And it's down to three!

You guys have really confused me! n_n That's ok though, it'll be so worth it in the end!

So it's down to:
Pure Energy - an awesome vibrant blue
In My Back Pocket - a juicy orange creme
India Mood For Love - one of my favourite pinks

I am swaying towards Pure Energy because my lipstick is kinda like India (MAC Girl About Town) and I am probably going to have blue eyeshadow... so then that makes me think to choose the orange! But then I could do orange eyeshadow... But also India would look nice with the pink lips too... >_<

Please vote on which colour you think I should pick!

Becoming A Nail Technician: The Dress!

Here we go! After eating my left over dinner for breakfast and headed towards the freezer room as it had some nice light, not quite sunlight, but light coming through the windows.

From left to right:
Pure Energy
Shelter Island
In My Back Pocket
Party In My Cabana
India Mood For Love
Shorts Story


Please enlarge these photos to get clearer detail n_n

So, which one do you think? Or ones? Not really sure if I can handle wearing skittles, so maybe just the one different colour on the ring finger?

I really like how India Mood For Love looks with it and In My Back Pocket.

The most colour accurate photo,
From left to right:
Pure Energy
Shelter Island
In My Back Pocket
Party In My Cabana
Shorts Story
India Mood For Love

Maybelline Matte Grape

As much as I enjoyed having the chance to wear a matte polish, it was just too shiny for my liking. Plus the colour was a little 'nana-rish' for my liking. I'm dying for those Zoyas x_x C'mon July!

As far as I know, these Maybelline Matte's were released some time ago and are long discontinued.

I used just two coats here. It applied really well with and without a base coat. Matte Grape applied smoothly with no hitches. It looks absolutely stunning when its wet, so many colours jammed into that shimmer!

I didn't wear it with a top coat because the lid told me not too :( Sowwy... next time the sun peeps I will make sure of it!

Me and mum might be concocting up an order soon! n_n Exciting! Can't even remember when the last one was. The significant other probably won't really approve of it... but I have a role to play being a blogger, right n_<

Becoming A Nail Tech: Graduation!

Isn't it a great feeling knowing you've finished? I still have a week left of course, I'm still going to go in and just hang out with my classmates, do a little nail art and find a gift for my tutor. But most importantly, what will I wear for Graduation?! Last night I was playing around with colours to match my new dress. I picked out:

Essie Shelter Island


















OPI India Mood For Love


















OPI In My Back Pocket


















OPI Shorts Story


















OPI Party In My Cabana (index)
So I have all 5 on my right hand, and I am wanting to choose only one pink to go with the blue and orange. I'm gravitating towards India Mood For Love as it seems to be the same sort of hue as the orange and blue.

Then I was thinking to use the wallpaper design from plate M71 in black on top of all the nails. I would show you photos but my significant other has the camera cable n_n; Handy eh. I have heaps of nail art to show you and also that Maybelline Matte, so Monday I will get my lovely cable.

I'll show you the dress material tomorrow, but in the mean time, what do you think? Colours? Konad? Any ideas? n_n

This is the wallpaper design:

Wrap Up: Tool Comp

Could these winners please contact me n_n nailjuice (at) live.com

I've Got Some Advice For You Little Buddy - Jenn

She Used A Poison In His Tea - Enamel Coated

I Know The Pieces Fit, Because I Watched Them Fall Away - Jenn

My Shadow, Change Is Comin' Through My Shadow - April

I Don't Want It! I Just Need It! - xxL

Over Thinkin', Over Analyzin', Seperates My Body From My Mind - Hidden Innocence

Weeping Shades Of Cozened Indigo - Hidden Innocence

Rest Your Trigger On My Finger - Hidden Innocence

Put Me Somewhere I Don't Wanna Be, Seeing Someplace I Don't Wanna See, Never Wanna See That Place Again - Hidden Innocence

The Snake Behind Me Hisses - Hidden Innocence

I hope you guys loved this as much as I did! I am so glad their are other NJ readers that enjoy Tool as well n_n I just listened to Pushit Live yesterday, his voice... oh my god. Much softer that the real Pushit... Getting a bit offtrack here n_n; Yeah, so if those winners could please send me an email with their address I will send them some things :D

OPI I'm OK, You're Bouquet! SR AA6

Isn't this an adorable pink? I absolutley love it. I love pink.

