Dazzle Dry and Konad Luxury

Hey all!

Head up, there's a link to a video tutorial at the end.

After having neon sunsets and palm trees on my nails, I needed to go back to basics.  Going back to basics meant, for me, going to one of my favorite stamping designs (one of only 2 designs I have done on my nails twice).  I try to have a different design every week, but the classics are classics for a reason.

Manicure:
Perfect Formula Gel Coat
Dazzle Dry Joan's Armor (2 coats)
Dazzle Dry Top Coat
Stamping color is Sally Hansen Insta-Dri Silver Sweep
Sally Hansen Hard as Wraps Hard as Nails

Joan's Armor is from the new Dazzle Dry Fall Collection 2012.  It was a great color for this mani because I think black would have been too stark.  This dark gray has just enough edge to make me feel like my inner goody-two-shoes is breaking out of her shell.  Silver Sweep is my favorite silver to stamp with, it never fails.

Yeah, I'm a rebel.

The formula on this was pretty good.  It was opaque in one coat, but I always wear 2 to make sure my manicure lasts.  Of course I couldn't leave well enough alone, and I had to succumb to my nail stamping addiction.

I used Konad m79 to pump up the chic quotient a bit.  I think this mani looks like a million bucks I don't have.

Click here to see a video step-by-step tutorial.

Wishing you amazing manicures,

Bevy of Nails

Tropical Paradise Nail Stamping

Hey all!

This is a quick post that has everything...and I mean everything!  Drama!  Competition! and a Video!

Yaaay! I still have a lot to learn but it's been fun.

First:  The Drama

Isn't it purrty?
This was down and dirty.  I literally did this stamping standing up and it still came out well.

Then:  The Competition

ipsy.com (formerly myglam.com) is having a competition for the most likes and 3 winners will get the whole Circus nail polish collection (5 neon colors created by Andrea's Choice).  Just like my manicure picture on ipsy.com and the most "liked" pic has a chance to win.

http://ipsy.com/look/l-h7kgbzma9rbt2i4/Malibu_Paridise

If I win (right now I willingly accept underdog status), the whole collection will be the prize in a giveaway when I hit 50 subscribers.

I don't have any more pics, but don't be sad.

Lastly: The Video

Now introducing....the debut of bevyofnails on YouTube!!!!  This is just a run-through of all the products I used and I had to give some props to soguesswhat11 too so please check out her YouTube channel for great ideas.

I have been holding on to summer with both hands and after this mani, I can honestly say.......I'm ready to let it go.

I am now truly neoned-out.  The colors are beautiful and I look forward to using them again when the mood strikes, but I need to cleanse the nail palate after this manicure..Too much WOW factor for me.

UPDATE!

Unfortunately, I didn't win this contest.  But I wanted to take a moment to thank those of you who liked my picture on the ipsy website.  Thanks for your support and I'm sure there will be more nail art contests in the future.

Wishing you amazing manicures,

Bevy of Nails

My first gradient mani...plus stamping

Hey all!

Warning! Pic Heavy...

After watching soguesswhat11's "Totally Inspired" nail tutorial on YouTube, I was inspired...

Here's a link to the video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5AlXC5hoMMU&feature=plcp

Like a kid on her first day of school I gathered all my supplies (whew, were there a lot!) and got ready to be artistic.  I'm pretty happy with the results, but it took a while to get there.

Here's how I got there:

First, I applied by favorite base coat, Perfect Formula Gel Coat

Second, 2 coats of Zoya Tracie (I let it dry for about 15 min before moving on the to gradient)

After Tracie dried a bit, I painted 3 stripes on the back of one of my stamping plates (Zoya Tracie, Julep Daphne, then Zoya Breezi).

Then, using a sponge, I dabbed it on my finger until I was satisfied (or as close to satisfied as I could get on the first try).

Don't be alarmed!  It's messy, but remember the pretty picture at the beginning of this post?  It all turns out okay!  Promise.

If that wasn't enough, I added a very light coating of Zoya Apple to kind of blur the messiness of the sponge gradient.  Thank goodness for glitter!

