Like a Dream Come True!

I blame Alison's Instagram for a lot of things.  She's responsible for my growing collection of indie polishes (just bought 20 more last night), my 'mystery' polish obsession,  and also my discovery of Gem Glam Topcoat from Dream Polish.

Gem Glam Top Coat

6.95

Reasons we love our Gem Glam Top Coat:

• Shortens the drying time of your manicure
• Prolongs the length of your manicure
• Protects polish from chips and wear
• Smooths glitters in 1-2 coats
• Gives nails a high-gloss, wet look after just one coat
• Does not shrink your polish
• Non-yellowing formula
• Gentle scent
• 5-free formula
• Vegan & cruelty-free

Gem Glam Top Coat is available in the following scents:
Limited Edition Honey Almond ~ Lavender ~ Peach ~ Pink Sugar ~ Unscented

To date I have all but Lavender, but only because I'm actually allergic to the herb.  It's quickly became my favorite top coat not just because it's scented, which I'll talk about in a minute, but because it never smears.  It floats, which in manicure terms means that it glides off the brush onto your nail without tugging or pulling at the art.  It doesn't gloop up around glitter and it doesn't pull stamped images out of place and leaves all the fine details where they belong.  It's not thick or gel like, so if you like that super thick glass like finish, this probably isn't it.  This formula is amazing when working with multiple layers that require a top coat, such as with vinyls and stamping.  It dries quickly with a very smooth clear sharp finish.

The scents are not overwhelming, cloying, or 'fake'.  I most often use both the Peach base and top coat and it leaves a very fresh lingering scent.  It's not something that you can smell lingering around you like perfume, but more like a fresh alternative to a chemical polish scent. 

Peach: Just like the name implies, it smells like a peach.  I would say the scent is more candy than fruit, but it's my favorite.

Pink Sugar: I have to admit, I didn't realize this was a perfume, it's not all that known in Italia!  

Stylish and lively, with a distinctive personality, Pink Sugar takes you on a journey through the pleasures and flavors of childhood with a playful blend of vanilla and caramel.

Notes:
Bergamot, Sicilian Orange, Raspberry, Fig Leaves, Lily of the Valley, Licorice, Strawberry, Red Fruit, Cotton Candy, Vanilla, Caramel, Musk, Wood, Powder.
Style:
Playful. Mischievous. Romantic.

I like it so much I ordered the perfume, as well as Gold Sugar.

Tapanga's Rose:  I get more of a strong floral than a rose scent.  The cuticle oil is very strong and I don't use it often, but as it's a fundraising effort, I have no regrets at all!

Summer Melon: "It is an uplifting blend of watermelon, canteloupe & honeydew. It also has slight undertones of rum and vanilla."  Don't lick it.  You'll be tempted because it's amazing and completely reminds me of Jolly Ranchers, but tongue prints don't look good on a mani.  It's an honest scent that smells like crisp melon.

Honey Almond: This doesn't contain any actual honey, so it's still vegan and cruelty free.  It smells like marzipan.  Like tart almonds, it's almost like the amazing Jergen's body lotion scent.  This is a very traditional holiday scent here in Italy that I could compare to the PSL craze in the States.

I hope you give Dream Polish a try!  There is a special this weekend using the code VEGASBABY that gives you free shipping on an order of $15us or more as well as a free sample of the new matte top coat!

French Gradient

 

• Apply a base coat.
• Apply the lightest of the two shades you've chosen, and let dry.  I am using 479 from Kiko Cosmetics.

• Cut the makeup sponge you're using so it's a little bigger than your nail.  Swipe it so that it's saturated with the darkest colour across the top and then directly under it with the lightest.  The bottom of the sponge will remain dry.  The dark shade I'm using is I Want S'More from Drip Drop Nail Paint.

• Dab quickly over the tip, aligning the top of the sponge with the tip of your nail.  You will have to pause several times to reapply polish or to switch to a new sponge; this is so the material of the sponge does not pull apart and leave little bits in your manicure.

• Work until you have a gradient you like on each nail.
• Apply a quick dry top coat and let dry.

You can end here for a simple sophisticated manicure!

Or you an go one step further and add a design using a stamping plate.

