TGIF: Thank Goodness, Indie Friday - Sonoma Nail Art 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea

Welcome this week's episode of TGIF: Thank Goodness, Indy Indie Friday! Today is all about Sonoma Nail Art 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea! This is an absolutely stunning polish! This polish is also steampunk inspired! Another win! :)

Here is one coat of Sonoma Nail Art 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea over one coat of OPI Stranger Tides. 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea is a gorgeous clear based glitter with blues, greens, and white through out! I love this glitter! The micro glitters remind me of tiny air bubbles working their way up to the surface! And this polish applied nicely! No need to fish around finding glitters here! :)

Macro bottle shot of Sonoma Nail Art 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. See how the micro glitter looks like bubbles! So much fun!

You can buy this polish any her other amazing polishes at her etsy shop here. And don't forget to visit her facebook page to here to be kept in the know! :)

And here is one coat of OPI Stranger Tides. Could have used one more coat to make it totally opaque, but I knew I was going to layer the glitter over it. :) It is a pale green creme, kind of like zombie flesh green. :)

Love Yourself Mani: For the Love of Owls!

Today's mani, is purely for me! :) I have been waiting to do this mani since Bundle Monster showed this plate as a sneek peek! I used Essence Romeo for my base. I really love this grey. Great coverage in one coat! Then I used BM-309 (the owl plate!) using Konad black (stains like a mother!) and KleanColor Metallic Fuschia. I LOVE this mani! And what better way to break in a new set of plates then to use one featuring your favorite animal! Win! :)

Flipped this image so that you can see it. Isn't it spectacular!? :)

Here is Bundle Monster's picture of the plate I used. Click on the image to be sent to their site to order the newest set of plates! You won't be sorry. You can also get them on Amazon.

I know, I know, you've seen me swatch this polish a bazillion times. But I love this polish and it works great as a base for stamping and for glitters! This is Essence Romeo, part of the Nail Art Twins.

I really liked this mani and wanted to do something for me, that I enjoyed. This is part of the Love Yourself manis. For more information click on this picture or the one in my sidebar to be taken to the facebook group!

Wednesday Reads - Andy Runton

 

Today is dedicated to a bunch of books all by Andy Runton. These books are his Owly books and are quite possibly some of the best books ever! They are graphic novels and are so stinkin' cute! These books are a great addition to any library, young and old! :)

 

This is the little blurb about Owly found on Andy Runton's site:

Owly is a kind-hearted little owl who knows what it means to be human. Relying on a mixture of symbols and expressions,these animated and heartwarming tales are a perfect read for all ages! Owly's stories are told in illustrated books and graphic novels that are available from your local book store, comic shop, Amazon, and my publishers, Top Shelf and Simon & Schuster! 

The books are Vol 1: The Way Home & The Bittersweet Summer, Vol 2: Just a Little Blue, Vol 3: Flying Lessons, Vol 4: A Time to be Brave, and Vol 5: Tiny Tales. With Vol 6: A Fishy Situation soon to be released!

The books are about Owly, the main character who is an owl! (can you see why I love these books?) In the first story in Vol 1 you get to see the story of how Owly and Wormy (his little worm friend) meet and become friends!

In each volume Owly and Wormy meet other little creatures and give you a wonderful little story that will bring a smile to your face. I don't know what came first, my love for Owly or my love for owls! :)

This is an example of what the Owly books look like on the inside. Isn't Owly cute!

And look! Here is Owly in motion! Awww!

Weekend Haul!

Today was suppose to be my Teal Tuesday post but I was sick all day yesterday and had to work yesterday so I put together this quick post of what I bought over the weekend.

(l-r): OPI Samoan Sand (so happy I found this! Now I can do more Jelly Sandwiches not using white!), Agent Lavender (a purple grey, and nothing like the blue that shows up here!). The last two polishes are a new brand to me, though I have seen them swatched before. They are Sation polishes. The first one is Videogame Vixen which is a clear base with black and silver glitter in micro and small hexes! The second one Band Beauty which is a clear base with multi-colored micro and small hexed glitters. Some of the hexes are even holo-like!

Micro bottle shot of Sation Videogame Vixen. Loving this glitter and the name! :)

Micro bottle shot of Sation Band Beauty. Sorry it's a bit blurry. Nothing wanted to work out today. But I'm loving this glitter too! It's more of the pastel multi-colors and not the basic primary multi-colors.

Also bought some glitters to play around with so see if they hold up to polish! This is a bronze micro glitter.

