New 31DC: Inspired by a blogger

This was a really tough challenge.  I have been reading nail blogs for a little more than a year now and there are so many wonderful, fun, talented ladies out there who inspire me.  Most of my posts are in someway inspired by what people like you do.  This was hard to narrow down, so I went to my Pinterest board.  Then, it became pretty easy.
Though she hasn't posted in a long time, Erika from Chloe's Nails is the first person I read regularly.  She has an amazing eye for patterns and colors.  She taked gorgeous photos.  She is unbelievably honest and open when it comes to her writing.  She is amazing and missed right now!  One look that she has a stellar eye for is the Funky French, and there is one of hers that I have been dying to wear.

*1 coat Yello-Out

*2 coats OPI DS Extravagance
*Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear Black Out
*1 coat Out The Door

I loved how these looked, both in her photos and on my hands!  Extravagance is gorgeous, as always!  It was 2 easy, perfect coats to match the bottle.  This dark berry is packed with scattered micro holo pieces and just stunning.

I like the idea of mixing finishes, like a shimmer/glitter and cream.  The black tips are so crisp and smooth, a good contrast to the holo.  I just used some tape to make my lines and 1 coat of Black Out.

New 31DC: Inspired by my favorite color

Yesterday's challenge is still coming, I promise.  I have gained some healthy perspective through this month's challenge.  I am hard on myself and a life-long perfectionist.  I am unforgiving.  Nail polish is so trivial, and so important at the same time.  Every instinct I have wants to berate myself when I don't get a challenge done on the day it's "due."  But I've learned to let it go.  I feel a little bad still, but I would rather take a nap and talk with my dad on my afternoon off than polish.  There is a time and place for both, and yesterday polish was not the priority.  It is relaxing and something that I do for myself, something that I find grounding when I feel overwhelmed, but my family is more so.  So it goes.
Today was such a toughie for me!  These "favorites" are hard because, as I mentioned earlier, my favorites change.  Different colors make me happy at different times, and different looks spark my interest.  Today I decided to dive back into my Pinterest board and try a look that I've had saved for a long time.  And it does use my two favorite colors: pink and glitter.  This is inspired by Crystal's Crazy Combos.

*1 coat Sally Hansen Hard As Nails Hardener
*2 coats OPI Pedal Faster Suzi
*2 coat OPI Teenage Dream
*1 coat Out The Door

Pedal Faster Suzi is pretty sheer, but because I knew I was covering my tips, I didn't use a third coat.  This is such a pretty, pale pink with amazing silver shimmer to it.  It's calming, to me.  I like it when I need to feel girly and quiet.  Weird, I know, but it just feels nice when I wear it.  Like Crystal, I used the amazing Teenage Dream on half the nail, taped off.  The light pink glitter actually looks perfect with Pedal Faster Suzi!  The sparkle and holo pieces are stunning in this polish--I never get tired of it!

New 31DC: Inspired by my Country

I'm an American girl, for better and worse.  I'm also a born and raised California girl.  I currently live in sunny southern California, but I was raised in gorgeous northern California.  I considered some red, white, and blue nails tonight, but "country" sparked an idea for me.

I had the amazing good fortune to grow up in a small town in the heart of wine country.  It's funny, I thought about doing a skittle with redwoods and my high school and a starry sky (I really miss the stars, living in a big city).  I think I tend to have momentum--I did a skittle for the last challenge, so I think I need another one.  I'm glad I didn't though, because I like how this is simple.

 

*1 coat Yello-Out

*2 coats OPI Every Month Is Oktoberfest

*3 coats China Glaze Cowardly Lyin'

*Zoya Yara

*1 coat Out The Door

 

I used Every Month Is Oktoberfest for this one.  Perfection!  This polish is simply stunning.  It is a perfect deep purple for wine and grapes.  I NEVER get tired of this shimmer, either! 

