Red and Gold Bands

here is my EBT-Awards inspired manicure (you can blame my homey, Odara, from http://www.gimmethatglow.com for the color combination):

here's what i used:

1) Gelous Advanced Nail Gel Coat

2) Milani Nail Art in Art of Gold

3) Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear in Red Carpet

4) Bruccu Nail Hardener in Clear

the Gelous base coat is nice and thick. it dries a slight bit tacky so it grips the polish as you apply it. i only had to use 2 coats of the Red Carpet. it has a fair amount of sparkle to it and it paired well with the Gold of Milani. i only had to use one coat for the gold though. i had to use the Brucci because of a mixup with my Seche Vite order. it worked fine. nothing spectacular.

i was a bit lazy though and only did the left hand. i'll do the right tomorrow.

evidence of my madness...

my glitters, holographics and nail treatments

my opaques, brights and solids...

the collection amassed in 1 week...

new addictions...

confession: i have an addictive personality.

i take that to mean that i pick up habits easily and those habits turn into addictions. in turn, some of these addictions have lasted years while others fizzle out in days/weeks/months. throughout the years, i have been addicted to sex, drugs, alcohol, cigarettes, shopping (clothes and the like), shoes and now, makeup (specifically nail polish). there are other things (like specific people), but the ones i listed were the most significant.

over the past week, i have become the proud owner of 26 bottles of nail polish. in addition, i have bought countless nail art supplies over eBay. friends and family have all asked jokingly, "are you planning on opening a salon?" and i just laugh.

it started with me getting my nails gone every few weeks, over the past year. time and time again, i go this route to help my nails grow so my midget hands aren't as apparent at first glance. as the tips and crystal powder helped my soft and brittle nails grow, i began to allow my nail technician to experiment with polish colors and designs. now that fever of experimentation has spread to me.

i saw some designs on the internet about nail stamping (the art of using a steel plate, etched with designs) to add pizazz to bland nails and i just had to order one off eBay (waiting on it to come from China). then, i read somewhere about nail foils (which mimic the Minx nail system) and i decided to try it out also. i bought some off eBay, again (waiting for them to come from Britain). i thought, "why pay Karen to add designs to my nails when i can attempt to do it myself and i might actually be good at it."

somewhere in between, i got obsessed with nail polish. i saw bottles everywhere. next think i know, i'm the proud owner of a Sally Beauty Supply Discount Card and 26 bottles of nail polish. they all didn't come from Sally's though. i bought some at CVS, Rite Aid, the dollar store that was on my way to Taco Bell, Claire's, Forever 21 and Fashion to Figure (the new "big girl" store) in the mall near my house.

i haven't gotten the stuff i ordered yet, but when i do... i will be a polishing fiend. trying out something new excites me. eventually i want to soak off my tips and do the whole process over, myself. it's a new undertaking for me, but it's giving me a happy-go-lucky feeling.