One stamping pattern, three different looks

I was really excited about this post because it's the first one on Polishly that shows off one of my favorite things about nail stamping: versatility!

I started off with this pattern from my XL stamping plate A. It's the pattern on the top left corner of the plate.

I wanted the first look I created to be have some sparkle. 

I'd say it was successful ;-)

I used CND Stickey Base Coat and Seche Vite top coat for all three looks in this post.

For the first photoset, I applied two coats of Catrice Cosmetics Jade Is Not My Name, a light green creme. I got this polish on sale (it was just  €1.75, and Catrice polishes are already nearly always under the €3 price point anyway) and I'd had it for almost two months before I used it for the first time with this look. It photographs bluer than it is. To be perfectly honest, I don't like it on its own at all. It might be good for Halloween, but by itself it made my skin look sickly. But I gave it a shot because I figured like the other green shades I had, it would look really good with gold. I was pretty happy with how it turned out!

I stamped the pattern with a generic gold stamping polish. 

The next look was the first one I tried when I got XL stamping plate A last spring, and it's still one of my favorites. 

I applied two coats of Catrice Cosmetics Birdy Reloaded, a sunny yellow with a subtle hint of shimmer. Although I usually really like Catrice polishes because they have a wide range of colors, are really affordable and usually apply well, this shade had a little bit of streakiness to it. It didn't matter in this case though, since you can't tell with the stamping on top.

The pattern was stamped with red creme Konad Special Polish.

For the third and last look, I applied two coats of Essie Smokin' Hot, a dark purple/mauve creme. I stamped it with black shimmer Konad Special polish. 

I wanted to try something different with this look, so I applied Essence Matt topcoat over all nails except my ring finger, which I left glossy both as an accent nail and to show contrast.

The pattern is definitely more subtle here because there's less contrast, but there's still enough to make it wearable. I think it's also a great look for autumn!

A few things to keep in mind if you try this out...

With dark stamping polishes, you might still end up with a little bit of polish around your cuticles right after, even if you tidy up with a brush like I do. You can put tape around the outside of the nail to keep if from getting on the rest of your fingertip, but that won't keep it off the cuticle (at least not without affecting how your nails look). I find that cleaning the polish off your fingers with a cotton swab soaked in acetone is faster than putting tape all around your fingers and then removing it, but that's my preference.

Also, I highly recommend if you try these looks matt to put a coat of Seche Vite on first. Why? Because the thicker formula of Seche Vite helps keep the delicate stamped pattern from smearing. Even after fully dried, other topcoats I've used will smudge the pattern at some point, even if I'm being really careful. Matt topcoats on their own also tend to smudge nail art.

So which one's your favorite? 

Thanks for visiting!

Mid-week quickie

I've been so busy the last week with the start of school again! The kids in my class have been trickling in for their second and last year with me, and before that I spent two days setting up my classroom. That included A LOT of lifting. Meanwhile after school I've been preparing materials and projects for my class, writing up our monthly newsletter...anyone who thinks teaching Kindergarten is just singing the "Itsy Bitsy Spider" and coloring should probably try it for a day ;-)

But, as much as I do love my job and the kids in my class, all that hasn't left me with much time for a proper manicure.

However, this afternoon I played around with an ANNY polish I got recently.

To create this look, I started with a coat of Essie Protein Base Coat.

I then painted on two coats of ANNY One and Only, a smoky lavender creme. The bottle I'm holding in the photo is one of their minis, which I really like because they're sold individually and not in sets, so you can get a smaller bottle of a color you want to experiment with or that you know you won't use too often, but without committing to buying or storing a full-size bottle.

I added a coat of Catrice A Million Styles in Have an Ice Day (can you tell how much I love that topcoat?) for the ring finger accent nail.

I then applied one coat of Essie To Dry For as a topcoat.

The Essie base and topcoats aren't my favorites, even though I have them. I still love the staying power CND Stickey Base Coat gives me and the shine, protection and quick but thorough drying I get from Seche Vite. But I'm guessing I'll change this polish in another day or two, and the Essie base and top coats should be fine until then.

I'm looking forward to trying more looks with this shade. It's a softer color than it photographs as, not quite as dark. And like all the ANNY polishes I've tried it has a great formula and applies easily.

Thanks for visiting!

Fishnet Tips

This is one of the first looks I tried out when I began nail stamping about a year ago, and it's still one of my favorites. Sexy, fun, but not over the top. I used Konad stampling plate M45 for the fishnet pattern on my tips.

To create this look, I started with a coat of CND Stickey Base Coat.

The base color is two coats of Essie Overnight, which has been discontinued, but any pale, sheer color would work for this. 

