tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26061956728075058692024-03-15T11:51:39.870-04:00The Polished MedicSamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12699918344824817052noreply@blogger.comBlogger148125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2606195672807505869.post-76200114552877232992013-02-10T09:25:00.002-05:002013-02-10T09:26:19.767-05:00Cheap and Lovely Light Pink for Valentine's DayI feel like always available and cheap polishes get overlooked. I'm guilty of this. I tend to grab my salon brand or high end polishes first, and I end up overlooking my less expensive brands. But the thing to remember about those cheap brands, like Pure Ice, is those are some of the most easily accessible brands for consumers. They're sold at Walmart for $2. Isn't it a little nice to know whether or not they're worth purchasing?<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I always maintain that price has nothing to do with the quality of a polish. Pure Ice is a great indicator of that.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<center><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8092/8461769722_efedcfaab0.jpg">
<br />
<img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8252/8461769994_47abf7527b.jpg">
<br />
<img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8509/8460671521_0b91d769cb.jpg">
<br />
<img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8111/8460671707_9553c2cc6d.jpg"></center>
<br />
<div>
2 coats Pure Ice Love</div>
<div>
1 coat Poshe</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Love is a straight forward light pink creme. If I had to say an undertone, I'd probably say yellow, but I imagine it would flatter nearly any skin tone. I think it's a pretty safe bet that it will work on your skin tone. The formula was slightly "puffy". I find this formula on lighter colors occasionally, and I think it has to do with trying to make the polish more opaque. This is not a bad puffy polish. The puffiness aides in the opacity and I don't think it makes it difficulty to apply like some puffy polishes. So if you're looking for an OPAQUE light pink for Valentine's Day, or any day, consider Love! I'm also excited to try to stamp with it because I think it may come out pretty well. We'll see!</div>Samhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12699918344824817052noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2606195672807505869.post-9794660575979918662013-02-05T17:27:00.000-05:002013-02-05T17:34:22.450-05:00Valentine's Day Stamping: My Orly Submission!Orly has a contest right now on their Facebook for Valentine's Day. I've always been a HUGE Orly fan and have gone on tangents talking about this many times in my blog. Trying to decide on something to do was so difficult! Because my Orly collection is pretty large, I have quite a selection of polishes that would work great for Valentine's Day. I was thinking of going more demure, but then decided to make it a little brighter and playful. Here's what I came up with!<br />
<br />
<center><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8214/8449179478_0e634fb27b.jpg">
<br />
<img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8499/8448093605_6ae12b6ac3.jpg">
<br />
<img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8229/8449179252_7e4f070a5c.jpg">
<br />
<img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8222/8448093889_a178f48350.jpg"></center>
<br />
Base is Orly Softest White<br />
Bright Pink is Orly Fancy Fuchsia<br />
Berry is Happily Ever After<br />
Ring finger plate BM-209<br />
Other fingers plate BM-317<br />
<br />
If you're up for entering, or if you'd like to vote for my nails, go to the Orly contest <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Orly/app_331827946922345">HERE</a>. My nails match the first photo I posted here, and I titled it "Happily Ever After".Samhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12699918344824817052noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2606195672807505869.post-82729691379956141312013-02-04T13:20:00.000-05:002013-02-04T13:20:29.909-05:00Orly Basket CaseI've been using this polish for nail art for quite some time. But I've never worn it alone. I only have a mini bottle that I got on clearance for $.50 at CVS over a year ago. I love the polish when I use it for nail art, I figured it's about time it gets to be worn on its own!! If you want to see where else I've used it, here are the links:<br />
<a href="http://sugarmedic88.blogspot.com/2011/09/stellar-nails.html">Stellar Nails</a><br />
<a href="http://sugarmedic88.blogspot.com/2011/08/paintball-nails.html">Paintball Nails</a><br />
<a href="http://sugarmedic88.blogspot.com/2011/07/my-little-pony-nails.html">My Little Pony Nails</a><br />
<a href="http://sugarmedic88.blogspot.com/2011/04/fun-bright-summerspring-water-marble.html">Summer Water Marble</a><br />
<br />
<br />
<center>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/60588470@N07/6970791002/" title="BasketCase2 by sugarmedic88, on Flickr"><img alt="BasketCase2" height="384" src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5347/6970791002_e2eab2bf1e.jpg" width="500" /></a>
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/60588470@N07/7116867521/" title="BasketCase3 by sugarmedic88, on Flickr"><img alt="BasketCase3" height="366" src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5453/7116867521_eaa2145ae9.jpg" width="500" /></a>
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/60588470@N07/6970790950/" title="BasketCase1 by sugarmedic88, on Flickr"><img alt="BasketCase1" height="444" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7215/6970790950_bbab2b05b1.jpg" width="500" /></a>
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/60588470@N07/7116867567/" title="BasketCase4 by sugarmedic88, on Flickr"><img alt="BasketCase4" height="448" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7091/7116867567_1e8bc97cfc.jpg" width="500" /></a>
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/60588470@N07/6970791126/" title="BasketCaseHand by sugarmedic88, on Flickr"><img alt="BasketCaseHand" height="500" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7190/6970791126_35f4ece1c4.jpg" width="366" /></a></center>
<br />
<br />
1 coat Orly Basket Case<br />
1 coat Best Topcoat (this topcoat is terrible)<br />
<br />
Basket case is a purple based pink creme. It's a pretty basic color, but honestly I thought it'd be a little bright. Something about it is just kind of dull, but I'm thinking it may be because I used that stupid top coat and not Poshe, and because I only used one coat.<br />
<br />
This went on totally opaque in one coat, but I definitely suggest using two. I went against my better judgement and just did the one. I usually ALWAYS do at least two coats even if I don't need to. But it makes the color richer, smoother, and it makes it last longer.Samhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12699918344824817052noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2606195672807505869.post-72731353696369002302013-01-31T13:18:00.000-05:002013-01-31T13:49:42.534-05:00Purple Polka DotsSo these are kind of default nails. I started with China Glaze VIII because I figured a nice, rich color would be nice. I hadn't worn one in a while. Everything looks gorgeous and dark purple after the first coat. Then as soon as I applied to second coat I knew it was WAY too dark.<br />
For those of you who have followed my blog for a while, you may know that I hate the dark vampy colors that just straight up look black. If I wanted black, I'd wear black, not super dark purple that looks black. But I will say this polish came off RIDICULOUSLY easy. No staining, smudging, nothing like that. Way easier to remove than your typical black. So that's a win.<br />
<br />
Anyway, because the purple was SO dark, I wanted to so some sort of nail art with lighter purple. I knew stamping was out because I have no lighter purples that would've remained opaque enough stamped over VII. My initial plan had been to do a gradient with sponge stamping. Then I realized I had no sponges. So this is what I came up with.<br />
<br />
<center>
<img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8372/8428325462_5038c0d1bf.jpg" />
<br />
<img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8372/8428325710_89132a1da3.jpg" />
<br />
<img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8470/8428325190_dcbc4ac7da.jpg" />
<br />
<img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8230/8427234557_c0faa73582_z.jpg" />
</center>
<br />
2 coats China Glaze VIII<br />
Lightest Purple - Sally Hansen CSM Lavender Cloud<br />
Medium Purple - Essie Nice Is Nice<br />
Darker Purple - Sally Hansen CSM Good To Grape<br />
<br />
I'm sure you'll notice my ring finger is fairly different. This was the first nail I did, and I initially planned to use Nice Is Nice as the lightest, China Glaze Spontaneous as the darkest, and then mix the two before dotting them for the middle color. I quickly realized that was far too much work, and decided to scrap that idea. So that nail is the odd ball and I just didn't bother to redo it. Eh, oh well! Consider it my "accent nail".
<br />
And just so you don't think you're going mad, the photos have my left and right hand, so that's why one of my ring fingers is normal.Samhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12699918344824817052noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2606195672807505869.post-24783790459937537852013-01-29T17:00:00.000-05:002013-01-29T17:00:53.875-05:00I'm Back!!I'm alive I swear!! I abandoned my poor blog back in early July last year. A brief explanation. I got engaged May 27 last year, and then immediately started a class over the summer semester, then immediately went into the fall semester. Between working, school, and trying to plan a wedding, my blog has really gone by the wayside.
<p>
I decided to come back here due to a recent, exciting nail related event. Orly posted my <a href="http://sugarmedic88.blogspot.com/2011/03/notd-orly-ancient-jade-with-cherry_22.html">Cherry Blossom</a> nails on Facebook! You can see the post <a href="https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=473282956040908&set=pb.141684735867400.-2207520000.1359391492&type=3&theater">here</a> (that should work), if it doesn't, let me know! I was SO shocked!! Those are nails I did back in March 2011 close to when I first started my blog. I'm just so excited and it really made me miss updating my blog.
<p>
I've been doing my nails as usual but without posting. I've been much more plain lately, less nail art. I've also been wearing polish for longer than usual... meaning like 3 or 4 days! lol. But I am not taking classes this semester, so I should have more time to work on my blog.
