Friday, October 16, 2009

Halloween skulls

Hello ladies,

Today my friend David and I went to A.C. Moore so I could stock up on white felt for polish removal and Konad plate cleanup. I love shopping at the craft store with David for his hilarious commentary and endless bafflement over art kits: "Why would I want to color my own purse?". He usually ends up leaving with a ridiculous purchase. He took the opportunity to procure a figurine of a chicken to amuse a friend visiting from California. Currently, he is driving the diminutive chicken around in his BMW. The spirit of whimsy possesses my friends as well. 

Because it has been raining unceasingly for two days, I also purchased a lamp that simulates natural light indoors. I chose the white compact lamp by daylight company. This is my first attempt using it. I plan on experimenting with backgrounds. Tonight I was trying to learn hand positioning to capture the proper light. The lamp provides color accuracy for nail polish, but doesn't seem to capture skin tone perfectly. The glitter particles don't have quite the same flash as when enhanced by sunlight. I do love this manicure and I wanted to share it, even with the conspiratorial weather trying to dissuade me. 

From the Master of Disguise mini kit, I chose Color Club Ghost of a Chance for the base.  I painted Pure Ice Oh Baby! on top to add a fine shimmer layer. Over the moons of my nails I adhered black and white fimo circles with a skull and crossbones pattern. Then I created a funky french with China Glaze Spellbound top coat. 





Above are the three bottles pictured with a Halloween purse Sarada made for me. Owls and cats wearing witch hats belong together. The poem reads:  
Just about now the
ghosts are due.
Beware- I see one
after you.

Color Club Ghost of a Chance is an odd polish. I painted three coats for opacity. Each successive layer made my nails look more like an application of correction fluid than nail polish. It was chalky and streaky simultaneously. One coat of Pure Ice Oh Baby! solved the issue immediately. It made my nails appear smooth, sparkly and snowy. I am not sure if a clear top coat would perform the same magic, but I love the glitter overlay. I can only recommend Ghost of a Chance with the idea of using it as a base for layering. It looked uneven alone. 

Pure Ice Oh Baby! is a wonder. The tiny shimmer particles could beautify almost any look. It has a faint purple and green reflection. China Glaze Spellbound top coat is such a festive polish for the Halloween season. Small orange foil glitter, medium silver hexagons and large orange hexagons mingle in a clear base. I really would like to revisit this polish on a day accompanied by sunlight. 

The fimo pieces were an ebay find. I purchased them precut. I was really surprised how thin they were. Buying the uncut canes would be more cost efficient, but I wanted a baseline of how they should appear before I attempted to slice my own fimo for nail art. Perhaps once I have used the patterns in the design wheel I bought, I will ask David to bring his man hands back to painted Lady fingers for a tutorial. He offered to teach me how to cut fimo, since he is handy. 

To apply the fimo, I would recommend painting the last coat of polish, adding a drop of nail glue and lightly pressing the design into the nail. I tried painting all of my nails and then going back and gluing each piece. I had fuller adhesion when the polish was closer to wet then tacky. Next time, I will go nail by nail. The process would be one coat of CND Stickey base coat and three coats of Color Club Ghost of a Chance on all ten nails. Continue with one coat of Pure Ice Oh Baby! on the first nail and glue on the fimo design, working singly until all ten nails are complete. Next, paint the funky french with China Glaze Spellbound, and finally add one coat of CND Air Dry to seal the design. The look comes together much faster than it sounds! 

Happy painting, ladies!     






9 comments:

  1. hey girl

    love the nails a lot
    especially the tip
    i love the shiny color


    http://sparklemidori.blogspot.com

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  2. That purse is super cute, and I love the glittery french!

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  3. That's a gorgeous look. I've seen the fimo canes but was afraid I wouldn't cut them thin enough. I also love Spellbound. Looks terrific as a French manicure. Love the purse also. Have a nice weekend. I'm so sick of this rain! Two more days of it.

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  4. I love the look of that manicure! The glitter tip is perfect! Those canes are interesting, I have some (uncut) but haven't used them. It's really interesting how tiny they are:)

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  5. Amazing manicure. The fimo is really snazzy. It's always intrigued me because I thought it would be very bulky on the nail. Good to know otherwise.

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  6. Please have David give us a fimo cutting tutorial! I am interested in these. :) Thanks :)

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  7. I love the fimo! I am definitely going to buy some now. I held off because like Maruy I thought it'd be bulky on the nail. This looks gorgeous. As always, though - your manicures are muy bonita!

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  8. That is bizarre. I did a glitter on white mani last week that I've just posted. Spooky! Yours looks better than mine though :)

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  9. Angela: Thanks! I think I am addicted to painting glitter funky frenches!

    gildedangel: It was a sweet little gift Sarada made for me. Glad you like the french too! :)

    Lucy: The sunlight will be returning for us! I can't wait! I am going to order some canes soon. When I learn how to slice them, I will certainly share. I'm glad you like the look. Spellbound is one of my favorite glitter top coats. <3

    totalwatsansrilanka: Thank you.

    Mary: Thank you! The fimo pieces are like little toys! I am interested to learn how to cut them properly from the cane. I am not sure how I will do since I can't even manage to slice bakery bread straight. ;)

    Mighty Lambchop: Thanks so much! I ordered them on a whim and I am so glad I did. I have more styles to share! :)

    awesomevegan: I have to order the canes first. I did send David an e-mail today that the ladies are gathering for a lesson. :)

    beautyjudy: Thank you! I am excited to see what styles you choose and how you will wear it. :)

    Helen: Heehee! Our long nails are communicating across the ocean. Your manicure is very nice! :)

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