It's In The Cards // Tarot Halloween Nails

This was a fiddly design and I need waay more practice with layering stamps that are straight lines. This didn't turn out exactly how I wanted but it's close enough and I think it looks ok.

I feel like the tarot cards themselves need more colour on them. I started off with 2 layers of Cowboy Bye, then stamped in this order:

1. Card background using Cafe au Lait
2. Tarot design using Smokey
3. Card borders using Bright Lights

Then added a layer of smudge proof top coat followed by a matte top coat.

Polishes/Tools Used:

Base:

- China Glaze // Cowboy, Bye (dark brown holographic)

Stamping:

- MoYou London // Cafe au Lait (light beige)

- Twinkled T // Smokey (dark grey)

- Barry M Liquid Chrome // Bright Lights (gold)

- Maniology // M072 Stamping Plate

Top:

- MoYou London Smudge Proof Top Coat

- Barry M // Matte Top Coat

SWATCHES: China Glaze // Sun Of A Peach, Pilates Please & Peachy Keen

Surprise surprise; I bought some peach nail polish! Bet ya didn't see that one coming.

One thing I did not see coming though was the revelation that China Glaze only went 5-Free in 2019. I found this article from 2019 (https://www.thezoereport.com/p/the-orly-vs-china-glaze-nail-polish-difference-is-this-experts-say-18196467) which states a spokesperson for CG says they were "always 5-Free but now they've gone 7-Free as well". This is a lie as all three of the below polishes clearly state Formaldehyde Resin on the ingredients label.

I wish I knew this before I started buying up older CG polishes. So a warning if you're allergic; only buy CG polishes from collections from 2019 onwards for at least 5-Free polishes. I personally only like to use polishes that are at least free of any formaldehyde and toluene so I'm disappointed. I'll still continue to use the polishes I've bought but I won't be buying anymore older CG polishes from now on.

But anyway onto swatches; make sure you're in a well ventilated area when using older CG shades as well!

Sun Of A Peach // satin neon orange (contains formaldehyde resin)

Collection: Sunsational

Release: Summer 2013

Coats: 4

This is a bugger to apply. It's extremely thin and dries insanely fast so streaks; streak everywhere. You need to build this up in thin coats. It's also nearly identical to FlipFlopFantasy V2. The re-release of FFF was after this though so I have a feeling that maybe they changed the colour of FFF to match this one as it's kind of hard to get hold of and is a sun of beach to apply. With FFF v2 I'm done in 2 coats.

You can see in the comparison photo that FFF is only slightly lighter than Son Of A Peach and you can only see the difference in very bright lighting. So if you're looking for a neon orange I'd say go with FFF v2 as it's much easier to apply and has a better formula.

Pilates Please // peach creme (contains formaldehyde resin)

Collection: Chic Physique

Release: Spring 2018

Coats: 3

A wonderful true peach creme. It is on the streaky side and I needed 3 coats in the end to get full opacity but I love this shade. I wish I had some stamping plates with peaches on them as this would be the perfect shade!

This is one those polishes though where the more layers you have, the lighter it gets. After 3 coats my nails were looking gloriously plump and shiny. The top photo was taken in more direct lighting than the bottom so you can see how much it changes based on lighting.

Peachy Keen // peach/orange creme (contains formaldehyde resin)

Collection: Up & Away

Release: Spring 2010!

Coats: 3

This is a super old one. We got some vintage China Glaze action going on here. It was actually in searching to find if CG did a re-release of this shade (because the text on my bottle is different than the original photos) that I discovered that this polish contains formeldahyde resin. So I guess it was good for that?

As for the shade though, this is another one of those polishes that becomes lighter with more layers. I think my bottle has started separating quite a bit as it was streaky and needed a good three coats. After that it was bordering on neon.

NailNerdChallenge July 2021 // Nautical Nails

Mermaids are considered to fall under the "nautical" category right?? Well they do now because I love this look I did. 

It came about whilst I swatching some China Glaze shades and I couldn't help but stick a load of glittery toppers on Too Yacht to Handle. Negative stamps are also the best because I can only imagine a stamping polish like that would cost a fortune.

For these nails I started out with 2 coats of Too Yacht To Handle followed by a layer of Diamond Glitter, then Will-'O-The-Wisp and dry brushed on alternate strokes of Crystal Blue and Pink Luxe. I then used born pretty stamping plate on my middle finger and Moyou on the rest. 

