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

Black and White Houndstooth Stamp!

At the last minute I decided to do a new mani design after my Zoya Pippa and OPI White Shatter nails took a beating the last couple days. I randomly picked a design and dove in with the plan of it just getting me through the weekend. What I didn't count on was falling in love with the finished product!

Some of you might remember how much I dislike working with my OPI Alpine Snow. White can be tricky in general but whenever I use this it seems like I'm 10 times more messy than I am with anything else. I'm not sure if it's because of it being a stubborn white or if I'm just not used to the large brush of OPI polishes but either way I kind of dread using it. This is one time though that I'm so glad I used it anyway!

I decided on a black and white design using the houndstooth design on plate m63 of my MASH plates. I've been eyeing this design for a while but kept picking other things. Now I'm wondering what took me so long! I didn't take a picture of the Alpine Snow because I was distracted by the hurricane update and then just started stamping. But I do have a picture of it from my 4th of July designs that I'll share just so you can see how it looks on its own.


(Ignore the 4th of July design on the other nails.)


This is two coats which isn't too bad considering it's a white which usually aren’t all that opaque. It goes on very streaky during the first coat but should even out with the second. I'm not sure if it's just my bottle or the formula but it's been kind of clumpy from the start and I've only had it a short time. It’s most definitely not anywhere near as smooth as my other polishes. It's just another thing that frustrates me about using it. Sorry OPI! Anyway, moving on to the good part!


How fun is that? I'm so in love with it that I don't even know what to say because I keep staring at my nails instead of typing. The way the black and white look together is fantastic and looks much better in person than the camera shows. You can see a small mistake on my index finger which the camera makes more noticeable than it is in person. I'm very low on my mini bottle of Orly Blackout so I decided to just leave it. Orly has been stamping pretty well for me so I might stick with it for black but a full size bottle instead. We'll just have to see how it goes when I'm actually at the store.

I'm not sure how normal it is to take the time to have nice looking nails in preparation for a hurricane but I couldn't just leave them all chipped and horrible looking. Plus I was pretty bored since the hubby was playing something on the ps3 and I was sort of sick of hearing about the ever changing forecast.

I hope those in the path of Hurricane Irene stay safe and everyone else send positive thoughts to the east coast!
Brynn @ A Painted World 3 comments

Zoya Pippa with OPI White Shatter!

Sorry for the smaller number of posts this month! I just realized August is almost over and I only have a handful for the entire month. Unfortunately life has been in the way for the last several weeks and I'm not doing any where near as many manicures as I would like. Hopefully things will settle a bit soon and I'll get back on track. I'll share about the things that have been going on in a post this week! Anyway, back to the nails.

Today I decided to do a final burst of summer before settling into the wonderful fall colors all the brands are putting out. Fall is my favorite season so I'm looking forward to it but I'm still holding onto summer a little. So, I decided to finally whip out my Zoya Pippa to share! I bought this color during a promotion a couple months ago and only used it on my toes until now. It's a very bright yellow so it can be a bit overwhelming but oh so pretty!


This color was so hard to photograph! All my pictures were showing it so much lighter than it was in person and I just couldn't post that. I try so hard to give you accurate color representations and I couldn't let myself settle. After walking from room to room and trying different lighting I grabbed a different camera. I had to fight with that one to take a clear picture and finally managed a clear and accurate picture which you see above. Phew!

As for the color itself, it's a bright mustard yellow that always grabs attention! Its formula is a bit thinner than other Zoya's but still very smooth and easy to work with. Yellows are notorious for being streaky though so I used 1 coat of OPI Alpine Snow before using Pippa and it worked perfectly! Above is only one coat of Pippa over the white. If I was going to wear this color on its own I would have done a second coat but I planned to use the shatter so I left it as is. Still though, considering it's a thin yellow polish it covered really well with the white base!

Then to tone down the yellow just a bit I used my OPI White Shatter which was really just an excuse to use it again. It's so much fun watching it do its thing that even my Hubby stood nearby watching over my shoulder. He was impressed that it happened so fast. It's like magic in a bottle!


Even with the white the brightness of Pippa still shows through! I know so many people are tired of the shatters especially now that every brand seems to have their own version but I still love it every time. Of course I used Seche Vite over the top to smooth everything out and give it a shiny look as the shatters dry very matte. Plus the shatter does leave a rough texture on your nails so if you're used to the smoothness of most nail polish a top coat is a must. I also used a coat of Seche Vite over the yellow before I shattered.

For those of you that have never used a shatter before I want to point out you must wait until your nails are completely dry before using any shatter or crackle to get the right reaction. It's another reason I use Seche Vite to help it dry quickly and solid.

My last grab of summer before embracing fall is complete and I think I succeeded with this being a very bright and sunny mani! I'm looking forward to the blues, grays, browns and other fun colors of fall and all the designs I can do with that. Of course my pinks will still make their way in there too as I can never be completely without my favorite color.

I hope you're having a good week!
Brynn @ A Painted World No comment yet

OPI White Shatter over Zoya Breezi!

