Essie Retro Revival 3 of 6: Birthday Suit, Cabana Boy and Starry Starry Night

Hi there, everyone!

I have been out for so long.  I haven't felt like writing anything at all since the last time I did.  I've been active on IG as usual, but not on here (AS USUAL.)  In fact, I'm feeling kind of lazy right now.  I have a lot on my mind, but I'm escaping it by writing this.

I bought half of Essie's Retro Revival just to be able to swatch it.  When my friend Selina (from www.sluenidoesnails.com) and I were talking about this collection, I swore to her I wouldn't buy a single bottle.  But curiosity got the best of me...and addiction, of course.  I got my polishes from Polish Please.

Birthday Suit here took me 4 thin coats.  It was watery and streaky, so I had difficulty with it.   I was surprised to see this lovely outcome after the 4th coat because I was losing all hope after the 3rd.  I thought I was gonna throw this bottle away from disappointment.  I can hardly say I'm happy with it, but I know this is something I'm keeping for the rare times I'm feeling delicate.  This shade is really good for work or weddings, if you're interested.

Cabana Boy was something that I knew I would like, and it did not disappoint, with just 3 thin coats.   It wasn't too hard to work with, compared to Birthday Suit.  It has a slight silver shimmer to it, so it's really unique.  I haven't had any shade like this before.

I only bought Starry Starry Night because everyone was nuts about it.  I wanted to compare to Zoya's Dream, too.  I'm sad to say this falls short of expectation.  It does build up nicely, but is probably a 7 or 8 out of a perfect 10 score.

Here are some stamping I did with these shades:

I hope you guys have a good one!  I'm hitting the sack.

Ciao!

Jamie

OMD3Nails Day 2: Peach

Hi, Ladies!

Today I have spent hours and hours thinking of a mani that uses Peach + anything but Gold.  I ended up doing the P & G because I couldn't pretend I would be happy with anything else.  I love how delicate gold goes with peach.  I mean, who can go wrong with that combination? It's just classy.

Here, I did a gradient of China Glaze White On White, Color Club Hot Hot Hot Pants, and Essie Peach Side Babe.  I stamped over an image from OB Nail XXL G plate.  I added OPI Love. Angel. Music. Baby for an accent color.  I topped everything with Girl Stuff Magic Matte.  Take a look:

Ok, honestly, how did you find it?  Please let me know!

Ciao!

Jamie

Moyou London Customer Service Is Awesome!

Hi there, Ladies!

I just want to share with you an experience I had with Moyou London.  I think it was about late April / early May that I got my orders from them.  I found that one (out of maybe half a dozen) had an etching defect.  At first I thought it was just the blue film that was scratched, but when I peeled it off, the plate itself was scratched.  I quickly took a picture of it and sent it to them.  Without any more questions, they asked for my order number, and replaced the item.  I have not encountered customer service THAT good.  I just want you all to know that Moyou will always be on top of my list.  I love their products, and now, this.

Here are a few manis for you:

 I did this one using Games 02 for my dad on Father's Day.  Can you tell, he loves cards?

This one was an Essie base:  Just Stitched, from their Cashmere Matte Collection. I stamped an image from Bridal 04.

I used a Sailor 04 image for this on top of Catrice (S)wimbledon and Sally Hansen Reef-Raf. The gold and stamping polish was Maybelline Bold Gold.

 

 And lastly, another image from Sailor 04 over P2 Blueberry Dots.

FYI, I am not a good stamping artist, but Moyou plates are so easy to work with, that's why most of my plates are from them.  I usually wait for their annual (or is it bi-annual) Free Shipping promo for my bulk purchases.  I am a very satisfied Moyou customer. Give them a try, you won't regret it!

Ciao!

Jamie

 

Days 8, 9 & 10: Metallic, Rainbow, and Gradient #31DC2014

Hi, Ladies!

I'm going to show you three manis today. I feel like I'm so behind blogging that I want to catch up on here.

