31C2014 Day 23 - Inspired by a Movie

Hello!

yeah, yeah, yeah - not even close.
To be fair I did, and posted this on Instagram on the right day - it's just taken me awhile to get the details here - sorry guys!

OMG TOTORO!!! Seriously, if you can't find anything charming about Miyazaki or anything else from Studio Ghibli, you have no heart. My Neighbor Totoro is a fave of mine, but the dust sprites are also featured in my other fave Spirited Away. Yes people - two movies in one mani - can I collect extra points? Anyway...

I started with a base of OPI My Vampire Is Buff.

Next I freehanded the soot sprites with Essie Licorice (black) and Sally Hansen White On. Totoro is Misa Paint My Nails @Work, Licorice, White On and Sally Hansen In the Groove (green).
I stamped the stars using pieces of an image from VividLacquer 014 and used In the Groove, Sally Hansen Brisk Blue and Sally Hansen Presto Pink.

I was absolutely gleeful with the way this turned out! I don't do 'cutsie' very often, but I'll always make an exception for Totoro.

-L

31DC2014 Day 18 - Half Moons

ok, after that last fail I feel like this one has redeemed me...

Simple, yet oh-so-fancy! ooh la la!
I already did a half moon gradient on Day 10 so again I wanted to be a bit more innovative for this challenge. This 'waterfall mani' was coined by the Nailasaurus, but I did a mash up of that with the half moon.
I started with Zoya Dream, possibly one of my fave polishes EVA (and yes, I have every other version that Zoya has made, but I do wish the holographic particles were more visible in pics)! I used reinforcement stickers for the moons and then a detail brush for the lines.

I don't know what it is with me, but I am terrible with striping brushes! I started with that and they just looked like a hot mess, so I turned to a detail brush for better control. The lines are fatter, but straighter, and I like the fact that they taper. I used Konad Silver and OPI Love.Angel.Music.Baby.
The stickers prevented me from getting a crisp line so I redefined them after I was done with the detail brush. I love this look and want to experiment with more color combos!

-L

31DC2014 Day 17 - Glitter

Ok - most of these challenges I feel like I stepped up and did a good job...

To be perfectly honest I'm not so happy with this one, but I was too lazy to redo.

If you can't tell, they're fireworks. I started with a black base of Essie Licorice. To create definitive streaks I used OPI Love.Angel.Music.Baby and Konad Silver. For the glitter element I used a combination of microglitter polishes.

Girly Bits Razzle Dazzle is raspberry microglitter, Cique Queen Majesty is purple and blue and Cirque Stella is full of rose gold. This second picture shows it with Essie Matte About You, y'know, just cuz.

-L

31DC2014 Day 15 - Delicate Print

Yes I do know how to count, I was away from day 11 - day 14 for a wedding!

Trying this challenge is pretty hardcore, but I simply am not hardcore enough to do all the challenges beforehand to post while I was away - some people are that dedicated and for that I applaud you, but me? I just jump back on the bandwagon when I wanna!

Soft, sweet, girly - nothing like me at all! but otherwise I'm still very pleased with the look, it's just so not 'me'.
I started with OPI Don't Bossa Nova Me Around, then created a subtle gradient with Zoya Rue, Elevation Polish Colline du Charf and Zoya Brigitte.

The lacy, doilie-like print is from Pueen 28. I found this a bit tricky to stamp. At first I thought it might be the delicacy of the image, but the more I use my Konad White, the more I think it's the problem. I've just ordered Rica Whiteout and I'm hoping I have more luck with that. White is an essential stamping shade!!! To give this added vintage "dustiness" I added Essie Matte About You.

-L

My Grade-est Hit! 31DC2014, Day 10 - Gradients

Oh god, nail puns! hahahaha

I just had to.

