Shatter me Claire

FRANKEN COMP - PIC HEAVY!!!

2012-03-16T16:38:00.001+10:30

Ok everyone here it is!! Be warned this is a LONG post! Well worth it though as I've never showcased so many pretties at one!

Some of the recipes were long and complicated - hats off to you ladies [and gentleman!!]! While I like frankening I draw the limit at a certain number as I just don't want to have to duplicate so many steps if it works out fantastic! Due to this I've only listed the ingredients involved not the actual recipes - if you fall in love and want to recreate yourself then drop me an email for the recipe in full.

I'm totally jealous of all of these as they look really beautiful. Now onto the entries! [How to vote on a winner is at the bottom of this post!!]

** Frankens are in Alphabetical order! **
Click on the photo for larger images

Alien Blast by Destany
"I love the show Roswell, and I wanted to create something awesome based on the show :) Alien Blast is the name of a menu item from the show's signature diner, Crash Down Cafe, and I thought the colors were appropriate. it's a "top coat" glitter, so it is swatched over blue."

Recipe - Glamour base, clear polish. Sally Girl glitters in blue, magenta and neon green

****

Awe-bergine by Ev
"Awe-bergine is definitely not your run-of-the-mill purple polish. A cool violet lit from within with orange sparkle, it's filled with sparkles and secrets! Blue and gold accents glitter, with green glowing at extreme angles. Squint and spot the scattered strands of secret sparkle!"

Recipe - Nubar Violet Sparkle, Kleancolor Chunky Holo Purple, Ulta3 Orchid, Maybelline Colorama Gives Me the Chills, OPI Sparkle-icious, Burning Leaves Reflecks, Miranda Star Star Bites

*****

Black Galaxy by Karine

I was trying to make a dupe of glitter gal black since I do not have it, so I look at some swatches online and got my scientist glasses and gloves!

Recipe - Wet N Wild clear, Wet N Wild black, Spectraflair 15

*****

Dante's Inferno by Tara

"Here's my franken Dante's Inferno. I wanted something similar to the indie polish by Nerd Lacquer that references the black night in Monty Python and the Holy Grail, but a little more warm toned. So here's my franken for your viewing pleasure!"

Recipe - Funky Fingers Voodoo, Love & Beauty Rust orange glitter, Wet n Wild Prancer, Sally Girl gold glitter mini.

*****

DIAF by ReecesPeeces

"One of my most favourite and well used acronyms. DIAF is for all of those people I wish would FOD... IAF! :D"

Recipe - different Verity glitters, Joe Fresh Twilight, Chunky Orange Kleancolor

*****

Fern Fetish by Liz G

[Shown over Revlon Emerald City]

" This polish doesn't need much explanation. It's a fun, green glitter polish in time for St. Patrick's day festivities."

Recipe - suspension base, taurus orion mica, green and gold sparks, gold and yellow-green bars, microglitter, small and medium hexes and silver holo squares.

*****

Fiber Optic by Cathy

" I had to try hard to stay away from Spectraflair, I always seem to only make spectrafrankens. But this time I used glitter, and lots of it."

Recipe - Adam & Eve glitter, Indu Rose Moondust, purple glitter, mauve micro glitter, purple micro glitter, lavender micro glitter, iridescent micro glitter, purple flakes, blue to purple colour shifting glitter, large silver hex glitter, Holo blue hex glitter (Bling Flake), Ferric ferrocyanide tint, red 7 tint, Suspension base

*****

Georgica Pond by Katie Moore

"Georgica Pond NY is where Grey Gardens is located. Windswept and washed out if you look deeper there are jewel of it's former self & brought back to the light it really shines. Georgica Pond is a gray jelly flaky with a linear holo. The flaky lends a kind of opal flash to the watery gray."

Recipe - Finger Paints Asylum, Essies Shine of the Time, SH Diamond Strength - Flawless, China Glaze Concrete Catwalk, Coarse Spectraflair

*****

Getting Better by Laura

"I named my franken Getting Better after the Beatles song, first of all because I love the Beatles and second of all because I think it's the best franken I've made so far, so obviously my frankening skills are getting better! I'm really happy it turned out so well and I'm excited to show it off. :) "

Recipe - Essie Turquoise and Caicos, Color Club New Bohemian, Sally Hansen Ice Queen, Icing Rockstar From Mars, Color Club Beyond the Mistletoe, China Glaze Lorelei's Tiara, Sally Hansen Twinkle Twinkle, Sally Hansen Celeb City

*****

Iris You Well by Rebecca

" I wanted to do an Easter themed polish and even though it's Autumn here I always think of daffodils and irises at Easter time. So this is inspired by dew drops on purple irises."

Recipe - Suspension Base, Ulta3 Confetti, Ulta3 Purple Passion, Satin #26, Coastal Scents Cellini Red,

Coastal Scents Cosmetic Ultramarine Blue, Coastal Scents Blue-Red Chrome Mica, Coastal Scents Purple Punch,TKB Reflects Her Majesty, TKB Reflects Pinky Pink and a heaped drop spoon each of 6 different unnamed ebay glitters

*****

Island Cocktail by ~tHiAmErE~
"I created this because I haven't seen something like this yet. I have seen Revlon Whimsical at the Revlon counter but for some reason it didn't quite appeal on me just because it's sheer. I want something bright & bold! I wanted something that is Deborah Lippmann-ish but is still unique by itself"

Recipe - Sansan Canary Glow, Bobbie Solar Burst, multi coloured glitters

*****

Lacy Lingerie by Catherine

" I have named my franken "Lacy Lingerie" because it matches a fancy bra I recently purchased, fuchsia with black lace. FuchsiaRama must be considered a neon, because it doesn't dry glossy, but it does dry quickly! My picture is 3 coats of Lacy Lingerie plus one coat of Seche Vite, in indirect sunlight with no photo editing."

