Chanel - Paradoxal....ish

Have you all been nervously pacing wondering if it is a good idea to drop $23 for the new Fall shade from Chanel: Paradoxal? A lot of us are. It is beautiful, but.... $23? It's a hard pill to swallow. I can't help thinking there has to be a way to get the gray-taupe-purple shade with the violet shimmer look for less either by frankening (mixing different polishes together) or layering.

Then I had a polish revalation. A "lacqualation", if you will. I picked up a polish from CVS last week from a new line called "Confetti". The shade is called "Moonstruck" and it is that hard to peg taupey, grayish, purple, just like Paradoxal. Next I had to get some purple shimmer in there. I recently acquired a cool, gleaming violet shimmer in a clear base. It's Orly - Love Each Other. Then I threw that on top.

Looking at my creation I am sure it is probably a lot lighter than Paradoxal, but that is okay. I love this!

What do you think? Are you getting Paradoxal? Or are you looking for a cheaper option to get the look?
:cD
-Elaine

Gold and Diamonds

Hello!

So I think I am just too cute. Look what I came up with using an Orly Foil FX shade, Rage:

So what I did: I started with Rage which is this incredible, shimmery, molten metal, foil, rose gold. Then I stamped "twinkles" and diamonds with black polish and Konad plate M14. "Big deal, Laine. What is so damn cute about that?" WELL!! This is what. I added prismatic glitter to the diamonds with Cover Girl - City Lights top coat and that made the diamonds look like they are twinkling! CUTE!

(Blurred to show the holographicness)

What do you think?

:cD
-Elaine

Bottle Promo Pics of Orly Cosmix FX for Fall

OMG look what I just saw on Temptalia:

photo courtesy of Temptalia

They look EVEN BETTER than I thought. They anticipation is driving me even more mad now! I neeeeeeed these! Hope I get a job soon so I can buy them! HAHA

Preview: Orly Cosmic FX - Fall 2010

I am sure you guys have seen this, but I can't believe my eyes! I am super excited about this collection!

As ORLY continues to pioneer the nail category with distinct and trend setting finishes and color, the brand introduces its latest addition to its portfolio of textured finishes with Cosmic FX. The new, limited-edition collection delivers multi-dimensional flashes of intense shimmering shine that is so electrifying your nails will explode with color! This lighting phenomenon is achieved by ORLY’s exclusive MINERAL FX technology.

The innovation infuses natural rock minerals, crystals, and glass to give nails a special optical effect with extreme luster, rich pearlescence, and a smooth, sparkling spectrum of concentrated color.

The MINERALFX technology includes specialty mica, that allows for a clearer, vibrantly bright lustrous shimmer. Crystals allow for a multi-dimensional color transformation. Glass particles carefully controlled in shape and size create a luminous phenomenon. This combination infused with the Silica and specific colors selected create this exclusive technology that gives nails a unique optical effect that’s magnified as the lighting source intensifies or viewing angle changes.

Cosmic FX perfectly accentuates the looks seen in the Fall 2010 runway collections – from the futuristic Audrey Hepburn at Miu Miu to Ann Demeulemeester’s feathered and metal cuffs and Issey Miyake’s colorful leggings.

The six Lacquers in the Cosmic FX Collection include:

Lunar Eclipse: Blue with Pink Purple Fx

Galaxy Girl: Purple with Blue Green Fx

It’s Not Rocket Science: Green with Gold Blue Fx

Space Cadet: Green with Purple Gold FX

Halleys Comet: Turquoise with Green Yellow Fx

Out of this world: Purple with Pink Silver Fx

AGH! Why are these not available until September! The wait is going to kill me!

Flat Splat

I thought up a great chrome-on-matte manicure while doing the one I showed you yesterday, and I thought I would save it for a while... although I don't know what I would save it for! Except maybe keeping thing fresh here and not giving you back-to-back similar posts. Well, I couldn't wait and did this beauty immediately:

My Flat Splat manicure!

I started with a base of Orly - Matte Vinyl, an awesome super flat, black creme and then stamped with Konad plate M21 and various, bright, chrome polishes.

I used six different chrome shades for this look:

• China Glaze - Cherish
• China Glaze - Adore
• China Glaze - Harmony
• Sally Hansen - Blue Sapphire
• Revlon - Punch Chrome
• Revlon - Copper Chrome

And we can leave out righty!

