Layla Velvet Effect in Passion Mood #10: AKA Fuzzy Nails

 * These products were sent to me for review by PR. All opinions are honest, without bias.*

I received this nail art effect from Layla about a month ago and was trying to decide what to do with it. I have said before that I have issues with texture and that is what "Velvet Nails" are. So one evening, I decided to be brave and try it out. It was a definite learning experience. Let me start off by admitting this manicure did not stay on for more than 1-2 hours, mainly because it grossed me out after I washed my hands. NO, they didn't stay soggy, but as a nurse, it was slightly unnerving. I do think it looked really cool and if I could be less weird, I could have kept it on. Well, that's just me...weird. Alright, I need to focus. The flocking powder or "Velvet Effect" comes in their standard bottle with one little modification, there is a little plastic insert that narrows the opening so (I am assuming) all of the powder doesn't fall out. Honestly, I think that made it  a little difficult to get out. I tried doing this by shaking and tapping the bottle over my wet nails to sprinkle the powder over them. This was very frustrating and not very effective. I think my powder was slightly compressed inside the bottle. I did tap and shake it to loosen it but it just wasn't a very efficient delivery system. I decided to go with a more traditional method of putting it on a surface and dipping my wet nail into it. This worked a hundred times better! I was able to achieve full coverage with a lot less effort. As I hope you can assume, this type of manicure is very messy to create. I had red fuzz all over the place. I think I started to resemble a Muppet after a bit. Luckily it was easily brushed off and I was surprised and pleased with the results. It looked pretty cool! I wish I could get past my own idiosyncrasies and truly wear this about, but I just can't do it. Sorry. Besides, I think it disturbed my husband a bit, LOL! I wish I had taken a picture of his face when he saw it. With the pictures, I am also going to show you what I did, step by step. Enjoy!

Don't forget to click on the pictures for a closer look.

Here is what your manicure will look like. I told you it looked cool.

I used OPI Kennebunk-Port as my base color, a piece of paper to work over to minimize mess and the brush provided by Layla. It helps to choose a base color close to the color of the powder.

I started with one coat of OPI to start to build color. I didn't do any clean up around the cuticles yet since I knew I would have quite a mess on my hands (literally) by the time I was done applying the Velvet Effect. 

I applied a second coat of polish and then dipped my nail into a pile of the Velvet Effect powder, while it was still wet.

Yes, you now have a Muppet finger! This is completely normal. Don't be alarmed!  Press down gently, all over the nail, to make sure you have good coverage of the powder.

Using either the Layla brush or a fan brush, gently brush off excess powder into a container or paper, so that it may be used again.

Ta daa! This is what it should look like after "grooming." I still haven't used my acetone and brush to clean up the cuticles at this point. 

Here it is all cleaned up. Do not put a top coat on, and don't forget the nail polish underneath the fuzz needs to still dry, so be careful! My Muppet nails!

What do you think of the Velvet Effect nails? Do you like your nails sleek and shiny or soft and fuzzy? 

You can purchase Layla nail products online at  Ninjapolish.com. The Velvet Effect retails for around $11.50.

* These products were sent to me for review by PR. All opinions are honest, without bias.*

NO H8!! Are You Going To Give Their Words Power Over You?

Eradicate Hate was created after continued bullying in the nail polish blogger community. I am in full agreement with their stance. Having a sense of humor and the ability to take constructive criticism is necessary to survival when putting out anything in a public forum. The line is crossed when people start making comments that are purely mean and hateful for no other reason than just the joy of hurting someone else. We have all been on both sides of bullying whether we want to admit it or not. What is important is when you realized you were hurtful: did you learn from it and correct it? If the answer is yes, awesome. It means you are human and prone to mistakes. If it is no, and you are looking at all of these bloggers post as an overreaction to a "club" or "funny post," then you are probably still not aware that anything you do is wrong and everyone else needs to "toughen up." Fortunately there are those of us that do it for the fun and joy of sharing something we are excited about. I do it because I love nails, color, art, beauty, photography, writing, and the sheer enjoyment of connecting with others that think like me.

