July 31, 2010, 12:11:00 AM

Les Contrastes de Chanel: Paradoxal

Crush

Maybe you remember my review on Chanel's previous hit: Nouvelle Vague? I was a bit disappointed to be honest... and then this beauty strolled along. Trust me, I was reluctant. But then the swatches started to haunt me and I knew I just needed to have it. I think I now know what it's like to have a nail polish crush. It won't be out here for a while, but a big sweetheart CP'ed it for me, thank you so much Brittni!!

Secret shimmer

And you know what? I'm happy to have it! This polish belongs to the Les Contrastes de Chanel fall 2010 collection. Paradoxal is a deep purple-y taupe, I really love this color. In brighter or sun light there's this pretty pink/blue-ish shimmer, it's stunning. The shimmer is barely noticeable in normal lighting though, but sometimes the purple sheen will catch your eye. I'm pretty sure I will be wearing this color a lot this fall!

Application

I normally don't use the phrase "it applies like butter", I save it for very very special occasions, and this is one of them. I've used two coats and they just glided on. A lot of people experienced major chip city within a few days, but for me it stayed on for five days with only one chip at my thumb (and that was on the 5th day AFTER I cleaned the house). I used Orly Bonder and Nubar Diamont and it held up really well!

Dupes?

If you're looking for a less expensive alternative you can look into Purple Grey by Models Own, it doesn't have shimmer but the base color is really close!

You can get Chanel Paradoxal online at www.chanel.com for $23.00 or at your local Chanel counter. It probably won't be for sale in The Netherlands until appr. October.

July 28, 2010, 10:23:00 PM

Review: Essence Nail Art Pens

Essence & Nail Art

Essence is really getting into nail art recently. They now have an entire line of glitters, decals, special nail art base & top coats and also these six Nail Art pens! Nail art can take up a lot of time, especially if you're into freehand stuff. Will these pens make your nail art life easier?

Essence came up with these pens in six different colors, the packaging actually reminds me a lot of markers. They're fairly easy to use. Give them a good shake, press on the tip until the polish comes out and you're all set. I played around with these and they're pretty neat when it comes to drawing, thanks to the pointy tip.

Swatches

I swatched the colors over black and white, to show you how they're holding up against a bold background.

  • Cool Black is really awesome, it's very opaque and applies pretty nicely, allowing to make neat tight lines (which I obviously didn't - damn caffeine!).
  • Silver Star is another winner, very opaque, easy to handle.
  • Then we have Silver White, in the picture it looks nearly the same as Silver Star but it's not, I was expecting this to be a solid white, but I got a pearly sheer white instead, not a fan of this one.
  • Next in line is Deep Purple, I love this color but it has an extremely watery texture, so it's almost if you're making a water-colour painting with this one.
  • Same goes for Juicy Orange, sheer, watery, I don't like it.
  • Last but not least we have Spacy Pink. Spacy pink looks a LOT lighter than its deceiving packaging, but because it's a very well pigmented color, I liked it nonetheless.

Conclusion

Overall I'd say these are nice, but not perfect. I would recommend getting Cool Black, Silver Star and Spacy Pink and that's about it. And luckily those make up for a great color combination! You can also use top coat on these without smudging your lines, I was pleasantly surprised!

I got these at Dutch drugstore Kruidvat and they were €1,99 each.

July 27, 2010, 6:50:00 PM

Review: Nfu Oh Aqua Base

Extra oomph?

Lately I've been reading a lot about a special base coat by Nfu Oh, the Aqua Base. This base coat is specifically designed to go under holographic nail polish. On several blogs I read this base coats gives extra "oomph" to holographic nail polishes, it would even make Nfu Oh 61 a dupe for Chanel Holographic. Oh la la. So my nail polish heart beat a little faster and I before I knew it I had ordered myself a bottle.

Application

Nfu Oh holos are notorious for their patchy application and bad wear, but this base coat makes application a whole lot easier. This milky base coat smells a bit funny, almost like glue, but luckily it doesn't have a very strong scent. I only need 2 (!) coats of Nfu Oh #66, when applied over the Aqua Base instead of the usual 3 or 4 to cover up any bald patches. So that's a huge plus for me! I can't really tell anything about the wear yet, but I promise to update this post when I know more.

