to stop people from seeing them, not what you want when you have just bought a new polish!!  So I added a full nail floral design with my Bundle Monster stamping plates and I was so much happier!! I loved my nails after this!

So the moral of the story is, if you have an ugly nail colour, just cover it up with pretty stamps! :)

But seriously though, I would definitely do it again with this stamp, I totally love it now!

Traffic Jam

 I have a lot of deep pink/purple nail polishes but this is definately one of my favourites!

I love the application of China Glaze polishes and this one is so pretty on.

I applied a Rimmel base coat, two coats of Traffic Jam, a green floral design with my stamping plates and 2true top coat.

I really like the stamping on this.  The green polish I used for stamping I've never really liked and I think I've only ever used it once, but for stamping it's fantastic!

Super cute mani, I liked it :)

Totally Teal

 When I was in Boots recently I received a money off voucher for No7 products.  So what did I do?  I went straight to the nail polishes!

This colour immediately caught my eye as it is so unique and totally different to the polishes I usually go for.  So I got this for only £4 :)

And the brush is absolutely brilliant!  I love it, so easy to use!

I applied Miss Sporty base coat, one (should have done two really) coat of Totally Teal, added some black flower designs with my stamping plates and finished off with a Rimmel top coat.

With the flash on the flowers are quite noticeable but in real life they are much less obvious :( For stamping on this colour you would definitely do better with a white or silver or possibly even a gold!

But despite that I was quite happy with how this turned out!

Star Foils

So I've kinda been avoiding the nail foil/wraps that are so popular just now as I saw it as a bit of a 'cheat' way of doing my nails, but my mum picked up a packet from Primark for £1 so I decided to give them a go.

They were actually okay to put on!  The wraps folded a bit when putting them on which was annoying as I much prefer smooth nails, especially with something like this, and the cutting off the extra bits was really fiddly because I had to try and get the scissors right up tight to the side of my nail which was difficult!

I then put two coats of 2true top coat on to try and seal them, because my sister's ones came off as soon as they hit warm water :/ But with the top coat on they survived washing my hair and everything!

I have to say I'm pleased I tried them and if I saw another design I really liked I would definately try them again :)

Silver Rose

So I was kinda stuck on the silver polish from my last post and decided to use it again because I loved it so much.                                                                

  I used a Rimmel base coat, two coats of Maybelline's Silver Speed and two coats of a nameless silver glitter from Claire's on all my fingers but my thumb.  On my thumb I used my stamping plates and used a large rose design. And a 2true top coat over everything.

I love this manicure!  Glitter in general just excites me so much, but this silver glitter is astonishing in person.  I adore it!  And the rose was very simple but added to the look, stopping it from looking too rediculously glittery.

I got a lot of compliments for this manicure and I will definately do this again at some point :)

AWARD!

I got a 'One Lovely  Blog Award' from the brilliant Anna at Anna's Dope Blog !



I've not even had my blog for a week and I get an award!? How amazing is that?!

So thank you very much Anna! :)

Now for the award rules:



Rules
1. List 7 things about yourself
2. Award 15 other bloggers


Things

1. I'm in my final year of high school and in September I will be off to uni to study a joint Psychology and Animal Biology degree :)

2. I LOVE old movies, especially Audrey Hepburn movies, she is my favourite actress ever.

3. I am VERY into music, particularly artists that are less well known in the UK, and never go anywhere without my iPod.

4. I like to read alot, especially rereading old books because I like to know the ending so I can savour the good parts.

5. I am a total Agony Aunt, if anyone ever needs help or advice I am always there (and I'm pretty good at it, if I do say so myself).

6. I have always loved animals, anything to do with them; documantaries, museums, zoos, wildlife parks, books etc. (i.e. I'm a total animal geek :P).

7. I'm a very obsessive person, I move from obsession to obsession, for example, jewelry making to card making to baking to nail art etc. (although I seem to be stuck on nails now).


And I'll do my awards later, its getting kinda late where I am and I need to be up early tomorrow!

Maybelline's Silver Speed and Cosmic Flash

With this design I decided to have a little fun with my stamping plates and see what I could do with this pretty design.

