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.*

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?

My Favorite Things Nail Art Challenge Day 10: Your Favorite Mani!

My favorite manicure. I could go twenty different directions with this last post for My Favorite Things Nail Challenge. I am a huge fan of holographic polishes, I am getting more and more into nail art, but what manicure is my favorite?? Well, I decided to do a "funky french" manicure that I first saw on Chloe's Nails. I was instantly star struck. This manicure exudes sex appeal, elegance, and funk! I bet you didn't realize a simple manicure could do that, did you? My husband even saw it on Pinterest before I ever tried it and thought it looked really cool. So, my favorite manicure isn't something original or outlandish, it is just one that makes me happy! I think that is only fitting. I used OPI DS Extravagance for my base color with two coats and Konad Black Pearl for the tips. Of course, one of my manicures wouldn't be complete without a topping of Seche Vite to bring it all together.

 So pretty!!

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?

Red Comparison

When I was picking out my red base color for my Hello Kitty manicure, I realized I have a few "similar" reds. Isn't it amazing when you are at the store trying to pick out a new color and you just know you don't have that at home. Unfortunately, when you do get home, you have 5 different versions of it. Well damn it all if that isn't what happened. Sadly, I did have more reds that were similar to these colors, but these were the closest looking while still in the bottle. The reds I am showing you are similar, but divided into two different groups : Cherry Red and True Red. The cherry reds lean on the almost orangy, but not quite orange side. They are very bright and cheerful colors. The true reds lean neither towards the blue or orange side of the red spectrum, it sits right smack dab in the middle. I notice every single one of these polishes had amazing coverage with just two coats. I probably could have gotten away with one thick coat, but I try not to do that so I get a more accurate manicure. Does that make sense? I did not use a topcoat in the picture, but the base coat I did end up using was my Posh Quick Dry Base Coat. I had no nail staining using that with the Zoya Sooki. Now, on to the comparison!

Wet n Wild I Red a Good Book , Zoya Sooki, China Glaze Hey Sailor , OPI, O'Hare & Nails Look Great, and Color Club Cadillac Red

Thumb Wet n Wild, Index Zoya, Middle China Glaze, Ring OPI, Pinkie Color Club

Cherry Reds: Zoya Sooki, China Glaze Hey Sailor
True Reds: Wet n Wild I Red a Good Book, OPI O'Hare & Nails Look Great, Color Club Red Cadillac

What do you think of the difference? Do group your reds based on what color they lean towards or is it just red like my husband would say?

On a random side note, look how shiny they all are. I can see a reflection of me in them!!

*Holographic Dusty Haul*

My first dusty hunt was quite successful for a newbie, in my opinion. I got a few new bottles (they still look like they went through the ringer), but mostly partially used. I had such an adrenaline rush doing this. It made me feel better that the owners of these salons didn't look at me like I was crazy. I just knew I was going to ask about buying polish, and they would look at me like I had three heads. Luckily most people were very accommodating, I only got two dirty looks. Unfortunately,at one place, I ran into a news crew interviewing the staff and customers because a patron was arrested for leaving her 3 children in the car (ages 4, 2 and 9 months), with a loaded hand gun, and marijuana, while she got her nails done. No, I am not kidding. I still can't get over that one. It gets worse, but I don't have the heart to repeat the rest. Luckily the children were okay and the mom was arrested and charged. So, I don't plan on dusty hunting in that area again! So, do any of you have any helpful dusty hunting tips? Preferably ones that won't end up like my last one. Please share. Well enough chatting, on with the treasure. :)

So what do you think? :)

 From the Kaleidoscope Collection I found How About A Tumble, It's My Turn, and He's Going In Circles.

From the OMG Collection I got IDK, TTYL, BFF, and LOL.

Finally OPI DS Design, Coronation, and Passion

OPI Not Like the Movies

OPI Not Like the Movies is from the 2011 Katy Perry Collection. This is a purple/green/silver duochrome frost that goes on a little sheer. This color even has a small amount of silver microglitter. The swatches took four coats so there would be no visible nail line. It went on a little streaky for me but it is definitely a cool color besides, I love Katy Perry.

Sorry about the blurry close up, but it was the only way to show you the green in the duochrome shift.

This polish was purchased by me.