Camouflage Nails

I'm way overdue on this post - sorry - but I finally have time to share an awesome camo mani I did!

I did this freehand with the regular polish brushes, plus a fine tip paintbrush I have, and also a pin. A real dotting tool would have been better, but I don't have one yet. The colors used were:

• OPI "A-Taupe the Space Needle" (tan - base, then a few details)
• OPI "Get In The Expresso Lane" (dark - details)
• China Glaze "Westside Warrior" (olive - details)

I think that more than 3 colors starts too look too "busy", especially on such a small canvas, so I stayed with three. The secret here is layering - put a little more of the olive on than you like, then a little too much of the dark, then cut in with some tan, revisit the olive, and touch up the dark.

What you don't want with this design, is little islands of olive or dark, floating on a sea of tan - so try to bridge the gaps and break up longish runs of any color. Beyond that, there is no "wrong" shape for camo - it's supposed to look random... so if you find yourself wondering if it's "too much [this]" or whatever, know that others won't see it that way.

Anyway, this is what I ended up with...

If you look closely at my ring finger, you can see a "river" of tan from side to side and tip to 80% back - a screaming defect to me, but if you didn't notice until I mentioned it, that proves my point about not sweating it too much.

I didn't get a lot of compliments on this one, because I think people just couldn't see them (camo... get it? ;)
No, seriously, this was very well received, and I was very pleased with the result!

I never wear black. But today, nothing else will do.

I promised that this blog would be my "adventures with nail color". To me, that means the good and the bad. Today, I am absolutely despondent about the outcome of yesterday's election. I'm not too upset that I lost my race for the Ohio 14th Congressional District - I had a campaign budget of $85, which covered the filing fee - but the outcome of the Presidential race, and the whole lying, stinking, foul, corrupt process that led up to it, has me literally beside myself with grief. It turns out that "HOPE" is a finite resource, and I feel like my hope has been taxed to extinction, to be redistributed to those who support Mr. Obama. I see no way for America to avoid fiscal emergency and a prolonged, painful period of economic catastrophe and unnecessary decline. And, I believe that as the problems worsen, as the promises CAN'T be kept and people's hardships increase, they will increasingly look for MORE impossible, illogical promises from Uncle Sam for their salvation.

I am in despair. And, the only color that fits my mood, is black.

I wanted to wear my ManGlaze "Matte is Murder", but I had given it away last Summer when I was feeling particularly hopeful. So, the best I could do on short notice was NOPI "Razzle Dazzler". I wasn't happy with the application, it was a bit thick and hard to apply evenly - but I've had this one untried for about a year, so it's probably just age. Anyway, here it is:

Also, on Monday, I ripped off half of the tip of my index (pointer) fingernail, right own to the quick - bleeding and everything. Sorry for the uneven length.

Anyway, if you're happy with the election result, congratulations. If you're unhappy about it, know that you're not alone, and that nothing lasts forever - this too shall pass.

NOTD - CG "Electric Beat" (fingers), Gradient (toes)

Hello friends!

Just checking in to share my latest mani & pedi..

First, on my hands, I'm wearing CG "Electric Beat", with an accent of Ludurana "Magnifica" holo. The CG went on smooth, covered in two coats. It reminds me of Zoya "Breezi" but just a little less saturated, which makes it feel more "Fall-ish" to me. For the accent, I applied one coat of the Magnifica, then when it was completely dry, I buffed with Layla's special pink/white buffer, then applied a second coat of Magnifica. No top coat on these, but I'll update this if I add a topcoat. I'm also toying with the idea of adding Orly "Glowstick" to this to make a gradient - if I do, that will be a new post.

On my toes, first I wore CG "Beach Cruise-r" for about a week.Then, I decided to do a gradient, so I sprayed a blue (Zoya "Breezi", I think) at the nail root. People have asked if there's a lot of overspray from the airbrush, so I'm posting before and after cleanup photos so you can see for yourselves. This is very much like the last gradient I did on my hands, but that one used grey on the roots instead of blue. (I think that next summer, I'll try a "Bleach Blonde" gradient - yellow with a thin brown root.. ;)

Not too much overspray here - and when I use the airbrush, I start by putting Chapstick or another brand of lip balm all around the nails, so the overspray peels right off.

Cowspots and another gradient

Ok... I know I've been lazy, and I'm sorry!

