Vampy Half-Moon manicure... but not as you know it

A few days ago, an idea struck for a half moon manicure but I couldn't find the stickers I use for them anywhere. I spent more than an hour searching my room top to bottom for the dastardly things to no avail!

I found myself in an 'odds and ends' kind of shop yesterday and remembered just as I was leaving that I needed some of these and I found a packet of about 500 stickers for 60p. Such a bargain!

The stickers in question are THESE hole reinforcers. I cut them in half and used them to mark off the half moon shape at the base of my nail but instead of painting a new colour over the top, I used a stamp.

Konad Plate: M64
Base Colour: W7 - Black Cherry
Konad Colour: Collection 2000 - Moonlight Shine
Top Coat of NYC

On Monday, Cris @ Let Them Have Polish, Rie @ Nails and Noms and I will be starting the 31 Day Challenge (click here for details). We decided to do it together so that we won't be tempted to stray from the strict 'post every day' rule! I think it will be fun but also challenging to go back to posting daily after relaxing my blogging schedule since the new year. I can't wait to start and I'm hopefully my enthusiasm won't dwindle too quickly!


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♪♫ Memories of times and the places that were there

I can't believe it's Friday already! This week has flown by so quickly.

You might have noticed a few changes around here recently. I put up a new banner a little while ago and my pictures have also taken a turn for the better if I do say so myself!

I've been wanting a great lamp with a white fluorescent bulb for a long time after Cris gave me some advice about lighting. They can be a bit pricey but I was lucky enough to find one in the house. It's been sat on the same side table for months and I've gotten so used to seeing it that I just forgot it was there.

I was sat in the lounge one day when I caught a glimpse of it and just had one of those moments where something clicked in my brain and I realised it was exactly what I'd been wanting for weeks!

I also changed my watermark and have started stamping it in to the middle of the pictures because I've seen a few of my pictures online with the watermark cropped out and no credit given which is so annoying (and illegal). So, I have to put it in a place where it can't be cropped without slicing up the picture, but I'm trying to keep it as unobtrusive as possible and I hope you guys don't mind too much.

I started out using scotch tape to mark off the black sections at the side but it ruined the mani underneath so I just whipped out a striping brush and freehanded the a line then filled it in after. It's obviously not as crisp a line as you would get using scotch tape but it saves a lot of time and hassle.

Plate: Bundle Monster BM223

Base Colour: Cult Nails - Cruisin' Nude
Stamp Colour: W7 - Black
Top Coat of NYC




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Internet > Chocolate

I have such a short attention span! I've been sat here since about 9pm with these photos open in Photoshop, getting them blog-ready and I've been distracted at least 4356 times. It's now just after 1am and I have managed to focus long enough to upload them and write this post!

When I sit down in front of a computer, I go in to a complete trance and until I snap out of it don't realise that I've just spent 4 hours of my day watching The Shaytards and amusing myself with every single #Parks and Recreation post on tumblr. If I have one addiction in life, it's the internet.

Plates: Bundle Monster BM201, BM224 and BM211
Base Colour: W7 Black Cherry
Stamp Colour: Collection 2000 Moonlight Shine
GOSH Metallic Purple
Top Coat of NYC

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I'm a Peacock, You Gotta 'Let Me Fly'

(context)

Any Mark Whalberg fans in here? Every time I hear the name of this polish, the scene from 'The Other Guys' comes straight to mind and I have to stifle a little giggle!

Konad Plate: Born Pretty M79

Base Colour: Cult Nails - Let Me Fly

Konad Colour: W7 Black

Top Coat of NYC

Reprise

This W7 polish is one of my all time favourites. I had a bottle of this all the way back when my collection was 15 strong but unfortunately it went all lumpy and weird so I had to chuck it. I thought you couldn't get this colour any more but I spotted a bottle in a bargain shop that sells all kinds of odds and ends and snapped it up right away!

Plate: Bundle Monster BM208

Base Colour: W7 Purple Passion

Stamp Colour: GOSH Metallic Purple

Top Coat of NYC

Legless

Today has been a very busy and exciting day. I got my car back on the road today after 6 months of relying on my feet, public transport and parents to get around! I don't mind walking everywhere, in fact I've grown to quite enjoy it and still plan to walk as much as I can, but it's really nice to know that I can just hop in the car whenever I feel like it and go wherever I want. I really missed that freedom when I was pedestrianised! 

I set out with plate BM214 planning to use the Stag design as Emily requested on a recent post. However, the Stags came out looking like vertically challenged cows! I couldn't get the horns or legs to stick to my stamper. This could just be my stamper because it has been a bit uncooperative of late but it could also be that the design is just too fiddly. I'd love to know if anyone's tried this design yet and found the same as me, or whether it's just something I'm doing that's making it go wrong.

So I moved on to another pattern from the plate - this celtic, swirly design. I kind of struggled to think of original ways to use it at first but I like the ornate way it turned out.

Plate: Bundle Monster BM214

Base Colour: W7 Black Cherry

Konad Colour: Miss Sporty Zodiac

Top Coat of NYC

♪♫ I don't blame you, it's what I love you for...

I'm super tired today so it's just a quick post. I sorted out my hair - decided to dye it Auburn and it's turned out really nice. Still patchy in places but that can be passed off as highlights!

