Thursday, August 4, 2011

The missing sorbets ...made metal!

Picture heavy and nerdy post ahead!

I was a bit puzzled the other evening. A while ago, I found that weird Rock Coat from Dior in store, and tried it quickly on one of my nails. I was anything but impressed. But still puzzled. Do people actually buy this? And at that price? Hmm. It's basically a really sheer charcoal black polish. Why spend big bucks on something one could easily make at home? Said and done. I sat down and frankened one. I had a bunch of bottles of the badly formulated Diamont, that was just sitting in my drawer since I found them useless. But perfect to franken a jellyish topcoat, I thought.

And before I knew, I had frankened an entire little collection of sheer jellies. I lalalove jellies. I had the ones from OPI, those they so inventively refer to as Sorbets, in mind, and although jelly polishes are far from new, I reckoned I should just franken those wicked shades that were entirely missing in the OPI collection. Mine ended up like you would expect sloppy done frankens to, rather unconsistent in pigmentation. But I don't care. I swatched them in three coats each. Not for the visible nail line fearing people.

Here they are. Names will follow, but let's just say I couldn't come up with any really smart ones, so I named them in a hurry while editing the photos below. The third from left is an old frankened jelly, about two years old, that I felt fitted in here, so I decided to reswatch it as well.



Elixir. This is the one that wouldn't stick to the lens because it's really bright, so it has been slightly color corrected in the cyan channel. It's derived mostly from Depend 249, which is a bit like China Glaze Four Leaf Clover, but deeper and a tad more green, but just as bright and impossible to get right on camera. There's also a few drops of yellow, and just a couple black. Oh, and why Elixir? I had this constant image of the green goo from the cult movie Re-Animator, but since this isn't the same color, I just named it something slightly reminiscent.



Noblesse. Has one of the easiest recipes in this bunch, as its only component beside Diamont is Pure Ice French Kiss. Blue is a color that still makes me think of royalty and upper class in general, so the French word for the noble got to name it.

And here is the old teal green jelly franken, reswatched:



Spruce. I originally named it Shady Spruce, but I felt like renaming it today, and since I pretty much always do as I wish, that's what I did. This one is a little more opaque than the others, mainly because it has about 1/3 clear only. The other thirds are 1/3 BB Couture Poison Ivy, and 1/3 Misa On the Edge.



Trauma. How to name this one was way more obvious. It's the kind of color so often referred to as a bruise, but since so many polishes have gotten this name throughout the years, I just went for the cause instead. Also, this baby has one of those super easy recipes, since it's made from one single color - this time OPI Siberian Nights.

However, you can tell it would benefit from a fourth coat, so I did what many often cherish jellies like these for: a sandwich. With glitter, of course.




Here, one coat of the mixed color glitter Sassy Sparkle from LA Colors has been overcoated by another coat of Trauma. You can see how the effect varies depending on how thick a jelly coat you do - the middle has the thickest coat, and the ring has the most thin one. By now this manicure was overall really thick as well, mostly because it hadn't yet set when I took out the camera, but also because the LA Colors glitter was in a rather thick base. I'll forgive it though, since it has iridescent glitter thrown in. [heart]

Now the one that started all this madness: my own Rock Coat. Of course I renamed it accordingly, mine's called Metal Coat.


First, to give you an idea of how sheer it is, I swatched it in one, two, three and four coats:

Streaky and not very pretty on its own, it's not really meant for single use - if you're dying to make your own black jelly, just use a lot less clear. Mine's probably even sheerer than the original, so adding more black could be the way to go here.

But this is how it's supposed to be used:

Here in a generous coating over Spruce, on index and pinky. How metal is that? Just imagine the Dio trademark evil eye pose. \m/ Extra point for Dior - Dio pun. [giggle] I used a Diamont bottle which was about 3/4 full, and added circa 15 drops of our darling Wet n Wild black creme.

The jelly proportions of the others are basically 2/3 Diamont, filled almost up with the added colors.

I'm still not sure if this Rock Coat was really a very good idea coming from the Dior people, but if it's going to be done in any way, just franken your own. The cheaper, the better.

Swedish word of the day:
gelé -noun jelly, gel
Pronounce it with a blowing sound in the beginning!

21 comments:

  1. Metal Coat would be awesome to use for an ombre/syrup mani!

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  2. You are a frankening machine! I really love Noblesse, very pretty!