To stamp the tips I used black Konad Special Polish.

I finished with a coat of Seche Vite.

Thanks for visiting!

Medici Manicure Stamped Nails

I've been on vacation for the past few weeks, so apologies for the lack of posts, but after all that relaxation (and amazing food and wine!) in gorgeous Tuscany, I was ready to indulge in one of my favorite comforts at home...doing my nails, of course!

I call this the Medici Manicure because Tuscany exploded in growth during the Renaissance. The Medici Family ruled the region and their power, money and influence not only reached to surrounding countries such as France, but also helped to fund some of the greatest artworks known to humankind through their generous patronage of the arts. Their palaces were numerous and, as one can imagine, very opulent.

My inspiration was this portrait of Catherine de Medici, who was born in Florence but went on to become Queen of France as wife of King Henry II. While her politics are still controversial, there's little doubt that she was a fabulous dresser back in her day.

Catherine de Medici as a young woman

The pattern of this stamped mani is inspired by the luxurious fabric and print of Catherine's gown, and the cream background tones down the gold a bit.

To create this look I started with a coat of CND Stickey.

The base color was two coats of Essie Case Study.

I used a no-name gold stamping polish for the pattern.

I sealed it in with one coat of Seche Vite topcoat.

I hope you enjoyed the manicure and the short history lesson that went along with it. Thanks for visiting!

Glitter Topcoats - Part Two

For the second post on glitter topcoats I chose Catrice Cosmetics A Million Styles in Shake It! Flake It! This is a holo flake topcoat and they've been getting really popular, along with holo polishes.

I again chose a selection of different kinds of base colors to highlight the versatility of topcoats and the effects they can have.

For both photo sets, clockwise from top left: Essie Master Plan, ANNY Green Racing Drag, Essence Colour and Go Quick Drying Nail Polish in Camouflage, Essie PoppyRazzi Collection in Lights.

Before topcoat...

And here are the same colors with one coat of Shake It! Flake It!

Topped with holo flaky yumminess!

I was expecting more of an effect with the Master Plan and Lights, but I really loved how Shake It! Flake It! looked on the darker colors, especially the ANNY Green Racing Drag. It also brightened the Essence Camouflage beautifully, making it look less grey and drab.

Essence polishes are available in many European drugstores, but you can buy them in the US via Ulta.com

Thanks for visiting!

Glitter topcoats - Part One

So I decided to do a short series on glitter topcoats and why I think they're so awesome. Probably the most obvious reason is versatility. You can turn a more sedate creme polish into a much more eye-catching look with just one coat. It's almost like doubling your collection of polishes with that extra bottle of topcoat!

The glitter topcoat I'm using in today's post is the same one I used on my ring finger accent nail in my previous post, Catrice Cosmetics A Million Styles in Have An Ice Day.

To show a few of the possibilities, I chose (clockwise from top left for all photo sets): Essie - Bikini So Teeny (a pastel), Essie - Sand Tropez (a muted neutral), Catrice Cosmetics - Caught on the Red Carpet (a classic starlet red), Chanel - Vendetta (a dark, vampy color; one coat).

So here's what I started with...

Just polish, no topcoat.

Nice enough colors on their own, right? Now these are the same colors coming up in the next group of photos, with one coat of Have An Ice Day, taken in regular indoor lighting.

Oooooh, glitter!

The topcoat definitely amps up the polishes and they take on a beautiful, fine particle glitter. 

But hang on, it gets better! 

In my previous post I wrote about how in direct sunlight Have An Ice Day takes on a fiery, prismatic shine. There haven't been too many sunny days in Munich recently, but the bright halogen bulbs in our entryway provide a pretty close comparison in the next set of pictures.

WOOOOOOOW, glitter!!!!!

Pretty cool, right? Even still photos don't fully do it justice; it looks gorgeous in motion. That's part of why the photos in the last set all look a bit different from each other, since I was moving my hand around trying to get a photo that captured the light best.

I've worn this topcoat with Bikini So Teeny twice (once on all fingers, the second time with one glitter accent nail) and really liked it, but I was really happy with how it turned out on the Vendetta. It almost looks like a photo of some of the "nebula" nail art photos I've seen, but not nearly as time-intensive!

A topcoat like this would be great not only for evening, but would also be fantastic for a daytime wedding outdoors. Bikini So Teeny could be a cute and easy "something blue"and the Sand Tropez or a similar neutral would be just muted enough even with the glitter to still be festive but not too distracting.

Now go out and grab yourself a bottle of glitter topcoat and start having some fun!

Thanks for visiting!