Florida Dreaming: Glitter Gradient Mani FT. Julep's Madison

I have been feeling a bit homesick for my adopted state of Florida and it's two coolest residents ( Hi, Mom & Dad, xoxo). So why not a bit of color for a foggy and dark New Hampshire day?

I have yet to do a gradient and I also keep on forgetting to get makeup sponges to make it happen. Then genius struck... I was going to use glitter polishes and fake out the gradient. Let me tell you, it's super easy and it pulls off the look. 

For my ring, middle, and index fingers I started with a base of Finger Paints Paper Mache. I then painted the bottom half of the nails with Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear Mellow Yellow. I covered the remaining white portion and a portion of the yellow with Wet N Wild's Can-Can You Hang the Mistletoe. I then did a stripe of Sally Hansen Complete Manicure Snow Globe over a part of the yellow. Lastly, I used Julep's Harper at the base of the nail. I finished the nail with a coat of Snow Globe and painted starbursts with Stripe Rite in White.

My thumb and pinky finger were painted with two coats of Julep's Madison and I used Stripe Rite in White to achieve the lattice-work effect. 

In the end it looks like drinking Mojitos, Pina Coladas, and Strawberry Margaritas in a Florida garden at sunset. Perfect. I'm booking my flight now...

Bubble Gum & Cotton Candy: OPI's Yodel Me On My Cell and Princesses Rule!

Another OPI gelcolor post for you lovelies... I am obsessed with this product. I have to say that I am less adventurous with gel nail polish as compared to others. That being said, I want to direct you to check out the lovely Gelli fied at Gel-Luv... this girl is amazing! She has done gel nail art, gel ombre manis, and even gel saran wrap manis. Go on check her out and show some love!

Since I declared it the winter of the trigger mani, I present another one today. I think it's just a way for me to get away with wearing multiple colors and being just a bit edgy. I absolutely adore how the gel formula translates the OPI shades. They are so glossy, squishy, and complex. I have to say, I catch myself staring at my nails just a bit too much. Most of all these polishes wear like iron and soak off with the foil method very easily.

Yodel Me On My Cell is a stunning green leaning teal from the Swiss Collection. It's sparkly, shimmery and in the right light you can get a gorgeous emerald glow. All in all a true cyan blue. I do have to say it's similar to Unfor-greta-bly Blue, but the German Collection shade is more violet.

Princesses Rule! is a soft glittery pastel pink from the Princesses Charming Collection. The shine is spectacular with this color and the pale rose and silver micro glitter dances in the light. ( Note this is four coats and there is still VNL- visible nail line) Also, dupe for Zoya's Gei Gei from their Lovely Collection, anyone?

I am so excited to share some news with all of you, I have discovered a new brand on Etsy and will be doing a huge feature on them! It impressed me so much I went and bought four bottles... yeah. 

Color me addicted.

Glamorous Nail Art: Inspired by Janet Hill's "Library Ladies"

Another day, another "Inspired By" post... today I want to introduce you to another one of my favorite artists, Janet Hill. I discovered her on Etsy and was just captivated. Her work is illustrative, detailed, and quite breathtaking. It recalls a time when things were just a bit more refined and elegant. I have purchased three pieces from her and was more than pleased. Also, I had the chance to exchange an e-mail with her and she is quite lovely as well! 

The piece that I chose to work from was 2010's "Library Ladies". I love how the piece is demure and flirty at the same time, quite the feat (ha ha.)! I combined some basic illustration on the pinky and thumb nail, with a modified ruffian manicure on the ring, middle, and index fingers to symbolize the ladies' dresses.

I used Revlon's Graceful as a basecoat for this mani. For the apple colored dress I used the following shades, Julep's Fiona, Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear in Mellow Yellow,  and Cynthia Rowley's Apple Shimmer. For the white dress I used, Finger Paints in Paper Mache, Julep's Fiona, and Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear in Mellow Yellow. Finally for the robin's egg blue dress I used, Julep's Daphne, Essie's Turquoise & Caicos, and Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear in Golden-I. 

I drew the books with Julep's Delauney and Sinful Colors' Nirvana. The pages were done with Stripe Rite in White. The leg with the golden shoe was colored with Julep's Teresa and Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear in Golden-I. 

I encourage you to go and support Janet's small business over at Etsy. 

