Manicures From the Last Two Weeks

Since the snow storm and power outage, I have fallen behind sharing my pictures.  These are my manicures from the last two weeks.

The first manicure was inspired by a Halloween carnival, like the one from Ray Bradbury's Something Wicked This Way Comes.

"The night was sweet with the dust of autumn leaves that smelled as if the fine sands of ancient Egypt were drifting to dunes beyond the town." --Ray Bradbury

Halloween manicure inspired by Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury (tungsten lighting)

Thumb:  2 coats China Glaze "Cross Iron 360" topped with CG "Black Mesh"
Index finger:  2 coats China Glaze "Cross Iron 360"
Middle finger:  2 coats Milani "Purple Passion"
Ring finger:  2 coats China Glaze "It's Alive"
Pinky:  2 coats China Glaze "Cross Iron 360"
Base coat:  Sally Hansen Double Duty
Top coat:  Seche Vite Dry Fast Top Coat

Next, I tried to create a second Halloween manicure, but to me, it looked more "leopard print" than "spooky Halloween." (Note: In person, the orange is darker and less yellow. It is an orange rust color.)

Halloween mani with China Glaze "Cross Iron 360" and "Black Mesh" (tungsten lighting)

Base color:  2 coats China Glaze "Cross Iron 360"
Crackle: China Glaze "Black Mesh"
Base coat:  Sally Hansen Double Duty
Top coat:  Seche Vite Dry Fast Top Coat

This next mani was a huge failure.  It only lasted a few hours on my nails before I removed it.  I tried out the new Wet n Wild polish "FuchiasRama," a gorgeous color.  The manicure looked fine when I first applied it, but within a couple hours, it looked mottled, worn, and chipped.  This is probably the worst nail polish I have ever tried in terms of quality.  The picture below shows the mani immediately after painting.

Wet n Wild "FuschiaRama" and Sinful Colors "Frenzy" (tungsten lighting)

Main color:  2 (or was it 3?) coats of Wet n Wild "FuschiaRama" (spelled as one word on the bottle)
Ring fingers: An additional 2 coats of Sinful Colors "Frenzy," a pink and blue glitter
Base coat:  Sally Hansen Double Duty
Top coat:  Seche Vite Dry Fast Top Coat

The last mani I have to show you was a huge success.  I love this red.  It is Essie "Plumberry," a gorgeous medium red with blue undertones and a slight bit of shimmer.  It is my new favorite red nail polish.  It is between a raspberry and a cranberry color, so "Plumberry" is the perfect name.  The polish applies evenly and looks amazing in 2 coats.  I love it, and it looks great against my pale skin.

I had a difficult time capturing the true "Plumberry" color in a picture.  Its true color is somewhere between the two from the images below.  Imagine the brightness from the first picture but make it a little darker and more blue-toned like the second picture.

Essie "Plumberry" (sunlight)

Essie "Plumberry" (tungsten lighting)

Color:  2 coats Essie "Plumberry"
Base coat:  Sally Hansen Double Duty
Top coat:  New York Color "Grand Central Station"

I'm not sure if it was the "Plumberry" or the top coat (see next paragraph), but this manicure lasted three to four days before any chipping or wear, and I am rough on my nails.  I was amazed.

I tried a new top coat, New York Color "Grand Central Station," and it is my new favorite top coat.  It is easier to apply than Seche Vite (not as thick), and it is less shiny (which I prefer).  It dries just as quickly and seems to last longer, and it costs much less.

If you made it this far, thanks for reading!  What are your favorite fall nail polishes / manicures?  I will be doing a post on my favorites soon.