<p>
I think I may also post wedding things here and there. I won't be excessive about it, but if anyone else is like me, I love reading about people's experiences planning their wedding. I'm sure this is only because I'm engaged and planning my own wedding, which is why I won't post too much about it. But what do you think? Post about wedding stuff or skip it?
<p>
So let this be my welcome back post, and I thank you all who have kept following me even through my 6 month break! I'm glad to be back :)
<p>
Oh, and I figured I'd include a photo!!
<br>
<img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8090/8427257093_e7a4886448.jpg">
<br>
I'm wearing Orly Happily Ever After in the pic! This was JUST after we got engaged at Castle Hill Inn in Newport, RI :)Samhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12699918344824817052noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2606195672807505869.post-47579914129837482822012-07-03T07:30:00.000-04:002012-07-03T07:30:03.335-04:00A Classic: Essie Mint Candy AppleWhen I first started getting big into polish, this was one of the first polishes I had to have. My boyfriend got it for me for my birthday along with China Glaze For Audrey and Essie Mademoiselle. I've used it in other posts and I have worn it on its own, I've just never given it its own blog post! I think it's about time :)
<center><br>
<br>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/60588470@N07/7116815485/" title="MintCandyApple3 by sugarmedic88, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5114/7116815485_205866cc00.jpg" width="500" height="448" alt="MintCandyApple3"></a>
<br>
<br>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/60588470@N07/7116815521/" title="MintCandyApple4 by sugarmedic88, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7116/7116815521_753daf0b20.jpg" width="500" height="412" alt="MintCandyApple4"></a>
<br>
<br>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/60588470@N07/6970738690/" title="MintCandyApple1 by sugarmedic88, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5337/6970738690_a9ae3c6691.jpg" width="500" height="332" alt="MintCandyApple1"></a>
<br>
<br>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/60588470@N07/6970738714/" title="MintCandyApple2 by sugarmedic88, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7069/6970738714_13f94be150.jpg" width="500" height="380" alt="MintCandyApple2"></a>
<br>
<br>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/60588470@N07/7116815593/" title="MintCandyAppleHand by sugarmedic88, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7227/7116815593_73130eb847.jpg" width="347" height="500" alt="MintCandyAppleHand"></a>
<br>
<br></center>
2 coats Essie Mint Candy Apple
<br>
1 coat Poshe
<br>
<br>
First and foremost, this polish is not "mint". I think the name is fairly deceptive in that manner. When frequently compared to For Audrey, For Audrey which is a "Tiffany blue" is actually more green than MCA because it's more turquoise. Don't let that be a deterrence from the color. It's still beautiful in its own right, just not what I would call "mint". All Lacquered Up has one of the most faulty photos trying to show the color. She's usually spot on (unfortunately I haven't seen her update her blog in quite a while), but her photo of MCA is definitely off. What I find is interesting is it seems like she got to try the polish before its release. I'm thinking this is what the original intent of the polish was to look like, but before it was released, they changed the color quite a bit making it not really mint at all. If you're wondering what the heck I'm talking about, click <a href="http://www.alllacqueredup.com/2009/10/essie-winter-2009-sweet-time-of-year.html">here</a> for her blog post about MCA.
<br>
<br>
Anyway, onto the color. This is a beautiful bright light sky blue/robbin's egg blue creme. I kinda hate describing blues because they're SO various. But the important thing about this is the brightness and the lack of mint undertones.
<br>
<br>
The formula is eh. It's on the thicker side and is one of those that dries VERY quickly on the brush while you're mid-paint. I'd imagine it's far easier to use if you have shorter nails just because you'll be able to paint it down your nail before it starts to dry. It like seizes up. It's kinda annoying. It is also uneven. My recommendation for these types of polish is always to take it slow. The brush needs to rest in the bottle between nails and you can't do a ton of coats before re-dipping the brush. Take your time with it and it'll come out much better. If you try to rush, it's going to come out poorly and you'll just get frustrated. But this is such a beautiful color, and will especially make your hands look even tanner in the summertime because of the underlying brightness. It's definitely worth it despite the formula IMO.Samhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12699918344824817052noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2606195672807505869.post-46937405787566160372012-07-01T09:19:00.000-04:002012-07-01T09:19:38.677-04:00Spring Flower StampingGargantuan Green Grape is probably one of my favorite spring colors ever. I'd probably wear it more if the formula (quite honestly) did't SUCK so badly. I've already posted about it before because it really is like the prettiest spring green, but you've gotta be prepared when you apply this color just because it's sheer, patchy, and not friendly. Anyway, I was wearing it and decided to spring it up even more! This is what I came up with
<br />
<br />
<br />
<center><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/60588470@N07/6970751372/" title="SpringFlowersStamping3 by sugarmedic88, on Flickr"><img alt="SpringFlowersStamping3" height="432" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8149/6970751372_014645d37a.jpg" width="500" /></a>
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/60588470@N07/6970751332/" title="SpringFlowersStamping2 by sugarmedic88, on Flickr"><img alt="SpringFlowersStamping2" height="407" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7250/6970751332_cfd1f77ec1.jpg" width="500" /></a>
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/60588470@N07/6970751410/" title="SpringFlowersStamping4 by sugarmedic88, on Flickr"><img alt="SpringFlowersStamping4" height="418" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8008/6970751410_2389a23a9c.jpg" width="500" /></a></center>
<br />
<br />
I really love the full hand shot
<br />
<br />
<center><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/60588470@N07/7116828165/" title="SpringFlowersStampingHand by sugarmedic88, on Flickr"><img alt="SpringFlowersStampingHand" height="500" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8149/7116828165_1052df555a.jpg" width="352" /></a></center>
<br />
<br />
And I wasn't sure if I wanted to add the dots to the center of the flowers, so here is what it looked like with just the stamping before the dots
<br />
<br />
<br />
<center><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/60588470@N07/6970751226/" title="SpringFlowersStamping1 by sugarmedic88, on Flickr"><img alt="SpringFlowersStamping1" height="413" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7221/6970751226_c882a8bdac.jpg" width="500" /></a></center>
<br />
<br />
Stamping with Bundle Monster plate BM224 using China Glaze Heli-Yum
<br>
Blue dots with OPI Fly
<br>
Yellow dots with Revlon Electric
<br>
Dots made using dotting toolsSamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12699918344824817052noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2606195672807505869.post-17953218448038619792012-06-26T11:45:00.000-04:002012-06-26T13:22:35.039-04:00Rainy Day DotsThis was pretty much what I had in mind back when I did my silver and purple dots. I wanted to redo it with these colors, and I intended to add more dots, but I love doing these mani's, so that just gives me an excuse to do it again!!<br />
<br />
<br />
<center><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/60588470@N07/6970765524/" title="RainyDots4 by sugarmedic88, on Flickr"><img alt="RainyDots4" height="406" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7088/6970765524_420af33923.jpg" width="500" /></a>
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/60588470@N07/6970765368/" title="RainyDots1 by sugarmedic88, on Flickr"><img alt="RainyDots1" height="500" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7226/6970765368_48365aa98f.jpg" width="321" /></a>
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/60588470@N07/6970765488/" title="RainyDots3 by sugarmedic88, on Flickr"><img alt="RainyDots3" height="427" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8155/6970765488_f9c4a6f508.jpg" width="500" /></a>
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/60588470@N07/7116841949/" title="RainyDots2 by sugarmedic88, on Flickr"><img alt="RainyDots2" height="500" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7207/7116841949_d3e2252af5.jpg" width="413" /></a>
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/60588470@N07/6970765332/" title="RainyDotsHand by sugarmedic88, on Flickr"><img alt="RainyDotsHand" height="500" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7183/6970765332_bf1c8a0beb.jpg" width="373" /></a></center>
<br />
<br />
2 coats Orly Mirror Mirror<br />
1 coat Best Top Coat<br />
Dots are done with:<br />
OPI Fly<br />
Orly Frisky<br />
Essie Mint Candy Apple<br />
<br />
I actually did not top coat the dots because I loved the kind of raised effect they had. These photos were taken like 2-3 days after I initially did the mani. I'm sure you can tell due to my lack of posting that I've been very busy lately. I hadn't gotten around to photographing them until then. And even now, it's been a while since I actually had these nails.Samhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12699918344824817052noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2606195672807505869.post-44208342271915581452012-06-21T09:35:00.000-04:002012-06-21T09:35:11.393-04:00China Glaze Heli-YumThis is a polish I love to use with nail art. It's a staple stamping polish for me. The only pain about stamping with it is it's nearly identical to the color of my Konad stamper, so it's pretty difficult to see where you're going to stamp it. So I figured it was about time to wear it on its own!
