First up - Swatches - I feel like I've come a long way from when I first started, but not so much improvement from two years ago. Let's do a little critique here shall we?
2010
- Flooded cuticles
- poor clean up
- uneven nail length
- uneven nail shape
- dry cuticles
- odd down cast of hand with lighting above nails
- grip of death on polish bottle
2013 - definitely an improvement :) Although I'm still slack at using enough moisturiser and cuticle cream and could loosen my grip on the bottle!
2015 - Not too much difference really I don't think, except that my photos are now a bit bigger.
Stamping
Oh I remember trying stamping for the first time. I was completely blown away by what you could achieve, and despite not being able to place designs accurately on my nails, I was so in love what I created.
2010 - I used OPI DS Original and some Konad black polish and a Konad plate. WOW how the stamping world has changed since then, with all the amazing stamping plates and stamping heads now available.
2012 - Back then I said "so I still haven't learned how to position designs evenly on my nails, but what I have learned to do is not to use designs that need to be placed symmetrically. All over designs that can be put on crooked - like these flowers, are such a winner!"
2010 - Yay, thanks to the invention of squishy stampers, I finally learned how to line up stamping designs that require careful placement.
Polish collection AKA stash
Hmm, this one is interesting.
2010 - approximately 200 polishes stored in three clear plastic sistema storage containers, stacked on top of each other.
2013 - approximately 1300 polishes stored in four helmers, all polishes indexed in a spreadsheet, swatched on sticks and grouped by colour - this shit just got serious!
2015 - Ok, so shit got serious in 2013, but now my collection has completely taken over a wall along the dining room, and usually remains spilled on the dining table for 80% of the time. I'm up around 2250 now, but they are all still indexed in a spreadsheet and swatch on sticks that are grouped by colour. I note here to that I am very fortunate to receive a lot of polish from brands for review, so the growth in my stash is not all due to purchases.
Nail Art
Everyone starts somewhere ok...
2010 - eewwh. My effort for Australia day!
2012 - this is the example I chose in 2013. I commented last time that I had learned so many new techniques for nail art. Striping tape, tape manis, gradients, magnet designs, water
decals, temporary tattoos, water marbling, rhinestones, studs... the
list goes on.
2015 - It's amazing how many more new techniques and designs were invented in the last two years. Advanced stamping, leadlight stamping, double stamping (although I've yet to try that) ...
... blobicures...
Oh, and I finally learned how to watermarble!!
Life
2010 - Mr and Mrs More Nail Polish and Mr 2.
2013 - Mr and Mrs More Nail Polish, Master 4 and Miss 2.
2015 - Mr and Mrs More Nail Polish, Master 6 and Miss 4, and quite honestly, thank god there aren't more!
Master Six , shown below at three below, still loves polish! He doesn't wear it often any more now that he is at school, but just tonight he decided to paint this thumb in red polish - which is his favourite!
Miss Four started her passion for polish early. Here at two she thought she was pretty good.
She does love nail wraps too, although she mostly loves picking them off.
And here is both my littlies. In the room where I paint my nails with the helmers in the background.
Giveaway?
Surely a milestone like this warrants some sort of giveaway. Absolutely! Unfortunately I'm not very organized at the moment. I do have a giveaway planned, hopefully something along the lines of the competition/giveaway I did two years ago. But a) I haven't had time to do the swatching prep work, b) I haven't sorted out the full prize pack just yet. But I do already have some of my favourite Aussie brands on board with some stunning prizes. It's going to take me a week or two to get it all together, so please bear with me.
I'm going to
leave it there and say thank you so much for coming along with me on
this journey. I love reading all your comments and emails, and whilst
keeping this blog going is something I enjoy doing for myself, it's so
rewarding to know that so many awesome people join me everyday.
congrats dear, five years is really an accomplish :D
ReplyDeleteand the progress is clearly visible, it's great that you did such a comparison... keep up the good work :D
"This shit just got serious!" That made me smile. I love reading your blog. Thank you for all your effort. I always look forward to More Nail Polish. 😊
ReplyDeleteIn addition to congrats on five years, I want to thank you for being a great reference/resource for color swatches, collections, entire brands! I found your blog early on after getting into polish a couple years ago, and it is one of my faves. :)
ReplyDeleteAmazing post and so much fun reading! <3 A big congratulation and fun to see the improvement you've done over the years. Also amazing to see and maybe realize how much your blog has grown during the years. I'm a slowbie, I've been blogging for 3 years soon and I got like 160+ followers in total in my blog (I guess I'm not improving fast enough), I'm hoping that I will be as successful as you one day. You're such an inspiration! :) Have a nice day!
ReplyDeleteWhat an amazing journey. And HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!!! Thanks for sharing with us, and giving us a peek into your world. Master and Miss how darn adorable.
ReplyDeleteHappy anniversary. It's fun to take a stroll down Memory Lane this way :)
ReplyDeleteCONGRATULATIONS on 5 YEARS Blogging, that's an incredibly long time, especially since you post everyday. Yours was the first blog I ever read, I had no idea such a thing existed, I found you through an English lady on YT and thought how ironic it was that someone so far across the globe had turned me on to what was happening in my own country. What a great post this is, thank you for taking us back, it made me giggle to see the nail wheels are now stored in the plastic containers and the polishes have their own furniture, woo hoo. Your nails are perfection and I recognise them instantly when I'm on google images and the only other blogger I can say that about is Scrangie, although I think recognition of hers is more to do with her large watermark that her nails. Your babies are beautiful and I fondly remember the time you found Miss MNP with your camera doing hand poses, that was precious. Thank you so much for everything you have taught me and entertaining me along the way. xoxo Jo
ReplyDeleteP.S. Is that a LEGO Guitar, oh my goodness, it's awesome!
ReplyDeleteCongratulations! It's really nice to see your progress! I recognize some of the older manicures :). And wow I cannot believe how much nail polish you own :o
ReplyDeleteCongrats! Five years is such a long time and it definitely shows in your swatches and nail art. Fantastic! (P.S. I want your swatch sticks - omg gimme give them to me! I admire the organization :D)
ReplyDeleteWow Wow WOW!!! 5 years of awesome posts and lovely commentary. I adore your blog. You are one of the gals who got me really rolling on nail polish collection with your aweome Nfu Oh posts. It was the first time I had to place an online order for nail polish and loved it so much. Now I've got well over 2000 bottles and love all my indie brands but I'm not nearly as organized as you. You do such an awesome job. I can't wait to post again on your 10th anniversary blog!
ReplyDeleteCongrats on 5 years :-D
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on 5 years of blogging. I love your site, and always look forward to each new post because they inspire me to try new things and help me choose colour combinations, etc. It has been so interesting to see your journey with nail art since starting your blog, because is what my blog is about - my nail art journey since going through breast cancer treatment last year (2014). I look forward to many more inspirational designs and reviews from you in the future. All the best, and have a wonderful day. Can't wait to see what your competition is going to be like.
ReplyDeleteMy competition is up now, please check it out.
DeleteI forgot to mention that I would be interested in knowing how your spreadsheet is worked out and how you track down a particular colour from amongst all those polishes. How do you have them sorted in your helmers - by colour or brand? I'm still trying to work out how to store mine because I haven't been collecting for very long and would appreciate any advice you could give.
ReplyDeleteMy spreadsheet is just a big long list that has brand and polish name and a number on it. I then write that number on the swatch stick. I store the polishes in my helmer by brand and the fronts of all the drawers are labeled with what brands are inside. I'm usually able to find any specific shade pretty quick;y.
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