Using Shatter to Save a Mani...

Hey dolls, I've had OPI Love is a Racket on for less than 2 days and its already chipping (the first chip came within 24 hours). This just reminds me why I don't typically go for OPI polishes. I guess they don't work well with my body chemistry because it never fails...they chip after just one day. It really sucks because I loved Love is a Racket. Oh well...I'm busy working on my dissertation prospectus so there's not much time to do my nails tonight. On occasions like these (when polish starts to chip and I'm low on time), I usually pull out a shatter or crackle. I've never used my OPI Black Shatter, so no time like the present to break it out.

Nothing too special about this that you haven't seen already. I wouldn't say that I'm completely over the crackle trend...I just don't need to buy anymore of them. I have most of the colors and they come in handy for situations such as these. Let's just hope this doesn't chip before the night is over...

Are there any polishes that others love, but just don't seem to work for you?

OPI Mermaid's Tears

OPI Mermaid's Tears

Hey dolls, I've finally gotten around to trying OPI's Mermaid's Tears. This color is a very dusty, muted teal-like green from the Pirates of the Caribbean collection. Mermaid's Tears was one of the few colors from this collection that was a must have for me! No complaints with the formula on this one; I applied 2 easy coats and had full opacity. I don't own a lot of OPI polishes, so I have to get readjusted to the pro wide brush every time I use it. I had to take so many pictures of this shade because my camera kept bringing out the blue tones, especially outside in the sunlight. A picture I took using my blackberry was truest to this shade.

blackberry pic

artificial light, flash

I really love this color and I'm sure I'll get lots of wear from it. I was so disappointed when it got messed up after only 1 day of wear. I had to wash and style my hair, so I had some tip wear afterwards. While sitting under the dryer, I figured I'd use Turquoise Shatter to hide the imperfections. Bad choice...not only did it not shatter; it lifted up Mermaid's Tears and caused it to peel completely off the nail!

Crazy right?!? So much for not changing my nails. Has this ever happened to you when using a shatter/crackle?

Happy Fourth of July!!!

Hey dolls! I hope that everyone is having a safe and enjoyable 4th of July weekend! Hubby and I had a cookout/game night yesterday with some friends and we had a great time! Good food and quality laughs...especially when we started playing Michael Jackson's The Experience. There's just something about a room full of people trying to sing and dance like MJ...lol. Even the desserts were decorated for the holiday! This is the fruit pizza I made...yum!!!

So for holiday nails, I used Zoya's Kimmy for the red and Charla for the blue. I attempted to stamp on white stars using my BM plate, but the image I wanted didn't quite work out. A part of the image was left off the plate...weird. So...I decided to free hand some stars using a white nail art pen. Hubby has been making jokes about my freehand all morning...saying its not refined and he didn't know I was a baby Van Goh...lol. Believe me, I know its not that good...but it works for the occasion...especially for my first attempt. 

Sorry for the tip wear...didn't take pics before washing dishes...smh

Hubby said I should add OPI's White Shatter as well, so I did. 

I must say I kinda like this. Its not as awesome as some others I've seen, but its festive enough for me. Both Kimmy and Charla applied like a dream. I'm usually not a red fan, but I loved the shimmer in this so much that I put it on my toes as well! I cant wait to wear Charla on its own...such a pretty blue!

Before I forget...today is the last day to enter my 100 followers giveaway, so get those entries in!!! 

Pink Wednesday ~ Zoya Flora

Wow, I just realized that I've reached 50 followers!!!  With all the nail blogs that are around, who knew 50 people would be interested in little ole me and my polish habits. Thanks to all of you for reading and I'm already planning for a big giveaway when I reach 100 followers.

Today for Pink Wednesday I have for you Zoya Flora. It's described as a medium warm bubblegum pink in a soft-looking creme base. Flora isn't too bright or too muted. Its a great everyday pink. This shade was a tad bit streaky with 1 coat, but that was fixed with a second. I'm not sure if it was the base I used (Sally Hansen Double Duty), but Flora had some slight bubbles which never happens with any of my other Zoyas. Here are the pics:

Thanks to Traci over at The TraceFace Philes, I added a little blue to this mani with OPI's Turquoise Shatter. I'm in love!!! While this one was a little bit thicker than Silver Shatter, it still applied relatively well. This is a medium coat of shatter.

I'll definitely be getting a lot of use out of this shatter!!! Its so pretty and shimmery. What are you wearing for Pink Wednesday?!?

Nail Fanatics ~ Barielle Wrap Me In Ribbon & OPI Silver Shatter

The theme this past week over in the Nail Fanatics forum was Silver Shatter. I haven't used mine since I first got it for an accent nail with Sparrow Me the Drama, so I was ready to pull it back out. I recently ordered a bunch of polishes from Barielle and I was excited to try one out. I took a leap of faith on this brand based on the words of some great nail friends over in the PAA facebook group and now have 12 Barielles. The first one I'll show you is Wrap Me In Ribbon. This shade is described on Barielle's site as a metallic raspberry with violet and copper pearl undertones. The description was pretty dead on for me. While it was more sheer than I thought, the polish applied very smoothly. This is 2 coats...

with flash

without flash

This is a really pretty shade, but I think it will be more suited for the cooler seasons (hence the name...lol). After a few minutes of drying time, I added Silver Shatter. Man on man...this combo would be great for a Christmas party. This is with one thin coat of the shatter.

I added a coat of SV for quick drying and extra shine. I really like the silver shatter. It makes everything so sparkly and blinged out! I'll be trying different techniques with the shatter to see how it works best. Excuse no outdoor pics...we're finally getting some rain in the Sunshine State...maybe it wont be over 100+ degrees tomorrow...doubt it.

What has been your favorite combo with Silver Shatter so far?

Pink Wednesday ~ OPI Sparrow Me the Drama & Silver Shatter

Hey dolls, this is my first official "On Wednesdays We Wear Pink" post...yay!!! Today I'm wearing OPI's Sparrow Me the Drama from the Pirates of the Caribbean collection. This color is a dusty rose pink, that is slightly muted...its not too bright, not too dull. If you like pinks that aren't too "girly", then this is the shade for you. I purchased this shade from my local Trade Secret over the weekend. I had no clue they sold nail polish...I only thought they had hair products. So imagine my happiness when I found a place where I could get OPI on the ground!!! Back to Sparrow Me the Drama...the color went on okay. It was a tad bit streaky, but I was able to even it out in 2 thin coats. I picked up OPI's Silver Shatter as well. No issues with the formula here. On to the pics...

with flash

without flash

love the way the shatter looks with my ring :)

This was a late night mani, so sorry dolls, no outdoor/sunlight pics. I'm pleased with this mani...I think the silver shatter accent spices up the pink. I have a few more colors from the Pirates of the Caribbean collection that I'll be swatching soon. Unfortunately Mermaid's Tears was out of stock, but she put me on the contact list for when the next shipment arrives!!!

What are you wearing for Pink Wednesday?