Flakier Fire

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#glossybox #nails #nailpolish #angèle #angele #manicure #rednails #mani #swatch

A photo posted by Dina Ramse (@secretarysnailart) on Jan 18, 2016 at 2:27pm PST

I have been subscribing to Glossybox for about a year now and I am quite happy with the service.
Pay 10 £ a month and get sent makeup, lotions, cleaners, face masks and what not, every month, sometimes they even include nail polishes.
Which is the reason why I am mentioning it in today's post, as the January box contained a nail polish from the brand Angèle, and it was a crelly red.

On the swatch above you can see it with one coat, and the picture below has two - tree coats.

Angèle Nail Polish

Now I wasn't going to stop there, after all I am the Secretary's Nail Art, so I dived into my untried box and found this gorgeous red flakie polish. Layla - CE53. I got this polish on a sale while on my holiday in Finland last year, so it was about time it got on my nails. This polish is gorgeous, absolutely amazing. It is rich on flakieness, so I only applied one coat of this on my nails.

Angéle Nail Polish topped with Layla - CE53

To finish the look I decided to use Vivid Lacquer - VL016 stamping plate that I recently bought, and you can see a review and stamping tests of the plate over at my Youtube Channel: Secretary's Nail Art, or you can find it on my blog by following this link.  To make sure that the flames was lined up right along my cuticles I tried using the Clear Jelly Stamper that I purchased from Born Pretty Store (affiliate link).  I think I would have done a better job at the look had I used a sticky marshmallow stamper instead, but I am so new to the Clear Jelly Stampers I wanted to see if I could get a feel for it. Once I have figured them out, I am sure there will be a video up on my Youtube Channel.

Angéle Nail Polish topped with Layla - CE53 stamped using Essie - Little Brown Dress and Vivid Lacquer - VL016

This post contains a "Refer A Friend" link and an affiliate link, nothing else to disclose.

Vivid Lacquer - VL016

Today I am showing you the VL016 stamping plate. It was released back in November 2013, but I was in the mood for another Christmas plate.
It didn't arrive in time for Christmas, but at least I have it for the next one.

 

Vivid Lacquer 2013

The Vivid Lacquer shop on Etsy is currently on a break, due to some issues with the manufacturer of the stamping plates. You can still see images of her plates over at Vivid Lacquer Facebook Page.
Stamping test preformed using Savina - Coral and my Creative Stamper that I got from Rainbow Connection.  In case you were wondering.

I made a YouTube video about this stamping plate, so that we all look at how I failed doing this stamping test, by using the wrong stamper head. It's all a learning curve, and sometimes you take a step back.

The correct stamper to use with this plate would be a sticky stamper.

Be sure to subscribe to my YouTube Channel for upcoming videos and follow the blog for more nail art looks.

Work -appropriate nails

A nail polish in this post was gifted to me, nothing else to disclose.

January for many means new beginnings, new sheets of paper to fill with their wishes and dreams for the coming year.
For some, that might mean a new job, new home, and for others it means hitting the gym a little bit more, or do one thing a day that makes them happy.

I have always though that New Year celebrations and traditions are a bit strange. It is, after all, just an arbitrary point in time, that we have decided is the end and the start of a year. Despite this, I love holidays, any holiday really. If someone says this and this day is pancake day, then so be it, I will make pancakes that day.

Aren't we humans strange creatures sometime?


Today I have for you a work - appropriate polish, that packs a touch of holo.
It is from Ard As Nails, (link to my other posts from this brand), and I have had so much fun checking out that company. UK girls, if you haven't jumped on this yet, you should try some.

Ard As Nails is an Indie (Handmade) Nail Varnish range created by the makers of Soap-Dodger. Their nail polishes are all 5 free, cruelty free and Vegan friendly.
If you want to find out more about 'Ard As Nails, you can head over to Ard As Nails Facebook Page, or their shop Soap Dodger .

