Tutorial: Acid Wash

Posted on April 26, 2013 by joyluscious

Crumpet's Tri-Polish Challenge

Here is how I created my acid wash design. In truth, I think a video tutorial would be most helpful but I will have to get a camera stand/tri-pod before I can do that.

A few important notes before I move on to the steps.

1. Try to layer the colors in contrasting order. For example: green-orange-black-yellow, black-white-grey-black-white, blue-yellow-red-green-black. This way, when the colors gets review, you can see the layered design clearly.

2. Give each layer time to set before applying the next layer and once the last layer is done, give at least an hour for all the layers to dry. Other wise, when you try to ‘rub off’ the layers, the wet polishes will ‘mix’ and get muddy.

3. Do not rub too hard or you could rub off all the layers and expose the nail bed. (Which I did on my pinky… oops!)

Acid wash is definitely a fun technique but very time consuming. Some trial and error is needed but don’t be afraid to give it a try.

Tri-Polish Challenge: Acid Wash

Posted on April 25, 2013 by joyluscious

Crumpet's Tri-Polish Challenge

For the last design, I decided to try a new-to-me technique, Acid Wash.

Again, the colors I used are OPI Flit a Bit, Zoya Raven, Essie Where is My Chauffeur?, and OPI Strawberry Margarita.

This was a time consuming technique but I learn a lot from doing it. So tomorrow, I will be sharing some pointer with you.

A New To Me Technique Challenge: A Jelly Sandwich

Posted on January 17, 2013 by joyluscious

I like layering but never tried a jelly sandwich because I am fearful of sheer polishes. They streak like crazy and I don’t know if it is me or it is the polish. Since, untried technique and polishes are the theme of the month, I decide to use Zoya Frida and Pahlish My Oblivion for a blue jelly sandwich. I still don’t think jelly is the thing for me.

Zoya Frida is a very sheer dark teal blue jelly. I did two light coats and it just look like I lightly bruised my nails (ha!) Frida went on smooth and you can easily adjust how thin or how thick you want to lay it down. It isn’t very streaky which is very good news.

Palish My Oblivion is very cool glitter bomb. It is a blue, slightly teal, jelly packed with gold holographic glitters in various sizes of hex and bars. First, I painted a layer of MO but most of the glitter did not come off the brush, so I dabbed on a very thick coat next.

What you see is two coats of Frida, then two coats of My Oblivion, and finished with one more coat of Frida. So there is my jelly sandwich.

Cheer myself Up Challenge: Millions of Sparkle

Posted on January 13, 2013 by joyluscious

**Warning – very pic heavy**

What do I get when I layer OPI Spark De Triophem over Color Club Harp on it? A cheer-me-up manicure! In sunlight, you can see the holographic and the scattered sparkles from the glitter.

In the shade, you can see the beauty of Spark De Triophem. This manicure, is stunning at all times.

Color Club Harp on It is a silver linear holographic polish and here it is shown in three thin coats and no base coat. I cannot contest on wear because I am layering glitter over it. It dried fast like most holographic polishes. The application is easy and very minimum on bald spots, a big plus. You get MAJOR linear holographic even in low light.

Here it is in direct light, blinding, isn’t it?

Here is the comparison between light and shade.

Here is OPI Spark De Triophem over Harp On It in the shade. You can see the champagne gold glitter mixed in with the various sizes of silver glitter. Wonderful formula for a glitter polish, lays down smooth and drys fast. Here is only one coat over Color Club HOI. I would use this as layering polish and if you want to use it alone, you need at least three coats for full coverage.

I hope my manicure cheered you up and you enjoyed the reviews of two awesome polishes. I also did my tape manicure challenge over this combo and the result was incredible depth and contrast between rich black and sparkling silver.

Gold Challenge: Fit for royalty

Posted on January 3, 2013 by joyluscious

Cuz Mel was in town and she wanted something beautiful, classy, and long lasting. So we did a blue and gold foil combo for her. Zoya Guilty topcoat really adds a lot of durability to the manicure.

Two coats of no name Color Club royal blue and one dabbing coat of Zoya Guilty 18k Topcoat. Finished with a shiny Seche Vite. The manicure is stunning but the blue wasn’t as dark as she was hoping for. Any suggestion for a rich blue so dark that it is almost black?

Day Six: Angel Wings 090 and China Glaze Pizzazz (Holiday Joy 2012)

Posted on December 6, 2012 by joyluscious

Ciate Angel Wings 090 is a frosty snow white. On the door is a nail tip: Nails take about three months to grow from cuticle to tip, treat them nicely.

I don’t believe I am saying this but, I hate this polish. The finish is a bit out of fashion and it looks cheap. The color is very unflattering next to my skin tone and the application was a nightmare. It was streaky and dried slow. On top of the slow dry time, I needed three coat for ‘almost’ full coverage. I did not wait long enough before I put on the third coat and the brush left a few bald spots. I can still see nail line on the pinkie.

I tried to salvage it by layering a glitter polish from China Glaze Holiday 2012 Joy Collection, Pizzazz.

Pizzazz is a clear jelly base with various sizes of hex glitter in silver, red, green, blue, magenta, orange, and gold. The application is smooth for a glitter polish but the glitter was spars if you ‘paint’ it on. For full coverage, you are looking at least 3 coats or more.

