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Nail Polish Giveaway begins 2/11/13 and ends 3/07/13.
Here we are at day 22, and the challenge of the day is inspired by a song. Well, what better song than my ringtone - the Super Mario Bros Themesong! Nothing like a childhood flashback to get you in the spirit!
In retrospect, it was a tad ambitious of me to attempt this 2 1/2 hour design during a 31 day challenge in which it would remain on my fingers for less than 24 hours. Trust me however, when I say that it was a labor of love...
To create this look, I used the following nail supplies:
10/0 detail paintbrush, Acrylic paint in Blue, Green, Red, Yellow, Black and White, Finished with Seche Vite Topcoat
While I may not have saved Princess Toadstool, I'm proud of this nail art just the same!
Today I want to bring you some swatches from the brand new Zoya Pixie Dust Collection! Once dry, every polish has a matte sparkle finish with a very textured effect. One thing I learned about myself while swatching these is that I am an EXTREMELY fickle polish lover!
Every polish I seemed to love more than the last. While each polish was on my nails, it was like no other polish in the world ever existed. I just wouldn't feel right if I didn't warn you, tread lightly with these, you may not ever want to wear another collection again!
ARE YOU SITTING DOWN?
First up is my personal favorite of the collection - Dahlia.
I know I know, I already admitted I'm fickle but I have truly deliberated and chose this as the one I love the most. I literally feel as if angels flew down from heaven with crushed black diamonds in their hands and placed them directly on my nails. The picture DOES NOT show the true sparkle of these. They are amaze-balls. Trust me, you want it.
Zoya - Dahlia
Secondly, I want to show off Godiva.
The polish is a beautiful pale cream color, and reminds me of sparkly sand from an exotic beach. The sparkle effect is not as intense with Godiva, due to the lightness of the shade. There really isn't enough contrast to let the sparkle shine through at all times, but in the right light it is definitely eye catching.
Zoya - Godiva
Next we have NYX, which is a gorgeous shade of periwinkle.
When it dried, it really reminded me of sugared candy crystals. I love that the color is so perfect for Springtime too! I found that in certain light is has more of a purple tint to it, and in other light it can look slightly more blue.
Zoya - NYX
Vespa is a soft muted green that I found just as wonderful as the rest.
I love that the color is so soft and pastel, at first glace and then the sparkle sets in like BAM!
Zoya - Vespa
The brightest color of the bunch is Chyna.
I typically don't love the look of red polish on me too much, but once this was on, it won me over. You can really see the texture of the polish in this swatch too. Once dry, it doesn't have a gritty feeling at all like I suspected it would.
Zoya - Chyna
Another favorite of mine from the group is London.
In general, I LOVE the color gray and this is no exception. London reminds me of a thick fog on a snowy day with the way the sparkle peeks through the polish. I would definitely wear this one on a daily basis, it is simply gorgeous!
Zoya - London
A few words of advice - Definitely make sure to wrap the tips of your nails with this collection. If you forget, you will find it to be very noticeable after it dries. I wrapped each nail and let the polish set for a few minutes, then lightly tapped the edges so that it was all even and patted down.
Once dry, the glitter does not fall off and it doesn't have a gritty feeling at all like I suspected it would. I actually enjoyed the feeling of running my fingers over the polish!
When
using the Pixie Dust polishes, it is recommended that you apply 2-3
coats without any base or top coat. Applying top coat will nullify the
textured finish and give you any entirely new look with a sparkly shine.
Basically, you get two polishes in one - Bonus! The collection sells for $9.00 per bottle and is available now on Zoya.com
The theme of the day is inspired by color, so I decided it was the perfect time to"think pink" and take the opportunity to create this soft pretty pink hearts mani just in time for Valentine's Day!
Polishes used: China Glaze - Laced Up & White On White. Stamping plate : Cheeky CH15
- Adventures In Water Marbling With A Side Of Rage-
Well folks, here we have it. The day you've all been waiting for and the day I've been stressing over since the beginning of this challenge. The dreaded water marble technique...
Polishes used: Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear in Pacific Blue & Going Green, China Glaze - Happy Go Lucky
While there is most definitely a strong learning curve, once I got the hang of it I actually found it to be pretty fun. It took a little bit of trial and error, but I have to admit that overall I'm pretty pleased with the results for my first attempt! The process was quite messy, but I'm fairly certain that is partially due to me shrieking with rage face and knocking over my entire setup midway through the process. For your enjoyment, I have included this artists rendering of the events that took place today:
If you are thinking of trying this technique, be sure that your water is room temperature or slightly warmer. I found that cold water caused my polish to dry on the surface or sink to the bottom in droplets. Also, hold your brush close to the water surface when dropping, holding the brush too high above didn't work out for me at all.
Many people recommend using cuticle oil, vaseline or tape around the skin to minimize on cleanup time. But being the rebel that I am, I threw caution to the wind and hit this water marble raw dog. I didn't choose the thug life, thug life chose me.
Give water marble a try, it can really create some brilliant designs!
Check out this great picture tutorial from fellow blogger PolishandPearls.com and let me know if you try this yourself!