• After the top coat is dry, pick an all over design.  The motif I picked is open enough that the lightest base shade will still be dominant.
• Using the dark shade you used for your tips, use this as the polish you stamp the design with, this will make it appear as if the motif is disappearing into the dark tip of your nail!  I am using a design from Bunny Nails plate A.
• Tidy up, if required!

If you're inspired to try any of my designs, please don't forget to tag them #00Inspired on IG!

And the winner is....

I counted each unique entry this morning and plugged the number into the random thingiedoo and here is what it gave me! 

 Which means the winner is:

Please use the contact tab to email me your address!

A lot of you asked for a stamping tutorial which I'm working on!  Part One can be found right here.

For the next three months I'll be doing the #31dc2014, each month following a theme... just to give myself even more of a challenge, you can see more checking out the tab up there ⬆️.  I'd love for you to join me!

Also in October I'll have another giveaway and I'll start a monthly feature focusing on indie brands and their owners!

Day, Of the Dead

Thank you all so much!

Mission: Water Marbling

I spent a better part of the weekend practicing to water marble.   I thought I'd share with you some of my progress... or lack there of!

Wormhole: EXTREME!

• Apply a base coat.
• Apply an even layer of the holo polish you've chosen.  Any will do, I just love the depth of Black Gold, Texas Tea from LLarowe.

• Apply a quick dry base coat and  let dry completely.
• Carefully remove the entire bullseye design from the backing.  These are from Lou-It-Yourself and the moment I saw them I knew that I wanted to try this mani with them!

• Place the entire design over the nail as desired.  I did each nail with a different aspect, it's up to you!

• Carefully remove every other inner ring.  Applying the whole design at once and then removing the extra ensures that the spacing between rings remains exact.

• Apply the solid cream polish you've chosen, this design looks best when the holo and the cream match.  I'm using Camelot from A England.

• Carefully remove the vinyls, piece by piece, pulling up.  Try to move quickly before the vinyls melt.

• Let the solid colour set a bit before applying a fast dry top coat.  Letting it set ensures that it doesn't smear into the holo.
• Tidy up, if required! 

What do you think?

If you're inspired by any of my posts, don't forget to tag them #00Inspired on Instagram! 

Oxen

This is Oxen, from Colors by LLarowe.  I am so impressed with all the shades I've gotten, they're very smooth and opaque and just stunning!

Here it is stamped with Black Out by Just Rica using Mo-You London Pro plate XL06.  I really like the look of black over the ox blood!

Stamping: The Requirements

To begin stamping you'll need four things.  As basic as they are, choosing just the right materials will make things either exponentially easier, or exponentially more difficult!  Nothing like trial and error to drive a person crazy.  In this post I will cover the items you need to stamp.

1 - The Plate

 

A lot of companies make stamping plates and just like everything else, some are better than others.  To begin, I'd chose one that is more deeply etched and has a bigger image area.  Deeply etched means that the actual recess of the image on the plate is deep.  It should 'catch' your skin when you rub your finger over it gently.  It will hold the polish and hence the image easier.

Plate I love for beginners are:

• MoYou
• Vivid Lacquer
• Messy Mansion
• Nailz Craze
• Pueen
• Bunny Nails

Plates from Bundle Monster annoy me because you often have to use a lot of polish and scrape multiple times and the actual images are so small, you have to be super precise.  So while they're nice, I wouldn't brand them for beginners.

Larger images are easier for beginners because it's less fuss positioning them and no one will fault you when the stamp goes over your nails along the edges.  You can clean that up and not have to worry about lining the image up carefully, risking the polish drying on you while you do.

2 - The Scraper

Use an old credit card or one of those rewards cards that fit on your keys.  Seriously, it's that easy.  The metal scrapers often included in kits can scrape and mar the images.  An old card is the perfect perfect tool for this.

3 - The Stamper

There are so many different shapes and textures out there, this is a pretty subjective area.  What works for some might not work for others based on not just their nail length, but the shape and curve.  Generally, a firm stamper is best for flatter nails or reverse stamping, which is something I'll cover later.  A softer stamper is best for those with curved nails.  It's softness ensures the pad molds around the nail to stamp all of the nail evenly.

Obviously, you'll also need to match the stamper to the length of your nail.  Longer nails need a larger stamp.