Today, I have two manis to share. I did the first one on Tuesday for Wednesday's "Chick Fil-A Appreciation Day". I went there to support the First Amendment and to protest the mayors who threatened official retaliation for what was an exercise of First Amendment rights. This is what I wore:

This was cute, but a little busy for me. I used OPI "Alpine White", then just dabbed on some random splotches of Sally Girl black. No close-up here, because I was in a hurry and a little sloppy. I got a few nice compliments though, and the CFA crew loved it!

Saturday, I got tired of cowspots, so I tried a new gradient.This one was inspired by Lindsey at "Neverland Nail Blog" - look at how gorgeous her nails are!

Pink is not my color. But I thought this would look good with purple, so I picked up CG "Flying Dragon" and OPI "My Pointe Exactly" and fired up my airbrush. I learned something with my last gradient - I was painting the whole nail with the root color, then spraying on the tip color. When I got tip wear, it made a super thin line of root color right on the tip, which I didn't like so much. Touchups on a gradient are terribly difficult too. So, this time, I painted the tip color 2/3 of the way to the root, then sprayed the root color on top, then sprayed a final thin dusting of tip color. After a clear topcoat, here's the result:

I would ask whether you like mine or Lindsey's better - but I think there's no contest, her mani is what I think angels wear in Heaven! I like mine, but I love hers! Then again, I've said before that Lindsey can do absolutely no wrong with her nails - I'm simply in awe of her skills and her gorgeous hands!

Another Gradient

Today, I fixed my airbrush... the old hose had split, so I had to find a new one. Of course, each airbrush maker uses a different size fitting, so Iawata hoses aren't compatible with Paasche airbrushes, etc... bigger pain in the butt than it should have been....

But I got it done!

To celebrate, I did another airbrush gradient. This time, I used OPI "Here Today, Aragon Tomorrow" over China Glaze "Entourage". Here's the result:

If you haven't tried an airbrush, you really should - this is such a cool look!

Malware warnings

I just heard that people are beginning to see malware warnings when looking at blogs. I only use the standard Blogger widgets from Blogspot, so mine should be safe unless the virus has gotten into the blogspot.com servers.
One thing that happens is that a single infected blog can cause malware warnings on any OTHER blog which lists the infected one in its blogroll. So, to be safe, I've temporarily removed my larger blogroll. I'll keep the "men's blogs" list, because it's small and hard to rebuild.

Airbrush Gradient - Roadhouse Blues over Zoya Breezi

Hello Lacquerheads! Just a quick post today to show you a gradient I did with my airbrush. This was an experiment, so I decided to try it with my 4 day old Breezi mani - I've had bad luck with the airbrush before, and I expected to be removing another failed attempt. So, I didn't fix-up the Breezi base, I didn't buff anything or worry about scratches or tip wear. But... this time, it worked! I think the difference was solvent... the airbrush needs a very thin paint, watery consistency - and I had tried before to use acetone and MEK. This time, I used polish thinner - ethyl acetate and butyl acetate - and the airbrush liked these much better. Anyway, I like this enough to keep it a few days. This is just a coat of OPI Roadhouse Blues, thinned about 2S:1P, then dusted over the tips on top of a Zoya Breezi base, then topped with OPI topcoat. Here it is:

Prejudice rears its blonde head

Greetings lovely ladies and lacquered lads...

I've been having an exchange with a woman on POF. She saw my profile and took the time to write "Hey, my brother is gay, there's nothing wrong with it - maybey you should try it!!!"

She seemed to be wanting to have a little fun at my expense, so I decided to play with her. Here's the rest of our convo:


================

Your conversation with addisyn   

steve44077oh 5/23/2012 8:54:56 AM I am wondering though, what inspired you to suggest that I should try going gay?

addisyn 5/23/2012 9:21:50 AM I Have alot of Gay friends that are awesome, and Maybey that willwork for you too!!! Just because you paint your toe nails dosen't me your gay, but maybey you should try that lifestyle because there is nothing wrong with it!!! Good Luck to you!!! Let me know what happens!!!

steve44077oh 5/23/2012 6:24:05 PM Ok... I just went to Flickr and looked at some photos of guys' boners, and a few shots of dudes getting it on. Nothing happened. No tingling, no stiffening, no erectile function at all. OTOH, when I looked at women touching themselves, the reaction was instant and complete. I'm very sure that I wouldn't be able to perform an act of gay sex - it would be easier (though not much) for me to get busy with Madeline Albright. How about you? Have you ever made love to a woman, or gotten yourself off thinking about what you would do to make her painted toes curl?? You seem to have a fascination with the gay lifestyle - maybe you should try it if you haven't already! :D

addisyn 5/24/2012 8:10:33 AM LOL!!! I have a few Encounters with them, But I rather be with a man. Good Luck To You!!!