I finally bought OPI White Shatter a few weeks ago after having a pretty hard time finding in stores. I finally got around to using it today in honor of OPI's Day of Shatter that they posted about on their Facebook page. I was still wearing my Zoya Breezi manicure so I decided to shatter right over that for a great white and blue contrast. I'm so happy with how it came out!

I admit I was a tad unsure about using the shatter for the first time as I wasn't totally sure how thin or thick to put it on to get the right look. Luckily the coats I did worked perfectly and it looks pretty awesome. Zoya Breezi is showing through very well and plays off the white well. It gave new life to my several day old mani! It's such a fun twist and really easy to do.

For me it worked out doing somewhat thin coats but not too thin or it will streak which I think is simply because it's a white. I also dries very fast so you have to be pretty quick with each nail. Cleaning it off my skin was pretty simple too so don't worry if you're a little messy when applying. I use a nail corrector pen and it came right off even after it dried. You have to be willing to let the nails look a bit different from each other since it will shatter in different ways each time. Sometimes that's hard for me but I was able to let it go to enjoy the look.

It does dry a bit rough so it won't feel silky like a typical polish. Once it dried I used Seche Vite so I wouldn't have issues with it flaking off or catching on clothing and it made it mostly smooth to the touch. It will keep it protected though so I won't have to worry. Yet another reason to invest in a great top coat, it's an absolute must!

I know a very important tip for all shatters and crackles is you must let your polish dry completely before using! I didn't have any issue with this since I did it days after my original manicure but you absolutely can do it same day as long as you be patient and let your base color completely dry and set. I already had a layer of Seche Vite on over Breezi and it still shattered beautifully so using a fast dry top coat is a great option before using the shatter.

So if you're still on the fence about buying a shatter or crackle maybe this will help you try it out. It's a fun look and even more fun to do. I loved watching it slowly shatter across my nail! I think I want to try a silver shatter next. I'm still not on board with the red shatter/crackles for some reason but might give in eventually.
Brynn @ A Painted World 2 comments

(Part 2) Fireworks and flag mani! - 4th of July 2011

Well friends, I did a redo. I decided I wasn't happy with the stripes in my first Fourth of July design that I did yesterday. My mind kept going to candy canes instead of the flag so I decided to do it over. Here is my second 4th of July mani (and my last for this year).


I'm much much happier with this one! As you can see, I replaced the red and white stripes with more fireworks. On my middle finger and pinky on both hands I used Zoya Breezi as a base and Zoya Sooki with OPI Alpine Snow to make the fireworks design. I topped them with a bit of Stripe Rite red glitter and Wet & Wild Kaleidoscope just as I did before with the red style. I think it's a nice contrast and a bit of variety with the full fireworks design. Plus I was able to have more blue than I had before. I'm actually really in love with this!


My Aunt Claire never wears nail polish or makeup but is actually enjoying watching me play with different designs and is pretty interested in how I do each one. This one though, is the first one that has made her consider having me doing her nails! Now that's a compliment!

To switch it up a bit I did a different design on my thumbs. For this I used a base of OPI Alpine Snow (still a pain to do full nail coverage) with Zoya Sooki stripes and Zoya Breezi star stamping to create a flag. My hubby calls it a more abstract American flag because of the way I did the stripes.



I used MASH plate m44 for both the stripes and the stars to create this look. Both stamps are actually made for the tips which are why the stripes have the curve but I thought it would give it a bit of a different look for a flag nail designs.

I'll be keeping this look through the rest of the holiday weekend and our trip to Fenway Park to see the Red Sox play the Toronto Blue Jays on Tuesday the 6th. Even though Independence Day will be over the colors still fit with the Red Sox colors so it works.

What do you wonderful readers think of this design? I would love to see your feedback!

Enjoy your holiday!
Brynn @ A Painted World No comment yet

Fireworks and stripes mani! - 4th of July 2011 (Part 1)

I can't believe it's already the first week of July! It's my favorite month of the year but I can't believe the year is going by so fast. My birthday being at the end of the month probably has something to do with it being my favorite but the fireworks, cookouts, warm weather and being out in the sun is pretty awesome too.

Anyway, as part of our celebrations I decided to do an Independence Day manicure like so many other nail addicts bloggers are doing. This is actually my first attempt at a free handed design and I'm happy with how it came out. My left hand looks the best since I'm right handed which means I'll just have to half ignore my right hand since it's not quite as good as I want it to be.

For the design I did white with red strips on 6 of my nails and red with white, blue and glitter fireworks on the other 4. It was so much fun!


For this design I used Zoya Sooki, Zoya Breezi, OPI Alpine Snow, Stripe Rite red glitter, Wet & Wild Kaleidoscope and Seche Vite to set it all in place. Phew! That's the most I've ever used on one manicure. It was all worth it though and definitely the most fun I've had making a design.


For the stripes and fireworks I used a very fine nail art brush I bought at Sally's. It's actually a double tool with a fine brush on one end and a small dotter on the other. I'm really happy with the brush so far. It's firm but still a bit flexible and pretty thin for small details. The best part is the end with the brush is actually curved so you can see what you doing without the handle being in the way. It's a nice little design feature.


