Nails by Kayla Shevonne: June 2012

Friday, June 29, 2012

Elemental Styles - 54 Xenon: Warrior Princess

Good morning!

Today I have an indie creation by Elemental Styles to show you!

54 Xenon: Warrior Princess is from the recent Noble Gases Collection and it's a clear base packed with matte pink, purple and white glitters. The purple and white glitters are the same size, but the pink glitter pieces are slightly smaller and more densely concentrated in the polish.

For my swatch, I layered one coat over China Glaze Sweet Hook from the Electropop Collection. I think this is a great combination, but my camera on the other hand, did not agree with me. For some reason, it had a really tough time focusing properly on the mani, so my photos aren't quite as crisp as I would like. Sorry about that, guys.

The formula and application of this polish were quite nice - the glitter coverage was consistent and I didn't have to do any placing. I also didn't have to fish through the bottle to get any of the glitters on my brush.

I quite like this polish and I think it has the potential to be rather versatile. For example, with the layering combination I chose, it's feminine and sort of delicate. However, if you were to try this over let's say ... a hot pink, that would amp it up quite a bit and I still think it would look awesome!

Elemental Styles polishes can be purchased through the -->Elemental Styles Etsy shop -->. Xenon: Warrior Princess is not currently in stock, but you can keep up with stock dates and other information via the .

What do you guys think of Xenon: Warrior Princess? What would you layer it with?

Thursday, June 28, 2012

Tropical Toucan Nail Art

Hey guys!

Today I have some fun tropical nail art for you! I found this really cute image of a toucan and decided to incorporate it into a nail art design.

I freehanded the majority of the design, but I decided to also include some stamping as well! I don't stamp often, but I really should do it more so that I can work on perfecting my technique.

The base colour for this design is OPI Did It On 'Em from the Nicki Minaj Collection. I thought this was a good tropical-looking shade to set the tone of this manicure.

The colours I used to freehand the toucan and his branch include Wet 'n' Wild Black Creme, OPI Alpine Snow, China Glaze Foie Gras, China Glaze Lemon Fizz and China Glaze High Hopes

Finally, using China Glaze Starboard, I stamped the leaf image from BM15 on my thumb, ring and pinky finger nails.

Surprisingly, the toucan itself wasn't as hard to draw as I thought it was going to be. I just focused on one shape at a time (the body, the beak, etc) and before I knew it, it was complete!

So what do you guys think of my toucan design? I'm quite proud of this design, if I do say so myself!

Wednesday, June 27, 2012

Glitter Gal - Soft Blue

Good morning!

Today I have one of the new Glitter Gal Transitions colours to show you! Many of you know Glitter Gal from their great holo shades, but they also offer an array of other finishes as well.

The polish I'm showing you today, Soft Blue, is from the new line of Transitions colours. In the bottle it looks like a milky, pearly white shade with just a hint of blue. However, it looks entirely different when layered.

This is one coat of Soft Blue over a black creme. As you can see, it morphs into a bright, almost metallic blue colour! It's a tad streaky, but not too bad.

I had no issues with formula or application - Soft Blue applied quite easily and consistently. Oh and don't mind the imperfection on my middle nail - that was my bad. I smudged the black polish underneath, so that affected the end result.

I didn't bother showing you this on its own, but if that's something you'd like to see, let me know and I'll edit this post with a swatch of Soft Blue on its own. I did apply it to one nail on my right hand just to see what it looked like and frankly, it looks exactly like you would expect it to based on bottle shots - milky, pearly, on the sheer side, and with a slight flash of blue.

I would like to mention that I really like Glitter Gal's new 15ml bottle design! It's quite classy looking and the shape means that it stores really nicely, which is strangely very important to me.

Soft Blue, along with the rest of the Glitter Gal range can be bought through Ninja Polish. The Transitions line retails for $17.95 per bottle.

The product(s) in this post were provided by the manufacturer or their PR in exchange for an honest review.

Tuesday, June 26, 2012

Citrus Slice Half Moons

Hey guys!

I've had this idea in my inspiration book for ages now (yes, I have a small notepad where I write down ideas for nail art, and it comes everywhere with me - you never know when inspiration might hit!), and I finally got around to doing it last night.

Fruit themed nails are always a popular choice during the summer months, so I decided to incorporate a fruit themed design with a half moon design.

To create this design, I followed my own tutorial for making perfect half moons. Then, I used a striping brush and some white polish to freehand the details of the lemon and lime slices. Super simple!

