Pink Pineapple and Gilded Rose

I know it has been a little while since I posted my last mani.  I had pictures but I just haven't had the chance to write something up and get it posted.

We have been practicing our music for performances that are coming up, and we were thrown into one coming up Saturday unexpectedly.  I'm very excited about it, but that means I need to get my coin bra done much more quickly than I had anticipated.  I also have been trying to do more yoga at home, practicing for myself and for my students.

This time I used three coats of Revlon Pink Pineapple.  I didn't particularly like the formula.  It had a tendency to leave a bald patch in the same area when I tried to cover it up better.

I then strategically painted about half of each nail with Maybelline Color Show Gilded Rose.  I love the color and the glitter in this one.  It, also, wasn't that difficult to remove, which is a huge plus!

I think the next time if I do something like this, I will paint the other half with the base color again to try to even the line out a little more.

I hope you like this one as much as I do!

Until later,

Chess

In Prompt Blue

This past weekend I had my belly dance sisters over to work on coin bras and other costuming items.  We had a great time and we managed to get a fair amount accomplished.

Sunday was Father's Day and we spent the whole day with our families.  My husband's aunt passed away the night before, so that was difficult to deal with as well.  My husband didn't know her very well, but obviously his father was hurting.

Needless to say, it was a long weekend.

My most recent mani was one I tried to a while ago, but had significant difficulties with.  I tried using a white nail art pen, but it washed away before I could get a top coat over it.  This time I started with white tips in ORLY Pointe Blanche.  Once that dried, I added the blue layer on the tips using Sally Hansen Insta-Dri In Prompt Blue.

I love the differentiation between the two colors.  For a different take on the french manicure, I received a lot of complements on it.

I hope you like it as well!

Until later,

Chess

My Address is "Hollywood"

It was another busy week.  After our performance this past Saturday, we were still rehearsing for our upcoming performance tomorrow.  Also, work has been long and tedious, with the option for more overtime, which I decided to take.  I bought two skirts Saturday, so it will be nice to have the little bit of extra income.

My troupe and I decided that we needed one set of skirts that were similar so we could remain cohesive without having to borrow skirts from other people.  I really wanted a purple skirt and found that the vendor had a fabulous light blue one as well.  I knew I would regret not getting the light blue one later, so I purchased it.  Now we have four different colors between the four of us.

Consequently, I didn't do anything special once again for my mani.  It is just another swatch.  However, this color is absolutely fabulous.  I would recommend this color to anyone, but I am truly partial to this salmon-pink color.

I used two coats of OPI My Address is "Hollywood" and that was the perfect amount of polish.  OPI tends to be really good at making their formula thick enough that you can use just two coats, without making it so thick that it becomes goopy.  It is a salmon-pink color with a slight shimmer.  It has more of a cream texture to it than a foil texture, so it didn't leave streaks.

Overall, the color is great, but I wasn't as fond of the staying power.  It flaked off my thumb nail some, which is highly unusual and didn't last on my big toes as much as my nail polish normally does.  I would still use it again, though, as I absolutely love this color.

Until later,

Chess

Grey-t To Be Here

This week was another swatch week, and the light from the sun, or lack-there-of, made it difficult to get decent pictures.  My last post mentioned how busy my Memorial Day weekend was.  We still have audits flowing out the door and I worked a little extra this week. Consequently, not much effort went into my mani this week.  Some weeks you just have to back off on some things.

With the warmer weather and wanting to wear lighter and brighter colors, I decided to go with Essence Grey-t To Be Here.  I used two coats, though I would have liked to have used three coats.  I really didn't have the time for it.  This polish is different from others.  In some light it looks more grey, and in others it looks like a pastel purple.  It has a pink shimmer, so maybe that is what pushes it to the purple side in some light.

I really love the color, and thought it would be a great polish to use a matte top coat on.  Maybe in the future I can figure out a way to make that happen.

Until later,

Chess

The Skinny on Fashion Playground

I wasn't able to make time last week to be able to write all this out for you all.  I worked a lot of overtime at work.  I had a lot of rehearsal for my belly dance performances.