Polishes/Tools Used:

Nails:

- China Glaze // Too Yacht To Handle (teal)

- Barry M Nail Paint // Diamond Glitter (scattered holo)

- H&M // Will-'O-The-Wisp (green duochrome shimmer topper)

- Barry M Molten Metal // Crystal Blue, Pink Luxe

Stamping:

- What's Up Nails // Blanc My Mind (white)

- Born Pretty Stamping Plate // BP-109 (middle finger)

- MoYou London Stamping Plate // Sailor 04 (rest of fingers)

NailNerdChallenge July 2021 // Fruit Nails

It's time for another set of challenge nails! This weeks prompt is "Fruit" and I've had this design on a false nail for ages but I just never got round to actually creating it in full on my nails but this was the perfect prompt!

It's summery, fresh and definitely fruity! Plus not one stamping polish in sight; I'm starting to get good at reverse stamping now. For this look I did two coats of Sweet As Pinkie Pie, then picked up the pineapple stamps using My Showcase Pink and then filled them in on the stamper with Honolulu Blues and Yellow (great name Barry M lol). I topped it off with a glossy topcoat. 

This one took a while to do due to the reverse stamping. You need to make sure it's dry before you stamp or will smudge but then your base has also dried so you either need to apply a sticky basecoat or a layer of topcoat and stamp just before it loses it's stickiness but won't smudge the polish underneath. I need to get at least 5 stampers so I can just do one after the other and fill them all in at the same time.

Polishes/Tools Used:

Nails:
- China Glaze // Sweet As Pinkie Pie (pink)

- Revlon Colorstay Gel Envy // Diamond Top Coat

Stamping:

- Kure Bazaar // My Showcase Pink (fuschia)

- Barry M Nail Paint // 134 Yellow

- Beau Nail Polish // Honolulu Blues (blue)

- Maniology Stamping Plate // M051

SWATCHES: China Glaze // Grass Is Lime Greener, Too Yacht Too Handle, Thistle Do Nicely

More China Glaze! I recently bought another 8 CG polishes off NailPolishDirect because I wanted to. Summer is here and I'm really into neons and I'm missing bright shades in my collection so I went for these 3!  (The other 5 are pink/peach surprise surprise...)

Grass Is Lime Greener // neon satin lime

Collection: City Flourish

Release: Spring 2014

Coats: 3

I love this shade. I read quite a few reviews on this particular shade and most complain about the streaks. I've found that applying on top of a white base reduces the need for 3 coats but without the base it's definitely streaky to start out with. This doesn't bother me as neon green is super hard to do so I think CG did a pretty good job. It dries really fast with a satin finish (like most neons). It kind of reminds me of tennis balls.

Too Yacht To Handle // light teal crelly

Collection: Sunsational

Release: Summer 2013

Coats: 2

This is a great summer shade that's ready in 2 coats with a beautiful  shiny finish thanks to it's creme/jelly finish. It's not quite neon but it's nice and bright and will do well in a gradient and mermaid nails.

Thistle Do Nicely // satin neon coral

Collection: City Flourish

Release: Spring 2014

Coats: 2

Another one from the City Flourish collection. I wish I knew of China Glaze back in the early 2010's as I love the entire collection. I think I've almost got all the shades now. At first I wasn't sure of I'd like this shade as it's too red/orange for my tastes but now it's on my hand I love it. I imagine this is what radioactive tomatoes would look like. It's so bright. No one will miss your hands with this bad boy applied. It was a bit tricky to use as the formula is thick and gloopy but it doesn't dry with streaks or lumps so it's all good.

SWATCHES: China Glaze // Cali Dreams Spring 2021 Collection

It's here! It's FINALLY here! These actually came out for spring in the US but over here in the UK, the only place that stocks new CG collections are Nail Polish Direct and so I waited patiently. I was pretty much checking their site and blog daily for any hint when I asked on instagram if they were getting the collection and they said in about 4 weeks. As soon as the in stock alert hit my email inbox I bought the entire lot because it's quite possible my favourite release ever released.

Look at those colours! A pastel creme girls dream. CG are known for doing weird formulas in their collections so I'm super happy this is just a straightforward set of cremes in a range of beautiful sunset shades. Coupled with the amazing neons in the Havana Nights summer collection, CG has pretty much won this year in terms of nail polish (for me anyway). Let's get into some swatches!

Shore Feels Good // pool blue creme

Collection: Cali Dreams

Release: Spring 2021

Coats: 2

I think this is my favourite blue that has ever blued. Never have I seen a blue that has matched my skin tone so flawlessly. My favourite thing about this shade is that it's really bright, even in dark rooms. It has an almost teal tinge to it which gives it a little something extra as well. It is on the jelly side so you can get away with one coat because it's not streaky or you can add another for full on shiny coverage.

