Showing posts with label Neon. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Neon. Show all posts

Snow=Snowman Polish!

Above & Below: The bright pink neon shimmer Snowman polish dries to a satin finish, so I used a top coat. A Nailene snowman decal seemed appropriate! The shimmer looks silver and pink in the bottle, but once applied, it's shows as a beautiful baby blue and violet iridescent look.
It's been snowing all day, so I think a Snowman polish from Blue Cross Beauty is in order. I posted last month about how I'd picked some of these up at Rite-Aid, mainly for the 'cute' factor. This bright pink shimmer was not one of them, however. When I stopped in again last week, I walked past the display and they were all gone. Except this one. He looked so sad and lonely, so he came home with me! These are not the greatest polishes...the brushes are sometimes wonky, some of them need 3-4 coats (as in this case), and I don't hear any ballz when I shake the bottle. But for $1.99, you get cute, festive, and fun. In my opinion, for the entertainment factor alone, they're worth it!


Sneak Peek: China Glaze Poolside~Coming April 2010

We haven't even had any snow yet and we're looking at Spring/Summer collections! That's alright with me though, these colors will make me happy and give me hope when the thermometer is hovering in the low teens and the snow is 2' deep. China Glaze will be releasing 'Poolside' as their Summer 2010 collection, due out in April. This came to me from Yen at Victoria Nail Supply as a word.doc, so I apologize for the slight lack of clarity in the image. Just click the image and it comes in much clearer. These shades are rather appealing to me, especially Flip Flop Fantasy and Kiwi Coolada...and guess what? They're NEONS!

Yen is hoping to have some swatches to share with us soon on the China Glaze Up & Away creme collection coming out in January. The promo pictures for that collection can be found on various sites and blogs, and as usual, it looks like a very nice selection of shades.


Halloween Nails

Good morning, Dear Reader!

Yesterday I decided to do my first Halloween manicure of the year, and it turned out well.  I started with Color Club Wham! Pow!, a neon orange creme.  Wham! Pow! took four thin coats to be opaque, but it dried quickly so it wasn't a big deal.  Once it had a few minutes to dry, I stamped it.  On my ring fingers, I used the jack o' lantern image from Konad plate M13, and on the rest of them I used a flying bat pattern from Bundle Monster plate BM13, all in Konad Black.

Halloween Nails
Halloween Nails

I like how it turned out but for one thing - it's easy to see that I couldn't get a completely clean image from the Bundle Monster plate on a few nails.  I think Bundle Monster plates are worth what they cost, but it is a little frustrating to have everything turn out just right and have a couple of imperfect stamps.  However, if that's the worst thing that happens to me all day, I think I'll be alright.

That's the first Halloween manicure of the year, and I hope to get in a couple more before the end of the month.  That's all for today, so until next time, love and nail polish to you!  


China Glaze Flip Flop Fantasy & Konad M45

Good morning, Dear Reader!

This weekend, Fall has arrived here.  It's all sunny and inviting looking outside, but the chill has finally set in.  That made me suddenly panic that Winter is around the corner (one never recovers from the scars of Chicago winters!), which prompted me to do a summertime manicure so I can ignore cooler weather for a while longer.

I decided to go with one of my favorite releases from this past summer, China Glaze Flip Flop Fantasy from the Poolside Collection.  I am especially fond of it because it's a unique neon shade.  I applied three coats of it, and when I was finished, thought it could use a bit of Konad to liven it up, so I added a tip pattern in Konad Black Special Polish with plate M45.  To prevent the Konad polish from smudging (the black smudges more than others), I used one coat of Konad to coat to seal it, then one coat of Seche Vite to even out the surface and make it dry.

China Glaze Flip Flop Fantasy Nail Polish and Konad M45
China Glaze Flip Flop Fantasy Nail Polish, Three Coats, with Konad M45
That's my running-from-the-cold manicure for today.  I hope you enjoy the rest of your weekend, and until next time, love and nail polish to you!  


Essie Pink Parka~Fall 2009


Above & Below: Essie's Pink Parka, a bright neon pink creme. Photos are outdoors with no flash. Some are in full sun, others in shade.

