Here is my latest franken! It's a purple flakie/shimmer/glitter polish and I named it Something, after the Beatles song <3
I used a franken fail for the base colour... then added over 20 other polishes... isn't it lovely when something beautiful comes out of something ugly?
Here are some frankens I made with my extra Daiso holos. The polish lying down in the front is the original colour.
The a-rainbows don't have names, but they are numbered.
This one is #1. To make the rest, I added drops of different polishes. I found that it worked best when I added strongly pigmented polish, or dark-coloured ones. The frankens turned out slightly less holo than the originals (the 5 at the back of this picture), but I like how they have a subtle, shimmery holo effect. Also, the holo was strongest in the blue and teal frankens... and YES, I did make blue and greens out of a pink polish!
I am pretty proud of myself indeed!
These were actually the first frankens I ever made!
I made these in the summer and I think they are perfect for fall! My favourite one is the 4th from the bottom, the purplish grey one! I'm still working on names, but the green one is called "Toxic Waste" because it has a red shimmer in it and the green reminds me of a garbage can...
***Thoughts? Which is your favourite?? Do you like to franken???
Hello! Sorry it's been so long since I've last posted. School's been pretty hectic, but I've been taking pictures of all my polishings to show you later! I'm also working on a post about dusty hunting since I've received many questions from people wondering how to find old HTFs (hard-to-finds).
While the rest of my posts can wait, I figure I should at least get my Halloweenone up before Halloween! so here it is =D I wanted to do something festive, but not too in-your-face, because I have work all day tomorrow! I think this simple design worked very well =)
I used: Color Club - Polish For All // Nina Ultra Pro - Molten Gold // China Glaze - Liquid Leather // Nubar - 2010 // China Glaze - Ghoulish Glow
This is 2 coats of Polish For All, then Molten Gold was used to dull out the orange, as it is very VERY NEON! Molten Gold is a gorgeous sheer pink-orange duochrome. I then used a brush to paint the black diagonal lines, it came from the set I got off eBay. Lastly, I used 2010 over the entire nail and topped off the orange sections with 2 coats of Ghoulish Glow! Ghoulish Glow is a great glow-in-the-dark polish. It is fairly clear and produces a good glow-effect with two coats.
Here is what Polish For All looks like alone. It is even brighter in real life! It came in the Color Club Pride set.
When I first got Nubar 2010, I knew that I'd be using it for Halloween. I'm not a huge fan of the orange-green flakies, I'm still looking for the perfect blue-duochrome flakie, but I think 2010 worked perfectly here!
...and here is what it looks like when it *glows in the dark*!
***Did you do Halloween nails?? Comment with a link so I can check them out!
Hello Everyone! On my last post, I had asked you to name the silver holos. Well, there were some really good guesses, but only ONE person got it right!
So now for the moment you've all been waiting for
Here are the answers **Edit** As well as a review!
And the WINNER is miChelle! You really know your silver holos =)
(The answer is Greta, Gosh, OMG, Nfu Oh 61, for those who can't see the video)
I've been wanting to compare Make Up Store Greta, Gosh Holographic, China Glaze OMG, and Nfu Oh 61 for a long time! But there was a problem, I didn't have Gosh Holo. Well, I recently received Gosh Holographic in a swap with my friend Deborah, who's from the UK! She also sent me a gorgeous teal holo franken that's quite similar to DV8! I was actually expecting Gosh to be more holo, but Greta takes the win!
(Note: As I said in my last post, my photo and video comparisons are representations of the exact polishes I own, and may not generalize to all polishes of that name and brand. Sometimes there are differences in between batches etc., and in the past we have seen companies reduce the holographic effect of new batches, ex. MPJ, Color Club holos...)
Hope you enjoyed this comparison game =)
**Edit** I don't have time to do a separate review post, so I will add this info here!
Application:
--- The winner for smooth application w/o any base coat is China Glaze OMG, however, it required 3-4 coats for full opacity and dried slowly like regular polish.
--- The others applied in the usual streaky holo fashion, but they dry quickly so it's easy to build up layers. They also even themselves out, making application easier. The best way to apply these is to load the brush with polish, then use a few quick strokes that don't overlap, to prevent pulling the polish off (like when you use a crackle polish).
--- I don't haveMUS's Aqua Fix yet, but I will retest these polishes once I get it. I have Nfu Oh's Aqua Base, but it seems that no matter how long I wait for it to dry, it makes my polish crackle!
--- My only complaint is that my Nfu Oh 61 is lumpy... this is the way it came in the mail. I think I may add thinner to try and fix this. When I take the brush out, the polish is lumpy and stringy like melted cheese...