 

I was going to use my go-to Fast Track for my accent, but decided to use Cowardly Lyin' instead.  This is a very sheer shimmery gold with small glitter pieces in it.  I wanted something white wine-ish for the grapes' background.  Close enough to champagne, don't you think?  I used Oktoberfest to dot on grapes and then painted on Yara as the vine.  Now, you are in for a very special treat (sort of).  Meet my right hand:

I snapped that one on a whim, which is why the sides of my nails are a mess.  I liked how the grapes looked much better on this hand, and wanted to show them off.  Something funny happened when I did this.  I knew I would have a hard time snapping a picture with my left hand, and it was really awkward.  I did not think, however, that it would be hard to pose my right hand!  I am so used to posing my left, that I couldn't really hold the bottle well or move my hand right--so weird!  So, forgive the mess, but I liked that little bunch a lot.  For better or worse, I love my home so much and am proud of it.  I'm so happy that this one turned out so well!

New 31DC: Inspired by Childhood

This one is late.  So it goes.  I needed sleep last night and, much more than that, could NOT decide on what to do.  So, I did a little skittle today for a child of the '90s.

*I used a LOT of polishes here, some just for a dot or stripe, so I'm not going to list them all.  If you're curious about anything, feel free to ask and I can tell you what I used!

For my thumb, I made binder paper.  I've been a writer as long as I can remember.  That sounds so pretentious, but it's just a fact.  I've always loved language and using words.  I've also always been a total nerd, the teacher's pet all the way through college.  It's in my blood.  School, and writing, are a part of growing up for me. 

My ring finger is for television.  I know there is an eternal debate about kids watching TV, but we did my house.  I loved classic Nickelodeon and Disney shows, Saturday morning cartoons, T.G.I.F.--we're a TV family.  My parents and I will even sometimes "watch" shows over the phone (I'm waiting for you to come back, Amazing Race!).  This is Chuckie Finster's shirt from Rugrats (I tried to watch this again recently--some things were way better when you were young!).  I killed myself again with impatience and streaked my red when I added my top coat, but overall like how this one turned out!

Much like TV, I am a movie girl, from a movie family.  We love to watch movies, and Disney was/is a staple.  I used Leslie's work from Polish Art Addiction as inspiration and painted a seashell tip for Ariel on my middle finger.  The Little Mermaid has been a favorite of mine forever, and this turned out better than I hoped, so I may need to try a full mani in the future!

Just as much as I love TV and movies, I am a reader.  That's what English majors do.  From Golden Books to Shakespeare, Lewis to Moore, I can't remember NOT reading.  We spent so many hours with my parents, snuggled up around a book.  On my own, I spent even more time disappearing into different worlds.  My index finger is Mama Bear's dress from the Berenstain Bears.

As a final touch, I couldn't really feel nostalgic and ignore the fact that I have Floam waiting to be worn!  This is 4 coats over Sally Hansen Green With Envy.  I wish I hadn't use a green the same color as the glitter so that it would have stood out more, but weird things like Floam were part of growing up in the 80's and 90's. 

So, now you know a little (lot) more about me and what made me who I am now.  It's hard not to get carried away and nostalgic as I think about childhood. 

New 31DC: Inspired by a Game

This is a challenge that has SO many possibilities!  I may just make a little challenge for myself later on with "game" manis...
I wasn't quite ready to say farewell to Annalicious, so that helped me narrow down my choices.  Today I went with a video game (here comes my no-so-inner nerd):

*1 coat Yello-Out
*2 coats Cult Nails Annalicious
*Sinful Colors Snow Me White
*Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear Black Out
*1 coat Out The Door

I'm actually really pleased with how these little Pokeballs turned out!  I made Annalicious my base because Snow Me White is really opaque.  After painting the nails red I freehanded the bottom half white because I didn't need a perfectly crisp line.  I used a small paint brush and Black Out to draw on the stripe.  Then, with the largest dotting tool I have, I added a black and white dot in the center.  Pretty easy!

I wish I were less embarrassed of my love of these little digital guys so I could wear these longer.  They really did turn out much better than I imagined them, which is not typically the case when I try out some nail art.  Alas, I need to at least pretend I'm a grown up!  Do you still have some secret kid loves?  Things you'll just never outgrow?