<br />
<br />
<br />
<center><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/60588470@N07/6970778864/" title="HeliYum3 by sugarmedic88, on Flickr"><img alt="HeliYum3" height="479" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7100/6970778864_08a71b97fe.jpg" width="500" /></a>
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/60588470@N07/7116855327/" title="HeliYum4 by sugarmedic88, on Flickr"><img alt="HeliYum4" height="346" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7277/7116855327_76c6f43a3f.jpg" width="500" /></a>
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/60588470@N07/6970778836/" title="HeliYum2 by sugarmedic88, on Flickr"><img alt="HeliYum2" height="500" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7271/6970778836_43a3d5418c.jpg" width="425" /></a>
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/60588470@N07/7116855029/" title="HeliYum1 by sugarmedic88, on Flickr"><img alt="HeliYum1" height="402" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7250/7116855029_cb71642620.jpg" width="500" /></a>
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/60588470@N07/6970779166/" title="HeliYumHand by sugarmedic88, on Flickr"><img alt="HeliYumHand" height="500" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7211/6970779166_54044a8fc2.jpg" width="339" /></a></center>
<br />
<br />
2 coats China Glaze Heli-Yum
<br />
1 coat Poshe
<br />
<br />
So beautiful! This was from China Glaze's Up & Away collection which was one of my favorite nail polish collections ever released. I'm still trying to collect all of the colors. It'll happen eventually! But Heli-Yum is a beautiful almost red dark pink creme. If you tell yourself it's pink, it looks pink. But at first glance, it may look a little more on the red side.
<br />
<br />
The formula was perfect. Because reds/pinks are such basic polish colors, I have very high expectations when it comes to formula on these shades. Thankfully, this one did not disappoint. It was beautifully opaque in one coat, but I always prefer to do a second just for added richness and I find it reduces tip wear.Samhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12699918344824817052noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2606195672807505869.post-33260536325996768112012-06-19T09:48:00.002-04:002012-06-19T09:48:29.169-04:00Summer Ocean Tide GradientIn honor of my new blog look, I decided it was the perfect time to post these nails! (I'll be updating the header to something nicer soon). I apologize for not being around. My life has been CRAZY lately! More on that to come later. First, I'm going to be posting all my backlogged posts, then I'll get into the new stuff.
<br>
I love doing summer nails. I usually love spring nails, too, but I'm finding myself skipping spring nails and jumping right into summer. And I'm big on blue polishes in the summer especially because obviously blue=ocean and that's one of the best things about summer!
<center><br>
<br>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/60588470@N07/7116798111/" title="OceanBreeze3 by sugarmedic88, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5464/7116798111_0b5635c600.jpg" width="500" height="362" alt="OceanBreeze3"></a>
<br>
<br>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/60588470@N07/7116798077/" title="OceanBreeze2 by sugarmedic88, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8007/7116798077_bdf1960039.jpg" width="500" height="440" alt="OceanBreeze2"></a>
<br>
<br>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/60588470@N07/7116798173/" title="OceanBreeze4 by sugarmedic88, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7116/7116798173_025b44023e.jpg" width="434" height="500" alt="OceanBreeze4"></a>
<br>
<br>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/60588470@N07/6970721040/" title="OceanBreeze1 by sugarmedic88, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8149/6970721040_bf16a79fe9.jpg" width="500" height="403" alt="OceanBreeze1"></a>
<br>
<br>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/60588470@N07/7116797979/" title="OceanBreezeHand by sugarmedic88, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8028/7116797979_5f1862c02e.jpg" width="323" height="500" alt="OceanBreezeHand"></a>
<br>
<br></center>
2 coats OPI Fly
1 coat Poshe
Gradient done with makeup sponge starting with China Glaze White On White and covered by OPI Gargantuan Green Grape
I loved my method for this the only thing I would have changed would be to not let the green go up so high. Looking at the full hand view, you can see GGG dominates more than I wanted on some nails (ring finger). So what I know GGG is too sheer to just stamp over Fly on its own. So I took my makeup sponge and painted some white on it and just dabbed it from the tip towards my cuticle so it gave somewhat of a gradient effect. I didn't want to to blend well or I would have used a different method to make it a smoother transition. So then I painted GGG onto the sponge and went over the white in the same fashion. The white was covered by GGG and it left it green.
<br>
<br>
The other thing was I opted to NOT top coat. I actually top coated my hand I didn't photograph and it made the colors blend too much for the look I was going for and it smoothed everything out. I love the texture it has without a top coat. Exactly what I pictured minus going too far down on a few nails.
<br>
<br>
Here in New England we don't have the best beaches with the most beautiful water, but it's pretty in its own right! I'm throwing this photo in because it's fitting to the post. I took this in early/mid May this year while some of my girlfriends and I were having dinner at a restaurant that is literally on the beach. (This was at Paddy's at Misquamicut Beach if you live in the area or are visiting Rhode Island).
<br>
<br>
<center><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/60588470@N07/7241284762/" title="Miscuamicut by sugarmedic88, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7212/7241284762_64cf2836c3.jpg" width="374" height="500" alt="Miscuamicut"></a></center>Samhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12699918344824817052noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2606195672807505869.post-27911517300687229402012-05-01T17:55:00.000-04:002012-05-01T17:55:00.026-04:00Orly Beach CruiserI picked up Beach Cruiser and Skinny Dip from Orly's new summer neon collection Feel The Vibe at Sally's yesterday. I don't own a neon yellow or orange so I was tempted to get those, but I didn't and stuck with these two instead. Unfortunately, I'm a little disappointed in Beach Cruiser because it's really not what I expected.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/60588470@N07/7133427923/" title="Orly Beach Cruiser by sugarmedic88, on Flickr"><img alt="Orly Beach Cruiser" height="289" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7242/7133427923_768e2b9c1a.jpg" width="500" /></a>
<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/60588470@N07/6987343482/" title="Orly Beach Cruiser by sugarmedic88, on Flickr"><img alt="Orly Beach Cruiser" height="411" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8017/6987343482_4378bd0b6f.jpg" width="500" /></a>
<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/60588470@N07/7133428235/" title="Orly Beach Cruiser by sugarmedic88, on Flickr"><img alt="Orly Beach Cruiser" height="500" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8012/7133428235_2a477fc325.jpg" width="348" /></a>
<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/60588470@N07/6987343738/" title="Orly Beach Cruiser by sugarmedic88, on Flickr"><img alt="Orly Beach Cruiser" height="352" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8160/6987343738_5a8edc588d.jpg" width="500" /></a>
<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/60588470@N07/7133428569/" title="Orly Beach Cruiser by sugarmedic88, on Flickr"><img alt="Orly Beach Cruiser" height="438" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7232/7133428569_de1e39d3cb.jpg" width="500" /></a>
<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/60588470@N07/6987344136/" title="Orly Beach Cruiser by sugarmedic88, on Flickr"><img alt="Orly Beach Cruiser" height="500" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7048/6987344136_7baac7ef43.jpg" width="351" /></a>
<br />
2 coats Orly Beach Cruiser<br />
1 coat Poshe<br />
I know I said I'd try to cut back on photos since I tend to post so many, but I figured since at the time I'm posting this, this is a new polish, the extra photos might help since they're in slightly different lightings. <br />
<br />
The color is where I'm disappointed. I was under the impression that these were true neons. I know Skinny Dip isn't going to be, but I really expected that Beach Cruiser was. It's a very bright hot pink/fuchsia-ish color that's a little darker than I expected. But I'm really not seeing neon. It kinda borders between a neon and bright, but unfortunately, I just don't think it's a <i>true</i> neon. The other thing that gives me a hunch that it's not a true neon is it doesn't have that satin, semi-matte finish that is a trademark of a neon. I did a swatch on my nail wheel because I always top coat my polish anyway, and it looks quite shiny even without a top coat. When I picture summer neons, I picture China Glaze's Poolside collection. And don't get me wrong, this is still a BRIGHT color. I'm just still not convinced it's a neon. And also don't think that I don't like this polish. I still think it's a beautiful color. I just really expected more of a real neon.<br />
<br />
The formula was flawless (another reason why I think it might not be a neon! lol). Not streaky, patchy, or sheer. Completely easily opaque in 2 coats. It was a perfect consistency, and I don't think this needs to be layered over white at all as some neons do to reach their full potential.<br />
<br />
Overall, it's an amazing quality polish, a beautiful summer bright hot pink, but it's not the neon I expected it to be.Samhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12699918344824817052noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2606195672807505869.post-4775537699548326902012-03-21T08:40:00.000-04:002012-03-21T08:40:46.919-04:00Revlon JadedPicked this up a while ago when it was on clearance at Target. I love these mint green/blue type of colors. I just really like how they look when I look down at my hands (moreso than looking at them in photos). I think they help my hands look tan :)<br />
<br />
