Yesterday's KOTD

I did this little number yesterday morning be fore work.

Three coats Orly Love Each Other

Plate m4 stamped with

Misa Dirty Sexy Money

and

China Glaze Adore

I wanted to see how well Adore would stamp on a light or sheer color and I'm pleased. Dirty Sexy Money was very, very light and subtle but transferred well. Not sure I would use it to Konad with but rather do Konad over it.

Thanks for looking!

Orly Love Each Other

This color really should be a fail but I can't bring myself to classify it as such. I picked it up last week at Sally because they were having Orly on sale two for five dollars. I was excited when I saw it because I was taken with the holo purple suspended in a clear base. I don't know what I was thinking because it is VERY fine glitter.

Can you see the purple?

I found that I could build it and get more sparkle but really, that's just too much.

I've played just a little bit with layering it over other colors but not enough to show you anything definitive.

Blurred to show shimmer. Best when clicked for larger.

This should be a major disappointment but I'm finding that I really like it. I keep catching the shimmer out of the corner of my eye or seeing the light purple cast in different lights and I'm just in love.

Hmmm...

I shall be playing with this some more and anything cool will be posted.

Thanks for looking!

Zoya Moxie

This has inadvertently turned into Zoya week but my sister brought me all of her Zoya stash to swatch and I went a little crazy. Speaking of crazy, this has been my week of hell. Work was a challenge and then my washer broke down! Today's plans are simply to play with nail polish, eat cookies, drink champagne and get some time in on the Xbox.  Trixie is certainly grateful to have me home. She's been glued to my side since last night and goes wherever I go. She has made me feel better already!

Mmm...berry!

Moxie is a lovely berry creme with a hint of purple in indoor lighting.

This is the kind of pink I can get on board with. It makes me think of vacation in Cancun and leaves me craving rasberry sorbet. This would look super hot with the kicky gold sandals I bought last year!

Moxie was opaque in two coats and went on very smooth. I was surprised how quickly it dried, my experience with cremes and drying times hasn't been great. (If it's not Orly anyway!)

This is lady-like without being matronly.

This is a fantastic pedi color and good to chase away any cool weather blues. I have them already. :(  It rained like crazy and hailed yesterday. We had so much hail that it looked like snow! It's time to bring back summer.

Thank you for looking and enjoy your morning!

Zoya Barbie

Good morning!

My crazy weekend has spilled over into the week and I'm beat. Yesterday, I was down two cashiers and had computer issues with the POS as well as one person working in drive-thru. It was hectic! I was so happy to come home to pulled pork tacos made by my husband. They were awesome!!

I'm behind on my commenting and visits to blogs and I apologize. The good news is I get to start my "weekend" early today so I will be catching up with y'all again soon.
In the meantime I wanted to continue through the pictures I swatched of my sister's stash.

Barbie is a very light baby pink with subtle shimmer.

Three coats, no top coat, late afternoon sun

This goes opaque in three coats. The formula on this was a little on the runny side and was best applied in a thin coat. This would be a "dare" color for me. I really don't care for pink at all. I was certain that it would just blend in with my skin tone but it looked pretty good.

 

Three coats, indoor natural light

This could be a work safe color but I think it's rather little girl. However, I did think of the ways it could be layered with glitters and Konad-ed. That would make me enjoy it more.

My sister is hunting down the fauxnad plate with Hello Kitty on it because this is the perfect pink for a mani like that.

My niece, Ashley, would swoon over this!

Final verdict? Can't complain about the formula, Zoya hasn't let me down yet. The color is just not me.

Best for those who love pink and for sweet girls like my 11 year old niece.

Thank you for looking and enjoy your day!

Zoya Talullah

Good morning!

My weekend was crazy hectic busy and I'm so exhausted. I've fallen asleep on the couch three nights in a row!

I've been feeling a little cranky so I decided to perk up my mood with a pretty, cheery blue.

Zoya Talullah  two coats, full sun

Talullah is a bright, shimmery blue that absolutely glows. It goes opaque in two coats and the formula is superb. No brush strokes, no pooling at the cuticles.

Two coats, indoor lighting.

This is from my sister's Zoya stash and it was a huge departure for her. She usually wears pinks on her fingers and reds or wines on her toes. This was her favorite pedi of the summer and she received many compliments.

We both think this would be super fun to Konad. I've no doubt we'll have pictures of that before too long!

Love Zoya!

