Essence and Indie Tuesdays: essence grey-t to be here and Windestine Secret Garden

Hard to believe but today's e&I Tuesday offering is my fourth in the series.   It forcing me to get out of my comfort zone with color, to use many indies I have lying around un-swatched, and I have so much more to do.  Did you know that the essence colour & go has several new colors?  I think essence and Indie Tuesdays will continue for quite a while on Nails Actually.

The contenders today are--
essence: grey-t to be here
Indie:  Windestine Secret Garden (recently acquired from a blog sale)

grey-t to be here is a light grey polish with a subtle pink micro shimmer.  The picture below shows the shimmer effect.  This essence polish covers in one coat and dries super fast. I am not typically drawn to grey polishes but I really love the surprise shimmer in grey-t to be here.

Windestine's Secret Garden consist of white heart glitter, pastel green hex glitters in two sizes, pastel purple hex glitters, and silver micro glitter suspended in a clear base.  I thought that the light and pastel nature of this indie would mesh well with grey-t to be here and it does!  This combination has made for a very feminine and understated manicure.  

So there you have it!  Another pairing of commercial and independent polishes colliding together for the sake of fashion and art and beauty!

I don't believe that Secret Garden is still available for purchase but you should absolutely check out Windestine's esty shop to see if there is anything else you might want.  

Koi Nails inspired by Natasha Wescoat

Let me preface this post by pointing out that I have done nails inspired by Natasha Wescoat before.   I really loved her "Gold Coast" painting and did some very similar nails.   Natasha recently posted a picture called "Koi and Cherry Blossoms" on her Facebook page and I am in love.   Unfortunately, we are about to move and need all the money and less things we can get so no paintings for me:(  Still, I had to tackle this nail art and sometimes, I feel like a freakin' Van Gogh with all my art imitatin'.  

*Side note:  Natasha was the first person to see these nails because I messaged her a picture and she responded "Omg that's awesome!!! Thank you for sharing that!"  so I think I have her blessing!*

Incidentally, I believe the Koi painting is still available for purchase on Etsy here.

So here is Natasha's gorgeous painting:

And here is my attempt at flattery in its sincerest form:

I started with  Orly's Nail Armor and then applied one coat of Sinful Colors Snow Me White.   Next I applied a gradient using Milani 3D Holographics Cyberspace and Hi-Res.  It was a little more subtle than I planned but as you can see it worked out great!   Next I used a ton of oranges, pinks, reds, peaches, WnW Black Creme and Sinful Colors Snow Me White to free-hand on the koi and the cherry blossom details.   Yes, it took a while and I watched about four episodes of X-files before finishing this manicure but it was so worth it!   I topped all nails off with one coat of essence colour and go space queen which is an iridescent glitter.   I finished this manicure with a coat of Seche Vite and went to bed! (but not before posting pics in some of my FB polish groups like a fiend!)

 

I think these turned out wonderful with a little bit of work and patience and a tiny nail art brush:)    If you can't tell, I am trying to get back into nail art because I did get a little swatch happy there for a while.  I still have 100s of unswatched nail polish but nail art is where I started and while I've gone on to buy loads of gorgeous indie and non-indie polishes and have delved into frankening and polish mixing, I think nail art should always be on my blog.   I love all things nail polish and that's not going to change:)

More Holo Nail Art: Holo Cirlces

 Playing again with my new Color Club Halo Hues! This time I used Miss Bliss, Eternal Beauty, Beyond, and Cosmic Fate.

I started out with two  coats of Sally Hansen's InstaDri Mint Sprint.   Then I added random triple arches in black, purple, and yellow-green Halo Hues.   Last I accented open spaces with dots of Cosmic Fate. 

This manicure surprise me with how great it turned out.  As you probably know, sometimes nail art can go horribly wrong or incredibly right.   This is decidedly right!

Note to self:  use more holos in nail art!

Essence and Indie Tuesday: essence date in the moonlight and Two Birds, One Store's Just Keep Swimming

I know, I know...my first two E&I Tuesday offerings were full of girly purples and pinks so today I went darker and not-so-girly with essence colour and go date in the moonlight and Two Birds, One Store's Just Keep Swimming.

date in the moonlight is a dark, deep blue polish with blue shimmers.  Like most essence colour and go polishes, date in the moonlight gives full coverage in a single coat and dries lightning quick.

I acquired Just Keep Swimming in a blog sale months ago and this is the first time I've worn it.  It is suspended in a clear base and packed with yellow square microglitters, small black and blue square glitters, and large white square glitters.  Below, I have about two coats of JKS and I had to fish for some of the large white squares.   I like how unusual this glitter polish is...its not what I would call pretty but its very visually striking and interesting.   Not my usual pick for nails but this weekly post is all about getting me and you to see examples of two different polishes and how they come together.  In this case, these two polishes get along famously! 