New 31DC: Inspired by Nature

Tonight I really just wanted to go to sleep.  At, like, 8 pm.  I had big plans for some pretty nature nails.  Then, I thought about going simpler.  I thought about another galaxy nail, which I loved the first time.  Then I tried to think of something even simpler.  Awful, I know.  Well, so are the results.  Sort of--they're not horrible, but I second-guessed myself, which was the biggest mistake.

 

*1 coat Yello-Out
*2 coats Cult Nails Annalicious
*Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear Black Out
*1 coat Out The Door

This is the first time I've done ladybug nails since high school--maybe junior high!  I had my tape ready to put their little heads as a black tip, like a French, but then decided I'd use hole reinforcements and do a half-moon-ish look.  Not good.  I wish I had gone with a French type tip instead because these don't really have the "head" look I wanted. 
I really just couldn't get over the idea of using Annalicious, which is a gorgeous, shimmery, bright red, so I had to do ladybugs!  It was so hard to paint over that beautiful base! 
I used my trusty Black Out to paint on all the details, which is striking as a cream against the shimmer.  I used a new art brush from a Bundle Monster kit my mom got me for Christmas.  It was a little rough with the striper brush at first, which is why you aren't really seeing my ring finger in this one...so it goes.  While it is messier than I had hoped, using my new brush makes me excited to play around with the others in the kit. 
So, I'm not wild (no pun intended) about how these little buggies came out, but you can certainly bet that you'll be seeing some Annalicious and Black Out returning next month for a Valentine's Day look!

New 31DC: Inspired by a fabric

I was a little panicked trying to think of how I can make a mani around "fabric."  I am not very into fashion, so I don't see a lot of inspiring looks.  Then I remembered my duvet.  In my first 31 day challenge, I used my current duvet as my pattern inspiration.  This one is based on the one that I have stored right now that I love.  It's packed up right now, so I didn't pull it out to photograph.  Here's a link to it, though, that I found.

*1 coat Yello-Out
*1 coat China Glaze Mahogany Magic
*Zoya Zuza, Meg, Kimber, Carly and Myrta
*1 coat Out The Door

This look also let me use my 2 favorite collections from last year.  I keep coming back to colors from China Glaze Capitol Colors and the Zoya Surf collection.  A-mazing!  Because I knew I was going to be using a lot of dots, I just used ONE coat of Mahogany Magic.  I love any time I can get away with just one coat of a polish!

 

 

The Surf colors were actually really close to the colors of my duvet, a bit dusty or jewel-toned.  These are just gorgeous on the nail and, I think because of their shimmery/foil finish (just look at it out of focus there!), are great coverage.  IF I were a stamper, I think that these would probably be really great to use.  I was just about to remove this to do a little catch-up for yesterday (things are a little messy in my family right now, so I didn't get to a challenge) but I think that will have to wait until tomorrow so that I can wear these for a full day...you understand, right?  Some polish is just too pretty to let go of!

 

New 31DC: Texture

I don't have as many tricks in my arsenal for today's challenge as other ladies might.  With no flocking powder or "caviar" beads or Fimo, I really had only one choice for a manicure with texture to it: the good ol' rhinestone.

 

 

*1 coat Yello-Out

*2 coats Color Club Wild At Heart

*2 coats Sinful Colors Snow Me White (ring)

*Hoof Lacquer

*1 coat Out The Door

I was trying to think of a cool design or color combo to use and was struggling a bit.  So, I decided to pick a polish first, then figure out the stones.  Wild At Heart is a polish that always surprises me when I wear it.  I know that I love it, but I forget just how much I love it!  I used 2 coats, but really you can get away with just ONE if you want to!  It is a dark purple polish packed with micro scattered holo particles.  It applies like a dream.  I can go on and on, but my words will fail it.  Just get this one if you ever have the chance!

For an accent, I used 2 coats of Snow Me White, a clean cream.  Then, using Hoof Lacquer, I dotted on clear polish for the rhinestones.  I used a thick coat of it over the top, and then a coat of Out The Door on each nail.  I will probably add one more to my accent nails to keep those little suckers on there.  Wild At Heart has a decently shiny finish, but adding a top coat just makes the holo that much more amazing. 