My sister got this in the Zoya Polish Exchange and it was her first introduction to their awesome products.

She's beginning to move away from her OPI snobbery thanks to this little beauty!

Thank you for stopping by. May the day treat you well!

Wake up!

This is your furry wake up call!

Gus is ready to seize the day. Are you?

KOTD Orly Madness

 Today's KOTD is the result of a recent Sally haul and my love for Orly Country Club Khaki.

 

Two coats CC Khaki

Paint splatter from plate m21 in Orly Star of Bombay

One coat of Orly Love Each Other

One coat of Out the Door to finish it all off.

I played with putting polish on parts of the design to comfortably fit some of my nails and I'm pleased with the result. It looks so much more random and like I splattered ink or paint on my nails.

The image didn't stamp fully on my right pinky but it's cool.

It totally works!

This was super fast and easy to do because Orly polishes are so pigmented and dry so quickly. I did this in fifteen minutes and now my nails are bone dry. Good thing since I now have to change my sheets before going to work. Matt will be home tonight and I want for him to have a nice, comfy bed to slip in to.

Full swatches of my new Orlys to come as well as my other haul from Sally.

Enjoy your day!

Win some, lose some.

Good morning all!
Today is my Monday and I am back to work. I was able to enjoy some of the gorgeous weather, spent time with my sister and had lunch with my work bestie.
It wasn't all sunshine and lollipops though. My aunt in Florida passed away after a long struggle with a brain tumor. We gathered at my mom's on Wednesday to celebrate her life with a big spaghetti dinner and Auntie's favorite drink of Irish creme.
Gratefully, mom was able to go to Florida this summer and spend two weeks with her and she is consoling herself with that.

It was a mix of good, bad and sad. Auntie was shown my blog by mom and she was just tickled with the pictures and my enthusiasm for nail polish. I asked her if she had any requests of colors she wanted to see but she never was able to get back to me.

So I chose OPI Baby It's Coal Outside to show you today.

Two coats, no top coat

This is a lovely black creme with silver glitter. It has the tough, darkness but it's much more whimsical with the silver glitter. The formula is the best of most OPIs I've worn and I was surprised. This is opaque in two coats.

Dry time is okay, usually enhanced by a fast dry top coat.

I was surprised that OPI had added this to their holiday collection last year. The previous year's collection had some pretty colors but it didn't have the same pizazz.

I think this was a good choice for Auntie. She was tough and funny and loving. It's sad she's no longer here but it was a privilege to have had the time we did.

Thank you for coming by. Enjoy your day. 

Nail Magic Birthstones - Topaz

Back in August, I swatched some polishes I found in a gift store. They were based on birthstones and claim to have genuine crushed gemstones in them. I doubt that but they are awesome. This one is what I purchased for my sister since her birthday is in November.

I'm pleased to present this swatch to you since my sister graciously agreed to be my hand model. Please note the application is not the best because I was sitting in front of the screen door. (It's September but it was hot today!)

Two coats, no top coat

This applies smooth, even and without brush strokes. It's opaque in one coat unless you are being klutzy and have a breeze hitting the nail. Then not so much. It dries satiny with a very slight gritty feel. Top coat amps up the glitter and it glows. But I did not get a picture of that because, well, we got distracted talking about the private island we'll buy if we hit the lotto. It happens. Take my word for it.

Love the cute little bottles!

I love these polishes. I really need to find out how to get more!

Me and my sister had a really good time together. I've hooked her on Konad so she's planning on picking up a few more image plates for us to play with. I have the best sister ever!

 

Isn't she gorgeous?

Thanks for stopping by!

China Glaze Spontaneous

Purple is my favorite color. I love it in all and any tones and shades. However, not all shades work for me. I can't wear lavenders because I just look dirty and deathly. The only way I can wear OPI's Done Out In deco is to layer something over it. (I don't have it, BTW. My sister has the mini and I WILL be swatching it eventually.)
The good thing is that deeper shades are a much better fit for me.

Two coats, no top coat

This applies smooth and opaque within two coats.This is the lightest purple I can get away without looking like death. It's so cheery and fun. I will definitely be doing some Konad over this. ;)

Thank you for looking and have an enchanted evening!

