Caramel Apples

Don't those sound good?! It's been awhile since I had one but I'm hoping to pick one up soon, with some apple cider! Those are a few things that I enjoy about fall. And the title of this post is exactly what my third NCC manicure reminded me of.

For this quick and easy angular manicure, I started with three coats of Zoya Tosca, red with gold and orange shimmer. Fun fact about Tosca-it's the second polish ever put out by Zoya. It's a classic. Unfortunately, it's not available on the website anymore. I found mine in the huge clearance bins at a local beauty supply store for $2!

Once it was dry, I taped off my triangles and used Gridlock Lacquer Barrel Through Niagara to create the tips. Barrel Through Niagara is such a pretty, sparkly bronze and I really need to get my tail in action, swatching the whole Niagara Falls collection from Gridlock Lacquer.

I will have my final September NCC post for you tomorrow, so get excited!

And be sure to check out what the other ladies did for manicure number 3!

August NCC #2

*some items won or gifted*

Hey! Happy Sunday. Sorry I haven't been around this week. My parents are in town and I was maid of honor in my best friend's wedding, last night. I've had the mani done and photographed but tonight, I was able to sit down and edit pictures and chat with y'all.

As you know, this month's theme is Tea Party and it can be interpreted a lot of different ways. For this mani, I took inspiration from a vintage tea cup that I found on Etsy. After all, what's a tea party without the tea cups?

We'll start with the inspiration and the colors that I used.

[source]

I fell in love with this 1940's cup from an English tea set. Look at those little strawberries!!

I used four colors in this mani:

I used Nicole by OPI Yoga Then Yogurt, Gridlock Lacquer Bucket List (Niagara Falls Collection), Avon Garden Green, and Color Club Mamba

I already had my nails painted with three coats of Gridlock Lacquer Bucket List from the Niagara Falls collection that was released this summer. It's a pretty, pale, yellow-toned gold shimmer. Next time, I might layer it over a pale creme to save on the polish.

I stamped with Nicole by OPI Yoga Then Yogurt, that I won from stuff I (s)watched's 3rd blogiversary giveaway (Thanks, Rach!). I used an image from Bundle Monster Create Your Own set-plate number BM-406. Once that was dry, I used Color Club Mamba and Avon Garden Green to freehand strawberries. Here's the finished product:

I'm way behind this month but thing's should be quieting down so I can get the last two mani's in before September creeps up. 

Be sure to check out what the other ladies did, below!

xo, ali

NCC Re-creations #2

Hey! I hope you're all staying cool in your neck of the woods, tonight. I am loving the summer sun and heat we have been having and I hope it continues!

I'm here with my second re-creation for the Nail Challenge Collaborative's July theme. And, I'm featuring two polishes that were recently released by Buffalo indie lacquer creator, Gridlock Lacquer, as part of the Niagara Falls collection (which I'll be reviewing soon).
The mani I'm re-creating is this one:

Let's look!

I used three coats of Gridlock Lacquer Grape Expectations (named for the Niagara Wine Trail) and a quick-dry topcoat. Once that dried, I laid down two pieces of striping tape in an X and used Gridlock Lacquer Lock It Up (named for the locks of the Erie Canal). I did one finger at a time and lifted the tape after painting. One more swipe of topcoat and I was done.

I do have to say, I like this type of manicure with glitter accents better and I might try it with some Deborah Lippmann's I picked up recently.

Be sure to check out what the other ladies re-created!

Gridlock Lacquer Mini-Spam

Happy Wednesday, everyone! We are halfway through the week...and I can't wait for the weekend.
Today, I'd like to share with you a great indie polish line that is mixed and sold right in my home city of Buffalo, NY! Most of the polishes from Gridlock Lacquer take inspiration from many places and things that can only be found in our fair city from The Aud (where my beloved Sabres got their start and I saw many a Disney on Ice performance) to Loganberry and Beef on Weck inspired polishes. As soon as I heard about the brand, I made plans to find Gridlock's booth at the Broadway Market in Buffalo.

Today I'm going to share three lacquers with you-Delaware Park, Loganberry, and Pussy Willow.  And, so you can feel like you're a true Buffalonian, I'll tell you why these places are so truly Buffalo.

First up is Delaware Park.

Delaware Park is basically the city's playground. It's home to an 18-hole golf course, numerous playgrounds, basketball courts, Hoyt Lake, grassy knolls, and the Buffalo Zoo! Plus, Albright-Knox art gallery is right across the street. I attended college just a few minutes, walking distance, from Delaware Park and Hoyt Lake (pictured) was one of my favorite thinking spots.

