Polka Dot Nail Art

Hello! long break huh? if you guys are still reading blogs then welcome back.

Although at this point writing a nail art blog seems pointless as instagram pretty much covers what I put up on this blog but I'd still like to write it as my nail art diary. And also the fact that instagram isnt good at coming up nicely in google searches when I want to look back or search a mani.

Just to get you guys to catch up if you dont follow me on insta yet, I took a couple of trips and now back at home recovering from jet lag. Trying to put my hauls and bags in place, sorting home stuff.

Meanwhile I do realise how much polish I've hoarded over the past few years and its time I catch up and get back to doing manis as it truly makes me happy. So me and a few friends have joined in to start a small nail art challenge as a means to get #back2nails . Its a weekly post, no rushing, simple themes. The whole idea is to get started with our manis. Would love if you guys join.

Check out @indianlacquerlovers on instagram for the challenge and join us.

The prompt for this week is Polka! and I love it!

Base: Opi I'm not really a waitress

Stamping plate: OB5 and KD3

Stamping polish: MDU pastel yellow

Swatch of the Base: OPI i'm not really a waitress

Rainbow Gradient Nail Art

Been wanting to try a rainbow gradient since a long time now..but it looks so complicated that I shyed away from the thought that I would ruin a rainbow. But then one bright summer day I put my mind to it and voila!!

For the Base: I sponged in

Opi Funkey Dunkey, Viviana Outrageous Sky, Lakme Going green, Maybelline sweet sunshine, Loreal Orange, Maybelline Colorshow Keep up the flame 

Top Coated with Chg Fairy Dust!! it really is Fairy Dust!!

Stamping plate: Cici and Sisi 02

Dazzled yet?

Autumn Fern

Rush Rush Rush!

Manic monday as usual..forgot to schedule the post last night.

Base: OPI You Dont know Jacques

Nice creme in taupe-greyish shade (?). Two coats opaque.

Stamped with Street wear Barely nude. I was looking for a muted stamped background..so i choose this   shade..even though its a bit sheer. Nice effect for subtle stamping.

Stamping Plate: BM310

However the subtle effect didnt really show unless I took macro pics.

I stamped over it with RA 121 with Konad Black and Yellow for accent.

Overall I wasnt very happy with this...turned out meh!

Max factor's Fantasy Fire + KKCenterHk Glitter

Ever wondered what a magical dragon's breath would look like? How about a potion of liquid luck?

Swirling with mysterious sparkling colours that change shades? Yeah? Thats exactly what Max factor's Fantasy Fire looks like. And better.

When my friend Nirah (from Present Past Perfect..Tense) came out to Mumbai she came across this beauty in a store and tweeted to me if I needed it. I was like OMG it here?? But umm yeah if you pick it and if we wont meet you'll have to send it all the way back here. But her better judgement prevailed and she picked it for me and I cant thank her enough for this. :D

These tiny bottles of mystique costs Rs.245/- for 5 ml. ($5 approx) available at Max Factor counters.

Base: OPI Russian Navy

Layered: With Max Factor Fantasy Fire

Accent: Layered with Kleancolor Holo Chrome

Can you see the orange twinkle on FF?

This is a pot of hex glitter or glequins from KKcenterhk. They are 1mm in dia and easy enough to be picking by a tooth pick or orange stick and placed on your nail. However I was too impatient with them and couldnt line them up neatly on my accent finger. See the variety of colours they have here.

Costs $5.54 for a really huge pot. Just dont leave it open. It has tendency to start flying around. take some out in a dish or paper and work form it.

I have just added the glitter on the accent finger in a window pattern..and I love how it highlights.

I am going to make some manis using this loose glitter/glequins. Lets see how you like it.

Watch how the orange twinkle turns green?

What can I say.... I love love FF!!! and Glequins!

Note: KKcenterhk provided the glequins to me for review. But the reviews r my own.

Independence Day Nail Art: Indian

Its India's 65th Independence day today!!