Recipe - Wet 'n' Wild FuchsiaRama, L.A. Girls Uninhibited

*****

Mardi Gras by Lab Muffin

"I based this on the traditional Mardi Gras colours of green, purple and gold. I wanted a really festive, in-your-face glitter polish! The gold holo microglitter was a last-minute addition, and I'm glad I put it in there, it's pretty photogenic - it's the little red spots, very blingy! Swatching it over black really makes it pop."

Recipe - green round glitter, big green hex glitter, medium purple hex glitter, medium gold hex glitter, gold holo microglitter and Ulta3 Gold Digger

*****

Party at my shell by Eιlєєи

" This polish was inspired by the ocean floor and I wanted the franken to look like it's the ocean floor with sunken treasures. Jelleh and glitter that's the best combo out there, no? Now, if only ocean floors were holographic... "

Recipe - Daboo star glitter, Milani gems, multicolored glitter polish, Sinful colors green ocean, Rainbow Am28, Am21 and clear nail polish.

*****

Peacock [ Dare to Dream brand] by Pretty Purple Polish

"Peacock is small fuschia, blue and green hex glitters in a blue jelly base. The name peacock didn't really come to mind until after I had put it on. This is my first real franken, before this I've only created disasters. I couldn't picture what it would look like in my head before creating it but I'm happy with how it turned out."

Recipe - Fuschia Solvent stable glitter, Blue Solvent stable glitter, Green Solvent stable glitter, Ferric Ferrocyanide Base, Untinted Lacquer Base

*****

Purple Cupcake Frosting by Alexandra_R_C

"I came up with a glittery purple jelly franken, perfect at 3 coats! no basecoat or topcoat in the pics."

Recipe - OPI Funny Bunny, Spoiled Pet My Peacock, Milani JEWEL FX Lavender, OPI Road House Blues, L'oreal Pink Shells

*****

Secret Staircase by Margie

"The name came about because my husband and I have been discussing our dream home if we were to build a new house and he would like a secret room accessed from a secret staircase. Of course I want a nail polish room but that's a given!"

Recipe - Ulta3 Blue Marlin, Ulta3 Red Glitter, NYC Red Sparkle and Australis Dark Purple Polish Pot

*****

See you at Midnight by Em

"See You At Midnight is a gorgeous royal blue with a shimmer. Although I used a Duochrome Blue Yellow Sparkle pigment, the shimmer is more of a light gold and doesn't show up well in photos. This was two coats and the formula was great! Blue is my favourite colour and definitely my favourite nail polish colour and I wanted to create something a little different."

Recipe - Ultramarine Blue Oxide pigment, Duochrome Blue Yellow Sparkle pigment, Suspension base

*****

Sparkly Turd [or Honeycomb Crunch] by Graham

"I saw my wife answered a poll on face book about men wearing nail polish as 'irresistible' and she's been going on about entering your competition, so I thought I'd surprise her and show her I can do better.

Any man can paint his nails but it takes a real man to make his own."

Recipe - Essence Gold Old Buffy, Essence Grand-plie in Black, Face of Australia Molten Lava, BYS Pot of Gold (for some glitter) plus some big and small copper glitter and some Travel to Mercury.

*****

Verily Verdant by Jme

"Verily Verdant is the colour of lush, rolling mountains - if your average mountain had countless hidden gems, that is! Blue-toned holographic glitter catches the eye among the bright green hexagonal sparkles. A turn of the hand into the light will reveal a mesmerizing flash of ever-shifting blue, green and gold shades from the fine triochrome bar and hexagonal glitters. All this shininess lie suspended within the mid-green jelly base, giving the polish a layered depth. This franken polish looks stunning on its own and when layered over other colours as well. One layer of Verily Verdant over black allows the green-themed glitter to glow in beautiful contrast."

Recipe - Mio Piccolo 03, Orly Here Comes Trouble, Color Combos CTW 507, China Glaze Emerald Sparkle, LA Girl Idol.

*****

Waiting for Nemo by Whee Spree

[Swatch is shown over OPI Road House Blues]

"I'm absolutely in love with dark blues and greens, and have always wanted to create my own version of DL Across the Universe. so that's exactly what i did when i received my new frankening supplies from TKB just last week! i'm super satisfied with my interpretation, which takes my nail polish journey from across the universe to the depths of the sea :p "

Recipe - Clear Polish, The FaceShop BL605, Multi-Coloured Flakies and Headtrip Glitter from TKB Trading.

*****

HOW TO VOTE!

I've tried to make it really easy for you.

Just fill in the form below and you are done!

Obviously 1 vote per person [I know some people have multiple GFC names so please play fair!!]

New followers more than welcome to vote

Votes may be disqualified at my discretion

My decision is final!

&lt;p&gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;Loading...&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&lt;/p&gt;

... Quick contest related post ...

2012-03-15T19:30:00.001+10:30

Howdy everyone

I've been getting many emails asking if the contest is still open ... YES! But only for about 3 hours.

