Wet n' Wild Chrome Collection Swatches

Today's a swatch post. Look away now if that's not what you came for.

I'm showing you the Wet n' Wild Chrome collection. I grabbed these 8 polishes at Walgreens for $3.99 a piece. I admit, that's a little pricey for only being 8.5 mL instead of your normal 15 mL, but the colors rock. 

There are 8 colors in the collection and I have to admit something to you guys right now. I did a very true-to-blog thing with these. I bought them solely so I could review them for you. I barely looked at the colors, just saw that there was one of each and grabbed each and every one of them! There I said it! I DID IT FOR YOU GUYS! I LOVE YOU GUYS!

Let's start.

First up is Steel the Spotlight. It's the silver in the collection. This one had the lightest application, which makes sense, so I had to use two coats for this swatch.

Next is A Show at the Palladium, the gold. I had to look up what exactly the Palladium was, and I'm still not sure I know to which one they're referring to. My guess is it's not referring to the Palladium Lounge, one of the public rooms on the cruise ship Carnival Destiny.

Penny for Your Thoughts is the copper. How appropriate that it be named that! On a side note, why does the new United States penny remind me a lot of Captain America?

I can't be the only one thinking it can I?
Source for Captain America poster
and shield penny

Ok now here's Precious Petals. A nice, deep rosy pink.

You're going to love the name for this purple-silver chrome: Hog-Quartz School. Ha ha! Can you imagine going to a school like Hogwarts...but instead of just magic, there's nail polish too? Oh good lord that would be epic.

Would this polish be called Gryffindorable?
Source for Gryffindor crest

Anyone from Baltimore read my blog? If so, you'll like this name: Grew Up in Cobalt-imore.

Stay Outta My Bismuth is another one I like. Now try one thing for me. Read that out loud and try not to sound like you have a lisp. OK, I just tried it. It's actually not hard at all.

I Got a New Com-pewter is a chrome I've never had, or thought I wanted. A lime green chrome requires a special pair of cojones to wear. I guess I have cojones.

My favorite part about these after swatching them is their names.  I Got a New Com-pewter and Hog-Quartz School win in that category.

They also covered really well, most needing at most two coats. So there's that.

I hope you don't mind the occasional swatching, especially if it's an entire collection.  I just really wanted to share these since it's probably a limited edition grab you may kick yourself for missing out on later. Like I said...I love you and I want you to be the first to get them!

Teal Binge

You all are so supportive. I blogged yesterday about a nail art design I quickly hated. I've heard some very kind words from my readers regarding that manicure that I wasn't expecting. I honestly thought, and still do think, that was one of my least favorite posted manicures.

I wasn't fishing (or is it phishing?) for compliments or support, just stating a fact, and I received all well-wishes and happiness from some admirers of the design. So thanks for that unexpected pick-me-up.

You're now looking at a scalloped funky french. It's very frilly, but the color adds a definite sexitude to it. Black and any pastel screams negligee, even if it's simple. The black tips are done with Black Creme (Wet n' Wild) with a dotting tool. Swimming beneath is Mermaid's Tears (OPI) and Nostalgic (L.A. Girl). I can't resist a glitter.

I have a ton of glitters I would love to put over some polishes. I may have plans for that...

500 Reader Giveaway!

After tabulating your survey answers from yesterday, it was pretty obvious that most of you were most interested in seeing a limited edition collection as my giveaway prize.

Well, ask and ye shall receive! To celebrate my 500 Blogger reader milestone, I'm offering everyone who follows my nail art (whether on Blogger, Tumblr, Twitter, Facebook, or Pinterest) the chance to win the Wet n' Wild Color Icon Ice Baby Holiday 2011 collection!

This collection consists of 8 super-snazzy glitters in all colors of the rainbow. There's a few bar glitters, and some serious bling in each bottle. This collection is no longer available in stores.

I'm opening this up to international followers as well this time, hoping the cost of shipping isn't completely outrageous if someone international does win. If you do win, and you are living overseas somewhere, bare with me when it comes time to deliver your prize. It may be tricky.

