Lustrous Lacquer

Thursday, July 25, 2013

Mint Mani for Talia Joy

     So I'm very sad to say that when my Internet crashed I lost the post I had written up for #MintmaniforTaliaJoy. I still wanted to share with you the manicure I did that day in her honor so here is a quick post about it.

     I have to say that I am not familiar with Talia Joy and have yet to watch any of her videos. I have heard so many positive things about this beautiful angle that I wanted to participate in the mint manis last Friday with everyone else.

     I decided to break out my craft scissors and do a tape mani. I also was able to knock out 2 of my untrieds which is always a bonus. For this manicure, I used Essie First Timer as my base color and layered Sinful Colors Tidal Wave on top using a funky wave pattern. Sinful Colors Tidal Wave is actually a sheer blue polish but when I layered it over the green it took on a mint hue that helped pull the whole look together.

indirect sunlight

Having the wave off to the side is a new look for me and I really kind of like it. It's fun and funky without being too out there. The tape look alone looked kind of blank to me so I added a little flower on the ring finger to sort of liven it up a bit. I actually got quite a few comments on this manicure from coworkers which gave me the opportunity to tell them about Talia Joy. A few of them had heard the news already and 2 of them showed up at work on Saturday wearing mint on their nails! I thought that was really kind of awesome.

Direct Sunlight

Here is just one more shot of the manicure in direct sunlight and from a different angle. The thumbnail really shows off the funky wave pattern the best. I think I'm going to have to try a few more of my craft scissors for future tape manicures. They are an easy way to add a fun twist.

Be sure to check out the other Blog posts in Honor of Talia Joy

Thursday, July 4, 2013

Lustrous Lacquer 12:37 AM Themed Manicures

My first ever 4th of July Manicure

*Nothing to Disclose*

Hello everyone and Happy 4th of July. I have a quick NOTD post for you in honor of the Holiday. This is my first manicure for the 4th and I was stumped on what to do. I was browsing Pinterest looking for inspiration when I came across the perfect pin from Wacky Laki.

The photo is the property of Wacky Laki

I knew I wanted to recreate the look. I'm glad I took the time to click through to the original post because I think it helped me more than just the pictures. For some reason, I thought steps 4 and 5 involved a toothpick to wipe away the red glitter when I first saw this. And as you know I have a tendency to rush through my manicures and then am unhappy with the results. So reading the post forced me to slow down, take a deep breath and really focus on what I was doing. Ok let's be honest I can never really focus with my 3 kids in the room asking me to open chip bags or put a new movie in which they always seem to want the minute I finish with the first coat of polish. Anyway, I've started rambling and should probably just show you my results so, here's my picture......

I used Milani White on the spot as my base color. It's my go-to white polish. The red is Milani Red Sparkle. Pretty appropriate don't you think. And the blue is Sinful Colors Hottie.

Ironically the lines on my right hand turned out straighter than the ones on my left but I couldn't get a picture of that hand to turn out and my 9 yr old son wanted nothing to do with photographing my nails. At first, I was a little bummed that my blue was a lighter shade but it's grown on me. My skin tone is so light that a darker blue would look too heavy. All in all, I'm pretty happy with how this turned out, proud even, and I can't wait for the girls at work to see it,

I hope everyone has a safe and Happy 4th of July. If you've done a manicure in honor of the holiday feel free to leave a link in the comments section of this post. Id love to see what you came up with.

Wednesday, July 3, 2013

Lustrous Lacquer 9:27 AM How it all Started

Guest Post Steph from At Peace With Polish

Hello Everyone. Today I have a fun post from Steph from At Peace with Polish that brought a smile to my face. I hope you enjoy it and a big thanks to Steph for letting me share her story.

One time a fairly new coworker sarcastically asked me if I changed my nails every day to match my outfit. I laughed because I sure did have a matching outfit and mani every time I saw her. I replied "Almost!" and I did not feel bothered by her sassy approach in the least. I think that was one of the many times I felt "at peace!"

My name is Stephanie Galvan, my blog is called At Peace with Polish, and I am super addicted to painting my nails. Well, just about anyone's nails! I found a comfort zone with this hobby, and that's what I want to share with you today.

Katie invited bloggers to share how the polish-hoarding adventure began for us. I was thinking, my story is sooo simple: a friend of mine was always sporting a stunning set of natural nails that she kept glazed with a shade called "Watermelon." I knew I was hooked, however, I couldn't run to the salon every two weeks on my wedding-planning budget like she could. Well lots of people must do this at home, I thought. After all, I grew up with a little drawer of polish of my own (funny thing is that I never liked colors on my nails as a young girl, only on my toes) and like any woman I can DIY! I started searching and ran into my first nail art blog, Chalkboard Nails. What an inspiring, stunning eye-opening, crafty woman Sarah Waite is!

Suddenly my story doesn't seem so simple and boring to me anymore. My wedding planning stress that was bombarding my life was now manageable with something else to focus on. The first color I remember falling head over heels for was Sally Hansen's Lacey Lilac. I do adore purple!! Somehow I found Pretty & Polished and, in awe of Chelsea, purchased Jawbreaker, Galax-E, and Martian Salad. Best purchase ever? Possibly!!! I became a promoter and addict of Indie polish. What a cunning, amazing idea! What a unique, self-expressive, passionate community I had found!

Amidst all of the beginner tape-manis, delving through blog after blog, and finding and purchasing more Indie brands I realized that I had found a way to control and enjoy a new aspect of myself. I was actually pretty good, I thought, and I was enjoying myself. After a stressful day at a horrific job and with a mess of wedding planning all on my own ahead of me, I was "At Peace with Polish."

I am so happy with this community! I love the ladies: the blogs, the support, and oh my goodness the unique creations! I'm thankful for my new friends galore as well as the women who have asked me to review their products. I love the blogs and I am so thankful for you all. Thank you, Katie, for asking me to do a little piece for your blog so that I may express my gratitude and love for this crazy lacquer-obsessed world of ours.