steve44077oh 5/24/2012 12:49:49 PM I'm always amused by how many women say "OMG - you paint your nails?? Are you sure you're not gay?"... when their own histories include multiple same-sex encounters and they're NOT asking themselves "OMG - I had sex with a woman, and liked it enough to do it a few more times - am I sure I'm not gay?" I mean, nail polish is really just paint, the only thing that "makes" it "for women" is the same arbitrary, random social assumtion that used to say "tattoos are or men only, any woman with a tattoo is probaly a dyke". OTOH, a woman having sex with a woman is actually doing something that is actually gay. She doesn't have to BE gay to do a gay thing - I think you're proof of that - but same-sex sex is a lot more relevant to the gayness question than a bottle of paint. Just sayin'... I mean, I ask everybody "what is it about this bottle of paint that makes it feminine - what are the reasons a man should not wear it?" The only answers I ever get are: '"everybody" thinks it is', and 'I've never seen a man wearing it'. If you have a different answer, I'd love to hear it! Anyway, thanks for a fun and interesting discussion! Good luck to you too!

addisyn 5/24/2012 1:08:21 PM Well One must ask themself-- Why do you like to paint your toes and nails? and What makes you think that it is Weird? or Femine? Maybey you want to be a woman? or have Woman Tendencies? Who Knows or cares, That really isn't a reason to for someone not to go out with you!!! Do you paint your nails at work? Would you? and Do you really care what others think? Society is unreal, They look at everthing black and White!!! I do not!!! But people Find that strange!! Are you in a band? Anyway-

steve44077oh 5/24/2012 8:56:26 PM Ok.. I like to wear color on my nails for the same reason many people get tattoos - because I think it looks good, and it's a form of self-expression. I don't think it's "weird". I recognize that it's uncommon among men, but to me, what's "weird" is the idea many people have that paint is somehow related to gender identity or preference. I also don't think it IS feminine. I know that PEOPLE THINK it is feminine, but there's no real reason to think that, only their assumption of what other people think. Try this thought experiment: Imagine that we're a couple, and I have a machine that can transport us to an alternate universe. Imagine that the AU is exactly like ours in every way except that the societal assumptions about nail color, and hats, are swapped. In other words, we go to a place where it's no big deal for men or women to wear nail color, but the only people wearing hats are women. All hats are made in feminine styles - there are no ballcaps, no berets, no fedoras, no cowboy hats, no military covers... only tiaras, bridal veils, pink French pillboxes and wide-brimmed pastel summer hats. Looking around their internet, I find four companies that are making "Men's Hats", and I order a green ballcap, and wear it publicly. Almost everyone there wonders if I might be gay, after all.. I'm wearing a hat, and hats are for women.. "real men" don't shade their eyes from the sun. NOW, imagine we meet your twin there, the alternate "you", and she asks why you're with a gay guy in a girly hat. Would you tell her that there's no REAL connection between a hat and gender identity or preference? Would you tell her that you can imagine a place (this place we came from) where hats are acceptable attire regardless of gender? Would you tell her that by following everyone else's silly idea about "hats are feminine", she's missing out on a really great guy? OR - would you ask me to please hide my ballcap, because everyone there THINKS it's gay? That's about where I am. I see our society with an idea every bit as silly as "hats are feminine", I can imagine a world where anyone can use nail color as "acceptably" as they can get tattoos, and I think the only thing keeping our society stuck in this silly idea, is that everyone's afraid to go first, everyone's afraid of questioning the rule, and everyone's worried about what others will think. I'm not afraid to go first, and I don't care what strangers think. I do care what YOU think though, which is why I've bothered to explain myself a little. I HOPE you'll at least try to examine WHY you feel the way you do about nail color, and consider that it might be possible for a man to wear nail color as a man, without "woman tendencies" or "trying to look like a woman". Finally, quickly... google "Crowe Gladiator Photo", or pop in the DVD if you have it. Look for a photo where you can see Crowe's knees. Look closely at what he's wearing... Does he look like a woman?

addisyn 5/25/2012 3:53:54 PM Hey Steve there is a person on the akron personals that would be perfect foryou!!! "Just looking for acceptance is on her profile" under-6gffw-3036801307@pers.craigslist.org- Good Luck!!!

