Elevation Polish Summit Collection #2 Swatches & Nail Art

Hey lacquer ladies,

Press Sample 

Hope everyone is having a fabulous weekend!  Today I've got swatches and nail art for the soon to be released Elevation Polish Summit Collection Part Deaux,  As usual I'm thrilled again this month to be able to share these glorious polishes with you.  I think you'll find the 2nd part of the Summit Collection to have a denser earthier feel than the first.  You can check out swatches here to compare.  For this collection there's something for everyone neutral holos, soft crellies, intense shimmers, and bright glitter toppers.  So let's get started!

Elberus 2

A deep red leaning plum shimmer polish.  Dark for the vampy lovers in us all.  A bit of a palate cleanser in the brights of the summer spring season.  For me this one was a hidden gem.  The formula was thicker than I expected and like butter leveling out perfectly in 2 coats.  I feel myself smacking my lips over this one lolol.  Like I said hidden gem.
 

Mani-louge:

Basecoat/Topcoat:  CND Stickey / Sally Hansen Diamond Flash

Base: Elevation Polish Elberus 2

Fillers: Elevation Polish Owen, Mount Augustus, Gobi, and Tavan Bogd

Stamping polish: Essie As Good as Gold

Stamping plate: Messy Mansion MM29
Studs: Pueen Cosmetics

Kosciuszko (Kozy)

Super pretty hot pink matte glitter topper in a shimmering base.  Essentially the prettiest girliest type of glitter topper you can imagine which is also perfect for the spring and Mother's Day.   I struggled with this one though.  The neon pink/red nature of the glitter freaked my camera out too much.  I tried to compensate by pairing another pink to adjust the color too.  Somehow I'm not sure if I was able to capture how beautiful this polish really is. 

Mani-louge:

Basecoat/Topcoat:  CND Stickey / Sally Hansen Diamond Flash

Base: Elevation Polish Mount Feathertop
Glitter topper: Elevation Polish Kosciuszko (Kozy)

Stamping polish: Sally Hansen Insta-Dri Fast Fuschia

Stamping plate: Emily de Molly EDM 02

Everest 2
A flattering deep taupe holographic.  This particular holo is not the super strong linears we've seen coming out of the EP kitchen.  This one is softer and subtle causing the polish to seem extremely delicate despite the deepness of the taupe.  In short I love it!  I was so hard pressed not to overwhelm the base that I decided to do a very simple and clean nail art for this one.  Of note this pretty shade is basically a ONE coater, and you ladies know how I feel about that ;)

Direct sunlight

Shade

Mani-louge:

Basecoat/Topcoat:  CND Stickey / Sally Hansen Diamond Flash

Base: Elevation Polish Everest

Stamping polish: Mundo de Unas #2

Stamping plate: Messy Mansion MM 17
Studs: Pueen Cosmetics

Mount McKinley

A lavender crelly that unless I missed my mark is going to be universally flattering on most if not all skin tones!  Opaque in 2 coats with a flawless flawless formulation.  When I think about this polish it reminds me of why I fell so hard for the EP brand long ago!  This is such a gorgeous shade I paired with with the usual smorgasbord of EP shades in pastel shades to let it's delicacy play out against and abstract foreground.

Glossy

Mani-louge:

Basecoat/Topcoat:  CND Stickey / Poshe Fast Drying Topcoat / Essie Matte About You

Base color: Elevation Polish Mount McKinley

Fillers:Punchak Jaya, Cuernos del Paine, Streetside NYC, Paoko, El Cap 2

Stamping polish: Konad Special Polish in Dark Purple

Stamping plate: Dashica SdP 48
Studs: Daily Charme
Tools: Nail Vinyls

Matte

What do you ladies think?  Lol honestly I know these posts can be overwhelming.  There is a lot of art and polish and swatches all happening.  Take a second to take it all in and then tell me if you have any favorites in the comments below.  Probably of the bunch my favorite is Elberus 2 and Everest 2 lol.  I guess I like the second editions though honestly they all are spectacular!  These polishes and the Summit Collection 1 and 2 in general will be available May 7th at 9pm CST here on Elevation Polish Big Cartel site as well as on the 22nd of May at 9am CST.  Polishes retail between $8.50-$12 USD.  Btw if you are as big of a fan of Elevation Polish as I am head over to Lulu's blog for more information regarding 2 giveaways this month not including those from Pointless Cafe and Ashley is Polish Addicted.  Hope you all enjoyed today's polish offerings!  Thanks for reading and see you next post...