Ocean Soul

Yesterday was the first day of Autumn and as usual, Oregon has weird weather. The temp was supposed to rise to the mid 90s. It's the final tease of beautiful weather and golden sun. I adore Summer, always have. I hated cold and snow when I was a kid in Nebraska. So how did I end up in a place that sees sun for a few months out of the year? I came to be with my sister and I fell in love with this place.
The good thing is that I love rain. :)

I decided that I had to do a mani for my official goodbye to summer. I was wearing Haken Blue Crush anyway so I felt a good Konad was necessary.
I chose the butterfly pattern from plate m21 and stamped with Konad Special Polish in white.

I realized that my thumb and index stamps weren't lined up the same but I decided to go with it. It's more like butterflies flitting about my nails that way.

 

 

This wore beautifully throughout the day. I had hardly any tip wear and no chips. I received a lot of compliments from co-workers, a donor and the waitress at my favorite pub. My sister was loving it and is super excited to have her nails done tonight!

Konading has been so fun and I can't wait to buy some more plates.

Without you, I am mute

Good morning all!

Today is my third wedding anniversary and I just wanted to do a little tribute to my wonderful husband.

We got married in our backyard on a gorgeous day with our dearest friends and family with us. My girlfriend, Bob, performed our ceremony. It was a fun, simple wedding that people are still talking about. I guess we did well. ;)

My handsome husband, Matt and me on our wedding day.

Matt has a great sense of humor and loves to make everybody laugh. He has no problem making himself the target of his jokes.

 

Matt amusing himself while trimming his beard.

Matt is the youngest of six kids. He is very close to his family and they are awesome. But, he is especially close to his mom. His dad died in 1988 and it was just him and his mom for the next few years.  She worked hard to take care of him so now Matt makes sure she has everything she might need.

 

Idaho Falls, ID. They shot me with finger guns.

My mother-in-law is wonderful. We take her on vacation every summer and go to Bingo with her once a month at the Eagle's Lodge. She and Matt talk on the phone every Sunday. I'm grateful to her for giving me this wonderful man.

He is beautiful.

I hope you all have a lovely day and I thank you for stopping by.

Love to all!

Meet me at the club dahling...

Since I entered my twenties, I've had a rather girly, preppy look. Of course it's a facade for the black hearted, ebil, part-time ninja metalhead that lurks within. (Yes, I did mean "ebil." The ninja thing is an in-joke with my bestie.)
This odd juxtaposition suits me perfectly. It's totally a wolf in sheep's clothing tactic.

Which is why I'm segueing away from a post about a vampy, goth-y color to this:

Orly Country Club Khaki

This is color is great. It is a perfect taupe. In fact, I have a pair of Gap khakis that are this exact shade.

Totally inoffensive but then again totally unexpected. It's work safe but still rebellious.

I love it.

I think it would look pretty hot with some Konad in an electrifying color. I understand that it is also good to stamp with itself.

The formula is brilliant. It's opaque in one coat but I use two. It flows smoothly and dries quickly. It's a winner! My nails however, are not. They were peeling in sheets because I have not been moisturizing properly. Hence the big ass divots. Lesson learned and I am using my Solar Oil and Gold Bond hand cream religiously.

This leads me to an important question. What the hell? Am I the only one who likes it? I picked it up at Sally on clearance. That usually says discontinued to me. Later when I was looking at Orly's website, there was no mention of it in the Prepster collection. Like, it had never existed. I don't get it. I know some colors get discontinued but this is ridiculous.

And, I am scaring everybody with my rant. Sorry bout that!

Allow me to leave you with some bottle love while I tell the kitties how I feel about this. (I do know TransDesign has it and I'm glad. I may be buying some more as a backup just in case.)

 

 

 

Psst! Orly, this color rocks!!

Flower Worn In the Dark

As much as I gush over some colors and tweeted about favorites, there is only one that I truly adore. It is THE perfect color for me. It makes me feel sexy, powerful and dangerous. I can rock it to a concert or for an evening out and it is utterly appropriate.

It is the one, the only...Midnight in Moscow.

Apologies now for the slightly blurred picture. It is a devil to photograph.

Is it a sheer black with red glitter? Kind of. A blackend red? Again, kind of. It's a mystery wrapped in an enigma, ok? What is important is that it is STUNNING. I wear this year round and am just about to purchase my back up bottle because my current is getting dangerously low.

This goes on nicely, albeit sheerly at first. I wear three coats but two may be okay. This also wears very well for me. It's one of the few I own that I wear for longer than two days. Last time I got three days wear before the tip wear became ghastly. I consider that a win for me. Just because I am ridiculous with my nails.