steve44077oh 5/25/2012 6:54:36 PM That's cute... but "she" is looking for a woman - NEITHER of us is looking for a partner with a dick. We're definitely not a match. "She" and I also have a totally opposite viewpoint regarding nail color. I'm presuming a bit, but I'd bet that when "she" crossdresses, "she" wears nail color BECAUSE "she" considers it to be feminine. I couldn't disagree more. When I wear nail color, it's NOT "to look like a woman" - my point is that nail color is not related to gender, and whether I'm wearing it or not, my masculinity is not affected. And, anyone who thinks about it, and decides that there's something about nail color that makes it "for women only", is a moron. Most people aren't morons, they're sheep - they've never thought about it, they just accept "the way things are" without thinking, and they don't question the herd because they're afraid of standing apart from it. A sheep has no identity except what they get from being part of the herd of sheep (that's why "sheep" is both a singular and plural noun.) It's OK to be a sheep - sad, but OK... and it's OK to be a moron if one chooses to be a moron. It's EVEN ok for one to TRY to bully another, pick on them and try to hurt their feelings based on assinine prejudices - just as long as they're honest and admit to themselves that they're NOT 'defending an important cultural value', they're perpetrating intolerance, prejudice and hatred. I say "TRY", because I am immune to bullying - I know the bully is wrong, I recognize that they're making a pathetic, desperate attempt to elevate their miniscule self-esteem by grabbing onto someone they see above them and dragging them down. I give the bully no respect at all, so I deny them the power to hurt me. I am so far above the common bully that all I feel for them is pity. I laugh in their bigoted, piggish faces and leave them with less self-esteem than they had before. But, it's Friday, I'm headed to the casino, so I have to go paint my nails. Take care.

===================== As you can see, she made it clear throughout that she associates nail color with femininity, and on a man, nail color translates to gayness. I asked her several times to think about, and provide some explanation WHY  - and she couldn't do it. And, she failed to persuade me to adopt her POV or to embarrass me for wearing nail color. She failed on all points, and her pitiful attempt is hysterically funny to me. So, I thought I'd share the laugh. Stay polished, my friends.

EOTD & My First Zoyas

Hello lovely ladies and lacquered lads!

First, you may be wondering "WTF is an EOTD??" Simple really, get ready to smack your forehead... it's an "Enabler Of The Day". My EOTD today is Michelle,who totally RAOKed my world with this surprise in my mailbox:

For no reason at all, she sent me Zoya "Breezi" and "Jules", and also a mini bottle of Sally Girl black. This is awesome, because I've been wanting some Zoyas ever since I learned that they're headquartered in Cleveland. Sadly, between buying for a birthday swap, Ulta's display of both the Layla holos and the OPI Spiderman collection, a transaction with an angel in Brazil, and my wish to save money to become a producer of nail polish, I just haven't had the budget to bring a Zoya girl home. Then, out of nowhere, Michelle sends me not one, but two!

Of course, I had to try Breezi right away. She's a nice sky blue creme, almost a faded denim color - similar to OPI's "Fly" but without Fly's hint of greenishness, and with a little more opacity. I just love it... Thank You MICHELLE!!

This went on so smooth - check out the reflection of my lamp here:

My First Lippmanns - "Dancing In The Sheets"

Greetings, lacquered lads and lovely ladies! It's my turn to jump on the Lippmann bandwagon - I got in on the HSN "Footloose" clearance, and picked up Deborah Lippmann's "Dancing In The Sheets" and "Let's Hear It For The Boy" for $5 each. I have to say that I love the name of LHIFTB... but I'm not terribly fond of the color. So, I decided to try DITS first.

This is a really interesting dark purple with blue shimmer.

Everything I've read about Lippmann's formula is true. This went on great, covered in two coats, flowed out and leveled really nice - the finish is amazing, I don't think my nails have ever looked so good! My only complaint is that at night, this color is dark enough to be mistaken for black. I try to stay away from blacks, because I don't like how black polish is associated with the goth/emo fashion thing - but that's just personal preference. With summer coming, and more of my time spent outdoors in the sun, this is a great daytime color for me.

I can see why people are so enthusiastic about Lippmann colors. For me though, the regular price is still hard to justify - I'm a meat & potatoes kind of guy, and at $16/bottle, Lippmanns are filet mignon - but this was a STEAL at $5. Thank You Michelle for giving me the heads-up on this sale!

How Lazy Am I? Versatile Blogger Award

I've been putting this off for a while. Six wonderful people have nominated me for the Versatile Blogger award, and I've been totally lazy and neglectful about thanking them! I'm going to try to do this quickly, before Kanye West shows up, grabs my KB and starts typing a tribute to Beyoncé...

