I'm going to call this art.

So I have an appointment with those Mac Geniuses tonight and we'll see what going on with my laptop.  Until then I am relegated to taking iPhone photos, uploading them to tumblr, and then uploading them to photo bucket where I attempt to tag them.  Like some neanderthal.  Also the compute I'm using right now is so-so.  I gets the job done but as far as photo quality on this computer I can't actually tell if photos look good or not.

If they decided to keep my laptop hostage I will still try and post.  But unless it is a proper review for something that was sent to us I won't be taking photos with a real camera.

Well yesterday I really wanted to do some nail art but I had no clue what I wanted to do(as usual).  My brain immediately was drawn to these colours(I would name them but all the bottle are in another room and I don't have it in me to get them atm).  In the end I ended up blobbing them together.  My only problem was it bubbled a bit but it's not that noticeable so I'm not going to complain.

Easy nail art.  My favourite!

HELP! :(

Please.

Is any one out there a Mac wizard?  Because I could use one.  Appealing to the internet is my last cry for help before going to the Mac store.

So long story short my Mac began lagging earlier today(which is not uncommon) so I decided to shut it down and restart it.  I've done this plenty of times without a problem.  However this time it turned on, went to the white screen with the apple, then a blue screen...and it just stayed on the blue screen.

After doing some research I found multiple options for my problem.  None of them seemed to work so I found one final solution that was to be used if none of the others worked.  Archive and install everything.  So essentially reinstall most of my programs and not loose all that much stuff.

So I got my installation CD put it in and followed all these instructions(http://support.apple.com/kb/ht1710).  When I git to the very last step(install) this is what I got:

It says 'Mac OS X cannot fit on the volume "Macintosh HD"'.  So then I go to coustomize and is see this:

It tells me how many GB are required.   And I have the option to get rid of stuff the problem is a) I have no clue if any of the stuff there is important b) Even if I do unclick eveything I STILL don't have enough space:

Does anyone know what I do now?

I'm going to honest with you I could loose all my nail polish related stuff and I would be slightly pressed.  I could loose all my photos and I would be bummed.  If I loose my writing from the past 5 years I will loose it.  I will go mental.  Then I will probably drink loads.  I know I should have backed everything up but as of right now that's too late.

Any help would be appreciated.

-Kas

Random Wednesday: I AM THE TARDIS!!!

I HAD nail posts all ready to go.  Well not all ready to go they were on my camera still.  Point is I sort of had them started.  Anyways I uploaded them the other day and my first thought was "Wow, these look like shit".  So now I have nothing to post.  And since I haven't posted a random Wednesday in eons here in one to satisfy your Varnished Valkyrie Needs.

A little while ago I posted how I did a Doctor Who fan fiction show and as a massive Whovian  I had to dress up.  Specifically as Captain Jack Harkness.  And people asked to see the photos.  Well here they are.  Sorry they aren't the best,  I just get up on stage and generally someone else takes pictures!  Which is why there is no proper body shot :(

You can see a part of my face and half my body.

A Giveaway Where The Polish Is Custom Made And The Points Don't Matter

And yes, this is a REAL giveaway :P

 Image courtesy of Literary Lacquers

As you probably remember a few weeks ago I reviewed a bunch of polishes from Literary Lacquers The Good Parts Collection.  And if you were keeping up with that you'll also remember that Literary Lacquers polishes are based on literature(Check out all the polishes here on Etsy).   And as we all know *books + nail polish = awesome (The math doesn't lie).  Long Story short along with the lovely Amy who runs Literary Lacquers we have come up with a pretty awesome giveaway.

In the comments section all yo have to do is tell us about your favourite book(or just one you really like) in a single paragraph.  Then in that same comment describe what your idea of a nail polish inspired by that book or inspired by something in the book would look like (Only needs to be a sentence or two).  When the contest is over we over at Varnished Valkyrie will choose our top entries.  From there Amy will choose the winner, and sh will work with you in creating your own one of a kind polish!

