SH Hidden Treasure layered over an orange sponged mani

Oh Hidden Treasure Flakies = you make everything gorgeous

This mani started out like this. I stretched my mani from yesterday, which was Wet n Wild Sunny Side Up. I removed the simple design I had on my ring nails then I sponged on a no-name Claire's polish which is an orange frosty abomination, and Color-Rama Sunrise Sensation, then I used Claire's Matte Top coat.

The sponging is subtle which is what I wanted. However I thought the flecks in the Color-Rama polish would show up much better. I added a coat of Sally Hansen Hidden Treasure for more pizazz ( pizazz; lol)

WnW Sunny Side up, Claire's no-name Orange, Color-Rama Sunrise Sensation, Claire's Matte Top Coat

The no-name Claire's Orange mini


The peach flecks in Tahiti Sunrise sorta show up


..... and one more with Hidden Treasure


♥

Green Granite sponge mani with Avon Polish's

It is hard to see in these photos, but I layered a nifty Color-Rama polish over this sponge mani called Give me the Chills. I love the finish that this sponge gives, It looks like a granite counter top. I sponged on  Avon Jade and Olive Green over 3 coats of Avon Electric Green. Then I added a coat of Maybelline Color-Rama Give me the Chills, and a coat of Nailene Top Coat.

The Kmart Sticker is covering up the name, but I happen to have 2 of these ' Give me the Chills' polish's from my great USA Haul of 2010. ( I miiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiss you The Dollar Tree ). It needs to be lyered over something dark, (black or navy)

On the left is another Color-Rama polish Blazes of Blue; and on the Right is Give Me The Chills both layered over a dark blue polish. It has the same colour shifting properties as opalescent flakies, like in Hidden Treasure or the Nufeo polish's =  just in 'stick' form ha ha ha.

I like this colour, Avon Electric Green but this is 3 coats and there is still some bare spots. It dried fast like all the Avon polish's I have tried. I know this would be spectacular layered over white - which is probably what I will be doing next. This is 3 coats - No Top Coat

...later in the sun. I marred my Index nail ~ I did not apply Top Coat because knew i would have to do a layered -look with this polish because it was too sheer for me.

Avon Electric Green, Jade, and Olive Green - Isn't this an 'artsy' photo

I cut one of those big sponges into 'slices' so that they are easy to handle

stuff i used for this mani;

Avon Electric Green, Jade and Olive Green, ColorRama Give me the Chills & Nailene Top Coat

I don't think there is an actual granite with this colour scheme - but this totally looks like granite

♥

Some peppy pink nail art (pic heavy)

I still like the sponge technique, but I am getting better with managing this technique....I think it is on the lumpy side, much more lumpy-er than regular sponging bet less messy and more managable. I  achieved this look the same way as my previous mani ( with video!!!!1) but concentrated on the tips of my nails.... 

I started with 2 coats of Billie Purple Rain, and followed that with 3 coats of the WnW Lavender Creme which is a hot pink creme. I added 2 coats of Pure Ice Rio over the pink area, then added a coat of Nailene Tc to finish this off.

With WnW Lavender Creme, applied with the brush, I removed as much polish as possible and pounced on the pink diagonally across the tips of my nails.

w 2/ coats of Pure Ice Rio, layered over the Lavender Creme

 with a coat of TC

Below - I havent worn this pretty pink polish as a full mani, even though I have had it for a long time. It is a very vibrant pink creme, though it is called 'Lavender' creme LOL. It was on the sheer side so this is 3 coats, (most hot bright pinks I have are sheer)

 WnW Lavender Creme

Above, I like how this turned out and will probably try this again soon. With the polish brush and a small amount of polish on the brush, I gently pounced on the surface of my nail over a base of Sally Hansen Chrome in Moonstone, using WnW Lavender Creme and SH Hot Magenta,followed by 2 coats of Maybelline Colorama in Cold as Ice and a coat of TC


stuff I used; SH Chrome Moonstone, WnW Lavender Creme, SH Hot Magenta, Colorama Cold as Ice

w/WnW Lavender Creme

w/ Sally Hansen Hot Magenta

 

w/ 2 coats of Maybelline Color-Rama in Cold as Ice & a coat of Nailene TC

♥

Modern Acid WasH = pouncing ♥

I am working on this 'technique'  above I brush off as much polish from the brush as possible and gently pounced on the nail bed with the polish brush. I tried to make a quick video but it did'nt work out. Instead of using the regular method of sponging, I tried this out. I have done another mani with this 'technique' and it turned out just as pretty as regular sponging. I am sure this isnt 'new' but I have'nt seen any mani's on the interwebz.....

I am calling this look modern acid wash,. But if anyone out there has a better name for a look like this ( besides marble or sponging, since I did neither ) please PLEASE write it in the comments.

POUNCING = with a small amount of polish on the brush, gently ponced the nail bed to deposit a small amount of colour, creating a modern acid wash look. It is a tad less messy than sponging, and ALOT less messy than water-marbling - but just as pretty.

I used all Wet n Wild colours. The base colour is Wet n Wild Bijou Blue, and I pounced on Wet N Wild Blue Moon and Wet n Wild Sapphire Blue. I added a coat of Tc when it was dry = and then added a coat of an older Maybelline polish Color-Rama Blazes of blue.