For the metallic prompt, I just did simple stamping using Essie Armed and Ready as base, and Penny Talk as the stamping polish, with Pueen Image Plate SE04A. (I got my Essies from Polish Please PH.)  Of course, I used Seche Vite Top Coat

I liked how Armed and Ready has gold undertones.  Penny Talk was my second choice for stamping.  I tried to use Buy Me A Cameo but it wasn't opaque enough to be seen over the base.

For the rainbow prompt, I decided to use pastel colors from the Paris In Love Collection (Color Club) which I bought from Polished In The City,  added Hello Kitty sticker, and Seche Vite Top Coat.

My application of the top coat was a bit sloppy, so I apologize for the bubbles.

For the gradient prompt, I was finally able to recreate (and murder) Kristin's mani.  I used Lofes 114, Girl Stuff Forever Sophia and Color Club Fondue For Two for the gradient, then some acrylic paints for the "flowers."  Oh, and I used Girl Stuff Forever's Matte Magic for topper.  (And Mom, if you're reading this, this mani is for you, because I LOVE YOUUUUUU.  I know you'll say these are pretty because you love me, toooooo.)

I know, I know, I suck at anything related to art.  I cannot, for the life of me, paint a proper flower.  So here are my pretend-flowers.  You may look at them from afar and see the illusion of flowers.  Maybe I should ask my Daddy Jessie for some one-on-one tutorial, but then again, I'm a hopeless case.

Give me a break. :(  

Ciao!!

Jamie

Day 1: Red Nails #31DC2014

Hi, Ladies!

I have decided to participate in the 31-Day Challenge on Instagram.  For the first prompt, Red Nails.  

This was Essie Hip-Anema for the red base, and Pueen Encore SE01A image plate, BK White matte polish for stamping, Seche Vite Top Coat.

I decided to do this design for my mom.  I am staying with her right now because she's not feeling too good.  Instead of buying her roses, I did this design on my nails and on hers. 

I apologize for the quality and lighting of this picture.  I am not used to my mom's place's lighting vs my camera phone settings.

I hope to improve my stamping this month.  (And also to be able to complete the challenge!!)

Ciao!

Jamie

 

Nail Art by Jess Gellada

Hey, Everyone!!!!!!

OKAY? OKAY.  I need water.  I need to drink.  Still giddy from what just happened. In my head, I'm doing a happy dance. *oh yeah, oh yeah, uhhhh yeaaahhhhh!!* LOL!  

FYI, my Daddy-in-law's an artist.  I live with them and see his paintings everywhere inside the house.  Sometimes I see him paint, but never from start to finish (and never on my nails, lol).  I had my mom buy a big life-like koi painting from him. (Will take a picture of that soon and post it here.)  So, anyway, when this pond manicure became popular on IG, I asked him if he could teach me how to paint koi. 

This was our trial mani.  (We didn't do a pond manicure just yet because I currently do not own a sheer green or blue polish.)

 I used Essie In The Cab-Ana for the base, and he used acrylic paint for the koi.  This is a really special mani for me since he showed it to me step-by-step.  I was fangirl-ing so bad. His brush strokes were just incredible.  (He did this in less than 5 minutes.) It reminded me of my old Chinese Calligraphy classes in the past (that I obviously didn't take seriously.)  Hopefully someday, I'll be able to make an awesome koi mani/pond mani, too. 

Thanks, Dad, for taking time to paint art on my nails. I love you. :)

Always,

Jamie

Recreation of ChalkboardNails Fuzzy Monster Mani

Hi, Ladies!

I will try to post once every time I make a mani, and not collect the bunch and then post them all together. 

Today, I ticked off a mani I've been meaning to recreate since I first saw it last year.  I screen-captured it because it was the cutest, most creative use of the feather/fuzzy polish.