I loved doing this mani and look forward to another inspired post...

Also, thanks to the amazing Ghila at Nails Noob, I am converting my Twitter account to support ECKlipsed by Color. Feel free to tweet me @ECKlipse, I'll totally answer back...

Lowbrow Nail Art: Inspired by Shag's "Fondue Set"

Yesterday in my post I spoke about my love for the work of Josh Agle- professionally known as Shag. He is the ultimate in hipster sophisticate lowbrow art (also called pop surrealism). It's fun, it's fresh, it's retro, and it's very tongue-in-cheek. 

Though his works tend to be very candy colored and glossy and are chock full of opulent and swanky subject matter, there is always a darker side lurking. It is not too often when someone asks you which piece do you like the most of this artist and your unwavering response is "every last damn one". I was so thrilled when Jesse liked him to. I remember saying when we were dating, " When we get married we are so going to buy a Shag".  Luckily we did both of those things. 

The piece I chose to interpret was "Fondue Set" from his 2004 Holidays On Ice collection. I primarily did this using nail art brushes and mixing different lacquers, and it was a bit tricky. I would have loved to sharpen up the detail a bit, but I think it is a decent representation overall.

For the sky I mixed Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear in Fuchsia Power, Finger Paints in Paper Mache, and Julep's Gayle. The mountains are a blend of Finger Paints in Paper Mache, and Julep's Gayle, and the mountain tops are the same with a bit more Paper Mache. The trees are January Julep Maven release, Fiona ( a stunning neon lime creme) and Stripe Rite in White.

The ski bunny's background was a blend of Finger Paints in Paper Mache, and Julep's Gayle. She was created with Stripe Rite in White, Finger Paints striper in Ch-art-coal Black, and her lips and eyelids were done with Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear in Sunkissed. 

The fondue pot's background was a mix of Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear in Sunkissed and Sinful Colors' Nirvana. The pot itself was a blend of Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear in Sunkissed, Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear in Mellow Yellow and Finger Paints in Paper Mache. The chocolate in the pot was painted with Sinful Colors' Nirvana and the details were done with Stripe Rite in White and Finger Paints striper in Ch-art-coal Black.

 
Hope you enjoy this just as much as I did doing it! Now what will be my next inspiration...

Liebster Award Nomination!

What a way to start off 2013! Thank you so much to the dear, Ghila at Nails Noob, for nominating ECKlipsed by Color for the Liebster Award. Liebster is the German word for "dearest" and originated on the web around 2010 for blogs with under 200 followers. It helps to introduce new blogs to each other and just share the love.

As with any award their are rules and criteria...

You must post 11 random things about yourself.

Then answer the questions that the nominator set for you.
Then create 11 questions for the people you nominate to answer.
Finally, choose up to 11 people and link them in your post and and go to their page and tell them.

Hmm... 11 random things:
1. Love to travel! I have been on over 20 cruises and traveled to places in North America, South America, Europe, and Asia. My most extended stay was a summer abroad in Turkey studying Islamic Art and Architecture.

2. I adore tea. Not just drinking tea, but the whole concept of having a formal afternoon tea ( tea sandwiches, scones, pastries, etc...yum) Every January (coming up soon), I have a large group of friends over to do just that. My favorite brands are Tea Forte, Tazo, Teavana, and who doesn't love Celestial Seasonings Sleepytime!

3. I am an only child. I have always loved it... and no I am not spoiled. :)

4. Jesse and I have been married for over 5 years. I still think he's pretty cool and he thinks I'm okay too...lol ( Seriously though, he's the best and he's my photographer.)

5.  I do not leave the house without my hair and makeup done. That is sacrilege. I cut my hair off about a year ago ( think Anne Hathaway on the cover of Glamour this month) and it was liberating. I adore BareMinerals eyeshadow and have about 40 different colors.

6. I am a morning person. Unless I have somewhere to go, staying up all night does not appeal to me...

7. I love to cook. I'm Greek and food is love.

8. I love to buy gifts for people. It is so much fun to pick out something special and it be that thing they wanted. Also, cool gift wrap rocks- presentation is key.

9. My Pandora bracelet ( featured heavily in my pictures) is about 5 years old. My mom and I bought them together and thought it would be this gradual thing to add on to. B.S. We totally went berserk and finished them in less than 12 weeks.  