Put it to the test

But does it really spice up the holographic effect? I tried it myself, with Nfu Oh #66, a gorgeous lime green holo. I applied 2 layers of the Aqua Base and 4 layers on top of Orly Bonder. I skipped the top coat. Mhmm, honestly, I see no difference, do you? I'd totally recommend this base coat for its ability to handle holographics so well, though!

I wanted to end this post with a little bit of news for my Brazilian readers! Yesterday I stumbled upon this link, and found out a brand called Rivka is going to introduce esmaltes Holográficos in Brasil. Sanction Angel is also releasing (in 10 or 15 days) a bunch of - to die for - holos, how hot are THESE?!

You can order this base coat at NailXL or check out my faq for other etailers.

Thanks for stopping by and have a great day!
- Michèle

July 26, 2010, 1:14:00 PM

Review: Burt's Bees Tin Trio

Hi everyone! Sadly, the weekend is already over, so let's kickstart this week with a fresh review. I picked up this cute trio a while ago, I had heard so much good things about Burt's Bees.. I just had to. The package contains 3 small tins, each good for 8.5g or 0.3oz. I love how Burt's Bees products are 100% natural and cruelty free. They're not vegan though, as they contain bees wax.

Burt's Bees - Beeswax Lip Balm

When I have dry or chapped lips I always reach for a lip balm. Before using the Burt's Bees lip balm I was using brands like Blistex and Purol. The thing that bothered me most about these, was the fact I had to reapply throughout the entire day. Not with this bad boy. It really lasts long, leaving me with soft lips! It isn't greasy and I love the tingling sensation. It smell like mint, which I adore, but if you're not into mint you'd best stay away from it. I also have this in tube form, and I must admit I like that one better, because it applies easier.

Burt's Bees - Lemon Butter Cuticle Cream

I've mentioned this product before, and I think it's really good. It's more a balm then a cream though. It's my second favorite cuticle moisturizer after Lemony Flutter, and that means something. I love that it goes on quite transparent, but you do have to rub hard to get some product out.
The effort definitely pays off since it does a mighty fine job at moisturizing. The smell is lovely too, it's best described as the smell of Napoleon candy or lemon cake, yum!

Burt's Bees - Hand Salve

Well, this is a tough one. What I don't like about this product is that is a real solid salve, so again, you've got some work to do if you want to get some out of the tin. It melts down to an oily substance, therefore it's really greasy. Icky-greasy. It's best to walk around like a zombie because you do not want to touch things with your sticky fingers after you've used this salve. So yeah, that kinda sucks. But, it does work. And pretty good actually. My hands were really soft after it finally absorbed. I think this is best to be used at nighttime, especially in winter. It has a strong smell that reminds me a bit of herbal, medicinal stuff with a touch of eucalyptus, which I happen to like a lot.


Depending on where you're from you can order this trio at Boozyshop for €12.95 or at Sephora for €14.95

July 24, 2010, 12:05:00 PM

Protect your painted talons!

The solution to all your problems

We all get it sometimes: post manicure stress. We bang our freshly painted nails to the door, and we smudge our nail polish because we have to pee. Or the kitty strolls along leaving a trail of small hairs stuck to your nails. But not anymore! Yes, aren't you excited?! /end sarcasm. I got an email from Tina C. showing me this wicked invention, thank you Tina!

In all seriousness, would you find these handy? Oh well, who needs quick drying top coat anyway...

You can purchase these on eBay for next to nothing! I also stumbled upon interesting inventions like Nose Up and The Wonder Double Eye Lid Clipper, pretty hot eh?

July 23, 2010, 6:12:00 PM

Incoco - The New Revolution In Nail Polish?

INCOCO. The Revolution in Nail Polish.

The world of nail polish as you know it is about to change forever! Finally there's an answer to the spills and smears of messy nail polish bottles: Incoco Self-stick 100% Nail Polish strips.

No other product can provide base coat, color coat and top coat in a single dry self=stick nail polish strip. In minutes, you can have a professional manicure that lasts up to 14 days


Incoco offers strips in many different colors and finishes and today I'm showing you Ruby Shoes, pretty, isn't it!?

