Illamasqua Caress with D23

Good morning, Dear Reader!

This morning I tried out a pattern from stamping plate D23, and it turned out quite well.  It's the plate's full nail pattern, which is a lattice of tiny flourishy scrollwork.  It stamps very cleanly for having such fine detail.

I started off with a mani of two coats of Illamasqua Caress, then stamped the pattern using Blue Konad Special Polish and finished it off with a coat of top coat.  Here's how it turned out.

Illamasqua Caress, Two Coats, with Pattern from D23

One thing I've noticed in the past week or so is that my nails are growing really, really fast.  I started taking biotin again a couple of months ago, 5mg/day, and I do think it makes a difference.  There was no reason that I quit taking it before, it was one of those things where I ran out and just didn't think of getting another bottle at a good time until it was completely forgotten.  I think I'm going to try to stick with it this time.

That's the news of the morning, Dear Reader.  Until next time, love and nail polish to you!

Illamasqua Viridian

Good afternoon, Dear Reader!

Today I got to try out Illamasqua Viridian, and it's every bit as good as Scarab.  Viridian is a bluish green shimmer, and it's also really glowy.  These two may have the best application ever.  Two coats was all it took.

Illamasqua Viridian Nail Polish, Two Coats

Ain't she a beauty?  I think it's fantastic.

That's it for today, Dear Reader.  Until next time, love and nail polish to you!  

Illamasqua Scarab

Good morning, Dear Reader!

Today I'm wearing a nail polish with a good name for Halloween, Illamasqua Scarab.  It's a dark red shimmer with a hint of brown to it, and the shimmer really glows.  Application of Scarab was exceptionally good - the polish seems a little thick, but I used it as-is and it pretty much applied itself.  This is two coats.

Illamasqua Scarab Nail Polish, Two Coats

From the picture, you can see how easy Scarab was to apply.  I didn't do any cleanup to my nails or to the picture, but the line where the polish ends at the cuticle is really crisp just because that's how it went on.  Good stuff.

That's what I have for you this morning, Dear Reader.  Until next time, love and nail polish to you!  

Illamasqua Rare & Elope & Konad M44

Good morning, Dear Reader!

Today I decided to have more fun with brights and Konad to ward off the cold.  I started by selecting a highlighter yellow, Illamasqua Rare.  I figured I'd add some green Konad to it, but I noticed in picking it out that Illamasqua Elope was pretty close to Konad Green Special Polish, and added an accent nail of Illamasqua Elope before stamping the Rare nails with a striped tip pattern from Konad plate M44 in green.  I like the result, but something about it still reminds me about running shoes from the 1970's.

Illamasqua Rare & Elope Nail Polishes with Konad M44

Rare, the yellow, is more neon than my camera could pick up, and a nice one.  It took three coats to be opaque and even, which is quite good for a neon yellow.  I used two coats of Elope, the green.

That's just about all I have for you right now, Dear Reader.  Until next time, love and nail polish to you!  

Illamasqua Body Electrics Nail Varnish Set

Good morning, Dear Reader!

Today, as the title, tells you, I have a little something fun for you from across the pond: the Illamasqua Body Electrics.  I don't think I've ever called nail polish "varnish" before, but that's the official name of the set, and I find it charming, so I used the full name.

I got the full set because Illamasqua was out of at least one of the colors individually.  The set consists of the three Body Electrics colors, and they toss in a free base coat.  I've told you before that the base coat is pretty nice and that I use the one I got as a freebie before with Illamasquas, but I wouldn't pay the Sephora price of $14 for it.  I'm halfway through the first base coat, and I got a couple more Illamasquas not at Sephora as long as I was paying the £7.50 for shipping, so it worked out well to keep using it with them.

I took picures of the Body Electrics in natural light, and they're fabulous.  Each applied beautifully, as I expect from Illamasqua, and were easily two-coaters.  Let's get to the swatches!

Force is an amazing blue, really bright and vivid, and I think it's dramatic against very pale skin.

Illamasqua Body Electrics Nail Varnish Set: Force, Two Coats in the Sun

Jo'mina is a gorgeous pale purple creme unlike any other I have.

Illamasqua Body Electrics Nail Varnish Set: Jo'mina, Two Coats in the Sun

Prism is a sheer, not my strong suit.  I tried it over black, and it's too milky to go over black, so I ended up putting it over my Jo'mina manicure, and I like it a lot.  It softens the color a bit, but adds a blue flash.  This is one coat of Prism.

