Showing posts with label Pinks. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Pinks. Show all posts
Brynn @ A Painted World 1 comment

Orly Gorgeous swatch!

Hello Blogger friends! I'm so sorry I've been completely missing since my hounds tooth post from August 27th. I didn't intend to be gone this long and I'm kind of mad at myself for it. I don't even know how I let it go almost a month without posting something! To make a long story short here's a bit of a quick timeline to explain my lack of posts.

Aug 28th - Sept 3rd - I wore the hell out of the hounds tooth mani with several fixes throughout the week because I loved it so much! I didn't want to give it up. By the time I finally did (mostly because I officially ran out of my mini bottle of Orly Blackout) I slapped on a basic color that I can't even remember what it was.

Sept 4th - 12th - Have you ever been so busy with life that you suddenly look at a calendar and realize you haven't done anything to prepare for a vacation and it it's only a few days away? No? I'm not sure how I did it either but it happened. I ended up spending all my non-working and sleeping hours getting ready for our 4 day vacation to Vermont that I never made it back here. I had planned a design to wear while away and post right before I left but I ran out of time. I never even did the design and ended up wearing a basic Zoya Charla mani for my trip. It was completely destroyed hiking and canoeing but we had so much fun and it was great to get away.

Sept 13th though now - The hubby and I ended up coming down with colds the night we got home from our trip on the twelfth and we're still sick. I wore a basic mani of Zoya Breezi through this cold because it sort of matched the weather and how I was feeling. I wasn't interested in doing anything but the bare minimum and even went two days with no polish at all which I hadn't done in months! Crazy, I know! I'm finally mostly better so I'm trying to get back into my normal nail routine. So without further ado, here is my new mani.

I bought some new pretties this week to perk myself up after being sick for so long and I'm so happy with my first pick. I bought and used Orly Gorgeous from the classic collection which isn't a color I had heard about before but loved how it looked in the bottle. I actually put it down at one point and I'm so happy I went back to grab it before leaving the store!


I really love this color. It's pink and purple at the same time and is fun to watch it change in different light. Because of the purple flash it has a blue-ish undertone which I absolutely love on my skin tone. Plus, it's a pink which is sort of an automatic win in my book. I'm actually not usually a big purple fan but I love it in this polish. This is actually my first full sized bottle of Orly and I'm really happy with it. The formula was thin but smooth and the brush was a good size for me. I used two coats but some people might need three depending on how dark your nail lines are. Mine tend to be really light naturally so two thin coats covered well for me. I did have some bubbling that you can see in the pictures but isn't noticeable in person. I don't usually have bubbling issues but I can live with it for now.

I do have a fail to share though that wasn't this polish's fault but it totally destroyed my mani. During my shopping trip I also picked up a bottle of Yellow Stopper. I've been having issues with my nail polish staining my nails so I was hoping to use something to keep the yellow tint I've developed from getting worse. BIG MISTAKE! After using the Yellow Stopper under my two coats of Orly Gorgeous and one coat of top coat it basically became an instant disaster. Within an hour of finishing the mani my polish was starting to lift along the edges. You can see what I mean in the picture below.


To say I was mad was an understatement. At this point I wasn't entirely sure what was going on since I was using two new products at the same time (probably not a good idea). In some spots I could have peeled off entire sections and I had barely even worn it. Still, I kept it on to test it out. Today it completely fell off. Yes, the polish fell off my nails in full sheets of color. The ones that didn't on their own did with barely any effort and in moments I had 10 bare nails without a drop of remover. I was mad! I knew this had to be because of the Yellow Stopper as I've heard such good things about Orly before. So when I got home from work I re-did my mani using the same color since I hadn't even had 24 hours of wear.


Much better! This picture and the first one I posted above are of my freshly done mani without using the Yellow Stopper. As you can see it's not lifting around the edges like you can see in picture number 2. I'm confident that it won't pop off tomorrow either. I can say that I will never touch a bottle of Yellow Stopper again!
Brynn @ A Painted World 3 comments

Stamping Tutorial! (Picture heavy)

**I've decided to start using watermarks on my photos after seeing someone use one of my pictures that they saved off Google. I hope you're still able to enjoy the pictures and just simply pretend the watermark isn't there. Sorry I had to resort to this!**

As promised, here is my stamping tutorial! I know I would have never jumped into stamping if not for tutorials posted by other nail lovers so I wanted to offer readers of this blog that same help. Stamping can sound complicated at first but I assure it's not only easy but fun! I should also warn you that it's completely addicting as proven by the numerous posts on this blog that involve stamping. So, I lets get to it!

