I started this mani without any intention to do art on it because it's not the weekend and I can't wear fun manis to work. I was actually kind of toeing the line of appropriateness with Bear Pawlish Barely Bloomed since it's got so much holo sparkle to it. However, I figured I'd be ok since I don't go outside much and the holo wouldn't be too noticeable inside my dungeon of an office. But before I talk about nail art in the middle of the work week (naughty, naughty) let's talk about this gorgeous polish!
Barely Bloomed is a neutral pink with a linear holo. I bought it thinking I could wear it at work because it's a very subtle and dainty pink but still has a bit of fun and excitement with the holo sparkle going on! It was opaque in two coats but I added a third on a few nails because my polishing game wasn't on point that day. I did find the formula to get kind of thick and goopy toward the end of my mani. The first coat went on beautifully smooth, but by the time I got to the second coat on my right hand it was getting hard to work with. Maybe I should have stopped and shook it up a bit? I had the same issue with Bear Pawlish Jabberwocky, too. I'll have to do more troubleshooting next time I use these polishes.
I topcoated with IMN Out the Door quick dry top coat instead of my trusty Seche Vite. Pause for a second and bear with me while I talk about the topcoat; I promise, there will be more pretty sparklies in a bit. I love Seche Vite because it dries and hardens mega/hella/wicked fast, which is crucial when you've got a toddler running around. Anyone with a toddler knows the Law of Poop, namely, as soon as you finish your mani your kid is going to poop and need a diaper change. With Seche, this is no problem because by the time you chase him down and get him ready for the diaper change your nails are dry! Not to mention, Seche is super glossy and doesn't smear nail art.
Enough about my love affair with Seche, I'm supposed to be talking about Out the Door. I wanted to try something different for my weekday manis because Seche tends to shrink (even with a good tip-wrap) and chip after a day or two. Normally this chipping doesn't bother me because I only keep my polish on for the weekends, but when I'm trying to get a mani to last all week, chipping is no bueno. I had heard good things about Out the Door, so I figured I'd give it a whirl. The first thing I noticed is it doesn't smell as strongly as Seche does, so if you're looking for that lovely polish high from the fumes, this isn't the way to go. Just kidding, the lack of pungent smell is actually quite pleasant. It's also much thinner than Seche which takes some getting used to, but isn't unworkable by any means. It doesn't appear to be as high-gloss as Seche, which I kind of prefer because I'm going for subtle at work, not see-my-reflection-in-my-nails shiny. It does not dry as quickly, but it's not unbearably slow (assuming there's no poopy toddler involved). So far, though, this top coat's bread and butter is longevity. I don't have any shrinkage or chipping, which would not be true if I was wearing Seche right now.
The TL;DR version: I'll be keeping Seche Vite for my nail art and weekend manis but Out the Door is going to be my new weekday go-to!
If you stuck with me through that rambling mess, you deserve some sparkles! Here's Barely Bloomed taken with flash in all her holo glory:
What's more exciting than a holo polish you can wear to work? Holo stamping polish, of course! M Polish was awesome enough to do a group custom for her M Polish Lovers facebook fan group! This beauty, Berry Best Friends, should be listed as the 8th Wonder of the World. It's the things dreams are made of. The pigmentation is divine, the coverage is impeccable, and the color and holo are to die for. I used plates 79 and 93 from the Pueen Buffet Leisure set to come up with this masterpiece.
And the macro:
Look at that holo-on-holo action. Are you done salivating now? It's ok, I'll give you a moment. Alright. Now that we've regained our composure, I'll leave you with something amusing. Just for shiggles, I decided to play around with some coffee stamps. Probably not the best idea after consuming copious amounts of the beverage; having the caffeine shakes while doing nail art is a recipe for awfulness. Using uberchic beauty 2-01, M Polish Berry Best Friends and Dancing in the Streets, and my FabUrNails stamper, I created this...thing. My stamp placement is awful but it's the thought that counts, right?
That just serves as a reminder that not all manis are created equal. I hope I was able to add to your lolz collection with that one!
-twp
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