Obviously I'm enjoying the double accent nail trend that's going around, and I can see myself using this a lot in my upcoming nail art designs.

Oh and for anyone who's wondering, the colours I used are Orly Fresh and Color Club Almost Famous. I decided to go with Almost Famous on the non-accent nails, simply because I preferred the formula of that one.

What do you guys think of my citrus half moons?

And don't forget to enter my Nail-Venturous giveaway! It ends in one week!

Monday, June 25, 2012

Lush Lacquer - Chubby Checker

Hey guys!

Today I have another Lush Lacquer creation to show you! This one is called Chubby Checker and it's a sheer pink base with small iridescent glitter and a mix of black and white glitter. There's small black and white squares, large black and white squares, and black hexes in both medium and large.

I normally show you indies in layering combinations, but given the tinted base of this shade, I decided to show it to you on its own.

This is 2 thin coats of Chubby Checker without top coat. As you can see, I was able to get a nice mix of all of the glitter sizes on my nails and I didn't have to do much placing for that. The formula was on the thick side, but it wasn't difficult to work with.

I think that personally, I would prefer this shade in a layering combination than on its own. I think that the pink base will look much nicer against a background of pink polish than against the background of a natural nail, but that might just be me. If you do choose to use this in a layering manicure, I would suggest layering it over a one coater (or a thin two coater) polish because otherwise things can start to get thick really quick with all of the layers of polish.

I'm sure some of you will prefer the sheer look of this - it's a work appropriate colour, but you get that special kick of uniqueness with the mix of black and white glitter! Personally, I prefer more opaque shades, so the next time I use this will be in a layering combo.

Chubby Checker, along with many other fun glittery shades can be purchased via Lush Lacquer's Etsy shop. Chubby Checker is currently in stock in the full (15 ml) size for $8.75 USD. You can also purchase Chubby Checker in the mini (5 ml) size.

The 8 mini Lush Lacquer's I purchased should be arriving soon, so you'll be seeing many of their new shades in upcoming posts!

The product(s) in this post were provided by the manufacturer or their PR in exchange for an honest review.

Sunday, June 24, 2012

Neon Brush Stroke Nail Art

Hey guys!

I have been so focused lately on swatching all of my new indie polishes that I haven't posted any nail art in a while! Well, today I have some for you!

I purchased a new clutch recently (on sale!) and it features a mix of neon pink, yellow and blue colours that mix together to form a sort of random brush stroke-y look. I was immediately inspired by the colours and the pattern, so I decided to make a nail design out of it!

As you can see, I decided to try the double accent nail that I've been seeing around nail blogs a lot lately (most notably, from Sarah of Chalkboard Nails). The back of the clutch is just the solid blue colour, so that's what I chose to do on my remaining nails.

All of the neon colours I chose are by China Glaze, and two of them are from the recent Summer Neons Collection (I really love this collection!). The blue is China Glaze Ride the Waves, the pink is China Glaze Shocking Pink and the yellow is China Glaze Sun-Kissed. I think these colours match the colours of my clutch quite well!

And here's the clutch that provided the inspiration for this design. For anyone who's wondering where I got it, it's from Spring. I really love it, especially since I got it for just a little over $10! It also comes in another mix of colours and I might just have to go back and pick that one up as well.

And here are my nails with the clutch! What do you guys think? Did I do a good job of emulating the pattern on my nails?

Saturday, June 23, 2012

Haul - China Glaze, Illamasqua & Elemental Styles

Hey guys!

Today I have a quick haul post to show you some new pretties that I got this week!

I feel like I've been pretty good lately - I've turned away from many of the new collections (China Glaze Crackle Glitters, OPI New York City Ballet Collection, OPI The Amazing Spiderman Collection, etc) and I've only been buying polishes that I really want.

First up is the majority of the China Glaze On Safari Collection, which is the new Collection for Fall 2012. Since I get China Glaze at such a good price with my pro discount, I usually pick up entire collections regardless of if I truly want them and regardless of if I already have similar shades, or even dupes. However, this time I was good and left 2 shades at the store (Adventure Red-y and Prey Tell).

I'm Not Lion, Purr-fect Plum, Kalahari Kiss, Desert Sun, Exotic Encounters

Elephant Walk, Jungle Queen, Call of the Wild, Man Hunt, I Herd That

Next are 4 Illamasqua shades that my dad generously brought home to me from his recent vacation in Florida! I can't wait to do the gorgeous Illamasqua ruffian manicure with Nomad and Stance!