Today I present to you my greatest Instagram hit - my newly dubbed "crossover gradient".  I do gradients ALL the time, so for this prompt in the challenge I really wanted to go above and beyond.

crossover gradient

Yay! This look got almost 250 likes, and one of them was the Nailasaurus! I def fan-girl squee'd when I saw that!

I started with a base of Zoya Brigitte. On my thumb, index and pinky I used a reinforcement sticker for my half moons, and a french manicure guide for the upper half. I've done and seen many half moon gradients before, and when I've seen double gradients Simply Nailogical has dubbed them 'scaled gradients', but those typically use craft tape to create a, well, scaled look with interesting shapes cut into the tape. I'm not sure this is a scaled gradient since it adheres to the half moon look.
The deepest purple in the gradient is Misa Sorry Just Can't Help It, then Zoya Odette and Zoya Rue.

The same gradient was used on my middle and ring finger over a french guide. When that was dry I went over it in the opposite direction, being sure to use a shade that would allow the previous gradient to be visible. This took a very light hand. I used OPI Don't Bossa Nova Me Around and Zoya Rue. Then for the hell of it I threw on Cirque Iris on my index and pinky for some shimmer.

I can't wait to try this technique again with different shades!!! Please let me know if you try a crossover gradient for yourself!

-L

31DC2014, Day 9 - Rainbow

Hello!

Day 9 - Rainbow

If you haven't figured it out - I love colour! I didn't have a lot of time to go crazy and really think outside the box for this one, but I'm still pretty happy with how this turned out.

I thought I was being clever by using piCture pOlish Sparkle because it has a rainbow of micro glitter in it, but you can't tell in these photos! They look more like random specks. gah
So then I used the same Bundle Monster 021 image and stamped using Konad Red, Sally Hansen Insta-Dri Snappy Sorbet, Lightening, In the Groove, Brisk Blue and OPI Funky Dunky.

I used 2 shades per stamp, hoping the colors would bleed together more to create a bit more of a gradient effect, but it didn't come out that way. It could have been the nature of the Insta-Dri polishes, they're quite thick and dry quickly - great for stamping, not so great for stamping gradient.

-L

31DC2014, Day 8 - Metallic

Hello!

So I made it past the first week! We're now beyond simple color prompts and moving onto other ideas.

Day 8 - Metallic

Like so many others, I immediately turned to chrome polishes and foil.

My base is OPI Push & Shove. You're not supposed to use top coat, but for a tape mani you just gotta. I found the topcoat made the brushstrokes more obvious, but didn't diminish the reflective quality.
I used simple french guides to create the diagonal line. The 'foil' polishes are from Sally Hansen ColorFoil line (though the finish is often referred to as chrome). Index: Minted Metal, middle & ring: Purple Alloy, pinky: Colbalt Chrome.

On the thumb I tried to do a 'distressed metal' look with the dry brushstroke technique but there wasn't even contrast with the shades. On my accent nail I finally go around to trying nail foil for the first time. It was super easy and painless! Thanks discounted Ciate pack at Winners!

-L

31DC2014, Day 6 - Violet

Hello!

Day 6 - Violet

So I finally dipped into a holo AND a CANVAS lacquer for this challenge!

Girly and sweet - not like me at all! ha.
The base is OPI Don't Bossa Nova Me Around, and the gradient uses L'Oreal Royalty Reinvented and CANVAS lacquer Orchids. IRL you could see s a bit of the shimmer in Orchids on the tips and had a really pretty effect.

For the stamping I used Color Club Eternal Beauty and Pueen Encore 02A. Surprisingly there was still a beautiful linear effect on the nail.

Even though this is not my usual steez, I still really liked this.

-L

She's CRAFTY - plus starting the 31 Day Nail Challenge

Hello!

I know I sound like a broken record, but I've been so busy it's been hard to keep up with posting on the blog. But get ready for a landslide of posts because I've decided to try my hand at the 31 Day Nail Challenge!

Before we get into that, here's a look I did with MoYou Fashionista 01.