Its always fun to apply a matte topcoat to my glitter manis.  I like to show you mattefied manicures because taking away the shiny finish on glitters really shows the detailed make-up of the indie polish on top:)  

Unfortunately, I don't see Just Keep Swimming available for sale on the Two Birds, One Store etsy store but it never hurts to ask, plus go and take a look at all their other pretty polishes!  Happy Tuesdays, ya'll!

Holo Swirls and Dots

I have yet to fully try out my new Color Club 2013 Halo Hues but I did get to use Kismet, Cosmic Fate, and Over the Moon in some quick nail art for you. 


I started out with two coats of Chelsea's Kaleidoscope.

Then I added swirls with Over the Moon and Cosmic Fate.   Last I added dots of various sized and order to accent the swirls and other nails.

This nail art was fast, easy, and very cool to look at.  Are you tired of holos yet on this blog?  Its rather obvious I have a bit of a holo habit.   I can't wait to use the new Color Clubs in stamping and water marbling because these colors beg for it!

Mentality's Fervor

I have been eying Mentality's Fervor for quite a while and finally bought it.   Dictionary.com describes the definitions of fervor as "great warmth and earnestness of feeling" or "intense heat." 
It is an apt name because I am feeling all hot, and bothered, and earnest about this holo.

Maybe I'm just a holo-aholic but this polish is my new best friend.  I told the maker Hillary that Fervor was going to get me fired because it was so mesmerizing I knew I'd spend all day looking at it.  As you can see from the bottle shot below, Fervor is a light purple linear holographic nail polish that  promises to shoot rainbows off your nails. 

It took three, thin coats for full coverage and I topped it off with one coat of Seche for quicker drying.  The application was easy and the finish was smooth.  Let's let the pics speak for themselves!

What is not to love about Fervor?  Are you fanning yourself?

 If you simply must have this polish (and you must) you can buy it and other Mentality nail polishes here.  Mentality has a new line of color shifting holos as well as well as a line of warm or neutral toned holo polishes.   If you collect indie brands, don't miss out on this beauty.

Above the Curve Prototype Holos

I recently was able to buy two Above the Curve prototype polishes.  Unfortunately, the supplies used to make these polishes are no longer easily acquired so Above The Curve only made a small amount to sell.

First, I have Prototype Purple.  Prototype Purple is a vibrant purple holo polish with blue and purple shimmering flecks. 

As you can see from the following pics, Prototype Purple's holo is scattered and brilliant.  I am wearing three coats for full coverage with one generous coat of Seche Vite.

Purple is my favorite color and purple holos are a particular favorite finish of polish I love to collect.  Prototype Purple is a great addition to my holo stash.  The polish mixers at Above the Curve are truly exceptional.

Next, I have Prototype Blue, also a scattered holo with pink and blue shimmering flecks.

This polish also took three, thin coats to get full coverage and the effect is worth the drying time.
I topped it with Seche Vite and let the holos fly off my nails.   Like purple, I am a bit of a fool for blue polishes thus Prototype Blue is also a very nice addition to my holo collection.

The verdict?  I am very sad that this polish will not be readily available to other holo lovers but I am glad I was able to get them.  Console yourselves with the fact that there will always be other innovative holographic polishes you will be lemming for.   That is what is so great about indie polishes and polish makers...they always astound.

Essence and Indie Tuesday No. 2: Ballerina's Charm and Slumber Party

 For my second installment of essence and Indie Tuesdays, I have essence's ballerina's charm and one of my newest indies, Lacquerhead Polish's Slumber Party.

 As you can see, ballerina's charm is a dusky pink polish with subtle silver shimmer. 

Lacquerhead Polish's Slumber Party make a gorgeous macro pic, doesn't it?!   This polish is all purple, pink, and white iridescent glitters suspended in a clear base. 

Together you get a wonderful, complimentary pairing that makes a striking, sparkly, and very feminine manicure.  I topped this manicure off with one coat of Seche Vite to seal it all in.

 

Not finished, I used one of my new Color Club holos to make a heart on my thumb and outlined it and the words "Be" and "Mine" with an un-named Color Club purple in one of my unlabeled Ross sets. 

With Slumber Party on top, ballerina's charm almost looks a bit purple.  Fine by me, because I adore purples.  Next week, I promise to change it up some and throw some different essence and Indie colors at you. 

What is your favo(u)rite essence polish?