Here are all the rules(PLEASE READ):

1)This is NOT a random draw giveaway.  Rafflecopter is just easy to use.  ALL the questions are mandatory.
2)This is international.  Unless you live somewhere where you know it wont be allowed.  In that case please do not enter.
3)We would rather you be over 18.
4)Don't worry your paragraph's wont be graded, spelling errors will not be penalized and all that jazz. Our favourites will be chosen based on how interesting you make your book sound.
5)Contest Ends May 3rd at Midnight EST.  Winner will be announced by May 6th at the latest.
6)Winner will have 24hrs to respond as usual and we will give you details on what to do next from there.
7)Have fun. <----It feels ominous with a period.
ETA- 8)Amy from Literary Lacquers is currently working on some Anne of Green Gables polish as we speak.  That being said if that series is your favourite please choose another book just to make it fair for you. Thanks!

Also just a note.  Don't expect the polish to be shipped out the next day.  It is custom made :P

Anyways here's the Rafflecopter!  Go Nuts!  Feel free to ask questions!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

*If you actually put nail polish on your books that may not be awesome at all.  Math can be deceptive.  

Classy nails that took 3 days to do.

That was my first thought when I looked at these nails.  Classy.

I sort of love these 2mm Gold nail art chains from KKCenterHk.  I have been seeing them pop up every now and then over the past few months and I think they look amazing.  Especially this size.  While I'm not sure I would use it as a full manicure again(I wont lie they aren't hard to cut with normal scissors but they aren't exactly easy).  They are thin enough that they don't seem bulky.  Placement was also tricky to get all the chains lying flat.  Because at times when you were holding them they would bunch up.  I used nail glue on some fingers and topcoat on others.  I don't think the ones with the glue will come off any time soon.  And one of the topcoat ones already fell off :(  The problem with putting them on with TC is you have to move fast, and the faster I moved the more likely the chains were to bunch up.  I'm sure had I done the manicure in one go it would have stuck on easier(due to somewhat squishy polish).

Minor problems and all I can't wait to wear them again!

Oh and this took 3 days to do because I painted them white on day 1, added stripes on day 2 and finally added the chains on day 3.  That's just how I roll.

These retail for $4.25USD and each pack comes with 150cm of chain.  But get an additional 10% off with our discount code 'varnishedvalkyrie'!

Oh and who's ready for a giveaway...A REAL giveaway!

*Product was sent for honest review.

I'm just running in circles...

So as you guys know, The Born Pretty Store sent us some lovely things to review recently, and today I'm showing you my pick!

I got the 1.5mm silver circle studs, and I am SO pleased with them.  They were easy to use, they stuck well and don't fall off easily, and look really, really nice on.  I wore these to work at my yoga studio and had about 20 people ask where I got them done.  I've had them on for two days now and they're showing no signs of falling off.  They also don't catch when I have my hands in my long hair, which - to me at least - is pretty freaking great.

I decided to put them over a dark purple base because I wanted a colour that worked with my skin and still let the studs show, so here are these awesome studs over two coats of NARS Koh Lanta.

Do you guys love this easy nail art as much as I do? I'm already planning to wear them again.  These are just so nice and fun.  You can pick them up from Born Pretty Store, you get a lot of them so it's well worth it.  

Remember to use our discount code EAL91 for a 10% discount.  Not only that but shipping is always free!

*Product was sent for honest review

All Jazzed Up

I had the weirdest dream last night.  It was so weird I'm not even going to tell you about it.  Just that it was very weird and my subconscious must be a very strange place.  Then while I was posting this my computer froze so I re-stared it.  I am now finishing this 3 hours later because I accidentally fell asleep...no weird dreams were noted :P

Weird dreams and naps aside here is what I did to my China Glaze Running in Circles manicure from yesterday.  I use tape a did a manicure I saw over on Chloe's Nails. But her design was more dramatic.  I knew I wanted to have a green on green.  And I didn't want it to be obvious(I love manicure that use two similar colours).  So I used Essie Pretty edgy.  And I thought it needed a bit more so I placed a stud in the middle.  I did these nails on Friday and they still almost look EXACTLY the same right now(almost Thursday).

