ehmkay nails

Wednesday, December 4, 2013

Glittery Nails for the Eighth Night of the Festival of Lights

I still wanted to be in the Chanukah spirit despite my lack of nail art so I went with themed colors. While Chanukah may end tonight, I still feel very much in the spirit.

Of all the new Deborah Lippmann colors, Stronger attracted me the most. I love the slight blue jelly base with the silver and gold holographic glitter. But really attracted me was the accent of red-orange glitter. The blue of the base fits perfectly with the gold and orange reminded me of flames on a candle. It's subdued yet so sparkly. I can't really explain it. You just have to see it.

On my pinky and index, I did two coats of Cirque Polish Ginza, which was an exclusive color that I bought at her booth at the Renegade Craft Fair. It's a silver foil that is holographic, which sets it apart from other silver holographic polishes. I actually didn't care for it against the Deborah Lippmann--the finishes just didn't mesh. So I added a coat of Cirque Polish Starstuff (which came with Ginza). MUCH better. Starstuff is amazing. I hope Annie releases it for everyone (it's been on my toes all week). Starstuff is a silver holographic glitter which also has pink and green glitters (to my eye) and it's just so sparkly and loveeeee.

Deborah Lippmann Stronger and Cirque Starstuff

Deborah Lippmann Stronger and Cirque Starstuff with flash

Deborah Lippmann Stronger and Cirque Starstuff blurred to show sparkle

Deborah Lippmann Stronger and Cirque Starstuff

Deborah Lippmann Stronger and Cirque Ginza

Do you like my ode to Chanukah? It's not art, but it's sparkly and gorgeous and surely represents the festival of lights!

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Tuesday, December 3, 2013

Blue and Silver for Chanukah featuring OPI Pure 24K White Gold

Another Chanukah manicure, except less art, because well, less time. I really wanted to use the OPI Pure 24K white gold and silver top coat for Chanukah. I loved The Man with the Golden Gun yellow gold version, so I had to pick this up. I had dreams of it on top of Kiko 429, which is a blue shimmer from the LE Sunset Pearl Collection that I picked up in Paris this past summer. The 24K top coat diffused the gorgeous shimmer in the Kiko, but it was still a gorgeous combination.

On my accent nails, I did a simple gradient of two texture polishes: JulieG Silver Bells and Kiko Sugarmat 644. I thought they complemented each other well. Do you like?

Blue and Silver for Chanukah featuring OPI Pure 24K White Gold

The white gold top coat does seem to have a hint of yellow gold to it, but maybe it's just my eyes. A lot of people reported it being very sparse, but I only used ONE coat and there's tons of gold on my nails!

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Monday, December 2, 2013

Chanukah Nail Art: Wintry Animal Menorah

You didn't think I'd forget about Chanukah nail art? Chanukah is SO early this year and because of my teaching load, I've only got this one nail art for you...which makes me sad, but oh well.

I wanted to do something a little different. Last year I did glittery driedels and Chanukah bears, this year I wanted to do a menorah. So naturally, I did a penguin and polar bear menorah! Actually, there are so many unique and gorgeous menorahs out there. I own some gorgeous sculpture-like ones and they are like pieces of art work, so it's okay to think outside of the box.

My base with Elevation Sample MAT #9 (the blue) and small batch prototype Mont Blanc. Then I used a variety of polish colors for the art.

Polar Bear and Penguin Menorah Nail Art

Elevation Sample MAT #9 (the blue) and small batch prototype Mont Blanc

Is this not adorable? I love them. I'll have two more blue-themed manicures to show you before Chanukah is over. It's too bad the holiday was so early and conflicted with my work schedule. Yet so cool that Chanukah occurred during Thanksgiving, which won't happen or another 70,000 years!

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Sunday, December 1, 2013

Darling Diva Polish Opal Collection

Press Sample

Here's an awesome new collection from Darling Diva Polish. The Opal Collection consists of 7 polishes with flakies, iridescent glitters, and small holo particles that were impossible to photograph but are present and gorgeous. We've been having some fierce weather in the Northeast--lots of clouds and changing temperatures (60 degrees one day, 30 next), so I've been super sick while trying to show you guys this awesome collection. Let's get started.

For each polish, I showed it alone on the nail then layered. For all these polishes, the formula is a bit thicker because of the density of the flakies, so for some with lighter bases, you may want to layer. All appear sheer at the first coat, but most become opaque after two coats. Like I said above, each have this holo dusting which gives it a gorgeous shine and the iridescent flakies just make the polishes glow.

Opal: This is obviously meant to be a top coat but I've showed you what it looks like at four coats. This is a gorgeous wintry polish. I've layered it over Wet N Wild Black Creme, OPI Royal Rajah Ruby, Zoya Neely, and OPI My Boyfriend Scales Walls. I particularly love this over white and the deep red. It's like snow over the white.

Darling Diva Opal

Blue Opal: this one is the sheerest of the colored bases, and I much prefer it layered. You want to wait until each coat dries before doing another. I've used three careful coats on my index and ring. On my middle and pinky, I used one coat over Sinful Colors Sugar Rush.

Blue Opal

Moss Opal: I love this one! This one is fantastic with two coats alone. I've shown it layered with one coat on my middle and pink over China Glaze Running in Circles.

Moss Opal

Teal Opal: Another two coater. I've shown it alone and one coat over Illamasqua Muse. This one is great alone.

Teal Opal

Rose Opal: Another gorgeous one that needs two coats for perfect opaqueness. I've also shown one coat over OPI Let Me Entertain You on my middle and pinky. I love it both layered and alone.

Rose Opal

Violet Opal: This one I actually prefer layered. I think it looks really rich when it's layered. On my middle and pinky, I've shown one coat over Cirque Baptisia. I took a few extra pictures to show the glow.

Violet Opal

Black Opal: Another one I prefer layered. The blue iridescent glitter just shines when it's over an opaque base. Two coats alone and one coat over a black creme on my middle and pinky nails.

Black Opal

If you love jelly polishes and you love flakies, you absolutely need this collection. I love Opal (for it's layering options), Moss Opal, and Rose Opal the most, if I had to choose.

Stay tuned as I have the Diamond collection to show you which is a collection of 7 one coater holographic polishes!

Do you love these polishes or what? You can follow Darling Diva Polish on Facebook HERE for updates on their restocks or new polishes. The Opal Collection is available now for only $8 at their bigcartel site HERE.

These products were provided for my honest review.

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Tuesday, November 26, 2013

Fishtail and Textured Skitlette Manicure

Again, another skitlette and one from the vault! I love these manis. And I loved this one so much, I wore it for 5 days!! So even though it's from months ago, I couldn't NOT show it.

I caved and bought all three Illamasqua Paranormal polishes, not because I have a UV light (which I now need haha) but because they are GORGEOUS with great formulas!

Using two Julie G Gumdrop polishes, I painted Crushed Candy (purple) on my thumb and pinky and Rock Candy (green) on my index. Using Illamasqua Seance, Zoya Trixie, and Essie Mint Candy Apple (2013 edition...there seems to be two versions of this color), I did a fishtail mani. I followed the tutorial from Lucy's Stash. It took a while, but oh my, it is beautiful. I decided Mint Candy Apple didn't work with the textures, so I added Orly Sparkling Garbage over it. PERFECT.