Showing support, bloggers are posting purple manicures on November 8th to stand up against bullying. This is Nfu Oh 51 layered over Orly Stone Cold (2 coats) and Essie No Place Like Chrome (tiger print stamping). I used the Bundle Monster Stamping Plate BM-223. I think the 51 gave a cool "blurple" effect.

This excerpt was created at Eradicate Hate  in response to all of the cyber-bulling in the blogger community.
"Bullying is not funny. It is not cool. It is not right. And more importantly, it is not okay. Most of us are, thankfully, residents of countries that support tolerance and many of our families have settled in these places simply for that reason. Generations later, it is our responsibility to perpetuate that message of tolerance across our new social platforms, including the internet.

As members of the nail polish blogging community, we all share a love of beauty, color, and lacquer. Other than that, we are remarkably different: from our race to our religion to our hair color...even to our polish application techniques. To marginalize anyone because of those differences is completely unacceptable and today I take a stand against that. I refuse to allow other people's view of "normal" dictate how I behave, believe, and blog.

In solidarity with a multitude of bloggers linked below, my purple manicure represents my proud commitment to the No H8 movement. Today, November 8, I dedicate my post to ending bullying of any kind and to encouraging diversity and imperfection among our colorful community."

I am amazed, when reading others blogs how bulling has affected each one of us. We all have at least one story to tell and none of them are pretty. There will be no happy face at the end of the story. No, "that was a good memory" or fond reminiscing  Bullying stays with us. It "teaches" us not to like ourselves. I liken it to a virus. At first, it usually starts as a small comment, but then more negative comments come your way and it builds and builds with no foreseeable "cure," because there is no cure for a virus. The most important thing someone, who is being bullied, can do is talk about it. Silence gives the negativity power that will morph into self doubt and loathing, that can only lead down a very dark and lonely road. Negative people will always be in our lives bringing others down around them to their level. The important thing to consider is: Are you going to give their words power over you? NO!

If you or someone you know suffers from bullying, there is help available. Please visit the following sites for support and encouragement:

StopBullying.org

Report Cyber Bullying

National Suicide Prevention Hotline - 1-800-273-TALK(8255)

Eradicate H8

Halloween Blood Spatter! I say it's an A+ (bah ha ha ha)

Happy Halloween!!!! I just had a great Halloween with my family. Good food, fun watching my four year old get thrilled every time he got candy just by saying trick-or-treat, and having one of the goriest/creepiest/most awesome manicures I have had yet! I have been seeing the blood spatter manicures going around and I could not help myself. First, since I am a nurse at a hospital, I knew I could freak out a few co-workers with my "bloody nails." Second, It just looks BAD A$$! This was so much fun to do. I see myself using this technique over and over again. A quick tip that I should have followed, but I was hasty last night trying to get it done. Tape around your nails before spattering! It will help with clean up immensely. You can see in the pictures that I still have red all around my nails despite diligent clean up. Oh well, I think it adds to the effect. I used Sally Hansen White Out for my base, and Essie Blood Curdling, Orly Ma Cherie, and China Glaze Prey Tell for the blood. The "spatter effect" was created by using a coffee stirrer "straw" dipped in polish, then blown onto the nail. All of that bloody goodness was topped off with on coat of Out The Door. What do you think of this crime scene of a manicure? Have you tried spattering/splattering yet?

 Oh yeah, the mysteriously absent right hand makes an appearance!

 I was going for a Psycho pose here.

All I can think of is CSI when I look at this.