Finish:
--- Hands down, Greta wins for the most holographic polish! Not only is it in-you-face-holo in the sun, it shines brightly like a flame in every light source! (Which is good news for me here in rainy, overcast Vancouver!) Under certain warm, artificial lights, it even looks like it is glowing! Greta also has a matte finish, like most holographic polishes.
--- OMG had the glossiest finish and also the smoothest holographic effect. It came in second place, after Greta, for the most holo polish.
--- Nfu oh 61 has a shiny foil finish that I love! I love it enough to put up with the poor quality of the polish. You can see in the video that the holo effect is somewhat subdued because of the light glare on the foil finish. I like this finish because in non-holo-friendly light, the polish still looks interesting. 61 probably has the most scattered holo effect.
--- Gosh Holographic was less holo than Greta and OMG, it was also more scattered. If you look closely, you can see that Gost and Nfu Oh have the same prismatic qualities and show the opposite colours as Greta and OMG, when all the nails are aligned. Gosh is also interesting because in a non-holo-friendly light, you can see some silver micro-glitter embedded in the polish.
Wear:
--- OMG wins for best wear! I think this may be party due to it's glossy quality. It lasted 3 days without and chips or tip wear! (I took off all the polish after 3 days)
--- Greta came in second, it had minor tip wear after 3 days, followed by Gosh, with a few chips on the second day, then 61, which started chipping a few hours after application!
--- I can't tell you yet how aqua fix will affect the wear, as I do not have it yet. I look forward to trying it out!
--- To increase wear, I recommend using OPI Nail Envy, 2 coats of holo polish, a layer of quick dry top coat, then one last layer of holo polish. Using this sandwiching method, I was able to wear Greta for 5 days with no chips or tip wear!!! This is amazing as I usually get chips within the same day when I wear Nfu Oh holos.
Availability and Cost:
--- Make Up Store Greta is available through Make Up Store outlets around the world. It ranges upwards from $14 USD/8mL depending on location. The ones I got from Singapore cost more... If you live in the US, you can call the Denver location and get them shipped to you!
--- Gosh Holographic is discontinued. As far as I know, it was only released in Europe and did not come to Canadian stores. I received mine in a swap from the UK. The only way to get it is to find someone that has it. At the time of this post, the cheapest ebay bid for it is $21 for 8mL with 2 days left!
--- China Glaze OMG is also discontinued. I believe the collection was out in 2009. I was able to find mine dusty hunting, so you may be able too as well! If you're looking to ebay, the cheapest going bid right now is $15 with 2 days left, and a buy it now of $60 for 14mL If you plan on buying from ebay, MAKE SURE that you are buying OMG, not another polish from the OMG collection... yes, they named a polish the same name as the collection.
--- Nfu Oh 61 is also available online for $12.50 USD/17mL, but it is currently sold out on fabuloustreet.com. Note, there have been 2 versions. I have the new version and it is less holo than the old version. I also believe that the old version did not have these application issues.
That's all for now =) Thanks for reading!
Let me know which one is your favourite, or if there are any others I need to get my hands on =)
How well do you think you know your silver holos???
Click to enlarge!
Here are your choices:
**Gosh // Holographic**
**Make Up Store // Greta**
**China Glaze // OMG**
**Nfu Oh // 61 (new)**
Leave a comment with your guess =)
Answers: I will post them when I do my full comparison review of these 4 beauties =) Till then, guess away!
NOTE: This is what these polishes look like, from the bottles I personally own. I can't guarantee that they all look the same or are as holo. I promise you I shook them up like crazy to achieve full holo awesomeness =) I'm telling you this because I was looking up comparisons on Google and I have to say that what I see in real life, does not match what the swatches I found ;)
Super duper quick post! I'm currently at school and using a really old computer that is not compatible with blogger, so I apoligize if this is messed up in any way, shape or form. BUTTT I had to share this with you! I've noticed that a lot of people are interested in the uber holo Make Up Store holos, but can't swallow the price! Here is are 2 posts about these holos if you are unfamiliar with them.
~~Greta~~
http://to-polish-or-not.blogspot.com/2011/09/new-nfu-oh-61-vs-make-up-store-greta.html and
~~Madeleine~~
http://to-polish-or-not.blogspot.com/2011/09/new-nfu-oh-vs-make-up-store-part-two-62.html
(Yes, the computer will not even let me link them in...)
So I'm happy to let you know that the Make Up Store in the US is having a 40% OFF SALE this Friday the 14th!!! This means that each 8mL bottle is now $8. It's still a bit pricey but much more affordable. I believe you need to call their store to place an order on Friday the 14th. That is what I was told to do in an email I received today.
