Springtime Pastels Manicure.

Hey lovely people!

As I promised, here is the outcome of all those polishes that I posted last night...

 

Ta Da!

Okay the list of polishes I used were the following:

- Sally Hansen "Whirlwind White"
- Sinful Colours "Be Happy"
- OPI "You're Such A Budapest"
- Essie "Cascade Cool" (pictured)
- Essie "Navigate Her"
- Essie "Bikini So Teeny"
- Essence "Via Airmail!"
- Essence "Destination Sunshine"

You will also need the following tools:

- Acetone polish remover (for washing out the stippling brush between colours)
- A stippling brush (these can be found at any arts and crafts store that sells painting brushes)
- A cleanup brush (for cleaning around the cuticles)
- A painting palette or a plastic lid (for depositing drops of the polishes onto)

I wanted a look that would match the amazing, sunny spring weather we are getting in Australia and I wanted to try a different method other than the colour blocking, alternating white and pastel stripes.
I use this technique to give a distressed, patchy look on the collectable models that my husband and I create and paint (I'm a geek and proud of it). So I decided to give it a go with polishes instead of acrylics.

Firstly, I applied the clear base coat to protect my nails and give the polish something strong to adhere to. I followed this up by painting two coats of the fast drying "Whirlwind White: as my undies

After the base white was completely dry (this is REALLY important because if the polish is still even slightly wet it will move around and may come off the nail when you start stippling the coloured polishes over the top) I started with my first colour, depositing a small amount of the polish onto my palette and dipped my stippling brush into it and then dabbed it a few times to make sure that there isn't too much of the polish of the brush (if there is too much the polish will turn out as a big blob rather than the watery and textured look that is needed to achieve this manicure).

Next, I gently started stippling the polish in small sections on to each nail until I was happy with the look. I repeated steps one and  two for each colour, sometimes twice in the same spot to crate a stronger pigmentation on some areas, ensuring that there were no white gaps and I was happy with the look I waited for it to dry completely (to prevent any streaking between colours) and then applied a gel-look top coat and quick dry topcoat (both by Essence) and ta da! the manicure was complete!

If you have any questions about this post, please post a comment below and I will do my best to answer it.

Goodnight my lovely ones!

xoxo
Queen Bee

Awesome stuff to come!

Hey lovely people!

I am very excited about the next nailart creation that is coming up on both here and on my instagram account (personal: @princesslea89 and blog: @queenbeepolishes). 

All the polishes required to complete the manicure.

I have come up with an idea of using a technique I use in my hobby model building and painting (I'm a geek and proud of it).

This idea could either look really really cool or fail exponentially... either way I'm going to post the results here first!

Keep your eyes peeled for the outcome!

xoxo
Queen Bee

Swatchfest 2013: Essie Collection Part 4.

Hey Everyone!

The Swatchfest continues so let's get started!

Essie: Demure Vixen.

A really sheer polish that has a subtle purple shimmery glow when light hits it. This polish would be perfect for someone who needs to have naked nails for work/school but wants to cheat (I don't know about others but I can't stand to have naked nails for too long!). It can also be used as a top coat for other polishes. It is fairly easy to apply because there is no need to worry about streaks or patchiness. The formula has an amazing drying time with a really smooth consistency.

Essie: Hot Coco.

This gorgeous creamy brown really does resemble a warm hot chocolate and is perfect for a manicure to warm you up on a cold winter's day. It has a thin consistency with a quite disappointing application. I don't know whether it was the way that I was applying the polish but I found it quite hard to get it to look consistent on my nails. I needed to use quite a few coats to stop it from looking streaky and patchy, also the drying time was a bit average. Despite this I still love the colour and the fact that it looks really glossy once applied. I was left feeling a bit undecided about this one.

Essie: Smoking Hot. 

This perfect winter shade is a creamy grey with a hint of purple mixed in. This polish makes me feel really sophisticated and I received a number of positive comments during the time that I wore it. It looks amazingly glossy so there wasn't really any need to apply a top coat, it has an amazing drying time is opaque in three coats and perfect for those girls who are rocking nubbins. This one will definitely be one of my favourite go-to's.

Essie: Decadent Diva.

This metallic maroon polish contains an additional fine copper glitter that shows up spectacularly in the sun. It is slightly sheer but can become opaque if you apply a decent number of coats which is easy because of the thin formula. The copper sheen is clearer than can be seen once applied to the nail. This polish is another one that you could seriously rock if your nails tend to be on the short side (like mine lol!).

That's all for now so keep your eyes peeled for the next instalment! 

xoxo
Queen Bee.

Swatchfest 2013: Essie Collection Part 3.

Hey Everyone!

I am slowly getting through the Essie portion of the challenge. As my favourite 'luxury' brand, my Essie certainly is a large portion of it.

Anyway, on to the reviews!

Essie: Cascade Cool.

A gorgeous creamy hot pink which borders on a Barbie pink (not that it's a bad thing, we all love Barbie hey?). It is really easy to apply with a smooth formula that has an incredible drying time that is even yet slightly sheer (the tips of the nail are slightly visible through the polish). I used two coats plus topcoat for the image above.

This colour would look amazing on all skin types from a gorgeous tan to a smooth pale (like mine) I find it hard to find pinks that suit my complexion but this one fits the bill.

Essie: Fiji.

First of all I have to say I FREAKING love this polish. It has to be one of my all-time favourites and a definite go-to over and over again.