The purple is OPI Funky Dunky and the red is bondi nyc Strawberry Fields. I'm sooo in love with those scissors! My bestie (and CANVAS lacquer business partner) gifted me a necklace years ago with a scissor pendant that I absolutely adored. I was so heartbroken when it broke!

These buttons are super cute but I found very difficult to stamp. I had to use a very light hand (and several attempts) to get the image not to flood and smoosh all over the place when I was picking it up from the plate. The more and more I use the rectangular squishy stamper, the more I think I was simply meant to use the harder Konad style - I have a heavy hand I guess! I'm too often warping the images with the softer stamper. Lesson learned!

-L

Vacation Nails with MoYou Stamping

Hello!

Ok, so I didn't go on vacation. But let's say I did, I'd definitely rock something like this for a tropical trip.

I started with a base of OPI Don't Bossa Nova Me Around. I then used a makeup sponge to add the 3 colours: bondi nyc Teal Magnolia, OPI I Can't Cope-acabana, and OPI Live.Love.Carnival. It was meant to be a pie-shaped gradient, but I like the looser randomness of the final result.

I then added the tropical foliage images using Konad Gold Black and MoYou Tropical 12.

I love bright and tropical themes (can you tell?), but after a day or two I got restless with it. I was too busy at the time to do another mani, so I added a glitter topper!

Yay! Elevation Polish Haba Xueshan is one of my all-time favourite glitter toppers. Not sure why the black and white combo always makes things look a bit more 90's to me. Perfect, since I'm seeing a 90's esque topical trend everywhere this summer.

Do you prefer with or without the glitter?

-L

Faux Watermarble

Hello!

Whoa - I've been a busy bee this week so I don't have a lot of art to share today.
I only have an iPhone pic of the final mani that I had to snag from my Instagram.

I started with a base of OPI I Don't Give A Rotterdam, a shimmery grey that is more complex upon closer inspection. Then I created a diagonal gradient with Essie Naughty Nautical (aqua) and Nyx Purple.
Here's a look at the gradient pre-stamp:

I added the faux watermarble type image from Vivid Lacquer plate 009 and Konad White.
I have never been able to make watermarbling work for me, so this is an easy cheat.

Any tips of making real water marbles work?

-L

Sun Gradient Pre-Stamp

Hello!

So you know how I'm always forgetting to photograph my bases before I do additional art?
Well I was so happy with today's gradient pre-stamp that it's getting it's own post (and day of public wear) before I add art!

So I've done plenty of linear gradients, pie gradients, and now this is my first circle gradient. I didn't intend it to look so solar, but here we are.
I used Misa A Sunny Smile Makes Me Go Wild (yellow), Quo by Orly Femme Fatale (pink) and Nails Inc Baker Street (blue), all on top of a base of two coats of OPI My Vampire Is Buff. Had I done 3 coats I probably wouldn't have revealed that ridge on my ring finger. Oh well!

Now the big decision is what will happen next... Tune in for the finale!

-L

MoYou Sailor 08

Hello!

*happy dance* I have been coveting MoYou London plates for what seems like forever (but more like a year). When I heard they started offering free shipping to Canada I just HAD to treat myself.

I bought 6 plates, and this is my first mani. I also bought the squishy rectangular stamper and so far so good! I do find the image transferring has worked really well, but since I haven't done a whole nail design yet I haven't decided if this shape helps me align the image better, or if it reduces warping. My only complaint is that MoYou forgot to include a scraper, so I don't know if that would have been any better or not since it's plastic, and my Konad is metal.

Anyway...

Too often I forget to take pictures of bases before I start doing everything on top. Sorry!
The gradient is subtle here but more apparent IRL. In any case, it was a coat of bondi nyc Blue Skies, then I dabbed on with a sponge Nails Inc Baker Street, Motives Tahiti Surf, and Quo by Orly Prepster.

