Thursday 27 February 2014

the CANVAS lacquer intern

Ok, not really. She just hangs out and looks cute while we work.

Tuna

Two galaxies...

From the iPhone again!

My first attempt at a galaxy mani I feel was my first foray into 'real' nail art.


A year later and I still like it! My cuticle cleanup needs improvement, and I'm much happier with my current nail shape, but I consider this my mani nail art baby.

Below is my second attempt, maybe six months later.


Very different looks! This one is obviously more blue based and much brighter. I think I did this one in warm weather and wanted something a little lighter than the original concept, but I can't really decide which one I like better.

-L

From the vault, iPhone edition

Here we have several manis I did last year that I only ever photographed with my iPhone.

Considering I was quite a novice when I did these I think I fared pretty well! Opinions???


This was/is my only attempt at doing a vertical gradient (per nail), and of course I had to make it more complicated by creating a gradient across all the nails too, then stamped with stars.


I'm still amazed at the variety of looks you can accomplish with dots - I don't take advantage of this simple technique enough.


I'm kinda meh about this look. I don't wear red very often and I was just trying to do something a little different.


Dots again! I've seen a few different stamping images of this look that are much more precise, but I think I did ok with just my dotting tools.


This tape mani didn't come out as crisp as I had hoped, but I remember going to the farmer's market that day and got compliments left and right.



This is my first attempt at the 'waterfall' technique that most bloggers would credit The Nailasaurus for inventing. This was probably attempted almost a year ago and I still don't feel I have a very good handle at using striping brushes, but I still like the results even though it's not as neat as hers.

-L

Daisy Pond, Nails of the Day

I found this 'pond' effect technique on a few different blogs and decided to try it myself since the process seems pretty straightforward.

Wow. Use the washroom, have a snack, get comfortable because this takes a looooong time to do.
But! That being said, I really do like the results. Unfortunately I didn't have the chance to photograph this when it was fresh, so please excuse the dryness of my hands and the bit of tip wear (I've done a lot of dishes today).

daisy pond
This technique is basically just layering - but you have to wait for each layer to dry before moving on, or you'll get a smeary mess, but it really is worth it - I'm looking forward to experimenting with this 'pond' effect!

-L

Sunday 23 February 2014

A sneak peek at Mother of Dragons

I'm really excited to show you guys my Nails of the Day this evening.

Mother of Dragons is from our upcoming Ice & Fire collection, and this one is of course inspired by Daenerys Targaryen.

Mother of Dragons contains fine green holo, wine squares, a mix of iridescent squares and hexes, with a good sprinkling of gold shimmer in a deep green jelly base. Perfect for a Khaleesi. 

Below I'm showing two coats on my thumb before stamping the dragon image, and after.

Two coats of Mother of Dragons
...and here's the rest.


I absolutely love the complexity of this polish, and I promise as soon as you see it in person it just screams dragon.

I've never stamped in this triptych style before, but I think it turned out alright!

This lacquer will be available mid-March when our Etsy store goes live - stay tuned.

-L

Saturday 22 February 2014

From the vault...

I really started getting into nail art only about a year ago. I think I've come a long way since then, but it's also nice to reflect on my first few mani's; to see the evolution of my style and skills.
From time to time I (or Alana) will post something 'from the vault'... kind of like a Throwback Thursdays, only for nails, and on whatever day of the week we feel like!

my first fully stamped mani
I used 3 A-england polishes for the gradient, stamped the snake-like pattern from 2 different images, and then added the gold accents with another A-england.

I'm now sporting more squoval shaped nails, only for the last couple months - but seeing those roundies seems so foreign already!

-L

Thursday 20 February 2014

Wednesday 19 February 2014

Oh Hi!

CANVAS lacquer is the lovechild of two best friends who have a passion for all things nail polish.

We will be releasing our first few collections in the next couple months and are very excited about each and every creation.

The 2014 Duo (March release)
A glitter topper and a satin shimmer celebrating the Color of the Year.

The Ice & Fire Collection (March release)
7 amazing lacquers inspired by Game of Thrones. 
This collection includes a little something for everyone. A glitter topper, jellies/crellies, a glow in the dark polish and a gorgeous holo!

"Highgarden" (from Ice & Fire) over grey
Please excuse the poor iPhone pic, proper swatches of all lacquers coming soon!


In April we plan to release a collection inspired by our beloved city, Toronto. Please stay tuned!

We will make an announcement when our Etsy store has opened.