Review, Review, Review !

Happy Super Bowl Sunday fellow bloggers ! Tomorrow on the blog I will be posting pictures of the mani I am doing on my sister today, in support of her fave team, the Seattle Seahawks.

Now, onto my first ever review on the nail polish I used for my Friday night mani. Polishes used were: A base of OPI's "Alpine Snow", top colour was LA Colors "Lightning", thumb was stamped with Salon Express plate number 18 and colour used was Quo by Orly's "Magnetic Attraction". Pinky and pointer were accented with Nicole by OPI "Stars at Night", and middle finger heart was done with a mix of China Glaze "Nova" and Essie "Beyond Cozy". Studs on ring finger were from Sally Hansen's new nail art collection.

A picture of the mani done Friday night. Glitters were added the next day.

Shot of the mani with the glitter.

Alright, so to begin, but looking at the colour of 'Lightning', you notice that it is a very bright neon pink. In order to capture the true colour of neon polishes, you first need to add a base of white, in my case, I used 'Alpine Snow'. By adding a base of white, it will make the top colour really pop, and show it's true nature. Brush strokes with the white must be done very well, or the streakiness will show when you put on your top colour.

Review of LA Colors "Lightning"

I am a HUGE fan of pinks, especially neon/bright pinks. I got this colour from Giant Tiger for a whopping $1.25 - can't go wrong. This was the first LA Colors nail polish that I have ever used, so I was not familiar with the formula or application. I like the finished product on my nails, and the way it looked, but I wasn't a fan of the application process. I found the formula to be a little be thin, although there were no streaks during application. I am sure if I hadn't have put on the base of white colour, I would have had to put on one or two more coats to get my desired colour. It is an extremely bright colour, and pictures do not do this colour justice. It is a great summer colour, whether you wear it on an accent nail, or on all your nails. It certainly does brighten up your fingers! I've had the polish on now for three days, and the colour is just as vibrant now, as it was when I put it on Friday night. Although I found the colour the go on a little thin, I would more than likely use this colour again in future projects. 

Review of Salon Express Stamping Plate #18 and Quo by Orly "Magnetic Attraction"

This was the first time I was somewhat successful at using a stamping plate. Getting the desired position and application is actually very tricky - hence why there are spots that do not have polish on them ! I actually liked doing the stamping technique, and I think the colour I chose went well with the pink. Magnetic Attraction is actually a magnetic polish - but because I do not like the effect they give, I through the magnet out ! I just enjoy this colour all on it's own !
I will definitely use stamping plates for future manis, it is a quick and easy nail art technique for those of us just beginning, and for those who are not that talented at free-handing images on our nails ! 

Review of Sally Hansen's Nail Art Studs

Excuse the fact that they are crooked ! I am just getting into using 3D nail art on my nails, so I am still getting the hang of how to properly glue on tiny studs ! These black studs came in a package with a vile of silver and gold studs as well, and were $4.99 at Target Canada. I like them, especially on the neon pink of Lightning. They are a simple little accent that makes any accent nail pop. I glued them down with nail glue - which was not included in the package, but a picking up tool was included. A small dab of clear nail polish on the tip of the tool to pick it up and a small dab of nail glue on the desired location is all it takes. Press down for a few seconds, and let dry, seal it off with a top coat. The studs will move around a bit if not 100% dry, so make sure they are dry before you go onto something else. The studs on my Cinderella hand got mangled because I was too impatient to let everything dry !

Glitter added to the manicure

I am trying to complete a challenge of sorts on Instagram for nail art done in the month of February. The first challenge was Glitter, so to cheat a little :) I added some glitter to my mani. The heart was a mix of Beyond Cozy and Nova, both amazing silver glitter polishes. Pinky and pointer were adorned with Stars at Night. I find that the more I look at Stars at Night on my nails, the more it looks like someone's hairy legs ! This is the first bar glitter I've used, so I still need to refine my application of this type of glitter.

Nails in natural light

Manicure in natural light. As a mentioned above, the camera does not do this colour justice, it is just something you have to see in person !

Happy blogging !
Sarah Jane :)