November Challenge - Geometrics

Happy Tuesday, lovelies!!

I have recently stumbled upon another nail art challenge for the month of November, hosted by the Instagram user CaliforNails.  I had so much fun with the October challenges that I wanted to continue with these new ones!!

Now when I found this challenge, I had already missed out on the November 1st theme of "Movember" (which I fully intend to make up in the next few days), but was able to complete the second theme of "Geometrics."  Here is the design I came up with:

I've never done any kind of geometric design before, so this was indeed a challenge for me.  I used nail tape to create triangular patterns over my bare nail, rather than putting down a color as a base.  I then painted in the sections with "Strawberry Fields" by Black Dahlia lacquer (pinky and thumb), "Dahlia" by Sweet Heart Polish (ring finger), and "Wuyi Mountain" by Elevation Polish (middle finger).  I think the colors complement each other really well and help to set off that geometric look nicely :)  I am pleased!

The next theme is "plaid" for November 7th - another design I have never done!  Send good vibes my way - I'm gonna need them for this one!! :P

Tomorrow I will have a mega post for you featuring the brand new "V for Vendetta" collection that releases tomorrow, so keep an eye out for it!  See you soon <3

A Glorious Glitter Rain

*Press Release*

Ah, Saturday - such a wonderful feeling to wake up on the first day of the weekend ^_^  This weekend is super busy for me, though.  I have a 5k this morning with my Dad, followed by graduation in Taekwondo to Orange belt, and on Sunday I have my first Archery tournament!  Busy gal, busy gal :D

I have a quick post for you today of nail art I created using three beautiful polishes recently released by the new indie brand Black Dahlia Lacquer.  You may remember the post I recently wrote about two other colors sent to me by the brand.  Well let me tell you, these three colors are just as wonderful as those!  First, let me show you the nail art I created, then I will show you the polishes:

I had the idea to do a kind of "glitter rain" with a silhouette of a woman with an umbrella deflecting some of it.  Turned out rather nicely, I think ^_^  As far as the polishes, I used Japanese Painted Fern (first bottle shot) for the background grey on the nail with the silhouette; I used Basket of Gold (second bottle shot) for the glitter topper; and the final color (third bottle shot) is a lovely mystery mini sent to me that is a light gray polish with a purple flash.  

All three polishes applied very smoothly and evenly.  I did two coats of Japanese Painted Fern to make it completely opaque, then one thick coat of Basket of Gold.  The polish dried very quickly, too, which is always a plus for me.  Another fabulous experience with this indie brand, and I am loving every polish from them thus far!

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!  Frankenstein won for this round of You-Pick-My-Art, so I will come up with something super Vintage-Horror awesome for you!  See you soon <3

*Note: These polishes were purchased using a special discount code created for me by the Black Dahlia Lacquer company.  While given a discount, my opinions of the polish are in no way swayed and are ALWAYS 100% honest.  Links I provide in this post are NOT affiliate (i,e, I get no kickback when you click on them).  I simply provide them for your convenience :)

Go Ahead, Make My Millennium!

Last Friday was another round of You-Pick-My-Art on my Facebook Page, and the winning theme was Beetlejuice!  Now I will admit - I have only ever seen Beetlejuice once, and it was a looooooong time ago.  I remember enjoying it, and have actually added it to my Netflix queue to watch again ;)

It was tough to come up with a unique design that hasn't been overdone before.  The two most popular posters/pictures out there have already been done (by much better artists than me, too).  So, I decided to come up with one based on my favorite scene from the movie, which happens to be at the end :P

I remember laughing quite a bit when I was kid because of the sound of his voice, and the silly look of the dude with the shrunken head :D  Here is the design I came up with based on this scene - and forgive the amateur art, I'm still trying to get down painting people :P

I could have done the witch doctor on the middle finger and Beetlejuice on the ring, but it would have been practically impossible for me to fit that uber long number on my pinky :P  Plus, the shrinky-head guy is the one that made me laugh as a kid ^_^  The two polish colors I used for the background are "Queen of the Night" on the middle and ring finger, and "Flor de Muerta" by Black Dahlia Lacquer - their Halloween Duo :)

I hope you all enjoyed this art!  What would you like to see for this Friday's theme?