So what do you guys think?

China Glaze - Running In Circles

If there's one thing I don't like it's the sun.  It's hot and gross unless it's behind a cloud.  But the one thing the sun is useful for is taking photos of shimmery things.  Anyways I'm convinced the sun has it out for me.  It knows I don't like it so as punishment it has recently been popping out randomly and just being more inconvenient then usual.   That being said the sun did manage to give me a few minutes of it's time a few days ago.

Running in circles is from China Glaze's recent Cirque Du Soleil collection.  George convinced me to buy it because it was on sale for $0.99.  Running In Circles is an emerald green, glass fleck polish that kind of has this gold glow from within look.  It went on in 2 easy coats.

I'm glad I bought it.  And there's something satisfying about getting it for such a low price.  I'll show you how a I Jazzed it up tomorrow!

Maybelline Denim Dash

These photos has been sitting on my computer for a few days and I keep meaning to post them but I have been exhausted due to a lack of sleep(every couple of months I'll have like 2 weeks where I can only sleep ever other night...It's great).  And my neck has been KILLING me.  But that was well worth it.  Hickey and all.

Yeah, I think I'm going to talk about the polish now.

This is my first encounter with any Maybelline polish.  A good friend of mine bought it for me for Christmas.  I actually got to choose between this and Styled out.  But I already had a similar colour.  Anyways I love this colour!  It's a rich sky blue that has silvery-blue flecks in it.  It needed a couple drops of thinner but apart from that it dried in 2 easy coats.  The finish was matte(which is neat because it is part of their denim line) but I ended up using topcoat.  I wanted to last longer.  My only problem was the brush.  Well not so much an problem as a personal preference.  I don't like my brushes that floppy.  I like them a bit stiff so I can have a bot more control(that sounds a bit naughty eh?).

While I never really paid much attention to these polishes I think I'm going to have to start paying more attention to them.

Coming soon: More badass nail art!  Did I hear chains? Also I'm about to go out for sushi.  It's not nail related.  But in my humble opinion it's still news worthy.  What's you favourite thing to order when you go out for sushi?

 In its natural matte state

I was feeling fancy so I added sequins.

Spiky Nails!

So I decided I needed to give these Nail Art Manicure Spike Studs a go the minute I saw them on the Born Pretty Store website.  Badass chic at it's best!

These studs are easy to apply, I just smashed(well placed gently with my fingers) them into my topcoat.  Although had I been wearing them longer then a few hours I would have used nail glue(I will tell you why I didn't wear them for longer in a second). The studs are just over 5mm high.  I honestly don't think I would ever wear these are more than an accent nail.  As cool as they are as you can see they can be a tad overwhelming if you go crazy with them.  In the end when I took them off I used acetone on the bottom and removed the polish that had stuck to the bottom of them.  This did not appear to ruin the finish.  Which I am extremely pleased about because that means even though I have 10 I can hypothetically use them more than once.  The square nail studs are also from the Born Pretty Store also and the microbeads from Michael's.  I also used OPI's Black Onyx and My Boyfriend Scales Walls.

I received a pack of 10 for $2.98(USD) although they are current on sale for $1.99(USD).  Alternatively you can get a pack of 100 studs for $7.99(USD).

 

Now the reason I didn't wear this manicure longer was the rest of the manicure.  I went all out and did a skittle, but for some reason my Seche Vite went and ruined it all.  It didn't shrink my polish, it made these weird bubbles.  Not air bubbles like when you polish is to thick, the polish kind of separated into bubbles that reminded me of spotted polish.  So I just took it off.  Le sadness.

Anyways sad manicure aside if you would like some of these amazing looking studs go over to The Born Pretty Store and grab some!  And remember to use our discount code EAL91 for a 10% discount.  Not only that but shipping is always free!

