Orange Appeal

Happy Friday my lovely lacqueristas! Hope everyone's week has been treating them well. I've been in Colorado since Tuesday and so far I have LOVED it! I know a lot of your were so sick of it by the end of this winter, but I got to see snow for the very first time…. at age 28. Crazy right? Anywho, let's get into this week's franken pretty! This one started off with TKN Luster base. Then I added 2 drops of Vanti805's brown oxide which I cut with some base and thinner to extend the life of the color. Next,  added one small scoop each of TKB Bronze Reflecks, Burning Leaves, Copper Reflecks, Gold Reflecks, and Coastal Scents Bordeaux Glitter.

Swatches show, I believe, 3 coats plus top coat. Formula was buttery smooth, thick, and easily spread! It is a little textured from the Reflecks so I do recommend top coat! Now, for those of you that have followed me long enough, you may notice this polish is similar to another polish I had made awhile back

Today's franken has more coppery yellow undertones and is definitely a cooler toned polish. So dupes, no, but cousins, absolutely!

Well my loves, I hope you have a wonderful week and remember to keep it classy and creative!

xo

Today's Supplies Are From:
* Lust base and Reflecks: TKB Trading
* Bordeaux Glitter: Coastal Scents
* Brown Oxide: Vanti805

Military Madame

Hello my dears, I hope everyone's week is going well so far! Today is the first day I've been feeling somewhat functional so I figured I'd take advantage of it and post before attempting a half day at work!

So this franken obviously has a military related theme, check it out and see if you agree. I started with 3/4 of a mini bottle's worth of TKB Luster Base, I followed it up with 3 drops of TKB Jade glycerin dispersed colorant and 3 drops of Wet 'n' Wild black cream polish. Next I added one small scoop of TKB Copper Sparks. Finally, I added 3 smalls scoops of gold to green shifting .040 hexes from Glitter Unique

Hey look! My polish is the same color as the stuff that has been running out of my nose the past 3 days, sorry, a little sick humor. Hopefully that didn't scare you off! Anywho, swatches show 3 coats plus one coat of fast dry top coat (Sally Hansen Insta-Dry). I had no problem with getting the glitter to spread evenly but slow polishing is a MUST in order to prevent dragging and patchiness. I love how apparent the shift is in the iridescent hexes!

Well that's all for today, I'm going to rest up a bit before heading to work. Hope you have a lovely rest of your day. See you back next time for more franken creations! But until next time, remember to keep it classy and creative!

xo

Today's Supplies Are From:

* Luster Base, Jade glycerin dispersed colorant, copper sparks: TKB Trading

* Wet 'n' Wild black cream: Walmart

* Gold to Green .040 hexes: Glitter Unique

Guess who's back, back... back again?!

Hello my lovelies! No your eyes do not deceive you, I am in fact, back in the ring and feeling refreshed! I knew it was about time to get back to blogging when I actually missed editing pictures (which is normally the bane of my existence). I look forward to showing you what I have been up to while on my blogcation! First things first, I do want to open up to you a bit and let you know a little bit about what I see for ymself in the future of blogging.

First things first, don't worry. I don't intend to go anywhere anytime soon. Secondly, I'm going to be honest, blogging is difficult. There is ALOT of time required to not only think of polishes, but to then create them, photograph them, edit the photos, and blog about them. It is very difficult, I think, for alot of bloggers to find a good balance between blogging and having a personal life. That being said, I am fallible. After awhile I got extremely overwhelmed not only with finding my personal balance, but also with comparing myself to other bloggers (perfect photos, perfect nails, perfect cuticles, how DO they do it??). Ultimately, I let myself get burnt out and blogging was the last thing I wanted to do. Enter stage left the great Franken Femme blogcation of 2013. The down time was very relaxing, though I am glad to be back. However, there will be a very minute change. A good source of my stress was trying too hard to make sure that I blogged three times a week as I originally intended. This led to the creation of rushed and unimaginative polishes. I have vowed to myself to no longer put that pressure on myself. I will still try to blog three times a week but if I don't have the time or creativity for it, I won't push it and I won't feel guilty for it (not that any of you have ever ever made me feel guilty). So that being said, I really truly appreciate those of you who have stuck with me and continue to stick with me. I love hearing and talking to you (and I have actually probably missed that more than anything else!)

So now that I have been a complete sap and revealed my silly blogger insecurities, let's move on to the polish shall we? This is one of the polishes I have been most excited about recently so I can't wait to show you! This mini started out with about 3/4 of a bottle's worth of TKB Glamour Base. I followed it up with 3 drops of TKB Brown colorant polish (which is oddly more of a terra cotta/orange color?), two drops of Wet 'n' Wild White Creme, one drop of Color Club Rebel Spirit (a dark, almost black chocolatey brown crelly) from the 2011 Back to Boho Collection, two drops TKB basic Yellow Jellie, one scoop of Wonder Beauty Products Prismatic Platinum Illusion powder, and half a scoop of TKB copper sparks. Now, what I was aiming for was a tan or nude-ish holo to match my tan and black chevron printed dress that I had picked out to go to the wedding of a close friend of mine. Here's the final product!

