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Glitter

31 Day Challenge, Glitter, Nail Art

31DC2015: Red Nails with Barry M and Lynnderella

1st September 2015

12 Comments

31DC2015 Red Nails with Barry M Gelly Red

It’s that time of year again when internet nail artists the world over have to decide between their spare time/social life/sleep and the 31 Day Challenge. Call me crazy, but this year I have once again opted for the latter! I was unsure for a while about joining the challenge this year but I eventually decided it would be plain weird not to. This will be my 5th consecutive year and it would be a real shame to break that streak so I’m going to try my hardest to stick with it right through to the end.

For the first few days I like to ease myself in with some plain(ish) manis as the prompts don’t call for much else. I took to Periscope on Monday (follow me @thesammersaurus) and asked everyone who was watching to help me choose which of my red polishes to use for Day 1’s ‘Red Nails‘. In the end, we settled on a classic red creme with a few glitter accents.

The Nail Polish

I used 2 coats of Barry M Blood Orange/Red for my base and painted on 2 thin coats of Lynnderella Ruby Red Ruby for the accents.

Here are the cues coming up in the challenge. If you’re only just finding out about this, it’s not too late to join in! Just post when you can and catch up if you have a chance. You can also follow along on the #31DC2015 hashtag pretty much everywhere but most of the action will be on Instagram!

If you fancy scrolling through the archives of my previous challenge efforts, you’ll find them here: 31DC2011 | 31DC2012 | 31DC2013 | 31DC2014

Thanks to Sarah @ Chalkboard Nails for the beautifully designed graphics again this year!

Glitter, Nail Art, Snippet

Snippet: Pastel Colour Blocking

21st July 2015

23 Comments

Items Used

Sally Hansen Green Tea
China Glaze Tarty for the Party
China Glaze Pink-ie Promise
Sally Hansen Razzle Dazzler
Gold Striping Tape

Glitter, Holographic, Nail Art

Chevron Nail Art with piCture pOlish

21st April 2015

11 Comments

piCture pOlish is coming out with so many new shades this season that it’s getting hard to keep up! Have you seen the Limited Edition Vampy Chameleons? They are to die for! Anyway, that’s a story for another day. Today I’m focusing on Cherish – a nude scattered holo, Karma – the deep plum scattered holo, and Splash – dat sparkly multi sized blue glitter.

I created this nail art by painting on two coats of piCture pOlish Cherish followed by a thin coat of Glisten & Glow HK Girl to dry it fast.

Next up, I applied 3 Thin Single Chevron Stencils from She Sells Seashells near the base of a few nails (which reminds me that I need to go on a bit of a spree since it looks like they’ve got a lot of new bits in since I last stopped by!)

I painted from the cuticle up to the third chevron stencil with piCture pOlish Karma and swiftly removed the stencils.

For the blue glitter chevrons, I applied a chevron stencil, then used the corner of a makeup sponge to apply piCture pOlish Splash so that I got complete coverage. I removed the stencils and outlined the chevron using Karma and a nail art brush.

Finally, I topped it all off with a thick layer of HK Girl.

Glitter, Holographic, Review, Swatch

Il Etait Un Vernis: Once Upon a Time Collection Swatches

6th April 2015

16 Comments

Once Upon a Time Nail Polish Collection

Once Upon A Time is the debut collection from Il Etait Un Vernis, the indie brand launched by two fabulous french nail bloggers – Vernis en Folie and De tout et de Rien. The brand launched in late 2014 and has gone from strength to strength with 2 further colour collections and a nail care range added to the roster since. What really draws me to this brand is the fascinating finishes and ‘something for everyone’ approach to each collection.

Every polish from Il Etait Un Vernis is 5-free and vegan. Designed in France and manufactured in Australia, I can safely say this is one of the most stunning collections I’ve ever seen. All 5 of these shades took my breath away when I first laid eyes on them. There are 4 scattered holographic polishes plus a sparkling gold (also holographic) glitter. The holos all have a jelly-like consistency which makes them incredibly glossy and smooth to apply while the glitter is dense enough to provide full coverage or perfect worn over another shade as a topper. Let’s take a closer look…

Beyond Words

– 3 Coats + Top Coat
Let’s dive straight in with the show-stopper! Beyond Words is a devastatingly gorgeous fuchsia shade packed with holographic particles and bright pink flecks. The super-shine is strong with this one but I always add a top coat for durability. Straight up my favourite pink in a long time and my pick from the collection.

Crush on Blue

– 3 Coats + Top Coat
If you’re looking for a royal blue with a twist, look no further than Crush on Blue. Smooth application in 3 coats.

Light Box

– 3 Coats + Top Coat
Light Box has a slightly thicker formula than the others but it was smooth enough to apply without any issues. There’s something very luxurious about a black holographic and the blue flecks are a genius touch.