Illamasqua Body Electrics Nail Varnish Set: Prism, One Coat over Jo'mina

Those are the three Illamasqua Body Electrics colors, and I'm glad I got all three - I really love them.  

That's it for today, Dear Reader, so until tomorrow, love and nail polish to you!  

OPI Shrek Comparisons: The Purples

Good afternoon, Dear Reader!

I'm back with some comparison swatches of OPI Shrek's Funky Dunkey and Rumple's Wiggin'.  I just grabbed a few polishes that were that were handy to compare.  The pictures are all in sunlight, all with a base and top coat, and dry.  In all, the OPI is on thumb, middle, and pinky, and the comparison color is on index and ring fingers.

For Funky Dunkey, I used China Glaze Grape Pop, RBL Mismas, and SpaRitual Shoot for the Stars.

Compared to Grape Pop, there's a minor difference in direct sunlight, but just walking around in normal light they're almost identical.

OPI Shrek's Funky Dunkey and China Glaze Grape Pop Comparison

Rescue Beauty Lounge's Mismas is even closer to the OPI.

OPI Shrek's Funky Dunkey and Rescue Beauty Lounge Mismas Comparison

Shoot for the Stars isn't a match - it's redder than Funky Dunkey.

OPI Shrek's Funky Dunkey and SpaRitual Shoot for the Stars Comparison

For Rumple's Wiggin', I used Nubar Lavender, Revlon Gum Drop, and Illamasqua Wink.  All three are pretty close.

Nubar Lavender is pretty much a match for Rumple's Wiggin'.

OPI Shrek Rumple's Wiggin' and Nubar Lavender Comparison

Revlon Gum Drop is a bit lighter than the OPI, but not by much.

OPI Shrek Rumple's Wiggin' and Revlon Gum Drop Comparison

Finally, Illamasqua Wink is almost a match for Rumple's Wiggin', again just a hair lighter.

OPI Shrek Rumple's Wiggin' and Illamasqua Wink Comparison

I'll try to hunt down some blues to do comparisons for those next.  The greens are unique, so they won't be compared to anything.

That's all for today, Dear Reader.  Until next time, love and nail polish to you!  

Illamasqua Velocity & Konad M77

Good morning, Dear Reader!

Today I used the other Illamasqua nail polish I got with the Pastels, Velocity. It's a muted purple creme, and only took two coats (like most Illamasquas). I used Illamasqua base coat and Diamont top coat.

Illamasqua Velocity Nail Polish, Two Coats

As usual, it seemed a bit plain, and there was a pattern on Konad plate M77 I've wanted to try, so I added that to it. The pattern is of jewelry, and although I considered a literal interpretation of it in white or silver, I opted for Pink Konad Special Polish to make it Springy and blend the pattern into the base a little more. I finished it with another coat of Diamont.

Illamasqua Velocity Nail Polish, Two Coats with Konad M77

I really love Illamasqua nail polishes, and they have some cool unique colors. They seem to have an affinity for muted shades like this, which I like. I wish there was a $2 brand I liked this much!

That's my Nails of the Day, and what I have for you for now. Until next time, Dear Reader, love and nail polish to you!

Illamasqua Pastels: Blow

Good morning, Dear Reader!

Today we wrap up the Illamasqua Pastels with Blow, the yellow. For the sake of argument, I'm choosing to believe there's a gap in UK English and US English that made it seem reasonable to complete a collection consisting of Wink, Nudge, and Caress with Blow.

The color itself it great - it's darker than most pastel yellows, but still pastel. It was also a perfect pastel creme in two coats with Illamasqua base coat and Diamont top coat.

Illamasqua Blow Nail Polish, Two Coats, from the Illamasqua Pastels

For the heck of it, I added to it a Konad pattern from plate M74 I've enver been able to use, with Pastel Violet Konad Special Polish for stamping.

Illamasqua Blow Nail Polish, Two Coats, from the Illamasqua Pastels, with Konad M74 in Pastel Violet Konad Special Polish

Now you've seen all four of the Illamasqua Pastels. A comment was left this week telling us that these will be available at Sephora in May, but I have no firsthand information on that.

That's all for now, Dear Reader. Until next time, love and nail polish to you!

Illamasqua Pastels: Caress

Good morning, Dear Reader!

Today I have the third Illamasqua Pastel for you, Caress. This one is a good baby blue, I think it's likely a dupe for Nubar Baby Blue.

