The Walloping Warbler

Friday, January 3, 2014

An Ode To

Dearest blog of mine,
How I neglected you after such a short span of time. We were once so in tune, and yet, so very lame.
I wish to return, if you will have me.
Affectionately,
Elle

Wednesday, July 31, 2013

I love nail art. I really do. It can be a quiet expression of individuality or a blatantly bold fashion statement. We can play with glitter and shapes and colors and patterns, all in ways that were wholly passé 6 years ago. Awesome.

I'm calling this look "Santa Fe". I paired a barely there soft minty blue with an iridescent pinky-gold in geometric accents. The result reminds me of turquoise jewelry. It also makes me want to start singing that song from Rent.

What I used:

China Glaze in Refresh-Mint

OPI in Cozu-Melted in the Sun

Base and Top Coat

Nail Guide Stickers (Chevron shape)

I'm looking forward to doing a full tutorial, AND a DIY manicure guide soon! First, I need to tackle my ever-shredding cuticles. Have tips in soothing them? Share them in the comments!

Friday, July 26, 2013

Easy Manicures to Try This Month

If you're like me, you get bored with your nails quickly! I hardly ever have chipped nails because I tend to paint them again before they wear out! Here are 3 manicure styles that ANYONE with the right colors and a steady hand can pull off!

gothampolish.blogspot.com

This is an adorable, sparkly version of a French manicure. You can make this slightly less stark by layering glitter over a similar color (navy glitter over a medium blue, perhaps?).

Required:

White polish

1 large chunky glitter, Try Milani Jewel FX in Silver (drugstores)

1 fine glitter, Try "It's Bouquet with Me" SEPHORA by OPI (sephora stores)

ProTip: Dab on glitter polish, don't smear and glide. Dabbing allows you more control over the chunky glitter.

madmanis.blogspot.com

Nervous to try a bolder style? Add an accent nail! The ring finger is traditional, but it's really up to you!

Required:

White polish

1 pale pink polish, Try Essie "Poppy Art Pink" (drugstores)

1 opaque silver glitter, Try SEPHORA by OPI "Social Climber" (sephora stores)

ProTip: If you do a glitter accent nail, avoid glitter/shimmer polishes on the other nail to up the contrast.

French Tip Nails Designs : Wonderful Colored French Tip Nails

coolnailartideas.com

Colorful manicures are super cute. Try all one color, or mix it up, like in the picture above!

Required:

Clear polish

1 pale pink polish, Try the Sinful Colors Line (drugstores)

ProTip: If you have a steady hand, try painting a line horizontally across the line. Too shaky? Use nail stickers as a guide line! Don't have nail stickers! Use blue painters tape!! (just dull the stickiness a bit by pressing it against your skin a few times).

Monday, July 22, 2013

Give Me a Brainy Brit in a Deerstalker Any Day... (Or, My Obsession for Sherlock).

So, I'm... uh... kind of a Sherlock fan.
A little bit.
Sort of.
OHMYGODILOVEBENEDICTCUMBERBATCHSQUEEEEEEEE.

I'm not typically a "fangirl". I have serious love for some nerdly things (Harry Potter, Star Trek, Buffy the Vampire Slayer), but my love for those tends to stop just sort of obsession. Ok, so I ran a Harry Potter online RPG for a couple of... years.... SO WHAT? It's a magical story about friendship and good over evil! Hero's Journey! Mythical connections! Oh, shut up.

There's something about the BBC Sherlock series that truly gets my nerdly giblets all in a twist. It's smart, it's sarcastic, and it has the bitingly quick sense of witty timing that I haven't seen in a great show since Buffy ended.

Here are some of my favorite examples of Sherlock fan art. I am not a "Shipper" (one who fantasizes about unexplored relationships within a show,film, etc), so I am steering away from those.