Ocean creatures and gradient.

Firstly-happy new year!
I ran out of nail polish remover. I have no idea how this happened-I usually have a lot of it. I'll just blame the holiday season. I managed to remove my fireworks mani, but there was none left for clean up. Until I get to the shop, these nails are a mess. I'm forever apologising about the quality of my clean up, so I'm sharing the photos-call it a before/after type thing. Or something. Either way, you get to see how much worse it is before I tidy it up.
My niece gave me the idea for this mani. She thought my Rudolph looked like an octopus, when he was upside down,  so I promised I'd do something with an octopus soon.
I started with a base of LA Girls Holographic Blue. I love these polishes; they are great for a one-coat and go mani.
I then sponged Sinful Colors Secret Admirer on the tips. The idea was for it to look like the ocean getting darker/deeper. It doesn't really look like that. I think a lighter blue would have been better. But...glitter.

This octopus was done with LA Girl Disco Brites Psychedelic. It glows under UV lights, but I'm never near those.

And left hand:

Ignore the bungness of that starfish. It was supposed to have five arms. Not entirely sure where my brain went.Do you like the way I highlighted to make it look semi-normal?
Polishes used are: SC This Is It; SC Exotic Green, I mixed white in for the lighter seaweed; Coral Colors Rio, SC Snow Me White, Rimmel Grey Matter, Rimmel Mysterious Girl ('oh ohoh oh oh oh, mysterious girl, I wanna get close to you' and Peter Andre will be with me ALL DAY), all finished with Rimmel 60 seconds top coat.

Here are the photos after clean up.

Not perfect, but a hell of a lot better!

I'm off to the beach now. See ya!

My first gradient attempt; and rhinestone-y things.

I have pretty much ignored the whole gradient thing. I am spazzy enough with a brush and dotting tools; what kind of mess would I make with a polished-up sponge?
I decided to give it a go. It is not great. My colour choices on my right had were a bit crap-not opaque enough. On my left hand...I discovered the coral I love in the bottle, is not so pretty on my hands. So, that will be leaving me. To photos!

Colours are LA Colors 12, and Sinful Colors Island Coral. I didn't want to push the gradient attempt (at first) so went for dots.
And the right hand. This is a mess. My clean up was terribly half-arsed, and you can see exactly what I mean when I say lack of opacity.

Bleurgh.

Over the weekend, I was at the local $2/Max Out shop, whatever this one happens to be called. I found some little nail art rhinestones and thought 'why not?' I have just done a mani with them, and I'm pretty happy with the results. You'll have to excuse the photos. I plan to get some in natural light tomorrow, but wanted evidence before I knock these flowers off. I have two thick layers of top coat on, and will probably add another before bed.

Here are a couple that show the polish colour more accurately.

Awful photos, I apologise. Base is boe Champagne-lovely colour, formula is quite good...but it stinks. I'm talking a petrol-like reek. I have a headache from the smell. I may also be mildly high.
When I bought the rhinestone doo-hickeys, I grabbed an eye/lip liner, solely so I could pick them up. It works! So quick and easy.
All going well, I should have better pics of this tomorrow.