The Versatile Blogger Award

I'd like to thank these amazing bloggers for nominating me:
Amanda Berry of BerryPolished
Pixel of Pixel's Polish 
Eugenia of Talon-ted ... but Tawdry
Becky of Paint My Nails at Midnight 
Holly Dodd of Paint on the Glitz 
Emily Esqueleta of Macabre Manicures

Versatile Blogger Award acceptance rules:

1. Nominate 15 fellow bloggers who are relatively new to blogging.
2. Let them know that you have nominated them.
3. Share 7 random facts about yourself.
4. Thank the bloggers who have nominated you. 
5. Add the Versatile Blogger Award picture to your post. 

These are my nominees (in no particular order):

The rules don't define "relatively new to blogging", so I used these eligibility/selection criteria:

1. Blogs with less than 100 followers are eligible, ("followers" is the number reported by the GFC widget when present),
2. Blogs with 100<followers<400 are eligible if their first blog post was published in 2011or 2012,
3. Blogs with more than 400 followers are eligible if their first blog post was published in 2012.
4. Blogs must demonstrate creative use of communication media (blogging tools, social media, contests etc..)
5. Blogs must demonstrate creative use of art media (nail lacquers and other art materials used for nail decoration)

My 15 nominees are:

1. Liesel of http://liesllovesprettythings.blogspot.com/,
2. Guy of http://menwithpaintednails.blogspot.com/
3. Tara of http://tarabl3.blogspot.com/
4. mozzer0906 of http://sytycp.blogspot.com/
5. Zoe of  http://ocnpd.blogspot.com/
6. amiablerain of http://raindownonmebeauty.blogspot.com/
7. Vanessa Ortiz of http://www.confessionsofapolishaholic.com/
8. Essie Rae of http://iheartprettypolish.blogspot.com/
9. Jade of http://polishedimperfections.blogspot.com/ 
10. Nubbinnails of http://nubbinnails.blogspot.com/
11. Tess of http://footballandfingernails.blogspot.com/
12. Jen of http://www.jenspolishwonderland.com/
13. Heidi of http://diypolish.blogspot.com/
14. CupK8 of http://cupk8.blogspot.com/
15. polishedtothenines of http://polishedtothenines.blogspot.com/

7 random facts about me:

1. I once taught the Boy Scouts how to row a boat! (seriously, my folks were dealers for a brand of rowing shells, the kind with the sliding seat and racing oars, and I was asked to bring one out to a Boy Scout facility to demonstrate the differences between this style (aka pull with your legs, twist the oars for the backstroke) and their familiar dinghy rowing (aka, pull with your back, lift the oars for the backstroke)
2. I was for two years, the youngest certified Windsurfing instructor in the USA.
3. I have operated forklifts, loaders, excavators, cranes, bulldozers, boats - and once, I drove a train!
4. I skipped the 7th and 8th grades in junior high school, I graduated at 16 y/o.
5. My favorite author is Harlan Ellison (he is credited as an inspiration at the end of the first Terminator film - though he might have had to sue for that recognition) - and, though I live about a mile from Ellison's boyhood home, I might be the only person in my town who knows who he is.
6. I once proclaimed that "The personal computer has peaked - people don't need / won't buy more computing power than this".... I was speaking of the Tandy TRS 80...
7. I have operated a vodka still, legally, to make vodka for retail sale.

Layla "08 Flash Black" HOLO

Hello lovely ladies and lacquered lads!

I know it's been a while since I've posted anything here - I was out of town on a job, and couldn't play. But I'm home now, and with the overtime pay, I was able to buy me a LAYLA HOLO!

Here it is:

The funny thing about the Layla holos is that they sell a special two-grit buffer to use for nail prep. I compared it to my yellow 220 buffer, and I'd say the "rough" pink side is at least a 400, and the white, smooth side is something above 1600. The white side might not be abrasive at all. I used it on my existing "Grenade" mani, which I decided to keep as underwear for the Layla. The 220 buffer smoothed off all the ridges and scratches and de-glossed the polish. The pink 400? made the surface look a little smoother, but still not glossy at all... and the white side squeaked while rubbing, it warmed up the nails from friction, it barely picked up any color from the Grenade (I think all it picked up was dust from the earlier buffing).... and it restored a mirror-like gloss that I've never seen anywhere except a Scrangie swatch! The Layla buffer is intended for use on bare nail, and the color is intended to be applied without a base coat - the instructions say "Holographic effect develops as the polish dries" - so apparently, smoothness and thinness of coating are important to achieve alignment of the holo particles.

Anyway, with the buffing done, I applied a thin coat of Flash Black. It went on a little streaky - I could see a couple of gaps where the coat was weak. So, after drying, I added a second coat. That's what's shown in the photo.