Everyone who has entered and I have received should have a confirmation email.
[except Destany, Catherine and Elizabeth ... it is coming!!!!]

If you don't have one please resend! I am cleaning out my inbox as fast as I can but if anyone is having issues sending please leave me a comment here and I will sort it out!

Cheers! Bring on tomorrow! So many pretties!!

Oh and a standard amusing photo for your enjoyment ...

... Move over Glossybox ... it's Shatter me Claire ... in a box ...

2012-03-15T06:00:00.009+10:30

COUNTDOWN TIL NO MORE ENTRIES!!! <--- Ooh timer removed as it was glitching!! Having a mid Franken-March breather today ... only a few more hours to get those submissions in to be in the running for a great competition prize!! So if you haven't entered already then what do you have to lose? Go for it! I've added a ticker to count down and hopefully that will work in each timezone *fingers crossed* I'm accepting until the 14th has clicked over in every timezone. Anyway - for the last few months I've brought to you the contents of various sample boxes and this month I thought I'd go head to head with them to see if I can buy a better box by just heading to the local shopping mall with $15.

Ooh - funny coloured plastic money!!

Right - so armed with my $15 I headed out with a few rules.

#1 - I had to buy a minimum of 5 items

#2 - I had to buy things that were discounted/on sale

#3 - I had to buy things that I would actually use or really wanted to try

#4 - I could buy anything beauty or items that I had received in previous boxes

#5 - I had to get as close to $15 as possible without going over budget.

So ... let's go shopping! I'll admit I had a ball. Rummaging through clearance bins. Looking for items on sale. Comparing items store to store. Like the boxes ... I had no idea on what I was going to get! The hardest part was staying on budget. I saw a lot of gorgeous items but it would have put me way over budget if I'd purchased them all.

Here's what I ended up with ...

Fruit and Nut Picnic [on nom nom] - $1.00 [was $1.80]

Lipton English Breakfast Tea Bags - $2.11 [was $3.67]

Face of Australia Polish Remover - 93c [was $3.93]

Pomegranate and Grapefruit Bath Bomb - 99c [was $3.99]

Lemon and Lime Bath Bomb - 99c [was $3.99]

Lux Body Wash Tahitian Escape - $2.99 [was $5.49]

Face of Australia Polish in Angel Baby - $2.90 [was $6.45]

Peel off Masque - $2.99 [was $3.98]

Total Spent - $14.90

Total Full Price Value - $33.30

Total Savings - $18.40

I'm quite pleased with myself and I definitely managed to hit all 5 of the criteria I set myself and at least I know that this time my $15 has gone towards products I'll actually use! That delicious picnic has already gone ... mmmmmmmm!

If you have the time I highly recommend trying this for yourself. Pick a mall that has a lot of selection and go for it! I'd love to see what you end up with!

... Little Roo - Spit the Dummy ...

2012-03-14T05:19:00.006+10:30

Keep those beautiful entries coming!! Not long now until submissions are closed! Go for it! The original post is HERE if you need a reminder!

Todays franken is one that I made a few weeks ago. Enjoy!!

Little Roo - Spit the Dummy

Spit the Dummy: explosion of anger, tantrum. A "dummy" is a baby's pacifier ("He spat the dummy when I turned up late")

Type - Custom Polish

I seriously struggle with green polishes. I struggle with making them so they don't look like Shrek or the colour of his swamp is hard!! A pretty green - not booger green! So after many failed greens I arrived at this which is a green with a tinge of yellow and green, silver and blue glitter through out.

I really like this - I wore it for a few days after I made it! YAY!

3 coats - no base colour

You can see in the bottle the yellow change in the sun. I'm not sure where this has come from as zero colour change pigments were used in this franken. Interesting - something to work out in the future I think.

Glitter removal wasn't too painful. Slight smell due to stinky suspension base.

... Guest Post - Lab Muffin ...

2012-03-13T07:21:00.003+10:30

Todays Guest Post is from Lab Muffin! Seriously go check it out as it is not just full of fantastic nail love. It incorporates some fun scientific beauty facts that I know I for one have never thought about. Thanks Michelle for writing this!

Also - keep those FrankenMarch entries coming!!!! I'm loving seeing them all and there is definitely room for more!

~*~*~*~

I recently opened my mail to find China Glaze CG in the City, a gorgeous mix of small purple, silver and bronze glitters in a clear base. Naturally, I had to franken with it!

I mixed CG in the City with ulta3 Twilight Fever (purple shimmer in brown creme, Paradoxal dupe) and ulta3 Berry (purple creme) in a ratio of about 5:4:1 to get this dusty purple-with-glitter-bits colour, which I'm calling Mercury (after both the planet and the Freddie).

It dries a bit rough, but it's easily fixed with topcoat. I love how the little bits of glitter make the polish look like a perfectly clear starry night sky.

... Guest Post - Nails in the Desert

2012-03-12T07:21:00.000+10:30

Todays guest post is from the beautiful Em at Nails in the Desert ... and don't think it's just a pretty name! She really is in the desert parts of Australia!

*~*~*~*

Hi everyone!
My name is Emma and I'm an Aussie blogger. I blog over at http://nailsinthedesert.blogspot.com!

Sarah Claire is a good friend of mine and she inspires me a lot with her innovative ideas with polish and blogging. Her idea of having a "frankens month" theme for March is fabulous and I jumped at the chance to be involved.