How it's done

Incoco has really nice instructions up on their website, so if you're interested in this technique please check it out here. It can be tricky at first, but after you're done with a few nails you'll get the hang of it. You start off with a clean, buffed nail (ridges will show) and select the size that best fits your nail. Each strip actually has 2 sizes, one at each end. After that you just remove the top clear film, and peel the color strip from the backing paper. All you have to do is place the color strip on your nail against the cuticles. Smoothen up any wrinkles it might have, pull it over the tip of your nail and tear the excess off. If needed you can use the included file to smoothen up the edges.

If you're worried these might stain your nails, each color strips consist out of base coat, color and a top coat, I experienced no staining after wearing these for a full week. They're also b3f, which is a huge plus.

Wear

Yes a full week, no chipping, almost no tip wear, no scratches, dents whatever. I'm really impressed, I'm pretty sure I could've worn them for another week, but I had some new growth so I took it off. You can remove these with the special Polish Removal Cloth that's included. This is actually a piece of felt with Acetone based remover. I haven't tried it on any other color besides Ruby Shoes, but removal was okay, not as bad as I thought it would be considered the glitter! I've also tried using my regular non acetone remover and that worked fine as well.

Conclusion

I really like these! The thing that really appeals to me is the wear, Im thinking I'll be wearing these when I go on vacation, no worries about chipped nail polish, yay! Other advantages are: easily and quickly done, no smell, no drying time and an immaculate looking manicure. It can be a bit challenging to find all the right sizes for your nails. For me the biggest disadvantage is the price. The Ruby Shoes costs $7.99 for 2 strips (= 1 manicure), a bit much when you compare this to a bottle of nail polish. But, if you're looking for a manicure that lasts a long time, with little effort, these are awesome.


Visit the Incoco Website

The products in this post were provided to me by Incoco for consideration - for more information please read my disclaimer

July 22, 2010, 9:00:00 AM

Every rose has its thorn..

I happened to stumble upon this interesting manicure! This manicure is created by Topolino, who is well known for this runway looks especially created for Alexander McQueen.

How they did it:

  • Take three roses and slice off their thorns with gardening shears. Be very careful, or you will bleed.
  • Paint each thorn a blood red, or whatever color you'll use for your manicure.
  • Paint your nails the same shade.
  • Take your nail polish and slick the bottom of the thorns with the brush, using it as "glue" for each thorn to stick on each nail.
  • Wait for it to dry

Mhmm, I doubt if they'd stay on, just like that. Obviously, you won't be needing brass knuckles anymore if you're sporting this look. It's definitely unique but it's not my style so I'd never wear it, I'm way too clumsy anyway and most likely I'll take out an eye or something.

Hot or not?

image and info credits: Nylon Magazine

July 21, 2010, 9:00:00 AM

Essence Colour & Go: Underwater

Underwater with Essence

Hi guys! For today I have one of those 'from the vault' posts, I found out I had this swatch lying around, so I thought I'd share! This pretty bright blue nail polish makes me desperately long for a good swim, on a tropical island (while pretending to be Brooke Shields).

It's pretty, bright, especially on a sunny day. In the shade it's definitely more flat-looking. Application was very good, you'd expect a crappy tiny brush, judging on the tiny bottle, but boy I was wrong. It isn't as wide as the famous OPI brush, but still wider than most. It does need three coats for complete coverage, but it dries fast! The only thing that bugs me though, is the finish, it's a bit frosty, so hellooo brush strokes. I'm not sure how I feel about frosts all together though, it seems to be a bit outdated if you ask me.

Essence Colour & Go

Essence's Underwater belongs to their Colour & Go line, these cost €1.25 ($1,60) for 5ml. But if you're lucky enough to live in the States, these will only cost you €0,80 ($0.99 ) each, hmmm interesting!

July 19, 2010, 9:00:00 AM

Men & Nail Polish: Yay or Nay?

Did you know nail polish was invented for men? Chinese Emperors and Egyptian pharaos were the first to cover their nails with polish! Nowadays we're seeing more and more guys getting mani's, pedi's and wearing nail polish. Be it male models, footballplayers, rockstars, actors, YouTube make up gurus, your neighbor, you name it... it's definitely up and coming!

Badass brands like ManGlaze and BB Couture even came up with nail polish lines aimed at men.

Share your thoughts!

How do you feel about this? Something just for metaldudes, or is it for everyone? Would you date someone who likes to wear nail polish?

