Pastel Pink & Roses... My take on Spring!

Another contest ladies! 2 contest in a row for me. :D But this one was a bit harder for me. :i Enamel Girl is having a Nail Art Stamping Contest Spring 2012. Theme is obviously Spring and you need to stamp something that reminds you of Spring. Spring always reminds me of pastel colors and flowers and that's what I was trying to recreate on my nails. :)

This is another manicure I always wanted to try out but I never did it until yesterday. S. tweeted me a picture of similar manicure ages ago and I just couldn't understand how it was made. I still don't, because my mani isn't even close to perfect as that one was. I wish I could show you a picture, but we can't remember where we saw it. :/

This is my second try on this manicure. First I applied 5 different pastels on each nails but the final result wasn't great. So I took it off and start again. I took my favorite baby pink polish with amazing application, Something Sweet by China Glaze. Some pastels have really awful formula, but all I tried from China Glaze are amazing. <3

And then the funny part begin and you're still probably wondering what I was trying to recreate well if you skip to the pictures you already know. :D You probably saw this pattern a million time, I showed it here, here and here and I can easily say that this pattern is my favorite! I got this plate from Dolores at Colorful Bottle's blog (btw she's back with a challenge so go and say hi! :) ).

Anyway this pattern was stamped on the pictures so perfectly with green leaves and pink or red roses, I can't really remember. So I tried yesterday but mine are far away from perfect. :D 

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Nail Tek - Foundation 2

China Glaze - Something Sweet / 2 coats

Essence - Once Upon a Time (TE FairyTale) + Kiko - #342 & Konad m65 / stamping
Beauty Secrets TC Fast Finish Polish Dryer

I wish I had daisy pattern but I don't, so roses will have to work. :D In case you're wondering how I made them look like this.... Here's a really quick tutorial! :)

Step 1: First I applied red shimmery color over roses. I simply put some drops where the roses are and when I covered all roses, I took a green for leaves and drop some polish all over them.

Step 2: When you cover the whole pattern with green and red or any color combination by your choice, scrap the polish off in diagonal way, just like I did on the picture below and you can still see how I scrapped it.You can also crap it from another corner I did and it'll still work. I still had some red on leaves and green on roses but it wasn't that bad, at least I don't think so. :)

I really love how it looks like so I probably won't remove this manicure until it totally chips. It definitely isn't perfect as I would want it to be, but if I can't do it, then I have to be satisfied with what I can do. :D If you have any tips how to make this pattern perfectly stamped in red and green, please let me know. I would love to find out. :D

Let me know what do you think about my take on Spring. Did you ever try to stamp pattern in different colors? 

If you are inspired by Spring and you have a stamping idea, be sure you'll enter the contest, you still have lots of time left to enter. There won't be only one winner but also 4 random winners so we all have a bit more chances to win anything, I wish. :D

Thanks for reading and have a lovely day! :rainbow

Xoxo,

Ivana :k

Valentine's Day Manicure #2

I didn't plan doing any skittles manicure for this Valentine's day because I'm not having so many plates to play with like last year. :D But yesterday after small talk with Liz on Twitter I decided to make at least something like last year. :D So I checked all plates I have and this is what I came up with....

All the colors and image plates I used are in the description under the photos so I won't write them here again. I choose dotted bow and hearts, sponged glitter and lovely stripe pattern,...Of course, you can wear one pattern for a full manicure nail or skittles like me. :D I did just my left hand because I'm planning to do more manicures so today I was walking around with only one hand polished, oops. :$

Here's the final result. :$ And of course, I had to add hearts one the first pictures in CS3 again! I just love how cute they are! :L

Essence - Nail Art Protecting Base Coat

Thumb: Essence - Very Berry / 2 coats + m59 & Essence - Style me Love / stamping + Pink Rhinestone

Index: Essie - French Affair / 3 coats + m65 & Essence - Style me Love / stamping

Middle: Orly - Fancy Fuchsia / 2 coats + m59 & Essence - Style me Love / stamping + Pink 3D Steel Glitters

Ring: Essence - Mr. Big / 2 coats + Essence - It's Time for Romance / sponged

Pinkie: China Glaze - Heli-Yum / 2 coats + BPS m17 & Essence Stamp me! White & Essence - Style me Love / stamping

Beauty Secrets TC Fast Finish Polish Dryer 

I really can't decide what's my favorite design, because I'd wear all this patterns as full manicure for sure. &lt;3 The pink beads I added on my middle nails started staining after applying TC so I'm wondering how do you prevent that? It happened now with pink and purple beads a while ago with different TCs. :/ But if I don't layer a TC over them, they start falling much faster...

What do you think about this skittle manicure?? :) Thanks for reading! :rainbow

Okay, another post done... Now it's time for me to play with statistics.. It's midnight and I love studying at night, because everyone including our little devil is sleeping, so I have my own peace. :D

Xoxo,

Ivana :k

Fancy Snowy Fuchsia with Roses

Another mani from last month, because I'm still rocking my Teeez Smooth & Outta Control mani. I'm just not in the mood for removing almost perfect manicure. Yap, last two months made me even more lazy, because now I don't like changing my mani every other day like I used to do before. :D I hope I'll change that in near future. xP

I wore this mani for a week I think because I liked it so much. I wanted to have white nails after seeing this beautiful swatch at With love, Ana but then I changed my mind and I painted my nails with pink too. White polish I used was China Glaze - Snow from their Winter 2010 collection and my favorite pink polish Orly - Fancy Fuchsia. Both are two coats I think and their application is very thick to apply but a coat of TC saves everything.