I have recently started my own custom nail polish line, Love Thy Polish. I've been selling them mainly at the markets in the small mining town I live in. It is so much fun creating polishes :D I thought I'd share one of my recent creations with you.

This is Sunday, Bloody Sunday:

Two coats. This is a gorgeous deep red jelly with a touch of purple. It has candy apple red glitter throughout which gives it a glowy effect.

Here's another look:

I'd like to see more glitter on the nail ... it looks like there is plenty in the bottle but I'm not entirely satisfied with how much came out onto the nail.

I created this custom polish with a suspension base and a combination of two red tints. I then added in the candy apple red glitter. A simple polish but a striking one :D

Thanks for reading, Shatter Me Claire followers.

Em
Nails in the Desert/Love Thy Polish

... Girly Bits - Sailors Delight ...

2012-03-11T17:56:00.000+10:30

Firstly ... my inbox is now free! Sorry to anyone who tried to email their franken entry only to have it bounce back. I'm extremely sorry that this happened and hopefully I've rectified that so please send your entries in!! Can't wait to see them.

Also I'm replying back to those entries I've received and added to the list. If you haven't heard from me in the next 24 hours please resend! Cheers.

Secondly ... I've been rather unwell as of late and sleeping a good 20 hours a day and still feeling lowsy so hopefully I'll be back on track soon. Thanks to the wonderful ladies who sent me guest posts to use during this time. Luckily the only polish I've managed to put on my fingers lately was a custom polish made by Pam at Girly Bits.

Sailor's Delight is a beautiful orange that likes to change to a red depending on the light. It also has pretty gold micro glitter throughout. I used 3 coats in this pic but although there isn't a visible nail line in real life showing the camera seems to believe there is. It was fast drying with no unwanted surprises!

It's hard to photo when you are unwell :(

The shimmer is there but I couldn't capture it beautifully :( Sorry

I'll be honest - something I don't like is the bottle and that's only because majority of my homemade frankens are in similar bottles and therefore the few Girly Bits I have in the 5ml range have gotten lost more than once in my own collection. I'm super glad that the new full size bottles have the logo and name on them though! I always love to know who made what!

Apart from that I like this polish. It's vibrant and bright and I admire anyone with the guts to release a polish range and push to be successful.

Girly Bits is available from Llarowe so if it interests you then you might want to check it out. Oh and I'll leave you with some friendly advice - if you decide to search for swatches from this range do not use Google Image Search if you have kids around or are easily offended by pics of "girly bits" on celebrities.

... Guest Post - Jens Painted Tips ...

2012-03-09T07:57:00.003+10:30

Super thanks to Jen for writing up todays Guest Post. I've not been feeling myself lately but hoping to be back on the frankening bandwagon soon. Keep those great comp entries coming!

~*~*~*~

Hello, I am Jen from Jenspaintedtips.blogspot.com.

Sarah is so neat and awesome. She needed guest posts for FRANKEN-MARCH. I had the PERFECT polish that was made for me by my friend Mandy!

When Behind Closed Doors came out I whined and cried that I wanted it, Mandy made me a franken. She did it with loose glitter and pigments. She called it Midnite Jen Jen. very appropriate name. :)

See all the micro glitter??

I love that the bigger glitter is sparse.

This polish makes me all kinds of happy!

Thank you Mandypants for an incredible polish, and Thank you Sarah for being such a great friend!

... Guest Post - The Manicured Monkey ...

2012-03-07T13:49:00.000+10:30

Sorry for the lack of posts! My sister made a surprise visit and I haven't been online much while she was here.

Keep those franken entries coming!! Currently only 2 ladies have entered - as Homer Simpson would say "I like those odds"]

Todays franken post comes courtesy from Kristin at The Manicured Monkey - go check out her blog! Well worth it!

Thanks for sharing mate!! :)

~*~*~*~

This is a franken that Mandypants made. It's awesome! I have it layered over.... well.... I can't remember, but check out the glitter! Hex, confetti and small glitters in different colors with a few stars thrown in for good measure make up this beauty. I want to do this mani again but over a lavender creme. It reminds me of ticker tape from a parade or celebration. It's cheery, makes me smile and not a pain to remove.. WIN!

Thanks Mandy! I'll have more glitter for you in a while but this one is by far my current favorite :)

... Little Roo - BushPig ...

2012-03-05T11:20:00.000+10:30

What's a series on Frankens without some fails ... so here is one I prepared yesterday for you.

BushPig

BushPig - an unflattering word to describe a female generally from the country or bush [insert "bushpig" where you would use the word "bitch" or "slut"]

Type - Franken

Firstly? Is Bushpig still even used? It sounds so 80s but it was the first thing that popped into my head when this creation was born. Still makes me giggle like an immature 13 year old!

I had good intentions with this franken and it mixed well on my palette but in the end it's all my fault that failure occured. Sometimes you need to think ahead and I didn't. So - on with the story.

Basically this is Chemistry 230 mixed with Ulta3 Brandywine.

Chemistry 230 was one of my first Chemistrys I managed to source and I was extremely excited as it looked so pretty in the bottle but sadly it was only some red glitter and holo bars in some clear ... and honestly I've never worn it since and it's sat at the back of my helmer collecting dust.

I thought Brandywine would be a good mix as it's a red with a shimmer and in my mind I really wanted to more create the look of the Chemistry bottle and have it show actually on nails.

