NARS - Zulu and More

I finally got my NARS - Zulu on my nails and although it is beautiful alone, I couldn't help but layer over that dark, dreamy base. It was too inviting.

This is what I did: I started with a base of NARS - Zulu. Then I added Nfu-Oh - #56, a green/blue flakie in a green base. Then I added Sally Hansen - Hidden Treasure, a mostly red flakie with gold and green at the angles. Lastly I added Pure Ice - Busted, a purple shimmer that has a bit of a gold/green duochrome. This rocks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

What do you think?
-Elaine
:c)

Still Love Mattes

I had a crazy idea for some fun with my matte top coat and made an over the top layering mani. I started with super bright red creme. Then I added Wet n Wild - Ice Blue Pearl that I used for this matte mani. Then I threw on a coat of Sally Hansen - Hidden Treasure because matte flakies are one of my most favorite things ever. I don't like the end result that much because the blue is over powering. There is less blue on the right hand nails, but the cuticles on that hand were not camera ready soo.....

This close up is actually from my right hand. I like the more subtle blue flash and more emphasis on the flakies.

What do you think?

:c)
Elaine

Hidden Blossom

Hey! I know I have been hiding but I started a new job and have been crazy busy with training. *whew*

So I thought I would do a quickie post because:

A) I want to let you know I am alive
B) I am tired (why I must be brief)
C) I still love to post for you!

This is a mani I did for myself earlier this week:

Barielle - Blossom + Sally Hansen - Hidden Treasure

To spice it up I added Essie - Matte About You

Miss you all! I'll be back on track soon.
:c)

Sally Hansen - Hidden Treasure vs Gosh - Rainbow

Sally Hansen - Hidden Treasure and Gosh - Rainbow

When I first started seeing swatches of the new hot drugstore release, Sally Hansen - Hidden Treasure, I started thinking that it looked just like a little gem I got from a friend overseas. It's by a brand called "Gosh" which is sold in Europe and Canada, and not to us US girls. I have showed you a little of what Gosh - Rainbow can do, and if you like what you saw and couldn't get it, I have good news. There are dupes!

In sunlight, one coat layered over black:
Sally Hansen - Hidden Treasure (HT) on index and ring
Gosh - Rainbow (GR) on middle and pinky

In shade, one coat layered over black:
Sally Hansen - Hidden Treasure (HT) on index and ring
Gosh - Rainbow (GR) on middle and pinky

still one coat, just at an angle

still one coat, just close-up

At first looking at the bottles they look much different, don't they? HT looks like it is more white and cloudy, while GR is crystal clear. HT looks like it flashes some more pastel shades, and GR look like a prism. But on the nail... they look the same. The photo directly above makes it look like HT may have a more dense coverage, but it is just based on those two nails. I had a lot on brush when I painted my ring finger, but you can see it is not as dense on the index. It was just a fluke. To me they flash the same colors, at the same angles, and have the same intensity and density.

So if you are not in the US and can't find HT, then you can get yourself Rainbow. If you can't get Rainbow in the US, you can get Hidden Treasure (maybe. It seems as though it's hard to spot!) and if you can't get either, it looks like a new release from Nubar is a twin too: Nubar - 2010

What do you think?
HAPPY FRIDAY!
:c)
-Elaine

Cool Hidden Kiwi Treasure

Hi! This is a quickie NOTD post. This is China Glaze - Kiwi Cool-Ada with a new release from Sally Hansen layered on top: Hidden Treasure, a rainbow flakie polish in a clear base:

Have a good one! Be back soon with more!
-Elaine
:c)

Spinoff: Flakies Made Matte

Hi! I can't let go of my crazy flakie manicure. So to freshen it up I added a matte topcoat to it. I just adore matte flakies. If you think flakies are cool alone, matte top coat takes it up a huge notch. It's so fascinating how even though you are taking away shine, the flakies seem to shine more. It is just wonderful. There is no glare to take away from them. Every little flake and every little detail shows and glows.

So to recap, here is what my mani looked like yesterday:


And here is what it looks like now:

It's like opalescent, crushed, stained glass. It's so cool!!

Have a great day!
-Elaine
:c)

Holy Layering!

Happy Monday! How's the start to your week? Mine isn't the best, I have to admit, but I am smiling thanks to the mani I have on!

I have a wild and awesome mani for you today. I did it over the weekend and am stunned at it's depth. It has it all: it's blurple, it's flakie and it's shining every color possible at me. Why do I need to wear anything but this? :cP

I started with a coat of Essie - Mesmerize. Then I added Nfu-Oh - #51. The sheer purple of #51 over the bold blue of Mesmerize created an electric blurple that is just perfect for this insane mani.

Then I threw on a great flakie I received from a sweet lady in Holland called "Rainbow" and it is from a line called "GOSH". I know GOSH is well known to my international readers but us fanatics in the US don't have access to it. The flakies in it are just like Nfu-Oh - #51 but the base is clear, making their "flakie-ness" shine a bit more than #51's.

Then the kicker. I added Nfu-Oh - #40 on top which I showed you over black here. #40 is one of my favorite polishes ever. Alone it isn't that exciting, but layered... oh. How it kills layered. #40 is what really makes this creation because although the flakes in #51 and Rainbow are well, rainbow, you get the different colors when you move your nails and look at them from different angles. So straight on they show mostly red and orange, but straight on #40 looks blue, green and aquamarine, so you all colors at once without twisting your hands around. It's rather intense!