I am going to take all this off now. I hope Day 7 bring something more exciting because today was a little disappointing.

Day Three: Halo 089

Posted on December 3, 2012 by joyluscious

Day Three brings a special effect topcoat, Halo 089, and Boo!!!! (we scared you.) I am glad that the polish is ‘smarter’ than the quote.

Halo 089 is a creamy topcoat packed with purple and pink/magenta micro glitters. I wouldn’t say it is unique but it definitely breath some new life to any base color.

It is pretty much a dupe of CND Sapphire Sparkle and also very simular to OPI Wing It! However, Wing It! has flakies not micro glitters.

I applied Halo 089 over Dangerous Affair 013 (from Day 2,) and strangely, Halo dulled the glossy finish. So I had to reapply a topcoat to to restore the shine. The formula is thick and I used one coat only. It smelled like cheap nail polish though (if you own Kleancolor polishes, well, Halo smells just like it.) Dry time excellent, almost, instantly.

So far so good, on to Day 4 tomorrow.

Be Teal for Orly Viridian Vinyl, and more…

Posted on November 18, 2012 by joyluscious

I’ve featured Purple Pleather and Old School Orange of the Orly Plastix Collection from 2009. Today, ManHands brings you Orly Viridian Vinyl. This is an awesome post! ~Joyluscious

Being one of Joyluscious’s favorite finishes, I had to give vinyl a try myself. I picked this peacock teal for my first plastic. Per my usual routine, I barebacked two coats; but I could have gotten away with one thick coat as it is pretty saturated.

Orly Viridian Vinyl is super smooth and forgiving. I was able to patch one smudge very easily. Its liquid consistency is heavenly. No streaks, no drama (even with my heavily ridged nails), no problems. It turns a satiny-matte vinyl in a flash. I wish all my polishes were this easy to work with. It’s a trendy fall color that’s vibrant but not too unseasonably bright. It matches my suede wedge pumps (Target find Teal Melinda Wedge Pumps) very nicely don’t you think (see last photo)?

REVIVAL: For fun I added Color Club Winter Affair 2012, Snow Flakes. It’s a flakie topcoat (similar if not a dupe of: Sally Hansen’s Hidden Valle, Essie Shine of the Times, Nubar 2010, and others). The flakies range from gold to pink to green. On my ring finger I added Wet n Wild Fergie Flossy Flossy, placed two blue hearts from Kleancolor Peaceful Heart on top of that and then finished with two coats of Seche Vite. Flossy Flossy has medium pink octagons and small green octagons with blue glitter all mixed in a clear base. It lacks suspension so you get very little bling per swipe (too bad since I think it’s a pretty combination). The other fingers were topcoated with Essie Matte About You (two coats) for contrast against the super glossy ring finger.

This was one of the longest lasting manicures I’ve ever had. Almost two weeks later and only a few chips! I’m convinced the flakie/matte combination has something to do with it.
I loved this manicure and received many compliments on it.

—ManHands

OPI Wing it! over La Paz-tively Hot Matte

Posted on November 8, 2012 by joyluscious

If there is one thing I did not like about matte and suede is how easily they chip and there isn’t much I could do about protecting manicure as either gloss or matte topcoats could change the original finish.

So to hide the “patch” job I did on the edge wear/chips of OPI La Paz-tively Hot matte, I decided to try another polish that I bought long ago and never worn, OPI Wing It!

To be honest, I bought Wing It! because I fell in loved with how it looked in the bottle. When I swatched it, it looked translucent, thin, and watery, and I knew, I had to layer it over other colors.

Wing It! reminds me of CND special effect topcoats and this one reminds me a lot of the Violet Shimmer. I only used one thin coat of Wing It! so you can really see the fine color shifting particles.There is a duo chrome quality to the manicure with the color shift from hot pink to purple.

I went a step further and use NYC Matte Me Crazy over Wing It! I think, I actually like it better matted than glossed. There is a “cheesy” quality about the Wing It! which is very disappointing.

I hope you enjoyed this little layering experiment from matte to gloss to matte.

Chanel Vamp turned Victoria

Posted on August 14, 2012 by joyluscious

I know, I know, I vent and rant about the Chanel application but I must love the polishes because I am still wearing them after 4 days! (Photo with Quartz #525 and Vamp #18)

Honestly, I hardly gotten any more blemishes after that first few hours of wear, other than typical edge wear. Yesterday, I filed and buffed my nails shorter, which took off all the edge wear, very cool.

Last night, I was making a batch of my franken, Victoria, I decided to layer it over my Chanel Vamp. I thought it is very appropriate, since, I named the polish over the Twilight Saga character, Victoria, and if you haven’t read the books or watched the movie, she is the VAMPire out to kill Bella for revenge. (Photo with Victoria over Vamp #18)

Victoria is a dark cool red jelly syrup with different sizes of red hex glitters. It is a subtle glitter polish that is very flattering to all skin tone. It goes on smooth like commercial nail polishes with lots of fine and smaller glitter and occasional larger glitters. It isn’t a glitter bomb so you only catch glimpes of the glitter shimmer and flash in the light. Victoria can be worn by itself or layered over other colors. This is so far the favorite of all my frankens.