Week 30 - Galaxy Nails + Julieanne

So I thought I was behind on my challenge but I guess I was actually slightly ahead, WHICH puts me right on time for this week's theme - Galaxy Nails! (well, technically they're nebula nails, but everyone calls them galaxy nails)

Just a reminder that you can click a picture to make it bigger!

I'm really happy with how they turned out (complete with black hole)! Clean-up wasn't as, well, clean as I had thought I had gotten it, but not bad considering I hadn't slept for over 48-hours by the time I got around to doing this (yay for multiple papers due), lol.

Galaxy nails hold a special place in my heart, because it was my first attempt at nail art EVER! So, for a "Then and Now" comparison....

November 16, 2011 - Inspired by a Tutorial

Not bad! This time around I used all-new colors (except for the white and the holo-glitter). I like to think I've come a long way since then. :)

So, onto more pictures!

I started with Secret Admirer by Sinful Colors. I love love love the silver micro-glitter in this black because it's perfect for this kind of nail design (and looks textured and interesting on its own).

Here's the white I sponged on to my thumb. I was going to try and recreate actual nebulae from actual pictures, but decided to just wing it. Now for close-ups!

Ring and Pinky

Index and Middle

Thumb

The Aftermath

On my right hand I'm wearing two coats of Julieanne from Zoya. This is my first time wearing this polish; I bought it on a whim some time ago because it was the last one and looked pretty unique.

I apologize in advance for my cuticles! This was actually the third polish I tried on my right hand that I finally ended up liking. The first two were Orly's Lunar Eclipse and then Zoya's Ibiza because I wanted to try out a dark blue for a Galaxies background color... but then I got lazy and just took it off, rubbing lots of super-dark-blue colors into my cuticle beds! :(

Appropriately space-y!
Julieanne by Zoya

This polish is kind of interesting. On the nail it appears to be a puple microglitter on a black base, but the base is actually this weird dark blue color (that I assume helps the purple to stand out and look pretty). The first coat of this is worrisome - a watery dark-blueish color with non-obvious glitter, oh god, what have I done?? But then the second coat transforms it into what you see here! I'm happy to have a legitimate excuse to wear this baby on its own.

Bonus kitty pictures! My most excellent kitty ever, The Baby Spook(um)s, was kind enough to let me pose with my manicure. The blue on my palm is from strategically taking off the blue polish(es) I had tried on my other hand.

Colors used:

CG's Coconut Kiss (purple)
CG's For Audrey (light blue)
CG's Cha Cha Cha (lime green)
CG's Riveting (rusty-orange)
CG's Fairy Dust (dense holo-microglitter, clear base)
CG's White on White (white)
Nina Ultra Pro's Big Spender (gold)
OPI's In My Back Pocket (orange)
Sinful Colors' Boom Boom (hot pink)
Sinful Colors' Secret Admirer (black w/silver microglitter)
Zoya's Trixie (silver, metallic-foil finish)