First you will need image plates which are offered by several different brands including the well known Konad. I use MASH plates which are duplicates of many Konad designs for a much lower price. Bundle Monster is another popular one and also affordable. No matter which of these brands you pick this tutorial will still apply!

You will also need the following:

Stamper
Scraper (you can also get away with an old credit card)
Nail polish remover
Q-tips or cotton pads (I prefer q-tips)
Paper towel or something to protect your work surface
Nail polishes
Top coat


Once you have your colors and design picked out you will need to apply your base coat (if you use one - you should!) and base color. I almost always use two coats but you can decide based on the color you’re using. Next I would recommend using a top coat (I use Seche Vite) on your base color before stamping. This will give you a bit of a buffer if you make any mistakes later allowing you to use a q-tip and some remover to take off the design without removing your base color. This has saved me several times!


When your nails are dry you're ready to stamp! The first picture shows how I typically set up my stamping tools. I always do this at my dining room table so I can spread out a bit and have a sturdy flat surface to work on. I use a sheet of paper towel folded in half to protect my table and I use q-tips with remover to clean the plate and stamper as I go to prevent the color from building up.

Instructions:

Step 1: Brush some nail polish onto the image of your choice. I usually only put the polish on half of the design (especially full nail images).


Step 2: Use your scraper (or old credit card) and firmly 'scrape' the polish across the image which will fill in the rest of the design. This is where the paper towel comes in handy as some polish will be pushed off the plate so be sure to protect your work surface! Sometimes you will need to scrape twice depending on how much polish you put on the design.


Step 3: Press your stamper firmly and evenly onto the design to pick up the image. Check your stamper to be sure the design transferred properly and isn't too thick or smudged. If it is, use remover and a q-tip to clean the stamper and start again. If it looks smudged on the stamper than it will on the nail as well.


Step 4: Line up the image with the side of your nail and gently but firmly roll the stamper from one side of the nail to the other. (This method is the best for full nail designs but some smaller designs can simply be pressed onto the desired location.)


Tada! You should now have your selected design stamped across your nail. Here is how my final result looked.


If you're happy with how it looks you can repeat the process for your other nails. You will get some of the stamp on your skin but it will remove easily with remover. If you made a mistake you can simply use the tip from above and remove it gently with a q-tip and nail polish remover while leaving your base color intact. If you do this I recommend adding a layer of top coat again before re-stamping. Then of course a layer of top coat over all your designs to keep them looking beautiful!

Important tip: As you stamp all your nails you will need to clean up the stamper and image plate as you go. I usually do two nails in a row before cleaning the plate but usually clean the stamper after each transfer. It's important to keep the color from building up on any of the tools so you get as clean of a design as possible. I recommend using q-tips instead of cotton pads since they tend to fall apart but it's up to your personal choice.

Picking your polish: The good news is you can use just about anything you want. Konad makes special stamping polishes that they recommend but you don't have to limit yourself to just those. Plenty of brands work very well with stamping; it's just trial and error and personal preference. I've used Zoya, Sally Hansen, OPI and Orly with great results so don't be afraid to try whatever brand you have in your collection!

As for color, the general rule is the more opaque the polish the better it will stamp but you won't know if it will work until you try. Play around with different combinations and see what works. There are so many choices and the designs you could make are just about endless. Play with your polishes and have fun with it. You just might surprise yourself and love something unexpected!

What I used: For the design in this tutorial I used Zoya Jolene as a base color and Sally Hansen Complete Manicure 'I Pink I Can'. I also used Zoya Anchor as my base and Seche Vite as my top coat. My image plate is m63 by MASH and my scraper and stamper are by Konad. You can also see my bottle of Zoya Remove+ and my cute pink q-tips (I told you I love pink!)

