GOT Polish Challenge: Something Tropical

I'm back after week and half long blogging break. I didn't go on a holiday or had a emergency pop up, I was feeling overwhelmed and disappointed with my lack of imagination for innovative manis and the pressure (put on me by me and me only) to keep up with the two challenges I decided to take up on recently. I'd usually see it as a lack of professionalism to just leave for a while without notice but I was just not feeling it. This is supposed to be a hobby that I ENJOY and trying to keep up when my mind shut the creative side out temporarily makes this pastime everything but.

But the break helped and now I'm back with what I feel is a clear head and itchy fingers to get some nail art happening. When the 'something tropical' prompt popped out, I knew I didn't want to just do palm trees or a sunset because well, I'd be too difficult for me to do and I didn't want to get tired on my first post. So I googled tropical and after a few clicks here and there, I decided to do a blue poison dart frog skin pattern on my nails, which live in the tropical forest of Central America.

I started with two coats of Absolutely Blue by Essence and one of HK Girl top coat for the base and let that dry. I then used a wedged make up sponge and created a rough triangular gradient with Essie's Aruba Blue by tapping the sponge lightly over the base and building up the colour (I reeeally need to learn to break up my sentences). Once dry, I used Topshop's Celestial to do the outline of the spots and used American Apparel's Hassid for the black spots. Finished by cleaning my cuticles and with one coat of HK Girl top coat.

Frog used for inspiration. 

Source

This was super quick and easy to do, I would generally have to repeat at least one step in my manis but not with this one. Woohoo!

 

I'm really happy with the way this turned out so I could almost say i'll be back next week. Maybe... I can't promise anything. 

Till next time, 

Laura

GOT Polish Challenge: Blue

Blue polish has always had a special place in my heart, especially if it's a shimmery royal blue polish. When I saw the GOT blue prompt, I immediately knew I wanted to bring out Aruba Blue, which was my first Essie and its purchase marked the beginning of my polish hoarding habits around mid 2012. I painted my digits with the polish but then I remembered I had purchased Maybelline Mini Colorama in Electric Blue, another royal blue shimmer, back in 2010, so that one should take the crown as the Golden Oldie blue. I'd always worn unusual shades in my lifetime (greenish gold polish at 13, anyone? Yes, it was the 90's) but Electric Blue was my first fashion colour. I wasn't just a kid playing with colours anymore, I was a grown woman making a fashion statement with my nails in a world of nude pinks and black. Yes, I chose to be different. Haha! Polish has been in defining times of my life and I may be reading too much into it. :)

I'm actually using both polishes on the photo below for comparison, Aruba blue on the index and ring fingers and Electric Blue on the pinky and middle finger. Not only was the former my first Essie, it turned out to be my first stash dupe. Even worse, I ended getting Sally Hansen's Azure last year without having memory of why I bought it and now have three royal blue shimmers. At least I won't run out any time soon...

I wanted to make truly old school, so I brought out OPI's beautifully coloured Turquoise Shatter and tried to create a lightning bolt/tape mani. Once upon a time, I tried to reuse this shatter by applying it directly to the nail, without base coat, so it wouldn't crack and after two coats it looked opaque. I top coated it and happily went on with my day but when I removed it I ended up with the brightest blue nails I had ever seen. I took out the bicarb soda and lemon straight away and scrubbed and scrubbed thinking that I was gonna have blue stains for a while. It eventually came off and a big lesson was learnt. Crackles are done unless you are doing an golden oldie mani. Btw, when I said once upon a time, I meant yesterday... :/

I'm gonna have to face it, even though I love these two colours together, this wasn't my best work for a number of reasons. 

• I used a crackle that was lumpy. 
• I painted my dominant hand as I broke three of my blogging nails baaaaaaadly over the last five days. I have little round nubbins at the moment and I don't think they look bad, they're just too short. 
• There are awkward hand poses and fluff in one of my photos. 

Next week, I'm up for dots and know exactly what I'm gonna do. Hopefully my nails are ok by then

Check out the rules for the challenge and some more awesome blue manicures below.

Until next time, 

Laura