These products were provided for my honest review.  For more information or questions please see my Disclosures Policy.

L'Oreal Le Pastille & Sweet Lilac Spots & Dots Nail Art

Hey lacquer ladies,

I have some very simple nail art for you today inspired by the recent spring collection 2014 from L'Oreal.  Every time spring rolls around I will actively seek out the L'Oreal polishes as I think they do an exceptional job every year capturing the colors that I most associate with the springtime.  I wasn't able to find all of the polishes, but the ones I did find were utterly gorgeous so I wanted relatively simple nail art to capture their aesthetic.

Le Pastille is this lavender/gray polish filled with black speckles unsurprisingly given the name.  I love how delicate this polish is given how jam packed it is with black matte glitter.  However because it is so chocked full of lovely in a pale base patience is required during application to reduce drag.  It was opaque in 3 coats.


Sweet Lilac is a straightforward pale pale lavender polish.  It's so delicate and wispy it reminds me of the first buds of cherry blossoms seen around DC which aren't pink but instead almost a pale blushing lavender leaning toward white.  I used this polish to top Le Pastille and using Nail Vinyls created horizontal stripes.  I then accented the stripped nails with color coordinating studs from Pueen Cosmetics.  Finally, I mattified the whole shebang to create the final product.

So what do you think?  This is very simple especially for me.  However, I loved how these polishes looked matte and the contrast of the gray and lavender colors.  This is one of those mani's where I wound up thinking, occasionally simplicity is lovely.  I hope you'll agree.  Thanks so much for reading and see you next post! 

St. Paddy's Day Nail Art #1: Sally Hansen InstaDri Chevrons & Shamrocks

Top o' the morning to you lacqueristas,

Somehow the upcoming St. Paddy's Day nail art snuck up on me.  Honestly, I haven't been thinking tons about it as a major holiday for nail art.  Lol I will be at work and people will be drunk and like New Years Eve in my line of work it will make for the stuff of disaster.   I will also say while I enjoy good microbrew here and there nothing is more disturbing than green colored beer and Shamrocks shakes lol.  Anyhoo, I was able to pick up a few of the new Sally Hansen InstaDri polishes and while I normally use these for stamping I was too pleased with the colorways to not use them as the main basis for my nail art.

I-rush Luck is a true kelly green jelly finish polish.  It self-levels and was opaque in about 2 coats.  I used this for the base of the accent nail and gradients using Jade Jump.  Jade Jump is a creme mint green polish.  The formula on this one wasn't nearly as nice as IL being on the thick end of things.  I think if I were to use this one again for a base I would have to thin out the polish quite a bit.  Using these polishes for the bases made me realize something...I hate the brushes in these bottles immensely!  I have hated them for years.  The wide brush only works for me when I'm stamping because it covers the image nicely.  Otherwise when painting your nails it floods the cuticles and sides of your nails.  I don't have this problem with any other Sally Hansen polishes.  Please someone in the heavens hear me and fix this issue! Ok rant over...

I used Nail Vinyls to create the chevrons over the gradient with Confetti Wedding White and finally the gold 4 leaf clover was stamped using Essie No Place Like Chrome and Bunny Nails HD-B plate.  This nail art is extremely simple and I love it because of that.  Even the stamping is subtle.  What do you think?  It's not a very in your face design and I kinda like that.  Thanks for reading and I'll see you next post!

Orly Baked Chevrons & Studded Triangle Nail Art

Hey lacquer lovers,

I really am sick of winter! I know everyone is sick of it but I swear I am ready for summer.  I skipped the pastel season and went straight for the hardcore neons of summer.  Welcome a few beautiful and bold polishes from Orly's Baked Collection.  They are so hot they sizzle!