Ard As Nails

I got so many compliments at work and when doing grocery shopping on my nails. The subtle holo completely wins me over.

A nail polish in this post was gifted to me, nothing else to disclose.

Pictur Polish - Peacock

2015 was for me a year where I tried to get more indie polishes in my stash. The hashtag #itrustindiepolish started in June - August some time, and I started seeing a lot of people getting indie polishes that previously had not ventured in this market. I think that is fantastic.
Instead of supporting already rich large corporations you are supporting people that are doing what they love and trying to put food on the table by sharing their creativity.
I have been wanting to support more indie companies out there, and also in 2016, you are going to see more swatches and nail art from indie brands. Be it nail polishes or stamping plates.

One of the polishes I bought in 2015 that has been in my untried box was Picture Polish - Peacock. 

On the picture below you can see me wearing it in two different ways:
Ring fingers: Picture Polish - Peacock 3 coats
Remaining fingers: Picture Polish - Peacock sponged on. 

I wanted to try both ways as sponging on a glitter polish like this that has a coloured base can change how the polish looks on the nails. The ring finger that has 3 coats on looks different than the others, as the blue base is more visible when layering the polish. It also looks to have more depth than the other nails. There is less of the jelly base being transferred to the nails when sponging it on, and it quickly gained full opacity. 

Picture Polish - Peacock

Which way do you think Picture Polish - Peacock looks the best, let me know in the comments below.

Tentalicious Octopus

You might have seen this look on my Youtube channel already if you are subscribed there, as I had added some quick pictures of this at the end of my Vivid Laquer review of VL042 stamping plate. If you haven't seen it, here is a handy link for you.

I started out with two coats of Emily de Molly - Dark Depths. I can not believe this has been stuck in my untried box for this long! 

I did not have an issues with application, but did notice that some of the glitters did stick up a little, but nothing a bit of topcoat can solve.
Also... this is my first Emily de Molly polish! 

Emily de Molly - Dark Depths

I wanted to have some fun with this plate, and since I was talking so much about the tenta-liciousness of the Vivid Lacquer - VL042 I decided to use the tentacle images and the cute little octopus. I used Sinful Color - Snow Me White for the stamping, and then added another twp coat of Emily de Molly - Dark Depths over. This is my first time doing a pond manicure using a glitter polish and I have to say, it turned out really well. The octopus did smudge a little bit on me though, but it is hardly visible under all the glitter and blue jelly.

Octopus stamping test for Vivid Lacquer - VL042

Emily de Molly - Dark Depths, stamped using Sinful Color - Snow Me White and Vivid Lacquer - VL042

For some reason the light ended up looking awfully yellow-ish today, we have been having some bad weather, so was playing around with my setup a little, but just couldn't get it right this time.
Really need to standardize my setup and do the same every single time, so that my pictures are spot on when I take a picture.

Vivid Lacquer - VL042

I wanted some new stamping plates and around Black Friday there was so many great sales around, so I took a chance on getting some Vivid Lacquer plates. Today I am showing you the VL042 stamping plate. It was released back in 2014, but that doesn't make it less relevant.

The Vivid Lacquer shop on Etsy is currently on a break, due to some issues with the manufacturer of the stamping plates. You can still see images of her plates over at Vivid Lacquer Facebook Page.
Stamping test preformed using Savina - Coral and my Bundlemonster Semi Squishy Silicone Mega Stamper. In case you were wondering.

Stamping test of Vivid Lacquer - VL042 using Savina - Coral

I made a YouTube video about this stamping plate, check it out here.
Be sure to subscribe to my channel for upcoming videos.

Mermaids

Ever dreamed about being a mermaid?
To just flap your fins in the water all day, the silence of the deep?

Today I have for you something that is outside of my comfort zone, and textures. I was experimenting on my Uber Chic Stamping Mat and came up with this look.
I posted a picture of this in a nail art group and got some questions on how I did it, so I thought I would share the details here.

