Monday, February 28, 2011

These is the coolest nail art tutorials ever!

The other day I was checking out some blogs and stumbled onto a blog and some You Tube videos that are awesome! Robin Moses is incredibly talented! Her blog can be found here: Robin Moses' blog

Obviously, she is an artist. I will never, ever be doing the amazing portraits she does on a nail. She is very energetic and passionate about her art. She generously shares her knowledge and techniques. I found her use of pigments and foil adhesive very interesting. If you check her blog she will tell you where to find the adhesive. I ordered myself some and ended up getting some foils, too. I'm really nervous and intimidated to do any foils, but maybe... I'm sure I'll have to work up to it.

Check out her shattered glass tutorials

Wednesday, February 23, 2011

Ulta Limelight + dots


Ulta Limelight + dots, originally uploaded by kennasmomma.

I got a set of 5 dotting tools on Ebay for $4.38. I've been wanting to try some nail dot art. I used Limelight as the base and for the dots: ChG Lemon Fizz, OPI What's With the Cattitude?, OPI Ogre-the Top Blue, Essie Little Brown Dress, and Essie Sew Psyched.

I'm happy with it. I have a scrub top that has these sorts of colors that inspired me.



green scrubs.jpg

Ulta Limelight + dots


Ulta Limelight + dots, originally uploaded by kennasmomma.

Ulta Limelight, ChG Lemon Fizz, OPI What's With the Cattitude?, OPI Ogre-the Top Blue, Essie Little Brown Dress, Essie Sew Psyched

Ulta Limelight + dots


Ulta Limelight + dots, originally uploaded by kennasmomma.

Ulta Limelight, ChG Lemon Fizz, OPI What's With the Cattitude?, OPI Ogre-the Top Blue, Essie Little Brown Dress, Essie Sew Psyched

Ulta Limelight + dots


Ulta Limelight + dots, originally uploaded by kennasmomma.

Ulta Limelight + dots


Ulta Limelight + dots, originally uploaded by kennasmomma.

Ulta Limelight, ChG Lemon Fizz, OPI What's With the Cattitude?, OPI Ogre-the Top Blue, Essie Little Brown Dress, Essie Sew Psyched

Ulta Limelight


Ulta Limelight, originally uploaded by kennasmomma.

I hesitated to try this polish, because I expected to be disappointed. Ulta polishes are sort of hit or miss. Many are glopey and streaky and have poor formulas. This one is excellent! 3 coats were needed due to the sheerness, but the results were superb. It isn't really what I expect lime to be... its more of a soft spring green.

Saturday, February 19, 2011

OPI Funky Dunkey


OPI Funky Dunkey, originally uploaded by kennasmomma.

I've had this polish since last summer and never wore it. Its a great medium purple cream! It applies really well, this is 2 coats. The name is sort of lame... I guess donkey doesn't rhyme with funky.

China Glaze LOL


China Glaze LOL, originally uploaded by kennasmomma.

They might be laughing out loud, because this is the least holo color in the OMG Collection. Its a fabulous purple, but the holo is just a hint. These are linear holos, meaning the particles are tiny and the rainbow reflection is very tight and organized. These are my favorite holos. I do wish they would come back again. The Tronica China Glaze collection, this spring, is a scattered and dull holo. I didn't buy any. They're exclusively at Sally's and Cosmoprof.

China Glaze LOL


China Glaze LOL, originally uploaded by kennasmomma.

Tuesday, February 15, 2011

ChG Empowerment + NOPI Love Your Life

3 coats of Empowerment. The polish looks better in these photos than it looks right now in shade. I don't know if it changed colors or if its just the different lighting. It looks so pale and soft in the photo, but currently its a less flattering (for me) warmer, louder pink.

The formula on Empowerment was a little thick and goopey. I thinned it, but it got goopey again by the next coat.

Love Your Life was thick. Not the easiest to apply, but it worked out. It seems to have tiny pink and light blue glitter in it. I wonder if this is a dupe for the UK Valentine's 2009 polish, Be Mine You're Fine!

I think I need to find a cooler pink cream that looks like Empowerment to make me happy! Hmm maybe one of those OPI Hong Kong pinks?

ChG Empowerment + NOPI Love Your Life

ChG Thunderbird


ChG Thunderbird, originally uploaded by kennasmomma.

This just glows! A very sexy polish. I Loved it at first, but by day 2 it just looked ordinary. Maybe red shimmer is just too 'normal'.

ChG Empowerment + NOPI Love Your Life

Saturday, February 12, 2011

Happy Valentine's Day

CND Just Red + Red Sparkle (Red Hot)

This is the Valentine's Day CND Duo, Red Hot. I love the Just Red polish. It is a jelly, this is 3 coats. I love the way it applies. The Red Sparkle is nice for layering. Its a little sparse, but sometimes I like a more subtle glitter. It really does look a bit like a candy cinnamon red hot!

Sunday, February 6, 2011

Go Steelers!

OPI Black Shatter + Gift of Gold

OPI Gift of Gold -Ulta Exclusive Christmas 2010

Only gold polish I've ever truly loved. I think its the multi hues of gold in there. Coppery and pale gold glitter. 1 coat.

Go Steelers!

OPI Black Shatter + Gift of Gold

Saturday, February 5, 2011

ChG Underground Pink + CG City Lights + OPI Teenage Dream

I get a little crazy with the layering. I'm just trying to make a good polish better. Often, if I put on a polish and it just doesn't have the wow factor I will make it better. I like to experiment on nail wheels first, also.

I did 2 or 3 coats of Underground Pink and it just wasn't doing it for me, with the tone of my skin. I added City Lights, a fine holo clearcoat, but it wasn't enough. Time for Teenage Dream! The result: a sweet subtle pink with "in your face" sparkle. Like pink cupcakes with sparklie sugar sprinkled on top! Nom nom nom

ChG Underground Pink + CG City Lights + OPI Teenage Dream

Look what I just got!


Clarins 230, originally uploaded by kennasmomma.

Clarins 230. I paid way more than I have for any single polish, ever. They call it Unicorn Pee, because it is magical and full of rainbows.

Here's the folklore. Supposedly, after the original runs of this polish, the supplier of the magical pigment mysteriously ran out of it. Clarins knew they had a problem. They tried all sorts of substitutes to recreate 230, but alas, the results were never the same. The polish could not be reproduced, so Clarins discontinued it.

NP addicts speculate that someone associated with Clarins knew of the sadness this would bring to the NP world. They stashed away a few cases of the magical Unicorn Pee and are now making some money. Insider trading, anyone?

I decided to grab it before it disappears forever. Not a great investment, but I love it and now it lives with me.

What I can't figure out is what is this pigment made of? How is it not reproducible? As much as I love NP, I know very little of the science involved in the pigments. You know me and my need for knowledge. I need to know more!

Zoya Alegra


Zoya Alegra, originally uploaded by kennasmomma.

I love this polish. The photos never seem to do it justice. It has a depth to it. This is 3 coats. I have recently discovered that Poshe quick dry works a heck of a lot better, than Seche Vitae, on Zoya. SV never seems to dry Zoya.

Clarins 230


Clarins 230, originally uploaded by kennasmomma.

Zoya Jo + OPI Last Friday Night + Barry M Hologram Hexagrams

I put on 2 coats of Jo, but it seemed so plain with Last Friday Night sitting on my vanity. I had just received Hologram Hexagrams and it wanted to play, too. I think the result was awesome!

Zoya Jo + OPI Last Friday Night + Barry M Hologram Hexagrams