I myself wouldn't mind it for one bit! Isn't it a tad weird that we all strive for the equality of men and women, but men wearing nail polish or make up is still something that's being frowned upon?

If you happen to be a guy who likes to wear nail polish, please let us know your story!

image credits: The Sartorialist & onlineticketsusa (Marilyn Manson) & coveralia (Dave Navarro)

July 18, 2010, 8:55:00 AM

How To: Kill your brand

Ginger + Liz send cease and desist notification: how to kill your brand

Lately there's been some rumbling in Beauty Bloggin paradise. More and more often companies do not agree with the content that has been posted on blogs and they start to prance around like a horse in heat. We've already seen a company that could not handle negative reviews (LimeCrime) and we've also experienced a brand that couldn't enjoy the free publicity that was being generated by an too early released press release.

This is not where the rumbling stops. Word on the street was that Diamond Cosmetics delivers to private labels. Diamond Cosmetics openly states they do this, I see no problems there.

But, let's say, you're a blogger. You don't want to palm off on your readers by recommending them an expensive version of a cheaper product. And this is where things can go wrong. Recently I politely declined the request of Elle.com to place an advertisement that included Priti Polish (another would-be private label of DC). It just wouldn't feel right. If I had any products of which I'd suspect that another brand's selling them for less money, I wouldn't hesitate to ask myself what's the deal.

This is exactly what Sara from Daily Polish did. Sara reviewed some products (she bought herself) by Ginger + Liz and she and her readers noticed these were similar to the ones by Diamond Cosmetics. When her readers requested some comparisons of the two brands, she went ahead and provided these.

A few posts later and Sara is being threatened with a $200.000 lawsuit. This kind notice was left through the attorney of Ginger + Liz. All posts and comments concerning this matter must be taken offline if she wants to stay out of trouble. Funnily enough Sara isn't the only one who ever questioned this en publique.

Of course it's common sense and decency to not totally destroy a company without grounded facts. There's a thin line between opinion and stating facts. But wondering things, since when is that not allowed?

And now what?

Is blogging as we know it indeed well and truly over? Is it asking for trouble when you're just voicing the ideas and opinions you have? Isn't this what blogging is about? An honest judgement coming from someone just like you? And what do actions like these say about a company?

The one thing I now know for sure, is that I've lost all interest in this brand. Whoops, are they going to sue me now?

- ETA: I've read some comments on another blog from Sara that could've been looked at as questionable, however, I still think the C&D is an overreaction.

Ginger + Liz, Ginger and Liz, Diamond Cosmetics, Cease and Desist, Controversy, private label

July 17, 2010, 5:41:00 PM

How To: Photograph your nails

Hello everyone! This topic may not interest all of you, but since people have been asking me to do this for ages, I figured, why not? I'm not saying my pictures are perfect, but taking nice crisp photos isn't that hard as you might think, even if you don't own a super expensive camera!💸💸💸

1. Type of camera

I actually use two cameras, no real reason, I generally pick the one that is the closest! The cameras I'm currently using are a Canon Ixus 75 and a Sony CyberShot w120. These are very simple compact cameras that don't cost a fortune at all. The first is a 7.1 megapixel camera and the Sony has 7.2 megapixels. Megapixels usually don't say a lot, the lens is what's really important. Therefore I wouldn't recommend taking pics with a mobile phone.

2. Light & Location

A lot of people think I shoot my pics in a light box, but I don't. I do have a selfmade one, but that one is too crappy to be even looked at. I prefer good daylight, on gloomy days I don't swatch and photograph at all. I take my pictures in front of a window. All the neighbors must think I'm crazy by now.

Just play around with how the light falls on your hand, just take a couple of shots in different angles and find out what looks good to you. Also be careful with reflection, if there's too much just pick another angle to shoot from.

3. Background

I like my backgrounds to be calm and quiet, so I sometimes use a colored piece of paper as a backdrop. Of course you don't have to do this, just make sure you don't have a lot of clutter in the background. It can be a little bit distracting at times.
Generally, no one's really that interested in seeing your dirty laundry. I do love seeing beautiful flowers, sand, sea, anything pretty and creative.