Have a great weekend!
-Elaine
:c)

New Konad Plate M79 Swatches

Hello! how is everyone today? I had yet another dentist appointment for more fillings but this was it! I got through it!

This is finally my last plate of the new Konad plates I got. If you need refreshing of the other posts I did plate M77 here and plate M78 here.

Clockwise from far left: ruffles, hatch pattern made up of dots, polka dot stamp, clouds, line print with rose and dots

This plate gave me the most trouble for a couple reasons. Lets get into it with some swatches:

This is the ruffle pattern stamped over MAC - Blue India. I was unsure about this stamp at the start because I didn't know if I should rock it at the base (shown here) or as the tip or if I should go against what seemed natural and do it the long way. Well this is what I ended up with and it worked out! This was not difficult to align and it didn't give me any issues picking up. I did mis-align one on the other hand, but you don't have to see that!

Hatch pattern. This one isn't awful, but since it is made up of such small details you have to work quickly or the polish will dry before you pick it up or it will dry on the stamper and not transfer to your nail. I had better luck using these chrome colors than a creme I tried first. Just clean the plate before every stamp and move fast.

The polka dot stamp is just genius. Do you love the look of polka dots on your nails but hate doing them? Me too! This is just the solution! No need to worry about misalignment of dots or having dots of various sizes. This is the fix. And doesn't it look just darling on toes?

The clouds were the most exciting thing on this plate, I thought. This is white creme stamped over Orly - Snowcone (this pic is only one coat of Snowcone, by the way. Amazing) I love, love, love this mani! I couldn't get enough of this one! It is way too cute and way too fun! This was very easy to stamp with also.

And lastly, the weird line/dots/flower stamp. I don't know what this thing's problem is. I could never get it right. I tried to stamp this in black over a pinkish nude and it would have looked awesome but I kept messing it up. I don't really think it was the stamps fault, I think it was mine. But anyway. This is a different combo that worked a bit better. The pinky sucked so I left it off but overall its fine.

What do you think?!
-Elaine
:c)

HEY EVERYONE!

I just feel like posting something for you guys but have nothing prepared! SOOOOO I am going to hit you with what I have available to me: SPAM!

I have on Nubar-Reclaim today, and I can't show you the current mani, but I have an older swatch I did of it and then I decided that I will just give you all the green I have on me and make today "Green SPAM Friday for March"!!! Sound good? GREAT!

Nubar - Reclaim

Orly - Enchanted Forest

China Glaze - Emerald Sparkle

Misa - Toxic Seduction

Maybelline - Glad To Be Green

Misa - Dirty Sexy Money

Essie - Mint Candy Apple

Barry M - Mint Green

BB Couture - Poison Ivy

Illamasqua - Rampage

Illamasqua - Hectic

Illamasqua - Elope

Claire's - Dreamcatcher

BB Couture - Studio 54

Diamond Cosmetics - Never So Evergreen

Sinful Colors - Happy Ending

Sinful Colors - Innocent

Rescue Beauty Lounge - No More War

Rimmel - Camouflage

Have a wonderful weekend!
Elaine
:c)

Nail Swatch Pic SPAM!

Hello all! Hope you are all well and had a lovely holiday! :c)
I have left you hanging for a few days so today I am bring you some random swatches to get some action up in here!! Enjoy!

Orly - Enchanted Forest layered with Hard Candy - Sugar Daddy

L.A. Girl - Metallic Green (LACQ286 - L.A. Girl website has two "Metallic Green")

Nails Inc - Victoria

Laine Original - Light n Sweet: franken made with about 75% Misa - Hot Couture and 25% white creme

OPI - Reflecting Pool

OPI DS - Reflection

I'll be back with more soon. I actually have a great, big post coming for New Years Eve!
-Elaine

Candy Swirls! You could eat them!

But don't! Because they are my nails!


I did this mani a couple weeks ago. I was inspired by a baseball game I went to. In the park there were these big candy looking lights and I thought, "I could do that to my nails!" So I did. I picked five colors and did a "skittle" mani with them. I used:

BB Couture - Little Deuce Coupe
Orly - Polo Princess
Misa - Speed Of Life
Barry M - Spring Green
Milani - Antique

I switched up the order for each hand. Then I used a white nail stiper: LA Colors Art Deco, and painted swirly designs starting from the middle and fanning them out and around. Then I added a matching rhinestone to the middle of each nail.

After I day I switched it up. I really liked the look of white-on-yellow so I did that to all of them:



Yummy!

-Elaine