31 Monday Oct 2011
Posted in Nailed It!
Tags
Hi there!
It’s a double post kind of day! 
Check out my friend Julia’s Halloween-themed water marble manicure! Orange & black marbling with gold glitter tips!
I'm spellbound!
Lookin’ good, ghoulfriend.
xxo, GLOSS
31 Monday Oct 2011
Posted in Nailed It!
Hey Kittens,
Here’s my friend Kim, spotted at the office with a shiny orange mani. Perfect for Halloween! Kim is real fancy, so she got her nails did. She knows it was an Essie color and thinks it was Brazilliant. Either way, she looks *brilliant.*
Candy corn! The best inspiration.
Happy Halloween!
xxo, GLOSS
28 Friday Oct 2011
Posted in The Nail Files
Tags
blue, cream, Gloss, jelly, nail polish, Revlon, semi-matte, swatch
Canned coffee, bold colors! So Euro! (Actually the coffee is Japanese.)
Ha! Varnish posted on Revlon yesterday, and now so am I! What are the odds? Especially considering that…
I had never purchased a Revlon nail polish before. The selection has always seemed very limited, and the colors never looked like nail polish colors to me; it just looked like Revlon was making nail polish versions of their lipsticks. Blah.
But lately, Revlon’s been stepping up its game. Recently released Revlon Royal and Revlon Starry Pink have been well-liked by nail bloggers I respect… so I figured what the hay! I spotted Revlon Royal at my neighborhood Walgreens and took a chance.
Revlon Royal
Office environment with fluorescent lighting.
Office enviroment, more direct lighting, candy corn added for contrast.
Direct sunlight, fourth day after polishing, pardon the scratches on the top coat.
Natural light whilst driving, though not in direct sunlight.
Claw hand, direct sunlight. Srsly, guys, the only time I even see the sun is on my way to work, so excuse the dangerous "distracted driving" nature of the photos. Teehee!
Thumb, held to the light so you can see the slight transparency of the color.
27 Thursday Oct 2011
Posted in Polish Prophecy
Tags
Emerald City, fashion, green, matte, Matte Suede, nail polish, Revlon, Revlon Matte Suede, swatch, trends
Revlon’s Matte Suede in Emerald City speak to me in an number of ways. First, I am from Seattle, so the Emerald City will always hold a special place in my heart. Secondly, this nail polish is so pretty with it’s deep shade of green and tiny flecks of lighter greens!
Admittedly, it took me a very long time to get used to the idea of matte colors. I mean, like many females, I tend to like things that are shiny and have sparkle. However, matte is the newest fashion in nail colors and, with much hesitation and reservations about the absence of shine, I think I am starting to dig this trend!
XOXO, Varnish
26 Wednesday Oct 2011
Posted in All Thumbs
There are only two mistakes one can make along the road to truth; not going all the way, and not starting. — Buddha
"I've made a huge mistake."
Teehee!
Stripe Rite Yellow. For the love of GOB, please use as directed.
An extensive line of polish & supplies. Also, wine.
Even as I taped... I had the nagging feeling that this may not be the best way to go about things...
Chunky, crooked orange. A very bad omen. Please ignore Bubbles's cuticles. Heh.
This photo doesn't even come *close* to capturing the horror.
Ree ree ree! Crazy Candy Corn CLAWZ!
Ubiquitous Twilight cover-pose, in honor of vampires everywhere. It's Halloween, after all.
25 Tuesday Oct 2011
Posted in Nailed It!
Tags
I love 3×5 cards! This bit of information indicates that I am 1) a perfectionist, and 2) a total dork!
But did you know that 3×5 cards are useful for a variety of things? Of course, we all know they are good for remembering speeches/presentations and for flashcards when you are studying. In addition to these practical tasks, I also use 3×5 cards as bookmarks, to write quotes on and then tape to my bathroom mirror, writing to do lists, writing grocery lists, as a ruler, and……..
wait for it……(dramatic pause)…..
As a swatch for my nail polish!
This is such a simple, but genius idea, which I get asked about all the time while I am at the beauty store/drug store choosing new nail colors!
If you are like me, obsessed with nail polish and cannot keep your mind from thinking about the glistening colors that will soon be swept across you nails, then you too have a TON of nail polish sitting at home. This, as you know, makes it quite difficult to choose a new color- What if the color is basically identical to one you already have? What if the new color is just a shade off?- Sacrilege!
Never fear….just grab yourself and handy dandy 3×5 card and start painting it with the already existing colors you have that you are trying to match! Then carry this card with you wherever you go (seriously, mine is always in my day planner!), so that the next time you are out and about and happen to stumble upon some interesting polish, you can assess your current stash for appropriateness and need.
This is especially helpful when choosing the perfect ombre nail shades:
Happy hunting!
- Varnish
21 Friday Oct 2011
Posted in Nailed It!
Tags
Super-glossy turquoise creme gelicure.
Stay tuned for a new Mademoiselle Marie post next week!