Nomad, Stance, Phallic, Kink

And finally, I picked up 4 -->Elemental Styles --> polishes from the new Noble Gases Collection. These 4 shades were on my wishlist, so I'm glad to be able to knock a few more things off of that.

54 Xenon: Warrior Princess, 10 Neon Lights, 18 Ar-gon with the Wind, 2 Sexual Hel-ium

What do you think of my new goodies? Is there anything you'd like to see swatches of first?

P.S. I haven't posted any nail art in a while, but I have some scheduled to post tomorrow! Keep an eye out!

Friday, June 22, 2012

Dandy Nails - Come Out and Play

Hey guys!

Today's post was actually supposed to go up yesterday, but I scheduled it for the wrong day. Oops! I didn't realize the mistake until late yesterday evening, so I just decided to postpone it until today.

Anyways, today I have another indie creation for you! This one is by Dandy Nails and it's called Come Out and Play - a fuchsia-purple jelly with small white glitter mixed throughout.

My swatch of Come Out and Play is 2 coats without top coat. The texture is a little uneven due to the glitter, but that would be easily fixed with a coat of top coat.

The formula is quite nice and the glitter coverage was even and consistent - no placing of these glitters!

I love that Come Out and Play is its own jelly sandwich! Some of the glitters sink into the base, while others sit on top, giving the polish a lot of depth.

Dandy Nails polishes can be purchased through the Dandy Nails Etsy shop and they retail for $8.00 USD each. All colours are currently sold out, but you can keep up with stock dates and other information via the .

What do you guys think of this shade by Dandy Nails?

Wednesday, June 20, 2012

Candeo Colors - Jellybean

Hey guys!

Today I have another Candeo polish for you and this is one that I'm quite excited to show you. It's called Jellybean and it is a pale greenish yellow jelly base with a fun mix of glitter throughout. The glitter consists of small lime green, pink and bright green pieces, as well as medium sized purple, pink and bright blue hexes.

For my swatch, I layered one coat of Jellybean over two coats of China Glaze Lemon Fizz, which I think is the absolute perfect base for Jellybean.

Of course, Lemon Fizz is a straight up yellow, so it does hide the hint of green in the base of Jellybean (you can refer to my bottle shots below to see what I mean). If you would prefer to see more of that greenish tint, I would suggest layering Jellybean over something like China Glaze Electric Pineapple.

The formula and application of Jellybean were quite nice. I didn't have to fish for any of the glitters, nor did I have to place them on my nails. I did find that the glitter would settle at the bottom of the bottle after a while, but that was nothing that I couldn't fix with a quick shake of the bottle.

I really liked this manicure - I think it has a sort of speckled egg look to it. In fact, I decided to leave it on after swatching and I've received several compliments on it so far!

Candeo polishes can be purchased through the Candeo Colors website and they retail for $8.00 USD each. Everything on the site is currently sold out, but you can keep up with stock dates and other information via the .

What do you guys think of this shade by Candeo?

Tuesday, June 19, 2012

I'm Back! Malware Warning is Gone!

Hey guys!

I just wanted to let you know that Nails by Kayla Shevonne is back up and running and that there are no viruses associated with my site.

Basically, what happened is that a site on my blog roll was hacked and because my site linked to the hacked one, Google flagged my site as dangerous. A lot of bloggers were able to simply delete their blog rolls before their site was flagged, but mine was flagged before I had the chance. So, I deleted my blog roll and I waited for Google to review my site (which took several agonizing days).

Finally, I got a clean bill of health from Google today and I can now get back to posting! I'll have a post for you first thing tomorrow morning, in fact.

Because of this issue and you all not being able to access my site for several days, I will be extending the end date of my Nail-Venturous giveaway. So, the giveaway will now end on July 4th instead of the original June 30th.

Talk soon guys!

P.S. I want to thank each and every one of you who took the time to email me about the malware warning. It did get overwhelming given my frustration with the issue, but it's so nice to know that so many of you have my back and want to visit my site. Thank you!

Saturday, June 16, 2012

Tutorial - DIY Nail Polish Magnets

Hey guys!

Before I started making my own polish jewelry, I started off by making magnets! I really only started making these for practice, but I ended up liking them, so on my fridge they remain!

The magnets I made are completely DIY, which means that I started from absolute scratch and actually created the cabochons (as opposed to starting with a blank, pre-made glass cabochon, like I and most others do for nail polish jewelry). So, today I'll be showing you how to make your own polish magnets from scratch! It's actually a simple process and you get to create some really unique pieces to show off in your home!

Keep reading for the instructions!