As with the others, I used Illamasqua base coat, two coats of Caress, and finished it with Diamont. Again, it's perfect in two coats.

Illamasqua Caress Nail Polish, Two Coats, from the Illamasqua Pastels

Although the simplicity of a good pastel creme appeals to me, I thought the baby blue of Caress was a little plain on its own, so I Konaded it. I used Konad plate M81 and Blue Konad Special Polish for the stamping.

Illamasqua Caress Nail Polish, Two Coats, from the Illamasqua Pastels, with Konad M81

Another Illamasqua Pastel, another success... I'm really pleased with these.

That's it for now, Dear Reader. Until next time, love and nail polish to you!

Illamasqua Pastels: Nudge

Good morning, Dear Reader!

I have, as promised, another of the Illamasqua Pastels for you today, this time Nudge. On Illamasqua's site, Nudge is described as "mint ice cream" with a super pale green color dot, which makes it sound potentially dupey to the eight zillion mint greens that have come out in the last few months. I found that it's not at all - it's more of a pastel turquoise, both much bluer and darker than represented on Illamasqua's site. I don't think I have something really close to this one.

Again, I used Illamsaqua's base coat, two coats of Nudge, and finished it with Diamont. Like Wink, Nudge is perfect in two coats.

Illamasqua Nudge Nail Polish, Two Coats from the Illamasqua Pastels

Yesterday, there was a comment expressing concern about using Illamasqua nail polish due to the shape of the bottle cap. The good, but wallet breaking, news is that the square cap is just decorative and comes off, leaving a very usable round brush handle.

Illamasqua Nudge Nail Polish, Two Coats, from the Illamasqua Pastels with Bottle Cap Removed

So that's two of four that I know are perfect two coaters, both of which I really like. That's it for today, so until tomorrow, love and nail polish to you!

Illamasqua Pastels: Wink

Good afternoon, Dear Reader!

I've been out and about running errands this morning, and one of those errands included picking up a package from Illamasqua, which contained their Pastels. I figured that rather than swatch, I'd like to wear them, so I'll show them to you one at a time.

I haven't bought into the pastel frenzy of this spring so much, which is why I decided that this would be the one collection I'd buy. Part of the reason is that I already have a bunch of pastels I like, but since I like Illamasquas a lot in general, and the colors looked a bit different than others I've seen.

Today, as the title tells you, I put on Illamasqua Wink, which is a slightly bluish lavender. I used Illamasqua base coat, which they sent me as an extra about a year ago - not a blog-related thing, a returning customer thing. I don't think they associate my orders with my blog. Anyhow, I used that as the base, then two coats of Wink, which is perfect in only two coats. I finished it with a coat of Diamont, and have the rare perfectly even, shiny pastel manicure.

Illamasqua Wink Nail Polish, Two Coats, From the Illamasqua Pastels

As you can see, Wink (and her sisters, you'll see soon) are not as washed out as the pastels being released by other companies this season - these are less white, more color, but still distinctly pastel. Of the nail polishes I have, I would say that Nubar Lavender from their Pastel Fever Collection is the closest I have to this. The Nubar is a hair bluer and darker, but a heck of a lot more accessible and cheaper if you don't care to spring for an overseas order.

I'll show you one of these each day for the next three days to show the whole collection of four to you, so you can decide whether you need them or not. Aside from the reasons I mentioned above, I went for them because I like pastels a lot - they feel very Springy to me and are a great base for Konad, so there's a heavy personal preference element involved. As for the Illamasqua base coat, it's a nice one, but I'd never pay $14 (Sephora's price) for it. I've had the same bottle for a year and just use it when I'm wearing an Illamasqua and can find the bottle - I don't really find a significant difference with it, so this will likely be the only bottle of it I ever own.

That's what I have for you today, Dear Reader. Until next time, love and nail polish to you!

Illamasqua MILF & Konad M81

Good morning, Dear Reader!

Today kicks off the Saint Patrick's Day Greens with Illamasqua MILF, with a pattern from Konad plate M81.

I wanted MILF for a long time, largely for the name, but it was always sold out on Sephora when I was getting other stuff. I finally got it, and the first time I wore it, I was totally let down - I did not like it and was completely underwhelmed. This is a polish that confirms that I need to wear something twice to evaluate it. I loved it yesterday!