What I love most about it is that it is the grown up version of my beloved black nail polish of my misbegotten teens. This is totally appropriate for the thirty-something metalhead woman.

It's so much more sophisticated and elegant but still gives off the menacing and dangerous vibe.

Oh, hells yes! However, I really want to rename it. I like the name, don't get me wrong. It's just that it makes me think of the Moonspell song, "Scorpion Flower." Probably because I wore it the last time saw them in concert. And I shall wear it again when I see them next month!

Please enjoy my favorite band ever along with some bottle love of my favorite nail polish shade ever!

Thanks for indulging me!

By Special Request

After I got home from my mom's on Thursday, I decided to take advantage of the late afternoon sunshine coming in through the sunroom  and do some swatching.
What a wonderful afternoon it was. The weather was gorgeous, the sunlight golden and the kitties were being adorable! Gus and Dita kept trying to shove their heads into my bag of Hands Down pads. Dita was especially curious about my bottles of polish I lined up.

I was totally enjoying myself and then I remembered that Lucy asked for pictures of Finger Paints Ripe Peach layered with OPI DS Treasure after I mentioned in my post about the great tragic sadness that is Ripe Peach.
I did a quick and dirty of it but I also decided to experiment with China Glaze Raspberry Festival layered over Sinful Ruby, Ruby. I think it turned out really nice so I'm looking forward to doing it as a full mani.

Ooh sparkly!

Clicky to see better!

I hope this satisfies your curiosity, Lucy! I promise to do it as a full mani soon!

Oregon Game Day

Boy do I love college football Saturdays! I went and had coffee with my favorite girls at our favorite place by Autzen Stadium. I love watching all of the DUCKed out cars and the custom buses and trailers pouring into the stadium. Cracks me up! If only I could have gone to the game...but I had to work today.

So I did yet another Duck themed mani with some Konad. Here's the thing though: I've learned NOT to listen to my husband if he suggests I do my nails after he's been fixing me really kick ass vodka tonics.
I got some dents and smudges because I was feeling a bit tipsy.

Sinful San Francisco and OPI Brand New Skate

rainy day lighting.

That was how I started last night. Brand New Skates on the middle and San Francisco on the rest.

Well, it couldn't stay that way. I have a reputation to uphold at work!

While my sister and I were relaxing before she took me to work, I whipped out my Konad and had some fun.

 

 Used white special polish on thumb and pinky. Green special polish on middle which didn't show up super well so I restamped with China Glaze Adore. I didn't line up well but I think it turned out pretty cool nonetheless. This is the star from plate m15. Not every bit transferred but I really like how it turned out anyway.

My right hand was stamped with white Special polish only.

This was fun to do. I have a small polish rivalry with one of my cashiers and I totally won this round!

I'm so excited for me and my sister to play with the Konad on Wednesday. Plus, I'm going to have her bring her stash for us to swatch. More colors to come! It will be good times for sure.

Now to end on a happy note, Ducks beat Utah 31-24! I'm off to have a celebratory beer and a carnitas burrito.

Have an enchanted evening!

Be Bold Be Bald

Today my mom is wearing a bald cap to raise money for cancer research. I took pics of her getting it put on and all. You can check them out on my Twitter feed I put on the right under my links.
If you know anyone in your area today who is wearing a blad cap, please consider sponsoring them.
You can check it out here: beboldbebald.org.

Mom proudly wearing her bald cap!

As ever, thanks for stopping by!

Finger Paints Ripe Peach

Michelle from All Lacquered Up did a series on Finger Paints awhile back and it had me intrigued. Sure, I had looked at the display from time to time at Sally's but I never bought any. Not because the colors weren't interesting but rather, I was on a mission for China Glaze. (My store didn't carry it and I had to have them!)

I finally purchased one in May while I was in California. I needed a little pick me up because we were there for the funeral of Matt's grandma and it was really depressing. We needed to get out and so we drove all over Woodland while Matt reminisced about growing up there. He felt bad that he was so maudlin so he drove me over to Sally and told me to go buy myself some polish. (I really have an amazing husband.)

Ripe Peach is from Finger Paints summer collection. I was drawn to it because of the shimmer in the bottle.
If only I had known it was the beginning of a major disappointment.

 

Two coats, indoor light

First of all, the shimmer is practically non-existent. It's a lovely coral-y peach but no shimmer.