Let's give a round of applause to the crew that made this possible! Woo! Mesmerize, #51, Rainbow, #40.

Also if you didn't know, fabuloustreet.com (where I get my Nfu-Oh polishes from) is having a sale this month:
All Polishes are priced at discounted prices. We are clearing our inventory on the Discontinued Paint Series (No. 133-282) They are marked 30% off. All other polishes are marked on 10-20% off. OFFER Valid from 04/01/2010 until 04/30/2010

Something to consider if you are in the market for some Nfu-Oh polishes!

What do you think? Do you rock layered looks?
:c)

This Lane is Paved Green!

Hello everyone! :c)

It is officially March and I am super excited about it because it gives me an excuse to wear tons of green! It also means I get to countdown to St. Patrick's Day, which is my absolute favorite holiday. I am not Irish at all, I just love to celebrate like them! Up at dawn, drunk by 9, and decked out in green! Okay, the Irish don't necessarily dress in green and get wasted at the crack of dawn, but that is sure how I have celebrated St. Patrick's Day for the last several years!

So to kick off the month of green right, I of course have a green polish to show you today. Well, it's two green polishes:

Sinful Colors has a St. Patrick's Day display out consisting of Irish Green, and Green Ocean. I had to rebuy my Irish Green because I gave it away and I have never had any of the "ocean" shades, which all have flakies, so I was very excited to buy it. The woman who rang me out was so intrigued by Green Ocean she asked if she could open my bottle to look closer at it! How cute.

This is Green Ocean over Irish Green over a white creme base. I know Irish Green has inevitable visible nail line syndrome no matter how many coats you do so I didn't waste any time and just layered it over white. The white base also helps make it really pop and show its neon properties. This was much brighter in person.

I wouldn't wait on these shades because they are only around for March from what I can tell. I have never seen them in a permanent display. And they are only $1.99!

Some bonus pics:

This is my Cash playing outside with the BF's parents' dog, Molly. Look at his little sweater! My parents sent it for him! It is a big help when he plays in the snow because his hair is so long and curly it picks up so much snow and then it gets all balled up and he has little snow balls hanging from him when he comes in the house.

This one I took over the weekend. When I am sitting at my polish desk doing my nails and he wants to play, he comes over and looks up at me with these sweet little, pitiful eyes. Do I stop what I am doing and go play? Of course! Who could resist that face! You can see his eyelashes really well in this pic. Aren't they amazing?! They grow out just like the rest of him. They baffle me! I've never seen a dog with such pretty lashes!

Have a great day!
-Elaine

Some Nfu-Oh Flakie Swatches

The very first time I saw Nfu-Oh polish my jaw dropped. I needed them. The unique colors, those crazy flakies, that corset and dress bottle with bosoms! They had to be mine. I waited for a long time to give in to the temptation since they are a bit pricey. But a couple months ago I finally caved and purchased some of their "flakie" colors from the Victorian Series; the ones that have opalescent flakes that shine all different colors. I already showed you #40 over black here, but I have some more to share!

#45 - Sunlight/shade/close-up - I have seen a lot of excitement over several of Nfu-Oh's colors, especially flakie polishes like #51 and #60, and no one ever mentions #45. Well I am going to! This is outrageous!!! It is ablaze on the nails! This is a bright orange jelly with flakies that flash orange and yellow and a bit of green at an angle. This is in the Top 20. This swatch is 3 coats, but could definitely have been worn as 2.

#51 - Sunlight/shade/close-up - This is a violet jelly base with flakies that show red and orange straight on, but flash gold, green and blue at an angle. This is just incredible. It was out of stock on fabulousstreet.com (the only place that sells Nfu-Oh to the states) for quite some time and just recently came back. It was (one of) my NP Christmas present to myself! This swatch is 3 coats.

#52 - Sunlight/shade/close-up - This is a violet jelly base with flakies that flash colors between green and blue. The blue is mostly straight on and the green at an angle. This is so icy and cool. I love it. Unfortunately it looks like it is out of stock on fabulousstreet.com at the moment. This swatch is 4 coats.

And of course, we wouldn't be doing them any real justice if we didn't see flakies matte!!

#45 + China Glaze - Matte Magic - This is always how this polish should be worn! This is just too hott!

#51 + China Glaze - Matte Magic - So cool.

#52 + China Glaze - Matte Magic - This is so icy and frozen looking! Perfect winter mani.

Hope you like them and have a happy hump day!

-Elaine

Nfu-Oh #40

Whoops!!! Wardrobe malfunction!!!

Okay okay. It wasn't a malfunction. I confess. I did it on purpose because I am just so pround of my little nails! They make me so happy! Look how they grow!

I never actually had too much trouble with the growing part. It was more the not breaking part. Now that I keep my nails polished and use strengthening base coats I have a lot less breakage.

On to the polish!


Today I am bringing you an Nfu-Oh nail polish; #40. It is what is called "flakie". It has these thin, opalescent flakes that shine several different colors. Nfu-Oh - #40 is a clear base with flakes from different shades of green to all sorts of shades of blue. It reminds me of the tropical blue ocean and of swimming in a warm, secluded lagoon or cove. It doesn't have the same effect by itself but if it is layered it is out of this world. For these swatches I have it layered over black.

Sun:
Shade:

Here are some shots of the greatest thing to ever happen to flakie nail polish: a matte topcoat:


Oh, the magic that is Nfu-Oh