It's my BIRTHDAY!!! Let's have a DALEK RAVE!!!

So I am officially old.  Time to set me adrift of an ice floe.  Also these aren't actually my birthday nails as much as I wish they were.  I did them last week when my camera was still working.  My nails aren't too special today.  Even though it is my birthday I wont be celebrating till this weekend.

In my head I imagine this is what Daleks would look like if they decided to stop being evil, and started going to raves instead.  I think the 50th anniversary episode should just end with all the doctors, companions and bad guys giving each other big hugs and then having a dance party.  It doesn't have to make sense.  Trust me when I say it will work.

For this piece of nail art magic I used these circular florescent studs from The Born Pretty Store.  The package in total has 350 pieces, and comes with both circular and square studs.  Both the square and circular studs come in 6 colours(Blue, purple, yellow, pink, orange, and green).  They were super easy to place on the nail.  I found they were easier then a silver or gold stud when it came to picking them up.  I don't know if it has to do with the coating(which btw is so much more vibrant in real life!)  These also glow under florescent lights,  but my camera pooped out before I could get the bulb.  At some point I will show you them being all glow-y.  For the lines I used striping tape and Color Club Harp On It.

If you would like some fabulous studs for fabulous nail art head on over to the Born Pretty Store website.  And don't forget to use our code EAL91 for a 10% discount!  Also remember shipping is free :D  You can buy something in honor of my birth!

Ps.  As you can see I have my camera back.  They fixed the part that covers the battery, but it feels slightly flimsy now.  I'm going to have to be extra careful with it.

Illamasqua Nomad and some news!

So I've been a little missing lately because life has been crazazy, but I am making my triumphant return!

First things first:  Varnished Valkyrie is now on twitter!  FOLLOW US for all kinds of surprises, I promise they'll be well worth your while.

Secondly:  I broke a nail on the weekend, so I have nubbins for the time being.  Luckily my nails grow fairly quickly, so I should be back to normal in no time.  I have a few swatches from before, but there may be some nubbin posts in your future.  Just an FYI :P

And finally:  Some swatches of the beautiful Illamasqua Nomad!  As you know if you've picked up on a few things, we are Canadian, so there are a few brands that we can't really get here, and until recently Illamasqua was one of them.  Canadian Sephora stores now carry Illamasqua polishes, but not the makeup.  Oh well, it's a small step in the right direction!  For now I'll be saving the lion's share of my Illamasqua purchases for visits to the USA as it's cheaper, but I made an exception for this collection, which is one of the nicest colours I've found this spring.

One thing I love about Illamasqua is how they put out comparatively few products, but what they do put out is generally of absolutely fabulous quality.  I wish some other brands would take their cues from them.  Illamasqua is the longest lasting polish I've found, I've worn it for five days with tip wear and no chips, which is beyond amazing wear for me.  It's absolutely excellent.

So Illamasqua describes this shade as a "bright jade" and I think that's pretty apt.  This colour is stunning in person, really one that needs to be seen.  The colour is bright and gorgeous, but not obnoxious.  It's not mint, it's not aqua, it's the perfect bright jade.  Just amazing.  It was opaque in two coats, no dragging, and the formula practically applied itself.  Perfect.

Do we have any Illamasqua fans here?  What's your favourite shade of theirs?  Will you be picking up Stance or Nomad from this collection?

New contributer!

Hi polish fanatics!

I'm George, and I'm Kas's best friend and fellow polish addict who will now be contributing here!  I had my own blog briefly, but we decided it was silly to be separate, so I'm moving over here!

A little about me:  In addition to nails and nail-related posts, I'm a skincare junkie, so I will be posting reviews for skincare products too.  I love glitter, bright colours, and all things eye-catching, so my posts will be leaning more toward the crazier end of the scale.  I have a few neutrals that are basically relegated to the "job interviews and tea with the queen" part of my polish rack.  The gaudier, the more I'll love it.

So, to introduce you all to me and my style, here are some recent favourite manicures from me!

Valentine's Day.  Very subdued for me but still cute.  Still mastering small details on my non-dominant hand, so the other middle finger had a larger heart and spots.  Obviously took this pre-cleanup.  Polishes used:  Illamasqua Load and Illamasqua Throb.  Couldn't resist those names!

 Dots - These are quite old, and I used OPI's Fly and Did It On Em from the Nicki Minaj collection. 

China Glaze Ruby Pumps and Pure Ice Crushed.  Pure Ice Crackles are the best I've found.  Excellent formula cracks like a dream. 

Explosions with OPI's Fly and Did It On Em.  In case you couldn't tell, I'm a little obsessed with these colours.  Another pre-cleanup shot. 

Excuse the old blackberry picture!  These were my NYE 2011 nails.  Polishes used:  Zoya Julieanne, OPI Last Friday Night, Sally Hansen Urban Chic(China Glaze Fairy Dust is a dupe), and Orly Glitz and Glamour. 

Goldfish scale nails with Finger Paints Outta Sight Orange, China Glaze Solar Flare(Milani Gold is a dupe), and OPI Y'all Come Back Y'Hear. 

This one was a surprise!  Julep Taylor with a single coat of OPI Servin' Up Sparkle.  The glitter changed the colour of Taylor, which is rather periwinkle.  It was such an odd and profound shift! 

OPI Crown Me Already over OPI Lucerne-Tainly Look Marvellous.  This is my go-to for when I want to be blinding!

Until next time, George.

Sally Hansen Ivy League

Let me tell ya.  This  polish is retina burning goodness.  It's a bright green (And when I say bright I mean that if this was anything other than nail polish and I hypothetically saw it on the ground, I would assumer it was highly toxic waste), packed with gold micro-shimmer.  I used 3 coats and application was flawless.  You did see a bit of VNL (but just a tiny bit).  I barely noticed, and that's something that bothers me when it's obvious.

Anyhoo I actually didn't like this polish too much after I bought it BUT it was on sale so I never felt bad.  Then today I put it on and my mind changed.  Now I wont be wearing this an an everyday mani but still, I'm gonna be keeping it now for sure.

Now on to the pics.  Get your sun glasses on!

Various degrees of flash (ie retina burning).