Nubar Jewel - My very first holo!

Just a quick post today,  First off let me start with a giant huzzah!  Our tumblr passed 1000 followers!  Now onto the polish :)

This is actually my very first I guess you would call proper holo!  I bought it 2 years ago off of Amazon for around half the original price.  Finally about a week or so ago I wore it for the first time. I don't know why I waited so long!

Jewle is a brown scattered holo, that flashes a sort of pinkish hue.  I used 3 coats but you can easily get away with 2.  The finish is a bit gritty when it dries but a top coat eliminates most of it.  You can always add another thin layer if it's not perfect.  You can easily find this still on Amazon.com/co.uk.  If you are in America you can get it off Nubar's website(no international shipping).

What was your first holo?  And did you ever have a polish that took you forever to use for the first time?

 Flash

 Sunlight

 Natural light

Wow Wow Nails: And now for something compleatly different.

Okay well sort of different.  It's still nail related.  And international readers don't let this post scare you off!

Have you ever thought to yourself "I wonder what Konad heaven would look like?"  Let's be honest you have.  Well I present to you Konad Heaven.  It's actually called Wow Wow Nails and is based in  T.Dot(Toronto).  They have 2 locations one in Downtown Toronto and a larger location waaaaay up north(Northern Toronto...not North Bay far).  "It's actually near Markham" said Google maps.  We have never been there but we would like to go there one day.  But it's kind of out of the way to just pop by.

Our first encounter with Wow Wow nails was just over a year and a half ago.  They had a booth and the CNE.  I manged to snag  China Glaze Medallion and Sea Spray.  Then I proceeded to forget the name so I had no clue how to find them.  A couple months later I was doing a show and I ended up walking past their downtown location.  Hallelujah! 

Wow Wow's thing is probably Konad.  You walk in and they literately have a wall of Konad plates, polishes and kits.  But that's not all!  They also sell OPI and China Glaze.  Not just that but one of the things I love about them is they have the stuff from older lines.  I know at one point they had the OMG China Glaze collection.  They also sell Nubar.  Yes physically sell it.  I have NEVER seen Nubar in a store.  Along with the polishes and Konad stuff they also have a slew of nail art equipment like brushes and nail art things like rhinestone and microbeads. And if you are looking for something specific don't be afraid to ask in person or via email.  They may have it at their other location.  You can also go on their website to shop.  They ship to Canada and internationally.  But if you are international you need to email them for more info on that.

 

 "Robyn, act casual for the photo."

And if you're there you can get your nails done(did)!  The offer the shellac service(which we plan on trying at some point soon) and nail art service.  They also have free demos.

I actually didn't even notice the poster on the wall till after I uploaded the photos.  Get your nails done AND get educated.  Is she laughing because of her results?  Either way I suggest all you ladies out there at least look into the Gardasil shot...What just happened to this post?

I should also point out something about Konad.  We were informed by Nina(lady who works there and had oodles of nail knowledge for us) that yes Konad plates are more expensive then say bundle monster($9.99CND) they do have their advantages.  The most noticeable one the details.  Some of the details on the Konad plates are so fine and intricate. We'll probably buy some in the near future and Robyn will review them and talk about them more as she is the stamper of the blog.

M71

 Those dots are like pin pricks.

So anyways you should totally check out Wow Wow Nails especially if you are in Canada.  And no matter where you are you can still check out their website which I linked to up top, and you can also follow their blogger.

So question for every one.  Do you have place like Wow Wow Nails in your city/country?  I'm asking this because I've never seen a salon/store quite like this.

Nubar Pink Flame - And the love story continues...

Oh my goodness.  So if Sun Gold started the love affair, Pink Flame made it real.  This polish is just... So gorgeous.  And, maybe just maybe, a little more flattering on different skin tones, so you cooler toned girls, this might be one you can try!  I say this because the pink leans a little blue in certain lights, which may make it a little more versatile than its decidedly warmer sibling.

