Archives

Everything’s Coming up Roses – Nail Art

Some polishes have been provided for previous review

Hello all my lovely readers!  I’m back again with another nail art post.  I hope that you all are enjoying these as much as I am!

I’ve been getting  a lot of comments and compliments on this one and it’s really very easy to do, I’m sure that anyone can do this too!  Let’s start off with the polishes used:  Bohemian Polish – Here I Go, Alchemy Lacquers – Sea of Snapdragons, Digital Nails – Double Helix, and Pretty & Polished – Thyme and Time Again.

 To start I had to get my base on.  I used Bohemian Polish – Here I go as my base.  It’s a perfect sky blue crelly polish.  I did three coats plus topcoat here:

Bohemian Polish – Here I Go

Bohemian Polish – Here I Go

To do the finished look the next thing I did was stamp on some white dots.  I absolutely could have used a tiny dotting tool or a toothpick to make the white dots.  But, I was feeling a little lazy so I did the stamping.  My stamping actually didn’t come out perfect because some of my dots had no middle but I didn’t dislike the effect so I left it.  Just keeping it real folks, from a distance you really can’t tell it’s just in these up close pictures that it’s super apparent.

Everything is Coming Up Roses – Glossy

The next step was the roses!  Using a large dotting tool I made big dots using Alchemy Lacquers – Sea of Snapdragons.  I didn’t worry about them being perfectly round because I knew it wasn’t going to be just dots.  You don’t have to be too precise with this nail art which is great for newbie nail artists!

Everything is Coming Up Roses – Glossy

Everything is Coming Up Roses – Glossy

After I made the big dots and before it dried I used a toothpick to swirl/smoosh Digital Nails – Double Helix on top of the dots.  Then with the toothpick I went back and added a little more Sea of Snapdragons to finish the effect.  Last but not least using a little brush I brushed on some leaves around my finished roses with Pretty & Polished – Thyme and Time Again.

Clearly I did start with a nice glossy topcoat.  But, then I got to thinking to myself, “how would this look matte?!”  I asked a couple of my buddies and everyone seemed interested to see what it would look like so I snagged my matte topcoat.

Everything is Coming Up Roses – Matte

I personally much preferred the matte version!  I feel like it allowed the design to be the star and it didn’t compete with the high gloss!  Both ways were pretty but man oh man that matte version is just one of my favorite things ever!

Everything is Coming Up Roses – Matte

Everything is Coming Up Roses – Matte

There you have it!  Everything is coming up roses here.  I was super pleased with the result.  I really have been enjoying doing a lot of nail art lately.  Even with my little stamping mishap resulting in tiny rings instead of dots I did not get discouraged.  Nail art should be fun and you should be happy with both the process and end result so I try not to let myself sweat the small stuff!

As always, dear reader, you can find me on social media using the big buttons to the right of my page.  Until next time may your days be filled with glitter and flakies!

St. Patrick’s Day Nail Art

Some products received for honest review

Top o’ the afternoon to you, my fantabulous readers!  In the past I was sent some polishes from Alchemy Lacquers to review and I did, here and here.  I always meant to go back later and do some nail art with them but life being what it is I didn’t get around to it.  No time like the present, right?  So this year I used them to create my St. Patrick’s Day themed nail art!

To start I needed to create the artistic part.  I’m not super fantastic with freehand nail art, but I like to try my hand at it now and then.  However, I do not trust myself to freehand directly on my nails.  So what’s a girl to do?  Why make decals of course!

I used my silicone mat to create two decals.  To make a decal you start with a layer of clear polish that you allow to dry completely.  Then you can stamp or paint your design onto that polish.  Allow the art to dry then paint it over with another layer of clear polish or topcoat and allow to dry completely.  Once it’s dry it should lift away easily.  I then trimmed out my design with scissors.

The nail art I chose to do was a little pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.  I used the Infinity Collection from Alchemy Lacquers to create the rainbow.  I thought it turned out super cute and I 100% admit to being delightedly tickled with how well it came out.

Then I used last year’s St. Patrick’s Day limited edition (sorry it’s not available now, but, at least if you love it you can start searching for it on the secondary market!) from Alchemy Nails – Liquid Luck as my base.

St. Patrick’s Day Nail Art

First I used Vynails Celtic Knot vinyl decals on all but my ring fingers.  Then I applied the painted decals I made to the ring fingers of each hand to finish the look.

I’m pretty pleased with the result.  Let me know what you think down below.  Oh and because I can never resist the flakies:

Bonus Macro Shot

Now, you can still get Vynails nail vinyl decals and stencils and you can still get the Alchemy Lacquers Infinity collection.  So, I will include stalker links below!  As always, you can find me on Social Media and Bloglovin’ (so you don’t miss any of my ramblings!) by pushing the giant pink buttons to the right!  Until next time my dearest readers may your days be filled with Glitter and Flakies!