Live, Love, Laugh

– 3 Thin Coats Over Bare Nails + Top Coat
With three coats of Live, Love, Laugh on my naked nails, there are still a few spots where you can see through but only if you look very closely. With all that light bouncing around, the naked spots are invisible to the naked eye and it looks just like you dipped your nails in glitter!

No Comment

– 3 Coats + Top Coat
No Comment is a very summery shade and one of those in-between shades that’s hard to describe so I’ll just let the pictures do most of the talking. I wouldn’t quite class this as a coral but perhaps a bright red with orange tendencies!

Where to Buy Once Upon a Time

Once Upon a Time is available for a limited time from Il Etait Un Vernis Shop (in France) and their International Stockists (for everywhere else in the world). RRP €12.90 (~$14.25 / £9.50).

Bonus: Nail Polish Pourn

Nail Polish #Pourn with @iletaitunvernis Once Upon a Time Collection. Obsessed doesn’t even cover it… I spent hooours making this video but it was totally worth it! Full swatches are up on thenailasaurus.com 🎶 The song is Bodyache by Purity Ring

A video posted by Sammy (@thesammersaurus) on Apr 6, 2015 at 8:45am PDT

Glitter, Gradient, Holographic, Nail Art, Studs

Just a Refresher

7th January 2015

28 Comments

Green Gradient Nail Art

It’s a few weeks since I was in normal blogging mode and I must admit, I’m a bit rusty but slowly easing back in to the routine. I recently had another big sort out of my polishes and downsized my collection a fair bit. Whilst looking through I discovered a few hidden gems which I had forgotten were in there so I’ve brought them out to see the light of day and hop back to summer with my brights. I think the colour combination is very refreshing – it makes me think of ice cold cocktails somewhere sunny! Read more

Freehand, Glitter, Nail Art

Purple Snowflake Nail Art

24th December 2014

22 Comments

Snowflake Nail Art

Thought I’d take a minute out to post my Christmas Eve nails which I’m absolutely in love with. I think they were just perfect for today – purple is a kind of festive shade and the glitter certainly ups the merriness factor, but they’re not throwing Christmas in your face!

I’m now faced with the almost impossible decision of what to wear for the big day tomorrow. My nails are bare right now while I mull it over. Just a few of my current options are an all out gold glitterfest, some red with white stamping and a green on white glitter gradient but it’s kind of a big deal and not a decision I want to take lightly! I’m going to watch The Nightmare Before Christmas (for the first time ever!) and keep thinking on it.

For this nail art, I used piCture pOlish LakoDom as the white base.
The glitter nails are two coats of piCture pOlish Lollipop over one of Barry M Plum.
I freehanded the snowflakes using the Pure Color #10 Detail Brush from Whats Up Nails with Barry M Plum and then picked out a few glitter bits from Lollipop to scatter in the leftover space.
It’s all topped with two coats of Glisten & Glow HK Girl.

Merry Christmas Everyone!

Christmas, Favourites, Glitter, Nail Polish

Top 5: Christmas Nail Colours

14th December 2014

6 Comments

1. Delush – Glam Squad

You’d normally catch me wearing the classic red creme at Christmas but this year I’ve been converted to this frosty metallic red by Delush. With three coats, the colour is so deep and luxe. This shade isn’t from a holiday collection but I feel like it was made for Christmas!
See it here: Christmas Nail Art

2. piCure pOlish – LakoDom

I can’t get enough of this shade. White nail polish has been my go-to for plain nails these last couple of months and LakoDom immediately became a favourite from first wear! It’s a slightly grey tinted white with silver/holographic particles which makes me think of glistening snow.
See it here: Reindeer Nail Art Tutorial, Militarised

3. A-England – Saint George

I had to get a green in here somewhere but the traditional forest-y christmas tones have never been a favourite of mine. Saint George is a holographic teal polish that’s been with me for a very long time and I’ve just rediscovered it this month. I think it’s the least typically festive shade of the selection but it’s the only green I’ll be sporting this season!

4. Sally Hansen – Coat of Arms

This metallic polish is somewhere between gold and silver; a cool gold, if you will, and very majestic as implied by the name! The finish on this one is lovely – perfect in two coats with little (if any) streaking which is rare for foil polishes.
See it here: Turquoise and Gold Art Deco Nail Art

5. L’Oreal – Platinum Chic

What’s a Christmas mani without a bit of sparkle? Well, this polish has more than a bit of sparkle; it’s literally a bottle packed full of glitter. There are silver hexes in two sizes mixed in with irridescent gold micro glitter. For the swatch above, I used 3 coats for full coverage but you can also layer it over another polish for an equally stunning effect.
See it here: Christmas Nail Art