Pink Flame covered in two easy coats and was fully opaque(though on longer nails I suspect you may need three), but you see three here because I initially applied it without my contact lenses in, at 3am.  You see, when we moved into our new apartment, my bedroom came with the DIMMEST LIGHTING EVER.  I thought I did a pretty good job, but when I woke up and put my eyes in... I needed to fix it.  I just popped another coat on top and did a little cleanup, and voila! You'll see last night's errors on my pointer finger :P

Pink Flame reminds me a lot(and if people are interested I will do a comparison) of one of my favourite polishes, OPI The Show Must Go On from the Burlesque collection.  It's less foily and less shimmery, but the colour shift is very similar, and I'd say the intensity is similar too.  The dominant shift is bright pink to orange to gold, and it's similar in intensity to Sun Gold.

Also, I try out my new lightbox a bit in this post!  Still working out the kinks, but I think we're going to be good friends... My hands and cuticles are also much happier with my new routine, still not perfect, but I think we'll get there!  I'll be sharing my new findings with you all soon!

Nubar Sun Gold - Sexy duochrome ahoy!

So I recently got my hands on a couple of Nubar duochromes and this is the first one I've tried, and CAN I JUST SAY.  I totally understand what all the fuss is about now.  I get it.  I am flipping the hell OUT over how sexy and amazing this polish is.  I feel like this is how other girls feel when they buy really sexy lingerie.  If you needed any convincing on Nubar and their duochromes, now is your time.

Enter Sun Gold:  It's a warm, intense orangey gold that flashes both intense and pale pink in different lights.  I would not suggest this for cool skin tones.  I'm glad I chose this on a cloudy day because I could really see all the different colours and they are absolutely stunning.  This is probably one of the coolest polishes I've ever seen.  I can't wait to try Pink Flame now!

Application was great, thick but not claggy.  Went on in two easy coats(though the first was a bit patchy), though I did have a couple of solitary little bubbles but I think that's due to the fact that I only just took it out of the mail and it was shaken around.  Every time I move my hands the colours shift, and it's a dramatic shift(picture what you see in the photos x5 for an idea of how it looks IRL) at that, not just a little itty change.  The fact that this is considered one of Nubar's weaker duochromes means that the others must be totally crazy.  I wish the camera were better at capturing this gorgeousness!

My glowy, warm-toned sisters: YOU NEED THIS.

But enough talk, let's see that sexy duochrome goodness!

The Cooling of the Embers - Flakie layering inspired by a song.

So like a lot of you, I've been following other bloggers doing the 30 day challenge, but I haven't been an active participant.  But then the other night I went to a concert and had an idea for an "inspired by a song" manicure.  I will also be doing a manicure inspired by my favourite movie, but I'm waiting til my nails are longer... So here we go!  Cookies if any of you have already recognised the title of the song......

So one of my favourite singers is Missy Higgins, a gorgeous Aussie lady with a voice like warm honey and milk(Anyone?  Just me?  Okay...).  She was in Toronto the other night with Katie Herzig and Butterfly Boucher.  Missy's latest album, The Ol' Razzle Dazzle, came out not long ago, and one of the songs, The Cooling Of The Embers, really struck me.  It's about dealing with dementia in a loved one, so not the cheeriest music in the world, but I love the beautiful imagery of a fire burning itself out, the embers cooling slowly.

I started with one coat of one of my favourite reds, OPI Big Apple Red, and then added one thin coat each of Cult Nails Seduction, Nubar 2010, and Finger Paints Twisted.  I do own the mythical Cult Nails Clairvoyant, but I decided to leave it out of this mani.  The three together really added to the "fire burning out" look.  The main colour shift is orange to yellow to red, with flashes of green and blue, like white hot embers.  I'm excited to see it in sunlight in the morning.

You might ask yourself, are 6 photos too many?  Not when a manicure is as magical as this!

