Sunday, June 26, 2011

Shabby Chic: Color Club Clean Break and Pretty in Platinum

Hello ladies,

I decided to bring the Shabby Chic style to my nails. Today's manicure features roses and cameos on a silky grey background. I was imagining a tray of earrings and brooches sitting atop an old, whitewashed dresser. Jewels and pearls imbue a feeling of elegance to timeworn heirlooms.

I began by painting Color Club Pretty in Platinum as a base. With a Kolinsky Sable Brush size 00 from the art supply store, I mapped a fine, arching line with white polish. I then filled in the tips with Clean Break fractured polish. If you decide to use a crackle formula to create a funky french, I highly recommend having a guideline in place. Clean Break is on the thick side and it would be tricky to achieve the proper French tip. I tested this polish over the entire nail and I found traditional application to be simple. Clean Break offers well defined crackling. 

On the nails of my middle fingers, I adhered pale pink cameos with nail glue. I purchased these in a lot from ebay and I wish they were readily available! I would use them with abandon. I bordered the cameos with large pearls and gems. The grey and cream colored roses with pink and green accents are Art Club Petite Fleurs. These decals come on an adhesive backing with gold beads. I decided to build on the color palette from the roses to create an assemblage of finery by adding pearls of various sizes, and pink, green and crystal rhinestones. I first sealed the roses with topcoat and then placed the gems and pearls and added a final layer of topcoat. I varied the design a bit on each hand. 



Echinacea, purple coneflower.

Floral fireworks!

My right hand with smaller jewel clusters. 


Pretty in Platinum is a soft, grey pearl. This polish is completely opaque in two coats. It has a beautiful sheen and an easy to use formula. I recommend this polish to grey lovers.

What do you ladies think? Do you like the crackle tips and the vintage look?

Items in this post were sent to me for review. Clean Break is part of the Color Club Fractured Collection. Pretty in Platinum is from the Untamed Luxury Collection. Both are available for purchase at victoriasnailsupply.com. I bought the Art Club Petite Fleurs at Sally Beauty.

Happy painting, ladies!

18 comments:

  1. Woo, I absolutely LOVE it, my dear! I need a manicure done by you someday. Hope you're doing fine!
    And the idea of a crackled french is awesome, MUST try that out!

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  2. This mani is truly amazing! Vintage,cameos,so uber feminine! I like how the crackle just melds with the whole look.

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  3. I love how you have 3D objects stuck all over your nails but my first thoughts are 'awwh this is so soft and delicate' ^___^ this reminds me of when I used to watch Shabby Chic with my renovation obsessed mum back ni the day.

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  4. That's so gorgeous!!!
    I love it!

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  5. Well, don't like gray on my nails. must say the vintage look on the midlle finger is staning!!! I have necles like this. It is so uniqe (do forgive my spelling)

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  6. It's so gorgeous! I'd try it out if I could find the cameos :)

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  7. Love this, so adorable! Thankyou for sharing :)

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  8. That is *so* cute. I totally agree with SilhoutteScreams. I'd love to have cute Japanese style nails but I'm so clumsy I think I'd rip all the little gems off right away!

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  9. Very pretty as always.....It is elegant and the middle finger's deco is so gorgeous.....Keep it up girl.

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  10. gorgeous! i love the cameos and pearls and the colors.

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  11. The fracture looks like lace! I love this look, so elegant.

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  12. Whoa! This looks intricate!

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  13. So much beauty. It must be so hard to remove your beautiful manicures!

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  14. Your descriptions are like your painting a picture. I love how I can see it all in my minds eye. Beautiful shabby chic manicure. Love the cameos.

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  15. There's a whimsical manicure. I feel very Victorian just looking at it. I love your caption of "floral fireworks." Love, me.

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