I'm pleasantly surprised with how well the stones match the color I chose.  We'll see how well these hold up at work tomorrow, but I've been having pretty good luck with rhinestones without using glue.  How do you do with texture on your nails?  Love it?  Hate it?  Found any cool products I need to try out? 

New 31DC: Favorite Polish

This is just as hard as my "cheer up" mani! There are so many polishes that I love, and they all make me happy at different times and in different ways. But, right now, I am so tired after 4 long days of work (with 2 more to come) and finishing up a course, so I'm going to take an easy but honest way out on this one.

*1 coat Yello-Out
*2 coats China Glaze Strawberry Fields
*2 coats Sally Hansen Black Out (ring)
*1 coat Out The Door

So, first and foremost, Strawberry Fields is a beautiful dream!  I love the color pink, and that carries over into my nails.  This is a gorgeous medium pink.  I used 2 coats and probably could have added a third to eliminate any nail line, but 2 are really great coverage and go on so easily. 
And then there is the shimmer (just look at the bottle in that previous shot!).  A-mazing!  This polish glows.  Unlike many others, this amazing golden shimmer blazes in the sun, but it doesn't hide in the shade or indoors.  It gives this pink such a warmth without in-your-face glitter (NOT that I am opposed to that!). 

So, this challenge is "favorite polish," not favorite color, so I also added my favorite accent style.  I love how simple an accent nail is, but how striking it can be.  I love China Glaze and their polish and have quite a growing collection of them.  I have realized, though, that Black Out makes more appearances than any other color, so it was the perfect accent for a favorite polish challenge.
So, while there are so many polishes that I love that share my ever-growing "favorite" label, this style tends to be one I keep coming back to and Strawberry Fields is a polish I think I could wear forever and really not get tired of looking at--it's just a versatile beauty! 
What are you partial to?  Do you love a unique stunner, or a simple beauty?  Is there one polish you could rock every day and never get bored with?  Or are there just too many out there to settle down with one?

New 31DC: Oldest Untried

Confession time: I don't have the slightest idea which polish is my oldest untried. I'm not even entirely sure that this is an untried polish, but if I don't remember wearing it I think that counts too. I think that this has hung out in my drawer for so long because it's really not what I am drawn to--I'm not entirely sure what caused me to buy this one. It's not awful, but it's not "me" either.

 

*1 coat Yello-Out
*4 coats Revlon Lush Lime
*1 coat Out The Door

I thought about trying to do some art or design tonight, but figured that sometimes a clean, polished nail is just necessary.  Lush Lime is a very light yellow-green polish.  If the "four coats" didn't give it away, this polish is VERY sheer!  you can still see nail line in the photos and in real life with 4 coats on the nail.  Definitely a layering polish!  This looks really shimmery with the flash on it, and I am hoping it will in the sun, too.  In artificial light inside, it looks kind of frosted when dry, which could be my least favorite finish.  There are micro, sparse, scattered holo pieces in this which do make it an interesting polish.  Unlike the shimmer, these show up much better in real life than the photo, but you can see them in the bottle pretty well.

 
See?  Not a bad polish.  It's just not what I am usually drawn to.  Sometimes, though, it is nice to wear something out of character.  What do you think--do you like to break out sometimes?  Also, it's been a little while since I've said this, but thank YOU (yes, you reading this post at this moment) for stopping by!  In the past week alone I have had more than 250 pageviews, which for me is amazing!  Thank you for visiting and please feel free to talk with me in my comments!

New 31DC: New Technique

I planned this challenge poorly. I painted my nails using a new technique last night, but what I really wanted to post was the removal, which I wanted to give some time to. I tried Elmer's Glue as my base last night under a glitter polish.

**Warning: There are some majorly stained nails in this post. NOT for the faint of heart!

 

This is the magical result or working very hard to peel off my polish.  I was so bummed!  I have been very good lately, but I love to peel polish off.  To a damaging degree.  When I get bored, I peel.  So, I was so excited to know that there was a safe way to peel!  It really did not work for me, though.  I did not notice a difference in wear, though, compared to my usual bases, which is good to note.