<center><br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/60588470@N07/6685126337/" title="Jaded1 by sugarmedic88, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7165/6685126337_63abcae967.jpg" width="500" height="357" alt="Jaded1"></a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/60588470@N07/6685126617/" title="Jaded2 by sugarmedic88, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7173/6685126617_5a36684ed4.jpg" width="500" height="309" alt="Jaded2"></a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/60588470@N07/6685126885/" title="Jaded3 by sugarmedic88, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7004/6685126885_b0698cbfbd.jpg" width="500" height="450" alt="Jaded3"></a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/60588470@N07/6685127113/" title="Jaded4 by sugarmedic88, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7175/6685127113_144ed887b3.jpg" width="500" height="324" alt="Jaded4"></a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/60588470@N07/6685127333/" title="Jaded5 by sugarmedic88, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7034/6685127333_c156879890.jpg" width="500" height="413" alt="Jaded5"></a><br />
</center><br />
<br />
3 coats Revlon Jaded<br />
1 coat Poshe<br />
<br />
This is exactly what I picture for Essie Mint Candy Apple, but MCA isn't this color (it's far more blue). Jaded is somewhere between a light mint and light sea foam green creme. Definitely more green than MCA. Ironically, the application was extremely similar to MCA... not really a good thing =/<br />
<br />
Working with this polish is extremely similar to how I have to work with Essie cremes. Not the first coat necessarily, but the way the polish started reacting. First coat started uneven and patchy which made me nervous. Second coat was that uncomfortable "do I do another coat and risk it looks too puffy and thick" or "do I leave it at two coats when it's a little patchy". I went with three. The polish didn't seem to like the third coat, it kinda dragged. A top coat did help to even it out to give it a smooth finish, but it's still kinda bumpy. When I look down at my nails, you can't really tell at all, though. <b>How to solve this problem?</b> I have found is to let the polish rest in between nails. I have to use this "technique" a LOT with Essie polishes. Be prepared that applying this polish is not going to be a quick process. Do a nail in as few strokes as possible, then let the brush rest in the polish. You can't quickly go from nail to nail. You may be able to get away with that for the first coat, but after that you really need to let the brush sit. I think had I been more patient, it would have had looked a little nicer.Samhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12699918344824817052noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2606195672807505869.post-13633960857275610512012-03-15T09:21:00.001-04:002012-03-16T21:30:07.355-04:00GIVEAWAY: 1 Year Anniversary and 200 Followers!!Today is my one year bloggiversary! About a week ago I hit 200 followers, so I'm throwing that in there since I didn't do anything about 100 followers. So this is a GIVEAWAY to thank all of my followers for being so awesome! I want to show how much I appreciate that you guys write comments and take the time to read my posts and look at my photos. I never really intended to start blogging to this extent when I first started, so one year and 200 followers later is AMAZING. Which means you guys are amazing! And I want to say thanks! <br />
<br />
<center> <br />
<a href="http://www.BannerFans.com"><img src="http://img851.imageshack.us/img851/8103/3496475e8ae5dd0m3.jpg" border="0" width="350" height="150" alt="BannerFans.com" /></a> <br />
</center> <br />
<br />
Ok, the good part. Prizes. There are two and thus will be TWO WINNERS. And here they are: <br />
<br />
<center><b>Prize Package #1</b> <br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/60588470@N07/6983617407/" title="Prize #1 by sugarmedic88, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7057/6983617407_23a53d0352.jpg" width="453" height="500" alt="Prize #1"></a> <br />
<br />
<b>Prize Package #2</b> <br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/60588470@N07/6983619449/" title="Prize #2 by sugarmedic88, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7042/6983619449_59687899d9.jpg" width="455" height="500" alt="Prize #2"></a></center> <br />
<br />
I don't really consider one a "grand" prize and the other not, so how it's going to work is the first person picked as a winner will get to choose which one they want. The second person picked as a winner will get the other prize. <br />
<br />
<center><b>Details About The Prizes</b></center> <br />
Obviously this is not a sponsored giveaway. All of the items I purchased myself for the purpose of the giveaway. It was important to me to include items that I personally love and use frequently. I didn't just want to include things for the sake of including them. So here's my take on all of the items. <br />
<br />
<u><i>In Both Prize Packages You Will Find...</i></u> <br />
<i>Bubble White</i> - I have used Bubble White since I became a polish addict. It's a staple product in my Helmer that I use about 2 times a month on average or more frequently if my nails start looking a little yellowed. I find that Bubble White works amazing at whitening your nails. Even if you have no staining or yellowing (it's rare that I do, but I will still use this), I suggest this product. It really whitens your tips and makes your entire nails look clean. <br />
<br />
<i>Essie Nail File</i> - This is the file that I always use. I've switched from Swissco to Essie because of the case that comes with Essie's. I swear by glass files, and I love this one because the grit is very fine, so it glides very non-traumatically over my nails while still doing a great job filing them. I NEVER cut my nails, I always shorten them with this file. <br />
<br />
<u><i>In Prize Package #1 You Will Find...</i></u> <br />
<i>Orly Royal Navy</i> - This polish is a polish that I use ALL the time when I'm looking for blues. <a href="http://sugarmedic88.blogspot.com/2011/08/orly-royal-navy.html">Here it is</a> posted on its own, <a href="http://sugarmedic88.blogspot.com/2011/07/zebra-with-some-accents.html">here it is</a> as an accent finger with China Glaze Dorothy Who? over it, <a href="http://sugarmedic88.blogspot.com/2011/08/peacock-with-orly.html">here it is</a> as one of my favorite nail designs, a peacock stamping mani, and <a href="http://sugarmedic88.blogspot.com/2012/01/snowflake-with-bundle-monster.html">here it is</a> with snowflakes stamped over it this past winter. <br />
<br />
<i>Orly Rage</i> - This foil polish is AWESOME. It's great because it dries super quick, and I think it's like the perfect bronze. This is such an easy color to wear from the color itself, to the finish, to the formula. I just love it! I wore it to a friend's <a href="http://sugarmedic88.blogspot.com/2011/08/rage-at-wedding.html">wedding</a>, with some <a href="http://sugarmedic88.blogspot.com/2011/08/fishnets-for-your-nails.html">fishnet stamping</a>, and as a funky french <a href="http://sugarmedic88.blogspot.com/2011/11/enchanted-forest-with-tips-of-rage.html">tape mani</a> with Enchanted Forest. <br />
<br />
<u><i>In Prize Package #2 You Will Find...</i></u> <br />
<i>Orly Bailamos</i> - So I went through my blog to posts links to where I have worn Bailamos, and apparently I've only posted it once <a href="http://sugarmedic88.blogspot.com/2011/06/bad-day-for-orly-bailamos.html">here</a>! Realistically, I've worn Bailamos a bunch of times and it's one of my absolute favorites! I'll have to post more about it. But regardless, I've had and loved this polish since it came out in Summer 2010. <br />
<br />
<i>Orly Prelude To a Kiss</i> - I haven't owned this long, as it's from Orly's newest collection, but I legit want to wear this polish nonstop. I haven't painted my toes in just about a year, and I HAD to paint my toes with this because I just want it on my nails all the time. It's such a beautiful color. I've only put it on my blog <a href="http://sugarmedic88.blogspot.com/2012/02/orly-prelude-to-kiss.html">here</a>, and it was fairly recently. I've actually already worn it several times in addition to it being on my toes. But I figured you all wouldn't like to see me posting the same polish over and over!! <br />
<br />
<center><b>Details About The Giveaway</b></center> <br />
1. This giveaway IS OPEN to International followers! <br />
2. You MUST be a follower. <br />
3. You must NOT enter just anything into the fields to get yourself an extra point. If you do, I will not count that point. <br />
So for example, one question says "Tell me how you found my blog", please don't answer "janklnafierjf". That will not get you a point, and you will be disqualified. <br />
For the question that asks who Paisley is, if you are wrong, the point does not count. (Don't worry! You will NOT be disqualified) <br />
4. The only mandatory field is entering that you are a follower here. Because I do not use twitter, Bloglovin', or any of those (at this time), this blog is the only way to follow me. Also because of that, I have entered other things for you to answer to get other points since you cannot follow me elsewhere. You do not have to answer any of the other questions if you do not want to! <br />
5. The first winner will be contacted and be able to chose Prize Package #1 or #2. The second winner will receive whichever the first winner did not choose. <br />
6. Good luck!! It ends March 25th.<br />
<b>EDIT</b> 7. Let me be a little more specific about the points. If you have NEVER posted a comment on my blog prior to the start of this giveaway (3/15/2012), do NOT fill out the option. It clearly explains it. Your point will be deleted. Also, if you leave the fields blank, your points will be deleted.<br />
<br />
<script id="raflin-7dbca30" type="text/javascript">/*{literal}<![CDATA[*/
window.RAFLIN = window.RAFLIN || {};
window.RAFLIN['7dbca30'] = {id: 'ZjczZDJiY2MyZmM4M2Y5NGFmYWFjMzdlZDBjNGMyOjA='};
var url='//d12vno17mo87cx.cloudfront.net/static/js/raflcptr/build/raflcptr.min.js', head=(document.getElementsByTagName('head')[0] || document.getElementsByTagName('body')[0]);
(function(d,n,h){if(!!d.getElementById(n))return;var j=d.createElement('script');j.id=n;j.type='text/javascript';j.async=true;j.src=url;h.appendChild(j);}(document,'rsoijs',head));
/*]]>{/literal}*/</script> <br />
<a class="rafl-powered" href="http://www.rafflecopter.com" target="_blank" style="font:10px sans-serif;color:#999;width:100%;text-align:center;display:block;" id="rpow-7dbca30">a <i>Rafflecopter</i> giveaway</a> <br />