I love this finish! I can definitely see this becoming a traffic hazard! Even in the muted light of my bedside CFL, I can see the holo rainbow easily, and I can't wait for sunrise tomorrow! (The photos are with flash..)

**UPDATE 5/12** - This is so awesome I've worn it the whole week. I had a little tip wear, which I just touched up. Also, in the photo above, you might have noticed my nubbin pinky, from a breakage the week before. Ironically, my right pinky had the longest nail of all - so I've spent the week wondering if I could transplant some of it from right to left. Yesterday, I tried it... cleanly sliced off 1/4" of right pinky nail, sanded the piece square and the left nail to match, filed a long chamfer on the top of the left, and used my Dremel to put a matching angle on the underside of the piece. Then I used Superglue to attach the piece, used a file to blend the top surfaces, then applied two layers of fiberglass wrap. Then I buffed smooth, applied base coat and a coat of black, then two coats of this Layla.

Here's the result:

I am very pleased with this - the rebuilt nail feels as strong as the others, all four are the same length now, there's absolutely no sign that this isn't natural growth... I couldn't be happier!


My personal NP "Holy Grail" is a bottle of original '07 MPJ. The hard part for me will be saving some of this to compare, if/when I ever get an '07 MPJ in my hands.

I bought this from Ulta with my own money, and I have not been compensated for this review...

BBC "Grenade" vs CG "Agro" Comparison

Hello lovely ladies and lacquered lads... Today, I saw a swatch of CG "Agro", and it's a gorgeous color... but it reminded me very much of my beloved third-ever color, BB Couture For Men "Grenade". So, here's a comparison:

The index & ring have Grenade, the middle and pinky have Agro. Please excuse the sloppy cuticles - I was rushing to catch the sun...

Taken in full sun:

Taken in indirect sunlight:

These colors are very similar, but they're not dupes. The Agro has more of the gold shimmer, in the sunlight it's almost hard to call it a green. The Grenade shows a more subtle gold shimmer in the sun, and is a deeper, more elegant green indoors and in the shade.

Application was great with both products - I slapped these on thick, with little drying between coats, and both were very forgiving... no bubbles or dragging from either one. If I didn't have either, I'd be happy with the other, but if I could only pick one, I would take the Grenade. OTOH, the Grenade costs more, and I had to order mine, while China Glaze is available at many conveniently located cosmetics retailers!

Considering the similarity between these two colors, I would guess that Agro might have been inspired by Grenade - but that's PURELY a guess. IF it's true, that would mean that China Glaze is trying to emulate a MEN'S Nail Color - which I see as an awesome sign for the whole male polish "movement".

I purchased each of these with my own money, and I have not been compensated in any way for this review.

2009 My Private Jet! SCORE!!

(Here's the blog post I promised on Saturday )
<Singing> (with apologies to Dean Martin)
How lucky can one guy be?
I found one, right next to three..

I'm the fella that said,
"Gimme all four of My Private Jet!"

This color ain't really black
But I'm never takin' 'em back.
I said "just wrap 'em to go
I love that holo-y glow!"

My head keeps spinning;
I see my hands and I can't stop grinning.
Hope you don't mind my singing,
but this color is so beautiful.
When the sun hits my nails just right,
Rainbow flashes fill me with delight!
It's like the nail tech said
"I'll make you a bet..
you're gonna love My Private Jet!"

Like the nail tech said,
You gotta get My Private Jet!

My head keeps spinning;
I see my hands and I can't stop grinning.

Hope you don't mind my singing,
but this color is so beautiful.

It's not Original '07 "Jet"
2009 was the best I could get;
Still, the holo is there;
Thank God for Spectraflair!
You know I'll be keepin' the set;
Tell me quick, don't you love 'Jet?
Don't you love, My Private Jet?
</singing>

This was my second attempt at a dusty hunt - I hauled these 4 pretties home and also a bottle of "A Man In Every Portugal" - my first OPI black label, it's like a creme version of my beloved "Bogota Blackberry", so it's a better match to my favorite shirt!

Of course, I'm still keeping an eye out for an original, 2007 MPJ... but I'm incredibly happy to have found these!

New Men's Nail Blog - It's Ok For Men to Have Painted Nails in Public

My friend Guy has started a new blog about his experiences with painted toes! Check him out!
It's Ok For Men to Have Painted Nails in Public: Introduction to my Blog:

NOTD - St. Pat's Mani/Pedi...

St. Patricks has come and gone... I hope everyone had their share of the green beer, corned beef etc...