So I did one apt for the day:

Yes the tri-colour flag with the blue chakra (wheel)

Base:

Pointer: Faux OPI (similar to OPI Atomic Orange)

Colorbar: white

Green:Sinful color Envy

I cut corner on all the nails with the adjacent nail shade so as to get an effect of a waving flag.

I freehanded the chakra in acrylic blue colour with a brush.

Topped wit SV.

I really loved the final outcome...didnt plan it out this way..but yeah it turned out very nice.

Happy Independence day!! 

How do you like this mani?

OPI warm and fuzzy + Indian wedding nail art

Well hellooo there!

Who doesnt like a warm hug or a hot mug of cocoa with marshmallows swimming in it?

This is my cup of warm and fuzzy :D

Today's base in a dupe of OPI Warm and fuzzy I picked up from a trip abroad.

It is a warm brown base with bronze and copper tones and gold, pink, rust colored glass flecks.

This is one polish I absolutely adore to team up with Indian wear. It goes well on almost anything and any colour combination. Also has a nice jewel toned effect.

This below is a pic of the image I stamped on from plate XL E

Stamped using: Gosh metallic Green

Base: Faux OPI Warm and Fuzzy

Stamping plate: XL E

Stamping colour: Gosh Metallic green

I loved really loved this whole look of the mani..turned out very Indian-y!

Blue Sponging Nail Art

Hello Fellos!

Today's post is one of the firstest things I had learnt when I started to learn about nail art.

Sponging. The other day when a friend on twitter asked for suggestion for a nice mani but something that didnt take much time. I suggested this to her. I find sponging manis have a greater stare/hard work ratio than other techniques like water marbling or free hand drawing.

So that is my cheat code! Shhhh!

Here it goes:

Base colours:

Colorbar Exclusive 37 White

China Glaze: For Audrey

OPI: Dating a Royal

Stamping colour: Konad White

Stamping Plate: M51

Have you tried sponging yet?

Rays of half moons? maybe..

Hi,

While you are reading this I am rafting somewhere in the middle of Ganges!

This is my second time there. I enjoyed so much last time that I had to go again this year!!

Anyhoo, I did intend to keep a couple of schedules posts, as this wasnt one of my first chioces to upload. But in between a few social do-s, catching up with some old friends, finish work and packing I couldnt manage to post some more.

I did this mani a couple of weeks ago as an experiment. Well, I have a few of these chinese/korean bottles of nail polish that give a metallic-matt finish. They look super opaque, so I wanted to see if they'd stamp well...and ooh boy! they do! However please excuse the sloppy pics..I did'nt clean up before I took the pics and for some strange reason even the base has a really sloppy application.

Base: OPI Russian Navy

Stamping Colour: Unbranded Metallic-Matt in Orange

Stamping plate: XL B

The stamp is quite funky abstract kinda, with rays of half moons. Believe me I was quite sure I wasnt going to look good when I was putting it together. But the end result is quite a curious mix.

I'd love to hear your thoughts about this eclectic mix. Do leave your comments.

My take on Nails @ NYFW Fall collection 2012

With all the fashion weeks happening all around, it's hard not to get drawn to them.

Below are a few pics of the Nail Trends at New York Fall 2012 Fashion week runway.

 Image source for all these images from NYFW: Here

I like these half moon manis in smoky colours

But the one below is something that I just fell in love with..its simple yet soo chic!

And here is my take on it..I wanted something a bit bright as summer is almost here in India

Base: Streetwear Nude

Freehand Cuban tips with striping Brush: China Glaze: For Audrey and OPI Dating a Royal

 

I tried but couldnt stop staring at my hands after I did this.

Nude polish makes your hands look longer, your fingers seem slender and the colourful tips give it a classy edge. It is also very appropriate for work wear.

Are you gonna try this?

Gift box ribbon

Hi,

How exciting is the sight of a gift box neatly wrapped in glossy paper with a big ribbon tied to it??

I dont know about you..but it makes me jump with glee like a lil 10 year girl!

I decided to make something similar on my nails.

Base: Faux OPI (Similar to OPI Lucky Lucky Lavender)

Stamping plate: M61

Stamping Colour: Konad Blue Pearl

When was the last time you an elaborately packed gift box?