The formula is watery and can only be applied in thin coats. There's the rub: thin coats dry too quickly and go on streaky. Apply too thick and it takes too long to dry and is susceptible to dents and smudges.

There is no in between. 

 

 Cute bottle!

This polish just bums me out. I adore the shade but thinking of applying just makes me frown. It's even more sadness when I try to wear it as a pedi. It refuses to apply to my toes! Ugh.

All is not lost. I did find a few months ago that I could apply three streaky coats and then layer with a thin coat of OPI DS Treasure. Treasure evens it out, gives the needed sparkle and intensifies the color. 

Now I just need to take pictures of that to show you. Next time, I promise.

This totally rode the fail whale for me but I'm not opposed to trying Finger Paints again. So if anyone has some, could you suggest another color for me to try? I think I may have a better chance with something better pigmented. 

Your help is much appreciated!

 

Zoya Rihana

My standard for untrieds is a little different. If I have worn it on my toes but not my fingers, I consider it untried.
Last week, I did my toes with Rihana and I was bowled over. I remember when that collection came out and I desperately wanted Rihana. I didn't buy then because I was trying to break myself of buying dark shades.
I regretted it right away and more so when my store closed. I was saved by Zoya's great polish exchange.
(It still stings that I'm not getting Zoya's for $2.10 any more but my love is strong and I will pay whatever I must!)

 

Two coats, no base, indoor lighting.

You can get away with two coats but I prefer three myself. Went on fluid, smooth and even. Dried pretty quick and is ridiculously shiny.

This satisfies any cravings for a purple toned wine color. It's sophisticated and not at all boring. That's one thing I hate about Fall collections. They may go for jewel tones and wines but they seem so uninspired.

Rihana definitely does not fall into that category!

I can't wait to do some Konad over it. I think it's a great base to show off some snazzy nail art!

More to come later!

OPI Curry Up Don't Be Late

I've said before that I am a sucker for silver polish but that's not entirely true. I'm crazy for gold polish as well.
The India collection from OPI is probably my most favorite with Russia running a close second. I have Curry Up and Moon Over Mumbai and I still need Black Cherry Chutney. Such gorgeous colors!

Curry Up is my favorite gold that I own. The first time I used it was on a whim. I was idly thinking of using it on my toes and decided to use it on my fingers. I was shocked when I started. I could not believe how smooth it was applying. Hardly any brush strokes and it was drying quickly and smoothly. I did three coats because I usually do on all my manis and it was done in a snap. I was over the moon, yo.

 

Two coats, indoors with natural light.

I love that it is quite subtle. It's a yellow gold but  it truly shines at a bit of a distance. I think this is a very elegant gold and does make me think of gold thread woven into a beautiful sari.

Curry Up is a go to color for special events for me. I wore this to my best friend's wedding last year and I had women grabbing my hands and complimenting the color and asking where to get it. (The Ed Wyse store right by Lake Union may have had a run that afternoon on it!)

As a matter of fact, the profile picture of me on my blog is from her wedding! 

Check it larger, yo.

 

Pixie (My best friend and stunning bride that day) even wore it on her toes for the wedding. Which is saying something since she abhors gold polish. ;)

Now when I wear it, I always think of her wedding. She looked gorgeous and it was an amazing late summer day in Seattle on Lake Union.

That's it for now, y'all. I leave you with a little bottle love!

Konad!

Next Wednesday is my third wedding anniversary. I will be spending that day with my sister because my husband will be in Las Vegas. Not for fun, however. His company is hosting a conference for their customers.
(I'm sad that I can't go because I am needed at work.)
Matt felt a little guilty about it all so he set aside a little cash so I could get myself something fun.
So I went to OC Nail Art and ordered myself a Konad. I used Brooke's coupon code to save a little and now I get a trip to Sally's for some nail polish! I totally win on this one.

On an aside: Don't forget that Judy is hosting a Konad giveaway. It is amazing and I highly recommend you enter. Seriously, it's the "A" kit, yo! 10 plates and 10 polishes cannot be beat. You have until Saturday the 26th at 12 p.m. EST to enter. I hope Judy will share some of the emails she gets. I've no doubt that y'all will have some great Konad pics to share as well as some great stories. Good luck!

Back to business:

So I had a blah day on Monday and I was hoping to come home to my Konad. Alas, not so much. No mail.
I was drowning my sorrows in a homemade double bacon cheeseburger until a knock came on the front door. It was a letter carrier with my package! You have no idea how that turned my mood around. I think I embarrassed Matt a little!