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  3. HOLY CRAP I WANT ALL OF THOSE!!

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  4. Ahhh so squishy and gorgeous! And I must try your Metal Coat recipe, it's so cool (and not however much that Rock Coat retails for). Lovely frankens :)

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  5. Haha, först tittade jag bara på bilderna och tänkte "WOW. JAG MÅSTE HA DEM" och började leta efter vad det var för lack, men eftersom jag inte hittade något märke slutade det ju med att jag läste allting och jag kan inte säga annat än BRA GJORT! :) Vill bara göra massa egna jellyfrankens nu!

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  6. I absolutely love these! Especially the elixir and trauma!!!

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  7. I'm following your blog since June, but this is my first comment. I've read you post pics of requested polishes. I hope this is the right place to ask for. Can you please post a comparison of petroleum blue polishes? I love them but I have still not found the perfect one. Petroleum is a sort of blue/green with a shimmer finish. Do you think it is possible?
    Thank you
    V

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  8. Nice frankens!! Spruce is gorgeous!!

    Yeah, that black top coat thing was for a demographic that treats Dior like I treat WetnWild top coats: cheap, not really thinking hard about them.

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  9. I love your idea -and simple mixes. I've never thought to attempt a franken but I too have a useless bottle of Diamont so I'm out the door heading for Walmart and French Ice - Thank you!! Kimmer K.

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  10. You did an amazing job! I would have not a clue how to Franken a jellie. Did you just thin it way down or what?

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  11. Haha, my first thought when I saw the top picture was "OMG, NEED!!" and then I saw that they're frankens :P I actually really like the idea of a darkening top coat, and if I'm ever not low on top coat, I'll totally franken me some! (*sigh* I don't know how I manage, but I'm ALWAYS running out of top coat! So annoying! :P)

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  12. Ahhhh, gorgeous! There isn't a single one that I wouldn't have rushed out to buy! I especially LOVE Trauma with the glitter (swoons)

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  13. You swatched in the drugstore?!

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  14. I love your frankens, especially Trauma and Noblesse! I'm not too sure about the rock or metal coat, it's a cool idea but not one I'd be likely to use I think.

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  15. Genious frankens! Usually I hate VNL but these jellies are so jummy! This could be also a good way to use some of my topcoats (I bought bottles from many brands but seldom use them).Last but not least I <3 the "glitter sandwich"

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  16. Love Trauma!!! Specially with glitters!

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  17. I love jellies, and yours are no exception! I especially like Spruce - so pretty!

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  18. Julie: Yes, it would! :)

    ALY: It's just so miuch fun! :D

    Megan HArmeyer: Start pouring and shaking! ;)

    Kirsten Glitta Gloves: Cheap and easy - Dior can go... somewhere. ;D

    Johanna: Do it! Det är så himla roligt. :)

    KayJay: And Trauma is easily frankenable for almost anyone, sadly I can't say the same about Elixir, at least if you're outside Scandinavia!

    PlatinumV: I'll be working on it. :)

    Paillette: For sure... Even though I've heard that the big brands uses their makeup to sorta bait the less economically fortunate customer groups - with this one: big fail. ;)

    Anonymous: Best of luck! :)

    beachgal: Actually, you can read all about how to in the post. ;) To franken a jelly: dilute with clear polish.

    Evy: I hear ya sis'! At least I'm almost always low on GOOD topcoat - it's like I eat them for breakfast or something!

    Cari: And you know where to get that glitter! ;D (Thank you!)

    Anonymous: No, we don't have drugstores in Sweden. So I didn't.

    Meeka: Pure novelty stuff, I would never have bought it, and had I only one bottle t franken from, I wouldn't have done it, I think. But colors are always fun to do!

    C. ;D

    maisenzasmalto: You should try it! You could become a convert when it comes to VNL. :)

    Sarah B.: Just make it! :D

    Noir Lacquer: I know, I'm particularily proud of that one. :) Thank you!

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  19. Det er ikke meningen at den skal brukes alene da, det er en grunn til at den heter Rock Coat. Du skal bruke den over andre lakker slik at de blir mørkere! Synes ikke du burde snakke om noe du ikke har peiling på, og si at Dior lager bare skit.

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  20. Anonymous: Bemöda dig om att läsa inlägget och titta på bilderna innan du kastar sten i glashus beträffande pejling på företeelser.

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