I used Orly Beach Cruiser for the base.  And thank god, Chalkboard Nails used the textured fuzzy polish because when I got my Nails Inc. Feathers, I had no idea how to use it.  I just bought it for the sake of trying them at least once.  So, a year and so after the purchase, here I am using Nails Inc Edinburg on top of the Sinful Colors Endless Blue. That's a BK white polish under Sally Hansen Tweedy, Nicole by OPI Ladies In The Limelight under Sally Hansen's Peach Fuzz.  And then it's Nails Inc again with Brighton over Essie Where's My Chauffer.

Anyway, my child's bugging me to paint these little monsters on her nails.  Uhhh, soon.  Lazy mode: ON.  

Now, my next problem is, how and when to use these guys again.  Lol.  Let you know when I think of something original, but don't bet on it. LOL. 

Thank you, Chalkboard Nails for being such an inspiration.  You rock!

Always,

Jamie

#fsnailartchallegemay

Hi, Ladies!

How have you been?  Well, I thought I will be less busy this month, but seems like my calendar's filled to the end.

Here's a late post of the challenge I did with my group, #filipinails.  I was busy the whole month of May, so I could only do simple manis.

For the first challenge, it was #floral.

 This was inspired by @adelislebron.  I used Essie Go Ginza, which I got from Polish Please.

Then I had to do an #abstract design.  This is as abstract as I can get.  I am not very artistic, you see.  So I used a yellow base for this mani, and I apologize if I totally forgot which. (Either Zoya Pippa or the Tony Moly polish I have.) And then I used some random acrylic colors and used the toothbrush technique to kind of splatter the colors in. 

And, please, feel free to laugh at this #skyline mani.  Everyone else was doing Paris, or something romantic and I couldn't put myself into doing those.  I chose a Godzilla which turned out perfectly...like Barney. :((  

 

For the #inspiredby mani, I chose Ada 's leopard+swoosh mani.  I couldn't do her swoosh mani properly so please head on to her account to check her great nail art.  I used Lofes pink and blue for this.

 

I promise to take note of all the polish I use next time.  It's just that this #galaxy mani got me to bring out a lot of dark, light and glittering polishes that I wasn't able to track every one of them.  This is my 3rd (or 4th) galaxy nails ever.  I still need to practice some more to be able to perfect it.  That's Essie's Sparkle on Top I'm holding, in case you're interested, and got it from Polish Please.

 

And probably my least favorite technique, but absolutely my favorite mani from this challenge: #tape.  I used OPI's Neon Revolution for this. 

All manis used Seche Vite.

Wish you all a good June! Hopefully I can make more manis this month.

Love you long time,

Jamie

 

 

Backlogs

Hi, Ladies! 

I haven't been blogging for a long time and I have only excuses to make.   I'm sorry.

I sure have a lot of plans on what to blog about, but right now my hands are full (for the month of May), with a lot of birthdays here and there (including my husband's), so I will apologize for the rest of the days coming.

Here are some of the nail art designs I created and recreated while I was gone:

 This one I did in a rush.  I work at a nail spa and I had to do an easter egg mani, so this is what I came up with.  I totally forgot what colors I used, but the dots and lines were acrylic paint, so...

 And this one is a solo shot of my bestie twin nails with @hotmomsnailarts.  I used Zoya Pippa for the yellow, and then some Lofes: Korean brand polish for the other 3 colors, plus acrylic paint.  This was inspired by @NonaPhilippa on IG.

 This is another solo shot of another bestie twin nails I did with My Labs, Ada, AKA @galaxystar7 this time. :) This mani was inspired by @mllrdesign.  I used Essie Sugar Daddy for the base, and then China Glaze Bottoms Up, Orly Melt Your Popsicle and Glowsticks for the feathers.  This is our first pond manicure. :)

 This mani I recreated from @stormandstars.  I used Orly Liquid Vinyl and then acrylic paint for the rest.