Here is a super quick post! So I'm super busy studying for midterms right now and working on projects, but I thought I should squeeze time for this post in! Here is my Holo Haul! I found all of these at 2 salons near where I go for physio! Some are used, but most are new! Enjoy!
OMG // DV8
As promised, here are the names: Top: TTYL, OMG, FYI, Spin Me Round, TMI Bottom: IDK, QT, BFF, It's My Turn, DS Original, DS Sapphire
Click to enlarge!
I thought I struck lucky when I found BFF! (The salon had 3!) My friendRebecca has been majorly lemming it! But unfortunately it was the brown dud version. You can see a posthere comparing the brown dud to the real BFF!
Here I have for you a new brand of polish calledSEXY BOMB!! I bought these from a local Asian make up store called "Cara". This is a new line they are carrying, and many of the polishes are duochromes! These polishes don't have names, but this one is labelled "S66".
I love everything about this polish! The bottles are gorgeous, it's a foil-y duochrome, it applies well and dries fast.
The brush is also really great! It makes application a lot easier. It is flat and wide, but not as wide as the Sally Hansen Insta-Dri's, so it's easier and less messy to use. The end of the brush is also curved, which makes it easier to get close to the cuticles.
S66 is a gold foil that shifts to a greenish-blue depending on the light.
Here is what the polish looks like most of the time:
This is only 2 coats!
Most duochromes I've dealt with need lots of coats, so this one is a winner!
Here is some epic nail mail I recently received from my friendsTraci and Chelsea! Click on their names to check out their blogs and sales!
Let's have a closer look at what I got!
Here is:
~Gamer Glam~ ~Electra Magenta~ ~Techno Teal~
From the China Glaze Tronica collection
Here is:
~Kaleidoscope Him Out~ ~Visit Me In Prism~ ~Don't Be A Square~
From the China Glaze Kaleidoscope collection
Here is:
~CG In The City~
~Skyscraper~ From the China Glaze Metro Collection
and~Liquid Leather~
~OPI Nail Envy~
The China Glaze Kaleidoscope holos are my favourite type of holo! They are both linear and scattered and sparkly, even when there's no sunlight! I was first introduced to them when I found 2 dusty hunting(searching for old hard to find polish in salons). Chelsea is officially my kaleidoscope hero, as they are very hard to find!
The Tronica's are also a bit holo and I'm super excited Traci could get me some because I was unable to find them locally. I love with these colours, holo or not!
I just can't wait to try all of these out! Oooh I also got my nail brushes today from ebay! I forgot to take a picture though... =p
Hello! Today I want to show you a new franken I just made!
For those who don't already know, a franken is a polish that you make by mixing other polishes, glitter, pigments etc. together to make a polish your own! It's super fun and a great way to create colours you dream of but can't find!
I wanted to experiment with making my own suedes/mattes. So here is my first attempt and I'd classify it as a satin, not entirely matte and not entirely glossy! Take a look and tell me what you think!
For this polish I was inspired by the OPI Suede collection. I love the way they sparkle when you add top coat, and the glitter really shows in their natural, suede form. You can see a little bit of OPI Lincoln Park After Dark Suede (with top coat)here.
For this franken I started with a matte/suede base
Revlon "Powder Puff"
then I tinted it teal with
Sally Hansen Insta-Dri "Teal-y Fast"
then I added some sparkle with Sally Hansen Extreme Wear "Celeb City"
~You can see here, that the polish isn't really matte or glossy, it's in between
~Initially, I wasn't sure if mixing matte/suede polish and normal glossy polish would work.
~The first time I swatched my fraken it separated on the nail, kind of like when you apply a nfu oh holo. It was a disaster!
~I figured out that the key to applying this glossy-matte franken was to shake it like crazy beforehand!! This way, the 2 type of polish are well mixed together and apply like a dream! It also dries super fast!
The bottles I use for my frankens right now are ones I got from Daiso, a Japanese store. I bought a whole bunch of their holo collection and decanted the small 5ml bottles into larger 15ml ones, and now I use the empty bottles for frankening!
Most of the empty bottles I've seen at supply stores have the cheap skinny round brush that makes my application even more horrid! A plus side to doing this is that these bottles have a nice flat, thick brush that applies like a dream!(I took these photos without any clean-up. Partly because I'm lazy, and party because I think I did a pretty good job!)
Here's a close up of the glitter!
Click to enlarge
Aside*** Since most of the polishes I own have already been swatched to death by other bloggers, I think I will try to post more about my frankens as well as my international + unique polishes that are hard to find on google. I don't do the swatch thing very well so I will entertain you with the various stuff I like and not bore you with my horrid nail art (just got my brushes in from ebay btw!). I want to keeps things interesting!