Pretty Serious - Nightopia

First I filled a 5 cm x 5 cm area on my Uber Chic Stamping Mat with Pretty Serious - Nightopia (seen on the index finger is one coat of this polish). The colourshifting in this polish made it perfect for this project, so I didn't have to work in other shades to make this look like wild water.

It all started out with me trying to do decals, and I messed up one and just decided to destroy it with my dotting tool. As I was dragging my dotting tool through the polish I noticed how it created pearls and rolls with polish and that it was sticking to itself. While did was happening the polish was also slowing drying which allowed it to be molded to shapes.

It was reminding me about how you make a painting of the sea when you work with oil paints. Thick, a bit gloppy. So I slapped it on my nails and used my dotting tools as chisels to make shapes in the polish. I added more where needed, pushed it flatter here and there to make the shifts that wild water would have.

I personally think the middle finger turned out the best, the little finger sort of look like an emerald geode, which wasn't the look I was going for today.

To make it all tie in with the mermaid theme I took my BornPrettyStore - BPL021, (link to full review, bought with my own money), and stamped the mermaid on my index finger using Wet N Wild - Black Creme.


I recently made an Instagram account, so if you hang around on that social media platform you can find me there as well. Click Here.


What do you think about today's look?

Starry Sky

This post contains a "Refer A Friend" link, nothing else to disclose.

I have been subscribing to Glossybox for about a year now and I am quite happy with the service.
Pay 10 £ a month and get sent makeup, lotions, cleaners, face masks and what not, every month, sometimes they even include nail polishes.
Which is the reason why I am mentioning it in today's post. 

Left: Glossybox - Let It Snow, for December
Right: Collection - 30 - Ice Queen

I have had this polish on my desk for a while to try to work it in a nail art look. Finally I have come up with an idea, and I am very happy with how it turned out as well.
You might have seen it on my Youtube channel already if you are subscribed there, as I wore this when I was doing my Vivid Laquer review of VL040 stamping plate.  If you haven't seen it, there is a handy link for you there.
I am actually using the Vivid Lacquer - VL040 today. 

I painted 2 coats of Beauty UK - Smoke Signal, topped it with 1 coat of Collection - 30 - Ice Queen. Stamped using 3 different images from the Vivid Lacquer - VL040 stamping plate with Wet N Wild - Black Creme. 

Starry Sky Nail Art.
Beauty UK - Smoke Signal, Collection - Ice Queen, stamped using Wet N Wild - Black Creme and Vivid Lacquer - VL040

This post contains a "Refer A Friend" link, nothing else to disclose.

Tribute to David Bowie

As many of you may have heard David Bowie (link to the official fan site) is no longer with us. After battling cancer for 18 months, he died peacefully surrounded by his family.

The man who released "Space Oddity" in 1969, which was his commercial breakthrough, did the introduction to The Snowman in 1982, considered to be among the top 100 Rock Artist Of All Time by Rolling Stone magazine, and even has a spider named in his honor. 

There are many more things that can be said about this iconic artists, his latest album has received great reviews, and I am so happy to have lived in the same time as him.

Today I have a nail art look inspired by one of David Bowie's many eclectic outfits.  The striped bodysuit from the Aladdin Sane tour in 1973 to be specific.

For this look I used Barry M - Quick Dry - Pit Stop, which reminded me why I haven't bought the rest of Barry M's Quick Dry collection, the polish goes on smooth, but ones dried it leaves tiny bubbles on my nails. Ugh. Barry M - Quick Dry - Pit Stop is seen below with two coats.

Barry M - Quick Dry - Pit Stop

Luckily, I am covering it up with a stamp, using Wet N Wild - Black Creme, like that was a surprise, and Bundlemonster BM-221.