This is OPI's cutely named I'm OK, You're Bouquet! A very soft, feminine cherry blossom pink creme with a slight hint of bubblegumness to it.

I used just two coats here as it was very pigmented :) Always a plus.

Formula was awesome, no troubles here! Very smooth and thin but opaque.

I'm Ok, You're Bouquet! was released along with Fuchsia Fling and The Violet-ter, The Better only in the United States.

Very work appropriate. I think if you love pinks, sweet pinks, look around for this one. I am sure you will love it! n_n

MAC Seasonal Peach

Mmm Seasonal Peach, one of my faves. Seasonal Peach was re-released this year along side with Peppermint Patti in MAC's Sugarsweet collection.

I was quite worried about receiving it when I heard about all the problems people were having with it, streaking badly and applying unevenly. I first tried it on my natural nail, little bit of unevenness, but not really that much to bother me.

Then I tried it over a coat of Zoya's Get Even, best ever ridgefiller, and it applied like butter. Stayed where I put it and didn't slope to the sides :) Perfect.

The formula was pretty good, not runny or heavily thick. A very reasonable consistency to work with n_nb I am wearing three coats here. I highly recommend that you use a ridgefiller for Seasonal Peach.

BECOMING A NAIL TECHNICIAN:

Today my tutor taught us about Paraffin Waxing. If you have not had one of these, book one ASAP!

Holy crap, it was heaven and still is and should still be for 2-3 days.

As it is Winter, my hands are very dry and sort of... chalky? I'm not really sure, they just aren't soft and you can see the dead skin.


So, what is a Pariffin Wax? It is a soothing treatment for your hands and feet. You can get it pretty much anywhere - but we are only focusing on those areas n_n You get your hands (or feet) exfoliated then covered with a hand cream or masque, then coated in this lovely warm wax for about 10-20 minutes.

When it is taken off... your hands are instantly more plumped, smooth, soft, everything you want them to be. Oh, can I just say - It makes your cuticles look like a million dollars. It is so realxing too! My dad, sister and mum have already booked in for one by me hehe n_n I want to do my feet so bad!

I want to offer this to my clients all the time!

Tomorrow is another nail art day. But this one is different, these clients have booked in for nail art! :D I am always excited to see what they want and their lovely smiley faces when the job is complete ♥

OPI Malibu Blue NL C43

This is OPI's Malibu Blue, from the California collection only released in Australia quite a little while ago. Same collection from Earthquake!, Tahoe Topaz and Beverly Hills Chills.

I used three coats here. It seemed very watery and that's a nightmare without the pro-wide brush... It means a lot more polish needs to be applied for one coat to make it even and opaque.

Malibu Blue is a denim blue frost with scattered silver flecks, making it very very shiny in the sunlight!

When I received Malibu Blue, I thought it looked very similar to Blue Jeans... and it is. On the comparison shot at the end of the post, Pick Me Up Purple is on the index, Malibu Blue on the middle and Blue Jeans on the ring finger. Only a slight difference eh? Bye bye Malibu Blue.

Bottles lined up: Blue Jeans, Malibu Blue, Pick Me Up Purple

MAC Violet Fire

I have been run off my feet this week... Sorry for the lack of posts :(

Mum took me to a MAC Technique night not too long ago and with that, you got $100 credit to spend on products, and they were promoting the new Style Warrior collection.

Of course, as soon as I sore the purple I knew I had to have it... Mum also edged me on :D

So here we have MAC's Violet Fire from Style Warrior. A beautiful deep purple with similar tonings to OPI's Purple With A Purpose.

As soon as I tried Violet Fire I thought "hmm looks close to Purple With A Purpose" so I tried it next to it, and here are the differences:

• Violet Fire is more shimmery, where as PWAP is frosted
• Violet Fire has red and blue sparkles, where as PWAP has just a warm purple/pink frost

I was contemplating for awhile to see if they were worth both keeping... I decided yes, but having second thoughts as Violet Fire makes me look pink - bringing out the red tones in me.

