Guess who's back, back again...

Hi all!

I feel like hugging this blog, it's been so long! So, quick update on my life now: as you may know, I graduated from my bachelor's degree in May but you (probably?) don't know that I am now working on my master's! As well trying to get everything in order to apply for a post-doctoral program in the fall of 2014. I'm busy, to say the least. I often feel like I'm drowning in coursework and just life in general. That sounds sadder than it is, lol. In fact, the only reason I'm blogging now is because I'm procrastinating doing some school work but today I just got an overwhelming desire to blog again so here I am! It helps that I really like this mani :D

Right, nails, that's why you're here. For this mani I started with a base of Illamasqua Jo'Mina and then saran-wrapped-sponged Illamasqua Nomad on top. Then I stamped with the silver Color Club holo and MASH 39. These even got the boyfriend seal of approval with a cheery "Ooohh look who's back!" when I showed him.

The pictures aren't perfect and I have to re-tweak the lighting because my setup changed since I wasn't using the lightbox but I'm just happy to have these up!

Sappy time: I am really happy you're all still following this blog and to show my gratitude, I'll be having a giveaway soon! Nothing huge, but I do have some things I've stashed away for an occasion such as this. As for the future of the blog, I do strive to continue blogging but I am definitely not pushing myself too hard. Sometimes I just have time to paint my nails in a single color and no nail art, and I'm actually still falling back in love with doing my nails since I was often naked during the break so I don't want it to become a chore again.

See you soon! :D

ABC Challenge 'T' - a-England Tristam

Hi all!

Super short post, I'm very sleepy and have a massive headache at the moment but I really wanted to get this post up today!

I believe this was just one coat of a-England Tristam, which has been a lemming ever since it came out and it is finally mine thanks to Radha from The Polish Owl! Then, I added some holo stamping with Color Club Harp On It (because scattered holo + super holo = happy me at work) and a Pueen stamping plate (if anyone is interested in a review of these plates, please let me know).

I'm very sorry about the tip wear, this is another mani I've been wearing for almost a full week (still wearing it as I type) and last time I tried to fix the tips it looked all lumpy so I figured this time I'd show just how well its wearing. Needless to say, I love this mani to bits.

Have a great day loves!

ABC Challenge 'S & R' - The Red Angels are Sew Psyched

Hi all!

NOT DEAD! How about that? Sorry for my super extended absence, between work and getting everything done for graduation in two weeks plus my own personal down-time, it's been harder to get a post up. The biggest reason for my absence though? The sad sad state of my nails :'(. They've been peeling so badly recently and just brittle and dry that they're pretty nubtastic at the moment.

However, since I don't want to just disappear from the challenge altogether, I have a half-assed attempt to cram two challenges in one post! My base color is Essie Sew Psyched (for the S day) and I did a little accent stamp from RA-107 (for R day). I also stamped with Essie Good as Gold.

If the tips look weird its because I wore this for almost 5 days (!!) before taking the pictures and I had to retouch the tips a bit. Still, 5 days with barely any tip wear is pretty fantastic if you ask me! I never knew how to appreciate a long lasting mani until now.

Have a great day and (SPOILER ALERT) I'm actually wearing my 'T' mani as I type so be on the lookout for that post soon! (Could it be? Two posts in a week? EGADS).

Thank you for reading!

ABC Challenge 'P' & 'Q' - Pueen Q=17

Hi all!

So, since I missed two challenge posts in my absence, I decided to mash 'em up into one! I've known what I wanted to do for the 'P' challenge for a while but 'Q' was impossible, so I slightly cheated. I knew I wanted to use one of my new Pueen plates so I counted which letter Q was in the alphabet and decided I'd use that number plate. Luckily, the plate had a quilt-like image so it all worked out!

Started with two coats of OPI Russian Navy Suede (got really lucky at a beauty supply store recently and found 3 of the OPI Suedes!) then stamped my pointer and ring finger with PUEEN-17 and Essie No Place Like Chrome.

Tried going for a half-moon look with the stamp since the bottom edges on this plate are all half-moons. Not sure why, full review on the plates to come. I swear I did not like Russian Navy Suede until that macro. Just look at that depth and it's only one coat!! Only thing I'll say is that I didn't love the formula. Got thick fast and if you brushed one certain spot one time too many, it would pull the previous polish clean off, as seen on my ring finger macro.


See you soon for day R of the ABC Challenge! :)

Dirty Waters? (Illamasqua Cameo + Stamping)

Hey all and happy Friday!