*1 coat of Elmer's Glue
*3 coats Maybelline Color Show Sapphire Masquerade
*2 coats Out The Door

 I wanted to really test this out, so I went with a glittery polish.  Sapphire Masquerade is a blue-purple tinted jelly base with micro purple glitter, larger purple hexes and scattered large magenta hexes.  I know I'm not the only person to mention this, but I find it so interesting that such big, mainstream brands have been taking strong cues from indie makers lately!  This was kind of a pain to use, but not horrible.  The first coat was really sheer and the glitter was sparse.  The second and third (you may only need two--I was being cautious) coats built easily, though.  This is a dense, chunky glitter, and comes with all of those problems.  While pretty, it dries really gritty (and fast, which was great!).  I used 2 thick top coats and still wanted a third, but I really like my nails smooth and glassy. 

 

I used an old polish brush, cleaned with acetone and water, to scoop out and apply the glue.  I didn't pool it on my nails, but I don't think I skimped either.  I waited until the white glue turned completely clear before polishing.  While it did not peel well, something very interesting happened when I tried to remove it.  I use one of those little pots of acetone with bristles to remove my polish (and I know, it's probably horrible for my nails, but they seem okay and it's so fast and effective!).  When I put my nail in and twisted it once or twice, the acetone gelled the glue.  Then, it was easy to push/peel off, almost gummy.  While this is not what I had hoped for, it was much easier than usual for taking off chunky glitter, so it wasn't a total waste.

Have you used a glue base for peel off polish?  Did I use the wrong glue?  Did I miss something?  Any tips to make this dream base work?  I'd love to know!

New 31DC: Color Opposites

After staring at color wheels, I really wasn't sure what I wanted to do for today's challenge.  I was planning to do some pink with green, but that really wasn't the right contrast--green is more of a red opposite.  I was a little bummed because I really wanted some pink in the mani, but don't own any lighter green polishes (I know, how is it possible?  Mint was everywhere last year!) until I remembered the little beauty Mint Apple!

*1 coat Yello-Out
*2 coats Sinful Colors Mint Apple
*Wet 'n Wild Sparked
*China Glaze Material Girl
*1 coat Out The Door

Mint Apple is a gorgeous mint/seafoam green polish.  It is soft and dusty and simply packed with golden shimmer!  Two easy coats were perfect for coverage.

I used Sparked, a small light pink hex glitter, as my first gradient polish.  I wiped most of the polish off of the brush before beginning at my cuticle and brushing about 2/3 of the way up the nail, letting the glitter get more sparse as it went.

Then, I used Material girl over the top of Sparked, mostly at the cuticle.  This is yet another amazing polish from my amazing mom!  It is a super-dense pink glitter, with super micro light pink pieces (squares?), small light pink hexes and larger, slightly darker, pink holo hexes.  Mine is a bit thick, so I may add some thinner, but part of the thickness is just the unbelievable amount of glitter packed in the bottle!

I like the contrast of the colors, both somewhat dusty in hue.  Do you own any of these?  Have you found awesome ways to use them?  I can't wait to hear!

New 31DC: Watercolor

So, first an explanation for my missing challenge yesterday, then today's challenge. Yesterday's theme was stamping, which I am terrible at. Like, to an embarrassing degree. I haven't put a ton of time into it yet, but I was not in the mood to fail. I try to be open and do not edit my photos at all (if I get handy with some editing tools, I'll let you know when they are cleaned up pictures). I try to be real about my shortcomings. Sometimes, though, I need to be a little gentle with myself. I'm not super stoked on my life situation right now, and polish (and this blog) are a little refuge for me. I may not be perfect, but I am becoming more and more happy with my polish skills and the way that my nails look. They are one of the very few things I feel I am moderately good at and they make me happy. When they don't, when they feel like a chore or a bummer, I need to stop. This is something to lift me up and give me some joy, not bring me down or frustrate me. That is not to say that I don't want to try new things that I may not be great at, but I don't want to set out to bring myself down with something as trivial, and yet therapeutic, as painting my nails and writing about it. Yesterday was the breaking point--I had done enough sketchy challenge days and was just tired of feeling like a failure, so I didn't do that to myself. I little part of me felt bad, and I may try some stamped nails later this month, but for now I'm okay with the fact that I was kind to me yesterday and I hope that you are too!