Tribute to David Bowie and his striped bodysuit from the Aladdin Sane tour (1978)

Cult Nails - Coveted

Major lemming today girls.

urbandictionary

Long, long time ago there was a company called Cult Nails. They had gorgeous nail polishes, but is no longer around. Ever since I moved back to the UK after I had been in Spain, I have been keeping my eye out for Nail Polish Sales posts on various platforms.

It has payed off, as I have managed to get hold on some lemmings of mine. This time I managed to get my talons on Cult Nails - Coveted.

It is EVERYTHING I hoped it would be. I am so so happy with it.

Cult Nails - Coveted

I recently bought a jelly stamper from BornPrettyStore and I wanted to see if I would do better at lining up stamps with the jelly stamper than I am with my normal XL stamper. As you can see by the result below, I did not do the best of a job on lining it up perfectly with my nails.
It was my first attempt, so I still might need some more practice to get it right. 

I did noticed that it was a little hard to see through the jelly stamper when trying to line it up with my cuticles and nail tips, so if you have one on the way, I would suggest making sure you are in a well lit room. My ceiling lamp was not enough.
If you have the Original Jelly Stamper, or any other Brands with a jelly stamper I am curious to know how they worked for you.
Leave me a comment and let me know.

Cult Nails - Coveted stamped using China Glaze - Midnight Kiss and Bundlemonster WORK IT! - BMXL175

I stamped using China Glaze - Midnight Kiss and Bundlemonster WORK IT! - BMXL175
(a full review on that plate is in the making).

Haul Videos

Do you like haul videos?
Sometimes love haul videos, specially if I know that the person spent their own hard-earned money on the items we see in the video. If the video is filled with Press Samples and Gifts... well I wouldn't call that a Haul video, I'd call that a "What's in my PO box" (for example) video, but that's just me.

I got a new camera for Christmas and I wanted to try it out, and decided to do a haul video. One turned into two, so here they are...
Currently working on review videos on some of the items that where in the haul videos, so if there is something specific that you are interested in, give me a shout.

First out is my first Vivid Lacquer Haul. I have never ordered stamping plates from Etsy before so that was a first. Curious to find out which plates I got?

A note however. If you are planning on buying plates from Vivid Lacquer, she has currently closed the shop in order to sort out some problems with a bad batch of plates. I know she is swamped in work at the moment so give her some time to sort everything out.

My second haul was from BornPrettyStore. I wanted to get one of those Jelly Stampers to see what the fuss was all about, but didn't want to get the real thing, in case I destroyed it. I also picked up a couple of other things from them as well.

Vivid Lacquer - VL040

I wanted some new stamping plates and my choice landed on some Vivid Lacquer plates. Today I am showing you the VL040 stamping plate. It was released back in 2014, but that doesn't make it less relevant. 

The Vivid Lacquer shop on Etsy is currently on a break, due to some issues with the manufacturer of the stamping plates. You can still see images of her plates over at Vivid Lacquer Facebook Page.

Stamping test preformed using Savina - Coral and Beauty UK - Smoke Signal and my Bundlemonster Semi Squishy Silicone Mega Stamper. In case you were wondering.

Stamping test with two different polishes

At the bottom of the plate there is a lot of single images of stars-signs and planets.
Pieces , Aquarius, Capricorn, Sagittarius, Saturn, Chiron, Jupiter, Ceres, Neptune, Pluto, Mars, Earth or Terra if you'd like, Juno another asteroid, Vesta a protoplanet, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio, Cancer, Gemini, Taurus, Aries, Sun, Venus, Moon, and lastly Uranus.
Missing is Pallas even though as it was also given a planetary sign like Juno, Ceres, Vesta and Chiron, but I suppose she ran also out of space, cause 27 doesn't add up to a neat and tidy line like she has here.
  

Vivid Lacquer 2015

I made a YouTube video about this stamping plate. For those of you interested there is also an embarrassing confession, and a nail art look using the plate.  CC included.

Be sure to subscribe to my YouTube Channel for upcoming videos and follow the blog for more nail art looks.