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When I got bored I added some stamping with one of my favorite patterns. :) I stamped white roses over Fancy Fuchsia with Essence Stamp me! White polish and pink roses over white with Fancy Fuchsia, as you can see FF is great for stamping over light colors too. :)

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It's fun combo, pink and white always go perfectly together and because I love pink, this was a fun way to wear pinks. :)

And if we're talking about pink/white combo, I got new pair of Adidas sneakers last week in exactly that combination. :L 

I love sneakers, I'd have all from Adidas. :L I wasn't planning to order them, but I got a mail about sales and when I saw them I just had to order them. Then after one day I changed my mind but they're already sent out. But the lady I contacted said if I don't want them that I just don't pick them up when mailman bring them. And I didn't but they're waiting another 15 days at post office. I didn't know what to do, I went even shopping if I'll find anything that I'd like even more but I didn't so I went to pick them up and I'm glad I did. They're little more open as usualy sneakers, like ballerinas, but they're totally cute. :L I got white and pink shoelaces but I decided to go with pink, they look cuter. :)

Do you like this color combination? :) What's your favorite pair of sneakers if you're wearing them?

Hope you're all having a great day! I'm going back to typing my thesis. :)

Xoxo,

Ivana :k

OPI - Bubble Bath + Konad

Quick post for today, I have to prepare myself for El Clásico! :e

Bubble Bath is really pretty shade but I decided to stamp it with Admire from China Glaze's Romantique collection. :L Like I said, I can't even stamp with any other polishes so good as with these metallics shades.

 

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I love it. :L It's so soft and pretty, I really need a break from colors sometimes so these kind of shades are really perfect for soft manicures. :)

What do you think? Like it?

HALA REAL MADRID! :P

Xoxo,
Ivana :k

p2 - Pink it up! + Konad & S-he Nail Polish Corrector Pen

Like I said I upgraded Pink it up! Last week I was searching for S-he - 427 (pink holographic) in few drugstores but it was sold out everywhere. At least I found last bottle of S-he - 333. It's metallic pink polish perfect for stamping. It has frosty finishy, that's why I'll use it just for stamping. :D

I couldn't decide what pattern should I use, that's why I picked one of my fav roses pattern from m65. You can't go wrong with this pattern. :$

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I'll probably have it on my nails fow whole week if it'll stay on my nails, because I really love the combo. What do you think? :h

Prettyfulz asked me how I keep polish in a "perfect" line by cuticles and here is my secret. :) I usually use angled brush but I can't find it that's why I had to buy this nail polish corrector pen. I can be very messy with applying nail polish so this is a "must have" for me. This or angled brush, anything works just perfectly. :)

I don't know which other brands except Essence have something similar like this, but I find it very helpful. Since S-he products (which are sold in DM in some European countries) are on sale now I bought it for a quite low price (less than 2€). You get also 3 back up tips when you ruin one. It looks like those neon markers with chisel tip but more pointed, it's really easy to work with.

I use it when nail polish is totally dry or as soon as I apply a nail polish and it's still wet so I don't make even bigger mess with. :i I hope this was helpful. :)

I've to wake up early and I don't want to, I'm really not morning person. :c I wish I could work at night! xo

Sweet dreams,
Ivana :k

China Glaze - Agent Lavender + Konad

Agent Lavender is really amazing color and perfect base for stamping. :) I must say I didn't like this manicure at all, because I failed with this pattern on some fingers. :( I was spoiled by Admire&Harmony and you have to be more careful with Color Club - Wild at Heart. I hope it'll be better next time. :D

I used pattern from M65. :) Pictures...

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It could be better. :$ But I really like this color combination. What do you think? :) I can't wait to try Wild at Heart on its own, because it's really an amazing holographic polish. :L

Hope you're having a great and relaxing weekend!

Xoxo,

Ivana :k

OPI - Sweet Heart + Konad

Shiny! was right! Sweet Heart is a nice base for stamping too. :) I'm not posting konadicures together with my base polish just because I usually don't stamp it right after I apply a polish but next day or even later. 

I used roses pattern, because it obviously become my favorite pattern, from M65 and China Glaze - Harmony. Like Admire this is also a perfect polish for stamping. I smudge the pattern on my middle finger just a little, oops. :$

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I definetely need more metallics from Romantique and Khrome in my collection so I could stamp my manicures over and over again, because it's really so easy. 5 minutes and you're done with all 10 fingers! :D That's a record for me! :) I prefer waiting few minutes that pattern is perfectly dry, so the TC doesn't smudge it. I wasn't so patient today. :P

What do you think? Do you have any polishes from Romantique and Khrome collection? Are they all good for stamping? 

Nighty night,

Ivana :k

China Glaze - Sugar High + Konad

I decided to add some stamping to this gorgeous summer beauty Sugar High. :L For stamping I picked China Glaze Admire from spring Romantique Collection back in 2009, which was also in my swap package with Lynsey. Thank you again, I'm so happy I've them all! :h I wanted Admire and Harmony mostly because I read that they're great for stamping. And working with Admire is really just sooooooo easy! :D

I usually spend lot of time for stamping, but today I was done in just few minutes. I used pattern from M65. :i

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I really really like how it turns out! :L The pattern definetely became one of my favorites! :) What do you think? Like it or not? Anyone who have problems with stamping, just pick one polish from Romantique collection and you'll see how easy is to work with them. :D I'm really impressed with them. :)

Nighty night,
Ivana :k