Below: Photos were taken indoors, with flash.

Summer is rapidly coming to an end in our area, so I wanted to use one of the brighter shades from Essie's Fall collection today. Pink Parka is a neon pink shade that dries to a satin finish. I wouldn't call it a flat or matte finish, but perhaps somewhat of an eggshell finish would be a more appropriate term. I used 2 coats in the photos and no top coat. This shade is bright...and I mean bright! I don't know how much use it will get from me during the winter months, but it's an unusual and fun shade to include in a Fall collection. Not that that's a bad thing at all. Who knows, it may be just what I need in the depths of Winter to remind me of the warmer months ahead.


The Neon Creeper Heel Manicure

Good morning, Dear Reader!

After a few days of no polish change, I was up for a more involved mani this morning, so I did a nail art interpretation of a T.U.K. high-heeled neon creeper.  Why yes, that is incredibly random and out of the blue, but when you see the shoe, you'll see why it inspired a manicure.

The backstory, to mitigate some of the randomness, is that I need a new pair of all-purpose, running out the door shoes.  I've mentioned my taste in clothing is pretty plain, but my taste in shoes is far from it, with the current worn-out pair being red/purple/pink mosaic flats.  I've always loved heels, and being kind of short I wore them just about all the time for years (I'm still a normal height for a woman wearing them, and if there's no good reason not to...).  That era ended when I completely tore an ankle ligament (I was pledging a sorority and fell on the first step of the house's spiral staircase, smashing my ankle on every step on the way down,  while everybody was waiting for me at the bottom - my grandest entrance ever), until I just recently discovered shoes with a platform.  They look impossible to walk in, but they're totally comfortable and nothing at all to walk in, so heels are back on the table for me, and they've been included in the hunt.

That brings us to the inspiration picture,which I mentioned was a pair of T.U.K. neon creeper heels.




Mani Inspiration
My Manicure Inspiration

To make the manicure, I started with three coats of China Glaze Kiwi Cool-ada, stamping plate H9 for the leopard print, which is a larger pattern and let me cover each nail with only one stamp.  I used that XL stamper I tried once before and hated because I've read reviews from a few bloggers with whom I normally have a similar experience who loved it.  That made me think I needed practice, and that proved to be the case.  There is a trick to using it, which is absolutely no pressure picking up or placing the stamp, and then it does a really beautiful job.  Having stamped, I filled in the dots on the leopard print with Misa Dreamy Purple, painted the tip one nail with Dreamy Purple to make it like the top of the shoe, then sealed with top coat.  Here's how it turned out.




Neon Creeper Heel Mani
My Neon Creeper Heel Manicure

There's not fabulous light today, so Dreamy Purple looks darker in the picture than in real life, although I think I should have hunted down Nubar Pasadena Purple for this one - it would have been more clearly purple.  I'm still really happy with the manicure because it's ridiculously fun.

That's my new weekend manicure and just about all I have to yap about this morning Dear Reader, so until next time, love and nail polish to you!



All Rights Reserved, Siobhan@The Nailphile. If you're reading this elsewhere, it's stolen from a real nail polish blog.


Nina Ultra Pro Grin and Berry It

Good morning, Dear Reader!

This morning's manicure is Nina Ultra Pro Grin and Berry It, a really great neon purple shimmer.  Again today, I had all the stuff out and ready to Konad this one, but I like it so much alone that I'm just wearing it plain.

My recollection of Grin and Berry It was that there were drying troubles the last time I used it, so this time I left a couple of minutes between each of the three coats of color I used, and it dried just fine with a coat of Diamont top coat.  Here it is after drying in low sunlight.

Nina Ultra Pro Grin and Berry It
Nina Ultra Pro Grin and Berry It Nail Polish, Three Coats

The tiny bits of blue shimmer are what really set this polish apart for me.  It's just fun to look at.

That's what I know today, Dear Reader, so until next time, love and nail polish to you!