The formula seemed quite watery. But nothing coat number three couldn't fix. It goes on quit sheer but builds up very quickly. Very easy to use considering it has a watery texture to it.

Also! I did my own set of tip and overlay a night ago... If you struggle painting your bad hand... jeez, don't even go here!

I think they turned out alrightish, well after some filing on the sides and it was my first go on me... I used transparent tips rather than French, as I wanted them purely for swatching reasons and French Tips are most popular for the clients. Mum has lined up for some nails too.

Here is three coats of Violet Fire!

OPI In My Back Pocket NL B88

I am going to re-photograph these photos where I have acrylics on, I really don't think it makes the photo look nice at all. But at least you get to see the colour :D

This is OPI's In My Back Pocket - from the Paige Denim Brights 2009 collection, I also have Shorts Story lined up for you.

I used three coats here, but you only need two. It was just because of the blue glitter in my acrylics that made me need another coat.

I am really happy with the formula so far in Paige Denim Brights, well from the two I have tried :) They are heavely pigmented and go on so smoothly. OPI's best formula yet I would say. It just seems to work so well with the brush.

Isn't it a lovely juicy orange creme? It makes me crave oranges - and I don't even like them!

CUINONG - Teal, holo and mint!

These are a few polishes I picked up from the beauty supply store I visited early on in my course.

The brand is CUINONG - never heard of it, but boy do they have some lovely colours! I also have a pink and a holo purple.

The green holo smells like petrol. Weird. But the others are impeccable to apply, no flaws.

TEAL:



GREEN HOLOGRAPHIC:























MINT:

Tip & Overlay

These are my current nails, basic tip and overlay.

My only tiff with these is that they are all sort of shaped differently... which really gets on my nerves. I hate being a perfectionist sometimes, sure you do good work and things - but it can drive you insane trying to get that perfect curve.

And hopefully I get them off tomorrow. I have got one off, most are all chipped (more liek picked...) around the cuticle and sides, my right thumb tip has lost a corner, goodness knows how.

My conclusion: Artificial nails of any kind, are not for me. I just pick and pick and pick. Absolutley great though if you don't have the time to maintain your own nails and don't fuss over little things n_n

My tutor has set me up with a client who wants nail art tomorrow! n_nb Excitinnnngggg~! Tutor tells me she has long nails too... woohoo! Long nails are always the best canvas for extravagant designs. Short nails can also look just as beautiful, just not as much space to play with :)

(>n_n)>~♥

BECOMING A NAIL TECHNICIAN:
Well, there are three weeks left of becoming a nail technician...

So these last three weeks are pretty much clients all day - every day.

Today I had to do some maintenance work on a classmate's set of acrylics. Fairly easy. Then she had to maintenance the gel on my toes... What a lovely experience. I've been craving for a pedi, ad this is the closest I would get to it haha. A few people don't really like the filing or cuticle work on toes (been done to them), but I love it! I mean, how often do your toes get rubbed? Unless you have a devoted partner doting on you- I'm guessing not that much.

Nail art again on Friday morning! I can't decide what to do this time! I'm going to have a scrummage round the 'net and see what I can find.

BECOMING AN ADULT:
This isn't a new series lol so don't worry.

Where have I been these last few days? Well, I have been trying to plan and sort out what I will do after my course. The goal is to move out of home, work from home (doing nails) and do a year long make-up course at the same academy I am learning nails. How cool would that be?! Make-up?! I usually wear the bare-necessities... but if I could do awesome things with make-up, then you can bet it'd be on my face. Would you like photos of the creations I make on the make-up course?

You also learn hair styling and body painting and some other things, but this is all I can remember. My nail tutor suggested that I do it because this afternoon she saw me colouring in a drawing of mine. I had also been thinkning about it too - as UNI just seems @_@ way out of my league. Normal people jobs aren't for me i'm afraid.

Of course I will try and keep NJ up and running as much as possible... hopefully my parents let me 'borrow' one of the laptops... *crosses fingers*

Aaaaaand because we are all about the visuals here at Nail Juice, here are some polishes I picked up (so sorry for the lighting):

OPI Malibu Blue NL C43






















Maybelline Matte Grape