Finally, I used my Kleancolor Black and stamped using my Mash 40 image plate.

Success!  Personally, I think I have more practice with gradients in my future.  I think the turquoise/blue should go farther down the nail, but I am pretty proud of my first gradient mani.

Thanks soguesswhat11 for sharing so many great ideas.

Wishing you amazing manicures,

Bevy of Nails

Floral Ecstasy

So many designs, so little time!

After getting the 2012 Bundlemonster set I have a hard time choosing which design to use each week.  This week?  Flowers!

Manicure:

1 coat Perfect Formula Gel Coat

2 coats Dazzle Dry Mango Mousse (review below)

Stamped with Bundle Monster BM321 (Kleancolor Black)

1 coat Sally Hansen Hard As Nails Hard as Wraps top coat

1 coat Dazzle Dry Top Coat (my favorite fast dry top coat)

Dazzle Dry Nail Polish Formula:

Ok,  this formula is not the best to work with.  The first coat is always streaky for me and it dries so fast that after more than one stroke the brush sometimes picks up the half-dry polish making bald spots.  I hate bald spots! 2 coats evens out the finish nicely, though.  Another thing? Without the top coat it dries semi-matte.

                                                                   Without top coat

                                                                       With top coat

You guys may think I'm crazy because the difference isn't coming through in these pics, but in person it looks like a satin finish.  I promise. 

But the top coat fixes everything. I have both Dazzle Dry and Seche Vite top coats and the one I reach for time and again is the Dazzle Dry ($12.50 at dazzledry.com).  Seche Vite has a really strong smell that is too much for me and while is touch dry really quickly is still vulnerable to dings and nicks.  Dazzle Dry is rock hard really quickly so even bumping my nail into a door doesn't hurt the super glossy finished.

The best thing about this polish is the fact that it really is rock hard in 5 minutes when used with the Dazzle Dry base and top coats.  With me, it was rock hard in 10 after five layers with non-Dazzle Dry nail polish.  Pretty good, right?  It is also vegan and is not supposed to turn your nails yellow.

Wishing you amazing manicures,

Bevy of Nails

Sephora Nail Polish Haul

Hey all! Just a quick nail of the day and haul...

Depending on what day you check Sephora.com they may have your favorite Nails Inc nail polishes on sale for $5!!

I admit, I went a little crazy. But what's a girl to do when her favorite nail polish brand is having a sale?

That's right.  She's supposed to GO CRAZY! This is just my way of contributing to the economy. Well, that's my story anyway.

Here is my loot.

From left to right: Notting Hill Carnival, Maddox Street, Westminster, Whitehall magnetic ($7), Warwick Way, Saville Row, Fashion's Night Out, and Floral Street.

Right now I have Warwick Way on my nails and I absolutely adore it.  Neon payoff without the semi-matte dry-down that neon pigment usually has.

This nail polish is so easy to apply.  This is without any clean-up guys!  I think it's a combination of how short the nail polish cap is, leaving me with more control over where the brush goes and the fact that this polish also has an amazing self-leveling ability. The result is no matter how I stroke the brush over my nail it always ends up smooth and beautiful.

Manicure:

1 coat Perfect Formula Gel Coat

2 coats Nails Inc Warwick Way

1 coat Dazzle Dry Top Coat

Voila!  Thanks for visiting.

Wishing you amazing manicures,

Bevy of Nails

Foundation! Foundation! Foundation!

Hi all.

For my first post I thought it was only fitting to talk about the foundation for everything:  Base Coat!

Before I do this:

                                             Idea from lacquerish.com: 

                                             1 coat Julep Dakota

                                             1 coat Layla Magneffect Golden Bronze (wavy Icings magnet)

                                             Stamped with Kleancolor Black 05 and plate that came with a

                                            stamping set I bought on Amazon

 I always use a base coat.

I have tried so many base coats over the years and I think it just boils down to what do you want your base coat to do for you?  Do you want it to make your nails stronger?  Do you want it to keep your nail polish longer?  Do you want it to minimize staining on your nails?  What do you need it to do for you.  To that end I will review several base coats and share what I consider pros and cons for each.

