Leather, Tats and Studs

I've had this post lined up for about a week because I knew I would get itchy fingers to post but have no time to paint my nails. It's the last week of semester after all...

I present to you yet another version of this technique with a little extra. I used Nubar Toasted Marshmallows from their early 2012 Jellybean collection as a base for all fingers. I then  applied Rimmel Matte topcoat to my middle and ring fingers and pressed my trustworthy, it-came-from-scrap-foam sponge to give it the leather effect. 

On my ring finger, I stuck some black 3 mm studs from Dollar Nail Art and applied the gold 2 mm from Born Pretty Store on each side of the row with matte topcoat so the textured effect wouldn't change too much.

The fakes tattoos  I used on my index and pinky came from a pack of Ed Hardy tattoos I got from the $2 shop last September, of which I only used a couple and was left with a heap. I chose the below design first without nail polish on because well, it didn't look that pretty and I didn't mind ruining it.  Turns out I really like the way those curls and forehead looked so I decided to use it again on nail polish.

Chinese Dragon. Source

I cut the tattoo to fit my nail bed and applied along the length of the nail without trying to bend the paper to stick it to the sides. Instead, I wet my foam sponge that I used above and pressed it against the tattoo so it would soften and mold to the nail slowly.  Even though the fake tattoo didn't apply wrinkle-free, the softness of the finish of Rimmel Matte topcoat improved the look greatly.

Oh goodness... Don't look at those dry cuticles. They're awful.

I really liked the overall look and it was really fun to wear. 

The position of the black studs was slightly off and they managed to snag on a couple of things as they didn't sit completely flat on my nail. Oh well, lesson learnt. 

One other thing I was really proud of was the fact that I've managed to not only create a dupe method for Nails Inc. Noho Leather Effects, but also have created a very similar dupe for Soho Mews with a polish I'd managed to write off because of the funny colour. Then again, I don't own Soho Mews but there are plenty of swatches out there like here or here.

Toasted Marshmallow by itself. It's growing on me... Slowly.

I just have Shoreditch Lane, the burgundy colour, and Old Compton Street, the grey blue one, to recreate and I could say I saved myself about $75, which I could totally use for a polish haul. Completely justified.

What do you guys reckon? Are you a fan of the textured polishes? Do you own any that you love?

Till next time, 

Laura