First Spoopy Manicure!

I know I'm a bit late with this, so forgive me. What's new with you guys? I have started exercising for the first time in years! I have been at it for a few weeks so let's see if I can stick to it.

Now on to my nails. Today I have a stamping plate from a new website(well new to me) Lady Queen, a place where all your inexpensive nail needs will be met. I have for you the spoopy stamping plate in hehe057. Honestly this wasn't the best stamping plate, but if you have the right tools, that shouldn't be a problem. I didn't have black stamping polish, so I used regular polish. From what I have noticed, if the polish isn't the best quality, and the plate isn't the best quality it's much harder to get a good image(I actually had to go back and fill in missing patches). But if the plate is a good quality, even when using a sub par polish I will still come out decent. So I'm sure if you had a good stamping polish, you could easily make up for what the plate lacks.

Overall I though the plate was just ok and I'm not sure I would reach for it again unless I had a better polish to stamp with. If you would like to give this plate a go, you can find it on their website, currently on sale for $0.99 USD. In addition to that shipping is FREE and you can use my discount code 'LAKS15' and get 15% off!

Ps. That gradient is China Glaze Spontaneous, and Stoked To Be Soaked as well as Sinful Colors Pull Over.

2 Become 1

As you can see I haven't been around much this month. While I no longer have mould, I now have an empty room with new furniture that has yet to be built because I have been quite the busy bee lately. I haven't really been doing much art because I haven't really had a place to do it, but I have been missing it loads. I haven't actually done art in weeks :'( I finally couldn't take it and decided to start up again with something simple.

I decided to combine two things to make something super awesome. I started out with a white base  and then did a gradient using Sinful Colors Pull Over, and Picture Polish Mad Magenta. When I was done that I applied a thick coat of clear polish(I think by Sally Hansen), and then quickly blobbed on Orly's Liquid Vinyl. I did this one finger at a time. Finally I let it dry for about 20 minutes before I added a coat of top coat and la voilà! I think it looks fab, don't you think?

Ps. For your viewing pleasure

Haloween Classic (On my RIGHT hand as well!!!)

I feel like this is something almost everyone does at one point or another. A graveyard scene. I actually did one last year(but let's not talk about that mess). This year I decided to do a gradient. I was at first conflicted. Do I want a purple gradient or a black gradient? I ended up stumbling across a graveyard manicure that wasn't a gradient but it used only black white and gray with the only colour being a pumpkin. So I decided I would do my original idea in a black gradient and the only colour would be the jack-o-lanterns features.

I also decided not to tell you who I was inspired by. I was having trouble finding their blog when I was trying to find a link so I could credit. Long story short, the reason I couldn't find any was because they had deleted all their accounts because they had been caught stealing peoples posts.

So I would like to credit this to whoever that person probably stole the idea from.

Here is my right hand. I'm really happy with it as it's the first time I have done nail art using my non dominant hand(not including lines using tape or dots).

I like your nails...Work for me! 0_o

So the other week I was wearing this manicure, minding my own business in a store, when a lady grabs my hand* and says "I love your nails! Did you do this?" I told her I did, and she said she had a home salon and was looking for some extra help when it came to nail art. So we swapped info and all that jazz. Now you guys should know that 1)I am not licensed and 2)Where I am you don't need to be licensed. Now this is a blessing and a curse. On one hand I can say do birthday parties and get paid for it. On the other hand it also means ANYONE who has the means to start up a salon can just open one up. Even if they don't know the first thing about nail care or haw to properly sanitize equipment. I probably wont do it just because I don't think she is licensed(and I'm not saying just because she does not have one she must be gross, but I don't know her, so I can't be sure of that). I would feel differently if someone who was licensed asked me because then I would have someone watching me, but I'm not sure how I feel about someone who has no licence calling the shots. What do you guys think?

Well here's the manicure in question. I used what is turning into my favourite purple cream Orly Charged Up, along with China Glaze's Gold, Mingle With Kringle and Orly Liquid Vinyl for the black animal print nail. I should also add how I love how the gradient turned out. I rarely use polish for gradients because I think acrylic paint is easier. But this time around it was pretty simple. I think it had something to do with that fact that I had better sponges this time, and then didn't disintegrate as soon as the polish touched them.