Zoya Purple Color Block

Hello all. Sorry for the recent decline in posts. Last week was fall break and I wanted to enjoy as much time off with my family as possible. I even did my very first 5K!!! I am so proud of myself. Trust me, if you knew me, you would know that I only run if someone is chasing after me. Back to my delay in posts, I am now sick. I feel miserable, and the last thing I feel like doing is nail art while blowing my nose and coughing. I now feel the need to apologize if you have the sudden desire to Lysol your computer for fear of contracting my cold over the internet. So, I got some really cool metallic striping tape from Born Pretty last week and decided to suck it up and paint. I went with the ever fashionable color block. I used all Zoya polishes for this look. You see, this manicure gave me an excuse to use three colors I have been dying to try: Marley, Dannii, and Yasmeen. Marley is a beautiful pearl lilac that leans on the red toned side. It went on, thicker than I prefer, in two coats. Dannii is a stunning medium purple that also leans on the red side. It has a gorgeous pink and champagne tinted shimmer. I used it over Marley, so I don't know how many coats I would need for full opacity on its own. Finally, Yasmeen is a stunning dark purple with red toned metallic shimmer. I think Out of these three polishes, Yasmeen is my favorite color. Now, on to the nail art. I had a tough time choosing what color striping tape to use for the separation of color. It was a close tie between gold and silver. I decided on silver, and it did not disappoint! The striping tape I used is from the Born Pretty Store. This stuff is awesome. It is very thin, and came in 12 different colors. I also used the tape when painted each different color. I do recommend that you have a good pair of tweezers on hand because, just like with thin scotch tape, it is really hard to find the starting edge when it lays back on the roll. I received a ton of compliments at work and while out shopping. I really think the silver tape gave my manicure a more finished look. Be sure to use a good topcoat over your finished manicure to prevent the tape from peeling back! Well, what do you think?  

The striping tape from Born Pretty Store was sent to me for review. The people there were nice enough to let me share a coupon code with you for 10% off!! Use the code FJL91 when checking out on their website.

Girly Girl Nail Art Challenge: Sugar, Spice, and Everything Nice

This week's Nail Art Challenge theme is basically everything girly!! So, what is girlier than pink and glitter? NOTHING! I used two coats of OPI Heart Throb as my base color with a glitter gradient tip using Sally Hanson Xtreme Wear in Strobe Light. This manicure sort of looks like I dipped my nails in sugar. Yum! I just better not lick these. Even though the tips are super sparkly, it is still a pretty subdued manicure for me. The color is so delicate and pale, you could wear it almost anywhere. What do you think?

Flash

No Flash.

Girly Girl Nail Art Challenge: Who Inspires You?

This weeks Girly Girl Challenge asks who inspires you. I had many options; Joan of Arc, Florence Nightingale, and J.K. Rowling. I decided to go with someone who inspires me every day, P!nk. I have been listening to her music since high school, and always find myself seeing some deeper meaning in her art. Her music can make you laugh, cry, hurt, or fall in love. She is a very independent woman that exudes confidence and beauty. Basically, she kicks ass! I, of course, had to use her namesake as a base for my manicure. I used OPI Strawberry Margarita for the pink base. This beauty went on in two easy coats that left a stunning shine. I used Color Club Hot Couture, which is a multicolored, opalescent glitter, in a sheer pink base for the glitter accents. Acrylic black paint was used for P!nk's name. Once again, the topcoat dragged on the paint and distorted the lettering, but it still turned out pretty cool looking. So, who inspires you most?

Girly Girl Nail Art Challenge: Gotta Love Chick Flicks

Tons of movies come to mind when the term "Chick Flick" comes up. I had a really hard time deciding what to choose. I finally settled on The Devil Wears Prada. One reason, I just so happened to have watched it this week. Second, it screams FASHION!!! I must admit, the results of my manicure were not exactly what I had pictured. I wanted to do so much more, but I ran out of time. I am a renowned procrastinator that likes to paint her nails late at night, the night before she needs to wake up at 5 am. I do this to myself every week. It's like an addiction. I can't seem to help myself. Well, I kind of gave up on my original idea, and modified it for times sake. I used three coats of Essie Bone Chilling for the white bases. Two coats of Zoya Sookie was used for the red nail and the shoe stamping. Finally, Orly Liquid Vinyl was used for my black pointer finger. I also used Konad polishes in Black Pearl for the Zebra print, and White for the Coco Chanel logo. Everything was stamped except for the Chanel logo. I used Konad plate m57 for the zebra print and Bundle Monster BM 213 for the pumps. I definitely think I could have done better but it is what it is. Oh well. Moving on.

 I think the black background gave the picture more of an edgy feel.

Forgive the poor clean up job. I was a little sleepy.

