Gold-on-red Stamping

Hello!

For this mani I used 17's Ruby Gem as my base colour ~ sadly it is losing its consistency in the bottle, which is a shame because I adore this rich creamy red.  I'll have to buy a new bottle.

Over Ruby Gem I used Barry M's Gold Foil to experiment with another Bundle Monster image ~ I stamped the whole image onto some fingers, then with the rest I just added some of the little dots in the design.

Hugs,

Lisa xx

Gold patterned stamping over a subtle lilac gradient...

Hello!

Today I have for you a gradient and stamping combo!  I'm really keen to experiment with gradients at the moment, and this is today's attempt.  I've been lazy and used photos from my phone rather than my camera but it turns out they're about the same quality, maybe even a tiny bit better ~ that's what you get for choosing the cheapest camera over good specs I suppose!

The two colours I chose to gradient were 17's Woo Me and Revlon's Cloud, both favourite polishes of mine.  The resulting blend looked good but was not as noticeable as I'd hoped, so I decided to add a design over it.  Here is the gradient pre-stamping:

And here is the completed mani, stamped using the sperm pattern (that's my name for it anyway!) on plate BM20 and Barry M's Gold Foil polish:

I am really happy with this one and can't stop looking down at my nails!  The result looks special but not OTT like some of my mani attempts!  The gradient is showing itself a little more now the Sun is out too ^_^

Hugs,

Lisa xx

Playing around with Gradients and Stamping!

Hello!

So, for this post I am showing you my amateur forays into gradients and stamping ~ both of which I'm very enthusiastic to experiment with, for better and for worse, as I've seen the beautiful results on some talented ladies' blogs!

First I painted a base of Care to Danse?, then I painted my make-up sponge wedge with pastel pink, white and lilac and dabbed it on!  It gave an ice-creamy, marshmallowy, cloudy combination that I loved!  Though next time I will use a more opaque base colour :)

Then, taking some inspiring suggestions from the ladies at Polishaholics Anonymous, I got out my stamping plates and added green flora and silver butterflies:

Again, I just want to keep on and on experimenting with these techniques and finding more lovely inspiration ~ I am like a kid in a sweet shop really!

Hugs,

Lisa xx

My Mini-Makeover

Hello!

Firstly, things have worked out very quickly giveaway-wise and the prizes (well-suffocated in bubble wrap) have been posted off to the winner already!!!  Happy days.

Today's post is not a nail post, but rather a Lisa-tried-to-put-on-makeup-again post.  I am being brave and showing a pic of myself, eek.

Basically I don't wear makeup.  Can't apply it, am insanely jealous of people who can.  The only period of my life I applied makeup was when I was a goth, a look which consisted mainly of clumsy colouring-in with eyeliner... and even that I couldn't do well.

So yesterday I went to Boots and Superdrug with a buying strategy of "whatever's cheap and looks about the right colour".  And then I went home and applied it.  And here is the result:

Hm.

I would REALLY appreciate any makeup-applying tips from you lovely readers out there!  Especially how to accentuate my eyes and make them look wider while keeping to an overall natural or day look.  Oh, and if I were to choose a new hairstyle and colour, what might look good?

Sorry, I have the makeup age of a 9-year-old!

Hugs,

Lisa xx

Happy Nails' First Giveaway ~ The Winner!

Hello!

My first ever giveaway closed at Mindnight EST last night with 129 entries ~ thank so much to all who entered!  It is now time to pick a winner.  And the winner is...

Michelle Lasitter!


Congratulations Michelle!  I will be contacting you to confirm your win and organise to send your prizes!!!

Eeeeeeee!  Thank you again to all for entering and reading my little blog ^_^

Hugs,

Lisa xx

Giveaway!

Hello!

Just as one last reminder, my first ever giveaway ends in 12 hours!  That's Midnight EST (Rafflecopter doesn't work in GMT sadly).  Come one, come all and get your entries in!  :)

I will draw the winner using Rafflecopter on either Monday night or Tuesday ~ I'll anounce it on here and on the Happy Nails Facebook page when I do.

Thanks to all who have entered, and in general to all who read my blog ~ you are lovely!

Lisa xx

'Care to Danse?' Stamping

Hello!

Today's post features the last polish I bought before my no-buy ~ Opi's Care to Danse?.  It's a sheer lilac that I thought would make a lovely base for stamping :-)

So, first I applied 3 coats of Care to Danse? (as I did, I got excited to do a French manicure with it in the future, as at 2 coats it looks wonderful!).  Then I stamped a leaf design using Barry M's Lilac Foil and plate BM19...

Yay delicate lilacy goodness!

The complaint I have with this stamping design is that it's too small for the nail, and because of the nature of the leaf pattern it's hard to line it up and get a good end result.  However, so long as you don't look too closely at the sides of my nails I love it!  I'm going to be trying lots more stamping designs and colours over Care to Danse? in the near future.

Hugs,

Lisa xx

Claire's Gold and Copper Glitter

Did I mention that I wish Claire's polishes had names?!

This is another £2.50 buy: a polish containing sprinkles of small gold glitter and large copper and gold hex glitter.  And it looks REALLY cool.  Here are 2 coats over 17's creamy brown Forever:

This mani makes me think of cookie crumbs!  The spread of the glitter was a little uneven, but adding that second coat helped and gave a great look.  I am really glad I bought this!

Hugs,

Lisa xx

Claire's ~ Iridescent Glitter

Hello!

I do wish that Claire's polishes had names!!!  Iridescent seems the best way to describe this glitter top coat ~ a lovely, ethereal blue shimmer.  And it only cost me £2.50.  I put a coat of it over yesterday's Black Multi Glitter by Barry M, and here it is:

It is soooooo pretty.  It makes me think of a fairy-frequented pond lit by moonlight!

Hugs,

Lisa xx

Giveaways and No-Buys

Hello!

Firstly, just to let you know that there are 4 days left to enter my first ever giveaway!  Max Factor's Fantasy Fire, Accessorize's Aztec and some cute nail stickers are waiting to be won!  Good luck my lovely entrants ^_^

Secondly, I am officially going on a no-buy.  Indefinitely!!!  I have over 200 polishes, tons of stickers, decals, foils, dried flowers, glitters, a pile of stamping plates... enough to create original manis for a million years!  Because of my problems and illnesses affecting university, my future is nowhere near certain, so I should really be trying to save money.  Today I received OPI's 'Care to Danse?' in the post, which is a polish I really, really wanted, and from now on I will be ever so frugal!

But thirdly... I have been considering offering to buy and send UK polishes to people overseas who can't get them.  My giveaway will be my first experience in mailing polish, so we will see how that goes and then I may be showing up on Polishaholics Anonymous to offer my services!

Thanks so much for reading,

Lisa xx