Lucy Liu Melbourne for my birthday dinner

I just wanted to share some snaps from my nice birthday dinner and my fun houndstooth nails using the Sally Hansen nail stripes. I picked them up for $5 at a sale a while back. I'm not well practiced,  so it's not the best application, but still really enjoy looking at them! I love houndstooth, but since I can't draw that finely and my stamping skills are non-existent, this is the only way to do it. I'd have picked up more boxes if there was more than one still in the bin!

Mmm... food

The food is, clockwise from top, a schezwan duck, lamb shoulder, ginger creme brulee, soft shell crab pancakes, Collin San (a ginger and lime based cocktail) and eggplant and pork tempura. Not pictured were the duck dumplings... totally forgot to snap that photo! Haha. Failed asian. 

I look rather well and happy there. Doesn't look like I am sick at all. But in actual fact, I became horrendously sick on Friday and instead of going out for my drinks, I had to cancel that at the last minute and laid curled up in bed all day, with rather frequent dashes to the bathroom. That drink is the one and only drink I managed for my birthday, and I was soon tucked back up in bed.

And a proper swatch photo of the nails

Wear Test - Sally Hansen Miracle Gel - B Girl and Top Coat Duo

So I have been eagerly waiting for the Sally Hansen Miracle Gel polishes to be released here since I saw the first look preview on BeautyGeeks. Not so much for me, but for my Mum and sister, who both chip their polish almost instantly after painting! I was walking around the city after gym this afternoon decided to browse the big Priceline store on Bourke St. I found Sally Hansen on sale, including the long awaited Miracle Gel at half price! They are all currently $9.97!

I have to say, this Karen is my favourite swatcher. And she swatched 46/47 of the colours Sally Hansen has released. And she very helpfully tried the top coat over regular polish, and oh my, I can't wait to give that a go too!

I must try to paint earlier in the day, I am not quite convinced they fully cured when I did them on a late afternoon, on a cloudy, winter Saturday.

I ummm'd and ahhh'd between B Girl and Street Flair (which I'd describe as a dusty lilac). I went with B Girl, obviously, but I had to go back for more!

I went back, with my sister this time, the next day. It turns out that the Bourke St mall store was the only one with the new Miracle Gel in duo packs on the shelf. Apparently they were not supposed to come out till after the sale. Needless to say, my sister and I went nuts. We got more gel duos, a gel starter kit and some other regular polishes too.

OPI Ski Teal We Drop and Don't Bossa Nova Me Around gradient toppedwith Sally Hansen Fuzz-Sea fuzzy coat

I have moved out of my funk mood, a little. Things are not great, I'm still pretty stressed financially. But I have some odd casual work that's actually with a lawyer and possibly some leave cover hours at the legal service, so I'd actually be paid. And I am going to make an application for Centeelink, so I should have a trickle of cash coming in. But I think the biggest weight off my shoulders has been actually putting my head down and doing some of my outstanding PLT assignments. Admittedly, it was partly forced, as if I didn't get certain tasks submitted, I'd have to delay he exam. Once I started tackling some of the tasks, the work became a lot less daunting.

Anyway, out of my funk also meant out of the funk in regards to nail art. The gradient with glitter is sort becoming my go-to look. What do you think of this combo? It's OPI Ski Teal We Drop and Don't Bossa Nova Me Around topped with Sally Hansen Fuzz-Sea fuzzy top coat.

And it matches my new Uniqlo jacket. I love this jacket. This and the Metalicus knit has become almost my uniform!

Blue, Blue and Pink: dry marbling/polish dragging simple nail art

As I am house-sitting, I don't have as many polish to choose from as usual. All the polishes here I have purchased in June... I bought a lot of nail polish in June. So much for cutting down because I am not working. Opps! (At least I have so far managed to resist buying the awesome looking neon, holo polishes Celestial Cosmetic released recently?)

The marble effect was best on my right thumb and left ring finger I think

The dry marbling, effect was never really a look that interested me. It looks a bit too hippy, tie-dyed look for my taste. But I wanted something visually interesting but not too fussy. I was limited by the fact that I didn't have any tape or sponges with me. So I figured, what the hell, let's give this technique a go. I used my smallest point dotting tool to do the dragging. 