Press Release: Black Dahlia "Ocean Hydrangea" and "Bells of Ireland" Swatches & Review

***PRESS RELEASE***

Today, a new indie company called Black Dahlia Lacquer officially launched their new line of polish!!  I am one of the very lucky people to have received press samples for review, and I am just so excited to share them with you today!!

Before we dive into the beauties, let me tell you a bit about the company.  Straight from the mouth of one of the owners, Deanna Morey, "Black Dahlia Lacquer showcases our love of polish through bright colors and textures.  We've worked hard to develop nail lacquers that will appeal to all women - from those that prefer more conservative neutrals to full-coverage gold glitter and bright blue holographic polish for more adventurous clients.  We are confident that our customers will love our polish as much as we loved creating them."

There are 3 collections releasing - The Essentials, with 6 neutrals; Hanging on to Summer, with 6 bright colored lacquers; and Fall 2014, with 12 rich, fall colored polishes.  There are cremes, shimmers, full-coverage glitters, even holos in these collections!  As the other owner, Aubrey Sheffield, says of the polish, "Our collections celebrate rich colors and textures, particularly our Fall collection.  Our three collections offer something for everyone."

Boy, with all this talk of amazing polishes, you must be itching to see the ones I have for you!!  Alright, I won't keep you waiting any longer :)  The first polish I will show you comes from the Fall 2014 Collection and is called "Ocean Hydrangea."

Outdoors

Indoors

Ocean Hydrangea is "a cornflower blue creme with blue and gold microflakies." The polish dried to a satin/semi-gloss finish in just over 5 minutes, and was opaque in 3 coats.

The second polish to show you comes from the Hanging on to Summer Collection and is called, "Bells of Ireland."

Outdoors

Indoors

Bells of Ireland is a "bright green full-coverage glitter with hints of small blue and silver glitter."  This polish dried to a textured finish in under 5 minutes, and is shown in 2 coats over Ocean Hydrangea in the pictures above.  One generous coat (or two thin coats) of clear topcoat will even out the glitter and cover up the texture.

The Ups: First, I'd like to point out that in the pictures, I'm holding their mini sized.  That's right - MINI!  8ml is their mini size, which is really, really fantastic to me!  The minis also have a flat brush instead of the usual round brush found in most minis.  I love, love, love everything about their minis - and they are the absolute best I've come across yet!

Now, let's talk about the polishes!  Application for Ocean Hydrangea was super smooth.  The polish self-leveled and didn't pool around the cuticles.  It also did not thicken or pull the polish underneath with each added layer.  Bells of Ireland, being a glitter bomb, did not clump together upon application.  It also leveled out nicely and spread evenly.  I found two coats gave really nice coverage, though if you are wearing it solo, I think three coats would get rid of any naked spots.

The Downs: The only feature of the polish I found that could be considered a "down" is the dry time.  I found that while it was dry to the light touch in under five minutes, it took longer than five minutes to be immune to any sort of imprint from pressure.  A quick-dry topcoat should fix this issue.

Overall:  Black Dahlia Lacquer will make huge waves, and will quickly sit among the best of indies!  The formula, application, color, everything is fantastic with this polish.  You all know I tell you the truth about polishes, and I never pull punches.  When I say this brand is amazing, I mean it!  No smoke - it's wonderful!

You would be wise to order some of these polishes for yourself!  It is $6.00 for most of the 8ml minis, and $9.50 for most of the 14ml full sizes.  Some of the polishes (mostly the holos) are $6.75 for minis and $10.75 for full sizes.  Here are links for you of the store and social pages:

Main Store: Here

Etsy Shop: Here

Facebook: Here

Instagram: Here

If you look on their Facebook page, there is a coupon code for 10% off any order through October 10th!  Take advantage of the discount and order yourself some beauties!!  You won't regret it!

*NOTE: These polishes were sent as a press release to swatch and review.  My reviews are 100% honest, I never sway facts or opinions.  Links I provide are NOT affiliate (i.e. I get no kickback if you click on them through my blog).  I simply provide them for your convenience :)