I appled a Miss Sporty base coat, two coats of Maybelline's Silver Speed on all my fingers except my ring fingers, which had two coats of Maybelline's Cosmic Flash.  I then finished with a Miss Sporty top coat.  Added the stamp from a fake Konad plate and finished with my thick Rimmel top coat that I keep for stamping :)

I really wish I had painted all my fingers silver and just put Cosmic Flash on top of that on my ring fingers.  I think that would have looked much better, but que sera sera.  At least I will know what to do if I ever try this manicure again!

But apart from that I really like it!  I love silver polishes, they always make me think of space and stars which makes me happy :)

My Private Jet

 While it isn't the original holographic version it is still beautiful!

My cousin is training to be a hairdresser and therefore has a discount card for Sally's.  She gave it to my sister to borrow and she was raving about the place so I decided to tag along too!

I got a bunch of China Glaze polishes and when I noticed this I had to have it.  Even without the holo it is so eyecatching and it is such an unusual colour.

This is a Rimmel base coat, two coats of My Private Jet by OPI and a coat of 2true top coat.

The appliction was great, the polish is a nice thick polish and didn't need thick coats.

I love all the little flecks of colour that come out every now and then, especially in the sunlight!

Very happy with my non-holographic version :)

Antique Coral

Another coral post! I didn't realise how much I loved them until now!

This is Antique Coral from the Natural Collection.  It actually has a shimmer to it but the matte top coat cancels it out and I actually think I prefer it that way!  The colour seems much stronger without the shimmer and it looks amazing matte!

I used Rimmel Stronger base coat, two coats of Antique Coral and a coat of Soft Touch by Essence. 


I picked up Soft Touch on a whim on holiday in Fuertevetura as I wanted to try a matte top coat and it was really cheap, now I want to put it on everything, I love it!

Please excuse the grainy photos, I didn't have flash on and this is what happens without it :(

Flakie

I went shopping today and decided to have a look at Superdrug’s make up ranges for nail polishes. I do this everytime I’m there, hoping there is something new and exciting.

And this time there was!

Look magazine has brought out there own beauty range and what was sitting in the nail polish section?!

Two flakies, thats what!

I was so excited! In Scotland, flakies aren’t exactly common, I’ve only managed to get my hands on one and its in a purpley polish, not ideal for using over different colours :(

But these were perfect! So I scooped up Sequin Effect, which is a lovely warm goldeny one, and marched off to the till with it. I’m gonna have so much fun!

I also got a bottle of Sally Hansen Beaming for 33 pence but thats not nearly as exciting.

I'll be posting pictures at some point in the future :)

Full Moon Party

In October last year my wonderful friend Lisa brought back this polish from the Sephora in Paris. She knows I have a penchant for purples and brought me back this beauty as a present. I love it!

I applied a coat of Rimmel's 'Stronger' base coat, followed by two coats of Full Moon Party  and a coat of 2true top coat.  Full Moon Party is a really thick, pigmented polish and would have been fine with only one coat but I always prefer two :) Also the brush for this polish is to die for! It goes on so easy!

The camera did't really capture the true colour, it's a much warmer purple in real life but this is the closest I could get :/

Please excuse the marker pen on my fingers, I'm not exactly the tidiest in art class!

Coral Star

 I was given this nameless coral polish as part of a perfume gift set and decided to give it a go. 
Surprisingly the polish went on really well and wasn't too thin (which I hate!). 
I used a Miss Sporty base coat, then applied two coats of the polish and finished with a Miss Sporty top coat (I really don't like it, need to get a new one soon). 

But my nails looked too bare with just the coral polish so I decided to add some blue stars on the corner of my thumb nails to spice it up a bit.

I think it looks pretty good actually, I think I'll do this manicure again :)

Black Damask

 I got my Konad plates quite a while ago and bought more generic plates from a seller on ebay as it was only about £5 for 9 of them, seemed like good value to me!
So I bought them and they are really good, just as good as Konad ones.  The only downside is that there are hardly any full nail designs :(

This is the first design I tried on the new plates.  Bear in mind that I'm pretty new to stamping and they don't look too bad!

I used MUA purple for the base and I think the colour really works with the design. 

I got lots of compliments from people asking if it was Minx, and they were genuinely shocked when I said I did them myself :)
Quite proud of my efforts

New Blog

So I have spent the last year or so reading different polish blogs and I've finally decided to do one of my own.  I don't know if I'll be any good at it but it's worth a try, right?