Sounded good in theory right. The frankened bottle looks fantastic with the pretty holo pieces mixed in with red shimmer and it looks awesome ... but ... someone didn't make it a 1 coater did they *sad*

So unfortunately you end up with holo pieces under the 2nd coat of red that is required. I'm also not a pro in scooping bar glitter out - it never works for me. I may try it in future on top of a red but at the moment I'm just disappointed with it.

So that's my franken fail for the time being. Unless someone I owe a swap too wants this then it's destined to go back into the spot recently vacated by Chemistry 230 to sit back collecting dust.

... Little Roo - Having a Blue ...

2012-03-04T13:20:00.001+10:30

Little Roo - Having a Blue

Featured on Little Roo Australia - Not For Sale

I'm kicking off the polish side of FrankenMarch with one of my own.

For the record I'm not selling ... but I am labelling my polishes this year. This is simply because I know I'm not the only one with polishes in their drawers they have received from swaps that you have NO idea who they are from - how embarrassing. So I thought it would be a lot easier if I just named my frankens from here in with a logo and I wanted to actually record what I've been sending out so I've started a blog just on my frankens so I can have a handy reference.

I also wanted to this year have all my frankens named with Aussie slang simply because I find majority of slang words amusing or get a giggle from them ... and those overseas have no clue!

Having a Blue

Blue: fight ("he was having a blue with his wife", "they were having a blue")

Type - Custom Polish

Named because I definitely had a "blue" with the previous version of this polish with the glitters running and being painful.

2 coats on naked nails [oh my]

2 coats on black

Pale blue polish with tiny blue glitter and blue and silver hex pieces with a handful of green and yellow throw in [and I mean a handful!]. The silver hex pieces are slightly holo for an interesting look.

Slightly gritty feel without a top coat. Removal not as painful as other brand glitters I have in my collection.

... No nails today - Just some franken info ...

2012-03-02T09:22:00.010+10:30

Thanks so so so so much for the interest in my FrankenMarch everyone. I am always on the lookout to do something different so I'm hoping that this will be outside the box for myself to do a whole month on polishes made at home with love.

Just a small post today as I've already been asked "Help! How do I franken" ... here is a quick post to help you on your way!

Currently Google brings up about 2,600,000 results if you type in "how to franken polish" ... I would seriously suggest starting there as it will help you a lot more than I can.

Here's one I prepared earlier ... HA HA HA

If you are a newbie to frankening I would highly suggest grabbing out those bottles of polish you have stuck at the back of your stash that you dislike and will never wear again and get mixing. What originally was a colour that was not your colour or too sheer or just plain hideous can be turned into something beautiful that you will actually wear.

I will give you my Top 10 tips though ... that should help you out in the meantime!

* There is no right or wrong way to franken. Everyone has their own setup and tips - find what works for you and go for it.

* Common sense is a must! Obviously don't taste or touch the polish and you are playing with flammable ingredients so don't do this while smoking or near candles.

* Find yourself a nice clean working area that is free of clutter and that is not on a precious antique heirloom table. Spillages happen to even the most careful of us and there is nothing worse than getting polish where it should never go.

* Wear gloves - Seriously ... do this!! You will thank me.

* Keep a handy supply of paper towel/kitchen roll/kitchen paper/damn stuff that you use to clean up spills in the kitchen ... just incase of spills! :)

* You will have failures. Sorry but it's true. Be prepared to have a great idea and watch it fail miserably before your eyes. Learn and start again! Practice makes perfect.

* Do find a well ventilated area to play in ... there is nothing worse than having your whole house reek of nail polish and having other people comment on it.

* Cheap or dollar shops are a great way to find bottles to use if you don't have beauty shops in your area that sell empty bottles. I'd highly recommend cheap "clear" polish. You can easily tip a section out and pour an existing colour [or two or three or more!] into the mix.

* Never EVER franken with your favourite polish unless you have a backup bottle in your possession. You will regret it if you do.

* If you decide to play with pigments - please wear a safety mask to ensure you don't enhale any fine particles! I would hate for someone to use Spectraflair and then end up sprouting rainbows like the Nyan Cat.

... It's FRANKENMARCH ....

2012-03-01T08:33:00.005+10:30

Woohoo!! Welcome to FrankenMarch - that happy month of the year filled with franken and custom polish love!

And I'm kicking it off with a Franken making contest! So grab your empty jars and creativity and make some beauties for the world to see!! The possibilities of pretties is endless! My favourite giveaways via blogs have been franken contests. Hands down. It's nice to have to pull out the thinking cap and have fun!!

So ... for the all important questions! What can you win and how can you do it?

The total prize pool is below. 5 full size Glitter Gals - yes the big bottles that you can now buy! Oooh - pretty!

Colours up for grabs are ...

Brain Freeze, Code Red, 10 to midnight, Bruised Ego and Lizard Belly

** Disclaimer **

This prize pool may be divided up among more than 1 winner so please keep that in mind

... Rules ...

