NOTD: Party look, with 18k gold

Hi!

I love blue nail polish... particularly dark, chrome-blue.  I enjoyed wearing it in the 90's and freaking people out with it in grad school.  Many thanks to Bettina, if quite belated. ^_^

Early in December I went to a singular I-beat-cancer/belated-birthday-party for one of my fellow ballroom dance students.  She was very reserved about her struggle, and it wasn't until that night that when we learned that she beat a very rare type of cancer, with a very high mortality rate. I have SUCH admiration for my friend's strength. ♥

Anyhoo... this post is about the mani I wore to this party:  

OPI Yo-gatta Get This Blue and $OPI 18K Gold topcoat

 The 18K topcoat was my very first $OPI purchase... erm... because it went on clearance for 50%off. ^_Q  I liked it a lot.  I just wish I could have built it up more on the tips.  I had a more dense look in mind for the gold.  I really want to try this gold over dark green, say Nars Zulu.  Hey, considering that emerald is the Pantone color of 2013... ^_^

31 Day Challenge - Day 27: Artwork

Hi!

*Inspired by* is the watchword here:



shade

31 Day Challenge - Day 25: Fashion

Hello, I'm Ari and I'm a Project Runway fanatic. 
( Team Dmitry!!!  I am crushing on that talented man, so bad! )

Last year Project Runway partnered with L'Oreal and produced a bird themed make-up collection, which featured several nail polishes.  Owl's Night was the stand-out color and (apparently) it became hard-to-find very quickly.  But I didn't get the furor until I saw this color in person.  I had to buy it, right then and there, full-price or not.




L'Oreal Owl's Night

31 Day Challenge - Day 23: Movie

One of the more recent movies to spark a whole mani movement was The Hunger Games.  Aside from the China Glaze tie-in collection, the ladies out there brought it when it came to the skills level and creativity in creating flames on their nails. 

Here is my own little take:



The Hunger Games inspired ~ "The Girl Who Was On Fire"

I used basic black, red and a little dab of glitter for the accent, and some tape for the flame shape.  What's really special here is the gold.  It's the real deal.


Orly Limited Edition 25th Anniversary 24kt Gold
( worst bottle shot ever, but it's 100% authentic & taken-by-moi )

I think real 24kt gold nail polish is so a District 1/Effie Trinket sort of excess, don't you?


~*Ari

31 Day Challenge - Day 11: polka dots

Hello!

For today's challenge I went with a couple of untrieds-- among them my dotting tool. 
This was my first polka dot nail art, y'all.  ;-)



OPI Here Today, Aragon Tomorrow and Just Spotted The Lizard