So, onto my first watercolor attempt. If you've never tried watercolor nails before, the idea is to use acetone to dilute the pigment. You start with a base and a couple of coats of top coat, then dab on color and use a brush dipped in acetone to dab over the color to wash it out and blend it together. I was having a hard time coming up with inspiration, so I went with different shades of blue.

 

*1 coat Sally Hansen Hard As Nails Hardener
*2 coats Sinful Colors Snow Me White
*2 coats Out The Door
*Sally Hansen Insta-Dri Co-Bolt Blue
*Sinful Colors Why Not
*Color Club Take Me To Your Chateau
*1 coat Sinful Colors Pearl Harbor
*1 coats Out The Door

I started with a clean white base.  Then, with very little direction for application, I went with my darkest color first--Co-Bolt Blue.  I love this navy, shimmery blue (which you already know if you've seen any other post I made with blue in it) and it's wonderfully opaque.  I dabbed it on and then, with a small paint brush dipped in acetone, dabbed some more!

Next I used Why not, with the same technique and (lack of) precision.  This cream is a medium blue, much lighter than I realized when it was diluted with acetone.  I'll also draw your attention to my index finger and the missing polish near the tip.  The point of using 2 layers of top coat before the water color effect is to protect your base from the acetone.  However, if, like me, you decide to add more polish or are overenthusiastic with your dabbing, you might just see your nail make an appearance...  Lesson learned.

I added a coat of Pearl Harbor, an iridescent blue glitter, to draw it all together.  This last picture was under a lamp, without flash, and I added it because the color is much truer here.  Overall, I'm not super-thrilled with this look.  I think part of the problem is the monochromatic choice, which I'll remember.  I think this look is interesting and I may very well try it again with better color choices.  Have you done a watercolor mani before?  What did you find worked well?  Do you have any good tips?

New 31DC: Cheer Yourself Up

Today is my 100th post! It's also a really hard choice for me. I really don't have a go-to polish, color, or look to brighten my day. It really depends on my mood--I love a good bright pink, but also a good shimmery dark polish. I love a clean, smooth finish and tons of glitter. I love seasonal looks as well as old faves. This is hard because I really don't have one sinlge favorite--most any polish can brighten my day.
So, with too many options, I went with a look that I like but have yet to photograph and post.

*1 coat Yello-Out
*2 coats China Glaze Life's A Beach
*2 coats Nubar Black Polka Dots
*1 coat Out The Door

I love a good pink with black glitter!  I'm a little obsessed with black glitter in general and am out to find the perfect one.  Currently, I have Black Polka Dots to use.  This is a clear base with micro square glitters and larger hexes.  The bigger glitter are harder to place evenly, so I kind of swirl the brush in the bottle before applying it.  This is a pretty sparse glitter, in general, which is good for showcasing the base.  It does try the obsessive perfectionist in me, though, to have the nails be unbalanced in glitter, but I just can't resist it!

 

Love's A Beach is yet another awesome newbie from my wonderful momma.  It applied perfectly in 2 coats.  As a neon, it has a semi-matte finish to it, which is really not my favorite, but glitter and/or a top coat fix that right up!  I'd call this a neon Barbie pink, a medim pink that leans warm (the first 3 pictures are truer to color than the last).  It is also packed with a hidden shimmer, not a true cream finish.  It's a really pretty polish and I'm excited to see it out in the sun!

 

 

 Do you have a go-to look when you need a smile?  Have you found the perfect black glitter?  Do tell!

New 31DC: Tape

Now, tape is something I feel much more at home with.  I have gotten better at using it for clean lines (when I rally my patience) and like the help it give.  My big problem was settling on a design using tape.  As I browsed through my nail board on Pinterest I remembered this look from My Vanity Basics that I fell in love with and had to make my tape mani.