* You must be a follower of Shatter me Claire via GFC to enter [new followers welcome!]
* One entry per person! Multiple entries will be disqualified.
* One photo per person which must include nails attached to your hands and the bottle [please no shots of nail wheels or falsies on a stick]
* It's totally up to you how you make your franken. It can be made from mixing other polishes together or made from scratch as a custom polish. The sky is the limit!
* You must leave your recipe as to how you made your franken
* Please don't post your franken on your blog, website or on Facebook until the voting has started! So after it appears here on March 16. Fair is fair!
* No frankens will be accepted that have already been shown online or that are available for sale
* Yes you can watermark your creations but I will link back to your blog anyway if you provide the link
* I will only attempt to send the prize parcel out once. I can't be held for any responsiblity regarding if it's returned to sender.

So after all that ... please email 1 photo of your franken - along with your name, GFC name, blog name [if you have one] franken name, recipe and a short blurb about it to me at shattermeclaire@aapt.net.au and you need to do this ON OR BEFORE MARCH 14 [I will wait until the entire world is off that date to stop any issues with working out timezones!]

Voting will start 16 March [Aussie time!] and run until the end of 30 March [again I will wait until the entire world is no longer on that date].

Easy!! Any questions just ask away. Good luck and I'm really excited to see what creations you lot come up with.

... Cate Ruby - New Yorker ...

2012-02-28T12:17:00.000+10:30

Cate Ruby - New Yorker

Purchased from Cate Ruby - $14.95 AUD [with free shipping!]

♫ Start spreading the news ♫

♫ I am leaving today ♫

♫ I want to be a part of it ♫

♫ New York ... New York ♫

This is the latest polish from Cate Ruby. Isn't she pretty!! A beautiful bright red to sweep the blues away [ooh - bad colour pun]

Anyway ... it's fast drying and honestly you could get away with a single coat if you wanted too. I've used 2 for these photos but only cos I wanted too. Application was a dream ... smooth and painless.

For some reason my camera hates reds [and blues, and purples ... ugh] so the actual colour is more like the original bottle shot that I've shown. I was hoping to rephoto this on my husbands camera tonight but I've just managed to snag a nail so I'm back to nubbins *sad*

It came wrapped in a pretty bag! How cute is this!

** Final Verdict **

A beautiful red that is bright and happy. I've had a love/hate relationship with reds as a lot don't play nice with my skin tone but this one definitely does.

PS - Excuse the blog mess ... I decided for some reason in the middle of the night to get up and fiddle with the blog settings and lets just say I now wish I'd just let it be. Bare with me!

... 7 days - 7 ways! Day 7 ...

2012-02-26T13:55:00.000+10:30

7 days - 7 ways

Free hand zigzags and dots

Coral Colours - Black Sateen

Final day people! I'll round off this series with some free hand nail art. I've just done some black zigzags or as my 5 year old puts it "M's with dots". Super easy to do with a thin brush, dotting tool or something thin like a toothpick! Just follow the flow! Big thick stripes! Fun! Reminds me of the drizzle on chocolate bars! Mmmmm

I hope you enjoy my little week long series and that it gives you some other ideas on getting the most out of a single colour. I'll definitely do this again in the future but I'm planning something big for March so stay tuned!!

... 7 days - 7 ways! Day 6 ...

2012-02-25T05:37:00.024+10:30

7 days - 7 ways!

Day 6 - Tips

Coral Colours - Black Sateen

I've been feeling extremely unwell and I'm not good at blogging in advance so you'll have to put up with a simple half assed effort today.

Thought I'd rock some black tips. There are numerous ways you can go for this look from freehand to sticky tape but I've always found the easiest way is with tape you can buy for French Tips. Manicure does a great pack of 20 that only costs $3 that you can buy from places like Priceline and Kmart.

Really easy - paint and add tips. Done!

Hopefully you are still reading! I haven't managed to blog daily for a week in a LONG time! Only one more day to go ... Woohoo!

... 7 days - 7 ways! Day 5 ...

2012-02-24T16:17:00.000+10:30

7 days - 7 ways!

Day 5 - Striping Tape

I find using striping tape relaxing to use and the possibilities of designs are basically endless. Striping tape is super thin tape that comes in various colours on these little wheels. They are super cheap to pick up from eBay - like under $2 including postage.

So how to use? All you need to do is paint your nails like normally and then pick your colour of tape and place it sticky side down on your nail - duh! Lastly add a top coat. Easy! Well easy in theory. Obviously I still need a lot of practice but I had fun which is the main thing.

... 7 days - 7 ways! Day 4 ...

2012-02-23T19:34:00.000+10:30

7 days - 7 ways!

Day 4 - Glitter top coat

Mode Cosmetics - Diamante

Hurrah - over half way there and I've still got plenty of ideas to show you. In fact I'm considering having another series or two in the future with more ways to get the most out of your polish.

Today is really simple and it's a glitter top coat. I've chosen to use Mode Cosmetics in Diamante. If you used Diamante on it's on you are sure to be disappointed as it's basically just a clear polish with glitter but if you layer it over an existing polish that's where the fun starts. I had quick look on Google for swatches for this polish and I think it's been given a rough go as really it's beautiful.

This is 2 coats of Diamante over Bo Peep and I won't lie - this looks WAY better in real life. The glitter reflects red, green and gold in certain light which I struggled to catch on camera - I originally thought it may be a holo but each glitter piece always reflects the same regardless of where you move. Heads up that you will need a clear top coat if you want it to be smooth as the glitter pieces are slightly bumpy.

Mode is another one of those cheaper brands that live in selected Chemists around the country. RRP is $2.45 which isn't going to break the budget and it's well worth a try

... 7 days - 7 ways! Day 3 ...

