SpaRitual Aurum

SpaRitual Aurum: now, who couldn't find it in their heart to love a gold as outrageously luminous as this one? It positively glows. Pure liquid awesome. 

And can you tell that I'm still posting manicures from the holidays? I just thought Aurum was a perfect match to this shiny metallic gold bow. 

A-England Dorian Gray and Lush Lacquer Lite Brite

Here's a look at a combination I did back in January: A-England's Dorian Gray with Lush Lacquer's Lite Brite layered overtop. First up, here are a couple pictures of Dorian Gray by itself:

Dorian Gray is a charcoal metallic grey, opaque in two coats. It has a somewhat pearly finish, and at first I thought it might show a few frosty brushstrokes, but after drying it looked pretty smooth. Overtop I layered Lush Lacquer's Lite Brite, an extremely punchy and vibrant glitter topcoat; I can spot big magenta metallic glitters, small turquoise squares, various orange, blue, and purple glitters, along with some tiny silver speckles. Overall, it's a really fun and high impact layering glitter. Highly recommend.

As I mentioned, I originally wore this manicure earlier in the year, and at the time I happened to be visiting Banff and Lake Louise. While sight-seeing around the Chateau Lake Louise, we were lucky enough to have a look at some amazing ice sculptures that had been carved as part of an ice-scupting competition. There were so many incredible and intricate sculptures- here's a look at one (with a pretty stunning backdrop, to boot).

OPI - The Man With The Golden Gun

Tonight I've got OPI's The Man With The Golden Gun topcoat to share with you- while I couldn't justify shelling out the cash for this myself, I was pretty thrilled to find it in my stocking at Christmas. The gold flakes aren't very dense in this- what you see below is one coat over Zoya Marley. This is a pretty Easter look, but next time I think I'll try this over a darker colour (although I think I'll wait for a semi-special occasion... I can't help but think plastering gold leaf on your nails requires a special event- I guess grocery shopping doesn't quite count). 

I kind of think this is worth it based on the shiny golden bottle alone- it's like a trophy! Definitely the ideal gift for a nail fanatic. Did you buy into the gold flake topcoat trend this past season?

Sally Hansen Lustre Shine - Scarab

After looking high and low, I finally managed to get my hands on some of the Sally Hansen Lustre Shines (it always seems to take forever for these displays to show up in Canada). Today I've got Scarab to show you; this is a lovely blue-green metallic shimmer with a modest duochrome shift. My photos don't quite convey how intensely bright and eye-catching this was in person. It might not be the most unique polish, but there's no need to mess with a good thing, right? 

Did you pick up any of the Sally Hansen Lustre Shines?

Merry Christmas! Sally Hansen Nail Strips in Prep's Cool

It's rare that I post a manicure on the actual day I happen to be wearing it, but tonight you're getting my *actual* Christmas manicure. Sally Hansen Nail Strips in Prep's Cool are currently adorning my nails, and I couldn't be happier. I actually picked this up last year, but have been saving it for a special occasion; this Christmas certainly qualifies! Not only were these relatively easy to apply, but they look amazing. I'm thrilled with the pattern, and as always, the wear time is second to none. Because we're travelling a bit this holiday, this was the perfect choice- no need to worry about repairing a chipped manicure, and I get about a solid week of wear from the metallic Sally Hansen nail strips before any major flaws show up. I do slap a coat of Seche Vite overtop, and that seems to help ensure extra long wear time (not to mention making my manicure brilliantly shiny). 

And some obligatory manicure pics + seasonal props:

Merry Christmas, dear readers! I hope you're all having a good one.

My Birthday Manicure- Zoya Caitlin and Essie Stroke of Brilliance

Although my birthday was actually at the end of November, I'm just getting around to sharing my birthday manicure with you now. Well, better late than never, because this is a really good one!

I decided to layer a gradient of Essie Stroke of Brilliance (a gorgeous smokey metallic blue glitter that I've been dying to get my hands on for ages) over Zoya Caitlin (a demure blue-grey). I'm absolutely smitten with the tone-on-tone creme + glitter combination of steely blues.

Zoya Caitlin by itself:

I really loved wearing this, and left it on for several days (an achievement for me, seeing as how I usually have a very short lacquer attention span). I thought this was a very "chic" glitter manicure; subtle and elegant, but still reflective and sparkly- it definitely caught the light in intriguing ways.