<noscript><a href="http://rafl.es/enable-js">You need javascript enabled to see this giveaway</a>.</noscript>Samhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12699918344824817052noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2606195672807505869.post-10456081569422304622012-03-13T11:01:00.001-04:002012-03-13T12:07:25.201-04:00OPI Tease-y Does ItThe last time I wore this polish was over a year ago when it came out. It's from the Burlesque collection that way released last winter. I picked it up on clearance at Ulta. The reason I haven't worn it since was because I really did not like it when I first wore it and saw no reason to really wear it again (I'll go into that after the photos). But anyway, here it is. Giving it another shot.<br /><br /><center><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/60588470@N07/6813044686/" title="OPI Tease-y Does It by sugarmedic88, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7045/6813044686_b0f8c998d0.jpg" width="347" height="500" alt="OPI Tease-y Does It"></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/60588470@N07/6813032746/" title="OPI Tease-y Does It by sugarmedic88, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7053/6813032746_e2fbd578a0.jpg" width="500" height="491" alt="OPI Tease-y Does It"></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/60588470@N07/6959149371/" title="OPI Tease-y Does It by sugarmedic88, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7204/6959149371_8427a8f089.jpg" width="500" height="408" alt="OPI Tease-y Does It"></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/60588470@N07/6813048534/" title="OPI Tease-y Does It by sugarmedic88, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7202/6813048534_96977722ba.jpg" width="500" height="337" alt="OPI Tease-y Does It"></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/60588470@N07/6959153317/" title="OPI Tease-y Does It by sugarmedic88, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7180/6959153317_3a9c6cffe9.jpg" width="500" height="443" alt="OPI Tease-y Does It"></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/60588470@N07/6813030430/" title="OPI Tease-y Does It by sugarmedic88, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7046/6813030430_0d19c552bf.jpg" width="485" height="500" alt="OPI Tease-y Does It"></a><br /></center><br /><br />Bottle Shot<br /><center><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/60588470@N07/6715620807/" title="IMG_3682 by sugarmedic88, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7171/6715620807_b57e2b2fe0.jpg" width="433" height="500" alt="IMG_3682"></a><br /></center><br /><br />2 coats OPI Tease-y Does It<br />1 coat Poshe<br /><br />Tease-y Does It has a deep black/brown base with a deep pink/red shimmer with very minimal flashes of a golden shimmer. Disappointingly, this polish looks a lot more dynamic and lovely in the bottle. I should add a disclaimer. Vampy, deep colors are not my favorite. I'm sure that this is an amazing polish for those who like blackened colors. But the bottle shows significantly more shimmer with a dark pink to gold shift that doesn't translate as well on the nail. The shimmer is not very apparent. I tried to get the polish at a ton of different angles to show that there is a bit of shimmer. But I think the first photo is more accurate at how dark and... plain this polish really is. Nothing like the bottle. :(<br /><br />The reason I didn't like this polish the first time was because I remember I had gone out with a bunch of coworkers and I had at LEAST 3 people comment on my "black" nails. I mentioned it's not black, but in the lighting we were in, you couldn't tell there was anything more to it. It just annoyed me because I spent money on what looks like a "black" polish to other people... and to me. That's why I didn't bother to wear it again.<br /><br />If you've read my blog, you know I don't like OPIs brushes. Apart from that, the formula was perfect, opaque in 2 coats. It seemed to migrate a LITTLE towards my cuticles, but stopped before it got there. It was kind of funny, actually!<br /><br />While I wasn't a fan of this polish, I just want to reiterate that if you like these nearly black colors, I'm sure you'd find this one beautiful!!Samhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12699918344824817052noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2606195672807505869.post-52816423621928144072012-03-08T09:05:00.000-05:002012-03-08T09:05:56.020-05:00Holy Freakin' Unreal Emberstone!!Be prepared to be bombarded by photos. No joke, I have like legit 8 pictures. I took these a while ago and this is quite a late post. I've been trying to cut down on the number of photos, but since I had already cropped and tagged all of these, I figured I'd just include them.<br /><br /><center><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/60588470@N07/6782683373/" title="Orly Emberstone by sugarmedic88, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7168/6782683373_cb247d8138.jpg" width="500" height="415" alt="Orly Emberstone"></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/60588470@N07/6782685193/" title="Orly Emberstone by sugarmedic88, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7015/6782685193_7c4d0e321d.jpg" width="500" height="359" alt="Orly Emberstone"></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/60588470@N07/6782683745/" title="Orly Emberstone by sugarmedic88, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7009/6782683745_8a70db0026.jpg" width="500" height="283" alt="Orly Emberstone"></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/60588470@N07/6782684409/" title="Orly Emberstone by sugarmedic88, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7007/6782684409_66df56c124.jpg" width="500" height="334" alt="Orly Emberstone"></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/60588470@N07/6782682303/" title="Orly Emberstone by sugarmedic88, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7147/6782682303_05ea6aeb09.jpg" width="500" height="275" alt="Orly Emberstone"></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/60588470@N07/6782681679/" title="Orly Emberstone by sugarmedic88, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7149/6782681679_f2b2c74c49.jpg" width="285" height="500" alt="Orly Emberstone"></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/60588470@N07/6782681125/" title="Orly Emberstone by sugarmedic88, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7024/6782681125_6aacf13fd4.jpg" width="500" height="393" alt="Orly Emberstone"></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/60588470@N07/6782680567/" title="Orly Emberstone by sugarmedic88, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7023/6782680567_97bf063cfb.jpg" width="500" height="292" alt="Orly Emberstone"></a><br /></center><br /><br />2 coats Orly Emberstone<br />1 coat Poshe<br /><br />Emberstone... is amazing. I'm a HUGE fan of the Mineral FX collection, as I posted <a href="http://sugarmedic88.blogspot.com/2011/12/orly-stone-cold.html">Stone Cold</a> back in December. Emberstone is beautiful. It has almost a coral type of feel. This polish is definitely easily worn in the summertime, I thought it was going to be more of a cold red. Some photos show it as a cherry red, but there are a couple that show the orange-y coral feel, and you definitely see that quite a bit in real life. It also has this hot pink feel to it. I definitely see hot pink flakes in this polish, just a little less frequent than the orange. This isn't really a glitter, they're more particles of shimmer than anything IMO. It's a little different than Stone Cold in that the particles aren't as separate. They're much more fluent with the base of the polish where as they stood out far more in Stone Cold. This does not make the polish any less amazing. I still stand by what I said with Stone Cold and that is words and photos cannot describe this polish.<br /><br />Seriously, you have to wear these polishes. When you wear them, they're so much more lively that photos show, than they look in the bottle, or even how they look as swatches in the store. Don't underestimate these. They're not a regular shimmer.<br /><br />The formula was totally fine. It glided on great, not too thick. Polish went and stayed where I put it. Amazing to work with, great coverage. Beautiful all around.Samhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12699918344824817052noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2606195672807505869.post-42760609850276682352012-03-05T07:45:00.000-05:002012-03-05T07:45:00.976-05:00Silver with Purple DotsSorry for the lame title. No idea what else to call this. I'm pretty excited because this idea just sorta came to me. Lately, I haven't been too creative when it comes to thinking up nail art ideas. Not that is this particularly creative, but it was fun to poke through my helmer and as I picked up polish, this idea slowly emerged. And I'm pretty happy with it!!<br /><br /><center><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/60588470@N07/6798085500/" title="Silver with Purple Dots by sugarmedic88, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7199/6798085500_360e651564.jpg" width="500" height="367" alt="Silver with Purple Dots"></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/60588470@N07/6944202527/" title="Silver with Purple Dots by sugarmedic88, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7187/6944202527_1e5802cc0a.jpg" width="500" height="431" alt="Silver with Purple Dots"></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/60588470@N07/6798091964/" title="Silver with Purple Dots by sugarmedic88, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7040/6798091964_327b07e998.jpg" width="368" height="500" alt="Silver with Purple Dots"></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/60588470@N07/6944198255/" title="Silver with Purple Dots by sugarmedic88, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7054/6944198255_42b58243e9.jpg" width="500" height="355" alt="Silver with Purple Dots"></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/60588470@N07/6798093092/" title="Silver with Purple Dots by sugarmedic88, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7194/6798093092_f4cd980ff5.jpg" width="413" height="500" alt="Silver with Purple Dots"></a><br /></center><br /><br />1 coat China Glaze Icicle<br />1 coat Best Topcoat (trying out a new topcoat)<br />Lightest purple/white dots - Sally Hansen CSM Lavender Cloud<br />Light Purple - Essie Nice is Nice<br />Dark Purple - China Glaze Spontaneous<br /><br />This was just sorta fun! I started looking for coordinating purples, figured dots would be neat. Then I was debating different "background" colors. Maybe a pale green or blue. Maybe just white. Then it hit me. Silver. So I went with it!<br /><br />I just used my set of dotting tools, the same size dotter for every dot. In hindsight, I wished I had positioned the dots a little differently, but I still have the idea in my head (and a fun title for the post!) so I'll try to do that another time :)Samhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12699918344824817052noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2606195672807505869.post-66736306350030555472012-03-01T09:15:00.001-05:002013-01-30T12:54:51.411-05:00Sinful Colors CinderellaI'm a fan of light blue polishes. I'm also a fan of cheap polishes. So when Sinful released Cinderella and people went crazy, obviously I had to have it! I picked it up at Walgreens for 99 cents. But unfortunately, I wasn't as in love as I had hoped...<br />