2012-02-22T09:09:00.015+10:30

7 days - 7 ways!

Day 3 - Stripes

Rimmel I ♥ Lasting Finish - 239 Your Majesty

Good ol' stripes! Way to bring something funky to the party. Firstly - don't be running for the hills just yet ... this idea is seriously easy and is honestly the best way to cover up chips if you can't be bothered to find the polish remover!

** Seriously Simple Steps **

1 - Find 2 contrasting polishes, some scissors and some regular stationery tape [yes the clear stuff!]

2 - If your nails are already painted then skip ahead to step 5!

3 - Paint your nails fully in 1 of the polishes. Do a few coats for good

4 - Wait for polish to fully dry

5 - When it's dry grab your scissors and sticky tape and cut a few lines off. The thickness is totally up to you.

6 - Place the sticky on your nail where you want it [do not cover up any chips or wear and tear that you want to cover up]

7 - Repeat steps 5 and 6 until you are happy with how your nail is covered

8 - Make sure your tape is fully pressed down on all nails [double check the edges]

9 - Grab your 2nd colour and paint your nails as normal - yes right over the top of the tape

10 - Repeat step 9 if you need a second coat of the top layer

11 - Pull all the sticky tape off [do this sooner rather than later or you run the risk of pulling off the base colour aswell]

12 - Add a top coat so it feels smooth

13 - Sit back and admire your handy work!!

If you didn't get all that and need pictures then click this link to a tutorial by Jane at Nailside - she shows you want I'm trying to explain in pictures rather than just words! [Obviously I've just gone for bold stripes rather than the look she's showing but you get the idea!]

Rimmel polishes are available at Big W, Priceline, Kmart, Target plus many others I'm sure.

... 7 days - 7 ways! Day 2 ...

2012-02-21T06:06:00.004+10:30

7 days - 7 ways!

Day 2 - Shattered Look

Sally Hansen Crackle Overcoat - Antiqued Gold

Call it what you want ... crackle, mosaic, shatter ... it's all the same. This craze has been and gone overseas but has been hitting the shelves here lately and more people in real life have been asking about this lately so I wanted to include it in this series. Personally I don't mind the look but there is only so much you can do with it before you become bored.

This is Antiqued Gold which is a bit different than the regular crackles as it's a metallic and brings something a little extra to the party. I personally find with the Sally Hansen range to wait until your polish underneath is completely dry before adding the crackle. In this case it was left overnight before applying. Results will always vary and you'll never get the same result which can be frustrating if you get little to no crackle happening.

I found that the gold worked well with the bright pink and even in the spots where I didn't get a great coat coverage you can still see the pink peeping through. Heads up to try and not get this on your skin when painting as those little metallic glitter particles like to stick around and are a pain to remove even with remover.

I've so far found the range of Sally Hansen Crackle Overcoats at Target and Priceline.

... 7 days - 7 ways! Day 1 ...

2012-02-20T14:45:00.000+10:30

Ok I was asked to do this series of posts by someone I know in real life. I often forget that this blog is visited frequently by non-bloggers and I thank my friends for reminding this on occasions. So I am doing this just for you - you know who you are!!

The question I was presented with simply is this ... "I have a seriously small polish collection so how can I manage to keep my nails looking fresh and different without having to resort to purchasing an entire shop of colours"

So I'm going to accept this challenge and show you 1 polish out of my collection and proceed to show 7 different ways to wear it over the next few days and hope that it will give some ideas! As majority of people who visit "Shatter me Claire" are Aussies I'm showing polish that is easily available here - so advanced apologies to the international visitors to this site.

I've chosen this to be my test subject - Ulta 3 Bo Peep just because this range seems to be a staple in any Aussies polish stash.

Ulta3 is found at various chemists in those huge bins that you need to wade through to find the colour you want. Best thing about Ultra3 polishes is the price! At $2 a pop it's not going to break the bank and you won't cry tears if you end up discarding it in the future or if you decide to only wear it once and it wasn't for you.

Bo Peep is also the same colour known as NYC Magneta which can be found at Woolworths, Big W and Woolies Petrol stores across the country. It's the exact same colour from the same company - just under a different brand name!

Ulta3s are slightly on the smelly side of polish but they are fast drying and there are never any issues with application.

So here is Day 1 and the look is plain and simple ... just polished nails. I'll be back for the next 6 days with the same polish in different ways ... well that's the plan anyway!

... Cate Ruby - Fudge ...

2012-02-19T13:58:00.000+10:30

Cate Ruby - Fudge

Purchased from Cate Ruby - $14.95 AUD

This little beauty is Fudge which is from the Commando Cate range over at Cate Ruby and the best way I can describe the colour is simply that it is the colour of fudge. Mmmmm fudge! I have a few pieces of caramel fudge from Darrell Lea in the fridge at the moment and it pretty much matches perfectly in colour.

This is 3 coats of "Fudge". It's an enjoyable neutral brown that has a slight silver shimmer throughout. It's definitely safe for work and pretty enough not to be boring and plain. I found it easy to apply with no unsightly lumps or bumps. As always it comes in the gorgeous bottle with the removable diamante ring.

If a plain netural doesn't work for you then you can always spice it up a bit with some nail art. Hopefully you are a lot better at it than me but this is combined with other Cate Ruby colours - Mulberry and Lollipop.