I kept the nail art fairly simple today.  Mainly because I was testing out these new Nail Art Stencils by Polish Me To Go (PMTG).  Basically they are like the Nail Vinyls I introduced 2 weeks ago here, but by a different indie maker.  I bought an iteration of nearly all of the various shapes, but I am hesistating about how to use a few so I will reserve judgment of these stencils until I can play with them a bit more.   Then I can give you a better sense over all.  The shape I chose to use for this nail art was the Bolt shape.  They are a bit like twisted chevrons only smoother around the edges and bit more curvy.  I can say I love these quite easily.

The colors I chose for this mani were Orly Tropical Pop, Neon Heat, Ablaze, and Liquid Vinyl.  My camera freaked.  These are mega mega neon especially Neon Heat and Tropical Pop.  The most impressive part about these polishes?  They were really well formulated.  No nasty streakiness like I've gotten before with neons just endless creamy application.  These were opaque in two coats.  I put a white no name polish underneath to really make the neon pop.  The triangles I freehanded and then added studs for extra appeal.



What do you think? I couldn't stop staring at my nails.  They were extremely bright lol almost alarmingly so.  Well I feel better about the coming warmth, but still I will heave a sigh of relief when the winter finally breaks.  You can get PMTG stencils here on the Big Cartel site.  I warn you now try not to look at all the pretty neon glow in the dark polishes.  I was sadly unsuccessful at such an endeavor ;)  Thanks so much for reading and see you next post!

Elevation Polish Patagonia Collection & Nail Art

Laqueristas,

Press Sample

It's that time once again when I revel in the deliciousness that is Elevation Polish.  I realized Lulu is a genius, I realized this long ago, at keeping me panting salivating and coming back for more.  I'm grateful that I can share these polishes with you time and time again.  Not because they are given to me, but because I love them as I have loved them for over two years and if we all have our vices EPs have always been one of mine!  Those of you who follow me on instagram and twitter know this best ;) Now let's get onto the swatches and nail art....

Cuernos del Paine
A smooth kiwi colored creme.  Oh this is so right up my alley - green and creamy, decadent, and perfect for the heart that longs for spring as mine does.  This makes me think of cabana boys and margaritas.  Lol perhaps not what Lulu was going for, but if the shoe fits....Picutured here in 2 coats this one was a bit on the thicker side but evened out nicely with the 2nd coat.  I used Cerro Torre 2 and my trusty Nail Vinyls to create the art below along with rounds studs from Pueen Cosmetics.

Tronador
Blackened deep purple stuffed full of reddish purple and gold microglitter.  Yum!  This kind of dark affair is also after my own heart.  For one because I firmly believe a lady can never own too many shades of purple polish and for two because this polish mutates depending on the lighting.  Vampy in one setting and shimmering and iridescent in another.  I decided to pair Tronador with Tavan Bogd a sweet lavender-ish polish and create half moons and studded lines.  I truly love how this turned out!

Cerro Torre 2
A nude/beige creme.  I think you ladies know I am a sucker for nudes equating them with the holy grail base color for any gradient or nail art.  A go-to color that will never fail you if you want to play it safe and with a few embellishments can be, no pun intended, elevated to feminine chic.  I really loved the original Cerro Torre.  I thought Lulu did a phenomenal job so of course I love it's 2nd edition equally well. I decided to take another revamped polish Haungshan II and layer it over Cerro Torre 2 then using Cernos del Paine and Alpine Heights I created a diamond gradient again using the Nail Vinyls.  I mattiefied the whole thing using Essie Matte About You to create this...

Aguja St Exupery
A tanish nude gold and purple packed shimmering holographic.  How does Lulu keep doing this?!?  Remember Silver Sword from the Heights of Hawaii Collection?  It was incredibly hard to photograph and so utterly worth it.   SS shimmered in most settings and then when the light hit it just right affords the wearer an unbelievable punch of holographic splendor.  Aguja St Expery lives in the same family.  I want to drink the bottle down and paint my walls with it.  Lord help me I have died and gone to polish heaven! I used China Glaze Tart-y For The Party and Sunday Funday to create a springy gradient that I then topped with Aguja St. Exupery.