 In order of appearance L-R: Butter London Nail Foundation (no pun was intended by title... found at ULTA, QVC now too in a set), Cutex Baseworx (drugstore.com), CND Stickey (ULTA), Zoya Anchor (zoya.com), Dazzle Dry basecoat (dazzledry.com), Perfect formula clear gel coat (Sephora, QVC, perfectformula.com).

1. Butter London Nail Foundation
PROS:

• This truly is like makeup for the nail.  It makes the nail look healthy and provides a bit of coverage drying to a satin finish.  This base coat can also be used as a slight mattifying top coat but may change the tone of the nail polish underneath depending on the color.
• Dries pretty quickly so I can get on with COLOR.

CONS:

• $18 on it's own. That's a lot to spend on any nail item.  The good news is there are multiple sets available on butterlondon.com, ULTA and QVC that make this much more affordable it you also want everything else in the set.
• This base coat did not really hold my nail polish on for as long as I would like (3 days max)

Confession: I expect my nail polish to last at least 6 days with no chipping.  I'm very demanding because I don't have time to do my nails during the week.

2. Cutex Baseworx
PROS:

• The fact that this base coat has "bioceramics" is supposed to harden your nail as soon as it dries as well as adhere to any nail polish painted over it.  This really does make my nails really hard when it dries and did keep my nail polish on for 6 days.  It's great.
• Self-levels as it dries creating a really smooth, glass-like canvas for nail polish to go on.
• $7.99 before shipping and handling at drugstore.com

CONS:

• After using this consistently for a month (once a week) I found that one of my nails started to peel.  Peeling nails wasn't a problem I'd had before.  It was only one nail so it could have been a fluke, but thought I should mention it. 

3. CND Stickey 
PROS:

•  This base coat really does hold on the any nail polish painted over it.  My nail polish will last 6 days.
• $8.50 at ULTA

CONS:

• The greenish hue of this base coat will change the color of any light nail polish I wear over it.  It annoys me when my pretty pinks look nauseous.

4. Zoya Anchor
PROS:

•  This base coat works amazingly well when following the entire Zoya color lock system (base coat, nail polish, armor top coat).
• $9 on zoya.com

CONS:

• I don't get the same results when I use this base coat with other nail polishes and top coats.
• Didn't prevent staining with Zoya Bevin I had to buff the green off them.

5. Dazzle Dry Base Coat
PROS:

• Really watery for lack of a better phrase.  Maybe it's just me, but since this brand claims to act like gel nail polish without the UV light, the fact that this base coat is similar in texture to the gel base coat placed under the UV lamp I like it more.
• Nail polish does adhere to this base coat very well, lasting my required 6 days
• Dries really quickly to a matte finish.
• Vegan and has no nitrocellulose which is said to cause yellowing.

CONS:

• Does not have a self-leveling effect so if it isn't painted on evenly that's the way it dries.
• $12.50 on dazzledry.com by itself, but it is available in more cost-effective kits or value sizes.
• Really watery.  I hate flooding my cuticles and before I was used to this formula it would flood like crazy.  I finally got the hang of it.

6. Perfect Formula Gel Coat
PROS:

• This base coat make your nails so strong while it is on.
• It is also a protein treatment so makes your nails stronger over time.
• Self-levels creating a shiny, glass-like surface for nail polish to go on.

CONS:

• $24 when purchased by itself at Sephora or QVC, but there are more cost-effective kits with multiples if you know you like it.
• Dries slowly (especially when used as both a base coat and top coat).

Whew!  I didn't realize I had so many opinions about these base coats until I started typing.  These are just things that I have noticed while going through a week with a manicure I spent time doing.  There are many base coats out there and not everything works for everyone.

My favorite is Perfect Formula Gel Coat, which I buy in sets, because I have natural nails and I want them to be as strong as acrylics so I have one less thing to worry about during the week.  This does that for me.  The Cutex Baseworx is a close second simply because it works almost as well at a fraction of the price.

Promising that future posts will not be so wordy,

Bevy of Nails.