<center>
<br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/60588470@N07/6792085634/" title="Sinful Colors Cinderella! by sugarmedic88, on Flickr"><img alt="Sinful Colors Cinderella!" height="359" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7067/6792085634_a0fdb664a2.jpg" width="500" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/60588470@N07/6792085714/" title="Sinful Colors Cinderella! by sugarmedic88, on Flickr"><img alt="Sinful Colors Cinderella!" height="410" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7182/6792085714_73a4fc4bfe.jpg" width="500" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/60588470@N07/6938200871/" title="Sinful Colors Cinderella! by sugarmedic88, on Flickr"><img alt="Sinful Colors Cinderella!" height="378" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7193/6938200871_e8f970d932.jpg" width="500" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/60588470@N07/6938200593/" title="Sinful Colors Cinderella! by sugarmedic88, on Flickr"><img alt="Sinful Colors Cinderella!" height="500" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7200/6938200593_629a13e6e6.jpg" width="394" /></a></center>
<br />
<br />
3 coats Sinful Cinderella<br />
1 coat Poshe<br />
<br />
Cinderella is a pale blue with subtle shimmer of pink with a gold/orange shift. This polish had the potential to be something really special... but I really think it missed the mark. The shimmer just isn't right. It's not present enough to be interesting, but it's not subtle enough to just a little something extra. As I looked at my nails throughout the day, all I could think of was LITERALLY a Disney Princess polish for a 5 year old girl. I generally have no boundaries when it comes to polish color. Nothing is too bold, young, old, tacky, I'll wear any of it. But this just looked cheap and young. Not flattering IMO.<br />
<br />
This was by far the oddest polish ever. You know how some polishes self level? Like they look uneven, maybe streaky, then they settle into one smooth, even layer on their own? Well this polish started to settle... then kept going. The polish sort of pooled to the perimeter of each nail, leaving the center of the nail thinner. I've never seen anything like this. It's bizarre.<br />
I've mentioned before that my nails are quite convex. I don't have flat nails. I imagine that someone whose nails are not as heavily curved as mine probably would not have this problem. But because I do have this problem, it makes my nails look wide and fat.<br />
Two nails came out perfect. My right hand middle finger and index finger. The rest didn't look very nice. I don't know why I disliked this polish so much, but I did. I could not take it off fast enough!!Samhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12699918344824817052noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2606195672807505869.post-86395110762178255262012-02-26T09:00:00.001-05:002012-02-26T09:19:28.640-05:00Zoya FrejaDid you know it's been almost TEN months since I posted a Zoya polish!? Well, prior to posting Rica. Not that I have a ton of them, but I haven't even posted half of what I have! (In my defense, I've posted 4... I have 9). So after reorganizing my Helmer this week, I decided it's definitely time I posted another Zoya! So I picked Freja.<br /><br /><center><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/60588470@N07/6931417647/" title="Zoya Freja by sugarmedic88, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7052/6931417647_6e027690eb.jpg" width="469" height="500" alt="Zoya Freja"></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/60588470@N07/6785301122/" title="Zoya Freja by sugarmedic88, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7061/6785301122_b64834914a.jpg" width="500" height="341" alt="Zoya Freja"></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/60588470@N07/6931415209/" title="Zoya Freja by sugarmedic88, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7044/6931415209_cbd5523eac.jpg" width="496" height="500" alt="Zoya Freja"></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/60588470@N07/6785295496/" title="Zoya Freja by sugarmedic88, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7054/6785295496_6f0c284274.jpg" width="423" height="500" alt="Zoya Freja"></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/60588470@N07/6785293274/" title="Zoya Freja by sugarmedic88, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7200/6785293274_25a4a660b1.jpg" width="500" height="417" alt="Zoya Freja"></a><br /></center><br /><br />2 coats Zoya Freja<br />1 coat Poshe<br /><br />Freja is a beautiful charcoal grey metallic-y polish with a faint shimmer and almost a lilac/blue undertone (which is why I have so many photos). It's not metallic in a chrome sort of sense, but more of a metallic shimmer. I'm going with that. Metallic shimmer. I feel like if this weren't grey, it'd just be a shimmer and not necessarily metallic. Does that make sense?<br /><br />Holy gosh I would put this polish on every day... if it would change colors =P. This polish was actually FUN to apply. The combination of Zoya's brush and the formula of this polish made it just amazing and easy. If you're a beginner with polishes or you need something easy to apply to help practice your technique, I HIGHLY suggest this polish. Like I said, not only have I not posted a Zoya polish in close to a year, I also haven't worn one. I don't remember if they all apply is great or if Freja is a stand out.<br /><br />Here's why it was awesome. The brush is a perfect width for my nails. It is not perfectly round, but not flat. It's obvious which was the brush should be turned to allow the bristles to fan out properly. The tip of the brush is straight, not rounded or curved. The bristles were perfectly soft and flexible so they spread evenly but were stiff enough that you still had complete control of how the bristles fanned out depending on the pressure you used. The density of the bristles was also perfect in that it hid brush strokes very well, and each individual bristle was the right size so this also helped.<br /><br />The formula could have gone two ways. Opaque in 1 thicker coat or opaque in 2 thinner coats. I chose the latter. This really was an amazingly friendly polish to work with. Formula alone should make you pick this up!!Samhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12699918344824817052noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2606195672807505869.post-2084693956721131852012-02-22T08:15:00.000-05:002012-02-22T08:15:02.146-05:00OPI FlyI've been LOVING teal for a few months now. I fell in love with it when I moved and was trying to decide on a color scheme for my living room. I settled on greys, whites, and blacks, but I still needed color. Teal. So now I'm obsessed with teal. I never really had a favorite color besides when I was a child and I liked pink and my sister liked purple. But once I started shopping for home stuff, teal came in!! I realized I didn't have any true teal polishes. I have and love Orly Bailamos, but it wasn't exactly the teal I had in mind. Unfortunately, I don't know that this is either, but it's so close that it's the best I have right now!! While I'm not a huge OPI fan, I do love Nicki Minaj and I love teal, so this polish was def a win for me!!<br /><br /><center><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/60588470@N07/6916221719/" title="OPI (Nicki Minaj) Fly Swatch by sugarmedic88, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7207/6916221719_ba43d22381.jpg" width="500" height="383" alt="OPI (Nicki Minaj) Fly Swatch"></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/60588470@N07/6916221729/" title="OPI (Nicki Minaj) Fly Swatch by sugarmedic88, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7044/6916221729_37e30ba595.jpg" width="500" height="377" alt="OPI (Nicki Minaj) Fly Swatch"></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/60588470@N07/6916221741/" title="OPI (Nicki Minaj) Fly Swatch by sugarmedic88, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7066/6916221741_33ab70df10.jpg" width="392" height="500" alt="OPI (Nicki Minaj) Fly Swatch"></a><br /></center><br /><br />Fly is a pretty straight forward teal creme. In some lights the green stands out more than the photos show. It's a beautiful, simple color.<br /><br />The formula was fine. Opaque in 2 coats with no problems. Per usual, I hate OPIs brush, but paired with a good formula, and it was totally fine.Samhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12699918344824817052noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2606195672807505869.post-63729273742725129012012-02-19T10:20:00.000-05:002012-02-19T10:20:00.178-05:00Orly Prelude to a KissAs soon as I saw the press releases for this polish, my interest spiked. As soon as I saw swatches, I knew I HAD to have it!! I've been searching for a similar color for quite some time. The right peachy, vintage-y, not too neon, not too pink, not too orange, not too dark color. I still want a polish a little darker, but I'm loving this for now. I saw Essie A Crewed Interest swatches and fell in love. Then I saw <a href="http://www.thepolishaholic.com/2012/02/orly-spring-2012-cool-romance.html">The PolishAholic's comparison</a> to Prelude to a Kiss and obviously I'll pick Orly over Essie! Essie's pastel/light creme formulas frustrate me to no end!!<br />I went to my Sally's that doesn't usually carry new collections. I didn't see it out, so I started to walk out the door when the SA asked what I had been looking for. I told her I was looking for the new spring Orly collection but didn't see it. Then I re-asked to confirm that they don't sell new collections? She told me they're starting to get new collections in and she's sure she saw that collection in the back! I honestly couldn't remember the name of the polish so I looked it up on my phone quickly. She went to the back, grabbed that polish for me, and here we are!! Yay for AWESOME Sally's SAs! Not my usual experience with Sally's, but they're getting FAR better!! I'm so excited!