[Look] Teal Christmas Woodland Scene

I did these a while ago now (the picture metadata says 13th November 2023....) but seeing as it's christmas once again, I guess I can finally post them.

I painted these onto some false nails I picked up from Primark a while ago. I kind of like the shape but I chose sizes that were way to big for me. Either way, it's always nice to be able to paint on your own time and not worry about catching your nails on something.

Method:

I started off with two layers of I'm on a Sushi Roll. Then stamped on some flower designs from Noel 07 using Café au Lait, followed by Rusty Red and Ghosted on top. For the deer, I used a design from Fall in Love 01 and picked that up with Ghosted, then filled it in on the stamper with Cappuccino. The flower is from Noel 07 and I picked that up with Ghosted as well but filled it in with Café au Lait. The "snow" I did by hand just using a dotting tool with Ice Cold Milk (a sheer off white shade). I topped all that off with a smudge proof top coat and then a matte top coat.

Polishes/Tools Used:

Base:

- OPI Infinite Shine // I'm on a Sushi Roll (teal)

Stamping:

- H&M // Ice Cold Milk (off white)

- MoYou London // Café au Lait (light oat), Rusty Red (burgandy)

- Kure Bazaar // Cappuccino (beige)

- Twinkled T // Ghosted (dark grey)

Plates:

- MoYou London // Noel 07, Fall in Love 01

Top:

- MoYou London // Smudge Proof Top Coat

- Barry M // Matte Top Coat

Minty Jungle // Pastel Green Leaf Design

I have wrapping paper that I bought from John Lewis a very long time ago that inspired this look. You could say it's a Christmas Wrapping paper look as I'll probably be using to wrap presents this year.

I'm not happy with how hard it is to see the leaf design (even though the background colour is so light). I'll go in with darker colours next time.

I started off with 2 layers of 'Til The Record Stops, then used a large stamp from Paradise 02. I put both Cobalt Indecent and I'm On A Sushi Roll onto the plate and mixed them together to create the stamp. I then over-stamped in some placed using Lor for that "gold foil" look.

Polishes/Tools Used:

Base:

- Color Club // 'Til The Record Stops (mint green)

Stamping:

- L'Oreal Paris // Cobalt Indecent (dark teal), Lor (gold)

- OPI Infinite Shine // I'm On A Sushi Roll (light teal)

- MoYou London // Paradise 02 Stamping Plate

Top:

MoYou London // Smudge Proof Top Coat

SWATCHES: OPI // Bubble Bath, Barre My Soul, Suzi Nails New Orleans & Meet A Boy Cute As Can Be

I'm trying to get proper swatch photos of all the polishes in my collection so I'm now going through some polishes I got a while ago but never swatched. 

Bubble Bath // soft baby pink creme

Collection: Infinite Shine Iconic Collection

Release: September 2016

Coats: 3

I finally got my hands on a Bubble Bath shade. I've been wanting this for a long time but it's such an "in-demand" shade it's either out of stock or eBay wants £15 for it. I managed to snag an infinite shine version for £6 thanks to the auction format. First of all I love the shade once it's been built up through 3 coats but it's not what I was expecting. This polish is used a lot in rose quartz nails but the Infinite Shine version is to opaque to be used with layering. it's also really streaky. You need to apply this in 3 strokes or less to prevent dragging.

Looking at other swatches though I have a feeling this bottle is from a bad batch or it's gone thick as this is definitely not sheer and it should be. I can't even see my tips after only 2 coats and that's why the streaks annoy me so much. Streaky cremes are awful. I stopped at 3 coats but I'm kinda disappointed. I guess I'm still on the lookout for the perfect rose quartz shade.

Barre My Soul // sheer nude creme

Collection: New York City Ballet

Release: April 2012

Coats: 3

Photos of this online make it look way more pink than it actually is. In person it's more of a soft sheer beige with a pink undertone. If this was more pink it would be great for quartz nails but alas, it's more nude and very streaky; far streakier than Bubble Bath. I wouldn't call this a jelly formula due to the streaking and brush strokes, it's more like a tinted base coat. Layering would work though but the streaks become more noticeable with each layer.

The entire collection is a weird one though. All very sheer polishes that practically look the same apart from the grey one which makes your nails look dead.