Then this weekend I went to territory days for a while with my steampunk friends.  My father-in-law was admitted to the hospital and we spent a fair amount of time there.  We spent some of Memorial Day with my parents.

This week I was inspired by an email I received from Sally Hansen.  I don't have a picture to provide, however.  I started with three coats of Essie Fashion Playground. The polish was very thin and required the third coat.  Then I placed a coat of Ulta The Skinny on the tips of my nails except the ring finger.  That one I used a circular price sticker to cover the half moon at the base of the nail and painted on The Skinny.

I really liked the two colors together.  I love the contrast.  What do you think?

Until later,

Chess

Elation Generation

This past week has felt a little more busy than last week even.  We have an audit at work that is putting us behind in regular work.  I had my first Monday night yoga class, but no one showed up.  My husband helped me utilize that time and took pictures for my website.  You can view that here if you want.  Wednesday evening I had a doctor's appointment, then last night I had a rehearsal for a belly dance performance coming up on June 7th.  Tonight I have my Friday night yoga class to teach, and am trying to get this out before that.

Because I was busy this week, and I knew I would be, I went with just a swatch.  I used one coat of ORLY Elation Generation.  It is a bright pink jelly with glitter.  I love the color, and had I more time this week, I probably would have done a second coat to see how that turned out.  It chipped and wore away at the tips some.  You can see it well on my middle finger.  Overall, I love the color, but not the wear and tear it took.  I would probably do a second coat and top it off with a clear coat to protect it more.

Until later,

Chess

For Audrey

This has been a crazy week.  I got sick this last weekend and ended up calling off work Tuesday to go to the doctor.  She didn't really have an idea of what the problem is, and gave me a prescription for antibiotics and an antihistamine.  I'm feeling only marginally better.

Then we had our steampunk meeting and had great discussions, food, and I sold a piece of jewelry.  I am a tiny bit closer to paying for my General Skills training in August.

Friday night I taught my first yoga class!  It was fabulous!  I really appreciate my students who allowed me to test out my first class on them.

This week I ironically did a mani that celebrated Audrey Hepburn's 85th birthday.  I started with two coats of China Glaze For Audrey.  It is a perfect Tiffany's blue.  Then I stamped on the dots using plate Mash-25 and Mash special polish in white.  Then I stamped on the bow image with plate BM-317 and Mash special polish in white.

I'm very happy with how this one turned out.

Until later,

Chess

Sweet Hook

This week I have been trying to work on my Yoga business and raise money so I can go to General Skills for belly dance in August.  I am trying to sell extra things that I no longer want or need.  That includes some Cookie Lee Jewelry that I tried to sell about five years ago.  I have a whole case full of jewelry, and it would be nice to not have it in the house anymore.

This week I decided to do a spring mani.  I started off with two coats of China Glaze Sweet Hook.  Then I stamped on the image using plate BM-224 and konad special polish in purple.  Then I used China Glaze Tail Me Something for the center of the flowers.

I love the light purple and the flowers. I hope you do too!

Until later,

Chess

Mauve It

This week I had an interview for a new job, so I decided to go with a more neutral mani for the week.  I was torn between doing another french manicure and using a simple color.  I had problems with the french manicure that I did, which I will post about later, and finally determined that one color would work better after my frustrations.

I used two coats of Sally Hansen Insta-Dri Mauve It.  I love this brand.  It is thicker than some, so you don't have to put a bunch of coats on and it dries quicker than others.  This is a gorgeous neutral pink, and I felt it worked well while trying to remain conservative.

I think I could do a white lace design of some sort in the future to give it a modified french manicure look.

Until later,

Chess

Mint Chocolate Chips

My sister named this mani.  I showed it to her earlier in the week and she said it looked a bit like the ice cream.

I started with two coats of Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear Mint Sorbet.  After that dried I used two coats of Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear Pixel Perfect.  I used the brush to help strategically place some of the "pixels."

I love the look and received a lot of complements on this.  The only issues I had was the glitter top coat tended to get bubbles in it as I was applying it and it was definitely not a quick dry polish.  It took forever for the glitter polish to dry.

What do you think?

Until later,

Chess