<br /><br />Side note, not gonna lie... I hate the name of this polish. I swear Orly really sucks sometimes at naming polishes. It's almost as annoying as Fancy Fuchsia.<br /><br /><center><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/60588470@N07/6903032467/" title="Orly Prelude to a Kiss by sugarmedic88, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7177/6903032467_71f5c1d730.jpg" width="500" height="425" alt="Orly Prelude to a Kiss"></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/60588470@N07/6903036533/" title="Orly Prelude to a Kiss by sugarmedic88, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7064/6903036533_4b0bf8b336.jpg" width="357" height="500" alt="Orly Prelude to a Kiss"></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/60588470@N07/6902986353/" title="Orly Prelude to a Kiss by sugarmedic88, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7198/6902986353_a9b3a2a756.jpg" width="409" height="500" alt="Orly Prelude to a Kiss"></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/60588470@N07/6902994779/" title="Orly Prelude to a Kiss by sugarmedic88, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7198/6902994779_be32250ab0.jpg" width="395" height="500" alt="Orly Prelude to a Kiss"></a><br /></center><br /><br />2 coats Orly Prelude to a Kiss<br />1 coat Poshe<br />*photos taken on 3rd/4th day of wear (put on Thursday evening, photos taken Sunday morning).<br /><br />This color is beautiful. As I said above, it is a light peach creme that does not lean too pink or too orange. It's not fleshy, I like it on my yellow/olive toned skin, don't know how it'd look on very pinky toned skin. It's a brighter pastel without being a neon pastel. It has a vintage feel that I am SO excited to do some pretty nail art to.<br /><br />The formula was not fantastic, but it's what I expected for a pastel peach. The polish is thick and pigmented but very manageable. Completely opaque in two coats. Did have a little trouble with cuticle drag on the second coat, but the polish self levels pretty well, so it essentially fixed itself. This is one of those polishes where you need to let the brush rest in the bottle for a second before you go from nail to nail. But it wasn't bad.Samhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12699918344824817052noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2606195672807505869.post-49517139590041739762012-02-16T10:20:00.000-05:002012-02-16T10:20:01.005-05:00Valentine's Day Water MarbleBetter late than never!! I'm usually behind on my posting, so naturally this was going to be a couple days late. I did this water marble ON Valentine's Day. I planned to do it the day before, but I had work and class and I'm pretty sure something else. Oh!! (I'm typing out my thoughts lol). That's right. I then ended up going out to lunch with my friends and their INSANELY adorable son who is 8 weeks old. So anyway, long story short, I did the water marble on Valentine's Day and haven't gotten around to posting it until now! So here it is!!<br /><br /><center><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/60588470@N07/6886494113/" title="Valentine's Day Water Marble by sugarmedic88, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7189/6886494113_a48c4d8d6f.jpg" width="500" height="363" alt="Valentine's Day Water Marble"></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/60588470@N07/6886512957/" title="Valentine's Day Water Marble by sugarmedic88, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7048/6886512957_953f7470c8.jpg" width="500" height="387" alt="Valentine's Day Water Marble"></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/60588470@N07/6886517969/" title="Valentine's Day Water Marble by sugarmedic88, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7065/6886517969_4d1b06bbe6.jpg" width="407" height="500" alt="Valentine's Day Water Marble"></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/60588470@N07/6886565893/" title="Valentine's Day Water Marble by sugarmedic88, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7063/6886565893_094f415d7c.jpg" width="394" height="500" alt="Valentine's Day Water Marble"></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/60588470@N07/6886569209/" title="Valentine's Day Water Marble by sugarmedic88, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7200/6886569209_53176e158b.jpg" width="437" height="500" alt="Valentine's Day Water Marble"></a><br /></center><br /><br />My favorite nails<br /><center><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/60588470@N07/6886544993/" title="Valentine's Day Water Marble by sugarmedic88, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7198/6886544993_b270413ebc.jpg" width="212" height="500" alt="Valentine's Day Water Marble"></a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/60588470@N07/6886531973/" title="Valentine's Day Water Marble by sugarmedic88, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7039/6886531973_a5a2b44a33.jpg" width="172" height="500" alt="Valentine's Day Water Marble"></a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/60588470@N07/6886561543/" title="Valentine's Day Water Marble by sugarmedic88, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7041/6886561543_1e4fc18216.jpg" width="306" height="500" alt="Valentine's Day Water Marble"></a><br /></center><br /><br />2 coats China Glaze White on White*<br />Water Marble colors are<br />Orly Fancy Fuchsia<br />China Glaze White on White<br />Orly Happily Ever After<br /><br />*So about my base coat. While I started with 2 coats of White on White, there's also a failed mani attempt. You see, I was trying to do a bunch of small, red and pink hearts on each nail over white. Some hearts looked perfect, others not so much. I didn't like it enough to post about it, so I didn't and won't. So I had that on my nails when I went to water marble. I figured why bother repainting my nails white? They're already almost completely white. Well, you can definitely see hearts, or some random red/pink dark spot underneath the water marble in some areas. If you were curious, that's what it was. Don't judge. LolSamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12699918344824817052noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2606195672807505869.post-46499987388604148852012-02-12T20:05:00.000-05:002012-02-12T20:05:22.081-05:00Valentine's Day Glitter TipsSo obviously this isn't specifically a "Valentine's Day only" mani, more of a "Valentine's Day mani IDEA". I know not everyone has stamping plates or other things that I or others may use for a V-day mani. Or maybe they consider it tacky or just want something simple. So all you need for this is a base polish, a glitter polish, and a top coat*!<br /><br /><center><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/60588470@N07/6862897719/" title="Revlon Lilac Pastelle with Silver Glitter Tips by sugarmedic88, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7047/6862897719_c8da2fc338.jpg" width="500" height="432" alt="Revlon Lilac Pastelle with Silver Glitter Tips"></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/60588470@N07/6862898319/" title="Revlon Lilac Pastelle with Silver Glitter Tips by sugarmedic88, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7203/6862898319_9992f9a1e2.jpg" width="500" height="335" alt="Revlon Lilac Pastelle with Silver Glitter Tips"></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/60588470@N07/6862898811/" title="Revlon Lilac Pastelle with Silver Glitter Tips by sugarmedic88, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7058/6862898811_9caaa43d6c.jpg" width="500" height="390" alt="Revlon Lilac Pastelle with Silver Glitter Tips"></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/60588470@N07/6862899207/" title="Revlon Lilac Pastelle with Silver Glitter Tips by sugarmedic88, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7040/6862899207_67b2a3abd7.jpg" width="500" height="323" alt="Revlon Lilac Pastelle with Silver Glitter Tips"></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/60588470@N07/6862900165/" title="Revlon Lilac Pastelle with Silver Glitter Tips by sugarmedic88, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7188/6862900165_347ee6609b.jpg" width="460" height="500" alt="Revlon Lilac Pastelle with Silver Glitter Tips"></a><br /></center><br /><br />3 coats Revlon Lilac Pastelle<br />1 coat Poshe<br />Silver glitter is Ardene Diamonds<br />1 more coat Poshe*<br /><br />*I find a top coat necessary because of my technique. If you don't use a top coat, you may be able to see streaks of the clear base of the glitter polish.<br /><br />I did these just like my <a href="http://sugarmedic88.blogspot.com/2012/01/china-glaze-viii-with-glitter-tips.html">China Glaze VIII with Glitter Tips</a> post. Here's how I did it:<br /><br />1. Paint on your base polish as you normally would.<br /><br />2. Add a quick dry top coat (which I recommend), or wait until it's dry.<br /><br />3. Paint the glitter polish just on the tip of your nail.<br /><br />4. Wipe the brush on the sides of the bottle and gently, use the glitter polish brush to use light, irregular strokes and brush some polish from the tip towards the cuticle.<br />I don't go all the way to my cuticle. I just sort of gauge how far up I want it.<br /><br />5. Go over the tip again to make sure the glitter is heavier there to help with the gradient effect.<br /><br />6. Use a top coat and you're done!!Samhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12699918344824817052noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2606195672807505869.post-69429506583732779292012-02-07T10:50:00.002-05:002012-02-08T08:40:12.357-05:00Pretty Valentine's Day StampingSo I had been wearing Rica and decided I loved it SO much I wasn't ready to take it off. But I hate wearing the same color on its own for a long time. Long time is relevant. For me, a long time is 2 days. Then it hit me! Duh! Valentine's Day!! And stamping is so quick and easy, so out came my plates, and here is the end result...