It is an incredible, soft light pink creme pastel that has a really impressive colour intensity. I only used three coats plus topcoat for the image above (the third coat isn't necessary but I used it to ensure even coverage for the photos). This pastel pink is a gorgeous colour that is perfect for a soft, girly look (and also perfect for a wedding manicure!).

Essie: Haute As Hello.

This creamy orange makes for a good statement nail or undies for nail art. I originally purchased this polish for nail art but have slowly grown to like it more and more each time I wear it. As much as I like this colour on me, I have no doubt that it would look amazing on a tan complexion. This polish has an incredibly strong pigment and as I applied it I noticed that it didn't apply patchy (like some other Essie pastels).

There are two things that I should mention though, first one it that the formula dries semi-matte (I don't know whether this is because I used a matte base coat but I would love to hear you experiences with it). The second is that it does dry darker than in the bottle. Neither of these should be the reason that you don't give this polish a try, it's worth it!

Essie: Braziliant.

The first time I saw this polish on the rack at the store I had to buy it because it was so unique. It is an extremely bright burnt orange with an orange shimmer that is strong on the nails. It has a smooth, easy application and is opaque in two coats. I am using this polish for nail art as I find it way too bold and intense for my skin tone but this colour is perfect for someone who likes to make a statement.

Well, I'm signing off to do some more swatches so that I can bring them to you!

Love you all!
xoxo
Queen Bee

Swatchfest 2013: Essie Collection Part 2.

Hey lovely people!

This post is a continuation of Swatchfest 2013. I am really enjoying doing this challenge because I am finding some amazing gems that I have previously overlooked.

To add to the challenge, I have decided to go on a self-enforced no-buy until I have completed Swatchfest. This will be a real challenge in itself because (as most of you fellow nail addicts can understand) I have a serious polish buying problem.

So, now on to the reviews!

Essie: Lilacism.

This gorgeous, girly polish is a light purple pastel with subtle grey undertones which is absolutely perfect for a spring manicure or simply a mani to brighten your day and make you feel a little girly. The formula is amazing, it goes on the nail really smoothly with no patchiness and it has an impressive amount of pigmentation. It is completely opaque in as little as two coats. I would definitely recommend this polish for those looking for a softer look or just those that want their manicure to make them feel girly.

Essie: Navigate Her.

Firstly, I have to admit that my husband (being the dirty minded male that he is) absolutely cracked up when he first heard the name of this polish. Personally, I don't see what he finds so hilarious. Anyway, on to the actual serious review.
Navigate Her is a strong khaki green creme pastel. It is incredibly pigmented, needing a maximum of two coats to become completely opaque. Personally, I didn't really like this colour against my pale skin tone (seriously, my skin hasn't properly seen sunlight in over a year, let alone become tanned). But this is most certainly won't be the case with everyone, I'm just stating my personal experience, I encourage everyone to give it a go if you want to. the formula applies beautifully with an amazingly even coverage. I would recommend this polish for those that don't mind doing things a little different.

Essie: Bikini So Teeny.
 

I have to admit that this polish was a HUGE lemming of mine and still remains as my favourite Essie polish, so much that I have three bottles (oops!). This gorgeous polish is a creamy sky blue with a slight blue to silver shimmer. It doesn't apply evenly for the first coat (as I find is the case for most Essie polishes) but after 2-3 coats it is completely even and opaque. I love this polish because it give a freshness that I really look for in a summer polish. I don't like wearing dark polishes during summer as I find that they can drag down a colourful summer outfit. Also, sadly the shimmer that is so strong in the bottle sort of disappears on the nail but then also gives it more of a lightening effect.

Anyway lovelies, keep your eves peeled for the next instalment in this challenge.

Love you all!
xoxo
Queen Bee

Swatchfest 2013: Essie Collection Part 1.

Hey lovely people!

If you read my last post you would know that I am undertaking the challenge of Swatchfest 2013 (a.k.a. swatch every polish in my current collection). So here is my first entry of many... this is gonna be interesting!

Essie: To Buy Or Not To Buy.

This polish is an absolutely gorgeous lavender creme with a subtle blue and purple shimmer which compliments and brightens the polish although it doesn't show up much on the nails. This polish requires at least 3 coats to get it appearing smooth and opaque as the formula is very sheer and slightly streaky on the first couple of layers (like the majority of Essie pastel and lighter polishes). Overall I'm impressed with this polish and am going to continue using it.

Essie: Absolutely Shore.

This polish is a gorgeous light pastel green. I found the formula a bit disappointing, it was hard to get an even consistency causing bad streaking. You will also need at least three coats in order to get it opaque. I love the way it looks with my (very) light skin, normally greens make me look jaundiced but this one it kinda cute. Despite the problems with the formula I kind of like it, it won't be one of my frequently reoccurring polishes but I will use this one again, maybe for an accent nail or undies for a design.

Essie: Mint Candy Apple.

I have to admit, this polish was a lemming of mine for a LONG time. I instantly fell in love with the gorgeous fresh colour and it looks AMAZING against my (very light) skin. The formula of this polish is absolutely amazing, it is has a really easy application, no streaks at all and is opaque in two thin coats. I absolutely love this polish and will for a very long time, this colour is one of my top 10 polishes and I will wear it over and over.

Keep your eyes peeled for another Swatchfest 2013 post.

xoxo
Queen Bee