Alternative - OPI Russian Navy (matte), Dance Legend Fireworks

With glitter polishes, sometimes just layering them over a dark base gives a completely different look to using them alone. Here's one polish that looks completely different!

[Twinkle lights]

You probably wouldn't guess it was the same one! This is Dance Legend Fireworks which you can see in Jme's post here where alone, it looks like a purple jelly just full of gold glitter and blue-green iridescent squares.

[Bottle to nail: OPI Russian Navy matte (base polish)]

Instead, I've used a base of OPI Russian Navy matte - no real reason for the matte except that I wanted a fast drying polish in a complementary blue shade. It did end up such a deep shade that it's practically black though!

[Bottle to nail: Dance Legend Fireworks (topper)]

I then did one layer of Dance Legend Fireworks over the top and that's what you get! A nice sparkly night scene.

[Base: OPI Russian Navy (2 coats); Topper: Dance Legend Fireworks (1 coat)]

The formula was consistent with the other polishes from the City Lights collection - a bit on the thick side but not tooo long on drying time and dense with glitter so no issues with having to fish.

[Base: OPI Russian Navy (2 coats); Topper: Dance Legend Fireworks (1 coat)]

After seeing Jme's post though, I'd really like to try wearing this one on it's own!

Mark XLVI - Lacquistry Rediculous, Essence Make It Golden, More Nail Polish Coinage, Color Style 36

Soooooooooooooo, who's watched Captain America: Civil War? :D :D :D

If anyone know me at all, then you would know I'm Team Iron Man! I did an Iron Man themed nail polish when  I went to watch CA: CW this week, so here it is.

[Accent nail - Base: More Nail Polish Coinage, Tips: Color Style 36
Other nails - Base: Lacquistry Rediculous, Tips: Essence Make It Golden]

The base is Lacquistry's Rediculous, a shiny red foil-like nail polish. I used Essence's Make It Golden, a gold hex glitter with gold microglitter, for the gradient-ish tips. On the accent nail, I used my favourite gold glitter, which is More Nail Polish's Coinage. Such a gorgeous polish, packed full of various gold, holo and red glitter. The tips on the accent nail is Color Style 36, a solid red flakie.

It's not terribly creative but it's hotrod red and gold, which are Iron Man colours, and it's obviously very low profile as J.A.R.V.I.S. says. :P  I got a surprising number of lovely comments on this. My plans to subconsciously promote Iron Man is working, mwahaha.

Triangulate This - Rimmel It's Lush, Born Pretty BP-L010, Hit the Bottle Spun Gold

Today I'm reviewing the second of the two stamping plates I received from Born Pretty for review - this is plate BP-L010.

[All angles]

...and here's the design I used from it! 

[Bottle to nail: Rimmel It's Lush (2 coats)]

I started with a base of Rimmel It's Lush from their Salon Pro line. This is a green creme with lots and lots of silver shimmer. It's quite similar to Sinful Colors Mint Apple which I also have - I think Mint Apple may have just the slightest bit of blue to it in comparison. 

[2 coats: Rimmel It's Lush]

This was a great shade, very easy to use formula and opaque in two coats. Quick drying and shiny, but I topped it off with topcoat as usual.

[Born Pretty BP-L010]

Now here's plate BP-L010. As usual, it comes is a pretty cardboard sleeve and with a blue protector film.

[Born Pretty BP-L010]

Here are the designs, with the film removed. Look at all the pretty tribal-inspired patterns! There's even a floral swirl, one that could double for a Fair Isle type sweater design and even some arcane(??) designs, just to mix it up! 

[Plate to nail: Born Pretty BP-L010]

The design I picked was the one on the top row, second to last from left. I wanted something fairly dense as my nails weren't very long.

[Bottle to nail: Hit The Bottle Spun Gold; Base: Rimmel It's Lush (2 coats)]

I stamped this with Hit The Bottle Spun Gold - a pale gold stamping polish that worked really well against the green.

[Base: Rimmel It's Lush (2 coats);
Stamping: Hit The Bottle Spun Gold, Born Pretty BP-L010 ]

Not the most unique colour combination, but I like how it turned out! I've seen some lovely stamping manicures done over gradients using this plate so I'd love to try that out in future.

