Halloween Blood Splatter Manicure 2 : Konad

I have had my Konad kit for a few months but this was my first time using it. I was a little intimidated by the process but it is as easy as everyone says it is and I am hooked.  I want to do another Konad manicure already. This splatter manicure is much cleaner and neater looking that the straw method. It just depends on the look you are going for. This is definitely a friendlier prettier version. I used Konad plate M21. I mixed a tiny amount of Konad Black special polish mixed with Zoya Sooki to create the blood splatter color. I used this over Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear in White Out. I put my topcoat on a little early but a little smear with a bloody look is alright. This was a fun easy manicure that can be done in any variety of colors.

Giveaway: Sally Hansen Salon Effects Halloween 2011 (CLOSED)

Thanks to all that entered. The winner chosen by random.org is Pauline-omgnoodles

One person will win two Sally Hansen Salon Effects Limited Edition Halloween 2011 Nail Polish Strips, one in Hot Wired and the second one in Numbskull.

  HOT WIRED                                NUMBSKULL

This giveaway is only open to the U.S.

All you have to do to enter is to leave a comment on this post. Please only enter once per person. The winning comment will be chosen using Random.org. The giveaway runs from October 8, 2011, through 11:59 PM on October 15, 2011 EST.

Please check back, because if you are the winner I will need you to e-mail me within 48 hours of the announcement, and provide me with your mailing address, or another winner will be chosen. If you are under 18, please get your parents' permission.



Thanks for entering!

Black and Yellow: Pure Ice Crackle in Catwalk over Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear in Blackout

Flash

Indoor Lighting

I know what you must be thinking, so you might as well play this while reading:

Pure Ice Crackle is another drugstore version of the crackle polishes we have all come to love or loathe. There is a wide range of colors and textures available in the Pure Ice range. I saw these at Walgreens, and the variety of colors different from those I already own, attracted me to try at least one. So I chose the yellow shimmer, called Catwalk. I had problems deciding between that and a murky green cream crackle.

Catwalk, a yellow shimmer crackle, applies smoothly and is similar in texture, finish and application to OPI Shatters. The shatter pattern appeared nicely and application was a much easier process than my previous drugstore crackle experience with Sally Hansen Crackle. This yellow shimmer dries matte. I added a topcoat in the above swatches. You might notice in the enlarged clickable version of the pictures, that there is an almost imperceptible rainbow shimmer hidden in the yellow that is so pretty. It gives this polish a little extra pizzazz. I used the crackle over Sally Hansen Hard as Nails Xtreme Wear in Blackout. Blackout is also available at Walgreens, and is a fast drying, opaque black cream polish. I only needed one coat for full opaque coverage.

Pure Ice Crackle is a great choice for those who like crackle polish at a great price. It is available at Walgreens at a retail price of $3.99.

Sally Hansen: Crackle Overcoat in Denim over Nina Ultra Pro Lacquer

Indoor Lighting:Top two fingers, thin layer of crackle, bottom two fingers thick layer

Flash:Top two fingers, thin layer of crackle, bottom two fingers thick layer

I was looking forward to trying the drugstore version of the crackle trend. Unfortunately, the brush of this polish is very thin. I may have bought one with a defective brush because it was skewed at an angle that made application hard for me. The consistency of this crackle was more watery than the OPI shatter. The color is most similar to the OPI Navy shatter, just a slightly lighter shade. I like the navy creamy texture with the shimmery orange underneath. I am sorry I don't know the name of the orange polish because the sticker is gone, but it is a mid-tone shimmery orange. The color of the crackle polish is much darker than the bright blue it appears in the bottle. It doesn't crackle as evenly and the pattern doesn't appear as pleasing to me as the OPI version. If you can't get the OPI Shatters, this would make a suitable substitute, though I prefer the formula and application of the OPI and China Glaze versions. Sally Hansen Crackle overcoat is available at CVS and Walgreens and retails for $6.99.