I'm also opening this up to any readers who have enjoyed my nail art through any of the 5 social outlets I use: Blogger, Twitter, Tumblr, Facebook and Pinterest. You only need to be a part of one of these outlets to be entered to win, and it doesn't have to be through Blogger. I'm celebrating everyone who has ever read or looked at my nail art.

Good luck, and please don't hesitate to ask any questions you may have so we can ensure your entry is properly counted. All entries will be counted using the Rafflecopter Widget below.


a Rafflecopter giveaway


Now who wants to see some swatches, courtesy of Scrangie?

Broken Music Notes

I wanted to do something really out there with the Spotty Dottie polishes I bought not long ago from All That Glitters, but like many girls recently, I have fallen prey to the deadly grip The Hunger Games has on us. It's like the black hole of books; the chapters keep sucking you in. I've already given up an all-out-there design for this book. I'm sure sleep isn't far behind.

The good news is, after working on this manicure I'm showing you today, I'm glad I didn't dedicate more time to a more trippy design.

What all the stripes and dots of glitter reminded me of on top of Black on Black (Sinful Colors) and French White Creme (Wet n' Wild) were music notes as they're written on a page, broken into little pieces. It's too bold to be cookies and cream, and the spots are too precise to be dalmatian spots.

I loved the effect these glitters eventually gave, but getting them to this point was a pain. Unfortunately, the ratio of clear polish to glitter was off, so I wound up with thick layers of polish, without much glitter. I think this polish would've benefited from being either sold in a smaller size, or packed with more glitter pieces. As it is now, it's a little frustrating, especially the white.

Blue Alley Deals

For today I've got a glitter gradient gradating from a magenta glitter up toward a royal blue. I pulled out two somewhat dusty, unused colors from my Helmer to get this manicure. They both live in the same drawer, which is a hodgepodge of Essie, OPI, Wet n' Wild and a few other mismatches that don't have enough family members to buy their own Helmer drawer. Don't feel sorry for this drawer though, it's quite a party in there. The Kleancolor Chunky Holos and the entire Wet n' Wild Color Icon collection live in there. Solids and neutrals beware, this drawer's trouble!

I love the combination of these two royal, jewel toned colors paired together that comes across even more stunning in real life. Back Alley Deals and Saved by the Blue both come from Wet n' Wild. Saved by the Blue is one of those polishes that's always on the shelf, but you'll be lucky to find anymore Back Alley Deals. That collection was a limited time assortment of glitters only available at Walgreen's, and of course, only for a limited time. It's cruel how companies insist on creating the best polishes for only a limited time, and leave their less inspiring shades out year round.

Doodly Phone

I love doodling, and I love bright colors. I've also recently adopted an affinity for my iPhone, and its beautiful casing from Skinit. It's one of those designs that looks hand drawn and easy enough to do, so when inspiration struck, I decided to try my hand, or nail, at it. Two colors and a Sharpie later, I nailed it.

 Electric Pineapple from China Glaze is one of my favorite polish colors, so I was excited it pretty closely matched the case's color. The white blob was just done using Bad Chick from Sinful Colors and dotted using French White Creme from Wet n' Wild. Then, I just sort of freehand traced the outlines of the white with a Sharpie. It's not as thin and precise as I would've hoped, but I don't know if Sharpie makes anything finer than Ultra Fine Point. Is there an Uber Fine Point or Ultra Extreme Fine Point out there?

Silky Stamp

This pattern and color combination reminds me of a tapestry I hung on my dorm room ceiling sophomore year in college. It was a bedspread I got from Urban Outfitters, and it's truly stunning. The damask pattern is silver, and the material is a sheer white. I hung it right below a light, so the light dimmed down and spread out throughout my entire room. Man that was a good room.

For the base of this, I used French White Creme (Wet n' Wild) and stamped with Passion (China Glaze). I realize I used that color last night, but the color was so striking I wanted to use it again. (I have a feeling it'll be one of those bottles I'll need 2 of.) The plate is RA-109, from the increasingly popular Red Angel line. I remember when I first bought the set in November, there was one or two reviews. Now there are 109 reviews, and I'd like to think I'm a part of that. I hadn't seen the set used on any of the blogs I followed, so I took a risk at $12.99 and wound up with one of the best sets out there. Have you bought your set yet?

Guest Post: Embellished Nails

So today was supposed to be my guest post over at Embellished Nails. She went on a cruise for a while, and asked for some guest posters. So ahead of time, we all sent in our posts for her to set up. Mine went through...mostly. Unfortunately, I don't see the images, which, let's face it, is the best part of nail blogs!

So, if you care about the story behind these nails, head over to Emily's blog for my guest post.

Since the images aren't working over there, I'll put them here. In honor of Emily's cruise, these are my sailor nails!

Stitched Together

I'm sure there exists somewhere a Hallmark card about stitching two things together that somehow relates to hearts and Valentine's Day, so use your imagination to connect that to my second Valentine's Day manicure while I dose off to get ready for skiing in the a.m.

This manicure took painfully long to complete, and I blame it on my impatience to let things dry before taping them off. I had to take off and redo my left index finger 4 times before I finally got it right. Darn Pointer!

The lighter pink is Soul Mate (appropriate for this holiday) and the darker is Feeling Great, both from Sinful Colors. The white stitches are French White Creme (Wet n' Wild). The pinks were done with the tape, and the stitches were a tiny striping brush. I'm growing more fond of the brushes I have, but I'm not sure I'll ever use the longest brush. It seems so unwieldy, but maybe I just haven't found its use yet.

Goodnight!

Opulent Orchids

Yesterday I tried my hand at striping tools; not the striping nail polishes with the brush built in, but the brush that you can use on any color you like, and the results were less than awesome. Maybe it was the polish choice, but I'm not ready to talk about it. I'm a little ashamed of it, and not ready to share it with the world.

Instead, I'll share with you a manicure I created using dotting tools, again. They've made me so beyond happy, and I can't stop writing down ideas in my teeny little notebook that would feature them. I highly recommend grabbing a set. It's worth the $10 you'll end up spending.

After my pansies caught so much attention and flattery (I found them featured on a French blog), I decided to keep with the flora theme. The stunning, fractal patterns created by most plant life lends itself quite well to the nail world. This time, my flower of choice was an orchid. These beauties have an interesting story behind them, involving the Greek myth of Orchis. According to Wikipedia:

Orchis, the son of a nymph and a satyr, came upon a festival of Dionysios (Bacchus) in the forest. He drank too much, and attempted to rape a priestess of Dionysios. For his insult, he was torn apart by the Bacchanalians. His father prayed for him to be restored, but the gods instead changed him into a flower.

Ouch. Sorry dude. But thanks for the inspiration!

I have no real, gorgeous orchids to pose with, but I do have a vase with the silhouette of an orchid painted on it.

I used Essie Turquoise & Caicos for the base color, the stems are from Color Madric Green, the white petals are French White Creme (Wet n' Wild), the purple petals are Plum Truffle (CND) and the yellow centers are Sally Hansen Insta-Dri Lightening. I had a lot of fun with this one, and my patience paid off. Even my right hand looks good. To top everything off, I used Matte Magic (China Glaze), based on the idea someone gave me when I posted my pansies. They thought I had made them matte, but that was just a photographic illusion. This time, I intentionally matted them, and it gives them a much softer, delicate feel, just like the plant.

Photo courtesy of http://www.thepowerofintroverts.com/2011/04/06/how-to-parent-sensitive-orchid-children/

Maybe if I work up enough strength, I'll post what I consider to be a failed manicure another day, but for today, that's all folks.

Shredded Gold

You've already seen me try out the black Shredded from Lacquistry when I posted my Shred the Pool manicure. I wanted to use them again, and I was dying to try the gold Shredded over a teal. Then, an idea hit me! I could use them ALL...AT THE SAME TIME! So I did.

Listing off the polishes is a bit confusing to say the least, but here's what I used.