Color Club Poptastic Swatches & Review

Color Club's Poptastic Collection has a total of 9 shades, and it is also available in a 7 piece boxed set, which is what I have to show you today. The other available shades are Jackie OH! (a bright coral pink neon shade) and Mrs. Robinson (a purple/fuchsia shade). All of the polishes in this collection are cremes, and the majority of them are neons. Let's have a look at the colors, which are all shown using 2 coats and photographed outside under cloudy skies and no flash.

Above: Chelsea Girl is an bright azure blue color that immediately reminded me of Pantone Process Blue, if you're familiar with their color system. The finish on these was interesting, because while they're not a high gloss, they are satin--unusual for the ones that are true neons. The application on this one was perfect.
Below: Twiggie, a lime green shade that isn't quite a neon or fluorescent, will still stand out in a crowd. The formula on this was a little streaky on the first coat and seemed a bit too thick, but all in all, it wasn't too bad.
Below: Pucci-Licious is a medium purple shade that's bright, but toned down slightly with a cornflower blue undertone.
Below: Warhol is a fluorescent neon magenta with retina-searing properties! This is brighter in real life than I was able to capture with my camera.
Below: Poptastic is a bright hot pink neon with a pretty glow to it.
Below: Wham! Pow! is an intense medium orange neon that could be used as touch up paint should you ever need to touch up an orange safety cone!
Below: Almost Famous is a colorful warm lemon yellow that actually covered quite well, for a yellow shade.
This collection surprised me in a good way, because while the colors are right on target for summer, neons and some lighter cremes are often problematic when it comes to the formula and the application. The only issues I had were with Almost Famous and Twiggie, and those weren't that bad. Their formula was a little thicker than the others, and while I observed little to no streaking on the first coat of all of the other shades, these two were somewhat streaky. The second coat diminished most of the streaks though, so they ended up being acceptable with 2 coats, like the others. For neon shades, this collection applied like a dream overall. Minimal streaking and nearly opaque in just 2 coats--not to mention the nice satin finish I ended up with. Most neons are much more matte than these, to the point where I always apply a top coat to bring out the shine. Many of these colors are very similar to other shades in my collection, although I didn't do any comparisons to be able to tell you that they're dupes of another. Even if I do have dupes to any of these, the application, coverage, and satin or semi-gloss finish alone would make me more likely to reach for these first. This set is available at various eTailers and retails for about $16.00 for the 7-piece set.

*Products in this post were furnished by the manufacturer or PR firm for review.


New Quirius Shades: Part II (and 4 older ones!)

Last week I showed you 3 new shades from QRS/Quirius, and here's a look at the other 3. I was in the swatching mood today because it's cool and cloudy out--just a lazy day--so I have 4 older shades to show you too. Put your sunglasses on and have a look at Sweet Melon.

Above: Sweet Melon, one of the soon to be available new colors, is a very bright (that's an understatement!) neon lime green. This one dried to a more satin than matte finish, and I used 3 coats. The formula was somewhat streaky and I would have preferred 2 coats, but the final coat did give it a much more even look.
Below: News of the Beloved is another new shade, and it too dried to a satin finish. Both of these photos were taken with a flash, because I think that type of lighting shows the level of the gloss better than an Ott lamp. This one also required 3 coats for an even finish, and even then, you can still see a bald spot on my pinkie that refused to cover on this medium/lighter lavender creme.
Below: Home of the Brave, the last of the new shades, has a near jelly finish with a high gloss shine. This one was almost opaque with one coat, and is shown under an Ott lamp with 2 coats. A deep cobalt blue is how I would describe this creme shade.
Below: Keep in Touch is a neon shade that dried to a satin finish. It isn't as fluorescent as Sweet Melon, but it's still going to get attention! This one had a really nice application and is shown with a flash using 2 coats. This is, in my mind, more of a hot pink than a fluorescent pink, if that makes any sense!
Below: Bazooka is a fail to me simply because of the streaks that are clearly evident. I used 2 coats and I'm not so sure 3 would have made a difference. The combination of the finish type--a cross between a frost and a pearl--and the fact that it was a bit on the thick side, made for a less than desirable look on this pale pink shimmer.
Below: Portside has a great formula, and like Home of the Brave above, was nearly opaque in one coat. This perfect red creme has a high gloss finish and applied like a dream.
Below: Glittering Rainbow is filled with small holographic multi colored glitter and works nicely as a top coat (2 coats).