Holo in the sun

The ingredients aaaaaaaaand the side of my lightbox, oopsies

I haven't named this baby oddly enough but I did want you to see what I did for the wedding mani. Index and pinkie have two coats of Ozotic 526, a linear black. Ring finger accent is of course, a mustache, and that wicked off center decal on my thumb says "I mustache you a question" (both are decals from the Born Pretty store)

ALLTHEHOLOGOODNESS

Now, onto the formula. Swatches show two thick coats. There was no dragging or pulling and it dried super smooth. I used Sally Hansen Insta Dry for top coat and did not affect the holo. The linear was much more apparent in real life and the copper sparks were apparent even in dim light. Well my loves, that is all for my inaugural back into blogging posts! I look forward to seeing you back next time for more awesome frankens! But until then, remember to keep it classy and creative

 xo

Today's Supplies Are From:
* Wet 'n' Wild WHite Cream: Walmart
* Color Club Revel Spirit: random find from Ross clothing store
* Basic Yellow Jellie, Glamour Base, Brown colorant, and copper sparks: TKB Trading
* Prismatic Platinum Illusion Powder: Wonder Beauty Products

Orange You Glad I Didn't Say Banana?

Hello my dears, we've made it halfway through another week. We are still waiting on more of a cool down here in good 'ol Florida. Tomorrow's high is near 90. Ugh.

Credit

Just kidding, it's not THAT hot. But it's still totally warm. Anywho, today I bring you another color shifting polish but this one has a little more oomph! I started with about 2/3 of a bottle's worth of TKB Glamour base. I then followed it up with 2 good scoops of Misfits on 8th color shifting orange to yellow pigment. Finally, I added one scoop of Misfits on 8th gold flecks, TKB Red Sparks!, and TKB Copper Sparks! (which are all a larger particle shimmer). After seeing these swatches, take a wild guess as to why I named it Orange You Glad I Didn't Say Banana?

Cold Color

Color shift after I randomly stuck my hand on something in our freezer

Thought this was a cool shot showing the shimmer

Cold water droplets

As you can see, the color is a bright golden yellow when warm and it shifts to a vibrant warm orange when cold. If you are blessed enough to have long nails, I'd imagine you'd get a pretty wicked almost candy corn looking gradient. Swatches show three medium coats and one coat of top coat.  Formula was a little sheer at first but built up nicely. There was no dragging or pooling. like this polish alot, I think it is usable during the changing of the seasons given the color scheme. What do you guys think?

Well, that's all for today my loves. See you back on Friday for more Franken Femme creations! But until then, remember to keep it classy and creative!

xo

Today's Supplies Are From:

* Orange to Yellow Color Shifting Pigment and Gold Flecks: Misfits on 8th

* Glamour Base andSparks!: TKB Trading

A Giveaway, a holo franken, and nail art?!? It's like Christmas!

Hello my dear lovelies! I am alive! Short of making a bunch of ridiculous excuses as to why my posting has been so off kilter lately, I will simply apologize and tell you the stresses of life got in the way. In all honesty though, I did miss blogging and I did miss being able to interact with all of you! So, first I will show you a new awesome franken, follow it up with some nail art, and conclude with an "I'm Sorry I Suck" giveaway! No joke.... I really named it that. Ha! So let's get down to it shall we?

There seem to be so many awesome holos floating around the Indie industry and I hadn't done one in awhile, so why not give it another go? I've talked to some other indie creators and one particularly told me about a colorant she uses in China (where she lives) that's oil based and easier for mixing. That got me thinking! While I could not find anything to the specifications of what she used, I did find this from TKB Trading. While they are different from what the other indie make uses, these are micas dispersed in Glycerin... that's an oil right? So I decided to grab a couple and see how they worked. Ultimately, I filled a mini bottle about half full with TKB Suspension Base. I then added about 4 drops of the Turquiose Glycerine Colorant from the Jewel Collection (which seemed to have separated a bit), 4 small drops of Wet 'n' Wild Black Creme,  and 2 drops of Wonder Beauty Products Primary Blue Color Base (a medium blue cream based colorant) to make the base color. Finally, I added 1 and 3/4 of a .15g scooper worth of Spectraflair alternative (which I got from a group buy in a franken FB group I am in), and finally, one good scoop of TKB Copper Sparks! (copper chunky shimmer). I named it Autumn Winds because it reminds me of a cool breeze with a touch of warmth thanks to the copper shimmer

Here you can see the holo and sparks duking it out for the camera's affections :)

Here are out ingredients

vaeoibklnaaerblkafnbsixuwbt!!!

I loved this polish as it was. It was thick and ended up dragging a bit. So, I added some thinner and the formula was flawless from there. It was completely opaque at two coats but I added three for extra oomph! It dried smooth and dry time was average to a smidge slow. Swatches are without topcoat. 