The only thing that gave me an issue was actually the OPI Alpine Snow. I don't know if I just have a weird bottle but the formula is kind of thick and a pain to paint the entire nail. Up until now I had only used it for stamping which it has worked great for but using it for full coverage wasn't fun at all. My Zoya's on the other hand went on beautifully as usual so I'll probably just order a bottle of white from Zoya. Maybe Purity or Snow White.


I haven't used it for anything I've shared on this blog yet but I absolutely love Zoya Sooki (yes as in True Blood Sooki)! It's a beautiful red. It reminds me of fresh blood which is kind of a morbid comparison but it fits since the name is shared with the main character of a vampire series on HBO. It's definitely a red I would recommend to anyone shopping for one.

I hope everyone has a fantastic holiday weekend! Hopefully you will have the chance to see a great fireworks show or two and spend some time with family and friends. Stay safe and have fun!

Happy 4th of July!
Brynn @ A Painted World 6 comments

Essie Turquoise & Caicos!

Que the island music, put on your suit and grab a drink - we're going to the tropics! Well, at least my nails have. If I happen to (magically) go on a vacation to the Caribbean this year this will be the color I will pick. It's like a little vacation in a bottle.


In my mind, I'm already on the beach. Sigh. Anyway, this is Essie Turquoise & Caicos and it's safe to say that I love it. It's actually my first Essie (I don't know where I've been) and I'm really happy with it. After the first coat I was actually thinking I would need three to get a solid opaque color but it ended up only needing two.



The formula was smooth but a tad on the thin side compared to some of my other colors. It wasn't a bad thing though. First coat was a bit sheer but the second one filled everything in for a perfect finish. It has a really pretty color that shows well in artificial and natural light. Essie calls it a "flirty and pretty tropical aqua" which I think is pretty accurate. It's true to the first part of its name as it shows as a definite turquoise but not in an obnoxious way, at least for me. The brush was a good size too so applying was a breeze. Ah, a beach breeze in the Caribbean. Oops. I drifted away again.

I said I wasn't going to stamp with this one but I caved. The bright turquoise color was just screaming for something. Plus I was inspired by a mani that Let Them Have Polish did with Ulta3 Pacific Fever and stamping. It looked awesome and I wanted to do something close but a little different. So I went through my plates and picked out a little flower and vine design after debating three different images. I used MASH plate m26 with OPI Alpine Snow to help create my little tropical manicure.




Yes, I'm addicted to stamping but how could I not? It was just perfect for this color! I'm really happy with how the image came out too. Since some of the details were tiny I was a bit worried it wouldn't come out clean especially after the issues I had with the argyle image I did last week. I'm happy to say it came out beautifully! Further proof you don't absolutely HAVE to pay $7.00 a plate to have pretty and detailed nail art. I guess I'll have to give the argyle print another shot after all. =)


I will definitely be checking out more Essie colors in the future. I wish I had paid attention sooner. Now I need to figure out what I'm doing for a Fourth of July/Red Sox game mani for next week! There are so many choices and only two hands to work with.
Brynn @ A Painted World No comment yet

Mini Ulta haul!

I just got back from a trip to my local Ulta and have a little haul I wanted to share. I love going to Ulta! My only complaints are they need to carry more Zoya and I wish their nail polish wasn't so spread out around the store. Took me ten minutes to find the OPI shatter collection! Why they had it tucked in a corner on a little table is beyond me. Anyway, here's what I bought!


I finally found OPI White Shatter! I've wanted this since it came out and I first saw the pictures of the other shatter colors. When I finally found the collection the main display was all black and red. Honestly? The red doesn't look appealing at all. I usually enjoy red but as a shatter I just don't really get it. Anyway, the white was on a lower display hidden in the back and it was the only one left! Woohoo! I grabbed it and went straight to the checkout. I think I was so happy to finally find it in store that I just wanted to make it officially mine.

I also grabbed Essie Turquoise & Caicos which is a just a perfect name. I'm excited to try this one. It seems perfect for summer and almost like a little vacation in a bottle! I bought 'Baby' Blue from Nicole by OPI too but I'm going to pretend it's not from the Justin Beiber collection (so not a fan of his) and just enjoy the color. It's a nice sky blue which I needed to add to my stash. I already have a plan for this color for an upcoming mani. Then we have the mini bottle of Orly Black Out. I needed a black for some stamping manicures I want to do but didn't really need a large bottle since I never wear solid black on my nails. Actually, I don't even wear solid black in my wardrobe either. I almost bought Liquid Leather by China Glaze but grabbed this little one instead. We'll just have to see how it works out.

My hubby has decided that I'm completely addicted to nail polish and he's pretty much right. But what can I say? They're just too much fun. Also? Apparently OPI came out with a Shrek collection at one point that I never even heard about. My Ulta was sold out so I didn't even get to see the colors. I know at least one is called What's with the catittude? and I just love the name. I don't even know what the color is but I want it. That's probably what my hubby means when he says I'm addicted. Oh well. He bought a new PS3 game while we were out so we both got our new toys and everyone is happy.

Tomorrow is a mani with my one of my new pretties!
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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