Alchemy Lacquers

FacebookInstagramShopFacebook Fan Group

Vynails

Etsy store – Facebook – Instagram

Alchemy Lacquers April Lab Report – Swatches and Review!

Product provided for Honest Review

Hello my lovely readers!  I hope that you enjoyed The Switching Post.  Plans for this month’s Switch are already underway…and you won’t believe who I’m switching with this month!  Trust me it’s going to be awesome!  Today though I have some fantastic polishes from Alchemy Lacquers to show you, including the April Potion LE!  You’re not going to want to miss this so settle on in while I share some pretty polishes with you!

First up is Sea of Snapdragons:

Alchemy Lacquers - Sea of Snapdragons

Alchemy Lacquers – Sea of Snapdragons

Sea of Snapdragons is a perfect spring color.  Really it doesn’t get springier (not a word, as usual I totally don’t care) than this!  This beauty is a soft mauve pink creme polish filled with iridescent micro-flakies, gold micro-flakies, and the teensiest tiniest holographic glitter/sparks.  It’s shimmery and lovely.

Alchemy Lacquers - Sea of Snapdragons

Alchemy Lacquers – Sea of Snapdragons

Let’s talk about formula!  The formula on this is really good.  Like any good creme polish it went on and was opaque in two coats.  Has good self-leveling.  I didn’t have any problems with streaks or drags.  There appears to be a slight wrinkle on my forefinger but that’s because of me, I touched it and left a fingerprint and didn’t realize it until just now!  Ha!  This one is definitely a winner.  Pictures show two coats plus topcoat.

Next up is probably my favorite of the trio I’m going to show you today.  I submit Sea Holly for your consideration:

Alchemy Lacquers - Sea Holly

Alchemy Lacquers – Sea Holly

Alchemy Lacquers - Sea Holly (Matte)

Alchemy Lacquers – Sea Holly (Matte)

Oh to the Em to the Gee.  This one is beyond amazing.  Seriously, I nearly lost what little chill I had over this one.  Gorgeous dark cornflower (Thanks Christina for that description *wink*) or dark periwinkle blue crelly…check!  Seductive purple shimmer…check!  Stunning color-shifting flakies…check!  Check! Check!  This polish checks all my boxes that’s for sure.  You all know I have a passion for blue, flakies, and complex polishes and this one fits that bill to a tee!  I utterly fail at capturing the shimmer in my pictures but let me tell you in person on the nail it’s absolutely amazing.  You can see it a bit more in the matte pics because matte topcoat makes all the goodies a little more prominent!

Alchemy Lacquers - Sea Holly

Alchemy Lacquers – Sea Holly

Alchemy Lacquers - Sea Holly (Matte)

Alchemy Lacquers – Sea Holly (Matte)

Formula on this one was nothing short of perfection.  This is slightly more on the crelly side than creme side of things but it was still opaque in two easy coats.  I didn’t have any problems with all those gorgeous flakies clumping up or any other application issues.  No streaks, drags, or balding here!  Pictures show two coats plus topcoat in the shiny pics and two coats plus matte topcoat in the matte pics.

Last but certainly not least I have the April Potion LE – Restoration Tonic:

Alchemy Lacquers - Restoration Tonic

Alchemy Lacquers – Restoration Tonic

Ok I really had a hard time not making this one my favorite.  It’s definitely my favorite baby blue polish to date and I have a LOT of blue and baby blue nail polish.  I seriously have a blue nail polish problem.  Wait…that’s not right, it’s not really a problem.  I NEED all the blue nail polish!  Restoration Tonic is a perfect baby blue crelly polish packed with stunning shimmer.  I see red/pink shimmer and blue shimmer.  The shimmer gives it a pearly kind of quality without being frosty, which, for me is fantastic since I’m not a fan of frosty polishes!

Alchemy Lacquers - Restoration Tonic

Alchemy Lacquers – Restoration Tonic

Restoration Tonic is a gorgeous crelly formula that is opaque in two coats.  I had zero issues with application or performance.  In fact I’ve been wearing Restoration Tonic for a week now and I have just very minimal tip wear.  Even though it’s shimmery and pearly (probably not a word) it does not get brushstrokey (again not a word but you know what I mean).  Pictures show two coats plus topcoat.

Oh and did I mention?  This polish comes with a set of adorable pink glittery vinyl decals with flowers, butterflies, birds, and rain clouds!  I’ll have a nail art look I did with those and Restoration Tonic on my Instagram later!  Also, typically these Potions are only available through the month that they are released however Alchemy Lacquers will be on vacation from the end of this month until the end of May so this will actually be around again when she reopens but hey, why wait…you know you need it now!