My eyes are still blinded from Sweet Melon! All in all, these are nice shades with the exception of Bazooka. I think I was hoping for a nice baby pink shimmer, but the actual finish is obviously streaky and distracting from the shade, and it's too frosty for my taste. News of the Beloved was just nothing special to me, and I was getting aggravated that the bald spot on my pinkie refused to accept the polish. The others I liked quite well, particularly Portside, Home of the Brave, and Keep in Touch. Glittering Rainbow is a beautiful addition to any polish, and I think it would be even prettier over a deep purple or navy blue shade. These retail for $3.00 each, or you can build your own set of 6 for $15.00.
*The three "new" shades were furnished by the manufacturer or PR firm for review.


Stamping Plate D08

Good morning, Dear Reader!

On Friday I showed you some celebrity picture patterns from one of the D-Series plates, D09, and today I have a celebrity mani using plate D08.  D08 also has lots of choices, but there was one so perfectly absurd it designed this mani for me - Woody Allen.  Any time nail art comes up conversationally for the rest of my life, I'd like to be able to volunteer, "I own and have used a Woody Allen nail art stamp."  Now I can.

I figured this one should have more of a pop art feel, so I used a patterned French tip and Woody Allen in white over Color Club Gimme A Grape Big Kiss, the purple neon from Wicked Sweet.  Here it is.

Woody Allen Manicure Stamping Plate D08
Woody Allen Manicure using Stamping Plate D08

I have no idea why I love this so much or why I'm so thrilled with the mere notion of a Woody Allen manicure, but I'm happy for both.

That's it for today, Dear Reader.  Until next time, love and nail polish to you!


Color Club The Lime Starts Here & Konad m60

Good morning, Dear Reader!

This is the last picture I had saved up, and it's a manicure for several days this week, Color Club The Lime Starts Here with the plaid pattern from Konad plate m60 in white.

The Lime Starts Here is the neon green from th Wicked Sweet Collection, and this is your fair warning that the picture will make your retinas sting.  It needed several coats to be opaque, I either four or five, but that seems typical of good neon greens to me.  I'm sure that using white under it would reduce that.  The fragrance of it is very pleasant, more like a good margarita mix than straight lime - it's identifiable as lime and has a nice citrus scent to it, but it's not sharp or that overly artificial lime Jell-O smell.

Color Club The Lime Starts Here
Color Club The Lime Starts Here Nail Polish, 4-5 Coats

I gave The Lime Starts Here a bit of time to dry, then stamped it with Konad White Special Polish and the pattern from m60.

Color Club The Lime Starts Here & Konad m60
Color Club The Lime Starts Here with Konad m60

Although I really liked this one, the real reason I wore it for several days was that I ripped off my pinky nail, the whole free edge and lots of layers about halfway down the nail bed.  The good news is that the manicure didn't chip, and I decided that another chop just wasn't in me and I made a sculpted soak-off gel tip on it last evening.  This is the first time I had the luxury of sculpting a tip using my right hand, so it was about a thousand times easier than before.  I thought I had it as good as it would get, but the down side to clear builder gel is that it's really hard to see tiny detail.  I can just thin it out a little with a bit more shaping, but I'll have to reseal it once it's good, so the pictures I have for tomorrow will include my big fake tip pre-refinement.

That's what I know this morning, Dear Reader.  Until next time, love and nail polish to you!


China Glaze Shocking Pink & Plate BM13

Good evening, Dear Reader!

I decided the play with the spider web pattern on Bundle Monster Plate BM13 this afternoon, and thought I'd give you a peek.  I stamped it in Konad Black Pearl over a base of China Glaze Shocking Pink, a great neon.  Shocking Pink took 4 coats to be totally even and opaque, but dried relatively quickly so it wasn't a problem.  I was done with the manicure, from removing old polish to adding top coat to the stamp, within half an hour.

