Ruby Red Japanese Floral Print

One of the most flexible prompts in the 31 Day Challenge is today's prompt, "inspired by a pattern." I once again enlisted the help of my friend Kristi for brainstorming, and she suggested a gorgeous Japanese bookplate floral print from designer Tory Burch. I loved seeing a floral done entirely with shades of red; it really stood out to me.

Nail polishes used:
OPI Steady As She Rose
OPI Coca Cola Red
American Apparel Port
Shimmer Polish Cindy

I love the contrast of the soft, neural base, with the bold, sumptuous burgundy. I painted the floral print freehand, and layered a red glitter over the dark cabernet as an accent on my thumb. Overall, I am so happy with these nails. Another winning idea from Kristi! Maybe I should start paying her...?

Previously, on "inspired by a pattern":

• Dark, matte, and dotted
• Partial checkerboards
• Pretty paisley

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Shimmer Polish Swatches Part IV

If you're in the mood for glitter today, you're in luck! I have five more Shimmer Polish swatches to share with you guys. You can find my previous posts in my Shimmer Polish label. As with my other posts, I felt it was important to include the macros of these glitters as they are really complex! I want you to be able to get a full feel for what these polishes look like.

First up... Sarah! Hey wait, that's my name! Awesome! Sarah is a mix of blues, greens, and purples. I really love the little pops of purple here. Shown layered over Essence Trust In Fashion.

Elsa is a mix of turquoise, red, and gold. I've shown it over Zoya Jacqueline to let this unique color mix shine.

Alessandra has lovely corals and reds, plus tiny bits of aqua. Definitely a great glitter if you're feelin' saucy! I layered it over OPI My Paprika is Hotter Than Yours.

Irene is a bit different than the usual Shimmer Polish aesthetic, but I like it! It's a very fine, sandy tan shade with tiny bits of color added in, too. This is just one coat, so you could definitely build this one to opacity on its own and you'd probably only need 2 or 2.5 coats. Shown over Nicole by OPI My Jay or the Highway.

Kelly is a perfect St. Patrick's Day shade. It begins with a fine green glitter and adds chunkier gold pieces. I think this might be one of my favorite Shimmer Polishes that I've ever tried! Shown over OPI Jade Is the New Black.

Once again, I just can't rave enough about these formulas. The glitter is plentiful, the base is smooth and nicely thin, and the glitter applies evenly to the nail. They aren't super hungry for topcoat, but you will need to use a good thick one for smoothness. If you're a fan of high density metallic glitter mixes, Shimmer is your brand!

Shimmer Polish can be shopped on Etsy or on the Shimmer website. You can also keep up with the brand on Facebook and Twitter.

Products sent for review.

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Shimmer Polish Swatches Part III

Good afternoon! I hope you all had a nice weekend! Today's second post is another set of Shimmer Polish swatches. As with the past two, I've included a swatch and a macro. Please remember to click to enlarge, and once you reach the end of the post, you will be rewarded with a discount code!

Cristina is a tealy mix sprinkled with red. This is just one coat shown over Essence Thelma. I really like this one, I love the overall "smallness" of the pieces and the colors are just so pretty.

Jasmine is an aqua-teal, blue, and green mix. It definitely reminds me of the famous Princess Jasmine outfit from Aladdin! I've shown it here over Nicole by OPI My Lifesaver.

Leslie, shown here over China Glaze Coconut Kiss, is primarily lavenders and blues.

Lorene is a rich raspberry shade. While layering it over OPI Germanicure By OPI maybe wasn't the most informative base choice, I love the way that these two combined. They made a very sultry, velvety finished look.

Natalie is a bold mix of blues, coppers, and interesting iridescent pieces. Shown here over Zoya Cola.

Nichole is a glittery polish that makes me think of the Fourth of July! It's a mix of red, blue, and silver and I've shown it over white here. The green glitter piece in the macro is just an odd reflection on one of the silver pieces -- no green is included in this polish.

Sophie is a dusty pink blend with bits of purple. I've layered it over China Glaze Desert Sun.

Strength, shown here over China Glaze First Mate, is an icy blue-teal glitter mix with silvers and silver hearts. Sales of this polish support PCOS organizations.

As with the other Shimmers I've tried, the formula on these is fantastic. All swatches show just one coat of glitter, and they could easily be built up to opacity at two or three coats. The glitter glides on smoothly, doesn't catch on itself, and isn't thick at all. If you want more photos of these polishes, be sure to check out the listings in the Shimmer shop. There are a lot of lovely photos that will help you to paint a complete picture!

Chalkboard Nails readers can receive 15% off through this Friday! If you are shopping on Etsy, enter the code "CHALKBOARD" at checkout. If you are shopping through the Shimmer website, just mention the code in your email. You can also find Shimmer Polish on Facebook.

Products sent for review.

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