You might be able to tell that I have no idea what to call this post. I think it's because I find the color combination a bit odd. Don't get me wrong, I loved this manicure lots and lots but its not a combo I would typically go for. Am glad I did though, I'm working on getting out of my comfort zone.

I started with two coats of Illamasqua Cameo, which is the most amazing vivid periwinkle I've ever had and want 25 bottles of it (I'll probably just settle with the one I have) but it was a bitch to photograph. This color really spazzed my camera out so I have to apologize for the swatches, I tried to color correct but I'm pretty sure I failed. For the stamping I used DRK-A and Color Club Beyond.

There are some color accurate swatches on Vampy Varnish and Ommorphia Beauty Bar.

I thought it looked like dirty water with oil in it and my mom said it looked like you were looking at the sea through a chain-link fence. She's very creative, lol.

What do you think? Agree that its an odd color combo or does it seem totally obvious to you?

Have a great weekend, loves!

ABC Challenge 'K' - KIKO 400 (Silver Holo!)

Hi all!

So this challenge was a bit of a pain in the butt. Not because I didn't have a K polish to post, but because I didn't have time to do anything for it! Tuesday was a very emotional day here in PR as we were in the finals of the World Baseball Classic against Dominican Republic, with whom we have a very long history of competition so tensions were high all-around. We lost, whatever. ANYWAY, point is, I would've painted my nails Tuesday if I hadn't been busy and from then on I haven't really had a chance or motivation to do them (I'm actually naked as I type, GASP!).

All that explanation to say that the mani I'm showing today was one I did and posted on Instagram about 5 weeks ago but I never took lightbox pictures of because life happened, so today I'm showing my cellphone pics I had stored (which are surprisingly good, I can see why people use their phones for blogging sometimes).

I started with two coats of KIKO 400, the silver holo from their LE collection a while back and stamped with black and DRK-A on my pointer and middle finger.

Not a macro, just zoomed in on one of the previous pics.

I loved that mani so much I feel like wearing it again now that I see it. However, the idea for this mani wasn't just born out of nowhere, it was meant to mimic my new ring! My mom bought it as my birthday present and brought all the way from Morocco for me. It's perfect. If you know me a little bit, you know I love swirls too much so this is quite appropriate for me :D.

So that's it from me! I didn't realize this post would be so rambly.

Have a great day and check out the rest of the manis that were posted on time for the challenge!

Rainbow Over Blurple

Heeey everybodah! IT IS FRIDAY.

I am very excited about today's post because it is one of my favorite manis that I have done in recent memory. Truth be told, when I get inspired I end up with things I really like, its only when I force myself to come up with something that I find they're lackluster. Now, if you follow me on Instagram (@hookedonpolish) then you've already seen it but now you get better pictures. If you don't, then you totally should because I post manis on there that never make it to the blog and I have a really cute dog.

I used two buttery coats of KIKO 337 (courtesy of mom, as you may have seen on my last post). KIKO 337 is a bright periwinkle/violet color that is an absolute pain to photograph. I *think* I got color accurate pictures by messing with the camera settings but it's so in between blue and purple and so bright that it really just confused the hell out of my poor camera. Next, I stamped with Mash-47 and Color Club Harp On It from their 2012 Halo Hues.

Obviously, this was way more holo-y than I could capture but you can see a tiny rainbow in that last picture. I really loved wearing this mani. Even as I type, I feel like recreating it. I won't because I have about a bajillion untrieds sitting there but I think it's very representative of my style and it was such a clean stamping job for me that I can't help but love it.


How about you guys? Any plans for the weekend?

Have a great day and I'm off to respond to comments on my last posts! *flies away*

Mish-Mash Between Spring and Winter

Hi all!

Today I'm back and taking part in the Polish Days hosted by Hannah from Polly Polish! I always enjoy seeing how many of us participate and how everyone interprets the theme. This theme should be fun since it leaves a lot of room for interpretation. Aand the theme is... Back to Nature! Hannah wanted us to be inspired by nature, whether you're knee-deep in snow or are just over winter and ready for spring. Of course, here in Puerto Rico, it's never really winter (technically).

I call this manicure a mish mash between spring and winter because that's what the weather feels like right now. It's cold (ok maybe not cold, brisk? It's around 60-70F) during the nights but some days are super sunny and hot. Also called a mish mash because it's a very wintery mani featuring a spring polish and a dandelion stamped so... yes ok?

I started with two coats of OPI Can't Find my Czechbook, from their new spring 2013 collection and layered OPI Pirouette My Whistle from their Ballet Soft Shades a while back. Then I added studs from the Born Pretty Store and a stamp from Nailz Craze NC01 image plate.