And you're only half here 

like someone left a frail body and took the rest 

But I remember when you were strong 
Never wanted help from no-one

What you've become is not who I remember

Is this the cooling of the embers? 

Guest Blogger No.1! - The One With The Domo

Hello Valkyries of the Varnished persuasion! I was seriously stoked when Kas and George invited me to guest blog while they are away. This is my first time as a guest blogger, so I'm a little nervous and excited. I hope you'll all enjoy my little contribution to this fantastic blog.

I have an ombre manicure to share with you all today- my first ever ombre manicure, as it happens, which is very fitting for my first ever guest post on another blog. I decided to do a greyscale ombre manicure, which is inspired by a greyscale-themed Domo I have. If you are familiar with my blog, you'll know I often feature those little guys in my posts- I find them irresistible, and have amassed a small army of them (they happily coexist with my nail lacquer collection, if you're wondering).

Here's the line-up!

From left to right we have Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear White On, Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear Wet Cement, Nubar Palisade, Nubar Stronghold, Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear Black Out. Up front we have an adorable Greyscale Domo, the inspiration behind today's manicure!

This is, of course, Greyscale Domo taking a picture of himself, which I assume he'll later post on Facebook ("Guys! Check it out! I was totally partying with these sexy polishes on Varnished Valkyrie!").

Ahem. Onward to the nail pictures!

What did you think of my first ever ombre manicure? Which shade of grey is your favourite? Myself, I love a light grey, so Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear Wet Cement is my clear favourite here.

Before I finish up my post here, I want to give a quick heads-up to anyone who might be interested in entering my Lynnderella Connect the Dots Giveaway, which is currently going on at my blog, The Lacquer Tracker. You have until June 21st to enter, if it's something you'd like to do. Click here to check out the details.

This has been a blast, and thank you so much to Kas and George for inviting me to write a post for Varnished Valkyrie! It's pretty awesome to be able to be a part of a blog that I admire and enjoy reading so much. Thanks!

Essie Fiji + Nubar 2010 = Probably the girliest thing I've ever had on my nails!

So I was in a stanky mood the other day(I think Kas and I are mentally connected or something because I find our bad days coincide far too often) and I decided to cheer myself up by doing a nice treatment on my hair and putting some pretty, girly, pink polish on my nails.  I reached into the Untrieds bin and found Essie Fiji, the much discussed pink I had bought but never actually gotten around to putting on.  I put two thin coats of Nubar 2010 on top to add a little punch and voila!

It's a beautiful pink, to be sure, but I don't think it's stealing the title of my favourite light pink away from Pink Friday just yet. The formula leaves a LOT to be desired.  At three coats it still wasn't perfect, but since I was layering I didn't bother with a fourth.  I think I could get away with 3 VERY CAREFUL coats, but 4 would be the norm.  It's also a little thick, but not unmanageable.  It gives me a little bit of lobster hands and unless I was going to high tea, I probably wouldn't reach for it again on a normal day unless I was layering it again.  But, that said, I still like this.  It's a very pretty, simple look.  I'll keep it on until it chips.  Going on three days now!

Look at that sparkle!

What's your favourite pale pink? 

And what's your take on flakies? Kas and I are split, weigh in!

Nubar 2010

So sorry that some of these pictures are a bit messy.  I had originally put this mani on because I just didn't want naked nails so I didn't clean up what I had been wearing perviously properly.  Anyways I ended up taking some crazy pics and decide no, this needs to be shared.

As you all probably know Nubar 2010 is a flakey polish.  It has a clear base and depending on the light I can flash green, yellow or orange and kind of look like embers. Oh and did I mention when you take pics of it underwater it looks like you were picking a clowns nose. And who doesn't want that look? Who? I layered it over OPI's Black Onyx.

While there's lots of flakies that look like this now a days. I actually prefer this over one's like Essie's Shine of The Times. Mainly because the flakies aren't as dense. I prefer being able to build.  Anyways, check out this amazing pic spam!

RAINBOW!!!!!!!!!