OPI Live.Love.Carnival and Copacabana Sugar Spun Nails

I thought I posted these a while back, but I couldn't find a post about them. I guess I haven't posted them yet... Anyway, I liked these! These were fun! I kept running my fingers over the cool texture. Although it was hard to have the "sugar" bit dry nicely. Despite my efforts with sprays and stuff, some denting did happening overnight. I made a huge mess that I struggled to clean up. Tape. Must not be lazy and use tape around the edges!

Still, this is giving me ideas for the mani I am about to go off and do! I have a full day ahead of me, for someone who is unemployed. I've already made my first trip to the city and back this morning.

As the title suggest, I used two polishes from the OPI Brazil collection, Copacabana and Live.Love.Carnival.

Attempting Artistic - Leaf Silhouette with acrylic paint on canvas

I have a little collection of canvas that I pick up here and there, with ideas of arty crafty creations in my head. And then I try to execute the image I have in my head, and well, it didn't turn out the best ever.

What  I tried to do here is to paint a base colour, use a leaf as my stencil, and then paint on top. I don't think there is anything wrong with the idea per se, just need some more practice. I think it would be better with some sort of spray paint.

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!

Metalicus Star Knit Jumper - my new favourite jumper

Last Friday I hit my favourite casual wear store, Metalicus. They've ventured into knitwear recently and I'm always in need of warm clothes. Much of that probably stems from the fact I hate winter and wearing all those layers. Wearing big coats and stuff makes me feel like a waddling penguin. 

Usually, when I got to Metalicus, I try to focus on the sale items, but I was drawn to the warm stuff. Luckily I had my $15 loyalty voucher and the sales assistant gave a 30% family and friends discount.

I really do adore this jumper and have been wearing it almost everyday (with a wash in between, of course), it feels comfy, casual, but not too casual, and warm but still stylish. In fact, I am wearing it now! I'd get a backup, but it's sold out now. :(

You can't even find it on their website - it'd defintely not restocking then! It is still up on their Facebook page - I even figured out how to embed their post. Question, should I get the leggings they styled her in to go with my jumper?

Post by Metalicus.

Water marbling experiment

Still going through a backlog of photos. Nothing too exciting about this post. Still working on perfecting the watermarbling technique. Had a few goes with some of the polished my sister hauled for me from the States.

I ended up wearing the yellow and tan one for a couple of days, but it just didn't grow on me and I soon look it off. I don't know why I keep trying this... this look isn't even all that me, way too "hippy" for my style normally.

Ulta3 Polishes: Black and White on Hot Pink Fruit Tingle

I haven't been feeling the intricate nail art lately. I guess all the drama is bringing me down. This is one from a while back now, but I love the combo. And it's a bargain mani, two Ulta3 polishes, at rrp $2, this is $4 worth. Goes I need my inner cheapskate Asian to kick in more often. They're such great little bargains! I have been on a hunt for a nude lipstick. I actually found one nude I liked at Mecca, but they were out of stock. Maybe I should just forget about that one, after all, Ulta3's lippies would be a 10th of the price! I have been playing with the lipsticks and have my eye on their Caramel Kiss (only a tester left at the stand I was playing with).

There's a bit of a story about how this mani came about. As I previously mentioned, I purchased a hot pink Ulta3 polish, called Fruit Tingle. I just had to have hot pink polish after seeing the girl on reception at my gym with pink nails.

From the camera phone - it made it really cool toned for some reason

I have also been on a lookout for black and white dot glitter. I had seen Ulta3's Stop the Press in the bin before. But my sister had said she was going to get the Disney nail polish set which also had a black and white glitter topper, so I didn't grab it. Them it turns out she never went back for the Disney polishes. So I was still short of a black and white glitter topper in my collection. But of course Stop the Press wasn't in the bins I'd scoped out since.

And then my Mum got sick, and long story, I found myself at the hospital's pharmacy, which stocked Ulta3. And in their bin was Stop the Press, which I promptly added to my purchase. It has a fair good glitter payload, that's one coat with some additional dabbing to fill in some gaps.

And so I have my very simple, but visually arresting hot pink nails with black and white dots. Well, they're small hexes, but you can't tell unless your nose is right up at my fingertips!

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.

My Favourite Cupcakes

I found this in my iPad as a failed upload, it's from a while back, the day I locked myself out of the office in fact. About 6 weeks ago, I think.

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My most favouritist cupcake place is mostly definitely Cupcake Central. Look at these gorgeous creations! They have what I call th best icing to cake ratio... And they have filling! Genius, I say!