Oh - and the best part about this brand is that it's free shipping with online orders!! If you are like me there is nothing more disappointing than having to fork out shipping costs when you could buy another polish with that money! Also they are always perfectly giftwrapped and beautiful when you pull it out of the box. No more unexciting bubblewrap staring you in the face ... just a pretty present full of polish!

** Final Verdict **
Gorgeous shade for those days when you really need a neutral colour on your nails.

And for the Aussies in the room ... Today only [Sunday Feb 19] you can get a free bottle of Cate Ruby with any order placed! Awesome - what you waiting for! Tell them Shatter me Claire sent you :)

... Glossybox - Part 2 ...

2012-02-18T11:17:00.003+10:30

I could have sworn that my 2 Glossyboxes were exactly the same. Obviously I'm just going a bit senile and have opened the same box twice and gone "oh it's the same". Slightly embarrassing but moving on ...

Mainly for my memory for when I want to refer back to it in the future.
I received ...

* Proactive Deep Cleansing Wash - sample size 60ml
* Face of Australia Mineral Lip Shine in Starlight - full size 4.5g
* Langlois Lip Balm - full size 5g
* Star and Rose Emergency Nail Files - 12 pack
* Polished London Polish in Bitten Red - 10ml

All up the total value of my box is $36 plus the nail files which don't specify a cost. As always the box itself costs $15 so that's not bad going.

If you are considering subscribing I would check out the wall on their Facebook page and read others comments and reviews and make your own decision. It's all luck of the draw to see what you receive in your box. I've got good and bad things to say so yeah ... read and be informed.

... No Nails ... Just a random meme ...

2012-02-17T08:47:00.002+10:30

It's been awhile since I've done one of these so enjoy ... they don't happen often! I was tagged by Michelle at Lab Muffin ... seriously go check it out. It's one of those small sites under 100 followers that is just waiting for people to discover it! Go go go ... I'll wait for you here!

Rules:
Answer the questions
Tag 5 other bloggers
Let the bloggers know that they've been tagged by leaving a comment on their page

1. How many polishes do you have?
Oh god knows! Too many I'm sure. WAYYYY more than what is listed above in my stash [yes I'll be updating that soon.

2. What is your favourite brand of nail polish?
That's so not fair! How can I choose 1?? :( I have a soft spot for any Australian polish. Go Aussie!

3. Do you like Crackle polish or hate it?
I don't mind it. I think it's handy for those days when you don't have time to fix up your nails and you can just layer it on top and go ... but I can see why people are over it. There is only so much you can do with that look.

4. What was your first nail polish brand?
No idea! I was rather big into polish back in my teens and had a wide and wonderful assortment back then [wish I'd kept them all now though]

5. If you are going to have a nail polish line, what are you going to name it?
Probably something rude or swear words so people would be intrigued by it! I've just started branding my frankens as "Little Roo"

6. What nail polish colours do not compliment you?
Those that make me look like I have lobster hands!! Mainly orange/red combos.

7.What nail polish colours do compliment you?
Holos! That's a colour right? I think they compliment everyone!

8. Name two of your best nail art friends?
It's hard to keep it at 2 as there are so many gorgeous people I speak too in the polish world. The beautiful Reece at Spit & Polish deserves the credit for encouraging the polish-addict in me to reappear in the world. And Em at Nails in the Desert is the Aussie blogger that I speak to the most and she is always super helpful and fantastic!

9. What was the best nail polish gift you ever received?
I love any nail mail - I'll accept it with loving arms and give it a good home. I get very excited when parcels arrive!

10. Make a speech thanking the blogger who gave you this tag
Flick back up the top!

11. What is your second favourite nail polish company?
I'm sure it would be another Aussie brand!

12. Glitter or no glitter?
I love glitter - but really it would have to depend on my mood as lets face it - glitters are a bitch to remove!

13. OPI, China Glaze or Essie?
I have a soft spot for China Glaze

14. When do you change your nail polish?
When it starts to chip usually

15. What's your favourite colour on your nails?
Blue or Purple

16. Darks or Brights?
Brights at the moment since it's summer!

17. What are you wearing on your nails right this moment?
A England - Perceval from yesterday!!

18. Matte nails - in or out?
I like them ... just not all the time!

19. French Manicure?
I think they look ok but i'm not a fan of the acrylic french manicure look with the stark white and often white below where it should be on your nail line.

20. Favourite winter colour?
Oooh - I dunno. I'm sure it would be blue and purple like my regular favourite polish colours!

I'm supposed to tag 6 people but a] I'm lazy and b] I don't want to hurt any feelings by leaving people out so here's the deal! If you want to do it ... then do it! Make sure you leave me a link so I can swing by and read all about you though!!

... A England - Perceval ...

2012-02-16T06:48:00.001+10:30

A England - Perceval

Purchased from A England - £9.00 [Aussie price depends on exchange rates]

I can't believe I had this sitting in my Helmer still with the bubblewrap on for so long. This is Perceval and it's a beautiful dark metallic red.

This is 3 coats and it's gorgeous. It's glossy and shiny and really pretty. I found it easy to apply and fast drying but if you have ridges I would highly recommend going for a base filler before hand as being a metallic it does like to show imperfections. The true colour is slightly darker than what the picture shows [well on my folks monitor anyway!]

** Final Verdict **
If you like bright shiny reds on your fingertips then you'll want this one for your collection and with free shipping if you buy from A England site it's worthwhile waiting for a great day on the exchange rates!