Check it out because I love this packaging. It's so cute!!

 

Adorable box.

 

Hooray! Endless possibilities await!

I'd like to thank Kathleen for amazing service and super fast shipping. I know some of you have purchased from other companies and had a good experience but I'm a loyal OC Nail Art customer from now on.

I was sold on Kathleen after reading Wixbetty's profile. She is an amazing woman and the type of person I want to do business with. Plus, I lived in Orange County for ten years so it's kind of like going home in a way.

Finally, here's another reason to shop with Kathleen.

 

A simple personal touch like this makes a huge impact.

I'm excited to play around with this today and will be happily posting results later. Good or bad! Many thanks to Kathleen for being awesome and to Brooke for having the coupon code!

It's time for me to go get some laundry done and make myself pretty for my lunch date with Matt.

Fleece out!

Tell me more...

 mKat from Polish or Perish posted this fun questionnaire and I'm sharing my answers today.

Who are you? 

My online friends end up calling me Lambchop, my husband calls me Lamby but my name is Heather.

What do you do/how do you spend your days?

I am a manager at a Goodwill store in Oregon and a part time college student.

How long have you been wearing nail polish?

I started wearing polish when I was 12 but I became obsessed about two years ago.

Do you keep your nails long or short?

My nails can grow but it's too difficult. I'm klutzy too so it's best to keep them short.

Do you do your own nails?

Yes. I can't afford to see a nail tech and my hairstylist so I spend the money on my hair.

What do you do while your polish is drying?

Avoid the kitties, peruse Facebook, send a tweet or read the assigned material for class.

Has your polish ever matched your car, computer or cell phone?

No. I don't think I've ever matched my polish to anything but I should try.

FAVOURITES

Brand(s): Zoya, China Glaze, Orly, O.P.I., Sinful, Haken

Polish remover: Zoya Remove +

Basecoat: Zoya Anchor

Topcoat: Seche Vite and Out The Door

Colo(u)r(s): Zoya Lianne, Zoya Trixie, O.P.I. Midnight In Moscow, China Glaze Recycle, China Glaze Ruby Pumps, China Glaze For Audrey and Wet n' Wild Craze in Rustic.

Finish: Have always loved cremes but I'm going crazy for holos.

Nail art (decals, konad, air brushing etc.): Just got my Konad and am spending time learning it.

Go to colour for cheering you up: O.P.I. DS Treasure

Go to "sexy" style/finish/treatment: My husband loves reds so when I'm getting dressed up, I wear Sinful Ruby, Ruby. It looks like patent leather with a topping of Seche.

Work appropriate manicure: O.P.I. Moon over Mumbai or Sally Hansen Insta-Dri Beige Blast

Manicure tool you can't live without: My glass nail file

Polish trend you'd love to see back: Crackle polish. That stuff was so cool!

Polish trend you wish would die: I really don't like French or American manicures. Scratch that. I don't like them on sculptured nails. I'm okay with them on natural nails. Hate the French pedi.

Share a home mani tip!
Invest in a paraffin bath. It's a major saver if you wash your hands as much as I do and it's so nice in winter!
I like to use CND Almond Illuminating Masque on my hands before I dip into the paraffin.


So that's it, guys. Today is my Friday and it's been a long week. Tomorrow I will have much more for you!
Have a beautiful day and an enchanted evening!

OPI DS Coronation

Oh, the Designer Series from OPI. How I love them!  Coronation is my absolute favorite of them all. But I'm a sucker for silver polish. This one is what made me okay with glitters and had me fall in love with holos. I don't know how I lived without them before!

 

Two coats on index and middle. One coat on ring and pinky.

Applied over one coat of Nailene Power Fusion Gel.

Yep, that's right. I tried the Nailene kit again and got WAAAY better results. Now I can definitively say that yes, you can paint over this gel overlay. You want to use non-acetone remover however. It won't melt the gel overlay but it does dull the finish. No big deal if you're going to use lacquer anyway, right?

Indoors, natural light. Same application as above.

 

Holo-y goodness on my thumb in full sun. Three coats on this.

Slightly blurred to see the rainbow.

I'm excited that I can paint over the overlay and that it worked out better this time. Now I'm starting to really think about getting a professional gel kit with UV light. Oh dear.