(Pete Lawrie - All That We Keep)

Konad Plate: M54

Base Colour: Franken

Konad Colour: W7 - Black

Top Coat of NYC

A New Chrome Discovery

Hey guys! I know I've been M.I.A. for a few days, other than my constant twitter moaning, but it's exam period in Uni at the moment and I have 4 exams to study for. I got the first one out of the way this morning so I felt I deserved a break from revision and stressing to do my nails properly.

A few weeks ago, I saw swatches of a chrome polish from Avon at Goose's Glitter. I know how amazing chromes are for stamping and since I know Avon is a brand I can get my hands on here in the UK, I started my treasure hunt to get my hands on a bottle.

Avon aren't actually selling this on their website or in the book, but I found a few bottles on eBay and eventually won the bidding on this one at a good price. It popped through my door on Saturday but due to my lack of studying last week, my weekend was crammed full of it so I had no time to play with my new polish.

So today, as a reward to myself for all my work, I went a bit overboard with manicuring. I painted my nails about 5 different colours today before I was happy!

Plate: Bundle Monster - BM21

Base Colour: W7 - Blue Lagoon

Stamping Colour: Avon Mirror Shine - Blue Steel

Top Coat of NYC

McCreamy

I picked up this beautiful grey polish from La Femme in a £1 shop today. I spotted the display of polishes and zoned in on them. Most of the colours were not really my kind of thing - a lot of metallics and pale shimmery shades - but I spotted this one at the back and bought it thinking it might be good for stamping since it looked creamy and pigmented.

I haven't put it to the stamping test yet but I think it looks great on it's own. It is a gorgeous creamy polish that is perfect in two coats. The only down side to this polish is the brush. It's kind of stiff so it leaves streak marks but they do settle themselves - it's just annoying. Nothing I can complain about considering it was such a bargain.

Konad Plate: M56

Base Colour: La Femme - Grey Cream

Konad Colour: W7 - Black

Gems from eBay (Seller)

Top Coat of NYC

Did anyone make the connection between today's colour and the post title?!

Barry M Bright Purple

This is one of the polishes I got for Christmas. I love this colour! I was looking at it in the bottle wondering if I was going to be too pink for my liking but it's just perfect - it's bold and bright without being too tacky (imo).

Konad Plate: M64

Base Colour: Barry M - Bright Purple

Konad Colour: W7 - Black

Top Coat of NYC

I also forgot to show you this cool gadget that my aunt bought me for Christmas. It's a cute little monkey that blows on your fingers to make your polish dry faster!

In Stitches

Base Colour: Collection 2000 Hot Looks - Spangles
For the stitches I used BYS Glamourpuss and then W77 Black over the top. I used a little paintbrush.
I used a top coat of GOSH and then one of NYC to flatten all the red and black.

Roses are black, Violets are blue...

299 Followers!!! Thanks everyone and hello to all the new followers. 

To all my new followers and anyone who didn't know, I am opening my second giveaway when I hit 300 followers so get your friends over here!

Plate: BM14
Base Colour: E.L.F. - Innocence
Stamp Colour: W7 - Black
Top Coat of Collection 2000

♪♫ If she doesn't scare you, no evil thing will

Here are my Dalmatian patterned nails for tonights fancy dress. It's a Disney theme so I'm going as one of the Dalmatians!

I used the leopard print pattern from Konad M57 and used a brush to fill in the holes to make spots.

Konad Plate: M57

Base Colour: Stargazer - White

Konad Colour: W7 - Black

Top Coat of NYC

If nothing ever changed, there'd be no butterflies

Plate: Fauxnad M34

Base Colour: W7 - Blue Lagoon

Stamp Colour: Collection 2000 - Moonlight Shine

BYS Astro Gold for the dots and details, applied with a brush

I'm a bit of a Copycat

The inspiration for this mani comes from Alice over at Nails By Alice. Click the link to see how to create this mani yourself. I saw her amazing mani a while ago but I needed some practice at dotting.

It's W7 Black on BYS Fools Paradise with a top coat of NYC.

Hologruffian

Don't worry, I haven't invented a new gruffalo-esque monster. It's just a Ruffian Manicure with a Holo as a base :D

I used nail guides for this one to get a crisp line.
Base Colour: GOSH Holographic
Top Colour: W7 Black
Top Coat of NYC

Mish Mash Mosh

Sorry for the crummy picture but I really like this design and wanted to share it with you guys.

Konad Plate: M57
Base Colour: Unbranded Nude/Greige
Konad Colour: W7 - Black
Top Coat of NYC

I had to thin out my NYC Top Coat and it's gone misty, so a shopping trip is in order. God help my wallet :s

Houndstooth with added Bling

This is very similar to a Houndstooth mani that I did a while ago but a bit more sparkly!

Plate: Bundle Monster - BM19
Base Colour: Collection 2000 Hot Looks - Wow
Stamp Colour: W7 - Black
Top Coat of NYC

♪♫ Everybody's Starry Eyed.

Plate: Bundle Monster - BM20
Base Colour: W7 - Purple Paradise
Stamp Colour: Miss Sporty - Zodiac
Top Coat of NYC

♪♫ The Flowers You Gave Me Are Rotting...

... and still, I refuse to throw them away.

Plate: Bundle Monster - BM21
Base Colour: Collection 2000 Hot Looks - 17 Wow
Stamp Colour: W7 - Black
Top Coat of NYC