10. Shag ( a.k.a. Josh Agle) is my favorite artist. He does amazing work and there are so many layers of interpretation to it. I have a large serigraph of his in my living room, The Secret Cul-de-Sac. 

11. I am a huge supporter of hamsters. They are amazing. I love Mojo and he'll be two on Monday.

Answers to Ghila's 11 questions:
1. PLEASE IDENTIFY YOURSELF: COUNTRY, OCCUPATION AND HOBBIES? 
I live in the state of New Hampshire in the United States. I am a Residential Mortgage Lender at a commercial bank. I am an artist who loves music, traveling, cooking, her family and life in general.

2. A FAVORITE MOVIE AND A MOVIE THAT MAKES YOU FEEL BETTER?
I think my favorite movie trifecta is The Usual Suspects, Identity, and Lucky Number Slevin. I also adore the Scream movies. A huge Tarantino fan ( Grindhouse, Pulp Fiction, Kill Bill, basically anything Q has made). I would say the movie that always makes me laugh is Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang. 

3. WHICH THING TO DO MAKES YOU FEEL BETTER WHEN YOU ARE DOWN?
I talk to Jesse, listen to good music, hold the live stress ball a.k.a. Mojo...

4. FAVORITE FOOD?
I am a foodie... I will try anything once. I adore Greek food because that is what I way raised with, but if it is cooked well and with love- how is not a favorite?

5. IF YOU COULD RENAME YOURSELF WITH AN ANIMAL/NATURE-RELATED OR SYMBOLIC NAME TO REPRESENT YOU AS A PERSON, WHAT WOULD THAT BE AND WHY? 
Mojo thinks I should name myself after him because he is the greatest ever.

6. WEIRDEST DREAM EVER MADE?
Weirdest? Not sure... I love dreaming and tend to remember a lot of them. Some of them actually help me work through things I might have on my mind, and others are as exciting as TV shows...

7. IDEAL FRIEND/LOVER AMONG FICTIONAL CHARACTERS? 
I could definitely see raising some hell with bounty hunter from Jersey, Stephanie Plum, from Janet Evanovich's series. I also adore Nolan Ross on Revenge and Damon Salvatore on The Vampire Diaries (why does Elena always choose Stefan??? This Elena doesn't.)

8. MOST HATED THINGS TO DO? 
Watch nature documentaries. There are other things, but I am not going to incriminate myself :)

9. IDEAL HOLIDAY DESTINATION AND ACTIVITY?
I would love to go back to Greece to show my husband the "old country". I could also totally kick it in Tahiti for an extended period...

10. HOW DO YOU LIKE/LOVE YOURSELF?
I absolutely love myself. Do I wish sometimes that I had long flowing locks, or that I was more statuesque...sure. You know what though? Those things are not going to happen and that is okay. I enjoy who I am and what I bring to the table. If you are your own best friend, everything is a piece cake from there... 

11. WHAT WEAKNESS WOULD YOU LIKE TO SHARE/SOLVE ALONG WITH OTHER WOMEN AND WHAT WOULD HELP? 
I love when people are themselves. It's cool to be a little bit geeky, or goofy, or corny... I think it really comes out when we all talk about polish and it's super fun.

My questions for my nominees:
1. What inspired you to start blogging and also your blog name?
2. What has been your greatest accomplishment so far?
3. What is your favorite creative outlet? Art? Music? Dance? etc.?
4. If your life was a book what would be the title?
5. Describe your favorite meal.
6. What would be your ultimate polish color and what would it be called?
7. If you had pick between the two- chocolate or cheese?
8. Favorite travel destination that you have been to and one that you would love to go to.
9. What nail trend do you see happening in 2013?
10. Do you speak any foreign languages?
11. Favorite nail polish brand and favorite shade?

My nominees:

PolishNV
Cazzy at Special Girl Nails
Gellified at Gel-Luv
Meghan at WillPaintNailsforFood

These are great new blogs, so go on and show them some love!

Big hugs to Ghila once again for the nomination!