Using MoYou London Sailor 08 and Konad White, Red and Gold Black I stamped on different coral images. I also used OPI Amazon...Amazoff for green seaweed, but it's not a stamping polish and didn't appear as opaque.
I used the leadlight technique to fill in the fish images with Nfu-Oh Jelly Syrup 20 (yellow), 25 (red) and 03 (gray).

It didn't turn out quite like I pictured in my head, but I'm still satisfied with my first MoYou experience (minus the missing scraper).

-L

Pretty Shimmering Pie Floral

Hello!

After making a conscious decision to use more holos, I've now decided I need to give more of my shimmers some shine.

I used Elevation Polish Limestone as my base. In the macro below you can see hints of the gold flakes shine through the gradient. The 'pie' gradient is made up of Elevation Polish El Cap (bluish purple), Duri Showstopper (pink) and Misa Let's Go Green (green, duh).

shimmery 'pie' gradient pre-stamp

The flower image is from Bundle Monster 220 and I used OPI Eurso Euro and Live.Love.Carnival.

...and here's a bonus macro that our Instagram followers seemed to enjoy.

-L

Tropical Top Man

Hello!

Wow, time flies - sorry for my absence. Between birthdays, a camping trip and prepping for CANVAS lacquer's first street festival (check out the info here!), blogging had to take a bit of a back burner. However, I never stopped doing my nails, so here's the back log!

This look really reminds me of the prints I've seen on lots of men's clothing this year. The tropical trends from the 90's seem to be back full force and it was very evident when I went shopping with the bf at Top Man.

I started with 2 coats of Essie Mojito Madness on my thumb, middle and ring finger. I forgot how much I really like this shade of green! It's subtle, but to add sort of a weathered, vintage Hawaiian shirt vibe, I sponged on a bit of Essie Navigate Her.
On my index and pinky I used 2 coats of bondi nyc Chasing the Sun. It doesn't appear in photos well, but I also layered on CND Gold Shimmer for some sunny sparkle.

Using Vivid Lacquer plate 21 and OPI Eurso Euro I added the palm tree images. I love this plate!
Overall I really like this result. I think I nailed some current guy trends, an unexpected accomplishment!

-L

Colour Jungle

Hello!

So this started off as a tape mani - but when that turned into a hot mess I decided to stamp over it - a great solution to hide mani messes!!

On my thumb, middle and ring fingers I started with 2 coats of bondi NYC The Limelight, on my index and pink I used 2 coats of OPI I Just Can't Cope-acabana. I then used craft scissors to cut little scalloped strips and painted on OPI Funky Dunkey (purple) and OPI Live.Love.Carnival.

I ended up with this.

Some of the lines did turn out fairly crisp, but when they didn't it looked pretty bad. Then on top of that, when I added topcoat, the purple and the green melted into each other making this weird brown shade. Ugh! It also made the coral turn orange, I'm fairly indifferent on that point.

So as my fix, I grabbed Pueen 56 and Konad Gold Black.

I was feeling lazy at this point, so I wasn't cleaning the plate between stamps and didn't get the nicest lines - but since this is such an abstract look I don't mind at all!

What's your "fix" when your initial ideas go awry?

-L

More holo! More floral!

Hello!

If you follow the canvaslacquer Instagram account you may have seen this a few days ago. I'm kind of new to this whole nail social media thing, so I'm happy to report this has so far been my most 'liked' look.

I started with 2 coats of a-England Her Rose Adagio. Not sure why the pink doesn't really come through in photos, but it's a beautiful shade (and I'm not typically big on soft pink). For added interest I dabbed on a bit of a-England Dancing with Nureyev. The blue seems to read a bit better than the pink, but overall it comes off sorta silvery.