• Index Finger
• Base: Black Creme (Wet n' Wild)
• Glitter: Aqua Shredded (Lacquistry)
• Middle Finger
• Base: French White Creme (Wet n' Wild)
• Glitter: Aqua, Black and Gold Shredded (Lacquistry)
• Ring Finger
• Base: Flyin' High (China Glaze)
• Glitter: Gold Shredded (Lacquistry)
• Pinky Finger
• Base: Passion (China Glaze)
• Glitter: Black Shredded (Lacquistry)

They're all pretty different looks, but when you pair them all together like this, I think it works.

Which finger's your favorite?

Popcorn

I'm so beyond wiped from this long weekend of skiing, about all I can do is sit. My legs are killing me, but luckily I never crashed hard enough on any body parts to warrant sitting impossible. Just walking. It was a blast though. We hit up Keystone (which is becoming our regular spot more and more) and Breckenridge. We never made it to any of the Ullr festivites, but lazing around in the hot tub, drinking beer and eating delicious food wasn't anything to give up for some chili. Besides, home cooked Snickerdoodle cookies and blondies always beat chili (thanks again for those Chloe and Bethany)!

The skiing was awesome. The snow, sadly, has still not hit our mountains enough to call the snow "good", but there wasn't too much ice. Just the end of the day on Saturday and certain spots in the shade on Sunday. We all definitely left happy, but totally exhausted. Amazing weekend.

So, with little energy and zero leg muscle strength, painting my nails seemed ideal. I had about a million ideas swirling in my head, so to finally put one down on paper, or rather, polish, was difficult. I'm pleased with the results.

Here are my popcorn nails!

Done using dotting tools, nail art brushes and patience, I used Wet n' Wild's French White Creme as the base. I striped the red lines on using Sinful Color's Be My Valentine (a nail art brush). Using my largest dot on my dotting tool, I randomly placed some circles of China Glaze's Lemon Fizz, then flipped that tool over to dot smaller Pull Over (Sinful Colors) dots on top of the larger ones. It was relatively easy, especially the popcorn kernels themselves. The only trying part of this manicure is creating straight red lines, and cleaning up the mess left afterward. 

I've been filling new follower requests recently, so I was in a Photoshop mood. The result is my first tutorial, inspired by Lacquerized's tutorial technique. Enjoy!

Color Club Foiled Collection Swatches

Today's a little unusual for me. Today is just swatches of the Color Club Foiled collection, including a comparison of using the included top coat and not using the top coat with these colors.

You've probably seen it around on other blogs and in stores, so I won't drag out any descriptions. This post is for color comparison, and a bit of stamping testing. Enjoy!

Hot Like Lava

Foil Me Once

Antiquated

Lumin-Icent

Perfect Mol-Ten

Cold Metal

This is Hot Like Lava, with and without a top coat. My pinky and middle finger have the included top coat, and the ring finger does not.

As you can see, not too much of a difference. These colors do fine without top coats, but for protection of the manicure, I recommend it.

Finally, here's Foiled stamped.

From thumb to pinky, using Konad plate m65:

• Lumin-Icent on Black Creme (Wet n' Wild)
• Hot Like Lava on Heavenly (Savina)
• Cold Metal on Light Mist (Savina)
• Perfect Mol-Ten on Neon Yellow (Savina)
• Antiquated on Get in the Expresso Lane (OPI)

Reddit Secret Santa Haul & Love

Reddit alien!

This year Reddit is aiming to break a Guinness world record for the largest online Secret Santa exchange. I decided to take part in it this year for the first time.

Part of signing up means filling out a character limited profile of what you'd like to see. Of course, I put nail polish and nail art supplies.

My Secret Santa totally pulled through, and sent me a colorful and amazing rainbow of polishes I don't have in my collection yet. He also included a set of emery boards and some really unique clippers.

The clippers are shaped like a foot, with a heart-shaped piercing in the big toe. There's also a small filing pad in the middle, below the clipper handles.

So of course, I had to try them all out! What I ended up with was a pretty ridiculous set of hands, but I like them all, so they'll stay.

My Secret Santa also included a kind note, and his girlfriend made a color legend of each polish.

Thanks Secret Santa, xtremepado! You (and your girlfriend), both rock for sending these awesome colors! You made a girl very happy for Christmas.