Burning Hearts

         Happy Valentine's Day!! 
        I actually don't really like Valentine's Day. Back when I was adorable, I was obsessed with it. But as I got older and more....facially challenged, my enthusiasm sort of died down. If I were boss of the world, I would cancel Valentine's Day and just have Christmas twice a year. I feel like that's a much better use of everyone's time.  
        But since it's Valentine's Day and not Christmas Part II, I did some appropriately themed nails anyway.

I started the party with three coats of Color Club Worth the Risque.

Then I stamped on one of the patterns from BM11 with Color Club Where's the Soiree? 

Next came a layer of Gelous, and the heart gems, which I got from Rite Aid. I don't remember the name of the manufacturer though. 

I finished everything off with a thick layer of Sally Hansen Insta-Dri, and that was it. 

This was the plate, and I used the pattern on the far left in the bottom row. 

Photo courtesy of http://moriesnailart.weebly.com

Sunlight, no flash.

Natural light, no flash.

Sunlight, no flash.

Natural light, no flash.

Sunlight, no flash.

  This could have been way better if I had made more of a tip, or could have found smaller heart gems. Also, actually putting the gems in straight would have been good. -__-

What also would have been good was if I could have used something more holo...Worth the Risque is already on the weak side, and all the topcoat layers extinguished what little was there. 

     But even with that stuff, I think it's okay. I didn't want to do anything too Valentine's Day-ish, because I'm gonna have to wear this for like three days, so I like how this mani doesn't scream Valentine's Day. It more whispers it in a firm voice. I also really like how the gems look. They catch the light and glow so nicely, like they have little embers in them. 

And that's all I've got for ya today! I hope everyone is having a beautiful Valentine's Day! ^_^

Revlon Grape Icy + Fauxnad

        This is so bad...I have like a million things to do today, but I decided to play with my nails instead. Smh!!

I used BM11, one of the plates that just arrived from Hawaii. The circled pattern is the one that I stamped with.

Natural light, no flash.

The sun was gone by the time I took this. But anyway, Revlon's Grape Icy was the base, and I stamped on the pattern with Color Club Groove Thang. 

Natural light, no flash. 

I did this by cutting a piece of scotch tape into half, and then putting it diagonally over the center of the nail. I stamped the pattern at the cuticle, and the again at the tip, letting it overlap the tape. After a minute, I removed the tape and this is what I got. I was hoping to get more pattern on the nail, but this is okay too.

Indoors, with flash.

The fauxnad plate laid the smackdown on me. :(

     Even though my nails didn't turn out quite as I'd hoped, I still like them. The overall effect is simple and subtle, which is what I was going for. The only sad thing is that even with tape guards, the patterns are still crooked and uneven. LMAO.