ABC Challenge: Letter U - Marine, U rock

Hello everybunny!

Ten days ago I spent a weekend with my French family, and it was a blast. Of course, I had taken  a little of my nail gearwith me, and so my cousins (Marine & Laure) and I spent the rainy afternoons home, being girly, chatting and nail-arting :)

For today's installment of the ABC Challenge I am feauturing Marine's nails, of which I have always been secretly jealous [I guess it's not a secret anymore :p]. Marine, U are the star of this post:

For this mani I used two easy coats of Essie Go Overboard as a base. The details were done using another Essie (the name of which I can't remember because it was hers), striping tape and a fine nail art brush. 

But I need to give credit where it's deserved! What you're looking at is the result of team-working: Marine for the nails and patience, Laure for the thumb's cute lace and me for the rest ^^ Yay for family, for such a beautiful model and for a great afternoon!

Take care!

M.

ABC Challenge: Letter T - Astor Tickle my Triangle + Bourjois stickers

Hao everyone!

For today's installment I have Astor's most porn polish: Tickle my Triangle. Seriously though, am I alone in thinking this is sex-related? Despite of its name, I sported a quite understated manicure:

The birds are from Bourjois Easy Nail Art kit that my mama brought me back from Paris ^^ It comes with some striping tape and 92 stickers, and I just love it. Aren't those little black swallows über cute? I love swallows... I will never ever get a tattoo done because I hate even the idea to be bound to something permanently. BUT if John McClane was to point a gun to my face and force me to? I'd have a vintage swallow just like so:

My impression is that the stickers should/could have been flatter; my perfectionist polish-lover eye kept seing the borders of the bird sticking out... But I am sure I was the only one to notice! :)

Do not forget to enter my GIVEAWAY if you're interested in winning Kiko's Sun Pearl Lacquer collection!

Take care,

M.

ABC Challenge: Letter S - OPI Solitaire (Bond Girls Collection) + GIVEAWAY!

Howdy!

I thought I'd hate this textured trend and hey, how wrong was I? I just love it - when there's glitter or shimmer in it. I am still struggling to like "plain" textured polishes. We'll see, maybe time will prove me wrong (again)!

Solitaire, however, has been somewhat of a disappointment. I saw Yun's amazing swatches and fell in love with it, immediately purchased it off eBay, cursed the wait, slapped it on my nails and... meh. It's bumpy, yeah. But it's like a bumpy-fail. Not flat enough to be a classic polish, and not textured enough to be a liquid sand. Am I feeling the downfall because Strawberry Pink was absolutely ahhh-mazing?

On to some exciting news! I have a giveaway for you today! :D I just hit 35.000 visits and I feel like celebrating, so...

If you want to win the 4 polishes of Kiko's Sun Pearl Nail Lacquer Collection, just take your chance here! It's open internationally until June 6, and there will be one lucky winner :) Do you feel tempted?

Not yet? Then maybe you can take a look at my two swatches: River Green and Chili Pepper Red

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Planks a lot!      [Only a lacquer addict could laugh about that!]

M.

ABC Challenge: Letter R - Rhinestones + Essence That's what I mint!

Hey!

Long time no see, huh? BUT I couldn't miss my weekly rendez-vous with you and the lovely ladies participating in the ABC Challenge, riiiight? :)

So here I am, and I promise no cheating today. Letter R stands for rhinestones:

I have to say I loved wearing this manicure. Simple. Clean. Fresh. Elegant. And a little à la Audrey Hepburn; that's what I like to think, at least. 

The base is two easy coats of Essence That's what I mint! I swear the polish was calling me from the stand, like the mermaids singing to Odysseus... except that I am way prettier and that I wasn't tied to a mast... So I succumbed to temptation. Very gladly, I have to say, because it was on sale. WIN!

Take care!

M.

ABC Challenge: Letter Q - Quick Cheat. Illamasqua Loella

Howdy,

First and foremost: I need to confess that this post is a total and complete cheat. I hope I'll benefit from some highly extenuating circumstance when the time comes, ya'll know, the one I'll magically pull out of my lawyerly sleeve [please note the irony].

I had not a single Q named brand or polish, and had not even thought about a quilted mani. I was quite worried, and I actually came up with this title [Quick cheat manicure] while I was asleep and dreaming. Honest. That's how obsessive I am. I am glad I remembered my genius last resort idea... at work. Sometimes my brain worries me...

I hope you will be able to forgive the lack of a true Q-related nail item. Meanwhile, let me introduce you my current NOTW (nail of the week, 'cuz I am busy like that): Illamasqua Loella.

Two coats of the true Barbie pink / bubblegum pink, amiright? Well, I have been avoiding those since forever, but recently caved in and bought me three similar shades. If you cave in, cave in for good, I say! 

I am so glad I surrendered... With my skintone, the color does really pop out while being a classic shade. I wouldn't wear it on longer nails, but that's a particular taste of mine. I also have to admit I'd rather wear this on somewhat shorter nails but hey, I am not chopping my nails because of that. 

M.