Suzi Nails New Orleans // barbie pink creme

Collection: New Orleans

Release: February 2016

Coats: 3

Another streaky shade. I stopped at three coats on this barbie/flamingo pink shade but it definitely needs a top coat to level things out. It's a shame because I like quite a few other polishes from this collection but a few sites note how patchy and difficult they are to work with.

Meet A Boy As Cute As Can Be // pastel yellow creme

Collection: Grease Infinite Shine

Release: July 2018

Coats: 3

Another streaky one but the formula is easier to work with but urgh. Look at those streaks on 3 coats! The shade saves it for me though as I love shades like this. It reminds me heavily of one of my all-time favourites; Lemon Sugar from Avon. I'd say the Avon one is a tad more yellow. Pastel yellow is just so fresh and fun; you can't go wrong with it.

NailNerdChallenge July 2021 // Beach/Ocean Nails

So I didn't miss the first weeks challenge; I just never posted it. Lol, I'll do that now. So anyway, here is the next prompt; beach nails!

I wanted to do something different than my usual sunset gradient with silhouette palm trees and opted for this negative space wave look and I have to say wow. Not to toot my own horn but I think I knocked it out of the park lol.  This has to be one of my favourite looks that I've done and it took me less than 20 minutes. It's so simple that I could do it on my other hand (not that I'm going to but it's nice to have the option).

Overlapping plates are simply the best kind of stamping plates. Not all of us have the artistic talent of Lieve91 (and I probably never will) so I love that these plates come to my rescue. This little plate I got off eBay a while ago and the wave designs are perfect.

I started out with my favourite OPI base, then added a layer of thirsty nails. It's honestly the best polish for giving the perfect flush pink natural nails that look great in negative space looks. For the waves I applied little blobs of Lillian, Super-trop-i-cal-i-fiji-istic and I'm on a sushi roll to the plate then blended it all together when scraping. When picked up it creates a nice blend of shades which give more depth. I used normal polishes because I wanted some sheerness as water is see through after all. I then added on some white detail and applied a glossy top coat.

These are perfect no maintenance nails as you don't have to worry about growth too much and I love the splash of colour at the tips of my nails (sea what I did there?? and there??)

Polishes/Tools used:-

Nails:

- OPI Infinite Shine // Conditioning Primer

- NailsInc // Thirsty Nails (sheer pink)

- Revlon Colorstay // Diamond Top Coat

Stamping:

- Pict You Stamping Plate // PY-F001 (overlapping waves)

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

- OPI Infinite Shine // Super Trop-i-cal-i-fiji-istic (deep blue), I'm On A Sushi Roll (teal)

- Zoya // Lillian (pale blue)

Leaf Me In Paradise // Matte Green Glitter & Palm Leaf Tropical Look

Now this is the type of nail design that I could wear all day every day; it combines all my favourite things. Tropical, matte glitter and leaves. I think this is one of my favourite designs I've done in a while.

I'm glad I did them on false nails so I can keep them forever like the weirdo I am.

Polishes/Tools Used:-

Nails:

- Barry M Gelly Hi-Shine // Cotton (white)

- Zoya Pixiedust // Chita (green glitter)

- H&M // Witching Hour (dark green)

Stamping:

- Twinkled T // Liquid Gold (gold)

- OPI Infinite Shine // Teal Me More (dark green), I'm On A Sushi Roll (green)

- MoYou London Stamping Polish // Scandi Sun (light green)

- MoYou London Stamping Plates // Paradise 05 (leaves & text), Tropical 37 (line pattern) 

The gold nail decorations were from a random wheel I bought off eBay.

SWATCHES: OPI // Feeling Frisco, Sweet Carmel Sunday & A Woman's Prague-ative

In a previous OPI swatch post I mentioned wanting to get Feeling Frisco and Sweet Carmel Sunday as they were the last two I wanted out of the California Dreaming collection and shortly afterwards I managed to pick them up on eBay for £4 each. Meant to be (even if I am disappointed with them).

Feeling Frisco // Cream Bisque Creme

Collection: California Dreaming Infinite Shine

Release Date: 2017

Coats: 3

Beautiful shade, shame about the formula. This is a streaky, brush stroke filled mess and it's the infinite shine version. I don't even want to imagine what the regular one is like. I would use this as a base for a look because I'm not happy with how it looks by itself.