So, I'm pretty sure you can tell I had no real idea or direction with this since I didn't have time to do complicated nail art. It's just something very simple that made me happy but still fit the theme.

Have a great day!

ABC Challenge 'D' - Don't Talk Bach To Me

Hi all!

Thank goodness that the fabulous mani that I mentioned on Monday started chipping, or I wouldn't have had the heart to remove it! Last night I remembered that I didn't have a post ready for today and I had no idea which polish to use, so I started rummaging through my drawers and found one that I hadn't posted here yet! (At least, I don't think I did...)

I'm showing two coats of OPI's Don't Talk Bach to Me from their Fall collection. It's gotten a lot of flack for being one of those ugly colors but I really liked it. It's different, like a really muted yellow with a hint of poopy undertones? Anyway, then I stamped with Illamasqua Muse and plate DRK-A.

For some reason, with the stamping and maybe my camera, it looked more like a chartreuse green but HERE is a color accurate swatch. I didn't really like this when I finished but it grew on me, so much so that I did the other hand to match because I didn't have time to do anything else.

What do you think? I love how Illamasqua Muse stamped but I probably won't use it too often for that. It's a little too expensive for a stamping polish lol.

Have a great day!

Mmm, minty.

Hi all!

Time to get some nail art up in this bit....place. It's been pretty long since I did anything other than polish + glitter so I sat down completely decided on doing some nail art again. Admittedly, my first idea was a fail so I went with a favorite, a gradient and stamping.

Started with a base of Essie Mint Candy Apple and gradiented (totally a word) with Essie Where's my Chauffeur? and Bettina Gabrielle. It's one of the smoothest gradients I've done so far but it was a pain in the ass to get it looking decent, I had to sponge it like 3 different times.

Then I stamped with China Glaze Deviantly Daring and MASH-43.

As you can see, I shortened my nails because I have a break on my middle nail. In these pics I actually have a repair with Orly Rescue (that I'm still wearing until I can file off the damage). IRL, they're a great length for me and I'm not stabbing myself but it takes some getting used to in pictures.

Any comments or suggestions on future nail art or tutorials you'd like to see? Let me know!

Have a great weekend lovelies!

Greendient Spirals

Hi all!

As you read this I will be finishing my last essay and I AM PSYCHED. I really gave it my all this semester since it was my last one for my bachelor's degree! And then...stuff happened. Lol, technically I already completed my course requirements BUT since I'm receiving a federal grant that covers the cost of my studies and leaves some monies left over, I decided to study another semester to do some research which I haven't and would need for grad school -.-

Aanyway, nails. I recently purchased my picks from the China Glaze Cirque Du Soleil collection and I'm using two of them today. I started with two coats of Def Defying, the bright green. Then I gradiented with Hanging in the Balance which is the bright blue in the collection. However, since I sponged the blue on top of the green the blue turned...less blue.Whatever, then I stamped with DRK-A and the spiral image I love so much.

I really liked the result even if it does look a little too similar to this previous post. I even instagrammed/tweeted this mani in process. It was actually pretty fun! My twitter name is @PolishedKat and my instagram is @hookedonpolish, just in case you want to follow too :) I post pictures of nails and dogs and the occasional cat.

What do you think? In which direction are your thumbs pointing?

Have a great day ladies and enjoy the weekend, I know I will!! (By that I mean I'll sleep, paint my nails and watch netflix. Perfection)

Sunday Stamping: Over Blue Base

Hey all!

Hope everyone got some great deals while shopping! Mom and I went to the mall on Friday afternoon but didn't really buy anything. We got some great online deals though! :)

Today's mani is for the Adventures in Stamping group on Facebook and the theme was 'over blue'. I didn't have a new blue polish so I went with a semi-oldie but a goodie. This is really one of my favorite blue shades because it just looks so clean!

Two coats of Essie Bikini So Teeny stamped with Mash-42 and Essie No More Film. I also accentuated the stamp with loose glequins from KKCenterHK store.

No More Film is a great stamping color except for how much it smears! I topcoated my pinky and smeared the hell out of it, so I redid it and went to sleep without topcoat thinking it would dry thoroughly and it wouldn't be a problem in the morning. Wrong! It still smeared with three different topcoats. Oh well, it still looks really cute from a distance! Maybe a little too summery for everyone else but, in PR, it's never really winter :P.

Thank you for looking and have a great day!

Something Snowy This Way Comes....

Hey all!