I started this manicure with two coats of MILF, then added a pattern that looks shamrock-y from plate M81 using Green Konad Special Nail Polish. The thing is, there are five leaves on the clovers. Extra luck, maybe? Anyhow, whenever I see clovers, I think of Bugs Bunny singing, "I'm looking over a three leaved clover that I overlooked beeeeeee-threeeeeee!" So in this case, I'm looking over a five leaved clover that I overlooked befive.

Illamasqua MILF Nail Polish, Two Coats & Konad Plate M81 in Konad Green Special Polish

Illamasqua MILF is the start of Saint Patrick's Day Greens, and I'm determined to do them until the holiday. I'm trying to gather up enough green nail polishes to see us through!

That's it for today, Dear Reader. Tomorrow's the last day for the Iron Butterfly drawing, so if you have not tossed your name into the hat, please do! Until tomorrow, love and nail polish to you!

Illamasqua Boosh Bouquet

Good evening, Dear Reader!

After doing some tedious around-the-house stuff, I decided that playing with some 3D acrylic was in order.

For the first time, I started the manicure with the idea of what I wanted to do with the acrylic first, and that was play with the neon colors I got. In the pictures, as is often the case with neons, the full vibrancy of the colors does not come through. I settled on the idea of doing some two-colored flowers, initially planning on three on one nail, and decided that a black creme base would make an interesting background.

For the black I used Illamasqua Boosh (hence the title), which I bought based upon some raves I'd read. To me, it a good black, but not spectacular, and I wouldn't spend the money on it again. I still think Lippmann Collection Fade to Black is the best high gloss, blackest possible black nail polish. But I digress...

So I did the base manicure with two coats of Boosh, then started in with the flowers. When I'd completed three, it looked like the symmetry was a bit off, so I added a fourth and am happy with the result. I waited a few minutes for them to finish curing after applying, then painted each with a bit of top coat, then sealed the whole nail with top coat. I let it dry for a few minutes, took pictures, and here I am.

In the picture with the bottle, the edge of the decorated nail kind of blends into the bottle, so I have another picture without it.

Heres my Boosh Bouquet (or Boosh Gardens, if you prefer..).

Illamasqua Boosh Nail Polish, Two Coats, with 3D Acrylic Nail Art

Illamasqua Boosh Nail Polish, Two Coats, with 3D Acrylic Nail Art Close Up

I squished the side of the blue flower a little bit applying it, but it seems to be on there pretty well so I'm hoping for the best.

I know not everyone's a fan of the 3D stuff, but I think it's great fun, and an application like this gives something completely unexpected to the manicure.

That's all for today, Dear Reader. Until next time, love and nail polish to you!

Illamasqua Collide and Konad M61

Good afternoon, Dear Reader!

I have another Nails of the Day for you today. I started with Illamasqua Collide, three coats.

Illamasqua Collide Nail Polish, Three Coats

I didn't like that I could still see through the tips of my nails, so I added the cow print pattern from Konad plate M61 to it in Konad Black Pearl.

Illamasqua Collide Nail Polish & Konad M61

That's all for today, Dear Reader. Until next time, love and nail polish to you!

Illamasqua Elope

Good morning, Dear Reader! Long time no see...

Today I just have my Nails of the Day for you: Illamasqua Elope. It's a bright green jelly, and I used three coats.

Illamasqua Elope Nail Polish, Three Coats

That's the update for now, Dear Reader. Until next time, love and nail polish to you!

Illamasqua Wayward & The Illamaskonadicure

Good afternoon, Dear Reader!

I have another Illamasqua to show you, Wayward, which is the elusive two-coater bright yellow. It went on perfectly, and is a bright, cheery yellow creme.

However, Dear Reader, by now you know that I am constitutionally incapable of leaving a creme alone, don't you? I did an elaborate Konad pattern on my tips inspired by a mani I saw on a message board.

I started with Apple Green Konad Princess Polish and Konad plate M19. I used the stamp to create a guide line for me to fill in the rest of my tips using Apple Green with the brush, since I've never been able to do a decent freehand Funky French. I applied a coat of Diamont to dry it, then used White Konad Special Nail Polish and Konad plate M45 to stamp polka dots on the Apple Green, double stamping each tip. One more coat of Diamont to seal it, and it's a finished manicure.

Is it completely 1967 over the top? Certainly. Do I love it for that rather than despite it? Of course! I think this one's great fun. The polar opposite of elegant, but great fun.

Again, on a completely unrelated note, and I'll probably be saying this all week, check out my dear ol' dad at Woodlines. He's one cool guy!

That's all for today, Dear Reader. Until tomorrow, love and nail polish to you!