<br /><br /><center><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/60588470@N07/6836062425/" title="Rica Valetine's Day Nails by sugarmedic88, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7146/6836062425_bb524657dc.jpg" width="500" height="478" alt="Rica Valetine's Day Nails"></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/60588470@N07/6836040213/" title="Rica Valetine's Day Nails by sugarmedic88, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7167/6836040213_e85dedb8f7.jpg" width="500" height="325" alt="Rica Valetine's Day Nails"></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/60588470@N07/6836056281/" title="Rica Valetine's Day Nails by sugarmedic88, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7154/6836056281_ba5f576053.jpg" width="298" height="500" alt="Rica Valetine's Day Nails"></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/60588470@N07/6836051313/" title="Rica Valetine's Day Nails by sugarmedic88, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7150/6836051313_6909def701.jpg" width="500" height="403" alt="Rica Valetine's Day Nails"></a><br /><br />I've decided to start doing farther away hand photos of my nails like <a href="http://nailtastic.blogspot.com/">Nailtastic</a> because I think it gives a much more realistic view of how the polish looks. More on that later, but here ya go!<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/60588470@N07/6841076651/" title="Rica Valetine's Day Nails by sugarmedic88, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7020/6841076651_34d744100a.jpg" width="405" height="500" alt="Rica Valetine's Day Nails"></a><br /></center><br /><br />2 coats Zoya Rica<br />1 coat Poshe<br />Stamping with Konad White and Bundle Monster plates BM17 and BM-209<br />1 coat Poshe (though I think I took the close up photos before putting this one)<br /><br />I LOVE the way this came out. The foily-ness of Rica with the basic white. The lacy, delicate design and simple accent nails. I wore this mani for... THREE DAYS!! I had Rica on for two days on its own, then this for three days! That totals FIVE DAYS!! I think this might be a record, legit.<br /><br />Speaking of which, I usually never discuss wear of polish because I never wear it long enough to comment. But as I type this, it's the fifth day and I have no signs of wear or chipping at all. I know people tend to have wear problems with Zoya. Honestly, I never wore a Zoya polish long enough to determine if I had that problem, too. But apparently I don't. Five days going strong! So if you're curious of my base and top coat combo, I used Nail Tek Intensive Therapy II as my base coat and Poshe as my top. Obviously I have two coats Poshe because of the stamping. Sometimes I have problems with a second coat of Poshe causing my polish to peel up pretty quickly. I don't know if this worked out so well because it's not a creme polish, or because it's just a really harmonious combination.<br />Also, I actually wore this for SEVEN days because I had no time to change or take off my polish, so I painted another color on top of Rica with another coat of polish. No chips with that, either!Samhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12699918344824817052noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2606195672807505869.post-38652988122344497952012-02-06T15:30:00.001-05:002012-02-06T15:30:48.103-05:00Super Bowl NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS!!Yesterday was the Super Bowl. I live in Connecticut. If you weren't aware, "Connecticutians" have an INTENSE rivalry when it comes to sports. We are right between Boston and New York. So you can imagine how that works. Red Sox vs. Yankees. Patriots vs. Giants vs. Jets. And people are VERY passionate about their teams. So when the Patriots and Giants were both headed to the Super Bowl, it was gonna be pretty big.<br /><br />Obviously the game has happened, the Giants won. I, personally, am not a huge sports fan (except hockey!) and don't really follow football. But I was cheering for the Patriots because I was raised a Patriots fan, my boyfriend is a Patriots fan, and eh, I had to choose one!<br /><br />So of course my nails had to match accordingly. I actually finished these this morning, after the Pats lost :( I tried to finish them up yesterday, but I was so busy getting food ready for the game that I completely ran out of time. I wanted to post these yesterday, but obviously since they weren't done, I couldn't. So here they are!!<br /><br />Camera Photos<br /><center><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/60588470@N07/6831593095/" title="New England Patiots Super Bowl Nails by sugarmedic88, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7162/6831593095_ea6dc6cc9d.jpg" width="500" height="384" alt="New England Patiots Super Bowl Nails" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/60588470@N07/6831598939/" title="New England Patiots Super Bowl Nails by sugarmedic88, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7025/6831598939_a7e366e6d7.jpg" width="500" height="379" alt="New England Patiots Super Bowl Nails" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/60588470@N07/6831577331/" title="New England Patiots Super Bowl Nails by sugarmedic88, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7030/6831577331_35296abc77.jpg" width="500" height="368" alt="New England Patiots Super Bowl Nails" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/60588470@N07/6831584479/" title="New England Patiots Super Bowl Nails by sugarmedic88, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7157/6831584479_1c388b1829.jpg" width="500" height="389" alt="New England Patiots Super Bowl Nails" /></a><br /></center><br /><br />iPhone Photos<br />*because it looks much better NOT in macro. This is how it looks in real life. Looks much cleaner.<br /><center><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/60588470@N07/6831636899/" title="New England Patiots Super Bowl Nails by sugarmedic88, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7149/6831636899_55340a0259.jpg" width="373" height="500" alt="New England Patiots Super Bowl Nails" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/60588470@N07/6831639923/" title="New England Patiots Super Bowl Nails by sugarmedic88, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7031/6831639923_4ff26457bd.jpg" width="373" height="500" alt="New England Patiots Super Bowl Nails" /></a><br /></center><br /><br />White is China Glaze White on White<br />Blue is Sally Hansen Thinking of Blue<br />Red is Orly Poison Apple<br />Grey was Orly Mirror Mirror, then I went over it with OPI Skull & Glossbones because Mirror Mirror was too dark.Samhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12699918344824817052noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2606195672807505869.post-30295572099494126772012-02-01T07:30:00.002-05:002012-02-01T08:01:39.443-05:00Gwen Stefani Luxurious Video NailsSo I totally love Gwen Stefani. If I had the money to maintain my hair the way she does, I'd be THAT blonde. I just love her all around. She's adorable. I loved her in No Doubt, love her on her own. Just love her. So if you watch her Luxurious music video, you'll see at the beginning she is getting acrylics and her nails painted. They do a whole little thing all about it with a shot of the polish dripping into the bottle, zooming in on her nails getting painted, etc. It's pretty cute. So I decided I wanted to do my nails just like hers... minus the acrylics of course! So I'm assuming the polish is Essie just by watching shots of it in the video. The video was released in 2005, so it had to be a polish that was out at that time. I concluded there's a good chance it's Wicked. So that's what I went with!<br /><br /><center><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/60588470@N07/6685086597/" title="WickedLuxurious1 by sugarmedic88, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7162/6685086597_af379d9bc9.jpg" width="500" height="274" alt="WickedLuxurious1"></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/60588470@N07/6685086863/" title="WickedLuxurious2 by sugarmedic88, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7031/6685086863_0455a33df8.jpg" width="500" height="340" alt="WickedLuxurious2"></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/60588470@N07/6685087301/" title="WickedLuxurious3 by sugarmedic88, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7150/6685087301_9b876b3ceb.jpg" width="500" height="416" alt="WickedLuxurious3"></a><br /></center><br /><br />2 coats Essie Wicked<br />1 coat Poshe<br />Dotting with dotting tool and China Glaze White on White<br />Shoulda done a top coat but didn't :(<br /><br />So here are some shots from the video:<br /><br /><center><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/60588470@N07/6795612995/" title="Gwen Stefani Luxurious by sugarmedic88, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7163/6795612995_908d0f9446.jpg" width="483" height="357" alt="Gwen Stefani Luxurious"></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/60588470@N07/6795614207/" title="Gwen Stefani Luxurious by sugarmedic88, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7166/6795614207_4010a4c446.jpg" width="480" height="357" alt="Gwen Stefani Luxurious"></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/60588470@N07/6795642693/" title="Gwen Stefani Luxurious by sugarmedic88, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7027/6795642693_c4eb79a31e.jpg" width="479" height="364" alt="Gwen Stefani Luxurious"></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/60588470@N07/6795651247/" title="Gwen Stefani Luxurious by sugarmedic88, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7013/6795651247_490b303f77.jpg" width="475" height="361" alt="Gwen Stefani Luxurious"></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/60588470@N07/6795654565/" title="Gwen Stefani Luxurious by sugarmedic88, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7148/6795654565_04f9796156.jpg" width="483" height="359" alt="Gwen Stefani Luxurious"></a><br /><br /></center><br /><br />So, I actually LOVE her accent nails. She has a 5 dots in a circle, and two circles on each nail. The nails she has done are both of her pinkies and her left ring finger. All nails have two circles, but I couldn't fit two circles on my pinkies, so they had just one. If I had super long nails or acrylics, I totally would have done them EXACTLY like hers.<br />I loved that this video had a good chunk of time focusing on her nails. I would also love to do more music video inspired nails, so if you have a music video that you LOVE the persons nails in, comment and I'll try to figure out a way to match it!<br /><br />And you know you wanna watch the video...<br /><br /><center><br /><iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/mXFXwenVJg4" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br /></center>Samhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12699918344824817052noreply@blogger.com1