Surfside Skies // pale periwinkle creme

Collection: Cali Dreams

Release: Spring 2021

Coats: 2

I can't decide if this is a purple toned blue or a blue toned purple...China Glaze describe it as a cool toned purple so I guess it's supposed to be that. Either way; it's amazing. This is the perfect transition shade for sunset gradients or the perfect start. The first coat can be a little streaky and difficult to apply but the second covers up any imperfections. It's a much better application than most CG polishes I own anyway.

My camera captured this way more blue than it actually is so I had to do some colour correction on the photos to make them more representative of the shade irl.

Live In The Mo-Mint // pale mint creme

Collection: Cali Dreams

Release: Spring 2021

Coats: 2

CG say this is a pale mint green but it looks pale pastel blue to me. But it doesn't matter because I love pastel shades. On the nails, it has more of a green tint to it but I feel this is another chameleon shade. For this one, the best result is one thin coat followed by a slightly thicker second coat; leaving you with wonderfully glossy/plump nails. The only similar shade I can find in my collection is Ferris Wheel by Ciaté but that's way more expensive.

I'm No Tourist // cool toned pink/beige creme

Collection: Cali Dreams

Release: Spring 2021

Coats: 2

If my skin tone was slightly lighter this would be the perfect nude for me. It's not often you come across cool-toned nude shades so I really appreciate this one. This is a perfect base to add neon accents on; I can already see the neon slime drips with this. Here's a quick look I did using CG's Pool Party and Flip Flop Fantasy V2:

Honestly obsessed with nude bases and neon accents this year. I think that's my "thing" for this year.

Vacay Dreams // pastel pink/peach creme

Collection: Cali Dreams

Release: Spring 2021

Coats: 2

This seems very similar to More to Explore from their 2015 summer collection in the bottle but on the nails it's way more pink. I did a little comparison to show. If you know me though (and seen some of the posts on this blog), you'll know peach/pink pastel shades are my favourite. This is a nice light peach though that will go great with greens.

Sunset Crew // rose pink creme

Collection: Cali Dreams

Release: Spring 2021

Coats: 2

I'd say this is my least favourite shade in the collection; not because it's bad, shades like this just clash too much with my skin tone. I think the shade is beautiful though. I'll probably use this as decoration or within gradients. If I'm going to wear a pink; I'd prefer it be on the neon side. Formula wise, this is what I would call the 'typical' china Glaze formula; i.e., it needs to be applied in thin layers or you're gonna have a bad time.

Sunny You Should Ask // pale mustard creme

Collection: Cali Dreams

Release: Spring 2021

Coats: 2

I love this shade; I have a thing for teal and orange combos; it's just so striking so I love that I got this in the collection. The first coat is a bit streaky but the second is perfect. This isn't a shade I would wear completely by itself but in gradients it's going to be fantastic.

Tangerine Heat // orange/yellow creme

Collection: Cali Dreams

Release: Spring 2021

Coats: 2

I wouldn't really call this tangerine...it's more pastel yellow than orange. It doesn't particularly suit my skin tone either but I can make it work with decoration. With a second coat, it kind of goes a bit neon in darker rooms. I'd say this one is the streakiest out of them all and the hardest to apply.

// Verdict

I can't get enough of this collection. The formula for the most part is absolutely bang on. Knowing my love for pink/peach shades you would've thought my favourites would be Vacay Dreams and Sunset Crew but it's actually the striking Shore Feels Good and Sunny You Should Ask. I wish I could get these in gel as well to paint with as they dry quite fast.

Overall, if there is a set to buy this year, it's this one. For the UK, it's only available on NailPolishDirect right now for £42 for all 8.

Ice cream Candy // Brown & Pink Ice Cream Drip Nails

The days are getting brighter and warmer so that means one thing; ice cream drip nails!! It's been a while since I've done some nail art. I was feeling burnt out by everything and I don't think the winter weather helps but today I sat down and spent 3 hours on these nails.

They are a recreation of these amazing nails by @NailFashionByJenny. I saw this video on pinterest and I just had to give it a go as I love the colours and I recently just bought false nails in this exact shape.

How I did it:-
- Started off with 2 layers of Cuir Chocolat (brown), 5 coats of Spring In My Step (pink) and 3 coats of Pack Lightly (nude beige). After all that had dried I applied a matte top coat to all except the thumb.

- For the drips I used Flashdance on the brown nail, Cuir Chocolat on the pink nail and Pink Voltage (neon pink) on the nude nail. To do the drips, I painted on solid colour at the edges about 1cm up. Then used a liner brush to draw thin lines coming down from that. Using the brush I used extra polish to join the lines up so it was more rounded. I then used a large dotting tool to place balls at the end, then used the liner brush to connect it to the line and remove harsh edges.

