Monday Mani: Secret Galaxy by 6 Harts

This one I had a HARD time taking off... in fact, I didn't take it off until I *had* to because my whole pointer finger of polish fell off in the shower.  The tip wear on this was incredible, which is a testament to the high quality of the polishes I used.

Base coat by Northern Polish, two layers Willa by Zoya, two layers Secret Galaxy by 6 Harts, and top coat of Glitter Glaze by Girly Bits.  There is incredible sparkle to Secret Galaxy that I had a difficult time capturing on camera.  Holo only seems to want to be captured when the photo is blurry!  So you'll see that in some of my photos in an effort to show you that super sparkle.  Ignore my poor clean-up job - the macro setting is very kind to point out what the naked eye thought was fine!  All taken under studio lighting on a white background.  Love love love Secret Galaxy!

Let me know what you think of the color in the comments below!

Disclaimer: polishes purchased for my own personal use.  All opinions are my own.  No affiliation with Northern Polish, Zoya, 6 Harts, or Girly Bits.

Monday Mani: Polar Bear Club by Paint Box Polish

I've got some glittery goodness for you! This is a beautiful blue chock full of blue, purple, and green glitters. YUM! This was part of a collab box so the polish is not available by itself, and I think all the boxes are gone now. If you want to get your hands on this beauty, try searching in nail polish sales groups on Facebook or eBay. Check out Paint Box Polish for a lot of other glittery goodness today!

Shade

Shade

Full sun

Shade

Disclaimer:  products were purchased for personal use.  All opinions are my own.  No affiliation with Paint Box Polish.

40 Great Nail Art Ideas: Week 1 Hobbies

I have joined another nail art challenge!  Another great one hosted by Crumpet's Nail Tarts.  I am challenging myself to the one-a-week prompt style.  I typically post manis on Monday, so this'll be an adjustment for me at first.  This week's prompt is hobbies!

Now, I consider myself to have many hobbies.  Crafting has always been my number one, but since I'm living with my parents that's kind of gone on the backburner due to space constraints (and them not being fans of how much room it takes)... plus I wasn't sure how to do nail art on that.  I enjoying cooking and baking, but, there again, haven't been really able to do that since this isn't my house.  I'm slowly getting to where make-up *might* be a hobby; nail polish definitely is, but I have a feeling plenty of other manis will be about that.  And then there's a few hobbies I've mine I've let go dormant: photography, scrapbooking, crocheting....

However, the thing I am most passionate about is animal advocacy: I could easily do it as a full time job.  I currently volunteer for my friend's rescue as well as dedicate my time to being a helicopter mom to three kitties.  I am also the random weirdo in your local pet store teaching you (and sometimes the employees!) about proper pet care while shopping.  While this might not be considered a traditional "hobby," it IS what I am most passionate about right now.  And I could come up with some nail art for it. :)

I used three untrieds from my A Box, Indied stash to create this mani: Pahlish Fields of Gold (March 2015), Contrary Polish When in Rome (Aug 2015), and Different Dimension Witch & Famous (Oct 2015).  In conjunction with some white polish as well as cat vinyl decals I purchased from What's Up Nails, I created a mani inspired by the colorings of my three adorable furbabies.  This came out a little more Halloweenie than I intended, but that's bound to happen when I'm working with polishes I haven't tried on before this.  Also when what's in your head doesn't translate as well as one hoped.

I had some difficulty applying the Contrary Polish.  I am not sure if this is due to it not liking my basecoat or that is simply its consistency.  I have had this issue in the past with Contrary Polish.  While the first coat is streaky and drags, the second coat evens things out.  The Different Dimension I had no difficulties with, although I'm not sure how I feel about the bigger brush.  Pahlish is a brand I'm already familiar with and have quite the stash already, whereas Contrary and DD I'm newly introduced through ABI.

Tell me in the comments below what you think!  And let me know what your favorite hobby is that would inspire your nail art mani!

 pinkie = Maddie

ring = Brandon

middle = Annabelle

pointer is a fun decal :)

Disclaimer: I am in no way affiliated with the polish brands mentioned above.  All opinions are my own.  Polishes were purchased by me for my own personal usage.

An InLinkz Link-up

Monday Mani: Colors by Llarowe in Nice Melons!

Today's handmade polish mani features Colors by Llarowe in Nice Melons! (from the Summer 2014 collection), a 5-free indie nail polish company located in Colorado.

Right now I have nubbins, which I hate, so I decided I needed to celebrate with a nice juicy color before fall sets in here.  I forgot at the time I picked it out, but I've actually already worn this color before.  Doesn't matter, though, because it's SO amazing!  I love me some coral palettes, and Nice Melons! from Colors by Llarowe captures the yumminess of a cantaloupe while also looking coral-y.  In low lights, it leans pink, but in warmer lighting it leans orange.  LOVE IT.  Plus it's *holo* and what's there not to love about that?  Colors by Llarowe applies beautifully on my nails and dries fast with my body chemistry.  As always, I use Zoya Anchor and Zoya Armor as my bottom and top coats, respectfully.

These photos were taken outside on an overcast day to demonstrate the polish's midrange tones of color.

Disclaimer:  All products were purchased with my own money.  All reviews and opinions are my own. Not affiliated with Colors by Llarowe or Llarowe.com.

BKD Signature Takes Giving Back To A New Level

As you all know, the furbaby assistants and I here at BKD Signature like to charitably give back to the animal shelters that have been a part of our lives.  Not only have I volunteered at several shelters, but I would not have been able to rescue my three kitties from the streets if it were not for the help of local shelters.  Over the years, we've run special auctions, promotions, and products that have benefited the various animal shelters we know on a personal level.  Amongst the many things we're researching right now during our down time is how to bring you newer and cooler products.  Among our ideas is a line of polish jewelry dedicated to donating proceeds to our animal charities.  One month after our grand reopening (tba), we're hoping to launch a special line of charity jewelry by teaming up with indie polish makers to create exclusive LE shades. The listing would consist of a special limited edition shade created by an awesome handmade polish maker and a piece of jewelry made by BKD Signature featuring said polish (basically, this listing would consist of two products - polish and necklace - for around $35 USD with 100% of proceeds going to a specific shelter).  Of course, this is all in the brainstorming phase, but we're optimistic we can make it possible! We're hoping to find indie brands eager to collaborate for our idea.  If you are the owner of a handmade nail polish brand interested in learning more about this idea, please leave a comment below or drop us an e-mail!  We anticipate this won't happen for another couple of months, but do realize that brainstorming early is important in order to accommodate for the creative process and testing periods of new polishes.