Portugese Swap - Chanel, Essence, and More

Hey guys!

One of the polishes that's been on my wishlist the longest is Chanel Peridot. There are many dupes out there, but nothing ever seemed to quite compare to the real thing for me.

Recently, OPI released a supposed dupe with their new The Amazing Spiderman Collection and I thought that I would give that a try since I get OPI for a pretty good price with my pro discount. Without going into too much detail (I'll do that in a future post), I hated the OPI version.

Luckily, I was recently contacted by a reader named Maria who had found a bottle of Peridot and was interested in a swap! She was in search of some China Glaze since the brand isn't available to her, so I of course said yes!

Along with my huge lemming of Peridot, Maria also sent me some other fun polishes!

Rimmel Disco Ball, Chanel Peridot, Essence Blue Addicted (which seems like a possible dupe of Deborah Lippmann Across the Universe), Maybelline Colorama Sugar Crystals, Andrea Fullerton Rain Fall

I'm really excited to try all of these out! In return, I sent Maria several China Glaze polishes, as well as a Nicole by OPI polish (I can't name them because she hasn't received them yet and I want them to be a surprise)!

I really enjoyed this international swapping experience! I definitely need to swap more often.

Thanks Maria! I can't wait for you to receive your goodies!

Wednesday, June 13, 2012

Nail Art Tutorial - Fish Scales

Good afternoon!

Today I have another tutorial for you! Tutorials are always my most requested posts, so I'm happy to know that you enjoy them.

Today's tutorial is for this fish scale design that was originally inspired by an outfit worn by Nicki Minaj in her Super Bass video. However, this is a versatile design, so you can easily switch up the colours to separate it from the video reference if you prefer.

To refresh, here's the look I'll be showing you how to achieve:

Keep reading for the step-by-step tutorial!

Lush Lacquer - Slime Time

Hey guys!

Today I have another Lush Lacquer shade for you! This one is called Slime Time and it's a sheer lime green base with a mix of several different glitters throughout. The glitters consist of large and small gold squares, large white squares, small blue hexes, as well as a fine iridescent glitter.

Since I'm trying to show you different layering combinations with my indie swatches, I decided to use some simple colour blocking nail art as the base for Slime Time.

The colours I used for the colour blocking are China Glaze I'm With the Lifeguard and China Glaze Splish Splash - both of which are from the Summer Neons Collection. I topped the colour blocking off with just one coat of Lush Lacquer Slime Time.

The formula of Slime Time is on the thick side, but it's very easy to work with. And because it's jam packed with glitter, you really only need one coat when using this as a layering polish. Furthermore, I didn't have to "fish" for any of the larger glitters, nor did I have to place them on my nails.

Overall, this is another big winner from Lush Lacquer. It's a rather complex polish and it's incredibly unique in my collection. I'm actually regretting my recent purchase of mini polishes from them because now I want all of my Lush Lacquers to be full sizes!

Slime Time, along with many other fun glittery shades can be purchased via Lush Lacquer's Etsy shop. Slime Time is currently in stock in the full (15 ml) size for $8.75 USD. You can also purchase Slime Time in the mini (5 ml) size.

The product(s) in this post were provided by the manufacturer or their PR in exchange for an honest review.

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And on a completed unrelated note: Have you entered my giveaway?
Did you know that you can use the "Tweet About the Giveaway" option on the form to earn 5 extra entries EVERY DAY? Go ahead, get yourself more entries!

Friday, June 29, 2012

Elemental Styles - 54 Xenon: Warrior Princess

Thursday, June 28, 2012

Tropical Toucan Nail Art

Wednesday, June 27, 2012

Glitter Gal - Soft Blue

Tuesday, June 26, 2012

Citrus Slice Half Moons

Monday, June 25, 2012

Lush Lacquer - Chubby Checker

Sunday, June 24, 2012

Neon Brush Stroke Nail Art

Saturday, June 23, 2012

Haul - China Glaze, Illamasqua & Elemental Styles

Friday, June 22, 2012

Dandy Nails - Come Out and Play

Wednesday, June 20, 2012

Candeo Colors - Jellybean

Tuesday, June 19, 2012

I'm Back! Malware Warning is Gone!

Saturday, June 16, 2012

Tutorial - DIY Nail Polish Magnets

Thursday, June 14, 2012

Portugese Swap - Chanel, Essence, and More

Wednesday, June 13, 2012

Nail Art Tutorial - Fish Scales

Tuesday, June 12, 2012

Lush Lacquer - Slime Time