Another thing of glitter to play with! Bronze hex glitter. I'm really lemming a brown glitter and these are the closest I could find. I hope the don't bleed or curl! I just need to buy some base and I will keep you updated!

Oh, what's this? Could it possibly be the newest Bundle Monster plate set? Why yes, yes it is! Woot woot! I'm so excited to try them! This is my first Bundle Monster set!

Monkey See Monkey Do Mondays: Jelly Sandwich...Mattified!

 

Monkey See Monkey Do Mondays are where we re-create manis from different blogs or pictures we have "pinned" on Pinterest, and link back to the original blogger!

Today I did a Jelly Sandwich (or Sammich). Yes I've done one before, but this one is mattified! Wahoo! :)

Here is another shot of my Jelly Sandwich Mattified! You might recognized this mani as I showed you part of it on Friday for my TGIF: Thank Goodness, Indie Friday - Sonoma Nail Art Clockwork. But I have now made it a sandwich and mattified it. :)

So, the ingredients are: base polish is OPI Skull & Glossbones. Glitter: Sonoma Nail Art Clockwork. Top polish: OPI It's Totally Fort Worth It. And then added China Glaze Matte Magic to finish it off! 

This is the concept that I was inspired by. A gorgeous Sandy Sandwich....Mattified by The Nailasaurus (please click image of title to be sent to her site). I love the unconventional color of this. I usually see jelly sandwiches using pinks, blues, or whites. But I am loving this neutral! I think I need the OPI she used! (PS it's OPI Samoan Sand, just to let you know).

This is how it started out. Two coats of OPI Skull & Glossbones with one coat Sonoma Nail Art Clockwork.

Add one coat of OPI It's Totally Fort Worth It. This is a sheer silver shimmer with pink sparkles. This is a pretty mani just like this, but I had to make it a Monkey See Monkey Do! :)

And voila! A Jelly Sandwich.....Mattified! :) Yes, it's still a bit shiny with the glitter, but that's because you can't hide the awesomeness that is Clockwork by Sonoma Nail Art! ;) I am loving this mani a ton! I have been told it looks like a bird's egg or even stone.

Would you like to join Monkey See Monkey Do Mondays? Click the image below or the one on my side bar.

The Avengers/Firefly Mash-Up

So, occasionally I like to post random geekery goodness on Saturdays. Well here is another awesome video! A mash-up of two very awesome Joss Whedon projects: The Avengers and Firefly.

Joss Whedon lovers assemble!

TGIF: Thank Goodness, Indie Friday - Sonoma Nail Art Clockwork

Welcome this week's episode of TGIF: Thank Goodness, Indy Indie Friday! Today is all about Sonoma Nail Art Clockwork! Woot Woot! :) This is an absolutely gorgeous polish! I had to get this one because it was inspired by steampunk! Brilliant!

Let me pause for a bit as you pick up your jaw off the floor!................................... You good? Then let's continue. According to Sonoma Nail Art's etsy shop: "Clockwork takes inspiration from the fantastical gears and cogs of steampunk machinery. Clockwork is a glitter polish with multiple metallic shades." How perfectly spot on for a steampunk polish! Yes! Steampunkers around the world unite in a grand hurrah! :) It is a clear base with silver and copper micro hex glitters, gold and copper small and medium hex glitters, and copper bar glitter with a smattering of darker copper (almost a brown) smaller hex glitter! It is stunning! (Yes I know I use that word a lot on this blog, but it fits!)

I followed Sonoma Nail Art's advice and layered Clockwork over two coats of OPI Skull & Glossbones. Such a perfect combination! Wow! This is just one coat of Clockwork! The glitter applied perfectly with no issues at all! I love it!

Macro bottle shot of Sonoma Nail Art Clockwork.

You can buy this polish any her other amazing polishes at her etsy shop here. And don't forget to visit her facebook page to here to be kept in the know! :)

Just a quick shot of OPI Skull & Glossbones (two coats). This is probably one of my favorite go-to polishes for a base! :)

Dupes? Essence Choose Me, Fashionista Mystical Dragon, Jesse's Girl Glee, and Orly Halley's Comet

 

 Today I bring you four beautiful polishes! Essence Choose Me!, Fashionista Mystical Dragon, Jesse's Girl Glee, and Orly Halley's Comet. This is what I found after swatching all my polishes! There different.....right? Errr........maybe? Why don't we take a closer look, shall we?

**Picture Heavy**

Macro bottle shot of Essence Choose Me! Retails for 99 cents, is 0.16 fl oz and is found at Ulta (at least here in the US).