A couple of weeks ago I received an email from the staff at Nail Polish Canada inviting me to take part in a nail art challenge! I was extremely flattered and signed up even though I knew I was in a funk. All that excitement died down just a little when I saw the ladies I'd be going up against but I've decided to just have fun with it and enjoy it for what it is. It's also a great way to get me to do holiday manis, I usually slack off on those.

Now, the first week's theme is SNOW! I've only seen snow once in my life, it was in NYC on January when I was 14ish. I remember looking out our hotel window and seeing the snow fall over Times Square and thinking it looked so beautiful and peaceful so I decided to try to depict a snow fall at night. When I was done, I felt it needed something more to make it special so I asked boyfriend and he suggested Santa's sleigh and the reindeer.

That red dot is Rudolph's red nose btw. I must say, I'm pretty happy with how these look! It turned out pretty much how I saw it in my head and that is an incredible accomplishment in my eyes.

That being said, this is still a competition so I would reeheeeaally appreciate your vote! Do the clicky HERE to vote for my entry if you so wish. There's sure to be a ton of great submissions and you still have time if you'd like to join in!

If you're in the US, I hope you have a great Thanksgiving day! If you're not in the US, the week is almost over so yay! 

I'm Armed and Ready with a Stamper!

Hey all! Wow that's a corny title. It's the best I could do at the moment.

Soo before finishing the challenge I was feeling a little uninspired and I'm sad to report that mental block is still going strong. However, I obviously cannot have my nails naked for long so I'm just grabbing random untrieds until inspiration kicks back in.

Today's untried is Essie Armed and Ready from the Spring 2012 Go Overboard collection. I passed on this polish so many times in store but, as supplies dwindled, I started seeing it on a lot of wishlists and lemmings lists so I decided to give it a try. It's a great color, definitely unique but it doesn't ruffle my feathers THAT much. Still happy to have it since I don't have anything close to it in my stash.

Obviously I couldn't leave it as it was so I stamped with Mash-49 and Essie As Good as Gold.

Guys, I love these Mash stamps. The quality is great and I love a lot of the images so they're sure to inspire me. Eventually. I just really wish this stamping wasn't crooked but, from afar, it looked pretty cool.

Also, because I'm uninspired and a genius, I decided to participate in a nail art contest! You'll probably be seeing that post later today or tomorrow. I hope.

Have a great day! I'll be in preparations for the thanksgiving feast O_o.

Poke Those Swirls

Hey all!

Hope you're having a great weekend so far! Monday's a holiday here, plus we get Thursday and Friday off for Thanksgiving so, if you can believe it, the government gave the whole week off. Of course, small businesses and shopping centers will be open but, SERIOUSLY?! A whole week off? Unnecessary.

Now that I got that rant out of the way, I have a simple but awesome (at least in my eyes) stamping mani. I have decided this will be my 'Inspired by a Tutorial' nails for the challenge because I just don't have time at all to do anything else and I want to finish tomorrow on time with the rest of the girls. Besides, I definitely used a lot of tutorials when I started stamping so it totally counts! Right? :P

I started with two coats of Illamasqua Poke and stamped with my brand new Mash plates using Wet N Wild black creme and plate Mash 40.

Poke is this vivid purple filled with a silver shimmer that gives it this duochrome kind of look. Simply amazing! I got this shade as a gift a couple of months and had swatched it on one fingernail and didn't really love it, looked too pink. But the other day it was calling to me and I tried and literally had an OMG moment at how pretty it was.

I will admit this stamp is the sole reason I purhcased these plates. I freakin' flippin' love swirls and geometric images and this set has lots of those to choose.

Have a great day and check back tomorrow for the final day in the challenge!

-Kimber at Kimber's Lacquer Korner
-Kat at Hooked On Polish
-Diana at Nails By Diana
-Aly at Wonderland Beauty
-Meredith at Perfectly Polished
-Nicole at The Color Republic
-Kate at The Painted Pony Nails
-Cee at Absolutely Cee
-Sam at Polished Art
-Nail Narcotics
-Nicole at Nicole Gets Nailed
-Shelby at Shelby's Swatches
-Stephanie Louise at All Things Beautiful
-Mixed Mama
-Joanna @ Sweet Polish of Mine
-Patty Greenberg
-Liz and Lisa @ Lozlosa 
-Mari at Nailista
-Miss L at Beauty by Miss L 
-Gini at Sassy Paints
-Chameleon Stampede 
-Pam at Nail-E-Glance
-Me, Myself, and Polish 
- Robin Sparkles