freehand design created mostly with my trusty Boye US1 double pointed knitting needle.  now that i see it in the light of day i think i'll get around to touching up the bow on my thumb before i leave the house :) 

polishes used:  essie sexy divide (base), Revlon Top Speed in Super Nature (green) and an unlabled Joe Fresh white.  Seche Vite top coat.

i do have to note that i was rather disappointed with essie's sexy divide.  it is such a deep beautiful purple, but no matter how thinly i applied it, how long i let it dry between coats, or which base coat i used, i kept ending up with bubbles.  i fully removed it twice and started over.  on the third go i just left it and squished out what bubbles i could by pressing down on the polish while it was still soft.  the Seche top coat smoothed out the fingerprints.  phew!

(moved from my old blog... original date was April 21 2011)

i've been on a bit of a nailpolish kick lately.  i don't usually paint my fingernails because, well, frankly, it never lasts longer than a day.  but i've been poking around some nail blogs and picked up some tips for longer manicures and thought i'd try them out.  and then i found the most awesome nailpolish at a local discount store and the rest is history.  i've become addicted!

the polish that started my obsession (OPI Designer Series DS 007):

and then i came across some fun China Glaze polishes (full size bottles, from left to right: Dynasty, Luna, C-C-Courage, Drastic, Good Witch?.  and the mini bottles - i really don't know what collection they're from -, top row left to right: Something Sweet, Light As Air, Re-Fresh Mint.  bottom row: Peachy Keen, Lemon Fizz, Bahamian Escape):

base coat, top coats.  i only just bought the Seche products this afternoon, i haven't had a chance to try them out yet.  the Essie No Chips Ahead top coat was applied yesterday.  i haven't been too hard on my nails since then so i don't have a quality comment on how it's holding up.  yet.  anyway... on to the picture:

and my current home-made amature manicure.  i'm wearing China Glaze in Drastic and Essie No Chips Ahead top coat: