31DC: Red

So here it begins!  It's the first of October, and I am going to do my best to get a new mani, on the right theme (or my cheat of it) each day.  I'm glad that we ease into things with colors.  I know that last month the ladies focused on their untried polishes.  I can't guarantee that each post will have untrieds, but I have a lot to choose from, so most should!  Today's red nails have 4!

*1 coat Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear Black out on all but ring finger
*2 coats Spoiled Ants In My Pants on pinkie, middle and index finger
*2 coats Fantasy Makers Once Upon A Time on thumb
*3 coats Julep Jennifer on ring finger
*accent in Zoya Arizona (I forgot that one in my picture--sorry!)

I was just going to give these gorgeous glitters a try, but the point of this challenge is to, you know, challenge me.  I decided to go all in and give a little nail art a try, incorporating a touch of gore/Halloween with a Dexter homage.

When I nabbed the cute Fantasy Makers I forgot about Ants In My Pants.  When I got home and saw the sorta-dupes, I was disappointed in myself.  Luckily, they were each less than two dollars!  I decided to use both to see how they compared.  I started with a black base because the tinted bases of these looked pretty thin.  The strange thing about them, which you can see both in the photos and in real life, is that it actually looks blue or purple. 
You can see in the picture that Once Upon A Time on my thumb has glitter that is much denser than Ants In My Pants, but both were really easy to apply--no glitter maneuvering needed!  I personally (though I know no one agrees) kind of like the uber-wide Spoiled brush, but if you have one you don't really need the other unless you are completing a collection.

Jennifer was very sheer.  I used 3 coats and you can still see nail line in real life.  It is a creamy almost-perfect nude for me.  I used a small paint brush and America to attempt the signature slice from Dexter's work. It's not great, but for me it is a big deal because I almost NEVER attempt any art in my polishing.

You can get a better idea of the blue tint of the base in this one.  And, on a side note, how cute are the Fantasy Makers' bottles?  I know I'm late to the bandwagon, but they're pretty cool seasonal bottles!

So there it is: day 1!  I am a little worried I won't be able to follow through with the whole challenge, but I'm one day closer to completion!
Have you taken the challenge before?  Would you give it a try?  Again?