This was my mani for the weekend. It's another green one - sorry for that - but it's the last green I'll do for a while, I'm kinda greened-out. Anyway, on my toes I'm wearing "Watermelon Rind" by China Glaze - this time, over a coat of white, because I wanted to brighten it up for the holiday, and my toes like to be more sparkly than my hands do... On my fingers, I took this opportunity to finally try out my Butter London "British Racing Green". Here it is:


 

The photo makes the colors look almost identical - but the Watermelon Rind is actually much sparklier and a little brighter than the BRG. I apologize for the sloppy application - my heart wasn't entirely in this one just because I've worn a lot of green lately. I have to say though that the BRG is an awesome formula - it goes on smooth as butter, covers in one coat, and dries quickly. I'll come back to this one often!

Travelling Nail Polish!

I've posted a new page - http://lacquerman.blogspot.com/p/travelling-polish.html

If anyone would be interested in signing up for a nail polish relay, as a way to interact with other NP addicts, check out my page at http://lacquerman.blogspot.com/p/travelling-polish.html 

Or, just go to this Google map, click "Edit", add a placemark for yourself and put your name, city, state, zip and email in your placemark's description.
View Nail Polish Relay in a larger map

NOTD - THE Green I've Searched For! *UPDATED*

One of my favorite colors in the whole world is the iridescent green-black of a mallard duck's head. I've looked for a nail polish like that - and I think I've found it in Finger Paints "Avant Garde Green".

This is an incredible color, a shimmery emerald green, that looks almost black at oblique angles in direct light. Unfortunately, I had trouble with application... the Finger Paints brush is a standard narrow round, and the formula is on the thick side, so the brush doesn't fan out well, and the polish doesn't flow well on the nail. I ended up putting it on too thick to compensate, which led to bubbling. I had to redo several fingers, and one needed redone again... On the bright side, it does seem to dry faster than other Finger Paints I have used. Still, the result is worth the effort - I love the color, and I'll wear this often!

*UPDATE*
Just for fun, I tried another approach to achieve the same "Mallard Green" effect.

This time, I applied an opaque, true black. Then, I floated two drops (per 2 nails) of China Glaze "Watermelon Rind" on water, and dipped my nails as per water marbling. This gave me a very thin, even coat of WR over the black. WR is more sparkly than shimmery, and at this thickness it flashes brilliant green and then abruptly goes black. The color is darker than WR on its own (shown on the pinky), and is very similar to the color of the AGG above... but the color is more "active" in motion (makes it harder to photograph though), and much more dazzling in sunlight. Plus, even with the water dip, application was easier because the black goes on super smooth and glossy, the green lays right on, it all dries faster, and I had no bubbling issues and no need to redo anything.


Of the two versions here, I like the second one better!

(Disclosure: I bought this all myself, I have not been compensated in any way for this review.)

Say Hello To My Little Friends!

The awesome ladies in the FB group "Polish-aholics Anonymous" have been all excited about a Walgreens sale on Sinful Colors polishes... so I thought I would grab some.

Aren't they great? Front & center is Cinderella, flanked by Savage and Exotic Green. Behind them is Courtney Orange, 24/7 (pink) and Out Of This World.

Also, say hello to my new camera! It's a Nikon Coolpix S4100, with 14MP, 3" touchscreen, 5x optical zoom and an awesome macro setting! It also shoots 720P video... Look at the second photo in full size. Zoom in on the ingredients label on Cinderella - except for where the bottle curves, you can see every word! This camera cost $99 at Best Buy - I remember paying more than that for a single camera lens, back when photos were shot on film and $100 was a lot of money! Now that I have a respectable camera, I can get to work on a full tutorial for the turquoise mineral nail art.... look for that this weekend.

Here's another photo from the Nikon..

That's right - this week I have Skittle Toes! The colors (right to left) are NOPI Prized Possession Purple, OPI Fly, Sinful Colors Exotic Green, Jordana Mellow Yellow, Jordana Orangesicle, OPI Bogota Blackberry, Orangesicle, Mellow Yellow, Exotic Green, and Fly. Yes, they're in ROYGBIV rainbow order - I'm a little OCD that way...

Anyway, thank you to my newest followers, and a giant bearhug to Megan at Painting Rainbows for mentioning me on her blog. This week's pedi is for her!

NOTD - Turquoise!!