4. Sassy Settings

Now you're all set. There are a few settings I adjust and those are the Macro and the ISO values. The macro setting (iconized as a flower) allows you to take really sharp photos closeby. The ISO setting controls how sensitive the image sensor is to light. The higher the ISO the less light you'll need to take a photo. The higher the ISO, more speckled your pics will be. So you may have guessed this, I like to set the ISO low, around 100, or 200. If you have good lighting and a steady hand, this should be fine. If not, use a tripod and you won't end up with blurry pics.

I have to admit, I don't know a lot about white balance. White balancing is telling the camera what combination of red, green, and blue light it should perceive as pure white, given the current lighting conditions. Knowing that, the camera then accurately reproduces the other colors.

Usually my camera picks up colors just fine just using the auto preset. If your colors come out wrong, just try some of the white balancing presets to figure out which one is working for you.

July 16, 2010, 2:48:00 PM

Rescue Beauty Lounge - Scrangie

the yearning

Please meet one of the prettiest purples ever! As you might already know, Rescue Beauty Lounge released a blogger collection back in 2009. Bloggin queen Scrangie came up with this gorgeous color what she describes as a medium blue-based purple with green iridescence and green microshimmer. Of course it sold out. Of course I wanted it. Wait, wanted? I needed it! After watching some go on eBay for ridiculous prices, I just gave up.

But then! RBL decided to bring it back. Lucky me!

I need buckets of this stuff

In all honesty I think they changed the formula a bit in the second round, because I've ever heard a bad thing about this polish before. Could it be? I tried it on as soon as I got it, *with shakey hands from excitement*, and it just wouldn't dry and it started bubbling pretty bad. But, since it was a very hot and humid day, I decided to give it another go some other time.

Since we had some gloomy days around here, I figured it be a perfect time to cover my nails in this sauce of awesomeness again. Three layers later, it still bubbled a bit. But thankfully it dried and pretty quick at that! So, it may not be application heaven, I don't really care! The color is just too perfect, I'd paint EVERYTHING this color if I had gallons of the stuff. It stayed on 4 days without chipping, so that wasn't bad either.

RBL polishes cost 18 USD for 12ml and Scrangie is still available at the RBL website!

Well dear reader, this was it for today, thanks for stopping by and be safe!
- Michèle

July 14, 2010, 11:52:00 PM

Diamond Cosmetics - Tranquility

Tranquility

Tranquility. What a fitting name for this pretty little thing. This soothing blue creme by Diamond Cosmetics is a part of their 2010 Spring Collection. I love how peaceful, yet not boring, this color is!
I've read that Tranquility is a true turquoise but I don't really find that to be the case. A Robin's Egg blue is more like it. I didn't even know a color was named after the eggs of the Robin bird. Pretty cool!

While I'm normally really gung ho on more complex finishes, I really like this polish. I guess it's one of those "less is more" kinda things. Chanel somewhat declared light blues to be the next big thing for spring 2011, well, I'm ready, bring it on!

Application

Application wasn't bad, but it does need a tiny amount of thinner. I mixed in 4 drops of thinner and I was all set. Tranquility is very opaque, it's almost one coater, I needed to apply 2 coats to get it right.

Diamond Cosmetics polishes are quite cheap, depending on where you buy them. Boozyshop charges €3.95 for one bottle (12.6ml).

Boozyshop

This polish was sent to me for review by Boozy Shop. Boozy Shop is a lovely Dutch webshop, that sells a lot of great brands like Diamond Cosmetics, Essie, Sinful Colors, Milani, Wet 'n Wild and they even carry the famous 88 palettes. They ship throughout most of Europe, if you aren't sure if they ship to your country, don't hesitate to contact the owner, because she's incredibly helpful!


Thanks for stopping by and have a great day!
- Michèle

July 13, 2010, 9:37:00 PM

No time to paint your nails?

Sometimes I run into stuff... wow! These bad ass gloves are designed by London based designer Dominic Jones.

Founded in late 2008, London based Dominic Jones Jewellery is fast becoming hot property amongst the fashion elite. The new "It Boy" for celeb jewelry, designer Jones' Tooth And Nail collection consists of rings, earrings, bracelets, necklaces, belts and gloves embellished with fangs, thorns, teeth and claw-like accents.

Aren't these awesome? Probably not something I would dare to wear (and I'm cutting down on real leather as it is), maybe I'd give these a spin if I'd ever reincarnate as Lady Gaga herself!
These would be perfect to cover up any nail art fails/chips/stained nails, don't you think? ;-). They only cost 682 EUR, quite a bargain. Riiiight.