Stay Shiny, GLOSS
20 Thursday Oct 2011
Posted in All Thumbs
Tags
accent nail, beige, Essie, gold, nail polish, ring finger, swatch, varnish
Therapist met with Nails to build rapport and encourage fashion forward statements.
Nails presented as clean, simple, slightly uneven, and difficult to engage.
Therapist explored goals with Nails. Nails disclosed desires of becoming more even, well groomed and “fabulous.” Nails shared feelings of ambivalence as she described excitement and fear when discussing goals. However, Nails did report “motivation.” Upon further discussion on feelings of fear, Nails reported a lack of knowledge on how to attain said “fabulous” appearance. Therapist empowered Nails to seek supports and engage in appropriate self-care in order to achieve goals. Therapist suggested to Nails three different self-care items to begin behavioral change to address goals.
(Essie’s Case Study, Mac Refects Glitter in Antique Gold, and Love & Beauty’s Golden Girl)
Therapist requested Nails to complete the following behavioral change steps:
1. Coat Nails in base coat, one that restores strength and vitality.
2. Coat Nails in Essie’s Case Study.
3. Dab small amount of top coat onto tip of both ring finger Nails. Quickly sprinkle small amount of Mac Reflects Glitter to wet top coat, beginning first stages of “fabulous” goal attainment.
4. Double coat both ring finger Nails in Love & Beauty’s Golden Girl, finalizing “fabulous” goal.
5. Coat Nails in thick top coat.
Therapist encouraged Nails to allow for personal reflections between each step while Nails dry.
Nails responded to behavioral change steps with compliance and motivation. Nails reported feeling “relieved” and “thankful” upon completion of goals.
Therapist will follow up with Nails to continue to build rapport, discuss “fabulous” satisfaction, and future goals. Therapist will also encourage Nails to seek supports and fashion advice from her community.
XOXO, Varnish
19 Wednesday Oct 2011
Posted in All Thumbs, The Nail Files
Tags
Essie, Gloss, manicure, nail art, nail polish, nails, trends, water marble
If you Google “Water Marble How-To / Tutorial,” you’ll get about a zillion hits. How do you sift though the rubbish and go straight to the crème de la crème? Allow me. I’ve done it for you.
Absolutely Required Reading & Watching
My water marble trio, ready for action. Essie Splash of Grenadine (to be replaced with OPI Ate Berries in the Canaries), Essie Lapis of Luxury, Essie Short Shorts.
My Creation
As you can see, my marbling is not the most... uniform. I MEANT to go for an organic look, okay? Wink wink.
Have No Fear
My number one takeaway was that this Water Marbling business is not as scary as it sounds. I didn’t dive right in; I was well-prepared, and that was the key to my (relative) success. I haven’t perfected it yet, but I learned a lot to share with you.
The GLOSS Notes Version
17 Monday Oct 2011
Posted in All Thumbs
Tags
Chinchilly, Essie, half moon, Loredana Mat, manicure, matte nails, nail polish, nail tutorial, nails, polish, tutorial, Zoya
Half Moon nails are all the rage right now! What’s fun about this nail design is that you can mix and match the colors to get all kinds of different looks!
This tutorial teaches you how to create a subtle Half Moon manicure using two different shades of gray, one glossy and the other matte.
Step 1: Coat your nails in a base coat. As usual, used Sally Hansen’s Double Duty, because it works as a base coat and top coat…and that is just plain efficient! However, any base coat you prefer will do.
Let dry completely.
Step 2: Coat your nails in Essie’s Chinchilly. A single, thick coat will do, as we are going to cover 2/3 of our nail with another polish.
Let dry completely.
(You can tell that this is just a single coat because the tips are not completely covered. Do not worry to much about this.)
Step 3: Using Avery Reinforcement Labels (which you can find at any local drug store), place one label onto each finger, making sure the center of the circle is lined up with the center of your cuticles.
Also, I suggest you start with just one hand, as labels on both hands may make the painting process cumbersome.
Remember, this is not an exact science, so just have fun with it. Play around and see what works best for you.
Step 4: Coat the tips of your nails in Zoya’s Loredana Mat, which is a matte polish. One coat is plenty here, just make sure to cover tips completely and neatly.
Let dry completely.
Step 5: Once your tips are dry, slowly and carefully pull the reinforcement labels off each of your fingers.
Step 6: Clean up any stray nail polish or smears from your fingers with a bit of polish remover and a flat head makeup brush.
(I pour a small amount of polish remover in the cap of the bottle and dip the brush in the remover as necessary. Use paper towels to blot any excess remover from the brush.)
Step 7: If you have not already done so, repeat step 3-6 on your second hand.
Step 8 (optional): Using the same base/top coat (Sally Hansen Double Duty), polish your nails off with a thick top coat.
This step is optional because once you cover your nails in a top coat you will lose the matte effect of Zoya’s Lorendana Mat.
I did use a top coat on my nails as this helps my nail polish to last much longer than without a top coat.
(Look at how Zoya’s Loredana Mat sparkles in the sun! All these hidden colors are such a lovely surprise!)
XOXO, Varnish