I've always loved turquoise gemstones like these:

So, OPI "Fly" struck a chord with me, and I've had it on for the last 3 days.When I got home today, I decided to try to create a turquoise gem effect on a nail. Over the "Fly", I dabbed on some Ulta "Lucky Penny", some Finger Paints "Meet Me At The Met", just a little "OPI Ink" and more "Fly" - I dipped the brushes into MEK solvent to thin them a bit, and between each color I dipped the nail to promote bleeding. (The dipping produced some bubbling - next time I'll use a very fine art brush to dab solvent where I want to bleed colors together..) Then I let it all dry, and topcoated. Here's the result:

As always, I'm sorry for the blurry photo...

Valentines COUPLES Nails Photo Contest Entries!

Here are the entries so far in my Valentines Day COUPLES Nails Photo Contest - you may vote for as many as you like!

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Yvonne - "My hubby and I are total video game geeks. When I told him about this contest, he was game and immediately suggested Pacman and Ms. Pacman!"
Link for this entry:  http://bit.ly/wel9jo

 

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Carly - "My amazing boyfriend AJ and I in matching China Glaze and Essie water marbles! Polishes used are China Glaze Fanatic Fuchsia, Sweet Hook, Agent Lavender and Essie Play Date!"

Link for this entry:  http://bit.ly/xHuKb8

 

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Alison - "Our Love is Eternal" Conversation Hearts Manicure with my husband! <3 - Link for this entry: http://bit.ly/ydWgf3

 

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Lyndsey - "I let my fiancé choose the colors and design. He chose a Lizard green for my namesake, NailsbyMsLizard.blogspot.com" - Link for this entry: http://bit.ly/xRD81h

 

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Ashley - "He is the rainbow toes after we both got a mani and pedi" - Link for this entry: http://bit.ly/zszF5r

  

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Melissa - " Tuxedo Man & Busty Broad- Valentines Date Night Nails." - Link for this entry: http://bit.ly/Azk1DM

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Erica - "Jackson Pollock inspired nail art" - Link for this entry:  http://bit.ly/xS5nHe 

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Steve (Me, LacquerMan...) - "Ineligible - The man in the photo is the contest promoter... I can't be an entrant in my own contest. I'm just putting this up for fun. Vote for this if you like it, they won't count toward the prize." - Link for this photo: http://bit.ly/yVNnnb 

There they are... be sure to vote for the ones you like! If you would like to enter the contest, visit my "LacquerMan" Facebook page and look for the Photo Contest link on the left side. Entries will be accepted until 11PM Eastern time on Valentines Day, voting ends at 10 PM Eastern time on 2/18/2012.

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Also... I have to say that CONTESTS SUCK!! I have to be fair - which means that I can't say anything about these entries - which is really frustrating! I could heap praise and love on any of these, but if I said something about one that I didn't say about another, I might seem to be trying to influence the vote. Arrrggghhhh! 

I want to thank everyone who has entered so far, and everyone that will enter... and YOU, for reading this and maybe voting for some (or all) of these!

Valentines Day Photo Contest!

HEY People! To celebrate reaching 70 awesome followers, I'm having a Photo Contest! There's even a prize - I'll send the winner a $25 gift card to their favorite retail store, subject to availability.

But, there's a catch... with Valentines Day coming up, this isn't just a "who has the prettiest nails" contest, it's a "Which COUPLE has the best polished nails" contest! That's right - to enter, and maybe win $25 bucks, you've gotta talk a man into wearing polish with you in your photo (or... BE a man whose nails match your partner's in your photo). ((Also, I'm not judging relationship status here - if you don't have a male SO, any male will do... ))

I'm running this contest through Offerpop via Facebook - it was easier than trying to build a contest in Blogger - so for contest details, to see entries or to enter, visit my page on Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/pages/LacquerMan/243781025701106?sk=app_255558194495800

I'll repost the entries here, but voting is done on the Facebook page - so once you submit an entry photo, be sure to tell your friends to go vote!

(A couple of rules... naked nails, and clear and black polishes are ineligible... photos must include two people, one of whom must be male, displaying nail color on at least ten nails each... photos of your SLEEPING (non-consenting) partner are ineligible... see the official rules for more details...)

I hope to see you soon!

NOTD... OPI Ink

Hello everyone!


I mentioned earlier that I just got an OPI Ink, and it bumped Bogota Blackberry to #4 on my all-time faves list. So, I thought I should show it off!

(as usual, the camera isn't terribly good, so there are much better photos of this color out there. The lighting is a GE "Reveal" flood, because the sun is hiding today...)

(The toes are still in "Fly", but I think I'm going to try something fun this week - try to paint some candy hearts (you know, with the little phrases on 'em..) for Valentines Day. I'll let you know how it goes!)