Price aside: Fashion of Faux-pas?


Online store

quote credits go to ifitshipitshere.blogspot.com

How To: Make your manicure last

how to make your manicure last

Hi guys! For today another how to post! Normally I change my polish a lot, but there are times when you want to make your manicure last! Maybe because you're busy or maybe because you're going on vacation, you name it. It isn't all that hard, take a look at the following tips:

1

Prep the nail

Make sure you're starting off with clean nails. Get rid of any nail polish you might have on. By using a nail polish remover before you're starting your fresh manicure, you will clean the nails. If your remover leaves a greasy residue grab some alcohol on a cotton pad and wipe your nails with that. Any oils or residue on nails makes it more difficult for polish to adhere to the nail.
Do your cuticles so everything is neat and out of the way.

2

Base & Top Coat

A good base coat is really important. You're not walking around commando style either, are you? Or maybe you do, but erhm, anyway! A good base coat does not only prevent staining, it also bonds your nail polish to your nails.
A top coat is to give shine, but also to keep everything sealed and in its place. You can also refresh your manicure daily with a layer of top coat, I don't do this often, but it does work.

3

Wrappin' it

When applying polish, sweep a bit across the edge and under the nail tip. I usually just tap my brush, with some nail polish on it, against my tip before I start with the first layer. The polish wil melt together when you're done with your whole nail.
By doing this you're wrapping the end, so it seals your nail polish onto your nail and it won't chip that easily.
You can do this with your top coat as well!

4

Would you like a sandwich with that?

Now this is something I've just started doing recently! Certain kinds of nail polish chip easily, maybe it's the texture, maybe the fact that a top coat ruins it all, but I've found this to work. You can use this trick with regular polish too. It is recommended to use sticky base coats when you're doing this so called sandwich. Think Orly Bonder or CND Stickey. If you don't have these: I had pretty good results with using top coat in between! Just make sure it doesn't give you shrinkage (like Seche Vite can do).

 

Matte nailpolish

Some brands that make matte nail polish advice against using a base coat. Ignore that, because some colors WILL make your nails yellow. Or green. Or blue. Obviously, if you're going for that crazy matte effect, you can't seal your mani with top coat. To make it stay: I apply a base coat, a layer of matte polish and then another layer of base coat. On top of that I'm just applying another layer of matte polish. Et voila, a nail polish sandwich! You can also do this if you're just mattifying with a matte top coat!

Holographic nail polish

I don't like to use a top coat on these either. It can really dull the effect so I do the same thing: base coat, holographic nail polish, base coat, holographic nail polish. Is this sandwiching making you hungry yet?

July 11, 2010, 5:19:00 PM

Fabuloustreet.com

Since I post about Nfu Oh products every now and then I get a lot of questions where I buy these. There's actually a small list of etailers that carry the brand and one of them is www.fabuloustreet.com. It's a really nice website with awesome customer service and they have a wide range of Nfu Oh products. I've recommended this website to a lot of people. A LOT. It's even in my FAQ section. Turns out, there are some issues with the site so I feel obliged to let you know the following. Please note I'm not making this post to cause any panic or slander the company.

On The Nailboard over at www.makeupalley.com there have been postings ( 1 | 2 | 3 ) about how some (not all!) people ordered from this etailer, paid with creditcard and experienced weird fraudulent credit card purchases not long after that. Somehow something got messed up. They're already on it as you can read here:

Thank you very much for your message
I am very sorry that you are having this same problem as well as the other customers. We are starting a detail investigation on this. We will call our credit card handling company (Paypal) to work on this issue. As soon as we find out some information, we will immediately post on our News section for updates.

On the technical side, we never see credit card informations. When we process orders with our hosting software, we do not see credit card numbers, (only the last 4 numbers.) So I can ensure to you that it was not our staff. But like I mentioned before, I will do everything possible to find out what happen.

Thank you very much once again for your message and I hope we can end this problem once and for all

Use PayPal

I'm guessing it's most likely security holes instead of a malicious Fabuloustreet. So if you're placing an order, please make sure to use PayPal, which is a lot safer.