So have I wowed you?  I hope you experienced even a sliver of the excitement I get every time I open nail mail from Elevation Polish.  You can find these beauties here on Big Cartel.  Lulu restocks on the 7th and 22nd of each month, and polishes retail for .  Thanks for reading and see you next post!

Valentines Day Nail Art #1: Cici & Sisi Fading Hearts

"The heart has reasons for which reason knows nothing." ~ Pascal

Lacqueristas,

It's the season of love!  Lol not really but it's the season of love related manicures at a minimum.  Can I tell you I went to Target around the 3rd of January and they already had all the Valentines day paraphernalia out.  It was deeply disturbing to me who in general only has awareness of holidays as they relate to nail art and vacation time ;)  In any event I'm showing you my first romantic mani of the season.  Gradient hearts and chevrons using my new Cici & Sisi Jumbo plates and once again Nail Vinyls.  You can check out my review on Cici & Sisi plates here and the Nail Vinyls here.

My goal was to create a very "clean" manicure with a gradient that stood out.  When I flipped through my Cici & Sisi plates I realized there are a lot of heart/romantic motifs in both sets.  Ultimately I chose the hearts because I wanted to emphasize the bright red to light pink fading of the gradient.  I reversed the color fade for the chevrons which the NVs made beyond easy to achieve.

Base:  Wet N Wild Blank Canvas

Stamping Polishes: Konad Special Polish in Red, MyOnline Shop Pink, Sally Hansen Insta Dri Fast Fuschia

Stamping Plate: Cici & Sisi 01

So what do you think? This is unquestionably girly and sweet which I think suits the sentiment of the quote above.  I have plans to create a few more manis that are a bit more sophisticated and less sweet and of course I have to create something for the broken-hearted lol! I mean really not everyone loves Valentines day.  I do but only because I don't have to conceal my lust for all things dark chocolate and wine related.  Lol plus lots of great cosmetic items pop up around this time!  Is it wrong that I keep having a fantasy regarding dark covered chocolate strawberries and crisp citrusy champagne oh and a steaming bubble bath? Ugh the luxury!  I think my reasons might be a little sketchy but hey to each their own.  Thanks so much for reading and see you next post! 

Essie Mesmerize and Bikini So Teeny Chevron Nail Art + Nail Vinyls Review

Hello lacquer ladies,

I know I have been inundating you with new stamping plates and reviews, but today is all about getting back to basics.  You know nothing makes me happier than flawlessly executed nail art!  I  wanted to create a blue mani that was matte with lots of pop and it came out exactly like I envisioned.  I enlisted the help of Nail Vinyls to create the yummy chevrons of my dreams and used Essie Bikini So Teeny and Mesmerize because I wanted something blue clean and refreshing.  I also used Essie's Matte About You which to this day is still my favorite matte topcoat of all time! Check out the results below.

So I discovered Nail Vinyls (hereforeto referred to as NVs) by @teismom on Instagram while stalking some of my favorite nail art bloggers.  NVs are essentially the little sticker like things you use for french tip manis or if you take ring holders and cut them in half you can use to make half moon manis only 10,000 times better! When I first saw a IGer using them I was like I can just do the same thing with scotch tape or stamping.  This is both wrong and right.  You can create cool chevrons with scotch tape but, unless you use craft scissorsn and even then, it is extremely difficult to create the exact same size of the chevron from nail to nail.  This is also because you really only get one shot with tape as with the Nail Vinyls because afterwards they are covered in polish.  With stamping you get the precision and consistency from nail to nail, but you have no ability to adjust the spacing of the design because the image is already etched into the plate so you get what you get.



The NVs actually allow you to play with the spacing and gives you the reliability of creating consistently sized lines from nail to nail, clean up is easy, and you don't waste time cutting out pieces of oh so carefully measured tape so what's not to love?  These little stickers come in a variety of shapes - lightening bolts, half moons, straight lines (my favorite), chevrons of varying sizes (also a favorite), french tip, and apparently there are more shapes in the works.  I honestly felt skeptical about spending my money on these but after using them a few times I am so sold so I thought I'd share.

Nail Vinyls are available on Big Cartel and run between $5-12 USD depending on the number of NVs you order.  I hope you liked the mani and thanks so much for reading!  See you next post...