I'm back (?!?!) with some blue and yellow hearts

It has been nearly a year since my last post that actually included a proper manicure in it. This is what I have been up to since then:

Around the time of my last proper post, I found out I had been accepted into graduate school in London. I spent a lot of time stressing out about getting a passport, getting a visa, applying for student loans, figuring out housing in London, moving out of my apartment and into my parents' house, and then finally moving across the Atlantic. Phew!

Then it was all about finding my way in London, getting accustomed to being a student again, making new friends - all the things that come with packing up and moving across the globe. It has been amazing.

So why am I back? Well, to be honest this kind of started a few days ago when I discovered like the rest of the interwebz that Google Reader would soon be no more. I took this as an opportunity to sift through all of my subscriptions rather than move everything over to a new reader. In doing so, I starting going through nail blogs again and realizing just how much I miss doing my nails.

That being said, I am not sure how often I will be able to update. One, being in graduate school means I am frequently stressed, lacking sleep, and generally busy with school-related things, and thus nail polish falls low on my list of priorities. Second, due to my chosen field (conservation of works of art on paper), I am not able to wear nail polish during the school/work week. I hate to admit how much of an adjustment this has been for me. As much as I love what I am doing, I truly miss having painted nails on a regular basis. Third, because I am on a very limited budget, and will be moving back to America at some point, I am limiting my polish purchases. Despite all of that, I am hoping that I can see polishing my nails as a release after the school week, and hope to update at least semi-regularly.

Now, enough rambling. Here's what is currently on my nails:

Blue background with yellow hearts! Plus a stripey accent nail.

I managed to get my thumb to be semi-grid like.

They look pretty cute against my pineapple shirt.

I've acquired an iPhone since my last post and I am obsessed with Instagram like everyone else.

The colors I used: Miss Sporty 456 (Blue Bath, I believe) and Barry M Lemon Ice Cream.

So, there we go. My first post back. For those of you with a job that doesn't allow you to wear nail polish, how do you manage!?

Inspired by a Flag: Barry M Buzz

I'm on the 28th day of The Challenge. This challenge was the toughest one yet. I took me a long time to get inspired by something. I was Googling all sorts of different flags (I even looked up Hello Kitty flags TWICE). Eventually I remembered flags I had seen while on vacation on Fire Island last summer. The community of Ocean Beach has these super cute Elvgren-inspired flags all over. I guess technically they are banners, but let's not go there, okay?

How cute, right? I love the use of color in them. Sure, they've got the red, white, and blue which is pretty typical for a lot of pin-up inspired stuff (especially in the nautical realm), but I really love that they added in the mauve color. I would have never thought that would work with the theme, but it gives it a uniqueness that I appreciate. So, I decided to do a mauve mani!

I used Buzz by Barry M, sent to me in my very first swap with Nicole at Top to Toe. It's not an exact match, I know, but I either had colors that were too pink or too brown, but not the right amount of each. Also, it's not nearly as pink in real life as my photos would lead you to believe; my camera just couldn't pick up the color accurately.

The application was fine. I used two coats, and had no issues with it being too thick or too thin. It did smell horrible though. I'm talking Kleancolor bad. It dried quickly to a nice shiny finish. However, it did not get along well with my Poshe topcoat. I made these photos about an hour after applying the polish, and I was already getting shrinkage. Doesn't bother me in real life, but it's a real eyesore in up close photos of my nails, and for that I apologize.

I think, for most people, this color would probably be a bore. It seems like one of those colors you'd find in your grandmother's cabinet, and would avoid. But I actually quite like it. It's got an old fashioned appeal, like something from the days when nail polish only came in shades of red. Plus I think it works well with my skin tone.

With that, I am off to work on some crafty holiday gifts, and grad school stuff. Yippee.

Barry M Navy

Happy Friday, everyone!

I hope your week has been well. I had a fun sleepover with my BFF, and got my hair cut! This is what I look like now. What do you think?

Suvi wore really well on me, so I kept it on a bit longer than usual. I think Poshe is my new topcoat! Last night, I finally changed my polish, and put on Navy by Barry M.

Navy is so pretty! It looks pretty dark, but when it hits the light right, it really shimmers. It was really easy to work with, too, which is always nice. It was almost a one-coater, but I used two coats to even everything out. I'm so glad Nicole sent this to me in our first swap!

Barry M Strawberry Ice Cream

Happy Easter! Today I'm wearing the very Spring-y Strawberry Ice Cream by Barry M.

I was pretty impressed with the application of Strawberry Ice Cream. I was expecting it to be a pain, but it was pretty easy. I did use four coats to even things out, since it was a bit streaky, but the coats dried quickly. Definitely one of the better consistencies I've seen on a pastel polish!

I am loving this color on me! I have been after something like this for a few years, but always ended up with duds. This is perfect!

Barry M Mint Green

I was finally able to decide on what polish to try out first from the swap. Inspired by the gorgeous weather we've been having, I chose Mint Green by Barry M - a nice Spring-y green.

 

 

The application wasn't the best, but it wasn't terrible either. It was runny and streaky, but not too difficult to work with, and it evened itself out nicely. That's not too bad for a pastel! I needed three coats to fully cover some bald spots. For a top coat, I used Seche Vite, and got a little bit of shrinkage, but nothing too noticeable.

Barry M is a brand I've been dying to try, and I must say I'm quite pleased. I can't wait to try out the others!