For the branches I used a-England Briarwood, an amazing brown holo that also stamps beautifully. I used Vivid Lacquer plate 014. Next for the leaves I used Pueen 33 with my usual OPI Amazon...Amazoff, the only non-holo polish for this look, I have plenty of green holos that probably do stamp well, I just thought it might clash too much with all the other holo going on so I opted for a creme. Finally, with a dotting tool for the flowers I used Colors by Llarowe OABTRAD. The little centers are Color Club Kismet.

passiflora

I've been trying to incorporate more visual interest in my nail pics, but I find holding an item and positioning my hand for the photo at the same time incredibly awkward! So here's a rando photo of me trying to pose with one of my passionflower vines.

Do you guys prefer JUST the nails or do like seeing someone posing with something?

-L

Quad Stamped Floral

Hello!

I bring you more stamping! This time I only used one image in four different shades.

My base is 3 coats of bondi nyc Central Park Blossom. It’s a very pale off white peachy nude colour. The formula is very thin, and not self-leveling, which is too bad since I love so many of my other bondi nyc crèmes, but this isn’t that unusual for such a pale shade. Plus with all the stamping I do my bases don’t always have to be perfect.

I used an image from Bundle Monster plate BM15, one of the first plates I ever bought. The four colours used are OPI I Just Can’t Cope-acabana (yellow), bondi nyc The Limelight (green), bondi nyc Fuschia-istic (pink), and OPI Eurso Euro (blurple).

full sun

This is such a fun look for summer, and at an arm’s length it almost looks like tie-dye!

-L

Floral with Butterflies

Hello!

This post brings you a look that took a lot of stamping - and unnecessarily so because in the end you can't even see some of the work I did. But live and learn!

I started with 3 coats of OPI My Vampire Is Buff, a cult favourite. I picked this up because it seemed so many bloggers were raving about it; a perfect off-white shade for nail art (sometimes straight up white is a bit harsh). I admit I do like the shade, but at 3 coats I found it a little uneven, but since I stamp over most of my bases it wasn't a big deal. However, 3 coats means waiting longer for dry time.

I then used Konad Silver and Pueen plate 25 for this netting image.

I fretted a little bit about getting the image on straight (it's one of my main stamping challenges), but I think I did a pretty good job. Unfortunately this is the part that gets buried under all the other stamping, but at least I know I can do it! And it's quite a delicate, sophisticated look I might revisit for a wedding or similar event.

Next I used Pueen plate 55 with bondi nyc Teal Magnolia for the leaves, and then Pueen plate 59 with Konad Gold Black for the butterflies.

 

I used Essie Come Here! with Pueen plate 59 for the floral parts, and added a few dots of it on the flowers with the butterflies to help tie them together. My camera seems to have trouble capturing pinks accurately - IRL Come Here! is definitely a bit more pinky-coral.
Lastly I used the leadlight technique and filled in the butterflies with Nfu-Oh Jelly Syrup 28 (purple) and 30 (blue).

I love the leadlight technique! I've tried it before and it didn't work out great, but I think the butterflies turned out really well.

Thanks for stopping by!

-L

Brazil! Nails of the Day

Hello!

In keeping with my punchy colour combos, I decided to do something yellow and green. To me that's always a fresh and citrus-y look, and since our weather has been summery the last few days, I felt it was time.

Unfortunately I didn't get a chance to take pics under my usual set up, so these window shots will have to do today!
I happened to use 2 shades from OPI's Brazil Collection, I Just Can't Cope-acabana (yellow) and Amazon...Amazoff (green). My original intention was not to make such a Brazilian mani, but of course OPI must have been inspired by the colours of the flag, because that's all I can think of when I see these shades combined! I'm not much of a soccer (or football) fan, but with the World Cup in Rio coming up, I definitely see these colours trending soon.

Both the leaf image and flower image are from Pueen plates, the numbers escape me right now. I've used Amazon...Amazoff for stamping before and knew it would work well, but I wish the yellow had stamped a bit better. The glitter topper on my pinky is Elevation Polish Huangshan (the original version, the current version has softer shades of yellow, I personally like this brighter version better).

Did you immediately think "Brazil", or did you have another first impression?

-L