The polishes I used: Revlon Coastal Surf, Revlon Parfumerie African Tea Rose and Sally Hansen Pacific Blue. And yes, African Tea Rose does smell like roses. Like old school, rose scented soap!

Last day of work, first day of unemployment

I'd barely settled in, just found my feet at work, but now it's come to an end. I will miss many of the people there and the clients. Well, most of them. Anyway, long post, feel free to skip to below.

Not that I've had much time to process anything. My last day of work was, of course, was crazy. It always seems to go nuts on a Friday. Anyway, despite my best efforts, I didn't make it out till almost 6pm. I probably should have gone straight to the house sitting and then to see Mum at the hospital. But I decided I had to go down to Southland for an after work shop. I splashed out a little at David Jones and picked up a very on trend fushia and orange clutch, and two Nail inc polishes. I was a bit hesitant about the blue... After these are not cheap, even on sale, and I'd purchased three blues already this month. But next month is a new financial year and sale would probably be over. I also got my first foil finish. I have some old chrome polishes but pretty sure none of the old hand me downs from over the years are foil.

I did eventually go feed the cat and see my mum. The I decided to try all my different blue polishes. But then it got bed sheet marks. So I redid some of them and collected a bottle of hk girl from home. I made 4 trips to the hospital, mum wanted to go home for things, etc. It was pretty exhausting mentally. But I did finally made it back to the house I'm sitting and fixed all my nails. And I fixed my manicure.

I used, from thumb to pinkie: Nails Inc - Chelsea Bridge Road, Revlon - Coastal Surf, Nails Inc - Kensington Park Road, Sally Hansen - Mermaid's Tale and Sally Hansen - Pacific Blue.

I picked up Pacific Blue purely because the blogosphere was going into a melt down about the reformulation. So I had to know what the original is like. I wasn't specifically after a blue like that, but it's a handy addition to my collection. Mermaid's Tale was a find in Chemist Warehouse for $5. Blue jelly glitter and on sale. I had no choice.

Clearly, I've had no time for anything more than phone/iPad photos. I don't even have my camera with me and the adsl2+ line has been down. Thank goodness I have a data account with the iPad! The Kensington Park Road is more of a neon blue and in real life is more distinguishable from Coastal Surf than this photo would suggest.

31 Day Challenge 2013 - 20 Water Marble

This was only my second attempt to experiment with wate rmarble nails. Despite the air bubbles and bumps, I am calling it a success. GO ME!

I used Ulta3 violet, Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear Turquoise and Mint Sorbet, topped with Sally Hansen Mega Shine top coat.

But of course, I wasn't satisfied with how messy them looked, so I had another go. I still had major trouble getting any sort of pattern, but I did get the air bubbles and smoothness under control. I also decided to protect my sanity a bit and only did two marble nails on each hand.

Getting sidetracked by mini Natio polishes and some Fuzzy Coat

I have developed a habit of walking into pharmacies that I go past to see what polishes they have, particularly if I see a bargin bin.

In today's bargain bin I found some of those Natio mini bottles for $2. I've been curious to try them, so I brought a couple. I was particularly excited to find a mint, called azure, and a moderately light pink, rose. I also purchased a bottle of Sally Hansen's Fuzz Sea, with was discounted to $7.

I was eager to try them, so thought I would use them as the base colour for my next 31 Day Challenge nail (violet). But I was so pleased with the colours that I decided to keep the base colours on its own for a day. Perfect for spring!

Alas, they were quite streaky and sheer, so it took quite a few coats. I was not patient enough to wait for each layer to dry and ended up with too thick polish that my quick dry couldn't quite dry...

Natio - Rose and Natio - Azure

 I also included a photo of the fuzzy coat that I took earlier in the day, on top of a coat of the Azure. The Azure made a great complementary base coat for the Fuzz Sea.

Sally Hansen Fuzzy Coat - Fuzz Sea over a coat of Azure