*1 coat Yello-Out
*2 coats Zoya Storm
*Cover Girl Boundless Color City Lights
*Wet 'n Wild Stars & Stripes and Icing Written In The Stars
*1 coat Hoof Lacquer
*1 Coat Out The Door

I used Storm for the first time after admiring it in the bottle for so long. A-mazing! I used 2 easy coats of this for my night sky. The black is loaded with tiny silver holo particles. My only regret is that this takes away from the star tails in the photos, but in real life it's perfection!

City Lights is a fine silver holo in a clear base (sorry, I forgot to snap a picture).  This bad boy dates back to high school!  I had to work pretty hard to open it and then dumped quite a bit of thinner.  Voila!  I used Scotch tape to tape off the edges of my star trails and then striping tape inside.  When I do this again (not "if," because it's amazing and I am dying knowing it has to come off tomorrow) I think I'll lay down the two pieces of striping tape first, then the edges to make sure that I have enough space for my little wedges.  Other than that, these are just as awesome as I hoped they would be!

I used a paint brush to scoop out a star for each nail, using the silver ones from Stars & Stripes for all but my ring finger.  Because I couldn't figure out which stars I liked best, I used a little blue one from Written In The Stars on my ring finger.  These little glitters were perfect (though if I ever get start rhinestones I can't wait to try them!) and are holo too!  This is just one awesome, glittery holo-fest.  LOVE it!  What do you think--is there such a thing as too much holo?  I think my feelings are clear...

New 31DC: Splatter

Holy moley!  I don't know what I really expected when it came to a splatter mani, but not...this.  One thing that I am committed to, and love that many other bloggers are too, is being real about our nail adventures.  That includes the less than stellar.  Which 75% of this challenge is. 
First and foremost, Chalkboard Nails' tutorial really had the single best piece of advice: put down a big piece of wax paper.  If you think it's too big, it's not!

 

When I hear "splatter paint" I think of my childhood and homemade shirts.  Then, I think of Lisa Frank.  Thus, my color choices:
*1 coat Yello-Out
*1 thick coat Sinful Colors Snow Me White
*China Glaze Sun Worshipper, Four Leaf Clover, Gothic Lolita and Pool Party
*1 coat Wet 'n Wild Kaleidoscope

I wanted a neon blitz on my nails.  I got...something like that.  By the way, this was way messier and tougher clean up than my water marble disaster learning experience, even with some solid taping.  I realized that I was holding my hand like I do in pictures and splattering my palm too.  This is not for the sleepy!

I used a regular soda straw (probably from Wendy's because you NEVER use it when you have a Frosty...that's all plastic spoon!) that I cut into quarters.  I bet you can tell which finger I started with and where I ended up :)  Actually, my ring finger was first, then my pinkie (I got cocky).  I learned that some colors were blobbier (totally a word) than others.  Four Leaf Clover, a pretty bright teal cream, tended to be my worst enemy.  It overtook each nail and was hard to get to splatter instead of spill down.

I liked the color combination of the neon creams.  I wish that I had not used Sun Worshipper, though, because it is not truly opaque.  As you can see on my pinkie, it kind of layered into new colors.  Awesome neon marigold color, but not really what I had envisioned.  Gothic Lolita (always gorgeous in its bright purple-ness) and Pool Party (neon pink wonder) were pretty cooperative.  When I was less than satisfied with this outcome, I asked myself what Lisa Frank would do in this situation.  Add glitter!  So, I layered a coat of Kaleidoscope holo silver perfection over it all.  (In case you were wondering, adding glitter is ALWAYS the answer)

 

I actually really like how my thumb turned out!  That's a Lisa Frank dream!  This is what I pictured for all of my nails.  Index and parts of Middle aren't too shabby, but Thumb is really '90s rad.  I think that next time I'll get (and by that I mean swipe from a coffee shop) some smaller straws that don't hold as much polish inside and have a little more control in their splatter.  The improvement I saw as I moved from finger to finger was encouraging and means that you and I have not seen the last of some splatter fun.  Have you splattered before?  Any tips for avoiding Pinkie?  Any Lisa Frank love you just need to get out?  I totally understand.