I forgot I had one more swap swatch for you, Nfu-Oh 54. I put 2 coats over 2 coats of China Glaze Calypso Blue, left it shiny for awhile then decided to Magic Matte it.
This is the first China Glaze color that has ever chipped on me within a few short hours...and I was in bed asleep. So maybe it's just this color, or maybe it's because this mani is 6 layers deep.
Thanks again to Tiff for asking me to be her swap buddy, it was heaps of fun!

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Miki, Nail Stickers & more Swap Swatches

I picked up some of these mini sized Miki polishes at the chemist last week. I haven't really heard of them before, nor seen full sized versions, nor do they have any color names or numbers...so I can't tell you much about them actually! This is a thick cream light blue, opaque in 2 coats. I then stickered them with some french lace nail art and added 2 coats of Seche Vite QD. They don't look so bad IRL...the pics show the sticker edges which looks horrible, but IRL you can't see any of that.


These are the last 2 swap swatches from my recent nail swap with Tiffani. The first is Jessica, King Tut Gem's. This is a beautiful color with a blue shimmer. I don't have Towel Boy Blue by ChG but I imagine this would be close to it. Beautiful formula and opaque in 2 thin coats.


2 coats of Kleencolor Lavenbaby. Another great formula, applies flawlessly and opaque in 2 thin coats.

Ca someone tell me more about Kleencolor and Jessica polishes? I'm very impressed with the quality on both these brands.

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Nfu- Oh #51 & Swap Swatches

This is 2 coats of Nfu-Oh #51 over Sportsgirl Grape. It would have taken at *least* 3 coats of #51 to make it opaque and I'm not going to use that much of my beloved bottle!

I only have a couple of swatches of my nail swap polishes that I did before the #51 mani. Give me another day to stare at my nails before I take it off to swatch more!

This is 2 coats of Kleencolor Firework. It's a clear based polish with large and small red and gold glitter and heavy with micro green glitter. It's quite dense and if I wasn't in such a hurry to put my #51 on, 2 coats would have been good enough if appied correctly (it's very goopy). A third coat would get great coverage.


And this is 2 very thin coats of Kleencolor Red Alert. It is a fabulous bright red and the formula is wonderful. A perfect Minnie color.

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My First Swap!

I have just completed my very first swap with awesome blogger Tiff, yardsticks4lunatics.blogspot.com, and because of her I finally got my coveted NFU-OH #51!! Wooooohoooooo!!
She was like, "what colors do you want?" and I was like, "there is ONLY one but it's on the expensive side" and she was like "no way, it's yours" and I'm like "No way!" and she's like "Yes way!"...she's so cool!

She sent me wonderfulness including scrummy lollies which pretty much disappeared straight away thanks to the kids (that's my story anyway), and another Nfu-Oh flakie, #54, which is so gorgeous over blue. Kleencolors, Jessicas and a divine Holo Ulta which swatches VERY close to DS Extravagence, but swatches will come!
And did you know non USA bloggers, that there is a lollipop in the US called a Sugar Daddy??! Oh, the innuendos I could come up with eating that!

Here's me stash!

closeup of the polishes

And me kissing/worshipping my bottle of #51 (it was the end of the day, don't judge!)



So I guess you all know what's on my little fingers at the moment! Swatch tomorrow!

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Zoya Harlow

Another lovely matte I am lovin from Zoya! This is Harlow and it's opaque after 2 coats, don't lay it on thick or it'll just go gluggy and streaky. Yellow Konading from one of my Bundle Monster plates, winged hearts.
The first pic is in full sunlight, last 2 pics are inside at night using artifical light.
In the first pic I thought I would match my mani by posing with one of my winged glass heart beads that I make.

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Zoya Veruschka

I love mattes! Sorry, but I truly do! Zoya have some of the best matte shades on the market.
This color and formula are gorgeous, a deep forest green which is smooth as satin and fully opaque in 2 thin coats. My nails feel wonderfully smooth and I keep rubbing them....I know, it's so sad! Orange Konad stamping to finish them off.
A rather subdued and boring manicure for me today but I couldn't bring myself to stamp fully over my wonderful Veruschka.
First pic, sunlight light. Second pic articial light.

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Hong Kong Info Pweese

I am off to Hong Kong in a few weeks for a shopping trip. Are any of my readers in the know for where to go for nail stuff?!! I am after stamping plates and CHEAP, CHEAP, CHEAP polishes!
Any help would be much appreciated. Thanks!

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Nubar Violet Sparkle

After my raptuous acclaim over Petunia Sparkles, I bought most of the rest of the Nubar collection on ebay. This is 3 coats of Violet Sparkle. It needed 3 as there is no base color, just glitter! China Glaze Harmony Konading and 2 coats of Seche QD. This was a lot grittier than the Petunia, it did need 2 coats to become smooth.
First and third pics are in the sun, second in the shade.

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Special Giveaway Post for Brooke & Parakeets!

Babbling Brooke has THE MOST awesome giveaway for her 2 yr blogging anniversary. Please check it out! http://www.caracita.com/
Pick me Brooke, pick me!!!


And this is also a whopper of a giveaway from Parakeets: http://www.parokeets.com/en/2010/06/summer-is-here-giveaway-at-parokeets/. ( If anyone can please tell me how to insert a link I would be eternally grateful! ) Look at this moolah!

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Strawberry Fields Forever

I've has that blasted song in my head since last night after doing my nails, and I'm on the verge of going insane.

I didn't get this color up until recently as I'm not a pink person and pink doesn't look all that great with my skintone. BUT everyone wouldn't stop raving about it so I thought I had better get it or I might be missing out on something.... I was!
It doesn't suit my skintone like I knew it wouldn't, but the color is to die for with that awesome gold shimmer. Strawberry Fields is a must peoples, don't procrastinate any longer...just don't get that song stuck in your head like I have!

This is 2 coats with China Glaze Hi-Tek Konading, 1 coat of Seche QD. First pic is in sunlight with flash, the other 2 are no flash.

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L.A Girl White Out & Pic Question

I've been coveting this style manicure for months, ever since I purchased the Konad book and saw the photo at the back of the cute little apple pedicure. I didn't have a white polish, but one arrived in my mini haul from Cherry Culture yesterday, so here is my version!
This is 2 coats of White Out, it applied like I thought a white polish would; gloopily and streakily and on a few nails I did a super thin 3rd coat to even things out a bit.
Konad red and Sportsgirl Envy for the stamping with one coat of Seche QD. The polkadot stamping looks pretty craphouse actually, the Bundle Monster plates are too small for my nails and it's impossible trying to line up a polkadot stamp twice...

And I have just found out from the Editor that I am going to be feautured in a 2 page spread in the October issue of 'Australian Beading' magazine, so I am pretty stoked. Here's a profile pic my hubby took and I am contemplating using....is it OK?? Not too cute-sy??!

or maybe this one???

Just joking! Calm down Mum.

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Orly Solid Gold Pianos

This color is gorgeous, a dark matte gold shimmer...but the wear is horrible, chips on most nails after 1 day. I know matte's are not everyone's style but I personally love them. I love the satin feel and look on my nails!
I also love making the glass beads I make with a matte finish. This involves acid etching the bead to remove the top layer of glass to give it a frosted finish.....thank goodness they don't use this procedure for our poor nails!
This was 2 coats with Warm Black Konad, no top coat (maybe which is why it chipped so quickly).

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OPI DS Extravagence

This color has no holographic glitter or shine in it so I am unsure what makes it a 'Designer' color. BUT it is a beautiful color, glides on like melted butter and pretty much opaque after 1 coat, I did 2 for full color. It's glossy and such a unique shade, another instant favourite! Picture heavy, sorry!
I then Konad-ed it with China Glaze Emotion from the Khrome series and added 1 coat of Seche QD.

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Nubar Gem

Nubar Gem is a beautiful pale brown color with holographic shimmer. This is 3 coats with warm Black Konading on a Chez-Delaney plate. It didn't stamp great, for some reason I couldn't pick up all the pattern properly so it got changed less than 24 hours later!

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Bridezilla Minnie Mouse Style

This one looks pretty cool, these pics make it look a bit messy that IRL doesn't show.
It's 2 coats of China Glaze Bridezilla, a pale pale pink with loads of silver shimmer. I then did my tips in ChG High Maintenance with stripes of silver glitter around my nails, White Konad polkas and a Warm Black Konad rose on each ring finger. 2 coats of Seche Vite QD to make it nice and smooth. The pics are after one day of wear in natural sunlight.

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Orly Iron Butterfly

Yes, my pointer fingernail in getting shorter! I can't take photos with my left hand so I am afraid my poor pointer will have to be on display.
This is 2 coats of Orly Iron Butterfly, one of my favourite polishes. Stamped with Warm Black Konad. This mani is way too subdued for me, it was nice for a day but it's getting changed tonight. First two pics were under artificial light, last one is in natural sunlight.

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BYS Pink with a Punch

After abusing my poor nails over the last week with glitter removals, I thought a nice dainty pink would be in order. This is 3 coats of BYS Pink with a Punch ( weird name considering it's a baby pink color), China Glaze Emotion Konad stamping with Konad Dark Red butterflies. Finished with 1 coat of Seche QD.


And this is FB's manicure she picked when she visited over the weekend. 2 coats of Bloom Adelaide and China Glaze 2030 stamping with a Bundle Monster plate.

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