 

Macro bottle shot of Fashionista Mystical Dragon. Retails for 5 pounds (sorry don't know where the symbol is) which converts to $7.85 (according to Yahoo finance), is around 0.38 fl oz, and is found at Superdrug. Or is you have an amazing polish friend who lives in England and has access to it! You know who you are ;)

 

Macro bottle shot of Jesse's Girl Glee. (anyone else thing of Jesse St. James and Rachel Berry From Glee when they read that?) Retails for $2.99, is 0.35 fl oz, and is found at Rite Aid.

Macro bottle shot of Orly Halley's Comet. Retails originally for $10 (but now is clearanced), is 0.60 fl oz, and is found at (if they have any more) Ulta, Sallys, and Amazon (plus many other places).

 

Here is one coat of each polish. (l-r) Essence Choose Me!, Fashionista Mystical Dragon, Jesse's Girl Glee, and Orly Halley's Comet. Right off the bat you can see that my middle finger, Fashionista Mystical Dragon, is more opaque. You can see visible nail line (VLN) on all other fingers. My ring finger, Jesse's Girl Glee, shows a few bare spots because the polish sort of dragged. The other three polishes all applied very nicely!

Two coats of each polish. (l-r) Essence Choose Me!, Fashionista Mystical Dragon, Jesse's Girl Glee, and Orly Halley's Comet. My pointer finger Essence Choose Me! is much lighter than the other three polishes. Again, my middle finger Fashionista Mystical Dragon, is darker and more opaque. Could have been fine with just the one coat. My ring finger,  still shows some of the bare spots (a third coat would have covered it all). On my pinkie finger, Orly Halley's Comet, is a tad more green, only a smidgen if that. You can still sort of see some VNL on my pointer and ring finger.

All these polishes are teal based and jammed back with glass flecks and are just stunning in the light!

Look at that shine and sparkle! Look at all those flecks of gorgeousness! Two coats of each polish. (l-r) Essence Choose Me!, Fashionista Mystical Dragon, Jesse's Girl Glee, and Orly Halley's Comet.

And again another angle. The edges take a on a deeper hue. Two coats of each polish. (l-r) Essence Choose Me!, Fashionista Mystical Dragon, Jesse's Girl Glee, and Orly Halley's Comet.

There are also other polishes that belong with this comparison. Wet 'n Wild Teal of Fortune (I own this but it went missing when I did this post, weird!) and Zoya Charla (which I don't own).

The blog I'm Feeling Nail-Venturous does a great comparison post that includes these two polishes: Comparison: Zoya Charla, Essence Choose Me, Orly Halley's Comet, & Wet n Wild Teal of Fortune. Please click the link and go check it out! :) She says that the Wet 'n Wild Teal of Fortune isn't a dupe, it is more blue based. But that Zoya Charla looks exactly like Orly Halley's Comet and Essence Choose Me! So I would assume that is would also look like Jesse's Girl Glee and Fashionista Mystical Dragon.

So are they dupes? I believe Essence Choose Me! Is a bit lighter than the rest, the blue/teal isn't as deeply saturated. But they are all pretty close and you wouldn't be sad if you only had just one of these. Fashionista has the best coverage as it is pretty much opaque on it's first coat. And Jesse's Girl Glee likes to drag a bit. But I would think it's safe to say that they are all pretty close and could be considered dupes!

Do you have any of these or all of them like me? 

I am planning on a blog sale soon and will possible be putting a few of these up on it. So, if you don't have any and would like one, wait around a bit and you soon could! My blog sale will be up around the beginning of August (would be sooner but I am going on vacation and won't have that much internet and wouldn't be able to keep track of it all!).

I hope you enjoyed this comparison/dupe post because while swatching my polishes I have found quite a few more! >_<

Wednesday Reads - A Game of Thrones

Today I am going to review a book that I haven't finished yet. This is my half-way point review of George R.R. Martin's best seller: A Game of Thrones (A Song of Ice and Fire, Book 1).

For some reason these types of books take me longer to read because I read them more in detail than skim them like my romances fun reads! But I love these types of books too! What I totally love about it is that it is a series! Yes!

I admit, I jumped on the band wagon to read this book because everyone was talking about it and the HBO series. But what better is word of mouth for a book? So far I have only one complaint about this book. There needs to be a list of characters in the beginning so I can keep track of who's who. Other than that? Nothing else is wrong with it!