I also decided to try my hand at a waterfall mani using 3 different nail art brushes, Mentality Rapture, OPI Oy Another Polish Joke from the 2013 Euro Collection, and OPI Lucerne-tainly Look Marvelous! from the 2010 Swiss Collection. A tidbit that I learned from trying this mani, go easy on the pressure as you get to the tips of your lines, IT MATTERS! Tutorial can be found here

Now let's be honest, it looks NOTHING like the tutorial's. But for a first time, I didn't hate it!

Finally, onto the money maker! I have decided to post a giveaway to apologize for my blog cutting and to show you how much I truly do appreciate you as a reader! I called it the I'm Sorry I Suck Giveaway and it will last about 2 weeks. There will be two winners so make sure to enter! It should be live by the time you read this so please remember to read the terms. US RESIDENTS ONLY!! Sorry international friends :( So that's all for today's post. I hope you love today's franken and nail art, Good luck on the giveaway! See you next time but until then, remember to keep it classy and creative!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Today's Supplies Are From:

* Suspension Base and Copper Sparks: TKB Trading

* Blue Primary Color Base: Wonder Beauty Products

* Wet 'n' Wild Black Creme: Walmart

* Spectraflair Alternative: Like I said, I got this in a group buy but you can also buy a Spectraflair Alternative from Wonder Beauty Products and it is in stock right now!!

Review- Mentality Rapture

Hump Daaaaaay! My mom is coming into town this weekend so chances are that I will be tidying up the house and running around like a lunatic until she gets here. Haha! Does anybody else have any fun plans for Labor Day? Do share!

Speaking of sharing, I have a new to me indie brand. Mentality polish was a brand that I discovered while reading Valiantly Varnished. I fell in love immediately with Tempest after seeing Ameerah's swatches on her blog. I strolled on over to the Mentality site and threw Tempest and another polish, Rapture into my cart. Rapture is what I have to show you today

Seriously, how unique is that finish?

Now, check out the holoooooooo

Rapture is described as a sparkling coppery red holographic polish and that doesn't seem to encompass everything that this polish is. It's a linear holographic polish with fiery copper micro glitter. It shines in low light and sunlight because of the holo and the glitter. Formula was fabulous and swatches show two coats with quick dry top coat. It did dry down to a somewhat of a textured finish so if that's not your thing, I suggest top coat. I absolutely fell in love with this polish. I can honestly say that I have nothing like it.

What do you guys think? Have you tried the Mentality brand yet? Well loves, I will be back on Friday with more indie awesomes! Until then, remember to keep it classy and creative!

xo

Check out Mentality at their Big Cartel Shop. Rapture can be purchased here. Mentality is also on Facebook

Toxic Chocolate- My New Fave Franken?

Good morning my lovely ladies! Hope everyone has had a great start to their week! My boyfriend's brother is moving in with us today for a temporary time period and I used last night to relish the last of my time in a house not overrun by men. That's what leads me to today's post! Awhile ago I had asked on Facebook what people would like to see more of on the blog and a couple responses I got were a brown, a neutral, and a matte. I decided to create a little something that combined all three! So when I got down to swatching last night, my jaw kind of dropped. I am absolutely in LOVE with this polish and I can't wait to show it to you!

So for this polish I started with a matte base (Hard Candy Matte-ly In Love) and filled up a mini bottle 3/4 of the way. Next I added about two scoops of Lancome Copper Lights which is actually a highly shimmered copper colored makeup pigment (swatches can be found here). I then followed it up by adding a couple good sized scoops of TKB's Gold Flakies. Now it looked gorgeous in the bottle as it was but because I can't leave well enough alone, I added one scoop of TKB's Seawitch Green (green glass fleck shimmer). I called this one Toxic Chocolate, partially because I like the way it rolled off my tongue, partially because I lack creativity and apparently have a knack for calling EVERYTHING toxic, and partly because it just plain fits...

Oh hello, I'm a bottle macro shot, perhaps you've heard of me? I'm kind of a big deal

Check out that sweet flakie goodness

And because I couldn't leave well enough alone... again, I topcoated it.  And BOOM fell in love with it again.

Check out how glorious it isssssss!

Now onto the formula, this is way easier than my last matte mishap. It still dried quickly since its a matte polish but I didn't have any issues with balding, dragging, or clumping. Swatches show three coats. Top coated swatches are with Sally Hansen Insta-Dry. I've said it before and I will say it again, I love Love LOVE this polish; such a sassy brown! It's glowy and the flakies and glass fleck show really well in the matte base. Now I know my opinion doesn't account for everything, so I'd love to hear what you have to say about this one!

Well that's all for today my loves, be back on Friday with a glow in the dark beaut! But until then, remember to keep it classy and creative!

xo

Today's Supplies Are From:

* Hard Candy Matte-ly In Love: sadly discontinued but any matte top coat will work

* Lancome Copper Lights Pigment: This appears to have been discontinued but any makeup loose pigment that is coppery/metallic/shimmery should work

* TKB Gold Flakies and Seawitch Green: TKB Trading