So you want to know when YOU can get these gorgeous, happy, spring colors?  Well I’m going to tell you…TOMORROW, April 15th.  I’ll include all the pertinent links below.  Which one of these are you the most excited for?  Let me know in the comments!

FacebookInstagramShopFacebook Fan Group

 

 

Alchemy Lacquers Lab Report – St. Patrick’s Day!

Provided for Honest Review

Hello my lovely readers!  I have the Alchemy Lacquers’ St. Patrick’s Day-themed polishes for you today!  These are just awesome.  There is a new Moonshard which will become part of the Moonshard collection and a Potion which will not be available after March.  The potion comes with a stinking adorable set of vinyl nail decals…wait until you see!  I don’t want to keep you in suspense too long so here we go!

If you haven’t ordered from Alchemy Lacquers before, let me show you something that I find adorable!  Whenever these polishes go out they are wrapped up in tissue that matches the polish with a little name sticker on the outside.  It’s like a hint of the magnificence that you’ll see once you rip into that tissue paper!  Although, I don’t rip mine I can’t stand to, I always peel the label carefully to reveal the polish inside.  This month the name sticker on the outside for the Potion is shamrock shaped…how stinking cute!

Alchemy Lacquers - Adorable Packaging

Alchemy Lacquers – Adorable Packaging

First I’m going to show you the new Moonshard, Tethys:

Alchemy Lacquers - Tethys

Alchemy Lacquers – Tethys

Now I used one of the nail vinyls on this swatch but I’ll talk more about them later, they actually come with the Potion.  But this polish…it’s no secret I’m a fan of the Moonshard collection, beautiful shifty bases with shifty multichrome flakies…sign me up!  Tethys is a shifty gold based polish packed with green to gold shifting multichrome flakies.  Oh and did I mention it’s holo too?  SO much happening here, it’s complex and beautiful!

Alchemy Lacquers - Tethys

Alchemy Lacquers – Tethys

All the flakies give the gold a greenish cast but it is most assuredly gold.  I feel like I might have found the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow with this one.  The formula on this is what I have come to expect.  Honestly, sometimes I feel like I repeat myself over and over but Rebecca is such a perfectionist when it comes to her polishes that I’ve really come to expect that.  This is a relatively sheer polish, you could layer it or build it to opacity (as I did) but it’s still not excessive, I have really long nails right now so I had to do an extra half coat at the tips to cover nail line, but folks with shorter nails or less prominent nail lines won’t need more than two.

Alchemy Lacquers - Tethys - Sunlight

Alchemy Lacquers – Tethys – Sunlight

Bonus sun shot!  I was still wearing this when I ran out to check the mail so I snagged a picture for ya’ll.  All pictures show two and a half coats plus topcoat.

Next up is the March Limited Edition Potion – Liquid Luck:

Now, Liquid Luck comes with an adorable little sheet of glitter vinyl nail decals.  And they are stinking cute.

Alchemy Lacquers - St. Patrick's Day Glitter Vinyl Decals

Alchemy Lacquers – St. Patrick’s Day Glitter Vinyl Decals

Just look at how adorable.  These are also perfectly sized for nail decals, despite the length of my nails I actually have fairly small nail beds so I love to find little vinyls that work perfectly for me.

You said polish?  Ok here we go for real this time!

Alchemy Lacquers - Liquid Luck

Alchemy Lacquers – Liquid Luck

Alchemy Lacquers - Liquid Luck - Matte

Alchemy Lacquers – Liquid Luck – Matte

Liquid Luck is a bright delightly Spring grass green crelly.  There is a pinch of linear holo, and a whole bunch of gold iridescent flakies.  The crelly is closer to jelly than creme so it’s a bit squishy looking as well.  I could not resist matting it which just made the flakies pop even more though I lost that tiny bit of holo because of the matte topcoat.

Alchemy Lacquers - Liquid Luck

Alchemy Lacquers – Liquid Luck

Alchemy Lacquers - Liquid Luck - Matte

Alchemy Lacquers – Liquid Luck – Matte

Formula was excellent on this.  The flakies spread nicely and don’t clump up.  It is a tiny bit sheer (moreso than I thought it would be because of the way it looks in the bottle) but I didn’t find this to be an issue as it built up nicely to opacity in about 2.5 coats (for my long nails).  Application was smooth and easy.  Pictures show 2.5 coats with a shiny and a matte topcoat.

Now don’t forget Liquid Luck is only available for the month of March.  You’ll want to snag that beauty before it’s gone!   These are going to release on Friday March 4.  I’ll post the store and social media for Alchemy Lacquers below, per usual!    I have some exciting new series planned for all of you soon so keep watching out here!

FacebookInstagramShopFacebook Fan Group