 This mani was inspired by my favorite @jauntyjuli.  I used Essie Boom Boom Room for the pink, Lofes for the white, and acrylic paint for the rest.

 Lastly, a solo shot of my bestie triplet nails with Ada @galaxystar7 and Bea @beabarretto. This mani was inspired by @youngwildandpolished.  I used Color Club Ruby Slippers, Lofes White, Orly Black Vinyl, Sephora By OPI Pushing Your Luck. 

How boring.  I hope I will be able to blog about something informative soon. Tsk.

See you all next time!

Jamie

 

A Couple of Besties

Eh, hey, hey, girls!

I have been out a few days doing some paperwork so I wasn't able to update you on here.

I was supposed to post back-to-back bestie twin nails with @ayabananna but was only able to do so on my Instagram.

Aya was the one who made this very dainty design, perfect for Spring / Summer!  I fell in love with this instantly!

Don't you agree?  I mean, even with my lousy recreation, lol, I still like it!!  I used Essie Tart Deco (orange), OPI Fiercely Fiona (yellow), and a combination of OPI Don't Bossa Nova Around & Ski Slope Sweetie for the bases, and then acrylic paints.  I forgot to use a matte top coat, so I used my usual Seche Vite.

And, my solo:

And then the day after, I did another bestie, but this time with @bhagzcy08.  She threw in her design and I obviously liked it so I did it soon as I could.  It reminds me of Juicy Fruit and Double Mint Gum combo.  Jen was also the one who designed our collage.  Thanks again, Jen!!! <3

 

 Simple but summer-y leopard print mani.  I used Color Club Twiggie and OPI Fiercely Fiona, acrylic paint and Seche Vite Top Coat. :)

Hopefully I can use my Saturday and Sunday to do nail art.  Otherwise, I just might swatch my untrieds.

Goodnight!

Love you long time,

Jamie

A Kind-Of-Busy Saturday

Hi, Ladies!

I have been busy doing manis today.

Started my day by swatching OPI's Muppets World Tour over Orly's Dare to Bare:

I had a hard time painting Dare to Bare on my cinderella hand, plus the fact that I was rushing, but Muppets World Tour covered it all up.  It was such a magical bottle of white glitters with some silver, metallic blue and pink glitters here and there.  I tell you, I am not huge on glitter polishes because I always have a hard time scooping the glitters out.  This MWT (Muppets World Tour) though, the glitters just go with the brush.  It was so easy to apply, I feel like using this all the time (next time on a different base color, of course.)

And then I felt the need to swatch what my BFF Goddess Uy gave me as Christmas Gifts:

 These are Ruby Wing Electric Firefly (yellow) and Groupie (pink).  May I just say that I am soooooo in love with them???  Look at what it shows up as indoors (left picture) and then outdoors (right picture).  Isn't it just awesome?!  I mean, I have heard so much about Ruby Wing polishes but I have never thought of buying them because I never knew they had neons (sucker for neons here.)  So, from the bottom of my heart, THANK YOU, Goddess!

Again, the indoor shot:

And the outdoor:

And then I was off to do a bestie mani with Ayabananna.  I asked her to design a mani for us to do, and she came up with this design, which frankly, was tiresome for me because I suck at striping tapes...BUT I am sooooo glad that Aya agreed to do one with me, so I had to make an effort to do it half as good as hers.  Thanks, again, Aya, for such a wonderful blue mani so apt for April being Autism Awareness Month.  Aya also did the collage for us, so I was mainly sitting lazily here.

Solo shot:

I used Korean brand Lofes #646 for the pinkie, Tony Moly ME05 for the silver, Essie  Borrowed and Blue for the lightest blue, Sally Hansen Insta-Dri Blue-Away, and then OPI Eurso Euro for the middle finger.  Bought the studs from a night market in Canada, but there are a lot of studs sellers online.  Seche Vite top coat, of course.