China Glaze Shocking Pink Nail Polish & Bundle Monster Plate BM13
China Glaze Shocking Pink Nail Polish, Four Coats, and Bundle Monster Plate BM13

I considered adding the Konad spider to my ring nail, but I'm scared enough of spiders that I decided against it.  This is scary enough for me!

That's what I have for you today, Dear Reader.  Until tomorrow, love and nail polish to you!  


China Glaze Pool Party & Plate XL A

Good morning, Dear Reader!

For today I took another stab at a neon eye-crosser of a manicure, this time using China Glaze Pool Party and plate XL A, and it worked out pretty well.

Pool Party, a darker pink neon creme, took three coats but dried quickly, and I stamped it with a wavy lines pattern from plate XL A.  I wanted the lines to go across, so I used the pattern sideways with Konad Black Special Polish.  To avoid smudging, I topped off the stamps with Konad Top Coat, but the pictures showed me that I had teeny tiny bubbles in it.  Since they don't show without a close up picture even when I know they're there, I've kept this one on for two days.

China Glaze Pool Party  & Plate XL A
China Glaze Pool Party Nail Polish with Plate XL A Stamp

I really like it.  It's incredibly loud, but  so over the top loud that I think it's clear that I was going for that.

That's what I have for you today, Dear Reader.  Until next time, love and nail polish to you!  


Jessica Ignite Summer 2010 Collection Review

Jessica has two new collections for summer which will be available on their website shortly. You can view both collections (bottle pictures) here, and up first for review is Ignite. The press release describe this collection as follows: Ignite sparks six new fluorescent colours that run the gamut from punchy purples and funky fuchsias to techno turquoise and unmellow yellow. Adding a kaleidoscope of color to your nails with neon bright shades is a great way to bring back a touch of intensity.

Above: Pink Explosion is a vivid pink neon that dries to a semi-gloss finish. All photos are shown using 2 coats.
Below: Orange Zest dried with a little flatter finish that Pink Explosion, but these polishes surprised me when they dried, because their finish is not nearly as flat or matte as other neons I've used. This is a perfect shade of orange with a name that describes it well.
Below: I was curious how these would Konad (m63 plate) because neons usually dry so quickly, making them hard to work with. This is Yellow Flame over Orange Zest, and while the yellow was not as intense as I would've liked, it worked well with regard to the drying time for stamping.
Below: Blue Blast is a beautiful cerulean blue shade.
Below: Electric Teal is the only shimmer in this collection, and those of you who know my polish color preferences, know that I love this!
Below: Here's a bottle comparison with Color Club's Wild Child to give you a better idea of the shade.
Below: Purple Burst is a bright fuchsia-purple-violet (how's that for an accurate description!) shade that dried to the high gloss finish you see with no top coat.
Below: Yellow Flame is a near dupe of China Glaze's Yellow Polka Dot Bikini, only the Jessica polish had superior coverage. You'll see what I mean in the photos below.
Below: The Ignite collection, being neons, really impressed me by how well they covered and the pigmentation in them. I love neons, especially in summer, but they are usually streaky and take a little patience to apply. The Jessica polishes applied very evenly on the first coat and dry quickly, so I found the application to be superb to any other neons.
Below: I did a quick comparison using just one coat on each nail. The polishes I used are all extremely close in color--Quirius The History Night vs. Jessica Purple Burst, and China Glaze Yellow Polka Dot Bikini vs. Jessica Yellow Flame. The Jessica products are on my middle and pinkie fingers.
I'm very happy with this neon collection and the shades it contains. It's a varied palette of colors and the formula was fantastic. I would say it leaned slightly toward the thick side, but not so much that I felt the need to thin it. It seems to be just right for neons, because it flowed well and had plenty of pigmentation for great coverage. The finish on these is what I would call a semi-gloss, and are still glossy enough that I would feel comfortable wearing them without a top coat. These retail for $7.50 and should be available before the end of the month. As soon as I hear back from Jessica with a date, I'll be sure to update my post. I have also purchased this brand from hello-gorgeous.net for $4.95 each, but they don't normally stock the most recent shades, nor do they carry the entire line.
*Products featured were furnished by the manufacturer or PR firm for review.


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