Evolving Nail

I've already mentioned my love of the Sally Hansen HD's that I got for 75% off at the start of my absurd clearance hot streak....but I didn't show any photos.  I haven't posted any nail swatches all week.  This is why....

The HD's sheer, buildable awesomeness inspired me to challenge myself.  I decided that for five days I wasn't gonna remove my polish.  I was only gonna add to what was there and see where things went.

I started with Wet n Wild Megalast Disturbia.  In the bottle it's an alluring red-violet with a purpley/red/gold shimmer.  Honestly, I was a little disappointed.

This is full sun.  The color is waaaay darker than I expected.  The shimmer?  Almost unnoticeable.  But...it's pretty and it was cheap and on sale, so...whatever.  I'll use it again, I'm sure.  The black grape cream it becomes when worn is  really likeable and more distinct than what the bottle suggests.  It does take three coats to not be a streaky disaster, but that's typical of Wet n Wild.  It wore well on my left hand, but not wonderfully on my right.  Almost right away I got the kind of wearing off at the edges that you usually don't get until day two or three...but this was without a top coat...which makes that mirror shine really impressive, no?  You can see the hill behind my house reflected in my ring finger.

The brush on the megalast is...odd.  That's a topic for a shorter post though.

Day two was gonna be something pearly to put a twist on this deep purple base.  Early Tuesday morning (I couldn't wait...this was around midnight) I added a layer of SH NailPrisms South Sea Pearl.  Ohholyfuckthisisthebestthingeverrrrr!!!

I mean....LOOOOK!!!  Each nail is a different color sometimes....

Sadly, the best photos were pre-cleanup, because after I got home I had a confusing minor tragedy....but enjoy the shimmer before you see the sadness...

LOVE!!!!  ...but then this happened....

What?  WHAT?  How?  Why?  I don't....  Took me a until that night to figure out what had caused all these nasty little scratches.  The polish was dry!  This didn't make sense.  Turns out it was my hair.  Weird, I know.  When I put it up, I hate when the elastic slips out, so I put it on as tight as it will go.  Tighter than I thought, apparently, because the pressure of it dug my hair into polish that had been applied 5+ hours before.  I'm much more careful now.

I was so tempted to do something to fix this, but that was against the 'rules' of my challenge.  By the time Wednesday morning came I was absurdly eager to put another layer on and hide the scratches.  Time for one of the HD's, Byte.  I'd never have bought this color if I hadn't loved the blues so much...but I'm sooo glad I did.

Again, too many photos because of the colorchangey-ness.  It looked different in each light I saw it in.

I had to try really hard for it to actually catch the pinkish flash, but it's there

I was a little sad to say goodbye and change this on Thursday, but...it was time.  Another HD, this time it was Laser.  I slept through the sunny part of the day, so the photos weren't the best, but there are still way too many of them anyway.

Day four...getting a little rough at the edges...

So now it's day five.  I'm itching to be done with this, as much fun as it's been.  'Forcing' myself to stick with it was fun, but I've got so many untried things...and...let's just say...I'm feeling a bit....franken-furtive.

Day five, the final day, the top coat, the...um...end...had to be something special, something different.  A flakie was ideal...and I have the perfect one.  Sally Hansen Diamond Strength Glass Slipper!  It's an odd one because it's not iridescent like virtually all the others I've seen.  The flakes are pearly opal white, like fake snow.

It's even weirder in full sun.  Most flakies are outstandingly flashy in full sun, but Glass Slipper is almost as heliophobic as I am.

This was so much fun!  I'll be doing this again, maybe next month.  Maybe I can get Nichole to try it too.  The planning, the changes, the results...it was exciting and I found some combinations I might not have tried otherwise.  It really got me to look through my collection too....photos of that coming soonish.

Anyone who knows me should really be shocked that I bought (and WORE) Byte.  I fought the evil "p word" and gave it at try.  I might have to buy pink glitter more often.  Maybe.