My Nail Art Debut

Even before I started blogging, I used to follow a couple nail blogs here and there. Then I'd see a link to another one, and another, and a few more. Nowadays, I follow zillions of blogs through RSS feed, and a few more through email, because they don't offer the first option.

I saw that Nail Arts were trending and, at first, I thought I'd never venture that way. Oh boy, was I mistaken!

My first attempt was somewhat disastrous. I started by layering one coat of Maxi (Colorama) on top of my swirled mani, to even it out. On my ring fingers, I tried Water Marbling. And my pinky fingers suffered from a weird ombré art.


Lessons leaned:
#1: The base colour has to be lighter. Probably the lightest "of them all". ;-)
#2: It's a lot of work, and requires lots of patience! :-p

But I'll keep on trying...


xoxo

PRIS

Ski Ready!

Second part of the ski-outfit-matching series. This time we went to Mont Tremblant (QC) for a weekend, in a group trip organized by one of the student associations at the university.

In search of a reddish pink combination, I decided to layer two nail polishes from Colorama. Rosa Chiclete, bubblegum pink would be the best translation, looks like a failed attempt at a neon pink. It's very bright, though (my husband didn't like it, said it was too pink :-p). Maxi is a jelly burgundy, that I thought would go perfect layered on top of Rosa Chiclete.

My layering experiment didn't work that well, and the colours ended up swirling into each other. But I LOVED the effect. And I would've never achieved it, had I been trying it!


xoxo

PRIS

Making of

My husband and I were playing with our hobbies: I was surrounded by my polishes and he was testing his new flash and lenses. Here's a backstage picture... :-)

xoxo

PRIS

Shar Pei

With so many new additions to my stash, I had to start wearing them!

I was looking for a dark pinkish polish, to match my new ski jacket (these posts are definitely not being published in real time!). Shar Pei (Risqué - Risqué ♥ Dogs collection) fit the bill. It's pinkish red (or should it be a reddish pink?) jelly, good coverage (2 coats) and easy to apply.

The picture didn't capture much of the pinkish side. I'll have to wear it again eventually to get a better picture.

This was the first ski-outfit-matching manicure. Watch out as there are a few more on the way! ;-)


xoxo

PRIS

My First(?) Nail Haul

How do you define a Nail Haul?
Is it when you buy a lot of polish and/or nail stuff? Or you consider your gifts to be a haul too?

Here I'm using the definition of purchasing a lot of polish. I did get a couple of care packages so far, but this was my first documented buy.

My husband has been mocking me, saying my polish collection is too big. I told him I wasn't gonna buy any for a while (since I'd gotten so many lately), but then something came up and I just couldn't pass it!

I went to one of the zillion Sephora stores in New York and saw a cute little box with an assortment of Sephora by O.P.I.. I'd never tried any O.P.I.s, but had read good things about the brand. I decided I'd buy it once I'd worn my (many) new polishes.

Getting back to Canada, I checked the local Sephora store. And wasn't exactly please with what I found out: not only was the collection waaaaay more expensice (over 30%), but also it was a limited edition. I regretted not buying it, and sent an email to Tia Má (who was still in NY), to buy me a box if she could.

And she did!! The box was then stored, closed and sealed, in the closet, waiting for me to wear my other untried polishes first...


xoxo

PRIS

Thanks, Tia Má!!

Tia Má asked me what I wanted her to bring me from Brazil. My base coat was almost over, so I asked for some more. I also wanted a few of her favourite polishes. And My Jeans (Colorama) was getting too thick. Of course I needed a new one!

In the end, here is the nail care package she brought me.

From left to right, up to bottom:

Colorama: Base Setim (base coat), Maxi, Açaí, Eterno, Base Preparadora da Cor (base coat), Carbono, Hippie Chic
Risqué: Azulcrination
Colorama: Jeans (many!!)


xoxo

PRIS

New York City!!

We had visitors coming over from Brazil, stopping in NYC on their way here. What's a better excuse for a long weekend in New York than meeting Tia Má and Tio K?

Before boarding the bus, I had to update my manicure. The chosen one couldn't be more appropriate: 5ª Avenida (Colorama). Yeah, you guessed right, that means 5th Avenue in Portuguese. So that had to be setting for the picture!

Tia Má joked about taking a picture of the making of, but she never did. It was definitely an amusing scene, with my hands up high on the sidewalk.



A chalenge for both myself and the photographer!


xoxo

PRIS

Jeans for New Year's Eve?

Back home we have a bunch of New Year's Eve superstitions. We'll wear white party clothes for dinner. Your underwear should also be white, and new. There are fireworks after the countdown, welcoming the New Year. And if we're at the beach, we'll jump seven waves for good luck.

There were no fireworks after the countdown, and no waves to jump at sub-zero temperatures. I welcomed the New Year ice skating in my pink snow outfit. And wearing Jeans on my finger tips. ;-)

My plan was to layer Jeans with Prata (both Colorama), but it didn't work out that well. I started with two Prata coats, which is a very light silver with shimmer and pearl finishes. I layered one coat of Jeans on top, but the coverage wasn't good, requiring a second coat. The Prata was pretty much 'gone' by then...

I needed some sparkle for New Year's, which I achieved with the Cobertura Transformadora da Cor - Reflexos Azulados (Colorama), that blue shimmer top coat.

My New Year's resolution? Improve my layering techniques! ;-)

A few days later, before removing the manicure, I played with the matte finish once again (Cobertura Fosca da Cor - Efeito Fosco, Colorama).

It looked better than before, both the nail and the picture. It's nice and rewarding to see my techniques (and the photographer's) improving with time.


xoxo

PRIS

Merry (belated) Christmas!

On my search for brighter reds, Tia Má mentioned she liked to wear Carbono (Colorama) with some red polish (such as Maxi - Colorama - or Doce Orgulho - Risqué) layered on top.

I chose my darkest non-red polish, Hipnose (Colorama), and layered Santa Gula (Risqué) on top. Hipnose is a dark grey, almost steel in colour, with a shimmer and pearl finish. Santa Gula was the chosen red because its name is related to gluttony, which I found to be a good fit for Christmas dinner... :-p


I was not impressed with the result. The lighting in the hotel room didn't help, and I didn't care so much for the colour.

A few days later, I decided to try yet another top coat: Cobertura Fosca da Cor - Efeito Fosco (Colorama). It's a matte finish top coat. I liked the look and the finish, with a new tactile sensation.

The photo is a bit blurry, but it was the only one that captured the matte effect.


xoxo

PRIS