I'll mess around with my camera this evening ( promises promises.....) to try and make a vid of how I did this. it is sooooo easy and much prettier in real life.

 Stuff I used Base polish is WnW Bijou Blue, I added WnW Blue Moon, and Wet n Wild Sapphire Blue. When it was dry, I applied 1 coat of Nailene TC and then later decided to add a coat of Maybelline Color-Rama ( discontinued ) Blazes of Blue

I added a coat of Maybelline Color-Ram {discontinued} in Blazes of Blue. The effect is totally lost layered over this color combo and technique, but this is a sheer polish with sparse iridescent glitter pieces. It is very pretty layered over black or dark blue (I got photos of that.....somewhere )

peeeeeee-uuuuuuu this was a strong chemically polish! but very pretty

 Wet n Wild Bijou is a painfully sheer but pretty polish. Luckily it dries fast,other wise I wouldn't wear/model it. This is 4 coats and I could keep going, this may need 5 to 6 coats for full coverage. I have made 2 beautiful frankens with this previously. I have a POST HERE comparing this to two dupes.

yes! that is a huge polish crusty painted into my middle nail above LOL

♥

It's a Color-Rama-Rama!!!!!!!

Sunrise Sensation 3 coats

Sunrise sensation is fabulous! I though that it would be a boring peach sheer polish - but it is a pearl- shimmer with a subtle golden flash. This is on the top of my list to re-wear when we get some sunshine. 

Alot of these older Color-Rama polish's have a great formula, they don't smell gross and they apply well and dry fast! All my photos are indoors, I actually like doing these "swatch-a-thons", I did run out of cotton ballz before I could get to all of the polish's I picked up in my USA 2010 Haul, but I hope to do another "swatch-a-thon" this weekend!


Up first; a few photo's of 'the Spritzers', these are jelly-ish polish's that have sparse glass flecks in them. They are sheer, and need almost 5 coats for opacity. I will be trying out the syrup manicure that Nouvea cheap posted about a few days ago & check out Polish Insomniac's syrup Mani, too. Besides layering, this is a cool way to deal with too-sheer-for-me polish's

Cherry Spritzer - 3 coats

L-R ...... Peach Daiquiri, Orange Spritzer, Berry Spritzer. All 3 or more coats!

Orange Spritzer - 4 coats

Berry Spritzer - 3 coats

I have recently seen this polish below; Cool Blues, on another blog. It is a neat frosty translucent blue, with holographic micro-glitter as well as some glass flecks thrown in. I layered it over black on my middle nail, and think if I wear this as a full manicure I will layer it over a similar shade to the base colour of Cool Blues~ It is a little too sheer for me.

Cool Blues 3 coats - Middle nail 1 coat layered over black

This polish is very sheer, it has a nice icy purple base colour to it = which is nice I don't think I have a sheer polish in this color family for layering so its not a total write off.

Lilac Freeze - Top - 2 coats layered over black, bottom, 3 coats ( this is super-duper-Sheer )

Does anyone know the real name of this polish = It's number is 107. I layered this over Sally Hansen Chrome in Aqua-Marine, as it is somewhat sheer on it's own. I think at 4 to 5 thin coats this polish would be the bottle shade - but i didn't feel like doing 5 coats. I love those chrome polish's - They are fabulous a s a base for layering♥

NO Name # 107; 2 coats layered over Sally Hansen Chrome in Aquamarine

This is a nice glow-ey blue....

Blueberry Surprise, 3 coats with TC

Coco-Motion ( lol ) is an interesting colour. It is brown, but a hint purple-ness shows up in some lighting. There is sparse micro-shimmer and chunky bits of shimmer in this as well.

Coco-motion (lol), 3 coats ~ NO tc

Skittles!

Candy Apple and Apple Martini are very appealing to me. THAT was not a cheesy pun - I really liked these colours. The formula was fabulous and they dried very fast. I have worn candy apple twice on my nails, layering over it in the p.m. and once on my toes...... Its a bright peppy colour.

Fuchsia Fiesta has a subtle blue flash. It is extremely sheer and needed almost 5 coats for opacity.

 Candy Apple - 2 coats w/TC

Apple Martini - 2 coats w/TC

Fuchsia fiesta - 3 coats w/TC

Grape crush is a basic run of the mill purple.....although I do not own a shade of polish even close to it. Just when I think I have every purple I need.......

Grape Crush 3 coats with TC

The finish of this polish is very similar to coco-motion. Although it is sheer, and likely needs to be layered it redeems itself by having a nice base colour and sparse chunks of shimmer.

Grape Spritzer 3 coats no TC (above and below)

- weird lighting to show chunks of shimmer -

These next 2 polish's are what I would say are boring work appropriate shades. Gold-lights is a lovely soft gold, while Spin Around Brown is a neutral buff shade with sparse chunky copper glass flecks.

Gold lights - 3 coats, no TC

Spin Around Brown ( lol ) 2 coats no TC

Spin around Brown is a pretty shade with sparse gold-ish copper-ish flakes

Raspberry Sorbet is a BRIGHT cheerful fuchsia polish that surprisingly only needed 3 coats.

Raspberry Sorbet 3 coats

Mwah-ha-ha The names of some of these Color-Rama polish's are adorable. Tickle-me-pink is  a sheer pink.At 3 coats, there is a tone of bare spots.

Tickle me Pink - 3 coats

♥