Delaware Park is a yellow-toned green with a slight duochrome effect and some scattered holo shimmer. For application, I used 3 1/2 coats. I added an extra coat to the ring and pinky fingers to even out some sheer spots. While the formula is great, it is a little sheer and careful application is a necessity. This color is truly unique to my collection. The spring green to gold-green duochrome is gorgeous and I don't have any other greens like this. It reminds me of the way the park looks in late summer when we hit our dry season. Perfect!


Next, I have Loganberry. Loganberry is a locally loved beverage that accompanies our wings, beef on weck, and Mighty Taco.

(source)

Loganberries are actually a thing and they are a cross between a raspberry and a blackberry. The drink itself is an uncarbonated soft drink that you can only be found in Buffalo. I grew up drinking Aunt Rosie's Loganberry because my brother loved it. Every now and again, I get a hankering for a glass. Luckily, the pop fountain in the cafeteria at work has it :) The nail polish is just as addicting.

Loganberry went on in two easy coats, with the perfect consistency. It's a gorgeous brick red with eye-catching shimmer. However, those two easy coats need to be applied with a little TLC to avoid brush strokes. This is not your typical red. It's a little brown around the edges that gives it a sophisticated twist.

Finally, I have Pussy Willow. 

(source)

Pussy Willows are a sure sign of spring in Buffalo and they are used in one of our favorite holidays-Dyngus Day. There is a HUGE Polish population Western New York and our fair city is the Dyngus Day Capital of the World, despite what Anderson Cooper might think. As legend goes, pussy willows are brandished by Polish girls and used to spank the boys they like. Polish boys reciprocate by squirting the girls with water. We celebrate hard, here in Buffalo, and it's a blast. 

Pussy Willow is a mix of copper hex and micro glitters, white satin square glitter, iridescent hexes, and small and large white satin hexes. The formula was a little thick so I added a few drops of thinner and that cleared right up. I layered one coat of Pussy Willow over Loganberry. For the most part, the glitter spread easily but I did have to fish a little bit for the large white hexes. And interestingly, the base didn't have the typical nail polish smell. It smelled like bananas! This perfectly captures the essence of the pussy willow. I can't wait to wear this combo for Dyngus Day, next year!

To purchase Gridlock Lacquer, you can visit her website: Gridlock Lacquer.

The polishes retail for $6.00. You can also purchase Buffalo-themed soaps and synchronized swimming themed lacquers.

You can also keep up with all the new happenings, like the soon-to-be released summer collection on social media:

Facebook

Instagram

Twitter

Pinterest

I hope you guys enjoyed these as much as I did! I still have two more Gridlock glitters to swatch for you guys, so watch this space!

xo, ali

Dancing Phalanges! Dancing Phalanges!

I know it's been damn near two weeks since I updated and I'm so sorry. I don't have excuses. I just have a polish and a mani that I'm REALLY excited about.
If you're a Bones fan, you know where my blog title comes from. If not, here:

Bones is definitely my favorite show so I was THRILLED when I saw that  Girly Bits' Fall Sesaon Premiere Collection included three polishes inspired by Bones.  I was even more excited when one of those polishes was called Dancing Phalanges!! Pam describes Dancing Phalanges as a "raspberry pink glass fleck shimmer." And it's gorgeous. I'm sorry, but my pictures do not do it justice. Let's take a look!

As soon as I got this in the mail, I put it on. And so did my sister. I could not stop staring at it. I don't even know how to put into words how pretty this is. Juicy, bright, pink. It's perfect. This is my first indie polish and I couldn't be happier with it. This is three coats as it does start out quite sheer. It builds up opacity very nicely and this wore well, also. I had this on for at least three days before I broke down and removed it.

I also had gotten in the new Bundle Monster Create Your Own stamping plates so I added a little something extra.

I stamped using BM-416 and Wet N Wild Black Creme.

This is gorgeous. Girly Bits' polishes are absolutely gorgeous! But don't take my word for it. You can purchase them from her website. Pam offers not only pretty polishes but frankening supplies and nail care. Full size (15 mL) retails for 11.50 and she's offering free shipping in the US and Canada, right now. You can't go wrong!!

What do you think? Do you have a favorite Girly Bits polish? I'd love to hear from you!

See you soon!

--ali