My Favorite Things Nail Art Challenge Day 8: Hearts/Love

Sorry for the posting delay. My little man was really sick yesterday, so I had to wait on doing the manicure. We are now at day 8 of the nail art challenge by Ooh La La Polish. Wow, we are almost done. I must say I am glad I chose this as my first challenge. I have had so much fun doing this, and I am going to hate to see it end. Today's focus is on hearts and/or love. I decided to do a fun and bright combination of the two themes. I am just not in a "pink love" mood right now. I need fun and playful and I think this was just what the doctor ordered! I used China Glaze Lemon Fizz as the base color. It took three careful coats to obtain a streak free and full covered nail.  As much as I love that color, it is a bit of a pain in the arse to apply! For the word and hearts I used my acrylic paints. I topped it with my beloved Seche Vite for a beautiful shine! What do you think?

My Favorite Things Nail Art Challenge Day 7: Glitter

Glitter is the theme of today's nail art challenge by Ooh La La Polish. I have a lot of glitter, so it made my selection a little complicated. I decided to go simple with a glitter "french manicure." I used Piggy Polish Going Places In This Oasis, which is a stunning teal glitter in a teal base. It took two coats for full opacity. As with most blue/green polishes, be careful of staining, use a good base coat. ManGlaze Matte Is Murder was used for the tips. I thought that once the top coat was added, the shimmer would compliment the glitter in the base color of the nail. I topped it off with Gelous top coat. This manicure is really fun, and looked amazing in the sun. It reminded me of those sequined dresses pageant girls wear (I was never one of those girls, no crown for me). So, what is your favorite glitter manicure?

Stunning in the sunlight!

Still shining in the shade.

Girly Girl Nail Art Challenge : Think Pink

So, I am trying my hand (ha ha) at another nail challenge. This current challenge is being hosted by Lisa at Lisa's Nail Obsession. It is the Girly Girl Nail Art Challenge that was originally started at the Neverland Nail Blog . Week one is "Think Pink". This week, we are to wear our favorite pink nail polishes and favorite nail art. Since I am notorious for being indecisive, I am quite proud to say I easily pick one of my favorite pinks quickly. Overboard by Color Club is a gorgeous fuchsia creme  polish that goes on effortlessly in 1-2 coats, depending on how thickly you put your polish on. This color just makes me smile. Yes, I am sitting here at my computer, smiling like an idiot while writing that sentence. Continuing, I just could not figure out my favorite nail art so I went simple. I did a cute dot frame in the corners with white acrylic paint, and topped it all off with one coat of Out The Door. This is a cute and simple manicure, that anyone can do!

Sweet and simple.

This picture is a better representation of the color.

My Favorite Things Nail Art Challenge Day 6: Stripes

Today's post is featuring Day 6 of the challenge by Ooh La La Polish, stripes. I wanted to go for a kind of "sun ray" stripe. I really liked how this turned out. It was a little tricky cutting scotch tape thin enough to do the design, but it was well worth it. I now plan on buying some striping tape offline to do this more often. I used Color Club Worth the Risque and Wild at Heart for the colors. I love those colors. Nothing better than silver and purple holographic nail polish to make me happy! Of course, it was raining here all day so no outdoor pictures but it is still pretty indoors. I had two coats of Worth the Risque and one coat of Wild at Heart all topped with my beloved Seche Vite topcoat. Hope you have a great day.

My Favorite Things Nail Art Challenge Day 5: Polka Dots

Just a quick post with my manicure from the challenge by Ooh La La Polish. I did my first gradient manicure the other day and I absolutely love it (will give more detail in later post). So instead of taking it off, I decided to go for some polka dot tips!! Enjoy!

I used Ma.nish.ma Bolts of Blue and Rocket Green  for the gradient. I used Konad plate m45 and Konad White for the stamp.

My Favorite Things Nail Art Challenge Day 4 : Favorite Food

Day 4 of the challenge by Ooh La La Polish asks what is your favorite food. This was a ver easy answer to me. Sure I love chocolate, you can't go wrong with breakfast, but what really takes the cake for me ... SUSHI!!!!! Now, if you knew me when I was in school, this would be a complete surprise. I only ate chicken tenders, mac n cheese, grilled cheese, and any other combination of chicken, bread, and cheese with few exceptions. I now eat raw fish, vegetables, things I can't quite identify, without hesitation. My mommy  sure is proud. :) I am not going to list all of the polishes I used in the nail art because it is a lot, and I blended most of the colors to the results I wanted. Without further adieu, I give you NAIL SUSHI!!!