Nail Art to Desire: Inspired by Margot Elena's TokyoMilk Dark

Today is a randomly inspired nail art post. A massive amount of ladies are joining Debbie at The Crumpet for her take on the 31 Day Challenge and day one for them was black and white. It got me to thinking that I really wanted to do some intensive monochromatic nail art. What to do was the issue... I was looking around the house and inspiration hit when I saw my perfumes. I am a huge fan of Margot Elena's TokyoMilk Dark Femme Fatale Collection. Sexy fragrances, out-of-this-world body products, delicious lip balms, and super creative branding. I personally wear Tainted Love. Amazing.

This mani is pretty straight forward, I started with two coats of Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure in Midnight in NY- a gorgeous black with multicolor micro glitter.  I then did freehand nail art with my Stripe Rite in White. I topped it with two coats of matte to mimic the painted black glass of the bottle. Overall, this had such a Victorian Apothecary feel to it. I felt like I should be drinking absinthe and reciting Edgar Allan Poe, while rocking this manicure. A bit chic, a bit goth, a lot to love.

The seal that is featured on every bottle in the collection

Based on the scent Arsenic

Based on the scent Tainted Love

Based on the scent Crushed

Based on the scent Everything & Nothing

I hope you enjoyed these nails. I look forward to getting a bit more artsy and off the beaten path this month, but I think it will be quite fun. Also looking forward to new collections being released: Whimsical Ideas by Pam for Valentine's, Eliza at Tough As Nails is doing one based on tea (Oh my god am I excited- I am the ultimate tea aficionado), Chelsea at Pretty & Polished has a themed set based on Marie Antoinette (check out Kelly's post at Tuxarina) Christina at Spy Princess is at work on her 2013 line. 

What does this mean? We are all headed to the poor house- but we will have awesome nails!

Five Top Trends of 2013: #5 Indie Polishes FT. Spy Princess' Kir Royale

Happy 2013! Wonderful wishes for a fabulous new year! Mojo is clicking about something, but it's more likely " Ma, stop typing a hamster's gotta sleep." Welcome to the final installment of my top five trends. I have to say that this has been a lot of fun, so you might see more trend forecasting from me in the future.

I have to say this one was a no-brainer. Indie polishes are amazing for a few reasons. First, it's about the creativity. I look at each one being a little piece of art, the selection of colors and the time it took to craft. Second, I love the names! I have to say it, even if a color is just cool sometimes the name throws it over the top... Finally (and most importantly), its about encouraging small business, I come from three generations of small business owners and am a total supporter.

The polish I am featuring was selected by my husband, Jesse.  I had been showing him about 5,000 polish shades to give him ideas for Christmas. He snooped out my Etsy favorites and found this one. He loves purple. It was no surprise to me when I saw this color that it was the perfect gift from him.

Also, I am super psyched because it's a polish from Spy Princess. I have waxed poetic about Christina's line so many times. Seriously though, awesome colors, fabulous brand concept- you have got to love it! Kir Royale was a holiday release and is a great festive winter color. It is a sheer dusky purple jelly with silver, copper, black, and plum glitter hexes of various sizes. I have to say that I am partial to glittery polishes with colored bases, and this definitely fit the bill. This color can be worn on its own, but I layered it over Essie's Wicked for a more vampy look. Super sexy. 

Spy Princess is available at Etsy. Please check them out on Facebook and Twitter. I know that Christina is hard at work on a new release for 2013...

A few indie polish lines to check out for 2013. I have a feeling that they will continue to amaze...

Whimsical Ideas by Pam
Serum No 5
Sinister Benediction
Tough As Nails Lacquer
Maisie Shine
All That Glitters
Oopsie Daisies

And oh yes, a bit of a countdown extra... Elena's top ten of 2013:

1. OPI On Her Majesty’s Secret Service
2. OPI Unfor-greta-bly Blue
3. Julep Julia
4. Julep Ivy
5. Whimsical Ideas by Pam Magical Mystery Tour
6. Spy Princess Cloak & Dagger
7. Essie Beyond Cozy
8. Essie Mojito Madness
9. Tough As Nails Lacquers The Baconian Method
10. LVX Midori

I was trying to get a photo of Mojo "announcing" my number one color OPI's OHMSS. (I never wear colors twice any more, but I LOVE this color.)  He was not having it last night... here are some super cute (non-edited) attempts of trying to get the picture...

Look at that cute paw!

" I am not going to look where you want me to. The back of me is amazing."

"I will totally eat your ring, woman, if you don't put me down!"

What are your fave indie brands and polishes of the year?