Here's a quick trial of some of the patterns from the plate - excuse my wonky stamping, squishy stampers are squishy! I just had to try the animal ones, as well as the swirlies~

You can purchase this plate at Born Pretty here, and don't forget to use our 10% off discount code above!

Afternoon Tea - LA Girl Indulge, China Glaze Ahoy!, Born Pretty BP-L023

Stamping over a gradient is always a winner in my book! Here's what I did over last week's gradient..

[Yum yum]

Mmm, coffee, ice cream, caaaaake! This one's specially dedicated to my friend C, who not only gave me the polishes used here, but also loves her caffeine and desserts! =)

[Base: La Girl Color Addict Indulge (2 coats); Tips: China Glaze Ahoy!]

Quick reminder of last week - A base of LA Girl Color Addict Indulge with a sponged on gradient of China Glaze Ahoy!

[Born Pretty BP-L023]

We were generously provided with some plates for review from Born Pretty and this is one of them. Plate BP-L023 - check it out here! Isn't it just scrumptious! Like all Born Pretty plates, this one arrived with a gorgeous cardboard sleeve for storage and was covered in a protective blue film.

[Born Pretty BP-L023]

Here it is with the film removed. There's all sorts of adorable patterns on here that I'm really looking forward to testing out - the pineapple and citrus slice ones in particular are great summer designs! For my manicure today, I tested out the coffee-dessert one in the second row from top, fifth from the left.

[Base: La Girl Color Addict Indulge (2 coats); Tips: China Glaze Ahoy!;
Stamping: Hit The Bottle As Black As Night, Born Pretty BP-L023]

..and here it is! I was really impressed by how clearly the designs were picked up - even the steam rising off the coffee mug came through really nicely. I used a plain black creme stamping polish from Hit The Bottle: As Black As Night for this stamping.

[Base: La Girl Color Addict Indulge (2 coats); Tips: China Glaze Ahoy!;
Stamping: Hit The Bottle As Black As Night, Born Pretty BP-L023]

All up, I was really pleased with the way this turned out and the quality of the plate - can't wait to try out the other designs!

I got so excited, I actually did a quick test of some of the other full nail designs. I'm so impressed by the quality of transfer, just look at that! Some are lacking polish at the top of the design not due to the plate, but because I just did one quick swipe of polish along the bottom before scraping so it wasn't enough to fill the plate - especially those with so much space to fill. But seriously, check out those teacups!

Once again, this plate is available from Born Pretty here, along with heaps of other cool nail art stuff at very reasonable prices with free shipping. As if that's not good enough, just use our code above for an extra 10% off, wooooo!

Rainbow Ice - Color Club Harp On It

I found this polish one day and realized I had forgotten how pretty this holographic nail polish is.

[Color Club Harp On It]

This is Color Club's Harp On It, a linear holographic that is just out of this world. How did I forget this one? It's like having rainbows on my nails! Harp On It is also opaque after two or three coats and it's easy to apply.

Orange Raspberry - LA Girl Color Addict Indulge, China Glaze Ahoy!

One of my friends very recently gifted me a few polishes to add to my pile, so I decided to use some of them in a mani together!

[Juiced up]

It turned out pretty juicy! A bit on the summery side, but probably a nice reminder of warmer days now that we're heading straight for colder weather.

[Bottle to nail: LA Girl Color Addict Indulge (2 coats)]

I started with a base of LA Girl Color Addict in Indulge, a super juicy orange with lots of gold shimmer. If you were really careful, you could possibly get this opaque in one coat. However, I think two thin ones work best.

[ 2 coats: LA Girl Color Addict Indulge]

Absolutely a dream to work with, nice even formula with lots of pigment. Quick dry time as well.

[Bottle to nail: China Glaze Ahoy!; Base: LA Girl Color Addict Indulge (2 coats)]

Over the tips, I then sponged on China Glaze Ahoy! from the Anchors Away collection, which is a blue-leaning pink with large flecks of gold shimmer all the way through. 

[Base: LA Girl Color Addict Indulge (2 coats); Tips: China Glaze Ahoy!]

It's not a perfectly smooth gradient in photos, but it looks much more gradual from afar. I think the trick here is using the two polishes which both contain a gold shimmer.

It ended up being quite a subtle gradient but one I'm quite happy with!