I hope this helps some of you jump into stamping or help if you're having issues. I'm by no means an expert but this is what works for me and I've had great results. Like anything else the more you practice the better you'll get and before you know it you will fly through the process in no time. Don't get discouraged by mistakes, we all make them. Just clean it up and start again. Sometimes you have to play around with how much polish you use on the image and the way you apply it to your nail. Overall, the steps in this tutorial should set you on the right path to making beautiful designs!

Happy stamping!
Brynn @ A Painted World No comment yet

Zoya Laney & Jolene with stamping! - Updated!

This is my first time ever wearing silver nail polish and I was a little worried I wouldn't be happy with it. Surprisingly I am. I wouldn't say its my favorite one I've ever done but its fun and a change for me. Plus I was able to play with one of my new colors mixed with one of my favorites. What's better than that?

Zoya Laney is from my most recent Zoya order that also came with Charla and Gilda from my most two recent posts. It's actually shocking that I ordered this color at all and even my hubby was a bit surprised since I've never reached for a silver polish before. Life is fun when you change it up a bit, so here we go!



This is Laney with only one coat which I almost never do but the coverage was pretty decent and I was planning to stamp over it anyway. You can see that it was a little streaky which was a bit frustrating but I decided to just hope that the designs would minimize it.

For me, Laney seemed to play some tricks on me. On their site they describe Laney as, "Silver metallic duochrome. A frosty hint of green creates a unique "oil-slick" look." The description sounded interesting so I was really curious how it would look on. When I looked at the bottle I could see the green hiding inside the silver pretty well. Then I put on the nail and it seemed to lose most of what the description promised. On the nail there is no green to be found and I cannot see an 'oil-slick' look at all. It is metallic in the right light though so at least that part is coming through. I'm not sure why the features of this color didn't translate and maybe it would a bit more had I done a second coat but I'm still happy with this color. I've always preferred silver jewelry over gold so I guess that's not too surprising.

Since I decided I needed more stamping designs in my life I pulled out my MASH plates and picked a design from plate m64. I used a flower/paisley full nail design using Zoya Jolene over the silver Laney.


I really like the pink and silver contrast but I wish I had picked a thicker design so that the pink showed up more. Besides that though, I'm happy with how it looks. I almost used black but decided at the last second to use the same pink I currently have on my toes. Plus Zoya Jolene is one of my absolute favorite Zoya colors so it's pretty hard for me not to reach for it.

As usual the stamping went wonderfully and I've noticed I'm getting faster and faster with the process! I really should make a tutorial for stamping soon since it wasn't until I saw one that made me finally jump in and buy a set. Maybe next time I stamp I'll do a whole tutorial for those interested.

Hope you have a fun weekend!

UPDATE: So, apparently Laney does have flashes of green on the nail after all but only in the right lighting. In my house the green is completely missing in action but at the restaurant we went to tonight, you could see the green a bit when my hand moved just right. I haven't seen the color in the sunlight yet so maybe that will bring it out even more. I'll update if it makes a difference!
Brynn @ A Painted World No comment yet

Zoya Gilda - so beautiful!

Pink nail polish is awesome, at least in my world. But when you pack it with small glitter and make it so sparkly that it practically lights up in the sunlight it hits a whole new level. This is exactly what Zoya did when they made Gilda and I'm so happy I bought this color. It's fantastic!

Above is a picture of Gilda taken inside with artificial light and it's still gorgeous! Gilda is from the Sparkle collection which is the same collection as Charla that I used earlier this week. The formula was very similar to Charla. I did find if you accidentally apply it too thick it will get chunky which is because of the glitter but if you keep your coats thin like usual it will glide right across the nail. I used two coats for solid coverage and my usual coat of Seche Vite to seal it all together.

The color is a bright pink that will grab attention! It's a perfect selection for summer and would be great for a pedicure in a fun pair of sandals as well. I can imagine this color on your nails hanging out at the pool or beach would be absolutely beautiful. It's much more than your typical pink and seems to be a pretty unique color. I definitely don't have any other pink like it in my collection. Zoya considers Gilda a foil-glitter metallic and I think you really need all three of those words to describe how interesting the colors from the Sparkle collection are.