July 10, 2010, 11:32:00 PM

How To: Konad

Hi everyone! For today I've got another how-to that has been requested a lot! I'm not saying this is the way to do it, because I'm sure everyone has their own preferences, but this is my take on it! The end result in the last picture is really awful, please forgive me, but I was working (too) fast because it's still subtropical in The Netherlands and I almost succumbed to the heat!

Before you start anything, you want to make sure you got the right stuff right in front of you. This will minimize little problems like knocking over very expensive nail polish remover or nail polish and the likes. (At the end of making these pictures I had nail polish on my cheeks and an almost empty bottle of Zoya Remove +).

Stuff you'll need

  • A medium file
  • Image plate
  • Stamp
  • Konad/Awesome pigmented polish
  • Konad special top coat (preferred)
  • Plastic Card
  • Nail polish remover/acetone
  • Cotton pads
  • Perseverance
  • A good mood

how to konad tutorial

1. Roughen it up!

This is a step that you really don't want to skip. Just grab a medium file and file lightly over the stamp. If you don't do this, it most likely won't pick up nail polish at all.

how to konad tutorial

2. Polishes

Before you start prepare a cotton pad (or more) with nail polish remover and lay it next to the plate. You'll have to clean the stamp (and sometimes the plate) after every go. By using something like tweezers to pick up the cotton pad you won't mess up your manicure.

The polish you use can really influence the end result. Konad sells special polish for stamping, but if you got some really nice pigmented (one coaters and such) nail polishes, you can use these too!
You don't have to fill the entire design on the plate, just apply a bit at one side of the pattern. (I accidentally kinda went overboard while I was taking pictures so you can use less than pictured).

3. Scrape

Most Konad kits come with a scraper. I don't like it. It's sturdy and damages your image plates like no other. Using a plastic card is easier on the plate and it's easier to move around anyway.
Scrape your polish from one side to the other, making sure the nail polish fills every gap in the design. Don't press too hard, because you don't want to scoop nail polish out of the grooves.

how to konad tutorial

4. Be like Speedy Gonzalez

Speed is a really huge thing when you're Konad-ing. You really have to work fast or the polish will turn too dry to pick up with the stamp.

5. Stamp

After you applied nail polish, scraped around, immediately place the stamp on the design. You don't have to press hard, it will only mess up the design.

how to konad tutorial

6. Press

Now you're good to go. Depending on your nail shape, there are several ways to stamp on the nail. My nails are a wee bit curvaceous, so I don't place the stamp flat, from the center. If you have really flat nails, I think this might work for you though.
I align the stamp to the side of my nails, making a circular movement while placing it on the nail. You want a steady, quick hand with this, or you'll end up with a design looking like mine :-P.

7. Top it off

When your done, it's time to get out the top coat. This can be a little bit tricky because it's very easy to smudge your fresh design. Konad has a top coat especially made for this. You can also use other top coats, just make sure it's not thick and apply it in a floating manner, like you're not really touching the nail with the brush.

Well, this is how I go around doing Konad. It's not something I really fancy doing, it can get very messy!

The nail polishes I used in this how-top are Color Club's Worth the Risque and Revvvoluton. Review coming soon!

July 9, 2010, 5:37:00 PM

Deborah Lippmann - Ruby Red Slippers

Celebrating!

Hi guys! What's up? Today may not really be the time for vampy colors, since it's an excruciatingly hot summer day, but today is the day I've been blogging for six months so I wanted something festive! Only six months, it seems so long already!

Glitter

I think this polish is just fabulous! Red Ruby Slippers by Deborah Lippmann is a black jelly base with a mix of small and big hexadecimal hexagonal red glitter. Absolutely divine. It's like China Glaze's Lubu Heels on steroids!

Application

Polishes like these are never the easiest to apply though. You really have to be careful when it comes to the placement of the glitter, it can be all over the place! I actually had to use a stick to immediately push the glitter back in, away from the cuticle, while it was still wet. Normally I like to layer wet over wet, but this one needs a little bit of drying time between layers. But it's so stunning to look at, that I'm gladly taking this for granted!
You can wear this at two coats, but I applied 3. It does dry bumpy and not so glossy, so you definitely want to bring out the top coat. I applied 3 layers of Nubar Diamont to create a smooth glossy surface.

Deborah Lippmann polishes cost between $16-$20 for 15ml each. You can order them online at deborahlippmann.com

Thanks so much for stopping by and see you next time!
- Michèle