And after all that, I was able to do an easter mani, which turned out funny-looking.  I have zero (0) talent drawing anything, so I apologize for this:

 I just used Lofes #114 for the base because my Skin Food's retiring on me.  The rest are acrylic paints.  Seche Vite top coat.

WHEW!  I bored you, didn't I?

Enjoy your Sundays, everyone!

Love you long time, 

Jamie

Bestie with @mcbnails

Hey, Ladies!

May I just say that I am a free woman?! I have finished all my work for the week so you won't be hearing anything stress-related from me until Monday. Lol!

I have talked about doing a bestie with my newest buddy, Ayen, a.k.a @mcbnails.  She gave me a lot of nail arts to choose from but we settled with @sprinkledwithglitter 's design.

Here.

I used Essie Van D'Go and Inglot 390 for the base, Essie Tart Deco and Bikini So Teeny for the stripes, Gold and Blue acrylic paints, and Seche Vite top coat.  You can purchase your Essie polishes at Polish Please PH, and your Inglot at Glorietta 5.  

Oh, here's my solo shot, before I start yakking on:

There.  Let me tell you about my good friend, Ayen, now.   Okay, briefly.  

Ayen is one of the bravest women I know.  She suffers from MS, or multiple sclerosis, a degenerative disease (Please correct me if I'm wrong, or google it if you want to know more.)  But you won't even realize that if she doesn't tell you.  She stands strong, and is always beautiful.  Even with her sickness, she finds the time and effort to do the things she loves, including nail art.  Go ahead, check her IG out and see for yourself.  @mcbnails She inspires me because her strength is unbelievable.   

I hope to be doing more nail arts with you, Ayen.  Know that I am always here for you.  

Enough drama and let's go on with our lives, shall we?

Love you long time,

Jamie

 

 

Having a Break

Hi, Ladies!

I don't have any April Fool's joke on here.  I am so stressed out from work, I'm actually still doing my worksheet and just having a break.

I found a design I liked from @anggieanggey and decided to imitate it.

I know, I ruined the pastels with my lousy drawing.  :( 

I used Essie Van D'Go, Under Where?, Mint Candy Apple and Zoya Pippa. Skinfood BW704 for he white.  Acrylic paint for the black.  Seche Vite Top Coat. If you don't have any access to these brands, you can check out Polish Please PH

Okay, my time's up! I need to get back to my papers.

Have a good one!

Love you long time, 

Jamie 

Bestie and Another

So, my fellow Filipinails member, Aiza Mamales, proposed a bestie with anyone and I grabbed the opportunity.  She made me choose the design we were going to recreate, and I stumbled upon Autumn Nicole @justagirlandhernails' watercolor mani.  We agreed to do it right away! 

Here's Aiza's (@icelovesnailpolish) solo shot:

And here's mine:

Obviously, I didn't do too well again, because the "watercolored" flower looked abstract. Lol!  

I used China Glaze's Bottoms Up (pink), Skinfood BW704 (white), and acrylic paint.

Anyway, here's the bestie mani collaged:

 

Thanks again, Aiza, for doing this with me.  I am honored to be doing nail art with such an awesome nail artist as you.

Aaaaand because I am an insomniac, I was just staring into my computer and went ahead and did another stamping.  You will laugh so hard because I didn't bother re-doing / covering the failed parts.

Tadaaaaa! I was inspired by my computer. Tsk.

So I used Revlon's Posh for the green, OPI's Golden Rules!, Crystal brand black polish, and BK white polish + the Bundle Monster BM-415 plate (Thanks again, Mae Espiritu.)  I had better be practicing 28,000 more times to be able to perfect the stamping technique.  And I need all your tips as to what polishes work well for stamping.  The OPI was the best I could come up with.  I tried Essie's Penny Talk but it dried up too fast the stamper couldn't get the image.  Sparitual's Gold Digger wasn't opaque enough.

Oh well, that's it for today!  Have a good start to your April!

Love you long time, 

 Jamie