The picture above was taken next to a window and you can already see the difference in the sparkle. The sun really lights up this color. It would a crime not to take this beauty outside so if you buy anything from the Sparkle collection you will most definitely want to see it in the sun. I tried getting a different picture in more direct sunlight but it seems like the sun always disappears when I need to take these pictures! Oh well, it will just keep it as a little surprise when you try these beauties out for yourself!

I feel like it's been awhile since I stamped so my next mani will be some type of stamping, I just have decide what. In the mean time, I'm going to enjoy my beautiful pink sparkle nails!
Brynn @ A Painted World No comment yet

NYC in Greenwich Village with Zebra print!

Goodbye blue, hello pink! After several weeks of reds, blues and more blue I have returned to my true color. I feel like myself again. Don't get me wrong, I love my other colors and designs I've done lately but wearing pink always makes me feel like me.

This time I pulled out a color I've had for a while and what I lovingly refer to as my 'cheapies'. I literally bought this at Target for a little over a $1 but I can't help love the color. It's a NYC in a New York Color Minute bottle named Greenwich Village. It's a berry pink but still bright and summery. The application isn't the best and it's no where near as smooth as Zoya but it's purely the color that keeps me coming back. Unfortunately, I completely forgot to take a picture of the color on its own! I painted them last night but wanted to wait for the sunlight and forgot. Oops!

What I do have photos of is my results after stamping over the Greenwich Village with my MASH plate m57. I picked the zebra print and used Orly Blackout that I bought in a miniature bottle. I can't really speak for how well it works for painting since this is my first time using it but I can say it stamped very well.




Call me in love! I'm not usually into animal prints but I can't stop staring at this design. The black pops off the pink really well. I've had this design in my head for days now and I'm so glad I finally did it! I'm thrilled with how it came out and I can see myself doing it again.


If you're interested in the color you can usually easily find them at Target and all the colors in this line are named after different places in New York City. It's a fun concept and an easy and cheap way to experiment with colors.

Now that Zoya has announced their promo to celebrate reaching 50,000 likes on Facebook I'll be planning a new order. Yay! If you haven't already, head over to the Zoya Facebook to learn about the details!

Happy Friday!
Brynn @ A Painted World 1 comment

Zoya Jolene with stamping!

Oh how I love this color! One of my first purchases with Zoya actually included a color that I hated once I tried it. Zoya Moxie was a color I loved on the site and the tons of swatches I saw online but once I applied it at home it was all wrong. I then found the swap discussions board on the Zoya Facebook page and found a wonderful woman that was willing to swap my Moxie for her Jolene. A few days later my little package arrived and it was a match made in heaven! As soon as I saw the bottle I knew I had fallen in love! I'm actually going to have to order a new bottle soon as I keep reaching for this color. Here is Zoya Jolene from last night. =)



This color simply makes me smile. You can clearly see the bottle is getting low in this picture. My signature color in my wardrobe is pink which I wear year round but if I had to pick a nail color it would be this one. Zoya calls Jolene a perfect summery and bold pink which I totally agree with!


It's a bright, happy, sunny and very pink polish. It's another cream which at the moment tend to be my favorites. For me, Jolene is opaque in two coats but I have seen some people say they need three. The formula is very smooth and applying it is always a breeze. I did notice it stained my nails a bit even with the Zoya Anchor base. It wasn't bad and not really noticeable to other people but I know my nails and will notice every little difference. I love the color too much to stop using it for this reason but I may try other bases with it to see if I can prevent the staining.

My hubby is really intrigued by the stamping method after looking through my MASH plates and my first attempt last week with the fishnet stamp with Zoya Caitlin and Dove. So, he voted for me to stamp over Jolene with white using plate m60 using the argyle print. Here are the results.



I used OPI Alpine White with a coat of Seche Vite. To be honest, I'm not totally in love. It didn't come out quite as crisp as I wanted and I think it would have been better using a different pink instead of the high contrast white. Here's a picture to show what I mean about the lack of crisp clean lines.


I tried changing the amount of white I was using to see if it would help and it didn't. These are MASH plates and not Konad so perhaps the Konad version is better. I may still use this image but with different colors to see if it will look at bit better. I'm going to leave it on for at least a day or two and then change to something else. The real question is what that will be!
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