Are you hungry yet?? Mmmmm...yumm!!

My poor sushi "sign" got smeared on my thumb, but I will now decide it was on purpose to add a rugged effect. Ha!

 I had so much fun coming up with this manicure! Have you ever tried sushi?? Does this mani make you want to eat it more or less? LOL!!!

My Favorite Things Nail Art Challenge Day 3: My Favorite Animal

Day 3 of the challenge by Ooh La La Polish asks what is your favorite animal. I don't really have a favorite animal (Are we noticing an indecisive trend yet?), but growing up, I always wanted to be an elephant trainer. Why you ask? Well not because I was in love with the elephants, I wanted to wear the trainers pretty/sparkly costumes!! Now of course, I really do love elephants. I think they are amazing creatures, but to a five year old, the sequined costume looks better. Apparently I have always had a love for the more sparkly things in life! I used  China Glaze Elephant Walk for my base color. Appropriate name for the polish, right?  I used Wet n Wild Black Creme for the black detailing, White On by Sally Hansen for the toe nails and tusks, and I Believe in Amour by Color Club for the pink nose. Then, I topped the whole shebang off with Seche Vite. I must say, I really love Elephant Walk, It is a medium grey with a very subtle shimmer to it. I can see a full manicure with this color alone in my future! I had full coverage with two coats with normal drying time. I really like how this turned out. I might redo this one day before going to the zoo!

Do you like my elephant feet?

I was scared to paint anything else and ruin it.

Nail Art Save with OPI Pedal Faster Suzi

So, I am sure you remember my previous post with my Mulan nail art attempt. Well, here is how I tried to salvage it. I am quite proud of the results. You wouldn't know the tree was suppose to be part of a Disney themed manicure!! I wanted to use a soft pink polish that was close to the pink I used for the cherry blossoms. I settled on OPI Pedal Faster Suzi from this Spring's Holland Collection. It blended perfectly with my nail art! I think this is my favorite manicure to date!! I even impressed my husband. Sadly, he still will not let me paint his nails. Oh well. Pedal Faster Suzi is a pale pink shimmer that stays somewhat sheer at three coats. The formula was a little thin, but still easy to work with. I have 1 coat of Seche Vite top coat on. 

Extreme close up! You can see some of the bubble problem that I mentioned in my last post.

You can still see a visible nail line.

This is what Pedal Faster Suzi looks like in person.

Like I said before, I am really happy with this manicure. What do you think? Have you ever tried to salvage a disaster and the result is way better than what you started with?

First attempt at nail art.

So, I wanted to enter the nail art contest at Nailed to the T. I am so/so with my results. I was doing good with my acrylic paints on my white base coat of Essie Bone Chilling. I was in the zone, nothing could stop me. My art was bad A$$. Finally, happy with my work, I began to do the topcoat. Now, why would I mess with something I am very happy with? You see, I am a glutton for punishment. I can't leave well enough alone. I should have stopped while everything was good. Just like at the casinos, stop while you are ahead. Well, I didn't. I kept on trucking with the top coats (yes plural) from hell. I did one layer and it made it look a little weird. Not too off from where I started but definitely different. Then layer #2 it started pulling, and finally layer #3 added bubbles. Now if this were an under the water manicure, the bubbles would have been spectacular but this was Mulan, not Little Mermaid. :( I am still turning in my entry for the fun of it all but please, don't judge too harshly, because you know I am.

I couldn't even get a blur free picture. Yes I know I am pouting, sorry.

You see, I did Mulan before and after she went to go fight the Huns, then I have her lucky cricket, then Mushu the guardian dragon, then the cherry blossom tree and bench from her home, and finally the lotus hair comb. It could have been EPIC!! Now it's eh. This has just shown me that I need to try some different things, and not get too down on myself! It will be better next time. I feel better after ranting like this. I apologize for making you "listen." THE END.