- For the milkshake nail, I covered the bottom half of the nail with 1 coat of Spring in my Step, then used a liner brush with Cuir Chocolat, Pink Voltage and Blanc de Lune (white). For the 3D effect of the milkshake, I used a large dotting tool and 3D painting gel in After the Snow. I would pick up a large amount on the end of the dotter and place it on the nail; curing after every few dots. I then used Pink Voltage, Flashdance, Honolulu Blues (blue) and Jaune Citron (yellow) as sprinkles on the milkshake and the drips on the other nails.

- I then took some gems from a wheel of assorted nail gems bought from Primark and placed them near the top of the nail.

- For the thumb, I used the striping brush with Blanc de Lune and Pink Voltage to create the lines.

My striping skills leave something to be desired but practice makes perfect! I also used normal polishes for this and I've found striping with gel is so much easier.

Polishes/Tools Used:-
-L'Oreal Paris Color Riche // B25 Cuir Chocolat (brown), B07 Jaune Citron (yellow), 112 Blanc de Lune (white)
- China Glaze // Spring In My Step (pink), Pink Voltage (neon pink), Pack Lightly (nude beige)
- Beau Nail Polish // Honolulu Blues (blue)
- Maniology // Flashdance (peach pink)
- Born Pretty 3D Painting Gel // BP-PG02 After The Snow (white)
- Essence // Double-ended dotting tool
- Nail Magic // Brush on glue
- Primark // Assorted Nail Gems
- Barry M // Matte Top Coat

- Cuccio // Mini LED Nail Lamp

SWATCHES: China Glaze // Diva Bride, Spring In My Step, My Sweet Lady, Sweet As Pinkie Pie & Magical

Ok, it's official; I can't stop buying pink polishes. I actually bought these back in June on the first day that TK Maxx re-opened. I have now just got round to swatching them. My desk has become cluttered with a thousand polishes that need swatching, why did I let them build up?

Diva Bride // Sheer Baby Pink Creme
Collection: ??
Release Date: 2010?
Coats: 3

This is a wonderful sheer pink that is streaky on the first and second coats but builds up nicely. It's also super shiny and delicate; perfect for wedding nails. This would also be great as the initial base for rose quartz nails. It does need to be applied slowly and carefully in thin layers but it's worth the extra effort. For fun, I added a red watermarble stamp on top; perfect for valentines looks.

Spring In My Step // Neon Pink Peach Satin Creme

Collection: City Flourish

Release Date: 2014
Coats: 4

This one is incredibly streaky with a satin finish but it does dry extremely fast. I love the shade but even after three coats there are still visible streaks and brush marks. This is not a shade where you can just load up the brush as it will flood the sides immediately. The key is to do two very thin coats, then load the brush up as the polish won't run everywhere. 

I will however let it these issues slide because this is the closest I've come so far to finding a dupe for Deco Miami's 'Cake' shade; my favourite neon peach/pink. It's cheap in the US but an arse to import over here.

Even though it needs four coats, this shade does dry extremely fast so overall I'm quite happy; I just wish it was less streaky.

My Sweet Lady // Soft Peony Pink Creme

Collection: Pastels
Release Date: 2017
Coats: 2

This has the best formula so far; not too thin but not too thick and very easy to apply. The first coat is quite streaky but the second coat evens everything out and leaves it super glossy as well. This is almost like a Barry M Gelly formula (but without the self-levelling magic).

Sweet As Pinkie Pie // Soft Peony Pink Creme

Collection: My Little Pony

Release Date: 2017

Coats: 2

I thought this was from a newer collection but I guess not. It's still a great shade that seems to magically change depending on skintone, lighting, weather, traffic conditions...honestly google swatches for this shade and they range from light pink to dark peach to hot pink. On me this is a light peachy pink similar to OPIs Barking Up The Wrong Sequoia. I do the love the shade though; these peachy pinks are my favourite this year.

Magical // Rose Gold Metallic Shimmer

Collection: Romantique

Release Date: 2009

Coats: 1

I was hoping this would be a vintage from 2009 however the bottle has four translations on the front and I'm pretty sure the older ones only had 2. Anyway, this is a one coat wonder with minimal brush strokes thanks to its shimmer finish. If this was a straight up chrome, the brush strokes would be pretty bad but all the shimmery pieces hide the lines.

I'm really impressed with this; it also stamps wonderfully as well thanks to it's intense pigmentation. It's similar to Barry M's Liquid Chrome shade in Razzle Dazzle but I much prefer this one.