Sweet Carmel Sunday // Copper Shimmer

Collection: California Dreaming Infinite Shine

Release Date: 2017

Coats: 2

I was surprised by this because I was expecting a chrome finish with brush strokes but it actually has a very thin formula which allows you to build up the copper shimmer with no fear of dragging/streaking. I also wasn't expecting the subtle holo and I mean subtle. It really brings the shade alive in direct light/sun light though as otherwise it's quite dull looking.

A Woman's Prague-ative // Chunky Orange Shimmer

Collection: Euro Centrale

Release Date: 2013

Coats: 3

This is a wonderful burnt orange chunky shimmer suspended in a raspberry red jelly. The first coat is a bit thin but by the third coat your nails will look like expensive wrapping paper. I absolutely love this shade; it's my favourite out of the three and is perfect for autumn and winter.

Pastel Moon Phases // 'Halloween' Look 1

Yes, this is a halloween look. I used a plate called "Halloween 1" therefore it is clearly a spooky mani. Also, I refuse to stop using pink and peach just because it's winter now. I suggest we make a new holiday called "Pastelween"...that sounds really stupid. I need to stop buying cheap alcohol from home bargains and drinking it whilst writing these blog posts.

Not only is this look super cute, but it's super easy. It took me about 15 minutes (drying time not included because the Barry M matte top coat is not the fastest). 

I might do some scary looks this year...maybe. I have also been  extremely good though and not bought any stamping plates since August! I have so many plates that I haven't used yet; if I can't come up with some Halloween looks with them then I have failed lol.

Polishes/Tools used:

- OPI Infinite Shine // Rice Rice Baby (lilac), Malibu Pier Pressure (hot pink), Excuse Me, Big Sur! (pink), Barking up the Wrong Sequoia (peach), No Tan Lines (orange)

- Twinkled T // Glow Up (white)

- MoYou London Stamping Plates // Halloween 01

- Barry M // Matte Top Coat

SWATCHES: OPI Infinite Shine // Barking up the Wrong Sequoia, Excuse Me, Big Sir! & Malibu Pier Pressure

I keep buying pink nail polish and somehow it doesn't match anything else I have. It must be some kind of miracle...

I found these in TK Maxx the other day and I threw them in my basket like g2g fast. These shades are who I want to be. I had seen Malibu Pier Pressure on Nail Polish Direct but I didn't want to fork out £9 for it and then it appeared in TK for £3.99. And it's the infinite shine versions which are always more expensive; I am one very happy nail polish hoarder right now.

All Infinite Shine shades take a little longer to dry but the formula is much better than the originals. A few other blog posts I read for this collection noted that the originals were very thick and gloopy and required thinning out. I found all of these shades fine straight out of the bottle. As always, I'm not wearing any top coat in the swatches.

Barking up the Wrong Sequoia // Peach Creme

Collection: California Dreaming

Release Date: 2017

Coats: 2

My heart sang when I saw this shade; it's exactly what I wanted Coral-ing Your Spirit Animal to be. This is a beautiful, pure peach shade with a self-leveling formula. The first coat is a little streaky but two coats and you're good to go. 

Excuse Me, Big Sir! // Neutral Rose Creme

Collection: California Dreaming

Release Date: 2017

Coats: 2

This is such a nice pink. I can't get over how perfect this pink is. It's very similar to Barry M's Tropical Pink if you're looking for a dupe. If you apply a thick coat slowly you can get away with one coat but I've found that two thin coats dries faster.

Malibu Pier Pressure // Hot Pink Creme

Collection: California Dreaming

Release Date: 2017

Coats: 2

This one was the trickiest to apply with coats being streaky and fast drying but two coats even everything out. I wish summer wasn't almost over and I wish I could go on holiday because this shade deserves more than a dreary rainy afternoon in England.

// Verdict

I had seen this collection before and it's right up my street. I don't want all of them but there's a few others I've got my eye on like Sweet Carmel Sunday which is a metallic rose gold. I managed to get the main shades I wanted though for less than half the price. Thank you TK Maxx!