It has been far too long since my Last Doctor Who manicure. Time to whip out the Nerd Lacquer.

First off I can now officially say people have asked me for my autograph more than once, and second, my autograph is horrible.  Problems eh? 

Anyways I did another one of those fan fiction shows and as always it was super fun(even when I had to put someones hand in my mouth).  The theme this month was again Doctor Who.  I was going to wear my TARDIS dress but there was a TARDIS console built on the stage.  So if I dressed like a TARDIS standing in the TARDIS that would be some weird paradox stuff I want to steer clear of.  So I decided instead to go as Jack Harkness!

I decided I wanted to keep my manicure simple.  So all I did was use 2 coats of OPI's You Don't Know Jacques Suede, and on top of that I used 1 coat of Nerd Lacquer's Exterminate(My first NL BTW).  I used this specifically because a Dalek is what kills him the first time.  And since I didn't have a jacket for him I decided to do a simplified version of the detailing on the shoulders of his jacket for accent nails.  On my thumb and ring fingers I used Sephora By OPI's Break a Leg Warmer and OPI's My Pointe Exactly(I JUST realized they were both from two separate ballet collections :P).  And I also used a combo of Dior's Bronze Libertine and Chanel's Graphite for the button.

I like how it turned out.  Simple, but I like it.

 Detailing on Jack's Jacket

Born Pretty Stamping Plate...and Rhinestones!

Hello friends! It has been a while. While I love the changing weather, unfortunately, it does a number on my cuticles. But I'm back in action to show you a wonderful stamping plate from Born Pretty Store.

The plate may look a bit scratched - most of that is just acetone streaking. It arrived in very good condition. I started this manicure with 2 coats of Sally Hansen Gilty Pleasure and stamped with Kleancolor Black (5).

This was the design that really caught my eye on this plate.

Feathers...sorry about the bubbling. Clearly not the plate's fault.

I find the designs on this plate lend themselves very well to rhinestones. As a glamourous bitch, I do love me some bling. There are also a lot of creative possibilities here for loose glitter, microbeads, gold leaf...anything! As you can see, the images are quite crisp - very impressive for a $3 plate! Some of the smaller circles don't stamp fully, but it looks like hits of sparkle.

If you love nail art like we do, be sure to head to Born Pretty Store and use our coupon code!

*Products sent for honest review.

First attempt at nail foils...Well this was much harder than orginally anticipated

Hmmmmm...where do I begin?

So the Born Pretty Store asked me to review these nail foils.  I ordered them in this holography gold, an electric blue and a really cool green.  Now I've seen people use them before and I though "This should be easy".  It was trying but I did give it a valiant first attempt.

The instructions were prepair you nails like you normally would.  File, basecoat, the works.  Whatever you do to prep for a manicure.  Next add 2 coats of polish(I used H&M Plum and Cherry).  Let the first coat dry and then let the second coat dry(but not all the way).  Next you gently place the foil silver side down on your nail and rub it on you nail(I used my finger).  Finally remove the foil and la vola! Topcoat, done.

Now I did everything they said.  I even watched the video on the site.  But I still had some problems. 1)I didn't didn't let it dry enough the first time.  So the polish came off when removing the foil.  2)Next I waited too long and the foil didn't even stick.  3)Although not that noticeable in the photos some of the polish was smudged in the process.  But topcoat made it a lot less obvious.

Now I won't call this a fail but I do think I can get this looking better if I try again.  Maybe with a different polish.  Anyways I didn't measure how much was in each but on the website it says they contain 113cm of foil.  Which is just  over 3.5 feet.  And considering I only used about an inch I have plenty to practice with.

 

Favourite out of the bunch.

If you want to buy these you can get them from the Born Pretty Store for $2.99(USD) each! There are over 20 different foils to choose from for nail art fun!  And Shipping is FREE!  You can also use our code(EAL91) and get a 10% discount on whatever you buy!

 

*Products sent for honest review.