*Like my polish. Tell me you like it. Please do not grab my hand. Depending on the time and the place you may end up making a different sort of contact with my other hand.

Happy (Belated) World Pride - Part 3: Success!

I know I've been away for a while, but I'll get into that later :P

These nails are what I wore to the Pride Parade almost 2 weeks ago. As you know I didn't like how my last set of pride nails turned out. I am happy to say that I loved these! The whole gradient was done using acrylic paint, and I topped it with China Glaze Fairy Dust! The one thing I don't like about these photos is the blue and purple gradient. My camera hates purple and likes making it blue. Rest assured that in real life the blue->purple gradient looked amazing.

The parade itself was interesting. Mainly because it was sooooooooo long. We were near the beginning of the parade and we were there for 4 hours in disgustingly hot weather before we decided to leave. Rumour has it the parade was 6 hours! But one of the "best" moments happened after the parade. We had decided to go and get something to eat, and I had ordered a water(easy right?) When I got my water there was gunk on the bottom of my glass. So I asked for a new one, but to my joy this one had gunk floating in it. My friend's boyfriend then said "It's fine. It looks like food" My response was, "But it's not MY food!" *facepalm*

I've done it again! Another set of "Never want to take you off" nails!

I'm super excited with these nails, because I am super happy with how they turned out. They are amazing and they really are pure magic. There is nothing you can say that will change my mind.

So I came up with this idea when I got these 8mmx3mm black diamond studs from KKCenterHk. First I painted my nails white and then did a gradient(Purple, pink, orange, yellow). That alone wold have been pretty, but as I was feeling daring I added the studs, AND black lines(and on some of the fingers triangle to fill in some awkward space at the bottom). They turned out perfectly.

I applied the studs like I normally do, by dipping a dotting tool in a bit of clear polish and sticking them on my nail. Even though these studs were larger than normal studs I have used in the past they were just as easy to pick up. My one mistake was sticking them on with nail glue that you had to brush on. I did this because they were larger and I really wanted them to stay on, but when the glue dried it became a bit visible. Next time I will either use glue that you can put on in tiny droplets or just clear polish. On the first night I had these on I actually used gloves in the shower, because I was finger detangling my hair. While I did have two coats of top coat on I was still scared they would snag in my hair and pull off. That being said I don't think I had anything to worry about.  Here I am 4 days and 3 showers later and they are still going strong! ETA: Right before I posted this I actually picked the studs off. They are in good enough shape that I can wear them again.

The studs retail for $4.26USD and I think they are great for anyone who loves nail studs. And if you would like a discount our code is 'varnishedvalkyrie', but I'm not sure if it has been extended yet. It should be soon if it does not work right away.

 You can kind of see the glue in the photos, on the middle and ring fingers. The light is reflecting off a bump the glue created in between the black lines.

 There are around 50 in a package.

 This is how I detangled my hair in the shower the first night I had these nails on. Rubber gloves that I taped around my wrists.

*Product sent for honest review

My first gradient that I've liked liked :D

So I guess I should start with a story, because I have one.  So I spent this weekend in bed in pain.  If you read my last post you may have noticed I said I may have had a case of beard burn.  Turns out that wasn't the only injury that night ;)  But seriously though, my back was aching all of Friday, then I woke up on Saturday with lower back pain.  Not only that but if I moved too far forward or sat or stood up straight the pain would just explode.  It's safe to say the heating pad was my best friend for a few days.  But not to worry, I'm all better not for the most part, just a achy still.  Just glad I didn't need medical attention.  Lesson learnt, play safely :P

On to the nails!

These nails are my attempt of recreating Sammy from The Nailasaurus's Black and White Gradient.  Where she did a black and white gradient and then topped it with black and white glitter.  I used acrylic paints over a coat of white and topped it with Cover Band Sticks n' Stones.  In Sammy's original post Sammy points out how there is a lot going on.  Originally when I started doing this I was going to add onto it because I thought there wasn't enough.  Then the minute I put it on I looked at it and thought "That's enough".  There IS a lot going on, but in a good way.  I feared it I added anything else it would just be too much.

So what do you think of my gradient?  And have you even injured your back?  Doesn't it suck?

 Before glitter and topcoat