You really might have to collect a few and just test them out to see what you can control and what works best for you.  One thing is true in most cases, though; the cheaper the stamp, the less quality of the image you'll end up with.  And at no time should you have to 'sand' the stamper.

4 - The Polish

 

To begin with, use something incredibly fool proof like the solid creams from Just Rica.  I am in no way affiliated with the company, but they just honestly make some of the best polishes I've used.  Konad sells their own brand, but it SMEARS when you add a top coat, which no one wants.

Ultimately, you can use a lot of different polishes, and you can always test to see if something works.  In general, thicker opaque polishes are easier, however thin holos are spectacular.  You cannot use anything with glitter, and jellies are... yeah.  Not worth the aggravation!

Again, it's mostly trial and error.  Keep in mind, as I mentioned with the Konad polishes, just because it stamps well, doesn't always mean it won't smear!  Always test your stamping with a top coat before you commit to using it on your nails.

The Extras

Lots of lint free wipes.  Fuzz from cotton anything will collect in the etchings of your plate when you clean them!  Using paper towels designed for glass is best.

Acetone.  Don't use a remover with any additives to clean your plates, stamper, or scraper.  They have oils in them that will prevent the next images from holding well.  Pure acetone is quick and dries in a flash.

Patience.  You will need a lot of it when you start!

I'll tackle the basics of actually stamping next!

Negative Blocking

•  Apply a base coat and allow to dry completely.  Whenever you use a vinyl, all the layers under it must be set.
• Apply the chevron vinyl, I'm using the Simple Chevron Wave from Up Your Nail.  Take your time and make sure it's aligned.  I usually apply all the chevrons at the same time so that I can visually see they all look the same before I apply polish.

•  Paint each section of your nail the desired colour.  I find this design looks balanced with a darker shade on the moon and a lighter shade on the tip.  Paint carefully.  I'm using the trio of shades I received from my September Black Sheep Lacquer Box.

•  Remove the vinyl.  I paint one nail at a time and remove the vinyl before I move on.  If you leave it the polish will dry and the vinyl will melt.

•  Apply the glitter topper you've chosen.  I typically wait until the two polishes are a bit set so as to not smear them into the negative space.  You can also opt to omit the glitter for a simpler look.

•  Tidy up, if required!

If you're inspired by any of my posts, don't forget to tag them #00Inspired on Instagram! 

 

Congratulations and SURPRISE!

The winner of my 100+ Followers Giveaway is:

Congratulations!  It took me and Mia about two hours to go through all the entries and verify them... there were some people who didn't follow the rules.  We wrote all the names down and Mia fished one at random out of a box!  Please use the contact feature above to email me your mailing address!

And SURPRISE!

I'm hosting ANOTHER giveaway!  Actually, it's Part Two, featuring another bottle of Seva from Candied Apple Polish as well as some other amazing goodies!

To enter, please leave a comment below telling me what you'd like to see on my blog!  Maybe you want swatches, maybe tutorials, maybe brand features!  Let me know, anything goes.  If you have a nail blog of your own, please make sure you leave the link, I'd love to visit.

The rules:

• One comment (entry) per person.
• You must be 18 years or older, because I am international, I can't make exceptions.
• Giveaway runs through 22 September, the winner to be drawn at random and announced on the 23rd.

I will be hosting a giveaway EVERY month.  October's prize is another set of custom made polishes! 

Silver Streaks

• Apply a base coat.
• Apply two thin layers of Starry Nights from Polished for Days.
• Apply a fast dry top coat.
• Let dry completely.  When working with vinyls your polish layers must all be dry.
• Affix the vinyl of your choice over top, I'm using Hash Guides from Up Your Nail.

• Using the jellies of your choice, dab them on in stripes over the vinyl.  The great thing about jellies is that it doesn't take much work for them to meld into each other, forming an easy gradient!  I'm using Weekend Getaway, Splish Splash, and Poolside Popsicle from Polished for Days.

• Quickly and carefully peel up the vinyl guide.

• Allow the jellies to dry a little before you apply a quick dry top coat.  Letting them sit makes sure you don't smear the lines into the silver.
• Tidy up, if required!

 I hope this tutorial inspires you!