Gold coins

Today I wasnt in the mood for any eleborate design. I just wanted to do something subtle and simple.

I used OPI: You dont know Jacques and Lakme (local indian brand).

Base: OPI : You don't know Jacques

Dots: Lakme 040 metallics

I did dots from the biggest to smallest using all dotting tools I had.

I have a stamp for the a very similar design too, but wasnt in the mood for stamping.

So if you dont have a stamping plate you can do this jus well with dotting tools :)

♥ Valentine Day Nail Art ♥

Valentine's day would probably be incomplete without the colour red. 

So here is a traditional Valentine NOTD.

I have used one of my faux OPI polishes in a bright red.

Very pretty smooth creme and it stamps really well, this one.

Below is a swatch of the same.

Base: Faux OPI Bright Red

Stamping Colour: Konad White

Stamping Plate: Big Plate A (yes I got a big plate..in fact I got both the big plates!!)

M3+M59 (for the accent)

I wish you all a very Happy Valentine's Day!! ♥♥♥

Pink Love and Bart Simpson

Hey, 

I am back from my beach vacation and mumbai never felt so better. It was actually cold for Mumbai standards (10°C..yeaah thats cold for Mumbai). Anyways I was loving the weather till it decided I was having too much fun and gave me the Flu (Aaaaarrgghh!!!!!)

I have been completely down and out most of this week, so please excuse me. I was meant to collate and announce the winners of my giveaway. It'll take me some more time to do that. Though what I dont understand is, why have some people filled in more forms and done each entry separately??!!!

So I have five rows of one person but with a different entry in each line!! Ughh!!

Anywho..coming back to this post..this is what I wore on my anniversary last month. It was my 3rd wedding anniversary. If you are probably wondering why I am posting this so late is: 

I got very excited making the festive/christmassy manis post the 2nd week of december and kinda left this behind.

Base: Its one of my Faux OPIs (looks like a dupe of Mod About You)

Stamping polish: Sally Hansen Insta-Dri Pronto Purple

Stamping plate: M65, for the ring: M59 

This the tee I hand painted for Mr.Hubs for my anniversary gift. He loves BART..so do I.

Another thing: I crossed 500 followers. Yeaaaaaaaaaaaayyyyyy!!!

Thats calls for a giveaway!! But I am a bit stumped this time. I was soo excited about my first giveaway that I went shopping for it on my trip when I went abroad even before I crossed 100. And I bought everything that I thought would excite me. So this time I wanna see what excites you! I am truly excited to have so many of you follow me. And I really appreciate that!! Thank you all! 

Please leave me some suggestions in your comments as to what you'd like to see in my next giveaway. I still have a lot of things from my previous trip if you want some of that and some new. For international followers: I could put in indian nail polish, a bit of indian make-upy things. And for indian followers I could up things not easily available here: magnetic polish anyone? 

Wat say??!!!

Again Thank you!!

Happy Diwali!! Fireworks!!

Hi, Wish you all a very happy Diwali!! (Festival of Lights)

Hope you are all enjoying the festival with your friends and family.

May you have prosperous year ahead filled with happiness and fun.

Here is my Diwali Firecracker of a Mani to celebrate the festive spirits.

Ka-Boooommm!!!

Base: OPI Dating a royal

Stamping polish: Konad Silver

Image plate: BM 213

Dots: Acrylic & dotting tool

Have a great year ahead!!

♥ Purple

Hi,

While you read this I am away to Hong Kong/Thailand and shopping like crazy!! Although I am missing my blog and do find myself thinking about it! 

Anywho, dont think I've mentioned before that purple is my favourite colour. My room is purple, half my clothes tend to be purple or shades of it, got violet sandals, my towel is lavender, I can go on and on (yes I am also working towards making my blog purple). But I waited a really long time for a purple mani as I wanted it to be just perfect!!! So here is my puurfect purple mani:

Base: A Grape fit

Stamping polish: Sally Hansen insta-dri Pronto Purple

Image plate: BM 201

The ring is a part of my Canadian Haul that my parents got for me, it sooo pretty I couldn't resist showing it.

Whats your favourite colour?