What did you think of my birthday manicure?

A few festive Pirate Polish manicures!

I'm getting into the Christmas mood (Christmas music, baking cookies, wrapping presents...), and I wanted to share a few festive manicures I've done lately using some of the Pirate Polish Holiday Collection lacquers. 

Joyeux Noel, layered over a silver foil (Sally Hansen Celeb City); this one is a strong candidate for official Christmas Day manicure.

Holiday Glow, layered over Essie No More Film (which is my go-to for layering lately- it's perfect in just one coat). I love how rich and luxurious this looks.

And finally, Christmas Tree In Blue; it makes me think of snowy blue Christmas trees. A nice image!

And that's what I've got to share with you today, along with a reminder that December 10 is the last day to place an order destined for the US or Canada that will (likely) arrive before Christmas Day. So if anyone is looking to order some Christmas polishes, check the Pirate Polish Etsy shop out soon! As always, you can also find Pirate Polish on Facebook.

Thanks for looking, and happy holidays!

The cutest manicure I've ever sported!

Yes indeed, I have for you today... *drumroll*... the absolute cutest manicure I've ever worn. This is a base of Lime Crime Milky Ways, topped with adorable metallic gold nail art water decals featuring a chubby waving cat, gold coins, and a fish blowing bubbles. Maybe they're lucky coin bubbles. I'm not really sure, but I like it! 

I'm not sure what the character on the thumb means, so if anyone reads Chinese language, please enlighten me!

A close up of the cute fish:

Aww, roly-poly waving cat!

What do you think of my ultra-cute manicure? I have to admit, I think this is my favourite experience with nail decals yet. They're easy to use, lie flat on the nail, and I love the gold metallic accent. Very fun!

These decals are available here, and the product code is "WDDC056".

*Nail decals were sent to me for unbiased review; all opinions are my own. 

Pirate Polish Holiday 2012 Collection Swatches!

Tomorrow I'll be releasing the Pirate Polish Holiday 2012 Collection! Here's a sneak peek:

Left to Right: Holiday Glow, Joyeux Noël, Sugar Cookies, Christmas Lights, Christmas Tree In Blue

Sugar Cookies is a creamy white polish with multicoloured pastel glitters in various shapes and sizes. For me, the quintessential holiday treats are the sugar cookies my grandmother used to bake. Here I've tried to replicate the slightly golden hue of white sugar cookies fresh out of the oven; this isn't a stark white, it's very soft and warm, with some yellow in it.

I've had this fantastic metallic blue tinsel glitter in my stash of supplies for some time now. It reminded me instantly of the blue pine needles of a faux blue Christmas tree. I feel like coloured trees went through a phase of popularity back in the day- does anyone else recall this phenomenon? This is my Christmas Tree In Blue, a mixture of metallic blue glitters, silver hexagonal glitter, fine holographic blue glitter, and different sizes and shapes of white glitter. The overall effect is very snowy, icy, and glitzy. Below I've swatched it over a grey-beige shade.

Holiday Glow is a luxurious mixture of superfine copper and gold flakes, as well as a smattering of gold holographic glitters. It's a luminous combination that reminds me of candlelight. Below it is pictured on it's own, but it could also be layered to create an interesting effect.

Joyeux Noël is a perfect Christmas polish- red and green metallic glitters in a multitude of different sizes, along with a smattering of gold holographic hexagonal glitter. Very festive! Below it is swatched over a forest green creme. 

I wanted to create a lacquer reminiscent of Christmas Lights at night- this is my take on that theme. A deep grape purple jelly containing multicoloured matte hexagonal glitters, small twinkling silver holographic glitter, and large metallic purple glitters. Below it is shown over a dark purple creme (Illamasqua Baptiste).

I'm also pleased to be offering minis for the first time! They will be available individually for $5, and as a set for $22. The regular size bottles are priced at $10 each, and are available as a full set for $45.

This collection will be available tomorrow in the Pirate Polish Etsy shop. You can also follow updates by checking Pirate Polish out on Facebook.

What do you think of my Pirate Polish Holiday collection? Is anything catching your eye?