The story takes place in a land where summers can last for years as well as winters! (ew! hahaha!) There is a Wall at the North that protects the land from sinister and supernatural forces. The main families in the are the Starks at Winterfell and the Lannisters as well as the King who is married to a Lannister. From what I can deceive so far it is a story between the relationship of the Starks and Lannisters. The Starks are the ones you are hoping only good things befall. The Lannisters? Not so much :) There is another family exiled on an island that have claim to the throne, the young dragon prince. The story contains knights and princess and Kings and Queens; mystery and love and betrayal and honor!

So far the little things are just starting to build to bigger issues. I am learning all the characters and how the mix together and stand on their own. It's a bit of a slower read but it is interesting to keep you occupied! I like it so far, but I will keep you updated!

Sorry, not much of a review but I am curious as to how many of you have read this book or the entire series? Are you geeky too? :)

But man I wish I had HBO to watch the TV show. Though so far the book has only one bedroom scene (not really graphic) the TV show looks a bit more graphic, also consider it is on HBO.

Teal Tuesdays - Dotticure

This week's Tealicure is a Dotticure! Oh so many made up words in the polish world! ;) So today I am showcase a marvelous surprise polish that I received from an amazing wonderful lady (The Crumpet) out of the blue teal. This polish is the base of this Tealicure. It is Fashionista Mystical Dragon Shade 3. Um stunningly gorgeous! And at one coat it was opaque! Woot woot! This is a gorgeous glass flecked duochrome polish.

The duochrome didn't really want to come out and play during the photo shoot, but trust me, it's in there! The polishes for the dots I used are: Cult Nails Let Me Fly (the darkest), OPI Fly (the middle teal dot that almost blends in), p2 Groovy (the medium dot near the tip of the nail), and OPI Skull & Glossbones (the grey dots).

This tealicure is such a fun bright mani thanks to the amazing polish sent to me by The Crumpet! Thank you thank you thank you! She has told me that she too is going to post her mani with it today, so go check out her blog! Also, a little birdie crumpet told me that Gnarly Gnails received this polish and she too is going to use it for her Teal Tuedays tealicure! Awesomesauce! Yep, I sure did just use that word. ;)

Here is Fashionista Mystical Dragon Shade 3 on it's own. See gorgeous! Though it does remind me of some other polishes I own (comparison post to come soon) but the fact that this is only one coat and look at the opacity, makes it a WIN! :)

Teal Tuesdays was started because teal is unloved and needed its own day of celebration!
Teal is a medium to dark bluish green color of low saturation; a dark cyan.
Open to interpretation, anything green with a hint of blue or blue with a hint of green is welcome here!
Aqua, Turquoise,Tiffany Blue, etc etc...all are welcome - we do not discriminate!

Click the Teal Tuesdays logo on this post or in my sidebar to be taken to the facebook page!

Some of the other blogs participating are:
Cherries Sweets
Colorsplash Nails
Gaga for Nails
Fancy Phalanges 
Gnarly Gnails
Geeky Owl
Mandy's Polish
Nails Beautiqued
No Holos!
Persistently Glittery
Simple-and-Beautiful

Monkey See Monkey Do Mondays: Grunge Nails

 

Monkey See Monkey Do Mondays are where we re-create manis from different blogs or pictures we have "pinned" on Pinterest, and link back to the original blogger!

This week I decided to try the Grunge Nail effect. Mine turned out more gory and bloody looking (perfect zombie nails) rather than cute and awesome! But I still like them! And in person they don't look as gory! :)

A slightly different angle of them. I used four different polishes. The green that you see is A England Dragon (I recycled this mani! Yeah me!), Then The bright pink is Finger Paints Leonardo Da Vin-Pink. The purple on top is China Glaze Urban-Night with Orly Prisma Gloss Silver on top for some sparkle. In my head all the colors went together: green, pink, purple, and holo micro glitter! But on the nail and grungified it turned into zombie mess-like nails, oh well, I had fun and learned a new technique! In hindsight, I should have maybe used a top coat to smooth it all out so the glitter didn't make everything all bumpy? Who knows.

I used two different sources for these nails. First off is Neverland Nail Blog's Grunge Nails! (It is her acetone spots that I copied). (click on name or image to be sent to Neverland's blog).

 And I also used NailsAdored's tutorial for the Grunge Effect. (again please click name of blog or picture to be sent to NailsAdored).

See my concept was good, the application of it? Not sure, but I will definitely be trying this technique again! :)

Here is what my nails looked like before the acetone wrecked "havoc". :)

Would you like to join Monkey See Monkey Do Mondays? Click the image below or the one on my side bar.

Check out the ladies that participated in this Monkey See Monkey Do!